Pride of the Ocean to honor glbt filmmakers

Pride of the Ocean Filmmakers To Gather on the High Seas to Commemorate the First Pride events 40 years ago this June

Film Cruise Benefits Vermont’s Gay Shorts Film Festival “CineSlam”

www.prideoftheocean.com

The Pollin Group and After Stonewall Productions are pleased to announce that Pride of the Ocean, will be honoring a number of filmmakers as part of its historic cruise commemorating the first pride events to take place 40 years ago. . Pride of the Ocean’s cruise embarks May 30^th on the Norwegian Dawn from New York City, only miles away from where the first pride march began, the Christopher Street Liberation March, which launched the yearly occasion of celebrating the Stonewall Riots every June. Today thousands celebrate “Pride” all over the world .

The programmer for the festival will be John Scagliotti, who created the first LGBT TV series on PBS, In the Life , as well as the producer of the first gay film on PBS Before Stonewall which won two Emmy Awards in 1986. Pride of the Ocean will present a number of pivotal films, such as Greta Schiller's (PARIS WAS A WOMAN), in addition to new works from directors Casper Andreas, who will be screening a sneak peak of his new film, currently in post-production, (VIOLET TENDENCIES), Dean Hamer and Joe Wilson's (OUT IN THE SILENCE) and Yun Sun's "Teddy Award" winner, (CITY OF BORDERS). In addition to screening films, Pride of the Ocean will also bring together more than 35 LGBT filmmakers like Mark Payne (GET HAPPY!), Northern Ireland's Connor Clements (JAMES) and Cheryl Dunye (WATERMELON WOMAN) who will join us in socializing with the passengers in intimate dinners, parties and seminars. This seven day cruise will offer free-style ticketing so that the attendees will also be able to participate in many of the other activities and off-shore excursions in Bermuda offered on the Norwegian Dawn.

“We started looking for different ways to take the LGBT film festival into a more intimate world” said Scagliotti. “Here in Vermont we have filmmakers stay for many days at a farm in the country and offer our audience a chance to spend time with them beside the usual Q&A after a screening. We have BBQ’s, seminars and dances. That is what we are trying to capture for Pride of the Ocean.

Also on the cruise, Q-Me Con (Queer Media & Entertainment Conference) and Kopkind CineSlam are joining forces with an engaging series of seminars on film distribution and funding. Included in the seminars will be Katherine Linton (former host of In The Life and producer of MTV programs), Jennifer Howd (founder of Punkmouse and Q-Me Con), Suzi Walsh (director of the Center for Independent Documentary), Veronique Courtois (President at Casque D'or Films), and Kelly Burkhardt (Managing Director of independent film distribution at TLA Releasing).

The Pride of the Ocean cruises will also be run as a benefit for small non-profit LGBT film festivals around the country. This first film festival cruise supports the work of Kopkind’s CineSlam, which is the LGBT shorts film festival in Vermont. CineSlam will also present some of their festival winners in the ship’s screening theater and other shorts that will be part of its festival like Besty Kalin’s premiere of “Chained.”.

The Pollin Group, located in Chevy Chase, Maryland and led by Jim Pollin, is well established in the Cruise Industry, specializing in corporate and educational managed cruises. After Stonewall Productions manages a number of documentaries and LGBTQ film festivals.

For more information about Pride of the Ocean go to www.prideoftheocean.com or The Pollin Group, LLC , 4701 Willard Ave., Suite 1623, Chevy Chase MD 20815 Tel: 301-656-5740,Fax: 301-656-5741 Nationwide: 866-432-0050 Pictures for Press can be downloaded at: http://www.prideoftheocean.com/press.php Deadline to register for $199 off the regular price is March 10^th.