The Jacob Burns Film Center (JBFC), a cultural arts institution with a dual mission of film and education, announced the first two International Filmmakers-in-Residence who will be teaching at the Media Arts Lab, its new 27,000 sq. foot facility which opened in 2009. The Fellowship for International Understanding through Film brings established filmmakers from outside the United States to live, work, and teach on the JBFC campus in Pleasantville. The first filmmaker, Fanta Régina Nacro from Burkina Faso, arrived in mid-March, and Namik Kabil from Sarajevo is scheduled to arrive in May. Both filmmakers will screen their films at the Film Center and teach students at the Media Arts Lab. This fellowship will allow the JBFC to further develop and implement programs that offer a window into other worlds and help foster a deeper sense of cross cultural awareness.

“We are thrilled to welcome Fanta and Namik to our campus in Pleasantville. We are looking forward to giving our students the opportunity to work with both of these renowned filmmakers, as members of the Film Center and the community at large experience their work and cultures,” said Susan Todd, director of the International Understanding through Film program. During their tenure at the JBFC, both filmmakers will be living at the International Filmmakers Residence, adjacent to the Media Arts Lab.

Namik Kabil, world renowned Bosnian director, completed his film studies at Santa Monica College and Los Angeles City College in the United States. He lives in Sarajevo and works as a writer, screenwriter, and director. He’s written several TV series and the feature film Kod amidze Idriza, directed by Pjer Zalica. His latest film NightGuards is a feature which explores the shattered lives of two night watchmen in postwar Sarajevo, struggling to put their lives back in order. Full of black humor, the film reflects on the postwar years in the former Yugoslavia.

As an International Filmmaker-in-Residence at the Media Arts Lab, Kabil will be working with students in JBFC’s college program WORLD CREW, which is dually committed to promoting cross-cultural understanding and teaching filmmaking. WORLD CREW students will be Kabil’s production team as he creates a new documentary about the diversity of immigrants in the United States. Students will get to explore firsthand Kabil’s creative perspective on filmmaking, as well as make their own short films about immigrants.

The Fellowship for International Understanding through Film is open to established filmmakers based in a country outside the United States, who are familiar with the cinema of their region and its history. Developed through a grant from philanthropist Kathryn Wasserman Davis of Tarrytown and inspired by her lifelong efforts to create a more harmonious world, The Fellowship supports filmmakers who will serve as ambassadors, sharing their culture and beliefs through film. Fellows will be appointed by a committee and chosen on the basis of their body of work; demonstrated ability to teach and inspire young people; and experience in film programming and presentation. Each fellow will be an active participant in programs at the Media Arts Lab and in the JBFC’s community outreach programs, teaching students about the distinctive traditions of their country and serving as inspiring role models. For more information on film screenings by our International Filmmakers in Residence, please visit http://www.burnsfilmcenter.org/films/film-series/detail/15002.

The Jacob Burns Film Center is a not-for-profit cultural arts organization in Pleasantville, New York dedicated to: presenting the best of independent, documentary and world cinema; promoting visual literacy and making film a vibrant part of the community. Located on a 47,500 sq. foot, three-building campus in the center of Pleasantville, the JBFC is just 30 miles outside of New York City. The programs are inspired by the power of film to challenge, educate, and inspire; to transport us to worlds beyond our own; and to create community through shared dialogue and cultural experience. Since the opening in 2001, over 1,000,000 people have seen over 3,000 films from more than 40 countries. The JBFC campus includes the 27,000 sq. foot Media Arts Lab, equipped with 16 editing suites, a recording studio, a soundstage, a 60-seat screening room, an animation studio, a large Center Studio, and 4 small studios. To learn more about the Jacob Burns Film Center, visit www.burnsfilmcenter.org. To view a selection of work in various JBFC education programs visit www.youtube.com/burnsfilmcenter.

# # # Contact: Rob Sampogna (rsampogna@burnsfilmcenter.org) Abby Popper (apopper@burnsfilmcenter.org) 914.773.7663, ext. 434/424