SEA CINEMA is a two-day film festival in honor of World Oceans Day held on June 4 and 5, 2010, at the Washington Center in Olympia, 6 pm - 12:30 am each day. Admission is free and the event is family friendly. Saturday 4-6 PM Block Party in front of the Theater: Samba Olywa will open the festivities by playing a couple of songs. There will be educational displays, hands-on activities, take-home items, a marine touch tank, live "stream bug" samples, street mandala art and more! There will be door prizes and give-aways at SeaCinema from an array of places within our local community, so stop by, bring your friends and family to this great annual event here in Olympia! Sponsored by People For Puget Sound, Thurston County Environmental Educators Technical Advisory Committee, City of Olympia, and the Puget Sound Partnership. Visit http://pugetsound.org/events/seacinema for the full schedule

As the Mideast Solidarity Project (MSP) enters into its seventh year, the overarching purpose of the festival remains the same: to create space for marginalized and oppressed peoples of the Middle East, and surrounding regions, to self-represent and to strengthen our solidarity with them in their struggles.

The schedule can be found here 

This is more relevant than ever in the present historical moment. Last March marked the 7th anniversary of the US invasion of Iraq, while the occupation of Afghanistan has entered into its 9th year and is spreading into Pakistan. Palestinians mourned the 62nd anniversary of the Nakba (catastrophe) this April as billions of US dollars continue to support the Israeli occupation of their homeland. Meanwhile, Gaza is still reeling from Israel's assault last year and the on-going siege.

These superficial facts fail to represent the humanity of the occupied peoples and the realities of occupation in their everyday lives. And it is these people who tell their stories in the films, challenging the mainstream Orientalist discourse that has dehumanized them, rewritten their histories, and provided a rationale for continued occupation.

Film and speaker topics this year include occupation and resistance in Palestine, Iraq, and Afghanistan; labor rights; LGBTQ identity and struggle in Iran; immigration and the Diaspora; Iranian cinema after the '79 revolution; anti-Arab racism in the US and Israel; deconstructing stereotypes of Muslim women; US war resisters; the distinction between anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism; and more.

All screenings are FREE of charge and open to the public.

www.olympiafilmfestival.org

THE 26TH OLYMPIA FILM FESTIVAL PRESENTS NEW, INDEPENDENT, RARE, INTERNATIONAL, AND FANTASTIC FILMS FROM AROUND THE WORLD!

OCTOBER 21st, 2009 – OLYMPIA, WA. The curtains part as the Olympia Film Festival hosts several concert-worthy guests including Dame Darcy and Death By Doll, and a very special visit from Steven Severin of the famed Siouxsie and the Banshees in his only Northwest performance with his original score for the classic The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. With generous support, in the form of a $5,000 grant from the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, we’re bringing several exciting guests to create stronger relationships between filmmakers and the Olympia community.

Several Northwest premieres are spotlit including the adorable Etienne!, as a man takes his terminally ill pet hamster on a bicycle trip up the California coast; the British crime comedy Down Terrace featuring cast from the original The Office; and the ‘lost’ feature Shut Yer Dirty Little Mouth starring Glenn Shadix of Beetlejuice and Heathers.

Contemporary documentary cinema shakes the house with Henry Rollins biting hard on American waste-ism in H for Hunger; Jennifer Maas unveiling ‘60s and ‘70s Seattle soul musicians with Wheedle’s Groove, and the colorful creation Sissyboy, based on the legendary Portland performance troupe, with a special one-night-only performance!

Of special note for Olympians is Simone Bitton’s somber documentary, Rachel, an investigative report into the untimely passing of peace activist Rachel Corrie..

[via tesccrier]

The 5th Annual Middle East Film Festival
Origins. Exile. Refuge.
Jan 30–Feb 13

All films are free, open to the public and located at The Evergreen State College in Olympia. For screen times, guest speakers and location visit www.evergreen.edu/sesame. For more information call (360)867-6724, sesame@evergreen.edu. For a complete festival guide visit www.evergreen.edu/sesame.

This week's films and speakers:

BATTLE OF ALGIERS
Gillo Pontecorvo / 1966 / Algeria / 121 min
Wed., Jan 30, 7 pm, Lecture Hall 1

One of the most influential political films in history, Gillo Pontecorvo's The Battle of Algiers vividly recreates a key year in the tumultuous Algerian struggle for independence from the occupying French in the 1950s. Shot in the streets of Algiers in documentary style, the film is a case study in modern warfare, with its terrorist attacks and the brutal techniques used to combat them.

Partly based on the real-life experiences of Algerian resistance leader Saadi Yacef (who served as a consultant to the film and also starred in the film as himself), the Battle of Algiers reportedly became study material for the Black Panther Party and the IRA. It was also studied by the FBI and the US Army in the 1960s. Moreover, Newsweek warned that the film could provide a blueprint for a future "Negro" uprising in the US. Now the Pentagon has studied it for its value in counterinsurgency tactics.

Followed by Q&A with Mohammed Bentlemsani. Born in 1950, Mohammed Bentlemsani's childhood was during the French occupation and the Algerian resistance movement. Born in a town 30 miles south of Algiers in Medea Mohammed witnessed the murder of his cousin by the French occupation forces in November of 1961.

See more descriptions:

[via email]

Hi there,

I thought this might be of interest to OlyBlog readers - an Organic Farms Film Festival this week/weekend at the Olympic Club in Centralia. The festival benefits the Farm Bank Project (http:// www.farmbankproject.com/), which helps local farms.

I am not a contact for this event, just passing it on. There is contact information at the end of this email.

Thank you,

Whitney Bowerman

Organic Farms Film Festival
At MecMenamins Olympic Club & Dinner Theater
January 4 - 10, 2008
$5 suggested donation

Schedule: