Friday, October 19--------Although it began screenings this week at its year-round theater Cinema Paradiso, the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival officially kicks off this evening with the screening of THE GRAND, a laughter roundelay set around the world of competitive poker. The film, directed by , includes an all-star cast including Woody Harrelson, Dennis Farina, Richard Kind, CMichael McKean, Ray Romano, Cheryl Hines and Jason Alexander. Two of the film's stars, Dennis Farina and...
Wednesday, October 17------------The Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival, which began its screenings this week and has its official Opening Night Film and Party this Friday, will welcome a bevvy of star names in the next few weeks to the South Florida oasis. Among the well known talents expected to attend are actors Eric Roberts (THE BUTCHER), Stephen Baldwin (MIDNIGHT CLEAR), Dennis Farina and Richard Kind (THE GRAND); and actors-turned-directors Frank Whaley (NEW YORK CITY SERENADE),...
Monday, October 15---------The Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival (affectionately referred to as FLIFF) hangs its reputation on its eclectic mix of films, and the uncommon loyalty of its audiences. As FLIFF heads into its 22nd annual edition (October 11 - November 14), the Festival will unveil 175 films from 26 countries, including 17 World Premieres, 8 U.S Premieres, 4 East Coast Premieres, 36 Southeast Premieres and 33 Florida Premieres. In all, the event will showcase 70 Featur...
Friday, October 12-------The 22nd annual Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival, known as the "longest film event in the world", will launch its month-long marathon of film screenings, receptions and special events on October 15th, with the premiere of a comic documentary on legendary funny man Jonathan Winters.CERTIFIABLY JONATHAN is a “dadamentary” directed by James Pasternak, that weaves in and out of the bi-polar world of Jonathan Winters, the film and television comic kno...
Monday, November 13----Registered in the Guiness Book of World Records as the "world's longest film festival", the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival reached its zenith this past weekend, with the announcement of its Jury and Audience Awards, as well as a Tribute Gala which paid homage to established and emerging talent.
On Sunday evening, at the La Playa Mediterranean Restaurant, the Festival presented JURIED AWARDS for films in competition. Members of the Jury included: Joe Amadea, H...
Sunday, November 12-----When nature photographer and master diver Rob Stewart began his project to document the beauty of sharks in their natural underwater environment, little did he realize that his innate fascination would bring him into conflict with governments and organized crime who profit from the mass killing of these endangered animals. With shark fins prized as a delicacy and shark cartilage falsely promoted as a cure-all for disease and impotence, the illegal killing of sharks arou...
AND THE SEA TOOK US
Sunday, November 11-----Following a triumphant Gala Awards Ceremony held last night at the swanky Westin Diplomat Hotel on Hollywood Beach, the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival enters its final day with an exciting mix of film highlights.
Included in the final day's schedule are the premieres of two highly anticipated dramatic films. The Florida-shot CANVAS is a tender drama on mental illness, starring indie favorite Joe Pantoliano and Oscar winner Marcia Gay Ha...
Sunday, November 12--- Mel Stuart, the veteran director, was honored on Saturday evening at the FLIFF Uncorked! Awards Gala with a Lifetime Achievement Award for his five decades as a pioneering director/producer. Stuart was a trend-setter, who effortlessly moved between the worlds of big-budget Hollywood and independent documentaries in a career move that has been emulated by such contemporary filmmakers as Martin Scorsese, Jonathan Demme and Steven Soderbergh. In a long and distinguished car...
Saturday, November 11---SHARKWATER, a stunningly beautiful nature documentary, brings audiences a rarely seen view of the kingdom below the seas. Filmed in high definition video, this beautiful and intense ecological film explores the shark rich waters of the world, exposing the exploitation and corruption surrounding the world's shark populations in the marine reserves of Cocos Island, Costa Rica and the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador.
But SHARKWATER is not your typical National Geographic panora...
Saturday, November 11---The stars will be out for tonight's FLIFF UNCORKED!! awards celebration, with tributes being given to producer/director Mel Stuart, actor Ernie Hudson and other celebrities.
Lifetime Achievement Award Winner Mel Stuart on the set of WILLY WONKA AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY
Tributee Ernie Hudson
Joe Pantoliano
Connie Francis
Michelle Phillips
...
Saturday, November 11----Come celebrate the 21st anniversary of the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival at one of South Florida's chicest film events, FLIFF UNCORKED!! The Gala is meant to honor and pay tribute to celebrity guests attending the 21st annual Festival.. The event, one of South Florida's most glamourous affairs, takes place on Saturday evening, November 11, at the Regency Ballroom of The Hollywood Westin Diplomat Resort & Spa in Hollywood, Florida.
View from Westin D...
Saturday, November 11-----The Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival, which ends its run in Fort Lauderdale tomorrow (before taking 20 titles and filmmakers to the resort town of Key West next week), has saved some of its strongest titles for its final wrap up. Certainly one of the most anticipated films of the Festival is the Festival Closing Night Film, the Southeast Premiere of LOCAL COLOR. The autobiographical film, written and directed by George Gallo, will receive a premiere screeni...
Mel Stuart and Sophia Loren
Friday, Novmeber 10----The final Saturday of the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival (at least in Fort Lauderdale, before it takes itself on the road to Key West next week) is chock-full of cinematic goodies and special events. Festivalgoers will need to catch up on their sleep in order to participate in a dizzying area of films screenings, parties and special events.
SATURDAY HIGHLIGHTS
WILLY WONKA AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY
Long before Johnny Depp took on...
Tributee Connie Francis
Friday, November 10----FLIFF UNCORKED! a South Florida Awards Celebration will be presented by The Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival to honor and pay tribute to celebrity guests attending the 21st annual Festival.. The event, one of South Florida's most glamourous affairs, takes place on Saturday evening, November 11, at the Regency Ballroom of The Hollywood Westin Diplomat Resort & Spa in Hollywood, Florida.
Richard Rapport, an entertainment attorney who...
Friday, November 10----More and more film directors, actors and personalities are descending on Fort Lauderdale, as the film festival enters its final weekend. The number of parties and special events make this not only the cultural high point but also the social "must attend" event of the week.
WHO'S IN TOWN
Mel Stuart
The award-winning producer/director, who entertained audiences with anecdotes yesterday evening at a rare screening of his Emmy Award winning documentary MAN RAY: PROPHET OF TH...
Friday, November 10-----Gregory von Hausch is the public face of the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival. He founded the Festival more than two decades ago and has led it from a small regional event to an important showcase of international and independent cinema. As the Festival celebrates its 21st anniversary with the dapper and enthusiastic von Hausch still at the helm, Online Festival Dailies Editor Sandy Mandelberger sat down with Gregory von Hausch for an engaging and wide-rangi...
Thursday, November 9----The Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival switches into especially high gear for its final three days in Fort Lauderdale before taking the show on the road to the resort of Key West next week. It promises to be an exciting weekend of film premieres, celebrity watching and awards ceremonies, with evening receptions set for every night. Now that the skies have cleared, Fort Lauderdale is a magical place for both sun and celluloid.
FRIDAY HIGHLIGHTS
DAVID & LAY...
Thursday, November 9----Film directors, producers, actors and celebrities are descending on Fort Lauderdale for the final weekend of festivities at the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival. The sun is shining and the weather is wonderful, and so is the celebrity watching.
CELEBRITY WATCH: Thursday, November 9
Mel Stuart
The celebrated director of the cult classic WILLIE WONKA AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY is in town to introduce several films from his career and to receive a Lifetime Achie...
Thursday, November 9-----In the satirical film sensation BORAT currently in theaters, America's obsession with fame and financial success is skewered to great effect. That is also the theme of the US/UK co-production TRUST ME, which has its World Premiere at the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival on Friday. The film, written and directed by actor-turned-director Andrew Kazamia, is a smart and funny look at the entertainment industry, politics and America's mania for celebrity.
Risi...
Thursday, November 9-----South Florida audiences have an opportunity to experience the renaissance of films from Holland with the astonishing last film from Dutch director Willem de Sande Bakhuyzen. The director recently passed away at the tender age of 47, just one day before his latest film LEEF! (LIVE!) was set to open the 25th edition of the Netherlands Film Festival, the country's most prestigious showcase of local filmmaking talent.
On the Opening Night of the Festival in the historic...
Wednesday, November 8-----The momentum is building as the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival moves into its final weekend here in Fort Lauderdale, before taking the show on the road to Key West next week. Thursday is full of highlights from a number of debut directors and international cinema greats.
THURSDAY'S HIGHLIGHTS
MAN RAY
Mel Stuart, who will receive a Tribute on Saturday evening for his career achievement over 40 years, will present his Emmy-winning documentary on the singu...
Wednesday, November 7----He's best known as the rolly-polly manager of the neurotic Larry David in the hit HBO series CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM, but Jeff Garlin has had a long career as a stand-up comic who has written, produced, directed and performed his own stand-up act. Garlin now tries his hand at feature films with his directorial debut I WANT SOMEONE TO EAT CHEESE WITH. The film is a filmed version of his critically acclaimed solo show that follows the rotund Garlin as he negotiates love, c...
Wednesday, November 8----While Swedish film continues to be overshadowed by the dour poetics of its most famous filmmaker Ingmar Bergman, a new film from the country is an unexpected comedy of manners. EVERY OTHER WEEK is the result of the contributions of four directors, who mostly have a background in television commercials and music videos. With segments by Felix Herngren, Mans Herngren, Hannes Holm and Hans Ingemanssson, the film was born as an experiment, to see if it ws possible for fou...
Tuesday, November 7---Wednesday is shaping up to be another very full day at the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival, with an intriguing mix of American indie films and world cinema highlights.
WEDNESDAY'S HIGHLIGHTS
NOBELITY
There is no higher accolade than the Nobel Prize. In the fascinating documentary NOBELITY, American director Turk Pipkin interviews a who's who of Nobel Prize winners, providing a stunning look at the world's most complex social, political and economic problems ...
Tuesday, November 5----A delegation of visiting filmmakers and media professionals were invited this morning for a tour of the digital arts facilities at the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale, one of the leading media arts schools in the nation. Dr. Amy Friedman Phillips, the Program Chair for Communications and Media Production, led the tour, explaining how the Art Institute trains its students for careers in the media arts.
Clearly proud of the investment that the Institute has made in cutt...
