Chair, One World Films, Inc.; Coordinator, Book Buddies Program, Lexington Public Library
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Photo by Mick Jeffries
When Annette Mayer worked as the cashier for the long-defunct Euclid Avenue theater, known as the Ashland Theater, in high school and college, she never thought it would be a precursor to a future vocation.
“I used to be one of these people who went to the movies every once in a while, as I was doing other things in life,” said Mayer, who has been integrally involved with the local film festival One World Film Festival since its inception nearly 15 years ago, serving as the festival’s chair for most of that time.
“What goes around comes around,” she added with a chuckle, looking back on her early job with the movie theater.
Mayer has certainly learned a lot about films in the time since then — in fact, she’s learned a lot about a lot of subjects she never would have breached if not for her role with One World. The festival focuses on presenting films — mostly documentaries, but certain feature films make the cut sometime as well — that address world issues that have some weight to them; recent films have focused on everything from the corruption behind the 2008 global economic meltdown to political violence in Kenya to the effects autism can have on a family.
“We’re looking for something that has a message to it,” said Mayer, who said she screened more than 20 films last summer, whittling the list down to 11 that were featured at the festival. “[We want you to[ come away thinking about a subject that maybe you haven’t thought [about[ before, or an issue that you haven’t thought too much about.”
The idea for the festival emerged from a group who participated in the Pew Civic Leadership Initiative in 1997. The group, which included Mayer, felt that a film festival focusing on global issues could potentially help promote understanding of other cultures within Lexington’s relatively insular community. The films are shown at a variety of locations, including the Kentucky Theater, the Central Library Theater and the Carrick Theater on the campus of Transylvania University, where Mayer worked as the director of career planning and placement for many years, and are always free to the public.
By partnering with various community groups whose missions align with the subjects featured in the films, the festival makes a deeper impact on the community — promoting the important work of local nonprofits and community groups.
Another hat Mayer wears — when she’s not taking care of her 6-month-old grandson, that is — is serving as the coordinator for the Book Buddies program, a free program based in the Central Library that links local volunteers with homebound adults. The volunteers don’t read to the patrons, but they do develop a relationship with them, knowing what they like to read and bringing them books (or books-on-tape) on a regular basis.
“People are so appreciative of the service,” she said. “You can imagine — if you couldn’t get your hands on a book, and you had to watch television all day in your house or apartment.”
Mayer takes both of her roles very seriously, as she feels that quality books and films as have the potential to change the world.
“Through good films [usually documentaries[, one can see and begin to understand different cultures and customs and problems around the world,” she said. “I wish we could get more people to look beyond the borders of Lexington.”