Stories That Matter film series to launch at Hopkins Bloomberg Center

The Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg Center and the graduate-level film and media program at Johns Hopkins Advanced Academic Programs today announced the launch of a new film screening series that will present cinema at the intersection of art, scientific discovery, urgent social issues, and international affairs.

The Stories That Matter film series is designed to cultivate robust public dialogue among filmmakers, scholars, students, government officials, policy stakeholders, and citizens. The curated program in the series will span U.S. and international cinema, and will include narrative features, documentaries, and short films.

The series is anchored at the Hopkins Bloomberg Center in Washington, D.C., with film screenings taking place in the center's 375-seat theater. Certain films will also be presented at Johns Hopkins campuses in Baltimore and in Bologna, Italy.

"The series embodies the ethos and mission of the Hopkins Bloomberg Center to serve as a public square for interdisciplinary discovery and dialogue about the pressing issues of our time," said Cybele Bjorklund, executive director of the Hopkins Bloomberg Center. "Stories That Matter recognizes the cultural and societal significance of excellence in cinematic storytelling by creating a new opportunity to bring people together in the heart of the nation's capital."

Stories That Matter will open on Feb. 21 with the Netflix documentary film "Daughters," which is shortlisted for an Academy Award, nominated for a BAFTA Award, and won both the Audience Award and the Festival Favorite Award at the Sundance Film Festival last year. The film 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.

Patton, who is also the CEO of Girls for a Change, will attend the screening and participate in a conversation following the film. The screening begins at 6:30 p.m. EST; seats can be reserved in advance.

Additionally, the Cineteca di Bologna is partnering with the graduate film and media program at Johns Hopkins AAP to present the Stories That Matter series at the 358-seat historic and newly restored Cinema Modernissimo in Bologna, Italy. Gianluca Farinelli, director of the Fondazione Cineteca di Bologna, will select classic films restored through the World Cinema Project, which was created by Martin Scorsese in 2007, as part of the series.

"The Johns Hopkins graduate film and media program is uniquely situated within one of the most prolific research universities in the world," said Sig Libowitz, the program's director . "The Stories That Matter series embodies our One Hopkins approach bringing leading scholars from across our university together with talented filmmakers and world leaders to engage in unique cinematic experiences for audiences in Washington, D.C. Presenting bold, impactful films and thought-provoking post-screening conversations, the series offers a forum for dialogue and exploring different perspectives. We are profoundly honored to partner with the Cineteca di Bologna to bring restored classic films and a focus on world history, international politics, and universal issues through the lens of cinema to this landmark initiative."

Students and community members at Johns Hopkins SAIS Europe will be invited to attend and participate in all screenings at the Cinema Modernissimo alongside the Cineteca di Bologna audience.

"Cinema plays a fundamental role in our collective memory as artists and citizens," Farinelli said. "For over 70 years, since the end of World War II, Johns Hopkins has been a vital presence in the academic community of Bologna, and throughout Europe. We are delighted to join Johns Hopkins in this partnership that elevates public dialogue at the nexus of art, history, and the rapidly changing world that surrounds us all."

In Washington, D.C., the Stories That Matter series will provide filmmakers from the U.S. and around the world the opportunity to present international cinema to D.C. audiences, including stakeholders in the U.S. government, the international diplomatic community, and Johns Hopkins affiliates, at the Hopkins Bloomberg Center.

Post-screening conversations with attending directors, actors, producers, screenwriters, editors, cinematographers, music composers and documentary participants will be moderated by academic faculty and also feature experts from fields relevant for each film's topic, including law, policy, media, public health, and international diplomacy.

Participating film directors are also invited to teach a master class to Johns Hopkins film and media program graduate students, providing filmmaking students with the opportunity to engage in dialogue about the artistic, cultural and social significance of cinema in our changing world.