The Tiburon International Film Festival, in its 7th edition, will screen over 220 films from more than 90 countries, including three tributes, first to: John Wayne (The Searchers...), an American legend with his family present, on Saturday, March 16 @ 4:45 PM. Second, to Blake Edwards, another great American director (The Pink Panther Strikes Again, Breakfast at Tiffany…) on Saturday, March 15 @ 5 pm. Mr. Edwards will be present for his tribute. Third, a tribute is to Bob Rafelson (Five Easy Pieces, The Kings of Marvin Gardens...), known as “one of the kings of independent film”, in person, on Friday, March 14, @ 07:25 PM.

Our opening film, since this an election year, is a comedy called "Twins for President" directed by Miguel Angel Calvo Buttini from Spain who will be present for the Q&A, on Thursday, March 13 @ 7 pm at the Tiburon Playhouse Theater (40 Main Street), with a reception to follow after the screening at the Corinthian Yacht Club, also on Main Street. The Eszterlánc Hungarian Folk Ensemble, a group of talented Hungarian dancers.... and some other entertainers will perform with music, international cuisine, wine, and lots of fun!

For the closing and awards ceremony, there will be a party at the Corinthian Yacht Club again in Tiburon, with "Hui Hula o na Pu'u i ka Noe," a group of talented Hawaiian dancers on Friday, March 21, 2008.

As for other programs...

There will be a collection of films made by Marin County filmmakers called "Marin Filmmakers," a very popular and first program of its kind. The films are: Spine Tingler! The William Castle Story (with Terry Castle In Person), Her Best Move (with Norm Hunter, the film director in person), Covert Coins (with Steve Gatlin in person).

The Spotlight program this year is on Brazil, with ten of their latest and finest films: The Samba Poet, After The Ball, Drained, Black God, White Devil, Earth Entranced, Not By Chance, Rhapsody of the Absurd, Pixinguinha, Dotcom, Paired Off...

There will be several films related to the present situation in the Middle East: Kabul Transit, Iraqi Kurdistan, View From A Grain of Sand…

For the Music and Dance lovers, there are a collection of great shorts: Once Upon a Time...Sasha and Desire, Shake Off, Breathe Me, Afternoon of the Chimeras, The Rain...with some of their filmmakers in person. And some great feature films such as: The Samba Poet (Brazil), International (Turkey), Heart & Soul: The Life and Music of Frank Loesser…

For the Sports fans, there are: Heart of a Soul Surfer, Down the Barrel, Fully Flared, Row Hard, No Excuses, The Lost Wave: An African Surf Story, Johan, Lines, Motodrom, Nothing But the Truth, Her Best Move...

For the Young Adults, there are a fine selections of films from around the world including: Playground, Make A Wish, Colours, Paul’s Grandpa, Wing, The Fish That Talked Back, The Vaudevillian, The Intruder, New Boy…

For those who love Animation and find this art form delightful, there is a great section of animated films from around the worked: The Toll, The Intruder, Hungry For Love, Mirage, Fetch, Abridged...

There will be several panels and seminars, one on New Technologies on Sunday, March 16 at 1 pm, at the George Lucas Theater in San Rafael, and the next called “Film, Politics and Culture: How Films Shape Political Beliefs", at 1 pm [check the Events page for location], and one on the special effects moderated by Hal Hickel, the Oscar winning animator of the Pirates of the Caribbean films… on Sunday, March 16 at 2:30 pm.