Palm Springs International Film Festival 4-Jan

I've returned for the second time to work the Palm Springs International Film Festival. My venue is the Annenburg Theater at the Palm Springs Art Museum. I've decided to keep a list here of every film I see at the festival this year, so check back as the list grows.

Sweet Mud
Adama Meshuga’at
Israel, 2006, 101 Minute Running Time
Additional Countries: Germany/Japan/France
Topic: Drama
Language: Hebrew/English/French English Sub-Titles

For many, the concept of the Israeli kibbutz connotes solidarity, community spirit and romanticism. The reality, however, can be very different. Winner of four Israeli Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Sweet Mud makes an interesting complement to the documentary Eight Twenty Eight.

DIRECTOR: Dror Shaul
Producer: Dror Shaul
Editor: Isaac Sehayek
Screenwriter: Dror Shaul
Cinematographer: Sebastian Edschmid
Music: Tsoof Philosof, Adi Rennert
Principal Cast: Tomer Steinhof, Ronit Yudkevitch, Henri Garcin, Shai Avivi, Gal Zaid
Filmography: Witch (2003)
World Sales: Bavaria Film International

14 Women
USA, 2007, 77 Minute Running Time
Topics: Documentary, Political, Woman Director

An intimate documentary portrait of the 14 female senators who currently serve our country. Director Mary Lambert has gained extraordinary access, following the senators cinema verité style from 2004–2006 as they struggle to fight the good fight while balancing family, friends and workload.

DIRECTOR: Mary Lambert
Producer: Mary Lambert, Nicole Boxer, Sharon Oreck
Editor: Michelle Harrison, Stephen Kanter
Cinematographer: Mary Lambert, Bill Pope, James Callanan, Elliot Klayman, Michael Cho
Music: Jamishied Sharifi
Principal Cast: Narrated by Annette Benning
Filmography: The In Crowd (2000), Clubland (1999), Pet Sematary (1989), Siesta (1987)

Chihuly in the Hotshop
USA, 2007, 90 Minute Running Time
World Premiere
Topic: Documentary

This engaging documentary focuses on Dale Chihuly, whose work in the field of glassblowing has revolutionized the medium. The camera follows Chihuly at a weeklong residency at the Museum of Glass in Tacoma, where it captures the creative chaos of his working style.

DIRECTOR: Peter West
Producer: Mark McDonnell
Editor: Peter West, John Campbell
Cinematographer: Joseph Hudson, Bruce Hutson, Peter West
Music: Tom Tom Club

The Edge of Heaven
Auf der Anderen Seite
Germany, 2007, 120 Minute Running Time
Additional Countries: Turkey
Topics: Drama, Gay/Lesbian
Language: German/Turkish/English English Sub-Titles

Superb humanist drama, where six lives intersect in the never-ending search for love. When a tragic accident befalls his father, college professor Nejat leaves Germany for Turkey to find a young woman he feels has been wronged—raising questions about family, homeland and sexuality.

DIRECTOR: Fatih Akin
Producer: Fatih Akin, Andreas Thiel, Klaus Maeck
Editor: Andrew Bird
Screenwriter: Fatih Akin
Cinematographer: Rainer Klausmann
Music: Shantel
Principal Cast: Nurgül Yesilçay, Baki Davrak, Patrycia Ziolkowska, Nursel Köse, Tuncel Kurtiz, Hannah Schygulla
Filmography: Head-On (2004), Solino (2002), In July (2000), Short Sharp Shock (1998)
World Sales: The Match Factory GmbH