NEW YORK, March 16, 2006—This spring, The New School and its Film and Media Studies program will present the Fourth Annual Dorothy H. Hirshon Film Festival, from April 10 through May 5, 2006. This year’s festival will focus on “The War Film,” and will honor New School artist-in-residence, Peter Davis, the award-winning documentary filmmaker best known for his landmark 1974 Vietnam War documentary Hearts and Minds, which will be screened as part of the festival followed by a Q and A with Davis.
“Not since the Vietnam era has war been such a hot button issue as it is today, and it is serving as fertile ground for a new generation of filmmakers,” said Carol Wilder, chair of the Department of Media Studies and Film and Associate Dean of The New School. “Peter Davis’s groundbreaking work was a pioneer in this genre of documentary filmmaking. It is a great honor to have him at The New School as an artist-in-residence during the Hirshon Film Festival, particularly as we are launching a new certificate program in documentary media studies this fall.”
Peter Davis' landmark Vietnam War documentary Hearts and Minds received the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature of 1974. The Village Voice's Michael Atkinson wrote in 2004 that today "but for a few particulars, Davis' film seems as much a prosecution of the present as of the past; only the names and geography have changed." Davis' groundbreaking work in television journalism for CBS includes the Emmy, Peabody, and Polk award-winning The Selling of the Pentagon (1971). Davis' PBS series Middletown (1982) also won numerous awards, including First Prize at the Sundance Film Festival. He is the author of three books, including the Pulitzer-prize nominated If You Came This Way (1995). Davis is an extensively published freelance journalist, most recently contributing ongoing coverage of the Iraq war to The Nation.
In addition to Hearts and Minds, the festival will include a screening of the award-winning 2005 documentary Occupation: Dreamland followed by a Q and A with co-director Ian Olds, a screening of Hotel Rwanda followed by a Q and A with director Terry George, and a panel entitle “Vets on Vets on Film,” in which war veterans will comment on their portrayal in narrative film. In addition, The New School will present an evening of outstanding student films selected by a jury of distinguished filmmakers and industry professionals.
The Hirshon Film Festival was established by The New School through a bequest from the late Dorothy Hirshon, a trustee of The New School for 61 years, with the mission of promoting excellence and education in the filmmaking arts. Former Hirshon Film Festival Artists-in-Residence include D.A. Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus (2003), John Waters (2004), and Laurie Anderson (2005).
The New School first offered a film course in 1926, introducing one of the most powerful means of expression. Today, The New School Film and Media Studies program offers a masters degree in media studies as well as certificate programs in film production, screenwriting, media management and—starting this fall—documentary media studies. Throughout its 36-year history, the Film and Media Studies program has been committed to the essential relationship between media theory and practice. In a world defined by rapidly changing information and communication technologies, the program is focused on innovation yet respectful of the integrity and potential contributions of all media formats, providing state-of-the-art instruction in audio, video, film, and multimedia. Today, more than 420 students are enrolled in the Media Studies M.A. program, making it the largest program of its kind.
The school’s new certificate program in Documentary Media Studies is a professional development program in documentary history, theory, and video and film production. As a culmination of the program, students will produce, direct and edit an original 30-minute documentary video. In addition to the core faculty of the Film and Media Studies department, the program will featured distinguished visiting faculty of working New York City filmmakers. For more information on the documentary media studies certificate program and other programs in Film and Media Studies, the public can contact [email protected] or 212-229-5630.
The following is a full schedule of festival programming. For more information, visit www.mediastudies.newschool.edu or contact 212-229-5353. All events are free and open to the public.
Tuesday, April 11, 12 p.m.
Screening and Discussion: Vets on Vets on Film
The New School, 70 Fifth Avenue, Room 1204
Combat veterans discuss their portrayal in narrative film. Clips from All Quiet on the Western Front, The Best Years of our Lives, Rambo, The Thin Red Line, and other films. Panelists include Medal of Honor recipient Jack Jacobs, Swords to Plowshares Executive Director Michael Blecker, and Paul Cox of Veterans for Peace, Chapter 69.
Friday, April 14, 7 p.m.
Screening: Hearts and Minds (1974)
The New School, Tishman Auditorium, 66 W. 12th Street
A screening of Peter Davis’ Academy-Award winning documentary on the Vietnam War will be followed by a Q and A with the director.
Friday, April 28, 7 p.m.
Screening: Occupation: Dreamland (2005)
The New School, Parsons Auditorium, 66 Fifth Avenue
Directed by Garrett Scott and Ian Olds, Occupation: Dreamland is a melancholy portrait of a squad of the U.S. Army's 82nd Airborne deployed in the doomed Iraqi city of Falluja during the winter of 2004. The film was recently awarded an Independent Spirit Award. Followed by a Q and A with Ian Olds.
Thursday, May 4, 6 p.m.
Screening: Hotel Rwanda (2004)
The New School, Swayduck Auditorium, 65 Fifth Avenue
Hotel Rwanda is director Terry George's graphic, harrowing, and widely honored film based on the true life heroism of Paul Rusesabigna during the 1994 Rwandan genocide. The screen will be followed by a Q and A with the director. Co-sponsored by the Vera List Center for Art and Politics at The New School.
Friday, May 5, 7 p.m.
Screening: 27th Annual New School Invitational Film Show
The New School, Tishman Auditorium, 66 West 12th Street
A selection of the year's outstanding films by New School Film and Media Studies students juried by a panel of distinguished filmmakers and film industry professionals.
Located in the heart of New York’s Greenwich Village, The New School is a center of academic excellence where intellectual and artistic freedoms thrive. The 9,300 matriculated students and 15,000 continuing education students who attend the university’s eight schools enjoy a disciplined education supported by small class sizes, superior resources, and renowned working faculty who practice what they teach. Artists, scholars, and students from all walks of life attend its diverse programs and can earn everything from program certificates to bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees. When The New School was founded in 1919, its mission was to create a place where global peace and justice were more than theoretical ideals. New School students participate in programs that to this day strive for academic excellence, technical mastery, and engaged world citizenship.
The eight schools that make up The New School are: The New School for General Studies, The New School for Social Research, Milano The New School for Management and Urban Policy, Parsons The New School for Design, Eugene Lange College The New School for Liberal Arts, Mannes College The New School for Music, The New School for Drama, and The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music. For more information, visit www.newschool.edu.