Art Imitates Life
As the old saying goes, art imitates life—and no medium reflects the human experience more compellingly than film. With 24 frames per second, motion pictures offer 24 chances to laugh, love, and live cinematic dreams on the big screen.
“Film really gives us all a chance to experience something communally,” declares Palm Springs Film Society’s artistic director, Lili Rodriguez, who has steered the Society since 2019. “Even if it’s not inside a movie theater.”
Palm Springs International Short Film Festival
Held in June, the Annual ShortFest is North America’s largest short film festival—and an Oscar®-qualifying showcase for rising talent.
This year’s festival features:
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311 short films from 64 countries
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51 curated programs
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110+ premieres, including world, U.S., and California debuts
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$25,000 in awards, including five Oscar®-qualifying categories
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ShortFest Forum panels for filmmakers (June 27–29)
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Awards Brunch & Awards
Genres ranged from drama, comedy, and horror to experimental and animated works—including plenty of family-friendly programming. According to Lili, “We really program every single genre because we want to reflect all perspectives and styles.”
📍 Venue: Palm Springs Cultural Center
Mahershala Ali attends the 30th Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival Film Awards Gala at Palm Springs Convention Center. (Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for Palm Springs International Film Festival )
Palm Springs International Film Festival 2025
The Film Society’s flagship event is in early January, with more than 150 films from around the world and a glamorous Awards Gala that marks the start of Oscar® season.
Festival Highlights:
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158 films from 71 countries
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Opening Night: Better Man, directed by Michael Gracey
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Closing Night: The Penguin Lessons, directed by Peter Cattaneo
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Gala Location: The Palm Springs Convention Center
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Celebrity Guests: Angelina Jolie, Colman Domingo, Nicole Kidman, and more
In addition to celebrating standout global cinema, the event offers one of the first looks at major Academy Award contenders.
📍 Venue: Palm Springs Convention Center and local theaters
A Brief History
The biggest driver of the Palm Springs International Film Festival's emergence was Sonny Bono, who felt that a film festival was precisely the kind of event that might extend the truncated tourist season in Palm Springs. That first year's Festival, in January of 1990, was an immediate success, drawing more than 17,000 filmgoers in the course of its five-day run and generating positive press coverage from publications including the Los Angeles Times, Variety, and The Hollywood Reporter. The quality of the programming attracted film industry participants, media coverage, film buyers, and great directors in droves.
The Palm Springs Film Festival Gala is the first to kick off the award season at the beginning of January. In addition to curating the best in international cinema, PSIFF has come to be known as the first stop on the road to the Academy Awards®. It now is a star-studded powerhouse attracting such stars like Kate Winslet, Brad Pitt, Naomi Watts, John Travolta, Nicole Kidman, Cate Blanchett, Daniel Day-Lewis, Charlize Theron, Jake Gyllenhaal, Liam Neeson, and Bradley Cooper attending the Festival's Awards Gala to receive awards.
Bradley Cooper attends the 30th Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival Film Awards Gala at Palm Springs Convention Center. (Photo by Rich Fury/Getty Images for Palm Springs International Film Festival )
Year-Round Screenings & Community Events
The Palm Springs Film Society keeps the spirit of cinema alive all year with a variety of local programs and events:
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Member previews of upcoming films
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Outdoor summer screenings at Sunnylands
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Fall screenings at the Palm Springs Art Museum
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Free community events spotlighting underrepresented voices
“Being around people—it’s really special,” says Lili. “Nothing compares to being in a theater, then talking about the movie with people in line or afterward. It’s more than watching something on your phone.”
Rami Malek attends the 30th Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival Film Awards Gala at Palm Springs Convention Center. (Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for Palm Springs International Film Festival )
A Festival with Deep Roots
The Palm Springs International Film Festival was founded in 1990 by Sonny Bono to help extend the city’s tourism season. The inaugural event attracted 17,000 attendees and press coverage from Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, and Los Angeles Times. It has since become a must-stop on the road to the Academy Awards®.
Over the years, the festival has honored stars including:
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Brad Pitt
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Cate Blanchett
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Charlize Theron
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Mahershala Ali
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Daniel Day-Lewis
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Rami Malek
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Kate Winslet
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Bradley Cooper
…and many more.
In Her Words: Lili Rodriguez on Cinema & Community
A Coachella Valley native and the Film Society’s first Latina Artistic Director, Lili Rodriguez, understands the power of shared experience.
“Film festivals give you a space to connect with people who geek out over movies—especially short films. That’s what the Film Society is all about. It’s a society—it’s about your relationship to others and how cinema brings us together.”
Palm Springs International Film Society
(760) 322-2930
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