Bar Majestic - River View Observer

Jersey City’s GOLDEN DOOR INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL Launched!

Tue, 04 Oct 2011 03:51:26 +0000

Â Actors Paul Sorvino, Federico Castelluccio, Director Leon Gast, Festival Director Bill Sorvino and others in attendance

Famed Actor Paul Sorvino and his nephew Bill Sorvino; Festival Director of the Golden Door International Film Festival, pictured at the Saturday, October 1st, Cocktail Launch Party.

The Golden Door Film Festival attracted hundreds of supporters Saturday night, October 1,to a Launch Party in the deluxe functions room at 70 Greene St.

Prominent among the attendees were actor Paul Sorvino and Federico Castelluccio, filmmaker. Both luminaries remained accessible for photos and chatted with guests during virtually the entire party. Mr. Sorvino also entertained with his operatic singing.

Actor Paul Sorvino, Maryanne Keleher; Jersey City Cultural Affairs Director, and Actor andÂ Artist; Federico Castellucio at Festival Launch Party

Clips from many of the 40 films in competition were shown the screening room throughout the evening, highlighting the much anticipated film festival. The guest were entertained throughout the evening by the jazz ensemble of Liz Williams and Gene Clemetson. Food for the party was catered by The Hamilton Inn and The Hudson Greene Market.

The film festival itself will begin with a Gala Opening at the Landmark Loew’s Theatre at Journal Square, on Thursday, Oct 13 at 6:00 pm. In addition to the Loews, films will be shown at venues around the city including The Art House, Bar Majestic, LITM, Studio II VIII.

On Saturday afternoon, Oct 15 from 12:00 – 5:00 pm, a seminar and screening, given by Leon Gast, recipient of the 1996 Academy Award for Documentary Feature and Jersey City native, will be conducted in the Mildred Hunke Auditorium at the Five Corners Library on Newark Avenue.

Additional seminars will be offered Saturday, October 15th from 12:30pm through 6:30pm in the Rotunda at City Hall on Grove Street, chaired by Mary Pat Kelly, author of “Martin Scorsese: The First Decade” and “Martin Scorsese: A Journey”. Seminar presenters also include John Trigonis, filmmaker, Slava Rubin, founder of IndieGoGo, John Dapolito, writer and director, and Sam Borowski, director.

A detailed schedule of events and a ticket ordering service are online

www.GoldenDoorFilmFestival.org

The post Jersey City’s GOLDEN DOOR INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL Launched! first appeared on River View Observer.

Golden Door International Film Festival Director Invites Filmmakers to Screen Their Dreams in Jersey City

Tue, 07 Jun 2011 16:05:25 +0000

Bill Sorvino – A Dream of a Film Festival

by Sally Deering

Â Ideas sometimes come to us in dreams and that’s exactly how Bill Sorvino conceived the Golden Door International Film Festival to be held in Jersey City in October. What started as images flickering in his sleeping mind will now be images flickering on the silver screen.

Â “I had a dream last year about having a film festival in Jersey City,” Sorvino says,” and it was like lightning in a bottle. Jersey City is close to my heart. I grew up here and my family has a 100-year history here. I want Jersey City to have something in its own right.”

Actor Paul Sorvino and nephew Bill Sorvino

Dreaming of a film festival is not much of a stretch for Sorvino. He’s a screenwriter and actor who studied at the William Esper Studios in New York City and has appeared in several indie films. He also hails from a theatrical family – his uncle is celebrated actor Paul Sorvino and he’s cousin to Academy Award winner Mira Sorvino – and throughout the years Bill Sorvino shared conversations with his Uncle Paul and cousin Mira about film, theater and acting held during family gatherings at the dinner table.Â Â

“My uncle had a farm in Pennsylvania and I would go and hang out and we would eat and talk,” Bill Sorvino says. “One weekend, Mira, my Uncle Paul and Mira’s husband were at his house down the shore and my uncle was holding an (impromptu) class on acting. We were sitting there mesmerized by his depth of knowledge.”

Â Not everyone who comes from Jersey City wants to come back and shine a light on the talent here. Usually star-struck wannabees head to Los Angeles and carve their niche there. But Sorvino’s different – his passion for Jersey City and the place where he grew up and his love for film and theater and his uncle Paul and cousin Mira are key factors to his dream.Â Sorvino and his Uncle Paul are very close – and it’s quite likely festival-goers in October will get a chance to see Paul Sorvino at the festival’s closing night gala at Loew’s Jersey City, the restored movie palace in Journal Square and one of the venues for the festival’s screenings.

The Golden Door International Film Festival will take Jersey City by storm from Oct 13^th through October 16^th – where four local venues will unroll the red carpet to film stars, celebrities and film-goers screening films by local and international filmmakers. It’s a juried competition with awards given out in ten categories including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor/Actress and Best Cinematographer. Still in the preliminary stages – the venues have been chosen and film submissions are pouring in and Sorvino, who grew up in downtown Jersey City and attended Hudson Catholic high school and St. Peter’s College, wants to encourage local filmmakers to submit their films. Comedies, dramas, documentaries, animations and short films are welcome as are student films.

Filmmakers can submit their films to the Golden Door International Film Festival by going to the website www.withoutabox.com an online submission system for film festival and screenplay competitions. Film Festival directors like Sorvino use the website to manage their festivals and for filmmakers it’s the go-to-place to enter the festival, upload their films and PayPal their entry fee. (Deadline for submissions to the Golden Door International Film Festival is July 1, 2011; entry fee is $50.)

“Everyone goes to withoutabox.com if you are going to put on a festival or submit to a festival,” Sorvino says. “They do the money transactions and post the checklist of submission requirements. It makes it easier to screen the films, too.”

Â Festival Highlights

The Golden Door International Film Festival will screen film submissions in Jersey City at the beautifully restored Loew’s Jersey City movie palace in Journal Square; Michael Anthony’s restaurant on the waterfront; LITM restaurant, a hip bistro on Newark Avenue; and Bar Majestic, a cozy gathering place across the street from City Hall on Grove Street.

“Another thing I’ve really come to love about planning the film festival is getting to meet the owners of these places,” Sorvino says. “These owners want to create a better sense of community and have an artistic insight.”

So far, Sorvino has received submissions from all over the globe including South Africa, India, Austria and England and several from local filmmakers. Although the roster of films that will be screened hasn’t been chosen yet (filmmakers will be notified Aug 1^st) several submissions have caught Sorvino’s eye including “Street Corner Harmony” a documentary by Abraham Santiago and Steven Dunham about Doo-Wop groups of the 1950s narrated by record producer Wayne Stierle; and “Night Club” a film by San Borowski starring Ernest Borgnine, Mickey Rooney, Lance Howard and Clint Howard (Ron Howard’s father and brother,) Sally Kellerman (‘Hot Lips’ in the film “M.A.S.H”) and Bill Sorvino’s uncle Paul Sorvino.

Members of Jersey City’s arts community are also joining in to support the festival. At the closing night gala at Loew’s Jersey City a panel of judges, including John Dapolito of Jersey City, who teaches acting and script analysis in New York, will give out awards. Members of the Golden Door International Film Festival’s Board of Advisors will also be on hand including Christine Goodman, Founder/Director of Art House Productions in Jersey City; Eileen Gaughan, administrative aide for the Hudson County Office of Cultural & Heritage Affairs; and Joseph Calamito, publisher of the Riverview Observer newspaper and website.

Â “I’m holding it in Jersey City, because for me, when I was growing up here downtown was terrible,” Sorvino says, “and in 2007, I came back and saw the changes. It’s amazing what can happen when there’s group effort, community pride and positive energy moving forward. You have a vibrant artist community in Jersey City, great bars and restaurants. It’s like a little Manhattan. I want to make movies here. I tell everybody I know in the business, we have to look at Jersey City as a location to make films.”

To Sorvino, Jersey City could easily become the new go-to destination for filmmakers on the East Coast. All it takes is a festival and a dream.

Submit your Film

Golden Door Film Festival

Film Submissions:Â Go to www.withoutabox.comÂ orÂ www.goldendoorfilmfestival.com

Deadline:Â July 1, 2011

Fee for Submission:Â $50

Notification: Â Filmmakers will be notified Aug 1, 2011 if their films have been accepted to the competition

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58 Jersey City Restaurants, Delis and Hotels â€”Plus a Hospital â€” Are Turning Grease into Green

Thu, 17 Feb 2011 15:46:24 +0000

Food-service businesses are earning $0.10 per gallon for used cooking oil, thanks to partnership between Jersey City Economic Development Corporation, Destination Jersey City and Grease Lightning

February 16, 2011, Jersey City, NJ -Jersey City Economic Development Corporation (EDC) CEO Steve Lipski announced today that the cooking oil recycling program launched late last month is off to a great start with 58 local, food-service enterprises now participating.

The program, a partnership between the Jersey City Economic Development Corporation, Destination Jersey City and Unity Fuels’ Grease Lightning, pays participating food-service organizations 10Â¢ per gallon for used cooking oil. The Jersey City Medical Center, Courtyard Marriott, Hyatt Regency Jersey City, Westin Jersey City, and more than 50 area restaurants have come on board with the program.

Â “This really is a win-win for participants and for our community. There are no costs to the food-service participants; in fact, they can make money. And, our community is assured that this waste is removed and recycled safely and legally, and that it is transformed into an eco-smart fuel,” Mr. Lipski said.

Â Grease Lightning, a Unity Fuels company, provides participants with free storage containers, collects the used cooking oil, and then processes it into the recycled vegetable oil (RVO) that is sent to local refineries for conversion into a clean, renewable diesel fuel substitute called biodiesel.

Â Destination Jersey City Director of Tourism Lauren Hall, who has been handling awareness building with Jersey City food-service establishments, said there has been a very favorable response to the program.

Â “Every one of the food-service establishments that learns about the program is very excited because if they sign up for it, they are saving money by not having to pay to have the used cooking oil removed from their premises, and they are actually making 10Â¢ for every gallon that’s removed,” Ms. Hall said.

Â Mr. Lipski said that all Jersey City restaurants, delis, school cafeterias, hotels and food manufacturers are invited to participate.

Â The contractual agreement and other information about the program may be obtained by visiting the Jersey City Economic Development Corporation website (www.jcedc.org) orÂ www.DestinationJerseyCity.com, or by phoning Grease Lightning/Unity Fuels at 973-531-7816 and visiting their websiteÂ www.yourwasteourfuel.com.

Â The following is a list of food-service organizations participating in the Grease Lightning Recycling Program:

Abbeys Pub

Bar Majestic

Barge Inn

Bistro La Source

Boca Grande

Box

BPRJ Deli & Grocery

Brownstone Diner

Buon Appetito

Cafe 95

Cafe Boca Grande

Cafe La Rustique

Canteen

China Spice

CJ’s Ecuadorian Restaurant

Courtyard Marriott

El Caribe

Esperantos

Europa Cafe

Future

Grand Banks Chinese

Grove St Deli – Bagels

Hamilton Inn

Helen’s Pizza

Honshu

Hudson Greene Market

Hyatt Regency Jersey City

Ibby’s Falafel

Iron Monkey

It’s Greek to Me

JC’s Cafe

Jersey City Medical Center

John’s Pizza

KMW

La Conguita Restaurant

LightHorse Tavern

Lisbon II

Los Tres Chilitos

Lucky 7 Tavern

Lucky Star

Â Maritime Parc

Monmouth Deli

Nanking

New Little Quaipo

Nicks Pizza

Nicoles Carribean Restaurant

Parkside Bistro

Prince of Pizza

Red Ribbon Bakery

Rue Viet

Satis Bistro

Soul Flavor

Sunflower Cafe

Taj Mahal

The Market at Newport

The Pointe

Tommy’s Family restaurant

Westin Jersey City

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The post 58 Jersey City Restaurants, Delis and Hotels â€”Plus a Hospital â€” Are Turning Grease into Green first appeared on River View Observer.

Octoberfest Held for 5th Year at Bar Majestic in Downtown Jersey City

Sun, 10 Oct 2010 01:07:04 +0000

Across from Jersey City’s City Hall a little Octoberfest Om-pa -pa got underway on Friday October 8th, when the trendy restaurant Bar Majestic held its 5th Annual Â Octoberfest Celebration.Â On hand for the festivities was master of ceremoniesÂ Real Estate Developer andÂ partner of Bar Majestic;Â Paul Silverman,Â a few members of the Jersey City Council,Â The Octoberfest Girls and many people enjoying theÂ wonderful food, music,Â Â beer and other libations.

The OctoberFest Girls smile in front of a vintage Jersey City Fire Engine Parked in Front of Jersey City's City Hall on Grove Street

Our River View Observer photographer Newsboi was there and snapped these photo’s…

On Hand for the festivities Council persons Mike Saldano, Willie Flood,Â Pete Brennan and Bill Gaughran.

Â Â

Real Estate Developer Paul Silverman talks to the crowd about the Octoberfest schedule for the evening.
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Crowds enjoy the festivities under the tent in front of Bar Majestic

A choir sings in celebration of Octoberfest in front of Bar Majestic

Â Three of the Octoberfest Girls smile for our River view camera at the start of Bar Majestic’s 5th Annual Octoberfest celebration.

Learn about Octoberfest

The post Octoberfest Held for 5th Year at Bar Majestic in Downtown Jersey City first appeared on River View Observer.

Jersey city’s -Historic Downtown Special Improvement District

admin — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:26:08 +0000

HDSID is a public-private partnership through which property owners and business owners have a direct impact on Historic Downtown Jersey City neighborhoods and their development. HDSID works with local businesses, property owners and neighborhood associations in conjunction with the City government to promote the area, improve the services provided and undertake any and all activity to make Historic Downtown Jersey City a better place to live, work and visit.

Working with local businesses, cultural organizations and neighborhood groups to promote the area and make downtown Jersey City a better place to live, work and visit.

LearnÂ More- http://www.jcdowntown.org/

Business in the Historic Downtown Special Improvement District

3rd Edge Communications