Daily Pioneer News

PLATTEVILLE - The University of Wisconsin-Platteville will host the Tournees Film Festival in April of 2009. The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs has awarded UWP assistant professor of film studies Laura Beadling a grant of $1,800 to bring contemporary French cinema to Platteville.

Beadling came across the Tournees' application in March while attending the 2008 Society for Cinema and Media Studies annual conference in Philadelphia. She delivered a paper there, "The Landscape of Cultural Trauma," on noted Native-American filmmaker Chris Eyres. After her conference session, Beadling was scouting the publishers' exhibit in the hotel's atrium and saw the Tournees flier.

"One of the things I really wanted to do as a new film professor was to host a film festival," said Beadling, "and right away I spotted a headline which read 'create your own film festival.' So it seemed a natural fit."

The festival will showcase five films: "Persepolis," an Academy Award nominated animated feature based on the graphic novel about the Iranian revolution, which will run April 7; "Moliere," a fictionalized biography of the famous French playwright, often borrowing from his most famous play, "Tartuffe," which will run April 8; "Her Name is Sabine," a documentary about the relationship between an award-winning French actress and her severely autistic sister whose life has been shattered by institutionalization, which will run April 14; "La Mome," a biography of famous French singer Edith Piaf and the first French language film to garner an Oscar for an acting role, which will run April 15; and "Terror's Advocate," a documentary about a controversial French attorney who made his name defending German war criminals, which will run April 16.

Linda James, UWP professor of art history, is Beadling's collaborator on the project. James, who studied film at the Art Institute of Chicago, had been interested in bringing international film to UWP. "The Tournees festival brings the world to our door and leads the students to the ever-expanding world of visual culture," James said.

Part of the reason for bringing the festival to UWP is as a learning exercise for faculty and students. Sponsors are making an effort to involve students in the process of putting on a large-scale production as a communal project. James will act as a liaison between students, instructors and the festival. She also will head the production of public relations materials. UWP art students will design graphic art for the festival.

The selection of films was a collaborative effort between Beadling, James and the UWP community.

"My idea was to have different departments on campus sponsor different films," Beadling said, "I solicited input from different programs and departments on campus."

Beadling and James approached a number of different chairs and department heads and found widespread support from UWP faculty and staff.

"This really is a community effort," Beadling said. "Everyone we talked to was enthusiastic and we found some fantastic interest for bringing French cinema to campus."

Sponsorship for the festival came from history, art, humanities, women's studies, international studies, psychology, the liberal arts' dean's fund and the excellence in teaching fund.

"It seems like this is a really appropriate time for this, especially since at convocations the administration articulated a focus on international education this year," Beadling said.

This sentiment was echoed by Mittie Nimmocks, dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Education. "One thing that we are attempting to do, part of our mission here at UWP, is to increase our exposure to new cultures, and this festival is a perfect opportunity for that," Nimmocks said. "It coincides as well as being a creative outlet for our students."

The grant is renewable up to five years.

"I'm hoping we can make this an ongoing, yearly event," Beadling said.

Beadling and James are soliciting events and speakers to accent the festival. Anyone who would like to participate, has suggestions or questions about the festival may call Beadling in the department of English at (608) 342-1926 or beadlingl@uwplatt.edu.

Contact: Laura Beadling, professor of film, UWP department of English, (608) 342-1926, beadlingl@uwplatt.edu. Written by: Russ Brickey, UWP Department of Public Relations, (608) 342-1194, brickeyr@uwplatt.edu.