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Palm Springs International Film Festival is back with Stars, Directors and a selection of the world’s best films

Harry Johal

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Palm Springs International Film Festival is back with Stars, Directors and a selection of the world’s best films


 

PSIFF is back with Stars: Cate Blanchett, Colin Farrell, Austin Butler, Sarah Polley, and Steven Spielberg,  with 35 contenders for Best International FIlm, & great documentaries like “The Grab.”

 

 

I speak annually with Palm Springs Lead Programmer, and former Newsweek critic David Ansen about film.

 

This year he attended the New York film festival, and saw twenty-five films in Toronto—many narrative, and many wonderful documentaries like Gabriela Cowperthwaite’s “The Grab,” https://youtu.be/Z_lHWaagjXc  which he says will open our eyes to the world’s future supplies of food and water.  

 

That is after all what film does, and this year there will be thirty five of the Best International Films shown at the festival. 

 

 We have not all been traveling like we used to the last few years.  This is an opportunity to see great international films including “Quiet Girl,” https://youtu.be/BjKsi3h6kEM  from Ireland; “Close,” https://youtu.be/6EJGnU2AmV4   from Belgium; (an audience favorite in Cannes) “Argentina 1985,”  https://youtu.be/a4iiyPOM6rA  (Amazon) which might be compared with the “Official Story,” also from Argentina which won Best Foreign Film in 1985.  

 

The much talked about “Decision To Leave,”  https://youtu.be/d9BR3Z_-Hh8   from Korea; and “Courage”  https://youtu.be/q7OIMQrjJAs  from Austria.  The Cambodian entry,”Return to Seoul,” https://youtu.be/oaPiUlPpRWE  whose main character is adopted by French parents, and then returns to her birthplace.

 

There are two films, one from Morocco, “The Blue Caftan,” https://youtu.be/tSqcl2nfDQI and “Joyland,” https://youtu.be/gy9bNgbZMJI from Pakistan, which won’t be shown in their own countries due to  censorship issues, yet still are nominated to compete for an Academy Award as best international film.

 

“Bardo: False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths (2022),” from Alejandro G. Iñárritu (Netflix) is visually stunning. Trailer is here https://youtu.be/lCQimQfDuTs 

 

The director came to the Palm Springs Film Festival with his cast before they won the Academy Award for “Babel.”

 

Director Jerzy Skolimowski, will return to Palm Springs with his latest film, “Eo,” which won an award in Cannes.  https://youtu.be/rrBeSQbdXmw

 

Many of the films this year, like “The Fablemans,” https://youtu.be/D1G2iLSzOe8  have the theme of the celebration of cinema.  There is India’s “Last Film Show,” https://youtu.be/Uz4LkPAtdjY with so many theatres closing worldwide, it is a year indeed to celebrate film, and what it means to our lives.

 

Once again stars and film makers will come to the Palm Springs Gala including Kate Blanchette, Colin Farrell, Austin Butler, Sarah Polley, and many more  to receive awards. This is the first film festival and award show of the year, so many contenders will be practicing for their Oscar and other award shows to follow.

 

 



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Books

Author Releases Novel About First Responder’s Life After 9/11 at No Cost

H Johal

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Author Releases Novel About First Responder’s Life After 9/11 at No Cost

Balle Balle Radio™ Entertainment Desk

Author Erin Strong is offering her novel "She Never Left Ground Zero: A Novel of Courage, Love, and the Hidden Cost of 9/11" as a free download through September 30, according to the announcement. No registration, email address, purchase, subscription, or review is required, and coincides with the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks.

The novel is fiction but draws on the real experience of an NYPD officer, per the announcement. It centers on Sofia Vega, an NYPD officer whose work amid the smoke and debris in the aftermath leads to lasting consequences she and her family must face. Strong has said she wanted to write about what happened to first responders and their families after press coverage of the attacks faded — a theme that echoes a broader body of anniversary-year 9/11 literature, including nonfiction essay collections and survivor accounts published or reissued around the same milestone.

According to Strong, "I wanted to tell a deeply personal story about what happened after the television cameras moved on." "Many first responders and their families continued living with the consequences of September 11 for years. This novel honors their courage, their sacrifices, and the people who loved them through it all."

The free download is available at sheneverleftgroundzero.com. The book will also remain for sale on Amazon and other retailers after the promotional window closes. Strong’s team can be reached through the same website or by phone.

Studio CarryOnHarry Perspective

At Studio CarryOnHarry, we see Strong’s September timing as a textbook example of anniversary marketing strategy. Major commemorative dates like the 25th anniversary of 9/11 generate enormous search volume and media attention—precisely when potential readers are already thinking about the subject matter. By anchoring a free promotion to this peak-interest window, authors capture visibility they’d need to spend significantly on advertising to achieve otherwise. The counterintuitive logic: giving away the book for free during high-traffic periods can actually drive more long-term sales than traditional paid campaigns, because it builds audience reach, generates word-of-mouth momentum, and establishes the title in readers’ minds before the promotional window closes. When the book returns to paid status in October, those who downloaded it free become natural candidates for follow-up engagement—reviews, recommendations, and future purchases. It’s a calculated play on consumer psychology and search behavior that extends the book’s commercial lifespan well beyond September.

Read more People’s Choice stories on Studio CarryOnHarry. Reporting via Live News Vault.

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New Fantasy Novel Explores Orphan’s Journey Through Magic and Danger

H Johal

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New Fantasy Novel Explores Orphan’s Journey Through Magic and Danger

Balle Balle Radio™ Entertainment Desk

Author C. A. Ballard has released a debut fantasy novel, "The Lost Legacy," following a young orphan protagonist drawn into a battle against a malevolent force seeking to strip the world of its magical power, according to the publisher’s announcement.

The book comes from Newman Springs Publishing, a New Jersey-based author-services publisher that works with writers across genres to produce and distribute their books; the company is handling both publication and promotion for the title. The novel is available in stores and through major digital retailers, including Amazon, Apple, Google Play and Barnes & Noble.

According to the publisher, Zara must safeguard her sibling while partnering with an ensemble of fantastical beings including fae warriors, mythical creatures, and magical beings to combat darkness — against an antagonist seeking to strip the world of its magic.

Ballard, described in the release as a wife, mother and grandmother with a background in accounting and medical billing, said medical challenges led her to pursue creative endeavors. "I wanted to craft deeply engaging stories about everyday individuals finding remarkable capabilities within themselves," Ballard said in a statement. "Zara’s story is about finding your tribe, embracing your power, and refusing to surrender to darkness." The publisher’s announcement notes additional projects from Ballard are already in development.

There is no independent review coverage of "The Lost Legacy" available yet; retail listings confirm the book’s publication details but do not offer critical assessment. Readers interested in the book can find purchase links through the publisher’s website or major retailers.

Studio CarryOnHarry Perspective

At Studio CarryOnHarry, we recognize that Ballard’s ensemble approach—layering fae warriors, mythical creatures, and magical beings alongside a resourceful orphan protagonist—speaks directly to a defining shift in contemporary fantasy publishing. Today’s YA and new-adult readers expect worldbuilding that extends beyond a single chosen one; they crave diverse supernatural allies and complex team dynamics that reflect both traditional mythology and modern storytelling sensibilities. Zara’s "finding your tribe" arc taps into this broader cultural moment where belonging and chosen family rival the hero’s individual journey. As the fantasy market continues to reward narratives emphasizing collective strength over solitary heroism, Ballard’s decision to populate her world with multiple fantastical perspectives positions "The Lost Legacy" within reader expectations that have reshaped the genre over the past five years. This matters because debut authors who understand—and authentically execute—these ensemble-driven narratives are better positioned to build engaged readerships from launch.

Read more People’s Choice stories on Studio CarryOnHarry. Reporting via Live News Vault.

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