California: On Saturday, January 3rd, 2026, the highly anticipated Palm Springs International Film Awards took place. The reason why Leonardo DiCaprio was unable to attend the Awards function was due to flight cancellations from the ongoing military operations in Venezuela.
He is currently in St. Barths on vacation.
The “Catch Me If You Can” star Leonardo DiCaprio could not participate in the awards physically but sent a pre-recorded message about his most recent movie “, One Battle After Another.”
The movie was shot on VistaVision, a movie format that was first used in the 1950s and was eventually discontinued. According to Leonardo DiCaprio, who plays the lead in the movie, the decision to use VistaVision was not out of nostalgia.
It was a calculated decision, made from belief in scale and texture and the idea that movies must be enjoyed together in theatres.
Amid the rise of streaming services, the Titanic star, along with many other actor, is doubling down on their support for the theatres.
In the message, he further added that the idea that movies must be enjoyed together in theatres matters more than ever because original films have become harder to make and even harder to protect. He further added that he believes that stories made by people for people must be a communal experience.
In his message, he also shared the first time he was mesmerised by Cinematic storytelling. It was when he went to the Visa theatre with his father.
His father used to take him to movies in Los Angeles at the Vista Theatre. He used to live four blocks away. That place is now home to one of the last operational VistaVision projectors on earth.
The actor further stated that it was that time that he finally understood the impact of cinema. He felt the power of cinema while sitting in a dark room with his father and watching something bigger than himself. He realised how deeply movies can move all of us.
Also read: Leonardo DiCaprio regrets working with Martin Scorsese
