Three-Day International Film Screenings, Thursday, March 7 – Saturday, March 9, 2013
“Transformations” is the theme of the fourth annual Women In Media-Newark (WIM-N) film festival which will be held Thursday-Saturday, March 7 - 9, 2013 at the Paul Robeson Student Center at Rutgers-Newark, 350 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Newark NJ. The film screenings, offered in recognition of Women's History Month, are free and open to the public.
About the Event:
“This festival presents an amazing international array of independent films that serve to celebrate the indomitable spirit of women,” says festival founder Pamela Morgan. “We are pleased this year to introduce the winner of our Cell Phone Cinema Contest A’layeah Joisanne and her winning film Listen To Me on Saturday, March 9th. We will also continue our tradition of celebrating the accomplishments of illustrious women in the community on each day of the festival.”
Festival Highlights:
Hair care guru Jane Carter will be honored on Thursday, March 7 as well as a dedication to visionary filmmaker and author Julie Dash. Director of East Orange Public Library Carolyn Ryan Reed will be honored on Friday, March 8th; and Emmy award-winning journalist Sandra King, and Mother of the Matrix and Terminator Sophia Stewart will be honored on Saturday, March 9th. Festival activities will also include interviews with filmmakers, panel discussions, vendors and a silent auction.
Featured films include:
New York Times critic’s pick Elza, which is the first feature film by a woman from Guadelope;
- Sweet Dreams looks at the power of drumming and ice cream after the Rwandan genocide; and
- Dear Mandela looks at youthful social activism in post-apartheid South Africa (New York Times reviewed)
Film shorts include:
Listen to Me is the Cell Phone Cinema Contest winner by 17 year old, Montclair High School senior A’layeah Joisanne, who is the writer, director and lead actress in this film short.
- Catching Babies is about midwifery in the Mexican population in Texas by a Somolian filmmaker who lives in the US;
- Solace examines youthful perceptions;
- Stalled Quotes taken from the stalls in women’s bathrooms across North America made into a script;
- White Sugar in a Black Pot Examines hard decisions made for a family’s future;
- Do Pahar, a wonderful drama by famed Indian actress Sharifa Roy and her daughter Shazia Shrivastava; and
- Sista’ Soldier examines the history of African American women in the US military.
About Women In Media-Newark:
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.
Co-sponsors of the Women In Media-Newark film series include the Office of University and Community Partnerships, Rutgers – Newark campus, Rutgers Center for Global Advancement and International Affairs; Center for African Studies, Rutgers University.
The film festival is free and open to the public although donations are welcome. To learn more about potential sponsorship opportunities for the festival or to make a donation visit www.WIM-N.com or you may call 973-996-8342 or email info@wim-n.com.
A complete list of films and screening times is below:
Thursday, March 7, 2013 ~ 5:00 pm
Dedication to Filmmaker Julie Dash
Honoring Hair Care Guru Jane Carter
5:25 Madeleine : minute one USA | Directed by Numa Perrier | Running time: 1:00 min
5:30 Catching Babies (Somalia, Mexico, USA - 58 min.)
6:45 Elza (Guadeloupe - 82 min.) – Interview with the filmmaker following the screening (NY Times Critics Choice)
Friday, March 8, 2013 ~ 5:00 pm
Honoring Carolyn Ryan-Reed, Executive Director, East Orange Public Library
5:20 Solace – (USA – 10 min.)
5:30 My Name Was Bette – (USA - 60 min.)
6:45 Sweet Dreams - (Rwanda- 88 min.) Interview with the film maker following the screening
Saturday, March 9, 2013 ~ 12 noon
Honoring Journalist Sandra King and Mother of the Matrix and Terminator Sophia Stewart
12:15 pm Listen To Me – (USA – 5 min.) (Winning Video from the WIM-N Cell Phone Cinema Contest)
12:30 Stalled – (Canada - 16 min.)
12:55 White Sugar in A Black Pot – (USA – 18 min.)
1:25 Do Pahar – (India - 29 min.) Skype interview with film makers following screening
2:25 Sista' Soldier - (USA - 41 min.) Panel discussion following screening
3:45 Dear Mandela - (South Africa - 93 min.) Panel discussion following screening (Winner of the Sundance Institute Audience Engagement Award, New York Times Reviewed)
Media contact: Pamela Morgan, 973-996-8342, info@wim-n.com
