(ATLANTIC CITY, NJ) -- The 14th Annual Garden State Film Festival takes place across venues in Atlantic City from March 31 through April 3. The artistic philosophy of the Garden State Film Festival is rooted in the celebration of the independent film genre and the creation of a forum where local and other independent filmmakers can exhibit their work. It was also created to pay tribute to New Jersey's legacy as the birthplace of the American filmmaking industry in Thomas Edison's Menlo Park laboratories where he invented the first film cameras and projectors, to Fort Lee, where the original studios were founded.
Here is a comprehensive look at the films scheduled for Sunday, April 3 from 12:15pm - 12:30pm.
A Man, A Horse: Portrait of Ramon "Tito" Moya
12:15pm RST29 (Resorts-Starlight Room)
A documentary portrait of a young horse jockey who grew up in Newark, NJ. He shares his passion, what it takes to become a successful jockey, the dangers and glories of riding, and the difficult journey he had to undertake to achieve his goals in the world of professional horse racing.
Country of Origin: USA
Category: Student Documentary Short
Running Time: 17m
Director: Kevin Torres
Producer: Jane Steuerwald
Production Company: New Jersey City University Media Department
Website: https://filmfreeway.com/project/425559
TRAILER LINK: https://filmfreeway.com/project/425559
At the End of the Line
12:15pm CC35 (Claridge-Celebrity Theater)
In 1939, in Nazi Germany, an amazing thing happened. Jewish parents, sensing their lives were in danger, placed their children aboard trains to be raised by foster families across free Europe. They did this, knowing they would probably never see their children again.
Country of Origin: USA
Category: Music Video
Running Time: 5m
Premiere Status: NJ Premiere
Director: Robert Kerr
Producer: Robert Kerr
Production Company: Lazarus Entertainment Group
Website: www.attheendofthelinefilm.com
Beneath the Olive Tree
12:15pm RH17 (Resorts-Horizon Room)
Secret journals document the incredible stories of women political exiles during Greece's tumultuous civil war which was backed by the US and British governments.
Country of Origin: USA
Category: Feature Documentary
Running Time: 1h16m
Premiere Status: NJ premiere
Director: Stavroula Toska
Producer: Stavroula Toska, Sophia Antonini
Production Company: Orama Pictures
Website: www.oramapictures.info
TRAILER LINK: https://vimeo.com/140200814
Benny's Recital
12:15pm RSS6 (Resorts-Superstar Theater)
When a young boy's mother is too busy with work to come watch him perform in a piano recital at school, he must find a way to get through the day and ease his broken heart.
Country of Origin: USA
Category: Short Family Film
Running Time: 5m
Premiere Status: World Premier
Director: Hugh Grant
Producer: Heather Brittain O'Scanlon
Production Company: SOS Productions
Website: www.SOSPFilms.com
BURN OUTS: A Dream of Drag Racing.
12:15pm RST29 (Resorts-Starlight Room)
"BURN OUTS: A Dream of Drag Racing." is a day in the life of aspiring professional drag racer Joe Morrison. We follow Joe from his suburban New Jersey home where he stores his nostalgia funny car, to Atco Raceway where Joe is racing to qualify for his next level license on his journey to becoming a professional drag racer. Along the way we meet Chuck Morrison, Joe's father, who was also a drag racer on the local circuit. Chuck, who now suffers from breathing ailments, accompanies Joe to almost every race where he serves as Joe's mentor, crew chief, and inspiration.
Country of Origin: USA
Category: Documentary Short Film
Running Time: 20m
Premiere Status: East Coast Premiere
Director: Peter Blackmann
Producer: Kenny Pedini
Production Company: ThinkBreatheLive
TRAILER LINK: https://vimeo.com/153152965
Hands of Flame
12:15pm CC35 (Claridge-Celebrity Theater)
Based on the life of a Holocaust survivor, Hands of Flame tells the true story of two sisters who dance the nights away in a small, isolated town. When the violence of war strikes, their home is ripped away, they are torn from their family, and their flesh is forever branded. And that is just the beginning of their torment.
Country of Origin: USA
Category: Student Animation
Running Time: 8m
Premiere Status: NJ Premiere
Director: Steven Markowitz
Producer: Steven Markowitz
Production Company: Honest Engine Films
Website: stevenmarkowitz.com
Trailer Link: https://vimeo.com/110094181
Imminent Threat
12:15pm RST29 (Resorts-Starlight Room)
Oscar nominee James Cromwell presents a feature documentary on the War on Terror's impact on civil liberties.
Country of Origin: USA
Category: Documentary
Running Time: 1h14m
Premiere Status: NJ Premiere
Director: Janek Ambros
Producer: James Cromwell, Janek Ambros, Jillian Barba, Anthony LoPresti
Production Company: Assembly Line Entertainment
Website: www.assemblylineentertainment.com
TRAILER LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UY9EzQYauTY
Inquest of Desire
12:15pm RSS6 (Resorts-Superstar Theater)
A private detective investigates a missing girl who is thought to be the latest victim of a serial killer. His sources have led him to his only lead, the girl's seductive mother.
Country of Origin: United Kingdom
Category: Short Film
Running Time: 13m
Premiere Status: USA Premiere
Director: Luke Shelley & Michael Kennedy
Producer: Sarah Pearn
Production Company: Dual Pictures
TRAILER LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0jMPJEl0NU
K2 and the Invisible Footmen
12:15pm RH17 (Resorts-Horizon Room)
Shot in stunning northern Pakistan, K2 and the Invisible Footmen chronicles the plight of the unsung heroes, the indigenous porters of majestic K2, the earth's second-highest peak.
Country of Origin: Pakistan, USA, Brazil
Category: Documentary
Running Time: 54m
Premiere Status: NJ Premiere
Director: Iara Lee
Producer: Iara Lee
Production Company: Caipirinha Productions
Website: www.culturesofresistancefilms.com
TRAILER LINK: https://vimeo.com/126423435
The Last Viewing
12:15pm RSS6 (Resorts-Superstar Theater)
Allen Hoe tells the story of a chance encounter with a stranger who knew his son, Army 1st Lt. Nainoa K. Hoe.
Country of Origin: USA
Category: Short Film/Animated Documentary
Running Time: 3m
Director: The Rauch Brothers
Producer: Lizzie Jacobs, Maya Millett & Mike Rauch
Production Company: StoryCorps
Website: www.storycorps.org
TRAILER LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLiiV2FWTJg
Lesson From the Past For the Future
12:15pm CC35 (Claridge-Celebrity Theater)
A short film documenting Stockton University's faculty led study tour to Portland, Lithuania and Germany to teach student about the Holocaust.
Country of Origin: USA
Category: Home Grown Student Short Film
Running Time: 9m
Director: Kedar Dockery
Mommy's Box
12:15pm RSS6 (Resorts-Superstar Theater)
Nick, a music producer in New York City, is dealing with his own demons and chemical dependency as he gets the news of his mentally unstable mother's death.
Country of Origin: USA
Category: Feature Narrative
Running Time: 1h29m
Premiere Status: World Premiere
Director: Johnny Greenlaw
Producer: Johnny Greenlaw and Rita Laterca
Production Company: All Things Creative
Website: mommysboxmovie.com
TRAILER LINK: vimeo.com/143558959
Pistons Re-Brand Manifesto
12:15pm RSS6 (Resorts-Superstar Theater)
A brand manifesto for the NBA team The Detroit Pistons.
Country of Origin: USA
Category: Short Film
RUNNING TIME: 1m
Director: Tom Parr & Igor Kovalik
Producer: Casey Kaufman
True Sound | The Vintage Vibe Story
12:15pm RST29 (Resorts-Starlight Room)
Vintage Vibe, the last electronic piano manufacturer in the world, fights to stay relevant with a new generation of electro-mechanical instruments in a market flooded by digital keyboards.
Country of Origin: USA
Category: Home Grown Short Film
Running Time: 13m
Director: Alex Hoteck
Yellow Stars of Tolerance
12:15pm CC35 (Claridge-Celebrity Theater)
YELLOW STARS OF TOLERANCE documents a project to preserve yellow stars that were painted during the Holocaust on a synagogue exterior wall in Normandy, France. Intended to serve as a testament to that terrible chapter of history and a reminder of the dangers of intolerance, the recent, tragic increase in anti-Semitism in France gives this story ongoing significance.
Country of Origin: USA
Category: Short Film/Documentary
Running Time: 28m
Director: Curt Fissel
Producer: Ellen Friedland
Production Company: JEMGLO
Website: http://jemglo.org/portfolio-12.html
TRAILER LINK: http://jemglo.org/portfolio-12.html
Zeichnen gegen das Vergessen ( Drawing Against Oblivion)
12:15pm CC35 (Claridge-Celebrity Theater)
The Austrian Artist Manfred Bockelmann has a mission: he wants to retrieve from oblivion the innumerable children who were murdered by the Nazis and then faded away into anonymous archival statistics. Through the eyes of the artist the film embarks on trips to the USA and to Auschwitz, encountering and engaging survivors, the children of the Holocaust. A moving narrative of associations and images captivates the viewer. This film sends a powerful, positive message that history must be faced. The documentary reminds us of the importance of empathy - not just toward victims of the past, but right here, right now.
Country of Origin: Germany
Category: Feature Film
Running Time: 1h 7m
Director: Bsrbel Jacks
Producer: David Kunac
The Adventures Of Mr. Silent
12:30pm DH45 (Dante Hall)
SYNOPSIS: Mr. Silent witnesses an accident. Then comes to the realization he may know who caused it!
Country of Origin: USA
Category: Home Grown Comedy Short
Running Time: 2m
Premiere Status: World Premiere
Director: Brian Parks
Producer: Brian Parks & Bobby Tucker
Production Company: Parks Bros. Films
Website: www.parksbros.net
The Adventures of Mr. Silent - Ep. 2 - Chess Pains
12:30pm DH45 (Dante Hall)
SYNOPSIS: Mr. Silent watches two men play chess in a park. Only he acts like he is watching a football game, causing the two frustrated players to take action!
Country of Origin: USA
Category: Home Grown Comedy Short
Running Time: 5m
Premiere Status: World Premiere
Director: Brian Parks
Producer: Brian Parks & Bobby Tucker
Production Company: Parks Bros. Films
Website: www.parksbros.net
After Sandy
12:30pm CB40 (Claridge-Ballroom)
Synopsis: Filmmaker Joe Minnella spent two years documenting the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy in and around the New Jersey Shore area. After Sandy is the personal and in-depth story of the towns he visited, the residents he met, and the everyday struggle to rebuild after a natural disaster.
Country of Origin: USA
Category: Homegrown Feature Documentary
Running Time: 1h 40m
Premiere Status: Showing for the first time on the big screen
Director: Joe Minnella
Producer: Joe Minnella
Production Company: Joe Minnella Studios
Website: www.joecinema.com
Trailer Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvJTGLmhMPY
Before We Lose
12:30pm RBR11 (Resorts-Ballroom)
A mother and her 3 year old son cope with her deteriorating health condition in the Black Sea Region of Turkey. Inspired by true political events.
Country of Origin: USA
Category: Short Film
Running Time: 17m
Premiere Status: NJ Premiere
Director: Cristhian Andrews
Producer: Ruya Koman
Production Company: Audacity Innovative
Website: www.audacityinnovative.com
Dark Town
12:30pm RSR23 (Resorts-Screening Room)
A thief on the run from drug dealers finds his escape in the form of a kooky taxi driver.
Country of Origin: UK
Category: Short Film
Running Time: 8m
Premiere Status: World Premiere
Director: Asad k.M.
Producer: Asad k.M.
Production Company: New Skyway Films
TRAILER LINK: https://youtu.be/hr3p7CsxQN8
Durga
12:30pm RBR11 (Resorts-Ballroom)
DURGA is a story of Bhola (an old artist who paints the eyes of the idols of Goddess Durga) and a 7 year old girl named Durga, Bhola's granddaughter. Bhola had devoted his entire life in bringing life to these idols by beautifully painting their eyes. Bhola, a true believer of Goddess, always wanted a girl child in his family, a manifestation of Goddess herself. After generations of male off-springs, his daughter-in-law gave birth to a girl child, but as fate would have it, she was born blind.
Country of Origin: India
Category: Short Film
Running Time: 14m
Premiere Status: North American Premiere
Director: Vivek Kajaria
Producer: Vivek Kajaria
Production Company: Holy Basil Productions Pvt. Ltd.
Website: www.holybasil.in
The House is Innocent
12:30pm CB40 (Claridge-Ballroom)
Meet Tom and Barbara, the proud new owners of a serial killer's house-- the most infamous residence in Sacramento, California. The middle-age couple soon realizes it's going to take more than a fresh coat of paint to whitewash their home's macabre history.
Country of Origin: USA
Category: Short Film/Documentary
Running Time: 13m
Premiere Status: NJ Premiere
Director: Nicholas Coles
Producer: Alexis Manya Spraic, Max Velez
Production Company: Blackburn Pictures
Website: http://www.thehouseisinnocent.com
TRAILER LINK: https://vimeo.com/135758911
Meeting Supermann
12:30pm DH45 (Dante Hall)
When Neo wakes up one morning, she has no clue this is the day she will be meeting Superman.
Country of Origin: Germany
Category: Short Film Drama/Comedy
Running Time: 12m
Premiere Status: NJ Premiere
Director: Hannah Stockmann
Producer: Hannah Stockmann
Production Company: Mokoari Street Productions
Website: http://www.mokoaristreetproductions.com
TRAILER LINK: https://vimeo.com/132930560
The Pledge of Allegiance at the Twin Lights, The- You Heard It Here First...
12:30pm RBR11 (Resorts-Ballroom)
The story of HOW the Pledge of Allegiance came to be... it is a tale of money, power, politics and passion.
Country of Origin: USA
Category: Home Grown Short Documentary
Running Time: 40m
Premiere Status: World Premiere
Director: Fred Frintrup
Producer: Mark Stewart & The Twin Light Historical Society
Production Company: Visionary Video Studios
Website: www.visionaryvideostudios.com
TRAILER LINK: https://www.withoutabox.com/filmmaker/projectDetails/videoPlayer?videoId=78a86071-a21e-032a-9805-0d7d0c8dcce8
The Shattered Mind
12:30pm DH45 (Dante Hall)
A young girl struggles with a traumatic past and suffers from nightmares and flashbacks that takes her back to her childhood days.
Country of Origin: USA
Category: Feature
Running Time: 1h30m
Premiere Status: NJ Premiere
Director: Jade Bryan
Producer: Jade Bryan
Production Company: Jade Films and Entertainment, LLC
Website: www.jadefilm.com
Tiny Town
12:30pm CB40 (Claridge-Ballroom)
As the ice-cream man runs his rounds in Tiny Town he is unexpectedly met with a giant magic 8 ball. Upon further investigation of its prophetic message, he narrowly escapes a disastrous train collision. When a giant doll emerges through the wreckage, the ice-cream man tries to flee the town. When all escape routes are destroyed, he returns to his ice-cream truck, transforming into a massive robot to defeat the massive doll. Will the ice-cream man be able save his town?
Country of Origin: USA
Category: Short Film/Animation
Running Time: 9m
Premiere Status: NJ Premiere
Director: Stephen Baker/Howard Cook
Producer: Howard Cook
Production Company: University of Colorado Denver Digital Animation Center
Website: cu3d.org
The Town That Disappeared Overnight
12:30pm RBR11 (Resorts-Ballroom)
Buoyed by greed and mob connections, state planners and contractors forced rural New Jersey farmers from their ancestral homes in the 1950s to make way for a reservoir to satiate the thirsts of populous areas near New York.
Country of Origin: USA
Category: Short Film/Documentary
Running Time: 27m
Director: David Kuznicki
Producer: David Kuznicki & Eric Althoff
Production Company: Media 523
Website: www.roundvalleymovie.com
TRAILER LINK: https://vimeo.com/111317595
Traffic Stop
12:30pm CB40 (Claridge-Ballroom)
Alex Landau, who is African American, recalls how he nearly lost his life following a traffic stop with the Denver police. He and his mother, Patsy, who is white, remember that night and how it changed them both forever.
Country of Origin: USA
Category: Short Film/Animated Documentry
Running Time: 4m
Director: Gina Kamentsky & Julie Zammarchi
Producer: Rachel Hartman & Roxana Petzold
Production Company: StoryCorps
Website: www.storycorps.org
TRAILER LINK: https://youtu.be/Vep6DmMvLUQ
