Starting this block, the Film and New Media Studies Department presents the Colorado College Visiting Film Series, in which a filmmaker or scholar presents his or her research and insights into the filmmaking process in conjunction with the screening of an indie film.
After four years of various screenings and events, the department wanted to expand their presence on-campus by coordinating this film series.
When it comes to choosing the films screened, the Film and New Media Studies Department tries to organize events that will contribute to the classes currently being taught. However, the series is not exclusive to the department and is an amazing resource for different departments and groups across campus.
The series has also collaborated with students like Rebecca Chelly, a senior, who developed a four-part silent film series in an effort to expose censorship and inequality in the film industry.
The fall series collaborated with the Southwest Studies Department to bring in Sterlin Harjo, the first Native American filmmaker to receive the prestigious United States Artists Fellowship, Harjo wrote and directed, “Barking Water.”
Film and New Media Studies professor, Dylan Nelson, line-associate produced, one of the remaining films in the series, “Nanking.”
Aside from being a great academic opportunity for students involved in film, the Film Series is also valuable to non-film students. “Film is an incredibly powerful form of communication and is an incredibly visceral art form,” Nelson explained.
The Film Series benefits people from all backgrounds. It is important for people to see these films. The films “contribute strongly to the culture of the college and the community,” Nelson said. They allow us to access the “experience of other lives, cultures, and social worlds.”
Aside from a cultural and intellectual experience, film’s role in entertainment cannot be forgotten. The movies shown throughout the series are ones that people may not have been able to see at their local cinema. Therefore, the series is rich in cultural capital, exposing community members to films they otherwise may not have access to.
The audience also gets to enjoy the experience of a film: sitting in a darkened theater, surrounded by people, staring up at the big screen. Nelson reminds us that these films are intended to be seen in a cinema filled with an audience. In a day and age of Netflix and laptops, the magic inherent in seeing movies in the theater can be lost.
The Visiting Film Series is free to anyone who wishes to attend. For those who are interested in participating in the production of a film event, whether they are looking for financing, publicity, or organizational support, they are encouraged to contact the Film and New Media Studies Department.
For students interested in filmmaking, there are also Filmmakers’ Craft Seminars held throughout the semester. For more information on the Visiting Film Series or the Filmmakers’ Craft Seminars, check out https://www.coloradocollege.edu/newsevents/newsroom/visiting-film-series-underway#.VPZZJLPF8p0 (scan to the right), or keep an eye out for posters around campus.