Local theater to host filmmakers symposium

Imagine seeing a movie before anyone else. Then, as the lights come up, the creators of the film are there ready to discuss their work.

Starting Sept. 18, the Filmmakers Symposium series will run for 12 weeks at two New Jersey theaters: the Multiplex Cinemas at Town Center Plaza, located at 319 Route 130 north in East Windsor, and AMC Loews Mountainside, located at 1021 Route 22 east in Mountainside, according to a press release from Chuck Rose, the series' director.

In the past 15 years, Filmmakers Symposium has hosted more than 1,000 movie premieres, according to Rose.

"The program will always be flexible in order to take advantage of opportunities as they arise," Rose said in the press release. "Wonderful surprises and fantastic celebrities can pop up out of nowhere, so I try to keep the schedule as fluid as possible."

In the past two years, Rose said, the series premiered 91 films that later earned a total of 38 Oscar, 44 British Academy, 39 Golden Globe and 31 European Film award nominations.

Oscar winners and nominees Danny Aiello, Alan Arkin, James Cromwell, Frank Darabont, Ethan Hawke, Jean-Pierre Jeunet, John Sayles, Marc Shaiman, Howard Shore and David Strathairn have joined Dylan Baker, Al Franken, Famke Janssen, Delroy Lindo, Derek Luke, David Morse, Viggo Mortensen, Connie Nielsen, Mary Kay Place and Kevin Smith as guest speakers who have shared their insights with symposium participants, according to Rose.

The series is open to anyone, but seating is limited, so early enrollment is advised. A subscription is $166 for six weeks, or $299 for 12 weeks. Discounts will be available for early registration, according to the press release.

Confirmed films and those under consideration for the upcoming session include "All the King's Men" with Sean Penn, Jude Law and director Steven Zaillian; "Babel" with Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett and director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu; "Bobby" with Anthony Hopkins, Demi Moore and director Emilio Estevez; "Breaking and Entering" with Jude Law, Juliette Binoche and director Anthony Minghella; "The Departed" with Jack Nicholson, Leonardo DiCaprio and director Martin Scorsese; "For Your Consideration" with Michael McKean, Parker Posey and director Christopher Guest; "The Fountain" with Hugh Jackman, Rachel Weisz and director Darren Aronofsky; "Fur" with Nicole Kidman, Robert Downey Jr. and director Steven Shainberg; "The Good German" with Cate Blanchett, George Clooney and director Steven Soderbergh; "The Good Shepherd" with Matt Damon, Angelina Jolie and director Robert De Niro; "A Good Year" with Russell Crowe, Albert Finney and director Ridley Scott; "The Last King of Scotland" with Forest Whitaker, Gillian Anderson and director Kevin Macdonald; "Little Children" with Kate Winslet, Jennifer Connelly and director Todd Field; "Marie Antoinette" with Kirstin Dunst, Rip Torn and director Sofia Coppola; "The Painted Veil" with Edward Norton, Naomi Watts and director John Curran; and "Running With Scissors" with Annette Bening, Gwyneth Paltrow and director Ryan Murphy.

For more information or to register, call 1-800-531-9416 or visit www.Private-Screenings.org

For more information about Multiplex Cinemas at Town Center Plaza, call (609) 371-8472. For additional information about AMC Loews Mountainside, call (908) 232-8338.