Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands – Gary Lucchesi, film producer, President of Lakeshore Entertainment and President of the Producers Guild of America, will make good on the promise he made to return to Cayman for the CayFilm Cayman International Film Festival. He will be here for the 4^th staging of the event which takes place from 30 June to 3 July.

Last year, Lucchesi accepted a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Festival for his exceptional contributions to motion picture arts and sciences and outstanding service to the film industry. At that time, he said he believed that CayFilm can attract the biggest names in Hollywood, and expressed interest in filming movies on the island, and being a part of the film academy that the Festival is establishing.

Lucchesi began his career at The William Morris Agency as an agent, representing such artists as Susan Sarandon, Kevin Costner, Michelle Pfeiffer and John Malkovich. He served as both Vice President and Senior Vice President of Production at TriStar Pictures before becoming President of Production at Paramount Pictures. Following his time at Paramount, Lucchesi founded Gary Lucchesi Productions, where he produced the Oscar nominated film Primal Fear. e He was also President of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Really Useful Film Co., producing the film version of the hit musical Cats. In 1997, he was asked by Lakeshore Entertainment Founder, Chairman and CEO Tom Rosenberg to run Lakeshore.

Founded in 1994, Lakeshore Entertainment is a leading independent feature film production, finance and distribution company which has produced more than 60 films including the Academy Award® winning Million Dollar Baby as well as the Underworld franchise, The Lincoln Lawyer, Runaway Bride, The Ugly Truth, The Gift, She’s The Man, Arlington Road, Exorcism of Emily Rose and The Mothman Prophecies. Recent releases include The Age of Adaline starring Blake Lively,

Harrison Ford and Ellen Burstyn, The Boy starring Lauren Cohan and American Pastoral starring Ewan McGregor, Jennifer Connelly and Dakota Fanning, as well as Executive Produced HEATHERS for Paramount Television.

“We are so excited that Gary has decided to come back to CayFilm this year,” said Festival Director Tony Mark. “He is a titan in the film industry, and to have him speak so highly of the Festival, Cayman and the vision we have for this event is truly humbling but also exciting because it means we’re on the right track. We look forward to welcoming him back, and learning from his years of experience and expertise.”

CayFilm 2017 takes place from June 30 to July 3, 2017 and welcomes an elite roster of film producers, directors, actors, experts and influencers each year. The exclusive, interactive weekend features demonstrations, panel discussions, special events, and unique networking opportunities — all in a beautiful, elegant and welcoming Caribbean environment. The annual gathering is set amidst the Cayman Islands’ magnificent Seven Mile Beach and is hosted in partnership with Cayman Islands Department of Tourism and The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman.

Both VIP and General Admission tickets are on sale, and special travel discounts are available through www.cayfilm.com.

Early bird tickets for CayFilm are now available for prices as low as $25 for a day pass and $50 for a General Pass. VIP tickets are also on sale for $400 online at Cayfilm.com.

For more information about the CayFilm Cayman International Film Festival log on to www.cayfilm.com or email [email protected].

About CayFilm Cayman International Film Festival

CayFilm Cayman International Film Festival is an annual multi-day spectacular event designed to create new interest and excitement about the Cayman Islands as a world-class filming destination. Included in the festival will be daily film screenings, question and answer sessions with filmmakers, panel discussions, workshops, exclusive premiere screenings, and two celebrity gala events. It is our vision to open up the Cayman Islands to the film industry around the world whilst opening up the world to Cayman’s young and aspiring filmmakers.

The Festival team are also working to develop the Cayman Media Academy (CMA) under the CayFilm umbrella to educate Cayman’s youth by offering classes and qualifications relating to different career fields within the industry. This will be run throughout the year with the eventual goal of having a full-time degree programme available at our own purpose built facility. Young children will have their own specially designed programmes to inspire and give confidence about their own unique abilities as filmmakers.