FILMMAKERS
CONNECTING ON THE FESTIVAL CIRCUIT
CHRIS MURRELL , 24
CREDIT TO THE Y : A Montclair YMCA member , Murrell noticed a nearby banner over Bloomfield Avenue advertising the film festival ’ s inaugural season . The next year , he volunteered and helped out with its inventory .“ The first day , I fell in love with everything about it ,” he recalls .
KEY CHARACTERS : Murrell met Dana Krieger , then MFF ’ s general operations manager , of whom he says , “ I consider her my Yoda to my Obi-Wan .” He also worked with Thom Powers , the festival ’ s founding artistic director ; Powers invited him to work on the prestigious DOC NYC festival , where Powers is artistic director . Murrell continued to volunteer at MFF events over the years . “ I built a rapport with everyone at the office ,” he says .
THE PAYOFF : A connection to the Tribeca Film Festival led to work there last April , and he eventually landed employment at New York-based Rooftop Films , where he was a production assistant . “ I did eight or nine events last year , and got paid for most ,” he says . During downtime from his festival schedule , Murrell is a personal assistant to disabled kids in the Bronx .
USING MONTCLAIR RESOURCES
NICK JUZDAN , 24
THE BUSINESSANGLE : Juzdan , who ’ d always been involved in theater and film , studied business at MSU . To better understand marketing principles , he watched MFF audiences as they took in movies for the first time . During MFF ’ s second year , he responded to an email seeking help with event production . “ There are so many talented veterans of the industry in Montclair ,” he says . “ Set designers , prop masters , all right here , and I never even knew .”
SHOWTIME : Juzdan has produced a half-dozen short films on his own , including one that was screened at MFF . Hehas also worked on production teams at other festivals , including the Tribeca Film Festival , Taste of Williamsburg , Super Bowl BLVD in NYC , and Thom Powers ’ DOC NYC . Last year , he met MFF festival manager Laura Tressel , whose other credits include the Miss USA pageant , and told her “ Remember me .” She did . In July , he worked on the pageant in Las Vegas .
FULLTIME : In August , Juzdan took afull-time job as amarketing coordinator at the Secaucus-based Ashley Stewart , aplus-size fashion company currently developing entertainment media . He helps produce reality lifestyle content , and works with the events team .
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32 MAY 2017 MONTCLAIR MAGAZINE