Garden State Film Festival Returns To Cranford Theater Next Week

CRANFORD, NJ — The Garden State Film Festival will once again partner with Cranford Theater to present two nights chocked full of independent films for ticket-paying audiences.

The screenings will take place on Wednesday, March 23 and Saturday, March 26 at Cranford Theater from 7 to 9 p.m. This Garden State Film Festival marks its 20th anniversary.

After a chance encounter in a Sea Girt grocery store by industry veteran Diane Raver and the well-known Hollywood actor Robert Pastorelli, The Garden State Film Festival was born in 2002, bringing an all-encompassing film event to the State of New Jersey. It premiered in 2003 and was deemed a huge success, according to the festival's website.

The goal of the festival is to celebrate the independent film genre and create a space where local and other independent filmmakers can exhibit their work.

Below is the lineup for the films that will be shown at the two screenings in Cranford:

Wednesday, March 23rd:

"HIT": A professional assassin has second thoughts as he's hired to kill an innocent woman.

"Glasya's Herey Dispel": A heart-wrenching music video narrative, depicting a weary traveler trudging across a barren landscape with his horse.

"Red": A certain red-cloaked traveler makes her way along a wintry forest path, on the lookout for possible dangers lurking about.

"Smiley Death Face": A young girl stumbles into a text message conversation with an anonymous person that communicates entirely in Emojis.

"Splinter": While renovating his recently inherited home, Scott Wills steps on a small splinter. The wound only grows worse as Scott learns the history of the town, its people and a terrible family legacy.

"Twine": A young couple explores a newly inherited home, finding hidden messages from the past weaved with dark impulses from the present, forcing them into a confrontation with the afterlife.

Watch a trailer for all the movies playing March 23rd:

Saturday, March 26th:

"Fourth Grade": At a prestigious catholic private elementary school, a practical principal and a drama teacher gather the parents of the fourth students to discuss an alarming situation: a brick of marijuana found in the theatre class.

"Hide!": Two little girls fight off and evade a monster who clearly underestimates their abilities.

"I'm a Vampire": In and amongst the confusion created by the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, eight-year-old Jackie believes she is turning into a vampire.

"Graceland": A southern mom's life is 'all-shook-up' when her fourth grader claims to be reincarnation of the king of 'rock-n-roll.'

Watch a trailer for all the movies playing March 26th

For more information and to purchase tickets visit https://www.gsff.org/.

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