AT Palm Springs International Film Festival (3)
Jian, Susan and Lisa, brushing shoulders with the stars at PSIFF
I heard the cheers and yelling from the balcony of my hotel room before arriving at the 23rd Annual International Awards Gala. I realized the walk on the red carpet had already started. Lisa and I rushed to the hotel lobby in our evening gowns and high heels and joined Susan to go to the Palm Springs Convention Center located half a block away where the Awards Gala was held.
The dark night was illuminated by flashlights from countless cameras as hundreds of people lined up on both sides of the street to watch the arrival of film stars. Everyone attending the Gala appeared as glamorous in their tuxedos and evening dresses as the stars.
The stars. I had never seen any film stars in person before. Watching them step out of their stretch limos and hearing the roar of the crowd, it felt so unreal. Through a forest of raised cameras, I saw George Clooney posing for the paparazzi, Tom Hanks waving, and Jessica Chastain smiling…. Lisa couldn’t resist the temptation to take snap shots of a few stars with her iPhone.
We filed into the Convention Center slowly, accompanied by the clicking and flashing of cameras. We found Ellis and Gillian, already inside, waiting for us at the entrance of the enormous auditorium where formal dinning tables were set up for a record attendance of 1,900 people. A large bunch of purple tulips was displayed on each table as a center piece, lightening up the atmosphere. Waiters dressed in white and black uniforms managed to walk around offering various appetizers, and people gathered in small groups chatting or looking for more opportunities to see the stars.
We eventually made our way to our table, 401, at the 4th row from the front, a very good seating. Lisa disappeared from us to take more photos of the celebrities as they walked to their tables.
Harold Matzner, Chairman of the Festival, gave a welcome speech; Mary Hart acted as MC of the ceremony. As the evening unfolded, numerous actors and filmmakers were presented with awards, including Gary Oldman, Glenn Close, Brat Pitt, Jessica Chastain and Michelle Williams. As their awards were being announced by equally renowned actors such as Tom Hanks and Al Pacino, clippings of their performances were presented on the three large screens in the front. Waves of cheers and applause filled the auditorium.
It was amazing to see all these stars in person, and surprisingly, they appeared somehow smaller in real life than their images on the film screen.
Hours later, as we walked out of the auditorium to attend the “by-invitation only” after party at the Parker Hotel, my feet were killing me. I wonder how many of the women, who were walking with their heads up and chests high, were experiencing the same kind of pains.
Once outside, I was surprised to see hundreds of people were still waiting outside behind the security lines to see the stars. Despite the exerted efforts of traffic control, numerous limos stood still on the street, unable to move on. There was no way for Ellis to get his car anytime soon, so we walked the short distance to our hotel. By the time he finally came to take us to the after party, Susan and I had changed into more comfortable shoes, though Lisa braved through the rest of the night in her high heels.
Jian Ping, author of Mulberry Child: A Memoir of China, which has been made into a feature-length documentary film by Susan Morgan Cooper and narrated by Jacqueline Bisset.
Tags: Al Pacino, Gala, Gary Oldman, George Clooney, Glenn Close, Jessica Chastain, Mary Hart, Palm Springs Convention Center, Palm Springs International Film Festival, Tom Hanks
