Arthur Lyons Film Noir Festival shines as arts advocates rally around NEA

PALM SPRINGS Calif. (KESQ)  - As federal support for the arts faces uncertainty, one Palm Springs festival is showing that creativity — and community — are still going strong.

Founded in 2000, the annual Arthur Lyons Film Noir Festival opens Thursday night with a renewed call to support the arts.

Organizers said the festival spotlights classic noir films from the 1940s and ’50s — including some that haven’t been shown in theaters in decades.

The event comes just as the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) begins notifying some organizations of grant terminations, tied to President Donald Trump’s proposed budget, which would eliminate the NEA entirely.

The administration says it wants to shift federal funding toward programs it believes better reflect its national priorities. 

The NEA is a government agency that helps fund and support arts programs across the country — everything from museums and theater to community projects and local festivals.

In 2024, the NEA awarded nearly $200 million to nonprofits, arts organizations and public agencies according to the National Endowment for the Arts.

Local organizations like Desert X and The Palm Springs International Film Society have been among the recipients. 

News Channel 3 reached out to both for comment and is awaiting a response.

One Arthur Lyons Film Noir Festival organizer said while this year’s event hasn’t been directly impacted, it highlights what’s at stake.

Still, the organizer said the festival remains a bright spot, with stronger post-COVID attendance and a full weekend of screenings ahead.

The Arthur Lyons Film Noir Festival continues through Sunday at the Palm Springs Cultural Center.

To wrap up the weekend, director Guillermo Del Toro and co-writer Kim Morgan will present an exclusive extended cut of Nightmare Alley.

Stay with News Channel 3 for the full report at 10 and 11 p.m.