Montclair Film Festival announces new dates, new format

The annual Montclair Film Festival, originally scheduled for May, will now be held in October, with some pretty big changes.

The 9th Annual Montclair Film Festival had been slated for May before the pandemic hit. The festival was postponed and we now know the makeup dates: October 16th through the 25th. Due to COVID-19 considerations, the festival will be different this year. The festival's website says “the festival will feature a program of drive-in screenings, virtual screenings, special events, and conversations.” The full schedule of showings and accommodations will be announced on October 2nd, with tickets going on sale for Montclair Film members on October 5th and to the general public on October 8th.

Festival executive director Tom Hall told NorthJersey.com they’re planning on building a semi-permanent structure for the drive-in showings in a location to be determined. The plan would be for about 15 films to be screened outdoors with 40 more being shown online. Typically, the festival screens films at five indoor locations pretty much around the clock. The special presentations and Q&A sessions will probably also move online. Hall says that additional program details will be released over the coming weeks, adding that “it is critically important to us that our festival represents the best possible experience for our filmmakers, patrons, and sponsors, because we will need their full support as we try new things together.”

Late Show host Stephen Colbert has long supported the New Jersey festival, with his wife, Evelyn Colbert, serving as president of the board of Montclair Film, which presents the festival.

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Bill Doyle. Any opinions expressed are Bill Doyle's own.