The Palm Springs International Film Festival returns for its 38th edition January 7 to 18, 2027. It opens with the black-tie Palm Springs International Film Awards on January 7 at the Palm Springs Convention Center, and then spends 11 days screening films across the Coachella Valley.
Palm Springs is known for showing a big slate of the year’s Academy Award submissions for Best International Feature Film, alongside American independent features and documentaries. The films and honorees have not been announced, but passes are already on sale. Here is what the festival has posted as of September 28, 2026.
The quick version
| When | Thursday, January 7, through Monday, January 18, 2027 |
| Film Awards | Thursday, January 7, Palm Springs Convention Center, 277 N. Avenida Caballeros, Palm Springs |
| Opening Night | Friday, January 8 |
| Closing Night | Sunday, January 17, then Best of the Fest screenings Monday, January 18 |
| Where | Venues across Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley; the full list is coming soon |
| Tickets | General admission $20 ($18 for Film Society members); passes $213 to $4,011.95 |
| Payment | Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover. No cash |
| Official site | psfilmfest.org |
What’s screening
The 2027 lineup has not been announced. Here is the shape of the festival, per the Palm Springs International Film Society and the City of Palm Springs:
- International features. A broad selection of submissions for the Academy Awards’ Best International Feature Film category. In 2026, the festival screened all five eventual nominees in that category.
- American independents and documentaries.
- Talking Pictures and Books to Screen. Conversations with filmmakers and actors.
- Best International Feature Film panels, called BIFF Panels on the pass chart.
- Family Day and a growing Student Screening Day for Coachella Valley high school students.
- Film-inspired dinners, ticketed separately.
The Film Awards
The Palm Springs International Film Awards, presented by Kering, kick things off on Thursday, January 7, 2027. The city’s announcement notes that nearly all of the 2026 honorees went on to Academy Award nominations, a group that included Jessie Buckley, Timothée Chalamet, Leonardo DiCaprio, Ethan Hawke, Michael B. Jordan, and Chloé Zhao. The 2027 honorees have not been named.
- Timeline: valet and self-parking open at 4 p.m., doors and red carpet at 4:30 p.m., cocktails 5 to 6 p.m., dinner and awards show 6:15 to 9:30 p.m. The festival asks guests not to arrive before 4 p.m.
- Dress code: black tie.
- Tickets: sold through Tixr, and not at the door. The festival says all seating closes January 6, 2027. Dinner is included.
- Ages: no age requirement, though alcohol service requires valid ID. Bring a government-issued photo ID for check-in.
- Security: bags are screened, including metal detection. Professional cameras, recording gear, drones, and selfie sticks are not allowed.
- Accessibility: the Convention Center is wheelchair accessible. Accessible seating is limited, so email FilmAwards@psfilmfest.org before buying.
Passes and tickets
Passes are on sale now. Prices below include processing fees, as listed on the festival’s passes page.
| Pass | Price | Valid | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Benefactor | $4,011.95 | Jan. 7 to 18 | Film Awards seat and after party (reservation required), designated seating, parties, lounge |
| Concierge | $3,128 | Jan. 7 to 18 | Reserved seat at every screening (book 24 hours ahead), concierge team, parties, lounge |
| Premiere | $2,610 | Jan. 7 to 18 | Designated seating, skip the line, Opening Night screening and reception, parties, lounge |
| Platinum | $609 | Jan. 7 to 18 | Regular screenings, Talking Pictures, BIFF Panels, Family Day, Best of Fest, Opening and Closing Night screenings only |
| 5-Day A | $398 | Jan. 8 to 12 | Regular screenings, Talking Pictures, BIFF Panels |
| 5-Day B | $398 | Jan. 13 to 17 | Adds Family Day screenings |
| Student | $213 | Jan. 7 to 18 | Regular screenings, Talking Pictures, BIFF Panels, Family Day, Best of Fest |
| Party Pass | $107 | Festival parties | Filmmaker parties only, first come, first served |
Single tickets, per the festival’s tickets page (prices subject to change):
- General admission: $20, or $18 for Palm Springs International Film Society members
- Opening Night screening and reception: $135
- Closing Night screening and reception: $75
- Talking Pictures and Books to Screen: $30 to $40
- Film-inspired dinners: $100
Film Society members get early access to general admission tickets, and Premiere and Producer level members get discounts on general access passes. To buy by phone, call 760-778-8979 or 1-800-898-7256. There are no refunds or exchanges except when a film is cancelled.
How to plan: the pass holder playbook
Palm Springs runs on lines, and the rules are worth learning before you arrive.
- Get a queue card. Platinum, 5-Day, and Student pass holders join the pass holder line, and the festival suggests arriving 30 to 45 minutes early. Queue cards go out 30 to 45 minutes before showtime until the pass holder allotment is gone. A queue card guarantees entry up to 20 minutes before the film.
- Lines form no earlier than one hour before showtime.
- Sold out? Try standby. Unclaimed seats are released 15 minutes before the screening and sold first come, first served. Standby lines form one hour before. Passes work in the standby line too.
- Need to step out? Grab a re-admit slip from a volunteer, or you will not get back in.
- No saving seats or places in line, and no late seating.
- Dress in layers. The festival notes many lines are outdoors, days can be hot, evenings cold, and theaters chilly.
- Leave the big bag. Large bags are not permitted inside venues, and all bags may be searched. No outside food in the theaters.
Family Day
Family Day 2027 is Saturday, January 16, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., with free family-friendly films at the Mary Pickford Theater and activities at the Cathedral City Community Amphitheater, 68526 Ave. Lalo Guerrero, Cathedral City, CA 92234. Expect face painting, temporary tattoos, games and prizes, and local food trucks. Free movie tickets are handed out at the Mary Pickford box office the day of the show.
Venues and box offices
The festival says its venues span the greater Palm Springs area and Coachella Valley, and that the full 2027 list is coming soon. During the festival, theater box offices open one hour before the first show and close 30 minutes after the last show starts. They are closed on days a theater has no screenings. The Palm Springs International Film Society’s offices are at 303 N. Indian Canyon Dr., 3rd floor, Palm Springs.
About the festival
PSIFF launched in 1990 and is presented by the Palm Springs International Film Society, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. The Society also runs Palm Springs ShortFest.
Still to come
The film lineup, Film Awards honorees, venue list, schedule, pass pickup details, parking and transit information, and festival-wide accessibility services have not been announced. The 824 Journal will update this guide when they are released.
Sources
- City of Palm Springs: The Palm Springs International Film Festival and Film Awards Return for 38th Annual Event January 7-18, 2027 (September 2, 2026)
- PSIFF: How to Fest (venues, history)
- PSIFF: Passes (pass prices, pass rules, queue cards, standby, etiquette, refunds)
- PSIFF: Tickets (ticket prices, box office hours)
- PSIFF: Film Awards Event Details (timeline, venue, FAQ)
- PSIFF: Family Day
Featured photo: Patrick Pelster via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
