For the past year as Executive Director of the Business & Tourism Development Corporation for the , my agency has been working with the Great Neck Arts Center to bring a first rate world class film festival to the North Shore of Nassau County.
After a year of planning, this week tickets went on sale for the . Taking place this year from June 1 to June 5 in the communities of Great Neck, Manhasset, Port Washington, Roslyn and New Hyde Park, the festival will be featuring and premiering an ambitious slate of some very exciting films.
Of note is Chasing Madoff, based on the compelling bestseller by Harry Markopolos, No One Would Listen. This documentary recently had its Canadian premiere at the Toronto Jewish Film Festival in early May. It is making its New York premier during the Gold Coast International Film Festival in the very community where many of Bernard Madoff’s victims lived.
Also, one of the hot sold-out films at the recent Tribeca Film Festival, Limelight, which is not opening in theaters until August, will make its Long Island premiere during the festival over two months prior to its release. Limelight is about the story of the notorious New York City night club of the same name. It had quite the buzz and Tribeca and we are certain it will also be one of most sort after films of our festival.
Other yet to be released films showing during our festival will include Holy Rollers with Jesse Eisenberg, Lucky with Colin Hanks and The Best and the Brightest with Neil Patrick Harris. You can see a full listing of the films and purchase tickets here: http://www.thefestguide.com/gciff2011
In addition to showing great films, the genesis for this event was to use culture and the arts to spur economic growth and recovery. The Gold Coast International Film Festival is the perfect vehicle for that and showcase all of the wonderful things the “Gold Coast” has to offer. All of our downtowns have great restaurants and great shops. We hope to show the region that you do not need to go into Manhattan or out to the Hampton’s to experience great food, shopping and entertainment. It is all right here in our own backyard.
In fact we believe so strongly is this that we are even working with the Long Island Railroad, Clearview Cinemas and the New York Post to educate those west of Nassau County that we are just a quick train ride and short walk into many of our downtowns. I would venture to say that if you live on the Upper West Side of Manhattan you can take the train out here faster than the Subway to Brooklyn or a bus or subway to the Upper East Side.
Our plan is to make this an annual event the first weekend in June. As all Film Festival’s traditionally do, the Gold Coast International Film Festival is starting out small with just five days and five communities, but next year the potential is there for more films, more dates and more communities. Who knows? Next year Glen Cove too?
If you are looking for something unique new and fun to do during the first weekend in June, you should definitively come out and support the Gold Coast International Film Festival and show the world everything great we have to offer. For more information, visit: www.goldcoastfilmfestival.org.
