Palm Springs International Film Festival: Michael Lerman, Artistic Director Interviewed
I caught up with a very, very busy Michael Lerman today, Christmas Eve. Asked what at the moment was occupying his mind he said he was making sure the juries were in place and that the Q&A schedule was on track.
The ten-day Festival will screen 223 films from 78 countries, including 48 premieres (Four World, 13 North American and 31 U.S.) from January 3–14, 2019.
The line-up includes a focus on cinema from France, India and Mexico, Premieres, Talking Pictures, Book to Screen, Special Presentations, FLOS: Foreign Language Oscar Submissions, Gay!L.A., Local Spotlight, Modern Masters, True Stories, World Cinema Now, a 30-film retrospective of selections from past festivals (free screenings sponsored by Desert Care Network and National Endowment for the Arts), and more.
Sydney Levine: The Palm Springs Film Festival is often dubbed as “gays and grays”, is that your audience?
Michael Lerman: I have never heard that phrase before…it’s funny. Every year we are expanding the festival. There are lots of people in the Coachella Valley, so we are reaching outside of just the Palm Springs audience.
SL: I see you have a new programmer, Jane Schoettle. How many programmers do you have now?
ML: We have seven counting myself and Jane Schoettle. Seven programmers are not so many for so many films. I have worked many years with Jane, programming TIFF with her and she lives in Palm Springs six months of the year like I do.
Myself, Liliana Rodriguez, Director of Programming, David Ansen, Lead Programmer, Alissa Simon, Senior Programmer, Therese Hayes, Programmer, Jane Schoettle, Programmer, Hebe Tabachnik, Programmer. And we have Jessica Eskelin, Programming Assistant and Luis Melendez, Programming Intern.
SL: So what’s new this year?
Two new sections highlighting Jewish and queer content called Gay!L.A., a new award named for the late Ricky Jay, a brand-new member of the family in programmer Jane Schoettle.
While we have always had the Oscar submissions for Best Foreign Language films we had not given it a name and now we use FLOS, a term we have used a long time in the back office.
And this year we are highlighting our 30 years with the Palm Springs canon of films. Thirty festivals definitely feels like quite an achievement for the organization, so the team, Lili and myself wanted to come out of the gate swinging with a 30-film retrospective of selections from our history. These are free screenings sponsored by Desert Care Network and National Endowment for the Arts.
And we have a focus on three countries this year instead of one as we have in the past.
SL: Can you compare your experience here with the previous festival that you left in Philly?
ML: I still work with Philadelphia. Philly is a very regional festival and its audience is residents. We give them a good survey of top films. But PS is also a vacation venue with lots of people from all over the world. We give a greater survey of the entire previous year. Its timing gives us the advantage of looking back at the year and seeing the award winners. We can really be a Best of Fest type festival.
SL: I have heard — and with the demise of LAFF and AFI’s pulling funding again from AFI Fest…) — — the roles of festivals are changing. How does Palm Springs fit into this construct?
I don’t know enough of the reasons or inner workings of LAFF or AFI, but both were in the same season this year, and in L.A. there are so many festivals, showcases at LACMA, UCLA, American Cinematheque and there is a premiere every week. LAFF was great for me…it premiered my own movies and I have made some of my best friends there.
Palm Springs does not have such competition. We roll out the red carpet once a year and it is a very big deal.
SL: Is there a place for the market in PS?
ML: Well, lots of distributors and international sales agents attend, but I don’t try to make it a market like other festivals. There are some great films available and I want to do the best I can for those films, the films get eyes and I am always pushing to help filmmakers.
SL: Are there any trends this year?
I’m seeing the same trends as we saw in Cannes…it is a strong year for Asian cinema; there are lots of family dramas…but there are no noticeable massive trends. Of course films reflect lots of the events going on in the world today and in U.S. Films speak to these, but, like when someone asks me if I am programming around the #MeTooMovement, my response is that we have programmed around this for many years; we are aware we live in a patriarchal society and many of our films reflect that. But we don’t “capitalize” on these trends. Our films reflect society without focusing on the issues as “trends” per se.
SL: Thank you so much Michael for taking time out of your very busy day. See you soon!
