Sunday, April 06, 2008

APAHM FILM SERIES

In celebration of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, films from all over Asia will be shown throughout the month of April. They are mostly free, with the exception of OFFscreen's co-sponsored film, Nanking, which will be $3 as usual.

Bunty Aur Babli, dir. Shaad Ali
April 4 - 6pm - Wilson 402
Hosted by Indian Student Assn.

Mountain Patrol, dir. Chuan Lu
April 10 - 7pm - Ruffner G004A
Hosted by Chinese Student Assn.

Nanking*, dir. Billy Guttentag & Dan Sturman
April 13 - 7pm & 9:30pm - Newcomb Theater
Hosted by OFFscreen
*Tickets $3

Beautiful Boxer, dir. Ekachai Uekrongtham
April 15 - 7pm - Ruffner G004A
Hosted by Thai Student Assn.

Warrior, dir. Sung-Su Kim
April 17 - 7pm - Ruffner G004A
Hosted by Korean Student Assn.

Imelda, dir. Ramona S. Diaz
April 21 - 7pm - Gilmer 130
Hosted by Organization of Young Filipino-Americans

Journey from the Fall, dir. Ham Tran
April 23 - 7:30pm - Chemistry 402
Hosted by Vietnamese Student Assn.
*****Special Guest Speaker: Director Ham Tran*****

Infernal Affairs, dir. Wai-Keung Lau
April 28 - 6pm - Minor 125
Hosted by Hong Kong Student Assn.

OFFscreen Presents: DIVA



Diva
Dir. Jean-Jacques Beineix - France, 1981- 123 min.
Sunday, April 6 - 7:00 & 9:30 PM

Jules, a bohemian courier in Paris, is obsessed with two things: opera and the elusive Cynthia, an American soprano who refuses to record her mellifluous voice. Desperate to hear more of her, Jules secretly tapes one of her live performances. But when the tape is switched with a police recording of a white-slavery ring, Jules becomes entangled in a chase stretching throughout Paris's vast, color-saturated landscape. Utilizing the romping stylistics of the French (New) New Wave, Diva is a playful experiment in genre as well as a gripping tale of suspense. "Here is a director taking audacious chances, doing wild and unpredictable things with his camera and actors, just to celebrate moviemaking." (Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times)

Click here to read Ebert's full review.

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Hannah Takes the Stairs + OFFscreen Award


OFFscreen Presents
Hannah Takes the Stairs
Featuring our very special guest, DIR. JOE SWANBERG
Sunday, March 16 - 7:00 & 9:30 PM - 83 min.
Dir. Joe Swanberg - USA, 2007

There will be a Q+A session with JOE SWANBERG following the 7:00 PM Screening.

Writer-director Joe Swanberg's microbudget feature is a big leap forward in lo-fi, do-it-yourself filmmaking. Shooting digitally and taking a hands-on approach with his actors, Swanberg prefers improvised, fleeting moments rather than sweeping dramatic revelations. The film follows Hannah, a recent graduate, through a series of quick summer relationships as the characters attempt to navigate the post-college abyss. Andrew Bujalski, director of Mutual Appreciation, and Mark Duplass (The Puffy Chair) play two objects of her roaming affection. As endearingly bumbling and aimless as its characters, Hannah is a prime example of the "mumblecore" movement in film, and an "ode to love in the time of cultural distraction." (David Fear, Time Out New York)

Click here to check out the complete review by David Fear.

Also be sure to pick up a copy of the Declaration for an interview with Joe Swanberg by our own Joe Mier. Or you can read it here.

Finally, I am very proud to announce that OFFscreen was given the award for being the Most Outstanding CIO for the 2007-2008 year. We are all very excited about this award, and are thankful for everyone who has been coming out to the films and supporting us.

Berlinale Film Festival

One of OFFscreen's members, Alex, is currently abroad and was lucky enough to check out the Berlinale Film Festival. Here is his update:

As an OFFscreen member studying in Europe, it can be difficult to miss all of the interesting films shown throughout the semester. Fortunately, I was able to attend the end of the 58th Berlin Film Festival. The Festival ran from February 7th through the 17th.

I arrived in Berlin on the 16th and was planning on seeing the new Michel Gondry comedy Be Kind Rewind. Unfortunately when I got to the box office I was informed that the screening was "only for the right sort of people." I am assuming (hoping) that this meant it was some sort of awards ceremony.

Luckily I was able to make it to the final showing at the Festival, which was the British comedy Happy-Go-Lucky. The film centered around a London schoolteacher named Poppy played by Sally Hawkins, who put in an immense performance and was awarded with the best actress award at the festival. I thought the best moments of the film came through the more peripheral characters including a neurotic driving instructor and the an intense Salsa teacher.



The real highlight of the experience was the atmosphere. The festival is a very big deal in the city, and the official messenger bags are a hot item. I saw one on every subway (u-bahn) ride I took. The film was shown in the prestigious Berlinale Palaste, the showpiece theater for the entire festival. It is actually only a movie theater for two weeks out of the year, as it normally houses large audiences for musicals. The red carpet outside and caped ushers inside definitely made for an intense viewing
experience.

Going to the Berlinale made me think of how lucky the Charlottesville viewers are to be able to experience films of a similar quality, which are normally reserved for big international festivals. Enjoy the rest of the season!

Saturday, February 16, 2008

Francophone - Saturday

The 3rd Annual Francophone Film Festival continues today with two FREE films.


Au-delà de la haine
Beyond Hatred (2005)
5:00pm, Wilson 402 Auditorium - FREE
Dir: Olivier Meyrou, 86 min.
Speaker: Carlos Fagundo, French Department
Twenty-nine-year-old François Chenu, openly homosexual, was murdered on the night of September 13, 2002 in a park in Reims, France by three skinheads. Olivier Meyrou’s camera follows François’ parents, sisters and brothers as each member tries to deal with his or her grief. In the course of filming, the family changes. The grief is gradually replaced by a desire to understand the murderers, who come from socially and culturally underprivileged families. The young murderers were exploited by right-wing radical groups. As a filmmaker, Meyrou did not want to make a documentary about homophobia, but a universal film about tolerance and intolerance. He arrived in Reims before the skinheads’ trial in order to meet the attorneys for both parties, but especially François’ family. His tact and sensitivity lead them to accept him. After a few months Meyrou brought his camera along. Soon, all those involved forgot that the camera was there and spoke with great dignity and natural authority, and without the least tendency to pathos.


Le plafond de verre
The Glass Ceiling (2004)
7:30pm, Wilson 402 Auditorium
Dir: Yamina Benguigui, 52 min.
Speaker: Majida Bargach, French Department
“The Glass Ceiling” is an American sociological expression referring to the invisible, impalpable barrier that prevents women from reaching the same level as men in their careers. Using this metaphor, Yamina Benguigui examines the integration of immigrants in the workplace. For her, the comparison between immigrants and women is relevant because they face the same challenges: the issue is not necessarily about finding work, but about being hired for positions of responsibility that correspond to their educational backgrounds. The film provides deeply moving testimonies of qualified students who, because of their obviously foreign last names, were not called back for job interviews. Some chose to fight for jobs for which they are qualified, others gave up and accepted positions with less or no responsibilities. Yamina Benguigui also interviews experts who discuss the reasons behind discrimination, which include France’s colonial past as well as deeply entrenched corporate practices, and the difficulty that individuals of foreign origins face.

Sunday, February 03, 2008

Children Left Behind

UNICEF Awarded "Children Left Behind" in Rural China Documentary Screening
-"They have parents, but they live very lonely lives. They eat alone, they
play alone."

Producer: Catherine Lee Yuk San (Hong Kong)

"Children Left Behind"
, a 30-minute documentary, chronicles the lives of
children who are "left behind" in the villages of rural China, when their
parents migrate to urban areas in search of work. As part of China's
economic boom, it is estimated that over 120 million rural migrants have
moved to urban areas to work in factories and construction. A new phenomenon
in China, the number of children "left behind" is now estimated to be over
22 million. Although it is their basic right to have their parent's love,
concern and care, in reality you can see that they live like an orphan. (For
more info, visit http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/china_41650.html)
After the screening, Dream Corps will present an introduction about
education and community building projects in rural China. An interactive
question and answer session will follow, with information on how you can get
involved with our current projects.
Join us to learn a new perspective of China. FREE THAI TEA will be provided!

When: Feb 7th, Thursday 7:00-8:00pm
Where: Clark 108
Website: http://www.student.virginia.edu/~dcuva
Sponsors: Americans for Informed Democracy, Mainland Student Network

Terror's Advocate



OFFscreen Presents
Terror's Advocate
Dir. Barbet Schroeder - France, 2007 - 135 min.
Sunday, February 3 - 7:00 & 9:45 PM

Barbet Schroeder attempts to illuminate the mystery behind the enigmatic Jacques Vergès, the controversial lawyer and former Free French Forces guerrilla fighter who has defended unpopular political figures and war criminals. Centered around interviews with Vergès, his colleagues, clients and comrades, the documentary seeks to uncover a man who took pride in his unparalleled tactics in the fields of law and politics. Schroeder explores and questions the history of blind terrorism and reaches towards shocking revelations that expose long-hidden histories. "It is one of the most engaging, morally unsettling political thrillers in quite some time, with the extra advantage of being true." (A. O. Scott, New York Times)

Click here to read A.O Scott's Full Review.

Click here to visit the official site of the film and check out the trailer.

Film series at UVa

Hey everyone, this film series just got started up last Thursday. If you are interested in any of these films on Globalization you should definitely check them out.

Globalization and Education
An International Film Series for the
Curry/UVA Community


When: Thursdays 5-7pm

Where:
(in the auditorium in Ruffner Hall) RFN G004C

We've compiled a documentary film series of cutting edge, social
justice films that we hope will inspire, educate and engage the entire
UVA community to discuss and think more broadly about global issues in
education. Most of the films have been selected from various
international film festivals and focus on globalization, and we've
identified those that look specifically at global influences on
education and other social sectors. Offering an alternative view to
understanding globalization in purely economic terms, the film series
and discussions will serve as an important forum for thinking about
and acting on global concerns, reminding us that a different
trajectory is not only possible but imperative. We hope you'll be able
to join us!

Each of the films runs approximately 1 to 1 1/2 hours and will be
followed by a facilitated discussion (sometimes with the film actors,
directors or faculty from the particular country or region ? see
details in the flier!). We will kick off the series this Thursday
night (1/31) with a film about education and the colonial system in
Cameroon. We are fortunate to have Caroline Berinyuy, a Social
Foundations doctoral student who is from Cameroon and has been
teaching there for the past 20 years to lead off the discussion.


Film topics and dates

Feb. 7 Life and Debt (Jamaica, Stephanie Black, 1 hour 26 min)
(***ROOM CHANGE ?RFN 175): Utilizing excerpts from the award-winning
non-fiction text "A Small Place" by Jamaica Kincaid, Life & Debt is a
woven tapestry of sequences ... all » focusing on the stories of
individual Jamaicans whose strategies for survival and parameters of
day-to-day existence are determined by the U.S. and other foreign
economic agendas.

February 14: Testing Hope: Grade 12 in the New South Africa (South
Africa, Molly Blank, 1 hour) Chronicles the lives of four young people
in Nyanga township, just outside Cape Town, as they work towards their
crucial final high school exams, the Matric. While this is the new
South Africa, many vestiges of apartheid remain ? poverty is
entrenched, many students live in shacks, and families have been
dramatically changed by the impact of HIV-AIDS.

February 28: The Other Europe (58min) Immigration is as hot button an
issue across Europe as it is here. The film is a penetrating study of
the economics and politics behind the immigration debate with
revealing parallels to our own country.

Mar. 13: Granito de Arena (Grains of Sand) (Mexico, 2 hours) For
over 20 years, global economic forces have been dismantling public
education in Mexico, but always in the constant shadow of popular
resistance...Granito de Arena is the story of that resistance ? the
story of hundreds of thousands of public schoolteachers whose
grassroots, non-violent movement took Mexico by surprise. Discussion
with David Edwards, International Initiatives at the NEA.

March 27: Saudi Solutions (Saudi Arabia,77 min) Filmmaker Bregtje van
der Haak is the first Western filmmaker ever granted permission to
film the lives of Saudi women. She profiles several women with
professional careers--including a journalist, a doctor, a
photographer, a television newsreader, a university professor and the
nation's first female airplane pilot--and asks them to explain what it
means to be a modern woman in a fundamentalist Islamic society.

April 10: Sand and Sorrow (Sudan, Freedman, 93 minutes) Offered
exclusive and unparalleled access to the situation on the ground
inside Darfur, Peabody award-winning filmmaker, Paul Freedman ("Rwanda
- Do Scars Ever Fade?"), joins a contingent of African Union
peacekeeping forces in Darfur while a tragic and disturbing chapter in
human history unfolds. Discussion with the Filmmaker Paul Freedman and
human rights activist and author of many books on Darfur, John
Prendergast.

April 17: Secret Ballot (Iran, 100min) A film about democracy and
social change in Iran explored through the lives of a soldier and a
young woman who are tasked with collecting votes throughout the
country. Followed by a discussion with the film's leading actor,
Nassim Dezfooli, about the film, girls' education and the grass-roots
democracy movement in Iran.

April 24: Two films: New Rulers of the World (53 minutes) Journalist
John Pilger investigates the realities of globalization by taking a
close look at TNCs in Indonesia (companies such as GAP, Levis, Nike,
Rebock) and Afro@Digital (Congo/France/ Nigeria, 52 minutes) begins
with a provocative question: How can Africa escape the logic of
poverty and unequal development by making sure that digital technology
doesn't pass it by, become an agent of neo-colonialism or marginalize
it still further?

Friday, February 01, 2008

OFFScreen gets Press

So many of you may have seen our articles in both the Declaration and in the Tableau portion of the Cav Daily, but if you didn't here they are:

Cav Daily, Thursday, Jan. 31, 2008: HERE


The Declaration
, Jan. 24, 2008: HERE

See you Sunday for Terror's Advocate.

Sunday, January 27, 2008

I Want Someone to Eat Cheese With

Tonight marks the big premier of the OFFScreen Spring Season.
Come join us for


I Want Someone to Eat Cheese With
Dir. Jeff Garlin - USA, 2006 - 80 min.
Sunday, January 27
7:00 & 9:30 PM
Tickets $3

Curb Your Enthusiasm's Jeff Garlin writes, directs, and stars in this offbeat romantic comedy that is a poignant and double-edged look at an over-the-hill actor in search of a companion. James only really wanted three things in life: someone to love him, a great part, and to lose weight. Unfortunately, he is 0 for 3. His girlfriend dumps him, he loses the title role in a remake of Paddy Chayefsky's Marty to teen idol Aaron Carter, and he sneaks out of an Overeaters Anonymous meeting only to wind up at an ice cream parlor. There, he meets an employee named Beth (Sarah Silverman), who is animated and whimsical, with plenty of issues of her own. "Idiosyncratic and personal, [Cheese] is a comedy that could only have come from the distinctive mind of its very talented creator." (Jim Hemphill, Reel.com)

Click here to read the complete review from Jim Hemphill on Reel.com.

Click here to check out the trailer and official film website.

Additionally, Season passes for OFFScreen will be available for sale in the lobby. Passes for new members are $26, and passes for returning members $20.

Monday, January 21, 2008

Spring 2008 Schedule Finalized

The Spring 2008 OFFScreen schedule has been finalized:


















I Want Someone to Eat Cheese With

Sunday, January 27th / 7:00 & 9:30 pm / 80 minutes
Dir. Jeff Garlin / USA, 2006













Terror's Advocate

Sunday, February 3rd / 7:00 & 9:45 pm / 135 minutes
Dir. Barbet Schroeder / France, 2007















Les Bonnes Femmes

Sunday, February 10th / 7:00 & 9:30 pm / 100 minutes
Dir. Claude Chabrol / France/Italy, 1960















Comedy of Power
with the Francophone Film Festival
Sunday, February 17th / 7:00 & 9:30 pm / 110 minutes
Dir. Claude Chabrol / Germany/France, 2006









Khadak

Sunday, February 24th / 7:00 & 9:30 pm / 104 minutes
Dir. Peter Brosens & Jessica Woodworth / Belgium, 2006

















Hannah Takes the Stairs

Sunday, March 16th / 7:00 & 9:30 pm / 83 minutes
Dir. Joe Swanberg / USA, 2007













Lake of Fire

Sunday, March 23rd / 7:00 & 9:45 pm / 152 minutes
Dir. Tony Kaye / USA, 2006















Jellyfish
(Special Advance Screening)
With short film The Women's Kingdom
Sunday, March 30th / 7:00 & 9:30 pm / 100 minutes (total running time)
Jellyfish: Dir. Shira Geffen & Etgar Keret / France/Israel, 2007 / 78 minutes
The Women's Kingdom: Dir. Xiaoli Zhou / China/USA, 2006 / 22 minutes














Diva

Sunday, April 6th / 7:00 & 9:30 pm / 123 minutes
Dir. Jean-Jacques Beineix / France, 1981















Nanking

Sunday, April 13th / 7:00 & 9:30 pm / 88 minutes
Dir. Bill Guttentag & Dan Sturman / USA, 2007















The Violin

Sunday, April 20th / 7:00 & 9:30 pm / 98 minutes
Dir. Francisco Vargas / Mexico, 2005
















Chop Shop

Sunday, April 27th / 7:00 & 9:30 pm / 84 minutes
Dir. Ramin Bahrani / USA, 2007