A favorite at the Sundance Film Festival, The Eyes of Tammy Faye appears Nov. 16­19 at the Ross Film Theater.

Mascara Queen Tammy Faye Bakker Subject of Ross Film Documentary

Perkier than Sue Ann Nivens, with a mask of happy-Medusa makeup, the former Tammy Faye Bakker strolls through The Eyes of Tammy Faye, opening Nov. 16 at the Mary Riepma Ross Film Theater, like the holy den mother of showbiz Christianity.

That said, this Sundance Film Festival favorite's richer, and far more fascinating, subject is the backstabbing history and slippery, oxymoronic soul of the "electric church."

Twelve years after the scandalous collapse of the multimillion dollar Christian empire built by Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker, The Eyes of Tammy Faye tells the fascinating inside story of the rise, fall, and resurrection of "the Queen of the Eyelashes." One of the most adored and reviled women of her time, the film follows her amazing tale from her love-at-first-sight encounter with Jim, through the glory days of PTL, to the scandal that brought both their empire and their family tumbling down.

This affectionate portrait, narrated by RuPaul, tracks Tammy Faye's victorious battles against addiction and colon cancer, her divorce, the imprisonment of both Jim Bakker and her second husband, Roe Messner, and her short-lived career as a television talk show host. Interviewed extensively are Jim, their sons (complete with tattoos and pierced eyebrow), daughter and other relatives, Pat Boone, journalists, clergy, and others who lived the story first-hand. But it is Tammy herself, one of the most natural and compelling TV stars ever, who manages to be both surprising and endearing as she takes us into a world full of shocking scandals, million-dollar lies, and funny hand puppets.

The Eyes of Tammy Faye is showing on Nov. 16 through 19. Screenings are at 7 and 9 p.m. on Thursday and Friday; at 1, 3, 7 and 9 p.m. on Saturday, and at 3, 5, 7 and 9 p.m. on Sunday. Admission is $6.50 for adults and $4.50 for students, senior citizens, children, and members of the Friends of the Mary Riepma Ross Film Theater.

Faust/The Lost Feminine by John Hansen premiered at IFF Rotterdam 2000.

Filmmaker Hansen at Ross Film Theater Screenings of Faust/The Lost Feminine

The Nebraska premiere of John Hansen's Faust/The Lost Feminine, a short film adaptation dramatizing Dr. Faust's painful emotional dilemma, and his foolish and damaging attempt to resolve it by vanquishing a young woman, screens at 7 p.m. Nov. 10 and at 3 and 7 p.m. Nov. 12 at the Mary Riepma Ross Film Theater. Hansen will be present at the screenings to discuss his work with the audiences. Admission is free.

In addition to the premiere of Hansen's Faust, the Mary Riepma Ross Film Theater is announcing open screenings for locally made films and videos scheduled for the same dates and times. Anyone interested in showing their film or video at the open screenings should contact Danny Lee Ladely, director of the Mary Riepma Ross Film Theater at (402) 472-9100 or <dladely1@unl.edu>. In order to be included, film/video makers must have their films prescreened by the MRRFT staff and must agree to be present at the screenings to discuss their work with the audiences.

Hansen, whose family has lived in Lincoln for more than 30 years, attended UNL as an undergraduate and received a degree from UNMC in 1979. Hansen lives in Sioux Falls, S.D., where he works as a physician and runs a design studio.

Hansen says he is a self-taught filmmaker and Faust is his first film. It premiered at IFF Rotterdam 2000 and is showing at IFF Uruguay 2000, IFF Sao Paulo 2000, the Freaky Film Festival 2000 in Champaign, Ill., and the New Orleans Film Festival 2000. Faust was also included in the Independent Feature Project's Market 2000 in September.

"Goethe's Faust is an image of the western heart and mind. It is a metaphor for life which is successful in thinking and doing, but wanting in feeling and relationship. Dr. Faust's error is his attempt to find an external remedy for an emotional challenge which lies solely within him. In the western tradition, conquering indigenous peoples, laying claim to all resource, innovating machines, and producing money are supposed to be, at some time, emotionally fulfilling. For feeling and relationship, they are futile and commonly destructive efforts," said Hansen.

Faust/The Lost Feminine was directed, produced, written, photographed, and edited by John Hansen. Bob Sundet served as production assistant, and Ronn Williams was post-production assistant. The cast includes Roger Allen Johnson as Faust, Stan Strong as the Old Man, Bret Moe as Mephistopheles, Lynette Kraft at the Witch, and Aina Thunem as Gretchen. The film is 16:35 minutes in length and was shot on black and white 35 mm film in Dolby stereo. For more information go to the website at http://www.reelplay.com.

Lentz Center for Asian Culture at New Location

The new address for the Lentz Center for Asian Culture is 1155 Q St., Lower Level (0252). The telephone number remains 472-5841.

McNally Reads from New Short Story Collection Nov. 15

Author John McNally will read from his debut collection of short stories, Troublemakers, at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 15 in 228 Andrews Hall.

Troublemakers was the winner of this year's John Simmons Short Fiction Award from the University of Iowa Press. McNally is the editor of two fiction anthologies: High Infidelity: 24 Great Stories About Adultery and The Student Body: Short Stories About College Students and Professors. McNally has won a Wisconsin Institute for Creative Writing Fellowship, a James Michener fellowship, and a scholarship from the Bread Loaf Writers' Conference. He holds a B.A. from Southern Illinois University-Carbondale, an M.F.A. from the Iowa Writer's Workshop, and a Ph.D. from UNL.

His reading is free and open to the public, and is sponsored by the University of Nebraska English department and Creative Writing Program. For more information, call 472-1822.

Statewide Examines Farm-Related Hearing Loss

Noise-induced hearing loss, a health problem normally associated with factory workers and heavy metal music performers, is a growing problem for Nebraska farmers, according to a special report airing at 8 p.m. Nov. 17 on Statewide, the Nebraska ETV Network's weekly news magazine.

Statewide, which includes up-to-the-minute news reports from across the state and other features of interest, repeats at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 18, and 1:30 p.m. Nov. 19. This episode of Statewide repeats on NETV2 (EduCable) at 3 p.m. Nov. 19.

Statewide correspondent Joe Turco reports that today's powerful tractors, combines and other heavy equipment make farming easier, but also make noise-induced hearing loss a more common problem for farmers. Hearing loss also makes it difficult for farmers and their families to communicate, Turco points out, adding to the already considerable strain of farming.

Hunting Issues Featured on Live, Call-in Edition of Outdoor Nebraska

A live, call-in special on hunting issues is featured as this week's edition of Outdoor Nebraska on the statewide Nebraska ETV Network. This episode of the outdoor news magazine series airs at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 16, and repeats at 8 a.m. Nov. 18. The program also repeats on NETV2 at noon Nov. 19.

Tune in to learn or call in with your own questions. Producers expect a wide variety of calls during these specials, according to producer Ralph Wall. "People are welcome to call in with anything from questions about particular types of hunting to specific law enforcement and general policy issues. Last January when we did this, people called in with questions from 'Can you walk ditches for pheasants?' to 'What's the outlook on the turkey population?'"

Nebraska Women's Basketball on Nebraska ETV & NETV2

After a series of exhibition games, the Nebraska women's basketball team opens its fourth season under coach Paul Sanderford by hosting and competing in the Time Warner Cable Classic on Nov. 17 and Nov. 19.

The Husker's opening game against the Oakland University Golden Grizzlies from Rochester, Mich., will be broadcast live on Nebraska Women's Basketball as part of NETV Sports, airing at 8 p.m. on NETV2, the cable television service of Nebraska Educational Telecommunications. A tape-delayed broadcast of the game will air on the statewide Nebraska ETV Network later that night at 10:30 p.m.

Nebraska Women's Basketball features the championship game of the Time Warner Cable Classic live at 3 p.m. Nov. 19 on Nebraska ETV. NETV2 will repeat the Husker's opening game at 9 a.m. Nov. 21, at 9 a.m., with the championship game rebroadcast at 1:30 p.m.

Calling the action from the Bob Devaney Sports Center is sportscaster Kevin Kugler and former University of Nebraska assistant women's basketball coach Brenda VanLengen.

For Nebraska basketball fans worldwide, NET will webcast both games live on NET Online http://net.unl.edu. All that is needed is access to the Internet and a free Real Media player program. Webcasting of the games is provided as a free service of NET.

NET Online Features Interactive Program Listings for Television and Radio

Public television and radio viewers and listeners can now get comprehensive program information online with new interactive program listings available on the Nebraska Educational Telecommuni-cations Web site, NET Online http://net.unl.edu. NET is the parent organization for Nebraska ETV and the Nebraska Public Radio Network.

NET Online users will find daily listings for programs broadcast on the statewide Nebraska ETV Network, NET's cable television service NETV2 and NPRN. They can select any listing with the click of a mouse and access program synopses, rebroadcast dates and links to Web resources. In addition, users can find out discussion topics and guests scheduled for major national and local series like Statewide, Big Red Wrap-Up, Wall Street Week, Washington Week in Review, and even daily news programs like The NewsHour and All Things Considered.

"As soon as we know program topics and guests, our viewers and listeners will know," said David Feingold, NET assistant general manager-content.

Net Online users will also able to search by topic of interest to find programs airing on all three broadcast services, Feingold said.

"For instance, a fan of jazz will be interested in Jazz Profiles on NPRN, as well as the upcoming Ken Burns documentary series on Nebraska ETV," Feingold said. "And they will be fascinated by our planned local jazz Web site. They don't care whether it's radio, TV or Web . . . they just want the information."

Husker Swim Sprint Classic on Nebraska ETV & NETV2

Some of the nation's top teams including the University of Virginia and the University of Nevada-Las Vegas will face Nebraska in men's and women's swim competition when Husker Swim Sprint Classic is broadcast at 6 p.m. Nov. 18, as part of NETV Sports on NETV2 (EduCable), the cable television service of Nebraska Educational Telecommunications (NET). The competition will be rebroadcast at 1 p.m. Nov. 23 on the statewide Nebraska ETV Network.

Covering a number of sprint races, the two-hour special is telecast live from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's Bob Devaney Sports Center Pool. Diving events will be interspersed throughout the program.

For swim fans worldwide, Nebraska Educational Telecommunications (NET) will webcast the meet live on NET Online, http://net.unl.edu, at 6 p.m. CT. All that is needed is access to the Internet and a free Real Media player program. Webcasting of the competition is provided as a free service of NET.