greylocknews

Berkshire Museum Seeks Work from Berkshire-based Video Artists

Pittsfield, MA - Calling all video artists! The Berkshire Museum in Pittsfield, MA is seeking work from Berkshire-based video artists to include in the upcoming exhibit, Look at Us. The exhibit will have a particular focus on portraiture, self portraits and identity and will showcase the museum's diverse collection of art from the 17th century to the present, plus a selection of portraits from the Whitney Museum of American Art.

Look at Us will be on view July 1 through October 26, 2008. All submitted work must relate to or address the themes of the exhibit. Artists may submit up to 3 works no longer than 3 minutes in length on a DVD with a title menu that lists all video titles and running times along with a brief biography or resume.

All submissions should be sent to: Berkshire Museum c/o Maria Mingalone 39 South Street Pittsfield, MA 01201

All works submitted will be reviewed by a group of museum curators and staff. Artists will be notified of the museum's decision no later than June 2, 2008. The museum will return DVD's only if the artist includes a self-addressed, stamped envelope with their submission.

The submission deadline is: May 23, 2008.

PBS CHILD MARRIAGE FILM TO SCREEN AT MCLA

CORRESPONDENT MARIA HINOJOSA TO LEAD QUESTION AND ANSWER SESSION

NORTH ADAMS, MA – On Tuesday, April 15, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) with WGBY, public television for western New England, will present “Child Brides: Stolen Lives,” at 7 p.m. in Murdock Hall room 218. The screening is free and open to the public. It will be followed by a question and answer session with Public Broadcasting System (PBS) Senior Correspondent Maria Hinojosa.

From the PBS weekly newsmagazine, NOW on PBS, the documentary reports on child marriage in developing countries and how people can act locally and globally to solve the problem.

An estimated 100 million girls will be married over the next 10 years, and the hour-long special, “Child Brides: Stolen Lives” marks the first time the subject has been documented in a primetime television newsmagazine. Young girls from Niger, India and Guatemala are the subjects of this documentary.

In the program, Hinojosa takes viewers on a journey of sorrow, healing and hope, including scenes of an illegal midnight wedding in India where children as young as three are married. In each country, she reports on the work of community members who are campaigning to end the centuries-old practice of child marriage – sometimes putting their own lives at risk.Child brides typically experience high rates of childbirth complications, HIV infection and partner violence. Child marriage also traps families in a cycle of poverty.

“"Child marriage is today what female genital mutilation was 10 years ago - a global issue affecting millions of girls and women, yet one few people are talking about,”" said Hinojosa. "“I was moved and inspired by the people I met working at the community level to bring an end to this practice."

”In addition to serving as the senior correspondent for NOW, Hinojosa has hosted “Latino USA” on National Public Radio (NPR) since 1995. She hosted the WNBC-TV public affairs show “Visiones” before joining CNN in 1997, where she worked for the New York City bureau for eight years and became known for reporting urban issues. She has won many honors and awards, including being named one of the 100 Most Influential Hispanics by Hispanic Business magazine, the Robert F. Kennedy award, the National Association of Hispanic Journalists’ Radio Award, the New York Society of Professional Journalists
Deadline Award, the National Council of La Raza's Ruben Salazar Communications Award
and an Associated Press award.

“Child Brides: Stolen Lives” was produced by Amy Bucher. Full credits include Hinojosa, Senior Producer Lesley Norman, and Executive Producer John Siceloff. The production team consulted extensively with experts on the subject in the development of the film. The International Center for Research on Women and the Population Council provided assistance. Production funding for “Child Brides: Stolen Lives” was provided by the Nike Foundation.  The United Nations Population Fund and the UN Foundation
provided outreach funding.

For more information, go to www.wgby.org and www.mcla.edu .

Sprout Disability Touring Film Festival & Art Show April 6

Williamstown, MA - The BCARC Down Syndrome Family Group invites you to the Sprout Disability Touring Film Festival and Art Show featuring local artists with disabilities at Images Cinema, 50 Spring Street, Williamstown, MA on Sunday, April 6, 2008 at 2:00 PM.  The event will feature films about people with disabilities and their accomplishments!  The film festival will be followed by a catered reception and art show.  Tickets are $5 (under 18 free) and can be purchased in advance at the Images Cinema box office or by calling Ron Gallagher at 413-597-2311 or Steve Narey at 413-458-9231. 

"Plagues and Pleasures" Screened at MoCA March 27

North Adams, MA - Plagues and Pleasures will be screened at MASS MoCA on Thursday, March 27, at 8 PM in Club B-10 as part of the ongoing Green Docs series. Filmmakers Chris Metzler and Jeff Springer will be in attendance to answer questions after the screening. The Galleries at MASS MoCA are open this week from 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM, closed Tuesday. Call 413-662-2111.

Images Cinema Seeks Volunteers

Williamstown, MA - Images Cinema is eagerly seeking out fresh faces to join our roster of volunteers. Enthusiasm, curiosity, and interest in being involved in this community cinema are the only prerequisites.  Images is currently in need of concessions volunteers, and a children's events volunteer. Concessions volunteers generally work at the evening shows for about a half-hour to an hour each week. Concessions volunteers can be added to the sub list instead, if they'd prefer to work more sporadically. The children's events volunteer will be needed on weekends, in the mornings and early afternoons to help out with Kids First and birthday parties. Images Cinema volunteers earn free movies and popcorn in exchange for their work. Images Cinema's new volunteer coordinator is Janet Curran, the Managing Director, and she should be contacted regarding questions or interest in volunteering. janet@imagescinema.org or 413.458.1039.

MoCA to Screen Environmental Films March 14 & 15

North Adams, MA - On Friday, March 14 and Saturday, March 15, MASS MoCA will screen Everything’s Cool, a toxic comedy about the most dangerous chasm ever to emerge between scientific understanding and political action; and King Corn, a feature documentary about two friends, one acre of corn, and the subsidized crop that drives our fast-food nation. Both shows begin at 8:00 PM. Call 413-662-2111.

"Children in No-Man’s Land" to be Shown at MoCA March 15

On Saturday, March 15 at 3:00 PM, Children in No-Man’s Land will be shown at MASS MoCA, followed by a discussion. Screening is FREE but tickets are required and space is limited. Call 413-662-2111.

Images to Screen "West Side Story" March 3

Williamstown, MA - Images Cinema will screen West Side Story on 35mm (!!) Monday, March 3
@ 7pm. It's FREE and a rare opportunity (in our corner of the world)
to see the classic on film!

The screening is co-presented with the '62 Center for Theater and
Dance at Williams College and is part of the integrated programming
for Noche Flamenca & Soledad Barrio who will perform at the '62 Center
on Sunday, March 9.

Free Filmmaking Seminar in Pittsfield March 13

Free Filmmaking Seminar!  Monday, March 3, 2008, from 7 PM to 10 PM at
the Lichtenstein Center for the Arts, 28 Renne Ave., Pittsfield, MA,
413-499-9348.

This is the second of three free filmmaking workshops designed for the
beginning filmmaker to learn the basics of ultra-low budget MiniDV
film production from screenwriting to directing to film festival
submission.

The first seminar concentrated on screenwriting for low budget
projects, and this Monday, 3/3, will concentrate on the actual nuts
and bolts of film production--working with actors and crew, setting up
shots, and managing a safe and fun production.  It is
not required to have attended the first seminar to come to the second
seminar--only enthusiasm and an interest in learning filmmaking
necessary!  (These seminars are sponsored in part by the Pittsfield
and Lenox local cultural councils.)

About the instructor:  Marc Maurino is a writer, director, and
producer, and has directed four short films.  His last completed film,
Trigger Finger, premiered at the Berkshire International Film Festival
in May, 2007, screened at several other festivals, and won multiple
awards.

RSVPs appreciated but not required to
marc@whitelightfilmworks.com, as well as any questions
about the seminars.

Documentary on "Black Womyn" February 16 at Images

Williamstown, MA - On Saturday, February 16 at 1:30pm Images Cinema and the Williams College Multicultural Center present "Black Womyn: Conversations." Admission is free.

This documentary focuses on the lives and views of lesbians of African descent living in the United States. It features candid interviews with black lesbian women discussing coming out, sexuality and religion, love and relationships, marriage, patriarchy, visibility in media, discrimination and homophobia, activism, gender identity, Black lesbian youth and elders, balancing gender/race/sexuality, and, finally, what it means to call oneself a Black lesbian today.