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FESTIVAL PREVIEW: 2nd Annual Monmouth Film Festival

Published by New Jersey Stage

originally published: 07/23/2017


The 2nd Annual Monmouth Film Festival will take place August 11-13 at the Two River Theater in Red Bank, NJ.  Here's a special preview of the festival.


Friday, August 11, 2017

MFF NETWORKING EVENT 
7:00pm-9:30pm
Walk the red carpet and join featured filmmakers, artists, actors, agents and press, at the Monmouth Film Festival Networking Event! This 2-hour long catered event, filled with local food and beverages, is a great, energetic atmosphere to connect with artists to help make your creations come to life! Featured companies in attendance will include the world’s most trusted casting resource, Backstage, the New Jersey Film Commission, and the renowned New York Film Academy. Discover the great opportunities and services available to get your next production on the go!


Saturday, August 12, 2017

SHORT BLOCKS A
11:00am-1:00pm
Luigi’s (France), Does A Bear Need Many Glasses? (Boston), The Stone & The Stars (NY), A Stubborn Bet (Florida), Mother (Germany), Addle Strife (New Jersey), High & Tight (New York), Ballooinator (California), The Pooka (Illinois), Parallax Dreams (New Jersey)





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THE BLOOD IS AT THE DOORSTEP
Feature Documentary - 1:15pm
While not as publicized as cases of police brutality and police shootings in cities like New York, Oakland, Ferguson, and Baltimore, the 2014 killing of Dontre Hamilton in Milwaukee is as shocking and tragic as any. In broad daylight in the middle of downtown, an officer responding to a complaint from a Starbucks employee approached Dontre Hamilton, an unarmed black man coping with paranoid schizophrenia resting in a public park. Minutes later, the officer shot Dontre 14 times. Directed by: Erik Ljung


SHORTS BLOCK B 3:00pm-5:00pm
Joy Ride (New York), The Stock Boy (New York), The Boy By The Sea (Netherlands), Three Skeleton Key (California), Manners of Dying (California), Parivara (New York), Jenny Got Famous: Loneliest Hour (UK), Tiny Worlds (New Jersey), The Finger (New York), The Archivist (New Jersey)


MFF INDUSTRY PANEL 5:30pm - 7:00pm
Do you aspire to make the next award winning film? Are you working on a film now but struggling to get it on the big screen? Join “A Discussion On Indie Film” with the MFF Industry Film Panel featuring special, esteemed guests. Don’t miss your opportunity to ask questions directly to their panelists regarding your own work and career!


LEMON
Feature Narrative 7:15pm
After Isaac’s blind girlfriend walks out on him, his life goes into free fall, and he directs an unhinged staging of Chekhov’s “The Seagull,” attends the Passover Seder from hell, and attempts to woo a new flame. Directed by Janicza Bravo. 
?CAST: Michael Cera, Judy Greer, Brett Gelman, Nia Long, Shiri Appleby, and Fred Melamed.

THE STRANGE ONES
Feature Narrative 9:00pm
Mysterious events surround two brothers as they travel across America. On the surface, everything seems normal, but what appears to be a simple vacation soon gives way to dark and complex truths. Directed by Lauren Wolkstein and Christopher Radcliff. CAST: Alex Pettyfer, James Freedson-Jackson, Emily Althaus and Gene Jones


 

Sunday, August 13, 2017




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SHORTS BLOCK C
11:00am - 1:00pm
The Forever Woods (Georgia), The Adventures Of Lucy (California), Chrysalis (New York), Dear Anima (Taiwan), Timeline (New Jersey), Whoever Was Using This Bed (Australia), Pickup (New York), Togetherness (Taiwan), Passaic (New Jersey)


WINDOW HORSES
Feature Narrative 1:15pm - 2:45pm
Rosie goes on an unwitting journey of forgiveness, reconciliation, and perhaps above all, understanding, through learning about her father’s past, her own cultural identity, and her responsibility to it. Directed by ?Ann Marie Fleming. 
CAST: Sandra Oh, Ellen Page, Shohreh Aghdashloo

 

SHORTS BLOCK D
3:00pm - 5:00pm
Tyson! (California), Before Christmas (New York), The Third Movement (Canada), Satori (New York), One Last Ride (California), Still Here (PA), Ovid (New Jersey), The Wheels On The Bus (Australia), The Tramcar Girl (New Jersey)


SHOOTING CLERKS
Feature Documentary 5:15pm - 7:15pm

A biographical drama detailing how Kevin Smith bankrolled his $27,000 first film with maxed-out credit cards and garnered career-making critical attention at the Sundance Film Festival when Clerks debuted there in 1994.  Directed by Christopher Downie. 
?CAST: Brian O’Halloran, Mark Frost, Scott Schiaffo, Matthew Postlethwaite and Kevin Smith.

AWARDS CEREMONY
7:30pm - 8:30pm

All are welcome for the Inaugural MFF Awards Ceremony! Celebrate the best films this year as they close the festival.


 

For more information on the festival visit: www.monmouthfilmfestival.org




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EVENT PREVIEWS

(ATLANTIC HIGHLANDS, NJ) -- Daruma, executive produced by Oscar-winner Peter Farrelly, is returning to theaters this July for a limited theatrical run in honor of Disability Pride Month. A portion of the proceeds from ticket sales will be donated to the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation to support its mission of funding innovative research, advancing care, and empowering individuals and families impacted by paralysis. Locally, Daruma will screen at Smodcastle Cinemas in Atlantic Highlands on Friday, July 17, 2026 at 7:30pm.
"An Evening With Dan and Laura" - A Behind the Scenes Look at Vivid Stage

"An Evening With Dan and Laura" - A Behind the Scenes Look at Vivid Stage's First Feature Film

(SUMMIT, NJ) -- Vivid Stage, in residence at the Oakes Center, will host "An Evening with Dan and Laura" on Saturday, July 18, 2026 at 8:00pm. The evening will offer a behind-the-scenes look at the creation of Vivid's feature film: A Relative Comedy. Director Laura Ekstrand and Composer Dan Crisci will talk about what went into making the company's first feature.
The Trenton Film Society presents Kid Flicks: Celebrating Black Stories

The Trenton Film Society presents Kid Flicks: Celebrating Black Stories

(TRENTON, NJ) -- On Saturday, July 18, 2026, the Trenton Film Society will present a special program for children 8+, in partnership with the renowned New York International Children's Film Festival. Celebrating Black Stories spotlights Black narratives that transcend national boundaries, culture, and language. With roots in history and tradition, these films share the joy, determination, resilience, and complexity of being young and Black while underscoring the vibrancy of Black storytelling.
45th Bi-Annual New Jersey Film Festival will Take Place September 4th through October 4th

45th Bi-Annual New Jersey Film Festival will Take Place September 4th through October 4th

(NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ) -- The 45th Bi-Annual New Jersey Film Festival will be taking place between September 4 - October 4, 2026. As they have been doing the last few years, the festival will be presented as a hybrid with select in-person screenings at Rutgers University and most of the films available virtually via Video on Demand for 24 hours on their show date. The festival also be offering an Audio-Visual Concert featuring the bands Lawns and Hanging Coats as well as two FREE Filmmaking Workshops.

 

FEATURED EVENTS


FREE SUMMER MOVIE! Lilo & Stitch

Tuesday, July 14, 2026 @ 10:30am
State Theatre New Jersey
New Brunswick, NJ


FREE SUMMER MOVIE! Lilo & Stitch

Tuesday, July 14, 2026 @ 6:30pm
State Theatre New Jersey
New Brunswick, NJ


An Evening with Dan and Laura

Saturday, July 18, 2026 @ 8:00pm
Oakes Center
Summit, NJ


Free Summer Movie! Zootopia 2

Tuesday, July 21, 2026 @ 10:30am
State Theatre New Jersey
New Brunswick, NJ


Free Summer Movie! Zootopia 2

Tuesday, July 21, 2026 @ 6:30pm
State Theatre New Jersey
New Brunswick, NJ