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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
Ron Rollet, Festival Artistic Director
(609) 425-3777
SUSAN
SARANDON HEADLINES CAPE MAY NJ STATE FILM FESTIVAL
October
16 - Academy award winner Susan Sarandon receives the
first ever New Jersey Governor's Award for Outstanding
Contribution to Jersey Arts at the Cape May NJ State
Film Festival November 15 to 17.
Governor
James McGreevey will present the award at Cape May’s
Congress Hall.
Sarandon,
a graduate of New Jersey’s Edison High School,
headlines the 2nd annual film festival in Cape May.
She'll be honored at the Film Festival Opening Night
Gala November 15th for her achievements as a New Jersey
film artist who has brought both intelligence and integrity
to every role.
Through
her efforts as a spokesperson for the Discover Jersey
Arts initiative, Ms. Sarandon has helped improve public
awareness of the important role New Jersey has played
in the arts and that the arts play in New Jersey.
Susan
Sarandon’s career blossomed with her fearless portrayal
in “Bull Durham” and then skyrocketed with
her Oscar-nominated performances in “Thelma and
Louise,” “Lorenzo’s Oil,” “The
Client,” and “Atlantic City” and her
Academy Award-winning and SAG Award winning role as
Sister Helen, a nun consoling a death-row inmate, in
“Dead Man Walking.”
The
appearance by the Governor and Susan Sarandon highlight
a weekend packed with an impressive collection of New
Jersey films and filmmakers in this, the second year
of the Cape May NJ State Film Festival. The festival's
headquarters this year is the newly restored Congress
Hall, on Cape May's oceanfront.
“People
in the film industry have been calling this the ‘miracle
festival’ and ‘the little festival that could,’”
said Ron Rollet, the festival’s founder and artistic
director, “because of the incredible growth and
attention that we have received in just a year.”
The secret? “Focusing on New Jersey films and filmmakers,”
answered Mr. Rollet, a film writer and director who
lives in Cape May Point, “that’s what makes
us unique and worthwhile.”
FEATURE FILMS
Sarandon's
three new films, released this fall, top the film festival's
feature presentations during the day on Saturday. "The
Banger Sisters," with Goldie Hawn and Geoffrey
Rush; "Moonlight Mile" with Dustin Hoffman
and "Igby Goes Down" with Jeff Goldblum will
be screened at Hoyt's Cape May Beach 4 Cinema. It will
be the first local screening of “Igby” and
"Moonlight Mile."
Local
Mummer fans have a special treat in store for them:
the festival has chosen to present as one of its “Festival
Feature Selections” the New Jersey premiere of
"STRUT!" a film about the Philadelphia Mummers,
also shot in North Wildwood, the Mummers' summer home.
Also on the schedule: young New Jersey star Allison
Bertolino from Mays Landing to talk about her experiences
in making this year’s "The Divine Secrets
of the Ya Ya Sisterhood."
FESTIVAL OF INDEPENDENT FILMS
In
addition to the feature films, the festival will present
an all day screening of short fiction, animated and
experimental films and documentaries by over fifty New
Jersey filmmakers.
This
year the festival hosts several of independent film’s
most important producer/distributors, among them John
Hart, of Hart-Sharp Entertainment (“Boys Don’t
Cry,” “You Can Count on Me”), and Greg
Williams, CEO of Lot 47 Films (“L.I.E.,” “Fast
Runner”). Each will introduce one of his films
before it is shown (Greg Williams has chosen “Scotland,
PA,” a comedic MacBeth in modern times) and will
appear on the panel of a workshop, “Distribution
Alternatives for Independent Filmmakers,” on Saturday.
CLOSING FESTIVAL BRUNCH
Sunday's
Cinema Cafe brunch features several short films presented
by the filmmakers themselves, including the hilarious
“Escaping Jersey” by Jan Marlyn Reesman, “Corona”
by John Columbus, a moving “memory” film recently
chosen by MOMA to open its Documentary Fortnight series
in December, and a tribute to New Jersey animator John
Schnall.
TICKETS
Tickets
are available by calling the Cape May NJ State Film
Festival at: (609) 884-6595.
For
a complete schedule of events for the November 15-17
weekend, see the Cape May NJ State Film Festival's website
at: www.njstatefilmfestival.com.
This
program is made posssible in part by funds from the
New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State,
a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts,
and by a grant from the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation.
Back
to Cape May NJ State Film Festival
info@njstatefilmfestival.com
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