Palm Springs Film Festival Honors Jennifer Hudson

On Saturday, January 13th, the Palm Springs International Film Festival honored Dreamgirls star Jennifer Hudson with its Breakthrough Performance award, according to an Associated Press article.

Hudson treated the festival-goers to renditions of Aretha Franklin's ("You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" and Barry Manilow's "Weekend in New England." 

The former "American Idol" finalist, who is up for a Golden Globe Award, has also been the subject of considerable Oscar buzz.  "I'm going to have to do a lot of praying to get ready for that," she commented.

On the Palm Springs International Film Festival honor, she said, "I never imagined any of this, I never thought about the outcome.  All I wanted was the part. It never occurred to me I would be a part of such greatness."

Hudson, who has also been seen in the Actors' Fund benefit of The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, plays the resilient Effie Melody White in Bill Condon's film adaptation of Dreamgirls.  The movie musical, which has grossed over $60 million so far, also stars Beyonce Knowles, Anika Noni Rose, Eddie Murphy and Jamie Foxx.  It is based on the 1981 classic with a score by Henry Krieger and Tom Eyen; Eyen also wrote the original book upon which Condon based his screenplay.

The Palm Springs International Film Festival runs from January 4th through 15th.

Visit www.dreamgirlsmovie.com for more on Dreamgirls.  Visit www.psfilmfest.org for more on the Palm Springs International Film Festival.