Streep, McKellan, et al. To Appear in Palm Springs ShortFest 6/22-6/28

The 2010 Palm Springs International ShortFest announced its roster of 314 films, selected from more than 3,000 worldwide entries. Now in its 16th year, ShortFest will showcase star-studded casts and award-winning films from 43 countries around the world. The films will screen June 22-28 at the Camelot Theatres in Palm Springs, CA.

Commenting on the Festival, Darryl Macdonald, programming and executive director, said, "While it's remarkable how many established actors are now actively working in the short film field, ShortFest's primary purpose -- apart from providing great entertainment for moviegoers -- is to showcase and support exceptional new talent emerging in the creative field, and this year's event features a huge number of innovative new directors, writers, actors and animators emerging in America and worldwide. The animated shorts are particularly strong this year, and the live action work is much more polished."

ShortFest film curator Kathleen McInnis added, "ShortFest has become a one-stop festival for short filmmakers making the transition to features, and we are excited to build on the success of our ShortFest Forums for the filmmakers panels. The participation at the highest level of film industry talent who are eager to share their knowledge with our filmmakers is extraordinary."

Three well-known actors direct shorts at the Festival. Glenn Close co-directs and narrates the World Premiere documentary 'Pax;'  Kirsten Dunst directs 'Bastard' starring Brian Geraghty, Juno Temple, Lukas Haas and Joel David Moore. James Franco directs three shorts, 'The Clerk's Tale,' 'The Feast of Stephen,' and 'Herbert White,' starring Michael Shannon. Franco will attend the screening of his three shorts and participate in an on-stage conversation with Variety's Peter Bart on Saturday, June 26 at 3pm.

Many other well-known actors will appear in shorts at the festival.  These include Isabella Rossellini, who narrates the live action 'Flat Love;' Helena Bonham Carter, Robbie Coltrane, John Hurt and Tom Wilkinson in the animated 'The Gruffalo;' Meryl Streep, Forest Whitaker and Spike Jonze in the animated 'Higglety Pigglety Pop! Or There Must Be More to Life;' and Ian McKellan and Joseph Fiennes in the animated 'A Lost and Found Box of Human Sensation.'.

The Opening Night screening, on Tuesday, June 22 at 6:30pm, will be highlighted by award-winning live-action and animated comedies in a program titled 'Opening Night: For Laughing Out Loud.' Throughout the Festival the selected short films are organized into fifty-two programs covering a variety of genres and themes.

A jury of three industry professionals will screen this year's slate of short films selected for competition across 17 categories, including Best Animation, Best Documentary, Best Live Action, Best of Festival, and the Future Filmmaker Award. Prominent industry figures will lead three days of panels, discussing trends and providing advice on short filmmaking.

Designated by AMPAS as an award-qualifying festival, and accredited by the International Short Film Conference, the Palm Springs International ShortFest and its Short Film Market are the largest and most prominent short film showcase in North America. The Festival and its concurrent 3,000-film Market continue to serve as a scouting ground for new filmmaking talent and are well attended by those in the business of buying and selling short films.

The Palm Springs International ShortFest is supported by an ever-growing number of new and longtime sponsors with local, national and international prominence. The Title Sponsor is the City of Palm Springs with Presenting Sponsors The Desert Sun, Spencer's and the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians. Major Sponsors include MAKE, Panavision, The BottomLine, Kodak, KPSP Local 2, the Kaiser Restaurant Group, Australian Consulate General in Los Angeles and the Ace Hotel. The official host hotel and media center is the Hilton Palm Springs Resort. For more ShortFest information, including full listings of the festival's offerings, visit the official site or call (800)898-7256.

Photo Credit: Retna Ltd.

 

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