BEND’S INDEPENDENT VOICE

Directed By David Siev

After graduating from the University of Michigan, David left his small Midwest town of Bad Axe, Michigan for Los Angeles. He’s a jack-of-all-trades flmmaker who frst made waves in the Asian-American festival circuit with the debut of his award-winning short flm, Year Zero His frst feature flm, Bad Axe

, is currently on the festival circuit and has won a number of awards including the SXSW Audience Award, SXSW Special Jury Award, Mountainflm Grand Jury Award, among many others. David currently lives in New York where he is now focused on writing and directing his own projects.

Being Michelle

10 A.M. FRI. 10/7 @ TOWER THEATER

3:30 P.M. SAT. 10/8 @ TIN PAN THEATER

80 MIN. | USA | OREGON PREMIERE

Filmmakers scheduled to attend

Presented in English and ASL

FEATURING

“A heartbreaking story of injustice and a broken system that fails the people who most need it. Michelle appears to be a ray of light amid all the darkness that surrounds her. What Michelle had to endure is astounding, and her resilience inspiring.”

—BendFilm

Directed By Atin Mehra

Michelle, a deaf person with autism, survived incarceration in a system that refused to accommodate her needs. Her trajectory changes when she meets Kim Law, a blind volunteer life coach. Today, outside of prison, Kim and Michelle are unraveling Michelle’s history and telling the story of Michelle’s traumatic childhood and her adverse experiences in the criminal justice system. Michelle fnds her voice and strength, and her artwork serves as her own depiction of the trauma she survived as well as a means to her recovery.

Preceded by Rosalie Fish | 10 min. (p. 65)

Tower Theatre sponsored by Tin Pan Theater sponsored by = Open Captions

Atin was born and raised in Varanasi, India and currently resides in Los Angeles. His own personal struggles with abuse and discrimination in India drew him to stories of marginalized individuals and communities. Atin lived and worked in India until 2005, when he moved to the United States with his wife, Mae Thornton Mehra. In 2007 he started his own production company, Orange Kite Productions. Being Michelle is Atin’s directorial debut.

“This flm showcases the importance of children’s education, diversity, and representation on television, and ultimately what an impact good people can make in children’s lives.”

—BendFilm Team

COMPETITION

Butterfly in the Sky

9:45 A.M. FRI. 10/7 @ REGAL OLD MILL - 6

1:30 P.M. SAT. 10/8 @ REGAL OLD MILL - 4

2:45 P.M. SUN. 10/9 @ TIN PAN THEATER

85 MIN. | USA | OREGON PREMIERE

Filmmaker scheduled to attend

This is the story of the beloved PBS children’s series Reading Rainbow, its iconic host LeVar Burton, and the challenges its creators faced in cultivating a love of reading through television. Not only did the series insist on having kids speak to kids about their favorite stories,

Reading Rainbow introduced the world to one of the most adored television hosts of all time. Thanks to his direct, non-patronizing and, most importantly, kind delivery, Burton became a conduit to learning for children of every background, delving behind the pages to the people, places, and things each new story explored.

Preceded by New Moon | 11 min. (p. 64)

Film sponsored by InFocus Eye Care = Open Captions

DIRECTED BY BRADFORD THOMASON AND BRETT WHITCOMB

Bradford Thomason and Brett Whitcomb are a flmmaking team with a catalog that oscillates between archive-rich nostalgic portraits of pop culture, compelling stories of female empowerment, and observational snapshots of under-explored cultures. Their acclaimed flm Glow: The Story of the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling premiered at Hot Docs in 2012. Bradford and Brett recently co-directed the short flm Lost Weekend

Documentary Features Competition

The Pez Outlaw

5:30 P.M. THURS. 10/6 @ TOWER THEATRE

3:45 P.M. SAT. 10/8 @ REGAL OLD MILL - 1

87 MIN. | USA/AUSTRIA | OREGON PREMIERE

Filmmakers are scheduled to attend

In the 1990s, Pez dispensers were worth more, gram for gram, than cocaine or even gold. Steve Glew, from rural Michigan, spent ten years smuggling Pez dispensers into the US from Eastern Europe, making millions of dollars. It was all magical until his archnemesis, the Pezident, decided to destroy him.

Preceded by

“A quintessential American hero following his unique path and realizing his dreams with passion, innocence, and an iron will.”

El Portafolio | 10 min. (p. 64)

Tower Theatre sponsored by Tin Pan Theater sponsored by Film sponsored by First Interstate Bank = Open Captions

DIRECTED BY AMY BANDLIEN STORKEL AND BRYAN STORKEL

Amy Bandlien Storkel and Bryan Storkel are wife/husband documentary flmmakers best known for producing The Legend of Cocaine Island

(Netfix 2019) and the Emmy Award Winning documentary, Alabama Snake

(HBO 2020). Bryan also directed the ESPN 30-for-30 flm The Bad Boy of Bowling and an Emmy-nominated episode of HBO’s State of Play Storkel’s latest producing venture is the upcoming Reading Rainbow documentary, and the feature length documentary Jasper Mall

Of Medicine and Miracles

12:45 P.M. FRI. 10/7 @ REGAL OLD MILL - 1

9:45 A.M. SAT. 10/8 @ REGAL OLD MILL - 6

10 A.M. SUN. 10/9 @ TIN PAN THEATER

93 MIN. | USA | NORTHWEST PREMIERE

Filmmaker are scheduled to attend

At 6 years old, Emily Whitehead was diagnosed with leukemia, and the lives of her and her parents were suddenly thrust into uncertainty. Through bracingly honest interviews and home videos, Emily and her family bounce from hospital to hospital, trying to stay hopeful amidst hopelessness, and their fateful correspondence with a doctor whose research could hold the key to her survival. But time is of the essence.