With Hollywood strikes over, Palm Springs film fest prepares for star-studded awards show

With the actors' union SAG-AFTRA announcing the end of its 118-day strike, officials with the Palm Springs International Film Festival are gearing up for a star-studded celebration in January.

The actors' union's negotiating team on Wednesday reached a tentative agreement with the group representing studios and streamers, ending the historic strike that began July 14. The news comes after the Writers Guild of America's strike ended and leadership voted Sept. 27 to affirm a deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.

More: Actors strike ends: SAG-AFTRA leadership OKs tentative deal with major Hollywood studios

Palm Springs International Film Festival Chairman Nachhattar Singh Chandi, who took over the role following Harold Matzner's retirement in April, was in good spirits Thursday afternoon when speaking about the upcoming festival, set for Jan. 4 through 15, 2024.

"I'm very, very excited that the strike is behind us," Chandi said. "This really gives a green light for Hollywood talent to get ready for the Film Awards."

The Film Awards, which honors the year's biggest and brightest stars, will take place Jan. 4 at the Palm Springs Convention Center.

During the strike, actors could not promote any struck work or take part in red carpets, film festivals or interviews, unless they were provided a waiver. If the work stoppage was still ongoing in January, that would have significantly impacted the Film Awards, which features red carpet appearances, interviews with media organizations and acceptance speeches from a majority of actors.

But now, Chandi said "some very well-known names and outstanding talents" will be heading to the desert in January. He also expects that each of the Film Awards honorees will receive Academy Award nominations. Earlier this year, previous PSIFF honorees Brendan Fraser, Michelle Yeoh and Sarah Polley went on to win Oscars at the 95th Academy Awards.

The Palm Springs film festival also often attracts stars for Q&As — actors Colin Farrell, Fraser and Anna Kendrick all joined in on the fun this year to speak about their films.

Film Award honorees are expected to be announced beginning next week, and the film festival lineup released in early December.

The chairman joked that he has watched more movies the last two months than he has in the last two or three years. Some of his highlights from the year include Martin Scorsese's "Killers of the Flower Moon," Yorgos Lanthimos' "Poor Things" and the summer movie phenomenon consisting of Greta Gerwig's "Barbie" and Christopher Nolan's "Oppenheimer," coining the name "Barbenheimer."

"Each move has their own unique story, and (they're) compelling for the audience," Chandi said.

Former chairman Matzner said the festival has weathered a number of storms over the years. In the beginning, it was a battle to get any celebrities to show up. Since then, however, "every single honoree has shown up. We've even had a couple show up with pneumonia."

With the dual Hollywood strikes over, Matzner said it's a "big deal," especially with it being Chandi's first festival as chairman. Matzner called the newcomer a "superstar in the business world" and "what we need for this festival."

Tables, seats and passes for the 2024 Palm Springs International Film Awards and Festival are on sale at psfilmfest.org or by calling the box office at 760-778-8979. Tickets for individual screenings and events will be available closer to the festival.

SAG strike reaches its end

The strike officially ended at 12:01 a.m. PST Thursday, which allowed studios to resume production of TV shows and movies that have been largely shuttered for the past six months, since the Writers Guild of America began its own walkout on May 2.

The actors' union will now schedule a vote among its full membership to formally authorize the deal, putting actors one step closer to stepping in front of the cameras again. SAG-AFTRA consists of 160,000 members.

Cathedral City resident Jasper Cole, who has been acting for 40 years and been in projects such as "Fall" and "Westworld," was thrilled with the news.

“I applaud the tireless efforts of the SAG-AFTRA negotiating committee," Cole said. "I have been critical of how long this strike went on, so I’m anxious to see the actual terms of the new deal and compare where we started and where we ended up."

The dual strikes came with their hardships, however, as Cole noted that "nothing can reverse the financial devastation that so many have endured" ever since the WGA union walked out in May.

But with a project already under his belt for later this month, Cole said it is "time to rebuild and heal."

USA Today contributed to this report.

Ema Sasic covers entertainment and health in the Coachella Valley. Reach her at [email protected] or on Twitter @ema_sasic.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Palm Springs film festival preps for stars following end of SAG strike