(NEWARK, NJ) -- Women in Media-Newark (WIM-N) will hold its 11th annual International Film Festival March 25 through April 16 in celebration of Women’s History Month. Working in conjunction with Rutgers University–Newark, their major partner, WIM-N will host the film festival over 11 days at nine venues: The Newark Museum of Art, Rutgers Paul Robeson Student Center, the East Orange Public Library, the Livingston Public Library, the Grammy Museum Experience, the T. Thomas Fortune Cultural Center in Red Bank, the Scotch Plains Public Library, Clement’s Place and Rutgers-Newark’s Paul Robeson Gallery. All events are free and open to the public.

Over the course of the 11-day festival Woman in Media - Newark offers a dynamic program that provides film, music, and art to attendees throughout the state. Although the feature films are the anchor of the festival, the film shorts are nuggets bringing brief, often profound insights on myriad topics. The talent and expertise of the independent filmmakers who take part in this festival deserve a greater audience.

“This year is so exciting. With 10 years under our belt, for our 11th year we decided to stretch out and present our most extensive film festival in our history,” offered festival director Pamela Morgan. She added, “I know that this year’s festival attendees will find that the talent of the filmmakers and quality of films will rival that of films they will see on any screen, anywhere. The integrity of the stories being told, the cinematography and the timely themes are all compelling and offer insights into the world and into our very souls.”

The opening ceremony will be at 6:00pm on March 25 at the Newark Museum with a focus on the crisis in urban areas. Newark Native Nicole Thompson’s Black Bird will be highlighted in recognition of Nicole’s achievement in cinema since her graduation from Malcolm X Shabazz High School. A panel discussion focused on the future of urban cities will follow the screening of films on migration, art and culture, and the water crisis.

We will continue our emphasis on the United Nation’s He For She initiative where we are inviting men to come out in support of equitable opportunities for women on March 27. Philip S. Thomas, former NJPAC Vice President for Arts Education will be acknowledged as the 2020 He For She Hero. An April 9 He For She event will focus on the screening of the film about jazz bassist Buster Williams.

This year’s art exhibition at the Paul Robeson Galleries at Express Newark, Why We Do What We Do, curated by Adrienne Wheeler, is dedicated to the late Gladys Barker Grauer and features prominent women artists from the region. 

Musical offerings include the March 26 Latin Jazz Concert featuring percussionist Bobby Sanabria’s tribute to women at Rutgers Paul Robeson Student Center, and pianist Danny Mixon’s solo piano concert on March 31 at the Livingston Public Library.

One of the hallmarks of the festival is the tribute paid to women who have made a significant contribution to the community. This year’s honorees are filmmaker Gail Barringer; New Jersey State official Tai Cooper; Director of the City of Newark’s Office of Arts and Culture fayemi shakur; historian Linda Caldwell Epps; Culturalist Philip S. Thomas; New Jersey Office of Public Defenders Assistant Public Defender Janice Anderson; Newark cultural icon Irene Daniels; and filmmaker Hisani DuBose.

A few of the festival highlights include:

March 25 – 6:00pm - The Newark Museum of Art, 49 Washington St., Newark, NJ

New Jersey Secretary of State Tahesha Way, Esq. will be in attendance.

• Recognizing the filmmaker Gail Barringer, New Jersey State official Tai Cooper, and Director of the City of Newark’s Office of Arts and Culture fayemi shakur, the Grammy Museum Experience’s Vice President Brittanie Boyd, Black Public Media’s Leslie Fields-Cruz and New Jersey Department of State’s Sara Peña


• Featuring Hollywood rising star, Newark native Nicole Thompson’s thesis film Black Bird, as well as films that examine the future of cities

March 26 – 6:00pm - Rutgers-Newark Paul Robeson Student Center – 350 Dr. MLK, Jr. Blvd., Newark

• Film shorts screening program


• Honoring the Grammy Museum Experience’s Vice President Brittanie Boyd, Black Public Media’s Leslie Fields-Cruz and New Jersey Department of State’s Sara Peña


• A Latin-jazz concert by percussionist Bobby Sanabria’s band Ashe’. The Newark Arts High School Latin Jazz Band will be the opening act for the concert

March 27 – 6:00pm - Rutgers-Newark Paul Robeson Student Center – 350 Dr. MLK, Jr. Blvd., Newark

• Honoring historian Linda Caldwell Epps and culturalist Philip S. Thomas

• He For She screenings of films that look at women’s issues through male perspective. Discussion of equitable opportunities for women with Philip S. Thomas and filmmakers Hani Majori and Asha Mackey, both from Niger

March 28 – 12:00pm - Rutgers-Newark Paul Robeson Student Center – 350 Dr. MLK, Jr. Blvd., Newark

Afro Pop Day

• Honoring New Jersey Office of Public Defenders Assistant Public Defender Janice Anderson, Newark cultural icon Irene Daniels, and filmmaker Hisani DuBose


• Screening five films that tell the stories of women from four African countries: Senegal, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Senegal, and Niger

March 30 – 6:00pm - East Orange Public Library, 21 S. Arlington Ave., East Orange, NJ

• Screening of film shorts and the film Displacement and Resilience, focused on the plight of international woman migrants

March 31 – 6 p.m. - Livingston Public Library, 10 Robert H. Harp Dr., Livingston, NJ

• 5 p.m. piano concert by highly regarded pianist Danny Mixon


• Screening film shorts and I Remember, a film that looks at the effect of Alzheimer’s Disease on a vibrant journalist

April 1 – 6:00pm - The Grammy Museum Experience, 165 Mulberry St., Newark, NJ

• Screening of film about experiences of women who are trying to achieve equitable opportunities and fair treatment in sports, including Power Meri, a film that chronicles the story of the first women’s rugby team in Papau New Guinea

April 2 – 6 p.m. - Paul Robeson Gallery at Express Newark, 54 Halsey St., Newark, NJ

• 4:30 p.m. Multi-disciplinary arts pop-up


• Screening film shorts and #MeAfterToo: Real Testimony: Real Truth: Real Time

April 3 – 6:00pm - T. Thomas Fortune Cultural Center, 94 Drs. James Parker Blvd., Red Bank, NJ

• Screening film shorts and We are the Endless Roar, the highly acclaimed film that documents the spiritual journey to Nigeria by two Harlemites.

April 9 – 6 p.m. - Clement’s Place, 15 Washington St., Newark, NJ

• He For She screening of Buster Williams From Bass to Infinity about legendary jazz bassist Ben Williams.

April 16 – 6:00pm - Scotch Plains Public Library, 1927 Bartle Ave., Scotch Plains, NJ

• Screening film shorts and The Velvet Revolution, which examines the perils facing women journalists internationally

The film festival is free and open to the public, although donations are welcome.  

Woman In Media – Newark is a not for profit organization (501(c)3 tax designation) that advocates for and educates the public about issues affecting the lives of women using film, video, and new media as our platform. Merging culture and academia, we rally behind our sisters who courageously struggle to assume leadership roles in the film industry with their conscious effort to present a balanced image of women, dispelling the stereotypes and changing public perception of their sisters worldwide.

Rutgers University—Newark is a diverse, urban, public research university that is an anchor institution in New Jersey’s largest city. Approximately 12,000 students are currently enrolled at its 38-acre campus in a wide range of undergraduate and graduate degree programs offered through the Newark College of Arts and Sciences, University College, the Graduate School-Newark, Rutgers Business School-Newark and New Brunswick, Rutgers Law School, the School of Criminal Justice, and the School of Public Affairs and Administration. RU-N is in and of a city and region where its work on local challenges undertaken with partners from all sectors resonates powerfully throughout an urbanizing world.