‘Conclave’ Wins Top Audience Award at 47th Mill Valley Film Festival

Edward Berger’s papal thriller Conclave has won the MVFF Overall Audience Favorite Award of the 47th Mill Valley Film Festival.

The film, based on the best-selling novel of the same name by Robert Harris, finds Cardinal Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes), tasked with organizing the election of the successor to the deceased Pope, discovers the former Pope had a secret that must be uncovered, concerning one or more of the candidates to succeed to the papacy. Conclave opened this edition of the festival with Berger and Fiennes in attendance.

Walter Salles’ I’m Still Here won the Audience Favorite award for World Cinema. The film is Brazil’s Oscar submission for International Feature Film and stars Fernanda Torres, daughter of Fernanda Montenegro (who cameos here). Montenegro earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress for Salles’ 1998 film Central Station. I’m Still Here won Best Screenplay at the 2024 Venice Film Festival.

Double Cannes award winner Emilia Pérez, from Jacques Audiard and starring Karla Sofía Gascón, Zoe Saldaña, Selena Gomez and Adriana Paz, won the Audience Favorite in the ¡Viva el cine! section.

The 47th Mill Valley Film Festival (MVFF47), located north of San Francisco in Marin County, was held over 11 days of film, artistry, and community. This year’s festival drew over 30,000 attendees who enjoyed a diverse selection of films, tributes, and special events featuring renowned filmmakers, emerging talent, and thought-provoking cinema from 41 countries. MVFF47 screened 132 films, including 80 premieres, 76 features, and 54 shorts, with 51% of the lineup directed by women. MVFF Education reached over 5,000 students nationwide through virtual programming, in-person screenings, and school visits across Marin County, San Francisco, and the East Bay.

With highlights including a tribute to Jude Law, spotlight programs on Mikey Madison, the Emilia Pérez ensemble, Adam Elliot, Danielle Deadwyler, and Amy Adams, and the world premieres of several anticipated films, MVFF47 once again affirmed its place as a premier destination for filmmakers and film lovers alike.

MVFF Founder/Director Mark Fishkin remarked, “I’ve been thinking about how to describe what we experienced, and the first thing that came to mind was optimism: optimism that what we created in 2024 signals a bright future. But even beyond optimism, this year’s event was simply great. Audience members were thrilled with the 2024 edition of films, and filmmakers were wowed by Marin County’s charm and our staff’s professionalism. We look forward to building on this success with our DOCLANDS documentary festival next spring.”

Kyle Hausmann-Stokes’ My Dead Friend Zoe won the Audience Award for US Cinema and stars Sonequa Martin-Green, Natalie Morales and Ed Harris. The dark comedy drama follows the journey of Merit (Sonequa Martin-Green), a U.S. Army Afghanistan veteran who is at odds with her family thanks to the presence of Zoe (Natalie Morales), her dead best friend from the Army. Despite the persistence of her VA group counselor (Morgan Freeman), the tough love of her mother (Gloria Reuben) and the levity of an unexpected love interest, Merit’s cozy-dysfunctional friendship with Zoe keeps the duo insulated from the world. That is until Merit’s estranged grandfather (Ed Harris).

Zoë Elton, MVFF Director of Programming, added, “We actively seek out films that reflect the state of the world and cinema, from political documentaries like Connie Field’s Democracy Noir to spiritual journeys like Annegré Bosman’s Into the Heart of the Mountain. With guests like Roshi Joan Halifax and Jennifer Siebel Newsom, post-screening discussions were incredibly rich. This year also saw a strong showing of first-time feature filmmakers, such as Biliana and Mariana Grozdanova with Eastern Western and Margherita Vicario with her musical Gloria! —a trend that bodes well for cinema’s future. Our commitment to women and non-binary filmmakers remains strong, as seen through our Mind the Gap initiative. The MTG Summit kicked off with an inspiring keynote by Rachel Morrison, culminating in her award presentation and the announcement of Sarah Friedland as the MTG Creation Prize recipient. With a blend of new voices and established talents, this has been a truly enriching festival—it feels like we’re back on track!”

CAFILM Education Director Angela Colabella said, “Our mission is to highlight the transformative power of cinema to inspire and connect with new audiences. By providing transportation for students, facilitating online programming, and bringing filmmakers into classrooms, we strive to make the cinematic experience accessible to students of all ages and backgrounds. Witnessing the next generation engage with films and filmmakers throughout the festival was truly inspiring. I believe these experiences will profoundly influence their understanding of the power of art and expression at the heart of cinema.”

Here is the full list of winners, spotlights and tributes of the 47th Mill Valley Film Festival.

MVFF Overall Audience Favorite
CONCLAVE
Edward Berger
 
Audience Favorite | World Cinema
I’M STILL HERE (Ainda Estou Aqui)
Walter Salles
 
Audience Favorite | US Cinema
MY DEAD FRIEND ZOE
Kyle Hausmann-Stokes
 
Audience Favorite | Documentary
Checkpoint Zoo
Joshua Zeman
 
Audience Favorite | Family
OUT OF MY MIND
Amber Sealey
 
Audience Favorite | Active Cinema
ZURAWSKI V TEXAS
Maisie Crow & Abbie Perrault
 
Audience Favorite | Mind the Gap
THE DAY ICELAND STOOD STILL (documentary)
Pamela J Hogan
BOB TREVINO LIKES IT (narrative)
Tracie Laymon
 
Audience Favorite | ¡Viva el cine!
EMILIA PÉREZ
Jacques Audiard
 
Other awards given during MVFF this year include:
MVFF Award, Breakthrough Performance | Mikey Madison
MVFF Award, Outstanding Ensemble Performance | Emilia Pérez
MVFF Award, Acting | Danielle Deadwyler
MVFF Award, Animation | Adam Elliot
MVFF Award, Acting | Amy Adams
Mind the Gap Award, Director | Payal Kapadia
Mind the Gap Award | Rachel Morrison
Mind the Gap Creation Prize | Sarah Friedland