| Film festival brings notoriety to New York's forgotten borough |
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 NEW YORK June 2006: It’s another lazy summer for Staten Island, the least known of New York City’s five boroughs. There’s nothing much to look forward to, except the weekend trips to the beach, hanging out in the mall, or going to see mainstream films at the movie theaters. If one really wants to do something, it is best to take the ferry into Manhattan to see the plays, museums and other forms of culture that Staten Island lacks.But not any more. There’s something new starting on the Island, and it might just change the way it is seen by its residents and outsiders. It’s called the Staten Island Film Festival, a chance for independent filmmakers to showcase their talents. It also a chance for Staten Island to showcase itself to a world that barely knows it. Fast forward three years to early June 2009: preparations for the film festival are in full swing. With nearly 100 films to be viewed, and hundreds of audience members expected, the Film Festival is ready to re-define Staten Island.  “This is an opportunity to get people to Staten Island,” says festival director Jeannine Marotta. “It shows what Staten Island has to offer, and it’s a great way to get its name out there.”Marotta explains it was the lack of cultural and artistic events on the Island that the idea of a film festival came up back in 2006. It was also a chance to give the borough more notoriety than for having the world’s largest garbage dump. The festival is an offspring of the Staten Island Economic Development Committee, a non-for-profit organization geared towards building up the Island. With hundreds of volunteers spreading the word of the festival, many Islanders, as well as outsiders, are beginning to take notice. “Ticket sales are higher than ever this year,” says Marotta. “More people are becoming aware and we have tons of sponsors.” It is not only the prospective audience members who are more aware of the festival, but filmmakers too. Movies from around New York City, across the United States and around the world are to be shown here. Some films are coming from the United Kingdom, Germany and Italy. In addition, these films have been shown at other film festivals, such as Gone Fishing, made by Chris Jones of the U.K. That movie has won awards at festivals in Sedona, Arizona, Norfolk, Virginia and Rhode Island. At the Staten Island festival, there’s a chance it could win more. There are 23 award categories for the several genres to showcased. They range from short feature to comedy to political to science fiction. Audiences have a chance to vote for their favorite while the judges decide on who does best in either category. At the same time, Staten Islanders who have made it into the film and television industry will be honored. This year, actors Dan Grimaldi (The Sopranos), Tony Lo Bianco (Law & Order), and Carmine Giovinazzo (CSI: New York) will receive their recognition. Also being honored is Catherine Oliver, the Commissioner of the NYC Mayor’s Office of Film, Television and Broadcasting. One filmmaker hoping to be honored for his work this year is Louis Affortunato. This 24 year old local filmmaker is submitting a short film, Sunshine Girls, and expects to see the Festival grow as time goes on. “It’s still young,” Affortunato says. “But in time there will be more celebrities and filmmakers. Someday, it could be the Sundance of the east coast.” Staten Island is working hard to make that come true. With the festival films being shown at the College of Staten Island, there will be a shuttle bus from the Staten Island Ferry to the college. In this way, riders get a chance to see the borough, often left off of many a tourist’s list of places to see. To see one film, it costs $10 for each individual. All day passes to the movies are $15, and access to all the films cost $45. However, the festival committee has come up with an fun way to get people to both tour Staten Island and see the movies. There is the Pizza Tour. For $30, visitors could spend Saturday, June 6th, being transported around the Island to various pizza parlors in between watching the movies. It is a great way for people to see – and eat - what Staten Island is made of. The Festival begins June 4th and ends June 7th. For those four days, it gives Staten Island a chance to say hello to the rest of the world. More information: www.sifilmfestival.org Bookmark us: 
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