The Long Island Film/TV Foundation presented the closing awards ceremony for the 22nd Annual Long Island International Film Expo (LIIFE). LIIFE ran from July 12 through 18 and featured over 180 films - many from Long Island filmmakers - plus discussion panels and workshops. The event took place at Bellmore Movies, 222 Pettit Avenue, Bellmore, NY 11710.

Celebrities in Attendance included:

-CAROL SILVA (News 12 Anchor) LIIFE Excellence in Newscasting Award

-ABIGAIL HAWK (Blue Bloods) LIIFE Creative Achievement Award

-JOHN ANDREW GALLAGHER (The Deli, Beach House) LIIFETime Career Achievement Honoree

-KEVIN BROWN (30 Rock) Host

-CHRIS ROACH (Kevin Can Wait) Presenter

-JACKIE “THE JOKE MAN” MARTLING (Howard Stern Show) Presenter

-SAL RENDINO (Billions) Presenter

-GERALDINE LEER (Manifest, Mystic Pizza) Presenter

-LUKAS HASSEL (Blacklist) Presenter

-EDDIE MCGEE (NCIS - LA) Celebrity Guest

-SAMMI RAE & LOS VEGAS (Escapate) Performers

-DEBRA MARKOWITZ (Nassau County Film Commissioner) Co Founder of LIIFE

-HENRY AND ANNE STAMPFEL (Owners of Bellmore Movies) Co Founders of LIIFE

-TRISH APPELLO (Board Member, LIIFE) Attendee

SAMMI RAE MERCIANO AND LOS VEGAS

Closing Night Opening Act

A Long Island native, Sammi Rae has been singing for four years, and garnering a ton of praise from audiences nationwide. Her strong and soulful voice shows an incredible amount of talent and dedication, yet knowing that ‘you have to believe in yourself and have confidence to be successful,’ has been her continued mantra. On her most recent collaboration with Los Vegas – “Escápate”, the magnetic collaboration brings to life the sentimental romance often featured in Reggaetón hits with an energetically pumping backbeat and laid-back flow that is sure to make it a club hit. Trading lyrics like “If I leave with you, I want to be there with you through the night // I want to feel your arms around me, hold me tight // Your body next to mine, you make me feel so high” with Los Vegas, and the refrain “Never mind what anybody says, I just want to dance the night away, I just want to know if we can escape”, Murciano shows off her vocal prowess in a new genre which she seems just as at home in as her past pop-driven tracks. On working with Vegas, Murciano says “It has been amazing to work together. To collaborate with someone who has the same passion and dedication for music as I do. We are very excited for what’s to come and have a lot of new music coming soon.

OUR HOST: KEVIN “DOT COM” BROWN

Stand-up Comedian and American Actor Kevin Brown

aka Dot Com/ Uptown Kevin Brown/ Kevin “Dot Com” Brown /30 Rock Dot Com/ Dot Com

Kevin Brown aka Dot Com was a winner of the 15th annual “SAG” Screen Actors Guild Award, for his portrayal of “Dot Com,” in N.B.C.’s “30 ROCK (winner of multiple “EMMY awards” and “GOLDEN GLOBES).” Dot Com was on 30 Rock for seven seasons starring opposite Tina Fey, Alec Baldwin, and Tracy Morgan.

Dot Com played a Bodyguard, Best Friend and right hand of the eccentric Tracy Jordan portrayed by Actor/Comedian Tracy Morgan. Dot Com was part of the entourage “Grizz and Dot Com” that won the hearts of millions of viewers.

NBC released the webisode “Livin’XL with Grizz and Dot Com” based on demand during the fourth season as an opportunity to develop Dot Com’s character. Various clips of the series ”Livin’XL with Grizz and Dot Com” achieved high viewerships.

Twenty (25+) years ago Dot Com and his brother Andre created and produced “The Uptown Comedy Club” tv show (FOX five network), which ran for four seasons. The live creation, “The Uptown Comedy Club” (was located in the heart of Harlem on 125th St.). The Uptown Comedy Club experienced National success in the 80’s and 90’s. Kevin Brown aka Dot Com managed and taught some of the most successful comedians, i.e., JB Smoove “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” Flex Alexander “ UPN’s One on One” and Tracy Morgan “Saturday Night Live” and “NBC’s 30 Rock”, to name a few.

Dot Com changed gears to become a “Stand-up Comedian and American Actor.” As a Stand-up Comedian, Dot Com appeared on “Late Night with Conan O’Brien, ”Nick Jr. Nick Moms at Night,” NBC’s “Last Comic Standing,” and “BET’s Comic View,” etc. Dot Com frequented “Ha Comedy Club’s stage, opened for Tracy Morgan at Carolines (May 2010), hosted Legendary vocalist Rev Al Green at the Legend’s Club “ B.B. King for soulful, inspired music, and headlined comedy venues throughout the country and Canada.

In addition to his role on 30 Rock, Dot Com appeared in Sara Jessica Parker’s blockbusters “Did you hear about the Morgans?” and Sex in the City Part 2 (SATC2). He was in an episode of Castle, “Royal Pains” on USA TNT tv, in a scene with Leo Dicaprio in “The Departed.” ” Lucky Number Slevin,” “50 Cents Get Rich Or Die Trying,” Lindsay Lohan’s “Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen,” and ”Delirious” (starring Steve Buscemi).

In production is a version of “The Uptown Comedy Club: The Birth of Hip Hop Comedy” presented by Dot Com Entertainment. This “House of Black,” as it was known, was a platform for Black comedians and Black audiences to enjoy the hilarious comedy of and by people who looked like them right in the Harlem neighborhood until 2002. https://www.youtube.com/user/jwh1999

JOHN ANDREW GALLAGHER

LIIFETime Career Achievement Honoree

A fixture on the New York scene for 40 years as a director, writer, producer, author, historian and educator, John’s track record is especially strong in discovering and mentoring new talent, both in front of and behind the camera. Among the actors John has worked with in debut or significant early roles are John Leguizamo, Amanda Peet, Zach Braff, Michael Imperioli, Gretchen Mol, Matthew Lillard, Heather Matarazzo, and Denis Leary. An Emerson College graduate, John made his directorial debut with the rock ‘n roll musical comedy Beach House (New Line Cinema), then directed college pal Denis Leary in two shorts, Kurt Vonnegut’s Long Walk to Forever and Other Men’s Wives. He and action star Steve James co-wrote, Gallagher directed, and James starred in the cult action movie Street Hunter (Columbia/ TriStar) , co-starring Frank Vincent, with John Leguizamo in his first starring role. John then wrote the cult comedy classic The Deli with an all-star cast including Gretchen Mol, Chris Noth, Jerry Stiller, Ice T, Frank Vincent, Debi Mazar, Iman, Tony Sirico, Heather Matarazzo and Michael Imperioli. The National Board of Review cited The Deli with an award for Excellence in Filmmaking.

Blue Moon (Castle Hill), also written and directed by Gallagher, followed, starring Ben Gazzara, Rita Moreno, Burt Young, and in an early role, Zach Braff. Gallagher also began a teaching career at School of Visual Arts, The Neighborhood Playhouse and others, that continues to this day with his popular classes at One on One. Other features include the improv comedy Cupidity (2004), which he directed, and producing stints on the features The Insurgents (LIIFE Best Feature) and Mother’s Day Massacre (2007). He directed a series of award-winning shorts (I Love You, Beautiful, We Remember, Want, Wink) and wrote the books Film Directors on Directing and Nothing Sacred: The Cinema of William Wellman (with Frank Thompson)..

Most recently Gallagher directed The Networker (The Orchard), starring Steve Stanulis, William Forsythe, Sean Young and Stephen Baldwin, and just debuted Sarah Q at the Golden Door International Film Festival, where Emmy James was awarded Best Actress in a Feature. The comedy-drama Sarah Q, stars Burt Young, Sally Kirkland and The Sopranos’ Tony Sirico, Vincent Pastore, Federico Castelluccio, William DeMeo, and Artie Pasquale, with Steve Stanulis, Garry Pastore, Joseph D’Onofrio and Ashlee Macropoulos.

In 2013 John almost perished in a fire and was given only a 10% chance of survival. After six weeks in a coma and six months in hospital, he survived and thrived, making eight films since, inspiring many by overcoming his handicap.

ABIGAIL HAWK

LIIFE Creative Achievement Award

Abigail Hawk is a New York-based actor, singer, writer, humanitarian, and mom. She began performing theatrically at the age of six and landed her first television role at twelve. Hawk earned a Creative and Performing Arts Scholarship to the University of Maryland, from which she graduated magna cum laude with a degree in theatre.

Abigail has guest-starred on television shows Law and Order: SVU, Body of Proof, The Jim Gaffigan Show, and Are We There Yet? She is perhaps most recognizable as Detective Abigail Baker, the unflappable right hand of NYPD Police Commissioner Frank Reagan (Tom Selleck) on CBS’ Blue Bloods.

Hawk’s film work includes her award-winning performance in film festival favorite Almost Paris and her starring role opposite Chevy Chase in ION Network’s feature A Christmas in Vermont. Catch her next in Brother’s Keeper with Laurence Fishburne and Milo Gibson. Abigail recently returned to the stage (for the first time in 9 years!) in Dorothy Lyman’s haunting new play, In the Bleak Midwinter, off-Broadway in NYC.

Hawk has sung and played piano at The Bitter End, CBGB’s, and The Duplex. She co-authored The Unofficial Guide to Surviving Pregnancy Without Losing Your Mind, and her poetry is featured in online women’s magazine Good Little Girls. She is a Tupelo Press 30/30 Project participant, for which she penned a poem a day for the month of May! Abigail enjoys working with charities Habitat for Humanity, Covenant House, ADAPT Community Network, and HeartShare Human Services of New York, who honored her with The Linda Dano Heart Award.

She is a proud member of SAG-AFTRA and Actor’s Equity Association. She currently resides on Long Island with her busy, beautiful family: husband, two sons, one dog, two cats, two fish, and one snail. She is overjoyed and honored to be here tonight as both a presenter and the recipient of this year’s LIIFE Creative Achievement Award.

CAROL SILVA

Recipient of the Inaugural LIIFE Excellence in Newscasting Award

Carol Silva is the Emmy Award-winning Morning and Midday Edition anchor at News 12 Long Island, America’s first 24-hour regional news network.

Carol has shared the lives of 3 million Long Islanders while following the stories of Presidents and Popes, from the News 12 anchor desk, or on planes, in boats and on the road. She has covered stories from Ground Zero after September 11, to Albany, Washington, D.C., New Orleans and Texas.

CHRIS ROACH

Presenter

Chris Roach was our 2018 LIIFE Rising Star Honoree. He is a fast-rising Comedian/Actor born and raised in New York. He has brought his unique and self-deprecating sense of humor to some of the biggest and best-known stages in the country, such as Carolines on Broadway, The Borgata in Atlantic City and The Paramount in Huntington, NY. He recently toured as the opening act on Kevin James’ 2019 tour all over the Northeast.

He is best known for his major recurring role of Mott in the hit CBS sitcom KEVIN CAN WAIT and has also appeared in numerous other episodics, both comedies and dramas. He also created the viral video ode to his beloved hometown RONKOKOMO which has nearly two million views across all platforms.

He currently co-hosts two weekly podcasts – the popular new Long Island Explainedpodcast, which focuses exclusively on historical and pop culture events from his native Long Island and Comedians on Hockey, featuring Chris and his comedian friends talking seriously, but having fun, about all things hockey.

JACKIE MARTLING

Presenter

Jackie “The Joke Man” Martling is a comedian, radio personality, actor, author and a singer/songwriter. For eighteen years (1983-2001) he was Head Writer and a cast member on radio & television’s Howard Stern Show.

Born and raised in East Norwich, Long Island, he graduated in 1966 from Oyster Bay High School and earned a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Michigan State University in 1971. His autobiography, “The Joke Man: Bow To Stern,” was released October 2017.

Currently, you can hear Jackie by saying, “Alexa, Play Jackie Martling,” or typing his name into Pandora or Spotify, & for a daily joke at 4:20pm you can follow him on Twitter, @JackieMartling

IKA Collective’s “Joke Man,” a feature-length documentary about Jackie’s life & career, is slated for release in Fall 2019.

To make personal contact, you can always drop him a line, [email protected]

SAL RENDINO

Presenter

On stage, Sal Rendino earned an Artistic Director Achievement Award in L. A., as “Best Lead Actor in a Drama” for his portrayal of real-life revolutionary Abbie Hoffman in the world premiere of Nick Zagone’s “David and Goliath in America”.

LIIFE’s former Rising Star Award winner for 2016, Sal also earned the 2019 Best Supporting Actor Award from the First Contact Film Fest., for “Junkie Heaven”, the 2016 Best Supporting Actor Award from the Nice (France) International Film Fest., for the feature, “Second Chance”. Recent film credits: “One Moment”, opposite Danny Aiello, “Gotti”, opposite John Travolta; “The Ticket” (2016 Tribeca Film Fest.); “Lazarus Rising”, opposite Eric Roberts.

TV credits include “Blindspot”, “The Americans” (recurring), “The Get Down” (recurring), “Billions” (recurring), “The Daily Show”, “Royal Pains” (recurring).

GERALDINE LEER

Presenter

Geraldine Leer is pleased to be at LIFFE! She can be seen as Karen Stone on the hit NBC drama, MANIFEST. She most recently appeared in the new Hallmark film CHRISTMAS CAMP, and the upcoming SHOPLIFTERS OF THE WORLD, produced by Joe Manganiello.

She started her career as Lorna in the iconic film MYSTIC PIZZA, and most recently appeared on stage in the world premiere of Charles Mee’s SOOT AND SPIT, a New York Time’s Critics Pick. She loves indie film work, most recently shooting THE CHRISTMAS CARDS down in Atlanta and THE LONG COMMUTE, produced by Anthony Robert Grasso (2019 LIIFE best supporting actor, WINK).

She lives way over in Montclair, NJ, where she has most notably survived teenagers.

www.GeraldineLeer.com

LUKAS HASSEL

Presenter

Lukas Hassel is a multiple award-winning actor, writer, and director. He’s a graduate of the Samuel Beckett Theatre School of Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland. Born and raised in Denmark, he’s now a dual citizen of Denmark and the United States.

As an actor, he has appeared in several TV shows, such as Blue Bloods (CBS), Limitless (CBS), The Blacklist (NBC), Elementary (NBC), as well as feature films, such as “The Black Room” and “In Montauk.”

As a writer, Lukas was the winner of the CineStory Fellowship and has placed in the “Top 30” twice in the Nicholl’s Fellowship Competition. His LBGT feature length screenplay “Le Mécano” has been optioned by Director/Producer Charlie Stratton. His short screenplay “The Son, the Father…” recently won the HollyShorts Film Festival Screenwriting Competition and secured a production deal as a result.

As a director, Lukas took his sci-fi script “Into the Dark” and created a successful short film, which went on to screen in over 70 film festivals worldwide. In 2017, he directed his second short film, “The Son, the Father…,” which had its world premiered at the Chinese Theater Cinema in Los Angeles as part of the HollyShorts Film Festival. The film has screened in over 80 film festivals picking up over 30 awards for writing, directing, best short film and actor’s awards.

LIIFE is the premiere filmmaker community on Long Island, sponsored by the Long Island Film/TV Foundation (LIFTF), the County of Nassau, Gold Coast Studios, The Long Island Railroad, Hamptons TV and the Nassau County Industrial Development Agency, which shows over 160 short and feature-length films of every genre. The expo offers networking opportunities, a 350 seat historic theater, press and media opportunities, a convenient filmmakers lounge, and several discussion panels with topics ranging from distribution to scriptwriting, to legal music, and a filmmaker panel/breakfast.

For More Information on LIIFE, Visit: www.LongIslandFilm.com

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