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UW-Eau Claire Summer Events Series to Present
Music of Matt Wahl, International Short Films
RELEASED: July 7, 2008
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Matt Wahl |
EAU CLAIRE — The original songs of Eau Claire native Matt Wahl will begin the penultimate week of the University Centers Summer Events series Monday, July 21, at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.
The singer-songwriter will begin his free outdoor concert at 7 p.m. on the Central Campus Mall (rain site: the Cabin, Davies Center). The audience is invited to bring lawn chairs, blankets and a picnic to the concert. Free popcorn will be available.
Matt Wahl wins fans everywhere he goes with his deep baritone voice and upbeat, insightful, original songs and humorous introductions. His show is a look at "the fun side of life" — fantasies of life as a superhero, how to handle a job in cubicle hell, pickup lines, distracted drivers, college housing and a different kind of fake ID. Now living in the Washington, D.C., area, Wahl plays between 150 and 200 shows a year in all sorts of venues around the country.
The Summer Events series also presents the continuation of the Summer Shorts film series — presenting local, regional and international short film compilations — July 22-24, with "The World According to Shorts." Culled from the best short films to screen internationally in recent years, this 2006 sampling will screen Tuesday and Wednesday in Davies Theatre and Thursday at the Eau Claire Regional Arts Center Gallery in downtown Eau Claire. Films will be shown at 11:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. each day. Admission is free and open to all.
"Sidelined at film festivals and ignored by most moviegoers, short films are often slighted as little more than the training wheels of the film industry," wrote The New York Times. "Yet mastering the form demands technical and narrative skills most feature directors lack, and for audiences exhausted by today's bloated extravaganzas, 'The World According to Shorts' is an eclectic palate cleanser."
The six short films making up the collection are intended to reflect a diversity of visions in contemporary short filmmaking and include a broad range of styles and genres, from animation to fiction to semi-documentary and experimental. Between them, the films have been honored with numerous awards from all over the world:
- "La Perra" (Chile 2003, 17 minutes, directed by Hugo Maza) — Sexy satire about a couple with an empty life who invent a fantasy about the new maid.
- "We Have Decided Not to Die" (Australia 2004, 11 minutes, directed by Daniel Askill) — Three modern-day journeys of transcendence.
- "United We Stand" (Norway 2002, 9 minutes, directed by Hans Petter Moland) — Eight old-timers come across a young woman stuck in a swamp.
- "Antichrist" (Poland 2002, 28 minutes, directed by Adam Guzinski) — A young boy believes he is the Antichrist.
- "The Old Woman's Step" (Brazil 2002, directed by Jane Malaquias) — An old woman travels from her village to the city to sell a chicken so she can buy her grandson a present.
- "Ring of Fire" (Germany 2000, 15 minutes, directed by Andreas Hykade) — Animated tale of innocence lost.
With the theme "Welcome to Our Backyard," University Centers Summer Events continue through July 31. A complete schedule is available at the Service Center, 715-836-3727, or online.
The eight-week series is funded by the students of UW-Eau Claire and coordinated by the University Centers. For more information contact Paula Stuettgen, senior coordinator for assessment and special projects, 715-836-4803.
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JS/JP
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