Sacred Heart University in Fairfield will host its third annual FTMA Film Festival, named for its Film and Television Masters of Arts program, from Thursday to Sunday, Sept. 22 to 25. This year’s honorees are writer-director Rebecca Miller, who will show her latest film, “Maggie’s Plan,” and actor Dominic Chianese of “The Sopranos.”
The festival, whose theme is “Expanding the Scope,” kicks off on Thursday, Sept. 22, at 4 p.m., with an awards gala at the Avon Theatre, 272 Bedford St. in Stamford. The evening will begin with the screening of “Maggie’s Plan,” a comedy starring Greta Gerwig as a woman who wants a baby but not necessarily a husband. It also stars Ethan Hawke, Julianne Moore, Maya Rudolph and Bill Hader.
The film will be followed by a Q&A with Miller and a ceremony to give her the Joanne Woodward Award for Excellence. Justin Liberman, executive director of the festival, said Woodward gave the festival a donation last year, so it renamed its top award in her honor.
A reception will be followed by a screening of four award-winning student short thesis films.
The rest of the festival will be held at the Frank and Marisa Martire Business and Communications Center at the university, which is at 5151 Park Ave. in Fairfield. On Sept. 23 at 4 p.m., students will read screenplays. At 7:30 p.m., episodes of the TV shows “Louie” and “Inside Amy Schumer” that feature comedian Nick Di Paolo will be shown. At 8:30 p.m., Di Paolo will do stand-up comedy.
Liberman said that including stand-up comedy in a film festival is “our way of paying tribute to the rich tradition of stand-up comics working in film and television.”
On Sept. 24, Roberto Rossellini’s film “Journey to Italy,” starring Ingrid Bergman and George Sanders, will be shown at 10 a.m. Prof. Sid Gottlieb will preside over the screening, at which breakfast will be served. Gottlieb will conclude the event with a discussion. At 3 p.m., ESPN’s Molly Qerim will lead a discussion. At 7 p.m., more student films will be shown.
On Sept. 25 at 1 p.m., the festival will conclude with “A Conversation and Maverick Award Presentation” to honor Chianese. A clip reel of his work will be shown and a Q&A with the actor will be held. Liberman said Chianese also may sing.
Admission is free to all events except the “Maggie’s Plan” screening. Tickets to the Di Paolo event must be reserved by emailing FTMAtickets@gmail.com.
Details: Facebook.com/FTMASacredHeart.
