Staff report
Bloomington, Indiana – October 19, 2023
The 2023-24 IU Global Film Festival is set to take cinephiles on a journey across cultures as it unveils a monthly showcase of international films. The festival, a collaborative endeavor between Indiana University’s Area Studies Centers at the IU Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies, IU Global, and IU Cinema, will present these cinematic gems at IU Cinema and partner cinemas throughout Indiana.
This initiative aims to offer the public an enriching cinematic experience while shedding light on themes of diaspora, belonging, and the broader human experience from diverse corners of the globe. The best part? All screenings are free of charge, making these international cinematic adventures accessible to all.
“The creative storytelling inherent in film creates a gateway for students to explore the themes that govern modern life. The diversity of the series demonstrates how critical it is for these efforts to be collaborative and span multiple disciplines, themes, and communities in order to succeed,” stated Interim Vice President for International Affairs Hilary Kahn.
The films to be showcased during the festival were handpicked by Indiana University’s Hamilton Lugar School’s renowned area studies centers. These centers specialize in language and cultural expertise, and their selections align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, which focus on global cooperation to improve human lives and protect the environment.
Colton Ames, Associate Director of the Institute for European Studies and coordinator for the film series, noted, “We felt that a regular film series would both immerse viewers more deeply into these narratives, while also forming a communal experience where people could discuss and process the films together in conversation with the experts from our centers.”
What sets this festival apart is the opportunity for post-screening discussions. Each screening will feature a dialogue with the film’s director or an IU expert, allowing audiences to delve deeper into the themes and messages conveyed by these international cinematic works.
In collaboration with the IU Center for Rural Engagement, additional screenings will be scheduled in various locations across Indiana, including Spencer, Nashville, Salem, Huntingburg, and Jasper, expanding the reach of these cultural experiences.
To stay updated with the festival schedule and screening locations, visit bit.ly/IUGlobalFilmFest.
Schedule:
- Tuesday, September 19 — “Mama Irene,” 7:00 p.m., Fine Arts 015
- Sunday, October 15 — “His House,” 7:00 p.m., Story Inn in Nashville, Ind. A powerful tale of a refugee couple’s harrowing escape from war-torn South Sudan and their struggles in adapting to life in an English town with a sinister underbelly.
- Tuesday, October 24 — “R.M.N.,” 7:00 p.m., IU Cinema A striking portrait of ethnic and economic resentments unraveling the fabric of a small mountain town in Romania.
- Monday, November 13 — “Descendant,” Time TBD, Tivoli Theatre in Spencer, Ind. This documentary delves into the stories of Africatown, a small Alabama community whose residents share their heritage as descendants of the last known slave ship to illegally transport individuals from Africa to America.
- Tuesday, November 28 — “Twice Colonized,” 7:00 p.m., IU Cinema After enduring a tragedy, an Inuit activist embarks on a journey to reclaim her heritage in this impactful documentary.
- Monday, December 4 — “Ashkal,” 7:00 p.m., Fine Arts 015 A thrilling crime drama set in an abandoned apartment complex in Tunisia.
- Tuesday, January 30 — “Descendant,” 7:00 p.m., IU Cinema A follow-up screening of the documentary “Descendant,” which explores the stories of Africatown’s residents.
- Tuesday, February 27 — “Terra Mater / Tori & Lokita,” 7:00 p.m., IU Cinema “Terra Mater” is a short film focusing on technology, waste, and the search for healing in our environments. “Tori & Lokita” narrates the journey of a young boy and a teenage girl from Cameroon and Benin as they make a new life in Belgium.
- Tuesday, March 26 — “Flee,” 7:00 p.m., Location TBD “Flee” recounts the remarkable journey of Amin Nawabi, a child refugee from Afghanistan, as he grapples with a long-held secret that could disrupt the life he’s built.
- Tuesday, April 23 — “The Exiles,” 7:00 p.m., IU Cinema Documentarian Christine Choy seeks closure on an abandoned film she started in 1989 by tracking down three exiled dissidents from the Tiananmen Square massacre.
The IU Global Film Festival is a collaborative effort involving IU Global, the Robert F. Byrnes Russian and East European Institute, the Institute for European Studies, Center for the Study of Global Change, African Studies Program, the Inner Asian & Uralic National Resource Center, the Center for the Study of the Middle East, the East Asian Studies Center, and the Center for Latin American & Caribbean Studies.
