2007 Beverly Hills Film Festival (3/26/07)

2007 Beverly Hills Film Festival
OPENS WITH SPECIAL SCREENING OF
WHO LOVES THE SUN
STARRING MOLLY PARKER AND LUKAS HAAS 

Opening Night hosts World Premieres of Selected Short Films

Los Angeles (March 26, 2007)  The 7th Annual International Beverly
Hills Film Festival (BHFF) www.beverlyhillsfilmfestival.com
presents the 2007 line-up of 50 competition films. The festival
kicks-off with a Special Screening of Who Loves the Sun, directed by
Matt Bissonnette and starring Molly Parker (Deadwood,” “The Good
Shepherd”) and Lukas Haas (“Brick,” “Alpha Dog”) on April 11th, at the
Clarity Theater (100 North Crescent Drive, Beverly Hills) at 8:00 p.m.
The film is preceded by the Los Angeles Premiere of the
9/11-fictionalized short, “Falling Man,” directed by Kevin Ackerman.
The after party will be held at the Camden House in Beverly Hills (430
N. Camden Drive).

The BHFF hosts Guild-sponsored panel discussions and networking events,
and culminates in the Closing Night Awards Gala held at the Beverly
Hills Hotel (9641 Sunset Blvd.) on April 15, 2007. This year, the Gala
is held in honor of Hearts of Hope Foundation, Inc.
(www.heartsofhopefoundation.com), a philanthropic organization
dedicated to providing support to non-profit organizations that are
making a difference in our local, state, national and international
communities in the areas of poverty, sickness, education, abandonment
and abuse.

“Who Loves the Sun” is a witty character comedy, featuring Will
Morrison (Lukas Haas) and Daniel Bloom (Adam Scott) who were the best
of friends. They grew up together, went to the same schools, liked the
same records and loved the same girls. Daniel was Will’s best man at
his wedding to Maggie Claire (Molly Parker). Then one day Will
disappeared without a word. Half a decade later he re-surfaces and sets
off a tsunami of unforeseeable events. “Falling Man” features a Windows
on the World Restaurant waiter that is sent down to the 103rd floor to
deliver a brown bag breakfast but cannot find the Canter-Fitzgerald
employee who placed the order, nor anyone else. It’s 9:41 a.m. on
September 11, 2001.

World Premieres of the shorts “Fetch,” directed by Daniel Bernhardt and
“The Happiest Day of His Life” by Five Sisters Productions will also
screen Opening Night at 7:00 p.m.

Festival director Nino Simone says, “This is a rare competition
festival due to the fact that it is located in the affluent city of
Beverly Hills, yet, we cater to truly raw, hard-hitting and original
independent films, providing them an opportunity to screen in the
backyard of the entertainment industry. This year, we are once again
seeing many films that are global in scope, detailing the effects of
war on the human condition.”

-more-

BHFF / page 2

The Jury
Jury members include Mark Amin, chairman of Lions Gate Films; legendary
Russian director Mikhail Vardonov (“Parajanov: The Last Spring”); Emmy
Award-winning journalist Laura Lucio; John Daly, producer (“The Last
Emperor,” “Platoon”) and director (BHFF Golden Palm winner of 2005,
“The Aryan Couple”); producer/director Hector Sandoval (award-winning
documentary “Kordavision”); producer/director Michael Feifer; producer
Lawrence Kubik; and Steven Paul, CEO and president of Crystal Sky.

Seminars
Seminars with industry panelists include: Dialogue with ASC World-Class
Cinematographers presented by the American Society of Cinematographers
on Saturday, April 14 at the Clarity Theater Atrium at noon. (More to
be announced. Please see Website for updates.)

Awards
The BHFF Jury judges for the following categories: Golden Palm Award
(best film in all categories); Best Feature; Best Documentary; Best
Short Film; Best Director of Photography; Best Editor; and the Golden
Palm Screenplay Competition Award. Audience Choice Awards include Best
Feature; Best Documentary; Best Short Film; Best Director; Best Male
Performance; Best Female Performance; Best Producer; Best Screenplay;
and Best Animation.

About BHFF
The annual International Beverly Hills Film Festival was founded in
2001 by award-winning independent filmmaker Nino Simone. The event is
dedicated to showcasing and promoting non-studio films to the
entertainment industry. Designed to bridge the world of premiere
independent cinema with the renowned community of Beverly Hills, the
festival hosts world-class screenings, networking events and industry
seminars. Sponsors include the International Luxury Society, First
Draft, Imperia Vodka, Camden House, Writer’s Guild of America and the
American Society of Cinematographers.

Tickets are available online at www.beverlyhillsfilmfestival.com or by
calling the BHFF office at 310.779.1206. Prices range from $10.00 per
screening to $250.00 for the Awards Gala. Screening Passes ($150.00)
and VIP Festival Passes ($450.00) are also available. All WGAw, SAG,
ASC and ACE members receive a 15% discount on all screening and seminar
tickets and passes. Screenings are held at the state-of-the-art
Clarity Theater (100 North Crescent Drive) in Beverly Hills,
California.

About Hearts of Hope
The goal of Hearts of Hope Foundation, Inc., is to bring hope by
attempting to provide restoration and healing to all people regardless
of race, creed, color or national origins who have faced adversities. A
special part of the Hearts of Hope Foundation, Inc., is a Children’s
Charity Program established to provide a helping hand to children who
suffer from poverty, hunger, sickness, lack of education, abandonment,
abuse or neglect. Founder, Rebecca Lawlor says, "Hearts of Hope came
to mind because it’s all hearts working together to bring hope to those
in need, sharing our hearts and working for those less fortunate." For
more information, please visit www.heartsofhopefoundation.com

###

MEDIA ALERT FOR WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 2007

2007 Beverly Hills Film Festival
OPENING NIGHT:

SPECIAL SCREENING OF
“WHO LOVES THE SUN”
STARRING MOLLY PARKER AND LUKAS HAAS

What: The 7th Annual International Beverly Hills Film Festival (BHFF)
presents the 2007 line-up of 50 competition films. The festival
kicks-off with a Special Screening of “Who Loves the Sun,” directed by
Matt Bissonnette and starring Molly Parker (“Deadwood,” “The Good
Shepherd”) and Lukas Haas (“Brick,” “Alpha Dog”). The film is preceded
by the Los Angeles Premiere of the 9/11-fictionalized short, “The
Falling Man,” directed by Kevin Ackerman, as well as World Premieres of
the shorts “Fetch,” directed by Daniel Bernhardt and “The Happiest Day
of His Life,” directed by Ursula Burton.

When: Wednesday, April 11th, at 7:45 p.m.
Media Check-in: 5:45 p.m. Red Carpet Arrivals: 6:15  7:45 p.m.
Film Program I: 7:00  7:45 p.m. (World Premieres of Fetch and The
Happiest Day of His Life)
Film Program II: 7:45  9:45 p.m. (Falling Man and Who Loves the
Sun)

Where: Clarity Theater (100 North Crescent Drive, Beverly Hills)
After-party immediately following at Camden House (430 N. Camden
Drive, Beverly Hills)
Media
Contact: Heather Burgett, [email protected] or 310.452.9133

About BHFF
The annual International Beverly Hills Film Festival was founded in
2001 by award-winning independent filmmaker Nino Simone. The 2007
event, from April 11  15, is dedicated to showcasing and promoting
non-studio films to the entertainment industry. Designed to bridge the
world of premiere independent cinema with the renowned community of
Beverly Hills, the festival hosts world-class screenings, networking
events and industry seminars. Sponsors include the International Luxury
Society, First Draft, Imperia Vodka, Drobe Clothing, Camden House,
Writers Guild of America and the American Society of Cinematographers.
This year, the Awards Gala is held in honor of Hearts of Hope
Foundation, Inc. (www.heartsofhopefoundation.com)