Newswise — Patricia Zimmermann—professor of cinema, photography and media arts at Ithaca College and co-director of the college’s Finger Lakes Environmental Film Festival (FLEFF)—will spend the first six months of 2010 in Singapore as the Shaw Foundation Professor at the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information (SCI) at Nanyang Technological University . Beginning in December, she will be engaged in an international curatorial project and exhibition that explores open space concepts in cinema and new media. She will also teach a seminar focusing on documentary theory, technology and new media reflected in works shown at FLEFF.
“As the nonprofit component of the Shaw Organization, the Shaw Foundation is one of the largest and most visible philanthropic organizations in all of Asia,” Zimmermann said. “To be chosen as a visiting Shaw Foundation Professor at the top communications school in Asia is an honor, not just for me, but for my colleague Tom Shevory, the other co-director of FLEFF. Being named to this endowed post is a testament to the international impact of FLEFF and its association with the college’s Division of Interdisciplinary and International Studies.”
For the past 12 years, FLEFF has been held each spring as a weeklong presentation of films, concerts, discussions, and presentations. This year, however, FLEFF began last September and will extend over nine months, featuring a succession of blogs, an Open Space Lab course for students, and other online, user-generated events under the program stream of “Open Spaces.” Those interested in participating are invited to visit www.ithaca.edu/fleff.
An authority on film history and theory, digital culture, and international public media, Zimmermann has published five books and over 100 articles and book chapters on these topics. In addition to numerous presentations and lectures delivered at venues on four continents, she has curated at national and international museums, conferences and film festivals.
“We are delighted to have Patty returning to SCI to renew old acquaintances and once again bring her love of film and new media to the school,” said Benjamin Hill Detenber, chair of the Wee Kim Wee School. “Singapore is committed to advancing its position in both cinema and new media, so having Patty on board to work with and inspire the next generation is a great opportunity for us.”
In fulfilling its mission of meeting the demand in Singapore and the region for well-trained people to take their places in the media industry and information services, the Wee Kim Wee School provides quality undergraduate and graduate programs in those areas of study. The school is also a premiere research institution dedicated to educating and nurturing communication information professionals and academics, advancing knowledge and serving society. With 50 full-time faculty and 1,200 graduate and undergraduate students, the Wee Kim Wee School is one of the largest communications schools in Asia. For more information, visit http://www3.ntu.edu.sg/sci.
The Shaw Organization is a movie theater chain that was founded in Singapore in 1924 by two brothers, Run Run and Runme Shaw. Established in 1958, the Shaw Foundation has donated millions of dollars to medical facilities and numerous charitable and nonprofit organizations, many of them schools.
For more information on Ithaca College’s Division of Interdisciplinary and International Studies, visit www.ithaca.edu/diis.
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