The Film Society of Minneapolis St. Paul to Receive $30K NEA Art Works Grant

Via a Dec 14 News Release from The Film Society of Minneapolis St. Paul:

National Endowment for the Arts Chairman Jane Chu has approved more than $30 million in grants as part of the NEA’s first major funding announcement for fiscal year 2017.  Included in this announcement is an Art Works grant of $30,000 to the Film Society of Minneapolis St. Paul for the Cine Global Series and supported programs. The Art Works category focuses on the creation of art that meets the highest standards of excellence, public engagement with diverse and excellent art, lifelong learning in the arts, and the strengthening of communities through the arts.

“The arts are for all of us, and by supporting organizations such as the Film Society of Minneapolis St. Paul, the National Endowment for the Arts is providing more opportunities for the public to engage with the arts,” said NEA Chairman Jane Chu. “Whether in a theater, a town square, a museum, or a hospital, the arts are everywhere and make our lives richer.”

“We are honored to receive an Art Works Grant and grateful for this endorsement by and funding from the National Endowment for the Arts,” said Film Society of Minneapolis St. Paul Executive Director Susan Smoluchowski. “This support will enable us to continue to deepen our programming reflecting the cultures and experiences of the growing international populations in Minnesota and to further engage our increasingly diverse audiences.”

Cine Global Series and supported programs include Cine Latino, Images of Africa, Asian Frontiers and other programs year-round and within the Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival. Dedicated to promoting intercultural understanding, the festival's Cine Global program presents contemporary films from around the world, with a focus on audiences of local immigrant communities. International artists will engage in presentations, panel discussions, and workshops that accompany festival screenings, as well as in educational programs such as Nextwave, providing media, literacy and many other opportunities for youth, especially traditionally underserved youth, who are pursuing an interest in film. Select titles previously screened in the program include "The Look of Silence" by Joshua Oppenheimer, "Difret" by Zeresenay Berhane Mehari, “Alias Maria” by José Luis Rugeles, “A Stray”by Musa Syeed, “Tharlo” by Pema Tseden, and “Neruda” by Pablo Larraín.

For more information on projects included in the NEA grant announcement, visit arts.gov/news.