International Film Festival
Faces of Media
The Carnegie Mellon International Film Festival, sponsored by the Humanities Center, is proud to present its 2013 theme, Faces of Media. From March 21st - April 13th, audiences will have the opportunity to enjoy Pittsburgh premiere screenings of over a dozen brand new and award-winning films from Germany, the United Kingdom, Denmark, Romania, Austria, Finland, Sweden, the Ukraine, Egypt, Iran, Japan, China, and the United States.
From the young protestors in Egypt who utilized social media apps like Facebook to mobilize a revolution to an American community in the near future that maintains social contact through constant live video feeds on individual home computers, the compelling real-life and fictional faces introduced by these films will provoke thoughtful questions about how our global media impacts society and vice versa. Contemporary issues concerning the societal effects of rapid globalized media development, such as violence, (in)justice, identity transformation, voyeurism, obsession, networking, and alienation, will be highlighted in the films through the unique constructs of language, imagery, and narrative.
The festival is also pleased to present a new permanent component this year, “Goodman Faces of Work” – a memorial tribute to Dr. Paul Goodman (1938-2012). A world-renowned filmmaker, psychologist, and Carnegie Mellon professor, Paul was an active proponent of introducing global theory and a wide variety of multimedia elements into the classroom. This annual component will incorporate some of Paul’s films along with international films related to Paul’s professional focus: the theme of work. Whether it is the story of a 21-year-old woman from the Balkans, who struggles to stay in her village in rural Sweden after losing her factory job or the slow yet victorious rise of entrepreneur Jack Ma in his journey toward building the first Chinese Internet startup company at the dawn of the new millennium, the documentaries and feature films within the Faces of Work series will emphasize the current human challenges and achievements of diverse workers worldwide.
In support of Paul’s vision, the festival intends to develop and nurture collaborative relationships among faculty and students from all Carnegie Mellon schools and colleges. By integrating festival screenings into a number of interdisciplinary academic curricula, including Spring 2013 courses such as “Introduction to Arabic Literature and Culture”, “Germany, Austria, and Switzerland in the 20th Century”, and “Topics in Japanese Studies”, students can learn about global cultures, media, work, and other humanities themes relevant to their course study through the visual texts of international film.
Audiences may continue to explore the numerous complex themes of these films beyond the screenings themselves by participating in audience Q&A sessions with international directors, artists, academics, and professionals. Directors Ann Oren, Porter Erisman, and Scott Hamilton are already confirmed to lead discussions or master classes. Come with an appetite for culture and exotic food, as most screenings will feature interactive performances by student artists and international cuisine from local eateries.
Whether you are fluent in all things related to new media or prefer to observe the constantly changing technology trends from a distance, the 2013 Carnegie Mellon International Film Festival: Faces of Media will provide you with the perfect chance to learn more about our evolving world of globalized communication through a cinematic lens. For additional information about the festival, please visit our website, www.cmu.edu/faces, or contact the festival director, Jolanta Lion, at jola@cmu.edu. We look forward to seeing your faces in the audience!
March 21-April 13, 2013