Conference Film Festival

Location:   Palmer House Hilton, 6th Floor - Parlor G

Thursday, August 5   7 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Friday, August 6       12 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Saturday, August 7    8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Experience a Film Festival that is by, from and for Returned Peace Corps Volunteers who share their stories and experiences on film!!

The Film Festival will take place over the course of three days with films being shown next door to the hospitality suite. View the films and discuss them with the filmmaker or a knowledgeable representative. Hear a panel discussion with Chicago based filmmakers and educators, bringing common filmmaking issues to the fore and sharing information on distribution possibilities.

Panel Discussion on Filmmaking - Friday, August 6 at 1 p.m to 2:30 p.m.

Featuring: 

• Trayce Campbell (WTTW); and
• Patrick Friel (Chicago Filmmakers).

Film topics range from a film about the brave people of Africa fighting a heroic battle against the devastation of AIDS to a documentary about Haitian painters to climate change and clean energy issues in the Chesapeake Bay and more.

Check the bulletin boards on site for a complete schedule.

Contact Person: Helen Haugsnes snes@anet.com or 630-355-3916.

2004 RPCV FILM FESTIVAL - FILM DESCRIPTIONS

BOLIVIA    Filmmaker:  G. Marr Burdman
"A Peace Corps Reunion: Reminiscence and Reflections…" a 19 minute film of her return, after 40 years, to the Bolivian children and grandchildren of the people she served. Dr. Burdman is President of GeroWise, International, dedicated to the promotion of global understanding across the generations.
Showtime:  Friday, August 6 at 3 p.m.

BURUNDI    Filmmaker:  Edie Scott
Gabriel, a fish farmer in Burundi, harvests his fish pond one Saturday, in hopes to make big money selling them at the Sunday market---especially since his eager PC friend Edita has come up with the plan to have a cleaning and cooking demonstration before hand. Her eagerness and his oblivion result in a market day the whole village will not soon forget.
Showtime:  Friday, August 6 at 3 p.m.

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC    Filmmaker:  Shanice Anderson
As a graduate of Florida State University Film School, this offering is of two short films and a documentary.
Showtime:  Friday, August 6 at 3 p.m.

GHANA Filmmaker:  Christine Giraud

"Crafting the West African Imagine: Film School in Ghana" is a 15 minute work in progress, as the filmmaker is presently working as Lecturer and Development Director for the National Film and Television Institute in Accra, Ghana. The film will be presented by Joe Andrews.
Showtime:  Friday, August 6 at 3 p.m.

HAITI   Filmmaker:  Jorgen Leth
"Dreamers" a one hour documentary about Haitian painters, produced by Danish filmmaker, Jorgen Leth, was ten years in the making. Matt Marek, Operations Manager of NPCA, his neighbor when he served in Haiti, brings this film to the festival.
Showtime:  Thursday, August 5 at 7 p.m.

INDIA    Filmmaker:  Harlan Johnson
"India---Beyond Imaging" is narrated live , and is shown in two 45 minutes segments, that includes not only returning to his PC site after 20 years, but also the two festivals, Pongal and Pooram.
Showtime:  Thursday, August at 7 p.m.

JAMAICA      Filmmaker:  Mike Dombrosky
Two films, one hour each, made currently in country : one an educational film made with the Ministry of Health and one made with the Community Based Training for the Peace Corps community.
Showtime:  Saturday, August 7 at 11:30 a.m.

MALAYSIA     Filmmaker:  Thaine Allison
About a PCV in Borneo/Sarawak I 1962-1964, who was captured by Moslem rebels and was to be executed at dawn by his captors. This is the story of his rescue by the British Royal Marines and the military action is juxtaposed against the humanitarian mission of the PCV and the PC projects. Time: 90 minutes.
Showtime:  Friday, August 6 at 8 p.m.

MALAWI     Filmmaker:  Kevin Denny
"Juma's Story" produced in the Chewa language, starring first-time actors who are orphans in the Malawi Children's Village. A 50 minute drama made this year.
Showtime:  Saturday, August 7 at 9 a.m.

MALAWI    Filmmaker:  Max Reid
"Dying In Silence, " confronting the problem of AIDS in Africa as expressed by the people themselves. 60 minutes.
Showtime:  Saturday, August 7 at 8:30 p.m.

MONGOLIA       Filmmaker:  Chris McKee
"Mujaan," a current documentary on nomadic architecture, unnarrated, designed to raise questions for discussion rather than to answer them. 40 minutes.
Showtime:  Friday, August 6 at 3 p.m.

PHILLIPPINES      Filmmaker:  Justin Neutra
"The Philippine Islands, A Peace Corps Perspective," 45 minutes. Stationed on the Island of Panay, in Water & Sanitation, this metallurgical engineer/horse wrangler/educator/ photographer/ is now a videographer, as well.
Showtime:  Friday, August 6 at 3 p.m.

ROMANIA     Filmmaker:  Amir Aslani
Serving in-country until July 20, 2004, in his backpack are four short documentaries concerning minority populations in Romania, Roma (gypsy), Hungarian, Tatar/Turkish, and physically disabled. Four high school students are placed within these families and their experience is recorded in this film. Time: one hour ten minutes.
Showtime:  Saturday, August 7 at 10:30 a.m.

Call for Films information.