West Orange Classic Film Festival Returns For 2023: ‘Fables And Myths’

WEST ORANGE, NJ — A local film festival is returning to West Orange for 2023 with a tribute to “fabulous fables and magical myths.”

Organized under the auspices of the West Orange Arts Council, the West Orange Classic Film Festival kicked off on Jan. 8 with a screening of “The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)” with guest speaker Stephen Whitty.

The festival will conclude on Sunday, March 5 (see the lineup below). All films start at 2 p.m. and will be screened at the AMC-Dine-In Theaters, Essex Green Shopping Center, 495 Prospect Avenue. Learn more or purchase tickets here.

According to festival organizers:

“In addition to films filled with larger-than-life heroics, imaginative worlds, and wonderous magic, the festival boasts a host of guest-speakers including the returns of popular prior speakers as well as several notable new ones, plus the big-screen New Jersey premiere of a stunning 4k restoration. Returning speakers include authors and film historians such as Stephen Whitty, Paul Castiglia, Gerard Amsellem, and John Chasse. Joining the festival for the first time are noted rock historian, music journalist, and author Dave Zimmer; and Ed Randall, the heralded baseball historian, sports broadcaster, and author; plus Abbott & Costello historians and restorationists Bob Furmanek, Ron Palumbo, and Jack Theakston.”

The full list of films, including dates, speakers, and ticket purchasing links can be found below:

1-8 The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) with guest-speaker Stephen Whitty

https://bit.ly/3hUKB61

1-15 Abbott and Costello’s Jack and the Beanstalk (1952) with guest-speakers Bob Furmanek, Ron Palumbo, and Jack Theakston

https://bit.ly/3jgW0NS

1-22 Yellow Submarine (1968) with guest-speaker Dave Zimmer

https://bit.ly/3VnuuMb

1-29 Jean Cocteau's Beauty and the Beast (1946) with guest-speaker Gerard Amsellem

https://bit.ly/3hL84qu

2-5 The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958) with guest-speaker Paul Castiglia

https://bit.ly/3vg1Wta

2-19 Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971) with guest-speaker John Chasse

https://bit.ly/3Ghs7WE

2-26 The Princess Bride (1987) with guest-speaker Stephen Whitty

https://bit.ly/3YYQjVt

3-5 Field of Dreams (1989) with guest-speaker Ed Randall

https://bit.ly/3I01pmT

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