Asghar Farhadi’s ‘A Hero’ Picks Up Three Awards From Palm Springs International Film Festival

Though the COVID-19 pandemic crushed in-person plans, officials went ahead with announcing honors for films that were set to screen at this month’s Palm Springs International Film Festival. That decision has led to good news for Asghar Farhadi’s A Hero.

The film, starring Amir Jadidi in the story of a man who tries to convince a creditor to withdraw his complaint, picked up three awards from the festival by winning the Mozaik Bridging the Borders Award and earning a best actor prize for Jadidi and best screenplay prize for Farhadi. The latter two honors came in FIPRESCI international categories. A special jury of international film critics reviewed 36 of the 93 official submissions for the Academy Awards international feature film category and picked winners for best international feature film, best actor, best actress and best screenplay.

Tatiana Huezo’s Prayers for the Stolen was named best international film. The Mexican film — adapted from the novel by Jennifer Clement about three adolescent girls living in a town at war — also picked up the Ibero-American Award. Rounding out the FIPRESCI international category is Agathe Rouselle who won best actress for the French film Titane. Jonas Poher Rasmussen’s critically acclaimed animated film Flee continued a standout awards season by being named best documentary.

A full list of winners can be found below.

FIPRESCI Prize for Best International Feature Film
Prayers For the Stolen (Mexico), directed by Tatiana Huezo

FIPRESCI Prize for Best Actor in an International Feature Film
Amir Jadidi for A Hero (Iran)

FIPRESCI Prize for the Best Actress in an International Feature Film
Agathe Rousselle for Titane (France)

FIPRESCI Prize for International Screenplay
Asghar Farhadi for A Hero (Iran)

Best Documentary Award
Flee (Denmark), directed by Jonas Poher Rasmussen

New Voices New Visions Award
Happening (France), directed by Audrey Diwan

Ibero-American Award
Prayers For the Stolen (Mexico), directed by Tatiana Huezo

Local Jury Award
Escape from Mogadishu (South Korea), directed by Ryoo Seung-wan

Young Cineastes Award
Yuni (Indonesia), directed by Kamila Andini

Mozaik Bridging the Borders Award
A Hero (Iran), director Asghar Farhadi

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