Editor

9th Annual Garden State Film Festival

Returns to Asbury Park, NJ  March 31-April 3, 2011

Honorees Include:

Honorary Chairperson, John Lloyd, President of Meridian Health Care

Spirit of NJ Clarence Clemons of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band

Beacon Award Lainie Kazan, Movie, TV, Music and Broadway Star

Lifetime Achievement Award-Steve Sabol, President of NFL Films

Plus-Ann Reinking acclaimed BroadwayStar and Choreographer &

Michael Uslan, Executive Producer of the Batman Movie Series

Ronnie Marmo, General Hospital

The Festival officially begins Friday April 1st with the traditional Gala Cocktail Party in the Arcade on the Boardwalk and guests immediately enter the historic Paramount Theater for the screening of "Expecting Mary" (A Very Mary Christmas), a sweet comedy that features an all star cast, including Lainie Kazan, Linda Gray, Cloris Leachman, Cybill Shepherd, Gene Simmons, Fred Willard and Della Reese.

The festival continues on Saturday and Sunday, beginning with a 9am casting call with Talent Manager Renate English, Seminars including;"How to get into SAG" "The Nfl Films Story" with Steve Sabol, "Stories from the Star" with Lainie Kazan, "Understanding Marfan's" with Ann Reinking and "Reel Women of Film" a historic perspective on the first woman director.  Simultaneously,150 films will be screened in 5 different Asbury Park locations and at the Axelrod Theater in neighboring Deal.  Some of these films include "Jackie Robinson- My Story", a critically acclaimed first person docu-drama by award winning film maker Marino Amoruso, West of Brooklyn" and "Limbo Lounge" from General Hospital's Ronnie Marmo, and "My First Guitar" a documentary love song to the instrument with appearances from Les Paul, Slash, Bill Wyman, Jeff Lynne, Peter Frampton and a huge cast of other musicians. The film comes via producer Nick Mead, who also brings us "Who Do I Think I Am" the Clarence Clemons bio on his spiritual journey throughout China, which screens on Saturday evening.

Tickets for the Festival are available on the website http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=cerpttdab&et=1104799086045&s=1788&e=001lYf5sVaMdi3DMz_BPXbJmqjOM7C8cGBU-qFJnOHBAD6iH40aeQ3Gw1WZT4B2MweBizJMiM2NUP6yTiLWJjiWwPifARf26fUiH2k1EVcjCqk=. 

Friday night gala cocktail party and film, $25, individual screening passes for a two hour block of films, $10 or an all access weekend pass, which includes the Friday night gala, just $50