Civitas, Augustana’s Honors Program, and the Union Board of Governors (UBG) today announced details for the first-ever Faculty Film Festival, a seven-part series featuring acclaimed films and professor-led discussion.

Dr. Sandra Looney, professor of English, will kick off the Festival with a showing and discussion of Salaam Bombay!, an Academy Award nominee for Best Foreign Language film, beginning at 7 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 26, in the Gilbert Science Center auditorium.

Admission is free and open to the public. Free popcorn will also be provided.

A major influence on Slumdog Millionaire, Mira Nair’s acclaimed Salaam Bombay! takes a gritty look into the plight of Bombay’s poor street children. The film allows the viewer a glimpse of another culture, revealing that basic human needs and desires are universal.

2011-12 Civitas Faculty Film Festival Schedule (all events begin at 7 p.m.):

• Monday, Sept. 26, GSC auditorium: Salaam Bombay! (1988, India, Drama. Director: Mira Nair. Starring: Shafiq Syed, Hansa Vithal, Chanda Sharma and Raghuvir Yadov.) Introduction and discussion led by Dr. Sandra Looney (English).

• Monday, Oct. 17, The Back Alley: The Full Monty (1997, Great Britain, Comedy. Director: Peter Cattaneo. Starring: Robert Carlyle, Mark Addy, William Snape and Tom Wilkinson.) Introduction and discussion led by Dr. Mark Larson (biology).

• Monday, Nov. 14, The Back Alley (tentative): Gattaca (1997, U.S., Science fiction. Director: Andrew Niccol. Starring: Ethan Hawke, Uma Thurman, Jude Law, Gore Vidal and Elias Koteas.) Introduction and discussion led by Dr. Olivia Lima (psychology).

• Monday, Dec. 12, The Back Alley (tentative): Chinatown (1974, U.S., Film noir. Director: Roman Polanski. Starring: Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway, John Huston and Perry Lopez.). Introduction and discussion led by Dr. Jeffrey Miller (English/journalism).

• TBA: Live Free or Die Hard (2007, U.S., Action. Director: Len Wiseman. Starring: Bruce Willis, Justin Long, Timothy Olyphant and Maggie Q.)
  Introduction and discussion led by Dr. Heather Bart (communication studies).

• TBA: Dirty Pretty Things (2002, Great Britain: Suspense. Director: Stephen Frears. Starring: Audrey Tautou, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Sergi Lopez and Sophie Okonedo.) Introduction and discussion led by Dr. Lindsay Twa (fine arts/art).

• Monday, April 23, The Back Alley: High Noon (1952, U.S.: Western. Director: Fred Zinnemann. Starring: Gary Cooper, Grace Kelly, Thomas Mitchell, Lloyd Bridges and Katy Jurado.) Introduction and discussion led by Dr. Joel Johnson (government).