Author: Mark Shaffer

The 6th annual Beaufort International Film Festival has audiences on their feet.   THE WRAP Two days after the sixth edition of the Beaufort Beaufort International Film Festival is officially in the books, festival runners Ron Tucker and Rebecca Berry have the exhausted look of marathoners who know they’ve run the race well. Sitting in the Beaufort Film Society offices on Carteret Street, just across from the festival’s new home at the USCB Center for the Arts, there is a sense of the sort of relief that comes only with deep satisfaction.

The 6th annual Beaufort International Film Festival has audiences on their feet.   THE WRAP Two days after the sixth edition of the Beaufort Beaufort International Film Festival is officially in the books, festival runners Ron Tucker and Rebecca Berry have the exhausted look of marathoners who know they’ve run the race well. Sitting in the Beaufort Film Society offices on Carteret Street, just across from the festival’s new home at the USCB Center for the Arts, there is a sense of the sort of relief that comes only with deep satisfaction.

An inspiring film about strength and survival… and a personal reminder of what matters most in life Timing has a way of working out doesn’t it? Personally, I’ve been faced with many obstacles lately, trying to figure out what’s best for me, my daughters, and our future. In these trying economic times, we’re all at crossroads in our lives. Recently I’ve felt pain and knew that time would heal the psychological wounds. So I’ve been trucking on, day to day, with somewhat of a “woe is me” attitude, not fully appreciating all the positives in my life. Needless to say, the last few weeks, well years, have been a bit depressing.

Filmmaker Kevin Breslin shoots Occupy Wall Street from the inside out. Kevin Breslin is standing on a street corner somewhere in Manhattan shouting into a cell phone. Filtered by street noise and a thousand miles between us he sounds vaguely like Joe Pesci. Last year Breslin’s documentary “Living for 32” made it’s South Carolina debut at BIFF. The inspirational story of Colin Goddard, a survivor of the 2007 Virginia Tech massacre, was also nominated for an Academy Award.

Award-winning film seeks to shed light on post-traumatic stress disorder among veterans Writer/Director K. Lorrel Manning’s “Happy New Year” is a lock to raise eyebrows when it screens at this year’s Beaufort International Film Festival. But according to the filmmaker that’s the whole point of the film. Manning’s first full length feature – adapted from his own play – is a frank and often disturbing examination of the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder on American military personnel.

The Beaufort International Film Festival gets new digs, a flashy look and a bit of an edge. Lowcountry Weekly’s been proud to be part of the Beaufort International Film Festival over the years, but this year we’re proud in a whole new way. For this sixth edition festival runners Ron Tucker and Rebecca Berry have ushered in a new era with bold moves designed to raise the fest’s profile and bolster its cachet. This year BIFF takes up residence in the Center for the Arts on the historic campus of the University of South Carolina, Beaufort. No more crossing the river to Lady’s Island or missed showings stuck in traffic waiting for the bridge to re-open. Beaufort’s film festival is finally home where it belongs – in Beaufort proper.