College of Fine and Applied Arts

By Keith Martin

The “Movies by Movers” film festival kicks off the Appalachian State University Department of Theatre and Dance’s 2016-17 season. Founded seven years ago by dance faculty member Cara Hagan, “Movies by Movers” recently merged with the American Dance Festival's (ADF) International Screendance Festival. This film showcase, which runs September 8–10 in the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts, Varsity Gym and the Daniel Boone Gardens, is free of charge for audience members. The screening schedule is below.

• Thursday, September 8 at 2 p.m. -  Student Shorts, Varsity Gym 208
• Thursday, September 8 at 6 p.m. - Butoh screening with panel, Turchin Center
• Friday, September 9 at 7 p.m. -  Professional Shorts 1, Turchin Center
• Friday, September 9 at 8:30 p.m. - "MA", feature presentation, Turchin Center
• Saturday, September 10 at 2 p.m. - "Black Ballerina", a documentary, Turchin Center
• Saturday, September 10 at 4 p.m. - Professional Shorts 2, Turchin Center
• Saturday, September 10 at 8:30 p.m. - Professional Shorts 3 and closing celebration, Daniel Boone Gardens (rain location Varsity Gym 208)

“Movies By Movers” is an annual festival dedicated to the celebration of the conversation between the body and the camera. It showcases collaboration between the ephemeral art of live movement and the perpetual nature of film. Students, emerging artists, seasoned professionals, even those who would not consider themselves “artists,” but have great ideas, find room on the festival’s screens to share their craft.

"Beginning with its first incarnation, ‘Movies by Movers’ has been such a gift to curate and produce,” said Hagan. “For me, the festival has been a way to support artists in their creative endeavors, bringing disparate works of art together to be in conversation with each other. It has been a vehicle to exercise my own creativity through curation and it has been an incredible research platform through which to contribute to the theoretical and philosophical discourse around the art of screendance. The opportunity to merge with ADF means that I can continue to nurture aspects of the vision I began with seven years ago, with the support and visibility of a world renowned arts organization and a broad community of artists and thinkers."

The upcoming festival is a result of the largest submission pool ever, and Hagan is thrilled that Appalachian State will present this collection of films created by nationally and internationally recognized artists from across the globe.

Marta Arjona's film "15" is part of the Student Screenings session during the "Movies By Movers" Film Festival at 2 p.m. on September 8 in Varsity Gym Studio 208. Photo credit: Marta Arjona

“Films range in style from fun and fancy to dark and broody, with tons in between,” said Hagan. “You'll find amazing movers, animation, documentary and more.” In addition to Hagan, the festival was curated by Appalachian State University Senior Lecturer Regina Gulick, Associate Professor Susan Lutz and by Stephanie Allen, a Los-Angeles based film consultant. The Department of Theatre and Dance is proud to host the festival for the second consecutive year.

"My favorites include the feature film ‘MA’ by Celia Rowlson Hall,” says Hagan. “It's a narrative film with no words, only body language and sound design to tell a reimagined version of the journey of Mother Mary. Shot in the desert of the American Southwest, the imagery is stunning. I also love the short film ‘Platform 13’ a ‘tragicomic tale of a Japanese train guard who controls large crowds with powerful, graceful gestures, who finds himself in his worst nightmare: a strange world that has no need for him or his signals.’"

For a complete description of each film and for more information about “Movies by Movers,” please visit http://theatreanddance.appstate.edu and click on “Performances.”

About the Department of Theatre and Dance                                                                     
The Department of Theatre and Dance is housed in the College of Fine and Applied Arts. Its mission is to facilitate transformative experiences for students and the public, which cultivate compassionate, creative and collaborative communities through theatre and dance. The department also values the opportunity to offer coursework for integrated learning through the arts to the general university student population. Vital to the support of this mission is a dynamic co-curricular production program that provides exemplary theatre and dance experiences to departmental students, the university community and the region. The departmental philosophy is to support the university’s liberal arts environment through a balanced and integrated emphasis on teaching, creative activity, scholarship and service.

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• Theatre and Dance