Films which feature veteran actors are having a particularly diffilcult time breaking through in the highly youth-oriented film market. Let's face it, teenagers and young adults are the ones who go to the movies in greatest numbers and....they buy popcorn, nachos and candy which contributes mightily to the film theaters' bottom line.

This is a shame because films peopled by seniors have a special heart and wisdom and also serve as a showcase for actors who have had a lifetime to perfect their craft. Well, luckily such delicate gems are still being made and the Connecticut Film Festival is featuring one on Sunday afternoon at 4pm at the Palace Theater.  

HARVEST, directed by Marc Meyers, has a wonderful cast of highly polished actors including Robert Loggia (BIG), Barbara Barrie and Jack T. Carpenter. The script is very wise and moving as it unfolds the story of three generations of a family who come together one summer. What has brought them together is to be present for the final days of the patriarch of the family, a gruff WWII
veteran. Gathered at the family home and in and around their beautiful
shoreline town, years of resentment and betrayal within the family
surface. While the grandson, a college student, does his part to hold them
all together, he learns valuable life lessons about growing  up and taking responsibility.

The film is also important for the Festival because it was largely shot in the state of Connecticut, using the area's beautiful and evocative locations (shot in Madison, Connecticut). It is a fine example of the kind of quality indie filmmaking that could easily take root in the state with the proper institutional support. HARVEST took advantage of Connecticut's tax credit incentives and of support from local film boards.

For more information on the film, visit the Festival website: www.ctfilmfest.com

or leave a comment on the film's Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/raisingHARVEST

Sandy Mandelberger, Film Connecticut Editor