Festival Director, Nino Simone, presents the Golden Palm Award to Bulgarian director Theodore Ushev at the 23rd Annual International Beverly Hills Film Festival® / Photography by Billy Baque

Bulgarian Director Theodore Ushev’s “Phi 1.618 ”

Wins Golden Palm Award; Peter Stormare Nabs Best Actor (“Hangman”) and Best Actress Goes to Kelly Reilly (“Promises”)

BEVERLY HILLS, CA (April 24, 2023) – Sunday night, April 23, 2023, the 23rd Annual International Beverly Hills Film Festival® (BHFF) (www.beverlyhillsfilmfestival.com) closing night Gala Awards Ceremony was held at the landmark Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel (7000 Hollywood Boulevard). Bulgarian Theodore Ushev’s directorial debut, “Phi 1.618,” a dystopian science fiction adventure film, was honored with the Golden Palm Award (best film in all categories), presented by BHFF director and founder, Nino Simone. Peter Stormare was honored with the Best Actor award for his performance in “Hangman,” while Kelly Reilly was named Best Actress for her role in “Promises.”

Ushev said of receiving the top honor, “We put all our hearts inside this film.”

The 23rd annual installment of the festival was produced by Simone; BHFF CFO Anthony Severini; BHFF publicist and producer Heather Burgett; and BHFF producer, Adam Ottmar, who was featured as the Awards Gala host and emcee.

BHFF23 presented its 2023 line-up of 150 competition films, kicking-off on Wednesday, April 19, with the Opening Night Official Red Carpet event, featuring 15 Official Selection Premieres, at the TCL Chinese 6 Theatres in Hollywood. For five days, the BHFF hosted red carpet premieres, networking events, panel discussions and after-parties, culminating in the annual Gala Awards Ceremony.

Featured panels during the festival covered topics including screenwriting, directing, film production and financing, and representation with agents and managers. Panelists included Bradie Stenlauf of CAA, Chris Allen of Buchwald, Gaby Cohen of Gersh; Pascal Borno of Angel Oak Films, Devanny Pinn of Jaguar Motion Pictures, among others.

2023 Beverly Hills Film Festival Awards

A complete list of the 2023 winners follows:

• The Golden Palm Award (best film in all categories) went to director Theodore Ushev for “Phi 1.618”

• Best Director went to Katerina Munis of “Daedelus”

• Best Actor went to Peter Stormare of “Hangman”

• Best Actress went to Kelly Reilly of “Promises”

• Best Producer went to Jack Lucarelli and Michael Lazari from“Blowin’ Smoke”

• Best Cinematography went to Piero Basso for “Midday Black Midnight Blue”

• Best Editing went to filmmaker Ryan Moore  for “When We Danced”

• Best Foreign Film went to “La California” (Italy) from Cinczia Bomoll

• Best Animation went to “Moirai, Thread of Life” from Mark Chavez

• Best Short Documentary went to “By Design: The Joe Caroff Story,” directed by Mark Cerulli

• Best Student Film went to “Papito,” directed by Ramiro Vargas

• SPECIAL JURY AWARDS

• Best Jury Feature Film went to “Promises” (France/Italy) directed by Amanda Sthers

• Best Jury Documentary went to “Case for Kindness” directed by Steven Sawalich

• Best Jury Short Film went to “When We Danced,” directed by Ryan Moore

AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARDS

• Audience Choice Feature Film went to “Midday Black Midnight Blue,” directed by Daniel Talbott and Samantha Soule

• Audience Choice Documentary went to “King of Kings: Chasing Edward Jones” from writer/director/producer Harriet Marin Jones, with executive producers Debbie Allen and Quincy Jones

• Audience Choice Short Film went to “Swipe NYC” from writer/director/producer Sue Zarco Kramer

GOLDEN PALM SCREENPLAY COMPETITION
The Golden Palm Screenplay Competition Award went to “Song of Big Foot,” written by Brent Bishop

The first runner-up award went to “Carpenterland,” written by Heidi-Marie Ferren

The second runner-up award went to “The Burden of Light,” written by Helen Alexis Yonov

Please visit beverlyhillsfilmfestival.com for the complete list of official selections and festival details.

About BHFF

The International Beverly Hills Film Festival® (BHFF) was founded in 2001 by award-winning filmmaker, producer and philanthropist Nino Simone, who serves as festival director. It has been called, “One of the most exclusive festivals in the world” (KTLA-TV News). The annual event showcases and promotes emerging filmmakers to the entertainment industry, and according to press, industry professionals, and attendees alike, it has emerged over the past 23 years as one of the top film festivals in Los Angeles and globally. Designed to bridge the best of new global cinema and the renowned community of Beverly Hills with the heart of Hollywood, the festival hosts world-class Premieres, networking events, and industry panel discussions and seminars. The annual five-day celebration features over 40,000 attendees, VIP guests from around the world, including esteemed industry executives and top celebrities, who gather to celebrate impactful cinematic art, powerful storytelling, and the camaraderie of the entertainment business. The festival awards films in competition, with the top honor being the Golden Palm Award, and it also bestows its BHFF Legends Award upon inspirational film pioneers, industry icons, and Oscar® winners.

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Media Contacts:

Heather Burgett, 310.633.4801 or heather@theburgettgroup.com