On Wednesday, Aug. 12, theatergoers at the Gold Coast International Film Festival’s Furman Film Series installment of Learning to Drive were treated to a conversation with acclaimed guest speaker John Anderson, immediately following the 7:30 p.m. showing at Bow Tie Squire Cinemas in Great Neck.
Anderson is a regular film critic for The Wall Street Journal, Newsday, and America magazine. His work appears frequently in The New York Times, and he has contributed to The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, The Nation, Film Comment and The Village Voice. He is a past member of the selection committee of the New York Film Festival and the author of Sundancing (Avon), Edward Yang (University of Illinois) and, with Laura Kim, I Wake Up Screening (Billboard Books). With David Sterritt, he edited The B List, by the National Society of Film Critics, chaired the New York Film Critics Circle in 2011 and is a member of the National Society of Film Critics.
Inspired by a true story, Learning To Drive stars Academy Award nominee Patricia Clarkson and Academy Award winner Ben Kingsley in a feel-good comedy about an improbable friendship. Wendy Shields is a book editor from New York facing a marriage crisis. Darwan Singh Tur is a driving instructor and part-time cab driver from India with an abiding respect for tradition. When Wendy sets out to reclaim her independence, she hits a unique roadblock—she never learned to drive. She hires Darwan to teach her. They form an unlikely bond that inspires each to embrace the humor, freedom and strength that come with starting anew.
With the Furman Film Series still in full swing (having recently added Time Out of Mind starring Richard Gere and Broadway legend Ben Vereen), Anderson added an extra dimension of Hollywood information and backstory to the screening of the film. Tickets are
now available for the upcoming special screenings of Althea on Aug. 29 and Time Out of Mind on Sept. 16.
For more information on the Furman Film Series or to buy tickets, visit www.goldcoastfilmfestival.org/upcoming-films-events/furman/, or call 516-829-2570.
Gold Coast International Film Festival was founded with the purpose of establishing a home on Long Island to showcase the work of exceptional filmmakers and provide the public with an insider’s view of the film industry. During the seven-day festival, which includes screenings, workshops, conversations with prominent members of the film community, parties and a gala, area residents, visitors, members of the business and film communities, public officials, students and academics come together to celebrate the art and influence of cinema.
The Gold Coast International Film Festival is produced by the Gold Coast Arts Center, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting and supporting the arts through education, exhibition, performance and outreach.
—Submitted by
The Gold Coast Arts Center
