Jennifer Lawrence became the youngest performer to receive the Premio Donostia at the San Sebastian International Film Festival, where she used her platform to speak out about cultural and political concerns.
The 35-year-old Oscar winner, honoured for a career that includes The Hunger Games, Don’t Look Up and Joy, told reporters before the ceremony: “Our freedom of speech is under attack in America, including in the world of film, where we realise that we are all connected and need empathy and freedom.”
Lawrence also presented her new film Kill Me Love, in which she stars and produces, and encouraged young filmmakers to persevere: “Learn, go to casting tests, keep trying. But above all, watching films is very important.”
She praised women in Hollywood such as Greta Gerwig for broadening perspectives and storytelling opportunities, while highlighting her own work as a producer through Excellent Cadaver, which has supported socially engaged projects like Bread & Roses and Zurawski v. Texas.
This year’s San Sebastian Festival was marked by political gestures in support of Palestine. Demonstrations outside the opening ceremony, speeches from figures like Juliette Binoche and Pedro Almodóvar, and onstage acts of solidarity underscored the event’s activist tone.
Lawrence’s award placed her alongside past recipients such as Penélope Cruz, Julia Roberts and Viggo Mortensen, in a festival that celebrated both cinematic achievement and political expression.
