(This story was updated with additional information.)
The 37th annual Palm Springs International Film Festival announced its official lineup on Tuesday, Dec. 2, featuring 169 films from 72 countries and territories around the world.
The opening night film will be “Calle Malaga,” directed by Maryam Touzani, on Friday, Jan. 2, 2026, and the festival will close with “Glenrothan,” directed by “Succession” star Brian Cox, on Sunday, Jan. 11.
The festival will screen 53 premieres (three world, six international, 10 North American, 12 U.S., and 22 California) from Jan. 2 to 12, 2026. The lineup includes 44 of the international feature film Oscar submissions, along with a plethora of returning and brand-new programs. The festival has also added the historic Plaza Theatre as one of its venues.
Key programs with guests expected to attend include “King Hamlet” with actor Oscar Isaac and director Elvira Lind; “Kim Novak’s Vertigo” with actress Kim Novak and director Alexandre O. Philippe; “The Housemaid” with director Paul Feig; “She Dances” with actress Audrey Zahn, actor Steve Zahn, director Rick Gomez and actress Mackenzie Ziegler; “Elvis, Rocky & Me: The Carol Connors Story” with songwriter Carol Connors; “All That’s Left of You” with director, writer and star Cherien Dabis; “Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die” with director Gore Verbinski; “It Would Be Night in Caracas” with actor Edgar Ramirez; “Steal This Story, Please!” with subject and journalist Amy Goodman; “Palestine 36” with director Annemarie Jacir; and “The Last Viking” with director and writer Anders Thomas Jensen.
Other highlights include the launch of Gateway Films, a new series celebrating the titles that sparked a lifelong love of cinema, curated by actress Diane Kruger, critic Leonard Maltin, Feig, programmer Therese Hayes and late actor Udo Kier. Additional programming includes a German Country Spotlight showcasing “A Land Within,” “Amrum,” “Bad Painter,” “Islands,” “Miroirs No. 3,” “Silent Friend,” “Stars,” “The Last Spy” and “What Marielle Knows.”
“Our 2026 lineup is a celebration of the stories that move us, challenge us and remind us why we love movies,” Lili Rodriguez, artistic director of the Palm Springs International Film Society, said in a statement. “From family fun to bold new voices, from international masters to exciting first-time filmmakers, this year’s selections reflect the range of energy of world cinema today. At Palm Springs, the joy comes not just from the films, but from the conversations and shared moments that bring people together year after year. We can’t wait for audiences to feel that spark that only cinema brings.”
Opening and closing night selections
The festival will open with the film “Calle Malaga,” where actress Carmen Maura shines as an aging woman in Tangier, fighting to keep her home — and her sense of self — in director Maryam Touzani’s poignant Spanish-language debut. Touzani will attend the screening, which will be screened in multiple venues.
The festival will close with the film “Glenrothan,” with director and star Cox in attendance. The Closing Night screening will take place at the Richards Center for the Arts at Palm Springs High School.
Making his directorial debut, legendary actor Cox stars alongside Alan Cumming as two estranged brothers reunited in their idyllic Scottish hometown, bound by the traditions of their family’s whiskey distillery.
Awards Buzz – Best international feature film submissions
This section is selected by festival programmers as the strongest entries in this year’s Academy Awards race and will screen 44 official submissions from the Best International Feature Film category. A special jury of international film critics will review these films to present the FIPRESCI Award for Best International Feature Film of the Year, as well as Best Actor, Best Actress, Best First Feature Film and Best Screenplay in this category. On Wednesday, Jan. 7, The Hollywood Reporter will also host an in-depth panel discussion with some of the directors that have made the best international feature film shortlist.
Talking Pictures
The Talking Pictures program includes in-depth discussions with directors, writers and actors from the year’s top titles. The following films selected for this year’s program with guests attending are:
Additional titles featuring discussions with Film Award honorees will be announced at a later date.
After Dark
The Festival’s late-night corner, serving up sharp, strange and pulse-pounding genre films.
American Indies
Independent films from rising American filmmakers.
Close-ups
Documentaries spotlighting the lives and creative worlds of filmmakers, celebrating the craft, the legends and the stories behind the camera.
Gateway Films
A new series celebrating the titles that sparked a lifelong love of cinema, curated by actress Diane Kruger, critic Leonard Maltin, director Paul Feig, programmer Therese Hayes and late actor Udo Kier.
German Focus
Stories from German filmmakers.
Local Spotlight
Highlighting films from the Coachella Valley.
Modern Masters
New films, classic auteurs.
New Voices New Vision
Unique viewpoints from first- and second-time directors.
Special presentations
True Stories
Non-fiction filmmaking at its most urgent and illuminating.
Queer Cinema Today & The Gayla
Poignant, heartfelt and insightful stories from the LGBTQ community.
World Cinema Now
Travel the world without leaving your seat.
Family Day
Presented by Acrisure on Sunday, Jan. 11, Family Day includes an array of activities and local food trucks at the Cathedral City Community Amphitheater from noon to 4 p.m. The Mary Pickford Theater will screen the following free movies with entry available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Ema Sasic covers entertainment and health in the Coachella Valley. Reach her at ema.sasic@desertsun.com or on Twitter @ema_sasic.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Palm Springs Film Festival lineup includes Oscar Isaac, Kim Novak movies
Reporting by Ema Sasic, Palm Springs Desert Sun / Palm Springs Desert Sun
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