A Desert Oasis:
The Palm Springs
Film Noir Festival

Updated--4/21/09

Get ready for the 9th annual Palm Springs Film Noir Festival. Actually, it's now called the Arthur Lyons' Film Noir Festival. Arthur Lyons passed away last year, and he was the founder, heart and soul of the festival. Fortunately, the Palm Springs Cultural Center is helping to carry on the tradition. It's going to be held May 13-16, 2010. There's no better excuse to head out to the desert.

There are several films and a few guest appearances planned over 4 days at the historical Camelot Theatre. It's located at the edge of a large shopping center at 2300 Baristo Road, a good ways away from the upscale strip where most tourists and L.A. weekenders hang out.

The beautifully renovated Camelot Theatre is a total oasis. Not only does it have a regular snackbar, but it also has an adjoining cafe with everything from beer to smoothees, to blended coffee drinks, to luscious sandwiches and more.

There are outdoor tables with cooling misters, and the upstairs bar has little tables both inside and outside on a balcony (for cooler evenings, I presume). All in all, a very civil place to see a film (or host a Palm Springs film noir festival!)

If the weather is in the triple digits (as it was a couple years ago), it's fun to step out into the bright, unrelenting heat and take a walk around the outside of the mall to stretch one's legs. The mall itself seems fairly deserted, depressing and very bland. But it only makes stepping back into the dark, cool theater filled with fellow film noir lovers and watching the screen light up with rare gems all that more delicious.

See the 2010 Palm Springs film noir festival site. I especially like this festival because they offer matinees as well as evening shows. You can get tickets at the door or at the Camelot Theatre's website. The All-Access Pass usually includes screenings and opening night and closing night festivities.

Return from the Palm Springs Film Noir Festival page and return to the main noir festival page.

Film Noir Alley home page