Montreal director Kim Nguyen brought his possible Oscar contender War Witch to the Palm Springs International Film Festival on Sunday to drum up buzz at a festival well-attended by Academy members in town from nearby Los Angeles.

Nguyen and Rafaël Ouellet (pictured) were among an expanded Canadian contingent in Palm Springs to support the Telefilm Canada-sponsored film showcase Canada: A World of Talent.

The program, featuring 12 Canadian features, is part of a new partnership between Telefilm and the PSIFF that aims to spotlight creative strength and diversity in Canadian cinema.

Nguyen is screening his child soldier drama in Palm Springs, where a slew of other Oscar contenders, including A-list Hollywood actors, are showing their latest projects as awards season gets underway.

“With a rich and diverse lineup of over a dozen Canadian features and coproductions in this year’s Festival, Canada continues its tradition of being a mainstay of quality filmmaking for us, and Telefilm Canada has been at the forefront of that surge in both creative artistry and broader recognition the country’s national cinema has received,” said Palm Springs festival director Darryl Macdonald in December of the partnership.

Ouellet’s Camion, Ruba Nadda’s Inescapable, Anaïs Barbeau–Lavalette’s Inch’Allah, Yung Chang’s The Fruit Hunters and Sara St. Onge’s Molly Maxwell are also screening as part of the Canadian film program.

The Palm Springs Canadian showcase is the latest piece in Telefilm’s ramped-up strategy to promote Canadian films internationally.

The Palm Springs International Film Festival runs Jan. 3 to 14, 2013.

Photo: Rafaël Ouellet (Camion) and Kim Nguyen (War Witch) at the event in honour of Canadian talent held Sunday during the Palm Springs International Film Festival. By Chelsea Lauren/WireImage courtesy Telefilm Canada.