More stories about the Nortel Networks Palm Springs International Film Festival and Palm Springs International Short Film Festival   Post or read comments in our online forums   Film festival What: Nortel Networks Palm Springs International Film Festival When: Jan. 9-20, 2003 Where: Theaters throughout Palm Springs — Camelot Theatres, 2300 E. Baristo Road; Courtyard 10, 789 Tahquitz Canyon Way; Palm Springs High School Auditorium, 2248 E.Ramon Road; and the Annenberg Theater, Palm Springs Desert Museum, 101 Museum Way. Cost: Single tickets, $8 for screenings beginning before 6p.m. Monday-Friday and before noon Saturday-Sunday; $10 for all regular screenings; $15 for “spotlight” screenings. Six-pack of tickets, $50. Other special passes, $125-$1,000; Closing night screening and party, $75. Purchase advance tickets at the festival box office at Camelot Theatres, or the Festival Film Center, 123 N. Palm Canyon Drive. Click here to read reviews of some of this year's films. Click here to share your film reviews and other film festival experiences Click here to learn more about the Nortel Networks Palm Springs International Film Festival and for descriptions of this year's films. Festival lineup

By Betty Francis
Special to The Desert Sun
January 12th, 2003

What’s it like, seeing two of the world’s most famous sisters, Lynn and Vanessa Redgrave, leading an Academy-award style parade of celebrities right here in our home town?

From the reaction of some 800 guests, who paid from $300 to $15,000 to attend the sold-out Nortel Networks Palm Springs International Film Festival 2003 gala, it was worth every penny.

"I don’t think there is another city in the world outside Hollywood, that can draw so many major filmmakers and celebrities to an event," said former agent Norby Walters, who recruited many of the stars and participants.

The celebrity spotlight flitted across the Palm Springs Convention Center ballroom landing lovingly on more than 40 familiar faces, including award presenters Vanessa Redgrave, Allison Janney, Quincy Jones and Vilmos Zsigmond. Other crowd favorites were brothers Keith and David Carradine, Juliet Mills, James Cromwell, Connie Stevens, Karen Black, Jack Klugman, Shirley Jones, Judd Nelson, Joanna Cassidy, Charles Durning and Lou Diamond Phillips.

While stars orbited the stage, the sun-and-moon gravity that held it all together was seated in diamond-draped dignity in the audience. Some 30 of the festival’s 38 board members attended, including dinner underwriters Earl Greenburg, Jackie Lee Houston and Harold Matzner.

Houston and Greenburg and his gala co-chair, former actress Denise DuBarry-Hay, are several new power board members recruited by Matzner and board co-chair Kevin McGuire.

Other board members attending included John Wessman, Ric Supple, Kaye Ballard, David Baron, Lois Schlect, Dick Heckmann and Linda Shiryanian.

Congresswoman Mary Bono opened the festival, founded by her late husband Sonny, saying, "the publicity generated by this festival has generated over 250 million radio, TV and print impressions for our city throughout the world, which is exactly what Sonny said would happen. In fact, if he were here tonight, he would say, ‘told you so.’ "

Uninhibited by all the star and fiscal power, emcee Lily Tomlin quickly elevated everyone to the same laugh level with comments such as, "Last year, Leonard Maltin got to follow Pearl White. This year, Mary and I got to follow the clearing of the salad course," and "Palm Springs is like Hollywood -- it’s not a destination, it’s a trip." But she spoke with pride when she reminded the audience that this film festival is now considered one of the top five in the world.

The program format, precision-produced by Richard DeSantis of Events Management, was similar to the Oscar presentations. Film clips depicting each of the six honoree’s accomplishments were shown on giant screens, followed by two-minute speeches from each presenter and winner. In between, dinner and a delightful musical tribute to the music of Michel Legrand was highlighted by singer Valarie Pettiford.

The program concluded before the dinner was served, and several guests and stars left after Tomlin served the final career achievement award to director Franco Zeffirelli.