JERSEY CITY INTERNATIONAL TELEVISION & FILM FESTIVAL –OPENING NIGHT FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17th, 2014

JCTFJersey City, NJ-  On October 17, the Jersey City International Television and Film Festival will celebrate its Opening Night at Parlay Studios in Jersey City with a Red Carpet Reception from 6:00-7:00 pm, with Mayor Steven Fulop in attendance, as well as Jersey City and Hudson County dignitaries, filmmakers and fans of the cinema. Immediately following the reception, the evening’s screening will begin at 7:00 pm. The screenings for the Opening Night event are – Birdwatching in Jersey City, a beautiful documentary by the acclaimed filmmaker John Dunstan, a Jersey City resident. The second film is Opening Eyes through Opera about a local singer, Giselle Bellas who wants to reach young people through the joys of opera and the touching short film, Dollar Night, by Marco Antonio Martinez, which gives audiences a look at the hardships faced by old-time projection theaters being replaced by digital.

Saturday, October 18 is a full day of screenings at 2 locations – WFMU’s Monty Hall, 43 Montgomery Street and the Caroline L. Guarini Theatre, Jersey City Museum (building operated by JCMC-Barnabas Health) at 430 Montgomery Street – beginning at noon at both locations. Also on Saturday, very special screening of Gen Silent will be shown at the Caroline L. Guarini Theatre at 8:00 pm. This documentary explores the older LGBT community, who fought the first battles for equality, and who are now facing discrimination, bullying and abuse. This is a critically acclaimed film from director Stu Maddux, and is the winner of the Frameline San Francisco LGBT Film Festival Best Documentary Audience Choice Award.  

 Also showing at the festival will be, Mala Mala, the electrifying new documentary about an LGBT and drag community of performers in Puerto Rico which is showcased in this roundtable conversation with performers and filmmakers, Dan Sickles and Antonio Santini. Also Not Anymore: A Story of Revolution, a short documentary about why the Syrian people are fighting for their freedom, as told through the emotional words of two powerful characters whose lives have been turned upside down and torn apart by war. And The Last American Guido – In the 90’s, Tommy ruled the Jersey club scene. His style, moves, and sheer confidence were unprecedented. Nowadays, Tommy runs an Italian Deli. His hairline has receded, his fashion has faded. When he discovers his fiancée, Stefi had an affair, he’s forced back into a world that has passed him by.

Sunday, October 19 screenings begin at the Caroline L. Guarini Theatre, Jersey City Museum, Montgomery Street from 1:00 – 5:30 pm. Student category entries include several from local Jersey City film students from NJCU as well as others from around the world.

Screenings on Friday and Saturday evenings will followed by an after party at the Liberty Prime Steakhouse on Montgomery Street, where you can meet the filmmakers, the JCITFF team, film industry experts and like-minded film afficiandos. Please visit the website at www.jcitff.org  for more information.  Also visit:  http://jcitff.brownpapertickets.com  to purchase tickets for all three days.