Maine Premiere of 217 Films’ New Documentary Celebrating the 80th Anniversary of the Federal Art Project Benefits Goodwill Industries of Northern New England
Portland, Maine (PRWEB) September 11, 2015 -- In May 1935, as part of the great return-to-work effort known as the Works Progress Administration…the WPA…President Franklin Roosevelt returned Americans back to work in the service of the rebuilding of a society staggering under the weight of the Great Depression.
Under the Federal Art Project of the WPA, these workers included artists, writers, actors, and musicians as well…for FDR believed that in order to lift ourselves out of economic stagnation we would also need to rebuild the culture of America at the grassroots level.
On Thursday, October 8, independent filmmakers Michael Maglaras and Terri Templeton of 217 Films return to Portland with the Maine premiere of their new film “Enough to Live On: The Arts of the WPA” celebrating the 80th anniversary of this epic undertaking…a celebration of FDR’s idea that the arts in America could be a way in which the spirit of a people could be rebuilt.
“Enough to Live On” will screen at 7:00pm at the University of Southern Maine’s Abromson Community Education Center. All ticket sales will benefit Goodwill Industries of Northern New England.
“Goodwill is proud to be the recipient of support from this film screening,” remarked Anna Eleanor Roosevelt, President & CEO of Goodwill Industries of Northern New England. "The artists who took part in the WPA played important cultural roles in their communities through their work. They showed the dignity and power that all work holds in our lives – much like Goodwill’s mission today.”
“We have screened all our films in Portland,” said Michael Maglaras, who is the film’s director, writer, and narrator. “But this Portland screening, in support of Goodwill, is an important one for me. What Goodwill stands for is the idea that each person has the ability to make a difference; each person’s life and work brings value to our society. These beliefs are truly a modern-day version of the idea fostered by Franklin Roosevelt 80 years ago…that everyone’s shoulder needs to be at the wheel if our society is to succeed.”
Featuring more than 70 works of art from this period, including notable works by Rockwell Kent, Dorothea Lange, Stuart Davis, and Reginald Marsh, as well as rare footage of WPA artists at work, this film tells the story of how President Franklin Roosevelt and the New Deal moved art in America out of the rarified atmosphere of the elite and brought it directly to the American people as an inspiration and catalyst for change and recovery in the 1930s.
Excerpts from the film can be viewed at this link: https://vimeo.com/two17films.
WHAT:
Screening of 217 Films’ “Enough to Live On: The Arts of the WPA”
All proceeds benefit Goodwill Industries of Northern New England.
Director Michael Maglaras will introduce the film.
WHEN:
Thursday, October 8
Reception: 6:30pm
Screening: 7:00pm
WHERE:
University of Southern Maine
Abromson Community Education Center
Hannaford Hall
88 Bedford St., Portland
Free parking in the adjacent USM Parking Garage.
Directions: http://www.usm.maine.edu/conferences/directions-parking-abromson-center
FMI:
Ken Christian
Goodwill Industries of Northern New England
207-774-6323 x6415
ken.christian(at)goodwillnne.org
COST:
$10 in advance, $15 at the door
Tickets can be purchased online at: http://gwnne.org/EnoughToLiveOn
The next stops for this film are Rochester, New York and South Bend, Indiana. Screening dates are being added frequently and the tour will continue through 2016. The full schedule can be viewed at this link: http://two17filmsschedule.blogspot.com.
More about Goodwill: Goodwill Industries of Northern New England enables individuals with diverse challenges to achieve personal stability and community engagement. A nonprofit social enterprise for over 100 years, Goodwill reflects the integration of economic, social and environmental sustainability, with a focus on connecting people to marketplace employment. Our services are funded by revenue from retail and recycling operations, grants, fees, and philanthropic investments and gifts. Please visit http://www.goodwillnne.org for more information.
More about 217 Films: 217 Films is an independent film company devoted to the American artistic experience. “Enough to Live On: The Arts of the WPA” is their sixth film. The Sacramento Bee called Michael Maglaras a filmmaker of “Bergman-like gravitas.” His films have been described as “virtuoso filmmaking” (National Gallery of Art) “alive and fresh” (Art New England) “elegiac and insightful” (Naples Daily News) and “unforgettable” (Journal of American History). David Berona, author of “Wordless Books” said “O Brother Man” “is stunning” and Judith Regan of Sirius XM called it “magnificent.” A review in The Dartmouth said of “The Great Confusion” that “Michael Maglaras...brought the drama of the original show back to life.” Scott Whipple of the New Britain Herald said, “Maglaras and Templeton’s work is comparable to that of the widely acclaimed Ken Burns." Maglaras was recently featured in a full-length interview on “Conversations from Penn State” on Public Television.
On the Web:
Purchase Tickets: http://gwnne.org/EnoughToLiveOn
View Film Clips: https://vimeo.com/two17films
Goodwill Industries of Northern New England: http://www.goodwillnne.org
217 Films: http://www.two17films.com
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TAMI KENNEDY BURKE, 217 Films, http://www.two17films.com, +1 (207) 838-0816, [email protected]
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