Three University Circle institutions collaborate on film series premiering tonight at planetarium

CLEVELAND - The music and kaleidoscopic images surround you as the short film "The Shadow is Ripening" unfurls on the dome of the Cleveland Museum of Natural History's Nathan and Fannye Shafran planetarium.

The film is one of five that will premiere Thursday night at the museum as "360 Degrees of Sight and Sound."

In a project that began two years ago, three University Circle institutions partnered to further their individual missions. For students at the Cleveland Institute of Music and the Cleveland Institute of Art, it presented an opportunity for them to work on a project with someone outside their own discipline.

"They really get outside their comfort zone in a way, and have more tools. When they leave CIM, they'll know how to score a short film, as well as write a string quartet or orchestra piece, or solo piano. So when the opportunity comes up, they can jump on it,” said Head of Composition at CIM Keith Fitch.

The five student films will become part of the Museum of Natural History's regular programming. The films will also be entered in DomeFest, a juried exhibit that spotlights the technology, music and art in domed theaters.

For more on ticket information, visit the http:// www.cmnh.org CMNH's website http://www.cmnh.org