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May 12-14, 2006
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We are happy to announce that on April 19, 2006, the Eugene Film Festival was awarded a $5,000 Tourism Special Projects grant from the Lane County Parks Department. These funds were used for support of the website and film entry recruitment from all over the world, out of Eugene area advertising, and related marketing and promotional materials. We are grateful for the acknowledgement and confidence of the Lane County Parks Department for the Eugene Film Festival reflected by the receipt of this grant.
The Films
Here it is, the lineup for the 2006 Inaugural Eugene Film Festival, with over 25 hours of movies!
A • B • C • D-F • G-H • I • J-K • L • M • N-O • P • R • S • T • V • W
Adventures of Mad Matt |
Scott Rice,
USA, 27 min. Saturday, 12 pm, WOW Hall |
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At the dawn of home video, a Midwestern boy determined to become a Hollywood director by age eighteen turns his family into an ensemble cast in MAD MATT, his fifty-episode action series shot over ten years. Starring his loveable but reluctant brother, Matt, and his tortured younger sisters, each riotous episode tells the true story of sibling rivalry and love behind the scenes. In this candid portrait of a generation that grew up on cable TV and Steven Spielberg, family members reunite as adults to discover that you are never too young to pay a price for unbridled ambition.
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Andorra |
Zebediah Smith
and Christopher Wolfe, USA, 18 min. US Premier,
Filmmakers attending Sunday, 9:30 am, DIVA |
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For Andorra, a young, eccentric woman, every day is meant to be just so. Always the same, safe routine. At the cafe that she visits daily, everyone knows her as the girl who is deathly allergic to milk. So when she skips the soy milk and orders whole milk with her tea, the regulars and staff are shocked and nervous. Is this simple cup of tea a suicide attempt? The harried café owner is convinced it’s a prank. The barista thinks a life is on the line. Is Andorra bravely finally taking her gloves off and confronting a silly childhood fear, or is she ending it all? This dark and quirky comedy explores the anxieties and uncertainties of everyday life, as seen through the eyes of a character you won't soon forget. | |
Anna and the Soldier |
Christian Prettin, Germany,
42 min. Saturday, 1:00 pm, U of O PLC 180, |
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Italy in 1950. The 18-year old Italian girl Anna is haunted by her past. Six years ago she lost her whole family in a massacre by the German Wehrmacht. Now she is living a hard and lonely life in her small village. Again and again she is drawing her horrific memories. The Italian Civilians had to dig their own graves before they were shot by the Germans... Suddenly one of the soldiers, who can not get along with his crime returns. The moment of revenge has come. With an old pistol of her grandfather Anna forces the stranger to dig his grave. But is she really able to bring it to the deadly end? | |
Bachelorman |
Rodney Conover, USA, 90 min. Filmmaker attending Saturday, 7:30 pm, Bijou #1 |
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In these times of enlightened sexual politics, Ted Davis is a scoring machine. |
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Bermuda Triangle |
Kaethlyn Elliott, USA, 5 min. Filmmaker attending Sunday, 12:00 pm, Bijou #1 |
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A man fills the void his wife and daughter left in a way both tender and pathetic. "Bermuda Triangle" is part of the Hotel Shorts project. |
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Binta and the Great Idea |
Saturday, 10:00 am, DIVA |
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Binta is a 7 year old girl who lives in a small charming village on the Casamance river in southern Senegal. She goes to school. Her cousin Soda does not have the same good fortune. She is not allowed to learn about the things of the world. Binta admires her father, a humble fisherman who, concerned about the development of mankind, is determined to carry out an idea that has occurred to him. |
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Bought The Farm episode #1 'Udder Confusion' |
Chris
Miller, USA, 7.5 min. Saturday, 12:00 pm, WOW Hall |
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The 3 useless bulls of the farm haven't been doing their masculine duties of propagating the herds of cattle. The farms farmer, Farmer Brown informs the 3 moronic bulls that there is a new bull coming to the farm. The next day the new bull arrives and the 3 lazy bulls are shocked to find the new bull is a muscular sex machine. Realizing that they will be sold as hamburgers if they don't get rid of the new bull, the 3 out-of-shape bulls devise a plan that 'milks' the new bull of his virility so that he won't be able to mate with the farms sex-starved cows. Does their plan work? or will they submit to their destiny and peacefully slip between hamburger buns? | |
Caught in Paint |
Rita Blitt, USA,
6 min. Saturday, 12:00 pm, DIVA |
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'Caught in Paint' is a 6 minute video capturing painter/sculptor Rita Blitt painting on four by eight foot transparent surfaces while choreographer David Parsons and members of the Parsons Dance Company are seen in mid-air, through the painting, imitating the dancing lines of Blitt's paint strokes. Lois Greenfield, who collaborated in this union of paint, dance and photography, made dynamic photographs as she, too, was being filmed.
The creative sparks and positive energy of all the artists challenged the group to stretch their limits and perform magic. |
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A Cigar at the Beach |
Stephen Keep Mills,
USA, 15 min.
Filmmaker attending Saturday, 2:30 pm, Bijou #1 |
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A man withdraws to an empty beach to smoke a cigar and fantasize. An approaching storm out across the water mirrors the storm inside him as his fantasies propel him to the very edge of himself and to a surprise yearning greater than flesh or adventure. | |
Crazy Horse |
Bradford Evans, USA, 7 min. Filmmaker attending Sunday, 12:00 pm, Bijou #1 |
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When civilization unravels, a married couple takes refuge in a hotel. "Crazy Horse" is part of the Hotel Shorts project. |
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Crisis |
Rhituparna Basu,
USA, 8.5 min. Sunday, 12:00 pm, DIVA |
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Late on a Friday night, two men head out of the office as a co-worker, Sam, heads in. Taking the elevator down, Tim and Ralph are caught in a sudden and violent explosion that batters the elevator and traps them inside. As time passes and help does not arrive, the earlier encounter with their foreign co-worker, Sam, begins to take on a grim significance for the two trapped men. | |
Cross Eyed |
Adam Jones,
U S A, 96 min. Saturday, 7:30 pm, DIVA |
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Inspiration comes and goes. For cross eyed writer Ernie Awning, it never comes. At home. At work. Or anywhere in between.
But today, Ernie is inspired. Robot roommates, bald hairdressers, malicious meter maids, yo-girls, and drug-crazed exterminators are mere inconveniences to him now. But can he overcome an excitable neighborhood watch, the local backdoor black market, and a petite Chinese delivery girl? Or worst of all… writer’s block? |
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Dance |
Thaddeus
Konar, USA, 6 min. Filmmaker attending Sunday, 12:00 pm, Bijou #1 |
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"Dance" is about an escape that did not happen. The movie relies on symbolism: two women, one enters another's world, even if it was only an illusion. "Dance" is part of the Hotel Shorts project. Sunday, 12:00 pm, Bijou #1 |
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Dandy and the Tomatoes from Outer Space |
Anya Gerhart, Sera Gearhart & Katie Heldt, USA, 5 min. Sunday, 12:00 pm, Bijou #1 |
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Dear Sweet Emma |
Loraine Cernak
, USA, 5 min. Saturday, 12:00 pm, DIVA |
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As the search is given up for Emma's latest husband, Tucker, a private look reveals that Emma has a secret and uncontrollable dark side. The sweetest angel and favorite citizen of Fishtickle would indeed pose an uncomfortable dilemma for all if her problem were ever found out. | |
deep deep blues |
Daniel Dronsfield, USA, 10 min. Filmmaker attending Sunday, 12:00 pm, DIVA |
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'deep deep blues' is the story of a lonesome harmonicist/bullfighter searching for purpose in a confusing world. This film is a tragi-comedy. He had a rough start but after much tribulation he finds himself satisfied and filled with purpose and lust for living. Until one fated day along comes one man to bring it all crashing down. This film is pioneering the style of filmmaking called Forrealism. It is all faithfully filmed on super 8 millimeter film. It possesses a moving original score composed on the piano by the unerring Nikolas Diaz and occasional gritty toots on the harmonica from the writer-director, Daniel Eli Dronsfield. | |
D-Grade |
Sunday, 12:00 pm, Bijou #1 |
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Is your "wild and crazy" local rock radio dj really as cool as he pretends to be on air? Background info: Instead of shopping their script around, Jeff Ecker and D.J. Hamilton sought investment, gathered talent and filmed the first 13 minutes of what will eventually be a feature length film on Super 16mm. D-Grade was filmed in Orlando, FL and features music by Spitvalves, ZOA and Razor Mephistos. |
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Dress Rehearsal |
Marilyn Steel, USA, 9 min. Filmmaker attending Sunday, 12:00 pm, Bijou #1 |
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Rosalie prepares for her ultimate and final acting role. "Dress Rehearsal" is part of the Hotel Shorts project. |
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Endless Eternity |
Sherri
Marineau and Katharine Emlen, USA, 5 min. Filmmaker attending Friday, 8:00 pm, DIVA |
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The question of what truly happens to our souls after death is forever elusive for us. Imagine being able to hear from a loved one that has passed on, specifically a young child. It is especially hard to face the reality that your child has moved on before you. This short film addresses what the after life means and celebrates what it has to bring.
Follow a young spirit beckoning you to hear her story. Listen to her words as if she is a spirit of someone you have lost. This short film is a reassurance to many and reminds us that we are never truly gone. We are “no longer bound by human form, nor limited by its weakness.” We become Endless Eternity. |
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F |
Michael Lacey, USA, 36 min.
Filmmaker attending Saturday, 10:30 am, WOW Hall |
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'F' is a story that takes place in the 1930's and 1940's then tragically ends in the 1950's. It’s the dark tale of Joseph Smoot-Nibbley, his overactive nose and his desire to sniff. Joe likes to smell feet. His nose has desires that most of us can't understand. He doesn’t want to hurt them. He just wants to love them. 'F' chronicles his life and loves as he struggles to get a handle on his peculiar love of smelling feet. He finally meets the girl's foot of his dreams and quickly marries her with the intent of getting his nose on her wonderful digits. This gal is extra special. She was born with an extra toe on each foot. Joe is in seventh heaven until she tells him that her feet are off limits. She too is mortified by his odd behavior. What's a decent chap to do? |
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Flyaway |
Loraine Cernak , USA, 11 min. Saturday, 5:00 pm, Bijou #1 |
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A little wooden plane, despite the price it must pay, does the impossible and joins a world it could only dream of. | |
FOOD |
Thaddeus
Konar, USA, 6 min. Filmmaker attending Sunday, 12:00 pm, Bijou #1 |
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FOOD is a six-minute satirical film that uses visual metaphor. A woman picks up three bums. They cannot resist her beauty and sex appeal and stoically comply with her humiliating demands. | |
Giving Her Away |
Andrew
Stanfield, USA, 12.5 min. Sunday, 9:30 am, DIVA |
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 Production Still: Christinna Chauncey as Molly Harris |
Risking her comfortable suburban marriage and family, Molly Harris sets out to confront her painful past by locating the daughter she gave up for adoption years earlier. Her search takes her to a time and place she could never have imagined, and she's forced to decide all over again if she can give her daughter away. |
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Honeyfields |
Matt Gordon,
USA, 21.5 min. Saturday, 5:00 pm, DIVA |
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The Honeyfields is the story of two young brothers, Robbie and Benji Hendrick, raised in rural, poor California by their bitter, detached grandmother. The lone joy they have is the imaginary battles they fight in the nearby wheatfields. There they find the only glory they know as they battle the imaginary knight, Gordon, day after day. All changes forever in the lives of these boys when the older brother falls in love with a local girl, Mary Beth. A wedge is driven between the two brothers as never before; a wedge that will be settled once and for all in the boys' beloved honeyfields. | |
How William Shatner Changed the World |
Friday, 9:30 pm, Bijou #1 |
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'How William Shatner Changed the World' reveals how scientists who were inspired by Star Trek as children are surpassing the science fiction vision of the future foreshadowed in the program. The two-hour HD special explores how much the sci-fi of Star Trek now permeates everyday life – and advanced science. | |
I'm too Much |
Johnnie Mazzocco, USA, 48 min. Filmmaker attending Saturday, 12:00 pm, DIVA |
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I’m Too Much, a narrative, experimental, black and white film that incorporates voice over, music, still and moving imagery, text, direct address, interviews, and fictionalized scenes and re-enactments, is an intensely personal and courageously honest autobiography about a woman's search for self amidst the roles of daughter, wife, mother, and lover. Poetically conveyed with passion, integrity, and humility, this film addresses issues of women's rage and sexual agency, trauma and transformation. A woman's personal story that touches a universal human nerve. | |
Identity |
Chris Cooley,
USA, 8 min. Filmmaker attending Saturday, 12:00 pm, WOW Hall |
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“Identity” is an experimental character piece about a man who compulsively and randomly creates new personalities for himself, and then becomes them, completely leaving behind his previous self, life, possessions, and loved ones.
Filmed on a mixture of 16mm and Super8 using experimental narrative techniques, the film creates a dreamlike quality, tied together by an almost documentary style voiceover. |
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Inside Iraq: The Untold Stories |
Saturday, 1:00 pm, U of O PLC 180, |
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The war in Iraq has been showcased as both an example of American decisiveness and the catastrophic result of failed leadership. But what is the reality on the ground? In December of 2003, Mike Shiley felt compelled to find out for himself. Shiley, who is not a professionally trained journalist or filmmaker managed to strike a deal with an ABC-TV news station to become a correspondent and chronicle a two month journey inside Iraq. Shiley’s images put into deep personal context the stories we hear about in the news. No matter how you feel about the war, INSIDE IRAQ: THE UNTOLD STORIES is bound to leave you examining your own beliefs about the U.S. military, the Iraqi people, and our future in the middle east. | |
In the Land of Milk and Money |
Susan
Emshwiller, USA, 90 min. Filmmaker attending Saturday, U of O PLC 180, 5:00 pm and |
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Idyllic Suburbia. Mom 'n Apple Pie. Or not. This outrageous comedy turns suburban America on its head. Mad cow disease, corporate greed, mob mentality, the cult of Motherhood, propaganda, discrimination, and dangerous kitchen utensils all find a home in this wild social satire. |
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Journey To Mangochi |
Christopher de la Torre and Roberto Bentivegna, USA-PNW, 30 min. Saturday, 10:00 pm, Bijou #1 |
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'There is no disease called AIDS in the country. It is not my duty as Chief to talk about diseases that are created to confuse people'
-Chief Makunganya- In a country devastated by AIDS, two young filmmakers embark on a journey that will shock and captivate them. At at time in which the disease has reached its peak, could it be that an influential Chief in one of the country's worst affected areas... believes AIDS does not exist? |
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KANREKI BASEBALL: a league with players over the age of 60 |
Makoto Kanamori,
Japan, 30 min. Sunday, 12:00 pm, DIVA |
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Kanreki Baseball is a documentary film about the Shonan Dreams, an amateur baseball team of age 60 and over, and their year from spring 2004. The Shonan Dreams is made up of members coming from diverse backgrounds. The summer of that year, the Dreams’ 71-year-old ace pitcher, Kiitsu Ogawa, suffers from liver cancer and leaves the team. Tomonori Kinoshita, who began playing baseball after retirement, now supports the team as scorekeeper while coping with his own illness. As they cope with aging and illness, they find that baseball gives them another reason to live for. Kanreki Baseball sheds light on those who worked through the years of Japan’s post-war economic growth, and are now devoting their time after retirement to playing baseball. | |
Knight Lost |
Thomas
Tate, Australia, 7 min. Sunday, 9:30 am, DIVA |
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Once a week, Mark Knight visits the St. Carcel mental ward with time for only a few games of chess with his ailing father Frank. It is a game they have played for years and the pitfalls are varied and well worn to both of them. But with a rapidly disintegrating marriage and a real estate career without any financial security, Mark begins to lose patience with his sick father. Tired of his stories and ramblings, Mark lashes out, hoping to somehow shake his father loose from the fantasy of his imaginings. But something occurs that Mark could have never expected and he is suddenly faced with a thread that could unravel his entire life. |
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Lab Rats |
Friday, 9:30 pm, Bijou #1 |
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Following a grotesque experiment, a young lab rat is forced to share a cage with an unfriendly veteran of the laboratory. Refusing to share his food, the veteran rat humiliates and ridicules his cage mate, setting the stage for murderous revenge and an eventual, though surreal, reconciliation. | |
Latent Sorrow |
Saturday, 7:30 pm, DIVA |
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Moving Painting #7 to reach coexistent point where abstract and figure are equally fused. | |
The Leeward Tide |
Brett Eichenberger,
USA, 14.5 min. Filmmaker attending Saturday, 10:00 pm, Bijou #1 |
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On a lonely stretch of coastline a forlorn mariner seeks comfort in the rusted remains of a forgotten shipwreck. Unbeknownst to him, his redemption will arrive with a leeward tide.
Filmed along the scenic Oregon coast and historic Astoria, Oregon, The Leeward Tide tells the story of an old man haunted by the memories of his long lost love. Producer Jawad Mir of Toronto, Canada, along with Brett Eichenberger, Jill Remensnyder and Dayn Wilberding of Portland, Oregon spent nearly a year in pre-production searching for the ideal locations. The famed Peter Iredale shipwreck of 1906 at Fort Stevens State Park and a historic fishermen’s net loft in Astoria created a sublime world in which the Leeward tide comes to life. |
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The Letter Writer |
Christian
Vuissa, USA, 11.5 min. Saturday, 10:00 pm, Bijou #1 |
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Sam writes a warm and compassionate letter with the fervor of a true master craftsman. 'The Letter Writer' captures the beauty of selfless service and love. | |
License To Play |
Ann Rose, USA,
40 min. Saturday, 12:00 pm, WOW Hall |
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LICENSE TO PLAY follows five clowns from around the U.S. as they struggle to keep their art alive. They converge every summer at a place called Moose Camp where they teach old circus gags to a range of students—from aspiring circus clowns to people just looking for an escape from their daily lives.
Moose Camp was founded in 1996. A year later Ringling Brothers closed the doors to its Clown College, which had been in operation for more than 30 years. As circus audiences dwindle and current children's entertainment comes in edgy, extreme doses, is there any place left for these simple characters? Their unwavering enthusiasm delivers the answer, and the camera is there to celebrate what pratfalls can do for the soul. |
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The Little Matchgirl |
Abby
Werman, USA , 6.5 min. Saturday, 2:30 pm, Bijou #1 |
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Hans Christian Andersen’s classic tale about a poor young girl whose burning desire to find comfort and happiness comes to life through the magic of rich hand-drawn Disney animation in this powerful and inventive short film directed by Roger Allers (“The Lion King”). Desperate to keep warm, the girl lights the matches she sells, and envisions a very different life for herself in the fiery flames filled with images of loving relatives, bountiful food, and a place to call home. Set to the music of composer Alexander Borodin’s String Quartet No. 2 in D Major (Third Movement: Noturno (Andante), in an exciting new recording by the six-time Grammy Award-winning Emerson String Quartet, the film tells a captivating and emotional tale. | |
Losing Toby |
Drew Lindo,
USA, 10 min. Saturday, 12:00 pm, WOW Hall |
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Steven, a sensitive soul recently dumped by his heartless ex, is shattered beyond repair. Not even his quirky coworker Alan seems able to raise his spirits.
Enter Toby, a downloadable desktop buddy like none other. An adorable pink panda bear with a sweet voice and a kind heart, Toby delights Steven with his jokes and fun factoids. As Steven and his favorite new program grow closer, an unhealthy bond begins to grow between them. Soon, Steven will see that the download may be free, but the price of love is far too high. |
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Mad Lane |
Eva Hassmann, USA, 15 min. Friday, 9:30, DIVA |
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"Mad Lane" tells the story of a young ambitious writer, Madeleine,and her struggle through different relationships to finally reach her place in life. A place that she would not have chosen beforehand but that she was lead to by following her principles. At the end Madeleine is homeless but happy in LA. | |
Mama Earth |
Leslie Bloom
Van Ee , USA, 90 min. Filmmaker attending Saturday, 2:30 pm, DIVA |
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MAMA EARTH is silent no more. The planet you live on speaks out. While experts offer solutions to the economic forces driving the sustainability movement, MAMA EARTH interlaces her eternal whimsy and wisdom into their thought provoking commentary, comedy, music and her love of the film medium. Prepare yourself for an experience that will compel you to reevaluate your relationship with Mama Earth and concepts that will prompt action. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll recycle. |
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Mating Season |
Anne
Awh, USA, 3 min. Filmmaker attending Sunday, 12:00 pm, Bijou #1 |
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Ah, Springtime, when Nature's Creatures perform their instinctual courtship rituals, guaranteeing continuation of their species. This works especially well if the creatures involved actually know how to perform their mating rituals, which the main character apparently does not. The male bird in this traditionally animated cartoon tries ever more desperately to attract the female with his awkward mating dances, as she sits in her nest (apparently) unimpressed. All this to the tune of a rousing Rossini overture. | |
Missing Pages (amended version) |
Jerome Olivier,
Japan, 24 min. Sunday, 12:00 pm, DIVA |
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The visuals are created entirely through still photos manipulated using 2D & 3D technology. The technique, dubbed Fotomation, is a truly unique visual experience. Story: The head engineer of a large research firm, Kiyoshi Tanokura, announces to an audience of journalists that they have developed a time machine. When one critic questions the moral implications of such an invention, Kiyoshi brushes off the question – moral problems belong to philosophers, not engineers. After returning home from work, a rebel group of time travelers appear and warn Kiyoshi his life is in danger. Before they can take him away, a wave of strange, ghost like men storm in. The rebels manage to escape, but a hot pursuit ensues as Kiyoshi & the rebels try to avoid capture and certain death by traveling through time & space. During their adventure, Kiyoshi learns how his invention has been twisted to serve the purpose of a small group bent on world domination. Along with the group of rebels, Kiyoshi must find a way to save himself and humanity from certain destruction. |
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Moongirl |
Helen Kalafatic, USA-PNW, 8.5 min. Saturday, 7:30 pm, Bijou #1 |
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One night, the moon goes out while Leon and his pet squirrel Earl are out fishing on the bayou. Cursing the darkness, the boy fishes on, only to snag a giant fish-of-stars that carries him and his pet to the moon where they meet Moongirl. Shy Leon can’t understand why he has to help this snappy, glow-eyed girl repair the moon or learn how to operate its controls. When the shape-shifting Gargaloon monster steals his bait jar, he and Earl skillfully win it back and discover their greater purpose in this mystical story. | |
Mysteries of Egypt |
Ed Capelle, USA, 45 min. Filmmaker attending Saturday, 7:00 pm, U of O PLC 180 |
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Well-known Egyptian actor Omar Sharif and the young British actress Kate Maberly are featured in the IMAX film. Sharif plays the role of a grandfather who takes his visiting granddaughter (Maberly) around the country to introduce her to the wonders of ancient Egypt. Re-enactments are used to illustrate such events as the building of pyramids, the reign of the pharaohs and the discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb. "Mysteries of Egypt" is a Co-production of National Geographic and Destination Cinema. |
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The Mystery of Kaspar Hauser |
Werner Hertzog, Germany, (1974) Friday, 6:00 pmU of O PLC 180 |
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There is an ominous, impressionistic cadence to Werner Herzog's The Mystery of Kaspar Hauser: an obscured man in a rowboat, a woman rubbing clothes against a washboard, the sound of warbled music from a warped phonograph record. A brief, incidental foreword chronicles Kaspar Hauser's mysterious appearance in a Nuremberg town square one Sunday morning in 1828: a young man who has spent his entire life locked in a cellar, devoid of any social or educational skills, cast onto the street... | |
The Nice Man Cometh |
Sunday, 9:30 am, DIVA |
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The Nice Man Cometh offers a unique look at the 2004 New Hampshire Presidential primary through the eyes of Lothar Patten, a formerly homeless man with the gift of gab and a heart of gold. The film follows Lothar as he follows eight Democratic Presidential candidates from the summer of 2003 through the New Hampshire primary in late February 2004. Along the way, Lothar asks the candidates about the issues – homelessness in particular – and he tries to get them to loosen up. Lothar also introduces viewers to several of his ghostly friends who just happen to have an interest in politics. Lothar connects with one of the candidates and eventually both Lothar and his otherworldly pals choose who they want to be President. | |
On Earth |
Phil Gerke, USA, 13 min. Filmmaker attending Saturday, 2:30 pm, Bijou #1 |
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Have you been searching for purpose in a cruel and faithless world? Does the prospect of living out your life in a meaningless circle of frustration and futility make you long for another way out? Well look no further because On Earth Ascensions has the answers you’ve been longing for. Finalist of the 2005 National Film Challenge. Written, shot, scored and edited over a single weekend. Shot in Eugene with an all local cast and crew. | |
Pat Gets a Cat |
Adam Bertocci, USA, 11 min. Saturday, 5:00 pm, DIVA |
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Patrick Levin has always been lonesome, but he resolves to better his situation and find companionship. So he winds up at the animal shelter, adopting his very own furry friend—an adorable kitty named Princess! But that very same day, he meets a beautiful young lady. Suddenly every time he looks at Princess, he sees the mystery girl. She meows, she sheds, she purrs, she doesn’t play fetch. Pat improves his social skills taking care of his new cat—but will he ever figure out how to actually see her as a cat again? And what if the only way to break the spell means approaching that one special girl... and telling her how he feels? |
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People Will Sleep |
Saturday, 10:00 pm, Bijou #1 |
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A homeless vagabond starts his day colliding with some opportune luck. He proceeds through his day constantly making ill fated decisions. As he flutters through his solem life he happens upon a catalyst which could either bring him new means or cast him into oblivion. He has an inner battle of integrity and decides to succumb to his wants. Where this takes him, only the film will show. | |
Perils in Nude Modeling |
Scott
Rice, USA, 10 min. Saturday, 12:00 pm, WOW Hall |
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For lonely souls like Ted Minor, a shot with a beautiful woman is a once-in-a-lifetime event. So when the nude model at the center of his old-school art professor's studio transforms from a lifeless statue to a flesh and blood temptress, Ted finds himself at a terrible crossroads between a lifelong ambition and a taboo kiss with the woman of his dreams. | |
Pillowfight |
Scott
Rice, USA, 4 min. Saturday, 10:30 am, WOW Hall |
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Pillowfight is an adorable comedy about the battles sleeping couples wage in bed. From snoring to stolen sheets, this film offers a humorous role reversal in the ongoing struggle between man and wife for peace and quiet. | |
A Place To Belong: The Zellers Family Story of International Adoption |
Carly
Sertic, USA-PNW, 10 min. Filmmaker attending Sunday, 9:30 am, DIVA |
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A couple from rural Oregon felt unfulfilled and wanted to open their hearts and home to more children. Thus, they adopted three little girls with special needs from India over a period of five years. With each child came new challenges to overcome: surgeries for a cleft palate, emotional issues, learning disabilities and bonding issues. However, the Zellers family does not see these challenges as tragedies, but rather as characteristics that bind them together as a family. Because of this Oregonian couple, the futures of three little girls were transformed from bleak to bright. The girls are now strong individuals, ready to share their Indian culture with their community. |
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Queen of the Mountain |
Martha Goell Lubell, 56 min. Sunday, 12:00 pm, Bijou #1 |
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Theresa Goell started her career with four strikes against her: she was a female, divorced, a Jew working with Muslims and hearing impaired. But that didn't deter her. Born in 1901, she could have had a comfortable life as the wife of a prominent Brooklyn lawyer but she felt: “as good as dead in Brooklyn.” Instead she became an archaeologist at Nemrud Dagh, an isolated mountaintop in Southeastern Turkey, where she excavated a colossal monument to a powerful king who lived a century before Christ. Her work attracted the attention of the world press. Working with Kurdish men, she was regarded as both an authority and mother figure. She was “queen of the mountain” and found her spiritual home thousands of miles from Brooklyn. |
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Red Toothbrush |
Eric
Mason, USA-PNW, 11 min. Friday, 9:30, DIVA |
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When a clean freak mom and a careless kid share the same toothbrush it's bound to cause problems. But in this case, there are only more questions, and an ending you'll never be able to guess at. This is a story about miscommunication at its very best. But in the scheme of things, life goes on, and sometimes despite our best intentions. | |
Repetition |
Dirk Wallace, USA-PNW, 12 min. Saturday, 2:30 pm, Bijou #1 |
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Sean lives in a world of art and solitude, broken only by his longing for love. When Liz follows him home in the hopes of entering his world, she find he is unable to overcome his need for repetition. | |
Ride of the Mergansers |
Saturday, 12:00 pm, Bijou #1 |
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The Hooded Merganser is a rare and reclusive duck found only in North America. Every spring, in the Great Lakes region, the wary hen lays and incubates her eggs in a nest high in the trees. Just 24 hours after hatching, the tiny ducklings must make the perilous leap to the ground below to begin life in the wild. In 'Ride of the Mergansers,' this drama, rarely observed by humans, is brought to the screen in a heartwarming blend of natural history, humor, and suspense. You'll be entertained, educated, and inspired - and leave with a newfound appreciation of the phrase 'leap of faith.' | |
Santa's Camels |
Pam
Gray, USA, 6 min. Filmmaker attending Saturday, 2:30 pm, DIVA |
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A 3D animated holiday cartoon short starring Santa, his Reindeer, and introducing 'The Camels'. Without these trusty lads help, Santa could never have made it through a raging sandstorm to deliver his packages to the children in the Middle East. | |
Scapegoats |
Jesse Lawler,
USA, 10 min. Saturday, 10:30 am, WOW Hall |
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In a quiet town... On a quiet street... In your quiet apartment... Four Roommates. One Femme Fatale. One Gratuitous Hot Chick. And a Cat. Apologies turn to LIES! The kitchen turns to a BATTLEFIELD! Bad excuses, flying cream pies, oven-baked pudding, and slapping fish... What would it take to KILL YOUR ROOMMATE? |
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Seasons |
Jim Tavernetti, USA, 5 min. Filmmaker attending Saturday, 2:30 pm, DIVA |
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Seasons set out to create a claymation-like atmosphere within a computer generated 3D environment. Seasons was designed to look more like a moving painting rather than a defined, realistic environment.
This is an animation about the cycles of seasons, relationships, and life. |
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Selling Louie's Village: Without Breaking the YOLK |
Jason Mak, USA Sunday, 12:00 pm, Bijou #1 |
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Selling Louie’s Village (Without Breaking the Yolk) is a documentary film that focuses on one of the oldest Chinese restaurants in a predominately white Oregon town that sells “inauthentic” Chinese food. On the outside, the exterior lives up to its orientalist sensibilities, while on the inside it shelters an immigrant family from the subtle racism of the outside world. As the interviewees start telling their stories, it starts to become apparent to the viewer that selling “inauthentic” Chinese food that panders to the tastes of Caucasians was never an issue of representation; rather it was an issue of survival of family in a strange land. |
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Sierra Club Chronicles: The Day the Water Died |
Adrienne
Bramhall , USA, 28.5 Saturday, 12:00 pm, DIVA |
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IN THE PLANETARY STRUGGLE TO PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT, WE OFTEN FORGET THAT THIS IS A WAR WAGED EVERYDAY ON NEIGHBORHOOD STREETS, FISHING BOATS AND FIREHOUSES BY PEOPLE FIGHTING TO PROTECT THEIR HOMES, THEIR HEALTH AND JOBS. Sierra Club Chronicles is a monthly TV series capturing seven David vs. Goliath stories: the dramatic efforts of committed individuals across the country working to protect the health of their environment and communities. The series is hosted by Daryl Hannah. Sierra Club Chronicles is produced by award-winning producer Robert Greenwald’s Brave New Films (“Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price,” “Outfoxed”) in Association with Sierra Club Productions. WWW.SIERRACLUBTV.ORG. |
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The Sink Interview |
Brian Kerr, USA, 4 min. Sunday, 12:00 pm, Bijou #1 |
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| If your bathroom sink could talk, what would it say? Find out what producer Brian Kerr's had to say. It's not the slightest bit draining. | ||
Snow Petals |
Saturday, 10:00 pm, Bijou #1 |
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Snow Petals uses a unique narrative structure to tell the story of two star crossed soul mates. Alicia and Edward have come to realize they are two halves of the same soul, but are separated by age and Edward's growing memory loss. However, Alicia has a dream that inspires Edward to take action in an attempt to unite their souls by fording the river between life and death. The film is presented in a split screen where one timeline plays against itself like a candle being burned at both ends. Shot in Northern Michigan, Snow Petals presents nature as a character as well as a setting and is supported by an original and haunting score. Snow Petals is an unforgettable film for the spiritually minded. | |
Tao of Pong |
Eli Craig,
USA, 21.5 min. Saturday, 12:00 pm, Bijou #1 |
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From first time Writer/Director Elijah Craig, comes this off-beat, hilarious, philosophical short comedy about an ex-ping-pong prodigy, Hank Houska (Paulo Costanzo) and his quest to defeat his old nemesis, Maurice (Jake Busey). Before Hank can beat Maurice, he must learn the teachings of pong-shaman, Lao Tzu (Keone Young), let go of his past, and embrace the NOW! In the process of training, Hank discovers something even better than a wicked backhand … his destiny. | |
The Trial of Jack |
Shari Berman, USA,
9 min. Friday, 9:30, DIVA |
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The 'Trial of Jack' is from an imagined era of film history. It combines the style of the Expressionists of the late 1920s with the technology of the late 1950s to create '3-D Expressionism.'
This motion picture is a 'just-so' story about a Jack-in-the-box in which a doll named Jack believes his stardom puts him above the law. However, the other toys in the playroom have different ideas. 'The Trial of Jack' serves as an allegory of the times; it reminds us of the way things are 'supposed' to be as opposed to how they often are in today's society. |
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Trout Grass |
Josh Moro
, USA-PNW, 49 min. Filmmaker attending Friday, 8:00 pm, DIVA |
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This enchanting film, written and narrated by David James Duncan (author of 'The River Why') begins in a remote village in China with the intricate process of selecting bamboo specifically suited to building fly rods. As the story unfolds, 'Trout Grass' follows a piece of bamboo through the hands of a master rod maker who feels 'the power of unseen hands' assisting his work. For centuries, bamboo has provided raw material for buildings, inspiration for poets and sages and products as diverse as broom handles to the filament in Edison's light bulb. It remains one of the Earth's most renewable and useful natural resources. The allure of this magical grass from the East continues as the plant is transformed on the rivers of the West. |
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The Tulpa |
Elizabeth Becker, USA, 15 min.
Filmmaker attending Sunday, 12:00 pm, DIVA |
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A headstrong female reporter interviews a young Tibetan Monk who claims that he has the ability to manifest physical objects from the depths of his mind. | |
TWENTY |
Sue Turner-Cray,
USA, 7 min. Saturday, 1:00 pm, U of O PLC 180, |
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'Twenty' is a music video which follows the return of a soldier form Iraq, however as the story unfolds it reveals a very different conclusion. Multiple Grammy award winning artist Robert Cray, teamed up with director Sue Turner-Cray and the touring exhibit 'Eyes Wide Open', along with consientious objector to the Iraq war Aidan Delgado who served in Iraq for a year and a half. Together they have made a very powerful music video. |
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Two Harbors |
James
Vculek, USA, 75 min. Filmmaker attending Saturday, 5:00 pm, Bijou #1 |
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Vic's days are filled with selling sci-fi collectibles, harassing his fellow antique dealers, and trying to communicate with extraterrestrials. The latter activity is singularly unsuccessful until the day he meets a mysterious young woman, Cassie. Vic becomes convinced that extraterrestrials are keenly interested in Cassie, and he sets out to prove it, with shocking results. Based on a true story. |
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Valour |
John Vaughan, Ireland, 17.5 min. Saturday, 1:00 pm, U of O PLC 180, |
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Valour tells the tale of Corporal Byrne the sole Survivor of a failed allied Assault during the First World War as he relates his story to his commanding officer on what happened on the Battlefield that day. But what he claims Happened and what really Happened are two completely different stories! |
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The Vault |
Nick Yorkan, USA, 7 min. Filmmaker attending Sunday, 12:00 pm, Bijou #1 |
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Numbskull mobsters learn about a heist in Hollywood. "The Vault" is part of the Hotel Shorts project. |
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Visioning Tibet |
Isaac Solotaroff,
USA, 56 min. Saturday, 12:00 pm, Bijou #1 |
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VISIONING TIBET chronicles the passion of ophthalmologist Marc Lieberman, founder of the Tibet Vision Project. His mission: to end preventable blindness in Tibet — which has the highest rate of untreated cataract blindness in the world — by 2020. Bringing light where there was once darkness, Lieberman’s work has been recognized by the American Academy of Ophthalmology, which named him 2003 Humanitarian of the Year. The film is built around the stories of two of Tibetans — Karma (a farmer from a small village in Northern Tibet) and Lhasang (patriarch of a nomadic family from the Tibetan plains) — who make the arduous journey to a remote clinic in the hopes of having their sight restored by Tibetan doctors trained by Lieberman. | |
Wall Rats |
Steve Edwards, USA, 59 min.
Filmmaker attending Friday, 9:30, DIVA |
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Tori Allen, 13, and Scott Cory, 11, are sport climbers who've excelled at international competitions. Speed climber Hans Florine thinks that their small stature might allow his team to make the coveted second free ascent of the Nose, a famous line shooting 3,000' up Yosemite Valley's El Capitan.
However, neither Allen or Cory have much outdoor climbing experience or have ever been more than 100' off the ground. How they'll respond to a multi-day adventure up a 3,000 foot wall is anybody's guess, not to mention no one that young has ever been up El Capitan. With very little planning, they embark on a 5-day adventure into history. |
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The Water's Edge |
Marshall
Frech, US,A 56 min. Filmmaker attending Saturday, 5:00 pm, DIVA |
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"The Water's Edge" is a critical look at the growing catastrophe of floods in this country. Using a dramatic parable from Central Texas, this movie uncovers the profiteering and neglect that ensure increasing devastation to come.
We follow five families who rebuild after a dramatic 1998 Central Texas flood. Their compelling stories of loss and determination unfold amidst stunning footage. We see how even in "the most flash-flood prone area in North America," bankers and builders continue to profit with more people in harm's way. Our lead scientist offers a disturbing prediction five weeks before Hurricane Katrina. Then, back in Central Texas, upstream of newly rebuilt homes, an even larger storm looms. |
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Wedding Day |
Cori Stoddard, USA, 7 min. Filmmaker attending Sunday, 12:00 pm, Bijou #1 |
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| A young man from a wealthy family decides to break free and elope with his fiancee. He says a last goodbye to his pre-occupied mother. | ||
The White Gloves |
Jane Turville, USA-PNW, 27 min. Filmmaker attending Saturday, 2:30 pm, Bijou #1 |
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Julie Simpson is stuck. Her love affair with her boss, Simon Bloc, is over yet she still can't bring herself to say good-bye. Then, while house-sitting for Simon and his wife, Julie spies an elderly man taking a shovel from the garden shed. As she confronts the man, Julie embarks on a journey that will reveal to her the true of love and change her life forever. | |
The White Diamond |
Werner Herzog, Germany, 90 min. Friday, 6:00 pm, U of O PLC 180 |
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Werner Herzog has for years examined risk-taking individuals. He has also emerged as a green prophet of our time, fascinated by the beauty of the world, even as it appears to be vanishing.
These two themes come together in The White Diamond, a film about the building and operation by a British engineer of a miniature helium balloon capable of hugging the treetops of the rain forest. Its pilot and passenger can peer down into the complexity of life beneath. But this is Werner Herzog - and there is a plot and extensive back-story. |
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Winter |
Andy Collen, USA, 6 min. Filmmakers
attending Saturday, 5:00 pm, Bijou #1 |
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The story is set in the late 1800's rural countryside during the dead of winter. A little girl lives with her ailing mother and their scruffy dog in a large Gothic style mansion. One day she bundles up, tucks an orange in her pocket and goes for a walk with her dog. During her outing, several things happen that test her ability to endure. This gentle drama reminds us that during hardship, human nature will rise to the occasion and give us the strength that is asked of us. | |
About the "Hotel Shorts"Hotel Shorts is the first collaborative production project of Oregon Screenwriters, a local screenwriting group. These short films have different actors, different writers, different directors, but all have one common thread: the story of each happened in the same hotel room, for which the Valley River Inn graciously volunteered a room for filming. With the aid of numerous volunteer local production companies, volunteer actors, editors, grips, and even the local Community Television studio, the completed Hotel Shorts will be showing at noon on Sunday at Bijou #1. |
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