New Jersey Media Arts Center, Inc.

Rutgers Film Co-op, 4170 Academic Building, 15 Seminary Place, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey 08901-1414 U.S.A.

(848) 932-8482=Phone; [email protected]=E Mail; www.njfilmfest.com=website

Press Release                                                                                                          Dec, 10, 2019

 

New Jersey Film Festival Spring 2020 

Newswise — The Rutgers Film Co-op/New Jersey Media Arts Center, in association with the Rutgers University Program In Cinema Studies, is proud to present the New Jersey Film Festival Spring 2020 which marks our 38th Anniversary. Showcasing new international films, American independent features, experimental and short subjects, classic revivals, and cutting-edge documentaries, the New Jersey Film Festival Spring 2020 will feature over 35 film screenings. The Festival will take place on select Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings beginning at 7PM between January 25 and February 28, 2020 in our state of the art facility Voorhees Hall #105/Rutgers University, 71 Hamilton Street, New Brunswick, New Jersey. Tickets costs $14=Advance; $12=General; $10=Students + Seniors; $9=Rutgers Film Co-op/NJMAC Friends (Except the screenings on February 21 and February 28 which are FREE!)

All the works that we are screening, with the exception of four programs, are part of the New Jersey Film Festival Competition and were selected by a panel of judges including media professionals, journalists, students, and academics. These judges selected the 27 finalists which will be publicly screened at our Festival. The finalists were selected from over 611 works submitted by filmmakers from around the world. In addition, the judges will choose the Prize Winners in conjunction with the Festival Director. Prize winners will be announced after the screenings on Sunday, February 16, 2020.

 

Film Premieres:

Over 40 films will have their New Jersey or Area Premiere (Middlesex County) screenings as part of the New Jersey Film Festival Spring 2020 and the United States Super 8 Film & Digital Video Festival. Some of these include: Andrea Nappi and Juno Roome’s captivating experimental film Textile Workers; Mark Streets’s highly engaging documentary Work Songs;  James Rees and Jay Thomas’s moving short film For Hope; Tre Manchester’s Bleed American -- a stunning and timely portrait of the unravelling fabric in today’s Middle America;  Vasilios Papaioannu’s wonderful experimental film Two; Vasco Diogos’s Mixed Movie -- short film from Portugal made using a mobile phone; George Nicholas’s punk animated film  Smoke -n- Suds; Daria Kashcheeva’s amazing animated film from the Czech Republic Daughter; Quinn Turon and Nadio Boyea’s spooky Greene Dreams; Ricardo Bonisoli and Babak Bina’s surreal film from Canada The Seahorse Trainer;  Robert Rippberger’s touching feature film Strive; Etienne Labbouz’s Diwali -- a hybrid work mixing documentary film and poetry; Sam Vinal’s searing documentary L'Eau Est La Vie (Water is Life): From Standing Rock to the Swamp; Noemi Durivou’s compassionate short Lab Dog; Demetre Papageorgiou and Kalim Armstrong’s compelling documentary 9 Degrees; Grace Chang’s beautiful  A Missing Piece; Rubin Stein’s Bailaora -- post apocalyptic short from Spain; Allan Deberton’s moving drama from Brazil Pacarrete; Viay Renga’s Anne -- a modern musical take on a love story, inspired by Anne Frank’s diary; Vladimir Lert’s film Tevye’s Daughters shot in Ukraine tells the story of the Yiddish author Sholem Aleichem’s most famous character; and many, many others. For more information on these premiere screenings see the attached schedule or go to our online site at www.njfilmfest.com.

 

32nd Annual United States Super 8 Film & Digital Video Festival:

Also during the Spring 2019 season, the Rutgers Film Co-op/NJMAC will present the 32nd anniversary of the United States Super 8 Film & Digital Video Festival -- the longest running, nationally recognized, juried 8mm Film/Video Festival in North and South America.  Each of the two evenings (February 22+23) in Voorhees Hall #105, Rutgers University) will feature a different program of films from throughout the USA, Canada, and the world. Filmmakers are competing for many Best of Prizes. Prize winners are announced on the last night of the Festival and audience members will vote for their favorite film. The Super 8 Festival is open to works predominantly shot on either Super 8/8mm film, Hi8/8mm video and/or Digital Video. This program is being co-sponsored by Pro 8mm, Jungle Software, and many others. A complete festival line-up will be listed on our website at www.njfilmfest.com by February 1, 2020.

Heralded Chinese Films Highlight Special Free Screenings:

The Spring 2020 Festival will also include two highly anticipated screenings of great contemporary Chinese films which will be free and open to the public. These two films Kaili Blues (February 21) and Days of Being Wild (February 28) are being co-sponsored by the Confucius Institute of Rutgers University. For more information on these special screenings see the attached schedule or go to our online site at www.njfilmfest.com.

Special Guest Appearances by Directors, Artists, and Actors:

This spring we are pleased to announce over ten confirmed special guest appearances by film directors, producers, and actors to the New Jersey Film Festival Spring 2020! All visiting directors will introduce their work and do a Question and Answer session after the screenings.

Sponsors: The New Jersey Film Festival is funded and sponsored in part by The Rutgers Film Co-op/New Jersey Media Arts Center; The Rutgers University Program in Cinema Studies/School of Arts and Sciences; Middlesex County Board of Chosen Freeholders through a grant provided by New Jersey State Council on the Arts / Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts; The Rutgers University Confucius Institute; Rutgers University School of Arts and Sciences Honors Program; Jungle Software;  The Rutgers University American Studies Department; The Rutgers University Office of Disability Services; The Rutgers University Spanish and Portuguese Department; The Rutgers University Writer’s House; The Rutgers University Department of African, Middle Eastern, and South Asian Languages and Literatures Department; The Rutgers University Department of German, Russian and East European Languages and Literatures; Johnson & Johnson; Pro 8mm; WCTC/WMGQ; WRSU; The Home News Tribune; The Asbury Park Press; New Jersey Stage; New Brunswick City Market; The Rutgers University Office of Community Affairs; The Rutgers University Digital Classroom Services Office; Design Ideas; Advanced Printing; Steven C. Schechter, Esq.; Share and Harris.

Information:

Al  Nigrin,

Executive Director/Curator,

New Jersey Film Festival,

Rutgers Film Co-op/New Jersey Media Arts Center

Rutgers University Program in Cinema Studies

4170 Academic Building, 15 Seminary Place

New Brunswick, New Jersey, 08901-8525 U.S.A.

(848) 932-8482 phone; [email protected], [email protected]; Web Site: www.njfilmfest.com