43rd Bi-Annual New Jersey Film Festival - Crowboy, Embryo & The Storm & The Boats

The 43rd Bi-Annual New Jersey Film Festival will be taking place on select Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays between January 24-February 21, 2025. The Festival will be a hybrid one as we will be presenting it online as well as doing in-person screenings at Rutgers University. All the films will be available virtually via Video on Demand for 24 hours on their show date. VoD start times are at 12 Midnight Eastern USA. Each General Admission Ticket or Festival Pass purchased is good for both the virtual and the in-person screenings. Plus, we are very proud to announce that acclaimed singer-songwriter Renee Maskin will be doing an audio-visual concert on Friday, February 21 at 7PM! The in-person screenings and the Renee Maskin concert will be held in Voorhees Hall #105/Rutgers University, 71 Hamilton Street, New Brunswick, NJ beginning at 5PM or 7PM on their show date. General Admission Ticket=$15 Per Program; Festival All Access Pass=$100; In-Person Only Student Ticket=$10 Per Program.

Embryo – Joy Waldinger (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
Sometimes a couple needs a little magic to start their family. This short film explores the stages of embryo development using non-traditional baby bump photos to celebrate growth and normalize different paths to parenthood! It documents the long and winding journey to parenthood via surrogacy and explores how to maintain a closeness to one’s child while they are in someone else’s uterus. 2024; 6 min.

Crowboy – Alexander S. White and Cynthia N. White (University Park, Pennsylvania)
Crowboy is a contemporary parable about childhood loneliness. Captivated by a crow, a young boy embarks on a journey to return her lost feather. Though faced with challenges and self-doubt along the way, the child finds courage and comfort in new friendships that lead him to a place of inner connection. 2024; 5 min.

The Storm & The Boats - Jody Small (Fair Lawn, New Jersey)
In this compelling documentary about the first year of the pandemic, New Jersey residents shared their raw emotions and personal stories. Filming began immediately after the first vaccines became available. The producer created a makeshift studio in her home to film the participants who are diverse in age, background and life experience. Once underway, the film received some grant support from the Rutgers University Oral History Archive and the New Jersey Historical Commission. 2024; 53 min.