Local Economy Benefits from PSIFF Blockbuster Numbers
The bright lights and the big stars take over the Coachella Valley for the 23rd annual Palm Springs International Film Festival beginning on January 5th.
Movie fanatics are not the only ones to benefit from the third largest festival in the country. The local economy will also see a bost from a record year. Fans lined up to buy their tickets in advance for a festival which has garnered a lot of attention, “There’s a reputation for this being a very high level one that draws filmmakers from around the world,” said Deanne Comer, who is visiting from Maryland.
The festival offers over 180 films, a huge variety which can make choosing which ones to attend difficult. Sheila and Hy Eglash are visiting from Wisconsin to attend their eighth festival, the independent films is what they look most forward to, “We love all these films–these specialty films–that we know we’re not going to be able to see, in other theaters which makes it a real draw,” said Sheila.
The unique nature and variety of the festival has helped break box office records this year. “Box office wise, it’s already a big success, ticket sales are higher than ever which is fantastic for us,” said PSIFF creative director Helen Dutoit. “But for me, the biggest sign of success is a happy audience, and also film makers who come here and get charged up about how people respond to their films.”
The high ticket sales translate to packed hotel rooms. The Parker Palm Springs expects a very busy weekend. “It’s a huge weekend for us, we’ve been sold out for weeks, even months in advance,” said general manager Brandon McCurley. “It really ranges from celebrities, to attendees of the festival and then our regular guests who just love the vibe.”
McCurley and other hotels in the area hope the festival will help create loyal customers. “We do get a lot of celebrities that come here regularly because of the private environment that caters to every need they could possibly want.”
