29 Mar/2026

 

      

 

VARIETY PRESENTS THE CREATIVE IMPACT AWARDS & “10 DIRECTORS TO WATCH” BRUNCH

 AT THE 35th ANNUAL PALM SPRINGS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

 

Penélope Cruz honored with the Variety Creative Impact in Acting Award

Yorgos Lanthimos honored with the Variety Creative Impact in Directing Award

Eric Roth honored with the Variety Creative Impact in Screenwriting Award

 

WHO: Honorees Penélope Cruz (“Ferrari”), Yorgos Lanthimos (“Poor Things”), Eric Roth (“Killers of the Flower Moon”); and attendees from the “10 Directors to Watch” including Anna Kendrick (“Woman of the Hour”), Cord Jefferson (“American Fiction”), Blitz Bazawule (“The Color Purple”), Kobi Libii (“American Society of Magical Negroes”), Ilker Çatak (“The Teachers’ Lounge”), Titus Kaphar (“Exhibiting Forgiveness”) and Aaron Schimberg (“A Different Man”).

 

Presenters included: Lily Gladstone, Sean Penn and Emma Stone.

 

Other guests included: Mark Ruffalo (“Poor Things”), Willem Dafoe (“Poor Things”), Jeffrey Wright (“American Fiction”), Danielle Brooks (“The Color Purple”), Cara Jade Meyers (“Killers of the Flower Moon”), Ji-Young Yoo (“Expats”), Nachhattar Singh Chandi (PSIFF Festival Chairman), Lili Rodriguez (PSIFF Artistic Director), Michelle Sobrino-Stearns (CEO & Group Publisher, Variety), Dea Lawrence (COO/CMO, Variety),  Steven Gaydos (Executive Vice President of Content, Variety), Todd Gilchrist (Senior Editor, Focus, Variety), among others. 

 

WHAT: Variety honored Penélope Cruz with the Variety Creative Impact in Acting Award presented by Sean Penn; Yorgos Lanthimos with the Creative Impact in Directing Award presented by Emma Stone; and Eric Roth with the Creative Impact in Screenwriting Award presented by Lily Gladstone. The awards celebrate the filmmakers and actors for their outstanding contributions to the art and business of cinema. 

 

Variety’s “10 Directors to Watch” series spotlights the most exciting new talents in the fields of directing. This year’s “10 Directors to Watch” are:

 

Ilker Çatak — “The Teachers’ Lounge”

Anna Kendrick — “Woman of the Hour”

Cord Jefferson — “American Fiction”

Sophie Dupuis — “Solo”

Titus Kaphar — “Exhibiting Forgiveness”

Blitz Bazawule — “The Color Purple”

Aaron Schimberg — “A Different Man”

Kobi Libii — “American Society of Magical Negroes”

Eva Trobisch — “Ivo”

Ena Sendijarević — “Sweet Dreams”

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