By CHRIS CONROY

NARROWSBURG - The red carpets are rolled up, the lights are dimmed and the films have been put safely away in their canisters.

The second Narrowsburg International Independent Film Festival (NIIFF) has ended.

Starting amid harsh reminders of last year's financial mistakes, NIIFF 2000 began with a bang. An acting seminar featuring special guest William Forsythe, Leo Rossi, Richard Castellano and Brian Vincent nearly packed the second floor of the Delaware Valley Arts Alliance on August 2. The rest of the week seminars on writing, producing and women in film drew respectable crowds, though none quite as large at the first.

Screenings of films, short and feature length, foreign and domestic, kept people at the Tusten Theater from morning till night. According to Jocelyne Castellano, many only purchased tickets for one or two of the films, as opposed to the pass that would allow them into everything showing during the day.

	TRR photo by Chris Conroy Director Michael Sergio and co-producer Isil Bagdadi, both attached to Under Hellgate Bridge, speak with author and actress Madhur Jaffery about working together in the future. (Click for larger image)

Generally a smooth ride, there were two notable rough spots. What was expected by many to be a screening of the locally-shot film "Four Deadly Reasons," starring Richard Castellano and featuring many local actors, turned out to be a 15-minute selection of clips. As a preface to the handful of scenes, writer and editor Joe Dinki apologized for not having the film completed.

"I was very upset," Jocelyne Castellano said. "It was not what I hoped it would be."

She wasn't the only one disappointed. Jessica Marcos made the trip to Narrowsburg from Texas with her son, Justin, with the hope of seeing him on the silver screen. "There wasn't even a glimpse of him," she said.

After the lights came up it was announced that everyone who purchased tickets for the short preview will be admitted, free, to the true grand opening of the film scheduled for mid-September.

The other rough spot came at the end of an otherwise perfect day, the spotlight on India on August 5 that featured Indian films and a special book signing by author and actress Madhur Jaffery.

	TRR photo by Chris Conroy When the Indian food arrived from New Jersey, via actor Mark Kurtz and the Castellanos' van as opposed to the truck that was supposed to deliver it hours before, most of the people who had planned on enjoying it had already left. (Click for larger image)

Evening brought with it a promise of sitar music by Jyoti N. Thakar and a taste of Indian cuisine. Without a hitch the sitar played. The food, however, lingered in New Jersey after the delivery truck broke down. Actor Mark Kurtz and a few other festival regulars were dispatched to retrieve the stranded feast. The food arrived long after most had left the Narrowsburg Inn.

"That's a rough drive," Kurtz said, unloading food from the van that night.

Mishaps aside, the spotlight on India would have been the only night to make this year's festival profitable. "We had to give everyone who left their money back," Jocelyne Castellano said. Most of the other nighttime celebrations, including the packed closing night gala, were attended mostly by those with free passes, she said.

Even without turning a profit Castellano claims this year's NIIFF avoided the pitfall of its predecessor. As of August 7, she syas, there were only two or three payments to be made. "We paid cash up front for just about everything...there are no real bills this year."

	TRR photo by Chris Conroy Michael Rodrick of "Under Hellgate Bridge" holds his Best Actor award high as he thanks everyone for their vote of confidence. (Click for larger image)

Not even the rough spots could dull the enthusiasm many of the participants felt. During one workshop, Stuart Strutin, owner of Panorama Entertainment Corp., an independent film distribution company, pointed out that "the festival circuit is very important...it is replacing theatrical release for many small films."

In other cases, such as that of "Under Hellgate Bridge," winner of the best feature film category, showing at a festival can jump-start the theatrical release. Michael Sergio, winner of the best director award for his work on the film, told his production staff there would be a theatrical release after they made it to Sundance.

"We did make it to Sundance," he said as the best feature award was given. "We made it to the Sundance of the northeast."

Also featured in "Under Hellgate Bridge" were Michael Roderick, winner of the best actor award, and Brian Vincent, given a special award as a rising star. Vincent was also seen in "Blue Moon," alongside Rita Moreno, winner of the festival's best actress award, and Ben Gazzara.

Both "Under Hellgate Bridge" and "Blue Moon" will see limited theatrical release later this year.

Still exhausted from this year's festival, Castellano is already looking ahead. Still faced with a handful of bills from the first festival, she plans on taking on a producing role or two in order to clear out the debt.

According to Richard Castellano, the film festival office will soon be moving off of Main Street. Any future festivals will be run from an office at the Castellanos' Cochecton Center property.

Will there be a third NIIFF? Given strength by the positive feedback of festival-goers and participants, Jocelyne Castellano answered, "I think so."