Denis Villeneuve to Receive Visionary Award for ‘Dune: Part Two’ from Palm Springs International Film Awards

The Palm Springs International Film Awards has announced that Denis Villeneuve will receive the Visionary Award for Dune: Part Two. The Film Awards will take place on January 3, 2025, at the Palm Springs Convention Center, with the festival running January 2-13, 2025.

Denis Villeneuve is an Academy Award-nominated filmmaker and screenwriter whose deeply humanistic storytelling and unique visuals have established him as one of the premier filmmakers working today. His most recent film, the highly acclaimed adaptation of Frank Herbert’s science fiction novel Dune, received six Academy Awards, five BAFTAs, three Critics Choice Awards, and nominations from the Producers Guild, Directors Guild, and Writers Guild of America, as well as recognition across the globe. Villeneuve’s other directorial credits include Blade Runner 2049, Arrival, Sicario, Prisoners and Incendies.

“Denis Villeneuve has once again pushed the boundaries of cinematic storytelling with Dune: Part Two. His visionary direction and unparalleled attention to detail have not only brought Frank Herbert’s epic saga to life but also set a new standard for what film can achieve,” said Festival Chairman Nachhattar Singh Chandi. “A true visual masterpiece, Villeneuve’s work transcends entertainment, immersing audiences in a universe where every frame is a testament to his artistry and innovation. It is our honor to present Denis Villeneuve with the Visionary Award.”

The Visionary Award is presented to a filmmaker who breaks boundaries in the art of cinema. In the years that they were honored with the Visionary Award, Alfonso Cuarón (Roma) and Michel Hazanavicius (The Artist) received the Academy Award for Best Director; Richard Linklater (Boyhood), Tom McCarthy (Spotlight), Martin Scorsese (The Irishman), and Quentin Tarantino (Inglourious Basterds) went on to receive Academy Award nominations for Best Director. All of these directors’ films received Best Picture Academy Award nominations, with The Artist and Spotlight receiving the Best Picture Award.

Villeneuve joins this year’s announced honorees: Adrien Brody (Desert Palm Achievement Award, Actor); Timothée Chalamet (Chairman’s Award); Conclave (Ensemble Performance Award) presented to actors Ralph Fiennes, Isabella Rossellini, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, and Lucian Msamati; Kieran Culkin (Breakthrough Performance Award, Actor); Colman Domingo (Spotlight Award, Actor); Ariana Grande (Rising Star Award); Angelina Jolie (Desert Palm Achievement Award, Actress); Nicole Kidman (International Star Award); Mikey Madison (Breakthrough Performance Award, Actress); and Emilia Pérez (Vanguard Award) presented to director Jacques Audiard and actors Karla Sofia Gascón, Zoe Saldaña, Selena Gomez and Edgar Ramírez.

Dune: Part Two, based on the second half of Frank Herbert’s acclaimed novel, completes the cautionary tale of Paul Atreides’ swift and dangerous rise to power. Vengeance, prophecy, fervent followers and political manipulation ultimately lead Paul to abandon the formidable pull of love and his conscience to accept a fate he knows will destroy so much.

In this epic conclusion, internationally acclaimed writer-director Denis Villeneuve dives deep into the psychological lure of power while expanding the story’s scope and scale. Villeneuve’s take on what many consider an unadaptable classic delivers a bold and artistic cinematic vision that pushes the boundaries of immersive storytelling.

The film stars a decorated international ensemble of Academy Award nominees and winners, including Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Austin Butler, Florence Pugh, Dave Bautista, Christopher Walken, Léa Seydoux, Stellan Skarsgård, Charlotte Rampling, and Javier Bardem, who bring Villeneuve’s compelling characters to life.

Villeneuve also reunites with many of his renowned, award-winning collaborators from the first film to execute his unique vision, including co-writer Jon Spaihts, cinematographer Greig Fraser, editor Joe Walker, costume designer Jacqueline West, production designer Patrice Vermette, composer Hans Zimmer, re-recording mixers Ron Bartlett and Doug Hemphill, visual effects supervisor Paul Lambert and special effects supervisor Gerd Nefzer. Set Decorator Shane Vieau and supervising sound editor Richard King also join the esteemed group of artisans for the story’s stunning conclusion. Dune: Part Two has been nominated for Golden Globe Best Picture – Drama and was named one of the ‘Top 10 Motion Pictures of the Year’ by the American Film Institute (AFI). 

The event will be presented by Silvercrest and sponsored by Entertainment Tonight.

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Erik Anderson

Erik Anderson is the founder/owner and Editor-in-Chief of AwardsWatch and has always loved all things Oscar, having watched the Academy Awards since he was in single digits; making lists, rankings and predictions throughout the show. This led him down the path to obsessing about awards. Much later, he found himself in film school and the film forums of GoldDerby, and then migrated over to the former Oscarwatch (now AwardsDaily), before breaking off to create AwardsWatch in 2013.

He is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic, accredited by the Cannes Film Festival, Telluride Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival and more, is a member of the International Cinephile Society (ICS), The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics (GALECA), Critics Choice Association (CCA), San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle (SFBAFCC) and the International Press Academy. Among his many achieved goals with AwardsWatch, he has given a platform to underrepresented writers and critics and supplied them with access to film festivals and the industry and calls the Bay Area his home where he lives with his husband and son.

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