Palm Springs International Film Society

Move on down to Facebook

2009-10-02T10:19:00.000-07:00

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

2009-09-21T11:24:00.000-07:00

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

2009-09-01T23:28:00.001-07:00

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

2009-08-07T10:08:00.000-07:00

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

2009-08-05T00:42:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-21T09:40:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-14T09:42:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-08T12:15:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-27T17:42:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-27T13:12:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-26T10:28:00.000-07:00

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

Feelin' ShortFest

2009-06-25T09:00:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-06-24T09:15:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-23T12:26:00.000-07:00

ShortFest 2009

Countries of attending filmmakers

Other countries represented

ShortFest 2009 begins!

2009-06-23T09:37:00.001-07:00

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!

2009-06-17T09:12:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-06-11T09:26:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-10T21:54:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-09T14:00:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-27T14:17:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-20T08:25:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-08T13:57:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-05T15:05:00.000-07:00

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

2009-04-21T16:58:00.000-07:00

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

2009-04-13T15:52:00.000-07:00

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.