Film Premieres:
31 films will have their New Jersey or Area Premiere (Middlesex County) screenings as part of the New Jersey International Film Festival Summer 2011. Some of these include: Noemie LaFrance's incredible experimental performance film Melt; Gerry Curtis beautifully eerie short Savasana; Peter Luisi's playfully surreal romantic feature comedy The Sandman from Switzerland; John Langan's Bowling Balls -- a short comedy about two teenagers from Bayonne, New Jersey who attempt to steal an unpublished short story by J. D. Salinger from the Princeton University Library; Abdullah Al Kaabi's existential short The Philosopher starring Jean Reno; Charlotte Barrett and Sean Fallon's hilarious sex comedy with a twist Virgin Alexander; Debora Kodish and Barry Dornfeld's Eatala: A Life in Klezmer - an exhilarating celebration of the traditional folk music of Eastern European Jews, and a portrait of Elaine Hoffman Watts, a renowned klezmer percussionist; New Jersey native Ariel Frenkel's quirky black comedy Pluto; Matt Rashid and Alicia Arinella's compelling feature For Belly which tells the story of three women on the brink of transformation; Gary Mortensen's riveting documentary Shepherds of Helmand which takes viewers deep into the ongoing war in Afghanistan that is rarely seen even by reporters; Chris Campbell's Voices of Sculpture -- a gorgeous documentary about the Grounds for Sculpture, a 35-acre park outside of Princeton, New Jersey; M.T. Silvia's Atomic Mom is a timely documentary about two women whose lives were directly impacted by the development of the atom bomb; Cy Kuckenbaker's Bush League is a moving and profoundly engaging ethnographic documentary of a tiny village in Northern Malawi; Rolla Selbak's Three Veils -- a poignant feature film by an Arab-American filmmaker about three young Middle-Eastern women living in the United States; and many others. See the attached schedule for more information on these and the other films or visit our website: www.njfilmfest.com.
Special Guest Appearances by Directors, Artists, and Scholars:
This summer we are pleased to announce over twenty confirmed special guest appearances by film/video directors, artists, actors, and scholars to the 2011 New Jersey International Film Festival! All visiting directors will introduce their work and do a Question and Answer session after the screenings. For more information on these special guest appearances see the attached schedule or go to our online site at www.njfilmfest.com. Note: more filmmakers will be appearing but were not able to confirm their attendance at this time. So check our website for updated information.
New Screening Facility:
We have very exciting news. Our new primary screening location Voorhees Hall #105 features comfortable, cushioned seats, stadium seating, and hi-definition projection and sound systems! Come check out our new screening space and see for yourself how great it is!
Film/Video Workshops:
The New Jersey Media Arts Center will offer 2 of its most popular workshops this summer including: Screenwriting I and The Film Business. For more information on these workshops see the attached schedule or go to: www.njfilmfest.com.
Sponsors:
The New Jersey Film Festivalsm Summer 2011 in part by The Rutgers Film Co-op/New Jersey Media Arts Center; The Rutgers University Program in Cinema Studies/School of Arts and Sciences; The Middlesex County Board of Chosen Freeholders/ Middlesex County Cultural and Heritage Commission thru a grant provided by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts; Eastman Kodak; Johnson & Johnson; New Jersey Books; WCTC/WMGQ; The Home News Tribune; The Highland Park Mirror; The Rutgers University School of Arts and Sciences; the Rutgers University Office of Academic Engagement and Programming; The Rutgers University American Studies Department; Rutgers University School of Arts and Sciences Honors Program; Rutgers University Center For Middle Eastern Studies; Writers Boot Camp; Jungle Software; New Brunswick City Market; Showbiz Software; The Rutgers University Office of Community Affairs; Rutgers University Libraries; Rutgers University Presentation Services; The Rutgers University Enhanced Classroom Support Department; Design Ideas; Advanced Printing; Steven C. Schechter, Esq.; Share and Harris.
