The 2010 Palm Springs International Film Festival will run from January 5 to 18. On January 9, the spotlight will be on Australian cinema, and will coincide with “G’Day USA Australia Week” (which I wrote about last week).
The Festival will include in excess of 400 screenings of more than 200 films from approximately 60 countries, on 15 screens. It will kick off with a black-tie dinner on January 5 at the Palm Springs Convention Centre. ET’s Mary Hart will host the event for the seventh year running. The dinner will honour industry individuals with nine prestigious awards. It has already been announced that Anna Kendrick will receive the Festival’s “Rising Star Award” and that Morgan Freeman will be this year’s “Career Achievement in Film” honoree for his role in “Invictus”. Mariah Carey will also be presented with the “Breakthrough Performance Award” for her critically acclaimed performance in “Precious”.
The Festival endured some turbulent years during the 90s, but has since rebounded with gusto and has become an impressive display case for new features and an excellent destination for films on the award trail. At last year’s awards ceremony, artists such as Sean Penn and Gus Van Sant won awards at the Festival and then went on to become Oscar nominees.
Palm Springs itself makes a great awards ceremony destination, given its laid-back atmosphere and the fact that it has been a playground for the rich and famous for decades.
For more information about “G’Day USA Australia Week”, see www.australia-week.com
Gene is a talent manager and lawyer. He has a law degree with honors, and a business degree. He is a member of the Beverly Hills Bar Association. Gene is about to open his own law firm, as well as an entertainment management firm which will focus on the provision of services and Australian talent to US agencies, management firms and other entertainment entities.