(HOPEWELL, NJ) -- Hopewell Theater will host a special “date night” celebration of Valentine’s Day with a screening of the classic romance film Casablanca paired with an optional Moroccan supper on Valentine's Day, Thursday, February 14. An undisputed masterpiece and perhaps Hollywood's quintessential statement on love and romance, Casablanca has only improved with age, boasting career-defining performances from Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman. ... READ ON

(ASBURY PARK, NJ) --  The Garden State Film Festival (GSFF) has chosen Linda Krebs and Erin Gomez, as the GSFF's 2019 Educator of the Year recipients. Both women are members and facilitators of the Monmouth County Shore Consortium for the Gifted & Talented (SCG&T), an organization dedicated to providing curriculum-driven enriching opportunities to smaller school districts. This honor is in recognition of their heartfelt devotion to their students and exceptional achievements in education, especially in film and video production as well as in the community. Linda and Erin will receive their awards at the black-tie-optional Awards Banquet at The Berkeley Oceanfront Hotel in Asbury Park on March 31st.  ... READ ON

(GARFIELD, NJ) -- Two award winning documentaries, The Wall’s Embrace and Blood Road will be shown at the Garfield VFW on Saturday, January 5. Door open at noon.  The Wall’s Embrace will be shown at 12:30pm and will follow with a discussion with the director, Nancy Frohman, and a Skype Question and Answer with songwriter Mitch Townley (“The Wall Song”).  The Blood Road documentary will begin at 1:30pm followed by a panel discussion with Vietnam War Veterans. Admission is free, but reservations are recommended.... READ ON

(RED BANK, NJ) -- The beloved indie classic Napoleon Dynamite was made almost 15 years ago.  Since then much has changed; but the characters, as enduring as they are endearing, stay in our hearts.  On Thursday, January 10th, The Count Basie Center For The Arts presents a screening of the cult film followed by a lively, freewheeling, moderated discussion with fan-favorite cast members; Jon Heder (Napoleon Dynamite), Efren Ramirez (Pedro) and Jon Gries (Uncle Rico).... READ ON

Outside of cinephile circles, filmmaker Barry Jenkins is perhaps best known for his role in arguably the greatest debacle in the history of the Academy Awards. On February 26th, 2017, La La Land was mistakenly announced as the Best Picture winner, only for it then to be revealed that Jenkins’ Moonlight was the actual winner.... READ ON

The New Jersey Film Festival - Spring 2019 takes place between January 25 and March 1, 2019 on the Rutgers University campus in New Brunswick. Showcasing new international films, American independent features, experimental and short subjects, classic revivals, and cutting-edge documentaries, the festival features over 35 film screenings. Here is a preview of the first two weeks of the festival. For the full schedule visit www.njfilmfest.com... READ ON

Back in 2006, German cinema scored something of a breakout global hit with Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck’s The Lives of Others, which followed the travails of a group of disgruntled, pro-western artists in communist era East Germany. At the time I couldn’t help view the protagonists of Von Donnersmarck’s drama as the sort of people who would be just as discontented with their lot if they found themselves living in the capitalist west. The grass is always greener on the other side.... READ ON

(RAHWAY, NJ) -- In 2019, the Rahway Arts and Business Partnership will continue to expand the Culture Crawl Concept to include the Culture Crawl Film Series, with the first pop-up screening, “Best of Rahway Reel Shorts,” scheduled for Saturday, January 19th from 8:00pm-10:30pm at Atelier Rosal (74 E. Cherry St.) in downtown Rahway.... READ ON

(MONTCLAIR, NJ) -- Montclair Film’s Founder & Chairman Bob Feinberg and President Evelyn Colbert have announced the successful completion of Montclair Film’s $2.6 million Capital Campaign, which funded the construction of The Investors Bank Film & Media Center, the organization’s home and headquarters at 505 Bloomfield Avenue in downtown Montclair, New Jersey. Featuring year-round film screenings, community events, and a robust schedule of film and media education classes and workshops, The Investors Bank Film & Media Center has transformed Montclair Film into a thriving, year-round arts organization.... READ ON

(NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ) -- State Theatre New Jersey and New Jersey Symphony Orchestra present Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back in concert with the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra featuring Conductor Constantine Kitsopolous on Saturday January 6, 2019 at 3:00pm. Tickets range from $35-$125. ... READ ON