Liza Minnelli Documentary to Open Florida's Sun & Stars Int'l Film Festival

The Donald M. Ephraim Sun & Stars International Film Festival© (SASIFF), presented by MorseLife, returns early next year with more than two-dozen world-class movies from all over the world, kicking off with a razzle-dazzle screening of LIZA: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story. The Florida Premiere of this sizzling documentary about superstar Liza Minnelli will be shown on Thursday, January 23, in the Kravis Center’s Rinker Playhouse, 701 Okeechobee Blvd in West Palm Beach 33401.

Directed by Bruce David Klein—who has been invited to attend on opening night—LIZA was described by The Hollywood Reporter as “a generous portrait of a legendary showbiz survivor, warmly celebratory but also unquestionably authentic.” Minnelli is, of course, a very rare EGOT winner as a recipient of the “Grand Slam” of entertainment honors: Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Awards.

“One film is barely enough to encompass all the facets of Liza Minnelli’s life and career, but director Klein pulls it off with many a humorously bossy aside from the Oscar-winning Cabaret star herself. This portrait puts the emphasis on a lifetime of meaningful relationships with mentors including Kay Thompson, Bob Fosse, and Halston as young Liza emerges from the shadow of her famous father, film director Vincente Minnelli, and her legendary mother Judy Garland to become one of the most extraordinary artists of our time.  Appearances by friends and collaborators include Mia Farrow, the late Chita Rivera, Ben Vereen, George Hamilton, and more,” according to SASIFF Artistic Director Barbara Scharres, the former director of programming at the Gene Siskel Film Center at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

As cinematic expert Owen Gleiberman gushed about LIZA in Variety ,”Liza Minnelli’s life proves as radiant as her art in Bruce David Klein’s scintillating documentary.” While reviewer Elizabeth Weitzman in The Wrap hails the film as “enchanting… a long overdue and entirely deserved tribute… truly terrific.”

The glittery opening night of The Donald M. Ephraim Sun & Stars International Film Festival 2025 will include a cocktail reception with light bites and beverages in the Kravis Center’s Cohen Pavilion from 6 to 7 pm. Tickets are $75 and will soon be available for purchase online at kravis.org.

SASIFF returns for its third season with screenings at the Rinker Playhouse at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts (Jan. 23-Jan. 30, 2025) and EVO Entertainment Delray (Jan. 31-Feb. 2, 2025). A full list of films scheduled for SASIFF will be announced soon. For more information about the Film Festival or to purchase tickets, please visit www.sasiff.org.

About The Donald M. Ephraim Sun & Stars International Film Festival:

The Donald M. Ephraim Sun & Stars International Film Festival©, presented by MorseLife, aims to bring highly anticipated, critically acclaimed, and thought-provoking films to Palm Beach County. As a world-class film festival, The Donald M. Ephraim Sun & Stars International represents a major contribution to the cultural life of Palm Beach County. SASIFF returns for a new season with screenings at the Rinker Playhouse at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts (Jan. 23-Jan. 30, 2025) and EVO Entertainment Delray (Jan. 31-Feb. 2, 2025). For more information, please visit www.sasiff.org, www.facebook.com/DME.SASIFF and www.twitter.com/dmesasiff or www.instagram.com/dme_sasiff or contact info@sasiff.org or 561.220.6735.

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