Just as Quentin Tarantino had RESERVOIR DOGS, Sam Mendes had AMERICAN BEAUTY and Rob Reiner had THIS IS SPINAL TAP as their first works, FIRST TIME FEST’s mission is to discover and present the next generation of great cinema artists. Representing a hybrid between a traditional film festival and a highly motivated audience participation event, each one of the Festival’s twelve finalists will be judged by a panel of industry luminaries and a specially chosen group of avid moviegoers. Together, they will engage the films and filmmakers of the Festival and will ultimately select a Grand Prize winner, who will be offered theatrical distribution for their film and full international sales representation by a renowned American film distributor. It will truly be a contest of the very best emerging filmmakers receiving the Ultimate Audience Award. FIRST TIME FEST will be based in New York City’s Gramercy Park at the celebrated Players Club, the oldest and most exclusive arts organization of its kind. The club was founded by Edwin Booth and Mark Twain, and its membership includes the greatest stars of stage and screen. Each of First Time Fest’s twelve finalists will receive high level industry mentorship and a one-year membership to the Players Club. First Time Fest’s screenings will be at the Loew’s Village VII on Third Avenue. FIRST TIME FEST will also include a series of panels called HOW THEY DID IT with respected filmmakers discussing every aspect of the creation of their award-winning films. In addition, First Time Fest and the Players Club will be presenting the first John Huston Prize for Lifetime Achievement in Cinema to one of the world’s greatest cinema artists.
