THE 30TH PALM SPRINGS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL JANUARY 3-14, 2019 WELCOME Board of Directors ...................................................... Chairman .................................................................. Artistic Director .......................................................... Mayor ....................................................................... Community ................................................................ Agua Caliente ............................................................
4 5 6 7 8 9
FESTIVAL AT A GLANCE Map .........................................................................11 Ticket & Festival Info .................................................12 Outreach Programs ...................................................14 Student Screening Day ..............................................15 Sponsors ..................................................................17 Programming Team ...................................................29 Festival Awards .........................................................30 Festival Staff ...........................................................190
PROGRAMS Focus On France ......................................................73 Focus On India .........................................................78 Focus On Mexico ......................................................82 Modern Masters Masters........................................................88 FLOS: Foreign Language Oscar ® Submissions ........... 96 Queer Cinema Today ...............................................119 New Jewish Stories .................................................128 World Cinema Now .................................................135 True Stories ............................................................166 The Palm Springs Canon .........................................179
GALAS & SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS Opening Night ..........................................................45 Closing Night ............................................................47 Gay!LA .....................................................................49 Dinner and a Movie ...................................................51 Local Spotlight .........................................................54 Talking Pictures .........................................................56
SCHEDULE AT-A-GLANCE ...............................205 FILM INDEX BY TITLE .......................................208 PSFILMFEST.ORG 1
WELCOME/GLANCE
WELCOME/GLANCE
PSFILMFEST.ORG 3
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
DAVID BARON
HELENE GALEN
JACK GRUNDHOFER
JAMES R. HOUSTON
MARY ANN LABAHN
PATRICK MUNDT
JOHN PINKNEY
Vice Chair, Treasurer
MARSHALL GELFAND Assistant Treasurer
Vice Chair
Chair of Education Committee
Vice Chair
Assistant Secretary
Vice Chair in Memoriam
JOANN MCGRATH
KEVIN MCGUIRE
RICHARD RAMHOFF
DAVID H. READY, ESQ., PH.D
Vice Chair
Assistant Secretary
Executive Board Member
STEPHEN BREIMER
JIM BRUNER
JACI FITZSIMONDS
Vice Chair
SIDNEY CRAIG Secretary
JAN SALTA
Executive Board Member
Executive Board Member
MICHAEL CHILDERS
BOB DEVILLE
ROBERT DICKEY
FRITZ FRAUCHIGER
ERIC GARNER
PATRICIA GRUNDHOFER
GARY D. HALL
WENDY HOPE-HECKMANN
CAROL KAPLAN
TERRI KETOVER
GARRY KIEF
MICHELLE KRANS
DONNA MACMILLAN
PETER MAHLER
TRISTAN MILANOVICH
LEE MORCUS
MURIEL MYERSON
LINDA SHIRVANIAN
DOMINIQUE SHWE
ELLEN SNEIDER
JUDY VOSSLER
SCOTT WHITE
BOARD MEMBERS
4 PSFILMFEST.ORG
LETTER FROM THE FESTIVAL CHAIRMAN
On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Palm Springs International Film Society, welcome to the 30th Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival and Film Awards Gala. It’s just unbelievable how this festival has grown since Sonny Bono conceived it as a means to attract visitors to the city he served as its directly elected mayor. Sonny is the namesake of our gala’s Visionary Award, but I doubt if even he could have imagined the magnitude of stars we’ve brought to Palm Springs since his unfortunate death in 1998. From Clint Eastwood to Meryl Streep, George Clooney to Julia Roberts, just about every major star in Hollywood has walked down our red carpet. The roster of honorees at this year’s gala, January 3 at the Palm Springs Convention Center, includes Bradley Cooper, Glenn Close, Rami Malek, Mahershala Ali, Viggo Mortenson, Amy Adams, Christian Bale and Melissa McCarthy, to name just half of our glittering assemblage. Director Alfonso Cuarón of Mexico will receive the Sonny Bono Visionary Award for his inventive work on the Spanish-language film, Roma. I want to thank our presenting sponsor, American Express; our title sponsor, the city of Palm Springs; and our host Mary Hart and Entertainment Tonight, for helping to make this evening wonderful. My friend and fellow avid Dodgers' fan, Mary Hart, will once again emcee our evening and interview stars for some incredibly valuable national coverage on Entertainment Tonight. Our major sponsors are aided and abetted by our stellar team of individual underwriters, including Helene Galen, Donna MacMillan, JoAnn McGrath, Jack and Patricia Grundhofer, Arlene and Jordan Schnitzer and myself. Our entire board of directors donates more than $1 million annually to this endeavor. And we’ll never forget our friend and major donor, James Houston, who passed away last year after helping to launch and operate our gala with his late wife, Jackie Lee Houston, for more than a decade. The Film Awards Gala will raise about $2.5 million for our nonprofit organization, which will use that money for film festival operations and educational programs, including the Palm Springs International ShortFest presented each June for emerging filmmakers. More than 2,500 guests are expected for the gala, which is kept moving at a fast pace by our producer, Richard DeSantis. The stars speak from their hearts, most often without scripts, and without the intimidation of television cameras. Sonny would be very proud of what his dream has become. We attract every nationally and internationally syndicated entertainment TV show in America. Trade publications and daily newspapers from throughout the United States vie for space on our red carpet. Every major studio is represented in our massive ballroom to support films contending for Academy Awards®. There’s no better place for a film executive to be with voting for Oscar® nominations starting four days after the gala. But this event is not just an industry festival, like the ones in Telluride, Colorado, and Park City, Utah. Fans may line up across the street from the red carpet and get autographs or have their pictures taken with stars who generously wade into the crowds to accommodate everyone waving at them with pens and pads of paper. Then the movie-going experience really begins. We will present roughly 520 screenings of more than 200 films from 78 countries through January 14, when we’ll re-screen movies selected at Best of the Fest. And don’t be in too big of a hurry to get to the next film. The Palm Springs International Film Festival is known around the world for the intelligent questions asked by its filmgoers at Q&As. This event is not just one of the three biggest film festivals in North America, it’s one of the most respected. We regularly screen all or nearly all of the 10 Oscar-submitted films on the Best Foreign Language Film Shortlist. And there are the parties that go well into the night. The international consulates like to call them networking opportunities, but they’re just plain fun for filmmakers and filmgoers alike. More than anything else, we want this 30th Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival to be fun for you, our festival attendees. Sincerely,
Harold Matzner PSFILMFEST.ORG 5
LETTER FROM THE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
I’m not gonna lie - 30 years feels like quite a huge history to be inheriting, so I consider myself incredibly lucky, not only to be selected for this job at this time, but to have two years practice before we got to this big milestone. How do you begin preparing for such an occasion? The first part was easy. We’ve been blessed with another great year of films, one that makes us look good just by giving us great selections to choose from for you. Past that, we’ve tried to cook a few extra goodies to celebrate. We’re inaugurating two new sections. The best Jewish and LGBTQ cinema of the year have always been staples of our programming, but being able to highlight them and shape the conversations around a block of films as a whole is one of the pleasures of being a curator. Both of these areas of cinema become richer by the minute and I feel like there will be a lot to talk about this year’s program. Additionally, following the sad passing of prolific actor and magician Ricky Jay, we’ve created an award that embodies the spirits of storytelling that he and his collaborators employed time and time again. Known for rolls in the work of greats like David Mamet, Paul Thomas Anderson, and Rian Johnson, among many others, Jay was a master of his craft. And we’ve cracked open our old program guides and dug up prints of some of our biggest hits throughout the years, bringing them free of charge back to the community in one massive retrospective as our birthday present. These thirty films paint a vivid portrait of our progression throughout the years, alongside some of the greatest artists to ever create for the silver screen. I know I’m biased, but I truly think we have one of the best programming teams in the world. Every year, I continue to learn from and be amazed by the work of Director of Programming Lili Rodriguez, Lead Programmer David Ansen, Senior Programmer Alissa Simon, Programmers Hebe Tebachnik and Therese Hayes and Programming Assistant Jessica Eskelin. They are real superstars and I’m so proud to work with them to make this massive event happen. Finally, I’d like to take this opportunity to welcome the latest member of our programming team, Jane Schoettle. Fresh from her continued work at the Toronto International Film Festival, Jane brings her breadth of experience, biting wit and unflailing warmth to our group and we’re lucky to have her. I hope you all get to meet her over the course of the next twelve days. That’s all for me. As usual, take chances, see as much as you can, stop and say hi if you see us. We’re excited to share it with you. See you at the movies,
Michael Lerman Artistic Director
6 PSFILMFEST.ORG
LETTER FROM THE MAYOR OF PALM SPRINGS
Welcome Fellow Film Lovers! As Mayor of Palm Springs, I want to welcome you to the 30th Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival, one of the largest and most respected film festivals in North America. Every year we are honored to host many wonderful and exciting events in our beautiful city, but we are particularly proud to be the Title Sponsor and host city of the Palm Springs International Film Festival, founded by the late Palm Springs Mayor Sonny Bono. This year the festival will attract over 130,000 movie goers, just like you, who come to enjoy more than 200 quality films created by film makers from over 75 countries. Not only will you be able to experience the very best in cinema, you will also be able to enjoy all the wonderful attractions that Palm Springs has to offer, including beautiful weather, breathtaking scenery, vibrant restaurants, iconic architecture, a wide array of comfortable hotels and inns, and an exciting night life. A special thanks to the Film Festival’s board members, staff, management, visionaries, and the many businesses and volunteers who work so hard to make the Palm Springs International Film Festival such a resounding success every year. If you are like me, a real movie lover, you are ready to pick your favorite movies, settle back into your seat in one of our many comfortable film venues, and prepare to enjoy some of the finest films in the world. See you at the movies! Sincerely,
Robert Moon, Mayor
PSFILMFEST.ORG 7
COMMUNITY WELCOME Welcome to Palm Springs, the home of the fabulous Palm Springs International Film Festival…and the “Capital of Cool”. A playground for mid-century architecture and design restoration, with cool colors, block light patterns and classic vibe, Palm Springs is enjoying a strong resurgence, reaching beyond its former “Playground of the Stars” reputation from the 1950’s and 60’s. The revitalization of the City’s downtown core has brought new visitors eager to experience the open, casual new restaurants and boutique shops, along with a hip new Kimpton The Rowan Palm Springs. The individually owned and operated shops, restaurants and boutiques that are uniquely Palm Springs continue to thrive as well. The Uptown Design District showcases many of these boutiques and galleries, along with chef-owned restaurants matching much larger cities with their level of culinary inspiration. The newer north side is showcasing new businesses each month, while along East Palm Canyon, new dining spots are making the area’s irresistible small inns and hotels very foot friendly. Browsing the treasures troves along Sunny Dunes or the dozen art galleries within the Backstreet Art District gives a new appreciation for the unique, the uncommon, and the fabulous. If you’ve flown into our super-convenient (and Wexler-designed) Palm Springs International Airport, you enjoyed the dramatic appearance of the mountains and blue skies, and we hope that you’re able to stay longer, relax and enjoy the vibe. Thank you for attending the Festival Gala tonight, and for those of you who are visiting, we hope to welcome you back again soon. Warmly, Mary Jo Ginther Director Palm Springs Bureau of Tourism On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Palm Springs Chamber of Commerce, I want to welcome all of the attendees to the Palm Springs International Film Festival. As the Chamber celebrates over 80 years of advocacy and support for our business community, we are proud of our unique role in the history of Palm Springs. Our 1,100 members join us in our welcome to you and invite you to visit them to meet any needs you many have. Chamber businesses can be found on our website at pschamber.org. Enjoy the festival! Nona Watson Chief Executive Officer Palm Springs Chamber of Commerce
Congratulations to the Palm Springs International Film Festival on its 30th year! Begun in 1990, the festival was an immediate success with more than 17,000 filmgoers attending what was then a five-day event. Today, the event spans 12 days, screens more than 200 features and documentaries, and attracts over 130,000 attendees. It is now one of the largest film festivals in North America. As you enjoy the festival, we invite you to step out and savor our beautiful surroundings, which have lured scores of Hollywood filmmakers since the early 1900s. You might even recognize backdrops of scenes from the Lost Horizon (1937), Diamonds Are Forever (1971), Mission Impossible III (2006) and many other films shot here. To find unique and off-the-beaten-path hidden gems in our destination, explore our Emmy award-winning original “Wander List” series. We are pleased to be supporting ongoing film efforts in Greater Palm Springs through the second year of our Film Oasis program. In addition to awarding incentives and hosting scouting trips, we assist in securing amazing and unexpected locations and sourcing local production resources for filmmakers. On behalf of the hospitality and tourism community in our nine cities, we warmly welcome you to our star-studded oasis! Scott White President and CEO Greater Palm Springs Convention & Visitors Bureau
8 PSFILMFEST.ORG
LETTER FROM THE AGUA CALIENTE BAND OF CAHUILLA INDIANS
PSFILMFEST.ORG 9
WELCOME/GLANCE
Proud Sponsor of the 30th Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival
10 PSFILMFEST.ORG
FESTIVAL MAP TO 1 11
1 11
ALTERNATE
PALM SPRINGS AIR MUSEUM
N.
PALM CANYON THEATER
Sunrise Way
BUSINESS
Avenida Caballeros
N. Calle Encilia
N. Indian Canyon Dr.
N. Palm Canyon Dr. 1 11
Vista Chino
A ne Ge
Alejo Rd.
CAMELOT THEATRES
Baristo Rd.
PALM SPRINGS HIGH SCHOOL
Ramon Rd.
PALM SPRINGS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (PSP)
Ramon Rd.
Farrell Dr.
INFORMATION CENTER and FESTIVAL STORE
Sunrise Way
FESTIVAL TICKET,
El Cielo
Belardo Rd. S. Cahuilla
REGAL CINEMAS
il Tra
PSIFF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES
Tahquitz Canyon Way
y utr
HILTON PALM SPRINGS
Farrell Dr.
Amado Rd.
ANNENBERG THEATER AND PALM SPRINGS ART MUSEUM
Mesquite Ave.
Mesquite Ave.
Dinah Shore Dr. Cathedral Canyon Dr.
S. Compadre Rd. E. Sonora Rd.
E. Pa lm
Cany on D r.
/ HW Y 111
Free Parking is located near or at all venues, see map for details.
MARY PICKFORD IS D’PLACE
Annenberg Theater Palm Springs Art Museum (downstairs) 101 Museum Dr. Palm Springs
Palm Springs International Film Festival Administrative Offices 1700 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way, Suite 3 Palm Springs
Palm Springs Cultural Center at Camelot Theatres 2300 E. Baristo Rd. Palm Springs
Palm Springs Air Museum 745 N. Gene Autry Trail Palm Springs
Mary Pickford is D’Place 36850 Pickfair St. Cathedral City
Hilton Palm Springs
Palm Canyon Theatre 538 N. Palm Canyon Dr. Palm Springs
Festival Store 777 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way, Suite 113 Palm Springs
Regal Cinemas Palm Springs Stadium 9 789 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way Palm Springs
OFFICIAL HOST HOTEL
400 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way Palm Springs
Festival Ticket & Information Center 777 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way, Suite 113 Palm Springs
Richards Center for the Performing Arts at Palm Springs High School 2401 E Baristo Rd. Palm Springs
PSFILMFEST.ORG 11
TICKETING AND FESTIVAL INFORMATION TICKET PURCHASES AND VOUCHER EXCHANGE Dec. 23 - Palm Springs Film Society members with early bird access Dec. 26 - General Public
Go to www.psfilmfest.org to order tickets online, or call 800-898-PALM to order by phone M-F 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. In person purchases and exchanges may be completed at box office locations during operating hours, see below.
BOX OFFICE HOURS BEFORE THE FESTIVAL: Festival Ticket & Information Center 777 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way, Suite 113 Dec. 26–Dec. 31: .... 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Jan. 2 & Jan. 3: ....... 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Closed December 25 and January 1
DURING THE FESTIVAL: Festival Ticket & Information Center 777 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way, Suite 113 January 4–13: ......... Daily 9 a.m.–7 p.m. January 14: ............. 9 a.m.–Noon LOCATIONS: Annenberg Theater, Palm Springs Cultural Center at Camelot Theatres, Mary Pickford is D’Place, Palm Canyon Theatre, Regal Palm Springs Stadium 9, Richard Center for the Performing Arts at Palm Springs High School January 4–14: One hour before the first show is scheduled until one half hour after the last show is scheduled to start.
TICKET AND EVENT PRICING General Admission .......................................... $13 Six Pack ......................................................... $69 Opening Night Gala .......................................... $75 Closing Night Gala ........................................... $60 Talking Pictures Programs ..................... $15 to $25 Dinner & A Movie ................................. $75 and up Festival Parties ....... $25 (screening sold separately)
PASS OPTIONS Benefactor Pass ........................................ $3,000 Concierge Pass ......................................... $2,750 American Express Pass .............................. $2,500 Platinum Pass ............................................... $500 5–Day A Pass ............................................... $375 5–Day B Pass ............................................... $375
12 PSFILMFEST.ORG
PICKING UP TICKETS/PASSES
Tickets may be picked up at our Ticket and Information Center or at any Box Office location during operating hours. See above. PRINT-AT-HOME TICKETS: New to the festival this year! Avoid the box office and print your tickets at home. Eligible ticket orders will have a PDF download link in your confirmation email. Simply open the PDF, print, and present your tickets at the screening upon entry. Help the environment you may also present the PDF on your mobile device. Tickets are individually bar-coded, allowing only one scan per use so any attempts to duplicate, alter or sell any copies of the print-at-home tickets will result in admittance being refused to the event. Tickets and/or Vouchers purchased through a third party will not be accepted. Passes must be picked-up at the Festival Credentials Office at the Regal Plaza, Suite 111, 777 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way. December 23..................9 a.m.–5 p.m. December 24.................. 9 a.m.–1 p.m. Dec. 26-Dec. 30.............. 9 a.m.–5 p.m. January 2 & 3 ................. 9 a.m.–5 p.m. January 4-13 ................... 9 a.m.–7 p.m.
FESTIVAL MERCHANDISE
Merchandise is available online, at the Ticket & Information Center located in the Regal Cinemas complex at 777 E Tahquitz Canyon Way, Suite 113; and at Destination PSP store located at 170 N Palm Canyon Dr. Official Film Festival Merchandise Partner
TICKETING AND FESTIVAL INFORMATION FESTIVAL LINGO
RE-ENTRY PASSES: Anyone (including pass holders) exiting an auditorium with plans to return to that particular screening must obtain a Re-Entry Pass. A festival pass or ticket stub and re-entry pass is required for re-entry. STANDBY TICKETS: When a film screening or event is deemed to be on Standby, it means that the ticket allotment has been reached. Any empty seats are released for sale 10 minutes prior to a screening. Patrons can join the standby line for a chance to purchase these seats. Standby tickets are sold on a first-come, first-serve basis and may or may not be sold for some programs. Cash, credit, and vouchers accepted for payment. QUEUE CARDS: Pass Holder line forms one hour before show time (no early birds): Queue Cards will be distributed to passholders in line while awaiting entry until the pass holder allotment is reached. One Queue Card per person. This Queue Card guarantees entry into the screening up to 20 minutes before show time. Once the pass holder has a Queue Card, the pass holder does not have to wait in line, but if they leave, they must rejoin at the back of the line. If you do not enter the auditorium before 15 minutes prior to show time, your seat is forfeited. Saving places in line or in the auditorium is not permitted.
FESTIVAL POLICIES
TERMS AND CONDITIONS: By attending the festival, you
agree to abide by the Terms and Conditions, which can be found at at www.psfilmfest.org/about/terms-and-conditions. SCHEDULE CHANGES: Sometimes, for reasons beyond our control, programs must be changed, rescheduled or cancelled. A daily update on schedule changes may be obtained online at www.psfilmfest.org or in the Festival Ticket & Information Center. Changes will also be posted at each venue. Please check for updates periodically. REFUND POLICY: ALL SALES ARE FINAL REFUSAL OF SERVICE: The PSIFF reserves the right to refuse service to anyone for any reason. We enforce this policy to ensure a secure, professional, and convenient environment for all of our customers. SCANNING: All tickets will be scanned upon entering each screening. Tickets are individually bar-coded, allowing only one scan per use so any attempts to duplicate, alter or sell any copies of the print-at-home tickets may result in admittance being refused to the event.
THEATER LOCATIONS
Annenberg Theater Palm Springs Art Museum (downstairs) 101 Museum Dr., Palm Springs Palm Springs Cultural Center at Camelot Theatres 2300 E. Baristo Rd., Palm Springs Mary Pickford is D’Place 36850 Pickfair St, Cathedral City Palm Canyon Theatre 538 N. Palm Canyon Dr., Palm Springs Regal Cinemas Palm Springs Stadium 9 789 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way, Palm Springs Richards Center for the Performing Arts at Palm Springs High School 2401 E Baristo Road, Palm Springs
FESTIVAL ETIQUETTE
n Saving space in line, or seats for other guests is not permitted. n Late seating is not permitted. Festival will not sell tickets or seat once the program has begun. Any exception to the late seating policy is at the discretion of the Festival Venue Manager. n If you need to leave the auditorium for any reason, take your pass or ticket stub and pick up a Re-Entry Card before you leave. No one will be re-admitted without their pass or ticket stub and the re-entry card. n No recording equipment is permitted in the theater auditorium. n No large bags are permitted inside venues; all bags are subject to search. n Please turn off all mobile devices during the film presentation, no talking or texting permitted during the film presentation. n Smoking is strictly prohibited at all Festival locations, including e-cigarettes & vapor products. n Please complete and return your ballot immediately following each screening. n To expedite theater cleaning and seating please discard your waste in the appropriate containers and exit promptly after your screening. n All theater auditoriums are cleared between show times. Any items left in the auditoriums will be removed and placed in lost and found. n Many lines are outside of the theaters. Please dress appropriately for comfort, as it can get warm during the day and cold in the evenings. Theaters may also get chilly. PSFILMFEST.ORG 13
BEYOND THE FESTIVAL
EDUCATIONAL AND COMMUNITY OUTREACH PROGRAMS While the festival places us on the global stage, we are proudly anchored in the Coachella Valley by our Educational and Community Outreach Programs. Created for adults and students of diverse backgrounds, means, and cultures, they are offered at no cost. We’re pleased to highlight just a few of the programs that are presented throughout the year: n Internships & Mentorships: College and high school students are provided practical hands-on experience alongside
our team of professionals to earn school credit.
n Student Film Society and ShortFest Youth Jury: Students ages 11–17 from across the Coachella Valley comprise the
Student Film Society that facilitate a Youth Jury during ShortFest and receives access to the platform Palm Springs International Film Society and our film festivals throughout the year. They meet filmmakers, collaborate with their peers, watch an array of films, and volunteer their time to being a vital part of our organization.
n Filmmaker in the Classroom: Hands-on workshops on various aspects of filmmaking that pairs filmmakers with visual
arts students, bringing professional alumni filmmakers from both ShortFest and local high school graduates now working in film to schools through the Coachella Valley.
n Camp ShortFest: In collaboration with UCR Palm Desert, Camp ShortFest offers a taste of the ShortFest Forum we
offer to filmmakers attending ShortFest; the general public is invited to a free day of Panels and Workshops led by professional filmmakers and industry insiders.
n Collaborative Screening Series u u u
Sunnylands Films on the Great Lawn: Seasonal outdoor screenings, a great event to bring a blanket and picnic with the whole family, are located at the beautiful Sunnylands Resort Lawn Palm Springs Art Museum Annenberg Theater Summer Film Series: Getting people out of the heat and into the comfort of a great cool cinema for great films during the summer UCR Palm Desert: Throughout the year UCR Palm Desert and the Palm Springs Film Society work hard to bring various film series and events including the infamous Oscar® Panel in February.
These dynamic and evolving programs are made possible by the generous contributions of passionate filmgoers like yourself. For more information or to make a donation, please visit: www.psfilmfest.org/support-us/donate
14 PSFILMFEST.ORG
BEYOND THE FESTIVAL
STUDENT SCREENING DAY
Since 2007, the Palm Springs International Film Society has been proud to bring our annual festival to all of the surrounding Coachella Valley High Schools on Student Screening Day. Now in its 12th year, Student Screening Day brings 1,300 students from 15 different high schools to the Richards Center of the Arts over two days to present films from the Palm Springs International Film Festival and give them the opportunity to interact and learn firsthand from the director, cast and creators of the films after the screening. Sponsored by Bank of America and the Anderson Children's Foundation, Student Screening Day is more than a fieldtrip; it is an opportunity to inspire and be inspired. The screenings expose students to ideas, cultures and people from around the globe. Representing a diverse range of perspectives and story-telling styles, the films in this series have brought all corners of the world to Coachella Valley youth.
Chef Flynn
Inventing Tomorrow
Supa Modo
What Will People Say
See page 50 for description.
See page 111 for description.
See page 174 for description.
See page 114 for description.
Student Screening Day is supported by:
PSFILMFEST.ORG 15
WELCOME/GLANCE
We love
bringing people together through the power of great storytelling
Visit more, earn more! J O I N F O R F R E E AT MY R E G A L . C O M
TITLE SPONSOR
PRESENTING SPONSORS
PRODUCING SPONSORS
®
PSFILMFEST.ORG 17
FILM AWARDS PRESENTING SPONSOR AND PROUD PARTNER
MAJOR SPONSOR OF FILM AWARDS AND FESTIVAL
PLATINUM SPONSORS
SUPPORTING FOUNDATIONS 6721 ROMAINE ST. LOS ANGELES, CA 90038 | 323.785.8632
18 PSFILMFEST.ORG
OFFICIAL PURVEYORS
OFFICIAL SPIRITS
OFFICIAL MERCHANDISE PARTNER
OFFICIAL HOST HOTEL & MEDIA CENTER
OFFICIAL BEER
OFFICIAL RIDESHARE PARTNER
OFFICIAL WINE
OFFICIAL WORLDWIDE PHOTOGRAPHY & VIDEO PARTNERS
GOLD SPONSORS
SILVER SPONSORS
PSFILMFEST.ORG 19
INTERNATIONAL SPONSORS
SUPPORTING SPONSORS
PARTY RENTALS
MEDIA SPONSORS
20 PSFILMFEST.ORG
PLATINUM HOTEL SPONSORS
PREMIER HOTEL SPONSORS
HOSPITALITY SPONSORS
drink water, not sugar ®
PSFILMFEST.ORG 21
WELCOME/GLANCE
WELCOME/GLANCE
WELCOME/GLANCE
WELCOME/GLANCE
WELCOME/GLANCE
YOU HAD ME AT “HELLO.” – JERRY MAGUIRE, 1996
Every great film is filled with beauty, stories and moments that you hold in your memory forever. So should your travels.
9 R E SO R T C I T I E S. O N E B E AU T I F U L O ASI S.
WELCOME/GLANCE
presents
MARCH 8 & 9, 2019 MARY PICKFORD IS D’PLACE FOR ENTERTAINMENT
aguacaliente.org
PROGRAM TEAM
MICHAEL LERMAN
LILI RODRIGUEZ
DAVID ANSEN
Michael Lerman is the Artistic Director for both PSIFF and the Philadelphia Film Festival, as well as the co-director of the Overlook Film Festival and a programmer for the Toronto International Film Festival. Lerman also co-runs Tiger Industry Films, a production company for which he produces, directs, writes and edits.
Lili Rodriguez is a proud Coachella Valley native and year-round local. She studied film studies and art history and worked as a film projectionist and in advertising before joining the PSIFF team. She’s been with the festival for four years now and also serves as the Festival Director for PSIFF’s sister short film festival, ShortFest, in June.
David Ansen was Newsweek’s movie critic from 1977 through 2008 and continued to write for the magazine until its last print edition in 2012. He was the Artistic Director of the Los Angeles Film Festival for five years, and previously served for eight years on the selection committee for the New York Film Festival.
Artistic Director
Director of Programming
Lead Programmer
ALISSA SIMON
THERESE HAYES
JANE SCHOETTLE
A film curator for more than 25 years, Alissa Simon was named a 1999 Chicagoan of the Year for her innovative work at the Art Institute’s Film Center. She also writes for the trade paper Variety, consults for the Dubai Film Festival and has served on numerous international film festival juries.
A student of Far Eastern Civilization at the University of Washington in Seattle, as well as Indian art and cinema, Therese serves as a consultant on Indian films to several film festivals and institutions. She is on the board of Film Trust India in Duabi, and is co-curator for the Stuttgart Indian Film Festival.
Jane Schoettle has been an international programmer for the Toronto International Film Festival for 15 years. She has also programmed for festivals in Miami and Aspen, in addition to currently producing labs for writers and directors for TIFF, and has lectured and served on festivals juries in numerous countries around the world.
Senior Programmer
Programmer
HEBE TABACHNIK
JESSICA ESKELIN
Hebe Tabachnik is a programmer and festival producer who has participated as juror, project evaluator and panelist at film festivals all around the world. She is the Artistic Director of Cine Latino MinneapolisSaint Paul, World Cinema Programmer for the Palm Springs and Seattle International Film festivals and Board Member of Dance Camera West.
Coachella Valley native Jessica Eskelin first attended the Palm Springs International Film Festival in 2017 as part of College of the Desert’s film program. She then worked as Programming Intern for the Palm Springs International ShortFest before becoming the year-round Programming Assistant.
Programmer
Programmer
Programming Assistant
PSFILMFEST.ORG 29
FESTIVAL AWARDS FIPRESCI AWARD Selected by a special jury of international critics, the prestigious FIPRESCI Award will be presented to one of the official Academy AwardÂŽ submissions for Best Foreign Language Film. In addition, the jury will award prizes for Best Actor and Best Actress from the Awards Buzz category.
THE JOHN SCHLESINGER AWARD The brilliant director, writer, producer, and longtime Palm Springs resident, John Schlesinger amassed an astonishing body of work including such films as Billy Liar, Midnight Cowboy and Sunday Bloody Sunday. As a longtime supporter of the Festival, Schlesinger often championed the work of talented new directors. In his honor, the award is given to one of the debut feature documentaries at this year’s festival.
THE NEW VOICES NEW VISIONS AWARD New Voices New Visions focuses on films that our programmers feel represent the most distinctive new directors to have emerged in the last year. Each of the 12 films in competition represents the filmmakers debut or second feature. The winner is chosen by a special jury of U.S. distributors, critics and curators. NV NV is sponsored by RED, the winner will receive a 30-day rental of the latest DSMC2 camera.
THE RICKY JAY MAGIC OF CINEMA AWARD Named for actor and magician Ricky Jay and in honor of a film made by a master filmmaker that exemplifies a pioneering spirit in furthering the language of storytelling and the magic of cinema. Like much of the work Ricky was associated with, the films in consideration for this award exemplify this spirit and continue to remind us of the dream that is storytelling on the silver screen.
CV CINE AWARD The CV Cine Award is presented to the best Ibero-American film screening at the Festival. This award aims to highlight the tremendous creativity we see in modern Spanish, Portuguese and Latin American films.
BRIDGING THE BORDERS AWARD At a time when physical, religious, racial, cultural and economic borders divide the population of our planet, efforts to bridge those borders are more important than ever. In that spirit, Cinema Without Borders presents the Bridging the Borders Award to a film that is most successful in bringing the people of our world closer together. The winner of the 2019 Bridging the Borders Award, presented by Cinema Without Borders, is awarded $2,500 by GoEnergetics.
AUDIENCE AWARD Audiences play an important role in the life of a film. Filmmakers create their movies with an audience in mind and, in this day and age, content is being driven more and more by audiences themselves, rather than the critics and industry executives. It is only natural that audience awards from festivals play a major role in the marketing and distribution of a film. PSIFF is proud to recognize two special films with the Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature and Best Documentary Feature. 30 PSFILMFEST.ORG
FESTIVAL AWARDS CHIHULY This year, the Palm Springs International Film Festival award winners will receive a Gilded Emerald Piccolo Venetian with Sunburst Coils created by American artist Dale Chihuly. In 1988, inspired by Italian Art Deco, Chihuly started the Venetians series with Italian glassblower Lino Tagliapietra. The series developed further into smaller Piccolo Venetians in 1993. Chihuly continues to develop the series, most recently creating vessels in black and exploring the effects of silvering. Dale Chihuly’s creative vision utilizes light, space and form. For more than a half century Chihuly has employed a variety of media including glass, paint, charcoal, graphite, neon, ice and Polyvitro to explore possibilities and realize his vision. Acclaimed for his iconic glass sculptures, Chihuly is also known for ambitious and immersive site-specific public installations and exhibitions in museums and gardens around the world. To learn more about Chihuly and his artwork, please visit www.chihuly.com.
THE ENTERTAINER Sculptor John Kennedy (1931 – 2004) is renowned by art lovers and collectors for his graceful bronze figures, which adorn parks, campuses and public buildings around the world. Two of his most famous sculptures are the Spirit of Audrey, dedicated to Audrey Hepburn, and The Entertainer, the official statuette of the Palm Springs International Film Festival. Born in Rangoon, Burma (now Myanmar), Kennedy drew inspiration for his distinctive style of sculpture from the tall, elegantly thin Shan people. Throughout successful careers as a journalist, talent manager, nightclub owner and entrepreneur, Kennedy always held on to his greatest passion: the creation of art. Kennedy created The Entertainer in 2005 and granted it exclusively to the Festival in perpetuity. We are honored by his generosity of spirit and proud to have this graceful symbol of artistic achievement representing the Festival.
PSFILMFEST.ORG 31
SPECIAL EVENT
Eyes on the Prize: Foreign Language Oscar® Directors in Discussion Monday, January 7 • 4:45 pm • Annenberg
It’s another notable year for the Academy’s Best Film in a Foreign Language category: 87 countries put forward a film in the hopes of taking home that coveted golden statue. In December that impressive number will narrow to nine, with the final five nominees announced on January 22. Of those 87 national selections, 43 are on offer at the Palm Springs International Film Festival’s 2019 edition. And for the fifth year running, we’re proud to present a panel discussion with shortlisted directors, giving the Festival audience a unique understanding of these films and their makers.
This year’s panel will be announced in January: see psfilmfest.org for details.
32 PSFILMFEST.ORG
VARIETY’S 10 DIRECTORS TO WATCH IN 2019
The directors selected for this year’s list will be honored in person at the Palm Springs International Film Festival, where Variety will host a brunch in their honor on Friday, Jan. 4. Profiles of the filmmakers will run in the Jan. 1 print edition. 2019 will be the ninth year that the list has been presented in Palm Springs. “We’re so excited to continue working with Variety on this program,” said PSIFF artistic director Michael Lerman. “Along with our New Voices New Visions competition, it helps to confirm our commitment to supporting emerging voices in the festival.”
ALI ABBASI Border BERT & BERTIE Troupe Zero PIPPA BIANCO Share ALEJANDRA MÁRQUEZ ABELLA The Good Girls BRADLEY COOPER A Star Is Born KENT JONES Diane TAYARISHA POE Selah and the Spades ALONSO RUIZPALACIOS Museo LULU WANG The Farewell OLIVIA WILDE Booksmart
CREDIT: REX/SHUTTERSTOCK
Variety’s 10 to Watch series spotlights emerging writers, actors, producers, directors, comics and cinematographers. Each of these lists is curated by a team of Variety editors, critics, and reporters. Other filmmakers chosen for this honor in the past include Alfonso Cuarón and fellow 2018 Oscar contenders Wes Anderson, Peter Hedges, Nadine Labaki, Steve McQueen and Pawel Pawlikowski.
From modest beginnings... to unimagined success! Congratulations Harold on 30 years of Film Festival and Awards Gala magic.
From your CBA, HNM and Spencer’s Family
MARY HART FILM AWARDS HOST
Mary Hart Mary Hart’s extraordinary and unprecedented run as cohost of Entertainment Tonight for 30 years made her as recognizable as many of the big stars she has interviewed. Today, media historians give credit to Hart for her role not only in building the show into a powerhouse, but for also helping to pioneer the genre as a whole. Hart earned the trust not only of the audience at home but the celebrities she interviewed as well. Personalities would tell her, “Now, I have arrived: Mary Hart has interviewed me.” Her list of subjects includes nearly every major film, television and music star: figures such as George Clooney, Julia Roberts, Leonardo DiCaprio, Meryl Streep, Denzel Washington, Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, Sandra Bullock, Matthew McConaughey, Elizabeth Taylor, Frank Sinatra, the surviving Beatles members, Michael Jackson, Lady Diana and two presidents named Bush and Obama. Hart was inducted into the Broadcasting and Cable Hall of Fame in 1999 and has been honored by numerous organizations including the American Women in Radio and Television and the National Association of Broadcasters Education Foundation. She is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest serving entertainment news host. She serves on the Board of Trustees for Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and is an ambassador for Childhelp USA, an organization that combats child abuse across America. She is also on the Board of Trustees for the Museum of Tolerance, Simon Wiesenthal Center as well as The Israel Project based in Washington, D. C. Hart and her husband, businessman Burt Sugarman, live in Los Angeles and have a son, A.J.
PSFILMFEST.ORG 37
hyattpalmsprings.com HYAT T PA L M S P R I N G S
285 North Palm Canyon Dr, Palm Springs, CA 92262 760 322 9000
PSFILMFEST.ORG 41
PSFILMFEST.ORG 43
OPENING NIGHT
All is True UK, 2018 101 minutes Director: Kenneth Branagh Cast: Kenneth Branagh, Judi Dench, Kathryn Wilder, Lydia Wilson, Hadley Fraser Print Source: Sony Pictures Classics Actor/director Kenneth Branagh brings a lifetime of Shakespearean experience to All Is True, his intimate and revelatory portrait of the Bard of Avon in the last act of his life. It’s 1613. The Globe Theatre has burned to the ground and the great poet and dramatist retires to his family home in Stratford-upon-Avon. There his long-suffering wife Anne Hathaway (Judi Dench) and his scandalplagued and resentful daughters await him, and he is haunted by the ghost of his son Hamnet, who died at 11. He also receives a visit from the Earl of Southampton (Ian McKellen), the great unrequited love of his life, the man to whom he wrote his coded love sonnets. Branagh and McKellen create heart-stopping magic on screen. An inquiry into the mystery and mechanism of genius, this is a fascinating, deeply felt portrait of a flawed and all too human giant. SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: Murder on the Orient Express (2017), Cinderella (2015), Macbeth (2013), Thor (2011), Hamlet (1996)
Friday, January 4 • 6:30 pm • PS High School
PSFILMFEST.ORG 45
CLOSING NIGHT
Ladies in Black AUSTRALIA, 2018 109 minutes Director: Bruce Beresford Cast: Julia Ormond, Angourie Rice, Rachael Taylor, Ryan Corr, Shane Jacobson Set in Sydney in 1959, Oscar®-nominated writer/director Bruce Beresford (Driving Miss Daisy; Tender Mercies; Breaker Morant) takes us back to the heyday of glamorous upscale department stores, when a concierge met you at the door and clerks wore gloves. The story centers on 16-year-old, bookish, naive Lisa (Angourie Rice), who takes a job in the store at Christmas time and finds herself under the management and tutelage of Magda (Julia Ormond), a sophisticated postwar European immigrant who begins to have a profound influence on Lisa’s world view. Beautifully shot (and a fashion lover’s delight), the film weaves in integration of immigrants and women’s changing societal roles that remain timely today. Filled with equal parts emotional drama and observational humor, Beresford brings us into a world where we can delight in the company of smart, sassy, and relatable women. International Premiere SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: Mr. Church (2016), Mao's Last Dancer (2009), Double Jeopardy (1999), Driving Miss Daisy (1989)
Sunday, January 13 • 6:30 pm • PS High School Sunday, January 13 • 6:30 pm • Camelot PSFILMFEST.ORG 47
PROUD SPONSORS OF THE
PALM SPRINGS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
1800 East Tahquitz Canyon Way Palm Springs, California 92262 760.322.2275 •
www.sbemp.com
back row (from left to right)
Ini Ghidirmic Business Law
Brent Clemmer Commercial Litigation
back row (from left to right)
Lena Wade Government and Administrative
John Pinkney Government and Administrative
Robert Patterson Real Estate
Thomas Slovak Commercial Litigation
front row (from left to right)
Charles Gallagher Apellate Law
Vee Sotelo Labor and Employment
Valerie Powers Smith Wills, Trusts and Estates
David Smith Insurance
front row (from left to right)
Marc Empey Business Law
Katelyn Empey Land Use & Environment
David Baron Arbitration and Mediation
Shaun Murphy Civil Trial
GAY!LA
Making Montgomery Clift
Rafiki
USA, 2018 88 minutes Directors: Robert A. Clift, Hillary Demmon Cast: Montgomery Clift, Brooks Clift, Patricia Bosworth, Jack Larson, Judy Balaban Print Source: The Film Collaborative
KENYA/SOUTH AFRICA/GERMANY/NETHERLANDS/ FRANCE/NORWAY/LEBANON, 2018 82 minutes Director: Wanuri Kahiu Cast: Samantha Mugatsia, Sheila Munyiva, Jimmi Gathu, Nini Wacera, Dennis Musyoka Print Source: Film Movement
We think we know everything about Montgomery Clift, the self-destructive Holllywood icon, tortured about his homosexuality, whose career never recovered from the car crash that ruined his beautiful face. Now Clift’s nephew, armed with a treasure trove of private recordings made by Clifts’s older brother Brook, turns the tabloid myth on its head. Funny, irreverent, and independent (he refused to sign any studio contracts, and turned down roles in East of Eden and The Bridge on the River Kwai), and open about his affairs with both men and women, the Clift who emerges in this eye-opening portrait upends all our preconceived notions about his life. Featuring candid interviews with his lovers, great home movies and movie clips, and an interview with biographer Patricia Bosworth (whose bleak, best-selling book this movie seeks to undermine), Making Montgomery Clift is a must-see for movie aficionados.
In the bustling and lively suburbs of Nairobi, Kenya, teenagers Kena and Ziki live out their days as opposites. Kena — tomboyish and a bit shy — hangs out with her guy crew kicking around soccer balls when she’s not helping out in her father’s shop. Ziki — an energetic and colorful girly girl — oozes style as she and her girls practice dance routines. Sparks fly when opposites attract but can their romance stand social bullies, parents and an unforgiving gossipy town? Rafiki, which opened at the Cannes Film Festival before being temporarily banned in Kenya by its Film and Classification Board for its lesbian theme, is a testament to filmmaker Wanuri Kahiu’s ability to marry style and social commentary. A candy-colored romance between two young women set against a society that still shuns homosexuality, the film still bursts with the sweet energy and gentleness of burgeoning young love.
Debut Film
SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: From a Whisper (2009) IN ENGLISH, SWAHILI WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
Thursday, January 10 • 7:00 pm • Camelot Friday, January 11 • 11:45 am • Annenberg
Thursday, January 10 • 6:30 pm • Camelot Friday, January 11 • 9:30 am • Mary Pickford Sunday, January 13 • 5:00 pm • Regal Palm Springs
DINNER AND A MOVIE
Chef Flynn The Monday, January 7 screening will be followed by dinner at Palm Springs’ chic and swanky Eight4Nine Restaurant and Lounge, the Uptown Design District’s hot spot. Thi years gives us a third helping of their fabulous fare, reprising their role as a featured Dinner and a Movie restaurant. Eight4Nine’s very own pastry chef Albert Gonzalez has created an eclectic and colorful menu incorporating cooking techniques and ingredients borrowed from around the world. This year the Eight4Nine team match up with Chef Flynn, cooking with passion and love using seasonal, fresh ingredients and preparing everything from scratch.
USA, 2018 83 minutes Director: Cameron Yates Print Source: Kino Lorber When your 11-year-old son starts consulting The French Laundry Cookbook to assist in his menu plans, it’s a good bet that something
exceptional is going on. Mom Meg McGarry let her son Flynn take his culinary aspirations as far as they would go, which resulted in Flynn becoming a master chef by age 15. Flynn’s amazing journey had a compassionate beginning, he was worried about his mother eating too much takeout food during a painful divorce. Before long, Mom was eating better than a Michelin inspector, and young Flynn was the wizard conjuring his own pop-up supper club in the San Fernando Valley for delighted guests. His extraordinary story is intimately chronicled in Cameron Yates’s documentary, and the fame that follows Flynn is a blessing and a curse, as the film calmly observes in the guest chef stints at elite L.A. restaurants, hardcore apprenticing at peerless New York establishments, TV appearances and exasperating social media skirmishes. But all the noise instantly dissipates when Flynn gets in the kitchen to display the art and sensual alchemy of his delectable creations.
SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: The Canal Street Madam (2010) Monday, January 7 • 3:00 pm • Regal Palm Springs
50 PSFILMFEST.ORG
DINNER AND A MOVIE
Funke USA, 2018 89 minutes Director: Gabriel Taraboulsy Print Source: Tastemade/Submarine You can be forgiven for thinking that the delicious aroma of handmade pasta bubbling away to delectable perfection is wafting down from the screen in director Gab Taraboulsy’s engrossing documentary portrait of master chef and “culinary storyteller” Evan Funke. The Felix Trattoria in Venice, CA, has elevated the art of Italy’s signature contribution to world cuisine through Funke’s use of the old-world techniques learned at the feet of “maestra” Alessandra Spisni in Bologna. Taraboulsy uncovers Funke’s secrets, both professional and personal, the film relays the tattooed chef’s pariah-like status after his initial foray into the restaurant world, Bucato, crashed and burned amidst rumors of fraud, in the fraught lead-up to the Felix Trattoria’s 2017 opening. Along the way, Taraboulsy shines a light on the chef’s philosophy and doesn’t skimp on gorgeous images (sure to warm the hearts of foodies everywhere) of delicate orecchiette and pappardelle lovingly made from scratch. Debut Film Check website for dinner information.
Wednesday, January 9 • 3:30 pm • Regal Palm Springs
PSFILMFEST.ORG 51
DINNER AND A MOVIE
Ramen Shop The story of the number 533 comes from the historic USS Cheboygan County, a Land Support Tanker (LST) in the U.S. Navy that had been one of the first to land at Normandy on D-Day in World War II. In April 1975, it was anchored off Vietnam, broken, beat up and with only one engine functioning. It was during the Fall of Saigon that nearly 300 Vietnam refugees made their way to the USS Cheboygan County and spent seven days hobbling across the ocean toward Malaysia and a future in the United States. One of the passengers was, then 10-year-old, Ahn ho Rock who later founded a restaurant in Palm Springs called Pho 533. Pho 533 was a classic shopping mall pho-style venue with great recipes and a great location. “I had a vision of what I wanted to find,” says Gardner, “I have always wanted to blend classics like pho and vermicelli with contemporary Vietnamese and my own infused dishes. I feel incredibly fortunate that our guests have loved it and embraced us.” Since taking charge in 2015, Gardner has updated and expanded the venue, added the full bar, and the popular spring roll bar. Chad’s passion for the fresh ingredients and bold flavors of Vietnamese cuisine combined with his personal love of creating edible art has led to 533’s current incarnation of Viet-fusion: time-honored Vietnamese cuisine infused with his own culinary flair for aural presentation stimulating all of the senses.
SINGAPORE/JAPAN/FRANCE, 2018 89 minutes Director: Eric Khoo Cast: Takumi Saito, Jeanette Aw, Mark Lee Print Source: Strand Releasing Masato, a young Japanese ramen chef, leaves his hometown in Japan to embark on a culinary journey to Singapore to discover the truth about his parents’ past. There he uncovers a lot more than family secrets and delicious recipes. Having spent his early years in Singapore, he wants to rekindle his connection with his mother’s home country and seek out long-estranged family members for whom the memory of the Japanese invasion and occupation during World War II is still very fresh. This ode to Singapore’s rich culinary heritage in an immigrant country where foods from different cultures merge gives a sense of nostalgia. The gastronomic comedy is also about memories and forgiveness bringing together two of Japan’s and Singapore’s most popular dishes. Shot with mouthwatering close-ups, famed Singapore director Eric Khoo gives us a gentle drama that will enthrall both foodies and incurable romantics. SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: In the Room (2015), 7 Letters (2015), Wanton Mee (2016), Be with Me (2005), 12 Storeys (1997), Pain (1994) IN JAPANESE, ENGLISH, MANDARIN WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES. Tuesday, January 8 • 5:30 pm • Regal Palm Springs
52 PSFILMFEST.ORG
DINNER AND A MOVIE
Uncrushable
The evening will feature a screening of Tyler Florence’s new documentary film, Uncrushable, which highlights the heroism, humanity and resiliency of the affected wine country communities, followed by dinner at the O’Donnell House with director Tyler Florence that will include a cocktail reception and three-course meal prepared by Jake’s with wine parings by Hess Winery. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to assist with continued wildfire relief efforts, the Palm Springs International Film Society and the Convention and Visitors Bureau Foundation.
USA, 2018 70 minutes Director: Tyler Florence Print Source: The Monarch Collective Highlighting a topic that’s only grown more relevant in light of 2018’s devastating wildfires, this timely documentary is an inspiring reminder of Californians’ remarkable ability to bounce back from hardship. Uncrushable vividly depicts the devastating toll of 2017’s Northern California wildfires through firsthand accounts of survivors and harrowing footage of the fires and their aftermath. Yet destruction is only part of the story. Chef Tyler Florence’s doc is ultimately a story of courage and resilience, spotlighting the selfless bravery of first responders and the numerous ways in which residents banded together to rebuild and support those who had lost so much. The film culminates with The Grateful Table, a benefit dinner spearheaded by Florence, where more than 500 guests dined at a long table situated on the border between Napa and Sonoma Counties. It’s a striking image, capturing both the wine country’s breathtaking beauty and the indomitable spirit of its people. Debut Film Sunday, January 6 • 3:30 pm • Annenberg
PSFILMFEST.ORG 53
LOCAL SPOTLIGHT
Walk to Vegas USA, 2018 90 minutes Director: Eric Balfour Cast: Vincent Van Patten, Ross McCall, Paul Walter Hauser, Eileen Davidson, James Van Patten Print Source: Wonderstar Productions Vincent Van Patten co-wrote and stars in this delightful comedy that starts out with a friendly poker game and winds up turning into a walk from Los Angeles to Las Vegas for a $5 million wager. Or is that all there is to it? Several men, friends and acquaintances and one very crucial sibling relationship, are put to the test as the stakes grow beyond the poker table. The ante keeps increasing in this high-flying adventure, and these guys will bet on anything. The wagers get more expansive and the comedy gets funnier as this caper draws to its conclusion, with a few surprises along the way. What really matters when everything’s on the line? Who are the true winners and losers? Actor Eric Balfour (Six Feet Under; Haven) directs this high-spirited comedy that keeps you on your toes. It answers the question: What does a former Hollywood actor do for a second, or third, career? Private party to benefit the Palm Springs Film Society will follow the screening. Check psfilmfest.org for details! World Premiere Debut Film
Friday, January 11 • 4:00 pm • PS High School
54 PSFILMFEST.ORG
SPECIAL EVENT
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes USA, 1953 91 minutes Director: Howard Hawks Print Source: Twentieth Century Fox Howard Hughes discovered Jane Russell and began promoting her as a new bombshell star in 1940, but the movie that really put her over the top didn’t come along for 13 years, and it had nothing to do with Hughes. Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, the smash hit of the summer of 1953, starred Russell and Marilyn Monroe as showgirl best friends with opposite talents: Monroe’s Lorelai demands diamonds in exchange for her total objectification by men, while Russell’s Dorothy eschews gold-digging, instead, it’s she who does the objectifying of men. The number Isn’t Anyone Here For Love?, sung by Russell amid a bevy of male dancers playing the American Olympic team, reverses the typical dynamic of a Hollywood musical, in which a woman dressed to be ogled by men is depicted as the passive prisoner of the male gaze. Gentlemen would become the pinnacle of Russell’s screen career, and the actress had a simple explanation for why: “It was the first time I played Jane Russell." In honor of her new book, Seduction: Sex, Lies, and Stardom in Howard Hughes America, acclaimed author Karina Longworth will present a special screening of the Jane Russell classic, Gentleman Prefer Blondes. Expanding on her work from her immensely popular podcast, You Must Remember This, Longworth's book
examines the roles of gender, sex and power in Hollywood's golden age through the lens of many woman pursued by Howard Hughes, including Russell herself. The screening will be preceded by an in-depth talk from Longworth and followed by a book signing.
KARINA LONGWORTH
Author of Seduction: Sex, Lies and Stardom in Howard Hughes's Hollywood
Thursday, January 10 • 4:00 pm • Camelot
PSFILMFEST.ORG 55
TALKING PICTURES
BlacKkKlansman
Bohemian Rhapsody
Funny, furious, and all too relevant, BlacKkKlansman tells the tall-but-true tale of Ron Stallworth (John David Washington), the first black detective in the Colorado Springs police department, who put on his “white voice” and joined forces with Flip Zimmerman (Adam Driver) to infiltrate and undermine the local branch of the Ku Klux Klan.
Queen is a band that promised to rock you, and this movie is sure to do the same. Rami Malek’s dazzling performance as Freddie Mercury has created a lot of buzz this awards season, and has earned him Palm Springs’ Breakthrough Performance Award.
USA, 2018, 135 minutes Director: Spike Lee In converstaion with: Ron Stallworth
USA/UK, 2018, 134 minutes Director: Bryan Singer Cast: Rami Malek, Lucy Boynton, Gwilym Lee In conversation with: Rami Malek
BOOK TO SCREEN Tuesday, January 8 • 4:00 pm • Camelot
Thursday, January 3 • 12:15 pm • Annenberg
Border Gräns
Can You Ever Forgive Me?
Fantastic in every sense of the word, this idiosyncratic thriller centers on a customs officer with a special talent for detecting contraband who ultimately must choose between good and evil.
Melissa McCarthy shines and surprises as the acerbic, heavy-drinking, down-on-her-luck Lee Israel, a writer who finds larcenous success forging and selling the letters of famous dead celebrities. A flamboyant Richard E. Grant gives an award-winning performance as her charmingly shady partner in crime. Based on a true story.
Tuesday, January 8 • 10:00 am • PS High School
Friday, January 4 • 9:45 am • Annenberg
SWEDEN/DENMARK, 2018, 110 minutes Director: Ali Abbasi Cast: Eva Melander, Eero Milonoff In conversation with: Ali Abbasi
USA, 2018, 106 minutes Director: Marielle Heller In conversation with: Richard E. Grant
IN COMPETITION:
56 PSFILMFEST.ORG
TALKING PICTURES
If Beale Street Could Talk
The Public
Based on the novel by James Baldwin, If Beale Street Could Talk is the story of Tish, a newly engaged Harlem woman who races against the clock to prove her lover’s innocence while carrying their first-born child to term. It is a celebration of love told through the story of a young couple, their families and their lives, trying to bring about justice through love, for love and the promise of the American dream.
Librarians Stuart Goodson (Emilio Estevez) and Myra (Jena Malone) see their regular winter day shaken up when homeless patrons decide to take shelter in their library for the night. What starts as a peaceful sit-in quickly escalates into a face-off with the police and the media. In partnership with
Thursday, January 3 • 12:30 pm • Camelot
Saturday, January 5 • 3:15 pm • PS High School
Roma
Shoplifters
USA, 2018, 119 minutes Director: Barry Jenkins In conversation with: Barry Jenkins and Regina King
MEXICO/USA, 2018, 135 minutes Director: Alfonso Cuarón Cast: Yalitza Aparicio, Marina de Tavira In conversation with: Alfonso Cuarón, Yalitza Aparicio and Marina de Tavira A lyrical tribute to the women who raised him, Alfonso Cuarón’s masterpiece, set against the backdrop of a Mexico City on the brink of upheaval, weaves the stories of indigenous domestic IN COMPETITION: servant Cleo with the troubled middleclass family she is loved by but never part of. Thursday, January 3 • 12:30 pm PS High School
USA, 2018, 119 minutes Director: Emilio Estevez In converstaion with: Emilio Estevez
JAPAN, 2018, 121 minutes Director: Hirokazu Kore-eda Cast: Lily Franky, Mayu Matsuoka, Kairi Jyo, Sakura In conversation with: Hirokazu Kore-eda Winner of the Palme D’Or in Cannes and Japan’s submission to the Academy Award®, Shoplifters is far more than a heist story. This haunting exploration of love and compassion for marginalized people poses the question IN COMPETITION: of what really defines a family. Monday, January 7 • 1:00 pm • PS High School
TALKING PICTURES
Support The Girls
The Wife
Written and directed by Andrew Bujalski, this compassionate comedy that revolves around Lisa (Regina Hall) and the girls who work at Double Whammies, the local sports-themed bar she manages. Optimistic to a fault, Lisa faces a day that will challenge her tendency to see the best in others.
Critics are lauding Glenn Close for her subtle portrayal of the seemingly loyal wife of 40 years to a literary lion (Jonathan Pryce) named as the recipient of the Nobel Prize in Literature. Director Björn Runge’s deft and intelligent tragicomedy allows Close to shine.
Saturday, January 5 • 1:00 pm • Camelot
Friday, January 4 • 9:00 am • PS High School
USA, 2018, 93 minutes Director: Andrew Bujalski Cast: Regina Hall, Haley Lu Richardson In conversation with: Regina Hall
USA, 2017, 100 minutes Director: Björn Runge Cast: Glenn Close, Jonathan Pryce In conversation with: Glenn Close
TALKING PICTURES Check our website for more information regarding Talking Pictures.
Won't You Be My Neighbor? USA, 2018, 94 minutes Director: Morgan Neville In conversation with: Morgan Neville
Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood was a landmark in children’s television, and Morgan Neville (Oscar®-winner for Twenty Feet from Stardom)’s heartfelt portrait more than does justice to the show’s beloved host, Fred Rogers. Expect to be surprised by the film’s relevance and deeply moved by its subject. Saturday, January 12 • 1:00 pm • Annenberg
58 PSFILMFEST.ORG
psfilmfest.org
celebrating
60 YEARS
AS A PALM SPRINGS ICON
THE LEGEND LIVES ON An alluring oasis in the hear t of Palm Springs where the echoes of Old Hollywood can still be felt. Our chic style and mid-century retro vibe set the stage for the unexpected. TWO RESTAURANTS | THREE BARS | TWO POOLS & HOT TUBS | PRIVATE CABANAS | AZURE SPA
LI N G E R LO N G E R Stay with us for three nights and R ECE IV E A $75 F O O D A ND BE V E R AGE CR E D I T.
1600 North Indian Canyon Drive, Palm Springs | 866.716.8147 | RivieraPalmSprings.com
ENJOY 40% FEWER CALORIES THAN A GLASS OF WHITE WINE*
PICK YOUR BOTANICAL. ADD CLUB SODA.
KETEL ONE BOTANICAL CUCUMBER & MINT Fever-Tree Club Soda, Garnished with a Mint Sprig
KETEL ONE BOTANICAL PEACH & ORANGE BLOSSOM Fever-Tree Club Soda, Garnished with a Peach Wedge
PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY.
KETEL ONE BOTANICAL GRAPEFRUIT & ROSE
Fever-Tree Club Soda, Garnished with a Grapefruit Wedge
Per 1.5 oz.: 73 cal; 0g carbs; 0g protein; 0g fat Ketel One Botanical. Made With Vodka Distilled With Real Botanicals And Infused With Natural Flavors. 30% Alc/Vol. ©2018 Double Eagle Brands, B.V. Imported by Ketel One USA, Aliso Viejo, CA.
PSFILMFEST.ORG 65
MISSION INN
COACHELLA VALLEY
FILM RIVERSIDE COUNTY
PALM SPRINGS
CALIFORNIA
WINE COUNTRY
SALTON SEA
Getty Images Entertainment Photographer Matt Winkelmeyer
California’s Prestige Magazine
palmspringslife.com
GLENN CLOSE 30TH ANNUAL PALM SPRINGS
INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
GET THE INSIDE STORY PA L M S P R I N G S L IFE .CO M
FOCUS ON FRANCE
New treats from the birthplace of cinema
FOCUS ON FRANCE
Knife+Heart
Mademoiselle de Joncquières
FRANCE/MEXICO/SWITZERLAND, 2018 110 minutes Director: Yann Gonzalez Cast: Vanessa Paradis Print Source: Altered Innocence
FRANCE, 2018 110 minutes Director: Emmanuel Mouret Cast: Cecile De France, Edouard Baer, Alice Isaaz, Laure Calamy, Natalia Dontcheva Print Source: Netflix
Un couteau dans le cÏur
Set in the gay underworld of 1979 Paris, Yann Gonzalez’s Knife+Heart follows Anne (Vanessa Paradis), a porn producer coping with heartbreak who is thrust into a lurid mystery after her actors, one by one, begin to fall victim to a leather-clad masked killer. With her relationship to her lover and colleague Lois (Kate Moran) on the rocks and the police unwilling to mount a proper investigation, Anne finds herself alone as she pursues a small lead through dark forests and seedy film sets, encountering along the way a slate of outlandish characters from a deformed ornithologist to a phantasmal, grief-stricken mother. With a pulsing, sensuous score by French band M83 (of which Gonzalez is a former member), the film is both a celebration of ecstatic, unrestrained hedonism and a macabre descent into the psychosexual realm of transgression and the violent reactions it so often provokes. SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: You and the Night (2013) IN FRENCH, SPANISH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
Festival regular, writer/director Emmanuel Mouret returns with his latest film. In Mademoiselle de Joncquières, we rediscover his signature themes of love and relationships in a period piece. Young and widowed Madame de La Pommeraye (the ever angelic Cécile de France), reluctant at first, succumbs to the charms and relentless courtship of her friend the Marquis des Arcis (Edouard Baer), a notorious womanizer. Scorned by her libertine lover, she carefully crafts the perfect vengeance. Under the pretense of friendship, she willfully traps her trusting friend in an emotional turmoil, slowly shaking him to the core. Justifying her devious plan as a feminist cause against all the men who have wronged women, will make her blind to reason and intensify her cruelty. In this visual time travel to 18th-century France, Mouret lifts the veil of the aristocracy’s customary manners to reveal a timeless tale of love, seduction, deceit and manipulation. US Premiere Selected Filmography: Caprice (2015), Another Life (2013), The Art of Love (2011), Shall We Kiss? (2007) IN FRENCH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
Saturday, January 5 • 6:00 pm • Camelot Sunday, January 6 • 5:00 pm • Regal Palm Springs
Friday, January 4 • 9:30 am • Camelot Friday, January 11 • 2:30 pm • Annenberg
74 PSFILMFEST.ORG
Need
FOCUS ON FRANCE
Shéhérazade
Sofia
FRANCE, 2018 106 minutes Director: Jean-Bernard Marlin Cast: Dylan Robert, Kenza Fortas, Idir Azougli, Lisa Amedjout, Sofia Bent, Nabila Bounab, Osman Hrustic Print Source: Films Boutique
FRANCE/QATAR, 2018 80 minutes Director: Meryem Benm'Barek Cast: Maha Alemi, Lubna Azabal, Sarah Perles, Faouzi Bensaidi, Hamza Khafif Print Source: Be For Films
On the day of his release from juvenile detention, Zachary is rejected by his mother, who is unwilling to care for him. He is forced to go to a children’s home instead, and eventually leave Marseille. Hopeless, he reverts to the old habits that got him into trouble in the first place. On a joyride, he meets Shéhérazade, a teenage prostitute. An undeniable chemistry ignites and soon turns into a relationship that will change both their lives, bringing a glimmer of light and hope to their wounded souls. In this coming-of-age-on-steroids tale, both teens will have to be vulnerable and fight for their bond to overcome the adversity in their lives. JeanBernard Marlin’s camera captures newcomers Dylan Robert and Kenza Fortas’s electrifying performances as the star-crossed lovers in this raw and authentic, bright and dark, but above all, hopeful film.
In Morocco, sex outside of marriage is considered a crime, punishable by up to a year in jail. This fact serves as the basis for Meryem Benm'Barek-Alosi's extraordinarily well written and acted debut feature, already a multiple awardwinner on the festival circuit. Unbeknown to her and her family, 20-year-old single Sofia (marvelous newcomer Maha Alemi) is very pregnant, and her water breaks during a family dinner. Her ambitious parents immediately begin to do all they can to save face and prevent the authorities from learning the truth, including forcing Sofia to marry the baby’s lower-class father, Omar, despite their classbased misgivings and Sofia’s own reluctance. To be sure, Benm’Barek-Alosi uses Sofia’s hard-pressed situation to expose the intrinsic hypocrisy shoring up Morocco’s patriarchal culture. But she also gives the last word to her heroine, making this a subtle and masterfully controlled observational drama.
U.S. Premiere
Debut Film
Debut Film
IN FRENCH, ARABIC WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
IN FRENCH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES. IN COMPETITION:
Friday, January 4 • 3:00 pm • Regal Palm Springs Friday, January 11 • 1:00 pm • Regal Palm Springs Saturday, January 12 • 4:30 pm • Mary Pickford
IN COMPETITION:
Wednesday, January 9 • 4:30 pm • Mary Pickford Friday, January 11 • 7:00 pm • Camelot Saturday, January 12 • 6:30 pm • Regal Palm Springs PSFILMFEST.ORG 75
FOCUS ON FRANCE
Treat Me Like Fire FRANCE, 2018 110 minutes Director: Marie Monge Cast: Tahar Rahim, Stacy Martin, Bruno Wolkowitch, Karim Leklou, Marie Denarnaud Print Source: PLAYTIME All bets are off in the explosive debut feature from cowriter/director Marie Monge, Treat Me Like Fire, as she captures a passionate affair between two lovers intoxicated with the highs and lows of the adrenaline-fueled Parisian underground gambling scene. While waiting tables in her family’s café, blasé twentysomething Ella (Stacy Martin) can’t help but be charmed by the handsome stranger, Abel (Tahar Rahim) and his joie de vivre. When she is seduced by Abel’s first love of gambling, it awakens a fervent desire in the formerly straight-laced waitress to ante up. Abandoning her family’s business for her new lover, Ella enters a dangerous world of smoke-filled subterranean lairs where every major loss means a chance to win even more. But when the two find themselves in the crosshairs of local thugs, Ella begins to see the dark side of her conman lover and must find the means to survive or bust. Debut Film IN FRENCH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
The Trouble With You
En Liberte! FRANCE, 2018 107 minutes Director: Pierre Salvadori Cast: Adéle Haenel, Pio Marma, Audrey Tautou, Vincent Elbaz, Damien Bonnard Print Source: MK2 International This enjoyable romp with spot-on performances was a Cannes favorite. Set in the French Riviera, this rollicking screwball romance/caper comedy pivots on policewoman Yvonne, a widow who learns that her much-honored, late detective husband was in fact a crooked cop. As Yvonne surreptitiously tries to right the wrongs her hubby committed, she winds up playing guardian angel to Antoine, who was unjustly imprisoned for a robbery and is now freed and ready to wreak vengeance on society. Certainly politically incorrect, the film offers many pleasures, not least of which are the constantly revised versions of her husband’s exploits that Yvonne relates to her young son in lieu of bedtime stories. Director Pierre Salvadori also builds sight gags around an S&M dungeon and a serial killer toting bags of his dismembered victims. Stars Adéle Haenel, Pio Marma, Damien Bonnard, and Audrey Tautou supply committed and sweetly goofy performances. SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: In the Courtyard (2014), Beautiful Lies (2010), Priceless (2006) IN FRENCH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
Friday, January 4 • 1:30 pm • Regal Palm Springs Saturday, January 5 • 1:30 pm • Mary Pickford 76 PSFILMFEST.ORG
Friday, January 4 • 9:30 am • Regal Palm Springs Thursday, January 10 • 10:30 am • Regal Palm Springs Saturday, January 12 • 4:30 pm • Regal Palm Springs
FOCUS ON FRANCE
Wild
Sauvage FRANCE, 2018 97 minutes Director: Camille Vidal-Naquet Cast: Felix Maritaud, Eric Bernard, Nicolas Dibla, Philippe Ohrel, Marie Seux Print Source: Strand Releasing We first see the protagonist of Wild as he is undergoing a medical examination that suddenly turns sexual: the doctor, as it turns out, is the role-playing client of the “patient,” a 22-year-old gay hustler (the extraordinary Felix Maritaud) whose livelihood on the streets is the subject of this raw, fascinating character study. The nameless hero projects a tough, scruffy sexuality that’s belied by his emotional nakedness and romantic heart; he gives away more of himself than perhaps he should. He’s in love with his tough fellow rent boy Ahd, who considers himself straight and sneers at him for kissing a john: “It’s like you enjoy being a whore.” The sex in Wild is graphic but never exploitative; the encounters range from the painfully degrading to the tender. Never judgmental, but with a compassionate objectivity, first-time director Camille Vidal-Naquet makes us care deeply about this complex hustler, a boy who’d rather be lost than found. Debut Film IN FRENCH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
Friday, January 4 • 7:30 pm • Regal Palm Springs Wednesday, January 9 • 7:30 pm • Regal Palm Springs PSFILMFEST.ORG 77
FOCUS ON INDIA
Peering into the world's largest film industry
FOCUS ON INDIA
Hamid
Husband Material
INDIA, 2018 108 minutes Director: Aijaz Khan Cast: Talha Arshad Reshi, Vikas Kumar, Rasika Dugal, Sumit Kual, Bashir Lone Print Source: Yoodlee Films
INDIA, 2018 150 minutes Director: Anurag Kashyap Cast: Tapsee Pannu, Vicky Kaushal, Abhishek Bachchan Print Source: Eros
Hamid’s father, like many men in Kashmir, has suddenly gone missing, and the young boy finds his life turned upside down as he begins looking everywhere for his father. Some 8,000 people have vanished since the conflicts of 1989, so it is no wonder that Hamid’s mother has become numb to tragedy, indifferent to the world around her, and unhelpful in answering Hamid’s many questions. Finally, she tells Hamid that his father has gone to God. Lonely and missing his father terribly, he finds a glimmer of hope when he is told that 786 is God’s “number.” Using his father’s old cell phone, Hamid tries several combinations, hoping to ask God to send his father home. After a long succession of failures, one day a voice finally answers his call. North American Premiere SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: Baankey Ki Crazy Baraat (2015), The White Elephant (2009) IN URDU WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
Friday, January 4 • 1:30 pm • Mary Pickford Saturday, January 5 • 4:00 pm • Regal Palm Springs
Manmarziyaan
Gentler and more romantic than his previous films (Gangs of Wasseypur; The Brawler) Anurag Kashyap, a festival favorite, examines dating among Indian middleclass, educated young people with a realism unusual in a Bollywood love triangle. With his dyed blue hair, the impulsive DJ running across rooftops to be with Rumi is just the right type to attract this free-spirited girl with runaway hormones. She might be a good girl, but deep down she needs the excitement of this volcanic relationship, and she is determined to love with reckless abandon. But is this wild DJ husband material? And when her traditional Punjabi family brings in a carefully chosen, qualified, sedate suitor, will she be able to choose between the exciting DJ and the stable man who is ready to settle down? With stunning performances, this modern love story laced with warmth and humor will sweep viewers off their feet. SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: Lust Stories (2018), The Brawler (2017), Gangs of Wasseypur (2012) IN HINDI, PUNJABI WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
Wednesday, January 9 • 12:30 pm • PS High School Friday, January 11 • 4:00 pm • Mary Pickford PSFILMFEST.ORG 79
FOCUS ON INDIA
The Imposter Prince
The Last Color
INDIA, 2018 148 minutes Director: Srijit Mukherji Cast: Jaya Ahsan, Jisshu Sengupta, Aparna Sen Print Source: SVF Entertainment Pvt. Ltd.
INDIA, 2018 90 minutes Director: Vikas Khanna Cast: Neena Gupta, Aqsa Siddiqui, Princy Sudhakaran, Aslam Sheikh, Rudrani Print Source: CINEMA4GOOD
Ek Je Chhilo Raja
The infamous Bhawal court case captivated India for more than two decades. Raja Mahendra Kumar Chowdhury, well known for his philandering ways and his lavish parties, preferred to spend time drinking with his many mistresses than give attention to his young wife. By 1905 he had contracted syphilis, so his wife and her brother took him to Darjeeling for treatment. He was reported to have died there a short time later. On the day of the cremation, a huge hailstorm interrupted the ceremony and in the night a group of holy men found him unconscious on the funeral pyre. They were able to revive him but he had lost his memory. For the next 10 years he wandered throughout India, until one day, when he reached his old palace, his memory returned. Under pressure from those who saw that he had a striking resemblance to the supposedly dead prince, he was pushed to prove his identity. SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: Uma (2018), Yeti Obhijaan (2017), Begum Jaan (2017) IN BENGALI WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
International award-winning chef and TV personality Vikas Khanna not only owns a Michelin star restaurant in New York, but he’s also a known author, philanthropist, and now filmmaker. In this lifeaffirming movie, he tells the story of Noor, who is dying to participate in Holi, a joyous festival of color denied to widows in India in a 400-year-old tradition. For centuries, Indian widows have been relegated to obscurity: socially dead, ostracized, and cast away by their families, banned from ceremonies because their presence is considered unlucky. They are relegated to praying, wearing white saris and regardless of their age spending the rest of their lives in ashrams. In The Last Color, a sassy, street-smart child befriends Noor, a widow from a local ashram. When Noor shares wistful memories of the days when she played Holi, flinging handfuls of pink powder, the young girl promises that next year they will play Holi together. World Premiere Debut Film IN HINDI WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
Friday, January 4 • 9:30 am • Mary Pickford Saturday, January 12 • 5:30 pm • Regal Palm Springs 80 PSFILMFEST.ORG
Friday, January 4 • 11:30 am • Regal Palm Springs Saturday, January 5 • 6:00 pm • Mary Pickford
FOCUS ON INDIA
The Man Who Feels No Pain Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota
INDIA, 2018 134 minutes Director: Vasan Bala Cast: Abhimanyu Dassani, Radhika Madan, Mahesh Manjrekar, Gulshan Devaiah, Print Source: RSVP Winner of the Audience Award in the Midnight Madness section of the Toronto International Film Festival, this zany Bollywood melodrama is unlike anything we have seen before. Born with an insensitivity to pain, Surya, played by the charismatic Abhimanyu Dasani, grows up obsessed with action movies of the 1960s and 1970s. He dreams of being like his hero, the onelegged “Karate Man,” who famously took on a hundred black-belt opponents and won. Being unable to feel pain gives him an edge, and he wants to prove his mettle. With the support of his childhood sweetheart, herself a skilled student of Karate Man, Surya decides to go after the gangsters responsible for his mother’s death when he was a child. This unusual homage to Bruce Lee and other martial art heroes is supported by infectious music in a wild fantasy promising goofy entertainment and delirious fun. SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: Peddlers (2012)
Namdev Bhau In Search of Silence INDIA/UKRAINE, 2018 84 minutes Director: Dar Gai Cast: Zoya Hussain, Aarya Dave, Namdev Gurav Print Source: Jugaad Motion Pictures At the end of his rope, Namdev Bhau, a 65-year-old chauffeur, can no longer take the noises of Mumbai, one of the loudest cities in the world. Since he cannot find peace at home either, being driven crazy by the constant jabbering of his overbearing wife, he packs a bag and sets off to a fabled retreat deep in the Himalayas called “The Valley of Silence,” hoping to find peace at last. On the way, an exasperating, chatty 12-year-old boy decides to tag along. The boy is on a quest to find the magical “Red Castle,” and he has promised his mother he’ll stay in good company. Despite Namdev’s annoyance, the boy refuses to let him travel solo. This gently paced road movie with exquisite scenery was directed by an exciting new voice in Indian cinema, Dar Gai, a filmmaker of Ukrainian origin who finds Indian culture a major source of inspiration. North American Premiere SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: Three and a Half (2018)
IN HINDI, ENGLISH, MARATHI, MALAYALAM WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
IN HINDI WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
Saturday, January 5 • 7:30 pm • Camelot Sunday, January 6 • 7:30 pm • Mary Pickford
Tuesday, January 8 • 9:00 am • Regal Palm Springs Wednesday, January 9 • 12:00 pm • Regal Palm Springs PSFILMFEST.ORG 81
FOCUS ON MEXICO
ยกViva el cine!
FOCUS ON MEXICO
Buy Me A Gun
The Chambermaid
MEXICO, 2018 84 minutes Director: Julio Hernández Cordón Cast: Rogelio Sosa, Sostenes Rojas, Mariano Sosa Print Source: Films Boutique
MEXICO/USA, 2018 102 minutes Director: Lila Avilés Cast: Gabriela Cartol, Teresa Sánchez Print Source: Kino Lorber
Knowing that the young, wide-eyed girl-passing-asa-boy (Matilde Hernández Guinea) at the heart of Julio Hern‡ndez Cordón’s dystopian tale is named Huck hints at the allegorical nature of this tensionfilled portrait of a land, Mexico and a people ruled by fear. The time is deliberately left vague, the near future seems probable, but a title card informs us that, “Everything, absolutely everything, is run by the cartels.” In the desert setting, women and children, including Huck’s mother and sister, are disappeared or enslaved, many kept in cages. Huck and her father, Rogelio (Rogelio Sosa), wretched guardians of a baseball diamond used by cartel bosses, have thus far escaped that fate. This might change, however, when the drug-addicted Rogelio kills a cartel flunkie, Cordón’s vision of Huck as an innocent mired in Hell has been likened by many to a slowburn Fury Road, and his sure-handed, stylish creation of Huck’s apocalyptic world more than warrants the comparison. SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: Atrás hay relámpagos (2017), I Promise You Anarchy (2015), IN COMPETITION: Gasolina (2008)
La Camarista
For unassuming maid Eve (Gabriela Cartol), daily existence is little more than cleaning up messes left behind by the wealthy and tending to the small emergencies that make up life at a high-end Mexico City hotel. Born on the wrong side of the class divide, the shy 24-year-old tries to savor whatever victories she can manage, acquiring a glamorous red dress from the lost and found, the promise of a coveted spot cleaning the exclusive 42nd floor, and all-too-brief phone conversations with the son she barely has time to see. Yet in the grind of tending to the needs of the well-heeled, Eve finds herself open to a new way of living, a world of books, relationships, and perhaps finally earning her GED equivalent through a hotel program. Yet she quickly discovers that coming into her own isn’t easy in a world of limited possibilities in this sly, powerful feature debut from writer/director Lila Avilés. Debut Film IN SPANISH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
IN COMPETITION:
IN SPANISH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES. Saturday, January 5 • 3:30 pm • Mary Pickford Sunday, January 13 • 7:00 pm • Regal Palm Springs
Wednesday, January 9 • 2:30 pm • Regal Palm Springs Thursday, January 10 • 4:30 pm • Mary Pickford Sunday, January 13 • 9:30 am • Regal Palm Springs PSFILMFEST.ORG 83
FOCUS ON MEXICO
The Good Girls
Museo
MEXICO, 2018 93 minutes Director: Alejándra Marquez Abella Cast: Ilse Salas, Cassandra Ciangherotti, Paulina Gaitan, Flavio Medina Print Source: Pantelion Films
MEXICO, 2018 126 minutes Director: Alonso Ruizpalacios Cast: Gael García Bernal, Leonardo Ortizgris, Alfredo Castro, Lisa Owen, Bernardo Velasco Print Source: Vitagraph Films
With her perfectly coiffed hair, generously attentive husband and beautifully appointed home in Mexico City’s tony Polanco district, stunning Sofía de Garay (Ilse Salas, Güeros) lives a life that defines early 1980s luxury: one of spur-of-the-moment shopping trips to New York City and country club lunches peppered with effusive compliments and empty praise. Her biggest challenge is maintaining her queen bee status when a gaudy nouveau riche newcomer enters her social circle. So when Mexican President José Lopez Portillo announces serious economic trouble ahead, there’s seemingly little cause for concern, until a major business deal put together by her husband Fernando falls through, her credit card starts being declined, and her loyal servants’ paychecks start bouncing. Soon Sofía finds herself blindsided by the realization that her life is little more than a house of cards built on shaky credit in this engrossing, razor-sharp sophomore feature from writer/ director Alejandra Márquez Abella.
Deep into his thirties with his degree in veterinary medicine no closer than it was a decade earlier, Juan (Gael García Bernal), who is still living under his parents’ roof, spends each day enduring the bitter sting of defeat. A disappointment to his judgmental father and the butt of a few too many family jokes, the hapless slacker spots an unlikely opportunity upward: stealing a collection of priceless Pre-Columbian artifacts from Mexico City’s National Museum of Anthropology. Together with fellow slacker Wilson (Leonardo Ortizgris), the pair pull off a daring heist, only to be faced with the dilemma of where to unload their ill-gotten gains. Soon the duo hits the road, crossing paths with an aging soft-core porn actress and a smarmy British antiquities collector, and quickly realizies that plundering a piece of their nation’s history has turned it against them, in this fresh, lively retelling of an incredible true story from writer/ director Alonso Ruizpalacios.
SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: Semana Santa (2015), Mal de tierra (2011)
SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: Güeros (2014)
IN SPANISH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
IN SPANISH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
Las niñas bien
IN COMPETITION:
Sunday, January 6 • 3:00 pm • Regal Palm Springs Sunday, January 13 • 10:00 am • Mary Pickford 84 PSFILMFEST.ORG
IN COMPETITION:
Friday, January 4 • 2:30 pm • Regal Palm Springs Sunday, January 6 • 4:00 pm • Mary Pickford
FOCUS ON MEXICO
Perfectos Desconocidos Perfect Strangers
MEXICO, 2018 104 minutes Director: Manolo Caro Cast: Cecilia Suarez, Bruno Bichir, Mariana Treviño, Manuel García Rulfo, Miguel Rodarte Print Source: Pantelion Films With an openly rebellious teen daughter and careers that have grown stale, plastic surgeon Antonio and his psychologist wife Eva know that their marriage has seen better days. Hoping to take a small break from the tedium, the couple invite their closest friends Ñ passionate pair Ana and Mario; stressed-out parents Ernesto and Flora; and Pepe, whose mysterious new girlfriend always seems to be too busy to meet the gang, to a dinner party to watch the lunar eclipse. But when Eva suggests placing their smartphones on the table to prove no one is hiding anything from their partner, their little parlor game slowly takes the party into a tense, unsteady place. As the moon grows blood red, the crowd spills its secrets and couples reach their breaking point in this smart, juicy, and delirious new comedy from director Manolo Caro, creator of Netflix’s The House of Flowers. U.S. Premiere SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: Tales Of An Immoral Couple (2016), Elvira I Will Give You My Life But I'm Using It (2014), Love of My Loves (2014) IN COMPETITION: IN SPANISH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES. www.RowanPalmSprings.com Sales@RowanPalmSprings.com
Saturday, January 5 • 8:00 pm • Mary Pickford Sunday, January 6 • 10:30 am • Regal Palm Springs Thursday, January 10 • 7:00 pm • Mary Pickford
www.RowanPalmSprings.com Sales@RowanPalmSprings.com
PSFILMFEST.ORG 85
MODERN MASTERS
New films, classic auteurs
MODERN MASTERS
Ash Is Purest White
Destroyer
Jiang Hu Er Nv
USA, 2018 123 minutes Director: Karyn Kusama Cast: Nicole Kidman, Toby Kebbell, Tatiana Maslany, Bradley Whitford, Sebastian Stan Print Source: Annapurna Pictures
CHINA/FRANCE, 2018 141 minutes Director: Jia Zhangke Cast: Zhao Tao, Liao Fan, Xu Zheng, Casper Liang Print Source: Cohen Media Group Although set in the Chinese underworld, Ash Is Purest White seems more of a crime and punishment drama than a gangster movie. Bin (Liao Fan) is a nightclub owner and small-time gangster who lords over his men in a depressed, rural coal-mining town. But Bin’s cocky leadership ends when a rival gang comes after his territory. To save him from being beaten to death, Bin’s resourceful girlfriend Qiao (Zhao Tao) fires a gun and gets five years in prison for refusing to reveal Bin’s ownership of the illegal weapon. When she is released, she hopes to find her old love and pick up where they left off, but times have changed. Qiao is surprised to find a China she barely recognizes, changed irrevocably by the country’s embrace of a fast-growing new society and capitalism. In the role of Qiao, Zhao Tao (director Jia Zhang-ke’s wife and muse) shows her immense talent as she portrays one of Jia’s most mature and complex characters. SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: Mountains May Depart (2015), A Touch of Sin (2013), Dong (2006) IN MANDARIN WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
Nicole Kidman shines in her glorious physical and emotional transformation into the role of Erin Bell, a performance that has already earned her a Golden Globe nomination. A corrupt police detective, haggard from years of heavy drinking and street trauma, Bell is haunted by memories of a past undercover assignment in Palm Springs that went wrong. When a mysterious piece of evidence appears, suggesting that one of the skeletons in her closet has come back and means business, she jumps into action, shaking down all her previous informants. As we watch the action unfold over two tight timelines, the layers of Erin are peeled like an onion and the truth begins to come into focus. Director Karyn Kusama manages to pull off the previously unimaginable — she brings together a hard-boiled thriller that is genderless, keeping the same edge on Kidman as you would see on Sam Spade or Philip Marlowe. The result is an electrifying film that pulls no punches and keeps you guessing until the very end. SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: The Invitation (2015), Jennifer’s Body (2009), Æon Flux (2005), Girl Fight (2000)
IN COMPETITION:
Tuesday, January 8 • 6:30 pm • Regal Palm Springs Thursday, January 10 • 9:00 am • Camelot
Thursday, January 10 • 7:00 pm • PS High School
PSFILMFEST.ORG 89
MODERN MASTERS
Everybody Knows Todos Lo Saben
FRANCE/SPAIN/ITALY, 2018 132 minutes Director: Asghar Farhadi Cast: Penélope Cruz, Javier Bardem, Ricardo Darín, Eduard Fernández, Bábara Lennie Print Source: Focus Features Following the acclaimed, Oscar®-winning The Salesman, world-renowned Iranian filmmaker Asghar Farhadi travels to Spain in the heralded Cannes scorcher Everybody Knows. The master of cinema expands upon his gift for constructing rich characters with elaborate histories as he follows the return of Laura (Penélope Cruz) to her quaint Spanish hometown for a family wedding with her two children in tow. While the village is consumed with the festivities, wine is poured and the music plays ever louder, a sinister plan unfolds that ends in the drugging and kidnapping of Laura’s daughter. Led by Laura’s former boyfriend Paco (Javier Bardem), the effort to find the missing teen engulfs the entire town and family in a paranoid hysteria filled with shocking revelations. The conflicted Laura and Paco must confront their own relationship as jealousy and deeply rooted grudges threaten to derail the entire search in Farhadi’s newest entry to a legendary oeuvre. SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: The Salesman (2016), The Past (2013), A Separation (2011), About Elly (2009) IN SPANISH, ENGLISH, CATALAN WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
Tuesday, January 8 • 7:30 pm • PS High School Sunday, January 13 • 12:30 pm • Camelot 90 PSFILMFEST.ORG
Happy New Year, Colin Burstead. UK, 2018 95 minutes Director: Ben Wheatley Cast: Neil Maskell, Hayley Squires, Sam Riley, Doon Mackichan Print Source: Goalpost Film/The Festival Agency A grand, sprawling mansion in the English countryside is transformed into a minefield of harbored resentments and unearthed family secrets in director Ben Wheatley’s latest acidic ensemble comedy. Colin (Neil Maskell, star of Wheatley’s 2011 breakout hit Kill List) has his heart in the right place when he welcomes his immediate and extended family to ring in the New Year together at a remote villa, but as the champagne flows and the guests pile in, including Colin’s estranged brother David (Sam Riley, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies), his terminally ill Uncle Bertie (Charles Dance, Game of Thrones), and David’s shifty girlfriend Hannah (Alexandra Maria Lara, Geostorm), old wounds tear open, and the celebration devolves into a tug-of-war of shifting power dynamics, unexpected loyalties, and explosive catharsis. Shedding the genre adornments of his recent thrill rides Free Fire and High-Rise, Wheatley trades bullets for razor-sharp one-liners in this fast-paced, deliciously dysfunctional firecracker of a comedy that plays like Robert Altman on a caffeine high. U.S. Premiere SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: Free Fire (2016), High-Rise (2015), A Field in England (2013)
Saturday, January 5 • 3:00 pm • Camelot Wednesday, January 9 • 11:30 am • Camelot Sunday, January 13 • 4:30 pm • Mary Pickford
MODERN MASTERS
Keep Going
Kursk
BELGIUM/FRANCE, 2018 84 minutes Director: Joachim Lafosse Cast: Virginie Efira, Kacey Mottet Klein, Diego Martin Print Source: Le Pacte
BELGIUM/LUXEMBOURG, 2018 117 minutes Director: Thomas Vinterberg Cast: Matthias Schoenaerts, Léa Seydoux, Colin Firth Print Source: Saban Films
Building tension and undercutting narrative expectations one gorgeously composed landscape at a time, Belgian auteur Joachim Lafosse’s (After Love; Our Children) supremely intelligent drama derives its power from a perfect trifecta encompassing excellent performances, sure-handed direction, and a near-perfect script. Fortyish Sybille (Virginie Efira), a largely absent mother to her ornery 19-year-old son Samuel (Kacey Mottet-Klein), seeks to mend fences by leading the young man on a horseback trek through the alternately lush and lunar-like steppes of Kyrgyzstan, a voyage the angry Samuel, who has already spent time in a correctional institute, sees as a waste of time. To be successful, a scenario like this relies on superior acting from its leads, and Lafosse elicits nuanced and entrancing performances from both Efira and Motte-Klein. The conflicted mother and the damaged son are complex and wholly believable. Kudos, too, to Lafosse’s regular cinematographer, Jean-François Hensgens, whose glorious images perfectly capture the stunning, and occasionally dangerous, landscapes.
A missile explodes aboard a Russian nuclear sub, killing most of its crew and marooning a handful of survivors in this tense, historical drama based on a real 2000 event. The sailors aboard the Kursk, exemplified by the calm stoicism of Mikhail Averin (Matthias Schoenaerts), are brave and capable but they face grim odds: Their oxygen supply is unstable and dwindling. Weighing the technological secrets the submarine contains against the lives of men whose condition is unknown, the Russians are loath to accept British help and tight-lipped about what the plans are for a rescue. The suspense and terror inexorably rise as director Thomas Vinterberg pieces together multiple strands of story that emphasize the agonizing contrast between the urgency of the sailors’ situation and the rising panic of their families with the government’s cold, bureaucratic response. Kursk is that rare film that balances a dissection of bureaucratic callousness with a nail-biting thriller. US Premiere SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: The Commune (2016), The Hunt (2012), Dear Wendy (2005)
U.S. Premiere SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: After Love (2016) IN FRENCH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES. Friday, January 4 • 7:45 pm • Annenberg Sunday, January 13 • 9:00 am • Regal Palm Springs
Thursday, January 10 • 4:00 pm • PS High School Friday, January 11 • 5:30 pm • Annenberg PSFILMFEST.ORG 91
MODERN MASTERS
Legend of the Demon Cat
Mouthpiece
CHINA/JAPAN, 2017 129 minutes Director: Kaige Chen Cast: Xuan Huang, Sometani Shota, Yuqi Zhang, Hao Qin, Haoran Liu Print Source: Moonstone Entertainment
CANADA, 2018 90 minutes Director: Patricia Rozema Cast: Norah Sadava,Amy Nostbakken, Maeb Beaty, Jess Salgueiro Print Source: Crucial Things and First Generation Films
Set in the eighth century during the Tang Dynasty, flamboyant Bai Letian, one of the greatest Chinese poets, and Japanese monk Kžkai, a self-proclaimed exorcist who brought esoteric Buddhism to Japan, joined forces to investigate the death of the concubine Yang, one of the Emperor’s favorites, as well as cases of demonic possession that created havoc in the Imperial Court. After the sudden death of the emperor, Kžkai sees the sinister silhouette of a black cat slinking across the rooftops. With the poet’s help, he starts following a trail of cat hairs. For this visually stunning supernatural fantasy, Kaige Chen (Farewell My Concubine) re-created the 8th century Tang capital, Chang'an City, at a cost of about $200 million with such precise, spellbinding dedication that it brings an unforgettable backdrop to this tale of lavish palace scenes, exquisite costumes, and dazzling intrigue. U.S. Premiere SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: Monk Comes Down the Mountain (2015), Caught in the Web (2012), The Promise (2005), Killing Me Softly (2002)
One of Canada’s most prolific and accomplished filmmakers, Patricia Rozema (I've Heard the Mermaids Singing; Mansfield Park) has turned her gifted eye toward adapting a stage play for the screen, and the result is one of the most inventive and emotionally compelling films of the year. After her mother’s sudden death, 30-year-old writer Cassandra (played by both Amy Nostbakken and Norah Sadava) tasks herself with writing the eulogy, despite the misgivings of her family. While assisting with the other arrangements, Cassandra revisits key incidents in her often contentious relationship with her mother, a woman who gave up her own budding literary career to raise children in suburbia. Nuanced performances capture the common duality of female identity, and Rozema’s interplay between past and present, underscored with gentle humor, brings comfort to Cass when she accepts the multifaceted power of maternal love. SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: Into the Forest (2015), Mansfield Park (1999), When Night is Falling (1995), White Room (1990)
IN MANDARIN, JAPANESE WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
Thursday, January 10 • 7:30 pm • Annenberg Saturday, January 12 • 3:30 pm • Mary Pickford 92 PSFILMFEST.ORG
Sunday, January 6 • 12:00 pm • Regal Palm Springs Monday, January 7 • 4:30 pm • Regal Palm Springs
MODERN MASTERS
Non-Fiction
Shadow
FRANCE, 2018 106 minutes Director: Olivier Assayas Cast: Guillame Canet, Juliette Binoche, Vincent Macaigne, Nora Hamzawi, Christa Theret Print Source: IFC Films/Sundance Selects
CHINA, 2018 116 minutes Director: Zhang Yimou Cast: Deng Chao, Sun Li, Zheng Kai, Wang Qianyuan, Wang Jingchun, Hu Jun, Guan Xiaotong, Leo Wu Print Source: Well Go USA Entertainment
Continuing his long-running fascination with modernity and its transformation of society, the everlively Olivier Assayas (Irma Vep; Personal Shopper) turns his attention to the worlds of writing and publishing in this trenchant, satirical reflection on communication and insincerity in the digital age. Alain (Guillaume Canet) serves as head of a prominent publishing house in Paris, while his wife Selena (Juliette Binoche) stars in a police procedural series of somewhat dubious merit. Distinctly blasé about the future of his profession and its inevitable digitization, Alain begins sleeping with a data-driven millennial subordinate while Selena continues her own affair with a bumbling, fragile-egoed writer. As the infidelity mounts, the two engage in long, wine-fueled nights of voluble debate alongside their media-class friends over the meaning of their careers in a new era. A film both nostalgic for an analog past and eager to reckon with the uncertainty of the present, Non-Fiction offers an intellectual, self-reflexive, and reliably humorous perspective on contemporary culture and those who steer it.
Reeling from his injuries in underground seclusion, the increasingly unbalanced military commander of Pei conspires to seize control of the kingdom in a series of cunning deceptions and double-crossings. Fed up with Pei’s callow, ill-natured king and his frequent capitulationing to their imperial rivals, the commander dispatches his trained look-alike to advocate at court in favor of the re-conquest of the city of Jing. Under the pretext of a duel with the occupying army’s undefeated general, the commander and his “shadow” plot a daring maneuver to capture the city and win their reward.
SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: Personal Shopper (2016), Clouds of Sils Maria (2014)
The latest martial arts saga from from one of the world’s most decorated filmmakers, Shadow boasts not only one of the most inventive action sequences in recent memory, but also some particularly breathtaking art direction, with a near-monochromatic color scheme of rich grays and blacks inspired by traditional Chinese ink-wash painting. SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: The Great Wall (2016), The Flower of War (2011), A Woman, A Gun and a Noodle Shop (2009), House of Flying Daggers (2004), Raise the Red Lantern (1991)
IN FRENCH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
IN MANDARIN WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
Wednesday, January 9 • 4:15 pm • PS High School Sunday, January 13 • 5:30 pm • Regal Palm Springs
Wednesday, January 9 • 12:30 pm • Camelot Saturday, January 12 • 1:15 pm • PS High School PSFILMFEST.ORG 93
MODERN MASTERS
Transit
The Wedding Guest
GERMANY/FRANCE, 2018 101 minutes Director: Christian Petzold Cast: Franz Rogowski, Paula Beer Print Source: Music Box Films
UK, 2018 94 minutes Director: Michael Winterbottom Cast: Dev Patel, Radhika Apte, Jim Sarbh Print Source: IFC Films
Following the acclaimed Barbara (2012) and Phoenix (2014), the Berlin School’s Christian Petzold returns to Europe’s haunted past with this captivating adaptation of the classic novel by Anna Seghers. A disquieting reflection on morality and politics contained within the genre framework of a World War II thriller, Transit stands as a remarkable illustration of what it means to make a film about history. The plot follows Georg, a roguish and mysterious man on the run from the occupying authorities. Awarded a visa after a case of mistaken identity in Marseille, he awaits his escape from the continent among the countless other ghostlike refugees hoping to secure passage out of the port city. Although Transit is set ostensibly in wartime France, Petzold makes a pointed effort not to dress the story in much period-specific detail, effectively transposing the 1942 setting into the present day. With this striking dialectic of past and present, Transit forces us to reconsider our contemporary political conditions and whether they may not be so dissimilar to those that brought catastrophe more than 75 years ago.
Michael Winterbottom, who was at the festival in 2001 with The Claim, reunites Dev Patel and Indian star Radhika Apte in his new film. When Patel's suspicious character pretends to be invited to a wedding in Pakistan, it is quite obvious that he has ulterior motives. Puttng his plan into place, he sets off a cascading series of exhilaratng events and what follows could be described as a neo-noir ticking clock love story with a heavy thriller bent chock full of shifting power dynamics and surprises. Anchored by two nuanced central performances, The Wedding Guest is a different type of genre film, one that relies as much on its humanity as it does on its plottng. Shooting in multiple locations, particularly India, definitely inspires Winterbottom. His camera generously invites the audience to travel with his characters in this restless intrigue.
SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: Phoenix (2014), Barbara (2012), Jerichow (2008) IN GERMAN, FRENCH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
IN COMPETITION:
Wednesday, January 9 • 11:30 am • Regal Palm Springs Friday, January 11 • 9:00 am • Annenberg 94 PSFILMFEST.ORG
U.S. Premiere SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: The Trip to Spain (2017), On the Road (2016), The Trip to Italy (2014), A Mighty Heart (2007), 9 Songs (2004), The Claim (2000) IN COMPETITION:
Wednesday, January 9 • 7:00 pm • Camelot Saturday, January 12 • 4:15 pm • PS High School
Congratulates
The 30th Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival Honorees
We Proudly Support
FLOS: FOREIGN LANGUAGE ® OSCAR SUBMISSIONS
Step into the Oscar® season with this selection of Foreign-Language contenders 96 PSFILMFEST.ORG
FLOS: FOREIGN LANGUAGE OSCAR SUBMISSIONS
The Angel
Ayka
ARGENTINA, 2018 118 minutes Director: Luis Ortega Cast: Lorenzo Ferro, Chino Darón, Daniel Fanego, Mercedes Morén, Luis Gnecco Print Source: The Orchard
KAZAKHSTAN, 2018 100 minutes Director: Sergey Dvortsevoy Cast: Samal Yeslyamova, Zhipargul Abdilaeva, David Alaverdyan, Sergey Mazur, Slava Agashkin, Ashkat Kuchinchirekov Print Source: The Match Factory
El Ángel
With his cascade of lush blond locks and a sexy, denim-clad swagger, baby-faced 19-year-old Carlitos (newcomer Lorenzo Ferro in a star-making performance) seems the picture of innocence, a heaven-sent gift whose biggest crime is being an eternal tease to women and men alike. But behind his angelic appearance lies a soullessness that thinks nothing of breaking into whichever home he pleases and taking whatever he wants. For the man known as Blondie, robbery and theft come as naturally as breathing. When this self-proclaimed gift from God befriends handsome, troubled criminal-in-training Ramón (Chino Darén), the pair quickly move from breaking and entering to cold-blooded murder, earning the wideeyed outlaw the nickname “The Angel of Death” and leaving a bloody swath of terror throughout early1970s Buenos Aires. This fresh, exciting new film from co-writer and director Luis Ortega was produced by acclaimed Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar. SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: Lulu (2014), Dromómanos (2012), Damn Summer (2011) IN SPANISH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
IN COMPETITION:
Monday, January 7 • 7:00 pm • Mary Pickford Wednesday, January 9 • 8:30 pm • Regal Palm Springs
Celebrated Kazakh filmmaker Sergey Dvortsevoy (Tulpan, 2008) returns with an unflinching and amoral journey that challenges audiences to understand his near-silent protagonist’s sacrifice. After abandoning her newborn mere minutes after delivery, Ayka (Cannes Best Actress winner Samal Yeslyamova) returns to work at a stomachchurning chicken-processing plant. She suffers from severe postpartum depression that has left her numb and confused. When the plant foreman announces that no one is to be paid for their weeks of work, Ayka must return to the cold streets of Moscow, desperate for money. Without papers or even a stable address, the resilient immigrant accepts demeaning jobs in hopes of repaying a loan shark. As her willpower drops with the temperature, is it only a matter of time before she is abandoned and forgotten, too? North American Premiere SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: Tulpan (2008), Highway (1999), Bread Day (1998) IN RUSSIAN, KYRGYZ WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
IN COMPETITION:
Monday, January 7 • 1:30 pm • Regal Palm Springs Tuesday, January 8 • 11:30 am • Camelot PSFILMFEST.ORG 97
FLOS: FOREIGN LANGUAGE OSCAR SUBMISSIONS
Birds of Passage
Buffalo Boys
COLOMBIA, 2018 125 minutes Directors: Cristina Gallego, Ciro Guerra Cast: José Acosta, Natali Reyes, Carmiña Martínez, John Narvíez, Greider Meza, José Vicente Cote Print Source: The Orchard
SINGAPORE, 2018 103 minutes Director: Mike Wiluan Cast: Yoshi Sudarso, Ario Bayu, Pevita Pearce, Tio Pakusadewo, Reinout Bussemaker Print Source: Samuel Goldwyn Films
Under the desert sun of northern Colombia’s arid Guajira region, the Wayuu tribe has gathered to watch beautiful, crimson-clad Zaida perform her coming-of-age ceremony, in an intense dance that catches the eye of young suitor Rapayet. Unable to provide the hefty dowry required to take Zaida’s hand in marriage, Rapayet finds an opportunity for fast cash by helping young Peace Corps volunteers procure marijuana, which provides him not only with the dowry but also a taste of the dizzying pleasures of the outside world. Soon, under the guidance of fierce, tradition-bound matriarch “rsula, what was meant to be a one-time deal morphs into a major drug trafficking enterprise. This new wealth sets in motion an explosive reckoning with the effects of unbridled ambition, and the consequences of turning one’s back on the natural world, in this powerful, epic tale of culture, family, and greed from the Oscar®-nominated creators of Embrace of the Serpent.
In 19th century Indonesia, after his brother Sultan Hamza is killed by Captain Van Trach and his Dutch soldiers in a brutal massacre, Arana spirits his infant nephews Jamar and Suwo away to America. Raised in the Wild West they learn the cowboy way of life while working on the railroads. after being caught in a barroom brawl, Arana decides it is time to take his nephews back home to avenge their father’s murder. In Java they rescue Siri, the daughter of the village head who immediately welcomes them into the community. While there, they find out that the locals are oppressed at the very hands of Captain Van Trach, the man who killed their father. Can they use the skills they have learnt in the West to defeat the sadistic Dutch colonial governor and avenge their father in a high noon shootout? This raucous anti-colonialist fantasy reminiscent of Django Unchained is the first Indonesian Western.
Pájaros de verano
SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: Ciro Gierra: Embrace of the Serpent (2015), The Wind Journeys (2009), Wandering Shadows (2004) IN WAYUU, SPANISH, ENGLISH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
IN INDONESIAN, ENGLISH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES. IN COMPETITION:
Monday, January 7 • 8:00 pm • Camelot Tuesday, January 8 • 6:30 pm • Mary Pickford 98 PSFILMFEST.ORG
Debut Film
IN COMPETITION:
Monday, January 7 • 1:30 pm • Mary Pickford Saturday, January 12 • 12:30 pm • Regal Palm Springs
FLOS: FOREIGN LANGUAGE OSCAR SUBMISSIONS
Burning
Cake
SOUTH KOREA, 2018 148 minutes Director: Lee Chang-Dong Cast: Steven Yeun, Jong-seo Jun, Ah-in Yoo Print Source: Well Go USA Entertainment
PAKISTAN, 2018 125 minutes Director: Asim Abbasi Cast: Aamina Sheikh, Sanam Saeed, Adnan Malik, Beo Raana Zafar, Mohammad Ahmed Print Source: Indus Talkies
Eight years after his award-winning film, Poetry, Lee Chang-dong, Korea’s foremost auteur, is back with a brilliant slow-burning thriller based on Haruki Murakami’s short story Barn Burning. While making a delivery, frustrated introvert Jong-su runs into Hae-mi, a wild, spirited former childhood friend. He feels that he might have found his soul mate, but to his surprise, when she returns from a trip to Africa, she introduces him to Ben, a new friend she met on her trip. Unlike Jong-su, who can barely support himself, the handsome, mysterious playboy Ben lives in a luxurious apartment, drives a Porsche and claims that he “plays” for a living. He also reveals that he has a “secret hobby,” and a short while after, Hae-mi disappears without a word. Beautifully crafted, this multilayered psychological drama addresses social and economic disparity in a way that illustrates the current world.
Cake is a far cry from Pakistani movies of the 1960s,
SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: Poetry (2010), Secret Sunshine (2007), Oasis (2002)
IN URDU, SINDHI WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
Buh-Ning
which were mostly song and dance fantasies. In this film, we are drawn into a household run by elder daughter Zareen (Aamina Sheikh), who stayed home to look after her eccentric, ailing parents, forsaking her own ambitions while her siblings traveled abroad. A medical emergency brings back Zara and her brother Zain, who begrudgingly reconnect in order to help with the care of their aging parents. It is not long before old resentments threaten to reveal hidden secrets. But all is not what it seems, and like a cake, the outside can be one color while the inside is another. This edgy social commentary will no doubt be a catalyst for conversation as it raises the bar for new Pakistani cinema. Debut film
IN KOREAN WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES. IN COMPETITION:
Monday, January 7 • 6:00 pm • Regal Palm Springs Tuesday, January 8 • 5:00 pm • Regal Palm Springs Sunday, January 13 • 10:30 am • Regal Palm Springs
IN COMPETITION:
Saturday, January 5 • 12:00 pm • Camelot Monday, January 7 • 1:00 pm • Mary Pickford PSFILMFEST.ORG 99
FLOS: FOREIGN LANGUAGE OSCAR SUBMISSIONS
Capernaum
Champions
LEBANON, 2018 120 minutes Director: Nadine Labaki Cast: Zain Al Rafeea, Yordanos Shiferaw, Boluwatife Treasure Bankole, Kawthar Al Haddad, Fadi Kamel Youssef Print Source: Sony Pictures Classics
SPAIN, 2018 124 minutes Director: Javier Fesser Cast: Javier Gutierrez, Sergio Omos, Julio Fernandez, Jesus Lago, Jose de Luna, Fran Fuente Print Source: Latido Films
Receiving one of the longest standing ovations at Cannes in recent history, Capernaum is a galvanizing account of a young boy taking a stand. Resentful of his very existence, firecracker 12-year-old Zain (Zain Al Rafeea) seeks to sue his parents for bringing him into the world without any means to care for him, let alone pay for his citizenry papers, which makes him an undocumented ghost among the shanty neighborhoods of Beirut. While at home, he assists his family in smuggling clothes drenched with tramadol into the local prison for his brother’s illicit business. But when Zain’s parents sell his younger sister to a smarmy local grocer, the boy flees town, encountering a bevy of wild characters before circumstances make him the guardian of a one-year-old Ethiopian refugee, Yonas. Capturing the true, heartbreaking stories of Lebanese children, writer/ director Nadine Labaki frames Zain’s story through his stirring courtroom testimony and holds up a mirror to a torn country that has tragically forgotten its own. SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: Where Do We Go Now (2011), Caramel (2007) IN ARABIC WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
Monday, January 7 • 7:00 pm • Annenberg Tuesday, January 8 • 12:45 pm • Annenberg 100 PSFILMFEST.ORG
IN COMPETITION:
Campeones
For assistant pro-basketball coach Marco (Javier Gutiérrez, The Olive Tree), life is a game that’s played hard and played to win, at any cost. Estranged from his beautiful wife Sonia (Athenea Mata), Marco’s volatile temper gets him fired from his job after a boozy night of self-pity and an arrest for drunken driving. With his life falling apart, he’s thrown an unexpected lifeline: coaching Los Amigos, a team of intellectually disabled basketball players, including neurotic meter-reader Marín (Jesús Vidal), smelly hydrophobe Juanma (José de Luna), mama’sboy metalhead Jesús (Jesús Lago) and tough Collantes (Gloria Ramos). Marco soon realizes that his perpetually underfunded “not normal” team just might have what it takes to make it to the national championships in writer/ director Javier Fesser’s hilarious and heartfelt spin on the classic underdog tale. SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: Mortadelo and Filemon: Mission Implausible (2014), Camino (2008), Mortadelo & Filemon: The Big Adventure (2003) IN SPANISH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
IN COMPETITION:
Monday, January 7 • 12:00 pm • Camelot Tuesday, January 8 • 8:30 pm • Regal Palm Springs
, , ,
s
t /
FLOS: FOREIGN LANGUAGE OSCAR SUBMISSIONS
Cold War
Dogman
Zimna Wojna
POLAND, 2018 88 minutes Director: Pawel Pawlikowski Cast: Joanna Kulig, Tomasz Kot, Borys Szyc, Agata Kulesza, Jeanne Balibar, Cédric Kahn Print Source: Amazon Studios It’s been five years since the Academy Award®-winning Ida, but Pawel Pawlikowski’s achingly beautiful portrait of l’amour fou proves well worth the wait. Like Ida, Cold War also uses the 4 x 3 Academy framing and glowing black-and-white cinematography. It follows the passionate attraction between two people from vastly different backgrounds and fatally different temperaments. Unfolding against the backdrop of the Cold War years in Poland, Berlin, Yugoslavia and Paris, the film renders believable a complicated and disruptive love in impossible times. Refined, educated Wiktor is a talented musician and musicologist. He plays the piano, loves jazz, and conducts an ensemble performing traditional Polish folk melodies. During an audition, he discovers Zula, an ambitious and resilient young woman from the wrong side of the tracks, who will do anything to survive. Despite Zula’s continual betrayals, Wiktor maintains that she is the only woman for him. Reportedly, director Pawlikowski based the characters on his own parents.
Under the ominous gray skies amid the derelict remains of a seaside resort outside Naples, the scrawny Marcello (Marcello Fonte, Best Actor, Cannes Film Festival) is beloved, and sometimes pitied, for his day job as the local dog groomer. His innate skills as a dog whisperer serve him well when caring for local gangsters’ gargantuan pups, who often tower over him. Yet the biggest beast of all is local hothead Simoncino (Edoardo Pesce), whose insatiable desire for cocaine can only be tempered by Marcello’s meager supply. Despite the neighborhood’s protests, Marcello and Simoncino keep up an odd relationship that is tested when Marcello abets the tyrannical thug in an ill-planned robbery that could leave him imprisoned or, worse, dead. Fearing for his daughter’s safety and his own diminishing reputation among the tight-knit shop owners, Marcello must take matters into his own hands before the psychotic Simoncino upends everything he holds dear. Selected Filmography: Tale of Tales (2015), Reality (2012), Gomorrah (2008) IN ITALIAN WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: Ida (2013) IN POLISH, FRENCH, GERMAN, RUSSIAN, ITALIAN, CROATIAN WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
ITALY, 2018 102 minutes Director: Matteo Garrone Cast: Marcello Fonte, Edoardo Pesce, Nunzia Schiano, Adamo Dionisi, Francesco Acquaroli Print Source: Magnolia Pictures
IN COMPETITION:
Monday, January 7 • 5:00 pm • PS High School Tuesday, January 8 • 10:00 am • Camelot Saturday, January 12 • 4:30 pm • Annenberg
IN COMPETITION:
Monday, January 7 • 12:30 pm • Regal Palm Springs Tuesday, January 8 • 5:00 pm • Camelot PSFILMFEST.ORG 101
FLOS: FOREIGN LANGUAGE OSCAR SUBMISSIONS
Donbass
Eldorado
UKRAINE, 2018 110 minutes Director: Sergey Loznitsa Cast: Tamara Yatsenko, Liudmila Smorodina, Olesya Zhurakovskaya, Boris Kamorzin, Sergei Russkin Print Source: Pyramide Distribution
SWITZERLAND, 2018 91 minutes Director: Markus Imhoof Print Source: Kino Lorber
We might be able to read about foreign wars in U.S. newspapers, but they seem far from the average American’s consciousness. Therefore, kudos to Sergey Loznitsa and the Cannes prize-winner Donbass, for this hard-hitting look at the social breakdown in the Donbass, a region of Eastern Ukraine occupied by various criminal gangs. There, fighting is going on between the Ukrainian regular army, supported by volunteers, and separatist gangs, supported by Russian troops. It is a hybrid war, happening alongside an open armed conflict, accompanied by killings and robberies on a mass scale, and a gradual degradation of the civilian population. There is fear, deception, hatred, and violence everywhere. Based on real events, the film consists of 13 episodes, each of them narrating a story that took place in the occupied territories between 2014 and 2015. U.S. Premiere SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: A Gentle Creature (2017), Bridges of Sarajevo (2014), In the Fog (2012) IN UKRAINIAN, RUSSIAN WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
IN COMPETITION:
Monday, January 7 • 5:30 pm • Regal Palm Springs Tuesday, January 8 • 11:30 am • Regal Palm Springs 102 PSFILMFEST.ORG
The plight of refugees has been an ongoing and very personal issue for Swiss director Markus Imhoof, whose fiction feature The Boat Is Full was a foreign language Academy Award® nominee in 1982 and whose documentary More Than Honey was a Festival favorite in 2013. His documentary Eldorado tracks today’s African and Middle Eastern refugees on their dangerous journey to Europe and parallels it with his memories of a malnourished Italian child his family took in just after World War II, and who died after the Swiss government forced her to return home. In promotional materials for the film, Imhoof reveals his inspiration for his new work, “One of today’s principles is 'Refugees for reasons of economic plight do not count as refugees,’ because most fall under this category. I would not have thought 35 years ago that the title of my film [The Boat Is Full] would be concrete and urgent enough once again to force me to shoot another film on the subject.” SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: More Than Honey (2012), Le film du cinéma suisse (1991), The Journey (1986) IN GERMAN, FRENCH, ITALIAN, KURDISH, SWISS GERMAN WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES. IN COMPETITION:
Monday, January 7 • 4:30 pm • Mary Pickford Tuesday, January 8 • 10:00 am • Mary Pickford
FLOS: FOREIGN LANGUAGE OSCAR SUBMISSIONS
Euthanizer
Family First
FINLAND, 2017 85 minutes Director: Teemu Nikki Cast: Matti Onnismaa, Jari Virman, Hannamaija Nikander, Heikki Nousianen, Jouko Puolanto Print Source: Uncork’d Entertainment Writer/director Teemu Nikki pithily describes his darkly comic drama about a man merciful to animals but ruthless to humans as “Dirty Harry with pets,” which should give viewers an idea about this strange and impressive film’s peculiar worldview. It centers on cranky loner Veijo, a black-market pet euthanizer. He’s a true animal lover who delights in personally delivering justice to careless owners who neglect their pets. His unconventional but meticulously organized life is disrupted when he crosses paths with loutish loser Petri, a garage mechanic and member of a neoNazi gang, and Lotta, a young nurse who works at the hospital where his elderly father is dying. Things start to change for Veijo when he decides to keep rather than kill Petri’s scrappy mutt, and Lotta forces her way into his life, not in the least put off by his dark, prickly personality. Can a man like Veijo ever hope to enjoy an ordinary existence? SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: Lovemilla (2015), Simo Times Three (2012)
Chien de garde
CANADA, 2018 87 minutes Director: Sophie Dupuis Cast: Jean-Simon Leduc, Théodore Pellerin, Claudel Laberge, Maude Guérin, Paul Ahmarani Print Source: Axia Films Inc. From The Godfather trilogy to The Sopranos the cinematic sub-genre of “crime family drama” has always provided some of the most compelling onscreen stories. Sophie Dupuis’ provocative, discomfiting feature debut is no exception, but what sets her film apart is her choice to insinuate her camera right into the core of a troubled family, utilizing their criminal activities as narrative catalysts rather than an end in themselves. The fragile balance of the relationship between two brothers: the older JP (Jean-Simon Leduc), sensitive and yearning to go straight, and Vincent (Theodore Pellerin), younger, unpredictable and violent, who thrills at his growing role in the family business. When their uncle ratchets up the pressure on his nephews to act as enforcers, JP realizes it’s up to him to to save his family. Notable for compelling performances and moments of intense psychological drama, Family First is a must-see. Debut Film IN FRENCH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
IN FINNISH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES. IN COMPETITION:
Monday, January 7 • 7:30 pm • Regal Palm Springs Wednesday, January 9 • 7:00 pm • Mary Pickford
IN COMPETITION:
Saturday, January 5 • 8:30 pm • Regal Palm Springs Monday, January 7 • 7:00 pm • Regal Palm Springs PSFILMFEST.ORG 103
FLOS: FOREIGN LANGUAGE OSCAR SUBMISSIONS
Girl
The Guilty
BELGIUM, 2018 109 minutes Director: Lukas Dhont Cast: Victor Polster, Arieh Worthalter Print Source: Netflix
DENMARK, 2017 85 minutes Director: Gustav Müller Cast: Jakob Cedergren, Jessica Dinnage, Johan Olsen, Omar Shargawi Print Source: Magnolia Pictures
Brave, determined, 15-year-old Lara has a lot on her plate. Not only is she starting a new school in a new city and training to become a professional ballerina, she’s realizing she was born a boy. Lara seems mature and reasonable, but like all teenagers, she’s impatient. She wants her body to be like that of the other aspiring ballerinas in her prestigious dance academy, but she still must take hormones and has not yet had gender reassignment surgery. Despite the support of her single father, younger brother, and doctor, she puts too much stress on her stillgrowing and developing body. Her penis is a particular problem that she first tries to solve with tape and later with a more extreme method. With transgender issues frontand-center in contemporary politics, the naturalistically filmed Girl is a sensitive reminder that not all people identify with the body they’re born in. Debut Film IN FRENCH, FLEMISH, ENGLISH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
Prank calls, lonely drunks, and the like are the norm for irritated Danish police officer Asger Holm (Jakob Cedergren) after he is forcibly assigned to his department’s emergency call center following a disputed incident in the field. Yet when the muffled, terror-stricken whispers of a kidnapped woman trapped in a speeding car reach his desk, the obstinate Asger answers the call of duty with little regard for protocol. The hotheaded cop finds only cold shoulders when he attempts to enlist the aid of patrol cars outside his jurisdiction and must take matters into his own hands. As the events of the evening unfold in striking real time, every grave drone of the dial tone might signal a fatal end to the nightmare that Asger has found himself immersed in, and possibly made worse. Grounded by Cedergren’s gripping performance, co-writer/director Gustav Müller smartly crafts a pure, white-knuckle thrill ride unlike anything seen or heard this year. Debut Film IN DANISH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
IN COMPETITION:
Monday, January 7 • 1:30 pm • Annenberg Tuesday, January 8 • 8:30 pm • Camelot Sunday, January 13 • 10:00 am • PS High School 104 PSFILMFEST.ORG
IN COMPETITION:
Monday, January 7 • 8:00 pm • PS High School Tuesday, January 8 • 1:00 pm • Camelot Saturday, January 12 • 4:30 pm • Camelot
FLOS: FOREIGN LANGUAGE OSCAR SUBMISSIONS
The Heiresses
Hidden Man
PARAGUAY, 2018 97 minutes Director: Marcelo Martinessi Cast: Ana Brun, Margarita Irœn, Ana Ivanova Print Source: Distrib Films
CHINA, 2018 134 minutes Director: Jiang Wen Cast: Eddie Peng, Liao Fan, Jiang Wen, Zhou Yun, Xu Qing Print Source: Creative Artists Agency (CAA)
Las herederas
Part of Paraguay’s fading aristocracy, brittle spirit Chela (Ana Brun, Silver Bear Award, Best Actress, Berlin Film Festival) and her longtime partner/caregiver Chiquita (Margarita Irœn) live a cloistered life in a cluttered home whose grandeur has fallen into disrepair. In dire financial straits and with Chiquita’s going to prison for fraud, Chela receives an unexpected lifeline when gossipy neighbor Pituca (Maria Martins) asks the shy recluse to drive her to her daily bridge game. Soon Chela finds herself a not-so-reluctant chauffeur to a gaggle of aging gossips, but when she’s introduced to earthy, sensual Angy (Ana Ivanova), Chela finds herself in the thaw of self-renewal as the sexually open Angy slowly draws her out of her shell. She gets Chela in touch with her body and a willingness to participate in life’s messiness and unpredictability in this sly, subtle, and brave feature debut from writer/director Marcelo Martinessi.
Boasting style to burn, Jiang Wen’s ribald revenge thriller, set in 1930s Beijing (then known as Beiping), is both spectacular and thoroughly entertaining. Shot and left for dead as a child when his kung-fu master was murdered by former student Zhu (Liao Fan) and his Japanese sidekick Nemoto (Kenya Sawada), Li, current Taiwanese matinee idol Eddie Peng, is taken in by an American and raised in the United States. Trained as a spy, Li returns to Beiping and soon discovers that the murderous Zhu is now chief of police, while Nemoto is a boss in the opium trade. What follows is a brilliant blend of comedy and action as Li embarks on a complicated path to exact vengeance on the corrupt duo. Featuring plot twists and turns by the dozen, a raft of exquisitely realized and very verbal secondary characters, and luminous, awe-inducing production design, Jiang’s unapologetically accessible drama is great fun indeed.
Debut Film
SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: Gone With the Bullets (2014), The Sun Also Rises (2007), Devils on the Doorstep (2000)
IN SPANISH, GUARANI WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES. IN COMPETITION:
Monday, January 7 • 9:00 am • Regal Palm Springs Wednesday, January 9 • 1:00 pm • Regal Palm Springs Saturday, January 12 • 9:30 am • Mary Pickford
US Premiere
IN MANDARIN, ENGLISH, JAPANESE, FRENCH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
IN COMPETITION:
Sunday, January 6 • 12:45 pm • PS High School Monday, January 7 • 4:00 pm • Mary Pickford Sunday, January 13 • 1:00 pm • Regal Palm Springs PSFILMFEST.ORG 105
FLOS: FOREIGN LANGUAGE OSCAR SUBMISSIONS
I Do Not Care if We Go Down In History as Barbarians
Îmi este indiferent daca în istorie vom intra ca barbari ROMANIA, 2018 140 minutes Director: Radu Jude Cast: Ioana Iacob, Alexandru Dabija, Alex Bogdan, Ilinca Manolache, Serban Pavlu Print Source: Beta Cinema Intent on forcing contemporary society to confront the realities of the past, a young artist prepares an elaborate public performance detailing ethnic cleansing carried out by the Romanian military on the Eastern Front in 1941. But when the curtain rises, will the audience’s reaction be what she intended? Aferim! (PSIFF 2016) writer/director Radu Jude’s singular approach to filmmaking yields a piece provocative in both subject matter and style, a reflexive narrative commenting on the troublesome nature of selective patriotism and collective memory, and of art in pursuit of “the truth.” As our protagonist grapples with problems in her own life, her rehearsals appoint her the precarious general of her own motley army of actors and extras. Periodically sparring with a local official concerned about the content of the performance, she expounds on her research and philosophy, unwittingly revealing her own paradoxical sincerity and frivolity, and the danger of examining the past with modern eyes. SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: A Film for Friends (2011), Everybody in Our Family (2012), Aferim! (2015)
IN COMPETITION:
The Interpreter SLOVAK REPUBLIC, 2018 113 minutes Director:Martin Sulík Cast: Peter Simonischek, Jirí Menzel, Zuzana Mauréry, Eva Kramerová, Anna Rakovsk Print Source: Menemsha Films This poignant road movie about two older men coming to terms with the past stars the great Czech director Jirí Menzel (Closely Watched Trains) and Peter Simonischek (a standout as the father in Toni Erdmann, PSIFF 2017). Menzel plays 80-year-old Ali, a cranky Slovak interpreter who begrudgingly accompanies the 70ish Austrian, Georg (Simonischek), so he can trace the wartime path of his father, a vicious Nazi commander, from whom he is estranged. Complicating matters are the two men’s vastly different temperaments and the fact that Georg’s father was responsible for the death of Ali’s parents. Although alcoholic bon vivant Georg alienates Ali because of his interest in having a good time along the way (particularly when it comes to adventures with the opposite sex), eventually the two men begin to warm to each other. As they explore Slovakia together, they find a country that in many instances would prefer to forget about its past. SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: Gypsy (2011), The City of the Sun (2005), Landscape (2000) IN GERMAN, SLOVAKIAN WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
IN COMPETITION:
IN ROMANIAN WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES. Monday, January 7 • 1:00 pm • Regal Palm Springs Thursday, January 10 • 1:00 pm • Mary Pickford 106 PSFILMFEST.ORG
Sunday, January 6 • 10:00 am • Camelot Monday, January 7 • 12:00 pm • Regal Palm Springs Sunday, January 13 • 12:30 pm • Annenberg
FLOS: FOREIGN LANGUAGE OSCAR SUBMISSIONS
Jirga
Memoir of War
AUSTRALIA, 2018 78 minutes Director: Benjamin Gilmour Cast: Sam Smith, Sher Alam Miskeen Ustad, Amir Shah Talash, Baheer Safi, Arzo Weda Print Source: Lightyear Entertainment Taking its title from the name for an Afghan tribal council, Jirga follows a former Australian Special Forces soldier (Sam Smith) who is haunted by a tragic accident and returns to Afghanistan to make amends to a village family. Intrepid as a soldier, naive as a civilian, he becomes dependent on different strata of the Afghani population to take him through the country’s starkly beautiful landscape until he can confront his past. Australia’s Official Oscar® submission this year, Jirga’s behind-the-scenes creation tale is as dramatic as the story on screen. After losing permits to shoot in Pakistan because of political sensitivities around the story, director Benjamin Gilmour bought a camera in Kabul and shot Jirga in secret with actor Sam Smith. Now winning prizes and accolades at festivals around the world, Jirga is a masterful lesson in persistence, redemption, and triumph over adversity both on and off the screen.
La douleur
FRANCE, 2017 127 minutes Director: Emmanuel Finkiel Cast: Mélanie Thierry, Benoit Magimel, Benjamin Biolay, Shulamit Adar, Grégoire Leprince-Ringuet Print Source: Music Box Films
U.S. Premiere
A desperate writer in Nazi-occupied France forges an unsettling alliance with an enemy collaborator in search of her missing husband in this elegant adaptation of the semi-autobiographical novel from Marguerite Duras, famed screenwriter of Hiroshima, Mon Amour. France's official Oscar® entry takes us to 1944, near the end of a war filled with pain and uncertainty. Marguerite (Melanie Thierry in a stunning portrayal of resolute strength and haunting magnetism) is a promising young writer devoted to the resistance with her husband Robert. When the Gestapo deports him to an unknown location, she becomes determined to find him at all costs, leading her down a path of incredible risk and terrible hardship as she becomes hopelessly entangled in a game of intrigue with a local Vichy supporter. Director Emanuel Finkiel sumptuously navigates the heart of this complex story with a steady hand, achieving an elegiac ode to enduring love in times of great struggle.
SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: Son of a Lion (2007), Paramedico (2012)
SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: A Decent Man (2015), Nulle part terre promise (2008), Voyages (1999)
IN ENGLISH, PUSHTO WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
IN FRENCH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
IN COMPETITION:
Monday, January 7 • 8:00 pm • Regal Palm Springs Friday, January 11 • 4:00 pm • Regal Palm Springs
IN COMPETITION:
Saturday, January 5 • 1:30 pm • Regal Palm Springs Monday, January 7 • 4:00 pm • Camelot PSFILMFEST.ORG 107
FLOS: FOREIGN LANGUAGE OSCAR SUBMISSIONS
Namme
Never Look Away
GEORGIA, 2017 91 minutes Director: Zaza Khalvashi Cast: Mariska Diasamidze, Aleko Abashidze, Adnar Bolkvadze, Ramaz Bolkvadeze, Roin Surmanidze Print Source: Alpha Violet Harking back to the tradition of mystical, lyrical Georgian cinema, the exquisitely photographed Namme pits tradition against modernism in the tale of a young village woman who is torn about following in her father’s footsteps. Namme’s father Ali is the guardian of a healing spring and treats the locals with its curative waters. His grown sons have moved away from home and from their father’s beliefs. One is an Orthodox priest, one is a Muslim mullah and the last is a teacher (the area’s only one), obsessed with philosophy. Meanwhile, Namme shares her father’s belief in the power of the spring and its ageless fish as well as his healing touch. But Namme, like her brothers, has a yearning to go her own way, especially after she meets and heals a young van driver. Shooting in the remote southwest of Georgia, veteran director Zaza Khalvashi beautifully contrasts the sounds of running water and of silence. SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: Solomon (2015), Mizerere (1996), Ik-Chemtan (1990)
GERMANY, 2018 188 minutes Director: Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck Cast: Tom Schilling, Sebastian Koch, Paula Beer, Oliver Masucci, Saskia Rosendahl Print Source: Sony Pictures Classics Director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck (Best Foreign Language Film Oscar®-winner for The Lives of Others) once again plows the fertile soil of communist East Germany, this time for an ambitious, gorgeously photographed drama about an artist (loosely based on Gerhard Richter) that begins during the Nazi period and spans decades. Right from the start, when gifted soon-to-be artist Kurt Barnert (Tom Schilling) is seen as an eight-year-old visiting the touring Nazi exhibition of “degenerate art” with his aunt, Henckel von Donnersmarck signals that he will be dealing with the grand themes of history, art, and politics, and how they are intricately intertwined. As Kurt becomes the protégé of a Joseph Beuys-like figure at art college, and life under the GDR’s communist regime takes its toll on Kurt and his loved ones, questions of artistic and moral integrity in the face of tyranny make for deeply affecting, soul-stirring filmmaking. SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: The Lives of Others (2006), The Tourist (2010)
IN GEORGIAN WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
IN COMPETITION:
Monday, January 7 • 10:30 am • Regal Palm Springs Wednesday, January 9 • 1:30 pm • Mary Pickford 108 PSFILMFEST.ORG
Werk ohne Autor
IN GERMAN WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
Monday, January 7 • 3:30 pm • Camelot Tuesday, January 8 • 6:45 pm • Annenberg
IN COMPETITION:
FLOS: FOREIGN LANGUAGE OSCAR SUBMISSIONS
The Resistance Banker
Ruben Blades Is Not My Name
NETHERLANDS, 2018 123 minutes Director: Joram Lärsen Cast: Jacob Derwig, Barry Atsma, Fockeline Ouwerkerk Print Source: Netflix
PANAMA, 2018 85 minutes Director: Abner Benaim Cast: Paul Simon, Sting, Residente, Gilberto Santa Rosa Print Source: Apertura Films
Set in occupied Amsterdam during World War II, this suspenseful drama is based on the extraordinary true story of banker Walraven van Hall, who helped finance the Dutch Resistance by defrauding the German-controlled Central Bank out of tens of millions of guilders, right under the Nazis’ noses. Risking his family and his future, “Wally” recruits his brother Gijs and other good burghers in their financial circles to forge bonds that can be cashed for money to help Jewish families fearful of deportation and striking workers fearful of going broke. But the bigger their operation gets, the more people it involves. And every day brings a greater risk of someone making that one mistake that could put an end to the whole business, and the lives of the resistance bankers. A huge hit in the Netherlands, The Resistance Banker shines a spotlight on some of history’s unsung heroes.
Singer, songwriter, musician. Acclaimed actor, Harvardeducated lawyer, successful politician. The life and career of Rubén Blades has taken anything but the expected, well-trodden path. On the cusp of retiring as a performer, salsa’s renaissance man takes an honest and unflinching look back on a life rich with triumph, heartbreak, and above all, a deep and unshakable love for his people. From his childhood in Panama and a political awakening spurred by the sovereignty riots of Jan. 9, 1964, to a redefinition of salsa music itself by bringing a social dimension and commentary to the form, Blades has always followed his heart. Featuring electrifying footage from his final tour, as well as testimonials from icons such as Paul Simon, Sting, Francisco “Bush” Buckley, and Junot D’az, Rubén Blades Is Not My Name is a testament to a rare talent whose restless heart has indeed helped change the world.
Yo no me llamo Rubén Blades
US Premiere
SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: Invasión (2014), Maids and Bosses (2010)
SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: Het geheim (2010), Love Is All (2007), In Orange (2004)
IN SPANISH, ENGLISH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
IN DUTCH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
IN COMPETITION:
Friday, January 4 • 1:00 pm • Regal Palm Springs Monday, January 7 • 10:00 am • Regal Palm Springs
IN COMPETITION:
Saturday, January 5 • 5:00 pm • Mary Pickford Monday, January 7 • 10:00 am • Mary Pickford PSFILMFEST.ORG 109
FLOS: FOREIGN LANGUAGE OSCAR SUBMISSIONS
Secret Ingredient
Sew the Winter to My Skin
MACEDONIA, 2017 104 minutes Director: Gjorce Stavreski Cast: Blagoj Veselinov, Anastas Tanovski, Aksel Mehmet, Aleksandar Mikic, Miroslav Petkovic Print Source: Wide Management
SOUTH AFRICA, 2018 131 minutes Director: Jahmil X.T. Qubeka Cast: Ezra Mabengeza, Peter Kurth, Kandyse McClure, Bok van Blerk, Zolisa Xaluva, Mandisa Nduna Print Source: Juno Films
As Californians know, cannabis can ease various illnesses as well as long-standing aches and pains. It’s the titular secret ingredient in this endearing Macedonian dramedy about Vele, a hard-up railway mechanic who finds an illegal pill-and-marijuana stash on board an empty train. After unsuccessfully trying his hand as a drug dealer, he decides to bake some weed into a cake to help his ailing father. His father’s health miraculously improves, but Vele’s problems compound. His neighbors demand the healing recipe and mobsters on the trail of their missing package terrorize the rail yard. Definitely a talent to watch, writer/ director Gjorce Stavreski finds the perfect balance for his tightly plotted, tragicomic first feature, which also works as a smart social critique of the problems of present-day Macedonia. Fine performances by Anastas Tanovski and Blagoj Veselinov make the father-son dynamic extremely poignant.
Set in 1950s South Africa, Sew the Winter to My Skin is a poetic reimagining of folk hero John Kepe, a reallife outlaw who referred to himself as the “Samson of the Boschberg.” An Apartheid-era Robin Hood, he took livestock and other goods from white colonist farmers and gave them to the poverty-stricken native population, thus making him public enemy number one of the ruling colonial class. When the film begins, Kepe had evaded capture for 12 years before he was finally sentenced for a separate crime that some still believe he did not commit. South African writer/ director Jahmil X.T. Qubeka does not handle the material as a standard biopic. Instead, he has crafted a cinematic genre-defying Western-epic-adventure, light on dialogue but visually stunning and with a glorious score to match.
SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: Skopje Remix (2012) IN MACEDONIAN WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES. IN COMPETITION:
Monday, January 7 • 2:00 pm • Regal Palm Springs Friday, January 11 • 10:30 am • Regal Palm Springs 110 PSFILMFEST.ORG
U.S. Premiere SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: A Small Town Called Descent (2010), Of Good Report (2013) IN AFRIKAANS, XHOSA, ENGLISH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
IN COMPETITION:
Tuesday, January 8 • 10:00 am • Regal Palm Springs Sunday, January 13 • 4:30 pm • Regal Palm Springs
FLOS: FOREIGN LANGUAGE OSCAR SUBMISSIONS
Sunset
Supa Modo
Napszallta HUNGARY, 2018 144 minutes Director: László Nemes Cast: Juli Jakab, Vlad Ivanov, Evelin Dobos, Marcin Czarnik Print Source: Sony Pictures Classics László Nemes, whose astounding feature debut Son of Saul (PSIFF 2016) won a Best Foreign Language Oscar® brings his distinctive visual style to a tale about the sunset of the Austro-Hungarian empire, set in Budapest during the second decade of the 20th century. Young Irisz Leiter arrives in the Hungarian capital hoping to work as a milliner at the legendary hat emporium that once belonged to her late parents. She is sent away by the new owner, Oszkár Brill, but she won’t take no for an answer. As the shop prepares to host important guests, a man abruptly approaches Irisz asking about Kálmán Leiter, who he says is her brother. Refusing to leave the city, Irisz follows Kálmán’s tracks, her only link to a lost past. Her quest brings her through the dark, dusty streets of Budapest into the turmoil of a civilization on the eve of its downfall. SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: Son of Saul (2015)
KENYA, 2018 78 minutes Director: Likarion Wainaina Cast: Stycie Waweru, Marrianne Nungo, Nyawara Ndambia Print Source: Juno Films In this sweet and heartfelt family drama, nine-year-old Jo (Stycie Waweru) is full of joy and life in spite being diagnosed with a terminal illness. She’s energetic, has a vivid imagination and talks of super heroes and kung-fu with her friends all day long. When her mother is told Jo’s condition is not improving, her mother decides to bring Jo home from the hospital to live out her remaining days in the comfort of their own home. In between the required medication and bed rest, Jo’s sister, Mwix, cooks up a plan to make Jo’s remaining days truly magical. With the help of the village, Mwix brings Jo’s super-hero fantasies to life, setting up encounters where Jo can act out the super hero she is. A bittersweet testament to the power of cinema and community, filmmaker Likarion Wainaina’s first feature film abounds in hope, love and humanity that lingers well after the credits roll. Debut film IN ENGLISH, KIKUYU, SWAHILI WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
IN HUNGARIAN, GERMAN WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
IN COMPETITION:
Monday, January 7 • 3:30 pm • Regal Palm Springs Tuesday, January 8 • 1:30 pm • Regal Palm Springs
IN COMPETITION:
Saturday, January 5 • 10:00 am • Mary Pickford Monday, January 7 • 11:30 am • Regal Palm Spring PSFILMFEST.ORG 111
FLOS: FOREIGN LANGUAGE OSCAR SUBMISSIONS
Take It Or Leave It
A Twelve-Year-Night
Võta või jäta
ESTONIA, 2018 102 minutes Director: Liina Triškina-Vanhatalo Cast: Reimo Sagor, Nora Altrov, Emily Viikman, Liina Lass, Adeele Sepp Print Source: Allfilm One Saturday morning, construction worker Erik gets some life-changing news: his ex-girlfriend Moonika, whom he hasn’t seen for six months, is going into labor. She tells him that she doesn’t want to be a mom, and if Erik doesn’t want to take custody of the baby either, the child will be put up for adoption. But Erik is totally flummoxed by the sight of his tiny daughter, and once he holds her in his arms, he knows that he can’t just give her away. But raising a child as a working-class single parent is tough. Erik has difficulty finding and accepting the appropriate support. And there is his temper. But after some close calls, Erik eventually comes into his own and Mai grows into a bright, pretty, well-mannered child. But one day Moonika, now married to someone else, files suit to take custody. What can Erik do? SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: In the Footsteps of Middendorff (2006)
At the dawn of the 1970s, and with their democratic government inching ever closer to autocracy, members of Uruguay’s Tupamaro Revolutionary Movement, including journalist “Ruso” Huidobro (Alfonso Tort), poet “Nato” Rosencof (Chino Dar’n, El Angel), and guerilla fighter and future president José “Pepe” Mujica (Antonio de la Torre, The Realm), knew theirs was becoming a lost cause. But when Pepe and his colleagues are taken hostage by the newly established dictatorship in late 1972, little did they know that they were about to experience a decade-plus test of human endurance. With daily life consisting of brutal isolation in abandoned factories, silos, and underground cells, and an imposed silence intended to drive them mad, each quickly learns to use his wiles, creativity, and cunning to stay alive, remain human, and keep the flickering embers of hope alight in this powerful new film from director çlvaro Brechner, Uruguay’s official Academy Award® submission. SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: Bad Day to Go Fishing (2009), Mr. Kaplan (2014)
IN ESTONIAN WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
IN COMPETITION:
Monday, January 7 • 5:00 pm • Regal Palm Springs Wednesday, January 9 • 5:30 pm • Regal Palm Springs 112 PSFILMFEST.ORG
URUGUAY, 2018 122 minutes Director: Álvaro Brechner Cast: Antonio De La Torre, Chino Darón, Alfonso Tort, Soledad Villamil, Silva PŽrez Cruz Print Source: Netflix
IN SPANISH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
IN COMPETITION:
Monday, January 7 • 7:30 pm • Mary Pickford Wednesday, January 9 • 4:30 pm • Regal Palm Springs
FLOS: FOREIGN LANGUAGE OSCAR SUBMISSIONS
Village Rockstars
The Waldheim Waltz
INDIA, 2017 87 minutes Director: Rima Das Cast: Bhanita Das, Basanti Das, Boloram Das, Rinku Das, Bishnu Kalita, Manabendra Das Print Source: Asian Shadows
AUSTRIA, 2018 93 minutes Director: Ruth Beckermann Print Source: Menemsha Films
In the backwaters of a remote village, 10-year-old local tomboy Dhunu dreams of rock and roll. Using cardboard make-believe instruments, she pretends to play in a rock band with the boys she hangs out with. But her dreams of getting a real guitar and forming her own rock band seem to be out of reach, considering that her widowed mother can barely put food on the table and has to deal with constant floods ravaging her small crops. While the boys tend to tease Dhunu because she is a girl, her vibrant spirit and self assurance propel her forward. And when repressive elders reprimand her for climbing trees and hanging out with boys, her mother stands by her, letting Dhunu be herself. Filmed in Rima Das’s own village, this beautiful tale blends dreamlike visuals with an authenticity seldom found in features. SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: Man with the Binoculars: Antardrishti (2016)
Waldheims Walzer
When former United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim ran for president of his native Austria in 1986, the World Jewish Congress brought to light previously unknown details of his wartime service as a Nazi intelligence officer in the German Army Group E, stationed in Greece and Yugoslavia. There, he worked as an aide-de-camp to the later-executed war criminal Gen. Alexander Lohr; however, this active-duty service was omitted from his autobiography. Waldheim defended himself by maintaining that he was the victim of an international conspiracy. Documentarian Ruth Beckermann, an activist who covered the protests with an early video camera, blends her own material with archival footage to show how the Austrian political class reacted to the accusations. As one might predict, there was an outbreak of anti-Semitism and outraged patriotism, which finally led to Waldheim’s election. Highly relevant to our time, this is a film about truth and lies and how a dishonest man can rise to power. SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: The Dreamed Ones (2016), Those Who Go Those Who Stay (2013)
IN ASSAMESE WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES. IN GERMAN, ENGLISH, FRENCH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES. IN COMPETITION:
Sunday, January 6 • 5:00 pm • Mary Pickford Monday, January 7 • 8:30 pm • Regal Palm Springs
IN COMPETITION:
Sunday, January 6 • 7:30 pm • Regal Palm Springs Monday, January 7 • 9:30 am • Camelot PSFILMFEST.ORG 113
FLOS: FOREIGN LANGUAGE OSCAR SUBMISSIONS
The Wedding Ring
What Will People Say
NIGER, 2016 97 minutes Director: Rahmatou Keïta Cast: Magaajyia Silberfeld, Salamatou Kimba Farinwata, Harouna Amoud, Yazi Dogo Print Source: Sonrhay Empire Productions
NORWAY, 2017 106 minutes Director: Iram Haq Cast: Maria Mozhdah, Adil Hussain, Rohit Saraf, Ekavali Khanna, Ali Arfan Print Source: Kino Lorber
The first ever entry to the Foreign Language Oscar® category from the Republic of Niger, Rahmatou Keïta’s The Wedding Ring is a visually stunning exploration of a traditional Sub-Saharan Muslim society. Tiyaa returns home to the Sultanate of Damagaran during her winter break. There she awaits an official marriage proposal from man she fell in love with in France, who happens to be from an equally prestigious family in a neighboring region. As she waits, she struggles at getting back to her life, overwhelmed by a multitude of feelings and the uncertainty of her future. Tiyaa (Magaajyia Silberfeld, the director’s daughter) perfectly embodies a new generation of empowered women in touch with their hopes and desires. The gorgeous and colorful locations act as a beautiful background as Keïta paints a picture of relationships between men and women in the Sahel by having her lead interact with different women who will share their experience on love, marriage and divorce.
The conflicting values and mores of East and West are personified in the problems of Nisha, a firstgeneration Norwegian teen who isn’t always willing to embrace the traditional expectations of her Pakistani émigré parents. Drawing on her own harrowing life experience, writer/director Iram Haq (I Am Yours, PSIFF 2014) intelligently and sensitively probes the problems of a character who is caught between cultures. When we first meet her, pretty 16-year-old Nisha is living a double life. Outside the house, she appears to be a normal, well-adjusted, Western values-oriented highschool girl, but at home, she acts the role of dutiful Pakistani daughter. One night, her father discovers her boyfriend in her bedroom. Although they were only kissing, her parents go ballistic and exile her, against her will, to the home of relatives in Pakistan. Eventually, traumatized Nisha settles down and finds some pleasure in exploring the culture of her ancestors, but scandal seems to find her despite her best intentions.
Zin’naariyá!
Hva vil folk si
SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: Al'lééssi... Une actrice africaine (2005) IN ZARMA, HAUSA, FULANI WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
IN COMPETITION:
Monday, January 7 • 10:30 am • Mary Pickford Sunday, January 13 • 11:30 am • Regal Palm Springs 114 PSFILMFEST.ORG
SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: I Am Yours (2013) IN NORWEGIAN, URDU WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
Sunday, January 6 • 5:00 pm • Camelot Monday, January 7 • 12:30 pm • Camelot
IN COMPETITION:
FLOS: FOREIGN LANGUAGE OSCAR SUBMISSIONS
Winter Flies
Woman at War
CZECH REPUBLIC, 2018 85 minutes Director: Olmo Omerzu Cast: Tomáš Mrvík, Jan František Uher, Eliška Krenková, Lenka Vlasákova, Martin Pechlát Print Source: Cercamon
ICELAND, 2018 101 minutes Director: Benedikt Erlingsson Cast: Halldóra Geirhardsdóttir, Jóhann Sigurdarson, Juan Camillo Roman Estrada, Jörundur Ragnarsson Print Source: Magnolia Pictures
Behind the wheel of a stolen Audi neither is old enough to drive, 15-year-old skinhead Mára and overweight 12-year-old Hedus barrel across the wintry back roads of the Czech Republic in this beguiling and bittersweet road movie. We know from the outset that their adventures, which include the rescue of a drowning dog and the addition of a cute young hitchhiker, will land them in a provincial police station. There, Mára, under interrogation, will shamelessly exaggerate his criminal prowess and discover that the adult world is more cunning and cruel than he is. Olmo Omerzu won the Best Director prize at the Karlovy Vary Film Festival for his charming but unsentimental portrait of kids taking their adult identities out for a test drive. The two young stars had never acted before, and they imbue their roles with a dyed-in-the-wool authenticity.
An intelligent, satisfying, comedic crowd-pleaser, Woman at War takes on pressing global concerns with humor and aplomb. Halla is a much-beloved, middle-aged Reykjavik choir conductor who has a secret life as an eco-warrior, fighting to save the Icelandic countryside from industrial pollution one noxious electrical pylon at a time. To this end, she’s also a master of disguise and a deft hand with a crossbow. When Halla learns that she’s finally been cleared to adopt a Ukrainian orphan, she can’t help but wonder what would be more fulfilling: motherhood, or making sure the Icelandic Highlands remain pristine for all to enjoy. Casting performers with pitch-perfect comic timing (including comedian Jón Gnarr, the former Reykjavik mayor), writer/director Benedikt Erlingsson (Of Horses and Men, PSIFF 2014) also makes audacious use of an Icelandic oompah band and a Ukrainian vocal trio to add levity and commentary on the action. As an ecowarrior himself, Erlingsson also made sure that Woman at War was a green production.
Kona ferí stríō
Všechno bude
SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: A Night Too Young (2012), Family Film (2015) IN CZECH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES. IN COMPETITION:
Sunday, January 6 • 2:30 pm • Camelot Monday, January 7 • 7:30 pm • Camelot
SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: The Show of Shows (2015), Of Horses and Men (2013) IN ICELANDIC, SPANISH, ENGLISH, UKRAINIAN WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
IN COMPETITION:
Saturday, January 5 • 11:30 am • Regal Palm Springs Monday, January 7 • 10:00 am • PS High School Tuesday, January 8 • 4:30 pm • Mary Pickford PSFILMFEST.ORG 115
FLOS: FOREIGN LANGUAGE OSCAR SUBMISSIONS
Yellow Is Forbidden
Yomeddine
NEW ZEALAND, 2018 94 minutes Director: Pietra Brettkelly Cast: Guo Pei, Philip Treacy, Wendi Murdoch Print Source: The Film Sales Company
EGYPT, 2018 97 minutes Director: A.B. Shawky Cast: Rady Gamal, Ahmed Abdelhafiz Print Source: Strand Releasing
Chinese designer Guo Pei became the talk of the fashion world the instant Rihanna arrived at the 2015 Met Gala draped in one of Guo’s stunning creations: a 50-pound dress with a 16-foot train, all of it spun from gold and fox fur. Beijing-born-and-based, Guo toiled for more than two decades before becoming the face of the “new China” and a reluctant political symbol of the regime’s progressive side (she also made it onto Time magazine’s list of the world’s 100 most influential people in 2016). Director Pietra Brettkelly’s fascinating documentary chronicles Guo as person, fashion star, and emblem, and benefits enormously from the cooperation of the energetic designer. But Brettkelly doesn’t fall into any star-struck traps: by concentrating on the behind-the-scenes chaos and daily dramas in the lead-up to Guo’s make-or-break Paris runway show, the director allows us to pause for thought about the conflicted world of fashion and Guo’s role in it.
Grieving his recently deceased wife, Beshay, a cured leper living in one of Egypt’s last remaining leper colonies, decides to leave the only home he has ever known and takes off with his donkey and his cart on a journey across the Egyptian desert to look for the family he once had. Joined by his 10-yearold, orphaned and spirited sidekick Obama, they embark on a journey that takes them from village to village, meeting memorable characters along the way and leaving behind a trail of magical moments and humanity. Uplifting, compassionate, and with wonderful performances by non-actors (including the lead played by Rady Gamal), A.B. Shawky’s first feature film is a beautiful, gentle and touching buddy road movie about family, our search for belonging, and the wonderful connections we make along the way.
SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: A Flickering Truth (2015), Maori Boy Genius (2011), The Art Star and the Sudanese Twins (2008)
IN ARABIC WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
IN MANDARIN, ENGLISH, FRENCH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
IN COMPETITION:
Monday, January 7 • 9:30 am • Regal Palm Springs Tuesday, January 8 • 4:00 pm • Annenberg 116 PSFILMFEST.ORG
Debut Film
IN COMPETITION:
Saturday, January 5 • 12:45 pm • Annenberg Monday, January 7 • 9:00 am • Camelot
118 PSFILMFEST.ORG
MODERN MASTERS
QUEER CINEMA TODAY Film Title
Title in Foreign language CHILE/SPAIN/GERMANY 2010 82 min Director: Name Name Cast: Names limited to 5 or 6 Print Source: Company Name Cepudaectur, quam est, aboria cum venimint dolut doluptatat accuptio. It harum quat quod que volest ea que sed quam et omnihit estiumque netur mo endem aut expedis sum ditaspi tassiti ut volore doluptate ipsa volestis repere is nate la as estisci entium eium nis quasit, quiate sus magni officiam evellupta doluptatem quatissunt earciis pratiss inctur sincit, ut quiaeribus, qui destrumque voleseque cullestiis aut etur rem sa aborpor erehent volutatqui acid quam core ende nihil everionsed quat ma quid quate pe nis eat evelestiam faceaquam, volore di cuptatium ipiendaepero voles essit mi, inctorio iunt hariatur remperi deles comnihic tet quas di ut iniendit resto tem eatur alita comnimin et esti cullorepro maxim dollabo. Itatque et utendelitium estiureptas mi, volorum, qui corerupta dolupta spelit etur? Selected Filmography: Film Title (0000), Film Title (0000), Film Title (0000), Film Title (0000), IN SPANISH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
Friday, January 5 • 8:30 pm • CAM Sunday, January 7 • 7:00 pm • REG
Friday, January 5 • 8:30 pm • CAM
Poignant, heartfelt, and insightful Sunday, stories from the community January 7 • 7:00 pm •LGBTQ REG PSFILMFEST.ORG 119
QUEER CINEMA TODAY
Anchor and Hope
Carmen & Lola
SPAIN, 2017 111 minutes Director: Carlos Marques-Marcet Cast: Natalia Tena, Oona Chaplin, David Verdaguer, Geraldine Chaplin, Charlotte Atkinson, Lara Rossi Print Source: Wolfe Releasing
SPAIN, 2018 105 minutes Director: Arantxa Echevarria Cast: Moreno Borja, Rafaela León, Zaira Morales Print Source: Latido Films
Living in a cramped houseboat moored in London’s scenic canals, dance teacher Eva and her bartender partner, Kat, might not have much in the way of worldly possessions but are the very picture of radiant youth, carefree, crazy in love, and open to whatever life throws their way. When Eva’s beloved cat Chorizo dies, his death unexpectedly awakens a deeper nurturing instinct in her, a long-buried desire to become a mother. After a visit from Kat’s freewheeling, womanizing Spanish friend Roger leads to a booze-soaked agreement to provide his “services” in helping Eva conceive, Kat’s initial reluctance about the idea of parenthood becomes a raging storm of doubt, placing her outside the giddiness of the young family-tobe and leading to a most unusual of love triangles in this funny, raw, and realistic new comedy from writer/director Carlos Marques-Marcet.
The daughter of street vendors eking out a living on the outskirts of Madrid, lively bombshell Carmen would never think to question the norms of her deeply religious, and highly marginalized, Gypsy community. Hemmed in by both a suffocating local patriarchy an d larger anti-Roma prejudice, her life is shaping up to be one of early marriage, young motherhood and the remainder of her years spent cleaning house and cooking meals, maybe with a small hairdressing job on the side. When she crosses paths with thoughtful, rebellious graffiti artist Lola, who is quietly pushing against the suffocating restrictions of their shared Roma neighborhood, the pair find themselves caught between the electricity of first love and the harsh realities of navigating two hostile worlds, leading to a powerful moment of reckoning in this smart and sexy debut feature from writer/director Arantxa Echevarria.
Tierra Firme
Carmen Y Lola
SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: 10.000 Km (2014)
Debut Film
IN ENGLISH, SPANISH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
IN SPANISH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES. IN COMPETITION:
Sunday, January 6 • 5:30 pm • Regal Palm Springs Tuesday, January 8 • 10:30 am • Regal Palm Springs 120 PSFILMFEST.ORG
IN COMPETITION:
Wednesday, January 9 • 10:30 am • Mary Pickford Sunday, January 13 • 7:00 pm • Mary Pickford
QUEER CINEMA TODAY
Diamantino
Eva + Candela
PORTUGAL/FRANCE/BRAZIL, 2018 92 minutes Directors: Gabriel Abrantes, Daniel Schmidt Cast: Carloto Cotta, Cleo Tavares, Anabela Moreira, Margarida Moreira, Carla Maciel, Chico Chapas, Hugo Santos Print Source: Kino Lorber
COLOMBIA, 2018 90 minutes Director: Ruth Caudeli Cast: Alejandra Lara, Silvia Varón Print Source: Shoreline Entertainment
After blowing his team’s chances at the 2018 World Cup, Portuguese soccer icon Diamantino retreats in shame to his palatial home. Bereft of purpose and desperate to atone for his act of national humiliation, he decides to adopt an African refugee youth in a naive attempt to reinject meaning into his shattered life. While awaiting the arrival of his new son, he becomes the unwitting victim of a government tax investigation, a neo-fascist plot to seize power, and the daily machinations of his cartoonishly villainous twin sisters. In their typically ribald and transgressive style, directors Gabriel Abrantes and Daniel Schmidt lampoon many aspects of society in the film, from gender politics to Brexit. Combining Super-16 cinematography, lowbrow humor and an embrace of amateurism too few of their contemporaries are willing to emulate, Abrantes and Schmidt render Diamantino a lyrical satire offering a wry critique of our increasingly absurd present-day culture.
¿Como Te Llamas?
Two passionate, intelligent women, a filmmaker and her lead actress, fall in love. What happens to their fiery, oneof-a-kind passion when infatuation turns to comfort and euphoria settles into routine? Is time the enemy of love? Ruth Caudeli’s smart and sensual Eva + Candela charts the intricacies of a relationship with unsparing honesty. It’s one of the rare movies that takes a realistic look at the metamorphosis of love, from can’t-keep-our-hands-offeach-other ardor to the jealousies and misunderstandings any couple must face. The Spanish Caudeli and her two remarkable and stunning Colombian stars, Alejandra Lara and Silvia Varón, dig deep, exploring the way Eva and Candela’s dedication to their careers both fuels and undermines their relationship. Jumping forward and backward in time, the movie examines this turbulent relationship with clear, compassionate eyes. Its heartache is universal. Debut Film IN SPANISH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: Schmidt: The Unity of All Things (2013) IN PORTUGESE WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
IN COMPETITION:
Saturday, January 5 • 6:00 pm • Regal Palm Springs Friday, January 11 • 7:30 pm • Regal Palm Springs Saturday, January 12 • 8:00 pm • Mary Pickford
IN COMPETITION:
Tuesday, January 8 • 3:30 pm • Mary Pickford Friday, January 11 • 8:00 pm • Mary Pickford PSFILMFEST.ORG 121
QUEER CINEMA TODAY
Giant Little Ones CANADA, 2018 93 minutes Director: Keith Behrman Cast: Josh Wiggins, Maria Bello, Kyle MacLachlan, Darren Mann, Taylor Hickson Print Source: Vertical Entertainment Handsome Franky (Josh Wiggins) is 17 and a popular competitor on his high school swim team. But in the aftermath of a confusing sexual encounter with his best friend Ballas after a drunken birthday celebration, he’s facing questions about his sexual identity that he might not be ready to answer. His confusion is compounded by the anger he feels toward his estranged father (Kyle MacLachlan), who left his marriage to live with a man. This sensitive and surprising coming-of-age drama is keenly attuned to the fluidity of teenage sexuality and the fears and excitements that go with it. Dealing with homophobia both internal and external, the story takes unfamiliar turns, as all of its wonderfully realized characters, gay, straight, trans and undecided, grapple with the roles the world wants them to play. A standout in Giant Little Ones’ large, talented cast is newcomer Wiggins, who seems destined for stardom.
Hard Paint Tinta bruta
BRAZIL, 2018 118 minutes Directors: Filipe Matzembacher, Marcio Reolon Cast: Shico Menegat, Bruno Fernandes, Guega Peixoto, Sandra Dani, Frederico Vasques Print Source: Wolfe Releasing
U.S. Premiere
In the confines of an urban jungle, emotionally withdrawn Pedro (newcomer Shico Menegat) is battling the legal consequences of a devastating nightclub attack. His sole connection to the outside world is as “Neon Boy,” an online erotic performer whose neonpaint slathered black-light dances have won him a legion of adoring fans. But when his older sister Luiza (Guega Peixoto) leaves him to take a job in another city and Pedro discovers a fellow camboy has stolen his performing techniques, the shy twentysomething must venture far outside his comfort zone to defend his space as a performer. That’s where he soon discovers a shared connection with outgoing and ambitious Leo (Bruno Fernandes), and an unexpected tenderness in the heart of an unforgiving city in this 2018 Berlinale Teddy- and CICAE Art Cinema Award-winning new film from co-directors Filipe Matzembacher and Marcio Reolon.
SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: Flower & Garnet (2002), White Cloud, Blue Mountain (1997), Thomas (1995)
SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: Filipe Matzembacher and Marcio Reolon: Seashore (2015), Other Than (2012) IN PORTUGESE WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
Saturday, January 5 • 2:30 pm • Regal Palm Springs Tuesday, January 8 • 1:15 pm • PS High School 122 PSFILMFEST.ORG
IN COMPETITION:
Tuesday, January 8 • 7:00 pm • Regal Palm Springs Sunday, January 13 • 7:30 pm • Mary Pickford
QUEER CINEMA TODAY
The Ice King
L'Animale
UK, 2018 89 minutes Director: James Erskine Print Source: Dogwoof
AUSTRIA, 2018 100 minutes Director: Katharina Mueckstein Cast: Sophie Stockinger, Kathrin Resetarits, Dominik Warta, Julia Franz Richter, Jack Hofer, Stefan Pohl Print Source: NGF Geyrhalterfilm, La Banda Film
John Curry revolutionized male figure skating, fusing balletic grace with astounding athletic prowess. The night he won Olympic gold in 1976, he became the first openly gay skater in the sport, coming out when homosexual acts were still illegal in his native England. With a treasure trove of archival footage and access to his intimate letters, The Ice King is a moving and deep portrait of this complex, driven perfectionist. Growing up in working-class Birmingham, Curry’s father forbade him to pursue ballet, but skating was acceptable because it was a sport. Curry reinvented it and created a theater company on ice, bringing his elaborate stage shows to the West End and Broadway. Yet, subject to deep depressions, Curry’s search for artistic perfection often left him isolated and lonely. Director James Erskine’s nuanced portrait does full justice to this courageous, remarkable man. SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: Sachin (2017), Shooting for Socrates (2014), The Battle of the Sexes (2013), EMR (2004)
On the brink of high school graduation, Mati (Sophie Stockinger) and her group of guy friends tear around their rural Austrian village on their revved-up motocross bikes and dance wildly at the local club to pounding electronic music with an ever-present air of male entitlement, teenage bravado, and mild menace. But Mati’s status as “one of the boys” becomes threatened when her best friend Sebastian wants to shift his relationship from buddy to boyfriend, and Mati meets a girl named Carla who changes her entire perception of identity and independence. At the same time, Mati’s parents are struggling with their own marital and identity crises, bringing multiple relationships to the breaking point and conformist beliefs about sexuality into question. In her second feature with writer/ director Katharina Mueckstein (Talea), Stockinger delivers a superbly sullen and taut performance in a coming-ofage story bursting with youthful energy and angst. SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: Talea (2013) IN GERMAN WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
IN COMPETITION:
Wednesday, January 9 • 5:30 pm • Camelot Friday, January 11 • 10:00 am • Camelot Saturday, January 12 • 2:30 pm • Regal Palm Springs
Friday, January 4 • 8:00 pm • Camelot Friday, January 11 • 9:30 am • Regal Palm Springs Saturday, January 12 • 11:30 am • Camelot PSFILMFEST.ORG 123
QUEER CINEMA TODAY
Light in the Water
Papi Chulo
USA, 2018 75 minutes Director: Lis Bartlett Print Source: Light in the Water
USA, 2018 98 minutes Director: John Butler Cast: Matt Bomer, Alejandro Patiño Print Source: Blue Fox Entertainment
The first Gay Games took place in 1982 in San Francisco, and it drew more than 1,300 competitors from around the world. Not long after, the West Hollywood Aquatics Club was formed, the first openly gay swim and water polo club. This dedicated group of men and women would go on to shatter both world records and homophobic stereotypes. When the relay team was dissed by their rivals as “the fag team,” they vowed to crush them. “And we did!” one swimmer happily recalls. Light in the Water is a story of family, empowerment, and survival in the early years of the AIDS crisis. As the club saw its success grow, it grieved as members were cut down in their prime. Covering four tumultuous decades, filled with wonderful and bittersweet memories, and lots of beauties in Speedos, this is a deep dive into an unexplored corner of LGBTQ history. Debut Film
Still reeling six months after the end of a relationship, TV weatherman Sean (Matt Bomer) is forced to take a leave from work after suffering an embarrassing, weepy on-air meltdown. Cooped up alone in his beautiful but sterile Hollywood home, Sean is desperate for companionship but comically inept at finding it. When he hires middle-aged, Latino migrant worker Ernesto (Alejandro Patiño) to paint his deck, it isn’t long before Sean is treating him as a combination of best friend and therapist. Though Ernesto views Sean’s manic desire for connection with trepidation and bemusement at first, he soon starts to understand the deep heartbreak motivating his employer’s strange behavior. In spite of the language barrier, the odd pair form a unique bond. Though it never shies away from depicting the disparities in class and privilege that separate its protagonists, Papi Chulo is a stirring tribute to the universal feelings of grief, love, and friendship that unite us all. U.S. Premiere SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: Handsome Devil (2016), The Bachelor Weekend (2013) IN ENGLISH, SPANISH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
Thursday, January 10 • 2:00 pm • Annenberg Friday, January 11 • 2:30 pm • Camelot Sunday, January 13 • 4:30 pm • Camelot 124 PSFILMFEST.ORG
Sunday, January 6 • 4:00 pm • Camelot Tuesday, January 8 • 1:00 pm • Regal Palm Springs Friday, January 11 • 6:30 pm • Regal Palm Springs
QUEER CINEMA TODAY
Riot
Socrates
AUSTRALIA, 2017 106 minutes Director: Jeffrey Walker Cast: Damon Herriman, Kate Box, Xavier Samuel, Jessica De Gouw, Josh Quong Tart Print Source: Werner Film Productions
BRAZIL, 2018 71 minutes Director: Alex Moratto Cast: Christian Malheiros,Tales Ordakji, Rosane Paulo Print Source: Queer™ Filmes
Australia’s “Stonewall” moment came on June 24, 1978, when gays and lesbians in Sydney took to the streets for a joyful Mardi Gras celebration that was met with brutal police repression. Riot, Jeffrey Walker’s rousing and irreverent drama, shows us the events that led to this watershed moment in Australian LGBTQ history. A wonderful cast, led by Damon Herriman as the brash and fearless activist Lance Gowland, and Xavier Samuel as the handsome, closeted doctor he falls in love with, takes us back to those heady, hormonal early days of self-discovery and resistance: the stormy love affairs, the rowdy political meetings filled with fierce ideological infighting, the painful court battle a lesbian couple wages for custody of their kids. Like the ABC television series When We Rise, Riot pays tribute to the pioneers who paved the way, and paid a price, for their freedom.
The sudden, unexpected death of his mother puts 15-yearold Socrates in a precarious position. A child of the slums of Sao Paulo, he now has to survive on his own. At first he hides his mother's death, telling her employers that she’s just sick, so he can take over her cleaning job. But when this ruse fails, his struggle for survival turns more desperate, as fraught as his search for love in the arms of a troubled older boy. Socrates is the astonishingly assured first feature from young Brazilian American director Alex Moratto, whose cinematic fluency renders his miniscule budget irrelevant. The crew of the film, ages 16 to 20, all came from underprivileged backgrounds. The charismatic lead actor, Christian Malheiros, earned a Spirit Award nomination for Best Actor, one of three nominations this rough gem of a movie received. Debut Film IN PORTUGUESE WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: Ali’s Wedding (2017), Dance Academy: The Movie (2017)
IN COMPETITION:
Wednesday, January 9 • 4:00 pm • Annenberg Friday, January 11 • 9:00 am • Camelot Sunday, January 13 • 7:00 pm • Camelot
Friday, January 4 • 9:00 am • Regal Palm Springs Sunday, January 6 • 6:30 pm • Regal Palm Springs PSFILMFEST.ORG 125
QUEER CINEMA TODAY
Vita & Virginia UK/IRELAND, 2018 110 minutes Director: Chanya Button Cast: Gemma Arterton, Isabella Rossellini, Rupert Penry-Jones, Peter Ferdinando, Elizabeth Debicki Print Source: Protagonist Pictures It is 1922 in Bloomsbury, London, when the aristocratic socialite and writer Vita Sackville-West (Gemma Arterton) first lays eyes on the famous novelist Virginia Woolf (Elizabeth Debicki), and vows to pursue her. Thus begins one of the most notorious and convention-shattering love affairs in literary history, which would bear fruit in Woolf’s landmark novel Orlando, whose androgynous, gender-bending title character was based on Vita. This sensuous and highly literate love story, which draws heavily on the letters the two married women exchanged, brings these wildly different personalities to life. Arterton’s headstrong Vita is a flamboyant extrovert, impervious to scandal, but she’s awed by the intellect of her lover. Debicki is astonishing as the introspective, physically awkward Virginia, a woman of piercing insight and fragile sanity. With its lavish costumes and seductive settings, Vita & Virginia transports us into a past that seems a century ahead of its time. SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: Burn Burn Burn (2015)
Thursday, January 10 • 4:30 pm • Annenberg Sunday, January 13 • 1:00 pm • PS High School 126 PSFILMFEST.ORG
OC/LA Location OC/LA Location
3100 S. Susan Street 3100 S. Susan Street Santa Ana, CA 92704 Santa Ana, CA 92704 714-545-6777 714-545-6777
Palm Springs/ Indio Location Palm Springs/ Indio Location 82309 Market Street 82309 Market Street Indio, CA 92201 Indio, CA 92201 760-863-0671 760-863-0671
www.signatureparty.com www.signatureparty.com
NEW JEWISH STORIES
Contemporary Jewish cinema at it's finest
NEW JEWISH STORIES
The Accountant of Auschwitz
City of Joel
CANADA, 2018 78 minutes Director: Matthew Shoychet Print Source: TLNT Productions Inc.
USA, 2018 83 minutes Director: Jesse Sweet Print Source: Samuel Goldwyn Films
In an era of rollercoaster news cycles, it can be challenging to tease out all the layers of meaning from tragedies, especially historic ones. And in an age of “fake news,” are we to trust the memories of those who bear witness? These, and other pertinent questions around justice, are at the core of this welldrawn examination into the trial of Oskar Gröning (known as “The Accountant of Auschwitz”), which began when he was 94 years old. Gröning’s trial is only the jumping-off point, however, for an evocative examination of the impact that testifying has on the aging witnesses to his crimes. The trial is also an introduction to Nuremberg prosecutor Benjamin Ferencz, now 99 years old and still nipping at the heels of evil. Ultimately, only the viewer can decide: Should there be a statute of limitations on genocide?
When Hasidic Rabbi Joel Teitelbaum, a Holocaust survivor, saw his followers beginning to lose their way in mid1970s Brooklyn, he moved the congregation to Monroe, about 50 miles north. The strictly observant community thrived and grew to 22,000 members living in an enclosed 1.1-square-mile area. The subject of Jesse Sweet’s complex documentary, which features unprecedented access to the “City of Joel” and its inhabitants, is the sect’s desire to annex another 550 acres and the resistance it faces from other Monroe citizens, who see their lifestyles threatened. Striving for balance in an emotional inferno where anti-Semitism lurks just beneath the surface, Sweet interviews members of the Hasidic sect, the leaders of the anti-annexation citizens’ group, and town officials, all the while documenting the growing friction between the sides. What the film reveals is a hornet’s nest of conflicting opinions and attitudes that couldn’t be a timelier evocation of a divided community.
Debut film
Debut Film
IN COMPETITION:
Saturday, January 5 • 5:30 pm • Regal Palm Springs Sunday, January 6 • 11:30 am • Regal Palm Springs Thursday, January 10 • 1:00 pm • Regal Palm Springs
IN COMPETITION:
Friday, January 4 • 4:00 pm • Regal Palm Springs Sunday, January 6 • 9:00 am • Regal Palm Springs Sunday, January 13 • 10:00 am • Annenberg PSFILMFEST.ORG 129
NEW JEWISH STORIES
The Other Story
Redemption
ISRAEL, 2018 117 minutes Director: Avi Nesher Cast: Joy Rieger, Sasson Gabai, Maya Dagan, Yuval Segal, Nathan Goshen Print Source: Strand Releasing
ISRAEL, 2018 104 minutes Directors: Boaz Yehonatan Yaacov, Joseph Madmony Cast: Moshe Folkenflick, Emily Granin, Yonatan Galila, Sivan Shtivi, Shahar Even-Tzur Print Source: Menemsha Films
Director Avi Nesher (Past Life, PSIFF 2017) concocts a lively drama that explores a hot-button issue: the divide between Israel’s secular Jews and the ultra-Orthodox. Past Life star Joy Rieger plays Anat, a troubled young woman at odds with her entire family when she enters a Haredi community and plans to marry the newly religious Shachar, a musician previously known for his wild ways. Sasson Gabai charms as Anat’s worried grandfather Shlomo, a renowned psychologist who schemes about ways to stop her. Knowing that falsehood is the thing that Anat hates most, Shlomo enlists the help of his son Yonatan, Anat’s father who returns from the United States, and also Yonatan’s outspoken ex-wife to prove that Shachar’s reform is not what it seems. Meanwhile, the issues of a divorcing couple that Shlomo is counseling provide a counterpoint to the central narrative. SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: Past Life (2016), The Wonders (2013), The Matchmaker (2010), The Secrets (2007) IN HEBREW WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
Joseph "Yossi" Madmoni (A Place in Heaven, PSIFF 2014) returns with another film that has at its center parent-child relationships. Co-directed with and written by his longtime cinematographer Boaz Yehonatan Yaacov, it examines a subject that Yacov knows well: a secular man becoming religious. The protagonist, Menachem, used to be the front man for a popular rock band. Now living as an Orthodox Jew, he cannot fulfill one of the most important commandments of a Hassid because he is unable to rejoice. The death of his wife weighs heavily on him, as does his young daughter’s cancer diagnosis. The only way he can raise the funds to pay for the girl’s treatment is to reunite his musical comrades for a final tour. As Menachem partially returns to the creative world that once gave him so much pleasure, he must find a way to balance his past with his new life and find redemption in the contradiction. SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: Joseph Madmony: A Place In Heaven (2013), Restoration (2011), The Barbecue People (2003) IN HEBREW WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
Sunday, January 6 • 1:30 pm • Regal Palm Springs Sunday, January 13 • 3:30 pm • Annenberg 130 PSFILMFEST.ORG
Sunday, January 6 • 4:30 pm • Regal Palm Springs Thursday, January 10 • 10:00 am • Camelot
NEW JEWISH STORIES
Stockholm ISRAEL, 2018 155 min Director: Daniel Syrkin Cast: Sasson Gabai, Tiki Dayan, Gidi Gov, Dov Glickman, Leora Rivlin Print Source: Menemsha Films Days before the Nobel Prize recipients are announced, Avishai (Gidi Gov), a chief contender in the field of economics, is found dead in his home. But after realizing his death would disqualify him from the esteemed honor, Avishai’s four closest friends Ñ recently retired Nilli (Tikva Dayan), millionaire Yehuda (Doval'e Glickman), scandal-prone Zohara (Liora Rivlin), and competitive Amos (Sasson Gabai), decide to fudge facts and keep up the appearance that Avishai is alive and well, at least until the big announcement. Holed up in a stuffy home with a rotting corpse, the four lifelong confidants face a slew of increasingly ridiculous and uproarious hurdles involving unexpected guests, faking phone calls, and one very unfortunate run-in with a bicyclist, all while struggling to take control of their own messy lives. Cleverly devised and choreographed by director Daniel Syrkin, and adapted from Noa Yedlin’s novel, Stockholm is a sprawling episodic farce about the resilience of friendship told with no shortage of irreverence, wit, and heart. SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: A Fool’s Dream (2007), Out of Sight (2006) IN HEBREW WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES. Tuesday, January 8 • 2:00 pm • Regal Palm Springs Thursday, January 10 • 10:00 am • Annenberg Sunday, January 13 • 11:00 am • Regal Palm Springs
The Tobacconist Der Trafikant
AUSTRIA/GERMANY, 2018 117 minutes Director: Nikolaus Leytner Cast: Bruno Ganz, Johannes Krisch, Simon Morzá, Emma Drogunova, Regina Fritsch Print Source: Menemsha Films This gripping coming-of-age drama is set against the backdrop of a seething, multicultural Vienna from 1937 through the Anschluss, the annexation of Austria by Germany. At the center of the story is naive 17-year-old Franz Huchel, sent by his single mother from the lakeside paradise of Attersee to apprentice with Otto Trsnjek, a kindly World War I veteran who runs a news-and-smoke shop on a central square. Despite Vienna’s hothouse atmosphere and the Nazi-collaborator butcher next door, Otto welcomes all customers, including Jews and communists. Among them is Sigmund Freud, an avid cigar smoker, who winds up befriending Franz and advising him on love. Among the film’s standout elements are the inclusion of Franz’s fantasies and troubling nightmares. The fantasies mostly show what the good-hearted lad wished he could have done in difficult circumstances. Meanwhile, the impressively shot, surreal nightmares, which play with Franz’s memories and obsessions, also illustrate Freudian dream theory. North American Premiere SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: Landkrimi: Der Tote im See (2018), Lemming's First Case (2009), Drei Herren (1998) IN GERMAN, CZECH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES. Friday, January 4 • 10:00 am • Regal Palm Springs Wednesday, January 9 • 6:30 pm • Regal Palm Springs Saturday, January 12 • 9:00 am • Regal Palm Springs PSFILMFEST.ORG 131
NEW JEWISH STORIES
To Dust
Toman
USA, 2018 90 min Director: Shawn Snyder Cast: Géza Röhrig, Matthew Broderick, Leo Heller, Samuel Mori Voit, Janet Sarno Print Source: Good Deed Entertainment
CZECH REPUBLIC/SLOVAK REPUBLIC, 2018 144 min Director: Ondrej Trojan Cast: Kristýna Boková, Réka Derzsi, Jaromír Dulava, Jirí Dvorák, Martin Finger Print Source: Menemsha Films
Recipient of the NYU Sloan prize for the screenplay of To Dust, Shawn Snyder tries to find emotion in science in his debut feature film. Shmuel (Son of Saul’s Géza Röhrig) is still mourning the loss of his wife and often has night terrors. He is convinced that knowing what will happen to her body, from a biology point of view, is the only way to move on, even if that means going against his Hasidic beliefs. At a nearby community college, he meets a science professor, Albert (Matthew Broderick), who is willing to explain the decay process. Still not satisfied, Shmuel wants to take it to the next level with an experiment. Albert, though reluctant at first, ends up joining Shmuel on his quest for answers, and the unlikely pair embarks on more than questionable practices. This charming, odd buddy comedy touches on grief, science, and religious traditions with a moving yet dark comedic tone.
Who was Toman? The title character is an unsavory politician and dubious entrepreneur, but also the savior of hundreds of Eastern European Jews, often referred to as “the Czech Schindler.” Zolenĕk Toman was born Zoltön Goldberger in 1909, in Sobrance, Slovakia, the son of Hungarian Jews. We follow this unscrupulous careerist as he works his way up from low-level bureaucrat in the Czech-government-in-exile during World War II to the head of Foreign Intelligence in Czechoslovakia 1945-48. In this position, he blackmails, intimidates, and levies false accusations in order to strengthen the communist presence in the bureau. He also exploits his diplomatic passport and international contacts to fraudulently raise money for Communist Party electoral campaigns. But he organizes the departure of Jews and refugees who survived the Holocaust through Czechoslovakia to Palestine, then supplies them with arms. His help, however, was never selfless. This fascinating biopic comes from Ondrej Trojan, the director of Ze-lary (PSIFF 2004), an Oscar®nominee for Best Foreign Film.
Debut Film
SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: Identity Card (2010), Zelary (2003), Let’s All Sing Around (1991) IN CZECH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES. Sunday, January 6 • 10:00 am • Annenberg Sunday, January 13 • 4:00 pm • Camelot 132 PSFILMFEST.ORG
Thursday, January 10 • 4:30 pm • Regal Palm Springs Friday, January 11 • 5:30 pm • Regal Palm Springs Saturday, January 12 • 10:30 am • Regal Palm Springs
NEW JEWISH STORIES
Who Will Write Our History USA/POLAND, 2018 90 minutes Director: Roberta Grossman Cast: Piotr Glowacki, Jowita Budnik, Karolina Gruszka Print Source: Katahdin Foundation After the end of World War II, amid the rubble of Warsaw, the Oyneg Shabes Archive was unearthed. It was secret eyewitness accounts of life in the Warsaw Ghetto that had been compiled by a team under the direction of Emanuel Ringelblum. The mission was to record every aspect of life under the Nazi terror, so that whatever the outcome of the war, there would be firsthand documents to bear witness to the atrocities that occurred, and to counter the propaganda of the Third Reich. Compiling the history of the ghetto as it unfolded was a life-or-death proposition, and if the treasury fell into German hands, it would be destroyed. Only three people knew where the archives were buried, and what if those three didn’t survive? Roberta Grossman’s powerful documentary, mixing dramatic reenactments with archival footage and interviews with survivors of the ghetto, brings this remarkable story to vivid, nail-biting life. SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: Seeing Allred (2018), Above and Beyond (2014), Hava Nagila: The Movie (2012) IN ENGLISH, POLISH, YIDDISH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
Sunday, January 6 • 2:00 pm • Regal Palm Springs Sunday, January 13 • 8:00 pm • Regal Palm Springs
Working Woman Isha Ovedet
ISRAEL, 2018 93 minutes Director: Michal Aviad Cast: Liron Ben Shlush, Menashe Noy, Oshri Cohen Print Source: Zeitgeist Films in association with Kino Lorber This riveting drama about workplace sexual harassment is perfectly timed to speak to themes in today’s news. It centers on Orna, a young Israeli mother of three whose successes on the job are accompanied by increasingly overt advances by her boss, a luxury real estate developer not used to hearing the word “no.” Orna’s chef husband is preoccupied with his struggling restaurant and has limited capacity for sympathy. Who can she tell? Perceptive and empathetic, Working Woman offers a layered narrative and complex, humane portraits of all three main characters. Writer/director Michal Aviad has been a feminist political filmmaker since the outset of her career and is widely acclaimed for her portraits of Israeli society seen through the prism of gender. Orna’s struggle, in particular the little indignities that she decides to let pass without rocking the boat (such as comments on her clothes and hair), will strike universal sparks of recognition in viewers all over the world. SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: Dimona Twist (2016), Invisible (2011), Jenny and Jenny (1997), Acting Our Age (1987) IN HEBREW WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
Thursday, January 10 • 1:00 pm • Camelot Sunday, January 13 • 2:00 pm • Regal Palm Springs PSFILMFEST.ORG 133
WORLD CINEMA NOW
Travel the world without leaving your seat
WORLD CINEMA NOW
Arctic
Asako I & II
USA, 2018 97 minutes Director: Joe Penna Cast: Mads Mikkelsen, Mar’a Thelma Smöradáttir, Tintrinai Thikhasuk Print Source: Bleecker Street
JAPAN, 2018 119 minutes Director: Ryūsuke Hamaguchi Cast: Masahiro Higashide, Erika Karata, Koji Seto, Rio Yamashita, Sairi Ito, Daichi Watanabe Print Source: Grasshopper Film
Stoic yet captivating Overgard (Mads Mikkelsen) uses his ample survival skills when his plane crashes in the Arctic, but his talents are pushed to their limit when a rescue helicopter crashes in the fierce wind, leaving him with a seriously injured woman to care for. Mikkelsen’s steely, logical approach is tested by the bitter cold, lack of medical care, the difficulty of movement, and a roaming and hungry polar bear. Debut director Joe Penna, better known by his YouTube handle of MysteryGuitarMan, ignores cinematic templates and uses a restrained, minimalist touch in his rendering of this intense and disturbing survival tale. The tundra is beautiful and menacing, but not scenically framed. The grave setbacks are jarring and severe, but not overdramatized. The result is a gripping, visceral story that unfolds naturally and elegantly portrays the struggle for hope that is hard to come by in the forlorn, frozen, and empty gray-white Arctic landscape.
There is a breezy, languid quality to the movies of Ryusuke Hamaguchi. One of Japan’s best contemporary directors, his work examines the ephemeral, often inexplicable nature of human relationships and the mysterious, magnetic forces that draw people together and pull them apart. Adapted from Tomoka Shibasaki’s 2010 novel Netemo sametemo, Hamaguchi’s latest film follows a young woman haunted by the lingering memory of the lover who so unceremoniously abandoned her. Shortly after the titular Asako begins her whirlwind romance with the shaggy yet irresistibly attractive Baku, he vanishes without a trace. Over two years later, while delivering coffee in Tokyo, Asako meets Ryohei, Baku’s exact double. Struck with an overwhelming sense of déjá vu, Asako is uncertain whether accepting Ryohei’s courtship will lead to a happy new chapter in her life or rather provide a painful and enduring reminder of her traumatic first love.
U.S. Premiere Debut Film
SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: Happy Hour (2015), Passion (2008), Solaris (2007), IN JAPANESE WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
Saturday, January 5 • 9:00 am • Regal Palm Springs Saturday, January 12 • 1:30 pm • Mary Pickford 136 PSFILMFEST.ORG
Wednesday, January 9 • 11:00 am • Regal Palm Springs Saturday, January 12 • 1:00 pm • Regal Palm Springs
WORLD CINEMA NOW
Becoming Astrid Unga Astrid
SWEDEN/DENMARK, 2018 123 minutes Director: Pernille Fischer Christensen Cast: Alba August, Trine Dyrholm, Magnus Krepper, Maria Bonnevie, Henrik Rafaelsen Print Source: Music Box Films This vibrant biopic centers on a character-forming period in the young life of a Swedish writer born Astrid Ericsson. The name might sound familiar: she would later earn international fame as the beloved children’s author Astrid Lindgren (1907–2002). The film shows that the future creator of Pippi Longstocking had her own difficult periods, and she faced them with the same strength and determination one can discover in her writing. Considering what one would expect from a young woman of her era and upbringing, Astrid led a surprisingly unconventional life. At age 16, this smart, irreverent farm girl secured an internship at her local newspaper, where the charismatic editor shared her belief in freedom, modernity, and the future. They had an affair, and at 18, Astrid found herself pregnant. Despite the complications of bearing a child out of wedlock in 1920s Sweden, brave and radical Astrid defied the social mores of the time and went on to make her mark with a similarly free-spirited character in the world of children’s literature. SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: Someone You Love (2014), A Family (2010), Dancers (2008), A Soap (2008)
Bel Canto USA, 2018 100 minutes Director: Paul Weitz Cast: Julianne Moore, Ken Watanabe, Christopher Lambert, Sebastian Koch, Ryo Kase Print Source: Screen Media Films A Japanese industrialist and a world-famous American soprano find themselves at the center of a hostage situation, held captive by guerilla rebels in a South American mansion along with diplomats and international businessmen. As what was meant to be a quick, shocking operation becomes a weeks-long crisis, unexpected allegiances are formed, language barriers are overcome, and a fragile ecosystem develops. Based on Ann Patchett’s best-selling novel, Bel Canto, it stars Julianne Moore and Ken Watanabe. As in the book, a rich cast of characters is gradually revealed around the central pair, unmasking humanity and passion on both sides of the standoff. Music also features as a character, the score fusing operatic vocals with Latin instrumentation, reflecting the melding of cultures and alliances inside the house. Tense and at times surprisingly romantic, Bel Canto reminds us of simple pleasures and values that unite rather than divide us, and that battle lines, once drawn, aren’t easily erased. SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: Being Flynn (2012), Little Fockers (2010), About a Boy (2002) IN ENGLISH, SPANISH, FRENCH, JAPANESE WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
IN SWEDISH, DANISH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES. Saturday, January 5 • 10:30 am • Regal Palm Springs Friday, January 11 • 12:00 pm • Regal Palm Springs Sunday, January 13 • 9:00 am • Camelot
Sunday, January 6 • 10:00 am • PS High School Wednesday, January 9 • 7:00 pm • Annenberg Sunday, January 13 • 6:30 pm • Annenberg PSFILMFEST.ORG 137
WORLD CINEMA NOW
Buck Run USA, 2018 80 minutes Director: Nick Frangione Cast: James Le Gros, Nolan Lyons, Amy Hargreaves, Kevin J. O’Connor, Alicia Goranson, Jim Parrack Print Source: Intuition Film Productions, Inc. Director Nick Frangione draws on his childhood memories of growing up an outsider in rural Pennsylvania for this affecting drama set. After the death of his mother, heartbroken 15-year-old Shaw (Nolan Lyons, Boardwalk Empire) is compelled to move in with his estranged father (veteran character actor James Le Gros), a conflicted alcoholic more concerned with hunting deer than raising a son. Shaw, already a bullied outcast at school, struggles to come to terms with his grief and his new life with an emotionally distant dad, while wanting a traditional funeral for his mom — something his father can’t afford. Frangione’s strengths in Buck Run are twofold: spoton acting from his two leads and a perfect evocation of what it’s like to live in conservative, rural America at this particular moment. In a world of swap meets and damaged souls, will this grieving teen find a place to fit in? World Premiere SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: Roxie (2014)
Butterflies Kelebekler
TURKEY, 2018 117 minutes Director: Tolga Karaçelik Cast: Tolga Tekin, Bartu Küçükçağlayan, Tuğçe Altuğ Print Source: Films Boutique Turkish siblings Cemal, Suzan and Kenan have been estranged for years. Cemal is now an astronaut living in Germany, Suzan is a frustrated schoolteacher at her wit’s end with her selfish husband, and Kenan is an actor who does mostly voiceover work of the cat video variety. Their worlds could not be farther apart. But when their father (who hasn’t seen his children in 30 years) cryptically summons them back to their childhood village, the three are forced into a road trip that might just be the key to reuniting the family once again. Winner of the World Cinema Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival, Butterflies is a testament to writer-director Tolga Karaçelik’s ability to blend tones of playfulness with drama in this bittersweet, funny and touching tale of family dysfunction. SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: Sarmasik (2015), 60 Seconds of Solitude in Year Zero (2011), Gise Memuru (2010) IN TURKISH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES. IN COMPETITION:
Sunday, January 6 • 5:00 pm • PS High School Tuesday, January 8 • 1:30 pm • Mary Pickford 138 PSFILMFEST.ORG
Friday, January 4 • 10:30 am • Regal Palm Springs Thursday, January 10 • 3:00 pm • Regal Palm Springs Friday, January 11 • 12:30 pm • Regal Palm Springs
WORLD CINEMA NOW
Cities of Last Things
Cold Sweat
TAIWAN/CHINA/USA/FRANCE, 2018 107 minutes Director: Ho Wi Ding Print Source: Wild Bunch
IRAN, 2018 88 minutes Director: Soheil Beiraghi Cast: Baran Kosari, Amir Jadidi, Sahar Dowlatshai, Leili Rashidi, Hoda Zeinolabedin Print Source: Noori Pictures
Xing Fu Cheng Shi
Aragh-e-Sard
Director Wi Ding Ho intriguingly uses a reverse chronological triptych to explore the harsh and painful life of a Taipei cop. Beginning with his dramatic suicide in a morbid, dystopian future, Part One shows the cop as an unhappy senior citizen intent on revenge killings, played with a concise film noir scowl by actor Jack Kao. Part Two reveals the traumatic event that ruined his marriage and caused him to be booted from the police force. Part Three ends at the beginning, illuminating the deepest mystery of the cop’s sorrow in a surprisingly tender boyhood scene that melts quickly into chaos and violence. Though moody, dark, and alienating in tone, comic moments arise unpredictably, and the somber score is peppered with cheesy Asian lounge songs. Creative and compelling cinematography by Jean-Louis Vialard enhances the noir ambiance, and actress Ning Ding steals Part Three as mob boss Big Sister Wang, who imparts the film’s darkest secret in a haze of cigarette smoke.
Afrooz is a dedicated and inspirational captain to her teammates in the Iranian women’s futsal (a variant of soccer) team. They’ve just made finals and are ready to take on the competition in Malaysia when there seems to be a problem with her clearance to board the plane. It appears Afrooz’s husband, Yasser, hasn’t signed the document permitting her to leave the country. Determined to make the match, Afrooz sets off on a agonizing attempt to convince her husband to sign her permit. Separated for a year, however, Yasser, a charismatic but cruel TV show host, is bent on getting revenge on Afrooz for their failed marriage. Based on real cases of women athletes being denied clearance to travel by husbands, Cold Sweat, Soheil Beiraghi’s second feature, is a timely and gripping account of the strict patriarchal laws that still exist in parts of our world and the fierce determination of the women attempting to fight against them.
U.S. Premiere
US Premiere
SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: Beautiful Accident (2017), Our Sister Mambo (2015), The Biggest Toad in the Puddle (2014)
SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: Me (2016)
IN COMPETITION:
IN PERSIAN WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
IN MANDARIN, ENGLISH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES. Tuesday, January 8 • 6:00 pm • Regal Palm Springs Friday, January 11 • 4:00 pm • Camelot
Wednesday, January 9 • 10:00 am • Regal Palm Springs Friday, January 11 • 1:00 pm • Camelot Sunday, January 13 • 2:30 pm • Regal Palm Springs PSFILMFEST.ORG 139
WORLD CINEMA NOW
Core of the World
Daughter of Mine
RUSSIA, 2018 124 minutes Director: Natalia Meschaninova Cast: Stepan Devonin, Dmitriy Podnozov, Yana Sekste, Vitya Ovodkov, Evgeniy Sytyy, Ekaterina Vasilyeva Print Source: Indie Sales
ITALY/GERMANY/SWITZERLAND, 2018 100 minutes Director: Laura Bispuri Cast: Valeria Golino, Alba Rohrwacher, Sara Casu, Udo Kier, Michele Carboni Print Source: Strand Releasing
Exploring the primal need for belonging and acceptance, Core of the World is a sensitive and revelatory naturalistic drama from a remarkable new talent. It centers on Egor, a young man from a troubled background, who works as a vet at a training facility for hunting dogs in provincial Russia. For him, getting along with animals is much easier than dealing with humans. Luckily, in this primeval place, animals abound. And the family that he works for might become a means to heal his emotional wounds. Director Natalia Meshchaninova has a deep understanding of human desires and behaviors that she translates into resonant images. Meshchaninova co-wrote the script with husband Stepan Devonin, the actor playing Egor, who actually trained as a vet before taking up filmmaking.
Set in a windswept Sardinian village, Laura Bispuri’s gripping drama was described by Indiewire as “a primal tug-of-war between nature and nurture.” In the middle of this war is scrappy, redheaded Vittoria who, on the verge of her 10th birthday, discovers that her birthmother is not the woman who raised her (the hardworking, dark-haired Tina), but the town’s wild “party girl,” strawberry blonde Angelica. The debtridden and alcoholic Angelica begs Tina to let her spend time with the daughter she abandoned, setting off a fierce fight for the heart and soul of the little girl. Valeria Golino and Alba Rohrwacher brilliantly play the two competing mothers; one is a study in tempered steel, the other a damaged force of nature. But Daughter of Mine is ultimately young Vittoria’s story, as she must find her own way through this matriarchal minefield.
Serdtse mira
SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: The Hope Factory (2014)
Figlia mia
IN RUSSIAN WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: Sworn Virgin (2015) IN ITALIAN WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
Tuesday, January 8 • 9:30 am • Regal Palm Springs Friday, January 11 • 12:30 pm • Mary Pickford 140 PSFILMFEST.ORG
Thursday, January 10 • 3:30 pm • Camelot Sunday, January 13 • 3:00 pm • Regal Palm Springs
WORLD CINEMA NOW
Dead Pigs
Diane
CHINA, 2018 130 minutes Director: Cathy Yan Cast: Vivian Wu, Yang Haoyu, Li Meng, Mason Lee, David Rysdahl, Zazie Beetz, Print Source: Alibaba Pictures, Media Asia, Beijing Culture
USA, 2018 95 minutes Director: Kent Jones Cast: Mary Kay Place, Jake Lacy, Estelle Parsons, Andrea Martin, Deirdre O’Connell Print Source: IFC Films
In Cathy Yan’s smart and polished debut feature, a mysterious wave of livestock deaths becomes an unlikely throughline in the lives of five very different people living in and around present day Shanghai. Impressive visual style draws the viewer in to gradually discover the connections among these complex individuals, and explore undercurrents of class, pride, and the clash between traditional ways and the promise of progress. The acting ensemble won a special jury prize at the film’s Sundance premiere, for characters including a pig farmer enamored of virtual reality, an expat architect, a businesswoman/pigeon enthusiast (dynamically portrayed by Vivian Wu), a waiter in an upscale restaurant, and one of his wealthy regulars. Each one cultivates the public version of themselves, hiding secrets and masking loneliness. Yan nods to her journalism background with the frequent presence of the media, and layers compassionate explorations of her characters into a biting commentary on consumerism and the drive toward modernization.
Meticulously observed and supremely well acted, Kent Jones’s moving character portrait offers Mary Kay Place a chance to shine in the titular role as a 70ish widow in rural Massachusetts trying to deal with a steadily increasing slate of problems, chief among them her son’s ongoing battle with drug addiction. As she runs from neighbor to neighbor, delivering casseroles and offering counsel, Diane comes across as unselfish and personable, but her ever-present look of worry for the future of her son (Jake Lacy) also suggests there is more here than we initially suspect. Slowly but steadily, Jones and Place reveal Diane’s past; the result is a masterpiece of understatement where seemingly idle table talk masks a profound current of thought and feeling running just beneath the surface. A deeply rooted sense of place, the wintry setting becomes a character in itself, adds an additional layer to one of the finest American films of the year. SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: Hitchcock/Truffaut (2015), A Letter to Elia (2010)
Debut Film IN COMPETITION:
IN MANDARIN, ENGLISH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES. Wednesday, January 9 • 12:30 pm • Mary Pickford Friday, January 11 • 10:00 am • Regal Palm Springs Sunday, January 13 • 10:00 am • Camelot
Friday, January 4 • 12:30 pm • PS High School
PSFILMFEST.ORG 141
WORLD CINEMA NOW
Don’t Shoot Niet Schieten
BELGIUM/NETHERLANDS, 2018 120 minutes Director: Stijn Coninx Cast: Jan Declair, Jonas Van Geel, Viviane De Muynck, Mo Bakker, Kes Bakker Print Source: Eyeworks Film & TV Drama Flemish director Stijn Coninx (Marina, a Festival favorite in 2014) turns to darker subject matter with Don’t Shoot. This riveting, real-life film noir is based on a notorious crime spree that traumatized Belgian society from 1982 to 1985, when the Brabant Killers topped the country’s mostwanted list. It focuses on the victims of the gang’s bloody raid on the Delhaize supermarket in Aalst on November 9, 1985. Among them is nine-year-old David van de Steen, who survives the shooting and catches a glimpse of one of the killers without his mask. The resilient David is raised by his grandparents Albert and Metje (the great Flemish actors Jan Decleir and Viviane de Muynck). Albert, a brave businessman, fights for more than 25 years to bring the killers to justice. Along the way, investigators reveal close and disturbing links between the police, the gendarmerie, politicians, and organized crime. North American Premiere
Dragged Across Concrete USA, 2018 159 minutes Director: S. Craig Zahler Cast: Mel Gibson, Vince Vaughn, Tory Kittles, Michael Jai White, Thomas Kretschmann Print Source: Cinestate, Unified Pictures The third film from cult filmmaker S. Craig Zahler is not for the faint of heart. It follows the questionable choices of long serving, disenchanted (and flat out misogynist and racist) cops (Vince Vaughn and Mel Gibson) suspended over their mishandled arrest of a drug dealer that was caught on a camera phone. Under financial pressure, and disgruntled and angry at the world all the time, the pair reconnect with a local crime boss (Udo Kier) in an effort to hijack some thieves post-bank robbery. But while the stakes are high, the pace is often measured, filled with Zahler’s trademark colorful character-driven dialogue. Zahler delves deep into a world in which these men have seen, and done, too much that is violent and morally questionable, but the strength of the film is our ultimate acceptance of the burdens they carry. SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: Brawl in Cell Block 99 (2017), Bone Tomahawk (2015)
SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: Marina (2013), Sister Smile (2009), Daens (1992) IN DUTCH, FRENCH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
Wednesday, January 9 • 2:00 pm • Regal Palm Springs Thursday, January 10 • 10:00 am • Mary Pickford 142 PSFILMFEST.ORG
Wednesday, January 9 • 7:30 pm • PS High School Saturday, January 12 • 7:00 pm • Mary Pickford
WORLD CINEMA NOW
Dukla 61
El Chicano
CZECH REPUBLIC, 2018 154 minutes Director: David Ondricek Cast: Marek Taclík, Martha Issová, Oskar Hes, Antonie Formanová, Robert Miklu Print Source: Czech Film Center
USA, 2018 142 minutes Director: Ben Hernandez Bray Cast: Raul Castillo, George Lopez, Aimee Garcia, Marlene Forte, Marco Rodriguez Print Source: Briarcliff Entertainment/UTA
Director David Ondricek (In the Shadow, PSIFF 2013) uses the July 7, 1961, Dukla mine disaster in the Czech Republic as the backdrop for this taut family-drama-turned-thriller. Here, the focus is on the Slachta family, highly respected members of the mining community near Ostrava. Milan is a burly team leader below ground, while his petite but commanding wife Marie runs their household with an iron fist. The drama starts as their eldest son Petr drops out of Mine Engineering college in Prague and moves back to the family home with a pregnant Jewish girlfriend in tow, much to his parents’ disappointment. Unwilling to be a burden on his family, Petr decides to follow Milan underground, a choice that his father thinks he will soon come to regret. Meanwhile, at the mine, lax safety standards and an avalanche of errors pile up while pressure builds in the shafts and at home.
An avenger roams the barrio, taking down drug dealers, cartel kingpins, and gang bangers in this action-packed thriller with the world’s first Latinx super hero at its center. As children, police detective Diego Hernandez (Raul Castillo) and his identical twin brother Pedro witnessed the masked vigilante El Chicano — said to bring justice to East L.A.’s streets for a century — take down a neighborhood crime lord. Now, in the wake of ex-con Pedro’s supposed suicide and as a Mexican drug lord prepares to move into town, Hernandez stumbles on a connection between Pedro and El Chicano — and forges one of his own. Comedian George Lopez adds sterling support in an uncommonly serious role as Hernandez’s boss in this blood-soaked nail biter. Veteran stuntman Ben Hernandez Bray makes a startling feature debut — gritty, tough, and stylish. The energy never flags as the film delivers chases, shootouts, explosions — both literal and emotional — and a story that packs a wallop.
SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: In the Shadow (2012), Grandhotel (2006), One Hand Can’t Clap (2003)
Debut Film
IN CZECH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
Friday, January 4 • 7:00 pm • Regal Palm Springs Sunday, January 13 • 3:30 pm • Regal Palm Springs
Tuesday, January 8 • 7:30 pm • Mary Pickford Wednesday, January 9 • 4:00 pm • Mary Pickford PSFILMFEST.ORG 143
WORLD CINEMA NOW
The Etruscan Smile
EXT. Night
SWITZERLAND/USA/UK, 2018 107 minutes Directors: Mihal Brezis, Oded Binnun Cast: Brian Cox, Thora Birch, Rosanna Arquette, JJ Feild, Peter Coyote, Treat Williams Print Source: Arthur Cohn Productions
EGYPT/UNITED ARAB EMIRATES, 2018 95 minutes Director: Ahmad Abdalla Cast: Karim Kassem, Mona Hala, Sherief El Desouky, Ahmad Magdy, Aly Kassem Print Source: Hassala Productions
The marvelous Brian Cox plays Rory MacNeil, a tough, hard-drinking old coot of a Scotsman, set in his macho ways. For medical reasons, Rory must abandon his beloved Hebridean island for high-tech San Francisco, where he’s uncomfortably ensconced in the high-rise apartment of his estranged son (JJ Feild), an up-and-coming chef; his son’s hard-charging corporate wife (Thora Birch); and their newborn son. It’s a mighty collision of cultures, but the bond that develops between the crusty Rory and his grandson begins to melt some of the long-frozen ice. This charming, heartwarming tale of intergenerational conflict and reconciliation makes wonderful use both of the scenic Scottish countryside and the sleek towers of the City by the Bay. Cox is joined by a stellar supporting cast that includes Peter Coyote, Treat Williams, and Rosanna Arquette as a museum curator smitten with Rory’s stubbornly old-school ways.
In this social satire about class and misogyny, disillusioned Moe is a young Egyptian filmmaker burnt out by the commercial work he’s been getting. To make matters worse, his girlfriend has just broken up with him and his friend has been taken to prison for using what the courts deem inappropriate language. The show must go on, though, and Moe must head to the opposite side of town to edit his work. So begins a wild night that also works as a classic setup to a joke: a filmmaker, a cabbie and a prostitute walk into a diner, Chauffeured around by Mustafa, a devout, conservative Muslim, and joined by Toutou, a rambunctious lady of the night, over the course of the night, cool guy Moe comes face to face with a world far from his own, exposing him to how the other side lives.
Debut Film IN ENGLISH, SCOTTISH GAELIC WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
U.S. Premiere SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: Decor (2014), Rags & Tatters (2013), 18 Days (2011) IN ARABIC, ENGLISH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
Thursday, January 10 • 7:00 pm • Regal Palm Springs Saturday, January 12 • 10:00 am • PS High School 144 PSFILMFEST.ORG
Thursday, January 10 • 5:00 pm • Regal Palm Springs Sunday, January 13 • 10:00 am • Regal Palm Springs
WORLD CINEMA NOW
The Extraordinary Journey of Celeste Garcia
El Viaje Extraordinario de Celeste Garcia CUBA/GERMANY, 2018 92 minutes Director: Arturo Infante Cast: María Isabel Díaz Lago, Omar Franco, Néstor Jiménez, Yerlín Pérez Print Source: The Match Factory Ignored by her son, mistreated by her sister, and with her days as a beloved schoolteacher behind her, Celeste Garc’a sits idly as the days of her drab workaday life pass by, her only bit of happiness coming from her job as a guide at the famous Havana Planetarium. But when the government reveals that aliens from the planet Gyrok have been living in Cuba and are ready to return the favor by taking select citizens back to their home planet, she unexpectedly finds herself chosen to make the intergalactic trek alongside failed musician Hector Francisco, husbandhunting Perlita, and insomniac butcher Augusto. Soon Celeste finds herself face-to-face with the joys and fears of renewal, and her own long buried secret, in this warm, funny directorial debut by acclaimed screenwriter Arturo Infante that proves you don’t always have to travel to a distant galaxy to find yourself (but it helps). Debut Film IN SPANISH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
IN COMPETITION:
The Factory Zavod
FRANCE/RUSSIA/ARMENIA, 2018 109 minutes Director: Yury Bykov Cast: Denis Shvedov, Vladislav Abashin, Andrey Smolyakov Alexander Bukharov, Dmitry Kulichkov Print Source: Wild Bunch An expertly staged hostage thriller with an undercurrent of furious social critique, The Factory focuses on a motley group of co-workers forced to take desperate action when their livelihoods come under threat. When callous, wealthy businessman Kalugin (Andrey Smolyakov) abruptly announces the closure of the factory where they work, the group of men unite under the leadership of the mysterious, one-eyed Greyhair (Denis Shvedov), who’s hatched a scheme to hold the boss for ransom and split the spoils. The plan goes smoothly at first, with the team successfully kidnapping Kalugin and holing up inside the cavernous, now empty factory. But things are soon complicated by the arrival of Kalugin’s security detail, led by lethal but deeply conflicted family man The Fog (Vladislav Abashin). Over the course of one bloody, nerve-jangling night, secrets are outed, true intentions are revealed, and men on both sides of the standoff are forced to re-evaluate their places in a ruthless, dog-eat-dog society. U.S. Premiere SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: Yolki 1914 (2014), The Fool (2014), The Major (2013) IN RUSSIAN WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
Wednesday, January 9 • 2:30 pm • Camelot Sunday, January 13 • 1:00 pm • Mary Pickford
Tuesday, January 8 • 8:00 pm • Regal Palm Springs Wednesday, January 9 • 6:00 pm • Regal Palm Springs PSFILMFEST.ORG 145
WORLD CINEMA NOW
Fast Color
Fig Tree
USA, 2018 100 minutes Director: Julia Hart Cast: Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Lorraine Toussaint, Saniyya Sidney, Christopher Denham, David Strathairn Print Source: Codeblack Films
ISRAEL/ETHIOPIA, 2018 93 minutes Director: Aäläm-Wärqe Davidian Cast: Betalehem Asmamawe, Yohanes Muse, Weyenshiet Belachew, Mareta Getachew, Mitiku Haylu Print Source: Menemsha Films
Julia Hart’s Fast Color is a rare and wondrous hybrid: a heartfelt story of familial devotion cleverly wrapped inside a thriller with a sci-fi edge. From the minute Ruth (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) bursts onto the screen we know this is a woman desperate to survive. Descended from a long line of women with secret, supernatural abilities, Ruth has been on the run since leaving her mother Bo’s isolated home in the arid American southwest (Palm Springs audiences will find many of the New Mexican settings familiar). Returning to that safe haven brings a chance to heal old wounds, and the risk of making them irreparably worse. Grounded performances from MbathaRaw and Lorraine Toussaint as Bo provide the emotional wellspring, while a tempestuous score, measured special effects, and perceptive cinematography make Fast Color required big-screen viewing. SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: Miss Stevens (2016)
Set at the end of the Ethiopian Civil War of 1989, Fig Tree follows 16-year-old Jewish Ethiopian Mina as she navigates her formidable years amid the unforgivingness of war. Weighing on the community most prominently is the military junta that has made it a practice to kidnap boys and men of all ages to enlist in the army. When the junta is about, the boys go into hiding. Through this, Mina, her grandmother and her brother have planned to flee to Israel where her mother resides. The problem is that she’s also in love with Eli, a local Christian boy who spends his days hiding in a fig tree, and she desperately wants to save him as well. Gorgeously shot and directed, Fig Tree draws from writer-director Aalam-Warqe Davidian ’s own experiences growing up in Ethiopia and delivers a coming-of-age story that is both devastating and beautiful. Debut Film IN AMHARIC WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
IN COMPETITION:
Wednesday, January 9 • 9:30 am • Mary Pickford Thursday, January 10 • 8:00 pm • Regal Palm Springs Saturday, January 12 • 7:00 pm • Regal Palm Springs 146 PSFILMFEST.ORG
Tuesday, January 8 • 2:30 pm • Regal Palm Springs Thursday, January 10 • 9:30 am • Regal Palm Springs
WORLD CINEMA NOW
The Fireflies Are Gone
The Grizzlies
CANADA, 2018 96 minutes Director: Sébastien Pilote Cast: Karelle Tremblay, Pierre-Luc Brillant, Luc Picard, François Papineau, Marie-France Marcotte Print Source: Seville International
CANADA, 2018 104 minutes Director: Miranda de Pencier Cast: Emerald MacDonald, Ben Schnetzer, Paul Nutarariaq, Ricky Marty-Pahtaykan Print Source: Northwood Entertainment
La disparition des lucioles
Winner of the Best Canadian Feature prize at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival, Sébastien Pilote’s third feature continues his cinematic exploration into small-town culture and characters in search of direction. The story centers on 17-year-old Léo (perfectly played by Karelle Tremblay, who resembles a young Natalie Portman and displays remarkable onscreen charisma). Léo is often brittle and explosively argumentative with her mother and stepfather, the reasons for which rise to the surface later in the film. In an uncharacteristically social moment, Léo pursues a friendship with Steve, an older, introverted guitar teacher living in his mother’s basement, instinctively understanding that they may be able to help each other move forward. While not driven by plot, The Fireflies Are Gone is a deftly made jewel box of a film: nuanced, sweet, and powerful in its portrayal of one pivotal summer for its characters. SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: The Auction (2013), The Salesman (2011)
Based on a true story, The Grizzlies is more than the usual triumph through sports story, for it doesn’t shy away from moving depictions of the poverty and isolation characteristic of too many northern communities. When first-time teacher Russ Shepherd comes to Kugluktuk, he brings preconceived notions about northern life and no little hubris about his self-imposed mission to bring about change. An interconnected chain of dramatic incidents, however (and some quieter cross-cultural corrections) lead Russ to understand that education is a two-way street. Initially, the hastily built lacrosse team seems mild after-school fun, but soon becomes the lightening rod for the community’s differing views on its future. Driven by remarkable performances by the young, Nunavut -based cast, and seeded with unassailable authenticity because of it’s dramatic location, The Grizzlies proves to be one of the most unexpectedly affirming films of the year. U.S. Premiere Debut Film IN INUKTITUT, ENGLISH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
IN FRENCH, ENGLISH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
Saturday, January 5 • 1:00 pm • Regal Palm Springs Sunday, January 6 • 10:00 am • Regal Palm Springs
Saturday, January 5 • 9:45 am • PS High School Sunday, January 6 • 7:00 pm • Annenberg PSFILMFEST.ORG 147
WORLD CINEMA NOW
His Lost Name
Hotel Mumbai
JAPAN, 2018 113 minutes Director: Nanako Hirose Cast: Yagira Yûya, Kobayashi Kaoru Print Source : Bandai Namco Arts
AUSTRALIA, 2018 125 minutes Director: Anthony Maras Cast: Armie Hammer, Dev Patel, Nazanin Boniadi, Jason Isaacs, Tilda Cobham-Hervey Print Source: Bleecker Street
Yoake
Middle-aged widower Tetsuro stumbles upon an unconscious, homeless young man washed up on the riverbank of his small seaside town. He revives the stranger and gives him a room in his house despite knowing nothing about him. It seems that the young man is left with only one memory: his name, Shin-ichi. Apart from taking him in, Tetsuro tries to find Shin-ichi a goal and teaches him to work with wood in the workshop he runs. Before long a father-and-son relationship develops between these two lonely souls, but folks from the neighborhood are becoming suspicious and wonder whether there might be secrets behind their connection. Having worked as writer and assistant director on Palme D’Or’s winner Hirokazu Kore-eda’s films Like Father, Like Son and Our Little Sister, Nanako Hirose’s original first feature also reflects his sense of humanity and compassion. Debut film IN JAPANESE WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
A gripping retelling of the 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai that culminated in the four-day siege of the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, Anthony Maras’s ultrarealistic debut feature gives us a cross section of workers and hotel guests scrambling to survive. Among the diverse group are Dev Patel (Slumdog Millionaire) as a kitchen server with a new baby and wife at home watching the events unfold on TV; Armie Hammer and Nazanin Boniadi as a couple whose child is in danger many floors above; Anupam Kher, who plays the hotel chef doubling as the leader of an internal resistance group; and Jason Isaacs as a Russian businessman caught up in the mayhem. As Maras weaves these and other individual narratives, taken from hours of interviews Maras and screenwriter John Collee conducted with survivors, into a masterful tapestry, the horrors of the event are made visceral while the heroism of those who fought back comes to the fore. Debut film IN ENGLISH, HINDI, URDU, PUNJABI, MARATHI, GREEK, RUSSIAN, ARABIC, PERSIAN WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
Friday, January 4 • 4:30 pm • Camelot Saturday, January 5 • 10:00 am • Regal Palm Springs 148 PSFILMFEST.ORG
Tuesday, January 8 • 4:15 pm • PS High School Saturday, January 12 • 7:00 pm • Camelot
WORLD CINEMA NOW
Leto RUSSIA/FRANCE, 2018 126 minutes Director: Kirill Serebrennikov Cast: Teo Yoo, Irina Starshenbaum, Roman Bilyk Print Source: Gunpowder & Sky A spirited black-and-white, biopic-turned-musical that bleeds punk rock fervor, Kirill Serebrennikov’s (The Student) Leto casts the spotlight on a ragtag group of rockers whose adoration for the likes of Lou Reed made them immediate enemies of the state in 1980s Leningrad. After crashing a beach party, outsider Viktor (Teo Yoo) reluctantly performs his rousing tunes for a disillusioned mop-top gang led by local rock star Mayk (Roma Zver). As the two songwriters grow close chain-smoking over banned records from Bowie, Mayk’s wife Natasha (Irina Starshenbaum) develops her own romantic interest in her husband’s new protégé. Instead of the threats of a culturally oppressive regime, it might be a love triangle that cuts the burgeoning rockers’ sets short in this Cannes competition selection. Featuring fantastical reimaginings of classics by the likes of Iggy Pop, Talking Heads, and even Viktor’s real-life band Kino, Leto is an exhilarating, nostalgic love letter to a bygone era when all that mattered was the music and those who made it. SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: The Student (2016), Betrayal (2012), Yuri’s Day (2008), Playing the Victim (2006), Bed Stories (2005)
The Little Comrade Seltsimees laps
ESTONIA, 2018 100 minutes Director: Moonika Siimets Cast: Helena Maria Reisner, Tambet Tuisk, Eva Koldits, Juhan Ulfsak, Liina Vahtrik Print Source: Amrion Production This poignant coming-of-age story shows the effect of the Stalinist terror visited on the Baltic countries in the 1950s from the point of view of a traumatized six-yearold Estonian girl, who sees her school principal mother arrested and taken away at gunpoint. She believes that her own mischievous behavior has caused her mother to leave. Although intelligent and inquisitive, little Leelo Tungal doesn’t understand the political portents of the times. She sees the red-kerchiefed “young pioneers” who attend the provincial school where her father teaches and longs to join their ranks and sing the Soviet anthem with them. She’s puzzled by the way normal language has changed. “What’s a comrade?” she asks her father. “It’s a respected person, like Sir or Madam used to be,” he replies. A top box office grosser in the domestic market this year, The Little Comrade is based on two autobiographical novels by Tungal, who is one of Estonia’s most beloved writers. U.S. Premiere Debut Film IN ESTONIAN WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
IN RUSSIAN WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES. Wednesday, January 9 • 3:30 pm • Camelot Saturday, January 12 • 7:00 pm • Annenberg
Tuesday, January 8 • 12:30 pm • Regal Palm Springs Sunday, January 13 • 7:30 pm • Regal Palm Springs PSFILMFEST.ORG 149
WORLD CINEMA NOW
Long Day's Journey Into Night
Look at Me
Di qiu zui hou de ye wan
Regarde-moi
CHINA/FRANCE, 2018 140 minutes PRESENTED IN 3D Director: Bi Gan Cast:Tang Wei, Sylvia Chang, Lee Hong-Chi, Zeng Meihuizi, Huang Jue Print Source: Kino Lorber
TUNISIA/FRANCE/QATAR, 2018 96 minutes Director: Nejib Belkadhi Cast: Nidhal Saadi, Idryss Kharroubi, Sawssen Maalej Print Source: MPM Premium
Fragmented bursts of pained memories echo through the mind of Luo (Huang Jue) as he wanders the seedy back alleys and streets of Kalil in wunderkind filmmaker Bi Gan’s monumental neo-noir. After discovering a hidden photograph in his late father’s home, Luo is determined to find a woman from his past as he recalls the tragic death of a childhood friend. Each street corner elicits a glimpse into Luo’s past as Gan (Kalil Blues, 2015) invites the audience to immerse themselves in a hypnotic cinematic reverie; never sure what is real, a memory, or a dream. Just as it seems that the coming daylight will bring answers, a cinema marquee beckons Luo inside. As Luo drifts off into the unknown, Gan astounds with a one-hour, miles traversing 3D take that will be interpreted for years to come. An absolutely stunning foray into dreamy aesthetics and mood, Long Day’s Journey into Night will linger in the soul even as, like Luo laments, the memory rusts.
Lotfi is at a crossroads. A Tunisian immigrant now living in Marseille, he’s managed to build himself a pretty good life: he has set up his own business and has a baby on the way with the woman he loves. All is going according to plan — until he receives a call from his brother telling him he’s needed back home in Tunisia. And just like that, Lotfi is torn between continuing the new life he’s built for himself and the past he thought he could leave behind (which includes a failed marriage and a young, estranged autistic son that he must now care for). A complex film about responsibility and coming home, Nejib Belkadhi’s Look at Me is also a compelling examination of duty and fatherhood. SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: Bastardo (2013), VHS - Kahloucha (2006) IN ARABIC WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: Kaili Blues (2015) IN MANDARIN WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
IN COMPETITION:
Sunday, January 6 • 10:00 am • Mary Pickford Friday, January 11 • 10:00 am • Mary Pickford Saturday, January 12 • 10:00 am • Mary Pickford 150 PSFILMFEST.ORG
Friday, January 4 • 4:30 pm • Regal Palm Springs Thursday, January 10 • 1:30 pm • Regal Palm Springs Friday, January 11 • 9:00 am • Regal Palm Springs
WORLD CINEMA NOW
Miriam Lies
Mothers’ Instinct
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC/SPAIN, 2018 90 minutes Directors: Natalia Cabral, Oriol Estrada Cast: Dulce Rodriguez, Carolina Rohana, Pachy Méndez, Frank Perozo, Vicente Santos Print Source: Latido Films
BELGIUM, 2018 97 minutes Director: Olivier Masset-Depasse Cast: Veerle Baetens, Anne Coesens, Mehdi Nebbou, Arieh Worthalter, Jules Lefebvre, Luan Adam Print Source: Indie Sales
For sensitive teen Miriam, life really shouldn’t be much more than sunny afternoons spent with best friend Jennifer, talking about boys and making preparations for their upcoming shared quincea–era. The product of a short, troubled mixed-race marriage, the shy teen is often made to feel like an outcast within her own working-class Dominican family for being darker than the rest, leading her to find comfort in an online relationship with sympathetic suitor, and potential quincea–era date, Jean-Louis. Yet when Jean-Louis reveals himself to be black, Miriam feels the weight of a badly broken society bear down on her young shoulders, driving her to create a web of tall tales, excuses, and deepening coverups in this powerful feature debut from co-writers/directors Natalia Cabral and Oriol Estrada, the latest in an exciting new wave of cinema from the Dominican Republic.
The spirit of suspense master Alfred Hitchcock hovers over this beautifully designed, lushly scored psychological thriller set in 1960s Brussels. Suburban wives Alice and Céline live side by side in identical bourgeois houses, functioning almost like two halves of a single family. They are best friends, as are their sons, Theo and Maxime, until one day a tragic accident breaks the harmony between the clans, and paranoia and distrust take hold. While doing her best to be a good, compassionate neighbor, spunky Alice (Veerle Baetens, The Broken Circle Breakdown) finds her mother’s intuition pulling her in a different direction. But with her handsome husband appalled that she would choose instinct over civility, how can Alice protect her family? Director Olivier Masset-Depasse crafts a killer role for his real-life wife Anne Coesens as Céline and plants red herrings with a skill that would have made Hitchcock proud.
SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: El sitio de los sitios (2016), Tœ y yo (2014)
SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: Illégal (2010), Cages (2006)
Miriam Miente
Duelles
IN FRENCH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES IN SPANISH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES. IN COMPETITION:
Tuesday, January 8 • 1:00 pm • Mary Pickford Thursday, January 10 • 10:30 am • Mary Pickford
Sunday, January 6 • 9:30 am • Regal Palm Springs Wednesday, January 9 • 1:00 pm • Annenberg Thursday, January 10 • 10:00 am • Regal Palm Springs PSFILMFEST.ORG 151
WORLD CINEMA NOW
One Last Deal Tuntematon mestari
FINLAND, 2018 95 minutes Director: Klaus Härö Cast: Heikki Nousiainen, Pirjo Lonka, Amos Brotherus, Stefan Sauk, Pertti Sveholm Print Source: LevelK A Palm Springs favorite, Finnish director Klaus Härö (The Fencer, PSIFF 2016; Letters to Father Jacob, PSIFF 2010) reunites with his brilliant Father Jacob actor Heikki Nousiainen for One Last Deal, the story of an aging, soon-to-retire art dealer who wants to go out on top, despite his failing business. When he discovers a beautiful painting up for auction that seems to be misidentified, he sees his chance. All his life, 72-year-old widower Olavi has put business interests before family, resulting in an estranged adult daughter and a teen grandson he barely knows. He’s a dinosaur of the art world, keeping his records on file cards and contacting his clients by phone. He doesn’t know how to use mobile phones or the Internet until grandson Otto arrives to fulfill a school assignment. Despite some initial friction, the pair start to get along, especially after Olavi enlists Otto in his quest to authenticate the painting. US Premiere SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: The Fencer (2015), Letters to Father Jacob (2009), The New Moon (2007) IN FINNISH, SWEDISH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES. Thursday, January 10 • 6:30 pm • Regal Palm Springs Saturday, January 12 • 4:00 pm • Regal Palm Springs 152 PSFILMFEST.ORG
Orange Days IRAN, 2018 102 minutes Director: Arash Lahooti Cast: Hadieh Tehrani, Ali Mosaffa, Mehran Ahmadi,Alireza Ostadi, Zhila Shahi Print Source: Iranian Independents When Aban, tough, self-sufficient, and the only woman contractor in the orange fields of northern Iran, beats out the male competition for a big job, the operation seems to get off to a rocky start. From there, every step of the way looks stacked against the dedicated contractor. However, as a businesswoman in her forties fighting to prove her worth in an environment dominated by men, Aban doesn’t let go without a fight, even as the slimy competition works hard to sabotage her. To make matters worse, her marriage to Majid might be in trouble. Yet Aban trucks on, resilient. First-time narrative feature filmmaker Arash Lahooti borrows from his documentary work to infuse the story with a sense of realism and urgency, and Hediyeh Tehrani (Aban) and Ali Mosaffa (Majid) inject the film with powerful, nuanced performances. An empowering tale of dedication and sacrifice, Orange Days reminds us of the importance of not losing yourself and your loved ones while fighting the odds. US Premiere Debut film IN PERSIAN WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES. Wednesday, January 9 • 10:30 am • Regal Palm Springs Sunday, January 13 • 4:00 pm • Mary Pickford
WORLD CINEMA NOW
Our Struggles Nos Batailles
BELGIUM/FRANCE, 2018 98 minutes Director: Guillaume Senez Cast: Romain Duris, Laure Calamy, Laetitia Dosch, Lucie Debay, Basile Grunberger Print Source: Be For Films Olivier’s life is turned upside down when his wife Laura leaves him and their children seemingly out of the blue, without saying why she was leaving or Ð worse Ð where she was going. Feeling abandoned, Olivier is left trying to put together the pieces of what happened with their marriage. They were fine, or so he thought. As he quietly struggles to figure out what happened and what the next step is, Olivier is faced with the new task of playing mom and dad and strengthening the vulnerable state of his family all the while maintaining his work in the balance. Guillaume Senez’s second feature, which premiered in the Critics’ Week at the Cannes Film Festival, paints a sensitive portrait of a family in crisis learning to care for each other. SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: Keeper (2015)
The Parting Glass USA, 2018 95 minutes Director: Stephen Moyer Cast: Anna Paquin, Denis O’Hare, Melissa Leo, Cynthia Nixon, Ed Asner, Rhys Ifans Print Source: Casm Films Denis O’Hare, Anna Paquin, Rhys Ifans, Melissa Leo, Cynthia Nixon and Ed Asner make up the star-studded cast of The Parting Glass, a sensitive drama that follows an Irish-American family coming together and coping with the news of their youngest sister (Paquin, also a producer)’s death as they begin a journey to gather the fragments of her life. Confronting buried emotions and difficult memories, the family tries to make sense of the tragedy and remember the woman they've lost the best way they know how. Making his directorial debut, Stephen Moyer has clearly benefited from his time on the other side of the actor-director relationship, and has nurtured this wonderful cast, including his own wife, to tell this emotionally raw story. In his first screenplay Denis O’Hare, drawing inspiration from his own family and their experiences during a similar situation, has written a story that feels so genuine, it’s hard not to connect.
IN FRENCH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
Thursday, January 10 • 11:30 am • Regal Palm Springs Saturday, January 12 • 5:30 pm • Camelot
Saturday, January 5 • 7:15 pm • PS High School Saturday, January 12 • 10:00 am • Camelot PSFILMFEST.ORG 153
WORLD CINEMA NOW
Prospect
The Purity of Vengeance
USA, 2018 100 minutes Directors: Chris Caldwell, Zeek Earl Cast: Sophie Thatcher, Pedro Pascal, Jay Duplass, Andre Royo, Sheila Vand, Anwan Glover Print Source: Gunpowder & Sky Prospect is the story of a normal teenage girl: she loves music and books, and she’s often exasperated by her dad. But this girl happens to live a peripatetic existence between planets and interstellar bases, having learned survival skills and the hustle of off-world gem harvesting alongside her freelancing father. When the duo undertakes a high-risk mission on a distant, verdant moon, they’ll have to contend with more than just the toxic atmosphere to claim their riches and return to safe harbor. Featuring a breakout performance by Sophie Thatcher (who brings to mind Emma Watson’s wise-beyond-her-years Hermione in the Harry Potter franchise crossed with Hailee Steinfeld in the True Grit update), Prospect’s spectacular world-building relies on minimal special effects. Instead it employs setting, cinematography, and an appealingly handmade quality to both production and costume design to bring to life a story that could be happening right now, perhaps in a galaxy far, far away. Debut Film
Journal 64
DENMARK/GERMANY, 2018 118 minutes Director: Christoffer Boe Cast: Nikolaj Lie Kaas, Fares Fares, Johanne Louise Schmidt, Søren Pilmark Print Source: Danish Film Institute When rehabbing a downtown apartment building, some Copenhagen construction workers uncover a hidden room containing the mummified remains of three people sitting around a dinner table with an empty fourth chair. The discovery marks another mystery to be solved by Department Q, the surprisingly effective cold-case unit run by stubborn, traumatized Detective Carl Mørck (Nikolaj Lie Kaas) and his personable assistants Assad (Fares Fares) and Rose. Palm Springs audiences loved the first in the series of Danish crime writer Jussi AdlerOlsen’s work adapted to film (The Keeper of Lost Causes, PSIFF 2014). The Purity of Vengeance is the fourth entry, also a standalone, and like the others, it journeys deep into the undercurrents of abuse and malice lurking beneath the polished surface of Scandinavia. Here the mystery harks back to a reform school for girls on a remote island, where the young inhabitants were sterilized without their consent. U.S. Premiere
IN COMPETITION:
SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: Sex, Drugs & Taxation (2013), Beast (2011), Everything Will Be Fine (2010) IN DANISH, SPANISH, ARABIC WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
Thursday, January 10 • 4:00 pm • Mary Pickford Friday, January 11 • 5:00 pm • Regal Palm Springs 154 PSFILMFEST.ORG
Friday, January 4 • 4:00 pm • Mary Pickford Saturday, January 5 • 5:00 pm • Regal Palm Springs Saturday, January 12 • 7:30 pm • Regal Palm Springs
WORLD CINEMA NOW
The Quake Skjelvet
NORWAY, 2018 105 minutes Director: John Andreas Anderson Cast: Kristoffer Joner, Ane Dahl Torp, Kathrine Thorborg Johansen, Jonas Hoff Oftebro Print Source: Magnolia Pictures Shaking the prototypical disaster film to its core, The Wave (PSIFF 2016) was a revelation when it successfully infused strong, dynamic characters and relationships into the often soulless CGI-barrage spectacle that is synonymous with the genre. With The Quake, director John Andreas Andersen continues to wade through the internal struggles that haunt geologist Kristian Eikjord (Kristoffer Joner, The Revenant), impending natural disaster not withstanding. Although heralded for being a hero for his part in predicting a tsunami that nearly submerged his hometown of Geiranger, Kristian can barely keep his head above water. His wife and children have left him after a breakdown, and he’s holed up in his newspaper-clipping-adorned apartment with little will to live. When word reaches the forlorn geologist of a recently deceased colleague’s seismic findings echoing a cataclysmic disaster from 100 years ago, Kristian springs into action. Facing the same doubt as before, Kristian must warn the Norwegian capital and his estranged family before the first buildings begin to fall. SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: Captain Sabertooth and the Treasure of Lama Rama (2014), Uno (2004)
The Quietude ARGENTINA, 2018 117 minutes Director: Pablo Trapero Cast: Martina Gusman, Bérénice Bejo, Edgar Ramírez, Joaquín Furriel, Graciela Borges Print Source: Sony Pictures International Festival favorite, Argentine writer/director Pablo Trapero reunites Academy Award® nominee Bérénice Bejo, Martina Gusman (his wife) and Edgar Ramírez in the follow up to his 2016 hit The Clan. Centered on three women, his new family drama with a political dimension sees Eugenia (Bejo), who has been living in France for years, reunite with her mother Esmeralda and younger sister Mia (Gusman) on the family’s seemingly peaceful ranch, La Quietud. As the father’s health rapidly deteriorates, the tranquility of the setting quickly gets overshadowed when buried tensions come back to light and the consequences of a dark family past affect the present more than ever. Bejo and Gusman, whose uncanny resemblance is unsettling, make the film all the more captivating with their fascinating and troubling sister relationship. Years and an ocean apart, hidden feelings and unsaid things, have not weakened their bond and intense intimacy as both look to the other to feel complete. U.S. Premiere SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: The Clan (2015), White Elephant (2012), Carancho (2010), Lion’s Den (2008) IN SPANISH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
IN COMPETITION:
IN NORWEGIAN WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES. Tuesday, January 8 • 10:30 am • Mary Pickford Friday, January 11 • 1:00 pm • PS High School
Sunday, January 6 • 1:30 pm • Mary Pickford Friday, January 11 • 5:00 pm • Camelot PSFILMFEST.ORG 155
WORLD CINEMA NOW
Ray & Liz
The Realm
UK, 2018 108 minutes Director: Richard Billingham Cast: Ella Smith, Justin Salinger, Patrick Romer, Deirdre Kelly, Tony Way, Sam Gittins Print Source: KimStim This is the remarkable first film by the celebrated British photographer Richard Billingham, whose shockingly intimate portraits of his alcoholic father Ray made his reputation. Now working-class Ray and Richard’s chainsmoking, tattooed mother Liz are brought to life by two sets of actors in this singular autobiographical memory film. Structured as a triptych, and shot on 16mm in the box-like 4:3 ratio, this savage, tender, and darkly funny film takes us into the bosom of Billingham’s dysfunctional family, where the couple’s two young sons must learn to survive their parents’ hopelessly neglectful ways, not to mention the disastrous babysitting of Mum’s intellectually challenged brother, and a metalhead lodger with menacing intentions. Billingham takes kitchen-sink realism to new, bleakly poetic levels with his haunting images of flats cluttered with pets, booze, bric-a-brac, and broken dreams. Debut Film
IN COMPETITION:
El Reino
SPAIN/FRANCE, 2018 122 minutes Director: Rodrigo Sorogoyen Cast: Antonio De La Torre, Mónica López, Josep Maria Pou, Nacho Fresneda, Ana Wagener Print Source: Latido Films Regional politician Manuel López-Vidal (Antonio de la Torre) isn’t above slipping his hand into the cookie jar, after all, it has given his wife and daughter a better life than they would have had otherwise, and corruption is practically a tradition in Spanish politics, leading all the way up to regional president Jose Luis Frias (José Maria Pou). But when newly appointed anticorruption hotshot Alvarado has López-Vidal arrested on money laundering and embezzlement charges, the politician quickly realizes his fellow swamp rats have made him their scapegoat, lambasting their colleague before the cameras while continuing their shady dealings. Now a persona non grata with nothing left to lose, cornered animal López-Vidal races to beat them at their own game, sending him on a breathless pursuit, where he discovers that corruption goes deeper than he ever thought possible, in this raw, heart-pounding new thriller from writer Isabel Peña and director Rodrigo Sorogoyen (May God Save Us). SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: May God Save Us (2016), 8 Dates (2008) IN COMPETITION: IN SPANISH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
Friday, January 4 • 8:00 pm • Mary Pickford Friday, January 11 • 1:30 pm • Mary Pickford Saturday, January 12 • 10:00 am • Palm Canyon Theatre 156 PSFILMFEST.ORG
Sunday, January 6 • 12:30 pm • Mary Pickford Wednesday, January 9 • 8:00 pm • Mary Pickford Friday, January 11 • 1:30 pm • Regal Palm Springs
WORLD CINEMA NOW
Ruben Brandt, Collector
Saf
HUNGARY, 2018 96 minutes Director: Milorad Krstić Cast: Gabriella Hámorii, Iván Kamarás, Csaba Márton, Katalin Dombi, Matt Devere Print Source: Sony Pictures Classics
TURKEY, 2018 102 minutes Director: Ali Vatansever Cast: Saadet Isil Aksoy, Erol Afsin, Onur Buldu, Ummu Putgul, Kida Ramadan Print Source: Doc & Film International
In this entertaining, fast-paced, animated thriller for adults, psychotherapist Ruben Brandt advises his criminally inclined patients to “possess your problems to conquer them.” But, alas, Brandt has problems of his own. He suffers from terrible nightmares as the result of the subliminal messaging he received as a child. So his grateful patients decide to help him follow his own doctrine. Soon the good doctor becomes the ringleader of a gang responsible for the theft of 13 of the world’s most famous paintings, each artfully removed from renowned museums and private collections such as the Louvre, Tate, Uffizi, Hermitage and MoMA. As “The Collector” becomes one of the world’s most-wanted criminals, gangsters and private detectives are hot on his heels, including the hardboiled art theft expert Mike Kowalski. Director Milorad Krstic’s encyclopedic knowledge of art history and love for world cinema shines in every frame of this exciting hand-drawn film.
Twenty-eight-year-old Kamil has been unemployed for quite some time, unable to find work in the competitive workforce of Turkey. Jobs are spread thin between Turkish locals and Syrian refugees, all looking to make ends meet. Frustrated by his inability to provide for his wife Ramziye, he swallows his pride and looks for a job working on the high-rises being built around his neighborhood that are part of Istanbul’s urban renewal project (which has already displaced many of his friends around the neighborhood). When the opportunity for work finally arrives, it’s in the form of a lower-paid job that displaces a Syrian refugee. Kamil takes the job in secret, working nights, but his problems worsen when he needs to pay for the necessary permits to operate the machinery used or risk losing his job. Desperate, Kamil must figure out what to do next. Director Ali Vatansever manages the complexities of his economically vulnerable characters with a compelling eye, weighing the crippling effects of a rapidly changing country.
Debut Film IN ENGLISH, HUNGARIAN WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
Wednesday, January 9 • 9:00 am • Regal Palm Springs Friday, January 11 • 8:00 pm • Regal Palm Springs
U.S. Premiere SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: El yazisi (2012) IN TURKISH AND ARABIC WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
IN COMPETITION:
Wednesday, January 9 • 7:00 pm • Regal Palm Springs Friday, January 11 • 5:00 pm • Mary Pickford Saturday, January 12 • 3:30 pm • Regal Palm Springs PSFILMFEST.ORG 157
WORLD CINEMA NOW
Sibel
Simple Wedding
TURKEY/FRANCE/GERMANY/LUXEMBOURG, 2018 95 minutes Directors: Çagla Zencirci, Guillaume Giovanetti Cast: Damla Sönmez, Emin Gürsoy, Erkan Kolçak Köstendil, Elit Iscan, Meral Çetinkaya Print Source: Pyramide Distribution
USA, 2018 88 minutes Director: Sara Zandieh Cast: Tara Grammy, Christopher O'Shea, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Rita Wilson, Maz Jobrani Print Source: Mainstay Entertainment
In the remote mountains of Turkey near the Black Sea, Sibel, a mute, lives among a superstitious village that has cast her an outsider. Considered bad luck by the community, including her younger sister who is ashamed of her. Sibel does communicate with her father, the local mayor, using a whistled language practiced by few. Determined to kill a wolf that’s been hunting around the village, she splits her time between working the fields and household chores by spending a considerable amount of time in the woods, setting traps and hanging out with an elderly outcast. There she encounters Ali, an intriguing young fugitive, and nurses him back to health. His arrival will trigger feelings within Sibel she has not experienced before. Directing duo Çagla Zencirci and Guillaume Giovanetti craft a tale of female empowerment fueled by a quiet and fierce performance by lead Damla Sönmez set against wild, lush mountains.
After successfully sabotaging another of her parents’ arranged marriage setups, the ever-charming and rebellious Nousha (delightful breakout star Tara Grammy) seems destined for singledom. Even the constant barrage of questionably sexy photos of bachelor sons from her mother Ziba’s (Shohreh Aghdashloo) friends doesn’t seem to do the trick. But Cupid’s arrow is waiting in the wings when Nousha meet-cutes the artsy Alex (Christopher O'Shea) at a feminist protest. Their secret tryst and cohabitation can be kept under wraps for only so long before her parents call for the wedding bells to ring. As two very different cultures and families collide, Nousha and Alex quickly learn that this wedding will be anything but simple. Produced by and co-starring Rita Wilson (My Big Fat Greek Wedding), the uproarious debut feature from Sara Zandieh presents an authentic and diverse look at finding love in this day and age, and all the complications and highs that come with it.
SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: Ningen (2013), Noor (2012)
Debut Film
IN TURKISH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
Tuesday, January 8 • 3:00 pm • Regal Palm Springs Saturday, January 12 • 9:30 am • Regal Palm Springs 158 PSFILMFEST.ORG
Thursday, January 10 • 1:00 pm • PS High School Saturday, January 12 • 1:30 pm • Camelot
WORLD CINEMA NOW
Smuggling Hendrix
The Song of the Tree
CYPRUS/GERMANY/GREECE, 2018 93 minutes Director: Marios Piperides Cast: Adam Bousdoukos, Fatih Al, Vicky Papadopoulou, Özgür Karadeniz Print Source: The Match Factory
KYRGYZSTAN/RUSSIA, 2018 93 minutes Director: Aibek Daiyrbekov Cast: Temirlan Smanbekov, Omurbek Izrailov, Saltanat Bakaeva Print Source: Cinetrain
The on-the-ground realities of a divided Nicosia and its complicated political situation come through loud and clear in this delightful comedy, directed with the lightest of touches. The protagonist is Yiannis, an about-to-emigrate Greek-Cypriot musician. When his beloved dog Jimi (Hendrix, natch) accidentally wanders over to the Turkish side of the capital, European Union laws bar the pooch’s return. So Yiannis is forced to think creatively, since their ticket to Amsterdam is set for three days hence. Can Yiannis retrieve his dog, avoid his angry landlady, dodge the menacing collectors sent by a local loan shark and get to the airport on time? Traveling to the Turkish side of Nicosia marks a journey into his own past, complete with a visit to his childhood home and a fraught reunion with his beautiful former girlfriend. As this crowd-pleaser ups the comic ante by placing more and more outrageous obstacles in the way of returning with the dog, it also reinforces the common humanity of all involved in the recovery project.
Based on a legend handed down through generations, this first-ever folkloric musical from Kyrgystan is unlike anything out of Hollywood. Set in the 1800s, it tells the love story of Esen and Begimai. When Esen is expelled from the village, he tries to run away with the beautiful Begimai, the chief’s daughter. Esen’s mother goes to pray to an old tree, believing that the sacred quality of this holy site will bring a happy outcome, but when the village chief has the sacred tree cut down, there could be disastrous consequences. For ancient Turks, trees were a symbol of life, and old trees adorned with ribbons tied to its branches were venerated, believed to have special powers. This unexpectedly entertaining musical is a winning new genre for Kyrgyz cinema, showing the nomadic traditions and the history and customs of Kyrgyz people, who have powerful beliefs in superstition and their concepts of honor.
SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: The Last Remaining Seats (2011)
IN KIRGHIZ, RUSSIAN, ENGLISH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
North American Premiere Debut film
IN GREEK, ENGLISH, TURKISH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
Saturday, January 5 • 10:00 am • Camelot Tuesday, January 8 • 10:00 am • Annenberg Friday, January 11 • 3:00 pm • Regal Palm Springs
Wednesday, January 9 • 9:30 am • Regal Palm Springs Sunday, January 13 • 12:30 pm • Regal Palm Springs PSFILMFEST.ORG 159
WORLD CINEMA NOW
The Standoff at Sparrow Creek USA, 2018 88 minutes Director: Henry Dunham Cast: James Badge Dale, Chris Mulkey Brian, Geraghty Robert, Aramayo Patrick Print Source: RLJE Films Several militia men, two of whom are played by James Badge Dale and Brian Geraghty, try to suss out the culprit in a police shooting in this dark, gritty drama. Inside an isolated warehouse, the men distrust one another as Gannon (Dale), an ex-cop, interrogates them. The tension builds as suspicion grows, pitting the men’s self-interest against the overall welfare of the group. Conspiracy and distrust haunt the men as their individual secrets are exposed. Each one bears a secret that reveals why he came to join the militia, some are what you would expect, and some are a surprise. As a result of being exposed, they are driven to act in bad faith and turn on one another, and secrets and lies will be their undoing. There’s also a nasty twist hiding around the corner as the situation gets even grimmer. Debut Film
Stan & Ollie UK, 2018 97 minutes Director: Jon S. Baird Cast: Steve Coogan, John C. Reilly, Nina Arianda, Shirley Henderson, Danny Huston, Rufus Jones Print Source: Sony Pictures Classics Steve Coogan and John C. Reilly uncannily transform themselves into Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy in this warm, poignant look at the last chapter of the legendary duo’s career. It is 1953, far from their heyday as the reigning Hollywood clowns of the 1930s. Hard up for money, and hoping to land a film deal to revive their careers, they embark on a British tour, re-enacting their famous routines before small audiences in out-of-the-way music halls. But their shows start to take off, and by the time they hit London, they’re residing in splendor at the Savoy, where they are joined by their wives Ida and Lucille. (Nina Arianda and Shirley Henderson make for a knockout comic duo themselves.) But it’s a fraught swan song, as old grudges between the driven, workaholic Stan and the more easygoing, sickly Ollie threaten their long-standing partnership. SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: Filth (2013), Class (2008)
IN COMPETITION:
Thursday, January 10 • 7:30 pm • Mary Pickford Friday, January 11 • 7:00 pm • PS High School 160 PSFILMFEST.ORG
Saturday, January 5 • 12:30 pm • PS High School
WORLD CINEMA NOW
Styx
There Is No Place Like Home
GERMANY/AUSTRIA, 2018 94 minutes Director: Wolfgang Fischer Cast: Susanne Wolff, Gedion Oduor Wekesa Print Source: Film Movement In Wolfgang Fischer’s tense survival drama, a doctor embarks on a sailing expedition expecting solitude but soon finds herself confronted with the harsh reality of human suffering. A spare, nearly wordless first third establishes Rieke (Susanne Wolff) as capable and unflappable, whether treating a critically injured accident victim or battening down the hatches of her sleek yacht in the middle of a raging storm. That composure begins to slip only when Rieke unexpectedly confronts a wrenching dilemma in which her actions could have life or death consequences. Nail-biting suspense inexorably builds. Adrift at sea with only her wits to rely on, Rieke awaits instructions from the coast guard, whose assistance is excruciatingly slow to materialize. Rieke’s growing alarm and feelings of helplessness accompany her rising mistrust of these officials, and she must decide whether to take matters into her own hands. Fischer’s drama captivates even as it sheds light on a horrifying and very real humanitarian crisis. SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: What You Don't See (2009) IN ENGLISH, GERMAN WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
IN COMPETITION:
Friday, January 4 • 12:30 pm • Regal Palm Springs Friday, January 11 • 4:30 pm • Regal Palm Springs Saturday, January 12 • 10:00 am • Regal Palm Springs
A Casa Tutti Bene
ITALY, 2018 105 minutes Director: Gabriele Muccino Cast: Stefano Accorsi, Carolina Crescentini, Elena Cucci, Tea Falco, Pierfrancesco Favino Print Source: Indie Sales To celebrate the 50th anniversary of grandma Alba and granddad Pietro, a big extended family gathers on the beautiful island where they used to spend their summers. And like every family, there are unspoken tensions, simmering jealousies, and not-so-well-kept secrets bubbling underneath the initially merry surface. When a storm rises and all the ferries to the island are canceled, the happy facades begin to crumble, and what was meant to be a brief joyous occasion turns into two days and two nights of explosive Italian drama. Fluidly choreographing this crowded spectacle is the gifted veteran Gabriele Muccino (The Last Kiss; The Pursuit of Happyness), who mixes comedy, poignancy, and high drama with great finesse. We become happily entangled in the love affairs, rivalries, and resentments of three generations of this bountiful and beleaguered family. It’s an eight-course meal of a movie. SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: Summertime (2016), Fathers & Daughters (2015), Seven Pounds (2008), The Pursuit of Happyness (2006) IN ITALIAN WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
Sunday, January 6 • 1:00 pm • Camelot Wednesday, January 9 • 9:15 am • PS High School PSFILMFEST.ORG 161
WORLD CINEMA NOW
The Third Wife
The Upside
VIETNAM, 2018 96 minutes Director: Ash Mayfair Cast: Long Le Vu, Mai Thu Huong Maya, Nguyen Phuong Tra My Print Source: Film Movement
USA, 2017 118 minutes Director: Neil Burger Cast: Bryan Cranston, Kevin Hart, Nicole Kidman, Julianna Margulies Print Source: STXfilms
In 19th-century Vietnam, a 14-year-old girl becomes the third wife of a wealthy, older landowner. Few options are available to a third wife. To elevate her status, she will have to produce a son and stay her husband’s favorite. Although she forms friendships with the other wives, who in turn teach her about sex and seduction, she finds that despite sharing their experiences, they still compete with one another to be the favored wife. It is a quick journey from childhood to motherhood for this young girl. In this suffocating environment she uncovers secrets, but is still in a place far from freedom where personal fulfillment takes a back seat. Winner of the Spike Lee Production Fund, director Ash Mayfair give us a sensuous period drama paying homage to the women who have been important in her life.
Infusing the world-renowned true story with irrefutable Hollywood star power and some NYC grit, The Upside is a remarkable charmer invigorated by the infectious chemistry between Kevin Hart and Bryan Cranston. With a prior record preventing him from any meaningful employment, Dell (Hart) has nearly given up when he mistakenly stumbles into the extravagant penthouse of New York City billionaire Phillip Lacasse (Cranston), a man living with quadriplegia. Despite any semblance of experience, the curmudgeonly Phillip smugly opts for the unqualified Dell for his in-home caretaker, much to the displeasure of Phillip’s assistant Yvonne (Nicole Kidman in rare form). The odd couple, surprising to no one, have very little in common. But as Dell is introduced to a new world of Mozart concertos and an intimate relationship with Phillip’s catheter, a deeper understanding of each other’s complex lives develops. Featuring a celebrated dramatic turn by Hart and a soulful, yet hilarious, cannabis-driven performance from Cranston, The Upside is destined to be a new classic.
Debut film IN VIETNAMESE WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
IN COMPETITION:
Wednesday, January 9 • 1:30 pm • Regal Palm Springs Thursday, January 10 • 2:00 pm • Regal Palm Springs Sunday, January 13 • 1:30 pm • Mary Pickford 162 PSFILMFEST.ORG
SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: Divergent (2014), Limitless (2011), The Lucky Ones (2008), The Illusionist (2006)
Sunday, January 6 • 7:45 pm • PS High School
WORLD CINEMA NOW
Urgent
We Are the Heat
MOROCCO/SWITZERLAND, 2018 86 minutes Director: Mohcine Besri Cast: Rachid Mustapha, Fatima Zahra Banacer, Youssef Alaoui Print Source: Louise Productions / La Prod
COLOMBIA, 2018 104 minutes Director: Jorge Navas Cast: Duvan Arizala, Jose Luis Paz, Miguel Angel Micolta Print Source: Epic Pictures
Une Urgence Ordinaire
Through interconnected narratives mostly set in a Casablanca public hospital, writer/director Mohcine Besri’s ensemble film Urgent explores how helplessness brings the best and the worst out of people. With as a backdrop a broken healthcare system, where an apparent lack of resources and overcrowding issues would push anyone to their most extreme behavior, patients, their families and the medical staff try to get through a challenging day, unaware of the rippling effects they all have on one another. An undeniable symbolism makes every single protagonist an essential piece to the development of the plot, while making it more universal by adding depth. This socially conscious tale is not completely pessimistic thanks to a witty and greatly timed dark sense of humor, which brings release by tempering the dramatic unfairness of the general situation. The compelling writing elevated by the whole cast can’t leave the audience indifferent to these deeply human and relatable stories.
Somos Calentura
Once a bustling center of international trade, the Colombian port city of Buenaventura has long since fallen on hard times. The docks have grown quiet, residents hustle to make ends meet, and the drug trade is king, giving Buenaventura the designation of being the nation’s deadliest city. For lifelong friends Harvey, Freddy, Baby and Cale–ito, opportunities to get ahead are few and far between, but when their dance crew Buenaventura Mon Amour hits the stage, they are undisputed kings. But after Harvey’s desperate attempt to improve the lives of his young family ends in disaster, he soon feels the pull of quick money as a courier for dangerous local drug kingpin Ribok. When a major dance competition comes to town, with its badly needed cash prize, Harvey and the crew must navigate between the pull of the streets and the power of dance in this fresh, exciting film, with jaw-dropping dance battles that have to be seen to be believed, from director Jorge Navas. North American Premiere
North American Premiere
SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: Amazonas (2016), Blood and Rain (2009)
SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: Les mécréants (2011)
IN SPANISH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
IN COMPETITION:
IN ARABIC WTH ENGLISH SUBTITLES. Thursday, January 10 • 9:00 am • Regal Palm Springs Saturday, January 12 • 2:00 pm • Regal Palm Springs
Thursday, January 10 • 3:30 pm • Regal Palm Springs Friday, January 11 • 7:30 pm • Mary Pickford PSFILMFEST.ORG 163
WORLD CINEMA NOW at the
Ingleside Inn
A LEGENDARY HOT SPOT Serving up Palm Springs tradition and the the ultimate dining experience for over 40 years. Visit MelvynsRestaurant.com or call 760.325.2323 to make a reservation.
Yuli SPAIN/CUBA/UK/GERMANY, 2018 109 minutes Director: Iciar Bollain Cast: Carlos Acosta, Santiago Alfonso, Keyvin Martinez Print Source: The Match Factory From a working-class kid busting out his best streetcorner Michael Jackson moves to an almost two-decade run as Lead Principal for London’s Royal Ballet, legendary dancer and choreographer Carlos Acosta has never shied from turning his often troubled life into the kind of transcendent art that would catapult him to stardom. Taken as a child to Cuba’s National Ballet School by his stern truck driver father Pedro (renowned choreographer Santiago Alfonso), “Yuli” (a terrific debut by 10-year-old Edlison Manuel Olbera Nœ–ez) openly rebels against his own gifts, instead dreaming of soccer stardom and enduring merciless teasing by his friends. But when his raw talent is recognized by dance instructor Chery (Laura De la Uz), Yuli begins a journey that will take him out of Havana’s slums and onto the great stages of the world in this gritty, heartfelt, and rapturously alive new feature from acclaimed director Iciar Bollain (The Olive Tree). North American Premiere SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: The Olive Tree (2016), Even the Rain (2010), Mataharis (2009), Take My Eyes (2003) IN COMPETITION:
IN SPANISH, ENGLISH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES. Wednesday, January 9 • 10:00 am • Annenberg Sunday, January 13 • 8:30 pm • Regal Palm Springs 164 PSFILMFEST.ORG
WORLD CINEMA NOW
Film Title
Film Title
CHILE/SPAIN/GERMANY 2010 82 min Director: Name Name Cast: Names limited to 5 or 6 Print Source: Company Name
CHILE/SPAIN/GERMANY 2010 82 min Director: Name Name Cast: Names limited to 5 or 6 Print Source: Company Name
Cepudaectur, quam est, aboria cum venimint dolut doluptatat accuptio. It harum quat quod que volest ea que sed quam et omnihit estiumque netur mo endem aut expedis sum ditaspi tassiti ut volore doluptate ipsa volestis repere is nate la as estisci entium eium nis quasit, quiate sus magni officiam evellupta doluptatem quatissunt earciis pratiss inctur sincit, ut quiaeribus, qui destrumque voleseque cullestiis aut etur rem sa aborpor erehent volutatqui acid quam core ende nihil everionsed quat ma quid quate pe nis eat evelestiam faceaquam, volore di cuptatium ipiendaepero voles essit mi, inctorio iunt hariatur remperi deles comnihic tet quas di ut iniendit resto tem eatur alita comnimin et esti cullorepro maxim dollabo. Itatque et utendelitium estiureptas mi, volorum, qui corerupta dolupta spelit etur?
Cepudaectur, quam est, aboria cum venimint dolut doluptatat accuptio. It harum quat quod que volest ea que sed quam et omnihit estiumque netur mo endem aut expedis sum ditaspi tassiti ut volore doluptate ipsa volestis repere is nate la as estisci entium eium nis quasit, quiate sus magni officiam evellupta doluptatem quatissunt earciis pratiss inctur sincit, ut quiaeribus, qui destrumque voleseque cullestiis aut etur rem sa aborpor erehent volutatqui acid quam core ende nihil everionsed quat ma quid quate pe nis eat evelestiam faceaquam, volore di cuptatium ipiendaepero voles essit mi, inctorio iunt hariatur remperi deles comnihic tet quas di ut iniendit resto tem eatur alita comnimin et esti cullorepro maxim dollabo. Itatque et utendelitium estiureptas mi, volorum, qui corerupta dolupta spelit etur?
Title in Foreign language
Selected Filmography: Film Title (0000), Film Title (0000), Film Title (0000), Film Title (0000),
Title in Foreign language
Selected Filmography: Film Title (0000), Film Title (0000), Film Title (0000), Film Title (0000), IN SPANISH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
IN SPANISH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
Friday, January 5 • 8:30 pm • CAM Sunday, January 7 • 7:00 pm • REG
Friday, January 5 • 8:30 pm • CAM Sunday, January 7 • 7:00 pm • REG
TRUE STORIES
Nonfiction filmmaking at its most urgent and illuminating 166 PSFILMFEST.ORG
TRUE STORIES
306 Hollywood
Amazing Grace
USA/HUNGARY, 2018 82 minutes Directors: Elan Bogarín, Jonathan Bogarín Print Source: The Film Collaborative
USA, 2018 87 minutes Director: Sydney Pollack Print Source: Neon
Before Elan and Jonathan Bogarin became inventive filmmakers, they were the grandchildren of Annette Ontell, an ordinary woman who resided in an unassuming New Jersey house at the titular address. Over the years, the siblings regularly interviewed their grandmother and, when she died at 93, they made a startling decision, they would treat her house as the site for an archaeological excavation. What emerges is a fascinating, genre-bending, and visually ravishing documentary that mixes elements of the fantastic with a heartfelt consideration of one woman’s life, a film that puts to rest the idea that Ontell, or anyone else, for that matter, is merely “ordinary.” By constructing striking tableaux with the objects they uncover, alternating between the mundane and the ghostly, and playing with mood and visual style, the Bogar’ns create a mesmerizing world that both honors their grandmother and proves again that everyone has a fascinating story just waiting to be told.
Over two nights in 1972, in New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Los Angeles, Aretha Franklin recorded what would become the best-selling gospel record in history, Amazing Grace. This electrifying event, featuring the Reverend James Cleveland and the Southern California Community Choir, and performed before a live audience, was filmed by Sydney Pollack. For a host of reasons both technical and legal, it sat unseen in the Warner Bros. vaults for more than 40 years. Now this historic document has been lovingly restored, and it is a roof-raising musical and spiritual experience. Returning to her roots in the church, Aretha was at the peak of her powers. In one transcendent performance after another (you will never hear renditions of Amazing Grace or Never Grow Old to surpass these), Aretha demonstrated why she reigned as the Queen of Soul. SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: Michael Clayton (2007), Eyes Wide Shut (1999), Out of Africa (1985)
In competition for the Schlesinger Documentary Award. Debut Film
Tuesday, January 8 • 4:00 pm • Regal Palm Springs Wednesday, January 9 • 9:00 am • Camelot
Wednesday, January 9 • 10:00 am • Camelot Saturday, January 12 • 7:15 pm • PS High School PSFILMFEST.ORG 167
TRUE STORIES
Bathtubs Over Broadway
Bethany Hamilton: Unstoppable
USA, 2018 87 minutes Director: Dava Whisenant With: David Letterman, Chita Rivera, Martin Short, Susan Stroman, Sheldon Harnick, Jello Biafra Print Source: Focus Features
USA/INDONESIA/FIJI/COSTA RICA/EL SALVADOR/ TAHITI, 2017 90 minutes Director: Aaron Lieber Print Source: Lieber Films
Born at a time when both Broadway and postwar American industry were booming, industrial musicals were original productions meant to drum up enthusiasm for consumer products at conventions and sales meetings. Though originally intended only for an audience of salespeople and managers, these odd amalgamations of art and commerce have found a small but ardent fan base. One such obsessive is comedy writer Steve Young, whose desire to learn more about industrial musicals and the people who made them provides the framework for this funny, touching documentary. Bathtubs Over Broadway catches up with some former industrial players who went on to bigger things (like Chita Rivera and Martin Short), but the real triumph of the film is paying tribute to the many men and women whose contributions to musical theater remain unacknowledged. It’s a stirring testament to the talent and ingenuity of the composers and performers who somehow managed to elevate spark plugs, tomato sauce, and polyester into art.
By age 13, Bethany Hamilton had already collected a shelf of awards for her surfing skills. Then, while on her board off the coast of Hawaii, she lost her left arm to a shark attack. Her remarkable recovery, she was back in the ocean in major surfing competitions the following year, made her a media sensation and the subject of the 2011 movie Soul Surfer. Now, in director Aaron Lieber’s inspiring documentary, filmed over four years, Bethany’s magnificently improbable triumphs and challenges continue as she meets and falls in love with her husband (their wedding takes place underwater!), becomes a mother, and prepares to take on the mammoth wave known as “Jaws” off the coast of Fiji. Featuring archival footage of her Hawaii childhood, magnificent surfing scenes shot by Lieber, and candid interviews with her family, friends, and Bethany herself, Bethany Hamilton: Unstoppable tells a story so improbable it could only be true. Debut Film
Debut Film IN COMPETITION:
Friday, January 4 • 1:00 pm • Camelot Saturday, January 5 • 10:00 am • Annenberg Friday, January 11 • 12:00 pm • Camelot 168 PSFILMFEST.ORG
Friday, January 4 • 1:00 pm • Mary Pickford Sunday, January 6 • 1:00 pm • Regal Palm Springs
TRUE STORIES
The Biggest Little Farm
Blue Note Records: Beyond the Notes
USA, 2018 91 minutes Director: John Chester Print Source: Neon Pursuing an idealistic dream, photographer John Chester and his culinary writer wife Molly, accompanied by their rescue dog Todd, abandoned their small Los Angeles apartment and bought a farm on parched, arid land an hour north of Los Angeles. Determined to work with nature (no pesticides! extreme biodiversity!) they brought aboard eco-guru Alan York, who cautioned them that it would take seven years before they would find success. And what they discover is that if Mother Nature has all the right answers, she can also be an ornery foe. In the epic eight-year span of the movie, they battle drought and fire and ferocious winds, chicken-eating coyotes, voracious gophers and leaf-devouring snails (which hungry ducks get under control). With a beguiling cast of animals including a star turn by a pregnant sow named Emily, this uplifting, stunningly shot chronicle of Apricot Lane Farms is a rousing demonstration of how to live in harmony with the Earth. SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: Rock Prophecies (2009), Lost in Woonsocket (2007), Euphoria (2005)
IN COMPETITION:
Friday, January 4 • 4:00 pm • Camelot Saturday, January 5 • 3:45 pm • Annenberg Saturday, January 12 • 12:00 pm • Regal Palm Springs
SWITZERLAND/USA, 2018 85 minutes Director: Sophie Huber With: Norah Jones,Ali Shaheed Muhammad, Derrick Hodge, Don Was, Herbie Hancock, In 1939, Alfred Lion and Francis Wolff, two music-obsessed German Jews who had fled Berlin, established Blue Note Records. It would become the most influential jazz label of the post-war era. Everyone who mattered in jazz recorded for Blue Note, where they were given freedom and fair royalties. Thelonious Monk (who almost bankrupted the place). John Coltrane. Miles Davis. Cannonball Adderley. The Jazz Messengers. Herbie Hancock. And today, Norah Jones and Robert Glasper, who, along with Hancock and Wayne Shorter, are the hosts of this convivial and penetrating tribute to the iconic label. Sophie Huber’s film looks back to the glory days while showing how the label, now under the supervision of master producer Don Was, remains socially and musically relevant, illuminating the vital connections between jazz and hip-hop. No jazz lover will want to miss this generous musical feast. SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: Harry Dean Stanton: Partly Fiction (2012)
IN COMPETITION:
Friday, January 4 • 5:00 pm • Mary Pickford Saturday, January 5 • 9:00 am • Palm Canyon Theatre PSFILMFEST.ORG 169
TRUE STORIES
Botero
Carlos Almaraz Playing With Fire
CANADA/CHINA/COLOMBIA/FRANCE/ ITALY/MONACO/USA, 2018 84 minutes Director: Don Millar Print Source: Hogan Millar Media
USA, 2018 71 minutes Directors: Elsa Flores Almaraz, Richard Montoya Print Source: Bunny Boy Productions LLC.
Generally acknowledged as the world’s most popular living artist, the paintings and sculptures of Fernando Botero grace major institutions, private collections, and public spaces all around the globe, and yet little is known about the notoriously private artist himself. This comprehensive, beautifully photographed documentary delves deeply into the dramatic events that shaped Botero’s character, groundbreaking vision, and ambitions. Using numerous interviews with family, art experts, and some skeptics, the filmmakers traveled to 10 cities around the world, showcasing the relationship between the artist and his vast international fan base. Most compelling, however, are the insights into his process and his search for grace in a tumultuous world. Smart, vivacious, and elegant, Botero will satisfy any fan of this remarkable artist and undoubtedly earn him numerous new ones. U.S. Premiere Debut film
This stunning documentary explores the brief, rich, and contradictory life of the artist Carlos Almaraz: a Chicano activist, sexual outlaw, and visionary painter whose images of his longtime home, Los Angeles, are as iconic as those of David Hockney and Edward Ruscha. Almaraz was just 48 when he died of complications of AIDS, but he packed many lifetimes of accomplishments into those intense years. In the 1960s, Almaraz lost himself in New York, exploring the outer limits of his homoerotic desires and nearly drinking himself to death. After returning to L.A. in the 1970s, he reinvented himself as an activist Chicano artist, working alongside Cesar Chavez and joining the heralded artist collective Los Four. In his final transformation, as a married man and father, Almaraz turned to more personal, visionary art, his canvases exploding with color and a near mystical energy. Playing With Fire is an intimate portrait that pays tribute to Almaraz’s genius without glossing over his demons and contradictions. World Premiere SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: Richard Montoya: Water & Power (2013)
IN COMPETITION:
Saturday, January 5 • 3:30 pm • Regal Palm Springs Sunday, January 6 • 9:30 am • Mary Pickford Saturday, January 12 • 9:00 am • Camelot 170 PSFILMFEST.ORG
IN COMPETITION:
Friday, January 4 • 7:30 pm • Mary Pickford Sunday, January 6 • 9:00 am • Camelot Tuesday, January 8 • 2:30 pm • Camelot
TRUE STORIES
The Devil We Know
Don't Be Nice
USA, 2018 95 minutes Directors: Stephanie Soechtig Co-director: Jeremy Seifert Print Source: The Film Collaborative
USA, 2018 96 minutes Director: Max Powers Print Source: Bowery Poetry Studios
For decades DuPont Chemicals poisoned the residents of Parkersburg, West Virginia, with the chemical used to make Teflon, an ingredient that now can be found in the bloodstream of 99 percent of Americans. For decades DuPont denied any danger, in spite of babies born with deformities, entire herds of dead cattle on farmland near their plant, and employees dying of cancer. Whistle-blowers faced fierce local blowback, since Parkersburg’s entire economy was dependent on the jobs the DuPont plant provided. Hailed by Variety’s critic as “a riveting tale of long-term irresponsibility and injustice,” this powerful and superbly crafted exposé never loses its focus on the human cost of corporate greed. It also pays tribute to the men and women with the courage to fight back against Goliath. With environmental protections under increasing attack, this wake-up call is more timely than ever.
The five young members of the Bowery Slam Poetry Team are preparing to compete in the National Poetry Slam in Atlanta. They are black, Afro-Hispanic, and queer, and their poetry slams truth to power. Under the tough and wise guidance of coach Lauren Whitehead, who urges them to write out of vulnerability, discomfort, and honesty, they hone their craft in sessions that are often as much group therapy as writing workshops. How far, Lauren worries, can she push them? Reacting to current events — such as the killings of young black men by the police — their poetry achieves an angry eloquence that is amazing to behold. Don’t Be Nice contains moments of stunning emotional urgency, as these young men and women wrestle with their fears and traumas to turn pain into poetry. The eye-opening film raises important questions about race, gender, collaboration, cultural representation, and slam poetry itself. Debut Film
SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: Under the Gun (2016), Fed Up (2014), Tapped (2009)
IN COMPETITION:
Friday, January 4 • 9:00 am • Palm Canyon Theatre Sunday, January 6 • 11:30 am • Camelot Sunday, January 13 • 1:30 pm • Camelot
Friday, January 4 • 6:30 pm • Regal Palm Springs Saturday, January 5 • 10:30 am • Mary Pickford Sunday, January 13 • 10:30 am • Mary Pickford PSFILMFEST.ORG 171
TRUE STORIES
Garry Winogrand: All Things Are Photographable USA, 2018 90 minutes Director: Sasha Waters Freyer Print Source: Greenwich Entertainment An iconic street photographer of the 20th century, Garry Winogrand captured humanity in still 35mm with a startling physicality. Through the lens of his Leica, he obsessively documented the urban American landscape of the 1950s to the 1980s, cataloguing over a million photographs in his lifetime, including thousands of rolls of film left undeveloped upon his untimely death in 1984. Director Sasha Waters Freyer digs deep to craft a brilliant collage of the life and work of a revered, and at times controversial, artist through his own images and testimony as well as that of his peers and patrons. In archival 8mm footage, his blunt Bronx accent delivers amusing insights into his insecurities and artistic philosophies while several curators, historians, and fellow photographers — and one ex-wife — paint a riveting portrait of a man who sought truth over fame. With a nostalgic soundtrack punctuated by Bob Dylan, U2, and original jazz compositions by Winogrand’s son Ethan, it’s a beautiful throwback to a prePhotoshop era of black-and-white virtuosity. SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: Chekhov for Children (2010), This American Gothic (2008)
General Magic UK/USA, 2018 90 minutes Directors: Sarah Kerruish, Matt Maude Print Source: Spellbound Productions II Before there was Mark Zuckerberg or Elon Musk, there was Marc Porat and his merry band of techies dedicating every waking hour, and even their dreams, to achieving the seemingly impossible. Created as an offshoot of Apple following the meteoric rise of the Macintosh, Porat’s General Magic was tasked with changing the world — and the device to do it was a handheld, touch-screen computer that was always connected to a radical thing called the Internet. Sound familiar? This endearing documentary basks in unseen archival footage of a bygone era when idyllic coders voluntarily bunked in offices where you can almost smell the body odor. Yet, as the insurmountable hype built, General Magic faced unforeseen obstacles and the tragic truth that maybe they were ahead of their time. Featuring dozens of interviews with those who lived it, including Joanna Hoffman and Tony Fadell, General Magic is a delightful ode to the pioneers of our time. Debut film
IN COMPETITION:
Friday, January 4 • 4:45 pm • Annenberg Saturday, January 5 • 9:00 am • Camelot 172 PSFILMFEST.ORG
Friday, January 4 • 10:30 am • Camelot Saturday, January 5 • 12:30 am • Regal Palm Springs
TRUE STORIES
Ghost Fleet
Home + Away
USA, 2018 90 minutes Directors: Shannon Service, Jeffrey Waldron Print Source: Vulcan Productions/ Seahorse Productions
USA, 2018 83 minutes Director: Matt Ogens Print Source: Tribeca Studios and Bullitt
In this atmospheric documentary, one of the lesser known horrors of the international fishing industry operating out of Indonesia — that they capture free men as slaves, often for years at a time — is exposed. One indomitable woman, a cancer survivor named Patima Tungpuchayakul, searches for these men, returning them home to Thailand, Burma, and other places after years of high-seas enslavement. She and her small organization help the men sue for back wages they’re owed, and win these cases against all odds. With no thought for her own safety, Patima and her crew rent a boat in Indonesia, seek out the captured men and confront illegal fishing boat crews. She and her team are steadfast in their desire to bring the workers back, or at least connect them with longlost family through social media. Even Thailand’s president takes notice of their efforts to eliminate slavery and return these “lost” men to freedom. Debut Film
A quarter of the students at Bowie High School in El Paso cross the border from Juarez every day to go to school. Home + Away follows three of these kids who straddle two countries and face unique challenges reconciling their double lives. For Erik, Shyanne and Francisco, sports offers an opportunity to build a better life. Erik is a star soccer player, but he struggles to pass his English classes — and if he fails academically, he can’t play. Shyanne has found her place through wrestling, but she thinks maybe she has to enlist in the Army to secure a future. Ace pitcher Francisco helps Bowie’s baseball team compete for a championship, but it haunts him that his father in Mexico can’t cross the border to watch him play. At once a terrific sports documentary and a fresh look at crosscultural issues, Matt Ogens’s timely film is an intimate and compassionate look at life on the border. SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: Go North (2017), Meet the Hitlers (2014) IN ENGLISH, SPANISH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
IN ENGLISH, BURMESE, THAI, KHMER WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES. IN COMPETITION:
Friday, January 4 • 1:30 pm • Camelot Saturday, January 5 • 12:30 pm • Mary Pickford Sunday, January 6 • 4:00 pm • Regal Palm Springs
Thursday, January 10 • 12:30 pm • Camelot Saturday, January 12 • 12:30 pm • Mary Pickford PSFILMFEST.ORG 173
TRUE STORIES
Inventing Tomorrow USA, 2018 104 minutes Director: Laura Nix Print Source: Fishbowl Films As the world spins into cataclysmic possibilities for our climate, hope springs from some of the most incredibly passionate and persevering young teens put to film in this utterly endearing and optimistic documentary. Following six dedicated youths from across the globe as they work tirelessly to find solutions for the horrible environmental dilemmas that plague their own backyards, veteran director Laura Nix trains her camera on these bright, exuberant kids as they prepare to bring their potentially Earth-saving inventions to compete at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF). Visiting from Indonesia's Bangka Island; Bangalore, India; and from Hawaii to Mexico and beyond, these four groups represent a fraction of the world's kids determined to make coherent, lasting change when they convene in Los Angeles for the final contest. Nix's engaging and inspirational examination of charged youth does more than give hope for the future, it captures genuine progress in action. SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: Gypsy (2011), The City of the Sun (2005), Landscape (2000)
Kaye Ballard The Show Goes On! USA, 2019 90 minutes Director: Dan Wingate With: Kaye Ballard, Woody Allen, Ann-Margret, Joy Behar, Carol Burnett, Carol Channing This charming documentary showcases the career of musical-comedy sensation Kaye Ballard, whose ability to sing and tell jokes was ubiquitous in the late 20th century, though she was often overshadowed by other, more well-known celebrities. Ballard, however, was in so many shows you watched in the 1950s, ‘60s and ‘70s, you’ll recognize her immediately. And if you’re one of the lucky ones to have seen her nightclub act, that’s even more special. Her appearances on variety shows and Broadway provided plenty of delightful moments, as captured in rare archival footage and interviews with the likes of Ann-Margret, Michael Feinstein, Jerry Stiller, and Ballard herself. A host of folks are interviewed who had the pleasure of working directly with this great comedian. Now living in Palm Springs, well into her nineties, Ballard still does shows for her beloved ASPCA, entertaining audiences as she has for decades. Debut film
IN ENGLISH, SPANISH, INDONESIAN WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
Wednesday, January 9 • 3:00 pm • Regal Palm Springs Saturday, January 12 • 10:00 am • Annenberg 174 PSFILMFEST.ORG
Sunday, January 6 • 7:00 pm • Camelot Tuesday, January 8 • 11:00 am • Regal Palm Springs
TRUE STORIES
The Land of High Mountains
The Proposal
USA/HAITI, 2018 143 minutes Director: Will Agee Print Source: Dulcinea Productions
USA, 2018 83 minutes Director: Jill Magid Print Source: Oscilloscope Laboratories
Haiti’s St. Damien Pediatric Hospital is not just a place of healing; it is a place of hope in a country beset by poverty, disease, and the ongoing trauma of the earthquake that decimated the island nation in 2010. Will Agee’s poignant and riveting documentary digs deep into St. Damien’s, the only hospital of its kind in Haiti, and the work of the doctors, nurses, aides, and priests who see to so much more than the medical needs of patients and their families. Far from confining his focus to the hospital, Agee wanders far and wide throughout Haiti, contrasting the country’s natural beauty with its destitution. The glimpses can be horrifying, and the opening images of cardboard coffins held together with tape are a punch to the gut, but the people of St. Damien’s are clear this is not Haiti’s only story. For them, the success of their hospital is something to build on toward a brighter future.
While studying the late Luis Barragon, Mexico’s most famous architect, conceptual artist Jill Magid hit a wall that halted her research: a Swiss company owns the rights to Barragon’s expansive archives and has kept them from public view for 20 years. Determined to shake the tree of rigid copyright laws and force the head of the Barragon Foundation to loosen its iron grip, Magid ignites a spellbinding game of cat and mouse, resorting to unorthodox and at times jaw-dropping methods of persuasion. Is Magid’s action a grotesque form of manipulation? Or an ingenious act of rebellion? Executive produced by Oscar®-winning documentarian Laura Poitras, Magid’s provocative and eye-opening documentary confronts crucial moral questions of whether a corporate body should be entitled to the ownership of a single person’s life and legacy. At once an elegiac celebration of Barragon and his invaluable work, Magid’s probing debut also unravels like a taut mystery, heading toward an unforgettable, gut-twisting finale.
Debut Film
Friday, January 4 • 10:00 am • Mary Pickford Sunday, January 13 • 6:00 pm • Regal Palm Springs
Debut Film
Tuesday, January 8 • 9:00 am • Camelot Thursday, January 10 • 1:30 pm • Mary Pickford PSFILMFEST.ORG 175
TRUE STORIES
Screwball
Sharkwater Extinction
USA, 2018 105 minutes Director: Billy Corben Print Source: Greenwich Entertainment
CANADA, 2018 87 minutes Director: Rob Stewart Cast: Rob Stewart, Regi Domingo, Brock Cahill, Will Allen, Madison Stewart Print Source: Brian Stewart
Truth is indeed stranger than fiction in Billy Corben’s supremely entertaining and occasionally surreal documentary that skewers the players, officials, drug dealers, and other hangers-on involved in the 2013 Major League Baseball doping scandal. Structured in a way that makes knowledge of baseball, or even interest in the sport, almost irrelevant, Corben’s deep dive into this colorfully criminal world is replete with unforgettable characters, chief among them Anthony Bosch, the unlicensed anti-aging “doctor” and head honcho of Biogenesis of America, supplier of steroids to superstars of the era. What is perhaps most surprising here is the willingness of Bosch, Porter Fischer, the partner Bosch betrayed, which partially led to Bosch’s downfall, and so many others to talk openly and even brazenly about such blatantly bad behavior. Very few escape unscathed, and, while the goings-on will have you shaking your head in disbelief, the overall effect is an insolent and audacious rollercoaster ride. SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: Dawg Fight (2015), Limelight (2011), Cocaine Cowboys (2006)
Saturday, January 5 • 4:30 pm • Camelot Sunday, January 6 • 12:30 pm • Annenberg 176 PSFILMFEST.ORG
A powerful sequel to the 2006 multi-award-winning Sharkwater, Rob Stewart’s film continues the exposure of the illegal international shark fishing industry. Most people now understand that millions of sharks are killed every year for their fins (for use in soup), but few know that sharks, despite their mercury-laden flesh, are being renamed and passed off as other fish or as ingredients in everything from dog food to cosmetics. Sporting stunning underwater and aerial photography, renowned ecologist and activist Stewart, who lost his life in the making of this film, went undercover to investigate and expose the criminal trade of these misunderstood creatures, which continues despite international laws banning the practice. Stewart’s dedication to the environment ignited a global movement, and his spirited belief in our ability to change our habits and save the planet are in every frame of this film. SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: Revolution (2012), Sharkwater (2006)
Friday, January 4 • 6:00 pm • Regal Palm Springs Sunday, January 6 • 8:00 pm • Mary Pickford
TRUE STORIES
Shirkers
Shut Up and Play the Piano
USA, 2018 96 minutes Director: Sandi Tan Print Source: Netflix
GERMANY/FRANCE/UK, 2018 82 minutes Director: Philipp Jedicke Cast: Chilly Gonzales, Peaches , Leslie Feist, Sibylle Berg, Jarvis Cocker Print Source: Charades/Eclair Play
Growing up in Singapore, Sandi Tan dreamed of making movies. Falling into a fevered obsession of pop culture, she guzzled film magazines and manufactured an underground bootleg system to watch unavailable American films. By 1992, Sandi knew it was time to make her contribution to the art form. With the help of her friends, and a cryptic director named Georges Cardona, Shirkers was born. However, a newly independent Singapore's first guerrilla road movie was cut short when Georges fled with the footage, and the movie disappeared forever. Twenty years later, the 16mm raw film has been found setting Tan off on an odyssey of both self and rediscovery as she pieces together the mystery of who Georges really was, and what her film really meant. An authentic, honest and fiercely independent examination that could be made by no one else, Tan's achingly personal documentary offers one of the most significant cinematic experiences of the year. Debut Film
Punk rapper and performance artist, and a composer of classical pieces and headliner with the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra, Grammy-winning Canadian musician and professional chameleon Chilly “Gonzo” Gonzales (born Jason Beck in Montreal) is the subject of Philipp Jedicke's kaleidoscopic portrait and career survey. Jedicke’s DIY aesthetic uses archival footage, interviews, reenactments, and staged scenes, all of which mesh perfectly with Gonzales’s brash and hyperenergetic public persona, the man is always performing, to hugely entertaining effect. It all makes for a revelatory journey taking us from Gonzales’s posh beginnings as the anxious son of a powerful Montreal businessman to his legendary sojourn with Peaches in the Berlin underground scene, and then to Paris and Cologne, where his evolution as an artist comes to the fore. Rife with outrageous, and occasionally beautiful and moving, performance footage, the film also features insightful interviews with friends and colleagues, including Peaches, Feist, and Jarvis Cocker. US Premiere Debut film
IN COMPETITION:
IN ENGLISH, FRENCH, GERMAN WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES. Friday, January 4 • 1:45 pm • Annenberg Saturday, January 5 • 9:30 am • Regal Palm Springs Saturday, January 12 • 2:30 pm • Camelot
Saturday, January 5 • 7:00 pm • Regal Palm Springs Sunday, January 6 • 10:00 am • Palm Canyon Theatre PSFILMFEST.ORG 177
TRUE STORIES
What She Said: The Art of Pauline Kael USA, 2018 95 minutes Director: Rob Garver Print Source: 29Pictures LLC No movie critic has ever inspired such passionate loyalty, nor ruffled so many feathers, as the late Pauline Kael, whose 24-year reign at The New Yorker changed the way we talk about movies. This rich and punchy look at her life and career covers all the controversies and quarrels: The Sound of Music review that got her fired from McCall’s; The Bonnie and Clyde essay that changed both the movie’s fortunes and her own; her feuds with writers Andrew Sarris and Norman Mailer; her over-the-moon rave about Last Tango in Paris;and the Shoah pan that drove her editor William Shawn nuts. It’s all here and much more, including juicy interviews with both fans (David O. Russell) and foes (David Lean, who stopped making movies for a decade after she attacked him in person), and a large and witty selection of clips from the movies she loved and hated. Debut film IN ENGLISH, ITALIAN WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
Thursday, January 10 • 12:00 pm • Regal Palm Springs Sunday, January 13 • 10:00 am • Palm Canyon Theatre 178 PSFILMFEST.ORG
THE PALM SPRINGS CANON
Opening the vaults on 30 years of great PSIFF movies PSFILMFEST.ORG 179
PALM SPRINGS CANON
Amélie
The Band's Visit
"An audience favorite and prize-winner at various film festivals, Amélie has received ecstatic reviews and achieved tremendous box office success in France, making the film somewhat of a national treasure." - PSIFF 2002
“Some of the best comedies are drawn from life's most serious conflicts, and proof lies in this witty and gentle lark about an Egyptian brass band that finds itself lost in a backwater, desert Israeli town." - PSIFF 2008
FRANCE/GERMANY, 2001, 122 minutes Director: Jean-Pierre Jeunet Cast: Audrey Tautou, Mathieu Kassovitz, Rufus
Bikur Ha-Tizmoret
ISRAEL, 2007, 87 minutes Director: Eran Kolirin Cast: Sasson Gabai, Ronit Elkabetz, Saleh Bakri
IN FRENCH, RUSSIAN, ENGLISH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
IN HEBREW, ARABIC, ENGLISH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
Sunday, January 6 • 2:45 pm • Palm Canyon Theatre
Monday, January 7 • 4:45 pm • Palm Canyon Theatre
The Boys of St. Vincent
Caché
“This film dramatizes an explosive real life scandal: the physical and sexual abuse of young boys by Catholic Brothers…It courageously tells its story without an ounce of exploitation, a hint of homophobia, or a false step in balancing the feelings of horror and outrage provoked by the story. ” - PSIFF 1994
“Austrian iconoclast Michael Haneke (Time of the Wolf, The Piano Teacher) copped the best director award at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival for this trenchant thriller featuring two of France’s leading acting lights, Daniel Auteuil and Juliette Binoche.” - PSIFF 2006
Wednesday, January 9 • 8:00 pm • Palm Canyon Theatre
Thursday, January 10 • 7:30 pm • Palm Canyon Theatre
CANADA, 1992, 93 minutes Director: John N. Smith Cast: Henry Czerny, Johnny Morina, Brian Dooley
180 PSFILMFEST.ORG
AUSTRIA, 2005, 117 minutes Director: Michael Haneke Cast: Juliette Binoche, Daniel Auteuil
IN FRENCH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
PALM SPRINGS CANON
Character Karakter
NETHERLANDS/BELGIUM, 1997, 122 minutes Director: Mike van Diem Cast: Jan Decleir, Fedja van Huêt “Dutch director Mike van Diem’s feature film debut is an intensely emotional paradox. Rich, complex and moving, this is one of those rare films that feels like an instant, cinematic classic.” -PSIFF 1998
Chocolat
UK/USA, 200, 121 minutes Director: Lasse Hallström Cast: Juliette Binoche, Johnny Depp, Carrie-Anne Moss, Judi Dench, Alfred Molina “Beautifully shot, wonderfully acted and directed, Chocolat is truly a sumptuous feast for the senses.” - PSIFF 2001
IN DUTCH, ENGLISH, GERMAN, FRENCH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
IN ENGLISH, FRENCH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
Wednesday, January 9 • 2:15 pm • Palm Canyon Theatre
Thursday, January 10 • 1:30 pm • Palm Canyon Theatre
Cinema Paradiso
City of God
“Cinema Paradiso a breathtaking homage to the power and glory of the cinema; for anyone who loves movies, this film (loved as the closing night film at the Cannes and Montreal festivals earlier this year) is a must.” - PSIFF 1990
“The slums of Rio de Janeiro are the setting for this magnificent and raw epic that chronicles the growth of gang warfare and drug trade over a two decade period.” -PSIFF 2003
IN ITALIAN WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
IN PORTUGUESE WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
Friday, January 4 • 12:00 pm • Palm Canyon Theatre
Friday, January 11 • 1:45 pm • Palm Canyon Theatre
ITALY/FRANCE, 1988, 155 minutes Director: Giuseppe Tornatore Cast: Philippe Noiret, Marco Leonardi
BRAZIL/FRANCE, 2002, 130 minutes Director: Fernando Meirelles Cast: Leandro Firmino, Alexandre Rodrigues
PSFILMFEST.ORG 181
PALM SPRINGS CANON
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Day Night Day Night
“A marvelous spectacle ignites the screen as the martial arts genre is reconsidered as a fabulous feminist epic. At the film’s core is a love letter to a popular genre and a testament to the art of filmmaking.” -PSIFF 2001
“Day Night Day Night is a powerful political drama about the terror inherent in terrorism. The film received major awards from the Cannes, Independent Spirit, Chicago and Woodstock film festivals.” - PSIFF 2007
TAIWAN/HONG KONG/USA/CHINA, 2000, 120 minutes Director: Ang Lee Cast: Yun-Fat Chow, Michelle Yeoh, Ziyi Zhang
IN MANDARIN WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
USA, 2006, 94 minutes Director: Julia Loktev Cast: Luisa Williams, Josh Philip Weinstein
Saturday, January 12 • 1:15 pm • Palm Canyon Theatre
Sunday, January 13 • 1:00 pm • Palm Canyon Theatre
The Double Life of Veronique
For All Mankind
“…is a sensual and visually stunning fairy-tale centered on two women’s simple and moving experiences. Ultimately, the film is a love story between two strangers, one who continues living in the soul of the other, even after she dies.” -PSIFF 1992
“For All Mankind is composed entirely of footage the Apollo crews brought back from their journeys, and what amazing footage it is. Though you may think you’ve seen all there is to see of U.S. space missions in the past, we guarantee you’ve never seen anything like this.” - PSIFF 1990
FRANCE/POLAND/NORWAY, 1991, 98 minutes Director: Krzysztof Kieslowski Cast: Iréne Jacob, Philippe Volter, Sandrine Duma
IN FRENCH, POLISH, ITALIAN WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES. Friday, January 4 • 3:30 pm • Palm Canyon Theatre 182 PSFILMFEST.ORG
USA, 1989, 80 minutes Director: Al Reinert Cast: Jim Lovell, Buzz Aldrin, Neil Armstrong
Sunday, January 6 • 12:30 pm • Palm Canyon Theatre
PALM SPRINGS CANON
Golden Door
Goodbye Solo
“Turn-of-the-century emigration to America was not only a defining moment in world history but has remained a nostalgic subject for filmmakers wishing to convey the period’s aspirations and “golden door” of opportunity.” - PSIFF 2007
“The writing and the performances by Sy Savané and Red West are stunningly well done, making Goodbye Solo one of the best indie films of the year.” - PSIFF 2009
ITALY/FRANCE/ARGENTINA, 2006, 118 minutes Director: Emanuele Crialese Cast: Charlotte Gainsbourg, Vincenzo Amato
IN ITALIAN, ENGLISH, SICILIAN WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
USA, 2008, 91 minutes Director: Ramin Bahrani Cast: Souleymane Sy Savane, Red West
IN ENGLISH, FRENCH, WOLOF, SPANISH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
Monday, January 7 • 2:00 pm • Palm Canyon Theatre
Saturday, January 5 • 2:00 pm • Palm Canyon Theatre
Head-On
The Holy Girl
"Fatih Akin’s raw, ultra-realistic drama tracks the relationship between two disaffected Turks in Hamburg who enter into a marriage of convenience and find their lives irrevocably altered." - PSIFF 2005
“One of the best Latin American films of 2004, which also competed at Cannes, this is a most difficult and cerebral film, and a compelling follow-up to Martel’s masterpiece The Swamp.” -PSIFF 2005
IN GERMAN, TURKISH, ENGLISH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
IN SPANISH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
Friday, January 11 • 7:30 pm • Palm Canyon Theatre
Wednesday, January 9 • 5:15 pm • Palm Canyon Theatre
GERMANY/TURKEY, 2004, 121 minutes Director: Fatih Akin Cast: Birol Ünel, Sibel Kekilli, Catrin Striebeck
ARGENTINA/ITALY/NETHERLANDS/SPAIN, 2004, 106 minutes Director: Lucrecia Martel Cast: Mar’a Alche, Mercedes Mor‡n, Carlos Belloso
PSFILMFEST.ORG 183
PALM SPRINGS CANON
Hunger
Ida
“Winner of the 2008 Camera d’Or at Cannes, Turner Prizewinning artist Steve McQueen's first foray into feature film is a powerful drama focusing on the infamous sixweek hunger strike that IRA prisoners…used as a way of publicizing their demands to be recognized as political prisoners." - PSIFF 2009
“Ida is a gripping and highly cinematic evocation of postwar Poland at a defining historical moment. It’s also an intensely personal tale of moral and spiritual awakening.” - PSIFF 2015
IRELAND/UK, 2008, 93 minutes Director: Steve McQueen Cast: Stuart Graham, Laine Megaw, Brian Milligan
IN ENGLISH, IRISH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
POLAND/DENMARK/FRANCE/UK, 2013, 82 minutes Director: Pawel Pawlikowski Cast: Agata Kulesza, Agata Trzebuchowska
IN POLISH, LATIN, FRENCH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
Tuesday, January 8 • 7:00 pm • Palm Canyon Theatre
Tuesday, January 8 • 1:45 pm • Palm Canyon Theatre
Memento
Monsoon Wedding
“Leonard Shelby (Guy Pearce) wears expensive, European tailored suits, drives a late model Jaguar sedan, but lives in cheap, anonymous motels, paying his way with thick wads of cash. …As Leonard’s story unfolds, the meaning of events changes. Allies, enemies, victims, victimizers swap places almost kaleidoscopically.” - PSIFF 2003
“Rich in a splendor of sight and sound, with infusions of Bollywood-style musical numbers, Monsoon Wedding is a treat that celebrates the tradition and love of family.” - PSIFF 2002
Saturday, January 12 • 7:30 pm • Palm Canyon Theatre
Saturday, January 5 • 4:30 pm • Palm Canyon Theatre
USA, 2000, 113 minutes Director: Christopher Nolan Cast: Guy Pearce, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano
184 PSFILMFEST.ORG
INDIA, 2001, 114 minutes Director: Mira Nair Cast: Naseeruddin Shah, Lillete Dubey
IN HINDI, ENGLISH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
PALM SPRINGS CANON
Nobody Knows
The Orphanage
"Inspired by a true story, Nobody Knows gently reveals the intimate world of four children over the course of a year." - PSIFF 2005
“Juan Antonio Bayona’s accomplished first feature is a chiller playing for high emotional stakes…Bayona’s perfect execution of genre expectations proves him to be one of the year’s most welcome new talents.” -PSIFF 2008
IN JAPANESE WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
IN SPANISH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
Monday, January 7 • 7:00 pm • Palm Canyon Theatre
Friday, January 4 • 6:00 pm • Palm Canyon Theatre
Raise the Red Lantern
A Separation
“As ravishing and exotic as Zhang Yimou’s earlier works (Red Sorghum and Ju Dou, 1991 PSIFF), Raise the Red Lantern revels in the twists and turns that human fate can take, focusing on the labyrinthine complexities that divide the four wives of an aging patriarch in 1920s China..” - PSIFF 1992
“Tense and dramatically complex, formally dense and morally challenging, this is About Elly writer/director Asghar Farhadi’s strongest work yet. The provocative plot casts a revealing light on contemporary Iranian society as it takes on issues of gender, class, justice and honor.” -PSIFF 2012
IN MANDARIN WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
IN PERSIAN WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
Saturday, January 12 • 4:30 pm • Palm Canyon Theatre
Sunday, January 13 • 3:30 pm • Palm Canyon Theatre
JAPAN, 2004, 141 minutes Director: Hirokazu Kore-eda Cast: Yžya Yagira, Ayu Kitaura, Hiei Kimura
CHINA/HONG KONG/TAIWAN, 1991, 125 minutes Director: Zhang Yimou Cast: Gong Li, Ma Jingwu, He Saifei, Cao Cuifen
SPAIN, 2007, 105 minutes Director: J.A. Bayona Cast: Belén Rueda, Fernando Cayo, Roger Princep
IRAN, 2011, 123 minutes Director: Asghar Farhadi Cast: Leila Hatami, Peyman Moadi, Shahab Hosseini
PSFILMFEST.ORG 185
PALM SPRINGS CANON
Shaolin Soccer
Sound of Noise
“Director, writer, and lead actor, Stephen Chow is one of Chinese cinema’s greatest comedic talents…his exaggerated pantomimes and absurdist humor, make Shaolin Soccer a visually exciting mix of genre-bending belly laughs and spectacular visual effects.” -PSIFF 2003
“The sound and image anarchists behind the 2001 cult short Music for One Apartment and Six Drummers successfully take their concept and talent to a larger arena in Sound of Noise, a delightful comic cocktail of modern city symphony, police procedural and love story.” -PSIFF 2011
IN CANTONESE, MANDARIN WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
IN SWEDISH, FRENCH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
Sunday, January 13 • 6:30 pm • Palm Canyon Theatre
Friday, January 11 • 4:45 pm • Palm Canyon Theatre
HONG KONG/CHINA, 2001, 113 minutes Director: Stephen Chow Cast: Stephen Chow, Man Tat Ng, Zhao Wei
Strictly Ballroom
SWEDEN/FRANCE, 2010, 102 minutes Directors: Ola Simonsson, Johannes Stjarne Nilsson Cast: Bengt Nilsson, Sanna Persson Halapi
Tears of the Black Tiger Fah talai jone
AUSTRALIA, 1992, 94 minutes Director: Baz Luhrmann Cast: Paul Mercurio, Tara Morice, Bill Hunter
THAILAND, 2000, 110 minutes Director: Wisit Sasanatieng Cast: Chartchai Ngamsan, Stella Malucchi
“Dazzling dance routines, a visual wit beyond compare and a singular sensibility that settles just this side of outright camp, Strictly Ballroom is strictly sensational.” -PSIFF 1993
“Take one Spaghetti Western, add a pinch of 40’s Gangster films and a liberal dose of romance and loss and you have the ingredients for this highly stylized and original love story that entertains from start to finish.” -PSIFF 2002
IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
IN THAI WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
Tuesday, January 8 • 4:15 pm • Palm Canyon Theatre
Thursday, January 10 • 4:45 pm • Palm Canyon Theatre
186 PSFILMFEST.ORG
PALM SPRINGS CANON
The Triplets of Belleville
Wild Tales
This deliciously inventive comedic animated feature stands a good chance of being the key competition for Disney’s Finding Nemo in the upcoming race for year-end awards laurels.” -PSIFF 2004
“Argentine director Damián Szifron draws blistering performances from a great cast, including the great Ricardo Darin as an executive pushed too far by the municipal parking authorities, and brings it all together with a fresh and inventive visual style. It’s at least a week’s worth of water-cooler conversations in one quick fix.” -PSIFF 2015
BELGIUM/CANADA, 2003, 78 minutes Director: Sylvain Chomet Cast: Jean-Claude Donda, Michel Robin
IN FRENCH, PORTUGUESE, ENGLISH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES. Saturday, January 5 • 11:45 am • Palm Canyon Theatre
Relatos salvajes
ARGENTINA/SPAIN, 2014, 122 minutes Director: Damián Szifron Cast: Dario Grandinetti, Rita Cortese
IN SPANISH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES. Sunday, January 6 • 5:45 pm • Palm Canyon Theatre
INDEX
188 PSFILMFEST.ORG
2019 PALM SPRINGS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL STAFF EXECUTIVE
Michael Lerman, Artistic Director Rhea A. Lewis-Woodson, Managing Director PROGRAMMING Liliana Rodriguez, Director of Programming David Ansen, Lead Programmer Alissa Simon, Senior Programmer Therese Hayes, Programmer Jane Schoettle, Programmer Hebe Tabachnik, Programmer Jessica Eskelin, Programming Assistant Luis Melendez, Programming Intern DEVELOPMENT Kristin Bloomer, Sponsorship & Development Manager Zack Solomon, Membership & Education Manager Israel Wilder, Marketing & Publicity Manager Tiffany Carter, Social Media Coordinator Cynthia Hernandez, Film Society Coordinator Ivy Binns, Marketing Assistant Hannah Carlson, Marketing Intern Charisma Nuñez, Development Intern Sanford Reed, Development Intern Samantha Calderon, American Express Passholder Lounge Host Kaitlyn Ryan, American Express Passholder Lounge Host ADMINISTRATION Lauren Tutzauer, Operations Manager Kimberly Date, Office Coordinator Holly Copeland, Volunteer Coordinator Debbie Scanlon, Assistant Volunteer Coordinator Felicia Alford, Accountant Rita Huber-Germscheid, Accounting Assistant GUEST RELATIONS Sarah Poppitz, Senior Guest Relations Manager Alyssa Lopez, Guest Relations Manager Adrenia Kemp, Guest Relations Coordinator Grace Shaw, Ground Transportation Coordinator Morgan Thompson, Guest Lounge Coordinator Katie Gilligan, Guest Relations Assistant Domenique Wulfekuhle, Hospitality Associate Jenna Whiteman, Guest Relations Intern SPECIAL EVENTS Deena Murray, Special Events Manager Sean Barnes, Inventory Controller Ami Murray, Special Events Assistant FESTIVAL OPERATIONS Aaron Ridenour, Technical Manager Joseph Cole, Theater Operations Manager Amiel Morris, Print Traffic Clayton Martin, Print Traffic Krystin Braverman, Production Coordinator Brandon Thiege, Technical Assistant Phil Del Costello, Theater Operations Assistant Manager Ed Thayer, Concierge Manager Debbie Wright, Concierge Assistant John Cantwell, Production Assistant Vanessa Reddin, Production Assistant Austin Good, Print Transport Cameron Koehler, Production Intern
190 PSFILMFEST.ORG
CREATIVE Stephen Boyd, Creative Services Manager & Publications Coordinator Martha Wright Smith, Designer & Publications Editor Michelle Brodeur, Designer Esme Ryan, Editor CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Pam Grady Jesse Knight Gustavus Kundahl Linton Melita Joanne Parsont Judy Plapinger
Trey Shields Travis Trew Jack Vermee Landon Zakheim Laura Henneman Céline Roustan
PHOTOGRAPHY Nathan Cox, Photographer Nick Cox | Kendall Productions, Videography PUBLICITY Steven Wilson, Publicist | Scenario PR Ron Hofmann, Publicist | Scenario PR Ashley Patterson, Publicist | Scenario PR Lauren Peteroy, Publicist | Scenario PR Erica Markle, Publicist | Scenario PR BOX OFFICE Deshun Leary, Box Office Co-Manager Alex Paz, Box Office Co-Manager Peter East, Credentials Manager Dennis Pence, Credentials Assistant VENUE MANAGERS Joe Adams Brenda Barniga Sara Carrasco Steve Csutoras Dan Doody Derrick Dover Cola Engel Ruby Flores Max Holm Kendal Hurst Katie Jenkins
Ken Klump Alan Markinson Kate Mason Alex Mills Kristin Nolan Josh Nye Jon Olsen Kaitlyn Ryan Mijoe Sahiouni Emily Shurtz Betty Tweedy
PROJECTIONISTS Mark Allendar Cassy Babb Greg Babush Chris Bredenberg Alex Fountain Ryan Gardner Smith Randall Harper Freedom Hopkins
Talia Kopecki Sergio Andres Lobo-Navia Billy MacDonald Brian Morataya Ashley Nagel Isaac Sherman Brandon Thiege Modestina Weeden
FILM REVIEW COMMITEE Luc Agosta Holly Copeland Harlan Eyre Margo Handelsman Laura Hein Suzanne Hogsett Donna Lawton
Robert Lehman Joan Matthias Shelley Rodriguez Jonny Roy Ed Thayer John Wintemute Dominique Wulfekuhle
FILM AWARDS ADMINISTRATION Christina Sasse, Film Awards Director of Operations Scarlett Wilmsen, Film Awards Administrator Elizabeth Marion, Film Awards Studio Coordinator Nadine Koehler, Film Awards Coordinator Jessica Jazayeri, Film Awards Assistant Manager Kaitlyn Ryan, Film Awards Production Coordinator Dawn Norton, Senior Film Awards & Sponsorship Coordinator Christina Caldwell, Film Awards Operations Assistant Ben Carroll, Films Awards Transportation Assistant Fabian Cortez, Films Awards Transportation Assistant David Gray, Film Awards Volunteer Coordinator Charles Huff, Film Awards Red Carpet Manager ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS For their individual assistance and support, we thank:
Jayne Alberts Enterprises Shannon Anderson Alfred Arguello Robbie Arrington Natasha Avila DJ Babb Mike Babb Sue Behnke Computer Bob Bettina Breckenfeld Lucky Callender Nicole Carter Matt Christensen Maria Crespo Aftab Dada Patrick Garlock Ellen Goodman
Ted Hane Meg Howard Louis Hughes Kurt Kaltschmidt Heather Lamb Chris Malm Davis Meyer Chris Parman Richard Ramhoff Damon Rubio John Shay Mary Silverman Bob Thibault Lynne Toles Danny Torres Ashley Ulrich UltimatePC Marty Webster
PSFILMFEST.ORG 191
192 PSFILMFEST.ORG
INDEX PALM SPRINGS INTERNATIONAL FILM SOCIETY Memberhship in the film society brings you admission to sneak preview screening & special events, Early Bird Box office access to the Palm Springs International Film Festival and Palm Springs ShortFest, as well as discounts on festival tickets, passes, merchandise, and more. Here are some of the highlights of a great year at the movies at the Palm Springs International Film Society.
The Film Society extends our gratitude to all our members with an EXTRA SPECIAL THANKS to the following: CHAIRMAN LEVEL MEMBERS: David Liggett and Mark Hawk, Donald and Judith Lorack, Anonymous, Leo Milmet, Holly and Fred Minniti, John, Wendell and Mark Okun, Kate Zenna and David Wolfe, Clement K Chan MD, Anonymous, Donald S. Metzner PREMIERE LEVEL MEMBERS: Barbara and Michael Beyer, Tom Carlock and Rich Schirrmacher, Paola and Peter Cohen, Anonymous, Robert and Jeanette Gray, Jack and Patti Grundhofer, Liza Ivins and Rick Moran, Anonymous, JoAnn McGrath, Bobbi Lampros PRODUCER LEVEL MEMBERS: Marvin Salles, Sherrie Auen and Catharine Reed, Harlan Eyre and Jim Arellano, Donald Kasper and James Bochinski, Karen and Nate Cheney, Anita and George Cooks, Seth and Page Evans, Susan and Barry Fisher, Anonymous, Glenn Flood and Nancy Boyd, Anonymous, Paul Hagle and Phong Nguyen, Anonymous, Mayor Robert Moon, Les Zendle MD and Jerry Hanson, Mary Ann and Charles LaBahn, Anonymous, William Priest and Sharon Layne, Mod Mansions Vacation Rentals, Gary and Pat Leach, Michael and Carol Lovy, Marsha and William Pachter, Adnan and Athalie LaPamuk, Gary and Nanci Smaby, Jacquelyn Storm, Victoria Till, The Van Wielingens, Nancy Mynard, Tom O'Brien, Marcella Ruble, Gloria and Michael Scoby, Mary Kay Stolz, Garret Demarest and Tim Murphy, C. Burke, Denise Haslam FOR MORE INFORMATION ON FILM SOCIETY MEMBERSHIP, PLEASE VISIT WWW.PSFILMFEST.ORG PSFILMFEST.ORG
193
194 PSFILMFEST.ORG
INDEX
PSFILMFEST.ORG 197
INDEX
INDEX
WELCOME/GLANCE
200 PSFILMFEST.ORG
WELCOME/GLANCE
PSFILMFEST.ORG 201
WELCOME/GLANCE
202 PSFILMFEST.ORG
WELCOME/GLANCE
PSFILMFEST.ORG 203
204 PSFILMFEST.ORG
DAVID YURMAN ©2019 SOUTH COAST PLAZA
modern romance
ALEXANDER McQUEEN • BALENCIAGA • BERLUTI • BRUNELLO CUCINELLI • CÉLINE • CHANEL CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN • DIOR • DIOR MEN • GIORGIO ARMANI • GIVENCHY • GOLDEN GOOSE HERMÈS • JIMMY CHOO • JOHN LOBB • JOHN VARVATOS • LORO PIANA • LOUIS VUITTON MARNI • MONCLER • OSCAR DE LA RENTA • RALPH LAUREN • SAINT LAURENT SALVATORE FERRAGAMO • STELLA McCARTNEY • THE WEBSTER partial listing
SAN DIEGO FWY (405) AT BRISTOL ST. COSTA MESA, CA 800.782.8888 SOUTHCOASTPLAZA.COM @SOUTHCOASTPLAZA #SCPSTYLE
FILM SCHEDULE FILM SCHEDULE
BEST OF BESTFEST OF THE THE FEST
JANUARY 14 AT THE REGAL PALM SPRINGS 9, JANUARY THEATRES, 14 AT THE REGAL SPRINGS 9, CAMELOT MARY PALM PICKFORD IS D’PLACE. CAMELOT THEATRES, MARY PICKFORD IS D’PLACE. JANUARY 14 AT THE REGAL PALM SPRINGS 9, CAMELOT THEATRES, MARY PICKFORD IS D’PLACE.
See See psfilmfest.org psfilmfest.org for more information. See psfilmfest.org for more information. for more information. PROGRAM KEY PROGRAM KEY ■ DINNER AND A MOVIE ■ DINNER EVENT/OPENING/CLOSING AND A MOVIE PROGRAM KEY ■ EVENT/OPENING/CLOSING FLOS: FOREIGN LANGUAGE
■ FOCUS ON INDIA Peering into the world's largest industry. ■ FOCUS ON film INDIA Peering into the ■ LOCAL SPOTLIGHT world's largest film industry. ■ MASTERS New films, LOCAL SPOTLIGHT ■ MODERN FOCUS ON INDIA Peering into the classic auteurs. ■ MODERN MASTERS New films, world's largest film industry. ■ JEWISH STORIES classic auteurs. ■ NEW LOCAL SPOTLIGHT Contemporary Jewish cinema at NEW JEWISH STORIES ■ MODERN MASTERS New films, its finest. Contemporary classic auteurs.Jewish cinema at ■ THE PALM SPRINGS CANON its NEW finest.JEWISH STORIES ■ Opening the vaults on 30 years of great ■ THE PALM SPRINGS CANON Contemporary Jewish cinema at PSIFF movies. Opening its finest. the vaults on 30 years of great PSIFF ■ THEmovies. PALM SPRINGS CANON Opening the vaults on 30 years of great PSIFF movies.
OSCAR SUBMISSIONS Step into ■ FLOS: FOREIGN LANGUAGE DINNER AND A MOVIE the Oscar® season with this selection OSCAR SUBMISSIONS Step into ■ EVENT/OPENING/CLOSING of Foreign-Language contenders. the Oscar® season with this selection ■ FLOS: FOREIGN LANGUAGE ■ ¡VIVA EL CINE! of Foreign-Language contenders. OSCAR SUBMISSIONS Step into ■ ¡VIVA FOCUS FRANCE New treats from ■ ELON CINE! the Oscar® season with this selection the birthplace of cinema. ■ Foreign-Language FOCUS ON FRANCE New treats from of contenders. the birthplace of cinema. ■ ¡VIVA EL CINE! ■ FOCUS ON FRANCE New treats from the birthplace of cinema. THEATER KEY: REG Regal Palm Springs 9
■ QUEER CINEMA TODAY Insightful stories fromCINEMA the LGBTQ community. ■ QUEER TODAY Insightful ■ TALKING In-depth stories from PICTURES the LGBTQ community. discussions with the creators of the TALKING PICTURES In-depth ■ QUEER CINEMA TODAY Insightful year's top titles. discussions with the creators of the stories from the LGBTQ community. ■ TRUE STORIES Nonfiction filmmaking year's top titles. ■ TALKING PICTURES In-depth at its most urgent and illuminating. ■ TRUE STORIES discussions with theNonfiction creators offilmmaking the ■ CINEMA NOW Travel the atWORLD its most urgent and illuminating. year's top titles. world without leaving your seat. ■ WORLD CINEMA NOW Travel the ■ TRUE STORIES Nonfiction filmmaking world without leaving seat. at its most urgent andyour illuminating.
■ WORLD CINEMA NOW Travel the
world without leaving your seat.
THURSDAY, JANUARY 3 THURSDAY, JANUARY 3 CAM ANN PSHS CAMJANUARY ANN 3 PSHS THURSDAY, 8:00 AM 8:00AM AM 9:00
9:00AM AM 10:00 8:00AM AM 11:00 10:00 AM 9:00 AM NOON 11:00 AM 10:00 AM 1:00 PM NOON 11:00 AM 2:00 1:00PM PM NOON 3:00 PM 2:00 PM 1:00PM PM 4:00 3:00 PM
CAM Camelot Theatres MP Mary Pickford is D'Place ANN Annenberg PC Palm Palm Springs Canyon 9Theatre PSHS Richards thePickford Arts at Palm Springs High School THEATER KEY: Theater REG Regal CAM Camelot TheatresCenter MPfor Mary is D'Place
2:00 PM 5:00 4:00PM PM 3:00 5:00 PM PM
ANN Annenberg Theater PC Palm Canyon Theatre PSHS Richards Center for the Arts at Palm Springs High School THEATER KEY: REG Regal Palm Springs 9 CAM Camelot Theatres MP Mary Pickford is D'Place
1:00 AM PM 10:00 NOON 2:00 AM PM 11:00 1:00 PM 3:00 PM NOON 2:00 PM 4:00 1:00 PM PM 3:00 PM 5:00 PM 2:00 PM 4:00 PM 6:00 PM 3:00 5:00 PM PM 7:00 PM 4:00 PM 6:00 PM 8:00 PM 5:00 7:00 PM PM 9:00 PM 6:00 PM 8:00 PM 10:00 PM 7:00 PM PM 9:00
Socrates
(71) 9:00 AM
Socrates
(71) 9:00 AM
The Last Color (90) 11:30 AM Socrates (71)Last 9:00Color AM The (90) 11:30 AM
TheMuseo Last Color
The Trouble
REGAL PALM SPRINGS 9 With You The Tobacconist
Butterflies
(117) 10:30 AM
The Resistance The Tobacconist Banker
Butterflies
Butterflies Treat Me Like Fire (117) AM (110)10:30 1:30 PM
(126) 2:30 PM
Look at Me Treat Like (96)Me 4:30 PMFire
Museo Sharkwater
(117) 10:00 AM
(107) 9:30 AM
The Tobacconist
Treat Me Like Fire
(126) 2:30 PM Extinction (87) 6:00 PM
(107) AM The 9:30 Trouble
(117) 10:30 AM
(90) 11:30 AM (126) 2:30 PM
Museo
(117) 10:00 AM
(110) 1:30 PM (110) 1:30 PM
Look at Me
(96) 4:30 PM
(117) 10:00 AM
(123) 1:00 PM The Resistance Banker
(123) 1:00 PM
City of Joel The Resistance (83)Banker 4:00 PM (123) PM City 1:00 of Joel (83) 4:00 PM
City of Joel Dukla 61
With You
TheStyx Trouble
(94)With 12:30 PM You (107)Styx 9:30 AM (94) 12:30 PM
Shéhérazade (106) Styx 3:00 PM
(94) 12:30 PM
Shéhérazade
(106) 3:00 PM
Shéhérazade Don't Be Nice
(106) 3:00PM PM (96) 6:30
Sharkwater Extinction
Wild Look at Me (97) 7:30 PM
(83) 4:00 (154) 7:00 PM PM
Don't Be Nice
Sharkwater Extinction
(97) 7:30 PM
(154) 7:00 PM
Wild
Dukla 61
Don't Be Nice
(87) 6:00 PM (87) 6:00 PM
(96) 4:30 PM
Wild
Dukla 61
(96) 6:30 PM
(87) 1:00 PM
The Biggest Bathtubs Over Little Farm Broadway (91) 4:00 PM (87) 1:00 PM The Biggest Little Farm (91) 4:00 PM
The Biggest Little Farm
(91) 4:00 PM
2
2
REGAL PALM SPRINGS 9 PALM SPRINGS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL | 2019
2
PALM SPRINGS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL Arctic | 2019 9:00 AM
HisGhost Lost Name Fleet (113) (90)4:30 1:30 PM PM
His Lost Name (113) 4:30 PM
His Lost Name L'Animale
(113)8:00 4:30PM PM (100)
L'Animale L'Animale
(154) 7:00 PM
SATURDAY, JANUARY 5 INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
(90) 1:30 PM
(100) 8:00 PM
(96) 6:30 PM
8:00 PM 10:00 PM PALM SPRINGS 9:00 PM
(97) 7:30 PM
Mademoiselle de JoncquièresCAM (110) 9:30 AM de General Magic Mademoiselle (90) 10:30 AM Joncquières General Magic (110) 9:30 AM Mademoiselle de (90) 10:30 AM Bathtubs Over Joncquières Broadway Ghost Fleet General Magic (110) 9:30 AM (87) 1:00 PM (90) 1:30 10:30PM AM Bathtubs Over Broadway Ghost Fleet
| 2019
(100) 8:00 PM
10:00 PM
CAM
If Beale Street Could Talk
If Beale (119) 12:30Street PM Could Talk
ANN Bohemian Rhapsody
Bohemian (134) 12:15 PM Rhapsody
PSHS Roma
(135) 12:30 PM
Roma
(119) 12:30 PM
(134) 12:15 PM
(135) 12:30 PM
(119) 12:30 PM
(134) 12:15 PM
(135) 12:30 PM
ANN ANN
PC PC
PSHS PSHS
PC
(100) 9:00 AM
If Beale Street Could Talk
Bohemian Rhapsody
Roma
4:00 PM
5:00 PM FRIDAY, 4Canyon Theatre PSHS Richards Center for the Arts at Palm Springs High School ANN AnnenbergJANUARY Theater PC Palm FRIDAY, JANUARYREGAL 4 PALM SPRINGS 9 CAM MARY PICKFORD 8:00 AM REGAL PALM SPRINGS 9 CAM MARY PICKFORD FRIDAY, JANUARY 4 9:00 AM 8:00 AM 10:00 AM 9:00 AM 11:00 8:00 AM 10:00 AM NOON 9:00 AM 11:00 AM
CAM
The Imposter CanANN You Ever TheMARY Land of HighPICKFORD Prince Forgive Me? Mountains (148) AM The 9:30 Imposter (106) 9:45 Can You AM Ever (143)Land 10:00ofAM The High Prince Forgive Me? Mountains (148) 9:30 AM (106) 9:45 AM (143) 10:00 AM The Imposter Bethany Can You Ever The Land of High Prince Hamilton Forgive Hamid ShirkersMe? Mountains (148) 9:30PM AM (90) 1:00 (106) 9:45 AM Bethany (108) (96) 1:45 PM (143) 1:30 10:00PM AM Hamilton Hamid Shirkers (90) 1:00 PM (108) 1:30 PM (96) 1:45 PM TheBethany Purity of Vengeance Garry Winogrand: Hamilton Blue Note Hamid Shirkers (118) 4:00 PM All Things Are ... (90) 1:00 PM The Purity of Records (108) 1:30 PM (96)4:45 1:45PM PM (90) Vengeance Garry Winogrand: (85) 5:00 PM Blue Note (118) 4:00 PM All Things Are ... Records The Purity of Carlos Almaraz: (90) 4:45 PM (85) 5:00 PM Vengeance KeepWinogrand: Going Playing With Fire Garry Ray Liz Blue&Note (118)7:30 4:00PM PM All Things Are ... (84) 7:45 PM (71) (108) 8:00 PM Records Carlos Almaraz: (90) 4:45 PM (85) PM Keep Going Playing With Fire Ray5:00 & Liz (108) 8:00 PM
Ray & Liz
(108) 8:00 PM
(71) 7:30 PM
(84) 7:45 PM
(71) 7:30 PM
(84) 7:45 PM
Carlos Almaraz: Playing With Fire
MARY PICKFORD
Keep Going
The Devil We Know
(95)The 9:00 AM Devil
We Know
(95) 9:00 AM
The Devil Cinema WeParadiso Know (155) (95)12:00 9:00 PM AM
Cinema Paradiso
The Wife
PSHS The Wife
(100) 9:00 AM
The Wife Diane
(100) 9:00PM AM (95) 12:30
Diane
(155) 12:00 PM
(95) 12:30 PM
(155) 12:00 PM
(95) 12:30 PM
The Double Life Cinema Paradiso of Veronique
Diane
(98) Double 3:30 PMLife The of Veronique The(98) Orphanage 3:30 PM The Double Life OPENING NIGHT: (105) 6:00 PM All Is True of Veronique The Orphanage (101) 6:30 PM (98) 3:30 PM OPENING NIGHT: (105) 6:00 PM All Is True (101) 6:30 PM The Orphanage OPENING NIGHT: (105) 6:00 PM All Is True
(101) 6:30 PM
ANN
PC
Bathtubs Over Broadway
(85) 9:00 AM
PSHS
8:00 AM
10:00 AM 11:00 AM NOON 1:00 PM 2:00 PM
His Lost Name (113) 10:00 AM
The Fireflies Are Gone
5:00 PM
8:00 PM 9:00 PM
(90) 12:30 PM
Botero
Hamid
(84) 3:30 PM
Shut Up and Play the Piano
(92) 6:00 PM
(108) 4:00 PM
Diamantino
6:00 PM 7:00 PM
General Magic
(96) 1:00 PM
3:00 PM 4:00 PM
Shirkers
(96) 9:30 AM
(97) 9:00 AM
Becoming Astrid Woman at War
(123) 10:30 AM
(101) 11:30 AM
Giant Little Ones (93) 2:30 PM
The Accountant of Auschwitz (78) 5:30 PM
(93) 1:00 PM
(127) 1:30 PM
The Purity of Vengeance
(90) 9:00 AM
(95) 3:00 PM
Screwball
(105) 4:30 PM
Knife+Heart
The Man Who Feels No Pain
Don't Be Nice
(96) 10:30 AM
Cake
(125) 12:00 PM
Happy New Year, Colin Burstead
(118) 5:00 PM
(87) 8:30 PM
Garry Winogrand: All Things Are ...
(93) 10:00 AM
Support the Girls Memoir of War
Family First
(82) 7:00 PM
Smuggling Hendrix
(110) 6:00 PM
Supa Modo
(78) 10:00 AM
Ghost Fleet
Treat Me Like Fire
(87) 10:00 AM
Yomeddine
(90) 12:30 PM
(97) 12:45 PM
Buy Me a Gun
The Biggest Little Farm
(110) 1:30 PM
Ruben Blades Is Not My Name (85) 5:00 PM
Blue Note Records
The Triplets of Belleville (78) 11:45 PM
Goodbye Solo
Stan & Ollie
(97) 12:30 PM
(91) 2:00 PM
(84) 3:30 PM
(91) 3:45 PM
Monsoon Wedding
The Public
(119) 3:15 PM
(114) 4:30 PM
The Last Color (90) 6:00 PM
The Parting Glass
Perfect Strangers
(134) 7:30 PM
The Grizzlies
(104) 9:45 AM
(95) 7:15 PM
(104) 8:00 PM
10:00 PM
SUNDAY, JANUARY 6 2 PSFILMFEST.ORG REGAL PALM SPRINGS 9
CAM
MARY PICKFORD
ANN
PSFILMFEST.ORG 205 PC PSHS
8:00 AM 9:00 AM PSIFF19 SP schedule grid.indd 2 10:00 AM
The Fireflies
Mothers' Instinct (97) 9:30 AM
City of Joel
Perfect Strangers
(83) 9:00 AM
The Interpreter
Carlos Almaraz: Playing With Fire (71) 9:00 AM
Botero
(84) 9:30 AM
Long Day's
To Dust
Shut Up and Play
5:35 PM Bel12/17/18 Canto
(100) 10:00 AM
Diamantino
6:00 PM 7:00 PM 8:00 PM 9:00 PM
Shut Up and Play the Piano
(92) 6:00 PM
The Accountant of Auschwitz (78) 5:30 PM
(105) 4:30 PM
of Vengeance
Knife+Heart
(118) 5:00 PM
The Man Who Feels No Pain
Family First
(82) 7:00 PM
(110) 6:00 PM
(85) 5:00 PM
Wedding
(114) 4:30 PM
The Last Color (90) 6:00 PM
The Parting Glass
Perfect Strangers
(134) 7:30 PM
(87) 8:30 PM
Not My Name
(95) 7:15 PM
(104) 8:00 PM
10:00 PM
SUNDAY, JANUARY 6
REGAL PALM SPRINGS 9
CAM
MARY PICKFORD
ANN
PC
PSHS
(90) 10:00 AM
To Dust
Shut Up and Play the Piano
(100) 10:00 AM
Screwball
For All Mankind
8:00 AM 9:00 AM 10:00 AM 11:00 AM NOON 1:00 PM 2:00 PM
The Fireflies Are Gone
(96) 10:00 AM
Bethany Hamilton
5:00 PM 6:00 PM 7:00 PM
(97) 9:30 AM
(71) 6:30 PM
(117) 1:30 PM
The Interpreter (113) 10:00 AM
The Accountant of Auschwitz
There Is No Place Like Home
Who Will Write Our History?
(105) 1:00 PM
(90) 2:00 PM
(93) 3:00 PM
Redemption
Anchor and Hope
(83) 9:00 AM
(78) 11:30 AM
The Other Story
(90) 4:00 PM
Socrates
(104) 10:30 AM
(90) 12:00 PM
The Good Girls Ghost Fleet
City of Joel
Perfect Strangers
Mouthpiece
(90) 1:00 PM
3:00 PM 4:00 PM
Mothers' Instinct
(104) 4:30 PM
(111) 5:30 PM
(98) 4:00 PM
Kaye Ballard The Show ...
(95) 11:30 AM
Botero
(84) 9:30 AM
Long Day's Journey ...
(140) 10:00 AM
The Realm
(122) 12:30 PM
Winter Flies
The Quietude
Museo
(80) 12:30 PM
Uncrushable
(122) 2:45 PM
(126) 4:00 PM
(70) 3:30 PM
Village Rockstars
The Man Who Feels No Pain (134) 7:30 PM
Sharkwater Extinction
The Grizzlies
Hidden Man
(134) 12:45 PM
Amélie
Wild Tales
(87) 5:00 PM
Bel Canto
(82) 10:00 AM
(105) 12:30 PM
(117) 1:30 PM
(106) 5:00 PM
(90) 7:00 PM
(93) 7:30 PM
9:00 PM
The Devil We Know
What People Will Say
(110) 5:00 PM
The Waldheim Waltz
8:00 PM
(71) 9:00 AM
(85) 2:30 PM
Papi Chulo
Knife+Heart
Carlos Almaraz: Playing With Fire
Buck Run
(80) 5:00 PM
(122) 5:45 PM
The Upside
(104) 7:00 PM
(118) 7:45 PM
(87) 8:00 PM
10:00 PM
MONDAY, JANUARY 7
REGAL PALM SPRINGS 9
CAM
MARY PICKFORD
ANN
PC
PSHS
8:00 AM 9:00 AM 10:00 AM 11:00 AM NOON 1:00 PM 2:00 PM 3:00 PM 4:00 PM 5:00 PM
The Resistance Banker (123) 10:00 AM
Ayka
Yellow Is Forbidden
Dogman
(100) 1:30 PM
Mouthpiece
(90) 4:30 PM
7:00 PM
Euthanizer
(85) 7:30 PM
Supa Modo
The Interpreter
Chef Flynn
Sunset
Family First
(87) 7:00 PM
Namme
Secret Ingredient (104) 2:00 PM
I Do Not Care If We Go Down...
(93) 9:30 AM
Champions
(124) 12:00 PM
(140) 1:00 PM
(83) 3:00 PM
Never Look Away Take It Or Leave It
Burning
The Waldheim Waltz
(97) 9:00 AM
(91) 10:30 AM
(78) 11:30 AM
(113) 12:00 PM
(144) 3:30 PM
6:00 PM 8:00 PM
(97) 9:00 AM
(94) 9:30 AM
(102) 12:30 PM
Yomeddine
The Heiresses
(102) 5:00 PM
Donbass
(188) 3:30 PM
(78) 8:00 PM
9:00 PM
Memoir of War (127) 4:00 PM
(85) 10:00 AM
Cake
(125) 1:00 PM
Hidden Man
(134) 4:00 PM
Village Rockstars (87) 8:30 PM
Birds of Passage
Winter Flies
(85) 7:30 PM
The Angel
(118) 7:00 PM
Woman at War
The Wedding Ring
(101) 10:00 AM
(97) 10:30 AM
Buffalo Boys
Girl
(109) 1:30 PM
Eldorado
FLO PANEL
The Band's Visit
Capernaum
Nobody Knows
(91) 4:30 PM
A Twelve-Year Night
4:45 PM
(120)7:00 PM
(122) 7:30 PM
(125) 8:00 PM
Shoplifters
Golden Door
(103) 1:30 PM
(110) 5:30 PM
(148) 6:00 PM
Jirga
What Will People Say
(106) 12:30 AM
Ruben Blades Is Not My Name
(121) 1:00 PM
(118) 2:00 PM
(87) 4:45 PM
(141) 7:00 PM
Cold War
(88) 5:00 PM
The Guilty
(85) 8:00 PM
10:00 PM
TUESDAY, JANUARY 8
REGAL PALM SPRINGS 9
A SPECIAL ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO THE DESERT SUN AND DESERT POST WEEKLY
CAM
MARY PICKFORD
ANN
PC
Namdev Bhau In Core of the World Search of Silence
9:00 AM 10:00 AM 11:00 AM NOON 1:00 PM 2:00 PM
Sew the Winter to My Skin (131) 10:00 AM
Papi Chulo
(98) 1:00 PM
3:00 PM 4:00 PM 5:00 PM 6:00 PM 7:00 PM 8:00 PM
Anchor and Hope Kaye Ballard - the (111) 10:30 AM Show Goes On! (90) 11:00 AM
Sunset
(144) 1:30 PM
306 Hollywood (82) 4:00 PM
Ash Is The Purest White
(141) 6:30 PM
9:00 PM
Burning
(148) 5:00 PM
(155) 2:00 PM
Ramen Shop (89) 5:30 PM
The Little Comrade
(100) 12:30 PM
Sibel
(95) 3:00 PM
Cities of Last Things
(107) 6:00 PM
Champions
(124) 8:30 PM
10:00 PM
Stockholm
(124) 9:30 AM
The Factory
(84) 9:00 AM
Fig Tree
(83) 9:00 AM
Cold War
(88) 10:00 AM
Ayka
BlacKkKlansman (135) 4:00 PM
Carlos Almaraz: Playing With Fire (71) 2:30 PM
Dogman
(102) 5:00 PM
Hard Paint
(109) 8:00 PM
REGAL PALM SPRINGS 9
Buck Run
(90) 1:00 PM
(80) 1:30 PM
Miriam Lies
Eva + Candela Woman At War
(90) 3:30 PM
CAM
Smuggling Hendrix
Capernaum
(120) 12:45 PM
Strictly Ballroom
Never Look Away
(93) 7:00 PM
(188) 6:45 PM
MARY PICKFORD
Ida
(82) 1:45 PM
Yellow Is Forbidden
Birds of Passage (125) 6:30 PM
Border
(110) 10:00 AM
(93) 10:00 AM
(94) 4:00 PM
(101) 4:30 PM
(142) 7:30 PM
(109) 8:30 PM
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 9
(91) 10:00 AM
El Chicano
Girl
Eldorado
The Quake
(105) 10:30 AM
(100) 11:30 AM
The Guilty
(85) 1:00 PM
(93) 2:30 PM
(118) 7:00 PM
3
The Proposal
Donbass
(110) 11:30 AM
PSHS
PSFILMFEST.ORG
8:00 AM
ANN
(94) 4:15 PM
Hunger
Giant Little Ones (93) 1:15 PM
Hotel Mumbai (125) 4:15 PM
Everybody Knows
(132) 7:30 PM
PC
PSHS
8:00 AM
Ruben Brandt, Collector
9:00 AM 10:00 AM 11:00 AM NOON
(96) 9:00 AM
Asako I & II
(119) 11:00 AM
1:00 PM 2:00 PM 3:00 PM
Don't Shoot
(120) 2:00 PM
4:00 PM 5:00 PM 6:00 PM 7:00 PM 8:00 PM 9:00 PM 10:00 PM
Transit
(101) 11:30 AM
(102) 5:30 PM
The Heiresses (97) 1:00 PM
Inventing Tomorrow
(104) 3:00 PM
Take It Or Leave It
Cold Sweat
(88) 10:00 AM
Funke
(89) 3:30 PM
The Third Wife (96) 1:30 PM
A Twelve-Year Night
The Tobacconist (117) 6:30 PM
The Angel
Namdev Bhau In Search of Silence (84) 12:00 PM
The Chambermaid (102) 2:30 PM
(87) 10:00 AM
Shadow
(116) 12:30 PM
Wild
(97) 7:30 PM
(82) 9:00 AM
Happy New Year, Colin Burstead (95) 11:30 AM
Leto
(126) 3:30 PM
(92) 2:30 PM
Saf
The Wedding Guest
THURSDAY, JANUARY 10 8:00 AM
PSIFF19 SP 9:00 schedule grid.indd 3 AM Fig Tree
(93) 9:30 AM
REGAL PALM SPRINGS 9
The Trouble
Mothers' Instinct
Dead Pigs
(130) 12:30 PM
Sofia
(80) 4:30 PM
Euthanizer
The Realm
The Is No Place Like Home
Mothers' Instinct
Husband Material
(85) 7:00 PM
Ash Is The Purest White
(141) 9:00 AM
MARY PICKFORD
(105) 9:15 AM
(109) 10:00 AM
(97) 1:00 PM
Character
Riot
(106) 4:00 PM
Bel Canto
(100) 7:00 PM
ANN
(150) 12:30 PM
(122) 2:15 PM
Non-Fiction
The Holy Girl
(106) 4:15 PM
The Boys of St. Vincent
Dragged Across Concrete
(93) 8:00 PM
(159) 7:30 PM
PC
PSHS
(106) 5:15 PM
(122) 8:00 PM
CAM Redemption
El Chicano
(142) 4:00 PM
Namme
(91) 1:30 PM
Yuli
(89) 5:30 PM
(94) 7:00 PM
Urgent
(86) 9:00 AM
Carmen & Lola (105) 10:30 AM
The ... Journey of Celeste García The Ice King
(102) 7:00 PM
Fast Color
(100) 9:30 AM
(118) 8:30 PM
206 PSFILMFEST.ORG
10:00 AM
(93) 9:30 AM
306 Hollywood Amazing Grace
(122) 4:30 PM
The Factory
(109) 6:00 PM
Orange Days
(102) 10:30 AM
The Song of the Tree
12/17/18 5:35 PM Don't Shoot
6:00 PM 7:00 PM 8:00 PM 9:00 PM 10:00 PM
Take It Or Leave It (102) 5:30 PM
The Ice King
(122) 4:30 PM
The Factory
(109) 6:00 PM
The Tobacconist (117) 6:30 PM
The Angel
Wild
(97) 7:30 PM
Saf
(102) 7:00 PM
The Wedding Guest
REGAL PALM SPRINGS 9
8:00 AM 9:00 AM 11:00 AM NOON 1:00 PM 2:00 PM 3:00 PM 4:00 PM
Fig Tree
(93) 9:30 AM
What She Said: Art of Pauline Kael (95) 12:00 PM
Butterflies
6:00 PM 7:00 PM
Our Struggles (98) 11:30 AM
The Third Wife (96) 2:00 PM
The Trouble With You
Redemption
(97) 10:00 AM
(104) 10:00 AM
Look at Me
The Accountant Of Auschwitz
Working Woman
(96) 1:30 PM
(93) 1:00 PM
(78) 1:00 PM
We Are The Heat EXT. Night
One Last Deal
Mothers' Instinct
(107) 10:30 AM
(117) 3:00 PM
5:00 PM
CAM
Urgent
(86) 9:00 AM
(95) 5:00 PM
Toman
Fast Color
(100) 8:00 PM
9:00 PM
MARY PICKFORD
Ash Is The Purest White
(141) 9:00 AM
The Etruscan Smile
Making Montgomery Clift
(107) 7:00 PM
Don't Shoot
(120) 10:00 AM
Home + Away (83) 12:30 PM
The Proposal (83) 1:30 PM
Daughter of Mine (100) 3:30 PM
(91) 4:00 PM
(144) 4:30 PM
(95) 6:30 PM
8:00 PM
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
(104) 3:30 PM
(85) 7:00 PM
Bel Canto
(100) 7:00 PM
(122) 8:00 PM
(118) 8:30 PM
THURSDAY, JANUARY 10
10:00 AM
Euthanizer
The Realm
(94) 7:00 PM
Rafiki
(82) 6:30 PM
(88) 7:00 PM
The Holy Girl
(106) 4:15 PM
The Boys of St. Vincent
Dragged Across Concrete
(93) 8:00 PM
(159) 7:30 PM
PC
PSHS
(106) 5:15 PM
(89) 5:30 PM
Miriam Lies
(90) 10:30 AM
I Do Not Care If We Go Down ...
ANN
Stockholm
(155) 10:00 AM
(140) 1:00 PM
Light In The Water
The Chambermaid
Vita & Virginia
The Standoff at Sparrow Creek
Legend of the Demon Cat
(75) 2:00 PM
Prospect
(100) 4:00 PM
(102) 4:30 PM
Perfect Strangers (104) 7:00 PM
(88) 7:30 PM
(110) 4:30 PM
(129) 7:30 PM
Simple Wedding
Chocolat
(121) 1:30 PM
(88) 1:00 PM
Kursk
Tears Of The Black Tiger
(117) 4:00 PM
Caché
(123) 7:00 PM
PC
PSHS
City Of God
(105) 1:00 PM
(110) 4:45 PM
Destroyer
(117) 7:30 PM
10:00 PM
FRIDAY, JANUARY 11
4
REGAL PALM SPRINGS 9 PALM SPRINGS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL | 2019
CAM
MARY PICKFORD
ANN
8:00 AM
9:00 AM 10:00 AM 11:00 AM NOON 1:00 PM 2:00 PM
5:00 PM 6:00 PM 7:00 PM
(96) 9:00 AM
Secret Ingredient (104) 10:30 AM
Butterflies
(117) 12:30 PM
The Realm
(122) 1:30 PM
3:00 PM 4:00 PM
Look At Me
L'Animale
(100) 9:30 AM
Jirga
(78) 4:00 PM
Papi Chulo
(98) 6:30 PM
8:00 PM 9:00 PM
(130) 10:00 AM
Bathtubs Over Broadway
Becoming Astrid (123) 12:00 PM
Smuggling Hendrix
(93) 3:00 PM
Prospect
(100) 5:00 PM
Riot
(106) 9:00 AM
Dead Pigs
(87) 12:00 PM
Shéhérazade
(106) 1:00 PM
Light In The Water
Styx
(75) 2:30 PM
(94) 4:30 PM
The Quietude (117) 5:00 PM
Toman
(144) 5:30 PM
Ruben Brandt, Collector
(82) 9:30 AM
Cold Sweat
Core Of The World
(88) 1:00 PM
Cities Of Last Things
(107) 4:00 PM
Sofia
Diamantino
(80) 7:00 PM
(92) 7:30 PM
Rafiki
The Ice King
(89) 10:00 AM
(124) 12:30 PM
Husband Material (150) 4:00 PM
We Are The Heat (104) 7:30 PM
(96) 8:00 PM
10:00 PM
SATURDAY, JANUARY 12
REGAL PALM SPRINGS 9
CAM
Transit
Long Day's Journey Into Night (140) 10:00 AM
Ray & Liz
(108) 1:30 PM
(101) 9:00 AM
Making Montgomery Clift (88) 11:45 AM
Mademoiselle de Joncquières
The Quake
(130) 1:45 PM
(110) 2:30 PM
Saf
(102) 5:00 PM
Kursk
(117) 5:30 PM
ANN
(90) 4:00 PM
The Standoff At Sparrow Creek
(121) 7:30 PM
(90) 8:00 PM
Walk To Vegas
(102) 4:45 PM
Head-On
Eva + Candela
MARY PICKFORD
Sound of Noise
PC
(88) 7:00 PM
PSHS
8:00 AM 9:00 AM 10:00 AM
Sibel
(95) 9:30 AM
11:00 AM NOON 1:00 PM 2:00 PM
(103) 12:30 PM
Saf
(102) 3:30 PM
5:00 PM 6:00 PM 7:00 PM
(94) 10:00 AM
Sofia
(80) 6:30 PM
8:00 PM
Asako I & II
(119) 1:00 PM
One Last Deal (95) 4:00 PM
Fast Color
The Parting Glass
(117) 9:00 AM
Urgent
(86) 2:00 PM
The Trouble With You
The Purity Of Vengeance
(84) 9:00 AM
(95) 10:00 AM
Toman
(107) 4:30 PM (100) 7:00 PM
Botero
The Tobacconist (144) 10:30 AM
Buffalo Boys
3:00 PM 4:00 PM
Styx
L'Animale
The Biggest Little Farm
(100) 11:30 AM
(91) 12:00 PM
(88) 1:30 PM
The Guilty
(85) 4:30 PM
The Imposter Prince
Our Struggles
Legend Of The Demon Cat (129) 3:30 PM
Hotel Mumbai
(148) 5:30 PM
(104) 10:00 AM
Arctic
Won't You Be My Neighbor
(140) 10:30 AM
Shéhérazade
(159) 7:00 PM
SUNDAY, JANUARY 13
REGAL PALM SPRINGS 9
CAM
Cold War
(88) 4:30 PM
Diamantino
(126) 7:00 PM
(92) 8:00 PM
10:00 PM
(94) 1:00 PM
(106) 4:30 PM
Dragged Across Concrete
(125) 7:00 PM
Inventing Tomorrow
Long Day's Journey Into Night
(97) 1:30 PM
(98) 5:30 PM
(118) 7:30 PM
9:00 PM
Home + Away
Shirkers
(96) 2:30 PM
(89) 2:30 PM
(97) 9:30 AM
(83) 12:30 PM
Simple Wedding
The Ice King
The Heiresses
MARY PICKFORD
Leto
Ray & Liz
(108) 10:00 AM
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (120) 1:15 PM
Raise The Red Lantern
(125) 4:30 PM
The Etruscan Smile
(107) 10:00 AM
Shadow
(116) 1:15 PM
The Wedding Guest (94) 4:15 PM
Amazing Grace
Memento
(113) 7:30 PM
ANN
PC
City of Joel
What She Said ... Pauline Kael
(87) 7:15 PM
PSHS
8:00 AM
Keep Going
9:00 AM 10:00 AM 11:00 AM
2:00 PM
Hidden Man
(134) 1:00 PM
3:00 PM 4:00 PM 5:00 PM 6:00 PM 7:00 PM 8:00 PM 9:00 PM
Burning
(148) 10:30 AM
NOON 1:00 PM
(84) 9:00 AM
EXT. Night
(95) 10:00 AM
Sew The Winter To My Skin (131) 4:30 PM
The Little Comrade
(100) 7:30 PM
10:00 PM
Working Woman (93) 2:00 PM
Rafiki
(82) 5:00 PM
Who Will Write Our History (90) 8:00 PM
Stockholm
(155) 11:00 AM
(102) 9:30 AM
The Wedding Ring (97) 11:30 AM
Cold Sweat
Dukla 61
Non-Fiction
The Song Of The Tree
(93) 12:30 AM
Becoming Astrid (123) 9:00 AM
(100) 3:00 PM
(154) 3:30 PM
Buy Me A Gun (84) 7:00 PM
The Land Of High Mountains (143) 6:00 PM
Everybody Knows
(132) 12:30 PM
The Devil We Know
(95) 1:30 PM
To Dust
The Good Girls (93) 10:00 AM
The ... Journey of Celeste Garcia (92) 1:00 PM
Orange Days
(90) 4:00 PM
Light In The Water
(102) 4:00 PM
CLOSING NIGHT: Ladies In Black
Riot
Carmen & Lola
(109) 6:30 PM
Yuli
(75) 4:30 PM
(106) 7:00 PM
Don't Be Nice
(96) 10:30 AM
The Interpreter The Third Wife
(113) 12:30 PM
Happy New Year, Colin Burstead.
Hard Paint
(95) 10:00 AM
Day Night Day Night
The Other Story
(110) 1:00 PM
A Separation
(117) 3:30 PM
(123) 3:30 PM
Bel Canto
Shaolin Soccer
(100) 6:30 PM
Girl
(109) 10:00 AM
Vita & Virginia
(94) 1:00 PM
(96) 1:30 PM
(95) 4:30 PM
(105) 7:00 PM
(83) 10:00 AM
(113) 6:30 PM
CLOSING NIGHT: Ladies In Black (109) 6:30 PM
(118) 7:30 PM
(109) 8:30 PM
4 PSFILMFEST.ORG A SPECIAL ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO THE DESERT SUN AND DESERT POST WEEKLY PSIFF19 SP schedule grid.indd 4
Dead Pigs
(130) 10:00 AM
Daughter Of Mine
(88) 2:30 PM
(106) 5:30 PM
The Chambermaid
PSFILMFEST.ORG 207
PSFILMFEST.ORG
5
12/17/18 5:35 PM
INDEX 306 Hollywood. . . . . . . . . . . .167 The Accountant of Auschwitz. . . .129 All is True . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45 Amazing Grace . . . . . . . . . . . .167 Amélie. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .180 Anchor and Hope . . . . . . . . . .120 The Angel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .97 Arctic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .136 Asako I & II . . . . . . . . . . . . . .136 Ash Is Purest White . . . . . . . . . .89 Ayka . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .97 The Band’s Visit. . . . . . . . . . . .180 Bathtubs Over Broadway . . . . . .168 Becoming Astrid . . . . . . . . . . .137 Bel Canto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .137 Bethany Hamilton: Unstoppable 168 The Biggest Little Farm . . . . . . .169 Birds of Passage . . . . . . . . . . . .98 BlacKkKlansman. . . . . . . . . . . .56 Blue Note Records: Beyond the Notes . . . . . . . . .169 Bohemian Rhapsody . . . . . . . . .56 Border . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56 Botero . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .170 The Boys of St. Vincent . . . . . . .180 Buck Run . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .138 Buffalo Boys . . . . . . . . . . . . . .98 Burning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .99 Butterflies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .138 Buy Me A Gun . . . . . . . . . . . . .83 Caché . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .180 Cake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .99 Can You Ever Forgive Me? . . . . . .56 Capernaum . . . . . . . . . . . . . .100 Carlos Almaraz Playing With Fire 170 Carmen & Lola . . . . . . . . . . . .120 The Chambermaid. . . . . . . . . . .83 Champions . . . . . . . . . . . . . .100 Character . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .181 Chef Flynn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50 Chocolat. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .181 Cinema Paradiso. . . . . . . . . . .181 Cities of Last Things . . . . . . . . .139 City of God . . . . . . . . . . . . . .181 City of Joel . . . . . . . . . . . . . .129 Cold Sweat . . . . . . . . . . . . . .139 Cold War . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .101 Core of the World . . . . . . . . . .140 Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon 182 Daughter of Mine . . . . . . . . . .140 Day Night Day Night . . . . . . . .182 Dead Pigs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .141 Destroyer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .89 The Devil We Know . . . . . . . . .171 Diamantino. . . . . . . . . . . . . .121 Diane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .141 Dogman. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .101 Donbass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .102
208 PSFILMFEST.ORG
Don’t Be Nice . . . . . . . . . . . . .171 Don’t Shoot . . . . . . . . . . . . . .142 The Double Life of Veronique . . .182 Dragged Across Concrete. . . . . .142 Dukla 61 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .143 El Chicano. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .143 Eldorado. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .102 The Etruscan Smile . . . . . . . . .144 Euthanizer . . . . . . . . . . . . . .103 Eva + Candela . . . . . . . . . . . .121 Everybody Knows . . . . . . . . . . .90 EXT. Night . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .144 The Extraordinary Journey of Celeste García . . . . . . . . . . . .145 The Factory . . . . . . . . . . . . . .145 Family First . . . . . . . . . . . . . .103 Fast Color . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .146 Fig Tree . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .146 The Fireflies Are Gone. . . . . . . .147 For All Mankind . . . . . . . . . . .182 Funke . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51 Garry Winogrand: All Things Are Photographable . . . . . . . .172 General Magic . . . . . . . . . . . .172 Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. . . . . .55 Ghost Fleet . . . . . . . . . . . . . .173 Giant Little Ones . . . . . . . . . . .122 Girl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .104 Golden Door . . . . . . . . . . . . .183 Goodbye Solo . . . . . . . . . . . .183 The Good Girls . . . . . . . . . . . . .84 The Grizzlies . . . . . . . . . . . . .147 The Guilty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .104 Hamid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79 Happy New Year, Colin Burstead . .90 Hard Paint. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .122 Head-On. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .183 The Heiresses. . . . . . . . . . . . .105 Hidden Man . . . . . . . . . . . . .105 His Lost Name . . . . . . . . . . . .148 The Holy Girl . . . . . . . . . . . . .186 Home + Away . . . . . . . . . . . .173 Hotel Mumbai . . . . . . . . . . . .148 Hunger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .184 Husband Material . . . . . . . . . . .79 The Ice King. . . . . . . . . . . . . .123 Ida . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .184 I Do Not Care if We Go Down in History as Barbarians . . . . . . . . . . . .106 If Beale Street Could Talk . . . . . . .57 The Imposter Prince . . . . . . . . . .80 The Interpreter . . . . . . . . . . . .106 Inventing Tomorrow. . . . . . . . .174 Jirga . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .107 Kaye Ballard - the Show Goes On! 174 Keep Going . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .91 Knife+Heart . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74 Kursk. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .91
Ladies in Black . . . . . . . . . . . . .47 The Land of High Mountains . . .175 L’Animale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .123 The Last Color. . . . . . . . . . . . . .80 Legend of the Demon Cat . . . . . .92 Leto. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .149 Light in the Water . . . . . . . . . .124 The Little Comrade. . . . . . . . . .149 Long Day’s Journey Into Night . .150 Look at Me . . . . . . . . . . . . . .150 Mademoiselle de Joncquières . . .74 Making Montgomery Clift . . . . . .99 The Man Who Feels No Pain . . . . .81 Memento . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .184 Memoir of War . . . . . . . . . . . .107 Miriam Lies . . . . . . . . . . . . . .151 Monsoon Wedding . . . . . . . . .184 Mothers’ Instinct. . . . . . . . . . .151 Mouthpiece. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .92 Museo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84 Namdev Bhau In Search of Silence 81 Namme . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .108 Never Look Away. . . . . . . . . . .108 Nobody Knows. . . . . . . . . . . .185 Non-Fiction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .93 One Last Deal. . . . . . . . . . . . .152 Orange Days . . . . . . . . . . . . .152 The Orphanage. . . . . . . . . . . .185 The Other Story. . . . . . . . . . . .130 Our Struggles. . . . . . . . . . . . .153 Papi Chulo . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1254 The Parting Glass. . . . . . . . . . .153 Perfectos Desconocidos (Perfect Strangers) . . . . . . . . . .85 The Proposal . . . . . . . . . . . . .175 Prospect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .154 The Public . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57 The Purity of Vengeance . . . . . .154 The Quake. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .155 The Quietude. . . . . . . . . . . . .155 Rafiki. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49 Raise the Red Lantern. . . . . . . .185 Ramen Shop . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52 Ray & Liz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .156 The Realm. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .156 Redemption . . . . . . . . . . . . .130 The Resistance Banker . . . . . . .109 Riot. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .125 Roma . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57 Ruben Blades Is Not My Name . .109 Ruben Brandt, Collector . . . . . .157 Saf . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .157 Screwball . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .176 Secret Ingredient . . . . . . . . . .110 A Separation . . . . . . . . . . . . .185 Sew the Winter to My Skin . . . . .110 Shadow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .93 Shaolin Soccer . . . . . . . . . . . .186
Sharkwater Extinction. . . . . . Shéhérazade . . . . . . . . . . . Shirkers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Shoplifters . . . . . . . . . . . . Shut Up and Play the Piano . . Sibel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Simple Wedding. . . . . . . . . Smuggling Hendrix . . . . . . . Socrates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sofia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Song of the Tree. . . . . . . Sound of Noise. . . . . . . . . . The Standoff at Sparrow Creek. Stan & Ollie . . . . . . . . . . . . Stockholm. . . . . . . . . . . . . Strictly Ballroom . . . . . . . . . Styx. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sunset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Supa Modo . . . . . . . . . . . . Support The Girls. . . . . . . . . Take It Or Leave It . . . . . . . . Tears of the Black Tiger . . . . . There Is No Place Like Home. . The Third Wife . . . . . . . . . . The Tobacconist . . . . . . . . . To Dust. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Toman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Transit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Treat Me Like Fire . . . . . . . . The Triplets of Belleville. . . . . The Trouble With You . . . . . . A Twelve-Year-Night . . . . . . . Uncrushable . . . . . . . . . . . The Upside . . . . . . . . . . . . Urgent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Village Rockstars. . . . . . . . . Vita & Virginia . . . . . . . . . . The Waldheim Waltz . . . . . . Walk to Vegas . . . . . . . . . . We Are the Heat . . . . . . . . . The Wedding Guest . . . . . . . The Wedding Ring. . . . . . . . What She Said: The Art of Pauline Kael. . . . . What Will People Say . . . . . . Who Will Write Our History . . The Wife . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wild . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wild Tales . . . . . . . . . . . . . Winter Flies. . . . . . . . . . . . Woman at War . . . . . . . . . . Won’t You Be My Neighbor?. . Working Woman. . . . . . . . . Yellow Is Forbidden . . . . . . . Yomeddine . . . . . . . . . . . . Yuli . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
.176 . .75 .177 . .57 .177 .158 .158 .159 .125 . .75 .159 .186 .160 .160 .131 .186 .161 .111 .111 . .58 .112 .186 .161 .162 .131 .132 .132 . .94 . .76 .187 . .76 .112 . .53 .162 .163 .113 .126 .113 . .54 .163 . .94 .114
. . . . . . . . . . . . .
.178 .114 .133 . .58 . .77 .187 .115 .115 . .58 .133 .116 .116 .164
Film in a location like no place else. From stunning mountain scenery to desert oasis, from mid-century design setting to the wild west, from a vibrant downtown to sparkling pools, Palm Springs is the perfect backdrop for filming.
www.VisitPalmSprings.com