2023 Film Fest Flip Book2023 Film Fest Flip Book
2022 Celebrity Guest

Constantine Maroulis


American Idol Star and Tony Nominated Actor/Singer

Constantine Maroulis was born a scrappy kid in Brooklyn with big pipes, deep pride for his Greek heritage, and a love for the theater and rock n’ roll. It was an upbringing a world away from the showbiz glitz of New York and Los Angeles, yet he would come to penetrate the firmament of stars in those galaxies many times. Constantine’s story took an important turn at a young age when his family moved from Brooklyn to Wyckoff, New Jersey.  The city’s manicured lifestyle was a culture shock to Constantine who preferred the more diverse and earthy environs of Brooklyn. He took solace in close family ties, and his family’s eclectic music soundtrack which included goth, classic rock, jazz, Spanish hymns, Greek music, pop, and show tunes. His life would get another jolt when he witnessed his brother’s performance in a high school production of West Side Story. “I remember seeing the scene where he got stabbed in a rumble and came back to life in a dream sequence. That changed me forever,” Constantine recalls.

Constantine channels appreciation for his visibility and success in creativity and writing, recently releasing a new album of original work entitled Until I’m Wanted in the quarantine summer of 2020. Recording Until I’m Wanted was a collaborative effort, with Maroulis calling on relationships he developed over the course of his career

Fortunately, Constantine had been very busy prior to the impact of COVID, and is enjoying the release of several film projects including Dark State, Either Side of Midnight, and 5th Borough. Additionally, Constantine had been very active performing, including several shows with Adler’s Appetite featuring Steven Adler of Guns ‘N Roses fame, Rocktopia, and Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox.

Re-emerging from COVID brought about the launch of WABC’s Constantine Maroulis Show, an exciting entertainment-centric podcast, shared worldwide via the station website. In addition to the radio show, Constantine is returning to the stage with tribute act Foreigner’s Journey, as well as the official Rock of Ages band, and with NJ party outfit, Constantine and The Frequency. Constantine also notably contributes to the zeitgeist of pop culture, as his friendships with celebrities including The Real Housewives of New York, are cannon fodder for the press and paparazzi on an on-going basis.

Constantine first came to prominence as the beloved rock n’ roll underdog on American Idol. He then secured his place in pop culture as a Broadway superstar, best known for his Tony-nominated role in Rock of Ages. Now, for his third act, he begins an invigorating and promising new era with a bevy of intriguing projects, including putting the finishing touches on his most assured and swaggering solo music to date.

“I always knew I was going to do something within the entertainment business. From a young age I told everyone that,” the New Jersey-based performer says. “I always had a plan. The streets of New York were my college. I hustled a ton, pounding the pavement selling clothes, doing real estate, just anything to support my dreams. I was the kid with a mic in one hand and a briefcase in the other.”

Despite his vocal prowess and his magnetic presence onstage, Constantine bounced around the New York music scene through most of his 20s having put in a lot of hard work with little to show. In 2004, an old friend convinced him to try out for American Idol. Before his fateful appearance on the show, Constantine had studied musical theater at Boston Conservatory, spent years in the theater scene, and slogged it out on the thankless NYC rock n’ roll club circuit. At the time of his Idol audition, he was fresh from touring with the musical Rent and out of touch with the popular show, as this was before social media. The rest is history, one Constantine is grateful for. “Basically, my life changed the moment I stepped on the property. I had cameras in my face all the time. It was the right time and I was ready to play,” he recalls.

Constantine Maroulis became a household name through his memorable run as a finalist on the fourth season of American Idol. His charisma, rock n’ roll edge, and astounding vocals entranced the judges, along with the 30 million viewers watching the show at home. His triumphant performances on Idol included some of the show’s most electrifying moments on TV, including his rendition of Queen’s epic “Bohemian Rhapsody”.

Constantine knew after American Idol he had a relatively limited window of opportunity to fortify his career. “I went into survival mode—I knew nothing would be handed to me,” he confides. It was by hustling, flying back and forth between New York and Los Angeles, working 12-hour days, that he began to make headway. A show called Rock of Ages with an unknown cast and unknown creatives came knocking. It had a great program of classic songs and Constantine was instantly drawn in by the concept and signed on. The show enjoyed a highly successful run as one of the highest-grossing Broadway shows of all time, culminating in a myriad of awards and critical acclaim for Constantine including a Tony Award nomination, and firmly establishing him as a world-class performer. Constantine then went on to receive a Drama League Award nomination for the Distinguished Performance Award for Rock of Ages, as well as his work on the show Jekyll and Hyde. “In a way, there are two mes—the guy driving the van and trailer, and the guy onstage in front of millions. I want to be like a great utility player on a baseball team and play every position on the field. That feels honorable,” he says. Constantine’s clout is growing on Broadway, as his name is attached to many upcoming projects both as producer and actor. Recently Constantine served as a producer on the Tony-nominated Broadway revival of Deaf West’s Spring Awakening.

All of this ambition is held in balance by Constantine’s inspiration– his 10-year-old daughter Malena. Life as a single dad is not without its challenges; however, Constantine is firm in his commitment to being present in his daughter’s daily life. Constantine says: “I’m really a regular guy, and my family reminds me of that. There is nothing more important to me than spending time with Malena. Everything is for her and her future.”

2022 Film Festival Schedule
Show Time Title Run Time Description
Theater #1
6:00pm Red Carpet 01:00:00
7:00pm T. Damiano, D. Fucito, E. McPherson w/Coucilwoman Pam Perron 00:15:00 Introduction
7:15pm Driving Her Away 00:11:01 Student Undergrad – Maddy Freeman
Doors 00:06:50 Short – Alisa Rasera-Holden
Behind The Sky 00:36:56 Documentary – Jessie Bonell/Arman Vekas
8:10pm Documentary Panel 00:30:00 Panel Discussion
8:40pm Atomic Cover-Up 00:52:09 Documentary – Greg Mitchell
9:32pm Q&A with Greg Mitchell, Director 00:10:00 Q&A
9:42pm Retirement 2 00:16:20 Short Subject – Joshua M. Thomas
Libby Show: Lunch with the Ladies 00:30:00 Web/New Media – Suzanne Ordas Curry
End Time: 10:30pm
Theater #2
6:00pm Red Carpet 01:00:00
7:10pm T. Damiano, D. Fucito, E. McPherson w/Coucilwoman Pam Perron 00:15:00 Introduction
7:30pm Solo 00:04:40 Undergrad Student Films – Alice Almiron
Sonata 00:03:54 Student Films – Sam Chuck
In Mind 00:04:53 Student Films – Yuhyeon Byon
Short 00:04:30 Student Films – Sam Chuck
Change 00:04:57 Student Films – Mason Cho
Mooby’s Popup 00:10:48 Student Films – Sophia Haber Brock
Hunter 00:09:59 Student Films – Michelle Tang
Tomato Soup 00:05:00 Student Films – Ella Nova
8:20pm STUDENT AWARD – Elementary, Middle, and High School 00:10:00 Awards
8:30pm Ghost Story 00:04:29 Student Short Subject – Mia Antaramian
Geistling 00:28:42 Short Subject – Alex Bram
9:05pm Dunmore Cemetery Tour 01:01:00 Documentary – Luz Cabrales
10:06pm Q&A with Luz Cabrales 00:10:00 Q&A
End Time: 10:16pm
Show Time Title Run Time Genre
Theater #1
6:00pm Red Carpet 01:00:00
7:00pm T. Damiano, D. Fucito, E. McPherson w/Coucilwoman Pam Perron 00:10:00 Introduction
7:10pm Don’t Know Jack 00:12:30 Short Subject – Raymond Nowicki
April Showers 00:11:39 Short Subject – Caytha Jentis
Always for the First Time 00:20:07 Short Subject – John Coliendo/Victoria Meade
Trunk Show 00:14:00 Short Subject – Will Chase
8:10pm Q&A with Will Chase 00:10:00 Q&A
8:20pm Morning Breeze 00:26:00 Short Subject – Dom Lampasona
Hope Your Feel Better 00:12:53 Short Subject – Stephanie Ruiz
Mislead 00:17:33 Short Subject – Steve Perkins
Let’s Make Some Dope Sh!t 00:17:59 Undergrad Student Doc – Kent Greenfield Ichikawa
9:35pm Q&A with Kent Ichikawa 00:10:00 Q&A
9:45pm Vagina Musical 00:13:59 Int’l UK – Harriet Taylor/Abigail Quinlan
10:00pm Q&A with Harriet Taylor 00:10:00 Q&A
10:10pm A Feast That Never Comes 00:5:59 Music Video – Maria Juranic
Dreamcentered 00:09:13 Documentary – Maia Buljeta/Kaija Harrison
There Is Exactly Enough Time 00:02:0 Int’l Austria – Oskar Salomonowitz
End Time: 10:30pm
Theater #2
6:00pm Red Carpet 01:00:00
7:15pm T. Damiano, D. Fucito, E. McPherson w/Coucilwoman Pam Perron 00:10:00 Introduction
7:25pm Yesteryear 00:09:54 Short – Joshua M Thomas
Age of Resiliency 00:17:02 short – Chris Trembath
342 00:13:07 Short – Laurie Ziel/Jose Manual Fajardo
8:05pm SQ&A with Laurie Ziel 00:10:00 Q&A
8:15pm Love Forbids You 00:08:14 Experimental – Will Rittweger
8:25pm It Started with the Heart 00:22:55 Documentary – Kenneth Heidt
8:50pm Q&A with Christophe Lafontant 00:15:00 Q&A
9:05pm Vitriol 00:25:00 Documentary – Mark Clauburg
9:30pm Q&A with Mark Clauburg 00:10:00 Q&A
9:40pm The Coronation 00:12:00 Experimental – Emily Penick
The Kid 00:07:09 Int’-Germany – Rodja Martin Troscher
End Time: 10:00pm
Theater #3
7:00pm Canaries in a Cold War 00:50:00 Mathias Magnason
7:50pm Q&A with Mathias Magnason 00:10:00 Q&A
8:00pm The Jambies 02:00:00 Jamboree filmn
End Time: 10:10pm
Musher 01:15:00 YOU TUBE ONLY – Feature
RGIFF YouTube Channel

8TH Annual International Film Festival

"Something For Everyone"

RIDGEWOOD, NJ — Lets take a look back at the Ridgewood Guild 8th International Film Festival. This event created an opportunity for film makers to bring their imagination to life and share it with the town of Ridgewood. As Tony said, “There’s something for everyone,” including short films that revolved around cultural standpoints to animated writing tools recreated as fictional characters. This annual event creates excitement for the film makers, their audience, and The Ridgewood Guild. We hope to see you at our 10th annual International Film Festival!