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<DIV>To our friends in Southern Oregon: This announcement gives you all the
scoop on our upcoming ArchaeologyFest Film Series: Best of 2012, to be held in
November at ScienceWorks in Ashland. Please come and see these super films
and help support <STRONG><EM>The Archaeology Channel</EM></STRONG> International
Film and Video Festival. This mini-Festival event presents the best films
from TAC Festival 2012, which took place this past May at The Shedd Institute in
downtown Eugene. For this international competition, we received 90 films
from 22 countries. Many of you didn't get a chance to see all the great
films we showed there! But now you can see what you missed. Please
see the announcement just below.
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I should also mention that we may be in need of volunteers to help us run
the show. Please get back to me if you are interested in that.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Please share this announcement widely in your networks to help us fill the
auditorium. We also have this posted at <A
title=http://www.archaeologychannel.org/events-new/archaeologyfest-film-series-new/562-ashland-oregon-2012
href="http://www.archaeologychannel.org/events-new/archaeologyfest-film-series-new/562-ashland-oregon-2012">http://www.archaeologychannel.org/events-new/archaeologyfest-film-series-new/562-ashland-oregon-2012</A>.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Thanks! <BR> <BR>Rick Pettigrew<BR>Archaeological Legacy
Institute<BR><A title=http://www.archaeologychannel.org/
href="http://www.archaeologychannel.org/">www.archaeologychannel.org</A></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>******************************************************************************</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV align=center><BR><FONT size=6><STRONG>ArchaeologyFest Film Series: <BR>Best
of 2012</STRONG></FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=center> </DIV>
<DIV align=center><FONT size=5>A benefit for </FONT><FONT size=5><STRONG><EM>The
Archaeology Channel<BR></EM></STRONG>International Film and Video
Festival</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=center><FONT size=5></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV align=center><FONT size=5>ScienceWorks<BR>1500 E. Main St.<BR>Ashland, OR
97520<BR>November 9, 11, 17, & 18, 2012</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Film programs last about 2 hours each. Admission $6 (12 and under
free). Tickets at the door. These are the best films from the 2012
edition of TAC Festival. (The 2013 edition of TAC Festival takes place in
the Recital Hall at The Shedd Institute in downtown Eugene, May 7-11,
2013.)</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Program A: Friday, November 9 (doors open 7, program begins
7:30)<BR>• <EM>An Introduction to Contemporary Archaeology</EM> (UK) 9
min.<BR> This short film is a short introduction (and a spoof!) to the new
field of “contemporary archaeology.” Dr. Brooklyn Honswoggle-Smythe,
Buckinghamshire New University’s youngest and most brilliant Contemporologist,
guides you through the ins and outs and back-ins of the world of contemporary
archaeology—the new subject everyone’s talking about! Did you know
archaeologists could laugh about themselves? Or should this gibe at the
modern theoretitician be taken seriously at some level? (Honorable Mention
by jury in Best Film competition and for Narration, Public Education Value, and
Inspiration; Special Mention by jury for most innovative representation of
archaeology)</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>• <EM>The Lord of Sipan</EM> (Spain) 52 min.<BR> This is the
story of a Great Lord of the Moche culture, who was buried with honors so that
his message would endure in time, and an archaeologist named Walter Alva, who
rescued this Lord from his tomb to fulfill his ancient plan. The Moche
culture developed on the northern coast of Peru between 100 BC and AD 400.
It is a mysterious culture that disappeared shortly after reaching its peak.
Today, everyone has heard of the Moche, thanks to the discoveries made during
the last two decades. The discoveries continue, and this unique civilization
still surprises the world. (Audience Favorite)</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>• <EM>The Tomb of the Hidden Mummies</EM> (Greece) 10 min.<BR> In
1871, in the cliffs of Deir El Behri near the village of Qurna, not far from
Luxor in Egypt, a young boy called Ahmed El-Rassul accidentally discovered a
hidden tomb in a mountain near his home. Ahmed and his family looted the
tomb for over a decade until their activities became known to the Egyptian
antiquities service. When archaeologists arrived, they were stunned by
what they saw: more than fifty royal mummies. This discovery had a
profound impact on what was known of Egyptian history and reminded everyone that
looting has been an Egyptian nemesis for thousands of years. (Honorable
Mention by jury in Animation and Effects)</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>• <EM>A Gift from Talking God</EM> (USA) 30 min.<BR> To the
Navajo people of the American Southwest, “sheep is life.” The
Navajo-Churro sheep is the original breed, which has sustained the Navajo,
Pueblo, and Hispanic people for 400 years. On the verge of extinction a
generation ago, the Navajo-Churro is making a comeback to the Navajo
people. The Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity recognizes the breed as
a culturally and genetically important animal, worthy of international
recognition. This film offers a portrait of rarely seen traditional Navajo
lifeways and sustainable herding practices in the remote Arizona-New Mexico
homeland. (Honorable Mention by Audience in Audience Favorite
competition)</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>• <EM>A Treasure of Gold</EM> (Greece) 9 min.<BR> In the 1970s,
near the village of Aidonia, in the Greek municipality of Nemea, a mule fell
into a hole. Upon rescuing the animal, villagers discovered a rare golden
treasure buried amidst a group of skeletons. A few years later,
archaeologists arrived at the looted site. Sixteen of the 18 tombs already
had been emptied, but a small stash of jewelry had been overlooked by the tomb
robbers. Later, a collection of Mycenaean jewelry went up for sale at an
auction house in New York City. This is the story of the plunder of
Mycenaean tombs and of the recovery of a treasure made of gold.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Program B: Sunday, November 11 (doors open 2, program begins
2:30)<BR>• <EM>Etruscan Odyssey: Expanding Archaeology</EM> (USA) 17
min.<BR> The early Mediterranean civilization of Etruria flourished for a
thousand years and then vanished, leaving art and artifacts, but little trace of
its history. After decades of painstaking work, archaeologists now are
beginning to piece together a fascinating portrait of daily life in Etruscan
society. Etruscan Odyssey engages viewers with a brief historical
background utilizing stunning images of artifacts from the finest known
collections of Etruscan art. These works highlight the expert aesthetic
and technical prowess of the Etruscans, which continues to inspire a desire to
find out more about the lost culture at the heart of the Mediterranean
tradition. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>• <EM>The Fate of Old Beijing</EM> (China) 20 min.<BR> In
the face of China’s rapid modernization, the country is struggling to preserve
its cultural heritage, and nowhere is this more visible than in the ancient
alleyways and courtyards of Beijing. The hutongs are more than simply
housing: they are a way of life. The communal aspect to life within the
hutongs means that few residents want to leave—even as their neighborhoods are
being demolished and redeveloped. This film explores the vanishing world
of Beijing’s hutongs, the realities of life within those narrow streets, and the
future for these culturally irreplaceable areas.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>• <EM>Bitter Roots</EM> (USA) 71 min.<BR> <EM>Bitter
Roots</EM> puts to rest a Kalahari Myth. Set in Nyae-Nyae, a region of
Namibia in southern Africa’s Kalahari desert, traditional home of the Ju’hoansi,
Bitter Roots observes the erosion of a community-led development process in
Nyae-Nyae following an imposition of a new agenda by the World Wildlife Fund,
which prioritizes wildlife conservation and tourism over subsistence
farming. The film sensitively examines the problems facing the Ju’hoansi,
challenging the myth that they are culturally unable to farm. The film
investigates how the Ju’hoansi cope with the expectations of tourists and
filmakers while steadfastly continuing to farm against all odds. (Special
Mention by jury for best representation of cultural change; Honorable Mention by
jury for Public Education Value)</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Program C: Saturday, November 17 (doors open 7, program begins
7:30)<BR>• <EM>Mémère Métisse</EM> (Canada) 30 min.<BR> For over sixty
years, Cecile St. Amant has been keeping a deep secret: she is Métis (Canadian
aboriginal group of mixed First Nations and European heritage). Cecile’s
granddaughter sets out to understand her Mémère’s (grandmother’s) denial and
playfully plots her own mission to open her Mémère’s eyes to the richness of her
heritage. She soon realizes that her Mémère will not be easily convinced
that being Métis is something to be proud of. Her persistent prodding
reveals a generation’s legacy of shame and the profound courage of the human
spirit to overcome it. (Honorable Mention by jury for Inspiration)</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>• Rober<EM>t Blake and the Civil War Sieges of Taunton</EM> (UK) 12
min.<BR> Be prepared for a truly fresh look at the exploits of English
Parliamentarian commander Robert Blake under Oliver Cromwell during the first
English Civil War. From July 1664 to July 1665, the city of Taunton, the
only Parliamentery enclave in the southwest of England, led by Colonel Blake,
held out against the Royalist forces led by Lord Goring. Blake, who went
on to become a legendary admiral, famously declared that he had four pairs of
boots and would eat three pairs before he would surrender. This film
relates the archaeology and history of the period as well as Blake’s
influence. (Best Narration and Best Music by jury; Honorable Mention by
jury in Script, Cinematography, and in Best Film competition)</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>• <EM>Ramesses the Second: The Great Journey</EM> (France) 63
min.<BR> Under the reign of Ramesses the Second, pharaoh of the New
Empire’s 19th Dynasty, Egypt was living the final hours of its golden age.
After a reign of 67 years, the powerful emperor died at the age of 92. He
became the legendary “Ramesses the Great.” His mummy was interred in the
heart of the Valley of the Kings, on the west bank of the Nile at Thebes,
marking the beginning of his Great Journey towards the afterlife on the
condition that his tomb be preserved for all time. (Best Animation and
Effects by Jury; Honorable Mention by jury in Best Film competition, Public
Education Value, Script, Cinematography, Music, and in Audience Favorite
competition)</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Program D: Sunday, November 18 (doors open 2, program begins
2:30)<BR>• <EM>The Renaissance of Mata Ortiz</EM> (USA) 54
min.<BR> When anthropologist Spencer MacCallum bought three pieces of
pottery from a second-hand store in Deming, New Mexico, in 1976, he had no idea
that he was about to begin a journey that would lead to the revival of an
ancient art form. In Mata Ortiz, México, MacCallum partnered with
self-taught artist Juan Quezada and slowly created an industry that today is
known world-wide. The Renaissance of Mata Ortiz tells the improbable story
of how Quezada and MacCallum both experienced creative and personal
breakthroughs which led to dazzling, innovating works by Quezada and a passing
of the torch to younger, award-winning artists such as Diego Valles. (Best
Script and Most Inspirational by jury; Honorable Mention by jury in Best Film
competition, Narration, Public Education Value, Cinematography, and Music;
Honorable Mention by audience in Audience Favorite competition; Special Mention
by jury for best representation of sustainability of cultural change)</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>• <EM>The Hobbit Enigma</EM> (Australia) 52 min.<BR> This
dynamic film examines one of the greatest controversies in science today: what
did scientists find when they uncovered the tiny, human-like skeleton of a
strange creature, known to many as the Hobbit, on the Indonesian island of
Flores in 2003? Are the bones a previously unknown and bizarre primitive
species of human? The Hobbit discovery forces us to rethink some of the
most fundamental questions of human origins. With exclusive access to ongoing
interdisciplinary research and new fieldwork, this is a comprehensive account of
a startling new view of human evolution. (Best Film, Best Cinematography
and Best Public Education Value by jury; Honorable Mention by jury for
Narration, Animation and Effects, Script, and Inspiration; Special Mention by
jury for best representation of
archaeology)<BR></DIV></DIV></FONT></BODY></HTML>