Palm Springs International Film Festival to Open With ‘Wicked Little Letters,’ Full Lineup Announced

Valerie Wu
·9 min read

The Palm Springs International Film Festival has announced its 2024 lineup.

Held by the Palm Springs International Film Society, the PSIFF aims to spotlight and celebrate a range of global films. The 35th annual festival’s opening night will host the U.S. premiere of Thea Sharrock’s “Wicked Little Letters” on Jan. 5. The British black comedy mystery centers on two neighbors who find themselves plagued with obscene letters. Sharrock will be in attendance.

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PSIFF’s closing night will feature a screening of the comedy “Ex-Husbands,” which follows Peter Pearce (Griffin Dunne), a father who jets off to Tulum where his two sons, played by James Norton and Miles Heizer, are at his oldest son’s bachelor party. Noah Pritzker, who serves as writer and director, will attend as will stars Dunne and Heizer.

On Jan. 4 and Jan. 5, PSIFF will host its Talking Pictures program, featuring screenings of “American Fiction” with star Jeffrey Wright, “Barbie” with director Greta Gerwig and “Killers of the Flower Moon” with writer Eric Roth. Festival attendees can also anticipate the world premieres of Adam Breier’s “All About the Lefkoviches,” Cady Voge’s “All We Carry” and Stephen Ujlaki and Christopher Jones’ “Bad Faith” at the festival, among others. There will be a selection of South Korean films highlighted such as “The Handmaiden,” “Train to Busan” and “Memories of Murder.”

“Sprawling in scope, this year’s lineup spotlights programming from both international and domestic communities, including first-time filmmaking from American stars, impactful documentaries from abroad, and the very best in contemporary cinema for our Coachella Valley audience,” said Lili Rodriguez, PSIFS’s artistic director.

The full lineup follows.

AWARDS BUZZ – BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM SUBMISSIONS

  • 20 Days in Mariupol (Ukraine) Director Mstyslav Chernov

  • About Dry Grasses (Turkey) Director Nuri Bilge Ceylan

  • Behind the Haystacks (Greece) Director Asimina Proedrou (North American Premiere)

  • Blaga’s Lessons (Bulgaria) Director Stephan Komandarev

  • Brothers (Czech Republic) Director Tomáš Mašín (International Premiere)

  • The Burdened (Yemen) Director Amr Gamal

  • Bye Bye Tiberias (Palestine) Director Lina Soualem

  • City of Wind (Mongolia) Director Lkhagvadulam Purev-Ochir

  • Concrete Utopia (South Korea) Director Um Tae-Hwa

  • The Delinquents (Argentina) Director Rodrigo Moreno

  • Do Not Expect Too Much from the End of the World (Romania) Director Radu Jude

  • Fallen Leaves (Finland) Director Aki Kaurismäki

  • Four Daughters (Tunisia) Director Kaouther Ben Hania

  • Godland (Iceland) Director Hlynur Pálmason

  • Goodbye Julia (Sudan) Director Mohamed Kordofani

  • Housekeeping for Beginners (North Macedonia) Director Goran Stolevski

  • In Flames (Pakistan) Director Zarrar Kahn (U.S. Premiere)

  • Inshallah A Boy (Jordan) Director Amjad Al Rasheed

  • Io Capitano (Italy) Director Matteo Garrone

  • The Missing (Philippines) Director Carl Joseph E. Papa (International Premiere)

  • The Monk and the Gun (Bhutan) Director Pawo Choyning Dorji

  • The Mother of All Lies (Morocco) Director Asmae El Moudir

  • Opponent (Sweden) Director Milad Alami

  • The Peasants (Poland) Director DK Welchman, Hugh Welchman

  • Perfect Days (Japan) Director Wim Wenders

  • The Promised Land (Denmark) Director Nikolaj Arcel

  • The Settlers (Chile) Director Felipe Gálvez

  • Seven Blessings (Israel) Director Ayelet Menahemi  (U.S. Premiere)

  • Shayda (Australia) Director Noora Niasari

  • Sira (Burkina Faso ) Director Apolline Traoré

  • Smoke Sauna Sisterhood (Estonia) Director Anna Hints

  • Society of the Snow (Spain) Director J.A. Bayona

  • Songs of Earth (Norway) Director Margreth Olin

  • Sweet Dreams (Netherlands) Director Ena Sendijarević

  • The Taste of Things (France) Director Tr N Anh Hùng

  • The Teacher’s Lounge (Germany) Director İlker Çatak

  • Tiger Stripes (Malaysia) Director Amanda Nell Eu

  • Tótem (Mexico) Director Lila Avilés

  • Vera (Austria) Director Tizza Covi, Rainer Frimmel

  • The Zone of Interest (United Kingdom) Director Jonathan Glazer

TALKING PICTURES

  • American Fiction (United States) with Actor Jeffrey Wright

  • Barbie (United States) with Director Greta Gerwig

  • Killers of the Flower Moon (United States) with Screenwriter Eric Roth

MODERN MASTERS

  • Anselm (Germany) Director Wim Wenders

  • Close Your Eyes (Spain/Argentina) Director Victor Erice

  • The Convert (New Zealand/Australia) Director Lee Tamahori (U.S. Premiere)

  • Green Border (Poland/France/Czech Republic/Belgium) Director Agnieszka Holland

  • Kidnapped (Italy/France/Germany) Director Marco Bellocchio

  • La Chimera (Italy/France/Switzerland) Director Alice Rohrwacher

  • Monster (Japan) Director Hirokazu Kore-Eda

  • The Old Oak (United Kingdom/France/Belgium) Director Ken Loach

  • Shoshana (United Kingdom/Italy) Director Michael Winterbottom (U.S. Premiere)

NEW VOICES NEW VISIONS

  • Animalia (Morocco/Qatar/France) Director Sofia Alaoui

  • The Animal Kingdom (France) Director Thomas Cailley

  • Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person (Canada) Director Ariane Louis-Seize (U.S. Premiere)

  • The Kitchen (United Kingdom) Director Kibwe Tavares, Daniel Kaluuya (North American Premiere)

  • Solitude (Iceland/Slovakia/France) Director Ninna Pálmadóttir

  • Stolen (India) Director Karan Tejpal  (North American Premiere)

  • The Sweet East (United States) Director Sean Price Williams

  • We Have Never Been Modern (Czech Republic/Slovakia) Director Matěj Chlupáček (U.S. Premiere)

AMERICAN INDIES

  • Fairyland (United States/France) Director Andrew Durham

  • Fancy Dance (United States) Director Erica Tremblay

  • Fresh Kills (United States) Director Jennifer Esposito

  • LaRoy (United States/France) Director Shane Atkinson

  • Late Bloomers (United States) Director Lisa Steen

TRUE STORIES

  • A Look Through His Lens (United States/France/Ireland/United Kingdom) Director Matthew Berkowitz, Gregory Hoblit (World Premiere)

  • All Illusions Must Be Broken (United States) Director Laura Dunn, Jef Sewell (World Premiere)

  • All We Carry (United States/Mexico) Director Cady Voge (World Premiere)

  • Art for Everybody (United States) Director Miranda Yousef

  • Bad Faith (United States) Director Stephen Ujlaki, Chris Jones (World Premiere)

  • Born Hungry (Canada/India) Director Barry Avrich (World Premiere)

  • Call Me Dancer (India/United States/Israel) Director Leslie Shampaine, Pip Gilmour

  • Common Ground (United States) Director Josh Tickell, Rebecca Tickell

  • Copa 71 (United Kingdom) Director Rachel Ramsay, James Erskine

  • The Echo (Mexico/Germany) Director Tatiana Huezo

  • First We Bombed New Mexico (United States) Director Lois Lipman

  • Flipside (United States) Director Chris Wilcha

  • Gloria Gaynor: I Will Survive (United States/Spain) Director Betsy Schechter

  • Going Varsity in Mariachi (United States) Director Alejandra Vasquez, Sam Osborn

  • The Gullspång Miracle (Sweden/Norway/Denmark) Director Maria Fredriksson

  • Hidden Master: The Legacy of George Platt Lynes (United States) Director Sam Shahid

  • In the Rearview (Poland/France/Ukraine) Director Maciek Hamela

  • Liv Ullmann: A Road Less Traveled (Norway/United Kingdom) Director Dheeraj Akolkar

  • Mad About the Boy: The Noel Coward Story (United Kingdom/United States) Director Barnaby Thompson (U.S. Premiere)

  • Maestra (United States) Director Maggie Contreras

  • Música! (United States) Director Rob Epstein, Jeffrey Friedman

  • Obsessed With Light (United States/France/Netherlands/Spain/Iceland) Director Sabine Krayenbühl, Zeva Oelbaum

  • Queendom (France/United States) Director Agniia Galdanova

  • Sloane: A Jazz Singer (United States) Director Michael Lippert

  • The Space Race (United States) Director Diego Hurtado De Mendoza, Lisa Cortés

  • Susan Feniger. FORKED (United States/Vietnam/China) Director Liz Lachman

  • Swan Song (Canada) Director Chelsea Mcmullan (U.S. Premiere)

  • This World is Not My Own (United States/Sweden) Director Petter Ringbom, Marquise Stillwell

  • Truth Be Told (United States) Director Nneka Onuorah

SOUTH KOREAN FOCUS

  • A Normal Family (South Korea) Director Hur Jin-ho

  • Cobweb (South Korea) Director Kim Jee-woon

  • The Handmaiden (South Korea) Director Park Chan-wook

  • The Housemaid (South Korea) Director Kim Ki-young

  • In Our Day (South Korea) Director Hong Sang-soo

  • Memories of Murder (South Korea) Director Bong Joon-ho

  • Oasis (South Korea) Director Lee Chang-dong

  • Sleep (South Korea) Director Jason Yu

  • Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter… and Spring (South Korea/Germany) Director Kim Ki-duk

  • Sunny (South Korea) Director Kang Hyeong-cheol

  • Train to Busan (South Korea) Director Yeon Sang-ho

QUEER CINEMA TODAY & THE GAYLA

  • Big Boys (United States) Director Corey Sherman

  • Bonus Track (United Kingdom) Director Julia Jackman (North American Premiere)

  • Chasing Chasing Amy (United States) Director Sav Rodgers

  • Chuck Chuck Baby (United Kingdom) Director Janis Pugh (Gayla Film)

  • Egoist (Japan) Director Daishi Matsunaga

  • Studio One Forever (United States) Director Marc Saltarelli (Gayla Film)

  • Summer Qamp (Canada) Director Jen Markowitz

SPOTLIGHT: JAMES IVORY

  • The Bostonians (United States) Director James Ivory

  • Howards End (United Kingdom) Director James Ivory

  • Maurice (United States) Director James Ivory

  • Merchant Ivory (United States) Director Stephen Soucy

  • Quartet (United Kingdom/France) Director James Ivory

  • Shakespeare Wallah (United States/India) Director James Ivory

FAMILY DAY

  • Dancing Queen (Norway) Director Aurora Gossé

  • Flamin’ Hot (United States) Director Eva Longoria

  • Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (United States) Director Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, Justin K. Thompson

  • Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (United States) Director Jeff Rowe

WORLD CINEMA NOW

  • 100 Yards (China) Director Xu Haofeng, Xu Junfeng

  • 20,000 Species of Bees (Spain) Director Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren

  • All About the Lefkoviches (Hungary) Director Ádám Breier (World Premiere)

  • Amal (Belgium/France) Director Jawad Rhalib (U.S. Premiere)

  • Blackberry (Canada) Director Matt Johnson

  • Blackbird Blackbird Blackberry (Switzerland/Georgia) Director Elene Naveriani

  • Bonjour Switzerland (Switzerland/Italy) Director Peter Luisi (U.S. Premiere)

  • Chicken for Linda! (France) Director Sébastien Laudenbach, Chiara Malta

  • Day Off (Taiwan) Director Tien-Yu Fu

  • Empire (Denmark) Director Frederikke Aspöck (North American Premiere)

  • The Extortion (Argentina/United States) Director Martino Zaidelis

  • Ezra (United States) Director Tony Goldwyn

  • The Fishbowl (Puerto Rico/Spain) Director Glorimar Marrero Sánchez

  • Freud’s Last Session (United States) Director Matthew Brown

  • The Goldman Case (France) Director Cédric Kahn

  • Guardians of the Formula (Serbia/Slovenia/Montenegro/Macedonia/France) Director Dragan Bjelogrlic (North American Premiere)

  • Hajjan (Saudi Arabia/Egypt/Jordan) Director Abu Bakr Shawky (U.S. Premiere)

  • Hesitation Wound (Turkey/Spain/Romania/France) Director Selman Nacar (U.S. Premiere)

  • Holly (Belgium/Netherlands/Luxembourg/France) Director Fien Troch

  • Joika (New Zealand/Poland) Director James Napier Robertson (North American Premiere)

  • Les Indésirables (France/Belgium) Director Ladj Ly (U.S. Premiere)

  • Let the Dance Begin (Argentina/Spain) Director Marina Seresesky

  • Lies We Tell (Ireland) Director Lisa Mulcahy (North American Premiere)

  • Listen Up! (Norway) Director Kaveh Tehrani (North American Premiere)

  • Memory (United States/Mexico) Director Michel Franco

  • Mr. Blake At Your Service! (France) Director Gilles Legardinier

  • Mrs (India) Director Arati Kadav (North American Premiere)

  • Night Courier (Saudi Arabia) Director Ali Kalthami (U.S. Premiere)

  • One Life (United Kingdom/United States) Director James Hawes (U.S. Premiere)

  • The Performance (United States) Director Shira Piven (U.S. Premiere)

  • Power Alley (Brazil/France/Uruguay) Director Lillah Halla (U.S. Premiere)

  • Puan (Argentina/Brazil/Germany/Italy/France) Director Maria Alché, Benjamín Naishtat (U.S. Premiere)

  • Red Rooms (Canada) Director Pascal Plante

  • Richelieu (Temporaries) (Canada/France) Director Pier-Philippe Chevigny

  • Robot Dreams (Spain/France) Director Pablo Berger

  • Running on Sand (Israel) Director Adar Shafran (International Premiere)

  • Shame on Dry Land (Sweden/Malta) Director Axel Petersén (U.S. Premiere)

  • Sumo Didi (India) Director Jayant Rohatgi (North American Premiere)

  • Terrestrial Verses (Iran) Director Ali Asgari, Alireza Khatami

  • They Shot the Piano Player (Spain/France/Netherlands/Portugal/Peru) Director Fernando Trueba, Javier Mariscal

  • Together 99 (Sweden/Denmark) Director Lukas Moodysson (U.S. Premiere)

  • The Trouble With Jessica (United Kingdom) Director Matt Winn (U.S. Premiere)

  • Unicorns (United Kingdom/United States/Sweden) Director Sally El Hosaini, James Krishna Floyd (U.S. Premiere)

  • The Vanishing Soldier (Israel) Director Dani Rosenberg (North American Premiere)

  • Without Air (Hungary/Romania) Director Katalin Moldovai (U.S. Premiere)

  • Wonderland (Singapore/Malaysia/United States) Director Chai Yee-Wei

FLASHBACK

  • Goodfellas (United States) Director Martin Scorsese

  • Paris Is Burning (United States) Director Jennie Livingston

  • Wild at Heart (United States) Director David Lynch

LOCAL SPOTLIGHT

  • Amongst the Trees (United States) Director Trent Ubben, Jack Jensen (World Premiere)

  • The Green Desert (United States) Director Leo Zahn (World Premiere)

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