“Ask Me About the World" to kick off ECU’s 9th Annual Foreign Film Festival

For the ninth February in a row, ECU’s Foreign Film Festival will bring recently-released foreign-language films to the Raymond J. Estep Multimedia Center of the Bill S. Cole University Center. These film screenings are free and open to the public. After each screening, audience members are given door prizes in the form of books, food, or works of art associated with the culture of the films featured in the festival.

Before this year’s first film screening on February 1st, ECU’s Linscheid Library and ECU SCREENS are co-hosting a special event titled “Ask Me About the World” that will feature campus representatives from the Bahamas, France, Germany, Kenya, Malaysia, Nepal, Nigeria, and South Africa. Guests are invited to come to the lobby of the Bill S. Cole University Center between 3:00 and 4:00 PM to broaden their understanding of the world by having a conversation with individuals from around the world about their home countries.

Jakob Cedergren as police officer Asger Holm in "The Guilty." Photograph: Nikolaj Moeller

The Festival’s first film screening, scheduled for 4 PM, will be “The Guilty,” a Danish thriller about an emergency police dispatcher who receives a frantic call from a kidnapped young mother. “The Guilty” will be introduced by Ginger Johnson, a senior English-Math major, Honors student and Regents Scholar from Broken Arrow. Run time for “The Guilty” is 85 minutes, and it is rated “R” due to some frightening scenes, portrayed through sound and dialogue on the phone. Click here to see the trailer.

Source: Press Photo.

On February 8th at 4 PM, the festival will continue with “Anna Karenina: The Musical,” a Russian-language stage performance recorded live at the Moscow Operetta Theatre. This high-tech production features an original libretto based on Leo Tolstoy’s dramatic love story about the married Anna and a dashing military officer, Alexey Vronsky, set against the luxury of 19th century Russian nobility. “Anna Karenina: The Musical” will be introduced by Dr. Joshua Grasso, professor in ECU’s Department of English and Languages. Run time for “Anna Karenina: The Musical” is 2 hours, 15 minutes, including one intermission. It is rated “PG-13.”  Click here to see the trailer.

The Festival’s grand finale will begin at 6 pm on Saturday, February 9th with an event titled “ECU Celebrates Mexico.” “ECU Celebrates Mexico” will feature live musical performances by ECU Showtime. Delicias restaurant will also serve a special selection of Mexican classics, a rare treat from the local favorite, which is usually closed on Saturdays. ECU’s Office of Campus Involvement will be providing free tacos to the first fifty ECU students in attendance.

"3 Idiotas" stars Alfonso Dosal as "Pancho."

The evening’s feature film, “3 Idiotas,” a Spanish-language comedy about college life in Mexico, will be introduced by the director of ECU’s Spanish Language program, Dr. Errol King at 7 PM. “3 Idiotas” is rated “PG-13,” and it has a run time of 1 hour and 45 minutes. Click here to see the trailer.

ECU’s Foreign Film Festival is supported by the ECU Foundation, the Cultural Activities Committee, and the Department of English and Languages, and it relies on work provided by student volunteers from Sigma Tau Delta (ECU’s English Honors Society) and ECU’s Honors Student Association.

Additional door prizes have also been generously donated this year by Delicias Mexican Restaurant, D.K. Nutrition Center, Hardnox Coffehouse, Hot Shots Coffee House, and The Perfect Blend.

To learn more about ECU SCREENS and the spring schedule, like the ECU SCREENS Facebook page or visit www.ecuscreens.blogspot.com. Dr. Rebecca Nicholson-Weir, co-director of ECU SCREENS, may be contacted at (580) 559-5929 or rnichlsn@ecok.edu.