Nicole Kidman was expected to receive the International Star Award at the 2025 Palm Springs International Film Festival during Friday’s Film Awards ceremony.
Kidman will be recognized at Palm Springs Convention Center on Friday for her performance in the A24 erotic thriller “Babygirl,” for which she won the Volpi Cup for Best Actress at the Venice International Film Festival, where the movie debuted. “Babygirl” follows a CEO who starts an affair with a younger intern, with a supporting cast including Harris Dickinson, Antonio Banderas and Sophie Wilde.
“Nicole Kidman once again showcases her unmatched talent for embracing bold and unexpected roles with remarkable ease. In `Babygirl,’ she portrays a high-powered CEO whose life begins to unravel as she embarks on a dark, risky affair that threatens to shatter her carefully constructed world,” festival chairman Nachhattar Singh Chandi said in a statement. “For this tour de force performance, we are honored to present her with the International Star Award, an accolade that truly embodies Nicole Kidman.”
The film is directed by Halina Reijn (previously known for “Bodies Bodies Bodies”), who is set to be recognized Saturday as part of Variety’s “10 Directors to Watch” series during the publication’s Creative Impact Awards at the Parker Palm Springs.
Reijn and Kidman were both present at Palm Springs High School’s Richards Center for the Arts to participate in a Q&A session following a screening on Friday morning.
In her triple roles as CEO, mother and wife, Kidman’s character, “lives in a world of careful control, tight scheduling and an all-too-keen awareness of how she’s perceived at the heights of a male-dominated field,” according to the film’s official summary. “In her own long-term marriage, she has also never truly found pleasure with her sweet, caring and artistically driven husband.”
Since its release on Dec. 20, “Babygirl” has accumulated more than $8.4 million at the box office.
Kidman’s filmography is as varied as it is impressive, with feature credits such as “Days of Thunder,” “To Die For,” “Practical Magic,” “Eyes Wide Shut,” “Moulin Rouge!,” “The Others,” “Dogville,” “Birth,” “Rabbit Hole,” “The Killing of a Sacred Deer,” “Boy Erased,” “Aquaman” and “Being the Ricardos.” Her extensive television resume includes “The Undoing,” “Nine Perfect Strangers,” “Roar,” `Special Ops: Lioness,” “Expats,” and “The Perfect Couple,” all of which she produced as well.
The actress’s four-decade acting career includes an Academy Award for her characterization of Virginia Woolf in “The Hours,” in addition to four further nominations. She has a BAFTA, a SAG Award, two Emmys and six Golden Globes.
She is also a past recipient of the International Star Award for her supporting role in the 2016 biopic “Lion.”
Kidman joins Denis Villeneuve (Visionary Award), Ariana Grande (Rising Star Award), Timothée Chalamet (Chairman’s Award), Kieran Culkin (Breakthrough Performer Award), Angelina Jolie (Desert Palm Achievement Award, Actress), Adrien Brody (Desert Palm Achievement Award, Actor), the cast of “Conclave” (Ensemble Performance Award), Mikey Madison (Breakthrough Performance Award), Colman Domingo (Spotlight Award, Actor) and the cast and director of Netflix’s “Emilia Pérez” (Vanguard Award)
Previous International Star Award recipients include Michelle Yeoh, selected for her Oscar-winning work in “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” as well as Carey Mulligan, Penélope Cruz, Helen Mirren, Saoirse Ronan and Charlize Theron.
After the ceremony on PSIFF 2025’s second day, the festival will continue through next week, including the announcement of juried awards on Jan. 12. The complete lineup of films can be found at psfilmfest.org.