The traveling Cannabis Culture Film Festival (CCFF) is coming to the City of Camden in South Jersey this November for its 8th annual event.
It has traveled to many places throughout its history. This year, they are coming to Camden with the help of the Camden Apothecary dispensary.
The two-day event has an interesting lineup of films that celebrate and explore the world of cannabis culture. The festival will showcase a diverse range of genres that highlight the cannabis plant’s impact on society, medicine, and the arts. It will include documentaries, feature films, shorts, and animations,
There will be a curated selection of films that cover various aspects of cannabis culture. In addition, it will feature panel discussions where the audience can engage with filmmakers, activists, and industry experts in insightful discussions about the evolving cannabis landscape.
The films will be shown at Curate Noir. It’s an incubator co-working space that is proudly Black-owned. Noris is French for Black.
The very unique film festival will take place on Friday, November 8th, and Saturday, November 9th, 2024, in Camden.
Camden Cannabis Film Festival Highlights
“We are excited to bring the Cannabis Culture Film Festival to Camden in collaboration with Camden Apothecary,” said Tim Mattson, the founder of the Cannabis Culture Film Festival.
“This partnership allows us to create a unique experience that not only entertains but also educates and inspires attendees about the benefits and potential of cannabis,” he added.
“We’re really interested in bringing this to Jersey,” Anthony Minniti of Camden Apothecary explained. “It’s a big win for us to get this.”
(Full disclosure Anthony Minniti is a Heady NJ Patreon supporter).
He added the movies are a variety of independent films that are centered on the cannabis culture that should be better showcased.
“There’s not a strong representation of that in the mainstream movie theater these days,” Minniti noted.
He said the mainstream media might ignore the films they want to highlight.
Cannabis Culture Film Festival in Jersey
Opening night kicks off with a red-carpet event at 7 pm and continues with screenings till midnight.
The Cannabis Culture Film Festival highlights the cultural, medicinal, and social aspects of cannabis. It aims to change the narrative and stigma around cannabis through cinema. Founded in 2015, CCFF aims to provide a platform for filmmakers and activists to share their stories.
Minniti said many Pennsylvania adult-use cannabis consumers come to the dispensary and could come to the festival as well.
Cannabis Block Party
There will also be a block party between Curate Noir and the Camden Apothecary dispensary on Haddon Avenue.
It will feature a curated marketplace, artists, and various festival merchandise or merch. There will also be networking opportunities to connect with fellow enthusiasts, professionals, and advocates in a vibrant, supportive community. There will also be glass blowers* as well.
Festival pass holders get access to all special events.
Minniti said they are not charging minority and women-owned legal New Jersey adult-use cannabis operators that seek to highlight their brand at the Block Party.
Tickets for the 8th annual Cannabis Culture Film Festival will be available starting Monday, September 9th.
Camden Apothecary Support
Camden Apothecary, a community-focused dispensary, is the perfect partner for this event. They offer a welcoming space for education and celebration.
Minniti said it’s part of their mission to highlight the special things of cannabis culture and the things that are happening as the industry is developing.
He wants to hold more cannabis culture events throughout the year days besides just the traditional cannabis community holiday of 4/20.
“Our model is a hospitality model,” Minniti explained. “It’s about experience.
He said the organizers were looking to come to New Jersey as the adult-use recreational cannabis market is growing. They were looking for dispensaries to work with and reached out to him.
Camden Apothecary at Bell Pharmacy is unique. It is probably the only facility in the nation to have sold cannabis both before and after its prohibition.
The dispensary is proud to offer the highest quality products with a special focus on providing a superior guest experience.
It is family-owned and operated by Bell Rexall Pharmacy. Founded in 1931, the pharmacy dispensed legal medical cannabis until its sale was prohibited in 1937 by Congress.
Cannabis Cinema
Jersey is not a foreign place for cannabis movies. Kevin Smith’s indie film Clerks depicted Jay and Silent Bob as friendly underground legacy operators or simply weed dealers back in the day in Central Jersey.
The two characters are the only constant characters through most of his movies which are also mostly in Central Jersey since Smith is from Highlands in Monmouth County and lived in Red Bank.
In addition, Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle depicted the two stoners driving throughout New Jersey. The geography of their drive is a little fantastic. They see a guy who gets beat up in Newark in North Jersey in a hospital in Freehold in Central Jersey.
New Jersey has also seen cannabis movies like American Pot Story Documentary. It depicts local activists involved in advocacy in California, and it won an award at the NJ Documentary Film Festival recently.
Weed movies are a unique thing. Many like Cheech and Chong’s Up in Smoke, Half Baked, and Pineapple Express often depict the hijinks that ensue when friendly potheads get caught by cops or mixed up in the dark side of the underground legacy market.
