Palm Springs International Film Festival Begins Amid Winter Storm

PALM SPRINGS, CA — Opening night of the Palm Springs International Film Festival will go on as planned Thursday despite the forecast of heavy rain in Palm Springs and across the Coachella Valley, organizers said.

Steven Wilson, the festival spokesperson, explained that a tent would be placed over the red carpet to ward off water. Guest-arrival and ticket holder lines and gathering spaces would also be covered to prevent rain from dampening the festivities.

Doors may open early, Wilson said.

"The festival will do their best to seat early so people are not standing in line," Wilson said. "The show will go on!"

The festival, returning to an in-person format this year, gets underway with a screening of Darren Aronofsky's "The Whale," featuring Brendan Fraser, at 11 a.m. in the Palm Springs High School, 2401 East Baristo Road, according to film festival officials.

The Palm Springs International Film Awards is a black-tie event that will begin at 4:30 p.m. and go until 9:30 p.m. at the Palm Springs Convention Center, 277 North Avenida Caballeros.

Thursday's award recipients include Fraser, Viola Davis, Austin Butler, Danielle Deadwyler, Bill Nighy, Sarah Polley and Colin Farrell.

The festival's screenings will pick up again Friday and run until Monday.
Last year's festival and awards were canceled due to the pandemic, with festival organizers instead opting to honor the year's award winners on "Entertainment Tonight."

Vaccinations for COVID are needed to attend in person, festival officials said. Attendees must present their vaccination card and photo ID to be seated at the event.

The Palm Springs International Film Society, which hosts the event, is a nonprofit with the mission of cultivating and promoting the art and science of film through education and cross-cultural awareness.

Want to purchase a pass to see the featured films? Visit www.psfilmfest.org.

A complete schedule for showings and information about the featured films for 2023 is available online.

City News Service contributed to this report.