Fans line up for ‘Best of the Fest’

The Palm Springs International Film Festival ends Monday, and already it’s one for the record books. Organizer says more people attended this year than ever before.

Giovanni Scaveo, of Cathedral City, described the festival as, “Phenomenal, phenomenal!”

Linda Emerson, of Palm Springs, says, “I think I saw 35 movies this time.”

“So far I have only seen 20 films, but I have 3 today,” said Raymond Price of Palm Springs.

Kathleen Walsh, of La Quinta, says, “I really liked it. It’s been fun.”

Thirty-two films were showcased on Monday, the last day of the festival. It’s the “Best of the Fest” picked by the audience and festival judges.

“It was incredible, every single show, each one was better than the next, so powerful, so meaningful,” said Emerson.

“This is the first movie and I am going to see one tonight,” said Scaveo.

Some 182 filmmakers, and over 130,000 people helped make this year’s festival the third largest in North America.

Darryl Macdonald, the director of the festival, says, “The screenings, if anything, were more packed this year than they have ever been.”

“You have to be on your toes to get into all of the movies that you want to see,” said Emerson.

“The audiences seem to be walking on air. I know the film industry and the filmmakers that we’ve had walking throughout the festival have just been over the moon about how successful, how organized, how terrific its been, how great the audiences have been,” said Macdonald.

Portable heaters and good company make even waiting outside in the cold part of the experience.

“I will not stand in line for anything except the film festival. In the film festival you get to meet people like this and this, wonderful people and you have fun and even if it’s cold you have a good time,” said Price.

“The people in line are so fun to talk to, from all over the world that has been the really fun part, ” said Walsh.

People are already looking forward to next year, in fact planning has already begun.

“Next year of course is our 25th anniversary, so it’s going to be a big big year,” said Macdonald.

“We are so luckily to live here in the Valley and have this opportunity,” said Emerson.