Burlington County’s second annual short-film Festival wrapped up earlier this month following two evenings of screenings, with county commissioners awarding 14 films.
The winners were selected by a jury of three professional filmmakers and educators. A total of 40 films were screened during the two-night festival at the Lyceum Hall Center for the Arts in Burlington City and the Burlington County Institute of Technology’s Westampton Campus.
This year’s festival also featured a red carpet reception with food, music, a step-and-repeat photo backdrop with props and a green screen animation booth allowing attendees to star in their own animated flip book.
The event was organized by the county parks division as a showcase for independent filmmakers. More than 1,000 films were submitted this year from across the U.S. and more than 70 countries.
“The interest in filmmaking in Burlington County is remarkable, as is this festival’s rapid growth,” said county Commissioner Allison Eckel. “The imagination and talent exhibited by these filmmakers was extraordinary, and it was our county’s privilege to showcase and celebrate them and their work.
“Burlington County film lovers were the biggest winners.”
Commissioner Dan O’Connell also applauded the films and filmmakers.
“Our board congratulates all the filmmakers who participated, along with our parks staff, who organized the festival and helped cultivate and celebrate the arts in our county,” he said.
“Motion pictures and television productions generated more than $650 million in spending in New Jersey last year, and events like our film festival demonstrate our support for the industry and the arts.”
Watch the award winners and all the films selected for the festival at http://co.burlington.nj.us/1935/Film-Festival.
