The 44th Bi-Annual New Jersey Film Festival will be taking place 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.
Schedule of Events:
In-Person at 1PM!
Getting Control of Your Audio Recording Methods & Gear Workshop
Instructor: Mitch Hiller
We will discuss a minimum amount of audio electronics to allow you to make proper signal interfacing decisions for your different types of recording gear. This will allow us to further discuss the different signal types; transmission methods you’ll come across when assembling your system. We’ll discuss the various polar pickup patterns of different microphones; their benefits to tailor to your specific needs, and a simple method to identify their patterns from the basic construction of the mics, as well as other techniques to maximize intended signal sounds versus unwanted ones (a signal to noise concept). We’ll also talk about the problems created by auto-limiters as well as their occasional benefits. This workshop is FREE and open to the public but has limited seating and requires advance registration.
Online for 24 Hours and In-Person at 5PM!
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.
Pierre West – Henrik Larsson, Jakob Arevärn (Älvsjö, Sweden)
One day Pierre's TV breaks down, what at first seems like another setback will soon take him down a new road. Pierre West is a drama about hope and darkness, filmed over 17 years. Through Pierre’s isolated life and his unjust struggle with trauma, the film explores emotions that arise when the light at the end of the tunnel seems so very far away A character-driven portrayal balancing hardships and inner demons with humor and longing. In an existence without compassion – how long can Pierre endure? In Swedish, subtitled. 2025; 29 min.
Tokyo Nights – Joey Cruz Manalang (Round Rock, Texas)
Kara (mid-20s, a young Filipina) and Max (early 30s, a successful civil engineer) embark on a honeymoon trip to Tokyo, Japan, looking forward to a romantic getaway. However, their lives take an unexpected turn when they bump into Kenji (mid-20s), Kara's ex-boyfriend from Manila. Kenji, who was once Marvin, changed his name after being adopted by his Japanese stepfather and now works as a "Man For Hire" in Tokyo. Throughout the film, the characters reflect on love—both emotional and physical—in documentary-style interviews. They discuss their thoughts on relationships, past loves, and the ideals of perfect love. Kara speaks about the tension between passion and stability, Max talks about the complexity of loving someone who might not fully share your emotional or physical desires, Kenji wrestles with his past and the confusion of intimacy through his work, and Tanya confronts the nature of commitment and trust. The film plays with the idea of love as a spectrum, questioning the idea of monogamy, fidelity, and the boundaries of emotional connection. Kara and Max’s honeymoon becomes a journey of self-discovery, with both learning more about each other, their relationship, and their true desires. The tension between love and lust forces each character to challenge their assumptions about what it means to love someone. In English, Japanese, Tagalog, subtitled. 2025; 54 min.
