originally published: 10/13/2022

(TEANECK, NJ) -- Tickets are on sale now for the 17th annual Teaneck International Film Festival, which will be virtual and live, starting November 13. The first three nights may be enjoyed from the comfort of your own home; the live portion of the festival begins at Teaneck Cinemas, with the opening night film, A Story of Bones, sponsored by National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Inc. Bergen / Passaic Chapter. For film descriptions, venues, tickets, and information about special guests and talkbacks, go to the TIFF website.

With the forever theme, Activism: Making Change, the TIFF is happy to welcome back the organizations that are sponsoring important films that highlight headline-making issues. The League of Women Voters of Teaneck and Brady, Bergen County Chapter, are sponsoring Mass. The drama is an unflinching depiction of four parents – two couples – navigating the unthinkable. Years before, one couple’s son opened fire on his high school classmates before going to the library and taking his own life. The son of the other couple was one of the victims. Neither couple is certain about what they’re after by participating in this meeting. Forgiveness? Acceptance? An explanation? Their lives are forever tethered. Maybe conversation can do something for their grief and the pain that has overwhelmed their lives in so many ways. There will be a talkback following the screening, which will be held Saturday, November 19 at 4:00pm at Teaneck Cinemas. 503 Cedar Lane.

The National Council of Jewish Women, Bergen County Section, currently celebrating its 100th year of existence and activism, is sponsoring the feature, If These Walls Could Talk. The 1996 television film which was broadcast on HBO, was directed by Cher and Nancy Savoca. It tells the stories of three women who live in the same house at different times spanning over 40 years, and deals with the moral crises confronting them over unexpected pregnancies and the choices they have – in 1952, when abortion was illegal, in 1974, and in 1996. Starring Demi Moore, Sissy Spacek, Cher, Jada Pinkett Smith, and the recently deceased Anne Heche at the start of her career, this compelling drama is offered free but advance reservations are required (www.teaneckfilmfestival.org). The film and talkback will be at Temple Emeth, 1666 Windsor Rd., Teaneck, Sunday, November 20 at 12:00pm. Ticket holders must present proof of Covid vaccination; masks are optional.

Also at Temple Emeth, Sunday, November 20 at 5:45pm is the documentary, Julia Scotti: Funny That Way, presented by Ethical Culture Society of Bergen County and Larry Bauer. Born as Rick Scotti, this comedian decided to be her true self when she was in her forties. We venture into her life as stand-up comic Rick, her roaring comeback that escalated into a finalist spot on America’s Got Talent, and her two children with whom she had a several-year gap in communication due to her transition. Shot over five years, the film tracks Julia’s life, and the complex process of reuniting with her children, as comedy becomes the shared language of identity, healing, and joy. There will be a talkback with director Susan Sandler and Julia Scotti and a performance by Julia.

With the support of the nonprofit organization Puffin Foundation, Ltd., a small group of dedicated volunteers set out, more than 15 years ago, to create an event that would present a collection of compelling and imaginative feature-length films, documentaries, and shorts from a variety of cultures that would lead audiences to question, debate, and become caring and involved citizens who recognize the need to institute positive change. The Teaneck International Film Festival has found its niche on the film festival circuit, and, having been dubbed by the Star-Ledger, “the film festival with a social conscience,” is growing in reputation as well as numbers.