Flaherty Film Seminar picks ETSU for screening, discussions

The prestigious Flaherty Film Seminar, an annual event held at various locations across the globe, has selected the Bud Frank Cinema at East Tennessee State University as an additional host site to screen and discuss non-fiction films. 

While the main event will take place at the Thai Film Archive in Thailand, the Flaherty offers additional locations access to their programming to hold smaller, in-person screenings and discussions. 

“This is an amazing opportunity for the Bud Frank Cinema and ETSU,” said Dr. Chelsea Wessels, associate professor in the Department of Literature and Language. “We are inviting the community to be part of a unique cinematic experience.” 

A couple of elements make the Flaherty experience unique. First, the specific films aren’t announced in advance, so the audience experiences the program without any prior knowledge. Second, each screening features a discussion that follows the film. 

The events will take place July 1-2, with screenings and discussion at noon and 5 p.m. on both days.   

All four events are free, but pre-registration is encouraged. Interest forms are available here.  

“The theme of the seminar this year is ‘to commune’ so the films will connect to that idea in some way,” said Wessels. “They will be non-fiction films and draw from a diverse group of filmmakers, subjects and approaches.” 

For those attending the 12 p.m. events, plan for the film to last about an hour with discussion running 20-30 minutes. At 5 p.m., the films will run 90-120 minutes with additional discussion after.  

The Bud Frank Cinema stands as the only art cinema in the region outside of Asheville, North Carolina.  

For generations, the Bud Frank Theatre was the site of many performances and productions at ETSU. The Bud Frank Cinema opened in 2023 as a way to serve the community as a site of entertainment and enrichment.   

East Tennessee State University was founded in 1911 with a singular mission: to improve the quality of life for people in the region and beyond. Through its world-class health sciences programs and interprofessional approach to health care education, ETSU is a highly respected leader in rural health research and practices. The university also boasts nationally ranked programs in the arts, technology, computing, and media studies. ETSU serves approximately 14,000 students each year and is ranked among the top 10 percent of colleges in the nation for students graduating with the least amount of debt.