Rowan to host public screening of worldwide Pangea Day (film) event

May 05, 2008

Rowan University writing arts professor Bill Wolff truly believes that the arts can bring people together. That's why he and his students, Jaclyn Yaeger and Lee West, are organizing Pangea Day on Rowan's campus on Saturday, May 10, from 2-6 p.m. in Bozorth Hall.

During Pangea Day, people from throughout the world will simultaneously view short films made by filmmakers around the globe. Rowan will host the only public screening event for Pangea Day in South Jersey, according to Wolff.

"It is founded on the belief that if we are indeed a society that values peace and prosperity for all people then we need to get to know each other first," says Wolff.

Pangea Day is the creation of acclaimed documentary filmmaker Jehane Noujaim, whose films include "startup.com" and "Control Room."

"Noujaim believes in the power of image and film to bring people together by exposing them to each other," Wolff adds.

Pangea Day will include 24 short films, as well as musical performers and speakers such as Queen Noor of Jordan, CNN's Christiane Amanpour, musician/activist Bob Geldof, and Iranian rock group Hypernova.

Live events held in Cairo, Kigali, London, Los Angeles, Mumbai and Rio de Janeiro will be linked to produce the program, which will be broadcast worldwide through the internet, television and mobile phones.

Rowan's screening is free and open to the public. Proceeds from concession sales will be donated to the Greater Philadelphia Film Office to support community-based filmmaking.

Wolff notes that his students, Yaeger, of Voorhees, and West, of Jackson (Ocean County), were the catalysts for Rowan's involvement. Both students are writing arts majors in Rowan's College of Communication.

"They really have been the motivating force behind this event," says Wolff.

For information about Pangea Day, visit www.pangeaday.org. For more on Rowan's event, contact Wolff at wolffw@rowan.edu.