originally published: 08/05/2011
(NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ) -- The Rutgers Film Co-op/New Jersey Media Arts Center, in association with the Rutgers University Program In Cinema Studies, is proud to present the New Jersey Film Festival Fall 2011 which marks our 30th Anniversary. Showcasing new international films, American independent features, experimental and short subjects, classic revivals, and cutting-edge documentaries, the New Jersey Film Festival Fall 2011 will feature over 60 film screenings. The Festival will run from September 9 through October 27.
All the works that we are screening, with the exception of three programs, are part of the New Jersey Film Festival competition and were selected by a panel of judges including media professionals, journalists, students, and academics. These judges selected the 40 finalists which will be publicly screened at our Festival. The finalists were selected from over 366 works submitted by filmmakers from around the world. In addition, the judges will choose the Prize Winners (including over $5,000 in prizes) in conjunction with the Festival Director. Prize winners will be announced after the screenings on Thursday, October 27, 2011.
Film Premieres:
Over 40 films will have their New Jersey or Area Premiere (Middlesex County) screenings as part of the New Jersey Film Festival Fall 2011. Some of these include: Moon Molson’s riveting Crazy Beats Strong Every Time; Paul Tanter’s superb and gripping modern crime noir Jack Falls; Vic Losick’s In God We Teach -- an engrossing freedom of speech documentary about the controversial story of Matthew LaClair, a student at Kearny (New Jersey) public high school who secretly recorded his history teacher, David Paszkiewicz in class, and accused him of proselytizing for Jesus; Guido Verweyen’s After the Fire -- a documentary on the tragic Seton Hall University Fire of 2000; Beth and George Gage’s From the Ground Up: 10 years after 9/11 -- a moving portrait on the New York City firefighters’ widows and children; Matt Lawrence and Scott Ballard's Enter the Beard -- a cheeky documentary set in Anchorage, Alaska, where over 250 men from all over the globe compete in The World Beard and Mustache Championships;. Chris Pepino's Inside The Perfect Circle: The Odyssey Of Joel Thome -- a wonderful documentary about Grammy Award winner and Pulitzer Prize nominated composer and conductor Joel Thome, who collaborated extensively with rock icon Frank Zappa;
Robert Lee King’s (director of the cult hit Psycho Beach Party) new feature-length comedy entitled Bad Actress, where the glory days of an aging TV queen are apparently behind her; Or Yashar and Yuval Ovadia’s Hamesima X -- a new feature film from Israel, deftly combining science fiction with the skullduggery of modern espionage; Phoebe Fronista’s The King's Garden -- a documentary that has one foot in the Bible and the other in the quicksand of the Middle East conflict; Darren K. Hawkins’s sexy and intense feature from Australia Next Door to the Velinsky’s; Mike Magidson’s exquisitely filmed, Inuk which opens a view into a remote and stunningly beautiful region of the world; M. Wood’s Disney World -- an avant-garde film which is amazing assault on the senses; Thomas L. Phillips’s Where I Begin -- a gritty southern drama; Jerzy Rose’s Some Girls Never Learn -- a quirky and original feature film in the vein of David Lynch and Guy Maddin; and many others. For more information on these films see the attached schedule or go to our online site at www.njfilmfest.com.
Special Guest Appearances by Directors, Artists, and Actors:
This fall we are pleased to announce over twenty confirmed special guest appearances by film/video directors, artists, and actors to the New Jersey Film Festival Fall 2011! All short film visiting directors will introduce their work and all feature film visiting filmmakers will 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.
Special 30th Anniversary Special Promotions and Events:
Free Food at the New Jersey Film Festival Fall 2011 Opening Weekend (9/9-9/11) and Special Meal Deals for all Festival evenings! Participating New Brunswick restaurants, including Ginger 'N Olive & Glass Woods Tavern (Hyatt Regency), Jimmy John's, Maoz Vegetarian, and others will be providing samples prior to selected film screenings and providing discounted dinner options on certain days during the festival with proof of a film ticket stub. Check our website: www.njfilmfest.com for a complete list of participating restaurants.
Free Movie Posters will be given out to the first 50 patrons each evening during the second weekend (9/16-9/18) of screenings!
Repeat Screenings of the Best of the 2011 New Jersey International Film Festival. On Friday and October 14th and Sunday October 16th we will be screening the winners of our Summer Festival by popular demand!
Experimental Films Highlight Thursday evening screenings
Classic and rare experimental film screenings will take place on select Thursday evenings. Some of these include the surrealist masterpiece Dreams That Money Can Buy by Hans Richter, Man Ray, Marcel Duchamp, Max Ernst and others; ten of Andy Warhol’s famous 4 minute Screentests; and films by Sidney Peterson, Bruce Baillie, Shirley Clarke, Storm de Hirsch, Robert Nelson and many others. For more information on these special screenings see the attached schedule or go to our online site at www.njfilmfest.com.
Sponsors: The New Jersey Film Festivalsm Fall 2011 is funded and sponsored 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; Middlesex County Cultural and Heritage Commission/Board of Chosen Freeholders and 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; Writers Boot Camp; Jungle Software; New Brunswick City Market; Showbiz Software; The Rutgers University Office of Community Affairs; Rutgers University Presentation Services; The Rutgers University Enhanced Classroom Support Department; Design Ideas; Advanced Printing; Steven C. Schechter, Esq.; Share and Harris.
