New Jersey Film Festival returns to Rutgers with vibrant lineup

It's tough being a movie fan in January and February — most major studios save their blockbusters for later in the year, leaving the market feeling pretty dry. Luckily, the Rutgers Film Co-op/New Jersey Media Arts Center and the Rutgers' Department of Cinema Studies are here to the rescue!

The 42nd Bi-Annual New Jersey Film Festival is set to kick off Friday with a truly compelling slate of films. 

Operating every weekend until February 18, the event spotlights New Jersey-based features, including "Bear Hugs," "Conjoined," "Boobee Cheet Sheetz" and "Innocent Observer." 

The festival also includes numerous projects from across the globe. The opener for the festival, "The Blues Society" comes from New York, while other buzzed-about entries like "Electra" and "The Disembodied Adventures of Alice" come from the Czech Republic and Ireland, respectively.

These are just a few of the 43 finalists that were whittled down from more than 636 film submissions. Throughout the duration of the festival, titles will compete for Best Experimental Film, Best Animated Film, Best Short Film, Best Documentary Film and Best Feature Film. The winners will be announced via social media after the event concludes on February 19.

Albert Gabriel Nigrin, a professor in the Department of Cinema Studies and curator of the festival, spoke to The Daily Targum about the process that went into selecting the films.

"We have over 25 people watching and evaluating the films for many months," Nigrin said. "All works selected were screened by a panel of judges which included media professionals, journalists, students and academics."

Nigrin also has a film showing, "Dream Screen," which will not compete in the festival.

In addition to featuring a culturally diverse selection of filmmakers, the festival has also made an effort to empower women filmmakers. More than half of the jury comprises women and 19 of the showcased projects were directed by women.

"We have always championed films made by women," Nigrin said. "Women's films have always been made — they just haven't been given the platform they need."

If that wasn't enough for movie fanatics to sink their teeth into, the festival will include appearances by actors, producers and directors whose work is featured, plus select Q&A sessions. 

The screenings will take place at Voorhees Hall on the College Avenue campus. For a fee of $100, viewers will have access to every film showing. Alternatively, for those opting for a more traditional approach of paying for individual viewings, tickets are priced at $15 for the general public and $10 for Rutgers students.

For those unable to attend the festival in person or have become accustomed to having any movie at their fingertips, the festival also provides online viewings at a cost to the movies for 24 hours.

Above all, the festival is a heartfelt tribute to all things cinema.

"All of the films we show are really interesting, and some of them are difficult watches," Nigrin said. "We want to show good, interesting films that make people think."