For Immediate Release
Media Contact: Heather Burgett, 310.633.4801 or heather@theburgettgroup.com

12TH  ANNUAL BEVERLY HILLS FILM FESTIVAL HONORS
ANNE ARCHER WITH
5TH ANNUAL LEGENDS AWARD

OPENING NIGHT ON WEDNESDAY, APRIL 25, 2012 FEATURES
U.S. PREMIERE OF “THE BLACK TULIP”

BEVERLY HILLS, CA (April 17, 2012) – The 12th Annual International Beverly Hills Film Festival  (BHFF) (www.beverlyhillsfilmfestival.com) presents its 2012 line-up of 50 competition films.  For five days, the BHFF hosts red carpet premieres, networking events, panel discussions and after-parties, culminating in the annual Closing Awards Ceremony and Gala held at the Four Seasons (300 South Doheny, Beverly Hills), on Sunday, April 29th, when Oscar-nominated actress Anne Archer will be honored with the 5th Annual Legends Award, presented by Marisol Nichols (ABC’s “GCB”).

The festival kicks-off with the U.S.  Premiere of Breadwinner Films’ feature film, “The Black Tulip,” directed by Sonia Nassery Cole, on Wednesday, April 25th, at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences (8949 Wilshire Boulevard) in Beverly Hills at 7:30 p.m.

Festival director Nino Simone says, “This year’s line-up is a stellar representation of talented filmmakers from around the globe.  We are honored to be screening ‘The Black Tulip,’ as we feel that it is a moving and true portrayal of the human turmoil and personal struggles happening in Afghanistan today.”

At the Closing Awards Ceremony and Gala, Mardik Martin, USC professor and screenwriter on Martin Scorsese's seminal films “Mean Streets” and “Raging Bull,” will be honored with the 2012 Parajanov-Vartanov Institute Award, named after the persecuted filmmakers Sergei Paradjanov and Mikhail Vartanov.  The Institute's 2011 award honored French cinema icon Jean Vigo and was presented by Oscar-winning actor Jon Voight—the festival’s 2011 Legends Award recipient--to Vigo's daughter.  Mardik Martin is in the elite group of screenwriters on the Writer Guild of America's list of 101 greatest screenplays ever penned.

About “The Black Tulip”
“The Black Tulip” is a drama shot entirely on location in Afghanistan, and was the country’s official entry for the Foreign Language Film Award for the 83rd Annual Academy AwardsÒ.  After the Taliban is routed from Afghanistan in early 2001, the Mansouri family seizes the new window of freedom by opening a restaurant called "The Poet's Corner," where artists and poets are welcome to express themselves on a small stage.  This newfound hope proves to be fleeting as lingering factions of the Taliban threaten to silence them.  Conceding to the Taliban's demands goes wholly against their beliefs and for what they've fought for.  Having come a long way from refuge and expatriation overseas, giving up now is not an option for this Afghan family.  (Images available at: www.breadwinnerfilms.com/work/blacktulip/gallery)

About Anne Archer, Legends Awards Recipient
ANNE ARCHER was nominated for an Academy Award®, a Golden Globe and the British (BAFTA) Academy Award for her role in Fatal Attraction. Archer is also well-known for her poignant Golden Globe-winning performance in the ensemble cast of Robert Altman¹s Short Cuts and her roles in Patriot Games and Clear and Present Danger.  In 2006 she founded Artists for Human Rights (AFHR) with the purpose of bringing artists together with the common cause of raising awareness of human rights around the world.  AFHR works inclusively with allied organizations to bring artistic expression to bear in the human rights arena. “As a united front, our intention is to enlighten and elevate the culture by raising our voices together thus bringing about increased sanity and tolerance in our troubled world”.  Miss Archer has tirelessly fought for human rights across the globe for nearly two decades. She has along with other artists, led protest marches in uneven streets, testified to Congress, addressed The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, met quietly and openly with State Department officials and Parliamentary leaders around the world, always bringing her creativity and passion to the fight.

Awards
The BHFF Jury judges for the following categories: Golden Palm Award (best film in all categories); Best Feature; Best Documentary; Best Short Film; Best Director of Photography; Best Editor; and the Golden Palm Screenplay Competition Award.  Audience Choice Awards include Best Feature; Best Documentary; Best Short Film; Best Director; Best Male Performance; Best Female Performance; Best Producer; Best Screenplay; and Best Animation.

About BHFF
The annual International Beverly Hills Film Festival was founded in 2001 by award-winning independent filmmaker Nino Simone.  The 12th annual event, taking place from April 25 through 29, 2012, is dedicated to showcasing and promoting non-studio films to the entertainment industry. Designed to bridge the world of premiere independent cinema with the renowned community of Beverly Hills, the festival hosts world-class screenings, networking events and industry seminars. Sponsors include Mosaic Hotel, CONFIDENTIAL Beverly Hills, Casa Noble Tequila, Bella Sol Foods, Icelandic Water, Image Metrics Inc., The Hollywood Reporter and Stella Artois.

Screenings are held at the state-of-the-art Clarity Theater (100 North Crescent Drive) in Beverly Hills, California.
Tickets are available on the fest site or by calling the BHFF office at 310.779.1206.  Prices range from $12.00 per screening to $275.00 for the Awards Gala. Screening Passes ($150.00) and VIP Festival Passes ($550.00) are also available. 

For a complete 2012 festival line-up and schedule, please visit www.beverlyhillsfilmfestival.com.

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