"The jury awards Happening for its visceral, unflinching depiction of both the physical horror of unsanctioned abortions as well as the social terrors that surround such decisions which remain as timely in the twentieth-century U.S. as they did in 1960s France. With a fearless central performance by Anamaria Vartolomei, filmmaker Audrey Diwan has crafted a wholly empathetic portrait of a young woman constricted not so much by her options but by the sheer lack of them."

"Winner of the MOZAIK Bridging The Borders Award is A Hero, directed by Asghar Farhadi. Behind some of the most celebrated international titles of the decade, Iranian filmmaker Asghar Farhadi (The Salesman PSIFF 2017, A Separation PSIFF 2012) is renowned for weaving thought-provoking and thrilling familial mysteries. His latest follows the amiable and scheming Rahim Soltani (the phenomenal Amir Jadidi) on a temporary prison leave, desperate to settle a years-old debt that has brought shame upon himself and his family. When Soltani jumps at a chance for redemption, built on a dubious act, he sparks a national publicity storm that brings him fame and a shot at a better future. Taut with suspense, this captivating morality play continually contorts the mystery of Farhadi's compelling characters with each furtive glance, passing comment and questionable act."

"For a miraculously vivid portrayal of girlhood under siege told with visual exuberance and powerful intimacy from the ensemble cast, the jury awards the Best Picture Prize to Tatiana Huezo's Prayers for the Stolen."

"A brilliant and cleverly conceived screenplay, which draws us into the story with ambivalent feelings of both contempt and compassion. A Hero is set in Iran and spoken in Persian, but the situation it portrays and the characters involved, are universal."

"Prayers For the Stolen-a beautifully shot and told story about girls living in a rural mountain town in Mexico and trying to coexist with the ever-present and ever-menacing drug cartels. This impossible to forget film shines a light on how endangered and dispensable girls and women can be and yet, paradoxically, how powerful and resilient they must be. It's also a deeply felt reminder that the things we consume in one part of the world can take a very heavy toll on people many thousands of miles away."

"Through evocative animation, Jonas Poher Rasumssen takes us on the harrowing and emotional journey of his friend Amin Nawabi - a Denmark-residing refugee from Afghanistan on the cusp of marrying the man he loves - and makes it intimately relatable. Palm Springs IFF is pleased to honor powerful stories that speak to the experiences of so many around the world whose stories are too often silenced, and to honor the filmmakers who bring them into our lives and onto our screens."