Month: December 2024
Hidden Gems the theme for this year’s Filmmaker Challenge AP’N3
The Asbury Park Reporter
by Brenda Hamlet - November 15, 2024
The third annual AP’N3 Challenge Awards took place on Sunday, November 3rd at the Jersey Shore Arts Center. Eleven of the thirty-five entry films chosen as finalists were screened for the packed audience of filmmakers, friends and artists. Michael Sodano, Board President for Asbury Park Arts Council (APAC) together with Nancy Sabino, Executive Producer of AP’N3 Challenge were co-emcees for the popular event.
“AP’N3 is sponsored by the Asbury Park Arts Council and is intended to stimulate creativity and elevate film making in Asbury Park. Our entrants were given a theme/prompt, a location, a prop and a line that had to be included in the film. This year, a diverse range of films were made by locals, all with the same prompt and no budget. This year’s theme and prompt was ‘Hidden Gems in Asbury Park’. The film had to be made in Asbury Park, including a scene shot on St. John’s Island (Sunset Park), a map of Asbury Park, the AP’N3 logo and the line, What a Treasure. Contestants were given a two-week window in which to complete their film.”
The films were rated in 11 categories: original creativity, story, editing, sound, picture quality, lighting, theme, location, dialog, prop, and logo. The panel of judges chosen to review and rate the films included Paul Kaplan (Filmmaker), Jeff Lundenberger (Cinephile), Marci Mazzarotto (Executive Director, Bread & Roses Film Festival), Nancy Sabino (Executive Producer AP’N3), Jeffrey Seeds (Film & Internet Professional), and Matthew Whelan (Executive Director, AP Chamber of Commerce).
The show reel began with A Hidden Gem by Mike Gatta. The story follows a delivery man dispatched to deliver a package to someone, who does not show-up to receive the package. The delivery man’s grim discovery as to why the intended recipient does not arrive provides a darkly comic twist to his dilemma. Introducing his film, Gatta said he and his friends made it in a day.
The Curse of the Hidden Gem by Kyle DeMilner begins at The Paranormal Museum on Cookman. The protagonist, Dr. Neutrino, is an Elvis wannabe character looking for the hidden gem that will make him the King of Asbury Park. The madcap antics of Dr. Neutrino provide the suspense and humor of this short.
Tom Cavanaugh’s, What a Surprise, is a crime caper short inspired by his grandparents’ stories about managing the Santander Building on Deal Lake Drive many years ago. Three criminals plot to sell properties they don’t own to unsuspecting buyers; a con that almost makes them a lot of money.
Oddities of What and When and Why and How, takes the viewer on a supernatural trip around Asbury Park from The Paranormal Museum to St. John’s Island. Filmmakers Patrick Green and Ashley Woolsey Green said that Asbury has so many backdrops, that is makes it a fun place to make films.
Sarah Ixmucane Lekics film, Hunt, is a missing person story with a happy ending that celebrates the love between two women.
What a Treasure, by Salvatore Zeppi, takes its inspiration from the sinking of the SS Morro Castle, an American ocean liner that caught fire and ran aground onto the Asbury Park beach, September 8, 1934, on route from Havana, Cuba, to New York. The short was filmed in the style of a B&W silent film and follows the efforts of two pirates who try to locate treasure from the shipwreck.
Caryn Whitman’s, The Lure of Asbury Park, is based on the true story about a competition to catch a fish in Sunset Lake, a very fishy tale indeed.
The Mud Hole by Margaret Leland tells the poignant tale of our Black communities experience of Asbury Park beach during the 50’s-60’s, and the progress made since.
Jay Leibowitz’s, A Hidden Gem, is a music video complete with original music and lyrics written for the AP’N3, set in the Carousel and Sunset Park.
Listen, by Antonio Johnson considers the hidden gems of wisdom passed down through the lines of female matriarchs in his community.
Nicolas Wolf’s film, Residential Treasure, took First Place as both the judges and audience favorite for its darkly comic portrayal of a man haunted by Asbury Park’s own Tillie. The three minute black and white film was shot in the style of an anxiety film, or Twilight Zone episode, heightening the mysterious and climactic twist ending.
Tillie’s iconic image graces the landmark Wonder Bar This is Jersey TV After the screening, Michael Sodano announced a new collaboration between APAC and Asbury Park High School (APHS). Sodano said, “A portion of the ticket sales proceedings will go toward the establishment of a filmmaking course at APHS.” Incoming Principal Perry Medina spoke at the event to announce his plans to expand the school’s arts offerings for students and to thank APAC for helping APHS, “to operate from a place of access and opportunity.”
Asbury Park Chamber of Commerce, Jules Plangere Jr. Family Foundation, Manasquan Bank Charitable Foundation, McLoone’s Asbury Park, and Monmouth Arts, provided additional sponsorship and support, including ticket sales for the awards ceremony.
Asbury Park’s AP’N3 Film Festival showcases local filmmakers in their natural habitat
Monmouth Arts
December 2, 2024
In 2022, the Asbury Park Arts Council posed a bold challenge to local residents: write, shoot, edit, and score a three-minute movie over the course of three weeks. The result was AP’N3, the newest cinematic tradition within the community. This year marked the third installment of the film festival, with enthusiasm for it at an all-time high.
Ocean Grove’s Jersey Shore Arts Center was packed on Nov. 3 for the AP’N3’s Premiere Screening, with viewers of the 11 films (typically, there were 10 films shown, but two of them this year had the same numerical score in the rankings) that made the finals. Proceeds from AP’N3’s screening went to further support the arts in Asbury Park, as well as funding programming for Asbury Park High School’s students’ access to the audio and visual field.
The AP Arts Council describes AP’N3 as “a storytelling activity for filmmakers to engage with the community in a positive light, and use imagination, teamwork, and video technology. The timed aspect of the format creates a production that leans on spirit and enthusiasm for a participatory reflection of the uniqueness of our small town.”
Short films ranged from comedies to documentaries, dramas to black-and-white silent films, and all of them celebrated Asbury Park. With contestants receiving a phrase that must be included in the film–this year’s being “What a treasure!”– an item (a map) to be used in the shoot, and a location in mind – St. John’s Island – filmmakers got to work. The best of the best were showcased at the premiere, and awards were given to first, second and third place winners, as well as an audience favorite.
The films featured were, “A Hidden Gem,” “Curse of Hidden Gem,” “What a Treasure,” “Oddities of What When Why How Where,” “Hunt,” “What a Treasure,” “Lure of Asbury Park,” “The Mud Hole,” “What a Treasure,” “Listen!,” and “Residential Treasure.” The films all did an excellent job of truly demonstrating what makes Asbury Park so unique. Listen! highlighted the elderly community of the town, while others featured locations like the Paranormal Bookstore, the boardwalk and beach, and the town’s unofficial mascot, Tillie.
Nicholas Wolf, Director of “Residential Treasure,” won First Place overall as well as the Audience Favorite award.
“I was not expecting to get ‘Audience Favorite,’ and was thoroughly excited to win that. There were great films all around,” he said. “I’ve never won first place for anything before.”
Carrie Turner, Executive Director of the Asbury Park Arts Council, said: “The fun and excitement of Premiere Night is unbeatable! The AP’N3 allows us to celebrate storytelling from diverse perspectives and it is always touching to hear the filmmakers introduce their work, adding a deeper dimension to the story the audience sees on screen. We are so appreciative that the community continues to show up for the AP’N3, both those who make the films and those who come out on Premiere Night to watch them. This year we were particularly honored to have the principal of Asbury Park High School attend and speak on connecting students to the arts and film in particular. APAC is looking forward to a fruitful collaboration to support this vision for Asbury Park students.”
The Asbury Park Arts Council is especially excited to showcase the filmmaking talent of Asbury Park. While the town is famous for its music scene ever since artists like Bruce Springsteen and Southside Johnny helped usher The Stone Pony and the Jersey Shore sound overall into the limelight, denizens of New Jersey might not be aware of the other artistic aspects of the town. While visual arts projects like Wooden Walls might captivate tourists and locals alike, community events like AP’N3 demonstrate yet another medium that its residents excel in.
Mike Sodano, President of the Asbury Park Arts Council, said, “The turnout really blew us away. The best part is that it’s local. The space is great. It’s just a great night at the movies. Everyone who came supports movies. That’s really important. We’re doing our best to elevate filmmaking in Asbury Park. We want to tell everyone, ‘Film is here, too. We have such a great talent pool in Asbury Park and in Monmouth County.”
Asbury Park has long offered a plethora of opportunities for artists. The AP Arts Council seeks to ensure that the arts can thrive both in town and beyond. This nonprofit rightfully believes that the local arts are integral to Asbury Park’s identity and aims to preserve that aspect of the town. The nonprofit offers other events and programs other than AP’N3. These include Film Maker Meet Ups, the Spring 2024 Mural Project, For Artists’ Sake Lecture Series, Wooden Walls, and more.
The Council, its staff and the community are excited for 2025 and beyond for both the town and future yearly celebrations of AP’N3. Judge of this year’s films and previous winner of AP’N3, Asbury Park Chamber of Commerce Director Matthew Whelan, said, “The Asbury Park Chamber of Commerce was thrilled to be a partner in the AP’N3 again this year. As a judge and a past winner of the challenge, I was very impressed with the caliber of films we received this year. Kudos to all the filmmakers. I’m also impressed with how the event continues to grow year after year, which is a true testament to the hard work of Mike Sodano and the Asbury Park Arts Council. Congratulations to the winners, and I can’t wait to see what the 2025 AP’N3 will bring!”
To learn more about AP’N3, the Asbury Park Arts Council, and how to support local artists, head to asburypartartscouncil.org