Director Steven Spielberg's The Post will open the 29th annual Palm Springs International Film Festival Jan. 4, while The Last Movie Star, directed by Adam Rifkin, will close the festival Jan. 14.
The festival will screen 180 films from 77 countries, including 39 premieres (4 World, 12 North American and 23 U.S.) from Jan. 2-15, 2018. The complete line-up including a focus on cinema from Argentina, Premieres, Talking Pictures, Books to Screen, Special Presentations, Awards Buzz, New Voices New Visions, Modern Masters, True Stories and more is available on the festival website, psfilmfest.org.
OPENING AND CLOSING SCREENINGS
The Post, a thrilling drama about the unlikely partnership of Katharine Graham (Meryl Streep), the first female publisher of The Washington Post, and its driven editor Ben Bradlee (Tom Hanks), as they race to catch up with The New York Times to expose a massive cover-up of government secrets that spanned three decades and four U.S. Presidents. The two must overcome their differences as they risk their careers — and their very freedom — to bring long-buried truths to light. The Post marks the first time Streep, Hanks and Spielberg have collaborated on a project. In addition to directing, Spielberg produces along with Amy Pascal and Kristie Macosko Krieger. The script was written by Liz Hannah and Josh Singer and features an acclaimed ensemble cast including Alison Brie, Carrie Coon, David Cross, Bruce Greenwood, Tracy Letts, Bob Odenkirk, Sarah Paulson, Jesse Plemons, Matthew Rhys, Michael Stuhlbarg, Bradley Whitford and Zach Woods.
The Last Movie Star casts Burt Reynolds as an aging screen icon who gets lured into accepting an award at a rinky-dink film festival in Nashville, launching him on both a hilarious fish-out-of-water adventure and an unexpectedly poignant journey into his past. The film also stars Ariel Winter, Chevy Chase, Clark Duke and Ellar Coltrane.
"I couldn't be happier with the selection of films this year,” said Artistic Director Michael Lerman. “In a program that includes all of the shortlisted Foreign Language Oscar nominees, a stellar New Voices New Visions selection, an embarrassment of riches from Argentina that demanded to be highlighted, and an incredible list of attending talent, there's plenty to get excited about."
PREMIERES
World premieres:
• Beyond the Opposite Sex (U.S.), Directors Emily Abt, Bruce Hensel
• Cover Versions (U.S.), Director Todd Berger with Katie Cassidy, Drake Bell, Austin Swift, Jerry Trainor and Debby Ryan
• Nostalgia (U.S.), Director Mark Pellington with John Hamm, Catherine Keener, Ellen Burstyn, Bruce Dern, Amber Tamblyn, Nick Offerman and Patton Oswalt
• On Borrowed Time (United Arab Emirates), Director Yasir Al Yasiri
North American premieres:
· Beyond the Clouds (India), Director Majid Majidi
· Finding Your Feet (UK), Director Richard Loncraine
· The Gold Seekers (Paraguay), Directors Juan Carlos Maneglia, Tana Schémbori
· Happy Birthday (Greece/France/Cyprus/Germany), Director Christos Georgiou
· Holy Camp (Spain), Director Javier Ambrossi, Javier Calvo
· A Letter to the President (Afghanistan), Director Roya Sadat
· Love and Shukla (India), Director Siddartha Jatla
· Maze (Ireland/UK/Sweden/Germany), Director Stephen Burke
· Rey's Education (Argentina/Spain), Director Santiago Esteves
· Silk Road (Netherlands), Director Mark de Cloe
· Stealing Rodin (Chile/France), Director Cristóbal Valenzuela Berríos
· The Train of Salt and Sugar (Mozambique/Brazil/Portugal), Director Licínio Azevedo
U.S. premieres:
· Allure (Canada), Directors Carlos Sanchez, Jason Sanchez with Evan Rachel Wood and Denis O’Hare
· Angels Wear White (China/France), Director Vivian Qu
· Barefoot (Czech Republic/Slovak Republic/Denmark), Director Jan Svěrák
· Directions (Bulgaria/Germany/Macedonia), Director Stephan Komandarev
· Eye on Juliet (Canada/France/Morocco), Director Kim Nguyen
· The Future Ahead (Argentina), Director Constanza Novick
· The Gospel According to André (U.S.), Director Kate Novack
· Guilty Men (Colombia), Director Iván D. Gaona
· The House by the Sea (France), Director Robert Guédiguian
· The Journey (Iraq/UK/France/Qatar/Netherlands), Director Mohamed Al-Daradji
· Jupiter’s Moon (Hungary/Germany), Director Kornél Mundruczó
· Longing (Israel), Director Savi Gabizon
· Makala (France), Director Emmanuel Gras
· The Motive (Spain/Mexico), Director Manuel Martín Cuenca
· My Days of Mercy (U.S./UK), Director Tali Shalom-Ezer
· The Prime Minister (Belgium), Director Erik Van Looy
· The Royal Hibiscus Hotel (Nigeria), Director Ishaya Bako
· So Help Me God (Belgium/France), Directors Jean Libon, Yves Hinant
· The Space Between (Australia/Italy), Director Ruth Borgobello
· Suleiman Mountain (Kyrgyzstan/Russia), Director Elizaveta Stishova
· The Summit (Argentina/Spain/France), Director Santiago Mitre
· The Third Murder (Japan) Director Hirokazu Kore-eda
· Three Peaks (Germany/Italy), Director Jan Zabeil
TALKING PICTURES
The Talking Pictures program includes in-depth discussions with directors, writers and actors from the year’s top titles. The following films are selected for this year’s program with guests attending are:
· BPM (Beats Per Minute) with director Robin Campillo
· Darkest Hour with actor Gary Oldman
· An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power with subject Al Gore and directors Bonnie Cohen and John Shenk
· The Square with director Ruben Östlund
· Stronger with actress Tatiana Maslany
· Thelma with director Joachim Trier
· Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri with actor Sam Rockwell
BOOKS TO SCREEN
Books to Screen which are talks tackling the particular challenges of transforming the written word to the silver screen.
· Call Me by Your Name, guests TBD
· The Disaster Artist with screenwriters Michael H. Weber and Scott Neustadter and author Greg Sestero
· Last Flag Flying with author Darryl Ponicsan
· The Lost City of Z with director/writer James Gray
SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS
· In the Fade with director Fatih Akin and actress Diane Kruger
· Nostalgia with director Mark Pellington and actor Jon Hamm
· Phantom Thread with director Paul Thomas Anderson
· The Polka King with director/co-writer Maya Forbes and actors Jack Black, Jenny Slate and Jacki Weaver
AWARDS BUZZ
The Awards Buzz section is selected by Festival programmers as the strongest entries in this year’s Academy Awards® race and will screen 45 of the 92 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 following 45 films are selected to screen (in alphabetical order by country):
· A Letter to the President (Afghanistan), Director Roya Sadat
· Zama (Argentina), Director Lucrecia Martel
· Yeva (Armenia), Director Anahid Abad
· The Space Between (Australia), Director Ruth Borgobello
· Happy End (Austria), Director Michael Haneke
· Racer and the Jailbird (Belgium), Director Michaël R. Roskam
· Men Don’t Cry (Bosnia), Director Alen Drljevic
· First They Killed My Father (Cambodia), Director Angelina Jolie
· Hochelaga, Land of Souls (Canada), Director François Girard
· A Fantastic Woman (Chile), Director Sebastián Lelio
· Guilty Men (Colombia), Director Iván D. Gaona
· Ice Mother (Czech Republic), Director Bohdan Sláma
· You Disappear (Denmark), Director Peter Schønau Fog
· Woodpeckers (Dominican Republic), Director José María Cabral
· Tom of Finland (Finland), Director Dome Karukoski
· BPM (Beats Per Minute) (France), Director Robin Campillo
· In the Fade (Germany), Director Fatih Akin
· Amerika Square (Greece), Director Yannis Sakaridis
· On Body and Soul (Hungary), Director Ildikó Enyedi
· Under the Tree (Iceland), Director Hafsteinn Gunnar Sigurðsson
· Newton (India), Director Amit V Masurkar
· Foxtrot (Israel), Director Samuel Maoz
· A Ciambra (Italy), Director Jonas Carpignano
· Her Love Boils Bathwater (Japan), Director Ryôta Nakano
· The Insult (Lebanon), Director Ziad Doueiri
· Barrage (Luxembourg), Director Laura Schroeder
· Tempestad (Mexico), Director Tatiana Huezo
· The Train of Salt and Sugar (Mozambique), Director Licínio Azevedo
· One Thousand Ropes (New Zealand), Director Tusi Tamasese
· Thelma (Norway), Director Joachim Trier
· Wajib (Palestine), Director Annemarie Jacir
· The Gold Seekers (Paraguay), Director Juan Carlos Maneglia, Tana Schémbori
· Birdshot (Philippines), Director Mikhail Red
· Spoor (Poland), Director Agnieszka Holland
· Loveless (Russia), Director Andrey Zvyagintsev
· Félicité (Senegal), Director Alain Gomis
· Pop Aye (Singapore), Director Kirsten Tan
· The Line (Slovak Republic), Director Peter Bebjak
· The Miner (Slovenia), Director Hanna Slak
· The Wound (South Africa), Director John Trengove
· A Taxi Driver (South Korea), Director Jang Hoon
· Summer 1993 (Spain), Director Carla Simón
· The Square (Sweden), Director Ruben Östlund
· The Divine Order (Switzerland), Director Petra Volpe
· Ayla - The Daughter of War (Turkey), Director Can Ulkay
CINE LATINO
The festival will showcase some of this year’s best Ibero-American films eligible for the Cine Latino Award. The festival’s country focus this year is on Argentina, offering a selection of contemporary films from a perennial powerhouse of Spanish-language cinema, playing in the Focus on Argentina section of the festival. The films eligible for the Cine Latino Award include:
· April’s Daughter (Mexico), Director Michel Franco
· Constructing Albert (Spain/Estonia), Directors Laura Collado, Jim Loomis (also in competition for the Schlesinger Award)
· The Desert Bride (Argentina/Chile), Directors Cecilia Atán, Valeria Pivato
· A Fantastic Woman (Chile, Germany, Spain, US), Director Sebastián Lelio
· The Future Ahead (Argentina), Director Constanza Novick
· The Gold Seekers (Paraguay), Directors Juan Carlos Maneglia, Tana Schémbori
· Good Manners (Brazil/France), Directors Juliana Rojas, Marco Dutra
· Guilty Men (Columbia), Director Iván D. Gaona
· Holy Camp (Spain), Directors Javier Ambrossi, Javier Calvo
· Hunting Season (Argentina/US/Germany/France/Qatar), Director Natalia Garagiola
· Killing Jesús (Colombia/Argentina), Director Laura Mora
· Lots of Kids, a Monkey and a Castle (Spain), Director Gustavo Salmerón
· The Motive (Spain/Mexico), Director Manuel Martín Cuenca
· Rey's Education (Argentina/Spain), Director Santiago Esteves
· A Sort of Family (Argentina/Brazil/France/Poland), Director Diego Lerman
· Stealing Rodin (Chile/France), Director Cristóbal Valenzuela Berríos
· Summer 1993 (Spain), Director Carla Simón
· The Summit (Argentina/Spain/France), Director Santiago Mitre
· Tempestad (Mexico), Director Tatiana Huezo
· Two Irenes (Brazil), Director Fabio Meira
· Vazante (Brazil/Portugal), Director Daniela Thomas
· Veronica (Spain), Director Paco Plaza
· Woodpeckers (Dominican Republic), Director José María Cabral
· Zama (Argentina/Spain/France), Director Lucrecia Martel
MODERN MASTERS
The Modern Masters section features seven films from international directors who set the standards for contemporary cinema. Films selected for this year include:
· The Brawler (India), Director Anurag Kashyap
· Happy End (Austria/France/Germany), Director Michael Haneke
· Let the Sunshine In (France), Director Claire Denis
· Spoor (Poland/Germany/Czech Republic/Sweden/Slovak Republic), Director Agnieszka Holland
· The Third Murder (Japan), Director Hirokazu Kore-eda
· The Workshop (France), Director Laurent Cantet
· Youth (China), Director Feng Xiaogang
NEW VOICES NEW VISIONS
The New Voices New Visions competition showcases ten films from emerging international directors bringing their first or second narrative features to the Festival. The winner is selected by a jury of festival programmers and U.S. distributors. Films selected for this year include:
· Angels Wear White (China/France), Director Vivian Qu
· Ava (France), Director Léa Mysius
· The Charmer (Denmark), Director Milad Alami
· The Gold Seekers (Paraguay), Directors Juan Carlos Maneglia, Tana Schémbori
· Killing Jesús (Colombia/Argentina), Director Laura Mora
· Mobile Homes (Canada/France), Director Vladimir de Fontenay
· No Date, No Signature (Iran), Director Vahid Jalilvand
· On Borrowed Time (United Arab Emirates), Director Yasir Al Yasiri
· One Thousand Ropes (New Zealand), Director Tusi Tamasese
· Suleiman Mountain (Kyrgyzstan/Russia), Director Elizaveta Stishova
· Thoroughbreds (U.S.), Director Cory Finley
· Three Peaks (Germany/Italy), Director Jan Zabeil
TRUE STORIES
There’s a film for every interest in True Stories, featuring documentaries on a broad range of topics including music, sports, fashion and Hollywood.
· Beyond the Opposite Sex (U.S.), Directors Emily Abt, Bruce Hensel
· Brimstone & Glory (U.S./Mexico), Director Viktor Jakovleski (also in competition for the Schlesinger Award)
· The Cage Fighter (U.S.), Director Jeff Unay (also in competition for the Schlesinger Award)
· The China Hustle (U.S.), Director Jed Rothstein
· Itzhak (U.S./Israel), Director Alison Chernick
· Jane (U.S.), Director Brett Morgen
· Liyana (Swaziland/U.S./Qatar), Directors Aaron Kopp, Amanda Kopp (also in competition for the Schlesinger Award)
· Lots of Kids, a Monkey and a Castle (Spain), Director Gustavo Salmerón (also in competition for the Schlesinger Award)
· Love, Cecil (U.S.), Directors Lisa Immordino Vreeland (also in competition for the Schlesinger Award)
· Love Means Zero (U.S.), Director Jason Kohn (also in competition for the Schlesinger Award)
· Makala (France), Director Emmanuel Gras
· Mankiller (U.S.), Director Valerie Red-Horse Mohl (also in competition for the Schlesinger Award)
· Mr. Fish: Cartooning from the Deep End (US), Director Pablo Bryant
· Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked the World (Canada), Directors Catherine Bainbridge, Alfonso Maiorana
· Sammy Davis, Jr.: I’ve Gotta Be Me (U.S.), Director Sam Pollard
· Skid Row Marathon (U.S.), Director Mark Hayes
· So Help Me God (Belgium/France), Director Jean Libon, Yves Hinant (also in competition for the Schlesinger Award)
· Stealing Rodin (Chile/France), Director Cristóbal Valenzuela Berríos
· Stumped (U.S.), Director Robin Berghaus
· This is Congo (Democratic Republic of Congo/U.S./Canada/Qatar), Director Daniel McCabe
· The Workers Cup (UK), Director Adam Sobel (also in competition for the Schlesinger Award)
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 Bodied (US), directed by Joseph Kahn; Custody (France), directed by Xavier Legrand; and Foxtrot (Israel/Germany/France/Switzerland) directed by Samuel Maoz.
· The festival’s first Gay!La His screening will be the U.S. premiere of the documentary The Gospel According to André (U.S.), directed by Kate Novack and featuring André Leon Talley, Anna Wintour, Marc Jacobs, Whoopi Goldberg, Tom Ford, Bethann Hardison, Diane von Furstenberg, Manolo Blahnik and Tamron Hall. There will be an additional Gay!La His screening of Scotty and The Secret History of Hollywood (U.S.) directed by Matt Trynauer. The Gay!La Hers screening will be the U.S. premiere of My Days of Mercy (U.S./UK), directed by Tali Shalom-Ezer and starring Ellen Page and Kate Mara.
• The World Premiere of Cover Versions 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. The two films in the program are Constructing Albert (Spain/Estonia), directed by Laura Collado and Jim Loomis, and The Cakemaker (Israel/Germany), directed by Ofir Raul Grazier.
• The World Cinema Now section of the festival, which offers a variety of perspectives and styles from the best in international cinema, includes titles such as:
Borg vs. McEnroe (Sweden/Denmark/Finland), directed by Janus Metz and starring Shia LaBeouf, and Stellan Skarsgård
Finding Your Feet (UK) directed by Richard Loncraine and starring Imelda Staunton, Timothy Spall and David Hayman
I Am Not a Witch (UK/France), directed by Rungano Nyoni and starring Juliette Grandmont and Emily Morgan
I, Tonya (U.S.), directed by Craig Gillespie and starring Margot Robbie, Sebastian Stan and Allison Janney
Lean on Pete (U.S./UK), directed by Andrew Haigh and starring Charlie Plummer, Steve Buscemi, Chloë Sevigny and Travis Fimmel
Sweet Country (Australia), directed by Warwick Thornton and starring Greer Simpkin and David Jowsey
The Leisure Seeker (Italy/France), directed by Paolo Virzì and starring Helen Mirren and Donald Sutherland.
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