By Karen Bloom
The Expo celebrates its 10th anniversary this year, showcasing the creativity of independent film makers for area film buffs, from July 11-19.
From short to long, and somewhere in between, moviegoers can partake of a diverse group of independent films, In the process, audiences can help choose festival winners, and even converse with the filmmakers during sessions held between screenings.
The Expo has grown rapidly in its 10 years. From showing 40 films in the first festival, last year the Long Island International Film Expo screened 155 short and feature-length films from all over the globe. Surprise guests who showed up at the festival in 2006 included Steven Bauer from Scarface, Fredric Lane from Lost, and Adam Ferrara from Rescue Me.
This year, approximately 145 of the world¹s best short and feature-length independent films will be shown during this weeklong fest at the Bellmore Movies. The winners will be chosen by audience ballot. ³The Long Island International Film Expo continues to evolve as the premier regional showcase for new, innovative works of local and national independent filmmaker,² said Debra Markowitz, Director of Nassau County¹s Film Office, who is also executive director of the Long Island Film/TV Foundation, which presents the Long Island International Film Expo ³There are so many good films out there.²
Formats for screening during the festival include 35 mm, Beta SP, MiniDV, DV Ca, and VHS (NTSC). ³We have top of the line projection equipment, so our video screenings have the highest screening quality,² Markowitz noted.
Back by demand is the Filmmakers Breakfast: ³The Good, the Bad and the Horror stories of Making Independent Films,² featuring several participating filmmakers and moderated by Mitchell Bard of OK12 Films. Mitchell will also host the ³Distribution of Independent Films² panel.
Writers Book Camp features a panel on ³How to Fully Develop Your Script,² and entertainment attorney Marc Jacobson from Greenberg Traurig offers a panel discussion on the ³Legalities of Music.²
Tickets can be purchased separately for each film block, on a day pass, or with a gold pass. ³The Gold Pass is the way to go to get into the entire festival experience, according to Markowitz. ³You can see as many film blocks as you like for $60. If a particular film block is crowded, Gold Pass members will be allowed in first. The Gold Pass will get you into every panel, the opening night party and a discount on the filmmakers¹ breakfast.²
A day pass has been added for $20. Individual film blocks are $6 (for senior citizens, students with appropriate ID and Filmmakers Connection Members) and $9 for general admission and advance tickets. Every ticket entitles you to the film block, an audience ballot and, if applicable, the Q & A session after the film block.
The winners of the Long Island International Film Expo will be honored at the star-studded Salute to Independent Filmmakers and Awards Ceremony Gala to be held on the last day of the festival, Thursday, July 19. Celebrities attending past galas have included Steve Guttenberg (Police Academy), Ralph Macchio (The Karate Kid), Steve Buscemi (The Sopranos), Cliff Robertson (PT109), Danny Aiello (Moonstruck), Billy Baldwin (Backdraft), Edie Falco (The Sopranos), Chuck Zito (Oz), Vinnie Vella (The Sopranos), model Carol Alt, and many others.
A sampling of the many films to be screened include:
Divergence
Divergence, written and directed by Patrick Donnelly, takes place in a seaside town on the Jersey shore in the midst of a cold and bitter winter. Tim Lawson (Jakob Hawkins) is a wounded and disillusioned soldier returning from Iraq to his hometown. We find Clare O¹Neil (Traci Ann Wolfe), whose life has been turned upside down by a fatal accident, hiding away in a secluded beach house on the road to self-destruction.
A fateful event brings Tim and Clare together. They are drawn to each other in a common bond of pain and loss. As their relationship becomes increasingly more passionate, they must make decisions that will have profound effects on the rest of their lives. The film is being screened on Saturday, July 14, at 4:30 p.m.
Heart of a Soul Surfer: The Bethany Hamilton Documentary
A teenager from an isolated island becomes a beacon of hope for a worldwide audience, in this short film by first time director/producer Becky Baumgartner. ³Heart of a Soul Surfer² is the story of Bethany Hamilton, the 13 year old at the cusp of successful surfing career, who lost her arm to a 14 foot tiger shark in October 2003. The attack didn¹t cause this determined young woman to give up. Instead, it compelled her to discover her purpose in life as she overcame her tragedy and got back on the surfboard just weeks later. It is shown Sunday, July 15, at 11:30 a.m.
Play It By Ear
Julia Starr (Jennifer Mudge) is a young advertising associate in present-day New York City, in this film written and directed by Lauren Flick. Julia longs for the romance of a by-gone era depicted in the movies and the music of the 20s and 30s. During a rainstorm one day, Julia thinks she has met the man of her dreams. But Julia¹s modern day Cary Grant (Chris Henry Coffey) soon turns out not to be who she thinks. Julia then becomes convinced that his brother (Josh Stamberg) is her true destiny and is determined to meet him. A romantic triangle ensues, and with the help of her older neighbor Ruth (Rita Moreno) and her wisecracking friend MaryAnn (Michelle Hurd), Julia must be decide fast who the man of her dreams really is. This film is shown on Monday, July 16, at
4:30 p.m.
L.I. International Film Expo
July 11-19. Bellmore Movies, 222 Pettit Ave., Bellmore. For information regarding the Long Island International Film Expo, the Salute to Independent Filmmakers and Awards Ceremony Gala, the Filmmakers Connection meetings or the Long Island Film/ TV Foundation, call (516) 572-0012. Schedules are available at www.LongIslandFilm.com.
