This is the wrap-up of the 34 annual Palm Springs International Film Festival .
On Sunday, Desert Fest claimed honors by announcing this year’s winners, including the Jury Prize and Audience Prize. Winner of the highest honor – the Fepsy Award voted for by a special jury of international film critics who judged 34 OFFICIAL SUBMISSION FOR THE INTERNATIONAL FAIR FILM CATEGORY OF THE Academy Awards – Legal Drama
Alice Diop St. Omar .
The jury praised the French film for the way it examines social, cultural, racial and gender issues. “By harnessing the skills of her technical team, Diop transformed Saint Omer into a shrewd, persuasive, ambitious and unstoppable film, which remains sober and dispassionate while teasing the metafictional consciousness,” the jury said in a statement.
The other Fepsey Award went to the Alcarràs International Screenplay (Spanish ) , Oksana Cherkashyna from Klondike won Best Actress in an International Drama (Ukraine) and from Ali Junejo for Joyland Best Actor in an International Feature Film (Pakistan). The Fipresci jury consisted of Andrew Kendall of Stabroek News, Anders E. Larsson of Lund Fantastic Film Festival and Robert Horton of Herald and Made up Seattle Weekly.
Best Documentary Award goes to Nisha Pahuja for
To Kill a Tiger. “The filmmakers’ sensitivity to the subject’s experience and their astute capture of changing tones is an excellent use of the genre, resulting in a remarkable story of an enduring father-daughter relationship that exemplifies social evolution,” said the jury statement. Diana Cadavid, director of LALIFF and FICCALI, filmmaker Amir George and festival planner Robin Robinson were members of the jury.
The New Voices and New Visions Award was awarded to The Damned Don’t Cry by director Fyzal Boulifa. The Iberoamerican Award, given to the best film in Latin America, Spain or Portugal, went to director Manuela Martelli’s Chile ’93 . So Yun Um Liquor Store Dreams was honored by the local jury. The Young Filmmaker Award went to Anthony Shim for Riceboy Sleeps and the Mozaik Bridging the Borders Award went to Wissam Charaf for Dirty Difficult Danger and $2 76 cash prize.
Santiago Miter of Argentina 2023 won Best Novel and Ross Kaufman won Best Documentary for Medicine and Miracles . For a complete review of the winners and jury statements, click 2023 here .
2023
