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The Connecticut Film Festival, which took
place this past weekend in Danbury and Bethel, Connecticut, offered a creative
mix of programming, educational seminars and special events. In all, some 75
films were showcased at the 4 day event. An extensive boot camp of educational
seminars was geared to local and visiting filmmakers, new media entrepreneurs
and television producers.

Highlights included an master class by Focus Features president Andrew
Karpen, a screening of SACRED
SCIENCE, a compelling documentary about the natural cures for diseases that
may be growing wild in the Amazon and a spicy double bill of comedy on Saturday
night that includes award winners from the LA
Comedy Shorts Film Festival and the screening of the instant cult classic VARLA JEAN AND THE MUSHROOM HEADS.

The
Festival, which opened with the world premiere of Wall Street expose CONFIDENCE GAME and two shorts films by
actor/director/activist Matthew Modine, is committed to
showcasing quality independent and international films for Connecticut’s
discriminating audiences, ended with a moving film screening of MORE TO LIVE FOR, an emotionally
involving documentary about three differing individuals who are linked by
stories of life, death and courage. One of the people profiled is jazz master Michael
Brecker, whose bout with cancer and need for a transplant, is one of
the lynch pins of the film. A special post-screening concert of jazz maestros
was assembled on the stage of the historic Palace
Theater in downtown Danbury to honor the late Brecker and to bring
awareness of the importance of organ donations. For full coverage of the
Festival, visit: www.ctfilmfest.com

Sandy Mandelberger, Film New York Editor