The 10th  Annual Beaufort International Film Festival faded to black in  superstar fashion  February 13,2016, beginning with a champagne reception replete with  Lowcountry culinary delights and chocolate truffles. Filmmakers, film lovers and fans of  Vanna White, the Spirit & Pride of South Carolina Award recipient, were on hand to see awards presented to the best of the best of over 700 entries from 66 countries in 12 different categories.

The festival began on February 10 at Tabby Place in Beaufort with a kaleidoscope of color reflecting off of the international display of flags of countries represented in the festival, a school of dance flash mob performance and a canon confetti blast off to signal the official start of the  10th year.Thursday morning began with what would start a trend of packed house attendance for most of the screenings that would continue through Saturday afternoon. Records were set for average screening attendance (average 292 per screening) and the single screening attendance record was set by the feature film Interwoven with 473. The estimated overall attendance record was set with 12,426 people enjoying some part of the four day celebration. This exceeded the attendance record set  last year by over 2000.

North Myrtle Beach native, television host, fashion icon and philanthropist Vanna White was presented the second Spirit & Pride of South Carolina Award. This award is presented annually to that person who is native to or a long time resident of South Carolina whose body of work in the film, television, or music industries reflects positively on themselves and the Palmetto State.   The award was presented by Rick Ray, co-chief executive of Nuray Pictures and Nuray Digital.

Other top awards went to Justin D. Roberts, former Army captain and chaplain, for his film No Greater Love. Justin was presented with the prestigious Santini Patriot Spirit Award. The award is presented to that filmmaker whose work honors American armed forces, veterans and/or their families. The award was presented by the only other recipient of the award, Director/Producer Jonathan Flora. Jonathan received the award in 2011 for his film Lt. Dan Band: For the Common Good.  Jonathan is a producer with Walt Disney Studios.

The festival also takes pleasure in showcasing  the work of those who work behind the scenes and usually get little public attention for their efforts.  Jonathan Gaynor, Sound Mixer, was recognized with the Behind the Scenes Award. Presenting the award was Academy Award winning sound designer Eugene Gearty.

Other Winners include:

Best Feature:  Keep In Touch , directed by Sam Kretchmar, New York, NY

Best Documentary:  Daylight Come directed by Evan Vetter, Wilmington, NC

Best Short Film: Pardon the Intrusion, directed by Louise Caruna Galizia, United Kingdom

Best Student Film:  Danny Freud, directed by Madliene Rae Painter, University of North Carolina, School of the Arts, Winston-Salem, NC

Best Comedy: The Gunfighter, directed by Eric Kissack, Los Angeles, CA

Best Animation:  Chiaroscuro, directed by Daniel Drummond, Sao Luis, Brazil

Best Screenplay:  Attic Ashes, written by Lorraine Portman, St. Augustine, FL

Best Actress:  Maritza Brikisak, Los Angeles, CA   ( A Prayer for the Lonely)

Best Actor: Hoyt Richards, Los Angeles, CA (Intersection)

Best Director: Sam Kretchmar, New York, NY  (Keep In Touch)

Audience Choice:   Interwoven,  (Director VW Scheich,
Producer Uyen Le), Beaufort, SC

The Beaufort International Film Festival is produced by the Beaufort Film Society. For more information visit beaufortfilmfestival.com.

The Beaufort Film Society is a nonprofit, 501 (c) 3, member-supported organization, dedicated to providing the highest levels of entertainment and education to the public from all areas of the film industry. See more at beaufortfilmsociety.org.

Filmmakers from Around the World Prepare to Attend the 10th Annual Beaufort International Film Festival in February

The Tenth Annual Beaufort International Film Festival will host thousands of film lovers from around the world starting Feb. 10 and continuing to Feb 14 in the historic coastal town of Beaufort, SC. Considered one of the fastest growing film festivals in the southeast and named one of the top 25 Coolest Film Festivals in the World 2013 by MovieMaker Magazine, festival organizers are expecting their biggest crowds yet. With over 10,000 attending some part of the four day festival in 2015, more are expected in 2016.

Awards will be presented in the areas of Features, Documentaries, Short Films, Student Films, Screenplays, Animation. Comedy and Audience Choice.  Also, winners will be named for Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Director

BIFF 2016 also marks the second award for the Spirit & Pride of South Carolina Award, presented to that person whose career achievements in the areas of film, television or music have reflected positively on themselves and the state of South Carolina. The award will be presented to Television Host and Fashion Icon Vanna White, originally from North Myrtle Beach, SC.

Former Army Chaplain and filmmaker Justin D. Roberts will be presented the Santini Patriot Spirit Award for his film “No Greater Love“. The “Santini ” is awarded to that filmmaker whose portrayal of the American active duty military, veterans, or their families in a feature film, documentary, or short reflects the highest standards of service and sacrifice for the good of others. The award is named after Marine Corps Colonel Donald “The Great Santini” Conroy. father of Academy Award® nominated screenwriter and best-selling author Pat Conroy.

Jonathan Gaynor will be presented the “Behind the Scenes” award for his more than 20 years of work as a Film Sound Mixer. Jonathan’s resume includes over 50 film and television credits.

The 2016 Beaufort International Film Festival Finalists are as follows:

ANIMATION

A Gothic Tale
Directed by: Marceia Patterson, Winston-Salem, NC

Another Everest
Directed by: Aleksandre Kosinski, Winston-Salem, NC

Chiaroscuro
Directed by:  Daniel Drummond, San Luis, Brazil

Reality Check
Directed by:  Alexander Woody, Orange, CA

Switch Man
Directed by: Hsun-Chun Chuan and Shao-Kuei Tong, Taiwan

DOCUMENTARY

Daylight Come
Directed by:  Evan Vetter,  Wilmington, NC

Kepulihan: When the Waters Recede
Directed by: David H. Barnhart, Atlanta GA

Locked In a Box
Directed by: David H. Barnhart, Atlanta, GA

Projections of America
Directed by:  Peter Miller, New York, NY

Old South
Directed by:  Danielle Beverly,  Brooklyn, NY

Since: The Bombing of Pan Am Flight 103
Directed by:  Phil Furey,  Los Angeles, CA

FEATURE

Intersection
Directed by:  Tim French,  Los Angeles, CA

Interwoven
Directed by:  VW Scheich, Beaufort, SC

In the Dark
Directed by:  David Spaltro,  New York, NY

Keep In Touch
Directed by:  Sam Kretchmar, New York, NY

SHORTS:

Another Love
Directed by:  Victor Perez, London, UK

A Chess Player
Directed by: Shea Sizemore, Charlotte, NC

El Altar de Soledad (A Prayer for the Lonely)
Directed by:  Felix Martiz, Los Angeles, CA

Birthday
Directed by:  Chris King, Los Angeles, CA

Morning Shift
Directed by:  Gary Weeks, Roswell, GA

Pardon the Intrusion
Directed by: Louise Caruna Galizia, United Kingdom

Selling Rosario
Directed by:  Iana Simeonov & Michael Winokur, San Francisco, CA

Shooting an Elephant
Directed by:  Juan Pablo Rothie, Venezuela

The Gunfighter
Directed by: Eric Kissack, Los Angeles, CA

The Tutor
Directed by:  Grant Johnson, Los Angeles, CA

The Visitor
Directed by: Bennett Pellington, Wilmington, NC

STUDENT FILMS

Danny Freud  (University of North Carolina, School of the Arts)
Directed by:  Madiene Rae Painter, Winston-Salem, NC

Deep Pan Fury (University of Creative Arts, UK)
Directed by:  Charlie Dennis, United Kingdom

Doug (University of Creative Arts, UK)
Directed by:  Tom Fordham, London, United Kingdom

Lies Beneath the Lampshade (Savannah College of Art and Design)
Directed by: Andrew Wecht, Savannah, GA

Panfilo (University of London, UK)
Directed by:  Memed Aksoy, London, UK

Schoolcraft (Savannah College of Art and Design)
Directed by:  Adam Nelson, Savannah, GA

Sin Frontera  (Chapman University, Dodge College)
Directed by:  Iz Gutierrez, Orange, CA

The Break In  (New York University, Tisch)
Directed by:  Robbie Lemieux, New York, NY

The Right Hand of God (Chapman University, Dodge College)
Directed by:  Matthew Szewczyk, Orange, CA

BEST COMEDY

Danny Freud

Deep Pan Fury

Keep In Touch

Morning Shift

The Break In

The Gunfighter

SCREENPLAY

Attic Ashes
Written by:  Lorraine Portman, St. Augustine, FL

Coastline
Written by:  Ned Farr, Los Angeles, CA

Collapse
Written by:  N. T. Bullock, New Orleans, LA

Controlling
Written by:  Margaret Ford Rogers and Robert Seckler, Charleston, SC

eDisharmony
Written by:  Lorraine Portman, St. Augustine, FL

In Spite of It All
Written by:  Rebecca Boyd, Columbia, SC

Soulbreak
Written by:  Richard Levine & Marie Bailey, Jacksonville, FL

Switched at Girth
Written by:  Kevin Williams, Los Angeles, CA

The Geriatric Tour
Written by:  Marcia Rhea, Charleston, SC

The Key for Hope
Written by:  Frederico Ferrero, Tampa, FL

Turning August
Written by:  Sheila Watson and Anthony Watson, Johns Island, SC

BEST ACTOR:

Ryan Patrick Bachand (Keep In Touch- Feature Film)

Eduardo Enrikez (Sin Frontera – Student Film)

Cullen Moss (The Visitor – Short Film)

Hoyt Richards (Intersection – Feature Film)

Anthony Reynolds (The Visitor – Short Film)

BEST ACTRESS

Maritza Brikisak (Only the Lonely – Short Film)

Grace Folsom (In the Dark – Feature Film)

Gabbi McPhee (Keep In Touch – Feature Film)

Fiona Horrigan ( In the Dark – Feature Film)

Mo’Nique  (Interwoven – Feature Film)

BEST DIRECTOR

Tim French (Intersection-Feature Film)

Sam Kretchmar  ( Keep In Touch– Feature Film)

Victor Perez (Another Love  – Short Film)

Juan Pablo Rothie  ( Shooting an Elephent – Short Film)

VW Scheich   (Interwoven –Feature Film)

David Spaltro (In The Dark – Feature Film)

For more information about the 10th Annual Beaufort International Film Festival, visitbeaufortfilmfestival.com. The festival is produced by the Beaufort Film Society.

The Beaufort Film Society is a nonprofit, 501 (c) 3, member-supported organization, dedicated to providing the highest levels of entertainment and education to the public from all areas of the film industry.