Palm Springs kicked off its awards season with a bang, recognizing Oliver Laxe’s “Sirât” as the best film among 44 International Feature Film Oscar submissions. The 37th Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival (PSIFF) announced its juried award winners today, spotlighting a diverse range of international cinema.
International Films Shine at Palm Springs Festival
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The festival celebrated cinematic excellence from around the globe, with prizes awarded to films from Egypt, Slovakia, South Korea, and beyond.
- “Sirât” earned the FIPRESCI Prize for its compelling drama set against a striking desert landscape.
- Sarah Goher’s “Happy Birthday” took home the Best International First Feature Film award.
- An ensemble cast in “Left-Handed Girl” was recognized for their performances as three generations of Taiwanese women.
- The festival showcased 178 films from 72 countries and territories.
The FIPRESCI Prize, awarded to “Sirât,” was lauded by the jury as a fitting choice given the festival’s location. As they stated, “Since Palm Springs is the ultimate film buff’s party in the desert where the mountains meet the sky, we feel it’s only appropriate to award the FIPRESCI Prize to ‘Sirāt.’”
Egyptian director Sarah Goher’s debut feature, “Happy Birthday,” received the FIPRESCI Prize for Best International First Feature Film. The film offers a gentle yet somber examination of Egyptian class hierarchies through the eyes of Doha Ramadan, who delivered an impressive performance.
Milan Ondrík’s poignant portrayal of a grieving father in Tereza Nvotová’s Slovakian film, “Father,” earned him the FIPRESCI Prize for Best Actor in an International Feature Film. The exquisitely calibrated script penned by Joachim Trier and Eskil Vogt for “Sentimental Value” was awarded the FIPRESCI Prize for Best International Screenplay.
The FIPRESCI Prize for Best Actress in an International Feature Film went to the ensemble cast of “Left-Handed Girl”—Nina-Ye, Shih-Yuan Ma, and Janel Tsai—who were praised for their performances as three generations of Taiwanese women.
Documentaries Tackle History and Politics
Suzannah Herbert’s American documentary, “Natchez,” won the Best Documentary Award. The film explores the complex and evolving industry of Antebellum tourism along the Mississippi River, joining other documentaries in the competition that grappled with history’s contentious nature. Richard Ladkani’s “Yanuni,” a portrait of Indigenous chief Juma Xipaia, received a Special Mention from the jury for its depiction of a turbulent political context.
The New Voices New Visions Award, recognizing emerging filmmakers’ first or second feature, was presented to South Korean director Joonho Park for “3670,” a story about a gay North Korean defector navigating the challenges of coming out. Eva Libertad’s Spanish drama, “Deaf,” about a deaf woman and her hearing partner preparing for parenthood, received a New Voices New Visions Special Mention.
Augusto Zegarra’s Peruvian film, “Runa Simi,” secured the Ibero-American Award, given to the best film from Latin America, Spain, or Portugal. The film follows a father and son’s quest to dub Disney’s “The Lion King” into their native language as a political statement. A Special Mention was given to “It Would Be Night in Caracas,” a timely thriller from Mexico and Venezuela that sparked lively debate among festival audiences.
Local and Student Jurors Weigh In
The Desert Views Award, voted on by Palm Springs locals, went to Ana Endara’s Panamanian film, “Beloved Tropic,” a moving drama about the relationship between a pregnant immigrant and the woman she cares for—a high society woman with dementia. The Young Cineastes Award, selected by a jury of high school students, was awarded to Paige Bethmann’s American drama, “Remaining Native,” which follows a teenage cross-country runner retracing his grandfather’s 50-mile escape from an Indian boarding school.
The Palm Springs International Film Festival concludes tomorrow with encore screenings of the award winners. Mark your calendars: Palm Springs ShortFest is scheduled to return June 23-29.
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