Cannes-Winning Short Film 'I'm Glad You're Dead Now' Backed by Joaquin Phoenix and Rooney Mara

In a significant development, the 2025 Cannes Film Festival's short film Palme d'Or winner, 'I'm Glad You're Dead Now,' has secured the backing of acclaimed actors Joaquin Phoenix and Rooney Mara as executive producers. The 13-minute Palestinian drama, directed, written, and co-starring Tawfeek Barhom, is a co-production between Palestine, France, and Greece.

The film follows two brothers who return to the island of their childhood, where hidden tensions and long-buried secrets force them to confront a haunting past that binds them together. Phoenix expressed his pride in being part of the film's future, stating that it "confronts memory, trauma, and reconciliation in a way that feels urgent and necessary today." Mara, who was deeply moved by the film's "emotional weight and restrained power," is honored to support Barhom's vision and the film's continuing journey.

Barhom, the director, is deeply moved by Phoenix and Mara's decision to stand with the film and its story, as their belief and creative support will be invaluable as 'I'm Glad You're Dead Now' reaches wider audiences.