4th Annual Vallarta Film Festival Delivers a Constellation of Stars

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Once again the reflectors were pointing towards Vallarta with the fourth annual edition of the Vallarta Film Festival, that took place here Dec. 5-9.
The ambitious program of 38 films touched a chord with audiences, which this year appeared to be double the box-office of years past.
The most important cinematographic event on the Mexican Pacific coast presented an interesting and extensive ecological section that included feature films, documentaries, seminars and conferences aiming to promote and increase the conservation and protection of the environment. The Vallarta Film Festival presented a unique selection of Latin American and Canadian films, American independent cinema, and an exclusive section of Hollywood studio films daily at Cinemark Plaza Caracol.
Zak Penn's directorial debut, The Grand, a comedy starring Woody Harrelson, Ray Romano, and Werner Herzog that takes place during a high-stakes poker tournament in Las Vegas, was the opening film, followed by a sold-out concert with Billy Vera and The Beaters at Playa del Sol Grand, Las Flamingos, Nayarit. On December 8th, special guest and Academy Award winning actress Helen Hunt presented her directorial debut, Then She Found Me, as part of the closing night festivities.
The constellation of stars and celebrities from both Mexican and international TV and cinema impressive. Among the special guests was the "Latin King of Comedy" and TV star Paul Rodriguez, who presented his latest film One Long Night, and MC'd the closing night gala on December 5th at the El Tigre Golf Course. Also onhand were Mexican "telenovelas"
(soap operas) star Silvia Pasquel, well-known Vallartan young acting promise and model Aarón Díaz, Mexican singer and pop idol Emmanuel, who also received the Elizabeth Taylor Humanitarian Award for his work in ecological NGO "Hombre-Naturaleza AC"; as well as Mexican sex-symbol Andrés García, and actor and director Rodrigo Murray.
For the second consecutive year, the Vallarta Film Festival in coordination with the Universidad Autónoma de Nayarit (UAN) promoted an exhibition of university short films as part of the activities within the
fourth edition.
It is important to mention that the objectives of this festival were not only to promote Vallarta one of the finest touristic destinations in Mexico, but also to create a link between the New Mexican filmmakers and the Hollywood cinema industry, as well as to increase ecological awareness among movie-goers and students alike.
The fourth annual edition of the Vallarta Film Festival would not have been possible without the support of the government of the State of Nayarit, headed by Ney González Sanchez; as well as important sponsors such as the OCV of Riviera Nayarit, Cinemark, Four Seasons, Marival, Paradise Village, Playa del Sol Group, Kodak, Icon Vallarta, Buchanan's, Plaza Caracol, Alaska Airlines, among other renowned companies.