George Clooney to be honored at Palm Springs fest

ClooneyGeorge Clooney will be honored with the Palm Springs Film Festival's chairman's award, the org announced Friday. The "The Descendants" star and "The Ides of March" director will receive the award on Jan. 7 at a Palm Springs Convention Center gala."A consummate actor, director, producer and screenwriter, he's demonstrated that no discipline within the film industry is beyond his reach," said fest chairman Harold Matzner.The 23rd annual fest runs January 5-16, a period when Golden Globe and Oscar voters are still completing their ballots, making it a crucial stop during awards season for hopefuls in major categories. Foreign film Oscar submissions from numerous countries traditionally screen at the fest.Glenn Close, star of "Albert Nobbs," was named a career achievement honoree in October. Contact Christy Grosz at christy.grosz@variety.com