New Jersey Film Festival Fall 2023

The Creative Process, Toil and Spin, Monument, Becoming an Oyster, elemental. Butterfly Manoeuvers, FLOCKY, I Was There, Monument, Soft Wind Shells, Burn Ceremony

Available in 93d 07h 08m 40s
Available June 6, 2025 4:00 AM UTC
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9 films in package
The Creative Process
Toil and Spin
Toil and Spin uses the visual language of minimalism to describe sleep and sleeplessness.
Becoming an Oyster
Becoming an Oyster is an animated short film which explores the intersection of two significant generational crises: climate change and opioid addiction. Told through the eyes of a young boy, the allegorical narrative touches on themes of consumption, excess, and trauma. The metaphor of an oyster’s life cycle reflects the vulnerability of human and ecological systems. These filter animals become a two-way mirror through which one may glimpse ecological failure and the consequences of climate disruption as well as the broader struggles and individual trauma of addiction. Becoming an Oyster blends ecological metaphors with human narratives to create a surreal landscape of boyhood adventure, heartbreaking loss, and the legacy we each leave to future generations.
Butterfly Maneuvers
Butterfly Maneuvres is an experimental essay film based on old, private film footage of fighter planes. The film documents the preparations and training for war, recorded as historical evidence.
elemental
elemental, a silent film, addresses the transitioning of the body in form and matter.
I Was There
I Was There is a haunting exploration of familial bonds, intergenerational memory, and the enduring impact of shared narratives.
Soft Wind Shells
Soft Wind Shells is an audiovisual exploration that delves into the dynamics of transmission and echoes, weaving a narrative that captures the fluidity and fragility of communication and the inevitable distortions that occur through each act of transmission.
Burn Ceremony
An unsanctioned observation of [redacted]’s largest oil refinery, processing 440,000 barrels of crude oil a day.
Monument
Monument pairs hand-processed and chemically-altered Super 8mm film footage of the decaying monuments of Presidents Park (Croaker, VA) with original and appropriated community video footage captured at Marcus-David Peters Circle (Richmond, VA) during the Covid-19 pandemic and the George Floyd/Black Lives Matter protests of 2020.
$15After this content becomes available June 6th at 4:00 am UTC, you'll have 23 hours 59 minutes to start watching. Once you begin, you'll have 24 hours to finish watching. Need help?

I Was There is a haunting exploration of familial bonds, intergenerational memory, and the enduring impact of shared narratives. Filmmaker Kamila Kuc steps into the emotional stream of inherited family history as the lines between documentary, testimony, and fiction blur. She performs acts of bearing witness not just for herself but also on behalf of her grandmother. Together, they testify to their experiences and the reverberations these stories have over time. I Was There is a palimpsest - a layered tapestry where past and present intertwine in the intimate process of activating memory and vulnerability as forms of resistance. I Was There honours the testimonial object inherited from ancestors and the living connection that binds generations in the shared pursuit of justice and healing.



  • Year
    2024
  • Runtime
    12 minutes
  • Language
    English, Polish
  • Country
    United Kingdom
  • Subtitle Language
    English
  • Director
    Kamila Kuc
  • Screenwriter
    Kamila Kuc
  • Producer
    Kamila Kuc, Reed O'Bierne
  • Filmmaker
    Kamila Kuc
  • Cast
    Helena Kuc, Ecka Mordecai
  • Sound Design
    David Knight