Garden State Film Festival: BC30 (6 films)

Sunday, March 29, 2026 @ 12:00pm

Berkeley Oceanfront Hotel
1401 Ocean Avenue, Asbury Park, NJ 07712

THIS EVENT HAS PASSED

This screening takes place in the Continental Ballroom

America, I Can't Breathe - The songwriter asked: It's the 21st Century, why we still here? This powerful short film/video rewinds and provides a high-level chronological history of the racial injustices against African-Americans/Blacks, from the brutal murder and lynching of Emmett Till in August 1955, which was the catalyst to the Civil Rights movement in the United States of America, to the Children's Crusade in Birmingham, Alabama in May 1963 to the four (4) black girls being murdered by the KKK in the bombing of 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham on September 15, 1963, to the plight of African-Americans in the 21st Century being murdered due to police brutalities and racism. This short film shines the light on the past and present. The racial injustices and hate against blacks still echo loudly through the present with the horrific murders of George Floyd, Eric Garner, Breonna Taylor and so many more. Can't you hear their blood crying out? We pray "America, I Can't Breathe" will be a sound that heals and be a rallying anthem cry and spark for all people to rise up and love one another... let peace come now. "America, I Can't Breathe" was brought to life by an incredibly talented team. Tyler Robinson, our Leading Lady, embodied her character with such raw emotion and truth that it felt as though she had lived the experiences herself. Corey Brown, our gifted young director, elevated the project with his creative vision and fearless direction. The powerful God-given vocals, from the artist Marvia Jean, who sings with conviction, pain and her 1960's experiences, which transcends to all nations and brings healing to the soul. Directed by Corey Brown (00:03:33) World Premiere

Blue - As her newfound love grows more distant, a young woman fighting to save her relationship makes a surprising discovery. Directed by Dayna Lynne North (00:11:50) New Jersey Premiere

Colors of the Soul - A girl lives with her cat in a monotone world that rains colors - but no one is allowed to touch them. One day, her cat escapes and the girl accidentally interacts with the colorful rain, It is beautiful and enthralling and the girl abandons the rules to dance. As the rain stops, a patrol arrives. They whitewash and capture her. The girl is again surrounded by black and white. That is, until she realizes the color is inside her. Directed by Lauren Schwartzbard (00:01:39) New Jersey Premiere

I Came with Earrings - This is a personal story inspired by the real-life video that Hahn Ponder uploaded to YouTube intended for her unknown birth mom in Vietnam…. It all begins when Leah’s adoptive mom gifts her a pair of diamond earrings that force her to overcome more than just a brown belt test. Directed by Jonathan Caren (00:11:26) New Jersey Premiere

I'm In Love - What if love was the safest place we could ever know? “I’m in Love” is a spoken word cinematic experience that traces one woman’s journey through romance, reflection, and revelation. Guided by a hypnotic voice and a mysterious map, she follows a trail of intimate gifts—each one more personal than the last. What begins as a love story unfolds into something far more transformative. Through evocative poetry and raw vulnerability, this film explores what it means to be truly seen. This isn’t a film you watch—it’s a film you remember. Directed by Roberta Sparta (00:04:09) World Premiere

Stuck On The Corner of Hope - When a man proposes to his terminally ill girlfriend and she unexpectedly survives, he finds himself trapped in a relationship he doesn't want to be in. Directed by Chrs Guzzo (00:38:29) New Jersey Premiere