This fall, the Montclair Film Festival ran from October 18th to October 27th. The festival is a feature almost unique to Montclair. A celebration of movies of this scale is unheard of in other small, suburban cities. Montclair’s diversity when compared to other towns in the New York Metro Area is also unique. Diversity and uniqueness tend to nurture art, so a festival like this can be somewhat accredited to the demographics of the town.

According to co-head and executive director of the festival, Tom Hall, the Montclair festival differs from other large-scale events because here there are “two audiences, the film industry that we’re serving in terms of trying to amplify films that we feel are a good, you know, high-quality set of films for the time period that we’re in, but also our local audience of ticket buyers and patrons and sponsors and supporters and members and all the folks who turn up and watch the film.”

The festival doesn’t just cater to our local audience, it reflects it. “The diversity of Montclair is really what drives the structure of the film program”, says Hall, and programming is built around our community. The festival features fiction, documentaries, live-action, animated, shorts, and feature-length films. There are movies from women, people of color, and people of different beliefs and backgrounds.

Together, this careful blend of culture and art culminates into “[being] reflective of the community itself in terms of the types of artists that we support, the films that we bring in, hoping that those films will connect with an audience that cares about those values.”

This diversity allows local audiences to be exposed to movies that say something to them. One of Tom’s main ideas is that “different movies move people in different ways, and so I’m always really not surprised if something connects to somebody in a way that didn’t connect. For me, I think that’s why we’re programming for people.”

Mainstream media doesn’t always connect with everyone profoundly as Hollywood does not automatically tell the stories of all. If relying on broad national media, people will struggle to find art that fits their specific experiences. Art made by diverse storytellers can become ingrained in someone as a part of their identity that had yet to be explored.

Currently, the festival is booming and successful, although attendance has not yet reached the peak of pre-COVID. Despite this fluctuation of attendance, the quality of the films being brought in for the festival has only improved. Hall says that the “work that we’re able to get our hands on now in the fall is extraordinary. Year after year. This year was no exception. I think we had really great movies. I think there are a lot of awards contenders in our lineup.”

Part of this comes from the popularity and community engagement created by the festival. Big films see the Montclair Film Festival as a way to create buzz and intrigue, and the quality of films will continue to get better and better every year as the festival continues to grow.

The vision of this festival is to create an environment guiding young people “from the beginning of someone’s idea as a young filmmaker through to their festival premiere to their theatrical release, we can be there and support them every step of the way,” as Hall puts it.

A dream of Hall and the organization is for Montclair Film alumni to return to the festival with their films. Investment in the future of film by the festival can only help the community and themselves.

In a message to young people, Hall makes it clear that Montclair Film “[wants] to be a home for the community, for kids going to the movies, and they should feel safe, and they should feel like it’s a space for them to have a good time and enjoy going to the film. So that’s the number one thing is like, this is not some snobby, out of the way thing for old people, it’s a thing that should be and you should feel is for you. We’re working hard to try and make it feel like it’s yours as much as it is anyone else’s.”

Montclair Film’s commitment to promoting art in our community is undeniable. Hall urges young people to check their website at montclairfilm.org for information about monthly Q&As with directors and other interesting programming in the future.