Category: Film Festivals

SLFS 2011 Review: Shorts Program 8, Horror Shorts

Shorts Program 8: Horror Shorts includes 8 individual short films of various styles, for a total running time of 95 minutes. Played consecutively, these films offer a broad and entertaining showcase for independent horror filmmakers in the St. Louis area.

THE CASK OF AMONTILLADO (13 minutes)

Directed by Hugo Fleming, THE CASK OF AMONTILLADO is a tale of revenge, based on the story by Edgar Allen Poe. Two men (Mark Bunch and Billy Benner), with their minds altered by the effects of Budweiser 40s, wander deep into a subterranean realm, whereas only would may ultimately return. The film is more of a operatic ode to Poe, that a traditional narrative film. THE CASK OF AMONTILLADO contains no dialogue, instead told entirely by the very words of Poe himself. Illustrated by a haunting piano and vocal score (Somewhere Under the Rainbow, written and performed by Heather Rice) that draws on the dark heart of Poe’s literary horror. The cinematography (Matthew Pitzer) is eerie, capturing the cavernous early industrial setting, both ancient and chiseled by dead men’s hands. The narration, provided by Anne Williams, recalls a feminine twin of Vincent Price in his Poe era.

THE CONFINED (26 minutes)

Erin Marie Hogan plays Jackie, a young woman who witnesses her boyfriend’s murder. Traumatized by the event, Jackie slips shuts her self in, crippled by an overwhelming state of agoraphobia. Spending the majority of her time alone in her quiet house, Jackie is haunted by her memories. As with any effective horror story, the sound of the film is key. Jackie begins to notice sounds in the walls, and strange evidence of an unknown presence. With so much of horror focused on gore and violence, its nice to see new filmmakers still interested in the psychological realm of horror, infinitely more difficult to pull of, but equally rewarding, as is the case with THE CONFINED. Hogan provides a quality performance, dwelling in a descriptive silence for much of the film. Writer, director and editor Nicholas Acosta made a fine choice of utilizing a meticulously steady camera, much like what Kubrick did in THE SHINING, but juxtaposes ti with the jarring, handheld footage of old home videos. THE CONFINED should sufficiently creep you out as a haunted ghost story should.

THE DOOR (12 minutes)

Written and directed by Brent Madison, THE DOOR begins in complete blackness, challenging the audience by layering multiple pulsating, echoing sounds into a frightening, techno-atmospheric landscape through the titles, cutting immediately into Allison’s (Allison Ochmanek) nightmare. She wakes, only to find her boyfriend Chris (Christopher Howell) taken over by an evil entity shortly after. Stylistically a cross between Carpenter and Candyman, THE DOOR offers a visual intensity and possibly the highest production value of all the horror shorts, complete with special effects and the style of dialogue we’ve come to expect from enjoyable mainstream fright flicks. The woman’s “possessed” boyfriend lures her into a large, old house where she comes face to face with the creature behind THE DOOR. The film’s score (Doug Pearson) penetrates the viewer’s senses, making the biggest impact in film’s visceral assault on the viewer’s fears.

IN THE CARDS (10 minutes)

Jack and Claire (played by Burke Mohan and Brigitte Crumpton) are newly engaged, but already experiencing turbulence in their relationship. When they decide to see a fortuneteller (Terry Hampton) on a whim, they get more than they bargained for. IN THE CARDS begins as a sort of anti-romantic comedy, with heavily cliche’s flowing from the fortuneteller’s mouth. Then the cards begin to fall into fated order on the teller’s table, sending the couple into a dream-like trance, allowing them an enigmatic glimpse into their own future. At first a fairly straight-forward approach, writer and director Zach Smith uses the couple’s initial foray into their fortune as a ledge from which to leap into a much darker, visually captivating story.

OUTPOST 13 (4 minutes)

OUTPOST 13 is more science-fiction than horror, depicting the planet after we’ve already destroyed all it’s life-giving beauty. A scientist (Guy Stephens) works to save the dying planet, tucked away in a tiny laboratory where he spends his down time reliving his once beautiful planet through virtual reality. OUTPOST 13 is fully narrated, with it’s single characters uttering no dialogue on screen. The cinematography (Wyatt Weed) is highly effective and the images of Earth as it was are on a National Geographic scale, but the special effects from Pirate Pictures are what stand out in this film, providing a brutal, desolate landscape and impressive science-fiction touches to the interior and exterior of the outpost laboratory. OUTPOST 13 was written by William Hartzel and directed by Corey Logsdon.

STAIRS (6 minutes)

Further she climbs, spiraling up a seemingly endless flight of stairs, a young woman (Stephanie Sanditz) faces her deepest fears. The staircase, like something from an M.C. Escher drawing, appears to have no beginning and no end, instead pulling her repeating to a door. What lies on the other side of the door? STAIRS, written and directed by Doveed Linder, draws visually on primal human fear, much like Hitchcock’s VERTIGO drew on the fear of heights. Sanditz conveys her fear with great conviction, relying solely on her facial expressions and body language, uttering not a single word. STAIRS is not a literal film, but a cinematic interpretation of a very uncomfortable human emotional experience.

STRUMPET (14 minutes)

This is the story of a lonely traveler (Stephen J. Hefferman) who takes shelter from a ravaging storm within an old hotel, welcomed by a curiously strange innkeeper (Brian McDowell), but haunted by a deadly supernatural seductress (Emily Brown) in his sleep. What I love most abut STRUMPET is how writer and director Wolfgang Lehmkuhl perfectly captures the essence of the early silent era of German expressionist horror. The gorgeous Gothic cinematography (Michael Lowhorn) comes as close as one can reasonably expect to mimicking the visual appeal of the old film cameras of that cinematic age. The score (Kevin MaCleod and Jon Feraro) is splendidly dreadful, representing the looming horror that surely awaits. The look of the film, and even the performances, also remind me of the subtly offbeat undercurrent present in so many of Guy Maddin’s films. Personally, STRUMPET is my favorite pick of the Shorts Program 8, immersing me fully into the abyss of exquisitely frightful sensory rapture.

THE OUTSIDER: 911 – The Pilot (10 minutes)

Unfortunately, this offering from peter Carlos was the only film of this shorts program I missed.

Synopsis: In the middle of the night, something not of this Earth has come for teenager Alex Jackson.

Shorts Program 8, Horror Shorts will screen during the 2011 Stella Artois St. Louis Filmmaker’s Showcase at 9:30PM on Wednesday, August 17th at the Tivoli Theatre.

SLFS 2011 Review: Shorts Program 6, Comedy Shorts

Shorts Program 6: Comedy Shorts includes 11 individual short films of various comical style, for a total running time of 80 minutes. Played consecutively, these films offer a broad and entertaining showcase for independent comedy filmmakers in the St. Louis area.

FLUFF (4 minutes)

Directed by Anthony Meadows and shot by Tim Bowe, FLUFF is an awesome action-mystery-thriller ode to all the kick ass genres of cinema. The comedy is inherent, as the film is cast entirely with colorful, handmade puppets. The central character, a stuffed bear, meets up with a stuffed horse named Lewis (voiced by Tim Gowan) about a strange black disc (a button). As they flee from danger together through the woods, they run into a freaky shot-out stuffed bear-thing named Martin (voiced by Tyler Meadows), who joins them in a violent fight to the death with two sock monkeys seeking the black disc. Carnage ensues, culminating in an open-ended “what happens next” moment. The marionette-style animation of these puppets lends to the cheesy goodness of unmoving mouths and occasionally visible fishing lines controlling the puppets movements. Those who like TEAM AMERICA, MEET THE FEEBLES, or Triumph the Insult Comic Dog will probably eat FLUFF up with a spoon.

BLOODFEST CLUB: DOWN ON THE FARM (7 minutes)

BLOODFEST CLUB: DOWN ON THE FARM is a short, comedic documentary on the making of the trailer for THE BLOODFEST CLUB, a brilliantly obvious horror-comedy hybrid with a certain John Hughes influence that is planned for production in 2012. Directed by Ken Calcaterra, this behind-the-scenes glimpse sets the mood by opening into a Benny Hill frenzy of high-speed filmmaking antics, set to quick tempo banjo music, which transitions abruptly to a heavy metal title. The film interviews the various cast and crew members, more than willing to share the ever-present abundance of indie-horror production war stories and battle scars. On the flip side, the support given the filmmakers from their community is addressed as well. This is a great opportunity to be entertained, while also learning about the exciting, and sometimes dangerous, lives of local indie filmmakers… and about the dangers of working with gerbils.

BOOM BOOM (8 minutes)

Larry and Terry Ziegelman co-wrote and co-directed BOOM BOOM, a dark comedy short about two friends who bump into each other over coffee. Ahmed (Karthik Srinivasan) sits nervously by himself when the loud and obnoxious Jamal (Behzad Dabu) recognizes him and imposes on his solitary coffee. Once Ahmed finally acknowledges Jamal as a friend, the film slips into absurdity hyper-drive, placing the two characters’ serious business of being Jihad suicide bombers on public display, making no effort to conceal their sinister purpose. The film is a, unapologetic satirical mocking of the rules and culture of Muslim extremists, with Ahmed and Jamal delaying each other as they debate and fantasize about what will be waiting for them on the other side, oblivious to the world around them. BOOM BOOM is either hilarious, or highly offensive, depending on your outlook, but the goal is to make us laugh, a goal at which the film succeeds.

GREENTHUMB (3 minutes)

GREENTHUMB was written and directed by Curtis C. Craig, and shot and edited by Daniel Parris, who also had his feature-length documentary GIVE A DAMN? premiere during this year’s St. Louis Filmmaker’s Showcase. The short film plays mostly as a montage, with a man going through his daily motions of hydrating himself, then hydrating the lawn, inadvertently discovering a novel solution for sustainable gardening. As the viewer, once you get past the baffling question of why this man chooses to do what he does, the film becomes a sort of parable for setting an example for others. I know, it sounds like a stretch, but what I took away from viewing this short film was a light, humorous approach to conveying a rather simple, environmental message.

HELP WANTED (3 minutes)

Another short film written, directed, produced and edited by Ken Calcaterra, HELP WANTED is a silly silent comedy about a stoner dude trying to get a job at an ice cream shop. His hopes of free ice cream are repeatedly dashed when the young female clerk refuses to consider his proposal, but the man persists. One ridiculous attempt after another, from a hand-written resume to the most lavishly lame disguises, the film finally comes to a conclusion. There will be some who undoubtedly enjoy HELP WANTED, but the juvenile humor just isn’t my taste. If this is something you’re into, then by all means enjoy the show!

IT’S A SYMBOL (16 minutes)

A man named Maximus (Steve Gibbons) walks into a grocery store. Queue the lavish orchestral music as Maximus selects a single red rose. IT’S A SYMBOL, directed by Jamie Koogler, follows two actors’ tedious and nerve-racking wait for this rose to finally die. Maximus is an annoying, overly energetic ham. On the other hand, Stacy (Dawn Davis) is the dead serious, pretentious type who demands the rose be dead, as a symbol for her character’s mental state. These two acting partners quibble and bicker back and forth like an episode of The Honeymooners or I Love Lucy, struggling to work together on their scenes. IT’S A SYMBOL plays like a soap opera, if the soap opera was cast by Saturday Night Live hopefuls. As silly as the premise is, silly as in Curb Your Enthusiasm, the film works as a throwback to ’80s era sitcoms. Maybe it’s just my interpretation, but it makes the craziness of the film enjoyable.

LIVE BY THE SWORD (14 minutes)

Written and directed by Stephen Jones, LIVE BY THE SWORD begins with Dale (Matt Wills) sitting at home with a plate of nachos, watching TV when an infomercial for discount swords catches his fancy. Dale is a geek, nothing wrong with that. His t-shirt that reads “Shakespeare Hates Your EMO Poems” tells us he’s not bashful about his geekness. The samurai sword arrives in the mail and thus begins Dale’s creatively destructive adventure. He gets carried away, using the sword in ways it was never intended, and taking it with him to inappropriate places. Like so many stereotypical trigger-happy, gun-loving ’70s era Dirty Harry characters, his sword fills the absense of a female companion in Dale’s life, until he meets Natalie (Kelly Nienaltowski), a woman with similar interests. On a purely technical front, LIVE BY THE SWORD suffers from a number of poorly lit night scenes, making parts of the film difficult to watch properly, otherwise the film is a fun, quirky boy-meets-girl story with a delightful touch of MALLRATS at the end.

MUGGED (5 minutes)

Director Andrew Saunders’ short film MUGGED begins with a creepy through-the-knot-hole shot of someone watching, as a man walks by, busy talking on his cell phone. The man becomes the victim of a mugger, but what becomes excrutiatingly apparent, however, is that the mugger may be the true victom… of a Cable Guy type of unlikely stalker, who follows the mugger everywhere, believing he and the mugger are now friends. The man is an annoying, rude and clueless combination of Jerry Lewis and Kevin James, ultimately leading to a likely and anticlimatic ending. The film is enjoyable, but doesn’t do quite enough to make itself as original as it could have been. MUGGED stars Josh Wibbenmeyer and Jordan Bowlin.

ROBBERS (8 minutes)

Written, directed and edited by Nick Young, ROBBERS screams slapstick right from the start. The two robbers (David Appelbaum and Hubby Clark) exhibit the same level of skill as Harry and Marv from the HOME ALONE films. As it turns out, ROBBERS is very much like the HOME ALONE movies in this sense, except for the hero. Instead of a smart-mouther little kid, the robbers must deal with a drunk man (Devin Penn) whose wife left him for his best friend and has nothing to lose. It’s a nice twist, but not a terribly massive leap from the obvious inspiration. One thing ROBBERS has going for it is a witty, adolescent yet adult sense of humor that comes through in the dialogue. I enjoyed the film for what it is, which is purely meant to be popcorn humor, an adult take on a familiar family comedy.

TIEUR EMBUSQUE (6 minutes)

Alternately titled “Sniper,” this black and white short film starts out peaceful, shot to evoke a serene feeling, complete with relaxing music and cutaway shots of pretty flowers gently swaying in the wind. A man (Jeffrey Glickman) removes a bag from the trunk of his car and takes a stroll through a park full of people enjoying themselves. No one seems to notice that his bag looks suspiciously like a gun case and that he appears to be headed straight for a tower in the center of the park. The music gradually takes a decidedly darker turn as the man ascends the tower stairs, a segment of the film I particularly enjoyed for it’s Hitchcockian visual flair. Even the composition of frames takes on a slight influence of German silent horror as the story reaches its climax. The tension slowly builds until the agonizing, unbearably brutal conclusion assaults the viewer as well as the innocents in the park. Co-directors Jordan Oakes and Hal Scharf take a simple premise and run with it, creating a cinematically strong film that bends the rules of traditional comedy, with an added twist at the end.

THE WORLD CHAMPIONS (7 minutes)

Two slackers with no muscial talent jamming out until one of the slackers’ parents return home. This is how THE WORLD CHAMPIONS begins, with these two daydreaming losers fantasizing about “when they make it big.” All of that changes while surfing the Internet for possible band names when they stumble upon the world champion apple pie eater. Suddenly, their delusions shift from becoming rock stars to setting a world record, believing this will reward them with respect, money and babes. They set out on a series of attempts to break a world record, any record they can, with fame in their eyes. From fastest time running a 100-yard dash, to most spin kicks to a tree in 20 seconds. After going through countless failed attempts, they have a mutual epiphany. THE WORLD CHAMPIONS was directed by and stars Matt Basler and Train Mayer, evoking Justin Long and John Belushi in their appearance and personalities.

Shorts Program 6, Comedy Shorts will screen during the 2011 Stella Artois St. Louis Filmmaker’s Showcase at 9:30PM on Tuesday, August 16th at the Tivoli Theatre.

The Film Society Of Lincoln Center Announces Addition Of Two Special Gala Presentations For 2011 NEW YORK FILM FESTIVAL With David Cronenberg’s A DANGEROUS METHOD and Pedro Almodovar’s THE SKIN I LIVE IN

PRESS RELEASE:

New York, NY, August 15, 2011 – The Film Society of Lincoln Center announced the first-time addition of two Galas to join the Opening, Centerpiece and Closing Night Galas for the upcoming 49th New York Film Festival (September 30 – October 16) with David Cronenberg’s A DANGEROUS METHOD set to screen on Wednesday, October 5 and Pedro Almodovar’s THE SKIN I LIVE IN on Wednesday, October 12.

“We’re delighted to be welcoming David Cronenberg to the festival for the first time and to be welcoming back one of the NYFF’s closest friends, Pedro Almodovar,” says Richard Peña, Selection Committee Chair & Program Director, The Film Society of Lincoln Center. “It’s a special pleasure to introduce our audiences to exciting new work by two of contemporary cinema’s most challenging artists.”

Scheduled at Alice Tully Hall on Wednesday, October 5 will be David Cronenberg’s A DANGEROUS METHOD.  Adapted by Christopher Hampton from his play The Talking Cure, the film chronicles the ever-shifting relationship between Carl Jung (Michael Fassbender) and Sigmund Freud (Viggo Mortensen). Basking at first in Freud’s approval and encouragement, Jung increasingly questions his theories and methods. At the heart of their dispute is their rival approaches to the beautiful yet deeply unbalanced Sabina Spielrein (Keira Knightley), who eventually draws each man under her spell. Produced by Jeremy Thomas, the Sony Pictures Classics release also stars Vincent Cassel and Sarah Gordon. The film is set for a November 23 release.

Presented the following Wednesday, on October 12, will be Pedro Almodóvar’s THE SKIN I LIVE IN. Reuniting the director with Antonio Banderas, the star of several of his early films, this dramatic thriller was written by Almodovar in collaboration with brother and producer, Agustin, based on Thierry Jonquet’s novel Mygale. Dr. Robert Ledgard (Banderas) is a world famous plastic surgeon who argues for the development of new, tougher human skin; unbeknownst to others, Dr. Ledgard has been trying to put his theory into practice, keeping a young woman, Vera (Elena Anaya), imprisoned in his mansion while subjecting her to an increasingly bizarre regime of treatments. Fascinated by the thin layer of appearance that stands between our perception of someone and that person’s inner essence, Almodóvar here addresses that continuing theme in his work in a bold, unsettling exploration of identity. Almodóvar regular Marisa Paredes offers another winning performance as Marilia, Ledgard’s faithful assistant. A Sony Pictures Classics release is scheduled to open October 14.

Commenting on the first-time addition of the two Galas to join the Opening, Closing and Centerpiece events headlining the NYFF lineup this year, Rose Kuo, Executive Director, The Film Society of Lincoln Center, said, “This year has seen a great deal of growth for us with the opening of our new Film Center and we are thrilled to continue that expansion at this year’s NYFF. We will be offering more screenings, panels, and family events as well as these two new marquee nights that feature highly anticipated fall films.”

General Public tickets will be available September 12th. There will be an advance ticketing opportunity for Film Society of Lincoln Center Patrons and Members prior to that date. For more information visit www.Filmlinc.com/NYFF or call 212 875 5601.

“Life in a Day,” “The Troll Hunter,” “Cave of Forgotten Dreams” Among Films At Inaugural PALO ALTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

Film Lineup Set For Inaugural PALO ALTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

Palo Alto, CA – The Palo Alto International Film Festival (PAIFF) has announced its film program for the 2011 festival. The lineup includes 20 features and 74 short films curated from award-winning films and film festival favorites that exemplify PAIFF’s theme of innovation in art, film and technology.

PAIFF proudly presents a lineup that challenges the art form, taking creative risks with technology in films like Braden King’s cross-platform feature “Here,” to the artistically inventive “Bombay Beach” by music video director Alma Har’el to documentaries like “Something Ventured” which delves into the world of Venture Capital firms.

“We’re seeing a new movement emerging – films are trying to live outside the cinema. They’re breaking out of traditional storytelling structures,” said PAIFF’s Director Programming Alf Seccombe. “This festival spotlights the creative risk-taking that is inherent in innovation.”

The 2011 festival kicks with a free outdoor screening of with Kevin McDonald’s “Life in a Day,” a documentary shot by filmmakers all over the world that serves as a time capsule to show future generations what it was like to be alive on July 24, 2010.

The kickoff event will take place on Ramona Street in downtown Palo Alto. The rest of the main program will play at Palo Alto Square and Aquarius Theater over the remaining three days. PAIFF will announce its Speaker Series and Workshops later this month.

Tickets to individual screenings and shorts programs are now available at www.paiff.net.

The complete film lineup is as follows:

Thursday, September 29

8 p.m.  “Life in a Day” by Kevin McDonald (also screens 10/2 at 9:30 p.m.); “YouTube My Facebook” by Cedric Vella, winner of the 2011 PAIFF-Talenthouse Short Film Contest, will screen before the feature.

Friday, September 30

10:30 a.m.  “PressPausePlay” by Victor Köhler, David Dwarsky. This documentary tackles the effect a democratized culture has on art, film, music and literature. (also screens 10/2 at 10:30 p.m.)  

12:30 p.m.  Digital Natives – High School Invitational program
“I’m Here” (Spike Jonze), “Making Future Magic” (Jack Schultze, Timo Amall), “Guide Dog” (Bill Plympton), “Leonardo” (Jim Capobianco), “Muybridge’s Strings” (Koji Yamamura) and “Spider” (Nash Edgerton)

1:30 p.m.  Live Action Short Program
“Two Cars, One Night” (Taika Waititi), “Incident by a Bank” (Ruben Östlund), “Spider,” “I Am a Girl” (Susan Koenen), “We’re Leaving” (Zachary Treitz) and “The Fifth Column” (Vatche Boulghourjan).  (Program also screens 10/2 at 4 p.m.)

“Cameraman: The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff” by Craig McCall.  A look at the life of the renowned cameraman behind such classics as “John Huston’s “The African Queen” and King Vidor’s “War and Peace.”

4:30 p.m.  “Bombay Beach” by Alma Har’el. This documentary reveals three lives teetering on the brink of the American dream in the Salton Sea, with a haunting soundtrack by Beirut and Bob Dylan. (also screens 10/2 at 3:30 p.m.)

6 p.m.    Digital Natives Shorts Program (ages 9-12)
“The Lost Thing” (Andrew Ruhemann, Shaun Tan), “Love Bug” (Kat Candler), “Lost for Words” (Sean Wainsteim), “Western Spaghetti” (PES), “Oktapodi” (Julien Bocabeille, François-Xavier Chanioux, Olivier Delabarre, Thierry Marchand, Quentin Marmier), “Salesman Pete” (Marc Bouyerbouyer), “Marcel The Shell” (Dean Fleischer-Camp), and “Dragon Boy” (Bernardo Warman, Shaofu Zhang, Lisa Allen).

 7 p.m.     “Road to Nowhere” by Monte Hellman.  The legendary director’s first feature in more than two decades, a romantic noir within noir, has a distinct perspective on digital art and truth. (also screens 10/1 at 9:15 p.m.)

7:30 p.m.  “Resurrect the Dead: The Mystery of the Toynbee Tiles” by Jon Foy. “Toynbee Idea In Kubrick’s 2001 Resurrect Dead On Planet Jupiter” Tiles with this message have been found embedded in the asphalt of cities in the Americas since the 1980s. Curious about the maker and meaning of this meme, underground artist/writer/musician Justin Duerr dug into the enigma.

10 p.m.    Digital Natives Feature (ages 16-18)
“On The Ice” by Andrew Okpeaha MacLean.  (also screens 10/1 at 12 p.m.)

10:15 p.m.  “Three (Drei)” by Tom Tykwer. This feature takes a candid and sometimes comical look at homosexuality, Tykwer (“Run Lola Run”) invents a new-fashioned twist on the traditional love triangle.

Saturday, October 1

9 a.m.    Animated Shorts program
“Photographs of Jesus” (Laurie Hill), “Something Left, Something Taken” (Max Porter, Ru Kuwahata), “Tord and Tord” (Niki Lindroth von Bahr), “Love & Theft” (Andreas Hykade), “The Boy Who Wanted to be a Lion” (Alois di Leo), “Western Spaghetti” (PES), “Skhizein” (Jérémy Clapin), “John And Karen” (Matthew Walker) and “Madame Tutli-Putli” (Chris Lavis, Maciek Szczerbowski)

10 a.m.    Digital Natives Shorts Program (Ages 6-8)
“Chyrsalis” (Aubrey Millen), “Huhu Pole Hole” (Alexei Alekseev), “Clankety, Clank” (Mauricio Leiva-Cock), “Ormie” (Rob Silvestri), “The Lost Thing” (Andrew Ruhemann, Shaun Tan), “Private Eyes (2D)” (Nicola Lemay), “Fishing w/ Sam” (Atle S. Blakseth), “Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore” (Moonbot Studios) and “The Snowman” (Kelly Wilson and Neil Wrischnik).

12 p.m.    “Industrial Light and Magic: Creating the Impossible” by Leslie Iwerks
Narrator Tom Cruise recounts the history of ILM, George Lucas’ visual effects house, which revolutionized film and gave us “some of the most iconic images that cinema has ever seen.”

12:30 p.m.  “Submarino” by Thomas Vinterberg
A boyhood tragedy leads to the estrangement of two impoverished brothers. (also screens 10/2 at 9:30 p.m.) 

1:45 p.m.  Disposable Film Festival Shorts Program
“Thrush” (Gabriel Bisset-Smith), “FOLDed” (Surabhi Saraf), and “Echo Lake-Young Silence” (Dan Nixon).

2 p.m.   “A Trip to the Moon” with Digital Remastering presentation by Tom Burton, sponsored by Technicolor.
Technicolor presents the Northern California Premiere of George Méliès’ famous 1902 film with a talk about the restoration process. (also screens 10/1 at 4 p.m.)

4 p.m.    “Something Ventured” by Dayna Goldfine, Dan Geller
The first “venture capitalists” were a small group of men who banded together in Silicon Valley in the 1950s to partner with technology entrepreneurs. Where others saw only risk, why did these investors see the seeds of opportunity? (also screens 10/2 at 1 p.m.)

6 p.m.    “Here” by Braden King. In a vocation called “ground-truthing,” Will Shepard (played by Ben Foster of “Six Feet Under” and “X-Men: The Last Stand”) land-surveys satellite images around the world to check for accuracy. (also screens 10/2 at 4 p.m.)

Digital Natives Feature (Ages 9-12)
“The Day the Earth Stood Still” (1951) presented by The Film Foundation.  Cathy Gourley will speak briefly upon the concept of a film as a historical/cultural document. The short “Duck and Cover” will set the tone for the Robert Wise’s 1951 , providing insight into the Cold War and society’s fears of an atomic attack.

10 p.m.    Digital Natives Shorts Program (Ages 16-18)
“The Queen of Cactus Cove” (Anna Christopher), “The Maestro” (Adam Anthony), “Double Happy” (Shahir Daud) and the Local High School Short Winners.

11:55 p.m.  “The Troll Hunter” by André Ovredal
Mysterious bear killings shrouded in speculation intrigue two Norwegian college kids. Armed with a hand-held video camera, they track Hans, a man suspected to be the poacher. 

Sunday, October 2

10 a.m. Digital Natives Feature (Ages 9-12)
“Aurélie Laflamme’s Diary (Le JOURNAL D’AURÉLIE LAFLAMME)” by Christian Laurence.  Aurelie Laflamme feels alone in the world, especially since her father’s death five years ago. What if her father had been an alien who left Earth to return to his own planet? In that case, Aurelie would be an alien too.

“The Real Revolutionaries” by Paul Crowder.  Nobel Prize-winning physicist William Shockley had handpicked eight brilliant men and brought them to the apricot orchards of the Santa Clara valley to work on a Transistor different from the one that had won the Nobel Prize. When Shockley’s plan failed to come to fruition during the civil rights era, Robert Noyce, Gordon Moore and the rest of the “Traitorous Eight” made other plans and forged their own paths. Visually inventive, this documentary lays bare the divergent personalities that revolutionized our world with the silicon chip

1 p.m.    Digital Natives Feature (Ages 6-8)
“Mia and the Migoo” by Jacques-Rémy Girerd.  One night Mia has a premonition. So after saying a few words of parting at her mother’s grave, she sets out on a journey across mountains and jungles to search for her father, who is trapped in a landslide at a remote construction site.

“The Light Theif” by Arym Kubat, Aktan.  Made in Kyrgyzstan, a country with little to no representation in cinema, this pastoral tragicomedy is told in vignettes that revolve around Mr. Light, a warm-hearted village electrician.
3 p.m.    Digital Natives Feature (Ages 13-18)
“ELEVATE” by Anne Buford. Four Senegalese high-schoolers are recruited to American prep schools to play basketball in this documentary about ambition, competition and cultural difference.

6 p.m.    “Cave of Forgotten Dreams” by Werner Herzog.  Herzog uses 3D to “capture the intentions of the painters” who worked 32,000 years ago inside the Chauvet-Pont-d’Arc cave in France. Suggesting the motion of horses, rhinos and bison in the tracings of the contours and slants of the cave wall with painted lines (and torch-light), these painters created what Herzog suggests is a “proto-cinema.”  “Thicker Than Water” by Tommy Tripodes, a dark 3D comedy will screen before the feature.

9:30 p.m.  Audience Award Winner

Passes for the 2011 Palo Alto International Film Festival are also available. To be notified of any changes to PAIFF’s Program and Schedule, text PAIFF to 80474.

PAIFF’s goal is to facilitate, fuel and ignite current and future cinematic revolutions through education and entertainment. PAIFF convenes artists, media and technology professionals, and attendees in an intimate environment where they can experience great cinema, learn about cutting-edge technologies and ideas, and celebrate the artists and innovators shaping the world of moving pictures. Experience. Learn. Connect.

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www.paiff.com
facebook.com/PaloAltoInternationalFilmFestival
@PaloAltoIFF

SLFS 2011 Review: JOINT BODY

JOINT BODY is the newest film from indie writer and director Brian Jun, whose 2006 film STEEL CITY earned him the Sundance Channel Emerging Director award at the St. Louis International Film Festival. The film was shot just across the Mississippi River in Illinois, Jun’s home state.

The story takes place over seven days in a small town, following Nick (Mark Pellegrino) as he stumbles through an uncertain future. Having served seven years in prison, Nick is released on parole, with the condition that he relinquishes all rights of custody over his now teenage daughter to his ex-wife. Nick settles into a shabby halfway house and secures a job welding for a fabricator. Nick’s brother Dean (Ryan O’Nan) is now a cop on the vice squad, fresh out of the academy. In an awkward attempt to rekindle some connection that never exists between him and his brother, Dean supplies Nick with a throwaway revolver as protection.

As Nick slowly acclimates to life outside of prison, he meets an exotic dancer named Michelle (Alicia Witt) who lives in his building. With nothing left to lose, Nick proposes he and Michelle get coffee, with about as much confidence as a high school nerd asking the prom queen to dance. As it turns out, Michelle has little more to lose and they form the fragile beginning of a blind relationship, but their relationship is turned on its head shortly after it begins when someone from Michelle’s past returns unexpectedly, resulting in a violent incident putting Michelle and Nick down the wrong path once more.

Brian Jun, in my eyes, is already showing signs of a master storyteller. JOINT BODY is unpretentious, down to Earth and unassuming. The human drama he weaves is like a minimalist tapestry with the finest details. The suspense that builds in JOINT BODY is a slow burning sensation, taking a back seat to Jun’s development of tactile characters the viewer can connect with, only enhanced by performances that should result in a heightened respect for these two lead actors, as well as the director.

Mark Pellegrino, most recognizable for his television work on shows including Dexter and Lost, delivers fully as a misunderstood ex-con who only wants to live what little is left of his life without being noticed, but can’t shake the stigma now attached to his presence. Alicia Witt, best known for her role on the TV series Friday Night Lights and her recent role in PEEP WORLD, gives the audience one more reason to love her, embracing her role as a stripper, but adding so much to the character’s well-written role to lift Michelle out of the stereotype and into the hearts of the audience. Michelle is a good woman, stuck in a dead end situation by an immature decision made as a teenager.

JOINT BODY is shot with a gritty, almost sepia-tinged color palette, giving the story an added sense of decay. Layer the crumbling appearance of the small town on top of this and the film carries with it a subconscious tone of impending tragedy. Whereas the average reaction to such a setup would be for Nick to defy the law and set out to reconnect with his daughter, Jun takes the story in an entirely different direction. Nick makes every effort to do things right, while Michelle inadvertently pulls Nick into a worst-case scenario like a magnet for bad luck, despite her best intentions.

What I love most about JOINT BODY is how Brian Jun makes everything about this story beautiful, not in a storybook perfect sort of way, but in a way that takes all the bad things and unhappy feelings that are inherent in life and shows that even the darker gray shades of the human experience can have a poetically somber beauty. Where Hollywood would inject melodrama, Jun relies marvelously on realism and authenticity. This element of the film is present throughout the film, leading up to a partially open-ended, bittersweet conclusion that is as heartbreaking as it is fittingly appropriate.

I am proclaiming JOINT BODY as one of my favorite films of 2011. Within an hour of first seeing the film, I found myself with an overwhelming urge to revisit it a second time. I wanted to reconnect with Nick and Michelle, almost as if I wanted to make sure they were all right. Few fictional films actually make me feel like I actually care about the characters, but JOINT BODY does this effortlessly, leaving a deep and lasting impression with me that keeps resurfacing in my mind. If this is something you enjoy experiencing in a film, or never have and would like to know what it’s like, go see JOINT BODY and tally this as one more reason why independent film needs and deserves your support!

JOINT BODY will screen during the 2011 Stella Artois St. Louis Filmmaker’s Showcase at 7:00PM on Sunday, August 14th at the Tivoli Theatre.

SLFS 2011 Review: GIVE A DAMN?

As the wealthiest nation in the world, it’s difficult to define exactly what our role as individuals to the poorest nations in the world should be. To a great extent, this is a decision that has to be made by the individual. Keep this thought in your mind while watching GIVE A DAMN? Native Saint Louisan Dan Parris did while making the film, the title of which is a question, not a statement.

Parris, an average guy with what might be called an average devotion to his faith, made a decision to experience poverty and hunger, so that he could better understand exactly what his place can and potentially should be in the fight against the epidemic. However, as any wise person would do, he decided not to take on this adventure alone.

Dan enlists his friend Rob Lehr, a former minister who has lost his faith and become a rather pessimistic and angry atheist. Rob is reluctant, bitter about the very idea of considering he is somehow responsible for the lives of impoverished people in a country far from his own, but he chooses to join Dan anyway, if nothing else, for the first-hand experience of seeing true poverty for himself.

Dan is grateful for Rob’s participation, but needs a spiritual companion. He approaches his friend David Peterka, a devout Christian and a free-spirited wild card. David could be described as the unknown Christian member of the JACKASS films that’s high on life and open to just about anything adventurous. Immediately, it becomes apparent that Rob and David would not always see eye to eye, adding an additional layer of depth to the story.

And, so the journey begins. Dan, along with Rob and David, his own personal devil and angel on his shoulders, begin in Saint Louis and set out to hitchhike across the Unites States, Europe, and finally end up in Kenya, all on only $1.25 per day for food, lodging and transportation. Needless-to-say, this plan is not without its inevitable hiccups. Relative to the entire experience, their time in the United States is a cakewalk, compared to their time in Africa.

Let’s jump ahead a bit, progressing in the film to roughly the halfway point. This is when things get serious, and the story becomes truly compelling. Up to this point, we’ve been primarily focused on the physical journey, but when Dan and Rob barely survive a deadly plane crash in the African slums, the film splits into two parallel stories. Dan sustains injuries serious enough that force him to return to the United States, creating a secondary story arc, as David and another friend continue on their quest to live on $1.25 a day in Africa. This is where the heart and soul of the film emerges, grabs hold of the viewer and makes its most significant impact.

The cast and crew are literally one and the same, in true indie fashion, giving the story a very personal touch. While the film is technically still a work in progress at the time of this screening, it doesn’t feel incomplete. The story is well structured, just non-linear enough to add anticipation and lock in the viewer’s interest. The beginning of the film does feel a bit more like a television documentary series, but this quickly subsides. The only thing I can honestly pick out, as needing improvement in the film, are select areas where the audio could be tweaked, but the film is otherwise extremely satisfying.

Of course GIVE A DAMN? has visually emotional footage. How could it not contain some imagery, given the subject matter? One of the things the film has working in it’s favor is Parris’ conscious decision not to approach the project in a preachy fashion. Viewing the film never feels like a sermon, never feels like a non-profit infomercial, but more importantly throws varying points-of-view out into the open for the viewer to collect, sort, analyze and use for making their own decision. Yes, there are moments when God and religion take on a slightly more prevalent role, but rarely in such a direct and matter-of-fact fashion that may turn portions of the audience off. In this way, the film succeeds not only in promoting their cause, but also in calling out those who claim to support the cause.

When considering the scale of the experiment, taken on by three guys with virtually no budget and even less understanding of what they’re getting into, GIVE A DAMN? is a tremendous accomplishment. As harsh as this may sound on the surface, I believe the tragic plane crash may have actually been a blessing in disguise, despite the loss of two lives in the process. I do not wish to put words in the mouths of the filmmakers, but I can imagine they would agree with this statement, on some level. I know the film will have a lasting impression on my own outlook on the world. I hope you too will take the time to see the film, and ask yourself if you GIVE A DAMN?

The current 92-minute cut of GIVE A DAMN? will screen during the 2011 Stella Artois St. Louis Filmmaker’s Showcase on Sunday, August 14th at 2:30PM at the Tivoli Theatre.

Learn more about GIVE A DAMN? and the filmmaker’s cause on the website here.

“TECHNICOLOR CERTIFI3D” Workshop Offered At Palo Alto International Film Festival

Palo Alto, CA – The Palo Alto International Film Festival (PAIFF) has announced today that its presenting sponsor Technicolor will be offering its breakthrough 3D certification program “Technicolor Certifi3D” to 25 filmmakers during the inaugural festival. The certification workshop, hosted by Meshin, will be held on Thursday, September 29 at 9 a.m. at the PARC Theater in Palo Alto.

Technicolor and Meshin have joined with PAIFF to offer the workshops for free to Bay Area filmmakers. The 8-hour certification would typically cost $7,500. Interested filmmakers may apply by e-mailing PAIFF’s Jenni Rowland at jenni@paloaltoinstitute.org. Filmmakers participating in PAIFF will have priority access to the workshop. The remaining spaces will be awarded to interested members of the local filmmaking community.

“Technicolor Certifi3D” was created to ensure that 3D material meets minimum quality requirements before being delivered to consumers. Behind the technology that serves as the foundation for the “Technicolor Certifi3D” service is an advanced 3D analysis software tool that was developed by Technicolor’s Research and Innovation team.

“‘TechnicolorCertifi3D” advances the state of cinema, increasing the number of filmmakers capable of utilizing 3D. “This is a rare, free opportunity for filmmakers to overcome the technical challenges of 3D and add another dimension of complexity to their stories,” says Alf Seccombe, PAIFF’s Director of Programming.

Studies have shown that, done improperly, stereoscopic 3D displays cause visual discomfort, fatigue and headaches because the viewers’ eyes are simultaneously trying to focus on the screen, and on objects that appear. “Technicolor Certifi3D” aims to remove the discomfort of some 3D experiences by offering a set of objective criteria for stereographic reproduction, including a 15-point quality checklist to identify common errors in production that result in suboptimal 3D content.

Passes for the 2011 Palo Alto International Film Festival are now available at www.paiff.net. The complete program and festival schedule will be announced on August 15. To be notified when PAIFF’s Program and Schedule are announced in August 2011, text PAIFF to 80474.

PAIFF’s goal is to facilitate, fuel and ignite current and future cinematic revolutions through education and entertainment. PAIFF convenes artists, media and technology professionals, and attendees in an intimate environment where they can experience great cinema, learn about cutting-edge technologies and ideas, and celebrate the artists and innovators shaping the world of moving pictures. Experience. Learn. Connect.
 
FOLLOW PAIFF:

Website: www.paiff.com

Facebook: facebook.com/PaloAltoInternationalFilmFestival

Twitter: @PaloAltoIFF

Behind-the-Scenes with Legendary Film Editor WALTER MURCH at Palo Alto International Film Festival

Palo Alto, CA – The Palo Alto International Film Festival (PAIFF) has announced today that it will host “Behind the Scenes with Walter Murch,” and presented by FileMaker, Inc., on Saturday, October 1, 2011 at 12 (noon) at Talenthouse in Palo Alto. The three-time Oscar®-winning film editor will present a behind-the-scenes look at his post-production process.

Murch will be describing the integration of FileMaker Pro database management into his post-production process for numerous films, including “Jarhead,” “Apocalypse Now,” and “The Talented Mr. Ripley.” These techniques (read more at http://www.filemaker.com/solutions/customers/stories/291.html) were used during the editing of “Hemingway & Gellhorn,” directed by Phil Kaufman, scheduled to premiere on HBO in early 2012.

“What you’re presented with in film is simply a mountain of stuff that comes at you very, very fast,” Murch explains. “And as time goes on, it comes faster and faster, because it’s getting easier and easier to shoot film — in fact, we’re not even talking about film anymore, with the transition already underway to shooting in digital media.”

Murch has received nine Academy Award® nominations, most recently for the Film Editing on “Cold Mountain” (2003).  He won Oscars for Sound on “Apocalypse Now” (1979) and “The English Patient” (1996), as well as for the Film Editing on “The English Patient.”

FileMaker and Talenthouse are cardinal sponsors of the 2011 festival.

Tickets to “Behind the Scenes with Walter Much” are available now at http://www.paiff.net/index.php/festival/techofit

Individual tickets are $12. Festival Passholders (except Student Passholders) will also have access to the event.

Passes for the 2011 Palo Alto International Film Festival are now available at www.paiff.net. The complete program and festival schedule will be announced in August. To be notified when PAIFF’s Program and Schedule are announced in August 2011, text PAIFF to 80474.

PAIFF’s goal is to facilitate, fuel and ignite current and future cinematic revolutions through education and entertainment. PAIFF convenes artists, media and technology professionals, and attendees in an intimate environment where they can experience great cinema, learn about cutting-edge technologies and ideas, and celebrate the artists and innovators shaping the world of moving pictures.  Experience. Learn. Connect.

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Winners Announced For 2011 LOS ANGELES FILM FESTIVAL

PRESENTED BY LOS ANGELES TIMES

Stéphane Lafleur’s Familiar Ground and Beverly Kopf & Bobbie Birleffi’s Wish Me Away Win Jury Awards
Joe Cornish’s Attack the Block, Michael Rapaport’s Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of a Tribe Called Quest and Asif Kapadia’s Senna Win Audience Awards

Best Performance, Short Film and Music Video Award Winners Also Announced

LOS ANGELES (June 26, 2011) – Today the Los Angeles Film Festival, presented by the Los Angeles Times and supported by L.A. LIVE, announced the jury and audience award winners for the 2011 Festival at the Awards Brunch, sponsored and hosted by CHAYA Downtown for the second year, and sponsored by Dove® Hair Care. Allison Janney and John C. Reilly were on hand to present the awards. The Los Angeles Film Festival ran from Thursday, June 16 to Sunday, June 26 in downtown Los Angeles. (See list HERE).

“David, Doug and the team continue to raise the bar with the quality of our programming slate. We’re enormously proud to host such an exceptional and diverse group of films and filmmakers at this year’s Festival, and to have introduced audiences to their wonderful work,” said Los Angeles Film Festival Director Rebecca Yeldham.

The two top juried awards of the Los Angeles Film Festival are the Narrative Award and Documentary Award, each carrying an unrestricted $15,000 cash prize, funded by Film Independent, for the winning film’s director. The awards were established by the Festival encourage independent filmmakers to pursue their artistic ambitions.

“It was such a rich year in competition films, so our juries had really tough choices to make. The winning films are the cream of a particularly delicious crop, and we’re delighted that they reflect the Festival’s dedication to movies from all over the world,” said Festival Artistic Director David Ansen.

The Narrative Award recognizes the finest narrative film in competition at the Festival and went to Stéphane Lafleur for the North American Premiere of Familiar Ground. The Documentary Award recognizes the finest documentary film in competition at the Festival and went to Beverly Kopf and Bobbie Birleffi for the World Premiere of Wish Me Away.

The award for Best Performance in the Narrative Competition went to Amber Sealey, Kent Osborne, Amanda Street, and Gabriel Diamond for their performances in Amber Sealey’s How to Cheat. Given to an actor or actors from an official selection in the Narrative Competition, this is the eighth year the award has been given at the Festival.

For the first time, the Los Angeles Film Festival awarded an unrestricted $5,000 cash prize to each short film category. The award for Best Narrative Short Film went to Saba Riazi’s The Wind Is Blowing on My Street. The award for Best Documentary Short Film went to Susan Koenen’s I Am a Girl!. Mikey Please’s The Eagleman Stag won the award for Best Animated Short Film.

The Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature went to Attack the Block, directed by Joe Cornish and the Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature went to Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of a Tribe Called Quest, directed by Michael Rapaport. Asif Kapadia’s Senna won the Audience Award for Best International Feature.

The Audience Award for Best Short Film went to Blind Date, directed by Joe Rosen. Can’t Shake This Feeling, directed by The General Assembly’s Adam Littke, Ryan McNeill, Adam Willis won the Audience Award for Best Music Video for Grum.

The Narrative Feature Competition jury was comprised of director Lynn Shelton (Humpday, My Effortless Brilliance), Head/Founder of Giant Robot Eric Nakamura, and screenwriter Daniel Waters (Heathers, Batman Returns). The Documentary Feature Competition jury was comprised of Spirit Award-winning director Jeff Malmberg (Marwencol), Executive Director of the International Documentary Association Michael Lumpkin, and Co-editor of Slake magazine Laurie Ochoa. The Shorts Competition jury was comprised of casting director Margery Simkin, film critic Alonso Duralde, and actress Lisa Gay Hamilton.

Now in its seventeenth year, the Festival is recognized as a world-class event, showcasing the best in new American and international cinema and providing the movie-loving public with access to critically acclaimed filmmakers, film industry professionals, and emerging talent from around the world. As previously announced, the 2011 Los Angeles Film Festival will screen over 200 feature films, shorts, and music videos, representing more than 30 countries.

The Festival kicked off on Thursday, June 16 with the world premiere of Richard Linklater’s Bernie, sponsored by Virgin America, and will close tonight with the world premiere of FilmDistrict’s Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark, directed by Troy Nixey. Gala Screenings included the North American premiere of FilmDistrict’s Drive, directed by Nicolas Winding Refn; the world premiere of Summit Entertainment’s A Better Life, directed by Chris Weitz and sponsored by CBS2/KCAL9; Liongsate’s The Devil’s Double, directed by Lee Tamahori; and Screen Gems’ Attack the Block, directed by Joe Cornish.

In addition, the Festival held Conversations with James Franco, Julie Taymor, Jack Black, and Shirley MacLaine, with panelists and moderators including Diablo Cody, Dustin Lance Black, Ruben Fleischer, Robert Ben Garant, Andy Garcia, Rachael Harris, Quincy Jones, Richard Kelly, Thomas Lennon, Derek Luke, Frank Pierson, David Milch, Thomas Newman, Philip Noyce, and Jason Ritter. Poolside Chats at the JW Marriot Pool Los Angeles at L.A. LIVE ION Rooftop Pool Bar, a two-day seminar on Money Talks & Art Matters, and free outdoor anniversary screenings of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Stand By Me and Rudy were held throughout the ten days.

Guillermo del Toro was this year’s Guest Director of the 2011 Los Angeles Film Festival. In his role as Guest Director, del Toro presented Pupi Avati’s The Arcane Enchanter, a rarely seen Italian horror film that has inspired his work. Erykah Badu and Daniele Luppi served as this year’s Artists in Residence.  As Artists in Residence, each programmed an event that inspired their work. Grammy Award-winning musician Erykah Badu selected Ricky Gervais’ The Invention of Lying, followed by a conversation, and composer Daniele Luppi selected Sergio Corbucci’s Navajo Joe, followed by a conversation about movies and music.

VICTORIA PRICE Attending Vincentennial This Week

Daughter of St Louis film icon Vincent Price is in town for events celebrating his 100th Birthday

Cinema St. Louis is honored to have Victoria Price, daughter of St. Louisan and film icon Vincent Price as part of Vincentennial: The Vincent Price 100th Birthday Celebration. Ms. Price will participate in a pair of special programs this weekend. The first, exactly 100 years to the day after Vincent Price was born here in St. Louis, his daughter offers an intimate remembrance of her famous father during her multimedia presentation The Vincent Price Legacy: Reflections From a Daughter (Friday, May 27, 7pm, Missouri History Museum). On Saturday evening, Ms. Price will introduce the outdoor screening of her father’s last feature film, Edward Scissorhands,which will include a surprise or two (May 28, 8:30pm, Muny’s Bank of America Pavillion), Both events are free to the public.

Ms. Price participated in a Q&A with film historian David Del Valle on Wednesday evening at Washington University. For a complete list of activities, visit the Vincentennial website: http://cinemastlouis.org/vincentennial or the Facebook page.

Ms. Price is a designer, art historian, author, public speaker, and screenwriter. She is the author of the critically acclaimed biography, Vincent Price: A Daughter’s Biography. You can find out more about her at her website.