Films 2008
(Screening admission is FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC)
FEATURE NARRATIVE
The following Movies will compete for the BEST MOVIE AWARD & BEST SCREENPLAY
The Blue Hour, Directed by Eric Nazarian with Clarence William III & Alyssa Milano (USA 2007 – 93mn)
The theme of language and communication is at the heart of The Blue Hour even though most of the film is without directly spoken dialogue. More
Barriers of Time Directed by Darine El-Khatib, (Lebanon/Canada 2006 – 56mn)
Shot entirely in the Lebanese South in 2005, ‘Houdoud Al Zaman’ is about coming to terms with occupation, liberation, war on terror, being a native, a foreigner or someone in between. By presenting a glimpse of life in the south, its traditions, history, conflict, and reconciliation, ‘Barriers of Time’ is witness to a special society. Until the war in 2006, the Lebanese South was a place where time, dreams, and life had no boundaries – Darine El-Khatib, Director/Producer
EUROPEAN PREMIERE
Chinaman’s Chance, Directed by Aki Aleong with Lorenzo Lamas, Reggie Lee, Olivia Hussey, Coolio & Matthias Hues (USA 2008 – 90mn) The American yellow slaves is a provocative Eastern-Western Drama, depicting historical facts along with Chinese, Mexican and Black folklore, says Director Aki Aleong
WORLD PREMIERE
Crime and Punishment, Directed by Menahem Golan with Crispin Glover, John Hurt & Vanessa Redgrave (USA/Russia/Poland 2002 – 126mn) Modern Adaptation of Dostoyevski’s Novel
Chain Link, Directed by Dylan Reynolds with Mark Irvingsen & Lelia Goldon (USA 2008 – 95mn) Drama
WORLD PREMIERE
Falling from Earth, Directed by Chadi Zeneddine (France/Lebanon 2008 – 65mn)
The 8th Color of the Rainbow, Directed by Amauri Tangara (Brazil 2004 – 77mn)
EUROPEAN PREMIERE
Heads N TailZ, Directed by Stephen David Brooks with Billy Sly Williams & Kevin Rankin (USA 2005 – 91mn) Comedy/Crime
More info on IMDb
Looking For Palladin, Directed by Andrzej Krakowski with Ben Gazzara, Talia Shire & David Moscow (Guatemala/ USA 2008 – 115mn) Comedy
WORLD PREMIERE
More info on IMDb
Prince of the Himalayas, Directed by Sherwood Hu with Purba Rgyal (China/Tibet 2007 – 108mn), Epic Drama
An adaptation of Shakespeare’s Hamlet set in ancient Tibet.
WORLD PREMIERE (Opening Gala)
More info on IMDb
Protégé aka Moon to, Directed by Derek “Tung-shing” Yee with Andy Lau & Daniel Wu (HK 2007, 106mn) Thriller – OUT OF COMPETITION, Benefit Screening!
WORLD PREMIERE – Closing Gala
More info on IMDb
The Return from India, Directed by Menahem Golan with Aki Avni, Assi Dayan & Riki Gal (Israel 2002 – 96mn) Drama
Stuck, Directed by Stuart Gordon with Mena Suvari & Stephen Rea (USA 2008 – 95mn) Horror/Thriller
WORLD PREMIERE
Under the Snow (Nevando Voy), Directed by Maitena Muruzabal & Candela Figueira with Laura De Pedro & Gabriel Latorre (Spain/Argentina 2008 – 99mn) Drama/Fantasy
WORLD PREMIERE
More info on IMDb
FEATURE DOCUMENTARIES
These Documentaries will compete for the HUMANITARIAN AWARD
Afghan Muscles, Directed by Andreas Daalsgaard (Denmark 2007 – 58mn)
A Call to Arms, Directed by Scott Miller (USA 2008 – 76mn)
“A Call To Arms tells the story of members of the military who were ordered against their will to receive the controversial anthrax vaccine. Years later, after all the disturbing facts about the vaccine have surfaced, the US military still intends to vaccinate all our troops. I dedicate this film to the brave men and women of the US military who have made this important document possible.” Director Scott Miller
WORLD PREMIERE
The Hittites, Directed by Tolga Ornek (Turkey 2003 – 123mn), Narrated by Jeremy Irons
The empire that changed the Ancient World.
EUROPEAN PREMIERE
More info on IMDb
The Third Wave, Directed by Alison Thompson (USA 2008, 90mn)
WORLD PREMIERE
More info on IMDb
“In a world of growing wars, disasters and famines: EVERYONE IS NEEDED.
THE THIRD WAVE is a documentation of our experience volunteering and assisting the tsunami victims in Sri Lanka. This film underlines the difficulties and joys of volunteering and its message could be set in any disaster or situation. The main theme being volunteerism. We hope to motivate people to search further for their own active role as a volunteer.”
“Today April 6th 2008 a suicide bomber killed the Hon. Sri Lankan Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle. He was the Godfather to our village and as a politician crossed
the line and became a volunteer. He was a good kind man and a dear friend who gave us a Humanitarian Award on behalf of his country. We dedicate this movie
to Him.” said Director Alison Thompson
The Third Wave is truly a “Must see!” – For ourselves, our children, and everyone we know. For anyone who has two good legs and a dollar in their pocket. It inspires the very best in us, just when we need that most, and comes as close to answering our purpose in life, as any film could aspire to.” Sean Penn (Los Angeles March 2008)
Force of the Spirit, Directed by Joe Zimmerman (USA 2006- 60mn)
WORLD PREMIERE
More info on IMDb
“Force of the Spirit is a documentary about courage and triumph in the face of adversity. Jean Jacques Machado, born without a functioning left hand, overcomes all challenges to become one of the world’s greatest hand-to-hand combat grapplers. This is the legendary story of a world champion. Awe-inspiring and inspirational, Machado demonstrates that it’s not what’s on the outside that determines a person, but rather what’s on the inside.”
SHORT MOVIES (Student Films)
These Film Students Shorts will compete for BEST SHORT AWARD (Student Films)
7 Shorts from NDU (Notre Dame University), Lebanon (Showcase)
About Notre Dame University, Lebanon
1/ Tanya Nasr’s Zoha, 2006, 14mn
2/ Marwan El Khoury’s Wafaa, 2007, 16mn
3/ Lynn El Feghali’s Fida shou? (Dilemma) 2007, 12mn
4/ Elie El Semaans’Ghannileh ta I’hlam (Sing me a Dream), 2006, 15mn
5/ Jannis Fau’s Shoes to Die For, 2007, 15mn
6/ Samer el Achy’s Nos el Kebbeyeh (The Other half), 2006, 12mn
7/ Jessy Sakr’s 3aKerseh We7deh (One Chair for All), 2006, 12mn
Total 96mn
3 Shorts from Dongseo University, Pusan, South Korea (Showcase)
1/ Tae-gyun Kim’s The School Uniform Day, South Korea 2008 – 18mn
2/ Kyoung-mann Kang’s Homo with Basic Instinct, South Korea 2008 – 16mn
3/ Young-hwa Ji’s Making a Hero, South Korea 2008 – 13mn
Total 47mn
Rakan Mayasi’s Marionette, Palestine/Lebanon 2008 – 25mn
“At old age, everything fades away: memory, love, life. The only companion that remains is the film celluloid!” – The Director, Rakan Mayassi
Ghassan Al Khouja’s Ramadan Karim, Lebanon 2005, 21mn
More info
The Guest, written and directed by Julia Inez Gandelsonas, USA 2005, 24mn
Starring: Jody Jaress and Mihaly Szabados
Maude has spent most of her life subservient to her family until Gabor, a young Hungarian, lands on her doorstep expecting to rekindle his romance with Maude’s daughter. An unexpected friendship develops between Maude and Gabor creating a freedom that Maude had only dreamed about, never imaging that she would ever possess again.
SHORTS (Non Student Films)
The following movies will compete for: BEST SHORT AWARD
Steven Karageanes’ American Piety, USA 2008, 29mn
“Andy is a young man who has more faith in his iPod than God. He gets hit by a car, and he has to choose a religion from three speed-dating sessions with people from Buddhism, Islam, and Christianity in order to get back to his body on Earth. Through comedy, dance, and music, ‘Piety’ explores several themes, including nature versus technology, atheism versus theism, and tolerance and diversity of faith. More than anything, the film challenges people to look at the world a bit differently, to question what we think we know, what we truly believe, what we put our faith in, and most important of all, “Are people really that different all across the world?”
Tanya Boyd’s Hold-up, USA 2005, 9mn
Veronique Isoard-Morales’ Chance Encounter, France 2006, 12mn
(in French with English subtitles)
Christine Shin’s Janie, USA 2005, 18mn
JANIE – DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT
Every family has a secret. Janie is a story of a nine-year-old girl who comes to realize that there are certain things in life which cannot be fixed but just accepted, especially regarding our family. I believe everyone can relate to the main character’s journey since we all, at one point or another, had to discover certain truths about our own family, get disappointed with our parents, and had to learn how to deal with it.
Luc Saint – Eloy’s Map-Ternite, Guadeloupe/France 2008, 15mn
Mark Apicella’s Salvation, Texas, USA 2008, 15mn
Steven Finly’s The Talk, USA 2007, 5mn
There comes a time in every parent’s life when they have to have “The Talk” with their child.
Laurent Bertioni & Charles Eiffel’s Who is Klaus Pierre? France/USA 2008, 8mn
Klaus Pierre is a French/German guy who wants to become an action star in Hollywood.
Itsy Bitsy Spider, Directed by Tanya Nasr (Lebanon 2008 – 28mn )
WORLD PREMIERE
“After the ILO (International Labor Organization/International Program on the Elimination of Child Labor, Beirut) decided to touch upon child labor and child prostitution in a documentary film; Itsy Bitsy Spider was produced during a time of severe political tension, assassinations and bombings. Yet we were able to get to the heart of the pain…the core of child labor in a society where people suffer from denial and ignorance of their own problems. Physical, sexual and substance abuse are the symptoms of the world of child labor. This film was not just made to expose the lives of these children, furthermore, it was made to make the viewer live this agonizing life, even just for minutes … “ Quotes Director Tanya Nasr
SPECIAL PROGRAM
FORUM: FILM FINANCE by Warren Goz on Friday May 16th @ 4pm
and
TRIBUTE TO GARY GRAVERS on Friday May 16th @ 5pm
About GARY GRAVERS BY Bill Krohn:
In the early 70s cameraman/filmmaker Gary Graver heard that Orson Welles was staying at the Beverly Hills Hotel, called him and offered his services — something Welles told him no cameraman since Greg Toland (Citizen Kane) had ever done. For the next 20 years Graver was Welles’ constant collaborator, ready to drop everything at a minute’s notice to fly somewhere in the world and shoot whatever America’s greatest filmmaker was working on, usually for no pay. He shot F for Fake and Filming Othello, the last two Welles films to be released, as well as an array of stunning fragments, including scenes from The Dreamers, an Isak Dinnesen film Welles started filming in 1982 that are as dbeautiful as anything in the Welles oeuvre. Graver also shot the featureThe Other Side of the Wind, starring John Huston, a tragedy set in the High Seventies in Hollywood which combined every film format that then existed: 35mm, 16mm, Super 8, video, color and black-and-white. But Gary Graver was the eye of an untold number of other films, ranging from shooting guerilla-style exploitation classics like Satan’s Sadists and Carnosaur! to wielding a second camera on A Woman Under the Influence or shooting second unit on Raiders of the Lost Ark (the submarine scenes). His legendary generosity was not limited to Welles: He shot films for mavericks like Kenneth Anger (an unfinished work) and Curtis Harrington (his last film: Usher), and offered his services for free to countless young filmmakers. His last years were spent handling the difficult negotiations for completion ofThe Other Side of the Wind. The Festival pays tribute to Gary Graver with a one-hour program of his work as cameraman and filmmaker, concluding with the world premier of Chance Encounter, a short film by a talented beginner, Veronique Isoardi-Morales, which he flew to the South of France to shoot a few months before his tragic death in November of 2006. Members of the cast and crew of Gary Graver’s last gift to cinema will be present to participate in this tribute to one of the true saints of the Seventh Art.
