Film Fest Plans Symposium Focused on 'Book to Screen'

The Palm Springs International Film Festival will hold a book-focused symposium as part of its January festivities, organizers said Wednesday.

Authors, producers, actors and screenwriters will participate in sessions moderated by film and literary critics at the daylong “The Power of Words: Book to Screen” symposium scheduled for Jan. 8 at the Palm Springs Hilton. according to festival organizers.

The event will begin with a keynote session featuring Chaz Ebert, wife of the late movie critic Roger Ebert.

Participants in additional sessions include Albert Berger, producer of “Low Down,” “Cold Mountain” and “Little Children”; “Black Hawk Down” author Mark Bowden; “Black Hawk Down” screenwriter Ken Nolan; and authors Kaui Hart Hemmings (“The Descendants”) and Richard C. Morais (“The Hundred- Foot Journey”).

The symposium will conclude with a discussion between “Still Alice” author Lisa Genova and producer Elizabeth Gelfand Stearns.

Authors will sign books after each session, according to festival organizers.

Some films from the symposium will be shown at the festival on Jan. 7, and books will be sold at a Barnes & Noble pop-up store at the venue festival. In December, the Barnes & Noble bookstore in Palm Desert will feature a “Book to Screen” authors and films section.

Festival “Benefactor” and “Concierge” pass holders can get into the symposium for free. The film festival will run from Jan. 2-12.

For more information, go to www.psfilmfest.org/booktoscreen.

— City News Service.

(Image via Shutterstock)