Film enthusiasts will be happy to know that Imperial County is one of only four places in the country where feature documentary and narrative films will be screened as part of the Film Forward: Advancing Cultural Dialogue initiative.
“It’s a big deal for us,” said Charla Teeters, executive director of the Imperial County Film Commission.
The program runs from April 30 to May 4, she said. Shows are free and will take place all over the Valley, “from Brawley to Calexico and even in Mexicali,” Teeters said.
Film Forward comes as the Valley prepares for the second annual Imperial Valley Film Festival and Artist Showcase on May 4 and 5.
The slate of films in Film Forward includes domestic and foreign movies like “Another Earth,” winner of the Alfred P. Sloan Prize at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival; and “Grbavica,” by Jasmila Zbanic, winner of the 2006 Berlin International Film Festival.
The documentaries “Senna,” which profiles Brazilian Formula One driver Ayrton Senna, winner of the F1 world championship three times before his death at age 34, and “Green Wave,” which portrays how Iranian civilians reacted to the 2009 Iranian presidential elections, are also noteworthy movies on the schedule.
In addition, Rachel Perkins, director of the musical “Bran Nue Dae,” and Cindy Meehl, director of “Buck,” will come to the Valley and engage in a question and answer period, Teeters said.
The purpose of the initiative is to foster dialogue and appreciation of varying viewpoints while promoting independent films, the press release reads.
Film Forward is an initiative of Sundance Institute and the President’s Committee on the Arts.
The Imperial Valley Film Commission and Mexicali Rose are presenting the program with the support of area organizations, according to a press release.
On the Web
For the full schedule visit: http://www.sundance.org/filmforward/destination/california-2012/
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