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2025 Palm Springs International ShortFest Will Screen Over 300 Films

June 17, 2025 by Harold Matzner

The Palm Springs International ShortFest, the world’s largest short film festival, is celebrating its 31st season from June 24-30, 2025. ShortFest will screen 311 short …

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The McCallum Theatre Announces Yvonne Bell as New CEO and Launches 2025-2026 Season Tickets

June 13, 2025June 13, 2025 by Harold Matzner

The McCallum Theatre has announced that Yvonne Belle, who has been the SVP of Development since 2021, will take over as the organization’s CEO. Yvonne …

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Spring Philanthropy Round-Up

June 11, 2025 by Harold Matzner

Harold Matzner is proud to support the Desert’s many nonprofits that strengthen our Coachella Valley community, including these four events from the 2024-2025 season.   …

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Date Change: 2026 Palm Springs International Film Awards Moved To January 3

April 30, 2025 by Harold Matzner

The Palm Springs International Film Festival announced that the date for the 2026 Film Awards Gala has been changed. The event will take place on …

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Save the Date: The 2026 Palm Springs International Film Festival Awards Gala will be Friday, January 2nd, 2026

April 3, 2025 by Harold Matzner

We are thrilled to share the date of the 2026 Palm Springs International Film Festival and Awards Gala! The 2026 awards will take place on …

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The Palm Springs International ShortFest Returns June 24-30

March 27, 2025 by Harold Matzner

The Palm Springs International Film Festival’s Immediate Past Chairman Harold Matzner invites you to the Palm Springs International ShortFest! ShortFest is returning for its 31st …

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The Palm Springs International Film Awards Predict 2025 Oscar Winners

March 5, 2025 by Harold Matzner

The Palm Springs International Film Awards started awards season on January 3rd, and the Academy Awards wrapped it up this past weekend. The Palm Springs …

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The Palm Springs International Film Awards Honorees Head to the Oscars

February 28, 2025 by Harold Matzner

The 2025 Academy Awards are this weekend! The Palm Springs International Film Awards kicked off the 2025 awards season in January and were early predictors …

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The Palm Springs International Film Festival Boosts the Coachella Valley Economy and Local Businesses

January 15, 2025 by Harold Matzner

Not only do the Palm Springs International Film Festival and Awards Gala bring culture, celebrities, and the film industry to the Coachella Valley every January, …

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The Palm Springs International Film Festival Enters Its Final Weekend: Here’s Where To Catch All The Screenings

January 10, 2025 by Harold Matzner

The Palm Springs International Film Festival’s 36th year has entered its final few days This year’s festival hosts over 158 films from 71 countries with over …

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The Best Moments from the 36th Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival Awards Gala

January 10, 2025 by Harold Matzner

On Friday, January 3rd, 2025, Hollywood’s A-List gathered at Palm Springs Convention Center to mark the official start of 2025 Awards season.  This year’s celebration …

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Colman Domingo and Selena Gomez Grace the Covers of Palm Springs Life Magazine to Celebrate the Palm Springs International Film Festival

January 10, 2025 by Harold Matzner

You may just spot a celebrity in Palm Springs during the Film Festival- if not in person, on the cover of Palm Springs Life magazine! …

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Artistic Director Lili Rodriguez previews the 2025 Palm Springs International Film Festival with KESQ

December 26, 2024 by Harold Matzner

The Palm Springs International Film Festival’s Artistic Director Lili Rodriguez spoke with KESQ about the upcoming Festival and Awards Gala. She says this year’s programming …

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The Palm Springs International Film Festival 2025 “Books To Screen” Programming

December 20, 2024 by Harold Matzner

Palm Springs Film Society has released the “Books To Screen” schedule for the 36th Annual International Film Festival! Book to Screen is a program dedicated …

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Palm Springs International Film Awards To Honor Denis Villeneuve With The Visionary Award

December 13, 2024 by Harold Matzner

The Palm Springs International Film Awards has announced that Denis Villeneuve will receive the Visionary Award for Dune: Part Two. The Film Awards will take …

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Harold Matzner
Entrepreneur, humanitarian, and philanthropist, Harold Matzner, has made his home in the desert for more than 30 years. The owner of Palm Spring’s popular Spencer’s Restaurant and CEO of a NY/NJ based branding, advertising and marketing company, Harold is credited with revitalizing the Palm Springs International Film Festival and founding the successful business concept of targeted “shared mail”.
In 2017, the year of his 80th birthday, Harold was one of the eleven men and women selected nationally by the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans as a member and inducted by Judge Clarence Thomas in the courtroom of the United States Supreme Court. Harold was also honored with a special 24-standard page birthday section in the The Desert Sun and a two-part front page story in Palm Springs Life in the November and December editions. He was honored in November 2017 by the General Patton Memorial Museum with the dedication of the Matzner Tank Pavilion and three World War II operating tanks, and in the same month was honored by the McCallum Theatre for 10 years of service as Chairman and for being the first person to give the Theatre $5 million or more.
He also rescued and revived the world famous Palm Springs Tennis Club and turned its lunchroom into Spencer’s, one of the City’s hottest see-and-be-seen restaurants. Spencer’s is named after his beloved 110-pound Siberian husky. Mr. Matzner is in his 11th year as the Chairman of the Board of the McCallum Theatre, his 14th year as Chairman of the Palm Springs International Film Festival, and is the long-time Executive Vice Chairman of the Palm Springs Art Museum. He serves on the Board of Trustees of the Eisenhower Medical Center and Barbara Sinatra Children’s Center. He also chairs several charity fundraising events each year.
He has received many awards from the charities that he supports. He has been honored by the Association of Fundraising Professionals as the “Philanthropist of the Year”, and for the past six years he has served as Honorary Chair of the local National Philanthropy Day event. He has also been recognized by Gilda’s Club as the “Man of the Year”, by the McCallum Muses as “Man of the Year”, the City of Palm Springs with the “Richard M. Milanovich Community Service Award”, as “Angel of the Year” by Angel View Children’s Foundation, as “Businessperson of the Year” by the Palm Springs Chamber of Commerce, the Virginia Waring “Lifetime Achievement Award”, “Richard M. Milanovich Humanitarian Award” by the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, and by Desert Samaritan’s as “Samaritan of the Year”, and will be honored in May by the Coachella Valley Symphony, to name a few. Mr. Matzner has been a benefactor to many other non-profits, both here and on the East coast.
Mr. Matzner is one of the Palm Springs valley’s largest donors to philanthropy and has contributed more than $70 million to area non-profits since 2000. Among the many local charities benefiting from his philanthropic efforts are the Barbara Sinatra Children’s Center, AIDS Assistance Program, Desert Symphony, American Cancer Society, The Living Desert, Cabot’s Pueblo Museum, Coachella Valley Symphony, General Patton Memorial Museum, ACT for MS, College of the Desert, Eisenhower Medical Center, Desert AIDS Project, Desert Cancer Foundation, Palm Springs Animal Shelter, Jewish Family Services of the Desert, American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), StandWithUs, Neuro Vitality Center, Coachella Valley Repertory Theatre, Temple Isaiah, Bighorn BAM (Behind a Miracle), Tools for Tomorrow, Palm Springs Air Museum, Mizell Senior Center, Well in the Desert, FIND Food Bank, Pegasus Riding Academy, LGBTQ The Center, Equality California, and the Human Rights Campaign.
He is credited with the key leadership role in creating Palm Springs’ Measure J (a 1% sales tax increase that has helped to fund a $200 million downtown revitalization program, while providing an additional surplus of $12 million per year to rebuild the city’s infrastructure). He is a community activist. He earns no money from any of his activities in Palm Springs, including his restaurant, Spencer’s.
Mr. Matzner’s star is located at the foot of his friend Sonny Bono’s statue in the heart of Palm Springs.

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Harold Matzner

In 2017, the year of his 80th birthday, Harold was one of the eleven men and women selected nationally by the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans as a member and inducted by Judge Clarence Thomas.

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  • 2025 Palm Springs International ShortFest Will Screen Over 300 Films June 17, 2025
  • The McCallum Theatre Announces Yvonne Bell as New CEO and Launches 2025-2026 Season Tickets June 13, 2025
  • Spring Philanthropy Round-Up June 11, 2025
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