Cranford Film Festival – April 30
Cranford Schools Friends of Performing Arts welcomes you to its second annual Cranford Film Festival in downtown Cranford! This year, the festival is part of a day-long celebration of the arts!
Saturday, April 30, will open with live performances from students at Cranford High School and also from Cranford artists such as the Cranford Dramatic Club, Beyond Dance, Yvette’s and Shining Stars. This “ arts in the park” free event is being held with Downtown Cranford and hopes to reconnect our residents and children with the arts and downtown. The live performances will end with a large community drum circle for everyone to participate in. Many thanks to realtor Julie Murphy, the main sponsor of Cranford Arts Day.
A picture donated by Frank Little, a well-known resident photographer, will be auctioned off, with proceeds benefiting CSFOPA.
And then in the evening, local and worldwide films will be showcased in person at the Cranford Theater from 6-10 p.m. on Saturday, April 30. You need tickets for the film festival, and they are now on sale at Cranfordfilmfestival.org.
“We have lots of quality films that everyone will enjoy seeing,” said Lew Goldstein, film festival director. “We look forward to having the festival be the conclusion of arts day and the community coming and supporting it another year.” Goldstein, a Cranford resident, also runs the very successful Nassau Film Festival in Princeton.
Cranford Film Festival was developed by CSFOPA, a non-profit, to celebrate the arts and to raise money to support the performing arts at the Cranford High School and within the public school district. Its first festival was last year during the pandemic and was held virtually. This year’s festival will have a two-week virtual option along with the in-person event.
“We are so excited to be partnering with the Cranford Theater this year and offer a live event,” said Pam Brewster Rosenthal, film festival co-chair with CSFOPA board member Stephanie Levine. “There is something to the magic of seeing your work on the big screen in a real movie theater with your friends and family.”
Levine and Rosenthal hope the festival will spur other local teens to try creating videos with the hope of coming to see them in the theater.
Filmmaker Peter Collier grew up in Cranford and was excited to have his film, SantaForce ,featured in last year’s festival. In fact, the Cranford Film Festival will feature a special section of local works.
“It’s so wonderful (and long overdue) that Cranford finally has its own film festival!” said Cranford resident and filmmaker Peter Collier. “I think it’s so beneficial for students (and anyone interested in film) to be able to create and showcase their work. I wish I had these resources available when I was a student at CHS. It would have helped me realize earlier that a career in TV/Film is possible.”
CSFOPA has raised more than $25,000 to support and enrich the arts in the public schools. During the past four years, the non-profit helped to fund an upgraded stage curtain and valance at the high school, new classroom chairs, a bus for the state-wide acting competition, a master class and performance for the chorus, a drumset for jazz band, a xylophone for the band, a cello rack for the orchestra, a conductor’s stand, tents for outdoor classrooms for the middle schools and field trips. We’ve also advocated for more funding for our students’ programs.
So many businesses have stepped up so far to help and be a part of the day. In addition to Julie Murphy, CSFOPA would like to thank sponsors, including Martin’s Jewelers, A&W Chiropractic, Sharon Steele Real Estate, Periwinkles, The Artist Framer, the Charles Dooley Funeral Home, Simply, Dim Sum, Bell’s Pharmacy, Rustic Mill, Coldwell Banker, Delice Macaroons, Subology, Garlic Rose, Bel Giordino, Vanilla Bean, HomeGotOwned mortgages, Steve Oliveira-Coldwell Banker Realty, FiloSofi Arts, Mr. Bin’s sushi.
