The Eighth Annual Beaufort International Film Festival is spreading its reach this year, with finalists hailing from six countries and across the United States. The festival takes place Feb. 12 to 16 with all screenings and workshops at the University of South Carolina Beaufort Center for the Arts.

Beaufort Film Society president Ron Tucker said more countries will be represented at the coming festival than ever before. Filmmakers from Germany, the Russian Federation, Australia, China and Canada were selected as finalists.

In November, the festival made the 2013 list of the Top 25 Coolest General Film Festivals in the World, published by MovieMaker Magazine. Tucker said that’s another sign the festival is growing in popularity.

About 8,000 people attended last year.

Of the 150 entries submitted for the 2014 festival, 34 films and screenplays were selected in such categories as animation, documentary, short film, student film and features. From those, six actors and five directors were selected as finalists for individual awards.  Many of the entries are from repeat finalists or winners.

Of note among the finalists is the clean sweep of the student film category by the University of North Carolina School of the Arts in Winston-Salem, N.C.

This year, the festival will honor the 20th anniversary of the filming of “Forrest Gump,” much of which took place in and around Beaufort.

Two-time Oscar Award-winning film editor Arthur Schmidt will receive the Jean Ribaut Award for Excellence in Film Editing during the festival. He won Oscars for his work on “Forrest Gump” and “Who Framed Roger Rabbit?”

The festival will also recognize James Passanante for his more than 30 years behind the scenes scenic designs.

Festival organizers are seeking locals who participated in “Forrest Gump” for special events during the film festival. A “Behind the Magic” documentary about the making of the film will be shown Feb. 14, followed by a screening of the movie. Residents who participated in the film are asked to contact festival organizers at 843-522-3196.

For more information about the 8th Annual Beaufort International Film Festival, visit beaufortfilmfestival.com. The festival is produced by the Beaufort Film Society, a nonprofit, 501 (c)3, member-supported organization, dedicated to providing the highest levels of entertainment and education to the public from all areas of the film industry.

<b>A LOOK AT THE 2014 BEAUFORT FILM FESTIVAL FINALISTS</b>
<div><b> </b><b>ANIMATION</b>

• Death &amp; the Robot

Austin Taylor, Director

Winston-Salem, NC

• Double Occupancy

Fabian Giessler

Weimar, Germany

• Moment of Tooth

Michael Hogan

Savannah, GA

• Sleight of Hand

Michael Cusak

Kent Town, Australia

<b>DOCUMENTARY</b>

• 16 Acres

Mike Marcucci

New York, NY

• AKA Doc Pomus

William Hechter, Co-Director

Peter Miller, Co-Director

Ontario, Canada

• Discovering Dave: Spirit Captured in Clay

Mark Albertin

Augusta, GA

• Jungle Warfare College

Jesse Veverka

Brooktondale, NY

• The Sum Total of Our Memory

Barbara Klutinis

San Francisco, CA

<b>FEATURE</b>

• Pechorin

Khrushch Roman, Director

Russian Federation

• Teddy Bears

Thomas Beatty, Co-Director

Rebecca Fishman, Co-Director

Los Angeles, CA

• The One Who Loves You

Katharyn Grant, Director

Denver, CO

<b>SHORTS</b>

• A Lasting Sorrow

David Geary, Director

Louisville, KY

• Amor Imposible

Felix Martiz, Director

South Gate, CA

• Bet on Red

John Murray, Director

Roswell, GA

• Clown Nose Theory

Ned Farr, Director

Venice, CA

• Honeymoon Suite

Zao Wang, Director

Beijing, China

• Masque

Robert Hatch, Director

Beverly Hills, CA

• The Things My Father Never Taught Me

Burleigh Smith, Director

East Perth, Australia

• The Long Wait

Wolfgang Bodison, Director

Los Angeles, CA

<b>STUDENT FILMS</b>

• Death of Eurydice

• Helpless

• Link

• Title Fight

• Trustworthy

• U-666

• What Remains

• Wings

All Finalists in the Student Category are from the University of North Carolina, School of the Arts, Winston-Salem, NC

<b>SCREENPLAY</b>

• Coyote Dances with Fire

Todd Selleck

Byron Center, MI

• Fox-Tare Two-Eight

Shelia Watson

Charleston, SC

• Machina

Tom Radovich

Chicago, IL

• Old Scars

Richard Levine

Jacksonville, FL

• Pawn

Uyen Le, Co-Writer

V. W. Scheich, Co-Writer

Los Angeles, CA

• Stargazer

Marcia Chandler Rhea, Writer

Charleston, SC

<b>BEST ACTOR</b>

• Elizabeth Yoder (“The Long Wait” Short Film)

• Gary Weeks (“Bet on Red” Short Film)

• Gillian Jacobs  (“Teddy Bears” Feature Film)

• Katharyn Grant (“The One Who Loves You” Feature Film)

• Lauren Holly (“Masque” Short Film)

• Richard Losee (“Masque” Short Film)

<b>BEST DIRECTOR</b>

• Katharyn Grant (“The One Who Loves You” Feature Film)

• Ned Farr (“The Clown Nose Theory” Short Film)

• Robert Hatch (“Masque” Short Film)

• Thomas Beatty and Rebecca Fishman (“Teddy Bears” Short Film)

• Zao Wang (“Honeymoon Suite” Short Film)

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