22nd Palm Springs International Film Festival

From January 6 to 17, 2011 fest will run and this year has the amazing program screening 40 of the 65 submissions to Oscar in the foreign language category; just for these movies I wish I could go. But there are other that seem interesting in the 193 films from 68 countries, with 9 world premieres, that will be screened like the ones that will open and close the fest.

Opening Gala: Potiche, François Ozon, France
Closing Film: The First Grader, Justin Chadwick, UK and Kenya

Among the Special Presentations three sections called my attention:
The Gay!La (Hers) that will showcase Leading Ladies by Daniel Beahm and Erika Randall Beahm, USA which is a musical
The Gay!La (His) that will showcase great Mine Vaganti (Loose Cannons), Ferzan Ozpetek, Italy
Special Presentation: Le Hérisson (The Hedgehog) by Mona Achache, France

The fest will honor many people and films; among them we have Michael Douglas, Ben Affleck, Danny Boyle, The Social Network, Robert Duvall, Colin Firth, Natalie Portman, Javier Barden, Jennifer Lawrence, and Carey Mulligan.

In general most of the films are known to the blog but if you feel like learning about the 193 films please go here.

New Voices/New Visions

These are the 12 features that are in competition in this section

40, Emre Sahin, Turkey
Adem (Oxygen), Hans Van Nuffel, Belgium
As if I Am Not There, Juanita Wilson, Ireland (interesting but surely hard to watch)
Der Albaner (The Albanian), Johannes Naber, Germany
Buna! Ce Faci? (Hello! How Are You?), Alexandru Maftei, Romania
Diciotto Anni Dopo (Eighteen Years Later), Edoardo Leo,Italy
Mavro Livadi (Black Field), Vardis Marinakis, Greece (seems is gay not lesbian interest, still has very nice visuals – check trailer @MOC)
Metro Cuadrado (Square Meter),Nayra Ilic, Chile
Pájaros de Papel (Paper Birds), Emilio Aragón, Spain
Smukke Mennesker (Nothing’s All Bad), Mikkel Munch-Fals, Denmark
Sound of Noise, Ola Simonsson and Johannes Stjärne Nilsson, Sweden
Svinalanjorna (Beyond), Pernilla August, Sweden (yes, is the one with Noomi Rapace)

To read about each film go here. I really dislike when festivals do not specify if film is lesbian or gay and join them with the label ‘Gay/Lesbian’ they shouldn’t do this as films have very different audiences. Nevertheless if you feel like checking the 18 films listed under the joint label please go here. One film absolutely calls my attention: Little Sparrows by Yu-Hsiu Camille Chen, Australia, 2010 that I really hope has lesbian interest.