Arts Guides Fall 2019 Preview: North Jersey | Page 15

tion to people with disabilities to LGBTQ+ issues to gun violence. With the state of the current so- ciopolitical climate, not just in the U.S., but also abroad, this year’s program will have no problem maintaining its reputation for spot- lighting contemporary issues and social struggles with nuance, in- sight and heart. The Thursday pro- gram lineups maintain a tradition Steuerwald hopes will fuel the film festival’s growth and encourage filmmakers for years to come. On Thursday, September 12th, in Program 1, the winners of the 45th Annual NJ Young Filmmakers’ Fes- tival will take over the screen as the cinematic works of New Jersey high school and college students bring their ideas to life in the competition’s standard juried cat- egories: animation, documentary, experimental and narrative. The filmmakers will be in attendance to present their work and discuss their experience and vision. 2019 FALL PREVIEW For Program 2 held on Thursday, October 10th, audience members get to play an important role in the festival’s competition thanks to the “You Be The Judge” sneak pre- view and pre-screening workshop. Led by Steuerwald, viewers will vote on their favorite entries in the Black Maria Film Festival for the upcoming 2020 season. Special guest filmmaker Karl Nussbaum will join festival attend- ees on Thursday, November 14th to screen his film, “Ghost Dance for America, 1890,” a tale of the religious movement began by the Native American community INDEX NEXT ARTICLE 15