United Nations Film Festival has Stanford ties

Stanford Daily | By Sofia Filippa

The 16th United Nations Association Film Festival (UNAFF) will be held from Oct. 17-27 at several Bay Area locations, including Palo Alto and Stanford University.

The theme for this year’s festival is “individual to universal,” featuring a total of 70 international and national film documentaries dealing with a myriad of topics, such as human rights, poverty, LGBTQ issues, environmental policy and education.

There are several promising works being shown at the festival. A talented list of filmmakers is attending the event, including Academy Award nominees Mark Kitchell and Connie Field. What’s more, six members of the Stanford community are screening their films in this year’s festival, including Jan Krawitz, a professor of art and art history, Charlene Music M.F.A ’09 and Anne Makepeace ’69 M.A. ’71 M.F.A. ’82.

Krawitz is presenting her film “Perfect Strangers.” It is the account of Ellie, a woman who altruistically decides to donate her kidney to Kathy, a woman she has never met. The documentary presents a curious, unusual case of human kindness, and, at the same time, it raises awareness about the current situation of organ donation in our country. With various artistic film shots and scenes, Krawitz truly manages to capture the essence behind each person, providing some interesting food for thought.
______________________________________________________ 
"You have the power to SAVE lives." 
To register as a donor TODAY
In California: 
www.donateLIFEcalifornia.org | www.doneVIDAcalifornia.org 
Outside California: 
www.organdonor.gov | www.donatelife.net

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