Harold Matzner, the Palm Springs-area businessman, philanthropist and celebrated patron of the arts credited with turning the Palm Springs International Film Festival into a major force in Hollywood, died Thursday following a brief illness. He was 88.
The longtime chairman of PSIFF, he was a Palm Springs resident for 40 years, and his contributions to the city and its cultural and artistic scene earned him the nickname “Mr. Palm Springs.”
Born July 4, 1937 in Newark New Jersey, Matzner’s childhood was defined by the privations of the Great Depression and World War II years. Working in his father’s print shop, he also held a range of jobs growing up; briefly working as a sports journalist in his early adulthood, he soon turned to marketing, where he would begin to earn his fortune.
Early on he founded CBA Industries, a direct-mail advertising pioneer serving New York and New Jersey that is still a national leader in the field to this day. Matzner served as the company’s CEO well into his 80s.
He first fell in love with Palm Springs in 1985, moving there and in short order becoming known for his enthusiastic involvement in the community and philanthropic work.
Among the recipients of that work were Eisenhower Health, DAP Health, the Barbara Sinatra Children’s Center, The Living Desert Zoo & Gardens, the McCallum Theatre, the Palm Springs Art Museum, FIND Food Bank, Jewish Family Services of the Desert, the LGBTQ Community Center of the Desert, and Equality California.
He also helped build local institutions such as the Palm Springs Tennis Club, which he joined in 1997 and after becoming chairman helped to grow the organization from only 44 members to more than 500 today. He turned the club’s lunchroom into the well regarded restaurant Spencer’s at the Mountain, named for his beloved dog, and took no salary for these endeavors, instead donating the proceeds to charity.
Matzner served on nonprofits, worked to encourage others to give, and became a local icon known for wearing a black shirt, colorful tie and sneakers at civic events, fundraisers and other such events.
In 1999, the Palm Springs International Film Festival had fallen on hard times and was on the verge of collapsing. Matzner rescued the organization with a donation of his own money and stepped in as its new chairman, a position he held until his death. Under his leadership, the festival became a prominent part of Awards Season festivities, best known for showcasing international films. Over the decades he led PSIFF, Matzner donated more than $12 million of his own money to the organization.
PSIFF also became a destination for stars such as Meryl Streep, Cate Blanchett, and Denzel Washington to Steven Spielberg, George Clooney, and Timothée Chalamet.
Matzner was honored with the Horatio Alger Award, the Richard M. Milanovich Humanitarian Award, and the Association of Fundraising Professionals’ Philanthropist of the Year Award. The General Patton Memorial Museum dedicated the Matzner Tank Pavilion in his honor in 2017, and the McCallum Theatre celebrated his decade of service as chairman with a rare distinction for gifts exceeding $5 million.
He also has a star on the Palm Springs Walk of the Stars at the base of the statue dedicated to his close friend and PSIFF founder, former Palm Springs Mayor Sonny Bono.
Matzner is survived by his partner Shellie Reade, his son, Devin, his daughter, Laura, his grandchildren, Elizabeth and Emily, his nephew, Jason, and his two Cavalier King Charles spaniels, Little Guy and Doc.
Memorial services will be announced at a later date. In lieu of flowers, Matzner’s family asks people to donate to the charity of their choice to continue his spirit of giving.
