OPENING NIGHT AND TALKING PICTURES PROGRAM AT THE 36TH ANNUAL PALM SPRINGS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL FEATURING ARIANA GRANDE, COLMAN DOMINGO, CYNTHIA ERIVO, JESSE EISENBERG, SELENA GOMEZ, MICHAEL GRACEY, NICOLE KIDMAN, ZOE SALDAÑA AND MORE

The 36th Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival kicked off on Thursday, January 2, with its Opening Night and its widely acclaimed Talking Pictures program.

From Thursday, January 2 – Saturday, January 4, the Talking Pictures program began with a Q&A following “A Real Pain” with actor, director and producer Jesse Eisenberg at the Annenberg Theater, “Sing Sing” followed by a Q&A with actor Colman Domingo, “Babygirl” followed by a Q&A with actress Nicole Kidman at the Richards Center for the Arts at Palm Springs High School, “Emilia Perez” presented by Kering followed by a Q&A with director Jacques Audiard and actors Karla Sofía Gascón, Zoe Saldaña, Selena Gomez, and Edgar Ramírez, and “Wicked” followed by a Q&A with an extended introduction with actresses Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, and director Jon M. Chu. During its Opening Night event on Thursday, director Michael Gracey of “Better Man” attended the film’s screening at Palm Springs High School.

The Palm Springs International Film Festival (PSIFF) will screen 158 films from 71 countries, including 68 premieres (3 World, 3 International, 15 North American, 15 U.S., and 32 from California) from January 2-13, 2025. The line-up includes 35 of the International Feature Film Oscar Submissions along with Talking Pictures, a focus on Spanish films with a spotlight on Pedro Almodovar, New Voices New Visions, Modern Masters, Queer Cinema, Cine Latino, True Stories, World Cinema Now and more.

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