East Side Students Capture Awards At 2016 Newark Film Festival

NEWARK, NJ — Newark honored several of its young and upcoming moviemakers – including three East Side High School students - at the 2016 Newark International Film Festival.

During the festival, organizers honored the budding moviemakers, including João Tarouco, who won Best Director for his short film, "The Flight of the Arrowhead,” Juan Carlos Ortega, who won Best Youth Animation for his short film, "Ironbound Community Corporation Environmental Justice Moment: Dioxin," and Jonathan Mercado, who was nominated for Best Actor in a Short Film.

“On behalf of Newark Public Schools, I want to congratulate all of the students from East Side High School who were recognized at the Newark International Film Festival,” Superintendent Christopher Cerf said. “These awards represent hours of hard work and dedication, and they should be proud of what they have been able to achieve at such a young age.”

According to school administrators:

• "The Flight of the Arrowhead” is a fantasy adventure film that was produced and created by the students and alumni of the Media Arts Magnet Program from East Side High School and the Thaumaturge Workshop animation studio. The film initially started out as a high school project in 2009 that has grown into a six year production with a cast and crew from five different continents.
• "Ironbound Community Corporation Environmental Justice Moment: Dioxin" is a collaboration between the Media Arts Magnet Program at East Side High School and the Ironbound Community Corporation (ICC). This short film documents the history of the contamination of the Passaic River and the community’s continued efforts to clean it up.

Photo: Newark Public Schools

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