thenationofartists.com

First printed at www.movingpicturesnetwork.com

By Elliot V. Kotek
(from the 2011 Palm Springs International Film Festival)

Talk about a busy festival. In the shadow of the snowcapped desert mountains, this is a good place to be running around from the dozens of amazing screenings to the receptions of the various consulates promoting their films for the foreign-language Oscar (Italian reception the other afternoon, the Israeli reception today at 5 p.m. and the Brazilian reception tonight at 9 p.m.), on to the hotel (to craft reviews and pen these consonants and vowels) and then the galas! Wow! Color me baggy-eyed and happy.

I must admit as I watched “Reconciliation: Mandela’s Miracle,” “Bill Cunningham New York” and “Down the Shore” with James Gandolfini and Famke Janssen, I was still reminiscing about the tasting set up at the (Penfolds)RED campaign reception the other night, where the Australian Consul-General in Los Angeles, Qantas executive Wally Mariani, Australian HGTV star Jamie Durie and filmmakers had Penfolds’ Matt Lane pouring samples of Australian wines ranging from the delicious Riesling (drier than most Rieslings in the U.S.) all the way to the king of kings, Penfolds Grange (which retails for approximately $500 a bottle).

Check out the reviews posted so far, and I hope to squeeze in another film today, maybe “A Not So Still Life.” For those of you in L.A., the Coachella Valley or even Vegas, it’s still worth a drive to Palm Springs to check out some flicks. The program is playing all over town, and although most screenings are sold out, there’ll be plenty of opportunities throughout the week to pick up tickets and catch some of the year’s most highly acclaimed films.

Until soon!