Palm Beach County to Celebrate Poetry, Film and Photography with Three Festivals in January 2018

Palm Beach County will live up to its well-earned title as "Florida's Cultural Capital" early next year with three major festivals:

- Monday, January 15 - The start of the 14th annual Palm Beach Poetry Festival in Delray Beach, featuring Coleman Barks, a major poet and the world's leading expert on 13th century poet Rumi, the founder of Sufism - as well as the likely namesake of one of the young twins of Beyoncé and Jay Z.

- Thursday, January 18 - OPENING DAY for the 28th annual The Donald M. Ephraim Palm Beach Jewish Film Festival, which will present dozens of memorable movies from around the world and five different cinemas throughout Palm Beach County.

- Tuesday, January 23 - Launch of the 23rd annual FOTOfusion, hosted by the Palm Beach Photographic Centre in downtown West Palm Beach, honoring legendary advertising and portrait photographer Howard Schatz.

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Palm Beach POETRY FESTIVAL

January 15-20, 2018

Held at Old School Square in Delray Beach, the 14th annual Palm Beach Poetry Festival will feature 14 top poets at numerous ticketed public events, including readings, talks, interviews, panel discussions and more. Nine workshops will be offered for which applications are required.

The distinguished poets who will lead poetry-writing workshops at the Festival include Laure-Anne Bosselaar, Gabrielle Calvocoressi, Chard deNiord, Beth Ann Fennelly, Ross Gay, Rodney Jones, Phillis Levin, Aimee Nezhukumatathil and Tim Seibles; with individual conferences offered by nationally acclaimed poets: Lorna Knowles Blake, Sally Bliumis-Dunn and Nickole Brown. In addition, Slam Champion Elizabeth Acevedo and powerful performance poet Aja Monet will host an event, and there will be a Special Tribute to Poet Thomas Lux, a longtime supporter of the Festival who passed away earlier this year. For more information about the Palm Beach Poetry Festival, visit www.palmbeachpoetryfestival.org.

THE DONALD M. EPHRAIM Palm Beach JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL

January 18 - February 11, 2018

The Opening Night of the 28th annual Donald M. Ephraim Palm Beach Jewish Film Festival will be held at the AMC CityPlace 20 in West Palm Beach with a special screening of Body & Soul: An American Bridge, live entertainment by singers Jill & Rich, and an after-screening dessert reception. The 2018 Festival will present dozens of memorable movies at six different movie theaters throughout Palm Beach County, including the Cinemark Palace 20 in Boca Raton, January 20-26; CityPlace 20 in West Palm Beach, January 22-26; PGA Arts Center in Palm Beach Gardens, January 27-February 3; Cobb Theatres in Palm Beach Gardens, January 28-February 2; CMX Cinemas (formerly Paragon Theaters) in Wellington, February 4-8; and the Frank Theatres CineBowl & Grille in Delray Beach, February 4-10. Presented by the Mandel Jewish Community Center of the Palm Beaches, the Film Festival will close on February 11 with a matinee and awards presentation at the CityPlace 20 in West Palm Beach.

The Film Festival strives to bring to South Florida the finest examples of cinema from around the world. Founded in 1990 the festival continues to grow and evolve as it continues to expand the selection of narrative features, short films and documentaries to reflect the tastes and needs of its audience. For more information, visit www.PBJFF.org.

Palm Beach PHOTOGRAPHIC CENTRE'S FOTOFUSION

January 23-27, 2018

FOTOfusion, the popular cultural festival "where creativity and technology fuse," attracts hundreds of professional and hobbyist photographers to West Palm Beach for five days of workshops, lectures, panel discussions, multimedia presentations, portfolio reviews, hands-on computer classes, demonstrations, and photo shoots taught by more than 60 world renowned photographers, digital imaging artists and picture editors. The festival's 2018 FOTOmentor Award will be presented to legendary photographer Howard Schatz, whose iconic advertising images and celebrity portraits have been exhibited in museums and photography galleries internationally and are included in innumerable private collections.

A registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, the Palm Beach Photographic Centre is dedicated to the enrichment of life through photographic exhibitions, workshops, community programs, and other educational and cultural events that promote the photographic arts. Located in the City Center municipal complex at 415 Clematis Street in downtown West Palm Beach, the Photo Centre's hours are 10 am to 6 pm Monday through Thursday, and 10 am to 5 pm Saturday and Sunday. Admission is free. For more information, call 561.253.2600 or visit www.workshop.org or www.FOTOfusion.org.

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Pictured: Distinguished actor John Malkovich by Howard Schatz, recipient of the prestigious FOTOmentor Award at the Palm Beach Photographic Centre's FOTOfusion 2018. Photo by Howard Schatz.