The College of Liberal Arts will be hosting its fourth presentation in the 2011 Spring Film Festival with the documentary Sweet Crude hosted by Director Sandy Coiffi on Wednesday, March 30, 2011 in Lecture Hall 238 at 6:30pm. The documentary film Sweet Crude tells the story of Nigeria?s Niger Delta. The region is seething and the global stakes are high. But in this moment, there?s an opportunity to find solutions.
Director Sandy Cioffi is a Seattle-based film and video artist. She has produced and/or directed several films, including the critically acclaimed Crocodile Tears, Terminal 187 and Just Us. Ms. Cioffi has worked with human rights organizations in global hot zones before, during and after conflict. She first ventured into video production as a volunteer for Witness for Peace during the Contra War in Nicaragua. In 2005-2008, Ms. Cioffi made four trips to the volatile Niger Delta in Nigeria to film Sweet Crude, documenting conditions there and interviewing the region?s key stakeholders, including leadership of the armed resistance movement. In April 2008, she and her film crew were detained by the Nigerian State security Services and held in military prison for seven days. Beyond the making of Sweet Crude, Ms. Cioffi has been active in political advocacy for the Delta?s people, appealing to media, U.S. legislators, international diplomats and NGOs to raise visibility of the humanitarian and global economic issues.
This African themed Film Festival is meant to bring attention to many of the socioeconomic and political situations that affect various parts of the continent. Our goal is to showcase both the tranquility and tragedy that affects many of the continent?s population through the power of narrative cinema and documentary while providing context for this media through a variety of experts on the cultures and issues of Africa.
Co-sponsors for the Spring Film Festival include the College of Liberal Arts, College of Fine Arts and Communication, CLA labs, Departments of Electronic Media and Film, Interdisciplinary Studies, African and African American Studies, Department of Political Science, Student Affairs, Anthropological Society of Towson University and the Center for Student Diversity.
For more information, contact Matthew Durington at {mdurington@towson.edu}.
