The University of Southern California's School of Cinematic Arts, the Arab Film Festival, and Visions and Voices: The USC Arts & Humanities Initiative have teamed up to present a 3-day Visions and Voices film symposium at USC's Norris Theatre/Frank Sinatra Hall from Friday, March 4th - Sunday, March 6th.  Admission is free and open to everyone, but electronic RSVPs are required for all screenings.  Every film has English subtitles.  Click here, scroll down to the film(s) you want to see, and RSVP for each one.

The event kicks off on Friday, March 4th at 7PM with opening remarks by Alessandro Ago, SCA Director of Programming; Michel Shehadeh, Executive Director of the Arab Film Festival; and Camille Alick, Project Manager, MOST Resource and Board of Directors, Arab Film Festival.  At 7:15PM, Outside the Law (Algeria/France/Belgium, 2010, 138 minutes) will be screened.  At 9:40PM, Masquerades (Algeria/France, 2008, 92 minutes), runs. 

On Saturday, March 5th, the festival continues, starting at 12:30PM with Scheherazade, Tell Me a Story (Egypt, 2009, 135 minutes).  At 3PM is Caramel (Lebanon/France, 2007, 95 minutes).  Slingshot Hip Hop (Palestine/U.S.A., 2008, 83 minutes) hops on screen at 4:4PM. 

At 6:30PM, there is a panel discussion:  "Capturing the Reel Picture: Civil Rights and Social Change in the Arab World," hosted by the Arab Film Festival and MOST Resource (Muslims on Screen and Television). The panel features Sabine El Gemayel, Writer/Director, Niloofar; Mark LeVine, Professor of Modern Middle Eastern History at UC Irvine; Amin Matalqa, Writer/Director, Captain Abu Raed; Claire Naber Matalqa, Head of Institutional Development, The Red Sea Institute for Cinematic Arts; and Jackie Reem Salloum, Director, Slingshot Hip Hop.  Camille Alick will moderate.

The festivities conclude that evening with a short film, Paper Dress (Jordan, 2009, 7 minutes), followed by Iraq's Official Submission for the 2011 Academy Awards, Son of Babylon (Iraq/U.K./France/Palestine, 2009, 110 minutes). The filmmakers would like to highlight the associated Iraq's Missing Campaign to help reconcile the 1,000,000+ people that are currently missing in Iraq.  You can check out the campaign website here.

Sunday, March 6th,  is packed with four films that are open to the public:

11AM -      Women Without Men (Iran/Germany/Morocco, 2009, 95 minutes)            

12:45PM - Offside (Iran, 2006, 93 minutes

2:30PM -   About Elly (Iran, 2009, 119 minutes)

8:30PM -   Persepolis (Iran/France/U.S.A., 2007, 96 minutes)

At 6:30PM is a panel discussion:  "Lifting the Veil Through Media: Futbol, Dating and Revolution in Iran."  Hosted by the Arab Film Festival and MOST Resource (Muslims on Screen and Television), this panel features Babak Rahimi, Islamic and Iranian Scholar; Johanna Blakley, Deputy Director, Norman Lear Center; and Ellen Harrington, Director of Exhibitions and Special Events, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Camille Alick will moderate this one as well.

Following the discussion at 7:30PM is a catered reception, featuring Mediterranean cuisine provided by Pi on Sunset.  It will be held in front of Norris Cinema Theatre in Queen's Courtyard.

For more details about the films, the panels, or the speakers, please check out the website here.

Explore the Middle East through film.

Deets:

Contemporary Middle Eastern Cinema Festival

Friday, March 4th - Sunday, March 6th

University of Southern California

900 West 34th Street

Norris Cinema Theatre/Frank Sinatra Hall

Los Angeles

Parking Available for $8

Enter Gate #5 at West Jefferson Blvd and

McClintock Avenue