Olivia Wilde’s The Invite will receive the Vanguard Award at the 2027 Palm Springs International Film Awards, recognising the collective work of its director and ensemble cast. The A24 comedy-drama, starring Wilde alongside Seth Rogen, Penélope Cruz and Edward Norton, will be honoured at a ceremony on January 7, 2027, at the Palm Springs Convention Center in California.
The Palm Springs International Film Awards announced the honour on October 28. Wilde, who directed and stars in the film, is confirmed to attend the ceremony alongside Rogen, Cruz and Norton to accept the award. The event will mark the opening of the 38th Palm Springs International Film Festival, which runs from January 7 to January 18, 2027.
The Vanguard Award recognises a film’s cast and director for their collective contribution to an exceptional film project. Rather than honouring a single performance, the award acknowledges the collaborative work that brings a film together.
Festival chairman Nachhattar Singh Chandi praised The Invite for balancing comedy with a deeply human story. He also highlighted the contributions of Wilde, Rogen, Cruz and Norton, describing their performances as integral to the film’s impact on audiences.
Previous recipients of the Vanguard Award include Green Book and The Shape of Water, both of which won the Academy Award for Best Picture. Other films recognised with the honour include Belfast, Emilia Pérez, Hamnet, Killers of the Flower Moon, La La Land, Little Miss Sunshine, The Fabelmans and The Trial of the Chicago 7.
Written by Rashida Jones and Will McCormack, The Invite centres on two neighbouring couples whose dinner party takes an unexpected turn. Wilde and Rogen play a married couple whose relationship is struggling, while Cruz and Norton portray their upstairs neighbours.
What begins as a gathering between the couples gradually develops into an unpredictable evening of revelations, desire and relationship tensions. Set inside a San Francisco apartment, the story explores marriage, intimacy and the complicated dynamics between people who share their lives.
The film is an adaptation of the 2020 Spanish film The People Upstairs. Its combination of sharp humour and relationship-driven drama gives the ensemble room to explore the awkwardness, frustrations and unexpected connections that emerge when private feelings come to the surface.
The Invite premiered at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival before securing a theatrical release through A24. The distributor acquired its domestic rights in one of the major sales to emerge from Sundance that January.
The film subsequently became a commercial success, earning more than $60 million worldwide, according to Variety. Its box-office performance has been accompanied by awards recognition, with the film receiving four Gotham Award nominations. These include Best Feature, Best Adapted Screenplay, Outstanding Supporting Performance for Cruz and the Gotham Audience Award.
The Palm Springs honour adds another recognition to the film’s awards-season run, highlighting the contributions of its director and principal cast as a collective rather than focusing on an individual achievement.
The Palm Springs International Film Awards will take place on January 7, 2027, at the Palm Springs Convention Center. The accompanying festival will continue through January 18, bringing international cinema and industry events to audiences in Southern California.
With The Invite joining the list of Vanguard Award recipients, the upcoming ceremony will recognise a film that combines ensemble performances with an exploration of the complexities of modern relationships. For Wilde, Rogen, Cruz and Norton, the honour celebrates their shared contribution to a story that finds humour and emotional depth in an ordinary dinner party that takes an unexpected turn.
