2nd Annual Beverly Hills Film, TV & New Media Festival Boasts Eight Days of Screenings, Red Carpet Premieres and Panels Beginning October 20, 2011

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., Oct. 11, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- 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, Amber Benson, Martyn Lawrence-Bullard, Kelly Osbourne and Ru Paul.

Red carpet arrivals will begin at 8 p.m. on a GoGreenSolar-lit carpet, 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 bring this vibrant Festival to Beverly Hills again," said Spangler. "After last year's phenomenal success which exceeded all of 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 will take place at Laemmle Music Hall 3 Theatre (9036 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills). The competitive screenings exhibit an international selection of short- and long-form works that show 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.

Other Festival highlights 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, and 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 questions about life, love, fate and destiny. Cast: Jena Malone and Cam Gigandet. Directed by Danny Buday. 90 min. Drama. USA.

Mysteria

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, and Martin Landau. Directed by Lucius C. Kuert. 90 min. Mystery.  USA.

The Wedding Party

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, Josh Lawson, Adam Zwar, Essie Davis, Geoff Paine, and Nadine Garner. Directed by Amanda Jane. 97 min. Australia.

For more information and to view the full Festival schedule, visit www.bhfilmtvnewmedia.com. To request complimentary industry/media passes, please contact [email protected].

SOURCE Beverly Hills Film, TV & New Media Festival