Staff Report
City Council
Item No. 4.A
Meeting Date: August 26, 2026
From: Ryan Hunt, Director of Communications & Engagement Title: Approval of Sponsorship Agreement for the 2027 Palm Springs International Film Festival
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council:
Approve the Platinum Level Sponsorship Agreement with the Palm Springs International Film Society for the 2027 Palm Springs International Film Festival in the amount of $90,000 in financial sponsorship and $20,000 in in-kind support services; and
Authorize the City Manager to execute the Sponsorship Agreement and any associated sponsorship forms on behalf of the City.
BACKGROUND:
The Palm Springs International Film Society (“PSIFS”) is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting and advancing the art and language of film through education and cultural exchange. Its signature event, the Palm Springs International Film Festival (“PSIFF”), ranks among the largest film festivals in North America, presenting an extensive slate of Oscar®- contending and acclaimed American and international feature films and documentaries. The Festival draws attendance of more than 136,000.
The Festival’s highlight is the Palm Springs International Film Awards, held in close proximity to the Oscar® nominations. The Awards have become the social event of the season in the Coachella Valley and are a highly anticipated stop for Oscar® contenders. Cathedral City has maintained a long-standing partnership with the Palm Springs International Film Society.
The City has held Platinum Level status in recent Festival years, and the 2027 agreement continues that relationship at the same investment level as the 2026 Festival.
Most significantly, the partnership directly supports the Mary Pickford Theatre in Downtown Cathedral City, which serves as one of the Festival’s primary screening venues. The Festival period is consistently among the theatre’s most active and profitable stretches of the year, driving substantial foot traffic into the downtown core and delivering customers to surrounding businesses during the height of the season.
On July 21, 2026, Toni Merrihew, Executive Director of the Palm Springs International Film Society, along with Anne Blalock, Brand Partnerships & Membership Manager, and Society staff; Ted Hane, Vice President of Operations and General Manager of the Mary Pickford Theatre; and the City Manager and Communications & Events staff met to discuss strengthening the partnership around the theatre itself. Discussion centered on enhancing joint marketing efforts, growing attendance, and developing unique experiences at the downtown venue to generate foot traffic and support broader economic development downtown. The 2027 agreement reflects that shared focus, and staff will continue working with both partners to build on it through the Festival period.
DISCUSSION:
This sponsorship represents one of the strongest returns on investment the City receives for exposure and brand recognition, while functioning as a direct investment in local arts infrastructure. The Platinum Level provides extensive marketing benefits, including prominent logo placement throughout all festival venues, on-screen advertising during 500+ film screenings across 11 days, year-round website promotion, and recognition at the prestigious Film Awards.
Key Benefits Supporting Downtown Cathedral City:
The sponsorship directly supports the Mary Pickford Theatre, one of the Festival’s primary screening venues. The partnership brings thousands of visitors into Downtown Cathedral City, benefiting local businesses and showcasing the downtown core to an international audience during the height of the season.
Marketing and Exposure Value:
The agreement provides year-round exposure across multiple channels, including a :30 second City commercial before all film screenings, inclusion in the official pre-screening trailer, a full-page advertisement in the Festival souvenir program book, four dedicated social media posts, and logo placement on the PSIFS home page. In recognition of the City’s long- standing relationship, PSIFS has upgraded two of the standard Platinum benefits: social media posts increase from two to four, and the Film Awards table expands from 10 seats to 14 total guests.
Community Engagement Opportunities:
Family Day, hosted at the City’s Community Amphitheater on January 16, 2027, offers residents free access to Festival programming while showcasing a municipal facility to a regional audience. The City receives a booth at the event, including Family Day on-screen advertising, and recognition on Family Day social posts. The agreement also provides substantial ticket and hospitality benefits, including sponsor and premiere passes, reserved seating at Opening and Closing Night, and 40 screening vouchers.
In-Kind Services:
The City will provide $20,000 in in-kind support, including promotion at three Cathedral City billboards, festival banner placement along Highway 111/Palm Canyon and in Town Square from December 14, 2026, through January 18, 2027, closure of Pickfair Street with permit fees waived, and no-cost use of the Community Amphitheater and City-owned event equipment for Family Day. PSIFS will provide an In-Kind valuation form for the City to complete for accounting and tax record-keeping purposes.
Sponsor materials are due to PSIFS on a rolling schedule beginning September 1, 2026, with the majority of artwork, logo, and social content due October 15, 2026. Staff will manage production and delivery within existing departmental resources.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The total sponsorship investment is $110,000 — $90,000 in financial sponsorship plus $20,000 in in-kind support services. Funding for the financial contribution is available in the Communications & Events budget for Fiscal Year 2026-27. In-kind services are absorbed through existing City operations, including staff-directed billboard placement, banner installation, permit fee waivers, and use of the Community Amphitheater and City-owned event equipment.
The exposure secured through this agreement — including a :30 commercial before 500+ screenings, festival-wide signage, souvenir book advertising, and year-round digital placement — would cost substantially more to purchase through traditional advertising channels.
Beyond marketing value, the sponsorship functions as a direct investment in the Mary Pickford Theatre. As a primary Festival screening venue, the theatre experiences one of its strongest revenue periods during the Festival, and the resulting downtown foot traffic benefits surrounding restaurants, retail, and entertainment businesses.
FIVE-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN:
This action supports Goal F-3: Promote additional community events and celebrations, and advances Goal D — Economic Development, under which Cathedral City is recognized as a premier tourism and entertainment destination in the Coachella Valley, with a strong business environment that attracts and retains visitors and benefits the community.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. City of Cathedral City PSIFF 2027 Sponsorship Agreement