The College of William and Mary’s Global Film Festival heralds the opportunity to celebrate cinema from across the globe. The event returns for an 11th year of screenings, workshops and industry insight Feb. 15-18.
“I think film is a great way to explore other cultures and ideas. It introduces people to a different way of life and new languages,” said festival co-producer Liz Sykes. “It’s like a form of travel without having to leave.”
Sykes said the the event complements the college’s emphasis on international studies and the large student interest in different cultures.
“This is not just a fad. I think it has, really, everything,” said Aaron De Groft, director of the Muscarelle Museum of Art, one of the festival’s sponsors. “It’s like going to a great restaurant. You get a variety of the best offerings you can get.”
The festival features films from Mexico, Italy, Turkey and Israel, among others. Movies include “The Breadwinner,” an animated tale from Ireland, Canada and Luxembourg about a girl growing up in the face of the Taliban and one of the nominees for best animated feature during March’s Academy Awards. Israel’s “Foxtrot” parallels a man’s wartime horrors alongside his parents coping with his death.
The U.S. is also represented with films such as “Phantom Thread,” the latest work from writer-director Paul Thomas Anderson and one of the best picture nominees at this year’s Academy Awards. William Fletcher, the film’s assistant editor, will appear at the screening. Another American entry, “Rat Film,” uses the rodents as a vessel to explore life in Baltimore.
Other offerings include “Kedi,” a Turkish documentary about Istanbul and the numerous cats who freely roam its streets. That screening encourages attendees to wear animal-themed clothing and accessories; it also features a pre-show of Internet cat videos and an appearance by Heritage Humane Society Executive Director Kimberly Laska.
Additional special guests include restaurateur Peter Chang and Hesperus, a group of musicians from Washington, D.C., who will perform live alongside F.W. Murnau’s 1922 silent film, “Nosferatu.”
“There’s a lot of partnerships that are happening, and it creates very good energy for the festival that we’re really excited about,” Sykes said.
The festival offers the opportunity to see what William and Mary alumni are doing with their careers as they host a variety of artistic workshops, covering topics such as screenwriting, film editing, theater production and children’s literature. Milan Chakraborty, an alumnus who produced 2017’s “My Friend Dahmer,” will attend that film’s screening during the festival as well.
Sykes hopes the festival will encourage the community to explore unfamiliar territory and learn more about the art of filmmaking.
“We hope that people will be able to come and appreciate film and see some films that they otherwise might not be able to,” she said. “I think it’ll be a lot of fun.”
Want to go?
The William and Mary Global Film Festival runs Feb. 15-18 at the Kimball Theatre. Tickets are free, $5 or $10, depending on the event. The Muscarelle Museum hosts a $35 festival reception featuring hor d’ouvres and an open bar Feb. 17.
For tickets, showtimes and more information, visit wmglobalfilmfestival.com.
