Category: Uncategorized

We are please to pass along this info from our friends on the west coast:

The SF Urban Film Fest (SFUFF) is a unique film festival that focuses on cities and civic engagement inspired by great storytelling. We believe that compelling stories can help shape urbanist ideas, practice and project implementation.

The way we approach urban problems has resonated and our film festival is growing quickly. Entering only our second year, we have added two new partners, the University of San Francisco (USF) and the Exploratorium. And we are very grateful our inaugural host, SPUR, has agreed to be our partner again this year.

“Beyond Dystopia: Utopia, Resistance and Reclamation” is our festival theme this year. Throughout the week, we will screen narrative fiction and documentary films that highlight utopian visions that guide us to resist dystopia and reclaim our environment. After each screening, we will convene expert panelists who will tie the themes in the films with relevant urban planning issues such as the role of artists in the urban fabric, the relationship between urban planning and economic inequality, what are ideal cities?

Not to be missed will be a special screening of the classic urban dystopian film Blade Runner at the University of San Francisco’s stately Presentation Hall auditorium. We are also very excited to offer family-centric programming at the Exploratorium’s high-tech Kanbar Forum theatre on the theme of reclaiming urban rivers. For those who want go deeper, we will offer a full day guerrilla filmmaking workshop combining found footage of the Bayview and Hunter’s Point communities and new footage filmed on your own iPhone.

The festival dates are November 3-8, 2015. For more information please visit http://www.sfurbanfilmfest.com.

On Thursday, November 5, 2015, the MIT Urban Planning Film Series will feature a screening and panel discussion of Mikaela Shwer’s DON’T TELL ANYONE (NO DIGAS A NADIE).

DON’T TELL ANYONE (NO DIGAS A NADIE)

Since the age of 4, Angy Rivera has lived in the United States with a secret that threatens to upend her life: she is undocumented. Now 24 and facing an uncertain future, Rivera becomes an activist for undocumented youth with a popular advice blog and a YouTube channel boasting more than 27,000 views. She steps out of the shadows a second time to share her story of sexual abuse, an experience all too common among undocumented women. DON’T TELL ANYONE (NO LE DIGAS A NADIE) follows Rivera’s remarkable journey from poverty in rural Colombia to the front page of The New York Times. A co-presentation with Latino Public Broadcasting.

Presented in collaboration with MIT’s Department of Women’s and Gender Studies, the DUSP Students of Color Committee, and the Mel King Institute for Community Building, in partnership with the award-winning documentary series POV.

After the film, please join us for a discussion with special guests Justin Steil (Professor, Department of Urban Studies and Planning, MIT), Cristina Jo Perez (Visiting Scholar, MIT Department of Women’s and Gender Studies), and representatives of local organizations advocating for immigrant’s rights.

Directed by Mikaela Shwer, Thur 11/5, 7:00pm, MIT Room 3-133. Click here for more info.

On Thursday, October 1, 2015, the MIT Urban Planning Film Series welcomed Director Marc Lafia to a special screening of his new film, REVOLUTION OF THE PRESENT.

Humanity seems to be stuck in the perpetual now that is our networked world. More countries are witnessing people taking to the streets in search of answers. REVOLUTION OF THE PRESENT features interviews with thought leaders designed to give meaning to our present and precarious condition. This historic journey allows us to us re-think our presumptions and narratives about the individual and society, the local and global, our politics and technology. This documentary analyzes why the opportunity to augment the scope of human action has become so atomized and diminished. REVOLUTION OF THE PRESENT is an invitation to join the conversation and help contribute to our collective understanding.

As sociologist Saskia Sassen states at the outset of the film, “we live in a time of unsettlement, so much so that we are even questioning the notion of the global, which is healthy.” One could say that our film raises more questions than it answers, but this is its goal.

REVOLUTION OF THE PRESENT is structured as an engaging dinner conversation: there is no narrator telling you what to think, it is not a film of fear of the end time or accusation, it is an invitation to sit at the table and join an in depth conversation about our diverse and plural world.

Directed by Marc Lafia, Thur 10/1, 6:30pm, MIT Room 3-133. Click here for more info.

On April 23, 2015, there will be free screening of NEIGHBORS: CONSERVATION IN A CHANGING COMMUNITY (1977), hosted by The Alliance/Stand Against Racism, The Mel King Institute, and the YWCA of Boston.

April 23rd, 2015:

• 9:00 am – Networking
• 9:30 am-11:30 am – Viewing and Discussion

MassHousing, One Beacon Street, 4th Floor, Boston, MA

“The film, NEIGHBORS: CONSERVATION IN A CHANGING COMMUNITY (1977) examines the challenges and opportunities of neighborhood revitalization through the stories of 12 South End residents. The older, working class population is juxtaposed with the more affluent newcomers who are attracted by the prime location and historic architecture as well as the ethnic mix of the neighborhood. While documenting the differences among these residents, the film also reveals their common goals – to make their neighborhood a better place to live. The film remains remarkably relevant for 21st century audiences.”

Click here to register.

On December 4, 2014, MIT’s Energy for Human Development (e4Dev) group, the MIT Libraries, and the Urban Film Series will be hosting a screening of the movie KATIYABAAZ (Powerless):

• Thur KATIYABAAZ (Powerless): In Kanpur, India, an electricity thief provides Robin Hood style services to the poor in the face of day long power-cuts. With the first female chief of the electricity company vowing to eliminate all illegal connections, the lines are drawn for a battle over electricity. In a summer of crisis, both come to terms with India’s energy poverty. Refreshments will be provided! 6pm, MIT Room 3–133. Info: e4Dev-request@mit.edu