EMBARGOED UNTIL 10AM TUESDAY
The 2022 Palm Springs International Film Festival will open on Jan. 7 with a screening of the documentary “Dionne Warwick: Don’t Make Me Over” and close nine days later with Roger Michell’s “The Duke,” PSIFF organizers announced on Tuesday.
In between, the festival will screen 129 films from 70 countries, including 36 of the 93 submissions in the Oscars’ Best International Feature Film category. It will also feature “Talking Pictures” programs in which guests including director Jane Campion, writer William Monahan and actors Kristen Stewart, Andrew Garfield, Clifton Collins Jr. and Jennifer Hudson will be on hand to screen and talk about their films.
The 33-year-old festival will return to the desert resort town east of Los Angeles after the COVID-19 pandemic forced it to cancel the 2021 event. Its Jan. 7 opening night will be preceded by its annual Palm Springs Film Awards Gala, with honorees who include Campion, Garfield, Hudson, Stewart, Jessica Chastain, Penelope Cruz, the cast of “King Richard” and director Kenneth Branagh and the cast of “Belfast.”
The festival’s Awards Buzz section will consist of almost three dozen Oscar international entries, among them Japan’s “Drive My Car,” Denmark’s “Flee,” Italy’s “The Hand of God,” Iran’s “A Hero,” Germany’s “I’m Your Man,” France’s “Titane” and Norway’s “The Worst Person in the World.”
The Talking Pictures program will feature screenings of “Jockey,” “The Power of the Dog,” “Respect,” “Spencer,” “The Tender Bar” and “Tick, tick… BOOM!” with special guests.
Modern Masters will consist of seven films from international directors and will include U.S. premieres of Terence Davies’ “Benediction,” Ildiko Enyedi’s “The Story of My Wife” and Barry Levinson’s “The Survivor.”
New Voices New Visions will focus on first- and second-time directors, inckuding Megan Park (“The Fallout”), Audrey Diwan (“Happening”) and Amil Shivji (“Tug of War”).
The True Stories section will be made up of 15 documentaries, among them Stefan Forbes’ “Hold Your Fire,” Giedre Zickyte’s “The Jump” and Emily Kunstler and Sarah Kunstler’s “Who We Are: A Chronicle of Racism in America.”
Other sections will focus on Latin American and Latinx films, LGBTQ cinema, films about music, movies that celebrate movies, international cinema and films spotlighting the Palm Springs area. Four of the festival’s selections, all documentaries, will be world premieres: Frank Marshall and Ryan Suffern’s “Jazz Fest,” Daniel Raim’s “Fiddler’s Journey to the Big Screen,” Loch Phillipps’ “Utica: The Last Refuge” and Luis Reyes’ “Pepe Serna: Life Is Art.”
Because of the pandemic, patrons will be required to show proof of full vaccination, and to remain masked in the theaters. Capacity in those theaters will be limited to 75%.
There is the full lineup. Additional information is available at www.psfilmfest.org.
OPENING AND CLOSING SCREENINGS
Opening night: Dionne Warwick: Don’t Make Me Over Directors Dave Wooley and David Heilbroner
Closing night: The Duke Director Roger Michell
AWARDS BUZZ – BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM SUBMISSIONS
Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn (Romania), Director Radu Jude
Brighton 4th (Georgia), Director Levan Koguashvili
Casablanca Beats (Morocco), Director Nabil Ayouch
Clara Sola (Costa Rica), Director Nathalie Alvárez Mesén
Compartment No. 6 (Finland), Director Juho Kuosmanen
Costa Brava, Lebanon (Lebanon), Director Mounia Akl
Drive My Car (Japan), Director Ryûsuke Hamaguchi
Drunken Birds (Canada), Director Ivan Grbovic
Escape from Mogadishu (South Korea), Director Ryoo Seung-wan
The Falls (Taiwan), Director Chung Mong-hong (U.S. Premiere)
Fear (Bulgaria), Director Ivaylo Hristov
Flee (Denmark), Director Jonas Poher Rasmussen
The Good Boss (Spain), Director Fernando León de Aranoa
The Gravedigger’s Wife (Somalia), Director Khadar Ayderus Ahmed
Great Freedom (Austria), Director Sebastian Meise
The Hand of God (Italy), Director Paolo Sorrentino
A Hero (Iran), Director Asghar Farhadi
Hive (Kosovo), Director Blerta Basholli
I’m Your Man (Germany), Director Maria Schrader
Lamb (Iceland) Director Vladimar Jóhannsson
Leave No Traces (Poland), Director Jan P. Matuszyński
Let It Be Morning (Israel), Director Eran Kolirin
Lingui, the Sacred Bonds (Chad), Director Mahamat-Saleh Haroun
Memoria (Colombia), Director Apichatpong Weerasethakul
Olga (Switzerland), Director Elie Grappe
On the Water (Estonia), Director Peeter Simm (International Premiere)
Playground (Belgium), Director Laura Wandel (U.S. Premiere)
Prayers for the Stolen (Mexico), Director Tatiana Huezo
Rehana Maryam Noor (Bangladesh), Director Abdullah Mohammad Saad (U.S. Premiere)
Shambala (Kyrgyzstan), Director Artykpai Suyundukov
Tigers (Sweden), Director Ronnie Sandahl (North American Premiere)
Titane (France), Director Julia Ducournau
Unclenching the Fists (Russia), Director Kira Kovalenko
The Worst Person in the World (Norway), Director Joachim Trier
Yuni (Indonesia), Director Kamila Andini
Zátopek (Czech Republic), Director David Ondříček (North American Premiere)
TALKING PICTURES & BOOK TO SCREEN
Jockey (USA)with actor Clifton Collins, Jr.
The Power of the Dog (Australia/New Zealand/UK/USA/Canada) with director Jane Campion
Respect (USA) with actress Jennifer Hudson
Spencer (UK/Germany) with actress Kristen Stewart
The Tender Bar (USA)with screenwriter William Monahan
Tick, Tick…Boom! (USA)with actor Andrew Garfield
MODERN MASTERS
Benediction (UK/USA), Director Terence Davies (U.S. Premiere)
One Second (China), Director Zhang Yimou
The Pact (Denmark), Director Bille August
Parallel Mothers (Spain), Director Pedro Almodóvar
Petite Maman (France), Director Céline Sciamma
The Story of My Wife (Hungary/Germany/Italy/France), Director Ildikó Enyedi (U.S. Premiere)
The Survivor (USA/Canada/Hungary), Director Barry Levinson (U.S. Premiere)
NEW VOICES NEW VISIONS
The Fallout (USA), Director Megan Park
Farha (Jordan/Sweden, Saudi Arabia), Director Darin J. Sallam (U.S. Premiere)
Happening (France), Director Audrey Diwan
Out of Sync (Spain/Lithuania/France), Director Juanjo Giménez (U.S. Premiere)
Paka (River of Blood) (India), Director Nithin Lukose (U.S. Premiere)
Queen of Glory (USA), Director Nana Mensah
Small Body (Italy/France/Slovenia), Director Laura Samani (U.S. Premiere)
Tug of War (Tanzania/South Africa/Germany/Qatar), Director Amil Shivji (U.S. Premiere)
Wildhood (Canada/Germany), Director Bretten Hannam
TRUE STORIES
7 Lives, 7 Lakes (Spain), Director Víctor Escribano (U.S. Premiere)
The Automat (USA), Director Lisa Hurwitz
Blind Ambition (Australia/Zimbabwe), Director Robert Coe, Warwick Ross
The Caviar Connection (France), Director Benoît Bringer
Daughter of a Lost Bird (USA), Director Brooke Pepion Swaney
The First 54 Years (Israel/France/Finland/Germany), Director Avi Mograbi
Gemmel & Tim (USA), Director Michiel Thomas
Hold Your Fire (USA), Director Stefan Forbes
The Jump (Lithuania/Latvia/France/Germany/USA), Director Giedrė Žickytė
Messwood (USA), Director Emily Kuester, Brad Lichtenstein
Mission: Joy – Finding Happiness in Troubled Times (USA), Director Louie Psihoyos, Peggy Callahan
Radiograph of a Family (Iran/Switzerland/Norway), Director Firouzeh Khosrovani
Three Minutes – A Lengthening (Netherlands/UK), Director Bianca Stigter
Utica: The Last Refuge (USA), Director Loch Phillipps (World Premiere)
Who We Are: A Chronicle of Racism in America (USA),Director Emily Kunstler, Sarah Kunstler
CINE LATINO
The Best Families (Peru/Colombia), Director Javier Fuentes-León
The Box (USA/Mexico), Director Lorenzo Vigas (U.S. Premiere/unconfirmed)
Medusa (Brazil/USA), Director Anita Rocha da Silveria
My Brothers Dream Awake (Chile), Director Claudia Huaiquimilla
The Other Tom (Mexico/USA), Director Rodrigo Plá, Laura Santullo
Sundown (Mexico/France/Sweden), Director Michel Franco
QUEER CINEMA TODAY & THE GAYLA
Gayla! screening – Boulevard! A Hollywood Story (USA), Director Jeffrey Schwarz
Love, Spells and All That (Turkey/Germany), Director Ümit Ünal
Moneyboys (Austria/Taiwan/France/Belgium), Director C.B. Yi
No Straight Lines: The Rise of Queer Comics (USA), Director Vivian Kleiman
The Swimmer (Israel), Director Adam Kalderon (U.S. Premiere)
Gayla! screening – Sweetheart (UK), Director Marley Morrison
Valentina (Brazil), Director Cássio Pereira dos Santos
SOUNDTRACK – MUSIC ON FILM
Bernstein’s Wall (USA), Director Douglas Tirola
Born in Chicago (USA), Director Bob Sarles, John Anderson
Invisible: Gay Women in Southern Music (USA), Director T.J. Parsell
Jazz Fest (USA), Director Frank Marshall, Ryan Suffern (World Premiere)
Oscar Peterson: Black + White (Canada), Director Barry Avrich (U.S. Premiere)
THE BIG SCREEN – MOVIES CELEBRATING MOVIES
Alien on Stage (UK), Director Danielle Kummer, Lucy Harvey
Claydream (USA), Director Marq Evans
Exposing Muybridge (USA/UK), Director Marc Shaffer
Fiddler’s Journey to the Big Screen (USA), Director Daniel Raim (World Premiere)
Last Film Show (India/France/USA), Director Pan Nalin
The Story of Film: A New Generation (UK), Director Mark Cousins
WORLD CINEMA NOW
Anaïs In Love (France), Director Charline Bourgeois-Tacquet (North American Premiere)
Any Day Now (Finland), Director Hamy Ramezan
Back Then (Poland), Director Kinga Debska
Ballad of a White Cow (Iran/France), Director Behtash Sanaeeha, Maryam Moghaddam
Brother’s Keeper (Turkey/Romania), Director Ferit Karahan
The Crossing (France/Czech Republic/Germany), Director Florence Miailhe
The Drover’s Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson (Australia)
The Great Indian Kitchen (India), Director Jeo Baby (U.S. Premiere)
Greener Pastures (Israel), Director Matan Guggenheim, Assaf Abiri (International Premiere)
Haute Couture (France), Director Sylvie Ohayon
Hinterland (Austria/Luxembourg), Director Stefan Ruzowitzky (North American Premiere)
Juniper (New Zealand), Director Matthew J. Saville (U.S. Premiere)
The Judgement (Netherlands), Director Sander Burger
Mothering Sunday (UK), Director Eva Husson
My Sunny Maad (Czech Republic/France/Slovakia), Director Michaela Pavlátová (North American Premiere)
Neighbours (Switzerland/France), Director Mano Khalil
Nowhere Special (UK/Italy/Romania), Director Uberto Pasolini (U.S. Premiere)
The Phantom of the Open (UK), Director Craig Roberts (U.S. Premiere)
The Rapist (India), Director Aparna Sen (North American Premiere)
Redemption of a Rogue (Ireland), Director Philip Doherty
Run Woman Run (Canada), Director Zoe Leigh Hopkins (The festival will host a free community screening.)
Scarecrow (Russia/UK), Director Dmitrii Davydov (North American Premiere)
Secret Name (France), Director Aurélia Georges
Shankar’s Fairies (India/Hong Kong), Director Irfana Majumdar
True Things (UK), Director Harry Wootliff (U.S. Premiere)
LOCAL SPOTLIGHT
Desert X 2021 – The Film (USA/Ghana/Germany/Mexico/Saudi Arabia/Colombia/UK/Guatemala), Director Dylan Robertson
Invisible Valley (USA), Director Aaron Maurer
Miracle in the Desert: The Rise and Fall of the Salton Sea (USA), Director Greg Bassenian
My Name Is Lopez (USA), Director P. David Ebersole, Todd Hughes
Pepe Serna: Life is Art (USA), Director Luis Reyes (World Premiere)