Tag Archives: Sam Borowski

NORTHEAST FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES THEIR 2014 FESTIVAL SCHEDULE AND LIST OF NOMINEES

By River View Observer Staff Writer

ANEFFPressConferenceSamCreatureFeatureLacyBlueTop
PHOTO CAPTION: L to R – Filmmaker Christopher Lind, Festival Assistant Director Scott Churchson , Best Director of a Feature Nominee Malindi, Fickle, Best Actress in a Feature Nominee Lacy Marie Meyer, Festival Director Larry Rosen and Award-Winning Director/Producer Sam Borowski gather at the Teaneck Cinemas for the 2014 NEFF Press Conference.
The Northeast Film Festival recently held a press conference announcing its 2014 slate of films and festival nominees at their new venue, the beautifully-restored Teaneck Cinemas on Cedar Lane in Teaneck, New Jersey. This year’s inception of this rising festival (held in Maplewood, New Jersey last year), includes a slate of films featuring several Oscar-Winners and Oscar-Nominees.

Seems like Festival Director Larry Rosen is trying to bring a little Tribeca to the Garden State.

“We have a lot of dramatic films,” said Rosen. “We also try to find films that have mass appeal, and are not so obscure. We have a number of horror films this year. We also have one of the best lineups of independent films on the circuit.” Continue reading NORTHEAST FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES THEIR 2014 FESTIVAL SCHEDULE AND LIST OF NOMINEES

NORTHEAST FILM FESTIVAL DEBUTS – SEVERAL LOCALS MAKE BIG SPLASH

By Tony Sanders
sams photo for story for sept 26 rvo 2013From left, Filmmaker Amanda Bedula, Best Actor in a Short winner Bill Sorvino, Best Director/Best Short Winner Sam Borowski, Best Actress in a Short Nominee Samantha Tuffarelli, Filmmaker Michael Ringston, Best Actress in a Short Winner Maria Rusolo and Best Actress in a Short Nominee Wanda O’ Connell strike a group pose on the Red Carpet at the Northeast Film Festival.
The Northeast Film Festival recently wrapped its inaugural edition, with several locals making a big splash at the Awards Gala on September 15th. One of those locals Sam Borowski, whose movie “Maniac,” was previewed in the Observer last month, took home the top honors for Best Director of a Short and Best Short for the aforementioned film. His actor Bill Sorvino, a Jersey City native, also took home Best Actor in a Short honors.
“This was an amazing festival,” Borowski said afterward. “There were not only many great films competing, but Oscar-Winners, Oscar-Nominees and multiple Award-Winners in many of the categories. Festival Director Larry Rosen did such a wonderful job of putting this together.”
The festival, run by Teaneck’s Larry Rosen and Jersey City’s Tamara Thelander was held over three days at the Maplewood Theater in Maplewood, New Jersey. Continue reading NORTHEAST FILM FESTIVAL DEBUTS – SEVERAL LOCALS MAKE BIG SPLASH

OSCAR SHOT! Sam Borowski’s New Film MANIAC Premiers at Rhode Island Film Fest for a Shot at an Oscar Nod

By Sally Deering

Maniac_Poster_HDFIXboxdavid (2) The 17th Flickers Rhode Island International Film Festival (RIFF) takes place Tues, Aug 6 and runs through Sun, Aug. 12, and one of the short films on the festival’s schedule is MANIAC directed by Sam Borowski and starring Bill Sorvino of Jersey City. Borowski, whose films have competed at the Golden Door International Film Festival in Jersey City – which is produced by Sorvino – will premiere MANIAC at RIFF for the chance to be an Oscar contender in the Best Short Film category.

MANIAC makes its world premiere on Sunday, the closing night of the festival.  In the short film, Sorvino plays ‘The Man’ a good guy who does bad things for good reasons.

“It’s about a man who turns to vigilantism after being pushed over the edge,” Borowski says. “Something happens that makes him turn. It’s like violent philanthropy. He’s trying to rid the world of bad people. It’s a socially relevant film. The last few years have been a sort of Depression. If you look at the social and economic climate of the country, somebody who’s not right is affected even more by the fact that things are really tough out there.

“The character of ‘The Man’ played by Sorvino believes in doing what’s right but he breaks the law,” Borowski continues. “We’re trying to look at what pushes people over the edge. It will get people talking on both sides. That’s why I know it’s relevant. It’s very shades of gray; not all bad, but not all good.”

MANIAC was written by Nihad Shalabi, an Intern at Borowski’s The Naoj Company. Shalabi came to Borowski with a story he wrote, Borowski says he liked it, did a rewrite and put it on his immediate ‘to do’ list.

Continue reading OSCAR SHOT! Sam Borowski’s New Film MANIAC Premiers at Rhode Island Film Fest for a Shot at an Oscar Nod

Golden Door Does Its Best Film Festival’s ‘Best of’ to be Screened at Art House Productions in Jersey City

      

 

By Sally Deering

 

Bill Sorvino Executive Director of the  GDIFF
Bill Sorvino Executive Director of the
GDIFF

 In October 2012, the second annual Golden Door International Film Festival of Jersey City lit up screens at the Landmark Loew’s Jersey Theatre and other venues where films from all over the world premiered and winners chosen. On Sat, March 16th, the festival’s Executive Director Bill Sorvino presents “The Best of the Fest” where three films from the Golden Door International Film Festival will have encore screenings at Art House Productions in Jersey City.

 

Maybe Tomorrow, a film by Michael Wolfe

The feature film to be shown is “Maybe Tomorrow” directed by Michael Wolfe and starring Wolfe, Dominik Tiefenthaler and Paul Lange. At the Golden Door, the film won Best Picture, Best Lead Actor, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor and Best Screenplay. The film centers on the friendship between three men and the test their friendship endures when they become involved in a crime that ultimately changes their lives forever.

  

 

 

 

PollinationNext on the bill is “Pollination*”  a short film about the special life of plants by filmmaker Sam Borowski and starring Federico Castelluccio (of “The Sopranos”) and Chris Kattan. 

 

 

 

My Time with the English Tourist, a film by John Dunstan of Jersey City
My Time with the English Tourist, a film by John Dunstan of Jersey City

Rounding out the evening is “My Time with the English Tourist,” a short documentary by Jersey City resident John Dunstan that won the Audience Choice award. The film short is a 13-minute valentine to Jersey City’s Liberty State Park and the wildlife that resides there as seen through Dunstan’s camera lens during walks with his English bulldog Tommy.

 “These three films were chosen across the spectrum,” Sorvino says. “The feature film, ‘Maybe Tomorrow’ is a powerhouse movie starring Michael Wolfe.  John’s film is a short documentary about the walks he took with his dog and the beautiful wildlife in Liberty State Park. It’s a great film. And Sam’s film ‘Pollination*’ packs a 7-minute wallop.’ Continue reading Golden Door Does Its Best Film Festival’s ‘Best of’ to be Screened at Art House Productions in Jersey City

STARRY, STARRY NIGHT-Filmmakers to Shine at the Golden Door Int’l Film Festival in Jersey City

By Sally Deering                                                             GDIF Award photo by Steveamack.com

October brings chills and thrills and skies so bright you can see the stars and the nights will be especially starry when the Golden Door International Film Festival rolls out the red carpet at the Loew’s Jersey City movie palace for four fabulous days of films.

 The film festival kicks off Thurs, Oct. 11th where stars, writers, directors and cinephiles will gather in the Loew’s art deco lobby for drinks and schmoozing and then take their seats in the beautifully restored theater to watch two new films, Pollination* starring Federico Castelluccio (The Sopranos); and Just Crazy Enough featuring Saturday Night Live alum Chris Kattan.  The following three days will be jam packed with screenings of features, documentaries and shorts and a closing night awards ceremony on Sun, Oct. 14th.                

 

 Founder Bill Sorvino brings the film festival back to Jersey City for a second year and the response he’s received since last year’s event has been huge, he says. This time around, Sorvino has added ore films to the marquee for a four-day smorgasbord of features, documentaries and shorts from Hollywood to Bollywood.

 “Last year’s festival was very successful,” Sorvino says. “We had great feedback and I want to build on what we did last year. So this year the amount of fantastic films we have is over the top – one great film after another.” 

 

Continue reading STARRY, STARRY NIGHT-Filmmakers to Shine at the Golden Door Int’l Film Festival in Jersey City

Golden Door International Film Festival-And the Winners are…


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All photos by Steveamack.com                                   

By River View Observer Staff

On Sunday evening October 16th at the grand finale of the four day Golden Door International Film Festival held at the Loew’s Theater and other venues within Jersey City from October 13th to October 16th, 2011 the winners were announced at the Loew’s theater for the people and films nominated for this first ever Jersey City  film festival.

In attendance was actor Paul Sorvino, uncle to Bill Sorvino Executive Director of the GDIFF,  also in the audience, Jersey City resident and Film Director Leon Gast; Oscar winner for “When We Were Kings,” the 1997 Academy Award-  nominated documentary about Muhammad Ali,  both Sorvino and Gast were awarded Lifetime Achievement Awards by the GDIFF  at Sunday nights finale gala.

Talented actor and painter Federico Castelluccio attended (Acting credits include:The Sopranos, Made, and other films) Castelluccio  won for Best Director and Male Actor of a Short for “Lilly of the Feast”.

Earlier in the day the film “Proud” was shown the true story about the men of the USS Mason which focused on the meritorious service of the USS Mason (DE-529) of World War II, the first US Navy ship with a predominantly African American crew, and how three of the men were finally honored in January 1994 for their meritorious service.                             See more photos and winners Continue reading Golden Door International Film Festival-And the Winners are…

Opening Night Photos of The Golden Door Film Festival Oct. 13th, 2011

 

Bill Sorvino, Paul Sorvino and Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy

The Golden Door International Film Festival Opening Night at the Loew’s Theater in Jersey City.

See who was there…

Bill Sorvino and his uncle actor Paul Sorvino

 

Real Estate Developer Joe Pantepinto and friends
Paul Sorvino and "Night Club" Director Sam Borowski
Paul Sorvino, Joe Calamito and Director of "Group Harmony" documentary Abe Santiago
Diane Brennan and her Director husband Keith Rennar

 

 

Paul Sorvino and friends at the Golden Door International Film Festival Opening