The 43rd season of the renowned Thomas Edison Film Festival (TEFF) returns following its successful premiere screening in February with a screening of additional jury-selected films as the Festival prepares to tour around the country. The 10 short films to be screened include narrative, animation, screen dance, experimental, and documentary genres and represent the work of filmmakers from Belgium, France, India, Japan, Taiwan, and the U.S. This screening also features work by two current students and one Princeton alum: Madeline McDonald ’26, Luke Shannon ’24, and Dawn Luong ’23.
The screening is hosted by Festival Director Jane Steuerwald and presented by the Thomas A. Edison Media Arts Consortium and Princeton’s Program in Visual Arts.
Tickets & Details
The screening is free and open to the public; no tickets or registration required.
Directions
Get directions to the James Stewart Film Theater, located on the first floor at 185 Nassau Street.
Accessibility
The James Stewart Film Theater is an accessible venue. Visit our Venues and Studios section for accessibility information at our various locations. Guests in need of access accommodations are invited to contact the Lewis Center at 609-258-5262 or email LewisCenter@princeton.edu at least one week in advance of the event date.
Thomas Edison Film Festival Screening: Featured Films
Blue Hour
Narrative, 15 min.
By J. D. Shields and Maya Korn
Los Angeles, CA, USA
Two personal journeys intersect when a struggling young photographer is hired for a cheap last minute portrait gig. The unfolding photo session, while transient, leaves an indelible mark on both women.
Lightbreak
Animation, 3 min.
By Princeton University student Luke Shannon ’24
Princeton, NJ, USA
A generative light algorithm studying reflection, refraction, and materiality.
Island
Experimental, 3 min.
By Jack Cronin
Canton, MI, USA
An enchanting and lyrical filmic postcard from Isle Royale National Park, Lake Superior, Michigan.
Last Days of Summer
Narrative, 14 min.
By Stenzin Tankong
India and Montpellier, France
A recurring mysterious sound from mountains in the Himalayas is heard only by two curious young shepherds. Unable to convince the villagers of the ominous nature of the sound, they journey into the unknown to unravel the mystery.
Beautiful Figures
Animation, 4 min.
By Soetkin Verstegen
Brussels, Belgium
Thoughts ripple over the pages of a personal notebook, kept during a stay at different science labs in Zürich. They float from one to another, like a mind map of unfinished ideas on memory, medical imaging, cells, and aging.
Bold
Screen Dance, 3 min.
By Alla Kovgan and Miko Malkhasyan
New York, NY, USA
A surreal night shift of a female prison guard turns into a juggling fiesta, celebrating diversity and the solidarity of women.
unspoken moments
Animation, 3 min.
By Princeton University alum Dawn Luong ’23
Chicago, IL, USA
An exploration of the moments in our lives where some things don’t need to be said to be understood.
The Bellmaster
Documentary, 5 min.
By Princeton University student Madeline McDonald ’26
Princeton, NJ, USA
“The Bellmaster” is a behind-the-scenes look at one of the largest instruments in the world – the carillon. These thousand-pound bells have been part of the human soundscape for thousands of years and the Bellmaster of Princeton University, Lisa Lonie, offers a masterful demonstration of the instrument as well as the history of Princeton’s carillon.
The Old Young Crow
Narrative, 12 min.
By Liam LoPinto
Japan and New York, NY, USA
An Iranian boy befriends an old Japanese woman at a graveyard in Tokyo.
ATM
Animation, 3 min.
By Oolluo Tseng
Taiwan and Los Angeles, CA, USA
A story about a money machine, a poor man, and cat food.
