The 8th annual Family of Woman Film Festival runs Feb. 24-March 1 in Sun Valley. It brings issues that confront women and girls around the world to the big screen each year, and a partnership with Boise State will bring special events to Boise.
Recognizing that the arts, creativity and culture play a vital role in Idaho’s prosperity, Boise State also is once again partnering with the Sun Valley Film Festival, March 4-8. This partnership leverages the economic impact of the arts in Idaho while also providing opportunities for students, faculty and professionals to further their creative activities.
Here are the details on both events:
Family of Woman Film Festival
Boise audiences can see two of this year’s films — “Sepideh” on Feb. 25 and “The Supreme Price” on Feb. 27 — as well as hear distinguished guest speakers discuss the films. Both screenings will take place in the Special Events Center on the Boise State campus and are free and open to the public.
Wednesday, Feb. 25, 6:30 p.m. “Sepideh” (90 min.)
This feature documentary from Iran will be presented in the United States for the first time outside of the Sundance Film Festival. Barbara Morgan, former NASA astronaut and distinguished educator in residence at Boise State, will join the film’s assistant director, Mona Rafatzadeh, in a conversation following the screening moderated by Idaho Public Television’s Marcia Franklin.
The star of her village school’s astronomy club, Sepideh lugs a telescope as tall as herself to a mountaintop to stargaze. She confides her dream of becoming an astronaut like her idol, Anousheh Ansari, in a journal addressed to Albert Einstein. When she’s passed over for a university scholarship and suitors come knocking at the door, her determination is seriously tested. This film is suitable for all ages.
Friday, Feb. 27, 6:30 p.m. “The Supreme Price” (75 min.)
This feature documentary from Nigeria will be jointly presented by filmmaker Joanna Lipper and the subject of the film, Hafsat Abiola. Abiola’s father was Nigeria’s first democratically elected president. After he was overthrown in a coup, her mother was assassinated while campaigning for his release, and he mysteriously died in prison. A college student in America at the time, Hafsat Abiola did not return to Nigeria until 1999, after the transition from military dictatorship to civilian rule, where she founded Kudirat Initiative for Democracy. The non-governmental organization is dedicated to advancing the status and rights of Nigerian women and girls. Learn more atwww.thesupremeprice.com.
The events at Boise State are presented by the Idaho Film Collection and the university’s Arts and Humanities Institute, Gender Studies program and Women’s Center. Learn more about festival activities at www.familyofwomanfilmfestival.org.
Sun Valley Film Festival
Tickets and festival passes are available now. Visit sunvalleyfilmfestival.org for more information. A slate of this year’s films is available at Sun Valley Film Festival.
Boise State is sponsoring this year’s Screenwriters Lab, hosted by Jim Rash and Nat Faxon, the Academy Award-winning writers of “The Descendants” and 2014’s “The Way Way Back.” The pair will host the lab, discuss their careers, give insight into the process of screenwriting and share some of their latest work.
“The Sun Valley Film Festival mirrors the innovation and creativity at the heart of all we do here at Boise State,” said Mark Rudin, vice president for research and economic development. “We are proud to be a part of this event that allows our students and the broader community to learn from industry experts.”
In an effort to increase the number of university students who are able to attend the festival, organizers have partnered with the university to offer a $100 Boise State student pass that includes round-trip bus transportation, tickets to four individual films, admission to the Screenwriters Lab, the Content Panel and more.
“Boise State has been a tremendous supporter, so we were thrilled to work together on an initiative to bring students to the film festival,” said Candice Pate, festival director. “I think it demonstrates Boise State’s commitment to providing unique cultural experiences for their students and it exposes younger people to the diverse arts community growing in Sun Valley.”
The event, now in its fourth year, has become known as a filmmaker’s festival in part because the area is so steeped in cinematic history, but also due to its intimate location far from the Hollywood scene. And while the festival is known for drawing well-known industry heavyweights and creative independents, it also is a vibrant laboratory for student filmmakers.
This year the festival will screen about 60 curated films, host competitions, filmmaker Q&A sessions, parties, and panels, and offer a Future Filmmakers Forum, Coffee Talks (featuring Bruce Dern) and music performances from the London Souls and The Weeks.
For more information about the festival, go to Sun Valley Film Festival.
BY: SHERRY SQUIRES PUBLISHED 2:38 PM / FEBRUARY 24, 2015