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| New Thomas Chapin Film To Premiere At New York Film Festival Emmy-winning filmmaker Stephanie J. Castillo will premiere her new music film on the late jazz great Thomas Chapin at the New York City International Film Festival on April 27 at 8:30 p.m. at the Dolby 88 Theater (1350 Ave of the Americas, New York, NY 10019). The festival, say organizers, "has a well-earned reputation, nationally and internationally, as one of the most respected events of the film festival year." "We are so very pleased to premiere this film in the city where Thomas lived and played, and in the district of New York City where he got his start in the "downtown scene" in the late 80's and 90's, " say Castillo, who spent four years making the film which was completed in early January. Castillo will also screen THOMAS CHAPIN, NIGHT BIRD SONG, her 10th documentary, in France on the French Riviera at the International Filmmaker Festival of World Cinema NICE 2016 on Monday, May 9. One of the most prestigious film festivals, it immediately precedes the Cannes Film Festival (May 11 to 22). Once in Nice, Castillo and her team will stay longer in France to attend the Cannes March du Films film market where European distribution will be sought. "We are also so pleased that the Nice festival, the first film festival that THOMAS CHAPIN, NIGHT BIRD SONG was selected to participate in, nominated it for a Best Story award, says Castillo. "We feel affirmed that our story of Thomas Chapin's life and music is being recognized for its moving and uplifting tale." Destined to be among the great virtuoso of jazz, Thomas Chapin was nearing the pinnacle of his meteoric rise when leukemia took him in 1998 at the age of 40. He started his career as band manger and lead alto sax for big band leader Lionel Hampton, and then went on to form his own trio. Though fame and world recognition have eluded him despite the enduring mark he left on jazz in the '80s and '90s, his passionate life and incandescent music remain unforgettable to fans who knew him and musicians who played with him. And today, his music is inspiring a new generation of artists and musicians who have discovered him. The film, says Castillo, tells in great detail how Chapin left an indelible mark on jazz. The film runs 150 minutes. Since completing the film at the beginning of January 2016, Castillo has had four special sneak peeks with screenings attended by more than 800 people in New York City and Hartford, Connecticut, the late Thomas Chapin's hometown. Castillo reflects, "After the film's screenings, we held Q & A sessions featuring me and my various producers and some of the musicians interviewed in the film. What is really gratifying is that audiences felt lifted and in some cases reported being "transformed‟ and abundantly aware of their own destinies after viewing the film. Thomas Chapin was no ordinary musician, and I am thrilled to hear all the praise and accolades Thomas is receiving because of the film. It is his story that is making an impact; I'm merely the messenger." Castillo, fully committed to finishing the film by 2016, started her film's four-year journey with a deep passion to explore and share Chapin's story. She began her efforts in 2012, and with the 2013 success at kickstarter.com, Castillo formally launched her film project with the more than $50, 000 that was raised. Her desire to make the film began when Castillo read Chapin's obituary in The New York Times in 1998. At the time, she had no real idea of who he was in the jazz world and only knew him as her brother-in-law who married her sister Terri shortly before his passing. "I was 'blown away' by who he was. I had no idea he was somebody, and I knew that one day I would a film about him, " says Castillo, who has been making documentaries since 1988. Her first film won her an EMMY. Castillo is also set to screen her Chapin documentary in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada on April 30. The film will be presented at the Yardbird Suite, a jazz theater where Thomas once played. PAST SCREENINGS: - February 21 & 28, 2016 - City Winery at 155 Varick Street in New York City – press & VIP screening - Sunday, March 6, 2016 - Real Art Ways at 56 Arbor Street in Hartford, Connecticut (Chapin's home town area) - Sunday, March 13, 2016 - SVA Theater at W. 23rd Street in New York City – first public sneak peek REVIEWS IN NEW YORK AND CONNECTICUT "Wow. Journalist and filmmaker Stephanie Castillo has accomplished a combination coup and tour de force with her documentary on the music and life of composer–saxophonist-flautist Thomas Chapin (1957-1998)"-Arteidolia, March 2016, LEAVE NOTHING OUT: A review by Patrick Brennan http://www.arteidolia.com/leave-nothing-out-thomas-chapin-stephanie-castillo-patrick-brennan -Downbeat Magazine, February 25, 2016, Article by Bill Milkowski http://www.downbeat.com/default.asp?sect=news&subsect=news_detail&nid=3036 NPR, March 2, 2016, Thomas Chapin's life and music celebrated, film and concert Hartford's Real Art Ways http://wnpr.org/post/thomas-chapin-s-life-and-music-celebrated-film-and-concert-hartfords-real-art-ways ABOUT STEPHANIE J. CASTILLO: Stephanie J. Castillo, a former newspaper journalist who wrote for the Honolulu Star-Bulletin in the 1980's, is from Hawaii; she is based now in Brooklyn. She heads 'Olena Productions and has partners in Washington D.C., New York City and Europe. She is available for interviews at castillosj@aol.com and welcomes reviews of the film from the press community. STEPHANIE J. CASTILLO'S DOCUMENTARIES AND CO-PRODUCTION FILMOGRAPHY: - Grace and Beauty: 150 Years of the Episcopal Church in Hawaii 2012 - Strange Land: My Mother's War Bride Story 2009 - Remember the Boys 2007 - An Uncommon Kindness: The Father Damien Story 2006 - Cockfighters: The Interviews 2003 - An Untold Triumph: The Story of the 1st and 2nd Filipino Infantry Regiment, US. Army 2002 - Simple Courage: An Historical Portrait for the Age of AIDS 1992. EMMY 1993 ABOUT KEYMEDIA PUBLIC RELATIONS: KeyMedia Public Relations is a New York City-based Public Relations and Production Company with a Focus on the Performing Arts, Health & Wellness and Non-Profits. Its owner, Denise Marsa, is an award winning international recording artist, producer and songwriter. write your comments about the article :: © 2016 Jazz News :: home page |