Palm Springs Film Festival to return in 2022
PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 02: Jennifer Lopez attends the 31st Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival Film Awards Gala at Palm Springs Convention Center on January 02, 2020 in Palm Springs, California. (Photo by Rich Fury/Getty Image
PALM SPRINGS, Calif. - The 2021 Palm Springs International Film Festival has been canceled and will instead return in 2022, organizers announced Monday.
The festival's 32nd installation was originally set for Feb. 25 through March 8, but was nixed amid the coronavirus pandemic, according to the Palm Springs International Film Society, which organizes the festival.
"The COVID-19 pandemic has affected all of our lives in profound ways but we have not stopped believing that cinema has the power to change our hearts and minds. We stand by that truth and commit to continue our efforts in bringing film to our community," the Film Society said on its website.
Organizers noted that the festival's Film Awards Presentation will still go forward as planned on Feb. 25. The Palm Springs ShortFest, which is also organized by the film society, is still scheduled for June 22-28. Details regarding those events will be announced before January, organizers said.
Meanwhile, the film society announced it is planning alternative ways to celebrate cinema "through virtual member and community programs," although details were not immediately available.