Atlantic Highlands Film Festival Will Be July 17

ATLANTIC HIGHLANDS, NJ — The Atlantic Highlands film festival, called the FilmOneFest, will return this summer and will be held in the marina parking lot of Atlantic Highlands.

The FilmOneFest will be held from 7 - 11 p.m. in the Atlantic Highlands Marina on July 17. Open to all to attend.

Admission and parking are free, and guests are encouraged to bring blankets and lawn chairs to watch the main screening, which begins at 9:00 p.m. under the stars.

This year, the FilmOneFest got a sizable number of submissions, say organizers, plus the addition of two new categories: "Female filmmaker" and "urban" categories.

Festival goers will enjoy the performance of Rock Bottom, a musical act from LakeHouse Music Academy, beginning at 7:00 p.m. Food trucks will return this year including local favorites like Station One, Hot Dogs on First and Mr. Softee Ice Cream.

FilmOneFest is 100-percent volunteer-produced, and proceeds support the Atlantic Highlands Food Pantry, which will collect donations at the event.

Now in its thirteenth year, FilmOneFest has become the go-to event for super short-format filmmakers, both amateur and professional, from around the globe. Incredibly, filmmakers from 104 countries submitted 2,297 super-short films to the Atlantic Highlands film festival this year.

“Audiences are always amazed at how filmmakers rise to the challenge of telling a complete story in less than two minutes,” said director Corinna Thuss.

“What a fantastic and fascinating run up this year’s FilmOneFest. I’ve been involved with the festival for the past several years, but watching the submissions roll in from the beginning has been amazing," said submissions director PJ Bracco. "Independent filmmaking did not take a back seat. I’m very excited about FilmOneFest 2021!”

This year's judges’ panel includes perennial favorites film editor Susan Littenberg (13 Going on 30, Charlotte’s Web, Bathtubs Over Broadway), film reviewer/historian Victor Zak (Arts & Leisure, Asbury Park Press) and television network executive and producer Jon Crowley (HGTV, Impractical Jokers, Marriage Boot Camp). Newcomers include Adam Cushman, owner of Film 14, Demethress Davis, a writer of screenplays and fiction, and Camryn Monteforte, co-owner of Meemoms and a podcaster.