As has become an annual tradition, readers from all over Hall County are preparing to stay up all night to help stamp out illiteracy.

Beginning at 5 p.m. Friday, the Hall Book Exchange at 1854 Thompson Bridge Road, Gainesville, will host the fourth annual 24-hour read-a-thon.

The event is a fundraiser for the Gainesville-Hall County Alliance for Literacy, an organization that provides educational opportunities to more than 2,000 people annually.

The marathon reading event will conclude at 5 p.m. Saturday.

In addition to folks reading around the clock, the event will be peppered with a variety of actives, including author visits, book discussions and even a wake-up workout.

Author Braxton Cosby, nephew of Bill Cosby, will be the first to share his work. At 6 p.m. Friday, he will be available to sign copies of his first book, “Protostar.” The young adult fiction book is appropriate for children ages 12 and up.

Rachel Glazer will follow Cosby at 7 p.m. with a children’s bedtime story. In addition to reading a story to younger attendees, she will also present her dramatization of “Martina, A Beautiful Cockroach,” a Cuban folktale written by children’s author Carmen Agra Deedy.

Free refreshments will be available throughout the read-a-thon.

If you are interested in participating, call the book exchange in advance to reserve a time slot.

In addition to the smaller door prizes, two grand prizes will be awarded at the conclusion of the event — one for the person who reads the longest and one for the person who raises the most money.

Fourth Annual 24-Hour Read-A-Thon

The Arts Council, Inc., Gainesville State College and South Arts

Meet the Filmmaker:
Following a screening of her feature film, “Do No Harm,” Rebecca Schanberg and the audience will engage in a discussion about the film and her work as a filmmaker.

Rebecca Schanberg holds a B.A. in Human Biology from Stanford University. She has worked as director of corporate philanthropy at Polo Ralph Lauren, community and women’s liaison in The Office of the Manhattan Borough President, and as a team leader and program designer for City Year, a national urban peace corps. “Do No Harm” is her first directorial effort.

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The 3 mile animated light tour ends at a pumpkin patch and fall carnival.

October 31st is the last night of the show – grab your broom and fly on over to the Islands before it’s too late!

www.lakelanierislands.com

Meet the Filmmaker:
Following a screening of his feature film, “Reporter,” Eric Metzgar and the audience will engage in a discussion about the film and his work as a filmmaker. A reception with the filmmaker will follow.

Reviews:

“Riveting to watch…a fascinating dissection”—Entertainment Weekly

“Harrowing and crucial” —PopMatters

“Gorgeous…haunting sequences” — indieWIRE

“Eric Daniel Metzgar confirms his status as the most unique and talented young documentarian in America with his latest and best film. The result is as beautiful and unsettling as it is philosophically rigorous.”
—The Boston Phoenix

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The Arts Council, Inc., Gainesville State College and South Arts present “Children of Invention,” with Filmmaker Shelia Dvorak as part of the South Arts Southern Circuit Tour of Independent Filmmakers at the Arts Council Smithgall Arts Center on Thursday, October 21, 2010. A reception will be provided by The Holbrook of Lake Lanier catering and included in the ticket prices.

Meet the Filmmaker:
Following the screening of her feature film,”Children of Invention,” stay to join us as Shelia Dvorak and the audience engage in a discussion about the film and her work as a filmmaker.

Synopsis:
A hard-working single mom, Elaine Cheng tries desperately to find the means to support her two
young children, Raymond and Tina. They squat in a
model apartment in an unfinished building, buttry to maintain a normal life. Elaine juggles a number of jobs, leaving Raymond and Tina to become latch-key kids. When mom doesn’t return home onenight, things take a turn for the worse. Nobody knows the kids arehome alone, and they are left to fend for themselves. As the days pass, Raymond comes up with a planto take care of his little sister. “Children of Invention” is a drama about the influence of an adult world on children, the immigrant outlook and the effect of taking shortcuts to the American dream. CHILDREN OF INVENTION made its world premiere at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival, played over 50 film festivals, and won 17 festival awards incuding 8 Grand Jury or Best Narrative Feature prizes.

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Door prizes will be awared, food will be available and they will also have a raffle drawing.

Entry fee for the tournament is $65 per boat.

For more info, and to register, contact mikefoster@yahoo.com

Where: Concord Baptist Church
460 Main Street, Clermont, GA
When: Sunday, September 5th from 5-10pm
Admission: Free, most activities free, $10 entry for car show
Concessions will be sold.
For more info, call 770-983-7272

The Arts Council, Inc.

Meet the Filmmaker:
Following the screening of her feature film,”Dear Lemon Lima,” stay to join us as Ms. Yoonessi and the audience engage in a discussion about the film and her work as a filmmaker.

Synopsis:
“Dear Lemon Lima,” is a coming of age comedy about a lonely 13-year-old half Yup’ik girl, Vanessa Lemor. Trying to navigate her way through getting dumped by her true love, über-intellectual Philip Gregory, and surviving prep school in Fairbanks, Alaska, she embraces her native heritage and rediscovers the spirit of the World Eskimo Indian Olympics. “Dear Lemon Lima,”celebrates our common traits and differences, inspiring kindness, individuality, equality and values kindled by the diary of a 13-year-old girl.

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