The Garden State Film Festival will host a number of award-winning performers and other special guests at its 13th Anniversary event this weekend, March 19th-22nd in Atlantic City.

Returning to Atlantic City for the second year, the Garden State Film Festival will feature 180 films from 18 countries.

A number of noted performers will receive awards and attend events in Resorts Hotel Casino, the Claridge Hotel, Dante Hall. They will join festival goers at a number of events and take place in various programs throughout the festival starting with the Kick-Off Cocktail Party at Resorts Ballroom on Friday, March 20 at 7:00 p.m.

Receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award is New York native Armand Assante. Following his first screen role in the cult film The Lords of Flatbush, Assante appeared on several soap operas before his breakthrough role in Private Benjamin. Playing characters as diverse as Mike Hammer to John Gotti to Odysseus, Assante remains in strong demand with dozens of recent credits in both film and television including Joe’s War, screening on Saturday at 8:00 p.m. at Resorts.

Assante is joined on screen in Joe’s War with Festival MVP, Ed Asner, a GSFF honorary board member and former Lifetime Achievement recipient (2012). He is the subject of a new documentary, My Friend Ed, about his acting and activism screening at 3:00 p.m.at Resorts.

In addition to film screenings and the cocktail party, panel discussions, book signings, Q & A sessions, educational programs, an open casting call, and a black-tie awards ceremony are offered to festival attendees.

Weekend passes are $45 and provide access to all screenings and sessions. Individual screening ticket are $12 and the Awards Dinner is $125. All can be purchased at gsff.org where information on films and the festival is also provided.

Listen to Lite Rock 96.9 WFPG this week to win tickets to the Garden State Film Festival. Play Impossible Trivia weekdays at 7:20am on the Lite Rock Morning Show to win.

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