The festival launches Jan. 7 with “The Last Station” and wraps Jan. 17 with the independent comedy “The Lightkeepers.” In between, 189 films from 70 countries, including 76 premieres, will screen during the festival.
“Our film lineup this year is a strong reflection of the current zeitgeist in world cinema,” said festival director Darryl Macdonald. “Sixty-seven first-time feature film directors will screen this year, representing a surge of new filmmaking talent on the world stage. In addition, we’ll showcase a vintage crop of new works by established masters, providing ample evidence of their storytelling prowess that has come of age over the last 20 years. The yin and yang of contemporary filmmaking are fully represented in this year’s edition of PSIFF.”
Opening the festival is a screening of the Golden Globe-nominated film, “The Last Station,” followed by a reception at the Palm Springs Art Museum.
It’s an explosive overview of the later years in the life of legendary Russian novelist and social reformer Leo Tolstoy, featuring Christopher Plummer as the writer, Helen Mirren as his wife Sofya and Paul Giamatti as his secretary and friend Vladimir.
Director Michael Hoffman and actor James McAvoy are expected to attend the screening.
Mirren will be honored with the Career Achievement Award at the Festival’s Awards Gala on Jan. 5.
