About Belmont World Film

Belmont World Film (BWF), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation, creates cultural exchanges and understanding through the screening of the world's top films followed by discussions led by expert speakers. Our events frequently are accompanied by cultural performances and international food experiences.

Founded in 2001 by Naomi Ellenberg-Dukas, Belmont World Film began with the premise that foreign-language film is not only a vehicle for hearing another language in action, but it can also foster an emotional understanding of other cultures. In 2003, Rebecca Richards founded the Family Festival, geared to children ages 2-12, with similar roots.

BWF presents an annual international film series in the spring, a weekend-long Family Festival during Martin Luther King Day weekend and other special events throughout the year. We work with local and international organizations involved in global issues in an effort to heighten awareness and encourage people of all ages to think about making a difference in the world.

Since the series began in Spring 2002 (with a sold-out screening of Kandahar featuring a Q&A with Afghanistan Prime Minister Hamid Karzai's sister Fozia) films have been shown from such familiar European countries as the UK, France, Germany, Scotland, Italy, Belgium and Finland, as well as less familiar countries, such as Bhutan, Bulgaria, Romania, Cuba, Bolivia, Iraq, Mongolia, Iceland, Singapore and Luxembourg. Other speakers have included UN envoys, international filmmakers, academic experts on international relations, languages and humanities, journalists, film stars and documentary film subjects.

BWF has also provided a forum for organizations to raise money for and awareness of many causes, some of which include The Sudanese Education Fund, the Chinese orphanage program Half the Sky, the South American Little Angels of Columbia for homeless elders, PH15 (a photography program for children and adolescents from the poorest sections of Buenos Aires, Argentina), Camfed International, the Peace Corps, and Widows of Rwandan genocide.