The New Jersey Film Festival will be offering two filmmaking workshops this Fall. These workshops are FREE and open to the public, but they have limited seating and require advance registration. To register email the Festival at [email protected]. Registration is first come first served. LOCATION: Voorhees Hall #105/Rutgers University, 71 Hamilton Street, New Brunswick, New Jersey 08901
Sunday, September 20, 2026 – In-Person at 1PM!
Introduction to Filmmaking Workshop
Instructor: Albert Nigrin
Welcome to the beginning of making a film! This introductory workshop course will cover key elements of filmmaking, with an emphasis on what occurs before the camera begins recording. The decisions and ideas crafted before a film is shot are critical, as they shape the film into what it will become. From screenwriting to casting to planning the look of your film, this course will offer a unique introduction and allow you to begin learning important skills and components of the filmmaking process. You’ll learn about the thoughtful planning and artistic choices required to bring a story to life on screen. The class will feature discussions, examples, and exercises designed to showcase the many aspects of filmmaking. By the end of the session, you will have a solid understanding of how a film is developed and prepared before a single frame is shot. This course is designed for beginners and open to all experience levels, with no prior filmmaking experience required. If you’ve ever wanted to make a film but didn’t know where to start, this course is for you.
About the Instructor: Albert Gabriel Nigrin is an award-winning experimental filmmaker whose films have been screened worldwide. He is also a Cinema Studies Lecturer at Rutgers University, and the Executive Director/Curator of the Rutgers Film Co-op/New Jersey Media Arts Center, Inc. -- a non-profit organization which screens and promotes independent, experimental and artistic cinema in New Jersey via the New Jersey Film Festival and the United States Super 8 Film & Digital Video Festival. Mr. Nigrin has an M.F.A. (in Visual Arts/Film) and an M.A. (in French Literature) from Rutgers University and a B.A. from the State University of New York at Binghamton. Mr. Nigrin has received many fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, the American Film Institute, the New Jersey State Council on the Arts and the Ford Foundation for his films.
Sunday, September 27, 2026 – In-Person at 1PM!
The Film Business: Basic Legal and Business Aspects of Motion Picture Production and Distribution Workshop
Instructor: Steven C. Schechter, Esq.
This workshop is designed to provide participants with general understanding about the legal and business practices involved in motion picture production which all filmmakers should understand. The workshop welcomes producers, filmmakers, film students, lawyers, as well as amateurs and the general public. The workshop will provide a general overview of various areas of intellectual property law, considerations for setting up your production company, understanding what rights are needed to produce a motion picture, how to obtain music, film clips and other clearances, and an overview of key contracts and key contract clauses in the production process and key components of distribution arrangements.
About the Instructor: Steven C. Schechter is a film industry attorney who practices law in New Jersey and New York and is a lecturer on entertainment law at Seton Hall University. Mr. Schechter received his law degree from Yeshiva University's Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law in New York City and has a B.A. in Television, Radio, and Film Production from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University. Prior to establishing his own firm, Mr. Schechter was associated with Chasen & Lichter, a New York entertainment law firm, where he practiced entertainment, art, and publishing law, and with the legal department of New Line Cinema Corp. in New York City. He is an advisor to the Rutgers Film Co-op/New Jersey Media Arts Center, Inc.
The 45th Bi-annual New Jersey Film Festival will be taking place between September 4-October 4, 2026. 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 shows when both are offered. We will also be offering an Audio-Visual Concert featuring Hanging Coats and Lawns as well as two FREE Filmmaking Workshops! The in-person screenings, the filmmaking workshops and the AV 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=$100; 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 on the Film festival go here: https://newjerseyfilmfestivalfall2026.eventive.org/welcome
