All the works that were part of the Spring 2023 New Jersey 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 678 works submitted by filmmakers from around the world. In addition, the judges chose the Prize Winners in conjunction with the Festival Director.

Winner Best Feature Film

City of Love – Eric Boadella (Los Angeles, California)

Winner Best Documentary Film

The Language I Speak – Ana Cuadra (Plainfield, New Jersey)

Winner Best Short Film

Fereshteh – Elika Rezaee (Redondo Beach, California)

Winner Best Animated Film

Buon Ferragosto – Claudia Miatello (Toronto, Canada) 

Winner Best Experimental Film

Revelation to the Disembodied – André Silva (Wilmington, North Carolina)