From April 18 to the 21st the historic Bernardsville Cinema was home to the first annual FenceSitter Films festival. Kyle Schickenet at FenceSitter hosted the 4 day event, welcoming everyone to celebrate the art of filmmaking.
Kyle Schickner founded FenceSitter Films in 1994 when producing his first film, “Rose By Any Other Name…” Schickner entered the film industry to tell stories of women, people of color, and the LGBTQ community. Now, he hosted the festival to give other filmmakers the opportunity to tell their stories.
“As an independent filmmaker, film festivals are where we go to get our films seen and hopefully garner enough attention to be able to interest a company to buy it, so over the past 30 years I have been to countless festivals all around the world, said Schickner, “I have always loved festivals, seeing all types of movies, networking with other filmmakers. They were wonderful. So when I heard the Bernardsville Cinema was looking to reopen and start showing films to the public, I reached out to them in the hopes we could partner up.”
Schinkner aimed to reach two goals with the production of the festival. Schickener explained their first goal, “Provide entertainment for the community and expose the guests to movies they aren’t likely to find on most streaming services.”
They also hoped to shine a light on the Bernardsville community. Schickener noted a desire to, “Bring attention and visitors to Bernardsville. It’s no secret that a successful annual film festival attracts a lot of visitors to the town over the course of the festival, which brings more people to the restaurants, more people shopping.”
The planning for the festival began a year prior. As film submissions come in, our eight person selection committee begins to watch and rate each film. Once all the films have been selected it’s a matter of putting the program together, what films work with each other, what other events do we want to include in the festival,” said Schickner. “All the while we are reaching out to local businesses for sponsorships. Olivia Manning at Main Street Bernardsville has been in our corner from day one and that’s been a huge help”
Any great idea faces its challenges along the way. Schickner and his team faced the challenge when competing for viewer’s attention. “Between streaming services, the unlimited options on the internet, we have get across the idea that the experience you get at a film festival like FenceSitter is unlike anything else. Yes, they are films, but the chance to meet the filmmakers, to ask them questions and network, that’s a unique experience that people won’t soon forget,” he explained.
The events began with a screenplay competition on Thursday, April 18. The top screen plays went head to head in a live competition, with over a dozen local actors.
Directed by Ella Slayne, the actors ranged across all ages, and had nothing but the scripts at hand. With only 2 rehearsals, they performed the 5 chosen screenplays for an audience of about 80 to open the festival. 4 of the screenplays writers present in the audience as well.
Several directors and writers were present at each event as well. After the showing of the films they were invited to the stage to give insight into the process and inspiration of their work.
The process is far from simple, but oftentimes the writers found aspects of their art falling right into place. “When you’re writing you kind of discover little things where it just feels right,” said Curtis JL Medina, the writer of “Beach Shorts.”
Friday’s events opened with, “Two For One Day,” showing two of the selected films.
Two events then followed the films, a kick off party hosted by Diamond Dream, and the Rutgers University Documentary Filmmaking Showcase. FenceSitter Films teamed up with Rutgers University’s Writer’s House to show 8 student-made films.
Four events were held throughout the day on Saturday. The film showings included a “Midday Movie Block,” “An Afternoon in the Shorts,” and “Connections.”
To close the day, actress Reshma Shetty was honored with the first ever “Groundbreaker Award.” Shetty was given this honor for her “commitment to craft and community.”
Prior to receiving the award, Shetty sat down with Schickener for an inspiring discussion, taking a deep dive into her career and all that went with it.
Shetty is most known for playing a leading role in “Royal Pains” which ran for 8 seasons. Born in Mumbai and raised in England, Shetty originally began college at James Madison pre-med. However Shetty soon realized her love for the arts.
“I never thought I could be an actor because no one looked like me,” explained Shetty, “I guess I just believed in myself.” In the over 2 hour discussion, Shetty noted several lessons she has learned along the way, “You have to decide what kind of life you want to live.”
The festival ended its film showcasing with 3 events on Sunday, “Brunch in the Dark,” “The Documentary Block,” and ​ “Going Out With A Bang Block.”
Showed in the final film viewing, was “From The Dark” directed by Erika Sanz. Sanz explained that her short film was based on her sister’s story “for teenagers to feel related.
To officially close the festival, a closing awards ceremony was hosted at The Bernie. The following awards were presented, Best Narrative: Doubles, Best Actor: Jackie Krim “Last Girls’ Trip,” Best Screenplay: “August,” Best Documentary “I Wish You Knew,” Best Screenplay (Screenplay competition): Plants 4 Sale” by Heather McDonald.
The event was a huge success, and Schickner now plans to host a festival every 6 months. “I enjoy when a screening lets out and the audience are excited and talking about the films they just saw. That always makes it worthwhile,” said Shickner, “I enjoy watching young filmmakers see their creations, something they have been working for, sometimes for years, up on the silver screen, especially at such an historic venue like the Bernardsville Cinema.”