By Mo Foster
originally published: 01/25/2025
Although the necessity for the film is troubling, the people followed throughout We Are Not Machines (No Somos Máquinas) turn a horrible situation into fuel for reconstruction, choosing to fight with passion and determination against the system that affects them rather than passively falling victim to it.
This timely feature length documentary follows a New Jersey based non-profit organization called New Labor as they fight against unfair labor conditions, primarily focused on the impact of the exploitative system utilized by the labor industry on the Latino community in New Brunswick. The low wages, poor job security, and mistreatment these workers face is exposed through interviews with people sharing stories and frustrations about their working conditions.
New Labor works to fight against the predatory actions of corporations, subcontractors, and temp agencies against the employees doing the work that keeps them in business. They do the incredibly important work of confronting employers, protesting, and educating people about the rights they deserve in order to disrupt a system that has gone unchallenged for too long.
People come together to fight for their worth, creating an incredibly captivating and eye-opening film that urges viewers to get involved and do their part in the fight against labor exploitation. As someone who has lived in New Brunswick for four years now, I was shocked that I had never heard of this issue and feel as though it would be incredibly beneficial to anyone who calls New Brunswick their home to see this film and learn about what’s happening around them every day.
We Are Not Machines (No Somos Máquinas) screens at the Spring 2025 New Jersey Film Festival on Sunday, February 2. The film will be Online for 24 Hours on this show date and In-Person at 5 PM in Voorhees Hall #105/Rutgers University, 71 Hamilton Street, New Brunswick, NJ. Tickets are available for purchase here.
The 43rd Bi-Annual New Jersey Film Festival will be taking place on select Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays between January 24-February 21, 2025. The Festival will be a hybrid one as it will be presented online as well as doing in-person screenings at Rutgers University. All the films will be available virtually via Video on Demand for 24 hours on their show date. VoD start times are at 12 Midnight Eastern USA. Each General Admission Ticket or Festival Pass purchased is good for both the virtual and the in-person screenings. Plus, acclaimed singer-songwriter Renee Maskin will be doing an audio-visual concert on Friday, February 21 at 7PM! The in-person screenings and the Renee Maskin concert will be held in Voorhees Hall #105/Rutgers University, 71 Hamilton Street, New Brunswick, NJ beginning at 5PM or 7PM on their show date. General Admission Ticket=$15 Per Program; Festival All Access Pass=$100; In-Person Only Student Ticket=$10 Per Program.
For more info go here: https://newjerseyfilmfestivalspring2025.eventive.org/welcome
EVENT PREVIEWS
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2026 New Jersey International Film Festival Video Interview with Sonia and Lisa on Mushrooms Director Vincent Turturro
Al Nigrin, Executive Director and Curator of the New Jersey International Film Festival, sits down with Vincent Turturro, director and writer of Sonia and Lisa on Mushrooms, for a filmmaker interview at EBTV. Sonia and Lisa on Mushrooms will be screened on May 29, 2026.
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Here is the 2026 New Jersey International Film Festival Video Q+A with Middle Life Writer/Director Pavan Moondi, Lead Actors Leah Fay Goldstein and Peter Dreimanis, and Festival Director Albert Nigrin.
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2026 New Jersey International Film Festival Video Interview with What We Dreamed of Then Director Taylor Olson
Al Nigrin, Executive Director and Curator of the New Jersey International Film Festival, interviews What We Dreamed of Then Director, Writer and Actor Taylor Olson. What We Dreamed of Then will be screened on May 31, 2026.
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.
2026 New Jersey International Film Festival Overview
The New Jersey International Film Festival returns online and to Rutgers University on the weekends between May 29 - June 7, 2026. Professor Al Nigrin, Executive Director and Curator, provides a video overview of the films being showcase at the 31st annual Festival.
MORE EVENTS
Click on the listing to bring up its webpage
Sonia and Lisa on Mushrooms, Impivaara, Bottom Feeder & Chemical Meadows – Online for 24 Hours and In-Person at 7PM!Friday, May 29, 2026 @ 7:00pmNJ International Film Festival
New Brunswick, NJ
Shorts Program #1: Godzilla’s Day Off, Paper Crane, 35 Days, I Exist, Pizza Man, Prison and Time, Dustsceawung & Miracle Under 34th Street – Online for 24 Hours and In-Person at 7PM!Saturday, May 30, 2026 @ 7:00pmNJ International Film Festival
New Brunswick, NJ
