Tonight at 7 o’clock UMass Boston will be screening an award-winning documentary in its Campus Center Ballroom C (third floor), the third in its five-picture free spring 2015 film series, all movies in their Boston premieres.
Besides the five independent films (some of which have won prizes at world film festivals), next month the UMass Boston Film Series (UMBFS) will for the first time host a two-day lineup of films, works-in-progress presentations, a video workshop, panel, and director’s luncheon as part of the Independent Film Festival, Boston (IFFB). The events are scheduled for April 23 and 24.
This increasingly high-profile free film series on Columbia Point is curated by its founder, UMass adjunct professor Chico Colvard. Born in Germany of German and Afro-American heritage, Colvard received his J.D. from Boston College Law School and now teaches “race, law & media” related courses at UMass Boston. A former Filmmaker-in-Residence at WGBH, Colvard made his full-length documentary debut at Sundance with “Family Affair” about the discovery of incest in his own family of origin. “Family Affair” was the first doc that Oprah Winfrey acquired for her OWN network.
Tonight’s offering is “Homme Less,” whose title puns on the words “homeless” and “home,” French and high-fashion English for “man.” The 83-minute film is teased in this way. “From all outside appearances, Mark seems to have the glamorous New York City life that many would envy. Handsome and always impeccably dressed, the charismatic former male model works as a fashion photographer, appears in movies, and attends the best parties. When he leaves those events, however, he heads to the East Village—not to an overpriced loft, but to a hidden corner of a rooftop to sleep each night. Director Thomas Wirthensohn exposes the dark underbelly of the American Dream in an often-merciless city.”
Still to come in the UMBFS lineup:
Thurs., April 2: Loosely based on the real-life experiences of lead actress Amy Grantham, cancer survivor “Lily” reevaluates her relationship with her older boyfriend and her feelings about her long-absent father.
Thurs., April 23, and Fri., April 24: These two days of programming through Independent Film Festival Boston, will include workshops, panels, films, and a Works-in-Progress Summit. Film critic Peter Keough will moderate the filmmakers’ presentations before an audience of peers, potential funders, broadcasters, festival programmers, brand partners, and other industry insiders. The goal is to create a unique coalition of awareness and support for local filmmakers.
Thurs., April 30: “Prophet’s Prey” includes gripping first-person accounts about abuse and sexual slavery by former members and descendants of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ Latter Day Saints’ leadership.
In addition, for the first time, the film series will show locally-produced shorts and video essays (VEs) before each of the five feature films. “Video essays are cinema’s reality check,” Colvard explains. “VEs play like a micro cinema studies class, where the magic behind the filmmaking process is methodically tampered with and revealed. Here, essayists take close examination of how camera movements, lighting, sound, symbolism and other cinematic elements purposefully conjure-up deliberate social and emotional outcomes.”
All screenings start at 7 p.m. in Ballroom C, and are free and open to the public. Q. and A. sessions with the filmmakers follow.
For additional information, visit umb.edu/filmseries.
