Palm Beach International Film Festival Announces New Dates for its 2000 Millennium Edition; Event Moves to February: Honors Tommy Lee Jones and William Friedkin.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla.--(ENTERTAINMENT WIRE)--

Nov. 30, 1999

Fifth Annual PBIFF Lifetime Achievement Awards

To Honor

Actor Tommy Lee Jones and Director William Friedkin

At Gala Concert Featuring Entertainer Ben Vereen 

The board of directors of the Palm Beach International Film Festival (PBIFF) has announced that its fifth annual edition will be held February 4-13, 2000 with its Lifetime Achievement Awards celebration scheduled for February 6, 2000 at the Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts.

The announcement was made jointly by Palm Beach County Commissioner Burt Aaronson, PBIFF founder and co-chairman, and George T. Elmore, co-chairman.

According to Commissioner Aaronson and Elmore, the PBIFF's first Lifetime Achievement Awards of the new millennium will be presented to Actor Tommy Lee Jones and Director William Friedkin in a star-studded salute to Hollywood featuring a special concert performance by Ben Vereen. Lynn University's Harid Conservatory 75-piece orchestra -- recently proclaimed the official orchestra of the PBIFF -- will perform award-winning selections from film classics throughout the evening program.

Each year the PBIFF celebrates both the history and future of the film industry with ten days of world premieres, special events, feature and short films, documentaries, panels and seminars, an acclaimed student film competition and Lifetime Achievement Awards gala event.

Since its inception in 1996, it has presented more than 250 films from 25 countries and Lifetime Achievement honors to actors and directors including Sylvester Stallone, Rod Steiger, Michael Caine, Burt Reynolds, Stanley Donen and Robert Wise. The PBIFF is one of the only non-profit film festivals in the country that donates 100 percent of net proceeds to deserving high school and college film school students. In 1999 more than $90,000 was distributed in the form of grants and scholarships.

"We are very excited about the celebrity line-up and selection of premiere films available for our first festival of the new millennium," said Elmore. "Our Artistic Director Mark Diamond is busy researching and reviewing films from all over the globe...and our entire festival team is 'setting the stage' for our most memorable event to date."

"Each year our goal is to grow in both prestige and size with an innovative, cutting-edge array of the newest and brightest films available," said PBIFF Executive Director John Paul (J.P.) Allen. "We expect to unveil our 2000 poster in early January along with a listing of our U.S. and world premiere festival films."

According to Commissioner Aaronson, the PBIFF will continue its mission to create a stimulating experience for independent filmmakers from around the world and to showcase the finest in world cinema, while offering cultural, entertaining and educational opportunities for filmgoers and fulfilling more grants to support existing high school and college film programs and to providing scholarships for deserving film students.

Opening day events will begin Friday, Feb. 4, 2000 with the Student Film Showcase at the Eissey Campus Theatre, followed by the opening night celebration, which will include a film premiere and champagne reception.

The annual awards gala will take place on Sunday, Feb. 6, 2000 at 8 p.m. at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts in West Palm Beach. Commissioner Aaronson added: "We enjoyed our most successful festival to date in 1999. Moving to this celebrated venue will allow us to accommodate more of the general public and, for the first time, to invite a number of students."

To be held in Dreyfoos Hall, the gala awards celebration ticket prices range from $30 to $75. A special invitation-only VIP and Sponsors Cocktail Reception will be held that evening in the Kravis Center's Rinker Playhouse prior to the concert.

Adding even more value for those supporting the festival's awards concert event, the PBIFF offers a special pre-holiday box office promotion. Every awards show ticket purchased through Dec. 6, 1999 will come with a complimentary PBIFF movie coupon book, good for any 10 films during the festival. The coupons will be redeemable at movie theatre box offices during the film festival. Certain restrictions apply.

"Through the continued success and growth of the festival, Palm Beach County has gained an international reputation as a viable locale for film makers," added Commissioner Aaronson. "We look forward to presenting a stellar millennium showcase."

To reserve and purchase Lifetime Achievement Awards concert tickets, contact the Kravis Center box office at 561/832-7469 or 800/572-8471 or visit on-line at www.kravis.org.

For more information on the Palm Beach International Film Festival, its film line-up and the Sponsors VIP Cocktail Reception for the Lifetime Achievement Awards Concert, contact the PBIFF at 561/233-1044; 1555 Palm Beach Lakes Boulevard, Suite 403, West Palm Beach, FL 13401; fax: [phone], or via website www.pbifilmfest.org or e-mail [e-mail].