ST. JOHN Film Society presents: FREE MONTHLY MOVIES!

On the occasion of Africa Unite in 2005, Marley's family visited Ethiopia to present a live musical tribute to honor the reggae legend on what would have been his 60th birthday. There in the capital city of Addis Ababa three generations of Marley's take part in a 12-hour concert attended by more than 300,000 people from around the world, with the ultimate purpose of inspiring  the young generations of Africa to unite for the future of their continent. Along with clips of Africa Unite symposiums, the film focuses on the roots of Rastafarianism and the significance of Marley's life to its movement. Includes performances by widow Rita and sons Ziggy, Stephen, Julian, Damian, and Ky-Mani, along with a few vintage clips of Marley himself in action.

Short video prior to feature presented by local artist:
BILL STELZER

William Stelzer will present a short video compilation created for the Waveplace project, a partnering effort with the One Laptop per Child Foundation. The venture brought children's laptops to schoolchildren in Haiti, Nicaragua, Florida and St John. The video features the children as they learned digital art, programming and storytelling skills over the course of this extraordinary adventure.
William Stelzer, a St. John resident, was Graphics Director for the ABC-TV affiliate in Austin, TX during the First Gulf War and has worked as an independent consultant on a wide variety of art, film, video, print, web, education and computer graphic projects.

ST. JOHN FILM SOCIETY:

The mission of the St John Film Society is to inspire a positive appreciation for the history, culture and environment of our US Virgin Islands by establishing a free monthly film series open to and for the benefit of our local community. We will present high quality fiction and non-fiction independent films that celebrate the human spirit with a focus on the Caribbean.  Our intent is to increase cross-cultural awareness of the many communities throughout the Virgin Islands and beyond.

Each month we will invite a local Virgin Island filmmaker, video installation artist, or visual artist to present their work prior to the feature film presentation.  Our goal is to develop public awareness of our local talent by creating an environment in which filmmakers / artists introduce and discuss their work and their artistic process with audiences of all ages.

St. John Film Society is comprised of a small group of local volunteers.  We invite film enthusiasts to come and enjoy the films and help plan monthly programs.  We also invite filmmakers / artists to submit their work for consideration.  Email your suggestions to stjviff@gmail.com or submit preview DVD's to:

St. John Film Society
5000 Estate Enighed PMB 98
St. John, USVI 00830

Founding members of the St. John Film Society:

Andrea E. Leland, artist and filmmaker, has produced and directed a number of award winning documentaries focusing on Caribbean and Latin American cultures. She is the co-founder of REELTIME, a highly successful monthly film series in the Chicago area (www.reeltimeevanston.org) now in it's 10 year.   She received her MFA from the School of the Art Institute in Chicago.

Rea McQueen Roberts is a devoted film and music enthusiast. She has worked in the public relations and music industries, with emphasis on special event planning and fundraising. She has been involved with several of St John's annual events, both as a participant and as a volunteer.  

Martha Hills is a writer and an avid film enthusiast. She is active in the St John community and a volunteer in several local endeavors.

Sigi Torinus, a native Virgin Islander, is an artist who creates hybrid, new media works with an emphasis on video, performance and site-specific installation. Her works have been exhibited in the US, the Caribbean, Europe, Australia and Canada. She holds an MFA from the Braunschweig Art Institute, Germany, and San Francisco State University in California. Ms. Torinus is a founder of "Berlin and Beyond Film Festival" in San Francisco, now in its 14th year.

Felicia Olivieri Torres:  A native of St. John whose family has an extensive history on the island, Ms. Oivieri Torres demonstrates an active interest in preserving the culture and environment to which her family has contributed for many years. Ms. Torres is a promising singer, songwriter and musician who is active in the St. John community and is enthusiastic about films and their potential to educate and preserve a community's identity.

Partners of St. John Film Society:

ST. JOHN COMMUNITY FOUNDATION acts as fiscal agent or fiduciary for the St. John Film Society. It is non-profit and maintains 501(c)(3) status. SJCF's executive director is Paul Devine. Donations to the St. John Film Society are encouraged and should be sent directly to Paul Devine at SJCF.

KALEIDOSCOPE VIDEO: Catherine Fahy, owner of St. John's video rental stores, will purchase and make available to the public, films screened at the monthly events. In addition, Ms. Fahy will carry other titles recommended by St. John Film Society staff. A shelf in both the Coral Bay and Cruz Bay stores will be dedicated to these films and will be titles: "St. John Film Society Recommends" .