The 18th
Annual Palm Beach
International Film Festival - 2013
A Review by Rocco A. Quaglia
The 18th Annual Palm Beach International Film Festival (PBIFF) took place with great success from Thursday April 4th to Thursday April 11th 2013. The Film Festival featured 26 World Premieres, 8 U.S. Premieres and 3 North American Premieres. The Festival presented Feature Films, Documentaries and Short Films from around the world and also hosted their Filmmakers, Producers and Actors to make this year another great year for all the attendees.
Opening Night kicked off the Festival at the Muvico Parisian at City Place in West Palm Beach, with the film “Decoding Annie Parker”, directed by Steven Bernstein and starring Maggie Grace, Helen Hunt, Samantha Morton (as Anne Parker), Rashida Jones and Aaron Paul. Based on a true story, it follows two women on a remarkable journey over 15 years as Anne Parker watches her family stalked and devastated by a cruel illness. Remarkably Anne rises up and fights against the odds. The opening night festivities continued with Director Steve Bernstein, the real-life Anne Parker and some cast members attending the Opening Night Party.
Deck 84 in Delray Beach hosted the Silver Screen Splash where the Cast and Producers of “Comedy Warriors: Healing Through Humor” were presented with the prestigious Golden Palm Awards. “Comedy Warriors” is a full-length documentary film featuring five severely injured U.S. Soldiers; Bobby Henline, Rob Jones Joe Kashnow, Steve Rice and Darisse Smith who embark on a new and challenging journey as they write and perform stand-up comedy. With the help of some of the best in the business; Comedians Lewis Black, Zach Galifianakis, B.J. Novak, Bob Saget, Mark Brazill, Bob Nickman and Kevin Rooney, these soldiers tell their poignant stories of what they have gone through and the role comedy plays in their rehabilitation. The film culminates with live performances at the Improv and the Laugh Factory in Los Angeles. This is truly a remarkable and funny film which was chosen to World Premiere at the PBIFF. It will make you laugh as did the professional comedians that helped make this film, but it will also make your heart cry for these are Comedy Warriors in every sense of the words. Producer/Director John Wagner, Producer Ray Reo and Co-Producer/Comedy Coach Bernadette Luckett were with the Warriors and also received Golden Palm Awards. With a little bit of luck this feature will get picked up for distribution soon as it has also won the Palm Beach International Film Festival Award for Best Documentary Feature. Great Job!
A few other Comedies were also World Premiered at the Film Festival that made the audiences laugh for days. “Full Circle” is a story of a Brooklyn Pizza delivery boy, Anthoni, faces a life-changing crisis when a delivery leads to a large sack of cash from a drug deal that went wrong. As you know it, the bad guys are after him, they kill his friend and then he seeks vengeance. With a great cast Solvan Naim, Rob Morgan, Kelvin Hale, Mario Corry, Thomas Watts, Devale Ellis, Eden Marryshow, Carolyn Usanis, Gordon Rizza, Celestine Rae and more, Writer/Director/Producer Solvan “Slick” Naim has nailed it. Full of Action, Laughs, Good Characters and Great Music, this is one that you’ll want to see more than once. Another Great job!
The World Premiere of “The Kings Of Summer” was very well received, so well that it was picked up for release in theaters in May. This unique coming of age comedy revolves around three teenage friends, Joe (Nick Robinson), Patrick (Gabriel Basso) and the eccentric and unpredictable Biaggio (Moises Arias), who in the ultimate act of independence build a house in the woods and live off the land. Well, all does not go as planned, especially when you bring in the female factor. This is a great family film, but beware this may change your ideas when it comes to summer fun. Another Great Job!
The best comedy of all came on Closing night with the World Premiere of “Chez Upshaw”. This insane comedy
will make you laugh intensely. With an outstanding cast featuring Kevin Pollak, Illeana Douglas, and Molly Sims, your eyes will never leave the screen. Kevin Pollack and Illeana Douglas play an endlessly bickering but truly devoted and quirky couple that run a bed and breakfast that’s going under when along comes the opportunity of a lifetime. The Socraties Society helps them turn it into a check in; don’t check out last resort for assisted suicides. Moly Sims plays the sexy next door widow who adds a great touch to the entire story. Director Bruce Mason and the cast did a fantastic job shooting this independent feature in just a few weeks where others would have taken months. You can’t miss this one!! A Super Job!!
The New Frank Theatres Cinebowl & Grille / IMAX hosted the Closing Night Film “Chez Upshaw” and Awards Presentations. From the start with the Red Carpet, to the Film and Q & A session, to the Awards and Party, everyone had a ball. After a week of screening the ballots were counted and the results were announced:
Best Feature Film went to “Lonely Boy”
Best Documentary Feature went to “Comedy Warriors: Healing Through Humor”
Best Short Film went to “Sahasi Chori”
Audience Favorite Award for Best Feature went to “As High as the Sky”
Audience Favorite Award for Best Documentary went to "Bearing Witness: The Voices of Our Survivors" and
Audience Favorite Award for Best Documentary went to “Ardeshir Mohasses: The Rebellious Artist”
Audience Favorite Award for Best Short Film went to “The Color of Christmas”
Audience Favorite Award for Best of Florida went to “The Shift”
Congratulations to all the winners and entrants for a job well done.
The 18th Annual Palm Beach International Film Festival may be over for now, but plans are now underway for The 19th Annual Palm Beach International Film Festival to take place in April 2014. If you’re interested in helping just call (561) 362-0003 or visit the festival website at www.pbifilmfest.org See You At The Movies!!!
Annual Palm Beach
International Film Festival - 2013
A Review by Rocco A. Quaglia
The 18th Annual Palm Beach International Film Festival (PBIFF) took place with great success from Thursday April 4th to Thursday April 11th 2013. The Film Festival featured 26 World Premieres, 8 U.S. Premieres and 3 North American Premieres. The Festival presented Feature Films, Documentaries and Short Films from around the world and also hosted their Filmmakers, Producers and Actors to make this year another great year for all the attendees.
Opening Night kicked off the Festival at the Muvico Parisian at City Place in West Palm Beach, with the film “Decoding Annie Parker”, directed by Steven Bernstein and starring Maggie Grace, Helen Hunt, Samantha Morton (as Anne Parker), Rashida Jones and Aaron Paul. Based on a true story, it follows two women on a remarkable journey over 15 years as Anne Parker watches her family stalked and devastated by a cruel illness. Remarkably Anne rises up and fights against the odds. The opening night festivities continued with Director Steve Bernstein, the real-life Anne Parker and some cast members attending the Opening Night Party.
Deck 84 in Delray Beach hosted the Silver Screen Splash where the Cast and Producers of “Comedy Warriors: Healing Through Humor” were presented with the prestigious Golden Palm Awards. “Comedy Warriors” is a full-length documentary film featuring five severely injured U.S. Soldiers; Bobby Henline, Rob Jones Joe Kashnow, Steve Rice and Darisse Smith who embark on a new and challenging journey as they write and perform stand-up comedy. With the help of some of the best in the business; Comedians Lewis Black, Zach Galifianakis, B.J. Novak, Bob Saget, Mark Brazill, Bob Nickman and Kevin Rooney, these soldiers tell their poignant stories of what they have gone through and the role comedy plays in their rehabilitation. The film culminates with live performances at the Improv and the Laugh Factory in Los Angeles. This is truly a remarkable and funny film which was chosen to World Premiere at the PBIFF. It will make you laugh as did the professional comedians that helped make this film, but it will also make your heart cry for these are Comedy Warriors in every sense of the words. Producer/Director John Wagner, Producer Ray Reo and Co-Producer/Comedy Coach Bernadette Luckett were with the Warriors and also received Golden Palm Awards. With a little bit of luck this feature will get picked up for distribution soon as it has also won the Palm Beach International Film Festival Award for Best Documentary Feature. Great Job!
A few other Comedies were also World Premiered at the Film Festival that made the audiences laugh for days. “Full Circle” is a story of a Brooklyn Pizza delivery boy, Anthoni, faces a life-changing crisis when a delivery leads to a large sack of cash from a drug deal that went wrong. As you know it, the bad guys are after him, they kill his friend and then he seeks vengeance. With a great cast Solvan Naim, Rob Morgan, Kelvin Hale, Mario Corry, Thomas Watts, Devale Ellis, Eden Marryshow, Carolyn Usanis, Gordon Rizza, Celestine Rae and more, Writer/Director/Producer Solvan “Slick” Naim has nailed it. Full of Action, Laughs, Good Characters and Great Music, this is one that you’ll want to see more than once. Another Great job!
The World Premiere of “The Kings Of Summer” was very well received, so well that it was picked up for release in theaters in May. This unique coming of age comedy revolves around three teenage friends, Joe (Nick Robinson), Patrick (Gabriel Basso) and the eccentric and unpredictable Biaggio (Moises Arias), who in the ultimate act of independence build a house in the woods and live off the land. Well, all does not go as planned, especially when you bring in the female factor. This is a great family film, but beware this may change your ideas when it comes to summer fun. Another Great Job!
The best comedy of all came on Closing night with the World Premiere of “Chez Upshaw”. This insane comedy
will make you laugh intensely. With an outstanding cast featuring Kevin Pollak, Illeana Douglas, and Molly Sims, your eyes will never leave the screen. Kevin Pollack and Illeana Douglas play an endlessly bickering but truly devoted and quirky couple that run a bed and breakfast that’s going under when along comes the opportunity of a lifetime. The Socraties Society helps them turn it into a check in; don’t check out last resort for assisted suicides. Moly Sims plays the sexy next door widow who adds a great touch to the entire story. Director Bruce Mason and the cast did a fantastic job shooting this independent feature in just a few weeks where others would have taken months. You can’t miss this one!! A Super Job!!
The New Frank Theatres Cinebowl & Grille / IMAX hosted the Closing Night Film “Chez Upshaw” and Awards Presentations. From the start with the Red Carpet, to the Film and Q & A session, to the Awards and Party, everyone had a ball. After a week of screening the ballots were counted and the results were announced:
Best Feature Film went to “Lonely Boy”
Best Documentary Feature went to “Comedy Warriors: Healing Through Humor”
Best Short Film went to “Sahasi Chori”
Audience Favorite Award for Best Feature went to “As High as the Sky”
Audience Favorite Award for Best Documentary went to "Bearing Witness: The Voices of Our Survivors" and
Audience Favorite Award for Best Documentary went to “Ardeshir Mohasses: The Rebellious Artist”
Audience Favorite Award for Best Short Film went to “The Color of Christmas”
Audience Favorite Award for Best of Florida went to “The Shift”
Congratulations to all the winners and entrants for a job well done.
The 18th Annual Palm Beach International Film Festival may be over for now, but plans are now underway for The 19th Annual Palm Beach International Film Festival to take place in April 2014. If you’re interested in helping just call (561) 362-0003 or visit the festival website at www.pbifilmfest.org See You At The Movies!!!
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