Bloomington mayor Mark Kruzan and the City of Bloomington Community and Family Resources Department's Diversity Theater hosts the fourth annual MOSAIC Diversity Film Festival in February and March this year.
Acts And Discussions For All Ages, Races And Creeds
Says the event's co-chair Audrey Heller, "The goals of the MOSAIC Festival are to encourage people to learn about and embrace diversity in our culture. This year the focus is on issues of disability, race and ethnicity."
"Although the events for this year's festival are aimed primarily at adults, we are welcoming actors from the Boys and Girls Club for short skits, along with films that address disability at the Monroe County Public Library Saturday morning. One of the films will be introduced by Leslie Green, from Stonebelt."
Darrell Stone represents Indiana University's Commission on Multicultural Understanding. "We're sponsoring a retreat on the first Saturday. Following the morning's films and skits, we host a discussion on the issues raised by them. Film maker Ron Osgood will facilitate the discussion. There is a free box lunch with registration through the library. Deadline is the preceding Wednesday the twenty-third."
The Venues
The MOSAIC Festival continues Monday night with a move to Rachel's Café for the film Two Spirits, which deals with issues of gender identity. Brian Joseph Gilley, of IU's First Nations Educational and Cultural Center, will be in attendance.
The following Saturday afternoon films about racial and ethnic diversity will be screened at The Mathers Museum. Panel members include Beverly Calender-Anderson, Director of the City of Bloomington Safe and Civil City Program, and attorney Christie Popp with the Indiana Legal Services' Immigration and Language Rights Center.