A Conversation With Director Joel Zwick

The Palm Beach International Film Festival, which opens tomorrow evening with the US/Scottish film STONE OF DESTINY, will give local film buffs and visiting film professionals a rare look inside the workings of the film industry courteosy of Festival honoree Joel Zwick.

Zwick, who was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1942, cut his early teeth as a writer/director/producer for television, directing episodes of such popular television series as Laverne & Shirley, Mork & Mindy, Bosom Buddies, Webster, Perfect Strangers, Full House, The Love Boat, and Hangin’ With Mr. Cooper. He made his feature directorial debut in 1989 with SECOND SIGHT, a zany comedy starring Bronson Pinchot and John La Roquette.

Zwick struck gold with his next project, a small indie comedy that remains the most profitable picture ever made. MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING, based on the life and theatrical play by Nia Vardalos, became a cult hit, grossing more than $500 million worldwide (on a budget of less than $5 million). After directing the Bill Cosby-inspired comedy FAT ALBERT, Zwick is putting the finishing touches on his latest film, THE SUMMER BEFORE FOREVER, a nostalgic story set in the 1960s Catskill Mountain resorts north of New York City known affectionately as the "borscht belt".

Zwick will be one of the Festival's honorees at its annual Gala this Friday evening at the Boca Raton Country Club and will give a rare talk about his career and his perspective on where the industry is heading on Saturday morning at the Seagate Beach Club in Delray Beach. For more information on this and other events, visit the Festival's website: www.pbifilmfest.org

Sandy Mandelberger, Festival Online Dailies Editor