Mountainfilm In Telluride

I'm back home again in Telluride for Mountainfilm! This year's festival is going to be awesome. Visit the festival site online at: http://www.mountainfilm.org/

PSIFF 18-Jan

The Girl from Monaco

La Fille de Monaco
France, 2008, 95 Minute Running Time
US Premiere
Topics: Coming of Age, Crime, Romantic Comedy, Woman Director
Program: World Cinema Now
Language: French English Sub-Titles

The beautiful isle of Monaco serves as the backdrop for director Anne Fontaine's sparkling romantic comedy. A famous Parisian lawyer, unschooled in the ways of l'amour, falls for a flaky, long-legged local beauty after taking on the case of a wealthy woman who has killed her much younger lover. Nothing goes as planned.

DIRECTOR: Anne Fontaine
Producer: Philippe Carcassonne, Bruno Pésery
Editor: Maryline Monthieux
Screenwriter: Anne Fontaine, Benoît Graffin
Cinematographer: Patrick Blossier
Music: Philippe Rombi
Principal Cast: Fabrice Luchini, Roschdy Zem, Louise Bourgoin, Stéphane Audran, Gilles Cohen
Filmography: Nouvelle Chance (2006), Entre ses mains (2005), Nathalie (2003), How I Killed My Father (2001), Dry Cleaning (1997)
World Sales: Pyramide

PSIFF 17-Jan

Blessed Is the Match: The Life and Death of Hannah Senesh

USA, 2008, 86 Minute Running Time
Topics: Documentary, History, Jewish Interest, Woman Director, Women
Program: True Stories
Language: English

Jan. 7 is Student Screening Day: ONLY open to students with current school ID.

Joan Allen narrates this powerful film about the remarkable life of Hannah Senesh — a 23-year-old Hungarian writer living in Palestine in 1944, who volunteered for a doomed mission to try to rescue Jews in Budapest. Revelatory archival footage and moving interviews combine to great effect.

DIRECTOR: Roberta Grossman
Producer: Lisa Thomas
Editor: Blake West
Screenwriter: Sophie Sartain
Cinematographer: Dyanna Taylor
Music: Todd Boekelheide
Principal Cast: Narrated by Joan Allen, Alona Tal,
Filmography: Homeland: Four Portraits of Native Action (2005)
World Sales: Indigo Film and Television



Adam Resurrected

USA, 2008, 106 Minute Running Time
Additional Countries: Israel/Germany
Topics: Jewish Interest, Religion
Program: Modern Masters
Language: English

Paul Schrader's brilliant new work tells the story of Adam Stein, who grapples with a paralytic case of survivor’s guilt in the aftermath of the Holocaust. An extraordinary performance by Jeff Goldblum captures the essence of the complex central character, a man who survived while those around him perished.

DIRECTOR: Paul Schrader
Producer: Ehud Bleiberg, Werner Wirsing
Editor: Sandy Saffeels
Screenwriter: Noah Stollman
Cinematographer: Sebastian Edschmid
Music: Gabriel Yared
Principal Cast: Jeff Goldblum, Willem Dafoe, Derek Jacobi, Ayelet Zurer, Moritz Bleibtreu
Filmography: The Walker (2007), Affliction (1997), Light Sleeper (1992), Mishima (1985), American Gigolo (1980)
World Sales: Bleiberg Entertainment

PSIFF 16-Jan

Heaven on Earth

Canada, 2007, 106 Minute Running Time
Additional Countries: India
Topics: Woman Director, Women
Program: World Cinema Now
Language: English, Punjabi English Sub-Titles

Director Deepa Mehta (Fire, Water) offers up a complex and emotional drama in which Chand, a young bride, leaves her home in India for Ontario, her new husband Rocky, and his very traditional family. As the clash of cultures between India and Canada becomes more apparent, Chand and Rocky must make some hard decisions.

DIRECTOR: Deepa Mehta
Producer: David Hamilton
Editor: Colin Monie
Screenwriter: Deepa Mehta
Cinematographer: Giles Nuttgens
Music: Mychael Danna
Principal Cast: Preity Zinta, Vansh Bhardwaj, Gick Grewal, Geetika Sharma, Yanna McIntosh
Filmography: Water (2005), Bollywood/Hollywood (2002), Earth (1998), Fire (1996), Sam and Me (1991)
World Sales: Maximum Film



Bart Got a Room

USA, 2008, 80 Minute Running Time
Topics: Comedy, Coming of Age
Programs: Valley Views, World Cinema Now
Language: English

Danny Stein wants what most of the guys at his school want on prom night: a little action from a hot girl. But with the clock ticking and viable girls getting snatched up, Danny's search for the perfect date becomes more desperate, and more hilarious.

DIRECTOR: Brian Hecker
Producer: Tony Shawkat, Jai Stephan, Galt Niederhoffer, Ed Hart Celine Rattray, Reagan Silber, Daniela Lundber
Editor: Annette Davey, Danny Rafic
Screenwriter: Brian Hecker
Cinematographer: Hallvard Bræin
Music: Jamie Lawrence
Principal Cast: William H. Macy, Steven J. Kaplan, Cheryl Hines, Alia Shawkat
Filmography: Debut Feature
World Sales: Cinetic Media, New York

PSIFF 15-Jan

Native Dancer

Baksy
Kazakhstan, 2008, 87 Minute Running Time
Additional Countries: Russia/France
Topics: Crime, Drama, Environment, Seniors, Woman Director
Program: World Cinema Now
Language: Russian, Kazakh English Sub-Titles

Endowed with psychic powers, Aidai can find lost souls and heal the ailing. But when local gangsters drive her off her land, she's forced to put her life on the line. Part crime thriller, part spiritual journey, Native Dancer reveals the effects of encroaching capitalism on traditional ways of life.

DIRECTOR: Guka Omarova
Producer: Sergei Bodrov, Sergey Selyanov, Sergey Azimov, Natacha Devillers
Editor: Darya Danilova
Screenwriter: Guka Omarova, Sergei Bodrov
Cinematographer: Rafeek Galev
Music: Sig
Principal Cast: Nesipkul Omarbekova, Farkhat Amankulov, Tolepbergen Baisakalov, Almat Ayanov, Asel Abutova
Filmography: Schizo (2004)
World Sales: Fortissimo Films



Creative Nature

USA, 2008, 83 Minute Running Time
Topics: Art/Architecture/Film, Documentary
Program: True Stories
Language: English

William Morris' fantastical glass creations have secured him a reputation in the field second only to his mentor Dale Chihuly. This engaging portrait of the man and his work shows Morris' love of craftsmanship and history, and his extraordinary engagement with the natural world.

DIRECTOR: John Andres
Producer: Rick Edrich
Editor: Keith Lustofin
Screenwriter: John Andres
Cinematographer: Christopher Bierlein
Music: James Lavino
Principal Cast: With: William Morris, Dale Chihuly, Donna Karan
Filmography: Debut Feature

PSIFF 14-Jan

The Wedding Song

Le Chant des mariées
Tunisia, 2007, 100 Minute Running Time
Additional Countries: France
US Premiere
Topics: Coming of Age, Drama, Jewish Interest, Political, Woman Director
Program: New Voices/New Visions
Language: French, Arabic, German English Sub-Titles

Karin Albou's (Little Jerusalem) sophomore feature confirms her status as a rising star in the art-film firmament. The story of a Muslim girl and a Jewish girl who bond intensely during the Nazi occupation of Tunis is taboo-breaking, sensual and political, all at the same time.

DIRECTOR: Karin Albou
Producer: Isabelle Pragier, Laurent Lavolé
Editor: Camille Cotte
Screenwriter: Karin Albou
Cinematographer: Laurent Brunet
Music: François-Eudes Chanfrault
Principal Cast: Lizzie Brocheré, Olympe Borval, Simon Abkarian, Najib Oudghiri, Karin Albou
Filmography: Little Jerusalem (2005)
World Sales: Pyramide International



Forgotten Transports: To Estonia

Zapomenute transporty:do Estonska
Czech Republic, 2008, 85 Minute Running Time
US Premiere
Topics: Documentary, History, Jewish Interest, Seniors, War
Program: True Stories
Language: Czech, English, German English Sub-Titles

Bearing witness to some little-told stories of the Holocaust, this moving documentary offers an important contribution to WWII history as it traces the harrowing three-year odyssey of roughly 100 young Czech Jewish women after they arrived in Estonia on September 5, 1942, and were separated from their families.

DIRECTOR: Lukas Pribyl
Producer: Lukas Pribyl, Ondrez Trojan
Editor: Vladimir Barak
Screenwriter: Lukas Pribyl
Cinematographer: Jakub Simunek
Music: Petr Ostrouchov
Filmography: Debut Feature



The Young Romantic: A Portrait of Yundi Li

Canada, 2008, 88 Minute Running Time
US Premiere
Topics: Dance/Music, Documentary
Program: True Stories
Language: English

At age 25, classical piano virtuoso Yundi Li has already accomplished what most musicians can only dream of. Trailing the intense, charismatic artist as he prepares for a monumental concert with the Berlin Philharmonic, Sweete's poetic documentary relishes in the grandeur of classical performance and the behind-the-scenes work that goes into it.

DIRECTOR: Barbara Willis Sweete
Producer: Niv Fichman, Jessica Daniel, Barbara Willis Sweete
Editor: Robert Swartz
Cinematographer: Milan Podsedly
Principal Cast: With: Yundi Li
Filmography: Five Days in September (2005), The Tale of the Magic Flute (2005), The Firebird (2003), Perfect Pie (2002)
World Sales: Rhombus International



At the Edge of the World

USA, 2008, 92 Minute Running Time
Topics: Documentary, Environment
Program: True Stories
Language: English

An exhilarating portrait of a group of environmentalists, led by controversial activist Paul Watson, who sail the Antarctic Ocean under the Jolly Roger and do actual battle with Japanese whaling vessels. This ethically provocative documentary examines going outside the law to stop a greater crime.

DIRECTOR: Dan Stone
Producer: Dan Stone, Craig Stone
Editor: Patrick Gambuti Jr., Kurt Engfehr
Cinematographer: Mathieu Mauverney, Simeon Houtman, Rip Odebralski, Tim Gorski, James Joyner, Jon Kane, Dan Fernandez
Music: Jeff Gibbs, Tierro Lee
Principal Cast: With: Paul Watson, Alex Cornelissen
Filmography: Debut Feature

PSIFF 13-Jan

We Can Do That
Si può fare
Italy, 2008, 111 Minute Running Time
US Premiere
Topics: Comedy, Drama, Family Friendly
Program: World Cinema Now
Language: Italian English Sub-Titles

A group of mentally disabled people become specialists in "mosaic parquet," thanks to Nello, a stubborn and passionate guy who believes they need help and understanding, not only pills and isolation. A soulful, funny and moving modern fairy tale.

DIRECTOR: Giulio Manfredonia
Producer: Angelo Rizzoli
Editor: Cecilia Zanuso
Screenwriter: Fabio Bonifacci, Giulio Manfredonia
Cinematographer: Roberto Forza
Principal Cast: Claudio Bisio, Anita Caprioli, Giuseppe Battiston
Filmography: It’s Yesterday Already (2003), If I Were You (2000)

The Drummer

Jin Gwu
Hong Kong, 2007, 98 Minute Running Time
Additional Countries: Taiwan
Topics: Asian, Dance/Music, Gangster
Program: World Cinema Now
Language: Mandarin, Cantonese English Sub-Titles

Gorgeous mountain landscapes, Zen practice, and gangsters make an unlikely combination, but The Drummer explores each of these worlds in this rite-of-passage film about a gangster’s son who turns his life around when he joins a Zen drumming group, portrayed by the Taiwanese troupe U Theater.

DIRECTOR: Kenneth Bi
Producer: Albert Yeung, William Fu, Albert Lee, Rosa Li
Editor: Isabel Meier, Kenneth Bi
Screenwriter: Kenneth Bi
Cinematographer: Sam Koa
Music: Andre Matthias
Principal Cast: Jaycee Chan, Tony Leung Ka Fai, Lee Sinje, Roy Cheung, Josie Ho
Filmography: Rice Rhapsody (2004), A Small Miracle (2000)
World Sales: The Match Factory



Kanchivaram

India, 2008, 117 Minute Running Time
US Premiere
Topics: Drama, Political
Program: World Cinema Now
Language: Tamil English Sub-Titles

This lush Tamil film is set in the temple town famous for its silk saris, at a time when a humble weaver could never afford the shimmering saris he produces. Vengadam is determined to wrap his daughter in silk on her wedding day, and resorts to stealing single strands of silk that he weaves in secret every night.

DIRECTOR: Priyadarshan
Producer: Shailendra Singh
Editor: Arun Kumar
Screenwriter: Priyadarshan
Cinematographer: Thiru
Music: M.G. Sreekumar
Principal Cast: Prakash Raj, Shreya Reddy
Filmography: Bhool Bhulaiyaa (2007), Malamaal Weekly (2006), Garam Masala (2005), Kilukkam (1991), Poochakkoru Mookkuthi (1984)
World Sales: Spier Films



Marcello Marcello

Switzerland, 2008, 97 Minute Running Time
North American Premiere
Topics: Comedy, Romance, Romantic Comedy
Program: World Cinema Now
Language: Italian English Sub-Titles

Denis Rabaglia's heartwarming romantic comedy, set on the Italian island of Amatrello in 1956, follows the fortunes of young Marcello, who, in order to win the heart of the lovely Elena (the mayor's daughter, no less) must follow a gift-giving tradition. But what gift to give the mayor in order to date his daughter?

DIRECTOR: Denis Rabaglia
Producer: Anne Walser
Editor: Claudio Di Mauro
Screenwriter: Mark David Hatwood
Cinematographer: Filipp Zumbrunn
Music: Henning Lohner
Principal Cast: Francesco Mistichelli, Elena Cucci, Renato Scarpa, Luca Sepe, Luigi Petrazzuolo
Filmography: Azzurro (2000), Video ergo sum (1989), Le Tueur de midi (1987)

Sponsors:
Consulate General of Switzerland, Swiss Film

PSIFF 12-Jan

Blue Gold: World Water Wars

USA, 2008, 89 Minute Running Time
US Premiere
Topics: Documentary, Environment
Program: True Stories
Language: English

Wars of the future will be fought over water, not oil, as this liquid source of all life enters the global marketplace and political arena. Past civilizations have collapsed from poor water management. Can the human race survive? Environmental Audience Award, Vancouver Film Festival.

PSIFF 11-Jan

No Subtitles Necessary: Laszlo & Vilmos

USA, 2008, 97 Minute Running Time
Topics: Art/Architecture/Film, Documentary, History
Programs: True Stories, Valley Views
Language: English

No Subtitles Necessary traces the lives and careers of legendary cinematographers Laszlo Kovaks and Vilmos Zsigmond using archival footage and interviews with a mix of iconic "New Hollywood" and contemporary movie figures including Peter Fonda, Sharon Stone, John Voight, Barbara Streisand, Peter Bogdanovich, Dennis Hopper, Karen Black, Haskell Wexler and Tatum O'Neal.

DIRECTOR: James Chressanthis
Producer: Zachary W. Kranzler, Tony Frere, Kian Soleimanpour, James Chressanthis
Editor: Elisa Bonora
Cinematographer: Anka Malatynska
Music: Jeff Kiter, Michael Feldman
Principal Cast: With: Laszlo Kovaks, Vilmos Zsgimond, Dennis Hopper, Karen Black, Barbra Streisand
Filmography: Debut Feature

Leaving Barstow
USA, 2008, 90 Minute Running Time
Topics: Coming of Age, Drama
Program: World Cinema Now
Language: English

A bright high school senior without a real sense of direction, Andrew lives with his young mom, but for years the roles of parent and child have been reversed. With the arrival of mom's hunky new boy-toy Cody, Andrew must choose between his own ambitions and his devotion to the people he loves.

DIRECTOR: Peter Paige
Producer: Madelon Smith, Cynthia Graner
Editor: Vincent Oresman
Screenwriter: Kevin Sheridan
Cinematographer: Jayson Crothers
Music: Kurt Swinghammer
Principal Cast: Kevin Sheridan, Michelle Clunie, Steven Culp, Ryan Michelle Bathe, Ryan Carnes
Filmography: Say Uncle (2005)

Moscow, Belgium
Aanrijding in Moscou
Belgium, 2008, 102 Minute Running Time
Topics: Comedy, Drama, Romance, Romantic Comedy
Program: World Cinema Now
Language: Flemish English Sub-Titles

The story of an unlikely romance that develops between Matty, a mother of three, and Johnny, a younger truck driver. In a variation of "meeting cute," Matty's car hits Johnny's truck in a suburban supermarket parking lot and the cops have to break up their ensuing fight. But later that evening, Johnny calls to apologize.

DIRECTOR: Christophe van Rompaey
Producer: Jean-Claude van Rijckeghem
Editor: Alain Dessauvage
Screenwriter: Jean-Claude van Rijckeghem, Pat van Beirs
Cinematographer: Ruben Impens
Music: Tuur Florizoone
Principal Cast: Barbara Sarafian, Jurgen Delnaet, Johan Heldenbergh, Anemone Valcke
Filmography: Debut Feature
World Sales: Bavaria Film International

PSIFF 10-Jan

Visual Acoustics: The Modernism of Julius Shulman
USA, 2008, 84 Minute Running Time
Topic: Art/Architecture/Film
Programs: True Stories, Valley Views
Language: English

In his eight-decade career, California-based Julius Shulman became the world's preeminent architecture photographer and the man who defined the way we view modernism. This visually inventive documentary revisits with the joyful, whip-smart photographer some of the landmark houses— including the Palm Springs Kaufmann House — he has immortalized on film.

DIRECTOR: Eric Bricker
Producer: Eric Bricker, Babette Zilch
Editor: Charlton McMillan
Screenwriter: Eric Bricker, Phil Ethington
Cinematographer: Dante Spinotti, Aiken Weiss
Music: Charlie Campagna
Principal Cast: Narrated by Dustin Hoffman
Filmography: Debut Feature
World Sales: Submarine

American Primitive
USA, 2009, 93 Minute Running Time
World Premiere
Topic: Gay/Lesbian
Programs: Valley Views, World Cinema Now
Language: English

Alternately funny and heartbreaking, American Primitive tells the story of the havoc that surrounds a teenaged girl's life when she discovers her widowed father is gay. Inspired by true events, the film is set in small-town America against the backdrop of suspicion, traditional family values, and the rapidly changing sexual identity of the '70s.

DIRECTOR: Gwen Wynne
Producer: James Egan, Adam W. Rosen, Gwen Wynne
Editor: Joanne D'Antonio
Screenwriter: Gwen Wynne, Mary Beth Fielder
Cinematographer: Christopher Chomyn
Music: Alice Wood
Principal Cast: Tate Donovan,Danielle Savre, Skye McCole Bartusiak, Adam Pascal, Anne Ramsey, Josh Peck
Filmography: Debut Feature

PSIFF 9-Jan

Kabei

Japan, 2008, 133 Minute Running Time
Topics: Asian, Drama, Political
Program: Modern Masters
Language: Japanese English Sub-Titles

Set in 1940 Tokyo, veteran Yoji Yamada's 80th (!) feature is a deeply affecting drama centering on mother and wife Kayo (Sayuri Yoshinaga), who struggles to get along with her two daughters after her professor husband is jailed for his progressive views. A film that mixes poignancy and humor in equal measure.

DIRECTOR: Yôji Yamada
Producer: Hiroshi Fukasawa, Takashi Yajima
Editor: Ishii Iwao
Screenwriter: Yôji Yamada, Emiko Hiramatsu
Cinematographer: Mutsuo Naganuma
Music: Isao Tomita
Principal Cast: Sayuri Yoshinaga, Tadanobu Asano, Mitsugoro Bando, Tsurube Shôfukutei, Miku Sato
Filmography: Love and Honor (2006), The Hidden Blade (2004), The Twilight Samurai (2002), Final Take (1986), The Yellow Handkerchief (1977)
World Sales: Shochiku Co., Ltd.



Maynard Dixon: Art and Spirit

USA, 2008, 67 Minute Running Time
Topics: Art/Architecture/Film, Biopic, Documentary, Woman Director
Program: True Stories
Language: English

Narrated by Diane Keaton (a collector of Maynard Dixon's paintings), this painstakingly researched documentary provides a rare insight into of one of the West's most influential artists. Illustrated with more than 400 works, and featuring fascinating interviews with family and friends.

DIRECTOR: Jayne McKay
Producer: Jayne McKay, Eldenhurst Gallery
Editor: Elen Carysfort
Screenwriter: Jayne McKay, Daniel Dixon
Cinematographer: Alan McKay, Carl Bartels
Music: John McEuen, Santa Cruz River Band
Principal Cast: Narrated by Diane Keaton
Filmography: Debut Feature



I Am from Titov Veles

Jas sum od Titov Veles
Macedonia, 2007, 102 Minute Running Time
Topics: Drama, Experimental, Woman Director, Women
Program: Awards Buzz
Language: Macedonian English Sub-Titles

This neo-Chekhovian drama about three sisters stuck in a dying Macedonian town boasts surreal fantasy sequences and equally ravishing exterior scenes in which the characters are framed in disturbing industrial landscapes.

DIRECTOR: Teona Mitevska
Producer: Labina Mitevska
Editor: Jacques Witta
Screenwriter: Teona Mitevska
Cinematographer: Virginie Saint-Martin
Music: Olivier Samoullan
Principal Cast: Labina Mitevska, Ana Kostovska, Nikolina Kujaca, Xhevdet Jashari, Peter Musevski
Filmography: How I Killed a Saint (2004)
World Sales: Insomnia World Sales

Patrik, Age 1.5
Patrik 1,5
Sweden, 2008, 100 Minute Running Time
Topics: Gay/Lesbian, Woman Director
Program: World Cinema Now
Language: Swedish English Sub-Titles

A bureaucratic blunder — in this case a misplaced punctuation mark — means that gay couple Göran and Sven's newly adopted 15-month-old cherub turns out to be a homophobic 15-year-old boy with a dubious past. Director Ella Lemhagen mixes comedy and drama with a dash of romance in this sprightly piece.

DIRECTOR: Ella Lemhagen
Producer: Tomas Michaelsson, Lars Blomgren
Editor: Thomas Lagerman
Screenwriter: Ella Lemhagen
Cinematographer: Marek Septimus Wieser
Music: Fredrik Emilson
Principal Cast: Gustaf Skarsgârd, Torkel Petersson, Tom Ljungman
Filmography: Immediate Boarding (2003), If Not (2001), Tsatsiki, Mum and the Policeman (1999)
World Sales: Svensk Filmindustri, AB

Palm Springs International Film Festival

I'm in Palm Springs again working the Annenburg Theater, I'll keep a log here of the films I see & show at the festival.

Mountainfilm In Telluride

above photo ©Gus Gusciora

Visit the Mountainfilm In Telluride website

quotes from the film:

Schooling the World

"School forcibly snatches away children from a world full of God's own handiwork...

...It is a mere method of discipline which refuses to take into account the individual...

...a manufactory for grinding out uniform results.

I was not a creation of the schoolmaster:

the Government Board of Education was not consulted when I took birth in the world."

-- Rabindranath Tagore,
1927 Nobel Prize winner for Poetry



"A general State education is a mere contrivance for molding people to be exactly like one another:

and as the mold in which it cats them is that which pleases the predominant power in the government...

... it establishes a despotism over the mind, leading by a natural tendency to one over the body."

John Stuart Mill, "On Liberty"



"Education...makes a straight-cut ditch of a free, meandering brook."

--Henry David Thoreau

San Francisco International Film Festival

Year 2 for me with SFIFF. I worked again at the Kabuki Theater in Japantown. I saw many excellent films, my favorites being: Frozen, My Winnipeg, I Served the King of England, The Man From London, Mongol, Not By Chance, and Water Lilies.

Visit the SFIFF website

PSIFF 13-Jan

Numb
Canada, 2007, 93 Minute Running Time
Topics: Comedy, Science Fiction

Hudson Milbank (Matthew Perry) is a screenwriter who smokes a too-strong joint that sends him over the edge into what is diagnosed as “depersonalization disorder,” the sense that everything around him is unreal. He meets the girl of his dreams, making his race to recovery imperative, and he seeks out every therapy imaginable.

DIRECTOR: Harris Goldberg
Producer: Kirk Shaw
Editor: Jeff Wisheugard
Screenwriter: Harris Goldberg
Cinematographer: Eric Steelberg
Music: Ryan Shore
Principal Cast: Matthew Perry, Mary Steenbergen, Lynn Collins, Kevin Pollack, Helen Shaver



This years festival went great and the final show is screening right now. Here's part two the films I've seen.

• Under the Same Moon

• Lagerfeld Confidential - insight into the life of Chanel designer Karl Lagerfeld
  

• Black White & Gray

• Shake Hands with the Devil

• A Man Named Pearl - super cute documentary of a man becoming a leading topiary artist
  

• Days of Darkness - very smart, fun
  

• Tell No One - by far the drama/suspense film of the festival
  

• Watching the Detectives

• Numb
  

PSIFF 12-Jan

Tell No One
Ne le dis à personne
France, 2006, 126 Minute Running Time
Topics: Drama, Thriller
Language: French

Popular American mystery writer Harlan Coben’s novel Tell No One finally makes it to the silver screen in this action-packed adaptation directed by heartthrob Guillaume Canet. Featuring an extraordinary cast this thriller revolves around a pediatrician, who unexpectedly finds himself to be a suspect eight years after his wife was mysteriously murdered.

DIRECTOR: Guillaume Canet
Producer: Alain Attal
Editor: Hervé de Luze
Screenwriter: Guillaume Canet, Philippe Lefebvre, based on the novel by Harlan Coben
Cinematographer: Christophe Offenstein
Music: Mathieu Chedid
Principal Cast: François Cluzet, André Dussollier, Marie-Josée Croze, Jean Rochefort, Kristin Scott Thomas, François Berléand
Filmography: My Idol (2003)
World Sales: EuropaCorp

Watching the Detectives
USA, 2007, 92 Minute Running Time
Topic: Comedy

Cillian Murphy and Lucy Liu star in this loopy screwball farce about a self-proclaimed film geek who finds himself swept into a predicament right out of the movies when a thrill-seeking femme fatale enters his life.

DIRECTOR: Paul Soter
Producer: Celine Ratrray, Daniela Taplin Lundberg, Galt Niederhoffer
Editor: Jeff Canavan
Screenwriter: Paul Soter
Cinematographer: Christophe Lanzenberg
Music: Nathan Barr
Principal Cast: Cillian Murphy, Lucy Liu, Callie Thorne

PSIFF 11-Jan

A Man Named Pearl
USA, 2006, 78 Minute Running Time
Topics: Documentary, Family Friendly

This charming documentary (akin in tone to The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill) follows a factory worker and self-taught topiary artist who transformed his South Carolina yard into an inspirational garden—and a major tourist destination.

DIRECTOR: Scott Galloway, Brent Pierson
Producer: Scott Galloway, Brent Pierson
Editor: Greg Grzeszcak
Cinematographer: J. Steven Anderson
Music: Fred Story
Filmography: Debut Feature Film

Days of Darkness
L’Âge des ténèbres
Canada, 2007, 104 Minute Running Time
Additional Countries: France
Topics: Comedy, Drama
Language: French English Sub-Titles

Final part of a trilogy that began with Decline of the American Empire and The Barbarian Invasions. Everyman Jean-Marc escapes his Kafkaesque office and arid home life into a fantasy world of glamour and power in this witty dissection of the malaise of contemporary life.

DIRECTOR: Denys Arcand
Producer: Denise Robert, Daniel Louis
Editor: Isabelle Dedieux
Screenwriter: Denys Arcand
Cinematographer: Guy Dufaux
Music: Philippe Miller
Principal Cast: Marc Labrèche, Diane Kruger, Sylvie Léonard, Emma de Caunes, Didier Lucien
Filmography: The Barbarian Invasions (2003), Stardom (2000), Love and Human Remains (1993), Jesus of Montreal (1989), The Decline of the American Empire (1986)
World Sales: Studio Canal

PSIFF 10-Jan

Lagerfeld Confidential
France, 2007, 87 Minute Running Time
Topic: Documentary
Language: French/English English Sub-Titles

Fashionistas and non-fashionistas alike will enjoy this documentary about the prolific and eccentric German-born designer Karl Lagerfeld, reviver of the Chanel brand, stylish to the tips of his fingers—adorned in fingerless gloves and multiple silver rings.

DIRECTOR: Rodolphe Marconi
Producer: Gregory Bernard
Editor: Laure Mercier
Screenwriter: Rodlphe Marconi
Cinematographer: Rodolphe Marconi
Principal Cast: Featuring: Karl Lagerfield, Anna Wintour, Nicole Kidman, Princess Caroline of Monaco,
Filmography: The Last Day (2004), Love Forbidden (2002), This Is My Body (2001)
World Sales: Films Distribution

Black White + Gray
USA, 2007, 72 Minute Running Time
Topics: Documentary, Gay/Lesbian, Music

Exploring the relationships between legendary curator Sam Wagstaff, famed photographer Robert Mapplethorpe and punk rock’s “poet laureate” Patti Smith, Black White + Gray reveals the fascinating story of the influential figures who helped form the epicenter of New York’s grand collision of art, fashion, music and clublife in the ‘70s and ‘80s.

DIRECTOR: James Crump
Producer: Stanley Buchthal, David Koh, Maja Hoffmann
Editor: Dave Giles, William Davis
Screenwriter: James Crump
Cinematographer: Christopher Felver, Harry Geller, Paul Lundahl, Eric Koziol, David Koh
Music: J. Ralph
Principal Cast: Patti Smith, Dominick Dunne, Euggnia Parry, Sam Wagstaf, Robert Mapplethorpe
Filmography: Debut Feature Film
World Sales: Arthouse Films

Shake Hands with the Devil
Canada, 2007, 112 Minute Running Time
Topics: Drama, Political
Language: English/French English Sub-Titles

Shackled by an inadequate mandate, a U.N. general fights to prevent the seemingly inevitable violence as civil war threatens to break out in Rwanda in this devastating drama—an indictment of the global community’s failure to respond to humanitarian crisis.

DIRECTOR: Roger Spottiswoode
Producer: Laszlo Barna, Michael Donovan
Editor: Michel Arcand
Screenwriter: Michael Donovan
Cinematographer: Miroslaw Baszak
Music: David Hirschfelder
Principal Cast: Roy Dupuis, James Gallanders, Michel Mongeau, Deborah Kara Unger, Owen Lebakeng Sejake
Filmography: Ripley Under Ground (2005), The 6th Day (2000), Air America (1990), Shoot to Kill (1988), Under Fire (1983)
World Sales: Bankside Films

PSIFF 9-Jan

Under the Same Moon
La Misma Luna
USA, 2007, 109 Minute Running Time
Topic: Drama
Language: English/Spanish English Sub-Titles

A nine-year-old Mexican boy has himself smuggled across the border in order to find the Los Angeles-based mother he hasn’t seen in four years. Patricia Riggen’s emotionally powerful and politically pointed tale cannot fail to move.

DIRECTOR: Patricia Riggen
Producer: Patricia Riggen, Geraldo Barrera
Editor: Aleshka Ferrero
Screenwriter: Ligiah Villalobos
Cinematographer: Checco Varese
Music: Carlo Siliotto
Principal Cast: Adrian Alonso, Kate del Castillo, Eugenio Derbez, America Ferrara, Carmen Salinas, Jesse Garcia, Maria Rojo
Filmography: Debut Feature Film

PSIFF 8-Jan

I've seen so many great films so far, and I'm catching up on the blog here while there's singing and dancing on the screen, 162 min. of such...yes, you guessed it, a Bollywood film is playing.

Some thoughts that come to mind of the films I've seen:

Chihuly in the Hotshop

• Fun documentary illustrating the amazing glass made by Chihuly and crew.
• The Tom Tom Club rocks the entire soundtrack.

The Edge of Heaven

• Beautiful and powerful. One of my favorites so far.
  
• I'm still thinking about this film and the intricate ways peoples lives can entwine... seven degrees of separation.

City of Men

• Another action packed adventure in the favelas of Rio

The Band's Visit

• Countless witty and hilarious scenes. Also one of my favorites.

Beaufort

• A war film where not a single bullet is fired.

4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days

• Powerful, emotional, brilliant
  
• Beautifully shot.
  

XXY

• A favorite

Vivere

• Reminded me of "Lovers of the Arctic Circle" in that scenes are repeated from different character's perspectives, and how different things are perceived from the previous glimpse.
• Complex, very interesting and creative

One Hundred Nails

• Is truth found in books or in the moment...living life? Are the words and pages of books really more important that a coffee with a friend, or a kiss?
  

Vivere

Germany, 2007, 97 Minute Running Time
Topics: Drama, Gay/Lesbian, Woman Director
Language: German/Italian English Sub-Titles

The lives of three troubled women intersect one fateful Christmas Eve and become inextricably linked in this touching exploration of Francesca, Eva and Gerlinde—three lost souls on the run.

DIRECTOR: Angelina Maccarone
Producer: Anita Elsani
Editor: Bettina Böhler
Screenwriter: Angelina Maccarone
Cinematographer: Judith Kaufmann
Music: Jakob Hansounis, Hartmut Ewert
Principal Cast: Hannelore Elsner, Esther Zimmering, Kim Schnitzer, Egbert-Jan Weeber, Tygo Gernandt
Filmography: Hounded (2006), Unveiled (2005), Everything Will Be Fine (1998)

One Hundred Nails
Centochiodi
Italy, 2007, 92 Minute Running Time
Topic: Drama
Language: Italian English Sub-Titles

The last narrative movie of the great Italian maestro Ermanno Olmi, who has vowed to work only in documentary from now on, One Hundred Nails is a controversial tale of a man who runs from his life and find shelter in a village on the river Po.

DIRECTOR: Ermanno Olmi
Producer: Luigi Musini, Roberto Cicutto
Editor: Paolo Cottingnola
Screenwriter: Ermanno Olmi
Cinematographer: Fabio Olmi
Music: Fabio Vacchi
Principal Cast: Raz Degan, Luna Bendandi, Amina Syed, Michele Zattara, Damiano Scaini
Filmography: The Profession of Arms (2001), The Legend of the Holy Drinker (1988), The Tree of Wooden Clogs (1978), One Fine Day (1968), Il Posto (1961)
World Sales: Intramovies

PSIFF 7-Jan

4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days
4 luni, 3 saptamini si 2 zile
Romania, 2007, 113 Minute Running Time
Topic: Drama
Language: Romanian/English English Sub-Titles

One of the most highly acclaimed films of the year, this gritty, gripping drama portrays a university student who helps her roommate arrange an illegal abortion and is forced into a maelstrom of dramatic events.

DIRECTOR: Cristian Mungiu
Producer: Cristian Mungiu, Oleg Mutu
Editor: Dana Bunescu
Screenwriter: Cristian Mungiu
Cinematographer: Oleg Mutu
Principal Cast: Anamaria Marinca, Vlad Ivanov, Laura Vasiliu, Alex Potocean
Filmography: Occident (2002)
World Sales: Wild Bunch

XXY
Argentina, 2007, 91 Minute Running Time
Additional Countries: Spain/France
Topics: Drama, Gay/Lesbian, Woman Director
Language: Spanish English Sub-Titles

The psychological damage caused by inappropriate gender assignation is sensitively explored in newcomer Lucia Puenzo’s brave study of teen angst in a teenager with something to be angst-ridden about. Born a hermaphrodite and raised as a girl, 15-year old Alex is nudged by her parents toward making a ‘choice’ that will decree her entire future.

DIRECTOR: Lucia Puenzo
Producer: Luis Puenzo, José María Morales
Editor: Alex Zito, Hugo Primero
Screenwriter: Lucía Puenzo
Cinematographer: Natasha Braier
Music: Andrés Goldstein, Daniel Tarrab
Principal Cast: Ricardo Darín, Valeria Bertucceli, Germán Palacios, Carolina Peleritti, Martín Piroyansky, Inés Efron
Filmography: Debut Feature Film
World Sales: Pyramide International

PSIFF 6-Jan

The Champagne Spy
Meragel Hashampaniya
Israel, 2007, 90 Minute Running Time
Additional Countries: Germany
Topics: Documentary, Thriller
Language: English/Hebrew/French/German English Sub-Titles

Oded is just 12 years old when his father reveals to him that he's a Mossad spy. While anxiously awaiting his return from a top secret mission in Cairo, Oded journeys into the shadowy corners of his father's real and covert identities.

DIRECTOR: Nadav Schirman
Producer: Eilon Ratzowsky, Koby Gal-Raday, Carl Ludwig Rettinger, Yossi Uzrad
Editor: Joelle Alexis
Screenwriter: Nadav Schirman
Cinematographer: Itai Neeman
Music: Ran Bagno
Principal Cast: Oded Gur Arie, Meir Amit, Avrum Shalom, Jacob Nachmias, Arie Sivan
Filmography: Debut Feature Film
World Sales: Films Transit Intl., Inc.

The Band's Visit
Bikur Hatizmoret
Israel, 2007, 89 Minute Running Time
Additional Countries: USA/France
Topic: Drama
Language: Arabic/English/Hebrew English Sub-Titles

This witty and gentle lark presents an Egyptian brass band in a backwater, desert Israeli town and the comical tensions that erupt among the band’s members, hosts, and potential audience.

DIRECTOR: Eran Kolirin
Producer: Eilon Ratzkovsky, Ehud Bleiburg, Yossi Uzrad, Koby Gal-Raday, Guy Jacoel
Editor: Arik Lahav Leibovitz
Screenwriter: Eran Kolirin
Cinematographer: Shai Goldman
Music: Habib Sehadeh Hanna
Principal Cast: Sasson Gabai, Ronit Elkabetz, Saleh Bakri, Khalifa Natour, Imad Jabar
Filmography: Debut Feature Film
World Sales: Bleiberg Entertainment

Beaufort
Israel, 2007, 120 Minute Running Time
Topics: Drama, Political, War
Language: Hebrew English Sub-Titles

The last days of a legendary Israeli outpost in Lebanon are brought to harrowing life (and death) in this searing docudrama. Drawing comparisons to All Quiet on the Western Front, the film was awarded the Silver Bear for Best Director at the Berlin Film Festival.

DIRECTOR: Joseph Cedar
Producer: David Mandil, David Silber
Editor: Zohar M. Sela
Screenwriter: Ron Leshem, Joseph Cedar
Cinematographer: Ofer Inov
Music: Isahi Adar
Principal Cast: Oshri Cohen, Itay Tiran, Eli Eltonyo, Ohad Knoller, Itay Turgeman
Filmography: Campfire (2004), Time of Favor (2001)
World Sales: Bavaria Film International

PSIFF 5-Jan

Body of War
USA, 2007, 87 Minute Running Time
Topics: Documentary, Political, War, Woman Director

Veteran talk-show host Phil Donahue’s Academy Award-nominated documentary is a hardhitting indictment of governmental misuse of power focusing on one of its most courageous victims—a soldier paralyzed by a bullet five days after his arrival in Iraq.

DIRECTOR: Phil Donohue, Ellen Spiro
Producer: Ellen Spiro, Phil Donahue, Karen Bernstein
Editor: Bernadine Colish
Cinematographer: Ellen Spiro
Music: Eddie Vedder, Jeff Layton
Principal Cast: Tomas Young, Cathy Smith, Senator Robert Byrd
Filmography: Ellen Spiro: Troop 1500 (2005), Roam Sweet Home (1996), Greetings From Out Here (1993) Phil Donahue:, Debut Feature
World Sales: The Film Sales Company

City of Men
Cidade dos Homens
Brazil, 2007, 106 Minute Running Time
Topic: Drama
Language: Portuguese English Sub-Titles

From the team behind companion piece City of God comes this less razzle-dazzle but more emotionally affecting story of the friendship between two 18-year-olds in the slums of Rio and the effects on their relationship caused by a burgeoning gang war.

DIRECTOR: Paulo Morelli
Producer: Andrea Barata Ribeiro, Bel Berlinck, Fernando Meirelles, Paulo Morelli
Editor: Daniel Rezende
Screenwriter: Elena Soarez
Cinematographer: Adriano Goldman
Music: Antonio Pinto
Principal Cast: Darlan Cunha, Douglas Silva, Jonathan Haagensen, Rodrigo dos Santos, Camila Monteiro
Filmography: Speaker Phone (2003), O Preço da Paz (2003), Lápide (1997)
World Sales: Buena Vista International

Palm Springs International Film Festival 4-Jan

I've returned for the second time to work the Palm Springs International Film Festival. My venue is the Annenburg Theater at the Palm Springs Art Museum. I've decided to keep a list here of every film I see at the festival this year, so check back as the list grows.

Sweet Mud
Adama Meshuga’at
Israel, 2006, 101 Minute Running Time
Additional Countries: Germany/Japan/France
Topic: Drama
Language: Hebrew/English/French English Sub-Titles

For many, the concept of the Israeli kibbutz connotes solidarity, community spirit and romanticism. The reality, however, can be very different. Winner of four Israeli Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Sweet Mud makes an interesting complement to the documentary Eight Twenty Eight.

DIRECTOR: Dror Shaul
Producer: Dror Shaul
Editor: Isaac Sehayek
Screenwriter: Dror Shaul
Cinematographer: Sebastian Edschmid
Music: Tsoof Philosof, Adi Rennert
Principal Cast: Tomer Steinhof, Ronit Yudkevitch, Henri Garcin, Shai Avivi, Gal Zaid
Filmography: Witch (2003)
World Sales: Bavaria Film International

14 Women
USA, 2007, 77 Minute Running Time
Topics: Documentary, Political, Woman Director

An intimate documentary portrait of the 14 female senators who currently serve our country. Director Mary Lambert has gained extraordinary access, following the senators cinema verité style from 2004–2006 as they struggle to fight the good fight while balancing family, friends and workload.

DIRECTOR: Mary Lambert
Producer: Mary Lambert, Nicole Boxer, Sharon Oreck
Editor: Michelle Harrison, Stephen Kanter
Cinematographer: Mary Lambert, Bill Pope, James Callanan, Elliot Klayman, Michael Cho
Music: Jamishied Sharifi
Principal Cast: Narrated by Annette Benning
Filmography: The In Crowd (2000), Clubland (1999), Pet Sematary (1989), Siesta (1987)

Chihuly in the Hotshop
USA, 2007, 90 Minute Running Time
World Premiere
Topic: Documentary

This engaging documentary focuses on Dale Chihuly, whose work in the field of glassblowing has revolutionized the medium. The camera follows Chihuly at a weeklong residency at the Museum of Glass in Tacoma, where it captures the creative chaos of his working style.

DIRECTOR: Peter West
Producer: Mark McDonnell
Editor: Peter West, John Campbell
Cinematographer: Joseph Hudson, Bruce Hutson, Peter West
Music: Tom Tom Club

The Edge of Heaven
Auf der Anderen Seite
Germany, 2007, 120 Minute Running Time
Additional Countries: Turkey
Topics: Drama, Gay/Lesbian
Language: German/Turkish/English English Sub-Titles

Superb humanist drama, where six lives intersect in the never-ending search for love. When a tragic accident befalls his father, college professor Nejat leaves Germany for Turkey to find a young woman he feels has been wronged—raising questions about family, homeland and sexuality.

DIRECTOR: Fatih Akin
Producer: Fatih Akin, Andreas Thiel, Klaus Maeck
Editor: Andrew Bird
Screenwriter: Fatih Akin
Cinematographer: Rainer Klausmann
Music: Shantel
Principal Cast: Nurgül Yesilçay, Baki Davrak, Patrycia Ziolkowska, Nursel Köse, Tuncel Kurtiz, Hannah Schygulla
Filmography: Head-On (2004), Solino (2002), In July (2000), Short Sharp Shock (1998)
World Sales: The Match Factory GmbH