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Today, the 2023 Montclair Film Festival revealed their full slate. In addition to previously announced titles playing the festival like Dream Scenario and The Holdovers, newly unveiled movies include All of Us Strangers, Fingernails, and Nyad. More below
Here is the press release:
Today, Montclair Film announced the full slate for the 2023 Montclair Film Festival, taking place October 20-29, in Montclair, NJ.
In Competition
Each year, the Montclair Film Festival presents juried awards to films in four categories; Documentary,
Fiction, Future/ Now, which seeks to support emerging voices in independent filmmaking with The
Mark Urman Award, a $5,000 cash prize to help support & encourage future work for the winning
filmmaker, and New Jersey Films, which focuses on non-fiction filmmaking from New Jersey artists.
This year’s Documentary Film Competition features are FOUR DAUGHTERS, directed Kaouther Ban
Hania, ON THE ADAMANT, directed by Nicolas Philibert, PIANOFORTE, directed by Jakub Piatek,
QUEENDOM, directed by Agniia Galdanova, and RULE OF TWO WALLS, directed by David Gutnik.
This year’s Fiction Film Competition features are LA CHIMERA, directed by Alice Rohrwacher,
DO NOT EXPECT TOO MUCH FROM THE END OF THE WORLD, directed by Radu Jude, EVIL DOES
NOT EXIST, directed by Ryûsuke Hamaguchi, INSIDE THE YELLOW COCOON SHELL, directed by
Phạm Thiên Ân, and TÓTEM, directed by Lila Avilés.
This year’s Future/Now Competition features, competing for the 2023 Mark Urman Award, are THE
FEATHERWEIGHT, directed by Robert Kolodny, THE FEELING THAT THE TIME FOR DOING
SOMETHING HAS PASSED, directed by Joanna Arnow, FREE TIME, directed by Ryan Martin Brown,
PET SHOP DAYS, directed by Olmo Schnabel, and PLAYLAND, directed by Georden West.
This year’s New Jersey Films Competition features are JESSZILLA, directed by Emily Sheskin, LEAD
AND COPPER, directed by William Hart, SCREAM OF MY BLOOD: A GOGOL BORDELLO STORY,
directed by Nate Pommer, Eric Weinrib, TELL THEM YOU LOVE ME, directed by Nick August-Perna,
and YOU WERE MY FIRST BOYFRIEND, directed by Cecilia Aldarondo, Sarah Enid Hagey.
Each year, the Montclair Film Festival presents awards to short films in three juried categories;
Documentary, Fiction, and New Jersey Films.
The 2023 Documentary Shorts Competition features BLACK GIRLS PLAY: THE STORY OF HAND
GAMES, directed by Joe Brewster and Michele Stephenson, THE FOUNDRY, directed by Robert
Machoian, NINA & IRENA, directed by Daniel Lombroso, THE PEDESTRIAN, directed by Nora
DeLigter and Claire Read, STRONG GRANDMA, directed by Cecilia Brown and Winslow
Crane-Murdoch, and WAKING UP IN SILENCE, directed by Mila Zhluktenko and Daniel Asadi Faezi.
The 2023 Fiction Shorts Competition features COLD & SARA, directed by Brenna Power, I HAVE NO
TEARS, AND I MUST CRY, directed by Luis Fernando Puente, INDOOR BASEBALL, directed by
Christian Cerezo, LET LIV, directed by Erica Rose, RICKY, directed by Rashad Frett, SADNESS,
directed by Henry Jinings, SAWO MATANG, directed by Andrea Nirmala Widjajanto.
The 2023 New Jersey Shorts Competition features ACCIDENT, directed by Stephanie Ahn, BEAR
BRONSON, directed by Everett Ravens, THE BLAKE directed by Courtney Sposato and Mark
Sposato, CLOISTERED directed by Catherine Finsness, DARK MOON directed by Katie Mathews,
PUSHOVER directed by Brian Lederman, SWIPE NYC directed by Sue Zarco Kramer.
HIGHLIGHT SCREENINGS
The Montclair Film Festival highlights several highly anticipated films in our program. This year’s
program includes:
ABOUT DRY GRASSES, directed by Nuri Bilge Ceylan
ALL OF US STRANGERS, directed by Andrew Haigh
ANSELM, directed by Wim Wenders and presented in 3D
FALLEN LEAVES, directed by Aki Kaurismaki
FINGERNAILS, directed by Christos Nikou
LOUSY CARTER, directed by Bob Byington
NYAD, directed by Jimmy Chin & Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi
PERFECT DAYS, directed by Wim Wenders
THE PROMISED LAND, directed by Nikolaj Arcel
REBECCA OF SUNNYBROOK FARM (1938, Restored) directed by Alan Dwan
SOMETIMES I THINK ABOUT DYING, directed by Rachel Lambert
THE TASTE OF THINGS, directed by Trân Anh Hùng
THE TEACHER’S LOUNGE, directed by Ilker Çatak
These films join the festival’s previously announced Opening, Closing, Centerpiece films and Festival
Honors:
Opening Night: DREAM SCENARIO, directed by Kristoffer Borgli
Fiction Centerpiece: THE HOLDOVERS, directed by Alexander Payne
Documentary Centerpiece: STAMPED FROM THE BEGINNING, directed by Roger Ross Williams
Family Centerpiece: ROBOT DREAMS, directed by Pablo Berger
Closing Night: EILEEN, directed by William Oldroyd
MFF 2023 Filmmaker Tribute to Martin Scorsese
Documentary Filmmaker Award: Matthew Heineman for AMERICAN SYMPHONY
Director Award: Todd Haynes for MAY DECEMBER
Breakthrough Writer Director Award: Raven Jackson for ALL DIRT ROADS TASTE OF SALT
Breakthrough Performer Award: Christian Friedel for THE ZONE OF INTEREST, directed by Jonathan
Glazer
David Carr Award For Truth In Filmmaking: Heather Courtney, Princess A. Hairston, and Chelsea
Hernandez for BREAKING THE NEWS
The complete list of films in the 2023 program is attached to this release.
“We are incredibly honored to be able to share the work of so many incredible artists at the Montclair
Film Festival,” said Montclair Film Artistic Director Tom Hall. “This year’s festival is filled with major
new works by some of the world’s greatest living filmmakers along with outstanding films from
emerging filmmakers from around the globe. We look forward to seeing our patrons at the festival for
what promises to be a great year of filmgoing, conversation, and connection. ”
Tickets for Montclair Film Festival events go on sale on Monday, October 2, 2023 at 10:00 AM for
Montclair Film Members and Friday, October 6, 2023 at 10:00 AM for the public. Tickets for this event
will be available at montclairfilm.org.
Tickets for the festival’s Filmmaker Tribute to Martin Scorsese hosted by Stephen Colbert are on sale
now by visiting njpac.org, ticketmaster.com, montclairfilm.org, or by telephone at 1-888-GO-NJPAC
(1-888-466-5722), and at the NJPAC Box Office at One Center Street in downtown Newark, NJ.
The full 2023 Montclair Film Festival program, including the 2023 Competition Films, will be
announced on Friday, September 29, 2023.
PRESS NOTE
Approved images, full bios, and press materials for the festival can be downloaded for use at:
https://bit.ly/2023MontclairCompleteProgramAnnouncement
The 2023 Montclair Film Festival Program
OPENING NIGHT FILM
DREAM SCENARIO, directed by Kristoffer Borgli
CLOSING NIGHT FILM
EILEEN, directed by William Oldroyd
DOCUMENTARY CENTERPIECE
STAMPED FROM THE BEGINNING, directed by Roger Ross Williams
FICTION CENTERPIECE
THE HOLDOVERS, directed by Alexander Payne
FAMILY CENTERPIECE
ROBOT DREAMS, directed by Pablo Berger
DIRECTOR AWARD
Todd Haynes for MAY DECEMBER
DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKER AWARD
Matthew Heineman for AMERICAN SYMPHONY
BREAKTHROUGH WRITER DIRECTOR
Raven Jackson for ALL DIRT ROADS TASTE OF SALT
BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMER
Christian Friedel for THE ZONE OF INTEREST, directed by Jonathan Glazer
DAVID CARR AWARD FOR TRUTH IN FILMMAKING
BREAKING THE NEWS, directed by Heather Courtney, Princess A. Hairston, and Chelsea Hernandez
2023 TRIBUTE
AN EVENING WITH MARTIN SCORSESE + STEPHEN COLBERT
IN CONVERSATION & SPECIAL EVENTS
IN CONVERSATION:
What Is The Future of Artificial Intelligence?
The growth of Artificial Intelligence tools has created a sudden and urgent need to grapple with our
collective future— can we harness the power of AI to improve our quality of life and expand access to
knowledge or will AI create a future driven by disinformation and economic displacement that
generates a collective upheaval of the status quo? These questions are front and center not only in
the world of generative AI, but at the heart of the future of film and television, as producers, writers,
and actors seek to determine the future of their creative collaborations. Join host Stephen Colbert and
a panel of esteemed thinkers as they explore the challenges created and opportunities made
available by AI.
Moderated by Stephen Colbert
Sunday, October 22, 12:00 PM, MKA Upper School
Presented with support from the Craig Newmark Foundation
Movie Music: An Event By Montclair’s Own
In SAY ANYTHING, Lloyd Dobler stands outside his crush’s window blasting “In Your Eyes,” linking
forever the Peter Gabriel song to Cusack’s boombox serenade. When great music heightens and
enhances movie scenes–– from Simon and Garfunkel’s “The Sound of Silence” in THE GRADUATE, to
Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” in WAYNE’S WORLD, to Public Enemy’s “Fight the Power” in DO THE
RIGHT THING, to the Pixies “Where is My Mind” in FIGHT CLUB–– the pairing stays with us for life.
Join us to hear Montclair’s own musicians and singers perform live covers of their favorite needle
drops and music from iconic movie scenes – and maybe even some new music from this year’s MFF
2023 selections!
Tuesday, October 24, 2023, 8:00 PM, Pineapple Express
FREE
Montclair Improv Comedy
Montclair Improv Comedy is Making a Movie… in real time, right before your eyes! MIC will celebrate
the Montclair Film Festival by improvising a never-before-seen film, inspired by YOU and your
suggestions. Performed by a group of veteran improvisers—and now NJ natives—come see us live
on stage at Montclair Film as we create a movie with ravishing special effects, inventive camera
angles, real-time direction, and improvised action. Heroic heroes, villainous villains, quirky support
characters and a lot of laughs from opening scene to the final frame.
Wednesday, October 25, 8:00 PM, Cinema505
StorySLAM: Plot Twist
Join us at this year’s festival to kick off the popular Montclair Film StorySLAM season. No film or life is
complete without an exciting PLOT TWIST. Life is not a straight line and each of our stories are filled
with unexpected turns and surprise endings. Join us to celebrate the magic and mystery just like we
experience in the cinema. To register as a storyteller, visit montclairfilm.org/storyslam or grab a ticket
to enjoy the show!
Thursday, October 26, 7:30 PM, Cinema505
IN CONVERSATION:
The Garden State: Where Filming Began
Join the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) and the Montclair Film Festival as we
explore the benefits of filming in New Jersey (the birthplace
of film) including tax credits, programs for local municipalities to welcome your crew and unparalleled
scenic backdrops . We will be discussing our Film and Digital Media Tax Credit program, investment
in the film industry and the wide array of options (from beaches to mountains, rural to urban
landscapes) the Garden State has to offer!
Saturday, October 28, 11:30 AM, Cinema505
FREE
IN CONVERSATION:
Film Journalism In A Changing Landscape
As the entertainment industry experiments with new strategies that blur the line
between theatrical distribution and television, the role of professional critics and
journalists continues to evolve in parallel. But what does that mean in a world where
digital companies rise and fall and everyone has their hands on the megaphone of social
media? Join our esteemed panel of film critics and journalists as they discuss their place
in an ever-shifting media landscape.
Panelists include Kase Wickman (Contributing Editor, Vanity Fair), Sam Adams
(Senior Editor & Film Critic, Slate), Alison Wilmore (Film Critic, New York
Magazine/Vulture), Lisa Wong Macabasco (Research Editor & Senior Digital Line
Editor, Vogue)
Saturday, October 28, 3:00 PM, Cinema505
FREE
FEATURE FILMS
ABOUT DRY GRASSES, directed by Nuri Bilge Ceylan
AGAINST ALL ENEMIES, directed by Charlie Sadoff
ALL OF US STRANGERS, directed by Andrew Haigh
ANSELM (3D), directed by Wim Wenders
AUM: THE CULT AT THE END OF THE WORLD, directed by Ben Braun, Chiaki Yanagimoto
BAD LIKE BROOKLYN DANCEHALL, directed by Ben DiGiacomo, Dutty Vannier
LA CHIMERA, directed by Alice Rohrwacher
CONFESSIONS OF A GOOD SAMARITAN, directed by Penny Lane
THE DISAPPEARANCE OF SHERE HITE, directed by Nicole Newnham
DO NOT EXPECT TOO MUCH FROM THE END OF THE WORLD, directed by Radu Jude
EVIL DOES NOT EXIST, directed by Ryûsuke Hamaguchi
FALLEN LEAVES, directed by Aki Kaurismäki
THE FEATHERWEIGHT, directed by Robert Kolodny
THE FEELING THAT THE TIME FOR DOING SOMETHING HAS PASSED, directed by Joanna Arnow
FINGERNAILS, directed by Christos Nikou
FOUR DAUGHTERS, directed by Kaouther Ben Hania
FREE TIME, directed by Ryan Martin Brown
FROM THIS SMALL PLACE, directed by Taimi Arvidson
GOING TO MARS: THE NIKKI GIOVANNI PROJECT, directed by Joe Brewster, Michèle Stephenson
THE GULLSPÅNG MIRACLE, directed by Maria Fredriksson
INSHALLAH A BOY, directed by Amjad Al Rasheed
INSIDE THE YELLOW COCOON SHELL, directed by Phạm Thiên Ân
JESSZILLA, directed by Emily Sheskin
LEAD AND COPPER, directed by William Hart
A LITTLE PRAYER, directed by Angus MacLachlan
LOUSY CARTER, directed by Bob Byington
MÚSICA!, directed by Rob Epstein, Jeffrey Friedman
NYAD, directed by Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, Jimmy Chin
ON THE ADAMANT, directed by Nicolas Philibert
PERFECT DAYS, directed by Wim Wenders
PET SHOP DAYS, directed by Olmo Schnabel
PLAYLAND, directed by Georden West
THE PROMISED LAND, directed by Nikolaj Arcel
QUEENDOM, directed by Agniia Galdanova
REBECCA OF SUNNYBROOK FARM, directed by Alan Dwan
RULE OF TWO WALLS, directed by David Gutnik
SCREAM OF MY BLOOD: A GOGOL BORDELLO STORY, directed by Nate Pommer, Eric Weinrib
THE SETTLERS, directed by Felipe Gálvez Haberle
SLEEP, directed by Jason Yu
SOMETIMES I THINK ABOUT DYING, directed by Rachel Lambert
THE SPACE RACE, directed by Diego Hurtado de Mendoza, Lisa Cortés
STORY & PICTURES BY, directed by Joanna Rudnick
SUMMER QAMP, directed by Jen Markowitz
THE TASTE OF THINGS, directed by Trân Anh Hùng
THE TEACHER’S LOUNGE, directed by Ilker Çatak
TELL THEM YOU LOVE ME, directed by Nick August-Perna
THEY SHOT THE PIANO PLAYER, directed by Fernando Trueba, Javier Mariscal
TÓTEM, directed by Lila Avilés
WE ARE GUARDIANS, directed by Edivan Guajajara, Chelsea Greene, Rob Grobman
WILDING, directed by David Allen
YOU WERE MY FIRST BOYFRIEND, directed by Cecilia Aldarondo, Sarah Enid Hagey
SHORT FILMS
THE ABC’S OF BOOK BANNING, directed by Trish Adlesic, Naz Habtezghi
ACCIDENT, directed by Stephanie Ahn
AFTERMATH, directed by Chessy Prout
AIKĀNE, directed by Daniel Sousa, Dean Hamer, Joe Wilson
AMERICAN SANTA, directed by Avi Zev Weider
THE AUCTION, directed by Jordan Hidalgo
THE BALLAD OF FRED FORT, directed by Bruno Mattos Rubeiz
BEAR BRONSON, directed by Everett Ravens
BEAR HUGS, directed by Maggie May Brummer
BEST FRIENDS ON A SUMMER HIKE, directed by Mario Furloni
BLACK GIRLS PLAY: THE STORY OF HAND GAMES, directed by Joe Brewster and Michele
Stephenson
THE BLAKE, directed by Courtney Sposato and Mark Sposato
BOXED OUT, directed by Rachel Cooley
CALLS FROM HOME, directed by Sylvia Ryerson
CANNED, directed by Steve Melone
THE CARDINAL, directed by Stefanos Tsivopoulos
CHICKEN STORIES, directed by Jonathan Pickett
CLINICAL, directed by Lauren Ciaravalli
CLOISTERED, directed by Catherine Finsness
COLD & SARA, directed by Brenna Power
COUSINS, directed by Karina Dandashi
CROWS, directed by Andrew Saunderson
THE DADS, directed by Luchina Fisher
DARK MOON, directed by Katie Mathews
THE DAY OF, directed by Umar Malik
DEAL OF A LIFETIME, directed by Lev Pakman
DRAWING BORED, directed by Mick Posch
DRESSED, directed by Bethiael Alemayoh
EAT FLOWERS, directed by River Finlay
EGGS, directed by Emma Jacoby Axelrod
FALSIES, directed by Tessa Hope Slovis
FLORES DEL OTRO PATIO, directed by Jorge Cadena
FOR THE RECORD, directed by Heather Courtney
THE FOUNDRY, directed by Robert Machoian
FOUR NIGHTS AND A FIRE, directed by Alex Nystrom
HENRY AT THE GOLDEN HOUR, directed by Maureen Towey
HOW WE GET FREE, directed by Geeta Gandbhir and Samantha Knowles
I HAVE NO TEARS, AND I MUST CRY, directed by Luis Fernando Puente
IN YOUR ELEMENT, directed by Arel Gabbay
INDOOR BASEBALL, directed by Christian Cerezo
KOKOMO, directed by Farah Jabir
LET LIV, directed by Erica Rose
THE LUCKIEST MAN ALIVE, directed by Kerri Lynn Miller
MIRRORMIRROR, directed by Björn Rühmann
THE NATIONALS, directed by Hyde Harper
NINA & IRENA, directed by Daniel Lombroso
OUR BODIES LIKE DAMS, directed by Sarah K. Finn
OUR FARMS, OUR FARMERS, directed by Murphy Birdsall and Keith Reamer
OUR MALES AND FEMALES, directed by Ahmad Alyaseer
OUTSIDER, directed by Ted Haimes
THE PASSING, directed by Patrick Bresnan and Ivete Lucas
PEDACITO DE CARNE, directed by Akilah Walker
THE PEDESTRIAN, directed by Nora Rose DeLigter and Claire Read
PUSHOVER, directed by Brian Lederman
RAD DAD, directed by Zach Weintraub
REJOICE IN THE LAMB, directed by Will Carington, Courtney Bush, and Jake Goicoechea
RICKY, directed by Rashad Frett
SADNESS, directed by Henry Jinings
SAND MAMA, directed by Catherine Loerke
SAVASANA, directed by Jenny Donheiser
SAVI THE CAT, directed by Bryan Tucker and Netsie Tjirongo
SAWO MATANG, directed by Andrea Nirmala Widjajanto
SQUIRREL!?, directed by Katie Ennis
STRONG GRANDMA, directed by Cecilia Brown and Winslow Crane-Murdoch
SUGAR HOUSE YANTRA, directed by Jared Flesher
SULAM (LADDER), directed by Noam Argov
SUNFLOWER FIELD, directed by Polina Buchak
SWIM CAPTAIN, directed by Christa Haley
SWIPE NYC, directed by Sue Zarco Kramer
TEQUILA SUNSET, directed by Jinsui Song
TINY THING, directed by Joshua Giuliano
WAKING UP IN SILENCE, directed by Mila Zhluktenko and Daniel Asadi Faezi
THE WEIGHT OF IT ALL, directed by Leah Brown Holmes
YOU CAN’T SHRINK LOVE, directed by Veena Rao
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