The 2025 Palm Springs International Film Festival Thursday unveiled its Talking Pictures lineup, featuring discussions with celebrated actors and filmmakers.
Following a screening of “A Real Pain” on the festival’s opening day, Jan. 2, Jesse Eisenberg will field questions and give insight on his comedy drama about two mismatched cousins. Eisenberg produced, directed, wrote and acted in the movie, receiving Golden Globe nominations in three separate categories.
His co-star, Kieran Culkin, is set to receive the Breakthrough Performer Award during the festival.
Fellow Golden Globe nominee Colman Domingo will be in Palm Springs the following day to discuss “Sing Sing,” a drama about a falsely incarcerated man who finds a form of escapism in a prison theatre group. Domingo, who was nominated for an Oscar earlier this year for the film “Rustin,” plays ex-prisoner John “Divine G” Whitfield alongside a cast made up mostly of Rehabilitation Through the Arts graduates.
The real Whitfield is an executive producer on the film, along with Domingo, a Spotlight Award recipient at PSIFF 2025.
“Babygirl,” starring International Star Award honoree Nicole Kidman, will be shown at Palm Springs High School, after which Kidman and director Halina Reijn will participate in a Q&A. The film follows a powerful CEO who takes a personal and career risk by starting an affair with a younger intern.
Reijn, best known for being at the helm of “Bodies Bodies Bodies,” is also being recognized at Variety’s Creative Impact Awards as part of its annual “10 Directors to Watch” program. Kidman, meanwhile, picked up her 20th Golden Globe nomination as the movie’s lead — she has won six times before.
Angelina Jolie’s new biopic about the final days of American-Greek opera singer Maria Callas, “Maria,” is also part of Talking Pictures. Jolie, another Globes nominee, will pick up a Desert Palm Achievement Award on the same day of the screening and Q&A.
“Maria” is the third entry in Pablo LarraÃn’s unofficial trilogy on famous 20th century women, joining 2016’s “Jackie” and 2021’s “Spencer.”
Director Jacques Audiard and actors Karla Sofia Gascón, Zoe Saldaña, Selena Gomez and Edgar RamÃrez, collective recipients of this year’s Vanguard Award for their work in “Emilia Pérez,” are also part of Talking Pictures on Jan. 4. The film’s official synopsis describes it as an “audacious fever dream” about a cartel boss who recruits an underappreciated lawyer to fake a death in order to complete a long-held goal of transitioning into a woman.
Premiering in May at the Cannes Film Festival, “Emilia Pérez” earned the Jury Prize, and its four main actresses shared the Best Actress honor. The Netflix-distributed musical also placed as runner-up for the People’s Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival, and Audiard was given the Silver Medallion at this year’s Telluride Film Festival.
The final selection, “Wicked,” will have an extended introduction by Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande and director Jon M. Chu. Adapted to the silver screen from the three-time Tony Award-winning Steven Schwartz musical, the film sees Elphaba (Erivo), misunderstood as a university student in the land of Oz, form an unlikely friendship with the privileged Glinda (Grande).
Grande was previously announced as the 2025 Rising Star Award recipient at the film festival. Erivo will be given the Creative Impact in Acting Award during Variety’s event.
After the “Wicked” screening, PSIFF 2025 will continue through Jan. 13.