The American Dance Festival’s “Movies by Movers,” a free annual film festival dedicated to the celebration of conversation between the body and camera, will be held on the Appalachian State University campus and in the town of Boone Sept. 14–16. The festival is the first of ten events that comprise the 2017–18 season produced by the university’s award-winning Department of Theatre and Dance.
Founded eight years ago by Cara Hagan, assistant professor of dance studies at Appalachian, “Movies by Movers” merged with the American Dance Festival’s International Screendance Festival in 2016 and is hosted in just two places on the East Coast. Out of 200 international submissions, only 40 were selected for screening.
The festival showcases collaboration between the ephemeral art of live movement and the perpetual nature of film. Students, emerging artists and seasoned professionals find room on the festival’s screens to share their craft. According to Hagan, this year’s films tackle women’s issues, question our relationship with technology and feed our need for contemplative space, among many other topics.
“As is the case with prior iterations of the festival, the lineup is special for a multitude of reasons,” shared Hagan, who curated the festival. “Often in the viewing process, a few films will jump out at me and say, ‘We have something to say. Put us together and let the dialogue begin!’. There are also films which offer us pure joy, help us wrestle with what it means to be an artist and give us opportunities to reframe our perceptions and expectations around what art is and can be.”
An abbreviated festival schedule is below. For a complete description of each film and more information about “Movies by Movers,” visit http://theatreanddance.appstate.edu/mbm-schedule.
Thursday, September 14 | 2 p.m.
Student Shorts in Varsity Gym Studio 208
Thursday, September 14 | 5:30 p.m.
Opening exhibition at HOW Space (182 Howard Street)
Exhibition on display Thursday-Saturday
Thursday, September 14, 7:30 p.m.
Women's Voices Shorts: A collection of shorts that explore societal challenges faced by women at the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts.
Friday, September 15, 6 p.m.
Something for Everyone/Family-Friendly Shorts at the Turchin Center for Visual Arts
Friday, September 15, 8 p.m.
“Bobbi Jene Documentary” at Turchin Center for Visual Arts
Saturday, September 16, noon
"Sunflower Man” film and skype discussion at Turchin Center for the Visual Arts
Saturday, September 16, 1:15 p.m.
Technology Shorts – A collection of shorts that examine our relationship to technology at Turchin Center for the Visual Arts
Saturday, September 16, 3 p.m.
“Living the Room,” with opening film “Abismo” at Turchin Center for the Visual Arts.
Saturday, September 16, 4 p.m.
“We Are Moving – Memories of Miss Moriarty” at Turchin Center for the Visual Arts
Saturday, September 16, 7 p.m.
“Movies by Movers” closing celebration at HOW Space
About the Department of Theatre and Dance
The Department of Theatre and Dance is housed in Appalachian’s 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.
About Appalachian State University
Appalachian State University, in North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains, prepares students to lead purposeful lives as global citizens who understand and engage their responsibilities in creating a sustainable future for all. The transformational Appalachian experience promotes a spirit of inclusion that brings people together in inspiring ways to acquire and create knowledge, to grow holistically, to act with passion and determination, and embrace diversity and difference. As one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina system, Appalachian enrolls about 18,000 students, has a low faculty-to-student ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and graduate majors.
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Media Contact:
Keith Martin
828-608-2755
MartinKT1@appstate.edu
Woman jumping in front of a car
"Woman Versus," directed by Justina Grayman, will be part of the Women's Voices Shorts session screening at Turchin Center for the Visual Arts on Sept. 14 at 7:30 p.m.