Press

Gala screening of Lawrence of Arabia with internationally renowned author and media critic Dr Jack Shaheen

The Liverpool Arabic Arts Festival is pleased to announce that eminent author and media critic Dr Jack Shaheen is to return to Liverpool to speak at a Gala Screening of Lawrence of Arabia.

Last year Dr Shaheen’s film Reel Bad Arab was screened as part of the 2007 Liverpool Arabic Arts Festival.

To celebrate the centenary of director David Lean’s birth the Gala screening will be hosted at Liverpool Philharmonic Hall (Tues 22 July, 6.30pm) in partnership with BAFTA and Northwest Vision and Media.

This seminal, award winning piece of cinema will be accompanied by a special introduction by Dr Jack G. Shaheen. A US national Dr Shaheen is a former CBS news consultant on Middle East affairs. His lectures and writings illustrate that damaging racial and ethnic stereotypes of Asians, black, Native Americans and others injure innocent people.

Professor Shaheen has give over 1000 lectures in nearly 50 US states and three continents. He has consulted with the United Nations, the LA Commission on Human Rights, the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and the New York City’s Commission on Civil Rights. In cooperation with US government, he has conducted communication seminars throughout the Middle East.

He is the author of four books: Nuclear War Films, Arab and Muslim Stereotyping in American Popular Culture, The TV Arab and the award-winning book and film Reel Bad Arabs.

He is a recipient of the Pancho Be Award for "the advancement of humanity."

Shaheen has served as a consultant with film and TV companies: DreamWorks, Warner Brothers, Hanna-Barbera and Showtime.

The Gala screening is the centrepiece to BAFTA Goes to the Arab World...on tour at LAAF (July 14 - 27), a two week programme of films from and about the Middle East.

Festival Manager Ngozi Ikoku said: "We are extremely pleased that such an internationally respected academic and humanist has chosen to share time with the people of Liverpool at the Festival and I look forward to hearing his thoughts on the David Lean classic."

The Liverpool Arabic Arts Festival film programme at FACT and Liverpool Philharmonic Hall is produced in partnership with the Bluecoat, FACT, Picturehouse at FACT, Liverpool Philharmonic Hall, Mona Deeley of Zenith Foundation and in association with BAFTA. Funding has been provided by Northwest Vision and Media.

For an interview with Dr. Shaheen please contact Adrian Pennington on 07737 970 930 or email penningtonadrian@hotmail.com

To book tickets for Lawrence of Arabia call Liverpool Philharmonic Box Office on 0151 709 3789 or visit www.liverpoolphil.com

For full Festival programme and ticket information: www.arabicartsfestival.co.uk or call 0151 702 5324.

Notes to editors:
The Bluecoat and Liverpool Arabic Arts Festival
Liverpool Arabic Arts Festival is now in its seventh successive year. The event started as a partnership between Liverpool Arabic Centre and the Bluecoat and over the years has grown to involve more partners from the city’s arts and Arabic communities. The Bluecoat reopened earlier this year following a £12.5m redevelopment, and the LAAF remains a key part of the organisation’s activities and reflects the diverse nature of the Bluecoat’s programme. LAAF is at the heart of the Bluecoat’s artistic programme presenting the best of new, innovative local and international visual art and live art along with contemporary dance, music and literature events.
www.thebluecoat.org.uk

The Liverpool Arabic Centre
LAC is a registered charity and company limited by guarantee based in the Toxteth area of Liverpool. The LAC works alongside the Yemeni and Arabic speaking communities and those interested in Arabic culture and language in the Liverpool area. Through the facilitation and provision of community development and activity their mission is to contribute to the relief of poverty and improve health and education within the Yemeni/Arabic community. They also aim to strengthen the awareness of Yemeni Arabic Culture and celebrate and promote all aspects of Arabic history, language cultural heritage and identity.
www.liverpoolarabiccentre.org.uk

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA)
Alongside the award ceremonies, The British Academy of Film and Television Arts' Learning & Events’ programme offers events year-round in the nations and regions and London. This events’ programme gives members and the public alike the opportunity to experience the best work from practitioners in film, television and video games. To find out more about BAFTA, visit www.bafta.org

Northwest Vision and Media
Northwest Vision and Media works on behalf of the TV, film, radio, digital and games industries in the Northwest to grow a world-class media economy within the region. It wants to create something extraordinary, taking advantage of all the opportunities that exist to play its part in creating an industry that is a magnet for talent, is truly diverse and offers opportunities for all.