{"id":7620,"date":"2014-07-17T19:30:41","date_gmt":"2014-07-18T01:30:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.micro-film-magazine.com\/cublog\/?p=7620"},"modified":"2014-09-06T14:46:42","modified_gmt":"2014-09-06T20:46:42","slug":"ui-student-films-express-feminism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.micro-film-magazine.com\/cublog\/?p=7620","title":{"rendered":"UI student films express feminism"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cAnnual Collection of Feminist Films Honors Diverse Voices\u201d<\/strong>
\nThis fifth program, curated by the UIUC Women\u2019s Resources Center, enables a safe haven for alternative voices in self-made media<\/p>\n

by Lauren Laws<\/em><\/p>\n

~~~~~<\/p>\n

CHI CITY YOUTH<\/strong> took top honors recently at the 5th annual University of Illinois Feminist Film Festival<\/strong><\/span><\/a>, winning three of six awards categories including the coveted Audience Impact Award. An excerpt from the longer piece ILL POETS SOCIETY<\/strong>, featuring former UI Kinesiology and Community Health<\/strong> student Jazmine McKinney<\/strong><\/span><\/a> reciting her spoken word piece \u201cChi City Youth<\/strong>,\u201d was one of 13 shorts shown the evening of Thursday, May 8<\/strong>, at the Art Theater Co-op<\/strong> in downtown Champaign<\/strong> with numerous creators in attendance.<\/p>\n

The evening opened with a welcome from Rachel Lauren Storm<\/strong>, Assistant Director of the UI Women\u2019s Resources Center<\/strong> (WRC)<\/span><\/a>, with a brief message regarding the diversity of genres, topics, and artistic styles of the shorts. Their directors, producers, and actors, as well as film enthusiasts, crowded the theater to see the finished films. Before the awards were announced, the audience was given an opportunity to ask the filmmakers questions about their work after the viewing.<\/p>\n

The event is sponsored by the WRC, a unit of the Office of Inclusion & Intercultural Relations<\/strong>, and organized by Storm. According to their Web site, \u201cThe annual Feminist Film Festival is a grassroots event that uses art and alternative media to bring social issues to the fore. The goal of the festival is to showcase independent film spanning documentary, narrative, and experimental genres in order to explore perspectives often missing from mainstream media and culture.\u201d<\/p>\n

WRC invited UI student filmmakers, both new and seasoned veterans, to submit pieces of up to 15 minutes in length. The Feminist Film Festival strives to cover topics concerning gender, race, class, sexuality, ability, and other dimensions of social inequality.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\u201cThis was a personal experience,\u201d said Gracy Xiong<\/strong>, director of THE LIGHT<\/strong>. \u201cI\u2019m an international student away from my family for two years. My mom passed away two years ago. I depend on God<\/strong> and Jesus<\/strong>, which is a new thing for me.\u201d THE LIGHT<\/strong> focuses on a woman\u2019s journey of self-love and empowerment through the discovery of her spirituality<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n

Other narratives accepted into the festival include TUNNEL TO GREENLAND<\/strong>, directed by Anne Lukeman<\/strong>, and THE KINGDOM<\/strong>, directed by Michael Zhang<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Although produced by Lukeman as a film, TUNNEL TO GREENLAND<\/strong> was actually written by then 16-year-old Ruth Chung<\/strong> as her submission last year for Pens to Lens<\/strong><\/span><\/a>, a screenwriting competition open to students from Kindergarten through 12th grade in Champaign County<\/strong> that is sponsored by the Champaign-Urbana Film Society<\/strong>. Lukeman commented that it was the \u201cbest script I\u2019d ever seen.\u201d<\/p>\n

THE KINGDOM<\/strong> is Zhang\u2019s first attempt at a fictional narrative<\/span><\/a>. \u201cThe story is an amalgamation of a lot of things and is influenced by noir<\/em>. Specifically, work that is surreal and doesn\u2019t make sense,\u201d said Zhang. \u201cI wanted to create a short story that was something I could be proud of.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Quite a few experimental works were included in the Feminist Film Festival this year, including RUSALKA<\/strong> directed by Robin Lee, COMPULSORY PHYSICAL EDUCATION FOR CIVILIANS<\/strong> directed by Daniella Pavlic, INCANDESCENT<\/strong> directed by Iman Sharabash<\/strong>, and DON\u2019T THINK TAIPEI<\/strong> directed by Ann Wu<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\u201cI made [DON\u2019T THINK TAIPEI<\/strong>] four years ago after I had an argument with a teacher about the use of art to prove a point versus written word,\u201d said Wu, whose film focuses on the congested and busy streets and life of the people of Taipei<\/strong> through visualization and music. She points out that \u201cpeople are alienated [in Taipei] although [Taipei] is full of people.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pavlic\u2019s piece, on the other hand, was influenced by her study of the Guatemalan Civil War<\/strong>. According to her artist\u2019s statement, \u201cI situate my work as a critical platform to examine the processes of conditioning athletes in retaliation to the methodology of the Guatemalan government conditioning Mayan communities. I use the vernacular of exercise equipment and workouts to illustrate the methodical violence and coercion towards communities that were annihilated.\u201d<\/p>\n

Documentary submissions this year included CHI CITY YOUTH<\/strong> directed by Dr. Raymond Morales, BREAKING SILENCE<\/strong> directed by Amanda Toledo, LGBT@UIUC<\/strong> directed by Isabel Arechiga, SEEING LANDING<\/strong> directed by Xinran Yuan, KNIT GRAFFITI GALS<\/strong> directed by Meghan Bohardt<\/strong>, and VICTIM BLAMING<\/strong> directed by Laura Semeitz<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

BREAKING SILENCE<\/strong> and VICTIM BLAMING<\/strong> both focus on rape culture, although in slightly different ways. In a rather short run time of one minute and 50 seconds, VICTIM BLAMING<\/strong> urges viewers to stop blaming the victims of rape, while BREAKING SILENCE<\/strong> looks at how people view rape culture and what it consists of.<\/p>\n

SEEING LANDING<\/strong> became a personal look at life and death for Yuan, as well as an exploration of man\u2019s relationship with wild animals. \u201cIt was originally just a personal documentary,\u201d said Yuan, who filmed a pod of whales during her stay in Iceland<\/strong>. \u201cWhen I heard the news [that they\u2019d been beached] it took a long time to process the emotion. I tried to not feel embarrassed by my reaction. It was a unique personal experience turned introspective.\u201d<\/p>\n

ILL POETS SOCIETY<\/strong> is a project by Dr. Morales focusing on spoken word artists<\/span><\/a><\/span> as they speak about the issues within their communities. Originally beginning as a short film project, it steadily grew into an audio album where selected pieces were turned into videos, one of which is CHI CITY YOUTH<\/strong>.<\/p>\n


\n<\/em><\/p>\n

Six awards were given at the end of the evening
\nin recognition of the filmmakers\u2019 work:<\/p>\n

Best Documentary: BREAKING SILENCE<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Best Narrative Film: CHI CITY YOUTH<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Best Experimental Film: DON\u2019T THINK TAIPEI<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Cinematographic Achievement: VICTIM BLAMING<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Fiercely Feminist Achievement: CHI CITY YOUTH<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Audience Impact Award: CHI CITY YOUTH<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n


\n<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

~~~~~<\/p>\n

Lauren Laws graduated with a degree in Journalism at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She has written for Smile Politely<\/span>, The Daily Illini<\/span>, and C-U Confidential<\/span>, and also produced video work for The News-Gazette<\/span>.<\/em><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n


\n<\/em><\/p>\n

Article \u00a9 2014 Lauren Laws. Used with permission.<\/p>\n

CUBlog edits \u00a9 2014 Jason Pankoke<\/p>\n

Graphic courtesy the University of Illinois Women\u2019s Resources Center<\/p>\n


\n<\/em>
\nBack to the fore, MacDuff\u2026<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Visit the Article Index<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Return to Home Page<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In the second of several (belated) CUBlog reports examining Champaign-Urbana film events from recent months, Confidential agent Lauren Laws reports on film feminism as created through the efforts of University of Illinois students, alumni, and staff.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14,137,766,53,13,18],"tags":[1274,252,1278,1271,1275,1277,1272,1273,1276,1270,1063,1269],"class_list":["post-7620","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-area-festivals","category-article-du-c-u","category-cu-film-society","category-educationclasses","category-public-events","category-student-film","tag-ann-wu","tag-anne-lukeman","tag-feminism","tag-gracy-xiong","tag-ill-poets-society","tag-lauren-laws","tag-michael-zhang","tag-rachel-storm","tag-raymond-morales","tag-tunnel-to-greenland","tag-ui-feminist-film-festival","tag-uiuc-womens-resources-center"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.micro-film-magazine.com\/cublog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7620","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.micro-film-magazine.com\/cublog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.micro-film-magazine.com\/cublog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.micro-film-magazine.com\/cublog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.micro-film-magazine.com\/cublog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7620"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.micro-film-magazine.com\/cublog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7620\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.micro-film-magazine.com\/cublog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7620"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.micro-film-magazine.com\/cublog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7620"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.micro-film-magazine.com\/cublog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7620"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}