‘DEATH & TEXAS,’ A MOCKUMENTARY THAT TAKES A STAB AT THE DEATH PENALTY, TO SCREEN AT CARIBBEAN FEST

What if a star football player – and convicted killer – was set to die by the death penalty but wanted to play in the big game before his execution? That’s the compelling question behind Kevin DiNovis’ feature film, “Death & Texas.”

The satirical mockumentary, starring Charles Durning (“Tootsie”), Steve Harris (“The Practice”), Mary Kay Place (“The Big Chill”), and Corbin Bernsen (“Major League”), becomes the first film accepted to screen at the first Turks & Caicos International Film Festival from November 13-20, 2004.

Produced by Stephen Israel of Neofight Film and shot for just $200,000 in Texas in 2003, “Death & Texas” has enjoyed previous screenings at the Seattle, Slamdance, South by Southwest, USA/Dallas and Maryland festivals. It features live song performances by country and pop music stars Billy Ray Cyrus and Tiffany.

“You’d be hard-pressed to find a film that’s better written, better acted or better looking that was made for such a modest budget,” said Geoffrey Williams, executive director of the 1st Annual Turks & Caicos International Film Festival. “It epitomizes the creative spirit of filmmaking our festival is celebrating.”

The Turks & Caicos festival will include more than 70 feature, documentary, short, animated, student, foreign, and Caribbean/Bahamian films. Movies will be shown at several indoor venues on Providenciales, the main island in the Turks & Caicos chain, and at one open-air theater on the 12-mile Grace Bay Beach.

Jury and audience awards will be presented at the festival’s closing-night gala, as will career achievement awards for film directing, acting, producing and criticism, among others. Also announced will be the winners of the festival’s debut screenwriting competition.

Filmmakers and screenwriters may learn more about entering their work in the festival by visiting www.turksandcaicosfilmfestival.com.