MY HUSBAND MAKES MOVIES II: BILLY LIAR

MY HUSBAND MAKES MOVIES II

A JOHN SCHLESINGER FILM FESTIVAL
A Benefit For The Palm Springs Cultural Center
Celebrating John Schlesinger’s Centennial
Jan 19 – Mar 30 | 6:30PM Opening Remarks | 7PM Film

Join me, Michael Childers, for a special centennial celebration honoring the visionary work of my late husband, director John Schlesinger. This second season of My Husband Makes Movies continues our tribute to John’s legacy as a filmmaker, while deepening the conversation around his fearless exploration of humanity through the art of cinema.

This year’s festival highlights the extraordinary range of John’s career—from early British realism and breakthrough classics like Billy Liar and A Kind of Loving, to sweeping literary adaptations, intimate character pieces, and late-period thrillers that challenge expectations of his work. Together, these films reveal the curiosity, daring, and emotional insight that defined John’s storytelling across decades of cultural change.

Each evening begins in the Historic Camelot Theatre at the Palm Springs Cultural Center with onstage conversations featuring actors, filmmakers, and collaborators who worked with John and witnessed his creative genius firsthand. Afterwards, we’ll screen these remarkable films on the big screen—a rare opportunity to rediscover his artistry as it was meant to be seen: bold, challenging, beautiful, and deeply human.

I look forward to celebrating John’s centennial with you, and to sharing the films, memories, and inspiration that continue to shape the legacy of a truly remarkable artist.

— Michael Childers

All proceeds from this benefit festival will support the Revival Film Program at the Palm Springs Cultural Center, helping to ensure classic cinema continues to thrive for future generations.

JAN 19 | Billy Liar (1963)

Tom Courtenay, Julie Christie

Schlesinger’s breakthrough feature captures the restless imagination of youth with wit, melancholy, and astonishing visual invention. Tom Courtenay’s dreamer and Julie Christie’s luminous free spirit embody the director’s fascination with identity, escape, and the limits of one’s own fantasies.