Beti Ellerson, a respected artist, filmmaker and academic from Howard University, will present a convocation titled "Through African Women's Eyes: Culture, Society and the Cinema" at 8 p.m. on Thursday (Sept. 6) in Slayter Auditorium on the Denison University campus. The presentation will be followed by a reception for Ellerson in Slayter's faculty lounge. The event also will kick-off an African film series, which will include showings of several films from the Denison collection. Following the screenings Assistant Professor Joanna Grabski of the art department and Associate Professor David Bussan of the cinema department will lead discussions about the films.

Ellerson's lecture will focus on her book,Sisters of the Screen: Women of Africa on Film, Video and Television,and the documentary film she produced to accompany the book.

In addition to her book, Ellerson has had articles published, presented at conferences, performed and produced several videos. Her articles include: "Through the Door of No Return: Interview with Shirikiana Aina," "The Body as Symbol of Change and Dichotomy" and "The Female Body, Culture and Space."

Ellerson served as assistant director and associate producer forFrances Poulenc: Impressions,a documentary on French composer Frances Poulenc by Christophe Poulenc. She also translated the piece from French to English for its subtitles.

She also co-produced with Poulenc on another project titledFESPACO '97. The 30-minute documentary, which was a finalist at the Hometown Festival in 1998, highlights the history of FESPACO, an international film festival held in Africa, and the inner-workings of the African cinema infrastructure.

In 1998, Ellerson producedReels of Colour,a series that focuses on independent cinema by people of color. There are 27 programs in the series. It aired locally in the Washington, D.C. area from 1996 to 2000 and was another of the Hometown Festival finalists in 1998. Ellerson earned her bachelor's degree from Southern Illinois University (1975) and her master's (1991) and doctorate (1994) from Howard University.

From 1983 to 1989, she lived as an artist in Paris, France and performed mime routines and other mixed media installations. Since 1995, Ellerson has been a lecturer at Howard University.

About Denison:

Denison University, founded in 1831, is an independent, residential liberal arts institution located in Granville, Ohio. A highly selective college enrolling 2,100 full-time undergraduate students from all 50 states and dozens of foreign countries, Denison is a place where innovative faculty and motivated students collaborate in rigorous scholarship, civic engagement and the cultivation of independent thinking.

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