Catalina Film Festival (CFF) today announced that legendary Comic creator Stan Lee will be honored at the second annual film festival. The Festival will be held May 4-6, 2012 on the famed Catalina Island— a storied Hollywood stomping ground that has been featured in over 500 films, television programs ad commercials since 1912. Lee will receive the "Great Communicator” Award— an honor bestowed by the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation— and host the island premiere of the documentary based on his life, With Great Power - The Stan Lee Story. Following the screening, Lee will host the POW! party presented by POW Entertainment. Lee will also introduce a special screening of The Avengers on its opening weekend during the film festival with a Q&A to follow.

 

The Ronald Reagan “Great Communicator” Award was created to recognize films and filmmakers that give a voice to a philosophy of individual opportunity, optimism, and pride. President Reagan will forever be linked to   Catalina, the very island where he began his film career in 1936 and kick-started a successful Hollywood career before ultimately reaching the White House.

 

Lee, known for communicating compelling stories and fostering imagination through such iconic comic books and memorable characters, such as Spider-Man, The Hulk, X-Men, Fantastic Four, Iron Man and Thor, was cited by Reagan himself as an entertainer who “communicates important ideas to young people.” Reagan helped launch Stan’s “Entertainers for Education” initiative in 1991 and once said he started every day reading Spider-Man comics.

 

The Catalina Film Festival is a competitive festival with awards across multiple categories including feature, documentary, animation, student, short, screenplay and more. To submit your film for consideration (Deadline: March 12), visit http://catalinaff.org/submissions/. Lee, known to millions as the man whose Super Heroes propelled Marvel Comics to its preeminent position in the comic book industry and has exerted more influence over the comic book industry than anyone in history, will be on hand to present the honor of Best Animated Film during the Festival’s award ceremony.

 

Catalina Island, a fixture in Hollywood’s motion picture industry, celebrates its Centennial in 2012. Guests of CFF can experience the West Coast’s only resort island while taking in more than 75 feature and short-length domestic and international features, documentaries, experimental and student films. The Festival also features nightly parties, special events and an exclusive awards ceremony. For information on passes and accommodations, visit www.catalinaff.org.