Showcasing new international films, American independent features, animation, experimental and short subjects, and cutting-edge documentaries, the New Jersey International Film Festival Summer 2018 will feature 22 film screenings. The screenings take place evenings from Friday through Sunday on two weekends from June 1-10. All screenings are held on the Rutgers University campus in New Brunswick.
For full film descriptions visit www.njfilmfest.com
Friday, June 1 at 7:00pm -- Voorhees Hall #105
Headless Swans - Jordan Klaja (Queens, New York) A neo-noir short film that follows Leon Latour, a private detective who works to expose extra-marital affairs. 2018; 25 min.
Bullitt County - David McCracken (Los Angeles, California) Four drinking buddies with a dark secret reunite after ten years for a bachelor party on the Bluegrass Bourbon Trail. When the friends discover that their favorite distillery has been turned into a winery, the newly sober groom, Gordie, seizes on an even better adventure: a search for a stash of buried Prohibition money deep in the woods of Bullitt County, KY. The others reluctantly join him on his quest, only to discover there’s something much more dangerous than cursed treasure. 2018; 96 min.
Saturday, June 2 at 5:00pm -- Voorhees Hall #105
43 Quintillion - Kylie Easton (Burbank, California) When a grieving woman stumbles upon a mysterious artifact from her beloved’s past, she is propelled into an unknown world, and she must find her way back home by moving forward. 2017; 5 min.
The Wrestler: A Q.T. Marshall Story - Frank Zarillo (Toms River, New Jersey) Q.T. Marshall has been wrestling for nearly a decade. After turning 30, and sustaining multiple injuries in the ring, his career could quite possibly be coming to an end. He has one last shot of making it into the WWE--if he fails, he will be forced to hang up his wrestling boots forever. This documentary follows him on his quest. 2017; 67 min
Saturday, June 2 at 7:00pm -- Voorhees Hall #105
In The Field - EJ Argenio/Tesia Walker (New York, New York) Anambitious local reporter witnesses a police-related shooting of an African-American girl outside a toy store on Christmas Eve. 2017; 14 min.
You Are Here – Nicholas Jones (London, England) A portrait of Tony Rogers, a former rock star who was a member of one of the most successful British bands of the last 20 years, The Charlatans. 2018; 16 min.
Vianey - Marko Vuorinen (Helsinki, Finland) A raw, lyrical documentary about the life and hardships of the female hip hop artist Vianey Otero, also known as So Icey Trap. This intensely personal coming-of-age story reveals the reality behind growing up on the streets, time in jail, and being female artist in the music industry 2018; 55 min
Sunday, June 3 at 7:00pm -- Voorhees Hall #105
Tell Me Something - Olivia Treynor (San Francisco, California) A short film about a recurring dream. 2018; 3 min.
Everything is Upstream - Martin Ponferrada (Sydney, Australia) In this film, that combines animation and documentary, Buddhist monks from around the world offer vivid descriptions of their dreams, which are then brought to life through animated sequences. 2018; 10 min.
306 Hollywood - Elan and Jonathan Bogarín (New York, New York) When siblings Elan and Jonathan Bogarín lost their beloved grandmother, they faced a profound question: what should they do with all the possessions, knick-knacks, papers, mementoes, clothing, and furniture that their grandmother left behind? 93 min, 2018.
Friday, June 8 at 7:00pm -- Voorhees Hall #105
The Fisherman - Ana A. Alpizar (Bronx, New York) A humble Cuban fisherman is having a harsh winter at the open sea. For the sake of his family and against all odds, he needs to capture at least one fish. In Spanish, subtitled. 2017; 15 min.
Skin - Alasdair K. Boyce (London, England) In the remote and wild north west of Scotland, a young fisherman lives a solitary existence until he encounters a mysterious woman. 2018; 24 min.
The Best Of All Worlds - Adrian Goipoinger (Saltzburg, Austria) In this compelling feature film, based on a true story, seven-year-old Adrian is growing up in the underground drug scene of Salzburg, an Austrian city famous for its culture and classical music. 2017; 103 min.
Saturday, June 9 at 5:00pm -- Voorhees Hall #105
The Magic of Reading - Claudia Moysset (Los Angeles, California) A short film about a young boy, and his older sister, who unlock the magic of reading by entering into the pages of a wonderful book. Once inside, they have to escape from the clutches of a monster, and battle for their freedom. 2018; 4 min.
Conflict - Barbara Holstein (New Jersey) A portrait of a teen-ager, who relays her sense of herself, and of the world, in five short minutes. 2018; 5 min
Mr. Jim - Jack Foley (Morganville, New Jersey) A recently widowed veteran gets a new lease on life by striking up a friendship with a mom and her young daughter. 2018; 13 min.
Bullies - Daniel Bydlowski (Northridge, California) Eugene, a shy 10-year-old boy, is bullied every day until he discovers a secret underneath the school that will keep him safe, for now. 2017; 28 min
Shellfish - JD Wilson (Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey) After a global phenomenon known as “Cloudcrash” wipes out all access to the web, the teenagers are forced to cope with the loss of their tech devices. Mirrors replace screens as the self-obsessed are sent to a rehabilitation facility where they are haunted by a monster named “Truth” and they must learn to get over themselves. 2018; 40 min.
Friday, June 9 at 7:00pm -- Voorhees Hall #105
Goose in High Heels - John R. Dilworth (New York, New York) An animated tale told through three intertwined stories. As a writer struggles to complete a masterpiece, about love, betrayal, and horror based on childhood memories, he encounters an unnatural force, and realizes his true prize. 2017; 22 min.
MDMA - Angie Wang (Los Angeles, California) In this feature film, based on a true story, a damaged girl named Angie, who hails from a tough neighborhood in Newark, New Jersey, is accepted to a prestigious university in the 1980s. After losing her scholarship, she starts manufacturing the party drug Ecstasy (aka MDMA) to make ends meet. MDMA stars Annie Q (of HBO’s The Leftovers) and Francesca Eastwood (of ABC’s Heroes Reborn). 2017; 98 min
Sunday, June 10 at 7:00pm -- Voorhees Hall #105
Crazy Hive - Shi Wei (Shanghai, China) In this comedy/thriller, Lu, a 45-year-old man, works an ordinary job and lives an ordinary life in the suburbs of Shanghai. One day, on his way back home, he discovers a corpse on the lawn of his home, and everything goes crazy. In Mandarin, subtitled. 2017; 13 min.
Above the Drowning Sea - René Balcer and Nicola Zavaglia (New York, New York) This film tells the dramatic, unknown story of the fortuitous escape of European Jews from Nazi-controlled Europe, who found a safe harbor in Shanghai, on the eve of World War Two. The film vividly celebrates the heroism and humanity of ordinary people caught in extraordinary circumstances. Narrated by Julianna Margulies and Tony Goldwyn. 2017; 93 min
