Award-Winning Actress Edwina Findley just ADDED at the 3rd Annual Real To Reel Global Youth Film Festival

    HOLLYWOOD, CA, September 21, 2017 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Film festival officials announced today that Award-Winning actress Edwina Findley is set to attend and participate as a celebrity mentor at the 3rd Annual Real To Reel Global Youth Film Festival, taking place at the Los Angeles Film School on Saturday, October 7, 2017. Findley will be on-hand to answer questions on a filmmaker's panel and receive an award for her contribution to film and television.

Edwina Findley is an award-winning film, television, and theatre actress, hailed by critics as "A marvel to watch." She made her prime-time debut as "Tosha Mitchell" on HBO's critically acclaimed series THE WIRE, followed by four seasons as "Davina Lambreaux" on HBO's Emmy-Nominated drama series Treme. On the big screen, Edwina garnered attention for her role as "Rosie" in director Ava Duvernay's Sundance award-winning feature Middle of Nowhere, and earned a 2017 Independent Spirit Award nomination for her "skin prickling performance" as "Melva Neddy" in Jake Mahaffy's Free In Deed, based on a true story. Edwina currently stars as "Kelly" on Tyler Perry's If Loving You Is Wrong, which premiered as the highest rated series debut in OWN's network history.

Spearheaded by Founder/Executive Director Syd Stewart and 23-year-old Executive Producer Johna Rivers. The festival is designed to honor youth who make original and unique film projects that address issues plaguing their local or global community. Issues like homelessness, foster care, race relations, police brutality, immigration, sexual identity and more.

The festival is known for showcasing a diverse slate of films by filmmakers ages 14-24. With over 300 competitive submissions, the festival will feature a diverse slate of 20 short films by youth filmmakers from 52 different countries and territories. During the festival there will be acting, new media, and financial literacy workshops, filmmaker panels featuring industry professionals, producers and film financing experts. Tickets to film screenings, filmmaker panels and all workshops are FREE with online registration through Eventbrite at https://realtoreel.eventbrite.com/.

This year's festival sponsors include Better Youth, The Rightway Foundation, PBS SoCal, The City Of Los Angeles, AT&T, Final Draft, Los Angeles Film School, Pacific Western Bank, Wells Fargo Bank, FilmFreeway, Musicman Engineering, RAGE, and SUPRMARKT.

Event Details:
Date: Saturday, October 7, 2016
Better Youth Workshops: 10:00 am
Media Check-In: 11:00 am
Red Carpet Arrivals: 11:30 am
Screenings / Panels: 1:00 pm
Location: The Los Angeles Film School, 6363 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood 90028

Festival Highlights/Information:

Films: Films range in subjects and genres but all are shorts, 1 to 15 minutes long.
Filmmaker Panels: The festival will present several panels made up of student filmmakers, industry professionals, and youth producers. The panels address topics on raising funds, the filmmaking process and its challenges, career tips and insider advice for young aspiring filmmakers.
Foster Care Panel: The Rightway Foundation will present a panel which highlights issues and experiences from youth in the foster care system, social workers and transitional aged youth.
New Media Workshop: Ruben Garcia will co-facilitate with AT&T to present a workshop on protecting your digital identity and footprint.
Financial Literacy Workshop: Ulisses Espinoza will co-facilitate with Wells Fargo to present a workshop on entrepreneurship and financial literacy.

For media credentials and talent submissions, contact Deborah Griffin at [email protected].

For more information visit our website and social media at:
www.realtoreelglobal.org
http://www.betteryouth.org
https://www.facebook.com/realtoreelfilmfest/
https://twitter.com/BetterYouthlive
https://www.instagram.com/realtoreelglobal/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfoyCD8RvFAvfawfYkO8l_A

FESTIVAL CONTACTS:
Syd Stewart | Founder/Executive Director | [email protected] | 323-377-7756
Johna Rivers | Executive Producer | [email protected] | 323-542-0005

About Real To Reel Global Youth Film Festival (#realtoreelglobal)
Founded in 2015 by Syd Stewart, Founder/Executive Director and Johna Rivers, Co-Creator and Executive Producer of Real To Reel Global Youth Film Festival. Better Youth is a creative youth development agency for urban youth ages 12-24. Their mission is to transform young people by validating technical skills through media arts training and mentoring. The youth who participate in the program face challenges such as incarceration, gang violence, and abuse. Better Youth is committed to developing urban youth by bridging the digital and diversity divide by fostering life skills, character development, creativity, a desire for leadership, advocacy and civic engagement. The goal is to positively impact a constituency of youth who grow up in impoverished homes and to create a trajectory for personal and professional success. The festival's mission and objective is to honor youth who make original and unique film projects that address issues plaguing their local or global community. Issues like homelessness, foster care, race relations, police brutality, immigration, sexual identity and more.

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