Telefilm Canada is kicking off its international push for Canadian films in 2013 by partnering with the Palm Springs International Film Festival.

The festival, which runs Jan. 3 to 14, will screen 12 Canadian films this year – more than any other country represented at the festival, other than the U.S., according to a release from Telefilm.

“The festival is important strategically due to its prestige and visibility, and the films selected here enjoy widespread recognition and outstanding promotion,” said Telefilm executive director Carolle Brabant in a statement.

“The American market has become increasingly receptive to our cinema. Telefilm is encouraging this breakthrough that is positively impacting our industry in terms of audience numbers and business opportunities. Our participation at the Palm Springs International Film Festival allows us to showcase al of the terrific Canadian selections,” she added.

Amongst the 12 Canadian films that will screen in Palm Springs are Canada’s official Oscar selection for best foreign language film, Kim Nguyen’s War Witch, along with Anaïs Barbeau-Lavalette’s Inch’Allah, Deepa Mehta’s Midnight’s Children, and Peter Mettler’s feature doc The End of Time.

The films will be presented under a special initiative called Canada: A World of Talent. The program will also include networking for filmmakers with industry reps and media members.

Telefilm will participate in other promotional activities, including an e-broadcast to an international subscriber base of 17,000 people that will include trailers of some of the Canadian films screening at the festival, and a reception following the War Witch screening. The organization will also host an informational event for Telefilm’s private donation Talent Fund, hosted by Canadian philanthropists Carol and Paul Hill.

And Telefilm is also part of the consortium behind  Palm Springs Speaks French, which in collaboration with agencies from Quebec, France, Switzerland and Belgium, will celebrate French-language cinema.

The full list of Canadian films that will screen at Palm Springs is as follows:

• Camion, Rafaël Ouellet
• Inch’Allah, Anaïs Barbeau-Lavalette
• Inescapable, Ruba Nadda
• Laurence Anyways, Xavier Dolan
• Margarita, Laurie Colbert and Dominique Cordoba
• Midnight’s Children, Deepa Mehta
• Molly Maxwell, Sara St. Onge
• Still, Michael McGowan
• The End of Time (feature-length documentary), Peter Mettler
• The Final Member (feature-length documentary), Jonah Bekhor and Zach Math
• The Fruit Hunters (feature-length documentary), Yung Chang
• War Witch (Rebelle), Kim Nguyen

The 24th Palm Springs International Film Festival runs Jan. 3 to 14 in California.