Returning for a 35th edition, the Palm Springs International Film Festival will once again put the Coachella Valley at the center of the cinematic world. Nearly 200 films will be shown at six different venues—and then there’s the star-studded Film Awards ceremony, this year honoring Martin Scorsese, Leonardo DiCaprio, Emma Stone, Billie Eilish and many others. It all takes place from Thursday, Jan. 4, through Monday, Jan. 15.
During a recent interview with Lili Rodriguez, the festival’s artistic director, she said films are added to the lineup up until the last moment.
“When the announcement first went out, I think we were at 176 (films),” Rodriguez said. “We’re always adding things if the right film presents itself, if the right guest presents itself. … People should keep checking the website or keep checking in with the festival over social, because we’re always adding fun little things. We’re at 180 (films) right now, with maybe more to come.”
There are many celebratory aspects of this year’s festival. Not only is this the first year since 2020 that there will be no pandemic-related restrictions; a special selection of films that premiered in the festival’s first year are being shown.
“This is the 35th edition of the festival, so we wanted to look back a little bit and celebrate,” Rodriguez said. “The first edition happened in 1990, so we thought it’d be fun to bring some of those 1990 hits. … It’s three iconic films that I’ve never seen on the big screen, and I’m excited. I’m going see if I can sneak out (to see these films). I don’t know if it’s something that will continue in the future, but we do have a lot more retros than we have had.”
The PSIFF often focuses on films that are part of the festival/awards circuit, but this year’s edition features a broader variety—including a focus on South Korean filmmakers.
“In our South Korean focus, we have a few films that were part of this festival circuit—so new films, including Concrete Utopia, which is the submission to the Oscars—but it’s also a selection of programmers’ picks,” said Rodriguez. “… We’re doing 15 retros total.”
In this streaming era, there’s still magic in seeing a film on a big screen, with big sound, in a room full of other people.
“Festivals can be gateways into new cinema,” Rodriguez said. “It’s not just about what’s new, but it’s also learning about film and history. … I really like looking back and highlighting works that maybe have gotten under-seen by some of our audiences, and giving them a new audience. Even if you’ve seen the films, what a pleasure it is to watch them on the big screen again and revisit them that way. We have one in our South Korean focus that is screening in 35 millimeters. We’re doing Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter … and Spring from Kim Ki-duk. When do you get a chance to watch something on 35 in the desert anymore?”
Rodriguez shared her personal pick for the South Korean focus.
“My pick was Memories of Murder from Bong Joon-ho,” Rodriguez said. “It’s one of my favorite films of all time, and it’s a famous film. It’s not a little hidden gem by any means, but I’ve never seen it on a big screen, so selfishly, I thought that this needs to be seen on the big screen. … When am I going to have the chance here in the desert to watch that with other people? At our member preview, which is an event we do right after the lineup goes out … I brought up Memories of Murder, and I asked people if anyone had seen it. I didn’t see a lot of hands go up. We were less interested in finding something that people haven’t seen, and more interested in highlighting the things that we love because personally. We think they’re great, and wouldn’t we love to watch them on the big screen? That was our angle.”
Another unique programming highlight is a focus on filmmaker James Ivory, who partnered with producer Ismail Merchant to create Merchant Ivory Productions, which produced 44 films between 1961 and 2005.
“Before we decided to do a little mini-focus, we had a film, a new documentary, directed by Stephen Soucy,” Rodriguez said. “I didn’t know this when we selected the film, but he’s a local, and he made this wonderful film about the Merchant and Ivory relationship and the films that they made together. We selected the film for the festival just like we would, and then this idea of a mini-spotlight came up. … It was just curated by (Ivory). He unfortunately isn’t going to come to the festival, but before all of the older titles, there’ll be a Palm Springs-exclusive intro from James Ivory about the film, so that’s exciting.”
PSIFF always includes local works. This year, the local spotlight is on Amongst the Trees by directors Trent Ubben and Jack Jensen, as well as The Green Desert by director Leo Zahn. Even more local love is being shown via the world premiere of Miller’s Girl: The film’s star is Palm Desert’s very own Jenna Ortega, the Wednesday phenomenon who will return to the Coachella Valley for the festival.
“It’s not a local film, but she’s homegrown, and we love her,” Rodriguez said. “We were thrilled to have the opportunity to be the world premiere for this. It’ll be a “Talking Picture,” so she, (co-star) Martin Freeman and the director, Jade Bartlett, are doing a Q&A. It’s really exciting. It’s very grown-up. It’s a different character, but she’s so good. She’s just such a talent, and I can’t wait to see what else she does.”
Festival organizers want to spread a love for movies to all ages—hence the inaugural Family Day, from noon to 4 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 14, at the Mary Pickford Is D’Place Theatre.
“On the last Sunday of the festival, we’re showing four films (at Family Day),” Rodriguez said. “Three of them have been out—the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, (Spider-Man: Across the) Spider-Verse and Flamin’ Hot. There’s going to be a Hot Cheeto bar with Flamin’ Hot. Eva Longoria is going to be there with the film, so we’re going to do a Q&A and eat Hot Cheetos with her. Then we have Dancing Queen, as we wanted to throw in an international title. It’s Norwegian and for kids, a really sweet coming-of-age film.”
The Palm Springs International Film Festival takes place from Thursday, Jan. 4, through Monday, Jan. 15. General admission tickets to single films are $15. For a complete schedule and more information, visit psfilmfest.org.