SOU to Host 2nd Annual Foreign Language Film Festival

(Ashland, Ore.) —The Southern Oregon University Department of Foreign Languages will host its second annual Foreign Language Film Festival Feb. 26 and 27 on campus at SOU. The festival will feature six films in six different languages and is designed to get students and the community excited about and interested in foreign languages.
“Though the festival is open to all, the films we’ve selected for the first day of the festival are targeted toward high school students while the second day is targeted toward college students and the community in general,” according to Christiane Pyle, SOU German instructor and organizer of the Foreign Language Film Festival.
High schools and community colleges from throughout the Rogue Valley and as far away as Roseburg and Klamath Falls have been invited and are planning to attend the event. One of the films, Das alte Lied (“The Old Song”), will be followed by a panel discussion with the film’s award-winning director, Ula Stöckl, while a second film, Throne of Blood, will be followed by a panel discussion led by SOU faculty member Liz Eckhart.
The film festival aims to renew interest and excitement in foreign languages in general, and in foreign language programs offered at SOU. “This is a very exciting and interesting field of study,” said Professor Ariel Zatarain Tumbaga, another of the festival’s organizers. “We hope that this event will help bring some attention to the wonderful programs at SOU.”
This year’s lineup includes films in American Sign Language, French, German, Japanese, and Spanish, all of which will be subtitled. The showings are free and open to the public, but seating is limited and available on a first come, first serve basis. Refreshments will be available for purchase at all screenings.

The festival is co-sponsored this year by SOU’s French, German, and Spanish Clubs, as well as the SOU Film Club.
More information, including a full schedule of screenings, can be found online at tinyurl.com/sou-fest. Those interested in attending can contact Tatiana Watkins by phone at 541-552-6436 or via email at watkinst1@sou.edu.
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About Southern Oregon University
Southern Oregon University is a medium-sized campus that provides comprehensive educational opportunities with a strong focus on student success and intellectual creativity. Located in vibrant Ashland, Oregon, SOU remains committed to diversity and inclusion for all students on its environmentally sustainable campus. Connected learning programs taught by a host of exceptional faculty provide quality, innovative experiences for students. Visit sou.edu.