palm springs international film festival

Snow White re-imagined as a Spanish bull-fighter, a '70s-era drag queen hoping to adopt a boy with Down syndrome, a Mormon teenager who gets pregnant from a Blondie song, and a young lesbian nun who must decide between God and her lover — these are just some of the compelling characters in the films being shown at the Palm Springs International Film Festival right now.

Many of us aren't lucky to be sitting in theater seats at the fest this weekend, but we can make note of the films to watch when they're (hopefully) released on the big screen or on DVD. And what better way to get a feel for a film than by watching its trailer? We've rounded up the trailers for the PSIFF films that intrigued us the most, and the diverse group includes foreign films, thrillers, romances, and even a black-and-white silent film. Some may even be potential Oscar contenders (nominations are announced next week). Watch them now, and let us know below which ones you'll be checking out!

Charlize Theron was presented with her second award of the weekend yesterday at Variety's annual brunch during the Palm Springs International Film Festival. The Young Adult star looked lovely in a bold Reed Krakoff dress as she accepted her Indie Impact Award. Her leading man in the film, Patton Oswalt, was on hand to present her with the honor and gushed about the time he spent working with her. When Charlize tried to hide behind her napkin, he joked, "Don't hide that beautiful face. It's keeping the bees alive with its beautiful sunshine!"

The duo formed a close friendship on the set of their Diablo Cody-penned film. Charlize, Diablo, and Patton all joined director Jason Reitman on Saturday night to accept their shared accolade for best creative ensemble at the Palm Springs annual gala. Yesterday, Charlize took the podium alone to pick up her individual honor, and gave a thoughtful and funny speech from the podium. Here are some highlights:

• On being humbled by her Indie Impact Award: "I know I've had an impact on donuts, wine, and vodka — and designer handbags — but I know that indie world has definitely had an impact on me, and so maybe I can talk a little bit about that. I think my career could have been very different, and I feel 100 percent sure that I have the career I have today because of independent film making . . . And I'm pointing at all of you who are here today who had the balls to believe in me. I'm speaking particularly of Patty Jenkins who wrote and directed Monster."
• On being addicted to great producers: "When you work with a good producer it's, I guess, like that first hit of crystal meth. I don't know, I haven't done that one yet. But you chase it."
• On taking chances: "I want to thank all of those filmmakers — even the bad ones — for giving me jobs and for letting me fall on my face. But mostly just letting me be brave to do things that I don't think naturally would have come my way. I'm not naïve to think that those things would have been handed to me, and so I'm very grateful that I've had those opportunities.
• On her costar Patton Oswalt: "I've been naked with [Patton]. There's a sexy man under that suit."