The Montclair Film Festival Announces

2015 Festival Education Programs And Partnerships

Junior Jury, Sensory Friendly, Student Screenings, and

Afterparty on The Green programs Announced

The Montclair Film Festival today announced the final slate of Educational programs and events taking place at the 2015 Montclair Film Festival, May 1-10, 2015. All events are free for participating students and families.

“We are thrilled to introduce these exciting new initiatives during the festival and look forward to collaborating with students, teachers, filmmakers and community organizations as we continue to expand our educational outreach throughout the year,” said MFF Education Director Sue Hollenberg.

Junior Jury Program

The Festival’s Junior Jury, featuring fourteen students from ten different area High Schools, will screen a range of films at the festival, learn the process of consensus building, film criticism, and adjudication over the course of the festival’s ten days. Jurors will meet with the festival’s professional juries, made up of industry veterans and members of the national press, and then deliberate and present the MFF Junior Jury Award at the MFF’s inaugural Filmmaker Awards, held at 6:30 PM on on Saturday, May 9th, at the MKA Upper School.

The inaugural MFF Junior Jurors are Michael Bogaards (Glen Ridge High School), Emerald Bosque (Passaic County Technical Institute), Bridget Cunningham (West Orange High School), Mitchell Folan (Parsipanny High School), Isaiah Garlin (St. Peter’s Prep), Jaime Greene (Barn-stable Academy), Will Jacobson (Montclair High School), Anissa Matthews (Montclair High School), Jonathan William Ollom (Summit High School), Nate Perlmeter (Montclair High School), Simone Rembert (Montclair High School), Sebastian Rodriguez-Vars (Montclair High School), Brendan Weissman (Millburn High School), Jeremy White (Bloomfield High School).

Sensory Friendly Screenings

This year’s program will feature two sensory friendly screenings for students and families, with films screening with the lights up and the sound turned low, affording families the opportunity to enjoy a movie in a theatrical setting. The festival will screen HOW TO DANCE IN OHIO for Mid-dle and High School aged students and THE BOY AND THE WORLD for all ages. Reservations can be made by contacting MFF Education Director Sue Hollenberg at sue@montclairfilm.org.

“By hosting a Sensory Friendly screening at the Montclair Film Festival, the MFF will allow new audiences to fully experience the creativity of these two thought-provoking and inspirational films in a comfortable setting,” said Melissa Schaffer, Co-Chair Montclair Special Education Advisory Council.

Student Screenings

The MFF launches its free student screening program with Montclair High School’s Center for Social Justice, which will bring over 100 students to attend a free screening of PEACE OFFICER, a powerful documentary that explores the increased militarization of the police in the U.S.

Meet The Filmmaker

The MHS Film Club, Imani, and other school and after-school groups will attend a free student screening of TOP SPIN. Students will have the opportunity to meet Director/Producer Sara Newans, who will be on hand for Q&A following the screening.

“The young women and men of the MHS Film Club love watching, studying, and creating films. They are thrilled that the educational outreach program of the MFF will provide them with opportunities to see great new films, to talk with filmmakers, and to be mentored by those working in every aspect of filmmaking,” said Sally Rembert, Montclair High School Teacher and Film Club Advisor.

Kidz Shortz Afterparty on the Green, Sponsored by UMBA

A second screening of Kidz Shortz has been added to the program on Saturday May 2 at 10:30 AM at the Bellevue Theater. The program was previously on “stand-by only” having sold all available tickets, and the new, additional screening isopen to the public, students and families. Tickets are now available at the MFF Box Office or online at montclairfilm.org.

Following the Kidz Shortz programs, Saturday, May 2 at 12:30 PM, the MFF is partnering with the Upper Montclair Business Association on a free event for students and families. The Afterparty on The Green will be held on the lawn of Saint James Church, located at 581 Valley Road (at the corner of Bellevue Avenue) in Upper Montclair, NJ. There will be refreshments and entertainment, free of cost and open to all.

“UMBA is incredibly excited to partner with MFF to celebrate the Kidz Shortz in Upper Montclair. Our local businesses are thrilled to launch this annual party that celebrates the creative accom-plishments of young filmmakers and encourages kids to develop their passion for films,” said Angela McCaffrey, the owner of Corefire Studios.

For more information, please contact:

FRANK PR

Phone: 646-861-0843

Lina Plath Clare, lina@frankpublicity.com

Anne Darragh, clareanne@frankpublicity.com