Garden State Film Festival: AL1 (4 films)

Thursday, March 26, 2026 @ 1:30pm

Asbury Lanes
209 Fourth Avenue, Asbury Park, NJ 07712

The Chocolate Hills of Bohol - This film combines dream-logic and folkloric elements to present a spiritual struggle with Asian diaspora, from a Filipino American perspective. Edgar Mapanao (Michael Berbano) sleepwalks through life, while dreaming about a never-ending journey to the Chocolate Hills of Bohol with the ghost of his long-dead brother, Clyde (Russell Legaspi). Revisiting the memories of people defining his life, Edgar confronts a myriad of existential conflict, and soul-searches deeply to assess his own identity in the world. Directed by Jared C Garcia (00:14:42) New Jersey Premiere

Monmouth County at War: Rebels, Raiders, and Revolution - **Produced by Monmouth County Government’s MonmouthNJ250 Committee and the Monmouth County Clerk’s Office** Monmouth county at War: Rebels, Raiders, and Revolution uncovers the untold story of New Jersey’s bloodiest region during the American Revolution. In Monmouth County, loyalty could mean your life. Through raids, reprisals, and the struggle for freedom, neighbors turned against neighbors and the line between justice and revenge disappeared. Featuring leading historians and the rarely told stories of African American, Native American, and Loyalist fighters, the film reveals how the Revolution’s true cost was paid in the fields and homes of ordinary New Jerseyans — and how its echoes still haunt the landscape today. From the battles and betrayals that tore neighbors apart, to the brutal fighting at the Battle of Monmouth, to the rise of Colonel Tye’s Black Brigade, and the secret smuggling networks that sustained the war. Uncover how loyalty and survival drove Monmouth’s residents to take sides - or switch them - revealing the Revolution not as distant glory, but as a brutal, personal war at home. Directed by Adam Worth (00:56:00) World Premiere

Growing the Caribbean Glider Fleet - Rutgers University oceanographers travel to Barbados to join an international team of scientists and together deploy a glider robot that will collect critical ocean data as part of their joint efforts to improve hurricane forecasting and save lives. Directed by Ben Lerner (00:02:20) World Premiere

Rooted in Trust: Rutgers Researchers and NJ Farmers Collaborate to Shape the Future of Basil - When downy mildew devastated New Jersey’s basil crops, Rutgers researchers and local farmers joined forces to fight back, developing disease-resistant varieties that restored hope to the industry. But as new strains and emerging diseases threaten again, their collaboration must continue, for the future of a beloved crop. Rooted in Trust: Rutgers Researchers and NJ Farmers Collaborate to Shape the Future of Basil follows this ongoing partnership as science and agriculture unite. Together, they’re building resilience, sustaining livelihoods, and shaping a greener future. Funded by the USDA SCRI NIFA Grant 2022-51181-38448 and the Rutgers New Use Agriculture & Natural Plant Products Program. Directed by Evan Patrick Leong (00:02:41) Asbury Park Premiere