Juliette Bennett and Bill Connington Attend The Long Island Film Festival

Juliette Bennett and Bill Connington, stars of the comedic short film THE THORNHILLS OF PARK AVENUE, attended the 28th Annual Long Island Film Festival (LIFF) at the Boulton Center for the Performing Arts on Long Island. This is the third in a string of film festivals that have screened THE THORNHILLS in the New York area so far this summer. The others were the Gold Coast International Film Festival, and the NYC PictureStart Festival. Thomas Santorelli is the Executive Director of the Festival. The radio personality Joel Martin was the host of the evening. The festival runs through August 11.

Bennett (www.juliettebennett.com) and Connington play a young society couple, James and Elizabeth Thornhill, who are visited by a sardonic British guest, played by Anthony Haden-Guest (www.anthonyhadenguest.com). THE THORNHILLS OF PARK AVENUE was penned by the multi-award winning actor/writer Bill Connington, and directed by the noted director Thomas Caruso (www.thomascaruso.com), who also directed Connington in the award-winning stage and short film versions of ZOMBIE, based on a novella by famous American author Joyce Carol Oates. (www.zombiethefilm.com, www.usfca.edu/jco). The film of ZOMBIE was produced by Michael Cooper. The composer for both ZOMBIE and THE THORNHILLS was award-winning composer Deirdre Broderick.

The synopsis of THE THORNHILLS OF PARK AVENUE reads, " A young Park Avenue couple invites a British writer and cartoonist for cocktails. Quips and satire ensue. The story is: what is more important: money or happiness? The answer? Cocktails, apparently."

Juliette Bennett recently won the "Best Actress Award" at the 2011 Manhattan Film Festival for her performance in the comedy short THE COUPLE. The film is an ensemble comedy about an actress (Bennett) and a screenwriter (Ken Forman), who are interviewed by a reporter (Angela Dee) about their careers, and their quirky relationship. Bennett was also awarded the "Best Actor in a Short Comedy" and "Best Actor in a Short Film" awards at San Francisco's 2011 BAFF Film Festival for her role in THE COUPLE. She just wrapped a feature film, DON PEYOTE (a "psychedelic comedy") starring Dan Fogler, Wallace Shawn, and Jay Baruchel. The film is co-directed by Michael Canzoniero and Dan Fogler. Bennett's next project reunites her with director Michael Canzoniero, in a film focusing on the New York underground film world. Bennett has been called, "one of the beautiful New York actors to watch."

Bill Connington is currently writing the screenplay for the feature film of ZOMBIE, adapted from the novella by New York Times bestselling author, Joyce Carol Oates. (www.zombiethefilm.com). The film is scheduled to be shot in the spring of 2012. Of his role in ZOMBIE, Claudia La Roccoo of WYNC Radio has written, "Mr. Connington generates a galvanizing friction between control and abandon." The New York Sun wrote, "Connington's performance is simply extraordinary." Patrick Lee of Theatermania has written, "Connington is a riveting performer." 

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