The 8th annual 2015 Atlantic City Cinefest will present four days of feature, short and documentary films, Oct. 15 to 18. The film festival will serve up a mix of comedy, drama, horror and science fiction, narrative and documentary.
New Jersey-based author, Irv Slifkin, writer of Filmadelphia, hosts a guided video tour of film history in the Philadelphia and New Jersey regions Saturday, Oct. 17 at Dante Hall Theater, one of two venues lined up in the Atlantic City Arts District along Mississippi Avenue. The other is the Noyes Arts Garage.
Shot in New Jersey. “A Rising Tide” will open the festival Friday evening, Oct. 16. A young Atlantic City restauranteur is forced to quickly mature following the devastating aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. An inspirational story of redemption, the film stars Hunter Parrish, TimDaly and Ashley Hinshaw.
The New Jersey premiere of “Hitchcock/Truffaut” plays Saturday afternoon, Oct. 17. Filmmakers discuss how Francois Truffaut’s 1966 book “Cinema According to Hitchcock” influenced their work. Features interviews with Wes Anderson, MartinScorsese, Paul Schrader, David Fincher and many more.
““Hitchcock/Truffaut” just played the Toronto International Film Festival,” said festival founder and president, William Sokolic.
Dante Hall will also host a midnight screening of “Bloody Knuckles,” in which a comic book writer and his reanimated severed hand seek revenge against Chinese gangsters in this Canadian horror/comedy.
A pre-festival screening of the documentary “Farewell to Factory Towns?” on Thursday, Oct. 15 talks about a New England mill town that pinned its hopes for a turnaround on a museum of modern art developed in a former factory. The turnaround didn’t last. A panel discussion follows comparing this scenario with the recent fate of Atlantic City.
New Jersey filmmakers include Galloway’s Tony Picciotti whose latest, “Illusionism” is about an art student who moves from campus to a private home for quiet, but finds horror instead. Atlantic City filmmaker, Keith Vaile, returns with the feature length, “Black Wraith” and two shorts, “Betrayal” and “Slave Master: The Beginning.” Atlantic City’sPat Kazanjian directs “Breaktime,” a short with a cast of special needs individuals.
In “After Tragedy,” director Mark VanZevenBergen revisits the horrific case of Leslie Nelson, who killed two police officers in Haddon Heights 20 years ago.
North Jersey filmmakers Keith Collins and Joseph Pepitone bring the world premiere of “Clean Cut.” After witnessing a murder at a young age, Bill Horton stalks the streets for evildoers under the murderous guise of The Evangelist. New Jersey-shot drama, “Before the Snow,” focuses on a man who struggles to come to grips with his tattered past after being diagnosed with a terminal disease.
“This year’s A.C. Cinefest lineup is as diverse as any film festival could hope to be, from locally produced features focusing on NJ-related matters to critically-acclaimed documentaries to seasonal appropriate horror and sci-fi films. With tons of World Premieres, NJ Premieres, and special guests, this festival has a little something for all,” said program director, Eric Bresler.
For more details, visit atlanticcitycinefest.org. Tickets are $40 for a Weekend Pass; $25 for a day pass and $8 for a single block of films. Purchase them at the door or
The 8th annual Atlantic City Cinefest, presented by Downbeach Film Festival, will show movies at venues such as Dante Hall Theater and the Noyes Arts Garage, both managed by Stockton University. The festival celebrates the art form of independent moviemaking. The festival has hosted Kevin Smith, Terry Winter, Robert Downey, Sr., Scott Rosenfelt, William Forsythe, Dominique Swain and more during the first seven years.
