The Palm Springs International Film Awards has begun naming its 2027 honorees ahead of the festival’s opening gala on January 7, offering an early look at films and figures likely to shape awards-season conversations. These initial selections — spanning international titles, established directors and breakout performers — carry both industry cachet and potential Oscar relevance.
Honorees announced so far
- International Star Award: La Bola Negra — directors Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi; stars Guitarricadelafuente, Miguel Bernardeau, Penélope Cruz
- Outstanding Achievement in Directing: Martin McDonagh — Wild Horse Nine
- Rising Star Award: Inde Navarrette — Obsession
- Vanguard Award: The Invite — director-star Olivia Wilde and principal cast
The Palm Springs Film Festival runs January 7–18, and the awards gala at the Palm Springs Convention Center traditionally draws industry attention as an early indicator of awards-season momentum. Organizers say more honorees will be revealed in the run-up to the gala.
La Bola Negra — a global festival favorite
La Bola Negra, the Spanish film directed by Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi (often billed together as Los Javis), will receive the festival’s International Star Award. The widescreen drama — which traces nearly a century of Spanish history through the lives of three interconnected generations — earned a lengthy standing ovation at Cannes and later won the TIFF People’s Choice prize. The film has been submitted by Spain for the Academy Awards and is expected to send several of its key contributors to Palm Springs.
Its combination of festival plaudits and national Oscar submission gives the film traction in the weeks ahead, positioning it as one to watch as voting season approaches.
Martin McDonagh recognized for directing
The Outstanding Achievement in Directing honor will go to playwright-turned-filmmaker Martin McDonagh for his latest, Wild Horse Nine, released by Searchlight Pictures. Premiering in Venice, the film follows two CIA operatives — played by John Malkovich and Sam Rockwell — on a mission to Easter Island in the lead-up to the 1973 Chilean coup, where personal histories and political intrigue collide. Mariana di Girolamo, Ailín Salas, Steve Buscemi and Parker Posey round out the ensemble.
McDonagh’s filmography includes well-known titles such as In Bruges, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri and The Banshees of Inisherin, and the Palm Springs recognition underscores his continued prominence in contemporary cinema.
Past recipients of directing awards at Palm Springs have included names that later featured prominently in awards season — from Jane Campion and Alejandro G. Iñárritu to Greta Gerwig and Chloé Zhao — signalling the festival’s long-running role as a barometer for critical momentum.
Breakout: Inde Navarrette
Rising Star honors will go to Inde Navarrette for her turn in the horror hit Obsession. Directed by Curry Barker, the film centers on a young man whose wish makes his romantic life terrifyingly literal; Navarrette’s performance has helped propel the movie to sizable box office returns worldwide.
Obsession has earned more than $525 million globally, and Navarrette’s profile has climbed quickly — she recently hosted Saturday Night Live and is attached to major studio projects, including a role as Rogue in an upcoming X‑Men installment and an acting-and-executive-producing slot on an Apple/Plan B sci‑fi feature.
The Invite and the Vanguard Award
A24’s The Invite will receive the Vanguard Award, which recognizes a director-and-cast collaboration on a standout project. Olivia Wilde, who directs and stars, is expected to attend along with co-stars including Seth Rogen, Penélope Cruz and Edward Norton. The film — a dinner‑party drama that unfurls into revelations about intimacy and marriage — premiered at Sundance and became one of the season’s stronger limited-release performers, grossing about $61.2 million worldwide.
The Vanguard honor has previously been given to ensemble-driven or director-led films that later found awards-season traction, underscoring Palm Springs’ appetite for projects that blend artistic ambition with audience reach.
As the festival approaches, these early announcements highlight a mix of international cinema, established auteurs and emerging talent. For awards watchers and industry insiders, Palm Springs serves as a practical midpoint: a place where critical acclaim, festival visibility and box-office performance begin to align.
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Hello, I’m Declan. I share my film reviews and discoveries with you to enrich your moviegoing experience.