Gen Art Film Fest Kicks Off April 7th in NYC

The 15th Anniversary of the Gen Art Film Festival presented by Acura kicks off on April 7, 2010 in New York City at the Ziegfeld Theatre.

The stand out festival allows film lovers to experience a movie premiere like a true insider. Each night of the fest is an interactive experience, allowing filmmakers, media, and the audience to share in the excitement. The remaining nights of the festival will be taking place at the Visual Arts Theater at 333 West 23rd Street.

Here’s a look at the entire line up:

Opening Night April 7:

happythankyoumoreplease

Directed by Josh Radnor

Starring: Josh Radnor, Malin Akerman, Kate Mara, Zoe Kazan, Pablo Schreiber, Tony Hale and Richard Jenkins

Sam Wexler’s not having a great day. Hungover and late for an important meeting with an editor at a major publishing house, Sam watches helplessly as a young child gets separated from his family on the subway. Unable to locate the missing family, Sam ends up taking the boy to his meeting (which – surprise, surprise – doesn’t go well) and eventually, upon learning he’s just been placed in his seventh foster home, takes the boy back to his apartment. Thus begins a unique and touching friendship between Sam, the struggling writer, and Rasheen, the lost child. Our story then widens to include others in Sam’s social circle: Annie, Sam’s best friend from college, stricken with two ailments: an auto-immune disorder which has rendered her hairless and taste in men who confirm her very worst insecurities and suspicions about herself; Charlie and Mary Catherine, a loving couple whose argument over a possible move to Los Angeles (he wants to go, she’d rather gouge her eyes out with a butter knife) leads Mary Catherine to suspect that Charlie might want out of the relationship, unaware that Mary Catherine is pregnant; And finally: Mississippi, a cabaret singer who catches Sam’s eye but fears that Sam might be just the latest in a long line of disastrous decisions she’s made when it comes to romance. Written and directed by Josh Radnor, the star of the Emmy-nominated comedy “How I Met Your Mother,” and featuring original songs by New York-based singer-songwriter Jaymay, “happythankyoumoreplease” is that rare film that captures a generational moment – young people on the cusp of truly growing up, tiring of their reflexive cynicism, each in their own ways struggling to connect and define what it means to love and be loved.

The After Party will be held at The Park, 18 10th Ave between 17th and 18th St.

Thursday, April 8:

Waiting For Forever

Directed by James Keach

Starring: Rachel Bilson, Tom Sturridge, Jamie King, Scott Mechwolicz, Matthew Davis, Richard Jenkins and Blythe Danner

Best friends while they were growing up, Emma (Bilson) and Will (Sturridge) lost touch a long time ago—as far as she knows. To Will, Emma never stopped being the most important person in his life. Believing them to be forever linked, he goes wherever she goes. Will doesn’t have a home, a car, or a “real” job. He survives on his talent as a juggler and entertainer—talents honed through years of showing off for Emma. When her father gets sick, Emma returns to their hometown, trying to leave behind her complicated love life and failing career as a TV actress. As its characters face love, death and their own preconceptions, WAITING FOR FOREVER questions the realities of life.

The After Party will be held at SL, 409 W 14th St between 9th and 10th Ave.

Friday, April 9:

Elektra Luxx

Directed by Sebastian Gutierrez

Starring: Carla Gugino, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Timothy Olyphant, Malin Akerman, Adrianne Palicki, Marley Shelton, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Justin Kirk

Pregnant porn star Electra Luxx (Carla Gugino) is trying to make a living teaching sex classes to housewives. But her life is thrown into disarray when a flight attendant (Marley Shelton) with ties to Electra’s past approaches her for a favor. Chaos ensues as fiancees, private investigators, a twin sister and even the Virgin Mary force her to face up to an unexpected series of decisions and revelations.

The After Party will be held at Hudson Terrace, 621 W 46th St between 11th and 12th Ave.

Saturday, April 10:

Teenage Paparazzo

Directed by Adrian Grenier

Starring: Adrian Grenier, Austin Visschedyk, Matt Damon, Eva Longoria, Paris Hilton, Perez Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, Alec Baldwin and Whoopi Goldberg

Teenage Paparazzo is a film that documents the true story of a relationship between a 14 year paparazzo (Austin Visschedyk) and Adrian Grenier (star of the HBO series Entourage). The film shows what happens when Adrian, inspired by a chance encounter with Austin outside a club, decides to turn the cameras on the paparazzi for a change. But what begins as an effort to document Austin’s world, turns into a personal challenge as Adrian is forced to take responsibility for his influence on the boy’s life. As Austin succumbs to the lure of fame, Adrian sets out to understand what makes that lure so powerful, hoping that he and Austin can find something more authentic than the relationship of mutual exploitation that now exists between them.

After Party: TBA

Sunday Night April 11:

The Wild Hunt

Directed by Alexandre Franchi

Starring: Mark A. Krupa, Ricky Mabe, Tiio Horn, Trevor Hayes, Nicolas Wright, Terry Simpson, Claudia Yurt, Kent McQuaida and Kyle Gatehouse

The Wild Hunt tells the story of Erik Magnusson, a young man who decides to follow his estranged girlfriend Evelyn into a medieval re-enactment game when he discovers that she has been seduced by one of the players. As the down-to-earth Erik treks deeper into the game in search of his love, he inadvertently disrupts the delicate balance of the make believe fantasy-land. Passions are unleashed. Rules are broken. Reality and fantasy collide. The good-hearted game turns into a tragedy of mythic proportion…

After Party: TBA

Monday April 12:

Tanner Hall

Directed by Francesca Gregorini and Tatiana Von Furstenberg

Starring: Rooney Mara, Brie Larson, Georgia King, Amy Ferguson, Tom Everett Scott, Amy Sedaris and Chris Kattan

Tanner Hall is a vivid peek into the private world of an all-girls boarding school. In a cozy but run down New England, the knot of adolescent complexity is unraveled through the coming-of -age stories of four teenage girls. When the bond of close-knit friendship is jeopardized by the arrival of the new girl, our protagonist finds love elsewhere, in the secret world of her after-school dates with a married man. Unknowingly, each of the girls embarks on life altering journeys, which help define who they will become. Meanwhile, the adults in their world struggle with the equally challenging hurdles of middle age.

The After Party will be held at Avenue, 116 10th Ave, between 17th and 18th St.

Closing Night, April 13:

Mercy

Directed by Patrick Hoelck

Starring: Scott Caan, Wendy Glenn, Troy Garity, Erika Christensen, Alexie Gilmore, John Boyd, Dylan McDermott and James Caan

Johnny Ryan (Scott Cann) is a successful young romance novelist who doesn’t actually believe in love. When he meets the beautiful and mysterious Mercy (Wendy Glenn) at the launch party of his latest book, Johnny’s world is suddenly turned upside down. Shockingly, she is the only major critic who dislikes his book. A cynic by nature, Johnny becomes determined to find the depth that Mercy says he is lacking and, in the process, falls in love. With an all star supporting cast including James Caan and Dylan McDermott MERCY explores the struggle of maintaining a relationship, and the possibility of losing it all.

The After Party will be held at Blvd, 116 10th Ave, between 17th and 18th St.

Tickets:

Tickets and all-access passes are available to the public. Individual tickets which include the premiere and party cost $25-35, and Full Festival passes cost $125-150.

All Access Festival Passes grant holders express access to all seven film premieres and after-parties, and reserved seating for all premieres.

For more information, tickets and schedule, please visit Gen Art’s website at www.genart.org/filmfestival or call(212) 255-7300.

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