For Immediate Release

Contact: Elizabeth A. Nolan

(617) 695-9990

THE INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE OF BOSTON CO-HOSTS CITY’S

1ST HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

Post-screening discussion will feature Noam Chomsky, Kevin McKiernan, Fuad Safwat and Kani Xulam

The International Institute of Boston (IIB) will proudly host 3 films as part of Boston’s first-ever Human Rights Watch International Film Festival on Saturday, January 13 at One Milk St. in downtown Boston.

In keeping with IIB’s 76-year mission of serving refugees and immigrants, at 2 p.m. we will show OUR HOUSE IN HAVANA, a 57-minute film by Stephen Olsson which traces the emotionally charged journey of a Cuban refugee woman back to her homeland after 38 years of living in the United States (In English and Spanish with English subtitles); and LA BODA, a 53-minute film by Hannah Weyer which follows a 22-year-old Mexican-American migrant worker in the weeks leading up to her wedding (In English and Spanish with English subtitles). These two films are being co-sponsored by Boston NOW and Centro Presente.

At 4 p.m., IIB will screen GOOD KURDS, BAD KURDS: NO FRIENDS BUT THE MOUNTAINS, a gripping 79-minute film by Kevin McKiernan about the complicated history of the Kurdish people and the United States’ inconsistent policy toward them (In English and Kurdish with English subtitles). This film is co-presented by Amnesty International.

Following the screening of GOOD KURDS, BAD KURDS there will be a panel discussion featuring noted linguist and political analyst Noam Chomsky, filmmaker and acclaimed freelance journalist Kevin McKiernan, Kurdish Activist Kani Xulam (who is featured in the film), and Professor Fuad Safwat of the University of Massachusetts.

Commenting on GOOD KURDS, BAD KURDS, IIB Executive Director Westy Egmont said, "Given IIB’s longstanding commitment to public education on refugee issues, and the fact that our agency resettled 125 Kurdish refugees in 1996, we are particularly pleased to share McKiernan’s revelational film with local audiences."

Admission is $8.00 for each program. Senior citizen and student tickets are $4.00. Each audience member will receive a half-price coupon to attend IIB’s new multimedia exhibit, Dreams of Freedom, a state of the art, permanent multimedia experience designed to make known Boston's colorful history of immigration. Combining cutting edge artistic design, high technology, and spectacular effects, Dreams of Freedom traces common themes within the immigrant experience: the loss of family, the difficult passage, and the collective vow to build a new nation based upon equality, justice and freedom.

Founded in 1924, the International Institute of Boston is a non-profit human service and cultural agency that provides comprehensive services to refugees and immigrants, including English and Literacy classes, job counseling and placement, housing assistance, legal aid, citizenship preparation, economic literacy instruction, crisis intervention and a variety of social services. This year alone, nearly 7000 people from 60 lands have received services through IIB.

IIB’s participation in the Human Rights Watch International Film Festival is sponsored in part by Equal Exchange, Delicato’s Café, Citizens Bank, and Gillette. For more information contact Elizabeth Nolan at (617) 695-9990.