The 24th Annual International Beverly Hills Film Festival® (BHFF) came to a close with the Gala Awards Ceremony at the iconic Roosevelt Hotel on Sunday, May 5. “The Kindness Within,” a soul-stirring adventure to find the meaning of life, was honored with the Golden Palm Award (best film in all categories), presented by BHFF director and founder, Nino Simone, and Festival producer, Adam Ottmar. David Kelsey was honored with the Best Actor award for his performance in “Wrong Numbers,” while Shelby Slager was named Best Actress for her role in “Chasing June.”

BHFF kicked off opening night with Rumer Willis for the premiere of “My Divorce Party”
and Jane Seymour with “And You Are?,” and closed as a family affair as Rob Reiner joined son Jake Reiner for “Love and Taxe$” and Beau Bridges shared the carpet, and the screen, with son Zeke Bridges in “Camera.”

Other notables included Maureen McCormack who attended the “Love and Taxe$” premiere alongside producer Lloyd J. Schwartz (THE BRADY BUNCH); Emile Hirsch for “Bau, Artist at War’” Frank Stallone for Chuck Zito: An American Story; Jessica Lord, Nicky Whelan, Perrey Reeves, Keli Price for “Murder At Hollow Creek”; Kenneth Choi for “Joe Baby,” Jillian Shae Spaeder for “The Noise,” Ted McGinley for SILENT THUNDER, and Dyan Cannon in support of “Confessions from a War.” Plus, Amanza Smith from Selling Sunset, Patrick Kilpatrick, Josie Davis, and Beverly Johnson.

For five days, the Beverly Hills Film Festival featured over 250 films, and hosted nightly red carpet premieres, panel discussions, and after-parties, culminating in the annual Gala Awards Ceremony.

2024 BEVERLY HILLS FILM FESTIVAL AWARDS

• BHFF Golden Palm Award – The Kindness Within
• Best Director – Jay Silverman for Camera
• Best Actress – Shelby Slager in Chasing June
• Best Actor – David Kelsey in Wrong Numbers
• Best Producer – Dominique Milano and Fabrice Sopoglian from Chuck Zito, an American Story
• Jury Best Feature – Mississippi Scholar
• Jury Best Short – Scarlet
• Jury Best Documentary – The Kindness Within
• Best Student Film – On the Dying Grass
• Best Cinematography – The Lost Princess
• Best Foreign Film – Document 56
• Best Animation – Starship
• Best Editing – Pendulum

AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARDS

• Best Feature – My Divorce Party
• Best Documentary – We Rise
• Best Short Documentary – Confessions from the War
• Best Short – Bottle Money

GOLDEN PALM SCREENPLAY COMPETITION

• Golden Palm Screenplay Competition Award – Mark Schmitz for “Heart Divided.”
• First runner-up award – “Graham,” written by Stephanie Hutchinson
• Second runner-up award, written by Daniel James Presley

About BHFF

Established in 2001 in the backyard of the entertainment capital of the world, the Beverly Hills Film Festival® is considered among the most exclusive and influential film festivals globally. By linking the groundbreaking talent of emerging filmmakers and exposing the community to the latest innovations in the cinema field, the Beverly Hills Film Festival (BHFF) exists as a cinematic and cultural patron. The Festival merges today’s filmmaking pioneers with the wealth of cinematic heritage of Beverly Hills to both develop the filmmaking community and enhance the impact of the arts. The festival awards films in competition, with the top honor being the Golden Palm Award.