Into The Hornet’s Nest

On Tuesday, Jan. 14, Cal Poly will host a free screening of the as-yet-unreleased documentary film The Hornet’s Nest. Filmmakers Mike and Carlos Boettcher, a father-and-son team, embedded with the U.S. Forces in Afghanistan to make the film, which tells the soldiers’ stories of survival as well as their own.

Mike Boettcher is a veteran news correspondent and Peabody- and Emmy Award-winning journalist. In his 30 years covering conflicts around the globe for NBC, ABC, and CNN—for which he performed the first live satellite report in 1980—Mike has frequently put his life on the line while reporting on acts of terrorism. In El Salvador, he was kidnapped and threatened with execution; in Baghdad, he survived a suicide bombing and a roadside bomb attack. Following the Oklahoma City bombing, Mike was one of a few journalists permitted to interview Timothy McVeigh.

Carlos has followed in his father’s footsteps, joining Mike in Baghdad to cover the war. Both found jobs reporting for ABC News, where Carlos still works as a producer.

Mike and Carlos Boettcher embedded with the U.S. Army’s 101st Airborne Division in Kunar Province, along with Cal Poly’s own senior military instructor, Tim Malmin.

The film screens for free at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 14 at the Spanos Theatre, located at 1 Grand Ave. on the Cal Poly campus. For more information, visit thehornetsnestmovie.com.

Be Festival Mozaic’s new poster girl. Or guy.

The Central Coast’s festival for Mozart and more is looking for an original artwork from a local artist to grace its brochure and promotional materials. The deadline is Jan. 31 for preliminary proposals submitted by artists or artistic teams. Artwork should highlight the festival’s “key attributes,” which include such descriptors as “high quality professional musical experience,” “innovative and engaging programming,” “unique and varied venues,” intimate/up close and personal,” and “interactive/engaging/social/festive,” according to press materials.

The selected artist or artistic team will receive $250 in event tickets to the 2014 summer festival, and will get to keep half of the proceeds from an auction of the piece. (Last year’s selected work, Trio by Drew Davis, took in $2,000 at auction.)

Interested artists should submit a professional resume and preliminary concept not longer than three typed pages on or before Jan. 31 at 5 p.m. Proposals should outline theme or concept as it relates to the festival, as well as color and surface quality. For more information, e-mail Bettina Swigger at [email protected].