Contact

Offices
chashama Film Festival
201 East 42nd street, 32nd floor
New York, NY 10017

Screening Venue
chashama Flagship Space
217 East 42nd Street
New York, NY 10017

Rick Kariolic
Director
rick@chafilmfest.com
telephone: 718.908.6123
fax: 212.391.8153

The 2011 festival — Chaos Theory: The Rise and Fall of Societies

In its fourth year, chashama Film Festival invites artists to explore the current state of flux in the world, with a focus on societal change brought on by clashing philosophical and sociological ideals. We highlight the work of filmmakers who are not afraid to explore the outer limits of social stability and ask: What next? How do we respond to social changes that are too vast and too rapid for us to comprehend, let alone control? What can we do, individually and as a society, to avert disaster? What would mass disruption and instability mean for the future of humanity?

Our distinguished panel of jurors select productions that examine how both behavior and ethos contribute to groups that flourish and groups that fail. The work of our international contributors, which addresses a variety of social situations and dynamics, offers a fascinating analysis of the theme for viewers to consider.

chashama Film Festival

At a time of widespread economic and political instability, when the world needs unification and peace, we believe uncensored media is vital to create an informed and understanding population. With film as our medium of choice, we seek to convey what is genuine: genuine compassion, genuine questions, and genuine ideas. Art is our action. Our action is essential.

chashama Arts Group

chashama burst onto the art scene over a decade ago with provocative window performances, dazzling pedestrians amid the skyscrapers of Midtown Manhattan. Founded by Anita Durst in 1995, chashama is an organization dedicated to serving artists in New York City. She realized that lack of affordable space was the greatest threat to a diverse, dynamic, and provocative cultural environment in New York. Her vision was to connect artists with untapped reserves of vacant real estate, such as empty storefronts and offices languishing between tenants, while invigorating surrounding communities with creative activity. Since its inception, chashama has provided opportunities for performing and visual artists by awarding grants, producing shows, and providing subsidized studio, rehearsal, and performance space. chashama has transformed more than 40 locations, giving 7,500 artists access to space well below market rate, which supported approximately 10,000 public presentations for over 500,000 viewers.

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