When I was a kid, my grandfather and I used to go fishing aboard his Boston Whaler, a small boat that was barely a match for the sea. Sometimes we'd catch bucketloads of fish, other times none at all. But one thing I could always count on--he'd tell stories, and I'd listen.

I've come to appreciate good storytelling. And documentary films are a powerful way to do just that. Documentary filmmakers get close up to important issues of the day to tell us their stories. I've been attending a documentary film festival in Colorado for several years, and year after year, I'm amazed at how much inspiration and information can be packed into a few hours of viewing.

I have wanted to present such a film festival locally for years. Now, thanks to the United Nations Association Film Festival (UNAFF) at Stanford University, we've been able to create an exciting event featuring 15 films and videos, plus a couple of speakers, to focus on world cultures and human rights.

The local chapter of UNA and the Weekly have joined together with CSUMB's Institute for Teledramatic Arts & Technology to present a number of films from UNAFF, in what will be its first traveling show. Our program will be held at CSUMB's impressive World Theater

I believe you'll find the films and videos thought-provoking, entertaining, and well worth your time. We guarantee you'll discover some first-rate storytelling among our diverse collection of films. Hope to see you there.

--Bradley Zeve, Publisher