Four award-winning films from the Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival will be shown in two different programs Sunday at the Amherst Cinema, 28 Amity St., Amherst. Each programs will include one short film and one feature-length film, introduced by festival director Lloyd Komesar.
Program 1, at 4:30 p.m., includes “My Gal Rosemarie,” a short film about an elderly man’s efforts to gather enough cash to grant his wife’ 90th birthday wish: burgers at In-N-Out. The feature-length film, “Omo Child: The River and the Bush,” chronicles a young man’s attempt to change an ancient practice of the Kara people of Ethiopia in which “cursed” children are killed.
Program 2, at 7 p.m., features the short film “John the Baptist,” about a day in the life of the title character, who works arduously but still finds time to bring joy to the people of his city. The feature film is “Romeo is Bleeding,” which follows youths in Richmond, California, who mount an urban adaptation of “Romeo and Juliet” with the hope of starting a dialogue about violence in the city.
“Into Great Silence” will be shown May 25 at 7 p.m. at the cinema. The screening is part of the theater’s “CineMeditation” series — films that explore faith and spirituality.
The movie, directed by German filmmaker Philip Groning, with no crew or artificial lighting, chronicles life at the Grande Chartreuse, one of the world’s most ascetic monasteries. Groning filmed daily prayers, tasks rituals and rare outdoor excursions, and is more meditation than documentary.
Regular admission for both films. To reserve tickets, visit www.amherstcinema.org.
Submissions for Slate Roof’s 2016 Poetry Chapbook Contest/Elyse Wolf Prize will be accepted through June 15 (upload/postmark). The winner will receive $500 and chapbook publication and will become an active member of Slate Roof Press.
Now in its 12th year, Slate Roof is a member-run, not-for-profit poetry collaborative. It publishes work in hand-sewn, art-quality chapbooks.
There is a $10 reading fee.
For full contest guidelines, visit www.slateroofpress.com.
