LONG BEACH INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL and Culinary Events from 8/1-8/4

The summer heat and the Long Beach International Film Festival (LBIFF) are sneaking up! The seventh annual event will take place August 1 - 4, 2018. Four days of film screenings, industry celebrations and sophisticated culinary events will be held on Long Beach, New York's pristine, popular beachfront and the glamorous Allegria Hotel. New this year, select film screenings will take place at the newly renovated Regal Lynbrook 13 & RPX, which opened in June 2018.

Drawing nearly 400 filmmaker submissions from over 20 different countries, 50 have been selected for screening at the unique, beachfront film festival. The diverse lineup of films includes feature-length narratives and documentaries, as well as short and animated movies suitable for all ages. Professional and amateur filmmakers will compete for a series of Jury, Festival Honors and Audience Awards throughout the festival. During its four-day run, the festival is expected to attract more than 6,000 attendees and generate hundreds of thousands of dollars in local economic activity.

A harmony of arts and culture, LBIFF offers much more entertainment beyond film. On Friday, August 3, for the fifth consecutive year, the festival will feature a fantastic roster of local and nationally recognized musical talent performing beachfront at the Allegria Hotel, followed by the wildly popular, premier culinary event, Taste On The Beach, which features tastings from more than 40 of Long Island's renowned restaurants, distilleries, wineries and more, taking place inside the Allegria Hotel. Tickets are $125 and available by visiting: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/lbiffs-taste-on-the-beach-tickets-46996431592. A portion of the proceeds of this event will benefit Cohen Children's Medical Center & The Long Beach Soup Kitchen.

After the concerts and foodie festivities conclude, attendees will once again be invited into a custom-built movie theatre on the beach - Beach Theatre - for the Shorts on the Beach Film Series, which will exhibit short films from around the world, including from Long Island-native filmmakers. The beach concerts and films shown on the beach are FREE and open to the public.

For the second year in a row, LBIFF is partnering with Devour! for a unique dinner experience pairing gastronomy and short films at the chic, beach-front Allegria Hotel. On Thursday, August 2 at Chefs and Shorts, guests will enjoy a five-course, locally-sourced dinner and wine pairings, each inspired by one of the short films to be shown at the event. Tickets are available by visiting: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/lbiffs-chefs-shorts-tickets-46996964185.

The Festival is home to numerous opportunities to connect with enthusiastic new audiences, fellow filmmakers, film industry professionals, non-profit organizations and the media in the beautiful oceanside locale of Long Beach, New York. The LBIFF premiered in 2012 with just 50 submissions and showcased 12 films with free screenings on the beach. After Hurricane Sandy hit in 2012, the LBIFF had just finished its inaugural year and was threatened to collapse before ever fully taking off. Aided by a $25,000 grant from Nassau County, and participation from local celebrity stars like Daniel Baldwin and resilient festival organizers, the festival persevered and expanded each year. It is with the aid of the Village of Lynbrook that this year's films are being screened at the Regal Lynbrook 13 & RPX, which opened its doors in June 2018. For more information visit http://www.longbeachfilm.com/.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Long Beach International Film Festival