Justine

  • Justine,  Press

    Front Row Festival Celebrates Films, New Jersey, Only on NJ PBS

    An encore: Thursdays at 10 p.m. on NJ PBS, starting January 13.Do you love independent films? Are you enjoying your entertainment at home these days? Have we got a new popcorn-worthy series for you! NJ PBS and Montclair Film have collaborated on Front Row Festival, featuring six nights of independent films.  Some of the hour-long episodes are full documentaries, others are collections of shorts. Many of the films feature New Jersey-based individuals (like Jesszilla, a short doc about a pre-teen girl with a passion for boxing),  local subjects (like the Cowtown Rodeo and the Pine Barrens) and settings (like Grind – about post-prison positivity in Newark). The Front Row Film Festival premiered in fall 2021 and begins its encore Thursdays at 10…

  • Justine,  Press

    NJ Shorts 2, Dark and Edgy

    Less is more was the lesson learned by viewers at New Jersey Shorts 2 presented at the Montclair Film Festival on Saturday, May 9th. Although films ranged in length from only 6 -18 minutes, they were all thought provoking and had a long lasting impact on the viewer. These films had a dark edge, in some cases lightened by ironic humor and plot twists. The viewer was not merely told a story, but asked to interpret often ambiguous action. A mood was created and the audience was hooked, becoming emotionally involved. We thought we knew what was coming next, but weren’t always right about that. Justine is less than 7 minutes long, but manages to convey…