Canadian Filmmakers Score Big at PSIFF

Canadian cinema will be making a splash in the desert early next year, at the Palm Springs International Film Festival (PSIFF). The festival, which takes place from January 5 to 16, 2017, features seven Canadian films, including:

• Gun Runners, Anjali Nayar;
• Juste la fin du monde (It's Only the End of the World), Xavier Dolan (Canada/France coproduction)
• KONELINE: our land beautiful, Nettie Wild;
• Maliglutit (Searchers), Zacharias Kunuk;
• Nelly, Anne émond;
• Pays (Boundaries), Chloé Robichaud; and
• X Quinientos, directed by Juan Andrés Arango (Canada/Colombia/Mexico coproduction).

"With a diverse mix of Canadian features—including works from emerging talent and an Indigenous pioneer, documentaries, coproductions and Canada's Best Foreign Language Film Oscar shortlisted film—we're off to a promising year on the international scene," said Carolle Brabant, Telefilm Canada's Executive Director. "I'm especially pleased to see that female talent is well represented in this year's Palm Springs contingent; out of the seven selected films, four are directed and scripted by women and five have women as producers."

PSIFF is now in its fifth year of partnership with Telefilm in a joint program designed to support Canadian presence at the Festival. Palm Springs is a marquee film festival event, in part because its line-up includes several contenders for the Golden Globes and for the Academy Awards, which both take place shortly after the Festival.

One such film, Juste la fin du monde was recently included on the list of nine contenders for Best Foreign Language Films. Palm Springs is one of the few film festivals where fans can watch most of the foreign language Oscar contenders.

"We're extremely lucky to have another great year in Canadian film to highlight, from the return of master filmmakers like Zacharias Kunuk to the rise of emerging talent like Chloé Robichaud,” said Michael Lerman, Artistic Director, Palm Springs International Film Festival. “And having Xavier Dolan on the Oscar shortlist is just more proof that the film industry in Canada is one of the strongest in the world."

On January 6, the Festival, in partnership with the consulates general of Belgium, France and Switzerland, the Quebec Government Office in Los Angeles, Telefilm Canada and TV5 Monde, will host a special event to celebrate French-language cinema at Palm Springs.

Additionally, on January 8, 2017, the Festival will host “Canada, A World of Talent,” a fundraiser for Talent Fund, which promotes the careers of emerging talent. The event is being hosted by Canadian philanthropists Carol and Paul Hill. Following the fundraiser, more than 100 guests will be invited to attend Juste la fin du monde.

View more information on the Canadian entries at the 2017 Palm Springs International Film Festival. 

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