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The 2009 Gen Art Film Festival came to a close last night with a screening of Finding Bliss followed by a wild party at Blvd. here in New York City, and I'm literally ecstatic to announce that all my favorite films took home awards. My Suicide, which is a film I've been hyping for months now, won the Acura Grand Jury Award, and that film's star, Gabriel Sunday, won the Stargazer Award, which honors break-out talent. My Suicide also took home the festival's Audience Award, joining the fantastic short film Adelaide (which also won the jury and audience awards) in the double-win category. The hilarious Punching the Clown won for best use of music in a film, which was a new award presented by Moby. Check out our reviews of My Suicide and Punching the Clown.

Gen Art's Vice President of Film, Jeffrey Abramson, had this to say to Cinematical: "David Miller (My Suicide) is a pied piper of filmmaking. His immediate and extended family is filled with such incredible creativity and support it's difficult to not catch the fever. The camaraderie that was built across all of this year's filmmakers and talent was infectious and spread to the audience as well. Only at Gen Art can one experience such focused attention and energy."

I was fortunate enough to meet and hang out with all these filmmakers over the weekend, and had an absolute blast. One of the things I love about the Gen Art fest is that it's so damn accessible and intimate; you can watch a short, a feature and then hang out with the filmmakers at the private after party shooting the sh*t about their film, their process and whatever else is on your mind. It's a great festival for film fans, and I'd like to congratulate Gen Art on another successful year. For more, visit the official Gen Art website.

Part comedy, part dive bar concert film, there's a reason why Punching the Clown won the audience award at this year's Slamdance Film Festival (and has a chance to do the same at the Gen Art Film Festival): quite simply, it's just a damn good time. Based on the very real, very uncomfortable and very unfortunate life of up-and-coming comedic folksinger Henry Phillips, Punching the Clown is a low-budgeted ball of squishy hilarity that's easily digestible and destined to become an audience favorite. Following the screening I attended, director Gregori Viens said they were talking with different cable networks about making a deal to air the film on television with it cut up into episodic form. While I'm all in favor of getting this tasty nugget out there for all to see, someone has to pony up a little cash and chuck this sucker into theaters for at the very least a limited run. Punching the Clown is definitely a gotta-see-it-with-an-audience kinda flick.

And it feels awesome to say that without having to next mention some ludicrous amount of effects work, an obnoxious budget or a naked A-list actress. The film is like a buffet of comedy, with the audience member strolling through, sampling a set up, a pay off, a song, a cliched plot device and a little red meat along the way. You'll look at the guy next to you -- mouth full of the previous joke -- and you'll both nod knowingly and possibly high-five. That's the type of film it is; one of those with a tattoo that reads, "F*ck it, you're either with me or you're not"

If you're currently living (or crashing) in and around the New York City area (and you like movies), then there's absolutely no reason why you shouldn't be checking out the Gen Art Film Festival, which kicked things off Wednesday night with the premiere of Lymelife, followed by last night's premiere of the quirky-but-huggable Gigantic, and continues through to Tuesday, April 7. This weekend features a rather fantastic line-up of Peter and Vandy, My Suicide and Punching the Clown -- three films I whole-heartedly vouch for -- so get your ass over to Gen Art's website and snag yourself a ticket. Not only do you get to watch a feature and a short, but you also gain access to a hip-hoppin' after party with a three-hour open bar. Yes, I did just say three ... hour ... open ... bar!

I was fortunate enough to be on hand for the opening night premiere of Lymelife -- a moody late-seventies dramady surrounding two dysfunctional Long Island families who desperately want, need and lust after the things they think they want or need in order to achieve the "American Dream". The film, directed by Derick Martini (and co-written by Derick and his brother Steven, inspired by their own lives growing up) boasts what is perhaps one of the best ensemble casts I've seen so far this year -- including Alec Baldwin (who was on hand), Cynthia Nixon, Emma Roberts, Jill Hennessy, Timothy Hutton and sensational scene-stealing performances from Kieran and Rory Culkin, the former of which reminds me of a young Tobey Maguire. I'll be back with a full review of Lymelife next week, but in the meantime check out this video of opening night from my good pal DavidJr.com.



For more on the Gen Art Film Festival (including ticket information), visit their official website ... and make sure to say hey if you're heading over there this weekend.

As a programmer (my first time!) for the 2009 Gen Art Film Festival, I can tell you that finishing this slate was not easy. It required me (and a small group of others) to watch a lot of films ... and I mean a lot of films. The awesome part of this, though, is the discovery. Sure, you'll get the occasional mess -- but then sometimes you stumble across a brilliant piece of work that hasn't been seen by anyone yet, and you just know it's destined for greatness. With that said, the programming is now complete and I'm able to share with you the names of the films playing at this year's Gen Art Film Fest in New York City from April 1 to April 7.

The Sundance and Toronto hit Lymelife (we premiered the poster here) was chosen as this year's opening night film. It's a gem of a family drama starring Alec Baldwin and Cynthia Nixon (watch the trailer on Moviefone), and you should definitely look for it in theaters on April 8. Also from this year's Sundance fest is the romantic dramedy Peter and Vandy, starring my gal Jess Weixler and Jason Ritter. One of the more experimental and cult-ish films screening is My Suicide, which I whole-heartedly recommend as a deep, dark and oddly hilarious flick about the Me Generation. Julie Davis' Finding Bliss (starring Leelee Sobrieski, Denise Richards and Jamie Kennedy) was chosen to close out the fest, while Gigantic (Paul Dano, Zooey Deschanel), Punching the Clown (Slamdance audience award winner) and Picture Me: A Model's Diary (doc about a model) round out this year's slate.

As always, I'll be on the ground at the Gen Art fest looking for whatever I can wrap my brain around -- so definitely stay tuned. But, heck, if you're in the NYC area, you may as well check this sucker out for yourself. The fest runs from April 1-7, and you can find out much more (like how to buy tix) over at the official Gen Art Film Fest website.

Full press release after the jump

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Last night I attended the opening of the 2008 Gen Art Film Festival here in New York City, where the film Diminished Capacity enjoyed its New York premiere at the historic Ziegfeld Theater. Did you go? Really enjoyed this film; as one guy points out in the video above -- "it was cozy." That's exactly how I felt; it was this quiet little comedy starring Matthew Broderick as a guy suffering from memory loss due to a concussion who joins up with his Alzheimer's-impaired Uncle (Alan Alda) on a journey to a baseball memorabilia expo to sell a rare card. Great quirky characters (especially Dylan Baker as a crazed Cubs fan) and the kind of film that just leaves you with good vibes.

But anyway, our very good pal David Jr. is all over this year's festival (as he is every year) with his trusty video camera that tends to freak people out (watch Matthew Broderick's reaction). So if you weren't able to attend the festival last night, his videos give you a great glimpse at what it's like to enjoy a hot, hip Gen Art film event. Seriously, these people are very hot and very hip. I do not, in any way, shape or form, belong in their company. I'm just a slacker from Queens who's balding.

Enjoy the video. Visit DavidJr.com for more of his wacky videos. And head over to the official Gen Art Film Fest site to get tickets, see what's screening, blah blah blah. OH, and Diminished Capacity hits theaters on June 27. Go see it -- cute flick.

My favorite film festival of the year has just announced its slate, and it's a pretty darn good one. The Gen Art Film Festival, held annually in New York City, thrives in its simplicity. 7 shorts, 7 premieres and 7 parties over the course of -- you guessed it -- 7 nights. Does it get any better than that? And instead of trying to hassle your way onto the party guestlist (parties, mind you, which include open bars and are located at some of New York's hottest spots), all you have to do is buy a ticket for that night and you get into everything. Tell us more! Tell us more!

Okay, the fest runs April 2nd through April 8th, and things will kick off with an opening night at the historic Ziegfeld Theater featuring the film Diminished Capacity, starring Matthew Broderick, Virginia Madsen, Alan Alda and Dylan Baker. Other films include the Sundance fav Half-Life, Slamdance fav Frost, SXSW fav Cook County, an outstanding (from what I've heard) documentary called SurfWise, the horror mock Nightlife and the fest will close with Brad Furman's The Take. Tickets for each night run $30 for non Gen Art members and $25 for members, and you can also purchase passes for the entire festival. Cinematical will once again be on the ground throughout the fest, so definitely check back for our coverage.

For more on the festival, feel free to head on over to the official website.

Last night, Cinematical was on hand for the New York premiere of He Was a Quiet Man at the 2007 Gen Art Film Festival. Pic wrapped up what was a very exciting seven days, chock-full of some fantastic films that will soon be coming to a theater near you. Following the film, Jeffrey Abramson, Gen Art's VP of Film, announced that the documentary Sharkwater had won the Acura Grand Jury prize for best feature (check out our interview with Sharkwater director Rob Stewart from night 4) and a very cool short film, High Maintenance, won the Acura Grand Jury prize for best short.

On a personal level, this was a pretty cool night for me as I got to meet Christian Slater for the first time. In the video above, I speak with Slater about the film, his role (which has him playing a quiet and lonely cubicle hermit trying to decide whether or not he should listen to the voices in his head and shoot up the office he despises) and his future projects, which include a starring role in a big-screen adaptation of a graphic novel. Is Christian Slater hopping onboard the superhero bandwagon? You'll have to watch the video to find out. Also included is an interview with director Frank Cappello, who returns to the director's chair after a 12-year absence. Oh, and the very beautiful Elisha Cuthbert makes a brief appearance ... although her publicist wouldn't allow her to speak to Cinematical for some reason. She seemed nice though, albeit a tad tiny. I never knew she was that small.

As far as the film goes, it was pretty damn good. Imagine if the Milton character from Office Space was in a very very dark comedy; throw in some fantasy elements, a fantastic performance from Christian Slater and Elisha Cuthbert half naked in a wheelchair -- that's He Was a Quiet Man. With everything that's gone on recently over at the Virginia Tech campus, this was an interesting film to watch in that it really shows us how an ordinary man can be pushed so far, to a point where he contemplates killing those around him. Currently, domestic distribution is not set up, but we'll let you know when this sucker has a release date. Thanks again to Gen Art for hosting a wonderful festival, and for inviting Cinematical to be a part of it.

For more on He Was a Quiet Man, check out Jette's review from SXSW.

Note: Music from Madison Park

The 2007 Gen Art Film Festival is in full swing, and last night I stopped by to check out the New York premiere of Sharkwater, a fantastic new documentary directed by Rob Stewart. The theme of the night was 'green' -- a save the environment kind of thing -- and prior to the Sharkwater screening, they showed a wonderful short film called Gimme Green; needless to say, I will never look at watering the front lawn the same way again. Sharkwater is a very different type of documentary; not only are sharks represented as the good guys here, but the film -- which starts off as a calm, peaceful nature documentary -- quickly turns into a battle between the filmmakers and a group of illegal shark poachers, corrupt governments and the shark mafia (I swear, there's a shark mafia!).

Check out the video above, and definitely make sure you swing by Gen Art's official festival website for more information on the films, as well as to pick up tickets for the remaining nights.

Note: Music from Colors of a New Dawn.

Last night I had the chance to check out night three of this year's Gen Art Film Festival. For those not aware, Gen Art is an organization that promotes emerging talent in film, fashion and music -- and their annual film festival is something I truly look forward to each year. It takes place over the course of one week, and in that time seven films enjoy their New York premieres, followed by seven kick-ass after parties. The film that premiered here last night first made waves when it landed at Sundance (where Magnolia Pictures picked it up for distribution) and, after making a pit-stop at SXSW, The Signal finally arrived in New York City.

If you're the type that likes a little originality with your gory horror flicks, then The Signal is definitely your cup of tea. When a mysterious signal invades every cell phone, TV and radio, the folks on the other end turn to murder as if it's become the normal thing to do. The film was directed by three different guys (David Bruckner, Dan Bush, Jacob Gentry), and so it's divided into three completely unique sections, each with its own style, edge and personality. Prior to the screening, I managed to shoot a little video diary from the scene to give you at home a small glimpse into the Gen Art world. Apart from talking to two of the co-stars of The Signal, I also caught up with Gen Art Film Fest alum (and Cinematical friends), Arin Crumley and Susan Buice (co-writers/directors, Four Eyed Monsters), to ask them more about the festival process, as well as to find out what they're working on next. Tickets are still available for the remaining four nights, so head on over to the festival's official website and come join the party.

Note: Music from friends of lizzy.

The greatest thing about the Gen Art Film Festival is its simplicity. 7 nights. 7 premieres. 7 parties. That's it. That's all you need to know. The films are chosen for you; there's no giant slate to flip through and -- perhaps this is the best part -- all of the movies are screened in one venue. Of course, you do need to be in New York City in order to take full advantage of the fest; however, for the first time in its history, the Gen Art Film Festival will be heading to Chicago later this summer where they'll showcase five different films, as well as host five different parties.

Tonight, Gen Art kicks things off with Gary Walkow's Crashing, starring Campbell Scott, Isabella Miko and Lizzy Caplan. Story revolves around a writer whose wife kicks him out of their house, forcing him to crash with two sexy college students. Gosh, what a predicament! Other films screening include: When A Man Falls in the Forest, The Signal (yay!), Sharkwater, Chalk, You Are Here and He Was A Quiet Man. Cinematical will be on hand for a few of these nights, providing you with extensive coverage of the films, the stars and ... um, the open bar. That's right, each film is followed by a swanky after party at some of New York's finest hot spots (not that I'm, like, cool enough to know what's hot and what's not). Tickets are still available through the festival's website, so feel free to head on over there after you're done reading. I'll see you at the after party -- first drink is on me. Oh wait, they're free. Even better.