Film Festival Winning Flicks Return to LBI

The Lighthouse International Film Society is bringing back two of this year’s Festival award winners for encore performances on Long Beach Island this Saturday.

Entitled “The Best of the Fest,” the films will be shown at Island Baptist Church, 215 3rd St. in Beach Haven. Admission is $5 (Free for LIFS members and children)

The two award winning shorts from the 2014 Lighthouse International Film Festival to be shown are Free 2 Be Me and Down in Flames: The True Story of Tony “Volcano” Valenci.

According to the Society’s press release:
Free 2 Be Me is a heartfelt documentary that follows a dedicated troupe of dancers who just happen to have Down Syndrome. This film celebrates the joy of artistic expression and is an affirmation of the power of music and dance to transform lives. Director Jeannette Godoy provides perhaps the best endorsement for this film: “Before this project, I didn’t know anyone with Down Syndrome. My husband and I were treated to a surprise performance by this troupe before my daughter’s ballet recital.
It has been an official selection at a number of prominent film festivals, including Atlanta DocuFest, Newport Beach Film Festival and Women’s Independent Film Festival.
You can see the Free to Be Me Trailer at http://vimeo.com/81204263

You think you’ve seen it all? You haven’t. Down in Flames: The True Story of Tony “Volcano” Valenci follows professional fire-breather Tony “Volcano” Valencia. In 2013, a documentary film crew followed world-famous fire-eater, Tony “Volcano” Valenci, for 90 days on his quest to set a world record
Tony plans to shock the world by attempting the impossible: breathing fire while skydiving. Through testimonials from Tony’s friends and colleagues—such as the world’s fastest knife thrower—his ex-wife, and his skydiving coaches, we piece together Tony’s journey to get his name in the record books. But will Tony go down in history or will he go down in flames? Down in Flames was awarded the Lighthouse International Film Festival “Jury Award for Best Short.”
It has been an official selection and won awards at a number of prominent film festivals, including Santa Fe Film Festival, Edmonton International Film Festival and Coney Island Film Festival.
View the film’s trailer at: http://vimeo.com/76003793