The Westport Cultural Council will host its fifth annual film series on three consecutive Wednesdays this summer.  They will take place on August 10, 17, and 24, at 7pm.  The film series is free and open to the public and is made possible through a grant from the Helen E. Ellis Charitable Trust.  It will be held at the Dedee Shattuck Gallery on 1 Partners Lane in Westport.

According to South Coast Today.com, the council will present three documentary films highlighting the theme Masters of Their Craft.  Each film will be introduced by a guest speaker, with a question and answer period to follow each showing.

On Wednesday August 10, the first film, “Corita,” will run and is about the life and work of Corita Kent, a former nun who became an artist, bridging the gap between religious and secular art.  The guest speaker will be Eva Payne.  She is a PhD candidate in American studies at Harvard University and was a curatorial intern for Harvard Art Museum's exhibition on Corita Kent and the Language of Pop, and curated an exhibition of Kent's papers at the Schlesinger Library.

On Wednesday August 17, the film “First Position,” will be presented.  This film is a documentary that that follows six young dancers from around the world and their preparation for the Youth American Grand Prix, an annual competition for dancers ages 9-19 held in New York City judged by representatives from more than thirty major dance companies and academies.  The guest speaker is Nicole Guinard, who is the founder of En L’Air School of Dance Westport.  She has trained since the age of seven beginning with the McKeon School of Dance & Gymnastics, and competing regularly and becoming back-to-back national champion at NAPS and was awarded Best Interpretation of Choreography for her lyrical solo performance.  She continued her education with the Patti Eisenhauer Dance Center and Festival Ballet in Providence and she regularly adjudicates dance and talent competitions and teaches master classes throughout New England.  She also offers dance classes for children in all styles of dance with an emphasis on artistry, showmanship, and strong technique.

On Wednesday August 24, the film "Man On Wire," will be shown.  It recounts the fascinating story of how Philippe Petit and his friends planned and engineered the death defying act of Petit’s walk on a wire suspended between the top of the twin towers in New York City on a day in August 1974 without anyone knowing it was going to happen.  This film will be introduced by a member of the Westport Cultural Council.

With additional reporting by Sal Lopez

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