Films & Schedules - S

In 1968, in a remote Australian town where white racism rules, an Aboriginal country-western singing group struggles to make it in the music business. Their fortunes change when they meet garrulous Irish pianist/drinker Dave (Chris O’Dowd, Bridesmaids), who recognizes their talent and adds soul music to their repertoire. Soon, the precocious singer Julie (Australian music star Jessica Mauboy), boy-crazy Cynthia, tough and tart-tongued leader Gail, and cousin Kay who wishes she were white, score an unexpected gig: entertaining American troops in Vietnam. A rousing, heartfelt tale based on screenwriter Tony Briggs’s true-life family, the mix of charming romance, fine performances,...

In 1968, in a remote Australian town where white racism rules, an Aboriginal country-western singing group struggles to make it in the music business. Their fortunes change when they meet garrulous Irish pianist/drinker Dave (Chris O’Dowd, Bridesmaids), who recognizes their talent and adds soul music to their repertoire. Soon, the precocious singer Julie (Australian music star Jessica Mauboy), boy-crazy Cynthia, tough and tart-tongued leader Gail, and cousin Kay who wishes she were white, score an unexpected gig: entertaining American troops in Vietnam. A rousing, heartfelt tale based on screenwriter Tony Briggs’s true-life family, the mix of charming romance, fine performances, and Motown classics sprinkled with Aboriginal folk songs adds up to a sparkling musical adventure set against the chaos of war and the civil rights politics of the era. (99 mins.)

First Feature.

Sponsored by French American International School and KINK.fm.

FILM REVIEW

Interests: New Directors, Narrative Feature, Music.

Sponsored by Red Giant.

86 Minutes    

Interests: Short Cuts.

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THE FACTORY

DIRECTOR: Aly Muritiba - (Brazil)

A mother and her imprisoned son carefully prepare for her crucial visit to the penitentiary in honor of a very special occasion. (15 mins.)

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THE OTHER SIDE

DIRECTOR: Khen Shalem - (Israel)

A young Israeli boy, the last to be picked for soccer teams but the one who owns the ball, finds an unusual friendship with someone on the Palestinian side of the West Bank separation wall. But can a wordless, gaze-free relationship survive with only a ball between them? (22 mins.)

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CHICKEN AND ZOE

DIRECTOR: Yael Bridge - (United States)

Eating chicken takes on new meaning for four-year-old Zoe as she observes her first slaughter. (4 mins.)

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663114

DIRECTOR: Isamu Hirabayashi - (Japan)

The Japanese tsunami and earthquake from the perspective of a 66-year-old cicada. (8 mins.)

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A CURIOUS CONJUNCTION OF COINCIDENCES

DIRECTOR: Joost Reijmers - (Netherlands)

An absurdist journey through time in which the worlds of three hapless heroes living in different centuries collide unexpectedly in present-day Amsterdam. (9 mins.)

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THE DEVIL’S BALLROOM

DIRECTOR: Henrik Martin Dahlsbakken - (Norway/Greenland)

After burying his last remaining companion, a fearless explorer has to find his way to the North Pole alone, fighting snow blindness and physical strain. An unexpected encounter forces him to decide between honor and fame or keeping the moral high ground. (15 mins.)

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WILD

DIRECTOR: Edward Bishop - (Great Britain)

The unsettling effects of rumor on a teenage girl. (13 mins.)

Sponsored by Red Giant.

89 Minutes    

Interests: Short Cuts.

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EDMOND WAS A DONKEY

DIRECTOR: Franck Dion - (Canada/France)

Edmond is diligent, hard working, and effective at his lowly job—loved by his boss but maligned by his colleagues. But when co-workers play a juvenile prank, Edmond’s life begins to change. (15 mins.)

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FISHING WITHOUT NETS

DIRECTOR: Cutter Hodierne - (United States/Kenya)

A story of pirates in Somalia told from the perspective of the Somalis. (17 mins.)

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THE MAKER

DIRECTOR: Christopher Kezelos - (Australia)

A strange creature races against time to make the most important and beautiful creation of his life. (6 mins.)

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GRANDMOTHERS

DIRECTOR: Afarin Eghbal - (Great Britain)

Take a wonderfully inventive tour inside a grandmother’s apartment in Buenos Aires. A seamless blend of animation and real-life testimonials creates an unforgettable tale of history, memory loss, and new beginnings. (9 mins.)

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CATERWAUL

DIRECTOR: Ian Samuels - (United States)

An aging fisherman develops an intimate relationship with a lobster as he struggles to find closure with his lost wife. (14 mins.)

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TUMULT

DIRECTOR: Johnny Barrington - (Great Britain)

A tribe of Norse warriors retreats after a bloody battle. With their chief near death, they come upon an army they could never have expected. The comedic be-all and end-all of culture clashes! (13 mins.)

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PREMATURE

DIRECTOR: Rashaad Ernesto Green - (United States)

After Tisha, a streetwise teenager from the Bronx, discovers she’s pregnant, she must face a difficult decision. With nowhere to turn, she confronts the grim realities of her situation alone. (15 mins.)

Sponsored by Red Giant and Lamar Transit Advertising.

97 Minutes    

Interests: Short Cuts.

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HEAD OVER HEELS

DIRECTOR: Timothy Reckart - (United States)

After many years of marriage, Walter and Madge have grown apart: he lives on the floor and she lives on the ceiling. (10 mins.)

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THE CURSE

DIRECTOR: Fyzal Boulifa - (Great Britain/Morocco)

Fatine has ventured far from the village to meet her older lover. When a small boy catches her, all she wants to do is return home. (16 mins.)

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THE CENTRIFUGE BRAIN PROJECT

DIRECTOR: Till Nowak - (Germany)

Since the 1970s, scientists have been conducting experiments with bizarre amusement park rides to study their effects on the human brain. (7 mins.)

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A BRIEF HISTORY OF JOHN BALDESSARI

DIRECTOR: Henry Joost, Ariel Schulman - (United States)

No more boring films! Everything you need to know about the godfather of conceptual art. Narrated by Tom Waits. (6 mins.)

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ABIOGENESIS

DIRECTOR: Richard Mans - (New Zealand)

A strange mechanical device lands on a desolate world and uses the planet to undergo a startling transformation. (5 mins.)

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ONE WRONG WORD

DIRECTOR: Nicole Volavka - (Great Britain/United States)

Novelist Tony faces the most difficult obstacle yet to publishing his magnum opus: his publishers. (11 mins.)

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ASAD

DIRECTOR: Bryan Buckley - (South Africa/United States)

In a war-torn fishing village in Somalia, a boy is faced with falling into the pirate life or rising above to choose the path of an honest fishing man. (18 mins.)

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THE GREAT RABBIT

DIRECTOR: Atsushi Wada - (France/Japan)

Once we called the noble, profound, and mysterious existence “The Great.” We have moved with time; our thoughts and consciousness have changed. And yet, what makes us still call it “The Great”? (7 mins.)

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THE PALACE

DIRECTOR: Anthony Maras - (Cyprus/Australia)

Cyprus, 1974. When a young Turkish-Cypriot conscript soldier comes face-to-face with a Greek-Cypriot family in hiding, he confronts the brutal reality of war and his role in it. (17 mins.)

Sponsored by Red Giant.

86 Minutes    

Interests: Short Cuts.

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PITCH BLACK HEIST

DIRECTOR: John Maclean - (Great Britain)

Michael Fassbender stars in this dark, suspenseful tale of a professional safe cracker who encounters a hitch while on the job. (13 mins.)

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THE BOY IN THE BUBBLE

DIRECTOR: Kealan O’Rourke - (Ireland)

After experiencing heartbreak, Rupert uses a book of magic to invoke a spell to shield him from emotion forever. (8 mins.)

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MR. CHRISTMAS

DIRECTOR: Nick Palmer - (United States)

Bruce Mertz is the kind of guy who lights up the lives of those around him—quite literally—when every holiday season he transforms his house into a beacon with 50,000 colorful lights and himself into Mr. Christmas. (15 mins.)

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WRITTEN IN INK

DIRECTOR: Martin Rath - (Poland)

This compelling story of a man trying to get back in touch with his sister after 14 years asks the question, “Can one change what has already been written in ink?” (11 mins.)

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DEATH OF A SHADOW

DIRECTOR: Tom Van Avermaet - (Belgium/France)

Nathan died during World War I, but a strange collector imprisoned his shadow and gave him a second life. (20 mins.)

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HATCH

DIRECTOR: Christoph Kuschnig - (Austria/United States)

A newborn’s destiny hangs in the balance as grownups come to terms with what they cannot have. (19 mins.)

Sponsored by Red Giant.

78 Minutes    

Interests: Short Cuts.

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DEAR PLUTO

DIRECTOR: Joanna Priestley -

An open letter to the celestial body formerly known as a planet, written and performed by slam poet Taylor Mali and wryly animated by Priestley. (4 mins.)

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TO BEE OR NOT TO BE

DIRECTOR: James Lowry -

An accidental meeting recording the possible (last) thoughts of a bumblebee. (3 mins.)

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DOING VERY WELL

DIRECTOR: Zach Schultz -

A stream-of-consciousness tribute to our own often ridiculous, rambling inner monologues. (4 mins.)

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WHILE YOU WERE OUT

DIRECTOR: Noah Lambie -

Flip books made of memo pads and other found folios come to life. (7 mins.)

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CPR

DIRECTOR: Kimberly Warner -

While watching lifeguards perform rescue drills at a neighborhood pool, a woman faces her own need to be saved. (7 min.)

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THE TITANIC OF SOUTHAMPTON

DIRECTOR: Justin Zimmerman -

The city of Southampton feels the lasting and haunting effects of the Titanic disaster a century later. (13 mins.)

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CONTENTS OF C___’S BOX, IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER

DIRECTOR: Ian Berry -

The filmmaker examines the artifacts of an ended love affair. (3 mins.)

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JANUARY DRIFT

DIRECTOR: Enie Vaisburd -

In the cold of January, a mind drifts. (4 mins.)

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BIRD OF FLAMES

DIRECTOR: Chel White -

With music by David Lynch and Chrysta Bell, a spider-like Vietnamese sorcerer coaxes a beautiful chanteuse to perform like a living doll. (6 mins.)

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THE BUS

DIRECTOR: H.L. Mitchell -

A young man finds a microcosm and possibilities in transit. (8 mins.)

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LOST AND FOUND

DIRECTOR: Joan Gratz -

Metamorphosed images with the appearance of sculpted wood and shifting sand summon memories of a life. (4 mins.)

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DEAR PETER, WOODCHIPS I

DIRECTOR: Orland Nutt -

Orland’s open letter to Peter concerns a steaming pile of woodchips, Mt. Fuji, and the concept of context. (4 mins.)

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LATER THAN USUAL

DIRECTOR: David Hovan -

An elderly couple marks time toward a not-so-inevitable end. (7 mins.)

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DEAR PETER, WOODCHIPS II

DIRECTOR: Orland Nutt -

A continuation of the correspondence in which Orland’s relationship to the woodchips evolves. (4 mins.)

Winner of the Best First Feature Prize at the London Film Festival, this tender story begins with Shun Li working in a textile factory near Rome. She’s slowly paying off the broker who brought her from China to Italy, while trying to save money to bring her young son over. Transferred to work as a bartender in Chioggia, a small island town in the Venetian lagoon, she meets Bepi, a handsome old Slav immigrant nicknamed “The Poet.” A soulful friendship grows between them, but soon prejudice threatens their innocent relationship. Both a tender portrait of survival in an immigrant world...

Winner of the Best First Feature Prize at the London Film Festival, this tender story begins with Shun Li working in a textile factory near Rome. She’s slowly paying off the broker who brought her from China to Italy, while trying to save money to bring her young son over. Transferred to work as a bartender in Chioggia, a small island town in the Venetian lagoon, she meets Bepi, a handsome old Slav immigrant nicknamed “The Poet.” A soulful friendship grows between them, but soon prejudice threatens their innocent relationship. Both a tender portrait of survival in an immigrant world and an exploration of Venetian life far from the Grand Canal, Segre’s delicate, bittersweet film showcases a memorable performance by Tao Zhao, who earned the David di Donatello (Italian Academy) Best Actress Award. (100 mins.)

First Feature.

Sponsored by the Italian Cultural Institute, San Francisco and the Italian Film Commission, Los Angeles.

FILM REVIEW

Interests: New Directors, Narrative Feature.

Lovey-dovey Tina and Chris set out on an erotic holiday in their camper through the North of England, aiming to take in Yorkshire, the Lakes, and hit such must-sees as the Ribblehead Viaduct and the Keswick Pencil Museum. But things get off to a bloody start when Chris casually rolls over a litterbug at the Crich Tramway Village, revealing a certain antisocial behavior. As more people meet his disapproval, Tina, initially confused, quickly opts to stand by her man, joining him on a rolling murder spree that whacks anyone who happens to intrude on their bliss. As this Midlands Bonnie...

Lovey-dovey Tina and Chris set out on an erotic holiday in their camper through the North of England, aiming to take in Yorkshire, the Lakes, and hit such must-sees as the Ribblehead Viaduct and the Keswick Pencil Museum. But things get off to a bloody start when Chris casually rolls over a litterbug at the Crich Tramway Village, revealing a certain antisocial behavior. As more people meet his disapproval, Tina, initially confused, quickly opts to stand by her man, joining him on a rolling murder spree that whacks anyone who happens to intrude on their bliss. As this Midlands Bonnie and Clyde motor through the countryside, the laughs and mayhem unfold in equal, deranged measure. “Darkly funny, quasi-sweet, and incredibly bloody.”—Ain’t It Cool News “Hugely entertaining ... Hilarious.”—Indiewire (88 mins.)

Selected Filmography: Down Terrace (09), Kill List (11)

Sponsored by Music Millennium.

FILM REVIEW

Interests: Narrative Feature, Comedy.

With perfectly judged performances from Andy Lau and Deanie Ip (winner of the Best Actress Award at the Venice Film Festival), Ann Hui’s moving film looks at the decades-long relationship between a man and his devoted family servant. Ip plays Ah Tao, who has worked for the Leung family for 60 years. For the past decade, the only member of the family left in Hong Kong is Roger (Lau), who works in the film industry. Having cared for Roger from childhood, Ah Tao suffers a stroke and asks to be admitted to a nursing home. There, she becomes part of...

With perfectly judged performances from Andy Lau and Deanie Ip (winner of the Best Actress Award at the Venice Film Festival), Ann Hui’s moving film looks at the decades-long relationship between a man and his devoted family servant. Ip plays Ah Tao, who has worked for the Leung family for 60 years. For the past decade, the only member of the family left in Hong Kong is Roger (Lau), who works in the film industry. Having cared for Roger from childhood, Ah Tao suffers a stroke and asks to be admitted to a nursing home. There, she becomes part of a new family made up of colorful characters. All the while, as roles are reversed, Roger tenderly cares for her as she enters the final phase of her life. Based on a true story, A Simple Life delicately traces a decades-long bond with pathos and humor. (118 mins.)

Selected Filmography: Boat People (82), Song of the Exile (90), Ordinary Heroes (99), All About Love (10)

This year’s Hong Kong submission for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar.

Sponsored by Perkins Coie.

FILM REVIEW

Interests: Oscar Submissions, Narrative Feature, Asian.

Toiling silently amongst the residents of an everyday Barcelona apartment building, doorman César harbors a dark secret: his sole desire in life is to make others unhappy. When he sets his sights on Clara, one of his building’s cheeriest residents, his need blossoms into a full-fledged obsession. Embarking on a series of harassments, César becomes determined to ruin her life by any means necessary. Soon his thirst for others’ sadness becomes manically unquenchable. Balagueró delves into the perverse fantasies of a man on the brink and delivers an unnerving tale of obsession and torment that delivers nonstop thrills right up...

Toiling silently amongst the residents of an everyday Barcelona apartment building, doorman César harbors a dark secret: his sole desire in life is to make others unhappy. When he sets his sights on Clara, one of his building’s cheeriest residents, his need blossoms into a full-fledged obsession. Embarking on a series of harassments, César becomes determined to ruin her life by any means necessary. Soon his thirst for others’ sadness becomes manically unquenchable. Balagueró delves into the perverse fantasies of a man on the brink and delivers an unnerving tale of obsession and torment that delivers nonstop thrills right up to its shocking conclusion. (102 mins.)

Selected Filmography: The Nameless (99), Fragile (05), [Rec] (07), [Rec 2] (09)

Winner of the Gaudi Awards for Best Director and Best Screenplay.

Co-sponsored and organized by PRAGDA with support from the Embassy of Spain, Washington; American Airlines; and the Secretary of State for Culture-Ministry of Education, Culture, and Sport.

FILM REVIEW

Interests: Narrative Feature, Spanish Language.

Assayas’s evocative portrait of the upheaval in France in the early 1970s is seen through the eyes of a group of youth living in suburban Paris amidst a whirlwind of new politics, art, and sex. Gilles is a high school student torn between left-wing activism and his aspiration to become a painter or filmmaker. He and his friends take to the streets in running battles with the police, continuing the struggle that in May 1968 took France to the brink of revolution. When someone is badly injured, Gilles and his friends must flee to Italy, where they live a bohemian...

Assayas’s evocative portrait of the upheaval in France in the early 1970s is seen through the eyes of a group of youth living in suburban Paris amidst a whirlwind of new politics, art, and sex. Gilles is a high school student torn between left-wing activism and his aspiration to become a painter or filmmaker. He and his friends take to the streets in running battles with the police, continuing the struggle that in May 1968 took France to the brink of revolution. When someone is badly injured, Gilles and his friends must flee to Italy, where they live a bohemian life drifting between parties, rallies, and agitprop film screenings. But while politics are central, the group discovers that at their age, everything is mutable, every day holds new possibilities, and life awaits the curious … (122 mins.)

Selected Filmography: Irma Vep (96), Les Destinées (00), Boarding Gate (07), Summer Hours (08)

Winner of the Best Screenplay Prize at the Venice Film Festival.

Sponsored by TV5Monde and King Estate Winery.

FILM REVIEW

Interests: Narrative Feature, French Language, Art, History.

Based on the children’s book by Taiwanese illustrator Jimmy Liao, the gentle Starry Starry Night follows the intersecting lives of inward 13-year-old Mei, who’s coping with the death of her grandfather and her parents’ crumbling marriage, and shy Jay, who endures a rootless existence caused by his abusive father. When Mei falls in love with Jay, a recent transfer student at her school, she finds solace from her troubles and begins a journey to find the missing parts of her troubled life. Venturing into the starry night, Mei and Jay set off on a romantic, perilous trip into the mountainous...

Based on the children’s book by Taiwanese illustrator Jimmy Liao, the gentle Starry Starry Night follows the intersecting lives of inward 13-year-old Mei, who’s coping with the death of her grandfather and her parents’ crumbling marriage, and shy Jay, who endures a rootless existence caused by his abusive father. When Mei falls in love with Jay, a recent transfer student at her school, she finds solace from her troubles and begins a journey to find the missing parts of her troubled life. Venturing into the starry night, Mei and Jay set off on a romantic, perilous trip into the mountainous wilderness to find her grandparents’ cottage, a place of comforting memories, and destinations further. “A charming bit of whimsy that speaks to anyone who experienced a sense of emotional injustice during their formative years.”—Slant (99 mins.)

Selected Filmography: Winds of September (08)

Sponsored by Steven Smith Teamaker.

FILM REVIEW

Interests: Narrative Feature, Asian, Literature.