8th Annual Long Beach International Film Festival Announces Lineup

The Long Beach International Film Festival (LBIFF) will celebrate its eighth anniversary with an action-packed line up of independent and studio films from around the globe. Scheduled to take place from July 31st through August 3rd on Long Island, the Festival will screen an international slate of over 50 films, including feature-length narratives, documentaries, shorts and animated films that will compete for a series Festival Honors and Audience Awards.

During its four-day run, the Festival will feature an array of daily and nightly special events, including red carpet premieres, gala celebrations, filmmaker receptions, compelling filmmaker Q & As, international spotlights, industry seminars and musical performances.

Special Programs planned for LBIFF 2019 include:

· Opening Night & Taste on the Plaza, Wednesday, July 31: Celebrate Opening Night of the Eighth Annual Long Beach International Film Festival Presented by SVS Fine Jewelry Featuring Forevermark. The Opening Night Film (to be announced) will screen at the Regal Lynbrook 13 Theater at 5 p.m., immediately followed by Taste on the Plaza. This red-carpet event will feature interview opportunities accompanied by the "Tastes" of over 30 Restaurants, Wines, Beers and Spirits on Long Beach Plaza with Live Musical Performances celebrating filmmakers and artists. The event will take place at Long Beach Kennedy Plaza, 1 West Chester Street, Long Beach. Tickets start at $50 and are available here.

· Chefs & Shorts, Thursday, August 1: Enjoy Free Films All Day Long at the Long Beach Library from 12pm-6pm, followed by renowned foodie event,Chefs & Shorts, at 6:30pm. Back by popular demand, the Long Beach International Film Festival is partnering with Devour! to present a unique dining experience, pairing gastronomy and short films at the chic beach-front Allegria Hotel. Guests will enjoy a five-course meal with wine pairings, each course inspired by a short film. Chefs & Shorts will be hosted in the Allegria Hotel Ballroom, 80 W Broadway, Long Beach. Tickets start at $99.99 and are availablehere.

· FREE DAY, Friday August 2: Free Films showing at the Long Beach Library 12pm-6pm, followed by Free Evening Films at the Lynbrook Theater 6pm-8pm. Guests are invited to watch the best film shorts from around the world at the custom-built BEACH THEATRE in Long Beach. There will be Free Concerts from 6pm- 9pm on the Beach, culminating in the popular Free Shorts on the Beach beginning from 9pm-11pm. Reserve your FREE tickets here.

This year's feature-length film line-up is a unique combination of both narratives and documentaries by directors from all around the world. Highlights include:

• 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. The film screening will be followed by a Q&A with the filmmaker.

Feature-length films making their Long island Premiere include:

• 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. The film screening will be followed by a Q&A with the filmmaker.
• 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. The film screening will be followed by a Q&A with the filmmaker.

In addition to the feature-length film lineup, LBIFF will showcase an array of short films divided into five programs throughout the festival: comedies, dramas, animation, documentaries, and foreign. Short films being screened include:

• Bodega, Directed by Rebecca Halfon: A Syrian deli owner and two teen girls with a fake ID find common ground on one winter night in Brooklyn.
• Suicide Files, Directed by Marc Brissett: This is an inspirational account of inner city youth and their passion to play the game of basketball. Most are searching for a way out of the environments that taught them the game they love. They learn that hard work and dedication are the keys to unlock the door to success but success is not always professional basketball.
• Stumped, Directed by Christina Farman: An overweight corgi can't bring his owner the morning newspaper so he turns to aerobics as a last ditch effort.
• Las Del Diente (Spain), Directed by Ana Perez Lopez: Three women discuss the social pressure of having kids while celebrating the uniqueness of their bodies.
• Cold Storage, Directed by Thomas Freundlich: On a desolate arctic shore, a lonely fisherman discovers his prehistoric counterpart frozen in the ice, and thaws him out as his newfound soul brother.

For more information about LBIFF please visit: http://www.longbeachfilm.com/

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