NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Blue Heron International Pictures announced today that its latest Holocaust documentary -- Safe Haven: The Warsaw Zoo -- produced locally, has been accepted by the 2009 Route 66 Film Festival to be held in Springfield, Ill., on Sept. 19-20.
“After being named one of the 25 festivals worth the fee in Moviemaker Magazine, we received many more than the usual number of entries, “festival director Linda McElroy said. “Making our selections this year was extremely difficult, and we had to pass up many excellent films.”
McElroy added, “You have a right to be proud of your film."
At the end of May, the Internet Movie Data base (imdb.com) was reporting 2.9 million hits on the film's web page.
The film's producers were thrilled with the recognition.
"I am absolutely ecstatic that one of the most prestigious film festivals in the Midwest has chosen our latest Holocaust documentary,” said award-winning director Gary Lester, from his home in Daytona Beach. “Safe Haven is a compelling story about people willing to risk their lives for others because it was the right thing to do.”
Israeli producer Alex Ringer agrees that the documentary is speaking to hearts around the globe: "It is a compelling story of ordinary people doing extraordinary things.”
Marsha Goren, educational outreach coordinator for the documentary, reports that she has received e-mails from scores of students and educators in Israel, Poland, Holland, Belgium, India and the United States.
Safe Haven premiered on network television in Israel in April. Since then, Israel Channel 10 has been streaming the documentary from its website, with both Hebrew and Russian subtitles. The film will have its world premiere on Saturday, Aug. 8 in West Hollywood, Calif.
For further information, please visit _www.blueheronpix.com_ (http://www.blueheronpix.com/) or _www.route66filmfestival.net_
(http://www.route66filmfestival.net/) .