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Film Festivals
WOODSTOCK FILM FESTIVAL PRESENTS MAD HOT BALLROOM
By WOODSTOCK FILM FESTIVAL
Apr 15, 2005, 08:19



Woodstock, NY -- The Woodstock Film Festival invites parents, kids and everyone who enjoys independent film to a very special screening of Paramount Classics MAD HOT BALLROOM, April 30 at 1PM at the Tinker Street Cinema in Woodstock, NY. The film is directed by part time Hudson Valley resident, Marilyn Agrelo, and was line produced by Brian David Cange, another part time upstate resident, and 2003/04 WFF staffer. The filmmakers will present the film and be available for Q&A afterwards.

MAD HOT BALLROOM is an inspiring look inside the lives of New York City school kids on a journey into the world of ballroom dancing ­ a new and unexpected arena where they discover home truths about attitude, movement, style and commitment. Told from the candid, sometimes hilarious perspective of the boys and girls themselves, the picture chronicles their transformation from typical urban kids to ³ladies and gentlemen,² as their school teams aim towards a final citywide competition.

Music plays a big part in MAD HOT BALLROOM, setting mood and tone for every scene. With the help of Peggy Lee, Frank Sinatra, Della Reese, Bobby Darin, The Glenn Miller Band, Lucia Mendez, and Pochy Familia (to name just a few),
kids from wildly disparate neighborhoods discover a common bond in sharing music that comes from other places, other eras. One of the joys of the picture is watching these kids make music they had never heard before into something very much their own.


The film made news when it was acquired by Paramount Classics and Nickelodeon (Nick Movies) after it opened the upstart Slamdance Film Festival, this past January in Park City.

³We were thrilled at the response to the film in Park City," says Cange, "Ballroom was a blast to be put together and be involved in. We have high hopes for a spring release with Paramount, they seem genuinely attune with the kids and the movie's message of hope².

Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times wrote, Irresistible! A kind of Spellbound crossed with Strictly Ballroom.²

³I was lucky enough to see the very first public screening in Slamdance,"said Meira Blaustein, Executive Director of the Woodstock Film Festival. "It was fantastic. The audience adored it. Itıs a film for all ages and I am thrilled that we'll be able to give families and film lovers in the Hudson Valley the opportunity to get a sneak peak of this wonderful movie.²

Tickets are $20 and available online at Mad Hot Ballroom tickets woodstockfilmfestival.com/yearroundevents.htm/ or by calling the film festival office at (845) 679-4265. Please note that due to the limited
number of seats, all tickets should be paid for in advance. Proceeds from ticket sales will benefit the Woodstock Film Festival, a not-for-profit organization with a mission to present an annual program and year-round
schedule of film, music, and art-related activities that promote artists, culture, inspired learning, and diversity. The Woodstock Film Commission http://www.woodstockfilmcommission.com/, under the auspices of the WFF, promotes sustainable economic development by attracting and supporting film, video and media production.


ABOUT THE WOODSTOCK FILM FESTIVAL

The Woodstock Film Festival has established itself as one of the best independent film events in the country by premiering exceptional films, hosting the most talented emerging and established professionals in the movie industry, presenting A-list concerts, and panels, and creating innovative and stimulating programming year-round. The Woodstock Film Commission promotes sustainable economic development by attracting and supporting local film, video and media production.
For more information, visit
http://WoodstockFilmFestival.com/
or call (845) 679-4265


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