MOSAIC Film fest marks 25 years of diversity

In conjunction with the opening of the Bloomington Community Farmers’ Market, Diversity Theatre will celebrate its 25th year with its second MOSAIC Diversity Film Festival. The festival is free and open to the public and will be held at City Hall downtown Saturday and April 11. Free refreshments will be served.

MOSAIC Diversity Film Festival consists of various short films for adults and children addressing the issues of disability, aging, race and ethnicity. Films will be shown each day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., according to a press release.

“The idea is to present a bunch of short films to the public so that they can take a second look at categories that divide us and become more familiar with people,” said Craig Brenner, special projects coordinator with the Community and Family Resources Department.

Brenner said he collaborates with the city and with volunteers to help fund projects like the MOSAIC Diversity Film Festival for Diversity Theatre.

“I think groups like Diversity Theatre are important to support because they involve the community in issues that some would turn a blind eye to,” he said.

Audrey Heller, artistic director for Diversity Theatre, said the group was founded in 1984 by a few people who had, or worked with people who had, disabilities.

“We did theater pieces that specifically pointed toward disability issues, and then we decided to expand and do other subjects of social importance,” she said.

Heller said this open-minded attitude eventually led to the creation of the first MOSAIC Film Festival in 2007.   

“We think it will be great to open this year along with the Farmer’s Market, so we hope
to lure people from there to City Hall and look at films that speak to the community,” she said.  

This year’s festival also includes a screening of “The Cats of Mirikitani” at 8 p.m. Saturday at the Cinemat. General admission is $3. Brenner said the film focuses on an 80-year-old who survives World War II internment camps and whose life was threatened in 9/11.

Heller said what makes this year’s festival special is that students who intern with Diversity Theatre got involved. She said there are also a lot of campus and community sponsors for the event.

For a complete list of sponsors for this event as well as the MOSAIC Diversity Film Festival schedule, visit http://www.bloomington.in.gov/mosaic. Specific films are for adults and for children; films for adults will be shown in the Council Chambers of City Hall and films for children will be shown in the McCloskey Room.

“There is a voice from campus that will permeate this particular festival because of student involvement,” she said. “We’re really excited for the turnout. It should be an all-inclusive community and campus event.”