MEDIA RELEASE

Big Island Film Festival 2010 screening at The Shops at Mauna Lani. Photo by Jeff Sears.

KOHALA COAST, HAWAI‘I—February 1, 2012 is the final deadline to submit films for the 7th annual Big Island Film Festival (BIFF) at Mauna Lani Resort. Just acclaimed as one of MovieMaker Magazine’s “Cool Fests 2011: Counting Down 20 Can’t-Miss Festivals,” BIFF 2012 takes place May 24-28, on location at The Fairmont Orchid, Hawai‘i and The Shops at Mauna Lani.

Narrative short films (30 minutes or less) and feature length films (60 minutes or more) completed after January 1, 2011 will be considered for “Golden Honu Awards” in various categories including Family, Animated, Foreign and others. Final Entry Fees are $70 Feature, $60 Short, $40 Student. Entries prior to January 1, 2012 are $60, $50 and $35. Submissions may be made directly to BIFF or via WithoutaBox.com. All films shot in Hawai‘i or created by Hawai‘i filmmakers receive a 25% discount when submitted directly to BIFF (verification required).

“We are excited about our new Festival dates in 2012,” said Executive Director/Founder Leo Sears of Waikoloa. “By pushing it forward to Memorial Day Weekend, May 24-28, we’re hoping to make it easier for filmmakers, visitors and kama‘āina to come to the festival, relax and enjoy the holiday weekend – all the way through our ‘Best of the Fest’ Hawaiian music concert and Audience Choice feature and short movies on Monday night.”

The Big Island “Talk Story” Film Festival is a celebration of narrative filmmaking, with free family films under the stars at The Shops at Mauna Lani, and daytime screenings, nightly double features and shorts from Hawai‘i and around the world at The Fairmont Orchid, Hawai‘i. Other events include celebrity receptions, filmmaking workshops and much more, in the spectacular Kohala Coast resort location.

In addition to its recent accolades, BIFF has been among MovieMaker Magazine’s “25 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee,” and “25 Coolest Film Festivals” since 2007. It is sponsored by The Fairmont Orchid, Hawai’i, The Shops at Mauna Lani, HTA/Hawai’i County CPEP and others. For more information visit www.BigIslandFilmFestival.com or call 808-883-0394, or find them on Twitter and Facebook.