2nd Annual BEVERLY HILLS FILM, TV & NEW MEDIA FESTIVAL

The Beverly Hills Film, TV & New Media Festival line-up of star-studded red carpet premieres, panels and honorary award recipients have been announced by Festival Director Donna Spangler. After an exceptional debut last year, this international event continues to be a true celebration of established and emerging talent and technologies in film, television and new media running from October 20-27, 2011.

The Opening Night Honorary Awards Ceremony will take place Thursday, Oct. 20 at the Roosevelt Hotel (7000 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood) benefiting The Finaza Foundation. Celebrity honorees and attendees include Cam Gigandet (Twilight), Kristin Bauer (True Blood), Drew Powell (Straw Dogs), Aldis Hodge (Leverage), Isabel Lucas (Transformers), Jena Malone (Sucker Punch), Josh Lawson (The Wedding Party), Missi Pyle, Maurice Benard, Michael Caulfield, Jon Lovitz, Morgan Fairchild, Tom Arnold, Janice Dickinson, Amber Benson, Martyn Lawrence-Bullard, Kelly Osborne and Ru Paul.

Red carpet arrivals will begin at 8 p.m. on a GoGreenSolar-litcarpet, with the Honorary Awards Ceremony at 9 p.m. followed by mixing and mingling until midnight. Entertainment will be provided by DJ and award-winning actress Caroline D’Amore.

“We are thrilled to again bring this vibrant festival to Beverly Hills,” said Festival Director, Donna Spangler. “After last year’s phenomenal success which exceeded all our expectations, we know this is the ideal location for our festival to discover, showcase, and celebrate the work of today’s up-and-comers, established professionals and tomorrow’s industry leaders.”

Screenings take place at Laemmle Music Hall 3 Theatre, 9036 Wilshire Blvd, Beverly Hills, CA 90211. The competitive screenings exhibit an international selection of short- and long-form works that exhibit strong personal visions combined with the highest standards of creative excellence and technical achievement.

The Industry Panel will take place from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.Saturday, Oct. 22 at the Roxbury Park Auditorium (471 S. Roxbury Drive, Beverly Hills) and will feature leading experts from the film, television and new media worlds.

FESTIVAL HIGHTLIGHTS INCLUDE:

Walk A Mile in My Pradas (Opening Night Film)
A Little Christmas Magic Causes Two Coworkers With Contrasting Lifestyles To Switch Sexual Orientations. Cast: Nathaniel Marston, Tom Archdeacon, Tom Arnold, Mike Starr, Dee Wallace, Kirsten Lea, Emrhys Cooper. Directed by Joey Sylvester. 88 min. Comedy. USA.

Five Star Day (Closing Night Film)
One man’s journey to disprove the theory of astrology leads him to answer some bigger question about life, love, fate and destiny. Cast: Jena Malone, Cam Gigandet. Directed by Danny Buday. 90 min. Drama. USA

Mysteria (World Premiere)
A once famous and now a washed-up Hollywood screenwriter fights to finish his latest script with an unrealistic deadline. He finds himself in the center of a murder investigation. Cast: Robert Miano, Danny Glover, Billy Zane, Martin Landau, Michael Rooker. Directed by Lucius C. Kuert. 90 min. Mystery. USA.

The Wedding Party (West Coast Premiere)
A sexy romantic comedy about the Thompson Family, whose individual love lives range from deviant to delicious to downright desperate. Up to his eyeballs in debt, the youngest son Steve, agrees to marry a Russian girl for cash. Cast: Isabel Lucas (Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen), Josh Lawson, Adam Zwar, Essie Davis, Geoff Paine, Nadine Garner.Directed by Amanda Jane. 97 min. Australia.

Brutal (World Premiere)
Four friends pay the ultimate price when they seek revenge against a low-level Gangster. Cast: David Dastmalchian (The Dark Knight), Kevin Corrigan (Pineapple Express), Peter Greene (Pulp Fiction), Arthur Nascarella (Sopranos), Federico Castelluccio (Sopranos), Mark Love, Angelo Bonsignore, Jeremy Luc, Krista Ayne. Directed by Kamal Ahmed (The Jerky Boys). 90 min. Mob/Crime. USA.

Father vs. Son
A comedy centered around a newly divorced guy (Wolff) who moves in with his son (Dean) and joins him on the singles scene. Cast: Eric Stonestreet (Modern Family), Josh Dean, Heather Stephens (Lost Highway), Paul Wolff, Cameron Goodman (90210, How to Make It in America). Directed by Joe Ballarini. 97 min. Comedy. USA.