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New Jersey Film Festival Giant's Kettle Q+A with Co-Directors Markku Hakala and Mari Käki


By Vic Fern

originally published: 02/05/2025



Here is the New Jersey Film Festival Spring 2025 Giant's Kettle Q+A with Co-Directors Markku Hakala and Mari Käki, as well as Lead Actor Henri Malkki and Festival Director Al Nigrin:

Giant’s Kettle - Markku Hakala and Mari Käki (Ylöjärvi, Finland)

Somewhere up north at the age of peak modern there is a man longing for connection but unable to break loose, and a woman feeling alien to the world which has everything figured out for her, without her. They make their best to fit in and fulfill their roles but struggle to connect with the world, themselves and others. Something important is missing. As if the whole world was drained of love, chugging along on mere duties and bureaucratic inertia, passing over the baggage of the generations. During the family trip back to the past everything starts to break apart. For how long is it possible to resist the force of life? Giant’s Kettle is a journey into the unconscious, a love story without love, an epic tragicomedy of the mundane, and a mystery in a world emptied of mystery. 2023; 71 min.

Giant’s Kettle screens at the Spring 2025 New Jersey Film Festival on Saturday, February 8th.  The film will be Online for 24 Hours on this show date and In-Person at 5 PM in Voorhees Hall #105/Rutgers University, 71 Hamilton Street, New Brunswick, NJ. Tickets are available for purchase here.

The 43rd Bi-Annual New Jersey Film Festival will be taking place on select Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays between January 24-February 21, 2025. The Festival will be a hybrid one as it will be presented online as well as doing in-person screenings at Rutgers University. All the films will be available virtually via Video on Demand for 24 hours on their show date. VoD start times are at 12 Midnight Eastern USA. Each General Admission Ticket or Festival Pass purchased is good for both the virtual and the in-person screenings. Plus, acclaimed singer-songwriter Renee Maskin will be doing an audio-visual concert on Friday, February 21 at 7PM! The in-person screenings and the Renee Maskin concert will be held in Voorhees Hall #105/Rutgers University, 71 Hamilton Street, New Brunswick, NJ beginning at 5PM or 7PM on their show date. General Admission Ticket=$15 Per Program; Festival All Access Pass=$120; In-Person Only Student Ticket=$10 Per Program. 

For more info go here:

https://newjerseyfilmfestivalspring2025.eventive.org/welcome




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FEATURED EVENTS

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New Jersey Film Festival: God Teeth & The Traumatist

Friday, February 07, 2025 @ 7:00pm
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71 Hamilton Street, New Brunswick, NJ 08901
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Mahoning Drive-In Road Show

Saturday, February 08, 2025 @ 5:30pm
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1601 Irving Street, Rahway, NJ 07065
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New

New Jersey Film Festival: Giant’s Kettle

Saturday, February 08, 2025 @ 5:00pm
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71 Hamilton Street, New Brunswick, NJ 08901
category: film


 

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New Jersey Film Festival: The Storm & The Boats, Crowboy, Embryo

Saturday, February 08, 2025 @ 7:00pm
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2025

2025 United States Super 8 Film & Digital Video Festival Day 1 – Program 2

Saturday, February 15, 2025 @ 12:00am
VIRTUAL
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EVENT PREVIEWS

Exciting

Exciting short Embryo screens at the 2025 New Jersey Film Festival on February 8th!

Embryo, directed by J. Eliza Wall, follows the development of an embryo across the period of a surrogate pregnancy, showing the preparation of the mother and father as they prepare for the arrival of their daughter Fern. The film shines in its editing style, intercutting short videos from the two with images of fruits and vegetables equal to the size of the baby each week, as well as drawings and paintings of ferns and other plants. The interesting and unique style of editing brings a special charm to the situation, making the audience feel as though they are a part of the journey alongside the couple. As the weeks go on, anticipation builds as they celebrate the embryo’s health and growth over time.



Captivating

Captivating short The Traumatist screens at the 2025 New Jersey Film Festival on February 7th!

The Traumatist is a captivatingly spun story of intense catharsis. As Avery Vaughn goes through the process of “Immersive Retribution Trauma Therapy” the audience is pulled into the past alongside her, forced to relive flashbacks of the most impactful moments in her life. It’s almost impossible not to connect with Avery, her story made so tangible and the results of her trauma evident in every sentence, movement, and glance that she makes throughout her story.



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New Jersey Film Festival Interview with God Teeth director Robbie C. Williamson!

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Enlightening

Enlightening documentary The Storm & The Boats premieres at the New Jersey Film Festival on February 8!

When it comes to documentaries, I often prefer those with a distinctive narrative, something provocative or emotional. Yet, The Storm & The Boats won me over in the first five minutes in a much different manner. The filmmaker Jody Small did not come with tissues, prepared to tell a heartfelt tale, but rather a calm and collected story where she presents a more objective, comprehensive view of what has happened in the past. It feels like someone you come across at the train station who has no makeup, no jewelry, no extravagant clothes or attitude, she looks at you with a peaceful look in the eyes, speaking with an even tone: “Wanna hear some stories?” And then, she would share with you the most heart-touching experiences.



Amazing

Amazing Feature God Teeth screens at the New Jersey Film Festival on February 7!

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