A new film series, Stories that Matter, will launch at the Hopkins Bloomberg Center in Washington, D.C. on February 21.
As reported in Variety, this important collaboration between JHU’s MA in Film and Media program and the prestigious Cineteca di Bologna is focused on presenting cinema at the intersection of art, scientific discovery, urgent social issues, and international affairs.
The first screening in the series is “Daughters,” a Netflix documentary film shortlisted for an Academy Award, nominated for a BAFTA Award, and which won both the Audience Award and the Festival Favorite Award at the Sundance Film Festival last year.
“Daughters” tells the story of four young girls as they prepare for a special Daddy-Daughter Dance with their incarcerated fathers, as part of a unique fatherhood program in a Washington, D.C. jail. A moving story of empathy and forgiveness, “Daughters” is the result of a rigorous eight-year documentary journey by co-directors Angela Patton and Natalie Rae. Rae will be in attendance on February 21 and will participate in a discussion at the end of the screening.
Future installments in the series will showcase narrative features, documentaries, and short films, with the goal of sparking conversations among filmmakers, scholars, students, government officials, policy stakeholders, and citizens. Anchored at the Hopkins Bloomberg Center, select films also will be presented at Johns Hopkins campuses in Baltimore and in Bologna, Italy.
Additionally, Cineteca di Bologna will present the Stories that Matter series at the historic Cinema Modernissimo in Bologna, Italy. The Cineteca di Bologna will also bring restored classic films with a focus on world history, international politics, and universal issues to this collaborative initiative.
“Stories that Matter is a phrase we use that’s really at the core of who we are in our graduate degree program,” said Program Director Sig Libowitz. After successful screenings of Silver Dollar Road and other movies in 2024, Libowitz worked closely with Cybele Bjorklund, executive director of the Hopkins Bloomberg Center, and Sally O’Brien, Bloomberg Center chief engagement officer, to expand this cinematic experience across JHU campuses. “Our focus is on crafting innovative storytelling and compelling characters who challenge us to examine our world and our neighborhoods with a fresh perspective and a novel approach.
“In turn, this film series is our vehicle to bring exciting, innovative films, and the filmmakers (storytellers) behind them, to Johns Hopkins students, faculty and our surrounding communities in Washington, D.C., Baltimore, and Bologna,” he said. “They inspire us, challenge us, and spark dialogue about our world, our relationships, our seemingly intractable issues, and what tomorrow may hold for us all.”
Reserve your seat to attend the “Daughters” screening on February 21 at 6:30 p.m. ET.