2008
American Team Takes Governor’s Prize at Film Festival
PAS Vladivostok hosted five speakers who represented the United States in the 6th annual “Pacific Meridian Film Festival” in Vladivostok, September 13-20. Some 300 films were shown at the festival, one that attracted filmmakers, actors, and artists from around the Pacific Rim and beyond. Two internationally-renown, award-winning documentary films by Los Angeles-based independent filmmaker Adrian Belic stole the show, namely “Genghis Blues” (that chronicles the adventures of the blind American blues musician Paul Pena who traveled to Tuva to realize his throat singing dream) and “Beyond the Call”, a film that features the heroic humanitarian missions of Vietnam veteran and humanitarian aid maverick Edward Artis. At the closing ceremony, Russian actress Larissa Belobrova, the wife of Primorye Krai governor Sergei Darkin, presented Belic and his team with the Governor’s Prize. During the week, Open World Alumnus, star of “Genghis Blues”, and legendary Tuvan throat singer Mr. Kongar-ool Ondar performed at various venues, explaining his art and captivating audiences that included alumni, students, faculty, and the film festival audiences at the opening and closing ceremony. Additionally, writer Ralph Leighton (executive producer of Genghis Blues, founder of the Friends of Tuva NGO, biographer of Richard Feynman, and author of Tuva or Bust: Richard Feyman’s Last Journey) gave a talk at the American Corner and to Physics majors, focusing on legendary scientist Richard Feyman). All major media outlets at the local, regional, and federal level covered the visit of the American team. The program was organized by PAS Vladivostok with the support of the New York-based NGO Trust for Mutual Understanding.