Robert Feinberg, whose day job is being the chief lawyer for New York’s public TV station Thirteen, has big plans. He’s organizing a Montclair International Film Festival to take place in November, 2011 and he wants it to be as cool as Sundance, with people “walking around in all black, drinking cappuccinos and going from movie to movie.” To that end, he’s opened a storefront space in the Clairidge Theatre building (donated by Dick Grabowsky) with a ribbon cutting, made up film festival caps and t-shirts, recruited local luminaries like Steve Adubato and Evie Colbert for his honorary board of directors, and convinced Montclair to close Church Street on three different nights this summer so people can come with lawn chairs and watch an outdoor movie. He’s meeting with Susan Cole, president of Montclair State University, next week to talk about partnerships with the school’s film department. He’s applied for 501(c)(3) non profit status, and is hoping to raise up to $1 million to run the festival.
He foresees a festival in which you could “go from venue to venue every couple of hours” seeing movies, using spaces like the Clairidge, the Wellmont and the old Luna Stage. The festival would be juried, and there would be prizes including a “finishing award” to help some worthy filmmaker finish an uncompleted film.

Continue Reading