While the glittering city across the river can rightly claim its place as one of the cultural centers of the world, Hudson County has quietly been doing its part to foster the work of artists and filmmakers. One of the best sponsors of independent artistic visions is the Black Maria Film Festival, now celebrating its 37th year.

The Hoboken Historical Museum is proud of its long partnership with the Black Maria Film Festival, annually hosting its premieres of award-winning films each February. These films are thought-provoking and open your eyes to new ways of seeing the world. They are unfailingly entertaining.

Since last year, we have been pleased to host a touring series of documentary films from their jury selections. Thanks to support from the Hudson County Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs and Tourism, these evenings are hosted by Festival Director Jane Steuerwald, often with the participation of the filmmakers and subjects of the films. The Q&A sessions and detailed program booklets give the audience a peek inside the process of bringing an independent vision to the screen.

On Wednesday, March 7, at 6:30 pm, the Museum will host the first of our spring “Hudson County Movie Tour” of Black Maria Film Festival award-winning documentary films. The program will be presented on the first Wednesday of the month, March – June, by Festival director Jane Steuerwald, with filmmakers as special guests.

The first program will feature two short films: “Little Fiel,” about an artist who grew up during the 1970s – ’80s civil war in Mozambique, and “Born in Battle,” about a former 12-year-old child soldier. Both filmmaker Irina Patkanian and the artist Fiel dos Santos will be present to discuss the film and the artist’s life work, which is to destroy guns and turn them into art. Click here to read more about these films.

Here’s a short video impression of the 2018 premiere last month, created by one of professor Steuerwald’s MFA students, Nnamdi Nwigwe.

Since 1981, the Black Maria Film Festival has been celebrating and preserving the diversity, invention, and vitality of the short film. The Festival’s home is New Jersey City University in Jersey City, NJ, and is named after Thomas Edison’s original West Orange film studio, dubbed the “Black Maria” because of its resemblance to the black-box police paddy wagons of the same name.

Black Maria is an international juried film competition, focusing on short films including those that shine a light on issues and struggles within contemporary society. Its touring programs always include provocative works by diverse filmmakers from across the US and around the world. These artists often represent an under-served constituency who might not otherwise have the opportunity for live public exhibition nationwide or abroad.

For the spring series, our doors open at 6:30, the films screen at 7 pm, followed by Q&A. Light refreshments will be served. Tickets are $5 at the door. We hope to see you there.

Melissa Abernathy
Communications Manager