Star-studded attendance at Palm Springs Film Festival awards gala

The Palm Spring International Film Festival Film Awards Gala is always fun and always BIG with a capital “B”. This year’s 36th edition, the 20th, is hosted by the tireless Mary Hart who keeps moving forward, no breaks to chat and dine because once she starts you just eat while applauding the many stars, and the equally star-studded presenters who hand them their very, shall we say. , unique statuettes. The recipients are always, I repeat always, plucked from the crème de la crème of Oscar contenders, and in fact, as this season kicks into high gear with one ceremony after another, continuing with the Golden Globes tomorrow (the holidays are over, the Hollywood days have started), each of the winners at Friday night’s PSIFF Awards gala, you’ll also see change their formal attire and walk the red carpet at the Beverly Hilton on Sunday. This event was a warm-up, a chance to test out heartfelt and humorous speeches that we’ll likely hear variations of throughout the season from the lucky few who manage to make it to the Dolby in March. Fasten your seat belts.

Palm Springs has a certain charm in all its vibrancy, however, and given the immense wealth and finery on display, I was shocked to see that it said “black tie optional.” Few in the well-dressed, cavernous Palm Springs Convention Center dressed down. And unlike every other awards show this season, this is the only one with a full orchestra playing each winner with their associated music, starting with Hart who entered the stage to the familiar theme of Entertainment tonight (where I also happily worked with her during the show’s first decade). And let’s talk about this step (!). It’s a huge football stadium, requiring Nikes (if you dared) rather than heels just to walk through it. On the Cinerama-sized screen (IMAX will be jealous), which stretches the length of the stage, are three identical and distinct visions of the one holding the microphone, the presenter and the recipient. Due to the immense size of the venue and the crowd inside, this is necessary. And before any of the stars enter, they must complete a challenge from the red carpet outside, through the applause and adoration of the well-dressed attendees lined up on both sides in the lobby and inside the ballroom until finally reaching the studio-purchased tables, not in the front, but in the center, 800s. The first eight rows of tables near the stage are reserved for longtime fans and high rollers, and Palm Springs is full of them.

The winners, all of whom must be present in person (just to try to keep them away), were Mikey Madison (Breakthrough Actress, Dawn), Kieran Culkin (groundbreaking actor, A real pain), Colman Domingo (Spotlight Prize Sing Sing), Ariana Grande (rising star Wicked), the cast of Conclave (Ensemble Performance), Nicole Kidman (International Star Little girl), Adrien Brody (Desert Palm Actor Award The Brutalist), Angelina Jolie (Desert Palm Actress Award Married)Timothée Chalamet (President’s Prize A total unknown)the cast and director Jacques Audiard of Emilie Pérez (Vanguard Prize), and Dune Part 2 director Denis Villeneuve (Visionary Prize). Apparently, the Gala organizers removed the original name from the old Sonny Bono Visionary Award (Bono founded the festival when he was PS mayor).

I was happy to be seated at one of the two Netflix tables, 806, with Jolie, her daughter Zahara and her presenter, veteran and iconic movie star Jacqueline Bisset. I asked Jolie if she had any memories of attending this event before, but she said it was so many years ago that everything was a blur. I can understand why because I was there and when she finally made her way to her table (with Brad Pitt at the time) she was surrounded by a sea of ​​flashes coming out like something was coming out of there. La Dolce Vita. It was as pure an example of hot celebrity as I’ve ever seen. I told her that, and she just smiled, as if to indicate “yeah, another day at work.” She deserves all the honors this year for portraying Maria Callas in a risky and rewarding performance. “Thank you for giving space for my madnessfor that and for Maria, for allowing me to have a voice and find my own,” she said in her acceptance. Bisset had never been to the gala before, and she was there this time because she’s actually Jolie’s godmother, which I didn’t know. Jolie said Bisset and her late mother, Marcheline Bertrand, were close friends and that her mother chose Jackie because she knew she had qualities that would be a great role model for her daughter.

I managed to go around the Emilie Pérez table right next to us. Selena Gomez is an old pro at these types of gatherings at this point, but for Karla Sofia Gascon it’s all new, and surprisingly so was Zoe Saldana who asked me and Netflix’s Lisa Taback (seated next of her), if it was awards season. it’s always like that. I told him that this year, now after the pandemic and the strikes, was the first time since then that it seemed like things were back to the way they were. “It’s good,” Saldana said. “Because it’s my first time and I want it to be great.” Co-star Edgar Ramirez was also in attendance, and Audiard joined late shortly before their award presentation which was the last of the evening. His acceptance, after each of the actors had spoken, was pure charm, and all in French.

All the speeches were memorable in one way or another. Madison, new to the awards race, pointed to past roles like that of a “masked psychopathic killer” and a “deranged 1960s hippie” as experiences that led to her role as a sex worker in the search for a future in the world. Anora. At the other end of the scale are veterans like Kidman (accepting her fourth PSIFF award), emotional as she still mourns the loss of her mother whose death she learned at the Venice premiere. Little girl. She returned to Australia before learning that she had won the best actress award there. So this is the first time she can talk about it publicly and it was quite moving.

Sharon Stone, Jamie Lee Curtis, Demi Moore, Amy Adams Andrew Garfield and Gary Oldman were among the presenters. Some like Chalamet and Isabella Rossellini did double duty by performing (Chalamet in Villeneuve) and Isabella Rossellini in Madison, and later on stage as part of the Winning Ensemble. Conclave presented by director Edward Berger to her and co-stars Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, Lucian Msamati, John Lithgow and Carlos Diehz. Stone talked about playing Culkin’s mother in A powerful heart, while Culkin himself, a recent Emmy winner for Succession could marvel at the fact that he received a “Breakthrough Actor” award at age 42 and 35 years since his debut.

Domingo, last year’s only returnee, was particularly genuine in his acceptance, as was Chalamet who, not yet 30, bowed not only to his presenter Oldman, but also to those he admires as he forges his own career. Grande, receiving her Rising Star award, had the daunting task of keeping up with her hilarious presenter Jennifer Coolidge, and managed to do it with a funny and sweet acceptance. “I’ve been performing on stage since I was a child, so I never thought that at 31 I would hear the words uprising star again. So I want to thank my good friends Botox and Juvederm,” she laughed.

Overall, it’s a good start to the new year and the final two months until the Oscars, a time when contenders start handing out awards, receiving awards, and yes, always to campaign for the rewards. Tis the season, friends.

See you on Sunday at the Globes.