For Immediate Release Contact: Carol OSullivan
October 15, 2007 412-681-5449
Pittsburgh Filmmakers Announces Events for 2007
Three Rivers Film Festival
(Pittsburgh, PA) – The 2007 Three Rivers Film
Festival, presented by Pittsburgh Filmmakers and Dollar Bank runs November 2
-15. Now in its 26th year, the festival is one of the most eagerly
awaited events in Pittsburgh, featuring independent American cinema, the
hottest new documentaries and several critically acclaimed international films.
There are visiting filmmakers, informal discussions, live music, parties and
more. The venues are the Harris Theater, the Melwood
Screening Room, and the Regent Square Theater.
On Opening Night, November 2, three films will premiere at three
separate locations. At the Harris Theater is the restored Australian classic Walkabout, director Nicolas Roegs first feature; at the Regent
Square Theater is Grace is Gone, a
drama starring John Cusack; and at
the Melwood Screening Room is the independent, locally-made thriller Strange
Girls, with cast and crew scheduled
to attend. The Opening Night
Party with the popular local band,
New Invisible Joy, will be held in Pittsburgh Filmmakers soundstage –
beginning at 9:00pm. The party (at 477 Melwood Ave) is free to Opening Night
moviegoers with ticket stub or Six-pack purchasers. For all others, the party
is $5 at the door.
On Sunday night, November 4,
the Alloy Orchestra is back in
town with the 1927 gangster film Underworld. The Alloy Orchestra has created a rousing score using
an unusual combination of found percussion and state-of-the-art electronic
synthesizers. The three-man band from Boston has made a career of writing and
performing live music to silent film. Tickets are $12.
On Closing Night, November 15, legendary
avant-garde filmmaker Kenneth Anger
will travel here from Los Angeles to appear with a program of his work, from a
career thats spanned 60 years. Its a rare opportunity to see both his
original films (restored by UCLA Film Archives) and his new videos. Tickets
for Closing Night at Regent Square, with a reception next door at Concept Art
Gallery, are $12.
Six-Pack passes are $40 (six admissions plus a T-shirt). They are on
sale now at all Crazy Mocha locations in the Pittsburgh area, or at Theater Square Box Office, downtown. Tickets
for single films are $8 and can be
purchased one half-hour in advance.
Tickets for Special Events
can be purchased on www.ticketweb.com or at Pittsburgh
Filmmakers offices (477 Melwood Ave) during business hours, or at the box
offices of the Harris Theater, the Melwood Screening Room and the Regent Square
Theater during hours of operation.
Film descriptions (in
alphabetical order):
American Zombie
Who needs George Romeros zombies? We get to know the
misunderstood subculture up close and personal in this mockumentary. Set in Los
Angeles, Grace Lee plays herself, an investigative filmmaker on the trail of a
secretive group that goes by several names: decedents, the nonliving community,
revenants, the living dead; in other words, zombies. The comedy culminates in a
three-day, zombies-only retreat called Live Dead, where the filmmaker is forced
to re-evaluate her ideas about tolerance, identity politics, and the future of the
human race. Lee, an actual filmmaker of great promise has fun ribbing indie-doc
makers (like herself) as well as those geekie zombie conventions. (Grace Lee;
USA/S. Korea; 2007; 91 min)
An Evening
with Kenneth Anger – Closing
Night Event
Legendary avant-garde filmmaker
Kenneth Anger visits the Festival with a program of his work. Its a rare
opportunity to see both his original films (restored by UCLA Film Archives) and
the new videos on which he's been working. With a career thats spanned 60
years, Anger always subverted traditional cinema. His work is characterized by
cine-music montages, pre-dating todays MTV-influenced visual culture,
playfully mixing the dramatic with the fantastic. He's been influenced as much
by the occult as by fetishized Hollywood icons. Included in the program will be 35mm restorations of Fireworks, Rabbits Moon, Scorpio Rising and Kustom Kar Kommandoes. Regent Square; Thurs Nov 15 @ 8:00. Tickets (with reception at Concept Art Gallery) are $12.
The Bands Visit
Winner of the Coup de Coeur prize in the Un Certain Regard
section of the Cannes Film Festival, this is a warm-hearted story of
cross-cultural rapprochement. Its infused with a wistful nostalgia, when
simpler pleasures – a shared meal, a good tune, an open door – had
the potential to bring people together. In Eran Kolirins directorial debut, we
follow an Egyptian police band which gets lost in rural Israel on their way to
performing at a concert. Invited to the opening of an Israeli cultural center,
the immaculately pressed Alexandria Ceremonial Police Band arrive at the
airport only to find their hosts are nowhere in sight, so they decide to take a
bus. Hopelessly lost, they encounter not only tensions and friendships with the
townspeople who take them in for the night, but valuable lessons as well.
Through the connections they forge, the band and the villagers find their
cultural assumptions shaken – with one especially memorable scene in a
roller disco. With subtitles.
(Eran Kolirin; Israel; 2007; 89 min)
Beaufort
Winner of the Silver Bear for
Best Director at this year's Berlin Film Festival, this is
not a story of war, but of
retreat, set in southern Lebanon in the days leading up to the withdrawal of
Israeli troops in 2000. Based on a true story and adapted from a novel by
journalist Ron Leshem, its about a 22 year-old
commander, whose growing awareness of his situation forces him to act, as the
mental and physical disintegration of his young soldiers grows. The tension created throughout the film
is a not created with fast-paced editing, but through a series of
claustrophobic scenes that take the viewer into the young soldiers world. With subtitles. (Joseph
Cedar; Israel; 2007; 125 min)
Beauty in Trouble
From Jan Hrebejk (Up and Down) comes this superb, sexy, consummately elegant Czech drama, inspired
by a Robert Graves poem. Its the tale of an unlikely romance between an
alluring young mother and a kindly, but much older, Czech expatriate.
Effectively rendered destitute by the floods that washed through Prague in
2002, Marcela leaves her husband, rounds up her kids, and moves in with her
mother. Meanwhile, an elderly Czech migr comes to Prague from his home in
Tuscany for a house that was previously claimed by the communists. When they
meet in a chance encounter the benevolent older man clearly takes a shine to
the beautiful young woman. Its easy to like this generous foreigner, but it
doesnt take long for Marcela to question her motives. No stranger to mixing
political/social issues with basic human conflict, Hrebejk creates a metaphor
for the allure of western culture in post-Communist society in this intelligent
comic drama. With subtitles. (Jan
Hrebejk; Czech Republic; 2006; 110 min)
The Blue
Eyed Six
The most famous insurance-murder
trial in Pennsylvania history is called the Blue Eyed Six. In this
documentary/historical recreation (made in PA, naturally) we get all the
fascinating details. It seems in the late 1880s, six rogues from Indiantown Gap
got their names and pictures plastered on every major newspaper from Pittsburgh
to Philadelphia. The gang raided farms, stole livestock and robbed travelers
between Lebanon and Harrisburg. When the body of old Joseph Raber was found
floating in the icy waters of Indiantown Creek, an investigation revealed
recent life insurance policies on Raber, who was expected not to last very
long. Did the gang hurry up the payoff? Five of the six were hanged, even though
the facts in the case didnt add up. The landmark trial was the insurance
industries first big challenge. This irresistible history lesson features
great location shots, including Lebanon Railroad Station, Schuylkill County
Prison, and Carbon County Courthouse. (Brian W. Kreider; USA/PA; 2006; 55 min) Kreider
is scheduled to appear.
The Bothersome Man
Hailed at Cannes, Berlin and
Toronto festivals, this eerie mystery is filled with eye-popping imagery and
enough oddball humor to recall David Lynch. When we meet Andreas, hes arrived
in a strange city with no memory of how he got there. Hes got a job, an
apartment – even a wife. But before long, he notices somethings wrong.
Sinking deeper into his feverish nightmare, Andreas desperately searches for an
escape, but discovers there's no way out. One day a friend points out a crack
in his cellar wall where beautiful music streams out. Will it lead to "the
other side? This highly imaginative morality tale is a rare visual treat. With
subtitles. (Jens Lien; Norway; 2006; 95
min)
Chronicle of an Escape
Based on a true story of
survival, this gripping tale was featured in several film festivals including
Cannes and Toronto. In 1977, Claudio Tamburrini was a goalie for a minor league
soccer team when he was kidnapped by the Argentine secret military police. He
was taken to a dilapidated detention center, wrongly accused of being an
anti-government terrorist. After months of interrogations, beatings, and
humiliations, he waited for his fate to be decided. With execution looking
certain, Claudio -- wonderfully portrayed here by The Motorcycle Diaries Rodrigo de la Serna -- and three other prisoners decide one night that they must take
a chance to make a break. With subtitles.
(Israel Adrin Caetano; Argentina; 2006; 104 min)
Delirious
Indie director Tom DiCillo scrutinizes the entertainment
industry once again (Living in Oblivion,
The Real Blonde) in this hilarious film
starring Steve Buscemi as a cranky New York paparazzi named Les. Pretty boy
Michael Pitt plays a homeless wannabe thespian that Les takes under his wing as
an unpaid assistant. But it doesn't take long before his young protg hooks up
with a pop star du jour and Les
is fit to be tied. A wonderful meditation on the nature of fame, the people who
sell it, those who buy it, and their mutually parasitic dependence on each
other. Also stars Alison Lohman, Anne Heche, Callie Thorne, and Gina Gershon.
(Tom DiCillo; USA; 2006, 107 Min)
The Dhamma
Brothers
A dramatic tale of human potential
and transformation, this inspirational film documents the stories of 36 Alabama
inmates at a maximum security prison, who enter an arduous, intensive 10-day
course of silent meditation. Co-director Jenny Phillips, a cultural
anthropologist and psychotherapist interviewed the prisoners (called the
dhamma brothers from dharma – the collective teachings of Buddha).
Challenging assumptions about the nature of prisons as places of punishment
rather than rehabilitation, the film raises the question: is it possible for
these men, some of whom have committed horrendous crimes, to change? (Jenny
Phillips, Anne Marie Stein, and Andrew Kukura; USA; 2007; 76 min) Phillips
is scheduled to appear.
Double Blood,
Double Feature; Contemporary B Horror
Remembered for their late
night screenings, limited budgets, outrageous plots and campy acting, many of
us miss those great B films from the 50s and 60s. But with the advent of
digital filmmaking, theyre being made again by a group of young, talented,
self-financed, self distributed, fiercely independent filmmakers. Here are two
award-winning new B films inspired by Roger Corman, William Castle and Ed
Wood.
Murder Party
Winner of the audience award for
narrative feature at Slamdance FF. Writer-director Saulnier's debut is a
"riotous hipster spoof, a terrifying and funny tale." -New York
Press. Its Halloween night in Brooklyn. A
lonesome and unremarkable fellow thinks hes going to a fun costume party -- it
turns out to be a trap. Entertainingly crass, with a punk/metal soundtrack, and
of course, an erupting riot of outrageous, funny violence. (Jeremy Saulnier;
USA; 2007; 81 min)
Blood Car
The winner of best narrative
feature at Chicago Underground FF is set in a future where gas is $32 per
gallon. Vegan kindergarten teacher Archie tries to invent an eco-friendly fuel.
When he accidentally cuts himself, the blood unexpectedly sends his engine into
overdrive. Archie gets his old car running and starts attracting kinky girls.
The film's off-kilter humor and impressive action sequences are sure to offend
family-oriented sensibilities. (Alex Orr; USA; 2007; 75 min)
Eloquent
Nude
She was beautiful, smart, and
searching. He was a rising star in the world
of modern photography. When they
met, they fell instantly in love. Setting off across the West with camera and
typewriter, Charis Wilson and Edward Weston transformed photography -- and each
other. Now age 90, Charis Wilson recounts her years with Weston with great
humor, candor, and regret. Combining insight from leading scholars, rare archival
images, and convincingly authentic reenactments, Eloquent Nude presents a
remarkable true story of love and
loss, travel and adventure, and an intimate look at the making of modern
photography. Linda Benedict-Jones, executive director of Silver Eye Gallery,
will introduce the film. (Ian McCluskey; USA; 2007; 58 min)
Finishing the Game
Premiering to raves at Sundance, this good-natured spoof
satirizes the making of Bruce Lee's
final film Game of
Death. A martial arts icon and international movie star, Lee
died prior to finishing the movie, having only completed 30 minutes of
shooting. But studio heads decided to complete the film by launching a search
for a look-alike replacement attracting hopefuls from around the world. From the director of The Fast and
the Furious: Tokyo Drift, this
comedy also confronts issues of racism and stereotyping of Asian-American
actors. (Justin Lin,
2007; USA; 88 min)
Frownland
Winner of a Special Jury Award at this years SxSW film
festival, Frownland is a savage comedy
about a door-to-door coupon salesman named Keith. He chain-smokes and eats
popcorn and eggs off the folded-out door of his kitchen oven. Newcomer Dore
Mann is painfully good as Keith, a wet-lipped bundle of incoherence, who
quivers under an unending struggle to force what he'd like to say out. Frownlands director, Ronald Bronstein, spent the last seven
years in the dingy projection booth at MOMA. There, deprived of both sunlight
and fresh oxygen, he watched an average of 600 movies a year. This is his first
time making one. (Ronald Bronstein; USA; 2007; 106 min)
Glass
Lips
Not well known outside his
native Poland, Lech Majewski has produced one astounding film after another. a
brilliant filmmaker whose haunting aesthetic is formed of much deeper stuff,
processed through a lively mind and idiosyncratic imagination, chastened and
tempered by history, and captured on screen with the rigor and perfectionism of
an artist who might also carve castles out of toothpicks. – Washington Post. The cinematography is
exquisite in Glass Lips, as we follow
the story of a young poet whose fathers shadow looms over him, and he recalls
traumatic episodes from his life from inside an asylum. Originally titled Blood
of a Poet when it was part of a Majewski
retrospective at MOMA, this film is based on a video installation composed of
33 pieces shown on multiple screens. With subtitles. (Lech Majewski; Poland; 2007; 97 min)
Golden Days
Its no secret that the
entertainment business is a cruel one. This terrific new documentary reinforces
the notion. We follow a struggling indie rock band called The Damnwells who
finally hit the big time. They sign with a major record label only to have
their album and their career nearly destroyed by the people who signed them.
Most groups might have succumbed to the intense pressure, but these guys stuck
together, picked up the pieces and vowed to play on. Director Chris Suchorsky
shot a music video for The Damnwells, which led to this film. Golden Days deserves to be seen as much as its music deserves to
be heard. (Chris Suchorsky; USA; 2007; 95 min) Suchorsky is scheduled
to attend.
The
Good Times Kid
Azazel Jacobs, son of experimental
filmmaker Ken Jacobs,
calls his second feature film "a story about stolen love and stolen
identities shot on stolen film."
A quirky, charming story, Kid has
a wonderful sense of rhythm that recalls early Jim Jarmusch, as well as some of
his dad's anarchic spirit. The premise is modern romance – two guys are
named Rodolfo, then one gets renamed Depresso by the girlfriend of the other
– and its a tribute to Jacobs's skill that this is enough. An indie
thats low-budget and proud of it, the effect is magical: intimate close-ups
capturing every flicker across the actors effortlessly expressive faces. Could
be the sleeper hit of the fest. (Azazel Jacobs; US; 2007; 77 min)
Grace is Gone – Opening Night
The buzz is that John Cusack
might finally secure his first Oscar nomination with this film. The Sundance
audience award-winner is a contemplative, understated drama about how to start
the healing process. Cusack plays the manager of a Minnesota Home Store who
thought he was destined for a military career until his dream was cut short due
to poor eyesight. Now he serves customers while his wife serves in Iraq. Suddenly
and unexpectedly widowed, Stanley cannot bring himself to tell his two young
daughters. Instead he takes the girls on a whimsical road trip while he
attempts to sort things out. Features a piano-based score written by Clint
Eastwood. This project began over fury about the policy banning footage of caskets
returning from Iraq. (James C. Strouse; USA; 2007; 92 min)
Irina Palm
Singer/actress Marianne Faithfull plays Maggie, a widow who
desperately needs money to pay for a medical treatment for her 10-year-old
grandson. After several unfruitful attempts to find a job, and roaming the
streets of Londons Soho, she enters a strip bar called Sex World. Maggie asks about a job advertised in
their window for a "hostess," thinking it would involve cleaning up
and making tea. Under the pseudonym of Irina Palm, Maggie courageously gets
to know her first anonymous customer, and soon builds up an eager clientele
whom she services. A mixture of gritty realism and humor, this quirky film was
an audience fave at the Berlin Film Festival. (Sam Garbarski; 2007; UK/Germany;
103 min)
The
Island
Winner of 5 Nika Awards
(Russian Oscars) including Best Film, this stunningly beautiful film will take
your breath away. Shot on a tiny snow-covered isle in Northern Russias White
Sea, The Island is a fascinating parable
of guilt, salvation and divine healing. From the director of Taxi
Blues, it symbolically presents an island
as a laboratory for testing faith. The story is set in a small Russian Orthodox monastery where the monks
are confused by the bizarre conduct of one man, whom they believe has the power
to heal, exorcise demons and foretell the future. He, however, strives only to atone for a sin he
committed 30 years earlier under Nazi duress. With subtitles. (Pavel Lounguine; Russia; 2006; 112 min)
The
Kalkadoon Man - with live music by
William Barton
One of Australias most
respected musicians, William Barton, is featured in this fascinating
documentary about his 10-day quest to make a didgeridoo using traditional
methods passed down from his family and members of the Kalkadunga nation. Throughout
the journey William shares his thoughts, stories and compositions which give a
rare insight into the life of the young Kalkadoon descendant, trying to resolve
his place in the contemporary world as a passionate musician dedicated to the
traditional cultural values instilled so deeply within him. This special
screening includes a live didgeridoo performance by William Barton. Co-presented by The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, as
part of the Australia Festival. (Brendan Fletcher; Australia; 2004) Harris -
Sat, Nov. 10, 7:00pm Tickets: $10
Manhattan –
new print!
Starring Diane Keaton, Meryl Streep and Mariel Hemingway,
this hilarious, heartwarming tale of love and loss is considered one of Woody
Allens greatest films. The stunning use of black-and-white cinematography by
Gordon Willis – seen here in a brand new print – and the musical
score by Gershwin makes this meditation on life in New York unforgettable.
(Woody Allen; USA; 1979; 96 min) Part of the Independent Vision discussion series,
as well as the Downtown Partnership series. Intro discussion with Andrew
Swensen, director of Pittsburgh Filmmakers.
Manual
of Love
This Italian romantic-comedy
was nominated for 12 David di Donatello Awards. Observed through a
kaleidoscope, it chronicles four phases of love: falling in love, the crisis,
betrayal and abandonment. Colorful as a patchwork, each episode is played out
by a different couple. All of their stories are thrilling (just like love)
sweet, ironic, and humorous. Eventually, they all turn to the reassuringly
titled Manual of Love for help. The film explores the mysterious and
incomprehensible recesses of the human heart where misbegotten love affairs,
family relationships, tragedies, fate, all leave indelible marks and deep scars.
In the end, this book of love speaks to us all. With subtitles. (Giovanni Veronesi; Italy; 2005; 108 min)
My
Brothers Wedding – new print!
Charles Burnetts legendary lost
film has been restored by the Pacific Film Archive and re-edited by the director.
Just like Burnetts first film, Killer of Sheep, My Brothers Wedding is an eye-opening revelation -- it is wise, funny,
heartbreaking and timeless. Pierce Mundy works at his parents South Central dry
cleaners with no prospects for the future and his childhood buddies in prison
or dead. With his best friend just getting out of jail and his brother busy
planning a wedding to a snooty upper-middle-class black woman, Pierce navigates
his conflicting obligations while trying to figure out what he really wants in
life. (Charles Burnett, USA; 1983; 81 min)
The Nines
No need for advanced math
skills to get the title: three actors play three different roles in three
different stories in The Nines, a clever
and satisfying film. The scenarios are linked metaphorically, forming a stylish
puzzle of coincidences that question the underlying notions of life and art. In
The Prisoner, a television star
is under house arrest, trapped with his chipper publicist and a neighbor. Reality
Television traces the behind-the-scenes
tribulations of a sitcom. And in Knowing a video-game designer and his family find themselves stranded in the
woods. The film boasts a host of talented folks, from its editor, Douglas Crise
(whos a Filmmakers alum), to the top-notch cast (Hope Davis, Ryan Reynolds,
Melissa McCarthy), to first-time director John August, whos worked on several
Tim Burton films. (John August; USA; 2007; 99 min) Doug Crise is
scheduled to appear.
World premiere from media artist Carolina Loyola-Garcia!
This documentary explores the complicated dynamics of the mining industry in
Chile, specifically focusing on the mining project called Pascua Lama, being
developed by the Canadian Barrick Gold Corporation in Northern Chile. Not one
to shy away from controversy, Loyola-Garcia, along wither her sister Gloria
Loyola, tackle the issue of governments who lack long-term vision and
developing countries who sell their natural resources without considering
sustainable development strategies for their communities. The filmmakers
believe this fosters a new model of colonization sponsored by the corporate
developed world. (Carolina Loyola-Garcia & Gloria Loyola; 2007; USA;
64min) Loyola-Garcia is scheduled to appear.
Persepolis
Fresh from the coveted spot as
the closing night film at the New York Film Festival (and Toronto), comes this
groundbreaking animated film. Marjane Satrapis spectacular graphic novels
about her life as a rebellious young woman in and out of Iran, before and after
the Islamic Revolution, have caused a worldwide sensation. This vibrant
adaptation is destined to do likewise, for both adults and discerning younger
audiences. The bold-faced visual style matches the irrepressible spirit of
young Marjane, first as a teenager chafing at the restrictions of the Khomeini
regime, and later as a disoriented ex-pat in Vienna. The fabulous Catherine
Deneuve and her real-life daughter, Chiara Mastroianni provide the voices. (Marjane
Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud; France; 2007; 95min)
Punks Not Dead
Blast off with 30 years worth of
screaming 1-2-3-4! Punk's Not Dead
is a who's who of luminaries (from The Ramones, Black
Flag, Dead Kennedys, X, Minor Threat, Green Day, locals Anti-Flag and dozens
more) with rare performance clips. Its also a vibrant proof-of-life statement
with an emphasis on punk's shift from '80s No-Wave to grunge-punk's commercial
breakthrough. Neatly ducking in and out of history lessons, the movie gets down
to the nitty gritty of how punk is practiced and preached today. The strongest
ammunition against punk's epitaph is fired most eloquently by oldsters still
punking 30 years later. Even at fiftysomething, the members of Subhumans, the
Exploited, U.K. Subs and the Adicts are inspirational and respectable defenders
of their anti-authoritarian faith. (Susan Dynner; USA; 2007; 100 min) Dynner is scheduled to
appear.
Red Bull Rough Streets
– special competition
Pittsburgh has a large BMX bike
scene, geographically divided North, South, East, West, because of the parks in
which they ride. For this special presentation, Red Bull has challenged young
people (supplying production equipment) to create portraits of their BMX
communities. With a playful rivalry, the filmmaking
teams were asked, What is BMX in your part of the city? The four short extreme sport-style
videos are edited into one for this exciting evening. Prizes awarded to winning
team; reception to follow.
The
Rocket: The Legend of Rocket Richard
Its a hockey night in
Pittsburgh! This is the extraordinary story of legend Maurice the rocket
Richard, whose tireless fight on and off the ice ignited –- and forever
changed –- a generation. As a young boy from Qubec, Richard dreamed of
playing in the National Hockey League. Beneath his soft-spoken, working class
exterior burned a passion that transformed this young factory worker. In the
1950s pre-helmet days of hockey, and facing discrimination against French
Canadians, Richard played with a finesse, speed, and fire that defied all odds.
This rousing film stars Roy Dupuis
in the title role and features appearances by several NHL players. Winner of 9
Canadian Genie awards including best director and best actor as well as the
Canadian Oscar. In English and French.
(Charles Biname; Canada; 2007; 124 min)
Short Films Program
Space is devoted in the Film
Festival each year for a competitive selection of shorts – a program for
media artists to present work that allows them to creatively take risks, break
new ground or challenge the viewer. Within the categories of experimental,
narrative, animation, and documentary, with a wide variety of themes, there are
21 shorts divided into 2 separate programs. Submissions for the programs are
from regional artists, as well as national and international artists. Prizes
donated by Pittsburgh Filmmakers and Kodak will be awarded. Program A: Fri,
Nov 10 @7:15:
Fission, Kun-I Chang; U: The Underwood Company, Joseph Varhola; Wooden, but wonderful, Justin Crimone; Orbit, Kerry Laitala; The Predators Return, Jerald Fine; El Otro Lado, A.Wallace; Gravida, Lucas McNelly; The Green Grass of
Twilight, Richard A
Sherman; Hand of God,
Payman Maadi; We Hear Sirens, Alex Harder; Sampsonia Way: City of Asylum, Jose Munian. Program B: Mon,
Nov 13 @ 9:00: Plainview, Scott T. Jones; Archaic Blues, Gregoire Picher; Through These Trackless Waters, Elizabeth Henry; Absolute Zero, Alan Woodruff; Glimpse, Dustin Grella; Loose Connection, Andrew Batista; The Lonely Bliss of
the Cannonball Luke, Levi
Abrino; The Lost Journal of Vice Marceaux, J.R. Burningham; Adam Taylors Dracula, Adam Taylor; A Sunday Brunch, Hye Mee Na.
The Signal
Its New Years Eve in the city of Terminus and chaos is
this years resolution. All forms of communication have been jammed by an
enigmatic signal that preys on the fears and desires of everyone in the city.
Told in three parts from three unique perspectives by three directors, this
sci-fi/horror film was originally conceived as an experimental project. One
filmmaker would begin a story, hand it off to another filmmaker to continue,
then to another, and so on until the movie was complete. The story eventually
evolved into a thriller where everyday anxieties become the catalyst for
inhuman terror. The Signal is a horrific
journey towards discovering that the most brutal monster might actually be
within all of us. (David Bruckner, Dan Bush and Jacob Gentry; USA; 2007; 99
min)
Strange Girls – Opening Night
World premiere of this locally
made thriller! Strange Girls features
Adrienne Wehr (local actress, educator, artist, producer of The Bread
My Sweet) as a pill-popping psychiatrist
who takes on the case of dysfunctional twin sisters, who seem to be unable to
live together and unable to live apart. The twenty-something girls speak to no
one and do everything in complete synchronization. Shot in Pittsburgh,
Connellsville and New Kensington, Strange Girls is a dark tale of horror, manipulation and
obsession. (Rona Mark; USA/Pittsburgh; 2007; 98 min) Mark is
scheduled to appear.
Terrors
Advocate
Director Barbet Schroeder investigates the mystery of the
terrorists mind in this gripping documentary. What exactly drives an
outrageous man like Jacques Vergs? Schroeder interviews this smooth-talking,
affable French lawyer who began his career by defending (and then marrying) an
Algerian caf bomber and would gain greater notoriety for his associations with
Carlos the Jackal, Klaus Barbie and Slobodan Milosevic. From scandalous cases
to terrorist explosions, Schroeder traces the intricate path of this terrorists' advocate, and reveals the
connection between blind terrorist networks. Known for his narrative features (Reversal
of Fortune, Barfly), Schroeder has long
maintained an interest in the documentary form. His nonfiction films (General
Idi Amin Dada, The Charles
Bukowski Tapes) confirm his interest in
moral ambiguity. (Barbet Schroeder; France; 2007; 135 min)
Times and Winds
Set in a rural Turkish village, this coming-of-age tale
focuses on three best friends, two boys and a girl. These young people have a
contemporary awareness of the rest of the planet but feel shackled to their
lives, and to their parents keen on getting their children to assume their
roles. Their youthful struggles play out against a natural backdrop of passing
hours and changing seasons. Perched above the sea, they could be at the edge of
the world – or at its end. Stunningly photographed and with an evocative
musical score, this award-winner earned top prize at last years Istanbul Film
Festival. Featuring a winsome cast of nonprofessional children, it emerges as
one of the most thoughtful depictions of childhood ever committed to film. Times
and Winds offers an unforgettable glimpse
of rural Islamic life that is at once timeless and out of time. With subtitles. (Reha Erdem; Turkey; 2007; 110 min)
Trailer
Trash a Film Journal - Film Kitchen Special Edition
For
this edition of the monthly Film Kitchen series, which showcases regional
independent film and video, we present an extraordinary personal work about
poverty, prejudice, and the harsh reality of drug addiction in rural America.
Using Super 8 film, digital video, TV news footage and photographs, West
Virginia native Don Diego Ramirez captures his family as they bravely face a
complicated mass of intersecting crises. Part home movie, part hard-hitting
documentary, he balances distance and intimacy in this disturbing, but
compelling story of life and death. (Don Diego Ramirez; USA;
2007; 53 min) Ramirez is scheduled to appear with his film.
Trigger Man
Inspired by true events (naturally), this is the story of
hunters who mysteriously become the hunted. Featuring a cameo from producer
Larry Fessenden, Trigger Man is a chase
film with a visceral approach to horror. Three old friends, determined to get
out of the city, set off for a hunting trip in the woods of rural Delaware.
Taking their time, they carefully survey the scene, look for wild game, drink
beer and discuss their home lives. But when a surprisingly horrific incident
occurs, their lives are changed forever. In a kind of nightmarish version of The
Fugitive crossed with Diner, this buddy movie turns into a tongue-in-cheek,
high-octane thriller. (Ti West; USA; 2007; 80 min)
Underworld – with live music by the Alloy Orchestra
Alloy Orchestra – a
three-man band from Boston whove made a career of writing and performing live
music to classic silent films – is back with their new score and a new
print of Underworld. This gangster film
was one of the biggest hits of 1927,
establishing the career of its director Josef von Sternberg and creating a
template for the genre. Its also a doomed love story – a triangle
between crime kingpin, Bull Weed, his girlfriend Feathers McCoy, and his
trusted friend and right-hand man, Rolls Royce. Even 80 years later the
masterpiece holds up as an exciting and engrossing movie, and is enhanced by
Alloys live music – an unusual combination of found percussion and state
of the art electronic synthesizers. (Josef von Sternberg; USA; 1927; 80 min)
The
Violin
Set in a small Mexican village
during the 70s, this drama tells the story of a family of peasants who make a
humble living as traveling musicians. Responding to the tyrannical regime in
their region, they also become part of guerrilla movement. The elderly Plutarco
does not appear threatening -- he's a sweet, old man with a gift for the
violin. So, in exchange for playing music, Plutarco is allowed to go into his
cornfields, where he secretly removes cached ammunition, smuggling it bit by
bit in his violin case. Unfolding with a dreamlike languor, The Violin is a tribute to the curative nature of art, as well
as a tender story about a father's love for his family and the sacrifice of an
unlikely hero. With subtitles.
(Francisco Vargas Quevedo; Mexico; 2006; 99 min)
Walkabout
– Opening Night
For many years now, this
legendary film has appeared on every list of fine movies missing from
theatrical distribution and home video. Finally this ravishing film from 1971
is being shown in a beautiful new print (thanks to Janus/Criterion Films).
Director Nicolas Roeg's first feature, it is the story of two siblings who
become stranded in the Australian outback after their father inexplicably goes
mad. As the adolescent sister and six-year-old brother wander, they join a
teenage Aborigine boy on a walkabout -- a tribal initiation into manhood.
Initially, the three inhabit a dream-like Eden, but tension mounts and tragic
consequences occur when modern city attitudes are juxtaposed with nature, in
all of its terror and beauty. (Nicolas Roeg; Australia; 1971; 100 min)
The
Walker
Featuring an all-star cast
(Lauren Bacall, Woody Harrelson, Lily Tomlin, Kristen Scott Thomas), this
delicious film is set in the opulent world of Washington's political upper
crust, where one man's passion for the good things in life entrench him in a
world of betrayal and murder. Escorting the elegantly coifed but desperately
lonely wives and widows of Washington's elite is the favored pastime of Carter
Page III (Harrelson). Page -- all southern-gentlemanly -- is their most sought
after companion, or walker. At night, Page discreetly goes home to his lover,
a photographer named Emek, to cattily regale him with the days activities. When
the beautiful and adoring wife of a Senator discovers her lover has been brutally
murdered, she instinctively turns to Page for help. Caught in a web of intrigue
and mixed motives, he suddenly finds himself the prime suspect. This is
Harrelson as youve never seen him before. (Paul Schrader; USA/UK; 2007; 107
min)
The
Way I Spent the End of the World
A testament to the transcendent power of love, this
heart-tugger from the Toronto Film Festival is the first feature from a
promising young director, Catalin Mitulescu. It tells the story of teenaged Eva
and her little brother in the months leading up to the deposition of Romanian
dictator Nicolae Ceausescu -- the end of the only world these two young souls
ever knew. When Eva gets herself in trouble, shes sent away to reform school.
Meanwhile, her adorable brother is eager to lose his baby teeth but gets into
plenty of mischief himself, like planning with his friends an assassination
attempt on Ceausescu – whos coming to hear their school choir perform
– as revenge for driving Eva away. With subtitles. (Catalin Mitulescu; Romania/France; 2006; 106 min)
Additonal programs:
Guest curator
Mark McElhatten presents: Contemporary Avant Garde Cinema
We are pleased to host esteemed curator Mark McElhatten,
head of the prestigious Views from the Avant-Garde showcase for the New York
Film Festival. The program
includes new films from legendary expanded cinema auteurs Lewis Klahr, Ernie
Gehr, Ken Jacobs, and a 35mm restoration of Robert Breers Recreation.
Mark
McElhatten presents: a Tribute to Mark LaPore
Filmmaker Mark LaPore (who died in 2005) conducted
profoundly cinematic, highly-distilled personal investigations into the nature
of cultural flux and reverie. He shot extensively in rural Sudan, Sri Lanka,
New York, Myanmar, India and Idaho. Curator Mark McElhatten, who was a close friend
of LaPores, will present a selection of his groundbreaking experimental work.
Also included in the program are recently completed cinema poems to LaPores
memory by another one of his colleagues, Phil Solomon.
Artist-in-residence: Jacob Ciocci of Paper Rad
Jacob Ciocci, current
artist-in-residence at Pittsburgh Filmmakers, and member of the artist
collective Paper Rad, will present a program combining original animation with
found footage collected from old VHS tapes, video games, and the internet.
Paper Rad will be screening a mix of all new videos never before seen in Pittsburgh,
YouTube, cartoon music videos, bizarre collages of VHS found footage, and maybe
even a sneak-preview of their in-progress children's show called Problem
Solvers. Also, to give context to Paper Rad's wide pool of
influences, examples will be shown of rare art film and video, and obscure
cartoons from around the world.
(90 min program)
Guest curator: Adam Abrams
Local
filmmaker Adam Abrams, educator and co-founder of Jefferson Presents has been
programming a monthly film series for more than eight years in Pittsburgh, and
is a noted member of the experimental film community for his dedication to the
field. His programs have offered
intrepid filmgoers the chance to see experimental work not seen in Pittsburgh. Abrams
also makes experimental films himself, and will present work that has
influenced him as an artist.
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