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In Tampa, continents will collide on film

By Susan Thurston, Times Staff Writer
In print: Friday, May 9, 2008

Filmmaker Jehane Noujaim speaks during the "Tribeca Talks: Pangea Day, TED & Tribeca" panel discussion during the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival on April 29, 2008 in New York City.
	[Getty Images]

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Here's a word you probably haven't heard since geography class — Pangea, the supercontinent that existed millions of years ago before the continents separated. It's sometimes spelled Pangaea.

On Saturday, the word — and the idea that all countries were once connected — becomes a worldwide movement through an event called Pangea Day.

Egyptian-American filmmaker Jehane Noujaim founded Pangea Day after winning the TED (Technology, Entertainment and Design) Award in 2006. In accepting the $100,000 prize, she vowed to create a day in which the world came together through film.

The four-hour event, which starts at 2 p.m. locally, will be aired live from six international cities and broadcast worldwide in seven languages. The program will include 24 short films and speeches by Queen Noor of Jordan and CNN's Christiane Amanpour. Cameron Diaz and Meg Ryan are among the supporters.

The films were selected from 2,500 entries shot in more than 100 countries. Judges picked them based on their ability to show the world through different people's eyes.

In Tampa, Innovation Hangar, a group of artists, designers, photographers and filmmakers, will host Pangea Day at its warehouse at 211 N Meridian St. in the Channel District. Bring a blanket and a lawn chair. Other private events are going on throughout the area.

"I really believe in the power of film,'' said Darrin Guilbeau, who founded Innovation Hangar last year. "The majority of people can't travel. This is a way for people to experience other cultures. It's a great concept.''

If successful, organizers intend to make the festival an annual event.