Fairhope Film Festival announced!

I totally just copied and pasted the press release from their website, but I figured they would be okay with the free advertisement. I am SO excited about this festival, as it is being held in my hometown! I will absolutely be a part of this festival as much as I possibly can! I do hate that it's being held on a Thursday - Saturday because I will most likely miss most of the Friday daytime films, but I will attend as many as I can. Fairhope is an amazing place to visit, so if you are looking for something to do in April, consider the first annual Fairhope Film Festival!

2008 FAIRHOPE FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES COMPLETE LINEUP

FAIRHOPE, AL. – February 29, 2008 – The 1st Annual Fairhope Film Festival (FFF) is thrilled to announce the complete lineup of films slated to screen at the event, April 3-5, in Fairhope, AL.
This new festival has received numerous entries from all over the world and has selected 15 great pictures that boast a wide variety of dramatic, documentary, short and student films. Among these films, 5 of them are World Premieres; 2 Features, 1 Documentary and 2 Short Films. The FFF is also proud to showcase "Racing Daylight", an Independent Feature staring Academy Award Nominee David Strathairn, as our Opening Night Premiere Film (Thurs., April 3rd).

Visit www.fairhopefilmfest.com for more information; updates regarding film schedules, venue locations, and tickets will also be found on the website during the next few weeks.
The complete lineup, by section and with synopsis descriptions, follows below.

Features:
"Racing Daylight" is a ghost story, a murder mystery and a love story which crosses time; told as three short films in two different times (1860s/present), and from 3 points of view, it stars Academy Award Nominee David Strathairn (Bourne Ultimatum, The Spiderwick Chronicles, Good Night and Good Luck). Dir. by Nicole Quinn

"All Along" - Richard Harrison has a wife, job, and two teenagers. While every midlife working stiff descends into daydreams in order to escape mundane reality, Richard doesn't merely scratch the surface of his fantasies, he physically enters them for moments at a time, until he's forced to snap back into reality with humorous results. This film stars Krista Allen (Final Destination 4 "filming", What About Brian "TV", Feast "Project Greenlight"). Dir. by Robert Masciantonio

"Cold Play" is the psychological suspense story of a trophy wife's desperate attempt to break free from her dangerously possessive husband. Cold Play is tense, sexy, psychological thriller with lots of twists and turns and a shocking ending. Dir. by D. David Morin and Geno Andrews *World Premiere*

"A Thousand Hills" - Awkward 13 year old David tries to save his family's farm from an evil land-developer using the only thing he has - his voice - to make a CD and to win the heart of Kelly, the prettiest girl in school. Through many ups and downs he learns who he can trust and who he can't as he grows from a boy into a young man. This film is based upon true events. Dir. by Mary Allison Wilmarth

"Train Master" is the tale of a grandfather (Jeremiah) who works for Western Railroad in the Northwest; his two grandchildren share his passion for trains. A wealthy heir to a railroad line on the East Coast purchases Western Railroad and kicks Jeremiah out of a job, leading him to despair. The two grandchildren along with a few friends end up on a runaway train; the grown men are forced to make amends and strategize a solution to save the kids. The film tells of an adventure between friends, family and the value of respecting others. Dir. by Phil Bransom

Documentaries:

"Forgotten Coast" - On August 29, 2005 Hurricane Katrina swept through the Gulf. You may think you know about the effects of this storm, but you are wrong. This is about the people of the Mississippi and Alabama coasts, struggling to reconstruct their lives and adjust to their rapidly changing culture along the Forgotten Coast. Dir. by Jamie Christensen Johnston

"In the Wake of the Assassins" - In the mob-controlled town of Phenix City, Alabama in the 1950s, a crusading lawyer is assassinated after he is elected attorney general on a platform of 'Man Against Crime'. His son reluctantly takes his place, vowing to clean up Phenix City and find his father's killers. Dir. by Robert Clem *World Premiere*

"The Reckoning – Remembering the Dutch Resistance" - The Reckoning is not only a true and historic documentary about courage in the face of extreme prejudice and war, but it's also about a love story within this genocidal madness that ends in tragedy at a German concentration camp. Dir. by John Evans

Short Films:

"Jim and Jung" - Quirky, paranoid and obsessed with fortune cookies, Jim is forced to face his fears after a fortune prophecies of his certain doom. However, when challenged by his equally underachieving yet loyal friend Frank, Jim finds courage, love, and life where he least expects it. Dir. by Matt Paulson

"The Gift Wrapper" - The Gift Wrapper is a Christmas Tale about a girl who wraps gifts with lots of love and care, until one Christmas love finds her and that becomes the best Christmas gift one could ever get. Dir. by Daniela De Carlo *World Premiere*

"Boyfriend Latte" - A sassy young female executive has a deep desire for a boyfriend who will be honest, true, faithful and passionate, but can a woman and a take-out coffee have a real long-lasting relationship? Dir. by Mark Sanders *World Premiere*

"Creepers" - A group of clumsy rainforest creepers secretly become super heroes who stumble through rescuing their fellow creatures from the sabotage of the sinister creeper at the local festival. (Animation) Dir. by Mark Simon

Student Films:

"Dark Devotion" is a story about Emily who is in a dream world. She is overcome by her past and must face the emotional cancer of her mother, if she is to have any hope of waking from her deep coma. Dir. by Jordan Kamellard

"Taste of June" - A young girl falls in love with the boy of her dreams, much to her overprotective mom's chagrin. Dir. by Amirah Hakim-EL

"Finding Harvey" - A couples' heartfelt attempt to restore what was rightfully theirs flirts with the felony of kidnapping and also paves the boundaries to adulthood. Dir. by Dina Kadisha

SEEKING VOLUNTEERS
At the heart and soul of every festival, you can find the volunteers. The FFF truly believes that Volunteering is extremely important and we are currently looking for more people willing to be part of this new and exciting film world and culture. Please visit www.fairhopefilmfest.com for more info on how to become a FFF Volunteer.

About FFF
The Fairhope Film Festival (FFF) is striving to create a truly unique experience in the world of cinema. The FFF will bring a collection of films to the local community on the Gulf of Mexico; movies centered on a central theme..."Romance". The FFF is also determined to become an ongoing, annual tradition showcasing talented filmmakers from around the world. The FFF is committed to giving filmmakers the best experience possible: extensive promotion of their films which are screened several times in theatres packed with attentive audiences, while enjoying the hospitality of the staff and volunteers in a storybook type charm destination which Coastal Living Magazine described as one of their top 10 most Romantic Destinations.

FFF Mission

The Fairhope Film Festival is dedicated to presenting independent film and providing cultural and educational events in the gulf coast region year round.

This festival will be held on Thursday, April 3, 2008 – Saturday, April 5, 2008. For those who are not able to attend the festival, the top 2 films will be shown on Sunday, April 6, 2008 after the festival is over.