It's the end of an era. On Thursday, June 2, filmmaker and 2008 Westword MasterMind Jason Bosch will present the final screening by ArgusFest, the labor of love (for good, important films that educate audiences, albeit often very small audiences) that he started fifteen years ago.
"I've decided to finally let ArgusFest rest," Bosch writes. "It's been a good fifteen years, but I'm working on other projects, and there isn't enough interest in the community to keep it going. I want to thank all of you who have attended, volunteered and donated over the years. Together we have held well over a thousand events and important discussions. I've gained an incredible amount of insight and knowledge that I'm taking into my new endeavors, currently my documentary film on nonprofit and nongovernmental organizations. I especially want to thank David Runco, who for the past five years has really kept ArgusFest alive, especially during my trips out of town. Thank you, David! ... I will occasionally host one-off events, but ArgusFest's weekly events are ending. I will also send out updates on the progress of my film.
"I thank you from the bounds of my heart."
The final film is The Occupation of the American Mind; it will screen at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Mutiny Information Cafe, 2 South Broadway. Here's the ArgusFest description:
Israel's ongoing military occupation of Palestinian territory and repeated invasions of the Gaza strip have triggered a fierce backlash against Israeli policies virtually everywhere in the world — except the United States. The Occupation of the American Mind takes an eye-opening look at this critical exception, zeroing in on pro-Israel public relations efforts within the U.S.
Narrated by Roger Waters and featuring leading observers of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and U.S. media culture, the film explores how the Israeli government, the U.S. government, and the pro-Israel lobby have joined forces, often with very different motives, to shape American media coverage of the conflict in Israel's favor. From the U.S.-based public relations campaigns that emerged in the 1980s to today, the film provides a sweeping analysis of Israel's decades-long battle for the hearts, minds, and tax dollars of the American people in the face of widening international condemnation of its increasingly right-wing policies.