22ND SANTA BARBARA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
ANNOUNCES 2007 PROGRAM
***
BILL CONDON TO RECEIVE MONTECITO AWARD,
JOINING SMITH, MIRREN, WHITAKER AND GORE AND GUGGENHEIM
AS THE 2007 HONOREES;
MICHAEL APTED WILL SERVE AS GUEST DIRECTOR
***
FEST OPENS WITH “FACTORY GIRL,” APTED’S “AMAZING GRACE”
SCREENS AS CENTERPIECE, WHILE “GRAY MATTERS” CLOSES
Santa Barbara, CA –The 2007 Santa Barbara International Film Festival announces their slate
of films for the 22nd installment. The festival, which welcomes Chrysler and The New
Yorker as Premiere Sponsors, takes place over 11 days beginning Thursday, January 25,
through Sunday, February 4, and will feature 22 World Premieres, 18 US Premieres, and
introduce films from 40 countries. “This is the most ambitious and most diverse line up of
events and films the Festival has ever had,” commented SBIFF Director Roger Durling.
“There’s a film to satisfy any film-lover’s taste in here.”
It was also announced that the SBIFF will highlight the career achievements of filmmaker
Bill Condon, director of this year’s “Dreamgirls,” who will be honored with the Montecito
Award, sponsored by UGG Australia and The New Yorker. “Seeing Bill Condon’s latest
film simply solidified my admiration for him,” Durling said. “His talent has shone with his
writing and direction on ‘Gods and Monsters,’ ‘Kinsey’ and now on ‘Dreamgirls’ and I’m
pleased that we here in Santa Barbara will have the opportunity to recognize his wonderful
style and achievements.
“We’re particularly proud of our honorees this year,” continues Durling. “Together, our
honorees are at the top of the heap of the best talent in the past year of film.”
The special tribute presentations will once again be created by long-time fest tribute
producer Paul Fagen, of P. Fagen Productions and will each take place at the historic
Arlington Theatre. The Outstanding Performance of the Year Award tribute to Helen
Mirren in recognition of her performance in Stephen Frears’ “The Queen,” will take place
-1-
on Friday, January 26, and is sponsored by The Butcher Family Foundation and Innovative
Skincare. Will Smith, who gives a compelling performance in the inspirational film based
on a true story, “The Pursuit of Happyness,” will receive The Modern Master Award with a
tribute moderated by Leonard Maltin on Saturday, January 27. The evening is sponsored
by Lucky Brand Jeans and Four Seasons Resort: The Biltmore. Bill Condon’s Montecito
Award Tribute will take place on Monday, January 29. Moderated by Pete Hammond, the
evening will also feature appearances by some of the “’Dreamgirls” cast and will be
sponsored by UGG Australia and The New Yorker. The American Riviera Award will be
presented to Forest Whitaker, whose outstanding performance in “The Last King of
Scotland” has been receiving accolades and topping critics’ lists across the country. The
evening will be moderated by film critic Pete Hammond on Saturday, February 3.
The Sir David Attenborough Award for Excellence in Nature Filmmaking tribute will be
presented to Al Gore and Davis Guggenheim for their powerful documentary “An
Inconvenient Truth,” with last year’s recipient James Cameron presenting the award. The
evening is moderated by famed cinematographer Mike DeGruy and will take place Friday,
February 2.
Opening Night will feature the highly-anticipated film “Factory Girl,” starring Sienna
Miller, Guy Pearce, Hayden Christensen, and directed by George Hickenlooper.
“Factory Girl” imaginatively unfolds the comet-like rise and fall of 60s “It Girl” Edie
Sedgwick, the blazing superstar who came to define both the glamour and the tragedy of our
celebrity-obsessed culture. Sedgwick, coincidentally, was not only born in Santa Barbara, but
she died there as well. The film’s Sienna Miller and director George Hickenlooper will be
among the cast expected to attend the opening night festivities, which will be sponsored by
Salvatore Ferragamo and Studio 7. Following the screening the festivities will continue with
a party recreating the Italian lifestyle as seen through the prism of cinema at Paseo Nuevo in
downtown Santa Barbara.
The Centerpiece Film is Michael Apted’s “Amazing Grace,” starring Ioan Gruffudd, Albert
Finney and Rufus Sewell. This is an inspiring story of how one man’s passion and
perseverance changed the world. Based on the true life story of William Wilberforce played
by Ioan Gruffudd (“Fantastic Four” and its sequel “Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver
Surfer”), a leader of the British abolition movement, the film chronicles his epic struggle to
pass a law to end the slave trade in the late 18th century. Along the way, Wilberforce meets
intense opposition from members of Parliament who feel the slave trade is tied to the
stability of the British Empire. Several friends, including Wilberforce’s minister, John
Newton, played by Albert Finney (“Ocean’s Twelve,” “Erin Brockovich”), a reformed slave
ship captain who penned the beloved hymn “Amazing Grace,” urge him to see the cause
through. In addition to director Apted, also attending is cast member Ioan Gruffud.
The Closing Night film is “Gray Matters,” featuring the directorial debut of Sue Kramer
and starring Heather Graham, Thomas Cavanagh, Bridget Moynahan, Molly Shannon, and
Sissy Spacek. With plenty of references to 1940’s classical Hollywood, the film revamps the
screwball comedy with a gay twist when Heather Graham’s character falls for the same
woman as her brother does. Graham, Cavanagh, Moynahan, and director Kramer are
among those expected to attend. Closing night festivities are sponsored by The Santa
Barbara Independent and El Paseo Restaurant.
-2-
The SBIFF is thrilled to begin a new tradition by inviting a Guest Director each year who
will personally select the films for a retrospective of their work. Director and DGA
President Michael Apted will be the SBIFF’s first Guest Director and he has selected the
following films to be screened: “49 Up,” his new film, “Amazing Grace,” which will be
screened as the Festival’s Centerpiece, and a third film to be announced. After a beginning
as a researcher in television, Apted became known for his award-winning films such as
“Agatha,” “Coal Miner’s Daughter,” “Gorillas in the Mist,” and “Nell.”
CONVERSATIONS WITH…
SBIFF continues the popular “Conversation With…” series, which features a screening of
some of the year’s best films, followed by intimate conversations with stars from those films.
Conversations scheduled so far include: Djimon Honsou, with a screening of “Blood
Diamond” (scheduled for Wednesday, January 31); and Michael Apted, prior to the
screening of “49 Up” (scheduled for Thursday, February 1). Other “Conversations With” to
be announced at a later date.
THE PANELS
The SBIFF has become renowned for creating smart, insightful and informative panels that
feature a veritable who’s who in the world of filmmaking, including many Oscar contenders.
Each of the panels will take place at the Lobero Theatre, beginning with the “Directors on
Directing” panel on Saturday, January 27 at 11:00 a.m., sponsored by Variety and
moderated by Editor-in-Chief Peter Bart, followed by the famed “It Starts With the
Script” panel at 2:00 p.m., sponsored by Pacifica Graduate Institute and moderated by
Hollywood Reporter columnist Anne Thompson. On Sunday, January 28, at 11:00 a.m. is
the “Movers and Shakers” panel of this year’s top producers, moderated by Los Angeles
Times columnist Patrick Goldstein and sponsored by iO Film. Saturday, February 3, 11:00
a.m., is the “Creative Forces: Women in the Biz” panel co-sponsored by Sandy Stahl and
supported in part by Girls Inc., moderated by Madelyn Hammond, Senior Vice President of
Sales, Marketing and Retail for Landmark Theatres, and featuring women from all aspects of
filmmaking. The popular “Scoring the Film” panel will follow at 2:00 p.m., featuring
today’s hardest working composers and moderated by USC Radio host/film critic Jim
Svejda. Panelists will be announced soon.
PODCASTS & BLOGS
For the second year in a row, the SBIFF will provide video podcasts of the Festival activities,
with the help of Mediatrust and their leading-edge technology. Designed to bring the art of
filmmaking to the broadest possible audience, the video podcasts will provide visitors with a
look “behind the scenes” in a series of interviews with directors, producers, actors, and
others. “The podcasts will deliver a level of exposure to Festival participants that can’t be
attained at other festivals,” says Durling. “Our local audience will have the opportunity to
-3-
view podcasts that include the industry’s most interesting talent for a period of time
following the dates of our Santa Barbara event.”
You can also get daily updates, special information, Festival insights, and even a
recommendation or two, on SBIFF Director Roger Durling’s blog, “The Film Geek
Confidential.” Log onto www.sbiff.org/blog2 or www.filmgeekconfidential.com daily.
Roger will be constantly blogging, along with contributors Josh Murray and Joseph Matheny,
leading up to and throughout the festival.
LOCAL OFFERINGS
The SBIFF takes its commitment to the young people of our community to heart and with
enthusiasm. Artful cinema can educate as well as entertain. Following are just a few of the
programs the Festival will offer:
10-10-10 Student Screenwriting Competition and Sotheby’s International Realty 10-1010 Student Filmmaking Competition – The Screenwriting Competition is comprised of 10
students who were selected out of 65 submissions from Santa Barbara high school and
college students who submitted a 10-page sample of their best fiction writing - screenplay,
stage play, or short story - to their school’s representative. The five best script samples were
chosen from the high school level and five from the college level. The finalists are then
assigned a storyline and an industry professional to mentor them during the writing of their
screenplay. Finalists will meet with their mentor throughout the process, submitting their
final draft in January 2007.
The 10 student screenplays will then be matched with a category-appropriate Filmmaking
finalist from the Sotheby’s International Realty 10-10-10 Student Filmmaking
Competition, which consists of 10 students selected from 30 submissions, who will then
produce a 10-minute film during the 10 days of the 22nd Santa Barbara International Film
Festival.
APPLE BOX – A Free Family Festival for Children – The SBIFF will produce Apple
Box, a family film festival for children during the mornings of the two weekends that
bookend the festival - January 27 and January 28 and on February 3 and February 4 from
9:00 am until 10:30 am. Children’s films, including Happy Feet, Cars and Monster House, will
be shown continuously all morning for age groups 2 – 12 at the Metro 4 Theatres.
Screenings will be specifically programmed for each age group. The program will enable
children to see wonderful movies that are not easily accessible, in a festive, entertaining and
supportive environment. Clowns, jugglers, face painters and stilt walkers will be present to
entertain the kids as well!
Field Trip to the Movies– SBIFF provides a fascinating and thought-provoking film, study
guides, and transportation to “Field Trip to the Movies” as part of our Reel Nature series
for over 3,000 under-privileged 6th graders in Santa Barbara County. This year we again
partner with the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History for this educational program
which will include an opportunity for students to explore intriguing facts and new research
-4-
about the natural world as they view a film, engage in discussion, and participate in an
interactive film-creating experience with industry professionals. The purpose of “Field Trip
to the Movies” is to inspire and excite the curiosity of children about their natural world,
while at the same time assisting them in imagining themselves in the roles of filmmaker and
naturalist. “Field Trip to the Movies: is sponsored by Wells Fargo and supported by The
Wood-Claeyssens Foundation
3RD Weekend --The SBIFF will continue their tradition established last year by presenting
the “3RD Weekend,” which will feature the highlights of the 22nd Festival for Santa Barbara
residents. The winning films will be screened throughout the weekend of February 9-11 at
the Riviera Theatre, sponsored in part by Horny Toad. Screenings are free and tickets are
available on a first come, first serve basis at the Riviera Theatre. Screening times will be
posted on the SBIFF website at www.sbiff.org in the days following Closing Night.
FILM CATEGORIES AND SIDEBARS
The SBIFF continues its commitment to exciting, culturally enlightening, and entertaining
programming and sidebars. In addition to presenting Independent Features, International
Features, Documentary Features and Special Presentation films, programmed by Jeremy
Platt, the SBIFF will also offer films from the following sidebars: Nature Films series
REEL NATURE, sponsored by The City of Lompoc and programmed by renowned
nature film cinematographer and Santa Barbara resident Mike DeGruy; EAST X WEST, a
collection of the best cinema from Asia, programmed by Emmy-nominated actor and
director Tim Matheson; TO THE MAXXX, sponsored by Red Bull, is programmed by
Santa Barbara filmmaker Russ Spencer and features extreme sports films and
documentaries including two exciting World Premiere films featuring one of Santa Barbara’s
main pastimes…surfing! “One California Day” is a film that recounts the history of surfing
through the voices of the surfers – stars of yesterday and today -- from six distinct California
regions while “The Forgotten Coast” follows a group of elite surfers searching the globe for
the perfect waves in undiscovered locations; continuing their commitment to Spanish and
Latin American films, the SBIFF will again present LATINO CINEMEDIA, sponsored by
the Univision and Tinta Latina Magazine, offering a collection of films from Spain and Latin
America, programmed by UCSB professor Cristina Venegas; they will continue to feature
SANTA BARBARA FILMMAKERS, also programmed by Russ Spencer and which
includes 7 World Premiere films.
Attached is a preliminary list of films scheduled to screen at the 22nd Annual Santa Barbara
International Film Festival; a complete list will follow soon. Select films will vie for the
following awards:
THE AWARDS
The Spirit Award Sponsored by Panavision – for the Best Independent film
American Independents Section
Juried by industry professionals
Award: camera package worth approx. $60,000
The Best International Feature Film Award – for the best Foreign Film
-5-
International Competition Section
Juried by industry professionals
The Gold Vision Award Sponsored by York Entertainment – presented to the “most
innovative and unique film with an inspiring and groundbreaking vision” – Feature, animation or
family (not a short or documentary)
Juried by York Entertainment Acquisition Executives
Award: a film distribution package valued at $30,000 (Offer valid
through June 2007.)
Nueva Vision Award – for the best Spanish-language film
Spanish and Latin American Film Competition
Juried by industry professionals
Best Documentary – for the best documentary film
Juried by industry professionals
Fund for Santa Barbara Social Justice Award Sponsored by Fund for Santa Barbara–
for documentary film that addresses social justice issues
Juried by a committee selected by The Fund for Santa Barbara
Award: $1,000 cash
Bruce Corwin Award for Best Live Action Short Film
Under 30 minutes
Juried by industry professionals
Bruce Corwin Award for Best Animation
Juried by industry professionals
Sotheby’s International Realty Student Filmmaking Competition – for best of the 1010-10 Student Filmmaking Competition
Juried by industry professionals
Award: One high school prize and one college prize will be
awarded. The winning films will be screened at the Closing Night
Award Ceremony.
10-10-10 Student Screenwriting Competition, sponsored by Business First National Bank,
and Final Draft – for best screenplay
Juried by industry professionals
Award: One high school prize and one college prize will be awarded.
Audience Choice Award, sponsored by The Santa Barbara Independent
The Santa Barbara International Film Festival, set to run January 25 through February 4,
2007, is a non-profit organization dedicated to enriching local culture and raising
consciousness of film as an art form. The SBIFF presents quality American and world
independent films, Latin American and Asian sidebars as well as documentary cinema within
the beautiful setting of downtown Santa Barbara, a premier tourist destination. The SBIFF
-6-
is also committed to education through its Student Filmmaking and Screenwriting
Competitions, Field Trip to the Movies, and educational seminars. With a projected
audience of over 60,000 viewing more than 200 films over its eleven-day run, SBIFF attracts
an affluent local and national consumer base, while maintaining strong ties with the
entertainment industry in nearby Los Angeles.
Tickets for events are on sale NOW. Purchase through www.sbfilmfestival.org or call/visit
the Lobero Box Office, 805.963.0761 and the Arlington Theater Box office, 805.963.4408.
Or visit www.ticketmaster.com. Festival Platinum & Cinema Passes are currently on sale
exclusively at the Lobero Box Office. Box Office fees will apply for all Film Festival Passes,
Mini-Paks, and event tickets.
For festival information, log onto www.sbiff.org.
###
All press must request credentials by logging onto www.cmarshallpr.com and
clicking on Santa Barbara International Film Festival.
-7-
22nd SANTA BARBARA INTERNATIONAL
FILM FESTIVAL FILM LINE-UP
OPENING NIGHT
Factory Girl, USA
Director: George Hickenlooper
Cast: Guy Pearce, Sienna Miller, Hayden Christensen, Jimmy Fallon
“Factory Girl” imaginatively unfolds the comet-like rise and fall of 60s “It Girl” Edie
Sedgwick, the blazing superstar who came to define both the glamour and the tragedy of our
celebrity-obsessed culture. Sedgwick, coincidentally, was not only born in Santa Barbara, but
she died there as well.
CENTERPIECE
Amazing Grace, UK
Director: Michael Apted
Cast: Ioan Gruffudd, Albert Finney, Rufus Sewell, Youssou N'Dour
This is an inspiring story of how one man’s passion and perseverance changed the world.
Based on the true life story of William Wilberforce played by Ioan Gruffudd (“Fantastic
Four” and its sequel “Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer), a leader of the British
abolition movement, the film chronicles his epic struggle to pass a law to end the slave trade
in the late 18th century. Along the way, Wilberforce meets intense opposition from members
of Parliament who feel the slave trade is tied to the stability of the British Empire. Several
friends, including Wilberforce’s minister, John Newton, played by Albert Finney (“Ocean’s
Twelve,” “Erin Brockovich”), a reformed slave ship captain who penned the beloved hymn
“Amazing Grace”, urge him to see the cause through.
CLOSING NIGHT
Gray Matters, USA
Director: Sue Kramer
Cast: Heather Graham, Alan Cumming, Sissy Spacek, James Marsden, Alejandro Abellan
With plenty of references to 1940’s classical Hollywood, the film revamps the screwball
comedy with a gay twist when Heather Graham’s character falls for the same woman as her
brother does.
-8-
WORLD PREMIERES
Ayamye *goodness, kindness, bounty, USA (Documentary)
Director: Eric Matthies
In Ghana, West Africa, a rural village eagerly awaits a shipment of recycled bicycles from the
United States. Inspiring, determined, resourceful individuals let us into their daily lives in a
dramatic look at how lack of transportation can impact the education, health, and livelihood
of the community.
Cali Summer, USA (To the Maxx)
Director: Erik Hatch
Cast: James Rivers, Erik Hatch, Jordan Tabayoyon, George Nagai, Jeff MacDonough,
Carlos Juarez, David Gravette, Josh Mattson, Keith Wilson
A radical look at professional and amateur skateboarders dropping in on some of most
amazing skate parks in all of California.
Counting Backwards, USA (American Independent)
Director: Aprill Winney
Cast: Benjamin Montague
Faced with death and having recently found the girl of his dreams, Joe, from the small town
of Sandwich, Illinois, learns to finally live his life to the fullest.
Darius Goes West: The Roll of His Life, USA (Documentary Competition)
Director: Logan Smalley
Eleven college students rent an RV to take Darius Weems, 15, who has Duchenne Muscular
Dystrophy, on a cross-country road trip. Their goal is to convince MTV's 'Pimp My Ride' to
customize Darius's wheelchair. Along the way they find joy, brotherhood, and the
knowledge that life, even when imperfect, is always worth the ride.
Do It for Johnny, USA (Documentary Competition)
Director: Haylar Garcia
How far would you go to attain your dream? This is the story of a seemingly never-ending
quest to get a script into the hands of Johnny Depp.
Finding Kraftland, USA (Documentary)
Director: Richard Kraft
After the death of his brother, a Hollywood agent drags his son through an obsessive quest
to recapture his own childhood.
Forgotten Coast, USA (To the Maxxx)
Director: Justin Le Pera
Cast: Travis Potter, Micah Byrne, Daniel Thomson
Searching for perfect waves in undiscovered locations around the world, a group of elite
surfers discover Eden in Sumatra. But in order to surf these untouched beauties on the
“Forgotten Coast” the group must endure extreme physical and mental challenges.
-9-
Henry, USA/Canada (Documentary)
Director: Dara Bratt
Abortionist. Holocaust survivor. Womanizer. Crusader. This documentary focuses on one of
Canada’s most infamous figures, Dr. Henry Morgentaler, the man who announced to the
media that he had performed 7,000 illegal abortions; and then shocked the country by
performing one live on television on Mother's Day.
Jack Taylor of Beverly Hills, USA (Documentary Competition)
Director: Cecile Leroy Beaulieu
Documentary examines the dying art of men's custom tailoring through the eyes of one of
its most colorful characters on the eve of his retirement.
Living With Lew, USA (Documentary Competition)
Director: Adam Bardach
Cast: Will Hooke
A young Hollywood comedy writer uses his humor and unfailing optimism to cope with a
terminal illness. Friends, family, and colleagues in the film business rally around him as he
attempts to direct his first feature film.
Lost Souls, USA (Documentary Competition)
Directors: Natalie Sanderson and Sumnima Udas
Filmmakers examine the impact of the illicit act of art trafficking in Nepal.
Man in the Chair, USA (American Independent)
Director: Michael Schroeder
Cast: Christopher Plummer, Michael Angarano, Robert Wagner, M. Emmet Walsh
In this coming- and ending-of-age story, Christopher Plummer plays a retired gaffer (the last
living crew member of Orson Welles’ “Citizen Kane”) who decides to help out a troubled
teenager longing to become the man in the chair.
Mountain Unicycle Weekend, USA (To the Maxxx)
Director: Dorothy Littlejohn
Two filmmakers, Dorothy Littlejohn (“Mountain Unicycle Weekend”) and Jess Riegel
(“Trials Course Love 99”) document the obscure yet insane sport of mountain unicycling.
(Screens in conjunction with “Trials Course Love 99.”)
Quantum Hoops, USA (Documentary Competition)
Director: Rick Greenwald
They may have brilliant careers ahead of them, but it’s not going to be in the NBA. This is
the story of the brilliant-minded, yet physically-hapless Cal Tech men’s basketball team,
possessors of a 244 game losing streak.
Season of the Samurai, USA (Documentary)
Director: Matthew Asner, Danny Gold
Cast: Warren Cromartie
Documentary follows the on- and off-field exploits of the Japan Samurai Bears, the first allforeign team to play in an American professional sports league. The Bears were led by
former major league baseball star, Warren Cromartie.
- 10 -
Spiral, USA (American Independent)
Director: Adam Green, Joel Moore
Cast: Amber Tamblyn, Zachary Levi, Joel Moore
A reclusive telemarketer (Joel Moore), whose dysfunctional friendship with his boss
(Zachary Levi) is alleviated when a whimsical co-worker (Amber Tamblyn) enters his life.
But as he begins to sketch his new friend's portrait, disturbing feelings from his past threaten
to lead him down a path of destruction.
Swimming in Auschwitz, USA (Documentary)
Director: Jon Kean
This is the first solely female story of survivors of the Holocaust. While facing death, six
women recount their experiences of friendship, religion, and laughter to help them endure.
Taking Guns from Boys, Liberia/USA (Documentary)
Director: Jessie Deeter
Follow United Nations Force Commander Daniel Opande as he attempts to bring peace to
Liberia, a West African country torn by civil wars for the last fourteen years.
The Number 23, USA (Special Presentation sponsored by Macy*s)
Director: Joel Schumacher
Cast: Jim Carrey, Virginia Madsen
A man (Jim Carrey) becomes obsessed with a book that appears to be based on his life but
ends with a murder that has yet to happen in real life.
The Pacific and Eddy, USA (American Independent)
Director: Matthew Nourse
Cast: Ryan Donowho, Dominique Swain, James Duval, Nikki Sudden, Susan Highsmith,
Mark Gregg
In the wake of a sudden loss and after being alienated from his friends, Eddy finds refuge in
the swells of the Pacific where he must look inward to deal with the loss he never truly
mourned.
Trials Course Love 99, USA (To the Maxxx)
Director: Dorothy Littlejohn, Jess Riegel
Two filmmakers, Dorothy Littlejohn (“Mountain Unicycle Weekend”) and Jess Riegel
(“Trials Course Love 99”) document the obscure, yet insane sport of mountain unicycling.
(Screens in conjunction with “Mountain Unicycle Weekend.”)
We Just Work Here, USA (To the Maxxx)
Director: Brian Vernor
From the director of last year’s wildly successful “Pure Sweet Hell” comes a film about the
artisans, frame builders, and racers of Santa Cruz Bicycles.
- 11 -
U.S. PREMIERES
Bella, USA (American Independent)
Director: Alejandro Gomez Monteverde
Cast: Eduardo Verastegui, Tammy Blanchard, Manny Perez, Ali Landry
An international soccer star is on his way to sign a multi-million dollar contract when
something happens that brings his career to an abrupt end. A waitress, struggling to make it
in New York City, discovers something about herself that she's unprepared for. In one
irreversible moment, their lives are turned upside down.
Boy on a Galloping Horse, Poland (World Cinema)
Director: Adam Guzinski
A son's sudden illness forces an unhappily married couple to re-evaluate their relationship.
Daisy, South Korea/Hong Kong (East X West)
Director: Wai Keung Lau
Cast: Woo-sung Jung, Sung-jae Lee
The inevitable showdown between a detective and a killer who fall in love with the same
woman, a street artist who dreams of someday opening her own exhibition.
Diggers, USA (American Independent)
Director: Katherine Dieckmann
Cast: Lauren Ambrose, Andrew Cherry, Ron Eldard
A coming-of-age story about four working-class friends growing up in Long Island, New
York as clam diggers. Their fathers were clam diggers as well as their grandfathers before
them.
El Don, Venezuela (Latino CineMedia)
Director: José Ramón Novoa
Cast: Edgar Ramirez, Juan David Restrepo, Jesus Cervo, Laureano Olivares, Armando
Gota, Mary Carmen Pedraza
From absolute poverty to absolute power! "El Don" is the saga of a common man with
uncommonly fierce ambition who rises to rule an empire of unspeakable.
Glimpses of Heaven, Canada (Documentary)
Director: Michael Oved Dayan
Three artists use their craft as a catharsis of a brutal past.
Illuminados Por el Fuego, Argentina/Spain (Latino CineMedia)
Director: Tristan Bauer
Cast: Gastón Pauls, Leguizamón, Pablo Riva, César Albarracín, Hugo Carrizo, Virginia
Innocenti, Juan Leyrado, Arturo Bonín, Jon Lucas, Mario Chaparro, Tony Lestingi, Carlos
Garmendia, Lautaro Delgado
The film narrates the memories of a 40-year-old man, Esteban Leguizamon, who was sent to
fight on Malvinas Islands in 1982 at the age of 18.
- 12 -
La Nina en la Piedra, Mexico (Latino CineMedia)
Director: Marisa Sistach
Cast: Gabino Rodríguez, Sofía Espinosa, Ricardo Polanco, Iyantú Fonseca
In a small town near Mexico City, a junior high school student becomes obsessed with his
ex-girlfriend and takes advantage of an opportunity to make her pay for her snubs and
punish her vanity.
Lake of Fire, USA (Special Presentation)
Director: Tony Kaye
A powerful and brave look at the endlessly rehashed issue of abortion, this 15-years-in-themaking documentary tackles the conflict with shades of grey and offers no right or wrong.
While showcasing a wide range of interviews with Christian fundamentalists, pro-choicers,
politicians, and women, the film focuses mainly on the complexity of the issue and on its
physical and psychological reality.
Le Dernier des Fous (Demented), France/Belgium (World Cinema)
Director: Laurent Achard
Cast: Julien Cochelin, Annie Cordy, Pascal Cervo, Dominique Reymond
A family's madness and despair are seen through the eyes of an 11-year-old boy in this
French-Belgian gothic drama.
Rare Bird, Bermuda (Reel Nature)
Director: Lucinda Spurling
Cast: Narrated by Elisabeth Noone, Lawrence Doughty, Dr. Andrew West, Britten West,
Jacob Hocking, Bryan Darby, Rick Spurling
Rare Bird is the true story of a 15-year-old boy who helped find a bird believed extinct for
over 300 years and solve the mystery of its existence.
Scenes of a Sexual Nature, UK (American Independent)
Director: Ed Blum
Cast: Ewan McGregor, Catherine Tae, Andrew Lincoln, Hugh Bonneville.
Sex and love. Some seek it, some need it, some spurn it, and some pay for it, but we're all
involved in it.
Shanghai Red, China/USA (World Cinema)
Director: Oscar Luis Costo
Cast: Vivian Wu, Richard Burgi , Hong-Lei Sun, Roger Yuan , You Ge
On her way to avenger her husband’s murder, Meili Zhu meets Michael Johnson, an
American with his own dark past. “Shanghai Red” is a tale of finding the truth in one’s self
and others.
The Art of Fighting, Korea (East X West)
Director: Shin Han-Sol
The sometimes comedic drama of a picked-on weakling who enlists the help of a mysterious
older man to combat bullies.
- 13 -
The Killer Within, USA (Documentary Competition)
Director: Macky Alston
Bob Bechtel is in his seventies and teaches the psychology of youth violence at the
University of Arizona. Leading a normal life with his wife and children, he suddenly decides
to reveal a terrible secret: fifty years ago Bob went on a school rampage, killing another
student because of intense bullying, or so he claims...
The Pervert’s Guide to Cinema, UK/Austria/Netherlands (Documentary Competition)
Director: Sophie Fiennes
In this three-part documentary, acclaimed philosopher Slavoj Zizek guides us through a
journey of discovery, humor and psychoanalysis to unravel cinema’s dirty little secrets. Be
ready to reevaluate everything you thought you knew about film and the power of its
language.
United Gates of America, USA/United Kingdom (Documentary)
Director: Alex Cooke
Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Charlie LeDuff and documentary director Alex Cooke
journey into the heart of Bush Country to examine the phenomenon of gated communities.
Welcome Home, Spain (Latino CineMedia)
Director: David Trueba
Cast: Pilar López de Ayala, Alejo Sauras, Ariadna Gil, Juan Echanove, Jorge Sanz
Aspiring photographer Samuel bids farewell to his country village and domineering mother
and heads for Madrid to live with his girl friend, Eva. While investigating a murder with a
female coworker, Samuel discovers his biggest surprise yet….
ALL FEATURE-LENGTH FILMS
(please note this is not a complete list and is subject to change)
2:37, Australia (American Independent)
Director: Murali K. Thalluri
Cast: Teresa Palmer, Joel Mackenzie, Frank Sweet, Charles Baird, Sam Harris, Marni
Spillane, Clementine Mellor
A complex and bold tale of six high school students of various types whose lives are
interwoven with contemporary situations reminiscent of today’s alienated youth. At 2:37,
their discontent will climax to a tragedy: the suicide of one of their peers.
10 Questions for the Dalai Lama, USA (SB Filmmaker)
Director: Rick Ray
Cast: His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet (many films), Rick Ray
If you were able to ask one of the most respected global thinkers of the modern world a
series of questions, what would you want to know? The film explores the relevant issues of
today through discussions between filmmaker Rick Ray and His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
- 14 -
12:08 East of Bucharest, Romania (International Feature)
Director: Corneliu Porumboiu
Cast: Mircea Andreescu, Teodor Corban, Ion Sapdaru
In this wryly funny satire about memory, media, and political discontent, post-Communist
Romania must face its own history. Sixteen years after the revolution, a collection of
captivating characters and their contentious narratives are placed in the center of a television
debate turned quasi-vaudeville.
49 Up, UK (Special Presentation)
Director: Michael Apted
"49 Up" is the seventh film in a series of documentaries that began 42 years ago when
Granada's World in Action team, inspired by the Jesuit maxim, "Give me the child until he is
seven and I will give you the man," interviewed a diverse group of seven-year-old children
from all over England, asking them about their lives and their dreams for the future.
911: Dust and Deceit at the World Trade Center, USA (SB Filmmaker) – World
Premiere
Director: Penny Little
Documentary uses interviews from scientists, city experts, volunteers, and rescue workers to
exploit the health risk that permeated New York City months after September 11.
9th Company, Finland/Russia/Ukraine (World Cinema)
Director: Fyodor Bondarchuk
The biggest budget Russian film ever made at the time of its release, this powerful true story
depicts the journey of a platoon of Russian soldiers simply forgotten and left to die during
the Soviet invasion in Afghanistan.
A Dirty Carnival, South Korea (East X West)
Director: Yoo Ha
This painfully human gangster film recounts the tribulations of a smalltime thug trying to
move up the ranks to support his family. Although the violence is very real and visceral, the
film remains an existential study of the effects of violence and gangster life on the mind.
A Wake on the Pier, USA (SB Filmmaker)
Director: Thomas Scheff
Visitors to Santa Barbara react to the Iraq War Memorial near one of the City’s most popular
tourist sites, Stearn’s Wharf.
Ahlaam, Iraq (International Feature)
Director: Mohamed Al Daradji
Shot in nightmarish conditions during the American occupation in Bagdhad, this tale of
confusion, death, and political criticism explores the lives of three patients in a mental
institution entangled by the chaos of war and its physical and spiritual destruction.
- 15 -
Amazing Grace, UK – CENTERPIECE
Director: Michael Apted
Cast: Ioan Gruffudd, Albert Finney, Rufus Sewell, Youssou N'Dour
In order to abolish the slave trade in eighteenth century England, Parliamentarian William
Wilberforce maneuvers his way through the dark corners of power.
Avenue Montaigne, France (World Cinema)
Director: Danièle Thompson
Join the young and naive Jessica as she encounters an eclectic clientele in an old-fashioned
Cafe on Avenue Montaigne, an upscale Paris neighborhood where art and life intersect at a
crossroads.
Away From Her, Canada
Director: Sarah Polley
Cast: Julie Christie, Gordon Pinsent, Olympia Dukakis, Kristen Thomson, Michael Murphy,
Wendy Crewson
A heartwrenching study of enduring love, Sarah Polley’s feature directorial debut explores
the compassion and guilt that seeps into a marriage faced with Alzheimer’s disease.
Ayamye *goodness, kindness, bounty, USA (Documentary) – World Premiere
Director: Eric Matthies
In Ghana, West Africa, a rural village eagerly awaits a shipment of recycled bicycles from the
United States. Inspiring, determined, resourceful individuals let us into their daily lives in a
dramatic look at how lack of transportation can impact the education, health, and livelihood
of the community.
Bailando Cha Cha Cha, Cuba (Latino CineMedia)
Director: Manuel Herrera
Three youths try to jump-start their lives, while a mother is determined to live her dreams, all
in a society that pulses with rhythm and anticipation.
Barrio Cuba, Cuba (Latino CineMedia)
Director: Humberto Solas
The second part of a planned trilogy from revolutionary Cuban filmmaker Humberto Solás
(Honey for Oshun), this film strips away the sheen of a country often glamorized by touristy
stereotypes.
Beautiful Dreamer, USA (SB Filmmaker)
Director: Terri Farley-Teruel
Cast: Brooke Langton, Colin Egglesfield, James Denton, Barry Corbin, Elise Jackson,
William Lee Scott, Rusty Schwimmer, Susan Barnes, Lauren Woodland
A woman discovers that the husband she thought died in World War II is living in another
town with no apparent recollection of his pre-War existence.
- 16 -
Beauty in Trouble, Czech Republic (International Feature)
Director: Jan Hrebejk
An ensemble drama set in Czech landscape ravaged by the 2002 floods, this deep look at the
power of intimate relationship follows a mother struggling between moral choices and her
family’s well-being.
Bella, USA (American Independent) – US Premiere
Director: Alejandro Gomez Monteverde
Cast: Eduardo Verastegui, Tammy Blanchard, Manny Perez, Ali Landry
An international soccer star is on his way to sign a multi-million dollar contract when
something happens that brings his career to an abrupt end. A waitress, struggling to make it
in New York City, discovers something about herself that she's unprepared for. In one
irreversible moment, their lives are turned upside down.
Beneath The Surface, USA (To the Maxxx)
Director: Dawn Young
Cast: Wolf Wigo (US Olympic water polo player), US Olympic Team '96; 2000; and 2004, Jo
D Jonz
Centered around Olympic hopeful (and current UCSB coach) Wolf Wigo, viewers are given
a close-up and underwater view of the often brutal sport of water polo.
Blind Dating, USA
Director: James Keach
Cast: Chris Pine, Eddie Kay Thomas, Jane Seymour
A blind young man thinks he finds love with an Indian woman, though their relationship is
fraught with cultural differences.
Blindsight, UK (Documentary)
Director: Lucy Walker
Because in Tibet blinds are reviled by society, an expedition decides to take six blind
teenagers to the peak of Mount Everest and thus question our values of heroism,
community, and success. Along with jaw-dropping scenery, the film is a stunning tribute to
the commitment and courage of a few men and women. Short-listed for Oscar consideration.
Boy on a Galloping Horse, Poland (World Cinema) – US Premiere
Director: Adam Guzinski
A son's sudden illness forces an unhappily married couple to reevaluate their relationship.
Brasilia 18%, Brazil (Latino CineMedia)
Director: Nelson Pereira dos Santos
A star medical examiner is called to Brasília, the administrative capital of Brazil, to confirm
the identity of a beautiful, young congressional aide's dead body. But his scientific rigor soon
leads him to details of a multi-layered political scandal.
- 17 -
Breathe!, USA (SB Filmmaker) – World Premiere
Director: Don Murray
Cast: Mick Murray, Cassidy Freeman, Tim Abell, Christopher Murray
An adventure based on events in the life of sea, undersea, and wildlife film maker, Tom
Campbell (of Santa Barbara).
Cali Summer, USA (To the Maxx) – World Premiere
Director: Erik Hatch
Cast: James Rivers, Erik Hatch, Jordan Tabayoyon, George Nagai, Jeff MacDonough,
Carlos Juarez, David Gravette, Josh Mattson, Keith Wilson
A radical look at professional and amateur skateboarders dropping in on some of most
amazing skate parks in all of California.
Can Mr. Smith Get to Washington Anymore?, USA (Documentary)
Director: Frank Popper
Following the riveting campaign of U.S. Senate hopeful Jeff Smith, the film examines
whether a regular guy can make it as a politician in Washington. Short-listed for Oscar
consideration.
Chasing the Dream, USA (To the Maxxx)
Director: Angelo Mei
Film is a compelling story of Huntington Beach high school students who dream of
becoming professional surfers. “Chasing the Dream” chronicles a different coming-of-age
story.
Children, Iceland (International Feature)
Director: Ragnar Bragason
The first part of twin features exploring the roles of children and parents, with twelve-yearold Gudmund, a victim of brutal bullying at school and whose life is on the fast track to
destruction.
Chronicles of an Escape, Argentina (Latino CineMedia)
Director: Israel Adrian Caetano
Film is based on the autobiography of a goal-keeper who was abducted by the Argentine
secret police in 1977, tortured, held captive for four months, and eventually escaped. A very
intense escape thriller.
Congorama, Canada/Belgium/France (International Feature)
Director: Philippe Falardeau
A down-on-his-luck Belgian inventor whose work never seems to pan out as expected heads
to Quebec in search of his biological parents, only to be involved in an accident leaving him
in possession of information that could give him the status he has always craved.
Counting Backwards, USA (American Independent) – World Premiere
Director: Aprill Winney
Cast: Benjamin Montague
Faced with death and having recently found the girl of his dreams, Joe, from the small town
of Sandwich, Illinois, learns to finally live his life to the fullest.
- 18 -
Crazy Love, USA (Documentary Competition)
Director: Dan Klores
A disturbing tale of a relationship born in the 1950’s that was the antithesis of Ozzie and
Harriet. “Crazy Love” is a chilling account of a pairing of a 32-year-old married man and a
21-year-old single girl that included mental cruelty, physical injury, and attempted
murder...with no end in sight.
Crude Impact, USA (Documentary)
Director: James Wood
Riveting documentary on oil and the actions of those who control the precious resource.
Daisy, South Korea/Hong Kong (East X West) – US Premiere
Director: Wai Keung Lau
Cast: Woo-sung Jung, Sung-jae Lee
The inevitable showdown between a detective and a killer who fall in love with the same
woman, a street artist who dreams of someday opening her own exhibition.
Dante’s Inferno, USA (American Independent)
Director: Sean Meredith
Writer: Paul Zaloom (Head Puppeteer)
Cast: Dermot Mulroney, James Cromwell, John Fleck, Dana Snyder, Martha Plimpton,
Tony Hale
Performed in toy theater style, this darkly comedic travelogue of the underworld is set
against the archetypical backdrop of modern civilization and populated with a satirized
contemporary cast of politicians and public figures.
Darius Goes West: The Roll of His Life, USA (Documentary Competition) – World
Premiere
Director: Logan Smalley
Eleven college students rent an RV to take Darius Weems, 15, who has Duchenne Muscular
Dystrophy, on a cross-country road trip. Their goal is to convince MTV's 'Pimp My Ride' to
customize Darius's wheelchair. Along the way, they find joy, brotherhood and the
knowledge that life, even when imperfect, is always worth the ride.
DarkBlueAlmostBlack (Azuloscurocasinegro), Spain (Latino CineMedia)
Director: Daniel Sánchez Arévalo
Interweaving a dense web of storylines about family and incarceration, this graceful
exploration of morally complex questions follows a love rectangle between a janitor, two
convicts, and a posh girl.
Days of Glory, Morocco (World Cinema)
Director: Rachid Bouchareb
During WWII, four North African men enlist in the French army to liberate the country
from Nazi oppression, and to fight racial discrimination within the French ranks.
- 19 -
Despues del Mar, Argentina (Latino CineMedia)
Director Adrián Caetano
“Despues del Mar” is an entertaining story about two strangers’ journey of desperation
through Southern Argentina.
Diggers, USA (American Independent) – US Premiere
Director: Katherine Dieckmann
Cast: Lauren Ambrose, Andrew Cherry, Ron Eldard
A coming-of-age story about four working-class friends growing up in Long Island, New
York, as clam diggers. Their fathers were clam diggers as well as their grandfathers before
them.
Do It for Johnny, USA (Documentary Competition) – World Premiere
Director: Haylar Garcia
How far would you go to attain your dream? This is the story of a seemingly never-ending
quest to get a script into the hands of Johnny Depp.
El Don, Venezuela (Latino CineMedia) – US Premiere
Director: José Ramón Novoa
Cast: Edgar Ramirez, Juan David Restrepo, Jesus Cervo, Laureano Olivares, Armando
Gota, Mary Carmen Pedraza
From absolute poverty to absolute power! "El Don" is the saga of a common man with
uncommonly fierce ambition who rises to rule an empire of unspeakable.
Election, Hong Kong (East X West)
Director: Johnny To
A chronicle of the political machinations and violent confrontations caused by elections in a
venerable Hong Kong clan, Johnnie To’s ambitious underworld drama shows how the
ruthless code of the Triad gangs corrodes the souls of everyone who abides by it.
Factory Girl, USA – OPENING NIGHT
Director: George Hickenlooper
Cast: Guy Pearce, Sienna Miller, Hayden Christenson, Jimmy Fallon
A tragic look at the story of 1960’s “It Girl” Edie Sedgwick and her doomed relationships
with Andy Warhol and Danny Quinn.
Fantasy Music, USA (SB Filmmaker) – World Premiere
Director: John McKinney
When man child Keith fires his equally adolescent best friend Tyler, both lives are thrown
into a series of comic misadventures that lead them careening towards adulthood.
Fido, Canada
Director: Andrew Currie
Cast: Carrie-Anne Moss, Billy Connolly, Dylan Baker, Henry Czerny, Tim Blake Nelson,
K'Sun Ray
Set in a retro-future where zombies have been domesticated and conservatism reigns free,
this black-comedy horror, otherwise none as the newly hip genre “zomedie” switches the
typical house pet with a six-foot tall rotting zombie named Fido.
- 20 -
Finding Kraftland, USA (Documentary) – World Premiere
Director: Richard Kraft
After the death of his brother, a Hollywood agent drags his son through an obsessive quest
to recapture his own childhood.
First Snow, USA
Director: Mark Fergus
Cast: Guy Pearce, Piper Perabo, Luce Rains, Adam Scott, Shea Whingham
Witness Jimmy Stark (Guy Pearce) spirals out of control as a psychic announces his
imminent doom. A gloomy psychodrama that digs deep into one’s existential angst and into
the raw meaning of friendship and betrayal.
Fissures, France (International Feature)
Director: Alanté Alfandari
Richly textured and gloomily atmospheric, the film offers a touching portrayal of an
emotionally fragile woman who is brought to the edge of a breakdown after a tragedy. This
simple drama takes on a fantastical allure when she comes across recordings of voices that
might originate from the past.
Flock of Dodos, USA (Reel Nature)
Director: Randy Olson
Filmmaker and evolutionary biologist Randy Olson tries to figure out if it is the Darwinists
or Intelligent Design supporters who will become a flock of dodos.
Forgotten Coast, USA (To the Maxxx) – World Premiere
Director: Justin Le Pera
Cast: Travis Potter, Micah Byrne, Daniel Thomson
Searching for perfect waves in undiscovered locations around the world, a group of elite
surfers discover Eden in Sumatra. But in order to surf these untouched beauties on the
“Forgotten Coast” the group must endure extreme physical and mental challenges.
Geisha: An Artist’s Journey, USA (SB Filmmaker)
Director: Bryan Reichhardt
“Geisha: An Artist’s Journey” looks into the enigmatic world of Geisha as seen through the
eyes of Japanese-American dance artist Shizumi Shigeto Manale.
Ghost of Mae Nak, Thailand (East X West)
Director: Mark Duffield
Based on an old Thai legend, this atmospheric ghost story adds an unusual dose of romance
to the typical Asian horror genre as a creepy long haired woman with a missing piece of skull
haunts a young couple madly in love.
Glamorous Life of Sachiko Hanai, Japan (East X West)
Director: Mitsuru Meike
This “Pink Film” (Japanese softcore porn) follows a call girl who gets caught up in a
gunfight and is shot in the forehead. Rather than kill her the bullet in her head gives her
psychic powers.
- 21 -
Glimpses of Heaven, Canada (Documentary) – US Premiere
Director: Michael Oved Dayan
Three artists use their craft as a catharsis of a brutal past.
Golden Door, France/Italy (World Cinema)
Director: Emanuele Crialese
Set in 1913, a family of rural Sicilians and an English woman (Charlotte Gainsbourg) leave
their homeland and embark on a voyage across the ocean in search of the American dream.
Good to Great, USA (SB Filmmaker)
Director: Sam Tyler
Based on Jim Collin’s best-selling book of the same name, “Good to Great” not only
explores large businesses like Walgreens, Southwest Airlines, and Starbucks, but also looks
into an elementary school classroom and the Dallas Police Department for insight on their
reason for success.
Gray Matters, USA – CLOSING NIGHT
Director: Sue Kramer
Cast: Heather Graham, Alan Cumming, Sissy Spacek, James Marsden, Alejandro Abellan
With plenty of references to 1940’s classical Hollywood, the film revamps the screwball
comedy with a gay twist when Heather Graham’s character falls for the same woman as her
brother does.
Grbavica, Austra/Bosnia-Herzogovina/Germany/Croatia (World Cinema)
Director: Jasmila Zbanic
A woman and her daughter struggle to make their way through the aftermath of the Balkan
war.
Half Nelson, USA (Special Screening)
Director: Ryan Fleck
Cast: Ryan Gosling, Shareeka Epps, Anthony Mackie, Monique Curnen, Karen Chilton, Tina
Holmes, Collins Pennie
An inner-city junior high school teacher with a drug habit forms an unlikely friendship with
one of his students after she discovers his secret.
Henry, USA/Canada (Documentary)—World Premiere
Director: Dara Bratt
Abortionist. Holocaust survivor. Womanizer. Crusader. This documentary focuses on one of
Canada’s most infamous figures, Dr. Henry Morgentaler, the man who announced to the
media that he had performed 7,000 illegal abortions; and then shocked the country by
performing one live on television on Mother's Day.
Hound Dog, USA (American Independent)
Director: Deborah Kampmeier
Cast: Dakota Fanning, Robin Wright Penn, Jill Scott
A drama set in the American South where a precocious, troubled girl (Dakota Fanning) finds
a safe haven in the music and movement of Elvis Presley.
- 22 -
Hula Girls, Japan (East X West)
Director: Sang-il Lee
Young women in a small Japanese town look to revive their home's declining fortunes by
building a Hawaiian village tourist attraction.
Humanity Ascending, USA (SB Filmmaker)
Director: Patricia Gaul
World renowned futurist Barbara Marx Hubbard discusses her vision for the world.
Illuminados Por el Fuego, Argentina/Spain (Latino CineMedia) – US Premiere
Director: Tristan Bauer
Cast: Gastón Pauls, Leguizamón, Pablo Riva, César Albarracín, Hugo Carrizo, Virginia
Innocenti, Juan Leyrado, Arturo Bonín, Jon Lucas, Mario Chaparro, Tony Lestingi, Carlos
Garmendia, Lautaro Delgado
The film narrates the memories of a 40-year-old man, Esteban Leguizamon, who was sent to
fight on Malvinas Islands in 1982 at the age of 18.
In the Pit, Mexico (Latino CineMedia)
Director: Juan Carlos Rulfo
A powerful portrait of the construction workers involved in building the second deck of
Mexico City's Periferico freeway.
Jack Taylor of Beverly Hills, USA (Documentary Competition) – World Premiere
Director: Cecile Leroy Beaulieu
Documentary examines the dying art of men's custom tailoring through the eyes of one its
most colorful characters on the eve of his retirement.
King & the Clown, South Korea (East X West)
Director: Jun-ik Lee
Set in the early 16th century amidst astonishing sets and costumes, two clowns living under
the Chosun Dynasty are arrested for poking fun at the emperor. By cleverly blending
comedy and tragedy, this tale of amorous jealousies became South Korea’s all-time highest
grosser.
Klunkerz, USA (To the Maxxx)
Director: William Savage
Klunkerz takes the viewer for a look at the birth of the sport of mountain biking in a place
where it was popularized by the likes of legends Gary Fisher and Tom Richey, Marin
County.
La Nina en la Piedra, Mexico (Latino CineMedia) – US Premiere
Director: Marisa Sistach
Cast: Gabino Rodríguez, Sofía Espinosa, Ricardo Polanco, Iyantú Fonseca
In a small town near Mexico City, a junior high school student becomes obsessed with his
ex-girlfriend and takes advantage of an opportunity to make her pay for her snubs and
punish her vanity.
- 23 -
Lake of Fire, USA (Special Presentation) – US Premiere
Director: Tony Kaye
A powerful and brave look at the endlessly rehashed issue of abortion, this 15-years-in-themaking documentary tackles the conflict with shades of grey and offers no right or wrong.
While showcasing a wide range of interviews with Christian fundamentalists, pro-choicers,
politicians, and women, LAKE OF FIRE focuses mainly on the complexity of the issue and
on its physical and psychological reality.
Last King of Scotland, USA/UK (Special Presentation)
Director: Kevin MacDonald
Cast: Forest Whitaker, James McAvoy, Kerry Washington, Gillian Anderson, Simon
McBurney
Based on the events of the brutal Ugandan dictator Idi Amin's regime as seen by his
personal physician during the 1970’s.
Le Dernier des Fous (Demented), France/Belgium (World Cinema) – US Premiere
Director: Laurent Achard
Cast: Julien Cochelin, Annie Cordy, Pascal Cervo, Dominique Reymond
A family's madness and despair are seen through the eyes of an 11-year-old boy in this
French-Belgian gothic drama. Variety (Leslie Felperin)
Lights in the Dusk, Finland (World Cinema)
Director: Aki Kaurismaki
Following the masterly “The Man Without a Past”, Finish director Aki Kaurismaki delves
into the noir-ish fable with a security guard done wrong by a femme fatale.
Little Miss Sunshine¸USA (Special Presentation)
Directors: Jonathan Dayton,Valerie Faris
Cast: Abigail Breslin, Greg Kinnear, Paul Dano, Alan Arkin, Toni Collette, Steve Carell
A family determined to get their young daughter into the finals of a beauty pageant take a
cross-country trip in their VW bus.
Living With Lew, USA (Documentary Competition) – World Premiere
Director: Adam Bardach
Cast: Will Hooke
A young Hollywood comedy writer uses his humor and unfailing optimism to cope with a
terminal illness. Friends, family, and colleagues in the film business rally around him as he
attempts to direct his first feature film.
Lost Souls, USA (Documentary Competition) – World Premiere
Directors: Natalie Sanderson and Sumnima Udas
Santa Barbara-based filmmakers examine the impact of the illicit act of art trafficking in
Nepal.
MADEINUSA, Spain/Peru (Latino CineMedia)
Director: Claudia Llosa
Everything changes in the life of a Peruvian girl named Madeinusa when Salvador arrives to
her isolated village in the mountains of Peru during a bizarre annual religious celebration.
- 24 -
Man in the Chair, USA (American Independent) – World Premiere
Director: Michael Schroeder
Cast: Christopher Plummer, Michael Angarano, Robert Wagner, M. Emmet Walsh
In this coming- and ending-of-age story, Christopher Plummer plays a retired gaffer (the last
living crew member of Orson Welles’ “Citizen Kane”) decided to help out a troubled
teenager longing to become the man in the chair.
Manufactured Landscapes, Canada (Documentary Competition)
Director: Jennifer Baichwal
This portrait of Canadian photographer Edward Burtynsky follows the artist as he travels the
world observing changes in landscapes due to industrial work and manufacturing, allowing
us an unsettling look into contemporary existence.
Men At Work, Iran (World Cinema)
Director: Mani Haghighi
A political allegory on four middle-class guys who pile into their car for a ski weekend. A
brief stop at a picturesque vista leads to their chance discovery of a prominent rock
formation it seems would be oh so easy to tip over, but....
Mountain Unicycle Weekend, USA (To the Maxxx) – World Premiere
Director: Dorothy Littlejohn
Two filmmakers, Dorothy Littlejohn (“Mountain Unicycle Weekend”) and Jess Riegel
(“Trials Course Love 99”) document the obscure, yet insane sport of mountain unicycling.
(Screening in conjunction with “Trials Course Love 99”)
Of Wind and Waves: The Life of Woody Brown, USA (To the Maxxx)
Director: David Brown
A retrospective look at the life of 94 year old big wave surfing legend Woody Brown.
Offside, Iran (World Cinema)
Director: Jafar Panahi
Director Jafar Panahi continues his cinematic crusade against Iran’s social ills and highlights
the absurdity of a rule that doesn’t allow women to enjoy the beautiful game of soccer.
Paprika, Japan (East X West)
Director: Satoshi Kon
A machine allows therapists to enter patients' dreams. When it's stolen all hell breaks loose
and only a woman therapist (nicknamed "Paprika") seems able to stop it.
Passion of Mao, USA/India (Documentary)
Director: Lee Feigon
Who knew that Communism could be so funny? This madcap documentary reexamines the
Cultural Revolution and restores the once bright reputation of Mao Zedong.
- 25 -
Payback (re-release of 1999 film), USA (Special Presentation)
Director: Brian Helgeland
Cast: Mel Gibson, Gregg Henry, Maria Bello
A more violent version of the 1999 Mel Gibson flick showcasing the revenge spree of a man
gunned in the back by his wife and friend.
Pingpong, Germany (World Cinema)
Director: Matthias Luthardt
In search of a perfect world, 16-year old Paul intrudes upon his less-than-welcoming
extended family members.
Poison Friends, France (World Cinema)
Director: Emmanuel Bourdieu
The chronicle of academic life as seen through the perspective of close-knit group of
students at the transformative stage when they begin to break free from their mutual and
dysfunctional alliances.
Popular!, USA (Latino CineMedia)
Director: Jen Paz
“Popular!” is a look into the discovery of new music experiences. Just as the Buena Vista
Social Club made Cuban music famous around the world, Charanga Habanera has
spearheaded the rise of the country’s new music, Timba; a fusion of African American hiphop, funk, and jazz, with Afro-Cuban son and rumba. (Screening in conjunction with
“Those I Left Behind”)
Princess, Germany/Denmark (World Cinema)
Director: Anders Morgenthaler
A gorgeous and starkly brutal tale set in the porn underworld, this controversial feature
animation follows August as his desire to protect Mia and avenge the death of his sister
drags him further and further down a path of bloody and fiery destruction.
Quantum Hoops, USA (Documentary Competition) – World Premiere
Director: Rick Greenwald
They may have brilliant careers ahead of them, but it’s not going to be in the NBA. This is
the story of the brilliant-minded, yet physically-hapless Cal Tech men’s basketball team,
possessors of a 244 game losing streak.
Rare Bird, Bermuda (Reel Nature) – US Premiere
Director: Lucinda Spurling
Cast: Narrated by - Elisabeth Noone, Lawrence Doughty, Dr. Andrew West, Britten West,
Jacob Hocking, Bryan Darby, Rick Spurling
Rare Bird is the true story of a 15-year-old boy who helped find a bird believed extinct for
over 300 years and solve the mystery of its existence.
- 26 -
Red Road, UK/Denmark (World Cinema)
Director: Andrea Arnold
Upon coming across a man she hoped never to see again, a CCTV operator feels compelled
to confront him and exact revenge. In the vein of The Conversation and Cache, this eerie
Scottish thriller delves deeply into our culture of surveillance.
Retrieval, Poland (International Feature)
Director: Slawomir Fabicki
Stuck in a Polish town where money is scarce, 19-year-old Wojtak rises up the criminal
corporate ladder to support his newly-found girlfriend and her child.
Scenes of a Sexual Nature, UK (American Independent) – US Premiere
Director: Ed Blum
Cast: Ewan McGregor, Catherine Tae, Andrew Lincoln, Hugh Bonneville.
Sex and love. Some seek it, some need it, some spurn it and some pay for it, but we're all
involved in it.
Sea People of Honduras, Arctic Expedition, Desperate Measures (SB Filmmaker)
Directors: Rick Rosenthal, Nick Martorano, Fred Weston Smith
Three nature films “Sea People of Honduras,” “Arctic Expedition,” and “Desperate
Measures” take the viewer to places beyond the normal boundaries of human existence.
Season of the Samurai, USA (Documentary) – World Premiere
Director: Matthew Asner, Danny Gold
Cast: Warren Cromartie
Documentary follows the on- and off-field exploits of the Japan Samurai Bears, the first allforeign team to play in an American professional sports league. The Bears were led by
former major league baseball star, Warren Cromartie.
Severence, Germany/UK
Director: Christopher Smith
Christopher Smith, director of “Creep,” gives us just the right blend of gore and humor in
this story of an arms supplier sales team that becomes stranded while on a team-building trip
in Central Europe.
Shanghai Red, China/USA (World Cinema) – US Premiere
Director: Oscar Luis Costo
Cast: Vivian Wu, Richard Burgi, Hong-Lei Sun, Roger Yuan , You Ge
On her way to avenger her husband’s murder, Meili Zhu meets Michael Johnson, an
American with his own dark past. “Shanghai Red” is a tale of finding the truth in one’s self
and others.
Sitting Bull: A Stone in My Heart, USA (SB Filmmaker)
Director: John Ferry
An intimate three-dimensional portrait on not only one of the last great American Indian
Chiefs, but of what many say is one of U.S. history’s greatest heroes. Director John Ferry
uses Sitting Bull’s own words to weave a portrait of man to fill in the gaps that history books
merely made mention of.
- 27 -
Spiral, USA (American Independent) – World Premiere
Director: Adam Green, Joel Moore
Cast: Amber Tamblyn, Zachary Levi, Joel Moore
A reclusive telemarketer (Joel Moore), whose dysfunctional friendship with his boss
(Zachary Levi) is alleviated when a whimsical co-worker (Amber Tamblyn) enters his life.
But as he begins to sketch his new friend's portrait, disturbing feelings from his past threaten
to lead him down a path of destruction.
Stanley Cuba, USA (SB Filmmaker) – World Premiere
Director: Per Anderson
Intellectual property lawyers from hell pursue Stanley Cuba, a photographer whose life
curiously resembles that of filmmaker Stanley Kubrick
Still Kicking, USA (Documentary)
Director: Greg Young
This 32-minute film by Greg Young, offers portraits of six Bay Area women who have
danced, painted, played piano, and otherwise artfully and actively moved into their 80s and
90s and 100s. Screens with “Glimpses of Heaven”
Sukeban Boy, Japan (East X West)
Director: Noboru Iguchi
Wasting no opportunities to spread jiggling flesh across the screen, Sukeban Boy is a
blazingly funny parody of the schoolgirl fetish film. Bizarre, hysterical, and horribly wrong in
absolutely all the right ways, it is an unmissable guilty pleasure.
Summer Palace, China/France (East X West)
Director: Lou Ye
An intimate epic that works its way through recent Chinese political and social history,
roughly from 1987-2001, by depicting young people's first taste of freedom and selfexpression and its brutal suppression by authorities.
Summercamp!, USA (Documentary Competition)
Director: Sarah Price, Bradley Beesley
Capturing the staples of camp life, this spirited documentary draws a touching portrait of
widely different characters who, in spite of being outcasts in their own communities, find a
common ground of friendship, hardship, and psychiatric medication.
Super Amigos, Canada/Mexico (Latino CineMedia)
Director: Arturo Perez Torres
This film follows 5 modern-day superheroes in Mexico City as they fight for social justice
and human rights.
Swimming in Auschwitz, USA (Documentary) – World Premiere
Director: Jon Kean
This is the first solely female story of survivors of the Holocaust. While facing death, six
women recount their experiences of friendship, religion, and laughter to help them endure.
- 28 -
Taking Guns from Boys, Liberia/USA (Documentary) – World Premiere
Director: Jessie Deeter
Follow United Nations Force Commander Daniel Opande as he attempts to bring peace to
Liberia, a West African country torn by civil wars for the last fourteen years.
Taxidermia, Austria/Hungary/France (International Feature)
Director: György Pálfi
Grotesque, outrageous, ghastly funny, confrontational, and ultimately memorable, are only a
few terms to qualify this stylish assault on the viewing senses. Take that first step and you
will be mesmerized by the film’s outlandishly original characters: an obese speed eater, a
taxidermist, and a man who shoots fire out of his penis.
Ten Canoes, Australia (Latino CineMedia)
Directors: Rolf de Heer, Peter Djigirr
Ten canoes, three wives, 150 spears, trouble. Set centuries ago, "Ten Canoes" is a surreal
tragi-comedy set in the remote Arafura Swamp region of north-eastern Arnhem Land,
Australia.
The Art of Crying, Denmark (International Feature)
Director: Peter Schønau Fog
Told from the point-of-view of the youngest son, this darkly black comedy focuses on a
morbidly dysfunctional rural family whose father, an egocentric monster, can only be
appeased by reciting eulogies for the village residents murdered by his son.
The Art of Fighting, Korea (East X West) – US Premiere
Director: Shin Han-Sol
The sometimes comedic drama of a picked-on weakling who enlists the help of a mysterious
older man to combat bullies.
The Art of the Devil, Part 2, Thailand (East X West)
Directors: Pasith Buranajan, Kongkiat Khomsiri, Isara Nadee, Seree Phongnithi, Yosapong
Polsap, Putipong Saisikaew, Art Thamthrakul
Six friends are brought back together after one of their friends die and they're headed into
the wild jungles of Thailand to honor him. In the jungle awaits someone who wants to take
revenge on them for something they did in their school days.
The Book of Revelation, Australia (World Cinema)
Director: Ana Kokkinos
Cast: Tom Long, Colin Friels, Greta Scacchi
A dancer at the peak of his powers is abducted by three women, abused, then thrown back
into the world a broken man. A psychological mystery about a man's struggle to regain his
lost self.
The Caiman, Italy/France (World Cinema)
Director: Nanni Moretti
Silvio Orlando plays Bruno, a luckless film producer who inadvertently green-lights a biopic
on Berlusconi. Scenes of Bruno’s deteriorating home life are juxtaposed with movie-withinmovie recreations of the high- and lowlights from the former Prime Minister’s career.
- 29 -
The Great Yo Kai War, Japan (East X West)
Director: Takashi Miike
A young boy with a troubled home life becomes "chosen," and he stumbles into the middle
of a great spirit war, where he meets a group of friendly spirits who become his companions
through his journey. Now he must fight to protect his friends and free the world of the
spirits from oppression.
The Ground Truth, USA (Documentary)
Director: Petricia Foulkrod
The filmmaker's subjects are patriotic young Americans - ordinary men and women who
heeded the call for military service in Iraq - as they experience recruitment and training,
combat, homecoming, and the struggle to reintegrate with families and communities. Shortlisted for Oscar consideration
The Host, South Korea (East X West)
Director: Joon-ho Bong
Echoing the glory days of an old-fashioned Godzilla movie with its unflinching blend of
suspense, comedy, and political satire, the film captures a gigantic mutant as it emerges from
the Han River in Seoul to pulverize its citizens.
The Island, Russia (International Feature)
Director: Pavel Lounguine
“The Island” is a vehement and demanding existentialist study of religious devotion and
destiny, the story of a man destroyed by guilt and driven to the most extreme spiritual
exhaustion as part of his eternal quest for redemption.
The Italian, Russia (World Cinema)
Director: Andrey Kravchuk
“The Italian” is a very human and sympathetic study of a young boy in the grim world of a
Russian orphanage who remains unwaveringly focused on finding his birth mother.
The Journals of Knud Rasmussen, Canada/Denmark (CineMedia)
Director: Zacharias Kunuk
Drawing from the accounts of Knud Rasmussen, a Danish-Greenlandic Inuit explorer, the
coming of Christianity and commerce to the Canadian North is seen through the eyes of the
last great shaman of Igloolik and his headstrong daughter.
The Killer Within, USA (Documentary Competition) – US Premiere
Director: Macky Alston
Bob Bechtel is in his seventies and teaches the psychology of youth violence at the
Unviersity of Arizona. Leading a normal life with his wife and children, he suddenly decides
to reveal a terrible secret: fifty years ago, Bob went on a school rampage, killing another
student because of intense bullying, or so he claims...
- 30 -
The Lives of Others, Germany (World Cinema)
Director: Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
In 1984 East Berlin, a Stasi officer of the omni-feared Communist secret police becomes
fascinated with the man on which he is instructed to spy, a celebrated playwright involved
with a famous stage actress.
The Maid, Singapore (East X West)
Director: Kelvin Tong
A Filipino maid starts work with an opera troupe on the first day of the Chinese Seventh
Month, also known as the Hungry Ghosts Festival. Oblivious to traditional customs, she
trespasses onto the spiritual boundaries and begins her series of strange encounters.
The Number 23, USA (Special Presentation) – World Premiere
Director: Joel Schumacher
Cast: Jim Carrey, Virginia Madsen
A man (Jim Carrey) becomes obsessed with a book that appears to be based on his life but
ends with a murder that has yet to happen in real life.
The Pacific and Eddy, USA (American Independent) – World Premiere
Director: Matthew Nourse
Cast: Ryan Donowho, Dominique Swain, James Duval, Nikki Sudden, Susan Highsmith,
Mark Gregg
In the wake of a sudden loss and after being alienated from his friends, Eddy finds refuge in
the swells of the Pacific where he must look inward to deal with the loss he never truly
mourned.
The Passion of the Mao, USA/India (Documentary)
Director: Lee Feigon
Who knew that Communism could be so funny? This madcap documentary reexamines the
Cultural Revolution and restores the once bright reputation of Mao Zedong.
The Pervert’s Guide to Cinema, UK/Austria/Netherlands (Documentary Competition) –
US Premiere
Director: Sophie Fiennes
In this three-part documentary, acclaimed philosopher Slavoj Zizek guides us through a
journey of discovery, humor and psychoanalyis to unravel cinema’s dirty little secrets. Be
ready to reevaluate everything you thought you knew about film and the power of its
language.
The Queen, UK/France/Italy (Special Presentation)
Director: Stephen Frears
Cast: Helen Mirren, Michael Sheen, James Cromwell
After the untimely death of Lady Diana Spencer, Queen Elizabeth's restrained reaction
causes a public relations debacle that Prime Minister Tony Blair must defuse.
- 31 -
The Trials of Darryl Hunt, USA (Documentary)
Director: Ricki Stern, Anne Sundberg
"The Trials of Darryl Hunt" is a feature documentary about a brutal rape/murder case and a
wrongly convicted man, Darryl Hunt, who spent nearly twenty years in prison for a crime he
did not commit. Both a social justice story and a personally driven narrative, the film
chronicles this capital case from 1984 through 2004. With exclusive footage from two
decades the film frames the judicial and emotional response to a chilling crime - and the
implications that reverberate from Hunt's conviction - against a backdrop of class and racial
bias in the south and in the American criminal justice system. Short-listed for Oscar consideration.
Those I Left Behind, Cuba (Latino CineMedia)
Director: Lisandro Perez-Rey
Filmmaker Lisandro Perez-Rey looks into the strength of the Cuban family, despite being
separated by politics and the Atlantic Ocean. (Screening in conjunction with “Popular!)
Trade, USA
Director: Marco Kreuzpaintner
Cast: Kevin Kline, Cesar Ramos, Paulina Gaitan.
Adriana is a 13-year-old girl from Mexico City whose kidnapping by sex traffickers sets in
motion a desperate mission by her 17-year-old brother, Jorge, to save her.
Triad Election, Hong Kong (East X West)
Director: Johnny To
A follow-up to the Golden Palm winner Election, this sequel follows current Triad chairman
Lok who faces competition from his godsons as he looks to increase his business relations
with mainland China.
Trials Course Love 99, USA (To the Maxxx) – World Premiere
Director: Dorothy Littlejohn, Jess Riegel
Two filmmakers, Dorothy Littlejohn (“Mountain Unicycle Weekend”) and Jess Riegel
(“Trials Course Love 99”) document the obscure, yet insane sport of mountain unicycling.
(Screening in conjunction with “Mountain Unicycle Weekend.”)
TV Set, USA
Director: Jake Kasdan
Cast: David Duchovny, Sigourney Weaver, Ioan Gruffudd, Justine Bateman, Judy Greer
The story of a TV pilot as it goes through the Network TV process of casting, production,
and finally airing.
United Gates of America, USA/United Kingdom (Documentary) – US Premiere
Director: Alex Cooke
Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Charlie LeDuff and documentary director Alex Cooke
journey into the heart of Bush Country to examine the phenomenon of gated communities.
- 32 -
View From a Grain of Sand, USA (Documentary)
Director: Meena Nanji
Taken from three individuals, the story of the initially gradual then dramatic loss of women’s
rights in Afghanistan because of Religious Fundamentalism, war, and international
interference.
Waiter, Netherlands/Belgium (International Feature)
Director: Alex van Warmerdam
Stuck in a crummy job at a run-down restaurant, fifty-year-old waiter Edgar has had enough
of his miserable existence. But he is about to find out the hard way that his life is truly
stranger than fiction.
We Just Work Here, USA (To the Maxxx) – World Premiere
Director: Brian Vernor
From the director of last year’s wildly successful “Pure Sweet Hell” comes a film about the
artisans, frame builders, and racers of Santa Cruz Bicycles.
Welcome Home, Spain (Latino CineMedia) – US Premiere
Director: David Trueba
Cast: Pilar López de Ayala, Alejo Sauras, Ariadna Gil, Juan Echanove, Jorge Sanz
Aspiring photographer Samuel bids farewell to his country village and domineering mother
and heads for Madrid to live with his girl friend, Eva. While investigating a murder with a
female coworker, Samuel discovers his biggest surprise yet....
Zen & Zero, Austria (To the Maxxx)
Director: Michael Ginthoer
Young Austrians travel from California to Costa Rica on a surfing trip that eventually
becomes a philosophical journey.
###
- 33 -