Friday-June 5- Milledoler Hall #100-7PM $10/$9/$8
Music is My 1st Love

These Guys Know What Love Is - Thomas Florek (Lambertville, New Jersey) Tom and Doug will tell you the truth about love in this hilarious music video. 2008; 5 min.With an in-person appearance by filmmaker Thomas Florek!

It's In the Blood: Leo Abshire & the Cajun Tradition - Cyndi Moran &   Eric Scholl (Chicago, Illinois) A foot-stomping, enthralling documentary about Cajun music and the life of one musician in and out of the bayous of southern Louisiana.   Leo Abshire may be the best musician most people have never heard of. A living embodiment of Cajun traditions, he made it his life's work to pass those traditions on to a new generation. 2007; 58 min.

Sounds Good To Me - Paul Marcus (New York, New York) A joyful tribute to the passionate voices of college a cappella groups.   Thousands of college students assemble at the start of every school year to audition. For the lucky few who join an all-female, all-male, or co-ed a cappella group, hours of rehearsal, learning of arrangements, and developing performance elements lie ahead. How these college singers come together, make their music, and support one another in the process is the subject of this uplifting documentary. 2008; 98 min. With an in-person appearance by filmmaker Paul Marcus and a special performance by the Rutgers a cappella group Deep Treble at 7PM!

Saturday-June 6- Milledoler Hall #100-7PM $10/$9/$8
Animania + Love Hurts

Reach – Luke Randall (Melbourne, Australia) In this charming animation short, a tiny robot is given the gift of life with only one limitation: the length of his power cable. When a curious bird appears at the workshop window, the robot begins to lust for a world just outside of his reach. 2008; 4 min.
Gunk! in: Abductard - Ryan Smith (Dover, New Jersey) Gunk and Brunkle are two hillbillies living in the middle of nowhere. When Gunk is sent out to find food, he receives an unexpected visitor. 2008; 4 min.

Daniel Finds His Walking Stick - Gary Hebert (Los Angeles, California) A funny and sad short animation collaging the memories of a man suffering from Alzheimer's. 2008; 7 min.

Fruitless Efforts: Fruit of the Womb - Oren Robashkin, Aaron Quist, Andrew Chesworth (Minneapolis, Minnesota) In this animation short, Apple is trying to lead a normal life, but is being held back by his friends. 2008; 5 min.

The Collection - Keren Albala (Mountain View, California) A little girl tries to clean up a library in this touching animation short. 2008; 7 min.

The Realm of Possibility - Gerald Guthrie (Urbana, Illinois) A digital animation based on the intersection of absurdity and logic. 2009; 6 min.

Nadal vs Alien - Tak Hoon Kim (Seoul, South Korea) In this short animation, tennis star Rafael Nadal dukes it out with an alien. 2008; 3 min.

Sailor Siren Song - Paul O'Bryan (San Francisco, California) A surreal, funny, and psychedelic short film. 2009; 6 min.

La Tangente (The Tangent) - Vincent Vesco (Paris, France) A young man washing his car offers an attractive woman a ride wherever she wants to go. The two set off on a journey with no direction, but how long can they continue living their rock-and-roll life?   In French, subtitled. 2008; 12 min.

Shoebox Redhead - Matthew Lawrence (Brooklyn, New York) A magical Polaroid camera takes a heartbroken guy in his twenties, his friend, and a sardonic clown on an offbeat adventure to find a mysterious redheaded girl on the Jersey Shore. 2008; 15 min. With an in-person appearance by filmmaker Matthew Lawrence!

Beneath the River - Brian Strine (Rochester, New York) A moody and erotic feature film about obsessive love.   Evan and Sarah are young lovers struggling to survive in an old cottage on a small island. Subsisting on what they can find and what they can steal on the nearby mainland, they try to escape from the restraints of everyday life and lose themselves in their passionate lovemaking -- until an intruder intervenes.   Shot along the St. Lawrence River in upstate New York, this is a compelling story of self-imposed isolation, and the many nuances of love. 2009; 97 min. With an in-person appearance by filmmaker Brian Strine!

Sunday-June 7- Milledoler Hall #100-7PM $10/$9/$8
Beyond Black and White in New Jersey

Living Peterson - Nadirah Bell (Hillside, New Jersey) A coming-of-age story about an African-American girl who was adopted by Caucasian parents in the late 1950's and her quest for identity. 2008; 23 min. With an in-person appearance by filmmaker Nadirah Bell!

Heart of Stone – Beth Toni Kruvant (Montclair, New Jersey) In 1960, Weequahic High School in Newark, New Jersey was known as one of the best in the country. By the time Principal Ron Stone took over in 2001, it was one of the worst--a scarred battleground for gangs, not learning. The stunning turnaround at the high school, and the dedicated teachers and students who have made this happen--despite some tragic disappointments--is at the core of this excellent and inspiring new documentary. 2009; 84 min. With an in-person appearance by filmmaker Beth Toni Kruvant !

Karma Calling - Sarba Das (Los Angeles, California) A crazy mother-in-law, debt-ridden immigrant parents, first-generation children bopping to hip hop rather than Bollywood songs, and a call center in India all merge in this comedy where East and West are inextricably intertwined   The Raj family are Indian immigrants living in central New Jersey, some times hopelessly and often hilariously struggling to find their new identities against the backdrop of American life and a hyper-globalized world. They are a family full of fantasies, Garden-State style. 2009; 90 min. With an in-person appearance by lead actor Kavi Ladnier!

Friday-June 12- Milledoler Hall #100-7PM $10/$9/$8
Fright Night

The New Girl In Town - Emma Kenney (Fanwood, New Jersey) Kelly and Julia invite a   new girl over, only to find out that she is a vampire. Can she be fended off by garlic potato chips?   And what about Angie the girl-werewolf: should she be invited over for a sleepover or would that be bad judgment in friends? 2008; 3 min. With an in-person appearance by filmmaker Emma Kenney!

Interpretation - Lin Oeding (Los Angeles, California) A romantic couple's brief encounter with several philosophical thugs unfolds in an unusual way. 2008; 8 min.

Lay Me Down - Shinako Sudo (Jersey City, New Jersey) A sick boy who is never allowed to set foot outside his rural home is   drawn   irresistibly into the nearby woods by dream-like visions. What he finds in the woods will lead to   the revelation of a haunting secret. 2008; 14 min. With an in-person appearance by filmmaker Shinako Sudo!

CITIZEN versus KANE - Shaun Severi   (Paris, France) A short comedy about a pretentious advertising director who decides to embark on a risky re-make of Orson Welles' classic film Citizen Kane with a flunky crew and slimy producer. The results are less than brilliant. . . .2009; 18 min.

What Really Frightens You? - Richard Haines (Crugers, New York) A mysterious writer working for a monster fanzine cold calls three New Yorkers and asks: “What is your worst fear?” The article is published and the primal fears of each interviewee begin to come true, one by one by one.   Will the three be frightened to death or live another day?   A terrific chiller   film in the tradition of the great Hammer Horror films of the 1960s. 2008; 80 min. With an in-person appearance by filmmaker Richard Haines!

Saturday-June 13- Milledoler Hall #100-7PM $10/$9/$8
Landlocked

Hot Afternoons Have Been in Montana - Ken Kimmelman (New York, New York) A dramatic and colorful montage film combining photographs, computer art, and live-action to show how one hot afternoon in Montana is related to the entire universe. As it deeply honors the earth--its land, its history, and its people--the film takes the viewer on a deeply spiritual odyssey through the world of time and space. 2007; 15 min. With an in-person appearance by filmmaker Ken Kimmelman!

Coming Home: E.F. Schumacher and the Reinvention of the Local Economy - Christopher Bedford (Montague, Michigan) A timely and profound documentary about an alternative kind of economy, the opposite of the “free-market” capitalism that has led us into our current morass.   In 1973, British economist E.F. Schumacher wrote Small is Beautiful – Economics as if People Mattered , offering a vision of an economy driven by harmony, not greed, by community and ecological values, not global financial derivatives. The E.F. Schumacher Society has transformed these ideas into a series of practical innovations – reinventing much of the local economy of Great Barrington, Massachusetts   and Berkshire County in the process. This film tells the story of the Society's innovative work that includes Community Land Trusts, and the creation of the nation's most successful local currency – a barter system known as BerkShares. 2009; 37 min.

Jamaica for Sale – Esther Figueroa (Kingston, Jamaica) “Come to Jamaica and be all right.”   We all know that lilting song from countless commercials by the Jamaican Tourist Board. This fascinating documentary tells the story behind those lush images. Tourism is Jamaica's sacred cow, heavily promoted since 1891 as the best way to modernization and prosperity. It has tragically failed in its promises. Lively and hard hitting, with powerful voices, arresting visuals and iconic music, this film documents the environmental, economic, social and cultural impacts of unsustainable tourism development. 2008; 92 min.

Sunday-June 14- Milledoler Hall #100-7PM $10/$9/$8
Us & Them

Open Air - Shira-Lee Shalit (New York, New York) In an unnamed conflict in an unnamed country, two women, Dreena, and Anna, struggle to maintain some form of normality in their lives, all the while trapped in their homes by an unseen sniper who keeps them forever on guard. A nail-biting short film.   2008; 12 min. With an in-person appearance by filmmaker Shira-Lee Shalit!

Spielzeugland (Toyland) - Jochen Alexander Freydank (Berlin, Germany) The Winner of   this year's Academy Award for Best Short Film! In Germany, during the year 1942, a young German mother tells her son a seemingly white lie: In order to protect her son from nightmares Marianne Meissner tries to make him believe that their Jewish neighbours are going on a journey to “Toyland”. One morning her son disappears, and the Jewish neighbours have vanished as well. A haunting film about guilt, responsibility, and both small and big lies. 2008; 14 min. In German, subtitled.

Final Gifts - Neil & Lee Selden (Highland Park, New Jersey) In a fictional meeting after death, two heroic women who fought against tyranny on two different continents are able for the first time to speak of their joys and sorrows, loves and losses, helping each other heal, and giving us the gift of hope. Based on historical events, Final Gifts enlarges our understanding of both the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising during World War II and of the Salvadoran Civil War.   The film celebrates the courage and compassion of these two women: a peasant guerrilla leader in the Salvadoran Civil War struggling against a fascist army funded by the U.S., and a Jewish doctor who tried to save the lives of suffering children and smuggled guns for the Warsaw Ghetto resistance against the Nazis. 2008; 99 min. With in-person appearances by filmmakers Neil & Lee Selden!

Friday-June 19- Milledoler Hall #100-7PM $10/$9/$8
Love Hurts-Part 2

The Chef's Letter - Sybil Mair (Leamington Spa, United Kingdom) A married chef struggles to express his love for one of his employees. His mounting anxiety threatens to undermine the future he has imagined. 2008; 14 min.
Warm Blooded - Cassandra Evanisko (Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey) A call girl must revisit her past when her younger brother suddenly shows up in her life again. 2009; 11 min. With an in-person appearance by filmmaker Cassandrsa Evanisko!

Magritte Moment – Ian Fischer (New York, New York) A frustrated painter searching for his muse gets some help from the surreal visions of Rene Magritte. The film stars Tom Noonan (What Happened Was , Manhunter) and Mizuo Peck (Night at the Museum). 2008; 17 min. With an in-person appearance by filmmaker Ian Fischer!

Split Ends - Dorothy Lyman (New York, New York) Filmed in Clifton, New Jersey, Split Ends is a timely romantic comedy, set on the Jersey Shore, about a feisty hairdresser who takes on a group of global landlords.   Owner of The Paisley Set Hair Salon, Lizzie Munro is in her early 40s, vibrant, witty, and quite capable of attracting male attention.   She earns just enough to get by and keep three beauticians employed – worldly-wise Jacquie, bohemian Ashley, and a wry Pakistani immigrant, Mehar.   Their little town is on the brink of extinction. A sinister international development corporation known as North Sea Assets is preparing to raze the town and replace it with a massive mall and luxury condo complex.   Manningtree's portly mayor, Tiny Provenzano, has a vested interest in the success of the project, and North Sea's point man, the slyly charming Warren Brown, is determined to remove any obstacle in its way. Lizzie's world -- including her already-complicated love life-- is turned upside down as she does battle with the developers to save her piece of the Jersey shore. 2009; 83 min. With many in-person appearances by the film's producing and creative team!

Saturday-June 20- Milledoler Hall #100-7PM $10/$9/$8
The Forgotten Ones

Fowl Play - Adam Durand (Rochester, New York) Where do your eggs come from?   Find out and help to change a cruel and inhumane industry. Filmed clandestinely, Fowl Play is a searing and illuminating documentary about the plight of egg-laying hens. A story of hope emerges as footage recorded inside factory farms is balanced with personal accounts of the activists working to protect the often-forgotten victims of the egg industry. The suffering that all animals face on factory farms won't end until enough people are motivated to demand change and alter their buying habits. Fowl Play connects the dots between consumers and the practices they support, and leaves viewers with a groundbreaking message of personal change and community outreach. 2008; 24 min.

Humble Beauty: Skid Row Artists - Judith Vogelsang & Letitia Schwartz (Los Angeles, California) A compelling documentary about homeless and formerly homeless artists based in the Skid Row area of Los Angeles. Art is ubiquitous, an integral part of human life no matter how humble the circumstances. This film vividly celebrates the mark that these artists are leaving on the world,   in spite of their hard luck.   2008; 60 min. With in-person appearances by filmmakers Letitia Schwartz and Judith Vogelsang!

Hard Coal: Last of the Bootleg Miners - Marc Brodzik (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
Self-sufficient. Hard-working. Family-oriented. If these are qualities Americans profess to value, why is the federal government teaming with big business to demolish a centuries-old tradition that could help resolve the global energy crisis? The owners of the last 12 anthracite coal mines in Pennsylvania   struggle to survive in the face of punishments levied against them by federal inspectors with a mission to shut them down. This hard-hitting yet poignant documentary introduces viewers to the fiercely proud purveyors of this dying craft and exposes the hypocritical battle waged against them by the very people charged with protecting their interests. 2007; 83 min.

Sunday-June 21- Milledoler Hall #100-7PM $10/$9/$8
Jersey Fresh

Melancholamorbus - Ryan O'Laughlin (Dayton, New Jersey)
A depressed young man, Max, discovers that he will die in three hours unless he finds the physical embodiment of his happiness. 2008; 14min. With an in-person appearance by filmmaker Ryan O'Laughlin!

A Valentine for Bernie - Hemant Tavathia (North Brunswick, New Jersey) On Valentine's Day 2008, an 80-year old man suddenly wakes up in a nursing home, and is told by a young orderly that he must be transferred to a new room.   This seemingly simple change alters his life forever, and love is found when it is least expected. 2009; 18 min. With in-person appearances by producer Christopher M. Fiore and director Hemant Tavathia!

Lucy in the Sky - David Svedosh (Princeton, New Jersey)
Two men struggle for the legacy of the woman they passionately loved. 2008; 24 min.

The Triumph of William Henry Harrison - Daniel Califf-Glick (Bloomfield, New Jersey)
A hysterical, historical mockumentary that pledges to reveal why the Bush presidency was not an anomaly. Rookie journalist Amanda Delacourt has always wanted to break a life-changing story. When she uncovers a conspiracy of historic proportions, she is forced to endure friend and foe alike in order to reveal the truth:   former President William Henry Harrison faked his death to command a shadow government responsible for an entire century of Western history. Relying on the help of failed historic reenactors, a sleazy wannabe politician, secret society dropouts, and a morbid artiste, Amanda now holds the key to the biggest cover-up since that whole JFK thing. Narrated by Hollywood legend Edward Asner,   2008; 100 min. With an in-person appearance by filmmaker Daniel Califf-Glick !

Dinner and a Movie returns this summer to downtown New Brunswick!
What's your favorite movie of all time? Do you want to see it on the big screen once again? This year you can be a part of the movie selection by visiting www.NewBrunswick.com; under the Event Listings click on the Dinner and a Movie and nominate your favorite movie title!   Then return to the website on May 18th and vote for the top movies you'd like to come and watch. Dinner and a Movie is a great opportunity to explore what downtown New Brunswick has to offer. Whether you are on a date, spending time with friends, or looking for something different, you'll enjoy a summer series of great movies, a cocktail hour sponsored by local restaurants, and entertainment before each movie. Visit www.NewBrunswick.com for more info.

TIME

All film programs begin at 7:00 PM. Films are screened in the order listed with a brief intermission for double and muliple-bills.

LOCATIONS

Locations are indicated by the codes listed below. Directions are also listed below.

Milledoler 100

Milledoler Hall #100 (Near the corner of College Avenue and Hamilton Street), College Avenue Campus, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey

ADMISSION

$10=General; $9=Students+Seniors; $8=Rutgers Film Co-op/NJMAC Friends.   

TICKETS

Tickets are available on a first come, first served basis only and can be purchased at the door beginning a half-hour before the show

DIRECTIONS

Milledoler Hall #100
Take the NJ Turnpike to Exit 9 and then take Route 18N (New Brunswick direction) and go for 2 1/2 miles to the Rutgers University/George Street exit (immediately after the Route 27S exit; don't take the earlier George Street exit) and make a left at the light at the end of the exit ramp onto George Street, then go to the next light and make a right onto Hamilton Street, then go to the next light and make a right onto College Avenue. Almost immediately on your right hand side there is an University Parking Lot (#9) which is made available for our patrons to park in. Scott Hall is adjacent to the parking lot on the right. Milledoler is about 50 paces from Scott Hall across the Voorhees Mall. Patrons can also park in Rutgers Lots #1 (next to Kirkpatrick Chapel) and #16 (next to Murray Hall).

INFORMATION

Rutgers Film Co-Op/New Jersey Media Arts Center
Rutgers University Program in Cinema Studies
72 Lipman Drive   (#018 Loree Hall - Douglass Campus)
New Brunswick, New Jersey, 08901-8525 U.S.A.
(732) 932-8482 phone (732) 932-1935 fax; NJMAC@aol.com   e-mail;
Web Site: www.njfilmfest.com

The New Jersey Film Festivalsm Summer 2009 is funded and sponsored in part by The Rutgers Film Co-op/New Jersey Media Arts Center; The Rutgers University Program in Cinema Studies/School of Arts and Sciences; Middlesex County Cultural and Heritage Commission/Board of Chosen Freeholders and the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts; Eastman Kodak; Johnson & Johnson; New Jersey Books; WCTC/WMGQ; The Home News Tribune ;   The Rutgers University School of Arts and Sciences; the Rutgers University Office of Academic Engagement and Programming ; The Rutgers University American Studies Department; Writers Boot Camp; The Pro 8mm;   Super 8 Today ; PAC Lab; New Brunswick City Market; Baseline/Film Tracker; ProductionHUB.com; Jungle Software; New Brunswick City Market; Peter G. Peterson Foundation, Rutgers University Libraries; The Rutgers University Office of Community Affairs; Rutgers University Presentation Services; The Rutgers University Study Abroad Programs; The Rutgers University Enhanced Classroom Support Department; Design Ideas; Advanced Printing; Steven C. Schechter, Esq.; Share and Harris.

Rutgers Film Co-op/NJMAC 2009 Staff
Executive Director/Curator: Albert Gabriel Nigrin
Office and House Managers: Bradley Berne, Stephen Dovidas, Corey Marshall, Rachel Poloski, Ted Sazon, Emily Schachtman, Shawn Stidem
Volunteers/Interns: Cynthia Cortes, Alex Eisenstat, Marc Esterow, Vic Fern, Heather Hansen, Michael Keane, Scott Laves, Corey Marshall, Patrick Murray, Suketu Parikh, Elina Prokofyeva, Matt Quakenbush, Rita Marie Stapleton, Danielle Winter
Advisors: Bob Brodsky, Pam Blake, Victoria Connor, Helen DeMichiel, Dennis Doros, Steve Garfinkel, Steve Gorelick, Charlie Humphrey, Isabel Nazario, Dr. Daniel Nigrin, Toni Treadway, Dr. Alan Williams
Board of Trustees : Dr. John Belton, Dr. Irene Fizer, Bill Harris, Albert Gabriel Nigrin, Steven C. Schechter,Esq.

The New Jersey International Film Festivalsm Summer 2009 is curated by Albert Gabriel Nigrin. Schedule Editor: Irene Fizer. Schedule compiler: Vic Fern. Schedule Designer:   Victoria Connor/Design Ideas. Schedule printed by Advanced Printing.   Cover Art: 2 Eyes by Albert Gabriel Nigrin ©2009.