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Hundreds turned out Friday night for the launch of the 16th Annual Garden State Film Festival, being held throughout Asbury Park Saturday and Sunday.

Held at Convention Hall and the Paramount Theatre, the red carpet spotlights included attendance by Armand Assante and Christopher Lloyd, whose current films are screened during the event.

“I arrived this afternoon,” said Lloyd who had not yet had the opportunity to take in the city’s offerings. “I’m looking forward to sharing this tremendous film with the community.”

Lloyd’s film Making A Killing debuts on the east coast 8 p.m. at the Jersey Shore Arts Center, located 66 S. Main St in Ocean Grove. The film, co written by Tinton Falls native Devin Hume and Rhode Island bred Jamie Pelz about two morticians murdering a neighboring colleague convicted of pedophilia.

Assante who spent the evening meeting and taking photos with fans said he too would be in Asbury Park throughout the weekend.

His film The Wanderers – The Quest Of The Demon Hunter garnered many cheers and laughs during its Friday night screening at the Paramount. The dark witted vampire slayer Romanian horror film directed by Dragos Buliga made its debut June 2017 at the Transilvania International Film Festival in Cluj-Napoca.

Assante will be among the featured veteran actors participating in 2:45 p.m. Saturday Actors On Acting panel at the Berkeley Oceanfront Hotel, located at 1401 Ocean Ave. He will be joined by Xander Berkeley and Garry Pastore in frank discussion about the highs and lows of the business.

Among the night’s gems was Ocean Township bred Michael Uslan, who graduated in 1969.

The Batman film producer was an avid comic book collector, amassing an over 30,000 collection dating back to 1936, which his father accommodated by constructing shelves in their garage, he said.

“Every week, in order to find comics books, we would ride to Flo’s Luncheonette at the Asbury Park bus station, Andy’s soda shop on Main Street, the Deal, Allenhurst, and Wanamassa pharmacies, and then a couple of other candy stores that were a part of our routine,” he said. “My dad, never once was able to get his car in the garage. Instead he built three walls of floor to ceiling shelves for my collection.”

Uslan, who obtained three degrees from Indiana State University – history, a masters in urban education, and a JD in law, was the first to teach an accredited course on comic books at any university in the world.

“It was the early ‘70s, a time of great experimentation on college campuses,” he said. “If you had an idea for a college course that had never been taught before and could get the backing of a department on campus, you then could appear before a panel of deans and professors to pitch it.”

Uslan, who was a junior at the time, taught the course for three hours of credit. He garnered the attention of Stan Lee, which began a lifelong friendship, he said.

“Comic books are an indigenous artform,” he said. “It’s our modern day mythology, contemporary folklore. The ancient Gods of Greece, Rome, and Egypt all still exist, except today they wear spandex and capes.”

Uslan is best known for his work producing the modern Batman films, beginning with Tim Burton’s 1989 film, and continuing through to the Justice League.

“I bought the rights in 1979 and it took 10 years to get the first movie made because every studio turned me down,” he said. “They said it worst idea they had ever heard. Finally in 1989, thanks to Tim Burton, Jack Nicholson and Michael Keaton, we got the first Batman movie done and it’s changed the comic book industry, it changed Hollywood, and it’s had a cultural impact on the world. It’s been an amazing journey.”

The Garden State Film Festival screenings launch at noon Saturday and run through Sunday at the Paramount, Berkeley Hotel, Jersey Shore Arts Center, House of Independents, Asbury Park City Council Chambers, Asbury Park Senior Center and The Asbury.

Other highlights include the 11:45 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. block of films at the Senior Center, which features Maya Angelou – Reflections of a Blessed Soul, a documentary by Haflz Farid, Shelley Grodner Seidenstein, and Richard Woods.

Roxbury born Heather Fink’s ‘Inside You’ – a Freaky Friday take between baes is being screened in the 5 to 7 p.m. block at the House of Independents and Bradley Beach’s Steve Herold’s ‘Death of an Umbrella Salesman,’ being screened in the noon to 2 p.m. at The Berkeley.

The Festival concludes with a 6:30 p.m. Sunday black-tie optional Awards Banquet at The English Manor on Logan Road in Ocean Township.

Honors will go to iStar’s superman Brian Cheripka, with actor Xander Berkeley [of The Walking Dead fame] receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award, and Assante garnering the 2018 MVP award.

Bergen County’s own Ellie Lee of MTV, VH1 and iRadio gets the Rising Star accolade, and the Broader Vision Award goes to Angelight Films. The nonprofit gives children with brain and spinal cord tumors the opportunity to express themselves by creating and starring in their own short film. Also on the list is Middletown High School South film teacher Christopher Corey for Educator of the Year Award.

There are a couple helpful hints you should know – there’s now an APP for that: one for the volunteers and one for the patrons, both link to the City’s Parking APP and can be found on the GSFF website at gsff.org, where you also can find the complete screening schedule and best in screening voting instructions.

Also, parking in the waterfront lots will be courtesy of iStar to ticket holders only and a free jitney will shuttle festival goers around town.

The best ticket bet is the weekend pass; $50 includes all events and film screenings – except the for the Sunday Awards Banquet.

Individual film screening tickets are $15 in advance and $17 at the door.

Day passes are $30 on Saturday and $25 on Sunday.

The Sunday Night Awards Banquet tickets are $140 each and $130 each for those who purchase an entire table of 10.   

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