(ASBURY PARK, NJ) -- March is the month for the Wearin’ of the Green and the Garden State Film Festival will feature four Irish-themed films in celebration. The annual festival returns for its 20th anniversary this March 23 to 27 for live in-person events and the new virtual showcase on March 28 to April 3. “Asbury Park was my cultural mecca as a child and it was important to bring back the vitality the city once had,” said founder Diane Raver.

Leading off the Irish venue this year, direct from Ireland, is Redemption of a Rogue. This comedy follows Jimmy, who carries around a black leather doctor’s bag containing the rope he plans to hang himself with. Filled with guilt and shame, he returns to his hometown just in time to witness his ailing father’s last breath on a thundering, rainy day. But there is a condition in the will: His father cannot be buried on a wet day. Stuck in this “Groundhog Day”-like purgatory, days roll into weeks as Jimmy seeks redemption with plenty of laugh-out-loud twists.

Written and directed by Philip Doherty, it stars Aaron Monaghan, Aisling O’Mara, and Kieran Roche. The New Jersey premiere will take place at the Asbury Lanes on Friday, March 25 as part of the Twentieth Anniversary red carpet star studded gala celebration starting at 7:00pm. Cast and crew will be in attendance for a talk back after the film.

Next up is the documentary, Hollywood Priest: The Story of Father “Bud” Kieser. Produced by Thomas Gibbons and Maria Elena Pineda, it features appearances by Bob Newhart, Martin Sheen, Ed Begley, Jr., and others, and tells the inspiring story of how this one man stayed true to his faith and used the media to spread the good word, all while enlisting the help of some of Hollywood’s most well-known names, of all faiths. and for no compensation. 

The East Coast premiere will take place at the The Berkeley Oceanfront Hotel Kingsley Ballroom, BK19 Film Block on Saturday, March 26 at 3:45pm. Cast and crew will be in attendance for a talk back after the film.

Another documentary is on the docket with Coogan’s Way, directed by Glenn Osten Anderson. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, New York City’s Washington Heights neighborhood was considered the epicenter of America’s crack cocaine epidemic. Amid gang wars, street riots and growing tensions between citizens and police, the community needed a safe space, a political hub, a cultural center, and a home away from home. Coogan's Way is the story of how a small bar and restaurant that welcomed all races, religions and interests became a force for good in the community—and how decades later, when the owners were faced with the challenges of a rapidly changing New York City real estate market, their diverse and dynamic clientele fought for this beloved institution. Among those interviewed are journalist Jim Dwyer, former Congressman Charles Rangel and Luis Miranda, the father of Lin-Manuel Miranda.

The Asbury Park premiere will take place at the Asbury Lanes in the AL8 Film Block on Saturday, March 26 at 8:30pm. Cast and crew will be in attendance for a talk back after the film.

This year’s GSFF’s Irish venue concludes with LoveLetters Profiles, directed by John Sabia and produced by Mike Farragher of Shamrocks Productions. Based on a true story from an actual dating profile business, the film follows the twist and turns of the first date of “The Catholic Cougar,” as the meet-up goes sideways thanks to a misunderstanding about what “transitions” means to each party.

The Asbury Park premiere will take place at the Jersey Shore Arts Center in the JS37 Film Block on Sunday, March 27 at noon.

You may purchase an In-Person Multi-Pass that grants access to all In-Person Films, March 23-March 27, 2022, for $75 or choose a Saturday In-Person Day Pass for $30 and a Sunday In-Person Day Pass for $20.  All In-Person single screening block tickets are $15 in advance or $17 at the door while supplies last.

The Garden State Film Festival is a 501-c-3 non-profit organization, created to promote the art of filmmaking on all levels. This globally recognized festival also provides creative arts education programs and creates a forum where local and international independent filmmakers can exhibit their work. Their outreach programs also support the U.S. Military, seniors, children and the underserved.  Since 2003, thousands of films have made their public premieres, hundreds of thousands of people from around the world have attended; and the total infusion of cash to local businesses since inception exceeds $9 million. It is held in Asbury Park and surrounding area as well as Cranford, NJ.