2006 film festival lineup

2006 film festival lineup

Bruce Fessier
The Desert Sun
December 15, 2005

The 17th annual Palm Springs International Film Festival will launch Jan. 5 with “The New World,” starring Colin Farrell, Q’orianka Kilcher, Christian Bale and Christopher Plummer.

The complete lineup includes 232 films from more than 70 countries:

Opening Night Gala
The New World
Terrence Malick, USA

This sweeping adventure, focusing on the first encounter of European and Native American cultures during the founding of the Jamestown, Virginia settlement in 1607, brings to life the classic tale of Indian princess Pocahontas and her relationship with adventurer John Smith, a story which forms the basis for one of the most enduring American legends of the last 400 years.

Colin Farrell, Q'orianka Kilcher, Christian Bale, Christopher Plummer, August Schellenberg, Wes Studi, David Thewlis, Yorick van Wageningen, Raoul Trujillo, Michael Greyeyes, Kalani Queypo, Ben Mendelsohn, Noah Taylor, Ben Chaplin, John Savage, Irene Bedard, Eddie Marsan, Myrton Running Wolf


International Gala
Don't Tell
US Premiere
Cristina Comencini
Italy

Sabina is a young woman who discovers some dark secrets from her childhood buried deep inside her mind. Her pregnancy opens a door on this hidden past that she cannot close again. Best Actress, Venice Film Festival.

Giovanna Mezzogiorno, Alessio Boni, Stefania Rocca, Angela Finocchiaro, Luigi Lo Cascio


International Gala
Palais Royal!
North American Premiere
Valérie Lemercier, France

A speech therapist is married to the heir of an imaginary kingdom. When the old king dies, she becomes queen although she's definitely not ready to be one! This brilliant parody of Lady Diana's setbacks with power and the media is brought to life by a group of great French actors in unexpectedly funny roles.

Valérie Lemercier, Catherine Deneuve, Lambert Wilson, Mathilde Seigner, Gilbert Melki


International Gala
Two Sons of Francisco
North American Premiere
Breno SilveiraBrazil

This blockbuster debut feature revolves around the family of poor sharecropper Francisco, who dreamed of turning two of his nine children into a famous country music duo. The moving story of Zezé Di Camargo and Luciano (who have sold more than 22 million records) is both particularly Brazilian and totally universal.Ângelo Antônio, Dira Paes, Márcio Kieling, Thiago MendonçaInternational Gay-laAdam & SteveCraig Chester, USASuck at relationships? Recovering addict? Gay former-goth? In this over-the-top raunchy romantic comedy, Adam, a 30-something gay man, becomes reacquainted with one of his most unsuccessful one-night stands -- without either of them realizing they've met before. Scene-stealers Parker Posey and ex-"Saturday Night Live" dervish Chris Kattan add to this good-time farce.

Craig Chester, Malcolm Gets, Parker Posey, Chris Kattan, Melinda Dillon, Julie Hagerty


Special Presentations
Fuego
Armando Bo, Argentina

John Waters' latest project is a new series for television called "John Waters presents Films That Will Corrupt You." In Fuego he's struck gold! Argentinian auteur Armando Bo has crafted a film so sublimely outrageous it rivals anything in Waters' oeuvre! John Waters will be on hand to introduce!

Isabel Sarli, Roberto Airaldi, Armando Bo, Mónica Grey, Alba Mújica


Special Presentations
King Leopold's Ghost
World Premiere
Pippa Scott, Oree
Rees, USA

This riveting exploration of the roots of colonial exploitation shows the ways in which King Leopold II of Belgium plundered the Congo in the 1800s, putting in place a system of slavery and tyranny that shaped even recent history. One of the best documentaries of the year.

Narrated by Don Cheadle.
Narrated by:, Don Cheadle, Voices by:, Alfre Woodard & James Cromwell


Special Presentations
My Bollywood Bride
World Premiere
Rajeev Manoj Virani, India

Alex, a former wind surfing pro turned novelist, meets and romances Bollywood star Reena while she is on a vacation in California. Torn by her feelings for Alex vs. her Indian family values, Reena returns home without saying goodbye. Alex decides to follow her to Mumbai… Screenwriter/producer Brad Listerman (on whose real-life story it is based) hails from Palm Springs.

Jason Lewis, Kashmira Shah, Gulshan Grover, Sanjay Suri, Neha Dubey


Special Presentations
Off Screen
US Premiere
Pieter Kuijpers
Netherlands, Belgium

This haunting, intelligent thriller brings together two of Benelux's best actors and offers a parable about living in a time of anxiety. On March 11, 2002, a disturbed 59-year-old bus driver took hostages in Amsterdam's Rembrandt Tower. What inspired his actions? Best Film and Best Actor, Montreal World Film Festival.

Jeroen Krabbé, Jan Decleir, Astrid Joosten, Theu Boermans, Marjon Brandsma


Archival Presentations
The Circus
Charlie Chaplin, USA

A rarely seen masterpiece featuring two of the greatest comic sequences ever filmed. The lovable Tramp finds work as a circus janitor, only to be drafted in to replace the wayward headliners. With a score composed by Chaplin at age 79, this is one of the must-see events of the festival.Charlie Chaplin, Al Ernest Garcia, Merna Kennedy, Harry Crocker, George DavisArchival Presentations Distant JourneyAlfred Radok, CzechoslovakiaOver the years, the stature of this unaccountably neglected masterpiece has grown. It is one of the few films that succeed in making the horror and inexplicable reality of the concentration camp universe come alive by blending documentary with intentionally intensified, non-realist film techniques derived from expressionist and surrealist traditions.

Blanka Waleská, Otomar Krejca, Viktor Ocásek, Zdenka Baldová, Jirí Spirit, Eduard Kohout


Archival Presentations
Moonrise
Frank Borzage, USA

An angst-ridden Southern boy kills his lifelong persecutor and buries the body. A persistent sheriff and his own tortured conscience hound him. Director Borzage brings a poetic visual style to this rural noir drama, one of the most brilliant -- and under-appreciated -- films of the 1940s. Noir author Eddie Muller hosts this rare archival presentation.

Dane Clark, Gail Russell, Ethel Barrymore, Rex Ingram, Harry Morgan


Awards Buzz, Best Foreign Language Feature
Shyamol Chhaya
North American Premiere
Humayun Ahmed
Bangladesh

Here's the story of a fateful boat journey during Bangladesh's 1971 war of liberation. As the Pakistani military attacked, a group of helpless people moved towards the liberated zone. They were terribly frightened, but they had dreams of Shyamol Chhaya -- the land of peace. Will they be able to reach Shyamol Chhaya?

Humayun Faridi , Reaz, Shawan Ahmed , Tania


Awards Buzz, Best Foreign Language Feature
L'Enfant
Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne
Belgium, France

Bruno is 20 and a thief. His girlfriend Sonia is 18, and has just given birth to Jimmy, their child. Ill equipped to handle this new responsibility, Bruno undertakes a horrific act, which itself begets other drastic, life-changing crises. Winner Palme d'Or (Best Film), Cannes Film Festival.

Jérémie Rénier, Deborah François, Jérémie Segard


Awards Buzz, Best Foreign Language Feature
Totally Personal
Nedzad Begovic
Bosnia-Herzegovina

Totally Personal creates a historical document both droll and touching out of the memories, meditations, and observations of the filmmaker and his family. The history begins in the communist era, continues through the war that ravaged the former Yugoslavia and into today's post-war period.

Nedzad Begovic, Amina Begovic, Sabrina Begovic, Naida Begovic, Hasiba Begovic


Awards Buzz, Best Foreign Language Feature
Stolen Eyes
US Premiere
Radoslav Spassov
Bulgaria

Stolen Eyes deals with a dark chapter in Bulgarian history, when, in 1985, the government of Todor Zhivkov decided to "Bulgarianize" its Turkish minority by outlawing Turkish names, customs, language and dress, and follows an unlikely love story that develops against this traumatic backdrop. Best Bulgarian Feature, Sofia Film Festival.

Vessela Kazakova, Valeri Yordanov, Nejat Isler, Izhak Finzi, Maria Kavardjikova, Stoyan Alexiev


Awards Buzz, Best Foreign Language Feature
C.R.A.Z.Y.
Jean-Marc Vallée
Canada

This beautifully observed gay coming-of-age story, set in suburban Catholic Quebec, follows the travails of young Zac and his family over a 30-year period, from the 1960s to the 1980s. A crowd-pleaser of the highest order. Audience Award, AFI Festival; Best Canadian Feature, Toronto Film Festival.

Michel Côté, Pierre-Luc Brillant, Marc-André Grondin, Danielle Proulx, Émile Vallée


Awards Buzz, Best Foreign Language Feature
Play
Alicia Scherson
Chile, Argentina, France

In a contemporary city, which could be anywhere, a couple search for love but never quite seem to meet. The film's pop visual style is unique, and it succeeds in helping us search for clues in a world that denies they exist. Best New Director, Tribeca Film Festival.

Viviana Herrera, Andrés Ulloa, Aline Kuppenhein, Coca Guazzini, Jorge Alis, Francisco Copello


Awards Buzz, Best Foreign Language Feature
The Master of the Crimson Armor
Chen Kaige
China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea

Chen Kaige, one of China's most acclaimed filmmakers, tries his hand at the kind of digitally-enhanced fantasy established by Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000). A valiant slave falls in love with a beautiful princess and epic chaos ensues.

Hong Chen, Cecilia Cheung, Chen Hong, Jang Dong-Kun


Awards Buzz, Best Foreign Language Feature
The Wandering Shadows Ciro Guerra
Columbia

Contemplative, sober, sometimes hopeful look at today's Colombia through the strange relationship of two physically and spiritually crippled men. Through poetry and metaphor, this black and white feature debut expresses conflict without bullets and redemption without religion. In the journey, a new director with a unique vision emerges from Latin America.

Lowin Allende, César Badillo, Julián Díaz, Andrés Gaitán, Diego Manzano, Ignacio Prieto


Awards Buzz, Best Foreign Language Feature
Caribe
Esteban Ramirez
Costa Rica

This debut feature depicts environmental strife in the paradise-like Caribbean tropical coast of Costa Rica through the story of an altruistic ecologist who compromises his ideals.

Jorge Perugorría, Cuca Escribano, Maya Zapata, Roberto McLean, Gabriel Retes, Vinicio Rojas


Awards Buzz, Best Foreign Language Feature
A Wonderful Night in Split
Arsen Anton Ostojic
Croatia

In this stylish black and white thriller, three stories unfold on the dark and narrow Croatian streets of the ancient port city of Split during the wild hours of New Year's Eve. Three couples, three drug-related tragedies, and one ironically titled film. Featuring the European acting debut of American rapper Coolio.

Coolio, Marija Skaricic, Dino Dvornik, Mladen Vulic, Vicko Bilandzic, Nives Ivankovic


Awards Buzz, Best Foreign Language Feature
Something Like Happiness
Bohdan Sláma
Czech Republic

When Dasha is hospitalized for psychiatric treatment, her neighbors Monika and Tonik offer to take care of her two small boys until she recovers. Against a backdrop of crumbling buildings and dire poverty, a fragile hope blossoms in this extraordinarily tender film from the director of Wild Bees. Best Film, San Sebastian Film Festival.

Pavel Liska, Tatiana Vilhelmová, Anna Geislerová, Marek Daniel, Bolek Polívka, Simona Stasová

Awards Buzz, Best Foreign Language Feature
Shop of Dreams
US Premiere
Peeter Urbla
Estonia, Finland

Costume designer Alice, seamstress Ada and make-up artist Yana start a new company in Tallinn, designed to provide people with everything they need to make their dreams come true. A humorous, poignant and ultimately life-affirming film about women, love and life.

Maarja Jakobson, Anne Reemann, Evelin Pang


Awards Buzz, Best Foreign Language Feature
The Land Has Eyes
Vilsoni Hereniko
Fiji

The first indigenous film from Fiji, this visually lush story features a young girl who taps into the island myth of the Warrior Woman in order to redeem her family name. Brimming with ethnographic detail, it's a vibrant and uplifting tale.

Sapeta Taito, James Davenport, John Fatiaki, Voi Fesaitu


Awards Buzz, Best Foreign Language Feature
Mother of Mine
US Premiere
Klaus Härö
Finland, Sweden

A momentous event in Finnish history is recounted in this heart-wrenching film. During World War II, ten-year-old Eero is one of eighty thousand children sent to Sweden for their protection. Alienated from his foster family and unfamiliar with the language, he feels abandoned and unsure of where he belongs.

Michael Nyqvist, Maria Lundqvist, Topi Majaniemi, Marjaana Maijala, Esko Salminen


Awards Buzz, Best Foreign Language Feature
Joyeux Noël (Merry Christmas)
Christian Carion
France, Belgium, Germany, UnitedKingdom, Romania

Based on the true story of how, on Christmas Eve during World War I, German, Scottish and French soldiers declared a truce for one day and shared sentiments about the meaning of the season, this life-affirming tale is both profoundly moving and, at its core, a scorching condemnation of the idiocy of war.

Guillame Canet, Diane Kruger, Daniel Brühl, Thomas Kretschmann


Awards Buzz, Best Foreign Language Feature
Tbilisi-Tbilisi
Levan Zakareishvili
Georgia

A selection from Cannes' prestigious Directors Fortnight, writer/director/ film professor Levan Zakareishvili's second film is a powerful, personal work, which turns an unforgiving narrative eye on the harsh realities of life on the streets in his native Tbilisi where poverty, corruption and a class divide still reign.

George Maskharashvili, Eka Nijaradze, Baadur Tsuladze, Rusiko Kobiashvili


Awards Buzz, Best Foreign Language Feature
Sophie Scholl - the Final Days
Marc Rothemund
Germany

Winner of the German audience award for best film of 2005, Marc Rothemund's beautifully acted drama tells the true story of Sophie Scholl, the young student who became the most famous martyr of the anti-Nazi White Rose resistance movement in 1943 Munich. Julia Jentsch's brilliant lead performance anchors a film of claustrophobic intensity and emotional punch.

Julia Jentsch, Fabian Hinrichs, Alexander Held, Johanna Gastdorf, André Hennicke


Awards Buzz, Best Foreign Language Feature
Perhaps Love
North American Premiere
Peter Ho-sun Chan
Hong Kong, China

Featuring top Asian actors such as Hong Kong's Heavenly King Jacky Cheung, South Korean Ji Jin-hee, Taiwanese-Japanese Takeshi Kaneshiro and Chinese Zhou Xun, the musical Perhaps Love offers a love triangle set in Shanghai's film world, bursting with musical styles, exquisite set design and rich cinematography.

Takeshi Kaneshiro, Zhou Xun, Jacky Cheung, Ji Jin Hee


Awards Buzz, Best Foreign Language Feature
Fateless
Lajos Koltai
Hungary, United Kingdom, Germany

Adapted by Nobel laureate Imré Kertesz from his 1975 autobiographical novel, Fateless dares to aestheticize the concentration camp experience in a more provocative manner than -- in many critics' opinions -- Schindler's List. Cinematographer Lajos Koltai's directorial debut follows young Gyorgy's descent from relative affluence to hell on Earth.

Marcell Nagy, Béla Dóra