WorldFest-Houston, the 3rd longest-running International Film Festival in North America, celebrated the conclusion of its 10-day run of film, fun, and fanfare in its 42nd annual independent film showcase with a 10 percent increase in overall audience attendance. Kick-off was the world premiere of WorldFest alum, Jim Amatulli’s Flying By with film luminary and Oscar winner, Patricia Neal on-hand to receive her Lifetime Achievement Award on Friday, April 17th, opening night of the 42nd edition of WorldFest. Mid-week, veteran actor Rip Torn and family jetted in to enjoy the premiere of his daughter Angelica’s, film, Lucky Days. Both French and British consuls general feted their respective attending directors, Serge Bozon (La France) and David Rocksavage (Shadows in the Sun) with receptions to honor their film premieres at this year’s WorldFest. Closing weekend festivities included a Grand Awards Gala on Saturday night culminating with a morning VIP Space Center Houston whirlwind tour and an invigorating afternoon on Galveston Bay celebrating with a specially catered Bollywood feast hosted by the Houston Yacht Club.

WorldFest, founded as an International Film Society in August 1961, became the third competitive international film festival in North America, following San Francisco and New York. WorldFest evolved into a competitive International Film Festival in April 1968 and has a long list of “discovered” film greats, such as Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Ridley Scott, David Lynch, Ridley Scott, Oliver Stone, Atom Egoyan, Randall Kleiser, Ang Lee, Robert Rodriguez, Brian de Palma, the Coen Brothers, and many others from their beginning efforts for film submissions early in their careers. Multi award-winning producer/director, Hunter Todd founded this film festival to honor all categories of film and video production continuing his long dedication of “discovery,” spotlighting emerging independent filmmakers as “the Spielbergs & Ang Lees of tomorrow.”

WorldFest’s mission is to recognize and honor outstanding creative excellence in film & video, validate brilliant abilities and promote future filmmaking in Texas. The 10-day festival ran to a smooth finish with several sold-out full houses, 6 World Premieres, 51 Indie feature productions, 75 award winning shorts and over 450 USA and international filmmakers in attendance.

All film premieres screened at the Flagship AMC Studio 30 Theatres, a sixth year WorldFest-Houston Cinema partner.

WorldFest’s REMI Awards Gala on Saturday, April 25th was held in the Renaissance Hotel. Festivities began with a cocktail reception hosted by the Houston Film Commission. Alex Lubrano, member of the 5-time World Champion Bagpipe Band of Houston’s St. Thomas Episcopal School launched the awards segment by piping in festival founder, Hunter Todd and guests. Local celebrity and veteran news anchor, Bob Beaudreaux was co-host. Dance entertainment was presented by Nelly Fraga’s Ambassador Intl. Ballet Folklorico followed by the Olympian Greek Dancers and the grand finale by Shawn Welling’s dynamic Planet Funk Academy’s premiere dancers who performed a high-energy dance mix created especially for the gala.

Russian-American Business magazine and Gems Art Studio sponsored a handsomely crafted gemstone award for the best foreign feature film that went to God’s Little Garden, produced by Jacek Bromski, Zebra Film Studio, Poland. God’s Little Garden also garnered 2 more awards; Best Music to composer, Henri Seroka, and REMI Special Jury Award contending for Best Feature Film. The award of Russian-American Business magazine was a genuinely beautiful work of art, a jewelry composition made of gold with inserts of Russian lapis lazuli, precious stones, and pieces of meteorite. The President of Gems Art Studio Konstantin Libman and his wife Tatyana came up to the podium to present the award together with Russian-American Business magazine editor Aleksei Tarasov.

Jacek Bromski is widely known in Poland and in Europe as a specialist of the audiovisual branch and film copyright. For many years, he had been member of the Cinematography Committee. Since 1996 he has been President of the Polish Filmmakers Association, the largest organization of film professionals in Poland. He is the co-founder of the collective copyright management organization that operates alongside the Association.

In God’s Little Garden detective Marian, the year’s worst graduate from the Police Academy is assigned to Krolowy, mostly because this little town is so quiet that he should have no trouble making it there – in the backwoods surrounded by forests and fields. Yet the local police commanding officer is too busy to take care of the rookie. Officials of the Central Bureau of Investigation turn up in Krolowy with plans to hide in a rented villa a crown witness in the trial of the Milanowek mafia. Soon the ex-gangster is driving around in his roadster and the local priest is paying the new parishioner a visit... The commanding officer also has other worries. An Italian businessman wants to build a supermarket in town. The officer’s father, a former artillery sergeant, keeps climbing up a high tower and has to be pulled down by firemen. The detective also has to find a husband for the chief’s daughter Luska…

God’s Little Garden is the second part of a comedy trilogy. The film was a major box office success in Poland. Bromski embraced the local tradition and humor of the Polish provinces.

Although very much accustomed to receiving international awards for his work throughout an almost three-decade-long career, Jacek Bromski was genuinely happy to get the award from Russian-American Business magazine.

During the 10-day festival, over 450 filmmakers from more than 32 nations around the world were in attendance to accept personally their various awards from this year’s WorldFest’s competition of thousands of submitted category entries.