originally published: 10/14/2019
(NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ) -- The award-winning films for the Fall 2019 New Jersey Film Festival were announced on October 13. All the works that were part of the film festival Competition were selected by a panel of judges including media professionals, journalists, students, and academics. These judges selected the 28 finalists which were publicly screened at our Festival. The finalists were selected from 618 works submitted by filmmakers from around the world. In addition, the judges chose the Prize Winners in conjunction with the Festival Director. Here is a list of the award-winning films starting with the Grand Prize Winners (click on the links for feature articles at NJ Stage).
Best Feature Film: Online Billie – Lou Assous (Paris, France)
Best Documentary Film: Breaking Their Silence – Kerry David (Playa Vista, California)
Best Short Film: The Beginning – Sonni Rossi & Megan McClelland (London, England)
Best Animated Film: Pit Stop – Mikail Ekiz (Hamilton, New Jersey)
Honorable Mention Winners
Impossible Monsters – Nathan Catucci (New York, New York)
Long Day’s Journey Into Night - Bi Gan (Kaili City, Guizhou, China)
Clean Hands – Michael Dominic (Queens, New York)
On Vinyl: Revival and Survival – Thom Leavy (South Amboy, New Jersey)
Two Trentons – Brad Mays (Frenchtown, New Jersey)
Shield – Danielle Eliska Lyle (Princeton, New Jersey)
As One – Tawny Sorensen and David Spaltro (New York, New York)
The New Jersey Film Festival showcases new international films, American independent features, animation, experimental and short subjects, and cutting-edge documentaries. The Fall 2019 festival took place from September 13 through October 13 on the Rutgers Campus in New Brunswick, New Jersey.
EVENT PREVIEWS
2026 Count Basie Center Breakthrough Filmmaker Fest to Take Place April 25th
(RED BANK, NJ) -- The 2026 Count Basie Center Breakthrough Filmmaker Fest, the annual competition celebrating New Jersey's emerging crop of young filmmakers, takes place Saturday, April 25th on the Count Basie Center campus (99 Monmouth Street) in Red Bank.
Learn the Perils of Plastic Pollution During Documentary Screening of "We're All Plastic People" in Surf City
(SURF CITY, NJ) – The Long Beach Island Branch of the Ocean County Library will host a screening of the documentary film We're All Plastic People Now on Wednesday, April 29, 2026 at 2:00pm. The film investigates the hidden story of plastic and its effects on human health.
New Jersey's Premier Film Expo Returns to East Rutherford April 30th
(EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ) -- On Thursday, April 30, 2026, the Screen Alliance of New Jersey (SANJ) will host its second NJ Film Expo at Meadowlands Arena in Rutherford. Building on the strong success of its inaugural year, the expo returns on an even larger scale with several panels, hundreds of vendors, live music and food trucks to showcase New Jersey's expanding role in film and television.
Lighthouse International Film Society presents Ten Films That Shaped American Comedy
(LOVELADIES, NJ) -- What role does film play in shaping a nation's sense of humor? How have films like Some Like it Hot, Blazing Saddles and Bridesmaids left a lasting impression on American society?
2026 New Jersey International Film Festival to Take Place from May 29th to June 7th
(NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ) -- The Rutgers Film Co-op/New Jersey Media Arts Center, in association with the Rutgers University Program in Cinema Studies, presents the 2026 New Jersey International Film Festival which marks their 31st Anniversary. The NJIFF competition will be taking place on the Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays between May 29 - June 7, 2026 and will be a hybrid one as they will be presenting it online as well as doing in-person screenings at Rutgers University.
Emmy-nominated, Tony and Grammy Award-winning actor/director Jason Alexander to Lead Acting Masterclass on Long Beach Island
(LONG BEACH ISLAND, NJ) -- The Lighthouse International Film Festival (LIFF) presents a rare five-day acting masterclass led by acclaimed actor and director Jason Alexander, taking place June 7–11, 2026 on Long Beach Island, New Jersey, just prior to the opening of the Festival's 18th edition, which runs June 10–14.
UPCOMING EVENTS
The Great Muppet Caper – Popcorn & Pajamas Film SeriesFriday, April 17, 2026 @ 7:00pmHamilton Stage at Union County Performing Arts Center (UCPAC) Rahway, NJ
The Great Muppet Caper – Popcorn & Pajamas Film SeriesFriday, April 24, 2026 @ 7:00pmHamilton Stage at Union County Performing Arts Center (UCPAC) Rahway, NJ
Mulan – Popcorn & Pajamas Film Series At UCPAC’s Hamilton StageFriday, May 08, 2026 @ 7:00pmHamilton Stage at Union County Performing Arts Center (UCPAC) Rahway, NJ
