The star of Captain Phillips and Saving Mr. Banks will receive the 25th annual Palm Springs International Film Festival’s (PSIFF) Chairman’s Award at the annual awards gala on January 4 2014.

“Tom Hanks is one of the greatest actors of his generation,” said festival chairman Harold Matzner. “In a remarkable feat that vividly illustrates the range of his talent, this year he portrayed two real-life characters, each a powerhouse performance in its own right.

“In the film Captain Phillips, he plays Richard Phillips, the captain of a ship hijacked by pirates, while in Saving Mr. Banks he plays Walt Disney trying to turn the book Mary Poppins into a film –  two roles that couldn’t be more divergent.”

Previous recipients of the Chairman’s Award include Ben Affleck, George Clooney, Richard Gere, Dustin Hoffman and Nicole Kidman.

PSIFF is scheduled to run from January 3-13 2014.

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