Cinema International has partnered with academic departments and a nonprofit to bring a diverse film line up for the spring 2023 semester.

Cinema International is a 40-year-old program that presents a lineup of 10 films each semester, showcasing many cultures and languages from around the world.

Cinema International Director and Associate French Professor Thérèse St. Paul said she constantly seeks movies to show.

“All year round, [it’s] keeping me on my toes because a lot of the movies that we show are not always well known, especially in America,” St. Paul said. “So it’s nice to bring those films that are from elsewhere. I find it stimulating.”

This semester’s lineup features films in English, French, German, Japanese, Kinyarwanda, Spanish and Swahili. The program will feature a German Films Special, thanks to sponsorship from the nonprofit organization Goethe Institute, with three of the 10 films in German.

“This time, we decided to do a certain special because there were three movies among the Goethe Institute’s selection that we were interested in,” St. Paul said. “We like to offer a variety. We like to try to find topics that apply not only to America but to other parts of the world.”

This semester’s films feature collaborations with the business department for the American film “The True Cost” and the biology department for the British film “A Life on Our Planet.”

Sponsorships also come from ADVANCE, an on-campus group devoted to advancing women and people of color in STEM, and Sigma Xi for the Women’s History Month film “Women in Motion: Nichelle Nichols, Star Trek and the Remaking of NASA.” The film follows the uplifting story of Nichols and her lesser-known legacy, helping recruit 8,000 people for NASA’s space shuttle program, including the first female astronauts.

A film also is selected for Black Futures Month, though the film is yet to be finalized. Black Futures Month is a forward-looking spin on Black History Month, celebrating the contributions of Black individuals and valuing and amplifying their voices.

“We thought we’d like to have a movie that is looking towards the novelty, looking towards the future because a lot of films that have been shown with African Americans like looking at the past,” St. Paul said. ”The film doesn’t kick that out. It looks to the future of what can be done to change.”

Unlike previous semesters, the film showings have been temporarily relocated to Faculty Hall room 208 because of the Curris Center’s renovations.

The films will continue to be featured on Thursdays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. All showings are free.

Each film’s showing begins with a brief introduction and an ending discussion.

“There’s always an intro, so we know a little bit of background or what we should look for,” St. Paul said. “I like the discussions because it promotes a lot of critical thinking. People have the opportunity to do some analysis, to compare, to put things together and make sense.”

While the film series doesn’t follow an overall theme, St. Paul said the film’s topics are contemporary and always relate to human-natured politics, economics or social issues.

“It’s an art form,” St. Paul said. “It’s not just about reality. It’s how to produce ideas and projects, like a poem in many ways.”

The next movie, “Neptune Frost,” is scheduled to screen at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 2 in Faculty Hall room 208.

For more information about Cinema International and upcoming showings, visit murraystate.edu/cinemainternational.