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* Named as one of MovieMaker Magazine’s “25 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee” - Spring 2010 edition *

Background

Since 1981, the annual Black Maria Film + Video Festival has taken its (no hyphen) name from that of the world?s first motion picture studio built by Thomas Edison in 1893. The Festival and its tour operate as an independent non-profit organization and is the primary endeavor of Thomas Edison Media Arts. For over 30 years the Festival has been acclaimed for advocating, supporting and widely exhibiting fresh short works up to an hour in length by emerging as well as by veteran independent film and videomakers. The festival's annual competition is juried by noted exponents of independent work and results in 40 to 60 works chosen for the festival's annual tour. The tour visits 65 or more diverse institutions in 20 or more states starting with the premiere each season at New Jersey City University, in Jersey City, NJ. 20 or more states starting with the premiere each season at New Jersey City University, in Jersey City, NJ.

Some notable points differentiating the Black Maria:

  1. The Festival has a long track record of commitment to short works. It encourages and seeks creative, insightful, and/or sensitive, free spirited, expressive, experimental, poetic works or an otherwise genuine approach to the material or subject. Works of interest to the Festival might be revealing documentaries or whimsical in nature, or passionately avant garde or poignant, thoughtful or incisive BUT all genres are welcome. The intent is to recognize, exhibit and reward uncommon work. For most of its history the Festival has been able to offer cash awards and/or exhibition honoraria to the film and videomakers it has exhibited and at times has been among those recognized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and The Association of Independent Film Animators. The Festival has been reported on by National Public Radio and has always valued work by the alternative film/video community.


  2. Every program presentation in the festival tour is custom curated and drawn from the season's award collection. Programs are assembled in collaboration with each host institution's liaison and may be arranged around topical or visual themes, may be intense or exploratory, or may be eclectic in nature. Programs vary widely from venue to venue, some focussing on animation or docs, others on personal memoirs, narrative or experimental approaches and some pushing the possibilities of the medium while others offer an eclectic yet stimulating selection of works. Each program is approximately 1hr 45 min. long.


  3. Virtually every program is presented in person by the Festival?s Director or other highly qualified Festival representative.


  4. In recent years the Festival has presented at institutions such as the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, the DesMoines Art Center, New York Public Library, Millennium Film Workshop in NYC, showcases such as the Capri Theater in Montgomery, AL, and the County Theater in Doylestown, PA, and colleges such as Monmouth University, Rhode Island School of Design, Savannah College of Art and Design, U. of Delaware, Cornell U., Dartmouth, Princeton, U. of Colorado, Pitzer College in CA. U. of Arts - Philadelphia and many more across the United States. The Festival's premiere is held the first Friday in February annually at New Jersey City University, our home base host institution.

It is the policy of Edison Media Arts Consortium/Black Maria Film and Video Festival to maintain a working and program exhibition environment free of all forms of unlawful discrimination. In recognition of the importance of good employee relations, all applicants are extended an equal opportunity to gain access to our office and employment. All employees are extended an equal opportunity to progress in their field of endeavor. Tour program hosts are required to be in compliance with ADA guidelines with impediment free access to exhibition spaces. Edison Media Arts /Black Maria Film Festival will not tolerate any form of discrimination or lack of access to programmatic spaces and will take appropriate action as determined appropriate by the ADA Committee in order to resolve and rectify any shortcomings including those of host venues as may be determined to have tolerated descrimination or to have engaged in unlawful conduct under this policy. Our Grievance Procedure will be posted under the ADA/Global Insights banner on the heading of the Festival home page and will also be available by e mailing the office ADA liaison at: kmyoung@blackmariafilmfestival.org or by telephoning: 201-200-2043.




The Black Maria Film + Video Festival which is the primary program of Thomas Edison Media Arts, a non-profit organization, is supported by operating grants and / or the in-kind support of the following organizations:
- New Jersey City University
- The William H. Donner Foundation
- The Donner Philanthropic Fund of the Pikes Peak Community Foundation
- The Charles Edison Fund
- The National Endowment for the Arts
- The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
- The New Jersey State Council on the Arts
- New Jersey Network-NJN Public Television
- NFL Film & Video