Jerry Seinfeld & Colin Quinn Join Roundtable

The Nantucket Film Festival (NFF), held this year from June 22 to 26, announces comedy legends Jerry Seinfeld and Colin Quinn will be joining this year’s All-Star Comedy Roundtable presented Sunday, June 26 at 1 pm by Ben Stiller, with host Seth Meyers (Saturday Night Live) and participant Aziz Ansari (Parks and Recreation and the upcoming film 30 Minutes or Less). 

“Having Jerry Seinfeld and Colin Quinn join the Comedy Roundtable is a one-of-a-kind opportunity to see iconic comedy figures mix it up with those of the next generation,” Artistic Director Mystelle Brabbée said.  Executive Director Colin Stanfield added, “Each year we strive to pull out all the stops, but I think topping this year’s Comedy Roundtable will be quite a challenge.”

Another returning favorite is Late Night Storytelling, to be co-hosted this year by Glee’s Mike O’Malley and festival legend Anne Meara.  Participants include five surprise guests as well as audience members.  Past storytellers include Ben Stiller, Jim Carrey, Tina Fey, Mos Def, Rosie Perez, Cheryl Hines, Laird Hamilton, Olympia Dukakis, Paul Rudd, Alan Cumming, and Brian Williams.

Previously announced as this year’s Compass Rose Acting Award recipient is Academy Award® nominee Vera Farmiga, who’s directorial debut Higher Ground will be closing the fest.  Presenting the award to her are Higher Ground co-star Joshua Leonard (who brings his directorial effort The Lie to NFF) and TIME Senior Writer Richard Corliss.  Also announced as this year’s annual Screenwriting Tributee will be Academy Award winner Paul Haggis (Crash). The festival is also bringing back the New Voices in Screenwriting award, to be presented to Cars 2 scribe Ben Queen by Chris Orr, Senior Editor at The Atlantic.

In keeping with NFF’s mission of spotlighting writers, the Festival is proud to announce the jurors for Showtime’s annual Tony Cox Award for Screenwriting. Members of this year’s jury include Susan Wloszczyna (film reporter, USA Today), Dana Harris (editor-in-chief, indieWIRE), and Rajendra Roy (Celeste Bartos chief curator of film, Museum of Modern Art).  The winner will be feted at the Showtime Award Ceremony at the Festival.

Other special events include Morning Coffee With…®.  The daily panels take place every morning at the Rose & Crown on South Water Street and invite attendees to join filmmaker experts for an intimate mix of coffee, conversation, bagels and shoptalk with some of their favorite filmmakers.  Also featured will be In Their Shoes…®, an in-depth conversation providing a rare insight into the life and work of a legend working in the film industry.

Opening the festival is Cars 2, from the beloved family franchise.  This new adventure, directed by John Lasseter, follows Lightning McQueen and his best friend Mater as they race around the globe and unwittingly find themselves caught up in international espionage.

NFF’s second opening night film is the Sundance Film Festival award winner Buck, a documentary on the life of famed horse trainer Buck Brannaman. Closing the festival this year will be Vera Farmiga’s directorial debut Higher Ground, in which she also stars, from Sony Pictures Classics.  Roadside Attractions’ upcoming Margin Call, starring Kevin Spacey, Jeremy Irons, Zachary Quinto, and Paul Bettany, will be featured as the festival’s Centerpiece Film.

Special guests who attended NFF 2010 included Academy Award winners Barry Levinson, Michael Arndt, Davis Guggenheim; Emmy Award winners Ben Stiller, Andy Samberg, Sarah Silverman; Academy Award nominees Elisabeth Shue and Steven Haft; Emmy Award nominee Stephanie Davis; Grammy Award winner Fiona Apple; Zach Galifianakis, Jonathan Ames, Brian Williams, Chris Matthews, Casey Neistat, Joana Vicente, Richard Corliss, Jess Cagle, Cody Gifford, and many more.
NFF was founded in 1996 to spotlight screenwriters, screenwriting and storytelling in today's cinema.   Individual tickets for the festival are available at www.nantucketfilmfestival.org.