For Immediate Release                                                                             Contact: Carol OSullivan

August 20, 2007                                                                                                          412-681-5449           

 

Pittsburgh Filmmakers Announces

September Programming

 

(Pittsburgh, PA) – The following descriptions are from Pittsburgh Filmmakers Film Exhibition Program for September 2007. The films are screened at the Harris Theater, 809 Liberty Avenue (Downtown), the Melwood Screening Room, 477 Melwood Avenue (in North Oakland) and the Regent Square Theater, 1035 S. Braddock Avenue (in Edgewood). For admission prices and current showtimes call 412-682-4111. All titles and dates are subject to change, due to film availability.

 

 

 

The Harris Theater – 809 Liberty Ave

 

Thru Sept. 6: This is England

It's the summer of 1983 in northern England. Punks, mods and skinheads are on the rise, but employment is not. Eleven-year-old Shaun has lost his father but seems to find a surrogate family in a band of friendly skinheads. When they're joined by the older, boy who's just out of prison, the tale takes a much darker turn. Its a sensitive, whip-smart, and richly detailed portrait of a subculture from its heartbreakingly humble roots. Features a fantastic soundtrack. (Shane Meadows; UK; 2006; 102 min)

 

Sept. 7 - 9: Mala Noche – new print!

"A rhapsodic slacker noir pitched on the edge of physical and emotional darkness ... the first gift from a scrupulously compassionate artist." - The Village Voice

The first feature from acclaimed director Gus Van Sant (Drugstore Cowboy) Mala Noche is a hauntingly beautiful black-and-white meditation on lust, love and class. Set in Portlands skid row, Walt becomes infatuated with Johnny, a Mexican teenager and illegal immigrant. Screened intermittently since 1985, this low-budget ode to misplaced obsession has never been given a proper theatrical release, and its a gem. (Gus Van Sant; USA; 1985; 78 min)

 

Sept. 10 – 13: Paris Je t'aime

"Something quite wonderful." -- Washington Post.

Eighteen short films from 18 different directors set in 18 different Paris locations, all about one subject: L'amour. A love letter to the City of Light, this collection features contributions from Gus Van Sant, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Walter Salles, Olivier Assayas, Wes Craven, Nick Nolte, Natalie Portman, Gena Rowlands, and Grard Depardieu. (Various directors; 2006; 120 min)

 

Sept. 14 - 20: Paprika

It expands your notion of what animation can achieve. You wake from it as if from a dream: spooked, provoked and exhilarated. – Newsweek

Back by popular demand! An eye-popping anime for adults, Paprika comes from one of the most exciting young Japanese animators (Tokyo Godfathers, Millenium Actress) working today. Its part detective story, part thriller, part surrealist fantasy. But its also a look at how we live out our subconscious lives through dreams, the Internet and movies themselves. The plot centers on a machine that allows psychotherapists to enter, and alter, the dreams of their patients. But when the prototype is stolen, havoc ensues. (Satoshi Kon; Japan; 2007; 90 min)

 

Regent Square Theater – 1035 South Braddock Ave.

 

Thru Sept. 13: Gypsy Caravan

 great fun, tempered by loss, but rippling with gusto. – Village Voice

We follow five Romani bands from four countries who unite for the Gypsy Caravan concert tour across North America. "Gypsy Caravan has been compared to Buena Vista Social Club, and although it leaves us with a similar heady, musicological euphoria, it imparts an even greater sense of shared humanity. --LA Times.  An audience favorite at film festivals worldwide, this gorgeous surround-sound celebration documents the luscious music of top international performers while interweaving real life tales of their home life. Shot by documentary icon, Albert Maysles this stirring, beautiful film takes us through the US, Europe, as well as Romania, Spain, Macedonia, and India. (Jasmine Dellal; 2007; 111 min)

 

Sept. 14 – 20: Digital Inauguration @ Regent Square

With our new high-definition digital projection system in place, we can now project movies unavailable on celluloid. To launch the system, we present two special programs:

 

Sept 14 - 16: Helvetica

This sleeper hit from the film festival circuit might seem obscure – its the story of fonts – more specifically Helvetica – the most pervasive font in the world (and celebrating its 50th birthday). But then everybody has their favorite font, to the point of assigning them human characteristics. How did a typeface drawn by a little-known Swiss designer in 1957 become the most popular way to communicate our words fifty years later? This wonderful little film, from the director of I Am Trying to Break Your Heart, invites us into the worlds of design, advertising, psychology, and communication. Share some popcorn with us as we boo and hiss at the villain Arial, should he dare make an appearance. (Gerry Hustwit; USA; 2006; 81 min)

 

Sept 16 – 20: Strange Culture

Younger filmmakers should be looking to [this director] for lessons on how to reinvent old forms while at the same time telling an urgently topical story. -- Variety

The surreal nightmare of former CMU professor Steve Kurtz, an internationally-acclaimed artist, began when his wife Hope died in her sleep of heart failure. Police arrived, became suspicious of Kurtzs art (which contained petri dishes), and called the FBI. Within hours the artist was detained as a suspected "bio-terrorist" as dozens of agents in haz-mat suits sifted through his work and impounded his computers, manuscripts, books, his cat, and even his wifes body. Today Kurtz and his long-time collaborator Robert Ferrell, former Chair of the Genetics Department at Pitts Graduate School of Public Health, await a trial date. The narrative format of this piece, which played at both Sundance and Berlin film festivals, is as unorthodox as its subject. With Tilda Swinton, Peter Coyote and Steve Kurtz.  (Lynn Hershman Leeson; USA; 2007; 75 min)

 

 

Sunday Night Series: Homage to Cinema Legends

Three legendary film artists died recently, within days of each other. This series is a tip of the hat.

 

Sept. 2: Kovacs Five Easy Pieces

One of the most revered films of the 1970s, this is the one that showed audiences what Jack Nicholson really could do. He plays Bobby Dupea, a symbolic anti-hero who rejects a life of privilege to become an oil rigger. Director Bob Rafelson and cinematographer Lazslo Kovacs created an Americana full of humor, pathos and existentialism. The life of diner waitresses was never the same after this film. (Bob Rafelson; USA: 1970; 96 min)

 

Sept. 9: Bergmans Cries and Whispers

The stunning color photography in this film was shot by longtime Bergman cinematographer and friend, Sven Nykvist, who also passed away within the year. The acclaimed drama follows a fractured family relationship in a vast turn-of-the-century manor house. Two sisters (Ingrid Thulin, Liv Ullmann) come to stay with another sister (Harriet Andersson), whos dying of cancer. But theyre unable to offer much assistance. Lauded for its innovative stylistic elements, including the use of red, a color that dominates this exquisite film as a whole. (Ingmar Bergman; Sweden; 1972; 95 min)

 

Sept. 16: Antonionis Zabriskie Point

Legendary Italian director Michelangelo Antonioni's first stateside film is a surreal examination of dissension and rebellion in 60s America. He explores the discord between rich and poor, as well as the distrust between the generations – a theme as timely as ever.  Antonionis beautiful cinemascope compositions have a trippy after effect on the viewer. The grand and beautiful apocalyptic finale is downright spectacular – a must-see on the big screen. Soundtrack features Jerry Garcia and Pink Floyd. (Michelangelo Antonioni; USA; 1970; 114 min)

 

 

Melwood Screening Room – 477 Melwood Ave.

 

 

Sept. 8: Raw Tactics of the Subversive Body

Pittsburghs Plan Z Media presents the human body as a form of individual expression – political, artistic and controversial. Videos by these local artists: Carolina Loyola-Garcia, John Allen Gibel, Colette Copeland, Andrew Johnson, H. Michel Sanders, Andres Tapia-Urzua, Marco Casado, Terry Mohre, Ian Wallace, Luis Ramirez Guzman, Brenda Moreno Torres, SubRosa, Sarah Minter, Sal Ricalde, Jeff Silva, Mary Magsament, Stephan Hillerbrand, Eva Drangsholt, and Caroline Koebel. (Total: 88 min)

 

Sept. 11: Film Kitchen

This is a monthly series of local, independent film and video work.  Featured this month are short docs by local students, working in Chile, about student rights and a struggling artist. Co-sponsored by City Paper, WYEP-FM, Isoldis in the Strip and Pittsburgh Brewing. Reception at 7:00; films at 8:00.

 

New Monthly Film Discussion Series Begins!

Independent Visions: Influential Films from the 70s.

 

Sept. 13: Badlands with speaker: Brady Lewis

Terrence Malicks first feature film has become an American classic and many movie buffs list it among their favorites. Based on shockingly true events from 1958, Martin Sheen -- in one of the great performances of modern cinema – along with Sissy Spacek,  play a couple of amoral teenagers on a killing spree. As a perverse Horatio Alger, Sheen portrays a culturally-deprived American boy, weaned on James Dean movies, who achieves notoriety the only way he knew how. This series is supported in part by Pitt Arts. (Terrence Malick; USA; 1973; 95 min) Tickets can be purchased in advance.

 

 

 

Special Event @ all our theaters: Sept. 21 – Oct. 4

 

Essential Art House: 50 Years of Janus Films

Enjoy this rare opportunity to spend two weeks savoring sixteen magnificent film classics. Janus Films was the premier foreign film distributor in the United States during the 50s and 60s, and helped introduce American audiences to Ingmar Bergman, Francois Truffaut, Akira Kurosawa, and many other great directors. In Pittsburgh, theaters that regularly booked Janus Films were: the Guild and the Forum in Squirrel Hill, the Encore in Mt. Lebanon, and the Shadyside in Shadyside. In later years, the film programs at the Carnegie Museum of Art and the Pittsburgh Playhouse featured revivals of the Janus classics. This mini-festival invites aficionados to revisit old favorites and promises first-timers the excitement of discovering some of the greatest films in the world – on the BIG screen. Films are shown at all three Filmmakers theaters. All are new prints, with English subtitles. Admission: $7 per film. The complete schedule is downloadable at www.pghfilmmakers.org.  Titles in the series are:

 

Wild Strawberries (Ingmar Bergman, Sweden, 1957, 94 min); Jules and Jim  (Francois Truffaut, 1962, France, 105 min); Rashoman (Akira Kurosawa, 1950, Japan, 88 min); Ballad of a Soldier

 (Grigori Chukhrai, Soviet Union, 1959, 89 min); Pickpocket (Robert Bresson, France, 1959, 75 min);

Spirit of the Beehive (Victor Erice, Spain, 1973, 95 min); Lola (Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Germany, 1981, 115 min); Viridiana (Luis Buuel, 1961, Spain, 90 min); Cleo from 5 to 7 (Agns Varda, France, 1961, 90 min); Days of Wrath (Carl Dreyer, Denmark, 1943, 97 min); Death of a Cyclist

 (Juan Bardem, Spain, 1955, 88 min); Knife in the Water (Roman Polanski, Poland, 1962, 94 min)

Kwaidan (Masaki Kobayashi, Japan, 1964, 161 min); The Organizer  (Mario Monicelli, Italy, 1963, 130 min); Seven Samurai  (Akira Kurosawa, Japan, 1954, 197 min); WR: Mysteries of the Organism (Dusan Makavejev, Yugoslavia, 1971, 85 min)

 

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