17 Dec 2013
PALM SPRINGS SET TO HOST A FABULOUS ARRAY OF MOVIES AND MOVIE STARS
The Californian city of Palm Springs is rolling out the red carpet as it gears up to welcome a host of the world's most celebrated international film stars for the 25th Palm Springs International Film Festival. Taking place from 3rd-13th January 2014 the star-studded event will mark the city's recent 75th anniversary as well as the 25th anniversary of the film festival.
Founded by the late Sonny Bono during his reign as city mayor, this week and a half-long film festival has grown to become one of the biggest film festivals in North America. It is a can't-miss event for film lovers and casual cinemagoers alike, featuring more than 200 films from 70 countries and various premieres. In total, 15 screens throughout Palm Springs showcase films across countless genres from 9am until 11pm.
The festival also features special events, filmmaker tributes and gala receptions. The Black Tie Awards Gala will be held on 4th January at the Palm Springs Convention Center, honouring individuals in the film industry with awards. This year's female actress honorees include Sandra Bullock, recently gracing the silver screen in Gravity, who will receive the Desert Palm Achievement Award. Matthew McConaughey will receive the male actor equivalent.
Known as Hollywood's playground and a burgeoning film festival destination, Palm Springs hosts several high-profile film festivals throughout the year including the Palm Springs International ShortFest; Festival of Native Film & Culture; Cinema Diverse; and more. They are appropriately held in a city famed for its celebrity appeal, dating back to the 1950s when Hollywood's glitterati relocated and set up home in the city. Visitors today can discover the secluded retreats and exclusive estates of celebrities such as Marilyn Monroe and Bob Hope, or follow in their famous footsteps on the city's own Walk of Stars.
Tickets for the festival go on sale to the general public in late December with prices starting at just $10 (approximately £6.20) for matinee screenings.
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About The Palm Springs International Film Festival
The Palm Springs International Film Festival is one of the largest film festivals in North America, welcoming 135,000 attendees annually for its lineup of new and celebrated international features and documentaries. The Festival is also known for its annual Black Tie Awards Gala, paying tribute the best achievements of the filmic year by a celebrated list of talents who, in recent years, have included Ben Affleck, Cate Blanchett, Danny Boyle, Bradley Cooper, George Clooney, Daniel Day-Lewis, Leonardo DiCaprio, Clint Eastwood, Helen Mirren, Sean Penn, Brad Pitt, Natalie Portman, Charlize Theron and Kate Winslet.
About Palm Springs
One hundred miles east of Los Angeles, Palm Springs is a desert playground with year-round sunshine, blue skies and stunning natural beauty. Nestled beneath California's San Jacinto Mountains, the city is famed for its Hollywood legacy, Native American heritage and huge collection of mid-century modern architecture. The desert oasis boasts a wealth of adventurous hiking trails and historical canyon tours, as well as chic boutiques, world-renowned golf courses and unique experiences, including the chance to stay in the former homes of Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Presley.
About Palm Springs Bureau of Tourism
The Palm Springs Bureau of Tourism is the city's official destination marketing organisation whose focus is to promote the city to consumers, the media, and domestic and international trade buyers, thus increasing visitor arrivals to the city, and increasing its exposure as a world-class year-round leisure destination. The Palm Springs Bureau of Tourism is operated and managed by SMG.
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Press Contact
For media information and images, please contact Sarah Habicht at Hume Whitehead: sarah@humewhitehead.co.uk / 0845 498 9987.
