The Burlington County Juried Short Film Festival is returning this month and will feature more films, two new venues, a music video category and a special screening of a Burlington County-produced film about a scandal surrounding historic Smithville and its wealthy founder, Hezekiah Smith.
Now in its second year, a total of 40 films will be screened during the two-day festival scheduled Friday, April 28, and Saturday, April 29. The county received over 1,000 submissions from local filmmakers as well as others from across the nation and more than 70 different countries around the globe.
“Burlington County has long been known as a premier place to live and work and we’re quickly becoming a go-to destination for filmmakers and other artists,” said Burlington County Commissioner Director Felicia Hopson. “Events like this help grow the arts here and send a message that Burlington County embraces filmmakers from diverse backgrounds and celebrates their unique ideas and visions.”
The festival’s first night of screenings will be held at the Lyceum Hall Center for the Arts at 432 High Street in Burlington City, beginning at 7 p.m.
The second night screenings will be at the Burlington County Institute of Technology, 695 Woodlane Road and will follow a red-carpet reception at 6 p.m. The premier of A Scandal at Smithville, a historical drama made by the Burlington County Parks System will also be featured.
The 11-minute movie was filmed almost entirely at Historic Smithville Park during last year’s Arts After Dark festival to give visitors a behind-the-scenes look at a real-life movie shoot. It depicts H.B. Smith, the wealthy 1800s industrialist and inventor who purchased the tiny village of Shreveville on the Rancocas Creek and transformed it into Smithville, one of South Jersey’s leading industrial villages.
The movie centers around a scandal about Smith after he was elected to Congress in 1878, and before he took office.
The film stars Kevin C. Carr and Mariel Rosati, professional working actors from the area who were excited and challenged to bring the history of Smithville to life. Also lending their performance skills to the production were Rikki Vetter and Eleanor Dunker from the Friends of Smithville Mansion, Burlington County historian Eric Orange, Burlington County Parks System Event Coordinator Nate Wood, various actors from the Bridge Players Theatre Company and others who were in attendance for filming during the festival.
Orange and Wood also penned the film’s script, then turned the production over to Catalogue Company, a film production company that won awards at last year’s film festival. Joseph Junod directed, Brad Wyllner was the director of photography, and Jesse Cornaglia was film editor.
Among the other films that will screen is Good Cop, Bad Cop, a film from Moorestown student Victoria DeNittis about an undercover police officer and a high-stakes poker game with a twist, and Caricature Carl, from Bordentown director Ross Stern about a caricature artist working in a public park and the arrival of an abstract artist rival. Visit https://www.co.burlington.nj.us for the full list of films that will be screened.
In addition to screening each of the films, the Parks Division will announce award winners for best animated film, best documentary, best narrative, best experimental and best music video. The festival also features a special parks category for films about nature or parks.
This year marks the first time music videos are being judged separately from other films. Awards will also be presented for runner-up films and special Judges Choice honors. A panel of professional filmmakers and educators judged the films.
The Burlington County Parks Division organized the festival with support from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts.
“The Burlington County Short Film Festival is only in its second year but it’s already attracting talented filmmakers from across New Jersey and around the globe. This year’s festival has an outstanding lineup of films that will entertain, enlighten, and spark conversations,” said Burlington County Commissioner Allison Eckel, the liaison to the Department of Resource Conservation and Parks. “This great event has had rapid growth that is a credit to our Parks staff and their dedication to the arts and environment in Burlington County.”
