GASLIT - Jane Fonda Meets with John Allaire in Cameron, Louisiana
(TEANECK, NJ) -- The Teaneck International Film Festival (TIFF) and The Puffin Foundation have selected director Katie Camosy as the recipient of the 2nd Annual Emerging Filmmaker Activist Award for her documentary Gaslit. The award includes a $5,000 cash prize and trophy and recognizes emerging filmmakers whose work embodies TIFF's guiding theme, "Activism: Making Change."
Produced with Greenpeace USA, Gaslit follows Academy Award-winning actor and activist Jane Fonda on a road trip through West Texas's Permian Basin and Gulf Coast communities in Texas and Louisiana. Fonda meets shrimpers, cattle ranchers, former oil and gas workers, families, and community organizers confronting the impacts of fossil-fuel extraction, liquefied natural gas (LNG) development, and petrochemical and plastics production. The documentary centers the people working to protect their health, homes, and coastlines, highlighting how communities across political and cultural divides are organizing to confront the environmental and human costs of fossil-fuel expansion.
Gaslit will close TIFF's 21st annual festival, which runs November 5–12, 2026. Sponsored by The Teaneck Creek Conservancy, the screening will take place Thursday, November 12 at 7:30pm at the Barrymore Film Center in Fort Lee, New Jersey. Camosy will join Paula Rogovin and other talkback guests for a special screening and discussion. Tickets and festival information are available at TeaneckFilmFestival.org.
The announcement carries particular significance as last year's inaugural award recipient, filmmaker Arfat Sheikh, was recently detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Sheikh received the award for his documentary Saffron Kingdom, which explores political and human rights struggles in Kashmir. His recognition—and the circumstances surrounding his recent detention—underscore the importance of supporting filmmakers who bring marginalized voices and difficult truths to public attention.
In a statement welcoming Camosy as this year's recipient, Sheikh reflected on the significance of the award and the connection between storytelling and social justice.
"Being the inaugural recipient of the Emerging Filmmaker Activist Award was an extraordinary honor. It meant that the film Saffron Kingdom found a community willing to listen and recognize the connection between storytelling and the pursuit of justice. I am honored to pass the baton to Katie Camosy."
Sheikh also praised Camosy for centering communities fighting the fossil-fuel industry and defending their health, homes, and futures.
"By placing the people doing the organizing at the heart of her film, she reminds us that change begins with those who refuse to give up, and that filmmaking can help their voices travel farther," he said.
Camosy expressed gratitude for the recognition and emphasized the importance of socially engaged documentary filmmaking.
"I'm beyond honored to receive the 2nd Annual Emerging Filmmaker Activist Award from the Teaneck International Film Festival and The Puffin Foundation. This is a challenging time for social justice documentaries, and yet these films are needed now more than ever. Awards like this help the work continue and inspire more filmmakers to pick up a camera to try to change the world. Thank you so much for this recognition. It's a testament to the work of the entire film team and the courage of the people in Gaslit who are standing up to billion-dollar industries."
GASLIT filmmaker Katie Camosy
Neal Rosenstein, President of The Puffin Foundation, praised the film's ability to connect powerful storytelling with the need for change.
"Katie Camosy's Gaslit reminds us of the power that great documentaries can possess and convey. She exposes hard truths through testimony and visual language, calling for needed change to a system that has placed profits over people and our planet. The Puffin Foundation applauds her work and looks forward to more to come."
Dr. Kathleen Farley, Executive Director of the Teaneck Creek Conservancy, which is sponsoring the screening, emphasized the film's environmental message and its resonance with the local community.
"At a time when many voices feel threatened or unheard, Gaslit reminds us that change begins when people refuse to stay silent. It's a powerful story of communities coming together to protect what matters most. That story resonates deeply in Teaneck, where the stewardship and restoration of the Teaneck Creek watershed reflect the same belief that collective action can protect both our environment and our communities."
The Emerging Filmmaker Activist Award recognizes a new generation of filmmakers whose work challenges indifference, amplifies underrepresented voices, and inspires audiences to engage with urgent social and political issues. Presented in partnership with The Puffin Foundation, the award builds on TIFF's longstanding commitment to socially conscious cinema and to artists who use storytelling as a catalyst for awareness, dialogue, and action.
Now celebrating its 21st year, the Teaneck International Film Festival brings filmmakers and audiences together around stories addressing social justice, human rights, race, gender, the environment, and other issues shaping our communities.
The Teaneck International Film Festival is a project of The Puffin Foundation, Ltd., presented in partnership with community organizations including The Links, Incorporated, Bergen County Chapter, and the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Bergen/Passaic Chapter. Guided by the theme "Activism: Making Change," TIFF showcases films that challenge perspectives, spark conversation, and inspire action.
Thursday, Nov 05, 2026
@ 7:30pm
Teaneck International Film Festival - Teaneck Cinemas
Teaneck, NJ
There are multiple performances including:
Friday, Nov 06, 2026
@ 7:30pm
Teaneck International Film Festival - Teaneck Cinemas
Teaneck, NJ
There are multiple performances including:
Saturday, Nov 07, 2026
@ 11:00am
Teaneck International Film Festival - Teaneck Cinemas
Teaneck, NJ
There are multiple performances including:
Saturday, Nov 07, 2026
@ 2:00pm
Teaneck International Film Festival - Teaneck Cinemas
Teaneck, NJ
There are multiple performances including:
Saturday, Nov 07, 2026
@ 4:30pm
Teaneck International Film Festival - Teaneck Cinemas
Teaneck, NJ
