| 2005 FILMS: FEATURE FILMS | DOCUMENTARIES | SHORT FILMS | STUDENT FILMS
feature films |
American Beer
Documentary
100 minutes
Filmmaker: Paul Kermizian
Sat 3:20p; Mon 12:20p
Plays with: Out of Proportion
Five guys set off from New York City in a rented van with a little gear and a love of beer. Craft Beer to be specific; the kind you find in micro-breweries across the county. They visit 38 breweries in 40 days from Brooklyn to New England to the West Coast, including Oregon. Beyond Craft Beer, this is the story about real people following their dream, each in their own distinct way. Often hilarious, always engaging and informative,
this "bockumentary" will leave you thirsty. [language] www.sixhundred.com
Best Documentary Film- Feature Length
Born into Brothels
Documentary
85 minutes
Filmmakers: Ross Kauffman, Zana Briski
Thu 6:00 p; Fri 3:00p; Sat 9:30a; Sun 12:00p
A tribute to the resiliency of childhood and the restorative power of art, Born into Brothels is a portrait of several unforgettable children who live in the red light district of Calcutta where their mothers work as prostitutes. In the face of abject poverty, abuse, and despair, these kids have little possibility of escaping their mother's fate or for creating another type of life. Zana Briski, a New York based photographer, gives each of these children a camera and teaches them how to take pictures, simultaneously allowing them to look at their world with new eyes. Zana and Ross Kaufmann chronicle the amazing transformation of the children they come to know in the red light district, and capture the magical way in which beauty can be found in the most unlikely of places. Winner of this year's Academy Award® for Best Documentary Feature.
(language)(adult subject matter) (subtitles) kids-with-cameras.org
Busting Out
Documentary
57 minutes
Filmmaker: Lauren Spellman Smith and Francine Strickwerda
Fri 6:30 p, Sat 12:30p, Sun 3:30p
Plays with: Wet Dreams and False Images and Dysenchanted
In Busting Out, Strickwerda and Spellman Smith explore the many sides of society's fascination with breasts: from the men who are obsessed with them to the women who fear them and everyone in between. Using intimate personal interviews, historical details, and humor, the filmmakers weave a deft, honest, and oftentimes touching account of the relationship between America and the female mammary gland. Whether you have a pair or not, this film will challenge the way you think about breasts. (adult subject matter) www.stiritup.com
Caught in Paint
Documentary
6 minutes
Filmmaker: Rita Blitt
Thu 12:10p, Fri 6:10p, Sun 9:40a
Plays with: The Magical Life of Long Tack Sam
Art is literally brought to life in this brief, dynamic documentary. The camera captures Rita Blitt painting on transparent surfaces while choreographer David Parsons and members of the Parsons Dance Company are seen in mid-air, using their bodies to mimic the forceful and graceful lines of the artist's brush strokes. Dance photographer Lois Greenfield also joins forces in this union of art forms. www.ritablitt.com
The Conscientious Objector
Documentary
101 minutes
Filmmaker: Terry L. Benedict
Fri 3:20p, Sun 9:30a
A reluctant Conscientious Objector in WWII, Desmond Doss was desperate to serve his country even though beliefs would not allow him to kill another human being. Refusing the deferment offered to him, he trained to become a combat medic. Desmond developed a reputation as one of the most fearless medics in the battles of Guam, Leyte and Okinawa. This film explores the nature of Desmonds heroism and searched out survivors of the 77th Infantry Division who were witness to his actions as well as those rescued by him. With a cinematic approach that captures powerful and inspiring interviews with Desmond Doss, his family and the few remaining Veterans. Their stories reveal the many sacrifices that Doss made. For the first time in 56 years they reunite with their medic on the island of Okinawa, where this amazing story took place. (violence) www.desmonddoss.com
The Cutting Edge: The Magic of Movie Editing
Documentary
98 minutes
Filmmakers: Wendy Apple and Alan Heim
Thu 3:20p, Sat 12:20p, Mon 9:20p
Plays with: I Used To Be a Filmmaker
The Cutting Edge explores secrets, tricks of the trade and key innovations in editing that changed the face of cinema's Greatest storytellers show us how certain moments are created that can makes us roar with laughter, tremble in our seats or move us to tears. This film takes us on a journey through an incredible array of clips from ground breaking films with an eye to how they were created and the essential and unseen role of the editor.
Actors like Sean Penn and Jody Foster discuss how editing enhanced their performance. Directors Martin Scorcese, George Lucas and others discuss the vital collaboration they share with their editors and show that what is created on the set is reinvented and enhanced in the editing room. This is a detailed, informed and instructive peek behind the scenes, after which you may never look at a film in quite the same way.
(language) (violence) (adult content)
Best Student Film
The Forest for the Trees: Judy Bari vs The FBI Student
53 minutes
Filmmaker: Bernadine Mellis
Thu 6:30p, Fri 9p, Sun 9p
Plays with: Monumental
After years of aggressive environmental activism against the destruction of the redwood forests, Judi Bari of Earth First! was seriously injured by a pipe bomb in 1990. Three hours later, she was arrested for carrying explosives and named a terrorist by the media. Twelve years later, a suit filed by Earth First! against the Oakland police and the FBI came to trial. Was she framed? What was the FBI's role? As the story unfolds to its dramatic ending, this film provides unparalleled insight into threats to civil rights in the context of environmental issues.
www.redbirdfilms.com
Audience Award Best Documentary Film
The Future of Food
Documentary
89 minutes
Filmmaker: Deborah Koons Garcia
Sat 9:50a, Mon 9:50a
There is a revolution happening in the farm fields and on the dinner tables of America - a revolution that is transforming the very nature of the food we eat. With beautiful archival footage and insightful and moving interviews with farmers and food industry representatives, The Future Of Food offers an in-depth investigation into the controversy over genetically modified foods. From the prairies of Saskatchewan, Canada to the fields of Oaxaca, Mexico, this film gives a voice to farmers whose lives and livelihoods have been negatively impacted by this new technology. The film examines the complex web of market and political forces that are changing what we eat as huge multinational corporations seek to control the world's food supplies.
The Ground Truth
Documentary
28 minutes
Filmmaker: Patricia Foulkrod
Fri 3:10p, Sat 12:10p, Sun 6:10p, Mon 6:10p
Plays with: Inside Iraq
The voices and faces of U.S. service men and women convey their own stories of bravery, fear, and injury. With no antiwar editorializing, the images convey profoundly disturbing results of the war in Iraq. Coming on the second anniversary of the U.S. invasion, this poignant half-hour film provokes unexpected emotion, leaving no one unmoved. (violence)www.thegroundtruth.org
Home of the Brave
Documentary
75 minutes
Filmmaker: Paola di Florio
Thu 3:40p , Fri 12:40p, Sun 6:40p
Plays with: Miss Lilâ's Camp
Home of the Brave is about the only white woman murdered in the civil rights movement in America and why we DON'T know who she is. Told through the eyes of her children, the film follows the ongoing struggle of an American family to survive the consequences of their mother's heroism and the mystery behind her killing. Viola Liuzzo was a 39 year-old Detroit Teamster's wife and mother of five, who joined thousands of people converging in Selma, Alabama for the march on Montgomery, led by Martin Luther King in '65. Shortly after the historic Voting Rights March had ended, she was shot in the head and killed by a car full of Klansmen, while driving on a lone highway. Mary, the middle daughter (who lives in Grants Pass and will attend the screenings,) decides to retrace her mother's road trip from Detroit to Selma with the filmmakers. What she finds in Selma is both surprising and profoundly healing. Home of the Brave links the personal and the political, the past and present and has a resonance to our world today. www.emergingpictures.com
I Used To Be a Filmmaker
Documentary
10 minutes
Filmmaker: Jay Rosenblatt
Thu 3:20p, Sat 12:20p, Mon 9:20p
Plays with: The Cutting Edge
A funny and touching film about fatherhood and the bond between a father and his infant daughter. The filmmaker documents the first eighteen months of his child's life, showing the progression from newborn to infant to toddler in "filmic" terms.
www.jayrosenblattfilms.com
Inside Iraq: The Untold Stories
Documentary
92 minutes
Filmmaker: Mike Shiley
Fri 3:10p, Sat 12:10p, Sun 6:10p, Mon 6:10p
Plays with: The Ground Truth
The war in Iraq has been showcased as both an example of American decisiveness and the catastrophic result of failed leadership. But beyond the debate, what is the reality of life on the ground? In December of 2003 traveler Mike Shiley felt compelled to find out for himself. Shiley managed to strike a deal with a local ABC-TV station to bring back stories about the troops in Iraq. Armed with a digital video camera and a home-made press pass, Mike Shiley chronicled his two month journey inside Iraq, interviewing American and Iraqi soldiers, talking to local citizens. (violence) (subtitles) insideiraqthemovie.com
Laundry and Tosca
Documentary
30 minutes
Filmmaker: Lauralee Farrer
Thu 12:20 p, Fri 12:20p, Sun 12:20 p
Plays with: Kate: The Taming of the Shrew
Marcia Whitehead lived in a garage apartment in Southern California and worked a modest-wage job. But, like most of us, she dreamed of an abundant life beyond the ordinary. For 20 years she worked during the day, and trained her rare lirico-spinto soprano voice on weekends and nights. Along the way, she learned to love the operas that were written for her voice: Andrea Chenier, Aida, Tosca. A random event made possible an audition with a world-renowned New York vocal instructor whose students included tenor Placido Domingo. In the time that follows, it becomes clear that Marcia's dream of an abundant life has already come true.
Lines in the Sand
Documentary
8 minutes
Filmmaker: Mark Freeman
Thu 9:40p, Sat 6:40p
Plays with: Star Dreams
Lines in the Sand is a lyrical portrait of art and meditation. Using simple handmade tools, Kirk Van Allyn creates public art on the Pacific shore. Beginning at low tide, the process of creation is the work of art. Using the beach as his canvas, the artist paints with the elements - sand, surf and light.
The Loss of Nameless Things
Documentary
103 minutes
Filmmaker: Bill Rose
Fri 6:40p, Sat 3:40p, Mon 9:40p
Plays with: Andy
In 1978 Oakley Hall III was a promising playwright on the verge of national recognition when his life was interrupted and violently transformed by a mysterious fall from a bridge. The Loss of Nameless Things is the haunting story of Hall's fall from grace and what happens when twenty-five years later a theater company discovers the very play he was working on the night he fell. Interviews with friends, family and colleagues, including local actor Michael J. Hume, paint a picture of a gifted playwright and stage actor. Oakley is the epitome of a driven, artistic genius cut down in his prime. thelossofnamelessthings.com
Magical Life of Long Tack Sam
Documentary
88 minutes
Filmmaker: Ann Marie Fleming
Thu 12:10p, Fri 6:10p, Sun 9:40a
Plays with: Caught in Paint
In this enticing film, director Ann Marie Fleming travels the globe, searching for the story of her great-grandfather, the cosmopolitan Long Tack Sam. To unravel the mystery of a man she knows nothing about, she turns to family, friends, acrobats and magicians. They share lively anecdotes and personal memories that offer insight not only into a fascinating individual, but a particular world at a particular time. As Fleming reflects in the film, "All history is relatives." This is a charming story with a blend of interviews, old snapshots and innovative animation that is as magical and lively as its subject. www.longtacksam.com
Mardi Gras: Made in China
61 minutes
Filmmaker: David Redmon
Fri 3:30p, Sun 6:30p, Mon 3:30p
Plays with: Bicycles and Radios
This is a wry, eye-opening look at the Chinese sweatshops that manufacture the strings of beads tossed out as prizes for flashing one's flesh during Mardi Gras in New Orleans. The film puts a human face on globalization as it juxtaposes the harsh lives of Chinese factory workers with American partygoers. With humor, compassion and style, we learn where those beads come from as first time filmmaker David Redmon follows the "bead trail" 5,000 miles from a factory in China to the streets of New Orleans. He highlights the stories of four teenage women from Fuzhou, China, and provides us with insights into the prison like conditions of the bead factory where the women both work and live. We are privy to their heartbreaking dreams of a better life. (subtitles) mardigrasmadeinchina.com
Monumental: David Brower's Fight for Wild America
Documentary
77 minutes
Filmmaker: Kelly Duane
Thu 6:30p, Fri 9:00p, Sun 9:00p
Plays with: Forest for the Trees
Original footage of Western mountains, canyons, and forests filmed by David Brower himself are combined with archival news segments and stunning photography of the natural wonders that Brower and his Sierra Club fought to preserve. First-person interviews add drama to this inspiring portrait of the man who has been called the inventor of modern environmentalism. The outstanding soundtrack by indie bands perfectly complements the story.
http://www.loteriafilms.org/
The Ritchie Boys
Documentary
92 minutes
Filmmaker: Christian Bauer
Thu 3:00p, Fri 6:00p, Mon 3:00p
Plays with: Tides
Having fled the Nazis as teenagers, Jewish immigrants joined the army and were trained in interrogation and military intelligence at Camp Ritchie, MD. They returned to Europe on June 6, 1944 in U.S. uniforms. Silent for almost 60 years, ten articulate octogenarians now recount their experiences in France, Poland, and Germany, interrogating prisoners, preparing and distributing propaganda. This German-Canadian co-production inspires with the Ritchie Boys' courage, humor, and pride in their remarkable contributions to victory. (violence) (subtitles)
www.ritchieboys.com
Scared Sacred
Documentary
104 minutes
Filmmaker: Velcrow Ripper
Thu 9:00 p, Sat 3:00 p, Sun 3:00 p
Filmmaker Velcrow Ripper takes us on a journey to the 'Ground Zeros' of the planet: to the minefields of Cambodia; war-torn Afghanistan; the toxic wasteland of Bhopal; post-9/11 New York. This powerful documentary follows his five-year odyssey to discover if humanity can transform the 'scared' into the 'sacred'. Ripper meets Aki Ra, a child soldier forced to lay landmines for the Khmer Rouge. Today Aki wanders his ravaged country with a simple wooden stick, decommissioning thousands of mines each year. In Afghanistan, Ripper searches for a Sufi musician who was banned from performing or even listening to music, by the reign of fundamentalism. The musician discovered a way out: he filled his house with songbirds. In each 'Ground Zero' he unearths unforgettable stories of survival, of ritual, resilience and recovery. (violence) (subtitles)
www.nfb.ca/scaredsacred
Star Dreams
Documentary
77 minutes
Filmmaker: Robert Nichols
Thu 9:40, Sat 6:40
Plays with: Lines in the Sand
An intriguing and revealing look at crop circles and the philosophical and scientific questions they raise. Stunning aerial photography and first-person narratives from major researchers in the field explore the beauty, mystery and meaning of the complex designs created by unknown forces all over the world. What are the crop circles? What do they have to tell us? What is the reaction of the scientific establishment and world media? www.stardreams-cropcircles.com
Best Documentary Film - Short Subject
Twins
Documentary
17 minutes
Filmmaker: Martin Bell
Thu 9:20p, Fri 6:20p, Sun 6:20p
Plays with: A Relative Thing
This beautifully photographed, quirky documentary reveals the extraordinary bond between twins. Several sets of identical twins share their thoughts about how identity and relationships are affected by the presence of a selfsame equivalent. www.falkland.com
Venus of Mars
Documentary
92 minutes
Filmmaker: Emily Goldberg
Thu 9:10p, Fri 9:10p, Sun 9:10p
On stage, wearing a vinyl corset and stiletto boots, she's Venus, lead singer of the glam rock band All the Pretty Horses. At home in Minneapolis with Lynette, his wife of twenty years, he's Steve. Born male, Venus is transgender. To some, Venus is a pioneer, courageously exploring a brave new world of gender identity. To others, s/he's a freak. Venus of Mars is both the unique coming out story of Venus' gender-redefining journey, and the truly contemporary love story of a couple weathering dramatic changes in uncharted relationship territory. (adult content, language) www.venusofmars.com
Wet Dreams and False Images
Documentary
11 minutes
Filmmaker: Jesse Epstein
Fri 6:30p, Sat 9:40p, Sun 3:30p
Plays with: Dysenchanted and Busting Out
Dee-Dee, a Brooklyn barber and self-proclaimed booty expert, covers his wall with magazine cut-outs of women. He wishes that real women could look more like the images on his "wall of beauty". However, when Dee-Dee is introduced to the art of photo-retouching, his perceptions of beauty are called into question. Wet Dreams and False Images uses humor to raise serious concerns about the marketplace of commercial illusion and unrealizable standards of physical perfection. www.ohmsmedia.org
The Adventures of Mark Twain
Feature
86 minutes
Filmmaker: Will Vinton
Sat 12:40p; Sun 12:40p
In this feature-length claymation adventure, Tom Sawyer, Becky Thatcher, and Huck Finn exist side by side with their literary creator. They stowaway aboard Mark Twain's interplanetary balloon as he lights out to find Halley's Comet and meet his "destiny." While on board Tom, Huck and Becky are treated to some of Twain's greatest stories, which are presented in brilliantly animated sequences. The Adventures of Mark Twain is a splendid homage to an artist. www.freewill.tv
Cosmopolitan
Feature
55 minutes
Filmmaker: Nisha Ganatra
Thu 9:30p, Sat 3:30p, Sun 9:30p, Mon 6:30p
Plays with: Ocean City
Gopul, an Indian emigrant, suddenly finds himself stranded in the suburbs when he learns that both his wife and daughter are leaving him. While adjusting to life as an aging bachelor, his daily routine is interrupted by his infatuation with his oddly attractive neighbor, Mrs. Shaw. Gleaning advice from a popular women's magazine, Gopul makes a fumbling attempt at constructing a relationship with her. Bollywood musical sequences are scattered throughout the film, an homage that showcases the intoxicating power of love. From the writer of Monsoon Wedding, this film sweetly shows the difficulty of crossing boundaries, both cultural and personal. www.giganticpictures.com
Best Dramatic Film - Feature Length
Cross Bronx
Feature
97 minutes
Filmmaker: Larry Golin
Sat 6:10p, Sun 12:10p, Mon 12:10p
Plays with: The Wedding Toast
Dynamic direction, refreshingly realistic performances and a stellar soundtrack take this gritty New York story way beyond the standard coming-of-age drama. Cross Bronx tells the story of four friends - an artist, a baseball star, an aspiring mobster, and a wrestler - in their last year of high school. They leave suburban Westchester behind and move together into a run-down basement apartment in the Bronx. The film captures their excitement and uncertainty as they navigate the difficult transition from adolescence to adulthood. (adult)(language)(violence)
Elephant Shoes
Feature
79 minutes
Filmmaker: Christos Sourligas
Thu 3:10p, Fri 12:10p, Sat 3:10p, Sun 3:10p
Plays with: Samuel DeMango
Alexis and Manny are a "12-hour" couple whose turbulent love affair is told over the course of a half-day. After a chance meeting on the street the scene shifts to Manny's apartment where the ill fated lovers spend an unforgettable one-night stand together that feels like a lifetime. They say time stops when you meet the love of your life. Unfortunately, Alexis and Manny have only 11 hours and 54 minutes left to go. (language) (adult content) www.elephantshoesmovie.com
Kate: The Taming of the Shrew (Kate: La Bisbetica Domata)
Feature
77 minutes
Filmmaker: Roberto Lione
Thu 12:20p, Fri 12:20p, Sun 12:20p
Plays with: Laundry and Tosca
With lively paper puppets, a pop music score, skateboarding races, and a renaissance Venice populated with lords and ladies who use mobile phones, this colorful comedy is an update of Shakespeare's classic play. The film tells the tale of a strong and independent woman who doesn't yield to the stereotypes of her times, and unravels at a riotous pace, like flipping through the pages of a book full of vibrant illustrations. Kate is Italy's first stop-motion animated feature made entirely of paper. (subtitles) www.crayonspictures.com
The Land Has Eyes (Pearta ma ‘on maf)
Feature
88 minutes
Filmmaker: Vilsoni Hereniko
Thu 6:20p, Fri 12p, Sat 9p
The culture, class divisions, and history of Rotuma (a Fijian Island) come alive in this moving story that interweaves the challenges of an impoverished young woman with the courageous example of one the island's first inhabitants (played by Rena Owen of Once Were Warriors). Shamed by her village for being poor and the daughter of a wrongly convicted thief, Viki turns to the mythical Warrior Woman for inspiration. Viki defends her father against unfair allegations by exposing the secrets of her islands' most powerful and important people. The lush tropical beauty of Rotuma contrasts with the stifling conformity of island culture as Viki fights for justice and her freedom. (subtitles) www.thelandhaseyes.com
The John C. Schweiger Audience Award Best Dramatic Film
Miracle of Bern, The (Das Wunder von Bern)
Feature
117 minutes
Filmmaker: Sonke Wortmann
Thu 6:40, Sat 12p, Sun 6:00p
A father returns home to Germany after 11 years as a prisoner in the Soviet Union. Broken by his years in captivity, his return casts a shadow over the once-happy family. Set against the exhilarating and authentic backdrop of West Germany's astounding World Cup victory in 1954, another miracle occurs as the youngest son's great love of soccer eventually brings a spark of life back to the father. The Miracle of Bern, directed by ex-soccer player Soenke Wortmann, is an emotional and touching family drama. (subtitles) www.littleshark.de
Phil the Alien
Feature
86 minutes
Filmmaker: Rob Stefaniuk
Fri 9:20p, Sat 6:20p, Sun3:20p
Plays with: The Morning After
This is a comic odyssey told through the bloodshot eyes of an alcoholic alien. Phil lands in Canada from outer space and is first held at gunpoint, then welcomed in as a misfit in the misfit land of Canada. Phil evades hunters and the CIA but can't evade the charms of booze, loose women and Jesus, and puts all his ET powers into performing bar tricks and chatting with a sharp-tongued beaver (voiced by SCTV's Joe Flaherty). A satire as broad and satisfying as our neighbor to the north. (language)(violence)(adult subject matter) www.blackwalk.com
The Pornographer (a love story)
Feature
80 minutes
Filmmaker: Alan Wade
Sat 9:40a, Mon 3:10p
Plays with: Triptych
Having lived with her image for months in his editing room, a stubborn, driven director has fallen in love with an actress, Anna, from his previous film. Instead of having an affair with her, Michael hires her to work on scenes from what he says is a screenplay-in-progress. Intrigued, Anna agrees. Over time, their weekly sessions become the medium for a kind of love affair. As the rehearsals and scenes become increasingly charged, Anna comes to realize that there is no screenplay. She turns the camera around on Michael, and begins to direct scenes of her own. (language)(adult)
A Relative Thing
Feature
102 minutes
Filmmaker: Garrett Bennett
Thu 9:20p, Fri 6:20p, Sun 6:20p
Plays with: Twins
Separated for over ten years, five siblings return home for one last visit with their ailing grandmother. Their reunion reveals two family secrets that alter their relationships and force them to reexamine the meaning of home. Revealed through nuanced performances by a flawless ensemble cast, this warm, evocative story rediscovers the value of family and finds that change is not only possible, it's necessary. (language)
www.arelativething.com
Repetition
Feature
87 minutes
Filmmaker: Zachary Zises
Sat 9:10p, Mon. 9:10p
Plays with: Attention Span
Michael and Debbie are students in a method acting class that demands its' students to connect immediately and truthfully to each other. They both fail miserably. We see how this pattern of failure is repeated in their personal lives. Laura and David are equally incapable of connection. Laura avoids people and herself through compulsive eating. David copes by descending into a comic book fantasy world. A traumatic incident forces them all to confront their deepest fears. This is an intensely layered and sometimes difficult but rewarding story with a superb acting ensemble, rich visual imagery, and a stunning soundtrack. (adult)(vioilence)(language)
www.bzzzfilms.com
Best Acting
Tennis, Anyone?
Feature
100 minutes
Filmmaker: Donal Logue
Thu 6:10p, Sat 6p, Mon 9p
Plays with: Joe Blow
Meet Danny Macklin, a B-list Hollywood actor in this send up of the ups and downs of Hollywood. His career is imploding and he's married to a woman who hates him. Playing doubles in celebrity tennis tournaments with Gary, also a struggling actor, becomes his only respite. In each match, the pair attempts to find redemption, revenge, and meaning in their lives. Writer/director Donal Logue and writer Kirk Fox show that in the game of tennis, love may mean nothing, but in the game of life it means everything. Logue was the writer, director and star of the indie hit, The Tao of Steve, the Grand Prize Winner at the 2000 Sundance festival. Logue lives part time near Shady Cove.
(language) (adult content)
This Is Not a Film
Feature
88 minutes
Filmmaker: Michael A. Nickles
Thu 3:30, Sat 6:30p, Mon 12:30
This is not a film; it's more of a...modern day message-in-a-bottle." So begins Michael Connor's attempt to find his ex-girlfriend, Grace. Unable to contact her, he reenacts scenes from their failed relationship for the camera and creates a video that he hopes will be seen by someone who knows where Grace is. Often hilarious and always desperate, Michael is forced to examine what went wrong as he struggles to make it right. Maybe you know Grace. If you do, tell her to call him. (212) 330-9287. (language)
www.thisisnotafilm.com
Wilderness Survival for Girls
Feature
80 minutes
Filmmakers: Eli Despres and Kim Roberts
Fri 9:30p, Mon 9:30p
Plays with: The Vest
Four friends head to a mountain cabin for one last weekend together before college. The girls settle in for an evening of beer, pot, and stories around the fire. But as daylight fades, the stillness of the woods presses in on them, and their secluded refuge becomes strange and hauntingly unfamiliar. Deep in the night, a stranger appears who claims to have been squatting in the empty cabin. Drunk, high, and cut off from help, the girls take the man captive. The girls' secret fears about their sexuality, their friendship, and their future fuel the confrontation with the stranger through the course of one feverish night. This captivating film uses edge-of-your-seat suspense to explore the rich and complex inner lives of teenage girls. (language) (adult)
www.wildernesssurvivalforgirls.com
Yoshino's Barber Shop
Feature
96 minutes
Filmmaker: Naoko Ogigami
Thu 12:30p, Fri 12:30p, Sat 9:30p, Sun 12:30p
Plays with: Lost Cause
An awkward but customary haircut for all the schoolboys in a rural Japanese town becomes the touchstone of a debate between tradition and modernity when a new boy with a stylish haircut comes to town. Will the new boy convince his classmates to question the strict traditions of their town, or will he be forced to get the Yoshino cut ? This is a charming tale of childhood, coming of age, and naive rebellion, Yoshino's Barber Shop questions how far kids will go to be accepted and how important it is to be "cool." (subtitles)
Best Cinematography, Feature Length- The Gerald Hirschfeld A.S.C. Award
Zen Noir
Feature
71 minutes
Filmmaker: Marc Rosenbush
Fri 3:40p, Sun 9:40p, Mon 6:40
Plays with: Spin
A nameless "noir" detective, still mourning the loss of his wife, investigates a mysterious death in a Buddhist temple, but his logical, left-brained crime-solving skills are useless in the intuitive, non-linear world of Zen. This is a hilarious and original spin on the classic detective genre.
www.zenmovie.com
2 + 1
Short
26 minutes
Filmmaker: Philippe Safir
Fri 9:40p, Mon 3:40p
Plays in Short Takes Program
While on a romantic trip to Paris, Rick's girlfriend breaks up with him. To make things worse, he finds himself locked in the Park of Versailles overnight with an angry French cabbie and a confused Japanese student. Unable to communicate, the three strangers must face an eventful night outdoors together. With imaginative use of color, split screen, fine digital cinematography and superb sound design, this is a delightful short story. [subtitles] www.2plus1.net
Andy
Short
5 minutes
Filmmaker: Terence Healy
Fri 6:40p; Sat 3:40p; Mon 9:40p
Plays with: The Loss of Nameless Things
A self-described short big nosed and bald man, Andy moves from Brooklyn to Los Angeles to work as an actor. In a unique pen and ink style of animation, Andy tells the story of how his career as an actor and model unfolded.
Anna and the Soldier (Anna und der Soldat)
Short
10 minutes
Filmmakers: Christian Prettin and Soeren Hueper
Fri 9:40p; Mon 3:40p
Plays in Short Takes Program
18 year old Anna lives a hard and lonely life in her small Italian village. In 1944 she lost her entire family in a massacre by the Germans and is haunted by horrific memories. When one of the German soldiers returns six years later, she is faced with the opportunity for revenge… Loss, remembrance, and retribution are interlaced in this delicate and affecting two-character short. [subtitles] www.honnom.de
Attention Span
Short
30 minutes
Filmmaker: Paul Sadowski
Sat 9:10p; Mon 9:10p
Plays with: Repetition
Rapid fire, complex and riveting, this stylish glimpse into the lives of seemingly unrelated characters reveals the intricacy of cause and effect. This is a whodunit for the new millennium that takes us on a wild journey into betrayal, deceit, lust, gambling, sex and secrets set against the back drop of a Crossfire style talk show.
[language, adult] www.attentionspanmovie.com
Best Dramatic Film - Short
Believes (Croit)
Short
17 minutes
Filmmaker: Fabrice Couchard
Fri 9:40p; Mon 3:40p
Plays in Short Cuts Program
Francois is a young, naive peasant who delivers milk to the inhabitants of a small village. One day, the local doctor who is disabled, urgently asks him to take a letter to one of his colleagues living in the neighbouring town. Sarah, the doctor's daughter, claims that her father is holding her prisoner. She talks Francois into taking her with him to free her from captivity. The fastest way to their destination is to cross the icy Fagne. Caught in a blizzard, Francois and Sarah lose their way as the audience discover the truth. (subtitles)
The Big Thing
Short
9 minutes
Filmmaker: Carl Laudan
Thu 12:40p, Sat 9:40p, Sun 3:40p
Plays in Short Takes Program
This is a tongue-in-cheeky gothic comedy, in which Lucifer and the Archangel Michael banter about the apocalypse. A visually dazzling, sparklingly acted, impeccably written story of the End of the World during Victorian England.
http://homepage.mac.com/claudan/thebigthing/Personal10.html
Boutique
Short
14 minutes
Filmmaker: Steven Schardt
Thurs 12:40p; Sat 9:40p; Sun 3:40
Plays in Short Takes Program
A man awakes to find his lover has left him, leaving only a brief note in her place. She took a few items, including his hat. When he goes to a new boutique across the street to replace the hat, he finds a surprising way to deal with his loss. An elegantly enigmatic and subtle story of love- lost and found. Boutique is immaculately filmed and performed and is enhanced by a lilting, original musical score.
www.kingoffrance.com
Candy Viola (Viola Fondente)
Short
13 minutes
Filmmaker: Fabio Simonelli
Thu 12:40p, Sat 9:40p, Sun 6:40p
Plays in Short Takes Program
Viola is in her mid-thirties, overweight, and as sweet as the chocolates she loves so well. Fueled by the frustration of dealing with catty co-workers and a malevolent husband, Viola will use her great love of candy to take her sweet revenge. A visually delicious film. (subtitles)www.morganalab.com
The Dinosaur
Short
Filmmaker: Will Vinton
Sat 10:10a, Sun 10:10a
Plays in Family Program
Young Richard gives a class report on dinosaurs, with the help of an animated chalkboard and Will Vinton's Claymation dinosaurs. The blend of animation styles is as fascinating as it is enlightening. www.freewill.tv
Dottie: The Little Girl with the Big Voice
Short
11 minutes
Filmmaker: Dawn Westlake
Sat 10:10a, Sun 10:10a
Plays in Family Program
Everything about Dottie is small: her eyes are no bigger than pennies and her nose is the size of a knob on the television set. But one thing about Dottie is huge: her voice. Often embarrassed by the way she sounds, Dottie learns that her big voice is actually a big gift.
www.dawnwestlake.com
Dysenchanted
Short
9 minutes
Filmmaker: Terri Edda Miller
Fri 6:30p, Sat 12:30p, Sun 3:30p
Plays with: Busting Out and Wet Dreams and False Images
Storybook characters are in group therapy dishing and dealing with what comes after "happily ever after." When Clara, a New Jersey divorcee, joins the group, she finds out that while life is no fairy tale, it doesn't mean her dysenchantment has to be terminal. Featuring Jim Belushi as the therapist.
www.dysenchanted.com
Fadeaway (Aquarela)
Short
5 minutes
Filmmakers: Andres Lieban and Andre Breitman
Sat 10:10a, Sun 10:10a
Plays in Family Program
Through his crayon drawings, a small boy's vision of the cycle of life and death is shown. The affecting 2D animation of this film serves as a reminder of the wondrous and ephemeral quality of life.
www.mondosworld.com
Flyaway
Short
11 minutes
Filmmaker: Danny Oakley
Sat 10:10a, Sun 10:10a
Plays in Family Program
A little wooden airplane dreams of being able to fly away from his home in a child's bedroom. His great adventures in the sky lead him to making a sacrifice that will not go unrecognized.
www.outofourmindsstudios.com
Godly Boyish
Short
20 minutes
Filmmaker: Cam Archer
Thu 9:10p, Fri 9:10p, Sun 6:10p
Plays with: Venus of Mars
Cam Archer returns to the aiff with a lyrical and mysterious film. A boy dreams of living forever, happy and never alone. He finds another boy who wants to do the same. Part daydream, part night-terror, this is a haunting, original piece of visual poetry that will linger in the conscious and unconscious memory of all who view it. (adult content)
www.camarcher.com
Hobo Train
Short
4 minutes
Filmmaker: Scott Kurtz
Thu 12p, Sun 9:30a
Plays in Local Program
An air of mystery surrounds a hobo as he wanders. Images of the passing landscape are captured as the vagabond takes a train to his next destination.
Insect Poetry
Short
6 minutes
Filmmaker: Marilyn Zornato
Sat 10:10a, Sun 10:10a
Plays in Family Program
This delightful film welcomes you to a gathering of the Insect Literary Society. Join Book Weevil as he presides over the presentation of poems by Daddy Longlegs, Dragonfly, Firefly, and Moth. Their words will reveal to you the beauty, danger, and love that make up an insect’s life. www.insectpoetry.com
Job 7:10
Short
20 minutes
Filmmakers: Sheldon Strickland and Tony J. Perri
Fri 9:40p, Mon 3:40p
Plays in Shorts Cuts Program
On a stormy night a priest struggles with troubling memories and the effect of his ministry's touch. When DEATH pays him a visit, he is confronted with haunting images from his past. This is a surreal, compelling and beautifully produced film. (adult content)
Joe Blow
Short
4 minutes
Filmmaker: Mark Gustafson
Thu 6:10p, Sat 6p, Mon 9p
Plays with: Tennis, Anyone...?
In this charming animated film, a lonely guy looks for love in an unusual place. The disastrous results of his quest for companionship show just how difficult relationships can be, but they also prove that love can be a breathtaking experience. (adult)
www.vinton.com
Lift
Short
30 minutes
Filmography includes: Shake 'Em Up
Thu 12:40p, Sat 9:40p, Sun 3:40p
Plays in Short Takes Program
Otis, played by Dominique Pinon (Amelie, Delicatessen, and A Very Long Engagement), is a live-in lift operator who has never set foot outside his elevator. He is secretly in love with K, a junior typist who is afraid of elevators and has never set foot in one. Each morning, as K climbs the 20 flights of stairs to her typing pool, Otis does his best to parallel her ascent hoping to catch a glimpse of his beloved. Everyday they each go about their routines with quiet dedication. But today, this is all about to change. Superb sets and camera work set the mood in this eye-catching romantic comedy.
www.liftthemovie.com
The Lost Cause
Short
12 minutes
Filmmaker: Jim Taylor
Thu 12:30p, Fri 12:30, Sat 9:30p, Sun 12:30p
Plays with: Yoshino’s Barber Shop
A soldier's commitment to his cause takes a heavy toll on his family life. Moving performances enhance this tale with a look at one father and son relationship. A gem from the co-writer of Citizen Ruth, Election, About Schmidt and Academy Award Winner for Sideways.
Lucky Shoes
Short
3 minutes
Filmmaker: Ross Williams
Thu 12:00p, Sun 9:30a
Plays in Local Program
A young man falls out of step with love only to find a new opportunity in his walk through life in a forgotten pair of shoes.
www.eraticate.com
The Morning After
Short
8 minutes
Filmmaker: Will Vinton
Fri 9:20p, Sat 6:20p, Sun 3:20p
Plays with: Phil the Alien
It's the "morning after." Despite a night of passion with a mysterious stranger, Kim cannot risk getting "involved." Or is there a future for this most unlikely couple? Master animator Will Vinton is back with a new approach.
www.freewill.tv
Ola's Box of Clovers
Short
10 minutes
Filmmaker: Genevieve Anderson
Fri 9:40p, Mon 3:40p
Plays in Short Cuts Program
With a beautifully rendered narration, "live action" puppets act out a woman's journey. Told with rod-manipulated puppets, this simple story takes place in the interior world of an old woman after her death, and follows her granddaughter's journey to understanding her unfulfilled dreams.www.puppetropolis.com
On the Contrary
Short
4 minutes
Filmmaker: Clint Bowers
Thu 12p, Sun 9:30p
Plays in Local Program
A clever little tale of a world where everyone moves the other way than you do; or did we get that backwards.
The Other Side of Heaven
Short
21 minutes
Filmmaker: Tim Blough
Thu 12p, Sun 9:30a
Plays in Locals Program
A soft spoken grave-digger shyly reaches out to a young woman who is mourning the death of her fiance. A gentle tale with a bit of a shiver from the beyond.
Out of Proportion
Short
12 minutes
Filmmaker: Scott Cervine
Sat 3:20p, Mon 12:20p
Plays with: American Beer
Jack Lloyd is face to face with the unthinkable...the utter devastation of no cream at the coffee store -- the unbearable agony of no paper towels in the men's room, the insurmountable odds of trying to park in one of the small newly painted parking spots. Will he survive? See for yourself.
www.scottonfilm.com
The Pawn
Short
10 minutes
Filmmaker: Joel Moser and Thomas Moser
Fri 9:40, Mon 3:40
Plays in Short Cuts Program
Dawn Westlake, a filmmaker whose work has been screened at the aiff, collaborates with the Moser brothers and offers a dazzling, delicate performance in a dreamscape expression of unbearable heartache. After losing her journalist husband in Iraq, a widow trades in her faith and her soul at a surreal pawn shop in the ultimate attempt to escape her grief.
www.dawnwestlake.com
The RockThrower
Short
10 minutes
Filmmaker: George Dondero
Thu 12p, Sun 9:30a
Plays in Local Program
A unique visual style and sly wit hit the mark in this animated tale about the joy of vandalism and the unfortunate consequences that result.
www.moronik.com
Samuel DeMango
Short
21 minutes
Filmmaker: Everett Aponte
Thu 3:10p, Fri 12:10, Sat 3:10, Sun 3:10
Plays with: Elephant Shoes
This is a lushly Latin visual poem with a unique sense of place. Expressed in a style of magical realism reminiscent of the writings of Gabriel Garcia Marquez, a strange and lonely man is confined by his mother in her home. Longing for love and human connection, he reaches out to a woman in the neighborhood, literally forbidden fruit, through the bars of his maternal prison. The consequences are transient, sweet and tragic but hauntingly rewarding for the audience. (violence)(subtitles) www.samueldemango.com
She Comes in Colors
Short
15 minutes
Filmmaker: Laney D'Aquino
Thu 12p, Sun 9:30a
Plays in Local Program
How is love remembered? This almost wordless, lyrical, spunky and touching film brings the memory of love to life. A boy meets the love of his life and is shaken from his everyday existence. Local actors and locales add to the bittersweet fun and the film is served well with an original score by Applegation.
www.illustratedsandwich.com
Triptych
Short
6 minutes
Filmmaker: Harvey Wang
Sat 9:40a, Mon 3:10p
Plays with: The Pornographer
Harvey Wang returns to the aiff with an experimental piece that blurs the lines between photography and film. Composed entirely of still images from Maine, New Jersey, and New York, Triptych captures the beauty of simplicity while revealing the vulnerability we sometimes feel in relation to our environment.
www.harveywang.com
The Vest
Short
10 minutes
Filmmaker: Paul Gutrecth
Fri 9:30p, Mon 9:30p
Plays with: Wilderness Survival for Girls
A third grader is proud of the vest her mother made for her, until a classmate teases her for wearing homemade clothing. Her response to the ridicule surprises everyone, including herself, and leaves her with a lot of explaining to do when she gets home to deal with mom and dad.
www.doortodoorfilms.com
Wow and Flutter
Short
17 minutes
Filmmaker: Gary Lundgren
Thu 12p, Sun 9:30a
Plays in Local Program
A tender portrait of adolescent love and heartbreak, Wow and Flutter follows 14 year old David as he makes a mix tape for his first crush, Amber. Underscored by a wonderful soundtrack, this film is a testament to the fragility and exhilaration of growing up and falling in love. Filmed in Medford with the star from Ashland.
http://www.brokenskyfilms.com/wow/
Bicycles & Radios
Student
35 minutes
Filmmaker: O Nathapon
Fri 3:30p; Sun 6:30p; Mon 3:30p
Plays with: Mardi Gras: Made in China
Set in a small village in Thailand, Bicycles and Radios is a delicately moving story of two people brought together by loss and the wavelengths of a popular radio talk show. This luminous and beautifully crafted film marks the debut of a promising new director. (subtitles) www.bicyclesandradios.com
Marty
Student
22 Minutes
Filmmaker: Courtney Looney
Thu 12:10, Sat 9:40, Sun 6:40
Plays in Short Takes
A ten year-old orphan lives in a seedy hotel and spends his days running the halls and stairs delivering messages and keeping secrets for the bizarre mix of residents. His only hope comes from the sweet connection he shares with a young prostitute. Together, they dream of leaving this place far behind. Imaginative set design and costumes impart an otherworldly feel to this atmospheric film. [violence, adult content]
www.martythefilm.com
Miss Lil's Camp
Student
26 Minutes
Filmmaker: Suzanne Niedland and Anberin Pasha
Thu 3:40p, Fri 12:40p, Sun 3:40
Plays with: Home of the Brave
In this engrossing documentary, three former campers and a camp employee share stories and memories about the Director of an exclusive summer camp for girls in the 1940's.
Novelist Lillian Smith (Strange Fruit), affectionately known as Miss Lil, taught her campers that segregation was wrong. She expressed her thoughts and radical ideas at a time when Southern leadership was committed to a racially segregated society and Jim Crow laws permeated every aspect of social life.
www.misslilscamp.com
Ocean City
Student
21 Minutes
Filmmaker: Avi Glijansky
Thu 9:30p, Sat 3:30p, Sun 9:30p, Mon 6:30p
Plays with: Cosmopolitan
In this shy and charming story, Wallace is a plunger salesman at a convention in Ocean City. After an unsuccessful day, he happens upon the girl of his dreams, only to find the next day that she's disappeared. His search to find her again leads him to her job, her friends, and the life he's always wanted.
www.highway9pictures.com
Past Whispers
Student
9 minutes
Filmmaker: Brett Rutland
Sat 10:10a, Sun 10:10a
Plays in Family Program
This animated short follows the adventures of three siblings as their imaginations lead them on a wild journey through a magical landscape.
www.pastwhispers.com
Pillow Girl
Student
6 minutes
Filmmaker: Ronnie Cramer
Pillow Girl will be featured in Stop, Motion! Photographs from the 2005 aiff films Opening Reception Friday, April 1, 5-8 p.m. at Nuwandart Gallery. 285 A Street.
This short film was originally a sound-art work created for the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver. The covers and inside pages of a number of lurid, vintage paperbacks were scanned and saved, with the resulting image and text data fed through a variety of synthesizers and processed into electronic soundscapes. The visual portion of the piece makes use of the cover images themselves, with one illustrated figure morphing into the next. Each cover is visible in its original state for only 1/30th of a second. Nearly 200 cover images are manipulated and displayed in this difficult to describe but fascinating experimental film.
www.cultfilms.net
Snowtenderness (Snezehnost)
Student
13 minutes
Filmmaker: Yevgeniy Vaskevich
Thu 3:30, Sat 6:30p, Mon 12:30p
Plays with: This Is Not a Film
This subtle film offers a precise balance of imagery, pacing, music & brevity. The spare dialogue and visual rhythm that is painted in tones of feathers and flesh reveals the haunting and simple story of a lonely girl yearning for warmth in a cold winter city. (subtitles)
The Sound of Gabriel's Horn
Student
11 minutes
Filmmaker: Jenny James
Thu 12p, Sun 9:30a
Plays in Local Program
The film is built like one grand jazz rift with music, poetry, and visuals all bopping together. A homeless street poet is discovered by a successful publisher who sees beyond his tattered exterior.
Spin
Student
15 minutes
Filmmaker: David Marmor
Fri 3:40p, Sun 9:40p, Mon 6:40p
Plays with: Zen Noir
After a bicycle accident, Ray is obsessed with reliving the moment of impact and mathematically calculating the consequences of alternative scenarios. What if the driver of the car had not seen the cyclist? The impact on Ray's life is dramatic, as his obsession almost destroys his life.
www.spin-film.com
Tides (Maree)
Student
15 Minutes
Filmmaker: James Pellerito
Thu 3p, Fri 6p, Mon 3p
Plays with: The Ritchie Boys
A father abandons his son in the desperate hope that the act will help his son find a better life; then regrets the decision. Personal stories illuminate in a way that reporting on vast tragedies cannot; this slender, bittersweet story of refugees in Eastern Europe evokes the myriad dislocations of our war-torn world. (subtitles)
The Wedding Toast
Student
30 minutes
Filmmaker: John Nein
Sat 6:10p, Sun 12:10p, Mon 12:10p
Plays with: Cross Bronx
Will arrives at his best friend's wedding in the Napa Valley intent on writing the perfect 'toast.' But confronted with his successful friends and his own unfulfilled dreams and failed romances, Will's earnest attempt to capture the essence of love and happiness is quickly derailed when it becomes a referendum on his own life. His plight is not lost on the bride's sister, Claudia, who tries in vain to clear his head and help him with his speech. (language)
