The Invite to Receive Palm Springs Vanguard Award in 2027

A24’s The Invite is set to receive the Vanguard Award at the Palm Springs International Film Awards on Jan. 7, 2027, according to the festival.

The festival says the award recognizes a film’s cast and director for their collective work on a project. Director and star Olivia Wilde will accept it with actors Seth Rogen, Penélope Cruz and Edward Norton.

“With ‘The Invite,’ Olivia Wilde has made a film that is both comedic and deeply human. In addition to directing, she stars alongside three of the most compelling actors working today: Seth Rogen, Penélope Cruz, and Edward Norton,” said festival chairman Nachhattar Singh Chandi.

“Each of them brings something irreplaceable to this story, and together they’ve created something that has stayed with audiences long after the credits roll. We are thrilled to honor this incredible team with this year’s Vanguard Award,” Chandi said.

What does the Vanguard Award recognize?

Four names, one honor. The award treats the group like a quartet: four credited players, one collective citation. Wilde receives it as director and star, while Rogen, Cruz and Norton join her as the three actors singled out by Chandi.

In the festival’s account, Wilde and Rogen play a dysfunctional married couple in a San Francisco apartment. Cruz and Norton play their neighbors, whom the couple invites over for dinner. The evening spirals, exposing relationship tensions inside that apartment.

The festival credits Will McCormack and Rashida Jones with the script. They adapted the 2020 Spanish film The People Upstairs.

What happened before Palm Springs?

The festival’s announcement records a substantial commercial run. A24 picked up the film’s domestic distribution rights (the right to release it in its home market) in one of the biggest sales out of Sundance in January. The independent comedy became a summer hit at the box office (theatrical ticket revenue), grossing over $60 million worldwide.

The figures establish reach. Chandi’s quoted rationale rests on the work itself. He joined comedy with what he called “deeply human” characterization, then emphasized what each performer contributed to the story. That is the festival’s stated rationale for the collective honor.

Which films received the Vanguard Award before?

Chandi’s citation repeatedly returns to the cast and director: Wilde’s directing and star performance, Rogen’s role, and Cruz’s and Norton’s contributions to the shared story.

The festival lists these previous Vanguard Award recipients:

• Green Book
• The Shape of Water
• Belfast
• Emilia Pérez
• Hamnet
• Killers of the Flower Moon
• La La Land
• Little Miss Sunshine
• The Fablemans
• The Trial of the Chicago 7

The addition places The Invite alongside these earlier titles in the award’s record.

When will the award be presented?

The festival says the Film Awards will be held Jan. 7, 2027, at the Palm Springs Convention Center. The festival will run Jan. 7-18, 2027.

The ceremony will bring Wilde, Rogen, Cruz and Norton together in the same category as the earlier recipients. For The Invite, the next milestone is ceremonial. Wilde, Rogen, Cruz and Norton will accept the award together in Palm Springs on Jan. 7, adding a collective citation to a film that has grossed over $60 million worldwide.