"Homegrown" Film Festival to Feature Local Filmmakers

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Williamstown — The Oakley Center at Williams College is the sponsor of a film festival of local artists, titled "Homegrown: Film and Video from North Berkshire County." The festival will take place on Sunday, March 12, beginning at 7 p.m., at Images Cinema on Spring Street. The event will last approximately three hours, with Q&A sessions with the filmmakers at the halfway point and at the end. "Homegrown" is free and open to the public. Later in the spring, the Oakley Center will present "Extreme Documentary," which will bring to Williamstown documentary talent from around the world. "Homegrown," on the other hand, is in recognition of work being done by a number of local filmmakers. It will include a variety of film genres, from comic micro-shorts to feature-length documentaries. Each participant will screen a work of approximately 10 to 15 minutes in length. The program will include: Deborah Brothers, costume director and lecturer in theatre, will present an excerpt of her film "Four Episodes from A New Orleans Mardi Gras." Benjamin Brown '06 will show a 15-minue clip from "Pasajes de Junin." The film follows the struggles of five activists from a mining town in rural Ecuador. Sandra Burton, Lipp Family Director of Dance, will show an excerpt of her work on the life and career of the legendary dancer and choreographer Chuck Davis. Paula Consolini, coordinator of experiential education, will present an excerpt from her film "Breaking the Mold," the story of an employee buyout and the transformation of the people involved. David Edwards, the Carl W. Vogt '58 Professor of Anthropology, will present an excerpt from his documentary "Kabul Transit," an associative -- at times surreal -- film about contemporary Afghanistan and the ways in which multiple and conflicting elements of the past persist in its present. Liza Johnson, assistant professor of art, will show her short film "Desert Motel." The film is centered on a weekend getaway in the California desert, where the protagonist, Leslie, and her girlfriend run into Connor, a friend from home. Leslie stuns everyone when she crosses a line trying to understand the new kind of manhood that Connor introduces. David Lachman, a North Adams resident, will present three of his short films: "Flower to Flower," "This is Art my Friend," and "Homemade." Julia Morgan-Leamon, a local artist and member of the Williams College Museum of Art's staff, will show her video "Looking for Betty." Oblivious to the U.S. military exploits that frame her, the film's protagonist, Betty, inspects herself in the mirror of the video camera. Amy Podmore, associate professor of art, will present her series of comic shorts, "Disappearing Acts." A humorous portrayal of "loss of self," it brings attention to the negotiation necessary between give and take that we experience in daily life. Shawn Rosenheim, professor of English, will show an excerpt from his feature-length documentary on Biosphere 2, "Home Sick." As Rosenheim describes it: "8 people, two years, three acres. Grow your food. Recycle your waste. Breathe your own air. No one ever said paradise was fun."
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Weekend Outlook: Fresh Start

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff

Check out the events happening this weekend, including hiking, volunteering, fundraisers, and more.

Editor's Pick

First Friday
Downtown North Adams
Time: 5 to 9 p.m.

The new year is here so kick it off with music, art, and games that will fill downtown North Adams for its First Friday event, themed "Fresh Start." 

Participating businesses will have extended hours and many galleries will host openings, closings, and other special events.

More information and event line-up here.

Friday

Discover Greylock Hike
Mount Greylock Visitor Center, Lanesborough
Time: 1 p.m. 

Celebrate the great outdoors with a walk in the woods to explore seasonal changes the signs of wildlife along an easy-moderate trail.

This family-friendly 2-mile hike follows the Bradley Farm Trail with a gradual 440-ft elevation gain. 

Hikes may include tree identification, local history and orienteering. Be aware that trail conditions may be snow-covered, icy or muddy.

More information here.

Future Labs Gallery All Members Reception
43 Eagle St., North Adams
Time: 6 to 8 p.m.

View artwork by more than 40 Future Labs Gallery member artists. More information here.

Collaged Coasters for Tweens and Teens 
Milne Public Library Williamstown
Time: 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.

"Decompress and Decoupage." Decoupage is the art of applying a collage of paper onto a surface. Make collage wooden coasters whether it's a gift or a piece of art to hang on your wall. More information here.

Karaoke 
Dalton American Legion
Time: 6 p.m. 

Sing your heart out while supporting the local American Legion Post. More information here.

Joni Mitchell Tribute Band Performance
17 Main St., South Egremont
Time: 8 p.m. 

Big Yellow Taxi, a Joni Mitchell tribute band, will perform many of Mitchell's popular songs. 

Tickets are $20. More information here.

Saturday

Music Bingo
Wahconah Country Club
Time: 6 p.m.

Help raise money for the girls and boys basketball program by playing a game of musical bingo. More information here.

Lecture by Former Peace Corps Volunteers
Berkshire Athenaeum, Pittsfield
Time: 2 p.m.

Two former Peace Corps volunteers Eduardo and Edmundo tell their story of collecting used equipment from the Berkshires and shipping it to Honduras. More information here.

 

Tracking Winter Wildlife for Beginners
Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary, Lenox
Time: 11 a.m. 

Take a beginner-friendly walk through fields and forests to search for tracks, scat, and signs of the delicate but exciting interactions between predators and their prey.
 
With any luck, you will find signs of coyotes, foxes, deer, rabbits, and more. Tickets are $15 for Mass Auburn members and $20 for non-members. 
 
More information here.  

'The Princess and the Frog' Screening 
Milne Public Library, Williamstown
Time: 1 p.m. 

Bring your family to the library for a free screening of the Disney classic, "The Princess and the Frog." Enjoy popcorn and to be more sustainable bring your own bowl. 

More information here.

Volunteer to Build Lee's Rink
Lee Athletic Field
Time: 10 a.m.

Volunteers are needed to help build Lee's skating rink. Email the Youth Commission to let them know you can make it.

More information here.

Full Moon Winter Hike 
Hilltop Orchards, Richmond
Time: 6:45 p.m. 
 
There will be a guided hike by Holly Brouker, under the full moon. The event also features a bonfire ceremony and wine and cider tasting. 
 
More information here. 
 
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