'Marie's Crisis,’ a feature-length documentary, is currently in development following an award-winning film festival run as a short. With over 400 hours of interview and live performance footage already “in the can,” the full story of New York City's most iconic and historic piano bar is taking shape.
Synopsis: 'Marie's Crisis' introduces a broader audience to the institution that is Marie's Crisis, New York's storied sing-along (showtunes ONLY!) piano bar. The film explores this unique, theater-driven New York institution, its meaningfulness to its patrons and staff, and its importance as one of New York’s earliest openly Gay bars -- predating even Stonewall. We also delve into the history of the building, including the site’s Landmark status for being the location where American (and French) Revolutionary figure, Thomas Paine, died, and explore why Marie's Crisis has and continues to be a home for misfits, musical theatre lovers and tourists alike.
FESTIVALS and AWARDS
'Marie's Crisis" short documentary was selected for 15 film festivals. See below for a complete list.
* denotes award from festival
Court Métrange SHORT FILM CORNER at the Festival de Cannes
NewFest (with encore screening)
*SCAD Savannah Film Festival (Global Shorts Jury Award)
NiteHawk Short Film Festival (Music Driven)
*IMDb Independent Shorts Awards (Honorable Mention)
New York Shorts International Film Festival
Tucson Film and Music Festival
*Sydney Indie Film Festival (Semi-Finalist)
*Miami Short Film Festival (Semi-Finalist)
VIDEO CLIPS
The short documentary and selected clips are viewable on a password-protected Vimeo link. For access to these videos please contact info@mariescrisisfilm.com.
INTERVIEWS
To date, scores of interviews have been conducted for the film, including celebrities, historians, academics, theater luminaries and bar patrons. Below are a few notable participants: