The Brooklyn Papers / Greg Mango

Turturro tribute: At the closing night of the Brooklyn International Film Festival (BIFF) at the Brooklyn Museum on June 12, BIFF Director Marco Ursino (left) presented an award to actor-director John Turturro.

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On Sunday night, the Brooklyn International Film Festival wrapped with an award ceremony that skimmed the cream from the crop of this year’s line-up. At the closing night ceremony held at the Brooklyn Museum, writer-director Alison Murray garnered awards for best feature as well as the Chameleon Award for best film of the festival for her road trip flick, "Mouth to Mouth."

The fest also paid tribute to indie film heavyweight, Park Slope actor-director John Turturro, who’s played opposite Johnny Depp in 2004’s "Secret Window," and been a staple in films by respected filmmakers, the Coen Brothers and Spike Lee. Turturro received the Brooklyn Excellence Award from Brooklyn International Film Festival (BIFF) Director Marco Ursino.

Ursino told GO Brooklyn, "The Brooklyn Excellence Award was created as part of the eighth annual BIFF as a way to honor established filmmakers whose work embodies the mission of the festival to discover, expose, and promote independent filmmakers while drawing worldwide attention to Brooklyn as a center for cinema and culture.

"John [Turturro] is not just from Brooklyn, he is Brooklyn at its best," said Ursino.

While trophies are nice, it’s money that gets a film off the ground. In addition to her statuettes, BIFF awarded Murray $32,000 worth of goods and services for her next flick.

For more information about the festival and its ongoing series at the Brooklyn Museum, visit the Web site www.brooklynfilmfestival.org.

Good, clean fun

Stars from CBS’ soap operas "The Guiding Light" and "As the World Turns" and ABC’s "All My Children" and "One Life to Live" picked up their bats at Midwood High School on Saturday, June 11 for the seventh annual Tammy Rubin Rice Celebrity Softball Game to benefit the Shorefront Friends for Hospice, based at Coney Island Hospital.

Although she plays mean teen Lizzie Spaulding on "The Guiding Light," actor Crystal Hunt showed her kinder side by showing up in Saturday’s blazing heat to play CBS’ centerfield. The event raised $13,000 for Shorefront Friends, an organization which provides supportive health services for the terminally ill.

According to Heather Regina, event coordinator with Shorefront Friends, the crowd of 500 in attendance "are huge daytime fans, and that’s why they come." ABC’s fans had something extra to cheer about on Saturday, as their soap actors beat CBS’s, 13 to 11.

Hunt was one of the returning softball players, having gone to bat for CBS back in 2003. The 20-year-old actress told GO Brooklyn that she had volunteered for a hospice organization when she was a high school student in Florida and believes in supporting the cause. But it still sounds surprising coming from the person who portrays Lizzie, the character Hunt describes as a "rich brat" who has burned down a boarding school, pushed a pregnant woman down the stairs and kidnapped a baby on "The Guiding Light."

"It’s fun, because it’s not me," said the Emmy-nominated Hunt. "It’s not something I do everyday, because I’d be psychotic if I did. That’s cool."

For more information on supporting the Shorefront Friends for Hospice, write the organization at P.O. Box 245371 Neptune Station, Brooklyn, NY 11224.

Philharmonic turns 50

It was a heartwarming walk down memory lane at the Brooklyn Philharmonic’s 50th anniversary black-tie gala at the Brooklyn Museum on May 5. The swanky soiree, catered by Framboise, raised $501,000 for the organization, which is currently searching for a new artistic director after former maestro, Bob Spano, took the reins of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.

Although Spano could not attend, due to health reasons, the newly installed Philharmonic board member did send along a videotape with his good wishes and fond memories, as did former music director Dennis Russell Davies. Fellow former maestro Lukas Foss shared his memories of working with the Philharmonic live and in person, while Siegfried Landau sent his in a letter. Other VIPs included composer and Philharmonic board member John Corigliano and Borough President Marty Markowitz.

Bringing his trademark levity with his mayor-of-Munchkin-Land proclamation to the podium, Markowitz thanked Philharmonic honoree, Keyspan Corporation Chairman and CEO Robert Catell, for supplying postage paid envelopes with his electric bill.

The Philharmonic also honored Community Preservation Corporation President and CEO Michael Lappin.

The 300 guests also enjoyed the performance of George Gershwin’s songs by pianist Leon Bates, bass Kevin Deas and soprano Cynthia Haymon. The next Philharmonic concert, conducted by Chelsea Tipton II and featuring violinist Tai Murray, takes place on July 16 at 8 pm at Celebrate Brooklyn in the Prospect Park band shell.

©2005 Community Newspaper Group