To start off the new year, Italian cinema’s first appointment in 2006 as it begins its tour of International Festivals is the : Palm Springs International Film Festival. (Jan.6-12).
Located in Southern California’s Coachella Valley, the Palm Springs Film Festival is considered to be one of the major festival events in the region. Following tradition, Italian cinema is once again substantially represented in this year’s 17th edition, specifically in the section bearing the name Focus Italy, which among the 14 titles it presents, will include actual US premieres. This specific attention given to Italian cinematography is marked by the presence this year of Film Director Pupi Avati who will receive the prestigious PSIFF International Filmmaker Award. Seven titles of his work will be presented in a tribute: beginning with the suggestive The House with Laughing Windows (1976 ) to Stories of Boys and Girls (1989) and his latest film The Second Wedding Night (2005 ).
As part of the Opening Gala, the film which is in the running for the Oscars as Best Foreign Language Film The Beast in the Heart by Cristina Comencini,will preside this event.
Also earning a lot of attention and among the titles being presented in Focus: Certain Children by Andrea and Antonio Frazzi, Sacred Heart by Ferzan Ozpetek, The Fever by Alessandro D’Alatri, Mario’s War by Antonio Capuano, Once You’re Born by Marco Tullio Giordana, and The Life that I Want by Giuseppe Piccioni. Presented in a special section dedicated to Ten Masters of International cinema is the coproduction Hidden by Michael Haneke
The Festival this year altogether will present over 200 films- 84 of these films actual world premieres-from over 70 countries, with the participation of about 90.000 spectators.
Along with the feature length movies, there will be an interesting section dedicated to Shorts presented under the title Palm Springs International Short Film Festival.