Asbury Park’s AP’N3 Film Festival showcases local filmmakers in their natural habitat

By:  | December 2, 2024 |  | 

By Emma Sylvia

In 2022, the Asbury Park Arts Council posed a bold challenge to local residents: write, shoot, edit, and score a three-minute movie over the course of three weeks. The result was AP’N3, the newest cinematic tradition within the community. This year marked the third installment of the film festival, with enthusiasm for it at an all-time high.

Ocean Grove’s Jersey Shore Arts Center was packed on Nov. 3 for the AP’N3’s Premiere Screening, with viewers of the 11 films (typically, there were 10 films shown, but two of them this year had the same numerical score in the rankings) that made the finals. Proceeds from AP’N3’s screening went to further support the arts in Asbury Park, as well as funding programming for Asbury Park High School’s students' access to the audio and visual field.

The AP Arts Council describes AP’N3 as “a storytelling activity for filmmakers to engage with the community in a positive light, and use imagination, teamwork, and video technology. The timed aspect of the format creates a production that leans on spirit and enthusiasm for a participatory reflection of the uniqueness of our small town.”

Short films ranged from comedies to documentaries, dramas to black-and-white silent films, and all of them celebrated Asbury Park. With contestants receiving a phrase that must be included in the film–this year’s being “What a treasure!”– an item (a map) to be used in the shoot, and a location in mind – St. John’s Island – filmmakers got to work. The best of the best were showcased at the premiere, and awards were given to first, second and third place winners, as well as an audience favorite.

The films featured were, “A Hidden Gem,” “Curse of Hidden Gem,” “What a Treasure,” “Oddities of What When Why How Where,” “Hunt,” “What a Treasure,” “Lure of Asbury Park,” “The Mud Hole,” “What a Treasure,” “Listen!,” and “Residential Treasure.” The films all did an excellent job of truly demonstrating what makes Asbury Park so unique. Listen! highlighted the elderly community of the town, while others featured locations like the Paranormal Bookstore, the boardwalk and beach, and the town’s unofficial mascot, Tillie.

Nicholas Wolf, Director of “Residential Treasure,” won First Place overall as well as the Audience Favorite award.

“I was not expecting to get ‘Audience Favorite,’ and was thoroughly excited to win that. There were great films all around,” he said. “I’ve never won first place for anything before.”

Carrie Turner, Executive Director of the Asbury Park Arts Council, said: “The fun and excitement of Premiere Night is unbeatable! The AP’N3 allows us to celebrate storytelling from diverse perspectives and it is always touching to hear the filmmakers introduce their work, adding a deeper dimension to the story the audience sees on screen. We are so appreciative that the community continues to show up for the AP’N3, both those who make the films and those who come out on Premiere Night to watch them. This year we were particularly honored to have the principal of Asbury Park High School attend and speak on connecting students to the arts and film in particular. APAC is looking forward to a fruitful collaboration to support this vision for Asbury Park students.”

The Asbury Park Arts Council is especially excited to showcase the filmmaking talent of Asbury Park. While the town is famous for its music scene ever since artists like Bruce Springsteen and Southside Johnny helped usher The Stone Pony and the Jersey Shore sound overall into the limelight, denizens of New Jersey might not be aware of the other artistic aspects of the town. While visual arts projects like Wooden Walls might captivate tourists and locals alike, community events like AP’N3 demonstrate yet another medium that its residents excel in.

Mike Sodano, President of the Asbury Park Arts Council, said, “The turnout really blew us away. The best part is that it’s local. The space is great. It’s just a great night at the movies. Everyone who came supports movies. That’s really important. We’re doing our best to elevate filmmaking in Asbury Park. We want to tell everyone, ‘Film is here, too. We have such a great talent pool in Asbury Park and in Monmouth County.”

Asbury Park has long offered a plethora of opportunities for artists. The AP Arts Council seeks to ensure that the arts can thrive both in town and beyond. This nonprofit rightfully believes that the local arts are integral to Asbury Park’s identity and aims to preserve that aspect of the town. The nonprofit offers other events and programs other than AP’N3. These include Film Maker Meet Ups, the Spring 2024 Mural Project, For Artists’ Sake Lecture Series, Wooden Walls, and more.

The Council, its staff and the community are excited for 2025 and beyond for both the town and future yearly celebrations of AP’N3. Judge of this year’s films and previous winner of AP’N3, Asbury Park Chamber of Commerce Director Matthew Whelan, said, “The Asbury Park Chamber of Commerce was thrilled to be a partner in the AP’N3 again this year. As a judge and a past winner of the challenge, I was very impressed with the caliber of films we received this year. Kudos to all the filmmakers. I’m also impressed with how the event continues to grow year after year, which is a true testament to the hard work of Mike Sodano and the Asbury Park Arts Council. Congratulations to the winners, and I can’t wait to see what the 2025 AP’N3 will bring!”

To learn more about AP’N3, the Asbury Park Arts Council, and how to support local artists, head to asburypartartscouncil.org