The cast of the movie “Conclave” will receive the Ensemble Performance Award at the 2025 Palm Springs International Film Festival in January.
Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow and Lucian Msamati will be honored at the Palm Springs Convention Center on Jan. 3 for their collective performances in Edward Berger’s thriller, which premiered at the Telluride Film Festival and is being distributed by Focus Features. All four are expected to be in attendance.
“Conclave” centers upon the secretive process of selecting the pope. In film, Fiennes plays Cardinal Lawrence, who is overseeing the selection process following the pope’s death. Tucci, Lithgow and Msamati all play cardinals involved in the ensuing scuffle for the papacy.
Along the way, Lawrence “finds himself at the center of a conspiracy and discovers a secret that could shake the very foundation of the Church,” per the film’s official summary.
The film was directed by Berger, written by Peter Straughan and also features Isabella Rossellini, Sergio Castellitto, Brian F. O’Byrne and Carlos Diehz.
“`Conclave’ is a thought-provoking drama, one which delivers edge-of-your-seat suspense by way of its outstanding ensemble of actors including Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, Lucian Msamati and Isabella Rossellini,” festival chairman Nachhattar Singh Chandi said in a statement. “Together, they deliver powerful and multi-layered performances in Edward Berger’s film that will mesmerize audiences throughout this award season.”
Berger is best known for being at the helm of “All Quiet on the Western Front” (2022), a German adaptation of Erich Maria Remarque’s anti-war novel that took home four Academy Awards from eight nominations. Berger himself earned the Best Director prize at the BAFTA awards, with “All Quiet on the Western Front” being named Best Film at that ceremony as well.
The Ensemble Performance Award winner at PSIFF has gone on to win the same prize at the Screen Actors Guild Award multiple times, including “Hidden Figures,” “American Hustle” and “Argo.” Other recent recipients of the Coachella Valley prize include the casts of “King Richard,” “Mary Poppins Returns,” “The Big Short,” “The Imitation Game,” “Young Adult” and “The Social Network.”
After the ceremony on PSIFF 2025’s second day, the film festival will continue through Jan. 13.
The cast joins Mikey Madison (Breakthrough Performance Award), Colman Domingo (Spotlight Award, Actor) and Netflix’s “Emilia Pérez” (Vanguard Award) as announced honors recipients at PSIFF 2025, as of Thursday.