Image ©2007 Norman Blake[all rights reserved]

This year’s edition of the Coney Island Film Festival, held in the funnest place on Earth, won’t be until Sept., but their parent organization, Coney Island USA, is holding a benefit event this Wednesday, May 21. At the event there will be food, an open bar, swing dancing, carnival games and a silent auction. Plus, there will be shows put on by the world’s greatest sideshow performers. In attendance will be: Donny Vomit, Miss Coney Island Serpentina, Heather Holiday, Angelica, Nick Knack, Burlesque at the Beach’s Bambi the Mermaid, The Pontani Sisters, The Peach Tartes, Dirty Martini, Hula Harvest and the World Famous *BOB.” And many more.

General admission tickets are $100, but a special $250 VIP pass that will get you “access to the VIP seating area, swing dancing lesson priority, a gift bag, table service for food and drink, and meet and greets with performers.” Shake hands with Donny Vomit only after you’ve eaten, please. (Tickets are also partially tax deductible.)

The film festival in the fall is also still open for submissions. Late deadline is June 25 and Super Duper Late deadline is July 3. And the fine folks of the Coney Island USA organization wants to promote their new Coney Island Film Society, which is rising out of the ashes of their Saturday Night Screening Series to continue to show cult favorites on Saturday nights. You can find the schedule here. Some of the films they’ll be screening are: Rollercoaster, The Funhouse, Carnival of Souls, Freaks, Night of the Living Dead and more.

Wednesday, May 21, 2008
7 PM to 11 PM
Angel Orensanz Foundation
172 Norfolk Street
New York, NY

For more info, please visit the Coney Island USA website.