NEW YORK, NY.- The Museum of Modern Art’s 2015 Film Benefit will honor Academy Award–winning actress Cate Blanchett on November 17. Winner of the 2013 Best Actress Oscar for Blue Jasmine (2013) and the 2004 Best Supporting Actress Oscar for The Aviator (2004), Ms. Blanchett has also starred in seven films that were nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture, including Elizabeth (1998) and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008). Later this year, Ms. Blanchett will star in the highly-anticipated films Carol (2015) and Truth (2015). The Film Benefit will be highlighted by a tribute recognizing Ms. Blanchett’s acclaimed work and a gala dinner.

Rajendra Roy, The Celeste Bartos Chief Curator of Film at MoMA, states, “As MoMA’s Department of Film marks its 80th anniversary, we're thrilled to honor a woman who embodies the greatest traditions of screen acting, while fiercely embracing innovation and risk. Cate Blanchett has the kind of talent that inspires others to deliver their best work, challenges the field to be more fully engaged with women artists and audiences, and propels cinema forward with intelligence and grace.”

MoMA’s vast film collection includes several films starring Ms. Blanchett, including The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002), The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003), The Aviator (2004), The Good German (2006), The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012), and The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013). Originally founded in 1935 as the Film Library, the film collection is recognized as the strongest in the U.S., with more than 30,000 international films from all periods and genres. The Film Benefit enables the continued maintenance and growth of this important collection, as well as an ambitious schedule of film series, premieres, festivals, retrospectives, and much more.

Previous honorees include Alfonso Cuarón, Tilda Swinton, Quentin Tarantino, Pedro Almodóvar, Kathryn Bigelow, Tim Burton, and Baz Luhrmann.