| The Gen Art Film Fest 2011 |
| Wednesday, 08 June 2011 08:38 |
 The 16th Anniversary of the Gen Art Film Festival kicks off on today in New York City at the historic Ziegfeld Theatre (141 West 54th Street). The Gen Art Film Festival (“GAFF”), with lead partners Disaronno and Brancott Estate Wines, has long established its reputation as one of New York’s most celebrated film festivals showcasing emerging talent. With a unique format, the Gen Art Film Festival premieres one feature film and one short film from promising filmmakers for seven consecutive nights, each followed by an after-party at a New York hotspot. The festival allows film lovers to experience a movie premiere like a true insider. All tickets provide admission to both the premiere and after-party with the cast and filmmakers, allowing for a fun and interactive experience between audiences, filmmakers and media. Opening the festival is Jonathan Sobol’s fast-paced comedy A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO ENDINGS, the story of a hard living gambling father who has doomed his three sons to a horrible fate, and when his sons find out they don’t have much time left, they decide to make up for a lifetime of misdeeds in one day. The film stars Scott Caan, J.K. Simmons, Tricia Helfer, Jason Jones, Paulo Costanzo and Harvey Keitel. Closing the festival is SALVATION BOULEVARD, a comic romp in the world of Christian fanaticism directed by George Ratliff, a two-time Gen Art alumnus. The film stars Jennifer Connelly, Marisa Tomei, Ed Harris, Pierce Brosnan and Greg Kinnear and will be released in theaters July 15th (and VOD July 27th) courtesy of IFC Films. The remainder of the slate includes: YELLING TO THE SKY, directed by Victoria Mahoney, starring Zoë Kravitz, Tim Blake Nelson and Gabourey Sidibe; NORMAN, directed by Jonathan Segal, starring Dan Byrd, Emily VanCamp, Richard Jenkins and Adam Goldberg; GOOLD’S GOLD, directed by Tucker Capps and Ryan Sevy, a documentary about a man seizing the opportunity global warming has opened to search for gold in Alaska; THE PILL, directed by J.C. Khoury, starring Noah Bean, Rachel Boston and Anna Chlumsky; and AMERICAN ANIMAL, directed by and starring Matt D’Elia, also starring Brendan Fletcher, Mircea Monroe and Angela Sarafyan. The run of the festival will take place at the Visual Arts Theatre (333 West 23rd Street). This year’s slate includes some of the finest films from the world’s most prestigious film festivals, including the Berlin International, Toronto International, SXSW, AFI, and Sundance Film Festivals. Gen Art has a successful track record for highlighting the next generation of directorial talent. GAFF alumni include director Gavin Wiesen (for Kill The Day in 2008), who helms Fox Searchlight’s upcoming The Art of Getting By, starring Emma Roberts, Rita Wilson and Freddie Highmore; director Jesse Peretz (for The Chateau in 2001) whose next film is The Weinstein Company’s upcoming My Idiot Brother, starring Paul Rudd, Zooey Deschanel and Elizabeth Banks; director Drake Doremus (for The Shirt in 2006), who directed Like Crazy, which won the 2011 Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival and will be released by Paramount this fall; along with many others including Brad Anderson (The Machinist & Transiberrian), Brad Furman (The Lincoln Lawyer) and Cary Fukunaga (Sin Nombre & Jane Eyre). "Our artists, audience and partners have been anxiously awaiting Gen Art's return and we are thrilled to be back with this beloved event," says Gen Art Co-President Elizabeth Shaffer. "Following the film festival will be our Summer Screening & Premiere Series and our Fresh Faces in Fashion shows for which we will soon be accepting submissions." Individual tickets and full festival passes are available to the public. Individual tickets, which include an in-theater pre-reception (except opening night), the premiere and after-party access, cost $30. Opening night tickets are $35. Full Festival passes are $150, and provide express access to all seven film premieres (with reserved seating) and after-parties... All pre-receptions and after-parties have sponsored bars. For more information, tickets and schedule visit Gen Art’s website: www.genart.org or call 646-805-0245. Photo Caption: A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO ENDINGS |
