8PM: WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 25, 2012

COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY - MILLER THEATRE

2960 Broadway at 116th St. NY, NY. 10027

LIMITED FREE TICKETS STILL AVAILABLE – RESERVE YOUR TICKETS NOW! http://ARTIVIST-NYC2.eventbrite.com

Join us for an exciting evening of inspirational films, panel discussions, and the Honoring of Artist-Activist “Artivist” Sonia Sanchez. Tonight’s film program includes the Award Winnings Shorts: “Bid’Em In” Directed by Neal Sopata, and “Umoja Directed by Elizabeth Tadic; followed by a special screening of “SONIA SANCHEZ: SHAKE LOOSE MEMORIES”, a musical and poetic journey through the life, art and activism of Sonia Sanchez, Directed by Jamal Joseph.

She is Sonia Sanchez. A poetry icon, professor emeritus at Temple University, co founder of the Black Arts Movement, pioneer of the Black studies program at San Francisco State, and tireless fighter for human rights. She is a stuttering child from Alabama, abused step-daughter from Harlem, single mother struggling to raise her children, artist revolutionary battling oppression on all fronts. Sonia’s poetry, performance and reflections weave together to create a moving “cine poem.”

“Shake Loose Memories” celebrates the work of Ms. Sanchez as a poet and activist. The film is anchored around interviews

with Sanchez, Amiri Baraka, her family, and two live performances of “The “Full Moon of Sonia,” a ground breaking eclectic mix of spoken word, jazz, R&B, hip-hop, and blues celebrating her life and work of a cultural icon. Sonia Sanchez’ influence is far-reaching and wide ranging and can be heard in such artists as Mos Def, Jill Scott, and Talib Kweli, to name a few. She is a beacon of the Black Arts Movement.

FILM PROGRAM INCLUDES:

“SHAKE LOOSE MEMORIES”

Director-Producer: Jamal Joseph. Executive Producer: Voza Rivers. Producer: Rachel Watanabe-Batton A Documentary Cine Poem Featuring Amiri Baraka, Toshi Regan,T.C. Carson, Oscar Brown, Jr.

“BID EM’ IN”

followed by Q+A with Director, Rashad Ernesto Green

When: Monday, October 31st, 6:00 pm

Where: Columbia University, Dodge Hall, Lifetime Screening Room (Broadway at 116th Street)

An ex-con returns home to the Bronx after three year in prison to discover

his wife estranged and his teenage son exploring a sexual transformation

that will put the fragile bonds of their family to the test.

Watch the Trailer:

http://www.gunhillroad.com/trailer

Stay up to date with FOCUS. We will be fielding ideas, opening the floor for your input and discussing the next steps for our upcoming high school outreach program, Project: FOCUS.

Find out how you can get involved!

Let us know what FOCUS can do to help you!

Time: 5pm-6pm

Date:  Thursday October 20th

Where: Dodge Hall Rm. 513F

Be there!

Screening followed by Q+A with Director, Steve James

When: Tuesday, September 27, 6:30 pm
Where: Columbia University School of the Arts Miller Theatre: 2960 Broadway at 116th Street

From acclaimed director Steve James (Hoop Dreams,The New Americans) and bestselling author AlexKotlowitz,  The Interrupters tells the moving stories of three Violence Interrupters from the non-violence group, CeaseFire, who try to protect their Chicago communities from the violence they once employed.

Watch the Trailer:

http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi1776524313/

This event is being co-sponsored by:

The Institute for the Study of Human Rights, Social Justice, Initiatives Columbia Law School & SIPA Human Rights Concentration

This is your chance to meet the 2011-2012 fellows along with members old and new. Let’s get the year started the right way. We will be fielding ideas, opening the floor for your input and discussing the next steps for our upcoming high school outreach program.

Time: 1pm-2pm

Date:  Friday September 16th

Where: Dodge Hall Rm. 508

Be there!

The Time: Thursday, September 1st at 6pm

The Place: The Columbia campus in Dodge Hall in Rm. 511

Seating for the event is first come first served, so please be early if possible!

All students are welcome!

Check out the trailer at: http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi3307641881/

Time: 1pm-2pm

Date:  Friday 02/25

Where: Jamal’s Office!!

1 P.M. In the Chair’s office.

Filmmakers of Color United in Spirit invites you to our first general meeting, this Friday at 1 P.M.

Filmmakers of Color United in Spirit is a multicultural organization dedicated to increasing the visibility of filmmakers and film scholars of color within Columbia University, networking with alumni and the film industry at large.

We are really excited to get to know all of our new members and hear your thoughts and opinions on the semester so far! We also want to discuss future events, projects, and volunteer opportunities.

http://columbiafocus.org/

Hope to see you there!

Tony, Gilbert & Lakshmi

In the past he has worked at Paradigm, A Literary and Talent Agency, and has held internships at Big Beach Films, Lee Daniels Entertainment and Cinetic Media.

His latest short film, “Uncle Killa”, currently plays on HBO.

What encouraged you to attend Columbia?
I found out about Columbia’s film program from our current chair, Jamal Joseph. He was out in the community informing us about Columbia and I was listening.

What was the most important lesson you learned from your experience here?
Although I learned immensely more about filmmaking than I knew when I began the program, the real lessons that I learned were “Life Lessons” about myself and relating to people from varied backgrounds.

What have you learned since graduating that you wish you knew earlier?
I suppose everyone wishes that they could have made better use of their resources when you have them available.

What have you been working on since graduation?
I am working on an edgy biopic about a controversial African-American leader.

What unique perspective do you feel you provide as a filmmaker of color?
I guess you could sum it up as the reverse reaction shot that you don’t see but now you see.

KHARY JONES

In a recent Boston Globe profile, Jones explains that his most recent film HUG “plays on a very simple request” — the desire of a bipolar musician to get a hug from his estranged sister. However, that request and the meaning of the hug itself, Jones continues, “is much more complicated. Drew is…like the fool in [Shakespeare’s] King Lear. He says a lot of things that are true but because of the way he says them…it’s hard to take him seriously.”

HUG was an Official Selection of the 2009 Sundance Film Festival and won the Grand Jury Prize (Student Film) at the 2009 AFI-Dallas Film Festival. In addition to being one of 10 Sundance shorts featured on iTunes, HUG is also an Official Selection of the SXSW Film Festival (2009), the Palm Springs International ShortFest (2008), Screen: Brooklyn – The 43rd Brooklyn Arts Council Film Festival (2009) and has screened in Film Independent’s Los Angeles Cinema Lounge Film Series and as part of public programs at both the Museum of the City of New York and the Bronx Museum of Arts.

His previous film Three and a Half Thoughts was selected as a Best Short at the Harlem International Film Festival and screened at the San Francisco Black Film Festival, the Athens (OH) Int’l. Film and Video Festival, the 2007 Rooftop Films Summer Series, and the Martha’s Vineyard Black Film Festival.

Jones earned degrees in English from Morehouse College (BA) and Columbia University (MA) and worked for three years as an academic journal editor. He currently teaches narrative filmmaking in the Screen Studies Program at Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts.

At the moment, Jones is editing his MFA thesis film “Chrysalis,” which he also wrote and directed.

For more information on Khary’s acclaimed work “Hug” visit: hugthemovie.com