Baylor Math Department Celebrates Mathematics Awareness Month with "Flatland" Movie Makers

April 17, 2012

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Media Contact: Frank Raczkiewicz, (254) 710-1964

WACO, Texas (April 17, 2012) - Filmmakers Dano Johnson and Seth Caplan will present a screening of their film, "Flatland: The Movie," and discussion of their new film, "Sphereland," at 6 p.m. Wednesday, April 18, in Kayser Auditorium of the Hankamer School of Business on the Baylor University campus.

The event, hosted by the department of mathematics in the College of Arts and Sciences at Baylor, will be held in celebration of National Mathematics Awareness Month. It is free and open to the public.

Dr. Edward B. Burger, Robert Foster Cherry Professor for Great Teaching and visiting professor of mathematics at Baylor, will introduce Johnson and Caplan prior to the film screening of "Flatland."

The animated version of Edwin Abbott's 1984 classic, "Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions," stars Martin Sheen, Kristen Bell, Michael York, Tony Hale and Joe Estevez. Produced by Caplan, and co-directed and animated by Johnson, the story revolves around two-dimensional characters, Arthur Square and his curious granddaughter, Hex. They soon discover that there is much more to their planar life - namely three-dimensional Spaceland and beyond - and this discovery leads them into serious trouble with the evil rulers of their two-dimensional world.

After the screening, Johnson and Caplan will discuss and show clips from their upcoming film "Sphereland," the sequel to "Flatland," to be released in summer 2012. "Sphereland" is based on the 1965 book by Dutch author Dionys Burger and is a sequel to Abbott's "Flatland."

A Chicago native, Caplan is an award-winning filmmaker who has worked for production companies in New York, Los Angeles and Amsterdam. He holds degrees from the University of Texas at Austin and the American Film Institute. Johnson is the co-creator of a production company, Collection Agency Films, which develops animated content for a variety of clients. He earned a Telly advertising award for his web cartoon ads for gubernatorial candidate Kinky Friedman.

About Baylor

Baylor University is a private Christian university and a nationally ranked research institution, characterized as having "high research activity" by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The university provides a vibrant campus community for approximately 15,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating university in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 80 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 11 nationally recognized academic divisions.

About the College of Arts & Sciences

The College of Arts & Sciences is Baylor University's oldest and largest academic division, consisting of 27 academic departments and 13 academic centers and institutes. The more than 5,000 courses taught in the College span topics from art and theatre to religion, philosophy, sociology and the natural sciences. Faculty conduct research around the world, and research on the undergraduate and graduate level is prevalent throughout all disciplines.

by Katy McDowall, student newswriter, (254) 710-6805