FILM:
10-10-10 Screening
The screening of the 10-10-10 Filmmaking Competition films and the announcement of the winners.
FILM:
20th Century Boys (20-seiki shônen)
US PREMIERE A blockbuster hit in Japan, and one of the most expensive films ever made there, 20TH CENTURY BOYS is a mysterious, puzzling, and thrilling epic adventure. Based on the famous manga, the story follows Kenji, a wannabe rocker with a decidedly banal life. After meeting up with old friends at his high school reunion he realizes that certain current events, like a deadly plague spreading around the world, or the new cult led by a man known as "Friend," are connected to a book of prophecies they wrote when they were children. Their prophecy, however, predicted the end of the world on January 1, 2000. It is up to Kenji and his pals to try and stop "Friend' and save the world in the process. -Ryan Hedge
FILM:
28 Days Later…
Four weeks after a mysterious, incurable virus spreads throughout the UK, a handful of survivors try to find sanctuary.
FILM:
4BIA
US PREMIERE Four of Thailand's finest horror directors come together to deliver a truly delicious horror sampler with 4BIA. This anthology offers a little bit of everything in its four individual stories. Alone in her apartment, a young woman is terrorized by a series of mysterious text messages. A bullied youth looks to an ancient curse to exact revenge on his tormentors. Four friends on a camping trip scare themselves with ghost stories that come true. And a flight attendant accompanies one lone passenger—the corpse of a princess. There's something for everyone with creepy, atmospheric ghost stories, bloody revenge, some humor, and even good old-fashioned storytelling. Thailand continues to lead the way with some of the best Asian horror around.-Ryan Hedge
FILM:
$9.99
$9.99 introduces us to the residents of an Australian apartment building: a melancholy father (Anthony LaPaglia) worried about his two grown sons—one an unemployed dreamer, the other smitten with his supermodel girlfriend; a lonely pensioner who has befriended a cranky angel (Geoffrey Rush); a cheerful young idealist and his piggybank; and a man torn between his love for his fiancée and his stoner “friends.” Their stories are funny, sad and poignant, mixing reality with fantasy. But perhaps the most remarkable aspect of $9.99 is that it is in stop-motion, a labor-intensive method of animation, which results in a stunning array of emotion and movement. $9.99 was written by short story author Etgar Keret and directed by Tatia Rosenthal, both Israeli, and shot in Australia. -Jacqueline Spafford
FILM:
A Room for Sarah
A Room for Sara is a 1920's era silent comedy about a courageous young woman left to her own devices to claim her independence.
FILM:
A Woman in Berlin (Eine Frau in Berlin)
Adapted from German journalist Marta Hillers's best-selling diary and published anonymously in 1954, A WOMAN IN BERLIN depicts the end of World War II—and all the compromises it required for survival. It is April 1945, and the Red Army is invading Berlin. A photographer and journalist (eloquently played by award-winning actor Nina Hoss) becomes the victim of a traumatic sexual assault at the hands of the occupying soldiers. In her desperation to find some kind of protection for the German women left behind in this war-torn city, she meets a Soviet officer named Andrej, with whom she soon develops a powerful and forbidden relationship. This is a captivating love story about a “deal with the devil” and the treacherous dilemmas that women must navigate in times of war.-Candace Schermerhorn
FILM:
ACHOLILAND
In Northern Uganda, four U.N workers complete a much needed food delivery to a remote and war-torn village.But as they pull out of the swarming mass, news arrives that another food truck has been hijacked by the Militia en route to an adjacent refugee camp, and its inhabitants will never last without the delivery. Now, these men must return to the village they just left and reposes half of the goods; it is the only way for both villages to survive.In a place where food is everything and the militia reign with utter terror, these men will face impossible choices to keep everyone alive.
FILM:
After The Last Round
WORLD PREMIERE Few other sports encompass the theatrical displays of human struggle, strength, and violence that have come to define boxing. Fighters hone their bodies to peak physical conditions in order to survive the battle and reap the rewards. In this sport, fame and glory comes at a price many are willing to pay, but few realize the consequences. The line between athletic achievement and self-destruction is sometimes blurred. From fighters coping with the long-term physical effects to those still seeking championship glory, AFTER THE LAST ROUND uncovers the personal triumphs and heartbreaking outcomes of those who have chosen a life between the ropes.
FILM:
Alex's Halloween
A boy prepares for Halloween by dressing up in elaborate costumes and imagining himself as different characters. His mission: convince his older brother to take him trick-or-treating and sneak tons of candy past his health-fanatic mom.
FILM:
AM1200
Cocky investment analyst Sam Larson has a lot on his mind. After a financial scam goes horribly wrong, he hits the road in a desperate bid to out run his guilt. A fragment of a radio broadcast that may or may not be a distress call lures him to an isolated transmitting station and into a terrifying mystery of murder, madness and the insatiable hunger of a power beyond his comprehension. - David Prior
FILM:
Amar a Morir
WORLD PREMIERE When every opportunity has been granted you in life except for the opportunity to make your own decisions, losing everything for love is the only option. In this world premiere of Fernando Lebrija's debut feature film, Alejandro (José María de Tavira) is the son of a Mexico City magnate whose impending marriage has been arranged to coincide with a corporate merger. In an act of rebellion, a senseless tragedy occurs. Instead of relying on his father's wealth or influence, Alejandro escapes to the beaches of Michoacán where he meets Rosa, a beautiful young girl who is in a situation that mirrors his own. Together they finally discover what it means to love someone to death.-Ilana Luna
FILM:
Anatomy of Numbers
One lazy, sunny afternoon Patrick asks a question he regrets the instant he gets an answer: 'How many people have you slept with?' Emma answers and Patrick is so surprised by her answer that he leaves. Patrick is forced to face his own insecurities as their fledgling relationship hits a breaking point. Will Patrick come to terms with Emma's number and if he does, is their new relationship salvageable?At its core, the short is an exploration in gender roles in a rarely portrayed perspective, that examines a very small but dynamic moment between two people that have an emotional relationship but have not yet been literally intimate. The film will have you recalling your own number and figuring out what the 'Anatomy of Numbers' really is.
FILM:
Animated Shorts Program
FRENCH ROAST - France, 2008, 9min., Dir. Fabrice O. Joubert In a fancy Parisian Café, an uptight businessman finds out that he's lost his wallet and that he can't pay the check.To save time he decides to order more coffee... HOT DOG - USA, 2008, 6min., Dir. Bill Plympton In this episode our plucky hero joins the fire company to save the world from house fires and gain the affection he so richly deserves. HUNGU - Canada, 2008, 10min., Dir. Nicolas Brault Inspired by the grace and raw beauty of African rock paintings, we enter a world where humans and nature are subtly linked. I AM SO PROUD OF YOU - USA, 2008, 22min., Dir. Don Hertzfeldt Dark family secrets cast a shadow over Bill's recovery, in this second chapter to Don Hertzfeldt's EVERYTHING WILL BE OK. JACINTA - Mexico, 2008, 9min., Dir. Karla Castaneda It can be so lonely aging alone. Jacinta looks out her window in hope. THE NECKTIE (LA NOEUD CRAVATE) - Canada, 2008, 13min., Dir. Jean-Francoise Levesque The Necktie is fifteen years in the life of Valentin, a faithful employee working a useless task in a dead-end job. THIS WAY UP - UK, 2008, 9min., Dir. Adam Foulkes, Alan Smith Laying the dead to rest has never been so much trouble. HOW CHILDREN FLY (DE COMO LOS NINOS PUEDEN VOLAR) - Mexico, 2008, 7min., Dir. Leopoldo Aguilar The imaginary universe of a child and his desire to take flight.
FILM:
Apparition
A weekend getaway turns to tragedy when three friends are cursed by a deadly prophecy.
FILM:
Appassionata
Based on a WW II legend: A German soldier awaiting his doom in the pocket of Stalingrad spots an undamaged piano in the no-man's land between the lines. The urge to play one more time becomes irresistible. 'Appassionata' is inspired by an army postal service letter send by a German soldier from Stalingrad to his wife. The movie tells of the short moments in which soldiers try to escape the demons of war -- of those rare instants in which longings and emotions out dare the maelstrom of daily cruelty and humanity wins over the frenzy of war. Appassionata is the first short film directed by Mirko Echghi-Ghamsari. He is a renowned producer and director of commercials and has been working as a VFX-Artist and -Supervisor for some years.
FILM:
Applebox Shorts
RINDIN THE PUFFER - USA, 2006, 8min., Dir. Len Simon A young puffer fish has trouble making friends until the day his comrades encounter a real danger. DEAR FATTY - USA, 2008, 7min., Dir. Hsin-I Tseng A metaphorical journey of a hamster through a letter of the little girl who owns her. ELEPHANTS - UK, 2008, 13min., Dir. Sally Pearce In a totally grey world, a little girl's life is turned upside down by an infestation of elephants. HIS GOOD WILL - Canada/USA, 2008, 11min., Dir. Cayman Grant Using kindness and decency, an impoverished young boy touches the lives of everyone he comes across in 1950's America. CREMA SUPREMA - Canada, 2008, 3min., Dir. Ellenora Ventura In this stop-motion animated comedy, two rival bakers simultaneously attempt to create a masterpiece while trying to sabotage each other's work ALEX'S HALLOWEEN - USA, 2008, 14min., Dir. Daniel Persitz Eight year old Halloween enthusiast Alex devises a unique plan to spend more time with his teenage brother.
FILM:
Applebox Shorts 2
PLAIN AND SIMPLE - USA, 2008, 30min., Dir Merrin Marra Pauly Penguin learns the value of true beauty when he is forced to save his job at a profit-minded zoo in this colorful mixture of live action and animated cinematography. DISTRAXION - USA, 2008, 2min., Dir. Michael Stern In this computer animated film, an office worker's is driven to distraxion every night by his boss's cheesy jazz music. LAURA - IN ACTION - Denmark, 2008, 16min., Dir. Laerke Drews Talented cartoonist Laura Fagerholm is inspired by her character to literally take matters into her own hands when a rival steals her work. ALBA (DAWN) - Italy, 2008, 9min., Dir. Giorgia Farina A terminally ill boy turns into a knight to slay a fierce dragon-his own mortality.
FILM:
Apron Strings
An observant film with timeless cultural significance, APRON STRINGS examines the parallel lives of two families living in modern day New Zealand. In one family, Michael, the half-Indian son of a popular television cooking show host, attempts to learn more about his Indian heritage and reconcile a decades-old split between disjointed members of his family. In a nearby household, a retirement-aged woman struggles with the choice of selling her bakery, which she views as an act of submission and which is clouded by the financial meddling of her jobless, middle-aged son. By subtly illuminating similarities between the families concerning prejudice, love, and the role of history, APRON STRINGS offers a glimpse into two dramatic and highly representative stories. -Joe Stussi Screening with: THIS IS HER
FILM:
Archy
Directed by Hawaii-based surfer and filmmaker Bill Ballard and narrated by singer-songwriter and spoken word artist Henry Rollins, ARCHY tells the story of one of the most innovative and legendary surfers of all times: Matt Archbold. With a career spanning three decades, ARCHY set the standard for aerial surfing, becoming a cult figure within the international surf scene. A native of San Clemente, California, ARCHY started surfing when he was eleven years old, turned pro at the age of fifteen, and then abandoned his professional surfing career in favor of free surfing in early 1990s. Not only does ARCHY recount for the first time the remarkable surfing career of Matt Archbold, it also showcases high performance surfers in action through the lens of a vast array of precious archival footage from the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s and 2000s. -Lucia Ricciardelli
FILM:
Art & Copy
The 1960s witnessed a creative revolution in advertising, in which idea, image, music and theater were combined in ways never before seen. Products were described through exciting and often abstract concepts, changing how the consumer thought and bought. ART & COPY looks at the impact this revolution has had on modern culture, how images and taglines have become part of our common language. Director Doug Pray (SURFWISE and SCRATCH) speaks with the advertising innovators who created “Think Small” (Volkswagen Beetle), “Got Milk?", “Where's the Beef?”, “I Love NY,” the brilliant Braniff airline makeover, and even numerous powerful political campaigns (think Reagan's re-election). Throughout the discussions with these trailblazing men and women, Pray weaves footage of communications satellites and billboards as he looks at how advertising is changing. -Jacqueline Spafford
FILM:
Art!
Two short films highlighting art in many of its forms. FERTILIZE - Belgium, 2008, 8min., Dir. Senne Dehandschutter An experimental dance film the creates a reality with direct and physical communication. Even the environment itself changes at the influence of emotion. GRACE HARTIGAN/SHATTERING BOUNDARIES - USA, 37min. The story of a fiercely independent Abstract Expressionist painter whose life is as gutsy and compelling as her art.
FILM:
Automorphosis
WORLD PREMIERE Surely you've come across an art car before. These road-worthy vehicles have been amended, modified, decorated, and transformed into whimsical and outlandish artwork. AUTOMORPHOSIS takes an intimate look at the world of art cars, their creators, and their reasons for doing what they do. Director Harrod Blank uses his expertise as an art car creator to guide us through the world of these artists and their stunning creations. By letting the cars and their makers speak for themselves, we get an understanding of what drives the designers to create such unusual pieces of vehicular art—from a motorcycle shaped like a hamburger, from cars covered in spoons, to Blank's own masterpiece: a van covered in cameras. The people, their stories, and their creations provide a tantalizing glimpse into this unique world of mobile art. -Ryan Hedge
FILM:
The Baader Meinhof Complex (Der Baader Meinhof Komplex)
Germany in the 1970s: Murderous bomb attacks, the threat of terrorism and the fear of the enemy inside are rocking the very foundations of the yet fragile German democracy. The radicalised children of the Nazi generation lead by Andreas Baader, Ulrike Meinhof and Gudrun Ensslin are fighting a violent war against what they perceive as the new face of fascism: American imperialism supported by the German establishment, many of whom have a Nazi past. Their aim is to create a more human society but by employing inhuman means they not only spread terror and bloodshed, they also lose their own humanity. The man who understands them is also their hunter: the head of the German police force Horst Herold. And while he succeeds in his relentless pursuit of the young terrorists, he knows he's only dealing with the tip of the iceberg.
FILM:
Before Tomorrow (Le jour avant le lendemain)
After leaving their island and their clan for the summer to dry meats, Ninioq and Maniq (grandmother and grandson both in the film and in real life) find themselves quite alone. A tragic turn of events in their insular community has forced them to fight for survival on the frozen tundra. Warmed only by the glow of their burning tallow and the stories and songs they share, this Inuit boy and his grandmother struggle to imagine a brighter time. Before Tomorrow is a careful meditation on the cycle of life through both the eyes of the young and the quiet strength of the very old. It offers a glimpse into traditions that survive by sharing stories from one generation to the next.-Ilana Luna
FILM:
The Beholder
This film is about our current society's universal and objective conception of beauty. It follows the daily and exhausting rituals of an anorexic girl named Galatea. For Galatea, the photograph is the modern day statue--frozen by the eyes of judgment. Her desperate desire for perfection keeps her distracted in a psychological battle of masochistic torture versus narcissistic satisfaction. The film enters in 'medias res' during her unrecognized road to self-destruction. The one where nobody notices they are traveling on until the lines on the pavement blend into a river--rapidly pushing one towards a desolate waterfall of alienation. The type alienation that can become an unrecoverable drop disguised as your last breath. In America, especially, many feel they cannot escape the boundaries of the mainstream media--a medium that offers little diversity and perspective of beauty. As Galatea feels bombarded by the demands of a consumer society, she soon realizes her desire to conform has turned her into a sight more frightening then her fear of rejection. Sometimes when people drift so far from reality, it requires an element of fantasy, bad or good, to bring them closer to sanity. Galatea loses touch of her subjective rights as she is imprisoned by the unattainable demands society enforces upon itself and its impact on individualism. The film's turning point is not a resolution of her psychological dilemma but rather gives her the ability to see through the lie she has been living.
FILM:
Beware of Bear
Angelos, photographer for a nature magazine, arrives in a remote village in Epirus to do a story. The inhabitants of the village are guarded towards him. And things get worse when he finds out that a wild beast, a bear, roams the surrounding woods and has already killed one person. As Angelos wanders in the woods he doesn't discover the bear but things that maybe he shouldn't have...
FILM:
Blessed Is the Match: The Life and Death of Hannah Senesh
In 1944, 22-year old Hannah Senesh parachuted into Nazi-occupied Europe with a small group of Jewish volunteers from Palestine. This was the only military rescue mission for Jews during World War II. BLESSED IS THE MATCH tells Hannah's story, from her bourgeois childhood in Budapest, to her immigration to Palestine, to her capture and execution in Hungary. Hannah is brought to life through her poignant letters and poetry as well as the writings of her mother Catherine. With beautiful music and detailed reenactments, BLESSED IS THE MATCH shows us the lasting influence of an idealistic and courageous young woman who was determined to save the spirit and dignity of her people amidst the horrors of the Holocaust.-Christy Zwicke
FILM:
Boxing Paradise
A well-dealt hit on the tip of the chin triggers a double traumatic mechanism: cervical trauma and cerebral graft.That kind of hit generally causes a sense of loss and blackout, but different after-effects may occur. Lethal as well.Starting from a boxer experience, the short film we present describes this moment, called Boxing Paradise from the boxing slang. It's a sort of limbo, here translated into a Hotel's parlour, where six boxers coming from different places meet without knowing why. A time with no time, an impalpable place between life and death that reflects the daily condition every boxer lives in.
FILM:
The Brothers Warner
At the no-rules dawn of American film, four Jewish immigrant brothers from Poland made their mark on motion picture history. Jack, Harry, Albert and Sam, through the type of vision and audacity that creates industries from ideas, formed the most enduring studio in Hollywood. Lovingly crafted by Harry's granddaughter Cass and using fascinating archival and personal footage, THE BROTHERS WARNER moves from the silent era and first talkie (THE JAZZ SINGER) through the Golden Age of Hollywood. During this period the studio maintained a courageous philosophy of using film to “educate, entertain and enlighten,” addressing pressing social justice issues of the day. Ultimately, however, THE BROTHERS WARNER is a family drama of operatic sweep, with an untimely death and vicious sibling rivalry, set against the backdrop of American film history. With commentary from Dennis Hopper, Haskell Wexler and others.-Mahil Senathirajah
FILM:
Bubbles and Seashells
A young screenwriter attempts to go against the nature of his craft by ignoring drama and conflict in order to write a purely 'happy' movie. As he organizes a list of things that make people happy (dolphins, bubbles, seashells, multiple orgasms, etc) we find out that the writer has mixed feelings about seashells because he used to collect them with his mother who has recently passed. He ignores this memory and continues to write a film starring Rod Caravan- a character who gets good grades, has an attractive girlfriend who blows soap bubbles, gets a puppy, etc. However, when the writer creates a scene where Rod Caravan walks a beautiful beach with his mother the happiness seems to fade. And when Rod hands his Mom a seashell, the writer's attempt to make a 'happy movie' seems to have completely failed.
FILM:
Business
In the wake of his parent's death, Caleb is ready to turn his inherited office space into a great thing. He doesn't know what his business will be yet but figures that having the building is enough to get started and is confident he and his friend Walker will come up with an idea perfect for the location. Walker cannot help but goof off and winds up getting Caleb punched after a botched prank on their first lunch break, this incident also brings the beautiful Evelyn into the picture and Caleb immediately offers her an internship. When Walker continues his antics back at the office, Caleb fires him and then brings Evelyn on full time. Caleb resists an opportunity to make out with Evelyn in an attempt to keep things professional. Caleb rehires his friend the next day and is happy when Walker arrives with an idea for a quick buck. But Evelyn is too hot for Walker to keep his mind on work and once again Caleb must evaluate his staff with the best interest of his still undetermined 'business' in mind. Will Walker forgive Caleb for firing Evelyn? Can Walker take this business serious? Caleb just wants to honor his parents and take advantage of his inheritance but his good intentions may keep this business from getting off the ground.
FILM:
Call of the Wild 3D
US PREMIERE Inspired by the Jack London novel of the same name, Richard Gabai's CALL OF THE WILD 3D takes the viewer on a dogsled ride of a good time in this action-packed family film. Santa Barbara's Christopher Lloyd (BACK TO THE FUTURE, TAXI) stars as Bill Hale, a rough outdoorsman who takes in his precocious, citified granddaughter Ryan (Ariel Gade) while her parents are out of the country. After a rough adjustment to the outdoor life in Montana, Ryann is transformed after finding a wounded wolf-dog she names Buck. Recognizing that his granddaughter's attitude has changed, Bill allows her to keep the animal temporarily. All is well until she encounters the evil Heep (portrayed by Santa Barbaran Timothy Bottoms), who, impressed by the dog's size and speed, has designs of his own.
FILM:
Charlie Thistle
Charlie Thistle, a frustrated and disillusioned government bureaucrat, decides one day to approve one of the many memos crossing his desk. With a simple stamp of his form, Charlie brings change to his black and white world. And nothing will ever be the same again... Charlie Thistle is a simple story, a tale of one's man struggle to break out of a thankless and dull existence and bring something brighter into the world. It's a message of hope, and of the costs that sometimes are paid for bringing change to the world.
FILM:
The Chasing World (Riaru onigokko)
Fighting an old friend turned gangster, fast running high school student Tsubasa Sato is launched into an alternate universe where everyone with his last name is being hunted and killed in a bizarre, nationally televised game called “Death Chase.” While running away from the violent “Its,” a posse of terrifying hunters who are dispatched by the king to eliminate all of the Satos, Tsubasa learns that this world is parallel to his own and everyone has a double but him. During the chase, he enlists and receives the unexpected help of alter egos—including that of his comatose sister. But Tsubasa knows that in order to win the “game,” he must rely on his own speed and savvy to save not only himself, but his family—in both worlds. -Mike Takeuchi
FILM:
Clams with Green Onions
A young woman charmed by the gross and mundane enjoys a love affair that may not exist.
FILM:
Claxon (Clacson)
Every morning - in western countries - every woman gets up and knows she will have to make her way through the traffic to the clacson music in order to survive.Otherwise she will be defeated, crushed in a corner by damn double-parked cars.Every morning - in western countries - every man gets up and knows he will have to be very very patient in order to survive.Otherwise the primordial instinct will prevail over him, throwing in the dive thousands of years spent in slowly building a civil society...
FILM:
Cliente
Judith, a successful professional woman stinging from a recent divorce, meets hustler Marco in a park. What starts as a practical arrangement gradually becomes much more than that. Discreet weekly dates lead to a deeper connection and eventually to the involvement of family members. Judith's sister, Irène, has strong opinions on her sibling's choices, while Marco works hard but ultimately in vain to keep his means of income hidden from his wife, Fanny, and her family. Nathalie Baye shows us Judith's wounds as well as her desires, and Eric Caravaca portrays Marco as a cuddly, kind and appealing husband and reluctant gigolo. Writer and director Josiane Balasko (who also plays Irène) gently weaves comedy and drama together as this original story unfolds with unexpected twists and turns. -Jacqueline Spafford
FILM:
The Country Teacher (Venkovský ucitel)
Though Petr may teach his young students that if we don't understand nature, then we can't understand ourselves, he may not realize how much he still has to learn about himself. Leaving his parents and a loveless relationship behind, Petr moves to the country and soon befriends Marie and her teenage son Lada on their farm. Before long an intense unrequited desire forms: Marie's for Petr and Petr's for Lada. In a country rife with homophobia, Petr's unwelcome advances toward Lada create a devasting rift between them and alters Petr's life forever. Using beautiful, long, fluid shots, THE COUNTRY TEACHER is an incredibly powerful and moving film about people who only want love, but who are too afraid and unsure to seek it for themselves or to accept it when they find it. -Ryan Hedge
FILM:
Creature of Darkness
WORLD PREMIERE In facing the invisible horrors of nightmares, one must conquer unimaginable terror. Three-time SBIFF entrant and local filmmaker Mark Stouffer (DIAMOND DOG CAPER, WILD AMERICA, MAN OUTSIDE) shows the power of good over evil and the battle of human versus alien in his latest film, CREATURE OF DARKNESS. Fueled by a youthful combination of freedom, adrenaline and lust, a group of friends travel to the outskirts of a military base. Led by Andrew (Devon Sawa), they play by day, and at night they face The Collector, a terrorizing alien scientist seeking perfect human specimens for his museum. To destroy the alien fiend, they must not only face their own fears, but they must also expose a secret. Screening with: THE LAST CONFESSION
FILM:
Crema Suprema
A charming, stop-motion film about two bakers who compete in a cake competition. Jealous of each other's masterpiece cakes (which resemble classical works of art/architecture), they try to destroy each other's cakes. In the end, they blow up each other's cakes which results in the formation of a new artistic cake (i.e. more like a Picasso style cake). Due to this newly formed cake, the two bakers win the cake competition together and are portrayed on the cover of 'Yumm' magazine. The entire film begins in black and white and is transformed to colour when one baker hits the camera with a bucket of food colouring. 491ning time: approx: 2 min. 50 sec's
FILM:
The Dark Side of the Loon
WORLD PREMIERE The eerie calls and striking black and white plumage of the Common loon captivates those of us who spend time on northern lakes and ponds between April and October. Then the loons disappear. Quiet descends. Where do they go? How do they survive in winter? Common loons change their brilliant breeding plumage for dull winter winter feathers that provide better camaflage in winter, so we may not spot them in the marine environment. They seldom call, so it's easy to miss them even when they are diving amidst kayaks and yachts in busy Morro Bay, California.To explore THE DARK SIDE OF THE LOON, we visit two 'loon pools' (protected winter gathering grounds). On the eastern shore in North Carolina's Cape Lookout National Park, conservation biologist and ornithological expert Dr. Paul Spitzer, is our guide. On the west coast in Morro Bay, biologist Darwin Long conducts the only long-term and detailed study of wintering Common loons. In Massachusetts, we visit Tufts University Veterinary School, where Dr. Mark Pokras has studied dead loons for 20 years to understand the causes of their mortality - both natural and human caused.We'll learn how scientists in the field and laboratory unlock the mysteries of a bird that has survived for 60 million years. We'll learn how loons are helping scientists to understand the sources and sinks of mercury through blood and feather samples, the perils loons face in winter, and how humans can help ensure their survival - and ours.
FILM:
Dawn (ALBA)
The protagonist of Alba is a boy weaken by a severe illness. The short cleverly combines film and animation to better portray two different but cohesisting realms, fantasy and reality. In the short the fantastical adventures of a young hero are entwined with the somber reality of the hospital wards. In order to defeat the disease, represented by a evil dragon, the boy becomes a dauntless knight in a shiny armor. Shiny like the sun rising from a misty dawn, which the knight will see after being reunited to his beloved mother. Alba is a wonderful 'real' fable.
FILM:
The Dead Girl's Feast (A Festa da Menina Morta)
Santinho is a young man whose life has revolved around the miracle that he performed as a young boy, a destiny that has sheltered him from the outside world but not from pain. THE DEAD GIRL'S FEAST represents the yearly pilgrimage that is made to this patron saint of a small Brazilian town. In preparing for the festivities, we come to understand the cross that the entire town has to bear: raging poverty, alcoholism, incest and a blind devotion to a saint whose only claim to sainthood was to find the torn clothing of a dead girl. After a visit from his long-lost mother, Santinho shares the dead girl's revelation with his followers.-Illana Luna
FILM:
Dead Horse Opera
WORLD PREMIERE DEAD HORSE OPERA follows a dynamic young musician named Wil Ridge as he perfects his own brand of alternative country music over the course of eight years. He moves from a job hauling dead horses away from private ranches on the central coast of California to releasing an album—and ultimately to touring Europe with his band. Ridge does all of this while learning how to deal with loss and addiction and how to avoid becoming his own worst enemy.
FILM:
Dear Fatty
A little girl is writing a letter to her pet hamster in this short cut out animation, stop motion characters are combined with collage backgrounds and cut outs of real hamster to make this fantasy story. Fatty meets lots of animals during her travels and learns about outside world.
FILM:
The Demons of Eden (Los Demonios del Eden)
US PREMIERE This hard-hitting documentary follows the trials and tribulations of the persecuted Mexican journalist Lydia Cacho. In her book LOS DEMONIOS DEL EDÉN, Cacho sought to expose millionaire businessman Jean Succar Kuri for exploiting young girls through a child pornography and prostitution ring. Kuri's powerful connections in the hotel and garment industry led to a nightmarish journey in which Cacho was kidnapped in Cancún by orders from the Governor of Puebla and driven 800 miles to face false charges. This film not only traces the roots of corruption, exposing the collusion of politicians and corporations, but it also offers wire-tapped recordings of the criminals and their political protectors. These conversations among the powerful—previously only imagined—validate Cacho's version of her horrific ordeal.-Ilana Luna
FILM:
Detour
A simple road trip becomes a journey of revenge after a motorist, still coping with the untimely death of his daughter, happens across the man who apparantly predicted her death...
FILM:
Dim Sum Funeral
Facing death changes everything. Mrs. Xiao has passed away in her opulent home somewhere in Seattle. Faithful assistant Viola notified each of her four children by phone, since they are scattered around the country and are emotionally distant from one another as well. The whole family gathers to observe seven days of funeral rites together. They respect the spiritual traditions in the Chinese way, but respect for their mother is something this family has not felt in a long time. Doors open to friends who reveal stories of love as layers of grief and humor unfold and mysteries of the past paint a new portrait of the family. Dim Sum translates “to touch your heart,” which is just what this film has to offer.-Jo Clessler
FILM:
Distraxion
Distraxion is a computer animated narrative film that relies on traditional storytelling and animation principles. The film represents a successful creator driven project as well as an accomplishment in the field of online animation education. The majority of the film was developed during the short film curriculum at the online school animationmentor.com. It was then polished by the individual artists working remotely over the course of the following year.
FILM:
The Divine Weapon
US PREMIERE When a simple merchant agrees to protect a mysterious stranger from her enemies, he finds himself embroiled in a plot involving scheming monks and warring kingdoms. Epic in its scope, THE DIVINE WEAPON harkens back to classic samurai films. This elegant Korean production plays deftly with the iconic triangle of honor, loyalty, and love. And while the action here marks a return to well-choreographed swordplay rather than the overused current trend of wire works, at its heart this is a film about the dawn of a new technology and its impact on the ancient traditions in the art of war. And in that way it becomes a very classic “Eastern” Western.-Joe Palladino
FILM:
Doppelganger
DOPPELGANGER is a coming-of-age drama about Julian (10), who craves the affection and respect given to his identical twin brother by their domineering father. When Julian realizes that he can't measure up to the favored twin, he must decide what his father's approval is really worth.
FILM:
Downstream
From Academy Award® nominee & Emmy Award® nominated director, Leslie Iwerks (Recycled Life, The Pixar Story), and Emmy winning producer Philip Alberstat, comes the modern day David and Goliath story of 'Big Oil.' At the heart of the Oil Sands in Alberta, Canada, one courageous doctor puts his career on the line as he fights for the lives of the aboriginal people living and dying downstream from one of the most polluting and toxic oil operations in the world. The isolated community of Ft. Chipewyan is located 145 miles downstream from the multi-billion dollar Oil Sands industry. The 1200 residents of Ft. Chipewyan are the descendants of a long lineage of native peoples who have been born and raised living off the land. Hunting for ducks, moose, and catching fish in the Delta has remained the community's primary food source. Within the last ten years however, this longstanding tradition is now fraught with danger, as severely deformed fish and wild game are being caught regularly. Since 1993, Dr. John O'Conner has been working in the native communities surrounding the Oil Sands, and has been tracking the disturbing signs of change in the health of the aboriginal residents. Upon his arrival in Ft. Chipewyan in 2001, Dr. O'Conner spotted growing occurrences of rare cancers among the small town. Traditionally such rare cancers are known to hit approximately 1 in every 100,000 people. In Ft. Chipewyan, a town of 1200, 7 to 8 people have been diagnosed with the deadly cholangiocarcinoma within the last several years. When John O'Conner began asking questions about the impact of potential environmental contaminants upstream, seeking the support of Alberta Health, their physicians, and the oil industry, he was immediately slapped with six counts of complaints by the College of Physicians and Surgeons, including the charge of causing 'undue alarm' in the community. What transpires in this moving and heartfelt documentary is the true story of one doctor and a small native town pitted up against the impenetrable Alberta government and the oil industry. Beautifully photographed on location in the heart of the Oil Sands in Ft. McMurray, and the surrounding communities of Ft. McKay and Ft. Chipewyan, this is a haunting journey into the environmental and social destruction being wrought by the Oil Sands. As the Alberta government plows full stream ahead fulfilling the United States and the world's addiction to oil, this powerful film lifts off the lid to reveal the human toll... up close and personal.
FILM:
The Early Worm
A young professional falls asleep while working late one saturday night. He awakens in panic at daybreak. He frantically leaves ithe house in search of coffee. After finding his usual hangout closed, he opts for a nearby gas station for a generic cup. Upon returning to the parking lot, he finds that his car has been towed for parking in a handicapped spot. The walk home turns foul as he attempts to steal bus fare from a sleeping vagrant. The bum gives chase, and a confrontation ensues. Three church ladies witness only the 'worm' shoving the bum away. They come to the bum's aid with pepper spray and a telescoping rod. While retreating, he snaps his sandal on uneven pavement. Now barefoot, he steps on a snail while checking his watch. Attempting to clean his toes, he cuts his other foot on some glass. He then limps away, shirt wrapped around his sliced foot. Now on the bike path, he is nearly struck by a cyclist. He tumbles down the creek bed, breaking his glasses in the process. Nearly home, he gets dowsed as a neighbor's sprinklers activate. Finally to his front door, he notices the newspaper he had overstepped in his earlier haste. He opens it only to notice the headline near the bottom reading, 'Daylight Savings Time has Ended, Did You Remember to Set Your Clocks Back One Hour?' The paper drops as he realizes the true cause of this pst hour of torture.
FILM:
Eccentric Nature
An exciting and revolutionary view of nature, up close and personal. These nature shorts are unlike anything you've ever seen before, or can ever see on your own. SMALLTALK DIARIES - UK, 30min., Dir. Martin Dohrn Two episodes of a series for children (that adults tend to enjoy more than kids) that uses filming techniques honed on nature's blockbusters to introduce children to the daily doings of the mini-beasts that live all around them. WARPED TIME - USA, 60min., Dir. Phil Fairclough Looks at the natural world in extreme ways. Using new slow motion, X-Ray and special lighting, nature is presented in ways we have never seen before.
FILM:
Elegy
Based on Pulitzer Prize-winner Phillip Roth's novel The Dying Animal, ELEGY is a funny and heartfelt literary drama. It tells the story of the unexpected sexual reawakening of an elegantly lecherous professor, David Kepesh (Ben Kingsley) who has long been in a state of “emancipated manhood.” Stalking the alluring graduate student Consuela (Penélope Cruz) with art, music and his intellectual endowment, David, despite his polished veneer, starts to feel trapped. He is simultaneously jealous but afraid of commitment. Under Isabel Coixet's assured and perceptive direction, David and Consuela engage in a compulsive, syncopated and, at times, lyrical dance of intimacy. Penélope Cruz delivers a performance that delicately balances a natural sensuality with a modern awareness while Kingsley gracefully portrays David's vulnerability. Patricia Clarkson, Dennis Hopper, Peter Sarsgaard and Deborah Harry round out the stellar cast. -Mahil Senathirajah
FILM:
ELEPHANTS
KAY GREY watches as a shoot grows in the window-box of her grey house. Then Kay's mum FAY sprays the shoot. It dies. The family eat grey food in silence. Kay's dad RAY blames her for some strange thumping sounds and sends her to bed. On her way, Kay sees the ceiling bend.There's more thumping next morning as they eat breakfast silently. Elephants are climbing down from the attic, invisible against the grey walls. The baby elephant sneezes, blowing Ray across the room. Then the loo flushes. The Greys investigate and find a dung mountain. Ray telephones Universal Pest Control. They tell him to collect a sample.Tests show they've got Elephants! They must paint the house with colour, so the elephants can be seen. But Ray and Fay can't look at the paint without retching. Kay's got to do it! When Kay opens the can, paint jumps out and flies around. The Elephants hide in the attic.When Kay tries to paint the attic, she discovers the family of crying Elephants. She makes friends with them. But then a car arrives. The pest controller is here!The pest controller snoops around, but when he looks in the attic, he sees nothing - it's painted and empty. Ro thinks Fay and Ray must be the Elephants, so he catches them and takes them to the zoo. Up in the attic, Kay and the Elephants emerge, painted. They had been hiding, invisible against the painted walls.
FILM:
Empty Nest (Nido vacío, El )
Leonardo and Martha (Cecilia Roth) are a middle class couple in Buenos Aires with three teenage children and a life that has stagnated. Leonardo is a well-respected author, and Martha is an active supporter of her husband, having long ago abandoned her degree in sociology. What happens when their youngest daughter, Julia (Inés Efrón of XXY), leaves to marry an Israeli author and they are left all alone? Can their marriage survive the desires that rise to the surface now that they are finally free? EL NIDO VACÍO explores how Leonardo and Martha deal with their empty nest and what they can do to rescue what they may have lost.-Ilana Luna
FILM:
En Route
A driver with a mysterious briefcase steers his way through the treacheries of the open road. With time running out, he races towards his final destination.
FILM:
Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone (Evangelion Shin-Geki Jo Ban)
US PREMIERE The first film in a planned tetralogy, EVANGELION: 1.0 YOU ARE (NOT) ALONE is an adaptation and reimagining of the legendary NEON GENESIS EVANGELION anime series. After a devastating attack on the earth by giant creatures called Angels, the UN has created the NERV Agency to help protect humanity. Fifteen-year-old Shinji Ikari receives a call from his estranged father Gendo, who is the head of the NERV Agency, urgently telling him to come to the agency headquarters. Deep below Tokyo-3, the only remaining city in Japan, Shinji learns of giant mechs called Evas, designed to fight the Angels, which he soon learns he will pilot. This long-awaited reimagining of an anime classic is sure to thrill fans of the series and newcomers alike.-Ryan Hedge
FILM:
Everest: A Climb for Peace
The Everest Peace Project brought together nine “peace climbers” from different faiths and cultures and gave them one common goal – to climb Mt. Everest, the tallest mountain in the world. Narrated by Orlando Bloom, this inspirational documentary follows the diverse group as they overcome their differences to take on a challenge that puts all their lives at risk. Included in the team are two Israelis and a Palestinian, who seek to set an example by making the first joint Israeli-Palestinian climb. Sparks sometimes fly as they discuss their opposing views, but tolerance and teamwork prevail. Hailed by the Dalai Lama as a “tremendous achievement,” EVEREST: A CLIMB FOR PEACE captures the power of the human spirit and proves that a difficult task can be made simple by taking a first step. - Christy Zwicke
FILM:
Everlasting Moments (Maria Larssons eviga ögonblick)
On an everyday family outing Maria Larsson wins a camera in a lottery and, over the course of the next ten years, changes her life forever. As her family grows larger, life becomes more and more challenging. Her husband has a nasty drinking habit, cheats, and is abusive. On top of a workers' strike, the Great War breaks out and Maria must do everything she can to keep her family together and happy. Under the guidance of a local photographer, Maria learns to master her camera, producing beautiful, haunting images of every aspect of her daily life. Swedish auteur Jan Troell presents a memorable, compassionate snapshot of an ordinary family and the life-changing things that can come from the most ordinary of places. -Ryan Hedge
FILM:
Fertilize
The movie tells the story of a pretty girl in a futuristic and imaginary environment, surrounded by thousands of warriors, all being part of a magnificent choreography of dance and struggle. In the end only one warrior meets destiny. This short film mixes different concepts and several film genres. 'I wanted to make a perfect transition from a choreography of dance to a choreography of fight, blending the characteristics of Oriental Kung Fu film with elements of the African dance. This resulted in a perfect match of visual effects such as rope jumps, digitally created horizons, beautiful shots and real emotions in a breathtaking situation.'
FILM:
Fight Club
Edward Norton plays a hapless office employee who suffers from insomnia. Attempting to cure his aliment, he begins attending support groups, but that plan is soon ruined by an unabashed woman named Marla. While on a business trip he encounters an enigmatic and mischievous man named Tyler Durden and eventually ends up moving in with him. In an effort to reawaken long dormant parts of themselves, they begin hosting underground brawls. Things begin to snowball and a man who once humbly worked in a dull office is now a prominent figure in a terrorist organization. Presented as part of our celebration of David Fincher, FIGHT CLUB is a visceral experience that is as philosophical as it is brutal and is one film that absolutely must be seen. -Jeremy Jackson
FILM:
Follow The Prophet
WORLD PREMIERE An American independent film that tells a powerful story, FOLLOW THE PROPHET mixes elements of intense melodrama with plot-driven crime thriller, all set in the insular world of a polygamous cult. Jude is an ex-Army colonel whose daughter has been killed in Iraq, on the cusp of their reconciliation. Avery is a precocious 15-year-old girl whose incestuous father has arranged her marriage to the Prophet. She escapes his ugly advances and happenstance brings her to Jude. Together with a renegade female sheriff named Red, Jude and Avery conspire to topple the Prophet, searching for both justice and emotional resolution. Writer and lead actor Robert Chimento has crafted a film that involves and entertains but also challenges the audience to understand and address a still-hidden subculture of child abuse. -Mahil Senathirajah
FILM:
French Roast
In a fancy Parisian Café, an uptight businessman finds out that he's lost his wallet and that he can't pay the check.To save time he decides to order more coffee...
FILM:
The Future of the Gaviota Coast
The Gaviota Coast is the largest undeveloped portion of coastline in southern California. It extends from Coal Oil Point in Goleta to Point Conception. It is situated within the only Mediterranean environment in North America, and is an example of only five such areas on earth. Mediterranean environments are located next to temperate ocean ecosystems with a climate characterized by mild rainy winters and hot dry summers. These areas are extraordinarily rich in biodiversity and are recognized by scientists as areas of threatened biodiversity. It is here in the Santa Barbara Channel, between the Gaviota Coast and the Northern Channel Islands, that warmer ocean currents from the south, combine with the cold ocean currents from the north. It is here in the Santa Barbara Channel, between the Gaviota Coast and the Northern Channel Islands, that warmer ocean currents from the south, combine with the cold ocean currents from the north. Over the last 40 million years, mud and sand were deposited in a marine environment forming the shale and sandstone formations of the Santa Ynez Mountains. These rock formations were uplifted with the oldest stones at the top of the mountains and the youngest near the seashore. The most imminent threat to the Gaviota Coast is habitat fragmentation caused by residential and industrial development. Contrary to existing zoning, we face a large residential development at Naples, which could induce further development, changing the character of the Gaviota Coast forever.
FILM:
The Ghost (Domovoy)
US PREMIERE Anton is a successful suspense writer bored with his work. He lacks inspiration and is close to giving up writing altogether. Things change when an unexpected visitor approaches Anton at a book signing and asks him if he's ever really murdered a man. Anton thinks nothing of it until he witnesses the stranger murder a victim outside the bookstore. Both frightened and inspired, Anton makes contact with this stranger who offers him an inside look into the life of an assassin. Will Anton find the inspiration he seeks, or will this Faustian deal come back to haunt him as he gets deeper into the assassin's life? -Vince Palomarez
FILM:
The Glasses (Las Gafas)
In a desert place, where scarcely there are signs of civilization, two guys chat dressed in sheltered jackets under the ashpyxiating sun. They have to carry out a mission for mandate of a boss whom they have never seen. The mission: to recover a pair of glasses.
FILM:
Glock
He's got a license to kill... but the mission never comes.Hailed as the next big star, Agent Glock is inducted into the mysterious government operation known as 'The Cache,' a group of black-ops trained killers and spies. After proving his worth by surviving the infamous 'torture trial,' Glock is given a cell phone through which he will receive communication detailing his first big mission. However the weeks pass, and the locked and loaded Glock begins to suspect the phone may never ring. The directorial debut by Tom Everett Scott, GLOCK is a hilarious, touching, ultimately tragic story of a young man waiting for his shot... and what happens when he turns his back on his dreams.Starring Tom Everett Scott, Ciaran Hinds, Stephen Root , Rhys Coiro, Krytsen Ritter and Michael McMillian. Written by Tom Everett Scott and Michael McMillian. Directed by Tom Everett Scott.
FILM:
Going Home
WORLD PREMIERE On May 12, 2008, Brian Wilson performed his new album, That Lucky Old Sun, live in the legendary Capitol Records Studio A before releasing it on September 2, 2008. Directed and edited by George Dougherty, GOING HOME documents the making of That Lucky Old Sun, as well as Wilson's return to his original record label, Capitol Records, which produced all of his 1960s music with the Beach Boys. An examination of his lifelong personal and creative relationship with Southern California's surf culture and beach life, GOING HOME attests to Wilson's musical genius. In fact, his spiritual approach to rock and roll and his ability to connect with the audience at a deep emotional level have made Wilson one of the most influential composers of the twentieth century. -Lucia Ricciardelli To celebrate the world premiere of GOING HOME there will be an exclusive Q&A with Brian Wilson and director George Dougherty immediately following the screening where they will take your questions.
FILM:
The Gold Lunch
Humorously narrated by the recipient of an Olympic gold medal won for 'lunching with your ex,' THE GOLD LUNCH is a bittersweet love story. Based on the short story by Ron Carlson, the film depicts lunching as a 'full blown contact sport, loaded with punishing ambiguity and emotional twists and turns that dwarf the the Grand Slalom.'
FILM:
Gomorrah (Gomorra)
GOMORRAH effortlessly weaves together five stories of various Italian citizens and their involvement with the brutal Camorra mafia. Franco learns the trade of mob waste management; 13-year-old Toto joins after hiding a gun from the police; Don Ciro pays the families of prisoners amidst a violent management change; tailor Pasquale risks everything by hiring Chinese competitors; and Marco and Ciro steal a stash of weapons and decide to make a name for themselves. American films may glamorize the mob, but Matteo Garrone's depiction of the world's most notorious mafia group is easily the bleakest and most affecting ever put to film. Based on the groundbreaking book of the same name, these stories have led to real-life arrests and death threats from the Camorra.Winner of the Grand Prix at Cannes 2008Italy's Foreign Language submission-Ryan Hedge
FILM:
Gone Fishing
Gone Fishing is the touching story of a boy and old man coming to terms with bereavement through their shared love of fishing, and the legend of Goliath, the biggest pike ever caught!The story is in part autobiographical ? while growing up, director Chris Jones and his friends would often attempt to catch the legendary `Oscar the pike?, a fish that according to local myth terrorized the lake at the end of his road, the aptly named Blue Lagoon. This was the inspiration behind the legend of `Goliath?, the big fish in this even bigger tale.Think 'Jaws' but for kids...
FILM:
GRACE HARTIGAN/SHATTERING BOUNDARIES
The story of a courageous woman who, along with her friends Jackson Pollock and Willem de Kooning, pioneered the Abstract Expressionist movement in American art. Critics, art historians, curators and others share their thoughts on the significance of this dynamic painter and personality and the now legendary art scene of that time. A major artist who refused to be categorized, Hartigan continually invented and reinvented herself and her style and perservered in the face of profound personal and professional challenges: a very public falling out with Clement Greenberg, one of the most influential art critics of the time; an attemped suicide; an estrangement from her only child; and the long, tragic illness and death of her husband.This film tells the story of a fiercely independent painter whose life is as gutsy and compelling as her art, against the background of one the most explosive periods in American art history.
FILM:
Green from the Ground Up
An informative, enlightened and inspiring “how-to,” GREEN FROM THE GROUND UP looks at construction, remodeling and re-envisioning green building in Santa Barbara. Filled with the voices of green builders on the Santa Barbara scene, the film illustrates the myriad approaches to eco-friendly design, architecture, engineering and construction. It showcases how to create structures that complement their sites, how to preserve the lots they occupy, and how to make efficient use of available light, water and ground systems. Highlighting eco-design and solutions that are cost-effective and easy, GREEN FROM THE GROUND UP is an exciting look at local innovative approaches to architecture and building.-Candace Schermerhorn
FILM:
Hakim
One year old Hakim is found by the side of his dead mother by an old man in a mud-house. It turns out that, like so many children in Africa, Hakim has lost his parents to the immune deficiency disease AIDS. Hakim is taken to a children's village for AIDS orphans. There he comes into the care of local educator Aga, who takes care of numerous children with low life expectancy and has quite a unique way of dealing with these children. Using stories and tales, she manages to incite the children to enjoy life and to consider the here and now as a phase in their transformation into different beings. Through her fairytale-like stories she conveys to them a feeling of immortality. Hakim also experiences his very own personal transformation. In our eyes and in those of the children in the village he turns into an immortal hero.
FILM:
Havana Surf
US PREMIERE HAVANA SURF, shot on location in Cuba, tells the story of six young Cuban surfers and legendary Australian surfer, Bob Samin, who has made his home in Baracoa, Cuba. At the time of filming, surfing is relatively new to the island, as is independent travel. The surfers—five men and one woman—bring us inside their lives and their homes while displaying their inventiveness as they make their own surf boards, leashes and wax out of any useful junk they manage to find. Regarded with suspicion by the Cuban police, these intrepid surfers remain undaunted as they travel the island nation searching for the best surf spots. Ultimately arriving in Guantánamo, the surfers encounter Samin, visit his hidden surf spots, meet his friends and share his dreams of starting a surf school for Cubans. Through the story of these surfers, HAVANA SURF takes you on a fantastic road trip of discovery. -Nanci Herbst Screening with: SANZA HANZA and THE SURF MAGAZINES DON'T TALK ABOUT LAPSED CATHOLICS
FILM:
His Good Will
'HIS GOOD WILL' (2008, 11:19 min) is a heart-warming story set in 1950 about a young boy struggling against poverty in a small town, and how his innocence and optimism, in the simplest of ways, touch those around him.
FILM:
Hold it Like a Baby
WORLD PREMIERE State Street shops and eateries, lush Santa Barbara homes, and the lives of intelligent but volatile couples intersect at the hands of anger management psychiatrist Wilbur Waskowicks who instructs his patients to curb their anger within their own hands, and to "hold it like a baby." In this dark comedy by local filmmakers Michael and Tina Love, Wilbur becomes a self-proclaimed avenger against the insensitivity he sees all around him. What Wilbur must face is how to harness his own anger as it bubbles over with explosive energy. With a concluding eruption like no other, these lives fully cross paths. The audaciously funny fervor is marked by compassionate laughter and irreverent sarcasm as one finger of the formerly receptive hands points at the dysfunctions in all people, and reveals the consequences of everyone's own shameless and angry actions.
FILM:
Hot Dog
In this episode our plucky hero joins the fire company to save the world from house fires and gain the affection he so richly deserves.
FILM:
How Children Fly (DE COMO LOS NIÑOS PUEDEN VOLAR)
The imaginary universe of a child and his desire to take flight.
FILM:
Hungu
Inspired by the grace and raw beauty of African rock paintings, we enter a world where humans and nature are subtly linked.
FILM:
I am So Proud of You
Dark family secrets cast a shadow over Bill's recovery, in this second chapter to "Everything will be OK".
FILM:
Il Divo
Former Italian Prime Minister Giulio Andreotti's storied career has been made notorious by numerous criminal accusations. Most famously, he was linked to alleged mafia involvement and a role in the assassination of journalist Mino Pecorelli in 1979. In IL DIVO, the story of this polarizing and complicated man is told with sophistication, wit, fairness, and nuance. Amidst a crumbling career, Andreotti seems to become only more stoic, resigned, and serious in his public denials of criminal involvement. The sordid events surrounding “Belzebù,” his associates, his family, and his detractors are captured in a stark visual style and backed with a brave and distinctive soundtrack. This timeless biographical film, in its balanced study of Andreotti's enigmatic personality, moral obligations, and philosophical conflicts, delivers an elegiac statement about the nature of political power. -Joe Stussi
FILM:
Ima
Shortly after the liberation of Auschwitz, two liberated Jewish prisoners are wandering aimlessly. Shortly after finding rest under a tree, the two are confronted by a Nazi Youth innocently looking for his lost mother. One of the prisoners takes offense and confronts the boy. In turn, the boy uses an anti-Semitic remark that catalyzes the prisoner to take seek revenge against the boy not only for his words, but also for all the Nazi crimes the man has suffered. At the last moment, when we think the Jew is about to murder the Nazi boy, a liberated Jewish female rescues the Nazi boy, showing him compassion as if he were her own son. This selfless act makes the Jewish prisoner recall his own lost mother.
FILM:
In the Dark
The eve of Ayatollah Khomeini's return to Iran, a double agent, hunted by the new revolutionary government, agrees to exchange crucial information with the CIA in return for safe passage out of the country.
FILM:
The Informers
Los Angeles in the early 1980s: a time of excess and decadence, and nobody captures it better than Bret Easton Ellis as he coadapts his own acclaimed novel for the screen. Its multistrand narrative balances a vast array of characters who represent both the top of the heap and the bottom. Connecting his intertwining strands are the quintessential Ellis protagonists—a group of beautiful, blonde young men and women who sleep all day and party all night, doing drugs—and one another—with abandon, never realizing that they are dancing on the edge of an abyss. A glamorous and gritty exposé of a culture where too much was never enough. THE INFORMERS is a scathing descent into the morally bankrupt core beneath L.A.'s superficial beauty. -Sundance Film Festival
FILM:
The Inheritors (Los Herederos)
US PREMIERE Children in the Mexican countryside begin working at a very young age. Their labors are many and diverse. They are farmers and herders, they walk long distances to chop wood, they weave, they make bricks, and they care for younger siblings. They migrate with their families to work in the harvests, they carry water, and they carve and paint delicate wooden figurines called "Alebrijes." While they inherit the tools and techniques of their ancestors, these children inherit destitution, as well. Generation after generation, they remain captives to a cycle of inherited poverty. LOS HEREDEROS tells their story.
FILM:
Ink
WORLD PREMIERE They're like the air we breathe. Storytellers, our invisible guardians, will do everything possible to protect us. When Emma, a young girl, is kidnapped by a monster named Ink, her soul is taken to an alternate reality while her body lies in a coma. Her father, John, had abandoned her to pursue a life of pride and wealth, but he is about to be given a second chance. A group of storytellers fights for Emma's life by battling incubi that shadow John like the plague. Jacob, a blind pathfinder, shows the group that he can “stop the flow” by playing a symphony of destiny that alters a human's life path. In INK, you will float in an ethereal landscape of stylized visuals and airy music, watching a broken man make room for hope. -Christy Zwicke
FILM:
Inventing LA: The Chandlers and Their Times
WORLD PREMIERE In the compelling documentary INVENTING L.A.: THE CHANDLERS AND THEIR TIMES, filmmaker Peter Jones explores how four generations of one family transcended their role as news providers to become intricately involved in the growth of one of the largest cities in the world—Los Angeles. Spanning an entire century, Harrison Gray Otis, Harry Chandler, Norman and Dorothy Chandler, and Otis Chandler not only created the newspaper that once had the world's largest circulation (1.1 million at its peak), but they were also the main driving force behind everything from politics to public works. The Chandlers were instrumental in the development of major areas such as the San Fernando Valley, in the creation of countless structures including the Coliseum and the Hollywood Bowl, and in the revitalization of art and cultural areas such as Chinatown and Olvera Street. This fascinating documentary shows the significant role the Chandler family played in giving the City of Angels its everlasting identity. -Mike Takeuchi
FILM:
The Invocation
WORLD PREMIERE “What religion is God?” one of the speakers posits in the film Invocation. Some of the concepts and questions explored in this documentary include spirituality, true happiness, peace as the presence of harmonizing good rather than the absence of conflict, and the answer to who has the exclusive on God. Invocation is a travelogue, taking the viewer through our ideas and ideals of the spiritual and the material. The film presents images of religions and traditions around the world as well as interviews with a range of noted religious leaders (including Desmond Tutu and the Dalai Lama), profound thinkers and philosophers, gifted writers such as Pico Iyer, musicians, actors and celebrities (including Martin Gore and Jim Carrey), and everyday people. All are grappling with some of the questions we face daily—particularly in today's world. The take-home message is that we can remove darkness only by light and that individually we can make a difference. -Felicia Marie Tomasko
FILM:
It's Not Me, I Swear! (C'est pas moi, je le jure!)
Léon Doré is a troubled little boy. After almost accidentally committing suicide for the third time, he learns that his mother is moving to Greece, leaving him and his brother Jerome behind. Léon is prepared to do anything to kill the pain and reunite with his mother, and he acts out by robbing houses, inventing elaborate lies, and hurting himself. Along with Léa, an equally troubled girl from the neighborhood, they hatch a plan to steal money and buy a ticket to Greece, but problems arise and they are forced to separate. IT'S NOT ME I SWEAR is a quirky film, where the comedy often teeters on the edge of tragedy, as two emotionally fragile children learn to overcome the pain of growing up while feeling abandoned. -Ryan Hedge
FILM:
Jerrycan
Five bored kids with nothing to do decide to blow something up. Paper, scissors rocks seals the fate of Nathan, who risks everything after he is bullied, into making a life and death decision.
FILM:
Jesus Blues
A restless young girl slips out of church during a sermon by her alcoholic pastor to follow a guitar-clad Jesus and a homeless sax performer on a musical adventure.
FILM:
Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison
In January 1968 Johnny Cash played two concerts for the inmates of Folsom Prison. These concerts were taped and released as a hugely popular live album, selling over 500,000 copies within six months. For years Johnny Cash had been interested in prison life and empathetic toward prisoners. From the second he walked on stage that day he established a rapport with his audience. June Carter Cash joined him for several songs, her bright personality coming through in her patter to the crowd. JOHNNY CASH AT FOLSOM PRISON contains many still photographs taken during the shows (no filming was allowed), as well as interviews with family members, musicians, prisoners and guards. The film provides a rare opportunity to witness the connection this powerful performer had with this unusual audience.-Jacqueline Spafford
FILM:
K-20: Legend of the Mask (K-20: Kaijin niju menso den )
US PREMIERE The year is 1949. World War II has just ended, but not the way we remember. A strict line has been drawn separating the rich and privileged from the lower class. Heikichi is a lower class circus performer who enjoys the thrill of performing daring stunts. Everything changes one night when he is framed for being K-20, a master of disguise and the city's most notorious villain. Wanted for K-20's crimes and with a determined detective on his trail, Heikichi must hone his skills in order to take down K-20 and prove his innocence. K-20, a swashbuckling nonstop adventure with many different twists and turns, pays homage to classic superhero stories of the 1940s and '50s. -Vince Palomarez
FILM:
Kabuli Kid
US PREMIERE The ancient and historic crossroads, Kabul, Afghanistan, is a city with a vibrant daily life while tanks and planes rumble in the background. This is the lovingly-told story of ordinary people living ordinary lives in a devastated city. There have been thirty years of war—thirty long, wounded years. Khaled, the father of four daughters, is a taxi driver. One day his fare is a burkha-clad woman, with only her bare hands and ankles visible. Khaled exclaims that the Taliban is gone now and she should not hide herself. When she gets out of the cab, she leaves her infant son behind. Surely, this is a mistake! Khaled and his friends comb Kabul, going to the police, an orphanage, and the radio station. As they search, they reveal the truths of their lives. KABULI KID is poignant and compassionate without being moralizing. It is an unforgettable film. -Betsy R. Cramer
FILM:
Kung Fu Panda
With an all-star cast, KUNG FU PANDA tells the story of Po, a persistent yet inept panda who sneaks his way into a kung fu tournament among five masters dubbed the Furious Five. The tournament is meant to determine who should become the Dragon Warrior and defend the Valley of Peace from the maniacal Tai Lung, but the seemingly incapable Po inadvertently gets chosen to receive this high honor. With no training and few skills, Po seems like an unlikely warrior, but with the help of the Furious Five and the wise Master Shifu he becomes a force to be reckoned with. Does Po have what it takes to become the Dragon Warrior and defend the Valley of Peace? Find out in the hilarious and heartwarming KUNG FU PANDA.-Jeremy Jackson
FILM:
La Grande Maladie
La Grande Maladie is the story of two young performers who meet and form an unlikely friendship. One is destined for greatness, the other to a life of failure and regret. Miss Posley, a young dancer, was born into a wealthy family. She trains at the finest schools, where she works hard and quickly rises to the highest ranks. After her parents sudden death, however, she is unable to afford her education and finds herself penniless and abandoned, forced to perform in the streets for money. This is where on a cold and snowy night, she meets Max, a struggling and seemingly talentless magician. He notices her talent immediately and gets her an audition at a local circus where he is employed. She passes the audition with her usual brilliance and soon finds herself performing for larger and larger audiences. She becomes a great and unusual success at the circus, and unlike Max, Miss Posely seems destined for greater things. One night after her performance, she is approached by a well-dressed Man from the Bleue Roof Ballet Company. He offers her a chance to perform on proper stages in front of proper audiences. Her debut performance is met with overwhelming approval. She becomes an overnight success and finds herself showered with gifts, flowers, and invitations to all the important social events. Meanwhile, Max is left behind with his same struggling act. He follows her career closely and with a feeling of pride, but longs desperately to reestablish contact with her. He writes her daily letters which she never notices among the stacks and stacks of mail from her adoring fans. Max hopes his final act, a new and dangerous feat, will be the thing that finally catches her attention and brings her back to him. He writes to tell her all about it, and prays that she will attend.
FILM:
The Land of the Devil (El pais del diablo)
US PREMIERE Have we behaved like civilized men? asks the white man after he has brutally crushed an entire people. EL PAÍS DEL DIABLO takes a close look at the tragic consequences of the 1879 campaign to exterminate the indigenous Ranquel people of the pampas in the "Conquest of the Desert". It seeks to name those people whose existence, both physical and cultural, was seen as a threat and later as a museum curiosity, to the Argentine nation. This film examines the ways in which the image of indigenous people has been usurped, and reinvented by the white man, and how the surviving descendants in Leobucó have reclaimed the body of their Chief, Mariano Rosas and are rebuilding their cultural identity through language teaching.-Ilana Luna
FILM:
Landscape No 2
US PREMIERE While stealing a priceless painting, common thief Sergej's greed gets the best of him when he mistakenly takes a mysterious document that refers to some shady dealings near the end of World War II. Thinking nothing of it, Sergej goes about his normal life of cheating and lying to those who love him. Little does he know the document in his possession is something the owner does not want made public. The owner will do whatever it takes to recover the painting and the document. Will Sergej realize the danger coming his way or will his selfishness send him to his doom? -Vince Palomarez
FILM:
The Last Confession
A priest who thinks he is doing God's work by killing men who come into his church and confess their horrible sins, gets into a car wreck on the way back from dumping one of the bodies and gets thrown into a horrifing nightmare. A man in all black comes into his church and sits in the confession booth but then ask's the priest if there is anything he would like to confess. The Priest is shaken by the sound of the man's voice and gets the feeling he knows everything about him. Out of fear, the Priest strangles the man and takes him up to the cabin where he has burried his other victims but soon realizes there is something very different about this man. His car wont start and he becomes stuck at this little cabin in the woods where his victims begin crawling up out of their graves. The ending is to DIE FOR!
FILM:
Laura - in Action
Laura Fagerholm arrives in the big city hoping to publish her comic book featuring the superheroine Miss Crystal. But at Justesens Publishing House Laura meets the untalented publishing house employee Ann Teve, who tries to steal her comic book in order to appear as the author. Before long, Ann has manipulated Laura into a trap where her comic book, her dream about publishing and her heroine Miss Crystal are in lifethreatening danger. Laura must take action, before its too late!The film takes place in a world where real life meets animation, and where everyday life aggravate into betrayal and intellectual theft. Laura in Action is a film about daring to fight for ones dreams.
FILM:
Life as a Movie
Although surfing, snowboarding and skateboarding are all sports that require balancing on a board and popping off its tail when jumping and spinning, there are substantial technical differences among them. In LIFE AS A MOVIE, pro surfer Benji Weatherley investigates the ways in which these action sports diverge. He organizes a series of trips around the world with other pros from the contemporary skateboarding, snowboarding and surfing scene so they can experience one other's sport firsthand. LIFE AS A MOVIE features some of the world's leading names in action sports, from Chad Bartie, Jake Burton, Tom Carroll, Shane Dorian, Dave Downing, and Tony Hawk, to Yadin Nicol, Rizal Tanjung, Kalani Robb, Kelly Slater, Tosh Townend, J.P. Walker and Ross Williams. Even surfer-musician Jack Johnson joins the troop, showcasing his exceptional athletic abilities. In performing activities that have a high level of inherent danger, these athletes have helped transform traditional perceptions of sport. -Lucia Ricciardelli
FILM:
Lightbulb
CLOSING NIGHT - WORLD PREMIERE LIGHTBULB is a serious comedy about two friends, a small-time inventor and a fast-talking salesman who deal with mishaps and failed inventions before coming up with a product that becomes a worldwide phenomenon. LIGHTBULB is a story about hope and persistence in the face of hard times.LIGHTBULB features Dallas Roberts (I WALK THE LINE, 3:10 TO YUMA), Jeremy Renner (THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES, THE HURT LOCKER), Ayelet Zurer (MUNICH, ANGELS & DEMONS). LIGHTBULB is directed by Jeff Balsmeyer, whose first feature DANNY DECKCHAIR opened to rave reviews and was the closing night film at the Toronto Film Festival.
FILM:
Linkin Park: The Making of Minutes to Midnight
Since 2000, two-time Grammy award winners Linkin Park—the band from just down the 101—has sold more than 50 million records. Along the way, Santa Barbara filmmaker Mark Fiore has been making their music videos. For their latest album, Minutes to Midnight, Fiore spent time in the studio with the band and legendary producer Rick Rubin and produced a documentary about the experience. In addition, his video of the album's cut “Given Up,” shot in the 02 Arena in London, scored more than 10 million hits on YouTube. Fiore and members of Linkin Park will be at the screening of these two films to explain how their collaborative process works and what it is like to be at the center of one of modern rock's biggest success stories. Screening with: GIVEN UP, dir. Mark Fiore and THE SEED, dir. Joe Hahn
FILM:
Living With Big Cats
A film about the making of EYE OF THE LEOPARD, telling the story of how these two first class filmmakers, Derek and Beverly Joubert, integrate into the African plains for years in order to reveal the secrets of these wild animals.
FILM:
Lobo: The Wolf that Changed America
LOBO: THE WOLF THAT CHANGED AMERICA tells of Ernest Thompson Seton's quest in the 1890s to capture this legendary and elusive wolf. Widely renowned as a hunter and naturalist, Seton was hired for a huge sum to rid New Mexican ranchlands of the livestock-killing predator. He tracked Lobo with determination for months, and along the way he developed a deep love and respect for the intelligence and loyalty of wolves. After the epic battle between man and animal was concluded, Seton went on to write extensively in defense of the animals and the wilderness of the American Southwest. LOBO is based on his diaries and his book Wild Animals I Have Known. The film is narrated by Sir David Attenborough, who was greatly influenced by Seton's book as a boy. -Jacqueline Spafford
FILM:
Loss (Nereikalingi zmones)
LOSS interweaves the lives of six people struggling for meaning in Lithuania, a country with the highest suicide rate in the world. Valda, a penniless young woman, moves to Ireland to build a better life for her son, whom she leaves behind in an orphanage. She works for a priest still haunted by a dark secret in his past, while her son is adopted by Nora, a childless businesswoman. Nora’s ex-husband, Ben, is a deranged boozehound betrayed by technology – he got caught with his cell phone’s “little black book” of mistresses. Fueled by a brooding, award-winning soundtrack, LOSS illustrates the fragmentation of modern life and shows that no matter how lost we feel, we are all still human. Lithuania's entry for Best Foreign Language Film for the 2009 Academy Awards.-Christy Zwicke
FILM:
Lost Islands (Iim avudim)
US PREMIERE Set in 1983, this Israeli film is a coming-of-age story not just for the two brothers who are the emotional center of the film, but also for their family and perhaps even for Israel. When we first meet the brothers, life is simple. Their days are passed enjoying old TV shows, heading off on family road trips and living in a world chock-a-block full of eighties American pop songs. But this glossy nostalgia is short-lived. All too quickly a love interest and familial loyalty divide the inseparable brothers. The naive images of youth are shattered when a son realizes his father is far less than perfect and when one son's sense of honor and national duty is put to test by the reality of war.-Joe Palladino
FILM:
Love You More
Georgia sits in a Geography class covering her exercise book with graffiti. Her classmate Peter watches her with longing. Georgia turns and catches him - but ignores his gaze. After school Peter goes to the local record shop to buy the new Buzzcocks single, 'Love You More'. It's the day of its release and he's desperate to own it. As he's flicking through the rack of 'New Releases' Georgia comes in. She's after the same record... But there's only one copy. And Peter's got it. Georgia quizzes him on Buzzcocks. She's quietly impressed that this seeming geek knows his stuff. But there's still only one copy. Georgia slips it into Peter's school bag and they hurry out. In the street she invites him to listen to the stolen record with her. He hesitates and admits he's supposed to be going straight home. Georgia laughs and leads him to her place - a flat above a pub. They go to her bedroom and listen to the song. It's loud and quick and it ends suddenly. Georgia throws herself at Peter and they devour each other; a frenzy of skin and limbs, the energy of the music propelling them into losing their virginity. Georgia walks Peter home. Peter wants to know if she'll continue to ignore him at school. Georgia says, 'Don't be poxy'. They kiss, tenderly. Peter watches Georgia depart. He's madly in love. Georgia walks away.
FILM:
Luis Leal: A Journey of 100 Years
WORLD PREMIERE LUIS LEAL: A JOURNEY OF 100 YEARS is the biography of an outstanding educator, scholar and human being who has won national and international awards and honors and continues to live a rich life at the age of 100. A World War II veteran, Leal received the Aguila Azteca Award from the Mexican Government in 1991 and the National Humanities Medal from President Clinton in 1997. He received a doctorate Honoris Causa from the University of Illinois, Urbana, 2000. At the age of 69, he came to Santa Barbara to retire but he immediately began teaching at the University of California, Santa Barbara where he taught for more than 30 years. A prolific and distinguished scholar, Dr. Leal has written more than 45 books and 400 articles. Screening with: MY FRIENDS CALL ME MISS CHASE
FILM:
Make My Day
Make My Day is a short about a man arriving to the emergency hall together with his son who has sprained his ankle in school after being bullied. The father has always told his son not to let anybody bring him down. But when the attending doctor turns out to be one of the boys who bullied the father back in his school days, the father becomes very submissive. And suddenly it is the son who has to stand up for his father.
FILM:
The Man Who Loved Yngve (Mannen som elsket Yngve)
US PREMIERE November, 1989. Seventeen-year-old Jarle Klepp and his friends escape the grey tedium of their small Norwegian town through their hardcore punk band, "Mattias Rust Band." Jarle has it all—the best girlfriend and the coolest friends, and he basks in the recognition fueled by his band. But things take a turn when Yngve, a new boy, arrives at school. Jarle's world is turned upside down and he finds himself choosing between the girl everyone envies him for and a boy whose life and passions counter his own. Based on the best-selling book by Tore Renberg, first time feature-helmer Stian Kristiansen delivers a sparkling, dramatic coming-of-age story, with music from some of the leading rock bands from the period.-Candace Schermerhorn
FILM:
Mapuce Nation (La Nación Mapuce)
US PREMIERE We are part of the land, not owners of it. Thus affirm the Mapuce activists that are fighting to reclaim their tribal territories, land that has been usurped by the Argentine government only to be handed over to large multi-national corporations for their exploitation of natural resources. LA NACIÓN MAPUCE details the legal battle of the Mapuce community that seeks official redress for their expulsion from the Pulmarí territory. Together they struggle to find equilibrium in their lives, reunite a dispersed community, physically occupy the territory of their ancestors, and envision a future of economic prosperity and cultural wholeness for their people.-Ilana Luna
FILM:
MEDUSA (Multi Media Event)
MEDUSA is a multi media event combining live dance and music with video. You are invited to have an ethereal experience in the watery world of dream and imagination. “I lived a long time under vast porticoes whose splendors altered with the sea all day by evening their majestic pillars turned row after row, into tall basalt caves. Solemn and magical the waves rolled in bearing images of heaven on the swell blending the sovereign music that they made with sunset colors mirrored in my eyes.” -Baudelaire (trans. Richard Howard) Filmmaker Catherine Bennett and Filmmaker/Choreographer Robin Bisio join Wesley Smith of MAT in designing a sensory and contemplative experience. Bennett and Bisio created installations for the 2007 and 2008 SBIFF.
FILM:
Megamall
WORLD PREMIERE Money, power, politics: MEGAMALL examines the intersection of the three, showing what happens to the American landscape when money and power dominate politics. This cautionary tale was more than ten years in the making, featuring the clash of mall-builder Pyramid Companies with the townspeople of Rockland County, the smallest county in New York. In 1985 the fight began. In 1996 construction started, but residents noticed that the behemoth was substantially larger than the agreed-upon plans! This documentary tells how it happened, showing Pyramid lawyers, silent planning commissioners, and citizens' outcries. The film draws from newspapers, TV, home video archives, and interviews with affected residents, shop owners, officials and ordinary citizens. Showing the effects of the mall on the suburban environment, MEGAMALL'S significance extends across America.-Betsy Cramer
FILM:
Mile High: How to win...and lose...the White House
WORLD PREMIERE At seventeen, Luke is too young to vote, but he's not too young to make a difference. After campaigning for Barack Obama for more than a year, he decides to travel to the Democratic National Convention in Denver to see Obama deliver his acceptance speech, hoping he can find a ticket once he gets there. MILE HIGH follows Luke on his journey from Super Tuesday to Denver to Election Day. Along the way, the film delves into Luke's past and his hopes for the future. We also see the presidential candidates themselves talking to pundits and media experts about what it took to win—and lose—the White House in 2008.
FILM:
Milking The Rhino
MILKING THE RHINO is a documentary depicting the struggle of two of the world's oldest tribes, the Maasi of Kenya and Namibia's Himba, as they struggle to adapt to dire warnings of endangered species and a century of white man's conservation. These cattle-eating people disagree about the value of rhinos, which provide no meat but are permitted to share the valuable grassland with livestock. This policy creates resentment between the community-based conservatives, who benefit from milking the rhinos, and the rural tribes who are facing deep cultural change. As a result many are now forced to vie for slices of the wildlife and tourism pie. Through intimate, heartbreaking stories of local villagers, the plight of navigating a sensitive balance between modern conservation and ancient ways is unveiled.-Nanci Herbst
FILM:
Millions
A 7-year old finds a bag of Pounds with a few days to spend before the currency is switched to Euros and learns what we are really made of.
FILM:
The Music Lesson
WORLD PREMIERE Methods of musical training are as different as classical music study is from oral tradition, as Shostakovich is from East African rhythm. THE MUSIC LESSON accompanies ten Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra students to the rural Kenyan district of Laikipia. Laikipia students learn from their elders, and musical rhythm is integral to their culture. Boston students have formal training, with technique sometimes trumping emotional expression. This fascinating documentary shows the ways we learn and teach, how we think of ourselves and our talents. Through music, the two groups transcend their differences. The Kenyans and the Americans learn from each other, sharing music as a common language.-Betsy R. Cramer
FILM:
My Friends Call Me Miss Chase
This is a lively, half-hour biography of Pearl Chase, renown 20th Century civic activist whose activities and aesthetic vision influenced the creation of modern Santa Barbara in countless ways. Incorporating her own words from a 1969 oral history interview with those of individuals whose lives she touched, this film uses archival images and footage, some very rare, to explore Miss Chases' accomplishments, frustrations, methods, motivation, as well as her legacy.A lifelong civic activist, Miss Chase (1888-1979) was a leader of Santa Barbara's social welfare, urban planning, city beautification, conservation, and historic preservation efforts. She was influential after the devastating 1925 in establishing Spanish-style architecture as the reigning aesthetic in the downtown area. Through her initiative, the Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation was established in 1963 to reconstruct the Santa Barbara Presidio. In order to accomplish so much for what she and her Progressive-era colleagues considered to be the public good, Miss Chase relinquished much of her private life. Along with examining her evolution from a sociable young woman into a committed, unmarried, assertive leader, respected, even feared, by men and women alike, this film suggests that there were unique historical circumstances which affected her. The film is narrated, but incorporates many of Miss Chase's own words and observations. Touching and funny anecdotes told by those who knew her well punctuate the narration.
FILM:
The Necessities of Life (Ce qu'il faut pour vivre )
Director Benoît Pilon could be positing that family, community and a feeling of belonging are the necessities of life. In this story that takes place in 1950s Canada, the Inuit hunter Tivii (played by Inuit actor, filmmaker and sculptor Natar Ungalaaq, who has also been seen in THE JOURNALS OF KNUD RASMUSSEN and ATANARJUAT: THE FAST RUNNER) is sent to a sanatorium near Quebec City after contracting tuberculosis. A long voyage and an even longer stay in the hospital where everyone (except him) speaks French leaves Tivii despondent, and wanting to die, he refuses to eat. The remedy is companionship. Sympathetic sanatorium nurse Carole (Éveline Gélinas) arranges for the transfer of also-ill young Inuit orphan Kaki (Paul-André Brasseur). Kaki speaks both French and Innu, helping Tivii navigate his life. Tivii begins carving sleds, bears and other images of Inuit life for Kaki, and the two of them form a heartwarming familial bond. --Felicia Marie Tomasko
FILM:
The Necktie (Le Noeud Cravate)
The Necktie is fifteen years in the life of Valentin, a faithful employee working a useless task in a dead-end job.
FILM:
Next Floor
During an opulent and luxurious banquet, complete with contingents of servers and valets, eleven pampered guests participate in what appears to be a ritualistic culinary carnage. In this phantasmagoric, otherwordly universe an unexpected sequence of events underminds the endless symphony of abundance.
FILM:
No Corner for Old Mime
Ted (Don Baldaramos) has more than 20 years experience in miming. He performs on a street corner daily but has lost his knack for entertaining. Jerry (Darron Johnson), his boxing crazed neighbor, wants Ted to work out with him in order to get back in shape. Ted refuses Jerry's request daily, but on this particular morning something is different. While attempting to attract a crowd another mime approaches and forces Ted from his corner. Taking desperate measures, Ted accepts an invitation from Max (Kyle Cowgill), a die hard fan, to get back into shape and reclaim his street corner.
FILM:
Nobody To Watch Over Me (Dare mo mamotte kurenai )
US PREMIERE When a heinous crime is committed, the Japanese police find that they must protect the family of the perpetrator. After two children are murdered, police detective Takumi is assigned to protect Saori, the suspect's younger sister. After the relentless onslaught of the press and angry public, Takumi takes Saori to a remote town outside Tokyo where they can wait out the uproar. Despite his best efforts, they learn that there is nowhere to hide and realize that the public will find them. In the process Saori is forced to deal with being cut off from the outside world and must learn to trust Takumi and share whatever vital knowledge she has regarding her brother's case. NOBODY TO WATCH OVER ME is one of two skillfully directed films (the other being VACATION) shining a light on the Japanese justice system and the toll it takes on those who serve with honor.-Ryan Hedge
FILM:
Nothing But the Truth
OPENING NIGHT Writer-director Rod Lurie’s new film is the story of Rachel Armstrong (Kate Beckinsale), a young reporter on the national desk of the Capitol Sun-Times, a major Washington, D.C. daily. Rachel writes an explosive story that reveals the identity of covert CIA agent Erica Van Doren (Vera Farmiga) that, once published, causes all hell to break loose and the government to demand the identity of Rachel’s source. With the support of her editor, Bonnie (Angela Bassett), her paper’s in-house attorney (Noah Wyle) and her husband, Ray (David Schwimmer), Rebecca defies the charismatic, career-minded special prosecutor, Patton Dubois (Matt Dillon). When Rachel also declines to reveal her source to U.S. District Court Judge Hall (Floyd Abrams), he cites her with contempt of court and throws her in jail, pointing out that Rachel alone holds the keys to her cell and that time in the D.C. Detention Center may help her come to realize this. The story follows the hardships Rachel experiences behind bars as well as the legal struggle played out by her attorney, Albert Burnside (Alan Alda), as he pleads her case on First Amendment grounds -- a case he argues all the way to the U. S. Supreme Court. Everyone is rabid to know: Who is the source and why is Rebecca so committed to sacrificing so much to protect it? As with Lurie’s filmmaking breakout THE CONTENDER, for which Joan Allen and Jeff Bridges were both nominated for Academy Awards®, NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH is set in Washington, D.C., staged at the harrowing intersection of governmental power and personal integrity and told from a distinctly feminine perspective. While THE CONTENDER focused on one ground-breaking female Senator’s fight to maintain her dignity as she weathers a partisan dirty trick on her way to assume the office of Vice President, NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH portrays two very different, very strong Washington women as they fight to protect what they hold most dear. TRUTH’s Rachel Armstrong fights to protect her source, her integrity and her career. And after being exposed as a covert CIA operative, Erica Van Doren fights to protect her reputation within the agency and the sanctity of her other life as a caring suburban mother. Written and directed by Rod Lurie, NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH is a Yari Film Group release. The film is produced by Bob Yari, Marc Frydman and Lurie, with James Spies serving as executive producer. Alik Sakharov is the director of photography; Eloise Stammerjohn is production designer; Lynn Falconer is costume designer and Sarah Boyd is the editor. The film was shot on location in Memphis, Tennessee.
FILM:
O'Horten
Odd Horten is a quiet man. A train engineer about to retire, he is facing this life-changing moment with some trepidation. After getting locked out of the apartment building where his friends have gathered to celebrate his career, he begins a wild, often surreal journey into a world unknown to him, free of the routine and strict schedule Odd cherished so deeply. Around every corner is a new surprise, alternately ridiculously humorous and affectingly poignant. Where his life goes from here is anyone's guess, but the small changes he makes to his life would be comforting and affirming to anyone who has gone through a major transition. O'HORTEN is a quiet, hilarious, and emotionally resonant film that takes you places you would never expect.-Ryan Hedge
FILM:
The Oasis
WORLD PREMIERE The Oasis is a Salvation Army-run shelter for street kids in Australia, managed by a remarkable man named Paul Moulds. The teens live dire, heartbreaking lives, but Paul never gives up on them, working 365 days a year. The youths are constantly struggling with drug dependency, living with memories of abuse or abandonment, and learning not to act out their anger and frustration. THE OASIS contrasts the chaotic and dangerous lives of the kids (echoed in the periodically frenetic editing) with the endless compassion of Paul and his wife. The filmmakers focus on seven kids and the particular issues each grapples with over a two-year period. Among them are teenage parents Emma and Trent, runaway Haley, and Chris who remains devoted to his mother. OASIS is difficult to watch, but it is ultimately inspiring and hopeful.-Jacqueline SpaffordScreening with: ONE BRIDGE TO THE NEXT
FILM:
Ocean (Okean)
OCEAN is a moving and subtle film with a window to people who live in a society where big dreams are rarely realized. Joel, the oldest brother in a traditional fishing family in a small village, falls deeply in love with Maricel, a beautiful village girl with more sophisticated aspirations. Returning from a fishing trip, Joel discovers that Maricel has married someone else. Distraught and heartbroken, he decides to try his luck in Havana and build a new life. But the dark side of the city engulfs unknowing Joel and he wises up too late to the urban street games. Beautiful, lush visuals of Cuban life, music with a Latin beat, and raw and passionate characters drive this feature debut from Russian director Kosyrev-Nesterov. -Candace Schermerhorn
FILM:
On The Road to Tel-Aviv
On the road to Tel-Aviv is a dramatic story (with comedic elements) that shows how, under the tense reality of war and terror, enemies can sometimes find themselves in the same boat (or in the same bus). It is a story of a young Israeli who finds himself in a scary situation when a suspicious Arab woman enters the same bus as his fiancée. He then tries to get his fiancée out of the bus without creating too much of a scene, but panic erupts and he must now calm the situation down.
FILM:
One Bridge to the Next
One Bridge To The Next addresses the burgeoning field of street medicine. In 1992, Dr. Jim Withers began doing night rounds on the streets of Pittsburgh, offering medical assistance and support to the homeless. Fifteen years later, the organization he founded, Operation Safety Net, is a pioneering model in a growing movement to provide healthcare to the homeless. Dr. Withers and his team navigate riverbanks, bridges, and alleyways to bring medical help and social justice to those who have fallen through the cracks of society. The complex condition of the chronically homeless is depicted through vivid characters - a 70 year old former architect, a laid-off steel mill worker, an ex- drag queen failing from cancer. In a time when our national healthcare policy is under increasing scrutiny, this story illuminates the committed efforts within a single urban area to create a humane society and dignity for those on our streets. Plays with THE OASIS.
FILM:
One Track Mind
WORLD PREMIERE One Track Mind is the latest 16mm movie from the creative collaborative Woodshed Films. Directed by Chris Malloy, One Track Mind explores the common thread that drives the most influential surfers from three generations to push wave riding to new dimensions. Experience the unique opportunity to sit up close and personal with the most prolific surfers of our time as they share the secrets that gave them inspirational and technical elements to be the best the world has ever seen.
FILM:
Oscar Short Doc Program
Every year the Academy narrows down the field of short documentaries to a brief, but varied, list. These three shortlisted Oscar documentaries offer just a small taste of the wonderful films up for the coveted award. DOWNSTREAM - USA, 2008, 33min., Dir. Leslie Iwerks The modern day David and Goliath story of 'Big Oil.' At the heart of the Oils Sands in Alberta, Canada, one courageous doctor puts his career on the line as he fights for the lives of the aboriginal Indians living and dying downstream from one the most polluting and toxic oil operations in the world. TONGZHI IN LOVE - China/USA, 2008, 30min., Dir. Ruby Yang 'Frog' Cui and his friends navigate the dilemmas of being gay in modern China, torn between the lures of city life and the unyielding traditions by which they were raised. THE WITNESS - FROM THE BALCONY OF ROOM 306 - USA, 2008, 32min., Dir. Adam Pertofsky With every truth there bears a witness. And it is with this thought that we hear Reverend Samuel 'Billy' Kyles story. In 1968 on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel Rev. Kyles stood next to Dr. Martin Luther King as he was shot down in cold blood. With support from Maxine Smith and Dr. Benjamin Hooks we hear why Dr. King was in Memphis and what went on in the last hour of his life.
FILM:
Oso Blanco
US PREMIERE The Río Piedras State Penitentiary, known as Oso Blanco (White Bear), housed some of Puerto Rico's toughest criminals. It gave birth to two of the prison gangs that control Puerto Rico's prison system to this day: Ñetas and Los 27. Before its 2004 closure, it was also the stage for some of the most brutal and inhumane conditions on the island and perhaps in the world. Through personal accounts and animated illustration, OSO BLANCO follows one of the jail's long-time residents and one of its oldest guards to tell the story not of a single jail, but of an institution. It questions the validity in our culture of incarceration and examines the psychological implications that prison has on those who are locked within its walls.-Ilana Luna
FILM:
Our Disappeared
Three decades after government repression marked by kidnapping, torture and exile, Juan Mandelbaum returns to his native Argentina after discovering that an old girlfriend from his college days, Patricia Dixon, was among the thousands of people known as "the disappeared." His exploration is at once personal—tracing the fates of several of his friends and co-workers, militant youth who were later murdered—and political, with an excellent explanation of 1970s Argentina, an era fraught with complex contradictions. The goal of this entire lost generation was to effect change and to eradicate social injustice. OUR DISAPPEARED stands not only as a testament to the memory of those who died for their utopian ideals, but also as a reminder to recommence the work they began.-Ilana Luna
FILM:
Our Town (Uri dongne)
A serial killer emerges in a small town in Korea. He commits a series of murders involving women while toying with the police who are unable to identify him. Detective Jae-shin is forced to consult with his childhood friend, Gyeong-ju, a writer who is familiar with the minds of serial killers, in the hopes of finding a lead. Little does Jae-shin know that Gyeong-ju has a secret of his own and that secret could tie him directly to the serial killer. OUR TOWN is a film that tries to examine the motivations of a serial killer and the choices people make to follow either a path of darkness or a path of light. -Vince Palomarez
FILM:
Pascal's Bike
In Rwanda, coffee is king. It is the country's largest export crop. 450,000 Rwandans rely on it to provide for their families. Pascal is one of these farmers. Though he his farm is less than 5 miles from the nearest washing station, it takes him 4 hours to transport his harvests there. He is uses his poorly built single-speed bike (the only kind available to most Rwandans), which often breaks down and is not designed to carry such loads. The bike can only carry 120 kg, and Pascal often has to hire neighbors with bikes to help him transport all of his coffee.In the 2008, U.S. NGO Project Rwanda expanded its operations into Pascal's region. The Project's primary focus is the distribution of a cargo utility bicycle specifically designed to meet the coffee transportation needs of farmers like Pascal. Pascal was the first farmer in his region to obtain one of these 'coffee bikes.'The coffee bike has had a dramatic effect on Pascal and his family. Due to the 220 kg carrying capacity of the bike, he no longer needs to hire others to help him transport coffee. His wife no longer needs to walk to market to sell produce. Whenever someone in his village gets sick, he can now take the entire family to the hospital on his coffee bike. This is the story of how the bicycle, a toy to many of us, can be much more to those in need of a hand up.
FILM:
The Path (El Camino)
Young Saslaya and her mute younger brother, live a life of abuse and destitution, living off scraps in the junkyards of suburban Managua. They leave their grandfather in search of their mother and a better life in Costa Rica. Like thousands of Nicaraguans before them, they set out on a journey that will take them from their home on a path of uncertainty, in the hope of a better future on the other side of the border. EL CAMINO is a stunning visual exploration that maps the terrifying journey so many young people must take, only to discover that the promised land is not all they imagine it to be. -Ilana Luna
FILM:
Pawn
Following in the tradition of The Conversation, Three Days of the Condor and The Parallax View, Pawn offers a contemporary take on the political conspiracy thrillers of the 1970's. The President of the United States has just been assassinated while delivering a speech in Los Angeles. The alleged gunman, Dr. Justin Elliot Randolph, is already in custody. The job of securing his confession will fall to Special Agent Wayne Francis, the man who originally dismissed Randolph as a threat. Though the evidence of his guilt is overwhelming, Randolph claims that he wasn't the shooter. With just an hour to conduct his interview, Francis must delve into Randolph's world and separate fact from fiction in order to discover the truth about the assassination. The country is in shock. The world is waiting for answers. And the clock is ticking.
FILM:
Pirate for the Sea
“I am a conservationist and that is my business--getting in trouble.” These are the opening words of charismatic Captain Paul Watson of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society in PIRATE FOR THE SEA. Watson, the subject of this documentary and the seven-part Animal Planet series WHALE WARS, is variously called an eco-terrorist, an eco-pirate and a champion of wildlife. PIRATE follows decades of Watson's dynamic crusade, from his beginning as one of the youngest of the founders of Greenpeace (his association with them ended when he was deemed too extreme) to his present-day missions to thwart illegal whaling, sealing, shark-finning and other hunting activities. With archival clips, graphic views of hunting of marine life, original documentary footage and interviews that include Sea Shepherd advisory board member Martin Sheen and supporter Farley Mowat, PIRATES provides compelling insight into a man with a mission.-Felicia Tomasko
FILM:
Plain and Simple
Pauly, a plain and simple penguin, faces eviction from a capitalist-run zoo because of a lack of visitor interest. The zoo manager, Ebeneezer Kragwich, and his wicked wife Grisella inform Pauly that he must increase attendance in a week or else. Grisella adds that all the other birds have something special to offer, but Pauly is nothing but a plain bird without any value. Fearful of losing his home, Pauly explores the rest of the birdhouse in the hopes of discovering what makes someone 'special.' He visits the flamboyant, Florence Flamingo. He tells Pauly that his luxuriously long legs are that make him special. Pauly examines his own webbed feet. They are dark and stubby. At the lively show of Toco Toucan tango-dancing bird with a vibrantly-colored beak. Pauly touches his nose with his flipper. It is small and dark. Lastly, Pauly makes his way to the see Priscilla Parrot, a haughty diva, with rainbow-colored feathers. Pauly looks at his black and white. Grisella enters his Pauly area and suddenly slips and falls into the water. Pauly dives in to save her. A huge crowd gathers and cheers for Pauly, 'the swimming bird!'. Grisella slips and slides directly into the crate waiting to haul Pauly. The truck pulls off with the screaming Grisella. With Grisella gone, the birds are no longer judged on profitability. Many visitors come to see the exhibit of the bird that saved the day, and Pauly now knows what it is to be special.
FILM:
Poppy Shakespeare
US PREMIERE Based on the popular novel by Clare Allan (a former mental health patient herself), POPPY SHAKESPEARE is a funny, poignant slice of disrupted life, told from the skewed viewpoints of patients in a North London psychiatric hospital. Poppy, flamboyant and certain of her sanity, is given to “N” to mentor. “N” is a veteran, self-described “dribbler” who long ago resigned herself to life in an institution and to medication. Hatching a plan for Poppy's escape, they form an unlikely friendship. Driven by an affecting and authentic performance from BAFTA-winner Anna Maxwell Martin, the film provides a vivid portrait of flawed characters struggling heroically with their challenged lives. Exploring themes of choice and surrender, institutions and individuals, trivial subsistence and meaningful existence, POPPY SHAKESPEARE is a caustic black comedy with serious intent. -Mahil Senathirajah
FILM:
Poto Mitan: Haitian Women, Pillars of the Global Economy
WORLD PREMIERE The image of Haiti in mainstream and alternative media is almost entirely negative: an endless stream of poverty, violence, and natural disasters. POTO MITAN: HAITIAN WOMEN, PILLARS OF THE GLOBAL ECONOMY provides viewers a historical context and an understanding of people confronting these socioeconomic issues. By sharing the lives of five courageous Haitian women, POTO MITAN gives the global economy a human face. These five brave women demonstrate that despite monumental obstacles in a poor country like Haiti, collective action makes change possible. POTO MITAN aims to inspire solidarity activism to end injustice in the global economy. Fighting for justice—for women, for workers, or for Haiti—can only achieve our own liberation. Screening with: PASCAL'S BIKE
FILM:
Pray the Devil Back to Hell
A true story of grassroots activism and bravery, PRAY THE DEVIL BACK TO HELL chronicles the chaos of Liberia's bloody civil war and the ordinary women (both Muslim and Christian) who came together to sit in silent protest outside the Presidential Palace. During stalled peace talks, these brave women took on the warlords who were holding their country hostage. Armed with only white T-shirts and their own courage, they were determined to force a resolution and put their country and its government on the road to peace. Sometimes outrageous, sometimes funny and often deeply moving, PRAY THE DEVIL BACK TO HELL honors the human spirit and the power each of us has to make our world safer.-Nanci Herbst
FILM:
Premature
After Tisha, a streetwise teenager from the Bronx, discovers she's pregnant and receives no support from her community, she has no where to turn and is faced with the most difficult decision she will ever make.
FILM:
Producer's Panel (Movers & Shakers)
Saturday, January 31, at 11:00 a.m. at the Lobero Theatre, is the “Movers & Shakers” panel, bringing together top producers to discuss their craft. Moderated by Los Angeles Times columnist Patrick Goldstein, the panel will include Jim Morris (Wall-E), Neda Armian (Rachel Getting Married), Dan Jinks (Milk), Christian Colson (Slumdog Millionaire) and Charles Roven (The Dark Knight/Get Smart). Sponsored by Variety. (updated 27Jan09)
FILM:
Purgatorio
PURGATORIO seamlessly weaves together the stories of several pining souls—displaced people who, for one reason or another, find themselves walking the thin line between life and death. In gorgeous, stylized black and white, with some of Mexico's most brilliant stars, such as Pedro Armendáriz Jr. and Ana Claudia Talancón, the film brings to life several of Juan Rulfo's characters from his acclaimed book of short stories EL LLANO EN LLAMAS. His characters are forced to leave the post-revolutionary countryside in search of work across the border; they are men in cantinas and women of cabarets in urban desperation; and a murderous landowner who cannot buy the love of his beautiful young wife must lament her death for eternity. -Ilana Luna
FILM:
Racketeer (РЗKETИР)
US PREMIERE RACKETEER reveals the unbridled capitalism that arose after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Sayan Bekarimov, a young aspiring boxer, is faced with few alternatives in the dismal post-Soviet environment. He has a chance for success when he is recruited by Ruslan, a local protection racketeer. Abandoning all he has worked for and the vision for his future, Sayan proves his worth through his boxing skills. With time and savvy he becomes a valuable asset to Ruslan's ring. The film unfolds through the voice of young Sayan, taking us through his climb in the brotherhood of gang culture where trust is a myth. Sataev's first feature is a window into urban Kazakhstan and life in the rackets. -Candace Schermerhorn
FILM:
Rattus
After a long hard day of work, seeing a furry little face when you get home can mean the difference between spending some quality time with your pet or chasing after a pest-- but that all depends on who you ask.Through a series of quirky interviews set in NYC, '324' - a short documentary -examines the culture of pet ownership through the perspective of those who choose to bring rats into their homes. Known particularly for their ability to thrive as scavengers in unsanitary environments and perceived as carriers of disease, rats have repulsed and been reviled by humans for centuries. Yet their genetic makeup and their social behavior make them exceptional models for experimentation that benefits humans. Rattus is a humorous, informative and meditative exploration that is ultimately a metaphor for how we as humans relate to one another.
FILM:
Rescuing Emmanuel
WORLD PREMIERE Taking us beyond the poverty statistics, RESCUING EMMANUEL goes into various city slums, putting a face and personality to children who live on the streets. We meet boys and girls who have lost their parents to natural disasters, AIDS, drugs or war, and who survive by begging, providing sex for food, stealing, and rummaging through garbage. The filmmakers illustrate the global scope of this problem, but they focus on one child in Nairobi, 13-year-old Emmanuel, who just wants to go to school and have a place to sleep and eat. They examine opportunities that might get him off the streets, and we meet remarkable people who show boundless love and concern. Emmanuel's life is heartbreaking, but the uplifting moments in this film will last and inspire.-Jacqueline Spafford
FILM:
Resolution
A day in the life of a small Russian village where one man's frustration with disrespecting neighbors forces him to see his life from a different angle. He decides to take matters into his own hands and makes a life-changing resolution. Will his resolution make any impact on the rest of the villagers?
FILM:
Rindin the Puffer
It's RINDIN the Puffer! He's an odd looking fish, with googly eyes and no chin! He has big buckteeth in his ridiculous grin! But what makes him different and unique most of all. . . .is when he's frightened; he expands like a prickly beach ball!When our story begins, three young fish make fun of Rindin for being different. However when the same three fish get themselves into trouble with a hungry barracuda, Rindin inadvertently saves their lives. With a newfound respect for Rindin, they all become best of friends.440 is the first short in the CrocPond franchise and shows us the importance of 'BEING YOURSELF'. It also teaches another important principle: 'Respect Individual Differences'. This 8-minute adventure inspires children to be creative, while helping them to recognize the value of tolerance and getting along. Bullying, disrespectful treatment, and separateness based on cliques, races and even gangs, have continued to plague schools. Rindin is an opportunity to entertain millions of kids of all ages, while helping them to see their peers in a positive new light.The CrocPond franchise of characters was created to inspire children of all ages to make wise choices and realize their full potential.
FILM:
Ripple
Ripple is a black comedy about the randomness of fate and what happens to ordinary people when they come under extreme pressure. Martin is driving to visit his girlfriend when an egg thrown from a bridge hits his windscreen. This one small random act of malice sets in motion a domino run of catastrophes and coincidences that push him to the edge of reason.
FILM:
The Road to Fallujah
THE ROAD TO FALLUJAH is an eye-opening documentary that gives a glimpse into the often-overlooked repercussions and effects of the highly controversial war in Iraq. Perceiving a lack of unbiased information about the situation in Iraq, Mark Manning sets off on a mission to experience and document the reality of war from the perspective of the Iraqi people. Teaming up with a humanitarian aid worker and journalist from Iraq, Rana Al-Aioby, Manning was unembedded and was without armed security to become the first westerner to live with the people of Fallujah, Iraq. This feature-length documentary is a joint production between American and Iraqi filmmakers and contains interviews with Iraqi civilians, refugees, resistance fighters, members of the American military and Congress, media analysts, Islamic scholars, and leaders of world peace.-Rachel Ostwald
FILM:
Santa Barbara Short Docs
THE DARK SIDE OF THE LOON - USA, 2008, 43min., Dir. Gail Osherenko The eerie calls and striking black and white plumage of the Common loon captivate those of us who spend time on northern lakes and ponds between April and October. Then the loons disappear. Quiet descends. Where do they go? How do they survive in winter? THE FUTURE OF THE GAVIOTA COAST - USA, 2008, 19min., Dir. Shaw Leonard, Marc Mirabile A short documentary film focusing on the coastal preservation of the Gaviota Coastline in Southern California. SANTA CRUZ ISLAND: RESTORING BALANCE - USA, 2008, 20min., Dir. Michael Hanrahan An island off the coast of California endures massive shifts in its ecological balance as a result of ranching an unforeseen circumstances. Dedicated scientists study the problem and attempt to restore balance to this delicate island ecosystem.
FILM:
Santa Barbara Shorts
ANATOMY OF NUMBERS - 2008, 10min., Dir. Erin Cantelo Patrick asks his new love how many people she has slept with and gets an answer he did not bargain for. A ROOM FOR SARAH - 2009, 9min., Dir. Ginger Swanson A Room for Sara is a 1920's era silent comedy about a courageous young woman left to her own devices to claim her independence. BUSINESS - USA, 2008, 19min., Dir. John McKinney Caleb inherited an office building and made a big mistake when he asked his friend Walker to go into business him. THE EARLY WORM - USA, 2008, 9min., Dir. Ray Pivato A chain reaction of misfortune befalls a young professional whose only crime is waking an hour too early. EN ROUTE - USA, 2009, 4min., Dir. Karl Mefford A driver with a mysterious briefcase steers his way through the treacheries of the open road. With time running out, he races towards his final destination. THE FISHERMAN - 2008, 10min., Dir. Jason Hallows The tale of a poor fisherman who accidentally pulls his destiny from the sea. SARAH - USA, 2008, 8min., Dir. Rashi Bahri Chitnis With the deep desire to connect with her mother, Sarah decides to tackle her hydrophobia by learning to swim, only to discover, that there are deeper hidden secrets in the water than just her fear of it! SHOWING DISASTER: TEA FIRE REFLECTIONS - USA, 4min., Dir. Ethan Turpin While recording a wild fire and the homes it has destroyed, the filmmaker grapples with the ethics of photographing the ruins of peoples' lives. WE HAVE LOST OUR WINGS BUT STILL WE DREAM OF FLYING - USA, 2008, 7min., Dir. Elia Vargas The unraveling of consciousness. A dreadful fantasy.
FILM:
Santa Barbara Student Shorts
BUBBLES AND SEASHELLS - USA, 2008, 7min., Dir. Jameson Jordan A screenwriter attempts to make a movie about all the things that make us happy but finds out why he cannot. APPARITION - USA, 2008, 7min., Dir. Daniel Gruen A weekend getaway turns to tragedy when three friends are cursed by a deadly prophecy. THE BEHOLDER - USA, 6min., Dir. Roxanne Teti Follows the routine of an anorexic teenager who soon discovers a loss of individuality when she realizes the face in the mirror is literally not her own. CLAMS WITH GREEN ONIONS - USA, 2008, 12min., Dir. Sheena McCann A young woman charmed by the gross and mundane enjoys a love affair that may not exist. IMA - USA, 2008, 6min., Dir. Jeremy Cohen Shortly after the liberation of Auschwitz, two survivors meet a young Hitler Youth searching for his mother. The irony of the situation leads one of the survivors to seek revenge, and the situation looks dire until all find redemption in someone else's mother. JESUS BLUES - USA, 2008, 7min., Dir. Max Littman A restless young girl slips out of church during a sermon by her alcoholic pastor to follow a guitar-clad Jesus and a homeless sax performer on a musical adventure. NO CORNER FOR OLD MIME - USA, 2008, 11min., Dir. Jordan Riggs Just because you can't make a sound doesn't mean you can't go out with a bang! TEN MINUTES TO ITHACA - USA, 2008, 10min., Dir. Zac Palladino The Odyssey: compressed, mashed, twisted, and animated into a ten minute frame.
FILM:
Santa Cruz Island: Restoring Balance
Some 25 miles off the coast of Santa Barbara lies a place one might think time forgot. Never connected to the mainland, Santa Cruz Island has evolved into an oasis of unusual life forms. More than a thousand species of plants and animals inhabit the island's high peaks, deep canyons, pastoral valley and 77 miles of dramatic coastline. Twelve of these species are found nowhere else on Earth.So rich and unique are its flora and fauna that Santa Cruz and its sister Channel Islands are often called 'the Galapagos Islands of North America.' But a closer look at Santa Cruz Island today reveals that time has indeed touched this natural paradise.Eight unique plant species struggle for survival, and the Santa Cruz Island fox -- a small creature that has held the top berth on the island's food chain for thousands of years -- was recently added to the endangered species list.The main culprit, scientists say, is the feral pig. Rototillers of the animal kingdom, feral pigs root up rare plants and disturb the soil, facilitating the spread of invasive weeds. Feral pigs have also attracted a new top predator to the island--golden eagles. Once only occasional visitors, golden eagles began colonizing Santa Cruz Island in the 1990s to feast on feral piglets, available year-round. But the carnivorous raptors also preyed upon the innocent island fox. In less than a decade, the island fox population plummeted from 1,500 to fewer than 100.
FILM:
Sanza Hanza (King Surfer)
Soweto is South Africa's largest ghetto, a sprawling stretch of townships on the outskirts of Johannesburg. With an estimated population of one million, this former centre of the anti-apartheid struggle faces chronic problems of poverty and overcrowding, and remains a notoriously dangerous place to live.It is here where you'll find Train-Surfing, the semi-suicidal act of climbing outside, on top and under the cities public trains while in full-flight. Born in the early Nineties out of a restless desire to embrace life (and death) after years of oppression, Train-Surfing has evolved into something of an underground sport, not unlike skateboarding in the 1970's. 'Sanza Hanza' follows V.I.R.U.S. (Very Intelligent Riders Usually Survive), a gang of young Surfers searching for the ultimate ride or 'play', as they call it, testing their already weak embrace on morality.
FILM:
Sarah
Sarah's mother is convinced that Sarah's nightmares are not real but a manifestation of her fear of water, making it difficult for Sarah to confide and connect with her mother. To break ice, Sarah decides to tackle her hydrophobia by learning to swim from her visiting uncle only to find out that there is much to it than just her fear of drowning.
FILM:
SE7EN
A veteran detective on his last case is paired with a head strong rookie to take on a gruesome murder. When another victim appears, it becomes apparent that these murders are based on the seven deadly sins and the killer is psychopath the likes of which have never been seen. The killer always seems to be one step ahead, but when the detectives finally get within reach it appears as if there is more to his plan then they ever imagined. With an all-star cast of Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman, and Gwyneth Paltrow and sharply directed by David Fincher, SE7EN is a twisted psychological thriller that keeps the audience on their toes. As part of our celebration of David Fincher, we are proud to present this classic thriller, SE7EN. -Jeremy Jackson
FILM:
Shorts Program 1
TOYLAND (SPIELZEUGLAND) - Germany, 2007, 14min., Dir. Jochen Alexander Freydank What happens when a German kid believes that his Jewish neighbors are going to Toyland? A story about lies and guilt. STOLEN YOUTH - UK, 2007, 14min., Dir. Leon Chambers A delinquent's rampage on a small town is not as horrifying as the secret he discovers. NEXT FLOOR - Canada, 2008, 12min., Dir. Deni Villeneuve Eleven pampered guests participate a ritualistic gastronomic carnage. ON THE ROAD TO TEL-AVIV - Israel, 2008, 15min., Dir. Khen Shalem In the wake of a terrorist attack, a young Israeli and his fiancé find themselves in a tricky situation when a suspicious-looking Arab woman boards their bus. HAKIM - Germany, 2008, 15 min., Dir. Ismail Sahin The short life of a boy in Africa, who loses his mother to AIDS and finds his last home in an orphan village.
FILM:
Shorts Program 2
LOVE YOU MORE - UK, 2008, 15min., Dir. Sam Taylor-Wood Two teenagers are drawn together by the Buzzcocks' single 'Love You More' in the summer of 1978. THE STARS DON'T TWINKLE IN OUTER SPACE - UK, 2008, 11min., Dir. Peter Thwaites A 1940's space adventure story in which two children, 'Starman' and 'the Princess' struggle to escape their doom. As the truth of their situation becomes clear we realize the terrible nature of their predicament. JERRYCAN - Australia, 2008, 14min., Dir. Julius Avery Five bored kids with nothing to do decide to blow something up. Paper, scissors rocks seals the fate of Nathan, who risks everything after he is bullied, into making a life and death decision. IN THE DARK - USA, 2008, 17min., Dir. Alex Fazeli The eve of Ayatollah Khomeini's return to Iran, a double agent, hunted by the new revolutionary government, agrees to exchange crucial information with the CIA in return for safe passage out of the country. GONE FISHING - UK, 2008, 13min., Dir. Chris Jones An old man and young boy deal with bereavement through their shared love of fishing, and the legend of Goliath, the biggest pike ever caught. APPASSIONATA - Germany, 2008, 16min., Dir. Mirko Echghi-Ghamsari Based on a WW II legend: A German soldier awaiting his doom in the pocket of Stalingrad spots an undamaged piano in the no-man's land between the lines. The urge to play one last time becomes irresistible....
FILM:
Shorts Program 3
RUN - New Zealand, 2007, 15min., Dir. Mark Albison A Samoan brother and sister live in fear of their over-protective widowed father who rules with a military regime in order to protect his children from a bleak future. The children learn that only together can they show him that he is their biggest obstacle. GLOCK - USA, 2009, 12min., Dir. Tom Everett Scott The story centers on a promising new spy who is given a cell phone by his agency and told to wait for his first mission. However, the phone never rings and our hero slowly descends into a downward spiral of heartbreak and frustration. RIPPLE - UK, 2008, 18min., Dir. Paul Gowers A black comedy. One small random act of malice forces an ordinary man off the safe road and on to a dark journey that he'll never forget. RESOLUTION - Russia, 2008, 15min., Dir. Pavel Oreshnikov A day in the life of a small Russian village where one man's frustration with disrespecting neighbors forces him to see his life from a different angle. LA GRAND MALADIE - USA, 2009, 11min., Dir. Shane Atkinson A tale of sorrow, success and unrequited love. CLAXON (CLACSON) - Italy, 2007, 6min., Dir. Takehito Kuroha Every morning, every woman gets up and knows she will have to make her way through the traffic to the clacson music in order to survive; every man gets up and knows he will have to be very very patient in order to survive...
FILM:
Shorts Program 4
CHARLIE THISTLE - USA, 2008, 15min., Dir. Bragi Schut A disillusioned worker for the Department of Normality dreams of a world that isn't quite so normal. RATTUS - USA, 2008, 15min., Dir. Carlos Barbot A short documentary about rats... and the people who love them. PREMATURE - USA, 2008, 15min., Dir. Rashaad Ernesto Green After Tisha, a streetwise teenager from the Bronx, discovers she's pregnant and receives no support from her community, she has no where to turn and is faced with the most difficult decision she will ever make. MAKE MY DAY - Denmark, 2008, 9 min., Dir. Pelle Moller Peter is injured after being bullied at school. At the hospital Peter faces the man who bullied his father when they were kids. VERLAINE - USA, 2008, 13min., Dir. Nick Lentz James is on the run and desperately needs to disappear. He arranges a meeting with an eccentric man named Verlaine who may be able to help. But when Verlaine is reluctant to negotiate the terms, James must decide if a new identity is really worth the price. BOXING PARADISE - Italy, 2008, 15min., Dir. Stefano Quaglia A well-dealt hit on the tip of the chin triggers a double traumatic mechanism: cervical trauma and cerebral graft.That kind of hit generally causes a sense of loss and blackout, but different after-effects may occur. Lethal as well.Starting from a boxer experience, the short film we present describes this moment, called Boxing Paradise from the boxing slang. It's a sort of limbo, here translated into a Hotel's parlour, where six boxers coming from different places meet without knowing why.A time with no time, an impalpable place between life and death that reflects the daily condition every boxer lives in.
FILM:
Shorts Program 5
ACHOLILAND - Germany/USA, 2008, 20min., Dir. Dean Israelite When a food delivery into a war-torn village in Northern Uganda goes horribly wrong, the leader of a small UN contingent is faced with a terrible decision: play by the rules and watch children die, or risk the lives of an entire refugee camp in order to save them. BEWARE OF BEAR - Greece, 2008, 19min., Dir. Victoria Vellopoulou Angelos, photographer for a nature magazine, arrives in a remote villageto do a story. The inhabitants of the village are guarded towards him. And things get worse when he finds out that a wild beast, a bear, roams the surrounding woods and has already killed one person. SIKUMI (ON THE ICE) - USA, 2008, 15min., Dir. Andrew Okpeaha MacLean An Inuit hunter drives his dog team out on the frozen Arctic Ocean in search of seals, but instead, becomes a witness to murder. DOPPELGANGER - USA, 2008, 9min., Dir. Katharine O'Brien When a father pits his twin sons against each other while teaching them how to box, one son must decide how far he is willing to go in order to earn his father's approval. THE GOLD LUNCH - USA, 2008, 12min., Dir. Joanna Kerns The Gold Lunch is about a man who imagines that having lunch with his ex-wife is an Olympic event.
FILM:
Showing Disaster: Tea Fire Reflections
While recording a wild fire and the homes it has destroyed, the filmmaker grapples with the ethics of photographing the ruins of peoples' lives.
FILM:
Sikumi (On the Ice)
An Inuit hunter drives his dog team out on the frozen Arctic Ocean in search of seals, but instead, becomes a witness to murder. In the microscopic communities of Arctic Alaska there is no anonymity--the hunter knows both the victim and the murderer. The murderer, claiming self-defense and desperate to avoid punishment, tries to persuade his friend to forget what he has seen, and help dispose of the body. The hunter is forced to navigate the uneasy morality of honoring the body and memory of one friend and destroying the life of another.
FILM:
Skateboard Stories
WORLD PREMIERE SKATEBOARD STORIES is a series of films focused on the skateboarding lifestyle, from skate bums and groms to street shredders and today's professionals; from Mike Pugh, the homeless skater living under a palm tree, to backyard pool rippers and little kids who never leave the skate park to go to school; from skate rock and hip-hop to skateboard art. There's more to skateboarding than meets the eye. It's more than a sport. It's more than an art. It's skateboarding. It's a lifestyle.
FILM:
Skin
When a genetics expert testifying in a 1960s South African courtroom considering a young girl's racial assignment announces that most Afrikaners have some black heritage in their background, the audible gasp of disbelief in the room reveals the tone of SKIN. This compelling film is based on the true story of Sandra Laing, the dark-skinned, kinky-haired daughter of two white-skinned Afrikaner parents born during the reign of apartheid. Sophie Okonedo plays the adult Sandra with a nuanced heart on her sleeve as she confronts the issues of identity, love, family, conflict, and abandonment along her journey of resolution. Sandra's parents, Abraham and Sannie Laing, in strong performances by Sam Neill and Alice Krige, express the complexity of family further complicated by skin color during the apartheid era, asking the important questions of how we view human rights and how we judge each other. -Felicia Tomasko
FILM:
The Sky, The Earth and the Rain (El cielo, la tierra, y la lluvia)
Ana is the sole provider and caretaker for her ill mother and elderly grandmother, as well as a friend to an autistic neighbor, Marta. When she loses her job in the local mainland store, she swallows her pride and takes a job as a housekeeper for a local man who is as solitary as she is. Through muted dialogues and misinterpreted gestures of affection and need, we come to understand that the young of this town are suffering quiet alienation. There is little else for them but sky, earth and rain, and perhaps the possibility of companionship. EL CIELO, LA TIERRA Y LA LLUVIA is a finely crafted psychological portrait, set against a beautiful yet lonely Chilean landscape.-Illana Luna
FILM:
Slumdog Millionaire
The story of the life of an impoverished Indian teen Jamal Malik, who becomes a contestant on the Hindi version of "Who Wants to be A Millionaire?", wins, and is then suspected of cheating.
FILM:
Smalltalk Diaries: Parents
Two episodes of a series for children (that adults tend to enjoy more than kids) that uses filming techniques honed on nature's blockbusters to introduce children to the daily doings of the mini-beasts that live all around them.
FILM:
Speed & Angels
SPEED & ANGELS is a documentary about chasing dreams, about the importance of family ties, about the fine line that separates life from death, about the power of will—but ultimately, it is a movie about the passage from adolescence to adulthood and the process of self-discovery that this journey entails. Since their childhoods, Jay and Meagan have dreamt of becoming fighter pilots. SPEED & ANGELS captures these young naval aviators in their efforts to realize their childhood dreams. Filmmaker Peyton Wilson immortalizes Jay and Meagan's fascination with the F-14 Tomcat through extraordinary aerial footage and striking cockpit photography. From dogfights in the Nevada desert and night landings on aircraft carriers to wartime deployments to Iraq, this documentary promises to enthrall its audiences by transporting them to Jay and Meagan's world of speed and angels.-Nanci Herbst
FILM:
The Stars Don't Twinkle In Outer Space
A 1940’s space adventure story in which two children, 'Starman' and 'The Princess', struggle to escape their doom. As the truth of their situation becomes clear we realize the terrible nature of their predicament.
FILM:
Stolen Youth
As the inhabitants of a quiet rural village enjoy their Sunday lunch a young tear-away embarks on a violent and destructive tour.His opportunism leads him out of the village to the meticulous home of a single man, where he stumbles on a terrifying secret.
FILM:
Sugar
Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck (HALF NELSON) again explore new territory in their latest film. SUGAR tells the story of baseball player Miguel "Sugar" Santos (Algenis Perez Soto) who is recruited from his home in the Dominican Republic to play on a U.S. minor league team. The story starts as Sugar masters the very difficult “knuckle curve” pitch, bringing him sufficient attention to send him to a U.S. training camp and eventually to play in Iowa. We nervously watch him learn about the American Heartland, Denny's, the vagaries of English, and other aspects of the immigrant experience. We also ache to see how his ambitions and destiny shift in unexpected ways. This is an introspective film with Soto as its heart, a man who navigates life's knuckle curves with dignity.-Jacqueline Spafford
FILM:
Superfish
The hunt for the majestic marlin supplied the dramatic backdrop for Ernest Hemingway's The Old Man of the Sea and has launched a thousand sports fishing ships. In this BBC-produced documentary, marine biologist Rick Rosenthal travels the globe in his attempt to swim with the elusive billfish. Gorgeous photography captures the pelagic paradise of giant squids and teams of shimmering schools of feeder fish. In his search to photograph the swordfish, the sailfish, and “the holy grail” marlin, Rosenthal looks first at the nostalgic draw of the hunt and then focuses on the drastic impact of overfishing in the vast global environment of the sea. -Joe Palladino
FILM:
Suspect X (Yôgisha X no kenshin)
US PREMIERE A mother and her daughter are responsible for the murder of the mother's ex-husband. The murder was in self-defense, but the police would never believe it. With no idea what to do, their next door neighbor, a genius mathematician with a fondness for the mother, steps in and develops what he thinks is a foolproof plan to cover up the murder. With every alibi covered, the police look to a physicist who may be the only person who can solve the case. Little do the police know the mathematician and physicist have a past history that may complicate matters. SUSPECT X is a complicated murder mystery that asks the question of whether it is easier to create the perfect crime or to solve it. -Vince Palomarez
FILM:
Sweet Thing
SWEET THING is a story about two teenage free spirits, Liz and Jody, and their journey of self-discovery. Joe Lia's first feature film, the movie effectively depicts the hardships of growing up and becoming an adult. Jody and Liz both live for the moment as they attempt to understand who they are and what they want from their lives. While Jody abuses drugs to cope with her father's repeated rejections, Liz sets out on a mission to find her soul mate. When the two girls meet, their monotonous lives seem to take an unexpected turn. They enjoy spending time together, driving around Seattle in Jody's old green truck, but will they be able to find the “sweet thing” they are looking for?-Nanci Herbst
FILM:
Tandoori Love
US PREMIERE TANDOORI LOVE is a spirited, multicultural love story set in the majestic Swiss Alps. Members of an Indian film crew producing the latest Bollywood extravaganza experience a clash of cultures and culinary tastes when they encounter the unassuming and peculiar folks populating the surrounding mountainous region. Markus, the proprietor of a failing local eatery, hires the film's cook, Raja, to lend his exemplary talents and delectable dishes to the restaurant's menu, but Raja's presence at the restaurant means that somewhere nearby a spoiled film starlet isn't getting her home-cooked meals. Things heat up when Markus's fiancée, Sonja, is tempted by more than just Raja's cooking. While Sonja is torn between suitors, a bevy of quirky characters live out stories of their own in this song-filled romance. -Joe Stussi
FILM:
TBA
"To Be Announced." An abbreviated way to alert viewers that the schedule is not set, TBAs are often updated here, as that information becomes available.
FILM:
Tear This Heart Out (Arrancame la vida)
The human heart is one thing you simply cannot control by force. Mexico's official entry for the Oscar, ARRÁNCAME LA VIDA is an epic adaptation of Angeles Mastretta's iconic novel of political intrigue. Set in the tumultuous era of the Mexican Revolution, it is the story of a daring and ambitious general (Daniel Giménez Cacho), his exploits of power, and the one woman he needed but could never conquer – his wife (Ana Claudia Talancón). It is the tale of a girl whose spirit could not be broken and a woman whose profound love of a revolutionary composer (José María de Tavira) would change the face of politics from behind the bedroom curtain. -Ilana Luna
FILM:
Tears for Sale (Carlston za Ognjeka)
US PREMIERE One of the region's most expensive productions ever, TEARS FOR SALE is an erotic and darkly funny journey into Serbian folklore and tradition. It's an allegorical fantasy about the Balkan nightmare seen through female eyes, in which meaningful lives are remade from scratch and the joys of life must be celebrated, even in the hardest of times. Working with a sweeping score by Wong Kar-wai's composer of choice, Shigeru Umebayashi (IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE), Stojanovic crafts a world of black-and-white magic where bats and butterflies flap their wings together, the local bar serves spider brandy that summons waltzing ghosts, and a vineyard bears a harvest of landmines. Dance into the night in the lusty caress of Pokrp's widows as they take delight in understanding and experiencing true love.-Colin Geddes
FILM:
They Killed Sister Dorothy
Dorothy Stang, the “Angel of the Amazon,” a Sister of Notre Dame de Namur, lived, worked — and died — for the Amazon basin rural poor. An American from Ohio, a naturalized Brazilian citizen and a pioneer for sustainability before that term became popular, Dot had worked in the rainforest of Brazil since the 1970s. In 2005, on her way to a community meeting, Dot was gunned down. This very moving documentary shows not only what she struggled to save, but the extraordinary trial for her murder, including interviews with the accused and their brazen lawyers. It is an important glimpse into the Brazilian legal system, showing how difficult it is to achieve justice, but how ultimately justice can prevail. Audience and Jury Awards-winner, SXSW Film Festival. -Betsy R. Cramer
FILM:
This Is Her
As she watches her younger self in the throes of childbirth, Evie's deliciously wry commentary reveals exactly what life has in store for her new baby daughter, her loving husband, and the six-year-old 'bitch' who will one day steal his affections and destroy Evie's life. -Sundance Film Festival
FILM:
This Way Up
A.T Shank & Son have a bad day at the parlour when a falling boulder flattens their hearse. Emotional and literal pitfalls lie in wait for the odd couple as they make their way cross country with just a coffin for company. This short animated caper puts the fun back into funeral as their journey and relationship unravel on an epic scale.
FILM:
Three Monkeys (Üç maymun)
Is selective perception the path to enduring family strife? Turkish auteur Nuri Bilge Ceylan won Best Director at Cannes for THREE MONKEYS, an elegant domestic noir. It tells the story of Eyüp, a driver for a politician in Istanbul, his son Ismail, and his wife Hacer. To preserve the political ambitions of his boss (Servet), Eyüp agrees to take the fall for an accident in return for compensation that will support his family. Impatient, Ismail demands immediate payment, while Hacer develops a romantic obsession in Eyüp's absence. When Eyüp is released from prison, the traumatized family must deal with alienation, guilt, suspicion, violence and loss. To varying degrees, all refuse to see, hear or talk, playing the monkeys that the title suggests. Meticulously weaving strands of moment and character, THREE MONKEYS is unconventionally structured and paced, serving the director's distinctive vision.-Mahil Senathirajah
FILM:
Thriller Shorts Program
These three thrilling short films will quicken your pulse and keep you up at night. PAWN - USA, 2008, 28min., Dir. Jeremiah Friedman In the aftermath of Presidential assassination, a young federal agent must interrogate the gunman to learn the truth behind the assassination. But once the truth is discovered, who will be ready to hear it? DETOUR - UK, 2008, 12min., Dir. K Akesh Tsakpo A simple road trip becomes a journey of revenge after a motorist, still coping with the untimely death of his daughter, happens across the man who apparantly predicted her death. AM1200 - USA, 2008, 40min., Dir. David Prior A man on the run follows a mysterious broadcast that may or may not be a distress call to a remote radio station where he comes face to face with a dark and savage power.
FILM:
Tiramisu
US PREMIERE In the latest film from Oscar-nominated Dutch writer-director Paula van der Oest (ZUS & ZO), an aging theatre diva Anne (Anneke Blok, one of the three scheming sisters from ZUS & ZO), and a prudish bookkeeper, Jacob, find themselves at a crossroads. Anne is forced to face the consequences of serious debt and the possible foreclosure on her treasured houseboat, while Jacob gets a taste of a lavish lifestyle through Anne's crowd of colorful, theatrical friends. Anne refuses to go to ex-husband Lex (Gijs Scholten van Aschat) for a bailout and struggles to find a way to preserve her home for herself and her daughter. A tender and surprising shift overtakes these two lives as Anne comes to terms with giving up and Jacob becomes determined to help her hold on.
FILM:
Titon, from Havana to Guantanamera (Titón, de la Habana a Guantanamera)
A look at the life and work of Cuban filmmaker Tomas Gutierrez Alea.
FILM:
Tongzhi in Love
Confucian Teaching'Frog' Cui and his gay friends are torn between the lures of city life and the stern demands of Chinese tradition. They live in cosmopolitan Beijing, reveling in the freedom that it affords them. But traditionally, a Chinese son's solemn duty is to produce a child and carry forward the family line. That China's laws limit most families to a single child only compounds the pressures on gay men. Many resort to sham marriages. When his mother arrives to find him a girlfriend, Frog, 28 years old, understands that he cannot delay much longer. 'Some of my friends have married lesbians,' he confides. 'At the wedding, I saw how happy their parents were.' Long Ze, even as he relishes his sexual life with men, lashes out against gays who refuse to marry. 'That attitude is selfish, completely selfish . . . If you live your whole life for yourself, not for your parents,' he says, 'how are you going to fulfill your responsibilities as a Chinese man?'Frog's good friend Xiang Feng has asserted that he will come out to his parents on his next visit home. But when he and Frog travel the thousand miles into the Chinese countryside to the family village, events do not unfold as planned. The film is directed by Ruby Yang who, together with producer Thomas Lennon, won a documentary Oscar in 2006. Yang Yishu was field producer and cinematographer.
FILM:
Toyland (Spielzeugland)
Winter 1942. A small town in Germany. Despite her good neighbourly relations with the Silbersteins, Marianne Meissner has certain difficulties to be really behind them in those dangerous times. Marianne's son Heinrich entertains a close friendship with David, the son of the Silbersteins. He manages to live simply as good friends with David. In Heinrichs child-like, naïve world there is no such thing as Jew or Jewish. Both boys have piano lessons with David's father and often play duets together on the piano. The deportation of the Silbersteins is imminent. What can Marianne tell her son? For his sake in order to protect him she tries to make him believe that the neighbours are going on a journey to Toyland. Heinrich believes his mother. A mother does not tell lies. One morning Heinrich has disappeared. The Silbersteins too. Panic-stricken Marianne storms out of the house looking for her son. Of course she knew that there is no such thing as Toyland just as the whole nation knew what happened to Jewish citizens. Marianne wants to rescue her son.
FILM:
Trainspotting
Renton, deeply immersed in the Edinburgh drug scene, tries to clean up and get out, despite the allure of the drugs and influence of friends.
FILM:
Treeless Mountain
US PREMIERE So Yong Kim's TREELESS MOUNTAIN is a subtle film, a gorgeous movie and a well-crafted story. Filmed through the perspective of its young protagonists, six-year-old Jin and her toddler sister, Bin, it is a portrait of the girls' emotions after being abandoned by their mother and left in the care of a cruel alcoholic, Big Aunt, after being evicted from their apartment. When their Mother leaves, she gives the girls an empty piggy bank and instructs them to fill the bank with coins they earn, promising to return when the bank is full. We experience the sisters' bond that keeps their wonder and sense of family alive, allowing us to find hope in an otherwise tragic situation.-Nanci Herbst
FILM:
Truth in 24
TRUTH in 24 chronicles a world class Le Mans racing team, Audi Sport, and their quest to capture a fifth straight 24 Hours of Le Mans victory. The 2008 race proved to be a hard-fought battle between Audi Sport and the local favorite, Team Peugeot of France. The film takes us inside the high-tech genius of engineers and drivers as they set out to make auto racing history. An energetic, edge-of-your-seat look at the action behind the scenes of this glamorous and world famous event, TRUTH IN 24 is both a dramatic and emotional story. -Nanci Herbst
FILM:
Tulpan
Young Asa has just completed his military service and wishes to return home and start the nomadic life of a shepherd. Living with his sister and brother-in-law, he must get married before he begins his new life. His only hope is the daughter of another shepherd family, the beautiful Tulpan, and she doesn't like him because she thinks his ears are too large. Not letting her perception of his ears get in the way of his dream, Asa continues to pursue her and the shepherd's life. TULPAN tells the charming story of people who not only survive a harsh life, they actually delight in it. Director Sergei Dvortsevoy paints a beautiful landscape of the barren steppe and endless sky in this remarkable film that is simultaneously comedic and breathtaking. -Jeremy Jackson
FILM:
Vacation (Kyûka)
US PREMIERE As in many countries, the death penalty is a contentious topic in Japan. VACATION approaches the subject in a respectful way that does not take sides or pass judgment. Hirai is a prison guard who looks after Kaneda, a man on death row and a model inmate. Hirai is about to marry a single mother, although he cannot afford to take time off from work to take his wife on a honeymoon and to bond with his new stepson. When Kaneda's execution order is signed, it presents Hirai with an opportunity to take time away but at an overwhelming emotional cost. VACATION is one of two skillfully directed films (the other being NOBODY TO WATCH OVER ME) shining a light on the Japanese justice system and the toll it takes on those who serve with honor. -Ryan Hedge
FILM:
Verlaine
James is on the run and desperately needs to disappear. He arranges a meeting with an eccentric man named Verlaine who may be able to help. But when Verlaine is reluctant to negotiate the terms, James must decide if a new identity is really worth the price.
FILM:
Vicky Cristina Barcelona
In VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA, two very different friends, Vicky and Cristina, move to Spain for a summer. Both women are in different places in their emotional lives but while in Spain, they both become attracted to the same man, Juan. Cristina and Juan become very close, but just as things seem to be going well, Juan's ex-wife Maria suffers a crisis and moves in with the couple. The addition of Maria is at first troublesome, but then Juan and Cristina's relationship grows to incorporate Maria as well. The film deals with issues of love and lust and how those feelings can affect a relationship. VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA features Penélope Cruz who is receiving the Outstanding Performer of the Year award at this year's Festival.
FILM:
The Visitor
Walter Vale, a widower and professor, has lost his passion for writing, teaching, and most everything else. Upon returning to his seldom-used New York City apartment, he finds two illegal immigrants, Tarek and Zainab, staying there. After the couple realizes they were the victims of a scam, Walter reluctantly allows them to share the apartment with him. In order to repay Walter's kindness, Tarek begins to teach him how to play the African drum. While growing closer with Tarek, Walter's zest for life is reignited, only to find that Tarek has been arrested and risks deportation. Richard Jenkins, a Virtuosos Award recipient at this year's SBIFF, delivers a beautiful, deft performance in this deeply moving and poignant film by writer and director Tom McCarthy.-Ryan Hedge
FILM:
WALL·E
In the distant future the human race has abandoned Earth and has left behind an army of trash compactor robots to clean up the mess. After 700 years of collecting garbage, the earth is still covered in filth and only one lonely robot remains active. WALL·E has been dutifully plugging along in a desolate wasteland with only a cockroach and a collection of interesting knickknacks to keep him entertained. All of this changes one day when a probe ship from space arrives and drops off a much more advanced EVE robot. The curious WALL·E is instantly enamored with this stranger who relentlessly fulfills her mysterious directive. This story of a plucky robot with a very human heart is one of the best reviewed animated films of all time and cannot be missed.-Jeremy Jackson
FILM:
War Against The Weak
WORLD PREMIERE Based on the award-winning book by investigative journalist Edwin Black, this powerful portrayal of America's “white-gloved war” reveals the efforts to create a master race in America. Sanctified by a favorable Supreme Court opinion by Oliver Wendell Holmes upholding compulsory sterilization, the eugenics movement proliferated and led to the experiments and exterminations in Nazi concentration camps. Supported by eminent scientists, individuals (Margaret Sanger) and foundations (Carnegie Institution and Rockefeller Foundation), there were more than 60,000 sterilizations in the United States in the early 20th century. Targeted were the mentally slow, the disabled, schizophrenics, epileptics, and a host of other groups. WAR AGAINST THE WEAK, with archival photos, Nazi correspondence, innovative graphics, and recreations looks deeply into a shameful period in our history.Betsy Cramer
FILM:
Water Man
A character study in surfing, WATER MAN follows a raft of world-renowned surfers—Laird Hamilton, Gerry Lopez, Rob Machado, Dave Kalama and the Malloy brothers—as they chase waves together in Indonesia. A satisfying travelogue alternating interviews with artful visual sequences set to music, this is a relaxing, gecko-on-the-wall peek at these prime athletes. What's especially inspiring to witness is the respectful, even reverent, rapport between them. Seeing surf legends try out Hamilton's hydrofoil invention for the first time is well worth the price of admission, and there's plenty of variety: body surfing, stand-up paddle boarding and tow surfing are also featured, as well as just plain old catchin' a wave. John Cusack's narration adds to the easygoing vibe, and the music keeps the mood lively. -Justine Sutton Screening with: ONE TRACK MIND
FILM:
The Watercolorist (El Acuarelista)
US PREMIERE What is a man to do when he can simply find no peace in his own home to complete his masterpiece? Mr. T. is the newest renter in a downtown apartment whose tenants' association is in the middle of a heated debate over renovating their aging building. His artistic mystique and his unwillingness to participate in their meetings make him an irresistible target for all their schemes. When he meets his muse, in the form of a prepared-food delivery girl, he believes that he will finally be able to complete the ultimate watercolor, but his neighbors have other plans for him. EL ACUARELISTA is a light-hearted reflection on the possibility of art for art's sake.-Ilana Luna
FILM:
Waveriders
US PREMIERE Known for its whiskey, music and racehorses, for years Ireland has also been producing sizable waves and has developed a respectable surf culture. Using interviews, archival footage and photos, WAVERIDERS celebrates the Irish contribution to surfing, not the least of which was George Freeth, the Hawaiian-born son of an Irish father. Freeth, who is also considered to be the world's first lifeguard, revitalized the sport of surfing in the early 1900s, coaching the legendary Duke Kahanamoku. Following Freeth's story, WAVERIDERS travels from Hawaii to California and back to Ireland. Filmed in color, the landscapes and seascapes of Ireland are hauntingly beautiful and rugged. The eclectic soundtrack adds a further dimension to this gem of a film. Surf legend Kelly Slater sums it up when he calls Ireland “a cold paradise.”
FILM:
we have lost our wings but still we dream of flying
unrelated stories of related worlds. polarities. the coming and going. what we are made of and what will destroy us.
FILM:
Whiz Kids
WORLD PREMIERE WHIZ KIDS is a feature-length documentary film about a group of teenagers in America, each of whom has chosen science as a major driving force in their lives. Seeking to break the stereotypes of scientists as monotonous and humorless, WHIZ KIDS presents complex and intimate portrayals of young people from diverse family, socioeconomic and geographic backgrounds and their individual love for and admiration of all things science. Some have spent copious amounts of time conducting research experiments at elite scientific institutions, while others have created inventions in their own basements and backyards; however, they all share the same curiosity and wonderment about science. WHIZ KIDS follows some of the students on their journey navigating through high school and the world of science fair competitions where the stakes can be up to a million dollars worth of prizes and scholarships.-Rachel Ostwald
FILM:
The Witness - From the Balcony of Room 306
On April 4, 1968 on the balcony outside room 306 at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, a shot rang out that touched the heart and soul of the Civil Rights movement. It was the shot that ended Dr. Martin Luther King's life. Standing 5 feet away from him was Rev. Billy Kyles, a Memphis civil rights leader.That night Dr. King was supposed to have dinner with Rev. Kyles. Before that fateful move to the balcony to go to dinner, Rev. Kyles unknowingly spent the last hour of Dr. King's life with him.With every truth there bears a witness.
FILM:
The Women and the Waves
WORLD PREMIERE THE WOMEN AND THE WAVES is a documentary surf film that explores the lives of female surfers who, through the decades, have chosen to paddle headfirst into the male-dominated sport of surfing and find a place of their own. Surfer girls, women who surf, women who don't, female athletes, and the men who love them gain insight into what it's like to "surf like a girl." This inspiring film, featuring generations of women surfers, reveals how surfing as sport has transcended into a passion so strong it is the dominant force in these women's lives.
FILM:
Yes Madam, Sir
US PREMIERE A compelling documentary which follows Kiran Bedi, a professional athlete with a deep interest in social sciences as she becomes the first woman to join the Indian Police Service. Unpopular with her male counterparts, Bedi single-handedly fights back three thousand Sikh militants with a wooden stick during the Punjab separatist riots. When this feat makes international headlines Bedi is judged to be a threat to the male-dominated powers. Reassigned and placed in charge of the overcrowded and notoriously corrupt Tihar Jail, Bedi again garners international acclaim for establishing educational, medical, spiritual and yoga programs for the inmates. Bedi is then sent to the failing police academy and before long transforms the corrupt academy into a respected training institution.-Nanci Herbst
FILM:
Youth Cinemedia
Youth CineMedia is a nationally recognized program that utilizes state-of-the-art technology to help teach teenagers the fundamentals of digital video, music production, photography and other multimedia. Youth CineMedia (YCM) also provides area youth with the means to create inspiring, thought-provoking media that promotes dialogue and social change, as well as the training, knowledge and relationships that help foster expression and confidence. YCM is currently a program of Zona Seca and collaborates with Primo Boxing, The Granada Teen Project, the Creeks Division for the City of Santa Barbara and others. YCM focuses its outreach on underserved communities, with an emphasis on youth from low-income or newly-immigrated families, or those with an unfortunate history of below average school performance, substance abuse or involvement in the juvenile justice system. The Youth Cinemedia Shorts Program is a FREE program - no tickets or passes are needed Youth Cinemedia Documentaries FINDING NEMO - THE LIFE AND DEATH OF A CHOLO Produced by: Maximina Carachure MY QUINCEANERA Produced by: Selena Chavez A SECOND CHANCE - LIBERTY TATTOO REMOVAL Produced by: Omar Ceja HOMELESS FOR THE HOLIDAYS - THE EVICTION OF 90 SANTA BARBARA KIDS Produced by: Gonzalo Rios REMEMBERING EMANUEL ROLDAN R.I.P. Produced by: Reynaldo Lopez, Eric Guerrero BEHIND THE SCENES WITH YOUTH CINEMEDIA 2002-2009 Produced by YCM Students & Staff BREAKING ADDICTION Directed & Produced by: Brian Ruiz Youth Cinemedia Envrionmental Shorts JOSE AT WEST BEACH Produced by: Jose Almanza NATIVE PLANTING CRUISIN' CREEKS OCEANO JONES ADVENTURE CLUB STEPHAN'S PARK Youth Cinemedia & Primo Boxing FIGHT BACK AGAINST HIV/AIDS 10 THINGS ABOUT ME BOXING WITH A SURFER Youth Cinemedia & The Granada Teen Project BE SAFE BE AWARE THE GRANADA HARD HAT OPENING CLASSICAL MUSIC PARA TODOS Live musical performances by: Sleepy Loka, Dosia, and El Kid
FILM:
Zift
US PREMIERE After spending time in jail for a wrongful conviction for murder, Moth reenters a society that has drastically changed around him. Everything and everyone he once knew has been turned upside down. Lost in this new world, Moth seeks to rekindle old relationships while avoiding the grasp of dirty cops on the lookout for a unique diamond that has been missing since Moth was put in jail. Featuring a dense story loaded with suspense and twists at every turn, ZIFT is a film that harkens back to classic film noir movies of the 1950s in both style and structure. -Vince Palomarez
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