HELLO, MY NAME IS FRANK Film Debut to Benefit TAA in Lake Worth

Magic Ring Productions, Vision Films, the Tourette Association of America (TAA) and the Lake Worth Playhouse have announced that Award-winning indie feature film "Hello, My Name is Frank" will have its Florida premiere in Lake Worth, Florida, on Saturday, September 24, 2016, at a special premiere and fundraising event in association with and benefitting the TAA and in conjunction with National Art House Theater Day.

The premiere and fundraiser will be held at the Lake Worth Playhouse-Stonzek Theater, which is donating its venue for the event. The festivities will begin with a screening at 7 p.m. followed by a Q&A with Director Dale Peterson, Editor Kenneth (Kenny5) Greenbaum from Lake Worth, and Producer Wendy Peterson. The film was edited entirely in South Florida at Majic Robot Studios, which is owned by Greenbaum. Greenbaum won Best Editing honors for the film at the 2015 Independent Filmmakers Showcase Film Festival in Beverly Hills.

The film, which premiered last year at the Newport Beach Film Festival and won the award for Best Dramatic Feature at the Manhattan Film Festival, is the story of a sweet and lovable recluse with Tourette Syndrome who is thrust into a new world when he is dragged on a road trip with three teenage girls. "Hello, My Name is Frank" is a modern-day Wizard of Oz meets Little Miss Sunshine and Rain Main - a road trip taken by Frank and his companions that causes them all to grow, bond and come into their own.

Frank (Brown) is a reclusive 59-year old man with Tourette Syndrome who is left despondent following the death of his long-time caregiver. Recognizing this, the caregiver's teenage daughter Laura (DiPillo) drags a reluctant Frank along on a life-changing road trip with herself and her two friends - rebellious Alisa (Kiyoko) and God-fearing Kim (Wiles). What follows is a journey that sees the characters bond, learn, grow, and come into their own. This heartfelt dramatic comedy tackles its subject matter with a respectful yet humorous tone.

"Hello, My Name is Frank" is the first feature from Award-winning writer/director Dale Peterson ("Hard to Come By," "I'm Gonna Do it Until the Day I Die"). With the screenplayby Margaret Kerrison and Christine Bartsch, the film stars Garrett M. Brown ("Uncle Buck," "Kick-Ass" and "American Crime Story-The People vs. OJ Simpson"), Youtube star and singer/songwriter Hayley Kiyoko ("Insidious: Chapter 3," "CSI: Cyber"), Rachel DiPillo ("Jane the Virgin," "Chicago Med"), Mary Kate Wiles ("The Lizzie Bennet Diaries," "Bridge and Tunnel"), Travis Caldwell ("The Gates," "Criminal Minds") and Tess Harper ("Crimes of the Heart," "Breaking Bad").

Writer/Director Dale Peterson says: "'Hello, My Name is Frank' is so pleased to be returning to Lake Worth, the town where I spent many weeks working with Kenny5 Greenbaum in editing the film. We thank the residents of South Florida for their hospitality while we were in town. I cannot wait for everyone to see the results of Kenny5's beautiful editing, hard work and dedication to this film!" " Peterson and Greenbaum worked together on Peterson's prior film, "Hard to Come By," which won the Audience Award at the 2011 Palm Beach International Festival and Best Short at the 2011 L-Dub Film Festival.

We are proud to support projects such as 'Hello, My Name Is Frank,'" said John Miller, President and CEO of the Tourette Association of America. "This film portrays Frank as an authentic, relatable character and helps the audience experience a first-hand perspective of what it can be like to have coprolalia -- one type of tic related to Tourette Syndrome."

Tickets cost $15 each, with a portion of net proceeds to be donated to TAA. Press will receive complimentary tickets to the event. The film will run for a week after the premiere through September 29 at Lake Worth Playhouse-Stonezek Theater.

The Lake Worth Playhouse--Stonzek Theater is participating in the national Art House Theater day. Art House Theater Day celebrates the legacy of independent theaters as advocates for cinema arts. In an age where media has become more digital than tangible, more solitary than social, art house theaters remain the physical spaces where film lovers congregate and connect with intrepid, creative filmmaking. They are the beating heart for new and exciting cinema that is shaping the future of the medium.

In recent decades, a colorful constellation of art houses has emerged across the globe. This art house movement has nurtured a flourishing ecosystem of adventurous audiences, independent productions, and an incredible diversity of original filmmaking. Art House Theater Day is a worldwide celebration in honor of this movement, a day to celebrate cinemas that stand the test of time and the tremendous film culture that art house theaters promote.

For more information, see www.arthousetheaterday.org/about.php.

Tickets for the premiere are available at the box office and online at: www.brownpapertickets.com/event/2598971.

Tickets for screenings of the film for the rest of the week are available at: www.brownpapertickets.com/event/2599368.

Vision Films is an Independent Worldwide Distributor and VOD Aggregator of over 800 Feature Films, Documentaries and Music Programs from some of the most prolific independent film producers in the world. Vision Films manages all available rights from Theatrical, DVD, Television and VOD/Digital Media in both the International and Domestic marketplaces. Led by Lise Romanoff, Managing Director/CEO Worldwide Distribution, Vision's USA/Canadian DVD/VOD label releases 2-4 films a month, providing a day-and-date Theatrical, DVD and VOD release through all cable and digital platforms. Shannon Godwin is Vision's Director of Domestic Distribution and Sisi Cronin is Vision's Publicist.

Founded in 1972, the Tourette Association of America is dedicated to making life better for all individuals affected by Tourette and Tic Disorders. The premier nationwide organization serving the Tourette community, the Association works to raise awareness, advance research and provide ongoing support. To this end, the Tourette Association launched a model of comprehensive and coordinated care through our TAA Centers of Excellence program, based in our nation's most prestigious healthcare systems. We also provide support in local communities across the country through our network of 32 Chapters and more than 80 support. For more information on Tourette and Tic Disorders or to join as a member, call 1-888-4-TOURET, visit www.tourette.org, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

For 63 seasons, the Lake Worth Playhouse has been bringing vibrant theater to Palm Beach County and providing a venue for the development of serious acting and technical theater talent. A decade ago The Playhouse opened the neighboring Stonzek Theatre as a BLACK BOX theater for smaller, edgier, experimental plays and films. This venue has grown into one of South Florida's premier Art House Cinemas showing the best of independent movies from around the globe. In furthering its role in the arts community, the Stonzek is committed to local artists, hosting the L-DUB Annual Film Festival, and numerous local screenings and premieres, as well as evenings of folk music, standup comedy and burlesque. The Stonzek Theatre is pleased to be working with the filmmakers to bring the premiere of "Hello My Name is Frank" to movie-goers in South Florida and to benefit the Tourette Association of America.

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