Hollywood Film Awards to Honor 'Silver Linings Playbook' Director David O. Russell (Exclusive)

The Hollywood Reporter has learned that David O. Russell, a best director Oscar nominee two years ago for The Fighter who is now in serious contention for best director and best adapted screenplay nominations for his new film Silver Linings Playbook, will receive the Hollywood Director Award at the 16th annual Hollywood Film Awards -- the first awards show of the 2012 Oscar season -- when its gala ceremony is held Oct. 22 at the Beverly Hilton.

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The Hollywood Film Awards, which are associated with the Hollywood Film Festival and determined by HFF founder and executive director Carlos de Abreu and his advisory team, recognize individuals for both career achievement and work released within the calendar year. Previous recipients of the Hollywood Director Award include Norman Jewison (1998), John Schlesinger (1999), Richard Donner (2000), John Frankenheimer (2001), Martin Scorsese (2002), Ron Howard (2003), Michael Mann (2004), Sam Mendes (2005), Oliver Stone (2006), Marc Forster (2007), Clint Eastwood (2008), Kathryn Bigelow (2009), Tom Hooper (2010), and Bennett Miller (2011). Just months after collecting their Hollywood Film Festival Award, Bigelow and Hooper went on to win that year's best director Oscar, while Scorsese received a nomination.

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De Abreu tells THR, "We are thrilled this year to honor director David O. Russell for his outstanding work and creative vision exemplified in his extraordinary new film."

Over the last two decades, Russell has directed a half-dozen of the most unconventional films to come out of Hollywood: Spanking the Monkey (1994), Flirting with Disaster (1996), Three Kings (1999), I Heart Huckabees (2004), The Fighter (2010) and now Silver Linings Playbook -- all of which he directed from his own scripts except for The Fighter.

Silver Linings Playbook, a dramedy about mental illness that is set in the present day, generated great acclaim following its world premiere earlier this month at the Toronto International Film Festival, where it won the audience award. Adapted from Matthew Quick’s novel, it revolves around a depressed high school teacher (Bradley Cooper) who, after being institutionalized for four years, is released into the care of his parents (Oscar winner Robert De Niro and Oscar nominee Jacki Weaver). While attempting to woo back his ex-wife (Brea Bee), he becomes romantically entangled with a neighbor who has problems of her own (Oscar nominee Jennifer Lawrence). Julia Stiles and Chris Tucker also stars as Lawrence's sister. The film will be released nationwide on Nov. 21.

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THR recently reported the names of several other Hollywood Film Awards honorees, including the recipients of the Hollywood Actress Award, Hollywood Supporting Actor Award, Hollywood Producer Award, Hollywood Animation Award, Hollywood Comedy Award, New Hollywood Award, Hollywood Breakout Performance Award, Hollywood Cinematographer Award and Hollywood Visual Effects Award.

In the past nine years, Hollywood Film Awards honorees went on to garner a total of 85 Oscar nominations and 32 Oscars.