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LIFF Brings Feast of Indie Films to Glen Cove

Rocco

By Carla Santella

For the second consecutive year, the Long Island Film Festival will present its 2006 entries at the Glen Cove Cinemas from Thursday, May 4 through Sunday, May 7. Documentaries, short subjects, animated films, and features representing genres from horror to comedy, foreign to drama will be on the screen for the most devoted cinemaphiles and casual fans. Interspersed with films will be Q & A sessions with directors, a lecture on the history of Long Island in the movies and other forums.

LIFF is Long Island's original and longest running film festival, having made its debut screening on May 1, 1983 at what was then called the New Community Cinema in Huntington. Festival Executive Producer Francis J. Leik, a native Glen Cover, said, "For more than two decades, the festival has been proud to discover and cultivate talented filmmakers on Long Island. The list of LIFF alumni over the years reads like a 'Who's Who' in independent filmmaking. Participants who have made their start with us include such international auteurs as Hal Hartley, Greg Mottola, Tamara Jenkins, Matthew Harrison, Edie Falco, Ted Hoope, Heather Matarazzo, Dick Fisher, Ralph Macchio, Karl Nussbaum, Fred Carpenter, Christopher Grimm, Bill Plimpton, Greg and Gavin O'Conner and several other outstanding people. Most of them have grown up on Long Island or lived here at one time or another."

Scott Goldberg

An actor, writer of screenplays and director, Mr. Leik has observed and participated as producers/directors created and worked their craft. True auteurs, they can be a bit abstract, impatient, evasive and raw (all at the same time), selfish and incredibly generous, unpredictable, brilliant, occasionally annoying, often hilarious, sometimes angry and at most times a wonderful bunch of people, he said. The common thread is a restless and all-consuming passion combined with a great need to express and share. He is proud to be connected with the LIFF, which encourages and promotes producers, writers, directors and actors who have alternative views and unique ideas and concepts.

Rocco, a Grammy-nominated musician, is represented by the film Rocco at Cedarmere, which has been named Best Documentary Musical Performance. Filmed in cinema verite style, the film recounts a performance of Rocco and his Superband performing both original and standard compositions, entertaining more than 100 guests with his diverse musical styles. A review stated, "Rocco had an intensity that night that I've only seen with the truly great artists of the past century. It's only a matter of time before Rocco will become a household name across the United States. I'm willing to bet on it."

Mike Luciano

Scott Goldberg is making a name for himself in the genre of horror films, a style he feels needs to be reworked back to its early glory days. Scott has two films in the festival, All I Want for Christmas and The Day They Came Back, which has won the Jury Award for Best Short Screenplay. Scott will host a Q & A following the presentation of his film on Thursday night. The film has also been accepted into the 2006 Pocono Mountains Film Festival this summer and the director will be a guest speaker at that festival. His next project is a film being shot in Glen Cove in early June, titled The Forest Hills.

Mike Luciano created a feature-length film, SEAN, as his senior project at North Shore High School, from which he graduated in 2005. In addition to himself, the comedy stars a number of friends from NSHS, which made it a fun and highly anticipated event for its first screening at the high school. After graduation, as friends headed in different directions, many brought DVDs of the film along with them, spreading the name and fame of SEAN and Mike. Mike will host a Q & A following the screening of SEAN on Thursday afternoon.

Mike Verna and Gustavo Albero

Mike Verna and Gustavo Albero, friends since the age of 5, left their hometowns of Glen Head and Glen Cove, respectively, for the hills of Hollywood and the lure of LA, where they are currently making films for their company Team 5. Mike and Gus co-produced Access Nation, a documentary for which the duo traveled America's highways and bi-ways to interview and observe people from every corner of the United States, all of whom produce television programs for their local public access stations. Mike directed Access Nation and scored the film. In the spirit of art imitating life, many of the duo's films have been shown on public access television, inspiring the documentary. Access Nation has previously been featured in the Rhode Island International Film Festival, the Malibu Film Festival and the Santa Cruz Film Festival.

So check the festival's schedule and head down to the Glen Cove Cinemas for a unique presentation of filmmaking that comes to town just once a year. See you at the movies.



Long Island Film Festival Schedule 2006/May 4 - 7

Thursday, May 4

Block I (12:00 p.m.)