Festival Gala is More than a Party

The Palm Springs International Film Festival Gala is more than just a great party, it’s also one of the biggest fundraisers put on each year in the entire Coachella Valley.

Run by the non-profit Palm Springs Film Society, the Festival Gala set a goal of raising $2.5 million dollars this year! The cost of tickets doesn’t cover the costs of putting on such a large festival, so fundraiser is an integral part of the Film Festival Gala’s mission.

The Gala raises money to support many of the Film Festival’s activities. The money raised goes to support rental of movie theater space, the cost of buying rights to show the films that are screened, and to bring in guests like directors and actors who attend the Festival and participate in the Q & A sessions that make the festival so popular. In addition, money also goes to support the Short-Fest, and other endeavors of the Film Society, like special screenings throughout the year. Membership in the Film Society is available by logging onto www.psfilmfest.org.

Society members enjoy private screenings and other events and can volunteer to help at the Film Festivals that the Society puts on each year.

Kristin Bloomer of the Film Society says that prior to Harold Matzner taking the reins of the festival, it was struggling financially, but Matzner, along with a number of Palm Springs philanthropists like Jim Houston, brought the Festival back to profitability, mainly through the success of the Gala.