Beverly Hills, CA – March 26, 2009 - The 9th Annual International Beverly Hills Film Festival (BHFF) kicks-off another exciting year on April 1, 2009 at 6:00 p.m. with three world premieres—two shorts and a feature-length film. “Wanna Be Me” is a short which features the acting debut of Michael Lohan, Lindsey Lohan’s dad. It was directed by Dan Neira. The film takes you to the heart of tinsel town with three women and a guardian angel that don’t have a clue about how to succeed, yet believe they know everything about being in show business. “Wanna Be Me” shows those who "wanna be" in Hollywood as they truly are; happy, sad, arrogant know-it-alls.

Another short titled “Nobody’s Shalom,” directed by Julian Dolce Vida will also have its world premiere on opening night. In this drama/comedy, an Arabic Muslim motel owner gets into a game of cat and mouse with his wife and two nephews, and discovers an Orthodox Jewish man who's been violently beaten in a hate crime robbery, he saves his life by hiding him in one of the rooms of the motel he owns.

Opening night’s feature film is titled “Drifter: Henry Lee Lucas.” It was directed, written, and produced by a previous BHFF award winner Michael Feifer. This film is the true life story of one of America’s most prolific and controversial serial killers.  The movie details Henry’s life from his abusive childhood in Blacksburg, Virginia to his violent killing sprees as he drifted across the south with his best friend, Ottis Toole and his young fiancée, Becky.  Henry dupes the Texas Rangers by confessing to thousands of murders.