The Palm Springs International Film Society announced Wednesday, July 15, the launch of two awards to recognize the legacy of philanthropist, business leader and former festival chairman Harold Matzner, whose leadership of the Palm Springs International Film Society elevated the Film Awards and Film Festival into a glamourous, premier awards season event.
The first is the Harold Matzner Impact Award, a new annual finishing grant of $25,000 to support emerging filmmakers whose work demonstrates the power of storytelling to inspire change, challenge perspectives and drive a meaningful impact in their community, according to a press release. The award provides financial support at a critical stage of post-production while helping amplify stories that have the potential to foster dialogue and increase awareness.
PSIFS will also introduce the Harold Matzner Distinguished Achievement Award, which will recognize extraordinary individuals whose careers have profoundly influenced the global film industry through artistic excellence, visionary leadership and enduring philanthropic impact, the release states.
Both awards will be selected by an internal committee and presented at a newly created Palm Springs Honors event on Oct. 19 in Los Angeles.
“The Film Society is honored to partner with the Ebbets Field Foundation in creating these two awards in Harold Matzner’s name,” Festival Chairman Nachhattar Singh Chandi said in a statement. “Together, they capture the full breadth of Harold’s passion, celebrating both the masters who have shaped the entertainment industry and the emerging storytellers poised to shape its future. The Harold Matzner Impact Award particularly meets these filmmakers at a pivotal moment, giving them the support to finish their films and get vital stories in front of the audiences who need them most — a fitting extension of our mission to champion voices that might otherwise go unheard.”
How to apply for Palm Springs International Film Society awards
Emerging filmmakers working on issue-driven projects that are in the final stretch of post-production are eligible to submit for the Harold Matzner Impact Award. Projects should explore significant social issues, including but not limited to: civil and human rights, health and mental health, education, environmental sustainability, criminal justice, immigration, economic inequality, disability and accessibility, gender equity, LGBTQ+ communities, Indigenous communities, or housing and food insecurity.
Grant funds may be used for color correction, sound design and mix, original score, deliverables, accessibility materials, marketing and publicity, festival submission fees and travel, impact campaign development, community screenings, and audience engagement or distribution preparation.
The recipient of the Harold Matzner Impact Award will receive a cash award of $25,000, transportation to attend the Harold Matzner Impact Award Ceremony on Oct. 19, 2026, recognition during the Palm Springs International Film Awards on Jan. 7, 2027, and priority programming consideration for the completed film at either the Palm Springs International Film Festival or Palm Springs International ShortFest. Funding for the award will be supported through the Ebbets Field Foundation, a foundation established by Matzner.
Full eligibility requirements and the application can be found at filmfreeway.com/HaroldMatznerImpactAward.
Who was Harold Matzner?
Matzner was nicknamed “Mr. Palm Springs” for his larger-than-life presence as a philanthropist, businessman and arts administrator. He died Thursday, Sept. 4, 2025, in Palm Springs at the age of 88.
Matzner’s family obituary states that he donated more than $85 million to local nonprofits over nearly four decades. In addition to his extensive philanthropic efforts, he ran a national marketing and print advertising business in New Jersey while living in a hillside mansion overlooking Palm Springs. He also founded Spencer’s Restaurant in the Palm Springs Tennis Club, turning it into one of the most popular restaurants in the desert, and sustained the popular Carousel Catering after buying it from longtime owner Bill Jones.
Additionally, he was an arts administrator who brought glamour back to the desert as concurrent chairman of the Palm Springs International Film Festival and McCallum Theatre during a tumultuous decade following the deaths of many of the desert’s biggest stars of the 20th century. Matzner joined the board of the film festival in 1997 and became chairman of the McCallum in 2007. He retired from both in 2023.
Matzner also served as executive vice chairman of the Palm Springs Art Museum until 2021, and as chairman of the Palm Springs Tennis Club Members Association; a trustee on the Eisenhower Health Board of Trustees; and a director on the Barbara Sinatra Children’s Center Board of Directors.
(This story was updated to add a new video.)
Ema Sasic covers entertainment and health in the Coachella Valley. Reach her at ema.sasic@desertsun.com, on X @ema_sasic or on Instagram @emasasic.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: ‘Mr. Palm Springs’ legacy lives on with new awards. How to apply
Reporting by Ema Sasic, Palm Springs Desert Sun / Palm Springs Desert Sun
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By Ema Sasic, Palm Springs Desert Sun | USA TODAY Network
