Palm Springs fest announces four sections

Asmaa will play in Palms Springs Arab Cinema Program.The Palm Springs Film Festival has announced a program devoted to Arab cinema as well as 40 of the official foreign-language Oscar submissions that will compete for the FIPRESCI critics awards. Desert event also announced films that will compete for the New Voices/New Visions Award and the John Schlesinger docu award. Full fest lineup will be announced later this week. "From our special showcase of new Arabian cinema to the beefed-up archival section and the inclusion of an exhibition focusing on allied arts (with the Marilyn: Intimate Exposures program), the PSIFF has kicked it up a notch," said fest director Darryl Macdonald. The Arabian Nights showcase includes films from Egypt, Algeria, Morocco, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Lebanon, Jordan and Palestinian territories. Foreign-language Oscar submissions in the Awards Buzz section include "Footnote," "Declaration of War," "Pina," "A Separation," "Miss Bala," "The Flowers of War" and "The Turin Horse." New Voices/New Visions films from emerging filmmakers, without distribution, include "Almanya, Welcome to Germany," "Generation P," "Las Acacias," "Old Goats" and "Wreckers." Contact Pat Saperstein at pat.saperstein@variety.com