Hollywood, CA -- September 29, 1997--The First Hollywood Film Festival(tm) and its Hollywood Discovery Awards(tm) competition has unveiled the finalists for its highly anticipated Film Discovery Awards(tm). The announcement was made today by festival founders Carlos de Abreu and Janice Pennington, New York Times best-selling authors and producers.

The nominees works, which were selected from over 400 submissions, will be screened the week of October 14-18, 1997, and will showcase such stars as Harry Hamlin, Christopher Lloyd, Sean Young, Dyan Cannon, James Brolin, Jennie Garth, Treat Williams, Robin Givens, John Heard, Julianne Phillips, and Alfre Woodard. The festival will also feature the World Premiere and directorial debut of James Brolin's My Brother's War, and the U.S. Premiere of 23-year-old, first-time director Zoe Clarke-Williams' Men, starring Sean Young and Dylan Walsh.

The festival will open with the World Premiere of Francis Delia's The Time of Her Time, based on a story by Norman Mailer, and starring Linden Ashby and Leslie Bega. Morning screenings will begin at 10 a.m. at the GCC Galaxy Theatres, located at 7021 Hollywood Blvd., and evening viewings will be presented at 6:30 p.m. at the Alfred Hitchcock Theatre on the Universal Studios lot at 100 Universal City Plaza.

"The films that were selected for the festival are truly outstanding and showcase a wide array of talented storytellers," commented Mr. de Abreu. "Of the over 400 projects submitted, I was surprised at the overall quality and professional integrity of these independent filmmakers. Our festival line-up will present an excellent cross-section of independent cinema, globally," he added.

The six-day festival also includes the Hollywood Conference -- panels and seminars in which over 100 Hollywood professionals (executives, agents, directors, and producers) will participate -- including noted producers Ed Feldman - Witness, Debra Hill - The Fisher King, Fred Roos - Godfather II, and David Permut - Face/Off; noted writers including Jeff Arch - Sleepless in Seattle, John Briley - Gandhi, Tom Schulman - Dead Poets Society, Scott Alexander - The People vs. Larry Flynt, James Orr - Three Men and a Baby, and Mike Werb - The Mask; and leading industry executives including Jim Frederick - President - Castle Rock Entertainment, Dave Davies - VP - MGM, Teddy Zee - Executive VP - Columbia Pictures, and Jody Zucker - VP - Paramount Pictures.

The festival will culminate with a star-studded, gala awards presentation at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel on Saturday evening, October 18, 1997. The evening's highlights will include actor/writer/humanitarian Kirk Douglas receiving the festival's first-ever Hollywood Lifetime Achievement Award(tm), along with winners of the festival's Film Discovery Awards(tm), Hollywood CyberAwards(tm), and Hollywood Digital Awards(tm) also being honored. The gala event will be "cybercast" live from Hollywood via www.hollywoodlive.com.

The HOLLYWOOD FILM FESTIVAL(TM) & HOLLYWOOD DISCOVERY AWARDS(TM) FINALISTS are:

Features - Short Subjects - Documentaries - Animated Films
Screening Schedule

• AARON GILLESPIE WILL MAKE YOU A STAR
  written by Scott Trost, Michael Capellupo, and Massimo Mazzucco
  directed by Massimo Mazzucco.
• ALLIE & ME -- U.S. Premiere
  directed by Michael Rymer, starring Harry Hamlin, Julianne Phillips, Dyan Cannon, Ed Lauder and Lainie Kazan.
• ALWAYS SAY GOODBYE -- World Premiere
  written and directed by Joshua Beckett, starring Marcia Cross, Polly Draper, Jack Carter and Janet Gunn.
• ALWAYS SOMETHING BETTER -- U.S. Premiere
  written and directed by Steve Kinsella.
• BROKERS -- World Premiere
  written by David Goldberg, directed by Allie Dvorin and David Goldberg.
• CADILLAC -- World Premiere
  written by Bruce McIntosh, directed by Andrew Frank.
• DINNER AT FRED'S
  written and directed by Shawn Alex Thompson, starring Parker Posey and Christopher Lloyd.
• HORSEY
  written and directed by Kirsten Clarkson.
• THE 'M' WORD
  written by Nina Colman, directed by Brett Parker.
• MEN -- U.S. Premiere
  written by Karen Black, James Andronica, and Zoe Clarke-Williams
  directed by Zoe Clarke-Williams, starring Sean Young, Dylan Walsh, John Heard, and Karen Black.
• MY BROTHER'S WAR -- World Premiere
  written by Alex Simon, directed by James Brolin (directorial debut), starring Jennie Garth and James Brolin.
• PARIAH
  written and directed by Randolph Kret.
• SAND TRAP
  written by Harris Done and Jerry Rapp, directed by Harris Done.
• THE SELLER
  written and directed by Craig Schlattman, starring Mink Stole.
• THE SLEEPLESS -- World Premiere
  written and directed by Domonic Paris.
• THE TIME OF HER TIME -- World Premiere
  written by Francis Delia (based on a story by Norman Mailer)
  directed by Francis Delia, starring Larry Drake, Melvin Van Peebles, and Linden Ashby.
• WHACKING COWS
  written by Richie Castellano, David Goodman, and Eddie Barbini
  directed by Eddie Barbini.
• WHEN IT'S OVER -- World Premiere
  written and directed by Richard Mancuso.
• WILDLY AVAILABLE -- World Premiere
  written and directed by Michael Nolin, starring Lou Rawls

• À LA CART
  written and directed by Jamie Neese.
• AT THE HANDS OF ANOTHER
  written and directed by Richard B. Sarafian, Jr.
• THE CYCLIST
  written and directed by Kyle M. Newman.
• FESTUS AND HIS RETORT
  written and directed by Todd Smolar.
• GIVE UP PERCIVAL
  written and directed by J.J. Hollenback.
• GRADUATION DAY
  written and directed by Michael Spenelli..
• THE LOOK
  written and directed by Todd Kessler.
• MILK
  written and directed by Michael Merlin Peck.
• THE PROMISE
  written and directed by Matthew Barry.
• SECRETS
  written by Sheryl Lee Ralph and Dereck Romeo, directed by Sheryl Lee Ralph, starring Alfre Woodard, Robin Givens, Victoria Rowell, and Sheryl Lee Ralph.
• THE TAMING POWER OF THE SMALL
  written by Donna and Wayne Powers, directed by Wayne Powers, starring Treat Williams and David Morse.
• THIS BETTER BE GOOD
  written and directed by Sharon K. Baker.
• TYGER TYGER
  written by T. Patrick McDonnell and Timothy Cox, directed by Timothy Cox.
• THE USHER
  written and directed by Todd Jones.
• WALKING TO WALDHEIM
  written and directed by Richard Hochberg and Sharyn C. Blumenthal, starring Doris Roberts and Kaye Ballard.

• HOMMAGE À NOIR
  written and directed by Ralf Schmerberg.
• INSIDE OUT: PORTRAITS OF CHILDREN
  written and directed by Joanna Lipper.

• BIRDHOUSE
  written and directed by Richard C. Zimmerman.
• SEASON'S GREETINGS
  written and directed by Michael Dougherty.

The Hollywood Discovery Awards(tm) founders are N.Y. Times best-selling authors, Mr. Carlos de Abreu and Ms. Janice de Abreu. Co-Founders, Chairs, and Co-chairs include Ms. Laifun Chung, Mr. Gene Hackman, Mr. Ted Kotcheff, Mr. Mark Rydell, Mr. Alex Ben Block, Mr. John Briley, Mr. Jim Cruickshank, Mr. Peter Hyams, Mr. Ken Kamins, Ms. Kimberly Nelson King, Mr. Bob Klane, Mr. Robert Lantos, Ms. Mimi Leder, Mr. George Litto, Mr. Thom Noble, Mr. James Orr, Mr. David Permut, and Mr. Fred Roos.

For Film Festival Inquiries:
Carlos de Abreu, Founder
(310) 288-1882

Sponsored By: