Move on down to Facebook

Please head on over to our lovely Facebook page and become a fan of the Palm Springs International Film Society!

There, you can keep up to date on the latest events and photos, and share the latest fest news with your friends & family. All the kids are doin' it!

Coachella Review launched

The Coachella Review is the literary journal for UC Riverside's Palm Desert Graduate Center recently launched it's new site.

Catch a review of our latest Behind the Scenes speaker or submit your own film or fiction!

Stuntman Terry Leonard

Did you catch legendary stuntman Terry Leonard's tales of danger from the Raiders of the Lost Ark, Romancing the Stone & Apocalypse Now sets?

What did you think of this Behind the Scenes event?

Students on film

Check out what some of our local students from Cathedral City High School are up to at the DATA Summer Rockin' Tour workshop!

PSIFS screening: Cold Souls

In Cold Souls, former ShortFest winners director Sophie Barthes, cinematographer-producer Andrij Parekh, and producer Jeremy Kipp Walker presented a tale where Paul Giamatti plays an actor named Paul Giamatti and sometimes the soul is just a chickpea.

What did you think of this mindbender?

ShortsHD

Shorts International announced the launch of ShortsHD, the world's first high definition channel dedicated to short movies, on AT&T U-verseSM TV & iTunes.

Missed ShortFest award-winners the first time? This is your chance to find them again!

Also check out four fantastic shorts by previous ShortFest attendees on L Studio:
• Finding - The Salto Bros. (2008 ShortFest)
• No Parking - Jeremy Brunjes (2008 + 2009 with Birthdate)
• RedBlack - Mal Woolford (2007 Shortfest + Fluffy)
• Los Tabaqueros - Russell Griffin (2007 ShortFest)

Behind the Scenes with art director Lauren Polizzi

Lauren Polizzi will discuss her career as an art director tonight at the Rancho Mirage Public Libary.

Come meet a woman who's worked with Steven Soderbergh (Ocean's Twelve), Ron Howard (How the Grinch Stole Christmas), Robert Zemeckis (Forrest Gump), Judd Apatow (Knocked Up) and multiple films by Steven Spielberg (Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Amistad, Jurassic Park & Lost World), not to mention Independence Day & Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (currently in theatres).

Did you attend? What did you think?

PSIFS screening: (500) Days of Summer

Joseph Gordon-Levitt (hey! didn't he direct a film in ShortFest?) & Zooey Deschanel are star-crossed lovers in (500) Days of Summer, a twist on the usual love story.

Screenwriter Scott Neustadter & one of the film's producers will be attending for a post-screening Q&A.

If you attended, what did you think of the film?

Best of the Fest

The votes are being tallied as we head into the final 24 hours of ShortFest films. What great films have you seen, deserving of the honors at tomorrow night's Closing Night Awards Gala?

Lost & Found

If you have lost or found any items at ShortFest, please call our main office to report it: 760-322-2930

Presently, festgoers are missing a Panasonic Lumux camera & reading glasses in a RayBan case. If you have any information, please call the number above.

Gay!La

See Toucan's Gay!La party photos on MetroMix Palm Springs.

Feelin' ShortFest

The first full day of ShortFest screenings went off without a hitch, with fabulous programs filling the day for eager crowds.

At Amazing Animation (to be played again on Sunday), Swiss director Marcel Hobi (Eyelash) & German director Alexander Pohl (Trickster) discussed the complexities of their vastly different techniques and stories.

At Boy Meets Girl Meets Boy, audiences were entertained by directorial behind-the-scenes stories of neuroscience student turned filmmaker Liliana Greenfield-Sanders who wanted to put her medical background to use (Adelaide), the accidental musical of Melvin Montalban (Cupid), the date-almost-gone-wrong pondering of Alyssa McClelland (Emilia Eckle), the feeling of relationship inevitability of Dahlia Devkota (Heartbreak Haiku), the inspiration from an awkward Japanese businessman for Jon Gilbert (Toshi) & Peter Besson's take on love at first sight (True Beauty This Night).

The filmmaker party went into the night at Top of the Chop, with Grant Sputore* (Legacy) bemoaning his learning curve on the buffet (always leave room for meat at a chop house), Tahitian filmmakers (Arioi Women) sharing heavenly-smelling Tahitian gardenias, and Andy Pearson (Souvenirs) kissing the feet of the news bearer who informed him that the Couplehood program was on Rush for Saturday. To top that, his actor promised to wear a Marilyn Monroe dress to the screening if one could be procured. In Palm Springs? I think we can work something out.

*Mr. Sputore would like it to be known that aside from his education at the buffet, he had a brilliant time and his filmmaker needs were exceeded and outshone his carnivorous ones.

Opening Night!

One dead bunny, two new dogs, one questionable carton of milk, one questionable new toy request, one unfortunately missed test, two short-lived love affairs, one future affair riding on a bad introduction, one affair of the mind riding on an eyelash. Welcome to ShortFest & the night's first program!

The sold-out show was followed by a party at Wang's with a great mix of international filmmakers and local film lovers. Forget-Me-Not director Katia Grivot was happy to get over jet lag with an evening of great films, including the distinct French sense of humor expressed in Stop Requested & The Williams. Jeremy Brunjes (Birthdate) & Anna McGrath (Swings and Roundabouts), returning directors from last year's ShortFest, were happy to tell new-to-the-fest filmmakers about their experiences, including Honor filmmakers Jeremy Pommier & Sean Sullivan who were excited to have Palm Springs in their festival circuit.

Aussie director Erin White (FOUR) was happy to be screening her film here, as she explained that American audiences seem to be more appreciative of filmmakers' efforts. Irishman Declan Cassidy (Whatever Turns You On) said that American audiences like a good, straight-forward story without the need for heady subtext, and he promised his film would bring such laughs.

Students from the NYU Tisch School of the Arts Asia took a break from studies in Singapore, including brother/sister filmmakers Jordan Schiele (Double Happiness) & Melanie Schiele (Delilah, Before). Ted Raimi & actress Suzanne Keilly (My Treat) talked about international perspectives and soaked up the lively vibes of fellow filmmakers.

ShortFest is full of great stories, onscreen & off. This is your chance to hear them firsthand!

The World of ShortFest

ShortFest 2009

Countries of attending filmmakers

Other countries represented

© worldmapmaker.com | Travel Insurance

ShortFest 2009 begins!

It's here! ShortFest kicks off tonight with a delicious batch of Short & Sweet Comedies!

Have you planned your fest schedule? Do you have a balance of sticky, sweet & naughty? Are you keeping an eye on the stars?

Are you ready for ShortFest?!

Help Bruce find good shorts!

The Desert Sun's feature reporter extraordinaire Bruce Fessier is taking requests for his ShortFest coverage. He's searching for 6 more films to review from the following 12 (click on the titles for more info):

Ink
Juiced and Jazzed
Kanada
Dog with Electric Collar
Tools 4 Fools
This Life
One of Those Days
1:0
Hove
Streak
Visiting
Broken Time

Help a man out! Comment here & on Bruce's MyDesert.com blog!

Stay on top of The Desert Sun's ShortFest coverage.

ShortFest 2009!

Read all about it here!

• 76 world premieres, 43 N.American premieres & 14 U.S. premieres!

• Star-studded films include directorial debuts by Demi Moore, Courtney Cox-Arquette & Joseph Gordon-Levitt (starring in next month's member screening, 500 Days of Summer)

• Films starring Danny Glover, Alfred Molina, Derek Jacobi

• Opening Night on June 23 highlights short & sweet comedies. Start the fest off right with some good laughs!

Remember, this is a an Academy Award qualifying fest, so expect to see our winners at next year's Oscars!

The full schedule goes online Sunday, June 14!

PSIFS screening: Away We Go

Director Sam Mendes (Revolutionary Road, American Beauty), writers Dave Eggers & Vendela Vida (McSweeney), actors John Krasinski, Maya Rudolph, Allison Janney, Jeff Daniels, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Chris Messina...

What did you think of this tale of two 30-somethings looking for the perfect place to settle down?

Behind the Scenes with casting director David Rubin

David Rubin will discuss his career in casting at the Rancho Mirage Libary tonight.

Come meet the man who introduced Nicole Kidman to America, who gave Marisa Tomei her Oscar-winning role, and who has worked with a variety of directors such as Anthony Minghella, Barry Sonnenfeld, Sydney Pollack, Baz Luhrmann, P.J. Hogan and Christopher Guest, just to name a few.

Did you attend? What did you think?

PSIFS screening: Paper Heart + director Nicholas Jasenovec

Nicholas Jasenovec will be joining us for a special advance screening of Paper Heart on May 28!

The film doesn't hit theatres until August, but our guest has already snagged the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award at Sundance, where the film was also nominated for the Grand Jury Prize.

If you attended, what did you think of the film?

Behind the Scenes with producer John Cameron

Did you meet John Cameron, the producer behind Fargo, The Big Lebowski & Lars and the Real Girl? We had a great turnout with 200 of our closest friends, and it was fun to have such an interactive audience.

What did you think? What did you learn? What's your favorite film of his?

Check out The Desert Sun article.

Behind the Scenes

Better knowledge makes for a better filmgoing experience. Be sure to attend our monthly Behind the Scenes speaker series, and in the meantime read up on the people who help create a movie.

NPR talks to Kokayi Ampah, the location manager who found the big, beautiful tree in Shawshank Redemption, for example.

Natalie Portman launches MakingOf.com, interviewing those in the know. Check out a few:

Director Michel Gondry


Costume Designer Ann Roth


Editor Ryan Brown

Producer John Cameron

We are very excited to present producer John Cameron on Tuesday, May 19 at 7pm as part of our new Behind the Scenes filmmaker speaker series!

Watch his movies (Lars and the Real Girl, O Brother, Where Art Thou?, Rushmore, The Big Lebowski, Fargo, Army of Darkness), bring your questions & learn a little something about the filmmaking biz!

PSIFS screening: The Soloist

Directed by our very own Sonny Bono Visionary Award honoree Joe Wright, The Soloist is based on a true story about LA Times writer Steve Lopez (Robert Downey Jr.) who builds a friendship with a mysterious street musician (Jamie Foxx, who presented Wright's award at the 2008 PSIFF Black Tie Awards Gala). It has been receiving buzz as the spring film to watch.

Read the LA Times series which inspired the film.

What did you think? Is it an early Oscar contender?


FAQs:
• Actor Jamie Foxx was trained for the role by LA Philharmonic cellist Ben Hong who is a friend of Nathaniel Ayers and thus familiar with his style; Alyssa Park trained him for the violin. Hong performed the cello tracks, altering his performance for each stage of Ayers' life.
• Extras were in fact pulled from homeless outreach centers, including the Lamp Community. SAG actors were mixed in when specialized skills were required.

Screenwriter John August

We are very excited to present screenwriter John August on Tuesday, April 14 at 7pm as part of our new Behind the Scenes filmmaker speaker series!

Watch his movies (The Nines, Corpse Bride, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Big Fish, Charlie's Angels, Go), bring your questions & learn a little something about the filmmaking biz!

Catch up with John August on his web site.

PSIFS screening: Is Anybody There?

John Crowley, award‐winning Irish director of Boy A and Intermission, directs his third feature film, Is Anybody There?

In 1980s seaside England, 10‐year‐old Edward's (Bill Milner, young star of last year's PSIFS screening Son of Rambow) parents have turned their house into a retirement home. While his mother struggles to keep the business afloat and his father copes with a midlife crisis, Edward becomes increasingly obsessed with the afterlives of the residents when they die. It's a lonely existence until he meets Clarence (Michael Caine), a retired magician and grieving widower who refuses to gracefully give in to old age. Writer Peter Harness drew from his own experience growing up in a retirement home.

Is Anybody There? was one of the PSIFS April member screenings.
What did you think?

PSIFS wins Best of the Valley!

The Palm Springs International Film Festival won FIRST PLACE as Best Annual Event in Desert Magazine's Best of the Valley contest!

The Palm Springs International ShortFest won Fourth Place!

Catching up with shortfilmmakers

Want proof that filmmakers at June's ShortFest are ones to watch?

IndieWire just posted an article about "Ten Exciting New Voices in Black Cinema," and SEVEN of those have graced Palm Springs:

• Julian Breece - 2008 ShortFest, "The Young & Evil"
"...An audacious film drawing attention to the rise of HIV/AIDS infection among young, gay African-Americans."

• Rashaad Ernesto Green - 2008 ShortFest, "Premature"
"While the mainstream press enthusiastically identifies Tyler Perry as the new voice of black cinema, industry insiders looking for the next Spike Lee are placing their bets on a young NYU student named Rashaad Ernesto Green."

• Khary Jones - 2008 ShortFest, "Hug"
"...One of ten 2009 Sundance Film Festival official selections chosen to screen for free on iTunes during the festival."

• Moon Molson - 2007 ShortFest Panavision Grand Jury Award winner, "Pop Foul"
"Molson was named one of Filmmaker Magazine's 25 New Faces of Independent Film in 2007."

• Roberta Marie Munroe - 2008 ShortFest, "Happy Birthday"
"Named one of Powerup's '10 Amazing Gay Women in Hollywood' and GONYC's '100 Women We Love.' "

• Osbert Parker - 2006 ShortFest, "Film Noir" & 2007 ShortFest, "Yours Truly"
"With Hollywood already courting him to do feature work, Parker is poised to lead his own British invasion."

• Dee Rees - 2008 ShortFest Future Filmmaker Award winner & Best Student Live Action Over 15 Minutes award winner, "Pariah"
"She recently wrapped post-production on Eventual Salvation, her feature documentary on Liberia."

PSIFS screening: American Violet

Dee Roberts (newcomer Nicole Beharie) is a young single mother of four in a small Texas town who is barely making ends meet. When a powerful local district attorney (Michael O'Keefe) leads an extensive drug bust, he sweeps her housing project and charges Dee as a drug dealer. She is forced to plead guilty and go home as a convicted felon or remain in prison and fight the charges.

American Violet was the PSIFS March member screening.
What did you think?

• Read about the woman who inspired the film, Regina Kelly.
• Learn more about fair sentencing and the war on drugs at the film's Web site.

Get yer Cin-E-File!

The latest Cin-E-File has hit the presses!

Read all about it:
• the ShortFest date change to June
• the new Behind the Scenes filmmaker series at Rancho Mirage Public Library (starting with screenwriter John August on April 14!)
• more info on upcoming member screenings

Good film, ready to eat!

Member dish

New year, new films, new(ish) guidelines.

Members can dish it out here!

ShortFest 2009!

Didja hear? ShortFest will be taking place JUNE 23-29, 2009!

Oscar results

The Academy definitely favored the Indian production that could, Slumdog Millionaire. Other winners included Milk for screenplay & Best Actor (Sean Penn), Kate Winslet as Best Actress for The Reader, and Penelope Cruz & Heath Ledger in the supporting acting categories.

Did you notice that "Toyland" won the Best Live Action Short Oscar, after winning the 2008 ShortFest Audience Favorite Live Action Short? And Best Foreign Language Film Oscar winner, Departures, recently won the 2009 PSIFF Mercedes-Benz Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature?

What do you think?

And what do you think of the change in format?
It seemed to target a broader audience by including clips of more popular but non-nominated films and using popular actors, such as the stars from High School Musical.

What did you think of the five previous winners presenting the acting categories?

See full results here.

Checking in with BAFTA

The Brit's big awards show, BAFTA, announced their winners. Slumdog sweeps again!

Slumdog Millionaire: Best Film, Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Adapted Screenplay, Best Music, Best Sound [PSIFS membership screening, star Freida Pinto received the PSIFF Breakthrough Performance Award]
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button: Production Design, Special Visual Effects, Make Up & Hair [PSIFS membership screening]
Hunger: Carl Foreman Award for Best British Director/Writer of First Feature Film [PSIFF entry]
Man on Wire: Best British Film
I've Loved You So Long: Best Non-English Language Film
The Wrestler: Best Actor (Mickey Rourke) [PSIFS membership screening]
The Reader: Best Actress (Kate Winslet)
The Dark Knight: Best Supporting Actor (Heath Ledger)
Vicky Cristina Barcelona: Best Supporting Actress (Penelope Cruz)
The Duchess: Costume Design [PSIFS membership screening]
In Bruge: Original Screenplay
Wall-E: Best Animated Film
Wallace & Gromit - A Matter of Loaf & Death: Best Animated Short
September: Best Short Film
Noel Clarke: Orange Rising Star Awards
Terry Gilliam: Academy Fellowship

Milk auction

A suit ensemble worn by Sean Penn as Harvey Milk in the film, Milk, will be auctioned off to benefit both Variety – The Children's Charity of Southern California and NYC's Hetrick-Martin Institute, home of the Harvey Milk High School. Costume designer Danny Glicker re-created the ensemble worn by Mr. Milk on November 7, 1978 -- the Election Night on which he celebrated the statewide defeat of Proposition 6, which sought to ban gays from teaching in California public schools and to remove known homosexuals and their supporters from their posts.

The Clothes Off Our Back Foundation will host the online auction of Glicker's specially created ensemble as seen in Gus Van Sant's Milk, which is nominated for 8 Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Costume Design. Auction ends February 28.

February Cin-E-File

The latest February Cin-E-File is out!

What did you think of PSIFF 2009?
Did you attend the first-ever Student Screening Day? How was it?
Did you roam the gala's red carpet? Star sightings?
What do you think of the Oscar noms?

Chat it up while we prepare for another year of great film!

Oscar noms straight from PSIFS

THE OSCAR NOMS HAVE BEEN ANNOUNCED

Three of the five nominated Best Foreign Language Films were honored this week at PSIFF 2009:
• Departures - Mercedes-Benz Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature
• Revanche - FIPRESCI Award for Best Foreign Language Film of the Year
• Waltz with Bashir - Bridging the Borders Award
Nominees The Baader Meinhof Complex and The Class also played at the festival.

ShortFest 2008 honored a Best Documentary Short Subject nominee, "The Witness: The View from Room 306," with both the Best Documentary Short & Audience Favorite Documentary Short awards.

"This Way Up" is a Best Animated Short Film nominee and winner of the ShortFest Audience Favorite Animation Short. Nominee "Lavatory - Lovestory" was a ShortFest 2007 entry.

Best Live Action Short Film nominees "Manon on the Asphalt" and "New Boy" were ShortFest 2008 entries, as well as "Toyland" which won the ShortFest Audience Favorite Live Action Short.

Best Documentary nominees Encounters at the End of the World and The Garden were shown at PSIFF 2008 and 2009, respectively.

PSIFF 2009 Black Tie Awards Gala honorees are well represented:
• Career Achievement Award: Clint Eastwood, whose Changeling earned three nominations
• Life Achievement Award in Directing: Ron Howard, who earned a Best Director nom in addition to Frost/Nixon's 4 other noms including Best Picture and Awards Gala presenter Frank Langella for Best Actor
• Sonny Bono Visionary Award: Gus Van Sant, who earned a Best Director nomination for Milk, which earned 8 noms including Best Picture
• Desert Palm Achievement Award – Actor: Sean Penn, a Best Actor nominee for Milk along with Awards Gala presenter Josh Brolin, nominated for Best Supporting Actor
• Desert Palm Achievement Award - Actress: Anne Hathaway, a Best Actress nominee for Rachel Getting Married
• Spotlight Award: Amy Adams, who earned a Best Supporting Actress nom in addition to Doubt's 4 other nominations including Awards Gala presenter John Patrick Shanley for Best Adapted Screenplay
• Ensemble Performance Award: The cast of Revolutionary Road, which earned 3 nominations including Supporting Actor for Michael Shannon
• Breakthrough Performance Award: Freida Pinto in Slumdog Millionaire, which earned 10 Oscar nominations, including Best Picture
• Chairman's Award: Dustin Hoffman, who helped voice Best Animated Film nom Kung Fu Panda
• Frederick Loewe Award for Film Composing: Alexandre Desplat, who earned a Best Score nom in addition to The Curious Case of Benjamin Button's 12 other nominations including Best Picture, including Awards Gala presenter Taraji P. Henson for Best Supporting Actress

The following nominees were Advance Member Screenings:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Defiance, Doubt, The Duchess, Frost/Nixon, Happpy-Go-Lucky, Milk, Revolutionary Road, Slumdog Millionaire and The Wrestler.

Once again, PSIFS proves itself as the place for good film!

PSIFF 2009 Awards

The PSIFF 2009 Awards have been announced & the full Best of the Fest schedule is in.

What do you think?

The final countdown

Here it is -- already the last weekend of PSIFF 2009! Time to watch those films, submit your votes, and wait to see if your fellow filmgoers agree on the Audience Favorites for the Best of the Fest day on Monday.

What have been your favorite films? What's the buzz in line? Which do you think will make the cut?

Oscar shortlist...shorter

The Oscars have whittled down their list of 65 Best Foreign Film nominees to 9 (to be whittled to 5 on Jan.22), and SURPRISE! They're all playing at the Palm Springs International Film Festival!

The Baader Meinhof Complex, Germany
The Class, France
Departures, Japan
Everlasting Moments, Sweden
The Necessities of Life, Canada
Revanche, Austria
Tear This Heart Out, Mexico
Three Monkeys, Turkey
Waltz with Bashir, Israel

Have you seen any of these? Do you plan to?

See the full PSIFF Awards Buzz offerings.

Ready, set, go!

Here we go! Black Tie Awards Gala, Student Screening Day, Opening Night -- bam! bam! bam!

Now the fest kicks into full swing, and it's time to use your blogging power to tell your fellow festgoers what's hot amongst the 209 films offered.

Give and take advice RIGHT HERE, at your very own PSIFF blog. Dish it!

VH1 follows PSIFF's lead

Last night's VH1 Critics' Choice Awards seemed to be a recap of the fabulous Black Tie Awards Gala that kicked off the 20th Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival. Their banquet was filled with stars from the PSIFF Tuesday night gala.

• Slumdog Millionaire nabbed 5 awards -- PSIFF honored the film's star Freida Pinto with the Breakthrough Performance Award.

• Sean Penn won Best Actor for Milk -- PSIFF honored him for the second year in a row, this time with the Desert Palm Achievement Award

• Anne Hathaway won Best Actress for Rachel Getting Married -- PSIFF also honored her with the Desert Palm Achievement Award.

SEE THE PSIFF GALA PHOTOS HERE!