Saving Mes Aynak in Spain this week!
"Saving Mes Aynak" makes its way to San Sebastian, Spain, this week for a screening at the International Festival of Archaeological Films of Bidasoa. We are delighted by this opportunity to show the film to Spanish-speaking audience with Spanish subtitles - soon to be available on VHX and other venues! See the full program of other exquisite archaeological films here.
Saving Mes Aynak at the National Gallery, UCLA for China Onscreen Biennial!
Saving Mes Aynak will be featured at the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC on Nov 27 as part of the China Onscreen Biennial (COB), a curated showcase of Chinese film and media arts for American audiences. Brent will attend the screening in person.
In COB's 3rd biennial, Saving Mes Aynak will be a part of a sidebar program called Dunhuang Projected, named after the eponymous town in the Gobi Desert in northwestern China that was an important nexus of the Silk Road from 400-1400 CE, and the gateway for Buddhism from India into China. The town’s complex of caves hold the largest extant collection of Buddhist art in the world, and is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
City of Dunhuang, China. Photo: EveryChina News
Traveling across the continent for this series, Saving Mes Aynak will screen at the UCLA Film and Television Archive in Los Angeles on November 9. Brent will appear at the post-screening Q&A via Skype.
It's a great honor to be part of a cross-cultural dialogue through the art of film in two of the most prestigious institutions in the film world!
"Making Archaeology Harrowing" Review by Film Inquiry
Film Inquiry shared a heartfelt review on Saving Mes Aynak, acknowledging one core message of the film: "What’s at stake in Saving Mes Aynak is cultural identity, something so difficult to quantify let’s just call it priceless. But it’s not just Afghanistan or Temori’s cultural identity, but rather that of the entire human race. The people who left the grinding stones, frescos and in one instance, themselves, at Mes Aynak made those things for the same reason we do today: to leave their culture for future generations, sure, but in a more immediate way to also better understand themselves."
We are humbled by generous compliments on the filmmaking and activism of the film. Saving Mes Aynak is now available on DVD, iTunes, and Amazon for your view!
"A film that needs to be widely screened for Americans" review by Epoch Times
With the release of the Home DVDs of Saving Mes Aynak this week, we are excited to share with you a rave review from Epoch Times. The review calls the film "persuasive portrait of courage and an infuriating indictment of utterly pointless barbarism, and deserves a much wider audience. The stunning visuals of the site itself are also definitely worth seeing, especially since they might not necessarily be there in the future."
Also acclaimed as "a film that needs to be widely screened for Americans," Saving Mes Aynak is now available on DVD with bonus features and 5 foreign language subtitles. We hope with the release of home DVDs, the film gets shown in more national institutions and homes than ever. Thank you for your support!
Another Grand Prize from France!
Saving Mes Aynak won the Grand Prize and the Audience Award of the XVth festival Icronos of Bordeaux! The film was presented to a passionate crowd of 350 archaeologists, experts, and students. The jury shared a generous commentary (translated from French): "Our choice of Brent Huffman's film is based on the importance of the subject: threats to the archaeological heritage due to economic interests, to which is added the context of political instability and the corpus of government. The film shows at the same time the international mobilization (with its limits) but above all the involvement of local archaeologists for the preservation of this heritage, less visible than the great monuments. Finally, the film is remarkable by the cinematographic quality and it touches us by the emotion it carries, the empathy that the film arouses for the men who risk their lives to save their memory. "
We are honored by this recognition from international archaeology communities, last week from Greece and this week from France! Thank you!
Saving Mes Aynak also available on iTunes and Amazon!
Nov 8th, the U.S. release date of the home DVDs of Saving Mes Aynak, is just around the corner! We are delighted to announce that the film will also be available on iTunes and Amazon. Rent or own the film in however ways you want, and please spread the word to friends and colleagues who didn't get a chance to go to a screening yet!
You can place an order for a home DVD on our website here.
Grand Prize from Greece for Saving Mes Aynak!
We are elated to announce that Saving Mes Aynak takes home the Grand Prize from AGON - the 10th International Meeting of Archaeological Film! This is the 21st honor to the film. We will continue to spread awareness to Mes Aynak to the rest of the world. Thank you for your continued support!
Glimmerglass Films Days with Saving Mes Aynak!
Saving Mes Aynak will join the lovely crowd of Cooperstown, New York, by the shores of Lake Otsego this November 11th through the Glimmerglass Film Days. The festival is an "annual showcase for powerful films reflecting our complex relationships with the natural world," filled with hikes, talks, bike rides, and exhibits in partnership with local organizations.
Hannah Bloch, NPR Digital Editor, former Time correspondent in Afghanistan will lead the post-screening discussion.
Join us! Fenimore Art Museum, 10am, Nov 11 (Fri)
Saving Mes Aynak on French TV!
Saving Mes Aynak will be on French TV on Histoire TONIGHT at 9:35pm Central European Time. The film will be re-broadcast four times through this fall:
Monday, October 24, 2016 @ 9:35pm
Friday, October 28, 2016 @ 5:35 p.m.
Thursday, November 3, 2016 @ 5:55 p.m.
Tuesday, November 8, 2016 @ 6:05 p.m.
Sunday, November 13, 2016 @ 10:00a.m.
Following up the screening at the Louvre, this is another wonderful opportunity to show the film throughout France! Thank you!
Saving Mes Aynak going to Bordeaux, France for ICRONOS!
In October, Saving Mes Aynak will be a part of ICRONOS - International Archaeology Film Festival of Bordeaux in France. ICRONOS is a prestigious film festival of archaeological films, established in 1986. We are grateful for this opportunity to show Saving Mes Aynak to archaeology enthusiasts and experts from all around the world. Oct 26-29, 2016
Watch the festival's trailer of Saving Mes Aynak!
Saving Mes Aynak in Beirut this November!
Saving Mes Aynak will screen at the prestigious Beirut Art Film Festival on November 9th! The film will screen side by side to an impressive roster of films on historic art, museums, and artists around the world.
This weekend Saving Mes Aynak will be in Shepherdstown, VA, for a screening with American Conservation Film Festival, where the film will be awarded Green Spark Award. Then, in a week, we will be in Bordeaux, France, for ICRONOS - International Festival of Archaeological Films! Check out the festival's trailer for Saving Mes Aynak:
Fall Updates from Saving Mes Aynak!
As we near the end of 2016, we are excited to share some incredible news about “Saving Mes Aynak." Please read on for the fall news of "Saving Mes Aynak!"
UPCOMING U.S. SCREENINGS
Image of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, where "Saving Mes Aynak" will screen this November.
"Saving Mes Aynak" travels coast to coast from the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC to the UCLA Film & Television Archive in Los Angeles through the China Onscreen Biennial (COB), a showcase of Chinese film and media arts for American audiences. "Saving Mes Aynak" will be a part of COB's program called Dunhuang Projected, named after the eponymous town in the Gobi Desert in northwestern China that was an important nexus of the Silk Road from 400-1400 CE, and the gateway for Buddhism from India into China.
Director Brent E. Huffman will attend the post-screening Q&A at UCLA via Skype and attend the National Gallery of Art in person take full part in this exciting Biennial. The screening at UCLA will begin with a 30-minute meditation session.
"Saving Mes Aynak" will be screened today at the San Francisco Public Library as an encore screening from last April's San Francisco Green Film Festival.
Throughout the month of October, "Saving Mes Aynak" will be broadcast in Europe again via GEO Television! Please refer to our website for broadcast times. We sincerely hope that through this broadcast, more European viewers can see the film.
At ICRONOS, France, "Saving Mes Aynak" will be presented to a global roster of archaeology experts and enthusiast at this historic film festival. We also have an exciting screening lined up with Beirut Art Film Festival. We are honored to be screening the film around one of the most artistic and vibrant corners of the world.
"Saving Mes Aynak" is also headed to from 17 to 23 October in Athens at the Greek Cinema Archive for the 10th International Meeting of Archaeological Film - AGON. "Saving Mes Aynak" will be among 103 films from 17 different countries!
Thank you all for the great run "Saving Mes Aynak" was able to have so far! We will continue the work of spreading the word about Mes Aynak.
HOME DVD RELEASE!
Original artwork courtesy of Rima Fujita.
The home DVD of "Saving Mes Aynak" is now available for pre-booking! The DVD features 15 minutes of never-seen-before scenes from Mes Aynak, as well as foreign language subtitles in French, German, Italian, and Japanese, all created by volunteers from around the globe who donated their time and expertise to this important project. You can purchase the DVDs on the websites of Saving Mes Aynak, Kartemquin Films, and Icarus Films starting November 8th.
Pre-order is live now! Please email HomeVideo@icarusfilms.com to pre-book DVDs.
GLOBAL SCREENINGS
Saving Mes Aynak had a full-house screening in Kabul
Following last April's screening with American University of Afghanistan, the Solidarity Party of Afghanistan invited "Saving Mes Aynak" for a public screening in Kabul. We are grateful for the courageous audience that came to the screening despite risks, and for the help of Afghan citizens in the U.S. who spread the word about this screening.
"Saving Mes Aynak" returned to Chicago for a meaningful screening with the prestigious Art Institute of Chicago! Director Brent E. Huffman was in attendance for a Q&A.
"Saving Mes Aynak" had a sold-out screening in Hong Kong with Thus Have I Seen (T.H.I.S.) Buddhist Film Festival. Organized by Dharma in Action, the festival shows a collection of exquisite films that "reflect the cultural, social and religious aspects of this world religion."
On a surprising note, "Saving Mes Aynak" was invited to the 15th Pyongyang International Film Festival! in North Korea, whose mission is to "promote exchange and cooperation between world filmmakers with the ideal of Independence, Peace and Friendship." This is an honor for all filmmakers involved in "Saving Mes Aynak" as this is all of our first time showing our work in North Korea.
Trailer of "Saving Mes Aynak" for the Buddhist True Network of South Korea
"Saving Mes Aynak" will hit Korean TV through August! Buddhist True Network (BTN), apremier Buddhist channel of South Korea. BTN has invited "Saving Mes Aynak" to air over 8 times, both on TV and online. Through this broadcast, we hope to connect with Koreanaudience who, with the country's long history with Buddhism, understand the importance of cultural heritage sites.
If you have any ideas for local screenings, workshops, or more, please do not hesitate to contact us.
RECOGNITIONS FOR SAVING MES AYNAK!
Brent will be in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, this October to receive Green Spark Award at American Conservation Film Festival, "Saving Mes Aynak" was commended as "the most deserving of the Green Spark Award for drawing attention to a conservation hero." Thank you!
"Saving Mes Aynak" also took home the top prize for best international documentary at the Life After Oil Film Festival in Sardinia, Italy! This is a huge honor from a panel of juries spanning Italian filmmakers, journalists, academics, and activists. On top of the prize, Life After Oil was a wonderful opportunity to engage with international audience in an incredible outdoor venue. We are grateful!
We are thrilled to be able to finally share the home DVDs with you! We hope that with the DVDs, "Saving Mes Aynak" will be screened at more homes, schools, and other institutions than ever, prompting widespread education and conversations on the beauty and significance of Mes Aynak and other cultural heritage under threat. Together we MUST SAVE MES AYNAK in 2016!
Home DVD Pre-order is available now!
Pre-booking of the Saving Mes Aynak home DVDs is live! Please visit Icarus Films's website to put in your order. DVDs will be released and start delivering on November 8th!
You can also put in your pre-order via 1 (800) 876-1610 (toll-free) or Email: HomeVideo@IcarusFilms.com.
We can't wait for the home DVDs to arrive.
Home DVD Release: November 8th!
We are delighted to announce that home DVD of Saving Mes Aynak will be released by November 8th from our U.S. distributor, Icarus Films. The DVD features 15 minutes of never-seen-before scenes from Mes Aynak, as well as foreign language subtitles in French, German, Italian, and Japanese, all supplied by our passionate viewers of the film. If you are interested in pre-booking the film, please email homevideo@icarusfilms.com. DVD will go on sale on our website along with Saving Mes Aynak posters. Special thanks to artist Rima Fujita for this visionary poster design.
Mark your calendars! Saving Mes Aynak by Brent E. Huffman, a Kartemquin Films, will be released on Nov 8
— Icarus Films (@IcarusFilms) September 16, 2016
An... https://t.co/y9fqnlzOLq
THIS WEEK: Saving Mes Aynak goes to North Korea!
Saving Mes Aynak is going to North Korea as part of the 15th Pyongyang International Film Festival! Saving Mes Aynak is the first film among the roster of Kartemquin Films' productions to set foot in North Korea. The Festival, whose mission is to "promote exchange and cooperation between world filmmakers with the ideal of Independence, Peace and Friendship," will be from September 16 to 21, 2016.
Saving Mes Aynak's first visit to Singapore through T.H.I.S. Film Fest!
Saving Mes Aynak will be returning to Hong Kong, this time for the Thus Have I Seen (T.H.I.S.) Buddhist Film Festival on September 18th. Organized by Dharma in Action, the festival shows a collection of exquisite films that "reflect the cultural, social and religious aspects of this world religion." Check out the trailer T.H.I.S. has created of the film!
Next Month: American Conservation Film Festival!
Saving Mes Aynak will be receiving the prestigious Green Spark Award at American Conservation Film Festival happening the 3rd and 4th weekend of October in Shepherdstown, Virginia. The American Conservation Film Festival committee chose two winners of the Green Spark Award out of nearly 300 films submitted this year, citing Saving Mes Aynak as "the most deserving of the Green Spark Award for drawing attention to a conservation hero." We are honored for this recognition and excited that Brent will be receiving the award in person in October!
Encore Screening at the SF Green Film Festival!
At the sold-out screening of San Francisco Green Film Festival last April. Homayoun Sakhi, the composer of the film, was warmly received by the crowd. a
Saving Mes Aynak is returning to San Francisco for the encore screening with San Francisco Green Film Festival! The screening will be held on Oct 5, 2016 at the historic San Francisco Public Library. We appreciate the warm welcome we have received in San Francisco and hope that those who could not come to the first screening make it!
Saving Mes Aynak on European TV!
Saving Mes Aynak will be on air throughout Europe again on GEO Television October 12 through 21! We sincerely hope that more European viewers can see the film, now also available in Dutch, Italian, German, French, and Japanese on VHX!
Geo Television Broadcast Times:
10/12/2016 Wednesday 1:50 - 2:50
10/13/2016 Thursday 9:55 - 10:55
10/14/2016 Friday 15:00 - 16:00
10/19/2016 Wednesday 1:40 - 2:40
10/19/2016 Wednesday 19:15 - 20:15
10/20/2016 Thursday 7:45 - 8:50
10/21/2016 Friday 13:10 - 14:10
Successful screening in Kabul!
Saving Mes Aynak had a packed screening with the Solidarity Party of Afghanistan earlier this month. We are grateful for the courageous audience that came to the screening despite risks. The organizers of this screening wrote an heartfelt recap of the film, voicing their criticism of the corrupt deal with MCC and unending destruction of the environment and heritage of Afghanistan.
Afghan citizens in the U.S. extended their helping hand away from home to show the film to as many Afghans in Kabul as possible: Professor Khinjani at University of Montana's Defense Critical Language and Culture Program, who has long worked to teach girls and women in Afghanistan, helped spread the word to her connections in Kabul. Associates of the Afghanistan Project with the Oriental Institute, which Qadir has been invited to lead, also chipped in to spread the word.
Professor Shahrani at Indiana University shared the news with colleagues and friends at the American Institute of Afghanistan, Kabul’s Public Library, and other Afghan scholars excelling around the world. We appreciate sincere help and participation from the audience of the film and hope to be able to hold many more local screenings with Afghan citizens before the end of this year!
