The New Ten Commandments
GoinsTo celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Lansdowne Productions and the Scottish Documentary Institute have gathered together some of the most talented filmmakers and visual artists based in Scotland today. Collectively they have created the feature length documentary, the New Ten Commandments. United by a single theme - Human Rights in Scotland - This film communicates a variety of artistic visions whilst exploring the real life stories of those for whom the Universal Declaration has intimate meaning. With testimony of human rights abuses sitting alongside tales of human rights recognition, the film is both an emotionally powerful journey and an exercise in passionate filmmaking of the highest calibre. The directors: Kenny Glenaan, Douglas Gordon, Nick Higgins, Irvine Welsh, Mark Cousins, Tilda Swinton, Sana Bilgrami, Alice Nelson, Doug Aubrey, David Graham Scott, Anna Jones. Composer: Jim Sutherland
Trouble Sleeping
Directed by Robert Rae - A powerful drama based on real experiences – a group of Refugees in Edinburgh do what they must to survive. Despite the watchful eye of the security services they have found a way to get on - but Ahmed’s arrival changes everything for ever. Ahmed believes in truth - a belief forged under torture – he now seeks asylum but the courts don’t believe him. His quest for proof brings him to Halla. She shares his past and a secret that will destroy the people they both love. When the truth has sustained you, can you ever afford to let it go?
Opportunity Knocks
Directed by Aaron WellsA depressed Lucia Borgia (Suzanne Niedland) contemplates suicide when she is interrupted by a bumbling bureaucrat in the employee of the Devil. The Devil himself appears to prematurely collect her soul. He's a handsome Devil, indeed. In a case of perfect casting, Tristan Rogers, Scorpio of General Hospital fame, plays the Devil. Can Lucia work something out with the suave "Godfather of Souls?"
In Twilight’s Shadow
Directed by Tina ScorzafavaIN TWILIGHT'S SHADOW is a short action packed sci-fi film set in the modern underworld of vampire-like immortals. This is a very polished short film which will appeal to “Buffy” fans and fans of the “Underworld” series. Carlisle, an immortal, lies suspended in a state between light and darkness, having given up her violent past for the love of a mortal woman. However, when Carlisle's girlfriend is abducted by her old gang of immortals in an act of revenge, she must spring into action to save her. The film boasts both a top notch beautiful cast, great special effects, and high production value and this would make a great feature length movie.
Domestics
A Couple's relationship comes to the brink of destruction over some ice cream.
Man of the Family
A little boy immigrates with his mother to Montreal where he is confronted with a lot more than just a new culture. Sanjit is the new kid. He’s only been in Montreal for a few months and he is already in trouble for fighting at school. As he waits outside the Principal’s office he replays the events that led up to his current predicament. Is his uncle going to be proud of him or not?
Ap-pa-la-chia
This short documentary explores the correct way to pronounce Appalachia.
K - 19
Cast: Charlotte Bevan, Phil Zimmerman, Lin Clifton, Robert Evanson
A portrait of 15-year-old Kaylee who lives in a caravan park with her neglectful father. The film follows Kaylee over a 24-hour period as she sneaks out from her chalet at dawn and wanders out into the local marshland. Kaylee leads a solitary existence, preferring to roam freely in the surrounding fields with only the company of wild horses. Ostracised by the community around her, the resilient Kaylee passively waits for her mother whom she believes will return to find her. When she discovers a man sleeping rough in a derelict house, she becomes fascinated by him and feels a kinship. Kaylee's challenging encounter with this enigmatic stranger compels her to re-evaluate her future.
The Devil’s Oven: The Fire in the Heart of the Little Cities of Black Diamonds
New Straitsville, located in the foothills of the Appalachians in Ohio’s Hocking Valley, is home to "Devil's Oven" - a still-burning century-old mine fire, set during a labor dispute in 1884.
The fire’s origin tells a deep and troubling story of an age when the mining of fossil fuels, a prevailing concept of progress, and corporate power overtook the human capacity to provide fair and decent wages and working conditions, to plan for a sustainable market and industry, and to consider the short or long term consequences to the environment from which the ore was being extracted.
The story is told through the voices of current residents and scholars from Ohio University, and is narrated by Bob Singleton. Featured are tales of migration, mining disputes, mine fire tours and moonshine.
The documentary focuses on the social, economic, and environmental context to the daily life of people living in the area, past and present, in a collection of townships now known as the Little Cities of Black Diamonds. These small towns sprang up practically overnight, fueled by the boom of the nation’s coal industry, during the industrial revolution. The area’s economy busted within fifty years, leaving thousands of migrants and immigrants to seek survival by any means possible.
The legacy of the “Boom - Bust” era of the Hocking Valley Coal Field is evident today in the scared hillsides, polluted streams, and dying villages. Residents are working together with local organizations to initiate environmental and economic recovery programs as well as efforts to preserve their history.
Egg Fight
ETSU graduate Dan Perry
Tennessee Premiere! Quick - what's the second oldest annual sporting event in the state of Tennessee? Why, it's the Peters Hollow Easter Egg Fight. Daniel Perry's "Egg Fight" explores this 185 year old tradition through a combination of interviews with participants and news footage from the past. The result is a wonderful, short documentary which is sure to be a crowd-pleaser at this year's film festival. This is only the second public screening for this film, which features a lot of local folks battling each other in the Egg Fight. Now, this may result in a few eggs being tossed at me, but I'll be honest with you. As a relative newcomer to this area, I was unfamiliar with the Peters Hollow Easter Egg Fight. As such, I had no idea what this movie was about when I sat down to watch it and I was a bit skeptical. However, I must say I thoroughly enjoyed this film. The production value is excellent, the score is great, and Daniel Perry uses old news footage to great advantage. I'm sure a lot of folks from Elizabethton are gonna want to make the trek to ETSU to watch themselves and their neighbors on the big screen. Daniel Perry may call New York home these days, but it turns out he is an ETSU graduate. The college will undoubtedly take pride in screening such a well made documentary by one of its own. And don't worry - despite the name, the only violence in this film occurs when the eggs collide! I only wish some of those egg fight veterans would have revealed a bit more about their secret recipes so I could stand a fighting chance in next year's egg fight
Thoughts in the Presence of Fear
Thoughts In The Presence of Fear is a visual companion to the essays that was written by Kentucky author Wendell Berry, in which he reflects deeply on the current sources of world hope and despair. . Written in response to the September 11th attacks, the essay has since been reprinted in 73 countries and seven languages. The film features a voiceover of the author reading from his work inter-cut with music, artwork, text, and moving images from the work of Herb e. Smith’s years of filmmaking (Appalshop synopsis)
The Telling Takes Me Home
Music and memory tell the story of Guy and Candie Carawn, activists and folk singers who have carried their work from the Deep South of the Civil Rights Movement into today’s daunting struggle for peace. Interweaving past and present, the filmmaker integrates her own reflections on growing up in a rich musical and political landscape with her parents’ views on race relations, community organizing, and the sustaining power of song. This half-hour documentary includes footage from the Highlander Research and Education Center, where Heather spent most of her childhood. Additionally, the film pays tribute to Southern regional musicians such as Nimrod Workman, Florence Reece, Chuck Neblett, and Matthew Jones.
Holding the Line
Holding the Line tells the story of 900 nurses in Eastern KY and WV who stand up for patient rights and safe patient care by striking against their corporate employer, Appalachian Regional Health. Expecting to be out of work for no more than a week, the nurses work their picket line for almost 3 months before they're offered a pay-out on Christmas Eve in exchange for signing a contract that doesn't protect them when they return to work. The film takes place in Harlan and Hazard, Ky, and features Crystal, the nurse leader of the Harlan nurses and daughter-in-law of one of the wives who fought for their men in the Harlan Coal Miner Strike of 1973. Holding the Line celebrates the spirit of Appalachian determination and willingness to stand up for what's right.
Bunnyland
In the mountain resort of Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, 73 rabbits are found slaughtered at a miniature golf course. Nearby, a small rental cabin catches fire, killing its only occupant. Connecting these two events is amateur archaeologist Johnny Tesar, the self-proclaimed “last Indian on the Trail of Tears.”
Johnny claims to have discovered an ancient civilization, and has collected thousands of stone artifacts to support this assertion. His bizarre scientific theories have generated controversy for decades, and the relics themselves continue to attract skeptical curiosity seekers. But in Johnny’s microcosm of friends and enemies, it is even more difficult to discern all the facts of legal battles, spiritual alliances, and unexplained deaths.
Grilling Bobby Hicks
Directed by Tommy Wood - In a small, sleepy Georgia town, Bobby Hicks rules the roost, until he is found grilled to death on his still-warm barbecue smoker. When the town's only lawyer informs a select group that Bobby has left over a quarter-million dollar inheritance to the last one of them left living, things take a turn for the worse. In the midst of the chaos, Bobby's niece Megan falls for a Latino artist and suspect in Bobby's murder. Can Megan and Lenny get out of town before it's too late for both of them? (IMDB). Come join the fun at this redneck comedy romp.
Three Apples Fall
Three Apples Fall is an adaptation of an old Estonian fairy tale by Arkansas writer Sally McCluskey. The script was the winner of the 2005 Cape Fear Independent Film Network screenplay competition. It teaches us the lesson of not judging those we meet by their appearance. THREE APPLES FALL stars Bonnie Johnson as Adepta, Aaron Mills as Novichio, Judy DuBose as Olympia, and Leah Parker as Tessa. The movie was directed by Alex Dale, and produced and edited by Linda Warden (formerly of Kingsport, Tennessee!). THREE APPLES FALL was filmed entirely at Poplar Grove Plantation in Wilmington, NC.
WORLD PREMIERE!
Phillip Bond Operation
Produced by Blake Jones, John Cary, Melanie Jones, and Kathleen Cary. Starring Johnson City's own Blake Jones, who put this film together with friends and family, this spy spoof is sure to entertain. Filmed on location in the Tri-Cities area, this debut marks a promising start in what will likely be a long career in cinema.
The Problem with Pets
Monica is kingpin in her picture-perfect world until her mum’s new friend, Dr. Dick, comes to stay for one disaster-filled weekend. When Monica’s pets – Speedy the tortoise, Kevin the budgie and Brian Rabbit – meet their untimely and dramatic demise, Monica is convinced that Dr. Dick is responsible. Determined to prove his guilt, she recreates the crime scenes and decides that the only way to keep her other pets alive is to dispose of him.
LOTUS
From China comes a beautiful animated film which will remind some viewers of Disney's classic "Fantasia." The animation is absolutely stunning. A special thank you to the Beijing Film Festival for sharing this film with us.
THE GARDEN TRICKSTER
Art Film
ECOLOGY
Art film
their society.
Dao
Xiao Xue, a young Chinese woman who comes to Hawaii to live with her distant cousin Lin. Xiao Xue gets involved in an abusive relationship with Lin and becomes pregnant with his child, but can't find the courage to tell him for fear that he will abandon her. When Lin cheats his boss and is hunted down by tough gangster Mark, he and Xiao Xue flee to a small island hideout near Sand Island where Xiao Xue meets Leilani, a young, neglected local girl who reminds Xiao Xue of herself as a child. Through their interactions and as a result of Lin's increasingly abusive behavior, Xiao Xue finds the courage to extract herself from her abusive relationship in a most surprising way.
Starkers: The Naked Life of Qin Yongjian
Qing Yongjian's dream is to one day be an actor. However, he has yet to make any inroads in the industry. Instead, he works as a male nude model in Beijing. A man obsessed with the body, Yongjian spends his days being painted and photographed. In this way he is able to not only perform, but receive the attention he craves. But being a male nude model in traditional China is not an easy task. Fang Min, a female nude model and friend, helps to steer Yongjian out of trouble. As Yongjian's behaviour becomes more excessive, those around him begin to wonder whether he has lost his mind. (synopsis from Channel Zero Media, Inc.)
Searching for Mermaid in Desert
This haunting short follows a young woman as she wanders alone in an industrial setting. Who is she? Is she a ghost? The filmmaker grapples with some of the implications of China's one child policy.
Brave Father
In 2002, Han Peiyin’s son Shengli was accepted in a university, and arrived to the city of Xi’an from his rural home. To pay for Shengli’s living expense and tuition, the Han sold off all valuable things in his home and came to work in Xi’an to make money. Though a lifetime peasant, Han firmly believed knowledge had the power to change destinies, and expected his son to be successful. Job for peasant workers was getting harder to find as more and more peasants came to the city. Han could barely make RMB 400 a month, yet Shengli needed RMB 9,000 a year for college. The place Han stayed at cost one RMB a night. At night, he used a brick as his pillow. His son Shengli would think what to eat after class. He saw the bottled water his classmate was holding and could only think of taking the empty bottle and sell it for money. Graduation was near. A shy youth, Shengli’s job prospect was dim. He felt this city was becoming further away from him. Despite his education, he might end up earning less than his father. For years elder Han carried with him a notebook, in which he entered records of his borrowings. Most of them were small sums of 10 or 20 RMB. He also noted his expectations for his son: “Around the year 2013 or so, that is, roughly in my sixties, Shengli will take our family to Beijing for a sightseeing visit. We will have plenty of money by then…”
Duckweed
He got drunk once. With tears, Wu Yu told the director, “Peng Hui, now I’m rich, but I have no root, I float in Shenzhen, just like duckweed.” Twenty years ago, Wu Yu came to Shenzhen with his dream. As he earned RMB 300 a month by huckstering unmarketable beverage with his bike under the burning sun, he never expected to be a billionaire.For many “rich people” in Shenzhen, their paths to wealth two decades ago was nothing more than smuggling, stock market and real estate market speculation. Wu Yu followed a similar path. A decade ago when he was penniless in Shenzhen, he made a killing in the then unregulated Chinese stock market. Later he turned to the property industry, in which he became a billionaire very quickly.He said, “In China, I will not do unlawful things, but I will never be a law-abiding citizen. Violator of law will be imprisoned, while law-abiding doesn’t make any money.” He became rich, well known in Shenzhen’s business circles, and served on the board of a famous university. But now he began to miss his literary ideal during his early years. He wanted to break away from a “sheer businessman”, get involved in cultural investment, and seek some self-esteem in being a “literate person”. He chose to invest in low-budget films and operate a “clean” KTV…
Red Nails
An underground street fighter loses his memory after a bad beating at the hands of Scorpion Face. He is rescued by a talented dance instructor. The boxer asks the dancer to train him so he may box again. The dance instructor has strong feelings for the boxer. Will his feelings be requited? Will he box again and regain his memory? This compelling feature film boasts impressive fight scenes
Abel Raises Cain
This is a wonderful feature length documentary on the long career of notorious media prankster Allen Abel, made by his daughter Jenny Abel. The film follows Allen as he raises eyebrows and consciousness through provocative media hoaxes, including "Omar's School For Beggars" and the movement to clothe "naked" animals.
Facing Sudan
A custodian. A housewife. A pediatrician. A grandmother. Seemingly ordinary individuals. Yet these individuals have a story to tell. It is the story of suffering and death. It is the story of refugees. It is the story of terrified villagers running for cover. Yet, at the same time, it is a story of strength, courage and hope. It is the story of Sudan. Over the last 20 years, millions have died in Sudan. A civil war devastated the South and currently a genocide is occurring in the western region of Darfur. Facing Sudan is the story of ordinary individuals, moved into action by the events in Sudan. Ordinary people can do extraordinary things, even in Sudan.
The World According to Monsanto
This scathing documentary from award-winning French journalist Marie-Monique Robin, examines Biotech Giant Monsanto from their pollution of an African-American community in Alabama, to their role in establishing FDA regulations regarding genetically modified organisms, to the impact of genetically modified plants on US farmers, as well as farmers in India and in Latin America. The film chronicles not only Monsanto's controversial past, including their role in the development of Agent Orange, but their equally controversial present, including their race to genetically engineer and patent the world's food supply.
Squeal
Directed by Tony SwanseyAn indy rock band becomes stranded on a country road when they encounter a genetic science experiment gone wrong. After a dark and bloody night held captive in a barn, the band breaks-up in a way they could have never imagined. The sun rises on the carnage and sheds light on the horrors of animal testing.
The Devil's Music
Written and directed by Pat Higgins
This innovative film may be the world’s first rockumentary horror film. The VH1 Behind the Scenes approach draws you into the gripping story of the final tour of shock rocker Erika Spawn.
Strange Girls
Some girls are sugar and spice and everything nice and some girls are not. Psychopathic identical twins Virginia and Georgia wreak havoc in working class Pittsburgh. At times a slasher film, at other times a taut thriller, and at all times creepy.
Chasing the Devil: Inside the Ex-Gay Movement
Directed by Mishara Canino and Bill Husung - This documentary presents an unflinching look at the personal journeys of four people who claim to have changed their sexual orientation from gay to straight. Their stories mark the first time documentary filmmakers have been allowed inside the ex-gay movement and provide an empathetic and at times devastating portrait of those who claim homosexuality is an illness that can be healed. John Sterback is a member of the most politically incorrect subculture in America. He’s a self-described “ex-gay,” someone who claims to have changed his sexual orientation from gay to straight. Richard Cohen is John’s inspiration and represents the public face of the ex-gay movement while hiding his own controversial past. “Chasing the Devil” uncovers the truth behind the claims of the reparative therapists who attack gay identity as nothing more than a developmental disorder that can be fixed with a healthy dose of therapy and prayer. Joanne Highley and Peterson Toscano take viewers deeper inside the world of ex-gay ministries with their journeys inside New York City’s Life Ministry, where demons are believed to cause homosexuality and exorcisms are the preferred from of treatment.
20 STRAWS: GROWING UP GAY
Directed by Liv Gjestvang - 20 STRAWS: GROWING UP GAY follows the lives of nine Midwestern teenagers as they come into their identities as out, gay youth. From Wayne, who mistakenly thought he had AIDS as a little boy, to Aris, whose hero is David Bowie, to Denise, whose mother forgot her own daughter was a lesbian, this courageous film will grab you with its heartfelt honesty and spirited look at being young, gay and out in high school. This piece was created by a talented group of young artists who spent 18 months learning to conceive, shoot and edit a documentary about their experiences coming out and staying out in high school.
Ready? OK!
Directed by James Vasquez - As a harried single mother in Normal Heights, USA, Andrea is having a tough time of it. Although her son Joshua is a smart, happy and enthusiastic ten-year-old, she worries that he’s on the wrong track. With each summons to the Mother Superior’s office at Joshua’s private school, Andrea searches for answers to a nagging problem: How can she convince him that aspiring to be on the cheerleading squad, relishing the art of the French braid and calling Maria von Trapp his most influential role model is just not what little boys do? When you wish for a son on the wrestling team, how do you deal with one who loves fashion, dolls and pyramid formations? In this quirky and touching take on the modern family, one woman must strip away all her illusions to seek a kind of peace with herself and her son. Some hard advice from her gay next-door neighbor Charlie helps Andrea turn her focus in the right direction: inward. Embracing Joshua’s individuality rather than fearing it might be the only answer, but can she do it? With comically truthful performances and a healthy dash of wacky farce, Ready? OK! explores a family on the verge of either destruction or elevation. Sometimes all it takes to figure things out is a deep breath and the perfect cheer. (Kristine Kolton, Frameline32)
PAGEANT
Directed by Ron Davis and Stewart Halpern-Fingerhut - Pageant takes you behind the scenes as 52 ordinary gentlemen go to extraordinary lengths in order to be crowned the 34th Miss Gay America®. This contest is about the art of illusion, so hormones and surgical body enhancements are forbidden. The movie follows 5 of the most talented and beautiful female impersonators as they prepare to dominate in this underground competition. Hear from the men as well as from those in their entourage: husbands, mothers, sons, and little brothers. Pageant features stunning musical numbers, while diving into the heart and soul of this make-believe world: the men behind the make up. Everybody has a dream; these men are making theirs a reality.
Secondhand
Directed by Hanna Rose Shell & Vanessa Bertozzi - When we remix secondhand clothing's past and present, we uncover the underground history of immigrants and the fabric that connects us all. Secondhand (Pepe) recycles the story of the Jewish ragman with the contemporary Haitian pepe dealer. "It's all pepe, all the time."
This experimental documentary traces used clothing as it travels from the US to find a second life in Haiti. Once known as "Kennedy," secondhand clothing in Haiti is now known as Pepe. This colorful story is told in a visually compelling manner.
Out of the Mist: A People and a Culture on the Brink of Extinction
Directed by Francesca Roveda “Out of The Mist” chronicles the untold story of the Pygmies of the Bwindi Rain Forest in Uganda, Africa. Many people are familiar with the plight of the Gorillas who were studied for years in the 1980’s by Diane Fosey. However, few know that in order to protect these “Gorillas in the Mist”, the Pygmy tribes which inhabited the dense Bwindi forest were forced by the government to relocate into open unfamiliar clear cut settlements. As a consequence of this transition, the Pygmies (who call themselves the Batwa) had to abandon their traditional hunter/gatherer lifestyle, and may indeed be at risk of losing their entire culture.
The Batwa are one of the most ancient remaining aboriginal societies, and their dilemma serves as a poignant example of the growing global tragedy of “conservation refugees”. This is a situation in which humans are displaced in order to safe guard the environment. The question is, will the world put as much value on protecting the Pygmies and their culture as it does on saving the mountain gorillas?
“Out of the Mist” contrasts the beauty of Africa’s wildlife, with the suffering of it’s people, and shows both the benefits and negative consequences of the pygmies reliance on foreign tourists, missionaries, humanitarian aid workers, and the Ugandan government for their survival. The story is a powerful, educational and moving account of a people and a land, which lies at the very heart of creation, while at the edge of extinction.
Woven Ways
Directed by Linda Helm Krapf - Another award winning documentary, "Woven Ways" is a beautiful film which tells the story of the Navajo environmental movement through focusing on Navajo carpet weavers. The Navajo people face degradation of their environment from coal pollution and uranium mining. Three power plants lie in or near the reservation and plans for a fourth plant are in the works. These plants spew pollution across the Navajo lands. Dormant uranium mines continue to pose health hazards decades after they were closed. These mines may soon reopen as the world increasingly turns to nuclear power as an alternative to carbon based fuels. Ms. Krapf uses minimal narration and allows the Navajo people and activists tell their powerful stories. Residents of Appalachia will recognize parallels in the struggle of the Navajo people versus mining and coal power.
Burning the Future: Coal in America
Directed by David Novack. Every eleven and one-half days, the explosive equivalent of the Hiroshima atomic bomb is unleashed upon the mountains of southern West Virginia and eastern Kentucky - for coal. Stunning cinematography and a stirring score make this documentary about mountaintop removal mining all the more powerful. Faced with toxic groundwater, the destruction of a diverse ecosystem, threats to health, and unresponsive government, the people of West Virginia struggle to save their families, their ways of life and their mountains.http://www.burningthefuture.org/
Renewal
Directed by Marty Ostrow and Terry Kay Rockefeller.
A beautifully filmed documentary with high production value, "Renewal" focuses on religious inspired environmental movements. This inspiring documentary includes Christian, Islamic, Buddhist, and Judaic based environmental efforts - capturing the breadth of the spiritually inspired environmental movement in the United States.
The Power of Community: How Cuba Survived Peak Oil
Directed by Faith Morgan - How did Cuba survive the collapse of the Soviet Union and the loss of much of their oil import? This film explores how the Cuban people survived turned to organic gardening and increased use of mass transit, as well as other measures to offset their massive loss of petroleum import. The steps taken by Cuba may provide guidance to other nations as the world faces dwindling oil supplies. The spirit and humor of the Cuban people enliven this informative, well-made documentary.
MANIFESTO
A last will and testament in the age of meaningless...
Theuth, a half-written character, must confront the hand that wields the pen that writes the line that stains the silence. A film that struggles to deal with the nature of free will, the search for identity, and the silence that comes at the end of speech.
REZ BOMB
Directed by Steven Lewis Simpson - A thriller/love story that is set on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, the poorest county in the nation. Scott, a white hustler, loves Harmony, a Lakota Sioux woman, but will his schemes be the end of them both? This exciting film was made with the cooperation of the Native Americans and its cast includes legendary Native American activist/actor Russell Means.
A DEAL IS A DEAL
Directed by Jonathan Gershfield - Paul (Mackenzie Cook) is an aspiring novelist paying his bills driving a tube in the underground in London. He dreams of moving to the peaceful environs of Scotland to work full-time on his novel. After he is involved in two subway fatalities, he learns about the “Three and Out” rule. If three victims fall under his train in a span of one month, he gets retirement plus 10 years’ salary for compensation. Could this be the answer to his dreams? This dark comedy stars well-known Irish character actor Colm Meaney and Mackenzie Cook, of the original BBC “Office and Pirates of the Carribean fame. It also stars the new "Bond Girl" Gemma Arterton.
Vogelfrei
Directed by Janis Kalejs, Gatis Smits, Janis Putnins, Anna Viduleja
In this lovely cinematic quartet, four directors capture simple, yet quintessential experiences of a single individual in four seasons of his life - childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and old age. The four loosely related segments form in a single interwoven narrative, where each one of the depicted events provides reference points for the others.
The Auction
Directed by Zakir Hossain - This is a first film from Bangladeshi born Zakir Hossain.
To See If I’m Smiling
Directed by Tamar Yarom - TO SEE IF I’M SMILING powerfully explores the darker side of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict through the testimonies of six female soldiers about their compulsory military service in the Occupied Territories. At a time when women in the military are increasingly on the frontlines, this film explores the ways that gender, ethics, and moral responsibility intersect during war. – (Israel)
Good Dick
Scottish born actress Mariana Palka wrote, directed, and stars in this story of a fledgling relationship complicated by sexual dysfunction and emotional scars. A down on his luck store clerk, played by charismatic Jason Ritter, starts a relationship for apparently selfish reasons with a troubled, socially isolated woman with a penchant for erotic videos. However, he turns out to be a patient boyfriend who helps his girlfriend bridge her emotional distance and confront demons from her past. Mature subject matter – adults only.
Miss Lil’s Camp
Directed by Suzanne Niedland and Anberin Pasha - Lillian Smith (1897-1966) is best known as the author of the bestselling novel “Strange Fruit,” which was published in 1946, and shocked America with its theme of interracial love. Based in Georgia, she also founded a quarterly literary journal which featured works from both white and black writers. From the 1920s till the late 1940s, during the heart of the Jim Crow South, she ran a summer camp for privileged, middle class white girls in the mountains of Georgia, where she focused on social equality, teaching the girls that segregation was immoral (despite what their parents and others may have believed). This inspiring film follows several aged, former campers and a camp employee as they return to “Miss Lil’s” camp to recall their summers spent with the civil rights pioneer, friend of such luminaries as Eleanor Roosevelt and Martin Luther King, Jr. The film uses archival footage to good advantage as the viewer comes to appreciate Lillian Smith, a woman who spoke her mind with regard to class and race issues in spite of threats and acts of intimidation.
Search for Mermaid in Desert
Directed by Li Guang - This haunting short touches on the issue of female infanticide and the one-child policy. One day in May 1982, after school, a-seven-year old girl Yo from year one spoke to her teacher, "Miss, I don"t want to go home. I want to be with you."Teacher, " Why?" Yo said, "My mom and dad want to kill me."Teacher smiled," Be a good girl, study hard, Mom and Dad will like you."Yo went back home. Then she was never seen again. One day in May 1982, the river was as peaceful as usual, even with Yo's body in the water.It's quiet on the riverbank, just like nothing happened.)Seven months later, a boy was given birth in Yo's family, Winter of 1999, Mom died too. The Boy was the only one left. He hid himself in darkness for seven days. The day after, he appeared in the way he wanted....he turned himself into a girl.The boy was given birth, he believes that he is a pretty girl...In 1978, the first session of the 5th National Congress included Family Control into the Basic National Law of China.In 1982, the 12th Chinese Communist Party's Congress formally confirmed the practice of Family Control as one of the basic policy. The practice of Family Control from 1971 to 1998 resulted in a less birth of 338 million people in China. - Li Guang
The Education of Shelby Knox
Directed by Marion Lipschutz and Rose Rosenblatt - Winner of the Sundance Best Cinematography Award and the SXSW Audience Award. Lubbock, Texas has an abstinence-only sex education policy in its schools and some of the highest teen pregnancy and STD infection rates in the nation. Shelby Knox is a devout Baptist teenager who has pledged abstinence until marriage. When her interest in politics leads her to get involved in a campaign for comprehensive sex education in her town's public schools, and then to a fight for a gay-straight alliance, she must make a choice: Stand by and let others be hurt, or go against her parents, her pastor, and her peers to do what she knows is right.THE EDUCATION OF SHELBY KNOX is an exceptionally timely and intimate look at the cultural wars from the perspective of a young woman’s life. The support her conservative family provides is an example of how a healthy democracy could look given the time and will to listen.