Palm Springs International Film Festival Awards Top Prizes To ‘I’m Still Here,’ Zoe Saldaña, ‘No Other Land’ And More

The 36^th Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival announced awards today, honoring I’m Still Here with the FIPRESCI Prize chosen from among 35 films submitted for the Oscars’ International Feature Film category.

A special jury of international film critics determined the winner of the FIPRESCI Prize, praising the drama directed by Brazilian filmmaker Walter Salles “for conveying the horror of encroaching dictatorship from the intimate perspective of a mother defending not just her family of five, but her dignity. Evoking the severity of the violence without resorting to melodrama, director Walter Salles captures a critical moment of history in scrupulous and compelling detail.”

I’m Still Here bested several other Oscar-shortlisted International Feature Film contenders including Emilia Perezbut that innovative musical comedy directed by Jacques Audiard doesn’t leave Palm Springs empty handed. Co-star Zoe Saldaña won the FIPRESCI Prize for Best Actress in an International Feature Film. Jurors cited “the ferocity and complexity of her performance in Emilia Perezwhich shows a virtuosic range of expression, from song and dance to her potent interpretation of a morally shaded character. Although her character plays a supporting role, she drives the narrative with the power of a protagonist.”

The FIPRESCI Prize for Best Actor in an International Feature Film went to the stars of Kneecap —  Mo Chara, Móglaí Bap, and DJ Provái. Ireland’s official selection for the International Feature Film category, directed by Rich Peppiatt, has earned a place on the Oscar shortlist.

“To Mo Chara, Móglaí Bap, and DJ Provái, for their seamless performance as an ensemble of musicians who make their acting debut in Kneecap,” jurors wrote. “Proving equally authentic and explosive in both capacities, they bring a fresh and propulsive energy to the whole notion of cultural identity.”

The FIPRESCI jury members included Brian D. Johnson (Canadian Film Critic), Marcelo Janot (Brazilian Film Critic), and Paola Caseslla (Italian Film Critic).

No Other Landthe documentary set in the occupied West Bank that is directed by a collective of Palestinian and Israeli filmmakers, continued its strong awards run by winning Best Documentary at the Palm Springs festival. It won the top prize at the Cinema Eye Honors in New York earlier this week and has claimed more than four dozen awards around the world.

“For its compelling immersion into the lives of Palestinian villagers in the West Bank who face the constant threat of expulsion from their homes by the Israel Defense Forces and attacks by Israeli settlers, we award the Best Documentary Award to No Other Land,” wrote the documentary jury, comprised of Dale Cohen (UCLA Documentary Film Legal Clinic), Tishon Pugh (New Orleans Film Society), and myself (Deadline’s documentary editor). “This film foregrounds the bond between two filmmakers – one Palestinian, the other Israeli – without sentimentalizing the relationship, but emphasizing the different rules that apply to Israelis who live under civil law and Palestinians governed by Israeli military justice.”

The documentary jury awarded a Special Mention to Blue Road – The Edna O’Brien Storydirector Sinéad O’Shea’s film about the late Irish novelist.

These are the additional prizes awarded by the Palm Springs International Film Festival today:

New Voices New Visions Award:

The New Year That Never Came (Romania), Director Bogdan Mureșanu

Special Mention: Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight (South Africa), Director Embeth Davidtz

The films were juried by Beth Barett (Seattle International Film Festival), Gil Robertson (African American Film Critics Association), and Justine Barda (Telescope Film).

Jury Statement: “The director of our winning film lives up to the promise he showed in 2019 when his short The Christmas Gift won ShortFests’ Best of the Festival Award. We appreciated the way that he incorporates a myriad of storylines, bringing them to a triumphant conclusion set to Ravel’s Bolero. We especially admired his use of dark comedy to explore the impact on individual citizens of the Ceausescu dictatorship and its fall. We’d also like to give a Special Mention to Lexi Ventor for her stunning portrayal of Bobo in Don’t Let’s Go the Dogs Tonight. Her presence and emotional intelligence offer a child’s eye view of the experience Zimbabwe faced as it entered its period of decolonization.”

IBERO-AMERICAN AWARD (highlighting the creativity seen in modern Spanish, Portuguese and Latin American films):

Dirty (Mexico), Director Astrid Rondero, Fernanda Valadez

Special Mention: Manas (Brazil/Portugal), Director Marianna Brennand

The films were judged by Anna Marie De La Fuente (Variety), Chloë Roddick (Morelia International Film Festival), and Danny Hastings (Official Latino Film Festival)

Jury Statement: “We have unanimously selected Dirty for its elegant, nuanced portrayal of a young boy struggling to escape overwhelming violence and poverty in a small Mexican town. The film is meticulously paced and darkly poetic, offering its protagonist an unusually optimistic and humane ending to his story. Featuring outstanding performances from its young cast and beautiful, ethereal cinematography, Dirty cements filmmaker duo Astrid Rondero and Fernanda Valadez’s rising-star status in the contemporary Mexican cinema scene.”

DESERT VIEWS AWARD (juried by Palm Springs locals to highlight films that, in the spirit of neighborliness, promotes understanding and acceptance among people):

Checkpoint Zoo (United States/Ukraine), Director Joshua Zeman

Desert Angel (United States), Director Vincent DeLuca

The films were judged by Jose Macias (Desert Hot Springs), Margaret Quirante (Morongo Valley), Matt Ramirez (Cathedral City), Tanisha L. Alston (Palm Desert), and Sohelia Crane (Palm Desert).

Jury Statement: “The 2025 Desert Views Jury is proud to present the Desert Views Award to Checkpoint Zoo. This film embodies the spirit of community through a small group of local Ukrainians that captured the hearts of a global audience through social media posts in the early chaotic days of the Russian invasion. Against all odds and great personal sacrifice, an unlikely group of volunteers united their community and inspired hope globally in an effort to rescue animals.”

YOUNG CINEASTES AWARD (with a jury composed of high school students with a passion for cinema):

Tatami (Georgia/Israel/Iran), Directors Zar Amir Ebrahimi and Guy Nattiv

Special Mention: Superboys of Malegaon (India/United States), Director Reema Kagti

The films were judged by Joseph Manjarrez (Palm Springs High School), Lyla Valentine (Palm Desert High School), and Stephanie Lopez (Palm Springs High School).

Jury Statement: “The 2025 Young Cineastes Jury is proud to present the Young Cineastes Award to Tatami. We selected this film because it is a ‘non fiction’ fictional story packed with unique visuals, that brings foreign political awareness to its viewers. The film tells a story of resilience where every decision impacts individuals’ lives.”

BRIDGING THE BORDERS AWARD (sponsored by 360 MEDIA, awarding a film that is most successful in bridging and connecting the people of our world closer together):

Souleymane’s Story (France), Director Boris Lojkine

Special Mention: Happy Holidays (Palestine/Germany/France/Italy/Qatar), Director Scandar Copti

The winning film receives a cash award of $2000. The films were judged by Abbas Yari, Ali Murat Erkorkmaz, Bijan Tehrani, Granaz Moussavi, Keely Badger, Marcy Garriott, Michael Franck, Matt Ferro, Susan Morgan Cooper, and Vladek Juszkiewicz.

At this time, Palm Springs ShortFest is scheduled to return June 24-30, 2025.