More Than 190 Films from 65 Countries at This Year's Palm Springs Film Fest

The Palm Springs International Film Festival announced Thursday its lineup of more than 190 films from 65 countries.

The festival, slated for Jan. 2-12, 2015, will premiere more than 60 films, including seven world and 33 U.S. premieres. The “New Voices/New Visions” and “Modern Masters” categories will highlight the work of emerging and established international directors, according to festival organizers.

“This year’s lineup is particularly noteworthy not only for the overall excellence of the 190-plus films included, but for the extraordinary quality of storytelling involved,” said Darryl Macdonald, festival director. “In this era of mega blockbusters, filmmakers worldwide seem to be reacting by eschewing traditional genres and formats in favor of innovative and audacious new approaches to storytelling, with newly emerging talents from regions like Eastern Europe, the Arab countries and Latin America leading the charge.”

World premieres include “Don Quixote: The Ingenious Gentleman of La Mancha,” starring James Franco; “Twenty-Five Palms,” a documentary on the 25th anniversary of the festival; and Walter, starring Virginia Madsen, William H. Macy and Neve Campbell.

U.S. premieres include “Boychoir,” which will close the festival; “Grand Street,” starring Kelly McGillis and Sam Robards; “Paper Planes” starring Sam Worthington; “The Search,” directed by previous festival honoree Michel Hazanavicius and starring Annette Bening and Berenice Bejo; and “ X + Y,” starring Asa Butterfield, Sally Hawkins and Rafe Spall.

Other notable films include “5 To 7,” starring Anton Yelchin, Glenn Close and Frank Langella; “Back on Board: Greg Louganis”; Edward Snowden documentary “Citizenfour”; “Learning to Drive,” starring Patricia Clarkson and Ben Kingsley; “Match,” starring Patrick Stewart; “The Outrageous Sophie Tucker,” featuring Barbara Walters, Tony Bennett, Carol Channing, Michael Feinstein, Bruce Vilanch and David Hyde Pierce; and “Trespassing Bergman,” featuring Woody Allen, Wes Anderson, Francis Ford Coppola, Ang Lee, Alexander Payne, Ridley Scott and Lars von Trier.

The New Voices/New Visions Award will honor one of 10 films from emerging international directors marking their feature film debut at the festival, and whose films don’t have U.S. distribution. Modern Masters will feature 12 films from international directors “who set the standards for contemporary cinema,” according to festival organizers.

Additionally, the festival’s popular “Secret Screening” is scheduled Jan. 6.

For a complete list of festival films and other information, go to www.psfilmfest.org.

— By City News Service.

(Image via Shutterstock)