The Fairhope Film Festival returns next week for its 14th edition, bringing filmmakers from across the country and around the world to the Eastern Shore for four days to celebrate moviemaking and to showcase their work.

The festival will open on Thursday, Nov. 12, with the U.S. premiere of the Singaporean comedy "Luck My Life," directed by Eric Wong. The film follows Zhuo Tian Cai, played by Richie Koh, whose extraordinary luck at the mahjong table brings him good fortune until he disrespects the game and loses all of it. Tay Ping Hui and Cynthia Li also star.

"Luck My Life" will be shown at Giddens Auditorium in Centennial Hall at Coastal Alabama Community College in Fairhope at 6 p.m., with an encore screening taking place Sunday, Nov. 15.

Overall, the festival will screen 25 feature films, including narrative films and documentaries, along with 35 short films. In addition to filmmakers from across the country and around the world, several filmmakers from the Baldwin and Mobile county areas will also showcase their work at the festival. Among them is Leland Hall, whose documentary "Warriors," about the 2009 Davidson High School football team, will screen at the Fairhope Public Library on Friday, Nov. 13, at 12:30 p.m.

The festival will also screen entries from its "48-Hour Scramble," where filmmakers have 48 hours to write, film, edit and submit a short film using an assigned storyline and required elements. Around 15 teams are participating in this year's contest, with cash prizes being given to the winners.

Each festival day will begin with a 'Coffee Talk' at The Book Cellar at Page & Palette, starting at 9 a.m. There, filmmakers and film industry experts will talk to guests about their projects and filmmaking in a casual setting with breakfast snacks and coffee. Each "Coffee Talk" is free and open to the public.
Awards will also be presented in several categories, including audience choice awards and honors selected by a panel of nine jurors from across the country who work in the film industry.

Stephen Savage, who is serving in his first year as president of the board of directors for the festival, compared going into festival week to going to Disney World.

"It's like you're there, you're immersed and everything is good," Savage said. "Obviously opening night is going to be extra special. The mayor of Fairhope will be there to welcome our guests. Everybody will be dressed a little bit better because it's opening night. I'm always most excited about Coffee Talk. It's my favorite thing. I love listening to people tell how they make movies and the fact that we have it for free for the public is exciting for me."

This year's Fairhope Film Festival runs from Nov. 12 to Nov. 15. Individual tickets are $15, but they are also offering an all-movie-pass for $60, and includes admission to every screening during the festival, as well as an all access pass for $150, which grants access to every movie screening in addition to the opening night party on Nov. 12 and the red carpet party on Nov. 14.

Visit www.fairhopefilmfestival.org for more information and to purchase passes.