The Black Maria Film Festival launches its 36th Annual Tour in NJ with a series of five distinctive programs throughout the month of February 2017. Each program will be presented in-person by Festival director Jane Steuerwald and includes top award-winning films in the Black Maria’s annual tour.

Program One kicks off at the Hoboken Historical Museum, 1301 Hudson St., Hoboken, NJ on Saturday night, February 11th at 7:00PM. Jury’s Stellar Award-winning films will be screened and filmmakers will be present for the Q & A. Light refreshments will be served. Suggested donation at the door is $10. The Littleman Parking-Independence Garage (Shipyard Lane, at 12th St.) offers 3 hours of free parking with Museum validation.  https://www.hobokenmuseum.org,  (201) 656-2240.

Program Two will be presented at Ramapo College’s Berrie Center for the Performing and Visual Arts, 505 Ramapo Valley Road, Mahwah, NJ, on Friday night, February 17, 2017 at 8:00PM. Tickets are $10, students are free with student ID.  http://www.ramapo.edu/berriecenter (201) 684-7844.

Program Three travels to the Madison Arts and Cultural Society in the Chase Room at the Madison Public Library in Madison, NJ on Saturday evening February 18th, at 8:00PM, 39 Keep Street Madison, NJ. Tickets are $10 at the door. http://www.madisonartsnj.org (973) 377-0722.

Program Four sponsored by the West Orange Film Society will be held at the AMC Dine-In Theater, Essex Green 9, 495 Prospect Ave., West Orange, NJ on Sunday afternoon, February 19th at 2:00PM.  Tickets are $12 + tax at the door or online through Fandango. http://www.westorange.org, (973) 731-6692.

Program Five marks Black Maria’s return to the Performing Arts Center at Sussex County Community College, 1 College Hill Road Newton, NJ, at 7:00PM. Tickets are $5 in advance or at the door. Students with ID are free. http://www.sussex.edu. For ticket inquiries, call (973) 300-2106. For event info, call (973) 300-2180.

Black Maria Film Festival screenings are scheduled throughout 2017 at numerous NJ venues including Centenary University, Caldwell Flowerland, Monmouth University, the LBI Foundation of the Arts and Sciences and more.

Celebrating its 36th consecutive year in 2017, the Black Maria Film Festival is dedicated to creativity and innovation in the moving-image arts.  It was named for Thomas Edison’s West Orange film studio dubbed the “Black Maria” due to its resemblance to the type of black-box police paddy wagon known as a “black maria.”  The Festival is an annual juried competition traveling to audiences across the US and abroad, featuring new short works in all genres, and supporting the work of international independent filmmakers.

Black Maria Film Festival has generous support from New Jersey State Council on the Arts, Discover New Jersey Arts, New Jersey City University, and Hudson County Executive Thomas De Gise and the Board of Chosen Freeholders administered by the Hudson County Cultural & Heritage Affairs Division with the support of William La Rosa.

For further information, contact Jane Steuerwald, Black Maria Film Festival Executive Director, [email protected], 201-200-2043, or Diana Hernandez, [email protected], www.blackmariafilmfestival.org.