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Martin McDonagh to Receive Outstanding Achievement in Directing Award at Palm Springs International Film Festival (Exclusive)
Martin McDonagh will receive the Outstanding Achievement in Directing Award at the Palm Springs International Film Festival for his new film, *Wild Horse Nine*. The recognition highlights a career spanning acclaimed films and plays, and comes as the festival prepares to run from 7 to 18 January 2027.
The film stars John Malkovich and Sam Rockwell as CIA agents travelling to Easter Island shortly before Chile’s 1973 coup, where they meet two rebellious students played by Mariana di Girolamo and Ailin Salas. The Film Awards ceremony is on 7 January; McDonagh’s credits include *In Bruges*, *Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri* and *The Banshees of Inisherin*, and he has won six BAFTAs and three Golden Globes.
In short
- Martin McDonagh will receive Palm Springs’ directing achievement award.
- The award recognises his film *Wild Horse Nine*.
- The festival runs from 7 to 18 January 2027.
Explained simply
Martin McDonagh is an Irish playwright and film director known for stories that mix dark comedy with crime and conflict. His films include In Bruges, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri and The Banshees of Inisherin, and he has also written for the theatre.
Wild Horse Nine is set on Easter Island shortly before Chile’s 1973 coup, when the military overthrew President Salvador Allende. It follows two CIA agents who meet two students; the cast includes John Malkovich, Sam Rockwell, Mariana di Girolamo and Ailin Salas.
The Palm Springs International Film Festival is an annual film event in California that includes screenings and awards. Its directing award recognises a filmmaker’s work, placing the new film alongside McDonagh’s wider career.