SEAN ASTIN NAMED HONORARY CHAIR OF 2004 ANGELUS AWARDS STUDENT FILM FESTIVAL

August 23, 2004

56 SEMI-FINALISTS SELECTED FROM CLOSE TO 400 ENTRIES

Hollywood, CA  -- Actor Sean Astin has been named Honorary Chair of the 2004 Angelus Awards Student Film Festival to be held October 23, 2004 at the Directors Guild of America in Hollywood. Currently in its ninth year, the international festival was created to showcase and honor student films that explore the complexity of the human condition with creativity, compassion and respect.

Astin, who has appeared in over 25 films, made his feature film acting debut as Mikey Walsh in the wildly popular kids’ adventure film The Goonies. Since that time, he has portrayed a range of diverse characters including a homeless kid in Where the Day Takes You; the title role in Rudy, as a working-class underdog whose dream is to play football for Notre Dame; and Drew Barrymore’s musclehead brother in 50 First Dates. Recently, however, he is most familiar to millions of movie-goers the world over as Samwise Gamgee  in New Line Cinema’s blockbuster trilogy The Lord of the Rings, based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s perennially popular books.

As Honorary Chair, Astin will head an Honorary Committee comprised of many fellow actors and filmmakers including Karen Allen, Angela Bassett, Tony Bui, Jim Caviezel, Dame Judi Dench, Kevin Dobson, Susan Dobson, Melissa Gilbert, Patricia Heaton, Anjelica Huston, Lawrence Kasdan, Catherine O’Hara, Lupe Ontiveros, Frank Oz, Christopher Reeve, Geoffrey Rush, John Travolta, and Billy Dee Williams.

This year, a total of 56 semi-finalists have been selected from close to 400 entries from student filmmakers across the country and around the world. Films were submitted in three categories: live action, animation and documentary, with 149 universities, 23 nations and 35 states represented during the call-for-entries phase.

Following the semi-finalist round, the films advance to the next phase of judging, in which finalists are selected. A Blue Ribbon Jury comprised of industry experts from the fields of animation, documentary and live action are then invited to judge within their specialty, with winning films announced and screened at the Angelus Awards October 23 ceremony at the DGA. Nearly $25,000 in cash prizes will be awarded, including the prestigious $10,000 Patrick Peyton Excellence in Filmmaking Award, one of the highest cash awards for student filmmakers.

Family Theater Productions created the Angelus Awards in 1996 and continues to conduct the annual festival. For 57 years, Family Theater Productions, a Catholic media outlet, has been creating award-winning radio, television and cinema programs, which celebrate individual dignity and the value of the family.  Family Theater gave 1950s star actor James Dean and producer/director George Lucas their first on-screen credits. Hundreds of major film and television stars have appeared in Family Theater productions since its inception.

Family Theater Productions is a ministry of Holy Cross Family Ministries, which is also comprised of the Family Rosary, founded in 1942 in Albany, N.Y., Family Rosary International with 16 locations worldwide, and the Father Peyton Family Institute in Easton and Lima, Peru.  Holy Cross Family Ministries, headquartered in North Easton, Massachusetts, carries on the work of Servant of God Father Patrick Peyton by serving Jesus Christ and His church by promoting and supporting the spiritual well-being of the family.  

For more information, please visit the website at www.angelusawards.org.