Artist Edwina Sandys, granddaughter of Sir Winston Churchill, discusses her grandfather at the Long Island premiere of “Darkest Hour” at the 2017 Gold Coast International Film Festival, Long Island, with Festival Founder and Executive Director Regina Gil and Diane Masciale, VP & GM of WLIW21 and Executive Producer of local productions at WNET. Sandys will be among the guests at the Gold Coast Arts Center and its Gold Coast International Film Festival gala honoring actor Robert Wagner, Oct. 24, kicking off this year’s film festival © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com
The 2018 Gold Coast International Film Festival is November 2 – 13 at various venues in North Hempstead, Long Island. The festival this year features 80 films over 10 days including:
- Dozens of DOCSincluding great films about Culinary Prodigies, Baseball Underdogs, Film Icons, Remarkable Inventions, Famous Fashion Designers, Broadway Legends, Racecars, the Israel Art Museum, and even Sinatra and the Beatles.
- COMEDIESfeaturing French Playboys, Unlikely Friendships, Aging Arabs, Family Adventures, Buster Keaton and even a film that finds unexpected humor in chronic back pain
- FOREIGN FILMSfrom 22 countries including Period Dramas, French Farces, Psychological Dramas and Film Noir
- DRAMASspotlighting Powerful Performances, Art World Masters, Gripping Holocaust Stories, and Iranian Refugees
- FAMILYPrograms including Family Film Day, Family Shorts, and Films to enjoy with your teens
- Plus lots of SHORTS
In addition to seeing new films and films that are only screened at festivals, the Gold Coast International Festival features dozens of Q&As with filmmakers and special guests special events, award-winning spotlights and premiere after premiere after premiere.
Here is a run-down:
FRIDAY NOVEMBER 2
DECONSTRUCTING THE BEATLES:
MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR FILM & CONCERT- Long Island Premiere
Friday 11/2, 7:00PM – Great Neck Squire
Sponsored by the Atria and Little Neck Beverage
Sean Gallagher & Justin Drobinski | 2018 | USA | Documentary
Enjoy an unforgettable night of everything Fab Four! In 1967 the Beatles produced a free-wheeling, largely-improvised television special that married their pop sensibilities with countercultural experimentalism. This new filmed multimedia lecture from expert Scott Freiman takes fans behind the scenes during the production of the film and explores the creative process behind the songs. Q&A with Musicologist, Scott Freiman, followed by a Beatles celebration at the Gold Coast Arts Center featuring a concert by Beatles cover band Penny Lane, dessert, drinks and more!
TUESDAY NOVEMBER 6
MAKING MEMORIES WITH MUSIC AND ART
A SPECIAL PROGRAM FOR PEOPLE WITH MEMORY LOSS AND THEIR CAREGIVERS
Tuesday 11/6, 11:30AM – Gold Coast Arts Center
Pay tribute to our Veterans and military personnel with a special Making Memories program that includes clips from your favorite military themed films and a live music sing-along of patriotic favorites led by award-winning musician Roberta Fabiano.
Making Memories is a series of FREE monthly arts programs at the Gold Coast Arts Center for people living with memory loss and their care partners led by Marcy Rhodes, a certified special education teacher and licensed master social worker. Includes light refreshments. RSVP required.
FAMILY SHORTS
Tuesday 11/6, 1:00PM – Bryant Library (Roslyn) – FREE
THE LAST SUIT
Tuesday 11/6, 7:30PM – Soundview Cinemas
Pablo Solarz | 2018 | 93 min | Argentina/Spain | English subtitles | Narrative
A bittersweet story featuring an 88-year-old Jewish tailor who embarks on a long, transcontinental journey to try and find the man who saved him from certain death during the
Holocaust. Heartfelt and charming, with a wonderful comedic flavor, the film reminds us of the importance of family, friendship, and keeping your word. Festival Programmer talk following the film.
WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 7
FAMILY SHORTS
Wednesday 11/7, 1:00PM – Port Washington Library – FREE
GREAT SHORTS 1
Wednesday 11/7, 1:30PM – Great Neck Squire – FREE
THE CHARMER– New York Premiere
Wednesday 11/7, 7:30PM – Soundview Cinemas
Milad Alami | 2017 | 100 min | Denmark/Sweden | English subtitles | Narrative
A psychological drama about Esmail, a young Iranian refugee who is desperately looking to meet a woman who can help secure his stay in Denmark. As time is running out he meets the whip-smart Sarah, an Iranian-born Danish citizen, and more than one person ends up getting hurt as his deception catches up with him.
Q&A with Dr. Jamsheed Akrami, Iranian Film Scholar
SINATRA IN PALM SPRINGS– New York Premiere
Wednesday 11/7, 7:30PM- Manhasset Bow Tie
Leo Zahn | 2018 | 92 min | USA | Documentary
Sponsored by AARP Long Island
A warm, entertaining look at Frank Sinatra’s deep attachment to Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley, his primary home for almost 50 years. Featuring revealing interviews with Barbara Sinatra, Mel Haber, Tom Dreesen, Nelda Linsk, Bruce Fessier, Trini Lopez and many others who knew and played with Frank Sinatra. Q&A with Director Leo Zahn, Moderated by Prof. Stanislao Pugliese
THURSDAY NOVEMBER 8
DIANE – Long Island Premiere
Thursday 11/8, 7:30PM – Soundview Cinemas
Kent Jones | 2018 | 95 min | USA | Narrative
In one of the finest performance by an American actress this year, Mary Kay Place stars in this moving portrait and character study of a widowed older woman, who overextends herself trying to take care of her family and friends, while dealing with a drug-addicted son. Executive produced by Martin Scorsese. Winner – Best Narrative Feature at the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival. Q&A with Matt Prigge, NYU Film Professor and Critic
In one of the finest performance by an American actress this year, Mary Kay Place stars in “Diane,” a moving portrait and character study of a widowed older woman, who overextends herself trying to take care of her family and friends, while dealing with a drug-addicted son. The film, executive produced by Martin Scorsese, was the winner of Best Narrative Feature at the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival and will have its Long Island Premiere at the 2018 Gold Coast International Film Festival, Nov. 2-13.
THE INTERPRETER– New York Premiere
Thursday 11/8, 7:30PM – Great Neck Squire
Martin Sulík | 2018 | 113 min | Slovakia | English subtitles | Narrative
In this unique drama, layered with humor, two elderly men embark upon a bittersweet journey to meet surviving witnesses of the wartime tragedy involving both of their fathers, one a Nazi criminal and the other a victim of the Holocaust. Slovakia’s official submission to this year’s Academy Awards. Film Programmer talk following the film
FRIDAY NOVEMBER 9
BECOMING ASTRID– Long Island Premiere
Friday 11/9, 7:30PM – Roslyn Bow Tie
Pernille F. Christensen | 2018 | 123 min | Sweden | English subtitles | Narrative
This gorgeous period drama chronicles the character-forming period in the young life of the astonishingly unconventional Astrid Lindgren (author of Pippi Longstocking), who would go on to worldwide fame as one of the most beloved children’s authors ever. A warm and lively film featuring vibrant performances and stunning set design.
YELLOW IS FORBIDDEN– Long Island Premiere
Friday 11/9, 7:30PM – Great Neck Squire
Pietra Brettkelly | 2018 | 94 min | New Zealand | English subtitles | Documentary
Sponsored by Neiman Marcus Roosevelt Field
Celebrated Chinese couturier Guo Pei is perhaps best known for designing the brilliant gold gown Rihanna wore to the Met Ball in 2015. But Guo’s quest to be recognized by the gatekeepers of Paris haute couture goes beyond the red carpet and taps into global power dynamics and the perpetual tension between art and commerce. An eye-opening, behind-the-scenes documentary.
SATURDAY NOVEMBER 10
GENERAL MAGIC – Long Island Premiere
Saturday 11/10, 1:30PM – Manhasset Bow Tie
Sarah Kerruish, Matt Maude | 2018 | 92 min | UK/USA | Documentary
A tale of how great vision and epic failure can change the world. In the early 90s, the world’s largest electronics corporations formed a secret company tasked with developing the ‘next big thing’. The company was General Magic and their invention took a thing of sci-fi fiction to reality – a handheld wireless personal communicator. The fascinating story of the rise – and fall – of the pioneering tech company that created a product years ahead of its time.
GREAT SHORTS 2
Saturday 11/10, 2:00PM – Soundview Cinemas
306 HOLLYWOOD – Long Island Premiere
Saturday 11/10, 4:30PM – Manhasset Bow Tie
Jonathan Bogarin & Elan Bogarin | 2018 | 82 min | USA | Documentary
Do objects retain a spark of life from their owner after that person dies? This question catapults a dynamic brother-sister filmmaking duo on an epic odyssey to excavate their deceased grandma Annette’s unassuming Newark home of 71 years. A Sundance Film Festival hit!
Q&A with Film Subject, Marilyn Ontell
CHEF FLYNN
Saturday 11/10, 5:00PM – Soundview Cinemas
Cameron Yates | 2018 | 83 min | USA | Documentary
A disarming and candid documentary about culinary prodigy Flynn McGarry. At 10, he transformed his living room into a sophisticated supper club; at 13, he was working under
some of the world’s most celebrated chefs and by 16, he was featured in a cover story of The New York Times Magazine. A uniquely comprehensive portrait of a young star’s rise as seen from the inside.
BATHTUBS OVER BROADWAY
Saturday 11/10, 7:00PM – Soundview Cinemas
Dava Whisenant | 2018 | 87 min | USA | Documentary
A musical-comedy-documentary! Comedy writer Steve Young’s assignment to scour bargain-bin vinyl for a Late Night with David Letterman segment becomes an unexpected, decades-spanning obsession when he stumbles upon the strange and hilarious world of industrial musicals.
Q&A with the star of the film, Steve Young
SONG OF BACK AND NECK– Long Island Premiere
Saturday 11/10, 7:30PM – Soundview Cinemas
Paul Lieberstein | 2018 | 85 min | USA | Narrative
In this charming romantic comedy, nice-guy Fred (Paul Lieberstein, Toby from The Office) rarely gets through the day without falling to the ground with crippling back and neck pain, and is not taken seriously by anyone at work. But as he discovers unexpected love and a rather unique talent, it is just the start of the unpredictable happenings coming his way.
Q&A via Skype with Director & Star, Paul Lieberstein
ON BORROWED TIME – New York Premiere
Saturday 11/10, 8:00PM – Manhasset Bow Tie
Yasir Al Yasiri | 2018 | 93 min | United Arab Emirates | English subtitles | Narrative
Sponsored by AARP Long Island
Four grumpy old men in a Dubai retirement home get a new lease on life when one of them receives a windfall inheritance. Dotted with tender moments, this feel-good comedy about aging, friendship and new directions moves along with a sprightly energy that can’t help but make you smile.
SUNDAY NOVEMBER 11
HAPPY
Sunday 11/11, 11:00AM – Soundview Cinemas
Roko Belic | 2013 | 76 min | USA | Documentary
Sponsored by Katz Institute for Women’s Health at Northwell Health
What makes you happy? Money? Kids and family? Your work? Academy Award® nominated director Roko Belic’s film explores the secrets behind our most valued emotion. From the bayous of Louisiana, the deserts of Namibia, the beaches of Brazil and the villages of Okinawa, Belic goes in search of what really makes people happy.
Special activities before and after the screening include:
• Q&A via Skype with Academy Award nominated filmmaker Roko Belic
- A discussion of the role of mindfulness, yoga, and meditation in helping you live a vibrant, healthy, and happy life led by distinguished experts from the Katz Institute for Women’s Health; • Mandala making in the theater lobby;
• Special giveaways from local businesses
YOUTH FILM DAY
Sunday 11/11, 12:30PM – Soundview Cinemas
Sponsored by Hofstra University
Come meet the next Scorsese, Spielberg or Bigelow! Support the next generation of filmmakers at this special FREE event that is one of the most talked about events each year. We’ll screen the best short films selected from the hundreds submitted to our 2018 Young Filmmakers Program by kids in grades K-12.
THE MUSEUM– Long Island Premiere
Sunday 11/11, 1:00PM – Great Neck Squire
Ran Tal | 2018 | 74 min | Israel | English subtitles | Documentary
Housing one of the world’s greatest collections of art and antiquities, the Israel Museum poses for its own complex portrait in this elegant and fascinating observational documentary. This masterful behind-the-scenes film seeks to explore the Israeli soul through its galleries, storerooms and visitors. Q&A with Maureen Cogan, Co-Chair of the International Friends of the Israel Museum
THIS BUSINESS OF AUTISM– World Premiere Encore Screening
Sunday 11/11, 1:30PM– Soundview Cinemas
Stephen Mackey | 2018 | 102 min | USA | Documentary
Sponsored by Spectrum Designs
A fascinating look at the economic and societal benefits of employing young adults with autism, and specifically the success story that is Spectrum Designs, a custom screen-printing and embroidery business based in Port Washington, New York. 75% of Spectrum’s employees are on the autism spectrum. Q&A with Director Stephen Mackey and other special guests
THE LAST RACE
Sunday 11/11, 4:00PM – Soundview Cinemas
Michael Dweck | 2018 | 75 min | USA | Documentary
Long Island is the birthplace of American stock car racing, but today, only one racetrack remains: Riverhead Raceway, established in 1949 on an initially rural part of Long Island.
This transfixing documentary explores the issues of class divide and corporate interest that have impacted both the racing industry and region as a whole in this beautiful, visceral, mesmerizing ode to a dying American tradition. Official selection of the Sundance and Hamptons Film Festivals
HEADING HOME: THE TALE OF TEAM ISRAEL – Long Island Premiere
Sunday 11/11, 4:30PM – Great Neck Squire
Seth Kramer, Daniel A. Miller, Jeremy Newberger | 2017 | 87 min | Documentary
The stirring underdog chronicle of the unexpected triumph of Israel’s national baseball team at the 2017 World Baseball Classic. With their Mensch on the Bench mascot by their side, the team laughs and cries as they discover the pride of representing Israel on the world stage. A home run for audiences of all ages. Q&A with Co-Director, Jeremy Newberger
GREAT SHORTS 3
Sunday 11/11, 5:00PM – Soundview Cinemas
RETURN OF THE HERO
Sunday 11/11, 7:00PM– Soundview Cinemas
Laurent Tirard | 2018 | 90 min | France | English subtitles | Narrative
In this playful French period comedy, Elisabeth is principled, honest, and clever. When her sister’s new husband, the pompous Captain Neuville (Academy Award-Winner Jean Dujardin The Artist), heads to war and forgets about his wife, Elisabeth writes letters on his behalf to cheer up her sister. Her elaborate web of white lies comes crashing down when the Captain returns from the front. Festival Programmer talk following the film.
THE INVISIBLES– Long Island Premiere
Sunday 11/11, 7:30PM – Great Neck Squire
Claus Räfle | 2017 | 110 min | Germany | English subtitles | Narrative
In 1943 when Berlin was declared “Judenfrei” (“free of Jews”), there were still 7,000 Jews secretly residing there who survived by hiding in attics, warehouses and sometimes disguised in plain sight. This gripping docu-drama details the inspiring resourcefulness and courage shown by teenagers and young adults living in dire conditions with an uncertain future.
MONDAY NOVEMBER 12
FAMILY SHORTS
Monday 11/12, 12:00PM – Cinema Arts Center (Huntington) – FREE
FAMILY FILM DAY
Monday 11/12, 12:30 – 3PM – Gold Coast Arts Center
While schools are closed for Veteran’s Day, the Gold Coast International Film Festival is open for you! Enjoy an afternoon of short films hand-selected for a family audience plus fun, hands-on movie themed art activities. Includes free lunch. All ages welcome! Every child must be accompanied by an adult.
HOWARD– Long Island Premiere
Monday 11/12, 7:30PM – Soundview Cinemas
Don Hahn | 2018 | 90 min | USA | Documentary
Sponsored by AARP Long Island
An intimate and insightful tribute to a once-in-a-generation talent, the legendary lyricist Howard Ashman. His impact on Broadway, movies and the culture at large is incalcuable. His hits include Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, Little Shop of Horrors.
Q&A with Bill Lauch & Sarah Ashman Gillespie
BUDAPEST NOIR– Long Island Premiere
Monday 11/12, 7:30PM – Great Neck Squire
Éva Gárdos | 2017 | 95 min | Hungary | English subtitles | Narrative
A beautiful young girl is found dead and no one wants to investigate except a crime reporter who has a gut feeling that things are not what they seem. Based on the international best-selling novel, a classically-styled noir film that reimagines the dark side of pre-war Hungary.
Q&A with Professor & Author, Foster Hirsch
TUESDAY NOVEMBER 13
THE GREAT BUSTER
Tuesday 11/13, 7:00PM – Soundview Cinemas
Peter Bogdanovich | 2018 | 105 min | USA | Documentary
A celebration of the life and career of one of Hollywood’s most prolific and influential filmmakers, Buster Keaton. Includes stunning restorations of archival works that bring Keaton’s magic to life on the big screen, plus interviews with his friends, family, collaborators, and a broad array of artists influenced by his singular vision, including Mel Brooks, Bill Hader, Cybil Shepherd and Quentin Tarantino. Q&A with Professor Rodney F. Hill, Film Scholar
EGON SCHIELE: DEATH AND THE MAIDEN– Long Island Premiere
Tuesday 11/13, 7:30PM – Soundview Cinemas
Dieter Berner | 2018 | 110 min | Austria | English subtitles | Narrative
At the beginning of the 20th century Schiele is one of the most provocative artists in Vienna. This is the story of two of the most influential women in his life and how they reveal a man unfazed by scandal who is prepared to go beyond his own pain to sacrifice love and life for his art. Q&A with Professor and Art Historian, Martha Hollander
WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 14
CELEBRATE THE FESTIVAL WINNERS AT AWARDS LUNCH
Wednesday 11/13, 11:30AM – NM Café, Neiman Marcus Roosevelt Field
Be the first to find out the winners at this year’s Festival and toast all the many great films and filmmakers of the 2018 GCIFF! Join the Festival team, filmmakers, sponsors and VIP Pass Holders for lunch at the NM Cafe at Neiman Marcus Roosevelt Field to honor this year’s Audience Award Winners for Best Narrative and Best Documentary Feature Film and Audience and Jury Award Winners for Best Narrative and Best Documentary Short Film. (A limited number of tickets are available to this event.)
This is also the time of year to join as a Gold Coast Film Society member to get a free ticket to the festival, among other perks that include: first chance at tickets to GCIFF screenings; member discount screening price of $10 ($5 savings); free film screening ticket; and Official GCIFF Program guide mailed to your home.
Tickets go on sale to members on Oct. 15 and on Oct. 17 to the general public. Visit http://goldcoastfilmfestival.org/membership/.
More information from the Gold Coast Film Festival, 113 Middle Neck Road, Grat Neck, NY 11021, 516-829-2570, email info @goldcoastarts.org, http://goldcoastfilmfestival.org.
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