COVID Concerns Force Cancelation Of Palm Springs Film Awards Gala

PALM SPRINGS, CA — The Palm Springs International Film Society announced Monday that the annual Film Awards will not take place in person next month amid concerns about an increasing number of coronavirus cases in the county and around the globe.

Instead, the Palm Springs Film Awards will partner with Entertainment Tonight to celebrate the honorees, although details were not released.

The Film Awards were scheduled to take place Jan. 6, as part of the Palm Springs International Film Festival that runs Jan. 6-17. The screening portion of the festival is still on, but attendees will be required to show proof of vaccination and wear face masks, officials said.

The number of Film Awards attendees in one room would have been too risky. The awards are one of the largest events in the film world with 2,500 guests and more than 1,000 staff in the room, according to the Palm Springs International Film Society.

The cancelation of the in-person gala was "due to the recent spike in COVID cases and out of an abundance of caution to ensure the health and safety of the honorees, patrons, and staff," according to a news release from the society.

Anyone who purchased tickets for the Film Awards will be reimbursed, the news release stated.

"We hope to return to the Film Awards to an in-person event in 2023," the release continued.

COVID forced the cancelation of the festival and awards in 2021.