montclair film festival
Discovering
Together, Apart
Montclair Film Festival connects viewers, even during the pandemic
WRITTEN BY CINDY SCHWEICH HANDLER PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANNE-MARIE CARUSO
O
12
MAY 2020 MONTCLAIR MAGAZINE
things,” he says. Here are some of
the innovative digital solutions MFF
has devised, so film-lovers won’t
miss out this year. More information
on the programs can be found at
Montclairfilm.org.
DISCOVER TOGETHER
(ONLINE)
DRAWN TOGETHER Illustrator Michael
Hoeweler’s artwork reflects the “Discover
Together” theme of the 2020 Montclair
Film Festival.
at Hallmark Entertainment; Ingersoll
is a veteran of a 28-year career in
health care advertising.
“We continue to work toward the
day when we can market our full fes-
tival program as well as year-round
programming, but until then, we will
grow our virtual efforts and build
upon our successes, creatively mar-
keting them as we go,” says Swanson.
Tom Hall, Montclair Film execu-
tive director, concurs. “I will say that
we try to make room in our planning
for experimentation and trying new
Montclair Film executive director
Tom Hall continues curating films
for members’ viewing pleasure. Every
Sunday, the website runs a new list
of movies to watch each day, often
along themes such as award-winning
festival programming, and family
films; all are available for streaming
on Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu and
other platforms. (A recent choice
was the classic comedy Some Like it
Hot, accessible on Amazon Prime).
At noon each day, Hall appears on
the members-only Montclair Film
Facebook page and discusses the
day’s feature (spoiler-free). Members
watch the film whenever it’s con-
venient and post questions such as
“What other films has this director
done?” online for Hall to answer
— even if they think of them late
at night.
The initiative to curate, show and
discuss films between annual festivals
is receiving recognition in the film
world. Hundreds of viewers have
become Montclair Film members
to participate, says Swanson, and
thousands more hear about the
opportunity via social media.
ver nine seasons, the
Montclair Film Festival
has brought audiences
together through visual
storytelling. Every
spring since 2012, the
popular nonprofit has drawn viewers
from all over New Jersey and encour-
aged them to step into the shoes of
the characters projected on screens at
multiple local venues, often offering
post-screening discussions with the
filmmakers who brought them to life.
And that was the plan for MFF’s
current season, with the theme
“Discover Together” supported by
artwork from local illustrator and
fine artist Michael Hoeweler depict-
ing a diverse gathering of fans drawn
to the same destination. But then…
(cue menacing music from Jaws)…
An unseen enemy forced life as we
know it to go on hiatus.
So organizers had to regroup and
find solutions to a new challenge:
With the 2020 festival postponed
indefinitely, how could film-lovers
see and discuss movies together,
remotely?
Since the festival took root in 2010
with outdoor screenings, getting
the word out to potential audiences
about the rich offerings of Montclair
Film — it is now a 365-days-a-year
program — has been the job of
co-marketing directors Kelly Coogan
Swanson and Lisa Ingersoll. Swanson
previously held marketing positions
at NBC and was senior vice president