Friends and associates pay tribute to ”towering cinematic figure”.
Darryl Macdonald, the trailblazing Canadian-born champion of international cinema who was a major presence on the US film festival circuit for decades, has died.
Screen understands Macdonald passed away on July 21 and is believed to have been in his sixties.
Over the course of a dynamic career in festivals, he co-founded Seattle International Film Festival (Siff) with the late Dan Ireland in 1976 and served until recently as executive director of the Palm Springs International Film Society.
Possessed from an early age by a love for international cinema, Macdonald left his native...
Darryl Macdonald, the trailblazing Canadian-born champion of international cinema who was a major presence on the US film festival circuit for decades, has died.
Screen understands Macdonald passed away on July 21 and is believed to have been in his sixties.
Over the course of a dynamic career in festivals, he co-founded Seattle International Film Festival (Siff) with the late Dan Ireland in 1976 and served until recently as executive director of the Palm Springs International Film Society.
Possessed from an early age by a love for international cinema, Macdonald left his native...
- 8/26/2020
- by 36¦Jeremy Kay¦54¦
- ScreenDaily
Darryl Macdonald, co-founder of the Seattle and Palm Springs film festivals, died Aug. 25.
Macdonald joined the Palm Springs International Film Festival in 1989 as artistic director of the gathering founded by Sonny Bono, the artist-producer turned Republican congressman, to bring more tourism to the L.A.’s desert getaway.
Macdonald worked with the festival until 1993. Ten years later, he rejoined PSFF as executive director as the event was in danger of shutting down. He revived PSFF as an important early January stop on the Hollywood awards calendar. Variety has celebrated its annual “10 Directors to Watch” honorees with a luncheon at PSFF for nearly a decade. Macdonald stepped down in 2015.
Macdonald “was instrumental in defining our festivals as one of the best in the world, bringing his infectious passion to the staff, the filmmakers, and the Palm Spring community,” the festival said in a statement, according to Kesq-tv Palm Springs.
Macdonald was...
Macdonald joined the Palm Springs International Film Festival in 1989 as artistic director of the gathering founded by Sonny Bono, the artist-producer turned Republican congressman, to bring more tourism to the L.A.’s desert getaway.
Macdonald worked with the festival until 1993. Ten years later, he rejoined PSFF as executive director as the event was in danger of shutting down. He revived PSFF as an important early January stop on the Hollywood awards calendar. Variety has celebrated its annual “10 Directors to Watch” honorees with a luncheon at PSFF for nearly a decade. Macdonald stepped down in 2015.
Macdonald “was instrumental in defining our festivals as one of the best in the world, bringing his infectious passion to the staff, the filmmakers, and the Palm Spring community,” the festival said in a statement, according to Kesq-tv Palm Springs.
Macdonald was...
- 8/26/2020
- by Variety Staff
- Variety Film + TV
The chief curator and festival director at the Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF) will continue to serve in an advisory capacity through spring 2017.
Carl Spence, who has played an integral role in developing SIFF from an annual festival into a year-round arts organisation, announced on Tuesday that he was transitioning out of his role.
Spence started at SIFF in 1994, helping SIFF co-founders Darryl Macdonald and Dan Ireland grow the festival into one of the largest in North America.
For the past 13 years he has led the organisation’s artistic and educational programmes, first as SIFF’s artistic director and then more recently as its chief curator and festival director.
Spence also held curatorial leadership positions at the Palm Springs International Film Festival during this time and helped launch the Orcas Island Film Festival in 2014.
“When I started at SIFF in 1994 on a three-month contract for the festival’s 20th anniversary edition, I had no...
Carl Spence, who has played an integral role in developing SIFF from an annual festival into a year-round arts organisation, announced on Tuesday that he was transitioning out of his role.
Spence started at SIFF in 1994, helping SIFF co-founders Darryl Macdonald and Dan Ireland grow the festival into one of the largest in North America.
For the past 13 years he has led the organisation’s artistic and educational programmes, first as SIFF’s artistic director and then more recently as its chief curator and festival director.
Spence also held curatorial leadership positions at the Palm Springs International Film Festival during this time and helped launch the Orcas Island Film Festival in 2014.
“When I started at SIFF in 1994 on a three-month contract for the festival’s 20th anniversary edition, I had no...
- 10/4/2016
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
The Palm Springs Film Society has announced that acting head of programming and Toronto’s Primetime programmer will step in to fill the role after Helen du Toit’s contract was not renewed.
Lerman, who also serves as artistic director for the Philadelphia Film Society, will oversee all artistic decisions for the 28th annual Palm Springs International Film Festival (Psiff), which runs from January 2-16, 2017.
However du Toit, the previous artistic director who served as interim festival director this year after Darryl Macdonald took medical leave, will not be returning.
This means there is currently nobody serving as festival director.
“Michael Lerman is a young but very seasoned film festival veteran who brings a keen eye for identifying and curating remarkable films and filmmaker talent,” said festival chairman Harold Matzner. “He is an exemplary match for the Palm Springs International Film Festival.
“We were very impressed with his programming work at the Toronto International Film Festival and are...
Lerman, who also serves as artistic director for the Philadelphia Film Society, will oversee all artistic decisions for the 28th annual Palm Springs International Film Festival (Psiff), which runs from January 2-16, 2017.
However du Toit, the previous artistic director who served as interim festival director this year after Darryl Macdonald took medical leave, will not be returning.
This means there is currently nobody serving as festival director.
“Michael Lerman is a young but very seasoned film festival veteran who brings a keen eye for identifying and curating remarkable films and filmmaker talent,” said festival chairman Harold Matzner. “He is an exemplary match for the Palm Springs International Film Festival.
“We were very impressed with his programming work at the Toronto International Film Festival and are...
- 9/8/2016
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
The 27th annual Palm Springs International Film Festival (Psiff) will launch on Friday, January 1 with Klaus Härö’s Golden Globe-nominated and Academy Award-shortlisted "The Fencer." The Festival’s closing night film will then screen on Sunday, January 10 with the U.S. premiere of "Last Cab to Darwin," directed by Jeremy Sims. The Festival announced its complete lineup of films including Talking Pictures, Special Presentations and additional programming. A total of 176 films will screen in this year’s festival from January 1-11.
“Bookending the festival are two films from opposite sides of the globe, both of which promise an emotionally stirring film-going experience,” said Artistic Director Helen du Toit. “'The Fencer' is the ideal opener for Palm Springs – not just because it is a beautifully made film, and a crowd-pleaser, but also because Finnish director Klaus Härö has become a festival favorite over the years. We are equally excited to be wrapping the festival with the Us premiere of Jeremy Sims’ 'Last Cab to Darwin,' a road movie/comedy set in the Australian outback and featuring the irresistible Michael Caton as a man who, while trying to expedite his own demise, finally learns how to live.”
Opening and Closing Screenings
Opening night title "The Fencer" is a Golden Globe nominee for Best Foreign Language Film and Finland’s Best Foreign Language Oscar® submission. The film is about a young fencer in the early 1950s who, while hiding from the Russian secret police, becomes a physical education teacher in an Estonian village. His after-school sporting club brings inspiration to students and teacher alike, but the past catches up and faces him with a difficult choice.
The Festival will close with the U.S. premiere of "Last Cab to Darwin" directed by Jeremy Sims. In this warm-hearted road movie Rex is a loner, and when he’s told he doesn’t have long to live, he embarks on an epic drive through the Australian outback from Broken Hill to Darwin to die on his own terms. But his journey reveals to him that before you can end your life, you have to live it, and to live it, you've got to share it. The film stars Michael Caton and Jackie Weaver.
Talking Pictures
Every year, the Festival presents a series of special programs devoted to exploring the careers and creative choices of the top talents in the world of cinema, including Oscar®-caliber actors and directors in conversation with leading entertainment journalists. Each program includes a film screening and an on-stage conversation.
Golden Globe nominee Lily Tomlin will attend the screening of Sony Pictures Classics’ "Grandma" and participate in an on-stage interview immediately following, presented by Tribeca Short List. Elle Reid has just gotten through breaking up with her girlfriend when her granddaughter Sage unexpectedly shows up needing 600 dollars before sundown. Temporarily broke, Grandma Elle and Sage spend the day trying to get their hands on the cash and their unannounced visits to old friends and flames end up rattling skeletons and digging up secrets.
Director Asif Kapadia will attend the screening of his documentary "Amy," a sympathetic and revealing portrait of Amy Winehouse which employs the singer’s own candid footage and creative visualizations of her lyrics to illuminate the story of her all-too-short life and career.
“The Talking Pictures program creates once in a lifetime opportunities for audiences to hear directly from some of the year’s hottest Oscar ®contenders — and this year is no exception,” said Festival Director Darryl Macdonald. “Golden Globe nominee Lily Tomlin will discuss her widely acclaimed work in 'Grandma' following the film’s screening; and director Asif Kapadia will join us to unpack his heartbreaking, intimate documentary 'Amy.' ”
Special Presentations
The Festival will hold three special presentations. Golden Globe-nominated "The Brand New Testament," which is also the Best Foreign Language Oscar submission from Belgium, directed by Jaco Van Dormael and starring Pili Groyne, Benoit Poelvoorde and Catherine Deneuve. The film is a high-concept satire in which God accidentally sets off a panic after his disgruntled daughter leaks the apocalyptic plans stored on his computer. The U.S. premiere of "Eye in the Sky," directed by Gavin Hood and starring Helen Mirren, Alan Rickman and Aaron Paul, is a thriller set in the world of remotely piloted aircraft warfare. "The Revenant," directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu and starring Leonardo DiCaprio as frontiersman Hugh Glass, is nominated for three Golden Globe awards including Best Picture-Drama, Best Actor-Drama and Best Director.
Dinner and a Movie
The festival will screen the documentary "Cooking Up a Tribute," directed by Luis Gonzalez and Andrea Góme, as part of its Dinner & a Movie program. The film follows famed restaurateurs Josep, Jordi and Joan Roca as they take their renowned El Celler de Can Roca on the road, exploring and incorporating the native cuisines of Mexico, Colombia and Peru in their cooking. And the screening will be followed by a dinner at Mr. Lyons restaurant with a menu by chef Tara Lazar and Masterchef finalist Stephen Lee...
“Bookending the festival are two films from opposite sides of the globe, both of which promise an emotionally stirring film-going experience,” said Artistic Director Helen du Toit. “'The Fencer' is the ideal opener for Palm Springs – not just because it is a beautifully made film, and a crowd-pleaser, but also because Finnish director Klaus Härö has become a festival favorite over the years. We are equally excited to be wrapping the festival with the Us premiere of Jeremy Sims’ 'Last Cab to Darwin,' a road movie/comedy set in the Australian outback and featuring the irresistible Michael Caton as a man who, while trying to expedite his own demise, finally learns how to live.”
Opening and Closing Screenings
Opening night title "The Fencer" is a Golden Globe nominee for Best Foreign Language Film and Finland’s Best Foreign Language Oscar® submission. The film is about a young fencer in the early 1950s who, while hiding from the Russian secret police, becomes a physical education teacher in an Estonian village. His after-school sporting club brings inspiration to students and teacher alike, but the past catches up and faces him with a difficult choice.
The Festival will close with the U.S. premiere of "Last Cab to Darwin" directed by Jeremy Sims. In this warm-hearted road movie Rex is a loner, and when he’s told he doesn’t have long to live, he embarks on an epic drive through the Australian outback from Broken Hill to Darwin to die on his own terms. But his journey reveals to him that before you can end your life, you have to live it, and to live it, you've got to share it. The film stars Michael Caton and Jackie Weaver.
Talking Pictures
Every year, the Festival presents a series of special programs devoted to exploring the careers and creative choices of the top talents in the world of cinema, including Oscar®-caliber actors and directors in conversation with leading entertainment journalists. Each program includes a film screening and an on-stage conversation.
Golden Globe nominee Lily Tomlin will attend the screening of Sony Pictures Classics’ "Grandma" and participate in an on-stage interview immediately following, presented by Tribeca Short List. Elle Reid has just gotten through breaking up with her girlfriend when her granddaughter Sage unexpectedly shows up needing 600 dollars before sundown. Temporarily broke, Grandma Elle and Sage spend the day trying to get their hands on the cash and their unannounced visits to old friends and flames end up rattling skeletons and digging up secrets.
Director Asif Kapadia will attend the screening of his documentary "Amy," a sympathetic and revealing portrait of Amy Winehouse which employs the singer’s own candid footage and creative visualizations of her lyrics to illuminate the story of her all-too-short life and career.
“The Talking Pictures program creates once in a lifetime opportunities for audiences to hear directly from some of the year’s hottest Oscar ®contenders — and this year is no exception,” said Festival Director Darryl Macdonald. “Golden Globe nominee Lily Tomlin will discuss her widely acclaimed work in 'Grandma' following the film’s screening; and director Asif Kapadia will join us to unpack his heartbreaking, intimate documentary 'Amy.' ”
Special Presentations
The Festival will hold three special presentations. Golden Globe-nominated "The Brand New Testament," which is also the Best Foreign Language Oscar submission from Belgium, directed by Jaco Van Dormael and starring Pili Groyne, Benoit Poelvoorde and Catherine Deneuve. The film is a high-concept satire in which God accidentally sets off a panic after his disgruntled daughter leaks the apocalyptic plans stored on his computer. The U.S. premiere of "Eye in the Sky," directed by Gavin Hood and starring Helen Mirren, Alan Rickman and Aaron Paul, is a thriller set in the world of remotely piloted aircraft warfare. "The Revenant," directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu and starring Leonardo DiCaprio as frontiersman Hugh Glass, is nominated for three Golden Globe awards including Best Picture-Drama, Best Actor-Drama and Best Director.
Dinner and a Movie
The festival will screen the documentary "Cooking Up a Tribute," directed by Luis Gonzalez and Andrea Góme, as part of its Dinner & a Movie program. The film follows famed restaurateurs Josep, Jordi and Joan Roca as they take their renowned El Celler de Can Roca on the road, exploring and incorporating the native cuisines of Mexico, Colombia and Peru in their cooking. And the screening will be followed by a dinner at Mr. Lyons restaurant with a menu by chef Tara Lazar and Masterchef finalist Stephen Lee...
- 12/27/2015
- by Peter Belsito
- Sydney's Buzz
Palm Springs International Film Fest Announces Premieres, New Voices/New Visions, and Modern Masters
The 27th annual Palm Springs International Film Festival (Psiff) has announced its line-up of Premieres, New Voices/New Visions competition and Modern Masters. Films from 60 countries, including 54 premieres (7 World, 17 North American and 30 U.S.), will unspool at the Festival, running from January 1-11, 2016 in Palm Springs, California.
“The line-up this year, while full of unexpected surprises, vividly reflects what is going on in the world around us,” said Festival Director Darryl Macdonald. “There’s a particular focus on stories about displaced people – immigrants, emigrants, refugees, those seeking asylum or shelter. There’s a concurrent trend toward stories revolving around new beginnings and escaping the shackles of the past, whether sexual, cultural, societal or self-imposed. Balancing all of these is a focus on family and romance, along with films involving a healthy dose of magic realism or absurdist comedy, and a plethora of exceptional films dealing with the usual obsessions – music, food, sex and art. All in all, it’s about as well-rounded, as thoughtfully chosen, and as provocative as it’s possible for a smartly curated lineup of new international cinema to be.”
“I am thrilled at the breadth and depth of this year’s program,” said Festival Artistic Director Helen du Toit. “While Modern Masters showcases such widely acclaimed filmmakers as as Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Barbara Kopple and Terence Davies, our New Voices/New Visions program is evidence that new masters are emerging around the world. The range of approaches is extraordinary. Highlights include Raam Reddy's 'Thithi' (India), which skillfully juggles myriad characters in a delightful low key comedy; Yorgos Zois’ 'Interruption' (Greece), which challenges the audience with a complex and highly compelling narrative; and Maris Curran's 'Five Nights in Maine' (USA), featuring David Oyelowo's nuanced and heartbreaking performance as a widower reconnecting with his estranged mother-in-law.”
Showcasing the diversity of international cinema, Festival premieres will include:
World premieres: "50 Days in the Desert" (Luxembourg) directed by Fabrizio Maltese, "Agnes" (Germany/Belgium), the documentary "Broadway: Beyond the Golden Age" (Us) featuring Alec Baldwin, Carol Channing, Dick Van Dyke, Jane Fonda and Robert Redford, "The Carer" (Hungary/UK), "Going Going Gone" (UK), "Searchdog" (Us) and "Set the Thames on Fire" (UK).
North American premieres: "Banat" (Italy/Romania/Bulgaria/Macedonia), "Death By Death" (Belgium/France), "A Decent Man" (Switzerland),"Departure" (France/UK),"Fly Away Solo" (India/France), "Interruption" (Greece/Croatia), "A Korean in Paris" (South Korea/France), "The Memory of Water" (Chile/Spain/Argentina/Germany), "Moor" (Pakistan), "On My Mother’s Side" (Canada), "Paradise Trips" (Belgium/Croatia), "Rosita" (Denmark), "Spy Time" (Spain), "Tanna" (Australia/Vanuatu), "Thithi" (India/Us/Canada), "Utopians" (Hong Kong) and "When a Tree Falls" (Spain).
U.S. premieres: "1944" (Estonia/Finland), "3000 Nights" (Palestine/France/Jordan/Lebanon), "Atomic Falafel" (Israel/Germany/New Zealand), "Belgian Rhapsody" (Belgium), "Beyond My Grandfather Allende" (Chile/Mexico), "Born to Dance" (New Zealand), "Closet Monster" (Canada), "Enclave" (Serbia/Germany), "The Endless River" (South Africa/France), "Endorphine" (Canada),Exotica, "Erotica, Etc." (France), "Fire Song" (Canada), "Five Nights in Maine" (Us), "A Heavy Heart" (Germany), "Home Care" (Czech Republic/Slovakia), "Let Them Come" (Algeria/France), "My Big Night" (Spain), "My Internship in Canada" (Canada), "The Other Side" (Italy/France), "Our Everyday Life" (Bosnia, Herzegovina/Slovenia/Croatia), "The Paradise Suite" (Netherlands/Sweden/Bulgaria), "Parched" (India/Us/UK), "Parisienne" (France), "Sabali" (Canada), "Sleeping Giant" (Canada), "Summer Solstice" (Poland/Germany), "Trap" (Philippines), "The Violin Teacher" (Brazil), "Wedding Doll" (Israel) and " Zubaan" (India).
The New Voices/New Visions competition showcases 12 Us premieres from top emerging international directors marking their feature film debut at the Festival, with the additional criteria that the films selected are currently without U.S. distribution. The winner is selected by a jury of U.S. distributors which include Gary Rubin of Cohen Media, Dan Berger of Oscilloscope and Ryan Kampe of Visit Films/Monument Releasing. The winner will receive use of a $60,000 Panavision camera package and a glass sculpture designed for the Festival by renowned artist Dale Chihuly. Films selected for this year include:
"Banat" (Italy/Romania/Bulgaria/Macedonia), Director Adriano Valerio "Death By Death" (Belgium/France), Director Xavier Seron "Departure" (UK/France), Director Andrew Steggall "Five Nights in Maine" (Us), Director Maris Curran and starring David Oyelowo "A Heavy Heart" (Germany), Director Thomas Stuber "Home Care" (Czech Republic/Slovakia), Director Slávek Horák "Interruption" (Greece/Croatia), Director Yorgos Zois "Let Them Come" (Algeria/France), Director Salem Brahimi "Our Everyday Life" (Bosnia and Herzegovina/Slovenia/Croatia), Director Ines Tanović "Paradise Trips" (Belgium/Croatia), Director Raf Reyntjens "Sleeping Giant" (Canada), Director Andrew Cividino "Thithi" (India/Us/Canada), Director Raam Reddy
The Modern Masters section features 10 films from international directors who set the standards for contemporary cinema. Films selected for this year include:
"Cemetery Of Splendour" (Thailand/UK), Director Apichatpong Weerasethakul "Dheepan" (France), Director Jacques Audiard "Miss Sharon Jones!" (Us), Director Barbara Kopple "Mountains May Depart" (China/France/Japan), Director Jia Zhangke "My Golden Days" (France), Director Arnaud Desplechin "My Mother" (Italy/France), Director Nanni Moretti "Our Little Sister" (Japan), Director Hirokazu Kore-eda "Sunset Song" (UK/Luxembourg), Director Terence Davies "Sweet Bean" (Japan), Director Naomi Kawase "Women He’s Undressed" (Australia), Director Gillian Armstrong
Other Festival films with notable talent and directors include: "45 Years" (UK) directed by Andrew Haigh and starring Charlotte Rampling and Tom Courtenay, "Anomalisa" (Us) directed by Duke Johnson and Charlie Kaufman with the voices of David Thewlis and Jennifer Jason Leigh, "Chronic" (Mexico/France) starring Tim Roth, "Closet Monster" (Canada) with Connor Jessup and Isabella Rossellini, "Eisenstein in Guanajuato" (Netherlands/Mexico/Finland/Belgium/France) directed by Peter Greenaway, "February" (Us/Canada) starring Kiernan Shipka and Emma Roberts, "Hello, My Name is Doris" (Us) starring Sally Field, Max Greenfield, Beth Behrs and Stephen Root, "Hitchcock/Truffaut" (France/Us) directed by Kent Jones and featuring Peter Bogdanovich, David Fincher and Richard Linklater, "The Invitation" (Us) starring Logan Marshall-Green and Michiel Huisman, "The Lady in the Van" (UK) directed by Nicholas Hytner and starring Maggie Smith, Jim Broadbent and James Corden, "Louder Than Bombs" (USA) starring Jesse Eisenberg, Gabriel Byrne and Isabelle Huppert, "Men & Chicken" (Denmark) starring Mads Mikkelsen, "Papa (Cuba)" directed by Bob Yari and starring Giovanni Ribisi, Joely Richardson and Minka Kelly, "A Perfect Day" (Spain) starring Benicio del Toro, Tim Robbins and Olga Kurylenko, "The Seventh Fire" (Us) executive produced by Terrence Malick, Natalie Portman and Chris Eyre, and "Where to Invade Next" (Us) directed by Michael Moore.
The complete line-up will be available on December 18 at www.psfilmfest.org.
“The line-up this year, while full of unexpected surprises, vividly reflects what is going on in the world around us,” said Festival Director Darryl Macdonald. “There’s a particular focus on stories about displaced people – immigrants, emigrants, refugees, those seeking asylum or shelter. There’s a concurrent trend toward stories revolving around new beginnings and escaping the shackles of the past, whether sexual, cultural, societal or self-imposed. Balancing all of these is a focus on family and romance, along with films involving a healthy dose of magic realism or absurdist comedy, and a plethora of exceptional films dealing with the usual obsessions – music, food, sex and art. All in all, it’s about as well-rounded, as thoughtfully chosen, and as provocative as it’s possible for a smartly curated lineup of new international cinema to be.”
“I am thrilled at the breadth and depth of this year’s program,” said Festival Artistic Director Helen du Toit. “While Modern Masters showcases such widely acclaimed filmmakers as as Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Barbara Kopple and Terence Davies, our New Voices/New Visions program is evidence that new masters are emerging around the world. The range of approaches is extraordinary. Highlights include Raam Reddy's 'Thithi' (India), which skillfully juggles myriad characters in a delightful low key comedy; Yorgos Zois’ 'Interruption' (Greece), which challenges the audience with a complex and highly compelling narrative; and Maris Curran's 'Five Nights in Maine' (USA), featuring David Oyelowo's nuanced and heartbreaking performance as a widower reconnecting with his estranged mother-in-law.”
Showcasing the diversity of international cinema, Festival premieres will include:
World premieres: "50 Days in the Desert" (Luxembourg) directed by Fabrizio Maltese, "Agnes" (Germany/Belgium), the documentary "Broadway: Beyond the Golden Age" (Us) featuring Alec Baldwin, Carol Channing, Dick Van Dyke, Jane Fonda and Robert Redford, "The Carer" (Hungary/UK), "Going Going Gone" (UK), "Searchdog" (Us) and "Set the Thames on Fire" (UK).
North American premieres: "Banat" (Italy/Romania/Bulgaria/Macedonia), "Death By Death" (Belgium/France), "A Decent Man" (Switzerland),"Departure" (France/UK),"Fly Away Solo" (India/France), "Interruption" (Greece/Croatia), "A Korean in Paris" (South Korea/France), "The Memory of Water" (Chile/Spain/Argentina/Germany), "Moor" (Pakistan), "On My Mother’s Side" (Canada), "Paradise Trips" (Belgium/Croatia), "Rosita" (Denmark), "Spy Time" (Spain), "Tanna" (Australia/Vanuatu), "Thithi" (India/Us/Canada), "Utopians" (Hong Kong) and "When a Tree Falls" (Spain).
U.S. premieres: "1944" (Estonia/Finland), "3000 Nights" (Palestine/France/Jordan/Lebanon), "Atomic Falafel" (Israel/Germany/New Zealand), "Belgian Rhapsody" (Belgium), "Beyond My Grandfather Allende" (Chile/Mexico), "Born to Dance" (New Zealand), "Closet Monster" (Canada), "Enclave" (Serbia/Germany), "The Endless River" (South Africa/France), "Endorphine" (Canada),Exotica, "Erotica, Etc." (France), "Fire Song" (Canada), "Five Nights in Maine" (Us), "A Heavy Heart" (Germany), "Home Care" (Czech Republic/Slovakia), "Let Them Come" (Algeria/France), "My Big Night" (Spain), "My Internship in Canada" (Canada), "The Other Side" (Italy/France), "Our Everyday Life" (Bosnia, Herzegovina/Slovenia/Croatia), "The Paradise Suite" (Netherlands/Sweden/Bulgaria), "Parched" (India/Us/UK), "Parisienne" (France), "Sabali" (Canada), "Sleeping Giant" (Canada), "Summer Solstice" (Poland/Germany), "Trap" (Philippines), "The Violin Teacher" (Brazil), "Wedding Doll" (Israel) and " Zubaan" (India).
The New Voices/New Visions competition showcases 12 Us premieres from top emerging international directors marking their feature film debut at the Festival, with the additional criteria that the films selected are currently without U.S. distribution. The winner is selected by a jury of U.S. distributors which include Gary Rubin of Cohen Media, Dan Berger of Oscilloscope and Ryan Kampe of Visit Films/Monument Releasing. The winner will receive use of a $60,000 Panavision camera package and a glass sculpture designed for the Festival by renowned artist Dale Chihuly. Films selected for this year include:
"Banat" (Italy/Romania/Bulgaria/Macedonia), Director Adriano Valerio "Death By Death" (Belgium/France), Director Xavier Seron "Departure" (UK/France), Director Andrew Steggall "Five Nights in Maine" (Us), Director Maris Curran and starring David Oyelowo "A Heavy Heart" (Germany), Director Thomas Stuber "Home Care" (Czech Republic/Slovakia), Director Slávek Horák "Interruption" (Greece/Croatia), Director Yorgos Zois "Let Them Come" (Algeria/France), Director Salem Brahimi "Our Everyday Life" (Bosnia and Herzegovina/Slovenia/Croatia), Director Ines Tanović "Paradise Trips" (Belgium/Croatia), Director Raf Reyntjens "Sleeping Giant" (Canada), Director Andrew Cividino "Thithi" (India/Us/Canada), Director Raam Reddy
The Modern Masters section features 10 films from international directors who set the standards for contemporary cinema. Films selected for this year include:
"Cemetery Of Splendour" (Thailand/UK), Director Apichatpong Weerasethakul "Dheepan" (France), Director Jacques Audiard "Miss Sharon Jones!" (Us), Director Barbara Kopple "Mountains May Depart" (China/France/Japan), Director Jia Zhangke "My Golden Days" (France), Director Arnaud Desplechin "My Mother" (Italy/France), Director Nanni Moretti "Our Little Sister" (Japan), Director Hirokazu Kore-eda "Sunset Song" (UK/Luxembourg), Director Terence Davies "Sweet Bean" (Japan), Director Naomi Kawase "Women He’s Undressed" (Australia), Director Gillian Armstrong
Other Festival films with notable talent and directors include: "45 Years" (UK) directed by Andrew Haigh and starring Charlotte Rampling and Tom Courtenay, "Anomalisa" (Us) directed by Duke Johnson and Charlie Kaufman with the voices of David Thewlis and Jennifer Jason Leigh, "Chronic" (Mexico/France) starring Tim Roth, "Closet Monster" (Canada) with Connor Jessup and Isabella Rossellini, "Eisenstein in Guanajuato" (Netherlands/Mexico/Finland/Belgium/France) directed by Peter Greenaway, "February" (Us/Canada) starring Kiernan Shipka and Emma Roberts, "Hello, My Name is Doris" (Us) starring Sally Field, Max Greenfield, Beth Behrs and Stephen Root, "Hitchcock/Truffaut" (France/Us) directed by Kent Jones and featuring Peter Bogdanovich, David Fincher and Richard Linklater, "The Invitation" (Us) starring Logan Marshall-Green and Michiel Huisman, "The Lady in the Van" (UK) directed by Nicholas Hytner and starring Maggie Smith, Jim Broadbent and James Corden, "Louder Than Bombs" (USA) starring Jesse Eisenberg, Gabriel Byrne and Isabelle Huppert, "Men & Chicken" (Denmark) starring Mads Mikkelsen, "Papa (Cuba)" directed by Bob Yari and starring Giovanni Ribisi, Joely Richardson and Minka Kelly, "A Perfect Day" (Spain) starring Benicio del Toro, Tim Robbins and Olga Kurylenko, "The Seventh Fire" (Us) executive produced by Terrence Malick, Natalie Portman and Chris Eyre, and "Where to Invade Next" (Us) directed by Michael Moore.
The complete line-up will be available on December 18 at www.psfilmfest.org.
- 12/15/2015
- by Peter Belsito
- Sydney's Buzz
Top brass at the 27th annual Palm Springs International Film Festival (Psiff) on Monday announced the Premieres, New Voices/New Visions competition and Modern Masters programmes.
Films from 60 countries, including 54 premieres (seven world, 17 North American and 30 Us), will screen during the festival, which runs from January 1-11, 2016.
World premieres include: 50 Days In The Desert (Luxembourg) by Fabrizio Maltese; Agnes (Germany-Belgium); documentary Broadway: Beyond The Golden Age (Us) featuring Alec Baldwin, Carol Channing, Dick Van Dyke, Jane Fonda and Robert Redford; The Carer (Hungary-uk); Going Going Gone (UK); Searchdog (Us); and Set The Thames On Fire (UK).
New Voices/New Visions
Twelve Us premieres from emerging international directors marking their feature film without Us distribution. The winner is selected by a jury of Us distributors comprising Gary Rubin of Cohen Media, Dan Berger of Oscilloscope and Ryan Kampe of Visit Films/Monument Releasing. The winner will receive use of a $60,000 Panavision camera package and a glass sculpture designed...
Films from 60 countries, including 54 premieres (seven world, 17 North American and 30 Us), will screen during the festival, which runs from January 1-11, 2016.
World premieres include: 50 Days In The Desert (Luxembourg) by Fabrizio Maltese; Agnes (Germany-Belgium); documentary Broadway: Beyond The Golden Age (Us) featuring Alec Baldwin, Carol Channing, Dick Van Dyke, Jane Fonda and Robert Redford; The Carer (Hungary-uk); Going Going Gone (UK); Searchdog (Us); and Set The Thames On Fire (UK).
New Voices/New Visions
Twelve Us premieres from emerging international directors marking their feature film without Us distribution. The winner is selected by a jury of Us distributors comprising Gary Rubin of Cohen Media, Dan Berger of Oscilloscope and Ryan Kampe of Visit Films/Monument Releasing. The winner will receive use of a $60,000 Panavision camera package and a glass sculpture designed...
- 12/14/2015
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
The former Newsweek film critic recently served as artistic director of the Los Angeles Film Festival and joins the Palm Springs International Film Festival (Psiff), set to run from January 1-11 2016.
As lead programmer Ansen will work with a team of six programmers under the direction of festival artistic director Helen du Toit.
He will be responsible for acquiring films from distributors and sales agents and will be a key member of the selection committee for films submitted to the festival from a wide variety of sources.
“I’m thrilled to have someone with David’s vast scope and depth of knowledge about film join us as a key member of the Psiff programming team,” said festival director Darryl Macdonald.
“His taste in films has always been impeccable, ranging from the discovery of unheralded works from gifted new international directors to a singular appreciation of films from seasoned filmmakers working in the major studio millieux.”
“As a longtime...
As lead programmer Ansen will work with a team of six programmers under the direction of festival artistic director Helen du Toit.
He will be responsible for acquiring films from distributors and sales agents and will be a key member of the selection committee for films submitted to the festival from a wide variety of sources.
“I’m thrilled to have someone with David’s vast scope and depth of knowledge about film join us as a key member of the Psiff programming team,” said festival director Darryl Macdonald.
“His taste in films has always been impeccable, ranging from the discovery of unheralded works from gifted new international directors to a singular appreciation of films from seasoned filmmakers working in the major studio millieux.”
“As a longtime...
- 9/3/2015
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Director Ava DuVernay‘s “Selma” and Alan Hicks’ “Keep on Keeping’ On” took home the jury prizes at the 26th Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival, with the winners being revealed on Saturday at Spencer’s Restaurant in Palm Springs, California.
“Selma,” selected as the award show’s opening night film, took home the Mercedes-Benz Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature. The story focuses on the U.S. Civil Rights movement in the 1960s and its leader, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (David Oyelowo).
See Photos: Brad Pitt, Reese Witherspoon, Robert Downey Jr. at the Palm Springs Film Fest
The...
“Selma,” selected as the award show’s opening night film, took home the Mercedes-Benz Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature. The story focuses on the U.S. Civil Rights movement in the 1960s and its leader, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (David Oyelowo).
See Photos: Brad Pitt, Reese Witherspoon, Robert Downey Jr. at the Palm Springs Film Fest
The...
- 1/12/2015
- by Travis Reilly
- The Wrap
January 11 Update: Andrey Zvyagintsev’s Oscar shortlisted Russian film and Golden Globe nominee earned the Fipreseci Prize while Eastern European cinema dominated the 26th Palm Springs International Film Festival’s juried awards.
Update: The awards were handed out on January 10 as the January 2-12 festival draws to a close. Audience Award winners were announced late on January 11 (see below).
“This year’s festival has been a huge success on all fronts, with consistently packed theatres, terrific audience response to the line-up of films and special programmes and record film-maker and industry attendance,” said festival director Darryl Macdonald.
“I’m especially pleased that our Another Europe showcase and Cine Latino programme received such a warm response from audiences and critics alike. I’m equally delighted with the juries’ award choices, though given the outstanding overall quality of the films on view at this year’s event I wish we could present awards to each and every one of...
Update: The awards were handed out on January 10 as the January 2-12 festival draws to a close. Audience Award winners were announced late on January 11 (see below).
“This year’s festival has been a huge success on all fronts, with consistently packed theatres, terrific audience response to the line-up of films and special programmes and record film-maker and industry attendance,” said festival director Darryl Macdonald.
“I’m especially pleased that our Another Europe showcase and Cine Latino programme received such a warm response from audiences and critics alike. I’m equally delighted with the juries’ award choices, though given the outstanding overall quality of the films on view at this year’s event I wish we could present awards to each and every one of...
- 1/11/2015
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Andrey Zvyagintsev’s Oscar shortlisted Russian film and Golden Globe nominee earned the Fipreseci Prize while Eastern European cinema dominated the 26th Palm Springs International Film Festival’s juried awards.
The awards were handed out on January 10 as the January 2-12 festival draws to a close. Audience Award winners will be updated here on January 11.
“This year’s festival has been a huge success on all fronts, with consistently packed theatres, terrific audience response to the line-up of films and special programmes and record film-maker and industry attendance,” said festival director Darryl Macdonald.
“I’m especially pleased that our Another Europe showcase and Cine Latino programme received such a warm response from audiences and critics alike. I’m equally delighted with the juries’ award choices, though given the outstanding overall quality of the films on view at this year’s event I wish we could present awards to each and every one of them.”
“Eastern European...
The awards were handed out on January 10 as the January 2-12 festival draws to a close. Audience Award winners will be updated here on January 11.
“This year’s festival has been a huge success on all fronts, with consistently packed theatres, terrific audience response to the line-up of films and special programmes and record film-maker and industry attendance,” said festival director Darryl Macdonald.
“I’m especially pleased that our Another Europe showcase and Cine Latino programme received such a warm response from audiences and critics alike. I’m equally delighted with the juries’ award choices, though given the outstanding overall quality of the films on view at this year’s event I wish we could present awards to each and every one of them.”
“Eastern European...
- 1/11/2015
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
The Palm Springs International Film Festival, now underway in sunny Southern California, held its annual awards brunch this morning to honor the best of its extensive, wide-reaching, two-week film lineup of 196 films from 65 countries — including 51 of the record-setting 83 foreign language entries for this year's Oscars. Hosted at the cozy, mountainside Spencer's Restaurant, the low-key awards ceremony drew press, industry, filmmakers and media affiliates, with opening remarks from festival director Darryl Macdonald who noted the overall outstanding quality of this year's crop of films. First up, the John Schlesinger Award for outstanding first documentary feature—presented by jurors Gaylene Preston and Larry Weinstein, whose co-juror Greg Barker couldn't make it today—went to Eliza Kubarska's story of an ocean diver, "Walking Under Water." The film "is a masterful, lush meditation of an unknown world that reveals a strong humanity while pushing the boundaries of...
- 1/10/2015
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Thompson on Hollywood
"Citizenfour" director Laura Poitras will be honored with the inaugural Filmmakers Who Make a Difference Award at this year's Palm Springs International Film Festival. The award is a part of the Talking Pictures Program at the fest, which runs from January 2-12. The film will screen January 9, followed by an awards presentation and a discussion moderated by Indiewire's Dana Harris. The Filmmakers Who Make a Difference Award is being given to Poitras in recognition of both the quality of filmmaking she has achieved and of her efforts in bringing an important story to the attention of American filmgoers. "Laura Poitras' astonishing documentary,'Citizenfour,' has played a major role in changing our perceptions regarding fugitive Edward Snowden and about governmental intrusion into our private lives through the tools of technology," said Festival Director Darryl Macdonald. "It's for these reasons that the Festival has seen fit to honor her role as a filmmaker.
- 1/7/2015
- by Casey Cipriani
- Indiewire
Awards contenders who hit the trail to the 26th Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival this weekend were talking about the breathless pace of this year’s race. No sooner had the last Rose Parade float left Colorado Boulevard on New Year’s Day did a herd of Oscar hopefuls head to the desert for the next phase of this wide open awards season.
Earlier than ever, Saturday night’s Psiff awards gala – timed to land right in the middle of the crucial Oscar nominating balloting – brought out a bevy of contenders who were receiving pre-negotiated trophies at the glitziest ceremonies this side of the Golden Globes (which take place in a week, also disturbingly earlier than normal).
In a ceremony hosted by the ever-enthusiastic Mary Hart (with usual key sponsor Cartier), recipients included Rosamund Pike (Breakthrough Actress winner for Gone Girl), David Oyelowo (Breakthrough Actor for Selma), J.K. Simmons...
Earlier than ever, Saturday night’s Psiff awards gala – timed to land right in the middle of the crucial Oscar nominating balloting – brought out a bevy of contenders who were receiving pre-negotiated trophies at the glitziest ceremonies this side of the Golden Globes (which take place in a week, also disturbingly earlier than normal).
In a ceremony hosted by the ever-enthusiastic Mary Hart (with usual key sponsor Cartier), recipients included Rosamund Pike (Breakthrough Actress winner for Gone Girl), David Oyelowo (Breakthrough Actor for Selma), J.K. Simmons...
- 1/4/2015
- by Pete Hammond
- Deadline
Ava DuVernay's "Selma" is the opening night film of the 26th Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival. The Oscar hopeful is a fitting opening night movie for a film festival that celebrates artistic freedom. In attendance tonight is DuVernay along with David Oyelowo and Common. Darryl Macdonald, Director of the film festival, reveals why they chose "Selma" to kickoff the fest.
Kmir News | Palm Springs, California...
Kmir News | Palm Springs, California...
- 1/3/2015
- by Manny
- Manny the Movie Guy
Steve Carell, Rob Marshall, and Chris Rock all gave memorable projects in 2014 and it's fitting that the Palm Springs International Film Festival is giving them various honors. Carell, who gave a stunning performance in "Foxcatcher" will receive the Creative Impact in Acting Award from Variety while Rob Marshall, fresh from directing "Into the Woods," will be honored with the Creative Impact in Directing Award.
Chris Rock, who wrote, directed, and starred in "Top Five," the best comedy of the year, will receive the Creative Impact in Comedy Award.
Of course, the Palm Springs International Film Festival is happening in my neck of the woods, and I'll be there live at the Gala on Saturday, January 3rd!
Here's the complete press release:
Los Angeles, CA . (December 18th, 2014) Variety will present actor Steve Carell with the Creative Impact in Acting Award, presented by Mercedes-Benz,which celebrates his scope of work, ranging from...
Chris Rock, who wrote, directed, and starred in "Top Five," the best comedy of the year, will receive the Creative Impact in Comedy Award.
Of course, the Palm Springs International Film Festival is happening in my neck of the woods, and I'll be there live at the Gala on Saturday, January 3rd!
Here's the complete press release:
Los Angeles, CA . (December 18th, 2014) Variety will present actor Steve Carell with the Creative Impact in Acting Award, presented by Mercedes-Benz,which celebrates his scope of work, ranging from...
- 12/23/2014
- by Manny
- Manny the Movie Guy
Paramount's "Selma" from director Ava Duvernay is picking up steam this awards season. The Martin Luther King drama has been announced to be the opening night movie of the 26th annual Palm Springs International Film Festival. The festival will close on Sunday, January 11 with the Us premiere of "Boychoir" from director Francois Girard. David Oyelowo, who plays the beloved King in "Selma," is also being honored at the fest with Breakthrough Performance Award, Actor.
Here's the complete press release which includes the list of Easter European movies in a program titled Eastern Promises:
Palm Springs, CA (December 16, 2014) . The 26th annual Palm Springs International Film Festival (Psiff) will launch on Friday, January 2 with the opening night screening of the GoldenGlobe nominated Selma directed by Ava Duvernay. The Festival will wrap on Sunday, January 11 with the Us premiere of Boychoir directed by François Girard. New this year, the festival will focus on...
Here's the complete press release which includes the list of Easter European movies in a program titled Eastern Promises:
Palm Springs, CA (December 16, 2014) . The 26th annual Palm Springs International Film Festival (Psiff) will launch on Friday, January 2 with the opening night screening of the GoldenGlobe nominated Selma directed by Ava Duvernay. The Festival will wrap on Sunday, January 11 with the Us premiere of Boychoir directed by François Girard. New this year, the festival will focus on...
- 12/17/2014
- by Manny
- Manny the Movie Guy
Updated Jan 12: Lakshmi wins narrative audience award; Gore Vidal: The United States Of Amnesia earns doc honours.
Top brass at the Palm Springs International Film Festival announced on January 12 that Nagesh Kukunoor’s Lakshmi (India) had been awarded the Mercedes-Benz Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature.
Meanwhile Gore Vidal: The United States Of Amnesia (Us) directed by Nicholas Wrathall won the audience award for best documentary feature.
In the juried awards announced on January 11, Felix van Groeningen’s shortlisted Belgian foreign language Oscar contender The Broken Circle Breakdown won the Fipresci Prize for best foreign language film of the year at the 25th Palm Springs International Film Festival on January 11.
Mads Mikkelsen of Thomas Vinterberg’s Oscar shortlisted Danish feature The Hunt won the Fipresci Prize for the best actor of the year in a foreign language film, while Bérénice Bejo took the corresponding actress honour for Asghar Farhadi’s Iranian Oscar submission The Past.
Andrea Pallaoro...
Top brass at the Palm Springs International Film Festival announced on January 12 that Nagesh Kukunoor’s Lakshmi (India) had been awarded the Mercedes-Benz Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature.
Meanwhile Gore Vidal: The United States Of Amnesia (Us) directed by Nicholas Wrathall won the audience award for best documentary feature.
In the juried awards announced on January 11, Felix van Groeningen’s shortlisted Belgian foreign language Oscar contender The Broken Circle Breakdown won the Fipresci Prize for best foreign language film of the year at the 25th Palm Springs International Film Festival on January 11.
Mads Mikkelsen of Thomas Vinterberg’s Oscar shortlisted Danish feature The Hunt won the Fipresci Prize for the best actor of the year in a foreign language film, while Bérénice Bejo took the corresponding actress honour for Asghar Farhadi’s Iranian Oscar submission The Past.
Andrea Pallaoro...
- 1/12/2014
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Felix van Groeningen’s shortlisted Belgian foreign language Oscar contender The Broken Circle Breakdown won the Fipresci Prize for best foreign language film of the year at the 25th Palm Springs International Film Festival on January 11.
Mads Mikkelsen of Thomas Vinterberg’s Oscar shortlisted Danish featureThe Hunt won the Fipresci Prize for the best actor of the year in a foreign language film, while Bérénice Bejo took the corresponding actress honour for Asghar Farhadi’s Iranian Oscar submission The Past.
Andrea Pallaoro prevailed in the New Voices/New Visions contest for his Us film Medeas and a special mention went to Left Foot Right Foot (Switzerland), by Germinal Roaux.
The Cine Latino Award was presented to two films: Amat Escalante’s Heli (Mexico) and David Trueba’s Living Is Easy With Eyes Closed (Spain). Sebastian Lelio’s Colombian film Gloria earned a special mention.
The John Schlesinger Award for a first-time documentary film-maker/s went to [link...
Mads Mikkelsen of Thomas Vinterberg’s Oscar shortlisted Danish featureThe Hunt won the Fipresci Prize for the best actor of the year in a foreign language film, while Bérénice Bejo took the corresponding actress honour for Asghar Farhadi’s Iranian Oscar submission The Past.
Andrea Pallaoro prevailed in the New Voices/New Visions contest for his Us film Medeas and a special mention went to Left Foot Right Foot (Switzerland), by Germinal Roaux.
The Cine Latino Award was presented to two films: Amat Escalante’s Heli (Mexico) and David Trueba’s Living Is Easy With Eyes Closed (Spain). Sebastian Lelio’s Colombian film Gloria earned a special mention.
The John Schlesinger Award for a first-time documentary film-maker/s went to [link...
- 1/12/2014
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
This story first appeared in the Jan. 10 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Hoping to make then-fading Palm Springs hip again, Sonny Bono, the city's mayor, launched the Palm Springs International Film Festival in 1989 -- and, says festival director Darryl Macdonald: "It took off like a rocket. The first year there wasn't much industry attendance at all, but by the second year it was extremely strong." Now, as the event, which runs Jan. 3 to 13, celebrates its 25th anniversary, it's not only an established stop on the festival circuit but also one of the desert city's
read more...
read more...
- 1/3/2014
- by Gregg Kilday
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Top brass at the upcoming 25th annual Palm Springs International Film Festival (Psiff) have announced the complete line-up.
A bumper crop includes the Us premiere of Amma Assante’s opening night film and closing night selection Le Week-End by Roger Michell.
All in all 187 films from 60 countries make the cut, of which eight are world, 22 are North American and 47 are Us premieres. The Psiff is set to run from January 3-13 2014.
“This year’s line-up is particularly diverse in theme and content, encompassing vintage work by established directors alongside auspicious debuts by a vast number of newly emerging talents,” said festival director Darryl Macdonald. “The overall quality of the films vividly reflects the banner year we’ve seen in cinema worldwide, with a trend towards more personal, character-driven stories that defy easy genre labels, making for a much richer, more satisfying cinematic experience.”
“We launch our 25th anniversary edition with Amma Asante’s entertaining and inspiring [link=tt...
A bumper crop includes the Us premiere of Amma Assante’s opening night film and closing night selection Le Week-End by Roger Michell.
All in all 187 films from 60 countries make the cut, of which eight are world, 22 are North American and 47 are Us premieres. The Psiff is set to run from January 3-13 2014.
“This year’s line-up is particularly diverse in theme and content, encompassing vintage work by established directors alongside auspicious debuts by a vast number of newly emerging talents,” said festival director Darryl Macdonald. “The overall quality of the films vividly reflects the banner year we’ve seen in cinema worldwide, with a trend towards more personal, character-driven stories that defy easy genre labels, making for a much richer, more satisfying cinematic experience.”
“We launch our 25th anniversary edition with Amma Asante’s entertaining and inspiring [link=tt...
- 12/20/2013
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Top brass at the 25th annual Palm Springs International Film Festival (Psiff) have announced a new programme on Canadian Cinema as well as the traditionally strong roster of foreign-language films eligible for the Fipresci Award in the Awards Buzz section, and Modern Masters.
The festival will screen 45 of the 76 official foreign-language Oscar submissions under the umbrella of Awards Buzz.
“We’ve selected Canadian films for a special focus at this year’s festival for many reasons, not the least of which is the wealth of talent emerging from its relatively small, indigenous film industry, and the depth and richness of story and character portrayal its films exemplify,” said festival director Darryl Macdonald.
“Whether it’s established auteurs like Denis Coté, Denis Villenueve and Atom Egoyan, gifted actor-directors like Don McKellar and Sarah Polley or newly emerging talents like Chloé Robichaud, Craig Goodwill and Sébastien Pilote, Canadian creative ingenuity is on abundant display in its films. All of this...
The festival will screen 45 of the 76 official foreign-language Oscar submissions under the umbrella of Awards Buzz.
“We’ve selected Canadian films for a special focus at this year’s festival for many reasons, not the least of which is the wealth of talent emerging from its relatively small, indigenous film industry, and the depth and richness of story and character portrayal its films exemplify,” said festival director Darryl Macdonald.
“Whether it’s established auteurs like Denis Coté, Denis Villenueve and Atom Egoyan, gifted actor-directors like Don McKellar and Sarah Polley or newly emerging talents like Chloé Robichaud, Craig Goodwill and Sébastien Pilote, Canadian creative ingenuity is on abundant display in its films. All of this...
- 12/12/2013
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
In a markedly different setting from the massive scope of the Palm Springs International Film Festival Awards Gala, filmmakers, staff, press and guests gathered at Spencer’s Restaurant Sunday afternoon for the annual festival’s awards presided over by festival director Darryl Macdonald. Music-themed films proved to be enormous successes. Wayne Blair’s “The Sapphires” took home the Mercedes Benz Audience Award as the highest vote-getter among festivalgoers. On the documentary side, the audience chose Romona Diaz’s “Don’t Stop Believin’: Everyman’s Journey.” Kieron Walsh’s “Jump” claimed the Hp Bridging the Borders Award, a co-presentation of Hp and Cinema Without Borders. Speaking of the gradual ease of restrictions on the literal border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, Walsh explained that his film wasn’t concerned with emphasizing the differences between people on...
- 1/13/2013
- by Steve Greene
- Indiewire
Just spent the first weekend at this Great film Festival! When the great Darryl MacDonald moved down from his great run as Head of Seattle Film Festival we were glad. He does such great work plus we have always loved Palm Springs as the best town in the West. This Festival keeps getting better - films, people, events. We walk around always here smiling. The photos tell just part of the story (also read the below).
David O. Russell And “10 Directors To Watch” Honored At The Variety Indie Impact Brunch Presented By Mercedes-benz At The 2013 Palm Springs International Film Festival
Honoree David O. Russell received the Variety Indie Impact Award presented by Mercedes-Benz from Bradley Cooper (“Silver Linings Playbook”) this morning at the Parker Palm Springs. Russell and Cooper were joined by some of the “10 Directors to Watch”: Haifaa Al-Mansour (“Wadjda”); Wayne Blair (‘The Sapphires”); Jon Lucas & Scott Moore (“21 and Over”); David Ondricek (“In the Shadow”); Joachim Rønning & Espen Sandberg (“Kon-Tiki”); and Rebecca Thomas (“Electrick Children”). Full list of honorees below. Other guests included: Eddie Redmayne and Tom Hooper (Les Miserables), Fred Williamson, John Hawkes (The Sessions), Steve Gaydos (Variety), Michelle Sobrino (Variety), Darryl Macdonald (Festival Director), Helen du Toit (Artistic Director) and Harold Matzner (Festival Chairman). Variety and Bradley Cooper presented “Silver Linings Playbook” director David O. Russell with the Indie Impact Award, presented by Mercedes-Benz, which celebrates the filmmaker for his outstanding contributions to the art and business of cinema. Additionally, Variety’s “10 Directors to Watch” series was presented, spotlighting the most exciting new talents in the field of directing. This year’s “10 Directors to Watch” includes five with films at Palm Springs International Film Festival: “Electrick Children,” “A Hijacking,” “In the Shadow,” “Kon-Tiki” and “The Sapphires”. The event was presented by Mercedes-Benz with premier sponsor Indian Country Today Media Network and venue partner the Parker Palm Springs. Hollywood’S Biggest Stars Shine In The Desert At The 24th Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival Awards Gala Presented By Cartier
Cartier Welcomed Host Mary Hart and Festival Honorees Ben Affleck, Alan Arkin, Bryan Cranston, Bradley Cooper, Helen Hunt, Helen Mirren, Mychael Danna, Naomi Watts, Richard Gere, Robert Zemeckis, Sally Field and Tom Hooper Kicking off the 2013 Awards Season, The 24th Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival (Psiff) Awards Gala, presented by Cartier, was held Saturday, January 5, 2013 at the Palm Springs Convention Center hosted by Mary Hart. Honorees were presented with an original Chihuly Glass Sculpture designed by Dale Chihuly or the John Kennedy "The Entertainer" statue. The event is sponsored by Mercedes-Benz and Entertainment Tonight. The Palm Springs International Film Festival Awards Gala honors individuals in the entertainment industry with several prestigious awards for acting, director, achievement in film scoring and life achievement. The following awards were presented at this year’s Awards Gala:
Argo (Ben Affleck, Alan Arkin, Bryan Cranston) received the Ensemble Performance Award presented by Tony Mendez. Bradley Cooper received the Desert Palm Achievement Award Actor for Silver Linings Playbook presented by the film’s director David O. Russell. Helen Hunt received the Spotlight Award for The Sessions presented by her co-star John Hawkes. Helen Mirren received the International Star Award for Hitchcock presented by Tom Hooper, who directed her in Elizabeth I. Mychael Danna received the Frederick Loewe Award for Film Composing for Life of Pi presented Ang Lee. Naomi Watts received the Desert Palm Achievement Award Actress for The Impossible presented by her co-star in the film Tom Holland. Richard Gere received the Chairman’s Award for Arbitrage presented by his The Cotton Club, Nights in Rodanthe and Unfaithful co-star Diane Lane. Robert Zemeckis received the Director of the Year Award for Flight presented by Tom Hanks who he directed in Castaway, Forrest Gump, and Polar Express. Sally Field (Lincoln) received the Career Achievement Award presented by her The Amazing Spider-Man co-star Martin Sheen. Tom Hooper received the Sonny Bono Visionary Award for Les Misérables presented by the film’s co-star Eddie Redmayne. Additional guests who attended the event: Senator Barbara Boxer, Dale and Leslie Chihuly, Taylor Hackford, Mary Bono Mack, Palm Springs Mayor Steve Pougnet, Bill Pullman (The Fruit Hunters, 1600 Penn) along with Festival representatives Harold Matzner (Festival Chairman), Darryl Macdonald (Festival Director) and Helen du Toit (Artistic Director). Cartier jewelry was worn this year by select honorees, presenters and guests Naomi Watts, Diane Lane, Sally Field, Eddie Redmayne (watch) and Mychael Danna (watch). In addition, Cartier presented Tank Solo watches to all honorees, Cufflinks for male presenters and Love necklaces for female presenters. Ben Affleck, Alan Arkin, Bryan Cranston, Mychael Danna, Sally Field, Richard Gere, Tom Hanks, John Hawkes, Tom Holland, Helen Hunt, Diane Lane, Ang Lee, Tony Mendez, Helen Mirren, David O. Russell, Martin Sheen, Naomi Watts and Robert Zemeckis arrived in S400 Hybrid sedan, S550 sedans, GL450 SUVs and ML350 SUVs to the Festival red carpet. Following the ceremony an after party was held at the Parker Palm Springs where Bradley Cooper, Sally Field, John Hawkes, Tom Hooper, Eddie Redmayne, David O. Russell, Naomi Watts and many others were in attendance. The Palm Springs International Film Festival takes place January 3-14,2013. For additional information on the Festival visit www.psfilmfest.org.
David O. Russell And “10 Directors To Watch” Honored At The Variety Indie Impact Brunch Presented By Mercedes-benz At The 2013 Palm Springs International Film Festival
Honoree David O. Russell received the Variety Indie Impact Award presented by Mercedes-Benz from Bradley Cooper (“Silver Linings Playbook”) this morning at the Parker Palm Springs. Russell and Cooper were joined by some of the “10 Directors to Watch”: Haifaa Al-Mansour (“Wadjda”); Wayne Blair (‘The Sapphires”); Jon Lucas & Scott Moore (“21 and Over”); David Ondricek (“In the Shadow”); Joachim Rønning & Espen Sandberg (“Kon-Tiki”); and Rebecca Thomas (“Electrick Children”). Full list of honorees below. Other guests included: Eddie Redmayne and Tom Hooper (Les Miserables), Fred Williamson, John Hawkes (The Sessions), Steve Gaydos (Variety), Michelle Sobrino (Variety), Darryl Macdonald (Festival Director), Helen du Toit (Artistic Director) and Harold Matzner (Festival Chairman). Variety and Bradley Cooper presented “Silver Linings Playbook” director David O. Russell with the Indie Impact Award, presented by Mercedes-Benz, which celebrates the filmmaker for his outstanding contributions to the art and business of cinema. Additionally, Variety’s “10 Directors to Watch” series was presented, spotlighting the most exciting new talents in the field of directing. This year’s “10 Directors to Watch” includes five with films at Palm Springs International Film Festival: “Electrick Children,” “A Hijacking,” “In the Shadow,” “Kon-Tiki” and “The Sapphires”. The event was presented by Mercedes-Benz with premier sponsor Indian Country Today Media Network and venue partner the Parker Palm Springs. Hollywood’S Biggest Stars Shine In The Desert At The 24th Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival Awards Gala Presented By Cartier
Cartier Welcomed Host Mary Hart and Festival Honorees Ben Affleck, Alan Arkin, Bryan Cranston, Bradley Cooper, Helen Hunt, Helen Mirren, Mychael Danna, Naomi Watts, Richard Gere, Robert Zemeckis, Sally Field and Tom Hooper Kicking off the 2013 Awards Season, The 24th Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival (Psiff) Awards Gala, presented by Cartier, was held Saturday, January 5, 2013 at the Palm Springs Convention Center hosted by Mary Hart. Honorees were presented with an original Chihuly Glass Sculpture designed by Dale Chihuly or the John Kennedy "The Entertainer" statue. The event is sponsored by Mercedes-Benz and Entertainment Tonight. The Palm Springs International Film Festival Awards Gala honors individuals in the entertainment industry with several prestigious awards for acting, director, achievement in film scoring and life achievement. The following awards were presented at this year’s Awards Gala:
Argo (Ben Affleck, Alan Arkin, Bryan Cranston) received the Ensemble Performance Award presented by Tony Mendez. Bradley Cooper received the Desert Palm Achievement Award Actor for Silver Linings Playbook presented by the film’s director David O. Russell. Helen Hunt received the Spotlight Award for The Sessions presented by her co-star John Hawkes. Helen Mirren received the International Star Award for Hitchcock presented by Tom Hooper, who directed her in Elizabeth I. Mychael Danna received the Frederick Loewe Award for Film Composing for Life of Pi presented Ang Lee. Naomi Watts received the Desert Palm Achievement Award Actress for The Impossible presented by her co-star in the film Tom Holland. Richard Gere received the Chairman’s Award for Arbitrage presented by his The Cotton Club, Nights in Rodanthe and Unfaithful co-star Diane Lane. Robert Zemeckis received the Director of the Year Award for Flight presented by Tom Hanks who he directed in Castaway, Forrest Gump, and Polar Express. Sally Field (Lincoln) received the Career Achievement Award presented by her The Amazing Spider-Man co-star Martin Sheen. Tom Hooper received the Sonny Bono Visionary Award for Les Misérables presented by the film’s co-star Eddie Redmayne. Additional guests who attended the event: Senator Barbara Boxer, Dale and Leslie Chihuly, Taylor Hackford, Mary Bono Mack, Palm Springs Mayor Steve Pougnet, Bill Pullman (The Fruit Hunters, 1600 Penn) along with Festival representatives Harold Matzner (Festival Chairman), Darryl Macdonald (Festival Director) and Helen du Toit (Artistic Director). Cartier jewelry was worn this year by select honorees, presenters and guests Naomi Watts, Diane Lane, Sally Field, Eddie Redmayne (watch) and Mychael Danna (watch). In addition, Cartier presented Tank Solo watches to all honorees, Cufflinks for male presenters and Love necklaces for female presenters. Ben Affleck, Alan Arkin, Bryan Cranston, Mychael Danna, Sally Field, Richard Gere, Tom Hanks, John Hawkes, Tom Holland, Helen Hunt, Diane Lane, Ang Lee, Tony Mendez, Helen Mirren, David O. Russell, Martin Sheen, Naomi Watts and Robert Zemeckis arrived in S400 Hybrid sedan, S550 sedans, GL450 SUVs and ML350 SUVs to the Festival red carpet. Following the ceremony an after party was held at the Parker Palm Springs where Bradley Cooper, Sally Field, John Hawkes, Tom Hooper, Eddie Redmayne, David O. Russell, Naomi Watts and many others were in attendance. The Palm Springs International Film Festival takes place January 3-14,2013. For additional information on the Festival visit www.psfilmfest.org.
- 1/8/2013
- by Peter Belsito
- Sydney's Buzz
The complete lineup for the 24th annual Palm Springs International Film Festival is announced. The festival runs Janaury 3-13, and will be bookended by Spain's Oscar submission "Blancanieves," a silent adaptation of Snow White, and closing-night entry "Unfinished Song," from director Paul Andrew Williams and starring Terence Stamp, Vanessa Redgrave and Gemma Arterton. The slate includes 180 films, with 68 countries represented and 61 world, North American and Us premieres. Eight of the nine shortlisted films for the Best Foreign Language Oscar are playing at the festival (all but Pablo Larrain's "No"). Festival director Darryl Macdonald states, "among these 180 accomplished new films are 63 debut features by first-time filmmakers, heralding an injection of fresh, audacious talent into the lifeblood of contemporary world cinema.” The complete lineup is listed below. The festival will honor several stars at its January 5 gala....
- 12/20/2012
- by Sophia Savage
- Thompson on Hollywood
The Palm Springs International Shortfest, the largest short film festival and market in North America, announced its Festival award winners on Sunday, June 24, 2012. 324 short films screened throughout the Festival along with more than 3,000 filmmaker submissions available in the film market. A total of $118,800 in prizes, including $16,000 in cash awards, were awarded in 20 categories. Held from June 19-25, 2012, the Festival had another record-breaking year in attendance for ticket buyers, filmmakers and film industry delegates.
Darryl Macdonald, ShortFest Programming and Executive Director, said, “It's been a great year for ShortFest, with record crowds, a spectacular lineup of provocative and engaging new films and a banner year for the ShortFest Forums, with acclaimed talents like Robert Elswit, Gus Van Sant and Oorlagh George participating. All in all, we've achieved everything we set out to accomplish with this year's Festival. I'm confident we've provided a fitting springboard for the astonishingly accomplished young filmmakers who participated.”
Returning for a second year, the Palm Springs International ShortFest continued the ShortFest Online Film Festival. Ten films were chosen to represent the Festival online. The ShortFest Online Audience Award went to Lost & Found (UK), directed by Sam Washington. The film will be available to view online for the next three months.
Jury Category Awards
Awards in the non-student and student categories were selected by ShortFest jury members Richard Abramowitz (President of Abramorama, distribution and marketing company), Lael Loewenstein, (President of the Los Angeles Film Critics Association and a critic for Variety) and Jane Schoettle (International Programmer for the Toronto International Film Festival). All first place winners in the non-student categories received a cash award of $2,000. First place winners in the non-student Animation and Live Action categories may be eligible for Academy Awards consideration. Second place recipients received a $500 cash prize.
Designated by AMPAS as an award-qualifying festival, and accredited by the International Short Film Conference, the Palm Springs International ShortFest and its Short Film Market are the largest and most prominent short film showcase in North America. The Festival and its concurrent 3,000-film Market continue to serve as a scouting ground for new filmmaking talent and are well attended by those in the business of buying and selling short films.
The Palm Springs International ShortFest is supported by an ever-growing number of new and longtime sponsors with local, national and international prominence. The Title Sponsor is the City of Palm Springs with Presenting Sponsors The Desert Sun and Spencer’s. Major Sponsors include, Panavision, The BottomLine, Stampede Post Productions, Greenhouse Studios, Kqed San Francisco and The Australian Consulate General in Los Angeles. Special support has been provided by The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences.
The 2012 Palm Springs International ShortFest award winners are:
Jury Awards
Best Of Festival Award – Winner received $2,000 cash prize, Software Package courtesy of The Showbiz Café & Store, Post Production award courtesy of Greenhouse Studios and Final Cut Pro X courtesy of Apple. The winner of this award may be eligible to submit their film to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for Oscar consideration.
Behind the Mirrors (Detras del Espejo) (Peru/USA), Julio O. Ramos
A young husband, and soon-to-be father, manages a local brothel with his wife. When one of the night’s customers leaves behind an unexpected mess, the husband's keen eye for opportunity and quick thinking may change their fortunes forever.
Panavision Grand Jury Award – Winner received a Panavision Camera Package valued at $60,000.
Paulie (USA), Andrew Nackman
Paulie is a nine year old in the seventh grade. Used to being the smartest kid in the room Paulie aces every test, wins every spelling bee and science fair, and does not lose. So when bully Tony beats him one day at an essay contest, Paulie refuses to let it go.
Future Filmmaker Award – Winner received a $2,000 cash prize and a post production package courtesy of Greenhouse Studios.
Khaana (UK), Rajinder Sawhney
A pregnant, orthodox Muslim woman living in London has an appetite for life as well as for food, in this delightful exploration of the ways in which her homeland’s culture intersects with her still novel foreign surroundings.
Audience Awards
Audience Favorite Live Action Short
A Curious Conjunction of Coincidences (Netherlands), Joost Reijmers
An absurdist journey through time with an explosive ending in the heart of Amsterdam, this Dutch treat won the Best Comedy Award at the recent Aspen ShortsFest, and rightly so: its inventive tale links up three hapless heroes living in different centuries whose worlds collide unexpectedly in the present day.
Runner-up – Talking Dog For Sale, 10 Euros (Se Vende PerroQue Habla, 10 Euros) (France/Spain), Lewis-Martin Soucy
Audience Favorite Documentary Short
Mr. Christmas (USA), Nick Palmer
Bruce Mertz is the kind of guy who lights up the lives of those around him -- quite literally -- when every holiday season he transforms his house into a beacon with 50,000 colorful lights and himself into Mr. Christmas.
Runner-up – The Little Team (L’Equip Petit) (Spain), Robert Gomez
Audience Favorite Animation Short
The Boy in the Bubble (Ireland), Kealan O’Rourke
Young Rupert Shelley utilizes magic to win the heart of his true love at school and save his own heart from breaking. The magic works, but not in quite the way that Rupert had expected.
Runner-up – The Gruffalo’s Child (UK), Uwe Heidschötter, Johannes Weiland
Best Animation short
First Place ($2,000) – Nuru (Belgium), Michael Palmaers
In this dazzling, CG-enhanced story about an abandoned zoo and its lone animal inhabitant, a zookeeper looks after a giant gorilla who is being subjected to a dark experiment run by an opportunistic director.
Second Place ($500) – Amen! (Germany), Moritz Mayerhofer
Best Live Action short over 15 minutes
First Place ($2,000) – Dura Lex (Belgium), Anke Blondé
When two detectives show up at Kristi’s house asking lots of questions about her Albanian maid, she has little time to decide what to think, say, and do – and her answers will have major consequences for all concerned.
Second Place ($500) – Light Years (Lichtjahre) (Germany), Florian Knittel
Best Live Action short 15 Minutes And Under
First Place ($2,000) – The Devil’s Ballroom (Mannen fra isødet) (Norway/Greenland), Henrik Martin Dahlsbakken
After burying his last remaining companion, a fearless explorer has to find his way to the North Pole alone, fighting snow-blindness and physical strain. An unexpected encounter forces him to decide between honor and fame in the history books or keeping the moral high ground—a choice which will haunt the rest of his life.
Second Place ($500) – The Moment (Australia), Troy Bellchambers
Best Documentary short:
First Place ($2,000) – The Record Breaker (Denmark), Brian McGinn
Climbing Machu Picchu on stilts is not for everybody, but it suits Ashrita Furman just fine. Furman holds the official record for the most Guinness World Records by one individual, and he has set his sights on one more for the books.
Second Place ($500) – The Globe Collector (Australia), Summer DeRoche
Student Categories
All first place winners in these categories received a software package courtesy of The Showbiz Café & Store along with a one-year download membership to videoblocks.com or stock footage DVD set courtesy of Video Block and Footage Firm.
Best Student Animation
First Place – Bear Me (Germany), Katarzyna Wilk
A young woman’s object of love, and other desires, is a surprisingly strange choice in her seemingly otherwise quite normal world.
Second Place – Flamingo Pride (Germany), Tomer Eshed
Best Student Live Action short over 15 minutes
First Place – Hatch (Austria/USA), Christoph Kushnig
On a wintry Vienna night, a young couple makes the decision to give up their child, knowing they cannot raise it and realize their own youthful dreams. Across town, another couple is desperate for a child of their own, with no way to conceive one. When the paths of these two couples briefly cross, fate holds an unexpected lesson for each of them.
Second Place – Good Night (UK), Muriel d’Ansembourg
Best Student Live Action short 15 Minutes And Under
First Place – Behind the Mirrors (Detras del Espejo) (Peru/USA), Julio O. Ramos
A young husband, and soon-to-be father, manages a local brothel with his wife. When one of the night’s customers leaves behind an unexpected mess, the husband's keen eye for opportunity and quick thinking may change their fortunes forever.
Second Place – Paulie (USA), Andrew Nackman
Best Student Documentary short
In an unprecedented decision, the ShortFest jury has decided to award first place jointly to two documentaries: The Battle of the Jazz Guitarist and Julian. The jury issued the following statement: “With strikingly different techniques, each paints a remarkable portrait of family ties. Although we didn’t set out to define the category thematically, we noted that both films raised questions of parental legacy, filial responsibility, and the indelible cost of personal ambition. Each left an unmistakable impression on us. And so, after sustained and impassioned deliberations, we decided that the only real option was to recognize both films.”
First Place (tie) – The Battle of the Jazz Guitarist (USA), Mark Columbus
Filmmaker Mark Columbus takes an inventive, probing and amusing look at his relationship with his dad, a once famous jazz guitarist from the Fiji Islands, whose career stalled when he moved to the U.S.
First Place (tie) – Julian (USA), Bao Nguyen
When a young man named Julian looks straight into the camera and talks about the lure of joining the Marines and the possibility of not returning home, so begins this riveting portrait of a young soldier and his family.
Best Student Cinematography - Software package courtesy of The Showbiz Café & Store.
Saro Varjabedian (cinematographer), Jesus Loves Youssef (Lebanon)
Young Youssef is praying for a bike for a first communion gift, but communion involves confession, and the boy is feeling awfully guilty about something that he doesn’t want to confess to the priest.
Second Place – Anand Kishore (cinematographer), Mong (China)
Best Student Film Award (From A Us Film School) - $2,000 cash prize courtesy of Kqed, San Francisco.
First Place – Hatch (Austria/USA), Christoph Kuschnig
On a wintry Vienna night, a young couple makes the decision to give up their child, knowing they cannot raise it and realize their own youthful dreams. Across town, another couple is desperate for a child of their own, with no way to conceive one. When the paths of these two couples briefly cross, fate holds an unexpected lesson for each of them.
Additional Prizes
The Alexis Award for Best Emerging Student Filmmaker went to Kiss Me (USA), directed by Jules Nurrish. The recipient received Final Cut Pro X courtesy of Apple. The Alexis Award is selected by the Festival’s programming team and was created in honor of Alexis Echavarria, a young filmmaker, whose talent as a budding filmmaker and gift for inspiring excellence among his fellow students were cut short suddenly in 2005 at age 16.
Bridging the Borders Award presented by Cinema Without Borders went to Road to Peshawar (USA), directed by Hammad Rizvi. The winner received a certificate for an upcoming Method Acting Intensive with a value of $2000 from Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute. The runner-up was Dura Lex (Belgium), directed by Anke Blondé.
The Palm Springs International Film Festival will be held January 3-14, 2013.
Darryl Macdonald, ShortFest Programming and Executive Director, said, “It's been a great year for ShortFest, with record crowds, a spectacular lineup of provocative and engaging new films and a banner year for the ShortFest Forums, with acclaimed talents like Robert Elswit, Gus Van Sant and Oorlagh George participating. All in all, we've achieved everything we set out to accomplish with this year's Festival. I'm confident we've provided a fitting springboard for the astonishingly accomplished young filmmakers who participated.”
Returning for a second year, the Palm Springs International ShortFest continued the ShortFest Online Film Festival. Ten films were chosen to represent the Festival online. The ShortFest Online Audience Award went to Lost & Found (UK), directed by Sam Washington. The film will be available to view online for the next three months.
Jury Category Awards
Awards in the non-student and student categories were selected by ShortFest jury members Richard Abramowitz (President of Abramorama, distribution and marketing company), Lael Loewenstein, (President of the Los Angeles Film Critics Association and a critic for Variety) and Jane Schoettle (International Programmer for the Toronto International Film Festival). All first place winners in the non-student categories received a cash award of $2,000. First place winners in the non-student Animation and Live Action categories may be eligible for Academy Awards consideration. Second place recipients received a $500 cash prize.
Designated by AMPAS as an award-qualifying festival, and accredited by the International Short Film Conference, the Palm Springs International ShortFest and its Short Film Market are the largest and most prominent short film showcase in North America. The Festival and its concurrent 3,000-film Market continue to serve as a scouting ground for new filmmaking talent and are well attended by those in the business of buying and selling short films.
The Palm Springs International ShortFest is supported by an ever-growing number of new and longtime sponsors with local, national and international prominence. The Title Sponsor is the City of Palm Springs with Presenting Sponsors The Desert Sun and Spencer’s. Major Sponsors include, Panavision, The BottomLine, Stampede Post Productions, Greenhouse Studios, Kqed San Francisco and The Australian Consulate General in Los Angeles. Special support has been provided by The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences.
The 2012 Palm Springs International ShortFest award winners are:
Jury Awards
Best Of Festival Award – Winner received $2,000 cash prize, Software Package courtesy of The Showbiz Café & Store, Post Production award courtesy of Greenhouse Studios and Final Cut Pro X courtesy of Apple. The winner of this award may be eligible to submit their film to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for Oscar consideration.
Behind the Mirrors (Detras del Espejo) (Peru/USA), Julio O. Ramos
A young husband, and soon-to-be father, manages a local brothel with his wife. When one of the night’s customers leaves behind an unexpected mess, the husband's keen eye for opportunity and quick thinking may change their fortunes forever.
Panavision Grand Jury Award – Winner received a Panavision Camera Package valued at $60,000.
Paulie (USA), Andrew Nackman
Paulie is a nine year old in the seventh grade. Used to being the smartest kid in the room Paulie aces every test, wins every spelling bee and science fair, and does not lose. So when bully Tony beats him one day at an essay contest, Paulie refuses to let it go.
Future Filmmaker Award – Winner received a $2,000 cash prize and a post production package courtesy of Greenhouse Studios.
Khaana (UK), Rajinder Sawhney
A pregnant, orthodox Muslim woman living in London has an appetite for life as well as for food, in this delightful exploration of the ways in which her homeland’s culture intersects with her still novel foreign surroundings.
Audience Awards
Audience Favorite Live Action Short
A Curious Conjunction of Coincidences (Netherlands), Joost Reijmers
An absurdist journey through time with an explosive ending in the heart of Amsterdam, this Dutch treat won the Best Comedy Award at the recent Aspen ShortsFest, and rightly so: its inventive tale links up three hapless heroes living in different centuries whose worlds collide unexpectedly in the present day.
Runner-up – Talking Dog For Sale, 10 Euros (Se Vende PerroQue Habla, 10 Euros) (France/Spain), Lewis-Martin Soucy
Audience Favorite Documentary Short
Mr. Christmas (USA), Nick Palmer
Bruce Mertz is the kind of guy who lights up the lives of those around him -- quite literally -- when every holiday season he transforms his house into a beacon with 50,000 colorful lights and himself into Mr. Christmas.
Runner-up – The Little Team (L’Equip Petit) (Spain), Robert Gomez
Audience Favorite Animation Short
The Boy in the Bubble (Ireland), Kealan O’Rourke
Young Rupert Shelley utilizes magic to win the heart of his true love at school and save his own heart from breaking. The magic works, but not in quite the way that Rupert had expected.
Runner-up – The Gruffalo’s Child (UK), Uwe Heidschötter, Johannes Weiland
Best Animation short
First Place ($2,000) – Nuru (Belgium), Michael Palmaers
In this dazzling, CG-enhanced story about an abandoned zoo and its lone animal inhabitant, a zookeeper looks after a giant gorilla who is being subjected to a dark experiment run by an opportunistic director.
Second Place ($500) – Amen! (Germany), Moritz Mayerhofer
Best Live Action short over 15 minutes
First Place ($2,000) – Dura Lex (Belgium), Anke Blondé
When two detectives show up at Kristi’s house asking lots of questions about her Albanian maid, she has little time to decide what to think, say, and do – and her answers will have major consequences for all concerned.
Second Place ($500) – Light Years (Lichtjahre) (Germany), Florian Knittel
Best Live Action short 15 Minutes And Under
First Place ($2,000) – The Devil’s Ballroom (Mannen fra isødet) (Norway/Greenland), Henrik Martin Dahlsbakken
After burying his last remaining companion, a fearless explorer has to find his way to the North Pole alone, fighting snow-blindness and physical strain. An unexpected encounter forces him to decide between honor and fame in the history books or keeping the moral high ground—a choice which will haunt the rest of his life.
Second Place ($500) – The Moment (Australia), Troy Bellchambers
Best Documentary short:
First Place ($2,000) – The Record Breaker (Denmark), Brian McGinn
Climbing Machu Picchu on stilts is not for everybody, but it suits Ashrita Furman just fine. Furman holds the official record for the most Guinness World Records by one individual, and he has set his sights on one more for the books.
Second Place ($500) – The Globe Collector (Australia), Summer DeRoche
Student Categories
All first place winners in these categories received a software package courtesy of The Showbiz Café & Store along with a one-year download membership to videoblocks.com or stock footage DVD set courtesy of Video Block and Footage Firm.
Best Student Animation
First Place – Bear Me (Germany), Katarzyna Wilk
A young woman’s object of love, and other desires, is a surprisingly strange choice in her seemingly otherwise quite normal world.
Second Place – Flamingo Pride (Germany), Tomer Eshed
Best Student Live Action short over 15 minutes
First Place – Hatch (Austria/USA), Christoph Kushnig
On a wintry Vienna night, a young couple makes the decision to give up their child, knowing they cannot raise it and realize their own youthful dreams. Across town, another couple is desperate for a child of their own, with no way to conceive one. When the paths of these two couples briefly cross, fate holds an unexpected lesson for each of them.
Second Place – Good Night (UK), Muriel d’Ansembourg
Best Student Live Action short 15 Minutes And Under
First Place – Behind the Mirrors (Detras del Espejo) (Peru/USA), Julio O. Ramos
A young husband, and soon-to-be father, manages a local brothel with his wife. When one of the night’s customers leaves behind an unexpected mess, the husband's keen eye for opportunity and quick thinking may change their fortunes forever.
Second Place – Paulie (USA), Andrew Nackman
Best Student Documentary short
In an unprecedented decision, the ShortFest jury has decided to award first place jointly to two documentaries: The Battle of the Jazz Guitarist and Julian. The jury issued the following statement: “With strikingly different techniques, each paints a remarkable portrait of family ties. Although we didn’t set out to define the category thematically, we noted that both films raised questions of parental legacy, filial responsibility, and the indelible cost of personal ambition. Each left an unmistakable impression on us. And so, after sustained and impassioned deliberations, we decided that the only real option was to recognize both films.”
First Place (tie) – The Battle of the Jazz Guitarist (USA), Mark Columbus
Filmmaker Mark Columbus takes an inventive, probing and amusing look at his relationship with his dad, a once famous jazz guitarist from the Fiji Islands, whose career stalled when he moved to the U.S.
First Place (tie) – Julian (USA), Bao Nguyen
When a young man named Julian looks straight into the camera and talks about the lure of joining the Marines and the possibility of not returning home, so begins this riveting portrait of a young soldier and his family.
Best Student Cinematography - Software package courtesy of The Showbiz Café & Store.
Saro Varjabedian (cinematographer), Jesus Loves Youssef (Lebanon)
Young Youssef is praying for a bike for a first communion gift, but communion involves confession, and the boy is feeling awfully guilty about something that he doesn’t want to confess to the priest.
Second Place – Anand Kishore (cinematographer), Mong (China)
Best Student Film Award (From A Us Film School) - $2,000 cash prize courtesy of Kqed, San Francisco.
First Place – Hatch (Austria/USA), Christoph Kuschnig
On a wintry Vienna night, a young couple makes the decision to give up their child, knowing they cannot raise it and realize their own youthful dreams. Across town, another couple is desperate for a child of their own, with no way to conceive one. When the paths of these two couples briefly cross, fate holds an unexpected lesson for each of them.
Additional Prizes
The Alexis Award for Best Emerging Student Filmmaker went to Kiss Me (USA), directed by Jules Nurrish. The recipient received Final Cut Pro X courtesy of Apple. The Alexis Award is selected by the Festival’s programming team and was created in honor of Alexis Echavarria, a young filmmaker, whose talent as a budding filmmaker and gift for inspiring excellence among his fellow students were cut short suddenly in 2005 at age 16.
Bridging the Borders Award presented by Cinema Without Borders went to Road to Peshawar (USA), directed by Hammad Rizvi. The winner received a certificate for an upcoming Method Acting Intensive with a value of $2000 from Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute. The runner-up was Dura Lex (Belgium), directed by Anke Blondé.
The Palm Springs International Film Festival will be held January 3-14, 2013.
- 7/5/2012
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
The Palm Springs ShortFest has announced that highly-acclaimed writer/director Gus Van Sant will be presented with the ShortFest Spirit of Short Film Award as part of a special Directing Master Class presentation celebrating his work in film. A selection of his short films will be shown on Saturday, June 23rd at 2:30 p.m. with a discussion headed by Festival Director Darryl Macdonald. Van Sant, who earned Oscar nominations for "Good Will Hunting" and "Milk," was previously honored at the Palm Springs International Film Festival in 2009 when he received the Sonny Bono Visionary Award.
I personally salute the Palm Springs ShortFest. It is such a grassroots effort that honor the diversity and talent of many striving filmmakers. And most of the films shown move on to win Oscars such as "Freeheld" which won Best Documentary Short in 2008.
The Palm Springs ShortFest happens on June 19th to the 25th. For more details,...
I personally salute the Palm Springs ShortFest. It is such a grassroots effort that honor the diversity and talent of many striving filmmakers. And most of the films shown move on to win Oscars such as "Freeheld" which won Best Documentary Short in 2008.
The Palm Springs ShortFest happens on June 19th to the 25th. For more details,...
- 6/13/2012
- by Manny
- Manny the Movie Guy
There’s no better time of year to be in Palm Springs than early January. The air is rejuvenating, the desert landscape alluring, and amidst all the easy living, Ps kicks annually kicks off film festival season. Now in its 23rd year, the Palm Springs International Film Festival (Psiff) prides itself on appealing to both the first-time moviegoer and the seasoned connoisseur. For the former, there were easily digestible films like Lasse Halstrom’s Salmon Fishing In The Yemen, which opened the Festival, and the Tilda Swinton-starrer We Need To Talk About Kevin; for the latter, the 276-minute Taiwanese film, Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale. For those looking to kill an entire weekend watching one documentary, the festival obliged with Mark Cousins’s 15-hour epic, The Story Of Film: An Odyssey.
In the last couple of years, the Festival has pared down the number of foreign film Oscar submissions.
In the last couple of years, the Festival has pared down the number of foreign film Oscar submissions.
- 1/30/2012
- by Graham Flashner
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Lasse Halstrom’s Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, starring Ewan McGregor, Emily Blunt and Kristin Scott Thomas, will open the 23rd annual Palm Springs International Film Festival, which runs from Jan. 5-15. The festival, which will screen 187 films from 73 countries, will close with Yasemin Samdereli’s Almanya, Welcome to Germany. “It’s a wide ranging line-up of highly accomplished and often provocative new films, coupled with an expanded archival section,” festival director Darryl Macdonald said. “I’m particularly delighted to be opening the festival with the U.S. debut of Lasse Hallstrom’s hugely engaging crowd-pleaser, Salmon Fishing in
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- 12/22/2011
- by Gregg Kilday
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The Palm Springs International Film Festival is introducing a new program that will highlight Arab cinema. The upcoming edition of the festival, which runs from Jan. 5-16, also will screen 40 of the 63 official submissions for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ best foreign language film. Photos: Palm Springs Film Festival “This is the most wide-ranging and cohesive line-up of films and special events the Festival has ever assembled,” festival director Darryl Macdonald said. “From our special showcase of new Arabian cinema to the beefed-up archival section and the inclusion of
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- 12/19/2011
- by Gregg Kilday
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Details on the 2012 Palm Springs International Film Festival were unveiled Monday, with lineups for the festival's spotlight on Arab cinema, films competing for the Fipresci Award and Joshn Schlesinger Award as well as its New Voices/New Visions Award. Additionally, Psiff has slated 40 of the 63 official submissions to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for Best Foreign Language Film in its roster. “This is the most wide-ranging and cohesive line-up of films and special events the Festival has ever assembled," commented Psiff Director Darryl Macdonald in a statement. "From our special showcase of new Arabian cinema to the beefed-up archival section and the inclusion of an exhibition focusing on allied arts (with the Marilyn: Intimate Exposures program), the Psiff has kicked it up a notch, enhancing its standing as an event presenting the best of contemporary world cinema with a celebration of all things cinematic." The Palm...
- 12/19/2011
- Indiewire
The Canadian film “The Whistleblower” won the Audience Award while France’s official Oscar entry “Of Gods and Men” took the Fipresci Award for Best Foreign Language Film of the Year at the 22nd Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival, which announced its winners over the weekend.
The festival, which concludes today, screened 205 films from 69 countries, including 41 of the 65 foreign language entries for this year’s Academy Awards.
Said festival director Darryl Macdonald in a statement, “It’s been a hugely successful year for the festival, with record attendance, incredibly smooth operations, and much higher numbers of filmmakers and industry guests attending, with a marked jump in film sales activities as a result. Everything, from our film lineup to the stellar Awards Gala honorees, to our Talking Pictures events and our tribute to Michael Douglas, have been warmly embraced by audiences and industry alike, marking this as a banner year for us.
The festival, which concludes today, screened 205 films from 69 countries, including 41 of the 65 foreign language entries for this year’s Academy Awards.
Said festival director Darryl Macdonald in a statement, “It’s been a hugely successful year for the festival, with record attendance, incredibly smooth operations, and much higher numbers of filmmakers and industry guests attending, with a marked jump in film sales activities as a result. Everything, from our film lineup to the stellar Awards Gala honorees, to our Talking Pictures events and our tribute to Michael Douglas, have been warmly embraced by audiences and industry alike, marking this as a banner year for us.
- 1/17/2011
- by admin
- Moving Pictures Network
Michael Douglas is set to receive a top honor at the upcoming Palm Springs International Film Festival in California. The ailing actor will receive the Icon Award at a tribute on January 13, 2011 as part of the festival's "Talking Pictures: The Contenders" series, which focuses on Oscar front-runners.
Festival organizers say the prize "honors a creative talent who, through the course of his career, has created a body of work which symbolizes the highest level of achievement in the motion picture art form." Douglas, who revealed earlier this year that he is being treated for throat cancer, is nominated for a Golden Globe for his role in this year's "Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps".
Festival director Darryl MacDonald says, "We're thrilled to have the opportunity to honor Michael Douglas at a time when both his creative prowess and his contributions to world cinema have never been more evident - or more deserving of celebration.
Festival organizers say the prize "honors a creative talent who, through the course of his career, has created a body of work which symbolizes the highest level of achievement in the motion picture art form." Douglas, who revealed earlier this year that he is being treated for throat cancer, is nominated for a Golden Globe for his role in this year's "Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps".
Festival director Darryl MacDonald says, "We're thrilled to have the opportunity to honor Michael Douglas at a time when both his creative prowess and his contributions to world cinema have never been more evident - or more deserving of celebration.
- 12/28/2010
- by AceShowbiz.com
- Aceshowbiz
Michael Douglas is set to receive the Icon Award on Thursday, January 13, at the 22nd Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival (Psiff). The actor will get his award following a screening of "Solitary Man." The Icon Award is given to an individual who has created a great body of work which symbolizes the highest level of achievement.
Festival Director Darryl Macdonald called Douglas an "American treasure" and is "deserving of celebration."
Here's the rest of the press release:
The Festival will devote an evening to the Oscar® winning actor and producer, as part of its Talking Pictures: The Contenders Series, which focuses on the films and the actors that are emerging among the front-runners leading up to the Academy Award nominations. The tribute will include the presentation of its Icon Award, a selection of clips from his films, an on-stage conversation with Douglas and Variety.s Peter Bart and a screening of Solitary Man.
Festival Director Darryl Macdonald called Douglas an "American treasure" and is "deserving of celebration."
Here's the rest of the press release:
The Festival will devote an evening to the Oscar® winning actor and producer, as part of its Talking Pictures: The Contenders Series, which focuses on the films and the actors that are emerging among the front-runners leading up to the Academy Award nominations. The tribute will include the presentation of its Icon Award, a selection of clips from his films, an on-stage conversation with Douglas and Variety.s Peter Bart and a screening of Solitary Man.
- 12/28/2010
- by Manny
- Manny the Movie Guy
By Sean O’Connell
Hollywoodnews.com: It was a productive year for Michael Douglas. The legendary actor revived his Oscar-winning Gordon Gekko character for a “Wall Street” sequel, and generated some awards buzz for his unselfish turn in “Solitary Man.”
But it was a humbling year for Douglas, as well, as he revealed to the public his struggle with cancer, then dealt with the physical and emotional obstacles that accompany just such a battle.
However, it’s his professional accomplishments that are carrying Douglas to Palm Springs, where the actor will be honored with the Icon Award at the Palm Springs International Film Festival. Something tells me Douglas wouldn’t have it any other way.
“We’re thrilled to have the opportunity to honor Michael Douglas at a time when both his creative prowess and his contributions to world cinema have never been more evident — or more deserving of celebration,...
Hollywoodnews.com: It was a productive year for Michael Douglas. The legendary actor revived his Oscar-winning Gordon Gekko character for a “Wall Street” sequel, and generated some awards buzz for his unselfish turn in “Solitary Man.”
But it was a humbling year for Douglas, as well, as he revealed to the public his struggle with cancer, then dealt with the physical and emotional obstacles that accompany just such a battle.
However, it’s his professional accomplishments that are carrying Douglas to Palm Springs, where the actor will be honored with the Icon Award at the Palm Springs International Film Festival. Something tells me Douglas wouldn’t have it any other way.
“We’re thrilled to have the opportunity to honor Michael Douglas at a time when both his creative prowess and his contributions to world cinema have never been more evident — or more deserving of celebration,...
- 12/28/2010
- by Sean O'Connell
- Hollywoodnews.com
Michael Douglas is set to receive a top honour at the upcoming Palm Springs International Film Festival in California.
The ailing actor will receive the Icon Award at a tribute on 13 January as part of the festival's Talking Pictures: The Contenders series, which focuses on Oscar front-runners.
Festival organisers say the prize "honours a creative talent who, through the course of his career, has created a body of work which symbolises the highest level of achievement in the motion picture art form."
Douglas, who revealed earlier this year that he is being treated for throat cancer, is nominated for a Golden Globe for his role in this year's Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps.
Festival director Darryl MacDonald says, "We're thrilled to have the opportunity to honour Michael Douglas at a time when both his creative prowess and his contributions to world cinema have never been more evident - or more deserving of celebration. Simply put, he's an American treasure."
The 22nd annual Palm Springs International Film Festival begins on 6 January.
The ailing actor will receive the Icon Award at a tribute on 13 January as part of the festival's Talking Pictures: The Contenders series, which focuses on Oscar front-runners.
Festival organisers say the prize "honours a creative talent who, through the course of his career, has created a body of work which symbolises the highest level of achievement in the motion picture art form."
Douglas, who revealed earlier this year that he is being treated for throat cancer, is nominated for a Golden Globe for his role in this year's Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps.
Festival director Darryl MacDonald says, "We're thrilled to have the opportunity to honour Michael Douglas at a time when both his creative prowess and his contributions to world cinema have never been more evident - or more deserving of celebration. Simply put, he's an American treasure."
The 22nd annual Palm Springs International Film Festival begins on 6 January.
- 12/27/2010
- WENN
This is the time of year when most film journalists are making arrangements to attend Sundance; but, I eschew the snow, the steamy auditoriums and the lookalike independents and opt instead for the Palm Springs International Film Festival (Psiff) where the weather is blessedly warm in early January, a shuttle transports me between venues, and the program is rich and diverse with foreign films. This year, in fact, Psiff will be screening 40 of the 65 official submissions to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) for Best Foreign Language Film (the complete line-up of films to be announced next week).
Today, however, Psiff has announced "Cinema Safari: A Showcase of African Cinema", which comes as welcome news to me. Were it not for the Pacific Film Archive's collaboration with the traveling arm of the New York African Film Festival, I sometimes wonder if the Bay Area would see any...
Today, however, Psiff has announced "Cinema Safari: A Showcase of African Cinema", which comes as welcome news to me. Were it not for the Pacific Film Archive's collaboration with the traveling arm of the New York African Film Festival, I sometimes wonder if the Bay Area would see any...
- 12/17/2010
- Screen Anarchy
The French Film Office hosted a brunch for French-speaking films over the weekend at the Palm Springs International Film Festival, but of course, many others came along for the late morning meal on a typically bright sunny day. Among the crowd were Mathieu Fournet, Executive Director of Film and Television Department for the Consulate General of France, Palms Springs International Film Festival Director Darryl Macdonald and “Kimjongilia” writer/producer james Egan of Wild at Heart Films.
- 1/13/2010
- Indiewire
Nora and I drove out to the Palm Springs International Film Festival Saturday, already well under way (it winds up on the 18th). Fest director Darryl Macdonald and lead programmers Helen du Toit and Carl Spence not only play the pre-Oscar awards-tributes-red-carpet game with such films as Precious, An Education and The Last Station, but also assemble a large selection of foreign Oscar submissions (not all are deemed worthy). A Fipresci jury will choose the best film and performances of the 41. Altogether the fest brings in about 1000 assorted folk to the robust—and growing-local fest, with help from distribs as well as various foreign consulates. We registered along with the filmmakers from Ajami, a tough Palestinian/Israeli drama that is Israel’s entry. Saturday after a spartan …...
- 1/10/2010
- Thompson on Hollywood
By Reuters/AP
The director of the Palm Springs International Film Festival says two Chinese movies selected for the event have been withdrawn in response to the scheduled screenings of a documentary about the Dalai Lama and Tibet.
Darryl Macdonald says "City of Life and Death" and "Quick, Quick, Slow" were withdrawn from the 21st annual festival after organizers declined Chinese government representatives' request to cancel screenings of "The Sun Behind the Clouds."
The documentary portrays a year in the life of the Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader whom Beijing...
The director of the Palm Springs International Film Festival says two Chinese movies selected for the event have been withdrawn in response to the scheduled screenings of a documentary about the Dalai Lama and Tibet.
Darryl Macdonald says "City of Life and Death" and "Quick, Quick, Slow" were withdrawn from the 21st annual festival after organizers declined Chinese government representatives' request to cancel screenings of "The Sun Behind the Clouds."
The documentary portrays a year in the life of the Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader whom Beijing...
- 1/8/2010
- by Dylan Stableford
- The Wrap
The Palm Springs International Film Festival has introduced a new program highlighting Australian cinema.
Organized in partnership with G'Day USA, the Australian Consulate General in Los Angeles and Tourism Australia, the program will feature Robert Connolly's "The Balibo Conspiracy," Rachel Ward's "Beautiful Kate," Ana Kokkinos' "Blessed," Tom Murray's "In My Father's Country," Glendyn Ivin's "Last Ride," Kriv Stender's "Lucky Country," Sarah Watt's "My Year Without Sex," Warwick Thornton's "Samson & Delilah" and Ted Kotcheff's "Wake in Fright."
"The Australian production boom was brought on by tax incentives, but it is the new talent behind the work that will sustain it," fest director Darryl Macdonald said.
Also, as part of its Awards Buzz program, the Jan. 7-18 fest will screen 41 of the 65 films that have been submitted to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for best foreign language film consideration.
Out of...
Organized in partnership with G'Day USA, the Australian Consulate General in Los Angeles and Tourism Australia, the program will feature Robert Connolly's "The Balibo Conspiracy," Rachel Ward's "Beautiful Kate," Ana Kokkinos' "Blessed," Tom Murray's "In My Father's Country," Glendyn Ivin's "Last Ride," Kriv Stender's "Lucky Country," Sarah Watt's "My Year Without Sex," Warwick Thornton's "Samson & Delilah" and Ted Kotcheff's "Wake in Fright."
"The Australian production boom was brought on by tax incentives, but it is the new talent behind the work that will sustain it," fest director Darryl Macdonald said.
Also, as part of its Awards Buzz program, the Jan. 7-18 fest will screen 41 of the 65 films that have been submitted to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for best foreign language film consideration.
Out of...
- 12/21/2009
- by By Gregg Kilday
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Michael Hoffman's "The Last Station," a portrait of Leo Tolstoy and his wife, will kick off the 2010 Palm Springs International Film Festival, which runs Jan. 7-17.
Daniel Adams' "The Lightkeepers," starring Richard Dreyfuss, will serve as the closing-night film.
James McAvoy, who stars in "Station" with Christopher Plummer and Helen Mirren, will attend the opening night, and Dreyfuss and his co-star Blythe Danner will be on hand for the close.
The fest has lined up 189 films from 70 countries. "Our film lineup this year is a strong reflection of the current zeitgeist in world cinema," festival director Darryl Macdonald said. "Sixty-seven first-time feature film directors will screen this year, representing a surge of new filmmaking talent on the world stage."
The fest will present the world premieres of "Dark Resonance," "Dumbstruck," "Expecting Mary," "Is It Just Me?" "The Making of Plus One With Kate, Cate and George: The Story of a Hollywood Nobody,...
Daniel Adams' "The Lightkeepers," starring Richard Dreyfuss, will serve as the closing-night film.
James McAvoy, who stars in "Station" with Christopher Plummer and Helen Mirren, will attend the opening night, and Dreyfuss and his co-star Blythe Danner will be on hand for the close.
The fest has lined up 189 films from 70 countries. "Our film lineup this year is a strong reflection of the current zeitgeist in world cinema," festival director Darryl Macdonald said. "Sixty-seven first-time feature film directors will screen this year, representing a surge of new filmmaking talent on the world stage."
The fest will present the world premieres of "Dark Resonance," "Dumbstruck," "Expecting Mary," "Is It Just Me?" "The Making of Plus One With Kate, Cate and George: The Story of a Hollywood Nobody,...
- 12/16/2009
- by By Gregg Kilday
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
She's terrific in Rocket Science where she plays a student who is also the treacherous captain of the debating team. It was only a supporting role but she delivered quite a compelling performance. While moviegoers identify her as one of the cast of Twilight, Kendrick did quite a number of movies that speak volumes about her talent - two of them in particular has received raves for her performance - Up in the Air and Elsewhere.
- - -
- - - The former is the movie that might bring her an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress. But what are her chances of actually winning the Oscar? [ Related: Kendrick also tops our list of most underrated young actresses. ]
Rave reviews and more after the jump!
- - -
Rising Star award for Kendrick: This award is actually a 'precursor' to the Oscar buzz:
The 21st Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival (Psiff) will honor Anna Kendrick with the Rising Star...
- - -
- - - The former is the movie that might bring her an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress. But what are her chances of actually winning the Oscar? [ Related: Kendrick also tops our list of most underrated young actresses. ]
Rave reviews and more after the jump!
- - -
Rising Star award for Kendrick: This award is actually a 'precursor' to the Oscar buzz:
The 21st Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival (Psiff) will honor Anna Kendrick with the Rising Star...
- 10/23/2009
- by modelwatcher@gmail.com (Jed Medina)
- The Movie Fanatic
She's terrific in Rocket Science where she plays a student who is also the treacherous captain of the debating team. It was only a supporting role but she delivered quite a compelling performance. While moviegoers identify her as one of the cast of Twilight, Kendrick did quite a number of movies that speak volumes about her talent - two of them in particular has received raves for her performance - Up in the Air and Elsewhere.
- - -
- - - The former is the movie that might bring her an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress. But what are her chances of actually winning the Oscar? [ Related: Kendrick also tops our list of most underrated young actresses. ]
Rave reviews and more after the jump!
- - -
Rising Star award for Kendrick: This award is actually a 'precursor' to the Oscar buzz:
The 21st Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival (Psiff) will honor Anna Kendrick with the Rising Star...
- - -
- - - The former is the movie that might bring her an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress. But what are her chances of actually winning the Oscar? [ Related: Kendrick also tops our list of most underrated young actresses. ]
Rave reviews and more after the jump!
- - -
Rising Star award for Kendrick: This award is actually a 'precursor' to the Oscar buzz:
The 21st Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival (Psiff) will honor Anna Kendrick with the Rising Star...
- 10/23/2009
- by modelwatcher@gmail.com (Jed Medina)
- The Movie Fanatic
She's terrific in Rocket Science where she plays a student who is also the treacherous captain of the debating team. It was only a supporting role but she delivered quite a compelling performance. While moviegoers identify her as one of the cast of Twilight, Kendrick did quite a number of movies that speak volumes about her talent - two of them in particular has received raves for her performance - Up in the Air and Elsewhere.
- - -
- - - The former is the movie that might bring her an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress. But what are her chances of actually winning the Oscar? [ Related: Kendrick also tops our list of most underrated young actresses. ]
Rave reviews and more after the jump!
- - -
Rising Star award for Kendrick: This award is actually a 'precursor' to the Oscar buzz:
The 21st Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival (Psiff) will honor Anna Kendrick with the Rising Star...
- - -
- - - The former is the movie that might bring her an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress. But what are her chances of actually winning the Oscar? [ Related: Kendrick also tops our list of most underrated young actresses. ]
Rave reviews and more after the jump!
- - -
Rising Star award for Kendrick: This award is actually a 'precursor' to the Oscar buzz:
The 21st Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival (Psiff) will honor Anna Kendrick with the Rising Star...
- 10/23/2009
- by modelwatcher@gmail.com (Jed Medina)
- The Movie Fanatic
She's terrific in Rocket Science where she plays a student who is also the treacherous captain of the debating team. It was only a supporting role but she delivered quite a compelling performance. While moviegoers identify her as one of the cast of Twilight, Kendrick did quite a number of movies that speak volumes about her talent - two of them in particular has received raves for her performance - Up in the Air and Elsewhere.
- - -
- - - The former is the movie that might bring her an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress. But what are her chances of actually winning the Oscar? [ Related: Kendrick also tops our list of most underrated young actresses. ]
Rave reviews and more after the jump!
- - -
Rising Star award for Kendrick: This award is actually a 'precursor' to the Oscar buzz:
The 21st Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival (Psiff) will honor Anna Kendrick with the Rising Star...
- - -
- - - The former is the movie that might bring her an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress. But what are her chances of actually winning the Oscar? [ Related: Kendrick also tops our list of most underrated young actresses. ]
Rave reviews and more after the jump!
- - -
Rising Star award for Kendrick: This award is actually a 'precursor' to the Oscar buzz:
The 21st Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival (Psiff) will honor Anna Kendrick with the Rising Star...
- 10/23/2009
- by modelwatcher@gmail.com (Jed Medina)
- The Movie Fanatic
She's terrific in Rocket Science where she plays a student who is also the treacherous captain of the debating team. It was only a supporting role but she delivered quite a compelling performance. While moviegoers identify her as one of the cast of Twilight, Kendrick did quite a number of movies that speak volumes about her talent - two of them in particular has received raves for her performance - Up in the Air and Elsewhere.
- - -
- - - The former is the movie that might bring her an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress. But what are her chances of actually winning the Oscar? [ Related: Kendrick also tops our list of most underrated young actresses. ]
Rave reviews and more after the jump!
- - -
Rising Star award for Kendrick: This award is actually a 'precursor' to the Oscar buzz:
The 21st Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival (Psiff) will honor Anna Kendrick with the Rising Star...
- - -
- - - The former is the movie that might bring her an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress. But what are her chances of actually winning the Oscar? [ Related: Kendrick also tops our list of most underrated young actresses. ]
Rave reviews and more after the jump!
- - -
Rising Star award for Kendrick: This award is actually a 'precursor' to the Oscar buzz:
The 21st Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival (Psiff) will honor Anna Kendrick with the Rising Star...
- 10/23/2009
- by modelwatcher@gmail.com (Jed Medina)
- The Movie Fanatic
The 19th annual Palm Springs International Film Festival announced its complete 2008 lineup Tuesday, with a screening of the Audrey Tautou starrer Priceless set as the event's closing film.
In all, the Jan. 3-14 festival will screen 222 feature films from more than 66 countries, with 69 premieres and 55 screenings of official Oscar submissions for foreign-language film. The U.S. premiere of Before the Rains (USA/India) will be spotlighted during its World Cinema Now Gala.
Festival director Darryl Macdonald described the event as "more streamlined" than in years past. Last year, Palm Springs featured 254 films from 73 countries.
"The result is a richer and more focused event that maintains the festival's concentration on quality international programming while highlighting the diversity of its offerings in a more accessible, audience-friendly way," Macdonald said.
Helen Hunt's directorial debut, Then She Found Me, will be the fest's opening-night feature, and Atonement director Joe Wright will be honored with the Sonny Bono Visionary Award; other nods are set for Sean Penn as director of the year and Halle Berry as the recipient of the Desert Palm Achievement Award.
In all, the Jan. 3-14 festival will screen 222 feature films from more than 66 countries, with 69 premieres and 55 screenings of official Oscar submissions for foreign-language film. The U.S. premiere of Before the Rains (USA/India) will be spotlighted during its World Cinema Now Gala.
Festival director Darryl Macdonald described the event as "more streamlined" than in years past. Last year, Palm Springs featured 254 films from 73 countries.
"The result is a richer and more focused event that maintains the festival's concentration on quality international programming while highlighting the diversity of its offerings in a more accessible, audience-friendly way," Macdonald said.
Helen Hunt's directorial debut, Then She Found Me, will be the fest's opening-night feature, and Atonement director Joe Wright will be honored with the Sonny Bono Visionary Award; other nods are set for Sean Penn as director of the year and Halle Berry as the recipient of the Desert Palm Achievement Award.
- 12/19/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The Palm Springs International Film Festival (January 4-15), with a budget around $2.8 million, advertises itself as the fest “where star power and the cinema come together.” The order is significant. On opening weekend, this 18th edition and the fourth under director Darryl Macdonald hosted a meretricious gala at the Convention Center — replete with a video-clip homage to emcee Mary Hart of Entertainment Tonight — saluting the canonized talents of the past year. These shining lights feasted with, and courted from the stage, 1,800 high-rollers — good PR for the studios as awards season commenced. Among the honorees were Kate Winslet, Jessica Biel, and the entire cast of Babel (Brad, too), including Cate...
...
...
- 5/1/2007
- by Webmaster
- Filmmaker Magazine_Festival Coverage
The Palm Springs International Film Festival, which continues to expand its lineup, will launch Jan. 4 with John Jeffcoat's Outsourced, a romantic comedy set in India in which an American novelty-product salesman is sent to train his replacement. The 18th edition of the fest, which runs through Jan. 15, will screen a record-setting 254 films, representing 73 countries.
The schedule, which concludes with closing-night film The Tiger's Tail -- a thriller directed by John Boorman -- will include three world premieres, 47 U.S. premieres and 29 North American premieres.
One of the fest's calling cards is the attention it pays to the films that have been officially submitted to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for consideration for the foreign-language film Oscar, and this year, it will present 55 of the 61 films that have been entered in that category.
"The festival this year represents a heady blend of star power and cinematic excellence," festival director Darryl Macdonald said. "The film lineup is exceptionally potent and diverse, reflecting the emergence of vibrant new voices in unexpected corners of the world, even as it spotlights established masters like Paul Verhoeven, Lars von Trier and John Boorman."...
The schedule, which concludes with closing-night film The Tiger's Tail -- a thriller directed by John Boorman -- will include three world premieres, 47 U.S. premieres and 29 North American premieres.
One of the fest's calling cards is the attention it pays to the films that have been officially submitted to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for consideration for the foreign-language film Oscar, and this year, it will present 55 of the 61 films that have been entered in that category.
"The festival this year represents a heady blend of star power and cinematic excellence," festival director Darryl Macdonald said. "The film lineup is exceptionally potent and diverse, reflecting the emergence of vibrant new voices in unexpected corners of the world, even as it spotlights established masters like Paul Verhoeven, Lars von Trier and John Boorman."...
- 12/20/2006
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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