© 2004- George Csicsery
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Jump to: March 15, 2024 : Journeys of Black Mathematicians: Forging Resilience was featured at the American Mathematical Society 2024 Spring Western Sectional Meeting at San Francisco State University. Dr. Hélène Barcelo of the Simons Laufer Mathematical Institute (SLMath) introduced the film. March 15, 2024 : Writing in Nature about Journeys of Black Mathematicians: Forging Resilience, Noelle Sawyer noted: "Teaching and learning at HBCUs is a point of pride throughout the documentary. These are places where Black maths students are nurtured rather than 'othered'. Many interviewees describe how the representation and support they found at these colleges propelled them into the field." February 22, 2024 : Following a screening of Journeys of Black Mathematicians: Forging Resilience on February 15 at the University of Washington, student reporter Amiya McLean wrote in her review in The Daily, "Black STEM faculty serve their students in dual capacities: not just as educators, but as role models for what students could be when they grow up. When students see representations of themselves in the fields they want to pursue, their dreams become more tangible." February 15, 2024 : The University of Washington Department of Mathematics, Department of Applied Mathematics and the Department of Statistics, in partnership with the Simons Laufer Mathematical Sciences Institute (SLMath), are hosting a screening of Journeys of Black Mathematicians: Forging Resilience on Thursday, February 15, 6 p.m. The screening will be at UW's Kane Hall Room 110, Seattle, WA. Learn more. February 7, 2024 : All are welcome to join the Simons Laufer Mathematical Sciences Institute (SLMath, formerly MSRI), and Zala Films at the first public premiere of Journeys of Black Mathematicians: Forging Resilience, at the David Brower Center, 2150 Allston Way, Berkeley, on Wednesday, February 7. Doors open at 6 p.m. with the screening at 6:30 to 7:45 p.m. A Q&A with filmmaker George Csicsery and a dessert reception will follow the screening. RSVPs are requested at https://slmath.ticketleap.com/jbm-film-berkeley/. Admission is free. The film will be shown with English language open captions. January 6, 2024 : George Csicsery of Zala Films writes about the making of Journeys of Black Mathematicians: Forging Resilience in the February 2024 issue of the Notices of the American Mathematical Society. In the article Csicsery shares how, with the support of the African American math community, and despite the onset of Covid-19 early in the project, he was able to interview more than 60 pioneer, mid-career and young mathematicians and filmed more than 200 hours of material for the project. Csicsery credits the National Association of Mathematicians (NAM), their griot, Johnny Houston, and the Simons Laufer Mathematical Sciences Institute (SLMath) for helping him shepherd the film to completion.
January 6, 2024
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The Simons Laufer Mathematical Sciences Institute (SLMath) and the National Association of Mathematicians (NAM) invited JMM 2024 registrants to join them in San Francisco on January 6, 2024, at 11:30 a.m. for the world premiere of the newest documentary feature by director George Csicsery of Zala Films. The Journeys of Black Mathematicians documentary series explores the contributions of pioneering African Americans in mathematics. Forging Resilience, the first of two films, features interviews with contemporary Black American researchers and educators who discuss their experiences, struggles and accomplishments. The film surveys some innovative educational programs in math at every level from grade school through undergraduate and postdocs.
December 1, 2023
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Zala Films has produced a new promotional video. With a length of 11:27, Opening Doors to Mathematics: Simons Laufer Mathematical Sciences Institute (SLMath) is an introduction to SLMath's mission and activities.
August 24, 2023 : Secrets of the Surface: The Mathematical Vision of Maryam Mirzakhani has been listed as one of the "15 Offbeat Documentaries You Need to See to Believe" in Wealth of Geeks, a website about investing, weird side hustles and pop culture. In her description of the film, freelance writer Donna Freedman writes, "the documentary explains [Mirzakhani's] contributions to the field [of mathematics] in ways ordinary (non-genius) people can understand." May 12, 2023 : As part of the May 12 celebration of women in mathematics, Greek Women in Mathematics is screening Secrets of the Surface: The Mathematical Vision of Maryam Mirzakhani on Friday, May 12, at 7 p.m., in person on the first floor of the Faculty of Sciences of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. A discussion will follow the film. (You will need to register to attend the event virtually.) In addition, a special exhibition of Women of Mathematics Throughout Europe — A Gallery of Portraits will be shown from May 2-12, with a public lecture by Professor Sofia Lambropoulou (NTUA) at 11 a.m. on May 12. May 8, 2023 : Writing in San Francisco State's Golden Gate Express magazine, staff reporter Ishaan Pratap reviews the May 4 screening of Secrets of the Surface: The Mathematical Vision of Maryam Mirzakhani. The event and panel discussion was hosted by the departments of Mathematics, Persian Studies and Modern Languages, in collaboration with the School of Cinema. May 4, 2023 : Secrets of the Surface: The Mathematical Vision of Maryam Mirzakhani will be screened at San Francisco State University on Thursday, May 4, 2023, at 3:30 p.m. The documentary by Zala Films, made in partnership with the Simons Laufer Mathematical Sciences Institute in Berkeley, looks at the life and contributions to contemporary mathematics of the brilliant Iranian mathematician and Fields medalist. A Q&A discussion will follow the film, featuring Mitra Ara, Persian Studies; Emily Clader, Mathematics; Steve Kovacs, Cinema and George Csicsery, director of the film and SF State Cinema Studies alumnus. The screening and discussion will be held in the Coppola Theater of the university's Fine Arts Building, Room 101. Sponsors include the School of Cinema, the Department of Mathematics and the Department of Modern Languages & Literature. February 21, 2023 : In her review in The Stanford Daily, following a screening of Secrets of the Surface: The Mathematical Vision of Maryam Mirzakhani, reporter Mirelys Mendez-Pons '25 noted that the Iranian mathematician portrayed in the documentary "broke down barriers and challenged stereotypes by excelling in a field that has historically been dominated by men. Her success has shown young women that they can pursue their passions and excel in any field, regardless of their gender." A panel discussion followed the screening at Stanford University, which was part of the Stanford Arts Camera as Witness Program's REFLECTIONS series, which celebrated the United Nations' International Day of Women and Girls in Science. February 16, 2023 : Camera as Witness Stanford Arts presents the Reflections series, celebrating the UN International Day of Women and Girls in Science, co-presented with the Bechtel International Center, The Hamid and Christina Moghadam Program in Iranian Studies and Stanford Film Society. A screening of Secrets of the Surface: The Mathematical Vision of Maryam Mirzakhani on Thursday, February 16, 6:30 p.m., will be followed by a conversation with filmmaker George Csicsery, moderated by Jasmina Bojic, Stanford Arts Camera as Witness program director, at the Bechtel International Center, Assembly Room, 584 Capistrano Way, Stanford, CA. November 8, 2022 : George Csicsery of Zala Films discusses his extensive film career, how he selects film subjects and his latest projects in a conversation with Michael Pardy, programmer with the South East European Film Festival (SEEFest) in Los Angeles. Listen here to the Frontier Café SEEfest podcast.
September 9, 2022
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Asked to recommend a movie from the perspective of her own area of specialization, Professor Yukari Ito of the Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe, University of Tokyo, chose Secrets of the Surface: The Mathematical Vision of Maryam Mirzakhani. "While there are other movies about real-life mathematicians such as Nash, Ramanujan and Turing, the specialties of these individuals are often depicted as making them eccentric in their private lives. In contrast, Mirzakhani lived a 'normal' life, was married with a child and simply loved math. I want people to know that mathematicians like her also exist." July 15, 2022 : Zala Films has begun production on Journeys of Black Mathematicians, an ambitious project sponsored by the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute. The film portrays the rich histories and compelling stories of historical and contemporary Black American mathematicians. It will also showcase innovative educational programs in math for African-American students, portraying their experiences, struggles and accomplishments. The project is designed to appeal to both math/science audiences and anyone interested in the largely untold history of African Americans in science and mathematics. (Visit the project website to see interview clips of mathematicians videotaped to date.) May 23, 2022 : Zala Films producer/director George Csicsery joins mathematician Steven Strogatz on Monday, May 23, at 7 p.m. EDT at Starring Math, an online discussion of films that profile legendary mathematicians, presented by MoMath: the National Museum of Mathematics. Joining in the discussion of Secrets of the Surface: The Mathematical Vision of Maryam Mirzakhani, will be math and science writer Erica Klarreich, and math professor Amie Wilkinson, who both appear in the film. Learn more and register here. April 23, 2022 : Zala Films is pleased to announce the Second Edition of DVD and Bluray discs of Secrets of the Surface. The new discs feature the same film and extra features as the first edition, but with improvements in the Farsi subtitles, and new subtitles available in eight languages. Subtitles are available in French, Italian, Japanese, Farsi, Portuguese, Spanish and Turkish, in addition to the English open-captioned option. See the order form and flyer here. April 8, 2022 : The Virginia Commonwealth University Department of Mathematics and Applied Mathematics Colloquium presents producer/director George Csicsery, producer/director of Navajo Math Circles, on Friday, April 8, at 3 p.m., in a conversation about his work. Read more here. March 18, 2022 : An interview with filmmaker George Csicsery about his work on Secrets of the Surface was published in Kayhan Life, an English-language digital magazine dedicated to the global Iranian community. Read the article here. February 17, 2022 : Zala Films has completed production of twelve videos for the Association for Women in Mathematics (AWM). A Seat at The Table - Association for Women in Mathematics: The First 50 Years, and a biographical interview with AWM's first president Mary Gray serve as anchor pieces. The series was produced over a two-year period with interviews conducted in honor of the Association for Women in Mathematics 50th Anniversary celebration. To watch, go to AWM's YouTube Channel. February 15, 2022 : Zala Films is pleased to announce that Secrets of the Surface: The Mathematical Vision of Maryam Mirzakhani airs on U.S. public television stations starting in March 2022 in celebration of Women's History Month. The film appears on public television stations via American Public Television (APT) beginning March 2, 2022. It will air on more than 120 stations via the PBS World Channel starting March 7. Check local listings and the Secrets of the Surface Airdates page. November 18, 2021 : Watch the broadcast of the excellent Q&A discussion about Secrets of the Surface and the legacy of Maryam Mirzakhani, which followed the Indiana University Cinema screening of the film on November 18. November 18, 2021 : Indiana University is hosting a virtual screening, followed by an interactive Q&A, of Secrets of the Surface on November 18, 2021, at 7 p.m. EST. Panelists include Drs. Hussein Banai of MIT; Laura DeMarco of Harvard University; and Shahyar Daneshgar, Shabnam Kavousian and Julia Plavnik, all of Indiana University. A limited number of complimentary passes will be available to watch the film on a first-come-first-served basis. The screening is sponsored by the Department of Mathematics, IU Center of Excellence for Women & Technology and the Department of Central Eurasian Studies. November 12, 2021 : Secrets of the Surface screens as part of the InScience Festival in Nijmegen, the Netherlands, which runs November 10-22. InScience and NEMO Kennislink have launched the online Science Film Club, which will host a discussion of the film and the theme of scientific breakthroughs on Friday, November 12, at 19:30.
November 1, 2021
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Never-before-seen photographs of Paul Erdős grace the cover of a new book containing close to a dozen photos of the Hungarian mathematician by Zala Films producer George Csicsery that were taken between 1989 and 1991, many appearing for the first time in public. The Discrete Mathematical Charms of Paul Erdős by Vašek Chvátal is published by Cambridge University Press.
September 29, 2021 : Congratulations to high school student Milena Harned of Cambridge, Massachusetts, who has published her first theorem in an article in a peer-reviewed journal, the International Journal of Geometry. Milena was encouraged to pursue a career in mathematics after she watched Secrets of the Surface and participated as a panelist at a recent online film screening through the Girls' Angle Math Club in Cambridge. An article in American Mathematical Society News by Scott Hershberger, titled "One teen's journey from local math club to professional publication", quotes Milena: "...Learning to convey my thoughts really helped me get a more well-rounded understanding of math." In the span of two and a half years, Milena has authored or co-authored 10 articles in the Girls' Angle Bulletin.
May 12, 2021
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The Celebration of Women in Mathematics on May 12, 2021, is part of an international initiative to inspire women everywhere to celebrate their achievements in mathematics, and to encourage an open, welcoming and inclusive work environment for everybody. May 12 was chosen for this annual event, as it is the birthdate of Fields medalist Maryam Mirzakhani. May 1, 2021 : In a review in May 2021 (pdf) published in the American Mathematical Society's Notices of the Zala Films DVD, Erdős 100 Plus, San José State University Professor Emeritus Dan Golston remarks that the interviews included in the collection are fascinating. "The DVD makes the life of Paul Erdős visible and is a time capsule of 20th century mathematics and mathematicians and how the world changed during that century," says Goldston. The film compilation of 10 videos totaling 180 minutes is available for purchase as a DVD on the Zala Films website or for streaming at Vimeo on Demand. April 25, 2021 : The Jacob Burns Film Center in Pleasantville, New York, will offer a free screening of Secrets of the Surface followed by a virtual panel on April 25. The film will be available to stream at 7 p.m. and will be followed by a discussion at 8:10 p.m. on the JBFC YouTube channel. Panelists include Amie Wilkinson, Hélène Barcelo, Cumrun Vafa, George Csicsery (director) and David Eisenbud (moderator). April 25, 2021 : The Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe and the University of Tokyo will present an online screening of Secrets of the Surface, featuring Japanese subtitles, on Sunday, April 25, from 2 to 4 p.m. local time. The event will be introduced by Professor Yukari Ito of the institute with commentary by Professor Hideki Miyachi of the School of Mathematics and Physics, Kanazawa University. Admission is free.
April 16-17, 2021
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The National Math Festival (April 16-18, 2021), a live online festival organized by the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute in Berkeley, California, will feature a screening and discussion of Secrets of the Surface on Friday, April 16, from 2-3:30 p.m. ET. Panelists include Dr. Hélène Barcelo, Dr. Roya Beheshti Zavareh, Dr. Marissa Kawehi Loving and Dr. Marie-Francoise Roy.
March 29, 2021 : Secrets of the Surface screens March 29 at 8 p.m. GMT+2 at the 8th Film Festival Mathematics - Computer Science (March March 14, 15, 22, 29), hosted by the Heidelberg Laureate Forum Foundation in cooperation with the Karlstorkino in Heidelberg. Four films spotlighting the life and work of outstanding scientists are featured in the festival. Participation is free of charge and discussions are in English. Producer/director George Csicsery will be available for questions following the screening on March 29. March 19, 2021 : A segment on Maryam Mirzakhani featuring clips from Secrets of the Surface and an interview with mathematician Roya Beheshti, Maryam's longtime friend, aired on Amanpour & Co. on CNNi and across the US on PBS stations. Watch it here. March 8, 2021 : In honor of Women's History Month in March, the International Documentary Association this week is saluting Sister Margaret Slachta, who was the first woman elected to Hungary's Parliament. The subject of Zala Films' Angel of Mercy, a work in progress, Slachta was a teacher and activist who openly defied Nazis and communists in her fight for social justice. Slachta and the Sisters of Social Service, the order she founded, are credited with saving over 1,000 lives through their heroic acts of courage during the Hungarian Holocaust of 1944-45. February 4, 2021 through March 4, 2021 : Navajo Math Circles will screen at the virtual Flathead Lake International Cinemafest (FLIC) between February 4 and March 4, 2021. Click here for more information. March 2, 2021 : Shaping the Curve, Maryam Mirzakhani's Influence on the Field of Mathematics, a screening and panel discussion of Secrets of the Surface, garnered a large audience at the Hopkins at Home presentation with the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth on March 2. The panel discussion now available here included Dr. Emily Riehl of the Department of Mathematics, Anjula Batra of the Center for Talented Youth (moderator) and film director George Csicsery. February 1, 2020 through February 1, 2021 : Excerpts from Navajo Math Circles are being shown at the special exhibition, "Pattern and Disruption: Diné Lifeways and Embedded Mathematics," at Ohio University's Kennedy Museum of Art through February 2021. The exhibition explores weaving design from the perspective of Diné (Navajo) traditions and beliefs, and how fundamental mathematical ideas are also embedded in the designs. Museum staff worked closely with Dr. Bob Klein of Ohio University, Dr. Henry of Navajo Technical University in Crown Point, AZ, and Sally Fowler, Henry's mother and a weaver, to develop the exhibit. Fowler and Klein met through their work on Navajo Math Circles, collaborations between mathematicians, students and teachers in the Navajo Nation. December 19, 2020 : In an article in Forbes Magazine, "How the Navajo Nation is Transforming Math Education," Julia Brodsky of The Art of Inquiry writes about the Navajo Nation Math Circle. The piece features Navajo mathematics educator Dr. Henry Fowler and the annual two-week Baa Hózhó summer math camp, which is depicted in the Navajo Math Circles documentary film.
November 18, 2020
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Five of Zala Films' documentaries have been recommended for teachers by Abakcus, an excellent curation site for "the best mathematics and science stuff." Says Abakcus: "If you want to watch some cool math films with your class, we have curated 10+ beautiful mathematical documentaries to make your students love mathematics..."
November 8, 2020 : Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe will screen Secrets of the Surface on November 8 as part of an online conference, The World of Mathematical Physics, organized for Japanese undergraduate students or higher in mathematics and physics. Following the screening, producer/director George Csicsery will join a panel discussion with mathematicians Jayadev Athreya, University of Washington; Motohico Mulase, UC Davis; and Masahito Yamazaki, Kavli Institute; and Sachiko Nakajima, steAM, Inc. CEO.
November 7, 2020
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(The Filmfestival Mathematik has been canceled due to covid safety concerns and will be re-scheduled.) October 23-28, 2020 : Secrets of the Surface will be screened October 23-28 at Pariscience 2020, an international scientific film festival presenting a free selection of the best of recent French and international scientific documentary productions. Screenings will only be available in France. Read about the film here. October 18, 2020 : UNAFF2020, the 23rd United Nations Association International Documentary Film Festival, screens Secrets of the Surface beginning at 7 p.m. on Sunday, October 18 as part of the annual festival (October 15-25) featuring some 60 films. The Northern California festival this year will celebrate the power of empathy through films that highlight human rights issues, including environmentalism, racism, health, women's issues, universal education, war and peace. George Csicsery of Zala Films and other filmmakers will participate in a 6 p.m. livestreamed discussion on October 18 of several films screened that day. October 13, 2020 : Idaho State University will host a virtual screening of Navajo Math Circles on Tuesday, October 13, at 6 p.m. as part of a week of events (October 12-15) in honor of Indigenous Peoples Day (October 12). The university is hosting a variety of virtual events during the week, including speakers and films, on the theme of "Celebrating Community and Neighbors: Building Relations with Shoshone-Bannock Tribes and Pocatello." Filmmaker George Csicsery of Zala Films and Charmayne Seaton, a senior at Arizona State University, will participate virtually in a Q&A following the film screening on Tuesday. October 1, 2020 : A Tarde, a daily newspaper published in Bahia, Brazil, published an article, titled Segredos Femininos da Superfície, about Secrets of the Surface, written by Marcio Luis Ferreira Nascimento, Professor at the Polytechnic School, Department of Chemical Engineering and the Institute of Humanities, Arts and Sciences, Universidade Federal da Bahia. September 21-25, 2020 : Secrets of the Surface was featured at the Heidelberg Laureate Forum, a week-long networking conference in late September of some 200 young researchers in mathematics and computer science who have the opportunity to interact with and hear lectures from laureates in their specialized fields. A special program on Maryam Mirzakhani featured a virtual exhibition of panels portraying the mathematician's life and mathematical work, four screenings of the film and a livestreamed panel discussion, "Theorems and initiatives inspired by Maryam Mirzakhani." September 5-19, 2020 : Secrets of the Surface is an official selection of the Australian Muslim Film Festival, Perth, Australia, and is one of 52 films streaming worldwide September 5-19. See the festival website for more information. September 1, 2020 : A review of Secrets of the Surface in the Association for Women in Mathematics September-October newsletter (page 14) by Ramin Takloo-Bighash "very highly recommend[s] this movie to anyone who has an interest, even tangential, in mathematics and science." Adds the reviewer: "I think this movie should be shown to high school and college students everywhere..." (Read the article at the link or download a PDF.) June 8, 2020 : A Nature Magazine review of Secrets of the Surface by Davide Castelvecchi is titled "Stirring biopic of the first woman to win top maths prize: Maryam Mirzakhani, Fields medalist and Iranian national hero, is celebrated in an elegant documentary." The reviewer says the film "strikes a satisfying balance between [Mirzakhani's] magnificent mathematics and her human story, including her untimely death from cancer in 2017, at the age of 40." The British weekly scientific journal notes that Producer/Director George Csicsery "has carved a niche as a maker of compelling films about mathematicians, starting with the brilliant 1993 N is a Number on Paul Erdős, the most productive mathematician of the modern era and a perennial couchsurfer. Csicsery's latest work celebrates the importance of female role models by showing the impact of Mirzakhani's short but extraordinary life ..." May 30, 2020 : Secrets of the Surface will screen at the Iranian Film Festival of Zurich (link to IFFZ Facebook page) on Saturday, May 30, from 5 to 6 p.m. Based in Zurich, Switzerland, this year's online festival (May 28 - June 3) is organized as a platform for presenting Iranian culture and tradition and for building a bridge between different cultures through the universal language of art. (Access is from inside Switzerland at https://www.iranianfilmfestival.ch.) May 12, 2020 : A special screening of Secrets of the Surface: The Mathematical Vision of Maryam Mirzakhani will be hosted by The Fields Institute for Research in Mathematical Sciences on Tuesday, May 12, at 7 p.m. EST (11 p.m. GMT). The screening will include a "watch party" on Twitter and an online panel discussion and audience Q&A. Moderator of the panel is Kumar Murty, Director of The Fields Institute. Panelists are George Csicsery, Producer/Director, Zala Films; Diana Davis, Visiting Assistant Professor, Swarthmore College; Ingrid Daubechies, Professor, Duke University; and Kasra Rafi, Professor, University of Toronto. Register for the online event here. You can follow the event on Twitter with #FilmswithFields.
May 12, 2020
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Zala Films is supporting the May 12th initiative, which each year brings together virtual or local events celebrating women in mathematics. Due to COVID-19 (and by special agreement with Zala Films), individuals and organizations between April 1 and May 19, 2020, may access our film about the life and work of the Iranian mathematician Maryam Mirzakhani, Secrets of the Surface: The Mathematical Vision of Maryam Mirzakhani. (You can make a request for screening authorization here.)
March 15, 2020 : Secrets of the Surface: The Mathematical Vision of Maryam Mirzakhani screens at Concordia University's J.A. de Sève Cinema, 1400 de Maisonneuve Blvd. W., Montreal, on Sunday, March 15, at 5 p.m. Screening sponsors are Concordia University, ISM, Centre de Recherches Mathematiques, MSRI and Zala Films. March 9, 2020 : George Csicsery will present a sample clip from his film Angel of Mercy at the 50th Annual Scholars' Conference on the Holocaust and the Churches at the Ackerman Center for Holocaust Studies at the University of Texas at Dallas. The presentation will be part of the "Revisiting History" session on March 9 at 4 p.m. Click here for the conference program (pdf). March 7, 2020 : Secrets of the Surface, the documentary film about the Iranian mathematician and Fields medalist Maryam Mirzakhani, will screen at the 13th Symposium for Women in Mathematics in Southern California, being held March 7 and 8 at UC Irvine. The film will screen at 8 p.m. on Saturday, March 7, at the UCI -- McDonnell Douglas Auditorium, 314 Los Trancos Dr, Irvine, CA 92617. Producer/director George Csicsery will be present. Read more about the symposium here. March 6, 2020 : Chapman University in Orange, California, screens Secrets of the Surface on March 6 at 2:30 p.m. at Argyros Forum 207. Filmmaker George Csicsery will attend.
February 25, 2020
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Zala Films' Julia Robinson and Hilbert's 10th Problem will screen in St. Petersburg, Russia, on February 25, 2020 (on the centenary of the birth of the problem, and fiftieth anniversary of the solution of the problem). The screening is presented by the St. Petersburg Mathematical Society and the Mathematics Section of the House of Scientists.
January 17, 2020
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The world premiere screening of Secrets of the Surface: The Mathematical Vision of Maryam Mirzakhani will take place on Friday, January 17, 2020, at 5:15 — 6:45 pm, at the Joint Mathematics Meetings (JMM) in Denver, Colorado.
December 14, 2019 : A Charmed Life, the autobiography of Marika Somogyi edited by George Csicsery, will officially launch at a book opening on Saturday, December 14, at 3:30 p.m., at the newly opened Orly Museum of Hungarian Culture, 1720 Arch Street, Berkeley. Read more about the book at the website or at Amazon (paid Amazon affiliate link).1 Marika Somogyi's experiences during the Holocaust and afterwards form key sections of the documentary film, Angel of Mercy, a biography of Sister Margit Slachta, scheduled for completion by 2021. December 9, 2019 : The Mathematical Sciences Research Institute will host a Symposium on the occasion of Julia Robinson's 100th birthday on Monday, December 9, 2019 at MSRI. Julia Robinson (1919-1985) was an internationally renowned logician of the twentieth century. She was a trailblazer in mathematics as well as in many other ways: she was the first woman president of the American Mathematical Society, and the first woman mathematician elected to membership in the National Academy of Sciences. Learn more and register online here. December 9, 2019 : The UC Berkeley Department of Mathematics and the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute (MSRI) will host Dr. Lenore Blum (Carnegie Mellon University) to celebrate the legacy of UC Berkeley mathematics professor Dr. Julia Robinson. 5:00-6:00 PM (Doors open 4:45 PM). Learn more here. December 7, 2019 : K-12 students are invited to join fellow math and puzzle enthusiasts at the Julia Robinson Mathematics Festival at UC Berkeley to visit over 20 tables with various games, problems, and activities centered on creative, collaborative inquiry. 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM. To register for free tickets or sign up to volunteer, click here. November 24, 2019 : Erdős 100 Plus will screen at the Filmfestival Mathematik Informatik 2019 at the Karlstorkino in Heidelberg, Germany, on Sunday, November 24, at 7:30 p.m. Dr. Felix Gunther of the Technical University Berlin Institute of Mathematics will introduce the film. Click here for festival details. November 21, 2019 : Navajo Math Circles screens at the Rinconada Library in Palo Alto, California, on Thursday, November 21, at 7 p.m. as part of the UNAFF (United Nations Association Film Festival) in Libraries program. The screening celebrates Native American month in November. October 1, 2019 : Zala Films producer/director George Csicsery announces the publication of Marika Somogyi's autobiography, A Charmed Life, now available on Amazon and Kindle. George Csicsery is the book's editor. Marika Somogyi's experiences during the Holocaust and afterwards form key sections of the documentary film, Angel of Mercy, a biography of Sister Margit Slachta, scheduled for completion by 2021. September 14, 2019 : The Heard Museum in Phoenix, Arizona, screened Navajo Math Circles on September 14 as part of the Scene and Heard Film Series. Following the film, Arizona State University faculty lecturer Michael Little Crow (Turtle Mountain Anishinaabe-Cree) led a discussion on the connection between mathematical and cultural concepts of weaving textiles. Matthias Kawski, ASU mathematics professor, and Charmayne Seaton (Diné), a junior at ASU, who are both featured in the film, were present for the screening.
June 18, 2019
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George Csicsery screened sample clips from his film Angel of Mercy at From Holocaust by Bullets to Auschwitz: Regional Dimensions of the Final Solutiona>, a three-day conference held June 16-18 at Uzhhorod National University in Transcarpathia, Ukraine.
May 4, 2019 : National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, DC, screens Navajo Math Circles on Saturday, May 4, at 4:30 p.m. Filmmaker George Csicsery, along with Natanii Yazzie, a Navajo student featured in the film, and Dr. Tatiana Shubin will be present. The film will screen in the Rasmuson Theater at the Smithsonian Institution museum. Admission is free. November 10, 2018 : The Filmfestival Mathematik Informatik 2018 hosts a free screening of Julia Robinson and Hilbert's Tenth Problem at the Karlstorkino in Heidelberg, Germany on November 10, 2018 at 7:30pm. Mathematican Lenore Blum (featured in the film) will be present to talk about Julia Robinson and her contribution to the solution of this important Hilbert problem. For more information, see the festival's website. November 1, 2018 : A review of Erdős 100 Plus in Video Librarian says the new DVD offers "a profile of a man not only devoted to his discipline but also one who encouraged younger members to tackle math's most difficult problems." The 180-minute compilation of 10 videos concentrates on the legacy of the peripatetic mathematician Paul Erdős (1913-96). Features include Erdős 100, Something New Every Day: The Math & Magic of Ron Graham, and 112 minutes of Erdős interviews between 1998 and 1991. DVD and Blu-ray discs are available for purchase from Zala Films. August 24, 2018 : Navajo Math Circles screens at the UNAFF Traveling Film Festival Ruše on Friday, August 24, at 8:30 p.m. Duane Yazzie, a Navajo-Hopi teacher featured in the film, and Asali Echols, the film's editor, will be present at the screening. Held in the city of Ruše, Slovenia (10 miles west of Maribor), the festival is one of the most influential and important human rights festivals in the world. For more information, see the festival program.
July 15, 2018
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Zala Films is proud to announce the release of Erdős 100 Plus, a compilation of ten videos by George Csicsery on a single DVD. Concentrating on the legacy of Paul Erdős in mathematics, the DVD includes 112 minutes of largely unedited Erdős interviews filmed between 1988 and 1991 for N is a Number: A Portrait of Paul Erdős. The anchor piece is Erdős 100, a 30-minute video prepared for the centennial celebration in 2013 of Paul Erdős's birth. It contains new interviews mixed with never-before-seen outtakes from N is a Number: A Portrait of Paul Erdős.
May 19, 2018
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Navajo Math Circles will screen as part of the Missoula Urban Indian Health Center Indigenous Film Festival on May 19 at 10:30 a.m. The screening will be followed by a panel discussion, with participants including mathematician Matt Roscoe of the Department of Mathematical Sciences of the University of Montana, who will appear in person, and Navajo Math Circles professor, Dr. Henry Fowler, who will join via Skype.
February 19, 2018 : Counting from Infinity will screen at the Queen's Film Theatre in Belfast, Northern Ireland, on Monday, February 19, at 6:40 p.m., as part of the Northern Ireland Science Festival (February 15-25, 2018). Professor Ivan Todorov of the School of Mathematics and Physics, Queen's University Belfast, will introduce the film. The screening venue is located at 20 University Square, Belfast, Northern Ireland. December 13, 2017 : Navajo Math Circles screens at the Karlstorkino in Heidelberg, Germany, on December 13, one of eight science and mathematics films featured at the week-long (December 9-16) Mathematik Informatik Film Festival, organized by the distinguished Heidelberg Laureate Forum. November 28, 2017 : Mathematician Matthias Kawski of Arizona State University presented Navajo Math Circles on November 28 at the Brazil Delta Conference in Gramado, Rio Grande del Sol. The Delta Conferences are a biannual series of Southern Hemisphere conferences on the teaching and learning of undergraduate mathematics and statistics that began in 1997.
November 7, 2017
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The New Parkway Theater in Oakland, California, will screen George Csicsery's film, The Thursday Club, on November 7, 2017, at 7 p.m. A look into the lives and stories of Oakland police officers who battled demonstrators and Black Panthers in the 1960s, The Thursday Club is being shown to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Stop-the-Draft-Week demonstrations that rocked Oakland between October 16 and 20, 1967. Union leader Michael Smith, one of the organizers of Stop-the-Draft Week, and retired OPD officers featured in the film will be present for a discussion following the screening, along with producer/director George Csicsery.
November 1, 2017 : Navajo Math Circles is one of several films being featured on public television in celebration of Native American Heritage Month during November 2017. Watch the film at this PBS website during November. Check local listings for other broadcasts!
September 26, 2017
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Counting from Infinity screens at the Red River Theatres in Concord, New Hampshire, on September 26, 2017, at 6 p.m. The film will be shown once in the Stonyfield Culture Cinema, followed by a Science Cafe conversation with David Brooks, sci/tech reporter and writer of the Granite Geek column at the Concord Monitor, with Edward Hinson, associate professor of mathematics at the University of New Hampshire (UNH) and former department chair, who worked with Yitang Zhang. The screening was made possible by the UNH Department of Mathematics & Statistics. Tickets are available here.
August 4 & 5, 2017 : The Native Film Series 2017 of the Gallup Inter-Tribal Indian Ceremonial (August 4-13, 2017) screens Navajo Math Circles Friday, August 4, and Saturday, August 5, at 1 p.m. both days, in the historic El Morro Theatre in downtown Gallup, New Mexico. The 98th Inter-Tribal Indian Ceremonial is a celebration of Native American culture, displayed through traditional dance, rodeo events, exhibitions of fine art, and parades. Representatives of the film will attend both screenings. June 15, 2017 : Zala Films publishes All That I Saw, by Sigmund M. Csicsery, the story of the disruption of the comfortable life of a Hungarian family by World War II and its aftermath, and of Hungary's slide into totalitarian rule as a Communist satellite under the Soviet Union. This second book by the author follows Almost a Soldier, and offers a firsthand account of life in postwar Hungary, of surviving both forced labor and prison, and of the defining moment of Csicsery's life: the Hungarian Revolution of 1956. The book is now available at Amazon in color, B&W and Kindle versions. May 20, 2017 : Nandeebie Screen, an inaugural First Peoples film festival, will screen Navajo Math Circles during its May 20-21 program at the Redland Performing Arts Centre in Cleveland (Nandeebie), Queensland, Australia. The film opens the festival on Saturday, May 20, 10 a.m., on the lands of the Quandamooka people. The event offers an eclectic mix of short and feature films, documentaries and digital arts screenings, Screenings will explore themes of science, eldership, art resistance, ceremony, gender fluidity, virtual reality and some homages to modern day icons. View the festival program. May 15, 2017 : Zala Films' The Thursday Club is now available to livestream at Amazon. In October 1967, the filmmaker was beaten at an antiwar demonstration in Oakland, California. Thirty years later, he set out to find the police officers who were present at that event—his best clue, a news photograph of himself getting clubbed. The Thursday Club is for anyone interested in the explosive social movements of the 1960s, whether they empathize with the protesters or the police. (If you want your own DVD of the film, you can purchase one on Amazon, or order one from Zala Films.) April 22, 2017 : The National Math Festival will feature Navajo Math Circles on Saturday, April 22, 10 a.m., as part of an all-day free, public program at the Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. The math festival brings together some of the most fascinating mathematicians of our time to inspire and challenge participants to see math in new and exciting ways. Offerings include lectures, hands-on demos, art, films, performances, puzzles, games, children's book readings, and more. Read about Navajo Math Circles and watch the festival video.
April 2, 2017 - 2020
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Zala Films has completed two short videos for the Navajo Nation Math Circles project. They can be viewed at the project's website.
April 2, 2017 - 2020 : Counting from Infinity: Yitang Zhang and the Twin Prime Conjecture will be broadcast on public television stations via American Public Television (APT) beginning April 2, 2017, with a broadcast by more than 100 stations on their World channel on May 25. Check local listings and the Counting from Infinity Airdates page for frequent updates. Watch the trailer here. March 25, 2017 : Math Circles of Chicago, which includes five Math Circles, will sponsor a free screening of Navajo Math Circles on Saturday, March 25, at 1 p.m., at the CPS Garfield Park offices, 2651 W. Washington, Chicago. March 14, 2017 : See Navajo Math Circles and participate in a post-film discussion with Dr. Hugo Rossi of the University of Utah and Curtis Frazier of Utah State University, Blanding Campus, on Tuesday, March 14, at 7 p.m. The Utah Film Center event, presented in partnership with the Natural History Museum of Utah and The City Library, will be held at The City Library, 210 E. 400 S. Salt Lake City. March 4, 2017 : Navajo Math Circles screens at the Arivaca Independent Filmmakers Exhibition in Arivaca, Arizona, on Saturday, March 4, 2:15 to 3:30 p.m. Mathematician Matthias Kawski of Arizona State University and film editor Asali Echols will participate in a Q&A following the screening. Admission is free.
February 22 & 25, 2017
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Navajo Math Circles screens twice at the Sedona International Film Festival in Arizona--Wednesday, February 22, at 6 p.m., and Saturday, February 25, at 3 p.m. Filmmaker George Csicsery and mathematician Matthias Kawski will be present at the Q&A sessions following the screenings, along with some Navajo students and parents appearing in the film.
February 6, 2017 : Mathematician Tatiana Shubin will be present at the free screening of Navajo Math Circles on Monday, February 6, at 6:30 p.m., at Circle Cinema, 10 South Lewis Avenue, Tulsa, Oklahoma. A co-founder and co-director of the Navajo Nation Math Circles Project, Dr. Shubin will participate in a Q&A following the screening. The event is co-sponsored by Circle Cinema, the University of Tulsa, the Tulsa Math Teachers' Circle and the Tulsa Math Girls' Circle with support from the Flint Family Foundation. Visit the Tulsa Math Teachers' Circle site for more info. February 1, 2017 : Stanford University Graduate School of Education presents a free, public screening and panel discussion of Navajo Math Circles on Wednesday, February 1, 6:30 to 9 p.m., at the CERAS 101 Learning Hall, 520 Galvez Mall, on campus. Panelists include Karen Biestman, associate dean and director of the Native American Cultural Center; Felicia Darling (Ph.D. '16), math education specialist, Monterey County Office of Education; film producer/director George Csicsery; mathematician Tatiana Shubin of San Jose State University; and Navajo-Hopi math teacher Duane Yazzie. January 30, 2017 : Native America Calling, a live call-in public radio program, asks the question: Can students love math? Tune in Monday, January 30, at 1 p.m. when several participants in the Navajo Nation Math Circles project will be featured, including Dr. Henry Fowler. Excerpts from Navajo Math Circles will be included. December 10-11, 2016 : Navajo Math Circles screens at the 40th Annual Pueblo Grande Indian Market, presented by the Pueblo Grande Museum Auxiliary, on Saturday, December 10 and Sunday, December 11, at 9 a.m. in the Community Center. [View the performers and film schedule (PDF).] The Pueblo Grande Museum and Archaeological Park is located at 4619 E. Washington Street, Phoenix, Arizona. General admission is $10; museum members, $5; children 12 and under are free when accompanied by an adult. November 16, 2016 : Navajo Math Circles was featured in the 19th Annual Native American Film & Video Festival of the Southeast, held in the Center of Excellence for Technology's auditorium at Midlands Technical College's Northeast Campus, Columbia, South Carolina. The film screened Wednesday, November 16, from 1 to 2 p.m. November 9, 2016 : The American Indian Science and Engineering Society's 2016 AISES National Conference (November 9-12) will include a movie night on Wednesday, November 9, from 6:30 to 9 p.m. in the Minneapolis Convention Center, Ballroom A, 1301 Second Avenue S, Minneapolis, MN. Films will include Navajo Math Circles and Smoke Signals. Shirley Sneve of Vision Maker Media will attend the screening. November 8, 2016 : Navajo Math Circles will be featured as one of four films in Program 8 of the 41st Annual American Indian Film Festival (November 4-11, 2016). The films will screen on Tuesday, November 8 (Election Day), from 12 noon to 4 p.m., at the AMC Van Ness 14, 1000 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco. October 22, 2016 : Navajo Math Circles screens at the 19th UNAFF (United Nations Association Film Festival) on Saturday, October 22, 2016, 11:15 a.m., at the Mitchell Park Community Center, 3700 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto. Originally conceived to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the festival runs from October 20 to 30, 2016, at Palo Alto, Stanford University, East Palo Alto and San Francisco venues. View screening details. Filmmaker George Csicsery, mathematicians Tatiana Shubin and David Eisenbud, and Hopi-Navajo teacher Duane Yazzie will be present for a Q&A following the screening. Admission is free. October 16, 2016 : The 5th annual Laughlin International Film Festival (LIFF) (October 13-16) will screen Navajo Math Circles on Sunday, October 16, at 1 p.m., at the Laughlin Outlet Center, Theatre #3, 1955 S. Casino Drive, Laughlin, NV. Visit the LIFF website for more information. Mathematician Matthias Kawski and Navajo professor Shawna Begay will attend the screening in person. October 15, 2016 : Navajo Math Circles screens at the SACNAS 2016 National Diversity in STEM Conference (October 13-15) in Long Beach, CA, on Saturday, October 15, at 6 p.m., Long Beach Convention Center, 300 East Ocean Boulevard, Room 102A. The film's editor Asali Echols and mathematician Joe Buhler, who appears in the film, will be present at the screening, which is included in the conference registration. October 15, 2016 : Navajo Math Circles screens October 15, from 7 to 10 p.m., at the Bluff Arts Festival Saturday Night Film Festival in Bluff, Utah, with other indigenous films. The screening is at the Bluff Community Center, 190 N. Third Street East, Bluff, Utah. A $5 admission includes refreshments; students 17 years and under are free. Meet filmmaker George Csicsery and mathematicians Henry Fowler, Tatiana Shubin, Bob Klein and Hugo Rossi, along with Navajo students and their families. See the festival's Facebook page for more information about events (October 14 to 16). September 12, 2016 : Navajo Math Circles premieres on PBS during Spotlight Education Week, a special week of programming starting September 12 that examines the challenges facing today's students and America's education system. View the Navajo Math Circles page on the PBS website featuring film trailers and photos. The film will re-broadcast on PBS channels over the following three years. (Check local PBS listings to find out when the film will be aired; some screenings will be later.)
August 16, 2016
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Zala Films is proud to present the music video Grand Daddy Took a Train by Bonni on her debut album Get Your Ticket. Filmed with vocalist Bonni performing her original composition at the Niles Canyon Railroad Museum, Grand Daddy Took a Train was directed and produced by George Csicsery. Cinematography is by noted San Francisco Bay Area filmmaker Ashley James. Filmmakers Hilary Morgan and Tal Skloot filmed second unit and additional sequences. The video was edited by Asali Echols, Kyung Lee and Tal Skloot. August 10, 2016 : Navajo Math Circles screens August 10, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., as part of the Indigenous Film & Arts Festival, a program of the Denver Museum of Nature & Science and the Denver American Indian Commission. The free, public screening will be in the museum's Gates Planetarium, 2001 Colorado Boulevard, Denver. Please use the Will Call entrance on the north side of the museum. (See the museum's Facebook page for more information.) June 25, 2016 : Navajo Nation Math Circles co-founder and co-director Tatiana Shubin, mathematics professor at San José State University, will be one of the plenary speakers during the 2016 Canadian Math Society Summer Meeting in Edmonton, AB, on Saturday, June 25, 3:30 p.m., at the University of Alberta. Dr. Shubin will screen Navajo Math Circles and discuss the goals and positive outcomes of the project. June 7, 2016 : The National Museum of Mathematics in New York City will screen Navajo Math Circles on Tuesday, June 7, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Dr. Tatiana Shubin of San Jose State University, co-founder and co-director of the Navajo Nation Math Circles (NNMC) project, Dr. Robert Klein of Ohio University and co-director of NNMC, film producer/director George Csicsery and six Navajo Math Circles students will be present for a Q&A following the screening. Register here for the screening. For more information, call 212-542-0566. May 31, 2016 : Counting from Infinity will be shown in competition in the Docs + Science section of the 56th Krakow Film Festival on May 31 and June 2, 2016. The screenings will take place at AGH University of Science and Technology in Krakow, Poland. Please see the festival's Facebook page for more information. May 11, 2016 : György Lázár writes in the Hungarian Free Press about the 90th birthday celebration in Kolozsvár (Cluj, Romania) of Hungarian musicologist Zoltán Kallós. Kallós's visits to musicians in villages around Transylvania and Romanian Moldavia are the subject of the film, Songs Along a Stony Road, which the author references as "a visually stunning documentary." (Note that the film is completed and can be ordered through this website.) May 1, 2016 : Sample scenes from George Csicsery's work-in-progress Angel of Mercy will be screened at the City of Berkeley 14th Annual Holocaust Remembrance Day events on Sunday, May 1, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the new Magnes Museum. The event will honor Marika and Laszlo Somogyi, Distinguished Survivors, who are featured as main characters in the film about Sister Margaret Slachta and her role in saving Jewish children during the Hungarian Holocaust. Click here for an informational flyer in .pdf format. April 30, 2016 : The 25th Arizona International Film Festival will screen Navajo Math Circles on Saturday, April 30, at 1:30 p.m. at The Screening Room, 127 East Congress, in downtown Tucson. A Q&A will follow with producer/director George Csicsery, mathematician Matthias Kawski and Navajo cast members. April 28, 2016 : Stanford Pre-Collegiate Studies and the Stanford Math Circle will sponsor a free, public screening of Navajo Math Circles at Stanford University on Thurs., April 28, at 7:30 p.m. Mathematician Tatiana Shubin and filmmaker George Csicsery will be present. The film will be screened in Cubberley Auditorium, 485 Lasuen Mall, on the Stanford campus. For directions, visit Stanford's website. Parking permits are not required in "A" and "C" parking spaces in the evening. Contact precollegiate@stanford.edu for more information.
April 20, 2016
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Navajo Math Circles will be screened at Rialto Cinemas Elmwood Theater, 2966 College Avenue (at Ashby), Berkeley, California, on Wednesday, April 20, at 7 p.m. MSRI Director David Eisenbud, Tatiana Shubin, and filmmaker George Csicsery will be present in person.
April 16, 2016
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Navajo Math Circles will screen at the Exploratorium Saturday Cinema program on Saturday, April 16, at 2 p.m. in the Kanbar Forum. With San Jose State University Mathematician and Navajo Math Circles Director Tatiana Shubin and filmmaker George Csicsery in person.
April 6, 2016 : Navajo Math Circles will screen at The Navajo Nation Museum in Window Rock, Arizona, on April 6 at 9:45 a.m. Many participants in the film will be present for a discussion following the screening, including Dr. Henry Fowler, Tatiana Shubin, and director George Csicsery. April 3, 2016 : The Museum of Northern Arizona (MNA) will screen Navajo Math Circles, on Sunday, April 3, at 3 p.m. in the museum's Branigar Hall, in Flagstaff, Arizona. The event is included with museum admission. With Dr. Henry Fowler of Diné College and filmmaker George Csicsery in person. April 2, 2016 : Navajo Math Circles will be screened at the One Nation Film Festival on Saturday, April 2, at 12:30 p.m. in the Cornerstone Celeste Theater of the Edith Kenney Gaylord Cornerstone Arts Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The festival focuses on Native American and global indigenous issues. Representatives from the film will be present for the screening. April 1, 2016 : Navajo Math Circles will be screened at 1:30 p.m. as part of ASU Math Day, an outreach event for motivated high school students from across Arizona, at Arizona State University, Tempe, PSF166 (Bateman Physical Sciences Center F-wing). Admission is free. March 31, 2016 : UC San Diego's Qualcomm Institute and its Information and Theory and Applications Center (ITA) will host a public screening of Navajo Math Circles at Calit2 Auditorium, Atkinson Hall, on Thursday, March 31, from 3:30 to 5 p.m. The screening will be followed by a discussion with filmmaker George Csicsery, mathematician Joseph Buhler, CREATE director Mica Pollock, and Crystal Ben (UCSD grad student of Navajo heritage). Admission is free. March 12, 2016 : The Sixth Biennial Vision Maker Film Festival, March 11-13, 2016, at the Mary Riepma Ross Media Arts Center in Lincoln, Nebraska showcases works by Native filmmakers and about Native people and culture. Navajo Math Circles screens on Saturday, March 12, at 4 p.m. Director George Csicsery will be present for a Q&A following the screening. An all-access pass for the festival is just $25. March 8, 2016 : Athena Cinema in Athens, OH, screens Navajo Math Circles on March 8 at 7 p.m. Dr. Bob Klein, Ohio University mathematics professor and co-director of Navajo Nation Math Circles, will be present. Admission is free. January 25, 2016 : The University of Utah Center for Science and Mathematics Education (CSME), which has worked to enhance STEM education in the Navajo Nation since 2010, features Navajo Math Circles.
January 6, 2016
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Navajo Math Circles will be screened at the 2016 Joint Mathematics Meetings in Seattle on
Wednesday, January 6, 2016 at 6:30 p.m.-7:50 p.m. in Ballroom 6BC, Washington State Convention Center October 31, 2015 : Director George Csicsery offers a special preview of clips from the film, Navajo Math Circles, at Celebration of Mind, hosted by the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute (MSRI) in Berkeley on Saturday, October 31, from 2 to 3 p.m. See more details about this wonderful all-day event for ages 8 and up. August 18, 2015 : Stanford mathematician and NPR "Math Guy" Keith Devlin will offer expert commentary following the 7 p.m., August 18, screening of Counting from Infinity: Yitang Zhang and the Twin Prime Conjecture at The Commonwealth Club of California in Palo Alto. Counting from Infinity: A Special Screening with Keith Devlin is presented in association with Wonderfest. The discussion at 8 p.m. follows the screening at the Cubberley Community Theatre, 4000 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto. August 14, 2015 : Zala Films' Hookers and The Thursday Club will screen with other films about the '60s era at the Berkeley Barb 50th Anniversary Film Fest on August 14 at 3 and 3:30 p.m. Director George Csicsery will be present for a Q&A following the films. Read more about the Berkeley Barb 50th Anniversary celebration events at the Barb's website. July 31, 2015 : Two short videos produced by Zala Films will be shown at the Bridges Short Movie Festival at Bridges Baltimore 2015 on Friday, July 31. The films are Harmonic Pendulum by Gary Foshee and Making Stars with Karl Schaffer. The first showing will run from 2 to 3:15 p.m. The second will run from 5:30 to 6:45 p.m. Here is the excellent festival program. July 30, 2015 : George Lázár wrote this article published in the Hungarian Free Press following the Toronto screening of Angel of Mercy, a Zala Films work in progress. It is the story of Sister Margaret Slachta, a Hungarian teacher and activist who defied the Nazis and the Communists in her fight for social justice. Watch our trailer here. July 23, 2015 : Taking the Long View: The Life of Shiing-shen Chern screens at the Karlstorkino movie theatre in Heidelberg, Germany, on July 23. Read about it here. May 22, 2015 : In a film review in The Berkeley Daily Planet, Gar Smith says about Counting from Infinity: "It's a Math-erpiece." May 21, 2015 : Counting from Infinity: Yitang Zhang and the Twin Prime Conjecture screens at Rialto Cinemas Elmwood, 2966 College Avenue (at Ashby), Berkeley, Thursday, May 21, at 7 p.m. MSRI Director and mathematician David Eisenbud and Director George Csicsery will be present. General admission is $11; seniors, $8.50. May 20, 2015 : Zala Films is heralded as "the hardest-working doc company around" in this article about East Bay media by Doniphan Blair in Oakland's CineSource online magazine. May 14, 2015 : The Exploratorium will screen Counting from Infinity: Yitang Zhang and the Twin Prime Conjecture on Thursday, May 14, at 7 p.m. at the Kanbar Forum, Pier 15, Embarcadero at Green Street, San Francisco. MSRI Director and mathematician David Eisenbud, mathematician Daniel Goldston, and Director George Csicsery will be present. The screening is included with museum admission. April 14, 2015 : A book video for Robert Roper's noir thriller, The Savage Professor, published by Asahina & Wallace in April 2015, was produced by George Csicsery and Tal Skloot. See the two-minute dramatized video now posted on YouTube and at the publisher's website. April 2, 2015 : "After Prime Proof, an Unlikely Star Rises," an interview with mathematician Yitang Zhang by Thomas Lin, is published in the online Quanta Magazine. The article is introduced by the opening scene from Counting from Infinity. February 19, 2015 : The National Museum of Mathematics in New York City screens Counting from Infinity: Yitang Zhang and the Twin Prime Conjecture at 8 p.m. Stick around after the film to hear mathematician Joel Spencer discuss the impact this discovery has had on the world of mathematics.
February 10, 2015
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George Csicsery's latest documentary Counting from Infinity: Yitang Zhang and the Twin Prime Conjecture was recently featured in a New Yorker article about Yitang Zhang and the gaps in the primes. The movie was produced by the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute with funding from the Simons Foundation. Click here to order a DVD of the movie.
January 10, 2015 : The world premiere of Counting from Infinity: Yitang Zhang and the Twin Prime Conjecture will be at the Joint Mathematics Meeting (JMM) in San Antonio, Texas on Saturday, January 10, 2015, 6:20 p.m. - 7:40 p.m. The film is screening as an AMS-MAA Special Film Presentation at the Lila Cockrell Theatre, Convention Center. See more here. December 21, 24 and 27, 2014 : Songs Along a Stony Road, the 2011 documentary by George Csicsery and Chris Teerink, will be broadcast in Hungary by Hír-TV on the network's Vetítő (Projection) series on Sunday, December 21, at 10:05 p.m., Wednesday, December 24, at 2:05 p.m., and Saturday, December 27, at 10:05 p.m. See MNO and Zalafilms. November 11, 2014 : The Navajo Sheep Problem was featured today in the New York Times' Numberplay Column. The Sheep Problem is one of the problems and activities collected by Dave Auckly, Ph.D., of Kansas State University for the Navajo Nation Math Circle Project documented in the film Navajo Math Circles. See if you can figure it out!
November 4 and 5, 2014
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A rough cut of Angel of Mercy will screen at two venues during Holocaust Education Week (November 2-9, 2014) in Toronto, Canada, thanks to the sponsorship of the Sarah and Chaim Neuberger Holocaust Education Centre.
May 7, 2014 : Zala Films is featured in the Oakland issue of CineSource Magazine. Read all about it here! May 5, 2014 : N is a Number: A Portrait of Paul Erdős (1993) will screen at the Jacob Burns Film Center, 364 Manville Road, Pleasantville, NY, on May 5, 2014, at 7:30 p.m. The screening, co-presented with the National Museum of Mathematics, will feature a Q&A and MATH PARTY with the mathematicians Ron Graham, Joel Spencer and Glen Whitney. Read all about it here. April 16, 2014 : People of the Current (1971) is now available on DVD from Amazon. The 1971 ethnographic documentary by anthropologist Thomas Kiefer and filmmaker George Csicsery is an early attempt to use 1/2-inch black and white reel-to-reel videotape for field recordings. The tape was then transferred to 16mm for editing, and the film was originally released in monochrome 16mm prints. Due to chronic insurgencies and warfare, for many years this film was the only window on the culture of the Tausug people who live in Jolo in the southern Philippines. March 17, 2014 : George Csicsery will present an 18-minute sample clip from Angel of Mercy: The Story of Sister Margaret Slachta at The Holocaust in Hungary, 70 Years on: New Perspectives, a conference to be held March 16-18, 2014, at Florida Gulf Coast University's Center for Judaic, Holocaust & Genocide Studies. The 18-minute sample reel can also be seen at the film's website.
February 17, 2014
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Berkeley Rep's Monday Night PlayGround will present six plays on the theme, "A Passion for Primes." This year's collaboration between the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute and the Berkeley Repertory Theatre was inspired by the groundbreaking work of Yitang Zhang in 2013 on the Twin Prime Conjecture. Zala Films' George Csicsery began working on a documentary about Zhang and his successful result in September 2013, to be completed later in 2014. December 30, 2013 : Taking the Long View airs in Puerto Rico on 12/30/13 at midnight (that's Sunday night) on WMTJ in Fajardo, PR. Que bueno! December 6, 2013 : Taking the Long View: The Life of Shiing-shen Chern will be screened at the Centre de recherches mathematiques, Universite de Montreal, on December 6, 2013, at 4 pm. George Csicsery will be present to discuss the film. See: http://www.crm.math.ca/Csicsery. The CRM is located on the 5th floor of the Pavillon Andre-Aisenstadt. See building #20 on the campus map (PDF). October 17, 2013 and October 18, 2013 : George Csicsery will conduct a master class on documentary films October 17 and 18 as part of the Fall 2013: Cinema Speaker Master Class Series at the Cinema Department of San Francisco State University. The theme of the film presentations and discussions with department grad students and faculty members is entitled Unlikely Films. October 4, 2013 : George Csicsery's documentary TROOP 214 (214-ES CSAPAT) (2008) will screen at the Chagrin Documentary Film Fest in Chagrin Falls, Ohio on Friday, October 4, at 7:30 p.m. at South Franklin Circle, 16575 South Franklin St., Chagrin Falls, Ohio 44022. Screening details here. Director George Csicsery will be present. July 2, 2013 & July 3, 2013 : Erdős 100, celebrating the 100th birthday of Paul Erdős, premieres at two screenings at the Hungarian Academy of Sciences in Budapest, Hungary, on July 2 and 3 at 7 p.m. as part of the Erdős Centennial conference and celebrations, being held July 1 through 5. Filmmaker George Csicsery will be present. March 26, 2013 : Today would be Paul Erdős's 100th birthday. With newspapers all over the world honoring Erdős and his mathematical problems in today's editions, the Simons Foundation has featured a short clip of excerpts from N is a Number: A Portrait of Paul Erdős at its website. March 20, 2013 : Science Lives is a series of extended interviews with some of the giants of 20th-century mathematics and science. A short highlights film created by filmmaker George Csicsery to introduce the Science Lives project to attendees of the 2013 Joint Mathematics Meetings held in San Diego has been posted on the Web at the Science Lives site. This collection, organized in collaboration with Hugo Rossi of the University of Utah, provides an opportunity to watch these great men and women discuss their lives and their thinking about science and our world. March 20, 2013 : The second day of a four-film program of mathematics documentaries by George Csicsery at the Roxie Theater in San Francisco features N IS A NUMBER: A Portrait of Paul Erdos at 6 PM and 9:30 PM, and HARD PROBLEMS: The Road to the World's Toughest Math Contest, showing at 8 PM. Visit the Roxie website for details or call 415.863.1087. March 18, 2013 : The Roxie Theater opens a four-film program of mathematics documentaries by George Csicsery with the San Francisco Bay Area premiere of TAKING THE LONG VIEW: The Life of Shiing-shen Chern, screening at 7:45 PM. There will also be two screenings of JULIA ROBINSON AND HILBERT'S TENTH PROBLEM, at 6:30 PM and 9 PM. Visit the Roxie website for details or call 415.863.1087. March 4, 2013 : "Seeing Further with Nelson Blachman," a five-minute production by Zala Films about mathematician Nelson Blachman is on YouTube and was published in the NYT Wordplay blog. February 23, 2013-March 3, 2013 : 19th Annual Sedona International Film Festival screens CHILD OF GIANTS: My Journey with Maynard Dixon and Dorothea Lange on Monday, February 25, at 9 AM, and Friday, March 1, at 3:15 PM, at the Harkins Theatres, 2081 W. State Route 89A, West Sedona, ph 928-282-1177. More details here. February 2, 2013 : CHILD OF GIANTS screens as part of the inaugural weekend of the new Marin History Museum at 1125 B Street, San Rafael, CA 94901, ph 415-454-8538. The MHM is also currently running a terrific exhibit of photographs entitled "Dorothea Lange at Steep Ravine." There will be a reception at 5:00 p.m., followed by the film screening at 6:00 p.m. Director Tom Ropelewski will be present for a Q&A afterward. Tickets are on sale at the door, with suggested donations of $5 for MHM members and $10 for the public. For more information, please go to the museum website.
January 10, 2013
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Taking the Long View: The Life of Shiing-shen Chern will be screened at the 2013 Joint Mathematics Meetings in San Diego.
January 10, 2013
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A 5-minute trailer for the Simons Foundation Science Lives series of science biography videos will be screened at the 2013 Joint Mathematics Meetings in San Diego in conjunction with a screening of Taking the Long View: The Life of Shiing-shen Chern.
November 24, 2012
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Songs Along a Stony Road will be screened at the 2nd International Folk Music Film Festival "Music for Life, Music for Survival" on
23-25 November 2012. September 24, 2012 : CHILD OF GIANTS: My Journey with Maynard Dixon and Dorothea Lange, a film by Tom Ropelewski co-produced by George Csicsery, will be showing with PIRKLE JONES: Seven Decades Photographed, a film by Jane Reed, at the Roxie Theater, 3117 16th Street, San Francisco, on September 24, 2012, at 7:30 PM. See the Roxie program. September 14, 2012 : N is a Number: A Portrait of Paul Erdős will be screened at the first Science Park Amsterdam Film Festival (SPAFF) In Amsterdam, Netherlands on September 14, 2012.
July 13, 2012
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The PBS series POV is streaming George Csicsery's feature documentary Where the Heart Roams online from the POV website for a year through July 13, 2013. July 12, 2012 : Zala Films announces the San Francisco Bay Area premiere screening of Songs Along a Stony Road at the Roxie Theater, 3117 16thStreet, San Francisco, on Thursday, July 12, 2012, at 7 PM and 9 PM. The film is showing with Sprout Wings and Fly, a film by Les Blank. Filmmakers George Csicsery and Les Blank will be present. See the Roxie program. July 6, 2012 : The July-August 2012 issue of Video Librarian gives Songs Along a Stony Road a three-star review. July 6, 2012 : Zala Films has just completed production of the trailer for Don Lattin's book "Distilled Spirits", to be published by UC Press in October 2012. July 1, 2012 : Zala Films is pleased to announce a DVD release of the haunting 1977 short film Tealia directed by George Csicsery and produced by Ellen Kutten. The ten-minute ballet by John McFall featuring Betsy Erickson and Vane Vest of the San Francisco Ballet was filmed in 16mm, and won numerous awards at festivals in 1977 and 1978. June 26, 2012 : The San Francisco Classical Voice gives its review of Songs Along a Stony Road in a review title Another Zoltán Explores the Roots of Music. May 3, 2012 : The May 2012 issue of Cine Source, billed as the Oakland issue, features an article about George Csicsery and the last two years at Zala Films. May 1, 2012 : The May-June 2012 issue of Video Librarian has a review of Taking the Long View: The Life of Shiing-Shen Chern, giving the film three stars. April 30, 2012 : Taking the Long View was screened as a Mathematics Department Special Event at the University of California, San Diego. April 29, 2012 : Songs Along a Stony Road was screened at the Hungarian House in San Diego.
March 31-August 19, 2012
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Excerpted sequences from George Csicsery's 1970 film "Let's Get it Over With!" will be featured as part of the Oakland Museum of California exhibit "All Of Us Or None: Social Justice Posters of the San Francisco Bay Area", which opens on March 31.
March 2012 : In March of 2011, Zala Films began producing short video segments for the Gathering For Gardner Foundation (G4G), a non-profit corporation that works to honor the achievements of Martin Gardner by promoting the lucid exposition of new and accessible ideas in recreational mathematics, magic, puzzles, and philosophy. The first Web-destined series of 19 video sequences featuring Scott Kim and Karl Schaffer have been posted by G4G at their YouTube channel. These sequences feature Scott and Karl talking about Gardner's influence on their lives and thinking, and show them creating geometrical shapes with their hands, and with string. For more information, see: Gathering For Gardner (G4G)
March 1, 2012
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Zala Films is proud to be associated with the production of the Simons Foundation's Science Lives video project presenting long-form, detailed interviews with prominent mathematicians and scientists for the Web.
November 17, 2011 : Taking the Long View to screen in Paris at IHES as part of the Centenaire de Shiing-shen Chern
October 2011
:
The feature length version of Taking the Long View: The Life of Shiing-shen Chern was completed during October. The 54-minute film had it's world premiere screening at the Chern Centennial Conference at the Chern Institute of Mathematics (CIM) in Tianjin, China on October 24. The Chern Centennial Conference continues at MSRI in Berkeley, where the film will screen again on October 30.
October 2, 2011 : Julia Robinson and Hilbert's Tenth Problem will start appearing on public television stations via syndication by American Public Television (APT) www.aptonline.org. Preparation of the broadcast version of the film was made possible with support from the Mathematical Association of America (MAA) and a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF). Public television stations will be able to schedule broadcasts through September 2014. See: http://bit.ly/qIn4sv September 22, 2011 & September 25, 2011 : Songs Along a Stony Road, a film by George Csicsery and Chris Teerink, will have its European premiere at the Netherlands Film Festival, running September 21-30 in Utrecht. Screenings are Thursday, September 22, at 6:00 PM (donderdag 22-09-2011 om 18:00 uur in Hoogt 2) and Sunday, September 25, at 10:15 PM (zondag 25-09-2011 om 22:15 uur in Hoogt 2). For more information, visit the festival website after September 7, or contact Chris Teerink. See information about the film in English and Hungarian at www.zalafilms.com. September 16, 2011 : Child of Giants: My Journey with Maynard Dixon and Dorothea Lange will screen at the Oakland Museum of California on Friday, September 16, at 7 PM. This screening is free. http://bit.ly/q4hOQa September 4, 2011 : The Glen Rose Neo-Relix Film Festival in Glen Rose, Texas named Child of Giants: My Journey with Maynard Dixon and Dorothea Lange as BEST FEATURE FILM this Labor Day weekend. July 25, 2011 : Zala Films is pleased to announce publication of Almost a Soldier: The 1945 Diary of a Hungarian Cadet by Sigmund Csicsery. The paperback is the first book to be published by Zala Films. This English translation by George Csicsery from the Hungarian original features original hand-drawn illustrations by the author. ISBN 978-09-7245-888-7 See: www.almostasoldier.com July 24, 2011 : Child of Giants: My Journey with Maynard Dixon and Dorothea Lange will have its television broadcast premiere on KQED, San Francisco's PBS affiliate, as part of its TRULY CA documentary series on Sunday, July 24 at 5:30 PM, with special Encore presentations on Monday, July 25 at 8:00 PM and Tuesday, July 26 at 2:00 AM. See www.kqed.org. For more information about Child of Giants, see www.childofgiants.com April 17, 2011 : Songs Along a Stony Road, a feature documentary about Transylvania's folk musicians filmed between 1999 and 2006, made with Dutch filmmaker Chris Teerink, will have its world premiere screening at the Chicago International Movies & Music Festival on April 17, 2011. The film will screen at the Chicago Cultural Center, Claudia Cassidy Theater, 78 E. Washington Street on Sunday, April 17, 2011 at 12 noon. George Csicsery will be present to answer questions. Click here for more information.
March 2, 2011
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N is a Number: A Portrait of Paul Erdős is now available for
streaming at FORA.tvFilms. It is one of the first documentaries offered as part of FORA.tv's new service.
February 25, 2011 : "The Geometry of Eero Saarinen's Gateway Arch," a 46-minute video of mathematician Robert Osserman's October 2010 presentation at the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute, was completed by Zala Films in February 2011. The video in which Osserman discusses Saarinen's soaring architectural sculpture masterpiece in St. Louis, Missouri, is now live at the Simons Foundation web site. November 29, 2010 : George Csicsery will show two recent short films, Taking the Long View and On Mathematical Grounds, and discuss the process of making documentaries about mathematicians at the Berliner Colloquium für Wissenschaftliche Visualisierung (Berlin Colloquium on Scientific Visualization). http://bit.ly/fukcV9 November 15, 2010 : Whole Earth Films releases a newly mastered DVD of "Hookers" a 1975 documentary made by George Csicsery and Max Scherr about a labor union for prostitutes in San Francisco. http://wholeearthfilms.com/hookers.html October 25-26, 2010 : George Csicsery and Zala Films begin production of two mathematical oral histories, taping interviews with Yuri Manin in Evanston, Illinois, and with Paul Sally at the University of Chicago. Material from these interviews is destined for Web-based distribution as part of an initiative of the Simons Foundation. October 14, 2010 : The death of Constance Reid is a loss to the mathematics community, and especially to those who worked closely with her. Constance was one of the greats of mathematical biographies. Her passionate participation and perseverance over nine years of production made it possible to complete Julia Robinson and Hilbert's Tenth Problem (2008), a film about her sister, and her involvement in the solution of an important Hilbert problem. http://nyti.ms/deAoVW. October 14, 2010 : Troop 214 (214-es Csapat) screens Thursday, October 14, from 9 to 10 p.m., as part of the Rocky Mountain Modern Language Association (RMMLA) Convention, being held October 14 to 16 at the Hotel Albuquerque in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Filmmaker George Csicsery will participate in a panel discussion, Trends in 20th Century Hungarian Film and Literature, from 8:30 to 10 a.m., October 14. October 2010 : Child of Giants premieres at the 2010 Mill Valley Film Festival. George Csicsery was Supervising Producer on this feature documentary about Daniel Dixon, son of photographer Dorothea Lange and painter Maynard Dixon. September 2010 : Mud Bricks at the Top of the World a 10-minute documentary produced by Class Productions, completed post-production at Zala Films. The film is about an innovative architectural project of BASIC Initiative organized by Sergio Palleroni. Director Steve Kovács filmed at the Druk White Lotus School at Shey, Ladakh, India in July 2010. The film was edited by Tal Skloot. George Csicsery was associate producer. Mud Bricks at the Top of the World premieres at HRH The Prince of Wales' Start Initiative's 'A Garden Party to Make a Difference' at Marlborough House, London, September 8-19, 2010.
August 22, 2010
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A new 53-minute Hungarian version of Troop 214/214-es Csapat will screen on HÍR TV in Hungary on its Vetitő program on Sunday, August 22, at 10:06 p.m., with repeats on Thursday, August 26, at 3:06 p.m. and Saturday, August 28, at 11:06 p.m.
See: http://port.hu/214-es_csapat/pls/fi/films.film_page?i_perf_id=13440660&i_topic_id=1 http://port.hu/pls/tv/tv.channel?i_ch=10&i_date=2010-08-22 August 19, 2010 : Taking the Long View: The Life of Shiing-shen Chern will have its premiere screening during the presentation of the first-ever Chern prize at the International Congress of Mathematics (ICM) in Hyderabad, India on August 19, 2010. See www.icm2010.org.in/imu-prizes. Zala Films was commissioned to produce the 16-minute commemorative film about mathematician S. S. Chern by the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute (MSRI). It is the first of two films in production about Chern. A longer full biographical film is scheduled for completion and DVD release in September 2011. Taking the Long View will soon be available for viewing at www.zalafilms.com/takingthelongviewfilm. August 1, 2010 : Songs Along a Stony Road screens daily at the exhibition, Between East and West - Folk Art Treasures of Romania, at the Mingei International Museum, 1439 El Prado - on the Plaza de Panama, San Diego. The exhibition runs from August 1, 2010 to April 3, 2011. June 6-13, 2010 : Concordia's Summer Camp in mathematics and computer science, June 6-13, 2010, is showing different films by George Csicsery on each day of its program, with seven documentaries by Csicsery showing during the week-long camp. See http://bit.ly/aTxjIj for more information. April 1, 2010 : N is a Number: A Portrait of Paul Erdős won the audience favorite Ember Judit Award at the First Hungarian Documentary Short & Short Film Festival of Los Angeles, held March 25-31. The festival's only award, named after Hungarian director Judit Ember, was announced by Los Angeles Hungarian Consul Balàzs Bokor on April 1. The festival, organized by the Consulate General of Hungary in cooperation with the William Fox Hungarian Film Club, the United Hungarian House and Bunyik Entertainment, featured 28 films by Hungarian directors living in Hungary, the USA and Canada. See http://bit.ly/b8RWyr and http://bit.ly/djhGeh. April 2010 : With the generous help of mathematicians Fan Chung Graham and Ronald Graham, the full 18 hours of film shot for the documentary, N is a Number: A Portrait of Paul Erdős, has been transferred to digital format from the original 16mm negative. The material includes the outtakes of interviews filmed between 1988 and 1991 in four countries with Paul Erdős and many other mathematicians who participated in the original project, including Fan Chung Graham, Ron Graham, Béla Bollobás, András Hajnal, Vera Sós, Márta Svéd, Tomasz Luczak, Michal Karonski, Joel Spencer, and Herb Wilf. This material has now been preserved digitally, and will be available for archival purposes, and selectively for other documentary projects. The four-month process involved replacing the 16mm positive workprint in 36 half-hour sync rolls with negative that was cut to sync with the audio by Gibbs Chapman. Each roll was then transferred to Digibeta tape, and to a G-Force hard drive at Monaco Laboratories in San Francisco by John Carlson. DVD copies of each roll were made for reference. March 28, 2010 : N is a Number: A Portrait of Paul Erdős will screen at The First Hungarian Documentary & Short Film Festival of Los Angeles, presented by The Consulate General of Hungary in cooperation with the William Fox Hungarian Film Club and the United Hungarian House of Los Angeles. The screening is at 6:30 PM. George Csicsery will participate in a panel discussion moderated by Professor Gabor Kalman and Consul General Balàzs Bokor immediately preceding the film.
United Hungarian House of Los Angeles February 15, 2010 : The Oakbook reprints the Cine Source interview with George Csicsery by Doniphan Blair. Read it at http://bit.ly/bem0g5. February 2010 : The February 2010 issue of Cine Source Magazine features an interview with George Csicsery by Doniphan Blair: Csicsery: Math Films, Yes - But So Much More. Read it at http://bit.ly/d1uJBh
January 4, 2010
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George Csicsery interview by Michael Fox in SF360. November 5-8, 2009 : Julia Robinson and Hilbert's Tenth Problem has been selected to screen at the International Scientific Film Festival held in Szolnok, Hungary, November 5 - 8, 2009. Please visit this site for more information: http://www.tiszamozi.hu/filmszemle/2009/vetitendofilmek.asp
October 4, 2009
: Hard Problems going to television... September 30, 2009 : The Mathematical Sciences Research Institute presents the Northern California premiere of Hard Problems at a special screening at MSRI's Simons Auditorium in Berkeley, California. The event, combined with a reception before the screening and a panel discussion following the film, features students in the film, and participants in the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) program. See http://www.msri.org/specials/hardproblems. May 15, 2009 : Excerpts from Troop 214 will be shown as part of a talk by George Csicsery at American Hungarian Educators' Association 34th Annual Conference to be held at the Bechtel Engineering Center at UC Berkeley May 14-16, 2009. The theme of the 2009 conference is "Hungarians in the New World." 3:45-5:45 at the Bechtel Engineering Center, UC Berkeley. See: http://hungaria.org/uploaded/documents/ahea.program.final4.pdf April 16, 2009 : N is a Number: A Portrait of Paul Erdös will screen at Edinburgh's Filmhouse as part of Science Festival 2009. The screening will be followed by audience discussion about mathematicians in the movies. Organized by the International Centre for Mathematical Sciences. February 22, 2009 : The San Francisco Bay Area premiere of Troop 214 will occur on Sunday, Feb. 22, 2009, 2:00 pm at the Woodside Priory, 302 Portola Road, Portola Valley, CA 94028. The event is sponsored by A Magyar Katolikus Misszió/Hungarian Catholic Mission as part of The Hungarian Cultural Year 2009. The program includes an exhibition of works by Hungarian painters starting at 1 p.m. and a screening of the film at 2 p.m. at the Woodside Priory Auditorium. January 6, 2009 : George Csicsery, an independent filmmaker and principal of Zala Films, is the recipient of the 2009 JPBM Communications Award, presented at the Joint Mathematics Meetings in Washington, D.C. Presented annually by the Joint Policy Board for Mathematics, this award recognizes outstanding achievement in communicating about mathematics to nonmathematicians. The JPBM represents the American Mathematical Society, the American Statistical Association, the Mathematical Association of America, and the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics. For details, see the AMS news release and the prize booklet (pdf file). November 29, 2008 : The Hungarian Association, an international organization founded in Cleveland, Ohio in 1951, with current membership around the world, has inducted George Paul Csicsery into the Arpad Academy, and awarded him the Arpad Gold Medal. This award is presented to Hungarians and their descendants living outside of Hungary, in recognition of scholarly, scientific, literary, and artistic achievements promoting the spirit and knowledge of Hungarian culture. The Arpad Gold Medal was presented as part of the awards ceremonies preceding the opening of the 48th Hungarian Congress's traditional Hungarian Ball held in Cleveland, Ohio. November 28, 2008 : The world premiere of the English-subtitled version of Troop 214 will be presented by the Hungarian Association at the 48th Hungarian Congress in Cleveland, Ohio. The Congress program includes a sneak preview of Songs Along a Stony Road during an afternoon workshop featuring George Csicsery. November, 2008 : Video Librarian gives Hard Problems a three-star review. See: http://zalafilms.com/hardproblems/hpvidlibreview.pdf October 31, 2008 : Julia Robinson and Hilbert's Tenth Problem will screen in Bloomington, Indiana at the NKS Midwest Conference '08. The conference theme is "What is Computation? How Does Nature Compute?" See: http://www.cs.indiana.edu/~dgerman/2008midwestNKSconference/julia_robinson.html October 1, 2008 : Television: The Enchanted Mirror (1981), a 30-minute documentary made by Julene Bair and George Csicsery has been remastered and released on DVD by Whole Earth Films. August 26, 2008 : Songs Along A Stony Road screens as part of the National Geographic Society's Tuesdays at Noon series, a free series at National Geographic headquarters in Washington, D.C. screening films supported by the society's All Roads Film initiative. See: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/nglive/washingtondc/tuesdays/index.html May 19, 2008 : Julia Robinson and Hilbert's Tenth Problem will screen in competition on May 19, 2008 at the Third International Science Film Festival Athens. See: http://www.caid.gr/isffa/
May 6, 2008
: BERLIN, GERMANY George Csicsery's porridge pulleys and Pi will screen at MathFilm Festival 2008 in Berlin today.
April 18, 2008
: The Deluxe edition of Hard Problems: The Road to the World's Toughest Math Contest is now available from the MAA and from The Art of Problem Solving.
April 18, 2008
: The May 2008 issue of Notices of the American Mathematical Society features a review of Julia Robinson and Hilbert's Tenth Problem by Carol Wood (see PDF), and an interview with George Csicsery by Bill Casselman (see PDF). April 2008 : Julia Robinson and Hilbert's Tenth Problem screening at UC Berkeley sponsored by the UC Berkeley Mathematics Department and the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute. Event details... March 2008 : The March 2008 issue of the Notices of the American Mathematical Society (AMS) features a series of stills from Julia Robinson and Hilbert's Tenth Problem on its cover. Their April 2008 issue promises a full review of the film. January 8, 2008 : The Mathematical Association of America presents the world premiere screening of Hard Problems: The Road to the World's Toughest Math Contest. A feature documentary film produced and directed by George Csicsery for the MAA, Hard Problems tells the story of the extraordinarily gifted students who represented the United States in 2006 at the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO). The film will premiere on January 8, 2008 at 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM at the Joint Mathematics Meetings in San Diego. January 7, 2008 : The American Mathematical Society and Clay Mathematics Institute present the world premiere screening of Julia Robinson and Hilbert's Tenth Problem on Monday, January 7th, 2008 at 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM in Ballroom G of the San Diego Marriott Hotel and Marina. November 18, 2007 : Special screening of N is a Number: A Portrait of Paul Erdös benefits Film Arts Foundation. Show time is 7 to 10 PM, at Dolby Laboratories, 100 Potrero Avenue, San Francisco, California. October 17, 2007 : The Roxie Cinema in San Francisco (3117 16th Street, San Francisco, California) screens The Thursday Club. Show Times are at 7:00 PM and 9:00 PM. October 5, 2007 : 8:00 PM screening of The Thursday Club is part of First Fridays After Five at the Oakland Museum of California (10th and Oak Streets, Oakland, California). August 19, 2007 : Excerpts from N is a Number: A Portrait of Paul Erdös were broadcast on the Dutch VPRO network's "Zomergasten" prime time Sunday night series in Holland. The program featured Alexander Rinnooy Kan and his selection of clips from "N is a Number" and other films. More... May 22, 2007 : On the evening of May 21, attendees at the awards ceremony honoring this year's U.S.A. Mathematical Olympiad (USAMO) winners enjoyed a private screening of clips from Hard Problems, a documentary about U.S. participation in the 2006 International Mathematical Olympiad. Read more... August 19, 2007 : Excerpts from N is a Number: A Portrait of Paul Erdös were broadcast on the Dutch VPRO network's "Zomergasten" prime time Sunday night series in Holland. The program featured Alexander Rinnooy Kan and his selection of clips from "N is a Number" and other films. More... May 22, 2007 : On the evening of May 21, attendees at the awards ceremony honoring this year's U.S.A. Mathematical Olympiad (USAMO) winners enjoyed a private screening of clips from Hard Problems, a documentary about U.S. participation in the 2006 International Mathematical Olympiad. Read more...
May 1, 2007
: VHS Liquidation Sale! The following titles from Zala Films are available on VHS cassettes for $6 each (plus $5 shipping): March 27, 2007 : Facets Multimedia, Inc. to release the DVD of N is a Number: A Portrait of Paul Erdös. March 26, 2007 : A rough cut of Julia Robinson and Hilbert's Tenth Problem will be featured at a sneak preview at the Urania kino in Berlin, Germany, as part of the MathFilm Festival 2007. View trailer...
March 15-16, 2007
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The Boston Museum of Science will screen scenes from Julia Robinson and Hilbert's Tenth Problem as part of a two-day conference on Hilbert's Tenth Problem organized by the Clay Mathematics Institute. January 22, 2007 : Turner Classic Movies reviews DVD release of Where the Heart Roams. Read review on FilmThreat.com. November 28, 2006 : Where the Heart Roams DVD released by Facets MultiMedia
October 31, 2006
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Hungry for Monsters DVD released by Facets
MultiMedia October 5, 2006 : The Laney Tower has published a review of The Thursday Club. October, 2006 : Movie Habit has published a review by John Adams of Hungry For Monsters. September 26, 2006 : Facets MultiMedia releases The Thursday Club DVD edition. September 15, 2006 : Documentary Channel of New Zealand has acquired a two-year license to broadcast Hungry for Monsters in New Zealand. September 1, 2006 : A DVD edition of porridge pulleys and Pi has been published and is available from the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute. September 1, 2006 : Facets Multi-Media, Inc. of Chicago begins distribution of three documentaries by George Csicsery. Facets is releasing DVD editions of Hungry for Monsters (2003) and Where the Heart Roams (1987) on the Facets label, making these feature docs available on DVD for the first time. The DVD of Hungry for Monsters will include over 30 minutes of extra scenes. Facets is also distributing the Zala Films edition of The Thursday Club (2005). See www.facets.org.
August 7, 2006
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George Csicsery addresses ScriptBiz at the Rhode Island International Film Festival. Scenes from his script "Alderman's Story" will be read by the Angell Street Players of Providence.
August 1, 2006 : George Csicsery has completed principal cinematography in HDV format on Hard Problems, a one-hour documentary being produced for the Mathematical Association of America (MAA) about the team of American high school students who participated in the International Mathematical Olympiad in Ljubljana, Slovenia, in July 2006. Following the team selection process since the USAMO test in April, the project has involved shoots in San Jose; Washington, D.C.; Exeter, New Hampshire; Lincoln, Nebraska; and three different locations in Slovenia. The film is scheduled for completion in July 2007. here and here. —> May 31, 2006 : Teachers' TV has acquired a one-year non-exclusive license to broadcast Hungry for Monsters in the United Kingdom beginning September 1, 2006. For more about this broadcaster see www.teachers.tv.
May 19, 2006
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Announcing the broadcast premiere of The Thursday Club,
a new one-hour documentary about Oakland police during the antiwar demonstrations
of the turbulent 1960s by Oakland filmmaker George Csicsery. RAVES AND PRAISES "...a rich, memorable film... Just as he made the idiosyncratic mathematical genius Paul Erdős
'understandable' and human in 'N Is a Number' and got to the essence of the Barbara Cartland mystique
in 'Where the Heart Roams,' Csicsery has a revelation once again."
"The image of a former cop and a former protester hugging each other onstage
was tear-jerking. I hope a staff photographer was present to capture this
wonderful event. Thank you, George, for a night to be remembered..."
February 7, 2006
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Filmmaker George Csicsery talks about his documentary project on the
Berkeley mathematician, Julia Robinson, at Stanford University. A new
sample reel of scenes from the film will be screened for the first time
at this event. Audience questions are welcome. Session is moderated by
Jonathan Farley, mathematician and Science Fellow, Center for
International Security and Cooperation. September, 2005 : The Rhode Island International Film Festival (RIIFF) has announced that its Grand Prize winner for the 2005 screenplay competition is Alderman's Story by George Csicsery. "His historical drama gives a balanced portrayal of the rising tensions between the original English colonists and the Native Americans that culminated in the King Philip's War." More information is available on the official RIIF site and at moviebytes.com. June 2005 : Zala Films releases 60-minute VHS and DVD versions of The Thursday Club. See order form. The DVD contains 20 minutes of extra scenes. April 2005 : The Thursday Club was screened at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts on April 20, 2005. April 2005 : The Right Spin, a DVD directed by George Csicsery, was completed in March 2005. The DVD was mailed out to several thousand mathematics department chairmen as part of the Joint Policy Board of Mathematics (JPBM) campaign for Mathematics Awareness Month in April 2005. Production of this exciting tale of astronaut Michael Foale's rescue of the MIR space station in 1997 was made possible with support from the Clay Mathematics Institute and the Mathematics Sciences Research Institute. For more information see: http://www.msri.org/specials/rightspin March 2005 : A second screening of The Thursday Club was held at the Oakland Museum of California on March 4, 2005. February 2005 : The world premiere of The Thursday Club was held at the Oakland Museum of California on February 4, 2005. November 2004 : Hungry for Monsters screened at the Three Rivers Film Festival in Pittsburgh, PA on November 9, 2004. August 2004 : Hungry for Monsters screened twice at the 57th Locarno International Film Festival, August 4-14, 2004, in the festival's Human Rights section. 57.festival internazionale del film locarno July 2004 : N is a Number: A Portrait of Paul Erdös released on DVD, with 20 minutes of scenes from out-takes added to the menu. Available now. June 2004 : A review of porridge, pulleys and Pi in the SIAM News. June 2004 : George was interviewed for an episode of The Science Show entitled "The New Science of Networks," on which Paul Erdös was one of the topics discussed. August 1987 : A review of Where the Heart Roams in The New York Times (registration is required). |