THE NEW HQ
INVESTORS BANK FILM & MEDIA CENTER RENDERINGS: COURTESY OF THE MONTCLAIR FILM FESTIVAL; OTHERS: ANNE-MARIE CARUSO
Left to right: Bob Silver, Larry Slous, Paul Sionas, Rachael Grochowski, Jack Finn and Lance Hoffman
When the MFF board set about
transforming the former Investors
Bank building into the Investors Bank
Film & Media Center, they knew
which design-and-build professionals to tap: Bravitas Group cofounder and CEO Bob Silver, and his
frequent collaborators Rachael
Grochowski (RHG A + D), Paul Sionas
(Sionas Architecture) and Jack Finn
(Jack Finn & Co. Building
Contractors). Along with project
coordinator Evie Colbert, the former
three met on Mondays for six
months before the major renovation
began last February. Besides being a
boon for the festival, the Center will
be “the jewel in the middle of that
block,” says Silver. “Church Street has
been awesome, and now we get a
parallel street that’s as vital and
walkable. It will draw people downtown all the time.”
Interior and exterior renderings of the future Investors Bank Film & Media Center
BROUGHT TO YOU BY…
We are in the earliest phases of the
capital campaign, and have already
received commitments for more than
$1 million of the $2.5 million we need to
raise from foundations, corporations and
individuals. We’re going to launch the
campaign publicly in the end of April at
this year’s festival, our fifth.
NOT JUST BRICKS
AND MORTAR
The building supports the goals of the
festival: to reach as many people as
diversely as possible. It’s great for film
industry gatherings, conversations and
partnering with other non-profits on a
year-round basis. I truly believe that the
building provides a home to expand our
education programs and community
events. Film opens doors for people in
many different ways. ■
– AS TOLD TO CINDY SCHWEICH HANDLER
LYNN SELASSIE WITH ARAN ROCHE, MFF DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT
MAY 2016
MONTCLAIR MAGAZINE
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