Hollywood, CA - June 22, 1998: The 2nd Annual Hollywood Film Festival® has announced that legendary actress/writer/teacher Ms. Shelley Winters will receive the festival's "Lifetime Achievement Award" at a gala ceremony to be held on Monday, August 10, 1998, at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. The announcement was made today by Carlos de Abreu, Founder and Executive Director of the Hollywood Film Festival.

Mr. de Abreu states, "We are honored to have Ms. Winters be this year's recipient of our Lifetime Achievement Award. Throughout her life and career, she has shared her knowledge with embryonic talent, dedicating her time teaching the craft of acting. Her professional body of work is a great example of what emerging filmmakers should follow."

Shelley Winters began her career on Broadway and moved to the big screen in the early 1940's when she made her film debut in Columbia Pictures' What a Woman. In 1951, she displayed her formidable range and versatility in the George Stevens' classic, A Place in the Sun, for which she earned her first Academy Award® nomination. In 1960, Ms. Winters won her first Oscar® for Best Supporting Actress for her performance as Mrs. Van Daan in The Diary of Anne Frank. She received her second Academy Award® for her chilling performance in A Patch of Blue. In 1973, Ms. Winters received both a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress and her fourth Academy Award® nomination for her very memorable performance in The Poseidon Adventure. A long-standing member of The Actors Studio, Ms. Winters is considered to be one of the industry's most respected acting coaches and has been instrumental in molding the careers of many of today's finest film and stage actors. Ms. Winters is currently starring in Gideon's Web, an independent feature directed by Claudia Hoover and produced by Jack Gilardi, Jr., Howard Baldwin, Paul Pompian, and Karen Baldwin.

The Hollywood Film Festival® was founded by New York Times bestselling authors Carlos de Abreu and Janice Pennington to discover neophyte talent from the global creative community and to introduce their work to mainstream Hollywood. Co-founders, chairs, and co-chairs include Laifun Chung, Gene Hackman, Peter Hyams, Ted Kotcheff, Mimi Leder, John Briley, George Litto, David Permut, Bob Klane, James Orr, Fred Roos, Mark Rydell, and many other Hollywood notables.

Last year's Hollywood Film Festival was a resounding success with more than 400 film submissions, 140 industry professionals as panelists and guests, and thousands of attendees. Distributors and agencies that participated included CAA, William Morris, ICM, Miramax, New Line, Goldwyn, Fox Searchlight and the Overseas Film Group. The Festival was attended by many stars and celebrities such as Barbra Streisand, James Brolin, Harry Hamlin, Kirstie Alley, Martin Landau, Graham Nash, Milton Berle and Kirk Douglas among many others others.

Carlos de Abreu, Founder, Executive Director
Hollywood Film Festival
(310) 288-1882