Besides being hit comedies, the movies "Analyze This," "Home Alone" and "Working Girl" have another thing in common -- each was filmed partly on location on Staten Island.The Island has been the backdrop for scenes in numerous mega-movies, including "The Godfather," "War of the Worlds," "Annie Hall," "Scent of a Woman" and "GoodFellas."
But most people -- on and off the Island -- don't know this, which is why KeySpan is sponsoring the venues for the first Staten Island Film Festival, to be held June 1-4.
"We want to use the educational, cultural and entertainment value of the festival to showcase Staten Island as a great place to visit, live, work and invest," said Robert Moore, KeySpan vice president for gas sales and marketing in New York and Long Island. Moore, a member of the film festival board, spoke during a press conference yesterday at KeySpan's Bloomfield office.
The four-day Staten Island Film Festival will include the screening of more than 50 short and feature films at nine Island venues, including the Center for the Arts at the College of Staten Island, Snug Harbor Cultural Center, the St. George Theatre and the Staten Island Hotel.
There also will be an opening-night gala and film premiere, a panel discussion Saturday, evening parties Friday night at the Staten Island Hotel and Saturday night at the Noble Maritime Collection, as well as an awards ceremony and closing party Sunday.
Moore said he expects that the festival, which is being organized by the Staten Island Economic Development Corp. and presented by the Richmond County Savings Foundation, will draw attention to and generate more awareness of the borough.
"New York is obviously one of the most photographed cities in the world," said Moore. "Staten Island, of course, is part of this big city, yet for some reason there are some people who may not immediately think of Staten Island as being linked to New York's great movie heritage. But if you make time for it, you'll discover that the movie industry has been busy here for a great many years, and more filmmakers keep returning with each passing year."
The festival -- its theme is community and culture -- will feature a variety of films, including features, documentaries, shorts, animation, student projects, youth films and family-oriented films from local, national and international artists.
Currently, film festival organizers and consultants are in the process of selecting the films to be shown at the festival.
General admission for the festival will be $5 for adults; children (younger than 12) get in for free. Various ticket packages are also available.
Sponsoring organizations for the festival include the Staten Island Economic Development Corp., the Staten Island Board of Realtors Inc., the Building Industry Association of New York Inc. and the Jewish Community Center of Staten Island.
Honorary co-chairs for the event are Richard Diamond Jr., son of the late Advance publisher, and Sean Kelleher.
For more information on the festival, ticket information or how to volunteer, visit the festival's Web site at www.sifilmfestival.org.