Contact: Tyler Powell
STARKVILLE, Miss.—Two Academy Award-nominated films will anchor Mississippi State University’s upcoming International Film Festival.
Free to all, the April 5 and 6 event is a partnership between the university’s Institute for the Humanities, Holmes Cultural Diversity Center, Department of Art and International Student Advisory Board. The festival is being held in association with the university’s 28th annual International Fiesta, organized by HCDC and the World Neighbors Association.
Both animated films will be shown in Taylor Auditorium in McCool Hall. Snacks and drinks will be provided, and participants will be eligible for raffle prizes.
“The Wind Rises” will be featured April 5 at 6 p.m. HCDC Program Coordinator Kei Mamiya will introduce Hayao Miyazaki’s film, which was nominated for the 2014 Academy Award for Best Animated Feature Film and the 2014 Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film. The film depicts the life of Jiro Horikoshi, who designed Japanese fighter planes during World War II.
On April 6 at 6 p.m., Dorota Kobiela and Hugh Welchman’s “Loving Vincent” will be shown. MSU Professor of Art Ben Harvey will introduce the film, which was nominated for the 2018 Academy Award for Best Animated Feature Film.
“Loving Vincent” follows the story of a young man investigating the life of famous painter Vincent van Gogh after delivering the artist’s last letter to his final hometown. The film uses oil painting animation to mirror van Gogh’s unmistakable artistic style.
“Film is a great medium for learning about different cultures and considering different perspectives,” said Julia Osman, director of the Institute for the Humanities. “In ‘Loving Vincent,’ the beauty of Southern France and the passion and emotion contained in van Gogh’s paintings is revealed—it leaves you wanting to learn more about impressionism and the power of art.”
Osman said that “The Wind Rises” presents “a very human story about ‘flying machines’—you see the contrast between these beautiful, graceful planes and the society in turmoil.”
For more information on the festival, visit https://www.ih.msstate.edu/events/event-media/international-film-festiva....
MSU’s College of Arts and Sciences includes more than 5,200 students, 300 full-time faculty members, nine doctoral programs and 25 academic majors offered in 14 departments. Complete details about the College of Arts and Sciences and the Institute for the Humanities may be found at www.cas.msstate.edu or www.ih.msstate.edu.
MSU is Mississippi’s leading university, available online at www.msstate.edu.