New Jersey International Film Festival Summer 2011 Schedule Announced!

(NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ) -- The Rutgers Film Co-op/New Jersey Media Arts Center, in association with the Rutgers University Program In Cinema Studies, Showbiz Software, New Brunswick City Market, Writers Boot Camp, Jungle Software, Johnson and Johnson and Eastman Kodak, is proud to present the 16th annual New Jersey International Film Festival Summer 2011.  Showcasing new international films, American independent features, animation, experimental and short subjects, and cutting-edge documentaries, the New Jersey International Film Festival Summer 2011 will feature 33 film screenings and workshops. The Festival will run from June 3-19, 2011. All the works selected were screened by a panel of judges including media professionals, journalists, students, and academics. These judges selected the 31 finalists which will be publicly screened at our Festival. These finalists were selected from over 371 works submitted by film and videomakers from around the world. In addition, the judges chose the Prize Winners (including over $6,000 in prizes) in conjunction with the Festival Director. Prize winners will be announced before the screenings on Sunday, June 19.

Film Premieres:
31 films will have their New Jersey or Area Premiere (Middlesex County) screenings as part of the New Jersey International Film Festival Summer 2011. Some of these include: Noemie LaFrance's incredible experimental performance film Melt; Gerry Curtis beautifully eerie short Savasana; Peter Luisi's playfully surreal romantic feature comedy The Sandman from Switzerland; John Langan's Bowling Balls -- a short comedy about two teenagers from Bayonne, New Jersey who attempt to steal an unpublished short story by J. D. Salinger from the Princeton University Library; Abdullah Al Kaabi's existential short The Philosopher starring Jean Reno; Charlotte Barrett and Sean Fallon's hilarious sex comedy with a twist Virgin Alexander; Debora Kodish and Barry Dornfeld's Eatala: A Life in Klezmer - an exhilarating celebration of the traditional folk music of Eastern European Jews, and a portrait of Elaine Hoffman Watts, a renowned klezmer percussionist; New Jersey native Ariel Frenkel's quirky black comedy Pluto; Matt Rashid and Alicia Arinella's compelling feature For Belly which tells the story of three women on the brink of transformation; Gary Mortensen's riveting documentary Shepherds of Helmand which takes viewers deep into the ongoing war in Afghanistan that is rarely seen even by reporters; Chris Campbell's Voices of Sculpture – a gorgeous documentary about the Grounds for Sculpture, a 35-acre park outside of Princeton, New Jersey; M.T. Silvia's Atomic Mom is a timely documentary about two women whose lives were directly impacted by the development of the atom bomb; Cy Kuckenbaker's Bush League is a moving and profoundly engaging ethnographic documentary of a tiny village in Northern Malawi; Rolla Selbak's Three Veils -- a poignant feature film by an Arab-American filmmaker about three young Middle-Eastern women living in the United States; and many others. See the attached schedule for more information on these and the other films or visit our website: www.njfilmfest.com.

Special Guest Appearances by Directors, Artists, and Scholars:

This summer we are pleased to announce over twenty confirmed special guest appearances by film/video directors, artists, actors, and scholars to the 2011 New Jersey International Film Festival! All visiting directors will introduce their work and do a Question and Answer session after the screenings. For more information on these special guest appearances see the attached schedule or go to our online site at www.njfilmfest.com. Note: more filmmakers will be appearing but were not able to confirm their attendance at this time. So check our website for updated information.

New Screening Facility:
We have very exciting news. Our new primary screening location Voorhees Hall #105 features comfortable, cushioned seats, stadium seating, and hi-definition projection and sound systems! Come check out our new screening space and see for yourself how great it is!

Film/Video Workshops:

The New Jersey Media Arts Center will offer 2 of its most popular workshops this summer including: Screenwriting I and The Film Business. For more information on these workshops see the attached schedule or go to: www.njfilmfest.com.

Sponsors:

The New Jersey Film Festivalsm Summer 2011 in part by The Rutgers Film Co-op/New Jersey Media Arts Center; The Rutgers University Program in Cinema Studies/School of Arts and Sciences; The Middlesex County Board of Chosen Freeholders/ Middlesex County Cultural and Heritage Commission thru a grant provided by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts; Eastman Kodak; Johnson & Johnson; New Jersey Books; WCTC/WMGQ; The Home News Tribune;  The Highland Park Mirror; The Rutgers University School of Arts and Sciences; the Rutgers University Office of Academic Engagement and Programming; The Rutgers University American Studies Department; Rutgers University School of Arts and Sciences Honors Program;  Rutgers University Center For Middle Eastern Studies; Writers Boot Camp; Jungle Software; New Brunswick City Market; Showbiz Software; The Rutgers University Office of Community Affairs; Rutgers University  Libraries; Rutgers University Presentation Services; The Rutgers University Enhanced Classroom Support Department; Design Ideas; Advanced Printing; Steven C. Schechter, Esq.; Share and Harris.