Second Annual Giffoni Hollywood Film Festival Celebrates Child and Teen Filmmmakers From Around the World

Second Annual Giffoni Hollywood Film Festival Celebrates Child and Teen Filmmmakers From Around the World

Celebrities Including Jon Voight, Will Smith and Paula Abdul Among Participants in Week's Activities

LOS ANGELES, April 21 /PRNewswire/ -- Kids from around the globe and the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) will take Tinseltown by storm during the second annual Giffoni Hollywood Film Festival, April 24-29 at Hollywood & Highland Center, just steps from the renowned Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Closed to the general public, Giffoni Hollywood is an extraordinary festival that unites and inspires children and teens from around the world through the power of cinema. What sets this festival apart from the others is that the jury is comprised of children. There will be 15 short films made by kids, bringing to life the art of cinema as seen through the eyes of an adolescent. In addition, 15 feature-length films made by professional filmmakers will be screened and voted on.

This year's participating jurors comprise students from six Los Angeles Unified schools and 36 international students representing Albania, Armenia, Australia, Belgium, Hungary, India, Israel, Italy and Spain. Furthermore, 1,500 students enrolled in LAUSD's Beyond the Bell after-school program have been invited to participate in the award ceremony and a special screening of the film, Hoot.

While the qualifying films are fun and educational, they must be focused on diversity, tolerance and education. There are three categories interested filmmakers can enter -- Dare to Dream is for nine to 11 year olds, Reach the Sky is for 12 to 14 year olds and Make it Happen is for 15 to 17 year olds. Each category has a panel of jurors that will decide on the Best Feature Film. As for deciding on the festival's overall Best Short Film, the collaborative panel Seeds of Celebration, comprised of nine to 17 year olds, will announce the winner.

"We all possess the power of storytelling from a very young age," said Steven Paul, co-founder of Giffoni Hollywood. "We are providing the inspiration and opportunity for these students -- regardless of nationality or ethnicity -- to showcase their talents and to share their stories with the world."

From classes and fieldtrips to celebrity-hosted events, students will follow a schedule of activities that only Hollywood can offer -- film screenings, red carpet events, celebrity sightings and meeting people from around the world. Following is a snapshot of the week's scheduled activities for Giffoni Hollywood:

-- Monday, April 24
* All day: The international students arrive in the United States
* Evening: Students will have dinner at Disneyland
-- Tuesday, April 25
* 9 a.m. -- Participants will travel to Disneyland for Team
Building Day
* 1:30 p.m. -- Students visit the set of American Idol
* 5 p.m. -- Special meet and greet at the Giffoni Club
-- Wednesday, April 26
* 9 a.m. -- Students tour Universal Studios
* 4 p.m. -- Special screening at Grauman's Chinese Theater
* 6 p.m. - Dinner hosted by Wolfgang Puck at Hollywood & Highland
-- Thursday, April 27
* 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. -- Film Screenings at Grauman's Chinese Theater
* 5 p.m. -- Bowling and dinner at Lucky Strike hosted by Will Smith
-- Friday, April 28
* 9 a.m. -- Film Screenings at Grauman's Chinese Theater
* 5 p.m. -- Taste of Italy dinner and Music night at Hollywood &
Highland with Paula Abdul
-- Saturday, April 29
* 3 p.m. -- Award Ceremony at Kodak Theater
* 6 p.m. -- After party at Hollywood & Highland

For find more information, a list of activities or to request press credentials, please visit www.giffonihollywood.com.

About Giffoni Hollywood

Giffoni Hollywood brings the 35-year tradition of the Giffoni International Film Festival to Hollywood, the world's entertainment capital. Based in Giffoni, Italy, the Giffoni International Film Festival is considered the largest children's film festival in Europe, welcoming more than 1,000 children and teens from 30 countries around the world. Now, in only its second year in the U.S., Giffoni Hollywood has attracted some of the largest international companies and brands as festival sponsors, including Washington Mutual, Virgin Atlantic, Nickelodeon, Warner Bros. and The Walt Disney Company, among others.

Contact: Kristen Banach, Porter Novelli
310-444-7064
kristen.banach@porternovelli.com

Corie Jackson, Porter Novelli
310-444-7027
cjackson@porternovelli.com

Source: Giffoni Hollywood

CONTACT: Kristen Banach, +1-310-444-7064,
kristen.banach@porternovelli.com, or Corie Jackson, +1-310-444-7027,
cjackson@porternovelli.com, both of Porter Novelli, for Giffoni Hollywood

Web site: http://www.giffonihollywood.com/

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