Montclair Film announced Monday the full list of winning films for the 2020 Montclair Film Festival’s Emerging Filmmaker Competition and participants for the 2020 Junior Jury programs. Montclair Film also announced the launch of “Your Voice Is Your Vote”
Emerging Filmmaker Competition
The Emerging Filmmaker Competition (EFC), co-presented by Guerriero’s Gelato & Cakes, celebrates the work of filmmakers from our region in two filmmaking sections, Storytellers (Grades 6-8) and Visionaries (Grades 9-12). The films represent a wide range of styles and voices that showcase the diverse talents of young people who are using cinema to tell their stories. The films can be screened online for free by visiting http://bit.ly/MFFEFC2020
Junior Jury
The 2020 Junior Jury program announced participating student jurors. Jurors, selected from a pool of applicants in grades 10-12, will meet industry professionals and will learn how to analyze and adjudicate films. After deliberating and selecting the best film in its category, the jurors will present the Junior Jury Award as part of the Montclair Film Festival’s Award Announcement on Monday, October 26.
This year’s jurors are Maggie Astley (Montclair Kimberley Academy), Sierra Bivins (Montclair High School), Jack Bulik (James Caldwell High School), Georgia Chen (Montclair High School), Chloe Chowaniec (Montclair High School), Francesca Fierro (Clifton High School), Jeffery Keys (Newark Academy), Marcel Lacey (Montclair High School), Victoria Olive (Clifton High School), Ryan Rosenthal (Cranford High School), Lila Singer (Montclair High School), Nicholas Williams (Montclair High School), and Kaylin Williams (North Star Academy, Washington Park High School).
Democracy in Action: Your Vote is Your Voice
Montclair Film interns, production assistants and volunteers came together to produce 5 PSA’s targeted to young Voters. Each spot profiles a young voter and tells a personal story of why they’ve chosen to Vote. The spots will be released through digital and social media networks targeted to young voters starting October 7th, and will be included with select films on the Montclair Film Festival’s Virtual Cinema platform.
Under the direction of Filmmaker Reuben Atlas and Education Director Sue Hollenberg, the students conceived, wrote, shot and edited the spots, and developed an outreach strategy. Students were also mentored by Educators from League of Women Voters and other GOTV organizers, as well as Kristin McCracken, Montclair Film’s Social Media Director.
“We are so proud to welcome these wonderful students to this year’s EFC and Junior Jury programs,” said Montclair Film Education Director Sue Hollenberg. “These young artists and thinkers are the future of storytelling, and we look forward to being a home for their work for years to come.”
2020 Emerging Filmmaker Competition Winners
STORYTELLERS (GRADES 6-8)
STORYTELLERS: GRAND PRIZE
SPY VS SPY
LYLA LARKIN, WATCHUNG ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
VISIONARIES (GRADES 9 – 12)
COMEDY: GRAND PRIZE
BREAK OUT WRITER
DIESEL
ZACK REICHGUT, DANIEL SIROTA, JULIANNE O’LEARY
UNION CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL
COMEDY: SPECIAL JURY PRIZE
UNDER THE HEDGE
JAMEN MEISTRICH, ROHIT SINHA
MONTCLAIR KIMBERLEY ACADEMY
NARRATIVE: GRAND PRIZE
THE COUGAR CRITIC
ELI FISHMAN, CHRIS WOODS-JONES, ASHLEY LUCAS, DYLAN ASANTE
COLUMBIA HIGH SCHOOL
NARRATIVE: SPECIAL JURY PRIZE
WHAT IF?
STANLEY COLAÇO, ANDREW HONG, SEBASTIAN MANALO
FORT LEE HIGH SCHOOL
NARRATIVE: SPECIAL JURY PRIZE
LOST AND FOUND
SOPHIE OSTROVE, THE FRISCH SCHOOL
DOCUMENTARY: GRAND PRIZE
SOCIAL IMPACT: GRAND PRIZE
POWER OF ONE
ALEX FERRANDIZ, UJUN IKE, SAGE JOHNSON
COLUMBIA HIGH SCHOOL
SOCIAL IMPACT: SPECIAL JURY PRIZE- TIE
5 MINUTES
ROSEMARY CORTES, PASSAIC COUNTY TECHNICAL INSTITUTE
SOCIAL IMPACT: SPECIAL JURY PRIZE – TIE
ROLLING WITH THE PUNCHES
RYAN ROSENTHAL, ZACK REICHGUT, JAKOB ALEXO
CRANFORD HIGH SCHOOL
EXPERIMENTAL: GRAND PRIZE – TIE
BREAKOUT DIRECTOR
EMPTY
TORIA PATER
MIDDLETOWN HIGH SCHOOL SOUTH
EXPERIMENTAL: GRAND PRIZE – TIE
WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE PART OF LIFE?
TORIA PATER, CHARLIE FALOTICO, KEELEY GIBLIN, MITCHELL HAHN
MIDDLETOWN HIGH SCHOOL SOUTH
EXPERIMENTAL: SPECIAL JURY PRIZE – TIE
GRIEF
MICHAEL LIOTTA , GLEN RIDGE HIGH SCHOOL
EXPERIMENTAL: SPECIAL JURY PRIZE – TIE
INTERNALLY INFLAMED
NIDHI PATEL, MARIA MARTINEZ
EAST BRUNSWICK TECH – SCHOOL OF THE ARTS
ANIMATION: SPECIAL JURY PRIZE
DRAWINGS
JACK TOLNES, EAST BRUNSWICK TECH – SCHOOL OF THE ARTS
ACTION/ADVENTURE: GRAND PRIZE
THE LAST SLICE
DEVYN ARROYO
EAST BRUNSWICK TECH – SCHOOL OF THE ARTS
ACTION/ADVENTURE: SPECIAL JURY PRIZE
BATTLE IN THE FOREST
SAMUEL KORANTENG, COLUMBIA HIGH SCHOOL
