Delray Beach Film Festival Plans Bigger Event for 2007

Delray Beach Film Festival Plans Bigger Event for 2007

Over 250 Films Planned for Festival Highlighting Local and International Film Directors

PALM BEACH, Fla., July 17 /PRNewswire/ -- The Delray Beach Film Festival is returning next March for its second year and promises an expanded program and greater attendance than its inaugural in 2006.

"The 2007 Delray Beach Film Festival is set to build upon its first year success," said Dr. Michael Posner, Festival creator and director. "We got off to a terrific start but the Festival next March will be bigger and better than ever -- we're already getting a great buzz in the film community due to attendee experience in 2006."

The 2007 Delray Beach Film Festival is planning to show 250 films during the four-day event March 13-18, 2007. In addition to inviting both international and independent filmmakers to screen their new movies (in hopes of finding distributors for their creations), the Delray Festival also highlights short films of local and national student directors from schools such as Florida Atlantic University, University of Central Florida and the Palm Beach and Chapman Film Schools.

"Michael Posner has created an event that complements other festivals in South Florida because it's positioned in a different way," Jay Stuck, president of BrandGuy, Inc., which handles the marketing and press relations for the event, said. "Over 800 films were submitted for screening last year -- and attendance reached 15,000 people-essentially because the Festival is aimed at giving visibility to work not ordinarily seen by the public. This includes Hispanic and Xtreme Sports films as well as the student work. It's recognized by filmmakers as "a filmmakers' festival." In fact, two films were sold for distribution at the 2006 event -- which is virtually unheard of for a first-year Festival. Fifty films have already been submitted for 2007 in just the last four weeks."

The March 2007 event will also feature a special award created last year that is presented to the best documentary produced about the festival -- the kicker is that the film is shot during the festival, Posner said. G-Star School of the Arts, based in West Palm Beach, will offer its production and editing facilities to the documentary makers participating in the competition that may need to utilize its resources in order to finish their work in time for the screening and awards, he added.

The 2007 Festival also plans to reprise a popular workshop from last year hosted by the National Association of Latino Independent Producers (NALIP). "It is critical that Hispanic directors and producers find venues for their work," Posner said. "That's why the Delray Beach Festival is filling a need."

Several innovations are planned for 2007, including fan voting after each movie screening. The winning six most popular pictures as voted by the audiences will be re-screened on Sunday, the last day of the event -- sort of a "best of show" Posner said. Another innovation: as a boon to potential sponsors, research company Touch Poll of South Florida will poll audiences to determine attendee demographics using high tech portable touch-screen computer tablets, he added. The Festival is also exploring video streaming possibilities to computers, handheld PDAs and cellphones.

Posner promises that the 2007 Festival will feature more widely publicized parties and fund-raising activities aimed at local residents, including the popular midnight pajama party screenings. The Colony Hotel in Delray Beach will be headquarters and host hotel for the event.

The Festival is also looking to double its sponsors to at least 40, he said. "It's all about the films, but it's also all about making interesting and cutting-edge creative work available to local audiences," Posner added. "We're like the little engine that could -- we began on a shoe-string budget, but I believe we've won local and national respect and support after our first year. Just wait until you see the events and guests we're planning," Posner said.

For more information about the festival, call 561 213-5737. Web Address: http://www.delraybeachfilmfestival.com/

About the Delray Beach Film Festival:

Now in its second year, the DBFF is a non-profit 501 c3 organization dedicated to providing the local community and international visitors with a diverse presentation of films from around the world. The Festival offers filmmakers a forum for their work that may not otherwise be released theatrically in the USA. Profits from the Festival will be shared with the Palm Beach County Humane Society and the Atlantic High School Media department.

About BrandGuy, Inc.:

BrandGuy, Inc is a marketing communications and advertising firm dedicated to creating brand awareness and sales for large and small businesses and events. For more information contact: Jay Stuck at 561 366-8482. http://www.brandguyinc.com/

Source: BrandGuy, Inc.

CONTACT: Jay Stuck, BrandGuy, Inc., +1-561-366-8482, or
jaystuck@brandguyinc.com

Web site: http://www.brandguyinc.com/
http://www.delraybeachfilmfestival.com/

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