Variety’s Creative Impact Awards Brunch Celebrates Film Industry Icons and Emerging Visionaries in Palm Springs

Variety magazine hosted its Creative Impact Awards Brunch at the Parker Hotel as part of the Palm Springs International Film Festival, bringing together Hollywood heavyweights and rising filmmakers from around the world. Despite the gloomy skies, the atmosphere inside was celebratory as the event honored artists making a major impact behind and in front of the camera.

Director Guillermo del Toro received the Creative Impact in Directing Award for his film Frankenstein, while Dwayne Johnson was honored with the Creative Impact in Acting Award for his performance in The Smashing Machine. Teyana Taylor also took home the Creative Impact in Breakthrough Performance Award for her role in One Battle After Another.

The brunch also spotlighted the future of filmmaking with Variety’s “10 Directors to Watch,” recognizing emerging voices shaping the industry. Among them was Kristen Stewart, honored for her work behind the camera on The Chronology of Water, a biographical psychological drama following a young woman who turns to competitive swimming to escape a traumatic childhood.

International filmmakers were also celebrated, including German director Jan-Ole Gerster for his film Islands, a thriller centered on a tennis coach whose husband mysteriously disappears at a luxury island resort. Nigerian British filmmaker Akinola Davies Jr. was recognized for My Father’s Shadow, while director N.B. Mager earned recognition for Run Amok, a film exploring the contrast between childhood innocence and unfiltered honesty.

For many of the honorees, the recognition marked a pivotal moment in their careers, reinforcing the power of personal storytelling and creative risk-taking. And while the weather forced festivities indoors, the energy and excitement inside the Parker Hotel never wavered.