Atlantic City Cinefest /Downbeach Film Festival

12/28/2024

The 2024 festival ended on a high note December 8 with Ursula Ryan Lifesaver honoree Austin Pendleton regaling the audience with his tales of life in show business. The 84-year-old actor also won Best Actor Short Drama for "Weekend at the Agamemnons."

11/26/2024

Tickets are now being sold through FilmFreeway instead of Eventbrite.

If you already purchased tickets on Eventbrite, we will honor them. Visit the following site to buy tickets:

https://filmfreeway.com/atlanticcitycinefest/tickets?welcome=true

Thank you for your understanding.

Buy tickets and passes for Atlantic City Cinefest.

10/09/2024

Festival Dates have been Changed to:
December 7 and 8
(more information to come)

09/04/2024

We've extended the deadline for submissions an extra week until September 8. We also moved the acceptance date back a week.

08/26/2024

Just one week left to submit to the 2024 Atlantic City Cinefest. Hurry to get your material in by September 1.

05/05/2024

Did you know submissions are open for the 2024 festival?

They are.

Visit https://filmfreeway.com/atlanticcitycinefest

Visit often and submit often.

Atlantic City Cinefest returns for a tentative date of October 18 to 20. Party Friday night. Saturday filmmaking panel. Ursula Ryan Memorial Honoree. A good ...

10/24/2023

2023 Atlantic City Cinefest Awards

Best Music Video: You Better Talk
Best Experimental Film: Closer
Best Animated Film: Hey Woman
Best Music Video New Jersey: Welcome to the Good Times
Best Action Short: Middle City
Best Short Drama: Millie’s Care Free Day
Best Short Documentary: Dangerous Grounds
Best Comedy Horror: The Haunted Baby Carriage From Hell
Best Director Local Short: Melanie Waldman Reconnecting
Best Short Comedy: Higher Grounds
Best Actor, Short Drama: Lukas Hassel, The Prof
Best Actress, Short New Jersey Dramedy: Isabella Bonanno
Best Pilot: Teaching While Black
Best Supporting Actor: Karl Brown, Life & Me
Best Actor Short New Jersey Drama: Chris Orangeo, WITHOUT
Best Actress, Short Local Drama: Julia Belmonte, Pick Up
Best Screenwriter, Short Dramedy: Sri Mirajkar, Mera Daddu
Best Child Actress Feature: Nysai Roberts, Life & Me
Best Screenwriter Short Local Dramedy: Steve Deery, Dollyville
Best Director, Ensemble Documentary: Allison Prete, Women of Slender Means
Best Director Short Documentary: Latin Music The Documentary [musical]
Best Director Short Music Video: Jim Hannah, The Signal & the Noise
Best High School Student Film: Krampus on Campus
Best Supporting Actress: Tam Boyce, Life & Me
Best LGBQT Short: Melanie Waldman Reconnecting
Best Historic New Jersey Documentary, The Great Connector: Hopewell Trail
Best Director, Local Horror Short: Keith Vaile
Best Director Short Comedy: Joseph Pepitone, The Undesirables
Best Actor in a Short Comedy: Jason Mewes, The Undesirables
Best Feature Film: Life & Me
Best Comedy Feature: It’s Love, Bro
Best Documentary Feature: Con Artists Unveiled
Best Director Feature: Sebastian Foxworth, Life & Me
Best Director Short Film: Robert Haines, A Long Time Gone
Best Family Short: Astronaut
Best Comedy Short Local: A Long Time Gone
Best Actor Comedy Short: Mark Christopher Lawrence, $tack$
Best Actor, New Jersey Short: Noah Keyishian, A Box of Chocolates
Best Actress, New Jersey Short: Rachel Ann Jerome, A Box of Chocolates
Best Director, Short Documentary: Darieus Legg, Stoker Machine
Best Director Feature: Sebastian Foxworth, Life & Me
Best Action New Jersey Short: Den of Dragons Part 1
Best Director, New Jersey Short Documentary, Eric J. Carlson, Sanctuary
Best Drama New Jersey Short: Rookie Card
Best Feature Soundtrack Poppa Foxx, Life & Me
Best Cinematography, Short Comedy, Michael Della Polla, Brute Force
Best Director New Jersey Music Documentary: Donna Roman-Hernandez, Adios Music Village
Best Actor RomCom Short: Karl Brown, Daddy Loves Mommy
Best Screenplay Feature, Peter Panagos, Dress Code
Best Cinematography, Action Short: Joey Mosca, Air B & D
Best Director Short Film: Rob Watt, No Witnesses
Best Actor Short Film: Michael Fidele, The Better Man
Best Actor Feature: Frank Sean Johnson, Life & Me
Best Actress Feature: Jennifer Iky Rothwell, Life & Me
Best Mockumentary: Survivor: The Marky Mirarer Story
Best Child Actor Feature: Jeremy Saylor, Life & Me
Best Actress Short Film: Kathryn Miller, Millie’s Care Free Day
Best Supporting Actor Short Film: Mark Mantalbano, The Man From Grenada
Best Supporting Actress Short Film: Victoria Stevens, Den Of Dragons Pt 1
Best Child Actor Short Film: Skyler Wenger, Rookie Card
Best Child Actress Short RomCom: Cassidy Blackwell, Daddy Loves Mommy
Best Music Short Film: Holly Hill
Best Actress Feature: Jennifer Iky Rothwell, Life & Me
Best Feature Dramedy: Dress Code
Best Screenwriter Short Horror: Julie Fergus, Ostinato
Best Children’s Short: Tiger Hunt
++
Screenplay Competition
Hot Questions 2nd Prize, Short Screenplay Alexander Julian III
Porter's Way Christmas Honorable Mention Feature Screenplay Debra Markowitz
Just Look into my Eyes Best Short Screenplay Debra Markowitz
Long Beach Island Best Feature Screenplay Edson McClellan
Between the Kisses 2nd Prize, Feature Screenplay Joseph DiFrancesco
Tic-Tac-Toe 3rd Prize Feature Screenplay A.J. Ciccotelli
Thursday at Thora's 3rd Prize, Short Screenplay Guthrie Roy Hartford
Wildcats Honorable Mention, Short Screenplay John Klauder
++
Honorees
Atlantic City Cinefest 2023
Ursula Ryan Lifesaver Award
Sebastian Foxworth
++
Atlantic City Cinefest 2023
Ursula Ryan Lifesaver Award
Frank Sean Johnson
++
Atlantic City Cinefest 2023
Ursula Ryan Lifesaver Award
Jason Mewes

2023 Atlantic City Cinefest Awards

Best Music Video: You Better Talk
Best Experimental Film: Closer
Best Animated Film: Hey Woman
Best Music Video New Jersey: Welcome to the Good Times
Best Action Short: Middle City
Best Short Drama: Millie’s Care Free Day
Best Short Documentary: Dangerous Grounds
Best Comedy Horror: The Haunted Baby Carriage From Hell
Best Director Local Short: Melanie Waldman Reconnecting
Best Short Comedy: Higher Grounds
Best Actor, Short Drama: Lukas Hassel, The Prof
Best Actress, Short New Jersey Dramedy: Isabella Bonanno
Best Pilot: Teaching While Black
Best Supporting Actor: Karl Brown, Life & Me
Best Actor Short New Jersey Drama: Chris Orangeo, WITHOUT
Best Actress, Short Local Drama: Julia Belmonte, Pick Up
Best Screenwriter, Short Dramedy: Sri Mirajkar, Mera Daddu
Best Child Actress Feature: Nysai Roberts, Life & Me
Best Screenwriter Short Local Dramedy: Steve Deery, Dollyville
Best Director, Ensemble Documentary: Allison Prete, Women of Slender Means
Best Director Short Documentary: Latin Music The Documentary [musical]
Best Director Short Music Video: Jim Hannah, The Signal & the Noise
Best High School Student Film: Krampus on Campus
Best Supporting Actress: Tam Boyce, Life & Me
Best LGBQT Short: Melanie Waldman Reconnecting
Best Historic New Jersey Documentary, The Great Connector: Hopewell Trail
Best Director, Local Horror Short: Keith Vaile
Best Director Short Comedy: Joseph Pepitone, The Undesirables
Best Actor in a Short Comedy: Jason Mewes, The Undesirables
Best Feature Film: Life & Me
Best Comedy Feature: It’s Love, Bro
Best Documentary Feature: Con Artists Unveiled
Best Director Feature: Sebastian Foxworth, Life & Me
Best Director Short Film: Robert Haines, A Long Time Gone
Best Family Short: Astronaut
Best Comedy Short Local: A Long Time Gone
Best Actor Comedy Short: Mark Christopher Lawrence, $tack$
Best Actor, New Jersey Short: Noah Keyishian, A Box of Chocolates
Best Actress, New Jersey Short: Rachel Ann Jerome, A Box of Chocolates
Best Director, Short Documentary: Darieus Legg, Stoker Machine
Best Director Feature: Sebastian Foxworth, Life & Me
Best Action New Jersey Short: Den of Dragons Part 1
Best Director, New Jersey Short Documentary, Eric J. Carlson, Sanctuary
Best Drama New Jersey Short: Rookie Card
Best Feature Soundtrack Poppa Foxx, Life & Me
Best Cinematography, Short Comedy, Michael Della Polla, Brute Force
Best Director New Jersey Music Documentary: Donna Roman-Hernandez, Adios Music Village
Best Actor RomCom Short: Karl Brown, Daddy Loves Mommy
Best Screenplay Feature, Peter Panagos, Dress Code
Best Cinematography, Action Short: Joey Mosca, Air B & D
Best Director Short Film: Rob Watt, No Witnesses
Best Actor Short Film: Michael Fidele, The Better Man
Best Actor Feature: Frank Sean Johnson, Life & Me
Best Actress Feature: Jennifer Iky Rothwell, Life & Me
Best Mockumentary: Survivor: The Marky Mirarer Story
Best Child Actor Feature: Jeremy Saylor, Life & Me
Best Actress Short Film: Kathryn Miller, Millie’s Care Free Day
Best Supporting Actor Short Film: Mark Mantalbano, The Man From Grenada
Best Supporting Actress Short Film: Victoria Stevens, Den Of Dragons Pt 1
Best Child Actor Short Film: Skyler Wenger, Rookie Card
Best Child Actress Short RomCom: Cassidy Blackwell, Daddy Loves Mommy
Best Music Short Film: Holly Hill
Best Actress Feature: Jennifer Iky Rothwell, Life & Me
Best Feature Dramedy: Dress Code
Best Screenwriter Short Horror: Julie Fergus, Ostinato
Best Children’s Short: Tiger Hunt
++
Screenplay Competition
Hot Question 2nd Prize, Short Screenplay Alexander Julian III
Porter's Way Christmas Hon. Mention Feature Screenplay Debra Markowitz
Just Look into my Eyes Best Short Screenplay Debra Markowitz
Long Beach Island Best Feature Screenplay Edson McClellan
Between the Kisses 2nd Prize, Feature Screenplay Joseph DiFrancesco
Tic-Tac-Toe 3rd Prize Feature Screenplay A.J. Ciccotelli
Thursday at Thora's 3rd Prize, Short Screenplay Guthrie Roy Hartford
Wildcats Honorable Mention, Short Screenplay John Klauder
++
Honorees
Atlantic City Cinefest 2023
Ursula Ryan Lifesaver Award
Sebastian Foxworth
++
Atlantic City Cinefest 2023
Ursula Ryan Lifesaver Award
Frank Sean Johnson
++
Atlantic City Cinefest 2023
Ursula Ryan Lifesaver Award
Jason Mewes

10/17/2023

Nice to see Keith Collins after a few years.

10/17/2023

A hearty thank you to filmmakers and guests who attended our festival this past weekend. Thank you also to our honorees and winners of the Ursula Ryan Lifesaver Award: Frank Sean Johnson, Sebastian Foxworth and Jason Mewes.

10/13/2023

The party at Nucky's will be held tonight from 6 to 8.