The Burbank International Film Festival (BIFF) today announced its September 3-7, 2014 lineup with many world and West Coast premieres. Events are screened under various umbrellas, with programs devoted to shorts, comedy, documentaries, new media, animation, foreign films, student films, films by women, faith-based films and sci-fi/horror.

Highlights include the world festival premiere of Mercenaries, a female action film in the style of The Expendables, with cast members Vivica A. Fox, Kristanna Loken, Brigitte Nielsen, Zoe Bell and Cynthia Rothrock; the West Coast premier of Daniel Baldwin’s The Wisdom to Know the Difference; the sci-fi film Stranger in the Pentagon starring soap star Eileen Davidson (newest cast member of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills), and look-a-like events featuring attendees encouraged to dress respectively as mermaids (The Little Mermaid screening), robots (Forbidden Planet screening), Marilyn Monroe (Bombshell screening), Elvis Presley (Elvis: That’s the Way It Is screening).

Also on tap for this year’s festivities BIFF will honor world famous body builder, actor and disability advocate Lou Ferrigno. At only 21, he won his first Mr. Universe title, a Guinness Book record that stands to this day. At age 22 he won again, and remains the only person to win consecutive titles! Lou carried the world of bodybuilding to new heights and himself to superstardom with the film documentary, Pumping Iron, which chronicled the fabled exploits of the youngest and only person to ever become Mr. Universe twice in a row. In less than a year after Pumping Iron, Lou became a cult legend as the title character of the hit show The Incredible Hulk and the rest, as they say, is history. Lou also completed the training program and became a “Deputy” for the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department. In addition, Lou is regularly invited by universities, corporate executives, and numerous other major event holders to give motivational and inspiring speeches all over the world. The BIFF will honor Lou Ferrigno with this year’s “Diversity Award” as a spokesman and advocate for the deaf and those living with a disability.

Jeff Rector, head of the Festival, said “As the festival reaches its sixth and biggest year ever, we could not be more excited with this years line-up of films, red carpet events and after-parties. We are also grateful to our local studio neighbors Disney Pictures and Warner Bros. Home Video for the screenings of The Little Mermaid and Forbidden Planet as part of our ‘History of Cinema’ program. It is this kind of support that makes Burbank the media capital of the world.”

For a complete listing of films, times and tickets or questions about the festival, check out burbankfilmfest.org