WORLDFEST WRAP-UP

WorldFest-Houston, the third longest-running International Film Festival in North America, and oldest Indie Film Festival in the World, celebrated the conclusion of its 10-day run of films, fun and fanfare in its 43rd annual independent film showcase with an increase in overall audience attendance of 24 percent over 2009 attendance.

Kicking off WorldFest's Opening Night festivities on Friday, April 9, was the Texas premiere of Derrick Borte's popular, The Joneses (actors Demi Moore, David Duchovny, Lauren Hutton & Gary Cole) with producer, Doug Mankoff in person to intro the film and have a Q&A. Mankoff, a WorldFest alumnus and Remi award winner, was in Houston at the AMC Dunvale Theatre to intro this slick dark comedy that Demi Moore backed.

Italy's Avati brothers, Pupi and Antonio, were also at WorldFest to personally accept a Career Achievement Award from WorldFest Founding Director Hunter Todd on Opening Night.


WorldFest also this year celebrated its fifth annual Panorama Italia with the Avati's The Youngest Son (Il Figlio Piu Piccolo), Francesco Campanini's Il Solitario, Piero Tomaselli's Velma and last but not least, Via Papale, The Lost Road of the Popes from Jeffrey Gilson, Paul Hendison, and Thomas Sammon.


Closing weekend festivities April 17 and April 18 included a Grand Awards Gala on Saturday night that culminated with a Sunday morning VIP NASA and Space Center Houston whirlwind tour and Galveston Bay regatta and barbeque hosted by The Houston Yacht Club. Representatives from Panasonic staffed 3D HD home theatre demonstrations on site and the "Kiwi Cowboys" from Hempstead, Texas, accompanied by two Championship Longhorn steers welcomed visiting filmmakers at The Houston Yacht Club.


To wrap up, WorldFest offered a tiered closing bill of The Avati brothers' The Youngest Son (Il Figlio Più Piccolo) and the opulent Lost Road of the Popes (Via Papale) at 7 p.m. on Sunday, April 18.


The final double billing was Robert Rothband's Pizza with Bullets and and a new restored 35mm print of Dennis Hopper's inimitable Easy Rider at 9 p.m. Every WorldFest event is always open to the public.

WorldFest, founded as Cinema Arts, an International Film Society in August 1961, became the third competitive international film festival in North America, following San Francisco and New York. WorldFest evolved into a competitive International Film Festival in April 1968 and has a long list of "discovered" film greats such as Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, David Lynch, Ridley Scott, Oliver Stone, Atom Egoyan, Randall Kleiser, Ang Lee, Robert Rodriguez, the Coen Brothers, John Lee Hancock and many others from their beginning efforts for film submissions early in their careers.


Multi award-winning producer/director, Hunter Todd, founded this film festival to honor all categories of film and video production continuing his long dedication of "Discovery," spotlighting emerging Independent filmmakers as "the Spielbergs and Ang Lees of Tomorrow."


WorldFest's mission is to recognize and honor outstanding creative excellence in film & video, validate brilliant abilities and promote future filmmaking in Texas as well as enhance cultural tourism for Houston and environs.


The 10-day festival ran to a smooth finish with several sold-out full houses, one of which was the iconic Anderson Fair story, a documentary shot in Houston, 11 World Premieres, 54 Indie feature productions, 68 award winning shorts. Over 450 USA and International filmmakers attended this year, despite the Icelandic volcanic eruption which did impact many of our European participants.


All film premieres screened at the Flagship AMC Studio 30 Theatres, a sixth year WorldFest-Houston Cinema partner. Other major VIP Partner/Sponsors include Boxer Property, The Huffington Foundation, Eastman Kodak, Microsoft, The Marriott Hotels, The City of Houston, The Houston Film Commission, The Texas Film Commission, The National Endowment for the Arts, The Houston Arts Alliance, Budget Rent a Car, Wagner Media, NASA/Space Center Houston, The Wellness Center, HD 3D Panasonic, Amtrak, The Houston Yacht Club and Spec's & St. Genevieve Wineries, the largest Texas winery.


The WorldFest's Remi Awards Gala on Saturday, April 17, was held in The Renaissance Hotel, which was a VIP partner and official host hotel for the 43rd annual WorldFest. Festivities began with a cocktail reception hosted by The Houston Film Commission. Two members of the five-time World Champion Bagpipe Band of Houston's St. Thomas Episcopal School launched the awards segment by piping in festival founder, Hunter Todd followed by a bevy of Pastorini Bosby Talent award presenters. Dance entertainment was provided by Mahesh Mahbubani's superb Indian dance troupe, with Shawn Welling's remarkable Planet Funk Academy's premiere dancers performing a high-energy dance mix created especially for the gala's grand finale.


On April 15, 16, and 17, WorldFest hosted six film industry seminars, concluding with the Indie Forum of WorldFest feature film directors. Laura Pennino, chief executive officer, of Pennino and Partners, kicked off with the ever popular Publicity and Promotion for Indie Films seminar followed by The Write Stuff with Nick Nicholson, president of the Houston Film Critics Society. Jeremy Juuso was in from Los Angeles to present Getting the Money, do's and don'ts for business plans for Indie filmmakers. Panorama Entertainment's Stuart Strutin and reps from Ostrow and Company presented Distribution for Indies. Evgeny Afineevsky presented a seminar on Indie films, From Idea to the Oscar Road and the Indie Directors panel moderated by Pastor Shepherd's Edwin Marshall rounded out the seminar line-up.