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 all attendees follows the screening.

The MFF assembled a jury of local film and television professionals to adjudicate a record number of film submissions. All films were placed in groups based upon the age of the filmmaker; Cinemaniacs (Grades 4-6), Storytellers (Grades 7-9), and Visionaries (Grades 10-12). Awards were given to films in each group in the Narrative, Comedy, Documentary, Experimental film categories, as well as a special award for films that seek to make a social impact.

2016 Emerging Filmmaker Competition Winners

Cinemaniacs (Grades 4-6)

Comedy – Grand Prize
The Nuclear Burrito
Cora Tinker, Liv Hammer
Alfred E Hanmer Elementary School, Wethersfield, CT

Documentary – Grand Prize
Holiday of Holidays
Talia Cohen-Vigder
Watchung Elementary

Experimental – Grand Prize
Text to Talk
Milanya Navani, Samaara Navani
Charles C Bullock

Narrative – Grand Prize
Social Impact – Grand Prize
Invisible
Olyvia Okochi, Mareau Hall, Hartley Peterson, Zach Liss-Bialik, Nick Steinmetz
Renaissance Middle School

Storytellers (Grades 7-9)

Comedy – Grand Prize
Travis through the Multiverse
Zack Reichgut, Andy Reichgut
The Craig School

Documentary- Grand Prize
La Escuelita
Lucia Ledesma, Julia Abate, Madison Stanton
Montclair High School

Experimental – Grand Prize
Agoraphobia
Lily Jones, Anna Babboni, Gracie Theobald Williams
Glenfield Middle School

Narrative – Grand Prize
The Three Day Stint
Aidan Sullivan, Declan Lynch, Nicholas Shires
South Orange Middle School

Cinematography – Special Jury Prize
Mr. Lonely
Mark Richards
Montclair High School

Social Impact – Grand Prize
The Hurt Within
Jacob Gradaille, Jency Luna, Kelly Rueda, Anthony Chavez
Newark Arts High School

Visionaries (Grades 10-12)

Comedy – Grand Prize
Product Placement
Aidan Champeau, Jake Diamond, Jake Weinberg, Jacob Manthey
Montclair High School

Comedy Special Jury Prize
The Shapeshifter
Zach Vallese, Darrel Tsinadze, Jack Motherway, Sam Grossman, Heather Giudice, David Champion, Claudia Garbien, Stephanie Jeanette, Christine Pak
Montville Township High School

Comedy – Special Jury Prize
Chasing Sophie
Crystal Tepale, Jairus Bostick
Passaic County Technical Institute

Documentary – Grand Prize
Social Impact – Grand Prize
Individuality
Al-Nafi Walker, Jahleel Giles, Jailene Perez
Essex County Vocational Bloomfield Tech

Documentary – Special Jury Prize
Ride to Freedom
Isabela DeSa, Jehan Abayhan, Andy Valer
Passaic Valley High School

Experimental – Grand Prize (tie)
I Remember
Gabriella Cecala, Maeve Peebles, Daani Naidau, Annie Swenson
Randolph High School

Experimental – Grand Prize (tie)
Entropy
Adam Present, Matt San Miguel
The Pingry School

Narrative Grand Prize
Hadley
John Valle, Ethan Hoffman
Morris County School of Technology

Narrative –Special Jury Prize
Hue
Holly Grobholz, AnnMarie Ciulla
Warren Hills Regional High School

Narrative – Special Jury Prize
For the Love of God
William Blackman, Annie Blackman, Nia Holton-Raphael, Max Kolomatsky, Sam Friedman, Will Jacobson, Eric McKenzie
Montclair High School

2016 EFC Jurors included Evan Baily, Margaret Bodde, Evan Cutler, Amy Friedman, Mark Fitzmartin, JoAnn McCullough, Raphaela Neihausen, and Nina Sloan. MFF Education Director Sue Hollenberg and Emerging Filmmaker Competition Coordinator Michelle Anderson oversaw the submissions process on behalf of MFF.

“We are incredibly proud of the work of every young filmmaker who had the courage and creative vision to make and submit a film for our Emerging Filmmakers Competition,” said MFF Education Director Sue Hollenberg. “We hope the entire community will join us on May 7 at the Wellmont to celebrate all of the wonderful stories these filmmakers have shared with us.”