(ASBURY PARK, NJ) -- Marci Mazzarotto, associate professor of communication at Georgian Court University, will celebrate the release of her new book, The Jersey Shore on Film, with a public launch event on Saturday, July 18, 2026 from 5:00pm to 7:00pm at the Parlor Gallery in downtown Asbury Park.
From the boardwalk to the bay, the Jersey Shore boasts a rich but somewhat overlooked history of filmmaking along its 130 miles of beautiful coastline. Through extensive research, Mazzarotto profiles more than 140 films, spanning 110 years, along with sundry TV shows and music videos that contribute to the richness of Jersey Shore’s film history.
“After years of dedicated research, I am incredibly proud and happy to finally be able to share this wonderful little book with the public,” says Mazzarotto. “The idea for this project first came about in 2019, after noticing quite a large gap in the documented history of cinema in New Jersey, particularly throughout the Jersey Shore.”
The event features a book signing and opportunity for guests to further explore Jersey Shore’s fascinating cinematic history that is extensively documented in the first and only book on the subject. Book copies will be available to purchase for $25 - Cash, Venmo & PayPal accepted. Parlor Gallery is located at 717 Cookman Avenue in Asbury Park, New Jersey.
“While the book is written by an academic, it is not academic in tone,” Mazzarotto explains. “The book was written to be fun and informational for either the ardent lover of film and the Jersey Shore or the casual bookstore visitor - either way, I guarantee that every reader will discover a tidbit of history that they did not know before.”
Atlantic City, the Garden State’s most iconic town, has been featured in dozens of critically acclaimed films, including The King of Marvin Gardens (1972), Atlantic City (1980), and Desperately Seeking Susan (1985). Asbury Park, though largely known for its music scene, has graced the screen in numerous films, music videos, and television shows set and produced within the city’s mere 1.61 square miles of land and water, including The Wrestler (2008), I Saw the TV Glow (2024), and Deliver Me from Nowhere (2025).
Cinematic gems like Coyote Ugly (2000), Amityville Horror (1979), A Complete Unknown (2024), and many others were produced on location from South Amboy to Cape May. And of course, there is Kevin Smith, the Red Bank native whose cinematic love letters to his home state helped change the face of independent film.
