Two of Spanish-speaking cinema’s finest stars, Ricardo Darin and Javier Cámara, play lifelong friends reconnecting for a short visit under the shadow of terminal cancer in this wide and tender (and surprisingly funny) movie from Cesc Gay. Goya Winner: Best Film, Director, Actor, Supporting Actor, Screenplay, Goya Awards.
A German woman is told her unborn baby will probably have Down syndrome and must decide whether to abort the pregnancy in this moving drama. “A wrenchingly affecting picture.. an incredible, revealing performance from Jentsch (Sophie Scholl).” – Screen
A stand-alone Film Festival Store for the Palm Springs International Film Festival is featuring a complete collection of Film Festival Merchandise at Destination PSP. The Festival Store is now open and will be open every day through January 16.
The Festival Store is located in the Regal Cinema Courtyard Plaza, unit 16,
just down from the Regal Cinemas and across the courtyard from the
Festival Ticket and Information Center.
You can also shop online at Destination PSP by clicking HERE.
DREAM VACATION PALM SPRINGS
VACATION PALM SPRINGS “DREAM VACATION” WINNER WILL RECEIVE:
* A Four (4) night stay for up to 4 people in a luxury 3-bedroom Palm Springs vacation rental home during the 2018 Palm Springs International Film Festival. Winner will also receive the following:
* Opening -or- Closing Night Screening and Gala Reception – 4 Tickets
* Festival Screening Passes – 4 non-transferable passes, good for all regular screenings
A stand-alone Film Festival Store for the Palm Springs International Film Festival is featuring a complete collection of Film Festival Merchandise at Destination PSP. The Festival Store is now open and will be open every day through January 16.
The Festival Store is located in the Regal Cinema Courtyard Plaza, unit 16,
just down from the Regal Cinemas and across the courtyard from the
Festival Ticket and Information Center.
You can also shop online at Destination PSP by clicking HERE.
DREAM VACATION PALM SPRINGS
VACATION PALM SPRINGS “DREAM VACATION” WINNER WILL RECEIVE:
* A Four (4) night stay for up to 4 people in a luxury 3-bedroom Palm Springs vacation rental home during the 2018 Palm Springs International Film Festival. Winner will also receive the following:
* Opening -or- Closing Night Screening and Gala Reception – 4 Tickets
* Festival Screening Passes – 4 non-transferable passes, good for all regular screenings
Gael García Bernal and Isabelle HuppertReceive Acting Prizes;
White Sun Receives New Voices/New Visions Award;
No Dress Code Required Receives The John Schlesinger Award;
Neruda Receives Cine Latino Award;
Mercenary Receives The HP Bridging The Borders Awards
Palm Springs, CA (January 14, 2017) – The 28th Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival (PSIFF) announced this year’s juried award winners at a luncheon at the Hilton Palm Springs on Saturday, January 14, 2017. The Festival, held from January 2-16, 2017, screened 190 films from 72 countries. The Mercedes-Benz Audience Awards for Best Narrative Feature and Best Documentary Feature will be announced on Sunday, January 15.
FIPRESCI PRIZE
A special jury of international film critics reviewed 43 of the 85 official submissions for the Academy Awards(R) Best Foreign Language Film category screened at this year’s Festival. Awards are presented to the Best Foreign Language Film and Best Actor and Actress in a Foreign Language Film.
Director Maren Ade’s Toni Erdmann received the 2017 Palm Springs International Film Festival’s (PSIFF) FIPRESCI Prize for Best Foreign Language Film of the Year. (Photo courtesy of PSIFF Press Office)
FIPRESCI Prize for Best Foreign Language Film of the Year: Toni Erdmann(Germany), directed by Maren Ade. In this unforgettable comedy, a prankster father puts on a wig and false teeth and invades the life of his rigid, ambitious corporate consultant daughter, whose life is upended in profound and often hilarious ways. The jury presented the award to the film, “for its originality, human complexity and unique tonal orchestration that seems natural and uncalculated. It is also an observant look at corporate culture carried by two wonderful performances.”
Gael Garcia Bernal (left) and Diego Munoz in a scene from Pablo Larrain’s biopic Neruda. (Photo courtesy of PSIFF Press Office)
FIPRESCI Prize for the Best Actor in a Foreign Language Film: Gael García Bernalin Neruda(Chile), directed by Pablo Larraín. The jury said, “Bernal’s performance is the heart of the film’s tonal shifts, infusing the historical drama with the very poetry of its subject matter.”
Actress Isabelle Huppert in character from Paul Verhoeven’s Elle. For her performance received the FIPRESCI Prize for Best Actress in a Foreign Language Film. (Photo courtesy of PSIFF Press Office)
FIPRESCI Prize for Best Actress in a Foreign Language Film: Isabelle Huppert in Elle (France), directed by Paul Verhoeven. The jury said, “Isabelle Huppert gives depth and humanity to a complex and conflicted character in a challenging, unorthodox film. Her intelligence, self-assurance, and gift for conveying rich emotional tones have never been more strikingly displayed.”
The FIPRESCI jury members were Kiva Reardon (programming associate, TIFF), Yael Shuv (chief film critic, Time Out Tel Aviv) and David Sterritt (editor-in-chief, Quarterly Review of Film and Video).
NEW VOICES/NEW VISIONS AWARD
The New Voices/New Visionscompetitionshowcases 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.
A scene from Deepak Rauniyar’s dark comedy, White Sun, a story about two brothers from each side of the Nepalese civil war reunited after 10 years for their father’s funeral. (Photo courtesy of PSIFF Press Office)
New Voices/New VisionsAward: White Sun(Nepal/U.S./Qatar/Netherlands), directed by Deepak Rauniyar. The film is a dark comedy about two brothers from each side of the Nepalese civil war brought together after 10 years for their father’s funeral. A trenchant, eye-catching parable, this is the best film to come out of Nepal in years.
The jury issued the following statement, “White Sun, for its sympathetic but unsentimental portrayals of multiple perspectives, artfully integrating landscape as a participating character in the film. Featuring stunning performances from an ensemble cast, directed with sensitivity, the film’s storytelling leaves space for the audience to experience the tension between tradition and modernity. The film balances personal and political drama with a touch of absurdist humor.”
New Voices/New Visions Special Mentions: Kati Kati (Kenya/Germany), directed by Mbithi Masya and Mellow Mud (Latvia), directed by Renars Vimba. The jury said, “Both directors create worlds that lead the audience deeply into beautifully-realized worlds.”
The films were juried by Jonathan Howell (founder and director, Big World Pictures), Funa Maduka (Global Content Acquisition group, Netflix), Jane Schoettle (International Programmer, TIFF).
THE JOHN SCHLESINGER AWARD
The John Schlesinger Award, named after the director, writer, producer and festival supporter, is presented to the director of either a first or second feature documentary from among those screened at the festival.
Cristina Herrera Borquez’ memorable documentary, No Dress Code Required, follows a same-sex couple, Victor and Fernando, as they fight for the right to be married in their home town of Mexicali, Baja California. No Dress Code Required received this year’s Palm Springs International Film Festival’s (PSIFF) John Schlesinger Award. (Photo courtesy of PSIFF Press Office)
Schlesinger Award: No Dress Code Required (Mexico), directed by Cristina Herrera Bórquez. This memorable doc follows a same-sex couple, Víctor and Fernando, as they fight for the right to be married in their home town of Mexicali, Baja California. A rallying cry for equality and a testament to the power of ordinary people to become agents of change.
The jury issued the following statement, “For a film that does not let you look away as ordinary people rise to the challenge of fighting for their legal rights, the John Schlesinger Award goes to No Dress Code Required, a compelling documentary that puts us on the front line of the evolving story of marriage equality.”
Schlesinger Special Mention: Beauties of the Night (Mexico), directed by María José Cuevas. The jury said, “For a beautifully crafted exploration of ageism with a powerful vision, and an empowering take on what it means to grow old in a culture obsessed with youth and beauty, Special Mention goes to Beauties of the Night.”
The films were juried by Daniela Elena Alatorre (head of documentary programming, Morelia International Film Festival), Fenton Bailey (co-founder, World of Wonder Productions), Sudeep Sharma (senior programmer, Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles).
CINE LATINO AWARD
The Cine Latino Award is presented to the best Ibero-American film screening at the festival. The award aims to highlight the creativity seen in modern Spanish, Portuguese and Latin American films. Cine Latino is supported in part by Acción Cultural Espanola, Spain’s Public Agency for Cultural Action.
Chilean Director Pablo Larrain’s Neruda is the 2017 Palm Springs International Film Festival’s (PSIFF) recipient of the Cino Latino Award for best Ibero -American film screening. (Photo courtesy of PSIFF Press Office)
Cine Latino Award: Neruda (Chile), directed by Pablo Larraín. The jury said, “Bypassing narrative tropes associated with films about important historical figures and creating a nearly fantastical story that is as visually striking as it is telling about the relationship between an artist and his creation, the Cine Latino Grand Jury Prize goes to Neruda.”
Cine Latino Special Mention: Everything Else (Mexico), directed by Natalia Almada. The jury said, “Coming from a doc background gives this filmmaker a unique perspective and framing that has created a powerful film. Her story often asks more questions than there are answers for but anchored by a strong, yet understated performance this film succeeds. The film is executed with precise framing and uncanny cinematography.”
The films were judged by Carlos Aguilar (film journalist), Lane Kneedler (Director of Programming, AFI Fest) and Andrea Roa (producer)
THE HP BRIDGING THE BORDERS AWARD
The HP Bridging the Borders Award is presented by Cinema Without Borders and Hewlett Packard, which honors the film that is most successful in exemplifying art that promotes bringing the people of our world closer together. The prize includes an HP ZBook 17 Mobile Workstation, valued at $4,000.
Director Sacha Wolff’s Mercenary is the 2017 Palm Springs International Film Festival’s (PSIFF) recipient of the HP Bridging the Borders Award. (Photo courtesy of PSIFF Press Office)
HP Bridging the Borders Award: Mercenary (France), directed by Sacha Wolff. The film is a fierce, moving thriller about a massive Polynesian rugby player recruited to play in France. This stunning debut film shows us a violent, unfamiliar world through the eyes of an unforgettable outsider.
The jury said, “The winner of HP Bridging The Border Award is the story of a tattooed, colossal 19 year-old recruited from his island shack in Wallis, New Caledonia , to the brutal world of a rugby team in France. Wolff, paints the contrasting societies with authenticity and elicits from his non-professional actor, Toki Pilioki a performance of quiet dignity that scorches your memory. The winning film is Mercenary by Sasha Wolff.”
Audience Award winners will be announced on Sunday, January 15. The Best of the Fest screenings will take place on Monday, January 16. For a complete list of screenings visit www.psfilmfest.org.
The complete list of award winners are:
Mercedes-Benz Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature
TBA on Sunday, January 15
Mercedes-Benz Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature
TBA on Sunday, January 15
FIPRESCI Prize for Best Foreign Language Film of the Year
Toni Erdmann (Germany), directed by Maren Ade
FIPRESCI Prize for the Best Actor in a Foreign Language Film
Gael García Bernal in Neruda (Chile)
FIPRESCI Prize for Best Actress in a Foreign Language Film
Isabelle Huppert in Elle(France)
New Voices/New Visions Award
Winner:White Sun (Nepal/U.S./Qatar/Netherlands), directed by Deepak Runiyar
Special Mentions: Kati Kati (Kenya/Germany), directed by Mbithi Masya and Mellow Mud (Latvia), directed by Renars Vimba
The John Schlesinger Award
Winner: No Dress Code Required (Mexico), directed by Cristina Herrera Bórquez
Special Mention: Beauties of the Night (Mexico), directed by Maria José Cuevas
Cine Latino Award
Winner: Neruda (Chile), directed by Pablo Larraín
Special Mention: Everything Else (Mexico), directed by Natalia Alamda
HP Bridging the Borders Award
Winner: Mercenary (France), directed by Sacha Wolff
About The Palm Springs International Film Festival
The Palm Springs International Film Festival (PSIFF) is one of the largest film festivals in North America, welcoming 135,000 attendees last year for its lineup of new and celebrated international features and documentaries. The Festival is also known for its annual Film Awards Gala, a glamorous, black-tie event, presented by Chopard and sponsored by Mercedes Benz and Entertainment Tonight, and attended by 2,500. The Film Awards Gala honors the year’s best achievements in cinema in front of and behind the camera. The celebrated list of talents who have been honored in recent years includes Ben Affleck, Javier Bardem, Cate Blanchett, Sandra Bullock, Bradley Cooper, George Clooney, Daniel Day-Lewis, Leonardo DiCaprio, Clint Eastwood, Tom Hanks, Matthew McConaughey, Julianne Moore, Brad Pitt, Eddie Redmayne, Julia Roberts, David O. Russell, Meryl Streep, and Reese Witherspoon. PSIFF is organized by The Palm Springs International Film Society, a 501(c)(3) charitable non-profit organization with a mission to cultivate and promote the art and science of film through education and cross-cultural awareness
The 2017 PalmSprings International Film Festival Jury Award Winners were announced on Saturday, January 14 at the annual Awards Luncheon.
The winners are:
FIPRESCI Prize for Best Foreign Language Film of the Year
Toni Erdmann (Germany), directed by Maren Ade
FIPRESCI Prize for the Best Actor in a Foreign Language Film
Gael García Bernal in Neruda (Chile)
FIPRESCI Prize for Best Actress in a Foreign Language Film
Isabelle Huppert in Elle (France)
New Voices/New Visions Award
Winner: White Sun (Nepal/U.S./Qatar/Netherlands), directed by Deepak Runiyar
Special Mentions: Kati Kati (Kenya/Germany), directed by Mbithi Masya and Mellow Mud (Latvia), directed by Renārs Vimba
The John Schlesinger Award
Winner: No Dress Code Required (Mexico), directed by Cristina Herrera Bórquez
Special Mention: Beauties of the Night (Mexico), directed by Maria José Cuevas
Cine Latino Award
Winner: Neruda (Chile), directed by Pablo Larraín
Special Mention: Everything Else (Mexico), directed by Natalia Alamda
HP Bridging the Borders Award
Winner: Mercenary (France), directed by Sacha Wolff
The Mercedes-Benz Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature and the
Mercedes-Benz Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature will be announced at the Closing Night Screening of THE COMEDIAN on Sunday, January 15.
THERE’S STILL TIME LEFT – GREAT FILMS ON SUNDAY, JANUARY 15
THE WINTER
Argentina/France – 2016 – 95 minutes
Director: Emiliano Torres
NEW VOICES/NEW VISIONS
North American Premiere
Forced from his longtime job as ranch foreman by a sincere young upstart, a weary caretaker prepares to take advantage as the younger man shows himself ill-prepared for an unforgiving Patagonian winter. A lean, stark tale of survival against the unforgiving forces of both nature and man himself. Winner: Best Actor, Biarritz; Special Jury Award, San Sebastian.
A doctor abandons his principles to ensure his daughter passes her crucial exams in this tense and complex moral thriller from the director of 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days, which explores the endemic corruption in post-Communist Romania. Winner: Best Director, Cannes; Best Actor, Screenplay, Chicago.
Three years after the Nagasaki atomic bomb killed her son, the widowed Nobuko starts being visited by his ghost. Octogenarian filmmaker Yoji Yamada (Twilight Samurai) has crafted a delicate, affecting, magical realist chamber piece, with a haunting score by Ryuichi Sakamoto. Winner: Best Actor, Japanese Academy Awards.
Broken by the recent death of his father, a troubled young man tears through a small, indigenous town until his godfather gets him a job in the mines. With jaw-dropping, dreamlike visuals, Russo’s debut offers a darkly beautiful subterranean study in atmosphere and mourning. A new landmark in Bolivian cinema.
VACATION PALM SPRINGS “DREAM VACATION” WINNER WILL RECEIVE:
* A Four (4) night stay for up to 4 people in a luxury 3-bedroom Palm Springs vacation rental home during the 2018 Palm Springs International Film Festival. Winner will also receive the following:
* Opening -or- Closing Night Screening and Gala Reception – 4 Tickets
* Festival Screening Passes – 4 non-transferable passes, good for all regular screenings
Must be at least 25 years of age to enter this contest.
No purchase necessary.
One entry per person; employees of PSIFF are not eligible.
A JEW MUST DIE
Switzerland – 2016 – 73 minutes
Director: Jacob Berger
WORLD CINEMA NOW
North America Premiere
In a small Swiss village in 1942, a cabal of Nazi sympathizers select a Jewish scapegoat (played by Bruno Ganz) to kill, and an 8-year-old witness grows into a 70-year-old writer whose life was changed forever by what he saw.
IT’S NOT OVER YET, CHECK OUT THESE FILMS ON SUNDAY, JANUARY 15
TRUMAN
Spain/Argentina – 2015 – 108 minutes
Director: Cesc Guy
WORLD CINEMA NOW
Two of Spanish-speaking cinema’s finest stars, Ricardo Darin and Javier Cámara, play lifelong friends reconnecting for a short visit under the shadow of terminal cancer in this wide and tender (and surprisingly funny) movie from Cesc Gay. Goya Winner: Best Film, Director, Actor, Supporting Actor, Screenplay, Goya Awards.
A country manor mystery that’s actually a deliciously wicked comedy of manners, adapted from Stephen Fry’s best-seller. A disgraced poet and all-round drunken sot, Ted is invited to his friend Lord Logan’s estate, and investigates a spate of “miracle” healings attributed to Logan’s teenage son.
Sun, Jan 15 – 10:00 AM – PSHS
Director, John Jencks; Actor, Matthew Modine to attend.
The brilliant and controversial editor-in-chief of Italian Vogue, Franca Sozzani, is given the documentary treatment by the one man who can get her to drop her guard -her son-in this insightful portrait of one of fashion’s most original icons.
In the first scripted film from acclaimed non-fiction filmmaker Natalia Almada (El velador), her austere gaze is trained on a lonely, aging government bureaucrat, Doña Flor. Patience is demanded, and rewarded. “A heartfelt argument for empathy.” Indiewire. Winner: Best Actress, Morelia.
VACATION PALM SPRINGS “DREAM VACATION” WINNER WILL RECEIVE:
* A Four (4) night stay for up to 4 people in a luxury 3-bedroom Palm Springs vacation rental home during the 2018 Palm Springs International Film Festival. Winner will also receive the following:
* Opening -or- Closing Night Screening and Gala Reception – 4 Tickets
* Festival Screening Passes – 4 non-transferable passes, good for all regular screenings
Must be at least 25 years of age to enter this contest.
No purchase necessary.
One entry per person; employees of PSIFF are not eligible.
THE DAY WILL COME
Denmark – 2016 – 119 minutes
Director: Jesper W. Nielsen
WORLD CINEMA NOW
North American Premiere
Inspired by recent revelations about abuse in Danish orphanages dating back to the 1960s, this hard-hitting but inspiring drama focuses on two (fictional) brothers, aged 10 and 13, resisting the brutal regime of Headmaster Heck, armed with nothing but their imagination. It reunites the writer and two stars from TV’s The Killing. Winner: Audience Award, Hamburg.
A socially awkward secret service agent makes the acquaintance of both a beautiful Russian spy and a barely tolerable Estonian modern poet in the absurdly comic new film from the producer of Tangerines. It provides a sarcastic reflection on the identity and concerns of contemporary Estonia.
It’s that time of year again. The first film festival bookend of the Oscar race, The Palm Springs International Film Festival (PSIFF), is wrapping up its two-week long run including its first-ever, pre-event Film Awards Gala, while the other bookend, the Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF), is ramping up for its 32nd edition.
In comparison, PSIFF has maintained a decided edge on glamour with its Film Awards Gala and film viewing with its Regal Cinemas, The Mary Pickford and the Camelot Theaters. Not to be outdone, SBIFF is in the process of updating its newly acquired and not-so-distant future home, the Santa Barbara Riviera Theater, and its use of the Sate Street Metropolitan Theater venues on the stunning shop lined, downtown State Street segment keeps the screens within a reasonable walking distance.
Currently, SBIFF continues its Riviera Project Capital Campaign in support of seat and facility improvements for its Riviera Theater. SBIFF also continues to expand its growing educational programming and remains steadfast in its commitment on community engagement.
Both festivals offer similar, cutting-edge, timely programming with stimulating themes. In addition, SBIFF recently released its 2017 film program.
Here’s the latest information release on the 32nd Santa Barbara International Film Festival:
The Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF), presented by UGG®, will offer a vast array of films representing 50+ countries, 51 world premieres and 64 US premieres, along with tributes with the year’s top talent, panel discussions, and free community education and outreach programs.
Directed by Phillip Baribeau, CHARGED chronicles the journey of chef and outdoorsman, Eduardo Garcia and his recovery after being electrocuted by 2400 volts of electricity miles from help in the Montana backcountry. Garcia had his hand amputated, lost ribs, muscle mass and nearly his life, but more important than what he lost is what he found. CHARGED tells Eduardo’s remarkable journey from getting up off the forest floor to becoming the man he is today.
The documentary is produced by Dennis Aig and Phillip Baribeau along with executive producers Teri Weinberg, Scott Ballew, Doug Ellin, Peter Hochfelder, Constance Schwartz–Morini and Michael Strahan.
INTERNATIONAL GALA
For the International Gala, the festival will feature the US Premiere of HEAL THE LIVING (Réparer les vivants) a French–Belgian drama directed by Katell Quillévéré and written by Quillévéré and Gilles Taurand. HEAL THE LIVING stars Tahar Rahim (A Prophet, The Past, Grand Central, The Informant), Emmanuelle Seigner (Venus in Fur, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly) and Anne Dorval (Mommy, Heartbeats). Three seemingly unrelated stories are masterfully woven together in this family medical drama. A French teenager takes a road trip to the sea with friends to go surfing; a woman learns her heart is failing; and the staff at a regional hospital struggles through another day of saving lives. Cohen Media Group plans for a Spring 2017 release.
The year is 1940, Britain. With the nation devastated by the war, the British ministry turns to propaganda films to boost morale at home. Realizing their films could use “a woman’s touch,” the ministry hires Catrin Cole (Gemma Arterton) as a scriptwriter in charge of writing the female dialogue. Although her artist husband looks down on her job, Catrin’s natural flair quickly gets her noticed by charming lead scriptwriter Buckley (Sam Claflin). Catrin and Buckley set out to make an epic feature film based on the Battle of Dunkirk starring pretentious fading movie star Ambrose Hilliard (Bill Nighy). As bombs are dropping all around them, Catrin, Buckley and their colorful cast and crew work furiously to make a film that will warm the hearts of the nation.
The film is produced by Stephen Woolley, Amanda Posey, Finola Dwyer and Elizabeth Karlsen. Christine Langan, Ed Wethered, Robert Norris, Ivan Dunleavy, Peter Watson, Zygi Kamasa and Thorsten Schumacher serve as executive producers. The film is produced by Number 9 Films and Wildgaze Films.
THE TRIBUTES
SBIFF has become an important showcase for Academy–Award® frontrunners, many of whom have arrived as nominees and gone on to win the Oscar. The 32nd Santa Barbara International Film Festival proudly celebrates some of the year’s finest work in film. The complete list of 2017 Honorees (in date order) is as follows:
The Virtuosos Award presented by UGG®will be awarded to Aaron Taylor Johnson (Nocturnal Animals), Dev Patel (Lion), Janelle Monáe (Hidden Figures, Moonlight), Mahershala Ali (Moonlight), Naomie Harris (Moonlight), Ruth Negga (Loving), Simon Helberg (Florence Foster Jenkins), and Stephen McKinley Henderson (Fences) in recognition of the year’s emerging film artists. The evening will be moderated by Dave Karger on Saturday, February 4th.
The Variety Artisans Awards will take place on Monday, February 6th and will be moderated by Variety’s Sr. VP Awards Editor, Tim Gray. Honorees to be announced.
The Outstanding Director of the Year Awardsponsored by The Hollywood Reporter will be Tuesday, February 7th and will be moderated by Pete Hammond. Honorees to be announced.
All tributes take place at the historic Arlington Theatre except the Variety Artisans Award, which will be at the Lobero Theatre.
THE PANELS
SBIFF has become renowned for creating smart, insightful panels that feature a who’s who in the world of filmmaking, including many Oscar® contenders.
The panel series begins on Saturday, February 4th with the “Movers and Shakers,” (Producers Panel), bringing together the industry’s most prolific producers to talk about current projects, hopes for the future of filmmaking, and insight into the creative process. Moderated by Glenn Whipp.
That same day proceeds with “It Starts With the Script” (Screenwriters Panel), bringing together top writers to discuss their craft. The panel will be moderated by Anne Thompson.
On Saturday, February 11th, Creative Forces: Women in the Business (Women’s Panel), will be moderated by Madelyn Hammond.
All panels take place at the Lobero Theatre.
PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
The 2017 Film Program addresses timely themes including a focus on environmental activism, feminism in the Middle East, efforts to thwart ISIS around the world including, Mali and Kurdistan, the fight for democracy in Ukraine and the global refugee crisis. In addition, some of the new highlights in the program include the following sections:
Nordic Cinema Competition: A diverse showcase of contemporary cinema From Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden.
Crime Scenes: An international selection of crime thrillers and neo-noirs filled with gritty underworlds and moral nihilists.
Documentary Shorts: Refugees: A program of short documentaries featuring compelling stories from refugees living in Malawi, Syria, West Africa, Greece, Sweden and the United States.
The Jury – Films in several of the Festival’s film categories are in competition. These categories are viewed by a hand selected group of industry professionals including: Richard Raymond, Joanna Kerns, Jesus Lloveras, Tamara Asseyev, Martin Gooch, Anthony & Arnette Zerbe, Alan Marshall, Artie Schmidt, Janet Walker, Phyllis de Picciotto, Perry Lang and Mimi deGruy. On the last day of the Festival, the award winning films will be announced at the annual SBIFF awards breakfast.
ABOUT SBIFF
The Santa Barbara International Film Festival is a 501(c)(3) non–profit arts and educational organization dedicated to discovering and showcasing the best in independent and international cinema. Over the past 30 years, SBIFF has become one of the leading film festivals in the United States – attracting 90,000 attendees and offering 11 days of 200+ films, tributes and symposiums, fulfilling their mission to engage, enrich, and inspire the Santa Barbara community through film.
Sponsors of the 32nd Santa Barbara International Film Festival include: UGG®, Belvedere Vodka, Dom Pérignon, Anti–Defamation League, Montecito Bank & Trust, Visit The Santa Ynez Valley, IMDB, Santa Barbara Foundation, Union Bank, Winchester Mystery House, Wells Fargo, Westerly Wines, The Bentson Foundation and many more supporting through trade.
SBIFF continues its commitment to education and the community through free programs like its 10–10–10 Student Filmmaking and Screenwriting Competitions, Mike’s Field Trip to the Movies, National Film Studies Program, AppleBox Family Films, 3rd Weekend and educational seminars. This past June, SBIFF entered a new era with the acquisition of the historic and beloved Riviera Theatre. The theatre is SBIFF’s new home and is the catalyst for program expansion and marks the first time that Santa Barbara has had a 24/7 community center to expand their mission of educational outreach.
Telefilm Canada hosted a party at Lulu California Bistro to celebrate the great talent of Canadian filmmakers and their work. Looks like a pretty great party, eh?
HERE ARE SOME MORE GREAT FILM CHOICES FOR SATURDAY, JANUARY 14
MY LIFE AS A ZUCCHINI
Switzerland/France – 2016 – 66 minutes
Director: Claude Barras
AWARDS BUZZ-BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Delightful, brightly-colored stop-motion animation makes this sensitive coming-of-age story about an orphan nicknamed Zucchini all but irresistible. Submitted for the Academy Award® in the Animated Feature category and again as Switzerland’s FLO entry, it will charm children and adults alike. Winner: Best Feature and Audience Award, Annecy
Set against China’s rugged Taihang Mountains and superbly photographed by Patrick Murgia, Larry Yang’s forceful melodrama tells of the love between a mute widow and the man responsible for the death of her husband. A gorgeous film with the feel of a timeless allegory. Winner: Best Director, Screenplay, Shanghai.
This powerful, nuanced and resonant drama follows a teenage girl living in Amsterdam, who becomes disillusioned by daily encounters with racism, and turns to Islam. Her relationship with a Jihadist completes her radicalization, but her journey is far from over… Winner: Outstanding Performance, Philadelphia.
A stand-alone Film Festival Store for the Palm Springs International Film Festival is featuring a complete collection of Film Festival Merchandise at Destination PSP. The Festival Store is now open and will be open every day through January 16.
The Festival Store is located in the Regal Cinema Courtyard Plaza, unit 16,
just down from the Regal Cinemas and across the courtyard from the
Festival Ticket and Information Center.
You can also shop online at Destination PSP by clicking HERE.
IN BETWEEN
Israel/France – 2016 – 96 minutes
Director: Maysaloun Hamoud
NEW VOICES/NEW VISIONS
US Premiere
A spiky, compelling dramedy about strong, modern, sexually active Palestinian-Israeli women, living independently in the center of Tel Aviv, far from their families and the weight of tradition. Winner, Best Debut, Haifa; NETPAC Award, Toronto.
A casual brush-off has profound and terrible consequences in the latest morality tale from the Dardenne brothers (Two Days, One Night; The Kid with a Bike). A young doctor turns detective to investigate the circumstances around a suspicious death in which she feels implicated.
YOU WON’T WANT TO MISS THESE FILMS ON FRIDAY, JANUARY 13
A UNITED KINGDOM
UK – 2016 – 111 minutes
Director: Amma Asante
WORLD CINEMA NOW
U.S. Premiere
Belle director Amma Asante returns with another stirring interracial love story, this time based on the 1948 marriage between Prince Seretse of Bechuanaland (now Botswana) and an English clerk. Their union affronts her parents and his, his subjects, her superiors and both governments, and jeopardizes British colonial rule in southern Africa.
Eyes on the Prize: Foreign Language Oscar Directors in Discussion
On Monday, January 9, Scott Feinberg of the Hollywood Reporter moderated a fascinating panel with five directors who had their films submitted the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences for consideration for the Oscar® for Best Foreign Language Film. The directors offered great insight into what went into the making of their films, they were –
Xavier Dolan, IT’S ONLY THE END OF THE WORLD
Claude Barras, MY LIFE AS A ZUCCHINI
Asghar Farhadi, THE SALESMAN
Erik Poppe, THE KING’S CHOICE
Hannes Holm, A MAN CALLED OVE
MAD WORLD
Hong Kong – 2016 – 100 minutes
Director: Wong Chun
WORLD CINEMA NOW
Hong Kong director Wang Chun’s admirable debut feature is the portrait of a former stockbroker suffering from bipolar disorder. “An empathetic character study of a troubled young man trying to contain his inner chaos in a maddening city where space, sympathy and sanity are at a premium.” Clarence Tsui, Hollywood Reporter
Polonsky’s quirky, loose-limbed movie offers insight and comedy by turns as a middle-aged Israeli couple take decidedly different roads after mourning the death of their son: she goes back to work, but he embarks on a weed-enhanced picaresque with the neighbors’ stoner son… Winner: FIPRESCI prize, Best Israeli Film, Best First Film, Jerusalem.
Fifteen years after her father killed herself, Petra Epperlein returns to her hometown in former East Germany to investigate his links with the Stasi and how the apparatus of state control maintained Communist rule. This boldly stylized film is a potent reminder of how the politics is always, ultimately, personal.
Based in part on the 2012 murder of a gay Chilean teen, this impressive debut film from musician Alex Anwandter is a powerful treatise on Chile’s generational divide, an engrossing tale of betrayal and redemption, and a stirring testament to a father’s love.
Fri, Jan 13 – 4:30 PM – Mary Pickford
Sun, Jan 15 – 5:00 PM – Regal
Actor, Andrew Bargsted to attend (January 15 only).
VACATION PALM SPRINGS “DREAM VACATION” WINNER WILL RECEIVE:
* A Four (4) night stay for up to 4 people in a luxury 3-bedroom Palm Springs vacation rental home during the 2018 Palm Springs International Film Festival. Winner will also receive the following:
* Opening -or- Closing Night Screening and Gala Reception – 4 Tickets
* Festival Screening Passes – 4 non-transferable passes, good for all regular screenings
Must be at least 25 years of age to enter this contest.
No purchase necessary.
One entry per person; employees of PSIFF are not eligible.
BEAUTIES OF THE NIGHT
Mexico – 2016 – 92 minutes
Director: María José Cuevas
TRUE STORIES
This vibrant, sometimes heartbreaking documentary is a fresh, fun and moving tribute to Mexico’s burlesque queens of the 1970s and ’80s, and a portrait of five fabulous former showgirls coping with their “golden years” in very different ways.
Alison Maclean’s piquant, sharp-edged adaptation of Eleanor Catton’s first novel is partially a free-floating accumulation of insights into the twinned professions of teaching and acting and partially a drama about life inspiring art-or perhaps the other way around? “Complex, compelling and challenging.” Screen
She was 13 and he was 40 when he was imprisoned for their taboo affair. Now, 15 years later, Una confronts the man who destroyed her life. Rooney Mara and Ben Mendolsohn star in this explosive adaptation of David Harrower’s Tony-winning play Blackbird.
On Monday, January 9 students from around the Coachella Valley gathered at Palm Springs High School for Student Screening Day. First they saw the film THE EAGLE HUNTRESS with a special taped introduction by the film’s Director, Otto Bell. Following the screening there was a taped Q&A session with Mr. Bell.
After a lunch break the students got to see A MAN CALLED OVE, introduced by Director, Hannes Holm who answered the student’s questions about the film following the screening.
MORE FINE FILMS ON THURSDAY, JANUARY 12
PAST LIFE
Israel – 2016 – 103 minutes
Director: Avi Nesher
MODERN MASTERS
US Premiere
In 1977 Jerusalem, two sisters, the daughters of Holocaust survivors, investigate a taboo topic: the mystery of their difficult father’s experiences in Poland during World War II. This profoundly moving drama confronts a burden of history that is still very much part of the Israeli present.
An exuberant follow-up to last year’s scrumptious, globe-trotting documentary Cooking Up a Tribute, this is a delicious travelogue following the acclaimed Roca brothers (from El Celler de Can Roca) as they dive into the rich and diverse food cultures of Turkey.
From Gus van Sant and Dustin Lance Black (Milk), the first episode of their stirring seven-part docudrama that charts the progress of Gay Liberation from its early days in San Francisco in the 1960s to its 21st century triumphs.
Thu, Jan 12 – 6:45 PM – PSHS
Director, Gus Van Sant; Writer, Dustin Lance Black and Actors, Guy Pearce,
Rachel Griffiths and Ivory Aquino to attend.
A stand-alone Film Festival Store for the Palm Springs International Film Festival is featuring a complete collection of Film Festival Merchandise at Destination PSP. The Festival Store is now open and will be open every day through January 16.
The Festival Store is located in the Regal Cinema Courtyard Plaza, unit 16,
just down from the Regal Cinemas and across the courtyard from the
Festival Ticket and Information Center.
You can also shop online at Destination PSP by clicking HERE.
UNDER THE SHADOW
UK/Jordan/Qatar – 2016 – 84 minutes
Director: Babak Anvari
AWARDS BUZZ-BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
A tense, firmly feminist horror movie with echoes of The Babadook, Poltergeist and Repulsion, Babak Anvari’s Farsi-language frightener (Britain’s Foreign-Language Oscar® nominee) pits an Iranian ghost story against the backdrop of the Iran-Iraq war. An unnerving, audacious debut that stands as one of the best of 2016-if you can handle it.
Against the backdrop of an impending environmental crisis, two troubled adolescents strive to find their place in the world in this stirring debut film from Chile, which weaves together political themes both social and personal. Winner: Best First Feature, Valdiva.
BE PART OF THE FESTIVAL READ THE PSIFF PROGRAM BOOK ONLINE!
Built around a recently recovered interview with Helen More, widow of jazz legend Lee Morgan (The Sidewinder), this is not just an evocative music film but a sucker punch of a crime story, related with palpable love and respect.
If you’re going to one of the great Festival films at the Mary Pickford (or even if you’re not) our friend Chef Hector Salvatierra at Bonta Restaurant & Bar, is offering a special discount to those attending the Palm Springs International Film Festival.
10% off entire check includes all bar items and dinner menu!
Bonta is located at 68510 E Palm Canyon Drive, Suite 140, Cathedral City, CA 92234 (across the street from the Mary Pickford Theatres in the Desert Cinema building). Telephone: 760-832-6100.
Ticket and Pass holders need to show their pass or ticket they have purchased at any time during the Festival. Tickets will be honored throughout the festival dates, they expire at end of festival.
They will be serving lunch from 11:00 am until 2:00 pm, Happy hour from 2:00 pm until 7:00 pm, dinner from 4:00 pm. Cocktails $4.50, Wine $5.00. Martinis $5.50.
They will also have take-out lunch boxes:
Soup and Salad or soup and Sandwich combos
Our Famous Homemade Chips and Chef Hectors Famous Chili and Split Pea soup
This fraught psychological drama explores the issue of the death penalty from the executioner’s point of view, while also sparing more than a thought for the family members of the condemned. “Formidable filmmaking.” Hollywood Reporter
Take Israel’s most popular soccer team, add a controversy-seeking owner, mix in two unsuspecting Muslim players and a rabid fan base hostile to change, and what do you get? The explosive, enthralling, and disturbing documentary, Forever Pure. Winner: Documentary direction and editing, Jerusalem.
Frank Langella leads a tremendous cast in this seriocomic road movie about a difficult, dying man on a cross-country journey to commit legally assisted suicide, against the wishes of his dysfunctional family.
Borquez’s memorable doc follows a same-sex couple, Victor and Fernando, as they fight for the right to be married in their home town of Mexicali, Baja California. A rallying cry for equality and a testament to the power of ordinary people to become agents of change.
VACATION PALM SPRINGS “DREAM VACATION” WINNER WILL RECEIVE:
* A Four (4) night stay for up to 4 people in a luxury 3-bedroom Palm Springs vacation rental home during the 2018 Palm Springs International Film Festival. Winner will also receive the following:
* Opening -or- Closing Night Screening and Gala Reception – 4 Tickets
* Festival Screening Passes – 4 non-transferable passes, good for all regular screenings
An inspiring, mesmerizing portrait of the sublime dancer Wendy Whelan. Schlesinger’s film highlights such timeless issues as aging, retirement, self-rejuvenation, loyalty and family, and does so with as much flourish, technique and artistry as a prima ballerina.
Wed, Jan 11 – 8:00 PM – Palm Canyon
Sat, Jan 14 – 10:30 AM – Annenberg
Sun, Jan 15 – 5:00 PM – Annenberg
Directors, Adam Schlesinger and Linda Saffire to attend Jan. 11 and Jan. 14 screenings.
– The screening of UNA on Friday, January 13 at 8:00 pm has been moved to the Regal Cinemas PalmSprings.
– The screening of THE UNKNOWN GIRL on Saturday, January 14 at 7:00 pm
has been moved to the Camelot Theatres at 8:30 pm.
– The screening of ELLE originally scheduled on Saturday, January 14 at 8:30 pm
has been changed to screen at the Camelot Theatres on Friday, January 13 at 8:00 pm. The film’s star, Isabelle Huppert will be in attendance
for a post-screening Talking Pictures.
All existing tickets will be honored at the new screening times/venues.
our friend Chef Hector Salvatierra at Bonta Restaurant & Bar, is offering a special discount to those attending the Palm Springs International Film Festival.
