reported by Brian Scott, CyberScreenwriter.com

The 4th Annual International Film Festival Summit (IFFS) will take place Dec. 2-4, 2007, in Las Vegas, at the Loews Lake Las Vegas Resort.

The IFFS is the only event in the world that brings together professionals and executives from the film festival and entertainment industry to converse and address the advancement of film festivals, and this year the IFFS will pay special tribute recognizing these individuals.

The Inaugural IFFS Excellence Awards will be presented at the December program and for the first time, will honor and pay tribute to the dedicated professionals and executives managing film festivals. Festivals continue to provide a vital intersection where the major stakeholders in the entertainment industry converge. For decades the tireless work of the film festival professional has made monumental impacts on the industry for individual filmmakers, buyers, sellers, and countless organizations involved in entertainment.

There are three categories each containing two awards. The categories are for International, National and Regional film festivals, and the two awards presented in each category are the Director Award and Professional Award. A total of six awards will be presented in December.

The Director Award will be presented to a film festival director who has made considerable contributions and a lasting impact on his or her film festival and independent film. Special emphasis for consideration will be placed on festival growth, new programs, organizational structure, and overall vision.

The Professional Award will be presented to a programmer/sponsorship manager/operations manager or other festival professional that has excelled in his or her position making a significant contribution to the success of the film festival. Special emphasis will be placed on management of staff, execution of initiatives, and new initiatives from previous years.

Nominations can be made online at the IFFS website and must be completed in their entirety. The deadline for entries is October 30th 2007.

Website: http://www.filmfestivalsummit.com