Ben Lyons to Support with Festival Duties; SDFF Returns September 24-28th to Become One of the First Stops on the Independent Film Circuit for Academy Award Contenders

The San Diego Film Festival has announced today that nationally-renown film critic Jeffrey Lyons is returning as host of the thirteenth annual festival, with his son Ben Lyons also joining him to support with festival duties. Jeffrey Lyons, who also appeared last year, will not only host the festival but will help program individual screening titles and honorees at the awards tribute. The festival will run from September 24th to 28th in San Diego and La Jolla.

“We couldn’t be happier having Jeffrey back as host of this year’s festival, with his son Ben joining him again as well. Ben is a well-respected journalist with far reaching connections in the industry, and Jeffrey never fails to amaze me and our audiences with his depth of knowledge and experiences. Together they have a great dynamic that adds to the uniqueness of the festival,” said Festival Chairman Dale Strack.

Jeffrey Lyons has reviewed more than 15,000 movies, 900 Broadway and off-Broadway plays, interviewed nearly 500 actors, written or co-authored six books, co-hosted three national movie review shows on PBS, MSNBC and the NBC stations, and received two honorary degrees. In 2003 he reviewed movies with his son Ben Lyons on “MSNBC’s ‘At The Movies,’” then in 2004, he created and co-hosted “REEL TALK,” a ratings winner on all 154 NBC stations, for five years. He continues his career reviewing movies on New York radio and through national syndication on “Lyons Den” radio, and occasionally on TV.

Ben Lyons is a special correspondent on “EXTRA” and regular contributor for ESPN LA radio. He is also the host of “The Sidebar” on Yahoo!, as well as the lead host on Yahoo’s “LIVE” movie premiere and awards show coverage. Ben reviews movies on Mario Lopez’s national radio show every week, and recently has been seen on “The View,” “The Wendy Williams Show,” ESPN’s “SportsNation,” “On-Air with Ryan Seacrest,” “Good Morning America,” and “The Artie Lange Show.” Ben is the grandson of legendary New York Post columnist Leonard Lyons, and is the son of film and theater critic Jeffrey Lyons.

This year, the 2014 San Diego Film Festival will launch on September 24-28th, with award-winning independent films, filmmakers, actors, panels and parties. The Festival, now in its 13th year and featuring more than 100 film screenings, will be held at the Reading Theater in Downtown San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter (701 Fifth Avenue, San Diego, 92101) and ArcLight Cinemas in La Jolla (4425 La Jolla Village Dr., San Diego, 92122). It is produced by the nonprofit San Diego Film Foundation. The San Diego Film Festival will begin announcing the film lineup on September 1st.

For more information, passes/tickets or sponsorship opportunities, visit www.sdfilmfest.com.

About the San Diego Film Festival Founded in 2001, the San Diego Film Festival, currently produced by the San Diego Film Foundation, is the region’s premier showcase for outstanding U.S. and international independent filmmaking. The five-day event is an entertaining, enlightening and educational gathering that embraces the region’s diverse cultural landscape, enhances the arts community and expands the economic vitality of San Diego. Learn more about the San Diego Film Festival at www.sdfilmfest.com, or on Facebook and Twitter. About the San Diego Film Foundation The San Diego Film Foundation is an educational 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that produces the annual San Diego Film Festival. Its mission is to support the art of independent filmmaking through producing an annual film festival, developing stimulating film-related events throughout the year, supporting and nurturing student filmmaking programs in local schools, supporting the development of the local filmmaking industry, and enhancing the economic growth of San Diego.