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March 26, 2007

For Immediate Release

12th ANNUAL PALM BEACH INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
UNVEILS 2007 LINE-UP

32 World Premieres, 38 International Entries, 14 US Premieres, A Silent Film Fest, Family Film Fest, Doc Day Afternoon, Tributes to Israel and South Africa a party at Mar-A-Lago, Boca Raton Resort and much more...

Boca Raton, FL., March 26, 2007 The 12th Annual Palm Beach International Film Festival (PBIFF) Executive Director Randi Emerman announced today the film line-up for the 8-day event running April 19 through April 26.  Over 120 films will screen at this years event, including American and international films, features, documentaries and shorts.  The 2007 Festival will introduce 32 world premieres, 14 U.S. premieres, 29 Florida premieres, including 38 international films as well as an Academy Award Nominee.

Highlights of this years festival include a silent film fest honoring the 30th Anniversary of the late Charlie Chaplin at the Maltz Jupiter Theatre on Friday; a late night after party at Mar-A-Lago also on Friday; a Family Film Fest featuring Curious George on Saturday; the always popular Weekend of Shorts on Saturday and Sunday and the star-studded Grand Gala Awards Ceremony; on Sunday is the Student Showcase of Films screenings, the all new Doc Day Afternoon followed by Romance Under The Stars with a special screening of the classic Audrey Hepburn film Breakfast at Tiffanys; Mondays highlights include a salute to South Africa, Tuesday includes a salute to Israel and the 5 year anniversary of the Voices of Local Films, educational seminars and pool side chats round out the weeks activities.

Screenings of this years films will be in three convenient locations, Sunrise Cinemas, Mizner Park in Boca Raton, Muvico Parisian 20 at CityPlace and the all new The Theatre, at 822 S. Conniston, just north of Southern Boulevard in West Palm Beach.  Gold passes are available for $100 which includes unlimited admission to all films (except opening and closing); Daytimers passes are available for only $50 which allows patrons to see unlimited films before 6 pm and a student pass is free with valid student ID which allows students to see all films after 9 pm for free. Tickets for all movies are regular theatre admission and can be purchased at each theaters box office, or in advance at www.pbifilmfest.org, www.ticketweb.org.

The opening and closing night films along with the complete film schedule and additional events and celebrity honorees will be announced in the coming weeks. For breaking information visit the festival web site at www.pbifilmfest.org. For tickets to all events call  .

PALM BEACH INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL FILM LINE-UP

Features

9:04 AM: World Premiere, directed by Heath McKnight and written by Heath McKnight and Grant A. Balfour.  Cast: Mike Leavitt, Marissa Medal, Laura Arias, Brock Hill. An ensemble drama/comedy that follows a group of friends, along with three sisters, as they tackle the difficulties of life, love, happiness, and the fine line between fantasy and reality.

A Lobster Tale: East Coast Premiere, directed by Adam Massey and written by Court Crandall.  Cast: Colm Meaney, Graham Greene.  In a small Maine fishing town, struggling lobster fisherman, Cody Brewer, discovers a mysterious sea moss in one of his traps.  Tension in the already fragile Brewer family erupts when the true supernatural quality of the moss is revealed and becomes sought after by everyone in town.

Adrift in Manhattan: Florida Premiere, directed by Alfredo de Villa and written by Alfredo de Villa and Nat Moss.  Cast: Heather Graham, Dominic Chianese, Victor Rasuk, William Baldwin, Elizabeth Pena.  A grieving eye doctor confronts her guilt over the loss of her young son, an aging painter comes to terms with impending blindness, and a young photographer grapples with his inner demons in three intersecting stories set along a single subway line in Manhattan. 2007 Sundance Best Picture Nominee.

Approaching Union Square: Florida Premiere, directed and written by Marc Meyers. Cast: Beth Manspeizer, Bill Dawes, Bobby Pataki, Brend Crawford, Christine Elise, Darren Pettie, Jennifer Miranda Holmes, Katie Kreisler, Michael Goldstrom, Patricia Randell, Peter McCain, Victoria Haas.  Based on his monologues for stage, Marc Meyer's 'Approaching Union Square' is a collage of eleven tales capturing thirty-something New Yorkers struggling to find love and connection in the big city. They all cross paths on a New York City bus. Best Feature - Westchester Film Fest; Best Feature Charlotte Film Fest.

Away From Her: Florida Premiere,  directed and written by Sarah Polley.  Cast: Gordon Pinsent, Julie Christie, Olympia Dukakis,Wendy Crewson, Michael Murphy, Kristen Thomson, and Alberta Watson.  Married for almost 50 years, Grants and Fionas commitment to each other appears unwavering. Their daily life is filled with tenderness and humor; yet this serenity is broken by Fionas increasingly evident memory loss and her restrained references to a past betrayal. For a while, the couple is able to casually dismiss these unwelcome changes. But when neither Fiona nor her husband can deny any longer that she is being consumed by Alzheimers disease, the couple is forced to wrenchingly redefine the limits of their love and loyalty and face the complex, inevitable transition from lovers to strangers.

Cerebral Inferno: World Premiere, directed and written by Martino E. Hernandez.   Cast: Emanuel Oliver, Gabriel Marroquin, Gino Calantoni.  Stress, unpaid debt, & murder.

Curious George: Show Me the Monkey: directed by Matthew OCallaghan.  Voices by: Will Ferrell, Drew Barrymore, David Cross, Eugene Levy.  The Man in the Yellow Hat travels to Africa where he accidentally adopts an adorable chimpanzee named George. While George is surely cute, his curiosity has a tendency to get him into a series of predicaments in this endearing big-screen adaptation of the beloved books by Margaret E. Rey.

Film Contest: World Premiere, directed and written by V. Alex Marquez.  Cast: Travis Thomas, Jesse Furman, Frank Licari, Jane Rumbaua, V. Alex Marquez.  A documentarian and his crew start an indiscreet look at the lives of the finalists of what was meant to be an uneventful film competition that resulted in murder.

Forfeit: Florida Premiere, directed by Andrew Shea. Cast: Billy Burke, Sherry Stringfield. An armored car guards elaborate plan for revenge is threatened by his relationship with an old friend a brilliant and unpredictable television preacher.

Golden Door: World Premiere, written & directed by Emanuele Crialese. Cast: Charlotte Gainsbourg, Vinceno Amato, Vincent Schiavelli, Aurora Quattrocchi. A modern fable that captures the spirit of the immigrant experience as one family sheds the comfort of the Old World for the opportunities of the New - a risk that carries no guarantee of success.

Hiding Victoria: Florida Premiere, directed by Dan Chinander and written by Dan Chinander and Deb Chinander.  Cast: Anita Gilette, Avery Sommers, Margo Harshman Hiding Victoria is a feature film about two women, generations apart and from different backgrounds, who discover that family can be found where you least expect it and the key to life is through the power of forgiveness. Audience Favorite - Ashville Film Fest.

Hollywood: East Coast Premiere, directed and written by Rick Rose.  Cast: Katherine Azarmi, Valerie Swift-Bird, Tava Smiley, Rick Rose, Marieh Delfino.  Hollywood' is an inside look into the lives of three actors whose paths cross in a Los Angeles acting class taught by the 'guru' acting coach of the moment. Each is in a different stage of their career, trying for the next level. They go through daily life in Hollywood, trying to balance a personal life with the rigors of going after their dreams. Who can keep the dream alive?

Hollywood Dreams: East Coast Premiere, directed by Simone Boudriot. Cast: Tanna Frederick. Follow the journey of a Margie, a young woman from a small town in Iowa to Los Angleles, who arrives scarred by events in her childhood and profoundly obsessed with a life-long dream of achieving fame and stardome. After a series of difficult and comic struggles, Margies fate seems to have suddenly changed, however her romantic involvement with an exciting up and coming young actor challenges her, and our idea of success, fame and love.

Kathy T.: World Premiere, directed and written by Evan Lieberman.  Cast: Trent Gill, Mary Elise, Greg Cipes.  Alex, a college-aged virgin and budding musician, becomes obsessed  with tracking down the subject of some provocative graffiti.  Through his experience, Alex becomes the only one that uncovers the infamous Kathy T's secret and discovers a whole new set of friends, a music career and an end to his mediocre life.

Man in the Chair: Florida Premiere, directed and written by Michael Schroeder.  Cast: Christopher Plummer, Michael Angarano, M. Emmet Walsh, Robert Wagner, Tracey Walter.  A troubled teenager convinces an eighty-five year old gaffer, who lives at the MOTION PICTURE RETIREMENT HOME, to help him make a student film. This unlikely pair forms an amazing but awkward friendship.

Montclair: World Premiere, directed and written by Michael Ramsdell.  Cast: Justin Barrett   A character mosaic, set in US suburbia, Montclair uses both fictional and non-fictional story telling techniques to follow 4 story arcs exploring the notion that life's greatest comedies and tragedies are born of every day moments.

Nostalgia: World Premiere, directed by Armand Garabidian and written by Ephraim Schwartz.  Cast: Kelli Nordhu, Aimee Bourgon, Seth Macari. 'Nostalgia' is the thinking man's femme fatale story about a married man who tries to rediscover his essence by looking up his first love on the internet and learns the stark difference between accident and destiny.

Sinner: Florida Premiere, directed by Marc Benardout and written by Steven Sills.  Cast: Brad Dourif, Georgina Cates, Nick Chinlund, Michael Rogers.  When a fundamentalist Catholic priest clashes with a prostitute, a disillusioned pastor faces a crisis of faith, love and golf.

Sublime: Florida Premiere, directed by Tony Krantz and written by Erik Jendresen.  Cast: Tom Cavanaugh, Carolyn Hennesy, Dan Gerrati.  Admitted to a hospital for a routine procedure, George Grieves discovers that his condition is more serious and complicated than expected. After all, if you live your life in fear of the dark unknown, then the only way that your life has meaning is if what you fear becomes real.

The Dukes: Florida Premiere, directed by Robert Davi and written by Robert Davi and James Andronica.  Cast: Chazz Palminteri, Robert Davi, Peter Bogdanovich, Frank D'Amico, Elya Baskin, Miriam Margolyes, Melora Hardin.  The Dukes (Chazz Palminteri and Robert Davi) a doo wop group who at 22 were at the top of the world, find themselves struggling for survival in 2007.  Their manager (Peter Bogdanovich) is desperately trying to get them work but at each turn is met with failure.  Finally pushed to the extreme, they pull a heist only a fool would attempt, which leaves them even more desperate.  When all seems lost, they find themselves.

The Gold Rush: directed and written by Charlie Chaplin. Cast: Charlie Chaplin.  A lone prospector (The Tramp) ventures into Alaska looking for gold. He gets mixed up with some burly characters and falls in love with the beautiful Georgia. He tries to win her heart with his singular charm.

The Indian: World Premiere, directed and written by James R. Gorrie.  Cast: Matt Dallas, Sal Landis, Jane Higginson.  Skip, a negligent father returns home in order to obtain a life-saving transplant and must face his bitter angry son Danny who he abandoned years earlier.  He uses the pretext of restoring an old Indian motorcycle as a means of manipulating his son's emotions.

The Insurgents: US Premiere, directed by Scott Dacko and assistant director Paul Epstein and written by Scott Dacko.  Cast: Henry Simmons, John Shea, Juliette Marquis, Mary Stuart Masterson, Michael Mosely. Four politically radicalized Americans build a truck bomb to spark the revolution.

The List: World Premiere, directed by Gary Wheeler and written by Gary Wheeler and Robert Whitlow.  Cast: Malcolm McDowell.  After the battle of Gettysburg, a small group of South Carolina plantation owners realize that the fall of the Confederacy is inevitable. Coming together on a stormy night at the Rice Planter's Inn in Georgetown, S.C., they formulated a desperate plan to smuggle gold and silver to safe havens in Europe. Out of this meeting is born a secret society known as The Covenant List of South Carolina, Ltd.

The Shore: US Premiere, directed and written by Dionysius Zervos.  Cast: Ben Gazzara, Lesley Ann Warren, Costas Mandylor.  A self involved young mother drops her five year old daughter with her mother. She will never see her daughter again.

The Waiter: Florida Premiere, produced and directed by Jason Konopisos. Cast: Charles Durning, Glenn Morshower, Dan Lauria, Bobby Z'dar, James Handy. The Waiter is a man who has lost his purpose in life. While being pushed from job to job he realizes the errors of his ways, but only when he is in the depths of his own hell. Now he must battle for his life and the lives of other innocent people around him.

Unbeatable Harold: Florida Premiere, directed by Ari Palitz and written Gordon Michaels.  Cast: Dylan McDermott, Gordon Michaels, Nicole DeHuff, Charles Durning, Gladys Knight.  In the biggest little city in the world, Reno Nevada, gambling your paycheck is common, but a table betting on love is harder to find. Not the case though at the Wagontrain steakhouse where Harold James Clark has met the woman of his dreams, Wanda Livingston. Now Wanda must decide between her ex-boyfriend, 80's rocker, Jake Salamander or the dreamer Harold James Clark.

Underground President: World Premiere, directed by Tim Warren and written by Sugga Caine, and Tim Warren.  Cast: Cory McFarlane, Jermaine Jones, Stevey Staton, Jared Wofford.  Underground President is a story that captures the intrigue, drama and violence of a city plagued by gang politics and the struggle of the players as they view for power.  Two competing crime syndicates, middlemen and even the police are merely pieces of the puzzle that reveal who will become the Underground President.

Waitress: Directed and written by Adrienne Shelly. Cast: Keri Russell, Nathan Fillion, Cheryl Hines, Adrienne Shelly, Jeremy Sisto and Andy Griffith. Jenna is a pregnant, unhappily married waitress in the deep south. She meets a newcomer to her town and falls into an unlikely relationship as a last attempt at happiness.

International Cinema

A Crude Awakening - The Oil Crash: Florida Premiere.  Country: Switzerland.  Directed and written by Ray McCormack and Basil Gelpke. Oil Crash is examining the state of the world's dwindling oil resources. It finds that we're running out of fossil fuels much sooner than anticipated. Zurich Film Prize.

A Stone's Throw: US Premiere.  Country: Canada. Directed by Camelia Frieberg and written by Camelia Frieberg and Garfield L. Miller. Cast: Aaron Webber, Hugh Thompston, Kathryn MacLellan, Kris Holden-Ried, Lisa Ray.  Set on the pristine shores of Nova Scotia, "A Stone's Throw" follows the journey of impassioned photojournalist Jack Walker as he arrives, unannounced, at the home of his sister, Olivia.  While healing old family wounds and falling in love with local schoolteacher Lia, Jack attempts to conceal a dark secret, and is ultimately forced to confront his consequences of acting blindly.

Big Dreamers:  East Coast Premiere.  Country: Australia. Directed by Camille Hardman and written by John Fink.  Big Dreamers is the quixotic struggle of one town in far north Queensland, Australia to build the World's Biggest Gumboot.

Bombay Skies: (short) Florida Premiere.  Country: India/USA. Directed and written by Rita Rani.  Cast: Rajat Kapoor.  American born Anjali runs off to India with dreams of becoming a movie star in Bombay. Her father, Anand, goes after her vowing to bring her back home. But when a little street boy takes him on a journey through the gritty streets of Bombay in search of his daughter, Anand ends up falling in love with the city he once called home.

Border War: Florida Premiere.  County: Mexico/USA. Directed and written by Kevin Knoblock.  Cast: Congressman J.D. Hayworth, Enrique Morones, Jose Luis Maheda, Lupe Moreno, Teri March.  Border War looks at immigration policy, border enforcements and national security through the eyes of five people on the front line of the issue.  Through their intersecting real life storylines, and through additional first person narratives from border ranchers and recently deported undocumented immigrants, we examine one of the most explosive domestic issues of our time. Best Doc 2006 American Film Renaissance.

Dead End: Florida Premiere. Country: Israel. Directed by Imri Matalon.  A forbidden journey around the border sharpens the differences between Eran, an Israeli musician, and Ali, a young Palestinian.  Erans naivet and Alis fears meet on their joint journey to a wedding in Jericho.  On the border, whoever breaks the law isnt necessarily the one who pays the price.

Dollars & White Pipes: US Premiere. Country: South Africa. Directed and written by Donovan Marsh. Cast: Clint Brink, Joey Rasdien, Jonathan Pienaar, and Genevieve Howard. In the poverty stricken Cape Flats in Cape Town, South Africa, drug addict Bernie Baaitjies dreams of hitting the big time like his Dallas TV hero, JR Ewing. Problem is, Bernie is no JR. Best Director South African Film and TV Awards; Best Screenplay -  South African Film and TV Awards; Best Director Pan African Film Fest.

Freddie Mercury: Lover of Life, Singer of Songs-The Untold Story: US Premiere.  Country: Austria, England, and India. Directed by Rudi Dolezal, and Hannes Rossacher and written by Dolezal, Witter, and Roassacher.  Cast: Freddie Mercury, Queen.  The Untold Story of superstar Freddie Mercury, singer of British rock band "Queen", who died of AIDs-told by those, who knew him best.

Hidden Creatures: (short) North American Premiere.  Country: Australia. Directed and written by Emma Humphreys.  Cast: Charles 'Bud' Tingwell, Chelsea Jones.  A tale of a family connection tested by the death of its senior member Bill, seen through the eyes of his 10-year old granddaughter, Clara.  Her unusual perceptions of the world around her create a dark fairytale, wherein she must choose  between her family's expectations and the truth of her own vision.

Haosef Shel Yedidiah/Yedidiah's Collection: East Coast Premiere.  Country: Israel. Directed and written by Noam Demsky, Mordi Kershner.  Ten-year-old Yedidiah's collection is no ordinary collection.  He collects spent mortar shells and lighting parachutes, all evidence of the complicated reality is facing.

Johan: Florida Premiere. Country: The Netherlands. Directed by Nicole Van Kilsdonk and written by Mieke de Jong.  Cast: Michiel Huisman, Caro Lenssen, Johnny DeMol            .  What happens when your whole family is crazy about soccer and you're not? Johan, played by 24-year-old Dutch heartthrob Michiel Huisman, is the eleventh male child in a family of soccer players. The boys make up a complete team, but Johan defies them a all by wanting to be a singer.

La sortie/Outside: (short) World Premiere.  Country: Belgium. Directed and written by Franka Joel.  Cast: Christelle Coornil, Hiolle Herve.  Simon Clarck has been in prison for 17 years.  He is getting out today.  He is scared of the outside world, scared that he has forgotten the world.  His daughter Marie has not seen since his incarceration.  Today should be the day where they meet again.  Learning to live in the world again may not be an insurmountable challenge for Simon.

Last Day of December: (short) World Premiere.  Country: Romania/USA. Directed and written by Bogdan Apetri.  Cast: Dan Grigoras, Florin Rusu, Nova Covali, Paul Chirila, Smaranda Besleaga.  A man returns home to confront his past in this chilling tale.

Lunch on the Run featuring Bombay's Dubbawallas: Florida Premiere. Country: India, USA. Cast: Bombay's Dubbawallas.  Every day without fail, the Dubbawallas run a daily marathon through the crowded and sometimes unkind streets of Bombay to deliver more than 200,000 home-cooked meals to thousands of workers all over the city.  An error rate of less than one in six million has earned this organized but largely illiterate group a Six Sigma designation from Forbes Magazine.

Maurice Richard/The Rocket: Florida Premiere.  Country: Canada. Directed by Charles Biname and written by Ken Scott.  Cast: Julie Le Breton, Roy Dupuis.  Maurice Richard had a dream to play hockey in the National Hockey League.  Through Hardships and hard work, he became a hero.  This film is the extraordinary story of the man they called the Rocket, who led a team to greatness, inspired a generation, gave passion to his country and brought a national sport to the world. 9 Genies and Best Actor Tokyo Film Fest.

Mola Ser Malo/It's Cool To Be Bad: (short) North American Premiere. Country: Spain. Directed and written by Alam Raja. Cast: Eloy Yebra, Fernando Ramallo, Zoe Berriatua.  Is the great epic narration of a man faced with the world, and of how he almost became feathery all because of sex, drugs and twenty kilograms of chicken.

Mr. Bones: (short) North American Premiere. Country: South Africa. Directed by Gray Hofmeyr and written by Leon Schuster, Gary Hofmeyr and Grag Latter. A medicine man is sent looking for the son of his tribal king, and brings back an American golfer and a hos t of goons intent on keeping him in the golf tournament. Highest grossing South African film of all time.

Mystic India: East Coast Premiere.  Country: India. Directed by Ketak Patel.  Cast: Nilkanth Patel.  Awake on a rainy morning in 1792 and walk with Neelkanth, an 11-year old child, as he treks for 7 years and 8000 miles barefoot across the length and breadth of India.  Experience the beauty, diversity, and culture of India through the eyes of this young yogi and discover the fabric of a rich civilization.  Mystic India is a journey of exploration, education and inspiration.  Through Mystic India's mountains and deserts, through its vibrant colors and enchanting sounds, there is only one universally inspiring message of Unity in Diversity: We are all one people, we hare the same sky, walk the same earth, breath the same air; we are a single human family. Viewers Choice - 10th Intl IMAX Film Fest; Most Popular Film - San Jose Film Fest.

New York Waiting: Florida Premiere. Country: Sweden/USA. Directed and written by Joachim Heden.  Cast: Chris Stewart, Annie Woods.  Hoping to re-connect with the one big lost love of his life, Sidney sends Coreen an airline ticket and asks her to meet him in New York. New York Waiting is the story of a first meeting and a second chance. Best Director - Baltic Debuts Film Fest.

Out of Sight: Florida Premiere. Country: Israel. Directed by Daniel Syrkin.  Cast: Assi Dayan.  A gripping, psychological mystery about Yaara, a young, blind woman who returns to Israel, to investigate the suicide of Talia, her cousin and inseparable childhood friend.   As secrets are revealed, she learns what her sighted family choose not to see. Best Director - Israeli equivalent to an Oscar.

Plastic: (short) Florida Premiere.  Country: United Kingdom. Directed and written by Mark Davis.  Cast: Adnana Istratescu, Niko Nicotera.  Director Syrkin won Israeli equivalent of Oscar for Best Director of this film. "and I knew there was something wrong with the girl the first time I killed her." A pumped-up, overblown thriller of a teen flick which gets rudely invaded by sci-fi as the class reject stalks the prom queen and gets more than was advertised on the packaging. Best Short - Cruzan Soho Film Fest.

Quietly: (short) Florida Premiere. Country: Singapore/USA. Directed and written by Jit Fong Oon.  Cast: Ed Ikeda, Mariko Takai, Tokio Paris.  An elderly Japanese man, facing his imminent death, passes on his understanding of life to his grandson. Best Short - Singapore Int'l Film Fest.

Red Dust: (short). Country: South Africa. Directed by Tom Hooper. Written by Troy Kennedy-Martin. Cast: Hilary Swank, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Jamie Batlett and Marius Weyers. Red Dust is an intense courtroom drama set during South Africas Truth and Reconciliation hearings and its decisive struggle to heal the wounds of apartheid atrocities. Best Editing, South African Film & TV Awards; Golden Peacock Award Intl Film Fest of India; Golden Kinnaree Award Bangkok Intl Film Fest.

Room Nine: (short) World Premiere.  Country: United Kingdom/USA. Directed and written by Paul Street.  Cast: Celeste Thornson. A girl on the run finds herself in a precarious situation. Alone in the desert with a suitcase and packet of gum.

Secrets d'Ete/Who Loves the Sun: Florida Premiere. Country: Canada. Directed and written by Matt Bissonnette.  Cast: Lukas Haas, Adam Scott, Molly Parker.  A troubled young man's (Lukas Haas) sudden return after a mysterious five-year disappearance reunites him with his wife (Molly Parker) and his best friend (Adam Scott). Who Loves the Sun is a delightfully witty character comedy from director Matt Bissonnette, featuring perfectly pitched performances and a great soundtrack.

Speed Dating: World Premiere.  Country: Ireland. Directed and written by Tony Herbert.  Cast: David Hayman, Don Wycherly, Emma Choy, Flora Montgomery, Hugh O'Conor.  A heartbroken heir to millions becomes obsessed with speed dating in the search for love and meaning.  A brief encounter with a mysterious stranger leaves him amnesiac and suspected in a murder.  With help from his quirky friends and family he must clear his name, if he can remember it!

Stray Soul: (short) USA Premiere. Country: Israel. Directed by Mika Orr and written by Guy Boskoboinik.  Cast: Asaf Solomon.  The script tells the tale of a young man who strays off his orbit only to wind up on Heaven's front door. There he meets a sexy yet somewhat peculiar receptionist. Although he is returned to his body, after realizing he made it to the wrong place, his place in Heaven is more than guaranteed.

The Edge of Eden: Living with Grizzlies: Florida Premiere. Country: Canada/ United Kingdom.  Directed and written by Jeff Turner.  Cast: Jeff Turner.  Canadian, Charlie Russell has been raising orphaned grizzly bear cubs in the wilderness of Russia for the past decade. Becoming their surrogate mother he struggles to teach them everything they need to survive a life in the wild. But will it be enough?

The Line: World Premiere.  Country: Australia. Directed and written by Michael Adante.  Cast: David Barry.  Betrayal respects no line.

The Power of Community: How Cuba Survived Peak Oil: Florida Premiere. Country: USA/Cuba. Directed by Faith Morgan and written by Eugene (Pat) Murphy, Fatih Morgan and Megan Quinn.  Cast: Eugene (Pat) Murphy, Megan Quinn, Rachel Bruhnke, Roberto Perez.  The collapse USSR was an economic disaster for Cuba. Oil and food imports were cut drastically and people were desperate. From hardships to creativity, from industrial to organic farming and urban gardens, Cuba, is an example of options and hope.

Tovarisch Ya Yesche Zhiv/ Tovarish I'm Not Dead: World Premiere.  Country: Israel, Russian Fed, USA, Ukraine, and UK. Directed and written by Stuart Urban.  A true story of my father, the Holocaust and the Gula.  A feature documentary by Stuart Urban on Garri Urban, one of the 20th Century's extraordinary survivors, who endured the extremes of both Nazism and Communism.

The Film Class: US Premiere.  Country: Israel. Directed and written by Uri Rosenwaks.  A fascinating, little known story about slavery and racism among Israels Bedouin population.   Far from being ancient history, until Israel became a state in 1948 black Africans were still enslaved by white Bedouins.   When filmmaker Uri Rosenwaks signed up to teach filmmaking to a group of black Beduoin women living in the Negev, he had no idea that their story of discrimination would emerge as much as their charm and talents as filmmakers.

The Joel Files: US Premiere.  Country: Austria/Germany/USA. Directed by Beate Thalberg.  Cast: Billy Joel & Family & Neckermenn Family. Beate Thalberg's critically acclaimed documentary tells the story of two German families, whose ways first cross in the 1930s. Karl Amson Joel owned the fourth largest mail order company in Germany, but has to leave Germany with is family due to his Jewish roots in 1933. Meanwhile, the Neckermann family gains his business empire by profiteering from the Nazi expropriation laws. Almost seventy years later, their descendants, among them pop star Billy Joel, meet in Vienna to confront themselves and each other with their common history...

YADAYIM KSHUROT/Tied Hands: East Coast Premiere.  Country: Israel. Directed by Dan Wolman, and written by Oshar Schwartz, Jacob Rosen, Dan Wolman.  Cast: Gila Almogar.  A middle-aged mother steps out into the Tel Aviv night in search of marijuana to ease her sons pain who is dying of AIDS.  On her journey, she learns more about her sons life and the complex relationship he had with his father.

Tolya: Florida Premiere. Country: Israel, Directed and written by Rodeon Brodsky.  Cast: Anatoli Dolia, Bladimir Petrov.  On International Womens Day, when all his fellow foreign workers call their wives to greet them, Tolya remains speechless as he calls Natasha, his wife.   His toothless mouth cant pronounce anything but a whistling mumble. Tolya is ready to give up on language, but not his romantic message!

V'Hinei Ruach Gedola Ba'a/And Behold, There Came A Great Wind: Florida Premiere. Country: Israel. Directed and written by Ziv Alexandrony.  The Gaza withdrawal as seen through the eyes of three long-time residents over an eight-month period:  Benny and Rachel Yafet who farmed in Gush Katif for 28 years and buried a son there and Rabbi Raffi Peretz, head of a religious pre-military training academy.  Without demonizing either the settlers or the soldiers or sensationalizing the painful military action, the filmmaker gives a sensitive, even-handed picture of one of Israels most significant events.

Wasted: Florida Premiere.  Country: Israel. Directed and written by Nurit Kedar.  Cast: At the foot of an ancient Crusader fortress in Lebanon, stands Beaufort Castle and military post. Young men have died here for the last 1300 years: Saracens and Crusaders and most recently Israelis and Lebanese.   Its the site of one of the most controversial battles of the Israeli Armys occupation of Southern Lebanon.   Israeli soldiers from one of the last units to withdraw in 2000 break down the macho soldier myth and in intimate, unprecedented detail recall their thoughts and feelings.   This is the story of any battle in any war and about a heroic myth which generations of Israelis have been raised upon and given their lives for.

Yesterday: US Premiere. Country: South Africa, Directed and written by Darrell Roodt. Produced by Anant Singh and Helena Spring. Cast: Kenneth Khambula, Leleti Khumalo, Harriet Lenabe, Lihle Mvelase and Camilla Walker. After falling ill, Yesterday (Khumalo) learns that she is HIV positive. With her husband in denial and young daughter to tend to, Yesterday's one goal is to live long enough to see her child go to school. Academy Award Nominee for Best Foreign Language Film; Best Foreign Film Nominee Independent Spirit Award.

Yiddish Theater: A Love Story: Florida Premiere,  Country: Israel/USA. Directed by Dan Katzir.  Cast: Seymour Rexite, Shifra Lerer, Zypora Spaisman, Zalmen Mlotek, Nahma Sandrow.  Enter the funny, larger-than-life world of Yiddish Theater through this documentary film about the amazing woman who has kept the oldest running Yiddish Theater in America alive. Zypora Spaisman is a Holocaust survivor who conquers all hearts in her passion for art, life, and Yiddish. This heartwarming story of one unique woman's struggle portrays the fight of both an old art form to stay relevant and an old actress to find meaning and a stage in a society that worships youth.

Documentaries

American Shopper: East Coast Premiere, directed by Tamas Bojtor, and written by Adam Kekar. Cast: Aaron Marchbanks, Chris Nielson, Clare Adrian, Jonathan Gotsick.  An absurd, heartwarming hybrid documentary that follows small-town competitors training to become the first-ever champion of 'aisling,' a new sport that turns grocery shopping into a form of self-expression.

Beyond the Call: Florida Premiere, directed and written by Adrian Belic.  Cast: Sir Ed Artist, James Laws D.O., Walt Ratterman.  In a Mother Teresa meets Indiana Jones adventure three middle-aged men, former soldiers and modern day knights travel the world delivering life saving humanitarian aid directly into the hands of civilians and doctors in some of the most dangerous yet beautiful places on Earth, the front lines of war.

Darius Goes West - The Roll of His Life: East Coast Premiere, directed by Logan Smalley.  Eleven college students rent an RV to take Darius Weems, 15, who has Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, on a cross-country road trip.  Their goal is to convince MTV's 'Pimp My Ride' to customize Darius's wheelchair.  Along the way, they find joy, brotherhood and the knowledge that life, even when imperfect, is always worth the ride. Audience Choice Award-Santa Barabara Film Fest; Best Doc at Omaha Film Fest.

FireStorm:  World Premiere, directed and written by Eli Jarra.  FireStorm uncovers the fascinating world of altered time to the viewer, allowing a unique look at nature's fury.  Shot with 3 cameras shot over a period of 28 hours during September 28-29th 2005.  Firestorm shows a unique look at the Simi Valley fire which consumed 25,000 acres.

Florida's Wild Side: US Premiere, directed by Tom Fitz.  There's more to Florida than just Theme Parks and Miami Beach! 'Florida's Wild Side' takes a look at this southern state's iconic wildlife, told through the eyes of local residents- artists, scientists, and laypeople- all of whom share one thing in common: a passion for Florida's wildlife.

Forgotten on the Bayou: Rockey's Mission to the White House: World Premiere, directed and written by Steven Scaffidi.  Cast: Rockey Vaccarella.  A hurricane Katrina survivor named 'Rockey' rode out the storm on his roof by holding on to a rope. If that wasn't enough he towed his FEMA trailer to the White House and invited the President of the United States to dinner so he could personally deliver his message of hope.

From Silence to Sound: World Premiere, American Sign Language and English.  Directed by Chase Mathews.  In the United States, more than 20 million people are either deaf or hard of hearing.  Justin Garrett is among them.  And yet, for Justin, where there used to be silence, now there is sound.  This is his miraculous story.

Gimme Green: Florida Premiere, directed by Eric Flagg and Isaac Brown.  Gimme Green is a humorous look at America's obsession with the residential lawn and the effects it has on our environment, our wallets and our outlook on life.

Got Stem Cells? What Would You Do?: World Premiere, directed by Adolfo Doring Through the eyes of individuals who are searching for answers and cures, Got Stem Cells? Takes us on a journey into the highly explosive field of stem cell research, unveiling truth and hope.  It examines the struggles and hopes of individuals seeking stem cell therapy, incorporating the science of politics.

Heart of a Soul Surfer: Florida Premiere, directed by Becky Baumgartner.  Cast: Bethany Hamilton.  A simple teenager from an isolated island becomes a beach of hope for a worldwide audience 'Heart of a Soul Surfer' is the personal documentary of Bethany Hamilton.

Homeless not Hopeless: World Premiere, directed and written by Kate Super and Jessica Moresco.  When five unique individuals share their stories from the streets of Los Angeles, we learn that homelessness is not always what it seems to be.

Kabul Girls Club: World Premiere, directed by Johnson McKelvy and written by Gregory Poppen and Jeff Sarokin.  Cast: Lance Armstrong.  The brave young women of Kabul struggle to form Afghanistan's first women's soccer league.

Left Behind: The Story of the New Orleans Public Schools: World Premiere, directed by Vincent Morelli and Jason Berry and written by Vincent Morelli.  Cast: Vincent Morelli      .  Left Behind is a 90-minute documentary that tells the story of four African-American high school seniors as they navigate through their final year of high school. Their final year in "the worst public school system in America." Their final year is one of the poorest cities in the state; in a state ranked as the poorest in America; in one of the most violent cities, states and countries in the industrialized world.

Roots: The Hair-Raising Story of a Guy Named Sy: World Premiere, directed and written by John Bennardo. Cast: Sy Sperling, Geraldo Rivera, David Lachman, Joe Franklin.  He's not only the President, he's also a client. A humorous look at the life and success of Sy Sperling, former President of the Hair Club for Men. How he went from a poor child in the South Bronx to the owner of major company and a national celebrity.

Snake Hill: World Premiere, directed by Sandra Longo.  Thousands of terminally ill patients, indigents, "lunatics" and prisoners lay buried and forgotten at New Jersey's infamous Snake Hill until a handful of descendants begin a quest to find their relatives.

Sportsfan: Florida Premiere, directed by Aaron Lubarsky. Cast: Jesse Logan, Jeff Pearson, Kelly Bayles, Eddie Gunn.  From the executive producers of "The Daily Show" and "The Colbert Report" and Emmy Award winning filmmaker Aaron Lubarsky, comes this look at that intensely loyal, often misunderstood, and always optimistic creature know as the Diehard Football Fan.  The film follows one roller-coaster season with long-time fans of the Minnesota Vikings, including a father and son, a husband and wife, and two housepainters who co-host a public access TV show called Testosterone.  From training camp to draft day the never-ending season is often hilarious, surprising, and sobering.

Shorts

And Lo, Guilharmenia: Florida Premiere, Directed and written by Louise Despont and Maria Dyer.  Cast: Joey Frank, Willow Gibbons.  A woman who lives in an enchanted isolation attempts to heal a sickly bird-spirit with surreal mandala rituals.

Blue Hole: US Premiere, directed by Neel Scott.  Cast: Maura Anderson, Kevin Allesee, Kelly Anne Burns, Rob Evans.  Four teenagers on the verge of adulthood wander into the woods on a summer afternoon and uncover a mysterious secret that has been hidden for many years. Along the way, they are forced to examine their own lives and what they intend to do with them, as well as face the realities of death, and the impressions that one leaves behind.

Chinese Dumplings: Florida Premiere, Directed and written by Michelle Hung.  Cast: Kariann Martini, Kelsey Yonemura.  Two young sisters resist their daily violin practice. Best Cinematography Award - UCLA Fest; Outstanding Student Film Caucus Foundation Golden Circle Award.

Civil War: Florida Premiere, directed by C.C. Webster.  Cast: Colby Minifie, Miryam Coppersmith, Samantha Bilinkas.  It seems like an ordinary day; it's overcast, there was no milk for breakfast, another boring field trip but things are nothing but ordinary for Sam when she gets to Gettysburg. Life will never be the same. Audience Choice Award - Columbia Film Fest.

CHLOE:  Florida Premiere, directed and written by D.W. Brown.  Cast:  Adam Arkin, William Mapother, Joanne Baron, Catherine Wreford, Peter Facinelli.  A young model, used to the fast lane, faces more serious issues when she is confronted with the possible diagnosis of lupus.

Cold Kenya: Florida Premiere,  Country: Poland; Language: Polish with subtitles in English.  Directed and written by Laurence Walsh.  Cast: Borys Szyc, Magdalene Poplawska, Marek Wlodarczyk.  A young Warsaw businessman tries to reconcile his newfound wealth and success with the pain of Poland's past. Over the span of one week, he tries to shake his recent doubts over the decisions he has made and get his life back on track. Best International Film -- Napa Sonoma Wine Country Film Fest; Best Short Film - Avignon Film Fest.

Confessions of a Late Bloomer: Florida Premiere, directed by Jen McGowan and written by Stuart Paul. Cast: Tylor Chase, D'Angelo Jones, Krisitina Stacey.  Confessions of a Late Bloomer is the story of Donny, a pre-pubescent 15 year-old boy who desperately tries to become a man by the high school pool party at the end of the week in order to win Sheila, the love of his life, away from Cal, the school thug. Best of the Fest - Rhode Island Int'l Film Fest.

Dear Lemon Lima: World Premiere, directed by Suzi Yoonessi and written by Nicki Paluga, and Suzi Yoonessi. Cast: Ellen Hornberger, Miles Thompson, Samantha Futterman, Zachary Lapes.  A lonely 13-year old girl with a vivid imagination overcomes her first heartbreak with angel-headed dorks on a serendipitous summer day.

Everything will be OK: Florida Premiere, directed and written by Don Hertzfeldt.  A series of dark and troubling events forces Bill to reckon with the meaning of his life - or lack thereof.

Fetch: East Coast Premiere, directed and written by Daniel Bernhardt.  Cast: David Leitch, Lisa Stothard.  The name is John Fetcher but everyone calls him 'Fetch', because he gets thingsthat's what he does.

Glacier Bay: Florida Premiere, directed by Douglas Moser and written by Frederick Stoppel.  Cast: Dorothy Bryce, James Noble, Coleen Murphy.  Glacier Bay, a humorous and tender love story, gives us a peek into the world of Connie and Artie as they navigate through a family gathering with all its trappings.  One moment of realization changes everything for them- or does it?

He Can Hear It: World Premiere, directed and written by John Ford. Cast: Danny Jones.  A blind music teacher makes an ironic sacrifice to raise rent money.

In The Clearing: Florida, directed by Richard Tarantino and written by E.M. Tarantino and Jordan Jennings.  Cast: Jerry Zellers, Sara Sabanski.  A film about perspective and the internal struggle of the human conscience. Human Spirit Award - Dusty Film Fest.

Just: Directed and written by Jesse Wheeler. Cast: Brendan Hines. Idealistic attorney Eddie Winkle only wants to do what's righteven if it means doing a lot of wrong along the way. Student Academy Award Nominee.

Leave You In Me: World Premiere, directed by Dutch Doscher and William Grant and written by Michael Darin Cohen.  Cast: Andrew Romalgia, Sarah Johnson.  An unexpected admission emerges while a couple is making love.  Naked, emotionally and physically, they must confront a tangled web of love, sex and betrayal.  The path to reconciliation leads to a dark and uncertain forgiveness.

Life death afterlife etc.: East Coast Premiere, directed and written by Peter Letz.  Cast: Ari Brand.  One man. One impenetrable hair. One runaway brain chunk.  A silent-slapstick-surrealist-horror-comedy about the existential dilemma or something.

Morbid Curiosity: Florida Premiere, directed by Cindy Baer and written by Matthew Irving.  Cast: Cindy Baer.  Award winning director Cindy Baer brings to life Matthew Irving's supernatural tale, which presents the question: What would happen if your deepest, darkest thoughts came true, just be thinking them?

Morning Fall:  Florida Premiere, directed and written by Edward McGinty.  Cast: Zia Harris.  A mysterious man wakes up on the side of the road, injured and confused, the morning after a motorcycle crash - but where will he end up when he can't find his way back home?

Mu/Nothing: World Premiere, Directed by Paul Yacono.    Cast:  Neto Depaula Pimenta, Yutaka Takeuchi.  A surreal mystery fable based on an ancient Japanese story about a traditional Japanese tattoo artist, who discovers that he is both dead and alive at the same time.

My First Time Driving: East Coast Premiere, directed by Tom Keith and written by Liz Feldman.  Cast: Caroline Aaron, Sarah Utterback.  Rachel wants to take the wheel, but her mom can't let go.

Opportunity Knocks: World Premiere, written by Larry DeGeorge, Gaia Finer, and Aaron Wells.  Cast: Suzanne Niedland, Tim Powell, Tristan Rogers.  Death's bumbling bureaucratic assistant interrupts a distraught woman's suicide attempt.

Orange #8: World Premiere, directed and written by Leonardi D'Antoni.  Cast: Gerri Lawlor, Pablo D'Antoni, Paul Erskine.  Repeat.repeat.repeat.

Past Imperfect: Florida Premiere, directed and written by Birgit Martina Rudel. Cast: Ben Kronen.  An old man in Siberia, Anatoly Polyakov faces reality through his memories as he cleans exhibits in a laboratory.

Premonition: Florida Premiere, directed by Roman Gabriel; produced and writen by Chris Bythewood; Cast: Adrian Anthony, Chastity Dotson. Cameron returns home after a bitter break up, only to have her life turned upside down.  A glimpse into the future of her unborn child reveals the unthinkable.

Rocketboy: Florida Premiere, directed and written by Justin Guerrieri.  Cast: Bill Nye,David Clennon, Hunter Gomez, Robert Picardo, Roger Lane [Robert Picardo].  A depressed, middle-aged accountant comes face to face with a strange visitor: a young space traveler who mysteriously crash-landed on the moon in a homemade spacecraft. Roger's world is turned upside down as Rocketboy attempts to remind him of his forgotten dreams of space adventure.

Sadie and the Slot Machines: East Coast Premiere, directed and written by Issac Feder.  Cast: Ruta Lee, Steve Rossi.  Sadie Silver returns to Downtown Las Vegas after forty years to find her first love and former duet partner Jules Davis, who still headlines at a casino lounge. She wants to reunite with him and sing again on stage, but Jules wishes she had never come back at all.

Save Me: Florida Premiere, directed and written by Jennifer Getzinger.  Cast: Joanna Going.  Save Me' is the story of human rights worker Rita Lambert who, upon her return to the U.S. from her post in a Central American country, finds herself the target of mysterious phone calls and threats.  As Rita's fear grows in this psychological thriller, she tries desperately to convince those around her that she's in real danger.

Still(e): Florida Premiere, directed and written by Susan Schwarzwald.  Cast: Meret Oppenheim, Stephen Rappaport.  Through the lens of memory, the daughter of a refugee from Nazi Germany re-visits the pain of remembering, tinged with the fear of forgetting, that silently haunts her father, herself, and now- her young daughter as well.

Terminal: Florida Premiere, directed by Renie Oxley and written by Marty Musatov and  Ethan Erwin.  Cast: Brian Bloom, Marisa Peteroro, Debbie Mclead.  Dana makes the difficult decision to leave her abusive husband Roger.  She packs her bags and makes a hurried phone call in the nick of time.  Standing up to him for the first time, Dana tells him that she is leaving for good.

The Accident: World Premiere, directed and written by Jason Dodson.  Alice is a troubled girl who wakes in the middle of the night behind the wheel of a '67 Mustang that she has crashed into a light pole. She finally arrives at her destination-- a seedy desert motel where a clandestine meeting was to take place three hours earlier. There she's pestered by a concerned and talkative salesman. Alice's intuition tells her the salesman isn't as harmless as he seems.

The Great Train Robbery: directed by Edwin S. Porter and written by Edwin S. Porter and  Scott Marble. This classic 1903 western features a clerk at the train station assaulted and left tied by four men. Then they rob the train threatening the operator. (They) take all the money and shoot a passenger when trying to run away. A little girl discovers the clerk tied and gives notice to the sheriff, who at once goes along with his men hunting the bandits.

The Knife Grinder's Tale: Florida Premiere, Country: USA/Kenya.  Directed and written by R.L. Hooker.  Cast: Sam Otieno.  "The Knife Grinder's Tale" tells the story of a father's tragic journey struggling to answer why his son was pointlessly murdered in the slums of Nairobi.

The New Math: World Premiere, directed and written by Michael Duffey.  Cast: Joe Burton, Liz Parrott.  In the wake of an awkward nooner and dark thoughts, a single mother questions her relationship with her weird boyfriend and his asymmetrical moustache.

The Strange Case Of Marie France: World Premiere, directed by Till Neumann and written by Vincent Fraioli.  Cast: Robert Cucuzza.  Robert Berger is obsessed with keeping order and beauty in his home. But his family thwarts him at every step until one day a provocative savior appears to save him. Or does she?

The Tape Recorder: World Premiere, directed and written by Jose Rivera.  Cast: Carlo Alban, Sona Tatoyan.  A man and a woman in a small room with a tape recorder. Interrogation? Sexual power game? Or a strange form of purgatory? The first short film written and directed by the Academy-Award nominated writer of 'The Motorcycle Diaries,' Jose Rivera.

Walls & Windows: World Premiere, directed by Corey Rosen and written by Corey Rosen and Leonardo D'Antoni.  Cast: Hooman Khalili, Q'orianka Kilcher, Gerri Lawlor.  Henry is moving in with a girl half his age. In this 8 minute short film, Henry and Chloe (played by Q'orianka Kilcher, from Terrence Malick's "The New World" learn the differences between love and control.

Who Loves the Sun: Florida Premiere, directed and written by Chen-Hsi Wong.  Cast:  Danny Fernandez, Derrian William, Elisa Chacon.  On a hot mid-summer's day, three young friends are forced to question the nature of their friendship and actions.

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© Palm Beach International Film Festival   Updated on Tuesday, March 10, 2015 12:52 PM