Within the world of animation, an artist can choose between many mediums of art in order to best create the piece they want to make. Some choose to stick within one form, and others experiment with multiple. No matter what an artist chooses, their decisions, along with similar filmmaking ones, will not only guide audiences through the work but also offer meaning and set the tone for viewer receptions and interpretations. It is for that reason that this decision is important and paramount within an artist’s process. Artists Nick Zweig, Elizabeth Schneider and Michael Covello, Esther Casas Roura, and Maureen Zent have all made this decision within their respective films, and the end results have no doubt succeeded in reflecting their creators’ thoughts and feelings. Despite this, the films are incredibly different and expansive within their creativity and uniqueness, cementing them as must-watch pieces.
Nick Zweig’s paper animated work, The Creative Process, surrounds an artist struggling to make a piece, growing in frustration as the work continues. In an interview with New Jersey International Film Festival director Albert Nigrin, Zweig described how the film is derived from his similar experience of struggling with starting a piece. The result is a personal yet incredibly relatable piece that entertains and invites audiences to see themselves within it and connect. The film mostly utilizes a grayscale unless its main character has more emotionally charged moments, where bright colors are introduced in order to create a more vibrant picture and range of emotions. This inclusion and exclusion instill in audiences a sense of calamity versus high stress. The work also features music of a jazz adjacent genre that also includes a combustion aspect. Zweig’s usage of these filmmaking elements create a unique piece that still invites its audiences to connect.
In a similar vein, Elizabeth Schneider and Michael Covello’s multi-media work Becoming an Oyster describes two boys attempting to connect with their father through a bathtub. The film explores themes of climate change and addiction while entrancing audiences with its almost robotic voice and intertwining animations. Becoming an Oyster is almost haunting, and compels its audiences to fully immerse themselves in this world that they may not fully understand, yet can see and take in pieces of. The diverse range of animations and styles allows for a unique watching experience for anyone who sees it.
Flocky, by Esther Casas Roura utilizes 2d animation to tell the story of a mother and her unborn child, portrayed as a small blue being. The woman takes care of the being and grows a strong connection to it. Flocky explores themes of loss and utilizes color and music to portray the thoughts and emotions of its characters. As the color palette changes within the film, so does the tone of the film. Paired with more theatrical underscore music rather than dialogue, Flocky is expressive and gripping. It’s a more precise animation style that leaves a lasting effect on the viewer.
Finally, Maureen Zent’s experimental stop-motion animated Toil and Spin explores the movement of inanimate objects. Zent described the beginnings of the work as her questioning how she would move art pieces that she encountered in her daily life. Coupled with entrancing music, the film is mesmerizing and nearly hypnotizing. The usage of black and white allows viewers to focus solely on the repeated movement. Despite the repetition, Toil and Spin still feels like a progression. Audiences are taken on this journey that the objects must experience as well. The journey itself is not certain, but it is entrancing to witness. The stunning stop-motion animation, coupled with mesmerizing music, allows for a special experience for its viewers.
Nick Zweig, Elizabeth Schneider and Michael Covello, Esther Casas Roura, and Maureen Zent have all utilized their respective media to tell unique and poignant stories. The films themselves are distinctive and differ very greatly from each other, yet are still powerful in their own right, thanks to the hard work and dedication of their artists.
These animation films will be screening as part of the Shorts Program on Friday, June 6 – Online for 24 Hours and In-Person at 5PM in Voorhees Hall #105/Rutgers University, 71 Hamilton Street, New Brunswick, NJ. There will be a Q+A session with the attending directors after the in-person screening. Get more info here.
The 30th annual New Jersey International Film Festival will be taking place between May 30-June 13, 2025. The Festival will be a hybrid one as we will be presenting it online as well as doing select 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 when both are offered. Plus, we are very proud to announce that acclaimed singer-songwriter Mike Kovacs will be doing an audio-visual concert on Friday, June 13 at 7PM! The in-person screenings and the Mike Kovacs 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=$120; In-Person Only Student Ticket=$10 Per Program.
For more info go here: https://2025newjerseyinternationalfilmfestival.eventive.org/welcome
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