2018 Global Film Festival opens Feb. 15
The William & Mary Global Film Festival is celebrating its 11th anniversary with four days of films, special guests, workshops and receptions from Feb. 15-18 at the Kimball Theatre.
The festival will feature a diverse program of films and live events showcasing the work of international filmmakers, the William & Mary community and a variety of performers and musicians.
The lineup includes films from or about Italy, Mexico, Israel, Turkey, Russia and many more countries. The majority of events feature special guests, including directors, actors and producers, one of whom is W&M alumnus Milan Chakraborty ’00. He is one of the producers of "My Friend Dahmer."
The GFF strives to make programming accessible to all members of the community and is able to do so through sponsorship from numerous community and William & Mary organizations. Tickets are free, $5, or $10, depending on the event. Free programs include the Cuban narrative film “Ultimos Dias en la Habana,” one of the Academy Award nominees for Best Animated Feature, “The Breadwinner” and the Bosnian documentary “Children of Peace.”
{{youtube:medium|E7dV8XRkozg The 2018 GFF trailer}}
"Children of Peace," the story of the first generation of children born after the Bosnian war, has special meaning. The festival is helping to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the W&M Bosnia Project, now called the American-Bosnian Collaboration or ABC Project. Among the events scheduled is a discussion of the film, Friday at 2 p.m.
In attendance will be directors Emir Kapetanovic and Zana Marjanovic and ABC Project co-founder Larisa Kasumagic-Kefedzic. Kapetanovic has created numerous films, theatre pieces, web series and comedy shows. But he turns art into activism as he highlights Bosnia and Herzegovina's lingering problems surrounding national unity, reconciliation, youth and inclusion.
Marjanovic maintains a successful acting career, having starred in Angelina Jolie’s directorial debut, "In the Land of Blood and Honey." She has served in the House of Representatives in the Parliament of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina since 2014.
Several film screenings will feature live performances. Students from William & Mary organizations including the W&M Confucius Institute and Russian Music Ensemble will play music for the half hour preceding “Cook Up a Storm,” a Chinese film about rival cooks, and “Zoology,” a Russian film about a woman who grows a tail. Additionally the Middle Eastern Music Ensemble will play before the GFF’s final film, “Foxtrot.”
Following the “Cook Up a Storm” screening on Thursday the William & Mary Confucius Institute will host a reception at the Williamsburg Art Gallery with catering from Peter Chang's restaurant. Peter Chang will be present to greet guests and talk about the food being served.
Friday’s 7:30 p.m. feature, “Phantom Thread,” was just nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Picture.
Saturday at 8 p.m., the documentary “Rat Film” will be featured. The film uses rats, and their interaction with humans, to explore the history of Baltimore. Special guest at the screening will be Theo Anthony, the film’s writer and director.
Sunday at 3 p.m., a Washington D.C. based group of musicians, "Hesperus," will perform live musical accompaniment to a screening of the classic silent film “Nosferatu.”
More than 20 alumni working in the arts will be present at the festival to facilitate workshops on their area of expertise. The workshops offer attendees an opportunity to learn more about different aspects of working in the arts, from screenwriting to technical aspects of editing and sound recording, to theater production, to writing children’s literature, and more.
Workshops are free to attend and open to both students and the public.
During the GFF, the Muscarelle Museum of Art will host the Saturday, Feb. 17, evening festival reception featuring heavy hors d’ouevres and an open bar from 5-7 p.m. Thanks to the Muscarelle’s sponsorship, 100 percent of ticket sales will support GFF programming costs. Tickets are $35 and on sale now.
Visit wmglobalfilmfestival.com for more information. All-access passes and Saturday evening festival reception tickets are on sale now. Tickets for individual programs may be purchased at the Kimball Theatre box office.
