13TH ANNUAL BEVERLY HILLS FILM FESTIVAL
ANNOUNCES AWARD WINNERS
AT GALA AWARDS CEREMONY

“Wampler’s Ascent” Wins Golden Palm Award

— BHFF Expands into Japan —

— Late Oscar-winning Screenwriter William Saroyan Honored with
2013 Parajanov-Vartanov Institute Award, Presented by Jon Voight —

For additional coverage and interviews, visit theINshow.com

BEVERLY HILLS, CA (May 13, 2013) – Last night, at the 13th Annual International Beverly Hills Film Festival (BHFF) (www.beverlyhillsfilmfestival.com) closing Gala Awards Ceremony, “Wampler’s Ascent,” a feature-length documentary directed by Elizabeth Wampler, received the Golden Palm Award. The film features Steve Wampler, a man with severe cerebral palsy that ascends the biggest rock face in the world, El Capitan in Yosemite National Park: 20,000 pull-ups, 5 nights, 6 days on the sheer face of the mountain with the use of only one limb. The new Beverly Hills Film Festival Japan CEO, Hiroki Ohwada from Tokyo was in attendance to present the Best Foreign Film award to “Rouge Sang (The Storm Within).” The event was held at the The Four Seasons Los Angeles at Beverly Hills, located at 300 South Doheny, and featured over 300 distinguished guests.

Another highlight of the evening was the 2013 Parajanov-Vartanov Institute Award (http://institute.parajanov.com/)—named after legendary filmmakers Sergei Paradjanov and Mikhail Vartanov—which honored late Oscar-winning screenwriter William Saroyan (1908-1981). Oscar-winning actor Jon Voight presented the award to Saroyan’s granddaughter, Cream Saroyan.

BHFF founder and president Nino Simone, said, “It is an honor to host so many incredibly talented independent filmmakers and screenwriters at the Beverly Hills Film Festival. We are proud that we have been able to give acknowledgement for their work for the past thirteen years, while creating a bridge for up-and-coming filmmakers to the Hollywood establishment.”

The 2013 BHFF Jury included Steven Paul (Crystal Sky, CEO & President), producer/sales rep Cassian Elwes; agent Matt DelPiano (CAA); casting director Fern Champion; producer Michael Hertzberg (“Blazing Saddles,” “Entrapment”), casting director Kim Matuka (Schuller Entertainment Group), producer Alan Mruvka and producer Scott Karol (“Tekken”).

About William Saroyan
Considered one of the greatest writer’s of the 20th century, William Saroyan won the Pulitzer Prize for “The Time of Your Life” (1939) and the Oscar for “The Human Comedy” (1943). American icons have praised Saroyan’s work, including the likes of Arthur Miller, Kurt Vonnegut and Tennessee Williams. Stephen Fry has said of Saroyan: “He is one of the most underrated writers of the century. He takes his place naturally alongside Hemingway, Steinbeck and Faulkner.” Past Parajanov-Vartanov Institute Awards that have been presented to underrated artists include the legendary screenwriter Mardik Martin, who penned Martin Scorsese’s classics “Mean Streets” (1973) and “Raging Bull” (1980), as well as French film genius Jean Vigo (1905-1934) who has credited with inspiring directors from Fellini to Scorsese.

2013 Beverly Hills Film Festival Awards
2013 BHFF award recipients were awarded with custom-made crystal and marble trophies. Out of 50 competition films, a complete list of the 2013 winners follows:

The Golden Palm Award (best film in all categories) went to “Wampler’s Ascent,” directed by Elizabeth Wampler.

Best Director went to Hadzi-Aleksandar Djuovic for “Love Comes After."

Best Producer went to Hersh W. Chadha and Gauri Chadha for “Gawah.”

Best Actor went to Brad Dourif for “Santa Monica.”

Best Actress went to Isabel Guerard for “Rouge Sang (The Storm Within).”

Best Screenplay went to Matt K. Firpo for “Child’s Play.”

Best Foreign Film went to “Rouge Sang (The Storm Within).”

Best Animation went to "Vengeance + Vengeance" from filmmaker Mark Chavez.

Best Cinematography went to Phil Holland for "Illusion.”

Best Editing went to “Darkness," from filmmaker Levi A. Taylor.

AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARDS
Best Short Film went to “Spine" from writer/director Sophie Miller.

Best Documentary went to "Death by China 2.0” from writer/director Peter Navarro.

Best Feature Film went to “The Yellow Kid" from writer/director Tetsuya Mariko.

SPECIAL JURY AWARDS
Best Feature Film went to “Lost on Purpose" from writers/directors Ian Nelms and Eshom Nelms.

Best Documentary went to “Jihad in America: The Grand Deception," directed by Steven Emerson and Rachel A. Milton.

Best Short Film went to “Abstraction" from writer/director Daniel Gomes.

Steven Paul and Jon Voight also gave special recognition to editor Bobby Ferretti for “The Will of Victory (A Doc Opera).”

GOLDEN PALM SCREENPLAY COMPETITION
The Golden Palm Screenplay Competition Award went to David Schroeder for “This Modern Man is Beat.” The first runner-up award went to Jason Fenton for "Infinity." The second runner-up award went to “Tec A’man,” written by Crosby Selander.

About BHFF
The annual International Beverly Hills Film Festival was founded in 2001 by award-winning independent filmmaker Nino Simone. The 13th annual event, taking place from May 8 – 12, 2013, is dedicated to showcasing and promoting non-studio films to the entertainment industry. Designed to bridge the world of premiere independent cinema with the renowned community of Beverly Hills, the festival hosts world-class screenings, networking events and industry seminars. Sponsors include TCL Chinese 6 Theatres, Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, Level 3 Hollywood, Four Seasons Los Angeles at Beverly Hills, Hugo Naturals, Hill Street Watch Company, We Share Media and Beverly Hills Luxury Motors.

For more information, please visit www.beverlyhillsfilmfestival.com.

Secret Room Events Presents In Honor of 2013 MTV Movie Awards Style Lounge

Secret Room Events & Flips Audio are proud to present a Caribbean Style Retreat "In Honor of the 2013 MTV Movie Awards."

 

SANTA MONICA, Calif., April 1, 2013 /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- Secret Room Events & Flips Audio are proud to present a Caribbean Style Retreat "In Honor of the 2013 MTV Movie Awards". Secret Room Events luxury celebrity gift suite will take place at The SLS Hotel, a luxury hotel in Beverly Hills on Friday April 12th 2013 from 11AM TO 6PM. 

Open to only celebrities and media, this event will host some of today's most unique, fashionable and luxurious companies, products and services. From exotic resort vacations and high end jewelry to hip and trendy baby and pet products, luxurious skin and hair care products, the Secret Room is a total pampering experience.

Our charity of choice this year is:

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Secret Room Events has amazing Sponsors in lounge this year.

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"It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" at the Academy

Beverly Hills, CA – The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will present the 1963 ensemble comedy "It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" as the inaugural film in its series "The Last 70mm Film Festival" on Monday, July 9, at 7 p.m. at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills.


Directed by nine-time Oscar® nominee Stanley Kramer, "It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" earned six Academy Award® nominations, including Cinematography (Ernest Laszlo), Film Editing (Frederic Knudtson, Robert C. Jones, Gene Fowler, Jr.), Music – Music Score, substantially original (Ernest Gold), Music – Song (Gold, Mack David), Sound (Samuel Goldwyn Studio Sound Department, Gordon E. Sawyer, Sound Director), and took home the Oscar for Sound Effects (Walter G. Elliott).

Prior to the screening, there will be a panel discussion with actors Carl Reiner, Mickey Rooney, Jonathan Winters, Marvin Kaplan, Stan Freberg and Barrie Chase, as well as script supervisor Marshall Schlom, casting director Lynn Stalmaster, and Stanley Kramer’s widow, Karen Kramer.

The 70mm short "The Miracle of Todd-AO" (1954) will be screened before the film. This live action short highlights the innovation of the Todd-AO wide-angle lens with an optical journey from the Grand Teton National Park to the streets of San Francisco.

"The Last 70mm Film Festival," a six-film series, will run Mondays through August 13, showcasing 70mm classics from different genres as well as rarely screened 70mm short subjects.

The remaining screenings in the series are:

July 16	"Sleeping Beauty" (1959)
July 23	"Grand Prix" (1966)
July 30	"The Sound of Music" (1965)
August 6	"2001: A Space Odyssey" (1968)
August 13	"Spartacus" (1960)

Series passes for "The Last 70mm Film Festival" are on sale now. Passes are $20 for the general public and $15 for Academy members and students with valid ID. Tickets to individual evenings, if still available, will go on sale Friday, June 29. Tickets are $5 for the general public and $3 for Academy members and students with valid ID. Passes and tickets may be purchased online at www.oscars.org, by mail, in person at the Academy during regular business hours or, depending on availability, on the night of the screening when the doors open at 6:30 p.m. The Samuel Goldwyn Theater is located at 8949 Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills. For the latest pre-show details call (310) 247-3600 or visit www.oscars.org.

SOURCE The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

The Academy and NASA Venture to the Final Frontier

Beverly Hills, CA – The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and NASA will explore cutting-edge film techniques and virtual voyages using animation on Tuesday, July 10, at 7:30 p.m. at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills. Hosted by five-time Oscar®-nominated producer Frank Marshall, "Capturing the Final Frontier" will feature film clips and conversations with such filmmakers as Oscar-winning visual effects supervisor Scott Farrar and leading NASA animators and scientists (see complete list on www.oscars.org).


Presented by the Academy’s Science and Technology Council, the event will take a journey through the space program’s breakthroughs in animation with NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s Eric De Jong, who began his career creating Voyager animations. The evening features a look at Mars rover Curiosity graphics in anticipation of its landing on the Red Planet in August 2012.

NASA animators and image specialists regularly take these visual concepts a step further by joining forces with Hollywood filmmakers to create new wonders for the big screen. "Capturing the Final Frontier" will examine some of these collaborations, exploring the documentary films "Hubble 3D" (2010) and "Roving Mars" (2006) along with feature films "Mission to Mars" (2000) and the Oscar-nominated "Transformers: Dark of the Moon" (2011).

Tickets for "Capturing the Final Frontier" are $5 for the general public and $3 for Academy members and students with a valid ID, and may be purchased online at www.oscars.org, in person at the Academy box office, or by mail.

The Samuel Goldwyn Theater is located at 8949 Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Ticketed seating is unreserved. For more information, call (310) 247-3600 or visit www.oscars.org.

SOURCE The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

2012 Student Academy Awards® Competition Now Underway

Beverly Hills, CA – The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is now accepting entries for its 2012 Student Academy Awards competition. Gold, Silver and Bronze Medal awards, along with cash prizes, may be presented to student filmmakers in the following categories: Alternative, Animation, Narrative, Documentary and Foreign Student Film.

The rules and online application forms are available at: http://www.oscars.org/saa.

The U.S. competition is open to all full-time college and university students at accredited institutions, whose films are made within the curricular structure of a film program or class at their respective schools. For 2012, the Academy has limited the list of accepted accreditation agencies for U.S. institutions to the following: Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools; New England Association of Schools and Colleges; North Central Association of Colleges and Schools; Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities; Western Association of Schools and Colleges; and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. U.S. entries must be submitted by Monday, April 2, 2012.

In the Foreign Student Film category entries are accepted only from full-time college and university students attending schools that are members of the international film school organization known as CILECT (cilect.org), and located outside the borders of the United States. The deadline to submit a foreign student film for consideration is Friday, March 23, 2012.


The 39th Annual Student Academy Awards presentation will be held on Saturday, June 9, 2012, at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills.

The Academy established the Student Academy Awards in 1972 to support and encourage excellence in filmmaking at the collegiate level. Past Student Academy Award winners have gone on to receive 43 Oscar® nominations and have won or shared eight awards. At the 83rd Academy Awards earlier this year, 2010 Student Academy Award winner Luke Matheny took home the Oscar for his Live Action Short Film "God of Love." Tanel Toom, another 2010 Student Academy Award winner, also was nominated in the Live Action Short Film category for "The Confession," and John Lasseter, a 1979 and 1980 Student Academy Award winner, was a nominee in the Adapted Screenplay category for "Toy Story 3."