The Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg Center, in collaboration with the graduate-level film and media program at Johns Hopkins Advanced Academic Programs, has announced the launch of an impactful new film screening series designed to address urgent global issues through the lens of cinema.
The “Stories That Matter” film series, set to begin on February 21, will serve as a dynamic platform for public dialogue, connecting filmmakers, scholars, students, policymakers, and citizens to discuss art, scientific discovery, and pressing social and international matters. The series will showcase a diverse range of films, including narrative features, documentaries, and short films, spanning both U.S. and international cinema.
The screenings will take place at the 375-seat theater in the Hopkins Bloomberg Center located in Washington, D.C., with additional screenings held at Johns Hopkins campuses in Baltimore and Bologna, Italy. The inaugural film, Daughters—a Netflix documentary shortlisted for an Academy Award and nominated for a BAFTA—will kick off the series. The film, which won both the Audience Award and the Festival Favorite Award at the Sundance Film Festival, follows four young girls as they prepare for a special Daddy-Daughter Dance with their incarcerated fathers as part of a fatherhood program at a D.C. jail. Co-director Angela Patton, CEO of Girls for a Change, will attend the screening and participate in a post-film discussion. The screening will begin at 6:30 p.m. EST, with reserved seating available in advance.
“This series embodies the mission of the Hopkins Bloomberg Center as a hub for interdisciplinary discovery and dialogue about the most urgent issues of our time,” said Cybele Bjorklund, executive director of the Hopkins Bloomberg Center. “By highlighting the cultural and societal significance of cinematic storytelling, Stories That Matter creates an opportunity to bring people together to discuss and engage with pressing global challenges.”
In addition to the Washington, D.C. screenings, the Cineteca di Bologna will partner with Johns Hopkins to present the series at the historic Cinema Modernissimo in Bologna, Italy. Films selected by Gianluca Farinelli, director of the Fondazione Cineteca di Bologna, will focus on classic films restored through the World Cinema Project, a global initiative founded by Martin Scorsese in 2007 to preserve culturally significant films from around the world.
“The Johns Hopkins graduate film and media program stands at the intersection of rigorous academic research and innovative filmmaking,” said Sig Libowitz, director of the program. “By partnering with the Cineteca di Bologna, we are able to offer audiences bold, impactful films, while fostering critical discussions on international politics, world history, and universal issues through the power of cinema.”
Students and community members from Johns Hopkins SAIS Europe will also have the opportunity to attend and participate in the Bologna screenings, engaging with both local audiences and global cinema enthusiasts.
“Cinema is an essential part of our shared cultural history and memory,” said Farinelli. “This partnership with Johns Hopkins elevates public discourse on the intersection of art, history, and the rapidly evolving world around us. We are excited to contribute to this important initiative.”
The D.C. screenings will provide an invaluable opportunity for filmmakers from around the world to present their work to a diverse audience that includes U.S. government stakeholders, members of the international diplomatic community, and affiliates of Johns Hopkins. These events will be followed by conversations with the filmmakers, including directors, actors, producers, and screenwriters. Discussions will be moderated by Johns Hopkins faculty and feature experts from fields such as law, policy, public health, and international diplomacy, offering multifaceted insights into the themes explored in the films.
Moreover, participating filmmakers will have the chance to engage directly with students in the Johns Hopkins graduate film and media program, leading master classes on the cultural, artistic, and social significance of film in today’s rapidly changing world.
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