FILM:
6 Generations: A Chumash Family's History
<center></center> Directed by Paul Goldsmith | USA | 2010 | 58min | (Q&A) DOCUMENTARY WORLD PREMIERE A simple but elegant, one-hour film that documents the first people of Santa Barbara - the Barbareno Chumash. Told by the daughter of the last Chumash speaker, Ernestine de Soto, “Six Generation” is a unique story in American Indian history about cultural survival and the human spirit. The film brings together three streams of information: oral tradition that spans 200 years; research from anthropologist John Harrington who studied one Indian family; and intact Mission records. The film recounts Native American stories from the years between the end of the California Mission era in the 1830s and the modern era, a span of time when there was little Indian history being recorded because many of those with native blood tried to hide it. As such, this film is a revelation and a preservation of stories thought lost, about Santa Barbara’s first people. - Russ Spencer
FILM:
All Alone
<center></center> Directed by Jon Cellini | USA | 2010 | 97min | (Q&A) http://www.allalonethemovie.com Maggie is struggling. Living in Los Angeles has made her feel increasingly isolated and apprehensive and her strained relationship with her husband Ben is offering little solace. She hopes that a camping trip with her friend Alex and her successful husband Kyle will offer an opportunity to relax. She couldn’t be more wrong. After meeting a stranger in the woods, Maggie is soon confronted with a situation that she can’t quite grasp. She comes face to face with the dark side of some people in a very desperate place and ultimately is forced to make decisions that will determine whether or not she survives. - Russ Spencer
FILM:
Beneath The Rainbow Bridge
<center></center> Directed by John Brooks | USA | 2010 | 30min DOCUMENTARY This film takes the viewer through the major ecosystems and cultural resources found within the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary.
FILM:
Bringing King to China
<center></center> Directed by Kevin McKiernan | CHINA / INDIA / USA | 2010 | 88min | Subtitled | (Q&A) DOCUMENTARY WORLD PREMIERE BRINGING KING TO CHINA follows Santa Barbara native Caitrin McKiernan, whose failed protests against the Iraq war inspired her to produce a play in Chinese about Martin Luther King, Jr. Directed by Caitrin’s father, ABC war correspondent and filmmaker Kevin McKiernan, the film succeeds as a daughter-father story about two very driven, idealistic people trying to navigate both the international world of politics and the perhaps even more complicated world of their own hearts and relationships. Ultimately, Caitrin is able to produce her play on King, but she is forced to redefine her success as she learns that language proficiency alone does not guarantee that two cultures will understand each other. Caitrin also confronts her father on camera with the charge he is suffering from posttraumatic stress from his coverage of the war in Iraq, with unexpected results. Theirs is an ambitious, spirited journey with no easy answers or tidy ending. - Russ Spencer
FILM:
CAFWA
<center></center> Directed by Christopher Jenkins | USA / UGANDA | 2010 | 18min DOCUMENTARY Watch Movie Trailer The conflict in northern Uganda has shattered the lives of many. Joseph Kony, wanted for war crimes by the ICC, continues to evade capture while his ragtag group of fighters, known as the 'Lord's Resistance Army', easily slips over borders... killing, mutilating and abducting at will. Narrated by Oprah Winfrey.
FILM:
Continuum
<center></center> Directed by Alex Kilauano | USA | 2010 | 13min WORLD PREMIERE A brilliant young scientist travels back in time to save his murdered father.
FILM:
Desolate Roads
<center></center> Directed by Andrej Landin | USA | 2010 | 9min WORLD PREMIERE A young man rushes to attempt to reconcile with his dying father.
FILM:
First Day
<center></center> Directed by Jared Ingram | USA | 2010 | 5min WORLD PREMIERE It's Evie's first day of Kindergarten and her little sister is trying to talk her out of it.
FILM:
Free and Alive
<center></center> Directed by John Klein | USA | 2010 | 24min DOCUMENTARY Two environmental educators based in Santa Barbara cultivate kids' natural intelligence by cutting them loose in the natural world.
FILM:
Killing Memories
<center></center> Directed by Pete Pepper | USA / VIETNAM | 2010 | 85min | (Q&A) DOCUMENTARY WORLD PREMIERE KILLING MEMORIES is a cathartic and riveting film about a return trip to Vietnam by a group of five Vietnam War veterans, who together seek to heal a past which still haunts them. Shot on tiny HD cameras with a production budget of less than $75,000, the film allows an up-close and personal view of the reality of war and its devastating aftermath … some 40 years later. Narrator and filmmaker Pete Pepper was the company commander for the men, the old man in his unit at age 23. He takes them back in part to repay them for saving his life after the unexpected suicide of his wife in 2004 when the men came to his rescue, much as he had done for them during the war. KILLING MEMORIES is a powerful, must-see film about grief, trauma, masculinity, and the roads to healing and peace. - Russ Spencer
FILM:
Last Man in Paradise
<center></center> Directed by Michael James Love, Tina Love | USA | 2010 | 44min | (Q&A) DOCUMENTARY WORLD PREMIERE Watch Movie Trailer LAST MAN IN PARADISE is a documentary which tells the amazing story of Santa Barbaran Tom Merkel, an eccentric collector and champion of the historical value of humble things, who is fighting for his 100-year-old cabin in the National Forest. His lease is up and, despite eviction notices posted on his and 27 other cabins, he is the only one who refuses to leave, convinced his cabin is historical and emblematic of the vanishing Santa Barbara bohemian period. He posts a Museum Open sign on Paradise Road and invites the public to see what he calls the Magic Museum for themselves. We soon learn this is not Tom’s only museum. He also has an 80-acre “car farm” in New Cuyama with more than 1,200 carefully arranged rust buckets. Merkel ultimately comes faceto-face with Forest Service bulldozers and his own choice to remain a perpetual outsider. - Russ Spencer
FILM:
Lukewarm
<center></center> Directed by Ryan Turner | USA | 2010 | 17min WORLD PREMIERE Watch Movie Trailer Luke's hands-free, decision-free approach to life hits a crossroads when his car crashes, his girlfriend leaves, and his laptop goes missing all in the same day.
FILM:
Me, You and a Mushroom
<center></center> Directed by Jasmin Toutounchi | USA | 2010 | 14min When Tom and his two best friends go on a psychedelic mushroom trip they adventure into the Santa Ynez Mountains.
FILM:
Monodynamic
<center></center> Directed by Josh Figatner | USA | 2010 | 6min WORLD PREMIERE A brief exploration into the fascinating world of unicycle busking.
FILM:
My Last Day
<center></center> Directed by Addison Smith | USA | 2010 | 15min WORLD PREMIERE Multiple stories come together one afternoon in Los Angeles involving three characters, a newly retired police detective, a wanted cop killer, and an unfaithful housewife who is trying to throw a surprise party for her husband's retirement.
FILM:
One By One
<center></center> Directed by Cameron Alexander | USA | 2010 | 6min WORLD PREMIERE A group of friends learn of the strange circumstances surrounding their new house.
FILM:
Please Don't Cry
<center></center> Directed by Samantha Scher | USA | 2010 | 10min WORLD PREMIERE The story of a lonely grown man who is haunted by actions he committed when a child.
FILM:
Scooterman
<center></center> Directed by Kirsten Cavendish | UK | 2010 | 20min WORLD PREMIERE Scooterman is a contemporary romantic comedy set in London before Christmas.
FILM:
That Side of a Shadow
<center></center> Directed by Ricky Fosheim | USA | 2010 | 95min | (Q&A) WORLD PREMIERE A dark comedy with a strong tone and excellent directing, THAT SIDE OF A SHADOW follows two charismatic losers who are reduced to antagonistic friendship in a bumbling caper to Las Vegas. Reminiscent of Swingers and Requiem for a Dream and based on an award-winning play, THAT SIDE OF A SHADOW begins on the hottest recorded day in Los Angeles. Jimmy Strange (Jeffery Baker) has a tragic breakup with his girlfriend, Sara Harrison (Kristin Erickson), and finds out that his best friend, Isaac Nelson (Dillon Tucker), has gotten the two of them mixed up in a horrible gambling debt. With no other options, Jimmy and Isaac rob the gas station where they work and head to Las Vegas with plans to double their money in 24 hours. Their greed and poor judgment come back to haunt them in this entertaining statement on modern youth’s obsession with fame and fortune. - Russ Spencer
FILM:
The Best Thing I Ever Done
<center></center> Directed by M. Emily MacKenzie | USA | 2010 | 17min DOCUMENTARY WORLD PREMIERE Hailed as the 'godfather of Brooklyn pizza,' for forty-five years Domenico DeMarco, Italian emigre, has been slinging pizzas in his legendary pizzeria, Di Fara.
FILM:
The Book of Santa Barbara
<center></center> Directed by Russ Spencer | USA | 2011 | 5min DOCUMENTARY In this stunning documentary short, photographer Macduff Everton talks about the inspiration behind his stunning imagery in the recently published 'Book of Santa Barbara.' Featuring more than 50 photographs from the book.
FILM:
The Consequence of Oil
<center></center> Directed by Mark Manning | USA | 2010 | 15min DOCUMENTARY WORLD PREMIERE A hard hitting investigative look at the consequences of the BP oil disaster to the environment and people of the Gulf states.
FILM:
The Extraordinary Fight of Atticus Walker and The Monster In His Mind
<center></center> Directed by Michael Karman | USA | 2010 | 12min WORLD PREMIERE In order to land his dream job and live life confidently, Atticus Walker must finally stand up to the monster in his mind.
FILM:
The Fourth Horseman
<center></center> Directed by Joseph Dietsch | USA | 2009 | 21min WORLD PREMIERE A bandaged gunman on a bizarre quest to survive in the nuclear ravaged remains of 1950's America.
FILM:
The Less Gone
<center></center> Directed by Benjamin Fischinger | USA | 2010 | 14min WORLD PREMIERE A short thriller/drama (think A Beautiful Mind) about an isolated man who exits a fallout shelter one year after a nuclear apocalypse has decimated the United States.
FILM:
The Monstrosity
<center></center> Directed by Alyssa Price | USA | 2010 | 9min WORLD PREMIERE Milly tries to survive not only her first week at George Adams Middle School but the untimely arrival of her first huge zit.
FILM:
The Other Astronaut
<center></center> Directed by Jason Hallows | USA | 2010 | 13min WORLD PREMIERE An amateur astronomer who craves solitude is forced to reevaluate his life when a strange visitor shows him that getting what you want isn't always great.
FILM:
The Premiere
<center></center> Directed by Steven Ray Morris | USA | 2010 | 16min WORLD PREMIERE A young and now frustrated filmmaker as he attends the premiere of his ex-girlfriend's new film only to be reminded of the great love they once had together.
FILM:
The Two-Timing Tango
<center></center> Directed by Mia Ferro | USA | 2010 | 15min A woman suspects her husband of cheating and hires a private dectective.
FILM:
To Be Friends
<center></center> Directed by Jim Eckhart | USA | 2010 | 92min | (Q&A) “To Be Friends” examines the often under-appreciated love that woman brings to the life of man. This is a story about sharing that which is most precious– true connection. Arriving at a remote, yet beautiful cabin overlooking distant seashores, our characters discover experiences and realities that have shaped their lives: HER, a life of beauty and inspiration, HIM, one of adventure, but fallen short of the greatest of all, true connection and intimacy. Her hope is to know that once she is gone, he will continue to unwind his life and realize the true potential she knows he possesses. In this, the gift of her generosity demonstrates the ability to share oneself even as time is running out. This is a story of how unrequited love orchestrates one last chance for two lifelong friends to explore the boundaries and connections of their relationship, finally finding love just as it is lost forever.
FILM:
Under Surveillance
<center></center> Directed by Michael Warner | USA | 2010 | 9min WORLD PREMIERE An undercover surveillance team stakes out an unknown, delivery man. Unfortunately, their intentions are misguided.
FILM:
Wallace Carothers
<center></center> Directed by Ted Mills | USA | 2010 | 9min WORLD PREMIERE Based not-entirely-truthfully on real-life figure Wallace Carothers, this new twisted history lesson from Ted Mills will tell you more than you thought possible about the inventor of nylon, his loves, his losses, and his strange relationship with polymer.
FILM:
The Farmer
<center></center> Directed by Jessica Hokanson | USA | 2010 | 2min WORLD PREMIERE An unusual farmer plants his own special type of tree.
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