WorldFest-Houston Intl Film Festival Announces Awards

The 42nd Annual WorldFest-Houston Intl Film Festival Announces
The Remi Award Winners for 2009
Houston, Texas - Apr 26, 2009 WorldFest-Houston, the 3rd longest-running International Film Festival in North America, celebrated the conclusion of its 10-day run of film, fun and fanfare in its 42nd annual independent film showcase with a 10% increase in overall audience attendance!

Kick-off was the world premiere of WorldFest alum, Jim Amatulli's "Flying By" with film luminary and Oscar winner, Patricia Neal on-hand to receive her Lifetime Achievement Award on Friday, April 17th, Opening night of the 42nd edition of WorldFest.

Mid-week, veteran actor Rip Torn and family jetted in to enjoy the premiere of his daughter Angelica's, film, "Lucky Days". Both French and British consuls feted their respective attending directors, Serge Bozon (La France) and David Rocksavage (Shadows in the Sun) with receptions to honor their film premieres at this year's WorldFest.

Closing weekend festivities included a Grand Awards Gala on Saturday night culminating with a morning VIP NASA & Space Center Houston whirlwind tour and an invigorating afternoon on Galveston Bay celebrating with a specially catered Bollywood feast (by Madras Pavilion Restaurant) hosted by The Houston Yacht Club. All things cinematic wrapped up with a double bill of John Crowley's "Is Anybody There?" and Houston's own Shawn Welling with his encore screening of "The Messenger~ 360 Days of Bolivar." All WorldFest events are always open to the public.
WorldFest, founded as an International Film Society in August 1961, became the third competitive international film festival in North America, following San Francisco and New York. WorldFest evolved into a competitive International Film Festival in April 1968 and has a long list of "discovered" film greats such as Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, David Lynch, Ridley Scott, Oliver Stone, Atom Egoyan, Randall Kleiser, Ang Lee, Robert Rodriguez, Brian de Palma, the Coen Brothers and many others from their beginning efforts for film submissions early in their careers.

Multi award-winning producer/director, Hunter Todd, founded this film festival to honor all categories of film and video production continuing his long dedication of "Discovery," spotlighting emerging Independent filmmakers as "the Spielbergs & Ang Lees of tomorrow." WorldFest's mission is to recognize and honor outstanding creative excellence in film & video, validate brilliant abilities and promote future filmmaking in Texas as well as enhance cultural tourism in Houston.

The 10-day festival ran to a smooth finish with several sold-out full houses, 6 World Premieres, 51 Indie feature productions, 75 award winning shorts and over 450 USA and International filmmakers in attendance. All film premieres screened at the Flagship AMC Studio 30 Theatres, a sixth year WorldFest-Houston Cinema partner. Other major VIP Partner/Sponsors include Eastman Kodak, Microsoft, The Marriott Hotels, The City of Houston, The State of Texas, The NEA, The Houston Arts Alliance, Budget Rent a Car, Wagner Media, NASA/Space Center Houston, Boxer Properties, The Wellness Center of Houston, Arts Houston Magazine, Royal Carriages Limousines, Barefoot Wine & Bubbly and The Houston Yacht Club.
WorldFest Seminars & Remi Awards...
WorldFest's REMI Awards Gala on Saturday, April 25th was held in The Renaissance Hotel, VIP partner and official host hotel for the 42nd annual WorldFest. Festivities began with a cocktail reception hosted by The Houston Film Commission. Alex Lubrano, member of the 5-time World Champion Bagpipe Band of Houston's St. Thomas Episcopal School launched the awards segment by piping in festival founder, Hunter Todd and guests. Local celebrity and veteran news anchor, Bob Boudreaux was co-host. Dance entertainment was presented by Nelly Fraga's Ambassador Intl. Ballet Folklorico followed by the Olympian Greek Dancers and the grand finale by Shawn Welling's dynamic Planet Funk Academy's premiere dancers who performed a high-energy dance mix created especially for the gala. The Remi After-Party was hosted by Travis "Hit Man" Hearn. WorldFest conducted Six Film Industry Seminars concluding with the ever popular Indie Forum of WorldFest Directors moderated by Jon Scheide, a multi-award winner at WorldFest. Industry Entertainment's Andrew Deane, a longtime festival friend returned to present his overview analysis of Agents, Managers & Studios and conducted those ever necessary pitching sessions. Scouting for new product, Panorama Entertainment's Stuart Strutin presented his informative Distribution for Indies and Jon Scheide offered Protocol for Scriptwriters; Laura Pennino (Pennino and Partners) presented How to Promote your Indie Project and award-winning Canadian Documentarian Alan Mendelsohn presented his ever popular, Docs on a Dime.
WorldFest 2009 Grand REMI Awards are: BEST THEATRICAL FEATURE ~ "Bitter/Sweet", WorldFest alum, Jeff Hare, Angel & Bear Productions, USA/Thailand; BEST FILM & VIDEO ~ "Mysteries of the Great Lakes", David Lickley, Science North, Canada; BEST TV & CABLE PRODUCTION ~ "Moon Machines, Command Module", Duncan Copp,Dox Prdns., UK; BEST NEW MEDIA ~ "The BMW Experience: Passion for Innovation", Scott Clements, Alp Communications, Canada; BEST EXPERIMENTAL FILM & VIDEO ~ "Intinahui- In the Eye of the Sun", Klaus Schrefler, Syndicate, Austria; BEST SHORT SUBJECT ~ "Auf Der Strecke (On the Line)", Ute Dilger, Academy of Media Arts Cologne, Germany; BEST TV COMMERCIAL ~ "My Houston - ZZ Top, Ballet, & Scrap Daddy", Zen Film, USA; BEST STUDENT FILM ~ Paris Mavroidis for "Divers", USA; BEST MUSIC VIDEO to Barbara Misto for "Goin' Down to Mexico", USA. The Russian-American Publication & Gem Arts Studio sponsored a handsomely crafted gemstone award for the BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE film which went to "God's Little Garden", Jacek Bromski, Zebra Film Studio, Poland. "God's Little Garden" also garnered 2 more awards; Best Music to composer, Henri Seroka, and REMI Special Jury Award contending for Best Feature Film. Moving Images Group & Coral Gate Media's Chris Weatherhead was a triple-winner also for "All for Liberty" with a Special Jury Award, Best Art Direction and a Platinum in feature trailers. Kodak's Crystal Vision award went to "Tender as Hellfire", Jason Stone, USC, USA. The Best Texas award went to "The Heart of Texas", Mitchell Wright & Dan Patrick, Plaid Shirt Pictures, USA. The Best Houston Award went to "Las Luciernagas, (The Fireflies)", Robert Minervini, Pulpa Entertainment, Houston, TX.
All other award results from this year's WorldFest competition are now posted on our website at www.worldfest.org - There were more than 4,200 category entries in all film and video competitions, and between 12-15% of submitted entries won awards.