I have been staying in Beach Haven, New Jersey, for the seventeenth annual Lighthouse International Film Festival. While the weather has not been kind to visitors this year, the movies have been. You could do worse than watch a movie on a rainy day. I've done just that many times over by watching 60 films: 3 feature-length narratives, 3 feature-length documentaries, 43 short narratives, and 11 short documentaries over five days.
The LIFF is an internationally renowned juried event that screens excellent independent movies from around the world. I will not review any of them here. Enough to say that they're worth watching. You can get a brief description of all of them here.
But I do praise the festival itself. It is well organized, reasonably priced, and content rich. The 200-plus staff members are gracious and accommodating, and the venues are comfortable. It doesn't hurt that the LIFF takes place on Long Beach Island, commonly referred to as LBI, a barrier island legendary for its spectacular beach the full length of its 18 miles. The restaurants, bars, and shops are plentiful, and you can take early morning beach walks even in the June drizzle. The LBI vibe is positively chill. You'll feel a cool sense of community and as much entertainment as you can handle from Wednesday to Sunday. Remember the LIFF for next year.
