UPDATED with latest: Angelina Jolie will receive the Palm Springs Film Festival‘s 2025 Desert Palm Achievement Award, Actress, for her “extraordinary portrayal” of Maria Callas in Maria.
“Maria presents the iconic Angelina Jolie in the role of a lifetime as she embodies Maria Callas, the world-renowned opera legend. Jolie’s extraordinary portrayal captures the heart and complexity of an artist whose life was as captivating as her music,” said festival Chairman Nachhattar Singh Chandi. “In honor of her mesmerizing transformation into this groundbreaking yet tragic figure, we are thrilled to present Angelina Jolie with the Desert Palm Achievement Award, Actress.”
The festival runs January 2-13 in the desert city east of Los Angeles, and its film awards will be handed out January 3 at the Palm Springs Convention Center. See the other announced honorees below.
UPDATES, November 15: Nicole Kidman will receive Palm Springs Film Festival’s International Star Award for her “tour de force” performance in Babygirl, the fest said today.
“Nicole Kidman once again showcases her unmatched talent for embracing bold and unexpected roles with remarkable ease,” festival Chairman Nachhattar Singh Chand saidi. “In Babygirl, she portrays a high-powered CEO whose life begins to unravel as she embarks on a dark, risky affair that threatens to shatter her carefully constructed world. For this tour de force performance, we are honored to present her with the International Star Award, an accolade that truly embodies Nicole Kidman.”
PREVIOUSLY, November 14: The Palm Springs Film Festival has set Adrien Brody for its 2025 Desert Palm Achievement Award, Actor, for his “career best” turn in The Brutalist, and Conclave is set for its Ensemble Performance Award. The latter will be presented to stars Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, and Lucian Msamati.
“In The Brutalist, Adrien Brody delivers a stunning performance as architect László Toth following his escape to America to rebuild his life, having been forced to flee Europe at the end of the war. Brody’s mesmerizing portrayal showcases the depth of human dignity in the face of incredible suffering,” festival Chairman Nachhattar Singh Chandi said.
“Conclave is a thought-provoking drama, one which delivers edge-of-your-seat suspense by way of its outstanding ensemble of actors including Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, Lucian Msamati and Isabella Rossellini,” Chandi said. “Together, they deliver powerful and multi-layered performances in Edward Berger’s film that will mesmerize audiences throughout this award season.”
PREVIOUSLY, November 4: The Palm Springs Film Festival said today that Colman Domingo will receive its Spotlight Award, Actor, for his “incredibly raw and captivating performance” in Sing Sing. It’s the second year in a row he will be feted by the fest, which also celebrated his work in 2023’s Rustin with the Spotlight Award.
“In Sing Sing, Colman Domingo delivers another outstanding performance based on the true story of the wrongfully convicted Divine G, who finds purpose in prison through stage acting,” festival Chairman Nachhattar Singh Chandi said.
PREVIOUSLY, October 30: The Palm Springs Film Festival kicked off its giving season Wednesday, revealing that Netflix’s audacious musical crime thriller Emilia Pérez has be bestowed the fest’s Vanguard Award.
The Vanguard Award, a group honor distinguishing a film’s cast and director in recognition of their work, will be presented to writer-director Jacques Audiard and actors Karla Sofia Gascón, Zoe Saldaña, Selena Gomez and Edgar Ramírez, who are expected to attend the ceremony at the Palm Springs Convention Center.
The film, which world premiered at Cannes, where Gascón, Saldaña and Gomez were awarded the Best Actress prize, has since been selected as France’s submission for the Oscar International Feature race. It centers on fearsome cartel leader Emilia (Gascón), who enlists Rita (Saldaña), an unappreciated lawyer stuck in a dead-end job, to help fake her death so that Emilia can finally live authentically as her true self.
It debuts on Netflix on November 13.
“Emilia Pérez is one of the greatest achievements in cinema this year,” said PSIFF chairman Nachhattar Singh Chandi. ‘This powerful film from visionary director Jacques Audiard, is led by outstanding performances from Karla Sofia Gascón, Zoe Saldaña, Selena Gomez, Adriana Paz and Edgar Ramírez. The film started its awards run at the Cannes film festival, where it won the Jury Prize and its main actresses shared the Best Actress prize. It’s our honor to celebrate the director and cast of Emilia Perez with the Vanguard Award for this achievement in filmmaking.”