DYSFUNCTIONAL
FAMILY FILM FESTIVAL AT
FAIRVIEW BRANCH LIBRARY
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: February 1, 2007
Contact: Catherine
Ronan, Fairview Branch Library Manager, (310) 458-8598
The Fairview Branch of the Santa Monica Public Library will kick off its Dysfunctional Family Film Festival with a screening of Mean Creek on Wednesday, February 21, at 7 p.m., followed by a discussion led by the film's director and screenwriter, Jacob Aaron Estes. The series, scheduled for the third Wednesday of each month, will continue at the Fairview Branch, located at 2101 Ocean Park Boulevard, until May 16.
Gregg Heacock, who is producing and moderating the series, is a Venice High School English teacher who uses film to teach decision-making skills as well as the art of plotting and character development. Each film in the series has been chosen because the issues raised connect to the concerns facing many families in the community: bullying, divorce, learning disorders, sexual humiliation, aging, separation, loss, and the search for identity. After each screening audiences will discuss the film with filmmakers, family therapists, researchers, and teachers.
In Mean Creek (2004) when a teen is bullied, his brother and friends lure the bully into the woods to seek vengeance. The film addresses many issues relevant to today’s teens, including peer pressure, abuse, and homophobia.
The Squid and the Whale (2005), showing March 21, addresses divorce and the damaging effect parents can have on their children's development. Pieces of April (2003), on April 18, tells of a family's attempt to come together for a Thanksgiving dinner with an estranged daughter and her new boyfriend. The festival concludes on May 16 with In America (2002) about an Irish family coming to this country to recover from the death of a son and brother.
For more information about this free public program, contact the Santa Monica Public Library at (310) 450-0443 or visit the Library’s web site at www.smpl.org.
# # #
This page was last updated on 02/05/07.