2026 New Jersey International Film Festival Short Documentary Panel

2026 New Jersey International Film Festival Short Documentary Film Panel with Festival Director Al Nigrin and Filmmakers Tom Bell, Nate Dorr and Lucy Mathews Heegaard. Chemical Meadows – Nate Dorr (Brooklyn, New York) Chemical Meadows is an experimental documentary linking water chemistry and photochemistry in the post-industrial wilds of the New Jersey Meadowlands. A paradoxical estuary wilderness three miles from Manhattan and more than half its size, marred by landfills and chemical corporations yet a recovering haven for wildlife, the Meadowlands are an unexpected breach in the dense development of the mid-Atlantic. This is the story of its waters: a film created by washing 16mm footage in corroding drainage ditches and suspect holding ponds to reveal hidden contaminants, soundtracked largely with underwater hydrophone recordings. 2025; 21 min. Salt Marsh - Tom Bell (Yarmouth, Maine) With a haunting, original score by Lee Ranaldo, Salt Marsh explores art, climate, and solitude through the reflections of Maine artist Mitchell Rasor. The 15-minute documentary is a poetic portrait of an artist and place. 2025; 15 min. Meet Me in Silence – Lucy Mathews Heegaard (Minnetonka, Minnesota) A year-long experiment sitting in complete silence and darkness with strangers leads to an intimate contemplation on connection to self and others through silence. Could the surreal, human-engineered silence of an anechoic chamber be a pathway to healing and awareness? 2025; 14 min. Three of these excellent short documentary films will screen at the 2026 New Jersey International Film Festival as part of Shorts Program #2 on Friday, June 5, 2026 – Online for 24 Hours and In-Person at 7PM and Nate Dorr’s film plays on Friday, May 29, 2026 – Online for 24 Hours and In-Person at 7PM! Get tickets and more info here: https://2026newjerseyinternationalfil...