The Eighth Annual Women’s International Film & Arts Festival, (WIFF) is set to kick off March 20, 2013 with a red carpet Florida Premiere presentation of the documentary film “Free Angela and All Political Prisoners,” introduced by the film’s co-Executive Producer Jada Pinkett Smith. The Red Carpet event will begin at 5:30 pm. The Opening night film will be screened at 7:30 pm at The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County in downtown Miami, one of the largest in the country.
“We are delighted to open our festival with Mrs. Pinkett Smith and such a strong film,” said Yvonne McCormack-Lyons, WIFF Founder and President. “Mrs. Pinkett Smith is a fabulous representation of our festival’s mission, and the film reflects a period in the life of one of America’s Civil Rights female icons, Angela Davis. The event epitomizes what the festival is about: showcasing and empowering women’s dreams, visions, and voices,” McCormack-Lyons
The WIFF Opening Night screening of “Free Angela” in the Knight Concert Hall of the Adrienne Arsht Center will be a rare treat for Florida audiences. It will be only its second public screening in the United States. It is the only opportunity Florida audiences can see the film in theater. The film will be playing in seven other select cities nationwide. The evening is co-hosted by Miami-Dade Commissioner Barbara J. Jordan, District One. Proceeds from the event will benefit WIFF’s “Reel Girls: Real Women” media literacy and film making program for at-risk girls.
This year’s festival runs through March 24, 2013 and will showcase a rich assortment of films, including big budget films, world cinema, innovative independent films, international documentaries, and short films that reflect the lives of women around the world. Over the course of 5 days, a diverse selection of more than 50 films will be screened from more than 20 countries including: Spain, Italy, Turkey, Canada, England, Russia, France, Brazil, Iran, Haiti, Germany, Ecuador, and throughout the United States.
In addition to the screenings, WIFF also offers film lovers five days of events including workshops, panel discussions, symposia and parties held during the festival. “We selected films and events which capture all aspects of women’s lives whether it be sexuality, politics, spirituality, love, culture, identity and beauty,” said McCormack-Lyons.
About the Film
Free Angela and All Political Prisoners is a film by Shola Lynch, presented by Realside Productions and De Films en Aiguille, in association with Direct Cinema and the participation of Direct 8, with major support from La Region Ile-de-France, Canal Plus, the Ford Foundation and Black Entertainment Television Networks. Produced by Carole Lambert, Shola Lynch, Carine Ruszniewski, Sidra Smith. Directed and written by Shola Lynch. Executive Producers Overbrook Entertainment and Roc Nation.
Hailed by the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival as “a fascinating chronicle of justice and strength,” Free Angela tells the dramatic story of how a young professor’s social justice activism implicates her in a botched kidnapping attempt that ends with a bloody shootout, four dead, and her name on the FBI’s 10 most wanted list.
In this historical vérité style documentary, marking the 40th anniversary of her acquittal on charges of murder, kidnapping, and conspiracy, Angela Davis recounts the politics ad actions that branded her a terrorist and simultaneously spurred a worldwide movement for her freedom as a political prisoner. At its core, the storywrestles with the meaning of political freedom in a democracy negotiated between the people and its government. Strong, attractive, and engaging, Angela Davis is one such person who became a symbol at the center of this still relevant power struggle.
About the Women’s International Film & Arts Festival:
In its 8th year, The Women’s International Film & Arts Festival is a non-profit organization designed to bring women together from around the world to showcase women’s visions and voices and to address women’s issues through film and art. With women only comprising 7% of directors and 25% of producers, the festival’s mission is to increase the number of women in the industry, to empower women artists internationally and become the premier international festival for women. The Women’s InternationalFilm & Arts Festival is held annually every year as a Women’s History Month celebration.
Screenings will be held throughout Miami-Dade County at local theaters and the “WIFF Warehouse.” Sponsors include: American Airlines, Miami Film Month Presented by The Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau, WPBT-2 (PBS), Miami-Dade County, City of Miami, New Times, South Florida Times, and The Adrienne Arsht Center.
For more information and to purchase tickets, log on to www.womensfilmfest.com
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This has been an ICY report.
