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UCPAC Film Fest 2024 to Take Place August 24th

Published by New Jersey Stage

originally published: 07/17/2024

(RAHWAY, NJ) -- Union County Performing Arts Center presents UCPAC Film Fest 2024 on Saturday, August 24, 2024. This exciting one-day event will showcase short films crafted by aspiring and independent filmmakers ages 14 and above, along with engaging panel discussions and more! The event begins at 11:00am.

UCPAC Film Fest’s mission is to platform aspiring and independent filmmakers by showcasing their work at their classic venue.

Tickets are $20 for one film block, $55 for a day pass, $30 for the Awards Ceremony. Tickets are available for purchase online. Union County Performing Arts Center is located at 1601 Irving Street in Rahway, New Jersey.

FILM BLOCK 1 (11:00am) - High School Student Short Films

NETWORKING HOUR (12:00pm - 1:00pm)




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FILM BLOCK 2 (1:00pm) - College/University Student Short Films and A Special Presentation with Little Echo Productions

FILM BLOCK 3 (4:00pm) - General (Independent) Short Films and A Discussion with Projectionist Mark Pusillo

AWARDS CEREMONY (7:00pm)

This event is made possible by funds from the Union County Office of Cultural & Heritage Affairs, a partner of the New Jersey State Council on the Arts.

Union County Performing Arts Center (UCPAC) has a well-earned reputation as the “Crown Jewel” of the performing arts scene in Union County. They’re a sophisticated performing arts campus presenting everything from rock concerts to theatrical productions, a multipurpose community center, a five-star rental facility for corporate, nonprofit, and private events, and currently, the home of New Jersey’s one and only classic movie palace!

Governed by a Board of Trustees, the Union County Arts Center, Inc. (d.b.a. The Union County Performing Arts Center, aka UCPAC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit historic theatre serving both the community of Union County and the state of New Jersey.




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EVENT PREVIEWS

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.
Two amazing shorts Bottom Feeder and Impivaara screen at the 2026 New Jersey International Film Festival on May 29!

Two amazing shorts Bottom Feeder and Impivaara screen at the 2026 New Jersey International Film Festival on May 29!

We are always being watched, always being seen, always looking. But where are we? Who are we looking at? What are we seeing? Is it all a dream? Who’s dream is it? ‘Bottom feeders’ are the lowest form of species on the pyramid at the bottom of the deep, dark, and unexplored sea. Sometimes, if you pay attention, ‘bottom feeders’ take shape in the lowest form of human beings at the bottom of the deep, dark, and unexplored subconscious. Bottom Feeder is a black and white experimental film, shot on 16mm film in a square 4x3 format. Vito Trabucco is a Los Angeles based filmmaker, is known for his award-winning films Charlie Christ (2024), Britney Lost Her Phone (2023), and Kevin Can Wait (2020). In Bottom Feeders, Trabucco brings you on a dream-like journey with a woman, the aptly named Pageant (an uncommon name historically associated with theatrical spectacles), who by way of nature, explores her own dream and the meanings behind her visions, both in her head and what she sees. A front door, fractured. A home, for whom? A doll, draped in desire. A sunset, alone but for how long? A reflection, a gaze. A location, unknown
2026 New Jersey International Film Festival Sonia and Lisa on Mushrooms Video Q+A

2026 New Jersey International Film Festival Sonia and Lisa on Mushrooms Video Q+A

Al Nigrin, Executive Director and Curator of the New Jersey International Film Festival, leads a Q+A with Sonia and Lisa on Mushrooms Lead Actor Taylor Lhamon and Director Vincent Turturro. Sonia and Lisa on Mushrooms will be screened on May 29, 2026.
2026 New Jersey International Film Festival Middle Life Video Q+A

2026 New Jersey International Film Festival Middle Life Video Q+A

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.
2026 New Jersey International Film Festival Interview with Sundays Director Ashley Gerst

2026 New Jersey International Film Festival Interview with Sundays Director Ashley Gerst

Al Nigrin, Executive Director and Curator of the New Jersey International Film Festival, sits down at EBTV with Ashley Gerst -- Director and Animator of the film Sundays for a filmmaker interview. Sundays will be screened on Saturday May 30, 2026.
2026 New Jersey International Film Festival Interview with Middle Life Director Pavan Moondi

2026 New Jersey International Film Festival Interview with Middle Life Director Pavan Moondi

Here is Festival Director Al Nigrin’s interview with Pavan Moondi. Pavan is the director and writer of the terrific Canadian feature film Middle Life. Middle Life screens with two shorts at the New Jersey International Film Festival on Saturday, May 30, 2026.
2026 New Jersey International Film Festival Interview with Counterfeit Kids Director/Writer James Sclafani!

2026 New Jersey International Film Festival Interview with Counterfeit Kids Director/Writer James Sclafani!

Here is Festival Director Al Nigrin’s interview with Counterfeit Kids Director/Writer James Sclafani! Counterfeit Kids screens at the New Jersey International Film Festival on Saturday, May 30, 2026.
Trenton Filmmaker Phillip McConnell to Premiere New Short Film "Tell Me Where We Stand"

Trenton Filmmaker Phillip McConnell to Premiere New Short Film "Tell Me Where We Stand"

(HAMILTON TOWNSHIP, NJ) -- Independent filmmaker Phillip McConnell will premiere his new short film, Tell Me Where We Stand, at Mill One on Sunday, May 31, 2026, bringing together local artists, performers, and members of the community for an evening celebrating independent film and storytelling.
2026 New Jersey International Film Festival Video Interview with What We Dreamed of Then Director Taylor Olson

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

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.

 

MORE EVENTS

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Sonia and Lisa on Mushrooms, Impivaara, Bottom Feeder & Chemical Meadows – Online for 24 Hours and In-Person at 7PM!

Friday, May 29, 2026 @ 7:00pm
NJ International Film Festival
New Brunswick, NJ


Middle Life, Sundays & Counterfeit Kids – In-Person at 7PM!

Saturday, May 30, 2026 @ 7:00pm
NJ International Film Festival
New Brunswick, NJ


Phenomenon of Ivan Marchuk & Theater of the Absurd – Online for 24 Hours!

Saturday, May 30, 2026 @ 12:00am
NJ 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 @ 7:00pm
NJ International Film Festival
New Brunswick, NJ


Star Wars: The Last Jedi in Concert with New Jersey Symphony

Sunday, May 31, 2026 @ 2:00pm
State Theatre New Jersey
New Brunswick, NJ