The eighth annual Nassau Film Festival takes place Saturday and Sunday, May 20 and 21, at the Princeton Garden Theatre. Screenings of 63 short films — all 20 minutes or less — take place from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on both days. The films will also screen virtually from May 22 through June 15. The works cover the genres of fiction, documentary, animation, music video, horror episodic, and student films from local, regional, and international filmmakers.
The festival is unique in that 90 percent of the proceeds raised goes to a different nonprofit organization each year. This year’s nonprofit designee, the Family Resource Network, provides programs for New Jersey residents with autism, epilepsy and/or developmental disabilities as well as support for their caregivers.
The approximate schedule is as follows.
Saturday, May 20
• 9:30 a.m. — Opening Remarks by Lew Goldstein, festival director.
• 9:35 a.m. — Animation
The Ribbon (Polla Kozino, Australia); Under The Endless Sky (Alexandra Dzhiganskaya, Ukraine); Do We Have A Chance? (Valentina Galdi, Italy); The Thread Of Remembrance (Stephanie El Khoury, Lebanon); Painting By Numbers (Radheya Jegatheva, Australia); In Your Dreams (Mike Krohn, USA).
• 10 a.m. — Documentary
A Good Place To Be (Marcus Mandal, Denmark); The Great Connector (Thomas Bentey, USA); Marsh Clouds: The Oysters of Harris Neck (Kevin Mannens, USA); 9/11: One Man’s Journey (Joseph Maddalone, USA).
• 11 a.m. — Student Films
Bad Intentions (Willow Pacifico Alena, Kai Buchana, Princeton High School, USA); Return To Sender (Francesca Giannola, Monroe High School, USA); Mission Documentary (Gabrielle Rose O’Neill, Princeton Middle School, USA); She Said She Liked Horror (Anthony Graceffo, Rutgers University, USA); Pretense (Tyler Wilson, Princeton University, USA); The Plight and Desertion Of Arthur Leigh Hazelwood (Edgardo Luis Gonzalez, University of New Mexico, USA).
• 11:50 a.m. — Panel Discussion with Morning Filmmakers
• 12:10 p.m. — Horror
The Bridge (Scott McMillan, United Kingdom); Mine (Esabella Strickland, Canada); Birdie (Andrew Edison, USA); Mansplaining (Manolo Castro, Mexico).
• 12:50 p.m. — Fiction and Discussion
The Egg (Vinny A. Arizzo, Syndicate Film Productions, USA).
• 1:10 p.m. — Documentary
Attila (Omid Shenavar, Iran); Ivy Grace (Allie Delury, Mariah Harkey, USA); The Witherspoon-Jackson Neighborhood (Nick Kochmann, Patrick McDonald, USA).
• 2:05 p.m. — Music Videos
Secrets (Bill Klages, Ben Drumm, USA); Ten Penny Gypsy River ‘N Me (Sharpe Dunaway, USA); Someday (Kaya Cuneyt, Australia); Jen Ash – Home Is On The Way (Eddie Rieds, USA); That’s What I’m Gonna Do (Michael Theus, Nicolai Tchetchelachvili, Switzerland).
• 2:20 p.m. — Fiction
Dinosaur (Aaron Ford, USA); Pressed (Michelle Elise Harding, Scott Knowlton, USA); Milton (Kevin Machate, USA); The Jogger (Daryl Denner, USA); Good Session (Larry Rosen, USA).
• 3:10 p.m. — Panel Discussion with Afternoon Filmmakers and Closing Remarks
Sunday, May 21
• 9:30 a.m. — Opening Remarks
• 9:35 a.m. — Episodic
Pearly Gates (Loring Murtha, USA); Insomnia Theatre (Mark Starks, USA); Mama Rosalina (Janine Camille Verduci, USA).
• 10:15 a.m. — Horror
Sonar (James Hughes, United Kingdom); The Washerwoman (Obi Ejikeme, United Kingdom); Teacher’s Day (Oleksii Pasichnyk, Ukraine).
• 10:50 a.m. — Documentary
We Deserve Better;The Kids Are All Right (Rebecca Park Burr, USA); Bone Ladies (Dan Preston, USA); Joseph Bonaparte (Sharyn A. Murray, USA); Outside In (Mark O’Toole, Ireland).
• 11:25 a.m. — Panel Discussion with Morning Filmmakers
• 11:50 a.m. — Student Films
Forgotten Penance (Alan O’Mahony, London Metropolitan University, United Kingdom); Blessed Are The Pure In Heart (Matteo Giampetruzzi, Scuola d’Arte Cinematografica, Italy); Birthday Cake (Garvin Kim, Seoul Foreign School, South Korea); Donna (Jonathan Gringauz, New York University, USA); Office Life (Lance Drake, Syndicate Film School, USA); You’re Late (Ann Maestre, Ariane Galan, Casa Del Cine Ciudad Real, Spain); Pinged (Aahana Ardey, Syndicate Film School, USA); Motel (Carolin Harvey, Towson University, USA).
• 1:05 p.m. — Fiction
Mystic Minnie (Barry Smyth, Ireland); Baby (Matt Mitchell, USA); The Neighbor’s Dog (Jonathan Ofek, Israel); Therapy (Neil Crittenden, United Kingdom); The Librarian (Serkan Aktas, Turkey); Life Reborn (Marcel Barragan, Panama); Perceptions (Danny MAlin, Canada); Profundo (Roberto Villafane, Panama); Hedgehog (D. Mitry, USA); Snail (Aminreza Alimohammadi, Iran); Burn Your Bridges (Ignacio Rodo, Spain).
• 3:05 p.m. — Panel Discussion with Afternoon Filmmakers and Closing Remarks
Nassau Film Festival, Princeton Garden Theatre, 160 Nassau Street, Princeton. Saturday and Sunday, May 20 and 21, 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. $20 for one day or $35 for both. www.nassaufilmfestival.org.
