SFCC kicked off its fifth annual International Film Festival this week at The Garland Theatre.
Five award-winning films, some of which have never shown in Spokane before, will be playing until May 18th.
All films are free for SFCC students with ID and $3.50 for all others. The money raised by this festival will fund next year’s, so support our local students!
Here are descriptions of the remaining films in the festival, courtesy of Bonnie Brunt, the Spanish Instructor at SFCC who refused to let the festival die after budget cuts:
April 27: Fremde Haut / Unveiled (2005)
Germany / Austria
In German and Persian with English subtitles
Drama (97 minutes)
Presented by Barbara Williamson, SFCC Faculty, English
Persecuted by Iranian authorities for a lesbian relationship, Fariba seeks asylum in Germany but is denied and returned to her home country where she is locked in a detainment center. When her male cellmate commits suicide she assumes his identity and is sent to a refugee camp in a German village, where she obtains illegal work and struggles to keep her secret from a well-meaning female friend.
May 4: Sin nombre / Without a Name (2009)
Mexico / USA
In Spanish with English subtitles
Adventure / Crime / Drama / Thriller (96 minutes)
Won best cinematography and directing at Sundance Film Festival
Presented by Yvonne Lopez Morton, chair State Human Rights Commission for Washington State, former chair of Hispanic Commission
Fleeing retaliation from the violent Central American street gang he has deserted, young hood Casper boards a northbound train, where he takes refuge on top of the moving freight cars and hopes for a fresh start in a new country. Dodging authorities and other dangers, he finds a new friend in Sayra, a Honduran girl also making a run for the American border.
May 11: Le Grande Voyage / The Grand Voyage (2004)
France / Morocco
In French and Arabic with English subtitles
Drama (108 minutes)
Nominated for BAFTA for Best Film Not in English Language
Presented by Elodie Phan, SFCC Faculty, French
A few weeks before his high school final exam Réda is chosen to drive his aging father from southern France to Mecca for the traditional pilgrimage. From the start, the journey promises to be difficult, as Réda and his father are separated by culture, language and religion. Réda is a modern young man who does not speak Arabic and cares little about his father’s deep sense of religion. As their journey progresses, their adventures and misadventures bring father and son closer, forcing mutual recognition and reconciliation.
May 18: Water (2005)
Canada / India
In Hindi with English subtitles
Drama / Romance (117 minutes)
Nominated for the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film 2007
After losing her husband to illness, 8-year-old Chuyia is forced to live out the rest of her days in a temple for Hindu widows, communing with 14 other women and a cruel headmistress who agrees to take her in. But it’s through the trials of another widow, a beautiful prostitute named Kalyani who’s being courted by a man from a higher caste, that Chuyia learns the true restrictions of widowhood.
Check out the SFCC International Film Festival Website, and also the Facebook event page.
Category College, Film, Showing, Special Interest |
If you’ve ever dreamed of taking part in the Burning Man festival in the Black Rock Desert in Nevada, here’s your chance! Well, almost.
Documentary filmmaker Oliver Bonin has tackled the task of putting together a history of this phenomenal event, which started with a few people on a San Franciso beach in 1986 and has grown to 40,000 people or more meeting yearly in the desert to create what many refer to as a city.
The film explores Burning Man through those who organize and those who participate, examining what the festival has become–has what started as a celebration of collaborative living become simply a drug and party destination?
Whatever Burning Man is today, it still boasts some incredible and breathtaking artwork. Check out the Website for “Dust & Illusions.”
“Dust & Illusions” trailer:
“Dust & Illusions” is showing at The Garland Theatre Thursday, April 22 at 7pm. Tickets are $8-12 online at the “Dust & Illusions” Website and $15 at the door.
Category Documentaries, Film, Showing, Special Interest |
A heads-up to all actors:
Local screenwriter/actress Serena Belsby is offering acting classes in May, Wednesday nights from 6-9pm, after holding a successful series of classes in March.
The class will be focused on scene study, with relaxation and sensory work exercises before each scene–a very method approach. It’s ideal for area actors who want to work on delving in their characters, and those who want to hone their emotional intelligence when it comes to acting.
Photo courtesy of Serena Belsby
Belsby is a method-trained actress who studied with students of Lee Strasberg, an influential proponent of Method Acting. She’s “been blessed to study with the very best,” having been coached and directed in a one-woman show by Penny Allen. Allen has coached top talents Al Pacino, Harvey Keitel, Sean Penn, Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Ben Chaplin, Embeth Davitz and others. “She really is a legend,” says Belsby.
The cost for this May class is just $72. Since space is limited, Belsby is asking for a 50% deposit to secure a spot. The class will be either in Browne’s Addition or on the South Hill.
Contact Serena Belsby at [email protected]
Category Special Interest, Student, Theory |
This evening I ran into someone who gave me this flyer:
The event is sponsored by the Youth Sustainability Council, and features art from Spokane natives ages 12-25ish. Why should you go to the Young Spokanites Art Extravaganza? Well, aside from being able to see some cool drawings, paintings and performances, there will be at least one video installation.
So, check out a local video artist or two tomorrow night!
When: Friday, April 9th from 7-10pm
Where: The Warehouse, located at 17 W. Main St. in downtown Spokane
Category Film, Short, Showing, Special Interest, Student, Writing |
Last April, a few film-loving folks from around the community gathered at Community-Minded Television to discuss the formation of a community film group. The result? Yep, you guessed it: FAVES.
Now, a year after that original steering meeting, we’ve having a re-steering meeting. That’s right.
We have a lot of goals for FAVES this year, like:
- Increase our visibility and involvement in the Spokane community
- Make FAVES a non-profit organization so it’s easier to interact with area businesses
- Re-vamp our website so it’s more user-friendly and community-oriented
- Update our mission statement so that it reflects our evolution as an organization
So why should you come?
- You’re already part of FAVES, or you want to be–and you have ideas about what you think our organization should do
- You have skills and interests that can be applied our cause
- You have skills and interests in the film or TV arena that you want to explore
- You support film and TV education in Spokane
Our first year was great. Now we want our second year to be supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!
Join us for the re-steering meeting and make FAVES everything (well, almost) you want it to be.
What: FAVES Re-steering Meeting
When: Thursday, April 8th from 6pm to 8pm.
Where: Community-Minded Television, on the fourth floor of the Saranac Building 25 W. Main St., downtown Spokane.
See you there!
PS: Here’s the design for our upcoming business card, in case you missed it! We’ll also be discussing that at the re-steering meeting.
Category Special Interest |
Hey all,
Just a quick reminder that our March Panel is TOMORROW, Tuesday March 30th at 6:30pm at the Magic Lantern Theatre!
This month’s panel is on Film and TV Criticism. It sounds dry, but it’s not! Learn what movie critics are thinking when they give your new favorite film a thumbs-down. Find out why TV critics love that show you just hate. Learn how to become a better judge of film and TV, and how to better articulate your judgements. Get advice on becoming a critic.
Our panelists are…
Dan Webster – For years he was the Spokesman‘s resident movie critic. Now he writes for the Spokesman-owned 7 Blog. With wife Mary Pat Treuthart and Bob Glatzer, he hosts “Movies 101,” a weekly radio show on Spokane Public Radio.
Bob Glatzer – Once a film director in New York, Glatzer is now a film critic and writer. He host “Movies 101″ on Spokane Public Radio with Dan Webster and Mary Pat Treuthart. He also hosts an annual radio show on the Oscars.
Daniel Walters - A fairly recent Whitworth grad, Walters is a staff writer for the Inlander, where he regularly dissects TV series in the weekly feature, “Remote Possibilities.”
The panel will be moderated by Pete Porter, who teaches Film Theory and Criticism at EWU. Porter is also the director of the Spokane International Film Festival (SpIFF).
If you’re feeling social, arrive at 5:30 and drop into Isabella’s next to the Magic Lantern for Social Hour.
Quick Recap:
What: FAVES March Panel: Film and TV Criticism
When: Tuesday, March 30th at 6:30pm (Social Hour at 5:30pm)
Where: The Magic Lantern Theatre, 25 W. Main in downtown Spokane.
Category Documentaries, Film, Historical, Special Interest, Student, Theory |
Germany / Austria
Canada / India
