37th Palm Springs International Film Festival, USA

Winners:

Best International Feature: Sirāt (Spain), Director: Oliver Laxe

Sirāt , director: Oliver Laxe, Spain, 2025, 115 min, section: Awards Buzz, print source: Neon.

Jury Statement: At a year when the competition featured such a strong presence for stories about children and their parents, this film thrillingly captured our attention with its portrait of a father’s devotion to his son and daughter, as well as the chosen family they encounter along the way. The techno beats by Kangding Ray make their quest exhilarating and enlightening, while the singular vision of director Oliver Laxe conjures an electric sense of aliveness as the journey ultimately asks us to confront death and the hereafter. 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.

Best Actor in an International Feature Film: Nina Ye, Janel Tsai, Shih-Yuan Ma – Left-Handed Girl  

Left-Handed Girl, director: Shih-Ching Tsou, Taiwan, 2025, 108min, section: Awards Buzz, print source: Netflix.

Jury Statement: To the powerful ensemble of Left-Handed Girl, Nina-Ye (I-Jing) and Shih-Yuan Ma (I-Ann), both in their feature acting debuts, d Janel Tsai (Shu-Fen) complement each other to create a cohesive family unit. Portraying three generations of women migrating to Taiwan to reconstruct their lives from the ground, their performances stand with admirable naturalism, immersing themselves in the relationship dynamics of the characters, while at the same time captivating the audience with subtle comedy and tenderness. A touching view of three different perspectives of women that made the perfect ensemble cast for this jury.

Best Actor in an International Feature Film: Milan Ondrik – Father

Father (Otec), director: Tereza Nvotová, Slovakia, 2025, 103min, section: Awards Buzz, print source:IntraMovies.

Jury Statement: His performance captured our attention from the very first frame as a devoted father who  begins an ordinary day simply by bringing his daughter to daycare. However, when the father makes a devastating discovery, this performance brings to life a palpable sense of grief. Ondrik poignantly captures the consequences of contemporary workaholic culture and questions of burnout and mental health while sensitively drawing attention to the reality of Forgotten Baby Syndrome and the many families that are ripped apart by the tragic loss that Father powerfully conveys.

Best International Screenplay: Joachim Trier, Eskil Vogt, Sentimental Value 

Sentimental Value, Affeksjonsverdi, director: Joachim Trier, Norway, section: Modern Masters, print source: Neon

Jury Statement: The FIPRESCI Award for Best International Screenplay goes to Sentimental Value, written by Joachim Trier and Eskil Vogt — a tale where love, family, art, and memory infuse new meanings and make us dig deep into our choices, regrets, and mistakes. The film shares the big and small tragedies of our existence, often lived within the family house, yet approaches them with a pinch of humour and levity. Trier and Vogt show us the healing power of art at its finest, delivering a film that is moving and relatable, from Scandinavia to the world.

Best First Feature: Happy Birthday (Egypt), Director: Sarah Goher

Happy Birthday, (هابي بيرث داي) , director: Sarah Goher, Egypt, section: Awards Buzz, print source: Skylimit Production 

Jury Statement: The FIPRESCI Award for Best First Feature goes to Happy Birthday by Sarah Goher, for its endearing portrayal of contemporary Egypt through the eyes of a child who embraces life with instinctive freedom, unaware of the social boundaries that will soon confront her. With a gentle yet assured directorial hand that draws out a truly exceptional performance from young star Doha Ramadan, Goher’s first feature reaches beyond sentimentality to reconnect us with our own inner child, moving the viewer while quietly prompting reflection on the arbitrary hierarchies that shape—and constrain—the world we inhabit.