Great Neck Arts Center Presents GOLD COAST INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL, Now thru 5/6

Regina Keller Gil, Executive Director and Founder of The Great Neck Arts Center and the Gold Coast International Film Festival, is pleased announced today that the acclaimed long running "Furman Film Series," is getting a new name - THE GOLD COAST INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL'S FURMAN FILM SERIES.

In addition, the Gold Coast International Film Festival welcomes a new Festival Director - film and media curator, L. Somi Roy, who served as the Curator at Large for the festival debut in 2011.

The 2nd AnnuAl Gold COAST INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL, will be presented by the Great Neck Arts Center, with the Town of North Hempstead as Founding Sponsor, from today May 2 through May 6, 2012, in Great Neck, New York and the surrounding Long Island communities of Manhasset, Roslyn and Port Washington.

"I am thrilled that our belovEd Furman Film Series is coming under the banner of our new and exciting Gold Coast InternationalFilm Festival," says Regina Keller Gil. "By joining our two film entities, it should ensure our audiences of the best and most exciting new films and programs. And, the addition of L.Somi Roy as Festival Director will strengthen and broaden our team's film industry savvy - our Director of Programming Sean McPhillips is a veteran of Miramax and other industry powerhouses - and will enhance our artistic program."

The Gold Coast International Film Festival's Furman Film Series presents a sophisticated cross-section of powerful and thought-provoking independent, art, classic, and foreign films. The series mainly hosts sneak previews of highly anticipated films prior to their theatrical release dates followed by a discussion with a relevant speaker who provides exciting insight into the film and subject matter. In addition, the Gold Coast Furman Film series presents The Conversation Series, which presents an opportunity to meet the leading actors and personalities in the film world and learn about their amazing lives and careers. Among the esteemed guests have been actors Celeste Holm, Joan Allen, Eli Wallach and Gabriel Byrne.

The Gold Coast International Film Festival's Furman Film Series kicks off on Thursday, October 6 with the French comedy hit, The Women On The 6th Floor; followed on October 19, by the high stakes financial world drama, Margin Call; and, on November 3, the Sundance favorite, Hot Coffee. Additional screening dates include November 17 and December 1. 

L. Somi Roy brings to the Gold Coast his extensive experience as a film and media curator specializing in Asian, Asian American, and non-fiction films. "I am pleased to join Regina and her wonderfully creative and dedicated team, and look forward to helping establish a stellar new international event that will take its place along side other festivals in New York." Somi is also the US Curator for the International Film Festival of India, held annually in Goa. Somi was the Film Festival Director for the Indo-American Arts Council's annual Indian film festival, in New York from 2008-2010. Somi organized the Smita Patil retrospective for the Film Society of Lincoln Center in 2010, his third film exhibition for them, which has included a retrospective of Adoor Gopalakishnan and a film series co-curated with Richard Pena on New Americans and immigration. He is currently developing exhibitions for the Film Society for Fall 2012 and the Museum of Modern Art in Fall 2013.