"Stockton
University has been a proud partner of the Atlantic City Cinefest, through
Dante Hall Theater, and the Noyes Arts Garage since 2012,” said Stephanie Clineman, Artistic
Programming/Theater Manager for Dante Hall. “For the past seven years, the two
locations have served as the main screening venues and centralized hub of event
activity, throughout the festival weekend.
“We're
excited to announce that this year, the partnership will include Stockton’s
newly constructed Atlantic City Campus. In addition to Dante Hall, we will be
screening films inside of the spacious and stylish, Fanny Lou Hamer Event Room, located in the Academic Center, and in a screening room in the beautiful Residence Complex, along the Boardwalk.”
The
first Ursula Ryan Lifesaver Award
will be presented during the Oct. 6 awards ceremony. Named after the late owner
of Weist-Barron-Ryan, the iconic
Pleasantville acting school and casting agency, the award recognizes lifetime
achievement.
Former
Lifesaver Award winner, Blanche Baker,
returns as writer and director of a musical, “Make America Safe,” a satire on the gun culture. Baker, a co-star
of “Sixteen Candles” as the loopy bride sister of Molly Ringwald’s character,
will also participate in the annual filmmakers panel Saturday Oct. 5 at Dante
Hall. The panel, which also
includes South Jersey filmmaker and animator, and festival trustee, Sebastian Foxworth, and trustee and
Weist-Barron-Ryan operator, Stefanie
Ryan, trustee Jack Skyyler,
filmmakers Mark Clauburg and Keith Vaile. Trustee Ned Eckhardt, a retired Rowan professor, will again emcee.
“As a filmmaker I learned a lot from
the excellent panel discussions at Cinefest. The intimate setting of the
festival encourages interaction with audience, filmmakers and actors. It is a
well run festival with an interesting selection of films across genres. I love
it!” Baker said.
Her short answers the
question: what if guns were not just a right but a requirement? “What if the
motto ‘If everyone is armed there will be no more crime’ became the law of the
land? `Make America Safe’ takes a sardonic look at this possible future where
rights trump reason,” she said.
As in past years, the
Cinefest will present a mix of films, including comedies, dramas and animation,
along with documentaries. The lineup includes a lot of annual returning
filmmakers: locals like Anthony
Picciotti, Vaile and Phil Barnett,
North Jersey filmmakers: Clauburg and Larry
Rosen, and trustees Skyyler and Foxworth.
For
the first time, we will feature blocks of films from students at two high schools
around
the state: Northern Burlington Regional
and Middletown North.
"We're
really excited to showcase our students work from Northern Burlington and to be
a part of the AC Cinefest for the first time," said video production
teacher James Dowd.
Christopher Cullen, TV
film production teacher at Middletown, says this is a great opportunity for
students.
“Not
only do they have the chance to meet others with their same interest and
artistic abilities, but have the chance to network with filmmakers who have
been in the industry and get to experience all aspects of a film festival at an
early age,” Cullen said. “Being able to screen their work in front of the
public to show what they can do is the most rewarding for these students I think it is amazing that film festivals
give these young talented filmmakers a chance to express themselves and screen
their work."
Tickets
are priced at:
Single
block @ $5
Daily
Pass @ $25
All
Festival @ $40
Check
the Facebook page to see when the schedule goes up. www.facebook.com/accinefest/?ref=bookmarks
Video
promo by Anthony Picciotti: https://vimeo.com/352789866
