Palm Springs Short Film Festival brings in the Stars

The Palm Springs short film festival just ended on Friday August 29th. It was a major hit. One of our guests was thrilled as they got to meet Kirsten Dunst. They said she was very nice and very down to earth.

This was the 14th annual Short film festival. In the Hollywood circuit, it is the most important short film festival in the world. So many movie stars, directors, and producers have their first showing here.

Here is the story:

"ShortFest-goers were treated to stars, fun and after-parties

Not all the action was on the big screen at this year's ShortFest.


A program of six short films was screened Aug. 23, all associated with major stars, resulting in some behind-the-scenes activities like these:

Jessica Biel slipped into the Camelot Theatres late and left early without addressing the full-house audience. But she did speak with pride to reporters about the debut of her first effort as a producer (and co-star) in her 34-minute film, “Hole in the Paper Sky,” which was a big crowd favorite.

Her boyfriend, Justin Timberlake, slipped in extra-early and stayed out of sight, not wanting to take attention from Biel's big moment.

Kristen Dunst (“Spider-Man”) was in no way shy. From her short-shorts outfit to her outspoken comments, she was very much a presence, arriving early and taking part in group discussions as well as an audience Q&A.

Dunst served as co-writer, producer and director of the 13-minute film “Welcome,” based on a true story about a family moving into a haunted house and making peace with its ghost.

Popular actor Tony Shaloub (“Monk”) was not present but appeared in the 10-minute film “L.A. Actors,” playing the part of a bearded, homeless drunk. Shaloub's surprise appearance on screen caused one member of the audience to gasp out loud, “Look — it's Monk!”

Other major stars associated with the films, but not present included Kate Hudson, Kurt Russell, Chevy Chase, Mathew Modine, David Arquette and Winona Ryder.

Ryder, a close friend of Dunst, co-starred in “Welcome.”

After the screening, about 300 guests celebrated at an after-party reception hosted by Kodak at the Tropicale in Palm Springs.

For those wanting to rub elbows with stars and future stars, it was a dream come true. The Tropicale patio was so crowded that guests could not avoid rubbing elbows.

Among some of the festival's major supporters present at either the screening, the party or both were Gail Duncan from Kodak, reporters from Los Angeles representing US Weekly, In Touch Magazine and E! Online, along with dozens of representatives from the festival's many sponsors.

The following night, about 350 filmmakers and guests celebrated at a private party held at Azul restaurant. Guests mingled, discussed the films they saw earlier in the day and enjoyed jumbo coconut shrimp and mouth-watering fried bananas...."

For the full story click here

Because the short film festival is informal, anyone can go to the screenings and the parties. The film festival will be held again next year the week before Labor Day.

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Palm Springs Short Film Festival in full swing the week of August 25th

The Palm Springs Short Film festival is in full swing this week August 25th. One of our guests even saw Kirsten Dunst this weekend at the festival.

It runs until this Friday August 29th. In its 14 years it has run, it has had 58 short films receive Oscar nominations. Here is a story from our local newspaper, The Desert Sun. The click thru on this story isn't working so here it is:

"Bruce Fessier • The Desert Sun • August 21, 2008 PALM SPRINGS - It's been called the Sundance of the short film world: a star-studded kickoff to the festival season; a place where deals are made and careers are launched.

With 109 industry representatives and more than 100 members of the media from around the nation, Palm Springs International Short Film Festival and Film Market is arguably America's most important introduction to up-and-coming filmmakers. And it all kicks off tonight at Camelot Theatres.

"Palm Springs is the big fish in the short film pond," said Sharon Badal, short film programmer of the Tribeca Film Festival in New York and author of "Swimming Upstream: A Lifesaving Guide to Short Film Distribution."

"Simply by the fact that Palm Springs has the largest number of short film programs, and the huge marketplace, it is a very ‘A' list gathering for anybody interested in short films.

"ShortFest has helped launch major directors such as Rod Lurie ("The Contender") and Jason Reitman ("Juno"). At a preview of his Oscar-nominated film in Palm Springs last December, Reitman credited ShortFest with helping him secure a production deal, leading to his feature film breakthrough "Thank You For Smoking.

"ShortFest will screen 317 short films in 51 themed programs over seven days starting at 6:30 tonight with the opening program, Shortsplash, featuring six award-winning films from top international festivals.

It also will make 2,700 short films available for industry viewing in its marketplace, a room Badal likens to a cave in which festival programmers, buyers and producers sit before monitors to scout product and talent.

Festival executive director Darryl Macdonald said Palm Springs has a reputation as the Sundance of short fests, referencing the influential Utah indie event.

"The industry is beating a path to our door," he said. "We're going to have more companies represented this year than ever. Also, more festival programmers will be here. This is considered the kickoff of next year's short film festival season in much the way Sundance is the kickoff of the American indie season.

"Like the feature film and indie music festival circuits, the short film festival circuit can now keep filmmakers traveling from festival to festival all year long."It has really exploded over the course of the last half-decade," Macdonald said. "There are probably 10 short film festivals in Los Angeles alone."Palm Springs' status as "the big fish" has attracted some stars.

The Saturday night "Shooting Stars" program will feature shorts directed by Kate Hudson, Matthew Modine and Kirsten Dunst. Jessica Biel, who is producing and starring in a film in that program, is slated to appear.

Badal says the new films make this a "must attend" event. ShortFest offers 53 world premieres, 47 North American debuts and 24 U.S. premieres.Macdonald said the lineup is "jaw-droppingly good."

"The technical quality of the films took another quantum leap this year," he said. "It used to be, when I first started at ShortFest, there were a number of films you wouldn't watch all the way through because you could tell within the first two or three minutes, this is so poorly made. "This year there were only three or four films I turned off in 10 minutes. That's because the technical quality of the filmmaking is so advanced over what it was five years ago.

"For more info, tickets and show times, visit http://psfilmfest.org/ "

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