28th Palm Springs International Film Festival

Palm Springs, a desert resort city in California, is indeed filled with palms and surrounded by springs. The local annual film festival was added to its other attractions in 1989 during the reign of Mayor Sonny Bono. The numerous screenings draw big crowds of visitors to the city as well as locals – due to the warm weather the population doubles during the winter.

The festival begins with a glitzy Awards Gala attended by many Hollywood stars. This event kicks off the Awards season each year, but by the time the FIPRESCI jury gets there in the second week of the festival, the stars are mostly gone. However, the festival offers many opportunities to meet filmmakers from all over the world.

As one of the leading film events in the USA, the festival presents a very good documentary section. There are also films by Modern Masters, as well as New Voices/New Visions. The FIPRESCI jury focuses on the films nominated by their country for the Academys’s Best Foreign Film Award. (Yael Shuv)

Palm Springs, a desert resort city in California, is indeed filled with palms and surrounded by springs. The local annual film festival was added to its other attractions in 1989 during the reign of Mayor Sonny Bono. The numerous screenings draw big crowds of visitors to the city as well as locals – due to the warm weather the population doubles during the winter.

The festival begins with a glitzy Awards Gala attended by many Hollywood stars. This event kicks off the Awards season each year, but by the time the FIPRESCI jury gets there in the second week of the festival, the stars are mostly gone. However, the festival offers many opportunities to meet filmmakers from all over the world.

As one of the leading film events in the USA, the festival presents a very good documentary section. There are also films by Modern Masters, as well as New Voices/New Visions. The FIPRESCI jury focuses on the films nominated by their country for the Academy’s Best Foreign Film Award. (Yael Shuv)

“International Critics’ Prize (FIPRESCI Prize) for the Best Foreign Language Film of the Year (2016).

At the 28th “Palm Springs International Film Festival” (PSIFF), we presented the “International Critics’ Prize (FIPRESCI Prize) for the Best Foreign Language Film of the Year (2016).” The jury focused on the films submitted to the Best Foreign Language Film category of the Academy Awards and selected Maren Ade’s “Toni Erdmann” – “for its originality, human complexity and unique tonal orchestration that seems natural and uncalculated. It is also an observant look at corporate culture carried by two wonderful performances”.

Additionally, the jury presented prizes for the best actress/actor: Best Actress: Isabelle Huppert for “Elle” – Huppert gives depth and humanity to a complex and conflicted character in a challenging, unorthodox film. Her intelligence, self-assurance, and gift for conveying rich emotional tones have never been more strikingly displayed. Best Actor: Gael Garcia Bernal for “Neruda” – Bernal’s performance is the heart of the film’s tonal shifts, infusing the historical drama with the very poetry of its subject matter”.

Festival: www.psfilmfest.org