James Franco has landed on the 2011 Oscars-watch list after scoring a leading acting prize at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival in California.
Franco will be handed the Outstanding Performance of the Year award at the January (11) event for his role as young adventurer Aron Ralson in new movie 127 Hours.
The gripping film chronicles Ralson's battle for survival in Utah's Moab Desert after his arm is crushed by a boulder deep within a canyon.
Franco will join an illustrious group of previous Outstanding Performance Award recipients, including Colin Firth, Penelope Cruz, Angelina Jolie, Helen Mirren and the late Heath Ledger.
127 Hours sees Franco team up with filmmaker Danny Boyle, his first movie since the huge Oscar success of Slumdog Millionaire last year.
It's been a busy year for the actor having already starred in Eat Pray Love and completed work on Howl, 127 Hours, Your Highness and Rise of the Apes.
The actor also returned to TV series General Hospital and has The Iceman in the pipeline.
127 Hours is released 7th January.
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