On the Banks of the Tigris: The Hidden Story of Iraqi Music[/caption]
The Archaeology Channel International Film Festival, took place May 2 to 6, 2018, at The Shedd Institute in Eugene, Oregon, and featured many of the world’s best films on archaeology and cultural heritage, as well as in-person presentations by Dr. Fredrik Hiebert of the National Geographic Society and three days of conference presentations on cultural heritage media from a worldwide array of speakers. The conference notably included a full day symposium summarizing the latest research on the disappearance of aviator Amelia Earhart as well as a panel discussion debating the three chief hypotheses offered to account for it.
Producers and distributors submitted a record 800 film entries to the Festival, of which 176 films from 45 countries worldwide were considered and reviewed for the competition. At the end of the review process, 29 films from 15 countries were screened in front of audiences at The Shedd. Awards listed below are in nine categories: Best Film (by jury), Best Narration (by jury), Best Animation & Effects (by jury), Best Public Education Value (by jury), Best Script (by jury), Best Cinematography (by jury), Best Music (by jury), Most Inspirational (by jury), and Audience Favorite, as well as three Special Mention Awards designated by the Festival jury.
The Festival is one of approximately eight competitive festivals featuring archaeology-related films worldwide and one of only two in the Western Hemisphere.
The top jury award (Best Film by Jury) went to Secrets of the Nolichucky River (Produced and distributed by Debra Dylan; directed by Buck Kahler; USA), about the discovery of a very well preserved Cherokee village in northeastern Tennessee and its connection to the long-forgotten history of early Spanish contact and the original territory of the Cherokee Nation. During the Festival, Buck Kahler described the movie-making process for this film and conducted Q&A for the audience after the screening.
The Festival jury awarded four Special Mention awards. Still Turning (Produced and distributed by Shirley Gu; directed by Jesse Pickett; China) won special mention for promoting awareness of national heritage. United By Water (Produced and distributed by Sherman Alexie; directed by Derrick LaMere; USA) was noted for its presentation of heritage values. Cervantes: The Search (Produced and directed by Javier Balaquer Blasco; distributed by Troto Int. S.L.; Spain) impressed the jury with its innovative storytelling. Vikings: Warriors of the North, Giants of the Sea (Produced and directed by Gustavo Vilchez; distributed by Fundacion de la C.V. MARQ; Spain); gained jury recognition as the best short subject.
The Festival audience picked On the Banks of the Tigris: The Hidden Story of Iraqi Music (Produced and directed by Marsha Emerman; distributed by 7th Art Releasing and Ronin Films; Australia) as its favorite film. This film tells the story of mid-twentieth-century Iraqi popular music, much of it the product of Iraqi Jews, along with Christians and Muslims, who were purged from Iraq during the regime of Saddam Hussein but still perform their art.
Archaeology Channel International Film Festival, The
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The Archaeology Channel International Film Festival Announces 2018 Winners
[caption id="attachment_29091" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] On the Banks of the Tigris: The Hidden Story of Iraqi Music[/caption]
The Archaeology Channel International Film Festival, took place May 2 to 6, 2018, at The Shedd Institute in Eugene, Oregon, and featured many of the world’s best films on archaeology and cultural heritage, as well as in-person presentations by Dr. Fredrik Hiebert of the National Geographic Society and three days of conference presentations on cultural heritage media from a worldwide array of speakers. The conference notably included a full day symposium summarizing the latest research on the disappearance of aviator Amelia Earhart as well as a panel discussion debating the three chief hypotheses offered to account for it.
Producers and distributors submitted a record 800 film entries to the Festival, of which 176 films from 45 countries worldwide were considered and reviewed for the competition. At the end of the review process, 29 films from 15 countries were screened in front of audiences at The Shedd. Awards listed below are in nine categories: Best Film (by jury), Best Narration (by jury), Best Animation & Effects (by jury), Best Public Education Value (by jury), Best Script (by jury), Best Cinematography (by jury), Best Music (by jury), Most Inspirational (by jury), and Audience Favorite, as well as three Special Mention Awards designated by the Festival jury.
The Festival is one of approximately eight competitive festivals featuring archaeology-related films worldwide and one of only two in the Western Hemisphere.
The top jury award (Best Film by Jury) went to Secrets of the Nolichucky River (Produced and distributed by Debra Dylan; directed by Buck Kahler; USA), about the discovery of a very well preserved Cherokee village in northeastern Tennessee and its connection to the long-forgotten history of early Spanish contact and the original territory of the Cherokee Nation. During the Festival, Buck Kahler described the movie-making process for this film and conducted Q&A for the audience after the screening.
The Festival jury awarded four Special Mention awards. Still Turning (Produced and distributed by Shirley Gu; directed by Jesse Pickett; China) won special mention for promoting awareness of national heritage. United By Water (Produced and distributed by Sherman Alexie; directed by Derrick LaMere; USA) was noted for its presentation of heritage values. Cervantes: The Search (Produced and directed by Javier Balaquer Blasco; distributed by Troto Int. S.L.; Spain) impressed the jury with its innovative storytelling. Vikings: Warriors of the North, Giants of the Sea (Produced and directed by Gustavo Vilchez; distributed by Fundacion de la C.V. MARQ; Spain); gained jury recognition as the best short subject.
The Festival audience picked On the Banks of the Tigris: The Hidden Story of Iraqi Music (Produced and directed by Marsha Emerman; distributed by 7th Art Releasing and Ronin Films; Australia) as its favorite film. This film tells the story of mid-twentieth-century Iraqi popular music, much of it the product of Iraqi Jews, along with Christians and Muslims, who were purged from Iraq during the regime of Saddam Hussein but still perform their art.
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THE LOST CITY OF CECIL B. DEMILLE Wins Top Award at 2017 Archaeology Channel International Film Festival
[caption id="attachment_22086" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]
The Lost City of Cecil B. DeMille[/caption]
The Lost City of Cecil B. DeMille directed by Peter L. Brosnan won the top award – Best Film award at the 2017 Archaeology Channel International Film Festival which took place in Eugene, Oregon, at the Shedd Institute. The Festival featured many of the world’s best films on archaeology and cultural heritage
The top jury award (Best Film by Jury) went to The Lost City of Cecil B. DeMille (Produced by Peter L. Brosnan and Daniel J. Coplan; directed by Peter L. Brosnan; distributed by Peter L. Brosnan and Daniel J. Coplan; USA), about a thirty-year battle to prove the existence of a “Lost City,” the monumental movie set built by Cecil B. DeMille for his 1923 silent film, The Ten Commandments, culminating in the world’s first archaeological excavation of a movie set. Representatives of this film described the movie-making process for this film and conducted Q&A for the audience.
The Festival jury awarded three Special Mention awards. The Grand Masters of the Chauvet Cave (Produced by Andana Films; directed by Christian Tran; distributed by Andana Films; France) won special mention for promoting awareness of Paleolithic cave art. Chambord: The Castle, the King and the Architect (Produced by Stéphane Milliere, Gedeon Programmes; directed by Marc Jampolsky; distributed by Terranoa; France) was noted for furthering awareness of architectural history. Stone Age Cinema (Produced by MC4 Productions; directed by Pascal Cuissot and Marc Azema; distributed by ZED; France) impressed the jury with its excellent use of image and imagination in the interpretation of Paleolithic cave art.
The Festival audience picked Iceman Reborn (Produced by Bonnie Brennan, Paula Apsell, Julia Cort, and Chris Schmidt; directed by Bonnie Brennan; distributed by PBS; USA) as its favorite film. This NOVA film updates the curious story of Oetzi the “Iceman,” Europe’s oldest known natural mummy, murdered more than 5,000 years ago.
The following is a complete list of TAC Festival 2017 awards:
Best Film (by Jury)
The Lost City of Cecil B. DeMille (Produced by Peter L. Brosnan and Daniel J. Coplan; directed by Peter L. Brosnan; distributed by Peter L. Brosnan and Daniel J. Coplan; USA)Honorable Mention for Best Film Category (in order):
The Destruction of Memory (Produced and directed by Tim Slade; distributed by Autlook Filmsales; USA) Iceman Reborn (Produced by Bonnie Brennan, Paula Apsell, Julia Cort, Chris Schmidt; directed by Bonnie Brennan; distributed by PBS; USA) Stone Age Cinema (Produced by MC4 Productions, Jean-Pierre Bailly; directed by Pascal Cuissot and Marc Azema; distributed by ZED; France) The Grand Masters of the Chauvet Cave (Produced by Andana Films; directed by Christian Tran; distributed by Andana Films; France)Best Narration (by Jury)
The Lost City of Cecil B. DeMille (Produced by Peter L. Brosnan and Daniel J. Coplan; directed by Peter L. Brosnan; distributed by Peter L. Brosnan and Daniel J. Coplan; USA)Honorable Mention for Narration (in order):
Iceman Reborn (Produced by Bonnie Brennan, Paula Apsell, Julia Cort, and Chris Schmidt; directed by Bonnie Brennan; distributed by PBS; USA) Vikings Unearthed (Produced by Eamon Hardy for WGBH NOVA; directed by Harvey Lilley; distributed by BBC Worldwide; UK) Prayers Long Silent (Produced and directed by Dan Frodsham; distributed by Nanyang Technological University Singapore; UK) Chambord: The Castle, the King and the Architect (Produced by Stéphane Milliere, Gedeon Programmes; directed by Marc Jampolsky; distributed by Terranoa; France)Best Animation & Effects (by Jury)
Iceman Reborn (Produced by Bonnie Brennan, Paula Apsell, Julia Cort, and Chris Schmidt; directed by Bonnie Brennan; distributed by PBS; USA)Honorable Mention for Animation & Special Effects (in order):
Naachtun: The Forgotten Mayan City (Produced by Les Films a Cinq; directed by Stephanie Begoin; distributed by Les Films a Cinq; France) Mia (Produced by Spotted Fawn Productions, Inc; directed by Amanda Strong and Bracken Hanuse Corlett; distributed by Winnipeg Film Group; Canada) Stone Age Cinema (Produced by MC4 Productions; directed by Pascal Cuissot and Marc Azema; distributed by ZED; France) Fatal Alchemy (Produced and directed by Martin Freeth; distributed by British Medical Journal; UK)Best Public Education Value (by Jury)
The Destruction of Memory (Produced and directed by Tim Slade; distributed by Autlook Filmsales; USA)Honorable Mention for Public Education Value (in order):
The Grand Masters of the Chauvet Cave (Produced by Andana Films; directed by Christian Tran; distributed by Andana Films; France) Stone Age Cinema (Produced by MC4 Productions; directed by Pascal Cuissot and Marc Azema; distributed by ZED; France) The Lost City of Cecil B. DeMille (Produced by Peter L. Brosnan and Daniel J. Coplan; directed by Peter L. Brosnan; distributed by Peter L. Brosnan and Daniel J. Coplan; USA) Honey Hunters (Produced by Ira Rakiz Tuffile; directed by Abdul Hamid Abdullah; distributed by National Film Development Corporation Malaysia (FINAS); Malaysia)Best Script (by Jury)
The Lost City of Cecil B. DeMille (Produced by Peter L. Brosnan and Daniel J. Coplan; directed by Peter L. Brosnan; distributed by Peter L. Brosnan and Daniel J. Coplan; USA)Honorable Mention for Script (in order):
Fatal Alchemy (Produced and directed by Martin Freeth; distributed by British Medical Journal; UK) Chambord: The Castle, the King and the Architect (Produced by Stéphane Milliere, Gedeon Programmes; directed by Marc Jampolsky; distributed by Terranoa; France) Iceman Reborn (Produced by Bonnie Brennan, Paula Apsell, Julia Cort, and Chris Schmidt; directed by Bonnie Brennan; distributed by PBS; USA) Honey Hunters (Produced by Ira Rakiz Tuffile; directed by Abdul Hamid Abdullah; distributed by National Film Development Corporation Malaysia (FINAS); Malaysia)Best Cinematography (by Jury)
My Name is Salt (Produced and directed by Farida Pacha; distributed by Documentary Educational Resources; India)Honorable Mention for Cinematography (in order):
Fatal Alchemy (Produced and directed by Martin Freeth; distributed by British Medical Journal; UK) The Grand Masters of the Chauvet Cave (Produced by Andana Films; directed by Christian Tran; distributed by Andana Films; France) Iceman Reborn (Produced by Bonnie Brennan, Paula Apsell, Julia Cort, and Chris Schmidt; directed by Bonnie Brennan; distributed by PBS; USA) Naachtun: The Forgotten Mayan City (Produced by Les Films a Cinq; directed by Stephanie Begoin; distributed by Les Films a Cinq; France)Best Music (by Jury)
Nowruz in Tajikistan (Produced by Documentary and Experimental Film Center; directed by Mehdi Bemani; distributed by Documentary and Experimental Film Center; Iran)Honorable Mention for Music (in order):
Fatal Alchemy (Produced and directed by Martin Freeth; distributed by British Medical Journal; UK) Mia (Produced by Spotted Fawn Productions Inc; directed by Amanda Strong and Bracken Hanuse Corlett; distributed by Winnipeg Film Group; Canada) Prayers Long Silent (Produced and directed by Dan Frodsham; distributed by Nanyang Technological University Singapore; UK) Chambord: The Castle, the King and the Architect (Produced by Stéphane Milliere, Gedeon Programmes; directed by Marc Jampolsky; distributed by Terranoa; France)Most Inspirational (by Jury)
The Lost City of Cecil B. DeMille (Produced by Peter L. Brosnan and Daniel J. Coplan; directed by Peter L. Brosnan; distributed by Peter L. Brosnan and Daniel J. Coplan; USA)Honorable Mention for Inspiration (in order):
The Grand Masters of the Chauvet Cave (Produced by Andana Films; directed by Christian Tran; distributed by Andana Films; France) Stone Age Cinema (Produced by MC4 Productions; directed by Pascal Cuissot and Marc Azema; distributed by ZED; France) Iceman Reborn (Produced by Bonnie Brennan, Paula Apsell, Julia Cort, and Chris Schmidt; directed by Bonnie Brennan; distributed by PBS; USA) Gyptis: A Greco-Massalian Boat Dating Back to the 6th Century BC (Produced and directed by Antoine Chene; distributed by Antoine Chene; France)Audience Favorite Competition (by Festival audience)
Iceman Reborn (Produced by Bonnie Brennan, Paula Apsell, Julia Cort, and Chris Schmidt; directed by Bonnie Brennan; distributed by PBS; USA)Honorable Mention in Audience Favorite Competition (in order):
My Name is Salt (Produced and directed by Farida Pacha; distributed by Documentary Educational Resources; India) The Grand Masters of the Chauvet Cave (Produced by Andana Films; directed by Christian Tran; distributed by Andana Films; France) The Lost City of Cecil B. DeMille (Produced by Peter L. Brosnan and Daniel J. Coplan; directed by Peter L. Brosnan; distributed by Peter L. Brosnan and Daniel J. Coplan; USA) Chambord: The Castle, the King and the Architect (Produced by Stéphane Milliere, Gedeon Programmes; directed by Marc Jampolsky; distributed by Terranoa; France)Special Mention (by Jury)
The Grand Masters of the Chauvet Cave (Produced by Andana Films; directed by Christian Tran; distributed by Andana Films; France); for Promoting Awareness of Paleolithic Cave Art Chambord: The Castle, the King and the Architect (Produced by Stéphane Milliere, Gedeon Programmes; directed by Marc Jampolsky; distributed by Terranoa; France); for Furthering Awareness of Architectural History Stone Age Cinema (Produced by MC4 Productions; directed by Pascal Cuissot and Marc Azema; distributed by ZED; France); for Excellent Use of Image and Imagination in the Interpretation of Paleolithic Cave Art
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Trump Admin Denies Visas for Foreign Guests of The Archaeology Channel International Film Festival
[caption id="attachment_22086" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] The Lost City of Cecil B. DeMille[/caption]
The Archaeology Channel International Film Festival said today that guests from Muslim-majority countries invited to this year’s festival will not attend largely because of obstacles to obtaining visas.
Largely because of obstacles to obtaining visas, most foreign guests invited to Lane County’s oldest film festival, The Archaeology Channel International Film Festival, will not attend. The absence of these anticipated participants, belonging to three Muslim-majority countries, will have a significant and damaging impact on the event.
Of nine individuals in this group from Egypt, Iran and Pakistan, only one has been granted a visa. Two of them have had their visa applications outright rejected and two have been place in the “Administrative Processing” category, a kind of limbo status that can last weeks or months and is a de facto denial of a visa for someone coming to a scheduled event. Three other anticipated guests, after initial attempts to obtain visas and learning that others were being denied visas, decided against coming to the Festival and one was blocked by his employer from coming.
TAC Festival opens its 14th edition on May 3rd at the Hilton Hotel and Conference Center in Eugene, Oregon. Other main components of the Festival are The Archaeology Channel Conference on Cultural Heritage Media, featuring presentations May 4-6 at the Hilton, and the film screenings for the competition at The Shedd May 4-7. Most of the expected guest who are not coming were scheduled to give formal presentations at the Conference.
“The U.S. State Department vetting process for visas already was arbitrary and unpredictable,” says Festival Director and ALI head Rick Pettigrew. “We saw problems of this kind last year. However, the difficulty faced by people trying to obtain visas from these countries appears to have grown significantly this year. One of our expected guests this year was here on our jury two years ago and spent months on Administrative Processing last year so he couldn’t come. Two others who won’t be with us were here last year. I can’t help but suspect that this outcome is the result of a silent but de facto travel ban as well as the negative publicity about the travel ban. It sends a message to people in these countries that an attempt to get a US visa is likely to be a waste of time and money. The absence of these guests weakens the value of our event for other participants and creates serious financial challenges for us in sustaining the event.”
The absences of foreign guests leave six open places in the presentation schedule for TAC Conference. Festival staff will do all possible to make use of the vacant times for other productive Festival purposes. Fortunately, the schedule includes other highly anticipated presentations, such as by Dr. Christopher Thornton of the National Geographic Society. Also noteworthy among the presenters at the Conference portion of the Festival are a group of panelists discussing their film about the lost Egyptian movie set of Cecil B. DeMille on the California coast, a filmmaker and archaeologist from Luxembourg who has been doing 3D documentation using drones in Iraqi Kurdistan, and a Kazakh filmmaker from Altay, China, describing the ancient skiing culture of the Altai Mountains in Central Asia. Several presentations focus on methods and opportunities for the development of network TV programming in the US. This is the most diverse and numerous set of presentations in the history of TAC Conference.
2017 Films
Agacheri Turks: The Woodmen of Anatolia Approaches: Saint Michel de Cuxa The Bridge Recovered Chambord: The Castle, the King and the Architect The Destruction of Memory The Enigma of the Great Menhir The Experts Travel Back in Time: The Neolithic Ages Fatal Alchemy A Footnote in Ballet History Fort Ancient A Gigantic Jigsaw Puzzle: The Epicurean Inscription of Diogenes of Oinoanda God’s House The Grand Masters of the Chauvet Cave Gyptis: A Greco-Massalian Boat Dating back to the 6th Century BC Himera: The Temple of Victory Honey Hunters Iceman Reborn The Inevitable Evolution of Fort Frederick The Lost City of Cecil B. DeMille Mia My Name is Salt Naachtun: The Forgotten Mayan City Nowruz in Tajikistan Prayers Long Silent Sailing a Sinking Sea Stone Age Cinema Vikings Unearthed