The 19th Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival (PSIFF) will honor the film Juno with the Chairman’s Vanguard Award at the Festival’s annual Awards Gala. The award was announced at the Chairman’s Screening of the film in Palm Springs today. The award will be presented to director Jason Reitman, writer Diablo Cody and the film’s cast. Previously announced honorees include Sean Penn, Jerry Weintraub, Marion Cotillard, Emile Hirsch and Nikki Blonsky. The Awards Gala, which will be held on Saturday, January 5, 2008 at the Palm Springs Convention Center hosted by “Entertainment Tonight’s” Mary Hart.

Festival Chairman Greenburg said, “After screening Juno, I knew the Festival had to honor this film with the Vanguard Award. Jason Reitman’s film is one of the most innovative from this year and we are very excited to recognize him along with the writer Diablo Cody and the cast members with this achievement. Currently we expect cast members Ellen Page, Jason Bateman, Allison Janney and JK Simmons to attend the Festival to accept the award along with Reitman and Diablo.” Last year the Festival honored Little Miss Sunshine with the Vanguard Award.

Juno stars Ellen Page as the title character, a whip-smart teen confronting an unplanned pregnancy by her classmate Paulie (Michael Cera). With the help of her best friend Leah (Olivia Thirlby), Juno finds her unborn child a “perfect” set of parents: an affluent suburban couple, Mark and Vanessa (Jason Bateman and Jennifer Garner), longing to adopt. Luckily, Juno has the total support of her parents (JK Simmons and Allison Janney) as she faces some tough decisions, flirts with adulthood and ultimately figures out where she belongs.

A Fox Searchlight Pictures presentation, Juno is directed by Jason Reitman (Thank You for Smoking) from a script by Diablo Cody (Candy Girl) and is a Mandate Pictures/ Mr. Mudd production. Producers are Mason Novick and Mr. Mudd partners Lianne Halfon, John Malkovich and Russell Smith. Mandate’s Joe Drake and Nathan Kahane executive produced with Daniel Dubiecki, Reitman’s partner at Hard C. Jim Miller, who brought the project into Mandate, serves as co-producer along with the company’s Kelli Konop and Brad Van Arragon.

Founded in 1990 by then Mayor Sonny Bono, the PSIFF is one of the largest film festivals in North America. The Festival has an attractive film sales and distribution record and is seen by American distributors as one of the best Academy Award campaign marketing tools. The Festival also features cultural events, filmmaker tributes, industry seminars and an annual black-tie gala award presentation.

Renewing their support of this year’s Festival is Title Sponsor, The City of Palm Springs along Presenting Sponsors, Spencer’s Restaurant, The Desert Sun, the City of Indian Wells, the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, Entertainment Tonight and Wessman Development. Major sponsors include Integrated Wealth Management, Bank of America, Regal Entertainment, Ciroc/Johnnie Walker/Don Julio, Wells Fargo, Agua Caliente Casino and Spa Resort Casino.

The 19th annual Palm Springs International Film Festival, scheduled from January 3-14, 2008, will feature a line up of more than 230 films from 65 countries, seminars, special events and Gala receptions. For additional information call 760-322-2930 or 800-898-7256 or www.psfilmfest.org.