"Arts of the Monsoon" Will Be Featured at the Neu World International Film Festival
The Smithsonian’s National Museum of African Art will screen its documentary Arts of the Monsoon at the first Neu World International Film Festival in Cedar City, Utah, Saturday, Aug. 20. Tickets are required for the festival and are available at http://www.neuworldfilmfestival.com/.
Arts of the Monsoon shows the close cultural connections between Zanzibar and Oman through arts and traditions that are still evident today. The story, filmed on location in Oman and Zanzibar, is told by musicians, artists and cultural experts.
“I am thrilled to hear the wonderful news that the first documentary for the National Museum of African Art has been chosen to be screened at the Neu World International Film Festival,” said Nicole Shivers, project lead, executive producer and education specialist at the museum. “This will allow the rich cultural connections of these beautiful regions to be experienced by a broader audience.”
“This was an exciting film to make, and it is even more exciting to have it accepted to multiple film festivals,” said filmmaker Dodge Billingsley. “The East African Coast is far removed from most Westerners including myself, and to say there is something enchanting about the artist diversity of the region is an understatement. I hope that the film sheds some positive light on a region with an intensely contested history.”
In October, the documentary will be screened at the Tenerife International Film Festival in Berlin.
A discussion about the documentary following the screening will include Billingsley.
A selection of objects featured in the documentary are on display in the museum’s “Connecting the Gems of the Indian Ocean: From Oman to East Africa” exhibition.
About Connecting the Gems of the Indian Ocean: From Oman to East Africa
In November 2013, the museum launched a multiyear series of programming, Connecting the Gems of the Indian Ocean: From Oman to East Africa, to highlight the cross-cultural connections of East and North Africa with those found in the Middle East. It showcases the evolution of Omani arts and cultures, the beauty of the arts in Oman and its connections to the East African Coast. This partnership was made possible by the Sultan of Qaboos Cultural Center in Washington, D.C. More information about the Connecting the Gems project is available on the National Museum of African Art website.
About the National Museum of African Art
The National Museum of African Art is America’s only museum dedicated to the collection, conservation, study and exhibition of traditional and contemporary African art. The museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (closed Dec. 25). Admission is free. The museum is located at 950 Independence Ave. S.W., near the Smithsonian Metrorail station on the Blue and Orange lines. For more information about this program, call (202) 633-4600 or visit the National Museum of African Art’s website. For general Smithsonian information, call (202) 633-1000.
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