ALL GOD'S CREATURES
Opening Night at the Hoboken International Film Festival
Photo by Eric Roffman
JUNE 3 � JUNE 9
The Hoboken International Film Festival began last night with large and friendly crowds and a fine film, and continues with an enormous number of films through Thursday, June 9, all screening at the Cedar Lane Cinema in Teaneck, NJ.
For the record, HIFF is an acronym used by several film festivals, notably:
HAWAII INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (they got the HIFF URL)
HAMPTONS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
HOBOKEN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
NORTH HUNTSVILLE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (CANADA)
The Hoboken International Film Festival is organized by Kenneth Del Vecchio, a filmmaker, actor, lawyer, writer, producer, self-described 400 pound bench-presser, former judge, and current politician � he's running for the NJ State Senate on the Republican line.
From the 4th to the 8th of June, there are two screens running feature or short film programs from about 2 PM until 8 or 10 PM: that�s about 40 film programs at the festival! (Films that Del Vecchio is involved with � in some combination of the roles of actor, director, writer, or producer -- make up about 10% of the programming.)
Opening Night had something of the flavor of a political event. A large fraction of the audience consisted of people who had worked on the Opening Night film, THE GREAT FIGHT, which was written and produced by Del Vecchio. Much of the rest of the audience consisted of filmmakers and actors in other films to be shown later in the festival. The large theater was packed. Before the film there was a food-and-drink party. There were several interviewers outside the theater speaking on camera with the filmmakers. People came early. After the screening, people stayed late.
One film that�s coming, which I can recommend, is WEST SIDE GIRL, made by Andrew Serban, screening with other short films on Tuesday, June 7 at 6:00. A devout Catholic up-and-coming female punk and lifelong resident of Manhattan's rapidly gentrifying Hell's Kitchen plots violent revenge against her landlord for evicting her in the middle of winter.
Roland Uruci, Shannon Lower (Patty Reilly), and Eric Kappenberg
In WEST SIDE GIRL Photo by Andrew Serban
In WEST SIDE GIRL
I play the landlord, and I can tell you that this punk is a scary tenant.
As Bertelsman, the landlord
Photo by Andrew Serban
The film was shot in natural low light, with brilliant cinematography. The acting by Shannon Lower and her low-life pals is terrific.
This short is a calling card for a feature length film: Andrew is just completing a script for a feature length film centered on the same character � and the same neighborhood.
Two other films that seem interesting, from conversations with the filmmakers on Opening Night, are ANYWHERE, TX, screening at 4:00 PM on Wed Jun 8 and ALL GOD�S CHILDREN, screening at 2:00 PM Saturday.
Producer: ANYWHERE, TX
Opening Night at the Hoboken International Film Festival
Photo by Eric Roffman
Teaser for ANYWHERE, TX:
Teaser for ALL GOD�S CHILDREN:
Trailer for THE GREAT FIGHT
LINKS
HOBOKEN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
THE GREAT FIGHT - IMDB
WEST SIDE GIRL IMDB
ANDREW SERBAN'S "WEST SIDE GIRL" (with ME!) - Story in tattoowesley
ANYWHERE, TX
ALL GOD'S CREATURES
