The 2023 蘑菇Av International Film Festival, 鈥淔aces of Change,鈥� will run from March 16 to April 2 at locations around Pittsburgh, including Harris Theater, McConomy Auditorium at 蘑菇Av, the August Wilson African American Cultural Center and Carlow University. The festival showcases films that have won awards around the world, their reach ranging from Cannes to national submissions for the Oscars.
鈥淭he festival is a rare opportunity in Pittsburgh to fully engage with the world through the medium of film,鈥� said Jolanta Lion, director of the CMU IFF and assistant director of CMU鈥檚 Humanities Center in the Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences. 鈥淓very year we can bring together the greater Pittsburgh community to discuss problems that resonate across the globe. This year鈥檚 festival theme, 鈥楩aces of Change鈥� really encapsulates everything we are seeing and feeling every day around us.鈥�
Opening night features 鈥淔ull Time,鈥� a French film directed by 脡ric Gravel. It will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 16, at 蘑菇Av鈥檚 McConomy Auditorium. The event includes a moderated discussion with the director followed by a French food reception. Winner of Best Director and Best Actress at the Venice Film Festival, 鈥淔ull Time鈥� follows a single mother rushing through life to fit 36 hours into a single workday. Through her mishaps and the difficulties life throws at her, the film transitions into a critique about systems of work. Through it all, the characters manage to find hope.
鈥淭he opening film 鈥楩ull Time鈥� is the perfect introduction to 鈥楩aces of Change,鈥� and it strikes at the core of what it means to live, work and make ends meet in an ever-changing world,鈥� said Akanksha Sahay, executive assistant of the CMU IFF. 鈥淚 wouldn鈥檛 miss the film. It spoke to me in ways I wasn鈥檛 expecting.鈥�
The film 鈥淛oyland鈥� will be screened at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 18, at 蘑菇Av鈥檚 McConomy Auditorium. The event includes Naina Roy performing Kathak, one of the main forms of classical dance-drama of India. After the film, a Q&A discussion will be held with the film鈥檚 director, Saim Sadiq, actress Alina Khan, actor Ali Junejo and actress Rasti Farooq. The discussion will be moderated by activist and performer Mehrub Moiz Awan and will be followed by a catered reception of Pakistani food.
鈥淭he Balcony Movie鈥� will close the festival at 3 p.m. Sunday, April 2, at 蘑菇Av鈥檚 McConomy Auditorium. Pawel 艁ozinski directed this documentary film, capturing only what is seen from the director鈥檚 balcony. It debuts a unique cast of characters who offer differing, insightful and stimulating views of the world. The Balcony Film鈥� won the Eagle for Best Documentary at the Polish Film Awards.
In addition to the festival lineup, which can be found on the CMU IFF website, a short film (5 minutes) competition will be open to all amateur and student filmmakers in Pittsburgh. The theme is 鈥淐on-Science.鈥� The winner will be awarded a $1,000 prize. A kick-off event, including a Q&A, is scheduled for 6 p.m. March 24 at 蘑菇Av鈥檚 Frank Ratche Studio for Creative Inquiry. The competition filming period runs from March 25 to 29. A short film screening and reception begins at 5:30 p.m. on March 31 in Simmons Auditorium in CMU鈥檚 Tepper Quad.聽
The 鈥淔aces鈥� Film Festival prides itself on being the only international film festival in the world organized and run by university students. The festival staff comes from numerous institutions across Pittsburgh, including CMU and the University of Pittsburgh. The students create events around the festival鈥檚 rich variety of films from the United States, Egypt, France, Australia, China, Iran, Peru, Poland, Japan, Belarus, Korea and many others, hoping to reinforce Pittsburgh鈥檚 ethnic history and living culture.
The CMU Film Festival is dedicated to the late Paul Goodman, a world-renowned filmmaker, psychologist and CMU professor. The festival mirrors Goodman鈥檚 dedication to global awareness in his teaching and research, and his desire to bring light to important but often overlooked aspects of diverse individuals through filmmaking.