35 Shots of Rum

Director: Claire Denis
Runtime: 102:00 mins
Country: France

Synopsis: Lionel, a metro conductor, lives with his daughter Josephine, a beautiful university student, in a bustling apartment complex outside Paris. They have been sharing the same space for many years and have grown accustomed to one another’s company. Lately, Josephine has started spending time with Noé, a handsome young neighbor, while Lionel is finding himself drawn into a romance with Gabrielle, a close friend who also lives in the building. As their lives are pulled in different directions, father and daughter realize they must finally confront an aspect of their past in order to embrace their own destinies.

Director Claire Denis
Claire Denis was born in 1946 in Paris. Graduate from IDHEC (La Fémis), she worked as an assistant for directors such as Jacques Rivette, Jim Jarmush and Wim Wenders.

9500 Liberty

Dir. Eric Byler and Annabel Park
Runtime: 81 mins
Country: US

*There will be a panel discussion following this film. Cast and crewmembers of this film will be in attendance as well as members of the community for the panel.

Synopsis: Prince William County, Virginia becomes ground zero in America’s explosive battle over immigration policy when elected officials adopt a law requiring police officers to question anyone they have "probable cause" to suspect is an undocumented immigrant.
9500 Liberty reveals the startling vulnerability of a local government, targeted by national anti-immigration networks using the Internet to frighten and intimidate lawmakers and citizens. Alarmed by a climate of fear and racial division, residents form a resistance using YouTube videos and virtual townhalls, setting up a real-life showdown in the seat of county government.
The devastating social and economic impact of the “Immigration Resolution” is felt in the lives of real people in homes and in local businesses. But the ferocious fight to adopt and then reverse this policy unfolds inside government chambers, on the streets, and on the Internet. 9500 Liberty provides a front row seat to all three battlegrounds.

Barking Water

Dir. Sterlin Harjo
Runtime: 85:00 mins
Country: US (Seminole & Creek Nations)

Synopsis:
Before Oklahoma was a red state, it was known as the Land of the Red People, described by the Choctaw phrase Okla Humma. In his sophomore film, Sterlin Harjo takes viewers on a road trip through his own personal Oklahoma, which includes an eclectic mix of humanity.
Irene and Frankie have a difficult past, but Frankie needs Irene to help him with one task. He needs to get out of the hospital and go home to his daughter and new grandbaby to make amends. Irene had been his one, true, on-again, off-again love until they parted ways for good. But to make up for the past, Irene agrees to help him.With steady and graceful performances by Richard Ray Whitman as Frankie and Casey Camp-Horinek as Irene, this story takes viewers for a ride in the backseat of Frankie and Irene’s Indian car, listening to their past and the rhythmic soundtrack that sets the beat for a redemptive road journey. In this sparingly sentimental and achingly poignant film, Harjo claims his place as one of the most truthful and honest voices working in American cinema today. Barking Water is an expression of gratitude for the ability to have lived and loved.

The Blair Witch Project – The Original Cut

Dir:  Daniel Myrick, Eduardo Sánchez
Runtime: 86 min
Country: USA

Synopsis: Director Eduardo Sánchez will be on hand to present the original cut of this blockbuster film.  Made for $30,000, the film made the festival circuit for months until its 1999 Sundance Festival presentation when it was picked up by Artisan Entertainment. Set, and largely filmed, in Frederick, the movie tells two tales: the first of a local legend involving a witch linked to a broad range of nastiness over the last 200 years. The second story is the fate of the student film crew who goes out to investigate the legend in 1994 and have been missing in the woods of Frederick county since that time.

The version of the film screened here is the version of the film that was originally screened at Sundance and that was purchased by the studio. It was subsequently further edited – some scenes removed, some added – and that version was the general release familiar to fans. This is a rare opportunity to see the film in its original form.

Burma VJ

Dir. Anders Østergaard
Runtime: 84:00 mins
Country: Denmark

Synopsis: Anders Østergaard’s award-winning documentary shows a rare inside look into the 2007 uprising in Myanmar through the cameras of the independent journalist group, Democratic Voice of Burma.

While 100,000 people (including 1,000s of Buddhist monks) took to the streets to protest the country's repressive regime that has held them hostage for over 40 years, foreign news crews were banned to enter and the Internet was shut down. The Democratic Voice of Burma, a collective of 30 anonymous and underground video journalists (VJs) recorded these historic and dramatic events on handycams and smuggled the footage out of the country, where it was broadcast worldwide via satellite. Risking torture and life imprisonment, the VJs vividly document the brutal clashes with the military and undercover police – even after they themselves become targets of the authorities. Nominated for a 2010 Academy Award – Best Documentary.

The Exploding Girl

Dir. Bradley Rust Gray
Runtime: 80:00 min
Country: USA

Synopsis: When twenty-year-old Ivy heads home Spring Break with a fresh romance in her heart, everything seems to be going perfectly. When her best friend Al finds himself without lodgings, Ivy and her mother take him in and Ivy and Al's friendship strengthens while her boyfriend grows more distant from afar. Increasingly distressed about her conflicting feelings, Ivy must stay resilient in the face of her epilepsy, lest her emotions become something she can't control. Marking Zoe Kazan's first leading role, Bradley Rust Gray's film is a meditative and realistic portrait of a young girl coming of age and finding a deeper kind of love in New York City.

Director Bradley Rust Gray:Gray is a Fulbright scholar who has received graduate degrees from both USC and the British Film Instittute in London. Gray's first narrative feature, SALT, was filmed in Iceland and won the Caligari Film Prize for Innovative Filmmaking in Berlin in 2003. It was selected for over 20 international film festivals and won three more international awards. The film was released on Sundance Channel in the US. Gray's short film HITCH won an award at Sundance in 2000 and was selected as one of the "Best Films of the Year"in film comment.

Kisses

Director: Lance Daly
Runtime: 72:00 mins
Country: Ireland

Synopsis: On the fringes of Dublin two kids, Kylie and Dylan, live in a suburban housing estate devoid of life, colour and the prospect of escape. After a violent altercation with his father, Dylan runs away from home and Kylie decides to run away with him. Together they make their way to the magical night time lights of inner city Dublin, to search for Dylan's brother. Lance Daly's vision of Dublin, as seen through the innocent eyes of our protagonists, is a kaleidoscope of magic, wonder and mystery. But as the night wears on, and Dublin takes on a darker character, the two kids have to rely on the kindness of strangers, the advice of Bob Dylan and their trust in each other to survive the night.

Director Lance Daly
Lance wrote and directed his first feature film, Last Days in Dublin, in 1999 with a shoestring budget on the streets of Dublin, Paris, New York and Cairo. Following the release of Last Days in Dublin, Lance immediately shot his second film, The Halo Effect. It was shot on 35mm and starred many celebrated Irish actors. The Halo Effect was selected for the closing gala of the Dublin International Film Festival in 2004. It was nominated for five Irish Film and Television Academy awards, including Best Script.

Local Hero

Director: Bill Forsyth
Runtime: 111 mins
Country: USA

In honor of Peter Riegert’s visit to this year’s Frederick Film Festival we wanted to highlight some of his earlier work. This is Peter’s favorite work so we’re happy to present this wonderful gem of a movie to the Frederick audience.

Synopsis: The film, co-starring Burt Lancaster, tells the story of Mac, played by Peter Riegert, and his task of buying a Scottish fishing village for an oil company to establish a new refinery there. Of course, nothing is as simple as that, and Mac eventually discovers the reasons the task is proving more difficult than originally anticipated.

Secret of Kells

Dir. Tomm Moore
Runtime: 75:00 mins
Country: Ireland/France/Belgium

Synopsis: A new animated masterpiece from the producers of Kirikou and the Sorceress and Triplets of Belleville! Magic, fantasy and Celtic mythology come together in a riot of color and detail that dazzle the eyes in this sweeping story about the power of imagination and faith to carry humanity through dark times. Features the voices of Brendan Gleeson (Harry Potter, In Bruges), Mick Lally, Evan McGuire and Christen Mooney.

Young Brendan lives in a remote medieval outpost under siege from barbarian raids. But a new life of adventure beckons when a celebrated master illuminator arrives from foreign lands carrying an ancient but unfinished book, brimming with secret wisdom and powers. To help complete the magical book, Brendan has to overcome his deepest fears on a dangerous quest that takes him into the enchanted forest where mythical creatures hide. It is here that he meets the fairy Aisling, a mysterious young wolf-girl, who helps him along the way. But with the barbarians closing in, will Brendan's determination and artistic vision illuminate the darkness and show that enlightenment is the best fortification against evil? Nominated for a 2010 Academy Award – Best Animated Feature

Terribly Happy

Director: Henrik Ruben Genz
Runtime: 102:00 min
Country: Denmark

Synopsis: Robert Hanson (Jakob Cedergren) is a Copenhagen police officer who, following a nervous breakdown, is transferred to a small provincial town to take on the mysteriously vacated Marshall position and subsequently gets mixed up with a married femme fatale. Robert’s big city temperament makes it impossible for him to fit in, or understand the uncivilized, bizarre behavior displayed by the townspeople. Quickly spiraling downward into an intense fable reminiscent of the Coen Brothers’ BLOOD SIMPLE and NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN, TERRIBLY HAPPY displays a unique, often macabre vision of the darkest depths to which people will go to achieve a sense of security and belonging.

Director Henrik Ruben Genz: Born in 1959, Henrik Ruben Genz is a Graduate of the National Film School of Denmark (1995). He received the Best Film and Script Awards for his graduation film CROSS ROADS at the Film School Festival in Munich. His short fiction film TEIS & NICO (1998), a festival hit worldwide, received the Crystal Bear in Berlin and an Academy Award® nomination. Has directed a number of TV series. TERRIBLY HAPPY is Genz' 3rd feature film

Tony Manero

Dir. Pablo Larrain
Runtime: 98:00 mins
Country: Chile/Brazil

Official Selection: Cannes Film Festival (Directors’ Fortnight), New York Film Festival

Synopsis: As Augusto Pinochet holds Chile in the grip of dictatorship, a fifty year old man obsessed with John Travolta’s character from Saturday Night Fever imitates his idol each weekend in a small bar on the outskirts of Santiago. Every weekend, Raúl Peralta and his friends, a devoted group of dancers, gather in a small bar and act out their favorite scenes from the film. Raúl longs to become a showbiz superstar, and when the national television announces a Tony Manero impersonation contest it seems as though he may finally have a shot at living his dreams. But as Raúl is driven to commit a series of crimes and thefts in order to reproduce his matinee idol’s persona, his dancing partners (also underground resistance fighters who rail against the regime) are persecuted by the secret police.

Who Killed Chea Vichea?

Dir. Bradley Cox
Runtime: 60 mins
Country: US

*There will be a panel discussion following this film. Crewmembers of this film will be in attendance as well as members of the community for the panel.

Synopsis: In 1999, Cambodian garment workers demanding decent wages and working conditions found their leader in Chea Vichea. As president of Cambodia’s free trade union, he stood with them despite beatings and death threats, until one morning in 2004 when 3 bullets silenced him forever. Under intense international pressure, the police arrested two men and extracted a confession. They were sentenced to 20 years each. But did they have anything to do with the crime? What seems at first to be justice done starts to look like a frame-up. And the implications reach far beyond the police station and the courtroom: to the headquarters of the ruling party and to the garment trade that is Cambodia’s economic lifeblood.
Director: Bradley Cox shot Who Killed Chea Vichea? over four years, covering events as they happened and tracking down witnesses in a country where knowing too much can cost you your life. Who Killed Chea Vichea? is a highly charged murder mystery, a political thriller, and a documentary like no other.

Selections from 2009 72 Film Fest

Please click here for complete listing of films shown and more infomation!

The Frederick Film Festival is once again proud to screen a selection of
the 2009 72 Film Fest winners and finalists. Come join the festival
organizers and filmmakers at 2pm on Saturday at the Cultural Arts Center.

72 Fest is a performing arts organization, which is headquarted in
Frederick, MD and provides an outlet for artists to develop new, original works within a 72-hour period of time within the direction of a team-based competition. 72 Film Fest is the organization’s flagship event happening every October.

Broken Road

Dir. Brodie Rocca
Runtime: 14:00 mins
Country: Australia

Synopsis: David Morton wasn't prepared for the breakdown of his marriage. He wasn't ready when his wife abandoned him and their two young daughters. But when he journeys into the harsh Australian desert, David soon discovers just how ill-equipped he is for life as a single parent. In an attempt to keep his family from crumbling completely and win back the love and trust of his daughters, who resent him for the departure of their mother, David embarks on a trip to the outback. He and his daughters travel deep into the remote wilderness. When their station wagon blows a tyre, their trip is brought to a sudden halt. David quickly realises that they have no spare, and with no cellphone signal or person for miles, the truly dangerous nature of their predicament emerges. The family is forced to camp in the outback. Through the harsh desert sun and the cold, windy night, the strain and despair surrounding the separation begin to surface. The anguish between David and his daughters finally erupts in a heartbreaking confrontation, wherein David finally learns of the suffering that his children have also endured due to their mother leaving. The family are forced to show their true emotions and deal with their loss, all the while attempting to escape the Australian outback and return home safely.

Chicory ‘n’ Coffee (Cikorja an' Kafe)

Dir: Dušan Kastelic
Runtime: 8:17 min
Country: Slovenia

Synopsis: The brilliantly animated story, based on a Slovenian folk tale, tells the touching tale of a simple peasant couple from their marriage to their deaths. The wife has been making chicory for her ruffian husband instead of real coffee every morning for all their lives. He never caught on to the deception because for him the slush tasted better than the best coffee. He never realized, until she was gone, it was her love for him…and his for her…that made it so.

Director Dušan Kastelic
Born in 1964 in small mining town, Trbovlje, in the middle of Slovenia, Dusan studied Geography and Arts. After graduating, he was a teacher before finding a freelance job as a Graphics Designer and Illustrator. In recent years his primary focus has been working mostly in multimedia, Internet, and programming (mostly games) and establishing his BugBrain Studios as a player in the field of animation.

The Cool Minors

Dir. Matt Rybczynski
Runtime: 8:10 mins
Country: US (Maryland)

Some cast and crewmembers of this film will be in attendance.
Synopsis: 20 years after their hit single, "Gotta Leave in a Minute," Baltimore's favorite boy-band, The Cool Minors, are back. Part Spinal Tap, part New Kids, The Cool Minors follows the group and their biggest fans as they prepare for their first big reunion gig. Directed by Matt Rybczynski. Written by Jamie Nash. Starring: Ken Arnold, Irv Becker, Dan Franko, Joe Hansard, and Matt Ryb

Les Anges Déchets (Garbage Angels)

Dir. Pierre Trudeau
Runtime: 5:30 min
Country: Canada

SYNOPSIS: In this animated delight, odd life forms tell their tale of our society where everything seems to be disposable. A can falls, pushed by the wind. Movement creates life. The first spark of life: A guitar, struck by the can, awakes and becomes aware of the surrounding world. A succession of chapters illustrates life growing in this dump. The death of the guitar seals the membership of the objects to a social group. It integrates the ceremony of funerals in the evolution of this society. At this time, objects are ready to take part in the construction of a new world.

Director Pierre Trudeau:Pierre M. Trudeau studied film animation at Concordia University in Montreal. He founded Cine-Clic to produce public interest advertising and has directed many animated shorts. After winning the 1986-1987 Cinéaste recherché(e) competition, he made Kid Stuff (1990), which revealed his talent for designing 3D puppets from construction paper. Since then he has made more fantastic films using puppet animation including Garbage Angels.

He Drove

Dir. Cucillo Consad
Runtime: 8:10 mins
Country: US (Maryland)

Some cast and crewmembers of this film will be in attendance.

Synopsis: From Maryland’s own Doblers Pen Productions, He Drove tells
the story about the morning after a one-night stand, and two people...and some of their closest 'friends'...getting to know each other, after they've gotten to 'know' each other. Directed by Cucillo Consad. Written by Chris Mueller. Starring: Matt Mickelson, Kasandra Bibaz, Ken Arnold, Dan Franko, Krysta Huxford, Rick Kain, Momo Nokamura, Jennifer Robers, Matt Ryb and Towanda Underdue

Le Hobby (The Hobby)

Dir. Nicolas Zappi
Runtime: 15:00 mins
Country: France

Synopsis: As soon as his first day of training to be a mortician is complete, Vincent quit the job. Overwhelmed by the sophisticated techniques used on the dead bodies, not to mention the strange methods of his boss, he felt it was more than he could take. Running as far away with his pay for the day, Vincent encounters an angel: Iris, a young prostitute. After touching death all day, and disturbed from it, he’ll touch life. More than a sexual affair, the meeting is an immediate and reciprocal love at first sight. To maintain the love story, Vincent makes a decision based on the belief that without love, life isn’t worth living.

The Lunch Box

Dir: Lubomir Mihailo Kocka
Runtime: 35:00 min
Country: Slovakia

Synopsis: In the life of an older man, routine helps him get through the day. Jozef is used to his daily routine: wake up, go to the factory, eat lunch. Every day looks the same. His life is measured by his perfunctory work, the rhythm of the day, and his regular habits. His wife Ruzena packs his lunch in his lunch box, gives him a clean shirt, and sends him off to work, just as she has done for many years. One day, however, when his wife suffers a stroke, his system collapses. For the first time in his life, Jozef has to take care of not only himself but also his wife. Now nothing will be the same.

Director Lubomir Mihailo Kocka:Lubomir Mihailo Kocka was born in Slovakia, but moved to the USA at an early age. The Lunch Box is Kocka's second independent film. His first short, The Honest Shepherd, played the festival circuit and earned him the Best Young Filmmaker award at the 2008 Tupelo Film Festival in Mississippi for his original production. As an actor, Lubomir took top honors for his outstanding performance of Michael in William Butler Yeats' Kathleen Ni Houlihan, and received the "Best Actor" award. Lubomir has also been recognized for his artistic talent as a photographer. His affiliation with a professional gallery has provided him with a positive exhibition experience and adds to his diverse creative portfolio.

Mouse Eye View

Dir. Connectivity Group Productions (Mica Hemmingway)
Runtime: 6:33 mins
Country: US

Synopsis: Mouse Eye View by Connectivity Group Productions was created for the 2009 Frederick 72 hour film festival.  The film won "Best of the Fest" and "Best Actor".  It was written and directed by Mica Hemmingway, the DP was John Saunders, and the audio was done by Alan Saunders.  The whole project was written, shot, edited and submitted in 72 hours.

Oscar and Jim

Dir. Iain Weatherby
Runtime: 28:00 mins
Country: UK

Synopsis: Emma and Gerry are on a romantic city break/dirty weekend in Paris. Last stop on the tourist trail is the Pere Lachaise cemetery, where the illustrious dead lie round. He wants to see the grave of Jim Morrison. She wants to find the tomb of Oscar Wilde. Their Eurostar leaves in two hours. It's the end of their first weekend away together. But will it be their last? Filmmaker Notes: Scriptwriter Iain Weatherby formed Anchovy Pictures (a small fish in a big pond) to make the film on a 'micro-budget'. Shot on location over 3 days in Pere Lachaise cemetery in Paris and on Eurostar. Edited on Final Cut Pro. First executive producers' screenings at London's Curzon Soho and the Hall & Woodhouse brewery, Blandford Forum, April 2009. Full blog and production pics on the official website.

ParaAbnormal

Dir. Eduardo Sanchez, Jamie Nash
Runtime: 20 mins
Country: US

Synopsis: Eduardo Sanchez (Blair Witch Project) is co-directing a new web series along with writer Jamie Nash (Seventh Moon, Altered).

The truth might be out there, but they'll never find it.

ParaAbnormal--Losers by day--ghost hunters by night. From the garage of his disapproving mother's home, soldier of all that is good, Ken Livingston, leads a team of supernatural investigators in a search for truth, justice and poltergeists. In each episode, our heroes confront paraabnormalities that no other Supernatural Sleuths would dare  -- busting ghosts caught on sex tapes, braving motel rooms that kill(and have no cable or turn down service), and seducing skanky succubuses. They are not normal...they are paraabnormal.

O Pintor de Ceos (The Painter of Skies)

Dir. Jorge Morais Valle
Runtime: 20:00 mins
Country: Spain

Synopsis: From the darkness of the lost cliffs, a crazy painter, marked by his past, and his faithul assistant try to find a solution against perpetual storms. The sea is destroying their home…and their sanity. A magic boiler and some tormented ghosts will help them to find the light. Hauntingly beautiful animation.

Filmmaker Notes: Jorge Morais Valle was born in Vigo (Galicia) a morning of October of 1981, and all his childhood years were marked by his boundless imagination, the drawing, and a surprising admiration for the science- fiction cinema. After finalizing his first courses of art, his fascination by photography and his enthusiasm for the world of the art led him to study at the school of Beautiful Arts and specialize in design and animation. Jorge was studying photography and realization while working as freelancer in several projects and commercials. In 2007, he completed a master's degree in animation in the city of Coruna and after his studies he embarked on an ambitious project of animation. The short film The Painter of Skies is his first animation.

Porque Hay Cosas que Nunca Se Olvidan

Dir. Lucas Figueroa
Runtime: 12:00 mins
Country: Argentina

Synopsis: Will four young friends ever get back their soccer ball after it inadvertently lands in the mean old lady’s yard. More than that, will their revenge be as sweet as it was originally imagined? Beautifully filmed and wonderfully (if a bit darkly) funny.

The Response

Dir. Adam Rodgers
Runtime: 30:00 mins
Country: US

Synopsis:THE RESPONSE is a courtroom drama based on the actual transcripts of the Guantanamo Bay military tribunals [officially known as the Combatant Status Review Tribunals, or CSRTs]. The film, in the vein of Twelve Angry Men, explores the trial of a suspected enemy combatant and the three military judges who must decide the fate of this Middle Eastern detainee. Is he an enemy combatant, guilty of providing material support to Al Qaeda and responsible for the deaths of several American soldiers? Or is he an innocent victim of circumstances as he claims?

THE RESPONSE was researched and fully vetted in conjunction with the University of Maryland School of Law and Venable LLP. The talented cast and crew agreed to defer all or most of their salaries so that the film could be made. The University donated its locations and the staff and students graciously donated their time and energies. 2009 Audience Award - Best Picture at the Politics on Film festival (Washington, DC). Some cast and crewmembers of this film will be in attendance. A panel will be held after the screening of this film.

Ripple

Dir. Paul Gowers
Runtime: 10:00 mins
Country: UK

Synopsis: Ripple is a black comedy about the randomness of fate and what happens to ordinary people when they come under extreme pressure. Martin is driving to visit his girlfriend when an egg thrown from a bridge hits his windscreen. This one small random act of malice sets in motion a domino run of catastrophes and coincidences that push him to the edge of reason. Best Comedy 12th LA Shorts Fest, 2008
2nd Prize TCM Classic Shorts Competition 52nd London Film Festival, 2008
Grand Prize New York Festivals, 2009

True Beauty This Night

Dir. Peter Besson
Runtime: 10:00 mins
Country: US

Synopsis: Last night, Rhett Somers met the love of his life. Now all he has to do is convince her she's the one. Not an easy feat considering how they met... One of the most engaging short films you’ll see at the festival and one that examines the consequences of taking chances vs. taking the safe way out. It is, in fact, a true beauty.

Welgünzêr

Dir. Sterlin Harjo
Runtime: 14:00 mins
Country: US

Synopsis: Donald plans to travel into the future and murder himself. He constructs a sophisticated time machine in his shower. But before the shower cum time machine can take him into the 4th dimension, he’s confronted by a pair of his future selves who coerce him to travel into his past to visit his estranged wife one last time. Welgünzêr is a dark comedy that questions the possibility of significant change in a person over time.