Annual International Film Festival starts Feb. 18

"My So-Called Enemy," which will be presented by director Lisa Gossels, and part of the college's International Film Festival

"Lost and Found," one of the animated films to be presented during the college's International Film Festival's Kid Flix Mix

Penn State Harrisburg’s International Film Festival celebrates its 11th year with a program that includes notable films from around the world for adults and children alike.

Running Friday, Feb. 18 through Saturday, Feb. 26, the free movie screenings will be held in Penn State Harrisburg’s Kunkel Auditorium, C-213 Olmsted. Festival highlights include two matinee screenings from the New York International Children’s Film Festival with innovative live-action and animation short films; a reception with filmmaker Lisa Gossels Thursday, Feb. 24, at which she will present her documentary My So-Called Enemy, about the experiences of Israeli and Palestinian girls who participated in the women’s leadership program Building Bridge for Peace; and White Wedding, a romantic comedy on Feb. 18, the week of Valentine’s Day.

The annual series supports Penn State Harrisburg’s commitment to foster understanding of other cultures – regionally, nationally, and globally. “The festival helps forge cultural links with students and the college community,” said Catherine Rios, associate professor of communications and festival organizer. “Selected movies are character-driven, helping students to make connections with different cultures as they identify with people who have problems and desires that we can all recognize, even if our circumstances are different. The connections can, in turn, cultivate understanding between students and people from around the world, whether they are encountered as peers and faculty, or through experiences studying abroad.”

Sponsored by the School of Humanities and the Student Activities Fund, the festival is open to the public.

Festival line-up:

2/18: White Wedding, 7:00 p.m.

Set against South Africa’s beautifully varied landscapes, this high-spirited comedy is a feel-good movie about love, commitment, intimacy, friendship and all the maddening obstacles that can get in the way of a happy ending. The film is a forward looking farce set in the new South African cultural mixing pot, as the nation strives to be defined as more than their shared political history. Directed by Jann Turner, South Africa, 2009, 93 minutes, Not Rated

2/19: Matinee – Kid Flix Mix, 2:00 p.m.

This collection of short and animated films is on the cutting-edge in storytelling and animation in the media industry. For film details, visit the festival flyer.  From the New York International Children's Film Festival, recommended for children ages 3-8, 2010, 65 minutes, Not Rated

2/19: Welcome, 7:00 p.m.

Bilal, (Firat Ayverdi,) a 17-year-old Kurdish refugee, has struggled his way through Europe for the last three months, trying to reunite with his girlfriend, who recently emigrated to England. But his journey comes to an abrupt halt when he is stopped in Calais, on the French side of the Channel. Deciding to swim across, Bilal goes to the local swimming pool to train, where he meets Simon, (Vincent Lindon), a middle-aged swimming instructor in turmoil over his imminent divorce. Despite their differences, the two men discover that they have much in common, and a strong bond emerges between them. Simon takes Bilal under his wing, realizing that he too must risk everything to reach happiness. Directed by Philippe Lioret, France, 2010, 110 minutes, Not Rated

2/24: Guest Filmmaker Lisa Gossels will speak, My So-Called Enemy, 6:30 p.m.

Director Lisa Gossels’ documentary feature My So-Called Enemy touches on a brave new front for peace: young women. In 2002, the Building Bridges for Peace program hosted 22 Palestinian and Israeli teen girls in the U.S. My So-Called Enemy is a coming-of-age story about six of the program participants and how their experience of knowing their enemies as human beings meets the realities of their lives back home in the Middle East. What unfolds is an emotionally charged film about the human consequences of all conflicts — as seen through the eyes of six young women who are thoughtful, intelligent and articulate beyond their years. U.S., 2010, 90 minutes

2/25: The Secret in Their Eyes, 7:00 p.m.

A retired legal counselor writes a novel hoping to find closure for one of his past unresolved homicide cases and for his unreciprocated love for his superior – both of which still haunt him decades later. Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, 2010. Directed by Juan Jose Campanella, Argentina, 2010, 129 minutes

2/26: Matinee – Party Mix, 2:00 p.m.

This collection of short and animated films is on the cutting-edge in storytelling and animation in the media industry. For film details, visit the festival flyer. The short film Not All Rivers Flow to the Sea, immediately following the matinee, is suited for children 12 and over, as it deals with loss. From the New York International Children's Film Festival, recommended for children ages 5-12, 2010, 74 minutes

2/26: Not All Rivers Flow to the Sea, 3:30 p.m.

The film tells how the interactions between Hassan, a child from the Middle East, and two sisters, who recently arrived in a displaced neighborhood in the outskirts of Bogota, transform life and the relationship among the small girls. Directed by Santiago Trujillo, recommended for children 12 and older, Colombia, 2009, 29 minutes, Not Rated

2/26: Alamar, 7:00 p.m.

Jorge and Roberta have been separated for several years. They simply come from opposite worlds: he likes an uncomplicated life in the jungle, while she prefers a more urban existence. He is Mexican and she is Italian, and she has decided to return to Rome with their five-year-old son, Natan. But before they leave, Jorge wishes to take young Natan on a trip, hoping to teach him about his Mayan origins in Mexico. At first the boy is physically and emotionally uncomfortable with the whole affair, and gets seasick on the boat taking them to their destination. But as father and son spend more time together, Natan begins a learning experience that will remain with him forever. Directed by Pedro González-Rubio, Mexico, 2009, 73 minutes, Rated G