Film and Art Study

Film/Art Study Proposal

Time: Wed evening, 615-10pm
Location: screening room

Purpose:

A presentation of an adventurous and eclectic slate of 52 screenings a year, blending historic and contemporary programs to actively engage our audience with film art and media history.

This forum will encourage participants to identify the techniques used by innovators throughout the history of filmmaking. Through screenings and discussions, we will grow to understand how filmmakers have approached the challenge of telling stories with moving images from silent films to the digital age.

The first and third week of the month will present a rare or historically relevant film and short. Some presentations will include the audio commentary of the film maker during the screening or an alternate cut of the film (when available).

Every other week will present an Academy Award winning film (Best Picture) and will be introduced and followed by a brief discussion and how the film relates to modern cinema and animation.

Possible screening (example):

1931 Fritz Lang masterpiece, "M".

Peter Lorre gives one of the most brilliant and moving performances in cinema history as the child murderer who is hunted by the Berlin police — and the Berlin underworld.

1946 Walt Disney Feature, "Make Mine Music"

During the Second World War, much of the Disney staff was drafted into the army, and those that remained were called upon by the U.S. government to make training and propaganda films. As a result, the studio was littered with unfinished story ideas. In order to keep the feature film division alive during this difficult time, the studio released six package films including this one, made up of various unrelated segments set to music.

1957 Stanley Kubrick masterpiece, "Paths of Glory"

based on the novel of the same name by Humphrey Cobb.[1] Set during World War I, the film stars Kirk Douglas as Colonel Dax, the commanding officer of French soldiers who refused to continue a suicidal attack. Dax attempts to defend them against a charge of cowardice in a court martial.

In 1992, the film was deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" by the Library of Congress and selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry.