Film at Lincoln Center (FLC) has named Spanish film director, screenwriter, and author Pedro Almodóvar as the recipient of the 50th Chaplin Award. He will be honored at a gala evening at Lincoln Center on April 28, 2025.
FLC President Lesli Klainberg made the announcement prior to the 62nd New York Film Festival Centerpiece premiere of Almodóvar’s first English-language feature, The Room Next Door, which won the Golden Lion at this year’s Venice Film Festival and opens at FLC on December 20.
Considered one of Spain’s most celebrated filmmakers, he has directed 23 features, often centered around the lives of strong and fearless women, including Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (1988), Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! (1989), Volver (2006), and Pain and Glory (2019), as well as several short films, including The Human Voice (2020) and Strange Way of Life (2023). Almodóvar has received many accolades, including the Academy Awards and Golden Globes for Best Original Screenplay for Talk to Her (2002) and Best Foreign Language Film for All About My Mother (1999), five BAFTA Awards, a record three wins and 11 nominations for the Goya Award for Best Director, four César Awards, and Best Director at Cannes. His work is characterized by a blend of humor and melodrama and his ability to create resonant, emotional stories
The Chaplin Award Tribute will feature excerpts from his work; appearances by co-stars, friends, and colleagues; and Almodóvar in person to accept the award.
The Chaplin Award has been bestowed upon legendary actors and filmmakers such as Alfred Hitchcock, Sidney Poitier, Barbara Streisand, Martin Scorsese, Meryl Streep, Spike Lee, Cate Blanchett, Viola Davis, and Jeff Bridges (complete list of honorees below). The Chaplin Award Gala is the major annual fundraiser for Film at Lincoln Center; proceeds support the nonprofit organization’s year-round programs, including film series, student programs, and film festivals such as the New York Film Festival and New Directors/New Films.
“Pedro Almodóvar is a storytelling master whose artistry, creativity, and exceptional talent have captivated audiences and filmmakers alike,” said Lesli Klainberg, President, Film at Lincoln Center. “From his earliest films, he has immersed us in emotionally rich, vibrant, complex, and compassionate worlds. A steadfast believer in cinema’s ability to both entertain and illuminate the human experience, Pedro had touched the hearts of film lovers around the world. Film at Lincoln Center is proud to honor Pedro Almodóvar with the 50th Chaplin Award.”
His long-standing relationship with FLC began with New Directors/New Films screenings of What Have I Done to Deserve This? in 1985 and Law of Desire in 1987. The Room Next Door marks his 15th NYFF selection, of which a record-setting nine titles have been gala presentations. He made his NYFF debut in 1988 with Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (NYFF26) as the Opening Night selection, and again opened NYFF in 1999 with All About My Mother (NYFF37). Bad Education (NYFF42), Volver (NYFF44), and The Room Next Door (NYFF62) were selected as Centerpieces, and Live Flesh (NYFF35), Talk to Her (NYFF40), Broken Embraces (NYFF47), and Parallel Mothers (NYFF59) were Closing Night selections. Additional NYFF selections include The Flower of My Secret (NYFF33), The Skin I Live In (NYFF49), Julieta (NYFF54), Pain and Glory (NYFF57), The Human Voice (NYFF58), and Strange Way of Life (NYFF61).