BE ENTERTAINED WITH THE PBIFF
By: Hope Wilkos, Writer/Blogger Photographer: George Whylie Videographer: Maxine NolanThe curtain rises and the Palm Beach International Film Festival takes to the stage for another winning performance as it gets underway now from April 12th through the 19th.
This year marks the 17th year and it just keeps getting bigger and better. Filmmakers not only from the United States but from across the continent eagerly come to the Palm Beaches to present touching documentaries, entertaining short films and unveil first time features for a total of over 120 films. These special works draw rave reviews and convey the true meaning of film to a very diverse audience indeed. Present will also be some of the producers and actors who will give Q&A sessions prior to the viewings.
This year’s festival includes two winning films from the 2012 Sundance Film Festival. Feature winning film, “Robot & Frank” kicked off the festival on Thursday evening, April 12th and special jury winner “Love Free or Die” will also be presented during the week. Some of the themes for the 2012 Festival include music, dark comedy, the burning healthcare issue, school lunches, human rights, religion, Hamlet and more.
The woman who has made it all possible and who I was lucky enough to interview is Randi Emerman. She was one of the founding members of the Palm Beach International Film Festival. For twelve years she has been Executive Director and through her dedication and continual efforts, this festival draws in crowds of diverse cultural backgrounds to the Palm Beach area. The festival has a huge economic impact on the county from shopping to hotels to restaurants. They arrive, they visit and hopefully they return year after year. It is so crucial to get the “message of film” out to the world and community participation is key in making it work smoothly and effortlessly. Over 1000 filmmakers were solicited this year which included an ad campaign in the Netherlands. A festival of this scale requires eleven months of arduous work and so as soon as this year’s event comes to a close, work will begin on the 2013 Palm Beach International Film Festival.
What is so wonderful about this festival is that it doesn’t focus on the bright lights and the gala celebrations but instead concentrates on the power of film and the strong effect that it has on its viewers.
Films will be shown in the south part of the county in Boca Raton at Mizner Park Cultural Arts Center located at 201 Plaza Real, Boca Raton, Fl 33432. In the heart of downtown West Palm Beach, Muvico Parisian @ CityPlace will be the theater to visit at 545 Hibiscus Street, West Palm Beach, FL 33401. In the north county, Cobb Downtown at The Gardens will be showing the films and located at 11701 Lake Victoria Gardens Avenue in Palm Beach Gardens, Fl 33410. A smaller but very inviting venue will be the Lake Worth Playhouse at 709 Lake Avenue, Lake Worth, Fl 33460.
On Friday, after a day of viewing, as I spoke to some of the attendees, a favorite for the day was ‘Three Days (of Hamlet)’. This was the Florida Premiere by writer/producer/director Alex Hyde-White starring Richard Chamberlain and Stephanie Powers. It was a hero’s journey presented in the first-person narrative form. As many were quoted as saying, “A very heartwarming film that left us looking forward to seeing more from this talented filmmaker. It was presented in such a great way”.
Today, Saturday, April 14th, will be the World Premiere of ‘Zombie Hamlet’, a feature inserting commercialism into classical for an enlightening experience for sure. Many other films can be seen throughout the day including a Day of Shorts presented at The Lake Worth Playhouse. At 8:00 p.m., there will be gallery screenings in Delray Beach at 33 East Atlantic Avenue which promises to be a delightful evening of music/art videos along with a reception at the famed Delray Beach Gallery.
On Sunday, right there on the West Palm Beach waterfront overlooking the most inviting Intracoastal Waterway, a “Silver Screen Splash” will take place. It will be a sort of meet and greet with the filmmakers as you savor a relaxing Sunday brunch.
This year’s honoree will be a true gifted performer, June Lockhart. Her career has spanned across the years. She has appeared on stage, on television and on the silver screen. Not only is she a very talented actress, but also is a student of medicine and political journalism. She is extremely active with various charities and can be seen today as the star of ‘Zombie Hamlet’.
The week continues on with many great and enticing films including ‘Tiger Eyes’ on Monday by Judy and Lawrence Blume. We are looking forward to that one.
To wrap up the captivating week, the Closing Night Film and Award Presentation will take place in Palm Beach Gardens to celebrate the artists behind the films.
If you are interested in learning more and attending, please visit www.PBIFILMFEST.ORG.
Many thanks go out to Randi Emerman, Stephanie Moore, PBIFF staff, Carol Marshall, all the filmmakers and the generous sponsors who have made this festival possible year after year and made it the success that it continues to be.
PHOTOS CREDITS: PBIFF Facebook and Photographer Anna Sheppard
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