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3. The 2010 Connecticut Film Festival, which launches on Tuesday in the historic city of Danbury, Connecticut about 50 miles north of New York City, could very well be given the moniker "North By Northeast". This is not a geographic description nor a play on words of a classic Hitchcock thriller. It is, in fact, a nod to the multi-media event known as South By Southwest (SXSW), which takes place in edgy Austin, Texas each February. The Connecticut Film Festival is taking a nod from the success of that Texas event, by presenting a stimulating program of exciting film premieres, cutting-edge new media demonstrations, informative seminar events and a music festival featuring outstanding local musical talents. It is a potent mix that should put both the Connecticut Film Festival and Connecticut squarely on the national map of artistic excellence and invention.

Denny Tedesco 

The Festival will present 250 events over 6 nights, with a mix of film, music, digital media and seminars to appeal to the broad base of its audiences. Festivities begin on Tuesday night with the premiere of the musical documentary THE WRECKING CREW, directed by Denny Tedesco and presented by sponsor Union Savings Bank. The film tells the untold story of the studio musicians wo shaped the sound of the American Pop industry in the 1960s and 1970s and influenced generations of musicians to come.  As an event that brings together film and music, the Opening Night Premiere is a perfect launch for the multi-media nature of the Festival.

Rare footage showcases the contributions of these unheralded musicians who played back to some of the era's most famous bands, including The Beach Boys, The Byrds, The Monkees, Nancy Sinatra, Sonny and Cher, Jan & Dean, Gary Lewis and the Playboys, Mamas and Papas, Tijuana Brass, Ricky Nelson, Johnny Rivers and Phil Spector's Wall of Sound.

Immediately following the film is a benefit after-party for the non-profit organization Ability Beyond Disability, with catering provided by The Daily Fare and refreshments by Belgian beer PALMBeer.  

This year's Festival, which runs from May 4 to 9, again brings people to downtown Danbury, an area that is experiencing a vital renaissance. Once a thriving business and banking center, Danbury fell into decline for over two decades, but efforts are being made to utilize the historic architecture and showcase the city's arts and restaurant districts.

Tom Carruthers 

"The benefits of the Festival are not only to showcase exciting new films and new media presentations, but to introduce locals and guests to the vitality and cultural diversity that is the hallmark of the Danbury area", CTFF Executive Director Tom Carruthers shared. "We want to show that Connecticut is a place where creative people and projects are being nurtured and become a leader in bringing together people from different disciplines to see what they can learn from one another in order to grow as artists and communicators", Carruthers added.

To get in on the fun, visit the Festival's website: www.ctfilmfest.com and return to this blog site for coverage of the films, the events, the concerts and, of course, the parties.

Sandy Mandelberger, Festival Dailies Editor