June 3-7, 2015
it is free
DS-FF.COM
NOW OFFERING ASSOCIATE AND BACHELOR’S* DEGREES IN DIGITAL VIDEO & MEDIA PRODUCTION 300 N. 1st Ave, Mpls, MN 1.866.477.4840 | IPR.edu *NOTICE: Federal regulations require the U.S. Department of Education to approve this program for federal financial aid eligibility. The school has submitted this program for review and is awaiting the U.S. Department of Education decision. As of the publication of this print piece, this program is not eligible for federal financial aid. Information regarding program cost, graduate outcomes, and the occupations each program prepares students to enter can be accessed via links on the individual program Web pages within The Institute of Production and Recording website. The program Web pages can be accessed by using the following link: http://www.ipr.edu/programs.aspx
ZINEMA 2sDAYS
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Message from the Festival Director Welcome to your 2015 Duluth Superior Film Festival. Six years in the Twin Ports! We hope you find plenty to enjoy in this year’s rendition. I have a point to make this year. It is all about the local. The number of high quality Minnesota made or influenced films has seen a significant increase in recent years. With the help of tax incentives and rebates, producing films in MN, and more specifically in the Arrowhead, has become more attractive than ever. This has always been an important part of DSFF's mission to help profile the productions that bear the stamp of Minnesota. For this reason, a DSFF record 11 feature films and all 7 of the shorts have a Minnesota mark on them. As you will see, the quality of the production for each of them is the highest it’s ever been. Some of these films have screened at the most prestigious festivals in the country. Our friends at MN Film and TV Board, The Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board, Independent Filmmaker Project, and The Upper MN Film Office are providing outstanding leadership, guidance, resources and even financing to make this all happen. It is a great time in MN Film history and the future looks even brighter. Except… A dark cloud has risen from some very short sighted legislators who have threatened to fully dismantle and defund Minnesota’s competitive rebate program. What we feel these legislators do not understand is the amount of commerce these productions bring to the state. These incentives, like all business incentives, help to bring millions of film, TV, and Media production dollars into the state. The film and TV industry is just that…an INDUSTRY. These productions are Win-Win. Zero people should disagree with this statement…ZERO. Enough about that. Lets thank those who need thanking. As always, thanks to our longtime sponsors The Sheraton, Holiday Inn, Midwest Communication and Visit Duluth. We love the new support as well from IPR, IRRB, and IFP (that’s a lot of I’s and R’s and B’s and P’s..and one F). Whole Foods Co Op makes delicious happen. Zeitgeist..? We wouldn't be here without you. Staff and volunteers..you know it. I expect to see you at the parties. DSFF buys your beverages. That should do it from me...have a great festival. Founder and Director Richard Hansen
Film Production Incentive
Northeastern Minnesota:
It’s all about our locations, locations and locations... and our good nature! Assisting production companies of feature films, national television programs, Internet programs, documentaries, music videos and commercials that are filmed within the IRRRB service area, directly create jobs and result in economic impact.
For more information, contact: Mary Somnis | 218-735-3040 | Mary.Somnis@state.mn.us IRRRB | P.O. Box 441, 4261 Hwy. 53 South | Eveleth, MN 55734 http://mn.gov/irrrb/community/grant-programs/film-production.jsp
FILM SCREENING SCHEDULE All Films are FREE of Charge Orange=Visiting Guest in attendance
Wednesday 6/3 7:00 PM
9:00 PM 8 PM- What We Do In The Shadows
Clyde Iron
Thursday 6/4 Zinema
7:00 PM 9:00 PM 6:30 Adam Swanson’s Spirit 8:00 Wicker Kittens 9:30 Tired Moonlight Mountain Mural 7:00 PM
The Red Star Lounge
9:00 PM
8:00 Closer Than That
10:00 PM
9:15 Superior Elegy 10:00 Live Music
Friday 6/5 7:00 PM Zinema
9:00 PM
7:00 Heart Of Wilderness 7:00 PM
Teatro Zuccone
9:00 The Center 9:00 PM
6:00 PM Good Things Await
8:05 Metalhead
Saturday 6/6 1:00 PM Zinema 1:00 The Unearthing
3:00 PM
5:00 PM
7:00 PM
9:00 PM
2:30 Regional Shorts 5:00 The Public Domain 7:00 IFP Cinema Lounge
9:15The Surface
Sunday 6/7 1:00 PM 3:00 PM 5:00 PM Zinema 1:00 Beyond The Divide 3:00 The Dinkytown Uprising 5:15 Tales Of Hoffmann 7:00 PM Eveleth Auditorium in Eveleth MN
9:00 PM 8:00 North Country
'HOW IS THE FESTIVAL ABLE TO BE FREE OF CHARGE?' We get asked this question a lot. Last year The Duluth Superior Film Festival made a rather bold and somewhat scary decision to not charge any admission to our festival film presentations. We had numerous reasons for why we thought this was the correct choice. Much of it was about expanding our audience and providing access to anyone who wanted to engage with the festival. We felt it took away the risk of attending something new and was a reward to those who supported us when we charged admission. How can we survive doing this? Donations. Donations from people who come and enjoy the festival events. Donations from local business who offer goods, services, and sometimes money. Donations of people's time and energy from our volunteers, donations of engagement and donations of word of mouth. Doantions are how we are able to provide a high quality film festival that does not charge admission.
PLEASE, IF YOU ENJOY THE FESTIVAL AND YOU WANT TO SEE IT CONTINUE...DONATE.
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Red Star Lounge (In Fitgers)
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All films at The 2015 Duluth Superior Film Festival are
FREE of Charge
If you would like to obtain priority seating, we recommend purchasing an ALL-
ACCESS BADGE:
$30.00 - Festival All-Access Badge
entitles it's holder the opportunity to be seated prior to the general public. Please note that each film or event has a limited capacity and we strongly recommend purchasing an All-Access Badge in advance to assure priority seating.
FESTIVAL HQ AND HOSPITALITY CENTER:
Festival information and general lounging can be found here, in The Zeitgeist Arts Atrium. You may also pick up All Access Badges and mingle.
Zeitgeist Arts Atrium 222 E. Superior St. Duluth, MN 55802 PARKING INFO:
For maps and detailed parking information, we encourage you to visit Greater Downtown Duluth’s website at www.downtownduluth.com/maps. Hospitality Center is generously sponsored by:
HIGHLIGHTED EVENTS
OPENING NIGHT FILM AND RECEPTION: WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS "ONE OF THE FLAT OUT FUNNIEST FILMS IN AGES" LOS ANGELES TIMES "HILARIOUS"-VANITY FAIR "HILARIOUS"-HOLLYWOOD REPORTER "HILARIOUS"-INDIEWIRE
DATE: WEDNESDAY JUNE 3, 2015 TIME: 7:00PM/doors, 8:00PM/show, 9:30 PM reception VENUE: Clyde Iron Works Event Center and Mezzanine FREE admission, FREE beer for Lake Superior Brewing, Free food from Clyde Iron! Housemates Viago, Deacon, and Vladislav are three vampires who are trying to get by in modern society; from paying rent and doing housework to trying to get invited into nightclubs, they’re just like anyone else - except they’re immortal and must feast on human blood. When their 8000 year-old roommate Petyr, turns 20-something human hipster Nick, into a vampire, the guys must guide him through his newfound eternal life. In return, they are forced to learn a thing or two about modern society, fashion, technology, and the internet. But it’s the introduction of Nick’s human friend, Stu, that really changes the vampires’ lives and attitudes towards the world around them. When Stu’s life is threatened, the vampires discover that humans are worth fighting for, and that even though a heart may be cold and dead, it can still have feelings.
Join us as we celebrate the OPENING NIGHT OF THE 2015 DULUTH SUPERIOR FILM FESTIVAL! SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS.
HIGHLIGHTED EVENTS
IPR Presents PRODUCTION IN MN RECEPTION AND AWARD CEREMONY
Saturday June 6 Zeitgeist Atrium 8:00-11:00 PM FREE
DSFF is going to invite every organization, production company, filmmaker, producer, actor, film exhibitor, institute of higher education, politician, lobbyist, or interested party who cares about the current climate of film production in MN to come to the lobby of Zeitgeist and talk about it. It is the goal of DSFF to have all of these interested parties come together and discuss what must be done to continue to advance the art of filmmaking in MN and The Arrowhead Region. With drinks. And food provided by Whole Foods COOP. Like everything else at DSFF…It is FREE.
CLOSING NIGHT FILM AND SPECIAL EVENT NORTH COUNTRY
10-YEAR ANNIVERSARY SCREENING SUNDAY JUNE 7, 2015 MUSIC AT 7 PM, FILM AT 8 PM EVELETH AUDITIORIUM-BRING YOUR OWN LAWNCHAIR! EVELETH, MN FREE FILM ACTOR CHRIS MULKEY IN ATTENDANCE BBQ SERVED BY SMOKEY’S BBQ AND CAFÉ MUSICAL ENTERTAINMENT PROVIDED BY WHEELER DEALERS
In an effort to celebrate the history of films produced in the Arrowhead region, DSFF likes to look back on big, important films that were made right here. By examining our past, we also inform our future. We helped make these films then, we can help make them again. It was fun, it was good for the local economy, and celebrities were hanging out drinking at our dive bars. What is not to like? With the help of tax incentives and rebates, producing films in MN, and more specifically in the Arrowhead, has become more attractive than ever. This has always been an important part of DSFF's mission and we are happy to celebrate it with our 10-year Anniversary Screening of NORTH COUNTRY. Because of the uniqueness of this location, we ask that you bring your own lawn chair. This way, you can be more comfortable than sitting on a folding chair. FILM SYNOPSIS: A fictionalized account of the first major successful sexual harassment case in the United States -- Jenson vs. Eveleth Mines, where a woman who endured a range of abuse while working as a miner filed and won the landmark 1984 lawsuit When Josey Aimes (Academy Award winner CHARLIZE THERON) returns to her hometown in Northern Minnesota after a failed marriage, she needs a good job. A single mother with two children to support, she turns to the predominant source of employment in the region - the iron mines. The mines provide a livelihood that has sustained a community for generations. 126 Minutes Dir. Niki Caro
HIGHLIGHTED EVENTS IFP CINEMA LOUNGE TOUR
SATURDAY JUNE 6 7 PM ZINEMA MULTIPLE FILMMAKERS IN ATTENDANCE FREE Presented by IFP Minnesota in partnership with the Duluth Superior Film Festival with funds from the Minnesota State Arts Board Programmed by Austin Anderson Hosted by Joshua Carlon Featuring shorts films by Michelle Brost, Kyle Ensrud, Lance Karasti, Raymond Rea, Nicholas Sunsdahl and Caleb Wood For over 25 years IFP Minnesota has presented Cinema Lounge, a monthly screening series of Minnesota-made short films that features filmmakers in conversation about their work and careers. For the first time in its history, IFP MN is taking Cinema Lounge on tour, starting with Duluth! The next stop will be Moorhead in October, followed by St. Cloud in November, and culminating in a final show at Cinema Lounge's long-time home, the Bryant Lake Bowl in Minneapolis. Each Cinema Lounge Tour stop will feature works by filmmakers from across the state--showcasing the best work being created in Minnesota, and connecting filmmakers--and filmmaking communities. Come for the screenings and conversations and then join us for a reception in the Zeitgeist Lobby. Appetizers provided by Whole Foods Coop!
ENJOY THE SHOW!
INGS GOOD TH AWAIT... DENFELD 2016
610 East 4th Street Duluth, MN 55805 218.728.0884
4426 Grand Avenue Duluth, MN 55807 OPENING IN 2016!
HIGHLIGHTED EVENTS MINNESOTA FILM MAGNIFIED
FILMMAKER PANEL DISCUSSION SATURDAY JUNE 6TH 3:00 PM SHERATON HOTEL SPLIT ROCK MEETING ROOM FREE
Minnesota Film Magnified filmmaker panel features a discussion centered on utilizing the resources available in the state of Minnesota to further develop your role in film. Whether your passion lie in becoming a producer, actor, teacher, financier, or film festival programmer, this discussion will help direct you to find your voice in film at any level by detailing a vast array of resources. Attendees learn how each panelist came to be involved in their current roles in the film industry, what resources they’ve used to develop their careers, and what they would encourage others to use today. These resources include: schools; non-profit organizations; grants, scholarships & tax incentives; classes & workshops; and networking opportunities & career building techniques among others. This panel discussion will also look to engage, inspire and educate the community about what is currently happening with film and video production in Minnesota and in the Arrowhead area. Panelists include: Andrew Peterson - Executive Director of IFP Minnesota • Festival Programming Director of Provincetown International Film Festival Riki McManus - Director of the Upper Minnesota Film Office • Minnesota Film & TV Board Trey Wodele - Program Chair for the Digital Video and Media Production Program at IPR College of Creative Arts • Co-Founder and Director of the EDU Film Festival Michael Forstein - VP of Production and Development at Indevu Films • Worked for festivals Tribeca, Rooftop Films
SPECIAL EVENT ELLIPSIS PRESENTS: DSFF AT RED STAR LOUNGE
Thursday June 4 8PM-Midnight
Launched in 2014, ELLIPSIS has become the go-to online gude to what is happening in Duluth. DSFF is pleased to partner with ELLIPSIS for this very special night of a slice of Duluth music history captured on film. Film Presentations: Closer Than That 66 minutes A documentary on the band low circa 2000. Enjoy live commentary by the director Marc Gartman and star Alan Sparhawk. Superior Elegy 22 minutes Featuring Alan Sparhawk, Marc Gartman and other members of the Duluth music movement. Music presentation: If Thousands
2015 DSFF JURY MEMBERS In 2013 DSFF presented its inaugural award for Best Film or as we like to call it- The Maximus Lepus. These jurors have agreed to view each of the films In Competition and award the 2015 prize. Thank you, Jurors!
Don Ness
Don Ness was elected mayor of Duluth in 2007 from a field of 12 candidates. Four years later, Ness became the first mayor to run unopposed since Duluth was incorporated in 1887. Don was born in Duluth and lives in the Hillside neighborhood with his wife Laura and their three children. He is also unafraid to drink beer in public and enjoy the company of his artist friends.
Dan Schneidkraut
Dan Schneidkraut is writer/director from Colorado currently residing and working in Minneapolis, Minnesota. A recipient of The McKnight Fellowship For Filmmaking and Creative Capital Award For Moving Image. Schneidkraut has been recognized primarily for his controversial experimental narrative work (Seeking Wellness, Invincible Force) but recently delved into the documentary form with a highly personal exploration of fatherhood and the death of record stores entitled Old Man which was awarded DSFF’s 2014 ‘Maxiumus Lepus’ as Best Film in Competition. Dan is currently shooting his second feature length documentary entitled VORE KING.
Trey Woedle
Trey Wodele is Program Chair for the Digital Video and Media Production Program at IPR College of Creative Arts. Trey is one of the Twin Cities’ leading educators and advocates for youth in digital arts and is the Co-Founder and Director of the EDU Film Festival, Minnesota's premier festival for high school students. Trey holds a B.A. in Screenwriting from Metropolitan State University and has been a screenwriting, video production, and video editing instructor for over ten years.
DULUTH SUPERIOR FILM FEST STAFF FESTIVAL DIRECTOR AND FOUNDER Richard Hansen FILMMAKER LIAISON Riki McManus FILM PROGRAMMER Tyler Johnson VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR Letisha Rice EDUCATION COORDINATOR Matt Cici
ELLIPSIS PRESENTS COORDINATOR Brittany Sanford VENUE MANAGEMENT Lance Karasti Mark Lundgren FISCAL AGENT Zeppa Family Foundation FESTIVAL PROGRAM CONSULTANT Joellyn Gum FESTIVAL TRAILER Institute of Production and Recording Sam Kovar A very special thanks to our volunteers and to anyone we might have missed!
acknowledgements Joellyn Gum Al Milgrom Alex Giuliani ARAC Nick Hansen Grant Carlson Craig Samborski Andrew Peterson Reilly Tillman Clyde Iron Restaurant Oliver Gum Dorothy Gum Earl Gum Lucy Hansen Deanna Hansen Christopher Hansen
Buck Hansen Hansen Lake Doug Bremer Irene Synnott Ryan Kern The Jewels of The Nile Steve Grazier Terry Mattson Anna Tanski Gene Shaw Scott Keenan Ed Newman Brad Nelson Barbara Berry Jim Brunzell Christa Lawler
Emily McNeill Garth Heckman Tony Cuneo Andy Bennett Zeppa Family Foundation Dale Kleinschmidt Kelli Latuska Bob DeArmond Shannon Szymkowiak Sara J. Zeleznikar Mary Somnis Jackie Monohan-Junek Mike Hanson Wide Range Films Troy Parkinson
MN Film & TV Board Garth Heckman Sam Kovar IPR Production Team Susan Nash Allison Heitmiller Shawn McGlaughlin Robyn Pokorny Matt Dressel Duluth Film Collective Cheryl Reitan Susan Nash Mackenzie Astin Zach Shedd
MAXIMUS LEPUS The following 6 films are In Competition for The 2015 Duluth Superior Film Festival Maximus Lepus Award. Good luck to each of these outstanding films and thank you to our talented jury.
TIRED MOONLIGHT
THURSDAY JUNE 4 ZINEMA 2 9:30 PM FREE
"Ms. West has an easygoing, perceptive sense of character and place, and an almost complete allergy to clichĂŠ." -A.O. Scott - New York Times Combustible dreams fail to ignite as lonely, middle-aged, Dawn is confronted by lost love in a glorified-pit-stop town. Every town has a post office, lovers, guns, switchblades and beer. You just have to know where to look and when to look the other way. Pitting grand landscapes against dinners of fried chicken and the roar of V8 engines on Saturday nights, TIRED MOONLIGHT wanders through Solitaire games (always won), secrets lost in cavernous hearts, and the fifty miles of bad road that always gets you home. 76 Minutes Dir. Britni West
ADAM SWANSON'S SPIRIT MOUNTAIN MURAL
WORLD PREMIERE! Thursday June 4 Zinema 2 6:30 PM FREE Director Nicholas Sunsdahl and Subject Adam Swanson IN ATTENDANCE!
Adam Swanson's Spirit Mountain Mural follows the accomplished painter during the construction, gestural drawing, expressive painting and installation of an 11-panel, 1500 sq ft mural for a public recreational area in Duluth, Minnesota, USA. Director Nicholas Sunsdahl creates a contemplative documentary in the style of Frederick Wiseman. The movie is a chronologically linear cinematic study of movement and sound, composed of straight cuts without narration. No artifice, a true cinema. Adam Swanson's paintings: adamswanson.com 60 minutes Dir. Nicholas Sunsdahl
MAXIMUS LEPUS The following 6 films are In Competition for The 2015 Duluth Superior Film Festival Maximus Lepus Award. Good luck to each of these outstanding films and thank you to our talented jury.
HEART OF WILDERNESS
Friday June 5 Zinema 2 7:00 PM FREE Director Towle Neu and Producer Michael Fornstein IN ATTENDANCE!
Trying to provide for his wife and daughter, Travis Wallien becomes entangled in a drug deal that goes south. To save himself and his family he must convince his wife to flee with him to the wilderness, where their already strained relationship is put to the test. Against the backdrop of the icy waters of Northern Minnesota, the secrets they keep are revealed and the fight for their future begins as they are forced to decide how far they will go for the ones they love. 84 Minutes Dir. Towle Neu, Prod. Michael Forstein
THE CENTER
Friday June 5 Zinema 2 9:00 PM FREE Director Charlie Griak and Lead Actor Matt Cici IN ATTENDANCE! Produced by Jonathan Demme and shot locally in St Paul, Charlie Griak’s atmospheric debut focuses on a vulnerable young man who falls into the trap of a cult-like group. Ryan is a recent college grad searching not only for a job but also for a meaning in life. When he comes across a self-help organization, simply known as The Center, with a charismatic leader, Ryan seems to have found what he has been looking for. The Center is a tense and surreal portrait of the dangerous nature of groupthink. 72 Minutes Dir. Charlie Griak
MAXIMUS LEPUS The following 6 films are In Competition for The 2015 Duluth Superior Film Festival Maximus Lepus Award. Good luck to each of these outstanding films and thank you to our talented jury.
THE PUBLIC DOMAIN
Saturday June 6 Zinema 2 5:00 PM FREE Director Patrick Coyle and Producer Jane Minton IN ATTENDANCE!
August, 1, 2007, 6:05pm, the hottest day of the year in Minneapolis. A bridge spanning the Mississippi River collapses during rush hour. Thirteen people die, 145 are injured, a U.S. Senator arrives on the scene and declares that “a bridge shouldn’t just fall down in the middle of America.” Five years later, the lives of four people, impacted by the tragedy and on the run from their personal demons, intersect in a waterfront bar operating in the shadow of the bridge. The name of the bar is THE PUBLIC DOMAIN. Lovely, conflicted Linda Basili is a woman haunted by memories of surviving the bridge collapse and tormented by a forbidden love. The ambitious and calculatingly cold casting director, Lana Boulet, will stop at nothing to avenge a failed acting career and get what she wants. The jaded but powerful David Dixon, a cross-dressing cad of a marketing genius, is torn between his old, amoral ways and a search for something better. The restless, antiheroic Johnny Dolan is on the wagon and on a mission to atone for one bad, life-altering decision made years ago. It’s the feast of St. Casimir, the Patron Saint of Poland, and the biggest party of the year in this Nordeast Minneapolis neighborhood dive where desire, guilt, ambition and fear are served up with pierogies, Polish vodka, great music and, maybe, a shot of redemption. 92 Minutes Dir. Patrick Coyle
THE UNEARTHING
Saturday June 6 Zinema 2 1:00 PM FREE Director TJ Jensen IN ATTENDANCE!
A teenage girl moves with her father into the town of Stillwater, Minnesota. She meets two misfit kids, and together they work to unearth a secret the town hides. Director TJ Jensen marks his feature debut at the age of 17. 60 minutes Dir. TJ Jensen The Duluth Superior Film Festival is made possible in part by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Arrowhead Regional Arts Council, thanks to appropriations from the Minnesota State Legislature’s general and arts and cultural heritage funds.
FILM EXPLORERS AT DSFF In an attempt to acknowledge the incredibly brave programming at Zinema 2 for the FILM EXPLORERS series, The Duluth Superior Film Festival presents the following films which match the spirit of FILM EXPLORERS.
METALHEAD Friday June 5 8:05 PM Teatro Zuccone FREE
Fueled by a remarkable breakout performance by actress Thora Bjorg Helga, director Ragnar Bragason’s intense drama of loss, faith, redemption, Megadeth and Judas Priest begins with a farming accident in the 1980’s that sends a young girl, Hera, and her parents into a tail-spin of grief over the death of her heavy metal music-obsessed older brother. A decade later and Hera is transformed into a sexy, surly headbanger and DIY musician, dressed in black leather and a Slayer t-shirt, clutching her dead brother’s electric guitar as she howls anthems of rage to a barn full of cows. Seemingly trapped in a haunted landscape of slaughterhouses and barren winter fields, making all the wrong choices in her life – including coming on to the local priest and sleeping with her platonic best friend – Hera slowly, painfully comes to terms with her family’s loss and the sound of her own true voice. Partly inspired by the Norwegian black metal church burnings in the early 1990’s, METALHEAD features a soundtrack of 1980’s and 1990’s headbanging classics by Riot, Teaze, Savatage, Lizzy Borden and Megadeth. Winner of 8 awards at the 2014 Icelandic Film Awards including Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor & Actress, and Original Score 100 minutes Dir. RAGNAR BRAGASON
TALES OF HOFFMANN
Sunday June 7 5:15 PM Zinema FREE
New 4K Restoration
"Truly unlike anything I'd ever seen before." –Martin Scorsese "The movie that made me want to make movies. It took me into another world." –George Romero. In some ways an artistic “sequel” to THE RED SHOES, THE TALES OF HOFFMANN is Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger’s 1951 version of French composer Jacques Offenbach’s 1881 opera, in turn based on three stories by the late 18th– early 19th century German author E.T.A. Hoffmann. Where the earlier film was a narrative that was set in motion by and moved to music and dance, THE TALES OF HOFFMANN is a pure opera, a film composed entirely of music, dance, color, light and rhythm. And pure fancy. The restoration of this singularly thrilling film, years in the making, was closely supervised by Powell’s widow, Thelma Schoonmaker. (Note courtesy of the New York Film Festival) Restored by The Film Foundation and the BFI National Archive in association with Studiocanal. DIR/SCR/PROD Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger, from the opera by Jacques Offenbach, based on stories by E.T.A. Hoffmann. UK, 1951, color, 133 min, DCP. NOT RATED
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SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS WICKER KITTENS
Thursday June 4 Zinema 2 8:00 PM FREE Producer Mike Scholtz IN ATTENDANCE!
Open the box. Dump out all the pieces. And scramble for your lives. Because this is competitive jigsaw puzzling. And it turns even the mildest of mannered Midwesterners into stone-cold competitors. Every January, the top teams in the game gather at the St. Paul Winter Carnival in frigid Minnesota to determine the fastest puzzlers in the country. "Wicker Kittens" invites you to choose your favorite contestants—the returning champs, the upstart challengers, the sunny family or the dark horse team with nothing to lose—and watch them try to put the pieces back together. 52 Minutes Director: Amy C. Elliott, Producer: Mike Scholtz
GOOD THINGS AWAIT
Friday June 5 6:00 PM Teatro Zuccone FREE
Farmer Niels Stokholm lives in his farm with his wife Rita who works as his helping hand. The couple has been doing biodynamic farming for over 30 years. They have founded and managed the farm according to the idea that man and earth are fundamentally connected to the universe. Niels makes all the practical decisions in harmony with nature and in respect of the animals. These methods and beliefs in biodynamic farming yield some of the finest and most sought-after vegetables in the world. In spite of this, Niels has to battle against EU regulations and frequent animal welfare controls, in addition to fines and lawsuits, that threaten to close down the farm. 95 Minutes Director: Phie Ambo
This film has been generously sponsored by:
SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS
THE DINKYTOWN UPRISING
Sunday June 7 3:00 PM Zinema FREE Director Al Milgrom IN ATTENDANCE!
The year is 1970 and the disastrous Vietnam War keeps escalating. Protests are erupting all over U.S. campuses. But in Minneapolis, word that the national Red Barn Restaurant chain wants to erect a new fast-food franchise in old,venerable Dinkytown, the “war at home” takes a different turn. This documentary chronicles the unprecedented 40-day, 40-night continuous Dinkytown “Occupation” to prevent construction of an unwanted hamburger joint. From film programmer-turned-filmmaker Al Milgrom, the story is recounted by seven participants whose varied reminiscences about defending the neighborhood becomes a microcosm of the memorable ‘70’s Generation. 96 Minutes Dir. Al Milgrom
THE SURFACE
Saturday June 6 Zinema 2 9:15 PM FREE Producer Jeff Gendelman and Actor Chris Mulkey IN ATTENDANCE! A chance meeting in the middle of Lake Michigan forces two desperate strangers, each on the brink of disaster, to confront their worst fears in The Surface, an inspiring and transformative drama directed by Gil Cates, Jr. Mitch (Sean Astin) begins this day with a visit to his mother, confined to a nursing home with dementia, before motoring out to sea in his late father’s 70’s era boat for a journey to the center of Lake Michigan. As he settles in for what he envisions as a solitary final ride, Mitch’s vessel collides with the wreckage of a small plane, knocking off his propeller and stranding him in the midst of the vast body of water. As the tiny boat drifts, Mitch discovers Kelly (Chris Mulkey), the plane’s pilot, still clinging to the debris, and pulls the severely injured man out of the water. Instead of being grateful, Kelly is angry and suspicious, treating his rescuer like an adversary and aggressively protecting a mysterious backpack. Out of cell phone range and taking on water, the two men begin to reveal their real reasons for being on the lake that day. As they confront the secrets and sorrows that brought them there, they find inspiration in one another’s struggle to survive. 90 Minutes Dir. Gil Cates Jr., Prod. Jeff Gendelman
SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS BEYOND THE DIVIDE
Sunday June 7 1:00 PM Zinema FREE
Set in the mountainous beauty of Missoula, Montana, BEYOND THE DIVIDE is a feature-length documentary film about war, peace, and the courage to find common ground. Fifty years have passed since the beginning of the Vietnam War. The politics and casualties are history yet deep scars remain between those who served and those who fought a different war at home. In Missoula, Montana, a mysterious graffiti peace symbol inflamed the enduring animosity, dividing a community for decades. Through the courageous acts of Vietnam veteran Dan Gallagher and peace advocate Betsy Mulligan-Dague, BEYOND THE DIVIDE illuminates a path to healing old wounds while reimagining peace. Their story inspires audiences to focus on what unites us instead of what divides us. 84 Minutes Dir. Jan Selby
CLOSER THAN THAT W/ SUPERIOR ELEGY
THURSDAY JUNE 4 8:00 PM RED STAR LOUNGE FREE Filmmaker Marc Gartman and subject Alan Sparhawk IN ATTENDANCE
'Closer Than That' is an early, intimate look at Duluth, MN band Low circa 2000 as they travel the world in support of their most recent record Secret Name. Directed by right out of film school fanboy Marc Gartman this full length documentary is bookended by conversations of spirituality, music and family between Alan Sparhawk and Marc as they drive through the night from one unknown destination to the next. This film gives an honest snapshot of where the band was at the time and the struggles to figure out where to take it to next. 66 minutes Dir. Marc Gartman
SUPERIOR ELEGY
Featuring Alan Sparhawk, Marc Gartman and other members of the Duluth music movement. A mysterious film. Nearly lost. A 22 minute portrait of a 25 hour song. One hour for each year in the life of a friend. Film. 16mm. Super-8. Available light. In 2001 a group of Duluth musicians gathered in the Norshor Theater and set up a pirate radio signal to drone an elegy to their lost friend. Then 9/11 happened. The message of this drone inexorably changed from personal to political. Did this moment inform and help define the Duluth music movement? Without question. Drone Not Drones. Please come witness a piece of previously unseen Duluth music history. 22 Minutes Dir. Travis Wilkerson
What will you see? fly
wa yl
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MW 2 4-70
mm
1: 2. 8
L
OCT 21-25, 2015
77m m
PEPIN STOCKHOLM MAIDEN ROCK RED WING Alma
8
flywayfilm festival.org
November 11 - 15, 2015
soundunseen.com
REGIONAL SHORTS COLLECTION
DSFF presents a collection of short films whose themes are significantly influenced by the people and places of The Twin Ports.
Saturday June 6 Zinema 2:30 PM FREE
THE BLAUHOUSE
Frank Sander is building this 16 X 32 foot building with his own hands using recycled materials. The structure will be the main building of The Little Knife Sanctuary. The Blaushouse will be used for gatherings, film viewing, and environmental workshops, and will house guests on the second floor loft. 10 minutes Dir. Frank Sander
MEAT
Desperate for work, Darren agrees to a one day trial as a door-to-door meat salesman. 15 minutes Dir. Michael Forstein
SUPPORT THE TROOPS: A VETERAN’S VIEW
FANTASTIC
A returning Iraq veteran, feeling isolated from the country which raised him, struggles to resolve his new view of war and America. On the streets of Minneapolis, he strips down the phrase, ‘Support the troops,’ and asks the audience to consider…a different point of view. 8 Minutes Dir. Paul Riedner
STRANGERS
In 1952, ten friends bought a ranch fifty miles north of the small mining town of Chisholm, Minnesota. For over half a century they returned every weekend. The whole world changed, but the Poachers' Shack remained. With only one of the original members alive, and each generation moving further away the traditions established are in danger of being lost. 20 minutes Dir. Matt Koshmrl
Balloon men, crazed composers, horny history teachers, poets trapped in experimental film cliches, talking donuts, the Hawaiian Wizard of Oz, and OTHER THINGS are set amongst some of the greatest (and rarest) classical pieces of all time in this live-action parody of Disney's "Fantasia." 21 minutes Dir. Vincent Gargiulo
STRANGERS is a novella film of intrigue about two broken characters who awkwardly meet at a crossroad where they touch on the possibility of love. 20 Minutes Dir. Eric Howell
THE POACHERS