2 Bergen Film Fests To Check Out This Weekend
We love summer blockbusters, but you can also check out these independent film festivals for something truly unique.
Summer is the time for blockbuster movies, and 2024 has already delivered a few big-budget flicks. Maybe, though, you’re looking for something a little bit smaller. You want to see something new, something daring, something you’ve never seen before—maybe even a true debut.
This weekend, you can stop by the Bergen International Film Festival and its offspring festival, Northern Horror Fest, on July 19 and July 20 at Tommy Fox’s Public House in Bergenfield. These two events showcase filmmaking talent from all over the world, with Northern Horror Fest focusing on scary movies and thrillers specifically.
Want to experience some movie magic? Click the links above for ticket pricing for specific blocks as well as full descriptions of each film, and see below for some highlights from the lineups:
Northern Horror Fest, July 19:
Block 1: From 3 to 4:30 p.m., the festival will be screening Christopher Hammarburg’s feature Worlds, a story of stalking and supernatural mystery.
Block 2: From 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., see seven short films that range from supernatural scares to psychological horror from international and local directors alike.
Block 3: From 6:30 to 8 p.m., another seven short films will be screened, and include the tale of a YouTube livestream gone wrong and a writer haunted by a ghost in a library, just to name two.
Block 4: 8 to 9:30 p.m. marks the last block of seven short films, when you can catch flicks about sinister door-to-door preaching with Conversion of the Atheist and bone chilling home invasion with Drink in the Pain.
Awards Ceremony: Stick around until 9:45 p.m. to see the awards ceremony where accolades for Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best, Screenplay, and Best Unproduced Screenplay will be awarded.
Bergen International Film Festival of NJ, July 19-20:
Q&A sessions with the filmmakers in attendance will take place after each screening.
Block 1: The single Friday block of this festival takes place at 1:30 p.m. and will spotlight a film by Todor Pophristic about two robbers encountering an old man buying a sandwich.
Block 2: At 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, the festival will be screening feature film What We Find On The Road by Chaysen Beacham, which tells the story of a cross-country road trip and an attempt to discover a new sense of family.
Block 3: At 2:30 p.m., you can enjoy a whole block of brief minute films, which pack all of the filmmakers’ talents into the shortest package possible.
Block 4: At 4:30 p.m., a feature film by the Brooklyn-based director Aimee Kuge will be screened.
Block 5: Beginning at 6:30 p.m. is a block of seven short films that run the gamut of genre, from the dark comedy How Dare You? to the grounded Fafo and much more.
Block 6: At 8 p.m., four more films will be screened, including a “light comedy in the manner of Neil Simon” and a “dramatic trilogy” that grapples with suicide.
Awards Ceremony: Taking place at 9:45 p.m., the award ceremony will name Best Director, Best Screenplay and more. An afterparty will follow to encourage mingling and networking for all.
Will you be heading to either of these film festivals? Show us on Instagram @bergenmagnj.
