PRESS RELEASE
The 20th Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival has announced a roster of 210 films, culled from 73 countries for the 2009 Festival. The selection of films for screening includes a total of 77 premieres (14 World, 48 U.S. and 16 North American). Also, 50 of the 67 films submitted for consideration in the Best Foreign Language Film category for the Academy Awards will be screened at this year's Festival, held from January 8-19, 2009. (Complete list of this year's films)
"Over the course of its first 19 years, this Festival has always celebrated creative expression and embraced a diversity of visions and viewpoints," said Festival Director Darryl Macdonald. "Happily, we are reaching our 20th anniversary milestone at a time when a new generation of filmmaking talent is making its debut on the world stage, with about one-third of this year's film selections by first or second-time directors. Just as this year's line-up brings the promise of new voices to infuse the cinema with a renewal of its creative energy, the Festival itself is undergoing a reincarnation of sorts, with new staff, a fresh sense of purpose where the industry is concerned, and a clear eye to the future of the art form."
Director of Programming Helen du Toit, who was appointed to the position earlier this year, commented, "This year's PSIFF lineup reflects a new direction for us. It's a leaner, more focused selection of international gems, with more space devoted to independent American productions, documentaries and new film and talent discoveries from around the globe."
GALA SCREENINGS
The Festival will open on Thursday, January 8 with the screening of Last Chance Harvey (USA) at the Palm Springs High School, followed by a reception at the Palm Springs Art Museum. Directed by Joel Hopkins, the film tells the story of a struggling New York jingle writer and a lonely British bureaucrat who meet in London and transform one another's lives. Last Chance Harvey stars Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson who each received a Golden Globe nomination (for Best Actor and Best Actress in the Music or Comedy category) for their performances in the film.
In addition to the Opening Night Gala, the Festival will hold four international galas, a series of special screenings celebrating Festival programming showcases including:
- 20th Anniversary Gala: $5 a Day (USA)–Marking its U.S. premiere, the film is a tale of a son forced to reunite with his con-artist father during a cross-country odyssey. Directed by Nigel Cole, the film stars Christopher Walken, Allesandro Nivolo, Amanda Peet and Sharon Stone.
- Gala: Alien Trespass (USA) – A world premiere, directed by R.W. Goodwin and starring Eric McCormack, Jenni Baird, Dan Lauria and Robert Patrick. Set in 1957, a fiery object from space hurtles into a California desert mountaintop. A murderous creature — the Ghota, bent on destroying all life forms on the planet — escapes from the flying saucer. A benevolent alien, Urp, inhabits the body of Ted Lewis (Eric McCormack), a local astronomer, and with the help of Tammy, a waitress from the local diner, sets out to save mankind.
- The Gay!La: Chef’s Special (Spain) – Directed by Nacho Velilla, a cook ditches dreams of Michelin stardom to manage a small barrio eatery. Javier Cámara, Lola Dueñas, Fernando Terjero and Benjamin Vicuña star.
- Closing Night Film: The Burning Plain (USA)– A U.S. premiere and directorial debut of award-winning screenwriter Guillermo Arriaga (Amores Perros), is the layered story of a self-destructive woman and two intertwined families. The film stars Charlize Theron, Kim Basinger, Jennifer Lawrence and Joaquim de Almeida.