Hollywood Film Awards to Honor LES MIS' Samantha Barks

Samantha Barks, star of the upcoming film LES MISERABLES, is one of six young actors who will be honored with the 'Hollywood Spotlight Award' at this year's Hollywood Film Awards gala ceremony to be held October 22 at the Beverly Hilton. Barks is set to play Eponine in the film version of Les Miserables - the role she played at the 25th anniversary concert.

In addition to Barks the recipients are Bella Heathcote ("Not Fade Away"), Tom Holland ("The Impossible"), John Magaro ("Not Fade Away"), Ezra Miller ("The Perks of Being a Wallflower"), and Kelly Reilly ("Flight").

"We are very excited that we will be able to recognize acting talents that are on their road to discovery and stardom," said Carlos de Abreu , Founder and Executive Director of the Hollywood Film Awards.

The 2012 Hollywood Film Awards has also announced that it will honor actor Richard Gere with the "Hollywood Career Achievement Award"; actor Bradley Cooper with the "Hollywood Actor Award"; Academy Award-nominated writer/directorQuentin Tarantino with the "Hollywood Screenwriter Award"; Ben Affleck , Alan Arkin , Bryan Cranston and John Goodman with the "Hollywood Ensemble Acting Award" for "Argo"; director David O. Russell with the "Hollywood Director Award"; Oscar-winning actor Robert De Niro with the "Hollywood Supporting Actor Award"; Academy Award-winning actress Marion Cotillard with the "Hollywood Actress Award"; three-time Academy Award-nominated actress Amy Adams with the "Hollywood Supporting Actress Award"; producers Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner with the "Hollywood Producers Award"; writer/director Judd Apatow with the "Hollywood Comedy Award"; actor John Hawkes with the "Hollywood Breakout Performance Award" for "The Sessions"; and Quvenzhane Wallis with the "New Hollywood Award" for "Beasts of the Southern Wild." Other honorees include cinematographer Wally Pfister , editor Dylan Tichenor , production designer Sarah Greenwood , and visual effects supervisors Janek Sirrs and Jeff White . In addition, director Peter Ramsey 's "Rise of the Guardians" will be honored with the "Hollywood Animation Award," along with additional honorees to be announced in the coming weeks.

The Hollywood Film Awards Gala Ceremony will take place at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills on October 22, 2012. The event honors cherished stars and up-and-coming talent, and traditionally kicks off the film awards season with the biggest stars and top industry executives in attendance.

"We are very proud to be the first stop of the awards season. In the last nine years, a total of 85 Oscar nominations and 32 Oscars were given to the honorees of the Hollywood Film Awards," said de Abreu.

Last year's awards show reached a total TV audience of more than 41 million media impressions, in addition to more than 300 million online and print readers' impressions.

Aside from celebrating accomplishments on screen, the Hollywood Film Awards established the "Hollywood Gives Back" program to expand and continue highlighting and assisting important local and national charities to raise funds. Over the years, the Hollywood Film Awards has contributed to such charities as the following: The Art of Elysium, Artists For Human Rights, Artists for Peace and Justice, MatchingDonors.com, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, the Enough Project, and Variety The Children's Charity of So. CA, among others.

Further, the Hollywood Film Awards selects individuals to be recipients of their "Hollywood Humanitarian Awards" in recognition of their contribution to the betterment of their communities or society at large. Prior recipients include Nobel Peace Prize winner and ex-President of East Timor, Dr. Jose Ramos-Horta , Nobel Laureate Jody Williams, Father Rick Frechette , and actor and activist Sean Penn .

ABOUT SAMANTHA BARKS - "Les Miserables"
Samantha Barks is emerging as one of Hollywood's most engaging, vivacious and talented young actresses. Samantha will next be seen in the Universal film "LES MISERABLES" directed by Tom Hooper . She will star as "Eponine," which was one of the most coveted and sought after roles of 2012. She will co-star opposite Anne Hathaway , Hugh Jackman , Russell Crowe , and Eddie Redmayne .

ABOUT BELLA HEATHCOTE - "Not Fade Away"
Bella Heathcote is quickly emerging as one of Hollywood's most sought after talents. This December, audiences will see her play Grace Diezt in "NOT FADE AWAY," the highly anticipated film from "The Sopranos" creator David Chase . Set in the 1960s, "NOT FADE AWAY's" accomplished ensemble cast also includes James Gandolfini , Jack Huston , and John Magaro .

ABOUT TOM HOLLAND - "The Impossible"
Tom Holland makes his professional international screen debut in Summit Entertainment's "THE IMPOSSIBLE." In the film, director J.A. Bayona tells the harrowing true story of a vacationing family trying to survive the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami in Thailand. Holland stars opposite Naomi Watts playing her son, Lucas, who must stay strong as he tries to help his injured mother through the wreckage of the tsunami. Prior to being cast, Tom had been performing as Billy in London's West End smash hit, " Billy Elliot ," directed by Stephen Daldry . Other credits include voicing a character in the animated film "THE SECRET WORLD OF ARRIETTY" and will star opposite Saoirse Ronan in "HOW I LIVE NOW."

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