Palm Springs, California – The Palm Springs International Film Festival concluded with the announcement of its jury award winners. This year’s festival showcased 184 films from over 70 countries, including 48 premieres. While there are still a few regular screenings scheduled for Sunday, the festival officially wraps up on Monday with “Best of the Fest” screenings, featuring encore presentations of the most popular films from throughout the event.
Among the highly anticipated awards are the Audience Awards for Best Narrative Feature and Best Documentary Feature, which will be announced on Sunday. However, several other awards have already been revealed, honoring outstanding contributions in various categories.
One of the notable awards is the FIPRESCI Prize, which recognizes films submitted for the International Feature Film category at the Oscars. The jury members for this prize included Marriska Fernandes, a Canadian Film Critic, Steffen Moestrup, a Danish Film Critic, and Wilfred Okiche, a Nigerian Film Critic.
Another award of distinction is the Best International Feature Film, which was awarded to “Four Daughters” from Tunisia, directed by Kaouther Ben Hania. The festival also recognized the Best International Screenplay, presented to “The Zone of Interest” from the United Kingdom, directed by Jonathan Glazer.
In the acting categories, Leonie Benesch received the award for Best Actress in an International Feature Film for her role in “The Teacher’s Lounge” from Germany, directed by İlker Çatak. Mads Mikkelsen took home the award for Best Actor in an International Feature Film for his performance in “The Promised Land” from Denmark, directed by Nikolaj Arcel.
The festival also celebrated excellence in documentary filmmaking, with “The Echo” from Mexico and Germany, directed by Tatiana Huezo, winning the Best Documentary Award. The film “This World is Not My Own” from the United States and Sweden, directed by Petter Ringbom and Marquise Stillwell, received a Special Mention in the same category.
Other notable awards include the New Voices New Visions Award, presented to “The Animal Kingdom” from France, directed by Thomas Cailley, and the Ibero-American Award, which went to “Power Alley” from Brazil, France, and Uruguay, directed by Lillah Halla. Additionally, the Local Jury Award went to “Wonderland” from Singapore, Malaysia, and the United States, directed by Chai Yee-Wei.
The Young Cineastes Award, judged by local students with a passion for filmmaking, was bestowed upon “Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person” from Canada, directed by Ariane Louis-Seize. Lastly, the MOZAIK Bridging the Borders Award was given to “Green Border” from Poland, France, Czech Republic, and Belgium, directed by Agnieszka Holland, with a Special Mention awarded to “The Old Oak” from the United Kingdom, France, and Belgium, directed by Ken Loach.
The Palm Springs International Film Festival showcases exceptional talent and storytelling from around the world. With its diverse lineup of films and prestigious awards, the festival continues to be a platform for celebrating the art of cinema and recognizing outstanding contributions to the industry.