The Palm Springs Intl. spotlights Oscar contenders and international heavyweights. The Film Festival opens its 36th edition with “Better Man,” a bold crowd-pleaser in which British pop star Robbie Williams’ character in the film appears as a CG chimpanzee and tells his life story.

“It is touching and offers a unique and personal perspective on fame and resilience,” says PSIFF artistic director Liliana Rodri-guez of the unconventional biopic directed by Michael Gracey (“The Greatest Showman”). “It’s fun to set the tone for the festival.”

The 2025 slate includes 164 films from 71 countries and ends January 13 with Peter Cattaneo’s “The Penguin Lessons,” starring Steve Coogan. The desert festival is a trusted destination for awards contenders, as this year’s Film Awards on January 3 celebrate high-profile stars Mikey Madison (“Anora”), Timothée Chalamet (“A Complete Unknown”) and Adrien Brody (“The Brutalist”) . , Nicole Kidman (“Babygirl”), Kieran Culkin (“A Real Pain”), Angelina Jolie (“Maria”), Ariana Grande (“Wicked”), director Denis Villeneuve (“Dune: Part Two”) and the cast of “Conclave” and “Emilia Perez”. On Jan. 4, Variety’s “10 Directors to Watch” and “Creative Impact Awards” brunch will honor “Emilia Pérez” director Jacques Audiard, Grande’s “Wicked” co-star Cynthia Erivo and “Unstoppable” actress Jennifer Lopez.

Colman Domingo, 2024 winner for “Rustin,” returns to receive the festival’s Spotlight Award. In Greg Kwedar’s “Sing Sing,” he gives an emotional performance as John “Divine G” Whitfield, an incarcerated man who finds meaning in theater while fighting for exoneration.

“’Sing Sing’ is very special to me because during this time it is even more powerful to tell stories that help heal us all,” says Domingo. “I feel like all the paths of my 34-year career have led to the work that I was able to lead and support in this film.”

Domingo and the stars of “Emilia Pérez,” “Wicked,” “Maria” and “Babygirl” will also join the popular Talking Pictures post-screening series, while legendary costume designer and Palm Springs native Bob Mackie (“Bob Mackie: Naked Illusion”), Alan Cumming (“Drive Back Home”) and Billy Zane (“Waltzing With Brando”) are among the other guests expected at the festival with their films.

Writer-director Rachel Feldman and star Patricia Clarkson will screen “Lilly,” about equal pay activist Lilly Ledbetter and her groundbreaking 2007 lawsuit against Goodyear Tires. A former chairwoman of the DGA Women’s Steering Committee and an advocate for gender equality in Hollywood, Feldman made the film with support from Ledbetter, who died in October.

“An ordinary woman facing injustice and not realizing she has what it takes to do something extraordinary – it’s a transformational story,” Feldman says of the film. “It’s heartbreaking that Lilly passed away when we premiered the film at festivals, but she saw the finished product…She was very proud to have Patricia Clarkson represent her on screen and was thrilled that her story would inspire others would.”

Held in Palm Springs and Cathedral City, PSIFF expands throughout the Coachella Valley this year with the addition of a La Quinta venue, while sidebar “Family Day” is in its second year to young cinephiles with Latvia’s animated Oscar entry “Flow,” a science fiction animated film, welcomes “The Day the Earth Exploded: A Looney Tunes Movie” and Rachel Houses Māori coming-of-age dramedy The Mountain.

A rich selection of 35 international Oscar submissions will be shown, including shortlisted entries such as “I’m Still Here” by Walter Salles (Brazil), “The Seed of the Sacred Fig” by Mohammad Rasoulof (Germany) and “Dahomey” by Mati Diop (Senegal). PSIFF brings as many shortlisted international artists into conversation as possible, each year hosting collegial relationships that will last through a long awards season.

“It’s one of my favorite things because these filmmakers who were at the festival and awards shows rarely get a chance to breathe, meet and talk,” Rodriguez says. “And here they do it.”