Deals Galore! Businesses Cash In On Film Fest

With the Montclair Film Festival entering its third day today, business owners are seeking to take advantage of the expected influx of people by offering a variety of deals and later hours.

in Upper Montclair has created special drinks for the film festival: Rudolf Valentino's "Blood and Sand" for $9, Casino Royale's "The Vesper" for $11, and "Some Like it Hot" for $11.

Other restaurants and shops are offering discounts of up to 20 percent for festival ticketholders.

"We are excited by the Montclair Film Festival, the buzz it is creating, the people it is attracting, and the quality of its offering," said Luther Flurry, interim executive director at the Montclair Center Business Improvement District. "The in Montclair Center has, for year, been a regional destination for great independent and art film screenings.

"MFF is bringing both the established audience and new customers to Montclair Center for unique and wonderful events," he said. "Montclair Center businesses have created film festival specials, some of which have been posted on our Facebook page."

Many events already are sold out but tickets are still available to some special events including the discussion with Montclair resident and actor Patrick Wilson at the scheduled Sunday at 2:45 p.m.

And a limited number of tickets for some sold-out events will be released to the rush-line the day of the screening.

Gail Goodman, secretary of the Upper Montclair Business Association, said "we're excited because we think the festival will draw a certain crowd from out of town."

She said that many Upper Montclair businesses are staying open until 7 p.m., and also are circulating discount cards to festival ticketholders, to take advantage of the increase in traffic this week.

All sorts of discounts are being offered this week: 15 percent off purchases at 20 percent off purchases at and  and 15 percent off orders at

For a full list of deals—and there are a lot—go here.

A welcome tent will be up on the lawn of the at the corner of Bellevue Avenue and Valley Road in Upper Montclair on both Saturday and Sunday to help direct ticketholders and also to share news about local businesses and restaurants.

The film festival runs through Sunday, May 6. For questions about how to support MFF in its efforts to plan the second annual film festival in 2013 email info@montclairfilmfest.org.