Bergen County's past, present and future in movies will be the focus of a free presentation Tuesday at Bergen Community College in Paramus.
The Bergen LEADS Class of 2016 spent 10 months studying and researching the industry's history in the county for "Take 2, Bergen: Bergen County Film Through the Years" from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. at the Ciccone Theater. It also will provide current key film locations and offer recommendations to increase the number of movies made in the area. Industry notables Roger Paradiso and Gary Donatelli will moderate the discussion. Paradiso is the writer, producer and director of the Broadway play "Tony ‘N’ Tina’s Wedding," starring Mila Kunis and Joey McIntyre, and executive producer for the film "City By The Sea" with Robert DeNiro and Frances McDormand. He is also the co-producer of the "Thomas Crown Affair," starring Pierce Brosnan and Rene Russo. Donatelli, a seven-time Emmy Award winning director and producer, directed several daytime dramas, including "One Life to Live," "General Hospital" and "The Bold and The Beautiful." There will be a vendor fair and networking session after the presentation featuring the Fort Lee Film Commission, the New Jersey Television & Motion Picture Commission, Fairleigh Dickinson University Film, TV, & Original Content Production, Sixth Borough Media and Bergen Community College Theater. Bob Rotay of Edgewater had only three things to do: cook dinner, take out the trash and write a play.
It was 2013 and the Michigan engineer’s then-12-year-old daughter, Rachel, had just finished another musical composition, and Rotay’s wife, Susan, wanted to see it come to life. Fast forward two years and the family’s work — “Glockcoma,” starring Loni Ackerman of Broadway’s “Cats” — is running in the Midtown Theater Festival. “I learned a lot of practical things as an engineer that have lent themselves well to writing a play,” said Rotay, a diagnostics engineer for General Motors staying in Edgewater while the play runs in New York. “Engineers always understand the scope and boundary of a project. “And a play is a product of design with scope,” he explained. First thing Rotay did was Google “how to write a play.” After 20 unhelpful minutes, he said, the engineer got to work. He began by adopting the metaphors found in the lyrics and constructing a story. “Smiling faces fill the spaces left behind broken frames forgotten names as time goes by.” — Turning Pages, Rachel Rotay."Glockcoma" zooms the lens back on the life of an elderly yet talented woman living alone in a New York City apartment who examines her life as it comes to a close. Those who’ve read the script do the same in turn. “Who goes to New York and drops $1,000 on plays?” Rotary asked. “Fifty to 70-year-olds and this means more to them than someone who’s 20." The show will also run in the New York New Works Theatre Festival at the end of August. “The play is very reflective,” he said. “From what i’ve been told you think about yourself and you think about others and I think that’s good.”
Actress Lea Michele came to books and greetings in Northvale, NJ NORTHVALE, N.J. — "You've Got Mail" may have predicted the demise of local bookstores as they failed to compete with large chains. In Northvale, Books & Greetings proves the opposite is true. "We offer so much more than just buying a book. We sell books the old fashion way — we read them," Owner Kenny Sarfin said. Sarfin has been in the bookstore business for over 35 years. His family previously owned a bookstore in Manhattan before he opened Books & Greetings nearly 10 years ago. The store's name touches on Sarfin's hope that everyone feels welcomed in the store. The welcoming presence comes in different forms, whether its kids enjoying the large toy section or Sarfin's attempts to represent multiple points of view. "It's a bookstore, we have to promote both sides. We're not biased toward anyone or any one thing."The store's employees have their own tastes and interests to help customers get an in-depth opinion on the various books sold in the store. Sarfin personally enjoys mysteries from authors like James Patterson, Vince Flynn and John Sandford. Books & Greetings has gained a reputation for numerous events and book signings with a range of authors. Many celebrities pass through the store, including Nicholas Sparks, Regis Philbin, Julie Andrews and Shaq. Some local authors have also been invited such as Ann Arnold from Closter and Old Tappan resident Carol Roth. The store integrates with the local community. A Demarest hockey team plans on working with Books & Greetings for a fundraiser weekend, the owner said. Any customer who mentions the team while purchasing a book will have 20 percent of their purchase donated to the local team. The exact date of this planned fundraiser has not been decided yet. All events are highly advertised through local avenues or the store's email list which has over 10,000 subscribers. Books & Greetings is located in the shopping center at 271 Livingston Street, Northvale, N.J. |
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