The Sundance Institute is coming to Berks County in April, and Penn State Berks alumnus Ben Sneeringer, an American Studies major with an interest in film who once worked at the Exeter Community library, will moderate discussions held after each presentation.
The Exeter Community Library is one of 21 in Pennsylvania that is participating in the "Film Forward: Advancing Cultural Dialogue" program that seeks to engage in communication through documentary and narrative film with other cultures.
Sundance created the program in cooperation with the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
It is now the Exeter library's responsibility to present five screenings of Sundance films for the public on various dates through April, beginning Saturday. All showings are at 7:30 p.m., and discussions moderated by Ben Sneeringer will be held after each presentation.
Sneeringer?s interest in film began at Penn State Berks when he was a student in Dr. Michele Ramsey?s film class. In fact, he enjoyed it so much that he has been acting as an informal teaching assistant for the class since completing it, even after graduating from the college.
The screenings are free, and refreshments will be served. So far, the library has shown the Oscar-winning "20 Feet From Stardom," on April 12; and ?Valentine Road," April 14. Later this week, they will show "Dancing in Jaffa," April 18; followed by "The Rocket," April 24; and "If You Build It," April 26.
Four states and four countries have been chosen this year. The Exeter library is the only one in Berks County selected for the program.
The other states selected are California, Michigan and Mississippi, and the countries chosen are Bosnia-Herzegovina, Colombia, Indonesia and Taiwan.
The films will be shown in the library's program room.
Exeter Community Library is located at 4569 Prestwick Drive in the township. For more information, visit the website at berks.lib.pa.us/sxt/ or call the library at 610-406-9431.