Garden State Film Festival

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The Garden State Film Festival is a film festival in the United States held in Atlantic City, New Jersey which showcases over 150 independent films annually over four days each spring.

The festival was founded in 2002 after a chance encounter in a Sea Girt, New Jersey grocery store by 25-year film industry veteran Diane Raver and Hollywood actor Robert Pastorelli. Mr. Pastorelli and Ms. Raver mounted the first festival in 2003. Since that time, such industry notables such as Glenn Close, Frank Vincent, Batman producer Michael Uslan, Austin Pendleton, Kurtwood Smith, Laura Dern, Bebe Neuwirth and others have lent their support.

The artistic philosophy of the Garden State Film Festival is rooted in the celebration of the independent film genre and the creation of a forum where local and other independent filmmakers can exhibit their work. It was also created to pay tribute to New Jersey’s legacy as the birthplace of the American film making industry in Thomas Edison’s Menlo Park laboratories where he invented the first film cameras and projectors, to Fort Lee, where the original studios were founded. Our event provides novice and aspiring filmmakers, actors, and others interested in careers in the film business, the opportunity to meet and network with industry professionals in an atmosphere conducive to learning and mentoring. Further, we are happy to be in our new location of Atlantic City and hope to serve as an added engine for the city’s vitality through arts, commerce and culture.

GSFF is a non-profit organization. Mission statement: The Garden State Film Festival was founded to promote the art of film making on all levels by showcasing a wide variety of film, video and animated works as well as provide educational programs in the creative arts to the public by industry leaders..

See also

• Television and film in New Jersey
• Golden Door Film Festival
• New Jersey Film Festival