Becoming an Oyster - Elizabeth Schneider, Michael Covello (Kutztown, New York) Becoming an Oyster is an animated short film by Michael Covello and Elizabeth Schneider. It explores the intersection of two significant generational crises: climate change and opioid addiction. Told through the eyes of a young boy, the allegorical narrative touches on themes of consumption, excess, and trauma. The metaphor of an oyster’s life cycle reflects the vulnerability of human and ecological systems. These filter animals become a two-way mirror through which one may glimpse ecological failure and the consequences of climate disruption as well as the broader struggles and individual trauma of addiction. Becoming an Oyster blends ecological metaphors with human narratives to create a surreal landscape of boyhood adventure, heartbreaking loss, and the legacy we each leave to future generations. 2025; 7 min.
Elisa in Wonderland – Clea van der Grijn (Sligo, Ireland) Following a period of rehabilitation, Elisa (Nora Ní Anluain Fay) returns to her ancestral stately home, Stradbally, where she is haunted by acute anxiety, mental illness, and struggles with addiction. Despite the tender ministrations of Mary (Hilary Bowen-Walsh), the devoted housekeeper, she finds herself unravelling as reality and imagination blur and the paintings in her room come to life to pull her into their surreal narratives. Inspired by “The Raven” and other works by Edgar Allan Poe, this powerful and unsettling cinematic journey delves into the depths of the human psyche to explore themes of loss, madness, and the shadowy forces within. 2025; 107 min
These NJIFF films will be screening on Saturday, September 27. They will be Online for 24 Hours on this show date beginning at Midnight. Tickets are available for purchase here.
The 44th Bi-Annual New Jersey Film Festival will be taking place between September 5-October 10, 2025. The Festival will be a hybrid 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 screenings. Plus, we are very proud to announce that acclaimed band Cold Weather Company will be doing an audio-visual concert on Friday, October 10 at 7PM. Lastly, we will be offering three FREE Filmmaking Workshops! The in-person screenings and the Cold Weather Company concert will be held in Voorhees Hall #105/Rutgers University, 71 Hamilton Street, New Brunswick, NJ beginning at 1PM, 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. The Filmmaking Workshops are FREE and open to the public but have limited seating and require advance registration. To register email us at [email protected]
For more info go here: https://newjerseyfilmfestivalfall2025.eventive.org/welcome
