Developing countries get pix forum in U.S.

Series includes contributions from Tajikistan, Brazil, Iran

By GABRIELLE MITCHELL-MARELL

Global Film Initiative, a nonprofit organization that aims to provide exposure in the U.S. for films from developing countries, will partner with 12 regional cultural institutions for its Global Lens program.

Series will kick off at the Museum of Modern Art's Gramercy Theater on Nov. 13 for a two-week run and after a short hiatus will continue across the country for the next year.

Program slate will include Djamshed Usmonov's "Angel on the Right" from Tajikistan, Claudio Assis' "Mango Yellow" and Renato Falcao's Margarette's Feast" from Brazil, Rashid Masharawi's Palestinian film "Ticket to Jerusalem" and Manijeh Hekmat's "Women's Prison" from Iran.

Denver in January

Resuming in January, Global Lens will make stops at Denver Film Society in Colorado, Minneapolis' Walker Art Center, California Film Institute in San Rafael, Cleveland Art Institute in Ohio, Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Sarasota Film Society in Florida, UW Madison Arts Institute & Cinematheque in Wisconsin, Columbus' Wexner Center for the Arts Northwest Film Center in Portland, and California Institute of the Arts in L.A.

Series will then break for the summer on June 7 and resume on Sept. 3 at the Gene Siskel Center in Chicago, wrapping up at the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston in October 2004.

Each venue will have a film curator as well as an educational professional to work with local high school students on interdisciplinary programs in connection with the films.