While we are all sheltering in place to avoid spreading COVID-19 — or out there doing essential jobs — the Hoboken Museum is pleased to join with the Thomas Edison Black Maria Film Festival for a virtual screening of a selection of its award-winning short films.

The works selected for this special showcase are selected from the 2020 season and the Festival’s archive. Filmmakers from all over the world, who have been Black Maria Film Festival award-winners have agreed to have their films screened for free – no strings attached – for as long as the pandemic lasts. So, pop some corn, or check out some yummy recipes from Festival organizers for dinner and a movie. If you feel inclined, there is a donation button on the Festival website. 

Click here to view the Black Maria Virtual Film Festival. 

About the Thomas Edison Black Maria Film Festival:

For 39 years, the Thomas Edison Black Maria Film Festival has been advancing the unique creativity and power of the short form. The Festival was founded in 1981 and is named for Thomas Edison’s original West Orange, NJ, film studio, whose resemblance to the familiar black-box shaped police paddy wagons sparked the nickname “Black Maria.” The festival is an international juried competition open to all genres and filmmakers across the globe.

The Festival’s touring program reaches out to diverse audiences in diverse settings with screenings of cutting-edge, cross-genre films — narrative, experimental, animation, and documentary. Subject matter includes issues and struggles within contemporary society such as the environment, public health, race and class, family, sustainability, and much more. These exceptional works range from animation, comedy, and drama to the exploration of pure form in film and video and are the heart and soul of the festival. Learn more at www.blackmariafilmfestival.org

The festival’s Hudson County Movie Tour is made possible through the generous support of The Hudson County Office of Cultural & Heritage Affairs & Tourism, Gina Hulings, Director/Administrator.