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California

The Palm Springs International Film Festival: A Cinematic Experience

Program No. 21382RJ
View eight highly anticipated films over five nights at the Palm Springs International Film Festival, enjoying expert-led discussions with industry insiders.

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Prefer to enroll or inquire by phone? 800-454-5768
Select your type of room
Price will update based on selection
Prices displayed below are based on per person,doubleoccupancy.
DATES & starting prices
PRICES
Jan 7 - Jan 12, 2024
Starting at
2,749
Special Offer

Enroll by Jan. 31, 2024 to take $200 off the price shown!

DATES & starting prices
PRICES
Jan 7 - Jan 12, 2024
Starting at
3,299
Special Offer

Enroll by Jan. 31, 2024 to take $200 off the price shown!

At a Glance

Join us at one of our most popular film programs, as we spend five nights in this charming desert city, enjoying the Palm Springs International Film Festival. Screen the latest international releases and documentaries – film productions that are in competition for Academy Award Nominations from worldwide studios – and hear commentary from industry professionals and other experts. Late afternoons offer free time for you to attend additional films and explore the festival on your own.
Activity Level
On Your Feet
Palm Springs is a great city for walking! Expect to walk up to 1 mile per day for meals at local restaurants or when seeing additional films on your own. Transportation to the Richards Center for the Arts at Palm Springs High School is provided by motorcoach. Some stairs at the theater, wheelchair ramps are available.

Best of all, you’ll…

  • View eight films, several with commentary from an industry professional offering an insider’s perspective.
  • Engage in critiquing sessions that give you a chance to analyze and discuss what you saw.
  • Learn about the history of Palm Springs with a local expert and discover how this desert oasis became a Hollywood hotspot.

General Notes

This is a Road Scholar Large Group program. The number of participants in this program may be as high as 185; the whole group will be together for all included films, critique sessions and many meals. Participants will be separated into groups of no more than 40 participants with a dedicated group leader for some activities and field trips. The schedule for your group may vary from what’s published but each group will have an opportunity to experience all program elements. If you are traveling with companions who are not your roommate and you would like to be grouped together, please list their names on your “Personal Information & Preferences” in your Road Scholar “My Account” page. Due to the nature of this program, listening devices are not available.
Featured Expert
All Experts
Profile Image
Alci Rengifo
Alci Rengifo is a film critic based in Los Angeles who writes for Entertainment Voice and Riot Material. In addition, he is a Rotten Tomatoes-certified critic and is frequently invited to speak on various film topics and host events at venues such as Santa Monica College. Alci has also written literary criticism for the Los Angeles Review of Books and is a managing editor at the East Los Angeles monthly Brooklyn & Boyle.

Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.

Profile Image of Nadine Bopp
Nadine Bopp View biography
Nadine Bopp taught sustainable architecture, urban planning, botany, and environmental science courses at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Columbia College, and DePaul University for 19 years. She has a master’s degree in landscape architecture and worked for the Chicago Park District, running the operations for 124 parks. As a lifelong environmentalist, she continues to broaden her knowledge by exploring drought-tolerant landscape design, water conservation, and California’s landscape ecosystems. She enjoys teaching about southern California’s gardens, architecture, and botanical diversity.
Profile Image of Jill Swaim
Jill Swaim View biography
Jill Swaim is a retired elementary and middle school teacher. She taught for 39 years in San Diego, Oceanside, and Santa Paula, all districts in California. She has worked for Road Scholar since 2003 as a group leader, and has become a volunteer ambassador for the organization. Her hobbies include spending time with her grandchildren, travel, and volunteering.
Profile Image of Alci Rengifo
Alci Rengifo View biography
Alci Rengifo is a film critic based in Los Angeles who writes for Entertainment Voice and Riot Material. In addition, he is a Rotten Tomatoes-certified critic and is frequently invited to speak on various film topics and host events at venues such as Santa Monica College. Alci has also written literary criticism for the Los Angeles Review of Books and is a managing editor at the East Los Angeles monthly Brooklyn & Boyle.
Profile Image of Manuel Marquez
Manuel Marquez View biography
Manuel Márquez came to Road Scholar after a rewarding career in medical practice management. He has led groups to Cuba and his native Los Angeles. As an undergraduate in Boston, he was introduced close-up to the wonders of western art, the colonial and revolutionary history of the United States, and a love of learning about planet Earth and all its inhabitants. Manuel has explored nearly fifty countries on five continents. He enjoys music, reading, movies, and his beautiful cat Pearl.
Profile Image of Mary Jackson
Mary Jackson View biography
Mary Jackson recently retired from teaching English at a Northern California high school after a teaching career of 34 years. While teaching, Mary began each summer by taking her students on travel programs, initially to domestic locations within the U.S. and eventually to the far reaches of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Upon retirement, becoming a group leader for Road Scholar — for both intergenerational and adult programs — was a natural fit for Mary. Her favorite aspect of Road Scholar programs is meeting the participants.
Profile Image of Laurel Howat
Laurel Howat View biography
Laurel Howat, a second generation Los Angelino, holds a B.A. in French, and an M.A. in humanities. Prior to Road Scholar, Laurel worked for Air France, the Getty Villa, and LAC/USC Medical Center. Laurel began as a Road Scholar instructor in 2000, and became a group leader the following year. Laurel enjoys reading, movies, walking/jogging, and exploring downtown Los Angeles. She is currently Vice President of the Opera League of Los Angeles.
Profile Image of Dawn Spare
Dawn Spare View biography
Dawn Spare is an avid traveler with a deep love of nature, history, and culture who enjoys both the city and country life. She earned her BFA magna cum laude from the University of California, Irvine, and attended graduate school at Temple and the University of Wisconsin. She lives on California’s Central Coast underneath pine trees at the beach, where she walks in nature daily. She belongs to a book club and has sung for the past 20 years with the award-winning Vocal Arts Ensemble.
Profile Image of Drew Davis
Drew Davis View biography
Drew Davis loved watching movies on his time off during his service in the U.S. Navy, and moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in film. After attending the Los Angeles Film School, he became the course director there, teaching the fundamentals of screenwriting, film production, editing aesthetics, and sound design, as well as film history. Afterwards, he became an adjunct faculty member at Santa Monica College. Currently, Drew is the production coordinator at SMC, assisting students with equipment, production methodology, and production logistics.
Profile Image of Drew Jackson
Drew Jackson View biography
Drew Jackson is retired from teaching elementary school and now pursues his two artistic loves: photography (drewjackson.net) and home brewing beer. After traveling with hundreds of students over many years, Drew found that he enjoyed the benefits of group travel; upon retirement, working with Road Scholar was a perfect fit. Eight years and over 60 programs later, Drew and his wife Mary stay busy with both intergenerational and adult programs in Northern California – from hiking Yosemite to exploring the coastal village of Mendocino.
Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop
You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
Images of America: Palm Springs
by Moya Henderson, Palm Springs Historical Society
Learn about the history of Palm Springs from the time of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, the original inhabitants of this harsh desert region, through the discover of the spring by a U.S. government survey party, to the development of the Palm Springs we experience today.
The Movie Business Book 4th Ed.
by Jason E. Squire
Drawing from a variety of experts in an industry that has seen major disruptions and technology advancements over the years, this is a must-read for film students and industry newcomers. A definitive sourcebook, it covers the nuts-and-bolts details about financing, revenue streams, marketing, globalization, micro-budgets and much more.





Important registration tip:
If you want to attend the live lecture, please do not wait until the last minute to enroll.
If you enroll after a lecture is complete, we’ll send you a recording of the event.