FESTIVAL FANTASY FILM: A still from the film “Frea” by Ashlyn Nolan, a student at The College of New Jersey. It is a fantasy shot in local woods with Ashlyn’s friends, and will be shown at the Trenton Film Festival on September 19 at the Steeple Center in Trenton.
By Wendy Greenberg
As a student filmmaker, Daniel Krastek, a recent Montclair State College graduate, appreciated film festivals because of the visibility they could give to films that might not have otherwise gotten much recognition.
Now, as a board member and social media manager for the Trenton Film Society, Krastek is promoting this year’s Trenton Student Film Festival on September 19, and sees firsthand the boost it gives to unknown student filmmakers.
Film festivals, he said, “are a place to show your work. They give filmmakers an opportunity for people to see films they wouldn’t ordinarily see. In a festival format, you are watching other people’s films too and can be inspired by their work too.”
Krastek, whose films have won several awards locally and internationally, entered the Trenton Student Film Festival in 2024 with his comedy, The Main Character, which was “several films ago,” he noted. “Seeing the audience reaction, and hearing the laughter was a great opportunity,” he said.
The Trenton Film Society’s upcoming Student Film Festival, celebrating its 20th year, is presenting 19 films in two blocks, at 1 p.m. and at 4 p.m., at a new location, the Steeple Center at 109 East Hanover Street in Trenton. The screening blocks are followed by a reception and award ceremony, and prizes will be given for the Best Narrative Film (comedy or drama), Best Animated or Experimental Film, and Best Documentary, with a special award for Audience Favorite based on viewers’ votes, said Marilyn Campbell, board member. The awards ceremony and reception is
at 6 p.m.
“This year,” said Krastek, “the board did a very good job of selecting a very diverse run of films. Some are genuinely hilarious, there are documentaries, and animated films, some came from international filmmakers, but the tri-state area is well represented. If you come you’ll be seeing unique and diverse perspectives.”
The films, culled from 46 submitted, will be shown in two programs of about 100 minutes each, and leaving about 20 minutes for Q&As with the filmmakers, compared to last year, when 28 films were shown in the same time slots, said Campbell. A trend this year, she noted, is slightly longer entries, “close to our 20-minute limit, than last year, and I’d say in general more dramas than comedies and more live action than animated or documentaries, but we did try to have a fairly balanced program of all genres and moods.”
In documentaries, “we have a very local story on lead testing in Trenton and a portrait of a doctor serving on the frontlines in Ukraine. The largest category is narrative, and these range from an endearing comedy about an actor trying to bring his craft to a role as a dill pickle to a D&D-style fantasy, to a searing drama about daughters facing their father’s descent into Alzheimer’s.”
Other films “confront more typical problems of young people,” she said.
The films represent the genres of animation, documentary, comedy, fantasy, and drama, all under 20 minutes long and many half that length.
“It is amazing how much story and emotion can be packed into such a short running time,” said Campbell. “The animated category is particularly competitive and international this year, with creative entries using very different techniques from Germany, Japan, and the United States.” Films are from students representing Film University Babelsberg Konrad Wolf, Germany; Theatre, Cinema, and Television University, Ukraine; and Seoul Foreign School, South Korea.
More locally, student entrants are from Rider University, The College of New Jersey, Princeton University, Montclair State College, New York University, and Columbia University, and farther afield from DeSales University, Rochester Institute of Technology, George Mason University, St. Olaf College, and University of Valley Forge. More local students means many filmmakers will be able to come and participate in Q&As after their films, noted Campbell.
As New Jersey becomes a popular location for making films, noted Krastek, it is important to show support for aspiring filmmakers. While film festivals are everywhere, the New Jersey state capital having one is important, he pointed out. “Having the state capital offer a program is important as it shows that as a state, we are supporting up and coming artists. We can help people at the student level.”
For details and ticket purchases, visit trentonfilmsociety.org. Prices for different combinations of films are on the site. For more information, email trentonfilms@gmail.com.