7 films at Sundance were shot right here in New Jersey

New Jersey has plenty of close-ups in the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, which celebrates its 40th anniversary starting Thursday.

According to the New Jersey Motion Picture and Television Commission, seven productions filmed in the Garden State are part of the 2024 roster of movie premieres in Utah.

Filming took place at locations in Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Monmouth, Morris, Passaic, and Union counties. According to state officials, production companies associated with the projects contributed at least $35 million to the New Jersey economy.

The festival runs from Jan. 18 to Jan. 28.

Appearing at Sundance

I Saw the TV Glow

Horror film "I Saw the TV Glow" follows two teenagers who bond over their love for a scary television show that gets mysteriously canceled.

Filming locations: Verona and Cedar Grove High Schools, The Saint in Asbury Park, Keansburg Amusement Park, Funplex in East Hanover, Pump It Up in Roselle Park, Camp Lewis in Rockaway Township, Corrado’s Supermarket in Wayne, and at other locations in Cedar Grove, East Rutherford, Kinnelon, Succasunna, Verona, Wayne, and West Caldwell.

Your Monster

"Your Monster" depicts a depressed woman who returns home to find the monster that lived inside her closet as a kid is still alive and well.

Filming locations: East Orange General Hospital and at various locations in Elizabeth, Hoboken, and Newark.

Rob Peace

"Rob Peace," based on a true story, focuses on an inner-city kid from Newark who attends Yale, only to succumb to harsh economic realities and the demons of his past.

Filming locations: Various locations in Newark, including the Lower Roseville section, Newark Penn Station and St. Benedict’s Preparatory School. Additional locations included the Essex County Jail, Sandy Hook, New Jersey City University in Jersey City, and a site in East Orange.

Ponyboi

"Ponyboi" follows an intersex sex worker who must fight for survival after a drug deal gone south.

Filming locations: L&P Laundromat in Palisades Park, the Chalet Motel in Ocean Township, the Bridgeview Diner in Kearny, the Kearny-Belleville Elks Lodge and the Silverball Retro Arcade in Asbury Park.

Presence

"Presence" takes place in a suburban house inhabited by an unknown force.

Filming locations: The entire project was filmed in Cranford.

Exhibiting Forgiveness

"Exhibiting Forgiveness" follows a Black artist on the path to success, only to be derailed by an unexpected visit from his estranged father, a recovering addict desperate to reconcile.

Filming locations: Allendale, Bayonne, East Orange, Hillside, Kearny, Montclair, Orange, Paterson, and West Orange.

A Different Man

"A Different Man" tells the story of Edward who, after undergoing facial reconstructive surgery, becomes fixated on an actor in the stage production based on his former life.

Filming locations: Maplewood and Montclair