Festival to Feature Online Screenings on September 18 and 19, Women Filmmakers Panel and Virtual Gala Awards Ceremony, Live from the Beverly Hills Hotel
Los Angeles, July 16, 2020 – The second annual French Riviera Film Festival (FRFF) is pleased to announce the finalist shorts of the 2020 competition, the announcement was made today by festival co-founders Gotham Chandna and Nicole Goesseringer Muj.
The festival that celebrates short film and short-form content from around the globe will feature the works of filmmakers from more than 20 countries. The full list of finalists in the categories of Drama, Comedy, Documentary, Sci-Fi/Horror, Animation, Experimental, Music Video and Fashion is available at: http://frenchrivierafilmfestival.com/finalists-2020/
“We’re extremely impressed with the quality of submissions once again this year,” comments Chandna. “Recently, we signed a licensing deal with ShortsTV which will feature a selection of some of last year’s finalist and winning films on the channel in early 2020. We believe this year’s finalists will also be afforded this opportunity.”
Due to the uncertainty surrounding public events due to the pandemic, the festival, which usually is held in Cannes during the time period of the famous film festival, this year will be held online on September 18 and 19, with screenings each day from 1 pm – 4 pm PST. A special out-of-competition screening of the comedy Characters, by director Kevin Asch (Holy Rollers) and starring Danny A. Abeckaser (The Irishman), Lukas Haas (The Revenant) and Sara Foster (Barely Famous) will also be part of the program. More details regarding the screenings to be provided shortly.
“Film lovers who could not attend Cannes in person this year due to the global health crisis will be able to watch and enjoy the works by some of today’s most talented international filmmakers, all from the comfort of their own homes,” says Muj. “We’re delighted to partner with the legendary Beverly Hills Hotel, where we’ll hold our virtual gala awards ceremony. Beverly Hills and Cannes are sister cities, so it’s really a perfect fit.”
As part of the program, FRFF will also feature a special virtual Women Filmmakers Panel to start off the festival, before the first day’s screenings. The festival will culminate with a special ZOOM awards ceremony, to be held live from the iconic Beverly Hills Hotel, and to feature live and pre-recorded segments, celebrity hosts and guests, musical performances, and some surprises. RMINÉ will provide special couture fabric face masks for participants to wear during the live portion of the event. Additional details regarding both online events to be provided shortly.
FRFF’s Advisory Board includes Michael Benoraya, founder, International Film Trust, Bruno Chatelin, COO, filmfestivals.com (also on festival jury), Emmy Award-winning actor Vincent De Paul; Larry Namer, president/ceo, Metan Global Entertainment Group, Ana B. Remos, vice president, editorial director & founder, azureazure.com (also on festival jury), Dr. Laura Wilhelm, founder/principal, LauraWil Intercultural (also on festival jury), and Daphna Edwards Ziman, president, Cinémoi USA. Jury members include Rehna Azim, awards editor, Movie Marker; Monica Baca, founder/CEO, B Team Media Group Corp.; Lena Basse, journalist, Hollywood Foreign Press Association; Claude Brickell, filmmaker, screenwriter and educator; James Prestige, publisher, Close-Up Culture; Eileen Tasca, managing director, Alien Films & Task Films; and Sue Vicory, founder, Heartland Films and www.womendocumentaryfilmmakers.com.
Event partners include Beverly Hills Hotel, Bel-Air Fine Art, Chateau de Berne, filmfestivals.com, The Good Gin, NurtriVsta, RMINÉ, S Bar Brentwood and Weed Cellars.
First launched last year during the time period of the Cannes Film Festival, FRFF recognizes and celebrates short-form content created for film, television, Web and all digital platforms. Each year, FRFF invites filmmakers from around the world to participate in the two-day, by invitation only event that includes screenings, gala receptions and a closing awards ceremony. Attendees and participants include filmmakers, industry executives, celebrities, media and influencers.
Cloud 21 PR International and Kultura PR International have produced numerous industry special events, including the annual “Global Entertainment Showcase” in partnership with ROSKINO during the Cannes Film Festival and Marché du Film, the annual “Production Without Borders” event during AFM, the annual Indie Entertainment Showcase in Park City, Utah, and “A Salute to Akira Kurosawa” with China’s Jinke Entertainment in Cannes in 2017, plus many others. Most recently, they produced the very successful virtual “3rd Annual Global Entertainment Showcase” held during the online Marché du Film. The companies have co-produced events and worked with top entertainment and technology brands, including Cinando, Creative Coalition, Davines North America, E! Entertainment Television, ECU Film Festival, Eurocinema, Euromed, FlixSnip, Maverick Entertainment, Metan Global Entertainment Group, Oculus, Sony Interactive, Vesilind, 8K Miles Media Group, plus many others.
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