NJ Film Festival: Fall 2010 Preview

For those who already miss the adventurous days of summer, those who just cannot seem to get back into the groove of going to classes or those who really don't want to open up another textbook — fear no more. The New Jersey Film Festival is offering a stimulating array of fascinating documentaries and much-loved classics.

This weekend features Toxic Soup, a documentary that exposes how corporations get away with polluting the environment, especially in the wake of the oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico.

For those interested in politics and international affairs, the weekend of Sept. 23 includes Prayers for Peace, a short animation created in memory of the filmmaker's younger brother who was killed in the current conflict in Iraq, Chosin, the story of the survivors of the Chosin Reservoir Campaign in the winter of 1950; The Valley of Dawn, a short documentary about a group of believers in Brazil, who assert that they originate from a planet called Capella and Crossing Our Borders, an analysis of the history of both right-wing and left-wing dictatorships in Latin America.

If you're looking for a quick break from studying, you might enjoy the weekend of Oct. 22, which offers an intriguingly modern murder mystery, Overload. In addition, there is a plethora of shorts, such as A Complex Villainelle, a fun short animation film about the Penguin's descent to evil, Dancing on the Moon, a personal story about a ballet dancer who must choose between auditioning for Swan Lake and opening her own ballet studio, Land Without Shadows, a love story between a photographer and a woman who just lost her ex-boyfriend; Zé, a French-language short about the story of the loner fighting against the odds for survival.

The last showing on Nov. 4 presents Flaming Creatures (1963), one of the most important and influential underground movies ever released in America, as it was reviled, rioted over and banned as pornography even as it was recognized as an unprecedented visionary masterpiece.

These are only a few highlights of the films being offered throughout this semester by the New Jersey Film Festival. With an exciting mix of choices, there is surely something for anyone who desperately wishes to escape from the thought of going back to school.

Films are (unless otherwise noted) shown either at 6 p.m. in the Ruth Adams Building Room 001 on the Douglass campus or at 7 p.m. in the Voorhees Hall Room 105 on the College Avenue campus. Tickets are $8 for Rutgers Film Co-Op/NJMAC friends, $9 for students and seniors, and $10 for general admission. For more information about tickets, times, location, and the entire semester's schedule, check out the Rutgers Student Center on the College Avenue campus or the Douglass Student Center or visit www.njfilmfest.com.