Books
Palm Springs International Film Festival is back with Stars, Directors and a selection of the world’s best films
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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
New Children’s Book ‘Mocha, the Ground Fairy’ Follows a Guinea Pig Determined to Fly
Balle Balle Radio™ Entertainment Desk
Dr. Leslie Merida-Gonzalez has published a new children’s book, "Mocha, the Ground Fairy," through Fulton Books. The story follows Mocha, a brown, fluffy guinea pig who attempts to fly using wings built from leaves and twigs, only to land, each time, skidding on her bottom, which earns her the teasing nickname from her fellow guinea pigs.
Merida-Gonzalez is a music teacher in Port St. Lucie, Florida, where she works with children with varying needs. She holds a doctorate in education with a focus on exceptional student education, a background she says shapes how she thinks about reaching different kinds of young readers. According to the announcement, the guinea pig characters in the book are drawn from pets her own children had growing up.
The book centers on Mocha’s refusal to quit despite ridicule from her peers, drawing courage, in the story, from her grandmother’s fairy tales. "Through Mocha’s journey, I wanted to remind children that falling doesn’t mean failing," Merida-Gonzalez said in the announcement. "Every stumble is simply another step toward finding the magic that’s been inside them all along." The publisher describes the book as aimed at encouraging children to keep trying after setbacks and to embrace what makes them different.
"Mocha, the Ground Fairy" is available in bookstores and through major online retailers including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Google Play, and the Apple iTunes Store, as well as directly through Fulton Books’ website.
Studio CarryOnHarry sees stories like Mocha’s as part of a steady stream of small-press children’s books built around a simple, repeatable idea: a animal protagonist, a visible flaw, and a lesson about persistence. The appeal isn’t novelty, it’s execution, and that’s worth watching for in any read-aloud picture book pitched this way.
Read more People’s Choice stories on Studio CarryOnHarry. Reporting via Live News Vault.
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Books
Fulton Books Author Abagail Lynn Releases Fantasy Adventure “The Rebel”
Balle Balle Radio™ Entertainment Desk
Abagail Lynn has released a new novel, "The Rebel," a fantasy adventure centered on an unsuspecting character drawn into a clash between two worlds where the kingdom’s fate hangs in the balance. The book is published through Fulton Books.
According to the announcement, the story follows an unsuspecting hero thrust into extraordinary circumstances as tensions between the two realms escalate. The publisher describes the novel as blending adventure, romance, and themes of hope, with the protagonist discovering hidden strength while confronting questions about sacrifice, belonging, and what it means to stand against long odds.
The paperback edition runs 846 pages and was published in April 2026, according to retail listings for the title. Lynn’s narrative approach, per the announcement, pairs action sequences with emotional character work, aiming for a story that moves between danger and quieter, more personal moments.
"The Rebel" is available in bookstores and through major online retailers, including Amazon, Apple Books, Google Play, and Barnes & Noble.
For Studio CarryOnHarry, the appeal of this one will come down to execution: epic-fantasy premises built on a "two worlds collide" setup are common, and the 846-page length suggests Lynn is aiming for a fuller immersion in her world rather than a quick read.
Read more People’s Choice stories on Studio CarryOnHarry. Reporting via Live News Vault.
Are you an author with a new release? We’re always looking for books to cover and authors to interview — tell us about yours here.
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