International Film Festival encourages dichotomous thinking

There’s nothing like sitting back and immersing yourself in a good film. Empathizing and identifying with the characters can provide excellent cathartic relief and can promote critical thinking about the topic at hand. The International Film Festival hosted at Texas State University, coordinated by TXST Professor of French Dr. Carole Martin and TXST Associate Professor of Digital History Dr. Louie Valencia, includes film showings and discussions that started on Feb. 19 and will end in a symposium on March 7. There is also a concurrent art exhibit at the Joann Cole Mitte Flex Gallery that was curated by TXST Professor of Studio Art Joey Fauerso. The theme for this year’s event is Celebrity: Between Fame and Infamy.

Martin said she began the festival in 2007, and there have been five total festivals since its inception. Valencia volunteered in the first festival as a student, and the previous festival was when he came on board in a professional capacity.

“They’re always based on the same idea, which is a major theme [or] topic that we feel is of interest to the community, [and] to students that needs to be discussed and then films related to that topic and a symposium where we get people from outside of the university, sometimes professional filmmakers but sometimes academics, to come to present their ideas about that topic,” Martin said.

Valencia said there were two sources of his interest in international film: Martin coordinated a lecture with actress Anna Mouglalis and Film Director Asa Mader in 2004 that he found inspiring as well as the work by the Spanish Film Director and Screenwriter Pedro Almodóvar.

Martin’s interest in film started in Paris, France, where she went to film school and where the opportunities to view film were plentiful.

“At the time in that film school we could go for free to see anything, anytime, and in Paris you have 300 movie theaters — a huge offering in terms of films from all over the world,” Martin said. “So I was spending about four hours a day in a movie theater and the rest was working on films with friends [and] writing scripts.”

Valencia said that in order to really immerse yourself in the topic, it’s important to see several films during the festival.

“One of the best parts about the film festival is you’re able to have extended conversations about a topic,” Valencia said. “I think that’s one of the things that I really enjoyed about this thematic approach.”

Martin said after viewing many of the films, when the participants get to the symposium, they have a better understanding of the topic. She said during the previous festival about consent, it was clear that students' perceptions of the definition of consent had really changed, which was reflected in the discussion.

Martin said the theme of celebrity forces the participants to hold dichotomous views simultaneously.

“Another thing for me that is interesting is when we think about the title, Between Fame and Infamy, it’s to be able to think about two contradictory terms at the same time,” Martin said. “When you think of celebrity, you both have to have in mind the negative and the positive. It’s never a simple story. It’s never in black or white. Fame comes with some form of infamy at some point. … In order to understand any complex material, we need to be able to take in contradiction.”

During the Feb. 22 lecture and film, Valencia's discussion focused on Harry Styles, who was an actor in the featured film Don’t Worry Darling. This topic has derived a bit of fame for Valencia; His course called Harry Styles and the Cult of Celebrity went viral, and he has since done interviews with CNN, NPR, Good Morning America and the Today Show, to name a few.

The art exhibit features a poem by Naomi Shihab Nye, paintings by Silver Castillo, photograph inkjet prints, a digital collage and a single channel video by Silas Garcia, a single channel video by Maria Elena and a seven channel video installation by Laeree Lara.

Castillo said that the self-portrait and portrait of Drake are painted in the same position to showcase Drake’s humanity in spite of his fame.

“While we are both of two different statuses, Drake is still human,” Castillo said. “His fame doesn’t exclude his capability to feel.”

Garcia said his current series of work focuses on the dysphoria of the human body, including growth, fluidity and exploration of gender ideas.

“My gender transition has influenced and affected the way I see the human body and my desire to challenge societal bias,” Garcia said. “My largely black and white photographs abstract the human figure and face to distort a forced perception. I digitally/ physically collage and morph the photos together while incorporating drawn elements. The tensions, contradictions and surprises in my work are amplified through dramatic lighting and a monochromatic palette.”

Lara said I Can Act Like a Star, I Can Beg on My Knees navigates the nuances of emotion and perception and reflects life-altering, but fleeting, moments.

“Through collected personal moments and visual internet lore, including archived memes and movies, I extend an invitation for viewers to also explore their own internal landscapes,” Lara said. “From strength to vulnerability, each video loop mirrors my journey towards ongoing self-discovery, becoming, and acceptance.”

To learn more about the International Film Festival and view the schedule go to internationalfilmfestivalandsymposiumoncelebrity. wp.txstate. edu.