By Luke Kerr-Dineen, but enhanced by othersUpdated May 6, 2011 at 9:30 am; First filed Feb 6, 2011 at 11:00 am

An overview of the Beaufort International Film Festival (update: PBS air S.C. documetary)

Update May 6: PBS aired one of the entries, "Sea Island Secrets," on their local lowcountry channel last night, and are believed to air it again soon. We'll get those details posted as they emerge.

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"Sea Island Secrets" is about the journey of a group of archaeologists who seek to explore the remains of extinct animals in the lowcountry area.

To check out the trailer, follow this link.

Update March 16: Fresh off 2011's huge success, the Beaufort Film Society already has put out a call for entries for the 2012 Beaufort International Film Festival, which will be the event's 6th installment. 

The 2012 edition will be held February 15 - 19, 2012.

For more information, including insturctions on how to submit your film or screenplay, head on over to the festival's website here.

Update February 22: The Beaufort International Film Festival's Facebook page is reporting record-setting attendance for last week's event.

Another record breaking festival. Around 5000 attending, four sellout screenings, near sellouts for the rest. Bravo Beaufort.

The page also has some "red-carpet" type photos from the festival that you can check out here. You can view these photos regardless of whether you're a Facebook user.

Update February 19: Today's the final day of films and is the day of the award's ceremony.

The final film, "Lt. Dan Band: For the Common Good," starts at 1:30 p.m. (here's today's full film schedule) and then the Awards Gala starts at USCB at 7 p.m. and runs to 10 p.m. — and after that the post party is to go down at Saltus on Bay Street, along with the festival's signature "Big Chill" drink.

Update February 16: The festival kicks off tonight with it's semi-private opening night reception and will pick up full steam on Friday night.

Here's the festival rundown as a reminder:

Wed, Feb. 16 - Opening night reception 6-8 p.m. at The Arsenal. (Join the Beaufort Film Society to ensure an invitation to this event at www.beaufortfilmsociety.org).

Thu-Fri, Feb. 17-18
- Screenings and Workshops 8 a.m. -11 p.m.; Seaside Vineyard Cinema.
- Thursday schedule
- Friday schedule
- Walking/Van Tours of Movie Sites. Tours start at the Spirit of Old Beaufort in downtown Beaufort. Two tours daily: 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. Call (843) 525-0459 to reserve space. Maximum capacity 40 per tour.

Sat, Feb. 19
- Screenings and Workshops 8 a.m. - 3 p.m.; Seaside Vineyard Cinema.
- Saturday schedule.
- Awards Gala 7 p.m. - cocktail hour; 8:00 to 10:00 pm Awards Ceremony (Attire: Coat & Tie - informal); University of South Carolina, Beaufort Center for the Arts.

Sun, Feb. 20 - Filmmaker Farewell Brunch 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.; Blackstones Deli
& Café, 205 Scott's Street.

First reporting: The fifth annual Beaufort International Film Festival is back in town this year, bringing with it some exciting young talent from within the filmmaking industry.

The event will start the night of Wednesday, February 16, and will feature a variety of different workshops, movie premiers and award presentations before the festivities draw to a close on Sunday, February 20. Attendance for the event is expected to surpass last year’s estimated total of 4,000 people, drawing in the process close to 30 different amateur and professional filmmakers from approximately 23 different countries.

193 Tickets range from $5 per film, to $10 to $35 for specific events; you can buy tickets here.

Wednesday night’s opening reception runs from 6 to 8 p.m. at Beaufort’s historic Arsenal building on Craven Street. The event is invite-only. Members of the Beaufort Film Society are invited to attend. Those interested in attending are encouraged to join ASAP.

The workshops, whose topics will range from screen writing to musical production, will be held on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. Charleston-based musician Charles Denler is the confirmed host for Saturday night's awards ceremony at the USCB Performing Arts Center.

Yet aside from everything else the event has to offer, the main attraction will undoubtedly be the movies on offer, all of which will be premiering for the first time in the state of South Carolina. Screenings are planned to run from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday.

"This year’s documentary film division is the strongest we’ve ever had," said Executive Director Ron Tucker, "It’s probably the most diverse too…we’ve got films from the far left to the far right."

Kevi Breslin’s film about the Virginia Tech massacre Living for 32 is among the more notable names in the division, as is Johnathan Flora’s film LT Dan Band: For the Common Good, which was recently awarded the Santini Patriots Award.

“Our primary goal for the festival is to reintroduce to the world Beaufort’s proud filmmaking history” said Tucker, “we want filmmakers to come to the festival and fall in love with everything Beaufort County has to offer.”

For a complete schedule of the weeks events, follow the link here, and to see a complete list of movie trailers, click here or keep scrolling.

You can keep up with the latest from the festival on Facebook.

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Movie trailers and information

From the Beaufort International Film Festival. Features:
Angel Camouflaged ( 1 hr 57 min USA)
Michael Givens
Director
Beaufort, SC, 29902
USA

Synopsis: Scottie Ballantyne, a rock and roll singer, inherits a run-down bar in the salt marshes of South Carolina. In order to make 'Kokonuts' a success, she and her brother must battle against raging motorcycle clubs, gun toting gang bangers, a devilish loan shark and a deadly neighbor hell bent on sabotaging their efforts.

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A Marine Story ( 1 hr 37 min USA)
Ned Farr
Director
Los Angeles, CA, 90019
U S A

Synopsis: A decorated Marine officer unexpectedly returns home from the war and is quickly recruited to help a troubled teen prepare for boot camp. When the true reasons for her return become known it threatens the future for both of them. Dealing with an issue that now has tremendous relevance as American troops are stretched to the breaking point.

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Single Handed 3: The Drowning Man ( 1 hr 50 min Ireland)
Anthony Byrne
Director
Dublin, DUBLIN 4
Ireland

Synopsis: Set in the beautiful rugged landscape of Connemara in the west of Ireland, Single-Handed 3: The Drowning Man describes the professional and personal tensions of a young policeman with a lonely and vast rural beat.

Ich bin eine Terroristin
(I Am a Terrorist)
( 1 hr 37 Min France, Poland, Germany)
Juliette Grandmonte
Producer
Paris, France, 75020

Synopsis: Violette thinks of herself as Rosa's heir, the guardian of her memory. In the energy and the courage of this revolutionary figure, she finds her own identity. She feels herself transported by the utopia vision of the letters which Rosa wrote from her prison cells in 1917.

Ich bin eine Terroristin
--
Innocent Crimes ( 1 hr 37 min UK)
Jonathan Green
Director (1st Feature); Co-Producer
South Yorkshire, S17 3PQ
United Kingdom

Synopsis: Farley is a simple accountant, with an overbearing mother and a abusive boss. One night, parked on the street, a strange figure emerges from the shadows, exhausted in a panic. This shadow is a man, he offers Farley money in exchange for a quick getaway, filled with adrenalin Farley helps the man escape.

    Documentary:
China: The Rebirth of an Empire
(1 hr 26 min USA)
Jesse Veverka
Director
Veverka Bros. Productions LLC
Brooktondale, NY, 14817
U S A

Synopsis: Peaceful rise or potential threat? China's 21st century emergence as a global superpower affects every single one of us.

Living for 32 (40 min USA)
Kevin Breslin
Director
Purchase, NY, 10577
U S A

Synopsis: Living for 32 is the inspirational story of Colin Goddard, a survivor of the tragic gun shooting massacre which occurred on the Virginia Tech campus, April 16th, 2007. The winning combination of Colin's passion, charisma and optimism has commanded the attention of the American public and media since the devastating incident which left 32 dead and 17 injured.
In Living for 32, Colin shares an intimate account of terror he and his classmates endured and the courageous journey of renewal and hope he chose to pursue.

Lt Dan Band: For the Common Good (1 hr 37 min USA)
Jonathan Flora
Director
Northridge, CA, 91324
U S A

Synopsis: Lt. Dan Band: For The Common Good is a moving feature-length documentary that celebrates America’s heroes. This uplifting film chronicles the journey of Academy Award® Nominated actor, Gary Sinise who since 9/11 has vowed to never to forget those who are willing to give all.

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Pray for Eric (26 min USA)
Ken Wyatt
Director
Rocky Mount, NC, 27803
U S A

Synopsis: A formerly NY-based filmmaker relocates to eastern North Carolina and decides to visit his rural neighbors in the mountainous western part of his new home state who 'allegedly' supported or sympathized with anti-government, abortion clinic, Olympic Park, serial bomber Eric Rudolph during the FBI's 5-year manhunt, despite a $ 1 million reward.

PRAY FOR ERIC (trailer) from Ken Wyatt on Vimeo.

Sea Island Secrets: A Journey Through Time (58 min USA)
Michael J. Hudson
Director/Exec. Producer
Beaufort, SC 29907

Synopsis: Follow archaeologists and geologists in the field and lab as they explore South Carolina sea island development spanning the past 5,000 years. Native Americans residing on the coastal islands and hammocks left shell midden deposits that record a detailed history of their presence and activities. These ancient inhabitants had to deal with sea level changes just as we do today, and their adaptation to an ever-changing coast may provide lessons for our own time.

Stolen (1 hr 18 min Australia
Violeta Ayala, Daniel Fallshaw
Directors
Sydney, Australia

Synopsis: Filmmakers Violeta Ayala and Dan Fallshaw follow Fetim Sellami, a Saharawi refugee, to North Africa for her reunion with her mother. Mother and child were separated when Sellami was a toddler. But the UN-sponsored reunion reveals a secret which spirals the film into a dark world the filmmakers could have never have imagined. The black Saharawis start talking about a forbidden subject… Their enslavement.

Stolen Trailer from UNITEDNOTIONS film on Vimeo.


-
Tap-Out (54 min USA)
Virginia Friedman, Tim Fennell (843.727.3125(home), 843.327.0516 (cell)
Directors/Exec. Producers
Charleston, SC, 29424
U S A

Synopsis: The enviable quality of life that we enjoy in the U.S. is largely dependent on the plenitude and health of our water systems. What are the water issues? River diversion, invasive species, coal ash, mercury, and over-development. Three young, adventurous college students seek to understand these complex issues in the film Tap Out.

The Test (51 min USA)
Gary Strieker
Director
Cielo Productions--Vestergaard Frandsen
New York, NY, 10017
U S A

Synopsis: An entire Kenyan community of 50,000 participates in an HIV testing and counseling campaign are provided with a CarePack of products to prevent malaria, HIV and diarrheal disease as encouragement to take an HIV test. For the first time, people line up by thousands to take an HIV test--including adult men, a previously hard to reach group for HIV testing.

The Test Trailer from Vestergaard Frandsen on Vimeo.


 

  Shorts:
A Letter from Home (10 min USA)
Mark Kirkland
Director (1st Project)
Burbank, CA, 91504
U S A

Synopsis: During the bitter winter of the Battle of the Bulge, an American GI receives a descriptive, heartfelt letter from his wife. Meanwhile, a German sniper creeps up on him and has him in his sights.

A Letter From Home from GI Film Festival on Vimeo.


Antigones Song (6 min USA)
Eric Nauert
Director; Executive Producer
Perpombellar Productions
Savannah, GA, 31405
U S A

Synopsis: Against the will of her tribe of water seekers, Antigone struggles to bury her murdered brother, in this post-apocalyptic musical western based loosely on the myth of Antigone.

Bright (40 min USA)
Benjamin Busch
Producer; Director
Reed City, MI, 49677
U S A

Synopsis: A surprisingly contemplative drama centered on a blind man (Robert Wisdom) who must guide a quirky young man (Eric Nenninger) through a desperate fear. This carefully crafted film is rich with imagery, cryptic dialog, and a superb cast chosen from The Wire and Generation Kill. to include Robert Wisdom, Eric Nenninger, Glynn Turman, Andre Royo, Marc Menchaca, David Barrera, Rich McDonald, and Benjamin Busch. BRIGHT pulls us into its world, demands our fascination, and keeps us in wonder. It is a truly artful experience.

BRIGHT from Brad Giardiello on Vimeo.
The Desperate (33 min USA)
Ben Hur Sepehr
Director Reseda, CA, 91335
U S A

Synopsis: On a rainy night in a concentration camp a fearsome Nazi general is forced to plead with a condemned Jewish doctor to save his dying only son.

Left Alone ( 15 min USA)
Seth Boggess
Director (1st Project); Executive
Chicago, IL, 60625

Synopsis: Ian is a Chicago cab driver searching for someone who will listen. As he grieves the death of his son, Ian is compelled to reach out to the strangers he encounters one night on the job. Based on the Anton Chekhov short story Misery, Left Alone is a short film that explores our need for compassionate listening when we're in pain, and the obstacles we face in that pursuit.

Left Alone the short film trailer from Seth Boggess on Vimeo.


----
Pillow ( 18 min USA)
Joshua H. Miller, Miles B. Miller
Co-Director (1st Project); Producer6
Benton, AR, 72019
U S A

Synopsis: A Southern Gothic tale of two brothers who go to desperate measures to please their overbearing mother.

"Pillow" trailer from Joshua Miller on Vimeo.


----
Remaindered (20 min USA)
Lee Goldberg
Director (1st Project,1st Feature)
Executive Producer
Calabass, CA, 91372
U S A

Synopsis: Kevin Dangler is a once-famous author desperate to regain his lost glory. He's traveling the back-roads of America, signing his new novel & selling remaindered copies of his first book out of the trunk of his car...when he meets his last fan, a woman who loves his work and would like to love him, too. Is she his salvation...or is she a novel way to die?

Rojin (9 Min United Kingdom)
Chiman Rahimi, Director
ProducerPoisson Rouge Pictures
Poisson Rouge Pictures
London, SW6 3PA
United Kingdom

Synopsis: Rojin is a maid at a chic hotel in London. When she overhears a hotel guest, memories of her past in Iran, a country she fled long ago, come rushing back. Finding herself In a position to wreak revenge on her torturer, Rojin must consider the ultimate question: Can she forgive if she can never forget?

---
When He Left (12 Min USA)
Jeremy Decker
Director; Producer
Round Rock, TX, 78664
U S A

Synopsis: When he left is the story of two soldiers from a small Texas town. Danny and Eric are veterans of multiple Middle East deployments. They return home to their families as many military men and women do -- with undiagnosed Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and untreated depression. For some soldiers, the deepest wounds are not those inflicted on the battlefield. The wars do not end when they come home. A soldier's greatest fight is often within himself.
    Student Film:
A Moment (10 min USA)
Raven Bradley
Director
Winston-Salem, NC

Synopsis: An elderly man tries to remember a moment that he has lived so that he can let go.

Aaron Gantt - Cinematography Reel from Aaron Gantt on Vimeo.


Digby (14 min USA)
Bobby Crain
Director
Winston-Salem, NC, 27127

Synopsis: A runaway teenager escapes into the inner city after realizing his step-father intends to abandon him under the Nebraskan Safe Haven Law.
-
Gatherers ( 17 min USA)
Nicholas Leopold
Director
Santa Monica, CA

Synopsis: In a barren future world, a group of children struggle to survive, assuming new roles, balancing freedom from grown-ups and their rules against the
fear of the outside and unknown.

The Gatherers (Trailer) from Nick Leopold on Vimeo.


-

Gravity ( 15 min USA)
Megan Glass
Director
Dallas, TX, 75252

Synopsis: A young girl learns the about the balance of the universe and where she fits.
-
No Pity (19 min USA )
Drew Goldsmith
Director; Producer
Middleton, WI, 53562

Synopsis: A poignant exposé of pity-based fundraising, as revealed through a disabled pre-teen’s heartfelt appeal for respect and dignity.

--
Perspective (11 min USA)
Jon Byron
Director; Executive Producer
Orange, CA, 92867

Synopsis: Three different men from three different backgrounds share their introspective views of the world provoking the realization: we're not as different as we think we are.

The Road Home (15 min USA)
Scott Freije
Director.
Indianapolis, IN, 46278

Synopsis: A young gunslinger tries to escape his life of crime by getting back his lost love.

The Road Home from Scott Freije on Vimeo.

   Animation:
Sharfik (14 Minutes, USA)
Karina Gazizova
Director
Encino, CA, 91436
U S A

Synopsis: There's nothing too special about this family except they happened to live during the period of World War II. The most unbearable siege sucks the last drop of life out of a once warm family. The true strength of oneself is reached in the most difficult times, when it is needed most.
---
Fully Poseable (5 min, USA)
Austin Taylor
Director
Winston-Salem, NC, 27127
U S A

Synopsis: Fully Pose-able is a film about one character's triumph over the media's influence and his discovery of an organic authenticity within.
----
Kidnap (4min, USA)
Sijia Luo
Director
Los Angeles, CA, 90034
U S A

Synopsis: A little chicken is late to school, but her excuse is too wild to believe: getting kidnapped on the way to school. You believe not not, this chicken is a really good actress and Kung fu master! After her explanation, you have to believe that her adventure is so true.
----
Surviving Hunger (2 min 30 sec USA)
Balgum Song
Director
Los Angeles, CA, 90006
U S A

Synopsis: This is a short film animation produced by Song, Balgum. The animation is placed on a desert-like landscape where there are just sands and dry air with no foods. I am using two characters for this storyline. One is a big frog-looking character who wonders around for food. The other is a cute little character that comes towards the big character to use himself as a bait. The story is going to be a conflict between these two characters.   Screenplays:
 180 Proof (USA)
Adam Sumner
Writer
CA, 91604
U S A

Synopsis: The outlaw more famous than Billy the Kid, who you've never heard of... Follow the crew of Lewis Redmond as they gallivant around the mountains of the Carolina's. Moonshine and bluegrass 180 Proof. BANG
-
The Grey Man (USA)
Marcia Chandler Rhea
Margaret Ford Rogers
Writers
Charleston, SC, 29412
U S A

Synopsis: A young woman is drawn back to her childhood home in coastal South Carolina. Following the tragic death of her husband, she is forced to confront an unknown past. Amidst this turmoil, the mysterious presence of a 'Low Country' legend comes alive to fulfill a promise made long ago.
-
The Ruins of Oz (USA)
Miriam Esther Goldman
Co-Writer
Nathan Carliner Goldman
Co-Writer
Houston, TX, 77096
U S A

Synopsis: The Wicked Witch is back, and she is a threat to the Earth as well as to Oz. Archeologist ELLIOT CRAWFORD, sent to investigate the Ruins that suddenly appear in a Kansas corn field, cannot convince the authorities. He has only one ally -- GLINDA THE GOOD. And he finds himself falling in love with the Good Witch of the North.
The Scarlet Registry (USA)
Teresa Bruce
Beaufort, SC, 29902
U S A

Synopsis: A cruise ship dancer who can't even figure out that sandbags don't work without sand is accused of molesting his teenage daughter. But when he's listed on the Internet Sex Offender Registry, Zack isn't the only one forced to wear the modern-day Scarlet Letter - his wife and children suffer just as much. On the eve of a hurricane, Zack protects his family first, then makes a suicidal run for freedom - finding redemption in anonymity.
The UnEngagement 7-2-10 (USA)
L.E. Grabowski
Writer
Memphis, TN, 38128
U S A

Synopsis: A marriage-phobic guy finds himself accidentally engaged to his romance obsessed girlfriend and decides that the only way to break off the wedding without losing her is to secretly sabotage the wedding planning.

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