Colman Domingo, Timothée Chalamet Among 2025 PSIFF Honorees

Spotlighting Oscar hopefuls and international heavy hitters, the Palm Springs Intl. Film Festival kicks off its 36th edition with “Better Man,” an audacious crowd-pleaser in which the character of Brit pop star Robbie Williams appears in the movie as a CG chimp, narrating his life story.

“It’s touching and has a unique and personal perspective on fame and resilience,” PSIFF artistic director Liliana Rodri-guez says of the unconventional biopic, directed by Michael Gracey (“The Greatest Showman”). “It’s a fun ride to set the tone for the festival.”

The 2025 slate features 164 films from 71 countries and closes Jan. 13 with Peter Cattaneo’s “The Penguin Lessons,” starring Steve Coogan. The desert fest is a reliably starry destination for awards contenders, where this year’s Jan. 3 Film Awards will fete buzzy breakouts Mikey Madison (“Anora”), Timothée Chalamet (“A Complete Unknown”), Adrien Brody (“The Brutalist”), Nicole Kidman (“Babygirl”), Kieran Culkin (“A Real Pain”), Angelina Jolie (“Maria”), Ariana Grande (“Wicked”), director Denis Villeneuve (“Dune: Part Two”), and the casts of “Conclave” and “Emilia Pérez.” On Jan. 4, Variety’s 10 Directors to Watch and Creative Impact Awards brunch will honor “Emilia Pérez” director Jacques Audiard, Grande’s “Wicked” co-star Cynthia Erivo and “Unstoppable” actor Jennifer Lopez.

Colman Domingo, a 2024 awardee for “Rustin,” returns to receive the festival’s Spotlight Award. He gives an emotional performance in Greg Kwedar’s “Sing Sing” as John “Divine G” Whitfield, an incarcerated man who finds purpose in the theater while fighting for exoneration.

“‘Sing Sing’ is so very special to me because, at this time, it is even more impactful to tell stories that help heal us all,” says Domingo. “I feel like all roads of my 34-year career have led to the work that I have been able to lead…