Lights . . . camera . . . Asbury Park
Fourth annual Garden State Film Festival brings out the city's best
By Matt Porio
Toms River Bureau
OCEAN TOWNSHIP — He may live in Los Angeles, but like any other Bruce Springsteen fan, Jim Mercurio has heard plenty about Asbury Park and its history.
So, he said, he liked the idea of traveling to the city for the fourth annual Garden State Film Festival, which wrapped up Sunday night with an awards dinner at The English Manor. And like other participants and award winners — Mercurio produced "Scrambled Eggs," which won the award for the best feature drama — the producer had plenty of good things to say about the film festival, its entries and its meaning for Asbury Park.
"There's a local flavor here," he said, comparing the festival to others. "I'm aware of the storied past of the city. It's cool to walk by The Stone Pony.
"It's great that (Executive Director) Diane (Raver) has taken this project and gotten in touch with the artistic past the city has. It's something to keep alive," Mercurio said.
Michael Oster, the honorary chairman of the event and a resident of the Locust section of Middletown, agreed.
"It's really exciting that in this place, Asbury Park, you just feel a renaissance being led by the arts," he said.
Like Mercurio — who liked "Pirates of the Great Salt Lake," named Best of the Fest later in the evening — Oster said the quality of work on display was exceptional.
"The talent around here was a very high caliber," Oster said. "You have a young, flexible organization, and the filmmakers are young. These films are very "indie' as a result. It's a different level of creativity and enthusiasm."
Raver and the festival's 12-member board received 508 entries from 17 countries. A total of 104 titles were shown over three days, Raver said Sunday.
"They were all so marvelous," she said. "It gets harder and harder every year" to pick winners.
Among the awards given out Sunday night, Bud Abbott, of Abbott and Costello and originally of Asbury Park, won a posthumous Lifetime Achievement Award for acting.
His daughter, Vickie Abbott Wheeler, was on hand to accept the award. "Coming to Asbury Park means being able to go back to where my father came from," she said before the awards ceremony.
Kurtwood Smith, known for his role as "Red" in "That 70's Show" and a cast member in Mercurio's "Scrambled Eggs" received an Independent Spirit Award for Acting.
For local filmmakers, the festival provided not only exposure, but, relative to other festivals, a particularly good opportunity to network with their peers, some said.
"This is an open forum," said Carmen Marino, a 23-year-old Woodbury resident and student at Rowan University. "We really have a chance to mingle and talk to other filmmakers."
Neptune resident Warren F. Disbrow described his film, "Scarlet Moon," as a "weird horror comedy." He said events like the Garden State Film Festival are essential for movie makers.
"I wish there were more places where you can make connections," he said. And, he said, he hopes the festival help lets "local people know I'm alive."
Garden State Film Festival award winners
Best of the Fest: "Pirate of the Great Salt Lake," Eric Nelson
Shooting Star Award: Kathy Cacicedo
Feature, drama: "Hard Scrambled," NVF/Slate One, David Scott Hay, James Mercurio
The Bud Abbott Award for feature-length comedy: "Glow Ropes," Hellfishfilms, George Valencia & Vinz Feller
Feature, international: "Kerrigan's Passion," Norman Stone
Broader vision award for filmmaking dedicate to the greater good (Feature, documentary): "The Vanishing Black Male," Hisani Dubose
Short: "'Til Death," Phoef Sutton
Short drama: "Children of Fate," No More Productions Inc., Nastasha Baron
Short, student: "Jacques," Handsfive Productions, Cristina Cingone
Short, international: "Vagabond Shoes," Jackie Oudney
Short, student, international: "What's Love Doing in the Mountains?" Chapman University, Yunus Emre Firat
Family, short: "Swan Dive" Voyager Films, Kathleen Murray
Short, comedy: "Fancy," Lori Grossman
Short, international, comedy: "Dutch Bird," One Take Pictures Limited, Kirk Weddell
Family, international short: "Binta's Big Idea," Javier Fesser
Family, international short-comedy: "Looking Good," Fingerpaint Pictures, Toni Powell
The Emanuel "Manny" Berlingo Award for feature length documentary filmmaking: "Rock and a Heart Place," JerseyDocs, LLC, Michael Sodano
Documentary, short: "A Note of Triumph: The Golden Age of Norman Corwin," Nomafilms, Corinne Marrinan
Honorable mention: "The Cole Nobody Knows," Plan B Productions, Clay Walker
Documentary, short, comedy: "If There Were No Lutherans Would There Still Be Green Jello" Tundra Films, Gayle Knutson
Student documentary, short: "My Golden Cage," FSU Film School, Wilson Tang
Cell animation, short: "Handshake" Blend Films, Patrick Smith
Animation CGI: "The Santa Claus Happy Tyme Show," Alex George Visualization, Alex George
Puppet animation: "Our Lady of Sockholm" Kittyboy Productions, Lynn Lamousin
Music video: "Yep," Isaac Klotz
International music video: "Rumbo Al Cero," Marcelo Mitnik
Family music video: "Little Red Jiving Hood," Ben Hillman & Co., Ben Hillman
Student music video: "Arise," Marc Minor
Commercial: "A Dark & Stormy Night," Ben Saltzman
PSA: Pet Finder, Bianca Bob
Recognizing films shot in New Jersey, the following winners were recognized with "The Home Grown Award":
Short film: "Van Vorst Park," Buena Onda Pictures, Kathy Cacicedo
Family, short: "Sidney," Christopher Michael
Student, short: "If Occurrence," Mixed Nuts Productions, Michael Licisyn
Documentary, short: "Where the Bears Are," Anne Keane
Animation: "Something's Fishy in Coney Island," Bob Mataranglo
Animation, student: "Fire Hydrant Kung Fu," Stephen Ellis
Music video: "Coming Down," 359 Productions Inc., Sebastian Moriera
Music video, student: "South Jersey Phenoms," Mixed Nuts Productions, Michael Licisyn
Student short, high school: "Le Trou Dan Le Mur," Andrew Sherwood and David Salowe
Student short documentary, High School: "Mike's Fresh Cut," Anthony Salerno
Student Claymation, high school: "Dinner Time," Billy Moore
Pick of the Flicks, Audience Choice Honorees:
Lifetime Achievement for Acting: Bud Abbott
Wave of Excellence: Page Ostrow
Independent Spirit Award: Kurtwood Smith
GSFF Honorary Chairperson: Michael Ostrow
The Robert Pastorelli "Rising Star" Award for Acting: Doug Olear
