Lee Daniels, Rob Marshall and Lone Scherfig will take part in on-stage interviews following screenings of Precious, Nineand An Education under the auspices of the 21st Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival’s (PSIFF) Talking Pictures: The Contenders series.

The new programme is designed to focus on select Academy Awards frontrunners and includes a panel of four directors of strong foreign-language Oscar contenders.

Discussing their careers, work and the ways in which their films reflect current events and issues in their countries will be Switzerland’s Ursula Meier, director of Home; Yaron Shani and Scandar Copti, directors of Israeli drama Ajami (pictured); Australia’s Samson & Delilah director Warwick Thornton; and Felix van Groeningen and his Belgian contender The Misfortunates.

The festival runs from January 5-18, 2010.

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