Actor Stacey Keach returns to the big screen in “Imbued," the latest production from California filmmaker Rob Nilsson. Syracuse film lovers will have the chance to meet the filmmaker on Friday, Feb. 26, at 7:30 p.m. at the Palace Theatre, 2384 James St., Syracuse, courtesy of the Syracuse International Film Festival.

Nilsson will bring his recently released film for a CNY screening. The film will be introduced by Keach and his co-star, New York actress Liz Sklar. Keach is recovering from recent surgery, but will be at the Palace via a taped segment. Following the film, Nilsson and Keach will talk with attendees and fans via a SKYPE link-up.

In “Imbued,” Keach portrays an aging gambler, Donatello, who confronts his demons during a night spent in the high-rise apartment of a friend. Sklar meets Donatello when she arrives at the apartment unexpectedly.

“Imbued,” which was recently released, has been shown only in selected theaters.

Nilsson, who is known for his award-winning films “Presque Isle” and “Northern Lights,” visited Syracuse in April 2009 as a judge for the Syracuse International Film Festival. He is a winner of the Palm d’Or at The Cannes Film Festival and is known for his highly stylized, gritty filmmaking.

Nilsson is a pioneer in digital filmmaking, being one of the first to use purely digital methods to create his pieces. Editor Chikara Motomura and producer Kevin Winterfield joined Nilsson in the late 1990s to promote digital filmmaking as a way to decrease the budget requirements for producing independent films and to create an intimate aesthetic that pre-dates “reality TV.”

Nilsson’s work was also included in an important retrospective last month at the Anthology Film Archives (http://www.thefanzine.com/articles/film/404.)  

Tickets for “Imbued” ($10; $8 seniors and students) will be available at the door of the Palace Theatre on Feb. 26. To reserve a block of tickets or for more information, call the Film Festival office at (315) 443-8826.

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