Archive for the ‘Blog’ Category

I AM NOT YOUR NEGRO

THE MONTCLAIR FILM FESTIVAL AND THE MONTCLAIR FUND FOR EDUCATIONAL EXCELLENCE INVITE YOU TO OUR ANNUAL CELEBRATION OF BLACK HISTORY MONTH FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 3 AT 7:30 PM GLENFIELD MIDDLE SCHOOL 25 Maple Ave, Montclair, NJ ADMISSION IS FREE CLICK TO REGISTER In 1979, James Baldwin wrote a letter to his literary agent describing his next […]

Please Vote for MFF

Voting in the 2017 JerseyArts.com People’s Choice Awards is currently underway! Please show your support for MFF

IMPROV for ADULTS

Back by popular demand! The fundamentals of improvisation are the fundamentals of life.  Listening, agreeing, forwarding action, taking care of your partner and so much more! You’ll be introduced to those lessons as you play games as well as create characters and scenes using a variety of improv and creativity exercises. Whether you want to be on […]

2017 Behind the Screen

Registration is now closed. Walk-ins will be welcomed if there is space available. Sunday, January 29, 2017 University Hall, Montclair State University Click here for BTS Program and Bios We are very excited to announce this year’s line up: Writing for Late Night Comedy Glenn Eichler, Late Night with Stephen Colbert Virtual Reality 101 Kiira Benzing, VR […]

La La Land

MFF Members Please Join Us For One Of This Year’s  Most Talked-About Oscar® Contenders! LA LA LAND Monday, December 5th 7:00 PM Bellevue Theater 260 Bellevue Avenue, Upper Montclair  $14 A breathtaking throwback to the retro look and feel of classic Hollywood musicals, LA LA LAND is a delightful romance filled with magic and whimsy. Written […]

I Want My MFF

 Help Us Raise The Roof On Our New Home To Open April 2017! Proceeds benefit the Montclair Film Festival’s non-profit film & education programs Saturday, February 4th! Wellmont Theater – 5 Seymour Street, Montclair $200 VIP Main Floor Experience (Tax Deductible Amount: $100) VIP TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE AT THE DOOR 6:30 pm – 8:00 […]

2018 EFC Registration Now Open

Registration is now open! Submissions will be accepted through March 4th, 2018. General Rules and Guidelines Films must be uploaded or postmarked by March 4, 2018 Winners will be announced on March 26, 2018. Awards ceremony and screening will be held during the Montclair Film Festival April 26-May 6th. Student’s films can be entered into […]

Annual Report (2015-2016)

Click to Open Annual Report We are pleased to share the Montclair Film Festival’s first-ever Annual Report, which captures our history, extraordinary growth, and bright vision for the future. Thanks to your support, the Montclair Film Festival has become a leader in presenting screenings, conversations, special events, workshops, and classes that promote a greater understanding, awareness, […]

Moonlight

Join Us For a Special Screening! MOONLIGHT Monday, October 17th 7:30 PM Bellevue Theater, 260 Bellevue Avenue, Upper Montclair Tickets are $14 A timeless story of human connection and self-discovery, Moonlight chronicles the life of a young black man from childhood to adulthood as he struggles to find his place in the world while growing up in […]

Celebrity Fundraiser Announced!

Wow, That Was Weird:   A Post-Election Evening With Stephen Colbert and John Oliver  Saturday, November 19th, 8:00 PM New Jersey Performing Arts Center    We’re proud to announce our 6th Annual Fundraiser, which promises to be an hilarious evening with Stephen Colbert and 2016 Emmy winner John Oliver, who will come together for an on-stage […]

We’re Cool and You Can Be Too!

Be a part of it!  JOIN or RENEW your membership to MFF NOW and get early access to all of our COOL programming and events including our 6th Annual Celebrity Fundraiser that will be announced next week!

Submissions Open for 2017 Festival

Submissions for the 2017 Festival are now open! Celebrating our sixth year, the Montclair Film Festival has established itself as New Jersey’s leading film non-profit, with hundreds of screenings, events, education programs, and community partnerships providing a unique opportunity for our diverse audience to connect with filmmakers working in all different genres and forms. In addition, our […]

JAWS – August 19th

Sink Your Teeth Into Our  Final Free Outdoor Screening Of The Season! JAWS  with live pre-show music by Mamou’s Party! Friday, August 19th Church Street, Montclair Film begins at dusk (approx. 8:45 pm) but come early for live music! When a young woman is killed by a shark while skinny-dipping near the New England tourist […]

The Wiz! Fri. July 29th

When Harlem schoolteacher Dorothy (Diana Ross) tries to save her dog from a storm, she’s miraculously whisked away to an urban fantasy land called Oz. After accidentally killing the Wicked Witch of the East upon her arrival, Dorothy is told about the Wiz (Richard Pryor), a wizard who can help her get back to Manhattan. […]

PURPLE RAIN

On behalf of all of us here at the MFF and Van Vleck House and Gardens, please accept our sincere apology for the very unexpected, premature and wet ending to our free Summer Series screening of PURPLE RAIN, an evening that started off so beautifully.   With the change of date, the sprinkler system schedule […]

MFF16 Education Programs

A warm and heartfelt thanks to everyone involved in reaching thousands of area students and families!

MFF16 Closing Night!

Filled with incredible performances, laughs, tears and plenty of inspiration, Montclair Film Festival 2016 was thrilled to present Miss Sharon Jones!, last Saturday, May 7th as our closing night film. In 2014, on the eve of Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings launching a new album, Ms. Jones faced her greatest challenge yet; a cancer diagnosis that brought her career to […]

Norman Reedus Conversation

If you’ve seen the footage from The Beatles’ famed appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show — the swaying, spellbound audience shrieking, beaming, quaking, hyperventilating — then you have a pretty good idea of how things went when Norman Reedus joined Montclair Film Festival 2016 for a spirited discussion, part of MFF’s In Conversation series. When moderator […]

Young Voices Conversation

What do young people have on their minds today? The subjects that teens and pre-teens explore when creating films provide fascinating insights into their ideas, hopes, dreams, and deeply felt concerns. Using a selection of submissions to MFF16’s Emerging Filmmaker Competition as a platform for discussion, Young Voices: A Community Conversation held last Wednesday allowed us to talk […]

Rob Reiner Conversation

Montclair Film Festival 2016 was thrilled to welcome the inimitable Rob Reiner last Sunday, May 1, for a laughter-filled and memorable discussion with Late Show host Stephen Colbert as part of our In Conversation series, presented by Audible. THIS IS SPINAL TAP. THE PRINCESS BRIDE. WHEN HARRY MET SALLY. STAND BY ME. MISERY. A FEW GOOD MEN. All Rob Reiner films, […]

Masters of the Score

Montclair Film Festival 2016 hosted an informative, fun and free community conversation, Masters of the Score: Sound Design for Film, Audio, and Games, last Saturday at the Audible Lounge, presented by Audible. The score is a narrative workhorse. It can establish mood, focus attention, illuminate the inner life of characters, and announce structure. In the hands of a […]

Richard Curtis on Love Actually

In Richard Curtis’ LOVE ACTUALLY, nine intertwined stories examine the complexities of the one emotion that connects us all: love. Montclair Film Festival 2016 was privileged to present a special screening of the film last Saturday as Richard and his life partner Emma Freud provided live commentary, sharing stories and secrets from behind the scenes of this […]

Patrick Wilson Conversation

Patrick Wilson is one of our most versatile actors, with many memorable roles on Broadway, including Tony Award nominations for his roles in Oklahoma and The Full Monty and in film and television, including his brilliant, Golden Globe-nominated performance as police officer Lou Solverson on season two of FX’s Fargo. PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, LITTLE CHILDREN, WATCHMEN, INSIDIOUS and THE […]

Margo Martindale Conversation

The incomparable Margo Martindale has been seen in countless notable films of the past two decades including MILLION DOLLAR BABY, DEAD MAN WALKING, NOBODY’S FOOL, LORENZO’S OIL, THE HOURS, PRACTICAL MAGIC, and AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY. Martindale’s work on The Americans most recently won her an 2015 Emmy for “Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series,” and […]

THE WRONG LIGHT: Who Is Mickey?

Local filmmaker Dave Adams discusses the unexpected twists in his and Josie Swantek Heitz’s daring documentary.

Our Nation’s Heroes Return

Montclair Film Festival was pleased to host a free community conversation, Our Nation’s Heroes Return: What’s Next?, last Sunday at the Audible Lounge. The panel discussion focused on services for veterans and followed the screening of Tom Donahue’s THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE, a documentary about the plight of veterans after returning home from war. The moderator […]

BOOGER RED: Truth and Fiction

Director Berndt Mader gives insight about his intriguing narrative/doc hybrid and the fascinating creative process behind it.

MFF16 Opening Night!

The Montclair Film Festival kicked off its fifth anniversary on Friday, April 29 with the remarkable documentary film LIFE, ANIMATED. Directed by Academy Award winner Roger Ross Williams and based on the best-selling book, Life Animated: a story of Sidekicks, Heroes and Autism by Ron Suskind, the film tells the story of Suskind’s son Owen, an autistic child […]

Jon & Tracey Stewart at MFF16

We are delighted to announce special guests added to Saturday’s screening of Hegedus & Pennebaker’s UNLOCKING THE CAGE.

THE PEARL: Courage To Be

Director Jessica Dimmock talks about her thought-provoking film exploring transgender identity.

SILICON COWBOYS: Tech Revolution

Jason Cohen’s SILICON COWBOYS tells one of the great David vs. Goliath stories of the digital age—the birth of Compaq Computer, a small, upstart company from Houston, Texas bound and determined to revolutionize personal computing. Standing in their way? IBM, one of America’s biggest and most valuable corporations, whose dominance of the computing sector was […]

BETTING ON ZERO: Fraud & Dreams

Local producer Glen Zipper’s documentary involves fraud, dreams, uncertainty, deception, hubris, intrigue, and greed.

Meet the #MFF16 Jury!

Meet the distinguished industry professionals on the juries for our Documentary, Narrative, Future/Now and New Jersey competitions.

MFF16: Foreign Language Films

Montclair Film Festival 2016 is pleased to present this exciting selection of international gems from all over the world. WHEN TWO WORLDS COLLIDE In 2007, then-Peruvian present Alan Garcia invited foreign companies to do business with the country by partnering on the extraction of natural resources. But when many of those resources were discovered on protected land […]

NEWTOWN: Pain and Perseverance

Filmed over the course of nearly three years, Kim Snyder’s NEWTOWN is the story of the aftermath of the deadliest mass shooting of schoolchildren in American history. The film details the experience of parents, children, and educators whose community was forever transformed and fractured, driving them toward an unforeseen sense of purpose. The resilience of […]

THE ARBALEST: Inventive Comedy

When an unexpected tragedy befalls an amateur game inventor, his wife and a rival make a pact to share in the spoils of his invention. But when that invention becomes an international sensation, the pair chart different courses in their own lives, until desire brings them together again for one final game. Adam Pinney’s THE […]

SHARON JONES! + Filmmaker Party

MFF16 Closing Night: Award Ceremony, the latest from Oscar® winner Barbara Kopple, and the Filmmaker Party!

JOE’S VIOLIN: The Power of Music

In her beautifully crafted short documentary JOE’S VIOLIN, Kahane Cooperman tells the story of Joseph Feingold, a 91-year-old Polish Holocaust survivor who donates his violin of 70 years to a local instrument drive. When the violin lands in the hands of a 12-year-old schoolgirl from the nation’s poorest congressional district, their lives intersect, changing both […]

MFF16: LGBTQ Themes

Montclair Film Festival 2016 is pleased to present a diverse listing of LGBTQ-themed screenings. HOLY HELL In 1985, filmmaker Will Allen joined The Buddha Field, a spiritual group in California that promised love, acceptance, and enlightenment to its members. As the group’s official documentarian, Allen recorded over 20 years worth of footage, including never-before-seen meditations […]

SLASH: Modern Teen Angst

In this surprising, heartfelt coming-of-age story, Neil (Michael Johnson) is a lonely teenage boy who spends his days avoiding eye contact and his nights crafting erotic fan fiction about his favorite science fiction hero, Vanguard (Tishuan Scott). But when Neil learns that his schoolmate Julia (Hannah Marks) shares his passion for unorthodox storytelling, the pair’s […]

MFF16: African-American Interest

Montclair Film Festival 2016 is proud to present this wide-ranging selection of unforgettable documentary features and shorts, and poignant dramas that depict aspects of the African-American experience. ACCIDENTAL COURTESY: DARYL DAVIS, RACE, & AMERICA Daryl Davis is not your ordinary race-relations activist. His controversial approach to combating racial animus involves befriending leaders of the Ku Klux Klan and […]

TRANSPECOS: Border Patrol Noir

Deep in the heart of the American desert, three officers— Davis (Johnny Simmons), Flores (Gabriel Luna), and Hobbs (Clifton Collins Jr)— patrol a remote border crossing. On a typical day, their routine consists of a few minor stops, an arrest now and then, and a whole lot of boredom. But when a single car stop […]

FREE IN DEED: Blind Faith

A single working-class mom (Edwina Findley) turns to her faith in search of a desperate miracle in Jake Mahaffy’s award-winning FREE IN DEED. Based on real events and set in the distinctive world of storefront churches, where the disenfranchised unite in search of refuge, FREE IN DEED depicts the desperate attempt by a lonely minister […]

MFF16: Conversations

Montclair Film Festival 2016 is once again hosting a variety of informative, entertaining and engaging events as part of our signature “Conversation” series, presented by Audible. IN CONVERSATION WITH MARGO MARTINDALE Moderated by Jason Lynch Margo Martindale has been seen in countless notable films of the past two decades including MILLION DOLLAR BABY, DEAD MAN WALKING, NOBODY’S FOOL, LORENZO’S […]

MFF16: New Jersey on Screen

Montclair Film Festival 2016 celebrates New Jersey with our whopping list of films tied to the Garden State in one way or another. ALWAYS SHINE  (director from Montclair) The competition between young women striving for professional success has been fertile ground for filmmakers, but in ALWAYS SHINE, director Sophia Takal takes the tension to a […]

MFF16: Music on Screen

Music has a starring role in this exciting and varied selection of Montclair Film Festival 2016 screenings. MISS SHARON JONES! Two-time Academy Award winning filmmaker Barbara Kopple returns to the MFF with a portrait of one of the most fiery and talented performers working today. In 2014, on the eve of the band launching a new […]

MFF16: Timely Topic

Check out the Montclair Film Festival 2016 line-up of screenings that grapple with the timely topic of gun control. NEWTOWN Filmed over the course of nearly three years, Kim Snyder’s NEWTOWN is the story of the aftermath of the deadliest mass shooting of schoolchildren in American history. The film details the experience of parents, children, and […]

MFF16 Family Films: Bring the Kids!

Check out the Montclair Film Festival 2016 line-up of classic and new Family Films! AN AMERICAN TAIL When the Mousekewitz family— Mama, Papa, Tanya, and Fievel— are forced by circumstance to leave their native Russia behind, they decide to make their way to the promise of the United States. But once they arrive in New York City, […]

Audible Lounge is Open

Stop by and visit us at the Audible Lounge 544 Bloomfield Avenue, Montclair Mon. – Sat. 11AM – 5PM Buy tickets in person Browse and purchase new MFF16 merchandise See our amazing Immigration Art Installation Enjoy a cup of coffee from Official Coffee Sponsor, Java Love

Norman Reedus Conversation Added

In this expansive conversation, The Walking Dead star will share the stories that have shaped his unique career.

MFF16 Box Office

Have questions about the MFF16 Box Office? We’ve got you covered.

What Does ‘Standby’ Mean?

As you start selecting films from the stellar MFF16 lineup, you may encounter films and events that say STANDBY instead of BUY TICKETS. In case you’re wondering just what that means, we’re here to explain. While no film or event is ever 100% sold out, some films and events are going to be more popular than others. […]

#MFF16 Program Announced!

Drumroll, please! We’re thrilled to present the A+ #MFF16 lineup! Join us in Montclair for the 5th Annual Montclair Film Festival: April 29 through May 8. This year’s Festival will showcase over 150 films, special events, conversations, parties, and panels. In addition, over 100 filmmakers and other special guests will join us over the course of ten […]

2016 EFC Winners Announced

The Montclair Film Festival Announces 2016 Emerging Filmmaker Competition Winners This year’s competition, the festival’s 5th annual, features 20 winning films from 17 different area schools. The winning films will be screened at MFF’s annual Emerging Filmmaker Competition ceremony on Saturday, May 7, 2016 at 11:00 AM at the Wellmont Theater. A complimentary after party for […]

MFF Announces Key 2016 Films

Opening Night Film LIFE, ANIMATED Friday, April 29, 7:30PM, Wellmont Theater LIFE, ANIMATED is the real-life story of Owen Suskind, the son of the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Ron Suskind and his wife, Cornelia. An autistic boy who couldn’t speak for years, Owen memorized dozens of Disney movies, turned them into a language to express love […]

Tribute to Richard Curtis

The MFF Announces Tribute To Richard Curtis In the first major announcement of the festival season, the MFF is proud to announce that writer, director, and producer Richard Curtis will receive the festival’s inaugural Filmmaker Tribute on Saturday, April 30, 2016, during the 5th annual Montclair Film Festival.   The daylong celebration will feature a […]

Immigration Art Installation

Click on the link below to register for the specific workshop you’d like to attend Sunday, March 20 from 1:00 – 4:00 Sunday, April 3 from 1:00 – 4:00   If you have questions, please contact sue@montclairfilm.org or debbieh@montclaircoop.org

2016 People’s Choice Awards

We are so honored to have been voted NJ’s Favorite Film Festival for the 4th year in a row in the Discover Jersey Arts People’s Choice Awards, accepted this morning by Senior Programmer Ina Pira! Thank you to DJA and to all of you who voted for us. We can’t wait to share ‪#‎MFF16‬ with […]

MFF Announces Our 2016 Design!

The Montclair Film Festival is thrilled to announce one of the most anticipated events of each festival season: our 2016 festival design! Created by long-time MFF graphic artist Jesse Bussey of Bussey Creative, this year’s campaign will be featured on all MFF materials, including posters, banners, and merchandise. “We are so proud of Bussey Creative’s hard work on our new campaign,” […]

Trapped

TICKETS HAVE SOLD OUT BUT THERE WILL BE A STANDBY LINE AND TICKETS WILL BE SOLD IF SPACE PERMITS. TRAPPED Tuesday, March 1st 7:00 pm Bellevue Theater (160 Bellevue Avenue, Montclair) Ticket Price: $12 “U.S. reproductive health clinics are fighting to remain open. Since 2010, 288 TRAP (Targeted Regulations of Abortion Providers) laws have been […]

A Ballerina’s Tale

The MFF and the MFEE present their annual FREE screening in honor of Black History Month.   Saturday, February 27th 3:00 pm Glenfield Middle School 25 Maple Avenue, Montclair, NJ 07042 This beautiful film tells the inspirational story of African American prima ballerina Misty Copeland and the hard work, dedication, and artistic vision that have […]

Spotlight

  Join us for an exclusive sneak preview of one of the season’s most talked about films! SPOTLIGHT Directed by Tom McCarthy Starring: Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams, Mark Ruffalo, Liev Schreiber, John Slattery USA/ 128 Min Sure to be the talk of the film award season, SPOTLIGHT tells the riveting true story of the Pulitzer […]

Emerging Filmmaker Competition

Submissions are now closed for 2016 Registration for the Montclair Film Festival’s 2016 Emerging Filmmaker Competition (formerly Kidz Shortz) is now open! Submissions will be accepted through March 1, 2016 and the winners will be announced on March 17, 2016. Award Ceremonies and After Party will be held during the 2016 Montclair Film Festival! NEW […]

2015 MFF Fundraiser

Join Stephen Colbert, host of CBS’ “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert,” for an evening of fun with director J.J. Abrams (“Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” “Lost”).  This event will feature the pair in a wide-ranging, on-stage look at their influences, ideas, and creative work.  Come and see which geek shall inherit the earth!  Proceeds […]

2016 Submissions

Submissions for the 2016 Festival are now closed. If you have programming questions, please email programming@montclairfilm.org. Celebrating our 5th year, the Montclair Film Festival has established itself as New Jersey’s leading film non-profit, with hundreds of screenings, events, education programs and community partnerships providing a unique opportunity for our diverse audience to connect with filmmakers […]

Film Education Instructors Wanted

The Montclair Film Festival is looking for screenwriters, animators and filmmakers interested in teaching classes as part of our year round education initiative.  Please send resumes to Education@MontclairFilmFest.org.

Demme: A Master Filmmaker

Jonathan Demme walked onto the stage dressed in his cool, casual style and looked decidedly boyish for a man of 71. Demme was about to be interviewed by AMC’s Joel Stillerman for MFF’s In Conversation Series, and in preparation, Stillerman asked his office staff to put together a quick summary of Demme’s versatile work. That turned […]

Me & Earl & the Dying Girl, A Winner

There’s a clear appreciation for great films and the art of cinema running through Me and Earl and the Dying Girl. The movie’s protagonist Greg is a high school senior who’s made 42 charmingly horrible movies with his “co-worker” Earl, featuring titles that play off of classic movies like “Eyes Wide Butt” and “2:48 Cowboy.” […]

Deep Web: Deep Into the Darknet

From beyond the friendly internet-based interfaces of Gmail & Facebook, the documentary Deep Web takes a dive into the occasionally murky waters within the “darknet.” This untraceable, hard to access part of the web is home to not only vast databases of private information, but also shadowy black markets hidden by cryptographers. Alex Winter’s new […]

Father & Motherland: DuRant’s Edén

In an early scene in Elise DuRant’s Edén, bearded gringo John (played by Will Oldham) is showing various stones and fossils to his captivated young daughter Alma (played by Paula María Landa Hartasánchez). “It was a shell, but the forces of nature turned it into something completely different,” he tells her. “It’s a representation of […]

Colbert Thanks Mavis For Being

Mavis Staples often starts out a performance with a whisper to bandmate Rick Holstrom, “I don’t have much tonight.” But a few songs later she’ll turn around to him and exclaim, “I got it back!” Staples didn’t need to get it back on Friday at the Wellmont; she brought it. After cheering her performances on […]

The World of Audio Books

Have you even wondered why so many written works seem to be more ‘entertaining’ and informative when you hear them read aloud? Have you ever wondered what it is like creating those little ‘audio books’ that have generated a multibillion dollar industry? And, did you ever assume that you could never do that kind of […]

An American Odyssey

“I am an old man, in my life, I have known much trouble and most of it never happened.” -Mark Twain. This quote, which I heard years ago, has become a mantra for me. It has saved me from spending precious time worrying needlessly about things out of my control. This quote has lead me to […]

Unexpected, MFF 2015 Closing Film

The 2015 Montclair Film Festival closed Sunday night at MKA with Unexpected, Kris Swanberg’s tale of two vastly different Chicago pregnancies. In the last decade, Swanberg has contributed to a number of movies about the trials of 20-somethings in the Windy City and this movie felt like the denouement of her characters’ youth. There’s nothing […]

First Ever MFF Awards!

As the Montclair Film Festival continues to grow, this year’s festivities included a slate of awards for the first time in the festival’s history. On the second Saturday of the festival’s 10-day run, audiences, jurors and MFF staff gathered in the Montclair Kimberley Academy auditorium for the unveiling of the inaugural MFF Awards. The evening […]

In Conversation with Abigail Disney

Although heir of the famed Disney family and tradition, Abigail Disney didn’t set out to make films. She set out to make a difference. In a candid conversation about her life and the trajectory of experiences that led to her becoming a documentarian, she laid out the sociocultural and political factors as well as gender […]

Danny Says

What do the Doors, the Velvet Underground, the Stooges, Alice Cooper, and the Ramones have in common? One man: Danny Fields. Fields isn’t a musician, but a press agent, record company executive, and editor who had an eye (and an ear) for groundbreaking bands and the skill to help usher many of them to fame. […]

The Armor of Light: Faith and Guns

The Armor of Light is a documentary film directed by Abigail Disney. Disney puts into question the limitation to pro-life activism and gun rights. We are taken on an emotional and explorative journey of three steadfast individuals who connect through personal tragedy, advocacy and faith. One of those individuals is Evangelical pastor, Reverend Rob Schenk, […]

Thought Crimes: Thought Provoking

Have you ever had an evil thought about someone? A friend? An enemy? Or co-worker? Have you ever wondered if that was a crime, and if you could be prosecuted for it? With the advent of modern technology these thoughts are often laid open for the world to see. And what happens when a person in […]

Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck

For the young protagonist of Nick Hornby’s hugely popular book About a Boy, Kurt Cobain’s suicide in 1994 marks the end of the world, the day the music died—and he is not alone, especially for fans of that generation (the late 80s/early 90s), who helped Nirvana zoom to the top of the charts. One of […]

NJ Shorts 2, Dark and Edgy

Less is more was the lesson learned by viewers at New Jersey Shorts 2 presented at the Montclair Film Festival on Saturday, May 9th. Although films ranged in length from only 6 -18 minutes, they were all thought provoking and had a long lasting impact on the viewer. These films had a dark edge, in […]

Fuller, Green and Yo La Tengo

Thursday night’s headline for the Montclair Film Festival was a film event that fit its subject; it was larger than life and totally outside of the box. The live documentary screened at the Wellmont Theatre was a tribute to R. Buckminster Fuller, who according to a television host, had been called a “genius”, “the Benjamin […]

A Montclair Community Conversation

A roomful of people, either involved in projects dealing with the issues of hunger and homelessness, or interested in being enlightened filled the Audible Listening Lounge for the Community Conversation on Hunger and Homelessness in Montclair. The presentation was inspired by Montclair Film Festival’s screening of Time Out of Mind starring Richard Gere as a homeless […]

Colbert and Gere, Illuminating Convo

Cinema, the philosophy of life, and a truth universally acknowledged that every mother loves Richard Gere: in an extremely lively, funny, and illuminating chat on Saturday at the Wellmont Theater, Stephen Colbert and Richard Gere discussed and debated everything from Gere’s newest film (Time Out of Mind, about homelessness, which premiered directly after this In Conversation series) […]

Montclair Filmmakers Discuss Craft

Tuesday night a collection of up-and-coming filmmakers joined The Montclair Film Festival and the In Conversation audience for an intimate discussion about their films, filmmaking, and the benefits of working at their craft in the Montclair area. The crowd gathered early to chat with one another and to come and meet the Montclair Filmmakers panelists; Daryl […]

Black Voices in Film Sheds Light

Conventional wisdom has held that films featuring black actors or focusing on black themes aren’t commercially viable. However, recent successes in black-themed films, from both Hollywood and independent productions, have proven such thinking wrong, while simultaneously revealing some issues. Black Voices in Film, part of Montclair Film Festival’s In Conversation series invited Pete Chatmon (Writer/Director, Black […]

Sex & Broadcasting: Freeform Radio

“I knew that this New Jersey film belonged in this New Jersey film festival,” said Director Tim K. Smith, introducing his film Sex and Broadcasting to the Montclair Film Festival audience. Originally entitled Freeformer Death, Smith later explained that he changed the name of the film because many original audience members did not know that […]