For Immediate Release Contact: Carol O’Sullivan

Feb. 18, 2008 412-681-5449

Pittsburgh Filmmakers Announces

March Programming

(Pittsburgh, PA) – The following are descriptions of Pittsburgh Filmmakers Film Exhibition program for March 2008. The films are screened at 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

March 7 – 13: Blade Runner: the Final Cut

Twenty-five years after its initial release, director Ridley Scott re-creates his original vision (third time’s a charm) of this noir/sci-fi classic. What a great excuse to indulge once more in this iconic and highly influential vision of the future – Los Angeles, 2019 – choked by rain, smog and neon. The opportunity to see this milestone in visual achievement on the big screen is not to be missed. Stars Harrison Ford, Daryl Hannah, Edward James Olmos, and M. Emmet Walsh. (Ridley Scott; USA; 1982/2007; 138 min)

March 14 - 23: Note By Note: the Making of Steinway L1037

"A stirring symphony." -- The Village Voice

Steinway pianos are the most thoroughly handcrafted instruments in the world, yet their makers are a dying breed. With meticulous attention to detail, Note By Note follows the creation of a Steinway concert grand #L1037 from forest floor to concert hall. It explores the relationship between musician and instrument, chronicles the manufacturing process, and illustrates what makes a Steinway unique in this age of mass production. Each piano’s journey is complex, spanning 12 months, 12,000 parts, 450 craftsmen, and countless hours of fine-tuned labor. This inspiring film is an ode to the most unexpected, and perhaps ironic, of unsung heroes, and reminds us of the extraordinary connection between artist, craftsmen, and instrument. (Directed by Ben Niles; 2007; USA; 81 min)

March 24 - 27: British Advertising Awards – The Best of 2007

Brilliant! – as they say across the pond. This program of winning British television commercials shows an awesome creative spirit, and a keen awareness of global (often American) culture and commerce. Of course the Brits deal with adult topics in a very frank manner, and this year’s Public Service Announcements are shockingly powerful. On the other hand, the warm and fuzzy spots for PG Tips tea (with a man and a sock monkey) would make a coffee addict waver. Honoring the racy wit, eyebrow-raising antics, and ingenuity of the best advertising, this year’s winner has a colorful, explosive ending sure to have jaws dropping. (2007; UK; video; 60 min)

Regent Square Theater – 1035 South Braddock Ave.

Thru March 6: Grace is Gone

"Perfect, unassuming performances ... a tender film." – NYTimes

A 2007 Three Rivers Film Fest favorite, this is a contemplative drama about how to start the healing process. John Cusack plays the manager of a Minnesota Home Store who wanted a military career but his poor eyesight got in the way. 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. Grace features an amazing piano score written by Clint Eastwood. A must-see for Cusack fans. (James C. Strouse; USA; 2007; 92 min)

March 7 - 20: Woman on the Beach

“Hong Sang-Soo belongs to a fast-growing category of international filmmakers: masters at the height of their powers who remain almost entirely unknown in the US." --NYTimes

In this sly, romantic comedy-drama from the Korean auteur, we follow a film director who visits an off-season beach resort hoping to clear his writer’s block, but of course complications ensue. Among the empty beaches and vacant hotels, a love triangle unfolds that, like the slow roll of the surf, is as languorous as it is hypnotic. Needless to say, not much work gets done. Recalling the great works of Eric Rohmer, Hong paints a piercing portrait of modern-love: impetuous, confused, self-centered. And humming just beneath the film's serene surface is Hong's belief in the importance of images and the act of seeing. With subtitles. (Hong Sang-Soo; Korea; 2006; 127 min)

March 21 – 27: Le Doulos – new print!

This cool, classy crime thriller was released 40 years ago under the unfortunate title, The Finger Man, and then disappeared. It's the story of two crooks – one just out of prison and down on his luck, the other a paid police informant with a mansion in the country – and how their lives intersect and interrupt each other's. Jean-Pierre Melville's 1962 script plays several narrative tricks on the audience, from switching points of view a third of the way through, to presenting a flashback which may or may not be true. Jean-Paul Belmondo, at his height of his early-'60s insouciance, plays the squealer, “le doulos” in underworld slang. With subtitles. (Jean-Pierre Melville; France; 1963; 108 min)

Opens March 28: Paranoid Park

Director Gus Van Sant (My Own Private Idaho, To Die For, Good Will Hunting, Elephant) has created some of the most memorable films about youth ever committed to film. Now comes his long awaited Paranoid Park. It’s the story of an unsolved murder in Portland that sends detectives to a local high school, propelling a young skater into a moral odyssey where he must not only deal with the pain and disconnect of adolescence but the consequences of his own actions. Based on the novel by Blake Nelson, this film has captivated audiences and critics alike, and was a standout at Cannes, New York and Toronto Film festivals. (Gus Van Sant; USA; 2007; 84 min)

Sunday Night Series: Hooray for Screenwriters!

Sick of what the writers’ strike is doing to your downtime?

Finally settled after three long months, the walkout reminds us that every film starts as words on a page. As those keyboards go back to clicking, we pay homage to some of the Big Screen’s greatest writers. Here are five favorites with award-winning screenplays.

March 2: Billy Wilder’s Sunset Boulevard

William Holden plays an out-of-work screenwriter who moves in with a washed up silent movie star (Gloria Swanson) in this Hollywood classic. Director Wilder co-wrote the script with his writing partner Charles Brackett. Together they created one of the most unforgettable characters of the silver screen – Norma Desmond. “I’m ready for my close-up, Mr. DeMille.” (Billy Wilder; USA; 1950; 110 min)

March 9: Ernest Lehman’s North by Northwest

It’s not just the chemistry between Cary Grant and Eva Marie Saint. It’s not just the suspenseful climb over Mt. Rushmore, or the thrilling Bernard Herrmann score that secures its place near the top of everyone’s favorite Hitchcock films – it’s NxNW’s cleverly written script about mistaken identity. Ernest Lehman has won more Best Screenplay Awards from the Writer's Guild than anyone else. (Hitchcock; 1959; USA; 136 min)

March 16: Paddy Chayefsky’s Network

This biting satire about the power of the television industry is more than 30 years old and yet, it could not be more timely. The famous quote shouted by Peter Finch, “I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore!” was penned by outspoken playwright and screenwriter, Paddy Chayefsky. (Sidney Lumet; USA; 1976; 121 min)

March 23: William Goldman’s Princess Bride

This endearing family favorite is a mixture of romance, fairytale, swashbuckling adventure, with a little Monty Python thrown in. The whimsical tale begins as a bedtime story set in a land of far away and long ago. The Princess Bride is so well regarded, it's hard to believe (nay, inconceivable) that it took writer William Goldman over a decade to sell his screenplay (based on his novel) to an interested studio. (Rob Reiner; USA; 1987; 100 min)

March 30: Robert Towne’s Chinatown

Robert Towne’s Oscar winning script fuels this deliciously complicated thriller about a private investigator (Jack Nicholson) who uncovers massive corruption. With its mysterious dames and fast-talking thugs with great suits, it embodies the classic film noir style. In the 1980s Towne grew so frustrated with the handling of his script during the making of Greystoke, the Legend of Tarzan, he credited his dog, P.H. Vazak, as its writer. Vazak became the first Oscar nominated dog for screenwriting. (Roman Polanski; USA; 1974; 131 min)

Melwood Screening Room – 477 Melwood Ave.

Mar 4 & 5: A Walk Into the Sea: Danny Williams and the Warhol Factory

This sometime lover of the famous pop artist was caught in Warhol’s shifting shadow – Williams lost his way, and died young. His story is tracked here by his niece, the director. He left behind a number of beautiful experimental films, that can be seen to embody the best of the era, a sense of shimmering possibility. Generous excerpts from these films give us access to an ecstatic, mysterious world that contrasts with the conflicting, but fascinating testimony of Brigid Berlin, John Cale, Paul Morrissey and others in this poignant resurrection. (Esther Robinson; USA; 2007; 75 min)

March 8: Special Event

The Other Side of the Mirror: Dylan Live at Newport Folk Festival

After plugging in at the Newport Folk Festival in 1965, Bob Dylan's break with the folk scene was complete. The ensuing sonic assault caused pandemonium among the crowd, including an apoplectic Pete Seeger, and ruptured Dylan's standing among many of his longtime fans. This collection of Dylan's performances at the festival, taken over three years and filled with never-before-seen footage, charts his rapid evolution as an artist. Beginning in 1963, it captures Dylan playing the folk and protest songs that endeared him to so many of his generation, including Chimes of Freedom, and It Ain't Me, Babe (with Joan Baez) before he turned toward a more abstract songwriting style, coupled with a rock 'n' roll sound. (Murray Lerner; USA; 2007; 83 min)

This event, co-presented with WYEP-FM, includes a reception and live musicians (Paul Luc, Ben Hardt, Nicole Reynolds, Scotts Roger, Brad Yoder, Steven Foxbury) beginning at 6:30pm. Film begins at 7:30. Tickets: $8; $6.

Mar 11: Film Kitchen

This showcase of regional film and video is presented on the second Tuesday every month. Reception at 7:00; films at 8:00.

Mar 14 - 16: The Price of Sugar

Uplifting and enraging in equal measures, The Price of Sugar is a powerful issue-driven documentary that’s also a portrait of one of the most compelling movies heroes you’ll ever see. Father Christopher Hartley is a real Catholic priest in the Dominican Republic who ministers to Haitian immigrants. He courageously challenges a system that sustains slavery for Haitian workers, and struggles to better the desperate plight of thousands, most illegal immigrants, employed on sugar plantations. With a vibrant visual style and an engaging narration by Paul Newman, it’s one of the most satisfying documentaries of the year. (Bill Haney; USA; 2007; 90 min)

Mar 18 & 19: Jack Smith and the Destruction of Atlantis

Smith, an underground art pioneer, inspired a wave of bohemians (including Warhol) with his very early involvement in performance art and controversial experimental films and photography involving drag and camp. We get Smith’s fragmentary works – his largely unseen photos, bits of midnight shows improvised in his Lower East Side loft, and film clips – gathered into one accessible film. It’s also an elegy for a lost New York, and the vanished dream of an American counterculture. (Mary Jordan; USA; 2006; 94 min)

Mar 27: Throne of Blood

Akira Kurosawa's stunning adaptation of Shakespeare's MacBeth is considered one of the best in any medium. A samurai drama set in feudal Japan, it begins with two soldiers lost in a dense forest. The equivalent of the tragic Scottish lord (played by the wonderful Toshiro Mifune) is a valiant warrior whose life is transformed by an encounter with a ghostly female spirit offering predictions. When the predictions start coming true, he and his ambitious wife decide to ensure his ascendancy to power by murdering the current ruler. A chilling, dreamlike, masterful film. With subtitles. (Akira Kurosawa; Japan; 1957; 109 min) Reception and discussion follows screening. Co-sponsored by PittArts.

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