Palm Springs International Film Festival announces ‘Books to Screen’ series
Organizers of the 2025 Palm Springs International Film Festival today announced a series of panels from filmmakers connected to this year's literary adaptations as part of the "Books to Screen" series.
Directors and writers from four novel- and memoir-adapted movies will be present at the festival, according to Deadline, with writers from the entertainment publication moderating each panel.
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The series begins on Jan. 4 with "Conclave" director Edward Berger, who adapted the script for the papal election thriller from a 2016 Robert Harris novel. PSIFF organizers announced last month that the cast of "Conclave," represented by Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, Isabella Rossellini, John Lithgow and Lucian Msamati, would receive the Ensemble Performance Award at the festival.
Later that day, director Eran Riklis will speak about his film, "Reading Lolita in Tehran,'' joined by screenwriter Marjorie David and original author Azar Naifisi. The movie, which is centered on Naifisi's book about a professor and seven of her female students discussing Western classics
as a way of resisting fundamentalism, is making its North American premiere at the festival.
A panel with "Queer" screenwriter Justin Kuritzkes will be held on Jan. 6, with Kuritzkes giving insight on Luca Guadagnino's adaptation of the William S. Burroughs novella, starring Daniel Craig. Kuritzkes was also the lone writer credited on Guadagnino's other 2024 film, "Challengers."
"Nickel Boys'' director RaMell Ross will close the series on Jan. 10, discussing his film about two Black students sent to an abusive juvenile academy. The Pulitzer Prize-winning source material was written by Colson Whitehead, who took inspiration from a real school in Florida, notorious for its mistreatment of children. Ross was named Best Director by the New York Film Critics Circle on Tuesday.
The Palm Springs International Film Festival runs from January 2-13, 2025.
Check Out: 2025 Palm Springs International Film Festival lineup released
The Palm Springs International Film Awards will be held on Jan. 3 at the Palm Springs Convention Center. Honorees include, Ariana Grande (Rising Star Award); Adrien Brody (Desert Palm Achievement Award, Actor); Timothée Chalamet (Chairman’s Award); Conclave (Ensemble Performance Award) presented to actors Ralph Fiennes, Isabella Rossellini, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, and Lucian Msamati; Kieran Culkin (Breakthrough Performance Award); Colman Domingo (Spotlight Award, Actor); Angelina Jolie (Desert Palm Achievement Award, Actress); Nicole Kidman (International Star Award); Mikey Madison (Breakthrough Performance Award); and Emilia Pérez (Vanguard Award) presented to director Jacques Audiard and actors Karla Sofia Gascón, Zoe Saldaña, Selena Gomez and Edgar Ramírez.
Variety's Creative Impact Awards will be held on Jan. 4 at the Parker Palm Springs. Honorees include Cynthia Erivo (Creative Impact in Acting), Jacques Audiard (Creative Impact in Directing Award) and, Jennifer Lopez (Legend & Groundbreaker Award recipient), as well as Variety's annual class of 10 Directors to Watch, which this year includes names such as Malcolm Washington ("The Piano Lesson"), Zoe Kravitz ("Blink Twice") and Coralie Fargeat ("The Substance").
Stay with News Channel 3 for continuing coverage on the film festival.
