Eye For Film >> Festivals >> Palm Springs >> 2025 >> Awards Buzz – Best International Feature Film
View other Palm Springs International Film Festival Films by strand: American Indies, Country Focus, Galas, Queer Cinema Today, Special Presentations, Talking Pictures, Talking Pictures: Book to Screen, True Stories, World Cinema Now
Drowning Dry and Saturn Return
Armand
(Country: Norway; Year: 2024; Director: Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel; Writer: Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel; Stars: Renate Reinsve, Ellen Dorrit Petersen, Øystein Røger, Endre Hellestveit, Thea Lambrechts Vaulen, Vera Veljovic-Jovanovic, Loke Nikolaisen)
A mother is called into her child's infant school after he faces an accusation.
Come Closer
(Country: Israel; Year: 2024; Director: Tom Nesher; Writer: Tom Nesher; Stars: Lia Elalouf, Darya Rosenn, Netta Garti, Jacob Zada Daniel, Shlomi Shaban, Ido Tako, Ofek Pesach, Yael Shoshana Cohen)
When her beloved brother dies, a woman takes desperate measures to fill the void.
Dahomey
(Country: France, Senegal, Benin; Year: 2024; Director: Mati Diop)
Documentary about the return of artworks to Benin that were looted by French colonisers.
Drowning Dry (Seses)
(Country: Lithuania, Latvia; Year: 2024; Director: Laurynas Bareisa; Writer: Laurynas Bareisa; Stars: Gelmine Glemzaite, Karolis Kasperavicius, Paulius Markevicius, Giedrius Kiela, Agne Kaktaite)
Two familes try to cope with trauma after a weekend getaway turns sour.
Emilia Perez
(Country: US, Mexico; Year: 2024; Director: Jacques Audiard; Writer: Jacques Audiard; Stars: Zoe Saldana, Selena Gomez, Edgar Ramírez, Karla Sofía Gascón, Adriana Paz, James Gerard, Shiraz Tzarfati, Agathe Bokja, Marie-Elisabeth Robert, Stéphane Ly-Cuong, Eric Geynes, Anabel Lopez, Eduardo Aladro, Line Phé, Cyrus Khodaveisi)
A lawyer gets an offer to help a cartel boss start a new life.
Emilia Perez and Flow
Everybody Loves Touda
(Country: Morocco; Year: 2024; Director: Nabil Ayouch; Writer: Nabil Ayouch, Maryam Touzani; Stars: Nisrin Erradi, Jalila Talemsi)
A singer plans to build a better future for her son.
Flow
(Country: Latvia, Belgium, France; Year: 2024; Director: Gints Zilbalodis)
An animated adventure about a group of animals who must work together to survive a catastrophe in a post-human world.
From Ground Zero (Strefa Zero)
(Country: Palestine, France, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Switzerland, Denmark; Year: 2024; Director: Aws Al-Banna, Ahmed Al-Danf, Basil Al-Maqousi, Mustafa Al-Nabih, Muhammad Alshareef, Ala Ayob, Bashar Al Balbisi, Alaa Damo, Awad Hana, Ahmad Hassunah, Mustafa Kallab, Satoum Kareem, Mahdi Karera, Rabab Khamees, Khamees Masharawi, Wissam Moussa, Tamer Najm, Abu Hasna Nidaa, Damo Nidal, Mahmoud Reema, Etimad Weshah, Islam Al Zrieai; Stars: Aws Al-Banna, Kenzi Al Balbisi, Mohammed Kamel, Damo Nidal, Alaa Nijim, Yahya Saad, Karim Satoum, Thaer Abu Zubaida)
A collection of 22 short films made in Gaza, giving Gazan filmmakers the chance to tell the untold stories about the current war.
The Girl With The Needle (Pigen med nålen)
(Country: Denmark; Year: 2024; Director: Magnus von Horn; Writer: Line Langebek Knudsen, Magnus von Horn; Stars: Vic Carmen Sonne, Trine Dyrholm, Besir Zeciri, Ava Knox Martin, Joachim Fjelstrup, Tessa Hoder, Søren Sætter-Lassen, Thomas Kirk, Dan Jakobsen, Anna Tulestedt, Ari Alexander, Benedikte Hansen, Per Thiim Thim, Peter Secher Schmidt, Agnieszka Przyborowska-Mitrosz)
In Copenhagen in the aftermath of World War one, a young woman in desperate circumstances takes on a job which will lead her to still greater depths of despair.
Grand Tour
(Country: Portugal, Italy, France, Germany, Japan, China; Year: 2024; Director: Miguel Gomes; Writer: Telmo Churro, Maureen Fazendeiro, Miguel Gomes, Mariana Ricardo, Babu Targino; Stars: Jani Zhao, Gonçalo Waddington, João Pedro Vaz, Teresa Madruga, Manuela Couto, Crista Alfaiate, Lang Khê Tran, Diogo Dória, Cláudio da Silva, Américo Silva, João Pedro Bénard, Jorge Andrade, Joana Bárcia, André Lourido, Giacomo Leone)
The travels of a civil servant after he runs away from his finacee.
Armand and Kneecap
How To Make Millions Before Grandma Dies (Lahn Mah)
(Country: Thailand; Year: 2024; Director: Pat Boonnitipat; Writer: Pat Boonnitipat, Thodsapon Thiptinnakorn; Stars: Putthipong Assaratanakul, Usha Seamkhum, Sanya Kunakorn, Sarinrat Thomas, Pongsatorn Jonwilas)
A man quits work to care for his dying grandmother, motivated by her fortune. He schemes to win her favour before she passes.
The Hungarian Dressmaker (Ema A Smrtihlav)
(Country: Slovak Republic, Czech Republic; Year: 2024; Director: Iveta Grófová; Writer: Peter Krištúfek and Iveta Grófová, based on the book by Peter Krištúfek; Stars: Alexandra Borbély, Nico Klimek, Milan Ondrík, Alexander E Fennon)
Rising nationalist sentiment in the Slovak Republic in the 1940s leads a widowed dressmaker to lose her job. Male attention makes it harder for her to cope while hiding a young Jewish boy.
I'm Still Here (Ainda estou aqui)
(Country: Brazil, France, Spain; Year: 2024; Director: Walter Salles; Writer: Murilo Hauser, Heitor Lorega, Marcelo Rubens Paiva; Stars: Brazil, 1971: a country in the tightening grip of a military dictatorship. A mother is forced to reinvent herself when her family’s life is shattered by an act of arbitrary violence.)
Brazil, 1971: a country in the tightening grip of a military dictatorship. A mother is forced to reinvent herself when her family’s life is shattered by an act of arbitrary violence.
Julie Keeps Quiet (Julie zwijgt)
(Country: Belgium, Sweden; Year: 2024; Director: Leonardo van Dijl; Writer: Ruth Becquart, Leonardo van Dijl; Stars: Tessa Van den Broeck, Grace Biot, Alyssa Lorette, Ruth Becquart, Koen De Bouw, Pierre Gervais, Claire Bodson, Laurent Caron)
As the star player at an elite tennis academy, Julie’s life revolves around the game she loves. When her coach falls under investigation and is suddenly suspended, all of the club's players are encouraged to speak up. But Julie decides to keep quiet…
Kill The Jockey (El Jockey)
(Country: Argentina, Spain, United States, Mexico, Denmark; Year: 2024; Director: Luis Ortega; Writer: Fabian Casas, Luis Ortega, Rodolfo Palacios; Stars: Úrsula Corberó, Daniel Giménez Cacho, Mariana Di Girólamo, Nahuel Pérez Biscayart, Roly Serrano, Luis Ziembrowski, Daniel Fanego, Roberto Carnaghi, Osmar Núñez, Adriana Aguirre)
A jockey embarks on a new identity after an accident but a mobster is on his tail.
The Girl With The Needle and From Ground Zero
Kneecap
(Country: Ireland; Year: 2024; Director: Rich Peppiatt; Writer: Rich Peppiatt; Stars: Michael Fassbender, Simone Kirby, Jessica Reynolds, Josie Walker, Cliodhna McCorley, Mo Chara, Cathal Mercer, Móglaí Bap, Emer Casey, DJ Próvai, Arlene Martine Morris, Donagh Deeney, Saorlaoith Brady, Paul Murphy, Paul P. McCrystal)
There are 80,000 native Irish speakers in Ireland. 6,000 live in the North of Ireland. Three of them became a rap group called Kneecap. This anarchic Belfast trio becomes the unlikely figurehead of a civil rights movement to save the mother tongue.
The Last Journey
(Country: Sweden; Year: 2024; Director: Filip Hammar, Fredrik Wikingsson; Stars: Lars Hammar, Filip Hammar, Fredrik Wikingsson, Tiina Hammar)
In a heartfelt effort to rekindle his 80-year-old father’s zest for life, the filmmaker surprises him with a road trip to the French coastal town where they spent family holidays to revisit cherished memories.
Life (Hayat)
(Country: Turkey, Bulgaria; Year: 2023; Director: Zeki Demirkubuz; Writer: Zeki Demirkubuz; Stars: Miray Daner, Burak Dakak, Cem Davran, Umut Kurt, Melis Birkan, Osman Alkas, Ozan Dagara, Dogu Demirkol, Kayhan Acikgoz, Muttalip Mujdeci, Seyit Nizam Yilmaz, Berfun Basel, Hande Ozen, Ozlem Turkad, Caner Cindoruk)
Young Hikran is forced by her father to marry Riza. Refusing to comply, she flees to Constantinople. Shamed, Riza sets out to find her in the metropolis.
Lost Ladies
(Country: India; Year: 2023; Director: Kiran Rao; Writer: Biplab Goswami, Sneha Desai, Divyanidhi Sharma; Stars: Nitanshi Goel, Pratibha Ranta, Sparsh Shrivastava, Ravi Kishan, Chhaya Kadam)
Two young brides from arranged marriages are mistakenly swapped during a chaotic train ride, and find their lives flipped upside down when, upon arrival, they lift their veils, revealing that each husband is now with the wrong wife.
Meeting With Pol Pot
(Country: Cambodia; Year: 2024; Director: Rithy Panh; Writer: Pierre Erwan Guillaume, Rithy Panh; Stars: Irène Jacob, Grégoire Colin, Cyril Gueï, Bunhok Lim, Somaline Mao)
Eager to restore their image, the Khmer Rouge invite three French journalists to tour the Cambodian countryside and interview the regime's leader, Pol Pot. The journalists, however, uncover the stark reality behind the propaganda, leading to a far more perilous journey than anticipated.
Sujo and How To Make Millions Before Grandma Dies
Memories Of A Burning Body (Memorias de un cuerpo que arde)
(Year: 2024; Director: Antonella Sudasassi)
Repression and taboos have shaped the image of womanhood for Ana, 68, Patricia, 69, and Mayela, 71. Their stories combine to form a kaleidoscope of memories, secrets and longings that are incarnated by another woman’s body.
My Late Summer
(Country: Bosnia and Herzegovina; Year: 2024; Director: Danis Tanović; Writer: Anja Matković, Nikola Kuprešanin, Danis Tanović; Stars: Anja Matković, Uliks Fehmiu, Goran Navojec, Mario Knezović)
In this entertaining and poignant dramedy, a feisty woman travels to a remote Croatian island seeking answers about her past. As her mission takes longer than expected, the charming locale, quirky locals, and an unexpected romance reshape her views about her identity and ambitions.
Old Fox
(Country: Taiwan; Year: 2023; Director: Hsiao Ya-Chuan; Writer: Hsiao Ya-Chuan, Chan I-Wen; Stars: Bai Run-Yin, Liu Kuan-Ting, Akio Chen)
In this thought-provoking drama, an affluent landlord nicknamed Old Fox teaches an 11-year-old boy the ways of wealth. But will these skills prevail over the values of kindness and generosity instilled by his economically struggling father?
Santosh
(Country: UK; Year: 2024; Director: Sandhya Suri; Writer: Sandhya Suri; Stars: Shahana Goswami, Sanjay Bishnoi)
Newly widowed Santosh inherits her husband’s job as a police constable in the rural badlands of Northern India. When a low caste girl is found raped and murdered, she is pulled into the investigation under the wing of charismatic feminist inspector Sharma.
Saturn Return (Segundo Premio)
(Country: Spain, France; Year: 2024; Director: Isaki Lacuesta, Pol Rodríguez; Writer: Isaki Lacuesta, Fernando Navarro; Stars: Daniel Ibáñez, Cristalino, Stéphanie Magnin, Mafo, Chesco Ruiz, Daniel Molina)
Late 1990s. Art and culture are in full swing in Granada. Against that background, an indie band is about to change the music scene in Spain. Just before creating their new album, the band is going through its worst possible moment.
I'm Still Here and Santosh
The Seed Of The Sacred Fig
(Year: 2024; Director: Mohammad Rasoulof)
Investigating judge Iman grapples with paranoia amid political unrest in Tehran. When his gun vanishes, he suspects his wife and daughters, imposing draconian measures that strain family ties as societal rules crumble.
Shambhala
(Country: Nepal, France, Norway, Hong Kong, Turkey, Taiwan, United States, Qatar; Year: 2024; Director: Min Bahadur Bham; Writer: Min Bahadur Bham, Abinash Bikram Shah; Stars: Thinley Lhamo, Sonam Topden, Tenzing Dalha, Karma Wangyal Gurung, Karma Shakya, Loten Namling, Tsering Choden, Choney Gurung, Phurba Tsepten Gurung, Tsering Lhamo Gurung, Tsering Choeble Towa, Janga Bahadur Lama)
A woman tries to find her husband after he disappears.
Sujo
(Country: US, Mexico, France; Year: 2024; Director: Astrid Rondero, Fernanda Valadez; Writer: Astrid Rondero, Fernanda Valadez; Stars: Karla Garrido, Juan Jesús Varela, Kevin Aguilar, Jairo Hernandez, Yadira Pérez, Sandra Lorenzano, Alexis Varela)
When a cartel gunman is killed, he leaves behind Sujo, his beloved four-year-old son. The shadow of violence surrounds Sujo during each stage of his life in the isolated Mexican countryside. As he grows into a man, Sujo finds that fulfilling his father’s destiny may be inescapable.
La Suprema
(Country: Colombia; Year: 2023; Director: Felipe Holguin; Writer: Felipe Holguin, Andres Sierra; Stars: Elizabeth Martínez, Antonio Jimenez, Ana Victoria Rodríguez, Domingo Zabaleta)
In a remote village without electricity, a teenager convinces a whole town to find a way of watching her estranged uncle compete in a world championship boxing match.
Three Kilometres To The End Of The World
(Country: Romania; Year: 2024; Director: Emanuel Parvu; Writer: Miruna Berescu; Stars: Laura Vasiliu, Bogdan Dumitrache, Adrian Titieni, Valeriu Andriuta, Ciprian Chiujdea)
A gay teenager's journey of self-discovery sees him clash with his parents.
Julie Keeps Quiet and Dahomey
Touch
(Country: Iceland; Year: 2024; Director: Baltasar Kormákur; Writer: Baltasar Kormákur, Ólafur Jóhann Ólafsson; Stars: Egill Olafsson, Kōki, Masahiro Motoki, Palmi Kormakur, Sigurdur Ingvarsson, Yoko Narahashi)
As Covid-19 shuts down international travel, an older widower embarks on a journey from Iceland to England and Japan to find Miko, the one who got away.
Twilight Of The Warriors: Walled In
(Country: Hong Kong; Year: 2024; Director: Soi Cheang; Writer: Au Kin-Yee, Chan Tai-Lee, Li Jun, Shum Kwan-Sin, Yi Yu; Stars: Sammo Kam-Bo Hung, Louis Koo, Philip Ng, Richie Jen, Raymond Lam, Fish Liew, Pak Hon Chu, Tak-Bun Wong, Cecilia Choi, Tony Tsz-Tung Wu, Chun-Him Lau, Man Kit Cheung)
Manga adaptation.
Universal Language
(Country: Canada; Year: 2024; Director: Matthew Rankin; Writer: Ila Firouzabadi, Pirouz Nemati, Matthew Rankin; Stars: Matthew Rankin, Mani Soleymanlou, Danielle Fichaud, Pirouz Nemati, Sobhan Javadi, Saba Vahedyousefi, Rojina Esmaeili)
Multilayered film that interweaves a story about a group of people trying to get frozen money out of the ice, a tale of a tour guide and a man who quits his job to visit his mother.
Vermiglio
(Country: Italy, France, Belgium; Year: 2024; Director: Maura Delpero; Writer: Maura Delpero; Stars: Tommaso Ragno, Giuseppe De Domenico, Roberta Rovelli, Martina Scrinzi, Orietta Notari, Carlotta Gamba, Santiago Fondevila Sancet, Rachele Potrich, Anna Thaler, Patrick Gardner, Enrico Panizza, Luis Thaler, Simone Bendetti, Sara Serraiocco)
1944, Vermiglio, a remote mountain village. The arrival of Pietro, a deserter, into the family of the local teacher, and his love for the teacher's eldest daughter, will change the course of everyone's life.
Waves
(Country: Czech Republic; Year: 2024; Director: Jiří Mádl; Writer: Jiří Mádl; Stars: Vojtěch Vodochodský, Stanislav Majer, Táňa Pauhofová, Ondřej Stupka, Martin Hofmann, Tomáš Maštalír)
A drama about drama follows the international office at Czechoslovak Radio, whose commitment to honest journalism and the truth, in 1968, puts it in the crosshairs of the secret police.
59th New York Film Festival early bird highlights Futura, Jane By Charlotte, James Baldwin: From Another Place and The Velvet Underground
Eye For Film continues to support festivals both locally and across the world. At the moment, we're covering:
Palm Springs International Film Festival
DOC NYC
New York's celebration of factual film
Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival
One of the largest film gatherings in northern Europe
French Film Festival
The UK's longest running celebration of Francophone cinema
Cannes Film Festival
Archive of festival coverage.
Sundance Film Festival
Daily diary and reviews from 2005-2018.
Berlin Film Festival
Coverage of the lynchpin German festival.
Search Movie Database
Browse our full archive
Browse our short film archive
Browse our media archive
