Asbury Park’s loss will be Atlantic City’s gain this spring as the Garden State Film Festival moves to the resort. The move, which has been speculated about for more than a month, became official as the state Casino Reinvestment Development Authority voted to provide a $300,000 incentive to the festival over three years. The 2014 event will take place April 4 to 6 in locations throughout the city that have yet to be determined. Officials are banking on the festival as another multi-day event that will bring thousands of tourists to the city during the shoulder season. In recent years, the festival has drawn 30,000 people to Asbury Park, where officials estimate the economic impact of the four-day festival at more than $824,000.
Diane Raver, the festival’s executive director, pledged to make the event significant for Atlantic City. A native of Sea Girt, Monmouth County, Raver began the Garden State Film Festival in Asbury Park in 2003. She worked to grow the festival in the city that has long struggled with revitalization efforts and said she believes that experience will translate well to Atlantic City.
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