Published by New Jersey Stage
originally published: 08/20/2015

The Rutgers Film Co-op/New Jersey Media Arts Center, in association with the Rutgers University Program In Cinema Studies, presents the New Jersey Film Festival Fall 2015 -- the 34th Anniversary of the festival. Showcasing new international films, American independent features, experimental and short subjects, classic revivals, and cutting-edge documentaries, the New Jersey Film Festival Fall 2015 will feature over 30 film screenings.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11 at 7:00PM
The Cart - Patrik Eriksson (Lodz, Poland) In this hauntingly beautiful experimental film, a young woman fulfills a mysterious task, as she moves through an existential dreamscape. 2015; 7 min.
Rosehill - Brigitta Wagner (Haworth, NJ) Expertly weaving together improvised and scripted scenes, Rosehill is an intimate feature film that delves into the lives of two women. After receiving some devastating news from her boyfriend, Katriona escapes New York to visit her best friend, who works as a sex researcher at Indiana University. When the two women decide to embark on a road trip through mid-western America, they find out more about one another, and more about the resilience of the human spirit, than they could have predicted. 2015; 78 min. With introduction and Q+A session with Director Brigitta Wagner.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 18 at 7:00pm
Welcome - Serena Dykman (New York, NY) In this poignant short film, Anna, a young doctor working in New York City, is targeted by U.S. immigration after she returns from a humanitarian trip abroad. 2015; 18 min.
Angel of Nanjing - Jordan Horowitz and Frank Ferendo (Providence, RI) The Yangtze River Bridge in Nanjing is one of the most famous sites in China. It is also the site where countless numbers of people commit suicide every year. For more than a decade, Chen Si has been patrolling this bridge, offering counsel and aid to those who intend to end their lives. Incredibly, he has now helped hundreds of people, who were on the brink of suicide, to find their way back to life. This powerful and moving documentary film chronicles Si’s incredible work. In Mandarin, subtitled. 2015; 80 min.
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 20 at 7:00pm
Foster Dog - Lisa Alonso Vear (Brooklyn, NY) A wonderful short filmabout a young, disabled dog who gets a new leash on life, with the help of an older, wiser friend. 2015; 14 min. With an introduction and Q+A session with Director Lisa Alonso Vear.
All in Time - Chris Fetchko and Marina Donahue (Summit, NJ)A dramatic comedy about life, love, and passion. All in Time tells the story of young man named Charlie who decides to move back home to Pennsylvania in order to manage his favorite hometown rock band. His supportive girlfriend shares his love for the band, until struggles within the ensemble force the couple to make choices that will impact their lives forever. 2015; 98 min. With an introduction and Q+A session with Directors Chris Fetchko and Marina Donahue.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 25 at 7:00pm
Be Now - Graham Atkins-Hughes (London, England) A gripping short film that plays out in a young woman’s mind. As the present moment jumbles with fragments of what happened the night before, she’s close to something like madness. 2015; 7 min.
Däwit - David Jansen & Sophie Biesenbach (Hamburg, Germany) In this animated short, a boy is rescued from his violent father and grows up among wolves. As he grows into adulthood he embarks on a quest to find his own identity. 2015; 15 min.
It Plays Like Love - Jeremy Waltman and Adam Lucas (Young Harris, GA) A witty and inventive feature film, about a theatre director who hopes to prove that love existed by recreating it on the stage. The movie weaves together four narrative threads: the rehearsals for the play; the director’s memories of the past (which are unreliable, at best); a dinner party with his frustrated cast; and cast auditions (shot with real actors opening up about their love lives). With its mix of scripted drama, honest confessions, timeless questions, confusion, and humor, It Plays Like Love adds up to an experience greater than the sum of its parts. 2015; 71 min. With an introduction and Q+A session with Directors Jeremy Waltman and Adam Lucas.
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 27 at 7:00pm
Catching Up - Bill Crossland (Philadelphia, PA) A physically disabled high school teacher seeks assistance from his cynical friend after falling in love with an able-bodied co-worker. A funny and dramatic examination of disability, sex, and love. 2015; 11 min.
Right Footed - Nick Spark (Los Angeles, CA) Born without arms as the result of a severe birth defect, Jessica Cox never allowed herself to believe in limitations. She is now a certified airplane pilot, a mentor, and an advocate for the disabled. Directed by Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Nick Spark, Right Footed chronicles her extraordinary story and follows her over a period of two years, as she works on behalf of disabled children and adults in the U.S. and abroad. 2015; 80 min.

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American Doctor
Saturday, November 07, 2026 @ 11:00am
Teaneck International Film Festival - Teaneck Cinemas
503 Cedar Lane, Teaneck, NJFrom Oscar-nominated and Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Poh Si Teng, AMERICAN DOCTOR follows three American doctors— Palestinian, Jewish, and Zoroastrian— as they enter Gaza to save lives. They find themselves caught between medicine and politics, risking everything to expose the truth.

Alien: American Dream Denied - New Jersey Premiere!
Saturday, November 07, 2026 @ 2:00pm
Teaneck International Film Festival - Teaneck Cinemas
503 Cedar Lane, Teaneck, NJ Alien: American Dream Denied spotlights the emotional journey of high-skilled, documented immigrants as they seek permanence in a country that benefits from their talent, but denies them a home.

The Lorraine - Bergen County Premiere!
Saturday, November 07, 2026 @ 4:30pm
Teaneck International Film Festival - Teaneck Cinemas
503 Cedar Lane, Teaneck, NJUrgent yet deeply joyful, The Lorraine is both a reckoning with the Civil Rights Movement’s unfinished legacy and a celebration of Black excellence and resilience. Acclaimed documentarian Sam Pollard digs into the story of The Lorraine Motel, shedding light on the forgotten history of a Black cultural institution that served as a safe haven for African Americans traveling during segregation and Jim Crow in the United States. With amazing archival footage and interviews, this documentary is an eye-opening experience that finally does justice to the legacy of The Lorraine.

Cuny Student Short Series
Saturday, November 07, 2026 @ 10:00am
Teaneck International Film Festival - Puffin Cultural Forum
20 Puffin Way, Teaneck, NJBELOVED - Directed by Delilah Saul. Delilah is a sex worker and journalist-turned-filmmaker in pursuit of answers to a question that’s the central obsession of her life: What needs to change in society in order for sex workers to more easily find relationships where they are loved and supported, just the way they are.

Free Joan Little - Bergen County Premiere!
Saturday, November 07, 2026 @ 2:30pm
Teaneck International Film Festival - Puffin Cultural Forum
20 Puffin Way, Teaneck, NJThe story of the 1975 groundbreaking case of Joan Little who was the first woman in U.S. history to be acquitted for using deadly force to resist sexual assault. Joan was a Black incarcerated woman in North Carolina who killed her white prison guard who was trying to rape her. Little’s murder trial became a cause celebre bringing together prominent advocates, black power activists, white feminists and anti-death penalty activists while catalyzing a nationwide discussion on sexual assault. With rare archival footage, contemporary interviews and the folk anthem that carried her cause,
Free Joan Little captures the spirit of resistance that made history.

Call Me Micky - Bergen County Premiere!
Saturday, November 07, 2026 @ 4:00pm
Teaneck International Film Festival - Puffin Cultural Forum
20 Puffin Way, Teaneck, NJExecutive produced by Dominique Jackson, CALL ME MICKY follows larger-than-life New Jersey native Micky Angelo Petrillo as he barrels into his next act after transitioning at 59. Now 62, he navigates reinvention, unexpected friendships, and the everyday absurdity of finally being seen — with humor, candor, and no intention of doing it quietly.

Buried Under Years Of Dust - East Coast Premiere!
Saturday, November 07, 2026 @ 5:30pm
Teaneck International Film Festival - Puffin Cultural Forum
20 Puffin Way, Teaneck, NJHow does someone go from not communicating for 25 years to narrating her life story?
Buried Under Years of Dust traces the remarkable journey of Emily Grodin, a woman silenced by autism, finally finding her voice. Despite Emily’s increasing frustration, physical outbursts, and violent meltdowns, Emily’s parents never abandoned hope that their daughter would one day share her thoughts, feelings, and deep intelligence. Then, using a controversial assisted-typing technique, Emily had an extraordinary breakthrough. One of her first sentences was “I have been buried under years of dust.” In a time when American health officials call into question the value and contributions of people with autism, Emily has the mic, and she’s got a lot to say.

Bea Arthur: The Documentary - "i've Done Everything Except Porn" - Centerpiece - New Jersey Premiere!
Saturday, November 07, 2026 @ 7:00pm
Teaneck International Film Festival - Temple Emeth
1666 Windsor Road, Teaneck, NJBEA ARTHUR: The Documentary - “I’VE DONE EVERYTHING BUT PORN” reveals a more personal Bea Arthur: intensely private yet remarkably compassionate, wickedly funny, fiercely intelligent and deeply committed to causes she believed in. Featuring a never-before-seen interview, the film offers audiences a rare opportunity to hear the Emmy and Tony Award-winning star reflect on her life, work and extraordinary career.
EVENT PREVIEWS
Maplewood Strollers presents 50th Anniversary Screening of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" with live Shadowcast
(MAPLEWOOD, NJ) -- The Maplewood Strollers invite you to celebrate 50 years of The Rocky Horror Picture Show with a screening featuring a LIVE shadow cast by The Cosmic Light Cabaret for the ultimate interactive movie experience on Saturday, November 7, 2026 at the Burgdorff Center for the Performing Arts. Showtime is 7:00pm.
Teaneck International Film Festival names first recipient of Sandi Klein Creative Woman in Film Award
(TEANECK, NJ) -- The Teaneck International Film Festival (TIFF) has named filmmaker Luchina Fisher the first recipient of the Sandi Klein Creative Woman in Film Award, a new annual honor celebrating an exceptional woman whose work reflects the creativity, curiosity, integrity and commitment to social impact that defined Klein's life and her nearly two decades with the festival. The award includes a $1,000 grant. Fisher will receive the inaugural award at the TIFF screening of her film, The Dads, on Sunday, November 8, 2026 at 2:30 pm at Teaneck Cinemas (503 Cedar Lane).
"Directors' Commentary" to have NJ Premiere at SModcastle Film Festival
(ATLANTIC HIGHLANDS, NJ) -- After its world premiere at Dances With Films LA (DWFLA), one of the nation's leading indie film festivals, Directors' Commentary will have its New Jersey Premiere at SModcastle Film Festival, hosted by filmmaker Kevin Smith. The film will screen on Sunday, November 8, 2026 at 12:00pm.
Teaneck International Film Festival Names Katie Camosy Recipient of 2026 Emerging Filmmaker Activist Award for "Gaslit"
(TEANECK, NJ) -- The Teaneck International Film Festival (TIFF) and The Puffin Foundation have selected director Katie Camosy as the recipient of the 2nd Annual Emerging Filmmaker Activist Award for her documentary Gaslit. The award includes a $5,000 cash prize and trophy and recognizes emerging filmmakers whose work embodies TIFF's guiding theme, "Activism: Making Change."
James R. Halsey Foundation Student Film Showcase to Take Place November 12th
(TRENTON, NJ) -- The James R. Halsey Foundation of the Arts (JRH), a 501c3 non-profit agency dedicated to providing quality arts education and mentoring to youth in the City of Trenton and greater New Jersey area presents the 2026 Student Film Showcase. Taking place on November 12th at the New Jersey State Museum Auditorium from 5:00pm - 8:00pm, this event features three films, written, directed, and produced by students, as well as a documentary focused on raising awareness on men's mental health, featuring authentic student voices and professional interviews.
Count Basie Center for the Arts to Celebrate Centennial with an immersive re-enactment of its opening night
(RED BANK, NJ) -- Count Basie Center for the Arts will cap its Centennial Celebration with an immersive re-enactment of its opening night on Saturday, November 14, 2026 at 6:00pm. Patrons can expect an immersive theatrical presentation from the moment they approach the venue – from 'stars' of the era arriving in classic cars, Gatsby-esque fashion and flair, an authentic speakeasy experience with custom, era-specific cocktails and mocktails, 1920s hot jazz and more.
Learn about producing films with "Producing 101: From Script to Set with The Gig Media"
(JERSEY CITY, NJ) -- Interested in filmmaking? You can learn how to produce a film like a pro at "Producing 101: From Script to Set with The Gig Media" on Saturday, November 14, 2026 at Miraley Studios in Jersey City.
The Clairidge hosts Indie Film Showcase on November 21st
(MONTCLAIR, NJ) -- On Saturday, November 21, 2026, The Clairidge hosts a film showcase featuring three indie films - Wedding Night, Lady in the Mirror, and End of the Line: Brotherhood. Dive into three epic tales, one screen, and endless vibes at The Official Film Showcase. Showtime is 1:30pm.