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Arts & Entertainment

New Jersey International Film Festival Fall 2011

Best of the 2011 New Jersey International Film Festival – Part 1

“Ashley/Amber” by Rebecca R. Rojer (Maplewood, New Jersey)

A dark comedy about a young woman with two seemingly irreconcilable identities. Mourning the death of her soldier boyfriend, 19-year-old Ashley finds a temporary escape by starring as Amber Jones in an internet porn video. After she gives a moving and angry speech at an anti-war rally, that is posted online, her two identities are connected before long. Fueled by fury and fascination, her story then goes viral. Now Ashley must reckon with her loss in the midst of an unwanted 15 minutes of fame. 2011; 22 min. Winner Best Student Film 2011 New Jersey International Film Festival.

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Bush League” by  Cy Kuckenbaker (Imperial Beach, California)

A moving and profoundly engaging ethnographic documentary of a tiny village in Northern Malawi. Intimate dramas unfold in the lives of four villagers who are all members of the local soccer team. Chatwa, the team captain, is an ambitious farmer who’s in deep with the local bank but torrential rains are destroying his crops. Jake, an American Peace Corps volunteer who sponsors the team, is pushed to his limits when the politics of the game affect his school construction project. Jacqueline, the head cheerleader, suspects her husband is cheating on her and is concerned he’ll give her HIV. Mlawa is a midfielder and an expectant father who’s gravely concerned about the infection growing on his leg. Each must face their individual challenges as the team battles to win the local championship. In English and Chechewa, subtitled. 2010; 70 min. Winner Best Documentary Film 2011 New Jersey International Film Festival.

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