37th Seattle International Film Festival (2011)

on June 8th, 2011 at Benaroya Hall.

Seattle International Film Festival is proud to bestow a Lifetime Achievement Award to WARREN MILLER

Join us for this special event to celebrate the life and works of the man who created a genre, the one and only, Warren Miller. For more information go to www.siff.net or www.warrenmiller.net

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GREETINGS FROM THE GOVERNOR

I am delighted to welcome you to the 2011 Seattle International Film Festival. Congratulations to the entire SIFF family on 37 extraordinary years of cinema!

At 25 days, SIFF is the largest film festival in the United States, offering nearly 400 feature films and shorts from over 60 countries. Attracting many visitors from around the world, Festival attendance continues to reach unprecedented numbers, growing each and every year.

Cinema is more than entertainment; it is also a wonderful medium for exploring the human condition and the world around us. This celebration of the international language of film can only serve to enlighten us and enhance the diversity of our people, and I applaud the participating filmmakers and the many SIFF organizers and volunteers who have worked hard to make this special event possible.

Thank you all for being part of this year’s Festival, and please accept my best wishes for a memorable event.

Sincerely,

Christine O. Gregoire Governor of Washington

GREETINGS FROM THE MAYOR

On behalf of the City of Seattle, it is my pleasure to welcome you to the 37th Seattle International Film Festival. The city is excited to sponsor this renowned celebration of film.

The Festival is the result of countless hours of work by a multitude of organizers, volunteers, staff, filmmakers, and sponsors. Collectively, they stand as an outstanding example of the passion of Seattle’s film community and the power of people joining to work together on a great idea. The results are extraordinary: The Seattle International Film Festival is now the largest film festival in the country.

SIFF’s mission is to create experiences that bring people together to discover extraordinary films from around the world. It is through the art of cinema that we foster a community that is more informed, aware, and alive.

I hope you will take advantage of all that the Festival has to offer—from films and musical performances to speakers’ panels and forums—and to engage and support SIFF’s efforts year-round.

Welcome to SIFF. Enjoy the show!

Sincerely,

Michael McGinn Mayor of Seattle

Americans of all ages deserve to experience the power of the arts.

Two RAND studies, Cultivating Demand for the Arts and Revitalizing Arts Education , offer strategies and insights to help bring the arts to more people. Cultivating Demand urges renewed attention to helping all Americans develop the seeing and hearing skills that make encounters with art more rewarding. Revitalizing Arts Education describes how six of America’s urban areas have worked to expand access to arts learning by creating collaborative networks. Find out more by downloading these reports free of charge. And while you’re there, check out other useful publications at The Wallace Foundation’s online Knowledge Center.

To download these free reports, please go to wallacefoundation.org

GREETINGS FROM THE MAYORS OF EVERETT, KIRKLAND, AND RENTON

On behalf of the City of Everett, it’s my pleasure to welcome you to the 37th Seattle International Film Festival.

Everett is proud to be a host city for the largest film festival in the United States. Congratulations to all the filmmakers who have been selected to be a part of this exciting celebration of film.

Everett has been home to several luminaries in the film industry, including screenwriter Max Miller, producer and Academy Award®-winning screenwriter Seton Miller, and actors Robert Osborne, Nancy Coleman, and Patrick Duffy.

This year’s Festival continues a long and rich history of quality entertainment in the Puget Sound region. We are thrilled that our community can enjoy all that SIFF has to offer right here in Everett.

We appreciate all the filmmakers, sponsors and event organizers, volunteers, and staff who worked so diligently to bring the 2011 Seattle International Film Festival to us all.

Now please sit back, relax, and enjoy all that hard work!

Sincerely,

Ray Stephanson, Mayor of Everett

The City of Kirkland is happy to welcome the Seattle International Film Festival to the Kirkland Performance Center (KPC) for the third straight year. It is a treat for our community and an opportunity for friends across the lake and around the region to sample downtown Kirkland. New restaurants and coffee shops have opened recently, adding to the potpourri of specialty shops and dining places within walking distance of KPC.

For more than a century, Kirkland’s lake frontage has added to its allure. Consider an Argosy excursion boat to transport your party from Seattle to the downtown dock at Marina Park. Enjoy sensational views along waterfront parks and trails dotted with Kirkland’s extensive public art collection. Walk up the hill to the Festival through a village with vestiges of the past, as well as new and exciting 21st-century architecture. For more information on Kirkland amenities, to request a visitor’s or dining guide, or to view sample itineraries, please visit ExploreKirkland.com.

Welcome back, SIFF!

Joan McBride, Mayor of Kirkland

On behalf of the Renton Community Marketing Campaign—which includes the Renton Chamber of Commerce/Renton Visitors Connection, Renton School District, Renton Technical College, Valley Medical Center, and the City of Renton—it’s my pleasure to welcome you to the Seattle International Film Festival.

We are thrilled that SIFF is debuting a weeklong screening of films at the Renton IKEA Performing Arts Center from May 20 to 26, 2011. Renton is honored to become part of the longest-running, largest, and most-highly attended film festival in the United States. Hosting SIFF allows us to showcase Renton as a great place to live, work, learn, and play, a city with a thriving arts and culture scene, and a diverse community that fosters cross-cultural understanding.

We are grateful that the SIFF-Renton Host Committee is working hard to promote SIFF, and numerous volunteers will help make your cinema experience in Renton a wonderful one. We hope you will take advantage of our affordable hotels and many diverse dining, entertainment, and shopping options while you are here. For more information about exploring Renton, the city that is “Ahead of the Curve,” please visit gorenton.com.

Now, let’s raise the curtain on another fabulous Festival!

Sincerely,

Denis Law, Mayor of Renton

GREETINGS FROM SIFF’S ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

Sleep Induced French Fantasy, Soldier In Fitted Fortress, Stomach Incubates Feisty Foreigner, Screwballs Introduce Faux Female, Seriously Insurgent Father Figure and Sweeping Inspirational Feel-good Fable! What do these four word one-liners represent? All are films that audiences saw at the Seattle International Film Festival! Many of the actual films—The Science of Sleep, The Hurt Locker, Aliens, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, The Empire Strikes Back and The Notebook proudly made their debut at SIFF.

For more than three decades, Seattle audiences have had the yearly opportunity to discover impressive filmmaking talent from around the world. Today SIFF screens films almost every day of the year at SIFF Cinema. This year marks an important milestone, with SIFF’s movement forward to establish and ensure that the film going experience continues to be part of our daily life in Seattle with the opening of our new SIFF Film Center.

With almost 450 films and more than 70 countries represented in the official line-up, we know that navigating the festival can seem like a daunting task in itself. In order to help you have the best experience possible, we have re-organized all of our films into 10 distinct pathways (in addition to our normal festival sections). From Love, to Thrills, to Sci-fi, to Spellbinding Stories, you can easily find a film to fit your mood to answer that asked question, “what sort of film do I feel like seeing tonight?” Check out our pathways online at siff.net, on our iphone app, our free guide, and in the Pathway index on page 285 of this catalog.

Whatever mood you might be in—we have a film for you! I look forward to seeing you at the movies.

Carl Spence, SIFF Artistic Director

GREETINGS FROM SIFF’S MANAGING DIRECTOR

As we prepare for our 37th Annual Seattle International Film Festival, I find myself filled with gratitude for the small nation of individuals who make this possible: staff, volunteers, filmmakers, community partners, supporters, sponsors, members and, of course, all of you who choose to attend the Festival. Together we create hundreds of unique experiences that allow us to celebrate our lives through the art of cinema. Thanks to these experiences, our whole community becomes more informed, aware, and alive.

Many of you know the Festival very well, and are aware that SIFF’s offerings are both rich and diverse. For those of you who are new to SIFF, this catalogue will give you an overview of the breadth and depth of our programs. SIFF’s reach, however, extends far beyond the annual Festival. Thanks to our programming at SIFF Cinema, our outreach and education through FutureWave, and the partnerships we have with a host of community organizations, we are able to provide the very same kinds of unique experiences year-round.

This summer we will be moving into the SIFF Film Center, our new permanent home on the grounds of the Seattle Center. With classroom and archival space, as well as a new screening room perfect for community-based programming, we will be able to greatly expand and enhance our year-round efforts. The stability of a permanent home also will ensure these programs thrive for years to come.

So, I hope you have a chance to enjoy all that SIFF offers—during the next 25 days and throughout the year!

Deborah Person, SIFF Managing Director

“I’M 37, I’M NOT OLD!”— MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL

On behalf of the Board of Directors and staff of SIFF, welcome to the 37th Seattle International Film Festival! It’s an exciting time for SIFF, and while our mission hasn’t changed—helping foster a community that is informed, aware, and alive through shared film experiences—the environment in which we do so continues to evolve at an incredible rate.

Technology has afforded us more opportunities than ever before. Indeed, as you read this you probably carry a device that can, at a moment’s notice, bring you an almost unending supply of information, entertainment, and interaction. But information is not necessarily education, entertainment is not always art, and interaction can fail to be connection. SIFF is about helping you, your family, and your friends (whether longtime companions or those you meet in line) truly connect through the magic of cinema. We hope everything from the anticipation of new encounters to the discussions that echo beyond the program mean as much to you as the films themselves, and that you take a greater sense of community with you well beyond the darkened theater.

We are passionate about these shared experiences, providing the best programming from around the world and access to the artists who create it. Our reach has expanded; we are again proud to bring festival programming beyond Seattle to Kirkland, Everett, and now Renton. Year-round programming is now available through SIFF Cinema, and we’re creating more cinematic connections at our new SIFF Film Center. We’re also growing our educational programs, ensuring that the art of storytelling through film continues to thrive.

None of this would be possible without the help of our staff, our volunteers, our donors, our sponsors, and you. We remain grateful for all your support, and hope you enjoy your personal experience with the 37th Annual Seattle International Film Festival. It’s showtime!

OFFICERS BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Carl Tostevin, President, SIFF Board of Directors

A. Michael Adams

John W. Comerford

Sharon Conner

Christopher Conrad

Barnaby Dorfman Rich Fassio Craig Friedson Gary Grina

Keith M. Henrickson Scott Lipsky

Darryl Macdonald Kraig L. Marini-Baker

Mary Metastasio

Richard Meyer

Charlie Nordstrom

Rick Rasmussen

Keith Simanton

Aron Michael Thompson

Edwin Weihe

Lance Rosen

Sara Woolsey

Dan Ireland Deborah Person Tom Skerritt Rick Stevenson

Carl Tostevin, President

Ian G. J. MacNeil, Vice President

Michelle Quisenberry, Vice President Brian LaMacchia, Treasurer

Billy O’Neill, Secretary

Grand sponsors

Dale & Leslie Chihuly applaud SIFF and offer their congratulations for 37 years of excellence in film.

premier sponosrs

presentinG sponsors

produCinG sponsors

partner sponsors

institutional supporters

media sponsors

INSPIRING ICONIC INNOVATIVE

W SEATTLE IS PROUD TO BE THE OFFICIAL HOTEL SPONSOR OF THE 37TH ANNUAL SEATTLE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

supportinG sponsors

ContriButinG sponsors

Business sponsors

hospitality sponsors

@ the Peak

All Mixed Up

Armondo’s Café Italiano

Banya 5

Barefoot wine & Bubbly

Billy O wines

the Bistro Box

Blue Moon Burgers

Boom Noodle

Buca di Beppo

Café Juanita

Common Ground Cupcakes

Cupcake Royale

DeLille Cellars

Dilettante Chocolates

Don Q Rums

DRY Soda Co.

Eltana woodfired Bagel Cafè

the Essential Baking Company

Flying Squirrel Pizza Co.

Gourmondo Catering

the Great Northwest Soup Company

the Grill on Broadway

hands On Location Massage

hollywood Lights

honest tea

hotel Deca

Icelandic Glacial water

Il Fornaio

Ivar’s & Kidd Valley Restaurants

Kathy Casey Food Studios

Lark & Licorous

Les Boulangers Associes (LBA)

Lombardi’s Neighborhood

Italian Restaurant

Long Shadows winery

the Majestic Café

Mistral Kitchen

Naan-N-Curry

O wines

Oddfellows

Osteria La Spiga

Pagliacci Pizza

Pan Pacific hotel

Papaya At the Landing

Patterson Cellars

Pavé Specialty Bakery

Pedersen’s Rentals

Peyrassol

Piecora’s NY Pizza

Plum Bistro

pnk Ultra Lounge

the Pony Pub

Popchips

Poppy

Pravda Studios

Rancho Bravo

Rain City Catering

Red Carpet Valet

Renaissance Seattle hotel

Rock Box

Rosebud Restaurant & Bar

Rover’s and Luc Restaurants

Salumi

Savor

Seasonal Goods Catering

Seastar Restaurant and Raw Bar

Serafina and Cicchetti

Smith

the Space Needle

Sparkman Cellars

Starbucks

Stella Artois

Sweet Iron waffles

taberna del Alabardero

tea Palace

ten Mercer

terracotta Red Asian Bistro

tidbit Bistro

tony’s Catering

top Pot Doughnuts

Venik Lounge

Via tribunali

Volterra Restaurant

waterfront Seafood Restaurant

wild Ginger

Zatz A Better Bagel

Community partners

Consulate General of France, San Francisco

Academy of Interactive Entertainment (AIE)

Alliance Française de Seattle

Canadian Studies Center/ Jackson School Center for west European Studies

Consulate General of Switzerland in San Francisco

Consulate General of the Republic of turkey

Consulate of Spain

Ellison Center, University of washington

EMP Museum of Music + Sci-Fi + Pop Culture

theFilmSchool

France today France Amerique

Goethe-Institut

Instituto Cervantes, University of washington

Junglecity Network

Kirkland Performance Center

Kirkland Cultural Council

Majestic Bay

One Reel

Orlando Ayala

Quebec Gov’t Office in LA

Reykjavik - Seattle Sister City Association

SAGIndie

Seattle Christchurch (New Zealand) Sister City Association

Seattle Composers Alliance

Seattle Film Institute

Seattle University

the Seattle - Kobe Sister City Association

Seattle - Perugia Sister City Association

ShadowCatcher Entertainment

tumbleweed Film Festival

turkish American Cultural Association of washington (tACAwA)

washington Filmworks

women In Film/Seattle

media partners

1150 AM KKNw

Advantage Graphics

Arcade

Art Access

DList Magazine

Film Courage - the Radio Show

GSBA

hDVideoPro

IFP

the International Examiner

International Film Guide

Jen, Inc.

KBCS 91.3

KNhC 89.5 FM

KVOS

mf Magazine

Moving Pictures Magazine

Pacific Publishing Company

Radio Variedades 1540 KXPA

Russian world Newspaper

Seattle’s Child Magazine

South Lake Union Guide

Soy Source

the SunBreak

three Imaginary Girls

Venice Magazine

warm 106.9 FM

whERE Seattle

windward Communications Group

Business partners

CB Richard Ellis

Golden Globe transport

Keeney’s Office Plus

Standard Parking

Fly Film partners

washington Filmworks

Alpha Cine

Bad Animals

Bexel Nw

Modern Digital

Oppenheimer Cine Rental, LLC

Pacific Grip & Lighting

Reel Grrls

Rocket Pictures

Screen Actors Guild

Seasonal Goods Catering

Seattle Composers Alliance

Seattle Grip and Lighting

the Production Shop

the Mac Store

Eastman Kodak Company

We would like to thank each and every one of the wonderful individuals who support SIFF annually through membership and individual donations. You help us reach our mission with your continued support.

INDIVIDUAL DONORS

Donations made to the annual

fund for dates ranging from March

1, 2010 - February 20, 2011

$2,500 AND UP

Greg & Karen Amadon

Edward Bruce

Paul Canniff

Paul & Amy Curtis

Mark & Andrea Frabotta

Gary & Annie Grina

Catherine Reed

Keith & teresa Simanton

Paul Sturm & Flora Ling

Carl tostevin

william A & Pamela wichgers

$1,000 - $2,499

Anonymous (1)

tom Bayley

teresa Bledsoe

Christopher & Janet Conrad

John Davis & Kim McIver

Barnaby Dorfman & Sheri wetherell

thomas Fuller

Doug Ing

Vanessa Mai

Christopher Newell

Marjorie Newman

Jeff & Deborah Parsons

Mike Robinson

Michael Saunderson & Joan Meigaard

Frederick & Claudia Schwab

Ron Sevart

Nancy Shriver

Chad Smed

$500 - $999

Okacey Abaraoha

Raymond Achen & Cathy Carlson

Veronica Barnes

John & Allison Bauman

Leela Saski & Paul Certa

Michael Chealander

william Clark

Susan Conn

Michael hampton

tom Kofler

Brian LaMacchia

harold Matzner

Roger McGary

Billy & Piper O’Neill

Owen Richards & tania westby

william Rose

Joanne Rossignol

Jonathan Shultz & Chelsea Carter

Bob & Kathryn Spence

Michael C weidemann

$250 - $499

Anonymous (1)

Susan Allen

Mark Ashida & Lisbet Nilson

James Badgley

Kraig L & Lora Marini-Baker

Russell Bennett

Rodney Brower

Kate

Chelsea

Seeley Chandler & James G Kelly

Sharon Cooper

Ryan Crump

Julie Davis

Ryan & Laura Doerfler

woods & Izumi

Kathy Fleming Doug Gary & John wiskind

Donna hartman

Jacobson

Judith Jesiolowski

Merike Kaeo

Barry Kellems

Frank & Molly Lawrence

Beth-Ann Locke

Ian & Laura MacNeil

Bonnie Main

Martha Norberg

Stephen Oien

Mina Person

Brian Pratt

Patrick Reddy

David Rind

Jeffrey Robinson

Charles Schumacher

Brian Scott

Russell Spence

Kristin Stone

Lea & Rick Sund

Lane tanabe

Mary troth

Lincoln Uyeda

Ronniel Valdez

Alan & Laura Veigel

Scott woelfel

Kobi Yamada & heidi wills

thomas Zimmermann

$100 - $249

Reed Astley

Mary Baldwin & Jeanine hammond

Marcia Bennison

Rick & Moi Bodlaender

Anke

Marsha

Judith

Claire

Amiya

Robert &

Jennifer hayner

Angela

Dan

Brian &

Joseph

Goddard Smith

Donald & Sue Gonzales

Anna Gordon

Sally

Mary Metastasio

Peggy Metastasio

Jamie Mosman & Paul Rice

Margaret Lynn Nowelati

Barbara Pelto

Dwight Phillips

Elizabeth Pilati

L Michelle Quackenbush

Michelle Quisenberry & Don Curtiss

Jason Reindorp

Chris Rigos

Odilon Rocha

Jennifer Roth

tom & Anna Rudd

Matthew Ruggles

Deborah Rustin

Jeffrey Sakuma & Ron Pederson

Jillayne Schlicke & Josh Standlee

Andrea Sciaudone

Brian & Laurel Smith

Peter Smith

Veronica Smith

Carolle Speer

Nancy Standifer

Lynn Stanton

Bob Stevens

Steven Strong

John Stuart

Michele Sullivan

Bill Swint

Miles takahashi & Job Ramirez

Raymond takeuchi

Mark theis

Melanie tomlin

Elizabeth wilcoxson

helen williams-Ginsberg

Margaret williamson & Alexandra Calero

Douglas K wyatt

Lin Xu

Claire Zimmerman

Anonymous

SIFF thANKS thE 756

INDIVIDUAL DONORS whO hAVE

MADE DONAtIONS OF $1-$99

Membership as of March 7, 2011

PLATINUM LIFETIME

Anonymous (3)

william Affleck-Asch

Nicole Beaudoin

tika bordelon & xo larimer

Lisa Brummel & Celeste Keaton

Cartmell holdings, LLC

Christopher Conrad

Erika Cowan

Kenneth Dale

John Davis & Kim McIver

Anita & Jack Dingrani

Dwight Gaut

Elva Gonzalez

Bruce hawley

Bryan hendrickson

Paula & Mike hlastala

Doug Ing

Darlene Johnson

Brian LaMacchia

Michael Lockman

Jon Luker III

Brian Miller

Brian & Bridget O’Neill

Jeff & Deborah Parsons

Deborah Person

Mina Person

Mary Rainwater

Steve Schonberger

Nancy Shriver

heidi Stephens

Lea Sund

Liza, Mark, & Krista taylor

Dennis & Peggy willingham

LIFETIME

Anonymous (3)

Russell Bennett

Mrs. Robert R Braun, Jr.

BeBe Burns

Virginia Callison Dolan

Paul Canniff

Ricardo Ceja

Deb Clark

John w Comerford

Alice Cunningham & Blair Osborn

Mark & Andrea Frabotta

Carrie Gorringe

Steve Kelley

Diana Knauf

June Krumpotick

Jerry Luiten

Stephen McCandless

Stephen Mellander & Dan herda

Judith Mercer

Mary Metastasio

Elizabeth Mitchell

walter Moore

David Nyberg

tom O’Brien & Marion Cloutier

June Peters

Kevin Phaup

Dan Poliak

Meredith Potochnic

Jessica Prince & David wilborn

Robin Reynolds wilt

Daniel Roben

Leela Sasaki

Rosie Saunders

tom Skerritt & Julie tokashiki

Jane Suzick

Sylvester thomas III

Richard wasserman

Joe welinske

Annie wilson

Bagley & Virginia wright

PREMIERE

Richie Meyer & Susan harmon

PRODUCER

Kraig L & Lora Marini-Baker

Bryan Lhuillier

harold Matzner

Christopher Newell

DIRECTOR

Nicholas Chappellet

David & Linda Cornfield

Barnaby Dorfman & Sheri wetherell

Phil harrington

Phil Morley

Blue Resnick

thomas Zimmermann

ADVOCATE

Susan Allen

Craig Bartholomew

terry Goodman

Michael hampton

Robert & timothy Killian

Stephen Loeb

David Rind

Charles F Rose III

Brian & Laurel Smith

PATRON

James Angelo

Jerome Arbes & Anne Knight

Mark Ashida & Lisbet Nilson

John & Allison Bauman

Gershom Berg

Aaron Bregel

Linda Breneman

James Broadus & Lori Stutz

Lynn Dissinger

Robert & Donna Dughi

Paul Feavel

James Fesalbon & Edward Darr

Miguel Garcia Vicente

Catherine Greutert

Kellanne henry

Kate M Jarvis

Frank & Molly Lawrence

Ji Lee

Gregory Lytle

Miles & Sherry McRae

George Meyer

Donna Murphy

Edward Nelson & Julie Pickering

Johonna Nutter

helen Palumbarit

Rich & Jean Patton

John Peres

John Sager & Pamela Sampel

Frederick & Claudia Schwab

Sandy Smith & Mary Lonien

Bob & Kathryn Spence

Nan & Neal Sullins

Paul Sureddin

Catherine walker

Michael C weidemann

BENEFACTOR

Anonymous (5)

Glenn Abe

Raymond Achen & Cathy Carlson

Gary Ackerman & Robin Dearling

Greg Adams

Jon Adams & Margaret Carrido

Amir Afrassiabi

Ada Agrait

at Seat tle Center

EXPAND our year-round programming.

ESTABLISH first-class educational opportunities. ENSURE that SIFF thrives for decades to come.

Thanks to more than 1000 SIFF Supporters, our story lives on…

Your donations have helped us achieve 75% of our fundraising goal.

LEADERSHIP GIFTS | City of Seattle, King County Culture 4Arts, Norcliffe Foundation, Deborah Person, Mina Person, Seattle Foundation, Shadowcatcher Entertainment, Sony Electronics, Brian LaMacchia*, Richie Meyer & Susan Harmon*, Carl Tostevin & Michelle McDonough*

MAJOR GIFTS | Anonymous (1), Ken & Marleen Alhadeff*, Kraig & Lora Marini-Baker, John Comerford, Sharon Conner, Don Curtis & Michelle Quisenberry*, John Davis & Kim McIver*, Rich Fassio, Mark & Andrea Frabotta*, Craig Friedson, Amy Goddard Smith & John Zinman, Elva Maria Gonzalez*, Gary Grina, Alison & Michael Harris, Ian & Laura MacNeil*, Ben Margoles, McCrae Theater Equipment, Mary Metastasio, Chris Newell*, Charlie & Debbie Nordstrom, Deborah & Jeff Parsons*, Jean & Rich Patton, Bill Predmore, Charles F Rose III*, Lance Rosen, Carlo & Eulalie Scandiuzzi, Nancy Shriver*, Keith and Teresa Simanton, Bob & Kathy Spence, Carl Spence & Nate Carson, Lea & Rick Sund, Aron Michael Thompson*, Sara & Ted Woolsey *Friend of SIFF. Donors listed made their contribution prior to April 20, 2011 at a minimum gift level of $10,000.

Help us meet our $150,000 match!

A very generous anonymous donor has stepped forward to match 100 percent of donations for 10 new Friends of SIFF! If you join the Friends of SIFF club you will help raise $300,000 for the SIFF Film Center!

Become a Friend of SIFF today …and receive exclusive inside access to SIFF, including private events with filmmakers and guests year-round!

The clock is ticking; we must meet this match by June 8. Take advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to support SIFF in a lasting way.

Friends of SIFF Club donors pledge a minimum of $5,000 per year for three years. To learn more or to make a donation contact Renee C. O’Donnell at 206.315.0664 or renee@siff.net

The only investors staying the course are those with a broken compass.

The financial world has fundamentally changed. More than ever, plans must recognize and adapt to new realities — mitigating the risks and leveraging the opportunities that lie ahead. Because staying the course may mean falling behind.

We have helped many investors get back on track with an honest assessment of their current portfolio and plan. May we help you?

Director: Justin Chadwick

Producers: David M. Thompson

Sam Feuer

Richard Harding

Screenwriter: Ann Peacock

Cinematographer: Rob Hardy

Editor: Paul Knight

Music: Alex Heffes

Cast: Naomie Harris

Oliver Musila Litondo

Tony Kgoroge

Alfred Munyhua

Shoki Mokgapa

Vusumizi Michael Kunene

Running Time: 103 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm, in English and Kikuyu, with English subtitles

International Sales: Goldcrest Films International

The First Grader

United Kingdom/Kenya 2010

THURSDAY MAY 19 7:00 PM MARION OLIVER MCCAW HALL

Print Source: National Geographic Entertainment Film Website: thefirstgrader-themovie.com

Selected Filmography: The Other Boleyn Girl (2008)

One of the most inspirational films you’ll see all year, The First Grader is the true tale of Maruge (Oliver Musila Litondo), an 84-year-old former Mau-Mau fighter who uses a Kenyan government initiative to claim the primary education he has always craved. Spurred by the arrival of an official letter, the illiterate Maruge presents himself at the local school to learn how to read, only to find that head teacher Jane (Naomie Harris) is alone in sympathizing with his cause. While Maruge stubbornly refuses to give up his right to an education, Jane advocates on his behalf, fighting against discrimination and outright hostility. In a refreshing change of pace, director Justin Chadwick (Bleak House, The Other Boleyn Girl) breaks from his usual territory to shoot this powerful story in the stunning Kenyan Rift Valley. Using a real school and its young pupils injects the film with a sense of authenticity by showcasing the joyful, uninhibited performances of the children. With humor woven throughout, The First Grader passionately underscores how the power of education can deliver the greatest freedom of all.

With the support of the Annenberg Foundation, Explore has made funding possible to SIFF to provide a grant to the Literacy Council of Seattle to support their work with adult literacy in Seattle. For more information please visit the Literacy Council of Seattle: www.literacyseattle.org

Looking for the finest restaurants in town? Then look no further than the South Lake it turns out, not only is South Lake Union known for sustainability and easy transportation,

Director: Kevin Macdonald

Producers: Ridley Scott Tony Scott

Liza Marshall

Editor: Joe Walker

Music: Harry Gregson-Williams Matthew Herbert

Running Time: 90 minutes

Presentation Format: DCP, many languages, with English subtitles

Print Source: National Geographic Entertainment

International Sales: HanWay Films

Film Website: youtube.com/user/lifeinaday

Selected Filmography: State of Play (2009)

My Enemy’s Enemy (2007)

The Last King of Scotland (2006)

Touching the Void (2003)

A Brief History of Errol Morris (2000)

Awards: Berlin Film Festival 2011 (Panorama Audience Award, Runner-up)

Life in a Day

United Kingdom 2011

SUNDAY JUNE 12 6:00 PM CINERAMA THEATRE

What were you doing on July 24, 2010? Executive producers Tony and Ridley Scott (Blade Runner) and Academy Award® winning director Kevin Macdonald asked the entire world this question via YouTube last year. More than 80,000 people responded with videos depicting their lives, thoughts and dreams, all on the exact same day. Macdonald arranged 300 selected clips culled from more than 4,500 hours of digital footage from people in 192 countries into a roughly chronologic but non-narrative order. As the day wears on, we see a kaleidoscopic variety of human activity: preparing meals, praying, working, raising children, arguing, recovering from trauma, jumping from airplanes, celebrating, conversing, dying—or doing nothing at all. While it resembles tone poems such as Koyaanisqatsi or Baraka, Life in a Day is more personal, focusing on individuals rather than nature and culture. Fittingly, Macdonald shares his director credit with the hundreds of YouTube filmmakers who made the final edit. The film is anchored around four questions: What do you fear?; What do you love?; What makes you laugh?; and What’s in your pocket? Some filmmakers answer with pure cinema, while others pour their emotions out directly to the camera. But each clip is an intimate snapshot that, collectively, packs a powerful emotional punch about the endless diversity of Planet Earth.

Director: Philippe Le Guay

Producers: Philippe Rousselet Etienne Comar

Screenwriters: Philippe Le Guay Jérôme Tonnerre

Cinematographer: Jean-Claude Larrieu

Editor: Monica Coleman

Music: Jorge Arriagada

Cast: Fabrice Luchini

Sandrine Kiberlain

Carmen Maura

Natalia Verbeke

Lola Dueñas

Running Time: 104 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm, in French and Spanish, with English subtitles

International Sales: SND Groupe M6

Print Source: Strand Releasing

Film Website: snd-films.com

Selected Filmography: One Fine Day (2006)

The Cost of Living (2003) Nightshift (2001)

The Juliette Year (1995)

LES FEMMES DU 6ÈME ÉTAGE Service Entrance France 2011

SATURDAY JUNE 4 6:00 PM EGYPTIAN THEATRE

ENCORE SCREENING: MONDAY JUNE 6 8:30 PM KIRKLAND PERFORMANCE CENTER

A patrician Parisian banker learns how the other half lives—and finds that it agrees with him—in this upstairs/ downstairs comedy of manners. Jean-Louis Joubert is very particular about his soft-boiled eggs so when he finds a maid, Maria, who makes them just right, he knows he’s onto a good thing. What he doesn’t know is, well, anything else about her. It isn’t very long before he’s being introduced to a whole new world right under his own roof: namely, that of the immigrant women who’ve fled Franco’s Spain and now work as housekeepers, living in cramped quarters on the building’s top floor. Their warmth, their humor, their easy camaraderie all seem to offer an appealing alternative to his accustomed milieu. The more he gets to know them, the better he finds he likes them, particularly Maria herself. An all-star cast featuring Fabrice Luchini, Sandrine Kiberlain, Natalia Verbeke, Carmen Maura, and Lola Dueñas brings this delightful fable to life.

Awards: COLCOA Film Festival 2011 (Audience Award)

Heng and Lange Woon

900 South 3rd Street • Renton phone 425.235.1717

fax 425.687.3152

A “Gourmet Food Truck” on the streets of Renton serving up Kobe Beef & Coconut Chicken Sliders, Toasted Panini, legendary French Dips and Hand-cut Crispy French Fries with choice of dipping sauce

The Secret is in the Sauce

We spread the culinary love with our Fresh Plate condiments and sauces.

Fresh Plate specializes in European-style catering and presentations of Italian meats, cheeses antipasto, sandwiches and salads

Bistro Box is open for Lunch 10am–2pm Monday–Friday at Imports and Sorts - 618 Park Ave N in Renton Fresh Plate Catering available anytime!

Director: Mario Van Peebles

Producers: Jeff Balis

Rhoades Rader Morgan Simpson

Charlie Poe

Screenwriters: Morgan Simpson

George Richards

Cinematographer: Matt Irving

Editor: Mark Conte

Music: Joel High School

Tree Adams

Cast: Morgan Simpson

Michael Clarke Duncan

Tom Skerritt

Luke Perry

Kiele Sanchez

Taryn Manning

Running Time: 93 minutes

Presentation

Format: HDCAM

International Sales: Spotlight Pictures

Print Source: Liberty Road Entertainment

Film Website: blackwhiteandblues.com

Selected Filmography: Fair Game? (2010) Baadasssss! (2003) Standing Knockdown (1999)

Love Kills (1999) Panther (1995) Posse (1993) New Jack City (1991)

Black, White and Blues

FRIDAY MAY 20 7:30 PM RENTON IKEA PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

ENCORE SCREENINGS: SUNDAY MAY 22 4:00 PM NEPTUNE THEATRE

SUNDAY MAY 29 3:30 PM EVERETT PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

Mario Van Peebles’ Black, White and Blues is a searing portrait of a down-on-his-luck bluesman who takes a road trip that helps him rediscover his missing mojo in the unlikeliest of places. Filmed on location in juke joints throughout the American South, Black, White and Blues charts the unlikely redemption of Jefferson Bailey (co-screenwriter Morgan Simpson) as he makes his way home to claim the estate of his recently deceased grandfather. Joining him on his journey is Augy (Michael Clarke Duncan), an imposing figure who introduces Bailey to the cast of characters, including Santa (local favorite Tom Skerritt), who will play a part in the young man’s eventual redemption. Steeped in the blues, Van Peebles’ film evokes the spirit and power of the blues, packing a raw, visceral wallop, much like the music from which it takes its inspiration. With strong supporting performances from Taryn Manning and a host of real blues musicians, Black, White and Blues is a film about the redemptive power of music that marks a powerful return to form for director Van Peebles. If you are a fan of the blues, or music in general, this one is not to be missed.

Director: Philipp Stölzl

Producers: Christoph Müller

Helge Sasse

Screenwriters: Alexander Dydyna Christoph Müller

Philipp Stölzl

Cinematographer: Kolja Brandt

Editor: Sven Budelmann

Music: Ingo L. Frenzel

Cast: Alexander Fehling

Moritz Bleibtreu

Burghat Klaußner

Henry Hübchen

Miriam Stein

Running Time: 102 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm, in German, with English subtitles

International Sales: Beta Cinema

Print Source: Music Box Films

Film Website: musicboxfilms.com/young-goethe

Selected Filmography: North Face (2008) Baby (2002)

Young Goethe in Love

Germany 2010

THURSDAY MAY 26 7:00 PM EVERETT PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

ENCORE SCREENINGS: SATURDAY MAY 28 6:00 PM ADMIRAL THEATER MONDAY MAY 30 4:30 PM NEPTUNE THEATRE

Sparkling cinematography, gorgeous costumes and sets, and ill-fated love—these are just the ingredients needed to lovingly concoct a filmic biography chronicling the early years of Germany’s most famous literary genius: Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe. Before Goethe wrote the hugely influential “The Sorrows of Young Werther,” the book that launched a thousand broken-hearted suicides, he lived its story of love lost. It is this period of time that is so affectingly covered in Philipp Stölzl’s engaging historical drama. Alexander Fehling plays Goethe who, having failed his doctorate, takes a job clerking for Judge Kester (Moritz Bleibtreu). Bored with his menial tasks, he continues to defy his father’s wishes by persisting with his writing and one day he meets the lovely Lotte. Sparks fly, and as the courtship progresses love blooms—but Lotte is betrothed to another so their happiness is short-lived. Fehling is perfect in the role of Goethe, giving a sense of energy and a multifaceted intelligence to his portrayal of a young man whose first romantic experience would alter the course of the literary world.

Director: David Pinillos

Producer: Pedro Uriol

Screenwriters: David Pinillos

Juan Carlos Rubio

Paco Cabezas

Cinematographer: Aitor Mantxola

Editor: Fernando Franco

Music: Marcel Vaid

Cast: Nora Tschirner

Unax Ugalde

Susana Abaitua

Giulio Berruti

Herbert Knaup

Xenia Tostado

Running Time: 91 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm, in Spanish, English, French and German, with English subtitles

International Sales: Beta Cinema

Print Source: Beta Cinema

Selected Filmography: Debut Feature Film

Bon Appétit

Spain/Germany/Switzerland/Italy 2010

THURSDAY JUNE 2 8:00 PM KIRKLAND PERFORMANCE CENTER

ENCORE SCREENINGS: THURSDAY JUNE 9 8:30 PM ADMIRAL THEATER SATURDAY JUNE 11 9:30 PM NEPTUNE THEATRE

There was a time when “Dinner and a Movie” meant two separate activities. But as the cult of food culture— with its celebrity chefs and red carpet restaurant openings—continuously expands, culinary cinema has risen as its own distinct genre. Ambitious and talented, Spanish Chef Daniel arrives at world famous Zurich restaurant “W” intent on becoming restauranteur Thomas Wackerle’s protégé. Despite Wackerle’s perfectionism and the kitchen’s frenzied competitive atmosphere, Daniel manages to forge friendships with Hugo, Wackerle’s Italian sous-chef, and Hanna, the restaurant’s sommelier. The trio soon becomes inseparable, sharing after-hours drinks together. Then, one night to prove a point, Hanna kisses Daniel, and his carefully constructed life begins to unravel. First, his long-distance relationship with his girlfriend grows ever more strained, then his burgeoning feelings for Hanna are upended when he discovers she is not only Wackerle’s mistress, but also carrying his child. Like other kitchen confidentials such as Big Night, Mostly Martha, and last year’s Mediterranean Food, Bon Appétit charts the complicated camaraderie and zealous rivalries at play among the culinary elite, while also managing to provide a delectable feast of romantic frisson.

Ewan McGregor

As expert at playing a romantic leading man as he is in grittier roles, Ewan McGregor combines crush-worthy good looks with expert performances across all genres—making him a tour de force in the cinematic world.

Ewan McGregor blazed his way to international recognition as the drug-addled Renton in Danny Boyle’s epoch-making Trainspotting (Best Film, SIFF 1996), and has never looked back, delivering a stream of memorable roles in both Hollywood and independent film. Born in Perth, Scotland, in 1971, to two teachers, he is also the nephew of renowned TV actor Dennis Lawson, best known in film for his starring role in Bill Forsyth’s Local Hero and (in a part that would serve to be prophetic) as Wedge Antilles in the original Star Wars trilogy.

Having studied drama at London’s Guildhall School of Music & Drama, McGregor was immediately successful finding work, and was cast in a six-part TV adaptation of Dennis Potter’s Lipstick on Your Collar. His first film role was in Bill Forsyth’s Being Human (1994), but very soon after he made a connection to director Danny Boyle that was to prove significant to both their careers: their collaboration on the breakout hit Shallow Grave. Slight of build but classically handsome, McGregor has been able to hold down romantic leads in films such as Emma and Down With Love, but has also proved just as expert at portraying less socially upright characters, such as the amoral drifter in Young Adam (2003). In 1999 he had another big break, being cast as the young Obi-Wan Kenobi in the three Star Wars prequels (a role originally created by Sir Alec Guinness), and in 2001 consolidated his position as an

international star with his role in Moulin Rouge! opposite Nicole Kidman, where he was roundly praised for his singing and dancing (talents he had first revealed in Boyle’s A Life Less Ordinary). Having reputedly turned down the role of James Bond (which eventually went to Daniel Craig) for fear of being typecast, McGregor continued going from strength to strength and, hardly looking a day older in the process, received the greatest accolade of his career, the Best Actor award at the 2010 European Film Awards for his role in Roman Polanski’s The Ghost Writer. Along the way, McGregor has proved himself one of the most courageous actors around, never shying away from controversy, whether it be for nudity (The Pillow Book) or gay themes (The Velvet Goldmine and I Love You, Philip Morris), and has worked with many outstanding directors. In addition, he has triumphed on the stage with an award-winning performance as Sky Masterson in a run of Guys and Dolls at London’s Donmar Warehouse, where he also mastered the role of Iago in Othello

McGregor is a rare creature in the age of tabloid journalism in that he is hardly ever featured in gossip columns. Long married with three daughters (one of them adopted), he is fiercely protective of his private life and is best known outside of his screen appearances for two mammoth motorcycle trips he took with his friend Charley Boorman in 2004 and 2007, which became the subject of multiple documentaries and best-selling books.

Selected Filmography

Beginners (2011)

Perfect Sense (2011)

The Ghost Writer (2010)

Amelia (2009)

Angels and Demons (2009)

I Love You Phillip Morris (2009)

The Men Who Stare at Goats (2009)

Deception (2008)

Cassandra’s Dream (2007)

Miss Potter (2006)

The Island (2005)

Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005)

Big Fish (2003)

Young Adam (2003)

Down With Love (2003)

Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002)

Black Hawk Down (2001)

Moulin Rouge! (2001)

Nora (2000)

Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999)

Velvet Goldmine (1998)

Little Voice (1998)

Nightwatch (1997)

A Life Less Ordinary (1997)

Brassed Off (1996)

Emma (1996)

The Pillow Book (1996)

Trainspotting (1996)

Blue Juice (1995)

Shallow Grave (1994)

Being Human (1994)

Beginners USA 2010

TRIBUTE SCREENING: SUNDAY MAY 22 4:00 PM EGYPTIAN THEATRE

From Mike Mills, the writer/director of Thumbsucker, comes a new comedic drama about how deeply funny and transformative life can be, even in its most serious moments. Beginners unfolds through two intertwined storylines of Oliver (Ewan McGregor) and his father, Hal (Christopher Plummer): In the present day, Oliver, who has always been unlucky in love, grudgingly attends a Halloween party where he meets Anna, an alluring French actress. But even as their budding courtship progresses, Oliver finds himself constantly dwelling upon his recently deceased father’s last years. At the age of 75, shortly after the death of his wife, Oliver’s father Hal came out of the closet. Disregarding his advanced years and a diagnosis of terminal cancer, Hal gleefully embraced his senior bon vivant lifestyle: hitting the clubs, buying a new wardrobe, and, eventually, dating a boy half his age. Throughout the film, these two narrative strands subtly illuminate each other, as Oliver strives to reconcile his father’s exemplary lessons on hope, courage, and romance to his own cloistered life. Drawing upon autobiographical events, Beginners imaginatively explores the hilarity, confusion, and surprises of love.

Director:

Mike Mills

Producers: Miranda de Pencier

Lars Knudsen

Leslie Urdang

Dean Vanech

Jay Van Hoy

Screenwriter: Mike Mills

Cinematographer: Kasper Tuxen

Editor: Olivier Bugge Coutté

Music:

Dave Palmer

Brian Reitzell

Roger Neill

Cast:

Ewan McGregor

Christopher Plummer

Mélanie Laurent

Goran Visnjic

Running Time: 104 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm

International Sales:

Focus Features

Print Source: Focus Features

Film Website: focusfeatures.com/beginners

Selected Filmography:

Does Your Soul Have a Cold? (2007) Thumbsucker (2005)

ENCORE SCREENING: TUESDAY MAY 24 4:30 PM NEPTUNE THEATRE

Perfect Sense

UNITED KINGDOM/GERMANY/SWEDEN/ DENMARK 2011

SAT MAY 21 9:15 PM

WED MAY 25 4:30 PM

The Pillow Book

FRANCE/UK/NETHERLANDS/ LUXEMBOURG 1996

Moulin Rouge!

USA 2001

EGYPTIAN

THEATRE

EGYPTIAN

THEATRE

Recently heartbroken, Susan (Eva Green) devotes herself to her medical practice, where she encounters a peculiar patient: following an intense, yet inexplicable bout of grief, he’s lost his sense of smell. Soon afterwards, she discovers other similar cases emerging throughout the globe. While the number of victims swells to epidemic proportions, Susan meets Michael (Ewan McGregor), a talented chef at a local restaurant, and commences upon a sudden, intense affair. Meanwhile, the mysterious disease progresses—first causing ravaging hunger before robbing people of their sense of taste. Even as the situation worsens, the newly forged couple embarks on an increasingly sensual adventure, experiencing head-spinning, stomach-tightening moments of pure connection. Influenced by such recent films as Blindness and Children of Men, director David Mackenzie, a SIFF 2008 Emerging Master, fashions an intimate apocalyptic masterpiece, aided by McGregor and Green’s erotic on-screen chemistry, in which love blooms anew even as the world outside their bedroom window wilts away.

Director:

David Mackenzie

Producers: Gillian Berrie

Malte Grunert

Screenwriter: Kim Fupz Aakeson

Cinematographer: Giles Nuttgens

Editor:

Jake Roberts

Music: Max Richter

Cast: Ewan McGregor

Eva Green

Ewen Bremner

Stephen Dillane

Connie Nielsen

Running Time: 88 minutes

Presentation

Format: 35mm

International

Sales: TrustNordisk

Print Source: IFC Films

Film Website: ifcfi lms.com

Selected Filmography: You Instead (2010)  Spread (2009)  Mister Foe (2007) Asylum (2005)  Young Adam (2003)  The Last Great  Wilderness (2002) Dirty Diamonds  (1994)

In The Pillow Book, British director Peter Greenaway has delivered (even by his own esoteric standards) a work of extraordinary beauty, subtly mixing up Asian iconographies to create an intimate and sensual, yet dense drama. The half Japanese, half Chinese Nagiko (Vivian Wu) grows up with a fetish for calligraphy as a result of her childhood when, on her birthday, her father would paint a greeting on her face and have extracts from the 10th century “Pillow Book” of Sei Shonagon, a list of precious and graceful things, read to her. Her fetish manifests itself in having her lovers write upon her body, but none seem to satisfy both her lovemaking and calligraphy desires. An encounter with a young British translator named Jerome (Ewan McGregor) turns the tables by having her write chapters of her novel on his body. But when it’s revealed that the publisher is Jerome’s homosexual lover and also has a dark connection to her father, Nagiko plots her revenge. Frames within frames, computer graphics, subtitles, projections, and superimpositions all vie for the eye in a sumptuous, seamless collage, making this lurid tale of lust, jealousy, hatred, and revenge one of Greenaway’s very best works.

Director:

Peter Greenaway

Producer: Kees Kasander

Screenwriter:

Peter Greenaway

Cinematographer: Sacha Vierny

Editors: Peter Greenaway

Chris Wyatt

Music:

Ron Korb

Cast:

Vivian Wu

Ewan McGregor

Yoshi Oida

Ken Ogata

Running Time: 126 minutes

Presentation

Format: 35mm, in English,  Cantonese, Italian,  Japanese, Mandarin,  and French, with  English subtitles

Print Source: New Yorker

Selected Filmography: Nightwatching  (2007)

A Life in Suitcases  (2005)

The Tulse Luper  Suitcases (2003)

8½ Women (1999)

The Baby of Mâcon  (1993)

Prospero’s Books  (1991)

The Cook the Thief  His Wife & Her Lover  (1989)

Drowning by  Numbers (1988)

The Belly of an  Architect (1987)

A Zed & Two  Noughts (1986)

The Draughtsman’s  Contract (1982)

Vertical Features  Remake (1978)

SUN MAY 22 9:00 PM

Christian (Ewan McGregor), a handsome young poet/writer, moves to the Montmartre district of Paris, where he falls in with the acting troupe of the Moulin Rouge nightclub.

Upon first glance of glamorous courtesan Satine (Nicole Kidman), he becomes smitten. Initially resistant, Satine eventually acquiesces to Christian’s song-filled seduction. Enter the Duke, a wealthy benefactor that promises financial backing for the play that will make Satine a star and turn the Moulin Rouge from a gentleman’s nightclub into a legitimate theater—but his price is the beautiful performer herself. Australian wonder boy Baz Luhrmann’s imagination runs riot in a vivid assault on the senses. From the opening credits to the final scene, the movie’s breathtaking costumes and lush production numbers invade the mind and fill the eyes with sensuous treats. The 19th-century Paris bohemian decadence is captured with inyour-face energy and a score of popular late 20th-century tunes. In addition to its leads, who both pass the musical demands of this extravaganza with flying colors, the film is well served by a strong supporting cast including John Leguizamo as the famously debauched artist Toulouse-Lautrec, Richard Roxburgh as the oily duke, and the ever-dependable Jim Broadbent as Zidler, the club’s desperate, pathetic manager.

Director: Baz Luhrmann

Producers: Baz Luhrmann

Fred Baron

Martin Brown

Screenwriters: Baz Luhrmann

Craig Pearce

Cinematographer: Donald M. McAlpine

Editor: Jill Bilcock

Music: Craig Armstrong

Cast: Ewan McGregor

Nicole Kidman

John Leguizamo

Jim Broadbent

Richard Roxburgh

Running Time: 127 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm

Print Source: Twentieth Century

Fox Selected Filmography: Australia (2008)

Romeo + Juliet  (1996)

Strictly Ballroom  (1992)

FRI MAY 20 9:30 PM

HARVARD EXIT

EGYPTIAN THEATRE

With over 350 sports, commercial, and documentary films, Warren Miller’s name is synonymous with extreme-action sports movies. For years, his legion of fans eagerly awaited each new Warren Miller production knowing it would be filled with stunning cinematography, impressive feats of athleticism, and Warren’s own trademark brand of witty narration.

Born in Hollywood, California, Warren purchased his first still camera at age 9, engendering a life-long love for the art. His teen years were spent skiing, surfing, and, of course, taking snapshots. At 18, Warren enlisted in the Navy, serving in the South Pacific during World War II. Following his discharge, he took the $100 mustering-out pay, and purchased an 8mm motion picture camera. For the next two years, Warren and his friend Ward Baker spent their winters in Sun Valley, living out of a trailer in the parking lot, and their summers surfing on the coast.

“We filmed each other to try to improve our skiing and surfing. Throughout the summers, we showed the skiing footage to surfing friends and to cover up my less than perfect photography of that era, I’d make jokes about what was filmed. And in the winter, I showed the skiers our surfing exploits with similar jokes. All of a sudden, I was being asked to free tuna casserole dinners if I’d bring my projector and show the films.”

From these free dinners, Warren’s entrepreneurial spirit sprang forth. In 1949, he founded Warren Miller Productions and began a long-standing tradition of producing one featurelength ski film per year amongst many other commercial and documentary film productions. He rented out halls and theaters, usually with borrowed money, and charged admission to his shows.

In Roger Corman-esque fashion, Warren booked show halls near ski resorts so that he could film the next year’s footage during the day and show the current film in the evening. Terribly funny falls and amazing camera angles gave birth to extreme ski filming, which later morphed into extreme all-sports. Before long Warren Miller films were screening in 120 cities a year, with the annual Warren Miller film becoming a staple for most “Ski Bums” and marking the commencement of the ski season. Following his sale of the company to his son in the late ’80s, Warren still managed to maintain his chief creative role, directing and narrating his films well into the ’90s.

In his later years, Warren and his wife Laurie co-founded The Warren Miller Freedom Foundation as a way to charitably make a positive impact on young people, from any locale or walk of life, so they may learn, without cost, the principles of entrepreneurship and business formation in an experiential curriculum. To date the program has successfully mentored 1,200 young people, serving to provide education and resources that will enable future entrepreneurs to conceive, plan, and form business ventures of their own with integrity, self-respect, and confidence.

In 2010, Warren made a return to the stage, presenting “An Evening with Warren Miller” to sold-out audiences at Seattle’s Benaroya Hall. Warren is currently the Director of Skiing at the Yellowstone Club in Big Sky, Montana, and is also busy preparing two new books—one sharing his perspective on aging, the other his long-awaited autobiography. Warren Miller’s enthusiastic, independent spirit continues to be an influence upon countless numbers of young filmmakers, action sports aficionados, and burgeoning entrepreneurs, by which he has established an inspirational legacy of showmanship and business acumen.

SIFFter

Available at siff.net and on the iPhone, SIFFter is an easy-to-use visual search tool that will help you sift through the more than 400 films and narrow down choices based on your preferences including pathway, genre, country, time of day, and other filters.

Director: Miranda July

Producers: Gina Kwon

Gerhard Meixner

Roman Paul Screenwriter: Miranda July

Cinematographer: Nikolai Von Graevenitz

Editor: Andrew Bird

Music: Jon Brion

Cast: Miranda July

Hamish Linklater

David Warshofsky

Isabella Acres

Joe Putterlik

Running Time: 91 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm

International Sales: The Match Factory

Print Source: Roadside Attractions

Film Website: thefuturethefuture.com

Selected Filmography: Me and You and Everyone We Know (2005)

The Future USA/Germany/UK 2011

SATURDAY MAY 21 7:30 PM PACIFIC PLACE CINEMAS

ENCORE SCREENING: MONDAY MAY 23 4:30 PM

SIFF CINEMA

A cat named Paw-Paw narrates from within his cage at the animal shelter. A young man stops time and has a conversation with the moon. A woman is coerced into a bizarre dance by a suddenly sentient t-shirt. From these moments it should be clear that we are once again in the world of artist, author, and filmmaker Miranda July (Me And You And Everyone We Know). Sophie (July) and Josh (Hamish Linklater) are a young couple who realize that their plans to adopt a pet could mean a big step forward in their lives. So they make a pact to take thirty days and simply follow their dreams. While their experiment starts out lighthearted, they both soon uncover insecurities that threaten to ruin their relationship. July’s second feature is as assured and inventive as her much acclaimed debut, filled with droll humor and pathos, and punctuated by surprising moments of magical realism. The story of Sophie and Josh is a reflection of our fears of romance, aging, stagnation, and all the other uncertainties of the future.

Director: Stephane Gauger

Producers: Elizabeth Ai

Danny Do Stephane Gauger

Screenwriter: Stephane Gauger

Cinematographer: Stephane Gauger

Editors: Ham Tran Stephane Gauger

Danny Do

Music: Pete Nguyen DJ Slim

Cast: Van Trang

Quynh Hoa

Khoung Ngoc

Zen 04

Viet Max

Phan Tan Thi

Elly Nguyen

Running Time: 108 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm, in Vietnamese, with English subtitles

Print Source: Saigon Electric LLC

Film Website: saigonelectric.com

Selected Filmography: Owl and the Sparrow (2007)

SAIGON YO!

Saigon Electric

Vietnam/USA 2011

SATURDAY MAY 28 7:15 PM NEPTUNE THEATRE

ENCORE SCREENINGS: MONDAY MAY 30 3:00 PM PACIFIC PLACE CINEMAS

WEDNESDAY JUNE 1 6:30 PM EVERETT PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

Boldly fusing hip-hop dance battles, romance, and a cross-section of youth culture in contemporary Vietnam, Saigon Electric is a film bursting with energy, showcasing a strong, youthful artistic presence in the global metropolis of Saigon. Mai, a traditional ribbon dancer from the countryside, has arrived in Saigon for dance school. After nerves destroy her big audition, she meets street-smart Kim who hip-hop dances with Saigon Fresh, a local crew vying for the top spot in international competitions. After Kim disgraces herself in a battle and quits the crew, she finds herself falling for Hai, a rich kid with a powerful family who has considerable charm and the promise of a better future. Meanwhile, Mai develops a relationship with the captain of Saigon Fresh, and the film blossoms into an intoxicating double romance. Spending considerable time searching for the best underground talent in Vietnam, director Stephane Gauger’s team assembled a cast of vibrant new faces that lend authenticity to its representation of youth culture. Bestowed with awe-inspiring visuals and effervescent editing, Saigon Electric transcends its considerable technical achievements and astounding hip-hop choreography to fulfill Gauger’s primary wish: “To give teenagers a voice and present to an international audience a fresh new look at the dreams and struggles of Asian youth.”

Director: Eldar Rapaport

Producers: Alex Brodzki Samantha Manalang

Screenwriters: Eldar Rapaport

Brian Sloan

Cinematographer: James Adolphus

Editor: David Au

Music: Yuval Ron Cast: Murray Bartlett

Daniel Dugan

Adrian Gonzalez

Hilary Goldsher

Bernard Forcher

Brad Standley

Mike Vaughn

Running Time: 100 minutes

Presentation Format: HDCAM

Print Source: eRap Film Productions

Film Website: august-the-film.com

Selected Filmography: Debut Feature Film

August

USA 2011 World Premiere THURSDAY JUNE 9 7:00 PM EGYPTIAN THEATRE

THEATRE

When Troy (Murray Bartlett) returns to Los Angeles after a multi-year foray in Barcelona, he contacts Jonathan (Daniel Dugan), the object of his desire during a short-lived, intense summer fling five years earlier. Their still-smoldering connection is obvious from the first, but Jonathan tries to fight his desires while his live-in boyfriend Raoul (Adrian Gonzalez) approaches the situation with a hands-off approach. Meanwhile, Troy’s inability to make a commitment one way or the other complicates matters. Lovingly shot and languidly told, August uses the perspectives of all three men and a muddled timeline to tell their stories, successfully mixing Rashomon with a dash of Memento to give a unique twist to the romantic-triangle genre. Writer and director Eldar Rapaport has created rich, complex characters for each of the leads. Special notice should be given to the subtly beautiful soundtrack by Surque, which weaves delicate Latin guitars over and through the story, adding another layer to this already intricate, emotionally full tale.

Films from all over the world.

Bulgaria. Namibia. Wallingfordia.

Thank you for making film part of our coffee culture for 37 years.

Director:

Brian Bedford

Producers: Todd Haimes

Susan Loewenberg

Harold Wolpert

Screenwriter: Oscar Wilde Cast: Brian Bedford

Dana Ivey

Paxton Whitehead Santino Fontana

David Furr

Tim MacDonald

Paul O’Brien

Charlotte Parry

Sara Topham

Running Time: 150 minutes

Presentation

Format: DCP

Print Source: By Experience

Film Website: roundabouttheatre.org

The Importance of Being Earnest

United Kingdom 2011

THURSDAY JUNE 2 7:00 PM SIFF CINEMA

SUNDAY JUNE 5 1:30 PM SIFF CINEMA

SUNDAY JUNE 12 6:00 PM SIFF CINEMA

Class, courtship, and good old-fashioned namedropping take the stage in Roundabout Theatre Company’s Broadway performance of Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest. This classic farcical story follows two gentlemen as they navigate the tricky Victorian dating scene. Jack and Algernon bond over the fact that they both invent people in order to relieve themselves of any unwanted social obligations. Jack’s identity when he visits the city is “Ernest,” a wild squanderer; Algernon pretends to visit an imaginary invalid friend when he wishes to avoid certain outings. After the confession of these secrets, Jack relinquishes “Ernest,” while Algernon adopts the persona, unbeknownst to his friend. This transfer of the name Ernest propels a series of mistaken identities and confusion, especially for each man’s respective fiancé. Gwendolen and Cecily both believe themselves to be engaged to Ernest, though no such man actually exists. It is Jack’s True identity, however, that connects each character in unexpected ways. Tony Award winner Brian Bedford directs and stars as Gwendolen’s mother, Lady Bracknell, in this hilarious adaptation that puts the “comedy” in comedy of errors. Captured live in high definition.

Director: Raúl Ruiz

Producer: Paulo Branco

Screenwriter: Carlos Saboga

Based on a novel by Camilo Castelo Branco

Cinematographer: André Szankowski

Editor: Valeria Sarmiento

Carlos Madaleno

Music: Jorge Arriagada

Cast: Adriano Luiz

Ricardo Pereira

Martin Loizillon

Clotilde Hesme

Malek Zidi

Lea Seydoux

Running Time: 257 minutes

Presentation

Format:

DCP, in Portuguese, French, English, with English subtitles

International Sales: Alfama Films

Mysteries of Lisbon Portugal/France 2010

SATURDAY MAY 28 1:00 PM EGYPTIAN THEATRE

Print Source: Music Box Films

Film Website: misteriosdelisboa.com/

Selected Filmography: Klimt (2006)

Days In the Country (2004)

That Day (2003)

Comedy of Innocence (2000)

Marcel Proust’s Time Regained (1999)

Three Lives and Only One Death (1996)

Dark At Noon (1992)

The Golden Boat (1989)

Three Crowns of the Sailor (1982)

Dog’s Dialogue (1977)

Dialogue of Exiles (1974)

The Penal Colony (1970)

Snaking through the elegant drawing rooms and estates of Portugal’s aristocracy, while making side trips to France, Spain, Italy, and Brazil, Raúl Ruiz’s latest head-spinning extravaganza employs no less than seven narrators in a sprawling tale of interlinked fates. Adapted from the novel of Camilo Castelo Branco—Portugal’s national treasure who is frequently compared to Dickens, Victor Hugo, and Tolstoy—the labyrinthine plot is ostensibly the story of João, the illegitimate child of an ill-starred romance between two members of the aristocracy from rival families. Multiple identities are stripped away to uncover startling revelations in a gripping melodramatic mystery that is indisputably one of the highlights of Ruiz’s long and illustrious career. Featuring exquisite art direction and masterful cinematography, Mysteries of Lisbon’s drama packs enough incident to make light of its epic running time, while the 19th-century setting does nothing to detract from the film’s contemporary import as it plunges us into a veritable whirlwind of adventures and escapades, coincidences and revelations, multiple identities within multiple identities, stories within stories, sentiments and violent passions, and vengeance and love affairs. A stunning achievement.

Director: Tran Anh Hung

Producer: Shinji Ogawa

Screenwriter: Tran Anh Hung

Based on a novel by Haruki Murakami

Cinematographer: Mark Lee Ping Bin

Editor: Mario Battistel

Music: Jonny Greenwood

Cast: Kenichi Matsuyama

Rinko Kikuchi

Kiko Mizuhara

Kengo Kora

Reika Kirishima

Running Time: 133 minutes

Presentation Format: DCP, in Japanese, with English subtitles

International Sales: Fortissimo Films

Print Source: Fortissimo Films

Film Website: sodapictures.com/norwegianwood

Selected Filmography:

I Come with the Rain (2009)

The Vertical Ray of the Sun (2000) Cyclo (1995)

The Scent of Green Papaya (1993)

NOROWEI NO MORI

Norwegian Wood Japan 2010 US Premiere

SATURDAY JUNE 11 6:00 PM EGYPTIAN THEATRE

SUNDAY JUNE 12 3:30 PM EGYPTIAN THEATRE

Adapting Haruki Murakami’s breakthrough novel with the romantic melancholy of its namesake Beatles song, Norwegian Wood is an absorbing tale of nostalgia, loss, and awakening sexuality. Childhood friends Toru and Naoko are reunited in Tokyo in 1969 when they meet by chance at a museum. Their friendship is rekindled, but they are both haunted by a past tragedy. As their affections for each other begin to grow, so too does the specter of the past. Unable to bear it, Naoko leaves for a remote retreat to try to restore her peace of mind. Toru promises to wait for her, but is tempted by the appearance of the confident, flirtatious Midori and finds himself confronted with a choice, not simply between the two women, but also between his past and his future. FrenchVietnamese director Tran Anh Hung has brought Murakami’s bittersweet tale to almost palpable life through his delicate illumination of the uncertain passage from innocence to maturity. With exceptional performances from his young cast (notably Babel’s Rinko Kikuchi as the fragile Naoko), Hung is also well-served by wonderful period décor, lush cinematography by Mark Lee Ping Bin (In the Mood for Love), and an evocative score by Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood.

Director: Sean Casey

Producers: Paul Novros

Don Kempf

Sean Casey

Screenwriters: Paul Novros

Sean Casey

Cinematographers: Sean Casey

Peter Rubi

Editors: Sean Casey

Peter Rubi

Music: Trevor Morris

Featuring: Sean Casey

Brandon Ivey

Marcus Guiterrez

Josh Wurman

Karen Kosiba

Don Burgess

Narrated by: Bill Paxton

Running Time: 43 minutes

Presentation Format: IMAX

Print Source: Giant Screen Films

Film Website: tornadoalleymovie.com

Selected Filmography: Debut Feature Film

Tornado Alley

USA 2011

SATURDAY JUNE 4 11:45 AM PACIFIC SCIENCE CENTER IMAX

MONDAY JUNE 6 7:15 PM PACIFIC SCIENCE CENTER IMAX

Join “Storm Chasers” star Sean Casey on this heart-pounding science adventure documenting the most ambitious effort ever made to understand the origins and evolution of tornadoes. Armed with a 70mm camera, a fleet of customized vehicles designed to withstand gale force winds, torrential rains, unrelenting hail, and an arsenal of the most advanced weather measurement instruments ever created, director Casey and narrator Bill Paxton (Twister) take audiences on a thrilling quest to experience a tornado’s destructive power at point blank range. Traversing the “severe weather capital of the world,” Tornado Alley documents two unprecedented missions seeking to encounter one of Earth’s most awe-inspiring events—the birth of a tornado. Attempting to gather the most comprehensive severe weather data ever collected, a team of driven scientists experiences the relentless strength of nature’s elemental forces as they literally surround tornadoes and the supercell storms that form them. This science adventure reveals the beauty and the power of some of our planet’s most extreme—and least understood—weather phenomena. This is the sort of experience that IMAX was made for.

Pacific Science Center is pleased to partner with SIFF to present Tornado Alley, distributed by Giant Screen Films, at this year’s Festival. Tornado Alley will open this Fall at Pacific Science Center. For more information visit: pacificsciencecenter.org.

IMAX® is a registered trademark of IMAX Corporation

Director: Mohammad Rasoulof

Producer: Mohammad Rasoulof

Screenwriter: Mohammad Rasoulof

Cinematographer: Ebrahim Ghafori

Editor: Jafar Panahi

Music: Mohammad Reza Darvishi

Cast: Hasan Pourshirazi Younes Ghazali

Mohammad Rabbani

Mohammad Shirvani

Omid Zare

Running Time: 93 minutes

Presentation Format: DigiBeta, in Persian, with English subtitles

Print Source: Global Film Initiative

Selected Filmography: Head Wind (2008) Iron Island (2005) The Twilight (2002)

KESHTZAR HAYE SEPID

The White Meadows

Iran 2009

THURSDAY JUNE 2 7:00 PM EGYPTIAN THEATRE

SATURDAY JUNE 4 6:00 PM KIRKLAND PERFORMANCE CENTER

WEDNESDAY JUNE 8 4:30 PM NEPTUNE THEATRE

Writer/director Mohammad Rasoulof (Iron Island) has created an empathic, mythic journey, using dreamlike imagery and metaphor to express earthly and spiritual concerns. We first meet Mr. Rahmat as he canvasses the desert with a mysterious briefcase containing what looks like sacred museum pieces. Evoking images of the Stygian ferryman Charon, this “Tear Collector” steps into a boat and proceeds to row through hellish (and stunningly realized) salt marshes in order to collect people’s tears, absolving them of their sins and easing their heartaches. “Tears,” he says, “should be respected.” On his current journey, his subjects include the relatives of a girl sacrificed to the sea, an artist buried to his neck in sand for painting the sea red, and others in need of compassion. As Rahmat selflessly performs his noble ritual, his fantastic world is brought to mysterious, yet somehow familiar, life. In an unfortunate real world post-script, both Rasoulof and fellow director (as well as this film’s editor) Jafar Panahi were imprisoned in Iran after the 2009 elections, and charged with assembly, collusion, and propaganda against the regime. While Rasoulof has been released, Panahi still remains in prison.

A Message from the Global Film Initiative

In our ongoing support of original, artistic expression through cinema, the Global Film Initiative extends its deep and steadfast support to Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof.

As an organization committed to the free exchange of ideas, it is our intention to present Mr. Rasoulof’s film to as many audiences possible throughout the United States and Canada. Mr. Rasoulof’s film is a unique vision of Iran that we believe all audiences should have the opportunity to experience. The Global Film Initiative encourages you to extend your support for Mohammad Rasoulof by attending these screenings of The White Meadows

The White Meadows is co-presented by the Global Film Initiative and is part of the Globel Lens 2011 Film Series. For more information, visit www.globalfilm.org.

PRECEDED BY:

The Accordion

Iran/Italy/Brazil/France/Switzerland, 2010, 8 minutes, director: Jafar Panahi

When two young buskers unwittingly play in front of a mosque and have their instrument taken away, the change is wider reaching than themselves.

Director: Jay Roach

Producers: Mike Myers

John Lyons

Eric McLeod

Demi Moore

Screenwriters: Mike Myers

Michael McCullers

Cinematographer: Ueli Steiger

Editors: Debra Nell-Fisher

Jon Poll

Music: George S. Clinton

Cast: Mike Myers

Heather Graham

Michael York

Robert Wagner

Rob Lowe

Running Time: 95 minutes

Presentation

Format: DVD

International Sales: New Line Cinema

Print Source: New Line Cinema

Film Website: newline.com/properties/ austinpowersthespywhoshaggedme

Selected Filmography: Dinner for Schmucks (2010)

Meet the Fockers (2004)

Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002)

Meet the Parents (2000) Mystery, Alaska (1999)

Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997)

Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me

Aside from tea, a leading British export seems to be womanizing international super spies. Join everyone’s favorite shagadelic hero, Austin Powers, as he works to thwart Dr. Evil’s plans to rule the earth. Dr. Evil travels back in time to 1969 in order to steal Powers’ “mojo” from his then cryogenically frozen body. British intelligence is alerted to Dr. Evil’s time traveling mission, and sends the present-Powers back in time as well, but not before Dr. Evil has succeeded in capturing the essential ingredient needed for Powers’ sexual prowess and general manliness. Mojo in hand, Dr. Evil successfully plants a laser “Death Star” on the moon, threatening to destroy a major city every hour until his demands are met. Meanwhile, Powers teams up with the beautiful Felicity Shagwell (Heather Graham) to save the day—but can he defeat Dr. Evil and his pint-sized clone, Mini-Me (Verne Troyer), without his essence? This time-travel themed James Bond parody features performances by Mike Meyers as three different characters (Austin Powers, Dr. Evil, and an angry Scottish guard named Fat Bastard), and appearances by comedic favorites Will Ferrell and Seth Green.

Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me made its U.S. debut as the closing night film of the Seattle International Film Festival in 1999.

WE’RE PROUD TO PLAY A SUPPORTING ROLE.

The Academy extends congratulations to the Seattle International Film Festival on the occasion of its 37th annual celebration of motion pictur es.

asian crossroads

Asian cinema has long been a steady supplier of some of SIFF’s most buzz-worthy titles, with films ranging from sumptuous period pieces, to knowingly goofy slapstick, to hardened gangsters doing the two-gun two-step.

2011’s Asian entries happily prove no exception, with a dazzling variety of exciting, hilarious, and profound films coming to us from the Pacific Rim and India. Our Asian Crossroads selections include a riotous confrontation between Man and Couch from Taiwan (Pinoy Sunday), a costumed superhero patrolling the Bangkok skies (Red Eagle), an award-winning look at love beyond the grave from Thailand (Eternity), and a Private Eye who moonlights as a television choreographer (The Bengali Detective). Elsewhere, a six-year-old boy receives a greatly accelerated lesson in maturity in Bi, Don’t Be Afraid!, an American mechanic strikes up an unlikely relationship with his Vietnamese manicurist in Touch, and a desperate Filipino woman explores the queasy practice of organ donation in the assured black comedy Donor. In Singapore, a boy discovers the secret past of his father in the sensitive, poignant Sandcastle, while a progressive young woman attempts to break free of the oppressive sexism of the Philippines in the elegant 1920’s drama Rosario. Finally, the makers of Winged Migration return with The Empire of Mid-South, a harrowing documentary about the colonization of French Indochina featuring a wealth of archival footage. Additional films in Asian Crossroads are: Saigon Electric, Gandu, and Flying Fish. All tastes will be served. Special support provided by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

The Bengali Detective

THURSDAY MAY 26 7:00 PM SIFF CINEMA

SATURDAY MAY 28 6:00 PM EVERETT PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

FRIDAY JUNE 3 7:00 PM KIRKLAND PERFORMANCE CENTER

Stuffed with sufficient material for several reality TV shows, Phil Cox’s hugely entertaining documentary focuses on a dream of a subject: the pudgy, middle-aged private detective Rajesh Ji. A man of fierce purpose, Ji applies the same dedication to all aspects of his life, whether it be the running of his own detective agency, the care of his beloved family, or his pastime, a dance troupe formed from his hapless employees who are training for a national TV talent show. The camera follows the ragtag team of investigators as they look into crimes ranging from counterfeit toiletries to adultery to a gruesome triple homicide, and hangs about the dance studio as the gang flails through its straight-outof-Bollywood routines. Eschewing the more picaresque aspects of the city, the film veers between the absurd and the gravely serious and engages every aspect of human emotion, from hilarity to sorrow (Ji’s wife suffers from a crippling illness), and has inevitably invited offers to remake it as a narrative feature. Under no circumstances should you make the mistake of waiting for that, however, as this natural-born showman and his group really have to be seen to be believed.

Director: Phil Cox

Producers: Giovanna Stopponi

Annie Sundberg

Himesh Kar

Cinematographer: Lisa Cazzato-Vieyra

Editors: Taimur Khan

Tom Hemmings

Music: Dennis Wheatley

Running Time: 90 minutes

Presentation Format: HDCAM, in Hindi, English and Bengali, with English subtitles

International Sales: E1 Entertainment

Print Source: E1 Entertainment

Film Website: thebengalidetective.com

Selected Filmography: Mbya, Land in Red (2005)

BI, DUNG SO!

Bi, Don’t Be Afraid!

VIETNAM/GERMANY/FRANCE 2010

SUNDAY MAY 22 9:30 PM PACIFIC PLACE CINEMAS

WEDNESDAY MAY 25 4:30 PM PACIFIC PLACE CINEMAS

This autobiographical adult tale about childhood centers around life in a dysfunctional family, as seen through the eyes of six-yearold Bi. The boy lives with his parents, his aunt, and a maid in a stifling old house in Hanoi. His parents’ relationship is getting worse, and his 30-year-old sexually repressed aunt (a high school teacher) has never touched a man. Bi entertains himself under the watchful eye of the maid. His grandfather, a retired diplomat, comes home with a serious illness. At first afraid of this stranger, the child’s curiosity gradually brings him closer to the sick man. Bi’s father, whose only thought is to bed his masseuse, escapes in alcohol and avoids the old man. Meanwhile, his aunt has sexual fantasies about a 16-year-old she met on the school bus. Left to his own devices, Bi escapes to the tall grasses by the river’s edge and the cool ice factory next door. In the stifling heat, ice turns out to be the only tangible connection between family members.

Awards:

Cannes Film Festival 2010 (International Critics Week prize)

Hong Kong Asian Film Festival 2010 (Best Film)

Director: Phan Dang Di

Producer: Claire Lajoumard

Screenwriter:

Phan Dang Di

Cinematographer: Minh Quang Pham

Editor: Julie Beziau

Music:

Vu Nhat Tan

Cast: Phan Thanh Minh

Nguyen Thi Kieu Trinh

Nguyen Ha Phong

Hoa Thuy

Tran Tien

Running Time: 92 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm, in Vietnamese, with English subtitles

Print Source: Acrobates Film

International Sales: Acrobates Film

Selected Filmography: Debut Feature Film

Donor PHILIPPINES 2010

WEDNESDAY MAY 25 6:00 PM RENTON IKEA PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

SATURDAY JUNE 4 6:30 PM ADMIRAL THEATER

TUESDAY JUNE 7 4:30 PM HARVARD EXIT

Gritty social realism meets moments of grace in this gently humorous, deeply sympathetic portrait of life on the fringes. Manila bootleg vendor Lizette (Meryll Soriano, a delicately pretty, yet sturdy presence) lives under constant fear of raids and armed robbery, which isn’t uncommon in her neighborhood. Her demanding boyfriend, Danny (Baron Geisler), has problems of his own, and acts more like an irresponsible brother. Against her wishes, he buys a gun for protection, a move that seems certain to go wrong. When Lizette receives an offer to donate a kidney, she initially declines, but circumstances force her hand. Since there’s no down payment, she takes it on faith that payment will be forthcoming. She must also marry the recipient, an older Jordanian businessman named Jasim, to stay on the right side of the law. Though they don’t speak the same language, Jasim turns out to be more of a gentleman than Danny, but this isn’t a romantic comedy, and Lizette soon faces further complications. Grim as it sounds, director Meily never makes fun of his heroine, but has no problem locating the humor in her situation. If Donor takes men like Danny to task, it pays tribute to the Lizettes who really run their households.

Director: Mark Afable Meily

Producers: Mark Afable Meily

Imee Marcos

Greg Garcia

Screenwriter: Mark Afable Meily

Cinematographer: Jay Abello

Editors:

Mark Afable Meily

Neil Sayno

Mark Pandy

Cast: Meryll Soriano Baron Geisler

Joy Viado

Jao Mapa

Tabatabaee Kami

Music: Mark Afable Meily

Running Time: 84 minutes

Presentation Format: DigiBeta, in Tagalog, with English subtitles

Print Source: Spark Films, Inc.

International Sales: Insomnia World Sales

Selected Filmography: Grandpa Is Dead (2009)

Baler (2008)

La visa loca (2005)

Crying Ladies (2003)

L’EMPIRE DU MILIEU DU SUD

The Empire of Mid-South

FRANCE 2010

SUNDAY MAY 29 6:00 PM ADMIRAL THEATER

TUESDAY MAY 31 4:30 PM NEPTUNE THEATRE

SATURDAY JUNE 4 9:15 PM SIFF CINEMA

The Empire of Mid-South stands as an artful and compassionate tribute to a country that has struggled for centuries to control its own destiny. Mixing archival footage with firstperson writings from Vietnam, France, and America, directors Eric Deroo and Jacques Perrin (Winged Migration) recount the long march of the Vietnamese people to freedom (authors include Ho Chi Minh, Marguerite Duras, and André Malraux). “We came with the dust, the rain, and the wind,” the narrator reads at the outset, as lovely, strange, and occasionally disturbing images capture Vietnam throughout the ages. For years, the Chinese, French, and Japanese occupied Indochina (Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos), while the citizens attempted to hold on to their beliefs and traditions. The filmmakers combine the perspectives of the oppressed with the oppressors. Says one colonial speaker, “We must bring light to these worlds of darkness,” and so he and his colleagues chopped down forests for coal, rubber, corn, and rice, but by the 20th century, the indigenous population had enough. Resistance began in earnest, but a country divided in two presented its own set of problems. The film ends as Vietnam finally begins another long march: the journey to self-determination.

Directors: Jacques Perrin

Eric Deroo

Producers: Jacques Perrin

Nicolas Dumont

Editor: Vincent Schmitt

Music: Cyrille Aufort

Running Time: 85 minutes

Presentation Format: DigiBeta, in French and Vietnamese, with English subtitles

International Sales:

Films Distribution

Print Source:

Films Distribution

Selected Filmography: Eric Deroo: Debut Feature Film Jacques Perrin: Oceans (2009) Winged Migration (2001)

Eternity

THAILAND 2010

MONDAY JUNE 6 9:30 PM PACIFIC PLACE CINEMAS

WEDNESDAY JUNE 8 4:30 PM PACIFIC PLACE CINEMAS

For this gently bittersweet ghost story, director Sivaroj Kongsakul used his parents’ relationship for inspiration, incorporating the stories he heard of them falling in love, as well as the void that was left after his father passed away. The opening of the film evokes the Thai belief that the spirit of the dead will return after three days to “walk the footsteps” of the place it cherished. Wit (Wanlop Rungkamjad) is first seen riding a motorcycle across the frame. As he makes his way to the rural family house of his youth, the story seamlessly transitions to when he was falling in love with the young schoolteacher Koi (Namfon Udomlertlak). The third part of the film takes place after Wit’s death, with the couple’s love somehow still as strong as ever. Kongsakul began his career as an assistant director for Pen-ek Ratanaruang, among others, and was also the cinematographer for Apichatpong Weerasethakul’s short “Worldly Desires.” Eternity won the top prize at this year’s Rotterdam International Film Festival.

Awards: Rotterdam International Film Festival 2011 (Tiger Award)

Director: Sivaroj Kongsakul

Producers: Aditya Assarat

Soros Sukkum

Umpornpol Yugala

Screenwriter: Sivaroj Kongsakul

Cinematographer: Umpornpol Yugala

Editors:

Sivaroj Kongsakul

Nuttorn Kungwanklai

Music: Qong Monkon

Cast: Wanlop Rungkamjad

Namfon Udomlertlak

Prapas Ammnuay

Pattraporn Jaturanrasmee

Running Time: 105 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm, in Thai, with English subtitles

Print Source: Pop Pictures Co. Ltd.

Film Website: pop-pictures-ltd.com

Selected Filmography: Debut Feature Film

Pinoy Sunday

TAIWAN/PHILIPPINES/JAPAN/FRANCE 2010

SUNDAY MAY 22 6:30 PM RENTON IKEA PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

TUESDAY MAY 24 7:00 PM PACIFIC PLACE CINEMAS

THURSDAY MAY 26 4:30 PM PACIFIC PLACE CINEMAS

Taking moving day anxieties to riotous extremes, this deceptively breezy comedy follows a pair of longtime friends—one pining for the family he left behind in the Philippines, the other a hilarious example of a walking, talking id—trudging through their endless days as migrant workers in a closely supervised Taiwanese bicycle factory. After discovering a pristine red leather couch left on the street, the two make it their mission to somehow get it back to their barracks before nightly lockdown, a journey that includes bouts of accidental heroism, some truly Google Map-shattering shortcuts, and one of the more unexpected musical numbers in cinema history. Director/ co-writer Wi Ding Ho’s delightful shaggy dog of a feature-length debut sports a disarming combination of humor and unexpected character moments, veering off to some wonderfully erratic waypoints, while never ignoring the basic plight of his strangers in a strange land.

Director: Wi Ding Ho

Producers: Wi Ding Ho

Natacha Devillers

Screenwriters: Ajay Balakrishnan

Wi Ding Ho

Cinematographer: Jake Pollock

Editor:

Wei Yao Hsu

Music:

Yeo-Jen Tsai

Cast: Epy Quizon

Bayani Agbayani

Running Time: 85 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm, in Tagalog and Mandarin, with English subtitles

International Sales:

Good Films Workshop

Print Source: Changhe Films

Film Website: pinoysunday.com

Selected Filmography:

Debut Feature Film

INSEE DANG

Red Eagle

THAILAND 2010 NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE

SATURDAY MAY 21 9:30 PM

FRIDAY MAY 27 10:00 PM

SUNDAY MAY 29 1:00 PM

Rosario

PHILIPPINES 2010 NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE

RENTON IKEA PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

NEPTUNE THEATRE

NEPTUNE THEATRE

Visionary Thai director Wisit Sasanatieng returns with his action-packed reimagining of his country’s preeminent cult superhero. In a near-future Thailand rife with crime and corruption, a violent vigilante known only as the Red Eagle arises. Targeting Bangkok’s drug dealers, corrupt politicians, and the criminal cabal Matulee, Red Eagle mercilessly dispatches his foes with bullets and blades, leaving behind only his calling card to claim responsibility. However, his crusade does not go unchallenged: the Bangkok police order detectives Chart and Singh to track down his real identity, while Matulee hires the dreaded masked assassin known only as the Black Devil to eliminate him before he permanently destroys their operations. As civil protests increase over a newly built nuclear power plant, Red Eagle, aided by a beautiful political activist, uncovers the hidden conspiracy surrounding the reactor’s construction. Relentlessly paced and filled with stunning swashbuckling set pieces, Red Eagle is a Kick-Ass style cinematic comic book of the highest order.

Director: Wisit Sasanatieng

Producer: Saksiri Chantrarangsri

Screenwriter: Wisit Sasanatieng

Cinematographer: Chookiat Narongrit

Editor: Sunit Asavinikul

Music: Wild at Heart

Cast: Ananda Everingham

Yarinda Boonnak

Wannasingha Prasertkul

Pornwut Sarasin

Running Time: 130 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm, in Thai and English, with English subtitles

International Sales: Five Star Production Co., Ltd.

Print Source: Eleven Arts

Film Website: inseedangthemovie.com

Selected Filmography: Sawasdee Bangkok (2009)

The Unseeable (2006)

Citizen Dog (2004)

Tears of the Black Tiger (2000)

SATURDAY MAY 28 10:00 AM PACIFIC PLACE CINEMAS

MONDAY MAY 30 6:00 PM PACIFIC PLACE CINEMAS

Rosario, a wealthy young Filipina who recently completed her college education in New York, returns to vacation at her family’s tobacco plantation in the early 1920s. There, she soon realizes that the liberation she has tasted in America does not translate well to the landed gentry of the Philippines. When she falls in love with the strapping, well-educated Vicente, one of the supervisors at her father’s plantation, she faces scorn from her family for her indiscretion with someone they consider below her station. Undaunted, Rosario and Vicente move to Manila to start a new middle-class life together and raise a family. However, fate eventually intervenes when an act of passion threatens to tear the family apart. Rosario is a vivid recreation of 1920s and 1930s life in the Philippines, filled with impeccable period details. First-time director Alberto Martinez, known mostly as an actor on Philippine television, spent five years researching the country’s pre-war period to ensure historical accuracy. Based on the true story of the grandmother of industrialist Manuel “Manny” Pangilinan, Rosario is a lush, tragic saga about the price a liberated woman must pay to follow her passions in an unforgiving, patriarchal society.

Awards:

Metro Manila Film Festival 2010 (Best Film Runner Up, Supporting Actor, Cultural Award, Cinematography, Editing)

Director: Alberto Martinez

Producer: Alberto Martinez

Screenwriter: Elmer L Gatchalian

Cinematographer: Carlo Mendoza

Editor: John Wong

Music: Albert Chang

Cast: Jennylyn Mercado

Yul Servo

Dennis Trillo

Sid Lucero

Isabel Oli

Running Time: 120 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm, in Tagalog, with English subtitles

International Sales: Cinemabuhay

Print Source: Cinemabuhay

Film Website: rosariomovie.com

Selected Filmography: Debut Feature Film

GUESS WE’LL JUST GO SIT IN THE DARK.

Sandcastle

SINGAPORE 2010

FRIDAY JUNE 3 9:30 PM

SUNDAY JUNE 5 1:30 PM

PACIFIC PLACE CINEMAS

PACIFIC PLACE CINEMAS

Sandcastle is a tender story about family history, loss, and the power of memory. 18-year-old En is understandably unhappy about having to temporarily move in with his grandparents. Preferring his computer to their puzzles, he attempts to shut himself off from the unpleasantness of his grandmother’s Alzheimer’s and his grandfather’s weakening attempts to care for her. Soon, however, photos of En’s deceased father, Boon, are taken out, and En’s eyes are pulled from the computer screen. Rarely spoken of by his mother, En has grown up with the image of his father as a shadowy and possibly dangerous troublemaker. Grandfather’s photos, however, tell a different story, showing Boon to be a student political revolutionary. Just as En is beginning to learn the truth, grandfather suddenly dies, and his increasingly confused grandmother moves into his cramped room. Amidst tight quarters, grief, and romantic complications, En slowly discovers the similarities that he shares with this ailing relative, which allows him to finally connect to his muddled past.

Director: Boo Junfeng

Producers: Fran Borgia

Gary Goh

Screenwriter: Boo Junfeng

Cinematographer: Sharon Loh

Editor: Natalie Soh

Music: Darren Ng

Cast: Joshua Tan

Elena Chia

Bobbi Chen

Running Time: 96 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm, in English, Mandarin, and Hokkien, with English subtitles

International Sales: Fortissimo Films

Print Source: Fortissimo Films

Selected Filmography: Debut Feature Film

SATURDAY MAY 21 6:30 PM RENTON IKEA PERFORMING ARTS CENTER MONDAY MAY 23 6:30 PM ADMIRAL THEATER

Tam is a lovely and talented VietnameseAmerican manicurist, but she has never been able to fully connect with the men she dates. After taking a new position at the V.I.P. Nails salon, she does well at her job but doesn’t seem to fit in with the other girls, who gossip endlessly and insult the clueless white customers in Vietnamese. One day, Brendan, a car mechanic, enters nervously and asks Tam for a manicure, explaining that his cold, workaholic wife shies away from his perpetually soiled and greasy hands. When the tactic pays off, Brendan returns each day for the same treatment, plus more advice from Tam about romance. Brendan’s love life steadily improves, but soon it becomes apparent that his “appointments” have more to do with seeing Tam than getting his hands clean. Meanwhile, Tam struggles to communicate with her stern father, who has been confined to a wheelchair after a tragic accident. Throughout the film, first-time director Minh Duc Nguyen explores the various ways human touch can be interpreted: as a weakness, as a comfort, as a threat, as a transgression, and finally as a method of healing and reconciliation.

Director: Minh Duc Nguyen

Producer: Mellissa Tong

Screenwriter: Minh Duc Nguyen

Cinematographer: Morgan Schmidt

Editor: Minh Duc Nguyen

Music: Marcello De Francisci

Cast: Porter Lynn

John Ruby

Melinda Bennett

Long Nguyen

Hiep Thi Le

Running Time: 109 minutes

Presentation Format: HDCAM, in Vietnamese and English, with English subtitles

Print Source: A Gray Picture, LLC

Film Website: touchthemovie.com

Selected Filmography: Debut Feature Film

golden space needle awards

Set the 2011 Trends!

SIFF audiences have their fingers on the pulse. Like telepathics or a collective crystal ball, Seattle filmgoers know what’s hot before the rest of the world can say “Golden Globes.” Winter’s Bone, The Hurt Locker, Trainspotting, La Vie en Rose, The Cove, Murderball, Waste Land, and Half Nelson: these are just a few past Golden Space Needle Award winners that have gone on to be nominated for or bestowed Academy Awards®. Help us predict this year’s statue frontrunners!

For the past 26 years, the Seattle International Film Festival has celebrated its most popular films and filmmakers with the Golden Space Needle Audience Award. Created to recognize audience members’ favorite films, awards are bestowed upon the Festival’s Best Feature Film, Documentary Film, Director, Actor, Actress, and Short Film.

Think you’ve spotted the best and brightest of 2011? For Best Film, Documentary Feature, or Short Film, just take a ballot from an usher as you enter the theater. Once the film is over, tear your ballot at the appropriate grade (from 1 to 5), and return your completed ballot to an usher as you leave the venue. Ballots for each film are tallied throughout the Festival. Each venue will also have blank ballots next to the ballot boxes; complete these to vote for Best Director, Actor, or Actress. Simply write your choice for the winner in each of the categories and place your completed ballot in the box. Winners will be announced on June 12.

Thank you for participating!

SIFF 2010

Golden Space Needle Audience Award Winner for Best Film

The Hedgehog

DIRECTED BY MONA ACHACHE (FRANCE, 2009)

Q&A SECRET FESTIVAL

Q So, what is this “Secret Festival”?

A The Secret Festival is SIFF’s festival within a festival. Four private screenings only available to Secret Festival pass holders.

Q What films do you show?

A I can’t tell you.

Q What do you mean you can’t tell me?

A Everyone who attends the Secret Festival must sign a legally binding “Oath of Silence” not to disclose what you’ve seen. You can’t ever talk about it.

Q What? Why?

A The Secret Festival specializes in cinematic rarities— films unavailable commercially due to rights disputes, or because they haven’t officially premiered, or because they are from super-secret private collections. No one knows what they’ll be seeing until the film hits the screen.

Q Interesting. Give me an example?

A I can’t.

Q Well then, how do I know if I want to go?

A Oh, you want to go.

Q But I can’t tell anyone what I’ve seen?

A Nope.

Q Never?

A Ever.

Q Not my wife?

A No.

Q Not my girlfriend?

A If you’re married, you really shouldn’t have a girlfriend.

Q Not even my cat?

A No. Cats are devious creatures; if you told your cat, word would spread faster than if you tweeted it.

Q Tweeted?

A You know, Twitter.

Q What’s that?

A I’m still not sure.

Q Okay, so how much is a Secret Festival Pass?

A $53 or $43 for SIFF members.

Q Alright, fine. When is the Secret Festival?

A 11am, every Sunday Morning at the Egyptian Theatre.

Q And we’ll be seeing?

A Nice Try.

emerging masters

Unforgettable images, compelling and powerful stories, and innovative perspectives are the hallmarks of great filmmaking.

Each year, the Seattle International Film Festival spotlights directors whose outstanding work deserves special attention. The bar has been set very high by past honorees whose names are now familiar in the world of cinema, including Tom Tykwer (Run Lola Run and SIFF 2011 selection 3), Michael Winterbottom (Welcome to Sarajevo and SIFF 2011 selection The Trip), François Ozon (8 Women), Fatih Akin (The Edge of Heaven), and 2011 Oscar Winner Susanne Bier (In A Better World).

The filmmakers we’ve chosen this year are well known in their home countries for their unique cinematic voices, and it’s our pleasure to introduce them to SIFF audiences as the next Emerging Masters. Spain’s multi-talented Fernando Léon de Aranoa has stretched his skills from screenwriting to animation, while turning out a series of striking, issue-based films. Turkish director Reha Erdem focuses on soul-seeking visual journeys, inspiring viewers to apply the term “elseland” to his work to represent the spaces in between that he captures so beautifully.

Fernando León de Aranoa

Frequently referred to as the Spanish Ken Loach, Fernando León de Aranoa has risen to prominence over recent years for a series of striking, issue-based films that have been highly acclaimed internationally. Born in Madrid in 1968, he studied Image Sciences at the Complutense University of Madrid. Beginning his film career as a screenwriter, he has displayed a dazzling array of talents. A director of feature films and documentaries (some of which he also produced), he has written screenplays for other directors as well as short stories. In addition, he has worked as a cartoonist and illustrator, and teaches film at both the Sundance Institute and the celebrated Cuban Film School in Havana. A gifted director of actors, his film Mondays in the Sun did much to bring Javier Bardem to international attention and won five Goya awards in Spain. This year’s Amador continues to display the emotionally poignant power a director can bring to filmmaking.

Reha Erdem

Because of the landscapes he chooses, and the worlds they represent, Reha Erdem’s style of filmmaking has been referred to as “elseland” cinema: a cinema of the spaces in between. Times and Winds takes place on the edge of mountains that plunge into the sea, while Kosmos features the remote mountain town of Kars, located at the snowy mountain border between two counties within these landscapes. Considered one of the most versatile directors in Turkish cinema, Erdem’s films embark on soul-seeking visual journeys. Born in Istanbul in 1960, he graduated from the Cinema Department of Paris VIII University and obtained his M.A. in Plastic Arts. He shot his first feature-length film Oh Moon in 1989 and has written or co-written all of his films, including the 2004 festival favorite, Mommy I’m Scared. Erdem has won three Turkish Yeşilçam Awards, one for best director and the others for best screenplay. In addition, he’s directed several short films and a theatre play, The Maids, by Jean Genet.

LOS LUNES AL SOL

Mondays in the Sun

SPAIN 2002

SATURDAY JUNE 4 11:00 AM

PACIFIC PLACE CINEMAS

Leading Spanish heartthrob Javier Bardem stars as Santa, the wounded, slightly over-thehill alpha-male in a group of laid-off workers, who spend their endless days since the closing of their shipyard fruitlessly looking for work and hanging out at the bar where they go to drown their sorrows. Each of the men has reached a turning point in his life, brought upon them by the realization that they inhabit a society which no longer values or needs their labors. As they struggle to confront the circumstances, which have changed everything they have come to rely upon, they strive to put their lives back on course and regain a sense of personal dignity in a world that does not hold a place for them. Director Fernando León de Aranoa confirms his promise as one of Spain’s brightest young talents with this deeply moving third feature, driven by superb performances and a life-affirming sense of empathy for the everyday heroes who are overlooked by the tide of time and progress. Bardem provides another magnificent performance in this award-winning drama that swept Spain’s 2003 Goya Awards ceremony, and was the official Spanish submission to the Oscars.

Awards:

San Sebastian Film Festival 2002 (Best Film)

Goya Award 2003 (Best Film, Director, Actor)

Nantes Spanish Film Festival 2003 (Jules Verne Award)

Director: Fernando León de Aranoa

Producer: Elías Querejeta

Screenwriters: Fernando León de Aranoa

Ignacio Del Moral

Cinematographer: Alfredo Mayo

Editor: Nacho Ruiz Capillas

Music: Lucio Godoy

Cast: Javier Bardem

José Ángel Egido

Luis Tosar

Serge Riaboukine

Running Time: 113 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm, in Spanish, with English subtitles

International Sales:

Sogepaq International

Print Source: Lionsgate Films

Selected Filmography: Amador (2010)

Princesas (2005)

Caminantes (2001)

Barrio (1998)

Familia (1996)

Amador SPAIN 2011

TUESDAY MAY 31 4:00 PM EVERETT PERFORMING ARTS CTR

THURSDAY JUNE 2 6:30 PM PACIFIC PLACE CINEMAS

SATURDAY JUNE 4 1:30 PM PACIFIC PLACE CINEMAS

A young immigrant living on the outskirts of Madrid, Marcela struggles to keep her head above water. She’s stuck in a headingnowhere-fast relationship with Nelson, whose work selling flowers doesn’t leave much to spare. Worse, she’s pregnant, but is too uncertain of her situation to tell anyone. Things look up when she gets a job tending the bedridden, outwardly curmudgeonly (yet secretly kind) Amador. When Amador dies unexpectedly, Marcela’s employment seems to be over; in a panic, she conceals this somewhat important fact while grappling with what life will hold for her now. The Peruvian Magaly Solier (The Milk of Sorrow and Altiplano), is note-perfect as Marcela. Hailed in some quarters as the Spanish Ken Loach, director Fernando León de Aranoa reveals a slightly softer side from his last two features. Playing on the gulf of experience that separates his two central characters, he throws a nod to his compatriot Almodóvar in the film’s comic relief: the blasé, middle-aged call girl Puri, who shows up every Thursday to administer hand relief to the old man. Engaging and thought provoking in equal measure, the film won much-deserved acclaim at this year’s Berlin Film Festival.

Director: Fernando León de Aranoa

Producers: Fernando León de Aranoa

Jaume Roures

Screenwriter: Fernando León de Aranoa

Cinematographer: Ramiro Civita

Editor: Nacho Ruiz Capillas

Music:

Lucio Godoy

Cast: Magaly Solier

Celso Bugallo

Pietro Sibille

Sonia Almarcha

Fanny de Castro

Running Time: 112 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm, in Spanish, with English subtitles

International Sales: Imagina International Sales

Print Source: Imagina International Sales

Film Website: amadorlapelicula.es

Selected Filmography: Princesas (2005) Mondays in the Sun (2002)

Barrio (1998)

Familia (1996)

Film.

BES

VAKIT Times and Winds

TURKEY 2006

SUNDAY MAY 22 11:00 AM

Ömer, Yakup, and Yildiz, all preteens, are from the same village in Turkey located high up in rugged mountains and overlooking the sea. They and their families have a heavy burden of work, earning their living from the earth and their meager stable of animals. Though they live a relatively simple existence, their inner lives are complicated. Ömer hates his ailing father, who is confined to bed and unable to assume any familial responsibilities. Yakup is in love with his schoolteacher, and jealousy erupts when he sees his own father spying on her, spurring a bitter romantic rivalry. Yildiz, meanwhile, totters between youth and womanhood. She goes to school and takes on adult chores at home, every once in a while getting a glimpse of the more intimate (and intriguing) relations between women and men. Director Reha Erdem presents a day-in-thelife story with people simmering in discontent under an ever-changing sky. This close-up look at country life gives us a view that’s both specific and universal as one generation rebels against the other.

Awards: Istanbul Film Festival 2006 (FIPRESCI Prize)

HARVARD EXIT

Director: Reha Erdem

Producer: Ömer Atay

Screenwriter: Reha Erdem

Cinematographer: Florent Herry

Editor: Reha Erdem

Music: Arvo Pärt

Cast: Özkan Özen

Ali Bey Kayali

Elit Iscan

Running Time: 110 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm, in Turkish, with English subtitles

International Sales: Memento Films

International

Print Source: Kino International

Film Website: kino.com/timesandwinds

Selected Filmography: Kosmos (2009)

My Only Sunshine (2008)

What’s a Human Anyway? (2004)

A Run for Money (1999) Oh Moon (1989)

Kosmos

TURKEY/BULGARIA 2009

SATURDAY MAY 21 6:15 PM HARVARD EXIT

SUNDAY MAY 22 1:30 PM HARVARD EXIT

SUNDAY JUNE 12 3:30 PM KIRKLAND PERFORMANCE CTR

On the periphery of a remote, archaic Turkish village, a mysterious stranger, Kosmos, seems to materialize out of the snowy landscape just in time to save a small boy from drowning in a freezing river. A grateful community welcomes him, especially when he is able to perform other miraculous feats, healing sufferers of diseases of the body and the mind. But this welcome soon wears thin in the face of his oracular mutterings, his tendency to steal the money of others as freely as he gives away his own, and his attentions to the daughter of a local man, a courtship conducted entirely in the calls of wild birds. When a child whom he had previously cured sickens and dies, the village, already engaged in a simmering border conflict, begins to close ranks. As much a vision for how the world might be as a lamentation for how it is, Kosmos is a work of profound imagination and captivating beauty.

Awards: Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival 2009 (Best Film, Director, Cinematography)

Director: Reha Erdem

Producer: Ömer Atay

Screenwriter: Reha Erdem

Cinematographer: Florent Herry

Editor: Reha Erdem

Cast: Sermet Yesil

Türkü Turan

Hakan Altuntas

Running Time: 122 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm, in Turkish, with English subtitles

International Sales: Atlantik Film

Print Source: Atlantik Film

Film Website: kosmos.com.tr

Selected Filmography: My Only Sunshine (2008)

Times and Winds (2006)

Mommy, I’m Scared (2004)

A Run for Money (1999)

Oh Moon (1989)

futurewave feature films

SIFF FutureWave: Expanding Cinema Through Education offers youth and educators a direct link both to the Festival and the local filmmaking community.

Celebrating two complementary activities, film viewing and filmmaking, FutureWave includes compelling, relevant and enjoyable films and meaningful workshops for youth. Together, these components advance SIFF’s leadership role in creating an audience that is more informed, aware, and alive.

FutureWave workshops include filmmaker visits to school classrooms, special student screenings both in-school and at SIFF venues, film study and discussion guides, post-film discussions, digital technology classes, SuperFly filmmaking, and our FutureWave Shorts program featuring creative filmmaking from youth under 19 years old.

In 2010, SIFF formed the SIFF FutureWave Committee. Comprised of 17 students aged 15 – 20 from 16 different schools across the Puget Sound. They have defined themselves as a group of young adults from the Seattle area who foster a community of young film enthusiasts by making film accessible, planning events, promoting awareness, and empowering the next generation. The Committee has been working on a variety of great plans for the 2011 Festival including viral videos and a special All-Ages FutureWave Opening Night Party at the Vera Project on May 22, 2011 following the 4:00 pm screening of Hooked. More information on FutureWave Events and Applications to join the 2011/12 Committee is available by e-mailing futurewave@siff.net.

Matthew Wolf, Amelia Elizalde, Kevin Schilling, Kimberly Dinehart, Matt Dahl, and Eston McKeague. Not pictured: Coco Harlan, Patricia Hein, Naomi Nelson, Ruby Rivchun,

For the third year, SIFF has selected a jury of eight high school students to view all nine FutureWave films and award their favorite film with the Youth Jury Award for Best FutureWave Feature.

Mierzejewski,

Olivia Cameron, Sophomore, Lakeside School

Sang-won (Michael) Kim, Senior, Northwest School

Shaira Mae Tabobo, Sophomore, Cleveland HS

The FutureWave feature film program invites teens to the cinema for nine great international feature films that will excite and challenge youth, engaging them in the joy of discovery at the Festival. This year’s selections come from all across the world and feature vampires, video gamers, breakdancers, young love, and so much more. For more information on these films visit their full descriptions at the pages below each film.

The Darkest Matter (USA, 2011)

World Premiere

Directed by James Fox

Appropriate for teens 13 and up. See page 195

Detention (USA, 2011)

Directed by Joseph Kahn

Appropriate for teens 17 and up. Contains bloody violence, nudity, and strong language. See page 195

Finding Kind (USA, 2011)

Directed by Lauren Parsekian

Appropriate for teens 13 and up. See page 173

Hooked (Russia, 2010)

Directed by Pavel Sanayev

Appropriate for teens 15 and up. Contains strong action violence and brief sensuality. See page 228

King of Devil’s Island (Norway, 2010)

North American Premiere

Directed by Marius Holst

Appropriate for teens 13 and up. See page 234

Nobody (Greece, 2010)

North American Premiere

Directed by Christos Nikoleris

Appropriate for teens 15 and up. Contains gang violence and a scene of sexuality. See page 242

Saigon Electric (Vietnam/USA, 2011)

Directed by Stephane Gauger

Appropriate for teens 13 and up. See page 51

Submarine (United Kingdom, 2010)

Directed by Richard Ayoade

Appropriate for teens 17 and up. Contains strong language and sexual themes. See page 257

We Are the Night (Germany, 2010) US Premiere

Directed by Dennis Gansel

Appropriate for teens 17 and up. Contains scenes of bloody horror and violence. See page 265

The FutureWave Committee is (from left to right): Haley Budigan, Cyrus Cumming, Eimanne El Zein, Geoff Tabor, Niki Ang, Clark Travaglini, Austin Sveilis,

Brianna Underhill, Sophomore, Stanwood HS

Carter Sherman, Junior, Nathan Hale HS

Lia Abrams, Sophomore, Garfield HS

Lukas Irwin, Freshman, West Seattle HS

Maxwell

Junior, Center School

THE 2011 FUTUREWAVE YOUTH JURY IS COMPRISED OF:

A non-profit academic institution, is coming to the United States!

With over 12 years of experience teaching industry leaders in Australian video game development, digital special effects for the screen, advanced digital media and animation we are bringing our focused and proven course content to the USA. Additionally we offer exchange programs between our Australian campus’s and our American ones. Our courses have a maximum ratio of 25:1 student/teacher and are balanced to allow students to work part-time while taking their courses.

We encourage you to look over our information at our website and send us an email at international@aie.edu.au and one of our outreach coordinators will get back to you. In Q2, 2011 check into our US website at www.theaie.us for specifics about our US content and schedules.

For Summer 2011 we also will be starting to introduce students ages 15-18 to introductory video game development through our 1 week cyber camps in Washington State and Louisiana. This will be during July and the first part of August and serves as a good introduction to the way video games are developed. Enrollment is limited at each location to a maximum of 50 students/week so early registration is recommended.

THE ACADEMY OF INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT

futurewave shorts

SIFF is proud to present FutureWave Shorts 2011, a program of new films created by filmmakers younger than 19 years old whose talents celebrate the creative possibilities of the art form.

The Adventures of Flying Boy and Floating Girl

USA, 2010, 5 minutes

director: Jimmy Peguero

A still photo animation featuring a boy who feels ignored by the world and decides to search for his spirit.

Borderless Sky

USA, 2010, 8 minutes

director: Gwyn Martin-Morris, Sahar Shakeri Iranian citizens comment on their struggles in the United States.

Deaf Perspective

USA, 2011, 5 minutes

director: Rogan Shannon

A deaf filmmaker shares what it is like to experience his world.

Henry

USA, 2010, 7 minutes

director: Amelia Elizalde

Seattle muralist R. Henry Ward vs. art critic Regina Hackett.

History Is... Our Story

USA 2011, 3 minutes

director: Tony Elevathingal

This is the story of the human race. Our culture defines and shapes us as people. This is our story. Let’s write it right.

How Could She?

USA, 2010, 5 minutes

director: Kevin Rieg

A young man struggles with the truth in his relationship.

These inspiring original short films represent some of the best short filmmaking from around the world. Also included in the program will be the J. Michael Award winner from the Seattle Times ThreeMinute Masterpiece digital film contest and the MOHAI “History Is…” Competition Youth Winner.

The WaveMaker Award for Excellence in Youth Filmmaking will be presented to a film chosen in recognition of its artistic and technical achievement. In addition to the recognition award, TheFilmSchool will also be providing a scholarship to their Prodigy Camp, a week-long immersive overnight film camp for youth ages 12-18 held in late July.

The King

USA, 2011, 6 minutes

director: Henry Zaballos

A young boy stranded on a deserted island passes the time by having small adventures looking for new friends.

A Makeshift Reality

Ireland, 2010, 3 minutes

director: Kathryn McClure

A beautiful paper animation about a fox, chalk, a ladder and a tree.

The Million Dollar Watch

USA, 2010, 7 minutes

director: Joseph Yao

A boy accidntally breaks his friend’s toy gun and kicks off a twisting tale of theft and pursuit.

Momo

USA, 2011, 7 minutes

director: David Johnson

An observational documentary about two Tibentan refugees living in North India and their daily routine of making steamed dumplings to sell at a town market.

Noticed

Canada, 2010, 1 minute

director: Reel Youth CampOut Word play helps to release negative energy.

On the Terrace

of a Thousand Yellow Sons

USA, 2010, 4 minutes

director: Luca Balsner

A visual poem that illuminates a young girl’s fragile inner life through a repeated, metaphoric action.

Reflection

USA, 2011, 6 minutes

director: Blair Scott

While on a jog, Ted finds a wallet but soon discovers he’s invited something much more sinister back into his house.

Seaweed

Sweden, 2010, 5 minutes

director: Ida Svenonius

Set in the Swedish archipelago, Seaweed tells the story of an adolescent girl’s sudden confrontation with her biggest phobia, seaweed.

Technicolor Love

USA, 2011, 3 minutes

director: Rachel Townsend

Two animated dreamers wake to the realization that they must find each other.

A Walk Through the Paintings of Raveel

Belgium, 2010, 2 minutes

director: Children of the Academy

The paintings in a gallery come to animated life.

Weathered

Ireland, 2010, 3 minutes

director: Johnathan Boyd

A rugged Irishman returns to the ocean.

We Wonder, We Create

USA, 2011, 3 minutes

director: Students at South Shore School

Using a variety of styles of animation, elementary school students describe the creative process.

superfly filmmaking

SIFF FutureWave: Expanding Cinema through Education empowers youth

to work collaboratively, communicate ideas, exercise potential, and take positive action in their communities. This mission is embodied in the SuperFly Filmmaking Workshop, a partnership with Longhouse Media, based within a Pacific Northwest Native American community. In this program, young filmmakers are asked to collaboratively comment on their world using multimedia and digital tools. Join us for the SuperFly 2011 premiere on June 4 at 4:00pm at the Harvard Exit as we celebrate the 6th Anniversary of this unique program.

Stones

USA, 2009, 20 minutes

director: Ty Sanga

In ancient Hawai’i, a forlorn woman living in isolation with her husband meets a child and contemplates whether to bring her into a mystical world.

The Rocket Boy

USA, 2010, 15 minutes

director: Donavan Seschillie Calvin builds a makeshift space rocket that he hopes to use to find his father.

The Cave

Canada, 2009, 11 minutes

director: Helen Haig-Brown

A hunter on horseback accidentally discovers a portal to another world in this fantastical true Tsilhqot’in story.

Beginning on June 2, 50 young filmmakers from around the country will convene in Seattle to participate in SuperFly 2011, the 6th Annual 36-hour filmmaking workshop, organized by Longhouse Media. Divided into five teams, the filmmakers are provided with an original script crafted by Andrew Okpeaha MacLean, the director of the award winning Sikumi and Sundance competition favorite and 2011 SIFF selection On the Ice. (MacLean, honored for his artistic genius at the recent Berlin International Film Festival 2011 with a Crystal Bear Award for Best First Feature Film, is widely recognized for his unique story telling style and cinematic gift). This year’s script is a reflective piece, exploring the theme of “environment.” Each SuperFly team will have less than two days to storyboard, shoot, and edit their films, which will then premiere four hours after completion at the SuperFly and Native Showcase Shorts Program screening on June 4.

Previous SuperFly films (based on scripts by Sherman Alexie, Sterlin Harjo, and Peter Bratt) have played at festivals around the country, inspiring other communities to use digital media for education and social activism. SuperFly has caught the attention of many youth media organizations and national media centers, including the Smithsonian Museum’s media initiatives, Sundance programmers, and National Geographic’s All Roads Film Festival. Finally, included with this year’s SuperFly screening will be three shorts from the 2011 Sundance Native Showcase: Stones, The Rocket Boy, and The Cave.

The mission of Longhouse Media is to catalyze indigenous people and communities to use media as a tool for self-expression, cultural preservation, and social change. Longhouse Media draws from both traditional and modern forms of artistic expression, storytelling, teaching, and inquiry.

siff in the schools

SIFF FutureWave: Expanding Cinema Through Education

Students from elementary to high school attend award-winning films from around the world.

Filmmakers visit classrooms across artistic and academic disciplines to share their knowledge of filmmaking and cross-cultural understanding with students around Puget Sound.

Expanded content and weekend hours give technically-minded film enthusiasts more hands-on training with our Digital Media Lab.

Filmmaker Visits

SIFF sees the arrival of over 150 international filmmakers to the Festival each year. Whenever possible, SIFF FutureWave invites these artists into classrooms and community organizations around Puget Sound to share their real-world experience. These visits are integrated into a multitude of school subjects and provide professional role models for every age group. In all cases, students get a first-hand opportunity to talk directly with filmmakers who will meet with students, sometimes offering constructive suggestions on student projects, using their expertise as a catalyst for discussion, or bringing clips from their film to the school for a candid Q+A.

School Screenings

Films are carefully selected by the SIFF programming team to reach a broad range of learning levels and interests for students and teachers all the way from elementary through high school. Content areas include foreign films produced in countries whose languages are taught, as well as motion pictures that enhance learning in classrooms for world cultures, civics, science, nature, and the arts. School Screenings are offered free of charge and transportation is provided when possible for schools in need.

Filmmakers Forums and Digital Media Lab –June 4 and 5, 2011

Students of all ages may attend free workshops through SIFF’s Filmmaker Forums and Digital Media Lab. In the Forums, filmmakers and interested audiences may explore a variety of topics including new methods of distribution, CGI/Green Screen filmmaking, and innovation in storytelling. Digital Media Lab classes afford students of all ages with “hands-on” experience with computers and filmmaking as well as skill-building in editing, video game based animation, and even the opportunity to create your own film with filmmaker mentorship. There is plenty of time to work with instructors, ask questions, and get more immersed in the world of filmmaking through panel discussions with industry professionals. See page 139 for class times and course descriptions.

Dustin Kaspar and director Emily Kunstler

films4families

Join SIFF each weekend morning throughout the Festival for extraordinary matinee experiences of both international and new American films created for children and the young at heart.

Films4Families is a celebration of the whole family coming together to share the movie-going experience. We are proud to present our outstanding 2011 line-up, featuring some of the best children’s features and shorts from around the world, in both live action and animation. Seattle families will be among the first audiences to enjoy these creative treasures.

SIFF is also delighted to have the Films4Families

Youth Jury back for another year. Comprised of seven elementary and middle school youth, the jury will watch all features to determine their favorite, and crown the winner with the Youth Jury Award for Best Films4Families Feature at the Golden Space Needle Awards on June 12, 2011.

THE 2011 FILMS4FAMILIES YOUTH JURY IS COMPRISED OF:

Ben Davis, 2nd Grade, Lakeridge Elementary

Eli Barnett, 4th Grade, Homeschool

Emma Grossman, 3rd Grade, Bertschi Elementary

Jaden Rials, 5th Grade, Woodside Elementary

Jaxon Allen, 5th Grade, Kelsey Creek Homeschool Resource Center

Manah Watkins, 5th Grade, Olympic View Elementary

Maya Lazo-Fanning, 5th Grade, Giddens School

Being Elmo: A Puppeteer’s Journey (USA, 2011)

Directed by Constance Marks

In English. Recommended for Ages 8+

A Cat In Paris (France, 2010)

Directed by Alain Gagnol and Jean-Loup Felicioli

In English (dubbed). Recommended for Ages 8+, Contains mild language and gangster-related violence.

Circus Dreams (USA, 2011)

Directed by Signe Taylor

In English. Recommended for Ages 8+.

The Family Picture Show

Family short film program featuring 13 films from around the world. Recommended for Ages 5+. See page 160

Kung Fu Panda 2 (USA, 2011)

Directed by Jennifer Yuh

In English. Rated PG for sequences of martial arts action and mild violence.

The Sandman and the Lost Sand of Dreams (Germany, 2010)

Directed by Jesper Moller and Sinem Sakagolu

In English (dubbed). All Ages.

The Sound of Mumbai: A Musical (United Kingdom, 2010)

Directed by Sarah McCarthy

In English and Hindi with English subtitles. Recommended for Ages 8+

A Thousand Times Stronger (Sweden, 2010) US Premiere

Directed by Peter Schildt

In Swedish with English subtitles. Recommended for Ages 10+ Contains language and more mature gender-oriented themes.

Toy Story: Hawaiian Vacation + A Look at Cars 2 (USA, 2011) US Premiere

Directed by Gary Rydstrom

In English. Presented with clips from Cars 2 and a presentation from a member of the Pixar production team.

Winnie The Pooh (USA, 2011)

Directed by Stephen J. Anderson and Don Hall

In English. Rated G.

Being Elmo: A Puppeteer’s Journey

USA 2011

FRIDAY JUNE 3 4:30 PM

KIRKLAND PERFORMANCE CENTER

SUNDAY JUNE 5 11:00 AM SIFF CINEMA

Everybody loves Elmo, the helium-voiced, eternally 3-and-a-half-year-old monster who has captivated millions of children around the world. Yet the man behind the Muppet, Kevin Clash, wouldn’t be recognized by most people without his furry red companion on his arm.

Filmmakers Constance Marks and Philip Shane reveal Clash’s genius to the world with this inspiring documentary about his remarkable rise as a puppeteering legend. Mesmerized by “Captain Kangaroo” as a child, Clash dreamed of being a puppeteer. Making his own puppets from household materials (including his dad’s coat lining), he put on shows for the other kids in the Baltimore neighborhood where he grew up. His talents eventually landed him a spot at “Sesame Street,” where he performed several characters until, on a fateful day in 1984, he was literally handed the role of a lesser-known character named Elmo. After a few days of experimenting, Clash decided that Elmo’s central theme was “love”—and a new Muppet megastar was born. Using archival footage and interviews from fellow “muppeteers,” Being Elmo is a rare glimpse behind the scenes of this magical world, as well as an emotional reminder about how far you can go when you follow your dreams. Recommended for Ages 8+

PRECEDED BY:

We Wonder, We Create USA, 2011, 3 minutes, director: Students at South Shore School Using a variety of styles of animation, elementary school students describe the creative process.

Adobe Youth Voices

Director: Constance Marks

Producers: Constance Marks

James Miller

Corinne LaPook

Screenwriters: Philip Shane

Justin Weinstein

Cinematographer: James Miller

Editors: Philip Shane

Justin Weinstein

Music: Joel Goodman

Featuring: Kevin Clash

Whoopi Golberg

Frank Oz

Cheryl Henson

Bill Barreta

Fran Brill

Joan Ganz Cooney

Rosie O’Donnell

Running Time: 85 minutes

Presentation

Format: HDCAM

Print Source:

Constance Marks

Production

Film Website: beingelmo.com

Selected

Filmography: Green Chimneys (1997)

UNE VIE DE CHAT

A Cat In Paris

MONDAY MAY 30 1:00 PM

EVERETT PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

SUNDAY JUNE 5 1:00 PM KIRKLAND PERFORMANCE CENTER

SATURDAY JUNE 11 11:00 AM EGYPTIAN THEATRE

How often have cat owners pondered the inscrutable nighttime antics of their feline companions? A Cat In Paris parts the curtains on one such mystery, illuminating the nocturnal escapades of a black cat named Dino. By day, Dino is a common house cat, companion to the young, lonely Zoe, who hasn’t uttered a word since her father’s recent murder. After dark, Dino scales the rooftops of Paris as the skillful accomplice to Nico, a clever and bighearted burglar. On one action-filled night, a thrilling adventure involving jewels, gangsters, and secret identities unfolds. Will Zoe find her voice and help bring down the nefarious ruffian responsible for her father’s death? Can a cat and a cat burglar somehow foil a criminal plot while avoiding police capture themselves? The answers are in this gorgeously illustrated love letter to Paris from France’s most acclaimed animation studio, Gebeka. In this unique throwback to the traditional art form, every cell of the film has been hand-painted with an exquisite soft palette that mirrors the magic and whimsy of the city of lights. A Cat In Paris will enchant fans of felines, animation, mystery, and adventure young and old. Recommended for Ages 8+ (contains mild language and gangster-related violence).

Directors: Alain Gagnol

Jean-Loup Felicioli

Producers:

Emmanuel Bernard

Annemie Desryse

Arnaud Demy

Jacques-Remy Girerd

Screenwriters: Alain Gagnol

Jacques-Remy Girerd

Cinematographer: Benoît Razy

Editor: Hervé Guichard

Music: Serge Besset

Running Time: 70 minutes

Presentation Format: HDCAM, (dubbed in English)

International Sales: Films Distribution

Print Source: GKids

Film Website: catinparis.com

Selected Filmography: Debut Feature Film

Circus Dreams

USA 2011

SUNDAY MAY 22 11:00 AM

SIFF CINEMA

SATURDAY JUNE 4 11:00 AM SIFF CINEMA

These aren’t your average group of kids. They are clowns, trapeze artists, jugglers, and other entertainers who have discovered a passion for the circus arts. In Circus Dreams, that passion finds its true calling at Circus Smirkus, the only traveling youth circus in the US, annually assembling the finest young circus performers for its summer tour. Beginning with unprecedented access into the auditioning process, the film highlights the trials and tribulations of a variety of performers as they perfect their acts and nervously wait for their audition results. The 27 selected performers spend the summer together training full-time, and will eventually put on 70 performances in 15 towns. Circus Dreams perfectly balances the fun of circus performance with insightful, behind-the-scenes drama and its message that dedication to your passion translates into talent and ambition—no matter what the age. Director Signe Taylor has captured an inspiring portrait of kids who break free of the stereotypes that are assumed by mainstream media and possess the desire to reach for their youthful ambitions. Recommended for Ages 8+

Following both SIFF Cinema presentations of Circus Dreams, Teatro ZinZanni invites 40 youth, ages 5-18, to their antique spiegel tent across Mercer Street for a special Circus Arts Workshop. This hour and a half session will be an introduction into the world of circus, touching on various forms such as clowning, juggling, acrobatics, and more! You can learn more about the ZinZanni Institute for Circus Arts (ZICA) at zica. zinzanni.org. Once you have purchased your tickets to the screening, contact futurewave@siff.net to reserve your child’s space for this exciting experience. If the workshop fills up with advance reservations, we will have a rush line to fill the spots for participants that haven’t shown up.

Director:

Signe Taylor

Producer: Signe Taylor

Cinematographer: Erin Hudson

Editors: Peter Rhodes

Virginie Danglades

Music: Peter Bufano

Running Time: 82 minutes

Presentation

Format: DigiBeta

Print Source: Signe Taylor

Film Website: circusdreams.net

Selected

Filmography: Debut Feature Film

Kung Fu Panda 2 USA 2011

SATURDAY MAY 21 11:00 AM

PACIFIC PLACE CINEMAS

In 2008, DreamWorks Animation delighted critics and audiences alike with the creativity of Kung Fu Panda, combining a modern popculture delight with the rich cinematic history of martial arts films. In 2011, Po the Panda (master of comic timing Jack Black) and his fellow Kung Fu Masters, The Furious Five, are back in a new 3D animated adventure, with a sequel that riffs on all the pleasures of the original while charting new territory for its lead. The Kaboom of Doom, a weapon harnessed by a formidable villain (Gary Oldman, seething with bad guy venom), is poised to wreak havoc on the Valley of Peace by wiping kung fu out of existence, leaving China entirely defenseless. Amidst the inspired fight sequences and jokes about his unheroic physique, Po must dig in to his past to uncover his mysterious origins and find the inner strength he needs to defeat the weapon that could destroy not just his livelihood, but also his home. SIFF audiences will be among the first to celebrate the pleasures of this family-friendly action fantasy. Rated PG for sequences of martial arts action and mild violence.

Director:

Jennifer Yuh

Producer:

Melissa Cobb

Screenwriters:

Jonathan Aibel

Glenn Berger

Music:

John Powell

Hans Zimmer

Voices of:

Jack Black

Jackie Chan

Angelina Jolie

Gary Oldman

Dustin Hoffman

Lucy Liu

Running Time: 110 minutes

Presentation Format: DCP in 3D

International Sales: DreamWorks Animation

Print Source:

Paramount Pictures

Film Website: kungfupanda.com

Selected Filmography: Debut Feature Film

The Sandman and the Lost Sand of Dreams

SATURDAY MAY 21 11:00 AM RENTON IKEA PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

FRIDAY MAY 27 4:30 PM

SUNDAY MAY 29 11:00 AM

ADMIRAL THEATER

NEPTUNE THEATRE

The Dreamworld is in peril when Habumar, dispenser of nightmares and all-around deviant, steals The Sands of Dreams. The benevolent Sandman sends his trusty sidekick, a sheep named Nepomuk, to the real world to fetch a fearless captain who will assist them in saving the day. However, Nepomuk accidentally recruits Miko, a sweet and timid little boy who happens to be playing dress-up. Miko transforms into an animated puppet and together they travel to the film’s surreal stop-motion dreamscape to join forces with the Sandman. The trio then sets out on an epic adventure to save Dreamworld amidst a slew of zany characters. To succeed in defeating Habumar and his evil gang, Miko will have to learn to overcome his fears and shyness and embrace the power of dreams. The production of Germany’s first stop-motion animated feature was an incredible feat. Along with a team of more than 350 people, directors Sinem Sakagolu and Jesper Moller created, on average, 2.5 seconds of animation a day over the course of three years. The result is a meticulously executed, visually spellbinding film that is sure to become a new children’s classic alongside such stop-motion masterpieces such as James and the Giant Peach and Fantastic Mr. Fox. Recommended for All Ages.

PRECEDED BY: Technicolor Love

USA, 2011, 3 minutes, director: Rachel Townsend

Two animated dreamers wake to the realization that they must find each other. Adobe Youth Voices

The Sound of Mumbai: A Musical

UNITED KINGDOM 2010

SUNDAY MAY 22 11:00 AM RENTON IKEA PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

SATURDAY JUNE 4 1:00 PM KIRKLAND PERFORMANCE CENTER

SUNDAY JUNE 12 11:00 AM SIFF CINEMA

Directors: Jesper Moller

Sinem Sakagolu

Producers: Michael Schmetz

Jan Bonath

Screenwriters: Katharina Reschke

Jan Strathmann

Cast: David Gasman

Hayden Peyard

Allan Wenger

Running Time: 81 minutes

Presentation

Format: DigiBeta, in English (dubbed)

International Sales: Bac Films

Print Source: Bac Films

Film Website: vd-fx.com/project/ sandman

Selected

Filmography: Jesper Moller: Friends Forever (2009)

Asterix and the Vikings (2006)

Sinem Sakagolu: Debut Feature Film

The sprawling opening of The Sound of Mumbai overlays the slums of Mumbai with the effervescent voice of Julie Andrews belting out “The Hills are Alive…” setting the stage for Sarah McCarthy’s exceptional and insightful new documentary. The Sound of Music has transcended generations and cultures since its premiere, and rarely moreso than in this performance from the Bombay Chamber Orchestra featuring impoverished young performers from Mumbai. The film jumps immediately into the audition process, giving a spectrum of the young talent that has not had enough chance to shine. Once the cast is selected, director McCarthy focuses on one boy, Ashish, whose family dreams that this opportunity will pull him out of the slums. Along with the compelling rehearsal drama of producing a musical, The Sound of Mumbai also captures the extraordinary way that some people live in India. Perfect for younger audiences, the film celebrates the arts as a means to bring people together, allowing everyone to feel rich and experience the pleasures of life. By the time the music swells and Ashish shares his toothy grin, audiences will bear witness to a phenomenal performance that will brighten even the darkest days. Recommended for ages 8+

PRECEDED BY:

Regular Kids

USA, 2010, 13 minutes, director: Richard Leder Unable to go trick-or-treating, a circus family makes Halloween special for their kids.

Director: Sarah McCarthy

Producer: Joe Walters

Cinematographer: Liam Iandoli

Editor: John Mister

Music: Richard Rodgers & Oscar Hammerstein

Running Time: 64 minutes

Presentation

Format: HDCAM, in English and Hindi, with English subtitles

International Sales: Goldcrest Films

International

Print Source: HBO Films

Film Website: thesoundofmumbai.org

Selected Filmography: Black Widow Granny (2009)

Murderers on the Dancefloor (2008)

Every community needs one. We know every community has one.

TUSEN GÅNGER STARKARE

A Thousand Times Stronger

SWEDEN 2010

US PREMIERE

Brotherton Cadillac Buick GMC proudly presents Brotherton Community Champion in partnership with the KOMO News Network.

Each month, Brotherton Community Champions honors someone who is striving to make a difference in his or her community. Working with kids, parents, senior citizens, the underprivileged, the homeless, etc – it’s these types of people who don’t seek it – but deserve to be recognized for their efforts.

We encourage you to tell us about someone that’s making a difference by submitting a photo and story to KOMOnews.com. At the end of the month, we’ll ask our online visitors, KOMO 4 TV viewers, and KOMO Newsradio AM 1000/97.7 FM listeners to read these stories and then vote on their favorites.

At the end of our cycle, past Champions are paired with a local filmmaker, and a short film is produced based upon each winner’s contribution to their community. These short films are posted at komonews.com and voted on by visitors. The top three are then showcased at a special Seattle International Film Festival event on Thursday, May 26 at 5:00 pm at the Renton IKEA Performing Arts Center. Join us at SIFF in celebrating these local heroes!

SATURDAY MAY 28 1:00 PM EVERETT PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

MONDAY MAY 30 10:00 AM PACIFIC PLACE CINEMAS

SATURDAY JUNE 11 1:00 PM KIRKLAND PERFORMANCE CENTER

It’s business as usual at this Swedish high school: teachers drone their way through classes, the girls stay within firmly enforced cliques, and the boys rule the roost. All that changes, however, with the arrival of a new, much-traveled female student named Saga (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’s Julia Sporre), whose presence threatens to start a revolution. Before long the classes are buzzing, lunchroom tables are mingling, and the girls are discovering what it’s like to wield the power. But can Saga’s influence last? Director Peter Schildt’s wry adaptation of Christina Herrström’s novel is a breezy delight, with a real feel for the everyday crises of teenage life, and a keen eye for the way comedy can subtly shift into drama. Narrated (occasionally) by a wallflower student in the process of finding her unique voice, this empowering film takes an affectionate look at today’s teens, with results both bittersweet and hopeful. Recommended for ages 10+. Contains language and more mature gender-oriented themes.

Director: Peter Schildt

Producers: Rickard Petrelius

Peter Possne

Sara Sjöö

Screenwriter: Christiana Herrström

Cinematographer: Rolf Lindström

Editor:

Anders Nylander

Music: Anders Melander

Cast: Julia Sporre

Judit Weegar

Happy Jankell

Hjalmar Ekström

Running Time: 85 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm, in Swedish, with English subtitles

International Sales: Svensk Film

Print Source: Swedish Film Institute

Film Website: sfinternational.se/film/athousand-times-stronger

Selected Filmography: Suxxess (2002) Big Business (1985)

Toy Story: Hawaiian Vacation + a Look at Cars 2

USA 2011

US PREMIERE

SUNDAY MAY 22 1:00 PM

PACIFIC PLACE CINEMAS

SIFF is thrilled to be hosting the US premiere of Hawaiian Vacation, a 3D Toy Story short in which Woody and Buzz lead a group of toys in giving Ken and Barbie the Hawaiian vacation of their dreams. However, due to Ken badly miscalculating the travel arrangements, it has to take place in a girl’s bedroom in the Midwest in the middle of winter. This brand new sixminute short film features the entire original cast of favorite characters from the Toy Story films, and will precede the feature presentation of Cars 2, which hits the track on June 24, 2011, and will be presented in 3D and IMAX® 3D in select theaters. Following Hawaiian Vacation, we are excited to present select clips from Disney-Pixar’s upcoming comedy adventure Cars 2, along with a very special presentation from a member from the film’s production team! A unique experience for the whole family, this look behind-the-scenes of a Pixar production also provides a rare personal interaction that will deepen the appreciation of Pixar’s extraordinary animated films.

Director:

Gary Rydstrom

Producer:

Galyn Susman

Featuring the voices of:

Tom Hanks

Tim Allen

Michael Keaton

Jodi Benson

Joan Cusack

Don Rickles

Wallace Shawn

John Ratzenberger

Estelle Harris

Blake Clark

Kristen Schaal

Bonnie Hunt

Timothy Dalton

Jeff Garlin

Running Time: Short film 6 minutes

Full program 70 minutes

Presentation Format: 3D DCP

Print Source: Pixar Animation Studios/ Walt Disney Pictures

Winnie the Pooh USA 2011

SATURDAY JUNE 11 9:30 AM

MAJESTIC BAY CINEMAS

SUNDAY JUNE 12 1:30 PM EGYPTIAN THEATRE

Featuring the timeless charm, wit, and whimsy of the original featurettes, this all-new movie from Walt Disney Animation Studios reunites audiences with the philosophical “bear of very little brain” and friends Tigger, Rabbit, Piglet, Owl, Kanga—and last, but certainly not least, Eeyore, who has lost his tail. Inspired by three stories from A.A. Milne’s books, Owl sends the gang on a wild quest to save Christopher Robin from an imaginary culprit, and it turns out to be a very busy day for a bear who simply set out to find some honey. Dynamic directing duo Stephen Anderson and Don Hall worked with Veteran Disney animator Burny Mattinson to present Winnie the Pooh in traditional handdrawn 2D animation. This new adventure also showcases fresh musical talent: actress and musician Zooey Deschanel (She & Him) provides the vocals for a special rendition of the beloved “Winnie the Pooh” theme song, while Tony® Award-winning songwriter Bobby Lopez and his wife Kristen crafted six new songs. Bring back the magic by returning to the Hundred Acre Wood at SIFF for a family event that will warm everyone’s hearts.

PRECEDED BY:

The Ballad of Nessie (d:Stevie Wermers-Skelton, Kevin Deters, USA 2011, 6 min), Set in the “bonny blue highlands” of Scotland, The Ballad of Nessie is a whimsical and colorful tall tale about the friendly Loch Ness monster, Nessie, and how she and her best friend MacQuack the rubber duck came to live in the moor they now call home.

Directors: Stephen Anderson

Don Hall

Producers:

Peter Del Vecho

Clark Spencer

Executive Producer: John Lasseter

Senior Story Artist: Burny Mattinson

Based on the “Winnie the Pooh”

Works by. A.A. Milne and E.H.

Shepard

Music:

Henry Jackman

Kristen Anderson-Lopez

Robert Lopez

Zooey Deschanel

Supervising Animators: Mark Henn

Randy Haycock

Dale L. Baer

Andreas Deja

Eric Goldberg

Bruce W. Smith

Voices of: John Cleese

Jim Cummings

Bud Luckey

Craig Ferguson

Jack Boulter

Travis Oates

Kristen Anderson-Lopez

Wyatt Dean Hall

Tom Kenny

Huell Howser

Running Time: 64 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm

Print Source: Walt Disney Pictures

Film Website: disney.com/pooh

Selected Filmography:

Stephen Anderson

Meet the Robinsons (2007)

The world’s most extensive exhibition of memorabilia celebrating the music and history of Seattle grunge luminaries, Nirvana, featuring rare and unseen artifacts and photography.

EMP is a proud supporter of SIFF’s Face the Music program

face the music

Now hear this: We’re bringing you Afropop legends, hometown heroes, child prodigies, scrappy symphonies, cool house parties, and a trashtalking Don Giovanni.

From Reykjavik to Johannesburg, the films from this year’s edition of Face the Music give us a glimpse into the lives of some of the world’s most talented musicians. Take a look at the inspiring life of Afropop pioneer and anti-Apartheid activist Miriam Makeba in Mama Africa, or join Brooklyn’s Le Tigre (led by ex-Bikini Kill singer and Evergreen alum Kathleen Hanna) as they take their clever, electroclash dance party around the world. Meet another Seattle legend in Hit So Hard, following the rough-and-tumble life of Hole’s Marysville-born drummer, Patty Schemel, or discover the equally dramatic life of André Mathieu, once hailed the “next Mozart,” in The Child Prodigy. Speaking of Mozart, this year’s program also offers two one-ofa-kind cinematic intersections of music and film: a scabrous film interpretation of Mozart’s Don Giovanni in Juan, and Backyard, the coolest block party. Ever. Kinshasa Symphony’s look at the unifying power of music will warm your heart. And Damien Jurado’s live performance of a brand new score for Russian Avant-Garde films will make an old master new again.

Damien Jurado and the Russian Avant-Garde

WEDNESDAY JUNE 8 7:00 PM AND 9:30 PM

TRIPLE DOOR

Though decades separate them, the music of Damien Jurado and the film styling of Dimitri Kirsanoff have a kinetic kinship. Both creations dwell in familiar pastoral scenes mixed with the avant-garde, Kirsanoff with vibrant montages of hand-held camerawork, and Jurado with indie-rock folk mixed with the occasional found sound recordings. Damien Jurado is a singer-songwriter in the indie-rock tradition, heavily influenced by folk music. He often makes use of found sound and field recording techniques and has experimented with different forms of tape recordings.

What adventures are waiting in the world abroad? What is beyond the familiar path outside the front door? The characters in Dimitri Kirsanoff’s short films can’t help but desire for the world afar. Whether they hope to break away from the baggage of their home life and explore the thrills of the big city as in Ménilmontant and Arriére Saison or are simply looking for that next prize as in the wild game hunt of La Mort Du Cerf or even in those precious moments of the past remembered as in Brumes D’Automne

Incorporating a mix of Russian Staccato stylistic camerawork and bold splashes of French emotional flares, Kirsanoff dances between a mix of the wilds of the country and the dark unknowns of the shadows of city life. Using both traditional filmmaking techniques and innovative blurring or racing touches prove why this Russian-born, French-adopted avant-garde craftsman is still honored today.

Ménilmontant France, 1926, 37 minutes

Brumes D’Automne France, 1928, 12 minutes

Arriére Saison France, 1950, 15 minutes

La Mort Du Cerf France, 1951, 12 minutes

The Thief of Bagdad

Re-imagined

by Shadoe Stevens with the Music of E.L.O. USA

1924

In the 1920s, Douglas Fairbanks’ passion project was to turn the tales of “One Thousand and One Nights” into one of the most lavish and fantastical films of the silent era. The Thief of Bagdad is just that, a no-holds-barred epic filled with indelible images of flying carpets, magical creatures, death-defying stunts, groundbreaking special effects, and sprawling sets. Sixty years later, radio personality Shadoe Stevens embarked on his own passion project, to take Fairbanks’ silent adventure and give it the ultimate rock soundtrack. After years of experimentation he discovered something surprising: that the lyrics, tone, and music of British art rock band Electric Light Orchestra were a perfect match for the film. The lush electric-symphonic music of E.L.O. perfectly punctuates scenes of Fairbanks cunningly picking pockets and scaling walls. And as our heroic thief meets the woman of his dreams, E.L.O.’s Jeff Lynne croons, “I’ve seen lovers flying through the air hand in hand / I’ve seen babies dancing in the midnight sun / And I’ve seen dreams that came from the heavenly skies above / But I never seen nothing like you.” The results of Stevens’ quixotic undertaking are nothing less than astounding.

Director: Raoul Walsh

Producer: Douglas Fairbanks

Screenwriters:

Achmed Abdullah

Douglas Fairbanks

Cinematographer: Arthur Edeson

Editors: William Nolan

Shadoe Stevens

Music: E.L.O.

Cast: Douglas Fairbanks

Julanne Johnston

Snitz Edwards

Charles Belcher

Running Time: 155 minutes

Presentation Format: DigiBeta

Selected Filmography:

A Private’s Affair (1959)

The Naked and the Dead (1958)

The Tall Men (1955)

White Heat (1949)

High Sierra (1941)

Music From the Film Winter’s Bone

Performed Live in Concert

Featuring Marideth Sisco, Blackberry Winter, Bo Brown, Van Colbert, Dennis Crider, Ted May and Linda Stoffel

Like the Oscar-nominated film, the soundtrack for Winter’s Bone has garnered much critical acclaim. Light In The Attic Records presents the musicians from the soundtrack performing their unique take on the traditional music of the Missouri Ozarks for SIFF audiences. The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack features the old time sounds of the Ozarks re-imagined for modern audiences by stunning vocalist Marideth Sisco. Her Ronnie Gilbert-inspired vocals are an absolute joy— and she’s an expert storyteller of the region as well. Her spoken word podcast, These Ozarks Hills, can be found online at KSMU. org and on iTunes. This talented line-up of performers also includes Dennis Crider, an expert Western Swing guitar picker; Missouri bluegrass maverick Bo Brown; claw hammer banjo picker Van Colbert; upright bass maven Tedi May, and Appalachian song stylist Linda Stoffel. Music from the Film Winter’s Bone Performed Live in Concert is a show that will delight fans of No Depression (a.k.a. alternative country) and classic Americana music.

Backyard

ICELAND 2010 NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE

THURSDAY MAY 26 4:00 PM

SUNDAY MAY 29 8:30 PM

Árni had an idea. He just wanted to record some friends in a simple way in his backyard. He’d set up some equipment in his shack, invite a few bands, and feed them all pizza and pancakes. He passed out a few flyers and before he knew it, some of the most exciting, young Icelandic musicians showed up to play. His humble project evolved into one of the most popular, intimate live events of the year, gathering a crowd of neighbors and music lovers from all around Reykjavak. This concert documentary gives us a glimpse into the city’s up-and-coming music scene—a tight, supportive group of musicians who bounce inspiration off one another’s sounds, from the sweet post-rock of Borko to the bouncy synthpop of FM Belfast. Mùm—experimental electronic veterans of the scene—also perform, as do newer groups such as Hjaltalin, who won Album of the Year at the 2010 Icelandic Music Awards. Backyard is a record of the independent Icelandic music scene with some of the most celebrated artists in Reykjavik today.

PRECEDED BY:

Scenes From the Suburbs

USA/Canada, 2010, 28 minutes, director: Spike Jonze

Spike Jonze welcomes us to the neighborhood backed by the energetic sounds of Grammy Award winners Arcade Fire. Those white picket fences just got a little grittier.

NEPTUNE THEATRE

ADMIRAL THEATER

Director: Árni Sveinsson

Producers: Árni Sveinsso

Sindri Páll Kjartansson

Baldvin Esra

Árni Rúnar Hlöðversson

Screenwriters: Árni Sveinsson

Árni Rúnar Hlöðversson

Cinematographers: Árni Sveinsson

Guðlaugur Arnar

Sigurðsson

Jón Tómas Einarsson

Ryan Parteka

Editor: Árni Sveinsson

Music: Mùm

Hjaltalín

FM Belfast

Retro Stefson

Sin Fang Borko

Reykjavík!

Running Time: 70 minutes

Presentation Format: DigiBeta, in Icelandic, with English subtitles

International Sales: Kimi Records

Print Source: Kimi Records

Film Website: backyardthefilm.com

Selected Filmography: Debut Feature Film

L’ENFANT PRODIGE

The Child Prodigy

CANADA (QUÉBEC) 2010

FRIDAY MAY 20 7:00 PM

PACIFIC PLACE CINEMAS

SUNDAY MAY 22 3:30 PM PACIFIC PLACE CINEMAS

THURSDAY JUNE 2 4:00 PM EVERETT PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

This gorgeously made biographical drama recounts the story of an extraordinarily gifted Canadian musical prodigy whose meteoric rise to fame in the 1930s was paralleled by a long, slow slide into depression and dissolution. At the age of six, child prodigy André Mathieu had already captivated critics and audiences alike with his mastery of the piano and his audacious composing skills, which astonished people who flocked to his concerts from New York to London to Paris. Trained by his piano teacher father and doted on by his overbearing mother, young André seemed to have everything going for him. Celebrated at home and abroad at a very young age, André possessed gifts which brought him great early acclaim, but also brought the curse of a fame that may have been too fast in coming for a boy whose emotional development could not possibly have kept pace with his musical renown. Replete with gorgeous musical passages and pitch-perfect performances, this is a movie to savor, even as its haunting story of a long-forgotten talent is a revelatory tale of great promise unfulfilled.

Director: Luc Dionne

Producers: Denise Robert

Daniel Louis

Screenwriter: Luc Dionne

Cinematographer: Bruce Chun

Editor: Jena-Francois Bergenon

Music: Alain Lefevre

Cast: Patrick Drolet

Marc Labreche

Macha Grenon

Karine Vanasse

Running Time: 113 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm, in French, with English subtitles

International Sales:

FunFilm Distribution Inc.

Print Source: FunFilm Distribution Inc.

Selected Filmography: Aurore (2005)

Flamenco, Flamenco

SPAIN 2010

SUNDAY MAY 22 7:00 PM

FRIDAY MAY 27 4:30 PM

MONDAY MAY 30 11:00 AM

SIFF CINEMA

EVERETT PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

Set in Seville’s 1992 Expo Pavilion

Soundstage, Carlos Saura presents 21 performances from Spain’s top musicians and dancers. Saura’s particular and personal way of producing “musical cinema” has enabled audiences all around the world to enjoy Spanish art through music, dancing, and incredibly beautiful singing. The performers, ranging from mature to newcomers, include Paco de Lucía, Manolo Sanlúcar, Tomatito and José Mercé, Estrella Morente, Sara Baras, Miguel Poveda, Israel Galván, Rafael Estévez, Nani Paños, Montse Cortés, and Eva la Yerbabuena. They dance and sing amongst giant reproductions of Flamenco artists from different centuries by such painters as Julio Romero de Torres, Zuloaga, and Goya. Oscar-winning cinematographer Vittorio Storaro (Apocalypse Now, The Last Emperor) bathes the performers and sets in superb lighting. This mixture of music, light, and cinema is one of the unique talents of director Saura (Blood Wedding, Carmen). In his sequel to his earlier film Flamenco, the filmmaker once again explores the established and current talents in the creative continuity of the art of Flamenco.

Hit So Hard USA 2011

FRIDAY MAY 27 9:00 PM

EGYPTIAN THEATRE

Director: Carlos Saura

Producers: Carlos Saura Medrano

Leslie Calvo

Juan Jesús Caballero

Javier Sánchez García

Screenwriter: Carlos Saura

Cinematographer: Vittorio Storaro

Editor: Vanessa Marimbert

Music: Igidro Muñoz

Cast: Sara Baras

Paco de Lucía

Miña Pastori

José Mercé

Running Time: 90 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm, in Spanish, with English subtitles

International Sales: Imagina International Sales

Print Source: Imagina International Sales

Film Website: flamencodecarlossaura.com

Selected Filmography: I, Don Giovanni (2009)

Iberia (2005)

The 7th Day (2004)

Goya in Bordeaux (1999)

Tango (1998)

Taxi (1996)

Flamenco (1995)

The Dark Night of the Soul (1989)

El Dorado (1988)

Carmen (1983)

Blood Wedding (1981)

Raise Ravens (1976)

Honeycomb (1969)

The Hunt (1966)

The Delinquents (1960)

EGYPTIAN THEATRE

SUNDAY MAY 29 4:00 PM NEPTUNE THEATRE

Legendary hard-hitting drummer Patty Schemel shares the most intimate and outrageous moments in her tumultuous life as a rock star in this revealing documentary. With an unassuming Peppermint Patty-like demeanor, Schemel was thrust from smalltown Washington State life into the limelight with the ever controversial and reckless band, Hole. Though Courtney Love was the band’s chaotic and thereby recognizable front woman, Schemel was its true innovator: a female rock drummer, openly gay woman, and recovering addict once on the brink of homelessness. P. David Ebersole’s documentary debut weaves through the most difficult and celebrated moments of Schemel’s life at the height of the grunge era. Hit So Hard features members of Hole, Veruca Salt, The Go-Go’s, Faith No More, and The Bangles to name a few, and includes never-before-seen home video capturing intimate family life with Kurt Cobain, Courtney Love, and an infant Francis Bean. This raw biographical account of one of rock’s most-groundbreaking women will inspire, consume, and empower you.

Director:

P. David Ebersole

Producers: Todd Hughes

Christina Soletti

Screenwriters: P. David Ebersole

Todd Hughes

Cinematographer: John Tanzer

Editor:

P. David Ebersole

Music:

Roddy Bottom

Featuring: Patty Schemel

Courtney Love

Kurt Cobain

Running Time: 103 minutes

Presentation Format:

HDCAM

International Sales: APA

Print Source: The Ebersole Hughes Company

Film Website: pattydoc.com

Selected Filmography: Straight Right (2000)

Juan

DENMARK 2010

TUESDAY MAY 31 7:00 PM

FRIDAY JUNE 3 4:30 PM

SUNDAY JUNE 5 6:00 PM

Pursued by both the law and his past conquests, a habitual seducer (Christopher Maltman) frantically scrambles to escape his self-knotted noose in this raunchy, cranked-to-eleven cinematic modernization of W.A. Mozart’s opera “Don Giovanni”.

One of the composer’s most darkly seductive scores is performed here by Concerto Copenhagen, under the baton of maestro Lars Ulrik Mortensen. The scabrous updated libretto (sung in English, with English subtitles) would no doubt have delighted the scatologically obsessed Mozart. Debuting filmmaker Kasper Holten, Artistic Director of the Danish Royal Opera, updates the action to a large modern city in the internet age, keeping his focus on the uneasy balance between artist and infamous playboy Juan’s sexual instinct and destructive drive (in a plot development that rings uncomfortably true these days, his downfall is hastened by his habit of taping his encounters). Resembling Black Swan in its shifts between reality and fantasy, Juan is a sensational fugue state of a film.

NEPTUNE THEATRE

NEPTUNE THEATRE

ADMIRAL THEATER

Director: Kasper Holten

Producers: Malene Blenkov

Michel Schønnemann

Screenwriters: Kasper Holten

Mogens Rukov

Cinematographer: András Nagy

Editor: Mikkel E.G. Nielsen

Music: Mozart

Cast: Christopher Maltman

Mikhail Petrenko

Elizabeth Futral

Maria Bengtsson

Peter Lodahl

Katija Dragojevic

Running Time: 104 minutes

Presentation Format:

35mm, in English, with English subtitles

International Sales: TrustNordisk

Print Source: Danish Film Institute

Film Website: juanfilm.dk/eng

Selected Filmography: Debut Feature Film

Kinshasa Symphony GERMANY 2010

SATURDAY MAY 28 3:30 PM

EVERETT PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

WEDNESDAY JUNE 1 4:30 PM SIFF CINEMA

TUESDAY JUNE 7 7:00 PM

Almost ten million people live in Kinshasa, capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and they number among the poorest inhabitants on this planet. Yet Kinshasa is home to Central Africa’s only symphony orchestra—which at times includes more than 200 musicians. The joy of making music and the pride it instills help the players to overcome their own adversities in this megacity where everyday life is a battle for survival. This heartening film follows the orchestra as it plans a major open-air concert to mark the anniversary of independence for the former Zaire, where an audience of several thousand is expected to attend. Very few of them have ever experienced classical music. The program includes Beethoven’s “Ninth Symphony,” Orff’s “Carmina Burana,” and works by Dvorák and Verdi. Conductor Armand Diangienda is fully aware that the trickier passages do not sound very convincing yet. The choir is having trouble getting the notes right and pronouncing the German text, and the day of the concert is getting closer all the time.

Awards:

Vancouver International Film Festival 2010 (Audience Award)

NEPTUNE THEATRE

Directors: Claus Wischmann

Martin Baer

Producers: Stefan Pannen

Holger Preuße

Screenwriter: Claus Wischmann

Cinematographer: Martin Baer

Editor: Peter Klum

Music: Jan Tilman Schade

Running Time: 95 minutes

Presentation Format: HDCAM, in French and Lingala, with English subtitles

International Sales: C Major Entertainment

Print Source: Sounding Images GmbH

Film Website: kinshasa-symphony.com

Selected Filmography: Martin Baer: White Ghosts - The Colonial War Against Herero (2004)

Free Africa! (1999)

Dance with the Dead (1992)

Claus Wischmann: The Art of Belcanto - Edita Gruberova (2008)

Boundless Play - Boris Berezovsky (2006)

300 Years of People and Pianos (2000)

Mama

Africa

SOUTH AFRICA/GERMANY/FINLAND 2011

FRIDAY MAY 20 5:00 PM RENTON IKEA PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

SUNDAY MAY 22 1:30 PM NEPTUNE THEATRE

MONDAY MAY 23 7:00 PM

VenikBanya SIF11 1_4.pdf

A documentary about Miriam Makeba is only complete with details showcasing her impact as a musician and humanitarian. Thankfully, this film more than qualifies. Makeba (19322008) was a Grammy Award winning singer from South Africa, as well as a civil rights activist. After losing her citizenship and right of return while actively campaigning against Apartheid, she came to the United States, where Harry Belafonte helped to launch her American career. More controversy erupted when Miriam married Black Panther member Stokely Carmichael, resulting in her U.S. record deals and tours being canceled. She then moved to Guinea, which became her home for the next 15 years as she continued to perform primarily in Africa, Europe and Asia. Mama Africa pays homage to this extraordinary woman who grew to incarnate the voice and the hope of Africa. The film includes interviews with relatives, friends, and famous colleagues and lots of great clips from her Cape Town performances.

NEPTUNE THEATRE

Director: Mika Kaurismäki

Producer: Rainer Kölmel

Screenwriters: Mika Kaurismäki

Don Edkins

Cinematographers: Frank Lehmann

Eran Tahor

Editors: Uwe Dresch

Karen Harley

André Bendocchi-Alves

Featuring: Miriam Makeba

Harry Belafonte

Running Time: 90 minutes

Presentation Format: HDCAM, in English and French, with English subtitles

International Sales: Fortissimo Films

Print Source: Fortissimo Films

Selected Filmography: The House of Branching Love (2009)

Three Wise Men (2008)

The Sound of Rio: Brasileirinho (2005)

L.A. Without a Map (1998)

Tigrero: A Film That Was Never Made (1994) The Liar (1981)

Who Took the Bomp? Le Tigre on Tour USA 2011

SATURDAY JUNE 4 9:30 PM NEPTUNE THEATRE

TUESDAY JUNE 7 4:30 PM EGYPTIAN THEATRE

In 2004, iconic feminist electronic group Le Tigre embarked on a yearlong international tour (their last) to promote their album, This Island. With outspoken Riot Grrl trailblazer Kathleen Hanna (of the influential early ’90s Olympia, Washington punk group Bikini Kill) at the helm, the bold three-piece group remains relevant politically and musically, though their last show was in 2005. With synth hooks and lo-fi beats, their performances include visuals and dance that pack an eclectic yet powerful punch of electroclash pop. Hanna and band mates JD Samson and Johanna Fateman hold down their punk rock, feminist, and queer politics with wit and resilience, often confronting serious issues such as sexism and homophobia. Director Kerthy Fix (Strange Powers: Stephin Merritt and The Magnetic Fields, SIFF 2010) follows the group on their tour of ten countries over four continents, interspersing electrifying performance footage, hilarious backstage antics, and interviews in this entertaining, no-holds-barred portrait of Le Tigre on tour.

PRECEDED BY:

100 Bands in 100 Days USA/England/France, 2010, 14 minutes, director: Nick Sonderup, Francis Garcia Some call it a challenge, others a lifestyle…

Director: Kerthy Fix

Producers: Johanna Fateman

Kathleen Hanna

JD Samson

Cinematographer: Carmine Covelli

Editors: Paul Kloss

Sarah Devorkin

Music: Le Tigre

Running Time: 69 minutes

Presentation Format: DigiBeta

International Sales: Oscilloscope Laboratories

Print Source: Oscilloscope Laboratories

Selected Filmography: Strange Powers: Stephin Merritt and the Magnetic Fields (2010)

quarAntine

midnight adrenaline

The films contained within are under quarantine until further notice, per order of the Seattle International Film Festival.

Unauthorized individuals are forbidden to attend these screenings without proper training and/or protection. The contents of the films within have been found to be corrosive to the general cinema-going public. Those familiar with Midnight Adrenaline films will attest to their effects—fever, insomnia, nervous agitation, persecutory delusions, and borderline schizophrenia. Midnight Adrenaline has been shown to be highly contagious and, as of yet, there is no effective form of treatment following exposure.

SIFF recognizes that this decision will generate controversy among its patrons. However, it is important to recognize that certified nonMidnight Adrenaline films are available in ample numbers for your safety. SIFF cannot be held responsible for individuals willfully exposing themselves to known toxic agents. those found in violation of the quarantine will be detained for an unspecified duration until it can be determined the individual in question poses no threat of contaminating the general festival populace.

schizophrenia

fever insomnia delusions

contagious no effective form of treatment

IMMEDIATELY NOTIFY THE PROPER SIFF AUTHORITIES IF QUARANTINE IS BROKEN. DO NOT APPROACH EXPOSED INDIVIDUALS ON YOUR OWN. FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH THE ABOVE PROTOCOLS MAY EXPOSE YOU TO NOXIOUS CINEMATIC ELEMENTS.

KHEAW AA-KAARD

The Intruder

SATURDAY JUNE 4 MIDNIGHT

WEDNESDAY JUNE 8 9:30 PM

When looking for affordable apartments, a word of warning: make sure the prospective building was neither built upon a neglected piece of land once called “King Cobra Swamp” by the locals, nor should it be haunted by an evil cobra spirit. Failure to do so will result in one of the creepiest, crawliest creature features in recent memory. One dark and stormy night, paramedic Sadayu responds to an emergency snakebite call, accompanied by his younger brother Vick and partner Chai. Upon arriving at the apartment complex, Sadayu encounters his ex-girlfriend Nin, who lives in the building with her eccentric aunt Prai. However, while in the midst of their sour reunion, thousands upon thousands of cobras invade the building, slithering their way through every hallway, pipe, and conduit as they mercilessly attack the residents, often in disturbingly creative ways. As the death toll quickly rises, the survivors start fighting amongst themselves for the last vial of anti-venom. Meanwhile, Sadayu begins to suspect Nin and her aunt of concealing a far darker secret. Filled with suspenseful shocks and twists, The Intruder will keep audiences’ squirming in their seats and their feet off the floor throughout the night.

EGYPTIAN THEATRE

Director: Thanadol Nualsuth

Producers: Poj Arnon

Thawatchai Phanpakdee

Screenwriters: Thammanoon

Sakulbunthanom

Poj Arnon

Tanadoi Nualsuth

Cinematographer: Arnon Chunprasert

Editors: Sunij Asavinikul

Muenfan Uppatham

Music: Giant Wave

Cast:

Akara Amarttayakul

Prichat Asadornteptai

Chaiwat Boonsungnuern

Peerawish Bunnag

Wasana Chelakorn

Running Time: 103 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm, in Thai, with English subtitles

International Sales: Phranakorn Film Company Limited

Print Source: Phranakorn Film Company Limited

Selected Filmography: Debut Feature Film

John Carpenter’s The Ward USA 2010

SATURDAY MAY 21 MIDNIGHT

THURSDAY MAY 26 10:30 PM

After ten years, master filmmaker John Carpenter makes his triumphant return to the big screen, paired with rising horror starlet Amber Heard. After setting fire to an abandoned farmhouse, the police remand Kristen to the isolation ward at North Bend Psychiatric Hospital, where she meets her fellow patients: the childlike and withdrawn Zooey, prim yet artistic Iris, flirtatious Sarah, and reckless outcast Emily. Suffering from amnesia, Kristen’s sessions with her assigned psychiatrist, Dr. Stringer, prove fruitless, as do her frequent escape attempts. Then, one night, Kristen encounters a shadowy presence roaming the ward’s hallways. When she attempts to tell anyone about the apparition, all turn away silent. Determined to discover the truth, she inquires into the whereabouts of former patients, but her investigation uncovers a grim reality—no one ever leaves the ward alive. Employing his trademarked storytelling techniques—roving camera, stripped narrative style, and a gutsy, tough-edged heroine— Carpenter fashions a sinister, atmospheric spine-tingler. Shot in Spokane, the film also features Seattle actress Susanna Burney as the peevish Head Nurse Lundt.

EGYPTIAN THEATRE

NEPTUNE THEATRE

Director: John Carpenter

Producers: Peter Block

Doug Mankoff

Andrew Spaulding

David Rogers

Screenwriters: Michael Rasmussen

Shawn Rasmussen

Cinematographer: Yaron Orbach

Editor: Patrick McMahon

Music: Mark Kilian

Cast: Amber Heard

Mamie Gummer

Danielle Panabaker

Jared Harris

Susanna Burney

Running Time: 88 minutes

Presentation Format: HDCAM

International Sales: FilmNation Entertainment

Print Source: Arc Entertainment

Film Website: theward.theofficialjohncarpenter.com

Selected Filmography: Village of the Damned (1995)

In the Mouth of Madness (1994)

Prince of Darkness (1987)

Big Trouble in Little China (1986)

The Thing (1982)

Escape from New York (1981)

Halloween (1978)

Assault on Precinct 13 (1976)

NEPTUNE THEATRE

Movie Magic SIF11 1_2h.pdf

DENJIN ZABORGAR

Karate-Robo Zaborgar

FRIDAY MAY 27 MIDNIGHT

MONDAY MAY 30 8:30 PM

WEDNESDAY JUNE 1 9:30 PM

If last year taught us anything, it’s that SIFF midnight audiences love nubile cyborgs and giant robots. Fortunately, RoboGeisha (SIFF 2010) director Noboru Iguchi returns with his newest cybernetic thrill-fest. Following the death of his scientist father, police officer Yutaka Daimon inherits robot warrior “Zaborgar.” Equipped with an array of weapons, an expertise in karate, and the power to transform into a motorcycle, Zaborgar is Daimon’s sole partner in their battle against Sigma, an evil organization bent on stealing the DNA of Japanese politicians for use in a giant robotic weapon. But when Daimon meets Miss Borg, a sexy, cybernetic Sigma agent, the two become star-crossed lovers—a development that spells the tragic end to the once inseparable crime-fighting duo. Twenty-five years later, the disgraced Daimon, now working as the Prime Minister’s personal chauffeur, discovers Sigma has finally finished their ultimate weapon and is preparing to unleash it upon Japan. Will Daimon ever be able to earn Zaborgar’s forgiveness, stop Sigma’s nefarious plans, and save the world from total destruction?

Offering more of Iguchi’s trademark brand of furiously frantic kitsch, Karate-Robo Zaborgar is a hilarious mix of mechanized martial arts and cybernetic slapstick.

EGYPTIAN THEATRE

ADMIRAL THEATER

NEPTUNE THEATRE

Director: Noboru Iguchi

Producers: Shinichi Ikeda

Yoshinori Chiba

Screenwriter: Noboru Iguchi

Cinematographer: Yasutaka Nagano

Editor: Takeshi Wada

Music:

Yasuhiko Fukuda

Cast: Itsuji Itao

Yasuhisa Furuhara

Mami Yamasaki

Yuya Miyashita

Houka Kinoshita

Running Time: 101 minutes

Presentation Format: HDCAM in Japanese, with English subtitles

International Sales: Nikkatsu

Print Source: Sushi Typhoon

Film Website: sushi-typhoon.com/films/ zaborgar

Selected Filmography: Mutant Girls Squad (codirector 2010) RoboGeisha (2009)

BALADA TRISTE DE TROMPETA

The Last Circus

SPAIN/FRANCE 2010

SATURDAY MAY 28 MIDNIGHT

EGYPTIAN THEATRE

TUESDAY MAY 31 9:30 PM NEPTUNE THEATRE

1937, Spain. In the midst of the Spanish Civil War, a circus clown is interrupted mid-performance and forcibly recruited by a Republican militia. Still in costume, he is handed a machete and led into battle against Bando Nacional soldiers, where he single handedly massacres the entire platoon. With this absurd beginning, Spanish cinema’s chief provocateur, Álex de la Iglesia, raises the curtain on a bizarre tale of love, revenge, and psychopathic clowns. Fast forward to 1973, where Javier, the clown’s son, wants nothing more than to follow in his father’s footsteps; however, a lifetime of tragedy has made him morose and melancholic. He finally finds work in a traveling circus in the role of the “sad” clown, playing the foil to the sadistic happy clown Sergio. To further complicate matters, Javier falls deeply in love with the circus’s lead acrobat Natalia, Sergio’s abused, coquettish wife. Torn between her affection for Javier and her masochistic lust for Sergio, Natalia sets into motion a twisted love triangle that escalates into a nightmarish battle of wills. With his latest film, de la Iglesia creates a gothic tragicomedy of Spain’s fascist past, composed of equal parts farce and brutality.

Director: Álex de la Iglesia

Producers: Gerardo Herrero

Vérane Frédiani

Franck Ribière

Screenwriter: Álex de la Iglesia

Cinematographer: Kiko de la Rica

Editor:

Alejandro Lázaro

Music: Roque Baños

Cast: Antonio de la Torre

Carlos Areces

Carolina Bang

Santiago Segura

Sancho Gracia

Running Time: 105 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm, in Spanish, with English subtitles

International Sales: Films Distribution

Print Source: Magnolia Films

Film Website: thelastcircusmovie.com

Selected Filmography: El Crimen Perfecto (2004) 800 Bulllets (2002)

The Commonwealth (2000)

Perdita Durango (1997)

The Day of the Beast (1995)

Revenge: A Love Story

FRIDAY JUNE 10 MIDNIGHT

SUNDAY JUNE 12 6:45 PM NEPTUNE

From 852 Films, the producers of last year’s Dream Home, comes another extreme exploration of human brutality. Hong Kong homicide detectives search for a sadistic serial killer targeting police officers and their wives. When they finally catch their suspect Chan Kit, a shy street vendor from an outlying village, the focus of their interrogation turns to uncovering the motives behind these slayings. From here, the film flashes back to his village life and his infatuation with naïve schoolgirl Wing, who lives with her overprotective grandmother. However, when her grandmother suddenly passes away, Kit assumes the role of Wing’s guardian angel. But when the pair encounters a belligerent drunkard who is not what he seems, Kit’s failure to protect Wing ignites a devastating chain of events. Drawing inspiration from such films as Freeway and Se7en, director Wong Ching Po fashions a gruesome revenge tragedy in which the repercussions of a single, grievous act reverberates through the film like an exploding powder keg.

Director:

Wong Ching Po

Producer:

Conroy Chan Chi-Chung

Screenwriters:

Lai-yin Leung

Juno Mak

Wong Ching Po

Cinematographer: Jimmy Wong

Editors:

Wong Ching Po

Ka-Fai Cheung

Music: Dan Findlay

Cast: Juno Mak

Sola Aoi

Running Time: 95 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm, in Cantonese, with English subtitles

International Sales: All Rights Entertainment

Print Source: 852 Films

Selected Filmography: A Decade of Love (2008) Mob Sister (2005)

Triad Underworld (2004) In the Thick of It (2003)

TROLLJEGEREN

Trollhunter

NORWAY 2010

FRIDAY MAY 20 MIDNIGHT

EGYPTIAN THEATRE TUESDAY MAY 24 9:30 PM NEPTUNE THEATRE

If you mixed equal parts The Blair Witch Project and Scooby-Doo, the resulting film would be a lot like Trollhunter. When allegations of bear poaching surface in the remote northern climes of Norway, three student filmmakers set out to document the investigation for their final project. Once there, they encounter the grizzled Hans, whose secretive actions soon lead the trio to settle upon him as their prime suspect. Unwilling to be interviewed, Hans escapes into the surrounding forests only to be secretly followed by the would-be documentarians. But their persistence lands them straight into the path of the real quarry: trolls— big, ugly, three-story tall trolls with a hunger for fresh meat, be it bear or human. Hans works as a black-ops government agent for the Troll Security Service, commissioned with protecting an unsuspecting general populace from these gargantuan terrors. Convincing Hans to allow them to film his work, the friends discover a dark, frightening fairy-tale world. Director André Øvredal eschews the formula set by other “found footage” horror flicks by showing off his monsters in their full, repulsive glory, while cleverly maintaining an intense, sardonic tone.

Director: André Øvredal

Producers: John M. Jacobsen

Sveinung Golimo

Screenwriter: André Øvredal

Cinematographer: Hallvard Bræin

Editor:

Per Erik Eriksen

Music: Henrik Hawor

Johan Husvik

Cast: Otto Jespersen

Hans Morten Hansen

Johanna Mørch

Tomas Alf Larsen

Running Time: 103 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm, in Norwegian, with English subtitles

International Sales: Magnolia Pictures

Print Source: Magnet Releasing

Film Website: trollhunterfilm.com

Selected Filmography: Future Murder (2000)

EGYPTIAN THEATRE

THEATRE

LE VILLAGE DES OMBRES

The Village of Shadows

FRANCE 2010

SATURDAY JUNE 11 MIDNIGHT

SUNDAY JUNE 12 9:15 PM

On a dark, rain-slicked road, two carloads of friends race toward the remote village of Ruiflec on a weekend getaway. However, as they draw close to the village, all of the passengers in one car disappear, leaving their abandoned vehicle in the middle of the road with no clues to their whereabouts. Emma, desperate to find her sister, Marion, who was in the other car, forges ahead with her four remaining friends to the village, only to find its shadowy streets deserted. After another sudden disappearance, the group discovers strange, tormented drawings of their missing friends, as well as events that have yet to unfold. Trapped by the shifting forests surrounding the village, the friends’ only hope for deliverance lies in uncovering Ruiflec’s arcane history, stretching back to WWII and beyond. In his debut feature film, director Fouad Benhammou crafts a masterful gothic chiller, subtly building an unsettling, suspense-filled atmosphere in which the dramatis personae, and the audience, find themselves in sublime terror.

EGYPTIAN THEATRE

NEPTUNE THEATRE

Director: Fouad Benhammou

Producers: Thomas Bruxelle

Laurent Bruteneau

Screenwriters: Fouad Benhammou

Pascal Jaubert

Lionel Olenga

Cinematographer: Romain Lacourbas

Music: Stéphane Le Gouvello

Cast: Christa Theret

Barbara Goenaga

Cyrille Thouvenin

Ornella Boulé

Axel Kiener

Running Time: 103 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm, in French and German, with English subtitles

International Sales: Films Distribution

Print Source: Films Distribution

Selected Filmography: Debut Feature Film

The Whisperer in Darkness

USA 2011

FRIDAY JUNE 3 MIDNIGHT

SUNDAY JUNE 5 9:00 PM

After unprecedented flooding in the remote Vermont mountains, strange stories surface of odd things found in the swollen rivers, in this adaptation of the classic story by H.P. Lovecraft. Albert Wilmarth, a folklore professor at Miskatonic University, at first dismisses these sightings as figments of hysterical imaginations. That is, until he begins to correspond with Henry Akeley, a farmer who claims strange creatures are terrorizing him. Eventually summoned to meet the decrepit Akeley, Wilmarth discovers unearthly horrors beyond comprehension, and undertakes one last desperate attempt to escape the remote New England hills with his life and sanity intact. As with their previous effort, the silentfilm version of The Call of Cthulhu (SIFF 2006), filmmakers Sean Branney and Andrew Leman evoke the classic cinematic style of a previous era, this time classic ‘30s horror films with a touch of ‘50s B-movie sci-fi. The resulting film perfectly captures the weird menace and foreboding atmosphere of Lovecraft’s original tale.

EGYPTIAN THEATRE

NEPTUNE THEATRE

Director: Sean Branney

Producers: Andrew Leman

Sean Branney

David Robertson

Screenwriters: Sean Branney

Andrew Leman

Cinematographer: David Robertson

Editor: David Robertson

Music: Troy Sterling Nies

Cast: Stephen Blackeheart

Barry Lynch

Matt Lagan

Matt Foyer

Autumn Wendel

Running Time: 103 minutes

Presentation Format: Digibeta

Print Source: Fungi LLC

Film Website: whisperermovie.com

Selected Filmography: The Call of Cthulhu (2006)

new directors competition

Jury

Discovering a new favorite filmmaker can be one of the most rewarding cinematic experiences of the Festival.

This year, our New Directors Competition features ten new international voices selected for their fresh and original scripts, striking visual style, and overall excellence in their cinematic creations. To qualify for this competition, films must be a director’s debut or second feature, and be without U.S. distribution at the time of SIFF selection. A New Directors Competition Jury, composed of film industry professionals and journalists, will choose the winning filmmaker during the Festival’s final weekend. The winner will be announced at the Golden Space Needle Awards Brunch and will receive a cash prize of $2,500.

Peter Goldwyn

Peter Goldwyn is the Vice President of Acquisitions for Samuel Goldwyn Films. He began his career writing and directing socio-political documentaries and regional commercials for Motion Inc. and Banyan Film. Prior to joining Samuel Goldwyn Films in 2001, Goldwyn worked for Satellite Films on national commercials and as an Assistant Director at ESPN. Since joining Samuel Goldwyn Films, he has acquired a number of high profile titles – several of which have gone on to receive Oscar nominations. These include: Super Size Me, The Squid and the Whale, El Crimen Del Padre Amaro, Raising Victor Vargas, What the Bleep Do We Know!?, 2 Days In Paris, Claude Lelouch’s Roman De Gare, and Priceless starring Audrey Tautou and Harry Brown with Michael Caine.

Sara Rose

Sara Rose was most recently Senior Vice President of Acquisitions and Co-Productions at Apparition. Among their acquisitions were Jane Campion’s Bright Star, Nash Edgerton’s The Square, and Jean-Mark Vallee’s Young Victoria. Previously, she was Senior Vice President of Acquisitions and Co-Productions at Picturehouse, where she acquired Olivier Dahan’s La Vie En Rose, Guillermo Del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth, Sergei Bodrov’s Mongol, and Robert Altman’s Prairie Home Companion. She has also worked as Executive Vice President of Production and Acquisitions at United Artists, Senior Vice President of Production and Acquisitions at Orion Pictures, and in the international sales department with Dino De Laurentiis.

Robert Abele

Robert Abele is a film and television critic/journalist whose work has appeared in The Los Angeles Times, LA Weekly, Variety, Parade, Premiere, Mother Jones, DGA Quarterly, Emmy, The San Francisco Chronicle, The New York Post, The Dallas Morning News, Total Film, and Playboy. He also collaborated with Emmy-winning comedian Kathy Griffin on her #1 New York Times bestseller Official Book Club Selection: A Memoir According to Kathy Griffin. A graduate of Southern Methodist University’s film program and former theater critic, he is the co-author of the book, The Paramount Story, and has served on juries for the Los Angeles Film Festival, AFI Film Festival, the USA Film Festival, Cinevegas, and the PEN Center/USA West Literary Awards.

No matter

genre, Chef Thierry Rautureau

a timeless classic for you—be it the blockbuster Rover’s or

Either way, you’ll savor what you take in.

Absent

ARGENTINA 2011

NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE

FRIDAY JUNE 10 9:30 PM

SATURDAY JUNE 11 1:30 PM

Marco Berger’s intriguing second feature sets up an interesting question: what if an offlimits object of desire was the instigator in a sexual relationship? When the object of sports teacher Sebastian’s desire is his deceptively self-assured 16-year old pupil Martin, the answer is all too obvious: stay well clear. But, sensing an attraction, Martin fabricates a complicated lie that leads to him spending the night on Sebastian’s sofa, and by the time Sebastian realizes Martin’s true intentions, he is already seriously compromised. Berger cleverly exploits the psychological drama of the situation in the hormonally charged introductory sequences, keeping the spectator guessing about what’s going on in Sebastian’s head. However, it takes a tragic accident for Sebastian to come to terms with his real feelings for the young man. The Hitchcockian suspense is well maintained and underpinned by a striking score, making Berger a welcome addition to the growing ranks of notable Argentinean directing talent.

Awards: Berlin Film Festival 2011 (Teddy Award, Feature Film)

HARVARD EXIT

HARVARD EXIT

Director: Marco Berger

Producer: Mariano Contreras

Screenwriter: Marco Berger

Cinematographer: Tomas Perez Silva

Editor: Marco Berber

Music: Pedro Irusta

Cast: Carlos Echevarria

Javier De Pietro

Antonella Costa

Running Time: 87 minutes

Presentation Format: HDCAM, in Spanish, with English subtitles

International Sales: Rendez-Vous Pictures

International

Print Source: Rendez-Vous Pictures

International

Selected Filmography: Plan B (2009)

ALMANYA WILLKOMMEN IN DEUTSCHLAND

Almanya

GERMANY 2011 NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE

WEDNESDAY JUNE 8 7:00 PM

EGYPTIAN THEATRE

FRIDAY JUNE 10 4:00 PM SIFF CINEMA

Six-year-old Cenk Yilmaz is having an identity crisis. Teased at school about being neither fully German nor Turkish, Cenk wants answers. He poses the question to his extended family, which spans three generations, “Are we Germans or Turks?” The film launches into a familial odyssey, exploring the lives of Cenk’s grandparents, father, and contemporary relatives as they all journey to Anatolia to rediscover their heritage. His Turkish grandfather was welcomed into Germany (Almanya) in his youth as the millionth-and-first guest worker; now he is anxious to show his homeland to his German relatives. Almanya is the debut film from Nesrin and Yasemin Samdereli, sister filmmakers responsible for the screenplay and directing. While the film is about integration— often a controversial and emotional topic— Almanya embraces it, highlighting the positive and humorous aspects. Politics and religion exist on the periphery, allowing this film to be a simple story about an average family gaining acceptance in a new land.

Director: Yasemin Samdereli

Producers: Annie Brunner

Andreas Richter

Ursula Wörner

Screenwriters : Yasemin Samdereli

Nesrin Samdereli

Cinematographer: The Chau Ngo

Editor: Andrea Mertens

Music: Gerd Baumann

Cast: Vedat Erincin

Fahri Yardin

Aylin Tezel

Lilay Huser

Demet Gül

Running Time: 97 minutes

Presentation Format:

DCP, in German and Turkish, with English subtitles

International Sales: Beta Cinema

Print Source: Beta Cinema

Selected Filmography: Debut Feature Film

Artificial Paradises

MEXICO 2011

WEDNESDAY JUNE 8 9:30 PM

THURSDAY JUNE 9 4:30 PM

Published in 1860, seven years before dying of an opium overdose, Charles Baudelaire wrote Artificial Paradises, a non-judgmental, remarkably vivid recounting of his experimentations with wine, hashish, and opium. Taking both the name and the lack of condemnation from the author, Yulene Olaizola’s assured film follows Luisa, a 25-year-old heroin addict who goes to a rundown resort on the Mexican Gulf Coast in order to kick the habit. The setting becomes as much a character as Luisa, as she wanders around, occasionally taking hits from her dwindling stash. She ends up befriending Salomon, a groundskeeper of sorts in his 50s who enjoys smoking marijuana every day. Despite their age difference, they get along, with their friendship as low-key as anything else in the movie. Olaizola has worked as a documentary filmmaker, and she brings an observant eye to the proceedings, never pushing the story to resolve itself faster than the characters will let it. Luisa Pardo as Luisa might be the only professional actor in the film, yet she seems just as real as everybody else, and vice versa. Artificial Paradises is quite a trip, and one you’ll be glad you’ve taken.

HARVARD EXIT

HARVARD EXIT

Director: Yulene Olaizola

Producer: Antonio Gómez

Screenwriters: Yulene Olaizola

Fernando del Razo

Cinematographer: Luisa Tilinger

Editor:

Rubén Imaz

Music:

Emiliano Motta

Emiliano González de León

Cast:

Luisa Pardo

Salomón Hernández

Running Time: 83 minutes

Presentation Format: HDCAM, in Spanish, with English subtitles

International Sales:

Interior 13 Cine

Print Source:

Interior 13 Cine

Film Website: paraisosartificialesfilm. com

Selected Filmography: Shakespeare and Victor Hugo’s Intimacies (2008)

Belle Epine

FRANCE 2010

SATURDAY JUNE 4 8:30 PM

THURSDAY JUNE 9 4:30 PM

SATURDAY JUNE 11 9:30 PM

Prudence is a 17-year-old Parisian highschool student. After her mother’s death and her father’s departure to Canada, she ends up living alone in the familial apartment. Feeling abandoned by the remains of her traditional Jewish family, she begins skipping school and stealing in shops, leading to her arrest for shoplifting. While making her deposition at the police station, she meets a fellow offender named Maryline and starts sharing her passion for illegal motorbike races. At night, they go to the circuit and meet with men who risk their lives racing. Soon, Prudence falls for one of them and tries to ease her pain in his arms. What she doesn’t know is that the journey to this dangerous world will help her express her most hidden emotions. A darkly sensitive and mature film about danger, sex, and grief, Belle Epine is a strikingly promising debut for Rebecca Zlotowski.

ADMIRAL THEATER

SIFF CINEMA

SIFF CINEMA

Director: Rebecca Zlotowski

Producer: Frédéric Jouve

Screenwriters: Rebecca Zlotowski

Gaëlle Mace

Cinematographer: George Lechaptois

Editor: Julien Lacheray

Music: ROB

Cast: Léa Seydoux

Anaïs Demoustier

Johan Libéreau

Anna Sigalevitch

Running Time: 80 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm, in French, with English subtitles

International Sales:

Pyramide International

Print Source: Pyramide International

Selected Filmography: Debut Feature Film

Cairo 678

FRIDAY MAY 20 7:00 PM

TODAS LAS CANCIONES HABLAN DE MÍ

Every Song Is About Me

SPAIN 2010

NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE

ADMIRAL THEATER

SATURDAY MAY 21 5:00 PM PACIFIC PLACE CINEMAS

The lives of three women from diverse backgrounds intersect after each endures episodes of sexual harassment. Fayza is lucky to have a job—unlike her husband—but he complains that she spends too much on taxis. Her reason: every day, on bus number 6, 7, or 8, she is harassed. In contrast, Seba is from a wealthy background, married to a doctor and running a specialty boutique. After she and her husband attend a soccer game where Seba gets assaulted, their marriage falters as they try to deal with the resulting emotional distress. Nelly is a hip aspiring comic. One day she crosses the road and a truck driver grabs her, but instead of shrinking away, she sues him. In his directorial debut, Mohamed Diab gives us a glimpse into the hearts and minds of three women from Cairo whose daily lives are affected by their traumatic experiences. From the initial incident to the lasting effects on their families and personal lives, the viewer follows them as they search for some kind of justice.

PRECEDED BY:

What About Us?

Egypt, 2010, 4 minutes, director: Bassem Refaat, Shady Wassily Young songwriters propose that the answers to the uncertainties and doubts in life are to be found in creating community, despite differences.

Adobe Youth Voices

Director: Mohamed Diab

Producer: Bushra Rozza

Screenwriter: Mohamed Diab

Cinematographer: Ahmed Gabr

Editor: Amr Salah El Din

Music:

Hani Adel

Cast:

Bushra

Nelli Kareem

Nahed El Seba’i Maged El Kedwany

Bassem Samra

Running Time: 100 minutes

Presentation Format: Digibeta, in Arabic, with English subtitles

International Sales: Fortissimo Films

Print Source: Fortissimo Films

Film Website: themovie678.com

Selected Filmography: Debut Feature Film

SUNDAY MAY 29 7:00 PM PACIFIC PLACE CINEMAS

MONDAY MAY 30 12:00 PM PACIFIC PLACE CINEMAS

MONDAY JUNE 6 6:30 PM ADMIRAL THEATER

Ramiro is a thirty-something man who fulfills his passion for literature in his uncle’s small bookshop. During daily strides along the streets of Madrid, he dreams about romance and poetry. One day, he comes home to find a letter left by his fiancée Andrea in which she puts an end to their relationship. In his attempt to forget her, he spends his spare time hanging out with his friend Lucas, who suddenly decides to marry an Argentinean barmaid for immigration purposes. Depressed, Ramiro gives a new try to romance, but it is Andrea he truly wants. Literature, love, and life intertwine in this delightful and retro Spanish romantic drama. Like the title reflects, the screenplay explores both the absurdity and beauty of young life, set against a charming Madrid backdrop. The atmosphere of the French New Wave genre inspires this first film by Jonas Trueba, without leaving aside the contradictions of the modern world. Nominated for Best Director and Best Actor at the Goya Awards.

Director: Jonas Trueba

Producer: Gerardo Herrero

Screenwriter: Jonas Trueba

Daniel Gascon

Cinematographer: Santiago Racaj

Editor: Marta Velasco

Cast: Oriol Vila

Barbara Lennie

Ramon Fontsere

Bruno Bergonzini

Valeria Alonso

Running Time: 104 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm, in Spanish, with English subtitles

International Sales: Latido Films

Print Source: Latido Films

Film Website: todaslascancioneshablandemi.es

Selected Filmography: Debut Feature Film

We Celebrate Diversity, On-Screen and Off.

On-Screen

• Showing faith-based films that celebrate the differences in our beliefs

• Partnering with China Lion Films to bring first-run Chinese films to our screens

• Partnering with Pantelion Films to show Hispanic-targeted titles

• Screening urban and independent African American-focused films

• Showcasing new and different storytelling through the AMC independent™ program

• Bringing the magic of movies to special needs individuals through our Sensory Friendly Films Program Business Practices

• AMC Theatres® was designated one of the 2011 “Best Places to Work for LGBT Equality” by the Human Rights Campaign

• Recipient of the 2011 Disability Matters Award

Proud Host & Sponsor of the Seattle International Film Festival

IGILLEN MALUWO

Flying Fish

SRI LANKA 2011 NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE

TUESDAY JUNE 7 6:30 PM

THURSDAY JUNE 9 4:00 PM

PACIFIC PLACE CINEMAS

PACIFIC PLACE CINEMAS

Shot in a seemingly idyllic village by firsttime director Sanjeewa Pushpakumara, this startlingly assured film conveys the devastating effects of Sri Lanka’s civil war without ever showing a military clash. The languid pace of the villagers lives belies the hostility that has built over a quarter century of clashes between the Sri Lankan military and the Tamil separatists. The film follows three interwoven stories involving forbidden love and ethnic tension. A village girl falls in love with a soldier and is impregnated. When the soldier abandons her, the girl and her father struggle to endure the shame. A widow and mother of eight children has an affair with another villager. When her teenage son discovers the tryst, his reaction leads to dire consequences. Finally, a young girl is harassed at school by Tamil Tiger soldiers, who demand monetary “donations” that her family cannot pay. Little dialogue is spoken during the film, which makes the violence all the more shocking when it finally does occur. In the end, Flying Fish is a harrowing account of war’s malignant effects on even the simplest of human interactions.

Director: Sanjeewa Pushpakumara

Producer: Sanjeewa Pushpakumara

Screenwriters: Sanjeewa Pushpakumara

Chinthana Dharmadasa

Cinematographer: Vishvajith Karunarathna

Editor: Ajith Ramanayake

Music:

Tharindu De Silva

Priyankara

Cast: Chaminda Sampath Jayaweera

Rathnayaka Marasinghe

Kausalya Fernando

Sumathy Sivamohan

Running Time: 125 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm, in Sinhala and Tamil, with English subtitles

International Sales: Asia Digital Entertainment

Print Source: Asia Digital Entertainment

Film Website: flyingfishmovie.com

Selected Filmography: Debut Feature Film

Gandu

INDIA 2010

TUESDAY JUNE 7 6:30 PM

FRIDAY JUNE 10 7:00 PM

SATURDAY JUNE 11 1:00 PM

KIRKLAND PERFORMANCE CENTER

NEPTUNE THEATRE

EGYPTIAN THEATRE

Film should take you places, and Gandu will take you somewhere that you’ve never been before. Gandu is 20 and comes from Kolkata. In local slang, his name means “loser” or “asshole.” His mother is the mistress of a local businessman, trading sex for the apartment that she and Gandu live in. During their trysts, Gandu steals money from the man’s wallet, and uses the cash to finance his solitary forays through the city. Thwarted in real life, Gandu often retreats into rap-driven fantasies, where he can express his rage and despair. One day he befriends a local rickshaw driver and Bruce Lee devotee. The two outcasts begin a strange descent into a world of music and drugs. Director Q. (born Kaushik Mukherjee) breaks away from traditional Indian film, pulling out all the stops—subtitles, supertitles, superimpositions, split screens, films within films, and Technicolor interludes—but never at the expense of his story. He eschews the tropes of Bollywood: trading glossy color for gritty black-and-white, chaste romance for graphic sexuality, and traditional narrative for a risky, post-modern third act. Gandu is a manifesto, a self-proclaimed anti-Bollywood adventure, and a possible revolution for Indian film. Don’t miss the first salvo.

Director: Q (Kaushik Mukherjee)

Producer: Dipankar Chaki

Celine Loop

Screenwriter:

Q (Kaushik Mukherjee)

Cinematographer: Q (Kaushik Mukherjee)

Editor: Manas Mittal

Five Little Indians

Cast: Anubrata

Joyraj Bhattacharya

Rituporna Sen

Running Time: 87 minutes

Presentation Format: HDCAM, in Bengali, with English subtitles

Print Source: Overdose Art

Selected Filmography: Bish (2009)

•

•

• The Detlef Schrempf

catchers An Evening for Erin • The Genius Awards

• Gilda’s Club of Seattle • HopeHeart • KPLU • The Leu kemia and Lymphoma Society Marsha Rivkin Center • The Moyer Foundation • Olive Crest • Poncho • RBI club-toys for kids • The Save Moses Relief Fund • Seattle Aquarium Splash! • Seniors Making Art • SIFF • The Transplant House • Vera • Virginia Mason Dream Builders • Water 1st International The Alzheimer’s Associa

tion • The Arthritis Foundation • Bryan Keay Benefit • Childhaven • Cystic Fibrosis Foundation • Crossfire Premier Soccer Club • The Detlef Schrempf Foundation • The Dougy Center • Dreamcatchers An Evening Erin • The Genius Awards • Gilda’s Club of Seattle • HopeHeart • KPLU • The Leukemia and Lymphoma Soci Marsha Rivkin Center • The Moyer Foundation • Olive Crest • Poncho • RBI club-toys for kids • The Save Moses Relief Fund • Seattle Aquarium Splash! • Seniors Making Art • SIFF • The Transplant House • Vera Virginia Mason Dream Builders • Water 1st International The Alzheimer’s Association • The Arthritis Founda tion • Bryan Keay Benefit • Childhaven • Cystic Fibrosis Foundation • Crossfire Premier Soccer Club • The Detlef Schrempf Foundation • The Dougy Center • Dreamcatchers An Evening for Erin • The Genius Awards Gilda’s Club of Seattle • HopeHeart • KPLU • The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Marsha Rivkin Center

The Moyer Foundation • Olive Crest • Poncho • RBI club-toys for kids • The Save Moses Relief Fund • Seattle Aquarium Splash! • Seniors Making Art • SIFF • The Transplant House • Vera • Virginia Mason Dream Build

• Water 1st International The Alzheimer’s Association • The Arthritis Foundation • Bryan Keay Benefit Childhaven • Cystic Fibrosis Foundation • Crossfire Premier Soccer Club • The Detlef Schrempf Foundation

The Dougy Center • Dreamcatchers An Evening for Erin • The Genius Awards • Gilda’s Club of Seattle HopeHeart • KPLU • The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Marsha Rivkin Center • The Moyer Foundation Olive Crest • Poncho • RBI club-toys for kids • The Save Moses Relief Fund • Seattle Aquarium Splash! Seniors Making Art • SIFF • The Transplant House • Vera • Virginia Mason Dream Builders • Water 1st Inter national The Alzheimer’s Association • The Arthritis Foundation • Bryan Keay Benefit • Childhaven • Cystic Fibrosis Foundation • Crossfire Premier Soccer Club • The Detlef Schrempf Foundation • The Dougy Center

Dreamcatchers An Evening for Erin • The Genius Awards • Gilda’s Club of Seattle • HopeHeart • KPLU • The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Marsha Rivkin Center • The Moyer Foundation • Olive Crest • Poncho RBI club-toys for kids • The Save Moses Relief Fund • Seattle Aquarium Splash! • Seniors Making Art • SIFF

Found exclusively at:

A proud supporter of the 37th Seattle International Film Festival. Association Association

The Transplant House • Vera • Virginia Mason Dream Builders • Water 1st International The Alzheimer’s Asso ciation • The Arthritis Foundation • Bryan Keay Benefit • Childhaven • Cystic Fibrosis Foundation • Crossfire Premier Soccer Club • The Detlef Schrempf Foundation • The Dougy Center • Dreamcatchers An Evening Erin • The Genius Awards • Gilda’s Club of Seattle • HopeHeart • KPLU • The Leukemia and Lymphoma Soci Marsha Rivkin Center • The Moyer Foundation • Olive Crest • Poncho • RBI club-toys for kids • The Save Moses Relief Fund • Seattle Aquarium Splash! • Seniors Making Art • SIFF • The Transplant House • Vera Virginia Mason Dream Builders • Water 1st International The Alzheimer’s Association • The Arthritis Founda tion • Bryan Keay Benefit • Childhaven • Cystic Fibrosis Foundation • Crossfire Premier Soccer Club • The Detlef Schrempf Foundation • The Dougy Center • Dreamcatchers An Evening for Erin • The Genius Awards Gilda’s Club of Seattle • HopeHeart • KPLU • The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Marsha Rivkin Center

The Moyer Foundation • Olive Crest • Poncho • RBI club-toys for kids • The Save Moses Relief Fund • Seattle Aquarium Splash! • Seniors Making Art • SIFF • The Transplant House • Vera • Virginia Mason Dream Build • Water 1st International The Alzheimer’s Association • The Arthritis Foundation • Bryan Keay Benefit Childhaven • Cystic Fibrosis Foundation • Crossfire Premier Soccer Club • The Detlef Schrempf Foundation The Dougy Center • Dreamcatchers An Evening for Erin • The Genius Awards • Gilda’s Club of Seattle HopeHeart • KPLU • The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Marsha Rivkin Center • The Moyer Foundation Olive Crest • Poncho • RBI club-toys for kids • The Save Moses Relief Fund • Seattle Aquarium Splash! Seniors Making Art • SIFF • The Transplant House • Vera • Virginia Mason Dream Builders • Water 1st Inter national The Alzheimer’s Association • The Arthritis Foundation • Bryan Keay Benefit • Childhaven • Cystic Fibrosis Foundation • Crossfire Premier Soccer Club • The Detlef Schrempf Foundation • The Dougy Center

Dreamcatchers An Evening for Erin • The Genius Awards • Gilda’s Club of Seattle • HopeHeart • KPLU • The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Marsha Rivkin Center • The Moyer Foundation • Olive Crest • Poncho RBI club-toys for kids • The Save Moses Relief Fund • Seattle Aquarium Splash! • Seniors Making Art • SIFF The Transplant House • Vera • Virginia Mason Dream Builders • Water 1st International The Alzheimer’s Asso ciation • The Arthritis Foundation • Bryan Keay Benefit • Childhaven • Cystic Fibrosis Foundation • Crossfire

Heart • KPLU • The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society

Premier Soccer Club • The Detlef Schrempf Foundation • The Dougy Center • Dreamcatchers An Evening Erin • The Genius Awards • Gilda’s Club of Seattle • HopeHeart • KPLU • The Leukemia and Lymphoma Soci Marsha Rivkin Center • The Moyer Foundation • Olive Crest • Poncho • RBI club-toys for kids • The Save Moses Relief Fund • Seattle Aquarium Splash! • Seniors Making Art • SIFF • The Transplant House • Vera Virginia Mason Dream Builders • Water 1st International The Alzheimer’s Association • The Arthritis Founda tion • Bryan Keay Benefit • Childhaven • Cystic Fibrosis Foundation • Crossfire Premier Soccer Club • The Detlef Schrempf Foundation • The Dougy Center • Dreamcatchers An Evening for Erin • The Genius Awards Gilda’s Club of Seattle • HopeHeart • KPLU • The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Marsha Rivkin Center The Moyer Foundation • Olive Crest • Poncho • RBI club-toys for kids • The Save Moses Relief Fund • Seattle Aquarium Splash! • Seniors Making Art • SIFF • The Transplant House • Vera • Virginia Mason Dream Builders Water 1st International The Alzheimer’s Association • The Arthritis Foundation • Bryan Keay Benefit • Child

haven • Cystic Fibrosis Foundation • Crossfire Premier Soccer Club • The Detlef Schrempf Foundation • The Dougy Center • Dreamcatchers An Evening for Erin • The Genius Awards • Gilda’s Club of Seattle • Hope

Marsha Rivkin Center • The Moyer Foundation

• Olive

The Most Important Thing in Life Is Not Being Dead

THURSDAY JUNE 9 9:30 PM

SATURDAY JUNE 11 1:30 PM

With a title that is as obvious as it is absurd, The Most Important Thing in Life Is Not Being Dead evokes the early work of JeanPierre Jeunet and Marc Caro (Delicatessen, The City of Lost Children), with a little Terry Gilliam thrown in for good measure. Crafted by a collective of three directors (two from Spain, one from Switzerland), the delightfully deadpan narrative follows a piano tuner suffering from bouts of insomnia. To make matters worse, the pianos that used to mysteriously fix themselves for him during the night are now stubbornly sticking to reality and staying broken. One night, he sees a strange man in his living room, but when he tells his wife, she refuses to believe him. Or, maybe, she’s just telling him that... Set during the end of the Franco era in Spain, a period of political deceit and distorted reality, this visually inventive and funny film continually finds new ways to set things topsy-turvy.

Directors: Olivier Pictel

Pablo Martin Torrado

Mark Recuenco

Producer: Saskia Vischer

Screenwriters: Pablo Martin Torrado

Marc Recuenco

Cinematographer: Pietro Zuercher

Editor: Jordi J. Recort

Music: Julien Painot

Ladislav Agabekov

Cast: Emilio Gutierrez Caba Marian Aguilera

Merce Montala

Running Time: 82 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm, in Spanish, with English subtitles

Print Source: Saskia Vischer Productions

Film Website: lomasimportantefilm.com

Selected Filmography: Thermos (2006)

Por El Camino

BRAZIL/URUGUAY 2011

US PREMIERE

THURSDAY JUNE 9 7:00 PM PACIFIC PLACE CINEMAS

SATURDAY JUNE 11 11:00 AM PACIFIC PLACE CINEMAS

Director: Charly Braun

Producer: Charly Braun

Screenwriter:

Charly Braun

Cinematographers: Pablo Ramos

Bruno Alzaga

Editor: Fernando Coster

Cast: Jill Mulleady

Esteban Feune de Colombi

Guilhermina Guinle

Running Time: 84 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm, in Spanish, French, and English, with English subtitles

Print Source: Lynxfilm

International Sales: Vitrine Films

Selected Filmography: Debut Feature Film

The AssociaCrossfire for SociSave Vera • FoundaThe Awards Center • Seattle BuildBenefit • Foundation Seattle • Foundation Splash! • InterCystic Center • The Poncho • SIFF • AssoCrossfire for SociSave Vera • FoundaThe Awards Center • Seattle BuildBenefit • Foundation Seattle • Foundation Splash! • InterCystic Center • The Poncho • SIFF • AssoCrossfire for SociSave Vera • FoundaThe Awards Center • Seattle Builders ChildThe HopeOlive

You’ll want to book a trip to Montevideo after watching Por El Camino, Charly Braun’s gorgeous road movie through Uruguay. Santiago, a twenty-something Argentinean, takes a boat to Montevideo to claim land willed to him by his parents. On his way out of the capitol, he notices Juliette, a young Belgian woman who was also on the boat. After discovering they’re heading in the same direction, the two travelers hit the road together. Both are looking to make a change in their lives: Santiago used to be an investment banker in Manhattan, but his parents’ death has inspired him to try something different. Juliette is hoping to ignite a relationship with a Uruguayan commune leader she’d met in Costa Rica. The two strike up a playful friendship as their trip brings them in contact with peculiar locals, Santiago’s wealthy, wellconnected family, and the hippie commune’s earthy residents. Braun combines French, U.S., and South American influences with dramatic Uruguayan landscapes and his lead’s relaxed chemistry to create a road movie that captures the airy restlessness of youth, in the tale of two characters who start out digging into their past, only to find they’ve unearthed their present.

EGYPTIAN THEATRE

PACIFIC PLACE CINEMAS

After

Located just one block from the WA State Convention Center, on 4th level of the Pacific Place Shopping Center.

northwest connections

Discovering a treasure trove of cinema in our own backyard.

SIFF is international in scope, but it has never forgotten its roots in the fertile Pacific Northwest film community. Each year, the Puget Sound region makes its presence felt at SIFF, whether as a moody location, a source of inspiration for local filmmakers, or even as a character in its own right.

With 17 feature films and 18 short films, this is a great year for the very active filmmaking community. Cinematographer Benjamin Kasulke shot three features and three shorts this year, while Lacey Leavitt produced Megan Griffith’s The Off Hours, and both Lacey and Megan produced Todd Rohal’s The Catechism Cataclysm. We had an international crew here last year shooting Late Autumn (with Megan Griffiths as assistant director), and we’re excited to host the US premiere here in Seattle. Eastern Washington is represented with Norman and John Carpenter’s The Ward, while the Islands get in the mix with Old Goats and Without. Bellingham-shot Do You See Colors When You Close Your Eyes? explores grief and connection, and How to Die in Oregon looks at both Oregon and Washington’s Death With Dignity laws. There is also If A Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front – a fascinating eco-documentary.

From the rock-and-rollers in Hit So Hard to Holy Rollers: The True Story Of Card Counting Christians, Northwest Connections is a varied look at the power of storytelling, and a celebration of the rich heritage of cinema in the Northwest.

The Catechism Cataclysm

WEDNESDAY JUNE 8 7:00 PM

THURSDAY JUNE 9 4:30 PM

Father Billy is a naïve, gregarious young priest who has boyish enthusiasm, but may not be best suited for his role as a man of the cloth. After hearing him tell parishioners rambling stories that have more to do with urban legend than the Good Book, the church elders force Father Billy (Steve Little of HBO’s “Eastbound & Down”) on a long sabbatical to find his way. The forlorn reverend looks up Robbie, an old high school acquaintance, and convinces him to go on a canoe trip to reminisce about their allegedly crazy metal-head days. The trip doesn’t start well. First, Billy loses his Bible, and then it becomes clear that the relationship between the two men was never as close as Billy remembered. Tension mounts as Robbie begins to chafe at the banter from his chipper, annoying canoe-mate. When they meet a pair of giggly female Japanese tourists who are recreating the river journey of “Huck Finn” (along with a hulking mute), things take a sharp turn toward the bizarre. Writer/director Todd Rohal’s uproarious odyssey, shot in Washington state, is an eclectic mix of surrealism, gross-out humor, and religious parable, suggesting that if God exists, He works in mysterious, possibly psychotic, ways.

NEPTUNE THEATRE

NEPTUNE THEATRE

Director:

Todd Rohal

Producers: Megan Griffiths

Lacey Leavitt

Screenwriter: Todd Rohal

Cinematographer: Benjamin Kasulke

Editor: Alan Canant

Music:

Joey Stevens

Cast:

Steve Little

Robert Longstreet

Miki Ann Maddox

Koko Lanham

Rico

Running Time: 81 minutes

Presentation Format: HDCAM

International Sales: IFC Midnight

Print Source: IFC Midnight

Film Website: catechismcataclysm.com

Selected Filmography: The Guatemalan Handshake (2006)

Do You See Colors When You Close Your Eyes?

TUESDAY MAY 31 7:00 PM

ADMIRAL THEATER

SATURDAY JUNE 4 11:00 AM HARVARD EXIT

This film, shot like a poem is written, uses vivid non-linear memories to tell the story of a family tragedy. At the start of the last year of his life, Jonathan (Sage Price) meets Christian (Sean Frazier) and the two quickly fall in love. After Jonathan’s sudden death, his twin Michael (Sage Price, again) and Christian finally meet. Both are suffering deeply and grudgingly look to each other’s deep loss and pain for salvation from their own. Shot entirely in Washington state in just seven days, Do You See Colors When You Close Your Eyes is rife with scenes of startling beauty. The story in this romantic drama/road-trip movie carries with it the feeling of a long-held memory that has seen, over time, atmosphere replace many of the details of each moment, allowing the viewer to get swept away in its feelings. Directors Caleb and Joshua Young (who also wrote the script) show an engaging facility for portraying the emotion of a moment, even when words fail. Sage Price’s out-of-this-world rendition of two very similar people in vastly different moments of their lives is not to be missed.

PRECEDED BY:

Just Be You

USA, 2008, 3 minutes, director: Eric Ruiz How do youth feel about gay people? How do youth feel about being gay?

Adobe Youth Voices

Directors:

Caleb Young

Joshua Young

Producers:

Caleb Young

Chris Koser

Screenwriters: Caleb Young

Joshua Young

Cinematographers: Caleb Young

Cameron Currier

Editors: Cameron Currier

Caleb Young

Cast: Sean Frazier

Sage Price

Sarah Davis

Jonathan Bowden

Nolan Deardorf

Running Time: 83 minutes

Presentation Format: HDCam

Print Source: Lines and Blood

Productions

Film Website: linesandbloodproductions. com/colors.html

Selected Filmography: Afraid to Merge (2008)

Holy Rollers: The True Story of Card Counting Christians

SATURDAY JUNE 11 6:00 PM

ADMIRAL THEATER

SUNDAY JUNE 12 3:30 PM SIFF CINEMA

The members of one of the largest and most heavily funded blackjack teams in the country are not a bunch of high-rolling Vegas card sharks. Instead, they are pastors, worship leaders, and other Christians who make up the Seattle-based Church Team. Using card counting—a legal but heavily frowned upon method—they have learned how to increase their odds and fleece casinos for millions of dollars, much of which goes directly into church coffers. But as the bankroll and membership of Church Team grows, so do lingering issues about the morality of gambling, the bonds of trust, and the dangers of bypassing the increasingly sophisticated security measures enacted by the casinos to stop career card counters. After a non-Christian team member is allowed to join the team, their once unstoppable success starts to fall apart. Kicked out of every casino in the Pacific Northwest, the team’s founders try to get back on the winning streak via a desperate road trip. Featuring all the tension and intrigue of a Hollywood thriller, director Bryan Storkel follows their five-year journey from casual living room meetings to the inner sanctum of the gambling world.

Director: Bryan Storkel

Producers: Jason Connell

Amy Storkel

Cinematographer: Brian Liepe

Editor: Bryan Storkel

Music: Frank Lenz

Running Time: 93 minutes

Presentation Format: HDCAM

Film Website: holyrollersthemovie.com

Selected Filmography: Debut Feature Film

How to Die in Oregon

FRIDAY MAY 20 4:15 PM HARVARD EXIT

SATURDAY MAY 21 2:00 PM PACIFIC PLACE CINEMAS

SUNDAY MAY 22 3:30 PM RENTON IKEA PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

Euthanasia is not an easy subject, but director

Peter Richardson’s How to Die in Oregon is a tender portrait of the patients, families, caregivers, and advocates who, since 1994, have chosen physician-assisted suicide thanks to Oregon’s Death With Dignity law. In 2008, Washington voters followed suit, due in part to staunch advocacy by Nancy Niedzielski, whose husband’s dying wish was for the right to end his suffering. With intimacy and insight, the film explores the details of those who choose to legally end their lives, including the stringent safeguards ensuring that the patient is completely certain of their final decision. The heart and soul of this story is 54-year-old Cody Curtis, whose loving family and infectious good-humor are her primary weapons against the debilitating symptoms of liver cancer. Curtis explores the possibilities of ending her life, and as a prescription for a lethal dosage of Seconal waits at her bedside, she shares her doubts, fears, and feelings. Through her story, and those of the loved ones and the doctor who cares for her, a subject that on the surface seems bleak turns out to be a celebration of the human spirit in all of its courage, dignity, and compassion.

Awards: Sundance Film Festival 2011 (Grand Jury Prize)

Director: Peter D. Richardson

Producer: Peter D. Richardson

Screenwriter: Peter D. Richardson

Cinematographer: Peter D. Richardson

Editors: Greg Snider

Peter D. Richardson

Music: Max Richter

Running Time: 108 minutes

Presentation Format: HDCAM

Print Source: Clearcut Productions

Film Website: howtodieinoregon.com

Selected Filmography: Clear Cut: The Story of Philomath Oregon (2006)

Late Autumn

SOUTH KOREA/HONG KONG/USA 2010 US PREMIERE

SUNDAY MAY 29 6:45 PM

TUESDAY MAY 31 4:00 PM

After spending the past seven years in prison for killing her abusive husband in self-defense, Anna is granted furlough to attend her mother’s funeral in Seattle. On the bus, she meets Hoon, an escort escaping the wrath of a client’s jealous husband. Anna provides ticket money for this attractive and charming stranger, and the two sit near one another for the duration of the bus ride. Anna’s return home proves to be less than welcomed, however; after fleeing back to the bus stop, she discovers that Hoon is still there, and embarks on a day-long adventure through the tourist attractions of Seattle with her new friend. The bond between Anna and Hoon soon blossoms into a source of hope and escape for each character’s dismal situation. Late Autumn was filmed throughout the Seattle area, and you can catch glimpses of neighborhoods across Seattle as backdrops for this intriguing tale of chance and human connection.

HARVARD EXIT

EGYPTIAN THEATRE MAN CHU

Director: Kim Tae-yong

Producers:

Jooick Lee

Nansun Shi

Sung Woo Cho

Screenwriter: Kim Tae-yong

Cinematographer: Woo Hyung Kim

Editor:

Steve Choe

Jin Lee

Cast:

Tang Wei

Hyun Bin

Running Time: 113 minutes

Presentation Format:

HDCAM, in English, Mandarin, and Korean, with English subtitles

International Sales:

Boram Entertainment Inc.

Print Source: Boram Entertainment Inc.

Selected Filmography: Family Ties (2006)

Memento Mori (1999)

A Lot Like You

TANZANIA/USA 2011

TUESDAY MAY 24 7:00 PM

HARVARD EXIT

SUNDAY JUNE 12 1:00 PM ADMIRAL THEATER

Seattle filmmaker Eliaichi Kimaro, who was raised in the Washington, D.C. suburbs, is the daughter of a Tanzanian father and Korean mother. Though she spent many of her summers as a child in Tanzania, Kimaro felt she never developed a strong kinship with the African side of her family. When her father retired and decided to return to Tanzania to re-establish ties to his native Chagga tribe, Kimaro planned to film a documentary about his remarkable journey as one of the few Chagga children to receive a first-rate Western education. Over the course of this four-year project, however, Kimaro discovers a connection with her Chagga aunts that she never could have imagined–one based on sexual abuse that had been long hidden and never discussed among the family members. With her experience as a domestic violence counselor, Kimaro is able to bridge the large cultural gap between her and her Chagga relatives and begin the long-delayed healing process. The resulting documentary is not only a remarkably personal record of the filmmaker’s own ethnic awakening, but also a compelling study on the roles that race and sex play in forming our cultural identities.

PRECEDED BY:

Women Empowerment South Africa, 2009, 5 minutes, director: various Young South African filmmakers celebrate their mothers’ resilience to overcome the obstacles that lay before them. Adobe Youth Voices

Director: Eliaichi Kimaro

Producers: Eliaichi Kimaro

Eric Frith

Thomas Kenney

Pete Droge

Screenwriters: Eliaichi Kimaro

Eric Frith

Cinematographer: Eliaichi Kimaro

Editor: Eric Frith

Music: Pete Droge

Running Time: 80 minutes

Presentation Format:

HDCAM, in Swahili and English, with English

subtitles

Print Source: 9elephants productions

Film Website: alotlikeyoumovie.com

Selected Filmography: Debut Feature Film

All new br A nd

S A me gre A t mi SS ion

Celebrating the creativity of women in film, television, video and new media for twenty years

womeninfilmseattle.org

Marrow USA 2011

WEDNESDAY JUNE 1 7:00 PM

SATURDAY JUNE 4 3:30 PM

Frances (Frances Hearn) is a single mom facing two difficult family problems: her cantankerous father recently passed away, leaving her a moldering house in the woods to refurbish, and her mercurial teenage son is acting out in school. As Frances struggles to make house repairs to keep out the everpresent critters from the forest, she begins to hear strange sounds coming from within the walls and questions her grip on sanity. The deeper she delves into the house’s crevices, the more long-hidden memories she unearths from her troubled relationship with her father, who suffered a mental breakdown in his later years. When her son’s outbursts in school get progressively worse, Frances begins to recognize similar patterns from her own youth, and must battle personal demons to break the family’s cycle of hostility and resentment. Hearn gives a powerful, raw performance as a woman with a damaged psyche who does what she can to save her family and seek redemption through her son. Set mostly within the dark forests of Washington state, Marrow is a disturbingly intimate look at the various implications of inheritance.

HARVARD EXIT

ADMIRAL THEATER

Director: Matt Wilkins

Producer: David Miller

Screenwriters: Matt Wilkins

Eliza Fox

B. Billy Curtis

Frances Hearn

Cinematographer: Ryan Purcell

Editor: Brad Vanderburg

Music: Wayne Horvitz

Cast: Frances Hearn

Wiley Wilkins

Todd Jefferson Moore

Running Time: 92 minutes

Presentation Format: HDCAM

Print Source: Sisyphus Productions

Film Website: marrowmovie.com

Selected Filmography: Buffalo Bill’s Defunct: Stories from the New West (2004)

Norman USA 2010

THURSDAY JUNE 2 10:00 PM

SATURDAY JUNE 4 1:00 PM

Norman is a teenage boy whose wisecracking, irreverent attitude masks his deep unhappiness; his mother is dead, his father is practically bedridden, and his schoolmates think he’s a troubled weirdo. Then he finds out that his father has been diagnosed with stomach cancer and doesn’t have long to live. But what if Norman was the one who was sick? What starts as a white lie to a friend soon spreads through school and suddenly his peers and teachers revere “Norman the cancer victim,” as his mock plight even attracts the interest of a cute girl. As it becomes more and more difficult to live the lie, Norman must find a way to admit the truth to others, as well as to himself. Dan Byrd plays Norman with the perfect combination of awkward humor, cynicism, and melancholy, and the script is full of dark humor that skillfully balances the grim subject matter.

The wonderful Richard Jenkins gives an emotionally charged yet subtle performance as Norman’s dying father. Last, but certainly not least, the idiosyncratic score by renowned indie musician Andrew Bird enhances this unique and affecting story about love, loss, and the importance of confronting the truth.

PRECEDED BY:

The Way You Are USA, 2009, 3 minutes, director: Cynthia Pineda A musical celebration of the things that make us who we are. Adobe Youth Voices

SIFF CINEMA

NEPTUNE THEATRE

Director: Jonathan Segal

Producers: Dan Keston

Hawk Koch

Screenwriter: Talton Wingate

Cinematographer: Darren Genet

Editor: Robert Hoffman

Music: Andrew Bird

Cast: Dan Byrd

Emily VanCamp

Richard Jenkins

Adam Goldberg

Running Time: 97 minutes

Presentation Format: HDCAM

International Sales: IP Advisors

Print Source: North by Northwest

Entertainment

Film Website: normanthemovie.com

Selected Filmography: The Last Run (2004)

The Off Hours

MONDAY JUNE 6 7:00 PM

TUESDAY JUNE 7 4:30 PM

The complex characters in The Off Hours may have lost love, but not their longing for it. Francine has been working the night shift at a Pacific Northwest truck-stop for over a decade, standing still while the traffic flies by. She lives with her best friend and onetime foster brother, Corey. Otherwise, her life primarily consists of casual quickies and ephemeral friendships. Her potential futures are mapped out before her: an alcoholic owner, a somnambulist short-order cook, a Serbian waitress with a reputation, and Francine’s roommate whose unrequited crush will likely never be reciprocated. But the arrival of a new trucker with ties to the larger world provides Francine with flickers of a wider existence. Writer-director Megan Griffiths displays an uncanny knowledge of this world, and lets her characters’ brushes against each other evolve organically as their flaws and yearnings lead them to their natural conclusions. Griffiths and cinematographer Benjamin Kasulke envelop these people in a gorgeous world of muted greys, browns, and blacks, putting the viewer virtually inside Edward Hopper’s Nighthawks to create this late-night land of lost souls that have been lonely so long, they may have simply forgotten their condition.

Sponsored by Aron Michael Thompson

NEPTUNE THEATRE

NEPTUNE THEATRE

Director:

Megan Griffiths

Producers:

Mischa Jakupcak

Lacey Leavitt

Joy Saez

Screenwriter: Megan Griffiths

Cinematographer: Benjamin Kasulke

Editor:

Megan Griffiths

Music:

Jeramy Koepping

Joshua Morrison

Cast: Amy Seimetz

Ross Partridge

Tony Doupe

Scoot McNairy

Lynn Shelton

Running Time: 94 minutes

Presentation Format: HDCAM

International Sales: Visit Films

Print Source: The Off Hours LLC

Film Website: theoffhoursfilm.com

Selected Filmography: First Aid for Choking (2003)

Old Goats

USA 2010

TUESDAY JUNE 7 7:00 PM

EGYPTIAN THEATRE

FRIDAY JUNE 10 4:30 PM ADMIRAL THEATER

From local writer-director Taylor Guterson, Old Goats is the often hilarious and always heartfelt story of three older men (local actors Bob Burkholder, David VanderWal, and Britton Crosley, each playing themselves) who refuse to go quietly into the night of retirement and old age. Cantankerous and set in their ways, each man must come to terms with the sunset years in his own unique fashion. Bob is in the process of writing a memoir about his life as a soldier, while David does what he can to evade the prying eyes of his wife. Meanwhile, Britton, the most active of the bunch, tries to find true love on the internet, his efforts resulting in one of the film’s funnier scenes. Shot in and around Seattle, Old Goats finds humor in the everyday foibles of retirement life, providing a refreshing perspective on the golden years through the eyes of three men who don’t feel (or act) as old as they should.

Director: Taylor Guterson

Producers: Taylor Guterson

Johnathan Boyer

Screenwriter: Taylor Guterson

Cinematographer: Taylor Guterson

Editor:

Taylor Guterson

Cast:

Britton Crosley

Bob Burkholder

David VanderWal

Benita Staadecker

Gail Shackel

Steve Stolee

Running Time: 94 minutes

Presentation Format: HDCAM

Print Source: Elliott Bay Productions

Selected Filmography: Debut Feature Film

Surrogate Valentine

SUNDAY MAY 29 9:30 PM

MONDAY MAY 30 3:30 PM

When San Francisco musician Goh (played by the real-life singer/songwriter Goh Nakamura) is assigned by a filmmaker friend to teach the musically challenged TV star of her film to sing and play guitar, he has little idea what he is getting himself into. But he’s barely scraping by playing gigs and could use the extra dough. So, Goh goes on the road, from L.A. to San Francisco, to meet and teach Danny, an over-the-top young actor. Danny follows Goh’s every motion, trying to channel his slumpy indie musician-ness, and the duo go on tour together. Along the way, Goh meets up with a former high-school flame and while the two reminisce, sparks unite. Shot in black-and-white in several West Coast cities (including iconic Seattle landmarks), Surrogate Valentine explores the landscape of both friendship and romantic relationships with understated grace. Director Dave Boyle has crafted a story with strong characters, gorgeous music, and true heart.

PRECEDED BY:

Frank Fairfield

USA, 2010, 13 minutes, director: Austin Wilson Old-timey, 25-year-old banjo player Frank Fairfield may be a man out of time...or just in time.

HARVARD EXIT

ADMIRAL THEATER

Director: Dave Boyle

Producers: Duane Andersen

Michael Lerman

Screenwriters: Dave Boyle

Joel Clark

Goh Nakamura

Cinematographer: Bill Otto

Editor: Dave Boyle

Music: Goh Nakamura

Cast: Goh Nakamura

Lynn Chen

Chadd Stoops

Running Time: 75 minutes

Presentation Format: HDCAM

Print Source: Tiger Industry Films

Film Website: surrogatevalentine.com

Selected Filmography: White on Rice (2009) Big Dreams Little Tokyo (2006)

Treatment

USA 2011

THURSDAY MAY 26 9:30 PM

SATURDAY MAY 28 11:00 AM

Leonard (Joshua Leonard, Humpday) is an L.A. filmmaker with big ideas but no clue about how to turn them into real projects. Nelson (co-director Sean Nelson) is his longsuffering best friend who humors Leonard, but never takes his grand plans seriously. Rather than work on a script, Leonard first focuses on landing bankable talent, namely an A-lister known as Gregg D (Ross Partridge, The Off Hours). The only problem is, Gregg has just checked into Wingspan, an ultra-swanky, $10,000-a-week rehab clinic for substance abuse. In a stroke of demented genius, Leonard decides to fake a drug addiction, check himself into the clinic (using Nelson’s trust fund), befriend Gregg D, and become the next Oliver Stone. But once he’s inside Wingspan’s ridiculously cushy grounds, Leonard realizes that, in spite of his charade, perhaps he’s not that much different from the other patients. With a strong Northwest filmmaking pedigree, Treatment is not only a spot-on satire of Hollywood narcissism and phony celebrity rehab culture, but also a sobering study on the perils of ambition and obsession. Look for brilliant comic cameos by John Hodgman (“The Daily Show”), and musician Robyn Hitchcock, who also provides original music for the film.

EGYPTIAN THEATRE

NEPTUNE THEATRE

Directors:

Steven Schardt

Sean Nelson

Producers:

Jennifer Maas

Steven Schardt

Screenwriter:

Sean Nelson

Cinematographer: Benjamin Kasulke

Editor:

Sean Donavan

Music: Robyn Hitchcock

Cast: Joshua Leonard

Sean Nelson

Brie Larson

Ross Partridge

John Hodgman

Running Time: 84 minutes

Presentation Format: HDCAM

International Sales: Submarine Entertainment

Print Source: Like A Man LLC

Selected Filmography: Debut Feature Film

Winds of Heaven CANADA 2010

SATURDAY MAY 28 4:30 PM

NEPTUNE THEATRE MONDAY MAY 30 6:00 PM ADMIRAL THEATER

Winds of Heaven plays as a heartfelt paean to an artist and a place. Drawn from the memoirs of author and painter Emily Carr, the film brings her impressionistic work and inspirational surroundings to vivid life. The multivoice narration incorporates the perspectives of historians, natives, and Carr herself (voiced by Diane D’Aquila). Born in Victoria in 1871, she bristled at her father’s attachment to their English heritage, preferring to live in a Canada free to express its own identity in alignment with the indigenous population. She describes her family as so “prim, orthodox, and religious” that they bathed in swimsuits in the dark. A sense of isolation from their world drove her to study abroad and to express herself through art. In London, though, she “ached with homesickness for my West.” Back home, she concentrated on paintings of unspoiled forests and first-nation communities, but sellers were scarce, and she rented rooms to earn her keep. Fortunately, recognition would eventually come her way. If Carr could be eccentric and cantankerous, her love of her country and its people was strong and true. As one of her more ardent supporters wrote, “You have a feeling of the West Coast beyond anyone.”

Director: Michael Ostroff

Producers: Peter Raymont

Michael Ostroff

Screenwriter: Michael Ostroff

Cinematographer: John Walker

Editor: Tai Zimmer

Music: Ed Eagen

Running Time: 87 minutes

Presentation Format: HDCAM

International Sales: White Pine Pictures

Print Source: White Pine Pictures

Film Website: carrdoc.wordpress.com

Selected Filmography: Pegi Nicol: Something Dancing About Her (2004) Canvas of War (2000)

Without USA 2011

SUNDAY MAY 22 9:30 PM

HARVARD EXIT MONDAY MAY 23 4:30 PM EGYPTIAN THEATER

Shot on Whidbey Island, Without is the remarkable feature narrative debut of writer-director Mark Jackson. When Joslyn (Joslyn Jensen) is hired to be the live-in caretaker for the vegetative Frank (Ron Carrier), she is forced to confront uncomfortable truths about aging, the human body, and her own sexuality. Jackson reveals each layer of the complex story with an assured tone that lures the audience deeper into the twisted world that is slowly beginning to take shape in Frank’s isolated island house. Featuring a fearless, star-making performance from Jensen as a tortured soul in search of human connection, the narrative unfolds in some unexpected ways, tightening its grip on the viewer with each passing frame. Without is a haunting testament to the resilience of the body, the power of sexuality, and the frailness of the mind, with the lush, verdant backdrop of Whidbey Island standing in stark contrast to the physical and emotional decay of the taut web Jackson so deftly weaves.

Director: Mark Jackson

Producers: Mark Jackson

Jessica Dimmock

Michael Requa

Jaime Keeling

Screenwriter: Mark Jackson

Cinematographers: Jessica Dimmock

Diego Garcia

Editor:

Mark Jackson

Music: Dave Eggar

Nancy Magarill

Cast:

Joslyn Jensen

Ron Carrier

Darren Lenz

Bob Sentinella

Piper Weiss

Running Time: 87 minutes

Presentation Format: HDCAM

Print Source: Right On Red Films

Film Website: rightonredfilms.com

Selected Filmography: Debut Feature Film

fly filmmaking challenge

The Fly Filmmaking Challenge has always functioned with the belief that creativity can and often does flourish in the face of, and indeed as a result of, the limitations placed on the filmmakers. SIFF believes that in this adrenaline fueled, mad-dash to the big screen our selected filmmakers will give rise to something remarkable. This year SIFF is proud to be partnered with Washington Filmworks.  With their history of facilitating production in Washington State and SIFF as the home for exhibiting the local talent, both organizations support the creative vision of local film.

After All This

Directed by Matthew J. Clark

Written by Pete Fromm.

In the final days of her young life, Helen stares death in the face and manages to laugh. Knowing that she is on the losing end of the battle with cancer, she and her husband, Cole, try to make sense of an ending they had hoped to never experience.

Matthew J. Clark is a director and cinematographer with 20 years experience in the film and television business. He began his college education in Broadcast Journalism at the University of Montana and later transitioned to Film Production and Cinema Studies at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. Matthew worked as a cinematographer on low budget films, documentaries, and commercials for 10 years before spending the past 12 years directing and shooting TV spots, documentaries, and brand films for large national brands and ad agencies. His first narrative film, Dry Rain, was chosen as the IFP Spotlight Award winner in 2007, and he has just completed his second film, a mini-documentary: Piano Pat

The Epiphany

Directed and written by SJ Chiro

“The Epiphany,” a superhero, faces villains such as his arch-nemesis “Le Petit Mort”, as well as “Deja Vu” and “The Capitulator.”  He must also face doubt, fear, self-loathing, and time itself. Based on a Jonathan Lethem story of the same name, which was inspired by a painting by Scott Alden.

SJ Chiro graduated from Bennington College with a degree in theatre and French literature. She spent much of her early career in theatre. Her 2006 short film, Little Red Riding Hood, garnered awards for Best Live Action Short at Children’s Film Festival Seattle and Best Cinematography at the San Francisco Woman’s Film Festival. Her next film, Third Days Child, premiered at SIFF 2008 and screened at Science Fiction + Fantasy Short Film Festival, 1 Reel Film Festival of Shorts, and Palm Springs International Festival of Short Films, among other festivals. In 2009, she was commissioned to make A Water Tale, an environmental fairy tale. Her latest film is Howard From Ohio (SIFF 2011, p. 165).

Reintroduced after a yearlong hiatus, the Fly Filmmaking Challenge remains one of SIFF’s most popular events.  While the rules of the challenge may change every year, the heart and soul remains the same.  This year the filmmakers must race the clock with a week to write a script, three days to shoot with only 2,000 feet of Kodak film, and five days to edit a total of ten minutes of screen time. And there was a documentary crew there to catch all of the true and false behind-the-scenes action.

Little Peter Needs to Fly

Directed by Evangeline Spracklin

Produced with mentorship from Reel Grrls, Little Peter Needs to Fly is an examination of the 2011 Fly Filmmaking Challenge. This Herzogian documentary follows four filmmakers embarking on their Fly Filmmaking journeys and learning to cope with the obstacles they face. Who will succeed and create a beautiful motion picture and who will fall flat on their face due to unbearable pressures?

Reel Grrls is the first year-round filmmaking program exclusively for girls in the US. Their innovative mentorship model partners young women ages 9 to 19 with professional female filmmakers to produce diverse works that are screened at more than 80 film festivals around the world each year. Members of the student-run Grrls Advisory Board have teamed up to document the 2011 Fly Filmmaking Challenge.

Tilting At Windmills

Directed by Timothy Watkins

Written by Timothy Watkins and Charles Forsgren

Struggling to cope with his difficult reality, a homeless man becomes obsessed with the thought that he is a chivalrous knight in a medieval fantasy world filled with noble deeds, damsels in distress, and an unwitting sidekick he calls Sancho. Timothy Watkins explored many different fields before becoming a filmmaker, including English teacher in Japan, military officer, industrial spy in the Alaskan fishing industry, and bank vice president. He is now, however, an award-winning writer and director of several films, including the IFP Spotlight Award-winning film Photo Booth (SIFF 2011, p. 161); the IFP Spotlight Award finalist Dishonesty; SIFF Three Minute Masterpiece winner 3 Minutes of Movie Masterpieces; and was co-writer of the SIFF Fly Film Black Coffee. He currently has a biblical era feature film in post-production called Easter Weekend as well as a dark drama feature script called Desperate Age that is complete and looking for funding.

festival forums

Filmmakers Forums and Digital Media Lab

SIFF Film Center

May 21, May 30, June 4, and June 5

Welcome to the Filmmakers Forums and Digital Media Lab. It is a place for filmmaking enthusiasts young and old to come together for panels and classes that range from green screen filmmaking and new distribution models to editing, all-inclusive filmmaking, and machinima animation techniques. Class instructors and panelists are industry professionals. The Mac Store will be stocking the new SIFF Film Center Classroom with computer workstations for the Digital Media Lab weekend. These seven classes expand the opportunities for filmmakers and interested film audiences to expand their knowledge of the intricacies of filmmaking. Come for one or stay for them all. The classes are free but ticketed reservations are available through the SIFF Box Office. Computer seating will be limited, though extra seating may be available.

Course offerings run the gamut from beginning to intermediate use of computer applications, but all are encouraged to come and be a part of these engrossing classes and panels.

FILM INDUSTRY PANELS AND CLASSES

Saturday, May 21

Four Peaks Salon: Entertainment and Innovation: The Fusion of Film and Gaming in the Pacific Northwest

2:00PM – 3:30PM SIFF FILM CENTER AUDITORIUM

Despite all the remarkable advances we’ve seen in digital technology over the last couple of decades, content creators still see story as the most immersive platform of them all.  Digital media has merely extended the power of narrative to the interactive space, particularly through gaming. This Four Peaks Salon aims to mine this particularly rich mother lode for the Pacific Northwest as a center for both film and interactive entertainment. We’ll convene leading practitioners on how story is now just the starting point, as these innovative content creators use it to weave whole new worlds online and offline.

Panelists expected to include:

Lynn Shelton – Award winning Seattle film director – We Go Way Back, Humpday, and MTV Web Series “$5 Cover Seattle”

Matt Vancil – Writer, Director, JourneyQuest and The Gamers

Saturday, May 21

The Darkest Matter Green Screen Workshop

5:00PM – 6:30PM SIFF FILM CENTER CLASSROOM

Following the Saturday screening of The Darkest Matter (p. 195), director James Fox will lead a workshop that demonstrates how they achieved creating a science fiction film entirely on green screen. Not only will his crew be breaking down the various steps of the post-production process on several key scenes, they will also be setting up a traveling green screen, camera, and monitor system that approximates what was used during production. Don’t miss this incredible opportunity to get deeper behind the scenes of this extraordinary film and the accessibility of green screen filmmaking in your own home.

Monday, May 30

Finding, Funding…Feature!

1:00PM–3:30PM SIFF FILM CENTER AUDITORIUM

“Putting it together, bit by bit, piece by piece,” there are hundreds of necessary steps needed to get your creative project off the ground.

What’s the best way to do it? What are the latest avenues available for funding and distribution?  Women in Film Seattle and Seattle International Film Festival present: Finding Your Audience: Alternative Media Distribution and Crowd Sourcing for Cash, a two part panel focused on informing filmmakers about how to take advantage of diverse and alternative opportunities available to bring your vision to life. From finding your audience, to fundraising, or seeking out independent film distributors, you’ll interact with the creative/professional people actually doing it and doing it right.

Presented by Women In Film Seattle

Please

representing the local voice.

festival forums

Digital Media Lab

Saturday, June 4

SIFF FILM CENTER CLASSROOM

Instructor: Kris Boustedt, Filmmaker (Photo Booth, Tilting At Windmills, Connect To), Creative Director at First Sight Productions, and Associate Faculty at Shoreline Community College

10:00am

Editing 101: More Than Just Pushing Buttons

It has been said that a film is made three times: when it’s written, when it’s filmed, and when it’s edited. In fact, Quentin Tarantino calls the editing process the “final rewrite.” In this session, we survey the historical development, artistry, and technique of editing, going beyond the software to discover the craft of storytelling in the edit room.

12:00pm

Introduction to Final Cut Pro

In 1999, Final Cut Pro created a paradigm shift in the worlds of video and film postproduction and has since gone on to become one of the most popular non-linear editors. This session provides an overview of video formats and standards, a primer of post-production basics, and a walk-through of the Final Cut Pro essentials. No video experience is necessary.

1:00pm

Final Cut Pro: Beyond the Basics

Final Cut Pro is obviously built for cutting and reorganizing footage, but its power extends so much further! This session focuses on more advanced topics such as image and audio manipulation, compositing, and integration with other software platforms.

2:00pm

DVD Authoring with DVD Studio Pro

DVD Studio Pro integrates seamlessly with Final Cut Pro for a complete DVD delivery workflow. This session introduces the foundations of DVD technology like disc structure and MPEG encoding, and shows you how to create content with Final Cut Pro, Photoshop and Compressor. Then we delve into DVD Studio Pro to learn about compression, menu design, programming, and DVD-ROM material.

3:00pm Encoding

With hundreds of combinations of codecs (“compressor/decompressor”), finding the best option for your film can be painful. In this lecture, we cover some of the different encoding methods for web and other digital outlets to help make your film look its best. If you need to export your films digitally and want to tear your hair out over terms like FLV, H.264, ProRes, Sorenson, MPEG-2, etc., this session is for you.

Sunday, June 5

10:00am–5:00pm

Complete Amateur Filmmaking Workshop

Have you ever wanted to make a film, but didn’t know where to start?  Here’s your chance to shine!  Join other amateur filmmakers in an all-day workshop as professional filmmaking mentors guide you through the entire process.  The end result: in a small group, you will write a short script, shoot that script on the Seattle Center grounds with actors, and edit the short film which will screen at the end of the day for all participants. Select films may be showcased on SIFFTV.

This filmmaking experience is limited to ten groups of four. Complete groups of four may reserve a spot or individuals may be paired with other incomplete groups. To reserve a spot at this unique event, please e-mail futurewave@siff.net for registration.

archival films

Preserving the history of cinema on the big screen

The year’s Archival Film selection is not only a chance to revisit the cinematic treasures that still captivate audiences decades later, it is also a celebration of the filmmakers, craftsmen, and archivists who created and protect the indelible images that have helped us define our world. With that in mind, we have selected three new documentaries about enduring films and filmmakers—each of which includes a healthy selection of clips—and three timeless feature films worth re-experiencing on the big screen.

These Amazing Shadows is a new documentary feature on the National Film Registry, a congressionally created archive that selects and preserves those films that have defined and shaped the history of America. Their collection includes blockbusters like Gone With the Wind and Star Wars, independent masterpieces like Shadows and Sherman’s March, and everything from industrial films to home movies to the delightfully titled Gus Visser and His Singing Duck, an early experiment in the sound-on-film process. The documentary includes clips from all these films, as well as in-depth interviews with the archivists and curators who oversee the Registry.

Hurricane Kalatozov is a fresh look at one of the greatest Soviet film directors, Mikhail Kalatozov, a fascinating figure whose career spanned important changes throughout the history of Russia, from the Stalinist era to the Cold War, best known for his stunningly powerful docudramas The Cranes Are Flying and I Am Cuba

Cameraman: The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff is a celebration of one of Britain’s most acclaimed cinematographers and the man behind the camera of such enchanting films as The Red Shoes, The African Queen, and War and Peace. Cardiff was rarely seen without a camera in hand, and this documentary pulls from his vast archive of footage, as well as years of enchanting interviews that tell the story of his ninety-year career in film. In celebration of his work, we are pleased to also present Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger’s Black Narcissus (1947), featuring some of Cardiff’s most luscious images, for which he won his first Academy Award®

Universally recognized as one of the greatest Egyptian films ever made, The Night of Counting the Years is based on a true story: the looting of a legendary cache of royal mummies by ancient tribes people. Completed in 1969, this cinematic treat was extremely difficult to see from the 1970s onward until last year’s beautiful restoration by Martin Scorsese’s Film Foundation. Using original 35mm camera and sound negatives preserved at the Egyptian Film Center in Giza, the restoration preserves the film’s poetic beauty, its evocative sense of history, and its themes of desecration and veneration.

Finally, SIFF is pleased to once again work with The Film Foundation to present a newly-restored cinema classic, Federico Fellini’s La Dolce Vita (1960). Established in 1990 by Martin Scorsese, The Film Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting and preserving motion picture history by providing substantial support for preservation and restoration projects at major film archives. Since its inception, the foundation has been instrumental in raising awareness of the urgent need for film preservation and has helped save nearly 555 films. Fellini’s landmark film is the latest addition to the foundation’s collection, and one that is very personal for Scorsese himself. He says about the film, “La Dolce Vita gave us the freedom to go ahead and break open cinematic narratives. It creates a spectacle of life, a spectacle of a society, a culture – and a satire.”

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Black Narcissus

UNITED KINGDOM 1947

SATURDAY MAY 21 7:30 PM

A study of desire, hysteria, temptation, and sexuality set in a remote convent high up in the Indian Himalayas, Black Narcissus is an erotically charged psychological drama by the celebrated British director-writer team of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, based on the novel of the same name by Rumer Godden. Sister Clodagh (played with a backbone of steel by the matchless Deborah Kerr), an Irish nun fleeing a failed love affair, is dispatched with four other nuns to convert and civilize the native population. There she is beset by agents of the chaos she has foresworn: a laconically charming British agent, a luscious teenage temptress (the normally demure Jean Simmons), and a visibly unraveling member of her own order, Sister Ruth (Kathleen Byron), resulting in a climax of female hysteria that so far exceeds the decorum of the frozen emotional climate of the 1940s that it was a good two decades before the film’s greatness started to be truly appreciated. Inventively shot almost entirely within the confines of Pinewood Studios in ravishing Technicolor by that genius of the cinematographic art Jack Cardiff, Black Narcissus may well prove to be its directors’ enduring masterpiece.

Awards: Academy Awards 1948 (Best Cinematography, Art Direction) Golden Globes 1948 (Best Cinematography)

Cameraman: The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff

UNITED KINGDOM 2010

SATURDAY MAY 21 11:00 AM

Directors:

Michael Powell

Emeric Pressburger

Producers: George R. Busby

Michael Powell

Emeric Pressburger

Screenwriters: Emeric Pressburger

Michael Powell based on the novel by Rumer Godden

Cinematographer: Jack Cardiff

Editor: Reginald Mills

Music: Brian Easdale

Cast: Deborah Kerr

Jean Simmons

Kathleen Byron

David Farrar

Flora Robson

Running Time: 100 minutes

Presentation Format: Bluray

Print Source: MGM

Selected Filmography:

Age of Consent (1969)

Peeping Tom (1960)

Honeymoon (1959)

The Wild Heart (1952)

Tales of Hoffmann (1951)

The Red Shoes (1948)

Stairway to Heaven (1946)

Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (1943)

The first cinematographer to win an Lifetime Achievement Oscar®, Jack Cardiff is well known to lovers of cinema for his nine decades behind the camera with directors and stars like John Huston, Alfred Hitchcock, Marilyn Monroe, Lauren Bacall, Errol Flynn, and Kirk Douglas. Essentially, his life was the cinema: he started in 1918 as a child actor, began working as a camera assistant, honed his craft filming public information films during WWII, was camera operator for some of the earliest Technicolor and Cinemascope productions, and collaborated frequently with director Michael Powell—with whom he won his first Academy Award® for Black Narcissus. And all of this before his transition into directing in the 1960s. Director Craig McCall spent 12 years alongside Cardiff, a spirited octogenarian who shares stories of the actresses who demanded his lens, shows how the paintings of Vermeer and Caravaggio influenced his work, and, never one to put the camera down, shares his vast collection of behindthe-scenes footage. Shot entirely on 16mm film, a refreshing throwback in this digital age, and including interviews with over 20 of the world’s greatest actors, directors and technicians, Cameraman is a thrilling tribute to an exceptional life.

Director: Craig McCall

Producers: Craig McCall

Richard McGill

Screenwriter: Craig McCall

Cinematographers: James Welland

Bob Williams

Editor:

Dan Roberts

Music:

Mark Sayer-Wade

Featuring: Jack Cardiff

Martin Scorsese

Kirk Douglas

Lauren Bacall

Running Time: 83 minutes

Presentation Format: HDCAM

International Sales:

High Point Media Group

Print Source: Strand Releasing

Film Website: jackcardiff.com

Selected Filmography: Debut Feature Film

HARVARD EXIT

SIFF CINEMA

These Amazing Shadows USA 2011

MONDAY MAY 30 1:30 PM

In 1988, Congress approved the creation of the National Film Registry, a time capsule of American cinema filled with films that are “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.” Its growing collection includes films as diverse as Casablanca, West Side Story, Blazing Saddles, The Wizard of Oz, and Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” video. In These Amazing Shadows, filmmakers Paul Mariano and Kurt Norton go behind the scenes to talk with the curators who strive to include films of all kinds—including home movies, avantgarde cinema, newsreels, industrial films, and the controversial titles that reflect the times in which they were made. We also meet the Registry’s film archivists, who diligently work inside “Nitrate Land,” a sprawling climate controlled lab, to restore the original film elements. And of course there is a banquet of indelible classic film clips, as well as interviews with those whose work is represented, including Rob Reiner, John Waters, John Lasseter, Debbie Reynolds, and Steve James. As one curator comments, “American movies tell us so much about ourselves. Not just what we did, but what we thought, what we felt, what we aspired to, and the lies we told ourselves.”

Directors: Paul Mariano

Kurt Norton

Producers: Christine O’Malley

Paul Mariano

Kurt Norton

Cinematographer: Frazer Bradshaw

Editors: Doug Blush

Alex Calleros

Music: Peter Golub

Featuring: Christopher Nolan Rob Reiner

Tim Roth

John Waters

John Lasseter

Running Time: 88 minutes

Presentation Format: HDCAM

International Sales: Films Transit International

Print Source: Gravitas DocuFilms

Film Website: theseamazingshadows. com

Selected Filmography: Also Ran (2006)

La Dolce Vita

ITALY 1960

MONDAY MAY 30 10:00 AM

A sensation on its release and considered by many to be Fellini’s finest achievement, La Dolce Vita contains so many iconic scenes it is hard to know where to begin: the opening shot of the statue of Christ being hoisted above the Roman skyline, Marcello Mastroianni and Anita Ekberg in full evening dress frolicking in the Trevi fountain, the swarming paparazzi, etc…. Less well understood is the film’s frequently elusive message: is it contemptuous or complicit in its depiction of Rome’s Glitterati, built on ravages of wartime destruction? In fact, the film is deeply moral, its title (translation: “the sweet life”) an ironic commentary on a society that is clearly going straight to hell in a Balenciaga ball gown. Abandoning traditional plot and conventional character development, Fellini and his co-screenwriters forged a cinematic narrative that eschews traditional continuity in favor of some seven non-linear encounters between Mastroianni and a panoply of indelible characters, skillfully building a cumulative sense of the disparity between what life has been or could be, and what it actually is. Quite simply, La Dolce Vita is one of the most important films in the history of the art and no chance to see its full glory on screen should be missed.

Restored by Cineteca di Bologna at L’Immagine Ritrovata Laboratory in association with The Film Foundation, Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia-Cineteca Nazionale, Pathé, Fondation Jérôme Seydoux-Pathé, Mediaset-Medusa, Paramount Pictures, and Cinecittà Luce. Restoration funding provided by Gucci and The Film Foundation.

Awards:

Academy Awards 1962 (Best Director, Best Writing, Story and Screenplay) Cannes Film Festival 1960 (Palme d’Or)

Director: Federico Fellini

Producers: Giuseppe Amato

Angelo Rizzoli

Screenwriters: Federico Fellini

Ennio Flaiano

Tullio Pinelli

Cinematographer: Otello Martelli

Editor: Leo Catozzo

Music: Nino Rota

Cast: Marcello Mastroianni

Anita Ekberg

Anouk Aimée

Yvonne Furneaux

Running Time: 174 minutes

Presentation

Format: 35mm, in Italian, with English subtitles

Print Source: The Film Foundation

Selected

Filmography: The Voice of the Moon (1990)

Ginger and Fred (1986)

City of Women (1980)

Fellini’s Casanova (1976)

Amarcord (1973)

Satyricon (1969)

Juliet of the Spirits (1965)

8 1/2 (1963)

Nights of Cabiria (1957)

The Road (1954)

The White Sheik (1952)

HARVARD EXIT

HARVARD EXIT

L’OURAGAN KALATOZOV

Hurricane Kalatozov

FRANCE 2010

SATURDAY JUNE 4 1:30 PM

SIFF CINEMA

SUNDAY JUNE 5 3:00 PM KIRKLAND PERFORMANCE CENTER

In spite of his introduction to Hollywood in the 1940s as the Soviet Union’s official ambassador to the movie industry, Mikhail Kalatozov was little known outside of his homeland.

Though he had been working as a filmmaker since the silent era and was responsible for some of the most exquisite images ever set to celluloid. In 1944, Time magazine dismissively characterized him as “an enigmatic, uncommunicative Soviet official.” The Georgianborn filmmaker (whose original last name is Kalatozishvili) finally took his place on the international stage in 1958 at the Cannes Film Festival; his magnificent The Cranes Are Flying was the winner of that year’s Palme d’Or. Kalatozov went on to make the acclaimed films

The Letter That Was Never Sent (1960) and I Am Cuba (1964), but until recently his brilliance has eluded Americans. At the time, creative genius had its drawbacks in the Soviet system, and the director was dogged by censors who were dubious about his rapturously expressive work (too ambiguous for effective agitprop). But history has spoken, and Patrick Cazals’ extraordinary documentary illuminates—via interviews and archival footage—the virtuoso who stood behind the camera.

Director: Patrick Cazals

Producer: Claudine Arnould-Cazals

Screenwriter: Patrick Cazals

Cinematographer: Jacques Malnou

Editor: Eric Beaufils

Featuring: Claudia Cardinale

Françoise Navailh

Kirill Razlogov

Sergueî Kapterev

Mikhaël Kalatozichvili

Running Time: 74 minutes

Presentation Format: DigiBeta, in French, English and Spanish, with English subtitles

International Sales: Les Films Du Horla

Print Source: Les Films Du Horla

Selected Filmography: Rouben Mamoulian: The Golden Age of Broadway and Hollywood (2006)

Sergeï Paradjanov: The Rebel (2004)

The Night of Counting the Years

1969

TUESDAY MAY 31 7:00 PM

Universally recognized as one of the greatest Egyptian films ever made, The Night of Counting the Years is based on a true story: in 1881, when precious artifacts began showing up at market, it was discovered that members of the ancient Horbat tribe were secretly raiding Deir al-Bahari, the site of a legendary cache of royal mummies. The tribe had little livelihood other than selling antiquities, putting them in conflict with the Egyptian government’s Antiquities Organization. After reading the script, Roberto Rossellini agreed to lend his name to the project, and Shadi Abdel Salam’s film was completed in 1969. This cinematic treat was extremely difficult to see from the 1970s onward until last year’s beautiful restoration by Martin Scorsese’s Film Foundation. Using original 35mm camera and sound negatives preserved at the Egyptian Film Center in Giza, the restoration preserves the film’s poetic beauty, its evocative sense of history, and its themes of desecration and veneration. Filmed in classical Arabic, with a musical score by the great Italian composer Mario Nascimbene.

Restored in 2009 by the The Film Foundation at Cineteca di Bologna L’Immagine Ritrovata Laboratory. The film was restored with the support of the Egyptian Ministry of Culture.

Director: Shadi Abdel Salam

Screenwriter: Shadi Abdel Salam

Cinematographer: Abdel Aziz Fahmy

Editor: Kamal Abou El Ella

Music: Mario Nascimbene

Cast: Ahmed Marei

Ahmed Hegazi

Zouzou Hamdi

El Hakim

Nadia Lofti

Running Time: 103 minutes

Presentation Format:

DCP, in Arabic, with English subtitles

Print Source: World Cinema Foundation

Selected Filmography: Debut Feature Film

SIFF CINEMA

alternate cinema

In Alternate Cinema, there is a tendency for filmmakers to make you aware that you are watching a film. Nowhere is that more apparent than with the Frankenstein adaptation Spark of Being and the documentary Blinding

For Spark of Being, Bill Morrison stitches together distressed and decaying found footage from the early days of cinema with a vibrant score from acclaimed jazz musician Dave Douglas; in Blinding, Steve Sanguedolce weaves together three fascinating stories of people whose jobs cause them to see themselves differently, but instead of shooting standard interviews, he layers in hand-processed footage that lends a poetic feel to the subjects they’re discussing. The other two Alternate Cinema features also make you aware that you are watching a movie, though in a different way.

Over Your Cities Grass Will Grow uses a slow-moving camera and long takes to show the massive scope of the work that artist Anselm Kiefer has created in an abandoned silk factory, without over-explaining it using narration; and Finisterrae employs fantastic cinematography—in this case to show the absurd story of two ghosts (wearing sheets!) wandering the Catalan landscape. And don’t forget to sample the Alt Shorts package, with its heady mix of formal, structural, and animated experimental films.

This year, take some time to appreciate everything that goes into filmmaking with Alternate Cinema.

From optically printed images that you might see when you close your eyes to dance films that take place in and out of water, to a series of crazy animated films, this year’s Alternate Cinema Shorts will show you all new worlds. (92 minutes)

Anatomy of the Vertebrate Retina

USA, 2011, 6 minutes, director: Jon Behrens WORLD PREMIERE

The vertebrate retina is a light-sensitive tissue lining the inner surface of the eye, and this hand-painted, optically printed film makes you feel like you’re in it.

The consolation in the water-mother

South Korea, 2010, 10 minutes, director: Hyo-min Choi NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE

With a splash, a maiden in a wedding dress is sacrificed to the Sea Dragon King for this underwater ballet.

Maska

Poland, 2010, 24 minutes, directors: Stephen Quay, Timothy Quay

Based on a story by Stanislaw Lem (Solaris), the Brothers Quay return with another beautiful and beautifully creepy animation.

The Necessities of Life

USA, 2010, 6 minutes, director: Gerald Guthrie

It’s “Human Needs” versus “Modern Culture” as two men compete in front of two icons of ’40s culture: a giant refrigerator and a giant radio.

Once it started it could not end otherwise

USA, 2011, 7 minutes, director: Kelly Sears

Animated images from 1974 high school yearbooks uncover a dark and secret history.

Seven Days In the Woods

Sweden, 2010, 6 minutes, director: Peter Larsson NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE

There’s a creature made of sticks, a giant boy inside a tiny room, and the forest is a damp and raw place, kind of like in the Stone Age.

The Swimmer

USA, 2010, 4 minutes, director: Salise Hughes WORLD PREMIERE

Burt Lancaster is cut free from the 1968 movie The Swimmer and now frolics with synchronized bathing beauties.

tracings

USA, 2010, 17 minutes, director: Marissa Rae Niederhauser

North American Premiere

Trapped in a rural house, a barefoot woman strives for freedom in this dance film with ghostly overtones.

Tranquility

Austria, 2010, 7 minutes, director: Siegfried A. Fruhauf

A woman on a sandy beach, sound from astronauts on the moon, the waves coming in—consider it a vacation daydream.

The Waltz King

Austria, 2009, 5 minutes, director: Adnan Popovic

For this Austrian music video, toy nuns dance around a singer drawn on post-it notes, while scrap paper becomes the window of a train.

Blinding

CANADA 2011 NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE

WEDNESDAY JUNE 1 9:00 PM

FRIDAY JUNE 3 4:30 PM

The title may be Blinding, but the movie is all about seeing. On top of hand-processed 16mm images, we hear stories from a writer who went blind, a lesbian cop, and an Air Force pilot who witnessed genocide, as they talk about how their experiences changed both how they see the world and how they see themselves. Director Steve Sanguedolce has done an amazing job of weaving these three stories together so that they flow effortlessly from topic to topic. The title of the movie comes from the writer, who went blind so gradually that he considered himself to be “blinding” over a long period of time. To him the “blind guy” identity exists mainly on a level of small talk, and is actually quite boring. All three talk about how they, as individuals, differ from what people would think of in terms of a “cop,” “military pilot,” or “blind writer.” Most interestingly, instead of a series of talking head interviews, Sanguedolce uses handprocessed and colored images that evoke a visual poetry that underscores everything that’s being said. It’s a bold mix, expertly put together, that will lead you to see the world in a whole new way.

PRECEDED BY:

Jupiter Elicius

USA, 2011, 6 minutes, director: Kelly Sears, A haunted meteorologist dreams of storms that are a lot closer and farther away than he thought.

SIFF CINEMA

Director: Steve Sanguedolce

Producer: Steve Sanguedolce

Screenwriter: Steve Sanguedolce

Cinematographer: Steve Sanguedolce

Editors: Steve Sanguedolce

Jeffrey Paul

Music: Steve Sanguedolce

Running Time: 72 minutes

Presentation Format: HDCAM

International Sales: Cinema Esperança International Inc.

Print Source: Sweetblood Productions

Film Website: stevesanguedolce.com

Selected Filmography: Dead Time (2005) Smack (2000)

Away (1996)

Sweetblood (1993) Mexico (1992)

Finisterrae

SPAIN 2010

US PREMIERE

TUESDAY MAY 31 9:15 PM

SUNDAY JUNE 5 9:00 PM

Two recently deceased brothers are tired of being ghosts, and decide to do something about it. You can tell they’re ghosts, naturally, because they’re wearing sheets with eyeholes cut out. They consult the “Oracle of Garrel,” named after French underground filmmaker Phillip Garrel (whose movie The Inner Scar was an inspiration to the filmmaker), and walk the Santiago Pilgrim Way to the end of the earth, aka Finisterrae, where they hope for a rebirth into the land of the living. Writer-director Sergio Caballero is the co-creator and visual director of the Sónar Festival of Advanced Music and Multimedia Art in Barcelona, and he went about this movie by shooting the images first and worrying about the dialogue later. The visuals are stunning, thanks in no small part to cinematographer Eduard Grau (A Single Man, Honor De Cavalleria), who captures the richness and mystery of the landscapes the ghosts wander through, including a forest full of plastic ears. Once the film was shot, Caballero created a script and then the dialog, spoken mostly in Russian. Over the course of this amusingly existential road movie, the sheets of the ghosts get dirtier and dirtier as they face unexpected situations and their own doubts.

Awards: Rotterdam Film Festival 2011 (Tiger Award)

HARVARD EXIT

HARVARD EXIT

Director: Sergio Caballero

Producers: Ventura Barba

Luis Miñarro

Screenwriter: Sergio Caballero

Cinematographer: Eduard Grau

Editor: Marti Roca

Music: Jimi Tenor

Sergio Caballero

Cast: Pau Nubiola

Pavel Lukiyanov

Santí Serra

Yuri Mykhaylychenko

Running Time: 80 minutes

Presentation Format: HDCAM, in Russian, Catalan, and Finnish, with English subtitles

International Sales: Eddie Saeta S.A

Print Source: Eddie Saeta S.A

Film Website: 2010.sonar.es/es/ imatge-2010.php

Selected Filmography: Debut Feature Film

SIFF CINEMA

Over Your Cities Grass Will Grow

TUESDAY MAY 24 7:00 PM

FRIDAY MAY 27 4:30 PM

An art film in the literal sense of the term, Over Your Cities Grass Will Grow gloriously depicts renowned German artist Anselm Kiefer at work at La Ribaute, his sprawling estate (an abandoned silk factory) in the south of France. It is here that, during the first decade of the 21st century, the artist began constructing a series of elaborate, large-scale installations. Without narration apart from an opening title card, this meditative documentary offers much for contemplation. Earth-colored and covered in debris, Kiefer’s lead-and-concrete sculptures seem as organic as the Roman ruins that dot the area of Languedoc. English director Sophie Fiennes’ film illustrates the enormous complexity of fabricating work on Kiefer’s monumental scale. Perched atop an industrial-sized paint can in his vast, white-walled studio, he directs as many as six assistants, taking the definition of artist into the realm of architect and engineer. In addition to lovingly filming the artist’s oeuvre, Fiennes keenly observes his raw materials (lead, concrete, ash, acid, earth, glass, gold) and tools (including blowtorches, brushes, brooms, bulldozers, and incinerators) to construct her own piece of cinematic art.

SIFF CINEMA

SIFF CINEMA

Director: Sophie Fiennes

Producers: Kees Kasander

Emilie Blezat

Sophie Fiennes

Cinematographer: Remko Schnorr

Editor: Ethel Shepherd

Music: Gyorgy Ligeti

Jorg Widmann

Featuring: Anselm Kiefer

Running Time: 105 minutes

Presentation Format: DCP, in French, and German, with English subtitles

International Sales: Doc & Film International

Print Source: Kino International

Film Website: overyourcities.com

Selected Filmography: The Pervert’s Guide to Cinema (2006)

Hoover Street Revival (2002)

Because I Sing (2001)

The Late Michael Clark (2000)

Lars from 1-10 (1998)

Spark of Being USA 2010

THURSDAY JUNE 2 9:30 PM HARVARD EXIT

FRIDAY JUNE 3 5:00 PM HARVARD EXIT

Just like Dr. Victor Frankenstein, experimental filmmaker Bill Morrison stitches together preexisting material to create a living, breathing thing. Instead of a creature made from parts of dead bodies, Morrison creates a movie using distressed and decaying images from old nitrate films. And instead of giving it life with lightning, he uses the stunning score from acclaimed jazz musician Dave Douglas. Spark of Being is a surprisingly faithful adaptation of Mary Shelley’s story, where title cards mix with new, archival, and distressed footage. Meanwhile, Douglas and his band Keystone lay in a soundtrack that captures the monster’s sensory experience with an overload of sounds and tempos. Image and sound work incredibly well together, creating a meditation on contemporary art and technology. Bill Morrison studied with the legendary experimental animator Robert Breer before gaining great acclaim with the poetic found footage film Decasia, and has worked with some of the most important composers of our time, including Bill Frisell, Vijay Iyer, Jóhann Jóhannsson, and many others. His collaborator, two-time Grammy-nominated Dave Douglas, has been a member of such celebrated ensembles as John Zorn’s Masada and the SFJAZZ Collective, and for this film combines electric jazz with electronica and other styles.

Director: Bill Morrison

Producer: Bill Morrison

Screenwriter:

Editor: Bill Morrison

Music:

Dave Douglas

Running Time:

68 minutes

Presentation Format:

HDCAM

International Sales: Hypnotic Pictures

Print Source: Hypnotic Pictures

Selected Filmography: Decasia (2002)

Film of Her (1997)

Jury short films

Too often short films are viewed as apprentice works, a practical workshop for the filmmaker to ply his craft before embarking upon a career in feature films. While there is certainly some truth in this observation, it belies the fact that feature and short films are two very different cinematic forms.

Every short film at the Seattle International Film Festival is eligible for both the Golden Space Needle Audience Award and Jury Award. The Golden Space Needle prizewinner will be determined by audience balloting, and will receive the latest Mac computer, loaded with filmmaking software from Iris Professional Services and The Mac Store, and $1,000 worth of motion picture film from Kodak.

Our Shorts Competition jurors will choose winners in the Narrative, Animation, and Documentary categories. Each jury winner will receive $1,000; the Narrative and Animation winners may also qualify to enter their respective Short Film category of the Academy Awards®.

New in 2011, TheFilmSchool presents the Short Film Screenwriting Award. Faculty member Tom Skerritt will be personally adjudicating the films, and the screenwriter of the winning short film will receive a full scholarship (valued at $3,000) to attend TheFilmSchool’s three-week intensive program in 2011/2012.

Kellie Ann Benz

Kellie ann Benz is a Writers Guild of Canada award winning filmmaker who has received worldwide recognition for her short films from such areas as France, the United Kingdom, her native California, and throughout her adopted home of Canada. She is the short film columnist for Canada’s “national Screen Institute” as well as the publisher of the popular online resource, “The Shorts Report”. Follow Kellie ann on twitter@shockbuckpics.

Bill Murray

director, photographer, and producer Bill Murray of Bluescooter Productions served as the President of the northwest Screenwriters Guild for five years. He was the director and Producer of the television series “TPS Spotlight,” “In Seattle,” “as Long as it Takes,” and the 48-Hr Film Project audience award winner, “Classified.” His photographs have been featured in publications ranging from Architectual Digest to international hair fashion magazines to MovieMaker and The Globe. Murray will be co-teaching “Firearms Safety for actors, Writers, directors and Producers” at the International Pro Stunts 3-week training program in Port Townsend in late august of this year.

Jason Plourde

Jason Plourde is the Programming director of Three dollar Bill Cinema, the organization that produces the Seattle Lesbian & Gay Film Festival,Translations: Seattle’s Transgender Film Festival, and other film events. He has served on international film juries, moderated workshops on queer cinema, and co-directed the documentary Harold’s Home Movies with filmmaker Sean West. He also works as an american Sign Language interpreter.

Tom Skerritt

Born in detroit, Skerritt studied at Wayne State University and UCLa. originally focused on directing, a performance in a theater production lead to his being cast in his first film, War Hunt (1962), where he met other young hopefuls, Robert Redford and the late Sydney Pollock. From his early role in Robert altman’s classic comedy, M*A*S*H, to a roster that counts several classics among the movies he has made, including; The Turning Point, Alien, A River Runs Through It, Steel Magnolias, Top Gun, Contact, Tom’s work in an array of television and film productions continues to be a study in strength and subtlety. He is one of the top Hollywood creative multi-talents who founded TheFilmSchool in Seattle. a Mecca for learning and engaging the art of storytelling, TheFilmSchool has become synonymous with the forward-looking and brilliantly effective training for the film arts. He is currently developing his own screenplay, Honor and Stone, for production in the Seattle area.

“TheFilmSchool is probably the best place in the world to study story…”

TheFilmSchool and Seattle International Film Festival present:

The Great American Short Screenplay Contest

7 PAGES OR LESS

The Grand Prize winner will receive a full scholarship to TheFilmSchool’s Summer 2011 Session, offered July 9-30, 2011.

Five runners-up will receive $500 scholarships to TheFilmSchool’s Summer 2011 session. Deadline for submissions: June 24, 2011.

Taught by industry professionals, TheFilmSchool courses cultivate discipline, creativity and collaboration while teaching excellence in dramatic writing.

There is no other place like it in the world.

206-709-2555 or info@thefilmschool.com

www.thefilmschool.com

Indie bands & Jazz every Friday & Saturday

Check out events at www.hotelsorrento.com

Hunt

Photos

Music in the Fireside Room

A Seattle Icon

—Chris McQuarrie, Academy Awardwinning writer of THE USUAL SUSPECTS

Shortsfest Opening Night

It is our great pleasure to open our Short Film Weekend with this collection of superb films from around the world that exemplify the art of storytelling in all its variety. Comedy and drama, live action and animation—these films prove that short is truly sweet. (80 min)

The

Abyss

Boys

South Africa, 2009, 26 minutes, director: Jan-Hendrik Beetge

When a young boy becomes enchanted with a dangerous poacher, his brother  tries to orchestrate an escape from their small fi shing village.

AWOL

USA, 2010, 14 minutes, director: Deb Shoval Days before her deployment to Afghanistan, Joey returns to rural Pennsylvania for  Christmas and dreams of escape.

Careful With That Crossbow

New Zealand, 2010, 2 minutes, director: Jason Stutter A boy, a girl, a crossbow—what could go wrong?

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore

USA, 2011, 16 minutes, director: William Joyce After a violent storm whisks his house away, Mr. Morris Lessmore discovers a  magical library to which he devotes his life.

We Are What We Drink

United Kingdom, 2010, 7 minutes, director: Marc Hardman North American Premiere Coffee is not just a culture, it’s life.

The Wind Is Blowing on My Street

Iran/USA, 2010, 15 minutes, director: Saba Riazi A young girl in Tehran gets locked out of her apartment without her headscarf.

Sponsored by Chris Newell

Animation United

Join our side of animation superstars as they endeavor to show you to strange, new, and exciting visions in short film form. (84 min)

The Eagleman Stag

United Kingdom, 2010, 9 minutes, director: Mikey Please

A man obsessed with his quickening perception of time goes to extreme lengths to  counter the effect.

flesh color

Japan, 2010, 5 minutes, director: Masahiko Adachi

Traditional Japanese tattoo artistry slips, slides, and blooms across the skin.

The Gallery

Poland, 2010, 5 minutes, director: Robert Proch

The gender tug-of-war is choreographed in thrilling animation.

Loom

Germany/USA, 2011, 6 minutes, director: Jan Bitzer, Ilija Brunck, Csaba Letay

A moth caught in a spider’s web is swallowed by its predator, part of the very trap  it had gotten stuck in.

A Lost and Found Box of Human Sensation

Germany, 2010, 15 minutes, director: Stefan Leuchtenberg, Martin Wallner

Following the death of his father, a young man copes with his grief by journeying  through time and space.

On Fire

France, 2010, 9 minutes, director: Zoltan Horvath

North American Premiere

A wax museum’s sculptures come alive as they melt away.

Paths of Hate

Poland, 2010, 10 minutes, director: Damian Nenow

A short tale about the demons that slumber deep in the human soul and have the  power to push people into the abyss of blind hate, fury, and rage.

The Renter

USA, 2010, 10 minutes, director: Jason Carpenter

An exquisitely animated Lynchian tale of a young boy’s visit to grandma’s farm.

Sintel

Netherlands, 2010, 15 minutes, director: Colin Levy

When her pet dragon Scales is carried away by an elder dragon, Sintel embarks  on a perilous journey to rescue it.

SaTURday May 28 9:30 PM

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FRIday May 27 7:00 PM

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Magnolia | Bringing inspi r ation to y our spac e ™

Some film festi v als pl a y to thousands .

Othe r s to an audience of on e .

Magnolia Audio Video® salutes those who make and enjoy movies, big and small. With roots in Seattle, we’ve been recreating the very best cinematic experience in homes for over 55 years. Visit one of our Seattle area locations today to see how our System Designers can help you turn the home theater of your dreams into the home theater in your living room. From in-home consultation to installation, you’ll experience the best.

Visit our Roosevelt location at 6308 Roosevelt Way NE • 206-525-1961 or find us online @ MagnoliaAV.com

Between the Silences

From first love to the last day on the job, these short films explore our noisy lives, and the quiet moments in between. (98 min)

Flagpole

P r oduction S t BEST BUY ADVER T

USA, 2011, 22 minutes, director: Matt Kazman

World Premiere

Boy Meets Boy

From hookups to marriage, steam baths to coffee houses, this package of gay short films illuminate the everyday and extraordinary. (92 min)

Cappuccino

Switzerland, 2010, 16 minutes, director: Tamer Ruggli

North American Premiere

FINAL KEYLIN E

KEYLIN E APPRO VA FI N A L RELEA S

Studious and shy, Zack keeps his thoughts to himself, until today….

Good Pretender

Australia/USA, 2010, 16 minutes, director: Maziar Lahooti After trying to convince some bullying kids that her father is a robot, Ally is dared  to shoot him with a spear gun to prove it.

Howl of a Fish

France, 2010, 20 minutes, director: Sébastien Carfora Julien, a young poet, starts working in a survey center. As transparent as a  screaming fi sh in a bowl, the next call he’ll take might change it all.

Plain Face

USA, 2011, 10 minutes, director: Tess Martin

World Premiere

A stranger tries to navigate a new city of unusual inhabitants and fantastic fl ying  machines.

Project Silence

Brazil, 2010, 14 minutes, director: Bruno Caticha

A lonely man starts being obsessed with one simple yet almost impossible idea:  recording silence. Absolute silence.

Sign Language

United Kingdom, 2010, 5 minutes, director: Oscar Sharp Some people see signs everywhere, some people carry them.

Summer Snapshot

USA, 2010, 11 minutes, director: Ian McCluskey

A sun-soaked exploration of memory, a summer day, and being young…

Jeremie is a shy teenager who keeps a heavy secret: he’s gay. Balancing between  his classmate and sexual fantasy Damien, and his very generous but protective  mother Gina, his life is about to change...

He She We

USA, 2009, 11 minutes, director: Branden Blinn

He She We is a romantic comedy about the twists and turns, or one specifi c twist  and turn, that changes everything.

I Do: A Marital Discord in America

USA, 2011, 11 minutes, director: Rolito Mojica

World Premiere

An incisive and touching look at gay marriage through the eyes of a Seattle couple,  together for 14 years, who want to get married.

I Want Your Love

USA, 2011, 14 minutes, director: Travis Matthews

A pair of good buddies wonder why they have never had sex with one another  before – and go to exciting lengths to rectify the situation.

Requited

USA, 2011, 20 minutes, director: Sal Bardo

World Premiere

20-something Nicolas has to decide whether to go to the wedding of his high  school best friend, Aaron, with whom he has always been quietly in love, and who  he is still trying to get over.

Steam

Canada, 2010, 11 minutes, director: Kaveh Nabatian

US Premiere

Set in Mexico City over a day, an older man resolves to accept his homosexuality,  in and out of the bathhouses.

Who Leads

USA, 2010, 9 minutes, director: Bryan Darling

One couple’s new intense connection is questioned in the midst of the disintegration of another couple; who leads when four men come together?

SaTURday May 28 1:30 PM

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SaTURday May 28 7:00 PM

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The Family Picture Show

In Extremis

Six short films about life on—or over—the edge. (84 min)

Arthur

Amazonia USA, 2010, 5 minutes, director: Sam Chen

A little treefrog learns the ways of the  forest from a blue-bellied treefrog  named Biggy.

DreamGiver USA, 2011, 7 minutes, director: Tyler Carter The Dreamgiver must save an orphan  from a bad dream caused by a book in  his bedroom.

Have We Met? USA, 2011, 2 minutes, director: Sascha Paladino An exploration of the moment when  three-month-old twins fi rst start to notice  each other.

Mandarin Peel Australia, 2009, 5 minutes, director: Anna McGrath Two girls explore their friendship and  the joy of a juicy mandarin in the dry  Australian landscape.

New Digs South Africa, 2010, 2 minutes, director: Martin Sen A little hamster, feeling neglected and  unloved, decides to leave his rotten  home in search for a better one.

Precise Peter Germany, 2010, 6 minutes, director: Martin Schmidt Little Peter fi nally joins the family  dinner table and fi nds that using  utensils is tricky!

The Sasquatch and the Girl USA, 2010, 3 minutes, director: Trevor Knapp Jones Russell Means shares the legend of  the Sasquatch and why he went into  hiding.

Snowflakes and Carrots Canada (Québec), 2010, 4 minutes, director: Samantha Leriche-Gionet A little girl steals carrots from all the  snowmen she can fi nd.

Sule and the Case of the Tiny Sparks USA, 2010, 11 minutes, director: Shawnee Gibbs, Shawnelle Gibbs

A young African girl solicits the help of  Sule, a pint-sized detective.

Temple Rider Hong Kong, 2010, 13 minutes, director: Joe Kwun, Miles Cheng

A young girl discovers a temple which  takes her on a journey to discover her  own self-confi dence.

Trevor France, 2010, 4 minutes, director: Matthieu Saghezchi

The lights are out and Trevor’s in bed,  but he just can’t sleep and the day’s  events just keep turning around in his  imagination.

Walkin’ On Snow Grass

Japan, 2010, 7 minutes, director: Makiko Sukikara

North American Premiere

A dormouse wakes from hibernation  and fi nds himself in a snowy wonderland previously undiscovered.

The Yellow Balloon

USA, 2010, 3 minutes, director: Ben Thompson, Rob Castillo

A sweet and unique animation about  a yellow balloon and its experience on  the New York City Subway.

USA, 2010, 9 minutes, director: John Jacobsen

While his mother goes out for a run, eight-year-old Arthur grabs a knife from the  kitchen and heads upstairs. But when he sees what is going on, he must call upon  fantastical powers to kill the beast he knows he must confront.

The Binding of Ishmael

Singapore/USA, 2010, 8 minutes, director: Taofik Kolade

A father and son take a journey down a road that leads to a shocking destination.

Deeper Than Yesterday

Australia, 2010, 20 minutes, director: Ariel Kleiman

A stir-crazy submarine crew discovers something on the surface that may lead  them to new depths.

Interview

Germany, 2010, 20 minutes, director: Sebastian Marka

An overambitious reporter questions a serial killer in a tense face-to-face session.

Rosa

Spain, 2011, 9 minutes, director: Jesús Orellana

World Premiere

After awakening in a large megalopolis devoid of natural life, Rosa wanders among  the ruins of the city, soon learning the grim reality that she is not alone.

Transmission

Canada, 2010, 18 minutes, director: Randall Okita

Gale is a tow truck driver working to keep a grip on a decent life when a call to a  suburban neighborhood drags him into a domestic nightmare.

An international buffet of the finest shorts created for the youthful spirit that resides inside us all. Recommended for ages 5+ (72 min)

SUnday May 29 1:30 PM

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SaTURday May 28 11:00 aM

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It’s a Man’s World

From boyhood to beards, discover this being we call Man. (98 min)

A Doctor’s Job

Peru, 2010, 11 minutes, director: Julio O. Ramos

A doctor, making extra money as a cab driver, fi nds his ethics tested by an  unexpected fare.

Enter the Beard

USA, 2010, 18 minutes, director: Matt Lawrence, Scott Ballard Who wants a mustache ride?

Everybody Loves Paco France, 2010, 7 minutes, director: Valery Schatz What happens when your sex life gets in the way of your life of sex?

King Chicken

Canada (Québec), 2010, 7 minutes, director: Nicolas Bolduc King Chicken’s fi rst visit to English lessons leads to love at fi rst sight in the  language lab.

The Little Boy and The Ball

Trinidad and Tobago, 2010, 11 minutes, director: Damian Marcano A friend is a friend no matter what.

The Man Who Never Cried USA, 2010, 24 minutes, director: Bradley Jackson Rafe Winston has never cried; not when he was a baby, not when his heart was  crushed by his high school sweetheart, not even when he fi rst saw E.T.

Needle Exchange

Ireland, 2011, 10 minutes, director: Colm Quinn North American Premiere

Two recovering drug addicts fi nd redemption as tattoo artists, and fi nd over time  their relationship marks them in more ways than merely the physical.

Sand

USA, 2010, 10 minutes, director: Cari Ann Shim Sham

The story of a family’s personal history through the evolution of sand dance as it is  passed down from father to son.

Seattle Stories

Seattle is home to talented artists in all genres and styles. These short films celebrate the creativity in our own backyard. (85 min)

3 Minute Masterpiece Winner

Winner of the Seattle Times’ 3 Minute  Masterpiece Contest

Belltown, 98121

USA, 2011, 13 minutes, director: Robert Pearson World Premiere

The life of a street artist who sells his  painted scrap wood piece outside Pike  Place Market.

Busking Cadenza

USA, 2011, 10 minutes, director: Cory Kelley World Premiere

When Jonny Hahn—piano playing street  performer in Pike Place Market—was  joined by local musicians Choklate,  James Apollo, members of Hey Marseilles,  and more, what was created was a  unique and inspiring music documentary  that transcends genre.

The Cherdonna and Lou Show: The Movie!

USA, 2011, 7 minutes, director: Maile Martinez, Kelli Schmidt US Premiere

Queer artists in Seattle skirt the line  between dance and performance art.

History Is... Unwritten

USA, 2011, 4 minutes, director: Aaron Jones

Gorgeously shot in the Tulalip Reservation  and narrated in indigenous Lushootseed,  we see how so much of history remains  undocumented and it speaks to the  importance of history as a source of  knowledge, culture and cycles.

History Is... Us

USA, 2011, 5 minutes, director: Drew Christie History is you, and me, and everyone,  even your Grandpa.

Photo Booth

USA, 2011, 18 minutes, director: Timothy Watkins

World Premiere

An idealistic young writer sets out to fi nd  the truth about what happened to the sexy  and mysterious Emily, with whom he  shared a passionate night, only to fi nd  that she has been murdered and he is a  suspect in her death.

We Invent You

USA, 2011, 11 minutes, director: Jason Sciarrone

World Premiere

Members of Seattle’s vibrant DIY music  scene foster community and meaning  amongst the more commercial music  scene.

When the Lights Go Out

USA, 2011, 6 minutes, director: Karen Ducey

World Premiere

John “Ivan” Borcherding shows off his  lasers at the Laser Dome.

Woman Seeks Man For Date

On Friday

USA, 2011, 8 minutes, director: Cassidy Dimon

World Premiere

A woman heads to Craigslist to fi nd a  date for Friday night.

Monday May 30 11:00 aM

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SUnday May 29 4:00 PM

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Tales From the Motherland

Tapas

Get a taste of this year’s best and boldest batch of Spanish short films. (90 min)

The Cassava Metaphor

Cameroon/France, 2010, 15 minutes, director: Lionel Meta A taxi driver tries to reason with an unusually diffi cult passenger.

Lezare

Ethiopia, 2010, 15 minutes, director: Zelalem Woldemariam

A homeless Ethiopian boy learns a valuable lesson about thinking only for today.

Our Ship

South Africa, 2011, 27 minutes, director: Garon Campbell

North American Premiere

Isaac and his son, Thandani, are alone and struggling to survive off the streets of  Johannesburg. With no money and a coldness growing between them, Isaac must  prove himself as a man and a father.

Umkhungo

South Africa, 2011, 30 minutes, director: Matthew Jankes

A street thug rescues an orphan with an uncontrollable power, and must help the  boy master his gift before it’s too late.

The Award

Spain, 2010, 16 minutes, director: León Siminiani

Pilar and Manuel prepare for what should be a night of celebration of glamour. It  should be. But they’ve been sweeping their relationship under the red carpet for  too long…

Birdboy

Spain, 2010, 13 minutes, director: Pedro Rivero, Alberto Vazquez

An industrial accident forever changes the landscape and lives of a group of  islanders in this beautifully dark and strange animated tale.

I Want To Spend the Rest of My Life With You

Spain, 2010, 3 minutes, director: Manuela Moreno

A destined couple meets by chance, but fate had decided otherwise…

La Migala

Spain, 2011, 15 minutes, director: Jaime Dezcallar

World Premiere

A man with arachnophobia buys a poisonous bird spider and sets it free in  his apartment.

Marina

Spain, 2010, 14 minutes, director: Alex Montoya

A misunderstanding between two strangers on the street leads to something  deeper than either imagined.

Palindrome

Spain, 2010, 4 minutes, director: Roger Villarroya

Where we end is where we begin.

The Screamers

Spain, 2010, 2 minutes, director: Roberto Pérez Toledo

Be careful what you scream.

Vicenta

Spain, 2011, 23 minutes, director: Samuel Orti Marti

Alfredo died without telling his wife where his lottery winnings were hidden.  Vincenta has looked everywhere, so she decides to bring him back to life to fi nd  out where the money is—the only trouble is his slutty mistress who thinks it  should all be hers....

Lark Licorous SIF11 1_4.pdf

Journey with us to Africa, and explore the continent’s burgeoning film movement. (87 min)

SaTURday May 28 4:00 PM

SIFF CIneMa SUnday May 29 7:00 PM

SIFF CIneMa

This Woman’s Work

Bathing Micky

Sweden/Denmark, 2010, 14 minutes, director: Frida Kempff

Almost 100, Micky remains dedicated to her decade-old routine of a daily dip at  the local bathing club.

Braids on a Bald Head

Nigeria/United Kingdom, 2010, 25 minutes, director: Ishaya Bako North American Premiere

An unexpected encounter causes a Hausa hairdresser to demand better in her life.

Hearing Silence

Ireland, 2010, 12 minutes, director: Hilary Fennell

North American Premiere

In a world where sound plays an increasing role, concert musician Elizabeth Petcu  discusses her slow descent into deafness.

In A Future Age

Sweden, 2011, 9 minutes, director: Linus Andersson Beaches, bikes and a polar bear on a hot summer day.

Kampai

USA, 2011, 13 minutes, director: Kelly Ota World Premiere

A young woman pays tribute to her late grandmother by preparing sukiyaki, her  favorite meal.

Stopover

Romania, 2011, 14 minutes, director: Iona Uricaru Lost and found between plane rides.

Thrilling Tales of Astonishment

A pulp-style anthology of nightmarish creatures, twisted fantasies, and fiendish revenge. (91 min)

Adder’s Bite

Canada, 2010, 10 minutes, director: Firas Momani In the depths of a dark cavern, an intruder interrupts a ceremony performed  by grotesque creatures.

Blinky™

Ireland, 2010, 12 minutes, director: Ruairi Robinson North American Premiere Meet Blinky™. All he wants is a friend, and he’ll do anything you say to  be your friend.

Chum

USA, 2010, 11 minutes, director: Gavin Carlton Why is there so much blood (and fi sh heads) in the swimming pool?

The Dungeon Master

USA, 2011, 14 minutes, director: Rider Strong, Shiloh Strong Be careful which geek you ask to run your new Dungeons & Dragons game. Huhu Attack!

New Zealand, 2010, 15 minutes, director: Patrick Gillies Social misfi ts Miles and Ngaire fi nd love against a backdrop of communist witchhunts, neighborhood backbiting, and 40ft-high mutant man-eating Huhu grubs!

The Legend of Beaver Dam

Canada, 2010, 12 minutes, director: Jerome Sable Campfi re tales turn into a grand guignol, musical gore-fest.

Moving Day

Australia, 2010, 9 minutes, director: Jason Wingrove

A young girl discovers a secret world of fairies at her new house.

Protoparticles

Spain, 2010, 8 minutes, director: Chema García Ibarra

The discovery of protomatter has strange yet mundane consequences.

Stories of resilient females making it work through seemingly insurmountable odds. (87 min)

SUnday May 29 11:00 aM

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Twists and Turns

Monday May 30 1:30 PM

Aurora Borealis

USA, 2010, 13 minutes, director: Matt H. Mayes

Mr. Parker visits his senile mother at her nursing home, but when a blackout  plunges their conversation into darkness, a hidden world is revealed.

Library of Dust

USA, 2010, 15 minutes, director: Ondi Timoner, Robert James Thousands of corroded copper urns containing the unclaimed remains of psychiatric patients are found at Oregon State Hospital.

The Man’s Best Friend

France, 2010, 12 minutes, director: Vincent Mariette Henri, a 40 year old with a bad case of burnout, works as a canine security guard  in a suburban train station, though his dog is narcoleptic and old. When he is told  to get a new dog, he seeks solace in a beer, and the station waitress.

Pillow

USA, 2010, 19 minutes, director: Joshua Miller, Miles B. Miller A Southern Gothic tale of two brothers who go to desperate measures to please  their demanding mother.

Waiting for Gorgo

United Kingdom, 2010, 18 minutes, director: Ben Craig North American Premiere Deep under Whitehall lies the ministry of defense’s most secret department  the DMOA. Are these aged men the last line of defense for Britain’s safety from  total destruction?

White Other

United Kingdom, 2010, 13 minutes, director: Dan Hartley When a troubled youth arrives in her hospital ward late at night, a nurse gradually  uncovers the real motive behind his visit.

WTF?

From a marching band accompanied dance off on the high seas to irreverent tales of an international super legend, prepare for a blaze of mind-bending brilliance. (87 min)

All Flowers In Time

Canada (Québec)/USA, 2010, 14 minutes, director: Jonathan Caouette Dutch TV makes red-eyed girls and boys believe they can become other people  and monsters.

Brick Novax’s Diary

USA, 2010, 16 minutes, director: Matt Piedmont International super-legend Brick Novax records his amazing tales to preserve his  legacy as the coolest guy in the history of the world.

The Burning Wigs of Sedition

USA, 2010, 10 minutes, director: Anna Fitch

A steamy, glittery dance-off on the high seas with cracking whips and pulsating  drums.

Howard From Ohio

USA, 2011, 8 minutes, director: SJ Chiro

World Premiere

Kelly’s sex life has been relegated to online only... until she agrees to meet  Howard from Ohio. In this cold, raw world, Kelly has an epiphany that shakes her  to her core.

Love Birds

Czech Republic, 2010, 7 minutes, director: Brian Lye A fanciful love story refl ecting the similarities between human and avian life.

MEAT OR DIE (YANS! GANS!) Meat05:Linda

Japan, 2009, 2 minutes, director: Tai Murayama

US Premiere

The future of New York, absurdist Japanese style—with dinosaurs.

Out of Nowhere

USA, 2010, 19 minutes, director: Will Lamborn

On the run from a killer, Peter tries to escape the desert but endlessly winds up  where he started.

Time Freak

USA, 2010, 11 minutes, director: Andrew Bowler

When Stillman discovers the secrets to time travel, his big discovery gets lost in  the smallest details.

Narcoleptic dogs, the British National Defense, and social change embodied in corroded copper urns, these shorts never stay in one place. (90 min)

SIFF CIneMa SUnday May 29 9:30 PM

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Shortsfest Closing Night

Monday May 30 6:30 PM

SIFF’S annual celebration of the short subject finishes off with a dynamically varied program examining the breezy joy and tremendous complexity found in the best short films. (85 min)

Cataplexy

USA, 2010, 8 minutes, director: John Salcido

A man with an unusual disease is embarrassed to discover the call girl he hired is an old friend.

Connect

United Kingdom, 2010, 5 minutes, director: Samuel Abrahams

North American Premiere

A young woman makes a surprise connection with a stranger on a bus.

Danny & Annie

USA, 2010, 6 minutes, director: Mike Rauch, Tim Rauch

A sweet Brooklyn couple remembers their life together, from first date to final days.

Love and War

USA, 2011, 15 minutes, director: Lautaro Gabriel Gonda

World Premiere

In times of great war, there are always times of great love and loss.

Monkeys

Australia, 2011, 7 minutes, director: Joel Edgerton

US Premiere

Hilarious, deadpan tale of a man and his relationship to his hair…

North Atlantic

Portugal, 2010, 15 minutes, director: Bernardo Nascimento

An isolated air traffic controller receives a transatlantic emergency signal from a lost plane.

Steve

United Kingdom, 2010, 16 minutes, director: Rupert Friend

Steve has come for tea, and won’t be leaving without it.

Super. Full.

Qatar/Lebanon, 2011, 13 minutes, director: Niam Itani

World Premiere

A poor gas station attendant promises to take his wife to a birthday dinner at a new luxury hotel.

SIFF CIneMa

T ickets & Infor mation |

100 Bands in 100 Days

USA/UK/France, 2010, 14 minutes, director: Nick Sonderup, Francis Garcia Some call it a challenge, others a lifestyle…

Screens with Who Took the Bomp: Le Tigre On Tour, p. 107

The 5,000 Days Project: Two Brothers USA, 2011, 10 minutes, director: Rick Stevenson World Premiere Two brothers, six years, and some probing questions about life. Screens with Finding Kind, p. 173

The Accordion

Iran/Italy, Brazil, France, Switzerland, 2010, 8 minutes, director: Jafar Panahi When two buskers unwittingly play in front of a  mosque and have their instrument taken away,  the change is wider reaching than themselves.

Screens with The White Meadows, p. 59

The Ballad of Nessie

USA, 2011, 6 minutes, director: Kevin Deters, Stevie Wermers-Skelton

Set in the “bonny blue highlands” of Scotland, The Ballad Of Nessie is a whimsical and colorful tall  tale about the friendly Loch Ness monster, Nessie,  and how she and her best friend MacQuack the  rubber duck came to live in the moor they now call  home. Screens with Winnie the Pooh, p. 95

Change at the Top of the World Canada/Greenland, 2011, 25 minutes, director: Charles Annenberg Weingarten World Premiere

The defi ning question of this century will be:  how do we preserve the environment and also  shareholder wealth? Is wealth nature itself or is it  the treasures underneath that must be mined out?

The Arctic symbolizes this confl ict. Screens with  The Pipe, p. 182

Ctrl Z (Undo)

India, 2008, 4 minutes, director: Students at Vivekavardhini High School

What if we could undo how we’ve damaged  the earth?

Adobe Youth Voices. Screens with Revenge of the Electric Car, p. 185

Deaf Not Dumb

UK, 2011, 3 minutes, director: Offscreen A group of young deaf people have gathered  to produce this sensitive and thought-provoking  statement.

Adobe Youth Voices. Screens with The Green Wave, p. 176

Don’t Regret

USA, 2009, 3 minutes, director: Brianna Niver A poem is vividly brought to life.

Adobe Youth Voices. Screens with To Be Heard,  p. 190

Experiment for Animated Graphic Score

Japan, 2010, 3 minutes, director: Yoshida Haruka US Premiere Traditional music notation kaleidoscopes into a  composition that explores the visual and aural  possibilities of animation and sound. Screens with  Sound of Noise, p. 256

Frank Fairfield

USA, 2010, 13 minutes, director: Austin Wilson Old-timey, 25-year-old banjo player Frank Fairfi eld  may be a man out of time...or just in time. Screens  with Surrogate Valentine, p. 135

If I Could Do Anything

USA, 2010, 2 minutes, director: Nikita Tu, Wilson Lyon, Joseph Rivera

Adobe Youth Voices. Screens with Marathon Boy,  p. 179

Jupiter Elicious

USA, 2011, 6 minutes, director: Kelly Sears  A haunted meteorologist dreams of storms that  are a lot closer and farther away than he thought.  Screens with Blinding p. 151

Just Be You USA, 2008, 3 minutes, director: Eric Ruiz How do youth feel about gay people? How do  youth feel about being gay?

Adobe Youth Voices. Screens with Do You See Colors When You Close Your Eyes?, p. 128

Our Hijabs

USA, 2008, 4 minutes, director: Students at West Seattle Elementary School Young girls from Seattle discuss the perception  of women who wear hijabs.

Adobe Youth Voices, Screens with Circumstance,  p. 216

Pale Red

Egypt, 2010, 14 minutes, director: Mohammed Hammad North American Premiere Shaima, a Muslim teenager living with her  grandmother, sees herself confronted with an  embarrassing situation that makes her question  her femininity. Screens with Grandma, A Thousand Times, p. 175

Pretty Little Doggie

USA, 2010, 7 minutes, director: E. Ivan Infante Sometimes the best results come from the worst  intentions. Screens with You Are Here, p. 269

Proud to Be a Woman

USA, 2010, 4 minutes, director: Miari Scott, Nancy Johnson, Cherie Kabba

A music video that inspires pride in women and  reminds us of all the female role models we have.

Adobe Youth Voices. Screens with Jucy, p. 233

Recycle

USA, 2010, 2 minutes, director: Alex Larioza An animated reminder that recycling is an important way for us to care for the planet.

Adobe Youth Voices. Screens with If A Tree Falls…,  p. 177

Recycle Fu

USA, 2008, 2 minutes, director: Redwood City Adobe Youth Voices, Peapod Academy

Beware of who might be watching when you  don’t recycle. Adobe Youth Voices. Screens with  Bruce Lee, My Brother, p. 215

Regular Kids

USA, 2010, 13 minutes, director: Richard Leder Unable to go trick-or-treating, a circus family  makes Halloween special for their kids. Screens  with The Sound of Mumbai: A Musical, p. 93

Roman’s Ark

Australia, 2011, 24 minutes, director: Seth Larney

Venturing out of his underground bunker every fi ve  years, Roman scours a post-apocalyptic world for  signs of new life…but will he survive long enough  to see the Earth reborn? Screens with Lys, p 236.

Sabeel

United Arab Emirates, 2010, 20 minutes, director: Khalid Al-Mahmood

Two small boys live with their elderly grandmother  in the mountains of the UAE, spending their  days tending their vegetables and then selling  produce on the road. Screens with Grandma, A Thousand Times, p. 175

Scenes From The Suburbs

USA/Canada, 2010, 28 minutes, director: Spike Jonze

Spike Jonze welcomes us to the neighborhood  backed by the energetic sounds of Grammy Award  winners Arcade Fire. Those white picket fences  just got a little grittier. Screens with Backyard,  p. 101

SIFF is pleased to once again partner with The Seattle Times for the fifth annual 3-Minute Masterpiece contest. Each year we challenge filmmakers around Seattle to create short, familyfriendly films that last no longer than a mere three minutes. Any subject matter may be explored as long as there is no sex, violence, or obscenities.

There are several opportunities for awards and recognition for contest participants. Filmmakers under 18 are eligible for the J. Michael Rima Award, celebrating young Seattle directors. The winner of this award will have his or her film featured during the Festival’s FutureWave Shorts Program. Other winning films will be featured on The Seattle Times’ website as well as at the Festival. The grand-prize winner will also receive one Full Series pass to this year’s Festival.

Technicolor Love

USA, 2011, 3 minutes, director: Rachel Townsend

Two animated dreamers wake to the realization  that they must fi nd each other.

Adobe Youth Voices. Screens with The Sandman and the Lost Sand of Dreams, p. 93

The Way You Are

USA, 2009, 3 minutes, director: Cynthia Pineda A musical celebrations of the things that make us  who we are. Adobe Youth Voices. Screens with  Norman, p. 133

The Westerner

USA, 2010, 13 minutes, director: Ned Benson World Premiere

A young boy runs away from home and tries to  fi nd his way to a place he once visited with his  mother. Screens with Jess + Moss, p. 198

We Wonder, We Create

USA, 2011, 3 minutes, director: Students at South Shore School

Using a variety of styles of animation, elementary  school students describe the creative process.  Adobe Youth Voices. Screens with Being Elmo,  p. 91

What About Us?

Egypt, 2010, 4 minutes, director: Bassem Refaat, Shady Wassily

Young songwriters propose that the answers to the  uncertainties and doubts in life are to be found in  creating community, despite differences.

Adobe Youth Voices. Screens with Cairo 678, p. 121

What Would You Say?

USA, 2009, 2 minutes, director: Damares Valencia A fi lm about making the most of what you say:  A call to choose what really matters in life.

Adobe Youth Voices. Screens with Natural Selection, p. 200

Women Empowerment

South Africa, 2009, 5 minutes, director: various Young South African fi lmmakers celebrate their  mothers’ resilience to overcome the obstacles that  lay before them.

Adobe Youth Voices. Screens with A Lot Like You,  p. 131

3-MINUTE MASTERPIECES

Here is a list of last year’s winners:

GRAND-PRIZE WINNER

adam Bale and alec Whittle for Big Man’s Pride

J. MICHAEL RIMA WINNERS

Max Miller for The New Winter Olympics

OTHER WINNERS

A Man Who Got Ahead, by Gerald Rivas

Dangerous Game, by Mark Ramquist

Harriet Tubman—The Early Years, by McKenna Taylor

I Love You, Too, by Jeff Warner

In Beginning, by Maxx yamasaki

The Journey India 2010, by david Brunn

The Laurel, by Stephanie Sundier

The Loneliest Day, by Cameron Moore and Josh Wilson

One Lonely Cent, by Susan Burns

ALASKA AIRLINES IS A PROUD SUPPORTER OF SIFF AND ALL THE DRAMA IT BRINGS.

documentary features

Merging reality and creativity into works of cinematic art.

Documentary filmmaking is often described as an attempt to put reality on screen. In truth, these films are so much more … Though the subjects are real people, events, and places, their stories are inevitably shaped by the imaginations and personalities of the filmmakers. In the hands of a talented director, the result is often a work of art more magical and emotionally gripping than any fictional film can hope to achieve.

This year, more than 50 outstanding documentary features will be shown at SIFF, bringing you up close to a broad spectrum of the world’s cultures and personalities.

As always, we look at the people who shape our world. For the amazingly talented and political singer Miriam Makeba, who is Mama Africa, to everyday Danish heroes who saved many from the Holocaust in The Rescuers, the political is the personal. In Rothstein’s Last Assignment, Richard Robinson takes a look at New Deal photographer Arthur Rothstein, and while his photographs defined a time and place, there is so much more to it. Buck Brannaman (Buck) is “the” horse whisperer, and Liz Garbus takes us deep into the mind of the first chess superhero with Bobby Fischer Against the World

Politics is very much on everyone’s mind, and this year we have a look at the state of politics around the world. An African Election traces the happenings around the 2008 Ghanaian elections, while a former warlord seeks forgiveness in The Redemption of General Butt Naked. The Iranian political system is on view in The Green Wave, and sport and politics collide in Fire in Babylon, as the West Indian cricket team finds their style. Closer to home, If A Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front takes an in-depth look at the controversial actions of the ELF through the eyes of one man.

Get involved in the SIFF documentaries, and realize that no matter how different we all are, these are stories that touch us all, and weave us into the web of humanity.

documentary competition

Unscripted and uncut, the world around us is an ever ready resource of unexpected, informative, and altogether exciting storytelling. Documentary filmmakers have, for years, brought these untold stories to life and introduced us to a vast number of fascinating topics we may have never known existed—let alone known were so fascinating. From the secret lives of illustrious faces to hardnosed exposés on the latest headlines … From the mundane, yet somehow extraordinary, lives of everyday folks to mind-expanding investigations of the flora and fauna that surround us … documentary film has something for everyone. SIFF is proud to present the ten documentaries in this year’s competition, which explore everything from the life and times of a four-yearold marathon runner to a Spanish politician fighting Alzheimer’s. From youth poets to the Chilean soccer team, this year’s competition films are sure to stimulate your senses, emotions, and, most of all, your imagination, through an amazing spectrum of visionary lenses.

Jury

Krysanne Katsoolis

Krysanne Katsoolis is a founding partner of Cactus Three, a New York based company that specializes in the production, financing and distribution of specialized films. She has over 20 years experience in the entertainment industry, and began her entertainment career in business and legal affairs at Miramax Films. Prior to forming Cactus Three, she was the head of acquisitions and co-productions for Fox Lorber and Wellspring, where she built a library of more than 3000 titles of award-winning films and series for US and international distribution.

Richard Lorber

Richard Lorber is the CEO of Kino Lorber Inc., a company that releases over 20 films per year theatrically on its two cinephile labels, Kino International and Lorber Films. An industry pioneer with over thirty years experience, Mr. Lorber was the co-founder and head of Fox Lorber, which he later merged into the telecom WinStar. As Co-Chairman of WinStar TV and Video, he also led the acquisition of Wellspring Media and subsequently founded and served for six years as President of Koch Lorber Films, then partnered with the company now known as Entertainment 1, where he released such classics as La Dolce Vita and The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, and important recent films such as Chop Shop and Andrzej Wajda’s Katyn.

Katherine Tulich

Katherine Tulich has been reviewing and writing about film for over 20 years. Beginning in her hometown of Sydney, Australia, she was the film critic and feature writer for the Sydney Morning Herald. Since then she has written for Vogue, Cosmopolitan, Rolling Stone, Elle Magazine, The Hollywood Reporter, Entertainment Weekly, The Washington Post, and The Los Angeles Times. On television she has corresponded for Australia’s number one breakfast show Sunrise, and appeared as a guest critic on At the Movies with Ebert and Roeper. She is a member of the prestigious international film critics association FIPRESCI, and is also a member of the Hollywood Foreign Press.

An African Election director Jarreth Merz (Ghana)

Bicycle, Spoon, Apple director Carles Bosch (Spain)

The Green Wave director Ali Samadi Ahadi (Germany)

Hot Coffee director Susan Saladoff (USA)

Marathon Boy director Gemma Atwal (India)

PressPausePlay director David Dworsky, Victor Köhler (Sweden)

Red Eyes

directors Juan Pablo Sallato, Ismael Larrain, Juan Ignacio Sabatini (Chile)

Rothstein’s First Assignment director Richard Knox Robinson (USA)

Sushi: The Global Catch director Mark Hall (USA)

To Be Heard director Amy Sultan, Roland Legiardi-Laura, Deborah Shaffer, Edwin Martinez (USA)

12 Angry Lebanese: The Documentary

LEBANON 2010

SATURDAY JUNE 4 1:00 PM

EGYPTIAN THEATRE

SUNDAY JUNE 12 7:00 PM HARVARD EXIT

One of the year’s most inspiring and affecting documentaries, 12 Angry Lebanese demonstrates the efficacy of drama therapy and its positive effects on some of the most ostracized individuals in society. When powerhouse Zeina Daccache, a theatre director specialized in working with disadvantaged and traumatized people, establishes Lebanon’s first prison-based drama project in the notorious Roumieh prison, her initial production transforms the lives of many men and results in the beginnings of prison reform. For 15 months, 45 inmates, some completely illiterate, work together to present an adaptation of Reginald Rose’s famous stage play 12 Angry Men (using source material from Sidney Lumet’s film starring Henry Fonda). The choice of play, which touches on the themes of forgiveness, selfdevelopment, stigma and hope, is no accident. Daccache adds monologues, songs, and dance routines created by the prisoners to the original text. A must-see, this remarkable documentary features rehearsals and drama therapy sessions as well as interviews, revealing the tremendous dignity and despair of the prisoners as well as the charismatic Daccache’s boundless energy and patience.

Awards:

Dubai International Film Festival 2010 (Best Documentary, Audience Award)

Damascus International Film Festival 2010 (Audience Award, Dox Box)

Director: Zeina Daccache

Producer: Zeina Daccache

Screenwriter: Zeina Daccache

Cinematographer: Jocelyne Abi Gebrayel

Editor: Michèle Tayan

Music: Inmates from Roumieh

Prison

Running Time: 78 minutes

Presentation Format: DigiBeta, in Arabic and English, with English subtitles

Print Source: Catharsis LCDT

International Sales: Catharsis LCDT

Selected Filmography: Debut Feature Film

An African Election

GHANA/SWITZERLAND/USA 2010

THURSDAY MAY 26 7:00 PM

HARVARD EXIT

FRIDAY MAY 27 4:30 PM HARVARD EXIT

An African Election offers an unprecedented view into the political, economic, and social forces at work in Ghana’s 2008 presidential election. As the first sub-Saharan nation to achieve independence, many consider Ghana to be the barometer of democracy in Africa. Though there are a few candidates, the decision is between two leading political parties, the conservative NPP and the more leftist NDC. Director Jarreth Merz—whose childhood in Ghana grants him remarkable insight and access to the country’s political machinery—leads us from political rallies to backroom strategy sessions and nerve-wracking vote counting in the “sweat box.” When no clear winner emerges from the December vote, a run-off is required, increasing the antagonism between the parties as tensions rise across the nation. Accusations of stolen ballots and the threat of violent protests across the country keep the narrow outcome in doubt until the final frames. Merz lends the pulse of a taut thriller to An African Election, constantly reminding us that maintaining democracy is a high-wire act that can be the difference between peace and prosperity or the chaos of a violent coup.

Director: Jarreth Merz

Producers: Franco Agustoni Brigitte Agustoni

Screenwriters: Erika Tasini

Shari Yantra Marcacci Jarreth Merz

Cinematographer: Topher Osborn

Editor:

Samir Samperisi

Music:

Patrick Kirst

Running Time: 89 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm, in English, Twi, and other local languages, with English subtitles

Print Source: Urban Republic

Film Website: anafricanelection.com

Selected Filmography: Debut Feature Film

BICICLETA, CUCHARA, MANZANA

Bicycle, Spoon, Apple

SPAIN/ARGENTINA/INDIA/ USA/NETHERLANDS 2010 NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE

THURSDAY MAY 26 4:30 PM

SATURDAY MAY 28 10:00 AM

As both the former mayor of Barcelona and former president of Catalonia, Pasqual Maragall has been a popular leader to the people of Spain. In 2007, this charismatic public figure was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Bicycle, Spoon, Apple is an up close and personal account of his decision to go public with this revelation, his steadfast determination to beat the disease, and the strength and support of his family (including his optimistic wife Diana Garrigosa) during his struggle to fight it. Following Maragall for two years, director Carles Bosch (who helmed the award-winning documentaries Balseros and Septiembres) creates an intimate portrait of the man and his family, expanding his focus to doctors and scientists for a more complete picture of Alzheimer’s, its myths, and the current state of research. The title comes from three words used to test patients’ memories, and is used in one of the more affecting scenes, in which we see the stoic Maragall crumble a little when he can’t recall them. By bringing us so deep into the life of an Alzheimer’s sufferer, Bosch demystifies the disease—resulting in a documentary that’s sure to leave viewers forever changed.

Awards:

Goya Awards 2011 (Best Documentary Film)

San Sebastian Film Festival 2010 (Special Mention)

Bobby Fischer Against the World USA 2011

SIFF CINEMA

HARVARD EXIT

Director:

Carles Bosch

Producers: Oriol Ivern

Tono Folguera

Screenwriter: Carles Bosch

Cinematographer: Carles Mestres

Editors:

Ernest Blasi

Carlos Prieto

Music:

Josep Sanou

Running Time: 105 minutes

Presentation Format: HDCAM, in Catalan, Spanish, English, Telugu, Kannada and Dutch, with English subtitles

International Sales: Cat & Docs

Print Source: Cromosoma S.A

Film Website: bicyclespoonapple.com

Selected Filmography: Revolution 2 (2009) Septiembres (2007) Balseros (2002)

TUESDAY JUNE 7 7:00 PM

WEDNESDAY JUNE 8 4:30 PM

The greatest battle during the Cold War didn’t take place on the political stage, but on the chessboard. In 1972, brash and outspoken American chess champion Bobby Fischer, a child prodigy who had mastered the game before he was 15, went head to head with Soviet grandmaster Boris Spassky. The match made Fischer into a rock-star of the chess world, but he was uneasy with his newfound fame. Already known for his unpredictable behavior, Fischer decided to abandon the game that he once referred to as his “alter ego” and began a reclusive early retirement. When Fischer resurfaced 20 years later for a rematch with Spassky, he once again made headlines, but this time for breaking international law. Forced to seek asylum in Iceland, he descended further into paranoia and madness. Brimming with archival footage highlighting the media frenzy around Fischer, and filled with insightful interviews of those who knew him best, award winning documentary filmmaker Liz Garbus (The Farm: Angola, USA) paints an exciting and very human portrait of this complex, fascinating, and troubled genius, a man whose greatest talents couldn’t save him from his own tragic flaws.

Sponsored by Mary Rainwater

HARVARD EXIT

HARVARD EXIT

Director:

Liz Garbus

Producers: Rory Kennedy

Matthew Justus

Stanley Buchthal

Liz Garbus

Cinematographer: Bob Chappell

Editors: Karen Schmeer

Michael Levine

Music: Philip Sheppard

Running Time: 90 minutes

Presentation Format: HDCAM, in English and Russian, with English subtitles

International Sales: Ealing Studios

International

Print Source: Music Box Films

Film Website: facebook.com/pages/ Bobby-Fischer-Againstthe-World

Selected Filmography: Shouting Fire: Stories from the Edge of Free Speech (2009)

Coma (2007)

Girlhood (2003)

The Nazi Officer’s Wife (2003)

The Execution of Wanda

Jean (2002)

The Farm: Angola USA (1998)

Buck USA 2011

WEDNESDAY JUNE 8 7:00 PM

THURSDAY JUNE 9 6:30 PM KIRKLAND

A warmly engaging documentary about Buck Brannaman, a k.a the real life “Horse Whisperer.” Drawing from his own nightmarish childhood experiences—his father beat him severely when he didn’t perform rope tricks to perfection—Buck tames wild horses by using gentleness and respect, rather than the more archaic method of breaking them with beatings and lashes. This visually stunning film makes it clear early on that Brannaman’s title is not an exaggeration; his skill with these majestic animals is truly the stuff of legend. More surprisingly, this likable down-to-earth cowboy and raconteur has a way of working with horse and owner as one unit, helping to “fix” the people as well as the animals in order to develop a closer kinship between the two. Director Cindy Meehl has assembled an impressive feature-length debut, bringing outsiders into Buck’s world, and teaching the viewer the magic of relating to horses on a compassionate, human level.

Awards: Sundance Film Festival 2011 (U.S. Documentary Competition Audience Award)

Director: Cindy Meehl

Producer: Julie Goldman

Cinematographer: Guy Mossman

Luke Geissbuhler

Editor: Toby Shimin

Music: David Robbins

Featuring: Buck Brannaman

Running Time: 88 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm

International Sales: Cinema Management Group

Print Source: Sundance Selects

Film Website: buckthefilm.com

Selected Filmography: Debut Feature Film

Finding Kind USA 2011

MONDAY MAY 23 7:00 PM

TUESDAY MAY 24 4:30 PM

In 2009, Lauren Parsekian and Molly Stroud began traveling across the country on a “Kind Campaign.” Designed to expose the cruelty that young females deal out on each other, they sought to uncover what really goes on within the “Girl World.” They visited girls at schools, community gatherings, and even talked to adult men and women about their past and present experiences with emotional bullying. Parsekian, who is also the film’s director, has crafted a film that informs about the female experience, the reality behind this under-examined subject, and its American cultural influences with an effective mix of humorous anecdotes and raw emotion. Ultimately Finding Kind succeeds not as an exposé, but as an invitation for self-reflection and awareness that opens viewers to the negative energy of emotional bullying and the reality that we are all affected by it. At a recent viewing by a youth council, the audience concluded with the following statement: “Every girl, boy, teacher, and parent should see this movie.” Finding Kind is a film that exquisitely brings humanity to its subject and undertakes an essential appeal: “We may not all be the same, but we can all be kind.”

PRECEDED BY:

The 5,000 Days Project: Two Brothers USA, 2011, 10 minutes, director: Rick Stevenson World Premiere Two brothers, six years, and some probing questions about life.

With the support of the Annenberg Foundation, Explore has made funding possible to SIFF to provide a grant to the IndieFlix Foundation to support their work in bringing the “Finding Kind” message to schools in our community. For more information please visit the IndieFlix Foundation: www. indieflixfoundation.org

Director: Lauren Parsekian

Producers: Lauren Parsekian

Molly Stroud

Tom Shadyac

Jack Osborne

Screenwriter: Lauren Parsekian

Cinematographer: Christopher Hamilton

Editor: Vegard H. Sorby

Music:

Andrew Skrabutenas

Nicole Vaughn

Running Time: 77 minutes

Presentation

Format: HDCAM

International

Sales: IndieFlix

Print Source: Kind Campaign

Film Website: findingkind.com

Selected

Filmography: Debut Feature Film

EGYPTIAN THEATRE

SIFF CINEMA

SIFF CINEMA

PERFORMANCE CENTER

Fire in Babylon

UNITED KINGDOM 2010

THURSDAY JUNE 2 6:30 PM

SATURDAY JUNE 4 11:00 AM

MONDAY JUNE 6 6:30 PM

ADMIRAL THEATER

NEPTUNE THEATRE

KIRKLAND PERFORMANCE CENTER

Throughout the Caribbean, one sport rules over all others—cricket. Comprised of players from 15 countries, the West Indies cricket team (a.k.a. the Windies) rose to preeminence throughout the 1970s despite civil unrest at home and racial prejudice abroad. When Clive Lloyd assumed the team’s captaincy, he transformed a laughingstock into world champions, and introduced a fast, brutal style of play that, when combined with their adroit batsmen, proved virtually impossible to beat. Their undisputed skill and fearless spirit allowed them to dominate the sport at the highest level for nearly two decades. Throughout the film, director Stevan Riley juxtaposes the Windies’ struggles and accomplishments against cricket powers England and Australia with the Caribbean’s own journey through post-colonial growing pains. Packed with archival footage that explodes the myth of cricket as a genteel pastime, interviews with the charismatic members of the team, and a superb reggae soundtrack, Fire in Babylon is the thrilling story of how the West Indies triumphed over their colonial masters through the achievements of one of the most gifted teams in sporting history.

Director: Stevan Riley

Producers: John Battsek

Charles Steel

Screenwriter: Stevan Riley

Cinematographer: Stuart Bentley

Editor: Peter Hadoon

Running Time: 83 minutes

Presentation Format: HDCAM, in Oriya, English and Hindi, with English Subtitles

International Sales: Cowboy Films

Print Source: Tribeca Films

Film Website: fireinbabylon.com

Selected Filmography: Blue Blood (2006)

TETA, ALF MARRA

Grandma, A Thousand Times

THURSDAY JUNE 2 4:30 PM

SIFF CINEMA

FRIDAY JUNE 10 5:00 PM KIRKLAND PERFORMANCE CENTER

Grandma, A Thousand Times is filmmaker Mahmoud Kaabour’s poetic cinematic tribute to his feisty, larger-than-life grandmother. Teta Kaabour is an 83-year old family matriarch and sharp-witted queen bee of an old Beiruti quarter. In the apartment where she raised six children and 13 grandchildren, she now spends her days smoking Argileh and drinking endless cups of coffee, alone with memories of her beloved violinist husband (who’s been dead for 20 years).

Bearing his grandfather’s name as well as his likeness (at one point, Teta exclaims: “Damn you! Why are you so handsome? You remind me too much of your grandfather!”), the filmmaker is clearly his grandmother’s favorite. This affection between them makes for an intimate portrait comprised of recollections from throughout her life (set to the improvised music of her husband), revelations of closely guarded recipes, and hilarious observations about everything from her children’s desire for her to quit smoking to her grandson’s Swedish fiancée. Touching without being sentimental, this lyrical study is a testament to the importance of preserving those personal histories, which otherwise threaten to pass away with the people who’ve lived them.

PRECEDED BY:

Pale Red

Egypt, 2010, 14 minutes, director: Mohammed Hammad, North American Premiere Shaima, a Muslim teenager living with her grandmother, sees herself confronted with an embarrassing situation that makes her question her femininity.

Sabeel

United Arab Emirates, 2010, 20 minutes, director: Khalid Al-Mahmood Two small boys live with their elderly grandmother in the mountains of the UAE, spending their days tending their vegetables and then selling produce on the road.

Director: Mahmoud Kaabour

Producer: Eva Sayre

Screenwriter: Mahmoud Kaabour

Cinematographer: Muriel Aboulrouss

Editor: Patricia Heneine

Music:

Nabil Amarshi

Running Time: 48 minutes

Presentation Format: HDCAM, in English and Arabic, with English subtitles

International Sales: Taskovski Films

Print Source: Veritas Films

Selected Filmography: Debut Feature Film

The Green Wave

SUNDAY JUNE 5 4:00 PM

MONDAY JUNE 6 7:00 PM

During the 2009 Iranian elections, the world caught a glimpse of opposition to the government as the Green Revolution filled the streets of Tehran. But in the aftermath of Ahmadinejad’s victory, the hope of change came to an abrupt end as government officials cracked down on protestors and censored media coverage. Part documentary, part animation, The Green Wave covers those chaotic and disturbing post-election days and gives us an idea of what happened when the cameras stopped rolling. Through eyewitness accounts, blogs, tweets, and cell phone footage, the conflicts and riotous conditions are revealed. These elements are permeated by interviews featuring prominent Iranian personalities like human rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize winner Shirin Ebadi, and Shiite cleric Mohsen Kadivar, one of the most important critics of the current regime. The Green Wave is an unblinking, documentary that captures the outrage, sadness, and fear during this momentous time in Iran’s history, and informs the continuing dialogue about human rights.

PRECEDED BY:

Deaf Not Dumb

United Kingdom, 2011, 3 minutes, director: Offscreen   A group of young deaf people have gathered to produce this sensitive and thought-provoking statement.

HARVARD EXIT

HARVARD EXIT

Director:

Ali Samadi Ahadi

Producers: Oliver Stoltz

Jan Krueger

Screenwriter: Ali Samadi Ahadi

Cinematographers: Peter Jeschke

Ali Samadi Ahadi

Rupert Scheele

Josh Gibson

Editors: Barbara Toennieshen

Andreas Menn

Music: Ali N. Askin

Running Time: 80 minutes

Presentation Format: HDCAM, in English and Farsi, with English subtitles

International Sales: Visit Films

Print Source: Visit Films

Film Website: thegreenwave-film.com

Selected Filmography: Salami Aleikum (2009)

Lost Children (2005) Africa Mayibuye (2003)

Hot Coffee

USA 2011

THURSDAY JUNE 9 7:00 PM

SATURDAY JUNE 11 11:00 AM

Do you remember the woman who spilled hot coffee in her lap and then sued McDonald’s?

Can you recall any of the actual details, or, like many, does your recollection consist of sound bites, media clips, and late night monologues? This fiercely entertaining documentary explores what really happens when someone attempts to stand up to a corporation in the U.S. judicial system. With a clear eye for the facts and a crusader’s zeal for the truth, director Susan Saladoff tells the story of tort reform—or lack thereof—in America, from the perspective of those who have been in the trenches battling hordes of corporate lawyers in an attempt to seek justice in a court of law. Hot Coffee follows the regular folks demonized by the right and championed by the left as their personal injury lawsuits go before the courts. Heartbreaking, surprising, and ultimately infuriating, this will make you think twice next time you see a news clip about so-called “jackpot lawsuits,” and the people involved whose lives have been forever altered by corporate indifference or outright malfeasance.

HARVARD EXIT

HARVARD EXIT

Director: Susan Saladoff

Producers: Susan Saladoff

Alan Oxman

Carly Hugo

Cinematographer: Martina Radwan

Editor: Cindy Lee

Music: Michael Mollura

Featuring: John Grisham

Al Franken

Running Time: 88 minutes

Presentation Format: HDCAM

Print Source: Hot Coffee, LLC

Film Website: hotcoffeethemovie.com

Selected Filmography: Debut Feature Film

If A Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front

USA 2011

WEDNESDAY MAY 25 7:00 PM

SUNDAY MAY 29 6:00 PM

During the late ’80s and early ’90s, the environmental movement reached critical mass, garnering unprecedented attention in the press and political discourse. As often happens, extremists within the movement, who believed not enough was being done to safeguard the planet’s welfare, banded together and sought to accomplish their goals through destructive, illegal acts. For years, the Earth Liberation Front (ELF)—operating in separate anonymous cells without any central leadership—launched spectacular arson attacks against dozens of businesses they accused of destroying the environment: timber companies, SUV dealerships, and a $12 million ski lodge in Vail, Colorado. However, in December 2005, Federal agents arrested ELF member Daniel McGowan in a nationwide sweep of “Domestic Terrorists.” Documentarian Marshall Curry interweaves his history of ELF’s rise to prominence with McGowan’s personal account of his initiation, activities, and subsequent house arrest and trial. Drawing upon striking archival footage, much of it previously unseen, and intimate interviews with past and present ELF members and the prosecutor and detectives who pursued them, If A Tree Falls charts the contentious, controversial, and always shifting zone between environmental protectionism and economic progress.

Awards: Miami Film Festival 2011 (Special Jury Prize)

PRECEDED BY:

Recycle

USA, 2010, 2 minutes, director: Alex Larioza

An animated reminder that recycling is an important way for us to care for the planet.

The Interrupters USA 2011

SATURDAY MAY 28 6:00 PM

SUNDAY MAY 29 12:30 PM

Director: Marshall Curry

Producers: Marshall Curry Sam Cullman

Screenwriters: Marshall Curry

Matthew Hamachek

Cinematographer: Sam Cullman

Editors: Marshall Curry Matthew Hamachek

Music: James Baxter

Running Time: 85 minutes

Presentation Format: HDCAM

International Sales: Marshall Curry Productions

Print Source: Oscilloscope Laboratories

Selected Filmography: Racing Dreams (2009) Street Fight (2005)

From director Steve James, (Hoop Dreams, Stevie), The Interrupters is a heartbreaking— yet ultimately hopeful—documentary about the efforts of a group of fearless crusaders who work to end the rampant violence in some of Chicago’s toughest neighborhoods. The film presents an unflinching portrait of three courageous individuals, Ameena, Cobe, and Eddie, all of whom have a personal history steeped in the violent activity they are now trying to eliminate. Working for an organization called CeaseFire, the “Violence Interrupters” walk the streets of the city, building relationships with the most at-risk residents and taking steps to intervene in conflicts before they erupt into violence. By taking the time to introduce each subject at length and delve deeply into their personal struggles and daily work, James creates an unforgettable film experience that poses questions about violence, poverty, and society that have no easy answers. The Interrupters is a powerful film that reveals the uncomfortable truth about violence in America through the eyes of those who have the courage to stand up and do something to end it.

Awards: Miami Film Festival 2011 (Grand Jury Prize)

With the support of the Annenberg Foundation, Explore has made funding possible to SIFF to provide a grant to the Seattle Youth Violence Prevention Initiative to support their work with youth in our community.

For more information please visit the Seattle Youth Violence Prevention Initiative: www.youthinitiative.seattle.gov

Director: Steve James

Producers: Steve James

Alex Kotlowitz

Zak Piper

Cinematographer: Steve James

Editors: Aaron Wickenden

Steve James

Music:

Joshua Abrams

Running Time: 144 minutes

Presentation

Format: HDCAM

Print Source: The Cinema Guild

Film Website: theinterrupters.com

Selected

Filmography: At the Death House Door (2008)

Reel Paradise (2005)

Stevie (2002)

Prefontaine (1997)

Hoop Dreams (1994)

HARVARD EXIT

HARVARD EXIT

HARVARD EXIT

EVERETT PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

The Last Mountain USA 2011

WEDNESDAY JUNE 1 7:00 PM

PACIFIC PLACE CINEMAS

THURSDAY JUNE 2 4:00 PM PACIFIC PLACE CINEMAS

Within the Appalachian Mountains, a smallscale, federally approved apocalypse is occurring. Dubbed “Mountaintop Removal,” the procedure uses high explosives on the landscape in order to reveal the coal veins deep within, a practice with a weekly destructive force that scientists estimate rivals the Hiroshima bomb. While scientists, ecologists, and other champions of the environment (including Robert Kennedy Jr.) struggle to change the antiquated laws, the residents of West Virginia’s Coal River Valley must figure out how to live under its ever-increasing shadow. Dispensing with any claims of impartiality within the first few frames, director Bill Haney’s (The Price of Sugar) pointed, enraging documentary lays out its case against the offending corporations with a clear-eyed, devastating intelligence. More than that, though, Haney’s film also serves as a fascinating exploration of the people living within the radius of this “accumulation of insults” (as one resident memorably puts it), an environment where industrial-strength water filters last days rather than months, coal dust in the breeze is a daily occurrence, and the refineries threaten to overtake the school playground.

With the support of the Annenberg Foundation, Explore has made funding possible to SIFF to provide a grant to Climate Solutions to support their work for clean energy in our region and to find practical solutions to global warming. For more information please visit Climate Solutions: http://climatesolutions.org

Director: Bill Haney

Producers: Clara Bingham

Bill Haney

Eric Grunebaum

Screenwriters: Bill Haney

Peter Rhodes

Cinematographers: Jerry Risius

Tim Hotchner

Stephen McCarthy

Editor:

Peter Rhodes

Music: Claudio Ragazzi

Running Time: 95 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm

Print Source: Dada Films

Film Website: thelastmountainmovie.com

Selected Filmography: The Price of Sugar (2007) A Life Among Whales (2005)

Racing Against the Clock (2004)

Gift of the Game (2002)

Lesson Plan

USA/GERMANY 2010

TUESDAY MAY 31 7:00 PM

WEDNESDAY JUNE 1 4:30 PM

In this provocative documentary, directors Philip Neel and David H. Jeffery look back at 1967’s notorious Third Wave project. Originally designed by Cubberly High teacher Ron Jones to teach his well-heeled Palo Alto pupils (including a teenaged Neel) about the roots of fascism, the experiment proved to be more successful than anyone could have anticipated…or feared. Adopting a compelling oral history approach, the film’s narrative explores the five days of the movement, in which the students started out as a cooperative until informers were assigned by Jones. As members were recruited and trials were held, even non-informants quickly turned on other members in their quest to ace the assignment. Over the decades, the experience would inspire articles, movies, and a novel that has become required reading in several countries. In the introduction, Dr. Philip Zimbardo, who created the Stanford Prison Experiment, provides a succinct thesis for this fascinating film, “The human mind has infinite power to justify any behavior.”

HARVARD EXIT

HARVARD EXIT

Directors: Philip Neel

David H. Jeffery

Producers: Philip Neel

Robert Del Valle

Mark Hancock

Screenwriter: David H. Jeffery

Cinematographer: David H. Jeffery

Editor: Philip Neel

Music: Jeff Russo

Running Time: 76 minutes

Presentation Format: DigiBeta, in English and German, with English

subtitles

Print Source: State of Crisis Productions, Inc.

Film Website: lessonplanmovie.com

Selected Filmography: Debut Feature Film

Magic Trip: Ken Kesey’s Search For a Kool Place USA 2011

THURSDAY JUNE 2 9:30 PM

SATURDAY JUNE 4 3:15 PM

Celebrated author Ken Kesey (One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest) was the chief perpetrator of the Merry Pranksters, a rag-tag bunch of like-minded spirits who embraced the cultural mayhem of the mid ’60s and sought common enlightenment through L.S.D. One of their most inspired japes was to take a bus trip-cum-rolling revolution across the United States. Although they had the foresight to equip the bus with cameras and sound equipment, the Pranksters proved to be totally lacking in the fundamentals of filmmaking, and after some 40 years of trying to make sense of the cinematic soup, Kesey finally threw in the towel. Acclaimed documentary filmmaker Alex Gibney (Taxi to the Dark Side) and his longtime editor Alison Ellwood hit upon the idea of editing the veritable treasure trove of footage to the commentary of its Dramatis Personae (including Jack Kerouac’s hell-raiser sidekick Neal Cassady, who alarmingly drove the bus for much of the way) as they viewed it. Adorning the results with a music track that perfectly encapsulates the era—Dion, Ike Turner, John Coltrane—the directors have instilled the film with an appropriate homemovie aesthetic, as all aboard randomly turn on, tune in, and drop out.

EGYPTIAN THEATER

EGYPTIAN THEATER

Directors: Alison Ellwood

Alex Gibney

Producer: Will Clarke

Alex Gibney

Alexandra Johnes

Screenwriters: Alison Ellwood

Alex Gibney

Editors: Alison Ellwood

Alex Gibney

Music: David Kahne

Running Time: 107 minutes

Presentation Format: DCP

International Sales: Fortissimo Films

Print Source: Magnolia Films

Film Website: magictripmovie.com

Selected Filmography: Alison Ellwood: Debut Feature Film

Alex Gibney:

Client 9: The Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer (2010) Freakonomics (2010)

My Trip to Al-Qaeda (2010)

Casino Jack and the United States of Money (2010)

Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson (2008)

Taxi to the Dark Side (2007)

Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room (2005)

Behind Those Eyes (2005)

The Ruling Classroom (1980)

Marathon Boy

INDIA/UNITED KINGDOM/USA 2010

MONDAY MAY 30 1:00 PM

ADMIRAL THEATER

SUNDAY JUNE 5 7:00 PM SIFF CINEMA

WEDNESDAY JUNE 8 4:30 PM

Budhia Singh, a child born into the slums of eastern India and sold by his mother to a peddler for 800 rupees, became a national sensation by the age of four. By then he had already run six half-marathons, and was on his way to break records with an attempt at the 40 mile Limca Record Run. His coach was his adoptive father Biranchi Das, a man dedicated not only to caring for the orphans of his judo school, but also to his own publicity. Biranchi sees something special in the young athlete, and thinks they could make it all the way to the Olympics. But as Budhia’s star rises, so do questions about Biranchi’s intentions. Is he providing a rare opportunity for a slum kid to better his lot in life, or exploiting the child for his own purposes? Filmmaker Gemma Atwal followed the pair for three years, and leads us on a roller-coaster journey that starts like a real-life Slumdog Millionaire, but ends like a Shakespearian tragedy.

PRECEDED BY:

If I Could Do Anything

USA, 2010, 2 minutes, director: Nikita Tu, Wilson Lyon, Joseph Rivera

What would you do?

Adobe Youth Voices

EGYPTIAN THEATRE

Director: Gemma Atwal

Producers: Gemma Atwal

Matt Norman

Screenwriter: Gemma Atwal

Cinematographer: Matt Norman

Editor: Peter Haddon

Music: Garry Hughes

Running Time: 98 minutes

Presentation Format: HDCAM, in Oriya, English and Hindi, with English subtitles

International Sales: DRG

Print Source: One Horse Town Productions

Film Website: marathonboymovie.com

Selected Filmography: Debut Feature Film

Capitol

Capitol

Queen

Queen Anne News

Magnolia

Magnolia News

North Seattle

North Seattle

South Seattle

South Seattle Beacon

Madison

Madison Park Times City

A Matter of Taste: Serving Up Paul Liebrandt USA 2011

FRIDAY MAY 20 7:30 PM

SUNDAY MAY 22 1:00 PM

“I’m not a nutcase, I’m just an artist”, proclaims British-American chef Paul Liebrandt in Sally Rowe’s suspenseful and revealing profile. It may not be an idle boast, as the dishes he creates often look more like works of art than the makings of a meal. Food critic William Grimes has stated that Liebrandt’s concoctions may seem “precious and ridiculous,” but true artistry resides in the way he combines flavors and textures. Rowe began filming in 2001 when her subject was 25 years old. Resembling a mad scientist in the guise of a teen idol, Liebrandt trained in Europe and made his name at New York’s Atlas before moving on to other eateries, consulting gigs, and finally a coveted job overseeing his own Tribeca restaurant. Rowe documents this new restaurant from construction until the day The New York Times determines its fate, when a low rating could equal instant death. As the economy fluctuates, so too does his career. When patrons desire upscale cuisine, he’s in his element, but the years after 9/11 prove to be unkind to culinary artists. In that sense, Rowe profiles an entire industry as much as one particularly accomplished individual.

SIFF CINEMA

ADMIRAL THEATER

Director: Sally Rowe

Producers: Alan Oxman

Rachel Mills

Sally Rowe

Editor: Amy Foote

Music: John M. Davis

Running Time: 68 minutes

Presentation Format: HDCAM

International Sales: Rowe Road Productions

Print Source: Rowe Road Productions

Film Website: amouthfulthefilm.com

Selected Filmography: Debut Feature Film

My So-Called Enemy USA 2010

SUNDAY JUNE 5 6:30 PM

MONDAY JUNE 6 4:30 PM

In July 2002, 22 Palestinian and Israeli teenage girls traveled to the U.S. to participate in a leadership program called Building Bridges for Peace. My So-Called Enemy follows six of these intelligent, articulate girls and how the transformative experience of knowing their “enemies” as human beings affects the realities of their lives at home in the Middle East over the next seven years. Not only does the film show the human cost and complexity of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, but it is also a coming-of-age story. While it speaks to the power of individual narratives to open hearts and minds and create the space for inclusive dialogue, it also illustrates the important role of women in building peaceful communities.

Awards:

Hamptons Film Festival 2010 (Best Conflict and Resolution Film) Denver Film Festival 2010 (Special Jury Prize)

HARVARD EXIT

HARVARD EXIT

Director:

Lisa Gossels

Producers:

Lisa Gossels

Eden Wurmfeld

Cinematographer: Justin Schein

Editors:

Lisa Gossels

Toby Shimin

David Mehlman

Music:

Nathan Larson

Running Time: 89 minutes

Presentation Format: HDCAM, in Arabic, Hebrew, and English, with English subtitles

International Sales: Good Egg Productions, Inc.

Print Source: Good Egg Productions, Inc.

Film Website: mysocalledenemy.com

Selected Filmography: The Children of Chabannes (1999)

Page One: Inside the New York Times USA 2011

WEDNESDAY MAY 25 7:00 PM

SATURDAY MAY 28 11:00 AM

MONDAY MAY 30 3:30 PM

NEPTUNE THEATRE

EGYPTIAN THEATRE

EVERETT PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

For over 150 years, the New York Times has been America’s paper of record, with its front page reporting of major world events sometimes becoming as iconic as the event itself. But at a time where traditional print outlets are floundering in the wake of the digital tsunami, even the venerable “Gray Lady” must change. Documentarian Andrew Rossi set up his cameras for one year in the Times’ newsroom, garnering unprecedented access and insight into the paper’s operations. Focusing primarily on the media desk, Rossi employs a twoprong approach, showing not only how new media impacts the Times, but also how the paper reports on its own industry’s turmoil. In the process, Times columnists and reporters such as David Carr and Brian Stelter offer a probing evaluation of the current state of independent journalism, where ego and ethics oft collide. With incisive flair, Page One gives us an up-close look at the vibrant cross-cubicle debates and collaborations, tenacious jockeying for on-record quotes, and skillful page one pitching that brings the most venerable newspaper in America to fruition each and every day.

Director:

Andrew Rossi

Producers:

Kate Novack

Josh Braun

David Hand

Alan Oxman

Adam Schlesinger

Screenwriters:

Kate Novack

Andrew Rossi

Cinematographer:

Andrew Rossi

Editors:

Chad Beck

Christopher Branca

Sara Devorkin

Music:

Paul Brill

Running Time: 88 minutes

Presentation Format: HDCAM

International Sales: Submarine Entertainment

Print Source: Magnolia Films

Film Website: facebook.com/pageonemovie

Selected Filmography:

Le Cirque: A Table in Heaven (2007)

Eat This New York (2004)

The Pipe

SATURDAY MAY 21 4:00 PM

EGYPTIAN THEATRE

TUESDAY MAY 31 4:30 PM HARVARD EXIT

When a large deposit of gas was discovered off the west coast of Ireland in 1996, events were set in motion that soon had the locals of Rossport up in arms against the Shell Oil Company. Shell proposed a six-mile underground pipeline that would have had to pass beneath a number of farms, as well as skirting some villages. The locals would have none of it and protested. The efforts seemed successful until the proposed changes in the pipeline’s direction were seen to be even more problematic. Director Risteard Ó Domhnaill is smart to focus closely on the lives of those who would have been most deeply affected (Shell refused to participate in the film). Whether it’s Maura Harrington who went on a hunger strike or fisherman, Pat O’Donnell, who refused to alter his fishing patterns to make way for the Shell tankers, The Pipe attests to how individuals (shown here in all their complex and sometimes unflattering glory) and their actions remain important in an increasingly corporate world. An example of point-of-view documentary filmmaking that succeeds on all levels, Ó Domhnaill’s film will both move and inform audiences in equal measure.

Awards: Galway Film Festival 2010 (Best Documentary Feature)

PRECEDED BY:

Director: Risteard Ó Domhnaill

Producer: Rachel Lysaght

Cinematographer: Risteard Ó Domhnaill

Editor: Nigel O’Regan

Music: Stephen Rennicks

Hugh Drumm

Running Time: 83 minutes

Presentation Format: HDCAM

International Sales: Autlook

Print Source: Scannáin Inbhear

Film Website: thepipethefilm.com

Selected Filmography: Debut Feature Film

Change at the Top of the World Canada/Greenland, 2011, 25 minutes, director: Charles Annenberg Weingarten. World Premiere. The defining question of this century will be: how do we preserve the environment and also shareholder wealth? Is wealth nature itself or is it the treasures underneath that must be mined out? The Arctic symbolizes this conflict.

With the support of the Annenberg Foundation, Explore has made funding possible to SIFF to provide a grant to the Washington Environmental Council to support their work to protect, restore and sustain Washington’s environment. For more information please visit the Washington Environmental Council: http://wecprotects.org

PressPausePlay

SWEDEN 2011

SATURDAY JUNE 4 3:30 PM

KIRKLAND PERFORMANCE CENTER

TUESDAY JUNE 7 9:15 PM SIFF CINEMA

FRIDAY JUNE 10 4:30 PM

The digital revolution has changed the way artists, musicians, filmmakers, and writers create and share their art. Virtually unlimited creative opportunities have been unleashed, and with little more than a laptop and an internet connection, almost anyone can record a song, write a novel, or make a film, and then instantaneously share it with the world. Icelandic musician Olafur Arnalds went from making homemade digital compositions to performing with a full classical orchestra. Filmmaker Lena Dunham was able to make her award-winning film Tiny Furniture the way she envisioned thanks to new digital technologies. Best-selling author Seth Godin broke new ground when he decided to leave his publisher behind and give away his book for free online. Filmmakers David Dworsky and Victor Köhler talk with some of the digital era’s most influential creators and explore the burning questions underneath this vast cultural transformation. Is allowing new technology to subvert old business models really giving artists unprecedented freedom? Are the truly talented drowning in an ocean of mediocre content? And with everyone able to create, what defines art in the digital age?

NEPTUNE THEATRE

Directors: David Dworsky

Victor Köhler

Producers: Philip Marthinsen

Einar Bodström

Adam Svanell

Cinematographer: Hannes Isaksson

Editors: David Dworsky

Victor Köhler

Music: Olafur Arnalds

Ludvig Franzén

Carl Åborg

Feliz Martinz

Joel Hilme

Featuring: Moby

Seth Godin

Lena Dunham

Hot Chip

Olafur Arnolds

Running Time: 80 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm

International Sales: House of Radon

Print Source: House of Radon

Film Website: presspauseplay.com

Selected Filmography: Om natten (2009)

Project Nim

UNITED KINGDOM 2011

FRIDAY JUNE 3 7:00 PM

SIFF CINEMA

SUNDAY JUNE 5 1:30 PM EGYPTIAN THEATRE

For his eagerly awaited follow-up to his Oscarwinning Man on Wire, James Marsh has found another enthralling story, this time about Nim, a chimpanzee raised and nurtured as a human child. Initiated by Columbia University’s Professor Herb Terrace, the 1970s experiment attempted to monitor to what degree the animal would take on human characteristics, but as time progressed the study took unexpected twists—ranging from the hilarious though unsettling to the profoundly wrenching—as Nim, reared at the hand of a regrettable succession of caretakers, makes his precarious journey through life. Raising questions about ethics, parenting and exactly what it is that separates man from animals, Marsh employs newly discovered archival footage and striking imagery to underpin commentary by all the key participants in the story of Nim’s impact on the lives of all around him, beginning with ex-hippie Stephanie Lafarge, whose questionable maternal choices are gasp-inducing to say the very least. Marsh has cleverly filleted an ostensible saga of scientific curiosity for every nuance of human drama, as those who sought to teach Nim find themselves taking in some very hard lessons.

Awards:

Sundance Film Festival 2011 (World Cinema Documentary Directing Award)

Director: James Marsh

Producers: John Battsek

Andrew Ruhemann

Nick Fraser

Hugo Grumbar

Jamie Laurenson

Screenwriter: James Marsh

Cinematographer: Michael Simmonds

Editor: Jinx Godfrey

Music: Dickon Hinchliffe

Featuring: Bill Tynan

Bob Ingersoll

Herbert Terrace

Jenny Lee

Joyce Butler

Running Time: 93 minutes

Presentation Format:

HDCAM

International Sales: Icon Entertainment

International

Print Source: Roadside Attractions

Film Website: iconmovies.net

Selected Filmography:

Red Riding: In the Year of Our Lord 1980 (2009)

Man on Wire (2008)

The Team (2005)

The King (2005)

Wisconsin Death Trip (1999)

The Redemption of General Butt Naked USA 2011

WEDNESDAY JUNE 8 9:30 PM

THURSDAY JUNE 9 4:30 PM

Liberia’s Joshua Milton Blahyl’s nickname may sound humorous, but the reality is anything but. During his country’s 14-year Civil War, the General served as an almost mythical figure of terror, marked by his belief that his naked flesh was magically impervious to blades and bullets. Preferring to recruit children for their uncomprehending fearlessness (a condition reinforced by the nightly showing of Hollywood action movies), Blahyl’s soldiers cut a terrifyingly impartial swath through the population, with even his closest allies subject to his wrath. By his own reckoning, tens of thousands of people died as a result of his orders. After the war, Blahyl vanished, only to reappear as an evangelist. But was his conversion genuine, or merely a way to escape retaliation from a grieving nation? Filmed over the span of five years, this fascinating documentary raises the issue of whether atonement is possible for some acts, or if it even should be. New leaf or not, his pleas for forgiveness sound an awful lot like demands.

Awards: Sundance 2011 (Excellence in Cinematography Award, U.S. Documentary Competition)

EGYPTIAN THEATRE

EGYPTIAN THEATRE

Directors:

Daniele Anastasion

Eric Strauss

Producers:

Daniele Anastasion

Eric Strauss

Gregory Henry

Cinematographers: Peter Hutchens

Ryan Hill

Editor:

Jeremy Siefer

Music:

Justin Melland

Running Time: 83 minutes

Presentation Format: HDCAM

International Sales: The Film Sales Company

Print Source: Part 2 Pictures

Film Website: generalbuttnakedmovie. com

Selected Filmography: Debut Feature Film

Red Eyes

CHILE 2011

US PREMIERE

SUNDAY MAY 22 7:00 PM

HARVARD EXIT MONDAY MAY 23 4:30 PM

“We represent Chile, so if we make a goal, it’s just like they’ve shot that goal themselves, everyone is happy. If for us it’s a dream to be able to play at a World Cup, it’s also the entire country’s dream.” When the Chilean National Soccer team (nicknamed La Rojo), qualified for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, it was a surprising achievement for a country that had all too often been the victim of inflated expectations and routine disappointments. However, following their failed attempt to qualify for the 2006 World Cup, the Chilean National Soccer Board hired manager Marcelo Bielsa to overhaul the team. At first, it seemed as if little had changed under the new regime, with La Rojo going winless in their first five qualifiers. But through Bielsa’s intense guidance, the team soon began to string together a series of successful matches, including a watershed victory over soccer powerhouse Argentina. Throughout it all, documentarians Juan Pablo Sallato and Ismael Larrain filmed the team’s workouts, international matches, and Bielsa’s marathon press conferences, capturing not only La Rojo’s dramatic on field accomplishments, but also the passionate national revelry unleashed through their success.

HARVARD EXIT

Directors: Juan Pablo Sallato

Ismael Larrain

Juan Ignacio Sabatini

Producers: Paz Urrutia

Juan Pablo Sallato

Ismael Larrain

Juan Ignacio Sabatini

Screenwriter: Galut Alarcón

Cinematographers: Juan Ignacio Sabatini

Juan Pablo Sallato

Ismael Larrain

Editor: Galut Alarcón

Music: Camilo Salinas

Juan Antonio Sánchez

Running Time: 84 minutes

Presentation Format: DigiBeta, in Spanish, with English subtitles

International Sales: Odin’s Eye Entertainment

Print Source: Sallato Larrain Y Sabatini

LTDA

Film Website: documentalojosrojos.com

Selected Filmography: Debut Feature Film

The Rescuers

SUNDAY MAY 29 10:00 AM

MONDAY MAY 30 4:00 PM

While Steven Spielberg’s Schindler’s List illuminated the previously little-known story of a German businessman who saved hundreds of Jews from the concentration camps during WWII, there were many such heroes who defied the Nazis to save countless Jews from a similar fate–-chief among them the 13 diplomats whose efforts are documented in this riveting documentary from Emmy-winning filmmaker Michael King. The film traces the journey of Stephanie Nyombayire, a young Rwandan anti-genocide activist who teams up with Sir Martin Gilbert, the renowned Holocaust historian, to travel across 15 countries and three continents interviewing survivors and descendants of the diplomats who rescued tens of thousands of Jews from the unspeakable horrors of the Nazi death camps. While Nyombayire embarks upon this quest in an effort to uncover potential solutions for the ongoing genocide in Darfur and elsewhere, what emerges from their journey is more a testament to the ways in which the inherent good in the human spirit can trump institutional evil no matter what the circumstance.

HARVARD EXIT

HARVARD EXIT

Director: Michael King

Producer: Michael King

Screenwriters: Anthony Valletta

Michael King

Cinematographer: Anka Malatynska

Editor: George Artope

Music: Paul M. van Brugge

Running Time: 94 minutes

Presentation Format: HDCAM

International Sales: Michael King Productions, LLC

Film Website: rescuersheroesoftheholocaust.com

Selected Filmography: Rapping with Shakespeare (2008)

Revenge of the Electric Car

USA 2011

WEDNESDAY JUNE 8 8:30 PM

KIRKLAND PERFORMANCE CENTER

FRIDAY JUNE 10 7:00 PM EGYPTIAN THEATRE

SUNDAY JUNE 12 4:30 PM HARVARD EXIT

In 2006, major auto companies pulled the plug on up to 5,000 modern electric cars. Five years later, those same companies and others are revving up production on exciting new models. In his follow-up to festival circuitfavorite Who Killed The Electric Car?, director Chris Paine delves inside Detroit, Tokyo, and Silicon Valley to explore why the electric car is making a phoenix-like comeback. To tell his resurrection tale, Paine pits four visionaries against each other: Bob Lutz, the cigarchomping chairman of General Motors; Elon Musk, the PayPal wunderkind who heads upstart Tesla Motors; über-capitalist Carlos Chosn, the eternally driven CEO of Nissan; and eccentric car enthusiast Greg “Gadget” Abbot, who converts existing cars to electric. Who will be the best at grabbing the world’s imagination and getting consumers to buy their version of a green car? Narrated by Tim Robbins, this high-speed documentary reveals why the next generation of electric cars truly is America’s future—and why the auto industry is finally catching on. With gas prices skyrocketing to four dollars a gallon and continuous unrest in the Middle East, Revenge proves sweeter than a barrel of prime crude.

PRECEDED BY:

Ctrl Z (Undo)

India, 2008, 4 minutes, director: Students at Vivekavardhini High School  What if we could undo how we’ve damaged the earth? Adobe Youth Voices

Director: Chris Paine

Producers: Jessie Deeter

P.G. Morgan

Screenwriters: P.G. Morgan

Chris Paine

Cinematographer: Thaddeus Wadleigh

Editor:

Chris A. Peterson

Music: David Robbins

Narrated by: Tim Robbins

Running Time: 95 minutes

Presentation Format: HDCAM

International Sales: Papercut Films

Print Source: WestMidWest Productions

Film Website: revengeoftheelectriccar .com

Selected Filmography: Who Killed the Electric Car? (2006)

Rothstein’s First Assignment

USA 2010

FRIDAY MAY 27 6:30 PM

SATURDAY MAY 28 3:30 PM

In 1935, New Deal photographer Arthur Rothstein was sent to the mountains of Virginia. His assignment: to photograph the residents of the Appalachian backwoods and hollows before they were displaced to make room for Shenandoah National Park. Together with Walker Evans and Dorothea Lange, Rothstein produced some of the most important and moving images of the American Depression. Director Richard Knox Robinson retraces Rothstein’s steps by interviewing descendants of the mountain people and beautifully weaving them together with a 1964 audio interview of Rothstein, archival newsreel footage, and clips from the specious documentary Hollow Folk. During the course of his research, Robinson discovers evidence that Rothstein’s images were not pure documentation, often staged for the camera. Digging beneath the official story, the film unearths an unsettling link between propaganda and documentary, and raises troubling questions about the photographer’s complicity in the displacement of thousands of people for “progress.” Robinson’s most chilling discovery, though, is the forced institutionalization and sterilization of more than 8,000 of the mountain people. This fascinating film challenges the viewer to consider the complexity behind images that are viewed as historical truth.

ADMIRAL THEATER

HARVARD EXIT

Director: Richard Knox Robinson

Producers: Richard Knox Robinson

Katrina Powell

Music: Scott Whiddon

Featuring: Margaret Dodson

Running Time: 72 minutes

Presentation Format: DigiBeta

Print Source: Ekphratic Productions LLC Film Website: rothsteinsfirstassignment.com

Selected Filmography: Debut Feature Film

Shut Up Little Man! An Audio Misadventure

AUSTRALIA 2011

SATURDAY MAY 28 10:00 PM

NEPTUNE THEATRE

MONDAY MAY 30 9:00 PM EGYPTIAN THEATRE

In 1987, two young punks fresh from the Midwest found an apartment in a low-rent part of San Francisco. Dubbed the “Pepto Bismol Palace” in tribute to its puke pink exterior, they quickly discovered that their new pad contained walls thin enough to hear a whisper—if only their neighbors would keep it to that. Nightly, they heard their neighbors, the flamboyantly gay Peter and homophobic Raymond, screaming at each other in an alcoholic stupor, leading them to hang a microphone out the window and begin recording the conversations. Over the course of 18 months, they created a catalog of cassette tapes of the unlikely duo’s audible antics and sent them to a few friends, who then proceeded to dub the tapes and pass them along. Within months, cassette-wielding youth across the world were yelling Peter’s rage-induced phrase, “Shut up little man!” In recording their antics, Eddie and Mitch created one of the world’s first viral pop-culture sensations, which has gone on to inspire comic art by Dan Clowes (Ghost World), music by Devo, and stage plays. Intricately woven together by director Matthew Bate, this exceedingly quotable story explores the blurred boundaries between exploitation, privacy, and art.

Director: Matthew Bate

Producers: Sophie Hyde

Matthew Bate

Screenwriter: Matthew Bate

Cinematographer: Bryan Mason

Editor: Bryan Mason

Music: Jonny Elk Walsh

Running Time: 90 minutes

Presentation Format: HDCAM

International Sales: The Film Collaborative

Print Source: The Film Collaborative

Film Website: shutuplittlemanfilm.com

Selected Filmography: Debut Feature Film

BLANCHE NEIGE

Snow White

FRANCE 2010

US PREMIERE

THURSDAY JUNE 2 4:00 PM

SUNDAY JUNE 5 6:30 PM

After creating a series of abstract pieces such as Empty Moves and Eldorado, choreographer Angelin Preljocaj was eager to return to a classic story. Born from this desire was his contemporary romantic reinterpretation of the Brothers Grimm fairytale “Snow White”, filled with the classic characters of the beautiful princess, her wicked stepmother, the seven dwarves, and of course, the handsome prince. Instead of focusing too heavily on the widely known plot line, Preljocaj concentrated his choreography on his own analysis of the intricate symbols in the story and the careful transportation of these symbols through the body. The richness of Preljocaj’s piece is enhanced through his collaboration with costume designer Jean Paul Gaultier, the sets by Thierry Leproust, and the use of the lush symphonies by late-Romantic composer Gustav Mahler. Snow White is a bold, yet accessible ballet that moves fluidly between the dark, erotic, sweet, and heartbreaking.

NEPTUNE THEATRE

NEPTUNE THEATRE

Director:

Angelin Preljocaj

Producer: Charles Gilibert

Cinematographer: Yorick Le Saux

Editors:

Laurent Rou An Camille Darley

Music: Gustav Mahler

Featuring:

Ballet Preljocaj

Céline Galli

Nagisa Shirai

Sergio Diaz

Running Time: 90 minutes

Presentation Format: HDCAM

International Sales: MK2 International

Print Source: MK2 International

Selected Filmography: Debut Feature Film

Something Ventured USA 2011

SUNDAY MAY 29 1:00 PM

ADMIRAL THEATER

MONDAY MAY 30 6:30 PM HARVARD EXIT

SUNDAY JUNE 5 5:30 PM KIRKLAND PERFORMANCE CENTER

Venture capitalists have helped launch so many successful companies (Apple, Cisco Systems, Atari) that it’s hard to remember that they are a relatively recent creation. Dan Geller and Dayna Goldfine’s film chronicles the early days of the venture capitalists, which essentially reinvented how companies get launched and almost single-handedly created today’s Silicon Valley. Prior to the 1950s, entrepreneurs had to rely on the largesse of wealthy financiers who were reluctant to take on new risk. In the San Francisco Bay Area, a small group of renegade engineers decided to break away from their established technology firms to become full-time investors in other people’s start-up companies, often resulting in fantastically large profits for all involved. Through interviews with entrepreneurs and pioneer venture capitalists such as Don Valentine, Dick Kramlich, Arthur Rock, and Tom Perkins, Something Ventured provides a glimpse into this high-risk, high-reward world, where a billion-dollar success can be followed by dozens of failures and wrenching personnel changes. Coming on the heels of the global financial crisis, this engrossing film is a reminder that the entrepreneurial spirit is still alive and that innovative financiers are still willing to place their bets on the American Dream.

Directors:

Daniel Geller

Dayna Goldfine

Producers: Dayna Goldfine

Dan Geller

Celeste Schaefer Snyder

Cinematographer: Dan Geller

Editors: Jen Badwell

Gary Weimberg

Music: Laura Karpman

Narrated by: Po Bronson

Running Time: 85 minutes

Presentation Format: DigiBeta

International Sales: Miralan Productions

Print Source:

Zeitgeist Films

Film Website: somethingventuredthemovie.com

Selected Filmography: Geller & Goldfine: Ballets Russes (2005)

Now and Then: From Frosh to Seniors (1999)

Kids of Survival (1996)

Frosh: Nine Months in a Freshman Dorm (1994)

Isadora Duncan: Movement from the Soul (1989)

Sundance: A Matter of Process (1986)

MIESTEN VUORO

Steam of Life

FINLAND/SWEDEN 2010

WEDNESDAY MAY 25 4:30 PM

THURSDAY MAY 26 7:00 PM

TUESDAY JUNE 7 6:30 PM

Women are typically encouraged to divulge their innermost secrets to friends or therapists, while most men have been taught by parents, teachers, and society to suppress their feelings. But in Finland a sacred space exists, conducive to emotional outpourings from the male population at large: the sauna. Filmmakers Joonas Berghäll and Mika Hotakainen and their small crew are welcomed (naked) into saunas around the country by a diverse range of men who bare their hearts, souls, and bodies while they steam. Whether discussing childhood traumas, addiction, or the loss of a loved one, the subjects do not seek feedback. It is the mere act of giving voice to their sorrow that seems to ease it somewhat. Moments of visual levity lighten the atmosphere: a grizzly bear peers in the window of a trailer sauna, a farmer steams in an abandoned telephone booth. But the beauty of this film lies in its simplicity. The filmmakers do not probe or draw conclusions; they respect their subjects’ pace and let the steam work its magic.

Awards: Official Oscar Submission 2010 (Foreign Language Film)

SIFF CINEMA

EGYPTIAN THEATRE

ADMIRAL THEATER

Directors: Joonas Berghäll

Mika Hotakainen

Producer: Joonas Berghäll

Screenwriters: Joonas Berghäll

Mika Hotakainen

Cinematographers: Heikki Färm

Jani Kumpulainen

Editor: Timo Peltola

Music: Jonas Bohlin

Running Time: 81 minutes

Presentation Format: DigiBeta, in Finnish and Saami, with English subtitles

International Sales: Films Transit International

Print Source: Films Transit International

Selected Filmography: Debut Feature Film

Sushi: The Global Catch

USA 2011

WORLD PREMIERE

WEDNESDAY JUNE 8 7:00 PM

ADMIRAL THEATER

FRIDAY JUNE 10 4:30 PM HARVARD EXIT

For many, sushi is the most iconic Japanese cultural export and the epitome of the country’s cuisine. And yet, with wild fish stocks coming under increasing commercial pressures, what does the future hold for your favorite sushi bar? In his feature film debut, documentarian Mark Hall explores the history, future, and problems of this popular cuisine. From its humble beginnings as simple street food, sushi has exploded into an international phenomenon in just over 30 years, with restaurants cropping up in even the smallest towns worldwide. Hall interviews sushi masters, gaining insight into the long, seven-year apprenticeships undergone by aspiring chefs, and the specialized, traditionally made knives used throughout the trade. But the world’s growing taste for raw fish has costs few imagine: Will the worldwide hunger for sushi continue to grow until wild fish vanish, or will new technology like aquaculture keep plates full? Can sustainable restaurants satisfy consumers, or will competition for declining high quality resources drive prices so high that only the elite will be able to afford it? Meticulous in its examination, Sushi: The Global Catch is a fascinating investigation into the cultural and economic impacts of this iconic cuisine.

Director: Mark Hall

Producers: Mark Hall

Sandra Adair

Cinematographers: Jason Faust

Matt Franklin

Editors: Catie Cacci

Sandra Adair

Music:

Brian Satterwhite

Running Time: 75 minutes

Presentation Format: HDCAM

Print Source: Sakana Film Productions, LLC

Film Website: sushitheglobalcatch.com

Selected Filmography: Debut Feature Film

Tabloid

THURSDAY JUNE 9 9:30 PM

SIFF CINEMA

SATURDAY JUNE 11 3:45 PM ADMIRAL THEATER

Errol Morris’ latest mind-boggling study of boundless obsession takes as its jumpingoff point the notorious 1978 kidnapping in the U.K. of a Mormon missionary by former Wyoming beauty queen Joyce Kinney. The lurid details made headlines across the world and turned her into a one-woman media circus. Employing his trusty Interrotron to inveigle his interviewees into revealing longburied secrets, the filmmaker attempts to cut through the ambiguities of the story caused by conflicting personal accounts, doctored documents, misleading photographs and, of course, the inevitable gleeful tabloid inventions. Kinney’s 168-point IQ makes her capable of self-delusion on a jaw-dropping scale, yet does nothing to prevent her getting her wings scorched again when, after several years of seclusion, she becomes embroiled in a second, even weirder tale. Moving beyond the sick, sad, and smirk-inducing aspects of the film, director Morris makes some serious points about the power of the yellow press to shape and destroy lives, if we have not already done it for ourselves. As usual with his films, the on-screen revelations are enhanced by highly creative graphics, and those little pauses that combine to tinge the madness with more than a little melancholy.

Director: Errol Morris

Producers: Julie Bilson Ahlberg

Mark Lipson

Cinematographer: Robert Chappell

Editor: Grant Surmi

Music:

John Kusiak

Running Time: 87 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm

International Sales: Submarine Entertainment

Print Source: Sundance Selects

Selected Filmography: Standard Operating Procedure (2008)

The Fog of War: Eleven Lessons from the Life of Robert S. McNamara (2003)

Fast, Cheap & Out of Control (1997)

A Brief History of Time (1991)

The Thin Blue Line (1988) Gates of Heaven (1979)

To Be Heard USA 2010

THURSDAY JUNE 9 7:00 PM

SIFF CINEMA

SATURDAY JUNE 11 11:00 AM SIFF CINEMA

“If you don’t learn to write your life story, someone else will write it for you.” Thus lies the inspiration behind the Power Writers Program, a New York poetry class that offers inner-city high school students a chance to express themselves. This remarkable documentary focuses on the self-described “Tripod,” a trio of friends and classmates from the Bronx (Anthony Pittman, Karina Sanchez, and Pearl Quick) who attempt to use their gift for language to escape from their seemingly predetermined futures. As the students struggle with the mounting pressure of their daily lives, their verses become increasingly revelatory. Taking advantage of what seems to be complete access to their subjects, a quartet of directors (including two of the course instructors) bypass much of the standard documentary staginess, giving the film a casual immediacy that places the viewer directly within the narrative flow. The results are inspirational, sometimes devastating, and always empowering.

PRECEDED BY:

Don’t Regret

USA, 2009, 3 minutes, director: Brianna Niver A poem is vividly brought to life.

Adobe Youth Voices

Directors: Amy Sultan

Roland Legiardi-Laura

Deborah Shaffer

Edwin Martinez

Producers: Deborah Shaffer

Roland Legiardi-Laura

Amy Sultan

Edwin Martinez

Cinematographer: Edwin Martinez

Editor: Edwin Martinez

Music: Wendy Blackstone

The Roots

Running Time: 87 minutes

Presentation Format: HDCAM

International Sales: To Be Heard Productions

Print Source: To Be Heard Productions

Film Website: tobeheard.org

Selected Filmography: Debut Feature Film

new american cinema

Welcome to the dawn of a new era in American cinema… we’re glad you could join us.

With each passing year, the output from American filmmakers continues to surprise, confound, and inspire us. From lyrical science fiction to stark realism, we have assembled a set of 19 films that we are sure will delight audiences looking to explore the exciting vanguard of New American Cinema, ten of which will compete for the FIPRESCI Prize.

This year, the SIFF programming team has scoured the country to find the latest and greatest that American independent filmmakers have to offer. Far from cherry-picking the films that will eventually end up at the local multiplex, SIFF has made a concerted effort to find those unique films that will give our dedicated audience an opportunity to explore new and exciting offerings that exist on the margins of the mainstream, practically screaming to be discovered by discerning filmgoers hungry for an authentic experience.

We believe in these new voices of American cinema, and support their efforts to find an audience that will appreciate them as much as we do. As the American landscape becomes littered with the everfractured detritus of a throwaway popular culture, SIFF believes that these films (and filmmakers) represent the first wave of a new, more resilient and, ultimately, lasting tradition of American storytelling.

Jury

Gideon Kouts

Gideon Kouts is a cinema critic, journalist, broadcaster, writer, and researcher. He is the Head of the European Office of the Israel Broadcasting Authority and a permanent contributor to France 24 network, BFM radio, and L’Arche magazine. A past member of FIPRESCI juries at Cannes and Palm Springs Festivals, Kouts regularly covers all the major international cinema festivals. He is also the Creator and Director of the “Les Plumes d’Or” Cinema and Critics Awards. Kouts is Vice-President of the French Union des Journalistes de Cinema, Honorary President of the Foreign Press Association, and Professor of Communications at Paris 8 University.

Lucy Virgen

Lucy Virgen is a film programmer, critic, and journalist. She is a founding member of Center for Cinema Studies at the Universidad de Guadalajara. In addition to writing for several dailies and magazines and working extensively in radio, Virgen is the founding editor of the online magazine, The Thinking Eye. She was the Artistic Director of the Festival Internacional de Cine in Guadalajara from 2006 to 2010. She currently works with Ventana Sure, the Film Market.

SIFF’s New American Cinema section is where audiences will reacquaint themselves with the sense of wonder that accompanies discovering that which is both familiar and fresh.

The International Federation of Film Critics and the FIPRESCI Prize

Festivals offer an exciting opportunity to become acquainted with the world of cinema. FIPRESCI, the International Federation of Film Critics, has been in existence for more than 65 years. The mission of this organization—which now has members in over 60 countries worldwide—is to support cinema as an art and as an outstanding and autonomous means of expression.

FIPRESCI does this by writing about cinema and by awarding the best films the “Prize of the International Film Critics” (FIPRESCI Prize). This prize is established at international film festivals, with its aim being to promote film-art, and in particular, encourage the growth of new cinema and filmmakers.

It is with pleasure that we welcome a FIPRESCI jury to Seattle to select their choice for Best New American Film currently without US distribution.

Peter Keough

Peter Keough has been the Film Editor for the Boston Phoenix since 1989 and is a member of the Boston Society of Film Critics and the National Society of Film Critics. He has won first prize for criticism from the Association of Alternative Newspapers as well as two first prizes for entertainment writing from the New England Press Association.

Another Earth (2011)

Directed by Mike Cahill

*August (2011)

Directed by Eldar Rapaport

Bellflower (2011)

Directed by Evan Glodell

*Black White and Blues (2010)

Directed by Mario Van Peebles

*Codependent Lesbian Space

Alien Seeks Same (2011)

Directed by Madeleine Olnek

The Darkest Matter (2011)

Directed by James Fox

Detention (2011)

Directed by Joseph Kahn

*Gun Hill Road (2011)

Directed by Rashaad Ernesto Green

High Road (2011)

Directed by Matt Walsh

*Jess + Moss (2011)

Directed by Clay Jeter

*Letters From the Big Man (2011)

Directed by Christopher Munch

Littlerock (2010)

Directed by Mike Ott

*LOVE (2011)

Directed by William Eubank

*Natural Selection (2011)

Directed by Robbie Pickering

*On the Ice (2011)

Directed by Andrew Okpeaha MacLean

*Roadie (2011)

Directed by Michael Cuesta

Salvation Boulevard (2011)

Directed by George Ratliff

Terri (2011)

Directed by Azazel Jacobs

White Irish Drinkers (2010)

Directed by John Gray

*Indicates judged by the FIPRESCI Jury

Another Earth USA 2011

SATURDAY MAY 21 6:30 PM

MONDAY MAY 23 4:30 PM

On the night a duplicate planet is discovered in our solar system, Rhoda Williams (co-writer Brit Marling) makes a terrible mistake. Her momentary lapse of judgment results in a devastating car accident that takes the life of a mother and her son, leaving only the husband (William Mapother) behind to deal with the aftermath. After paying her debt to society, Rhoda attempts to put her life back together, but is still haunted by the events of that tragic evening. Finding solace in the other earth that is visible in the sky, she imagines that everything might be different, maybe better, on that parallel planet. Determined to atone for her actions, Rhoda develops a relationship with the widower, only to find that forgiveness does not come without a price and sacrifice is sometimes the greatest expression of love. Featuring pitch-perfect direction from helmer (and co-writer) Mike Cahill, Another Earth examines the emotional landscape of the heart, the power of forgiveness and, ultimately, the very nature of existence.

EGYPTIAN THEATRE

NEPTUNE THEATRE

Director: Mike Cahill

Producers: Hunter Gray

Mike Cahill

Brit Marling

Nicholas Shumaker

Screenwriters: Mike Cahill

Brit Marling

Cinematographer: Mike Cahill

Editor: Mike Cahill

Music: Fall On Your Sword

Cast: William Mapother

Brit Marling

Jordan Baker

Robin Lord Taylor

Flint Beverage

Running Time: 90 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm

International Sales: William Morris Endeavor (WME) Entertainment

Print Source: Fox Searchlight

Selected Filmography: Boxers and Ballerinas (2004)

Bellflower USA 2011

WEDNESDAY JUNE 1 9:30 PM

THURSDAY JUNE 2 4:30 PM

A whisky-fueled fever dream of apocalyptic love from the mind of first-time director Evan Glodell, Bellflower will shake up your thoughts and stick with you long after you’ve left the theater. Set on the quiet streets of outer Los Angeles, it begins as an affable buddy picture that follows two friends, Woodrow and Aiden, as they build a homemade flamethrower and trick out their car in honor of the film Mad Max But after a drunken cricket-eating contest leads to love for Woodrow, the film takes an unexpected detour into a dangerous spiral of violence, obsession, and jealousy as the relationship literally goes up in flames. Not for the faint-hearted, Bellflower pushes the limits of cinematic expression with its visionary depiction of young love gone bad. Utilizing a palette of fire, blood, and metal to describe what it feels like to be punched in the gut by love, this cinematic experience will leave you exhausted, surprised, and wanting more of its potent stew.

HARVARD EXIT

HARVARD EXIT

Director:

Evan Glodell

Producers:

Vincent Grashaw

Evan Glodell

Screenwriter: Evan Glodell

Cinematographer: Joel Hodge

Editors:

Evan Glodell

Joel Hodge

Jonathan Keevil

Vincent Grashaw

Music:

Kevin MacLeod

Cast:

Evan Glodell

Jessie Wiseman

Tyler Dawson

Rebekah Brandes

Running Time: 103 minutes

Presentation Format: HDCam

Print Source: Oscilloscope Laboratories

Film Website: coatwolf.com

Selected Filmography: Debut Feature Film

Codependent Lesbian Space

Alien Seeks Same

USA 2011

SATURDAY MAY 28 9:45 PM

EGYPTIAN THEATRE

SUNDAY MAY 29 4:00 PM EGYPTIAN THEATRE

In a galaxy not so far away, the planet Zotz is being destroyed by the overactive emotions of its inhabitants. In order to prevent the hole in their planet’s ozone layer from growing bigger, three lesbian space aliens are sent to Earth with a mandate to fall in love and have their hearts broken. As the fetching Zotzians explore the world of speed-dating and personal ads in New York City for the perfect soon-to-be-ex mate, one finds love with Jane, an eager stationery store clerk oblivious to the fact that she’s dating an alien. Discovering the neediness of earthling women, the other two make a connection with each other as they reflect on the beauty of a cheesecake in a revolving dessert case. Employing campy DIY effects that would make Ed Wood envious, first-time feature writer/director Madeline Olnek has crafted an uproarious film that combines B-movie camp with a witty look at lesbian life—ultimately telling a story about a love that transcends galaxies.

Director: Madeleine Olnek

Producers:

Laura Terruso

Cynthia Fredette

Screenwriter: Madeleine Olnek

Cinematographer: Nat Bouman

Editor:

Curtis Grout

Music: Clay Drinko

Cast:

Lisa Haas

Susan Ziegler

Jackie Monahan

Cynthia Kaplan

Dennis Davis

Alex Karpovsky

Rae C Wright

Running Time: 76 minutes

Presentation Format:

HDCAM

Print Source: Madeleine Olnek

Film Website: codependentlesbianspacealienseekssame.com

Selected Filmography: Debut Feature Film

The Darkest Matter

SATURDAY MAY 21 3:30 PM

MONDAY MAY 23 7:00 PM

Detention

USA 2011

FRIDAY JUNE 3 9:30 PM

NEPTUNE THEATRE

SUNDAY JUNE 5 9:15 PM EGYPTIAN THEATRE

After abandoning their colony ship, a damaged escape pod full of teens must land on an abandoned space station. Elaine and Avery take the lead, hoping to power up communications and get rescued. After a brief time, a portion of the crew begins to feel that rescue is highly unlikely and put their trust in the headstrong Keiran. As division develops between two perspectives—with one group assembling a plan for rescue, and the other retreats into primitive survival—a member of the group is mysteriously found dead, fueling rumors that they may not be alone. The Darkest Matter is an awe-inspiring work of science fiction shot in five weeks on a green screen set by 20 teens in grades 6–12 as part of the 2010 Starting Arts

Director: James Fox

Producers: Fiona Herse Woo

Loria Fox

Ann Watts

Mike Boston

Screenwriter: Daniel C. Bower

Cinematographer: Geoff Peck

Editor: Andrew Bower

Music: Christian Tamburr

Cast: Katy Guttman

Bailey Hansen

Matthew Kersman

Christie Call

Running Time: 72 minutes

Summer Feature Film Camp.

Under the mentorship of director James Fox and a handful of other teachers, the young filmmakers were involved in every department, and acted in 90% of the roles. This inspiring creation gives viewers a preview of the next generation of filmmakers who have a head start toward the cinematic space beyond sci-fi master James Cameron.

Following the Saturday screening, director James Fox will lead a workshop at the SIFF Film Center that demonstrates how they achieved creating a film entirely on green screen. Not only will his crew be breaking down the various steps of the post-production process on several key scenes, they will also be setting up a portable green screen, camera, and monitor system that approximates the set-up used during production. Don’t miss this incredible opportunity to get deeper behind the scenes of this extraordinary film.

Presentation Format: Digital

Print Source: Dawnrunner Productions

Film Website: thedarkestmatter.com

Selected Filmography: Debut Feature Film

By the time the horrendously funny monologue of a high school queen bee and selfproclaimed bitch is cut short by a slasher dressed as a mutilated prom queen, Detention makes it very clear that it is going to leave no high school taboo untouched. Co-writer/ director Joseph Kahn’s hilarious horror comedy follows Riley (Shanley Caswell), a snarky outsider with no status on the high school social ladder. Despite the constant romantic attentions of geeky Sander, she fawns over her school’s hipster heartthrob, Clapton Davis (Josh Hutcherson, The Kids Are All Right, Bridge to Terabithia), who in turn lusts after ’90s-obsessed cheerleading airhead Ione. As word travels that a masked killer is imitating horror movie icon CinderHella, this unlikely foursome of friends and flames must escape detention and collaborate to unmask the murderer, save the school, and make it to prom. Drawing comparisons to films as varied as Donnie Darko, Scream, The Breakfast Club, and Heathers, Detention sets the pace to “exhilarating” from the opening frames, while boasting a script filled with so much jaw-dropping humor and meta-movie banter that it is guaranteed to be a future cult hit for a generation that digests information 140 characters at a time.

Director: Joseph Kahn

Producers: Joseph Kahn

Maryann Tanedo

Richard Weager

Bob Abramoff

Screenwriters: Joseph Kahn

Mark Palermo

Cinematographer: Christopher Probst

Editor: David Blackburn

Music: Bryan “Brain” Mantia

Melissa Reese

Cast: Josh Hutcherson

Dane Cook

Shanley Caswell

Spencer Locke

Aaron David Johnson

Running Time: 88 minutes

Presentation Format: HDCAM

International Sales: ICM

Film Website: josephkahn.com

Selected Filmography: Torque (2004)

SIFF CINEMA

SIFF CINEMA

Gun Hill Road

FRIDAY MAY 27 7:00 PM

HARVARD EXIT

SUNDAY MAY 29 3:30 PM ADMIRAL THEATER

Displaying a marked sense of compassion for its conflicted characters, this combination of tough street film and sensitive gay character study aims for—and hits—some unexpected targets. Released from prison after a violent three-year stint, a fiercely proud Bronx patriarch (Esai Morales) struggles to pick up the self-destructed pieces of his life, a process rendered dangerously unstable by the discovery that his idealized teenage son (marvelous newcomer Harmony Santana) is in the early stages of gender reassignment. Debuting writer/director Rashaad Ernesto Green creates a firm sense of place and mood, utilizing gritty lower-class locations as a vibrant backdrop for the outsized emotions of his characters. Featuring a pulsing musical score, this propulsive (and at times shockingly raw) drama receives sterling support from a cast including Judy Reyes, Isiah Whitlock Jr. (“The Wire”) and especially Morales (who also executive produced the film) , in a marvel of a performance that combines monstrous egotism and wounded passion in shifting, unsettling degrees.

Director: Rashaad Ernesto Green

Producers: Michelle-Anne Small

Ron Simons

Screenwriter: Rashaad Ernesto Green

Cinematographer: Daniel Patterson

Editor: Sara Corrigan

Music:

Enrique Hank Feldman

Stefan Swanson

Cast: Esai Morales

Judy Reyes

Harmony Santana

Vincent Laresca

Isiah Whitlock Jr.

Running Time: 88 minutes

Presentation Format: HDCAM

Print Source: Mi Alma Films

Film Website: gunhillroad.com

Selected Filmography: Debut Feature Film

High Road USA 2011

FRIDAY MAY 20 9:30 PM

NEPTUNE THEATRE

SATURDAY MAY 21 8:30 PM ADMIRAL THEATER

TUESDAY JUNE 7 9:30 PM EGYPTIAN THEATRE

Glenn “Fitz” Fitzgerald (James F. Pumphrey) is the kind of L.A. slacker who’s so laid back about the huge amount of pot he smokes, he doesn’t even realize he’s the de facto dealer for all of his friends. Though he’s almost finished with his rock opera about his life philosophy (something to do with, um…“triangles”?), his world crashes around him when his bandmates all quit for actual paying jobs. A despondent Fitz, thinking the cops are also out to bust him for dealing, decides to drive to Oakland to visit his estranged stepfather and reluctantly agrees to let Jimmy, the 16-year-old neighborhood kid, tag along. However, in the eyes of Jimmy’s father (Rob Riggle), the innocent road trip looks more like a kidnapping, so he sets off in hot pursuit. Meanwhile, Fitz’s girlfriend Monica (Abby Elliott of “Saturday Night Live”) learns some important news about their relationship and tries to catch up to them for a heart-to-heart. Director Matt Walsh (Upright Citizens Brigade), working without a definitive script, has collected some of the industry’s brightest improv actors to enact this mayhem. The result plays out like a stoner version of a French farce, complete with misunderstandings, sexual innuendo, and even a little cross-dressing.

Director: Matt Walsh

Producers: Matt Walsh

Kirk Roos

Inman Young

Screenwriters: Matt Walsh

Josh Weiner

Cinematographer: HIllary Spera

Editor: Alexis Hanawalt

Cast:

Abby Elliott

Horatio Sanz

James F. Pumphrey

Rob Riggle

Zach Woods

Ed Helms

Lizzy Caplan

Running Time: 83 minutes

Presentation Format: HDCAM

Print Source: Northern Lights Films

Film Website: highroadmovie.com

Selected Filmography: Debut Feature Film

Jess + Moss

USA 2011

SATURDAY MAY 21 9:30 PM

SUNDAY MAY 22 4:30 PM

Two lonely and damaged souls comfort each other while escaping the suffocating summer heat of Kentucky. Jess (Sarah Hagan) is a teenager who has been abandoned by her mother, and her younger cousin Moss (Austin Vickers) has lost both his parents. Together, they rebuild a world full of colors and freedom by riding their bikes and jumping on a trampoline. Time seems suspended when they share these hours of happiness, and the beauty of nature explodes, more dazzling than ever. A derelict farm offers refuge where they can sit and let laziness take hold of them; here, they set up little games and listen to old tape recordings. The external world progressively disappears when they are together, and reality only catches up to them at night when they must split apart and go back to their respective homes. Torn between past and present, these comrades-in-arm forget about everything when they go boating and let the wind erase their pain. Filmed on Super 16mm, this timeless tale deals with memory and loss, and follows its characters as they slowly grow up and learn about life. An experimental, human, and unique piece, Jess + Moss marks the impressive debut feature of Clay Jeter.

PRECEDED BY:

The Westerner USA, 2010, 13 minutes, director: Ned Benson, World Premiere A young boy runs away from home and tries to find his way to a place he once visited with his mother.

HARVARD EXIT

HARVARD EXIT

Director:

Clay Jeter

Producers:

Clay Jeter

Will Basanta

Isaac Hagy

Brian Harstine

Screenwriters:

Clay Jeter

Debra Jeter

Will Basanta

Isaac Hagy

Cinematographers:

Will Basanta

Clay Jeter

Editor: Isaac Hagy

Music: Mark Stoeckinger

Cast:

Sarah Hagan

Austin Vickers

Running Time: 82 minutes

Presentation Format: HDCAM

International Sales: Visit Films

Print Source: Visit Films

Film Website: jessandmoss.com

Selected Filmography: Debut Feature Film

Letters From the Big Man USA 2011

THURSDAY JUNE 2 9:00 PM EVERETT PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

FRIDAY JUNE 10 6:30 PM SIFF CINEMA

SATURDAY JUNE 11 4:30 PM SIFF CINEMA

After swearing off relationships, a fiercely individualistic artist named Sarah (Lily Rabe, daughter of the late Jill Clayburgh) takes to the woods with the dual goals of surveying a stream and finding herself. As she ventures deeper into the wilds of southwestern Oregon, a series of strange incidents lead her to suspect that she isn’t alone, after all. Before long, Sarah’s mysterious neighbor reveals himself to be none other than Sasquatch himself, whose gruff exterior hides a mighty intellect and the soul of a poet. As their metaphysical, telepathic communication deepens, the encroaching threat of deforestation—as well as the attentions of a handsome fellow camper with his own hidden motives—lead Sarah to decide where her true allegiances lie. One of the strangest and gentlest Bigfoot movies ever made, idiosyncratic filmmaker Christopher Munch (The Hours and Times, The Sleepy Time Gal) has crafted a witty, lyrical, and eco-minded fable about trust, inner strength, and The Great Wide Open.

Director: Christopher Munch

Producer: Christopher Munch

Screenwriter: Christopher Munch

Cinematographer: Rob Sweeney

Editor: Curtiss Clayton

Music:

Steven Gates

Ensemble Galilei

Cast:

Lily Rabe

Jason Butler Harner

Isaac C. Singleton Jr.

Jim Cody Williams

Karen Black

Running Time: 115 minutes

Presentation Format: HDCAM

International Sales:

Submarine Entertainment

Print Source: Fir and Cedar LLC

Selected Filmography: Harry + Max (2004)

The Sleepy Time Gal (2001)

Colors of a Brisk an Leaping Day (1996)

The Hours and Times (1991)

Littlerock USA 2010

FRIDAY MAY 27 9:30 PM

SATURDAY MAY 28 3:30 PM

While on a site-seeing trip in California, a pair of Japanese siblings find themselves stuck in the small, dusty town of Littlerock when their rental car breaks down. Not long after checking into a dingy motel room, Rintaro and Atsuko are invited to a party in an adjacent room, where the young locals teach Rintaro how to shotgun a Coors Light and marvel at Atsuko’s exotic beauty. Language barriers aside, she is entranced by these new people and humble surroundings and decides to stay, while Rintaro presses on to San Francisco. Invigorated by her new sense of freedom, Atsuko extends her stay and finds friendship, romance, and a possible new home. A story of miscommunication and hopefulness, Littlerock shines with writer/director Mike Ott’s subtle observations of his strongly constructed characters and the place in which they live, wonder, and want. The folksy, stripped down sounds of Seattle band The Cave Singers provide a fitting soundtrack for Ott’s second feature film, which garnered him the Acura Someone to Watch Award at this year’s Independent Spirit Awards.

Awards: Independent Spirit Awards 2011 (Someone to Watch Award) Reykjavik International Film Festival 2011 (Audience Award)

Angels & Airwaves presents

ADMIRAL THEATER LOVE USA 2011

HARVARD EXIT

Director: Mike Ott

Producers: Fred Thornton

Laura Ragsdale

Sierra Leoni

Screenwriter: Mike Ott

Cinematographer: Carl McLaughlin

Editor:

David Nordstrom

Music:

The Cave Singers

Cast: Atsuko Okatsuka

Cory Zacharia

Roberto Sanchez

Running Time: 83 minutes

Presentation Format: HDCAM, in Japanese and English, with English subtitles

Print Source: Small Form Films

Film Website: littlerock-movie.com

Selected Filmography: Analog Days (2006)

SATURDAY MAY 21 10:00 PM

PACIFIC PLACE CINEMAS

SUNDAY MAY 22 1:30 PM SIFF CINEMA

SATURDAY JUNE 11 9:30 PM EGYPTIAN THEATRE

In 2007, rock band Angels & Airwaves approached writer/director William Eubank to collaborate with them on a visual work inspired by their music. LOVE, the resulting film, perfectly captures the intense, dreamlike quality of their music, while offering so much more. Beginning during the American Civil War, Lt. Lee Briggs embarks upon a secretive mission to report on a mysterious object found in a Western desert canyon. Following Briggs’s discovery, the action jumps ahead to the near future where astronaut Lee Miller is nearing the end of his service onboard the International Space Station. However, contact with Earth grows erratic, as he’s told, “Something is going on here.” When all communication stops, Miller finds himself stranded alone, his life-support systems and his sanity dwindling away, until he makes a strange discovery aboard his ship. Drawing inspiration from such films as 2001: A Space Odyssey, Solaris, and the recent Moon (SIFF 2009), Eubank fashions a visually dazzling piece of cerebral science fiction that explores the fundamental human need for connection and the limitless power of hope.

Director: William Eubank

Producers: Tom DeLonge

Mark Eaton

Screenwriter: William Eubank

Cinematographer: William Eubank

Editors: Brian Berdan

Scott Chestnut

Music: Angels & Airwaves

Cast: Gunner Wright

Bradley Horn

Corey Richardson

Wesley Sellick

Running Time: 90 minutes

Presentation Format:

HDCAM

Print Source:

Forefront Media

Film Website: angelsandairwaves.com

Selected Filmography: Debut Feature Film

Natural Selection

USA 2011

SATURDAY MAY 21 4:00 PM RENTON IKEA PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

WEDNESDAY MAY 25 7:00 PM EGYPTIAN THEATRE

FRIDAY MAY 27 4:00 PM EGYPTIAN THEATRE

An unforgettable opening scene sets the pace for this genre-busting comedy debut from director Robbie Pickering. Part road trip, part oddly-matched romance, and part tale of the trials of marriage and morality, Natural Selection stars comedic favorite Rachael Harris (The Hangover, “Modern Family”) as Linda White: a Christian housewife shattered by the realization that her husband of 25 years, Abe, prefers to donate sperm instead of engaging in sex with her. When Abe has a stroke during his latest endeavor to spread his seed, Linda discovers another shocking secret as he asks her to track down his only son, the mullet-haired, drug-addled, escaped convict Raymond (Matt O’Leary). As Linda and Raymond travel back to grant Abe’s final wish, they form a bizarre relationship that forces them both to take stock of their collective pasts and forge a new future. In addition to Natural Selection taking the Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award at this year’s SXSW, Harris and O’Leary’s flawlessly executed parts earned them both accolades for Breakthrough Performance.

Awards: SXSW Film Festival 2011 (Grand Jury Prize, Audience Award, Breakthrough Performance)

PRECEDED BY:

What Would You Say?

USA, 2009, 2 minutes, director: Damares Valencia A film about making the most of what you say: A call to choose what really matters in life.

Adobe Youth Voices

On the Ice USA 2011

SATURDAY JUNE 4 9:30 PM HARVARD EXIT

SUNDAY JUNE 5 11:00 AM HARVARD EXIT

FRIDAY JUNE 10 9:00 PM KIRKLAND PERFORMANCE CENTER

Director:

Robbie Pickering

Producers: Brion Hambel

Paul Jensen

Screenwriter: Robbie Pickering

Cinematographer: Steven Capitano Calitri

Editor: Michelle Tesoro

Music: iZLER

Curt Schneider

Cast: Rachael Harris

Matt O’Leary

Jon Gries

John Diehl

Running Time: 90 minutes

Presentation Format: HDCAM

Print Source: ICM

Film Website: naturalselectionthemovie. com

Selected

Filmography: Debut Feature Film

Set amidst the frozen ice fields of Barrow, Alaska, Andrew Okpeaha MacLean’s debut feature film explores the nature of conscience in the aftermath of a fatal accident that nearly tears apart a close-knit community of native villagers. When Qalli (Josiah Patkotak) and Aivaaq (Frank Qutuq Irelan) return from a seal hunt with the news that their friend James (John Miller) fell into the sea, the entire town mobilizes to find the missing youth. As days pass with no sign of James, Qalli’s father becomes increasingly suspicious of his son’s involvement in the incident, leading to increased tension between Qalli and Aivaaq that eventually explodes in a dramatic showdown on the treacherous ice fields. Part nail-biting thriller, part meditation on the nature of guilt, Okpeaha’s film features stunning performances that propel an equally engrossing narrative that keeps the audience in its thrall until the final scene. With a portion of the dialogue spoken in the native Iñupiaq, On the Ice introduces the audiences to a culture rarely seen while still managing to deliver a thrilling narrative of uncommon power and grace.

Awards: Berlin Film Festival 2011 (Best First Feature)

Director: Andrew Okpeaha

MacLean

Producers: Cara Marcous

Lynette Howell

Marco Londoner

Zhana Londoner

Screenwriter: Andrew Okpeaha

MacLean

Cinematographer: Lol Crawley

Editor: Nat Sanders

Music: iZLER

Cast: Josiah Patkotak

Frank Qutuq Irelan

Teddy Kyle Smith

Adamina Kerr

Sierra Jade Sampson

John Miller

Running Time: 96 minutes

Presentation Format: HDCAM, in Iñupiaq and English, with English

subtitles

International Sales:

Coach 14 International

Print Source: Treehead Films

Film Website: ontheicethemovie.com

Selected Filmography: Debut Feature Film

Roadie USA 2011

THURSDAY JUNE 9 9:30 PM

SATURDAY JUNE 11 4:00 PM

In this subtle character study, music superfan Jimmy Testagross (Ron Eldard, House of Sand and Fog) has been living his dream for the last 20 years as a roadie for his favorite band, Blue Oyster Cult. With their glory days behind them, however, the band that once filled stadiums has been relegated to casinos and country fairs, with no room for extraneous employees. Realizing he has nowhere else to go, Jimmy reluctantly heads back to his childhood home in Queens to regroup. Once there, he’s confronted by both his troubled past— including an old adversary (Bobby Cannavale, Win Win) and the girl that stole his heart—and his challenging future, which includes making plans to take care of his ailing mother. But can he find the courage and responsibility he needs to move on and finally grow up?

Director Michael Cuesta (L.I.E., Twelve and Holding) commands the material with deft familiarity, and Eldard steals the show with his relatable and movingly honest performance.

HARVARD EXIT

HARVARD EXIT

Director: Michael Cuesta

Producers: Mike Downey

Sirad Balducci

Screenwriters: Gerald Cuesta

Michael Cuesta

Cinematographer: Andy Lilien

Editors:

Kane Platt

Eric Carlson

Music: Chris Seefried

Cast: Ron Eldard

Jill Hennessy

Bobby Cannavale

Lois Smith

Running Time: 95 minutes

Presentation Format: HDCAM

Print Source:

Hero Content

Film Website: roadiemovie.com

Selected Filmography: Tell Tale (2009)

Twelve and Holding (2005)

L.I.E. (2001)

Salvation Boulevard

USA 2011

FRIDAY JUNE 3 9:15 PM

SUNDAY JUNE 5 1:00 PM

Ten years after his 2001 documentary Hell House, director George Ratliff returns to the fertile topic of religion in America with this righteous satire about hypocrisy behind the scenes of a “mega-church” in the heartland. Pastor Dan (Pierce Brosnan) is the evangelical leader of the Church of the Third Millennium, which boasts thousands of loyal followers. Dan’s grand vision for building a new “planned Christian community” hits a snag, however, when he is involved in the accidental death of one of his chief critics. In a panic, Dan pins the death on Carl (Greg Kinnear), an amiable ex-Deadhead church member. With the police and Pastor Dan’s fundamentalist followers now on his heels, Carl is forced to take it on the lam and prove his innocence. The star-studded supporting cast includes Jennifer Connelly as Carl’s devout wife, Ciaran Hinds as her tough-as-nails father, Ed Harris as an atheist professor, and Marisa Tomei as a hippy-ish security guard sympathetic to Carl’s plight. As the chase builds to a farcical climax, Carl learns a tough lesson about what it means to be a good Christian among a flock of charlatans.

Director: George Ratliff

Producers: Cathy Schulman

Celine Rattray

Peter Fruchtman

Screenwriters: Doug Max Stone

George Ratliff based on the novel by Larry Beinhart

Cinematographer: Tim Orr

Editor: Michael LaHaie

Music: George S. Clinton

Cast: Pierce Brosnan

Jennifer Connelly

Ed Harris

Greg Kinnear

Marisa Tomei

Running Time: 95 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm

International Sales: Mandalay Entertainment Group

Print Source: IFC Films

Selected Filmography: Joshua (2007)

Hell House (2001)

Purgatory County (1996) Plutonium Circus (1995)

EGYPTIAN THEATRE

ADMIRAL THEATER

Terri USA 2011

SATURDAY JUNE 4 6:30 PM

SUNDAY JUNE 5 4:00 PM

There are plenty of films about teenagers feeling alienated, but with Terri, director Azazel Jacobs has crafted a fresh perspective on the typical coming-of-age dramedy. The title character is a timid, overweight adolescent orphaned and living with an uncle slipping into senility. Terri (Jacob Wysocki from the TV series “Huge”) is teased by his classmates, ignored by his teachers, and resigned to live a life with no friends. When the enigmatic Assistant Principal Mr. Fitzgerald (John C. Reilly) starts to empathize with Terri’s struggles, he steps in to act as a mentor. This unlikely friendship spurs Terri to connect with two other outcasts: a boy riddled with anxiety issues, and a once-popular girl blacklisted by her peers due to a very public sexual encounter. All three characters garner our sympathy by evoking memories about being at the age where every day is an exercise in feeling insecure and misunderstood, and Wysocki plays Terri with such emotional honesty that his character is as relatable as he is likable. Jacobs (who co-wrote the story) punctuates the darker moments with just the right amount of humor for a soulful film sure to draw comparisons to the iconic works of John Hughes.

Director: Azazel Jacobs

Producers: Alison Dickey

Hunter Gray

Lynette Howell

Alex Orlovsky

Screenwriters: Patrick DeWitt

Azazel Jacobs

Cinematographer: Tobias Datum

Editor: Darrin Navarro

Music: Mandy Hoffman

Cast: Jacob Wysocki

Creed Bratton

Olivia Crocicchia

Bridger Zadina

John C. Reilly

Running Time: 105 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm

International Sales: Coach 14

Print Source: ATO Pictures

Film Website: atopictures.com

Selected Filmography: Momma’s Man (2008)

The GoodTimesKid (2005)

Nobody Needs to Know (2003)

Dear Mexico (2000) Danger 44 (1999)

White Irish Drinkers USA 2010

SATURDAY MAY 28 9:30 PM

HARVARD EXIT

SUNDAY MAY 29 4:00 PM HARVARD EXIT

On the cusp of adulthood, 18-year-old Brian spends his days pulling off petty crimes with his street tough older brother Danny, whom he both idolizes and fears. Having endured years of physical and verbal abuse from Paddy, the boys’ father, Danny wants nothing more than to get the hell out of Brooklyn. Meanwhile, Brian secretly indulges his artistic talents, drawing and painting in a hidden studio in their building’s basement, and hoping, maybe one day, to attend art school. Their moment arrives when Whitey, the owner of the failing Lafayette movie theater where Brian works, calls in a lifelong favor from an old friend, now the Rolling Stones’ tour manager, and manages to secure a one-hour, pre-concert show from the band. As the neighborhood buzzes over the impending event, Danny concocts a scheme to rob the theater’s box office and enlists Brian’s aid for one, last big score. But as the Lafayette fills with revelers, Brian is torn between his fraternal bonds to Danny, his loyalty to Whitey, and his own dreams. With a sharp eye for period detail, director John Gray instills a remarkable tenderness in this gritty tale of brotherhood and the lure of lucre.

Director: John Gray

Producers: John Gray

Melissa Jo Peltier

Paul Bernard

James Scura

Screenwriter: John Gray

Cinematographer: Seamus Tierney

Editor: Neil Mandelberg

Music: Mark Snow

Cast: Nick Thurston

Geoff Wigdor

Stephen Lang

Karen Allen

Peter Riegert

Running Time: 109 minutes

Presentation Format:

HDCAM

International Sales: Curb Entertainment

Print Source: Eammon Films

Film Website: whiteirishdrinkersthemovie.com

Selected Filmography: The Glimmer Man (1996) Born to Be Wild (1995)

PACIFIC PLACE CINEMAS

PACIFIC PLACE CINEMAS

contemporary world cinema

at any given moment, 99 percent of the movie screens in american theaters are showing american films, and the majority of these films are telling american stories. we know that a lot of SIFF-goers are looking for something more from us. In this era of increasing interconnectedness, you know there’s a whole world out there, and you understand the value of other experiences, other perspectives, and other stories. This is the way we live now, and cinema as an art is uniquely suited to reflect this life. with a camera and a projector, an audience can be transported across tens of thousands of miles in just a few minutes. with a program that literally spans the globe, you can travel from the capital of Greenland to a farm in New Zealand, from the streets of Hong Kong to a remote Polish village. Take a trip to the Volga River, the welsh coast, the Catalonian forest, or the Swedish fjords. experience life in the slums of Caracas or at the court of the Tang dynasty, on a pirate ship on the Baltic seas, or in a cloistered convent in Greece. Visit a Montreal discotheque, or a prep school in Pretoria, or the core of a German nuclear reactor. From a Japanese online chat room to a Chilean Facebook page, from the South Korean underworld to the Brazilian spirit world, from the distant past to the near future, this is Contemporary world Cinema. with more than 100 films from nearly 50 countries, for three weeks every spring (and more at SIFF Cinema), we bring you the whole wide wonderful world.

ZWÖLF METER OHNE KOPF

12 Paces Without a Head

Friday May 20 4:30 PM nePTune TheaTre

saTurday May 21 7:00 PM nePTune TheaTre

Monday May 23 8:30 PM renTon ikea PerForMinG arTs cenTer

The pirates of old didn’t just plunder the caribbean. in the 14th century, a pair of German pirates, klaus störtebeker and Gödeke Michels, sailed the Baltic seas with the goal of having fun, raising hell, and thumbing their nose at the powerful “moneybags” of the hanse. Based on the stories of a pair of real folk hero revolutionaries, 12 Paces Without a Head follows these best friend pirates on their high-seas adventures. The life of a pirate is starting to lose its glory, as the constant fighting, a lack of good booty, and the ever-growing power of their enemy have worn down these once invincible buccaneers. after klaus suffers a severe wound in battle, he begins to wonder if it is better to live as a farmer rather than die as a pirate. But then the discovery of a secret weapon reignites their passion for the fight. With a kinetic style, exciting action scenes, and contemporary music soundtrack—a cannonball fight set to Johnny cash being a particular highlight—director sven Taddicken tells a classic adventure story in a style that is pure 21st century.

Director: Sven Taddicken

Producers: Björn Vosgerau

Ralph Schwingel

Stefan Schubert

Screenwriter: Matthias Pacht

Cinematographer: Daniela Knapp

Editors:

Florian Miosge

Alexander Dittner

Andreas Wodraschke

Music: Christoph Blaser Steffen Kahles

Cast:

Devid Striesow

Franziska Wulf

Hinnerk Schönemann

Jacob Matschentz

Jana Pallaske

Running Time: 102 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm, in German, with  English subtitles

International Sales: The Match Factory

Print Source: The Match Factory

Selected Filmography: Emma’s Bliss (2006)

My Brother the Vampire  (2001)

22 MEI

22nd of May

BelGIUM 2010

sunday May 22 11:00 aM

Tuesday May 24 9:30 PM PaciFic

after a suicide bombing devastates the urban mall where he works, security guard sam is confronted by the ghosts of the victims and haunted by a trauma from his past. a stylish, intense meditation on the impact of death and disaster. Belgian director koen Mortier is rapidly emerging as an artist with talent to burn. Following his debut, the outrageous, in-your-face black comedy Ex-Drummer, Mortier has turned the tone 180° in this somber examination of the aftermath of a terrorist attack. Middle-aged sam is a security guard at a dreary, nondescript shopping mall. as he arrives at his workplace, a devastating suicide bombing blows the place to smithereens. stunned but otherwise unhurt, after doing what he can to pull casualties from the wreckage, he stumbles through the streets, tortured by accusations of the ghosts of the victims that he failed to protect, which pale alongside the weight of guilt he is suffering from a personal trauma that has blighted his own life. deeply unsettling rather than shocking, 22nd of May is an intense, highly atmospheric film that delves into the notion of coming to grips with understanding death and disaster, whether it concerns the individual or a multi-victim tragedy. Mortier stages all this with a skilled eye for style and a climax that rivals the infamous Zabriskie Point, while masterfully combining image and sound for maximum emotional impact.

Director: Koen Mortier

Producer: Eurydice Gysel

Screenwriter: Koen Mortier

Cinematographer: Glynn Speeckaert

Editor: Nico Leunen

Music: Mike Gallagher

Cast: Sam Louwyck

Titus De Voogdt

Norman Baert

Wim Willaert

Jan Hammenecker

Running Time: 88 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm, in Flemish, with  English subtitles

International Sales: Reel Suspects

Print Source: Epidemic Films

Film Website: 22mei.be

Selected Filmography: Ex-Drummer (2007)

PaciFic PLace cineMas

PLace cineMas

3

GeRMaNY 2010

Friday May 20 7:00 PM

nePTune TheaTre

saTurday May 21 1:30 PM nePTune TheaTre

director Tom Tykwer returns to his native Germany for this witty and surprising examination of a love triangle. he starts by introducing hanna (sophie rois), a Berlin doctor and television host, whose mind is always racing in several directions at once, and her partner of 20 years, simon (sebastian schipper), a focused art engineer (the director relays their thoughts through inner monologues). The two have tried to conceive without success, and have built their life around a love of the arts. one night, by chance, hanna ends up at the theater with adam (devid striesow, who appeared in the oscar-winning Counterfeiters), a research scientist, and feels a spark. While hanna keeps running into him, simon struggles with the loss of a loved one and a serious medical diagnosis. Then he meets adam during an evening swim, and events take an unexpected turn due to his similar attraction to this seductive character. as in Run Lola Run (siFF 1999), Tykwer employs split screens, still images, and animated sequences with subtlety and skill while always keeping the focus on his three compelling leads.

Director:

Tom Tykwer

Producer:

Stefan Arndt

Screenwriter: Tom Tykwer

Cinematographer: Frank Griebe

Editor:

Mathilde Bonnefoy

Music:

Johnny Klimek

Reinhold Heil

Gabriel Mounsey

Cast: Sophie Rois

Sebastian Schipper Devid Striesow

Running Time: 104 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm, in German, with  English subtitles

International Sales: The Match Factory

Print Source: Strand Releasing

Film Website: www.drei.x-verleih.de/en

Selected Filmography: Soul Boy (2010)

The International (2009) Paris je t’aime (2006)

Perfume: The Story of a  Murderer (2006)

Heaven (2002)

The Princess and the  Warrior (2000)

Run Lola Run (1998)

Winter Sleepers (1997)

Deadly Maria (1993)

71 - Into the Fire

SOUTH KORea 2010

Friday June 3 6:30 PM

PaciFic PLace cineMas

sunday June 5 8:00 PM kirkLand PerForMance cenTer

Friday June 10 9:30 PM adMiraL TheaTer

august, 1950. north korean forces have nearly succeeded in conquering the entire peninsula behind their superior tanks and armaments. The south korean army pulls back south of the nakdong river to the city of Pusan, awaiting the impending arrival of un allied Forces. captain kang receives orders to rendezvous with the remaining south korean forces, an act that will leave Pohang vulnerable, a strategic point in the south’s defense line. unable to leave experienced soldiers behind, kang recruits a squadron of 71 student volunteers, leaving them under the command of Lieutenant oh Jang-beom, an uncertain infantry man, shell-shocked from his last battle. as Jang-beom attempts to prepare his inexperienced regiment for the impending confrontation, the cunning and ruthless north korean captain Lee Myung-guk marches his battalion inexorably closer in his attempt to capture Pohang before the allies arrive. commemorating the 60th anniversary of the korean War, and filled with stunningly executed battle sequences, 71 - Into the Fire depicts both the heroic sacrifices and brutal tragedies of the conflict.

Director: John H. Lee

Producers: Choi Myoung-gy

Kim Jong-hyun

Screenwriter: Lee Man-Hee

Cinematographer: Choi Chan-min

Editor: Steve M. Choe

Music: Lee Dong-jun

Cast: Kwon Sang-woo Choi Seung-hyeon Cha Seung-won Park Jin-hee

Running Time: 120 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm, in Korean,  with English

subtitles

International Sales: Finecut Co.

Print Source: Finecut Co.

Film Website: fi necut.co.kr

Selected Filmography: Saying Goodbye One Day  (2010)

A Moment to Remember  (2004)

The Cut Runs Deep  (1999)

POHWA-SOK-EU-RO

Above Us Only Sky

saTurday May 28 9:30 PM

sunday May 29 4:00 PM

Martha seems to lead a charmed life: she likes her work, she loves her friends, and she adores her husband, Paul. But Paul’s sudden disappearance illuminates a mysterious secret life, forcing her to question their long history together. distraught and lost, she seeks solace in a relationship with handsome stranger alexander, a man who bears a striking resemblance to her now absent husband. Martha hides her grief, pain, and the fact of her bereavement from her new lover—but is it really alexander that she loves, or has her longing for Paul simply driven her to find him wherever she can? does it matter? in probing the heart and mind of a woman desperate to hold the shards of her broken life together, director Jan schomburg has crafted a first feature that raises questions about how well we can ever know those we think we may know best.

Director: Jan Schomburg

Producers: Christoph Friedel

Claudia Steffen

Screenwriter: Jan Schomburg

Cinematographer: Marc Comes

Editor: Bernd Euscher

Cast: Sandra Hüller

Georg Friedrich

Felix Knopp

Running Time: 88 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm, in German, with  English subtitles

International Sales: Bavaria Film International

Print Source: Bavaria Film International

Selected Filmography: Debut Feature Film

All Your Dead Ones

COlOMBIa 2010

Friday June 10 7:00 PM harVard eXiT sunday June 12 4:15 PM nePTune TheaTre

The plot of this impressive absurdist drama kicks off when simple farmer salvador sets off for work one morning, only to be shocked by the discovery of a huge pile of bodies dumped in the middle of his cornfield. Grabbing his bicycle, he dashes into town to alert the authorities. easier said than done since it’s election day, and the powers that be have other things on their minds. issuing denials and shrugging the matter off, the mayor and chief of the militia attempt to go about the business at hand, but a mountain of corpses doesn’t just vanish, even in colombia. Gradually the news leaks out and a national scandal soon looms. director carlos Moreno has fashioned an allegory that could apply to any place where poverty, violence, lawlessness, and corruption combine to oppress the working people. Gleefully unsubtle, the film hammers home its message with delightfully surreal touches and visual inventiveness—and one of the most charming final credit sequences on film.

Awards: Sundance Film Festival 2011 (World Cinema Cinematography Award)

Sponsored by Orlando Ayala

Director: Carlos Moreno

Producer: Diego F. Ramirez

Screenwriters: Alonso Torres

Carlos Moreno

Cinematographer: Diego F. Ramirez

Editor: Andres Porras

Music: Jose Garrido

Cast: Álvaro Rodríguez

Jorge Herrera

Martha Márquez

Harold De Vssten

John Alex Castillo

Running Time: 88 minutes

Presentation Format: HDCAM, in Spanish, with  English subtitles

International Sales: Shoreline Entertainment

Print Source: Shoreline Entertainment

Selected Filmography: Dog Eat Dog (2008)

PaciFic PLace cineMas

PaciFic PLace cineMas

TODOS TUS MUERTOS

VALLANZASCA – GLI ANGELI DEL MALE

Angel of Evil

ITalY 2010 NORTH aMeRICaN PReMIeRe

Friday June 3 9:30 PM siFF cineMa

sunday June 5 4:00 PM eGyPTian TheaTre

in 1970s italy, renato Vallanzaca captured the imagination of the country even while he was terrorizing the populace. starting out as a small-time Milanese thug, the charismatic, hairtriggered character known as Il Bel René (the handsome rené) sets out to make his mark in the underworld, leaving a flurry of flamboyant robberies and kidnappings in his wake. as his stature grew, so did his fascinating, destructive appetites. anchored by a mesmerizing central performance from kim rossi stuart (who also contributed to the script), director Michele Placido’s film follows the repeated rises and falls of this self-described born criminal, from his beginnings as a childhood shoplifter to his repeated incarcerations and daring escapes, and his eventual coronation as the leader of one of the most vicious gangs in the country. utilizing a nervy, hand-held approach reminiscent of Michael Mann, this is a stylish, warp-speed portrait of a man who excelled in being at the wrong place at the right time.

Director:

Michele Placido

Producer: Elide Melli

Screenwriters:

Michele Placido

Andrea Leanza

Kim Rossi Stuart

Leotti Antonio

Toni Trupiano

Antonella D’Agostino

Cinematographer: Arnaldo Catinari

Editor: Consuelo Catucci

Music: Negramaro

Cast:

Kim Rossi Stuart

Filippo Timi

Moritz Bleibtreu

Valeria Solarino

Paz Vega

Francesco Scianna

Running Time: 128 minutes

Presentation Format: DCP, in Italian, with  English subtitles

International Sales: Fortissimo Films

Print Source: D2 Films

Selected Filmography: The Big Dream (2009)

Crime Novel (2005)

A Journey Called Love (2002)

Of Lost Love (1998)  Ordinary Hero (1995)  Close Friends (1992)  Tomato (1991)

TUAN YUAN

Apart Together

CHINa 2010

Friday May 20 9:30 PM adMiraL TheaTer

sunday May 22 1:00 PM renTon ikea PerForMinG arTs cenTer

Wednesday May 25 9:30 PM siFF cineMa

Focusing on the personal rather than the political in his follow-up to the Berlin Golden Bear winner Tuya’s Marriage, director Wang Quan’an has fashioned a bittersweet late life romance, reuniting former lovers separated some fifty years earlier by the end of china’s civil war in 1947. Liu was a soldier of the nationalist kuomintang army, forced to flee to Taiwan after Mao’s communist troops prevailed in the conflict, leaving his pregnant girlfriend yu’e behind to fend for herself. When a political thaw permits surviving veterans in Taiwan to return to shanghai to visit their families, Liu tracks down the love of his life and makes her an exceedingly generous offer of a future with him in Taiwan. But yu’e (beautifully played by 82-year-old former shanghai Film studios star Lisa Lu) has successfully made another life for herself, and while she is willing to go with him despite the deep affections of her kin, other factors conspire to complicate the picture. Wisely resisting the temptation to turn the film into a reverie about shanghai, old and new, Wang nevertheless bathes his leisurely tale in a warm wash of affecting nostalgia that cleverly but gently deepens the spectator’s sense of involvement.

Director: Wang Quan’an

Producers: Wang Le

Du Daning

Wang Zhangliang

Ouwen Ruan Yusheng

Screenwriters: Wang Quan’an Na Jin

Cinematographer: Lutz Reitemeier

Editor: Wu Yixiang

Music: Ma Peng

Cast: Lisa Lu

Ling Feng

Xu Caigen

Monica Mo

Ma Xiaoqing

Running Time: 93 minutes

Presentation Format: DigiBeta, in Shanghainese  and Mandarin, with  English subtitles

International Sales: Celluloid Dreams

Print Source: Tamasa Distribution

Film Website: shokutaku.gaga.ne.jp

Selected Filmography: Weaving Girl (2009)  Tuya’s Marriage (2006)  The Story of Ermei (2004)  Lunar Eclipse (1999)

As If I Am Not There

Thursday June 2 6:30 PM eVereTT PerForMinG arTs cenTer

saTurday June 4 4:00 PM siFF cineMa

Monday June 6 7:00 PM eGyPTian TheaTre

a harsh dose of cinematic realism about a harsh time—the Bosnian War of the 1990s— Juanita Wilson’s drama is taken from true stories revealed during the international criminal Tribunal in The hague. samira (natasa Petrovic) is a modern schoolteacher in sarajevo who takes a job in a small country village just as the war is beginning to ramp up. When serbian soldiers overrun the village, they shoot all the men and keep the older women as laborers, while the younger ones become sex slaves. among the latter, samira is subjected to the basest form of treatment imaginable. it is a tribute to Wilson’s complete control of her material—as well as to Petrovic’s outstanding acting skills that allow her to convey her innermost feelings and thoughts with just a look—that this unimaginable horror is kept from feeling exploitative. indeed, Wilson has done something rarely seen before: effectively convey the horrors of war from the point of view of a woman. This alone makes As If I Am Not There an important work, highlighting Wilson’s artistry and integrity.

Director: Juanita Wilson

Producers: James Flynn

Nathalie Lichtenthaeler

Karen Richards

Screenwriter: Juanita Wilson

Cinematographer: Tim Fleming

Editor:

Nathan Nugent

Music:

Kiril Dzajkovski

Cast: Natasa Petrovic Fedja Stukan

Jelena Jovanova

Sanja Buric

Irina Apelgren

Running Time: 109 minutes

Presentation Format: HDCAM, in Croatian,  Bosnian, and Serbian,  with English subtitles

International Sales: Octagon Films Ltd

Print Source: Octagon Films Ltd

Film Website: asifi amnotthere.com

Selected Filmography: Debut Feature Film

MAEN-BAL-UI-KKUM A Barefoot Dream

SOUTH KORea/eaST TIMOR 2010

saTurday May 21 1:15 PM renTon ikea PerForMinG arTs cenTer

Tuesday May 24 9:00 PM adMiraL TheaTer

Thursday May 26 7:00 PM PaciFic PLace cineMas

after a series of pipe dream ventures go belly up, retired pro soccer player kim Won-kang happens to visit east Timor, where he finds children playing the game barefoot on rocky pitches. sensing a new business opportunity upon finding the country doesn’t have a single sporting goods store, he embarks on a scheme to get rich quick by purveying athletic shoes to the unshod youngsters. sadly, no one there can afford to pay $60 for a pair of shoes, even on a generous installment plan, and before he knows it, he is reduced to coaching a team of ragged 10-year-olds and prospects are looking grim. But kim’s luck seems to change when his adopted charges turn out to have hitherto unsuspected talent and start to make mincemeat of the opposition, eventually going on to win several international competitions. Based on a true story, A Barefoot Dream is an inspirational delight that caused shockwaves in the south korean film business when it elbowed aside several big-hitters in the race for the country’s nomination for Best Foreign Language Film at the academy awards. Filmmaker kim Tae-gyun, who directed the north korean refugee film Crossing, again shows off his knack for filming dramatic stories in tough locations.

Awards: Offi cial Oscar Submission 2010 (Best Foreign Language Film)

Director: Kim Tae-gyun

Producer:

Kim Jun-Jong

Screenwriter: Kim Gwang-Hoon

Cinematographer: Jung Han-Chul

Editor: Shin Min-Kyung

Music:

Kim Jun-Seok

Cast: Hee-soon Park

Kei Shimizu

Running Time: 120 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm, in Korean, English,  Tetun, Indonesian and  Japanese, with English  subtitles

International Sales: Showbox

Print Source: Showbox

Selected Filmography: Higanjima (2009) Crossing (2008)

A Millionaire’s First Love  (2006)

Romance of Their Own  (2004)

Volcano High (2001)

First Kiss (1998)

The Adventures of Mrs.  Park (1996)

Bibliothèque Pascal

HUNGaRY/GeRMaNY/ROMaNIa/UNITed KINGdOM 2010

saTurday May 21 6:00 PM adMiraL TheaTer

Wednesday May 25 9:15 PM nePTune TheaTre

Tuesday May 31 9:30 PM eGyPTian TheaTre

The multi-award winning work of an imaginative filmmaker with ambition and chutzpah, Bibliothèque Pascal is a dark sex-trafficking fairy tale from central europe with Terry Gilliam-esque touches. Beautiful young Mona is scraping together a scant living for herself and her little daughter as a puppeteer when she is duped into accompanying her father as he travels from Transylvania to Germany. Leaving her daughter with a reluctant aunt, Mona sets off on a journey that will take her by force into the shadowy world of sexual slavery. she winds up in London at the Bibliothèque Pascal, a debauched s&M brothel where prostitutes are forced to act the parts of literary characters that don’t always survive past the end of their dialogue. it’s a world where anyone from the most respectable to the most depraved can fulfill their fantasies, and where fairy tales can come true if you can afford the price.

Awards:

Offi cial Oscar Submission 2010 (Foreign Language Film) Sarajevo Film Festival 2010 (CICAE Award)

Ankara Festival on Wheels 2010 (Turkish Film Critics Association’s Award) Budapest Hungarian Film Week 2010 (Golden Reel Main Prize, Best  Cinematography)

Ostrava Kamera Oko 2010 (Main Award)

Director: Szabolcs Hajdu

Producers: Iván Angelusz Gábor Kovács András Hámori

Screenwriter: Szabolcs Hajdu

Cinematographer: András Nagy

Editor: Péter Politzer

Music: Bumt Friedmann Atom

Flanger

Cast: Orsolya Török-Illyés Oana Pellea

Razvan Vasilescu Andi Vasluianu Shamgar Amram

Running Time: 111 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm, in Hungarian  and  Romanian, with English  subtitles

International Sales: H2O Motion Pictures

Print Source: Magyar Filmunió

Film Website: bpascalfi lm.com

Selected Filmography: White Palms (2006) Tamara (2004) Sticky Matters (2001)

PA NEGRE

Black Bread

SPaIN 2010

Friday May 27 4:00 PM nePTune TheaTre

Monday May 30 7:00 PM nePTune TheaTre

Friday June 3 9:30 PM adMiraL TheaTer

in the harsh post-civil war years in rural catalonia, a shockingly vicious attack takes place. Ten-yearold andreu encounters the victims: a father and son. Leaning over the bodies, andreu hears the boy whisper “Pitorliu”— the name of a monster supposedly haunting the village. When andreu’s father is wrongly accused of the murder, the boy sets out to find the real killers and brings to light long hidden secrets. The film’s violent opening is an apt foreshadowing of the brutal comingof-age in store for andreu in a world of adults nourished by lies, myths, and wicked revelations. Though it contains a scene that may offend those with a heightened sensitivity regarding cruelty to animals, none were harmed during the making of the film. one of the most creative and individual spanish filmmakers of his generation, agustí Villaronga’s adaptation of a novel by emili Teixidor keeps the story moving relentlessly to dark and sinister places while questioning the decency of the human spirit. The breathtaking cinematography and brilliant ensemble cast made Black Bread one of the best and most discussed films of 2010—sweeping the Goyas with 11 awards, including Best Film.

Awards: San Sebastian Film Festival 2010 (Best Actress) Goya Awards 2011 (Best Film, Director, Actress, Supporting Actress, Adapted  Screenplay)

Director: Agusti Villaronga

Producer: Isona Passola

Screenwriters: Agustí Villaronga Emili Teixidor

Cinematographer: Antonio Riestra

Editor: Raul Roman

Music: José Manuel Pagán

Cast: Francesc Colomer

Marina Comas

Nora Navas

Roger Casamajor

Laia Marull

Running Time: 108 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm, in Spanish, with  English subtitles

International Sales: Beta Cinema

Print Source: Beta Cinema

Film Website: panegre.com

Selected Filmography: Aro Tolbukhin in the Mind  of a Killer (2002)

The Child of the Moon  (1989)

In a Glass Cage (1987)

MAVRO LIVADI

Black Field GReeCe 2010

sunday June 5 9:15 PM

Monday June 6 4:30 PM

This gorgeous, delicately crafted period piece chronicles a forbidden love story set in 1654, when Greece was under the rule of the ottoman empire. it opens as a Janissary (a quasi-slave soldier, collected by force at an early age from a christian family outside the empire’s borders and trained to serve in the Turkish army) collapses, heavily wounded, on the doorstep of a remote convent. The older nuns regard him as little better than a wild animal and chain him in an empty cell as they try to nurse him back to health. But for anthi, a young novice with a closely held secret, the captive provides a source of fascination. as the two ill-fated lovers grow closer, they flee to the forest for refuge—where shocking secrets are revealed. subtly treating graphic sexual confusion, religious self-loathing and ethnic identity issues in a mythic, character-driven story, director Vardis Marinakis uses remarkable, eerie visuals to chronicle anthi’s path to freedom and self-discovery.

Director: Vardis Marinakis

Producer: George Lykiardopoulos

Screenwriter: Vardis Marinakis

Cinematographer: Marcus Waterloo

Editor: Yiannis Halkiadakis

Music: Dimitris Maramis

Cast: Sofi a Georgovassili Christos Passalis Despoina Kourti Vaggelio Andreadaki Hakan Boyav

Running Time: 104 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm, in Greek and  Turkish, with English  subtitles

International Sales:

Media Luna New Films

Print Source: Media Luna New Films

Film Website: mavrolivadi.blogspot.com

Selected Filmography: Debut Feature Film

Black Venus

FRaNCe 2010

saTurday May 21 11:30 aM siFF cineMa

sunday May 29 8:30 PM eGyPTian TheaTre

a must for those who love films about the forgotten corners of history, director abdellatif kechiche relates the intriguing story of saartjie Baartman, the khoikoi tribeswoman (admirably played by newcomer yahima Torres) from southern africa who was dragged around europe in the early 19th century as a freakshow exhibit. known as the “hottentot Venus,” for her outsize features, she was a source of widespread fascination, leading to constant humiliation as she was made to perform like a circus dancing bear and poked, prodded, and gaped at by all. even after her death in 1815, she continued to fascinate, her body being dissected in the guise of pre-darwinian scientific investigation. The trouble was, everyone wanted her to be something she wasn’t. not a savage, a native princess, nor a freak—she was in fact a seasoned entertainer and successfully contested a legal case claiming she was exploited. kechiche does not attempt the impossible and try to convey saartjie’s unfathomable innermost thoughts, rather he allows her to retain her inner dignity. This is quite a feat when she is abominably abused in a high-class Paris brothel in scenes of debauchery that the faint-hearted should approach with caution.

Director: Abdellatif Kechiche

Producers: Charles Gillibert

Marin Karmitz

Nathanaël Karmitz

Screenwriters: Abdellatif Kechiche

Galya Laroix

Cinematographers: Lubomir Bakchev

Sofi an El Fani

Editors: Ghalia Lacroix

Albertine Lastera

Camille Toubkis

Lourent Rovan

Music: Slaheddine Rechiche

Cast: Yahima Torres

Olivier Gourmet

Elina Löwensohn

Running Time: 159 minutes

Presentation Format: DCP, in French, with  English subtitles

International Sales: MK2 International

Print Source: MK2 International

Film Website: mk2.com/venusnoire

Selected Filmography: The Secret of the Grain  (2007)

Games of Love and  Chance (2003)  Poetical Refugee (2000)

PaciFic PLace cineMas

PaciFic PLace cineMas

VENUS NOIRE

Sunday 5–9

Monday–Thursday 5–10

Friday–Saturday 5–11

Happy Hour! Sunday–Friday 5–6:30

SIntFilmFest:1/4 Vertical AD 3/18/10 4:59 PM Page 1

Boy

New ZealaNd 2010

Thursday May 26 6:30 PM renTon ikea PerforMing arTs cenTer saTurday June 4 6:30 PM nePTune TheaTre

Monday June 6 4:30 PM nePTune TheaTre

“ All right, Mr. DeMille, I’m ready for my close-up.”

it’s 1984 and “Thriller” is at the top of the charts. Boy (newcomer James rolleston) is an 11-year-old Maori kid and avid Michael Jackson fan who lives on a farm with his grandma and younger brother. a cheerful dreamer, he’s waiting for the day his father breaks out of prison to take him to the king of Pop’s big show. although his dad’s been locked up for most of his life, Boy has built up an image of him that’s part war hero, part sports star. needless to say, when his father actually does show up, reality falls somewhat short of the fantasy: alamein (Taika Waititi, who also directs) is even less mature than his son, still borrowing money from his mom and showing off with his loser friends. inspired by his oscar-nominated (and siff 2004 Jury award winning) short, Two Cars, One Night, Waititi’s sophomore feature is a sweet, funny, and fresh look at growing up—whatever your age. don’t miss the exuberant dance number at the film’s end: a Maori haka-infused rendition of “Thriller.”

Awards:

Berlin International Film Festival 2010 (Grand Prix of The Deutsches Kinderhilfswerk)

Director: Taika Waititi

Producers: Cliff Curtis

Ainsley Gardiner

Emanuel Michael

Screenwriter: Taika Cohen

Cinematographer: Adam Clark

Editor: Chris Plummer

Music: The Phoenix Foundation

Cast: Taika Waititi

James Rolleston

Te Aho Eketone-Whitu

Running Time: 87 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm

International Sales: New Zealand Film Commission

Print Source: Unison Films

Selected Filmography: Eagle vs. Shark (2007)

Bruce Lee, My Brother

HONG KONG 2010 NORTH aMeRICaN PReMIeRe

Friday May 27 7:00 PM nePTune TheaTre

saTurday May 28 1:30 PM nePTune TheaTre

Tuesday May 31 9:00 PM eVereTT PerForMinG arTs cenTer

While his time in seattle proved to be a formative chapter in Bruce Lee’s life, his childhood and rebellious adolescence in hong kong provide the material for this thrilling biopic, based on the memoir of his younger brother robert. The son of a successful actor, Lee shot to fame at the age of nine by starring in such hong kong films as The Kid, where he earned his nickname “Little dragon,” which he would use throughout the rest of his career. But as his days of childhood stardom waned with the onset of adolescence, Lee became increasingly involved in street fights, petty crime, and vandalism, putting him at odds with his strict father (marvelously portrayed by hong kong superstar Tony Leung ka Fai). despite his brazen street reputation, Lee’s romantic escapades were far less spectacular, as shown by his inability to act upon his growing infatuation with Pearl, his best friend kong’s girl. however, when kong crosses the local drug lord, Lee’s decision to rescue him will forever alter his own destiny. With panoramic flair, co-directors raymond yip and Manfred Wong create a fun, exciting, and insightful portrait of the world’s most beloved martial artist.

Preceded By: Recycle Fu USA, 2008, 2 minutes, director: Redwood City Adobe Youth Voices,  Peapod Academy  Beware of who might be watching when you don’t recycle.

Burke & Hare

UNITed KINGdOM 2010

saTurday June 4 9:15 PM eGyPTian TheaTre

Monday June 6 9:30 PM nePTune TheaTre

saTurday June 11 8:30 PM adMiraL TheaTer

Directors: Raymond Yip

Manfred Wong

Producer:

Manfred Wong

Screenwriter: Manfred Wong

Cinematographer: Jason Kwan

Editors: Azrael Chung

Shirley Yip

Music: Chan Kwong Wing

Cast: Aarif Rahman

Tony Leung Ka Fai

Christy Chung

Running Time: 130 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm, in Cantonese with  English Subtitles

International Sales: Media Asia Distribution

Print Source: The Weinstein Company

Selected Filmography:

Raymond Yip:

Lost on Journey (2010)

Warlords (2007)

Dream Girl (2003)

Loving Him (2002)

Those Were the Days...  (2000)

Manfred Wong: The Trail (1993)

The Twilight of the Forbidden City (1992)

Tales from the East  (1990)

Crazy Seventeen (1985)

scotland, 1828. edinburgh is the center of modern medical learning. on one side of the city is Barclay’s school of anatomy, run by the esteemed, and sharply dressed, dr. knox; on the other side, scotland’s royal college of surgeons, presided over by the cheerfully sadistic dr. Monroe. Fortunately, the city is also blessed with the finest collection of thieves, murderers, and lowlifes providing the colleges with a steady stream of corpses direct from the city’s gallows. But when dr. Monroe uses his political influence to corner the supply of legitimate cadavers, dr. knox must turn to alternative sources to procure his teaching aids. enter Messrs. Burke & hare—roguish entrepreneurs par excellence. at first, the pair turns to the exhumation trade, but when they run afoul of the local constabulary, it soon becomes clear there are more expedient ways to earn their pay. starring simon Pegg and andy serkis, Burke & Hare features an allstar British comedic cast, including Pegg’s Spaced co-star Jessica hynes, while director John Landis returns to form, employing the same black humor and sardonic wit found in An American Werewolf in London to craft, once again, a superb example of gallows humor.

Director: John Landis

Producer: Barnaby Thompson

Screenwriters: Piers Ashworth Nick Moorcroft

Cinematographer: John Mathieson

Editor: Mark Everson

Music: Joby Talbot

Cast: Simon Pegg

Andy Serkis

Isla Fisher

Tim Curry

Christopher Lee Jessica Hynes

Running Time: 91 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm

International Sales: Ealing Studios International

Print Source: Ealing Studios International  Selected Filmography: Blues Brothers 2000 (1998)  Susan’s Plan (1998)  The Stupids (1996)  Beverly Hills Cop III (1994)  Innocent Blood (1992)  Oscar (1991)

Coming to America (1988)  Three Amigos! (1986)

Spies Like Us (1985)  Into the Night (1985)  Trading Places (1983)

An American Werewolf in  London (1981)

The Blues Brothers (1980)  Animal House (1978)

The Kentucky Fried Movie  (1977)

Schlock (1973)

Circumstance

IRaN/leBaNON 2011

saTurday June 4 6:30 PM harVard eXiT

Monday June 6 4:15 PM eGyPTian TheaTre

atafeh and shireen are best friends and rebellious teenage girls exploring Tehran’s underground art and music scene and their own burgeoning sexuality—as well as their feelings for one another. Together, they escape from the stifling restrictions of a repressive society; they drink, they dance, they get high, they crank up the music in their car. compelled to hide their love, they fantasize about lesbian bars and lush hotel rooms in the relative freedom of dubai. everything changes, however, when atafeh’s brother, a oncepromising classical musician, returns home from rehab. unmoored by his experiences, he renounces his former life and turns to religious fundamentalism. Joining the state morality police, he begins to spy on his own family, turning their once liberal home into the scene of suspicion, surveillance, and betrayal. Based on her own experiences, this is a promising debut for writer/director Maryam keshavarz.

Awards: Sundance Film Festival 2011 (Audience Award)

Preceded By: Our Hijabs

USA, 2008, 4 minutes, director: Students at West Seattle  Elementary School

Young girls from Seattle discuss the perception of women who  wear hijabs.

Director: Maryam Keshavarz

Producers: Karin Chien

Maryam Keshavarz

Melissa M. Lee

Screenwriter: Maryam Keshavarz

Cinematographer: Brian Rigney Hubbard

Editor: Andrea Chignoli

Music:

Gingger Shankar

Cast: Nikohl Boosheri Sarah Kazemy

Reza Sixo Safai

Soheil Parsa

Nasrin Pakkho

Running Time: 107 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm, in Farsi, with  English subtitles

International Sales: Funny Balloons

Print Source: Roadside Attractions

Film Website: circumstancethemovie. com

Selected Filmography: Debut Feature Film

LE BRUIT DES GLAÇONS

Clink of Ice

FRaNCe 2010

Thursday June 2 9:30 PM PaciFic PLace cineMas

saTurday June 4 4:30 PM PaciFic PLace cineMas

Wednesday June 8 6:30 PM kirkLand PerForMance cenTer

Popular novelist charles Faulque’s life is in a sorry state. his inspiration has evaporated, his wife has left him, and he’s an alcoholic who carries a bottle of white wine with him wherever he goes (along with a bucket of ice, to keep it nice and cold). Then one day things really get bad, when a jaunty, dapper stranger arrives at the door of Faulque’s country estate and introduces himself: “i am your cancer.” intrusive, aggressive, and sarcastic, he pushes his way in and clearly plans to stay (even if, worryingly, the planned duration may only be for a few months). Faulque, for his part, sets about doing his best to dislodge this tedious intruder. his ally in this effort is Louisa, his long-suffering, lovesick housekeeper whose own cancer soon manifests itself in the form of a bad-tempered frump. Clink of Ice stars Jean dujardin (OSS 117) and albert dupontel as the man and his disease, in this jet black comedy by veteran French provocateur Bertrand Blier.

Awards: César Awards 2011 (Best Supporting Actress)

Director: Bertrand Blier

Producers: Christine Gozlan

Catherine Bozorgan

Screenwriter: Bertrand Blier

Cinematographer: François Catonné

Editor: Marion Monestier

Cast: Jean Dujardin

Albert Dupontel

Anne Alvardo

Myriam Boyer

Audrey Dana

Running Time: 87 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm, in French, with  English subtitles

International Sales: Wild Bunch

Print Source: Wild Bunch

Film Website: wildbunch-distribution. com/site/lebruitdesglacons

Selected Filmography: How Much Do You Love  Me (2005)

The Actors (2000)

My Man (1996)

Merci La Vie (1991)

Too Beautiful For You  (1989)

My Best Friend’s Girl  (1983)

Going Places (1974)

Copacabana

FRaNCe 2010

Friday May 20 4:15 PM eGyPTian

sunday May 22 5:30 PM

Tuesday May 24 6:00 PM

Perhaps the greatest French actress of this generation, the ageless isabelle huppert has come to be defined by her serious roles in films by the likes of Michael haneke. in Copacabana, huppert shows another (and utterly delightful) side of herself as Babou, a fun-loving and defiantly anti-bourgeois mother whose errant ways give a serious case of heartburn to her straitlaced daughter esmeralda (huppert’s real-life daughter Lolita chammah, who’s obviously inherited her mother’s acting genes). after yet another falling out, esmeralda makes it plain that her mother is not welcome at her wedding. Babou swears to reform her footloose-and-fancy-free lifestyle, and takes the only job on offer: selling timeshare condos in oostende, Belgium— which is very funny if you know oostende. That she becomes a success is even funnier. Writer-director Marc Fitoussi skillfully integrates the comedic and the socially perceptive in his tight screenplay, sketching a charming picture of familial dysfunction and rapprochement that is completely lacking in cynicism, much to the film’s credit.

Director: Marc Fitoussi

Producer: Caroline Bonmarchand

Screenwriter: Marc Fitoussi

Cinematographer: Hélène Louvart

Editor: Martine Giordano

Music:

Tim Gane

Sean O’Hagan

Cast: Isabelle Huppert

Lolita Chammah Aure Atika

Jurgen Delnaet

Chantal Banlier

Running Time: 107 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm, in French and  Flemish, with English  subtitles

International Sales: Kinology

Print Source: Kinology

Selected Filmography: The Artist’s Life (2007)

Á L’ORIGINE D’UN CRI

Crying Out

CaNada (QUÉBeC) 2010

sunday May 22 6:30 PM

Monday May 23 4:00 PM

Three emotionally impacted men from a hard-drinking family experience an emotional wake-up call in this quasi-surrealistic drama. When middle-aged Jo (Michel Barrette) loses his second wife, he becomes sole caretaker of their two young children. at first, he handles the situation, but as pressure mounts, he commits disturbing crimes that attract ghosts from his past who watch in silence as he attempts to turn back the clock. his adult son, hugo (Patrick hivon), works in a paper factory harboring poetic aspirations, and spends his free time drinking, brawling, and sleeping around. hugo and his grandfather conrad (Jean Lapointe), a former motel manager, eventually figure out what Jo has done, so they set out to find him before the law gets there first. What starts out as a chamber piece segues into a road movie as hugo and conrad follow Jo and come to see each other clearly for the first time. Though set in Québec, the combination of dark secrets, beautifully lighted compositions, and flashes of deadpan humor recalls the cinema of Finland, while the rivers, lakes, and pine-covered hills root this narrative to its distinctive place.

Director: Robin Aubert

Producers: Roger Frappier

Luc Vandal

Screenwriter: Robin Aubert

Cinematographer: Steve Asselin

Editor: Carina Baccanale

Cast: Jean Lapointe

Michel Barrette

Patrick Hivon

Véronique Beaudet

Running Time: 115 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm, in French, with  English subtitles

Print Source: Max Film International International Sales: Max Films International Film Website: alorigineduncri.com

Selected Filmography: At What Time the Train to  Nowhere? (2009)

Saint Martyrs of the  Damned (2005)

PaciFic PLace cineMas

PaciFic PLace cineMas

TheaTre

adMiraL TheaTer

renTon ikea PerForMinG arTs cenTer

댄스 타운

Dance Town SOUTH KOREA 2010

MONDAY MAY 23 6:00 PM RENTON IKEA PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

MONDAY MAY 30 9:00 PM

WEDNESDAY JUNE 1 9:00 PM

Dance Town is an affecting story of a North Korean couple, Jung Man-il and his wife Rhee Jung-nim, whose affinity for all things South Korean has them planning to defect. Just prior to their intended departure, Man-il is arrested for possessing foreign contraband but somehow manages to tip off Jungnim, who is forced to flee alone. Reaching a safe haven in South Korea after a traumatic journey, she is welcomed by the authorities and in quick succession is assigned an apartment and a menial job. But Jung-nim remains ill at ease in her new life of previously unimaginable freedom, despite making a few personal connections, not least with a local police officer that clearly has designs on her. Most of all, she misses her husband and the secluded intimacy of their life together and falls into a downward spiral of despair until, unexpectedly, he comes back into her life. Ra Mi-ran is outstanding as Jung-nim, by turns fragile and resilient, but director Jeon Kyu-hwan’s lasersharp observations pitch the film somewhere between John Cassavetes and Mike Leigh on the scale of cinematic social criticism and point him up as a most welcome new talent.

HARVARD EXIT

ADMIRAL THEATER

Director: Jeon Kyu-hwan

Producer: Choi Mi-ae

Screenwriter: Jeon Kyu-hwan

Cinematographer: Choi Yeong-sun

Editor: Han Jong-hoon

Music:

Choi In-yang

Im Mi-jung

Cast: Rha Mi-ran

Oh Seong-tae

Running Time:

95 minutes

Presentation Format: HDCAM, in Korean, with English subtitles

International Sales: Panda Media

Print Source:

Treefilm

Selected Filmography: Animal Town (2009)

Mozart Town (2008)

SIBO NE KRA, DABO NE KRA

The Destiny of Lesser Animals

GHANA/USA 2011

SATURDAY JUNE 11 7:00 PM

HARVARD EXIT

SUNDAY JUNE 12 3:30 PM ADMIRAL THEATER

Ten years after his deportation from the United States, Ghanaian Police Inspector Boniface Koomsin (writer/star Yao B. Nunoo) purchases a “perfect” counterfeit passport, only to have it immediately stolen. Desperate to recover it, Boniface fabricates the theft of his police pistol in order to launch an official investigation to find the thief. He travels to Accra, where he meets Chief Inspector Oscar Darko, who is investigating a local armed robbery. Both inspectors quickly realize they are chasing the same man, and embark on a dangerous odyssey through urban Ghana to catch him. Ironically, Boniface’s quest to escape his homeland immerses him deeper into his country’s culture, while his growing friendship with Darko makes keeping his fraudulent investigation a secret increasingly difficult to bear. Inspired by Akira Kurosawa’s Stray Dog, The Destiny of Lesser Animals takes the titular Kurosawa line to heart: “A stray dog sees only what it chases.” Nunoo’s screenplay captures the conflict of an honorable man in a dishonorable predicament, and first-time director Deron Albright imbues the film with admirable pacing and a great feel for urban Ghana. Together, they’ve created a film that’s as much about finding the criminal as it is about finding yourself.

Director: Deron Albright

Producers: Deron Albright

Yao B. Nunoo

Dede Maitre

Francis Gbormittah

Screenwriter: Yao B. Nunoo

Cinematographer: Aaron T. Bowen

Editors: Jacob Bricca

Lisa Molomot

Music: John Avarese

Cast: Yao B. Nunoo

Fred Amugi

Abena Takyi

Sandy Arkhurst

Xolasie Mawuenyega

Running Time: 89 minutes

Presentation Format: HDCAM, in Fante, English, Pidgin, Twi, and Ga, with English subtitles

Print Source: Bright Noon Pictures, LLC. Film Website: destinyoflesseranimals. com

Selected Filmography: Debut Feature Film

Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame CHINa

2010

Wednesday June 1 7:00 PM

Monday June 6 9:30 PM

The abundance of plot threads in this rip-roaring extravaganza would overwhelm most films, yet the irrepressible chinese maestro Tsui hark keeps the audience constantly enthralled as he rolls out a relentlessly entertaining reinvention of the martial arts genre. set in the reign of the china’s first female ruler, empress Wu Zetian of the Tang dynasty (618-907 ad), the mayhem is precipitated when several dignitaries spontaneously combust. This unexplained phenomenon forces the empress to recall forensic genius di renjie, aka detective dee, who was disgraced for criticizing the empress’s seizing of power. The detective sets to work with gusto solving the mysterious deaths. andy Lau drips with star quality as the knowing, nonchalant dee, a hybrid of those fictional forensic geniuses sherlock holmes, and William of Baskerville from The Name of the Rose. With blistering action sequences orchestrated by veteran action star/director sammo hung, the film boasts truly impressive visuals and a tremendous supporting cast, including Tony Leung ka Fai (The Lover) and carina Lau as the empress. a marvelous piece of intelligent entertainment, predicated on ancient wisdom, but still utterly contemporary, Detective Dee ranks as one of the best recent chinese martial arts movies.

Awards: Hong Kong Film Awards 2011 (Best Director, Actress, Art Direction, Makeup, Sound Design, Costume,  Special Effects)

nePTune TheaTre

eGyPTian TheaTre

Director: Tsui Hark

Producer: Kuo-Fu Chen

Screenwriters: Zhang Jialu

Chen Kuofu

Cinematographers: Chan Chi Ying Chan Chor Keung

Editor: Yau Chi Wai

Music: Peter Kam

Cast: Andy Lau Carina Lau

Li Bingbing

Tony Leung Ka Fai

Running Time: 106 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm, in Mandarin and  Cantonese, with English  subtitles

International Sales: Huayi Brothers Media  Corporation

Print Source: Indomina Releasing

Selected Filmography: All About Women (2008)

Missing (2008)

Triangle (2007)

Seven Swords (2005)

Zu Warriors (2001) The Blade (1995)

Once Upon a Time in  China (1991)

Peking Opera Blues  (1986)

Search for the Gods  (1983)

Don’t play with Fire  (1980)

Everything Will Be Fine

deNMaRK/SwedeN/GeRMaNY 2010

Friday May 20 10:00 PM PaciFic PLace cineMas

sunday May 22 9:00 PM renTon ikea PerForMinG arTs cenTer

Friday May 27 1:30 PM PaciFic PLace cineMas

on top of his challenges with closing the paperwork on an adoption, Jacob Falk has severe writer’s block that is further exasperated by his producer breathing down his neck. all he needs is one clear idea and he’ll be off to the races. That evening on his way home, Jacob runs over a man by accident. When he goes to check on him, the man insists Jacob take his bag. Therein he finds photos of danish soldiers torturing Middle eastern prisoners of war. deeply disturbed by the images, Jacob is determined to expose the crime but also cannot resist using them as inspiration for his screenplay. however, when he contacts the police to report the accident, the body is nowhere to be found. and suddenly someone is trying to retrieve the photos–-by any means necessary.

Director: Christoffer Boe

Producer: Tine Grew Pfeiffer

Screenwriter: Christoffer Boe

Cinematographer: Manuel Alberto Claro

Editor: Peter Brandt

Music: Sylvain Chauveau

Cast: Marijana Jankovic Søren Malling Jens Albinus

Paprika Steen

Nicolas Bro

Running Time: 90 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm, in Danish, with  English subtitles

International Sales: The Match Factory

Print Source: Danish Film Institute

Film Website: altingblivergodtigen.dk

Selected Filmography: Beast (2010)

Offscreen (2006)

Allegro (2005)

Reconstruction (2004)

ALTING BLIVER GODT IGEN

Hong Kong animators were the creative force behind Shrek and Ninja Turtles. Whatever comes next, I want to be part of it.

Hong Kong’s unique blend of East and West, old and new provides an ideal environment for creativity to thrive alongside the city’s more traditional business sectors. Some 32 000 creative industry- related establishments and over 176 000 practitioners are engaged in fields ranging from animation to digital entertainment, fashion to industrial design, film making and special effects to music, dance, painting and many other art forms. The arts and cultural scene in Asia’s world city is set to become even more colourful as the West Kowloon Cultural District develops on a harbour front site over the next five years.

Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, San Francisco www.hketosf.gov.hk

Agnes Choy - Hong Kong animator

HONG KONG 2010

US PReMIeRe

Friday May 20 1:30 PM

PaciFic PLace cineMas

sunday May 22 9:15 PM siFF cineMa

Monday May 23 9:30 PM siFF cineMa

While hong kong cinema has long based its reputation on crime and action flicks, recent years have seen a boom in the number of charming romantic comedies, as evidenced by last year’s Crossing Hennessy, Love in a Puff, and now Ex. Just as Zhou yi and her travel writer boyfriend are about to embark on their first vacation together, the couple breakup in an airport café, leaving her without a job or place to live. Fortunately, she runs into her ex-boyfriend, Ping, and his current girlfriend, cee; both of whom offer to let yi crash at their new apartment for a few days until her mother returns home from abroad. despite the initial awkwardness of living together again, yi and Ping are flooded by memories of shared highs and lows, reigniting bittersweet reminiscences in each, while the all too obliging cee finds her patience stretched thin. Weaving flashbacks of yi and Ping’s relationship throughout her film, writer-director heiward Mak, who co-scripted Love in a Puff, subtly illuminates the follies and foibles found in every romance, past or present.

Director: Heiward Mak

Producer: Chapman To

Screenwriter: Heiward Mak

Cinematographer: O Sing-Pui

Editor: Shirley Yip

Music: Eman Lam

Cast: Gillian Chung

William Chan Wai-Ting Michelle Wai

Derek Tsang

Running Time: 95 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm, in Cantonese, with  English subtitles

International Sales: Emperor Motion Pictures

Print Source: Emperor Motion Pictures

Selected Filmography: High Noon (2008)

Fathers & Sons

CaNada 2010

Thursday May 26 9:30 PM

harVard eXiT saTurday May 28 1:00 PM adMiraL

an ensemble cast examines the timeless theme of masculine estrangement and reconciliation with four interwoven yet unconnected narratives. Bernie, who is mourning the death of his mother, is shocked to discover that the vulgar, drunken russian who showed up uninvited at the funeral is actually the father he never knew. a retired music teacher gets a visit from his Wall street broker son, who, after a seven-year absence, makes an uncomfortable request that his father may not be able to honor. an accountant wants to announce his recent engagement but is embarrassed to introduce his fiancée to his flamboyantly gay, indian-born, Bollywood choreographer father. and finally, four squabbling brothers gather at the home of their recently deceased father, partly to pay their last respects and scatter his ashes, but mostly to find out who gets what in the old man’s will, which contains surprises that ratchet the sibling rivalry to new comic heights. Between the scenes, director carl Bessai conducts clever one-on-one interviews with each character as a framing device to delve into their innermost thoughts. This expertly serio-comic film proves that the farthest distance between two points is often the emotional space between a father and son.

Director: Carl Bessai

Producers: Jason James

Carl Bessai

Screenwriter: Carl Bessai

Cinematographer: Carl Bessai

Editor: Mark Shearer

Music: Schaun Tozer

Cast: Stephen Lobo

Manoj Sood

Vincent Gale

Tyler Labine

Running Time: 87 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm

International Sales: Shoreline Entertainment

Print Source: Shoreline Entertainment

Film Website: shorelineentertainment.com/movies/ Fathers&Sons

Selected Filmography: Repeaters (2010) Cole (2010)

Mothers & Daughters  (2008)

Normal (2007)

Unnatural & Accidental  (2006)

Severed (2005)

Emile (2003)

Lola (2001)

Johnny (1999)

TheaTer

QUELQUES JOURS DE RÉPIT

A Few Days of Respite

alGeRIa/FRaNCe 2011

Thursday June 2 8:30 PM

adMiraL TheaTer

saTurday June 4 11:00 aM eGyPTian TheaTre

saTurday June 11 6:00 PM kirkLand PerForMance cenTer

amor hakkar directs and stars as Mohsen, an aging iranian French Language Professor who is traveling with his younger male lover hassan, after escaping from iran where their relationship is a death sentence. While stopped over in a small town in the Jura Mountains to await their train to Paris, Mohsen befriends the lonely, but warm yolanda (French star Marina Vlady), who offers him kindness, employment, security, and more. Without a minute of coerced sentimentality, A Few Days of Respite questions the nature of love and happiness and the sacrifices we make to achieve them, while also dealing with the issues of illegal immigration. hakkar explains his view of love stories: “For me, there aren’t heterosexual love stories on one side and homosexual love stories on the other: there are only stories between persons who choose and act freely.” Working with both precision and economy, the filmmaker allows us to know these finely drawn characters in a single line of dialogue or in a brief glance, evoking the loneliness of the contemporary human being.

Director: Amor Hakkar

Producer: Florence Bouteloup

Screenwriter: Amor Hakkar

Cinematographer: Nicolas Roche

Editors:

Juliette Kempf

Julie Picouleau

Music:

Joseph Macera

Cast:

Marina Vlady

Samir Guesmi

Amor Hakkar

Running Time: 80 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm, in French, with  English subtitles

International Sales: Sarah Films

Print Source: Sarah Films

Selected Filmography: The Yellow House (2008)

Fire of Conscience

HONG KONG 2010

saTurday May 21 9:30 PM nePTune TheaTre

Tuesday May 24 9:30 PM eGyPTian TheaTre

siFF 2009 audiences were left breathless following screenings of The Beast Stalker and The Sniper. This year, dante Lam is back, delivering thrills in spades with Fire of Conscience. Lam is the brightest flame in the exhilarating renaissance of hong kong action cinema with his trademark hard-hitting action and minimal melodrama. resembling the cinematic love child of Michael Mann and Paul Greengrass in both its police-based setting and gritty urban violence, Fire of Conscience follows Manfred Fong, a detective who is still reeling from the loss of his wife. now living out of his car, his loyal team is doing their best to keep him accountable to internal affairs. Before long, a teahouse shoot-out uncovers a bomb-making underground, leaving Manfred and his team to battle a high-caliber arsenal with everything from handguns to explosives of all sizes. combining strong flesh-andblood characters, breakneck narrative pacing, and stylish on-location action sequences, Fire of Conscience is a blast you won’t want to diffuse.

Director: Dante Lam

Producers: Dante Lam

Candy Leung

Screenwriter: Jack Ng

Cinematographer: Charlie Lam

Editor: Ki-Hop Chan

Music:

Henry Lai

Cast: Richie Ren

Leon Lai

Vivian Hsu

Baoqiang Wang

Kai Chi Liu

Running Time: 106 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm, in Cantonese, with  English subtitles

International Sales:

Media Asia Distribution

Print Source: Indomina Releasing

Film Website: indomina.com

Selected Filmography: The Sniper (2009)

The Beast Stalker (2008)

Storm Rider - Clash of Evils  (2008)

Undercover Hidden Dragon (2006) Heat Team (2004)

Naked Ambition (2003)

The Twins Effect (2003)

Tiramisu (2002)

Runaway (2001)

Hit Team (2001)

Jiang Hu: The Triad Zone (2000) When I Look Upon the Stars (2000)

Beast Cops (1998)

Option Zero (1997)

FYRA ÅR TILL

Four More Years

SwedeN 2010

sunday May 22 1:30 PM

Monday May 23 9:30 PM

saTurday May 28 1:00 PM

eGyPTian TheaTer

eGyPTian TheaTer

PaciFic PLace cineMas

david holst has just lost the election he was slated to win. his good looks, political savvy, and humor made him the front-runner for the Prime Minister of sweden, but his lead in the assumed victory takes a sudden plunge, forcing his defeat. it is during this time of disappointment that he meets Martin in an elevator and falls head over heels in love. despite his marriage to his closest co-worker, Fia, and his professed heterosexuality, david pursues a relationship with Martin—only to find out that Martin is the secretary of state for the political party that beat him in the recent election.

Four More Years is the second feature film from swedish actress-turned-director Tova Magnusson-norling. a bold romantic comedy that pushes boundaries on several thematic levels and one of the first films to explore the comedy that can be found in swedish politics.

Director: Tova Magnusson-Norling

Producer: Martin Persson

Screenwriter: Wilhelm Behrman

Cinematographers: Trolle Davidson

Victor Davidson

Editor: Dino Jonsäter

Cast:

Björn Kjellman

Eric Ericson

Tova Magnusson-Norling

André Wickström Sten Ljunggren

Running Time: 90 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm, in Swedish, with  English subtitles

International Sales: Yellow Affair

Print Source: Swedish Film Institute

Selected Filmography: Miss Sweden (2004)

Fuck My Life

CHIle 2010

Thursday June 2 7:00 PM harVard eXiT

saTurday June 4 1:00 PM adMiraL TheaTer

Tuesday June 7 9:30 PM nePTune TheaTre

chile’s hottest new director, nicolás López, has created the first romantic comedy for the Facebook age. The film follows Javier, who’s having a really bad year. once an advertising hotshot, he lost his job when his parent company closed. he’s broke and about to lose both his condo and his car. he may have to move in with his mother. But, worst of all, he wants to get his ex-girlfriend sofia back. That is, he wants to move on, but how can he when she keeps turning up online? he tries all the traditional cures: deleting her pictures, drinking too much, hanging out at dance clubs, and a number of ill-advised one night stands. But he can’t seem to get over her new mediafriendly relationship and music career—even though he’s the one who broke it off. Fuck My Life is a huge hit in chile—López is already shooting the sequel—and it’s no surprise: writer/director López has created a film with a refreshing structure, gorgeous cinematography, and endearingly flawed characters, but ultimately, the film’s biggest star is its playful sense of humor.

Director: Nicolás López

Producer: Miguel Asensio

Screenwriter: Nicolás López

Cinematographer: Antonio Quercia

Editor: Diego Macho

Music: Manuel Riveiro

Cast: Ariel Levy

Lucy Cominetti

Andrea Velasco  Paz Bascuñan

Running Time: 94 minutes

Presentation Format: DigiBeta, in Spanish, with  English subtitles

Print Source: Sobras

Film Website: quepenatuvida.com

Selected Filmography: Santos (2008)

Promedio Rojo: A High  School Guide to Survival  (2004)

QUE PENA TU VIDA

Funkytown

CaNada (QUÉBeC) 2011

Friday June 10 9:30 PM PaciFic PLace cineMas

sunday June 12 3:30 PM PaciFic PLace cineMas

set during a tumultuous period of Frenchcanadian history, Funkytown follows the lives of eight people who are linked to a world famous Montreal nightclub called The starlight in the late 1970s, when disco, casual sex, cocaine, and corruption reigned supreme. The action pivots around Bastien (Patrick huard), a larger-than-life TV personality with a heroic appetite for booze, drugs, women, and outlandish clothes. We also follow aspiring singer adriana, who has her sights set on record producer Gilles as her ticket to fame, and club dancer Tino, who becomes confused about his sexuality when he meets the openly gay Jonathan. Behind the pulsating soundtrack, the film also reflects the political changes that were occurring at the time, as the separatist Parti Québecois took power in Quebec. appropriately, director daniel roby freely uses “Franglais” in the dialogue to reflect the changing nature of the times. By 1980, as the disco lifestyle fades, the characters feel the hangover acutely and are forced to make some difficult life choices. With many characters based on real-life figures from the era, Funkytown is a portrait of the Montreal melting pot as it coped with an identity crisis and emerged as a sober, modern metropolis.

Director:

Daniel Roby

Producer: André Rouleau

Screenwriter: Steve Galluccio

Cinematographer: Ronald Plante

Editor: Yvann Thibaudeau

Music:

Jean Robitaille

Cast: Patrick Huard

Justin Chatwin

Sarah Mutch

Raymond Bouchard

Paul Doucet

Running Time: 133 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm, in French, with  English subtitles

International Sales: Seville Pictures

Print Source: E1 Entertainment

Film Website: funkytown-lefi lm.com

Selected Filmography: Gut Instinct (2011) White Skin (2004)

GAINSBOURG, VIE HÉROÎQUE

Gainsbourg: A Heroic Life

FRaNCe 2010

Wednesday June 1 9:30 PM eGyPTian TheaTre

Friday June 3 4:00 PM adMiraL TheaTer

Tuesday June 7 8:30 PM kirkLand PerForMance cenTer

sixties icon, poet-provocateur, legendary boozer, and France’s most beloved and important songwriter, serge Gainsbourg gets his due in this cinematic homage from director Joann sfar. From the streets of nazi-occupied Paris where the young Gainsbourg was forced to wear a yellow star and branded a foreigner by the Vichy government, to the music halls where he received his earliest training playing piano for postwar music hall greats Juliette Greco and Boris Vian, sfar charts the influences that shaped the star-to-be. in 1967, the glamorous notoriety of an affair with Brigitte Bardot brought widespread attention and collaborations, artistic and otherwise, with Marianne Faithfull, Françoise hardy, and most famously, Jane Birkin of “Je t’aime…moi non plus” renown. Blending biography with dreamlike fantasy through the use of animation, marionettes, and a cast bearing remarkable resemblances to their characters, Gainsbourg: A Heroic Life tells the story of a consummate outsider who became a national treasure.

Awards: César Awards 2011 (Best First Film, Actor)

Director: Joann Sfar

Producers: Marc du Pontavice

Didier Lupfer

Screenwriter: Joann Sfar

Cinematographer: Guillaume Schiffman

Editor: Maryline Monthieux

Music: Olivier Daviaud

Cast: Eric Elmosnino

Lucy Gordon

Laetitia Casta

Anna Mouglalis

Philippe Katerine

Running Time: 135 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm, in French, with  English subtitles

International Sales: Kinology

Print Source: Music Box Films

Film Website: gainsbourg-lefi lm.com

Selected Filmography: The Rabbi’s Cat (2010)

Gorbaciòf - The Cashier who Liked Gambling

Thursday June 9 6:30 PM

sunday June 12 1:30 PM PaciFic

compulsive gambler and petty thief Pacileo works as a cashier in naples’ Poggioreale Prison, taking bribes from inmates’ families to secure extra perks for their relatives behind bars. nicknamed “Gorbaciòf”—pronounced “Gorbachev”—because of a large birthmark on his forehead, Pacileo’s swagger and ill manners hide his inner turmoil and loneliness. he spends his off-hours playing high-stakes poker in the back of a chinese restaurant, where the attractive young Lily works as a waitress. a surprisingly tender relationship develops between the illegal immigrant and the gruff, greasy-haired Gorbaciòf, despite her inability to speak italian. To feed his addictions and to buy Lily small gifts, he occasionally dips into the prison funds, but his “borrowing” habit turns deadly serious when he covers the massive gambling losses of Lily’s father, the restaurant’s owner. italian film and theater star Toni servillo (Il Divo, Gommorah, A Quiet Life) once again shows remarkable depth as the nearly mute Gorbaciòf. in fact, dialogue is used sparingly throughout the film; instead, director stefano incerti (The Man of Glass) relies on innuendo, subtle gestures, and servillo’s rubbery facial features in this nuanced portrayal of two dead-end lives transformed through love.

Director: Stefano Incerti

Producers: Luciano Martino

Edwige Fenech

Massimo Vigliar

Angelo Curti

Sergio Pelone

Screenwriters: Stefano Incerti Diego De Silva

Cinematographer: Pasquale Mari

Editor: Marco Spoletini

Music: Teho Teardo

Cast: Toni Servillo

Mi Yang

Nello Mascia

Running Time: 87 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm, in Italian, with  English subtitles

International Sales: Rai Trade

Print Source: Rai Trade

Selected Filmography: The Silence’s Accomplice  (2009)

The Man of Glass (2007) Life Has It Comes (2003) The Vesuvians (1997) The Checker (1995)

Gromozeka

RUSSIa 2010

Wednesday June 1 9:30 PM PaciFic PLace cineMas

Friday June 3 4:00 PM PaciFic PLace cineMas

saTurday June 4 8:30 PM kirkLand PerForMance cenTer

Three old friends once had a high school band called “Gromozeka,” named after a popular, sad sack cartoon character whose catchphrase was, “i am so unlucky in life.” over the years they grew apart, and their youthful dreams tarnished. now middle aged, they each have their own problems: one is a police officer who keeps getting overlooked for promotion, another a taxi driver who discovers disturbing news about his estranged daughter, and the third is a surgeon juggling a wife and a mistress. as they struggle to solve their individual troubles, fate throws them curveballs. director Vladimir kott elegantly weaves three storylines together so they intersect in subtle and interesting ways, similar in structure to robert altman’s Short Cuts. The impressive acting of each lead captures the dark humor in the script and elevates what could have been three gloomy and depressing individual stories into one of hope struggling to survive in a difficult world. shot on 16mm and transferred to 35mm, the look and feel of Gromozeka is like that of an old soviet film, but the Moscow it captures is completely contemporary.

Director: Vladimir Kott

Producer: Yevgeny Gindilis

Screenwriter: Vladimir Kott

Cinematographer: Ruslan Gerasimenkov

Grigory Volodin

Editor: Olga Grinshpun

Cast: Nikolay Dobrynin

Boris Kamorzin

Leonid Gromov

Yevgeniya Dobrovolskaya Polina Filonenko

Running Time: 104 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm, in Russian, with  English subtitles

International Sales: TVINDIE Film Production

Print Source: TVINDIE Film Production

Film Website: tvindie.ru/en/23

Selected Filmography: Mukha (2008)

adMiraL TheaTer

PLace cineMas

GORBACIOV-IL

SYKT LYKKELIG

Happy, Happy

NORwaY 2010

Friday May 20 11:00 aM

PaciFic PLace cineMas

sunday May 22 6:45 PM nePTune TheaTre

Tuesday May 24 8:30 PM renTon ikea PerForMinG arTs cenTer

in this intelligent, adult-oriented balance between sex, comedy, and drama, relationships are not what they seem and everything is hanging by a thread. Happy, Happy is set in the bleak landscape of the norwegian countryside, following the shaky lives of two 30-something couples. kaja and erik have not slept together in months, and their marital unhappiness is obvious to all. The couple’s strife becomes even more glaring with the arrival of new next-door neighbors elisabeth and sigve. outwardly, this new couple appears to have it all, including an adorable adopted son and the habit of singing together in a choir. as the couples begin to mingle during board game nights, though, it becomes increasingly clear that many secrets and indiscretions lie beneath the surface of this perfected image. soon, sigve and the sexually frustrated kaja indulge in an affair, the neighboring sons play borderline racist games, and erik’s homosexuality becomes ever more apparent. amongst these transgressions and dissatisfactions, however, director anne sewitsky finds enough wit, light heartedness, and sweetness to balance it all out.

Awards: Sundance Film Festival 2011 (World Cinema Jury Prize, Dramatic)

Director:

Anne Sewitsky

Producer:

Synnøve Hørsdal

Screenwriter: Ragnhild Tronvoll

Cinematographer: Anna Myking

Editor: Christoffer Heie

Music:

Stein Berge Svendsen

Cast: Agnes Kittelsen

Henrik Rafaelsen

Maibritt Saerens

Joachim Rafaelsen

Running Time: 85 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm, in Norwegian,  with English subtitles

International Sales: Trust Nordisk

Print Source: Magnolia Films

Selected Filmography: Debut Feature Film

Hayfever

ITalY 2010

saTurday June 11 7:00 PM PaciFic PLace cineMas

sunday June 12 11:00 aM PaciFic PLace cineMas

an italian Empire Records set in a kitschy vintage shop, Hayfever takes a sweet, touching look into the lives of a group of 20-something roman misfits. There’s an autumn breeze blowing through the eternal city, rumored to bring bravado to shy lovers. The wind blows past Twinkled, an antique store where handsome hipster Matteo is a clerk. as he rummages through estate sales, Matteo can’t quite let go of his own past, especially his ex, Giovanna. Meanwhile, co-worker Franki rides her skateboard and writes passionate love letters to Jude Law, while shop owner stefano has no head for business. each of their lives is as disorganized as the store. That is, until, camilla arrives. With a beaming smile, the young woman quickly brings order to the shop—and falls head over heels for Matteo, who of course holds onto unrequited feelings for his ex. With a fun indie soundtrack including devendra Banhart, Laura Marling, and imelda May, Hayfever is a romantic film about dreamers who, like so many of us, must let go of their pasts and learn to live in the present.

Director: Laura Luchetti

Producers: Nicola de Angelis

Massimiliano di Lodovico

Paul Zonderland

Screenwriter: Laura Luchetti

Cinematographer: Ferran Paredes Rubio

Editor: Claudio di Mauro

Cast: Andrea Bosca

Diane Fleri

Giulia Michelini

Giuseppe Gandini

Running Time: 95 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm, in Italian, with  English subtitles

International Sales: DAP

Print Source:  DAP

Selected Filmography: Faceboom (2009)

Climbing Cold Mountain  (2004)

FEBBRE DA FIENO

Heading West

NeTHeRlaNdS 2010 NORTH aMeRICaN PReMIeRe

Wednesday June 8 7:00 PM

Friday June 10 4:30 PM

Heading West is a lovely study of everyday life, or, more specifically, the life of claire, a 38-year-old woman living in amsterdam whom we follow over the course of a single year. during this time, she cares for her young son, teaches at a school for deaf children, argues with her ex-husband, and flirts with a stranger. she has dinner with friends, visits her mother, goes shopping, checks up on the elderly neighbor, and makes her way from place to place in the city on her bicycle—even after an accident in which she breaks her arm. none of these experiences may be exceptional in their own right, but when taken together, they form a constellation of the highs and lows, large and small, that make up a life, and illustrate a whole which is more than the sum of its parts in this carefully observed, deeply personal film.

Director: Nicole van Kilsdonk

Producers: Hanneke Niens

Hans de Wolf

Screenwriter: Nicole van Kilsdonk

Cinematographer: Jeroen de Bruin

Editor: Albert Markus

Music: Paul M. Van Brugge

Cast: Susan Visser

Stefan Rokebrand Viggo Waas Koen Borkent

Annemarie Prins

Running Time: 98 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm, in Dutch, with  English subtitles

International Sales:

KeyFilm

Print Source: KeyFilm

Film Website: keyfi lm.nl/movie/ heading+west

Selected Filmography: How Do I Survive Myself?  (2008)

Johan (2005) Zoë (1996)

Hermano

VeNeZUela 2010

Friday May 20 7:00 PM harVard eXiT sunday May 22 3:00 PM adMiraL TheaTer

Two brothers who grew up playing soccer in the dirt fields of their barrio have their prayers answered when a scout gives them the opportunity to try out with the caracas Football club. daniel, the striker, dreams of being a professional player, but Julio’s more pragmatic goals of providing for the family lead him down a darker path. as the details of their lives unfold through the simple acts of baking a cake, a raucous party, or rooftop romance, we see the sinister undercurrents that threaten to derail everything they hope for, and the bonds of family pushed to the limit. This Venezuelan film tells a bittersweet tale of a brother’s love and loyalty being put to the test. With fast-paced, exhilarating action, director Marcel rasquin captures the raw talent of the young hopeful players, and demonstrates the unifying power of team sports played in a vacant lot.

Director: Marcel Rasquin

Producers: Marcel Rasquin

Enrique Aular

Juan Antonio Diaz

Liz Mago Bosch

Screenwriters: Rohan Jones

Marcel Rasquin

Cinematographer: Enrique Aular

Editors: Juan Carlos Melian

Carolina Aular

Music: Rigel Michelena

Cast: Eliú Armas

Beto Benites

Gonzálo Cubero

Marcela Girón

Fernando Moreno

Running Time: 97 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm, in Spanish,  with English subtitles

International Sales: m-Appeal

Print Source: Music Box Films

Film Website: musicboxfi lms.com/ hermano

Selected Filmography: Debut Feature Film

PaciFic PLace cineMas

eGyPTian TheaTre

BAL Honey

TURKeY/GeRMaNY 2010

Friday May 20 4:30 PM

adMiraL TheaTer

Monday May 23 7:00 PM harVard eXiT

Winner of the top prize at the 2010 Berlin Film Festival, the final installment of semih kaplanoglu’s “yusuf” trilogy (following Egg and Milk) is told in reverse chronology and recounts the life of its young protagonist in the remote eastern Black sea region of Turkey. The son of a wild honey gatherer whose livelihood disappears when the local bees vanish, yusuf stumbles along, trying to make sense of the world around him after his father is killed in a freak accident. comfortable in the embrace of his family, yusuf is nevertheless awkward in social situations and finds a refuge in his discovery of poetry. Possibly the most affecting of the three films, Honey is a starkly beautiful meditation on life and death, viewed through the prism of a child’s eye, with yusef’s own loss set against the threat to the region’s enviroment. Graced by a marvelous sound scape—one can almost feel the rain drizzling on yusuf as he makes his way from his mountain home down to his village school—and a beguiling performance from young Bora altas as our hero, this film lingers long in the memory.

Awards: Berlin Film Festival 2010 (Best Film)

Offi cial Oscar Submission 2010 (Foreign Language Film)

Director: Semih Kaplanoglu

Producer: Semih Kaplanoglu

Screenwriters: Semih Kaplanoglu Orçun Köksal

Cinematographer: Baris Ozbicer

Editors:

Semih Kaplanoglu Ayhan Ergürsel

Suzan Hande Güneri

Cast: Bora Altas

Erdal Besikcioglu Tülin Özen

Alev Ucarer

Ayse Altay

Running Time: 108 minutes

Presentation Format: DigiBeta, in Turkish, with  English subtitles

International Sales: The Match Factory

Print Source: Olive Films

Film Website: bal-der-fi lm.de

Selected Filmography: Milk (2009)

Egg (2007)

Angel’s Fall (2004) Away From Home (2000)

Hooked

RUSSIa 2010

sunday May 22 4:00 PM siFF cineMa

Monday May 30 1:45 PM nePTune TheaTre

Friday June 3 9:30 PM kirkLand PerForMance cenTer

six college students have turned their video game skills into a profitable enterprise, winning enough cash to pay for next semester’s tuition and a copy of a new game from the competition’s sponsor which fries their hard drives— gifting each gamer with their specialized virtual gaming skills. as the gamers test their new marksmanship, driving, and street fighting talents in the real world, one of them lands in trouble with a group of gangsters, and his friends must come together to save him for real. once the situation becomes less about killing frags (synthetic computer drones), and more about physically and psychologically washing the blood off their hands, the weight of Hooked surfaces. soon the young gamers, now feeling the pull of adrenaline, find themselves recruited into an army run by a billionaire in a zeppelin-like lair who manipulates his unstoppable commandos to his benefit, pitting them against his enemies—and each other. Video gamers and action film enthusiasts will be blown away as director Pavel sanayev takes the plot beyond a game adaptation by immersing viewers into the minds and lives of people who play video games. Best of all, Hooked maintains its sharp characterizations throughout, grounding the fantastical situation in a psychological reality that twists and turns toward its breathtaking conclusion. The May 22 screening will be followed by the FutureWave opening night Party at the Vera Project.

Director: Pavel Sanayev

Producers: Oleg Andreyev

Alexander Bondarev Leonid Ogorodnikov Aleksei Ryazantsev

Screenwriters: Pavel Sanayev

Aleksandr Chubaryan

Cinematographer: Vladislav Gurtchin

Editor: Igor Finkovskiy

Cast: Sergey Chirkov Marina Petrenko Pavel Priluchnyy

Evgeniy Kharlanov Tikhon Zhiznevskiy Nodar Siradze

Running Time: 132 minutes

Presentation Format: DigiBeta, in Russian, with  English subtitles

International Sales: Sovexportfi lm

Print Source: Ivan Production

Film Website: na-igre.ru

Selected Filmography: Kilometer Zero (2007)   A Journey Into Hellish  Friendship (2005)

The Hunter

IRaN/GeRMaNY 2010

Wednesday June 1 6:30 PM

adMiraL TheaTer

Friday June 3 4:00 PM eGyPTian TheaTre

recently released from prison, ali wants only to spend as much time as possible with his wife, sara, and their young daughter, saba. one day, he returns home from work to discover that sara and saba have disappeared. he goes to the police station where, after days of waiting and his own fruitless searching, he learns that they were accidentally killed in a shootout between police and demonstrators. in response, he shoots and kills two police officers, before fleeing into the forests north of the city. set and shot during the countdown to the 2009 elections in iran, The Hunter depicts the helplessness and the horror of people at the mercy of repressive forces—political, bureaucratic, security—beyond their control. 2007 siFF emerging Master rafi Pitts (Season Five, It’s Winter) directs and stars in this film that is part thriller, part poetic ethical drama—a complex portrait of life in contemporary Tehran.

Director: Rafi  Pitts

Producers: Thanassis Karathanos Mohammad Reza  Takhtkeshian

Screenwriter: Rafi  Pitts

Cinematographer: Mohammad Davudi

Editor: Hassan Hassandoost

Cast: Rafi  Pitts

Mitra Hajjar Sara

Ali Nicksaulat Hassan Ghalenoi Manoochehr Rahimi

Running Time: 92 minutes

Presentation Format: DigiBeta, in Farsi, with  English subtitles

International Sales: The Match Factory

Print Source: Olive Films

Selected Filmography: It’s Winter (2006)

Bel Ferrara: Not Guilty  (2003)

Sanam (1999)

Season Five (1997)

EU CÂND VREAU SA FLUIER, FLUIER

If I Want To Whistle, I Whistle

ROMaNIa/SwedeN 2010

Tuesday June 7 9:30 PM harVard eXiT

Friday June 10 1:30 PM PaciFic PLace cineMas

The seemingly endless stream of talent coming out of romania in recent years continues with Florin Şerban’s striking debut feature. eighteen-year-old silviu is five days away from release from a spell in reform school when he learns that his deadbeat mother has turned up out of nowhere and wants to take his much-loved younger brother away with her. suddenly the next five days seem like an eternity, but they become even more unbearable after he suddenly finds himself madly in love with ana, a young social worker, and life on the outside seems full of previously unanticipated possibilities. it becomes even more imperative for silviu to keep aloof from the casual brutality and hierarchical power-play that dog the detention center, but he is not always his own best friend when under pressure, and the tension mounts as the last days and hours of his confinement tick away. Boasting a largely non-professional cast—including many actual reformatory inmates—Budapest high school student George Piştereanu shines as silviu. originally devised as a play, this thoroughly engrossing story has been successfully opened up by serban through the use of exterior scenes and masterfully crafted moments of mood and tone.

Awards:  Berlin Film Festival 2010 (Grand Jury Prize, Alfred Bauer Prize) Offi cial Oscar Submission 2010 (Foreign Language Film)

Director: Florin Şerban

Producers: Catalin Mitulescu

Daniel Mitulescu

Screenwriters: Florin Şerban

Catalin Mitulescu

Cinematographer: Marius Panduru

Editors: Sorin Baican Catalin Cristutiu

Cast: George Piştereanu

Ada Condeescu Clara Voda

Mihai Constantin

Running Time: 94 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm, in Romanian, with  English subtitles

International Sales: Celluloid Dreams

Print Source: Film Movement

Film Website: vreausafl uier.ro

Selected Filmography: Emigrant (2009)

saTurday June 11 9:30 PM PaciFic PLace cineMas

sunday June 12 7:00 PM PaciFic PLace cineMas

The heartless treatment of illegal immigrants in Western democracies and their fear of deportation lie at the core of this poignant drama. Tania, a former French teacher from russia working as an off-the-books cleaner in Belgium, is stopped for a routine check by the police, then arrested and detained. her 14-year-old son ivan manages to escape at her insistence. Taken to a claustrophobic and rundown immigration detention center for women and children, Tania refuses to give her name. Without a known identity—she’s seared her fingertips with an iron to avoid having her prints taken—it is impossible for authorities to legally proceed with an expulsion. But her indeterminate stay in the center is no vacation. constantly worried about her son, she also has to deal with the frustration of not knowing what her future will be and the increasingly unfriendly behavior of the authorities. Meanwhile, the brutal treatment of her peers, including a strong-willed african woman who repeatedly disappears and is black-and-blue upon her return, foreshadows the grueling things to come.

Awards: Cannes Film Festival 2010 (Directors Fortnight - SACD Prize) Offi cial Oscar Submission 2010 (Foreign Language Film) Palm Springs Film Festival 2011 (FIPRESCI Award, Best Actress)

Director: Olivier Masset-Depasse

Producers:

Jaque-Henri Bronckart

Olivier Bronckart

Screenwriter: Olivier Masset-Depasse

Cinematographer: Tommaso Fiorilli

Editor: Damien Keyeux

Music: Andre Dziezuk

Mark Mergen

Cast: Anne Coesens Alexandre Golntcharov Esse Lawson

Gabriela Perez

Alexandre Gontcharov

Running Time: 95 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm, in French and  Russian, with English  subtitles

International Sales: Film Movement

Print Source: Film Movement

Film Website: illegal-lefi lm.fr

Selected Filmography: Cages (2006)

Johan Primero

sunday May 29 9:45 PM PaciFic PLace cineMas

Wednesday June 1 9:00 PM eVereTT PerForMinG arTs cenTer

Monday June 6 9:00 PM adMiraL TheaTer

Johan Puig is a 42-year-old man who spends his time driving 50 laps a day in his citroen 2cV around the stadium, which is home to the Barcelona football club. he never misses a lap, convinced that this ritual, which originated with his beloved father some 30 years previously (and whose ashes now ride around in the front seat), is the secret of the club’s success. he has constructed his life entirely around this daily routine, with regular stops throughout the neighborhood: at the local café, for a few cortados with his friend Jorge; at the playground to dispense football tips to neighborhood kid Leo; at the candy store to refresh his stash of chupa chups; and at the parking garage, for naps. one day, while he’s stopped at a red light, a girl named Paquita washes his windows. she’s cute, she’s friendly, she’s even a soccer fan, but will it be enough to get Johan out of his car?

Director: Johan Kramer

Producers: Peter Kuijpers

Iris Otten

Sander Van Meurs

Screenwriter: Johan Kramer

Cinematographer: Wouter Westendorp

Editor: Annelien Van Wijnbergen

Music: Junkie XL

Cast: José Luis Adserias Bella Agossou Joaquin Alcacer

Joan Bentalle

Running Time: 78 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm, in Spanish, with  English subtitles

International Sales: EYE

Film Institute Netherlands

Print Source: Pupkin Film

Film Website: johanprimero.com

Selected Filmography: Drang (2009) Sing for Darfur (2008) The Other Final (2003)

The ultimate food and wine experience featuring Washington’s top wineries paired with tastes from Seattle’s top chefs Signature Drink by Kathy Casey. Dozens of fabulous auction items including a luxurious 10-day cruise courtesy of Holland America!

Saturday, September 17, 2011

5:30–8:30pm

$150/person All proceeds benefit SIFF

Jucy

Friday May 27 6:30 PM eGyPTian TheaTre

saTurday May 28 1:00 PM harVard eXiT

sunday June 12 8:30 PM kirkLand PerForMance cenTer

rather than a celebrity couple like “Brangelina,” Louise alston’s warm-hearted comedy revolves around the womance of flamehaired Jackie and full-figured Lucy (cindy nelson and Francesca Gasteen, real-life best friends who created the characters together), a.k.a. “Jucy,” which has come to an end as the film begins. alston then backtracks to better days as the two Brisbane video store clerks and amateur actresses spend all their time together to the consternation of friends and relatives who find them adolescent—which isn’t completely off the mark. With their predilection for animal prints and neon nail polish, they’re like a younger, working-class version of the fun-loving duo in “absolutely Fabulous,” but the fun stops when Jackie sets her sights on shallow stage actor/ director alex (ryan Johnson), unaware that assistant director Trevor (damien Freeleagus) finds her far more interesting. Both ladies audition to play Jane eyre opposite alex’s rochester, but their friendship deteriorates when the cast list comes out. cast as crazy Mrs. rochester, Jackie chooses that time to go off her meds, and all hell breaks loose. Worse yet, everyone conspires to keep Jucy from getting back together, challenging Jackie and Lucy to see if they can grow up and make up at the same time.

Preceded By:

Proud To Be A Woman USA, 2010, 4 minutes, director: Miari Scott, Nancy Johnson, Cherie  Kabba

A music video that inspires pride in women and reminds us of all  the female role models we have.

Adobe Youth Voices

Director: Louise Alston

Producer: Kelly Chapman

Screenwriter: Stephen Vagg

Cinematographer: Jan Reichle

Editor: Andrew Soo

Music:

Caitlin Yeo

Cast: Francesca Gasteen

Cindy Nelson

Ryan Johnson

Damien Freeleagus

Nelle Lee

Running Time: 81 minutes

Presentation Format: HDCAM

International Sales: Odin’s Eye Entertainment

Print Source: Odin’s Eye Entertainment

Film Website: jucythemovie.com

Selected Filmography: All My Friends are Leaving Brisbane (2007)

Killing

Thursday June 2 6:30 PM nePTune TheaTre

sunday June 5 1:30 PM nePTune TheaTre

Wednesday June 8 9:15 PM adMiraL TheaTer

it’s an old, old story. Two bands start out at the same time, full of hope. eventually, one of them makes it big—sometimes even very, very big. in the case of irish writer neil Mccormick, his dreams of stadium stardom in late 1970s dublin through his band yeah! yeah! (later re-named shook up!), sadly, came to naught, while his rivals in The hype changed their name to u2, and, well, you know the rest. Mccormick’s original memoir is a great story, full of vaunting ambition, crushed egos, and comedic scenarios, which have been brought to life by veteran British TV scribes dick clement and ian La Frenais, who on occasion take liberties with actual facts for illuminating dramatic effect. starring the immensely likeable Ben Barnes (Prince caspian from The Chronicles of Narnia) as Mccormick, the film depicts the constantly frustrated hopes of an aspiring rock star and his guitarist brother, while rubbing salt in their wounds by painting their bitter rival Bono as—annoyingly—a pretty decent guy. containing the last screen appearance of the always-excellent Pete Postlethwaite as a gay landlord, the film is sure to resonate with anyone who has ever seen his or her dream of stardom slip slowly away.

Director: Nick Hamm

Producer: Ian Flooks

Screenwriters: Dick Clement

Ian La Fresnais

Cinematographer: Kieran McGuigan

Editor: Billy Sneddon

Music: Stephen Warbeck

Joe Echo

Cast: Ben Barnes

Robert Sheehan

Krysten Ritter

Pete Postlethwaite

Running Time: 114 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm

International Sales: The Salt Company

International

Print Source: The Salt Company

International

Film Website: killingbono.co.uk

Selected Filmography: Godsend (2004)

The Hole (2001)

Talk of Angels (1998)

The Very Thought of You  (1998)

King of Devil’s Island

Monday June 6 7:00 PM

PaciFic PLace cineMas

Thursday June 9 9:30 PM PaciFic PLace cineMas

saTurday June 11 1:00 PM adMiraL TheaTer

Through hard work, discipline, and brutal punishment, the guards of Bastøy Boys home believe they will turn troublesome juvenile delinquents into well-adjusted citizens. The warden (swedish favorite stellan skarsgård) presides over this island prison with a combination of uneasy compassion and an iron fist, especially when a headstrong new inmate arrives. erling (Benjamin helstad in a commanding debut performance) demonstrates an unbreakable indomitability that quickly butts heads with the guards and earns the respect of his fellow inmates. a tragic series of events initiated by a sadistic dorm master (a truly reprehensible kristoffer Joner) finds these young men overpowering their captors and demanding to be treated fairly. The tremendous young ensemble cast expertly defines their characters in stark opposition to the cool precision of skarsgård and slimy wretch Joner. Their performances are equaled by John andreas anderson’s exemplary cinematography, which uses a subdued blue and gray color palette that’s heightened by the fiery behavior of the third act. Based on the true events of 1915, King of Devil’s Island stands as an epic testament that the struggles of yesterday are, at their heart, the same struggles of today.

Director: Marius Holst

Producer: Karin Julsrud

Screenwriters: Dennis Magnusson based on the story by  Lars Saabye Christensen  Mette M. Bølstad

Cinematographer: John Andreas Andersen

Editor: Michał Leszczyłowski

Cast: Stellan Skarsgård Trond Nilssen

Kristoffer Joner Benjamin Helstad

Running Time: 120 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm, in Norwegian,  with English subtitles

International Sales: Les Films du Losange

Print Source: Norwegian Film Institute

Selected Filmography: Blodsbånd (2007) Dragonfl y (2001)

Cross My Heart and Hope  To Die (1994)

LA VIDA DE LOS PECES

The Life of Fish

CHIle 2010

sunday June 5 6:45 PM PaciFic PLace cineMas

Tuesday June 7 4:00 PM PaciFic PLace cineMas

sunday June 12 6:00 PM adMiraL TheaTer

a handsome man wanders around a house party, catching up with friends he has not seen for some years. a travel writer now based in Berlin, andre appears to be living an exciting international life, yet something has drawn him back home to santiago. as the night goes on, we realize that a tragedy binds this group—an event that was also the impetus for andre’s departure from chile years ago. Moreover, there is someone at the party he goes to great lengths to avoid. But she is the very person he most needs to see. in The Life of Fish, it is not what the characters say as much as what remains unsaid. Their smallest gestures speak volumes. Their collective pain is never fully articulated, yet is all-pervasive. The weight of missed opportunities leaps off the screen, making you question your own. Blanca Lewin and santiago cabrera give extraordinary and nuanced performances without a false note. and we are left to contemplate: if one could turn back time, would the outcome be any different?

Awards: Offi cial Oscar Submission 2010 (Foreign Language Film) Goya Awards 2011(Best Latin American Film)

Director: Matías Bize

Producer: Adrián Solar

Screenwriters: Julio Rojas

Matías Bize

Cinematographer: Bárbara Álvarez

Editor: Javier Estévez

Music: Diego Fontecilla

Cast: Santiago Cabrera

Blanca Lewin

Antonia Zegers

Víctor Montero

María Gracia Omegna

Running Time: 83 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm, in Spanish, with  English subtitles

International Sales: Cachoeira Films

Print Source: CENECA Producciones

Film Website: lavidadelospeces.cl

Selected Filmography: About Crying (2007) In Bed (2005) Saturday (2003)

Lope

SPaIN/BRaZIl 2010

saTurday May 21 4:00 PM

nePTune TheaTre

Tuesday May 24 7:00 PM nePTune TheaTre

Thursday May 26 6:30 PM adMiraL TheaTer

a contemporary of “don Quixote” author Miguel de cervantes, Lope de Vega was a bright star in the literary field of Baroque spain. in this entertaining and romantic look at his struggles to establish himself, we encounter a man ruled by his passions and more condemned than commended for his eviscerating wit. returning to Madrid as a penniless soldier, he is provided a stepping-stone to his burning ambition of being a playwright, but his libido proves to be a serious impediment when he promptly falls for the theater owner’s daughter and is forced to flee. in acclaimed director andrucha Waddington‘s (House of Sand) Madrid, the sanitized version of medieval times we get from hollywood has been done away with. however, grimy fingernails and greasy hair are no deterrent to the swashbuckling appeal of alberto ammann (a Goya award winner for Cell 211) and his excellent portrayal of the young, passionate Lope, with a wonderful turn by Golden Globe nominee sonia Braga as Paquita.

Awards:

Goya Awards 2011 (Best Original Song, Wardrobe)

Director: Andrucha Waddington

Producers: Mercedes Gamero

Jordi Gasull

Edmon Roch

Screenwriters: Jordi Gasull

Ignacio del Moral

Cinematographer: Ricardo della Rosa

Editor: Sergio Mekler

Music: Fernando Velasquez

Cast: Alberto Ammann

Leonor Watling

Pilar López de Ayala

Sonia Braga

Luis Tosar

Running Time: 106 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm, in Spanish, with  English subtitles

International Sales: Wild Bunch

Print Source: Wild Bunch

Film Website: antena3fi lms.com

Selected Filmography: House of Sand (2005)

Viva Sao Joao (2002)

Me You Them (2000) Gemeas (1999)

CRIME D’AMOUR

Love Crime

FRaNCe 2010

sunday June 5 9:30 PM siFF cineMa

Tuesday June 7 8:30 PM adMiraL TheaTer

Two formidable actresses square off against each other in the late alain corneau’s clever corporate twist on All About Eve. drawing on her work with claude chabrol and François ozon, actress Ludivine sagnier plays dedicated executive isabelle, who reports to powerful president christine (kristin scott Thomas). Together, their chemistry teeters between sexual and convivial. sometimes they even seem like mother and daughter (christine offers the younger woman fashion tips). at the office, the mousy isa comes up with ideas for which her superior takes credit, saying to her in private, “you have real talent,” but isa tells her assistant, daniel (Guillaume Marquet), that she doesn’t mind. Then, on a trip to cairo, isabelle has a fling with christine’s lover, Philippe (Patrick Mille). When they return to Paris, christine threatens to go public with his firm’s creative bookkeeping, while daniel encourages her to collaborate with him on a secret project. When isa finally garners the recognition she deserves, all hell breaks loose. a caustic tale of office politics, Love Crime is a remorseless clash of competing egos.

Director: Alain Corneau

Producer: Saïd Ben Saïd

Screenwriters: Alain Corneau

Natalie Carter

Cinematographer: Yves Angelo

Editor: Thierry Derocles

Cast: Ludivine Sagnier

Kristin Scott Thomas

Patrick Mille

Guillaume Marquet

Running Time: 106 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm, in French, with  English subtitles

International Sales: TF1 International

Print Source: IFC Films

Selected Filmography: Second Breath (2007)

Some Kind of Blue (2005)

Fear and Trembling  (2003)

The Cousin (1997)

The New World (1995) Nocturne Indien (1989) Fort Saganne (1984)

Choice of Arms (1981)

The Threat (1977) Police Python 357 (1976)

UN POISON VIOLENT

Love Like Poison

FRaNCe 2010

Tuesday May 24 4:00 PM

eGyPTian TheaTre

saTurday May 28 8:30 PM eVereTT PerForMinG arTs cenTer

Monday May 30 9:00 PM PaciFic PLace cineMas

it’s spring break, and 14-year-old anna returns from boarding school to her village in Brittany, where she lives with her mother in the house of her elderly and ailing paternal grandfather. in her father’s absence, the young girl quickly understands that her parents are no longer together. upon further investigation, anna realizes that one of the reasons for this separation is their disagreement about faith. soon, things become complicated by the increasingly depressed mother’s attraction to an easy-going young village priest. Meanwhile, anna is caught between her own religious convictions—she’s due for her confirmation— and her teenage sexual stirrings, which are awakened by choirboy Pierre. This naturalistic, coming-of-age film depicts the cycle of life from adolescence to adulthood, confirming the ongoing demands of the flesh and the way they frequently conflict with religious faith. Beautifully written, confident, and subtle, Love Like Poison marks the impressive feature debut of katell Quillevere.

Director: Katell Quillevere

Producer:

Justin Taurand

Screenwriters: Mariette Desert

Katell Quillevere

Cinematographer: Tom Harari

Editor:

Thomas Marchand

Music:

Olivier Mellano

Cast: Clara Augarde

Lio

Michel Galabru

Running Time: 92 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm, in French, with  English subtitles

International Sales:

Films Distribution

Print Source:

Films Distribution

Selected Filmography: Debut Feature Film

Lys

GeRMaNY 2010

wORld PReMIeRe

Friday June 10 9:30 PM

nePTune TheaTre

saTurday June 11 11:00 aM nePTune TheaTre

Following a massive blackout, 15-year-old Lys Marjan is found inside the core of the TerraPower Plant, a new reactor able to provide clean, emission-free electricity by drawing upon the earth’s anima energy. unable to remember how she got there, Lys returns home with her parents, while scientist karl Bardel, the chief architect behind the reactor, investigates the possible connection between her and the incident. at home, Lys is plagued by recurring dreams urging her to return to the reactor. Meanwhile, in her absence, further strange occurrences plague the reactor, as the anima energy grows unstable. it soon becomes clear that Lys possesses a special affinity for anima, one Bardel hopes will be able to stabilize the reactor before it reaches critical mass. With the mainstream rise of environmentalism, the emerging sub-genre of ecological science fiction adds a relevant, frighteningly possible aspect to the traditional apocalyptic narrative. in his debut feature, director krystof Zlatnik crafts an exquisite cautionary parable in which even the greenest technologies may have disastrous, unintended consequences.

Preceded By: Roman’s Ark Australia, 2011, 24 minutes, director: Seth Larney  Venturing out of his underground bunker every fi ve years, Roman  scours a post-apocalyptic world for signs of new life…but will he  survive long enough to see the Earth reborn?

Director: Krystof Zlatnik

Producers: Felix Vollmar

Fabian Wolfart

Screenwriters: Benjamin Karalic

Krystof Zlatnik

Cinematographer: Ralf Noack

Editors: Jacob Ipsen

Philipp Thomas

Music: Steven Schwalbe

Cast: Hanna Schwamborn

Horst-Günter Marx

Marc Hosemann

Catherine Bode

Ecki Hoffmann

Running Time: 52 minutes

Presentation Format: HDCAM, in German, with  English subtitles

Print Source: Krystof Zlatnik

Film Website: lys-fi lm.de

Selected Filmography: Debut Feature Film

The Majority

tuesday May 31 7:00 PM Pacific Place cineMas

Wednesday June 1 4:30 PM Pacific Place cineMas

saturday June 11 3:30 PM KirKland PerfOrMance center

set against the backdrop of istanbul’s transformation under global economic forces, The Majority is the story of Mertkan, an apathetic 21-year-old, passive in the face of his father’s brutish domination. he half-heartedly pursues a career in the lucrative construction sector, working at his father’s company and hanging out with his male buddies, drinking and driving on the streets of istanbul at night. But then one night he meets Gül, a young Kurdish girl who works as a waitress and studies sociology at a university in istanbul. unlike Mertkan, Gül believes in the value of struggle and is determined to build an independent life of her own; it’s this philosophy that has enabled her to escape the confines of her own oppressive family. the relationship seems to open up a new path for Mertkan, if only he can find the wherewithal to take it. this impressive first feature from seren yüce premiered at the Venice international film festival, where it won the award for Best debut film.

Awards:

Venice International Film Festival 2010 (Best Debut Film)

Director: Seren Yüce

Producers: Sevil Demirci

Onder Cakar

Seren Yüce

Screenwriter: Seren Yüce

Cinematographer: Baris Ozbicer

Editor: Mary Stephen

Music: Gökçe Akçelik

Cast: Bartu Kucukcaglayan Settar Tanriogen Nihal Koldas

Esme Madra

Running Time: 102 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm, in Turkish, with  English subtitles

International Sales: The Match Factory

Print Source: The Match Factory

Film Website: cogunluk.net

Selected Filmography: Debut Feature Film

Mamas & Papas

CZeCh rePuBliC 2010

friday June 3 11:00 aM Pacific Place cineMas

tuesday June 7 9:30 PM Pacific Place cineMas

saturday June 11 8:30 PM KirKland PerfOrMance center

in her latest film, alice nellis (Little Girl Blue) has created an unscripted ensemble drama around four couples trying to cope with the issues and realities of parenthood. irena is a middle-age maternity specialist with one child who helps couples like Zuzi and filip (who have been trying for three years) to conceive. filip’s brother Michal is having serious problems with his girlfriend teresa, who seems more interested in having a career than the child he desires. a ukrainian couple living in Prague in dire financial straits considers making the heart-breaking decision of giving their third baby up for adoption. lives intersect and change through emotionally-charged stories, as each partner deals with their issues of loss and gain with varying degrees of failure and success. Mamas & Papas provides an introspective look into its vast subject matter, while providing a humorously honest view for an authentic exploration of the joys and heartaches of parenthood.

Director: Alice Nellis

Producer: Jeffrey Brown

Screenwriter: Alice Nellis

Cinematographers: David Calek

Matej Cibulka

Editor: Petr Mrkous

Music: Jan Ponocný

Cast: Zuzana Bydžovská

Martha Issová Ivan Shvedoff

Václav Jiráček

Natalia Volkova

Filip Čapka

Running Time: 110 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm, in Czech, with  English subtitles

International Sales: Wide Management

Print Source: Wide Management

Selected Filmography: Little Girl Blue (2007)  Some Secrets (2002)  Eeny Meeny (2000)

Mammuth

FranCe 2010

friday June 3 7:00 PM eGyPtian theatre

sunday June 5 4:00 PM nePtune theatre

anchored by the kind of tour-de-force performance that has made Gérard depardieu an icon, Benoît delépine and Gustave de Kervern’s offbeat, affectionate, and frequently very funny road movie provides the hulking actor with his best role in years. he plays serge (known as “Mammuth” to friends, after his rusting old motorcycle), first seen attending his retirement party at the local pork slaughterhouse. an honest and genuine guy—if not exactly an intellectual heavyweight—serge finds himself at loose ends now that his working life is over, and it is his wife catherine (the superb yolande Moreau) who suggests he seek out his old employers in order to get all his pension-application paperwork in order. Out comes the motorbike, and off scoots serge on an adventure that will see him cross paths with con artists, his kooky relatives, some hilariously officious bureaucrats—and the ghost of his first love, as embodied by isabelle adjani. delépine and de Kervern underscore the laughs with an unsentimental thread of genuine emotion throughout and then they do the smart thing: they let depardieu take over. his serge is one of the most unforgettable characters ever on film.

Directors:

Benoît Delépine

Gustave de Kervern

Producer:

Jean-Pierre Guerin

Screenwriters: Benoît Delépine

Gustave de Kervern

Cinematographer: Hugues Poulain

Editor: Stéphane Elmadjian

Music: Gaëtan Roussel

Cast: Gérard Depardieu Yolande Moreau Isabelle Adjani

Miss Ming

Running Time: 92 minutes

Presentation Format: DigiBeta, in French, with  English subtitles

International Sales: Funny Balloons

Print Source: Olive Films

Selected Filmography: Louise-Michel (2008) Aaltra (2004)

Homme AU BAin

Man at Bath

FranCe 2010

Wednesday May 25 9:30 PM eGyPtian theatre thursday May 26 4:30 PM eGyPtian theatre

When work demands the temporary disruption of their Parisian lifestyle, Omar and emmanuel struggle in their attempt to stop loving each other. after a torrid sex scene, Omar leaves for new york on a promotional tour with his lead actress chiara Mastroianni—who might or might not be playing herself. the two lovers proceed to spend this time apart and reflect on their relationship, in markedly different fashions. While emmanuel amasses sex partners, Omar hooks up with a cute canadian kid who offers him sexual distraction from his Parisian lover. transitioning between new york, where the camera follows Omar and chiara as if it was a documentary about a filmmaker and his actress, and a Paris transformed into the theater of a pornographic story, the parallel between the two cities contributes to the building of a contemplative work of art about the limitations of love. christophe honoré’s ode to homosexual desire is part a personal love song, part the erotic fantasy of a teenage boy. after his worldly acclaimed films (In Paris, Love Songs, Making Plans For Lena), honoré offers a very private but yet highly visual film about love and relationships.

Director: Christophe Honoré

Producer: Justin Taurand

Screenwriter: Christophe Honoré

Cinematographers: Frederic Oliver Stephane Vallee

Editor: Chantal Hymans

Cast: François Sagat

Chiara Mastroianni Rabah Zahi

Running Time: 72 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm, in French, with  English subtitles

International Sales: Le Pacte

Print Source: Le Pacte

Film Website: hommeaubain-lefi lm.com

Selected Filmography: Making Plans for Lena  (2009)

The Beautiful Person  (2008)

Love Songs (2007)  In Paris (2006)  My Mother (2004)  Seventeen Times Cecile  Cassard (2002)

Microphone

MOnday May 23 9:30 PM harVard eXit

tuesday May 24 4:00 PM harVard eXit

ahmad abdalla emerges as one of the most exciting new voices of north african cinema with his second feature Microphone, a sparkling mash-up of shooting styles that tells the story of Khaled, who returns to his native alexandria after a long stay in the united states and becomes enmeshed in a thriving underground arts scene after he chances upon a cooperative of young musicians. Once more stimulated by the city he had long given up on, Khaled finds things getting complicated when a documentary film crew starts to take an interest in him. With its disparate characters woven into intricate patterns against the backdrop of the teeming city, Microphone establishes director abdalla as both an auteur and a visionary and is further proof, were it needed, that hip-hop has become the cultural Lingua Franca of young people the world over. completed prior to the remarkable social unrest that ultimately ousted President Mubarak at the beginning of this year, the film is nonetheless highly radical in the context of contemporary arabic cinema and should not be missed by anyone with even a passing interest in north african affairs.

Director: Ahmad Abdalla

Producers: Mohamed Hefzy

Khaled Abol Naga

Screenwriter: Ahmad Abdalla

Cinematographer: Tarek Hefny

Editor: Hisham Sakr

Cast: Khaled Abol Naga

Menna Shalabi

Yosra El Lozy

Hany Adel

Ahmad Magdy

Running Time: 116 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm, in Arabic, with  English subtitles

International Sales: Film Clinic

Print Source: Film Clinic

Film Website: microphone-fi lm.com

Selected Filmography: Heliopolis (2009)

The Mountain

nOrWaY 2011 nOrTh ameriCan Premiere

saturday May 21 1:00 PM adMiral theater MOnday May 23 9:15 PM Pacific Place cineMas

nora and solveig are hiking through a snowcovered, starkly beautiful landscape on a tour of several days that will take the two young women to the top of a mountain. solveig, three months pregnant, seems incapable of doing anything the way nora wants her to. something is weighing upon nora, an unspoken accusation that poisons the atmosphere between them. the further the women advance on their trip, the more erratic nora becomes, sometimes disappearing from the campsite, leaving solveig alone and frightened. solveig is particularly terrified at the thought of losing nora, and of what would become of her if she were on her own with their child. finally, they reach their destination, the place where they suffered a traumatic experience two years earlier. as they arrive at the top of a windswept cliff, the two women are engulfed by emotions that shake them to their very roots—and that might show them the way to a better future. director Ole Glæver delivers a universal and dramatic first feature about a young couple trying to find the way back to their love after their lives have been shattered, as mutual reproaches linger below the surface and find expression in poignant dialogue.

Director: Ole Glæver

Producer: Ole Glæver

Screenwriters: Ole Glæver Karin Julsrud

Cinematographer: Øystein Mamen

Editor: Wibecke Rønseth

Music: Ola Fløttum

Cast: Ellen Dorrit Petersen Marte Magnusdotter  Solem

Running Time: 73 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm, in Norwegian,  with English subtitles

International Sales: Bavaria FIlm International

Print Source: Norwegian Film Institute

Selected Filmography: Debut Feature Film

FJeLLeT

LA

My Afternoons with Margueritte

FranCe 2010

tuesday May 31 4:00 PM siff cineMa

tuesday June 7 7:00 PM siff cineMa

Barely literate handyman Germain (Gérard depardieu) is a man of simple pleasures. he enjoys spending time with his girlfriend (sophie Guillemin), hanging out at the local café, and watching pigeons in the park. Glimpses of his childhood reveal an awkward boy who didn’t get much attention, especially from his mother. One afternoon, he meets Margueritte (Gisèle casadesus), a beautiful 95-year-old who shares his interest in pigeons. Germain describes her to his cat, Jeremy, as “85 pounds, dressed like a posy”. Where Germain sees the clouds, she sees the sun, even though age is slowing her down. When she senses a kindred spirit, she reads to him from albert camus and other favorites, encouraging him to do the same, but he finds his universe expanding in ways that feel uncomfortable, particularly around his boorish friends. Germain can handle their barbs, but he worries about Margueritte’s declining health and dwindling income. then, when she disappears, he gets the chance to pay her back for her friendship, her respect, and her introduction to a whole new world. director Jean Becker adapts Marie-sabine roger’s celebrated novel with charm and sensitivity.

Director: Jean Becker

Producer: Louis Becker

Screenwriters: Jean Becker

Jean-Loup Dabadie based on the novel by  Marie-Sabine Roger

Cinematographer: Arthur Cloquet

Editor: Jacques Witta

Music: Laurent Voulzy

Cast: Gérard Depardieu Gisèle Casadesus

Maurane

Patrick Bouchitey Sophie Guillemin

Running Time: 86 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm, in French, with  English subtitles

International Sales: Studio Canal

Print Source: Cohen Media Group

Film Website: myafternoons.co.uk

Selected Filmography: Love Me No More (2008)

Conversations with My

Gardener (2007)

Stranger Gardens (2003)

A Crime in Paradise  (2001)

Elisa (1995)

One Deadly Summer  (1983)

Tender Scoundrel (1966)

Backfi re (1964)

A Man Named Rocca  (1961)

Le nom DeS GenS

The Names of Love

FranCe 2010

tuesday May 31 7:00 PM eGyPtian

friday June 3 1:30 PM

rising french star sara forestier pulls off a comedic tour-de-force in Michel leclerc’s witty and politically pointed romp of a romanticcomedy. she plays Bahia, an attractive and promiscuous young leftist of mixed algerianfrench descent who seduces right-wingers in order to convert them to her politics (only in france!). however, her magic fails to work on the conservative arthur (the great Jacques Gamblin), a middle-aged bird-flu expert she meets while jousting with him on a radio show. the son of a french father and a Jewish mother, arthur is, like Baya, an “outsider” in the increasingly intolerant france of nicolas sarkozy. the stage is set for a quirky romance in which leclerc and his co-screenwriter Baya Kasmi keep the barbed political one-liners and gags flowing. forestier and Gamblin are perfect foils—they play off each other like only consummate actors can, and the effect is both hugely enjoyable and spiked with intelligence to spare.

Awards: César Awards 2011 (Best Actress, Best Original Screenplay)

Director: Michel Leclerc

Producers: Carolie Adrian

Fabrice Goldstein

Antoine Rein

Screenwriters: Baya Kasmi

Michel Leclerc

Cinematographer: Vincent Mathias

Editor: Nathalie Hubert

Music: Jérôme Bensoussan

David Euverte

Cast: Jacques Gamblin

Sara Forestier

Zinedine Soualem

Carole Franck

Jacques Boudet

Running Time: 102 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm, in French, with  English subtitles

International Sales: TF1 International

Print Source:

Music Box Films

Film Website: musicboxfi lms.com/ the-names-of-love

Selected Filmography: Handy Man (2006)

theatre

Pacific Place cineMas

KAnenAS

Nobody

greeCe 2010 nOrTh ameriCan Premiere

friday May 27 7:00 PM Pacific Place cineMas

sunday May 29 1:00 PM eVerett PerfOrMinG arts center

tuesday May 31 4:30 PM Pacific Place cineMas

infusing shakespeare’s “romeo and Juliet” with a contemporary athenian migrant setting, director christos nikoleris has crafted a film that successfully blends the original play with shades of homer. the familiar gangs of youth are represented by Goran, a young russian, and Julia, a young albanian girl, who fall tragically in love amidst the ethnic conflict of their friends and family who are prone to settling disputes with illegal street racing through the streets of athens. as the tension mounts, nikoleris captures the cultural nuances of these young people trapped in a cycle of ethnic violence and hatred. Julia and Goran are painted as wild children, not only madly in love but also living on the edge of constant danger just by spending time with each other. from the moment they set eyes on each other, the romance between hunky antinoos albanis and Georgina liossi (in a fiery debut performance) sizzles with passion and provides the strong central relationship around which the supporting characters violently interact. With gorgeous widescreen cinematography and kinetic editing, Nobody rewards the audience with a transcendent ending that perfectly marries shakespeare and homer in a lingering statement of triumphant true love.

Director:

Christos Nikoleris

Producer:

Giannis Exintaris

Screenwriter: Panayotos Iosifelis

Cinematographer: Dimitris Stambolis

Editor: Lambis Haralambidis

Music:

The Prefabricated Quartet

Cast: Georgina Liossi Antinoos Albanis Efi  Stamouli

Nikolas Papagiannis Giorgos Papageorgiou

Dimitris Kapenakos

Running Time: 96 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm, in Greek, Russian  and Albanian, with English  subtitles

Print Source: N-Orassis Productions

Selected Filmography: Debut Feature Film

SmUKKe menneSKer

Nothing’s All Bad

denmarK 2010

saturday May 21 3:30 PM adMiral theater

Wednesday May 25 9:00 PM Pacific Place cineMas

first-time writer/director Mikkel Munch-fals offers a thematically daring, bleakly funny, and smoothly executed drama that focuses on two intersecting parent-child relationships, the role of sexuality and its dysfunctions, and the pervasive sense of loneliness in modern urban living. ambitious, but perfectly played and strikingly original as well. in her 30s, anna undergoes a mastectomy, with all the attendant loss—physical and psychological—that this experience implies. Meanwhile, anna’s mother is dealing with the death of her husband and encroaching loneliness. When anna is confronted in a park by anders, whose tendency to expose himself in public is uncontrollable, director Munch-fals begins to tie together the various narrative strands. these strands also include anders’ son Jonas, a hustler whose good looks have come to seem more a curse than a blessing. adding a level of irony and sardonic wit to what can seem, on the surface, to be deadly serious subjects, the director treads a dangerous, but ultimately rewarding, cinematic path.

Awards: San Sebastian Film Festival 2010 (Special Mention) Palm Springs Film Festival 2011 (New Voices/New Visions)

Director: Mikkel Munch-Fals

Producers: Meta Louise Foldager Stine Meldgaard Madsen

Screenwriter: Mikkel Munch-Fals

Cinematographer: Eric Kress

Editor: Carsten Søsted

Music: Jomi Massage

Cast: Bodil Jørgensen Henrik Prip Mille Hoffmeyer-Lehfeldt Sebastian Jessen

Running Time: 93 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm, in Danish, with  English subtitles

International Sales: TrustNordisk

Print Source: Danish Film Institute Film Website: trustnordisk.com

Selected Filmography: Debut Feature Film

Nuummioq

saturday May 21 11:00 aM nePtune theatre

thursday May 26 9:00 PM adMiral theater

the first feature film to emerge from Greenland, and the first Greenland/inuitproduced feature, Nuummioq tells the story of a robust young man who leads a common, slightly lonesome life in nuuk, the country’s tiny capital city. soon after falling in love with the gorgeous nivi, Malik is diagnosed with incurable cancer. facing the tough decision of moving to denmark for treatment or spending his last days in his hometown, he embarks on one last boat trip into the fjord with his lifelong friend Mikael. in a personal transformation, he attempts to piece together his past and relive the carefree world of his childhood. radiant, lush green landscapes and the filmmakers’ humanistic approach toward the film’s characters buoy the film’s weighty themes. Portraying daily life in a country rarely seen on screen, Nuummioq tenderly relays a universal story about falling in love, appreciating life, and the acceptance of death.

Awards:

Offi cial Oscar Submission 2010 (Foreign Language Film) Palm Springs Film Festival 2011 (FIPRESCI Award - Best Actor)

Directors: Otto Rosing

Torben Bech

Producer: Mikisoq H. Lynge

Screenwriters: Torben Bech

Otto Rosing

Cinematographer: Bo Bilstrup

Editors:

Niels Ostenfeld

Henrik Fleischer

Music:

Soren Hyldgaard

Cast: Lars Rosing

Angunnguaq Larsen

Julie Berthelsen

Morten Rose

Makka Kleist

Running Time: 98 minutes

Presentation Format: HDCAM, in Danish  and Inuit, with English

subtitles

International Sales: The Works International

Print Source: XYZ Films

Film Website: nuummioqthemovie.com

Selected Filmography: Debut Feature Film

Oliver Sherman

Canada 2010

uS Premiere

saturday June 4 9:30 PM Pacific Place cineMas

sunday June 5 11:00 aM Pacific Place cineMas

Based on the story “Veterans” by rachell ingalls, ryan redford’s sensitively-acted film vividly illustrates the difficulties of life after traumatic brain injury for a man with no support system and a hardscrabble background. War veteran sherman Oliver (“deadwood”’s remarkable Garret dillahunt), suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, but his physical wounds are even harder for people to comprehend. When he arrives unexpectedly at the rural home of franklin (donal logue) and irene (Molly Parker), they’re happy to let him stay, even though franklin hasn’t seen his army buddy for seven years. the drifter soon begins to covet the mill worker’s life with his wife and two children, and irene becomes increasingly uncomfortable with his downbeat, antagonistic demeanor. Oliver Sherman may not follow the guidelines of a conventional thriller, but redford sets a tense atmosphere from the start. instead of spooky music or moody lighting, the cast does the heavy lifting, as the couple becomes uncomfortably aware that they’re sharing their home with a guest ready to erupt.

Director: Ryan Redford

Producers: Paul Stephens

Eric Jordan

Screenwriter: Ryan Redford based on the story by  Rachell Ingalls

Cinematographer: Antonio Calvache

Editor: Matthew Hannam

Music: Benoît Charest

Cast: Garret Dillahunt

Donal Logue

Molly Parker

Running Time: 82 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm

International Sales: Wide Management

Print Source: Wide Management

Film Website: thefi lmworks.ca/pages/ OliverSherman.htm

Selected Filmography: Debut Feature Film

Holland america line congratulates the Seattle international Film Festival on its 37th anniversary

Spacious, Elegant Ships

Gracious, Award-Winning Service

Worldwide Itineraries

Extensive Activities & Enrichment Programs

Sophisticated Five-Star Dining

ToUrnÉe

On Tour

FranCe 2010

saturday May 28 9:00 PM adMiral theater

thursday June 9 9:30 PM nePtune theatre

saturday June 11 3:30 PM nePtune theatre

acclaimed actor Mathieu amalric piles surprise on top of surprise in his joyous and generous fourth outing as a filmmaker. directing largely in english, he takes on the world of burlesque, a hyper-feminine field filled with glitter, rouge, and pasties. the filmmaker also plays former tV producer Joachim Zand, the mustachioed manager of a bawdy troupe of american performers (all of whom are actual burlesque stars) as they travel across france. While the easily distracted Joachim agonizes about lodgings and performance venues, the girls make new friends when they aren’t shaking and shimmying onstage to the rousing strains of the Kingsmen and the sonics. as the tour picks up steam, it transpires that Joachim has a love-hate relationship with feisty feather dancer Mimi le Meaux (Miranda colclasure), and that he’s made more than a few enemies over the years. as a director, amalric proves adept at balancing his characters’ concerns with those of the ladies, the crew members, and his two sons, who join the tour for a spell and make for further wild complications.

Awards: Cannes Film Festival 2010 (Best Director)

Director: Mathieu Amalric

Producers: Yael Fogiel

Laetitia Gonzalez

Screenwriters: Mathieu Amalric

Marcello Novais Teles

Philippe di Folco

Cinematographer: Christoph Beaucarne

Editor: Annette Dutertre

Cast: Mathieu Amalric Miranda Colclasure Julie Atlas Muz

Suzanne Ramsey

Running Time: 111 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm, in French and  English, with English  subtitles

International Sales: Backup Films

Print Source: Le Pacte

Film Website: tournee-lefi lm.com

Selected Filmography: Public Affairs (2003) Wimbledon Stage (2001)

Eat Your Soup (1997)

noSSo LAr

Our Home

BraZil 2010

nOrTh ameriCan Premiere

Wednesday June 1 4:00 PM eVerett PerfOrMinG arts center

friday June 3 7:00 PM nePtune theatre

saturday June 4 3:30 PM nePtune theatre

at the beginning of Our Home, andré luiz (renato Prieto) wakes up in a dark valley full of tormented souls where he quickly and painfully realizes that death is not the end of life. in this “umbral shadow region” andré re-enters the spiritual part of his life as a suicide who has let the material distractions of corporeal life divert his attention from what really matters. upon his ascension to one of the many spirit cities that surrounds earth, andré begins the long process of healing his soul. this Brazilian film—the most expensive ever made in that country—is an adaptation of a novel by spiritualist medium chico Xavier, who claimed that all of his 412 books were channeled. Our Home’s eponymous city is suffused with unearthly light and air that writer/director Wagner de assis moves through as if in a dream. this unearthly depiction of the afterlife imbues the film with a dream-like quality in which discrete events seem to flow into each other without being entirely connected. adding to the experience, this stunningly realized fantasy also boasts a score by Philip Glass.

Sponsored by Robert & Donna Dughi

Director: Wagner de Assis

Producer: Iafa Britz

Screenwriter: Wagner de Assis

Cinematographer: Ueli Steiger

Editor: Marcelo Moraes

Music: Philip Glass

Cast: Renato Prieto

Fernando Alves Pinto Rosane Mulholland

Running Time: 109 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm, in Portuguese,  with English subtitles

International Sales: FilmSharks International

Print Source:

Required Viewing

Film Website: nossolarofi lme.com.br

Selected Filmography: Take Your Cards! (2004)

Our Life

saturday May 21 1:30 PM eGyPtian theatre

tuesday May 24 6:30 PM adMiral theater

sunday May 29 8:30 PM eVerett PerfOrMinG arts center

a gritty slice of contemporary roman proletarian life in the vein of Ken loach, Our Life is daniele luchetti’s follow-up to his acclaimed period epic My Brother is an Only Child, and it couldn’t be more different in tone and style. frequent use of hand-held camera and bravura editing is used to tell the story of claudio, a happy family man and construction worker from the outskirts of rome. tragedy strikes when a romanian worker is found dead on claudio’s building site, setting him off on an obsessive quest for redemption. using every means at his disposal, claudio leans on family and friends alike to raise the capital for a rash bid to complete a new apartment block, which has to be done in an unrealistically short time. While under the gun, claudio finds emotional payback in spades for the tragedy. featuring a blistering central performance by elio Germano (Romanze Criminale), Our Life is the story of one man’s struggle to rise above the compromises that beset him. anchored in a belief in the solidity of working class family life, the film is a bracing neo-neorealist drama, universal in theme while utterly emblematic of contemporary italy.

Awards:  Cannes Film Festival 2010 (Best Actor)

Director: Daniele Luchetti

Producers: Marco Chimenz

Giovanni Stabilini

Riccardo Tozzi

Screenwriters: Daniele Luchetti

Stefano Rulli

Sandro Petraglia

Cinematographer: Claudio Collepiccolo

Editor: Mirco Garrone

Music:

Franco Piersanti

Cast:

Raul Bova

Elio Germano

Giorgio Colangeli

Isabella Ragonese Riccardo Scamarcio

Luca Zingaretti

Running Time: 93 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm, in Italian, with  English subtitles

International Sales: Celluloid Dreams

Print Source:

Tamasa Distribution

Selected Filmography: My Brother Is an Only  Child (2007)

Ginger and Cinnamon  (2003)

Outrage

JaPan 2010

friday May 20 9:30 PM eGyPtian theatre

sunday May 22 9:00 PM nePtune theatre

friday May 27 9:30 PM eVerett PerfOrMinG arts center

following a series of intriguing filmic experiments, takeshi Kitano goes back to what comes as easily as breathing to him, the shatteringly violent yakuza movie. not for the fainthearted, Outrage fully deserves its title, as the director ratchets up the mayhem, gleefully devising ever more gruesome ways to dispatch members of both upper and lower echelons of the Japanese underworld. the plot concerns a struggle for power amongst tokyo’s yakuza clans (today just as likely to be playing the stock market as shaking down pachinko parlors), over which the sanmo-kai clan holds sway in the face of constant betrayal and ever-changing allegiances. sanmo-kai chairman Ototomo (played by Kitano himself) learns that his henchman ikemoto has struck an alliance with the drug-dealing Murase family, and is not pleased, to say the least. the ensuing retaliation triggers an orgy of killings, territorial invasions, and score settling while law enforcement officers too corrupt to intervene sit back and enjoy the show. Kitano’s habitually immaculate production values, including clever sound design that enhance the violence, create a brilliant, antiseptic world as hard-edged as the gangsters themselves—making Outrage a return to form that his many devotees will relish.

Director: Takeshi Kitano

Producers: Masayuki Mori

Takio Yoshida

Screenwriter: Takeshi Kitano

Cinematographer: Katsumi Yanagijima

Editors: Stefan Sundiöf Andreas Johnsson Hay

Cast: Beat Takeshi

Kippei Shiina

Ryo Kase

Tomokazu Miura

Jun Kunimura

Running Time: 109 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm, in Japanese, with  English subtitles

International Sales: Celluloid Dreams

Print Source: Magnolia Films

Film Website: offi ce-kitano.co.jp/outrage

Selected Filmography: Achilles and the Tortoise  (2008)

Glory to the Filmmaker!  (2007)

Takeshis’ (2005)

The Blind Swordsman:  Zatoichi (2003)

Dolls (2002)

Brother (2000)

Kikujiro (1999)

Fireworks (1997)

Kids Return (1996)

Getting Any? (1994)

Sonatine (1993)

A Scene at the Sea  (1991)

Boiling Point (1990)

Violent Cop (1989)

PÁJAROS DE PAPEL

Outside the Law

FRIDAY MAY 20 9:30 PM

WEDNESDAY MAY 25 9:00 PM

The decades-long struggle for Algerian independence receives an epic-scale treatment in this gripping tale of three brothers whose lives and love for each other are forever changed by the conflict. Outside the Law views the independence movement through the prism of one uprooted Algerian family. Following a massacre of protestors in the town of Setif in 1945, the brothers are scattered by the colonial machine: Massaoud (Roschdy Zem, The Girl From Monaco) is conscripted into the French Army to fight in Indochina; Abelkader is arrested and spends the next decade in jail making anti-colonial connections; and Saïd moves to the shantytown suburbs of Paris to take up a lucrative life of crime. Through the years, Abelkader and Massaoud rise through the ranks of the Algerian Front de Libération Nationale resistance, staging terrorist acts against the régime and quarreling with Saïd, who would rather get rich in France than fight it. All three must stay one step ahead of the ruthless French secret police, many of whom used similar guerrilla tactics 15 years earlier in the French Resistance. Part gangland story, part war film, Bouchareb’s multi-layered family saga is a potent comment on the moral ambiguities of war and the expediency of political repression.

Awards: Official Oscar Submission 2010 (Foreign Language Film)

SIFF CINEMA

ADMIRAL THEATER

Director: Rachid Bouchareb

Producer: Jean Bréhat

Screenwriters: Rachid Bouchareb

Olivier Lorelle

Cinematographer: Christophe Beaucarne

Editor: Yannick Kergoat

Music: Armand Amar

Cast: Jamel Debbouze

Roschdy Zem

Sami Bouajila

Running Time: 138 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm, in French and Arabic, with English subtitles

International Sales: Studio Canal

Print Source: Cohen Media Group

Film Website: outsidethelawfilm.com

Selected Filmography: London River (2009)

Days of Glory (2006)

Little Senegal (2000)

Dust of Life (1994) Cheb (1991)

Paper Birds

SPAIN 2010

THURSDAY MAY 26 8:30 PM RENTON IKEA PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

SATURDAY MAY 28 6:30 PM PACIFIC PLACE CINEMAS

SUNDAY MAY 29 12:30 PM PACIFIC PLACE CINEMAS

After the civil war has destroyed their lives, an odd assortment of Spanish vaudeville artists bands together to perform in a traveling troupe. Scenes of rehearsal and joyous performance are contrasted with the oppressive watchfulness of Francoist agents, as the troupe struggles for subsistence on days when applause must suffice to sate the hunger pangs. A celebration of this lost art, and a touching tale of the bonds of friendship that develop between the artists, the film retains a sincere tone without lapsing into melodrama. This loyal and accurate portrayal of vaudevillians comes from first time director Emilio Aragón, once a clown himself (performing as the famed Milikito) and features superb performances from Imanol Arias, Lluís Homar and Carmen Machi. Set in the dark days of the Franco dictatorship with the shadow of Nazism looming, this story shows us how the pursuit of excellence in one’s craft, no matter how humble, can elevate us out of the daily drudgery of survival, even if fleetingly so.

Awards: Montreal World Film Festival 2010 (Audience Award)

Director: Emilio Aragón

Producers: Emilio Aragón

Mercedes Gamero

Screenwriters: Fernando Castets

Emilio Aragón

Cinematographer: David Omedes

Editor: José Salcedo

Music: Emilio Aragón

Cast: Imanol Arias

Lluís Homar

Carmen Machi

Roger Princep

Running Time: 125 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm, in Spanish, with English subtitles

International Sales: Imagina International

Sales

Print Source: Maxmedia

Film Website: pajarosdepapel.com

Selected Filmography: Debut Feature Film

The Poll Diaries

tuesday May 24 9:30 PM siff cineMa

friday May 27 9:00 PM adMiral theater

MOnday May 30 9:30 PM nePtune theatre

On the eve of WWi, 14-year-old Oda schaefer (the mesmerizing Paula Beer)—soon to grow into the real-life German poet—journeys by train to live with her estranged and discredited doctor father. she brings with her two “gifts”: her dead mother’s body and a twoheaded fetus. so begins chris Kraus’ strange and deeply affecting drama that examines the chaotic home life of the poetess-to-be against the backdrop of civilization coming apart at the seams. Oda’s father has little regard for human life—while more concerned with furthering his disturbing studies on biology and destiny, her stepmother is engaged in an adulterous affair. When a wounded anarchist brings out Oda’s maternal side, she secretly nurses him back to life. But in the aftermath of archduke ferdinand’s assassination, the world slides inexorably toward war. Observant and profoundly humanist in belief and act, Oda serves as the audience surrogate, allowing us entry into a harsh and mysterious time—a time when the sacred sat alongside the profane, and when the bizarre and gory were countered by the beautiful and the deeply felt. The Poll Diaries is a singular work not easily forgotten.

Director:

Chris Kraus

Producers: Alexandra Kordes

Meike Kordes

Screenwriter: Chris Kraus

Cinematographer: Daniela Knapp

Editor: Uta Schmidt

Music: Annette Focks

Cast: Paula Beer

Edgar Selge

Tambet Tuisk

Jeanette Hain

Richy Müller

Running Time: 129 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm, in German,  Russian, Estonian and  French, with English  subtitles

International Sales: Bavaria Film International

Print Source: Bavaria Film International

Film Website: poll-derfi lm.de

Selected Filmography: Four Minutes (2006) Shattered Glass (2002)

Poupoupidou (Nobody Else but You)

FranCe/SWiTZerland 2011

friday June 10 9:30 PM eGyPtian theatre

sunday June 12 1:30 PM nePtune theatre

david rousseau is a Parisian best-selling author of detective novels. When his aunt dies, he has to go to Mouthe, the coldest town in france, which is also the hometown of candice lecoeur, the blond spokesmodel of the Jura local cheese factory, who is convinced that she used to be Marilyn Monroe in a past life. When david arrives in Mouthe with a stalled imagination, candice has just been found dead and the police close the case assuming it was a suicide. however, david does not believe it and starts investigating. Between candice’s ex-husband, her book-critic lover, her therapist, the police chief, a rising politician, and any number of fans, david has more suspects than he knows what to do with. as the clues pile up, the line between fiction and reality begins to fray. Boasting strong lead performances and gorgeous wintertime landscapes, this modest but assured second feature from writer-director Gerald hustache-Mathieu succeeds in breathing fresh life into the thriller genre.

Director: Gerald Hustache-Mathieu

Producer: Isabelle Madelaine

Screenwriters: Gérald Hustache-Mathieu

Juliette Sales

Cinematographer: Pierre Cottereau

Editor: Valérie Deseine

Music: Stephane Lopez

Cast: Jean-Paul Rouve Sophie Quinton

Running Time: 102 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm, in French, with  English subtitles

International Sales: MK2 International

Print Source: MK2 International

Selected Filmography: April in Love (2006)

Princess

Finland 2010

uS Premiere

Wednesday June 8 9:30 PM Pacific Place cineMas

friday June 10 11:00 aM Pacific Place cineMas

sunday June 12 1:00 PM KirKland PerfOrMance center

in 1945, finland’s Kellokoski Psychiatric hospital welcomes a new patient, former cabaret dancer anna lappalainen. diagnosed with manic depression and schizophrenia, she refuses to answer to her real name, insisting instead that she is a Princess of the British royal family. “Princess” demands to be treated with respect, declares the hospital her castle, and holds court with a makeshift collection of ladies-in-waiting. the primitive psychiatric procedures of the time—insulin shots, electroshock therapy, and malaria treatments—have no effect on her condition, and soon the stern doctor Grotenfelt recommends the modern procedure of lobotomy to end her royal delusions. But before his treatment can begin, Princess’s eccentric grande dame manner has a surprisingly positive effect on the staff, the patients, and the local villagers. Based on a true story, actress Katja Küttner won the finnish Jussi Prize for her charismatic performance as a woman who is judged ill by society, but whose presence heals all around her.

Awards:

Cape Winelands Film Festival 2011 (Grand Prize) Finnish Jussi Awards 2011 (Best Actress)

Director: Arto Halonen

Producer: Arto Halonen

Screenwriters: Arto Halonen

Pirjo Toikka

Paavo Westerberg

Cinematographer: Hannu-Pekka Vitikainen

Editor:

Tuuli Kuittinen

Music: Tuomas Kantelinen

Cast: Katja Kukkola Krista Kosonen

Samuli Edelmann

Pirkka-Pekka Petelius

Peter Franzén

Running Time: 104 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm, in Finnish, with  English subtitles

International Sales: Finnish Film Foundation

Print Source: Finnish Film Foundation

Film Website: princessthemovie2010. com

Selected Filmography: Shadows of the Holy Book  (2007)

Pavlov’s Dogs (2006) Conquistadors of Cuba  (2005)

The Stars Caravan (2000) Karmapa (1998) A Dreamer and the  Dreamtribe (1998)

Qarantina

iraQ/germanY 2010 nOrTh ameriCan Premiere

MOnday June 6 9:30 PM siff cineMa

Wednesday June 8 9:30 PM siff cineMa

Writer/director Oday rasheed brings a spartan, contemplative beauty to this film about a Baghdad family buckling under constant pressures. the father salih is angry and scared. his wife Kerima wants to leave him for their houseguest, a nameless hitman whose palpable sense of anguish hovers forebodingly above everything in this film. even the young son Muhanad wants nothing more than to go to school, yet is forced to work shining shoes on the street. in this largely quiet film, the story moves forward via long gazes at its characters, set against a startlingly barren yet beautiful backdrop. Muhaned studies his math workbook as bombs explode in the distance and frantic neighbors run by behind him. his sister, who hasn’t spoken for days, tenuously grabs her stepmother’s hand to at last admit to her fear of her father. rasheed’s look at this post-iraq-war family slowly juxtaposes suffering with unexpected flashes of loveliness in order to show what the long war has done to his people.

Director: Oday Rasheed

Producers: Shafi q Al Mahdi

Furat Al Jamil

Screenwriter: Oday Rasheed

Cinematographer: Osama Rasheed

Editor: Salwan Kamil

Music:

Dureed Al-Khafaji

Cast: Assad Abdul Majeed

Alaa Najem

Hattam Auda

Hayder Munather

Sajad Ali

Rawan Abdullah

Running Time: 88 minutes

Presentation Format: DCP, in Arabic, with  English subtitles

International Sales: Enlil Film & Art

Print Source: Enlil Film & Art

Selected Filmography: Underexposure (2005)

UNA VITA TRANQUILLA

A Quiet Life

ITALY/GERMANY/FRANCE 2010

SATURDAY MAY 21 11:00 AM

EGYPTIAN THEATRE

MONDAY MAY 23 9:30 PM NEPTUNE THEATRE

WEDNESDAY MAY 25 8:30 PM RENTON IKEA PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

Italian chef Rosario (Il Divo’s chameleonic Toni Servillo) is a quiet man, seemingly content to spend his golden years hunting boar and micromanaging his hotel’s restaurant in the German countryside with his wife and son. His pastoral life throws a hitch, however, when two boisterous punks come looking for a room. Claiming to be olive oil salesmen from Naples, the duo displays a respectful awe towards Rosario that unnerves his German wife (Downfall’s Juliane Kohler). As their stay lengthens and their cover story shakes apart, the edges of a secret past begin to slowly peel back. Undertaking a massive change-up from his debut, 2007’s frothy Lessons in Chocolate, co-writer/director Claudio Cupellini delivers a gnawingly atmospheric, fiercely intelligent take on classic film noir themes, anchored by a central performance from Servillo that switches between regretful and flinty-eyed at a moment’s notice. Both incisive character study and merciless thriller, A Quiet Life carries a rush that lingers.

Director:

Claudio Cupellini

Producer:

Fabrizio Mosca

Screenwriters:

Filippo Gravino

Guido Iuculano

Claudio Cupellini

Cinematographer: Gergely Poharnok

Editor:

Giuseppe Trepiccione

Music:

Teho Teardo

Cast:

Toni Servillo

Marco D’Amore

Francesco Di Leva

Juliane Kohler

Leonardo Sprengler

Alice Dwyer

Running Time: 103 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm, in Italian and German, with English subtitles

International Sales:

Beta Cinema

Print Source:

Beta Cinema

Selected Filmography: Lessons in Chocolate (2007)

Rene Goes to Hollywood

GEORGIA 2010

THURSDAY JUNE 9 9:00 PM KIRKLAND PERFORMANCE CENTER

SATURDAY JUNE 11 4:00 PM PACIFIC PLACE CINEMAS

Rene Dadiani is developing a new method to alter consciousness and increase creativity called “absurd theory,” which involves ignoring reality and channeling his thoughts to match his desires. But Rene is a man of dichotomy, a reflection of the Georgian city in which he lives, and putting his theory into practice takes his life in unexpected directions. By night he lectures students on film theory and encourages them to explore their ambitions. By day he leaves his middle class neighborhood behind for a part time job delivering propane to The Dregs, a slum on the outskirts of town filled with degenerate squatters. During an otherwise routine delivery, Rene has an altercation with an aggressive tenant, which leads to an act of murderous rage. Or does it? No longer certain what part of his life takes place in the real world, and what is part is his own misleading fantasy, Rene discovers that only through an unlikely friendship with a young boy can he begin to discover the truth. Director Aleko Tsabadze fills the screen with haunting images in a psychological thriller that is also about embracing the redemptive power of imagination.

Director: Aleko Tsabadze

Producers: Levan Korinteli

Archil Gelovani

Screenwriter: Aleko Tsabadze

Cinematographer: Konstantine (Mindia)

Esadze

Editor: Levan Kukhashvili

Cast:

Nika Tavadze

Zura Begalishvili

Viktor Barbakadze

Misha Gomiashvili

Tina Aleksishvili

Running Time: 103 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm, in Georgian, with English subtitles

International Sales: Intercinema XXI Century

Print Source: Intercinema XXI Century

Selected Filmography: The Russian Triangle (2007)

The Knight of the Martoobis (1999)

The Night Dance (1991)

RENE MIDIS HOLIVUDSHI

Romeos

germanY 2011

Wednesday June 8 7:00 PM harVard eXit

friday June 10 4:00 PM Pacific Place cineMas

director sabine Bernardi’s award-winning documentary short Transfamily led her to develop the screenplay for her first feature, Romeos, which won a cologne screenplay prize in 2007. the story follows lukas, a 20-year-old transgender man who moves from his small town to study and work in the big city of cologne. difficulties arise on the first day, when the administration has him assigned to a room in the female dorm and refuses his request to be placed with the men. his best friend ine, however, is determined to help him enjoy his new life, introducing lukas to her friends and taking him to a wild party. there he meets fabio, a flirtatious gay lothario that embodies everything lukas desires: selfconfidence, overt masculinity, and smoldering sensuality. as their attraction to one another grows, lukas must decide how to proceed with this intimate relationship, knowing that sharing his gender identity could risk losing fabio and more. Bernardi tells this eye-opening story with sincerity and humor—turning the unconventional romance into a courageous tale of love, friendship, and sexual awakening.

Director: Sabine Bernardi

Producers: Kristina Löbbert

Janna Velber

Screenwriter: Sabine Bernardi

Cinematographer: Moritz Schultheiß

Editor: Renata Salazar-Ivancan

Music: Roland Appel

Cast: Rick Okon

Liv Lisa Fries

Maximilian Befort

Running Time: 94 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm, in German, with  English subtitles

International Sales: Media Luna Films

Print Source: Strand Releasing

Film Website: medialuna.biz/fi lms/ descr_romeos.html

Selected Filmography: Debut Feature Film

Route Irish

uniTed KingdOm/FranCe/Belgium/iTalY/SPain

Wednesday June 1 4:00 PM eGyPtian theatre friday June 3 7:00 PM adMiral theater sunday June 5 11:00 aM nePtune theatre

in his twelfth collaboration with screenwriter Paul laverty, veteran filmmaker Ken loach uses a single incident as a prism through which to filter his palpable disdain for the act of invasion that led to the moral morass of current day iraq. the incident in question is the murder of an iraqi family, including women and children, by a group of private security personnel engaged to protect civilian contractors as they go about their business in the war-torn region. fergus, a former member of Britain’s elite s.a.s. fighting force who carries internal scars from the conflict but is lured by the high pay as a security officer, learns of the incident from evidence on the cell phone of his friend frankie, who was killed by an i.e.d. while working alongside him. suspecting that frankie’s death was no accident, fergus sets out to uncover the truth. elegantly shot by acclaimed cinematographer chris Menges, Route Irish brings a fresh, oblique viewpoint to the war, raging against the instigators while sympathizing with the traumatized soldiers. a hard-edged yet morally complex thriller, this bold film stands alongside loach’s finest work and is a welcome contribution to the canon of anti-war cinema.

Director: Ken Loach

Producer: Rebecca O’Brien

Screenwriter: Paul Laverty

Cinematographer: Chris Menges

Editor: Jonathan Morris

Music: George Fenton

Cast: Mark Womack

Andrea Lowe

John Bishop

Running Time: 106 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm

International Sales: Wild Bunch

Print Source: Wild Bunch

Film Website: wildbunch.biz

Selected Filmography: Looking for Eric (2009)

It’s a Free World (2007)

The Wind That Shakes the  Barley (2006)

Ae Fond Kiss (2004)

Bread and Roses (2000) Raining stones (1993) Riff-Raff (1991)

Singing The Blues in Red  (1986)

Black Jack (1979)

Family Life (1971) Kes (1969)

Un Homme Q U i Crie

A Screaming Man

Chad/FranCe/Belgium 2010

Wednesday May 25 6:30 PM adMiral theater

sunday May 29 10:00 aM Pacific Place cineMas

One of africa’s preeminent film artists, Mahamat-saleh haroun, returns to the themes of family and loyalty in modern-day chad. adam, a former chadian swimming champion entering his sixties, has parlayed his local celebrity into a leisurely position as pool man for a five-star hotel, with bdel working as his assistant. But just outside of this idyllic life lurks constant signs of the ongoing civil war: daily radio reports of advancing guerrilla troops, the omnipresent sound of jet fighters overhead, and the increasing stream of refugees coming in and out of the city. When new owners take over the hotel, adam is demoted and his old job is given to abdel, humiliating the proud champion both publicly and privately, and throwing his work and home lives into tumult. he resulting pressures force him to make a fateful decision. A Screaming Man is an assured, masterful film, boasting a sensitive performance from lead actor youssouf djaoro. aroun’s sympathetic but unsentimental eye blends the stately lyricism of his recent films with his earlier, more documentarian leanings to create a film that builds with a measured, intensifying power to demonstrate how war corrupts in the most unnatural of ways.

Film

Sponsored by Blue Resnick

Director: Mahamat-Saleh Haroun

Producers: Sebastien Delloye

Diana Elbaum

Screenwriter: Mahamat-Saleh Haroun

Cinematographer: Laurent Brunet

Editor: Marie-Helene Dozo

Music: Wasis Diop

Cast: Emile Abossolo M’bo

Youssouf Djaoro

Diouc Koma

Running Time: 92 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm, in Arabic and French, with English subtitles

International Sales: Pyramide International

Print Source: Film Movement

Selected Filmography: Dry Season (2006)

Kalala (2006)

Our Father (2002)

Bye Bye Africa (1999)

Festival 2010 (Jury’s Prize)

International

Festival 2010 (Best Actor, Editing)

International Film Festival 2010 (Best Actor, Screenplay)

SeVDAH ZA KArim

Sevdah for Karim

BOSnia-herZegOVina/ hungarY 2010 nOrTh ameriCan Premiere

Wednesday June 8 4:30 PM siff cineMa

friday June 10 7:00 PM Pacific Place cineMas

Sevdah in Bosnian means an unfulfilled yearning, longing, or even lovesickness. director Jasmin duraković’s second full-length feature uses metaphor and slick camera work to set up a story filled with explosive situations. Karim and his sister dzemila are young Muslims whose parents have recently passed away. as part of a team of mine experts clearing the hilly countryside behind sarajevo of buried mines, Karim realizes he can make more money elsewhere by enlisting to clear mines in iraq. Meanwhile, he hangs out with neurotic troublemaker Juka, with whom he shares a military past. But they share something else—their desperate love for ivana. smart dialogue illuminates current attitudes on the state of the world, politics, policies, and the clash between the West and islam. Sevdah for Karim shows us a lost postwar generation, flirting with death and danger, and still locked into mentalities and frustrations that the generations before them faced. at the same time, it’s an audacious commentary on a youth left emotionally adrift in a world without value.

Director: Jasmin Duraković

Producers: Angelina AlbijanićDuraković

Denes Sekeres

Screenwriters: Jasmin Duraković Asmir Kujović

Cinematographer: Šahin Šišić

Editor: Midhat Mujkić

Music: Brano Jakubovic

Cast: Amar Selimović Marija Karan

Adnan Hasković

Mirvad Kurić

Running Time: 95 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm, in Bosnian, with  English subtitles

International Sales: Insomnia World Sales

Print Source: Insomnia World Sales

Selected Filmography: Nafaka (2006)

Shocking Blue

neTherlandS 2010

MOnday May 23 7:00 PM Pacific Place cineMas

tuesday May 24 5:00 PM Pacific Place cineMas

Willem, Jacques, and chris have been best friends for as long as any of them can remember. the three teens all live amongst the colorful expanses of holland’s tulip fields, which serve as a backdrop for their adolescent games and escapades. no different from country boys everywhere, they approach the threshold of adult life while still clinging to the comforts of an idyllic childhood. until, that is, the day a tragic accident tears the friendship asunder, resulting in the death of one of them under the wheels of an out-of-control tractor with Willem at the wheel. suspicions arise that the accident may have had something to do with jealousy over the previous night, when Jacques had gone off for a romantic encounter with pretty, 15-year-old Marianne, but nobody is talking. Mark de cloe’s second feature is a touching coming-of-age drama, but also a wistful meditation on a shattered friendship. Making excellent use of the bright hues and light of a warm dutch summer, the film unspools in romantic, almost mythic tones and clearly bodes well for the future of the country’s acting talent with its attractive and surprisingly accomplished young leads.

Director: Mark de Cloe

Producers: Wilant Boekelman

Jan van der Zanden

Screenwriter: Céline Linssen

Cinematographer: Rob Hodselmans

Editor: Marc Bechtold

Music: Lawrence Horne

Cast: Ruben van Weelden

Jim van der Panne

Lisa Smit

Niels Gomperts

Running Time: 79 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm, in Dutch, with  English subtitles

International Sales: Eye Film Institute  Netherlands

Print Source: Waterland Film

Film Website: shockingblue-fi lm.nl

Selected Filmography: False Waltz (2005)

CirCUS FAnTASTiCUS

Silent Sonata

SlOVenia/ireland/Finland 2011 uS Premiere

MOnday May 30 9:00 PM siff cineMa

tuesday May 31 9:30 PM siff cineMa

Januz Berger’s Silent Sonata is an elegantly shot slice of magical realism set during wartime in an unnamed Balkan country, that employs the circus as a metaphor for the human spirit. after stevo’s wife is shot and killed, he prepares to defend his two young children against further marauders. But the incoming invaders turn out to be nothing less than the amazing circus fantasticus, which sets up camp nearby and lives up to its name when the performers turn out to have supernatural powers. Gradually, color starts to return to the life of the traumatized family as a bond develops between them and the oddball troupe members, when strange occurrences become the norm: the deceased mother turns up to offer solace, acrobats dance with an enemy tank, and the dying ringmaster is treated to a spectacular special performance. a film about courage and compassion in the face of harsh reality, Silent Sonata takes the calculated, but entirely successful, risk of telling its story entirely without words, using expressive gestures, glances, and music. containing moments of rare beauty, the film is deeply moving, sweeping the spectator along on a swift tide of awestruck fascination.

Director: Janez Burger

Producers: Morgan Bushe

Jožko Rutar

Screenwriter: Janez Burger

Cinematographer: Diviš Marek

Editor:

Miloš Kalusek

Music: Drago Ivanuša

Cast:

Leon Lučev

Ravil Sultanov

Pauliina Räsänen

Rene Bazinet

Daniel Rovai

Enej Grom

Running Time: 75 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm, no dialogue

International Sales: Fortissimo Films

Print Source: Fortissimo Films

Film Website: silentsonatamovie.com

Selected Filmography: Ruins (2004)

Running (1999)

Silent Souls

ruSSia 2010

saturday May 21 1:30 PM

harVard eXit

Wednesday May 25 7:00 PM Pacific Place cineMas

sunday June 12 6:15 PM KirKland PerfOrMance center

aist is a photographer working at a paper mill. the son of a poet, he’s descended from the Merya people, a finno-ugric indigenous tribe all but assimilated by slavs. aside from the names of people and places, the only remnants of their way of life are some peculiar customs regarding marriage and death. When his boss Miron confides in him that his wife tanya has died, the two men hit the road with two caged sparrows and a dead body. their destination: Miron and tanya’s honeymoon spot, located in an ancient russian town at the mouth of the Volga river. although a man of few words, aist proves to be a good guide who admits that his need to restore a halfforgotten culture is naïve. “if something needs to disappear, then so be it,” he says. following a long line of traditions both real and invented, and capturing landscapes full of subtle bright colors and rich with ambient sounds, director aleksei fedorchenko (First On The Moon) turns loss into tenderness.

Director: Aleksei Fedorchenko

Producers: Igor Mishin

Mary Nazari

Screenwriter: Denis Osokin based on his short story

“The Buntings”

Cinematographer: Mikhail Krichman

Editor: Sergei Ivanov

Music: Andrei Karasyov

Cast: Igor Sergeyev

Yuri Tsurilo

Yuliya Aug

Ivan Tushin

Running Time: 75 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm, in Russian, with  English subtitles

International Sales: Memento Films  International

Print Source: Shadow Entertainment

Film Website: ovsyanki.ru/site

Selected Filmography: The Railway (2007)  First on the Moon (2005)

i rYmDen FinnS inGA KÄnSLor

Simple Simon

friday May 27 11:00 aM

Pacific Place cineMas

MOnday May 30 6:00 PM eVerett PerfOrMinG arts center

Wednesday June 1 7:00 PM siff cineMa

a major box office hit in sweden, Simple Simon is a colorful comedy reminiscent of art house favorite Elling. it’s the story of 18-year-old simon, a boy with asperger’s syndrome who likes space, science, and circles, but can’t understand feelings. to make his life work, simon must have structure: he needs things to follow a certain pattern, with the same schedule, the same meals, and the same clothes, week after week. his older brother sam has always taken care of him, making his favorite foods and helping him to understand human behavior. One day, simon’s world is turned upside down when sam breaks up with his girlfriend. With his brother now depressed and his own desperate need for things to return to normal, simon decides to find sam a new girlfriend. Of course, the autistic teen knows nothing about love. he does, however, have a scientifically perfect plan. Balancing humor and seriousness, the film makes us see the world from simon’s point of view. as the perplexed simon, Bill skarsgård (brother of “true Blood” star alexander, and son of A Somewhat Gentle Man lead stellan) affirms the family’s acting talent.

Awards:

Offi cial Oscar Submission 2010 (Foreign Language Film)

Sponsored by Elizabeth Davidson & Clark Hodder

Director: Andreas Öhman

Producers:

Bonnie Skoog Feeney

Jonathan Sjöberg

Screenwriters: Andreas Öhman

Jonathan Sjöberg

Cinematographer:

Niklas Johansson

Editors:

Mikael Johansson

Andreas Öhman

Music:

Josef Tuulse

Cast: Bill Skarsgård

Martin Wallström

Cecilia Forss

Running Time: 86 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm, in Swedish, with  English subtitles

International Sales: Svensk Filmindustri, AB

Print Source: Swedish Film Institute

Film Website: sfi .se/fi lm/simple-simon

Selected Filmography: Debut Feature Film

Small Town Murder Songs

Canada 2010

friday June 3 9:30 PM harVard eXit

sunday June 5 1:30 PM harVard eXit

ed Gass-donnelly’s tightly composed film, which uses a murder investigation to explore whether a man’s faith can make sense of the insidious nature of violence, led to Variety naming him one of “10 directors to Watch.” the film opens with a man being baptized as a born-again christian. this is Walter ruden (Peter stormare), a well-meaning but flawed police chief mysteriously estranged from the Ontario Mennonite community in which he was raised. When a woman is found brutally raped and murdered, senior officers are called in to investigate. they turn up Walter’s ex-girlfriend rita as a suspect. convinced that rita is lying to protect her new boyfriend, Walter is determined to get to the truth—no matter what it takes. Gass-donnelly proves masterful at tone, pacing, and ambience. Bruce Peninsula’s powerful gothic soundtrack helps to create a sense of seething tension beneath a calm exterior, as do clouds ever-threatening to burst overhead, the flat landscape and its mysterious Mennonite inhabitants, and an eccentric cast who give powerful yet nuanced performances. an intriguing new voice in indie film, Gass-donnelly brilliantly delivers an eerily quiet, controlled tale of crime and redemption. With Small Town Murder Songs, his capacity for commercial crossovers eems assured.

Awards:  Torino Film Festival 2010 (FIPRESCI Prize) Whistler Film Festival 2010 (Best Actress)

Director: Ed Gass-Donnelly

Producers: Lee Kim

Ed Gass-Donnelly

Screenwriter: Ed Gass-Donnelly

Cinematographer: Brendan Steacy

Editor: Ed Gass-Donnelly

Music: Bruce Peninsula

Cast: Peter Stormare

Aaron Poole

Martha Plimpton

Jill Hennessy

Running Time: 75 minutes

Presentation Format: HDCAM

International Sales: Visit Films

Print Source: Visit Films

Film Website: smalltownmurdersongs. com

Selected Filmography: This Beautiful City (2007)

Sound of Noise

SWeden/FranCe 2010

sunday June 5 7:00 PM

eGyPtian theatre

thursday June 9 7:00 PM nePtune theatre

saturday June 11 1:15 PM nePtune theatre

the sound and image anarchists behind the 2001 cult short Music For One Apartment and Six Drummers are back. this time, they successfully take their concept and talent to a larger arena in a delightful comic cocktail of modern city symphony, police procedural, and love story. With the most complex and wackily staged musical numbers since Marc caro and Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s Delicatessen, the feature debut of swedish directors Ola simonsson and Johannes stjärne nilsson hits notes corresponding to silly, raucous, and rhapsodic. the narrative revolves around police officer amadeus Warnebring, tone-deaf scion of a distinguished musical family, and his attempts to track down a group of six guerilla percussionists whose anarchic public performances are terrorizing the city. the drumming set pieces correspond to an avant-garde score with four hilariously titled movements. Where the short involved the six drummers imaginatively using standard apartment furnishings as their instruments, the feature unleashes them on an unspecified city’s civic and cultural institutions. including an amusing back story for each of the soberly dressed drummers as well as their nemesis, music-hating investigator Warnebring, the film creates a treat for the eyes and ears from the dull, repetitive sounds of everyday life.

Awards: Fantastic Fest 2010 (Best Fantastic Picture) Palm Springs Film Festival 2011 (Special Mention)

Preceded By:

Experiment for Animated Graphic Score US Premiere Japan, 2010, 3 minutes, director: Yoshida Haruka Traditional music notation kaleidoscopes into a composition that  explores the visual and aural possibilities of animation and sound.

Spud

SOuTh aFriCa 2010 nOrTh ameriCan Premiere

saturday June 11 7:00 PM siff cineMa

sunday June 12 1:30 PM harVard eXit

Directors:

Ola Simonsson

Johannes Stjärne  Nilsson

Producers: Jim Birmant

Guy Péchard

Christophe Audeguis Olivier Guerpillon

Screenwriters: Ola Simonsson

Johannes Stjärne  Nilsson

Cinematographer: Charlotta Tengroth

Editors:

Stefan Sundlöf

Andreas Jonsson Hay

Music: Magnus Börjeson & Six  Drummers

Fred Avril

Cast: Bengt Nilsson

Sanna Persson Halapi Magnus Börjeson Anders Vestergård

Fredrik Myhr

Running Time: 98 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm, in Swedish, with  English subtitles

International Sales: Wild Bunch

Print Source: Magnolia Films

Film Websites: soundofnoise-lefi lm.com sixdrummers.com

Selected Filmography: Debut Feature Film

it’s 1990, nelson Mandela is being released from prison, and 13-year-old John Milton has just won a cricket scholarship to a prestigious private school in south africa. nicknamed spud because of his small size, the boy lives in a dysfunctional home with a senile grandmother and a father who thinks Mandela’s release means an imminent communist takeover. somehow, spud’s not quite prepared for his new life in an elite boarding school full of rich kids with cool monikers like rambo, Boggo, and Mad dog. Bullied by two older boys, spud seeks solace in the school’s production of Oliver! he wins the lead role— and the hearts of both Mermaid and seductive amanda. luckily, spud can always get advice from his friend Gecko; his hero, the head of house luthuli; and his eccentric, alcoholic english teacher, the Guv. Based on the popular comic novel by John van de ruit, Spud marks the welcome return of John cleese as the Guv, while troye sivan (young logan in X-Men Origins: Wolverine) is perfectly cast as spud. this affectionate, sometimes embarrassing, and oft-hilarious coming-ofage story opens the viewers’ eyes to strange worlds, first love, and true friendship.

Director: Donovan Marsh

Producers: Ross Garland

Brad Logan

Screenwriter: Donovan Marsh based on the novel by  John van de Ruit

Cinematographer: Lance Gewer

Editor: Megan Gill

Cast: John Cleese

Troye Sivan Jason Cope

Tanit Phoenix

Running Time: 108 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm

International Sales: The Little Film Company

Print Source: The Little Film Company

Film Website: spudthemovie.com

Selected Filmography:  Dollars and White Pipes  (2005)

The Stool Pigeon

Wednesday May 25 7:00 PM siff cineMa sunday May 29 10:00 PM nePtune theatre

inspector don lee has built his career on criminal informants. But when one of his stool pigeons is mercilessly killed following a bust, the promotion he receives is a bittersweet reward. One year later, the police receive news that the notorious crime boss known only as Barbarian is planning a major jewel heist in hong Kong, and lee’s superiors order him to place another informant into Barbarian’s operation. reluctantly, lee approaches Ghost, a petty criminal on the verge of being released from prison. desperately needing money to repay his debts and free his sister, he has no choice but to agree. through lee’s arrangements, Ghost quickly becomes a trusted member of Barbarian’s inner circle, earning the position of chief getaway driver. however, as preparations for the big heist enter their final phase, Ghost finds himself ordered to work with Barbarian’s nubile girlfriend, dee. as they case jewelry shops and plot escape routes together, Ghost finds his loyalties further divided. action maestro dante lam composes an intense crime thriller steeped in paranoia, bursting with bullets, and remorselessly uncompromising.

Awards:

Hong Kong Film Awards 2001 (Best Actor)

Director: Dante Lam

Producers: Candy Leung

Zhang Dajun

Ren Yue

Screenwriter: Wai Lun Ng

based on an idea by

Dante Lam

Cinematographer: Chung-to Tse

Editors: Chan Ki-Hop

Matthew Hui

Music: Henry Lai

Cast: Nicholas Tse

Nick Cheung

Kwai Lun-Mei

Liu Kai-chi

Lu Yi

Running Time: 112 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm, in Cantonese, with  English subtitles

International Sales: Emperor Motion Pictures

Print Source:

Emperor Motion Pictures

Selected Filmography: Fire of Conscience (2010)  Sniper (2009)

The Beast Stalker (2008) Undercover Hidden  Dragon (2006)  Ambush (2004) Beast Cops (1998)

Submarine

uniTed KingdOm 2010

friday May 20 7:00 PM eGyPtian theatre sunday May 22 11:00 aM nePtune theatre

Oliver tate is a cool literary genius…at least in his head. to others, he’s a misunderstood teenage boy attempting to stand out against the busy backdrop of 1980s Wales. never lacking for ambition, this 15-year-old boy sets himself two tasks for the summer: to lose his virginity before it becomes legal to the unromantic pyromaniac bully Jordana, and to extinguish the flame between his mother and her former lover, who is also a new age psychic performing strange rituals in the house next door. thanks to the clever use of slow-motion and freeze frames, as well as a novel use of voice-over narration to capture the main character’s unique sensibilities, this debut feature film is a breath of fresh air, melding together new age British arts and an ironic fairytale. adapting Joe dunthorne’s cult novel and citing Woody allen as his greatest inspiration, comedian-turned-filmmaker richard ayoade offers a hilarious tale about teen love with all the cleverness and subtlety of British humor.

Director: Richard Ayoade

Producers: Andy Stebbing

Mark Herbert

Mary Burke

Screenwriter: Richard Ayoade based on the novel  by Joe Dunthorne

Cinematographer: Erik Wilson

Editors: Nick Fenton

Chris Dickens

Music: Andrew Hewitt

Cast: Sally Hawkins

Noah Taylor

Paddy Considine

Craig Roberts

Yasmin Paige

Running Time: 97 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm

International Sales: Protagonist Pictures

Print Source: The Weinstein Co.

Film Website: protagonistpictures.com/ fi lms.php?fi lm=submarine

Selected Filmography: Arctic Monkeys at the  Apollo (2008)

Summer Coda

auSTralia/uSa 2010

friday May 27 6:30 PM eVerett PerfOrMinG arts center

sunday May 29 7:00 PM nePtune theatre

MOnday May 30 11:00 aM nePtune theatre

first-time writer/director richard Gray makes great use of the orange and grape-growing region of Mildura, in australia’s county Victoria, as a gorgeously photographed backdrop to his nuanced romantic drama. having grown up in nevada after her australian father abandoned the family, musician heidi (the gifted rachael taylor) returns to her roots in order to attend her dad’s funeral. a little bit adrift in her home country and experiencing mixed feelings of grief and remorse about her late father, she meets local fruit grower Michael (alex dimitriades, known to north american audiences from his riveting performance in ana Kokkinos’s Head On). against the lovingly photographed landscapes—which become characters in themselves—a quiet bond is forged and a burgeoning romance begins to unfold. Gray has done what is still a hard thing to find in most movies: he’s allowed his actors and the space they inhabit to determine the gentle flow of his narrative, while giving his luscious images pride of place.

Director: Richard Gray

Producers: Richard Gray

John Finemore

I. Marc Goldenfein

Screenwriters: Richard Gray

Michele Davis

Cinematographer: Greg De Marigny

Editor: Gary Woodyard

Music: Alies Sluiter

Cast: Rachael Taylor

Alex Dimitriades

Kate Bell

Jacki Weaver

Nathan Phillips

Running Time: 104 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm

International Sales: E1 Entertainment

Print Source: Revival Film Company

Film Website: summercoda.com

Selected Filmography: Debut Feature Film

Third Star

uniTed KingdOm 2010 nOrTh ameriCan Premiere

friday June 10 7:00 PM adMiral theater

sunday June 12 1:00 PM siff cineMa

British debut feature director hattie dalton, who first came to prominence through the Bafta-winning short film The Banker, more than lives up to her early promise with this poignant variation on the road movie. James, who has a debilitating illness, invites three longtime friends to accompany him on a camping trip to the remote, beautiful Barafundle Bay on the Welsh coast. Much of the journey involves them carting the infinitely forbearing James on a contraption of their own devising, which naturally leads to various mishaps. along the way, the four look back at their friendship over the years, while desperately trying to gloss over the fact that James is deteriorating fast. set against some very impressive locations, the film makes optimal use of the comic possibilities of the ill-advised cross-country slog, as well as the pals’ discomfort at being away from their laptops, cell phones, and the other comforts of life. its strongest suit, however, is in the casting of the central quartet, most notably Benedict cumberbatch as the stricken James and american-born JJ feild in a star-making turn as Miles, a man with much to avoid discussing in his own life and looking for his own chance of redemption.

Director: Hattie Dalton

Producers: Kelly Broad

Vaughan Sivell

Screenwriter: Vaughan Sivell

Cinematographer: Carlos Catalan

Editor: Peter Christelis

Music: Stephen Hilton

Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch

Tom Burke

JJ Feild

Adam Robertson

Hugh Bonneville

Running Time: 92 minutes

Presentation Format: HDCAM

International Sales: Independent Film  Company

Print Source: Independent Film  Company

Selected Filmography: Debut Feature Film

miL CreTinoS

A Thousand Fools

SPain 2011 nOrTh ameriCan Premiere

friday May 27 9:30 PM Pacific Place cineMas

saturday May 28 3:30 PM Pacific Place cineMas

MOnday May 30 8:30 PM eVerett PerfOrMinG arts center

dropped forks, high rise plunges, overzealous donators, and a fiercely liberated Virgin Mary are just a few of the subjects covered in director Ventura Pons’ masterfully random, occasionally interlocking collection of 15 vignettes, delivered at a rapid-fire, pin-wheeling pace. split into three parts and featuring a gaggle of spanish stars, the film first delivers a variously blistering and tender take on modern foibles and breaches of etiquette, before moving on to a bawdy reexamination of classic myths and parables, all rendered in a delightfully chintzy silent film fashion. the final section, concerning a screenwriter’s exasperated relationship with his headstrong parents, finishes things off in fine form, with one last caustic sting in the tail. Moving with breathtaking assurance, siff favorite Pons (Life on the Edge, Forasters, Drifting) quick draws between savage black comedy and unexpected pathos to deliver an exhilarating and dazzlingly modulated ride. everyone who sees it will have a different favorite part.

Director: Ventura Pons

Producer: Ventura Pons

Screenwriter:

Quim Monzó

Cinematographer: Joan Minguell

Editor: Pere Abadal

Music:

Carles Cases

Cast: Jordi Bosch

Santi Millan

Edu Soto

Joel Joan

Julieta Serrano

Running Time: 93 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm, in Catalan and Spanish, with English subtitles

International Sales: Latido Films

Print Source: Latido Films

Film Website: milcretins.venturapons.cat

Selected Filmography: Forasters (2009)

Life on the Edge (2007) Barcelona, A Map (2007) Wounded Animals (2006)

Idiot Love (2004)

Food of Love (2002) Beloved/Friend (1998)

Caresses (1997)

Actresses (1996)

What It’s All About (1994)

Rosita, Please! (1993)

Tonight or Never (1991)

What’s Your Bet, Mari Pili?  (1990)

Damned Misery! (1989)

The Blonde at the Bar  (1986)

The Vicary of Olot (1981) Ocana, an Intermittent  Portrait (1978)

Tilt

Bulgaria/germanY 2010

tuesday May 31 9:30 PM adMiral theater

MOnday June 6 9:00 PM harVard eXit

stash, B-Gum, angel, and Gogo are skateboarders who dream of turning their clubhouse into a pinball arcade. they live in cold War-era Bulgaria, and the only way they know to raise money is through a multitude of street hustles, from stealing appliances to selling pornographic videos on the Black Market. though their lives are perilous, the bond of friendship is unbreakable, at least until stash falls for Becky, a quiet and intriguing girl who happens to be the daughter of a local police captain. now this quartet of friends is under scrutiny by officials, and to avoid prison they decide to leave the country. stash tries to adjust to his new life, but after a year of pining for his lost love he returns home. however, Bulgaria has changed in the interim—and so has Becky. director Viktor chouchkov fills his debut feature with anarchistic spirit, throbbing punk music, and a kinetic style that throws the viewer right into the lives of these youthful anti-heroes. But ultimately Tilt is a love story, a romantic tale of the sacrifices we make for love, and how it changes our view of the world.

Director: Viktor Chouchkov

Producer: Borislav Chouchkov

Screenwriters: Viktor Chouchkov

Borislav Chouchkov

Cinematographer: Rali Ralchev

Editors: Kostadin “Fozzie”  Kostadinov

Zoritsa Kotseva

Music: Viktor Chouchkov

Cast: Georgi Stayov

Yavor Baharoff

Phillip Avramov

Alexander Sano

Running Time: 94 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm, in Bulgarian, with  English subtitles

International Sales: Chouchkov Brothers, Ltd.

Print Source: Chouchkov Brothers, Ltd.

Film Website: tilt.bg

Selected Filmography: Debut Feature Film

Toast

uniTed KingdOm 2011

saturday June 11 6:30 PM

sunday June 12 11:00 aM

Based on his own childhood memoir, Toast is the story of the early years of nigel slater, Britain’s celebrated chef and food writer. set in the British Midlands in the ‘60s, the film charts the early relationships that shaped slater’s life and career. there’s the hunky gardener, who introduces young nigel to the earthy pleasure of fresh vegetables. then there’s his beloved mother who doesn’t realize that even canned food tastes better when you take it out of the can to heat it. there’s the loathed stepmother whose culinary talent, and its hold on his father, inspires nigel as much as it infuriates him. and then there’s the distant father whose affection he desperately craves. featuring helena Bonham carter as the deliciously wicked stepmother, freddie highmore as slater, and a cameo by slater himself, Toast contemplates the profound role that food plays in all of our lives, the nourishment of body and soul.

nePtune theatre

nePtune theatre

Director: SJ Clarkson

Producer: Faye Ward

Screenwriter: Lee Hall  (based on the novel  by Nigel Slater)

Cinematographer: Balazs Bolygo

Editor:

Liana Del Giudice

Music: Ruth Barrett

Cast: Helena Bonham Carter Ken Scott

Victoria Hamilton

Freddie Highmore

Running Time: 96 minutes

Presentation Format: HDCAM

International Sales: K5 International

Print Source: K5 Media Group

Film Website: k5international.com/fi lmindex/sj-clarksons-toast

JUTro BeDZie LePieJ

Tomorrow Will Be Better

POland/JaPan 2010

three ragged homeless boys escape ukraine and hit the road to Poland. six-year-old Petya, 10-year-old Vasya, and 11-year-old lyapa are typical little boys, spending almost every moment of their escape full of carefree fun in landscapes that change along with their moods. constantly surrounded by everyday threats, they jump trains, hitch rides, or walk through forests living on what they can steal or whatever strangers offer them. they are wise enough to know about border fences but too young and inexperienced to know the word “asylum.” arriving in Poland, they have only some vague notion of turning themselves into the police. Polish director dorota Kedzierzawska (I Am, Time to Die) continues her explorations of life through the eyes of children; powerfully illustrating their hopes and belief that a better place lies just beyond the horizon. shot in northeastern Poland by husband/cinematographer arthur reinhart, Tomorrow Will Be Better is a story of three little heroes surviving in these wicked times.

Director: Dorota Kedzierzawska

Producers: Dorota Kedzierzawska

Arthur Reinhart

Screenwriter: Dorota Kedzierzawska

Cinematographer: Arthur Reinhart

Editors: Dorota Kedzierzawska

Arthur Reinhart

Music: Vacat

Cast: Aleksandra Billewicz Zygmunt Gorodowienko Angelika Kozic Antoni Lanczkowski Jewgienij Ryba

Oleg Ryba

Running Time: 118 minutes

Presentation Format: DCP, in Russian and Polish, with English subtitles

International Sales: Kid Film

Print Source: Kid Film

Selected Filmography: Debut Feature Film saturday June 4 6:30 PM siff cineMa MOnday June 6 4:30 PM siff cineMa

Selected Filmography: Time to Die (2007)  I Am (2005)  Nic (1998)  Wrony (1994)  Diably, Diably (1991)

Trigger

uS Premiere

tuesday May 24 9:30 PM harVard eXit

Wednesday May 25 4:30 PM harVard eXit

sex. drugs. alcohol. ego. these have been the death of many rock bands—and rock stars. But the best rock and roll films are often more fixated on the survivors, an approach that director Bruce Macdonald (Hard Core Logo, siff 1997) certainly understands. a decade after the onstage implosion of their band, Kat (Molly Parker) invites Vic (tracy Wright) to dinner at a swanky toronto eatery. Kat has become a successful music advisor/ producer for us television, while Vic has doggedly hung onto her indie rock roots. in town for a “Women in rock” benefit, Kat must persuade Vic to reconcile so they can once again take the stage together. Trigger follows the duo over the course of their night, as they dig through their pasts, their hopes and fears, and the addictions that they constantly struggle to keep at bay. Mid-way through the film, Vic says of her mortality, “i don’t care about the destination. i’m more concerned about the velocity.” the prescience of that line (Wright passed away during post-production) is enhanced by her career-defining performance here. Parker adds another great performance to her canon, but it’s Wright’s sharp, highvelocity performance—full of wit, fragility, and passion—that truly shines.

Director: Bruce McDonald

Producers: Jennifer Jonas

Leonard Farlinger

Screenwriter: Daniel MacIvor

Cinematographer: Jonathon Cliff

Editor: Matthew Hannam

Music: Brendan Canning

Cast:

Tracy Wright

Molly Parker

Don McKellar

Callum Keith Rennie

Sarah Polley

Running Time: 78 minutes

Presentation Format: DigiBeta

International Sales: E1 Entertainment

International

Print Source: Wolfe Video

Selected Filmography: Pontypool (2008)

The Tracey Fragments  (2007)

The Love Crimes of Gillian  Guess (2004)  Picture Claire (2001)  Hard Core Logo (1996)  Dance Me Outside (1994) Highway 61 (1991)

The Trip

uniTed KingdOm 2010

saturday May 21 3:30 PM harVard eXit MOnday May 23 9:15 PM adMiral theater

noted for the sheer variety of genres in which he has worked, acclaimed British director Michael Winterbottom has generously decided to treat us to a reprise of the combative friendship of the (slightly) fictionalized characters played by steve coogan and rob Brydon in his deliciously funny Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story. after his girlfriend backs out, tV personality and movie star coogan invites his comedy actor friend Brydon to join him on a tour of england’s spectacular lake district to review some of the area’s most exclusive restaurants. Winterbottom captures the sheer beauty of the locations to perfection, but also makes the most of this genius comic pairing whose acerbic exchanges, which frequently veer from amity to open war in the shake of a spoon, are largely improvised and obviously spring from many years of close friendship. as the persnickety, neurotic coogan and the more affable and compliant Brydon bicker, joke, and grumble their way along the route, the humor is never less than sparkling, with the food often as spectacular as the scenery.

Director: Michael Winterbottom

Producers: Andrew Eaton

Melissa Parmenter

Cinematographer: Ben Smithard

Editors:

Mags Arnold

Paul Monaghan

Cast: Steve Coogan

Rob Brydon

Margo Stilley

Claire Keelan

Dolya Gavanski

Rebecca Johnson

Paul Popplewell

Running Time: 109 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm

International Sales: Goalpost Film

Print Source: IFC Films

Selected Filmography: The Killer Inside Me  (2010)  The Road to Gauntanamo  (2006)

Tristram Shandy: A Cock  and Bull Story (2005)

9 Songs (2004)

Code 46 (2003)

In This World (2002)

24 Hour Party People  (2002)

Wonderland (1998)

Welcome to Sarajevo  (1997)

Jude (1996)

Go Now (1995)

Butterfl y Kiss (1995)

Tyrannosaur

SATURDAY MAY 21 10:00 PM

WEDNESDAY MAY 25 4:30 PM

The directorial debut of actor Paddy Considine (Dead Man’s Shoes, My Summer Of Love), Tyrannosaur tells the brutal, beautiful story of one man’s redemption following a lifetime of abusive behavior. Joseph (Peter Mullan) is an angry man slowly drinking himself to death in his small English village. With no family to speak of and only his fellow drunks to keep him company, Joseph watches the world through the bottom of his pint glass. But when an unexpected altercation in the village pub leads him to seek shelter in the second-hand shop run by Hannah, Joseph finds himself immersed in a domestic drama that will test the limits of his resolve while revealing a side of his humanity he thought no longer existed. With a painter’s eye for detail and a mastery of tone, Considine distinguishes himself behind the camera while Mullan and Colman perform a riveting high-wire act in front of it. Tyrannosaur is a harrowing, honest film that will keep audiences riveted until its final, unflinching frame.

Special note: Tyrannosaur includes two scenes depicting violence to animals.

Awards

Sundance Film Festival 2011 (World Cinema Directing Award, Dramatic; Special Jury Prize for Breakout Performances)

SIFF CINEMA

NEPTUNE THEATRE

Director: Paddy Considine

Producer: Diarmid Scrimshaw

Screenwriter: Paddy Considine

Cinematographer: Erik Wilson

Editor: Pia di Ciaula

Music: John Boughtwood

Cast: Peter Mullan

Eddie Marsan

Olivia Colman

Running Time: 91 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm

International Sales: Falco Ink

Print Source: Strand Releasing

Selected Filmography: Debut Feature Film

Vampire CANADA/USA 2011

WEDNESDAY JUNE 1 6:30 PM

THURSDAY JUNE 2 4:00 PM

EGYPTIAN THEATRE

EGYPTIAN THEATRE

SUNDAY JUNE 5 8:30 PM ADMIRAL THEATER

Vampire is not a horror film. It is about Simon, a quiet, sensitive biology teacher who uses online message boards to meet suicidal soulmates. He then tricks them into thinking they are joining together in a suicide pact, so that these women will cause their own demise and he can reap his reward —their blood. It is never clear if Simon’s cravings are psychological or physical, and his blood drinking habits don’t always agree with him. As a scientist he wants to save lives, starting with his dementiainflicted mother, but his urges are unstoppable. Then Simon meets his dark mirror image, another young man with the same affliction who turns out to be a violent murderous beast.

Acclaimed Japanese director Iwai Shunji (All About Lily Chou-Chou) directs his first English language film in his signature meditative style, drenched in black humor, with flashes of surprisingly beautiful macabre imagery and a haunting piano score. Vampire isn’t just about Simon’s unusual needs; it’s also a surreal and even humorous exploration of death.

Director: Iwai Shunji

Producers: Iwai Shunji

Tim Kwok

Screenwriter: Iwai Shunji

Cinematographer: Iwai Shunji

Editor: Iwai Shunji

Music: Iwai Shunji

Cast: Kevin Zegers

Keisha Castle-Hughes

Rachel Leigh Cook

Kristin Kreuk

Running Time: 119 minutes

Presentation Format: HDCAM

International Sales: Fortissimo Films

Print Source: Rockwell Eyes, Inc.

Film Website: facebook.com/ vampiremovie

Selected Filmography: New York, Love You (2009)

Tokyo! (2008)

The Kon Ichikawa Story (2006)

Hana and Alice (2004)

All About Lily Chou-Chou (2001)

WeneCJA

Venice POland 2010

friday May 20 4:00 PM Pacific Place cineMas

tuesday May 31 9:30 PM Pacific Place cineMas

sunday June 5 3:30 PM adMiral theater

eleven-year-old Marek dreams of a trip to Venice. the outbreak of WWi, however, cuts short his fantasies. instead, he’s packed off to a tiny Polish village in the middle of nowhere to live with his aunts in their dilapidated villa. When the villa’s basement floods, Marek creates his own version of Venice while the aunts join him in his make believe world, until the realities of war intrude. director Jan Jakub Kolski combines the brutal images of war with the dream-like qualities of a child’s sensitivity and need for magic. though Kolski’s never experienced war, his grandfather was a prisoner at a concentration camp and he has seen his family cope with war-related trauma. according to the filmmaker, if you make personal movies, you are responding to personal needs. Based on the short story by Polish novelist Wlodzimierz Odojewski, the story of Marek’s transition from boy to man is shot in the luminous cinematography of arthur reinhart (Tomorrow Will Be Better).

Awards:

Polish Film Awards 2011 (Best Cinematography, Set Design, Sound,  Costumes)

Montreal World Film Festival 2010 (Best Artistic Contribution Prize)

Director: Jan Jakub Kolski

Producer: Michal Kwiecinski

Screenwriter: Jan Jakub Kolski based  on stories by Wlodzimierz  Odojewski

Cinematographer: Arthur Reinhart

Editor: Witold Chominski

Music: Dariosz Gorniok

Cast: Marcin Walewski Magdalena Cielecka Graznya Blecka-Kolska Teresa BudziszKrzyzanowska

Running Time: 110 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm, in Polish, German,  and Russian, with English  subtitles

International Sales: Telewizja Polska S.A.

Print Source: Telewizja Polska S.A.

Selected Filmography: Afonia and Honeybees  (2009)

Jasminum (2006) Pornography (2002)  Keep Away From The  Window (2000)

The History of Cinema in  Popielawy (1998)

Viva Riva!

demOCraTiC rePuBliC OF COngO/FranCe/Belgium/ SOuTh aFriCa 2010

thursday May 26 9:30 PM Pacific Place cineMas

friday May 27 4:00 PM Pacific Place cineMas

after 10 years in angola, a small time hustler named riva has returned to Kinshasa with a major score. after hijacking a truck full of precious gasoline, riva looks forward to a future of throwing parties, enjoying women, and indulging in a multitude of other hedonistic desires. however, the good life can only last so long, as a sadistic angolan crime lord wants to collect on his stolen gas truck. as more people learn about the booty, riva finds himself evading a priest, an army commander, gangsters, and even his own best friend. each of these divergent paths will eventually cross, leaving an increasing tally of bodies and mayhem. driven by Patsha Bay’s charismatic lead performance, Viva Riva! never runs out of gas. every scene percolates with a subversive energy and features levels of eroticism and brutality unusual to african cinema. Beyond its flashy exterior, the movie also offers an insider’s perspective on the extreme corruption evident in the contemporary congo. director djo tunda Wa Munga has single-handedly kick-started a film industry in the democratic republic of congo with this pulsating thriller that has created a sizzle worldwide.

Sponsored by FOOLS Serious

Director: Djo Tunda Wa Munga

Producer: Djo Tunda Wa Munga

Screenwriter: Djo Tunda Wa Munga

Cinematographer: Antoine Roch

Editor: Yves Langlois

Cast: Patsha Bay

Manie Malone

Hoji Fortuna

Marlene Longange

Alex Herabo

Diplome Amekindra

Running Time: 96 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm, in Lingala and  French, with English

subtitles

International Sales: Beta Cinema

Print Source: Music Box Films

Film Website: musicboxfi lms.com/ viva-riva

Selected Filmography: Debut Feature Film

Wasted on the Young

auSTralia 2010

thursday June 2 9:30 PM nePtune theatre

saturday June 4 1:30 PM harVard eXit

for his feature film debut, director Ben c. lucas explores the common teenage themes of popularity, conformity, rebellion, and alienation, and exaggerates them to fantastical heights in this disturbing portrait of life at a tech-savvy private high school in a posh australian suburb. Zack (alex russell), the suave but ruthless leader of the school’s popular crowd, makes a move on the beautiful Xandrie (adelaide clemens) but is rejected. Xandrie instead prefers the company of Zack’s shy step-brother darren (Oliver ackland), who spends most of his time in online chat rooms. this love triangle soon explodes when Zack hosts a house party, where he takes cruel revenge on Xandrie, provoking darren to retaliate with violent consequences. eventually, the whole school is drawn into the escalating conflict as Zack and darren launch a cyberwar to digitally manipulate the opinions of their peers about really happened on that fateful evening. far more than your average teen drama, Wasted on the Young is a sharp commentary about the social networking zeitgeist and its insidious ability to churn reality into a confusing mass of pixels.

Director: Ben C. Lucas

Producer: Janelle Landers

Aiden O’Bryan

Screenwriter: Ben C. Lucas

Cinematographer: Dan Freene

Editor: Leanne Cole

Music: Geri Green

Cast: Oliver Ackland

Adelaide Clemens

Alex Russell

Georgina Haig

Gerraldine Hakewill

Running Time: 97 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm

International Sales: Fortissimo Films

Print Source: Indomina Releasing

Film Website: indomina.com

Selected Filmography: Debut Feature Film

We Are the Night

germanY 2010 uS Premiere

sunday May 29 6:00 PM eGyPtian theatre MOnday May 30 1:45 PM eGyPtian theatre

it’s been 90 years since f.W. Murnau first gave birth to the cinematic vampire and now German director dennis Gansel is bringing the creatures back home to Berlin. eighteenyear-old lena is a small time criminal hunting for nightly pick-pocketing opportunities in an illegal nightclub. unfortunately, the owner of the club, louise, soon catches on to her racket and takes a liking to her, sinking her teeth into her neck. although lena is initially resistant of joining louise’s centuries-old trio of vampires, she is seduced into their immortal world by the youthful, luxurious, and totally feminine anarchy that they have created. however, lena eventually grows tired of the high life, and her attraction to an undercover police detective drives a stake between her and the pack, while also putting their immortality on the line. We Are the Night smartly swaps the gender expectations in vampire films and supplies an anarchic feminine treatise for a world where men exist only to be used. filmed with an eye for the extravagant and a musical score that drives the movie forward, Gansel has captured a tremendous vision that will appease even the strongest bloodlust.

Director: Dennis Gansel

Producers: Martin Moszkowicz

Christian Becker

Screenwriters: Dennis Gansel

Jan Berger

Cinematographer: Torsten Breuer

Editor: Matthias Müsse

Music: Heiko Maile

Cast: Nina Hoss

Jennifer Ulrich

Karoline Herfurth

Max Riemelt

Running Time: 96 minutes

Presentation Format: DigiBeta, in German, with  English subtitles

International Sales: Celluloid Nightmares

Print Source: IFC Films

Film Website: wirsinddienacht.fi lm.de

Selected Filmography: The Wave (2008)

Before the Fall (2004)  Girls on Top (2001)  The Dawn (2001)

Wir SinD Die nACHT

Weekend

uniTed KingdOm 2011

friday June 3 7:00 PM

harVard eXit

sunday June 5 4:30 PM siff cineMa

Writer-director andrew haigh’s account of an intense friday-to-sunday affair was deservedly one of the hits of this year’s sXsW film festival. after a casual friday night dinner with his straight friends, the semi-closeted russell sets off for a gay club. feeling that his life needs to be kick-started, he hooks up with Glen, a feisty, artsy type. the intended one night stand develops into something more when, the next morning, Glen asks russell to tape his feelings about the encounter, and the two continue on through the weekend, hanging out in bars, having sex, taking drugs and telling endless stories as they get to know each other better. But the end is already in sight, since Glen is about to leave for america. superficially, the film is anything but a romance, rather a contemporary love story constructed on the pragmatic mores of urban gay life. yet haigh slyly slips in hints that, even in its truncated existence, the relationship is more about love than lust (not least in the nod to Brief Encounter at the film’s climax), while capturing, through his excellent script and talented cast, the essence of today’s gay scene.

Director:

Andrew Haigh

Producer: Tristan Goligher

Screenwriter: Andrew Haigh

Cinematographer: Ula Pontikos

Editor: Andrew Haigh

Music: James Edward Barker

Cast: Tom Cullen

Chris New

Running Time: 96 minutes

Presentation Format: HDCAM

International Sales: The Film Collaborative

Print Source: Sundance Selects

Film Website: www.weekend-fi lm.com

Selected Filmography: Greek Pete (2009)

The Whistleblower

Canada/germanY 2010

saturday May 28 6:45 PM eGyPtian theatre

sunday May 29 1:00 PM eGyPtian theatre

tuesday May 31 6:30 PM eVerett PerfOrMinG arts center

rachel Weisz turns in a flawless performance as nebraska police officer-turned-peacekeeper Kathryn Bolkovac in this tough-minded thriller set in Bosnia at the turn of this century. Based on a true story, larysa Kondracki’s gritty debut follows Bolkovac as she exits her tangled personal life back home in favor of a job with the u.n. peacekeeping force in the still-tense former yugoslavia. Once there and working for the u.n.’s Gender Office (headed by Vanessa redgrave in a superb cameo), which investigates sexual assaults, Bolkovac uncovers evidence of human trafficking and sexual slavery that implicates fellow peacekeepers and officials, evidence that puts her life in danger. fast-paced and unsparing (some scenes are explicit and may be hard to watch), Kondracki’s film is an heir to the great conspiracy thrillers of the 1970s, as it follows Bolkovac into a maze of duplicity and obfuscation. Weisz is completely credible at every turn as a woman with a conscience (and a daughter of her own), determined to save the lives of the young women under threat. david strathairn and Monica Bellucci round out a superb cast.

Awards:  Palm Springs Film Festival 2011 (Audience Award)

Director: Larysa Kondracki

Producers: Christina Piovesan

Amy Kaufman

Celine Rattray

Screenwriters: Eilis Kirwan

Larysa Kondracki

Cinematographer: Kieran McGuigan

Editor: Julian Clarke

Music: Mychael Danna

Cast: Rachel Weisz

Vanessa Redgrave

Monica Bellucci

David Strathairn

Nikolaj Lie Kaas

Running Time: 118 minutes

Presentation Format: 35mm

International Sales: Voltage Pictures

Print Source: Samuel Goldwyn Films

Film Website: samuelgoldwynfi lms.com

Selected Filmography: Debut Feature Film

Win/Win

neTherlandS 2010

MOnday May 30 6:30 PM eGyPtian theatre

Wednesday June 1 4:30 PM nePtune theatre

friday June 10 7:00 PM KirKland PerfOrMance center

if a man gets everything he wants with almost no effort, can he ever be truly happy? Jaap van heusden’s feature debut explores this central theme in the story of ivan, a young analyst at an amsterdam brokerage firm who has an uncanny gift for interpreting data. his savant-like abilities are soon discovered by the arrogant, no-nonsense stef—one of the firm’s top traders—who takes the wunderkind under his wing. ivan is an immediate sensation, raking in huge daily profits for the firm, receiving a swanky new apartment and getting amorous attention from the pretty receptionist he has secretly admired as dividends. But his gift comes at a great cost. as the profits and his reputation soars, ivan feels increasingly detached from the rest of the world, soon forcing him to make a momentous decision. Win/Win is an absorbing character study that also subtly skewers the financial hubris that helped bring about the global economic crisis. in between ivan’s brilliant stock trades, we see glimpses of real-life news reports about the collapse of Bear stearns splashed across the trading floor’s video screens—warnings that are virtually ignored by the busy traders.

Sponsored by FOOLS Serious

Director: Jaap van Heusden

Producer: Marc Bary

Screenwriter: Jaap van Heusden

Cinematographer: Jan Moeskops

Editor: Jasper Quispel

Music: Minco Eggersman

Cast: Oscar Van Rompay

Halina Rejin

Leon Voorberg

Hans Kesting

Running Time: 84 minutes

Presentation Format: HDCAM, in Dutch, with  English subtitles

International Sales: Cinema Delicatessen

Print Source: IJswater Films

Film Website: ijswater.nl

Selected Filmography: Debut Feature Film

Womb

germanY/hungarY/FranCe 2010

sunday May 22 8:30 PM adMiral theater

tuesday May 24 7:00 PM eGyPtian theatre

it’s rare to find a genuine science-fiction film with the controlled visuals and eerie sense of possibility on display in Benedek fliegauf’s twisted Oedipal drama. this haunting tale is set in a future very similar to our own time, save for one crucial difference; in this future, cloning is not only possible, it is commonly available. eva Green (Casino Royale) plays rebecca, a woman recently re-united with her childhood love tommy (Matt smith). When tommy is tragically killed, rebecca makes a fateful decision that will test the viewer’s beliefs and moral compass. she allows herself to become pregnant with tommy’s clone, thereby becoming mother to her lover. fliegauf—a hungarian director making his english-language debut with this film—unspools his tale of psychosexual exploration, suppression, and madness with a stylist’s eye for haunting imagery. With cinematically stunning camera work by fellow hungarian Péter szatmári, and anchored by Green’s bravura turn (in a particularly affecting choice, fliegauf refuses to have rebecca age as her cloned tommy grows up), Womb is an outstanding piece of cinema that challenges conventions.

Director: Benedek Fliegauf

Producers: Gerhard Meixner

Roman Paul

András Muhi

Screenwriter: Benedek Fliegauf

Cinematographer: Péter Szatmári

Editor: Xavier Box

Music: Max Richter

Cast: Eva Green

Matt Smith

Hannah Murray

Tristan Christopher Ruby O. Fee

Running Time: 107 minutes

Presentation Format: DigiBeta

International Sales: The Match Factory

Print Source: Olive Films

Selected Filmography: Dealer (2004)  Forest (2003)

5,300 sq ft blackout studio for photo/film production

30 ft ceilings

54’ x 50’ of open shooting space

s eamless backdrop, props and photography lights available

c omfortable amenities full kitchen & s hower

a mple parking with rv power hookup d rive in access

10 minutes from downtown

HWAnGHAe

The Yellow Sea

SOuTh KOrea 2010 nOrTh ameriCan Premiere

friday June 10 9:30 PM siff cineMa

saturday June 11 1:15 PM siff cineMa

Korean director na hong-jin (The Chaser) crosses the border into northeastern china, where hard-gambling Gu-nam is a taxi driver in the yanbian Province. he’s also living under a mountain of debt and waiting for his wife to deliver on her promise to send money back from seoul. that was six months ago, and Gu-nam hasn’t spoken with her since. When he’s not working or in the local gambling halls, he’s tortured by an imagined extramarital affair. after Gu-nam is fired from his job, the local crime boss offers him a way to wipe out all of his debts: he must return to south Korea and assassinate a man whom he knows little about. Gu-nam arrives in seoul anxious to see his wife, but instead ends up being chased by the police. learning that he’s wanted for a murder he didn’t commit, Gu-nam realizes he’s been conned into a trap—one made all the more dangerous when a professional assassin is sent after him. Packed with action scenes including a much-ballyhooed car chase through Busan, this gritty thriller was a box-office smash in Korea.

Director: Na Hong-jin

Producer: Han Seong-gu Jeong Dae-hun

Kim Gyeong-hwan

Kim Ui-seok

Screenwriter: Na Hong-jin

Cinematographer: Lee Seong-jae

Editor: Kim Seon-min

Music: Jang Yeong-gyu Lee Byeong-hun Bokseunga

Cast: Ha Jung-woo

Kim Yoon-suk

Running Time: 156 minutes

Presentation Format: DCP, in Korean, with  English subtitles

International Sales: Showbox

Print Source:  D2 Films

Selected Filmography: The Chaser (2008)

You Are Here

Canada 2010

Wednesday May 25 9:30 PM harVard eXit thursday May 26 4:30 PM harVard eXit

after making his mark on the art world, accomplished video artist daniel cockburn now turns to film in his fascinating debut feature You Are Here. inspired by such masters of the absurd as charlie Kaufmann, samuel Beckett, and italo calvino, cockburn’s film follows a series of seemingly unconnected, gleefully bizarre narratives: workers at a call centre track the movements of random citizens; a scientist develops a strategy to deal with the unexpected appearance of chinese writing; alan has lost his computer password and wants an explanation for a door that shouldn’t be there. While the protagonists shift and change course, and motives move in and out of focus, mysterious red signs appear to unhelpfully explain, “you are here.” By the time an archivist (played by the late tracy Wright of Me and You and Everyone We Know, Trigger) shows up with the potential of connecting the story strands through various found items, the denouement of any of them has long since ceased to matter, with the viewer by then completely immersed in the film’s clever chinese box construction. Brainy, inventive, and playful, You Are Here heralds the arrival of a remarkable new film talent.

Preceded By: Pretty Little Doggie USA, 2010, 7 minutes, director: E. Ivan Infante  Sometimes the best results come from the worst intentions.

Director: Daniel Cockburn

Producers: Daniel Bekerman

Daniel Cockburn

Screenwriter: Daniel Cockburn

Cinematographer: Cabot McNenly

Editor: Duff Smith

Music: Rick Hyslop

Cast: Tracy Wright R.D. Reid

Anand Rajaram

Nadia Litz

Running Time: 78 minutes

Presentation Format: HDCAM

International Sales: Insomnia World Sales

Print Source: zeroFunction Productions

Film Website: you-are-here-movie.com

Selected Filmography: Debut Feature Film

PROGRAMMING

Director of Programming

Beth Barrett

Programming Coordinator

Sarah Loritz

SIFF Cinema Programmer

Clinton McClung

Programmers

Maryna Ajaja

Justine Barda

Beth Barrett

Clare Canzoneri

Dan Doody

Erica Erfman

Ruth Hayler

Dustin Kaspar

Sarah Loritz

Gaetano Maiorino

Clinton McClung

Anita Monga

Dale Nash

Paula Nechak

Stan Shields

Carl Spence

Andy Spletzer

Brad Wilke

Programming Interns

Margaux Juvénal

Megan Leonard

Alexandra Reveyrand de-Menthon

Programmer Consultants

Angelo Acerbi

Helen Du Toit

Vicci Ho

Caroline Libresco

Helen Loveridge

EDUCATION AND FORUMS

Educational Programs Manager

Dustin Kaspar

Educational Programs Associate

Maile Martinez

Education and Outreach Interns

Elizabeth Wilkes

Lauren Martin

Youth Jury/FutureWave Committee Coordinator

Sarah Haskell

GUEST RELATIONS

Guest Relations Manager

Rhonda Sable

Travel Coordinator

Christina Bruce

Guest Relations Volunteer and Transportation Coordinator

Stefanie Karlin

Guest Suite Coordinator

Carey Christie

Guest Relations Travel Coordinator Advisor

Rose Boyle

Guest Relations Interns

Meghan Bright

Ellen Cravens

Vasilis Fotopoulos

Sidney Hunt

Cynthia Jonas

Miriam Schwartz

Yodit Semu

Nectar Shakir

Nathania tenWolde

DEVELOPMENT AND INDIVIDUAL GIVING

Development Director

Nancy Kennedy

Corporate Sponsorship Manager

Sue Guthrie

Director of Individual Giving

Renee C. O’Donnell

Events Manager

Virginia McFadin

Development Coordinator

Christine Exline

Special Events Assistant

Ashley Russell

Events Assistant, Inventory and Production

Gevin Booth

Platinum Plus Concierge

Serena Evers

Development Intern

Emma Clement

Individual Giving and Membership Intern

Rebekah Drapkin

Events and Sponsorship Intern

Emma Mueller

Development Consultants

Capital Campaign: Main Consulting, Bonnie Main

Grants: Liza Comtois

Executive Intern

Pablo Chaix

MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS

Director of Marketing and Communications

Steve Brown

Senior Publicist

Elizabeth Martin-Calder

Publicists

Britt Curtis

Justin Kanton

Marketing Manager

Aubrey Scheffel

Marketing Coordinator

Ruthann Taylor

Outreach Assistant

Brooke McNeill

Marketing and Outreach Interns

Fanny Caillol

Fiona LeBrun

Nina Page

Jessica Wilson

Communications Coordinator

Laura Brewer

Publications Design Manager

Steve Meyer

Publications Co-Editors

Amie Simon

Andrew Wright

Publications Interns

Ava Cole

Frances Dinger

Susan Hanson

Writers

Maryna Ajaja

Justine Barda

Beth Barrett

Laura Brewer

Clare Canzoneri

Dan Doody

Erica Erfman

Kathy Fennessy

Margaux Juvenal

Dustin Kaspar

Sarah Loritz

Helen Loveridge

Clinton McClung

Anita Monga

Charles Redell

Alexandra Reveyrand-de Menthon

Stan Shields

Amie Simon

Carl Spence

Andy Spletzer

Brad Wilke

Elizabeth Wilkes

Randy Woods

Andrew Wright

Photo Editor

Les Sterling

Event Photography

Team Photogenic

OPERATIONS

Director of Operations

Holden Payne

Information Systems Manager

Kristine Towne

Manager of Festival Operations

Amy Poisson

SIFF Cinema Manager

Anastasia Giannoulas

Box Office Manager

Jody Cole

Assistant Box Office Manager

Katie Thorn

Venue Managers

Joe Clary

Phil Del Costello

Cody Fenton-Robertson

Dan Hudson

Peter Lowe

Gabi Madsen

Sophie Ngeth

Sarah Pawlowski

Emily Rome

Sarah Simonds

Beth Varner

House Coordinators

Betsy Berger

Spencer Bollen

Marie Cermak

Kevin Fansler

Sue Gonzalez

Jenn Hanson

Alex Hudson

Rani Joseph

Suma Kashi

Jacqui Katai

Janine Kowack

Casey Leichter

Richard “Rick” Mackey

Jessi McFarland

Latesha Miller

George Ngo

Shawn Nicholson

Amanda Robinson

Leslie Saber

Christine Salvador

Mariam Sergenian

Daniel Strommen

Jason Thompson

SIFF Cinema Staff

Chris Hernandez

Sophie Ngeth

Mimi Noyes

Aaron Park

Krishanu Ray

Mark Tomas

Marie Vlahos

SIFF Cinema Projectionist

Jim Tuohey

Financial Administrator

Catherine Muth

Bookkeeping Assistant

Julie Shin

Print Traffic Manager

Jaclyn O’Grady

Print Traffic Assistant

Josh Dixon

Theater Operations Manager

Dana Feder

Volunteer and HR Coordinator

Monica Hinckley

Production Driver

Dustin O’Dell

Operations Assistant

Jessica Tracey

Production Interns

Maria Manness

Molly Benson

Front Office Volunteers

Jeff Cavanaugh

Marco Collins

David Corry

Cassie Cross

Eddy Dughi

Wendy Durant

Amanda Erven

Kristina Hjertberg

Nathan Jordan

Eric Morgret

Lia Nigro

Vera Petukhova

Krishanu Ray

Eduardo Sandoval

Eric Sorlien

Kim Stockbridge

ADVERTISING AGENCY

Wong Doody Crandall Weiner

PUBLISHING SERVICES

Encore Media Group

Publishing Services

Paul Heppner

Ana Alvira

Kristi Atwood

Deborah Choat

Robin Kessler

Jana Rekosh

Susan Peterson

Jonathan Shipley

Encore Media Group

Advertising Sales

Mike Hathaway

Sherri Jarvey

Brenda Senderoff

Cherie Singer

Lenore Waldron

Denise Wong

Thank you to all of last year’s volunteers (listed below).

Last year, 762 volunteers completed 14,361 hours of hard work. We also wish to thank the hundreds of dedicated volunteers that will help make SIFF 2011 a success!

Krystal Abbott

Hassan Abdirizak

Shirley Abreu

Laura Acuna

Amber Adams

Hermes Adrada

Joyce Agee

Ben Ahrens

Marc Ahrens

Annmarie Aidoo

Anni Ala

Hilda Allum

Paula Amell

Carli Anderson

Christy Anderson

Elena Anderson

Holly Anderson

Rik Anderson

Michelle Apperloo

Tessa Archer

Zainal Arifin

Gregory Aronov

Olga Aronov

Marta Asa

Sam Astell

Michelle Atkins

Nicoli Auyong

Michelle Avery

Fatima Aviquivil

Appy Ayyagari

Marta Rey Babarro

Chase Baginski

Cynthia Baker

Jean Baker

Ray Baker

Edward Balderama

Erin Baltrusis

Joshua Balvin

Laila Barr

Michaele Barrera

Paul Barrera

Scot Bastian

Lee Bazel

Emily Beauprey

Julie Beffa

Nico Beland

Jeff Benner

Peg Benson

Beth Bergquist

Carlene Bermann

Wanda Bertram

Tom Bertucci

Victoria Beschenbossel

George Beykovsiky

Genevieve Bienvenue

Leela Bilow

Marty Bisch

Sabine Bischofberger

Nik Blahunka

Dianne Blevins

Stephanie Blum

Stuart Blum

Breanne Boland

Richard Bollinger

Marc Bonne

Tsara Borsting

Sarah Boslaugh

Maxwell Bourasaw

Spencer Bowman

Henrik Brameus

Michael Brasino

Jonathan Bray

Sydne Brewer

Kim Bridwell

Jill Briggs

Casey Broadwater

Guy Brook

Heather Brown

Anita Browning

Elizabeth Bruning

Angela Buck

Kathy Bugajsky

Ena Bulanova

Shirley Bunney

Timothy Burke

Josh Burnell

Natalie Butterfield

Alida Bystrom

Brian Bystrom

Emily Caditz

Donald Caffrey

Mysie Cairns

Anthony Calabro

Lindsay Calkins

Cindy Callahan

Lynn Callahan

Valerie Campbell

Michael Campos

Shmim Capewell

Nicole Capozziello

Jeffrey Cavanaugh

Marie Cermak

Anissa Chan

Ashika Chand

Roi Chang

Katherine Chapman

Stephanie Chapman

Moniece Charlton

David Chaw

Isabelle Che

Parm Cheema

Bill Chemnick

Wen Chen

Yunju Chen

Chun Wei Chen

Jessica Cheng

S.k. Cheong

Eun Hwa Cheong

Tien Cheung

Jim Chin

SuJ’n Chon

Kim Chrapliwy

Leslie Chui

Nancy Clark

Kate Cobb

Courtney Cohan

Rebecca Cohen

Lisaann Cohn

Joseph Cole

Kelsey Cole

Marian Cole

Marco Collins

Jennifer Conn

Daron Cook

David Cook

Mod Cook

K. Louise Cook

Mia Cooledge

Lisa Cooper

Tyler Cooper

Janelle Coppinger

David Corry

Nathan Cosgray

Stephanie Cosgrove

Catherine Creason

Alexis Crist

Cassie Cross

Pat Cudinski

Galen Cunningham

Drew Dahle

Jaci Dahlvang

Pamela Dales

William Damon

Elora Das

Mark Davidek

Jonis Davis

Mindi Davis

Sharon Davis

Laurie Dawson

Christopher Day

Susan Decker

Tiffany Defarbus

Yann Defarbus

Zachary DeGorgue

Elsie Delahaye

Elli Delong

Makiko Demise

John Dickson

Ruihua Ding

Kathryn Dixson

Michael Dobbie

Sharla Dodd

Tracy Doherty

Patrick Dominquez

Carol Donahue

Katie Donze

Lindsey Doyle

Paul Draghicescu

Keith Ducharme

Owen Duckett

Rebecca Dugopolski

Kristine Duncan

Tonia Duncan

Tina Dunne

Wendy Durant

Rebecca Durham

Joanne Dyer

Lindsay Dygert

T Eans

Tony Eans

Jason Eckelman

John Eddy

Jane Egerton

Tracy Elledge

Linda Ellis

Richard Ellison

Lon Elmer

Ramsey

El-Moslimany

Nadia Eng

Angela Erlendson

Anita Ertel

Amanda Erven

Susan Evani

Marilyn Evans

Mike Ewanciw

Veronica Fadok

Kevin Fansler

Pam Farrel

Carey Fegel

Annaliese Fidgeon

Jackson Fish

Joel Fisher

Jarrad Fjelstad

Jane Fleck

Deliah Flores

Brian Ford

Violet Fox

Matt Frank

Gayle Franklin

Isabelle Franklin

Alene Freidenrich

Michelle Fry

Bob Fukano

Kaori Fukuda

Rose Funk

Sam Gable

Barbara Gagnat

Lisa Gallinger

John Gallup

Chris Galvin

Anne Garrett

Jessica Gartner

Greg Gartrell

Thomas Gates

Julie Gauntt

Antonio Gebran

Judy Gehring

Yaniv Gelnik

Anastasia

Giannoulas

Jacqui Gilroy

Mark Glass

Susan Godfrey

Laurie Gogic

Laure Gois

Alleson Goldfinger

Hunter Goncavles

Elodia Gonzalaz

Sue Gonzales

Cory Gooch

Kaitlin Goodrich

Alka Goyal

Kendra Graham

Meaghen Grant

Jagger Gravning

Mark Gray

Morgan Greenseth

Alan Grenon

Cathy Greutert

Timothy Griggs

Austin Gross

David Gross

Theresa Gutierrez

Lizette

Gutierrez-Parker

Sandy Gutting

Andrew Hagen

Bruce Hall

Cathie Hamilton

Lisa Hammond

Hillary Handy

Breana Hansen

Paul Hanson

Robert Hanson

Melodie Hardwick

Jenna Hare

Shauna Hargrove

Alicia Hartman

Catherine Haseleu

Gene Haseleu

Kimmie Havok

Holly Haymaker

Julia Hechler

Ellen Hecht

Erin Heider

Katie Henderson

Teri Hensen

Roger Heuss

Jean Hill

Karene Hill

Miriam Hinden

Carolyn Hitter

Jim Hitter

Mitzie Hoffman

Kristy Hogue

Victoria Holt

Laura Hoover

Kathy Horsfall

Sarah Hryncewicz

Kj Hsieh

Yi Hsieh Hua

Chiungi Huang

Jeff Huang

Yu-Ting Huang

Margaret Hubert

Rebecca Huffman

Heather Hughes

Brenda Humphrey

Mark Hungerford

Heather Hunt

Yuko Igarashi

Paul Ip

Bronwyn Isaac

Daiki Ito

Kristin Ito

Emily Ivers

Robert Iwanik

Jesse Jacobson

Bertha Jaeger

Judith Jagsich

Joe Jagusch

Kara Jakobs

Paula Jean

Johnny Jeans

Amy Jessberger

Kelly Joebgen

Betty Johanna

Thomas Johnsen

Angie Johnson

Leslie Johnson

Lynda Johnson

Meredith-Lyia Johnson

Nick Johnson

Sarah Johnson

Alex Johnston

Dennis Jones

Lisa Jones

Maureen Jones

Nathan Jordan

Seungwon Joung

Victoria Ju

Jade Justad

Joe Kadushin

Kae Kamiya

Michael Kan

Caroline Kangas

Arcadiy Kantor

Lydia Katzel

Jonathan Kellenberg

Chrissi Keller

Leslie Kelly

John Kemmick

Jeremy Keng

Clare Kennelly

Riley Kent

Lisa Keres

Kristen Kerr

Denise Kester

Madeleine Kezar

Noe Khalfa

Maggie Khuu

Dan Aarthun

Bob Abramoff

Ben Abrens

Saheed Adejumobi

Jennifer Ahn

Deron Albright

Aaron Alhadeff

Justin Allan

Paul Allen

David Allen

Kathleen Allen

Jody Allen Patton

Mark Allender

Stanley Alleyne

Gunnar Almér

Oscar Alonso

Beckett Altmaier

Dom Amor

Angela Anable

Eli Anderson

Mary Jane Anderson

Kevin Anderson

Scilla Andreen

Wes Andrews

Siri Angeles

Sharon Angle

Honeychurch Antiques

Viviana Araneda

Ed Arentz

Lisa Arnold

Holly Arsenault

Gemma Atwal

Arnaud Aubelle

PoChu AuYeung

Claudine Avetyan

Pamela Baade

Mary Bacarella

Christian Bale

Gaurab Bansal

Luke Baranouskas

Crystal Barnard

Carol Barton

Mary Bass

Gina Batali

Susie Bauer

Claire Beach

Aubbie Beal

Bill Beattie

Dena Beatty

Shannon Beaty

Lynn Beck

Bob Bellar

Agnès Batllori Benet

Kellie Ann Benz

Denise Bennett

Laurence Berbon

Dan Berger

Ingrid Berkhout

Levent Besik

Aleksandra Biernacka

Paul Bigman

Cory Bishop

Denis Bisson

Chris Blanchett

Leah Bledsoe

Rick Bodlaender

Virginia Bogert

Tabetha Bolen

Julie Borchard-Young

Pietro Borghesi

Kris Boustedt

Lindy Boustedt

Becky Boutch

Deb Bowen

Eamonn Bowles

Rose Boyle

Elizabeth Brambilla

Sean Branney

Charly Braun

Jeff Brein

Dinah Brein-McClellan

Nathan Brend

Anna Brenner

Tim Brewer

Carolyn Brewer

Matt Brodlie

Katie Brokaw

Brad and Amy Brotherton

Molly Brown

Barbara Brown

Michael Brown

Troy Bruschetto

Andrea Buckmeier

Paul Buerk

Liza Burnett Fefferman

Meghann Burns

Jessica Bursi

John Busey

Karin Butler

Chris Calverth

Greg Campbell

Carri Campbell

Cathy Carlson

Diane Carlson

Nate Carson

David Casey

David Castro

Jeff Cavanaugh

Patrick and Claudine Cazals

Raymond Cha

Ginger Chan

Moniece Charlton

Catherine Chau

Chantal Chauzy

Randal Chicoine

Dale and Leslie Chihuly

SJ Chiro

Ann Ciecko

Daniel Cockburn

Howard Cohen

Kristen Cole

Taylor Coleman

Susan Coliton

Marco Collins

Liza Comtois

Rebeca Conget

Jennifer Conn

Sharon Conner

Patrick Connor

Daron Cook

Linda Coomas

Patricia Cope

Saroj Corr

Patrice Courtaban

Matt Cowal

Rita Cressman

Geert Criel

Benjamin Crossley-Marra

Matt Cunningham

Don Curtiss

Eric d’Arbeloff

Suzanne Dale-Estey

Jeff Davis

Jonathan Dean

Nikkole Denson-Randolph

Emmanuelle Dessureault

Tammy Dharamadhat

Rob Diamond

Barbara Dickinson

David Dinerstein

Helen Divjak

Liz Djordevich

Judy Doherty

Jenni Domingo

Shannon Donohoe

Molly Dore

Tamara Dover

Cindy Dovinh

Mike Downey

Don Driftmier

Kathleen Drumm

Eva Dunn

Lisa Dupar

Allison Dvaladze

JoJo Dye

Abby Dylan

Klaus Eder

Jessica Edwards

Signe Eggamose Agger

Caroline Eichenlaub

Baldvin Esra Einarsson

Ken Eisen

Sue Elliott

Ramsey El-Moslimany

Delphine Eon

Chris Erhardt

Ceil Erickson

Sabine Erlenwein

Amanda Erven

Luis Fernando Esteban

Suzanne Dale Estey

Nadine Fabbi

Joanna Fang

Rich Fassio

Eric Faulkner

James Faust

Michael Favelle

Anna Feder

Paul Federbush

David Fenkel

Jason Ferguson

Alejandra Fernandez

Bret Fetzer

Cara Figgins

Carmen Flores

Janette Force

Spencer Fornaciari

James Fox

Alan Franey

Félize Frappier

Michael Friedman

Neil Friedman

Craig Friedson

Barb Fujita

Christian Gaines

Jon Gann

Seneca Garber

Alejandro Garcia Moreno

Jannat Gargi

Amélie Garin-Davet

Dwight Gaut

Karina Gechtman

Terry Gegesi

Iris Gehlert

Bruce Gelman

Jon Gerrans

Katya Gershenzon

Nancy Gerstman

Scott Giampino

Chris Giannoulas

Diana Giannoulas

Katerina Giannoulas

Ellie Giannoulas-Diaz

Darrien Michele Gipson

C.C. Glen

Yanick Godbout

John & Feral Gokcen

Dan Goldberg

Jesse Goldman

Irene Gomez

Eva Gonzalez Abad

Lisa Gossels

Lizette Gram Mygind

Lynette C. Grandy

Darcy Gray

Richard Gray

Hank Green

Rashaad Green

Alan Grenon

Mike Grigone

Candy Gruber

Lissa Gruman

Marie-Therese Guirgis

Taylor Guterson

Shawn Guthrie

Jody Hall

Jason Hallquest

Megan Hammitt

Josh Hamon

Joyce Hanin

Greg Hara

Jesse Harris

Alan Harrison

Angie Harrison

Ben Harrison

Kate Harrison

Brian Hartman

Sarah Haskell

Ruth Hayler

Jody Haynes

Julie Healey

Sandra Hebron

Kim Heeren

Ariana Hellerman

Deanna Hernandez

Deborah Hersch

Mary Alice Heuschel

Dan Hiatt

Karene Hill

Charlie Hinckley

Melissa Hines

Margaret Hlastala

Wi Ding Ho

Mark Hoffman

Kristy Hogue

Llysa Holland

Diana Holtzberg

Michelle Hooper

Phoebe Hopkins

Vini Horiuchi

Nancy Horiuchi

Samantha Horley

Kathy Horsfall

Kristen Hoskins

Sundeep Hothi

Karie Houghton

Kim Houston

John Howie

Kathy Hsieh

Marcus Hu

Julie Huffman

Todd Hughes

Lila Hunt

Craig Hyland

Vicki Infinito

Georgi Ivanov

Steve Jaccaud

Baylen Jackson

Mark Jackson

John Jacobsen

Rachel Jacobsen

Donna James

Margaret James

Mike James

Eun Jang

Barbara Javitz

Wayne Jehlik

Marni Jenkins

Dave Jesteadt

Lars Johnson

Uli Johnson

Susan Johnson

Marilyn Joslyn

Michelle Kaffkpo

William Kaspar

Erin Katz

Colin Kaufmann

Douglas Kawasaki

James Keblas

Dorota Kedzierzawska

Jim Kelly

Pete Kerchinsky

Simon Khin

Wairimu Kiambuthi

Michael Killoren

Laura Kim

Yunjeong Kim

Sonya Kim

Eliaichi Kimaro

George Kindl

Michael King

Lila Kitaeff

Evan Klavon

Keith Klegman

Geoff Klein

Leah Klinger

Marion Klotz

John Kochman

Nina Kolokouri

Jen Koogler

Wytze Koppelman

Tyler Kornelis

Stefan Kovalenko

Donald Krim

Ryan Krivoshey

Peter Krystad

Markus Kunz

Yura Kwon

Josh LaBelle

Josh Lackey

Eric Lagesse

Claudia Landsberger

Winnie Lau

Anne Laurent

Matt Lawrence

Brain Layton

Lacey Leavitt

Haryong Lee

Ken Lee

Rob Lehmann

Michael Lerman

Heather Levine

Bryan Lhuillier

Anna Li

Caroline Libresco

Maggie Liebsack

Amy Lillard

Peter Ong Lim

Ross Lincoff

Aida LiPera

Mark Littles

Bryan Livingston

Peter Lloyd

Andrew Litzky

Gina Lockhart

Steven Loeb

Greg Longstreet

Susan Long-Walsh

Céline Loop

Nicolas Lopez

Louie & Steve

Patrick Love

Kari Lucas

Laura Luchetti

Michael Lumpkin

Tony Ly

Jennifer Maas

Sanam Madjedi

Bonnie Main

Cresdan Maite

Kim Malek

Kevin Mallon

Barbara and Mike Malone

Dave Mandapat

Jeff Mangialardi

Laura Mapp

Cara Marcous

Della Maricich

Dominic Maricich

Rocio Martagón

Philip Marthinsen

Albert Martinez

Maile Martinez

Ida Martins

Patty Mathieu

Linda McBlaine

Denee McCloud

Tay McCutchan

Jim McDonald

Brian McFadin

Stephanie McGregor

Ralph McKay

Chris McMullen

Shelley McNulty

Miles McRae

Rita Meher

Richelle Mehlhaff

Mark Meily

Stephen Mellander

Mary Metastasio

Kristie Metcalf

Betty and Bill Meyer

Richie Meyer

Callie Meyer

Virginia Meyer

Choi Miae

Emanuel Michael

Charlotte Mickie

Marta Mikkelsen

Mike Miles

Terri Miles

Rob Miller

Vincent Miller

Christopher Miller

Ellen Miller-Wolfe

Bradley Mills

Iris Mohr

Nathalie Molina

Cameron Moneo

Barbara Mones

Anita Monga

James Mongrain

Lucy Montaya

Don Morgan

Peter Morse

Star Moser

Basho Mosko

Eddie Muller

David Namura

Paula Nechak

Camille Neel

Philip Neel

Russell Nelson

Kim Nesselquist

Paul Nevius

Lisa Newland

Cindy Nguyen

Tam Nguyen

Minh Duc Nguyen

Lia Nigro

Katherine Ashley Nixa

Courtney Noble

T.C. Nuckles

Sevket Numanoglu

Jef Nuyts

Joshua Nye

Dennis O’Connor

Risteard O’Domhnaill

Shun Ohara

Cheryl Oliver

Madeleine Olnek

Billy and Piper O’Neill

Takumi Ono

Andrew Ooi

Stine Oppegaard

Marty Oppenheimer

Nora Orallo

Emily Osborne

Mike Ott

Shan Ottey

David Over

Erin Owens

Inigo Oyarzabal

Nicholas Pagee

Gary Palmucci

Hengameh Panahi

Kini Parente

Suzanne Parker

Katie Parker

Lauren Parsekian

Joy Patman

Marijana Pavlich

MJ Peckos

Sara Peddicord

Paco Pena

Clémence Perrier-Latour

Roberto Perrina

Mina Person

Shannon Frizzell

Brandon Peters

Susan Peterson

Ric Peterson

Andy Peterson

Vera Petukhova

Larry Phillips

Dan Piecora

Alexander Pietsch

Temma Pistrang

Jason Plourde

Josephine Pompey

Nathaniel Porter

Peter Postovoit

Larry Price

Rebecca Price

Celeste Primeau

Jessica Prince Wilborn

Chris Principio

Rachael Profiloski

Sanjeewa Pushpakumara

Tom Quinn

Michelle Quisenberry

Jeremy Quist

Julie Ralph

Ana Ramiro

Pascale Ramonda

Eldar Rapaport

Stephen Raphael

Charlie Rathbun

Christal Ratliff

Thierry Rautureau

Orly Ravid

Krishanu Ray

Tracy Rector

Anne Redfern

Jennifer Reynolds

Frances Rice

Glen Richards

Owen Richards

Morris Richards

Paul Richer

Scott Rickard

Aaron Ridinour

Josh Roberts

Caitlin Robertson

Jihan Robinson

Richard Knox Robinson

D. Manuel Pradas Romaní

Erik Rommesmo

Ruby Rondina

Steve Rosen

Galen Rosenthal

Peter Rothen

Camille Rousselet

Sally Rowe

Melanie Rozes

Gary Rubin

Tamer Ruggli

Pete Rush

Rick Russell

Chris Russo

Emily Russo

Nancy Ruzycki

Aaron Saffa

Susan Saladoff

Miguel Salinas

Juan Pablo Sallato

Steve Sanguedolce

Daniel Santhosh

Ilda Santiago

Simon De Santiago

Areizaga

Rodolphe Sanze

Ken Saunderson

Robyn Scaringi

Marco Scaringi

Don Schaab

Jon Schindehette

Carla Schricker

Martin Schwartz

Jana Scopis

Dick Seeby

Weiman Seid

Romain Serman

Roberto Serralles

Beatriz Setuain

Denise Severson

Neta Shacham

Pat Shaffer

CB Shamah

Phil Shekleton

Lynn Shelton

Kathryn Shields

Scott Shooman

Preeti Shridhar

Brent Siewert

Adda Sigurdardottir

Michael Silberman

Ron Simms

Morgan Simpson

Shelley Sink

Ghida Sinno

Andrew Skilbred

David Skinner

Mary Smith

Stephen Smith

Adrian Solar

Krista Sommar-Thorne

Eric Sorlien

Lynn Souikni

Claudia Souza

Frida Spathaki

Jonathan Speights

Nick Spicer

William Spiritdancer

Heidi Spletzer

Ryan Steckly

Charles Steel

Robert Stevens

Rick Stevenson

Chris Stewart

Dan Stiefel

Kim Stockbridge

Bryan Storkel

Norma Straw

Johnathan Sundstrom

Elleke Swaans

Rainey Hartford Swan

Chris Swenson

Olivia Taguinod

Laura Talsma

Lyn Tangen

Ruby Tarabochia

Gene Tasche

Nathania ten Wolde

Pat Tennant

Medwin Textor

Carol Thomas

Jahmal Thompson

Susan Thorgerson

Kyle Thorpe

Kim Timmermans

Sabrina Tinsley

Karen Toering

Erez Toker

Jeff Tolbert

Mark Tomas

WingYan Tong

Geir Tønnessen

Jessica Toon

Hoa Tran

Martin Tran

Jerry Traunfeld

Andrew Tsao

Basil Tsiokos

Fred Tsui

Mayumi Tsutakawa

Amy Tu

Kris Tucker

James Tune

Jim Tuohey

Denis Turcotte

Debra Twersky

Helen Underwood

Mark Urman

Katalin Vajda

Nathalie van der Burg

Lamar Van Dyke

Steve Van Til

Ben Vandendaele

Dyer VanDevere

Vanessa Vaughan

Jessy Vega

Saskia Vischer

Marisa Vitiello

Adelina von Fürstenberg

Tay Voye

Huong Vu

Marc Walkow

Jamie Wallace

Michelle Walls

Michael Weber

Edwin H. Weihe

Hanna Welch

Martin Wendel

Michael Werner

Ryan Werner

Jim Werth

Katie Westoff

Teri White

Sam Whiting

Brian Whitish

Kate Wickstrom

Tzipporah Wiens

Jessica Wilborn-Prince

Matt Wilkins

Lorna Williams

Gail Williams

Kal Williams

Rob Williams

Danielle Wilson

Marcus Wilson

Phil Wilson

Gisela Wiltschek

Jeffrey Winter

Seymour Wishman

Jack Wolfe

JoAnn Wolfe

Victor “White Rabbit” Wong

Greg Wood

Greg Woodard

Meghan Wurtz

Alex Yamamoto

Nick Yanity

Ann Yoder

Eunjung Yoo

Keith Yoshida

Caleb Young

Grace Yu

David Yusen

Adam Zacks

Karin Zaugg Black

Laila Zayan

Stephanie Zeitler

Krystof Zlatnik

Keith Zwolfer

This 2010 SIFF catalog was designed and laid out using Apple Macintosh computers and the Adobe Creative Suite. None of it would have been possible without the help of The Mac Store and Adobe, who supplied us with all the hardware and software that made the magic happen. The creation of this catalog was a collaborative effort on the part of Encore Media Group: Deb, Kristi, Jana, Ana, Robin, Jonathan, and Susan; the SIFF PubPod: Amie, Andy, Laura, Steve, Les, Susan, Frances, Ava; James VanNess and the team at Journal Graphics; and the dedicated staff and volunteers of the Seattle International Film Festival.

MUSIC

adventurous WIT AND ANALYSIS

9 a.m. – noon

Jazz + Global Beats

noon – 3 p.m. Americana, classic to contemporary

3 p.m. The Michael Eric Dyson Show

5 p.m. Democracy Now!

Weekdays at 91.3 anD kbcs.fm

–Best of CitySearch–

“Best Pizza Seattle 2008”

“Best Restaurants 2009” Seattle Magazine

Motion Pic Mag SIF11 1_2h.pdf

Telewizja Polska S.A.

Aleksandra  Biernacka

T: 48-22-547-6774 aleksandra.biernacka@tvp.pl

TF1 International

Leslie Vuchot

T: 33-1-4141-1758  lv@thefestivalagency.com www.tf1.fr

Tiger Industry Films

Michael Lerman

T: 484-410-1040 lerman.michael@gmail.com

To Be Heard, LLC

Roland Legiardi-Laura T: 212-529-9327 roland@echonyc.com www.deborahshaffer.com

Treefilm

Choi Miae

T: 82-10-3359-4517 treefilm@gmail.com

Treehead Films

Cara Marcous

T: 917-4940-8133 cara.marcous@gmail.com

Tribeca Films

Liz Ogilvie

T: 347-334-5450   logilvie@tribecaenterprises. com   www.tribecaenterprises.com

TrustNordisk

T: 45-3686-8788  info@trustnordisck.com www.trustnordisk.com

TVINDIE Film Production Katya Gershenzon T: 7-49-5629-6726 pr@tvindie.ru www.tvindie.ru

Unison Films

Emanuel Michael T: 212-226-1200 info@unisonfilms.com www.unisonfilms.com

Urban Republic Jarreth Merz merz@urbanrepublic.org

Veritas Films Ricarda  Hesse

T: 971-2401-2656 mahmoud@veritasfilms.ae www.veritasfilms.ae

Visit Films Aida LiPera  T: 718-312-8210   al@visitfilms.com   www.visitfilms.com

Vitrine Filmes

T: 55-11-8555-7980 vitorino@teleimage.com.br

Voltage Pictures Nicolas Chartier T: 310-464 8351  Nicolas@voltagepictures.com  www.voltagepictures.com

Waking Up Films Charly Braun

T: 55-11-9281-5254 carlosbraun@hotmail.com

Walt Disney Pictures

Sean Dudas

T: 818-560-6604 Sean.Dudas@disney.com

Waterland Film Elleke Swaans

T: 31-602-2164 elleke@waterlandfilm.nl www.hollandfilm.nl

The Weinstein Co. Jennifer Stott

T: 646-862-3810  jennifer.stott@weinsteinco. com  www.weinsteinco.com

WestMidWest Productions Michelle Kaffkpo T: 312-952-5911 michelle@revengeoftheelectriccar.com

White Pine Pictures Phil Wilson T: 416-703-5580 phil@whitepinepictures.com www.whitepinepictures.com

Wide Management Amélie Garin-Davet  T: 33-1-5395-0464  agd@widemanagement.com   www.widemanagement.com

Wild Bunch Noemie Devide T: 33-1-5301-5022  festival@wildbunch.biz

William Morris Endeavor T: 310-859-4054 psa@wma.com www.wma.com

Wolfe Video

Jeffrey Winter T: 323-466-3536 jeffrey@WolfeReleasing.com www.wolfereleasing.com

The Works International Carl Clifton  T: 44-20-7612-1080  carl.clifton@theworksmediagroup.com  www.theworkslimited.com

World Cinema Foundation Cecilia Cenciarelli T: 39-05-1219-5317 cecilia.cenciarelli@comune. bologna.it

XYZ Films

Nick Spicer T: 310-488-4859 nick@xyzfilms.com www.xyzfilms.com

Yellow Affair T: 46-7-086-3346 contact@yellowaffair.com

zeroFunction Productions

Daniel Cockburn T: 647-214-1944 zero@zerofunction.com

Zeitgeist Films

Benjamin Crossley-Marra  T: 212-274-1989  ben@zeitgeistfilms.com  Krystof Zlatnik T: 49-17-8711-7160 mail@krystofzlatnik.com

Short Films

100 Bands in 100 Days Shout It Out Loud Music Nick Sonderup 917-570-1517 100bandsin100days@me.com

The 5,000 Days Project: Two Brothers 5,000 Days Project LLC Rick Stevenson 206-719-4141 rick@rickstevenson.com

The Abyss Boys Jan-Hendrik Beetge 27-83-44-606-45 jhbeetge@flifilms.com

The Accordion Art for the World  Adelina von Fürstenberg 41-22-789-1557 directors@artfortheworld.net

Adder’s Bite

The Zombie Tree Firas Momani 416-522-2620 info@thezombietree.com

After All This

SIFF Fly Films Dustin Kaspar / SIFF Dustin.kaspar@siff.net

All Flowers In Time PHI Group Danny Lennon 514-212-2316 dboylennon@gmail.com

Amazonia Aloha Animation Sam Chen 858-336-9937 sambochen@yahoo.com

Anatomy of the Vertebrate Retina Jon Behrens bolexman@msn.com

Arthur Moga/Jacobsen Productions Chris Oliver 206-774-9818 chrisoliver@mogajacobsen. com

Aurora Borealis Henderson and Hussein  Pictures Ahsen Nadeem 347-259-8374 ahsennadeem@gmail.com

The Award KIMUAK Txema Muñoz 34-9-4311-5511 kimuak@filmotecavasca.com www.kimuak.com

AWOL Deb Shoval 646-270-3171 poppiesandolives@gmail.com

The Ballad of Nessie Walt Disney Pictures Bathing Micky Medima Film Erik Andersson 46-70-689-2756 erik@medimafilm.se www.sfi.se

Belltown, 98121 Pathetic Pictures Robert Pearson 818-955-8843 bobbypearson@earthlink.net

The Binding of Ishmael Taofik Kolade 202-543-6991 taofik.o.kolade@gmail.com

Birdboy

Abrakam Estudio

Pedro Rivero 34-6-5001-5184 info@birdboy.net

Blinky™

Image Now Films Nick Ryan 353-87-225-8510 nick@imagenow.ie

Braids on a Bald Head London Film School

Chrissy Bright 44-207-836-9642 c.bright@lfs.org.uk www.lfs.org.uk

Brick Novax’s Diary Rumble Media

Simon Millar 310-828-5800

simon@rumblemedia.com

The Burning Wigs of Sedition Anna Fitch 415-999-8578 fitch@wdfilms.com

Busking Cadenza

Higher Ames Productions Amy Enser 206-619-7842 amy@higherames.com www.higherames.com

Cappuccino Tamer Ruggli 41-79-663-7069 tamino1@gmx.ch

Careful With That Crossbow New Zealand Film Commission Lizzie Dunn 64-4-382-7688 shorts@nzfilm.co.nz www.nzfilm.co.nz

The Cassava Metaphor

Ether Productions Lionel Meta 33-6-6150-5767 etherprod@yahoo.fr

Cataplexy B-Side Pictures

Neil Evans 310-962-4184 neil@b-sidepictures.com

The Cave Rugged Media

Adrian Cox 604-639-7023 adrian@ruggedmedia.com

Change At The Top Of The World

Explore.org

Jamie Chvotkin 310-209-4577

jchvotkin@explore.org

The Cherdonna and Lou Show: The Movie! Reel Grrls / Union Street Films Lila Kitaeff 206-393-2085 maile@reelgrrls.org

Chum Gavin Carlton 323-363-1434 gavincarlton@hotmail.com

Connect Beau Gordon 44-78-1494-1367 beaugordon1@mac.com

The consolation in the water-mother Ars infinita Hyo-min Choi 82-11-9208-2401 arsnova9@hanmail.net

Danny & Annie

Story Corps Nina Porzucki 646-723-7020 nporzucki@storycorps.org www.storycorps.org

Deeper Than Yesterday Benjamin Gilovitz 61-40-462-5494 ben@stoolpigeon.com.au

A Doctor’s Job Andino Films Julio O- Ramos 708-359-9407 andinofilms@gmail.com

DreamGiver

Tyler Carter 801-815-6938 tycarterart@gmail.com

The Dungeon Master Luber Roklin Tom Sullivan 310-854-1381 tsullivan@luberroklin.com

The Eagleman Stag Royal College of Art Mikey Please 44-77-1788-5984 pleasemikeplease@gmail.com

Enter the Beard

Dynamatt Productions

Matt Lawrence 732-616-3762 matt@dynamattproductions.com

The Epiphany SIFF Fly Films Dustin Kaspar / SIFF Dustin.kaspar@siff.net

Everybody Loves Paco

Valery Schatz 33-6-8704-7710 valeryschatz@gmail.com

Experiment for Animated Graphic Score Sony Music Artists Inc. Yoshida Haruka 81-80-6703-5366 yoshidaharuka@me.com www.yoshidaharuka.co.cc

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore Moonbot Studios

Clare France 318-213-0770 clare@moonbotstudios.com Flagpole NYU

Matt Kazman

646-675-6386 matt.kazman@gmail.com

flesh color

Masahiko Adachi 81-80-5487-5729 macchacafe@hotmail.co.jp Frank Fairfield More Dust Than Digital Austin Wilson 206-351-0616 austin@moredust.com

The Gallery Robert Proch 48-509-805-240 info@robertproch.com www.robertproch.com

Good Pretender Picture Reel Studios Daniel Parry 61-421-330-469 danjparry@gmail.com

Have We Met?

The Old School LTD Sascha Paladino 917-597-5391 sascha.paladino@gmail.com

Hearing Silence Wildfire Films

Rory Lorton 353-1-672-5553 rory@wildfirefilms.net www.wildfirefilms.net

He She We The Branden Blinn Media  Group, LLC Branden Blinn 310-883-8564 thebbmediagroup@gmail.com

History Is...Our Story MOHAI www.seattlehistory.org

History Is…Us MOHAI www.seattlehistory.org

History Is…Unwritten MOHAI www.seattlehistory.org

Howard From Ohio Violet Films SJ Chiro sjchiro@gmail.com www.violetfilms.com

Howl of a Fish La Luna Productions Anthony Trihan 33-1-4807-5600 diffusion@lunaprod.fr

Huhu Attack! E.H. Productions Ltd Patrick Gillies 64-21-207-1017 patrick@eh-films.com

I Do: A Marital Discord in America Rolito  Mojica 206-355-0801 le.b.mojica@gmail.com

In A Future Age Botnia films Thom Palmen 46-70-639-3388 thom.palmen@botniafilm.com www.botniafilm.com

Interview Sebastian Marka 49-01-6366-8260

mail@interview-film.de

I Want To Spend the Rest of My Life With You Mailuki Films Eduardo M. Escribano Solera 34-6-5076-1484 escribanosolera@mac.com www.mailukifilms.blogspot. com

I Want Your Love

Travis Matthews 415-730-2415 travisdmathews@gmail.com travisdmathews.com

Jupiter Elicious Kelly Sears 323-605-4885 kelly.sears@gmail.com www.kellysears.com

Kampai

Kelly Ota

650-387-8822

Kelly.mie.ota@gmail.com

King Chicken

Locomotion Films Catherine Vidal cvidal@locomotionfilms.com www.locomotion.films

The Legend of Beaver Dam Sable & Batalion

Eli Batalion 514-893-4401 info@sableandbatalion.com www.sableandbatalion.com

Lezare Zeleman Productions Zelalem Woldemariam 251-911-24-56-27 zeleman.production@ gmail.com

Library of Dust NuReality Productions Robert James 415-794-2470

r.james@mac.com

The Little Boy and The Ball Blue Cinamon Group Alexa S. Bailey 770-314-2846

bluecinamon@gmail.com Little Peter Needs To Fly SIFF Fly Films Dustin Kaspar / SIFF Dustin.kaspar@siff.net

Loom Polynoid

Regina Welker regina.welker@gmx.de

A Lost and Found Box of Human Sensation Lailaps Pictures GmbH Nils Duenker 49-89-54-27-08-30 lailups@lailaps.eu www.lailaps.eu

Love and War Lautaro Gabriel Gonda 206-478-2356 lautaro@gondastudios.com Love Birds

Brian Lye 604-444-7867 brianlye.sfs@gmail.com

A Makeshift Reality FutureWave Short Film Reel Youth zoe@reelyouth.ca

Mandarin Peel Anna McGrath 614-10-588-396 annaemcgrath@mac.com

The Man’s Best Friend Les Films du Worso Christophe Barral cbarral@lesfilmsduworso.com

The Man Who Never Cried Russell Wayne Groves 512-423-8252 russellwgroves@yahoo.com

Marina Adriana Ventanas 34-927-248-248 adriana@agenciafreak.com

Maska Se.ma.for Film Production Piotr Kardas 48-42-681-5474 p.kardas@se.ma.for.com www.se.ma.for.com

MEAT OR DIE (YANS! GANS!) Meat05:Linda BONUS.CO.UP Tai Murayama 81-3-3490-9034 tai@bonus.co.jp

La Migala

Cape Pirata SL Jaime Dezcallar 695-328-804 Jaime.dezk@gmail.com www.jaimedezcallar.com

The Million Dollar Watch Joseph Yao 206-257-9740 joseph-flamingice@gmail.com

Monkeys

Film Depot

Louise Smith 61-412-080-196 louise@filmdepot.com.au

Moving Day fxphd

Matthew Graham 61-4-3057-2770 mat@fxphd.com

The Necessities of Life University of Illinois Gerald Guthrie 217-367-5121 gguthrie@illinois.edu

Needle Exchange

Venom 353-1-497-5980 info@venom.ie

New Digs

Martin Sen 277-2123-5418 sen.martin@gmail.com

North Atlantic Monocle Studio Bernardo Nascimento 44-780-670-2739 bernardonascimento@ gmail.com

Noticed

FutureWave Short Film Reel Youth zoe@reelyouth.ca

Once it started it could not end otherwise Kelly Sears 323-605-4885 kelly.sears@gmail.com www.kellysears.com

On Fire Nadasky Film Nicolas Burlet 41-2-2300-2054 nburlet@nadasdyfilm.ch www.nadasdyfilm.ch

Our Ship AFDA Garon Campbell 27-74-172-2054 garon.kent@gmail.com

Out Of Nowhere Will Lamborn 323-347-8626 williamlamborn@gmail.com

Pale Red Mohammed El Shargawy 201-037-50-509 nahawand@gmail.com

Palindrome Mailuki Films Eduardo M. Escribano Solera 34-6-5076-1484 escribanosolera@mac.com www.mailukifilms.blogspot. com

Paths of Hate Platige Image Agnieszka Piechnik 48-22-844-6474 piechnik@platige.com Photo Booth Lindy Boustedt 206-354-5032 lindy@firstsightproductions.com

Pillow Broke Down South Miles B. Miller 501-786-9700 milesmiller77@hotmail.com Plain Face Film and Scissors Tess Martin 206-250-1051 tessmartin@filmandscissors.com www.filmandscissors.com

Precise Peter herrschmidt.tv Martin Schmidt 49-178-186-8849 martin@herrschmidt.tv

Pretty Little Doggie E. Ivan Infante 323-766-1880 e.ivan.infante@gmail.com

Project Silence Raiz Produções Cinematográficas Priscila Portolla 55-11-3024-4499 priscila@raizprod.com.br www.raizprod.com.br

Protoparticles Chema García Ibarra 34-60-554-4045 cxhemagarciaibarra@ gmail.com www.chemagarciaibara.com

Regular Kids Richard Leder 910-538-2939 rleder@ec.rr.com

The Renter Jason Carpenter 661-904-0393 jason@therenter.net

Requited Sal Bardo 917-617-6460 salbardo@gmail.com

The Rocket Boy Paper Rocket Productions LLC Deidra Peaches 928-221-0596 dlp233@gmail.com www.rocketboyfilm.com

Roman’s Ark Chaotic Pictures Pty Ltd Lisa Shaunessy 61-2-8004-2922 lisa@chaoticpictures.com www.chaoticpictures.com

Rosa Jesús Orellana 34-6-3403-8437 orellana_works@yahoo.es www.rosamovie.com

Sabeel

Khalid Al-Mahmood 97-150-492-2879 khalidalmahmood@gmail.com

Sand eyestorm productions Cari Ann Shim Sham 310-567-9531 freedomfromdayjob@ yahoo.com www.sandshortfilm.com

The Sasquatch and the Girl Trevor Jones 505-681-6532 trevorjones@alum.calarts.edu

Scenes From The Suburbs Quest Management Genneah Turner 44-208-749-0088 genneah@quest-management.com

The Screamers Mailuki Films Eduardo M. Escribano Solera 34-6-5076-1484 escribanosolera@mac.com www.mailukifilms.blogspot. com

Seaweed Ida Svenonius 46-70-477-6541 ida-svenonius@gmail.com

Seven Days In the Woods

Direktorn & Fabrikorn Peter Larsson 46-7-73-580-8993 pete.larsson@gmail.com www.sfi.se

Sign Language Therefore FIlms Tiernan Hanby 44-07-976-459-405 tiernanh@gmail.com

Sintel Blender Institute Ton Roosendaal 31-20-707-7300 ton@blender.org www.sintel.org Snowflakes and Carrots Samantha Leriche-Gionet 514-592-8245 boum@boumerie.com

Steam Locomotion Films Catherine Vidal cvidal@locomotionfilms.com

Steve Beat Pictures Jessica Cole 808-237-9435 jess@beatpictures.com

Stones Jessie Creel 301-404-6937 jessie.creel@gmail.com

Stopover Mobra Films 40-21-666-4827 cristina@mobrafilms.ro www.mobrafilms.ro

Sule and the Case of the Tiny Sparks Reel Republic Shawnee Gibbs 818-723-9410 shawnee@reelrepublic.com

Summer Snapshot Ian McCluskey 503-522-5850 ian@nwdocumentary.org Super. Full. placeless films Niam Itani 9617-149-4743 niametany@gmail.com

The Swimmer Salise Hughes 206-380-4690 salise.hughes@gmail.com

Temple Rider Radio Television Hong Kong 852-2339-6338 chanmw@rthk.hk

Tilting at Windmills SIFF Fly Films Dustin Kaspar / SIFF Dustin.kaspar@siff.net

Time Freak

Team Toad Andrew Bowler 917-723-9146 afbowler@yahoo.com mike@brokenframepictures.com

tracings

Josephine’s Echopraxia Marissa Rae Niederhauser josephinesechopraxia@ gmail.com

Tranquility

Sixpack Films Ralph McKay 432-729-4554 amovie@sbcglobal.net

Amanda Wong

Canadian film Centre 416-445-1446 x227 awong@cfcreates.com

Transmission www.cfcdistribution.com

Trevor Matthieu Saghezchi 33-6-4760-2344 matt.saghezchi@yahoo.fr

Umkhungo

Mannequin Pictures Kyle Ambrose 2771-871-7197 kyle@mqfilm.co.za www.mqfilm.co.za

Vicenta Conflictivos Productions SL Samuel Orti Marti 34-658-863-777 conflictivos@conflictivos.com www.conflictivos.com

Waiting for Gorgo Cinemagine Ben Craig 44-87-0042-1364 benc@cinemagine.com

Walkin’ On Snow Grass sukimaki animation Makiko Sukikara 81-70-5431-2454 info@sukimaki.com

The Waltz King

Sixpack Films Ralph McKay 432-729-4554 amovie@sbcglobal.net

We Are What We Drink Luckycoin Films LTD. Marc Hardman 44-078-1210-9675 luckycoinfilms@me.com

Weathered FutureWave Short Film Reel Youth zoe@reelyouth.ca

We Invent You Wind-Up Bird Productions

Jason Sciarrone 206-853-5584 wubproductions@gmail.com

The Westerner

Sum of Us

Ned Benson 917-226-0668 nedbenson@mac.com

When the Lights Go Out Ruth Gregory Shoreline Community College 425-864-1185 rgregory@shoreline.edu

White Other Rogue Runner films Denise Ehren 920-728-2077 lilyginny27@gmail.com www.roguerunner.com

Who Leads Megan A. Vrolijk 713-240-9362 megan@tornsprocket.com

The Wind Is Blowing on My Street Minara Films Saba Riazi 347-208-6971 saba@sabariazi.com

Woman Seeks Man For Date On Friday Cassidy Dimon 315-480-3238 cassidy.dimon@gmail.com

The Yellow Balloon Ben Thompson 646-243-9779 bennyfilm@gmail.com

Adobe Youth Voices Dustin Kaspar / SIFF futurewave@siff.net

FutureWave Films Dustin Kaspar / SIFF futurewave@siff.net

HOW TO FESTIVAL

INDIVIDUAL TICKET PRICES

$11 Regular screenings and panels, except where noted (SIFF Members $9, advance purchase only)

$10 Seniors, 62 and older with valid ID. Advance purchase only.

$8 Matinee screenings (1st show of the day before 5:30pm, except where noted. SIFF Members $7, advance purchase only)

$6 Films4Families (SIFF Members $5) weekend matinees only

$6 Students with valid ID can purchase regular screening (or lesser value) discounted tickets at all SIFF venues, day of show only.

$5 Teen Tix members can purchase regular screening (or lesser value) discounted tickets at all SIFF venues, day of show only.

IMAX Presentation at Pacific Science Center: $11 (SIFF Members $9) June 4 at 11:45am, June 6 at 7:15pm.

SPECIAL TICKETS AND PACKAGES

Cinematic Six-Pack: $57 (SIFF Members $51) Includes admission for six regular screenings priced $11 or less, depending on individual ticket availability. There is a two ticket limit per film.

Film Buff 20 Pack: $180 (SIFF Members $160). Includes admission for twenty regular screenings priced $11 or less, depending on individual ticket availability. There is a two ticket limit per film.

Student and Senior Reel Deals: $35 Includes admission to any five films priced $11 or less, depending on availability, and limited to one ticket per film. Available to all students and seniors (62 and older) with valid ID.

Gift Certificates: Available in $25 denominations. Gift certificates are good for merchandise and tickets, and may be redeemed at the SIFF office, the Festival Box Office, or at any SIFF venue.

SPECIAL EVENTS

2011 Opening Night Gala: The First Grader $50 (SIFF Members $45) for both the film and Gala, and includes hors d’oeuvres, desserts, and two complimentary cocktails.

Premium tickets are $100 (SIFF Members $90) with benefits including an open bar at the post-film reception and preferred entry into the Gala screening. Red Carpet Experience tickets are $200 and include pre-reception, reserved seating, exclusive after-party access, parking, and gift bag. May 19, Marion Oliver McCaw Hall.

Centerpiece Gala: Service Entrance $25 film and party (SIFF Members $23, advance) $13 for film only (SIFF Members $11, advance). June 4, Egyptian Theater. After the screening, there will be a party at DAR Hall on Capitol Hill.

Closing Night Gala: Life in a Day $40 (SIFF Members $35) for the film and Gala, and includes live music, hors d’oeuvres, desserts, and two complimentary cocktails.

Premium tickets are $80 (SIFF Members $70) with benefits including an open bar at the post-film reception and preferred entry into the Gala screening. June 12, Cinerama. A party will follow the screening at Pan Pacific Hotel.

Gay-la: August $25 film and party (SIFF Members $23, advance) $11 film only (SIFF Members $9, advance). June 9, 7:00 pm film at Egyptian Theatre followed by a party at Pnk Ultra Lounge.

New American Cinema Party: The Future $25 film and party (SIFF Members $23, advance) $11 film only (SIFF Members $9, advance). May 21, 7:30pm Pacific Place Cinemas followed by a party at Il Fornaio.

Asian Crossroads Party: Saigon Electric $25 film and party (SIFF Members $23, advance) $11 for film only (SIFF Members $9, advance). May 28, 7:15pm film at Neptune Theatre with a party at Hotel Deca to follow after.

Renton Opening Night: Black, White and Blues $25 (SIFF Members $23, advance), May 20, 7:30pm Pavilion Building and Renton IKEA Performing Arts Center.

Everett Opening Night: Young Goethe in Love $25 (SIFF Members $23, advance) May 26, 7:00pm Everett Performing Arts Center.

Kirkland Opening Night: Bon Appétit $25 film and pre-film reception (SIFF Members $23, advance) $13 for film only (SIFF Members $11, advance). June 7, 8:00pm Kirkland Performance Center.

PASSES

A generous number of seats are reserved for passholders at every screening. While a pass, with the exception of “Platinum,” “Gala,” and “Ultimate Party Pass,” does not guarantee seating, passholders are allowed priority entry up to 30 minutes before showtime or until the passholder seat allotment is reached. Passholders are strongly encouraged to arrive 30 minutes before showtime. All passes are strictly nontransferable, and a photo ID may be required. Passes may be picked up at the Pacific Place Box Office or SIFF Main Office.

Platinum Pass: $1,760 (SIFF Members $1,485). Includes guaranteed seating to all Festival screenings (with the exception of Secret Festival), all Gala screenings and receptions, the Festival Forums, press screenings, reserved seating at the Opening and Closing Night Galas, and an invitation for the passholder and guest to a private Festival reception. Quantities are limited.

Platinum Plus Pass: $2,750 (SIFF Members $2,200). Includes all the benefits of the Platinum Pass, plus reserved seating for all screenings and concierge service during the Festival.

Full Series Pass: $850 (SIFF Members $750) Includes admissions to all regular Festival screenings and press screenings (excluding Galas, Secret Festival, and special events). Seating is not guaranteed. This pass requires a photo.

Weekly Pass: $325 (SIFF Members $275) Includes admission to all public screenings for the specified week (excludes Gala screenings, special events, press screenings, and the Secret Festival)

SIFF Gala Pass: $175 (SIFF Members $150) Includes admissions to the SIFF Opening Night, Closing Night, and Centerpiece Gala screenings and receptions. Includes Premium Opening and Closing Night benefits, including open bar at the post-film reception and preferred entry into the Gala screening.

Ultimate Party Pass: $230 (SIFF Members $205) Includes all the benefits of the Gala Pass plus admission to New American Cinema Spotlight (May 21), Gay-La (June 9), and The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences presents Asian Crossroads Party (May 28). This pass features premium benefits at these six events (open bar at the post-film receptions and preferred entry into the associated film screenings).

ShortsFest Weekend Pass: $100 (SIFF Members $75) Includes admission to all ShortsFest weekend screenings.

Secret Festival Pass: $53 (SIFF Members $43) Includes admission to the four 2011 Secret Festival Sunday morning screenings. Each passholder is required to sign the Oath of Silence promising not to disclose any information about the films shown in the series. Film titles are not announced. Admission to Secret Festival screenings is by membership only. No individual tickets sold.

Renton Pass: $100 (SIFF Members $75). Includes admission to all Festival screenings at the Renton IKEA Performing Arts Center, May 20-26.

Everett Pass: $100 (SIFF Members $75). Includes admission to all Festival screenings at the Everett Performing Arts Center, May 26-June 2.

Kirkland Pass: $125 (SIFF Members $100). Includes admission to all Festival screenings at the Kirkland Performance Center, June 2-June 12.

BECOME A SIFF MEMBER

Your membership enables SIFF to expand cinema through education programs, host filmmakers from around the world at SIFF and SIFF Cinema, provide community access to new and established filmmakers, and sustain the country’s largest film festival. SIFF Members receive deep discounts on Festival passes and ticket packages, invitations to free screenings, and much more. Please visit www.siff.net to become a SIFF Member today. For more information, visit siff.net.

SIFF BOX OFFICE

Purchase tickets online: www.siff.net

Main Box Office: Pacific Place, 600 Pine Street, second level

SIFF Office: 400 9th Ave. N

Hours: Monday-Saturday, 11:00am – 7:00pm, Sundays and Memorial Day, Noon – 6:00pm.

The Main Box Office and SIFF Office can process passes, ticket packages, and single ticket orders.

Purchase tickets by phone: (206) 324-9996

How to Buy Tickets Tickets to any screening or theater may be purchased online, by phone, or at any Festival box office up to 30 minutes before showtime, subject to availability. Thirty minutes prior to showtime, tickets must be purchased at the specific venue for that film or event. Venue box offices open 30 minutes before the first screening of the day and close 15 minutes after the last screening of the day begins. Seating is only guaranteed until 10 minutes prior to screening. No late seating.

Standby Tickets When advance tickets are no longer available, in most cases a limited number of standby tickets become available at the door five to ten minutes prior to the screening. Standby tickets are sold on a first-come, first-served basis, depending on how many seats are available. Cash only, full price.

THE NOT-SO-FINE PRINT

All programs are subject to change without notice. No refunds or exchanges are given, except in the case of program cancellations.

Each film is shown in its original language with English subtitles, unless otherwise noted. Please leave babies with the sitter and, with exception of the Films4Families series, no children under 6 years old. Films are unrated and may not be suitable for ages 16 and under, unless otherwise noted. Parental discretion is advised.

Film length does not include introductions or Q&A sessions following the screening. All audience members must leave the theater following each screening. Leaving belongings and saving seats between shows is not allowed.

Cameras, camera phones, and recording devices are not permitted in the theater. Please silence all cellular phones, pagers, and watches when in the theater.

Due to piracy prevention efforts by our film suppliers, you or your personal property may be subject to a physical search upon entrance to Festival venues. The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to five years in federal prison and a fine of $150,000.

By receiving admission, you grant SIFF the right to photograph or record you and use the photo or recording in any way.

SIFF reserves the right to refuse service.

For the Festival schedule, film descriptions and ways to get involved year-round, visit siff.net

Sounders FC and SIFF: Reaching Youth Through Soccer

We are pleased to announce a 3-year partnership between Seattle Sounders FC and SIFF that will provide 450 underserved Seattle youth with tickets to experience the excitement of Sounders FC and the magic of SIFF.

RECIPIENT ORGANIZATIONS FOR 2011 INCLUDE:

HARVARD EXIT

185 94 min. 6:30PM Something Ventured Pg 188 85 min. 9:00PM Dance Town Pg 218 95 min.

7:00PM

Do You See Colors… Pg 128 82 min. 9:30PM Tilt Pg 259 94 min.

6:30PM The Hunter Pg 229 92 min. 9:00PM Dance Town Pg 218 95 min.

6:30PM Fire In Babylon Pg 175 83 min. 8:30PM A Few Days Respite Pg 222 80 min.

4:00PM Gainsbourg… Pg 224 135 min. 7:00PM Route Irish Pg 251 106 min. 9:30PM Black Bread Pg 212 108 min.

1:00PM Fuck My Life Pg 223 94 min.

3:30PM Marrow Pg 133 92 min. 6:30PM Donor Pg 67 84 min. 8:30PM Belle Epine Pg 120 80 min.

1:00PM Salvation Boulevard Pg 201 95 min.

3:30PM Venice Pg 264 110 min. 6:00PM Juan Pg 105 104 min. 8:30PM Vampire Pg 263 119 min. 6:30PM Every Song is About Pg 121 104 min. 9:00PM Johan Primero Pg 230 78 min.

6:30PM Steam of Life Pg 189 81 min. 8:30PM Love Crime Pg 235 106 min. 7:00PM Sushi: The Global… Pg 189 75 min. 9:15PM Killing Bono Pg 233 114 min. 6:30PM Gorbaciòf…

Pg 225 87 min. 8:30PM Bon Appétit Pg 39 91 min. 4:30PM Old Goats Pg 134 94 min. 7:00PM Third Star Pg 258 92 min. 9:30PM 71-Into the Fire Pg 208 120 min. 1:00PM King of Devil’s… Pg 234 120 min. 3:45PM Tabloid Pg 190 87 min. 6:00PM Holy Rollers… Pg 129 93 min.

153

Being

min. 9:30PM

min. 5:00PM Spark of Being Pg 153 68 min. 7:00PM Weekend Pg 266 96 min. 9:30PM Small Town Murder… Pg 255 75 min.

11:00AM Do You See Colors… Pg 128 82 min. 1:30PM Wasted on the Young Pg 265 97 min. 4:00PM Superfl y Pg 87 85 min. 6:30PM Circumstance Pg 216 107 min. 9:30PM On the Ice Pg 200 96 min.

11:00AM On the Ice Pg 200 96 min. 1:30PM Small Town Murder… Pg 255 75 min.

4:00PM The Green Wave Pg 176 80 min. 6:30PM My So-Called Enemy Pg 181 89 min. 9:00PM Finisterrae Pg 151 80 min. 4:30PM My So-Called Enemy Pg 181 89 min. 7:00PM The Green Wave Pg 176 80 min. 9:00PM Tilt Pg 259 94 min. 4:30PM Donor Pg 67 84 min. 7:00PM Bobby Fischer… Pg 172 90 min. 9:30PM If I Want To Whistle Pg 229 94 min. 4:30PM Bobby Fischer… Pg 172 90 min. 7:00PM Romeos Pg 251 94 min. 9:30PM Artifi cial Paradises Pg 120 83 min. 4:30PM Artifi cial Paradises Pg 120 83 min. 7:00PM Hot Coffee Pg 176 88 min. 9:30PM Roadie Pg 201 96 min. 4:30PM Sushi: The Global… Pg 189 75 min. 7:00PM All Your Dead Ones Pg 209 88 min. 9:30PM Absent Pg 119 87 min. 11:00AM Hot Coffee Pg 176 88 min. 1:30PM Absent Pg 119 87 min. 4:00PM Roadie Pg 201 96 min. 7:00PM The Destiny of… Pg 218 89 min. 9:30PM TBA 11:00AM TBA 1:30PM Spud Pg 256 108 min. 4:30PM Revenge of the… Pg 185 95 min. 7:00PM 12 Angry Lebanese… Pg 171 78 min. 9:00PM TBA

Adobe Youth Voices

Young people have a lot to say. i t’s time for us to listen.

t hat’s why Adobe Youth Voices, a global youth media initiative from the Adobe Foundation, is inspiring young people to create with purpose.

s hort films by Adobe Youth Voices young people will be screened throughout the festival. c heck the program guide for show times.

www.youthvoices.adobe.com

www.facebook.com/adobeyouthvoices