Seance directed by Vivian Kerr has won the Best Feature Film at the 19th Annual Beaufort International Film Festival in Beaufort, SC which wrapped on Sunday. Scottie Thompson also won Best Actress for her performance in the film as a Victorian woman in 1892 California, contemplating adultery, and is forced to take refuge from a storm at the home of her first husband and his unstable wife, who claims to be haunted by their dead child.
The 19th Beaufort International Film Festival (BIFF) set to take place February 18-23, 2025 in Beaufort, South Carolina unveiled the official selections..
The 16th Beaufort International Film Festival came to a close on Sunday night and announced the winning films and filmmakers. Included at the festival were 15 World Premieres and 44 films making their South Carolina Debut.
The Beaufort Film Society announced the Official Selections for the 2022 Beaufort International Film Festival (BIFF), which takes place Feb. 22-27, 2022 in Beaufort, S.C. The 2022 edition will feature 10 World Premieres and an additional 42 films that will make their South Carolina debuts.
The Beaufort Film Society will present the Pat Conroy Lifetime Achievement Award to both John Bailey, immediate Past President of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences (AMPAS), and his wife Carol Littleton, past member of the AMPAS Board of Governors, at the 2022 Beaufort International Film Festival (BIFF). They will be the first-ever co-honorees of the award.
The thirteenth annual Beaufort International Film Festival will host thousands of film lovers from around the world starting February 19 through February 24, 2019, in the historic coastal town of Beaufort, SC.
BIFF 2019 will be expanded by a day. It is now a six day festival with awards being presented in the areas of features, documentaries (feature and short), short films, student films, screenplays, animation, comedy and audience choice. Also, winners will be named for best actor, best actress, and best director.
In addition to the category and individual awards, the Pat Conroy Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to legendary actor, author, cook and opera singer Paul Sorvino. “If you look at his body of work in the film and television industries, his work on broadway, his philanthropic efforts over the past six decades, you can see why we’re so very honored to present the Pat Conroy Lifetime Achievement Award to the legendary entertainer Paul Sorvino,” stated Beaufort Film Society President, Ron Tucker. The award is sponsored by Leslie and Landon Thorne.
South Carolina based Hairdresser and Make-up Artist Joyce Gilliard will be presented with the prestigious “Behind-The-Scenes Award for her notable accomplishments over the past 20 years in the film and television industries.
BIFF 2019 will also present the inaugural Susan A.K. Shaffer Humanitarian Award to the filmmaker whose work best exemplifies the need for positive social, cultural and/or environmental change in our time. This award transcends category and genre.
Paul Sorvino will be presented the prestigious Pat Conroy Lifetime Achievement Award at the 13th annual Beaufort International Film Festival in February. The festival dates are February 19-24, 2019 with the Red Carpet Reception and Awards Gala taking place on Sunday, February 24th at the University of South Carolina, Beaufort, Center for the Arts.
“If you look at his body of work in the film and television industries, his work on Broadway, his philanthropic efforts over the past six decades, you can see why we’re so very honored to present the Pat Conroy Lifetime Achievement Award to the legendary entertainer Paul Sorvino,” stated Beaufort Film Society President Ron Tucker.
The award is named for Best Selling Author and Academy Award nominated Screenwriter Pat Conroy, who was a long time resident of Beaufort, SC before his death of pancreatic cancer in March 2016. “Beaufort’s long film history began with Pat when his novel The Great Santini was made into a feature film followed later by The Prince of Tides. Both films were shot right here in Beaufort,” stated Rebecca Tucker, Co-Director of the Beaufort International Film Festival.
Paul Sorvino’s resume is as long and varied as any performer could hope for, including over one hundred eighty movies and television shows, two operas, three Broadway plays, musicals on Broadway and at major theaters across the country. For THAT CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON, he won six awards including the New York Drama Critics Award for Best Actor, Drama Desk, Obie, Outer Critics Circle, Clarence Derwent awards and a Tony nomination for playing the rich, morally bankrupt Phil Romano.
His films include GOODFELLAS, NIXON (as Henry Kissinger), REDS, MONEY TALKS, SEE SPOT RUN, THE BRINKS JOB, BULWORTH, MAMBO ITALIANO, ROMEO AND JULIET, THE COOLER, DICK TRACY, THE BRONX BULL and and many, many others.
An actor, director, best-selling author, screenwriter, professional bronze sculptor, pianist, business man, operatic tenor and passionate cook, Sorvino lives in New York and Los Angeles with his wife, Emmy award – winning television host and commentator Dee Dee Sorvino.
He is the father of Michael, Amanda and Academy Award winning actress Mira Sorvino. Paul was recently chosen to be honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Paul is currently filming the American Crime Drama Television Series, The Godfather of Harlem, set to debut in 2019.
The “Pat Conroy Lifetime Achievement” Award is sponsored by Leslie and Landon Thorne.
“We are thrilled and honored to announce that movie and television star, model extraordinaire, and native South Carolinian Andie MacDowell will be the first ever recipient of the newly established Spirit & Pride of South Carolina Award at the 9th annual Beaufort International Film Festival,” stated Festival Executive Director Ron Tucker. The new award is established to recognize that person native to South Carolina or current resident whose career achievements in the industries of film, television, or music have reflected positively on themselves and the state of South Carolina.
Ms. MacDowell is originally from Gaffney, a small town located in the upper part of South Carolina. She attended Winthrop College before becoming an Elite model and posing for L’Oreal and Calvin Klein. She is most notable for her acting roles in Sex, Lies, and Videotape, Short Cuts, Four Weddings and a Funeral, and Groundhog Day. She currently stars in her own series on the Hallmark Channel, playing a small town judge on Cedar Cove, which is based on the novel by Debbie Macomber.
THE ONE WHO LOVES YOU
The Eighth Annual Beaufort International Film Festival concluded on February 15th with the winners being announced in 9 categories and the presentation of the first ever Behind the Scenes Award. The award for Best Feature went to THE ONE WHO LOVES YOU, directed by Katharyn Grant and the award for Best Documentary went to AKA, DOC POMUS, directed by William Hechter and Peter Miller. The top award went to Film Editor and two-time Oscar Winner Arthur Schmidt (Forrest Gump and Who Framed Roger Rabbit). He was awarded the prestigious Jean Ribaut Award for Excellence in Film Editing.
Despite flight delays and reroutes and closed major highways due to a major winter storm hitting the southeast, filmmakers and film lovers still made the effort to get to the festival and once here, enjoyed four fun filled days of filmmaking excellence. “It was a tremendous turnout. We were quite pleased, “ stated Festival Director Ron Tucker. “Even with the adverse weather conditions at the start of the festival, the weather got better and we neared attendance of around 7000 people enjoying some part of festival events,” Tucker stated.
The film festival celebrated the 20th anniversary of the release of the film Forrest Gump with special activities which included the screening of the film with some of the cast and crew in attendance. A video tribute to Mr. Schmidt was played on awards night that included video messages from actors Gary Sinise and Tom Hanks and Director Robert Zemeckis.
James Passanante was presented the inaugural “Behind the Scenes” Award for is more than 30 years of work in the film industry as a Scenic Designer.
Other Winners include:
Best Feature: The One Who Loves You, directed by Katharyn Grant, Denver, CO;
Best Documentary:
Best Short Film: The Long Wait, directed by Wolfgang Bodison, Los Angeles, CA
Best Student Film: Helpless, directed by Christene Hurley, Winston-Salem, NC, University of North Carolina School of the Arts
Best Animation: Death & the Robot, directed by Austin Taylor, Winston-Salem, NC University of North Carolina School of the Arts
Best Screenplay: Pawn, written by Uyen Le and VW Scheich, Los Angeles, CA
Best Actor: Elizabeth Yoder, Los Angeles, CA ( The Long Wait)
Best Director: Katharyn Grant, Denver, Co (The One Who Loves You)
Audience Choice: AKA, Doc Pomus (Directors, William Hechter and Peter Miller)
The World Without Purple Award: Special award presented by Alzheimer’s Family Services of Greater Beaufort to filmmaker Barbara Klutinis for her film The Sum Total of Our Memory.
The Eighth Annual Beaufort International Film Festival taking place from February 12 to 16, 2014, has announced the finalists of the 34 films and screenplays selected in the categories of animation, documentary, short film, student film and features to screen at the upcoming festival. Many of the entries are from repeat finalists or winners. Of note among the finalists is the clean sweep of the student film category by the University of North Carolina School of the Arts in Winston-Salem, N.C.
This year, the festival will honor the 20th anniversary of the filming of “Forrest Gump,” much of which took place in and around Beaufort. Two-time Oscar Award-winning film editor Arthur Schmidt will receive the Jean Ribaut Award for Excellence in Film Editing during the festival. He won Oscars for his work on “Forrest Gump” and “Who Framed Roger Rabbit?” The festival will also recognize James Passanante for his more than 30 years behind the scenes scenic designs.
Festival organizers are seeking locals who participated in the movie for special events during the film festival. A “Behind the Magic” documentary about the making of the film will be shown Feb. 14, followed by a screening of the movie.
The 2014 Beaufort International Film Festival Finalists are as follows:
ANIMATION
Death & the Robot
Austin Taylor, Director
Winston-Salem, NC 27127
Double Occupancy
Fabian Giessler
Weimar, Germany
Moment of Tooth
Michael Hogan
Savannah, GA
Sleight of Hand
Michael Cusak
Kent Town, Australia
DOCUMENTARY
16 Acres
Mike Marcucci
New York, NY 10025
AKA Doc Pomus
William Hechter, Co-Director
Peter Miller, Co-Director
Ontario, Canada
Discovering Dave: Spirit Captured in Clay
Mark Albertin
Augusta, GA 30904
Jungle Warfare College
Jesse Veverka
Brooktondale, NY 14817
The Sum Total of Our Memory
Barbara Klutinis
San Francisco, CA 94131
FEATURE
Pechorin
Khrushch Roman, Director
Russian Federation
Teddy Bears
Thomas Beatty, Co-Director
Rebecca Fishman, Co-Director
Los Angeles, CA 90027
The One Who Loves You
Katharyn Grant, Director
Denver, CO 80209
SHORTS:
A Lasting Sorrow
David Geary, Director
Louisville, KY
Amor Imposible
Felix Martiz, Director
South Gate, CA 90280
Bet on Red
John Murray, Director
Roswell, GA 30076
Clown Nose Theory
Ned Farr, Director
Venice, CA 90291
Honeymoon Suite
Zao Wang, Director
Beijing, China
Masque
Robert Hatch, Director
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
The Things My Father Never Taught Me
Burleigh Smith, Director
East Perth, Australia
The Long Wait
Wolfgang Bodison, Director
Los Angeles, CA
STUDENT FILMS
Death of Eurydice
Helpless
Link
Title Fight
Trustworthy
U-666
What Remains
Wings
All Finalists in the Student Category are from the University of North Carolina, School of the Arts, Winston-Salem, NC
SCREENPLAY
Coyote Dances with Fire
Todd Selleck
Byron Center, MI 49315
Fox-Tare Two-Eight
Shelia Watson
Charleston, SC 29422
Machina
Tom Radovich
Chicago, IL 60614
Old Scars
Richard Levine
Jacksonville, FL 32207
Pawn
Uyen Le, Co-Writer
V. W. Scheich, Co-Writer
Los Angeles, CA 90045
Stargazer
Marcia Chandler Rhea, Writer
Charleston, SC 29412
BEST ACTOR:
Elizabeth Yoder (The Long Wait- Short Film)
Gary Weeks (Bet on Red – Short Film)
Gillian Jacobs (Teddy Bears – Feature Film)
Katharyn Grant (The One Who Loves You – Feature Film)
Lauren Holly ( Masque – Short Film)
Richard Losee ( Masque – Short Film)
BEST DIRECTOR
Katharyn Grant ( The One Who Loves You – Feature Film)
Ned Farr ( The Clown Nose Theory- Short Film)
Robert Hatch ( Masque – Short Film)
Thomas Beatty and Rebecca Fishman ( Teddy Bears- Short Film)
Zao Wang (Honeymoon Suite – Short Film)
