KNOXVILLE –- “Quinceanera,” the story of girl who is on the brink of her 15th birthday when she finds out she is pregnant, will be the featured film at Intercultural Intersections at 2 p.m. on Sunday, April 6, in the Hodges Library Auditorium.

Intercultural Intersections, sponsored by the Ready for the World initiative, is a series of Sunday afternoon events designed to help UT students, faculty, staff and the public explore cultures meeting across national, ethnic, racial, religious, political and sexual boundaries.

A Sundance review of “Quinceanera” says, “The film handles its serious subjects with grace, humor and good storytelling.”

In the film, 14-year-old Magdalena is preparing for her induction into womanhood, better known as her Quinceanera. When Magdalena finds out she is pregnant, her parents immediately kick her out of the house. She goes to live with her great-uncle Tomas and her gay cousin Carlos. Although the film incorporates a novice cast with difficult subject matter, directors Richard Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland handle these issues with scenes of love, emotion and charm.

Upcoming Intercultural Intersections events include:

• April 13 — “Bend It Like Beckham” is about a girl from an orthodox Sikh family who wishes to play soccer. A discussion afterward will be facilitated by Assistant Professor to UT Libraries Donna Braquet and Assistant Athletics Director Jenny Moshak.

The goal of “Ready for the World: The International and Intercultural Awareness Initiative” is to transform the campus into a culture of diversity that best prepares students for working and competing in the 21st century. The initiative involves increasing the diversity among students, faculty and staff; infusing the curriculum with international and intercultural content; expanding study-abroad and work-study opportunities; and encouraging students to take advantage of all of these opportunities.

For more information about Ready for the World, see http://www.utk.edu/readyfortheworld/.

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Contact:

Amy Blakely, (865) 974-5034, amy.blakely@tennessee.edu

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