A Proposal for a Themed Film Festival for Students

A proposal for a Themed Film Festival for Students
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University
Abstract
This paper encompasses a proposal for a themed film festival to be conducted for students. In this excerpt, the primary audience is students, and therefore the theme is tailored to cater for educational purposes. The proposal also identifies and explains the theme and justifies the rationale behind its focus. The central theme which the proposal is oriented towards is the theme of culture and race. The three chosen movies are analyzed, compared and contrasted to see the relation to the theme. The three films selected are the main events of the festival and therefore mean that they are the center of focus in the festival. Moreover, the process of individual film analysis involves. Cinematography, music and sound, narrative, editing, history, genres and the film theory. The excerpt also explains the need for the students’ examination of the movie’s themes, the things that the students gain from watching the movies, the knowledge obtained and also the importance of the films.
Keywords: film, festival, theme.

A Proposal for a Themed Film Festival for Students
In every film festival, there must be specific themes that must be put across to the audience for different purposes. This is because different themes are used to portray unique and various messages. The hosts of the festival usually design and plan the whole of the festival depending on the type of theme; from costumes to artifacts and displays in the festival, to films and movies about the chosen theme.

The central theme to be portrayed in the festival is the theme of race. In this theme, the festival will be based on different races from all over the world, with displays of several races together. Moreover, cultural presentations would be present in this festival, as different artifacts and materials from different cultures are brought to show the people of their existence. As known, race is related to culture. This is because different races have different sets of norms, practices, and materials, therefore representing a culture. In this manner, the movies chosen for the main event will be based on the theme of culture and race.
The primary reason for the selection of this theme for the festival is because of the history of racism that people had gone through. In this reasoning, every person can relate to the what is happening around them. Furthermore, racism and the practice of different cultures still exist in the modern era. Therefore, the audience, who are mostly students, will be able to appreciate the different cultures and races that surrounds them because, in a typical school or learning institution, different races and people from different cultures and nations come together for the common goal of seeking knowledge. With this in mind, the festival will serve to portray and bring into the limelight, different cultures and races to promote the peaceful co-existence and appreciation among the audience, who are students. It will also serve as a source of understanding for students, on how different races and cultures operate on their day to day lives.
In this festival, three main films will act as the primary events. The three chosen movies are all related to the theme of culture and racism. They include; 12 years a slave, dear white people, and eat pray love. The first film to be showcased is 12 years a slave. In this movie, the story is based on the life of Solomon Northup as a free black man that was kidnapped and forced into slavery in the south of antebellum and was later helped by friends and family to escape to New York. In the movie, both male and female slaves were checked whether they are fit and healthy enough to be sold at tremendous or bargainable prices (“an Analysis of “12 Years a Slave”, 2016).
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-7620042989500An image showing the movie 12 years a slave obtained from http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2024544/The movie also portrays the selling of children slaves, like Randall Berry and Emily Berry that were separated from their parents and forced into slavery at a tender age. This is because Theophilus Freeman forcefully separated the children from their mother and introduced them to slavery. The theme of race is the primary focus of the film, as it portrays black people sold as a commodity rather than humans (“an Analysis of “12 Years a Slave”, 2016). Regarding cinematography, the images and setting portrayed are those of past times, when racism and discrimination were rampant. The sound and music used were those that signified the loss of hope especially when Solomon was kidnapped and enslaved. Moreover, the narrative of the film is fully based on slavery and the theme of racism (“an Analysis of “12 Years a Slave”, 2016). The movie was set in the past times of the American history when black men were sold as commodities and discriminated. The film was a reality of the situation that was happening in America during the nineteenth centuries and was therefore not fictional based, but of history/biography, thus, its theory was all based around the historical times when racism and discrimination due to one’s color were present.
-5715082486500 In the second film, dear white people is a satirical comedy based film that portrays the essence of black identity in the United States of America. This movie is somehow ironical because it addressed to the white people. It is a mode of modernizing racism bringing new things to the surrounding of the narrative without definitive statements and declarations (Monteith, 2017).
An image depicting the movie dear white people obtained from http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2235108/-133350390207500 This movie is also based on four students and in this sense, the audience can relate to the situation happening in the film. The main characters are Troy Fairbanks, Sam White, Lionel Higgins and Colandrea. They are all black students at predominantly white studded Ivy League University. In the movie, Sam is the leader of the black students’ union and is a strong advocate against racism on campus. In the cinematography as opposed to the past and historical nature of 12 years a slave, the film is set in a modern era. Coco is dark-skinned, wears blue contacts tries her best to assimilate whiteness by self-depreciation. Troy is the dean’s son who dates a white girl and tries to be ‘white’ by looking calm and non-threatening. Lionel is a gay black student that tries to fit into the white students, because he had prior experiences of rejection in high school by the black students (Monteith, 2017). Sounds and music are used in the film, but as compared to 12 years a slave, it is more modern and comical. The narrative is based on race as discussed and it is set in the contemporary times. The film theory is also based on the theme of race.
Eat pray love is about a woman, Julia Roberts who travels around the globe for a year after she realized that she was not living her dream life that she thought she would. After breaking up with her husband, and a failed affair with a younger guy, she goes to discover the joy of eating in Italy, love in Bali and peace in India (Busch, 2017).
An image of eat pray love obtained from http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0879870/ In this film, the theme of culture is the primary focus. The producers and writers of the film set out to show the different ways of life of individuals. Therefore, the leading actor travels around the world to appreciate the diversities of the different cultures and ways of life as she set out to look for happiness, peace, and love (Busch, 2017). The setting and images were set to portray the theme of diversity in cultures and ways of lives of people as opposed to the racial themes in 12 years a slave and dear white people. The sounds and music were dynamic according to the place whether the actions were taking place. For example, the music in Italy was different from that of India. The narrative is based on adventure and cultural differences in the various parts of the world. It’s of the romance genre and is set to the modern times, similar to dear white people. The theory of the film is also based on the theme of the film which is love, culture, and diversity.
The theme chosen for this festival is the themes of culture and race. It is important for students to examine this theme because they are composed of different cultures and races that are brought together by the common goal of obtaining knowledge. The students will, therefore, learn to appreciate the different races and cultures among them and understand the history that they had come through to live the present life. Moreover, they would gain historical knowledge and how an uprising brought about the change in discrimination due to one’s race and therefore, it is of high importance to the students. The most important aspect of the festival is a cultural and racial appreciation of one another and peaceful co-existence to lead happy lives.
References
An Analysis of “12 Years a Slave”. (2016). UKEssays. Retrieved 14 January 2018, from https://www.ukessays.com/essays/history/an-analysis-of-12-years-a-slave.php
Busch, Jenna. (2017). “Eat Pray Love Review”. Huffpost. Accessed January 14 2018. https://www.huffingtonpost.com/jenna-busch/emeat-pray-loveem-review_b_680278.html.
Monteith, Kristeena. (2017). Film Analysis: Justin Simien’s — Dear White People (2014). Medium. Retrieved 14 January 2018, from https://medium.com/@KristeenaMonteith/film-analysis-justin-simiens-dear-white-people-2014-4122788c9f2e