Penélope Cruz to Receive Award at Miami Film Festival 2022

Miami Dade College’s annual Miami Film Festival has announced that Penélope Cruz will be honored with the Precious Gem Award during its upcoming 2022 edition. The organization made the news public with an announcement on Thursday morning.

Cruz, currently in the best actress Oscar race for her performance in Pedro Almodóvar’s drama “Parallel Mothers,” will appear in a virtual tribute and conversation moderated by Variety’s film awards editor Clayton Davis.

“From the moment that Penélope Cruz first appeared on Miami Film Festival screens at our 10th edition in 1993 in her screen debut, ‘Jamon Jamon,’ she has been a beloved favorite of our audience,” Jaie Laplante, Miami Film Festival executive director, said in a statement. “Over the nearly three decades that have followed, we have been enthralled to follow and screen so much of her extraordinary work, including her complex, overwhelmingly emotional performance in the Oscar-nominated ‘Parallel Mothers.’”

Cruz has received attention throughout the year’s awards season for her turn in “Parallel Mothers.” In addition to her Academy Award nomination, the actress has also received a nomination for the best lead actress Goya Award and was honored with top accolades from the Los Angeles Film Critics.

The Prestigious Gem Award is one of the Miami Film Festival’s signature awards, intended to recognize top contributors in the medium of cinema. “Drive My Car” director Ryûsuke Hamaguchi and “The White Tiger” helmer Ramin Bahrani have been previously announced as this year’s other Precious Gem honorees. Last year’s recipients included Almodóvar and Rita Moreno.

The Miami Film Festival is scheduled to unfold as a hybrid in-person and digital event from March 4 to March 13.