Long Beach Film Festival To Screen Over 50 International Flicks

LONG BEACH, NY — The 8th annual Long Beach International Film Festival is set for an action-packed four days of independent and studio film screenings from around the world, as well as a variety of other fun events intersected throughout the experience.

The festival will run from July 31 through Aug. 3 and be hosted at a handful of venues in the Long Beach area, including the Beach Theater and the Long Beach Public Library Theater.

The festival will show an international lineup of over 50 films, including featured lengths movies, documentaries, shorts and animated films, according to its website. The films will compete for festival honors and audience awards, which will be selected by three judges: Lee Meltzer, a New York-based entertainment strategist, R.J. Millard, a marketing, publicist and sales mogul, and Tom Davia, the founder of a production company and international consulting outfit.

The four-day event will include special events such as red carpet premiers, gala celebrations, filmmaker receptions, question and answer sessions, international spotlights, seminars and musical performances.

Among other activities, the special programs will include Taste on the Plaza on July 31, which will feature over 30 restaurants with live musical performances celebrating film makers and artists, according to Broadwayworld.com.

Long Beach Film's website also gives a comprehensive list on everything attendees might want to know.

Here are six films that will be shown:

• "Andy Irons: Kissed by God," directed by Todd and Steve Jones: A film about bipolar disorder and opioid addiction as seen through the life of three-time world champion surfer Andy Irons.
• "Bozkir Look at the Birds," directed by Mehmet Tanrisever: Abdullah and Cripple Ziya, the gun dealers in the Bozkir district of Konya, Turkey, have to pay the price in honor and dignity exam. LBIFF will be the NY premiere for this film.
• "The Woman Who Loves Giraffes," directed by Alison Reid: Author, feminist, scientist and the world's first giraffeologist, Dr. Anne Innis Dagg retraces her ground-breaking journey to Africa to study giraffes.
• "Dennis and Lois," directed by Chris Cassidy: Dennis and Lois have devoted the last 40 years traveling the world pursuing the thrill of live music and supporting the rock bands they love. But as age and illness threaten to end their lifelong tour, they are relying on the friends they've collected along the way and the music that energizes them to keep it going. The film screening will be followed by a Q&A with the filmmaker.
• "Girl on Wave," directed by Steven Esparza: "Girl on Wave" introduces professional windsurfer Sarah Hauser and documents her journey as a New-Caledonian athlete competing on the American stage of windsurfing. The film includes interviews with world-class athletes, windsurfing champions and others who have inspired Sarah on her path to winning the American Windsurfing Tour title.
• "Julia Blue," directed by Roxy Toporowych: As a young woman comes into her own in war-torn Ukraine, she finds her path towards independence and a brighter future challenged by an unexpected love.