Cynthia RockwellBenh Zeitlin ’04, director of Beasts of the Southern Wild, and producer Dan Janvey ’06 joined Director of the Cinema Archives and Corwin-Fuller Professor of Film Studies Jeanine Basinger on Nov. 12 for a free-wheeling Q&A on the making of their indie hit, Beasts of the Southern Wild. The talk took place in the Goldsmith Family Cinema. They began by showing a segment on the making of the film—“a world premiere,” they noted, adding that it will be included on the DVD when the film is released for home viewing. Currently the Sundance and Cannes award-winner is still showing in theaters and…
Lauren RubensteinJeanine Basinger, Corwin-Fuller Professor of Film Studies, chair of film studies, was honored in Variety magazine's special feature edition, "Women's Impact Report 2012." In the profile, Basinger discusses her typical work week; the often-underestimated number of hours that college professors dedicate to their jobs; her secret to work-life balance; and why she doesn't carry a cell phone. She says, "My worklife and my personal life are very highly integrated. Students I've taught have now become my friends and are a part of my life. I don't have a problem juggling two lives, my life is coherent and it's only one life. In a…
Speaking in the Center for Film Studies on Sept. 24, actor Bradley Whitford ’81 shared wisdom on subjects ranging from show business to politics to dealing with the insecurity inherent in being an actor. Whitford addressed an audience of film and theater majors, prospective majors and alumni. Best known for his role as Josh Lyman on The West Wing, Whitford was recently elected to Wesleyan’s Board of Trustees. He has also had starring roles in the shows Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip and The Good Guys. Recently, he co-starred in a film, “Cabin in the Woods,” written by Joss Whedon…
"Common Ground 2012," the 4th annual Middletown International Film Festival, kicks off Oct. 11 with a screening of My Voice (Nha Fala), a 2002 film in Portuguese directed by Flora Gomes. The film will be shown at 7 p.m. at Wesleyan's Film Studies Department. Five more films from around the world will be aired as part of the festival. They are: Thursday, Oct. 18 at Russell Library Seraphine (French, 2008) Directed by Martin Provost Thursday, Oct. 25 at Russell Library The Concert (Russian, 2009) Directed by Radu Mihaileanu Thursday, Nov. 1 at Wesleyan Film Studies Poetry (Korean, 2010) Directed by Chang-dong Lee Thursday,…
Bill HolderMike Fries ’85, president and chief executive officer of Liberty Global, has made a gift of $2 million in support of the Wesleyan Cinema Archives Endowment Fund. The gift establishes the Charles W. Fries Curator of the Wesleyan Cinema Archives, which Fries named in honor of his father. Chuck Fries is considered the “godfather” of the television movie for his role in producing or supervising more than 275 hours of television movies and mini-series. His films have won Emmy, Peabody, Humanitas and Christopher awards among others from film festivals. “Wesleyan’s Cinema Archives,” says President Michael S. Roth, “is a treasure…
Olivia DrakeWesleyan is hosting its first South Asia Film Series starting April 5. All films take place in the Center for Film Studies and are free of charge. Saturday, April 21 at 2 p.m., PATHER PANCHALI (India, 1955), Dir: Satyajit Ray. Music by Ravi Shankar. Acclaimed drama about a young girl, Durga, and her family’s village life. Saturday, April 28 at 2 p.m., EYES OF STONE (India, 1989), Dir: Nilita Vachani. Ms. Vachani will introduce her film. Gillian Goslinga, assistant professor of anthropology, will be on the panel after the film. Documentary about demonic possession and goddess temples. A panel discussion…
David PesciWesleyan's Center for Film Studies Cinema Archives has long been acknowledged as one of the most vital collections and educational resources of its kind in the world. The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) has approved a $425,000 challenge grant to the archives. Support from NEH, which requires a three to one match with private gifts, will ensure that the archives continue to grow and flourish. The four-year NEH grant will help endow a full-time curatorial position for the Cinema Archives, a collection which includes the personal papers and other materials of such seminal film icons as Frank Capra, Elia…
The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) has offered Wesleyan's Center for Film Studies Cinema Archives a $425,000 challenge grant. Support from NEH, which requires a three to one match with private gifts, will ensure that the Archives continue to grow and flourish. The four-year NEH grant will help endow a full-time curatorial position for the Cinema Archives, a collection which includes the person papers and other materials of such seminal film icons as Frank Capra, Elia Kazan, Federico Fellini, Martin Scorsese, Clint Eastwood and Ingrid Bergman, among others. The NEH grant will only partially endow the position and, because it is…
David LowThis fall, Wesleyan University’s Center for Film Studies will sponsor a special film and speaker series titled WOMEN AND FILM. This series is dedicated to work made by women. Each installment of the series will feature a movie helmed by a female filmmaker, to be followed by a Q&A with the filmmaker herself. Made possible by special support from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, WOMEN AND FILM will comprise a wide variety of cinematic experiences, including short films, documentaries and a romantic feature film. “I am thrilled that the Academy is sponsoring WOMEN AND FILM because I’ve…
The Department of Film Studies received a $7,500 grant from the Academy Foundation of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to support the AMPAS Speaker Series in 2011-12. The grant was awarded on May 1. Lea Carlson, associate director of film studies, is the grant's P.I. This is the third year Wesleyan received support from the Academy to fund the speaker series. Film Studies will welcome about four speakers to campus in the second half of the fall semester.
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Planned Parenthood presented Wesleyan Uncut, a student group that promotes sexual dialogue on campus, with this year's prestigious "Walk the Talk" award at their annual gala in Washington D.C. April 7. The students created a video titled “I Have Sex,” to speak out against an ideological attack against Planned Parenthood. Uncut members Jacob Eichengreen ’13, Su Park '12, Melanie Hsu '13, Katya Botwinick '13 and Laura Lupton ’12 attended the ceremony. Planned Parenthood funded their travel expenses to D.C. Wesleyan Uncut conceptualized the film with filmmakers Eric Byler ’94 and Annabel Park. The video has more than 286,000 views on…