​(Orange, CA) - Santiago Canyon College’s (SCC) Language Department will have France, Italy and Argentina on display during its International Film Festival that will be held on three consecutive Fridays beginning April 21, April 28 and May 5. The film festival is part of an instructional activity during the Celebration of Diversity month on campus. The department and students are extending an invitation to the public to join them for the films, which will be held on campus at 6 p.m. in Building D, room 101 at Santiago Canyon College, 8045 E. Chapman Avenue in Orange. Parking and admission are free.

An introduction and short discussion of each film will be provided by SCC Language Department faculty. Featured films include:

• Friday, April 21: LE FABULEUX DESTIN D’AMELIE PULAIN/ AMELIE (France 1999, French with English subtitles, Rated “R”). A magical romantic comedy about a shy waitress at a Paris café who makes a strange discovery that will change her and everyone around her for the better, but in the process forgets her own needs until a young man awakens in her the courage to find and pursue her own happiness. The film won Best Film Award at the Toronto Film Awards in 2001 and was nominated for five Academy Awards in 2002.

• Friday, April 28: CINEMA PARADISO / CINEMA PARADISE (Italy 1998, Italian with English subtitles, Not Rated). A drama about a famous film director remembering his childhood at the Cinema Paradiso where the projectionist first brought about his love of films. He returns home to his Sicilian village for the first time after almost 30 years and is reminded of his first love, Elena, who disappeared from his life before he left for Rome. The film won an Oscar and Golden Globe award for Best Foreign Language Film and Best Original Screenplay and was nominated for numerous other awards.

• Friday, May 5: UN CUENTO CHINO/ CHINESE TAKE-AWAY (Argentina 2011, Spanish and Mandarin with English subtitles, Not Rated) A dramatic dark comedy inspired by a real event, about the crossing of the paths of two men: Roberto, a grumpy, taciturn man who runs a hardware store in Buenos Aires and Jun, a young Chinese immigrant who does not speak Spanish and winds up in the city looking for a lost uncle. Their unpredictable encounter leads to the revelation of absurdities of life in which fate and the incongruous collide. This film won Best Ibero-American Film Award at the Goya Film Festival, Best Film at the Argentinian Academy of Cinematography and the Rome International Film Festival.

For more information about the international film festival, please call (714) 628-4938 or (714) 628-4742 or visit www.sccollege.edu/internationalfilmfestival.

About Santiago Canyon College
Santiago Canyon College (SCC) serves about 14,000 students each semester. The college prepares students for transfer to four-year institutions and careers, and provides courses for personal and professional development, as well as customized training for business and industry. The college is recognized for its adult education program which keeps the working adult—and senior—in mind by offering flexible schedules, and community locations. Serving the residents of Anaheim Hills, Orange, Tustin, and Villa Park, SCC is one of two comprehensive colleges under the auspices of the Rancho Santiago Community College District. Visit http://www.sccollege.edu to learn more.

# # #