Thu 12:40 PM Ashland Street Cinema Fri 12:40 PM Ashland Street Cinema Sun 12:40 PM Ashland Street Cinema
Synopsis
In this Pixar-style animated film, a weathered Sheriff returns to the remains of an accident he has spent a lifetime trying to forget. With each step forward, the memories come flooding back. Faced with his mistake once again, he must find the strength to carry on.
Director’s Statement: Andrew Coats & Lou Hamou-Lhadj
Having worked on family films with a lot of heart and comedy, we wanted to do something outside of our comfort zone: a serious action drama. We wanted to create an experience that is grounded and relatable, steering away from the outlandish or oversimplified. This was the vision that drove the look, animation, and story of Borrowed Time.
Thu 12:40 PM Ashland Street Cinema Fri 12:40 PM Ashland Street Cinema Sun 12:40 PM Ashland Street Cinema
Synopsis
In this poignant, against the odds coming-of-age drama, two walks of life collide when a young man steals a car but is unprepared for what he finds in the back seat.
Directors’ Statement: Andrew Saunderson
Initially, I was inspired by guilt. The crime portrayed in the film quickly filled me with feelings of remorse and justification. I thought about what it would be like to grow up in a world in which you are told you are nothing, come from nothing, and realize there is nothing for you. I want to believe that despite those odds, maybe there is still hope. The question veered from being how would a young man feel if he found something precious in the back of a stolen car, to is this young man beyond saving? I leave it up to the audience.
Thu 12:40 PM Ashland Street Cinema Fri 12:40 PM Ashland Street Cinema Sun 12:40 PM Ashland Street Cinema
Synopsis
A 70-year-old man in Kentucky hears music and voices coming from a second-hand lamp he bought at a flea market. Lamp–A Ghost Story is a warm, witty film with evocative black & white cinematography and a mysterious cat.
Director’s Statement: Thom Southerland
For such a playful film, Lamp–A Ghost Story is intensely personal for me. My father is the star, my nephews comprise the supporting cast and my late mother appears via photograph. This film was produced for little in terms of money and time, but took a lifetime to actually make. I can’t remember a time when my father hasn’t been telling odd and funny stories. The aim of this short film is to capture that magic before it disappears.
Thu 12:40 PM Ashland Street Cinema Fri 12:40 PM Ashland Street Cinema Sun 12:40 PM Ashland Street Cinema
Synopsis
Self-described butch lesbian, BJ, successfully avoids wearing dresses her entire life until she and her partner Sherrie adopt Jeffrey, who dances and performs for them in gowns. Now that six-year-old Jeffrey wishes to dress up in public, BJ must navigate where it is safe for him, from school, to a rodeo in Georgia to the ultimate holiday for a pink boy, Halloween.
Director’s Statement: Eric Rockey
As a gay man who grew up in a different era, I experienced what it was like to be in the closet. I was inspired by stories about families whose children expressed their gender differences at the earliest age. When I met BJ, Sherrie, and Jeffrey (now Jessie), I felt that I had found the family that could best tell this story. Not only were they vibrant characters who were easy to connect with, but the rural Florida area they lived in provided a sometimes not so sympathetic backdrop.
Thu 12:40 PM Ashland Street Cinema Fri 12:40 PM Ashland Street Cinema Sun 12:40 PM Ashland Street Cinema
Synopsis
Today’s media is filled with stories of America’s struggling education system. There is a consistent narrative about what is being done wrong; this is a story of how one school is doing it right. Follow the student reporters from Santa Barbara Middle School’s groundbreaking Teen Press program as they interview actors, politicians, and business leaders including Oprah, Ben Affleck, and Bill Gates.
Director’s Statement: T.C. Johnstone
I was inspired to make the film when I encountered the Teen Press team at the Santa Barbara Film Festival where my film Rising From Ashes was premiering. Among the throngs of journalists and paparazzi, I saw a group of 12 and 13 year old kids poised and ready to ask meaningful questions of the stars and filmmakers who walked the red carpet.
