Sopranos' Star comes to town for Cape May NJ Film Festival

Posted 11/15/04
CAPE MAY, N.J. –The quintessential Jersey kid who made it in the big time gets honored this weekend at the Cape May NJ Film Festival.

Joey Pantoliano is known to to many loyal fans as Ralph (Ralphie) Cifaretto on the HBO hit series The Sopranos. He grew up in Hoboken, NJ where he still has a residence.

He'll receive the 4th annual Cape May New Jersey State Film Festival’s Founders Award for Outstanding Contribution to New Jersey Film Arts at the Gala opening Friday night at Congress Hall.

Also duirng the Gala, the Festival's honoring two other Jersey boys who set the political and internet world abuzz this season with their cutting edge, animated political satires.

Gregg and Evan Spiridellis, founders of JibJab Media and creators of the animated song parody "This Land Is Your Land” will be the very first recipients of the festival's Award for Artistic Achievement and Innovation in New Media. The Spiridellis brothers were born in Marlboro, NJ and raised in central New Jersey.

The 4th Annual Cape May New Jersey Film Festival will be held Friday through Sunday, November 19th-21st, at various venues in Cape May.

The Festival is New Jersey’s premiere weekend film festival celebrating the best New Jersey films and filmmakers.

Among this years films, the festival features the New Jersey premiere of the film Ocean City, plus Wildwood Days and Merci Dry Rey, starring Diane Weist and Vanessa Redgrave. Those films will be shown Saturday evening at the Cape May Beach Theater.

Saturday afternoon, Gay Pioneers, about the gay rights demonstrations of the sixties, and Broken Silence, about a South Jersey Holocaust Survivor, will be shown during special workshops at Congress Hall.

A host of new, independent films will be shown from 10AM-5PM Saturday at the Cape May Beach theater.

Festival ticket packages range from $75 to $150.

Call (609) 884-6700 for more information.