Documentary Features Indigenous Americans' Musical Gifts

Rumble, a new film on indigenous American contributions to music, plays 7 p.m. Sept 8, 10, 13, and 16 at the Normal Theater.

Rumble tells the story of a profound, essential, and, until now, missing chapter in the history of American music: the Indigenous influence.

Featuring music icons Charley Patton, Mildred Bailey, Link Wray, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Jimi Hendrix, Jesse Ed Davis, Robbie Robertson, Redbone, Randy Castillo, and Taboo, Rumble shows how these talented Native musicians helped shape the soundtracks of our lives.

Whose Streets? Recounts Ferguson, Reverberates Amid Charlottesville

The tragedy and aftermath of the August 2014 police shooting of Ferguson, Mo., resident Michael Brown reverberated again through the American psyche last weekend in Charlottesville, Va., as a march by white supremacists ended in the vehicular homicide of Heather Heyer.

Whose Streets?, a provocative film about Ferguson, MO, coming to the Normal Theater August 25, 27, 31, and Sept. 2, co-sponsored with Not In Our Town.: Bloomington-Normal. A public discussion will accompany the film, with opportunity for interactive input. Captioning options should be provided for the hearing-impaired.

Told by the activists and leaders who live and breathe this movement for justice, Whose Streets? is an unflinching look at the Ferguson uprising. When unarmed teenager Michael Brown is killed by police and left lying in the street for hours, it marks a breaking point for the residents of St. Louis. Grief, long-standing racial tensions and renewed anger bring residents together to hold vigil and protest this latest tragedy.

Empowered parents, artists, and teachers from around the country come together as freedom fighters. As the national guard descends on Ferguson with military grade weaponry, these young community members become the torchbearers of a new resistance.

Whose Streets?, by filmmakers Sabaah Folayan and Damon Davis, is "a powerful battle cry from a generation fighting, not for their civil rights, but for the right to live." McLean County YWCA director and NIOTBN ally Dontae Latson, a former grad student in the Baltimore area, noted "the pain and frustration in neglected or over-policed communities and how it is unfairly labeled as 'rioting and looting.'"

"If you live in these communities, you don't 'own' anything," Latson added, citing the suspicion and tensions that can develop between residents and retail businesses owned by interests from outside the community.

Seventh Art Stand Offers Insights on Islamic Culture

Understanding Islamic People -- Not In Our Town and the Normal Theater are happy to promote The Seventh Art Stand, a nationwide series of films presented by movie theaters and community centers across the U.S. as an act of cinematic solidarity against Islamophobia.

In May 2017, screenings across the U.S. will showcase films from the countries affected by Islamophobia and the travel bans. The Network of Arab Alternative Screens (NAAS) joins U.S. theaters in this coalitional effort to elevate the cinemas and stories of our friends and fellow filmmakers abroad. We believe it is crucial to build a tradition of sharing more stories, voices, and faces on our screens.

Visit https://www.seventhartstand.com.

Kiki's Delivery Service August 17 and 21 at Normal Theater

Kiki's Delivery Service, a Japanese animated film, is scheduled for 7 and 9 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 17, at the Normal Theater.

From the legendary Hayao Miyazaki comes the beloved story of a resourceful young witch who uses her broom to create a delivery service, only to lose her gift of flight in a moment of self-doubt. It is tradition for all young witches to leave their families on the night of a full moon and set out into the wide world to learn their craft.

When that night comes for Kiki, she embarks on her life journey with her chatty black cat, Jiji, landing the next morning in a seaside village, where a bakery owner hires her to make deliveries.

The 103-minute film is in Japanese with English subtitles and is rated G.  It will also be presented on Sunday, August 21, at 1 p.m. with an English language track.

Man Who Knew Infinity Studies Knowledge, Colonialism

The Man Who Knew Infinity, an autobiographical film about an Indian mathematician that explores early 20th Century colonialism, opens June 3, 5, 8, and 10 at the Normal Theater.

The 2015 film, based on the 1991 book of the same name by Robert Kanigel, stars Dev Patel as the real-life Srinivasa Ramanujan, a mathematician who after growing up poor in Madras, India, earns admittance to Cambridge University during World War I, where he becomes a pioneer in mathematical theories with the guidance of his professor, G. H. Hardy (Jeremy Irons).

The PG-13 film is part of the Beyond Normal Films Series promoting foreign, American independent, and documentary films with the Normal Theater and the Bloomington-Normal community.

2016 Asia Film Festival Offers Quartet of Acclaimed Works

The 2016 AsiaConnect Film Festival kicks off April 14 with four nights of acclaimed international hits examining life and struggles in Korea, India, Japan, and China.

Here are this year's offerings:

April 14, 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Treeless Mountain

Jin (Hee Yeon Kim) and her younger sister, Bin (Song Hee Kim), are left by their mother (Soo Ah Lee) with Big Aunt (Mi Hyang Kim). The girls' mother is trying to hunt down their father. She gives them a piggy bank, telling her daughters that when it is full of coins she will return. Big Aunt is an alcoholic who neglects to look after the children. By selling roasted grasshoppers, the two girls manage to take care of themselves over the summer, waiting all the while for their mother's return. Unrated / 89 min. In Korean with English subtitles.

April 15, 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Queen

A young Delhi woman from a traditional family goes on a solo honeymoon when her wedding is canceled in this Bollywood coming of age hit. Unrated / 146 min.

April 16, 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Departures

Soon after buying an expensive cello, Daigo Kobayashi (Masahiro Motoki) learns that his orchestra is disbanding. Daigo and his wife move back to his hometown in northern Japan, where he answers an ad for what he thinks is a travel agency but is, in actuality, a mortuary. As he learns and carries out the rituals used in preparing the dead for their final rest, Daigo finds his true calling in life. PG-13 / 131 min. In Japanese with English subtitles.

April 17, 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Coming Home

A former political prisoner (Chen Daoming) tries to help his wife (Gong Li) regain her memory and rediscover their love for each other. PG-13 / 109 min. In Mandarin with English subtitles.

For details, visit http://www.normaltheater.com/index.aspx.

Illinois State University AsiaConnect is an association of faculty and staff members who work together in the interest of the Asian community. Its purpose is to:

• Promote the various cultures of the Asian community to Illinois State and the Bloomington/Normal community
• Represent the interests, needs, and concerns of Asian faculty, staff, and students
• Promote communication and support among the Asian community
• Develop cooperative relationships in the academic community and with student organizations
• Assist the University with the recruitment and retention of Asian faculty, staff, and students

LGBT Film Festival Explores Sports, Tab Hunter, Family Secrets

The 2015 Your Normal LGBT Film Festival kicks off Oct, 15 with an examination of gay and transgender athletes, continuing through the weekend with two dramas and the story of actor Tab Hunter.

The annual festival, featuring top current films dealing with gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender issues and attitudes, is sponsored by the Normal Theater and the Prairie Pride Coalition. All films start at 7 p.m.; admission is $7 at the box office.

Thursday, October 15

Game Face

The award-winning documentary GAME FACE tells the parallel story of Fallon Fox, MMAs first transgender pro fighter, and Terrence Clemens, a young, ambitious and talented college basketball player in Oklahoma, who happens to be gay. NBA player Jason Collins, NFL player Wade Davis, NCAA Division 1 basketball player Kye Allums and triathlete Chris Mosier also appear in the film.

Run Time: 95 min

Release: 2015

Director: Michiel Thomas

Friday, October 16

All About E

Beautiful, sexy e seems to have it all. A popular DJ at the top Sydney gay nightclubs, e has her pick of the girls. Matt, her flamboyant manager and best friend, makes her stunning outfits and creates a stylish home for them both. Life is sweet.

Too scared to come out to her traditional migrant parents, e married Matt, a gay Irish dress designer, to give him a visa and provide cover for her sexuality. e and Matt go on the run pursued by Johnny and his thugs. To avoid certain death there is only one safe place to go: outback Australia and into the arms of e’s ex, Trish. She has to give her family the chance to accept who she really is and find the courage to live her dreams.

Run Time: 93 min

Release: 2015

Director: Louise Wadley

Saturday, October 17

Henry Gamble’s Birthday Party

The film tells the tale of two teenage boys, preacher’s kid Henry Gamble and his friend Gabe, who has a sleepover the night before Henry’s seventeenth birthday pool party. Typical teenage boy chat quickly turns sexual, and it’s silently implied that Henry, on a search for identity, has a crush on Gabe. As dawn arrives on the day of the party, Henry’s mom Kat wakes in a state of limbo, middle-aged, with a secret. A little while later, Pastor Bob is making breakfast, and they are joined by Henry’s 19-year-old sister Autumn, home from college for the party. Later that afternoon, as guests arrive - both from the church, as well as Henry’s own “secular” friends - and day turns to night, Henry carefully navigate the religious strictures and sexual secrets of his community, as do the adults and teenagers of the party, all struggling to tread the public and private, and their longing, despite themselves and their faith, for earthly love.

Run Time: 87 min

Release: 2015

Director: Stephen Cone

Sunday, October 18

Tab Hunter Confidential

7:00PM

The story of matinee idol Tab Hunter from teenage stable boy to closeted Hollywood star of the 1950s. Throughout the 1950s, Tab Hunter reigned as Hollywood’s ultimate male heartthrob. In dozens of films – and in the pages of countless movie magazines – Tab’s astonishing looks and golden-boy sex appeal drove his fans to screaming, delirious frenzy, making him the prototype for all young matinee idols to come. He earned his stripes as an actor to become a major movie star and recording artist. Punctuating Tab’s on screen presence will be rare film clips and provocative interviews with friends and co-stars including John Waters, Clint Eastwood, George Takei, Debbie Reynolds, Robert Wagner, Portia de Rossi, Noah Wyle, Connie Stevens, Robert Osborne, and dozens more.

Run Time: 90 min

Release: 2015

Director: Jeffrey Schwarz

Immigration Discussion, Film Wednesday Evening

Twin Citians are welcome Wednesday to gain a perspective on "Living in B-N as an Undocumented Immigrant," during a Drinks & Dialogue get-together at 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the Marriott Hotel and Conference Center in Uptown Normal.

The discussion will be led by Jasmine McGee, executive director of The Immigrant Project, and Jennifer Carrillo from Illinois People's Action.

After the discussion, all those interested can take the short walk down the street to the Normal Theater at 7 p.m. to view the film Documented. The Immigration Project and its community partners are sponsoring the screening of the film, created by Pulitzer-Prize winning journalist Jose Antonio Vargas about his experience as an undocumented immigrant in the United States. The film tracks his journey from the Phillipines as a child and becoming one of the most well-known immigration reform activists in the U.S., to reconnecting with his mother after more than 20 years. 

The screening will be followed by a discussion with the Immigration Project, immigrants, and other immigration advocates and experts. This event is free, but donations are requested to support The Immigration Project.

Community partners include the League of Women Voters, Illinois People’s Action, Moses Montefiore Temple, First Presbyterian Church, Mennonite Church, Holy Trinity Church, and St. Mary’s Church.

Not In Our Town: Bloomington-Normal's Kelley Becker notes that "we are struggling with how to respond to the strangers who are crossing our southern borders, to live in our communities, to work in our businesses and farms, and to learn with our children." Amid current sociopolitical hysteria,  she stressed most of the estimated 11.7 million "undocumenteds" in the U.S. are here for economic reasons, and "are not here to harm us."

Becker witnessed ramped-up federal border security/immigration enforcement activity during a tour centered in Tucson, including "Operation Streamline" prosecution and deportation of selected individuals who'd illegally entering the country, including minors who did not wish to be separated from other families. "I would not have believed this was a courtroom in the United States," Becker said, arguing those proceedings divert federal resources away from prosecution of drug smugglers and human traffickers who pose a palpable threat to the U.S.

That experience, as well as inspecting the border areas where Mexicans crossed into the U.S., highlights the need to "legislatively, socially, and ethically" deal with the immigration issue, she maintained. An Arizona host showed Becker objects including a bottle of insulin and a baby shoe discarded by individuals fleeing Mexico.

"We began to think about the people who left these things behind in the desert," she recalled. "We cannot disagree about the value of these human beings."

Language Education Focus of April 6 Film

A free screening of the film Speaking in Tongues is scheduled Monday, April 6, at the Normal Theater.

After the screening, Assistant Professor Elizabeth Skinner of the College of Education will facilitate a Q&A session discussing the potential benefits of dual-language immersion locally in the Bloomington-Normal community.

Speaking in Tongues is an award-winning documentary on language education in the United States. The film follows four children on their path to becoming bilingual. It took home the Documentary Audience Award at the San Francisco International Film Festival.

This free screening is sponsored by State Farm Bank; Conexiones Latinas de McLean County; Illinois State University’s Latin American and Latino/a Studies Program; College of Education (School of Teaching and Learning); Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures; and the Student Association of Bilingual Education, as well as Illinois Wesleyan University’s Department of Hispanic Studies and Office of Diversity and Inclusion.

For additional information, contact Professor of Latino/a Studies Maura Toro-Morn at mitmorn@ilstu.edu or 438-8290.

Normal Theater to Host Asian Film Festival

In celebration of Asian-American Heritage Month, AsiaConnect will present the 2015 Asian Film Festival from Thursday, April 9, through Sunday, April 12, at the Normal Theater.

The cost of the event is free for students with an ID and $7 for general admission.

The festival will feature four theatrically acclaimed movies from China, South Korea, India and Japan including:

• Shadow Magic (Ann Hu, 2000) [China], at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 9. The movie is a historical drama about the introduction of motion pictures to China during the beginning of the 20th century. It follows a young photographer who struggles to start a film industry in China despite the strong anti-Western sentiment of the time.

• Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter…and Spring (Kim Ki-duk, 2003) [South Korea], at 7 p.m. Friday, April 10. This film is Buddhist, but it is also universal. “It takes place within and around a small house floating on a small raft on a small lake, and within that compass, it contains life, faith, growth, love, jealousy, hate, cruelty, mystery, redemption … and nature. Also a dog, a rooster, a cat, a bird, a snake, a turtle, a fish and a frog,” stated the late film critic Roger Ebert.

• The Lunchbox (Ritesh Bartra, 2014) [India], at 7 p.m. Saturday, April 11. Set in contemporary Mumbai, this film tells the story of Ila, a middle-class housewife who tries to rejuvenate her marriage through cooking. She prepares a special lunchbox to be delivered to her neglectful husband at work, but it is mistakenly delivered to another office worker, Saajan. This begins a series of lunchbox notes between Saajan and Ila, which leads to an emotional journey of self-discovery. They each find an anchor to hold onto in a big city that so often crushes hopes and dreams.

• The Tale of Princess Kaguya (Isao Takahata, 2014) [Japan], at 7 p.m. Sunday, April 12. Based on a Japanese folktale, this animated fantasy drama tells the story of a young princess who must discover her past and confront her fate. Produced by Studio Ghibli, which created Spirited Away and My Neighbor Totoro, this sweeping epic redefines the limits of animated storytelling. It also marks another triumph for director Isao Takahata, acclaimed for his war-themed animated film Grave of the Fireflies (1988). The Tale of Princess Kaguya was nominated for Best Animated Feature Film at the 87th Academy Awards.

AsiaConnect is an affinity group established to promote Asian cultures and represent the interests, needs and concerns of Asian faculty, staff and students.

This event is made possible by the generous support of Beyond Normal Films Cinema Arts Project, Downs Automotive, Inc., McLean County India Association, Normal Theater, Office of the President, Dr. and Mrs. SJ Chang, Center for Mathematics, Science and Technology, Crossroads Project, Department of Politics and Government, Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures, MECCPAC, Dean of Students Diversity Initiative, Office of International Studies and Programs, and Office of the Provost.