The writer-director will collect the Sonny Bono Visionary Award during the Palm Springs International Film Festival’s (PSIFF) awards gala on Jan 7.

Hazanavicius broke out with his 2006 spy spoof OSS 117 – Cairo, Nest Of Spies starring Jean Dujardin. The pair reunited three years later on the hit sequel OSS 117 – Lost In Rio and most recently collaborated on The Artist.

“Director Michel Hazanavicius boldly takes us back in time and reacquaints modern-day audiences with the magical power of black and white silent cinema to capture our hearts and our imaginations in The Artist,” said festival chairman Harold Matzner.

“The film opened to rave reviews at its premiere in Cannes and will continue to be one of the films to watch throughout awards season as a leading best picture contender. For his creative innovation in filmmaking The Palm Springs International Film Festival is proud to present Michel Hazanavicius with the Sonny Bono Visionary Award.”

Past recipients of the Sonny Bono Visionary Award include Danny Boyle, Quentin Tarantino, Baz Luhrmann and Joe Wright.

The PSIFF is set to take place from Jan 6-16. Previously announced honourees for the upcoming event include George Clooney, Glenn Close and Michelle Williams.

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