PALM SPRINGS – A one-time screening of the feature film “The Public” followed by Q&A with the director and star Emilio Estevez is set for Saturday, Jan. 5 at 3:15 p.m. at the Richards Center for the Arts at the Palm Springs High School.

The special screening is made possible by the 30th annual Palm Springs International Film Festival (PSIFF) in partnership with Palm Springs Speaks: A Speaker Series for the second year.

Tickets can be purchased online at the Palm Springs International Film Festival web site www.psfilmfest.org.

Written and directed by Emilio Estevez, who also stars in the film alongside an ensemble cast including Alec Baldwin, Jena Malone, Christian Slater, Gabrielle Union, Taylor Schilling, Jacob Vargas, Michael Kenneth Williams, and Jeffrey Wright, tells a timely tale. In “The Public,” an unusually bitter Arctic blast has made its way to downtown Cincinnati and the front doors of the public library where the action of the film takes place. The story revolves around the library patrons, many of whom are homeless, mentally ill and marginalized, as well as an exhausted and overwhelmed staff of librarians who often act as “de-facto social workers” and care for those regular patrons.  At odds with library officials over how to handle the extreme weather event, the patrons turn the building into a homeless shelter for the night by staging an “Occupy” sit in.  What begins as an act of civil disobedience becomes a stand-off with police and a rush-to-judgment media constantly speculating about what’s really happening inside the building.  The story tackles some of our nation’s most challenging issues, including homelessness and mental illness, and sets the dramedy inside one of the last bastions of democracy-in-action: your public library.

Following the screening Estevez will answer audience questions. A ticketed reception will follow the screening at the Palm Springs Public Library catered by LuLu California Bistro and sponsored by Momentous, Vaso Bello Celebrations, and Diageo.

Attendees will be able to speak with Estevez and other guests about the film. Tickets can be purchased online as early as Dec. 16 for American Express card members at the Palm Springs International Film Festival web site www.psfilmfest.org and are $25 for the screening only and $60 for the screening and reception.