Back from the 2014 Palm Beach International Film Festival

by TC Kirkham · April 23, 2014

The sun-splashed 2014 Palm Beach International Film Festival has come to an exciting conclusion, and I’ve ended the daily commute on I-95 in South Florida to take stock of this whirlwind week in Palm Beach County.

Two and a half years ago I moved here, making PBIFF my new hometown festival. Towards the end of 2012 I was invited to become a member of the Programming Board for the 2013 festival. Prior to that point I’d covered 62 film festivals as a journalist. Now I had the honor of being one of those fortunate folks who screens submissions and helps select those which will be accepted for the lineup.

I did not take this responsibility lightly, as I’ve been on the receiving end of programmers’ choices for years and know how critical it is for both attendees as well as filmmakers. I was also given the opportunity to introduce the movies and host the Q&As for the screenings I attended — after all, I’ve observed thousands — and enjoyed this role immensely. The quality of the lineup was truly extraordinary, resulting in one of the most memorable cinematic experiences I’d had in the eight years I’d been a film fest journalist, multiplied by the fact that I had a hand in the program selections. It was truly a joy.