Nearby Film Festival To Feature Teaneck Resident’s Work

Jack Gattenella has come a long way from his days of only watching movies on the big screen.

The 27-year-old Teaneck resident now writes and directs his own short films and currently is working on a feature-length movie called Green Eyes that he hopes to begin shooting this summer.

Two of his latest short films, Jealous Jerzy and Lines of Glory (which was done in collaboration with writer/director/producer Zack Abramowitz), will be shown Thursday evening during the seventh-annual Bergenfield Film Festival at Clearview Cinema 5 Theater.

Gattanella said he heard about the festival last year through word of mouth, and that someone from the festival also encouraged him to submit some of his work.

“I was hoping at least one of the films that I sent would be chosen,” he said. “I was flabbergasted when both got in.”

Gattanella explained that Jealous Jerzy (14 minutes) is a drama about a guy picking up some dinner and then whose mind starts to wander about a possible affair his girlfriend is having with her boss. Lines of Glory (21 minutes) is a “mockumentary” that follows a director (played by Gattanella) and his cast and crew as they work on their next film.

“But the director is unstable, and his actors are at his mercy,” said Gattanella. “It’s filmed kind of like how The Office is shot – where the crew speaks to the camera and talks about their reactions to what’s going on.”

Both films have appeared separately at other nearby film festivals, including Anthology Film Archives in New York, NY Film Fest (not to be confused, Gattanella said, with the New York Film Festival) and Queens World Film Festival.

Those who watch Jealous Jerzy may recognize some Teaneck locations, which include streets near where Gattanella lives on the Bogota/Teaneck border. The restaurant featured in the film from where the main character gets his dinner is on Cedar Lane.

“I’m especially happy to get both films shown at the film festival,” said Gattanella. “The festival has a strong lineup of films, and it’s great how people come together to support this event; you get a real sense of community.”

SUPPORTING INDEPENDENT FILMMAKERS

Film festival coordinator Ann Marie Cassar said the festival actually used to be a part of a larger art event that was held at Bergenfield High School. When the filmmakers asked to create their own festival, Cassar approached Clearview Cinema 5 Theater for help.

“They donate their five theater rooms for that one day,” she said. “It’s such a blessing because every year we get bigger. We have nearly 30 films showing this year.”

Cassar said the goal of the film festival is to provide a venue for independent filmmakers, who she said often work regular jobs while at the same time pursuing their passion for making movies.

Six people, including Cassar, make up the all-volunteer, nonprofit organization called the Bergenfield Film Coalition, which is a subcommittee of the Bergenfield Community Center Building Fund Committee (BCCBF).

“All the proceeds from the festival go to the BCCBF Committee, which sponsors the film festival and is raising money to build a community center in town,” said Cassar, who added that the BCCBF Committee so far has secured the land for the center.

Thursday night’s festival will feature seven films that are more than 1½ hours long, and the rest will vary from 2 to 60 minutes in length.

“I encourage attendees to visit the website to view the screening times of each film, so they can plan which movies to want to see,” Cassar said. “Guests can stay as long as they want and view as many movies as they’d like.”

Tickets cost $12 for adults and $10 for seniors and students. Those who contact Cassar for tickets prior to Thursday evening can save $2 per ticket. She can be reached at 201-385-7320 or at annmariecassar@gmail.com.