2008 Wildwood By The Sea Film Festival Guest Stars
And the winner is...
‘Film Icon Award’
Paul Anthony Sorvino was born on April 13, 1939 in Brooklyn New York. As an American character actor he has an extensive career in film, television and stage productions. He began his career as a copy writer in an advertising agency. Paul took eighteen years of voice lessons and attended the American Musical and Dramatic Academy. He is an accomplished Opera singer, enjoys bronze sculpture, acts as well as directs. Paul is a consummate artist with a long and diversified list of achievements. Paul is an actor whose solid career has largely been the portrayal of authority figures, both as a legal enforcer and criminal, in television, stage, and film. He is the father of Academy Award Winning Actress Mira Sorvino, a New Jersey native
‘Wildwood Hometown Pride Award’
Chubby (Ernest Evans) Checker
Singer. Born October 3, 1941, in Spring Gulley, South Carolina, the son of a tobacco farmer. His family moved to Philadelphia, and as a young boy, Checker worked various jobs shining shoes, selling ice and assisting in a butcher's shop. Because of his heavy build, he got his nickname, Chubby, while working as a teen at Tony Anastazi's Produce Store. With a natural gift for imitation, he enjoyed impersonating the styles of his musical heroes Fats Domino, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Elvis Presley. He began performing in churches and on the streets with his singing group, The Quantrells, and soon attracted the attention of music executives in Philadelphia.
Checker signed with Cameo-Parkway Records in 1959. Cameo encouraged him to make his own version of "The Twist," a song originally written and performed by Hank Ballard. But it was Checker's version and his accompanying dance routine that gave the song new life. He was dubbed "The King of the Twist." In fact, it was Dick Clark's wife who came up with the name Checker, a reference to the similarity between the portly singer and Fats Domino.
As a dance movement, the Twist revolutionized popular culture by giving couples the freedom to break apart on the dance floor. An appearance on Dick Clark's American Bandstand launched Checker's version of "The Twist" to the No. 1 billboard spot in August 1961, where it remained on the charts for 18 straight weeks. In November of that year, it reentered the charts again for a record-breaking 21 weeks. With this formidable achievement, "The Twist" became the first and only 45 single to ever appear in the No. 1 spot in two different years.
Chubby performed his ‘Twist’ for the first time at the Rainbow Club in Wildwood, New Jersey.
On September 11th, 2008 Billboard Magazine announced the No. 1 song of all time…you guessed it…The Twist!
Chubby Checker will always be No.1 in our hearts
"Lifetime Achievement Award"
Martin Landau, the Oscar-winning character actor, was born in Brooklyn, New York. At the age of 17, he was hired by the New York Daily News as a staff cartoonist and illustrator. He also worked on "The Gumps" comic strip.
Landau's major ambition was to act and, in 1951, he made his stage debut in "Detective Story" at the Peaks Island Playhouse in Peaks Island, Maine. He made his Off-Broadway debut that year in "First Love."
Landau was one of 2000 applicants who auditioned for Lee Strasberg's Actors Studio in 1955 - only he and Steve Mc
Queen were accepted.
He acted during the mid-1950s in the television anthologies.Landau scored on film as the heavy in Alfred Hitchcock's classic thriller, North by Northwest, in which he was shot on top of Mt. Rushmore while sadistically stepping on the fingers of Cary Grant, who was holding on for dear life to the cliff face. He also appeared in the blockbuster Cleopatra with Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton.
He was Gene Roddenberry's first choice to play Mr. Spock on "Star Trek", but the role went to Leonard Nimoy, who later replaced Landau on "Mission: Impossible", the show that really made Landau famous.
He is best remembered by the public for his role as Rollin Hand in Mission Impossible where he appeared with his wife Barbara Bain.
Landau is featured in ‘David and Fatima’, a new film that will screen at this years film festival co-starring with Tony Curtis.
Martin will be unable to attend the festival this year
"2008 Jury Award"
Outstanding Performance in a Feature Film…’The Pack’
Lucie Arnaz, Born in Hollywood, California. Golden Globe nominated and Emmy Award Winning actress best know for her role in the Jazz Singer. Daughter of Lucille Ball and Dezi Arnaz, she appeared inThe Lucy Show, Here’s Lucy and The Lucie Arnaz Show.A very busy actress still today with her wonderful portrayal of a loving wife accused of killing her husband in ‘The Pack’.
Lucie is in Europe trying to change her busy schedule to join us and accept her richly deserved award.
" 2008 Chairman's Award"
Outstanding Support in a Feature Film...'The Pack'
Scott Bryce, A four time Emmy Award nominated actor was born in New York.
Best know for his roles on Daytime Soaps such as ‘One Life to Live’ and ‘As The World Turns’. This versatile actor has appeared on many television series as well; ‘Murphy Brown’, ‘The Facts of Life’, ‘LA Law’ and ‘Law and Order’ to name a few. Scott appears in ‘The Pack’ which will be featured at this years festival.
"2008 Rising Star Award"
Jenn Gotzon, award winning actress starring in over 20 independent films (such as Chemistry, Julie and Jack, Scenario for Delirium) was recently crowned Best Actress for ‘Stained’ and this December could have her breakout role in Oscar®-winning director Ron Howard’s latest production, ‘Frost/Nixon’ as President Nixon’s daughter Tricia opposite three-time Tony Award winner Frank Langella as President Richard Nixon, Oscar-nominated actress Patty McCormack (“The Bad Seed”) as mother Pat Nixon and Kevin Bacon as Nixon chief of staff Jack Brennan. Keep your eye out for Gotzon later this year in: Yes Man (opposite of Jim Carrey), Role Models, House and CSI: NY. www.JennGotzon.com
Jenn is featured in two short films at our festival, ‘Chemistry’ and ‘Stained’.
"2008 Rising Star Award"
Ryan Homchick
This rising star currently resides in New York City
He was the Grand prize winner of Fade In Magazine's Screen Test Competition, an international competition
based on the actor's film reel.
He is a certified open road auto racer for the Looking Glass Corvette Team. He has placed in three open road rallies including the Bonneville 100 and the Pony Express 130.
His TV roles include: It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, The Sopranos, Law & Order and Ed.
He plays the part of Jack Jordan Jr. in the The Pack starring Lucie Arnaz at this years WWBTSFF.
Brian Delate was born in Trenton, New Jersey, but grew up mostly in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. He spent 1969 in Vietnam as a decorated non-commissioned officer. He attended Bucks County Community College, where he discovered theatre, then transferred to Rider University, where he received a BFA with a theatre track in directing and acting. After college graduation, Delate moved to New York City and spent his first few years adapting, both professionally and personally, to the novelty and pace of the city.
Delate has had the privilege to work with some of the most talented and creative directors and actors in the industry…The Brave One with Jodie Foster, in Salome on Broadway, directed by Estelle Parsons, in the film, Salomaybe with Al Pacino, as well as in My Brother Anthony Lover), Buffalo Soldiers with Ed Harris and Joaquin Phoenix, The Truman Show with Jim Carrey and Laura Linney, American Wake and Home Before Dark the latter with Katherine Ross, Sudden Death, Far From eaven, Ash Wednesday, and The Shawshank Redemption, with Tim Robbins.
Brian has become a fixture on Television’s Law and Order and has been seen in many a favorite daytime soaps.
Delate has spent the last two years writing, directing and acting in, his first indie feature, Soldier's Heart (with James Kiberd and Cady McClain), which takes a promising look at the prolonged effects of PTSD caused by war, and the healing that's possible. Brian will be featured in ‘Soldier’s Heart’ at this years festival.
Cady McClain,This Emmy Award winning actress plays Dixie Cooney on ABC’s Daytime Drama ‘All My Children’.
Born in Burbank, California she began her career at age 9 in the Stuck on Band-Aid's commercial and has been a professional actress since age 10. She sings and plays guitar, dances, and is an accomplished artist.
Daytime viewers were shocked to see McClain's performance and transition from "All My Children" to "As the World Turns" from the beloved role of "AMC"'s 'innocent' Dixie Cooney to "ATWT"'s 'witchy' Rosanna Cabot. For 13 years fans were used to her familiar role as a heroine to a villain. When she departed "AMC" she posted a letter on Soap Opera Central online telling her "All My Children" fans to go and watch her on "As The World Turns". AMC and ATWT are network rival soaps. Months later on "ATWT" she earned an Emmy nomination for "Outstanding Supporting Actress", but unfortunately her character on "AMC" was killed off, ending the popular Tad and Dixie romance.
Cady is committed to charity work, has been a member of the Junior Board of the Enterprise Foundation and also worked with RARE.
Cady appears in ‘Soldier’s Heart’, a feature film at this years festival.
James Kiberd is a unique hybrid. The immensely popular actor is also a committed artist, and a dedicated humanitarian.
How Kiberd became the only daytime Star to be cited as one of the top 15 Fan Favorites of the 90s is still a mystery. Was it that he was one of Oprah's favorite guests at the time? That his TV character combined a unique mix of danger, sex appeal, and humor or his tireless efforts on behalf of the world's children as National Ambassador for Unicef USA?
He is best known for creating ground breaking, socially relevant roles on Daytime Drama over 15 years, such as The troubled Vietnam Vet Mike Donovan on ABC's Loving and the wild and woolly Mercenary turned Detective, Trevor Dillon on All my Children.
James appears in ‘Soldier’s Heart’, a feature film at this year’s festival.
New Artists to Appear at the Film Fest
Jack Noseworthy
Pretty Ugly People (WWBTSFF)
Law and Order
CSI
Judging Amy
Crossing Jordan
Brady Bunch Movie
Dan McCabe
War Eagle, Arkansas (WWBTSFF)
‘Best Supporting Actor’
Brooklyn Rules
