New Jersey's Newest Film Festival
With its first edition opening on May 21st 2021 in Union City, the New Jersey Independent Film Festival will bring a three-day showcase of global independent films to the city’s Park Performing Arts Center. Not only will the festival bring a diverse selection of cutting-edge films to Union City, but it will also honor the city’s Hispanic population by featuring a special section featuring the achievements and heritage of Latin American filmmakers.
The Park Performing Arts Center will be the hub of the festival. Inside the Arts Center is the newly restored Park Theater, one of the major movie theaters remaining from the early heyday of the North Jersey cultural landscape. With its vaulted ceiling, curtained stage area, and seating for up to 1400 people, this 89-year-old architectural masterpiece is the perfect venue to host a modern festival as diverse as the theater’s history.
The festival will begin on Friday, May 21st with an opening screening and gala. The second day, Saturday, May 22, will include up to 30 films, both short and feature-length throughout the day. The final day will kick off at 10 AM and conclude with a final screening at 12 PM.
All selected filmmakers will receive The Tarkovski Grant, a film festival submission fee waiver package with an average value of about $250. This not only saves you a lot of money, but it also recognizes your work as something to watch for during the selection procedure, making a selection with another partner film festival more likely - but of course, never guaranteed. The Tarkovski Grant supports hundreds of filmmakers each year in their challenging journeys as independent filmmakers, by promoting existing films, no matter the genre, style or length. The Tarkovski Grant is supported by film festivals from all over the world. Find out more here: https://www.tarkovski.net/thetarkovskigrant
All selected films are also automatically in the running for Producer's Night.
Producer's Night is an opportunity for independent filmmakers to have their work screened to a private group of elite Hollywood producers. For many directors, it could mean their ticket to the mainstream. The exclusive screening presented by Cinematory, Tarkovski, and Hollywood producer Bhavani Rao, member of the PGA, will show the best of independent cinema from the past year's film festivals at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute in West Hollywood. The only way to be considered for this by being selected at one of the partner film festivals. New Jersey Independent Film Festival is a proud partner film festival of Producer's Night. More information: www.producersnight.com
Each edition, the festival will also give out awards in the following categories:
Best Narrative Feature Film
Best Narrative Short Film
Best Documentary Feature Film
Best Documentary Short Film
Best Animated Film
Best Experimental Film
Best Music Video
Best New Jersey Film
Best Latin American Film