BY THE PEOPLE THE ELECTION OF BARACK OBAMA
NOVEMBER 2009
Special Screenings
4
Narrative Features
6
Documentary Features
7
Narrative Shorts
10
Documentary Shorts
15
Screening Schedule
16
Ticket Information
18
TABLE OF CONTENTS
SPECIAL SCREENINGS CELEBRITY HABLA USA/2009/53min/Color DIRECTOR: Alberto Ferreras CELEBRITY HABLA, the 6th installment of the popular HBO Latino series, puts the faces and voices of U.S. Latinos on the screen like never before. CELEBRITY HABLA features prominent Latinos from television and film, fashion, business and more! Hear their funny, poignant and truthful stories about being Latino in the U.S. Friday, Sept 25, 7pm, AMC 34th Street Theater 9
GOOD HAIR USA/2009/95min/Color DIRECTOR: Jeff Stilson GOOD HAIR visits beauty salons, hairstyling battles, scientific laboratories and Indian temples to explore the way hairstyles impact the the black community. Chris Rock’s raucous adventure was prompted by his daughter’s question: “Daddy, how come I don’t have good hair?” Haircare professionals, beauty shop patrons, and celebrities candidly offer their stories and observations to Rock as he searches for an answer. Saturday, Sept 26, 5:30pm, AMC 34th Street Theater 9
HUSH (UK in Focus Series) UK/2009/88min/35mm/Color DIRECTOR: Mark Tonderai WRITER: Mark Tonderai Driving along the M1, Zakes and Beth catch a glimpse of a white truck with a terrified, screaming woman inside. Zake calls the police but continues the drive, and an upset Beth storms off at their next stop. When she doesn’t return, Zake realizes that she, too, has been snatched, and he is forced to play a vicious game of cat-and-mouse with a ruthless killer. Friday, Sept 25 ,10pm , AMC 34th Street Theater 11 Saturday, Sept 26, 10:30pm | AMC 34th Street Theater 12
4 | SPECIAL SCREENINGS
LAW ABIDING CITIZEN (Opening Night Film) USA/2009/108min/HDCam/Color DIRECTOR: F. Gary Gray Clyde Shelton (Gerard Butler) loses his wife and daughter in a brutal double-murder. When the killers are caught, prosecutor Nick Rice (Jamie Foxx) offers one of the suspects a light sentence in exchange for testifying against his accomplice. Ten years later, that man is found dead. Clyde admits his guilt and warns Nick that unless he fixes the flawed justice system that killed Clyde’s family, key players in the trial will die. Wednesday, Sept 23, 7:30pm, | AMC 34th St. Theater 9
LOST SON OF HAVANA USA/2009/105min/Digibeta/Color DIRECTOR: Jonathan Hock WRITER: Jonathan Hock Luis Tiant was once a beloved athlete in the United States, his adopted country. At the age of 67, he returns to Cuba, the island he left at age 20 for a trip he expected would last a month that became nearly a half-century. But is this still home? Saturday, Sept 26, 3:30pm | AMC 34th St. Theater 9
MAMA, I WANT TO SING! (Closing Night Film) (World Premiere) USA/2009/HDCam/Color DIRECTOR: Charles Randolph-Wright Amara Winter is on the cusp of stardom. After her father’s death, her mother becomes a highprofile evangelical preacher as Amara navigates her own rising celebrity. When tragedy strikes again, the two women work through their differences and grief and discover that perhaps their journeys are not quite so different after all. Saturday, Sept 26, 8pm | AMC 34th Street Theater 9
PRESSURE COOKER
SKIN
USA/2008/99min/Digibeta/Color DIRECTORS: Jennifer Grausman & Mark Becker
UK/South Africa/107min/35mm/Color DIRECTOR: Anthony Fabian
PRESSURE COOKER profiles the lives of three high school seniors from Northeast Philadelphia with the shared goal of winning scholarships to the country’s best culinary schools. Their unlikely hero is the irreverent culinary arts teacher, Mrs. Stephenson. She serves as both a surrogate mother and a culinary boot-camp instructor, pushing her kids to achieve beyond what anyone else expects from them.
Ten-year-old Sandra looks distinctly African, although her parents are white Afrikaners and have brought her up as their “white” little girl. When she is 17, she defies them and elopes to Swaziland with a black man. Now she must live her life, for the first time, as a black woman in South Africa – with no running water, no sanitation, and little income. Friday, Sept 25, 8pm | AMC 34th Street Theater 11
Friday, Sept 25, 6:00pm | AMC 34th Street Theater 11 Saturday, Sept 26, 1:30pm | AMC 34th Street Theater 9
RAIN Bahamas/2008/93min/Digibeta/Color DIRECTOR: Maria Govan WRITER: Maria Govan After the death of her grandmother, fourteenyear-old Rain forgoes the sheltered life of her home on Ragged Island in the Bahamas to seek out her estranged mother in the big city of Nassau. Thursday, Sept 24, 10am | AMC 34th Street Theater 9 Saturday, Sept 26, 8:30pm | AMC 34th Street Theater 11
TOE TO TOE (New York Premiere) USA/2009/104min/Digibeta/Color DIRECTOR: Emily Abt WRITER: Emily Abt A story of the friendship and rivalry between lacrosse mates Tosha and Jesse, two senior girls at a competitive Washington, D.C. prep school. Tosha is an African American scholarship student from Anacostia, one of Washington`s poorest areas, while Jesse is a troubled and promiscuous white girl from the ritzy suburbs of Maryland. When Jesse and Tosha discover that they’ve both been dating the same boy, the conflict becomes explosive. Saturday, Sept 26, 7:45pm | AMC 34th Street Theater 12
SHIFTY (US Premiere) (UK in Focus Series) UK/2008/86min/35mm/Color DIRECTOR: Eran Creevy WRITER: Eran Creevy Four years after leaving his childhood home, Chris returns to catch up with his old buddy Shifty. Since his departure, Chris has settled into responsible adult life and is shocked to discover that Shifty has started dealing hard drugs. Over the course of the next 24 hours together, they are forced to confront the ghosts of the past that drove Chris away and the dangerous present that Shifty inhabits.
WITHOUT BIAS USA/2009/95min/Color DIRECTOR: Kirk Fraser The name of former University of Maryland basketball superstar and Boston Celtics draft pick Len Bias still provokes powerful and visceral responses more than 20 years after his death. WITHOUT BIAS chronicles how one man’s meteoric rise to fame was derailed by a fatal decision that still reverberates throughout the sports world and the criminal justice system. Thursday, Sept 24, 7pm | AMC 34th St. Theater 9
Thursday, Sept 24, 9:30pm | AMC 34th St. Theater 11 Saturday, Sept 26, 10:30pm | AMC 34th St. Theater 11
SPECIAL SCREENINGS | 5
NARRATIVE FEATURES
JUST ANOTHER DAY (World Premiere)
BLUE (New York Premiere)
USA/2009/95min/Digibeta/Color DIRECTOR: Peter Spirer
USA/2008/114min/Digibeta/Color DIRECTOR: Ryan Miningham Gary ‘Blue’ Meekins, a prize fighter from NYC’s Harlem, weathered the storm of the streets and put his past behind him. He keeps his eye on the prize, the middle weight championship of the world, and finds unlikely love. But just when everything seems so right, life can go so wrong.
JUST ANOTHER DAY follows a day in the life of two men living at either end of the music game. A successful rapper, A-Maze, is dealing with the pitfalls and trappings of his success and facing new challenges in the music business to get a check while the other, Young Eastie, is a young man struggling in a harsh world that is threatening to destroy him.
Thursday, Sept 24, 2:45pm | AMC 34th St. Theater 9 Friday, Sept 25, 3:15 pm | AMC 34th Street Theater 11
Thursday, Sept 24, 7pm | AMC 34th Street Theater 11 Friday, Sept 25, 12:45pm | AMC 34th Street Theater 11
DON’T LET ME DROWN
MISSISSIPPI DAMNED
USA/2009/105min/35mm/Color DIRECTOR: Cruz Angeles WRITERS: Cruz Angeles & Maria Topete
USA/2009/120min/Digibeta/Color DIRECTOR: Tina Mabry WRITER: Tina Mabry
Lalo and Stefanie are Brooklyn high schoolers. Lalo’s father is a former World Trade Center janitor who works at Ground Zero cleaning up debris; Stefanie’s sister died in the WTC attacks. Exactly one month after 9/11, Lalo and Stefanie meet. A bumpy start becomes a budding friendship and then a clandestine romance.
Three poor, black kids in rural Mississippi suffer the consequences of their family’s cycle of abuse, addiction, and violence. They struggle to escape their circumstances and must decide whether to confront what has plagued their family for generations or succumb to the same crippling fate.
Thursday, Sept 24, 4:30pm | AMC 34th Street Theater 11 Friday, Sept 25, 10am | AMC 34th Street Theater 11
Friday, Sept 25 @ 12:30pm | AMC 34th Street Theater 9 Saturday, Sept 26 @ 5:45pm | AMC 34th Street Theater 11
SALUD THE GOOD NEIGHBOR POLICY (New York Premiere) USA/2009/90minColor DIRECTOR: Edgar P. Davis WRITER: Edgar P. Davis A young actress kills her would-be date rapist, and it’s up to the neighbors in her apartment building to protect her by any means necessary. Thursday, Sept 24, 10:45pm | AMC 34th Street Theater 9 Friday, Sept 25, 3pm | AMC 34th Street Theater 9
6 | NARRATIVE FEATURES
USA/2009/94min/Digibeta/Color DIRECTOR: Cesar De Leon SALUD examines the relationship between an alcoholic womanizer named Carlos and his young son Junito. Eight-year-old Junito’s refusal to lose his father to the bottle leads both father and son to discover the true and sometimes painful meaning of unconditional love. Friday, Sept 25, 5:30pm | AMC 34th St. Theater 12 Saturday, Sept 26, 10am | AMC 34th St. Theater 11
TURISTAS
DOCUMENTARY FEATURES
Chile/2008 /105 min/Beta SP/Color DIRECTOR: Alicia Scherson WRITER: Alicia Scherson
AMERICANA
Carla is 37, married, possibly pregnant and supposed to be happy as she travels alongside her husband, a jet ski hooked to the back of their car. But perhaps she’d rather be hitchhiking with a stranger… Thursday, Sept 24, 2:30pm | AMC 34th St. Theater 11
USA/2009/91min/Color DIRECTOR: Topaz Adizes AMERICANA explores American identity at home and abroad by juxtaposing the personal stories of Americans overseas and those of two teenagers in their last three months of high school before their U.S. Army enlistment. Friday, Sept 25, 10am | AMC 34th St. Theater 12 Saturday, Sept 26, 5:45pm | AMC 34th St. Theater 12
‘BAMA GIRL USA/2007/72min/Digibeta/Color DIRECTOR: Rachel Goslins ‘Bama Girl follows a black woman’s quest to become the 2005 Homecoming Queen at the University of Alabama, one of the great Deep South institutions. Jessica Thomas must run against 15 other co-eds, but also against a strictly segregated Greek system, internal black politics, and a secret all-white association called ‘The Machine’ that has controlled University politics for the past century. Saturday, Sept 26, 10am | AMC 34th St. Theater 9
BURMA VJ Myanmar/2008/84min/Color DIRECTOR: Anders Østergaard While 100,000 people took to the streets in 2007 to protest Myanmar’s repressive regime, foreign news crews were banned and Internet access was shut down. The Democratic Voice of Burma, a collective of approximately 30 anonymous video journalists (VJs), recorded these events on handycams, risking torture and life imprisonment. BURMA VJ offers a rare look inside the uprising, featuring footage from the VJs. Thursday, Sept 24, 5:15pm | AMC 34th St. Theater 9
DOCUMENTARY FEATURES | 7
CRIPS AND BLOODS: MADE IN AMERICA
OFF AND RUNNING
USA/2008/93min/Digibeta/Color DIRECTOR: Stacy Peralta WRITERS: Stacy Peralta & Sam George
USA/2009/80min/Digibeta/Color DIRECTOR: Nicole Opper
CRIPS AND BLOODS: MADE IN AMERICA tells the story of the Crips and Bloods, South Los Angeles’ two most infamous African-American gangs.
Avery is an African American teenager and the adopted daughter of two Jewish lesbian moms in Brooklyn. OFF AND RUNNING follows Avery’s journey to uncover her roots and explore the bonds of family.
Friday, Sept 25, 10pm | AMC 34th Street Theater 12 Thursday, Sept 24, 6pm | AMC 34th St. Theater 12
EVENTUAL SALVATION Liberia/USA/2009/86min/Digibeta/Color DIRECTOR: Dee Rees Having barely escaped from Monrovia, Liberia with her life over a decade ago, the filmmaker’s American-born 80-year-old grandmother Amma returns to rebuild her home and community after the devastating Liberian civil war. Thursday, Sept 24, 2:15pm | AMC 34th Street Theater 12 Saturday, Sept 26, 3:45pm | AMC 34th Street Theater 12
MRS. GOUNDO’S DAUGHTER
P-STAR RISING USA/2009/83min/Digibeta/Color DIRECTOR: Gabriel Noble P-STAR RISING is a documentary film about a single father who is determined that his 9-year old daughter become a rap star, thereby realizing his deferred dream. We follow the fatherdaughter duo for four intimate years through the grit and glamour of the music industry, the struggles of being a single dad with no means, and the sacrifices a child makes in order to make her daddy proud. Friday, Sept 25, 8pm | AMC 34th St. Theater 12
West Africa/2009/62min/Digibeta/Color DIRECTORS: Barbara Attie & Janet Goldwater MRS. GOUNDO’S DAUGHTER is the story of a West African mother’s fight for asylum in the U.S. to protect her two-year old daughter from female genital cutting. Shot in Philadelphia and Mali, the film explores the African tradition of female genital cutting, which dates back thousands of years, as well as the intricacies and frustrations of the asylum process. Thursday, Sept 24, 10am | AMC 34th St. Theater 12 Friday, Sept 25, 1:15pm | AMC 34th St. Theater 12
8 | DOCUMENTARY FEATURES
SAMO: THE ART AND INFLUENCE OF JEAN-MICHEL BASQUIAT (East Coast Premiere) USA/2008/52min/Digibeta/Color DIRECTOR: Bethany Ward-Lawe WRITER: Bethany Ward-Lawe SAMO is an exploration of the life and influence of 80s art phenomenon Jean-Michel Basquiat. Was Basquiat just an ‘Art Star’? Did his race help or hurt his popularity? Will he be considered a part of the Canon of Great American Artists?
STILL BILL (East Coast Premiere) USA/2009/78min/HDCam/Color DIRECTORS: Alex Vlack & Damani Baker WRITERS: Alex Vlack & Damani Baker Bill Withers is an unexpected superstar. “Ain’t No Sunshine,” “Lean on Me,” “Lovely Day,” and “Just the Two of Us” are only part of a complex and fascinating character: an icon who left the industry behind but never gave up his soul. You know his songs. Now meet the man. Thursday, Sept 24, 8pm | AMC 34th St. Theater 12
Thursday, Sept 24, 10pm | AMC 34th St. Theater 12 Friday, Sept 25, 12pm | AMC 34th St. Theater 12
SAY MY NAME (East Coast Premiere) USA/UK/2009/73min/Digibeta/Color DIRECTOR: Nirit Peled WRITER: Nirit Peled In a Hip Hop and R&B world dominated by men and noted for misogyny, the unstoppable female lyricists of SAY MY NAME speak candidly about the influences of class, race, and gender on pursuing their passions. Thursday, Sept 24, 9pm | AMC 34th St. Theater 9 Saturday, Sept 24, 11:45am | AMC 34th St. Theater 9
SHOOTING STAR(S): THE RISE OF HIPHOP PHOTOGRAPHER JOHNNY NUNEZ USA/2009/78min/Digibeta/Color DIRECTORS: Axel Ebermann & Daniel Frei Johnny Nunez, 36, is a black orphan from Brooklyn who fought poverty and racism to become the world’s most prominent Hip Hop celebrity photographer. Now his wit, charm and tenacity are about to make him a celebrity in his own right.
THE VISITORS USA/2008/70min/Color DIRECTOR: Melis Birder THE VISITORS offers an unexpected look at the prison system through the eyes of the travelers who head to remote New York prisons every weekend to visit their loved ones. Thursday, Sept 24, 12:15pm | AMC 34th Street Theater 12 Friday, Sept 25, 3:15pm | AMC 34th Street Theater 12
WHAT’S ON YOUR PLATE? USA/2009/76min/Digibeta/Color DIRECTOR: Catherine Gund Filmed over the course of one year, WHAT’S ON YOUR PLATE? follows two eleven-year-old African-American city kids as they explore their place in the food chain. Sadie and Safiyah take a close look at food systems in New York City and its surrounding areas. Thursday, Sept 24, 4pm | AMC 34th Street Theater 12 saturday, Sept 26, 10am | AMC 34th Street Theater 12
Friday, Sept 25, 9:30pm | AMC 34th Street Theater 9 Saturday, Sept 26, 10pm | AMC 34th Street Theater 9
DOCUMENTARY FEATURES | 9
NARRATIVE SHORTS AMAZON WOMEN (New York Premiere) USA/2009/15min/Digibeta/Color DIRECTOR: Kiara C Jones Sexy, sassy Brie and her best friend Asha are in for a night they will never forget. After one too many romantic disappointments, Asha is at her wits’ end. When she seeks comfort from Brie, she discovers that the answer to her problems may be closer than she thinks. In Shorts Block 3: Friday, Sept 25, 10am | AMC 34th Street Theatre 9 Saturday, Sept 26, 12:15pm | AMC 34th Street Theatre 11
A BARBER’S TALE (U.S. Premiere) USA/2008/4min/BetaSP/Color DIRECTOR: Nelson George Based on a real conversation between writer/ director Nelson A. George and an anxious barber, A BARBER’S TALE offers a glimpse into the dark side of cutting hair. In Shorts Program 3: Friday, Sept 25, 10am | AMC 34th Street Theatre 9 Saturday, Sept 26, 12:15pm | AMC 34th Street Theatre 11
BIG BLACK GOOD MAN (New York Premiere) USA/2009/18min/Beta SP/Color DIRECTOR: Usame Tunagur Adapted from Richard Wright’s short story, BIG BLACK GOOD MAN tells the story of Olaf, an old white hotel porter, who is challenged to face his biggest fears when a big black man wants to check in to his hotel. In Shorts Program 2: Thursday, Sept 24, 12:15pm | AMC 34th Street Theatre 9 Saturday, Sept 26, 1:30pm | AMC 34th Street Theatre 12
10 | NARRATIVE SHORTS
BROTHERS INCORPORATED (World Premiere) DIRECTOR: Michael Johnson USA/2009/23min/35mm/Color Marcus Christenson is poised to take control of his father’s business – the Philadelphia Black Mafia. The problem is that Marcus’s heart lies with his music. The young guitarist must decide between pursuing his own dreams and fulfilling the dreams of his father. In Shorts Program 3: Friday, Sept 25, 10am | AMC 34th Street Theatre 9 Saturday, Sept 26, 12:15pm | AMC 34th Street Theatre 11
ENTER THE PREACHER (U.S. Premiere) (UK in Focus Series) UK/2008/10min/Digibeta/Color DIRECTOR: Paulette James A mysterious man arrives in town and encounters a gang of youths threatening a young woman. This man is Preacher, and he’s on a mission to teach respect. Precedes SHIFTY on: Thursday, Sept 24, 10am | AMC 34th Street Theatre 12 Friday, Sept 25, 1:15pm | AMC 34th Street Theatre 12
FATHER’S DAY USA/2009/21min/Digibeta/Color DIRECTOR: Brian Rolling A coming of age tale about a young man struggling to deal with the challenges of raising a five-year-old son in the projects. Can Dee strike a balance between satisfying his passion for cooking and fulfilling his very real responsibilities as a father? IN SHORTS PROGRAM 2: Thursday, Sept 24, 12:15pm | AMC 34th Street Theatre 9 Saturday, Sept 26, 1:30pm | AMC 34th Street Theatre 12
FRENCH FOR FOREIGNERS (World Premiere) FRANCE/2009/13min/DigiBeta/Color DIRECTOR: Kartik Singh In a “French for Foreigners” course, a heated debate arises between two Muslim women over the right to wear a veil during class. IN SHORTS PROGRAM 2: Thursday, Sept 24, 12:15pm | AMC 34th Street Theatre 9 Saturday, Sept 26, 1:30pm | AMC 34th Street Theatre 12
GRACE (U.S. Premiere) USA/2009/8min/Digibeta/Color DIRECTOR: Alrick Brown A woman/mother/illegal immigrant with everything to lose finds hope. Precedes SALUD on: Friday, Sept 25, 5:30pm | AMC 34th Street Theatre 12 Saturday, Sept 26, 10am | AMC 34th Street Theatre 11
HAIR WE ARE (UK in Focus Series) UK/2007/6min/Color/Beta SP DIRECTOR: Daniella Blechner Two young Afro-Caribbean girls explore and celebrate their identity through hair. IN SHORTS PROGRAM 2: Thursday, Sept 24, 12:15pm | AMC 34th Street Theatre 9 Saturday, Sept 26, 1:30pm | AMC 34th Street Theatre 12
HOPE (World Premiere) USA/2009/15min/Digibeta/Color DIRECTOR: Justin Foran A fearful and timid child (Sean) from the projects of Queens witnesses the collapse of his father (Henry) after a sudden job loss. Sean, who hasn’t spoken since his mother passed away, sets out a on a personal journey and boards a bus for Washington, D.C. the day before the presidential inauguration.
HUG (New York Premiere) USA/2008/16 min/Beta SP/Color DIRECTOR: Khary Jones Drew is a virtuoso musical talent, with a music contract ready to sign. Asa, his friend and manager, must physically get Drew to the contract signing. When Asa realizes that Drew is off his meds, the morning commute turns troubling. In Shorts Block 1: Thursday, Sept 24, 12pm | AMC 34th Street Theatre 11 Saturday, Sept 26, 3pm | AMC 34th Street Theatre 11
IN THE WIND (East Coast Premiere) USA/2008/18min/Color DIRECTOR: Martin Papazian Two brothers who have survived disasters – Hurricane Katrina and military deployment abroad – experience a homecoming in New Orleans, where they seek to reconnect to the past and what they once knew. In Shorts Block 1: Thursday, Sept 24, 12pm | AMC 34th Street Theatre 11 Saturday, Sept 26, 3pm | AMC 34th Street Theatre 11
LA OPERACION (New York Premiere) USA/2009/15min/Beta SP/Color DIRECTOR: Victor Cruz In 1937, a bill was passed in Puerto Rico allowing the sterilization of women on the island. One woman will have to make the life-altering choice of whether or not to go through with this procedure. In Shorts Block 3: Friday, Sept 25, 10am | AMC 34th Street Theatre 9 Saturday, Sept 26, 12:15pm | AMC 34th Street Theatre 11
In Shorts Program 3: Friday, Sept 25, 10am | AMC 34th Street Theatre 9 Saturday, Sept 26, 12:15pm | AMC 34th Street Theatre 11
NARRATIVE SHORTS | 11
LIFE ON EARTH (East Coast Premiere)
MARIACHI (New York Premiere)
USA/2009/21min/DigiBeta/Color DIRECTOR: Jeffrey Keith
USA/2009/13min/Digibeta/Color DIRECTOR: Elena Greenlee WRITER: Elena Greenlee
Set against the gritty backdrop of Los Angeles, LIFE ON EARTH is a story about Lea, an 18-yearold girl “aging out” of the foster care system. With no family or financial support, Lea and the other girls in her group home are instructed by their social worker to pursue menial service jobs. But when Lea finds inspiration in an unexpected place, she turns her new perspective into a rebellion that will bring hope to the other girls. In Shorts Program 2: Thursday, Sept 24, 12:15pm | AMC 34th Street Theatre 9 Saturday, Sept 26, 1:30pm | AMC 34th Street Theatre 12
LOCKS USA/2008/6min/Beta SP/Color DIRECTOR: Ryan Coogler In Oakland, California, a young man wakes up with a heavy heart and decides to take a walk to a local barbershop. In Shorts Block 3: Friday, Sept 25, 10am | AMC 34th Street Theatre 9 Saturday, Sept 26, 12:15pm | AMC 34th Street Theatre 11
MANALI CREAM (World Premiere) (UK in Focus Series) UK/2009/15min/Digibeta/Color DIRECTOR: Navdeep Kandola Paul, Kal and Lola are a group of twentysomethings on the Indian dance party scene. They float from London dubstep raves to Goan trance parties, and then through the cool mountain breezes of the Himalayas in search of the elusive Manali Cream. But along the way, Indian karma has a lesson for each of them. In Shorts Block 3: Friday, Sept 25, 10am | AMC 34th Street Theatre 9 Saturday, Sept 26, 12:15pm | AMC 34th Street Theatre 11
12 | NARRATIVE SHORTS
A New York teen struggles to carve out his identity somewhere between that of his Mexican-born parents and his Brooklyn-bred peers. An unexpected accident and immigration investigation force him to explore uncharted territory, taking him further from home and closer to finding himself. In Shorts Block 1: Thursday, Sept 24, 12pm | AMC 34th Street Theatre 11 Saturday, Sept 26, 3pm | AMC 34th Street Theatre 11
MEDICINE MAN USA/2009/20min/Color DIRECTOR: Himkar Tak WRITER: Himkar Tak With the help of his best friend, 15-year-old Jimi undertakes a journey deep into the Adirondack Mountains in search of the plant that, if found, it might give his recently paralyzed father the opportunity to walk again.
In Shorts Block 1: Thursday, Sept 24, 12pm | AMC 34th Street Theatre 11 Saturday, Sept 26, 3pm | AMC 34th Street Theatre 11
NUEVA YORK USA/2008/9min/Beta SP/Color DIRECTOR: Manolo Celi WRITER: Manolo Celi NUEVA YORK interweaves the lives of different Hispanics residing in New York and depicts how they overcome, how they triumph, how they provide for their families, how intrinsically tied they are to their city, and how their Latino “know-how” helps them to survive. Precedes DON’T LET ME DROWN on: Thursday, Sept 24 @ 4:30pm | AMC 34th Street Theatre 11 Friday, September 25, 10am | AMC 34th Street Theatre 9
OSVALDO’S USA/2009/20min/Digibeta/Color DIRECTOR: Randy Wilkins WRITER: Randy Wilkins Jerry Dominguez, a fifteen-year-old who has recently lost his mother, discusses with his father their plans for a special dinner. When their father arrives home, Ana Daisy – the pretty red-haired hairdresser from Osvaldo’s, their father’s barber shop – accompanies him. Over the course of the meal, the Dominguez family must confront past pains as they attempt to forge a path towards the uncertain future. In Shorts Block 1: Thursday, Sept 24, 12pm | AMC 34th Street Theatre 11 Saturday, Sept 26, 3pm | AMC 34th Street Theatre 11
OUT OF THE DARKNESS (New York Premiere) USA/2009/21min/Digibeta/Color DIRECTOR: Nikki V. Roberts WRITER: Nikki V. Roberts Anguished over her baby’s accidental death, homeless and teenaged Jess wanders through the streets. When she meets a little girl in a park, Jess’s hunger for love and affection propels her to kidnap the child. Will Jess find redemption by making amends, or will she succumb to her internal demons? In Shorts Program 2: Thursday, Sept 24, 12:15pm | AMC 34th Street Theatre 9 Saturday, Sept 26, 1:30pm | AMC 34th Street Theatre 12
POPOUS PANE AND THE KIDS HE LOVES TO HATE (New York Premiere) USA/2009/14mins/Digibeta/Color DIRECTOR: Derrick Anthony WRITER: Derrick Anthony Two brothers unaware of each other’s existence have been living separate lives, until their father finally reveals the long-buried secret to his sons. The brothers, each remembering his father in a different way, develop a bond and join forces to confront the father who was not there for either one of them. In Shorts Program 2: Thursday, Sept 24, 12:15pm | AMC 34th Street Theatre 9 Saturday, Sept 26, 1:30pm | AMC 34th Street Theatre 12
PRODUCTION (East Coast Premiere) USA/2008/18min/Beta SP/Color DIRECTOR: Lenny Payan Danielle’s job as the script coordinator for a wildly popular television drama sounds exciting, but with a job description of “copy, collate, repeat,” she doesn’t quite agree. When producers introduce plans to shoot an ill-conceived ‘urban’ episode of the show, Danielle finally feels compelled to use her voice. In Shorts Program 3: Friday, Sept 25, 10am | AMC 34th Street Theatre 9 Saturday, Sept 26, 12:15pm | AMC 34th Street Theatre 11
SATURDAY MORNING BLUES USA/2009/12min/Color DIRECTOR: Yvonne Michelle Shirley WRITER: Yvonne Michelle Shirley Saturday Morning Blues is a coming-of-age story about a young girl trapped between adolescence and adulthood. The light of morning brings a sleepover and a friendship to an abrupt and painful ending, slamming 15-year Sonya against the constraints of her reality. In Shorts Program 2: Thursday, Sept 24, 12:15pm | AMC 34th Street Theatre 9 Saturday, Sept 26, 1:30pm | AMC 34th Street Theatre 12
NARRATIVE SHORTS | 13
SECOND CHANCES (World Premiere)
TRECE ANOS
USA/2009/8min/Digibeta/Color DIRECTOR: Moses Halley WRITER: Moses Halley
Cuba/USA/2008/8min/Color DIRECTOR: Topaz Adizes
A star football player is busted the night before a big game, but receives a second chance.
Guillermo Ivan returns to his family in Cuba for the first time in 13 years and experiences a greater divide than just distance.
In Shorts Program 3: Friday, Sept 25, 10am | AMC 34th Street Theatre 9 Saturday, Sept 26, 12:15pm | AMC 34th Street Theatre 11
In Shorts Program 1: Thursday, Sept 24, 12pm | AMC 34th Street Theatre 11 Saturday, Sept 26, 3pm | AMC 34th Street Theatre 11
THE FALL (U.S. Premiere)
WING IT (East Coast Premiere)
USA/2009/19min/Digibeta/Color DIRECTOR: Aaron Wallace WRITER: Aaron Wallace
USA/2009/8min/Digibeta/Color DIRECTORS: Julio Quintana & Daniel Rezende WRITER: Julio Quintana
David receives a frightening suicidal phone call from his ex-girlfriend Sheila, the woman to whom he owes much of his success. Fueled by guilt and arrogance, David races to Sheila’s home to address the situation.
When a drug deal goes wrong and a violent confrontation seems inevitable, two guardian angels must decide how far they will go to protect their wings.
Precedes THE GOOD NEIGHBOR POLICY on: Thursday, Sept 24, 10:45pm | AMC 34th Street Theatre 9 Friday, Sept 25, 3pm | AMC 34th Street Theatre 9
THE ROE EFFECT (New York Premiere) USA/2009/20min/Digibeta/Color DIRECTOR: Kiel Adrian Scott In a world frighteningly similar to our own, Dawn, a high school girl, and her girlfriend, Sam, are madly in love. But when Dawn falls victim to an unwanted pregnancy, a chain of events is set in motion that could reveal a powerful secret capable of destroying all that she holds dear. In Shorts Program 1: Thursday, Sept 24, 12pm | AMC 34th Street Theatre 11 Saturday, Sept 26, 3pm | AMC 34th Street Theatre 11
14 | NARRATIVE SHORTS
In Shorts Program 3: Friday, Sept 25, 10am | AMC 34th Street Theatre 9 Saturday, Sept 26, 12:15pm | AMC 34th Street Theatre 11
DOCUMENTARY SHORTS
KEEP ON STEPPIN’ (New York Premiere)
A SENTENCE APART (East Coast Premiere)
USA/2008/29min/Beta SP/Color DIRECTOR: Christine Noschese
USA/2009/12min/Beta SP/Color DIRECTORS: Theo Rigby & Jason Sussberg WRITERS: Theo Rigby & Jason Sussberg
In KEEP ON STEPPIN,’ the filmmaker travels with The Steppers, a dance company of women aged 74-86, as they undertake a challenging schedule of performances in New York City. As they confront the physical challenges of aging, the death of husbands and personal tragedies, the Steppers inspire each other and their audiences to ‘keep on steppin.’
A SENTENCE APART weaves three intimate stories exploring the effects of incarceration on the family. Thursday, Sept 24, 12:15pm | AMC 34th Street Theatre 12 Friday, Sept 25, 3:15pm | AMC 34th Street Theatre 12
In Documentary Shorts Block: Thursday, Sept 24, 10am | AMC 34th Street Theatre 11 Saturday, Sept 26, 11:45am | AMC 34th Street Theatre 12
BRONX PRINCESS USA/2009/38min/Digibeta/Color DIRECTORS: Yoni Brook & Musa Syeed Rocky Otoo is the Bronx-bred teenage daughter of Ghanaian parents, and she’s no pushover. She is a sassy high-achiever bound for college. With freedom in sight, Rocky rebels against her mother’s rules. When their relationship reaches a breaking point, Rocky flees to her father, a chief in Ghana. Reconciling her dual legacies becomes an unexpected chapter in this unforgettable young woman’s education.
A SONG FOR OURSELVES USA/2009/35min/Beta SP/Color DIRECTOR: Tadashi Nakamura WRITER: Tadashi Nakamura A SONG FOR OURSELVES is an intimate journey into the life and music of Asian American Movement troubadour Chris Iijima. In Documentary Shorts Block: Thursday, Sept 24, 10am | AMC 34th Street Theatre 11 Saturday, Sept 26, 11:45am | AMC 34th Street Theatre 12
Thursday, Sept 24, 10am | AMC 34th Street Theatre 12 Friday, Sept 25, 1:15pm | AMC 34th Street Theatre 12
HOODS TO WOODS USA/2009/25min/Digibeta/Color DIRECTOR: Brian “Deka” Paupaw HOODS TO WOODS is a documentary based on the story of Brian “Deka” Paupaw and his journeys from the inner city streets of Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn to the deep powder back country mountains of North and South America. In Documentary Shorts Block: Thursday, Sept 24, 10am | AMC 34th Street Theatre 11 Saturday, Sept 26, 11:45am | AMC 34th Street Theatre 12
SHORTS PROGRAM 1 Hug, In the Wind, Mariachi, Medicine Man, Osvaldo’s, The Roe Effect, Trece Anos SHORTS PROGRAM 2 Big Black Good Man, Father’s Day, French for Foreigners, Hair We Are, Life on Earth, Out of the Darkness, Popous Pane and the Kids He Loves to Hate, Saturday Morning Blues SHORTS PROGRAM 3 A Barber’s Tale, Amazon Women, Brothers Incorporated, Hope, La Operacion, Locks, Manali Cream, Production, Second Chances, Wing It DOCUMENTARY SHORTS BLOCK A Song for Ourselves, Hoods to Woods, Keep on Steppin’
DOCUMENTARY SHORTS | 15
16 | SCREENING SCHEDULE
SCREENING SCHEDULE | 17
Ticket Information ADMISSION: $12.50 WEBSITE: www.urbanworld.org AMC BOX OFFICE: AMC Box Office 34th Street PHONE: 212-231-7318
Rush line tickets will be available 30 minutes prior to scheduled screenings to sold out films on a first come, first serve basis as available (CASH ONLY).
Schedule Subject To Change
18 | TICKET INFORMATION
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