Title: Film Festival Rocks
Author:
Section/SPIG: Health Administration
Issue Date:
The Film Festival held for the first time in 10 years last year will return to the APHA Annual Meeting this fall in Philadelphia.
In 2004, international- and U.S.-produced documentary films and videos of interest to public health professionals were highlighted. A number of the screenings explored the theme of that year's conference theme, "Public Health and the Environment."
Short and longer films as well as previews of interactive CDs and "Weblogs" were used to demonstrate how 21st century digital tools could make visual communication affordable and effective at every budget level as tools for training, outreach, and organizing.
The Festival was hosted by members from the Health Communication Working Group and the International Health Section. Those members facilitated Q&A discussions following the screenings. Actors and producers enriched discussions with their comments.
Interest was high in viewing last year’s videos with many people sitting on the floor when no chairs were available and others banging on the door to get in.
Productions made for or about International Health issues will be shown on Monday afternoon and evening and on Tuesday evening. U.S. films will be shown Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons.
Amy Hill, community projects director, Center for Digital Storytelling will be reviewing and selecting International Health films for this year’s Festival while Gary Black, health communication specialist, Mecklenberg County Health Department will be evaluating and selecting films for the U.S. portion of the Festival. Laura Larsson, consultant, Cedar Collaboration and Clinical Faculty, University of Washington School of Public Health and Community Medicine, will be in charge of the Film and Technology Theater where the Festival will be held.
Films will be recent, will address a public health issue, and will be in keeping with this year’s Annual Meeting theme ”Evidence-Based Policy and Practice.” U.S. productions will be required to have undergone either formative or summative evaluation.
Two of the many International Health films titles to be shown include "The Man Who Stole My Mother's Face," by Cathy Henkel. This is a film about the epidemic of sexual assault and child sexual abuse in South Africa. The second film, "Thirst," by Alan Snitow and Deborah Kaufman, is a film about efforts to challenge water privatization around the globe. Films about health care in Nepal; smoking cessation programs in India; and HIV/AIDS in Africa will also be shown.
Good documentary filmmaking is really about storytelling, about bringing people's stories into the visual realm. Just as we love a well-told story by a master storyteller, we also are thrilled by a great film. As Susan Griffin, A Chorus of Stones, 1992, said, “To tell a story, or to hear a story told, is not a simple transmission of information. Something else in the telling is given too, so that, once hearing, what one has heard becomes a part of oneself.”
Many of you may have already seen the article that appeared in The Nation's Health, September 2005 issue, page 4, so you will know that Laura Larsson is the Program Planner for the Film & Technology Theater as well as serving as the HAS Newsletter editor.
This year films will be shown Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday during the afternoon and evening sessions in the Film and Technology Theater. Information on which films will be shown when can be found at <http://apha.confex.com/apha/133am/techprogram/program_523.htm>.
When you need some down time or want to see quality films, come to the Film and Technology Theater and see what film producers and directors are doing to promote important issues in public and international health.