Actor James Franco, actress Sally Hawkins, director John Patrick Shanley and writer Dustin Lance Black will receive Breakthrough awards at the 12th annual Hollywood Film Festival. The awards will be handed out October 27 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.

Both Franco and Hawkins appear in top Oscar-contending films, with Franco as Sean Penn's lover in Gus Van Sant's "Milk" and Hawkins as an unflaggingly chirpy British schoolmarm in Mike Leigh's "Happy-Go-Lucky."

Shanley directs the upcoming "Doubt" and Black penned the script for "Milk." Other winners will include "Wall-E" director Andrew Stanton, who draws the Hollywood Animation award. "Iron Man" will receive the visual effects nod for f/x supervisors John Nelson and Ben Snow.

Celebrity News Service remembers Breakthrough winner Franco from his days on the television series "Freaks and Geeks." He also won a Golden Globe for his portrayal of James Dean in the made for TV bio "James Dean." Franco also has played Harry Osborn in all three of the "Spider-Man" movies.

British actress Hawkins is best known for her performances in "Vera Drake" and the BBC's "Fingersmith."