Connecticut | Film Festivals

First Annual Greenwich Film Festival

1 Sep , 2001  

Written by Alex Rapp | Posted by:

Greenwich, Connecticut is now the proud parent of a brand new film festival whose future is looking bright.

Speaking to him on the phone, John Carley doesn’t seem to realize how difficult it should be to run a film festival. Perhaps this is because the Greenwich, CT native, with self-admittedly little experience in movies, has founded what promises to be a truly enjoyable 4-day festival, right in his home town, and all with seemingly relative ease.

Of course it doesn’t hurt that Greenwich is a near perfect setting for such an event, complete with all your standard festival quaintness: nice stores and restaurants, multiple, centrally located screening locations, and a touch of New England charm. But perhaps the best resource John has drawn from is the plethora of industry players who have ties to the town.

"People know people," John pointed out. And "people who we’ve asked to help in a small way offered more than we asked." These include Glenn Close and Chazz Palminteri, who are doing things like presenting awards, and taking part on the jury.

And so the First Annual Greenwich Film Festival will take place September 5 – 8, 2001. As for why… Carley’s motivation for founding a film festival in his backyard is pretty straightforward. "There are a lot of good movies out there that people don’t get to see." He cites as an example the short film, "Warmth," by Michael Schaerer, a story about an unlikely couple’s coming together in strange circumstances. It’s been highly acclaimed by film critics worldwide but like most shorts, unknown to the general public.

Other highlights of the festival include three feature comedies: "Jack The Dog," by Bobby Roth, and starring Greenwich local, Nestor Carbonell of "Suddenly Susan," "Peroxide Passion," by Monty Diamond, and "Sumo Bruno," by Lenard Fritz Karwinkle (in German with subtitles). "We had no intention of showing a foreign film, but it’s hysterical," said Carley about this one.

Carley also had favorable words for "Falling Like This," by Dani Minnick, a drama which, he said, "literally fell on our doorstep."

But in addition to the features, documentaries, and shorts, there is a set of unique workshops the festival has planned. One of the more interesting, on Saturday, is a stunt workshop, where a group of Hollywood stuntmen will show film clips, give a demo, and then solicit audience participation. The braver audience members will take part in a finale of falling off a bridge. Other workshops cover a range of subjects from camcorder how-to, to low budget filmmaking tips.

Will there be a second annual Greenwich Film Festival? Carley insists you can count on it. "Community support has been exceptional… they’ve made it a pleasure for us, so we’d really love to do it again."

Complete information about the festival is at www.greenwichfilmfestival.org  This is a list of the features that will be shown:

  • "Falling Like This" – First-time director’s award-winning film; a raw, provocative drama that captures the moment when two people leave an indelible mark on each other’s lives.
  • "Ghetto Dawgs" – A young car thief, who wants out, is pulled deeper into a dark world of drug dealing, dog fighting and murder. Placed first at the Atlantic City Film Festival.
  • "Jack The Dog" – Adulterous comedy about a photographer’s adventures in truth and love. Premiered at Sundance, starring Greenwich local, Nestor Carbonell of "Suddenly Susan."
  • "On the Q.T." A violin student learns there’s more to New York than Julliard. Premiered at Sundance, starring James Earl Jones and Trudy Styler.
  • "Ordinary Sinners" – Follow a disenchanted seminary student’s struggle to find faith in a violent and profane world. This locally produced feature premiered at IFP.
  • "The Private Public" – Festival premier of a growing love triangle in the style of MTV’s "The Real World."
  • "Peroxide Passion" – Award-winning comedy about climbing up and down the social ladder.
  • "Revolution #9" – This psychological thriller examines the mental breakdown of Jackson, a young man living in New York City, who imagines himself the victim of an overwhelming sensory attack by corporate media.
  • "Sumo Bruno" – Award-winning British-style comedy about 420-pound Bruno, a German wrestler who sets out to become the Sumo World Champion.