Although we are apparently never going to stop talking about this year’s Oscar season, others are already putting plans in place for next year’s Oscar season.
The Palm Springs International Film Society has announced that the 34th annual Palm Springs International Film Festival will return Thursday, January 5, 2023 through Monday, January 16, 2023. The starry Film Awards Gala which serves as a showcase for various Oscar hopefuls will take place on January 5 at the Palm Springs Convention Center, with film screenings beginning Friday, January 6 including the Opening Night presentation that evening and will conclude with Best of Fest on January 16. Palm Springs ShortFest is still scheduled for June 21-27, 2022.
The festival notes that the 2022 Festival and Film Awards did not take place as an in-person event this year, nor did the annual awards gala take place in January 2021 due to the pandemic that threw a wrench into everyone’s plans, particularly for those events normally in January like the Critics Choice, Golden Globes, and the aforementioned splashy Palm Springs soiree. However this year, as winners had already been announced over a course of several weeks, those Film Award honoree selections were at least acknowledged when Entertainment Tonight aired a tribute. The honorees included Belfast (Vanguard Award) presented to writer and director Kenneth Branagh and cast members Caitríona Balfe, Jamie Dornan, Ciarán Hinds and Jude Hill; Jane Campion (Director of the Year Award); Jessica Chastain (Desert Palm Achievement Award, Actress); Penélope Cruz (International Star Award, Actress); Andrew Garfield (Desert Palm Achievement Award, Actor); Jennifer Hudson (Chairman’s Award); Nicole Kidman (Career Achievement Award); King Richard (Ensemble Performance Award) presented to cast members Will Smith, Aunjanue Ellis, Saniyya Sidney, Demi Singleton, Jon Bernthal and Tony Goldwyn; Kristen Stewart (Spotlight Award, Actress); and Lady Gaga (Icon Award). From the honorees Kenneth Branagh (Best Original Screenplay), Jane Campion (Best Director), Jessica Chastain (Best Actress) and Will Smith (Best Actor) received Academy Awards in their respective categories. Without the in-person event taking place this year at least no one got slapped.
In other unrelated Palm Springs news today, Donna Mills (Knot’s Landing) will receive the Palm Springs Women In Film and Television’s Above And Beyond Award in special ceremonies at the Mary Pickford Theatre in the desert on April 6. The award will be given in conjunction iwth PSWIF’s 20th anniversary celebration. Veteran actress Mills will next be seen in Jordan Peele’s upcoming summer release, Nope, and has a previous association with PSWIF having received their first Gena Award (named after legendary actress Gena Rowlands).