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PSIFF is back with Stars: Cate Blanchett, Colin Farrell, Austin Butler, Sarah Polley, and Steven Spielberg,  with 35 contenders for Best International FIlm, & great documentaries like "The Grab."

I speak annually with Palm Springs Lead Programmer, and former Newsweek critic David Ansen about film.

This year he attended the New York film festival, and saw twenty-five films in Toronto—many narrative, and many wonderful documentaries like Gabriela Cowperthwaite’s “The Grab,” https://youtu.be/Z_lHWaagjXc  which he says will open our eyes to the world’s future supplies of food and water.  

That is after all what film does, and this year there will be thirty five of the Best International Films shown at the festival. 

 We have not all been traveling like we used to the last few years.  This is an opportunity to see great international films including “Quiet Girl,” https://youtu.be/BjKsi3h6kEM  from Ireland; “Close,” https://youtu.be/6EJGnU2AmV4   from Belgium; (an audience favorite in Cannes) "Argentina 1985,"  https://youtu.be/a4iiyPOM6rA  (Amazon) which might be compared with the "Official Story,” also from Argentina which won Best Foreign Film in 1985.  

The much talked about “Decision To Leave,”  https://youtu.be/d9BR3Z_-Hh8   from Korea; and “Courage”  https://youtu.be/q7OIMQrjJAs  from Austria.  The Cambodian entry,”Return to Seoul,” https://youtu.be/oaPiUlPpRWE  whose main character is adopted by French parents, and then returns to her birthplace.

There are two films, one from Morocco, “The Blue Caftan,” https://youtu.be/tSqcl2nfDQI and “Joyland,” https://youtu.be/gy9bNgbZMJI from Pakistan, which won’t be shown in their own countries due to  censorship issues, yet still are nominated to compete for an Academy Award as best international film.

“Bardo: False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths (2022),” from Alejandro G. Iñárritu (Netflix) is visually stunning. Trailer is here https://youtu.be/lCQimQfDuTs 

The director came to the Palm Springs Film Festival with his cast before they won the Academy Award for "Babel."

Director Jerzy Skolimowski, will return to Palm Springs with his latest film, “Eo,” which won an award in Cannes.  https://youtu.be/rrBeSQbdXmw

Many of the films this year, like “The Fablemans,” https://youtu.be/D1G2iLSzOe8  have the theme of the celebration of cinema.  There is India’s “Last Film Show,” https://youtu.be/Uz4LkPAtdjY with so many theatres closing worldwide, it is a year indeed to celebrate film, and what it means to our lives.

Once again stars and film makers will come to the Palm Springs Gala including Kate Blanchette, Colin Farrell, Austin Butler, Sarah Polley, and many more  to receive awards. This is the first film festival and award show of the year, so many contenders will be practicing for their Oscar and other award shows to follow.