Chronicles of cultures

The Margaret Mead Traveling Film and Video Festival, a showcase of cultural documentaries, makes its sixth annual visit to the University of Pennsylvania Museum Feb. 28-March 1, with highlights from the American Museum of Natural History's annual film fest. A special focus of this year's festival is grassroots film and video, with a special program on community video on Friday afternoon and documentary films about grassroots media on Friday evening. The festival's schedule includes:

  • A SPECIAL LOOK AT COMMUNITY VIDEO: Panelists from local and international grassroots video groups discuss and show examples of their works. 2 to 6:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 27.

  • "COMMUNITY ANTENNA": A program of four documentaries about community media, including films about the history of public access television in North America and films produced by indigenous peoples in Canada and Mexico, documenting their struggles. 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 27.

  • "ALL IN A DAY'S WORK": Three films, including Patti Langdon's "A Time to Woo" (photo), chronicling women's role in birth, love and revolution. 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 28.

  • "THE MIND TRAVELLER": A sneak peek at two episodes from the new six-part BBC series on the mind by famed neurologist Oliver Sacks. 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 28.

  • "POWER": A documentary that records the Cree Indians' successful battle to stop the construction of a hydroelectric dam on tribal land in Canada's James Bay region. 2 p.m. Sunday, March 1.

All Festival events are free with Museum admission donation (adults $5, students/seniors $2.50, Museum members/PennCard holders/all visitors Sunday free). Pre-registration is required for the Friday afternoon panel; call 898-4015 to register. Festival info: phone 898-4015 or visit the Web site.