The Jackson Hole Film Institute is gearing up for the Jackson Hole Film Festival, taking place June 7-11, 2007 in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The Jackson Hole Film Festival has quickly become the premiere festival for independent filmmakers to showcase their work, participate in ground breaking programs, panel discussions and exciting evening events. The festival is proud to have a prestigious list of celebrity and industry judges, festival board members and program partners that have helped make the Jackson Hole Film Festival a global forum for the art of independent film. This year the Jackson Hole Film Festival will screen more than 90 independent features, shorts and documentaries and boasts six World Premieres and three US Premiere screenings.
The Festival will also showcase seven special screenings including ThinkFilm’s “The Ten” directed by David Wain and starring Jessica Alba, Adam Brody, Gretchen Mol and Paul Rudd, First Look Studio’s An American Crime directed by Tommy O’Haver starring Catherine Keener, Bradley Whitford and James Franco and Zoe Cassavetes feature from Magnolia Pictures Broken English starring Drea de Matteo, Gena Rowlands and Parker Posey.
The 2007 Jackson Hole Film Festival is also pleased to welcome to Jackson Hole a prestigious list of judges including Golden Globe and Emmy Award nominated actress Thora Birch, acclaimed actress and Screen Actors Guild Award winner Jorja Fox, renowned USA Today film critic Claudia Puig, director and Jackson Hole Film Festival Rosemount Diamond Award Winner Robert Collector, critically acclaimed director and Jackson Hole Film Festival Audience Choice Award Winner James Burke, producer Cevin Cathell, director and cinematographer Brian Liu, award winning producer, writer and director Joe Fab, writer, producer and director Ryan Engle and President of Sidney Kimmel Entertainment Mark Lindsay.
The Jackson Hole Film Festival is also grateful to its prestigious board of directors including honorary board member and one of Hollywood’s most successful feature film directors Brett Ratner, entertainment executive Ruth Vitale, David O’Connor and Rick Kurtzman of Creative Artist Agency, Peter Nichols from the entertainment law firm of Lichter, Grossman, Nichols, Adler & Goodman, Inc. and JJ Healy, formerly with Yahoo Inc. among other community, business, technology and film industry veterans.
The Jackson Hole Film Festival continues to expand its global reach through programs such as the Global Insight Program which showcases films and holds panels to show the power of cinema to bring attention to humanitarian issues and drive change. The festival has partnered with the Humpty Dumpty Institute to grow The Program, which includes two panels with international leaders addressing important humanitarian topics.
The first panel, facilitated by the U.N. Office of Drugs and Crime, will address Human Trafficking and be moderated by Jim Clancy, (noted CNN Anchor) and consist of the following individuals: Shakira Parveen (a victim of trafficking and now an advocate for survivors); Robert Bilheimer (an Oscar nominated film producer); Antonio Maria Costa (head of U.N.’s Office of Drugs and Crime) and Julia Ormond (actress and U.N. Goodwill Ambassador).
The Importance of Education for Girls in the Developing World will be the second panel and moderated by Patricia Harrison (President, Corporation for Public Broadcasting); Jessica Neuwirth (President of Equality Now); Lisa Alter (President of Girls Learn International); Tanian Monie (Cambodian activist) and Melanne Verveer (President of Vital Voices Global Partnership).
In addition to a week of screenings and panels, the festival will hold several lively evening events that showcase the diversity and beauty of Jackson. The opening night party will pay tribute to the Far East with food, music and entertainment and The World Party will feature a special performance by Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars.
