“The World’s Best Short Films” show reels into The Scottish Rite Auditorium on October 17th.Radio Legend Michael Tearson to host special evening of globally honored short films!
New York City’s longest-running short film exhibition and travel show, will partner with The Garden State Film Festival once again to present an entirely new line up of their nationally recognized “An Evening of the World’s Best Short Films,” sponsored by The South Jersey Film Office Cooperative. The show will take place at The Scottish Rite Auditorium, Collingswood, New Jersey on Thursday, Oct. 17th, 2024, with the first film blasting onto the screen at 7 p.m. This special screening of world-renowned short films from the past and present is strongly recommended for all audiences ages 16 and up.
Joining us as host this year is Michael Tearson. Michael helped start album rock radio as a college student on WXPN at the University of Pennsylvania in October 1967. It led to a career on WMMR doing late nights from 1970 to 1992, a reinvention of how to do radio. Later, he was on WMGK doing Saturday Morning ’60s from 2001 to 2012, and on Sirius/XM Deep Tracks from 2008 to 2015. Along the way, he also acted in about 50 films and television shows. After starting as a folk singer before his career in radio, he returned to performing and recorded an album, “Stuff That Works” (2011) and an EP, “Ruby’s Greatest Hit” (2013). He continues performing with his group, Michael Tearson & Co-Conspirators as well as doing weekly webcasts for free on radiothatdoesntsuck.com.
Included in the all new line up of films for this year’s show, is the short documentary “My Joy Has Arrived” about a Nigerian boy, Ayomide Ogunsola, finding joy through basketball despite the many hardships and pain that came with moving to the United States. The film was directed by Malcolm Smallwood and Briyel Brown while students at Winslow Township High School.
Eric Ascalon, Garden State Film Festival Board Chair and Cherry Hill resident, said, “We are thrilled to return to the Scottish Rite Auditorium for the second consecutive year. We are especially honored to have as our host for the evening Michael Tearson, a local resident who not only revolutionized rock radio, but who also has a wealth of experience in the film industry.”
Paula Lara, Director of The Scottish Rite Auditorium, remarked “We are so proud to be bringing back this important event.”
The Scottish Rite Auditorium is located 315 White Horse Pike, Collingswood, NJ. Tickets are $15 and available online at https://tickets.gsff.org/events/419 or at the door while supplies last.
Asbury Shorts USA, now in its 42nd year, is a New York City-based national touring showcase of the world’s most renowned short films, specially selected for audiences who do not regularly attend film festivals. This eclectic showcase combines award-winning films from the past with new global festival honorees, creating a rare opportunity for audiences to view world-class short films on a real cinema screen. Academy Award–nominated director Jason Reitman (Juno, Up in the Air, Thank You for Smoking, and Ghostbusters: Afterlife) called this event “the best short-film show I’ve ever seen.” The October presentation will feature the best in short film comedy, drama and animation in a fast-paced two-hour program.
“An Evening of the World’s Best Short Films” series has been presented at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; the Old Vic Theater in Chicago; Summer Stage in Central Park and the DGA Theater (Directors Guild of America) in Manhattan; the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica, California; Alamo Drafthouse in Dallas, Texas; Royal Festival Hall in London, U.K.; the Osprey Arts Center in Nova Scotia, Canada; The Vero Beach Museum of Art in Florida and other prestigious venues where audiences have enjoyed these amazing films.
For more information call 732-359-6467 or email info@gsff.org. Interested in volunteering for this event? Please contact Kristen Dirato at kristen@gsff.org
This program would not be possible without the gracious support of its presenting sponsor The South Jersey Film Office Cooperative, which was founded to highlight the unique assets the southern counties of New Jersey have to offer the film and television industry. Since the establishment of the Film and Digital Media Tax Credit Program, South Jersey has become a destination to produce independent films, major motion pictures and television series. South Jersey offers a vast landscape of urban areas, suburbs, rural farmland, waterways, and historical sites and unique settings.
About Asbury Shorts USA: Founded in 1981 on Long Island, Asbury Shorts USA was first presented at the Westbridge Playhouse and the Westbury Civic Center. In 1987, the show relocated to Manhattan and from then on has annually screened globally honored short films to this day, introduced by celebrity guest hosts. Since 2000, The Asbury Short Film Concert has reeled into theaters from Berlin to Los Angeles, with many other tour stops in between.
About the Garden State Film Festival: 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 has exceeded $10 million. It is held in Asbury Park and surrounding areas as well as Cranford, NJ. For more information, visit GSFF.org.
