Gold Coast International Film Festival

The Gold Coast International Film Festival launched June 1–5, 2011, on the north shore of North Hempstead, New York. The festival was produced by the Gold Coast Arts Center, a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) multi-arts center in Great Neck, NY, and hosted by founding sponsor the Town of North Hempstead, which also provided significant funding. The festival was founded with the mission 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. Festival events include screenings, workshops, conversations with prominent members of the film community, parties and a gala.

Screening venues include Bow Tie Cinemas in Port Washington, Manhasset, Great Neck, and Roslyn, and Soundview Cinemas in Port Washington. Additional screenings and special events have been held at the Nassau County Museum of Art, NYIT's Auditorium on Broadway and deSeversky Mansion, Landmark on Main Street, the Port Washington Library, the Manhasset Public Library, and Chaminade High School.

Former Town of North Hempstead Supervisor Jon Kaiman supported the festival, as well as local businesses in the area. Jon Kaiman and the North Hempstead Town Board were supportive of the festival to showcase the Town's local communities and was pleased that the festival boosted local economy.

The 2014 Artist of Distinction Award was presented to Catherine Martin, Academy Award-Winning Production & Costume Designer of Moulin Rouge! and The Great Gatsby. Writer-director Talya Lavie was presented with the festival's first Screenwriting Award for her film Zero Motivation.

Comedian Susie Essman received GCIFF's 2013 Artist of Distinction Award, and actor Paul Sorvino received a lifetime achievement award.

Actor, director, and producer Edward Burns, who was raised in Nassau County, Long Island, was the recipient of GCIFF's 2012 Artist of Distinction Award. He presented his latest film, The Fitzgerald Family Christmas, which was filmed largely on Long Island.

Actor Bruce Dern received the 2011 Legend Award. Dern played Tom Buchanan in the 1974 Robert Redford film, The Great Gatsby based on the book by F. Scott Fitzgerald. The "Great Gatsby" is set on Long Island's Gold Coast—the exact location of the Gold Coast International Film Festival—during the summer of 1922.

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