Palm Springs, CA (November 20, 2024) – The Palm Springs International Film Awards has announced that Kieran Culkin is the recipient of the Breakthrough Performance Award, Actor for his performance in A Real Pain. The Film Awards will take place on January 3, 2025, at the Palm Springs Convention Center, with the festival running January 2-13, 2025. The event will be presented by Silvercrest and sponsored by Entertainment Tonight.
“Kieran Culkin delivers an extraordinary performance in his latest role as Benji in A Real Pain. The film follows two cousins who, after the death of their grandmother, embark on a tour of Polish Holocaust history, stirring a mix of emotions as they confront their shared past,” said Festival Chairman Nachhattar Singh Chandi. “Culkin brings remarkable depth to his character—a free spirit whose charm captivates a small tour group, yet who wrestles with the emotions of family loss and a sense of an unfulfilled life. For this complex performance, we present Kieran Culkin with this year’s Breakthrough Performance Award.”
Culkin joins this year’s previously announced honorees Adrien Brody (Desert Palm Achievement Award, Actor), Conclave (Ensemble Performance Award) presented to actors Ralph Fiennes, Isabella Rossellini, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, and Lucian Msamati; Colman Domingo (Spotlight Award, Actor); Angelina Jolie (Desert Palm Achievement Award, Actress); Nicole Kidman (International Star Award); Mikey Madison (Breakthrough Performance Award); and Emilia Pérez (Vanguard Award) presented to director Jacques Audiard and actors Karla Sofia Gascón, Zoe Saldaña, Selena Gomez and Edgar Ramírez.
Past recipients of the Breakthrough Performance Award include Mahershala Ali, Austin Butler, Rami Malek, David Oyelowo, and Jeremy Renner. In the years they were honored, Ali and Malek went on to receive Academy Awards, while Butler and Renner received nominations.
A Real Pain, presented by Searchlight Pictures, follows mismatched cousins David and Benji as they reunite for a tour through Poland to honor their beloved grandmother. The adventure takes a turn when the odd-couple’s old tensions resurface against the backdrop of their family history. Directed and written by Jesse Eisenberg, the film stars Eisenberg alongside Culkin with a cast rounded out by Will Sharpe, Jennifer Grey, Kurt Egyiawan, Liza Sadovy, and Daniel Oreskes.
Coming off of one of the most critically acclaimed television shows in recent history, Kieran Culkin garnered praise for his performance as Roman Roy in the Emmy and SAG winning drama, “Succession.” Culkin won an Emmy®, Critics Choice Award, and Golden Globe® last year for the final season of the show. Culkin, who has been acting for over 30 years has made distinct choices in both film and theatre. Recent film credits include; Igby Goes Down, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, No Sudden Move, Weiner Dog,The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys, The Mighty, Paper Man and Margaret. Upcoming, he will be seen in the revival of David Mamet’s play Glengarry Glen Ross, set to open in 2025 on Broadway.
About the Palm Springs International Film Society
The Palm Springs International Film Society is a 501(c)(3) charitable non-profit organization whose mission is to cultivate and promote the art and science of film through education and cross-cultural awareness. The Film Society produces the Palm Springs International Film Festival (PSIFF) and Film Awards every January and Palm Springs ShortFest in June. In addition to curating the best in international cinema, PSIFF’s Film Awards has come to be known as the first stop on the campaign trail for the Academy Awards®, and our Oscar®-qualifying ShortFest is the largest short film festival and market in North America. Our festivals, year-round member screenings and educational programs manifest our organization’s mission by nurturing and encouraging new filmmaking talent, honoring the great masters of world cinema, and expanding audience horizons.
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