MUMBAI: Oscar contenders Lee Daniels, Rob Marshall and Lone Scherfig are scheduled to take part in on-stage interviews following screenings of Precious, Nine and An Education at the 21st Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival‘s (PSIFF).

The new programme designed to focus on select Academy Awards frontrunners 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 Australia‘s Samson & Delilah director Warwick Thornton; and Felix van Groeningen and his Belgian contender The Misfortunates.

The festival runs from 5 to 18 January.