The 30th annual Palm Springs International Film Festival will screen All is True directed by Kenneth Branagh to open the festival Jan. 4. The festival will close with Ladies in Black, directed by Bruce Beresford Jan. 13.
More than 200 films from 78 countries will screen during the 11-day festival, including 48 premieres (4 World, 13 North American and 31 U.S.). The line-up includes a focus on cinema from France, India and Mexico, Premieres, Talking Pictures, Book to Screen, Special Presentations, FLOS: Foreign Language Oscar Submissions, Gay!La, Local Spotlight, Modern Masters, True Stories, World Cinema Now, a 30-film retrospective of selections from past festivals (free screenings sponsored by Desert Care Network and National Endowment for the Arts), and more.
Juried awards for films in-competition will be presented at the Awards Brunch Jan. 12 for five categories, including New Voices New Visions Award for unique viewpoints from first- and second-time directors; Schlesinger Documentary Award for first or second time documentary filmmakers; CV Cine Award for the best Ibero-American film; and the FIPRESCI Prize for films in the Foreign Language Oscar Submissions program.
This year, the festival will also have a new honor, the Ricky Jay Magic of Cinema Award, named for actor and magician Ricky Jay and in honor of a film made by a master filmmaker that exemplifies a pioneering spirit in furthering the language of storytelling and the magic of cinema. Like much of the work Jay was associated with, the films in consideration for this award exemplify this spirit and continue to remind us of the dream that is storytelling on the silver screen.
OPENING AND CLOSING SCREENINGS
PSIFF will open with All is True Jan. 4. Branagh, Judi Dench, and Ian McKellen star in Branagh’s intimate, revelatory portrait of William Shakespeare in the last act of his life. His career over, he returns to his home in Stratford-upon-Avon to encounter old ghosts, old loves, and his resentful family. Branagh is expected to attend.
The festival will close with Ladies in Black Jan. 13. Set in Sydney in 1959, Oscar-nominated writer/director Beresford takes us back to the heyday of glamorous upscale department stores, when a concierge met you at the door and clerks wore gloves. The film from Lumila Films stars Julia Ormond, Angourie Rice, Rachael Taylor, Ryan Corr, Shane Jacobson and Alison McGirr. Beresford, Ormond, Taylor and McGirr are expected to attend.
PREMIERES
World premieres:
• Buck Run (USA), director Nick Frangione
• Carlos Almaraz Playing With Fire (USA), directors Elsa Flores Almaraz, Richard Montoya(Schlesinger Documentary Competition)
• The Last Color (India), director Vikas Khanna
• Walk to Vegas (USA), director Eric Balfour
North American premieres:
· Ayka (Kazakhstan/Russia/Germany/Poland/China), director Sergey Dvortsevoy
· Don’t Shoot (Belgium/The Netherlands), director Stijn Coninx
· Hamid (India), director Aijaz Khan
· His Lost Name (Japan), director Nanako Hirose
· Ladies in Black (Australia), director Bruce Beresford
· Namdev Bhau In Search of Silence (India/Ukraine), director Dar Gai
· The Song of the Tree (Kyrgyzstan/Russia), director Aibek Daiyrbekov
· The Tobacconist (Austria/Germany), director Nikolaus Leytner
· Urgent (Morocco/Switzerland), director Mohcine Besri
· We Are the Heat (Colombia), director Jorge Navas (CV Cine Competition)
· Yuli (Spain/Cuba/UK/Germany), director Iciar Bollain (CV Cine Competition)
U.S. premieres:
• Arctic (USA), director Joe Penna
• Botero (Canada/China/Colombia/France/Italy/Monaco/USA), director Don Millar (Schlesinger Documentary Competition)
• Cities of Last Things (Taiwan/China/USA/France), director Ho Wi Ding (Ricky Jay Magic of Cinema Competition)
• Cold Sweat (Iran), director Soheil Beiraghi
• Donbass (Ukraine/Ukraine/France/Netherlands/Romania), director Sergey Loznitsa
• EXT. Night (Egypt/United Arab Emirates), director Ahmad Abdalla
• The Factory (France/Russia/Armenia), director Yury Bykov
• Giant Little Ones (Canada), director Keith Behrman
• The Grizzlies (Canada), director Miranda de Pencier
• Happy New Year, Colin Burstead. (UK), director Ben Wheatley
• Hidden Man (China), director Jiang Wen
• Jirga (Australia/Afghanistan), director Benjamin Gilmour
• Keep Going (Belgium/France), director Joachim Lafosse
• Kursk (Belgium/Luxembourg), director Thomas Vinterberg
• Legend of the Demon Cat (China/Japan), director Kaige Chen
• The Little Comrade (Estonia), director Moonika Siimets
• Mademoiselle de Joncquières (France), director Emmanuel Mouret
• The Man Who Feels No Pain (India), director Vasan Bala
• Mouthpiece (Canada), director Patricia Rozema
• One Last Deal (Finland), director Klaus Härö
• Orange Days (Iran), director Arash Lahooti
• Papi Chulo (Ireland), director J ohn Butler
• Perfectos Desconocidos (Perfect Strangers) (Mexico), director Manolo Caro (CV Cine Competition)
• The Purity of Vengeance (Denmark/Germany), director Christoffer Boe
• The Quietude (Argentina), director Pablo Trapero (CV Cine Competition)
• The Resistance Banker (Netherlands), director Joram Lürsen
• Saf (Turkey), director Ali Vatansever (New Voices New Visions Competition)
• Sew the Winter to My Skin (South Africa/Germany), director Jahmil X.T. Qubeka
• Shéhérazade (France), director Jean-Bernard Marlin (New Voices New Visions Competition)
• Shut Up and Play the Piano (Germany/France/UK), director Philipp Jedicke
• Vita & Virginia (UK/Ireland), director C hanya Button
• The Wedding Guest (UK), director Michael Winterbottom (Ricky Jay Magic of Cinema Competition)
TALKING PICTURES & BOOK TO SCREEN
The Talking Pictures program includes in-depth discussions with directors, writers and actors from the year’s top titles. The following films selected for this year’s program with guests attending are:
· BlacKkKlansman (USA) with author Ron Stallworth (Book to Screen)
· Bohemian Rhapsody (USA) with actor Rami Malek
· Border (Sweden/Denmark) with director Ali Abbasi
· Can You Ever Forgive Me? (USA) with actor Richard E. Grant
· If Beale Street Could Talk (USA) with writer/director Barry Jenkins and actress Regina King
· The Public (USA) with writer/director/actor Emilio Estevez (in partnership with Palm Springs Speaks: A Speaker Series)
· Roma (Mexico/USA) with director Alfonso Cuarón (CV Cine Competition)
· Shoplifters (Japan) with director Hirokazu Koreeda
· Support The Girls (USA) with actress Regina Hall
· The Wife (USA) with actress Glenn Close
· Won't You Be My Neighbor? (USA) with director Morgan Neville
FLOS: FOREIGN LANGUAGE OSCAR SUBMISSIONS
This section is selected by Festival programmers as the strongest entries in this year’s Academy Awards race and will screen 43 of the 87 official submissions in the Best Foreign Language Film category. A special jury of international film critics will review these films to present the FIPRESCI Award for Best Foreign Language Film of the Year, as well as Best Actor and Best Actress in this category.
• The Angel (Argentina), director Luis Ortega (CV Cine Competition)
• Ayka (Kazakhstan), director Sergey Dvortsevoy
• Birds of Passage (Colombia), directors Cristina Gallego, Ciro Guerra (CV Cine, Ricky Jay Magic of Cinema Competition)
• Border (Sweden) with director Ali Abbasi
• Buffalo Boys (Singapore), director Mike Wiluan
• Burning (South Korea), director Lee Chang-Dong (Ricky Jay Magic of Cinema Competition)
• Cake (Pakistan), director Asim Abbasi
• Capernaum (Lebanon), director Nadine Labaki
• Champions (Spain), director Javier Fesser (CV Cine Competition)
• Cold War (Poland), director Pawel Pawlikowski (Ricky Jay Magic of Cinema Competition)
• Dogman (Italy), director Matteo Garrone (Ricky Jay Magic of Cinema Competition)
• Donbass (Ukraine), director Sergey Loznitsa
• Eldorado (Switzerland), director Markus Imhoof
• Euthanizer (Finland), director Teemu Nikki
• Family First (Canada), director Sophie Dupuis
• Girl (Belgium), director Lukas Dhont
• The Guilty (Denmark), director Gustav Möller
• The Heiresses (Paraguay), director Marcelo Martinessi (CV Cine Competition)
• Hidden Man (China), director Jiang Wen
• I Do Not Care if We Go Down in History as Barbarians (Romania), director Radu Jude
• The Interpreter (Slovak Republic), director Martin Šulík
• Jirga (Australia), director Benjamin Gilmour
• Memoir of War (France), director Emmanuel Finkiel
• Namme (Georgia), director Zaza Khalvashi
• Never Look Away (Germany), director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
• The Resistance Banker (Netherlands), director Joram Lursen
• Roma (Mexico) with director Alfonso Cuarón (CV Cine Competition)
• Ruben Blades Is Not My Name (Panama), director Abner Benaim (CV Cine Competition)
• Secret Ingredient (Macedonia), director Gjorce Stavreski
• Sew the Winter to My Skin (South Africa), director Jahmil X.T. Qubeka
• Shoplifters (Japan) with director Hirokazu Koreeda
• Sunset (Hungary), director László Nemes
• Supa Modo (Kenya), director Likarion Wainaina
• Take It Or Leave It (Estonia), Director Liina Triškina-Vanhatalo
• A Twelve-Year-Night (Uruguay), director Alvaro Brechner (CV Cine Competition)
• Village Rockstars (India), director Rima Das
• The Waldheim Waltz (Austria), director Ruth Beckermann
• The Wedding Ring (Nigeria), director Rahmatou Keïta
• What Will People Say (Norway), director Iram Haq
• Winter Flies (Czech Republic), director Olmo Omerzu
• Woman at War (Iceland), director Benedikt Erlingsson
• Yellow Is Forbidden (New Zealand), director Pietra Brettkelly
• Yomeddine (Egypt), director A.B. Shawky
FOCUS ON FRANCE
New treats from the birthplace of cinema.
• Knife+Heart (France/Mexico/Switzerland), director Yann Gonzalez
• Mademoiselle de Joncquières (France), director Emmanuel Mouret
• Shéhérazade (France), director Jean-Bernard Marlin (New Voices New Visions Competition)
• Sofia (France/Qatar), director Meryem Benm'Barek (New Voices New Visions Competition)
• Treat Me Like Fire (France), director Marie Monge
• The Trouble With You (France), director Pierre Salvadori
• Wild (France), director Camille Vidal-Naquet
FOCUS ON INDIA
Peering into the world’s largest film industry.
• Husband Material (India), director Anurag Kashyap
• The Imposter Prince (India), director Srijit Mukherji
• The Last Color (India), director Vikas Khanna
• The Man Who Feels No Pain (India), director Vasan Bala
• Namdev Bhau In Search of Silence (India/Ukraine), director Dar Gai
FOCUS ON MEXICO
¡Viva el cine!
• Buy Me A Gun (Mexico), director Julio Hernández Cordón (CV Cine Competition)
• The Chambermaid (Mexico/USA), director Lila Avilés (New Voices New Visions, CV Cine Competition)
• The Good Girls (Mexico), director Alejandra Márquez Abella (CV Cine, Ricky Jay Magic of Cinema Competition)
• Museo (Mexico), director Alonso Ruizpalacios (CV Cine Competition)
• Perfectos Desconocidos (Perfect Strangers) (Mexico), director Manolo Caro (CV Cine Competition)
MODERN MASTERS
New films, classic auteurs.
• Ash Is Purest White (China/France), director Jia Zhangke (Ricky Jay Magic of Cinema Competition)
• Destroyer (USA), director Karyn Kusama
• Everybody Knows (France/Spain/Italy), director Asghar Farhadi
• Happy New Year, Colin Burstead (UK), director Ben Wheatley
• Keep Going (Belgium/France), director Joachim Lafosse
• Kursk (Belgium/Luxembourg), director Thomas Vinterberg
• Legend of the Demon Cat (China/Japan), director Kaige Chen
• Mouthpiece (Canada), director Patricia Rozema
• Non-Fiction (France), director Olivier Assayas
• Shadow (China), director Z hang Yimou
• Transit (Germany/France), director Christian Petzold (Ricky Jay Magic of Cinema Competition)
• The Wedding Guest (UK), director Michael Winterbottom (Ricky Jay Magic of Cinema Competition)
THE PALM SPRINGS CANON
Opening the vaults on 30 years of great PSIFF movies.
• Amélie (France/Germany), director Jean-Pierre Jeunet
• The Band's Visit (Israel), director Eran Kolirin
• The Boys of St. Vincent (Canada), director John N. Smith
• Caché (Austria), director Michael Haneke
• Character (Netherlands/Belgium), director Mike van Diem
• Chocolat (UK/USA), director Lasse Hallström
• Cinema Paradiso (Italy/France), director Giuseppe Tornatore
• City of God (Brazil/France), director Fernando Meirelles
• Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (Taiwan/Hong Kong/USA/China), director Ang Lee
• Day Night Day Night (USA), director Julia Loktev
• The Double Life of Veronique (France/Poland/Norway), director Krzysztof Kieslowski
• For All Mankind (USA), director Al Reinert
• Golden Door (Italy/France/Argentina), director Emanuele Crialese
• Goodbye Solo (USA), director Ramin Bahrani
• Head-On (Germany/Turkey), director Fatih Akin
• The Holy Girl (Argentina/Italy/Netherlands/Spain), director Lucrecia Martel
• Hunger (Ireland/UK), director Steve McQueen
• Ida (Poland/Denmark/France/UK), director Pawel Pawlikowski
• Memento (USA), director Christopher Nolan
• Monsoon Wedding (India), director Mira Nair
• Nobody Knows (Japan), director Hirokazu Kore-eda
• The Orphanage (Spain), director J.A. Bayona
• Raise the Red Lantern (China/Hong Kong, Taiwan), director Zhang Yimou
• A Separation (Iran), director Asghar Farhadi
• Shaolin Soccer (Hong Kong/China), director Stephen Chow
• Sound of Noise (Sweden/France), directors Ola Simonsson, Johannes Stjarne Nilsson
• Strictly Ballroom (Australia), director Baz Luhrmann
• Tears of the Black Tiger (Thailand), director Wisit Sasanatieng
• The Triplets of Belleville (Belgium/Canada), director Sylvain Chomet
• Wild Tales (Argentina/Spain), director Damián Szifron
TRUE STORIES
Non-fiction filmmaking at its most urgent and illuminating.
• 306 Hollywood (USA/Hungary), directors Elan Bogarín, Jonathan Bogarín
• Amazing Grace (USA), director Sydney Pollack
• Bathtubs Over Broadway (USA), director Dava Whisenant (Schlesinger Documentary Competition)
• Bethany Hamilton: Unstoppable (USA/Indonesia/Fiji/Costa Rica/El Salvador/Tahiti), director Aaron Lieber
• The Biggest Little Farm (USA), director John Chester (Schlesinger Documentary Competition)
• Blue Note Records: Beyond the Notes (Switzerland/USA), director Sophie Huber (Schlesinger Documentary Competition)
• Botero (Canada/China/Colombia/France/Italy/Monaco/USA), director Don Millar (Schlesinger Documentary Competition)
• Carlos Almaraz Playing With Fire (USA), directors Elsa Flores Almaraz, Richard Montoya (Schlesinger Documentary Competition)
• The Devil We Know (USA), director Stephanie Soechtig
• Don't Be Nice (USA), director Max Powers (Schlesinger Documentary Competition)
• Garry Winogrand: All Things Are Photographable (USA), director Sasha Waters Freyer
• General Magic (UK/USA), directors Sarah Kerruish, Matt Maude (Schlesinger Documentary Competition)
• Ghost Fleet (USA), directors Shannon Service, Jeffrey Waldron (Schlesinger Documentary Competition)
• Home + Away (USA), director Matt Ogens
• Inventing Tomorrow (USA), director Laura Nix
• Kaye Ballard - the Show Goes On! (USA), director Dan Wingate
• The Land of High Mountains (USA/Haiti), director Will Agee
• The Proposal (USA), director Jill Magid
• Screwball (USA), director Billy Corben
• Sharkwater Extinction (Canada/Bahamas, Colombia, Costa Rica, USA), director Rob Stewart
• Shirkers (USA), director Sandi Tan (Schlesinger Documentary Competition)
• Shut Up and Play the Piano (Germany/France/UK), director Philipp Jedicke
• What She Said: The Art of Pauline Kael (USA), director Rob Garver
NEW JEWISH STORIES
Contemporary Jewish cinema at its finest.
• The Accountant of Auschwitz (Canada), director Matthew Shoychet (Schlesinger Documentary Competition)
• City of Joel (USA), director Jesse Sweet (Schlesinger Documentary Competition)
• The Other Story (Israel), director Avi Nesher
• Redemption (Israel), directors Boaz Yehonatan Yacov, Joseph Madmony
• Stockholm (Israel), director Daniel Syrkin
• The Tobacconist (Austria/Germany), director Nikolaus Leytner
• To Dust (USA), director Shawn Snyder
• Toman (Czech Republic/Slovakia), director Ondrej Trojan
• Who Will Write Our History (USA/Poland), director Roberta Grossman
• Working Woman (Israel), director M ichal Aviad
QUEER CINEMA TODAY & THE GAY!LA
Poignant, heartfelt and insightful stories from the LGBTQ community.
• Anchor and Hope (Spain), director Carlos Marques-Marcet (CV Cine Competition)
• Carmen & Lola (Spain), director Arantxa Echevarria (CV Cine Competition)
• Diamantino (Portugal/France/Brazil), directors Gabriel Abrantes, Daniel Schmidt (New Voices New Visions, CV Cine Competition)
• Eva + Candela (Colombia), director Ruth Caudeli (CV Cine Competition)
• Giant Little Ones (Canada), director Keith Behrman
• Hard Paint (Brazil), directors Filipe Matzembacher, Marcio Reolon (CV Cine Competition)
• The Ice King (UK), director James Erskine
• L'Animale (Austria), director Katharina Mueckstein (New Voices New Visions Competition)
• Light in the Water (USA), director Lis Bartlett
• Making Montgomery Clift (USA), directors Robert A. Clift, Hillary Demmon (Gay!La Spotlight Presentation)
• Papi Chulo (Ireland), director John Butler
• Rafiki (Kenya/South Africa/Germany/Netherlands/France/Norway/Lebanon), director Wanuri Kahiu (Gay!La Spotlight Presentation)
• Riot (Australia), director Jeffrey Walker
• Socrates (Brazil), director Alex Moratto (CV Cine Competition)
• Vita & Virginia (UK/Ireland), director C hanya Button
WORLD CINEMA NOW
Travel the world without leaving your seat.
• Arctic (USA), director Joe Penna, starring Mads Mikkelsen
• Asako I & II (Japan), director Ryūsuke Hamaguchi
• Becoming Astrid (Sweden/Denmark), director Pernille Fischer Christensen
• Bel Canto (USA), director Paul Weitz, starring Julianne Moore, Ken Watanabe
• Buck Run (USA), director Nick Frangione
• Butterflies (Turkey), director Tolga Karaçelik (New Voices New Visions Competition)
• Cities of Last Things (Taiwan/China/USA/France), director Ho Wi Ding (Ricky Jay Magic of Cinema Competition)
• Cold Sweat (Iran), director Soheil Beiraghi
• Core of the World (Russia), director Natalia Meschaninova
• Daughter of Mine (Italy/Germany/Switzerland), director Laura Bispuri
• Dead Pigs (China), director Cathy Yan (Ricky Jay Magic of Cinema Competition)
• Diane (USA), director Kent Jones
• Don’t Shoot (Belgium/Netherlands), director Stijn Coninx
• Dragged Across Concrete (USA), director S. Craig Zahler, starring Mel Gibson, Vince Vaughn
• Dukla 61, (Czech Republic) director David Ondricek
• El Chicano (USA), director Ben Hernandez Bray, starring Raul Castillo, George Lopez, Aimee Garcia
• The Etruscan Smile (Switzerland/USA/UK), directors Mihal Brezis, Oded Binnun, starring Brian Cox, Thora Birch, Rosanna Arquette, JJ Field
• EXT. Night (Egypt/United Arab Emirates), director Ahmad Abdalla
• The Extraordinary Journey of Celeste García (Cuba/Germany), director Arturo Infante (CV Cine Competition)
• The Factory (France/Russia/Armenia), director Yury Bykov
• Fast Color (USA), director Julia Hart, starring Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Lorraine Toussaint (New Voices New Visions Competition)
• Fig Tree (Israel/Ethiopia), director Aäläm-Wärqe Davidian
• The Fireflies Are Gone (Canada), director Sébastien Pilote
• The Grizzlies (Canada), director Miranda de Pencier
• Hamid (India), director Aijaz Khan
• His Lost Name (Japan), director Nanako Hirose
• Hotel Mumbai (Australia), director Anthony Maras, starring Armie Hammer, Dev Patel, Jason Isaacs
• Leto (Russia/France), director Kirill Serebrennikov
• The Little Comrade (Estonia), director Moonika Siimets
• Long Day's Journey Into Night (China/France), director Bi Gan (Ricky Jay Magic of Cinema Competition)
• Look at Me (Tunisia/France/Qatar), director N ejib Belkadhi
• Miriam Lies (Dominican Republic/Spain), directors Natalia Cabral, Oriol Estrada (CV Cine Competition)
• Mothers’ Instinct (Belgium), director Olivier Masset-Depasse
• One Last Deal (Finland), director Klaus Härö
• Orange Days (Iran), director Arash Lahooti
• Our Struggles (Belgium/France), director Guillaume Senez
• The Parting Glass (USA), director Stephen Moyer, starring Anna Paquin, Denis O’Hare, Melissa Leo, Cynthia Nixon, Ed Asner, Rhys Ifans
• Prospect (USA), directors Chris Caldwell, Zeek Earl, starring Sophie Thatcher, Pedro Pascal, Jay Duplass (New Voices New Visions Competition)
• The Purity of Vengeance (Denmark/Germany), director Christoffer Boe
• The Quake, (Norway) director John Andreas Anderson
• The Quietude (Argentina), director Pablo Trapero, starring Edgar Ramirez (CV Cine Competition)
• Ray & Liz (UK), director Richard Billingham (New Voices New Visions)
• The Realm (Spain/France), director Rodrigo Sorogoyen (CV Cine Competition)
• Ruben Brandt, Collector (Hungary), director Milorad Krstic
• Saf (Turkey), director Ali Vatansever (New Voices New Visions Competition)
• Sibel (Turkey/France/Germany/Luxembourg), directors Çagla Zencirci, Guillaume Giovanetti
• Simple Wedding (USA), director Sara Zandieh
• Smuggling Hendrix (Cyprus/Germany/Greece), director Marios Piperides
• The Song of the Tree (Kyrgyzstan/Russia), director Aibek Daiyrbekov
• Stan & Ollie (UK), director Jon S. Baird, starring Steve Coogan, John C. Reilly
• The Standoff at Sparrow Creek (USA), director Henry Dunham, starring James Badge Dale (Ricky Jay Magic of Cinema Competition)
• Styx (Germany/Austria), director Wolfgang Fischer (New Voices New Visions Competition)
• There Is No Place Like Home (Italy), director Gabriele Muccino
• The Third Wife (Vietnam), director Ash Mayfair (New Voices New Visions Competition)
• The Upside (USA), director Neil Burger, starring Bryan Cranston, Kevin Hart, Nicole Kidman, Julianna Margulies
• Urgent (Morocco/Switzerland), director Mohcine Besri
• We Are the Heat (Colombia), director Jorge Navas (CV Cine Competition)
• Yuli (Spain/Cuba/UK/Germany), director Iciar Bollain (CV Cine Competition)
Additional programming for the festival includes:
• The festival will screen three of the films selected as part of Variety’s 10 Directors to Watch which include Border, directed by Ali Abbasi, The Good Girls, directed by Alejandra Márquez Abella and Museo, directed by Alonso Ruizpalacios.
• The World Premiere of Walk to Vegas will be part of the Local Spotlight program highlighting films from the Coachella Valley.
• The Dinner & A Movie section includes a dinner followed by the film’s screening.
◦ Chef Flynn (USA), director Cameron Yates
◦ Funke (USA), director Gabriel Taraboulsy
◦ Ramen Shop (Singapore/Japan/France), director Eric Khoo
◦ Uncrushable (USA), director Tyler Florence
The complete line-up is available at psfilmfest.org.