'The Banshees of Inisherin' star Colin Farrell to receive Desert Palm Achievement Award

Actor Colin Farrell will be the recipient of the Desert Palm Achievement Award, Actor for his performance in "The Banshees of Inisherin" at the 2023 Palm Springs International Film Awards.

The Film Awards will take place in person on Jan. 5 at the Palm Springs Convention Center, with the Palm Springs International Film Festival running through Jan. 16. The 2022 festival was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Set on a remote island off the west coast of Ireland, "The Banshees of Inisherin" centers on two friends Pádraic (Farrell) and Colm (Brendan Gleeson) who find themselves at an impasse when Colm no longer wants anything to do with the friendship. A confused Pádraic, along with his sister, Siobhán, (Kerry Condon) and young delinquent Dominic (Barry Keoghan), tries to do everything he can to repair the relationship, even if it's against Colm's wishes. When Colm delivers an ultimatum, shocking consequences follow.

The film had its world premiere at the 79th Venice International Film Festival in September, where Farrell won the Volpi Cup for Best Actor and director/writer Martin McDonagh won the Golden Osella for Best Screenplay.

“Colin Farrell reunites with Brendan Gleeson and director Martin McDonagh in the masterful comedy 'The Banshees of Inisherin.' Farrell gives a memorable performance as Pádraic a sweet-souled Irish farmer trying to save his lifelong friendship,” Festival Chairman Harold Matzner said in a statement. “For this career-best performance, we are honored to present the Desert Palm Achievement Award, Actor to Colin Farrell.”

Farrell has been a leading man in the entertainment industry for more than 20 years. In 2009, he won a Golden Globe Award for his role in McDonagh’s "In Bruges." The actor was also nominated for a Golden Globe Award, British Independent Film Award and European Film Award for his role in Yorgos Lanthimos' "The Lobster."

Other notable work includes "Widows," "The Killing of the Sacred Deer," "The Beguiled," "Roman Israel, Esq." and "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them."

In addition to "The Banshees of Inisherin," his projects this year included "The Batman," "Thirteen Lives," the drama series "The North Water" and "After Yang," which premiered at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival and made its North American debut at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival.

Past actor recipients of the Desert Palm Achievement Award include Riz Ahmed, Jeff Bridges, Bradley Cooper, Daniel Day-Lewis, Adam Driver, Colin Firth, Andrew Garfield, Matthew McConaughey, Gary Oldman, Sean Penn, Brad Pitt and Eddie Redmayne. In the years they were honored, Bridges, Day-Lewis, McConaughey, Oldman, Penn and Redmayne went on to win the Academy Award for Best Actor, while Ahmed, Cooper, Driver, Garfield, Firth and Pitt received Best Actor Oscar nominations.

Ema Sasic covers entertainment and health in the Coachella Valley. Reach her at ema.sasic@desertsun.com or on Twitter @ema_sasic.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Colin Farrell to receive award at Palm Springs International Film Festival