NEWS RELEASE Contact: Liz Morgan, Liz Morgan PR 904.608.3823 or [email protected] MORE THAN 400 FETE INDUSTRY LEGENDS INCLUDING BURT REYNOLDS AS FILM FLORIDA HOSTS RECORD BREAKING ANNUAL LEGEND AWARDS -Palm Beach County event also honored Ray Fielding, Dee Miller, Victor Milt and Wes Skiles (posthumous)PALM BEACH COUNTY (July 2011 ) —Film Florida hosted its largest Legend Awards to date when more than 400 gathered to honor 2011 award recipients Burt Reynolds, Ray Fielding, Dee Miller, Victor Milt and Wes Skiles (posthumous). The Legend Award – launched in 2006 – honors Sunshine State pioneers in the film, television and production industry. The Legend Awards were held at the Keith C. and Elaine Johnson Wold Performing Arts Center at Lynn University, and featured tributes to the recipients as well as musical/comedy entertainment from host Frank Licari. Reynolds, a longtime proponent of bringing more production to his home state, was lauded via video by friends and co-stars including Jon Voight, Marilu Henner, Roddy Piper and recent Burn Notice co-stars Sharon Gless, Bruce Campbell, Gabrielle Anwar and Jeffrey Donovan. “With most actors, you usually aren’t aware of where they come from,” commented Reynolds, accepting his award. “With me, everybody knows I’m from Florida.” All the recipients made major contributions to the industry, including: Burt Reynolds, Actor/Director. A Florida legend since his days as an all-star quarterback at Florida State University, Burt Reynolds is an enduring iconic actor. His acting career took off in the 1960s in TV westerns , and he carved his name into 1970/1980s pop culture n as both a rugged action figure and then as a wisecracking, Southern-type "good olé' boy". In the 1990s, his critically appraised performance as a drunken Florida politician in Striptease and as a manipulative porn director in Boogie Nights garnered him a new generation of fans. He continues to work today, with recent roles in the filmed-in-Florida series Burn Notice. Ray Fielding, founder of FSU film program. Ray Fielding has a long history of working in and educating in the Sunshine State. Ray joined The Film School in 1990 and served as the founding permanent dean for 13 years before stepping down in the summer of 2003. He has spent the last 45 years as a professor and/or administrator at six different university film schools, including UCLA, USC, University of Iowa, Temple University, University of Houston, and The Florida State University. At the last three, he helped create new programs. Dee Miller, Casting Directors Inc. Since launching her business in 1976, Dee Miller continues to cast projects for clients from all over the world. Dee is known for conducting all of her own casting sessions, and for her endless dedication and energy to each and every project. She’s been involved with casting on 65 feature films, 6500 TV commercials and more including The African Queen, The Champ, Smokey and The Bandit 3, Easy Money, Flight of the Navigator, Miami Vice (TV series), Wrestling Ernest Hemingway, and Dostana. Victor Milt, Director/Cinematographer. Victor Milt has been a photographer, writer, artist and director/cameraman for more than 25 years. He has over 50 national and international awards for his direction and cinematographic achievements. Victor has directed national commercials for most of the Fortune 100 and has had fashion spreads in Glamour, Ingenue and Vogue magazines among others. He is known for film projects including Cracker: The Lost Cowboys of Florida, The Premonition and The Big Con. Currently, Vic is actively involved in filmmaking, marketing, advertising and photography. Wes Skiles, Adventure Photographer. (posthumous). Wes Skiles, a celebrated freelance photographer and cinematographer, died in July 2010 at the age of 52. He died filming a project on the behavior of high-speed fish near Boyton Beach Inlet. Wes was best known for creating mystifying underwater images of uncharted stalagmite caves and ancient crocodile skeletons that revealed a dark, alien world in vibrant color. In his 27 years as a photojournalist, Wes escaped from a collapsed ocean cave off the Australian coast and was among the first people to set foot on the largest iceberg in Antarctica. Wes is survived by his wife, Terri Paulson Skiles, and their two children, Nathan Skiles and Tessa Skiles, all of High Springs; a brother; and a sister. “We’ve very proud to welcome our new Legends into the Film Florida family,” said Jennifer Pennypacker, Film Florida President. “They have all made a significant impact on film in Florida both behind the scenes or in front of the camera.” She added: “Our colleagues Chuck Elderd, Michelle Hillery and their team at the Palm Beach County Film Commission went above and beyond to host this event for Film Florida, and their hard work was evident in the turnout and the very elegant event.” For a link to images from 2011 Film Florida Legends, please go to www.wellingtonphoto.zenfolio.com/florida-legends-awards-2011. For a full list of credits for the 2011 Film Florida Legend Awards, please visit www.filmflorida.org. In association with Film Florida Legend Awards, the group also hosted its Khaki and White Party to raise money for its scholarship funds, and raised more than $4,300 for the cause. Previous honorees include underwater film and television veteran Ricou Browning Sr. (The Creature from the Black Lagoon); Egon Stephan Sr. (posthumous) and Jordan Klein Sr., Ralph Clemente; The Fuller Brothers - Brad Fuller and Mike Fuller; and Last Stage Out of Town (Digger Wilson, Eddie Harvey and Danny Harvey); filmmaker Bill Grefe; producer Errol Falcon; cinematographer Mike McGowan Sr. (posthumous); the DGA’s Michelle Marx; Belton Clark, Jerry Smith and Richard Norman, Sr. (posthumous). Film Florida is a not-for-profit corporation that provides a leadership role in Florida's film and entertainment industries by representing a coalition of interests, including private industry, local film commissions, industry associations and labor organizations. Its purpose is to offer to businesses and individuals the benefits of a statewide trade association to promote the creation of jobs in the film and entertainment production industries and to promote economic development and tourism. For more information on Film Florida, please visit www.filmflorida.org.