Bringing the World of Film to Long Beach and Rockville Centre, New York
Drone shot of "Taste | Shorts on the Beach" event | August 7th 2015
Long Beach, NY (September, 2015) | The Long Beach International Film Festival (LBIFF) will be celebrating its 4th Anniversary as they bring a fresh line up of exciting films from around the world to Long Island. Taking place September 24-27th primarily in the City of Long Beach, NY the event will once again branch off into Rockville Centre as well. There are also three new screening venues to expand its film programming - along with filmmaker’s lounges and after parties at local restaurants and hotels.
Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano stated, “The Long Beach International Film Festival continues to provide an opportunity for filmmakers to come and see the types of filming locations Nassau County has to offer. Whether it’s our beaches, mansions, suburban areas and, of course, Gold Coast Studios and Grumman Studios, Nassau County is becoming the Hollywood East of the film and television production industry.”
Over 4,000 festival goers came out to support the festival’s “Taste on the Beach” and “Shorts on the Beach” August 7th, that offered a preview of films and cuisine that September’s event will bring. LBIFF is ramping up for its premiere events, films, industry panels, red carpets, and parties September 24th-27th!
"I am honored to be a part of this film festival and very proud to host parts of it in my Village of Rockville Centre. Special thanks to Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano, and Co-founders of the Festival Craig Weintraub and Ingrid Dodd for this spectacular film festival. Glad to be there with my partner in government Assemblyman Brian Curran, who represents our Village of Rockville Centre as part of the 21st Assembly District ", said Mayor of the Incorporated Village of Rockville Centre Mayor Francis X. Murray.
The festival will include screenings of films in the Long Beach Cinema 3 and 4 and at the Madison Theatre at Molloy College. Organizers are also building a movie theatre inside the Long Beach Hotel with seating for up to 200 festival-goers. Additionally, the LBIFF Filmmakers Lounges will offer food and beverage from sponsors and local restaurants - a place where festival pass holders can mingle with industry professionals.
"We feel the official selections of 2015 are a representation of how film artists and our community can come together and experience the magic of how movies change the way we see the world", began Ingrid Dodd, festival co-founder. "It’s not just about the red carpet glamour and glitz, we want to embrace everyone, and let people know there is something here for everyone, and for all of us to share in the experience whether it’s all four days or just one movie".
LBIFF Co-founder Craig Weintraub continued, "We’re proud of the wide spectrum of films we have from animation and comedy, action sports and romance, award-winning foreign shorts and studio sneak previews while also creating a dialogue around important issues in our films such as breast cancer, the environment and mental health".
Movie lovers can attend all four full days with pass purchases or single screenings - with an enormous roster of over 80 films, including feature-length narrative, documentary, short and animated movies from around the world. These films will be competing for a series of Audience Awards, Jury, and Festival Honors.
"The Long Beach International Film Festival has become an incredible Long Beach summer staple," said Long Beach City Councilman Anthony Eramo. "Ingrid and Craig do an amazing job putting it all together, and it just gets better every year”.
The winner of Best Feature Film will receive one complementary studio day at Grumman Studios in Bethpage, NY along with the services of a colorist from Technicolor to assist in any future projects.
Opening Night at Madison Theatre at Molloy College features “Lamotta: The Bronx Bull” a feature film from Director Martin Guigui starring William Forsythe, Paul Sorvino, Joe Mantegna and Tom Sizemore exploring the tumultuous life of boxer Jake LaMotta. There will be sports figures in attendance from the boxing community such as Chris Algieri, Seanie Monahan and Burt Young. Thursday Sept 24, 7:30pm, Madison Theater at Molloy College, Rockville Centre NY
"Madison Theatre at Molloy College’s partnership with Ingrid Dodd and Craig Weintraub of LBIFF continues to flourish with this years film festival. With new exciting films selections and expanded film showings beyond the Madison Theatre and Long Beach, we continue to look for ways to connect our Nassau County neighbors to create an exciting event for Long Island and the greater New York area" remarked Angelo Fraboni, Artistic Director of Madison Theatre at Molloy College.
One of this years can’t-miss exclusive film and music events will take place Saturday, September 26th as world-renowned hip-hop artist and political activist Talib Kweli will be on hand for a concert film screening and Q&A in The Madison Theatre at Molloy College at 10pm. This year the festival has added a new category, the "Joan Jett Music Film Series" in honor of longtime supporter Joan Jett's involvement in the Festival and as an homage to her induction into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame earlier this year. Other films in the Joan Jett Music Film Series include “All in Time”, “Landfill Harmonic” and “Lee’s 88 Keys”– a feature documentary that shares the story of 2015 Jazz Hero Award Winner, composer and pianist Lee Shaw. Shaw lived a diverse, accomplished, and charmed life but struggled with being a woman in a male dominated field throughout her career.
Talib Kweli Concert film plays Saturday Sept 26, 10:00pm, Madison Theater at Molloy College, Rockville Centre NY
All in Time plays Saturday Sept 26, 6:00pm, Long Beach Cinema 3, Long Beach NY
Landfill Harmonic plays Friday Sept 25, 4:00pm, Madison Theater at Molloy College, Rockville Centre NY
Lee's 88 Keys plays Sunday Sept 27, 3:15pm, Long Beach Hotel, Long Beach NY
“The Long Beach Hotel is thrilled to be a part of such an exciting event! The past few years have brought movie lovers to our little beach town, and we can't wait to see the enthusiasm first hand.”said Jackie Salorio, Sales and Events Manager at Long Beach Hotel.
Other acclaimed titles in this year’s competition include “Till We Meet Again”, a NY based Dramatic Adventure Film by Director Bank Tangjaitrong starring John Matton and Linnea Larsdotter, that follows a couple from Thailand to their past in NY; Audience Winner of SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST “Landfill Harmonic”, from Directors Graham Townsley and Brad Allgood which follows the amazing journey of a garbage picker, a music teacher and a group of children who create the most unlikely orchestra out of trash. The documentary (Featured on 60 Minutes) screens along with environmental films “Just Eat It” & “The Burden”.
Till We Meet Again plays Friday Sept 25, 7:30pm, Madison Theater at Molloy College, Rockville Centre NY
Landfill Harmonic plays Friday Sept 25, 4:00pm, Madison Theater at Molloy College, Rockville Centre NY,
Just Eat It plays Friday Sept 25, 9:00pm, Long Beach Cinema 4, Long Beach NY,
The Burden plays Friday Sept 25, 7:30pm, Long Beach Cinema 3, Long Beach NY
For all festival-goers who enjoyed Taste on the Beach, “For Grace” is a must see, as the festival's centerpiece foodie film! Saturday Sept 26, 3:30pm, Madison Theater at Molloy College, Rockville Centre NY
Foreign Films in the festival include “10% My Child” from Israel,“The Windmill” from South Africa, and “To Life” from France. The festival has films from over 20 different countries.
10% My Child plays Friday Sept 25, 4:30pm, Long Beach Hotel, Long Beach NY,
The Windmill plays Saturday Sept 26, 9:00pm, Long Beach Cinema 4, Long Beach NY,
To Life plays Sunday Sept 27, 2:45pm, Long Beach Cinema 4, Long Beach NY
LBIFF15 is also thrilled to have Oscar Winner Alex Gibney’s latest documentary "Steve Jobs: The Man In The Machine". Saturday Sept 26, 7:00pm, Madison Theater at Molloy College, Rockville Centre NY
With five strong short programs including local filmmakers with “The Last Taxi Driver” a short filmed in Nassau County and Directed by Debra Markowitz starring “Blue Bloods” Robert Clohessy (who is expected to appear) and Emily Jackson, the film is about a disgruntled taxi driver who refuses to give up his chosen career, even when most of the inhabitants left are zombies.
The Last Taxi Driver plays Long Beach Hotel 9-25 8pm
The Long Island premiere of “Chasing Yesterday”, a Narrative Feature that includes LBIFF Gala Awards host Steve Schirripa, is about a washed up twenty-something year old--once the hometown hero and track star -- who is convinced by a local sweetheart to run a marathon and get his life back on track. Chasing Yesterday plays Friday Sept 25, 12:30pm, Long Beach Hotel, Long Beach NY, LBIFF Gala Awards hosted by Steve Shirippa is Sunday September 27th, 5pm, Madison Theater at Molloy College, Rockville Centre NY
“Worthy” is a Hysterical comedy about a quirky actress who is determined to make it in Hollywood, but her biggest obstacle is herself. Sunday Sept 27, 12:45pm, Long Beach Hotel, Long Beach NY
“HappyGram” is a documentary from Director Julie Marron exploring the Medical Profession holding back information on patients who obtain screening mammograms for early detection of Cancer, and “No Letting Go”, a feature film by director Jonathan Baccari starring Noah Fleiss and Kathy Najimy takes you on a journey dealing with a young child’s Schizophrenia. Happygram plays Sunday Sept 27, 10:00am, Long Beach Hotel, Long Beach NY, No Letting Go plays Sunday Sept 27, 12:15pm, Madison Theater at Molloy College, Rockville Centre NY
LBIFF also wouldn’t be complete without an Action Sports/Surfing Block! In addition, Body Glove Entertainment will screen “Live From The Moon” which is the East Coast Premiere and also won“Best Barrel” from Surfer Magazine, preceded by the short“Pipeline and Kelly Slater" Also screening in this block will be “Strange Rumblings In Shangra-la”, another surfing documentary with high performance surfing and stunning cinematography, which won “Movie of the Year” with Surfer Poll. Live from the Moon plays Saturday Sept 26, 12:30pm, Long Beach Hotel, Long Beach NY, Pipeline and Kelly Slater playsSaturday Sept 26, 12:00pm, Long Beach Hotel, Long Beach NY, Strange Rumblings in Shangri La plays Saturday Sept 26, 10:00am, Long Beach Hotel, Long Beach NY
The festival is proud to have many New York based films such as "Joe’s War", "Chasing Yesterday", "Elsewhere, NY", "The Bronx Bull", and "Shelter" In addition to the usual festivities, this year the “New York Loves Film Roundtable” will allow attendees to meet the team from the NY State Governor's Office for Motion Picture and Television Development for a round table discussion of all things production; from producing in NY, to State-tax credits, location scouting, finding stages and crew, and more!
Full Schedule of Events at: www.longbeachfilm.com/film
The Long Beach International Film Festival is very proud to have sponsors who believe in the arts and are supporting film including Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano, the City of Long Beach, Madison Theater, Molloy College, Long Beach Cinema 4, Garden City Hotel, Long Beach Hotel, Allegria Hotel, Porsche of South Shore, Infinti of Lynbrook, News 12, PIX11, JetBlue, Stella Artois, Red Door Spa, Carlyle Off the Green, Bola Market, Verizon Fios, Bowen Media, Nassau Community College Foundation, NYIT, Kravitz Jewelers, Skudin Surf, All Music Inc, Long Island Herald, Newsday, Anton Media Group, Good Times Magazine, Beach Comfort and so many others.
With Long Beach and Rockville Centre boasting one of the largest movie consumer groups in the world with a rich film making history right here on Long Island, thousands of visitors are drawn to the city's spectacular coastline, fine dining, shopping, and endless recreational activities every year. And with the two communities gearing up for the latest and greatest hand picked independent and studio films from around the world at this years Long Beach International Film Festival September 24th-27th, you won’t want to miss the fun, films, celebrities and awards!
For More Information, Visit: http://www.longbeachfilm.com/
Screening Venues:
Madison Theatre Molloy College: 1000 Hempstead Ave RVC NY
Long Beach Hotel: 405 East Broadway Long Beach NY
Long Beach Cinema 4: 179 East Park Ave, Long Beach NY
Plan Your Stay at The Allegria Hotel, The Garden City Hotel or the Long Beach Hotel! Discount rates available for film festival-goers:
http://www.longbeachfilm.com/hotels/
Become A Housing Host:
Open Your House or Apartment to Guests From Around the World and Enjoy the Festival for FREE!
http://www.longbeachfilm.com/housing-host/
Become A Volunteer:
Seeking Volunteers Who Share A Commitment to the Art of Filmmaking and Film!
http://www.longbeachfilm.com/volunteer/
More About the Long Beach International Film Festival:
The Long Beach International Film Festival celebrates the art of storytelling through cinema. Presenting shorts, fiction and documentary formats, the festival is committed to exhibiting films that convey a fresh voice and differing perspectives. With past celebrity attendance including such big names as actors Burt Young, Scott Franklin, Daniel Baldwin, and Richard Pryor Jr.; Musicians Joan Jett and Dee Snider; comedian Joey Kola, and UFC fighter Chris Weidman! The goal of these programs is to captivate, engage and enlighten audiences, provide invaluable exposure for filmmakers and present inspired entertainment. www.longbeachfilm.com