Tuesday, November 4--------The Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival marks its half way point tomorrow evening with the screening of its Centerpiece Film, the engaging PLAY THE GAME. The film, by writer/director Marc Fienberg, is an original comedy with surprising and clever twists about a young ladies' man, David, who teaches his dating tricks to his lonely, widowed grandfather. But as David's supposedly foolproof techniques fail him, Grandpa Joe quickly transforms into the Don Juan of the retirement community. Slowly, the teacher becomes the student, and it's up to Grandpa to teach David that the best way to win the game of love is not to play games at all.

The film features winning performances by three beloved television stars – Andy Griffith, Doris Roberts, and Liz Sheridan – in "romantic" situations as you've never seen them before, and represents a late-career renaissance for Andy Griffith, who began his film career in the 1950s (No Time For Sargeants, A Face In The Crowd) and became one of the 1960s television most loved actors in the self-named Andy Griffith Show.

PLAY THE GAME finally confirms what many of us have known all along: old people can still “do it.” And they enjoy it. For South Florida's elder population, it will presumably be uplifting to follow an 84-year-old man’s search for love, companionship, and sex, as he experiences the same fear, insecurity, and excitement that any schoolboy would. PLAY THE GAME is one of the rare movies to reflect America's growing interest in "senior sex,” in the tradition of such films as Harry & Tonto, Harold & Maude, Cocoon, About Schmidt, and Away From Her.

Although it is rated PG-13 and is intended for a broad family audience, the "sex scene" between Andy Griffith's Grandpa Joe and Liz Sheridan's spunky, young-at-heart Edna (with a little help from Viagra) is sure to have tongues wagging at the screening. The film was shot on location in Los Angeles, California.

The film's young star Paul Campbell will attend the screening and the after-party, to be held at The Historic Maxwell Room at the Downtowner Saloon. For more information on the film and to view the trailer, log on to the film's website: www.playthegamemovie.com

Sandy Mandelberger, FLIFF Dailies Editor