(TEANECK, NJ) -- The Teaneck International Film Festival, with its theme, Activism: Making Change, is back! A project of The Puffin Foundation Ltd., the 19th annual festival will be held November 7-14, 2024, featuring over 25 films, panel discussions, and parties, with filmmakers, actors, elected officials and industry guests attending.
The opening night film, the narrative feature Freedom Hair, is sponsored by The National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Inc., Bergen/Passaic Chapter at Teaneck Cinemas (503 Cedar Lane) on Thursday, November 7 at 7:30pm. Directed & Written by Dianne Houston, the film is based on the real story of a Black woman's fight to start a hair braiding business in Mississippi. When a determined mother decides to start a natural hair braiding business to achieve financial independence, she must overcome unexpected obstacles imposed by a powerful cosmetology cartel and the state of Mississippi. Based on the inspiring, true story of Melony Armstrong.
For the festival’s Narrative Centerpiece, Egyptian filmmaker Omar Hilal, attending from Cairo, Egypt with his Academy Award shortlisted film Voy! Voy! Voy! will participate in a post-screening Q&A. Presented by Davis, Saperstein, & Salomon, Voy! Voy! Voy! is a film with humor and pathos, it is the story of Hassan - a security guard living an impoverished life with his mother in Egypt who dreams of traveling and living abroad. One day he stumbles on the sport of blind soccer and cunningly decides to pose as a visually impaired man to join a team right before the World Cup tournament in Europe. The centerpiece film includes buffet, wine, film, and talkback.
The “in-person” part of the festival will run through Sunday evening, November 10th, when the closing film, Politics is a Mother, Raising Hell is Part of the Job a documentary about New Jersey Senator Loretta Weinberg, will be shown at Temple Emeth, 1666 Windsor Rd. and feature a talkback with the Senator and filmmaker. The film is directed & written by Francine Weinberg Graff (of Teaneck). Known as the ‘Feisty Grandma’, Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg flipped New Jersey on its head when she unearthed the Bridgegate scandal. The debacle caused the fast and hard fall of then Governor Chris Christie. Told through the unique lens of a mother/daughter story, the film reveals how politics is always personal and that an “adorable” grandmother could be one of the most important politicians of our time.
Sponsors of Politics is a Mother, Raising Hell is Part of the Job are WOW (Women of Wisdom), NCJWBCS (National Council of Jewish Women Bergen County Section), League of Women Voters of Teaneck, Arbor Terrace, Reshma Khan, and the YWCA of Northern New Jersey.
The weekend brings more features, documentaries and shorts, among them: On Golden Years, about an Indian retirement community in Florida, sponsored by Nachman, Phulwani, Zimovcak (NPZ) Law Group, P.C; Thelma, the story of a grandmother who fought back when she was scammed out of $10,000, sponsored by Age Friendly Teaneck, Adeline Wijnen and The Jewish Link; The Catskills, a documentary about the wonder years of hotels and bungalow colonies, brought to you by the Jewish Standard, and Igualada, which takes us on the campaign trail of the first Black woman to become Vice-President of Colombia, sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Teaneck and Martin Luther King Birthday Committee. Visit the festival website for a full list of all the films showing in-person during the festival weekend.
After the TIFF weekend is over, there are two bonus films being shown at Teaneck’s Ethical Cultural Society on Sunday evening, November 14. The documentary Join or Die, based on the book Bowling Alone by social scientist Robert Putnam, tells us how our failure to join clubs and groups has led to a crisis in our democracy. It is sponsored by the Ethical Culture Society of Bergen County, Steven L. Finkelstein of Russo Real Estate and the Rotary Club of Teaneck. It will be shown with the short Save the Cat, a tale of a Ukrainian refugee family whose cat was returned to them in the U.S. thanks to the intervention and assistance of some caring people.
For those unable to come in-person or for filmgoers in other parts of the country, there are three virtual films that may be watched from the comfort of your own living room any time during the festival week which include moderated talkbacks. The virtual film series includes the Ethan Hawke directed Wildcat starring Laura Linney about the famed American writer Flannery O’Connor, Ultimate Citizens which chronicles the story of Iranian refugee Jamshid Khajavi, a school counselor and ultra-athlete who uses the sport of Ultimate Frisbee to help children heal and Far East Deep South which tells the story of Chinese American immigrants and their connection to the Deep South. The virtual pass includes all three films for $15.
TIFF’s youngest audience is not ignored. Prior to the official opening night of November 7th, Little Kid Flicks, the collection of award-winning animated films curated from the New York International Children’s Film Festival will be back again for the second year since Covid: Little Kid Flicks, for children 4 -8 years old are invited free with a paying adult through support from the Puffin Foundation and sponsorship by the Teaneck Public Library and Barbara Ostroth, Coldwell Banker Realty. This year’s emcee – stepping into the big shoes of longtime host Bob McGrath (Sesame Street) – will be Miss Jolie, the Taylor Swift of New Jersey’s youngest set who plays to SRO crowds. Mark the date: November 3 – 1:30pm, at the Puffin Cultural Forum, 20 Puffin Way in Teaneck.
Tickets for the festival are on sale now at www.teaneckfilmfestival.org. Tickets are $10 in advance, $15 at door if available, except: Little Kid Flicks (Kids are free with paying adult thanks to a grant from The Puffin Foundation), Centerpiece Gala and Film - $40 donation in advance, Virtual Film Series pass includes all three films for $15. Talkbacks will follow most films. And check out all that is on this year’s program – for all interests and all ages.
The film festival with a social conscience is committed to telling stories that need to be heard, and inspiring thoughtful discussion, involvement, and activism. The documentaries, features, and shorts cover a broad range of subjects that are of concern to all: Civil Rights, women’s rights, immigration, aging, labor, LGBTQ+ concerns, social justice, the environment, and more. According to Executive Director Jeremy Lentz, “This year is more important than ever before, as the country struggles to preserve democracy and we engage in an effort to bring together people of diverse backgrounds and opinions and find common ground. We have films that will make you ponder, cry, laugh, and – we hope – recognize what we share, and what we can do to make things better.”
2024 Teaneck International Film Festival Films
A House Is Not A Disco
Documentary - 90 MINUTES; Directed by Brian J. Smith
Description: Documents a year in the life in the world’s most iconic “homo-normative” community: Fire Island Pines. Situated fifty miles from New York City, this storied queer beach town finds itself in the midst of a renaissance as a new generation of Millennial homeowners reimagine The Pines for a new, more inclusive era. A cast of eccentrics, activists, drifters, and first timers reflect on the legacy of The Pines while preparing their beloved village for the biggest challenge it has faced since the AIDS crisis: rising seas caused by climate change.
Sponsored by Teaneck Creek Conservancy
Talkback with Kathleen Farley, Teaneck Creek Conservancy
Ain’t No Back To a Merry-Go-Round
Documentary - 89 MINUTES; Directed by Ilana Trachtman
Description: When five Black college students sat on a segregated Maryland carousel in 1960, their arrests made headlines. When the Jewish community near Glen Echo Amusement Park joined the protest, a history-making interracial demonstration was born. The cause and the collaboration provoked counterprotests by the American Nazi Party and brought congressmen and national leaders to the picket line.
Sponsored by Bergen County (NJ) Chapter of the Links, Inc.; Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Iota Epsilon Omega Chapter; Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Kappa Theta Lambda Chapter
Talkback with Director Ilana Trachtman
The Catskills
Documentary - 86 MINUTES; Directed by Lex Gillespie
Description: Documentary on the rise and fall of the Borscht Belt. With a treasure trove of lost-and-found archival footage and a cast of characters endowed with the gift of gab, the film journeys into the storied mountain getaway north of New York City that served as refuge for Jewish immigrants fleeing poverty as well as a lavish playground for affluent Jewish families.
Sponsored by the Jewish Standard
Daughter of Mine
Documentary / crime - 36 MINUTES; Directed by Vanessa Martino
Description: In 1973, seven-year-old Joan D’Alessandro asked her mother Rosemarie if she could deliver a box of Girl Scout cookies to a neighbor and that was the last time Rosemarie saw Joan alive. Twenty years later, under the threat of the murderer’s impending release, with the help of her community, Rosemarie fought to keep him in prison. Rosemarie became a symbol of hope for her northern New Jersey community and a rallying point for victims' parents nationwide.
Sponsored by YWCA Northern New Jersey
Talkback with Director Vanessa Martino; Rosemarie D'Alessandro
Freedom Hair
Drama - 99 minutes; Directed & Written by Dianne Houston
Description: When a determined mother decides to start a natural hair braiding business to achieve financial independence, she must overcome unexpected obstacles imposed by a powerful cosmetology cartel and the state of Mississippi. Based on the inspiring, true story of Melony Armstrong.
Sponsored by National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Inc. Bergen / Passaic Chapter
Talkback with Melony Armstrong, subject of film
Green Border
Drama (Subtitles - Polish, Arabic, English, French) - 152 MINUTES; Directed by Agnieszka Holland
Description: In the treacherous and swampy forests between Belarus and Poland, refugees from the Middle East and Africa are lured by government propaganda that promises easy passage to the European Union. Unable to cross into Europe and unable to turn back, they soon find themselves trapped in a rapidly escalating geopolitical standoff.
Igualada
Documentary - (Subtitles - Spanish) - 81 MINUTES; Directed by Juan Mejia Botero
Description: In Colombia, a nation marred by profound racial and socio-economic disparities, a Black woman from a rural background challenges the status quo by launching a presidential campaign. Reappropriating the term “igualada,” Francia Márquez catapults a movement to the upper echelons of power, by refusing to “know her place.” Fifteen years in the making, this documentary peels back the curtain on how unprecedented change can happen.
Sponsored by League of Women Voters of Teaneck; Martin Luther King Birthday Committee
Talkback with Co-Producer Juan E. Yepes
Join or Die
Documentary - 99 MINUTES; Directed, Written & Produced by Rebecca Davis & Pete Davis
Description: Join or Die is a film about why you should join a club — and why the fate of America depends on it. Follow the half-century story of America's civic unraveling through the journey of legendary social scientist Robert Putnam, whose groundbreaking "Bowling Alone" research into America's decades-long decline in community connections could hold the answers to our democracy's present crisis. What makes democracy work? Why is American democracy in crisis? And, most importantly… What can we do about it?
Sponsored by Ethical Culture Society of Bergen County; Steven L. Finkelstein, Russo Real Estate; Rotary Club of Teaneck
Little Kid Flicks
Children Ages 4 – 8, Free with paying adult - 67 MINUTES; Hosted by Miss Jolie
Description: Let your little ones discover the magic of the big screen with NYICFF Little Kid Flicks. Whether diving down into the ocean for a pufferfish standoff or skating to victory across the ice, these shorts are sure to enchant and delight all audiences (but especially our youngest!)
Sponsored by The Puffin Foundation, Ltd.; Teaneck Public Library; Barbara Ostroth, Coldwell Banker Realty
Maurice Hines: Bring Them Back
Documentary / music - 92 MINUTES; Directed by John Carluccio (of Teaneck)
Description: Portrait of the charismatic song-and-dance man from his tap-dancing childhood to today. Maurice and friends—Chita Rivera, Mercedes Ellington and Debbie Allen—tell tales from his seven-decade career, including Broadway shows, a co-starring role in Francis Ford Coppola’s The Cotton Club and about his loving yet complex relationship with his superstar brother, Gregory Hines. Ever battling the challenges of being a gay, black man in show biz, Maurice shares his story with humor and grace.
Sponsored by Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc., Bergen County Alumnae Chapter; Teaneck Community Chorus; NJ in Color
Talkback with Director / Writer John Carluccio and Producer / Writer Tracy E. Hopkins
On Golden Years
Comedy / Drama - 85 MINUTES; Directed by Tirlok Malik
Description: Shot at the only Indian retirement community in the United States, Shantiniketan in Florida, the film focuses on the theme of the retirement of the American Dream. It is a romantic comedy that teaches us to live every day like it’s Valentine’s Day.
Sponsored by Nachman, Phulwani, Zimovcak (NPZ) Law Group, P.C.
Talkback with Director Tirlok Malik
The Picture Taker
Documentary - 80 MINUTES; Directed by Phil Bertelsen
Description: From his Memphis studio, Ernest Withers’ nearly two million images were a treasured record of Black history, but his legacy was complicated by decades of secret FBI service revealed only after his death. Was he a friend of the civil rights community, or enemy—or both? Withers' choices and the records he left behind provide an invaluable map of the roads this country has traveled, and how far it has yet to go
Sponsored by Bergen County (NJ) Chapter of the Links, Inc.
Talkback with Director Phil Bertelsen
Politics is a Mother, Raising Hell is Part of the Job
Documentary - 70 MINUTES; Directed & Written by Francine Weinberg Graff (of Teaneck)
Description: Known as the ‘Feisty Grandma’, Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg flipped New Jersey on its head when she unearthed the Bridgegate scandal. The debacle caused the fast and hard fall of then Governor Chris Christie. Told through the unique lens of a mother/daughter story, the film reveals how politics is always personal and that an “adorable” grandmother could be one of the most important politicians of our time.
Sponsored by Women of Wisdom (WOW); National Council of Jewish Women Bergen County Section (NCJW); YWCA Northern New Jersey; League of Women Voters of Teaneck; Reshma Khan
Talkback with Director / Writer Francine Weinberg Graff and Senator Loretta Weinberg
Sabbath Queen
Documentary / Biography - 105 minutes; Directed by Sandi Dubowski
Description: Filmed over 21 years, Sabbath Queen follows Rabbi Amichai Lau-Lavie's journey as the heir of 38 generations of Orthodox rabbis who is torn between accepting his ancestral destiny or becoming a drag queen rebel. In addition to his drag persona, Lau-Lavie is a queer bio-dad and the founder of Lab/Shul: an everybody-friendly, God-optional, artist-driven, pop-up experimental congregation.
Sponsored by Brian A. Kates (of Teaneck) & Jonathan Cohen
Talkback with Director Sandi Dubowski
Save the Cat
Documentary / short - 24 MINUTES; Directed by Jordan Matthew Horowitz
Description: When a Ukrainian family is forced to flee their home, a group of strangers from around the world band together to help reunite their youngest daughter with her beloved cat, Arsenii.
Strays
Short / Drama - 15 minutes; Directed by Or Schraiber; Written by Jamal Rana (Award-winning Teaneck Actor / Playwright)
Description: Told through the immigrant perspective, a man, thousands of miles from home and living in a foreign city, works non-stop to support his family back home. The film celebrates all those who come here to make a better life for themselves and their loved ones. So often, they might feel invisible, but they are not. The film honors the importance of caring for our fellow individuals.
Sponsored by Edie & Ray Turkin
Talkback with Jamal Rana & Producer Jane Kotlyar
Thelma
Action / Comedy - 98 MINUTES; Directed & Written by Josh Margolin
Description: Thelma Post is a 93-year-old grandmother who loses $10,000 to a con artist on the phone. With help from a friend and his motorized scooter, she soon becomes an unlikely action hero as she embarks on a treacherous journey across Los Angeles to reclaim what was taken from her. Inspired by the real-life experience of the director / writer’s own grandmother. With 94-year-old June Squibb and Richard Roundtree in his last role.
Sponsored by Adeline Wijnen; The Jewish Link; Age-Friendly Teaneck
Union
Documentary - 102 MINUTES; Directed Stephen Maing & Brett Story
Description: A group of current and former Amazon workers in New York City's Staten Island challenges one of the world's largest companies in a unionization battle. Up against a corporate superpower and with legal protections at a drastic low for workers, all odds are against the ALU. Yet this rag-tag ensemble remains unswayed in their beliefs in collective action and the dignity and power of the working-class.
Voy! Voy! Voy!
Comedy / Drama / Sport (Subtitles - Arabic) - 100 minutes; Directed by Omar Hilal
Description: The story of Hassan - a security guard living an impoverished life with his mother in Egypt who dreams of traveling and living abroad. One day he stumbles on the sport of blind soccer and cunningly decides to pose as a visually impaired man to join a team right before the World Cup tournament in Europe. Based on an incredible true story!
Sponsored by Davis, Saperstein & Salomon, P. C.
Talkback with Director Omar Hilal
Far East Deep South - VIRTUAL
Documentary - 76 minutes; Directed & Written by Larissa Lam
Description: When a Chinese American family travels from California to Mississippi to visit the grave of their ancestors, they stumble upon surprising revelations. Along the way, they meet a diverse group of local residents and historians, who shed light on the racially complex history of the early Chinese in the segregated South. Their emotional journey also leads them to discover how the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 impacted their family and how deep their roots run in America.
Talkback with Director and Writer Larissa Lam
Ultimate Citizens - VIRTUAL
Documentary - 52 minutes; Directed by Francine Strickwerda
Description: Jamshid is an Iranian who came to study in 1970’s America, and due to the Revolution, never went “home.” As a guidance counselor in Seattle Public Schools, his best work takes place with frisbee in hand on the playing field with “his kids,” the children of refugees and immigrants.
Sponsored by Fairleigh Dickinson University; Teaneck Public Schools
Talkback with Director Francine Strickwerda
Wildcat - VIRTUAL
Biography / Drama - 103 Minutes; Directed by Ethan Hawke
Description: As director and co-writer, Hawke tells the story of Flannery O’Connor by imagining that her work and her life were inextricably intertwined, with one constantly influencing the other. The mid-century American writer had a flair for the darkly dramatic, exploring humanity’s grotesque and profane elements in ways that seemed shocking and inappropriate for a proper young lady from the South.
