PBIFF 2016 Delights Audiences
By: Hope Wilkos, Writer
For nine thrilling days, all eyes in the film industry were focused on Palm Beach as the exclusive community within South Florida celebrated its 21st year of the Palm Beach International Film Festival. The festival took place at various venues throughout the county, all within close proximity to the film enthusiasts that enjoyed attending. April 6, 2016 through April 14, 2016, the dates of Palm Beach International Film Festival, will definitely go down as the most memorable in the history of cultural events in South Florida and even throughout the nation and beyond.
Time stood still and we were thrust into a diverse world of varying artistic, imaginative and innovative talent. Over the nine days, activities included post-screening discussions with some of the filmmakers and actors, parties, premiere screenings, networking opportunities for the industry, panel discussions and student filmmaking programs. We saw the likes of narratives, documentaries, short films and for the very first time in the history of the festival, an entire horror film competition.
The importance of the Palm Beach International Film Festival goes much deeper than just entertaining film enthusiasts and managing movie mania. The festival dedicates itself, as a not-for-profit organization, to fulfilling the dreams of young and ambitious filmmakers. Over $1.5 million has been donated, over the years, which has gone to providing new technology for optimal learning in the form of grants and scholarships. As each year brings with it the film festival, a Student Showcase of Films display the magnitude of talent entering the industry in the present and the future.
All the films from the 2016 lineup deserve equal attention but here are just a few of the highlights that created a stirring around Palm Beach County during the run of the Palm Beach International Film Festival.
Opening night premiered the debut of ‘Money’. This was the first film directed by Martin Rosete of Spanish descent and he was assisted in production by Atit Shah. The filming took place in New York in a matter of 15 days although the development of the film took 2 years to put together. Contributing to the success of the film was Kellan Lutz of Twilight fame, Jesse Williams of Grey’s Anatomy and Jamie Bamber who starred in Battlestar Galactica. This is a poignant look at the power of money, whether you have too much or too little and the fate of four people once an uninvited house guest pays them a visit. Both Rosete and Shah are traveling across the nation promoting their film and in the month of April alone, the film will be seen in the Sarasota Film Festival and the Newport Beach Film Festival. Both the director and producer were present at the PBIFF.
‘Breaking Legs’ received rave reviews from filmgoers. The film is a cross between Footloose and Mean Girls. We are given a view of the teenage struggles that one teen named Bloom faces as she has a major change in her life. It is a movie that many related to easily creating for acclaim and accolades. Present at the festival were the teen stars of the film, Aaron R. Landon, William Leon, Sarah Rochelle and Liv Southard (winner of the 2016 Young Artist Award for Best Actress). Also having a starring role in the film were Chris Kattan of SNL fame and actress/model and beauty pageant winner, Lee Meriwether.
Taking us into an area that needs more awareness were two directors that both have taken their films to an entirely greater level. ‘When Elephants Were Young’ was emotional and stirring. Canadian filmmakers, Patricia Sims and Michael Clark, document the plight of the endangered Asian elephant in Thailand, bringing a heightened sense of concern to these creatures of the wild. The team spent five years exploring new strategies for the future of human-elephant relations and the survival of all elephants. It touched our hearts to see the humanistic interaction between a young man named Wok and a young elephant named Nong Mai. Patricia was present at the film festival and not only passionate about her filmmaking but the subject matter as well which she will continue to pursue.
‘East LA Interchange’ directed by Betsy Kalin
photo by Chris Chew
Betsy Kalin is no stranger to South Florida. Having lived in Boca Raton and gone to college at the University of Miami, Kalin was thrilled to return to South Florida for the screening of her award-winning documentary, ‘East LA Interchange.’ Although the film focuses on a very culturally diverse neighborhood in Los Angeles and how it survived the construction of the largest freeway system in North America (almost threatening to destroy the community in the process), the theme could easily be applied to any large metropolitan area within the nation which falls victim to the rapid development of their region. It is a topic that deserves greater attention and investigation and Betsy drives the point home. A nine year undertaking, Kalin’s film was honored with the Best Feature Film award at the New Urbanism Film Festival, received the Jury Award at the Frozen River Film Festival, and was also named the Audience Award winner by the Highland Park Independent Film Festival and the Downtown Film Festival L.A., where it World Premiered in July 2015 to sold- out crowds. The film features narration by Danny Trejo (Machete) and interviews with will.i.am (The Black Eyed Peas), Father Greg Boyle (Homeboy Industries), and Josefina López (Real Women Have Curves) as well as an original song by Raul Pacheco (Ozomatli).
First seen at Tribeca Film Festival, ‘The Adderall Diaries’ enjoyed Centerpiece Screening at the Palm Beach International Film Festival. Starring James Franco, the film examines the perplexing world of Stephen Elliott, a writer with a multitude of issues stemming back to childhood and his dependency on adderall to get him through his writer’s block. Director Pamela Romanowsky does an excellent job of sharing this gripping story with audiences as seen through her eyes, taking us into a world that we find hard to imagine, all too realistic. In addition to the expert acting by James Franco,others that contribute to the success of the film include Ed Harris, Amber Heard, Cynthia Nixon and Christian Slater.
Both inspiring and life-affirming, Father Joseph certainly rounded out the documentary competition. One man, Father Joseph, survived political coups, the assassination of close friends, and the earthquake of 2010, yet he found a way to lift tens of thousands of people out of extreme poverty. He built – and then rebuilt – the largest micro-finance bank in Haiti, a 700-student K-14 school, an orphanage, a clean water project, a reforestation program, a health clinic, a radio station, and the first rural college in Haiti. It is an extraordinary life of faith and action. Willem Dafoe said: “This inspiring film challenges my sense of my place in the world and what my responsibility is to others.” The Palm Beach International Film Festival had the special opportunity to have the real Father Joseph on hand for the screening. The film was directed by Jeff Kaufman who also produced the documentary along with Marcia S. Ross.
Most appropriate to end the Palm Beach International Film Festival, ‘Silver Skies’ was the enlightening tale of a group of eccentric retirees who have to deal with their apartment complex being sold out from right under them. Stars of the film included George Hamilton, Valerie Perrine and Alex Rocco. Rosemary Rodriguez wrote the story. Having a large senior population, this film hit home in Palm Beach County and was enjoyed by all the attendees.
With tradition comes celebration and the festival also ended with the presentation of many awards, contributing to the power of talent and creativity. Winner of the coveted Jury Award for Best Feature Film went to ‘PO’ directed by John Asher.
Winner of the festival’s first ever horror film competition was ‘The House at the End of Time’ directed by Alejandro Hidalgo from Venezuela and best documentary went to ‘When Elephants Were Young’ directed by Patricia Sims from Canada. The winner of the Jury Award for Best Short Film was ‘Randy’ directed by Shawn Ryan.
PBIFF President and CEO Jeff Davis and Director of Programming, Larry Richman, said this year the festival welcomed a record number of more than 150 filmmakers and actors from around the world to present their outstanding works and for the first time winners in the various categories received not only a trophy but a cash prize of $2,000, a sign the Festival is spreading its silver screen wings.
The festival awards included presentation of the first Flossy Award for Lifetime Achievement to Yvonne S. Boice, PBIFF Chair Emeritus, for her years of dedication to making PBIFF one of the world’s most respected film festivals. The award created by celebrated artist Yaacov Heller was presented to Boice on opening night.
Palm Beach International Film Festival was also not without its celebrity attendees. Making their appearance was Entourage actor, Rex Lee, renowned entrepreneur, best-selling author, philanthropist and the nation’s #1 Life and Business Strategist, Tony Robbins, and Florida State Senator, Marco Rubio.
While that is a wrap for 2016, planning will begin shortly for 2017 because Palm Beach International Film Festival continues to reach for the stars and the universe is its audience.
