The Rutgers Film Co-op/New Jersey Media Arts Center and
the Rutgers University Program In Cinema Studies present the
New Jersey Film Festival Fall 2011
30th Anniversary
WHEN: see dates/times below
WHERE: Ruth Adams Building #001, 131 George Street (corner of Jones), Douglass College campus, New Brunswick; Voorhees Hall #105, 71 Hamilton Street (near corner of George St.) Rutgers University College Avenue campus, New Brunswick (note: Voorhees Hall features comfortable seats, stadium seating, a state-of-the-art high-definition projection and sound systems) CLICK HERE FOR DIRECTIONS TO BOTH VENUES
TICKETS: $10, $9 students & seniors; $8 Rutgers Film Co-op/NJMAC Friends
Tickets available on first-come, first-served basis only and can be purchased at the door beginning a half-hour before the show begins. Advance tix available to groups of 10+.
All films are subject to change. Call 732.932.8482 the day of show to confirm titles.
Best of 2011 New Jersey International Film Festival #1
WHEN: Friday, October 14, 7 PM
WHERE: Voorhees Hall #105
Ashley/Amber by Rebecca R. Rojer (Maplewood, New Jersey)
A dark comedy about a young woman with two seemingly irreconcilable identities. Mourning the death of her soldier boyfriend, 19-year-old Ashley finds a temporary escape by starring as Amber Jones in an internet porn video. After she gives a moving and angry speech at an anti-war rally that is posted online, her two identities are connected before long. Fueled by fury and fascination, her story then goes viral. Now Ashley must reckon with her loss in the midst of an unwanted 15 minutes of fame. 2011; 22 min. Winner Best Student Film 2011 New Jersey International Film Festival!
Bush League by Cy Kuckenbaker (Imperial Beach, California)
A moving and profoundly engaging ethnographic documentary of a tiny village in Northern Malawi. Intimate dramas unfold in the lives of four villagers, all members of the local soccer team. Chatwa, the team captain, is an ambitious farmer who’s in deep with the local bank, but torrential rains are destroying his crops. Jake, an American Peace Corps volunteer who sponsors the team, is pushed to his limits when the politics of the game affect his school construction project. Jacqueline, the head cheerleader, suspects her husband is cheating on her and is concerned he’ll give her HIV. Mlawa is a midfielder and an expectant father who’s gravely concerned about the infection growing on his leg. Each must face his/her individual challenges as the team battles to win the local championship. In English and Chechewa, subtitled. 2010; 70 min.Winner Best Docmentary Film 2011 New Jersey International Film Festival!
Best of 2011 New Jersey International Film Festival #2
WHEN: Sunday, October 16, 7 PM
WHERE: Voorhees Hall #105
Melt by Noemie Lafrance (Brooklyn, New York)
Draped in beeswax and lanolin that slowly melts away, the dancers in this experimental performance film progress through euphoria and exhaustion, to escape their ephemeral bodies and disintegrate into light. 2011; 10 min. Winner Best Experimental Film 2011 New Jersey International Film Festival!
Savasana by Gerry Curtis (Daly City, California)
A young female traveler from southeast Asia wakes up disoriented and covered in dirt in a luxury hotel in San Francisco. A single note played on a piano in her empty home will reveal the dark secret behind her journey in this compelling and eerie short film. 2010; 17 min.Winner Best Short Film 2011 New Jersey International Film Festival!
The Sandman (Der Sandmann) by Peter Luisi (Zürich, Switzerland)
A playfully surreal romantic comedy, The Sandman tells the story of Benno, who works in a postage stamp store and lives above a small coffee shop run by Sandra. To his infinite woe and unceasing irritation, he is subjected every night to the atonal music that Sandra plays on her One-Woman-Orchestra machine. One day, however, Benno wakes up to find that his body is literally losing sand and that Sandra alone can help him to figure out his inexplicable condition. This wonderfully acted and skillfully directed original feature should not be missed. In German, subtitled. 2011; 98 min. Winner Best Feature Film 2011 New Jersey International Film Festival!
WHEN: Thursday, October 20, 6 PM
WHERE: Ruth Adams Bldg. #001
Disney World by M. Woods (Brooklyn, New York)
Using scratched, painted and manipulated images, multiple superimpositions, rapid fire editing and an original soundtrack, Disney World is an amazing assault on the senses. 2011; 44 min.
Sixty in 60 by Ronnie Cramer (Denver, Colorado)
This experimental film features sixty one-minute works of many types. Genres represented include abstract, animation, documentary, experimental, narrative, stop-motion, time-lapse and video art. 2011; 60 min.
WHEN: Saturday, October 22, 7 PM
WHERE: Voorhees Hall #105
Seven Souls by Gerry Bruno (Little Rock, Arkansas)
An unconventional love story that asks the question, “What happens when we die?” The answer is that we must repay our debt to the world by helping seven souls cross over. Then we can rest. 2010; 16 min. 
The Pines by Kaitlyn Plum (Atco, New Jersey)
In this short film, Henry returns to his hometown after a year-long absence. Henry left home after a family scuffle that drove him to the edge and forced him to run away from his problems. Upon his return he realizes that not only has he changed, but the whole town has as well. 2011; 20 min.
Where I Begin by Thomas L. Phillips (Oxford, Mississippi)
This beautifully shot, acted and directed film is a gritty drama that pulls no punches as it delves into the lives of the townspeople and the inner workings of a small southern community, where rumors are the truth and the past is always right in front of you. The events, rumors, and gossip about one night long ago have shaped a group of friends into who they are as adults. When Jacob returns, the unease of the past once again re-surfaces. For Haddy, Jacob's return is a reminder of her own desire to escape and start a new life. Where I Begin is a wonderful film that should not be missed! 2010; 77 min. With an in-person appearance by director Thomas L. Phillips!
WHEN: Thursday, October 27, 6 PM
WHERE: Ruth Adams Bldg. #001
Pillow Pageant by Pillow Culture (New York, New York)
Pillow Pageant, presented by Pillow Culture, consists of a series of short experimental films featuring pillows created or re-conceptualized by a group of contemporary artists, from the erotic to the environmental, the conceptual to the functional. Films include La Vie en Rose, featuring the work of Anne Ferrer filmed by Theodora Johnson; Orieller: Listening Pillow by Alyce Santoro; Plant Press Pillow by James Walsh; Pinus Strobus featuring the work of Barbara Siegal filmed by Augusta Palmer; Pillow Cake, featuring the work of Vadir Turner filmed by Thomas Dudley; Pillow Pods – Mortician’s Block featuring the work of Lauren Kogod, filmed by Owen Donavan and Takeshi Fukunaga; Upholstered Stone by Elizabeth Demaray, filmed by Owen Donavan and Takeshi Fukunaga; and BP Beauty Pillows, featuring the work ofMeghan Keane filmed by Michael Keane. 2010; 8 min.
Some Girls Never Learn by Jerzy Rose (Chicago, Illinois)
In this quirky and original feature film, in the vein of David Lynch and Guy Maddin, a series of interlocking tales evidence that the universe is completely off kilter: When the long-lost leg bone of Amelia Earhart is uncovered, the diver responsible for the discovery suddenly begins receiving mysterious messages from Earhart herself. Simultaneously, a high school science teacher travels to the underworld to bring back his departed girlfriend. Meanwhile, animals are arranging themselves into concentric circles and helium has escaped into the luminous ether of the universe. Will it all turn out all right or not? 2011; 80 min.
All films shown are part of the New Jersey Film Festival Competition and are either Area or New Jersey Premieres
