Director Paul Haggis breakthrough award at Hollywood Awards

The Hollywood Film Festival will honor actor JAKE GYLLENHAAL with the "Hollywood Breakthrough Actor of the Year Award," actress RACHEL McADAMS with the "Hollywood Breakthrough Actress of the Year Award," and director PAUL HAGGIS with the "Hollywood Breakthrough Director of the Year Award."

The awards will be bestowed upon the honorees as part of the Hollywood Awards Gala Ceremony on Monday evening, October 24, at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.

The announcement was made today by Carlos de Abreu, Founder and Executive Director of the Hollywood Film Festival. "We created the Hollywood Breakthrough Awards to recognize stand out breakthrough performances in acting, as well as in directing. Mr. Gyllenhaal, Ms. McAdams, and Mr. Haggis are great examples of that," said de Abreu.

Actor JAKE GYLLENHAAL stars in John Madden's "Proof," from Miramax, opposite Anthony Hopkins and Gwyneth Paltrow. He will soon be seen opposite Heath Ledger in Focus Features' "Brokeback Mountain," directed by Ang Lee, and in Universal's "Jarhead," which is directed by Sam Mendes and also stars Jamie Foxx, Peter Saarsgard and Chris Cooper. Most recently Jake Gyllenhaal starred opposite Dennis Quaid in the international box office success "The Day After Tomorrow" from Twentieth Century Fox. His other films include "Donnie Darko," "The Good Girl," "Moonlight Mile," "Lovely & Amazing," "Bubble Boy," "October Sky," "Josh and S.A.M.," "A Dangerous Woman" and "City Slickers," among others.

Actress RACHEL McADAMS currently stars in DreamWorks' "Red Eye," directed by Wes Craven, and "Wedding Crashers" from New Line Cinema. She will soon be seen in this year's holiday drama "The Family Stone" from Fox 2000, with Diane Keaton, Sarah Jessica Parker, Luke Wilson, Dermot Mulroney, and Claire Daines. Rachel McAdams's other film credits include "The Notebook," "Mean Girls," "The Hot Chick," and "Perfect Pie." She has also starred in the TV series "Slings and Arrows."


Screenwriter and director PAUL HAGGIS left a successful career in television to concentrate on making feature films. He is the director of Lions Gate Films' "Crash," whose ensemble cast includes Sandra Bullock, Don Cheadle, Matt Dillon, Brendan Fraser, Thandie Newton and Ryan Phillippe. Mr. Haggis also co-wrote the screenplay. His next directing project is "Honeymoon with Harry," from the screenplay he wrote for New Line Cinema. This year, Mr. Haggis received an Oscar(r) nomination for his "Million Dollar Baby" screenplay, directed by Clint Eastwood. (The film received 7 Oscar(r) nominations and won 4, including Best Picture.) Paul Haggis's upcoming writing projects include DreamWorks' "The Last Kiss," directed by Tony Goldwyn and starring Zach Braff, and DreamWorks' "Flags of Our Fathers" for director Clint Eastwood.

Last year the Hollywood Film Festival's "Breakthrough of the Year Awards" honorees were actor Jamie Foxx, actress Keira Knightley, and director Zach Braff.

Other industry professionals who will be honored for their achievements at the Gala Awards Ceremony are Librarian of Congress Dr. James Billington who will receive the "Hollywood Film Preservation Award," Lions Gate Films Releasing President Tom Ortenberg who will be honored with the "Hollywood Leadership Award," Oscar(r)-winning producer Douglas Wick and producer Lucy Fisher who will receive the "Hollywood Producers of the Year Award," Academy Award-winning screenwriter Akiva Goldsman who will be awarded the "Hollywood Screenwriter of the Year Award," Oscar(r)-nominated cinematographer Pawel Edelman who will be honored with the "Hollywood Cinematographer of the Year Award," Academy Award-winning editor Walter Murch who will be awarded the "Hollywood Editor of the Year Award," award-winning composer Harry Gregson-Williams who will receive the "Hollywood Composer of the Year Award," Oscar(r)-winning director Hayao Miyazaki who will be honored with the "Hollywood Animation Award," Academy Award-winning senior visual effects supervisor Dennis Muren who will receive the "Hollywood Visual Effects of the Year Award," special make-up effects supervisor Gregory Nicotero who will be honored with the "Hollywood Make-Up of the Year Award," supervising sound editor David G. Evans who will receive the "Hollywood Sound of the Year Award," Academy Award-winning costume designer Colleen Atwood who will be honored with the "Hollywood Costume Designer of the Year Award," Oscar(r)-winning production designer Grant Major who will receive the "Hollywood Production Designer of the Year Award" and casting director Avy Kaufman who will be honored with the "Hollywood Casting Director of the Year Award."