The Delray Beach Film Festival is returning next March for its second year and promises an expanded program and greater attendance than its inaugural in 2006.

The 2007 Delray Beach Film Festival is planning to show 250 films during the four-day event March 13-18, 2007. In addition to inviting both international and independent filmmakers to screen their new movies (in hopes of finding distributors for their creations), the Delray Festival also highlights short films of local and national student directors from schools such as Florida Atlantic University, University of Central Florida and the Palm Beach and Chapman Film Schools.

"Michael Posner has created an event that complements other festivals in South Florida because it's positioned in a different way," Jay Stuck, president of BrandGuy, Inc., which handles the marketing and press relations for the event, said. "Over 800 films were submitted for screening last year -- and attendance reached 15,000 people-essentially because the Festival is aimed at giving visibility to work not ordinarily seen by the public. This includes Hispanic and Xtreme Sports films as well as the student work. It's recognized by filmmakers as "a filmmakers' festival." In fact, two films were sold for distribution at the 2006 event -- which is virtually unheard of for a first-year Festival. Fifty films have already been submitted for 2007 in just the last four weeks."

Several innovations are planned for 2007, including fan voting after each movie screening. The winning six most popular pictures as voted by the audiences will be re-screened on Sunday, the last day of the event -- sort of a "best of show" Posner said. Another innovation: as a boon to potential sponsors, research company Touch Poll of South Florida will poll audiences to determine attendee demographics using high tech portable touch-screen computer tablets, he added. The Festival is also exploring video streaming possibilities to computers, handheld PDAs and cellphones.

Posner promises that the 2007 Festival will feature more widely publicized parties and fund-raising activities aimed at local residents, including the popular midnight pajama party screenings. The Colony Hotel in Delray Beach will be headquarters and host hotel for the event.

The Festival is also looking to double its sponsors to at least 40, he said. "It's all about the films, but it's also all about making interesting and cutting-edge creative work available to local audiences," Posner added. "We're like the little engine that could -- we began on a shoe-string budget, but I believe we've won local and national respect and support after our first year. Just wait until you see the events and guests we're planning," Posner said.

For more information about the festival, call 561-213-5737 or visit http://www.delraybeachfilmfestival.com