Tag Archives: Bill Sorvino

Cover Story

 Jersey City’s Eddie Harris shoots STEPS,an Indie film about One Man’s Quest for Love and Redemption  

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THE RIGHT STEPS

By Sally Deering

Shooting movies in Jersey City STEPS
The STEPS Clapboard used on location in Jersey City to film the movie STEPS

Eddie Harris grew up in Jersey City and as a writer and filmmaker he sometimes looks to his neighborhood for inspiration. Harris found it one day when he noticed a young man in a wheelchair, who had become partially paralyzed from an altercation after years of hustling on the streets. When Harris wondered how a person could rise above that kind of life-changing experience, he took to his computer and began writing STEPS, his new movie now being filmed on locations throughout Jersey City.

STEPS the movie being filmed in Jersey City
STEPS writer Ed Harris, second from right, watches his movie filmed with producer Michael Baumgartner , both of Jersey City

“The movie is about redemption, recovery, forgiveness and love,” Harris says, as he heads to a baseball field in the Lafayette section of Jersey City where the crew is filming. “It’s about a guy who sets out to be the next Johnny Cochran but his life takes a terrible turn. He spirals downward into alcohol and loses everything until a street pastor reaches out to him. It’s a Jersey City story anybody can relate to, an uplifting story.” Continue reading  Jersey City’s Eddie Harris shoots STEPS,an Indie film about One Man’s Quest for Love and Redemption   →

Festivals in Hudson County, Movies

Golden Door International Film Festival Gala Kick Off Party Photos by Steve A. Mack

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©2014-steveamack.com - 05On Tuesday, September 16th the GDIFF launched its 2014 Kick -Off Party at the Loew’s Jersey City on Journal Square.

The night included Fashion guru Tommy Hilfiger, acclaimed actor Paul Sorvino and host of other film producers, actors, writers many who have submitted films to this years 2014 festival.

Actor and founder of the GDIFF Bill Sorvino hosted the event introducing Hilfiger.

Our photographer Steve A Mack took all the photos in this post.

General

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 →
General

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 →

Festivals in Hudson County, Movies

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 →

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GOLDEN DOOR FILM FESTIVAL TO PRESENT THE “BEST OF THE THE FEST” WITH SPECIAL PRESENTATION SCREENINGS on MARCH 24, 2012

(Jersey City, NJ – Feb 1, 2012) – The Golden Door Film Festival, which took Jersey City by storm in October 2011, announced today that there will be a special presentation screening of five of the film entries from the October 2011 festival which will highlight the “The Best of the Fest” on Saturday, March 24, 2012 at Art House Productions, McWilliams Place, JC. The screenings will begin at 7:00 pm.

 Lily of the Feast, directed by Federico Castellucio and written by Michael Ricigliano, will begin at 7:00 pm. In Lily of the Feast, Castelluccio plays a former bookie turned banker with a special gift for memorizing numbers, who is unwittingly thrown into the forefront of an aging wise guy’s bid for power, who is portrayed by Paul Sorvino. Also starring in this film are John Bianco and Damien DiPaola.

 Other films which will be screened that evening are:  The Others and the Others, a touching documentary about one family’s emigration from Italy to the US; The Secret Life of My Small Urban Backyard, a fascinating view of the natural environment of an urban backyard; Sarina’s Song, a beautiful story of forbidden love and Of God and Gucci, a compelling documentary directed by Keith Rennar Brennan, in which he attempts to explain and understand the effects that years of sexual abuse had on him and how the struggle for justice continues.

 The films will run from 7-9 pm and will be followed by an after party at The Embankment Restaurant on 10th Street, JC. Admission to The Best of the Fest is $20.00, please visit: www.brownpapertickets.com to purchase – (includes admission to the screenings and the after party).

 

 

 

Festivals in Hudson County, Our Community

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… →

Our Community

Jersey City’s GOLDEN DOOR INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL Launched!


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

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

 

Continue reading Jersey City’s GOLDEN DOOR INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL Launched! →

Celebrity Interview, Cover Story

Actor Paul Sorvino Sings and Talks to the River View Observer


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sept14thcovrvo-smallComing Soon: Film and Broadway star in Concert at Loew’s Jersey City

 By Sally Deering

 Best known as mob boss Paulie Cicero, who cooked Italian dishes for his crew in the film “Goodfellas” and many other acting roles in film, on Broadway and TV, Paul Sorvino  is more than just an actor – he’s a sculptor, painter, writer, director, chef and opera singer.  And on Thurs., Oct. 27 and Fri., Nov. 4, Sorvino’s fans are in for a treat when he takes to the stage at Loew’s Jersey City in “Paul Sorvino Sings!” a concert where Sorvino sings arias and Neapolitan folk songs and tells stories of his life as an actor. Continue reading Actor Paul Sorvino Sings and Talks to the River View Observer →

Movies, Our Community

Organizers of First Annual Golden Door International Film Festival Announce Nominated Films for this Years Festival.


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October 13 to October 16th Multiple theaters in Jersey City
October 13 to October 16th Multiple theaters in Jersey City

At an early morning press conference on Wednesday September 21st, at Bar Majestic in Downtown Jersey City, Bill Sorvino, Festival Director of the Golden Door Film Festival and organizers along with Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy in attendance announced to the public the three day event and all  films nominated at the first film festival to be held in Jersey City from October 13 to October 16th, 2011

Read our River View Cover Story on Festival Here

 

Continue reading Organizers of First Annual Golden Door International Film Festival Announce Nominated Films for this Years Festival. →