Hollywood glitz and glamour was showcased in Temecula on Sunday night as the Temecula Valley International Film & Music Festival capped off its festivities with a star-studded awards gala at the Pechanga Resort and Casino.

Several big names in film and music were honored as an audience of more than 200 people, including many of the filmmakers and musicians who debuted their work during the five-day event, looked on.

Among the honorees was film star Virginia Madsen, who praised film festivals as venues for creativity and good moviemaking. Madsen, who has starred in numerous films and received an Oscar nomination for “Sideways,” was honored Sunday with the founder’s award for outstanding career achievement.

“Film festivals are the lifeblood of independent filmmaking nowadays,” Madsen said in an interview. “It’s very hard now to get your film made and distributed and seen… The more interesting, artistic films are just not getting out there.”

That’s where film festivals such as Temecula’s come in, she said. “It’s a great gathering place for creative thinking, for creative minds,” Madsen said. “It’s also a wonderful place to meet the newcomers.”

Virginia Madsen is one of the celebrities scheduled to attend the ninth annual Phoenix Film Festival, which kicks off an eight-day run Thursday at the Harkins Scottsdale 101 Theaters. The movies will be shown simultaneously in seven theaters beginning at 9 a.m. Friday through Sunday. Screenings will start at 5 p.m. Monday through April 9.

Virginia, who has starred in such films as “Sideways” and “The Astronaut Farmer,” will attend a 7:30 p.m. Saturday screening of “I Know a Woman Like That,” a documentary directed by her mother about women over the age of 65.

Phoenix Film Festival
When: Thursday through April 9
Where: Harkins Scottsdale 101 Theatre, 7000 E. Mayo Blvd.
Cost: Opening night $40, individual screenings $10, flex pass (four screenings) $30, festival pass $150, VIP pass $425
Information: (602) 955-6444 or www.phoenixfilmfestival.com