From her mesmerizing Academy Award-nominated performance in 'Frozen River' to her tour-de-force, Academy Award winning performance in 'The Fighter,' Melissa Leo has starred in over 25 films, and created some of the most memorable and fully realized characters on screen. Her rich and riveting work includes a wide range of deeply nuanced roles, from the role of Rachel in 'The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada,' to her captivating and brilliant performance as Marianne in '21 Grams.' She has been nominated for over 50 industry awards, and won 35, including the Academy Award. She has created some of the most interesting and varied characters on screen, and defined what it means to be a versatile actor.
Nicolas Echevarria is an acclaimed Mexican film director and cinematographer. He has directed over 20 films since 1973. His acclaimed 1991 film "Cabeza de Vaca" played at the prestigious 41st Berlin International Film Festival. His films include "Life Kills" starring Daniel Gimenez Cacho and Susana Zabaleta, "Los Enemigos" starring Edgar Alexen and Farnesio de Bernal, "De La Calle," starring Alejandro Ainsle and Luis de Icaza, and many more.
Matt Dillon has acted in over 50 films, and is one of America's best known and most respected actors. His career spans three decades and showcases his tremendous range and versatility. He has worked with the film industry's most acclaimed directors, always delivering a nuanced and multi-faceted performance. He has worked twice with director Francis Ford Coppola, in the films 'The Outsiders' and 'Rumblefish,' with Garry Marshall in 'The Flamingo Kid,' with Arthur Penn in 'Target,' with Gus Van Sant in 'Drugstore Cowboy,' with James Deardon in 'A Kiss Before Dying,' with Anthony Minghella in 'Mr. Wonderful,' and with many more of Hollywood's leading directors. His role in the Farrelly brothers' 'There's Something About Mary' showcased his incredible comedic skills, and his vast and profound body of work has made him an icon in American cinema.
The Baja International Film Festival is also pleased to welcome special guests including Academy Award-Winner Octavia Spencer, 4-Time Emmy Winner Allison Janney, Chad Michael Murray, Billy Zane, Gael Garcia Bernal, Josh Lucas, Adrian Grenier, Natalie Morales, Rachel Leigh Cook, Kuno Becker, Mike Judge, Mark Polish, Maria Conchita Alonso, Jesse McCartney, Marisol Nichols, and writer/director Tate Taylor who will be participating in the week's festivities.
The Festival will showcase 80 films from 18 countries, including 5 international feature films in competition, 5 Mexican feature films in competition, 5 international documentaries in competition, 5 Mexican documentaries in competition, 30 international shorts, 13 Mexican shorts, 4 environmental films, as well as Special Presentation screenings of 7 international feature films, and 6 Mexican feature films. For more information on the official film schedule and schedule of events, please visit http://biff.festivalgenius.com/2012/.
The Baja International Film Festival would like to thank Advisory Board members Lucas Akoskin, Kuno Becker, Robin Bronk, Scott Budnick, Rodolfo Lopez Negrete, Isaac Masri, Alfonso de Maria y Campos Castello, Jacobo Turquie, Pablo Azcarraga, Godfrey Cheshire, Nancy Collet, Kerry David, Gill Holland, Lawrence Inglee, Adam Kassen, Mark Kassen, Alejandro Lebrija, William Mapother, Edward Norton, Carlos Reygadas, Roberto Rochin, John Burk, Mark Goldfarb, Kevin Greene, Meira Blaustein, and Rob Williams.
ABOUT THE BAJA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVALThe inaugural Baja International Film Festival is co-founded by Festival President Eduardo Sanchez Navarro, longtime patron of the arts in Los Cabos, BIFF Festival Directors Scott Cross and Sean Cross, co-founders of the Colorado Film Institute and Vail Film Festival, and business leaders and supporters of the arts Juan Gallardo, Alfonso Pasquel, Eduardo Sanchez Navarro Torres, Rafael Tovar y de Teresa, and Pablo Sanchez Navarro. Scott and Sean Cross also serve as the Festival's Artistic Directors alongside Jorge Sanchez Sosa, former director of the Guadalajara Film Festival. Nancy Collet, former Director of Programming at the American Film Institute, serves as Festival Senior International Films Programmer. The Baja International Film Festival will include four days of special presentations, competition screenings of feature films, documentaries, and short films, as well as nightly galas, panel discussions, filmmaker receptions, and award ceremonies. The festival is run by a bi-national team of experienced film and business managers who share a passion for bringing Mexican and U.S. cultures together through film. The Baja International Film Festival is supported by the Mexico Tourism Board and endorsed by the State of Baja California Sur and the Los Cabos Tourism Bureau as the Official Festival of Cabo, Mexico. For more information and to order tickets please visit: www.bajainternationalfilmfestival.com or email info@bajafilmfest.com.
Contacts: Andy Gelb/Stephanie Samson Slate PR (310) 461-0111 andy@slate-pr.com /stephanie@slate- pr.com
Baja International Film Festival
Web site: http://www.bajainternationalfilmfestival.com/
