The stars of the acclaimed Norwegian drama “Sentimental Value” will be honored by the Palm Springs International Film Festival with its International Star Award, the festival announced on Wednesday.
The award will be accepted by actors Renate Reinsve, Stellan Skarsgård, Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas and Elle Fanning, each a contender for Oscar nominations in two months. Their director Joachim Trier (2021’s “The Worst Person in the World”) will present the award at the Palm Springs Convention Center on Jan. 3rd.
“We are proud to present the International Star Award to the cast of ‘Sentimental Value,’ the first time this honor has been given to an ensemble,” said Festival Chairman Nachhattar Singh Chandi. “This extraordinary group embodies the very spirit of international cinema that our festival celebrates. Their deeply felt performances illuminate Joachim Trier’s moving story of family and reconciliation. With ‘Sentimental Value’ representing Norway for Best International Feature Film, we are thrilled to recognize a film and cast whose impact resonates across cultures and continents.”
Set in Oslo, the film focuses on two sisters, played by the dynamic Reinsve (“The Worst Person in the World,” “A Different Man,” “Presumed Innocent”) and the brilliant newcomer Ibsdotter Lilleaas, as they reconcile with their irascible filmmaker father (Swedish acting legend Skarsgård). Fanning, in a carefully modulated role, plays the American lead actress in the father’s newest film.
Universally acclaimed upon its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, where Trier won the second-prize Grand Prix, “Sentimental Value” is Norway’s submission to the Best International Feature Oscar. Trier’s “The Worst Person in the World,” starring Reinsve, was nominated in the category in 2022, in addition to scoring a nod for Best Original Screenplay.
Past recipients of the International Star Award include Nicole Kidman, Carey Mulligan, Michelle Yeoh, Penélope Cruz, Helen Mirren, Saoirse Ronan and Charlize Theron.
The Palm Springs International Film Festival runs January 2-11, 2026. This event will be presented by Kering and sponsored by Entertainment Tonight.
