The second annual Montclair Film Festival in Northern New Jersey runs from April 29 to May 5 and will screen more than 80 films — many of them directed by women. Here’s just a sample of what not to miss:
Begin your festival week on Tuesday with Gideon’s Army. Directed by NYWIFT member Dawn Porter, the documentary follows three young, idealistic public defenders in the Deep South. Thursday evening, enjoy the grown-up rom-com Love Is All You Need by Oscar-winning director Susanne Bier. It’s back to docs on Friday, with Shola Lynch’s Free Angela and All Political Prisoners about Angela Davis’ struggles in the 1970s.
Saturday afternoon, see Best Kept Secret, chronicling teacher Janet Mino as she prepares students who have autism for life after high school; directed by Samantha Buck. That evening, explore movie trailer-making with Lake Bell’s comedy In a World… Late night, head to NJ Shorts: Passions, which includes Gillian K. Willman’s The New Woman: Annie “Londonderry” Kopchovsky, the story of an extraordinary bicycle journey in 1894; and Elissa Pellegrino’s Photo-Journal-Isms, a profile of Ed Kashi.
Sunday morning, catch Oscar-nominated director Deepa Mehta’s Midnight’s Children, “intertwining magic realism with the history of modern India.” End a splendid festival week with Sundance hit Concussion, directed by Stacie Passon, which follows a married, lesbian housewife who, after a blow to the head, searches for adventure.
For a full schedule and tickets, go to montclairfilmfest.org. (Tickets are now on sale for the general public. Member tickets went on sale Friday, so some films are already sold out. However, tickets to sold-out shows will become available on April 15.)
nywift
Related Posts
Meet the New NYWIFT Member: Jennia Iordanou
Welcome to NYWIFT, Jennia Iordanou! Jennia is a New York-based entertainment attorney with a passion for storytelling and the film/TV business. Over the past several years, she’s represented actors, writers, and other creative professionals, helping them navigate talent agreements, development deals and intellectual property matters. While she’s loved advocating for creatives, her experiences have inspired her to pursue a more hands-on role in the filmmaking process. She is currently transitioning into producing, where she hopes to help develop meaningful stories and bring them to the screen. As a new member of NYWIFT, she’s excited to connect with fellow members and continue learning from this incredible community. In our interview, Jennia discusses her fascination with the film world, her love for collaborating, and her transition into becoming a producer.
READ MOREMeet the New NYWIFT Member: Sher Bautista
Welcome to NYWIFT, Sher Bautista! Sher Bautista grew up as a third culture kid in the Middle East and the Philippines. Her work centers on themes of identity, memory, and migration. She co-produced the award-winning feature Delia and Sammy which went on to screen at international festivals including Austin, All Lights, Ortigia, and Hanoi. She co-wrote the series The Boston: A Kitchen Musical and later directed Commune, which became a finalist at Tropfest 2015. Aside from her film projects, she is also a published author, having co-written the children’s book Tasha and Pierre. She has just completed her MFA in Film and her thesis, Tales My Father Told. In our interview, Sher discusses her leap to the film world, recent collaborations, and how her international upbringing impacted her creative work.
READ MOREMeet the New NYWIFT Member: Eleanore Pienta
Welcome to NYWIFT, Eleanore Pienta! Eleanore is an award-winning screen and stage actor, comedian, dancer, and filmmaker. Pienta has carved out a niche for herself by portraying uncompromising and complex characters in films such as Sundance Award Winner Josephine, A Different Man, Soft & Quiet, and many more. Filmmaker Magazine called her role in See You Next Tuesday: “…one of the most original, indelible, infuriating and truly felt movie characters in some time, a sister to Loden’s Wanda and Rowlands’ A Woman Under The Influence.” Pienta’s directorial debut, Ada, premiered at the New York Film Festival 2018. Her second short, Master of the House, premiered at The New/Next Film Festival 2024. In our interview, Eleanore discusses her motivations for the performing arts, her inspirations, and how her collaborations with others elevate her creative work.
READ MOREMeet the New NYWIFT Member: Bella Rieth
Bella Rieth is a first-generation Brazilian-German, NYC-based director and producer, and a graduate of the School of Visual Arts who also studied at the Atlantic Acting School Conservatory. Before film, she trained at the New England Conservatory and performed in theatre internationally, building a life of storytelling that eventually pulled her behind the camera. Her recent shorts, including Lottie, Poor Creature, Ebba, and Icaro, have played at festivals from Tokyo to Santa Cruz to Florence. Alongside her own films, Bella produces and field produces across narrative, commercial, music video, and documentary projects throughout New York and beyond.
READ MORE
