!["The Girl Who Invented Kissing", "Almost Paris", and "Brooklyn in July" Are Big Winners At 2017 Golden Door International Film Festival](https://www.newjerseystage.com/events2017/RedCarpet.jpg ""The Girl Who Invented Kissing", "Almost Paris", and "Brooklyn in July" Are Big Winners At 2017 Golden Door International Film Festival")
(JERSEY CITY, NJ) -- The Golden Door International Film Festival (GDIFF) is known for star-studded galas and this year was no exception, with Red Carpet Events each night of the festival. Founded by Jersey City native Bill Sorvino, and named as the Best Film Festival in the state by NJ Stage Awards two years in a row, GDIFF brings the best of independent filmmaking to audiences, and also has a philanthropic mission to raise autism awareness through cinema. This year’s festival, held from October 5th through 8th, featured more than 175 movies at venues throughout Jersey City.
The Girl Who Invented Kissing, with the tagline "Every town needs a savior, but not every town can be saved" won four awards including Best Feature Film, Best Actor (Dash Mihok), Best Supporting Actor (Vincent Piazza), and Best Director (Tom Sierchio, a Bloomfield, NJ native.) Almost Paris directed by Dominic Cameron-Scorcese, took three awards, including Best Actress (Abigail Hawk), Best Supporting Actress (Susan Varon), and Best Screenplay (Wally Marzano-Lesnevich). Brooklyn in July won Best Feature, Best Director (Bob Celli) and Best Actor (Thaddeus Daniels) in the Short Film category.
Here is the full list of winning films :
LGBT - Easy, A 3 Minute Love Story
Music Video - Jersey Christmas
Best International Short Film - Lonely Souls of Microbes
Women in Cinema - Flush the John
Films For Raising Awareness - Amazing Things Happen
Best Feature Film - The Girl Who Invented Kissing
Best Director of a Feature Film - Tom Sierchio -- The Girl Who Invented Kissing
Best Actor in a Feature Film - Dash Mihok -- The Girl Who Invented Kissing
Best Actress - Abigail Hawk -- Almost Paris
Best Supporting Actor - Vincent Piazza -- The Girl Who Invented Kissing
Best Supporting Actress in a Feature Film - Susan Varon -- Almost Paris
Best Editing in a Feature Film - Good Bones
Cinematography in a Feature Film - Bird
Screenplay of a Feature Film - Almost Paris
Best Short Film - Brooklyn In July
Director of a Short Film - Bob Celli -- Brooklyn In July
Actor in a Short Film - Thaddeus Daniels -- Brooklyn In July
Actress in a Short Film - Linda Hamilton -- Shoot Me Nicely
Best Concept in a Short Film - Shoot Me Nicely
NJ Filmmakers of Tomorrow - Give Love
Student Film - The Next Epoch Seed Library
Local Film - Based on True Events
Documentary - The Bullish Farmer
The name Golden Door Film Festival was derived from the poem by Emma Lazarus which adorns the base of the Statue of Liberty (in Jersey City, New Jersey waters!). The final line of that poem reads “I lift my lamp beside the golden door”. Jersey City, New Jersey is that golden door and Ellis Island (also in Jersey City waters) served as the door to opportunity for several decades. Set with the backdrop of the beautiful New York City skyline, this four day film festival holds the opportunity for filmmakers, actors and crew to network with colleagues and share their work with the public in the heart of the NYC indie filmmaking landscape.
For more on the Golden Door International Film Festival visit www.goldendoorfilmfestival.org
