If you live anywhere near Santa Barbara and you care about bringing peace to the Middle East, I'd like to invite you to come visit us at the 2009 Israeli-Palestinian Film Festival.
Hi, I'm Lauren Zabel, the Head Chair of the Event.
This year's festival is being held between Monday, May 4 and Thursday May 14. We have a collection of films that are guaranteed to expand your horizons, make you think and see the world with just a little more perspective. We open with "Waltz with Bashir" but keep the momentum going with 11 more truly impactful films.
Please feel free to visit our website for details.
Or you can download a PDF of our flyer.
We hope you'll think of us as an organization worthy of your support. We're student run and we appreciate whatever you can do but mostly we'd like you to come see one or more of these films.
UCSB's very own Israeli Palestinian Film Festival grew out of a tiny film club that met weekly to watch and discuss the latest and classics of Israeli cinema. Looking for a way to dive into the societies of Israel, beyond the news and the surface facts, was the main purpose for many of the club's initial members. Many had a solid understanding of Israeli history and current events, while many others were completely new to the culture and just looking for an approachable angle.
Whatever the cause, the club spawned a similar chapter when founder Herschel Colbert arrived in Santa Barbara. While not the film major or film buff he is often thought to be, Herschel took a liking to the window into daily life that films can bring and the healthy environment that UCSB fosters for debate and the Middle East. He wanted to show fellow students "the real Israel" that he lived in, not the one spoken of by both news media and university professors.
Israeli Palestinian Film Club joined forces with several on-campus organizations and departments in Spring quarter 2007 to bring to UCSB the world's first and only festival dedicated to both Israeli and Palestinian cinema. The first festival spanned an entire quarter and had highlights of the composer and ensemble of the film West Bank Story and a powerful visit by director Eytan Fox and his film Walk on Water. Now planned and run by a student committee, the festival enters its third year and we are determined to make it even better.
We are now a collaboration between the following groups: American Students for Israel, Amnesty International, Lebanese Club, The Muslim Student Association, Persian Student Group, Santa Barbara Hillel, Students for Justice in Palestine and Students for Understanding the Middle East.
We're not going to lecture you, though. We're going to give you a film experience that you're just not going to have in a multiplex.
Hope to see you in Santa Barbara. Our site has directions and more information. Come early on film days and enjoy the wonderful ambience of Santa Barbara. Springtime is truly spectacular in our wonderful town and campus.
