News

Newark, NJ – “Of the Spirit” Women’s History Month film festival will be held March 3 – 5, 2011 at the Paul Robeson Student Center at Rutgers, Newark campus, 350 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Newark NJ.

About the Event: Women In Media-Newark announced today the lineup of films selected to screen in “Of the Spirit,” their 2^nd annual Women’s History Month film festival. Working in conjunction with Rutgers Program of Women and Gender Studies symposium on religion, the international array of films all focus on the spirit of the divine that allows women to thrive and achieve, often in spite of harrowing conditions.

Feature films include Jennifer Jessum’s “Finding God In the City of Angels,” which is a comprehensive survey of the myriad religions – mainstream, indigenous and completely alternative – that one finds in Los Angeles; Laslo Faria’s “A Cidade das Mulheres,” which, influenced by the work of anthropologist Ruth Landes, looks at Candomble in Bahia, Brazil; and Lisa F. Jackson’s award winning “The Greatest Silence: Rape in the Congo“. Four inspiring film shorts round out the offerings. Panel discussions will follow “A Cidade das Mulheres” and “The Greatest Silence: Rape in the Congo,” and interviews with the film makers will accompany the short films.

The 2011 Women’s History Month Film Festival is free and open to the public, and runs March 3 – 5, 2011 at the Paul Robeson Student Center, Rutgers – Newark, with a special screening taking place at the Newark Public Library on March 3.  The complete list of films and screening schedule is available at www.wim-n.com.

A reception will conclude the festival on Saturday, March 5 where community service awards will be given to Gloria Buck of the Newark Black Film Festival; Marcia Brown, Vice Chancellor for Student and Community Affairs, Rutgers – Newark; Gladys Grauer, artist and arts educator Joyce Wilson-Harley, Essex County Administrator; and Patricia Kettenring,  founder of Glass Roots, and on faculty at the Rutgers School of Public Affairs and Administration.

About WIM-N:

Women In Media – Newark is an organization that advocates for and educates the public about issues affecting the lives of women using film, video and new media as our platform. Merging culture and academia, we rally behind our sisters who courageously struggle to assume leadership roles in the film industry with their conscious effort to present a balanced image of women, dispelling the stereotypes, and changing public perception of their sisters worldwide. More information can be found on the web at: www.WIM-N.com. The festival is free and open to the public, though donations are welcomed.