News from: Palm Springs International Film Festival

The 36th annual Palm Springs International Film Festival (PSIFF) announced that the Festival’s Opening Night film will be Better Man directed by Michael Gracey on Thursday, January 2, and will close with The Penguin Lessons directed by Peter Cattaneo on Sunday, January 12. The Festival will screen 158 films from 71 countries, including 68 premieres (3 World, 3 International, 15 North American, 15 U.S., and 32 California) from January 2-13, 2025. The line-up includes 35 of the International Feature Film Oscar® Submissions along with Talking Pictures, a focus on Spanish films with a spotlight on Pedro Almodóvar, New Voices New Visions, Modern Masters, Queer Cinema, Cine Latino, True Stories, World Cinema Now, and more.

OPENING AND CLOSING SCREENINGS

The festival will open with Paramount Pictures’ Better Man, based on the true story of the meteoric rise, dramatic fall, and remarkable resurgence of British pop superstar Robbie Williams, one of the greatest entertainers of all time. The film is uniquely told from Robbie’s perspective, capturing his signature wit and indomitable spirit. It follows Robbie’s journey from childhood, to being the youngest member of chart-topping boyband Take That, through to his unparalleled achievements as a record-breaking solo artist – all the while confronting the challenges that stratospheric fame and success can bring. It was co-written, co-produced and directed by Michael Gracey. The film will have a limited release on December 25 and open wide on January 10.

The festival will close with The Penguin Lessons with director Peter Cattaneo in attendance. In The Penguin Lessons, a deliciously wry Steve Coogan teams up with the director of The Full Monty in this irresistible dramedy about a disaffected English schoolteacher in militaristic Argentina, whose life – and those of his spoiled pupils – is transformed when he rescues and adopts an adorable penguin.

Highlights for this year with guests expected to attend include the local spotlight feature Bob Mackie: Naked Illusion with fashion designer Bob Mackie; Drive Back Home with actor Alan Cumming; Group Therapy with comedian London Hughes; Lilly with actress Patricia Clarkson; Millers in Marriage with actor Edward Burns; Reading Lolita in Tehran with actress Zar Amir Ebrahimi and a Family Day screening of Flow with director Gints Zilbalodis. The festival will have three world premiere titles: Bun Tikki with director Faraz Arif Ansari; The Stamp Thief with director Dan Sturman; and You’re No Indian with director Ryan Flynn.

Talking Pictures screenings will feature several of the Palm Springs International Film Awards honorees. These will include Sing Sing with actor Colman Domingo and Emilia Pérez with director Jacques Audiard and actors Zoe Saldaña, Karla Sofía Gascón, Selena Gomez, and Edgar Ramírez. The Festival’s “Dinner and a Movie series” will return, each feature paired alongside a world-class tasting, including the international premiere of Trifole with director Gabriele Fabbro; the California premiere of Shelf Life with director Ian Cheney; and Rioja, The Land of a Thousand Wines with director José Luis López-Linares. Additionally, the Festival will feature a focus on Spanish cinema including films from the festival circuit and a selection of revered classics, such as Holy Mother; I Am Nevenka; Marco, The Invented Truth; Rioja, The Land of A Thousand Wines; The Exiles; The Wailing and more. A spotlight selection of celebrated filmmaker, Pedro Almodóvar, will feature The Room Next Door, All About My Mother, Matador, and Talk to Her.

“Our lineup this year is truly something special. In true PSIFF fashion, it spans genres and crosses borders to bring an exciting mix of films to the Coachella Valley,” shared Artistic Director Lili Rodriguez. “Over the past year, our Palm Springs International Film Festival team has carefully crafted a program that celebrates the art of storytelling, and promises an array of films– from family-friendly films, to thought-provoking and urgent works. It’s all about fostering that dynamic community of film lovers who gather here in Palm Springs each year to experience transformative stories and forge meaningful connections.”

AWARDS BUZZ – BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM SUBMISSIONS
This section is selected by Festival programmers as the strongest entries in this year’s Academy Awards® race and will screen 35 official submissions from the Best International Feature Film category. A special jury of international film critics will review these films to present the FIPRESCI Award for Best International Feature Film of the Year, as well as Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Screenplay in this category. On Monday, January 6, The Hollywood Reporter will also host an in-depth panel discussion with some of the directors that have made the Best International Feature Film short-list.