TICKETS ON SALE NOW! Gig Harbor Film Festival 2011 • 1
A SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS
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2 • Gig Harbor Film Festival 2011
Warmth
surrounds you, from every store, from every restaurant. Uptown is feeling the golden glow of autumn warming your neck as you window shop and chasing the nip of the fall frost with your first bite of savory goodness. Uptown is for finding that perfect gift, for enjoying all of the pleasures of the season and for seeing the joy on your friend’s and family’s faces. Uptown is the perfect way to celebrate your life.
Shop, sip, stroll, dine…discover. Your style, your Uptown. Monday to Saturday 10am to 8pm, Sunday 11am to 6pm Highway 16 Exit 10, Olympic Drive to 4701 Point Fosdick Drive in Gig Harbor www.uptowngigharbor.com
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Gig Harbor Film Festival 2011 • 3
CHUCK HUNTER GIG HARBOR MAYOR
MARTY THACKER EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR The Magic has begun...we’ve kicked into the 4th year of your annual Gig Harbor Film Festival....with gusto!! Whether you are a visitor or you call Gig Harbor home, the magic of the Harbor is evident in every turn, in the faces and hearts of those of us who are film lovers, filmmakers, supporters, volunteers and festival sta�...we come together. Films for all ages...come and enjoy independent films from the northwest and around the world. You’ll be able to meet filmmakers, enjoy Q&A’s after selected films...learn how independent films are made and those special, behind the scenes’ stories. I am grateful for the hundreds of hours put in by our dedicated volunteers, advisory board members and board of directors. I am grateful to you, the artists, audience, members, sponsors, advertisers and donors, for making the GHFF possible. We appreciate your continued support....It Takes A Harbor!!
BETTY FELKER PRESIDENT, BOARD OF DIRECTORS Greetings to all film lovers in our community, who will be joining us Oct .14-16 for the 4th annual Gig Harbor Film Festival in our beautiful quaint community on the Puget Sound. I am proud to say that I have had the privilege of being involved with the festival since it’s initial beginnings, and have watched the tremendous growth that has taken place in a very fast four years. It is believed that it takes almost 5 years for a film festival to blossom and become a community event, but we have certainly attained that in 4 years. I am also privileged to have worked with a most dedicated and hard-working board and executive director, who together have created a vision for this event that has far surpassed initial expectations. We have achieved the procurement of excellent films, both for youth and adults, have been able to o�er life-time achievement awards to notable and worthy recipients, and have created a 72hour film competition, that has been tremendously successful and tripled in size this year. Please come, bring your friends and family , and join us for a most entertaining, exciting and fun weekend at this years festival. It does “Take a Harbor” and you are all apart of the success. 4 • Gig Harbor Film Festival 2011
As Mayor of Gig Harbor, it is a pleasure to welcome you to the 4th Annual Gig Harbor Film Festival. We host many great events in our wonderful community, but I am particularly proud of the GHFF. A lot of dedicated, hard working visionaries have brought this festival to the forefront of our community. As Mayor, it has been very exciting to watch and experience the positive support our community has o�ered the festival. An annual event like the film festival brings culture, entertainment and education together for our residents and visitors. Please show your support by attending the Gig Harbor Film Festival, October 14 – 16, 2011. Congratulations to Gig Harbor Film Festival.....as you continue this annual celebration of the arts.
LAUREEN D. LUND CITY OF GIG HARBOR MARKETING DIRECTOR Welcome to Gig Harbor and the fourth annual Gig Harbor Film Festival. You are part of one of this communities most exciting and growing events! The Gig Harbor Film Festival provides visitors and residents alike a unique opportunity to enjoy the art of films in a state of the art facility right here in the beautiful and friendly Maritime City. We hope you take the time to enjoy all Gig Harbor has to o�er as part of your GHFF experience – dine in our wonderful restaurants, stay in our first class and locally owned inns, explore our history and get out on the water – all things that make Gig Harbor a visitors paradise! Learn more at www.gigharborguide.com. Stay. Meet. Play.
WARREN ZIMMERMAN GIG HARBOR CHAMBER OF COMMERCE PRESIDENT On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Gig Harbor Chamber of Commerce, Welcome to the “Harbor”. I am excited that you’ve chosen to be a part of this amazing annual event now in its fourth successful year. With support from our businesses and residents of the community the Gig Harbor Film Festival continues to grow attracting patrons from many distant places. We invite all Gig Harbor Film Festival attendees to shop and enjoy our wonderful restaurants and retail businesses as you discover the beauty of Gig Harbor. Come visit us often and see all that we have to o�er!
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(253) 858-4990
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7083 Wagner Way Gig Harbor, WA 98335 Gig Harbor Film Festival 2011 • 5
GIG HARBOR FILM FESTIVAL BOX OFFICE POLICIES NO EXCHANGES OR REFUNDS. ALL SALES ARE FINAL. QUANTITIES ARE LIMITED AND MAY SELL OUT AT ANY TIME.
A Film length, as listed in our Web site, gigharborfilmfestival.org, represents the best available information at press time and is for your convenience only. Length of film does not include film introductions or Q&A sessions following the screening. Programs and schedules are subject to change without notice. IN CASE OF CANCELLATION OF SCREENING, RETURN TICKET TO POINT OF PURCHASE. Please silence mobile phones, pagers and watches in the theatre. GHFF reserves the right to prohibit any sales during this festival and in future years to any ticket buyer who is identified or has been identified as a ticket reseller. This pertains to re-sales at above, below or at face value. GHFF reserves the right to prohibit any sales during this festival and in future years to any ticket buyer who is banned, barred, or otherwise removed or asked to leave Festival venues. Our invaluable and experienced staff and volunteers are recruited from far and wide to ensure the best possible Festival experience for all. GHFF will not tolerate mistreatment of its staff or volunteers of any kind and will take measures accordingly. Cameras and recording devices are strictly prohibited in theatres. It is illegal to make a copy of a film without permission of the copyright owner. GHFF reserves the right to undertake antipiracy measures, expel anyone recording or photographing anything in the theatre and confiscate pirated materials. Ticket holders are guaranteed a seat only until ten minutes before the scheduled start of the screening. No entry permitted fifteen minutes after the scheduled start of any screening. All customers must leave the cinema and lobby following each screening. Bags are subject to inspection.
6 • Gig Harbor Film Festival 2011
TICKET PACKAGES ON SALE NOW!
www.gighaborfilmfestival.org or visit the Gig Harbor Film Festival office, just right of the main entrance to Galaxy Theatre in UPTOWN. Open Monday through Saturday 10 - 5:00pm. EXTENDED HOURS THROUGH THE FESTIVAL...9:00 AM TO 6:00PM 3-Day Festival Pass: $40.00 each Adult Individual Tickets: $8.00 each Youth* Individual Tickets: $6.00 each * for youth ages 12 and under Short stack kids Fest: $6 per ticket. An adult family member can accompany kids at no charge. Seniors and Students: $6 PLEASE NOTE: THE MAJORITY OF FESTIVAL FILMS ARE NOT RATED. WE URGE PARENTS TO EXERCISE DISCRETION. INFANTS AND TODDLERS ARE NOT PERMITTED AT ANY SCREENING OR PANEL. WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO CREATE AGE RESTRICTIONS FOR FILMS AS NECESSARY. Seating is available at all performances on a firstcome, first-served basis. No late seating. We strongly recommend that you arrive at the theatre 30 minutes prior to each screening to get in the ticket holders line. All programs are subject to change without notice. No refunds or exchanges can be given, except in the case of program cancellation. Galaxy Theatres are wheelchair accessible.
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD★BLAKE EDWARDS GIG HARBOR FILM FESTIVAL • 2011
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e s a e l P s U n i Jo
FOR AN EVENING WITH
JULIE ANDREWS
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 15 • 6 P.M. as she accepts the award for her late husband, Blake Edwards. Followed by a special presentation of Victor Victoria starring Julie Andrews and directed by Blake Edwards
TICKETS $75 PER PERSON LIMITED SEATING
GIGHARBORFILMFESTIVAL.ORG Gig Harbor Film Festival 2011 • 7
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS What is the Gig Harbor Film Festival? GHFF is a non-profit organization that introduces independent, family friendly, films to our community each October. The filmmakers are invited to attend the festival to introduce their films and answer questions. Filmgoers will be treated to a behind the scenes peek at the art of filmmaking. This year’s festival theme is: Lights Camera, Harbor... The REEL Magic!! To whom does the festival belong? It belongs to you—the community. GHFF is a 501 C3 non-profit organization compiled of a Board of Directors and a talented advisory board drawn from our local community. This pool of passionate, creative individuals, shares their time and knowledge in the fields of film, theater, technical writing, and business. How do the films you will see at GHFF di�er from blockbuster films? GHFF draws independent films from around the world, films that demonstrate exceptional creativity, but lack the big box o�ce budgets for filming and marketing. These are entertaining films that you might not otherwise get to see.
The Fourth Annual Gig Harbor Film Festival (GHFF) is scheduled for October 14-16, 2011. Don’t miss it! Contact our o�ce to request future newsletters via email. (253) 851-FILM (3456) The GHFF website will also be updated frequently with additional information. http:// gigharborfilmfestival.org Where will the films be shown? Thanks to a broad range of sponsors and grantors, including the City of Gig Harbor, GHFF will present and gain recognition for a wide range of appealing films, created by local, regional, and international filmmakers at Galaxy Theater Uptown. Where is the film o�ce located? Follow the stars to the first o�ce to the right of the main entrance of the Galaxy Theater. Stop by for a cup of co�ee; meet other volunteers; and catch up on the latest festival news. What are some other festival highlights? Kidsfest is a division of the GHFF that gives kids and teens an opportunity to view a series of age appropriate films. Discussing and rating selected family friendly films, with their peers, will raise awareness and foster greater viewer discretion.
gigharborfilmfestival.org
$20.00
Celebrating the Cinema
IT’S A WRAP AWARDS CEREMONY
For 103 years, Kitsap Bank has been committed to reinvesting in our community. Celebrate the cinema with us at the Gig Harbor Film Festival!
OCT. 16 AT 3:00 PM INCLUDES LIGHT FINGER FOODS. 72-HOUR FILM COMPETITION AWARDS WILL FOLLOW.
www.kitsapbank.com • 800-283-5537
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Pioneer Way
Point Fosdick
7109 Pioneer Way 4714 Point Fosdick Drive NW Gig Harbor, WA 98335 Gig Harbor, WA 98335 253-858-9533 253-858-8818
Mortgage Loan Division
8 • Gig Harbor Film Festival 2011
253-851-6464
$20.00
gigharborfilmfestival.org
SPECIAL FREE PRESENTATION
FINDING KIND
WED • OCTOBER 12 • 6:00 PM GALAXY THEATRE, UPTOWN
Thanks to our Sponsors, Fuller Theological Seminary and Windrider Film Forum, Gig Harbor Film Festival is bringing this important film to the community, free of charge...the GHFF Board of Directors, Advisory Board Members and all involved in this project invite you to this important screening, October 12 at 6:00 pm., Galaxy Theatre....Filmmakers, will be present for Q&A along with Chap Clark, Chap Clark, Ph.D., Founder of ParenTeen and HURT Seminars, based in Gig Harbor, WA, is Associate Provost of Regional Campuses and Special Projects and professor of youth, family, and culture at Fuller Theological Seminary and Senior Editor of Youthworker Journal. Bullying is a hot topic these days. It’s not that it hasn’t been occurring for ages, but the posting of chick fights on YouTube and the suicide of Phoebe Prince and just within a week another youth, has brought the issue to the forefront of our collective consciousness. In Finding Kind, the goal of these two filmmakers, Lauren Parsekian and Molly Thompson, say they’re on a mission to inspire people of all ages, but students in particular, to take up the cause of kindness. Both, along with their parent have taken this film across the nation to schools and film festivals...bring kindness in and unkind out. Go to www.kindcampaign.com Interviewing women and girls along the way about their lives and experiences, Parsekian and Thompson find, among all of the unique personal stories, some universal truths about growing up as girls. Finding Kind is a document of that journey, and of the filmmakers’ quest to take these experiences and find a common ground of kindness and mutual respect.
meet
2011
the
Filmmaker in attendance during the showing of their films. Many filmmakers will also offer a Q&A session following their film, as indicated within this section. Hot Flash Havoc
Q&A
SPONSORED BY ST. ANTHONY HOSPITAL Director - Jessica Edwards (Producer Heidi Houston and Dr. Barbara Levy attending) 99 minutes• Feature Length Documentary • Family
Fri 5:30pm
HOT FLASH HAVOC, a film of menopausal proportions, will make you laugh, make you cry and make you think. This is a provocative revealing film about the US government not releasing information on women‘s health that will change their lives as they age. If you have a vagina or know someone with a vagina, you need to see this film. Mood swings, memory loss, hot flashes, night sweats, sleeplessness, joint pain, osteoporosis, heart disease, depression, weight gain, low or no sex drive, these are just some of the symptoms of which the mere mention would make anyone cringe. Now is the time to speak up and reveal the truths behind what our popular culture has been so silent about and HOT FLASH HAVOC delves into all aspects of The Change. There are currently over 1 billion women in menopause and over 1.5 billion women in peril menopause world wide. HOT FLASH HAVOC aims to capture and inform an audience of not only women, but their husbands, partners, friends, coworkers and families. So anyone who is a woman or knows a woman.....
10 • Gig Harbor Film Festival 2011
Marathon Director - Biju Viswanath with Producer Richard Harteis attending 90 Minutes Feature Length Documentary • Mature
Q&A Sat 12:40pm
Based on a true story. MARATHON is a tale of courage, endurance, and finally, the triumph of love. MARATHON explores the relationship between Richard Harteis and William Meredith, former US Poet Laureate and winner of virtually every major American award for poetry including the 1988 Pulitzer Prize. In the 17th year of their friendship, William sustains a debilitating stroke. Richard stands by his partner, fighting for the right to care for him, despite the inevitable restrictions on his own life, and against the wishes of William‘s family. Though the path they have chosen is not an easy one, their love and compassion see them through days of illness, therapy, and healing. The strength to overcome disability with dignity becomes a lesson in physical and spiritual endurance, hard won knowledge indeed. MARATHON displays the resolve, discipline and courage of two human beings running for their lives, qualities that can sustain us all in life‘s marathon. In this moving account, we see how two fellow runners have joined the course, and just how far our dreams can take us before we cross the finish line.
FILMS
rs
Out of the Ashes 9/11
Q&A
Co-Directors Marilyn Berger and Sarah Holt, with Marilyn Berger attending 99 Minutes • Feature Length Documentary • Family
Fri 2:55pm
On September 11th, approximately three thousand lives turned into ash. Eleven days after the terrorist attack, the federal government put in place the largest corporate bailout bill for the airlines and the most generous public entitlement program, the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund- steering victims away from the legal system and into the Fund. The Special Master of the Fund, Kenneth Feinberg, and the lawyers who helped 9/11 families, tell how the Fund was created and implemented. Seven families show how 9/11 a�ected their lives and how the Fund impacted them- a Fire fighter’s father, whose son, was one of 343 killed; a pilot’s widow from Flight 93; an undocumented worker family; a widow of a bond trader; a widow of an insurance agent who rejected the Fund and filed litigation; a same-sex partner; and the family of the first respiratory casualty from the toxic dust at Ground Zero. Their inspiring stories, lead us through the shattered American Dream and how they struggled to put it back together. Their search for justice explores complex questions. Did the Fund undermine our legal system? Or did it o�er victims a way to avoid the extraordinary cost, complexity and excruciatingly slow pace of a lawsuit? If the Victim Compensation Fund was the right thing to do, did those hurt in past tragedies like Katrina, Oklahoma City, and other disasters also deserve compensation? If so, is this Fund, with its methods for calculating the value of a human life, an appropriate model? Was justice delivered?
More to Live For
Q&A
Director Noah Hutton with James Chippendale attending 83 minutes • Feature Length Documentary • Mild Language
Sat 3:20pm
More to Live For tells the story of three people, all shaken by cancer and dependent upon the one vital bone marrow match that could save their lives. These individuals are similar only in their fate and prolific accomplishments: Michael Brecker, 15-time Grammy winner, one of the greatest tenor saxophonists of all time; James Chippendale, entertainment executive and founder of The Love Hope Strength Foundation, the largest music centric cancer charity in the world and Seun Adebiyi, a young law student training to become the first ever Nigerian Winter Olympic athlete in any sport. Their unrelated paths become connected in a desperate fight for survival and a singular mission: to bring awareness about bone marrow donation to the millions of people who could save a life, literally, today. People have a misconception that any time they donate a part of themselves it involves extreme invasive measures; but with present medical breakthroughs, it’s the easiest of procedures. In a simple yet passionate manner, the documentary reveals how easy it is to get tested for and donate stem calls for a needy cancer patient. The testing takes a few minutes, and the actual donation, only a few hours. A film of tragedy and loss, strength and hope, More to Live For presents three individuals facing life and death, and their commitment to making a di�erence in the world. These deeply personal accounts of confronting illness will inspire hope and action, leaving the viewer empowered to become part of the cure. Awards: Park City Film and Music Festival Gold Medal - Director‘s Choice - Excellence in Music for a Documentary Film Park City, UT, U S A
Gig Harbor Film Festival 2011 • 11
meet
the
Filmmakers Fantastic Confabulation
Q&A
With Director Andrew Finnigan attending 113 Minutes • Full Feature Mature
Sat 5:45pm
Fantastic: conceived or appearing as if by an unrestrained imagination. Confabulation: the replacement of a gap in a person’s memory by a falsification that he or she believes to be true. Fantastic Confabulations is the character-driven, casual conversation style debut feature film from Andrew Finnigan. It examines the nuances of friendship and what happens when that friendship is challenged by unforeseen events. When Wes‘ (David Harlos) marriage falls apart, he moves in with his best friend from childhood, Ray (Andrew Finnigan), a responsible financial advisor who tries to help Wes, a former children‘s book author, get his life back on track. Ray, however, su�ers an unexpected brain aneurysm and Wes is forced into the role of caretaker. As Ray stumbles through the recovery process, Wes finds an upside to Ray‘s overactive imagination, but it could also cost him their friendship. One of the first feature-length films shot on the Canon 7D DSLR camera. On a shoe-string budget and using non-actors and actors alike, Fantastic Confabulations carries an uncanny charm in its real-life interactions and voyeuristic view into two lives and the goings on around them.
2011 FILMS Waiting for a Train Director Oscar Bucher with Toshio Hirano attending 20 Minutes • Short Documentary • Family
Sat 3:00pm
The engaging true story of Japanese emigrant, Toshio Hirano, whose life was forever transformed by the music of country legend Jimmie Rodgers. Beautifully shot in historic locations, it follows Hirano’s epic journey from Tokyo to Tennessee to Texas and beyond, as his love of bluegrass takes him on a mission of discovery into the heartland of America. A man truly following his bliss, Toshio chases a passionate dream for over 40 years and is rewarded with a life well lived, filled with music, song and dance. A humorous and heartfelt odyssey of borderless bluegrass. Awards Winner of the IDA/David L. Wolper Student Documentary International Documentary Association Winner “Crystal Heart Award” - Heartland Film Festival Winner “Best of Fest – Documentary” - Nevada Film Festival O�cial Best of Fest Awards - Nevada Film Festival Winner “Best Non-Fiction Film” - Nevada Film Festival Winner “Audience Award” - Nevada Film Festival Winner: “Best Short Documentary” - Chicago International Film Festival Winner: “Outstanding Documentary” - Angelus Film Festival Nominated for two Golden Gate Awards - Documentary Short and Bay Area Short - San Francisco International Film Festival
Family of the Wa‘a
Q&A
Winner: “Best of Fest - Audience Award” - SFSU Film Festival - San Francisco
Director - Alyssa Fedele 89 Minutes • Feature Length Documentary • Family
Fri 10:25am
An Ohana - or family - of unrelated men and women paddle a Hawaiian outrigger canoe 1750 miles across the length of the Hawaiian archipelago to honor a sacred promise, or Kuleana given to their leader, Kimokeo, by his deceased uncle. Part obligation, part oath, in traditional Hawaiian culture a Kuleana binds a person to their culture and to their ancestors. This unprecedented voyage across vast expanses of open water mirrors Kimokeo‘s personal and spiritual transformation from a troubled youth known as Bully to a man worthy of the respect of his people. While the journey is ultimately Kimokeo‘s, each member of this ohana dedicates their life to the journey and in the process realizes their own sacred promise has been fulfilled.
12 • Gig Harbor Film Festival 2011
Winner: “Best of Fest - Audience Award” - LZ Digital Short Film Festival San Francisco Awarded The John Gutmann Filmmaker of Excellence Award - San Francisco Arts Commission Gallery Awarded The Murphy & Cadogan Fellowship - San Francisco Arts Commission Arts Gallery
Paint
A Relative Thing
With Director Mike Flaaen attending
Director Garrett Bennett with Writer Steve Edmiston attending
21 Minutes • Short Documentary • Family
Fri 2:30pm
During the summer of 2010 in Tacoma Washington the Urban Grace Church commissioned two young artists to design and paint a mural that would face the front of their church entrance. At the same time the City arts commission approved an open time for urban artists to freely paint gra�ti on some downtown parking garages on Sunday afternoons. A student filmmaker who just happened to be taking pictures of the garages one day was invited to participate and help document the mural that was about to painted on the back wall of Tacoma‘s historic Rialto theater. Heated controversy ensued as some community members opposed gra�ti of and kind in the city. This documentary follows the story of Tacoma‘s underground gra�ti history as well as the parking garages and the newly commissioned mural. Two young artists, Chris Jordan and Kenji Stoll, masterfully design the mural and begin painting for a week long. We also see the two working with inner-city kids through the life program, which helps young Tacoma students to study the arts through designing and painting gra�ti, movement in the form of break dancing, And reading and writing through what has been termed the ‚lyricist lounge‘ in the form of hip hop and rap music writing. We see the mural coming to life as we are entertained visually through the many depictions of gra�ti throughout the city of Tacoma.
102 Minutes • Full Feature • Mature
Q&A
Fri 5:45pm
Gwennie Thomason has called her brothers and sisters back to their childhood home for a family emergency. Gwennie has been holding down the family fort with their grandmother Gray Peg since their parents were killed in a car crash sixteen years prior. They have not been together in one place in over a decade, and there are lots of reasons why: Big brother Garth is now a hotshot lawyer, older sister Becca has turned Thomason family dysfunction into a bestselling volume of short stories, middle sister Stace compensates for what she deems as this „unfairness“ in her work as a resentful group therapist, while youngest brother Mickey is a recovering alcoholic and civil servant who can‘t seem to get his bearings straight. The grown children hurry back to their island homestead thinking Gray Peg is about to die. Despite the immediacy of the situation, the friction between the siblings picks up right where it left o�, until Gwennie drops a bomb on them that will forever change the way they relate with each other. Awards Winner - Best Ensemble - Phoenix International Film Festival Runner Up - Best Picture - Sedona International Film Festival Best Feature Nominee - International Family Film Festival Best Photography Nominee - Ashland International Film Festival
OxyMorons
Q&A
With Director John Hickey attending 110 min. • Documentary • Mature • Pervasive Drugs, Language Fri 8:45pm
A new film maker emerges from the rough inner-city Boston neighborhood called Charlestown, to the bright lights of Las Vegas, New York, and L.A. Johnny Hickey turned his life around from career criminal, and violent drug dealer, to critically acclaimed filmmaker and actor. He overcame an unrelenting drug addiction to Oxycontin, being thrown o� an 80-foot cli� leaving him in a coma, crippled, and told he would never walk again and also a merciless prison sentence, to defy all odds not only leaving his wheelchair behind, but also to write, produce, direct, and star in an autobiographical film that chronicles his one-of-a-kind journey, and sends a vital message to chase your demons away and chase your dreams. Awards Winner - Golden Ace Award - Las Vegas Film Festival
New American Cinema Nominee - Seattle International Film Festival
Homecoming
Q&A
Director Sean Hackett with Tim Larson attending 90 minutes • Feature Length Narrative • Mature Content
Sun 10:00am
Inspired, in part, by a true story, Homecoming tells the story of Estelle Szymanski, an Army Medic who has not been to her Central Florida home in two years. Her 18 days leave journeys between pathos and humor as she attempts to reconnect with her lonely single mother and her directionless, yet noble friends. While her mother plans to celebrate all the missed holidays, her friends try to convince her to come home for good. The leave culminates in a homecoming party thrown by her high school teachers. As she nears her final 24 hours, she finds an unexpected romance - something she has avoided since her teenage years. Emerging from her quiet, disciplined reserve, she confronts the sacrifices she has made in serving overseas.
Gig Harbor Film Festival 2011 • 13
meet
the
Filmmakers The Bag
Q&A
With Director Ray Nomoto Robison and Marlyn Mason attending 25 minutes • Short Narrative • Mature
Fri 1:15pm
This highly controversial work deals with themes which include the right of a healthy yet elderly person to choose the time and place of his or her own death. Several years ago Marlyn Mason overheard a conversation between her elderly parents where her mother said “Sometimes you make me so angry I want to go get the bag”. Mason inquired about ‘the bag’ and discovered her mother had been collecting pills in a bag so that she would have enough to commit suicide. The Bag is perhaps better described as a docudrama than simply a narrative as 75% of the film is as the events actually happened and the dialogue as close to the actual conversations Mason had with her parents as she can recall. The story examines Mason’s own turmoil dealing with her parents’ right to die. The Bag was shot entirely in Southern Oregon where Mason now lives after a long successful acting career in Los Angeles. Awards Winner - Director‘s Choice Award - Rhode Island International Film Festival Winner - Roger Williams Independent Voice Award - North Central Film Festival
2011 FILMS Dancing on the Edge
Q&A
With Director Alexander MacKenzie attending 92 minutes •Feature Length Narrative • Family
Fri 10:15pm
Dancing On The Edge is a family film about a teenage girl‘s struggle with addiction and her dream of being a ballet dancer. When sixteen-year-old Corey Farmer is released from detox, she is placed in Priority Place, a recovery center for juvenile addicts. Her pleas to come home fall on the deaf ears of her mother, Lucy Farmer, an all too frantic and overwhelmed forty-something, and her absent father, Darryl Farmer, a mid-life crisis guy who has all he can do to remember birthdays and to pay Lucy’s alimony. At the request of her roommate, Lynne Duckworth, Head Counselor, Barney Dugan, grants Corey the opportunity to attend ballet class, provided she “keeps her nose clean.” It is there she meets Diane Simpson, dancer extraordinaire and Corey’s first friend outside of Priority Place. It doesn‘t take long for the two girls to hit it o�, both in, and out of class. Just as everything appears to be going right, Corey’s fate takes an unexpected turn as she unwittingly finds herself on the wrong end of a drug deal meant for Diane. With everything unraveling before her eyes, Barney steps up in support of Corey. In this moment, Corey finds an inner strength beyond her years, rejecting Darryl’s o�er to live with her, forgiving Diane for the setup, and weaving her way through a crisis most would not survive. Written, Produced and Directed by Alexander MacKenzie, Dancing On The Edge was filmed entirely in Vancouver, Washington and Happy Valley, Oregon.
Winner - Special Jury Award - Best Short Film - Salem Film Festival
A Glitch in the System
Q&A
88 Minutes • Thriller • Mature Sun 1:30pm
After spending 25 years in prison on a trumped up marijuana charge. Buddy DeLorean is released by an act of congress to free up prison space. On his first day out, he finds life on the outside isn‘t as comfortable as life in the inside.
14 • Gig Harbor Film Festival 2011
Q&A
With Director Geno Andrews attending
With Co-Director‘s Randy Sparks and Justin Peterson attending 14 Minutes • Short Comedy • Mature
Cold Play
Fri 3:05pm
Winston Thorpe suspects his wife, Indigo, of having an a�air. The obsessive millionaire hires a slimy Scottish private-eye, Angus Stewart, to tail his wife and get the proof he needs to take action. But Angus and Indigo form a romantic alliance right after she agrees to steal her husband‘s Imperial Egg and give Angus half its worth. Angus agrees to help the oppressed Indigo “disappear,” but the new lovers get careless and Winston starts finding evidence that link the two together. He soon finds the proof he needs to take deadly action of his own.
This Narrows Place
Q&A
With Director Sooney Kadouh attending 97 minutes • Full Feature Narrative • Mature
Sun 10:00am
A conflicted young Palestinian from the Gaza Strip—Hassan—lands in Detroit on a covert quest to avenge his brother’s death. He moves in with his estranged sister Nadia and their blue-collar uncle and aunt who are proud of the American dream they have built for themselves. When Hassan unwittingly befriends Chris, a lonely and charming meth addict, the two form an unlikely bond. Chris is introduced to the family and is persuaded to clean up his act during the holy month of Ramadan. Nadia takes a liking to him and the two slowly form a relationship unbeknownst to Hassan. When Chris’ sobriety is threatened, Hassan takes extreme measures to ensure his success, ultimately making a decision that will haunt him. When the secret relationship of Chris and Nadia comes to light, as well as the true reason for Hassan’s journey to the U.S., everyone is tested, and no one will be unchanged. Awards Best Ensemble Cast - Ashland Film Festival
Q&A
Director Chad Ruin with Joe Rosati attending 87 minutes • Full Feature Narrative • Mature
Sat 8:40pm
Brian, a homeless man who wanders into a diner and throws his last bit of change on the table for a cup of co�ee. The waitress challenges him: “If there was one thing you could change about your life, what would it be?” He speaks of grandiose plans including being president, or even God. Then he describes the perfect life with a house and career and the perfect wife, saying he wants that perfect woman to come through the door right now. Which she does. And his perfect life comes true, but it is a life he has already lived - and already screwed up. His perfect life, however, is mundane and clichéd. He‘s an architect with a loving wife, Bella, and two sweet daughters living in a typical middle class house with a white picket fence and a golden retriever. Rosati nails the character. He‘s absolutely believable, as is Cozine in the role of his wife. Their smallest gestures are spot-on natural.
PREMIERE SCREENING Gods Country
Best Dramatic Film - Ashland Film Festival
Q&A
With Director Chris Armstrong and Jenn Gotzon attending
Grand Jury Award - Florida Film Festival
Overexposed
92 minutes • Full Feature Narrative • Family
With Co-Director‘s Hailey Rile, Kaite Sca� and Elizabeth Herzfeldt-Kamprath attending 33 minutes • Documentary • Mature
A Perfect Life
Fri 8:20pm
“Overexposed: The Cost of Compassion,” a new documentary on the topic of “compassion fatigue,” a condition that a�ects those working in helping professionals such as health care, social services and law enforcement. Partially sponsored by the global relief organization, World Vision, and created by award-winning MediaLab at Pacific Lutheran University, this film explores the complexities of caring. Directed, written, shot, and edited by PLU Junior Katie Sca� and Seniors Hailey Rile and Elizabeth Herzfeldt-Kamprath. These Communication majors traveled the country to research the complications of compassion fatigue and how the condition a�ects everyone, from those in disaster zones to those dealing with everyday life.
Sat 10:30am
Shallow, materialistic Los Angeles real estate agent/developer Meghan Doherty (Jenn Gotzon) is given the task by her boss, Mr. Whitaker (Daniel Hugh Kelly), of securing the title on a large parcel of Mojave Desert property to be developed into a casinothemed resort for his clients, the Yakomoto Brothers. The foreclosed land in question, called God‘s Country, is owned by one Eden Graham (Michael Toland), a minister who runs a youth camp there, along with his wife and son, Jake (Gib Gerard). Upon arrival at the camp in her Ferrari and designer clothes, Meghan is clearly not a good fit, but Eden persuades her to stay; he promises to sign over the property to her if, during her weeklong sojourn there at the camp, she is not convinced of the value of what they are doing. Reluctantly, she agrees. In the days that follow, cut o� from contact with her o�ce, Meghan begins to warm to the Grahams and their ministry, gradually joining in the group activities and gaining a fuller appreciation of the landscape. Ultimately, she is won over and makes her decision for the camp, rushing back to L.A. to secure the investment funds of a jeweler friend to realize the dreams of Jake Graham of turning God‘s Country into the campus of a full service Christian college.
Gig Harbor Film Festival 2011 • 15
meet
the
Filmmakers A Buddy Story
Q&A
With Director Marc Erlbaum attending 85 minutes • Full Feature Narrative • Family
Sat 10:10am
The story is about struggling singer/ songwriter Buddy Gilbert (Gavin Bellour) and his developing relationship with Susan (Elizabeth Moss), the wounded woman that lives across the hall. The two end up touring a blur of hick town bars, community centers, and retirement homes together, forming a bond in the process. Probably the greatest strength of the film is their easygoing chemistry. Elizabeth Moss’ career has taken o� since I worked with her. She was cast as the female lead in “Buddy,” just as the first season of “Mad Men” was airing, and largely because of its success, she has come into some very high profile gigs since—including the Apatow-produced “Get Him to the Greek” and the upcoming Lawrence Kasdan film, “Darling Companion.”
Impulse Sat 12:30pm
The Visits With Director Geno Andrews attending Fri 8:30pm
The Visits is a psychological drama in the style of “The Sixth Sense” and “A Beautiful Mind”. An artist is seeing visions of his dead wife after her fatal car crash. While he wrestles with his thoughts of suicide it is the love of his daughter and the power of painting that helps him return from the edge of insanity.
16 • Gig Harbor Film Festival 2011
Q&A
Co-Directors Jim Bigham and Mark Moormann with Lourees Little attending 83 minutes • Musical Documentary • Family
Sat 3:30pm
For Once In My Life is a documentary about a unique band of singers and musicians, and their journey to show the world the greatness—and killer soundtrack—within each of them. The band members have a wide range of mental and physical disabilities—as well as musical abilities that extend into ranges of pure genius. In a cinema verite style, the film explores the struggles and triumphs, and the healing power of music, as the band members‘ unique talents are nurtured, to challenge the world‘s perceptions. Awards Winner Feature Length Documentary - Port Townsend Film Festival Winner Audience Award - Sonoma Valley Film Festival
Overwhelmed with having to pay his mother’s medical bills after a car accident leaves her in a comma, young Martin gets caught up in a series of bad moves. Martin soon realizes his life is unraveling as a consequence of one thing: Impulse. This short film marks the debut of its young filmmaker from Gig Harbor High School and was shot in Gig Harbor Wa and Ruston over the summer vacation.
15 Minutes • Short Drama • Family
For Once in my Life
Audience Best Documentary Feature - Sarasota Film Festival
With Directors Stephen Kennedy and Producer Bill Herling attending 10 minutes • Drama • Family
2011 FILMS
Audience Award Winner - Nashville Film Festival Music Impact Award Winner - Nashville Film Festival Audience Award Willer - SXSW Film Festival Audience Choice Award Documentary Feature - Heartland Film Festival
Sons of War
Q&A
With Director Douglas P. Andonian attending 53 min • Feature LengthDocumentary • Mature
Fri 12:50 pm
SONS OF WAR deals with the relationship that existed between the director and his father with regard to the fathers service as a tank crewman in Europe during World War Two, the directors insatiable curiosity with respect to his fathers war experiences and the fathers refusal to share any of that time of his life with his son. The son, throughout his life, was relentless in terms of trying to understand how the fathers war experiences may have influenced his post war life and more specifically to what degree their relationship had been e�ected by those experiences. Narrative is by way of a letter the director has written to his father since his passing ten years ago.
2011 FILMS Prayers for Peace Director - Dustin Grella 8 Minutes • Short Documentary • Family
Fri - 12:45pm
Prayers for Peace is a narrative stop-motion animation confronting the memory of the artist‘s younger brother killed in the current conflict in Iraq. Four years have passed since his brother was killed when an IED was detonated beneath his diesel tanker while on a convoy to the active combat area of Fallujah. In this animation the writer/animator stops to think about who his brother was, how he identified him, as well as work through issues of guilt for not thinking about him as often as he feels that maybe he should. The piece reflects back on the days of the funeral and tries to recall what those days were like for him and his family. An introspective journey, through the heart and soul of a di�cult experience, the artist‘s conclusion proves very di�erent from his original hypothesis. Drawn using pastels on a slate chalkboard, the entire film is shot in two continuous scenes, with the current image drawn directly on top of the previous, leaving the memory of the previous drawings to continue into the present. Much of the footage was borrowed directly from images o� of the soldier‘s laptop that was returned to the family. Also taken o� of the laptop was an audio file recorded in the active combat area of Najaf, where the young man expresses his feelings on the experience.
Awards Cinema City International Film Festival, Best Animated Short SF Shorts, Bronze Jury Award Utopia Film Festival, Best Short Film‘ Greater Reading Film Festival, Best Student Film Seattle Couch Fest, Golden Couch Award Sebastopol Documentary Film Festival, Jury Award Standing Rock International Film Festival, Jury Award
Desperate Crossing Director - MinSeok Jeon 5 Minutes • Animated • Family
Three Actresses Walk Into A Bathroom Director - Jade Justad 11 Minutes • Short Comedy • Mature
Fri- 5:30pm
Three Actresses Walk Into A Bathroom is a short comedy about the fierce rivalries, absurd desperation and hilarious lengths actresses will go to score the coveted role of ‘Junkie Whore with a Heart of Gold #2.’ Over the hill Vivienne is living down the shame of an unexpected viral hit video of her making a ‘bold choice’ at an audition. Kooky and sweet Hannah hides her nerves behind elaborate costumesmaybe too elaborate. At her last audition for a zombie role she almost scared the casting directors to death! Hannah and Vivienne who know each other well - they share both an agent and a long losing streak - are getting ready in the audition bullpen aka the women‘s bathroom when in comes Platinum. Beautiful, blond Platinum who’s ready smile and big baby blues hide a ruthless nature that knows how to throw another woman o� her game with the right underhanded compliment. As Hannah and Vivienne stand shattered in Platinum’s wake, they hear the sound of someone throwing up in a bathroom stall. They discover a fourth actresses, ‘Junkie’ who has clearly traveled down the well worn path of method acting for this audition. They stand aghast as they watch ‘Junkie’ bring the role to life and then pass out with her drug stash in full view... Will Hannah and Vivienne do whatever it takes to land the one line role of Junkie Whore with a Heart of Gold #2?
Awards Best Picture: Micro Comedy: Bare Bones International Film Festival, 2011 Gold Medal of Excellence for Original Music: Park City Film Festival, 2011 Accolade Competition: Award of Merit
Fri - 10:00am
At a police convoy van, there are 3 people - senior policeman, new policeman, notorious criminal. Senior policeman goes to hamburger restaurant and new policeman tests his handcu�s. At that time, a criminal begins to want to go to restroom with heavy stomachache. He asks to new policeman to let him go restroom but the new policeman ignores him without any word. The criminal becomes and becomes more urgent and at that time, he can go out with senior policeman‘s help. However, the new policeman misunderstands that the criminal is escaping and call the emergent help to police station.....
Mr. Radio Director - David Derickson 29 Minutes • Short Narrative • Family
Sat 10:00am
An ironic silent comedy adventure about a man who becomes obsessed with the radio in 1927. Filmed with 20s-era 35mm hand-cranked motion picture equipment, this B+W silent short features Craig Sailor as the gullible protagonist who idolizes a charismatic radio personality and enters a world of illusion. Also featured are Seattle actors Cheryl Serio and Marcus Wolland The early days of broadcasting are recreated in detail. Personalities, advertising and politics leave their mark on our naive hero and reflect the power of our contemporary entertainment/news media. Directed by Seattle filmmaker David Derickson, and filmed in period-style locations in Tacoma with cast and crew from Seattle, Tacoma and Portland.
Missing Elizabeth Director Carl Billington with Producer Phil Seneker attending 8 Minutes • Short Narrative • Family
Sun 3:25pm
Henry plays a game of hide and seek with his sister but she mysteriously disappears. His search takes him on a journey through the countryside as he follows a trail of orange peels which leads him to the cemetery
Gig Harbor Film Festival 2011 • 17
2011 FILMS
dazzled experts and sports fans with an unprecedented display of strength.
Hello Lonesome Director - Adam Reid 93 Minutes • Feature Length • Mature
Believing Bigfoot Co-Directors - Christina Delicata, Nicholas Wood, Zachary Ellrnbogen 10 Minutes • Short Documentary • Family
Sat 8:30pm
Believing Bigfoot looks at the Walla Walla, WA community of Bigfoot believers Located in southeastern Washington, Walla Walla and the surrounding Blue Mountains have been a Bigfoot tracking hot-spot for decades. Believing Bigfoot explores a microcosm of Bigfoot culture to find out what it takes to believe
True Vision Co-Directors - CJ Capes and Greg Nicolaye� 10 Minutes • Short Documentary • Mild Violence 3:45pm
Sun
On July 4th, 1993, Scott Leason would see for the last time in his entire life. It was a 9mm, it entered the left side of his temple and missed his brain by half an inch; he was lucky to be alive. But life would never be the same for Scott Leason. However, determined to find himself again, Scott learns to wakeboard for the first time ever, and now trains to become the world‘s next blind water ski and wakeboard champion
Three stories of unlikely relationships come together in this independent comedy drama from writer and director Adam Reid. Bill Soap (Harry Chase) does commercial voiceovers for a living, but has been stuck in a funk since his wife left him and his daughter stopped speaking to him. One of the only people who still sees him on a regular basis is Omar, the delivery driver who stops by his house nearly every day, and Bill reaches out to him . Eleanor is an elderly widow who has lost her license to drive. Eleanor turns to her neighbor Gary for help running her errands, but as they grow closer she looks to him for more intimate comfort. And Gordon meets Debby through an on-line dating site and immediately falls in love. However, while Gordon is thoroughly committed to the relationship…they have to navigate more than their share of pitfalls along the way. Hello Lonesome marked the first on-screen role for noted voice actor Harry Chase.
Awards WINNER - Jury Award - Best Ensemble Performance - Los Angeles Film Festival WINNER - Jury Award - Best Feature - New Visions -Bahamas International Film Festival WINNER - Best Screenplay - Bend Film WINNER - Audience Award - Best Feature Ashland Independent Film Festival FINALIST - Cinematography - Ashland Independent Film Festival
Awards SDSU Best Student Films of 2010-2011
Intrusion Director - Joey Johnson 13 Minutes • Short Thriller • Mature
Fri 10:15am
Fri - 10:00AM
A woman flirts with danger as she conducts an online a�air. Her dalliance leads to a home invasion. Has she encouraged this? Will her husband survive? Does she want him to?
18 • Gig Harbor Film Festival 2011
FINALIST - Title Design Awards - SXSW
Challenging Impossibility Co - Directors Sanjay Rawal and Natabara Mark Rollosson 28 Minutes • Short Documentary • Family Sun - 1:00pm
Challenging Impossibility chronicles the odyssey of an unlikely strength athlete, Indian-born New Yorker, Sri Chinmoy, who at the age of 73 astounded and
As you may know, this peace advocate, who for years had focused on sharing consciousness through art, meditation and music was inspired at an advanced age to lift weights. He quickly channeled his inner peace into a true source of outer power. He ended up sharing his exploits not only with those in the sports world, but with his dear friends in diplomacy and humanitarian work like Nelson Mandela (whom he lifted on a specially-made platform!) as well as Desmond Tutu, President Mikhail Gorbachev and Mother Teresa.The film features Carl Lewis, legendary bodybuilders like Bill Pearl, world‘s strongest man Hugo Girard, Sting, Susan Sarandon and Desmond Tutu. This 28-minute film is sure to uplift and inspire audience members that, as Sri Chinmoy said, “age is in the mind and not in the heart.” His triumphant challenge to impossibility reminds us all that nothing is truly beyond our reach.
12 Stones Director - Sandy Smolan 22 Minutes • Short Documentary • Family Fri - 12:50pm
Deeply moving and with breathtaking cinematography by Polish cinematographer Jacek Laskus and narrated by Diane Lane, “12 Stones” captures the remarkable transformation the women of Belsi have undergone and illuminates the idea that you can bring an entire village out of poverty by first empowering its’ women, traditionally the most marginalized, to be self-su�cient.
Awards Winner - Best Short Documentary - Newport Beach Film Festival Winner - Best Short Documentary Tallahassee Film Festival
A Musing Director David Spies with producer Phil Seneker attending 10 Minutes • Short Narrative Family
Fri 10:15am
There are two pivotal characters in this short story, Pete Matthews (The Writer) and the Clerk (The Muse). Pete is a writer struggling with his loss of creativity and hasn’t penned a word in three years.
Pete is su�ering from the all too familiar “writer’s block” and needs to find a cure.
often obscure issues that a�ect us and our world but are often overlooked or altogether unknown. It is Kim‘s intention to inspire new ways of thinking, and to e�ect positive change, through humor and the power of film.
Pete pays a visit to his literary agent “Bill Skinner” and after a brief meeting, Bill presses Pete to find his muse. Pete sets out to find his inspiration in the most common of places. After nightly visits to his local liquor mart, Pete is convinced that the Clerk is his muse. Will Pete find success from his new found inspiration or has his hope and desperation created a false sense of encouragement?
Plight of the Earth Fairy‘ tackles some of the more controversial issues in today‘s environmental crisis, and it does so through humor and lighthearted entertainment.
Awards O�cial Selection of the 2011 Breckenridge Festival of Film June 9-12!!
What‘s Up Director - Kim Sheridan 9 Minutes • Short Documentary • Family Sun - 3:35pm
Plight of the Earth Fairy Director - Kim Sheridan 10 Minutes • Short Narrative • Family
Sat - 10:00am
Living in the shadow of the Tooth Fairy, the Earth Fairy has an identity crisis and seeks professional help. This film was created as part of the 48Hour Film Project, in which a short narrative film containing several very specific elements -- had to be written, filmed, and produced within 48 hours. The film had to include the following: New filmmaker Kim Sheridan accepted this challenge, but took it one step further. She chose to do it all with a cast and crew of only two: herself and her husband. Kim wrote, directed, produced, filmed, starred, co-edited, and created the musical score, all within 48 hours. This is one of the first films produced by EnLighthouse Entertainment. Kim Sheridan founded EnLighthouse with the goal of spotlighting important and
A small film crew looks up at the sky and contemplates what’s really going on with our environment. This film was created as part of the 2010 International Documentary Challenge, in which a short non-fiction film had to be written, filmed, and produced within a five-day period. First-time documentary filmmaker Kim Sheridan accepted this challenge, but took it one step further. She chose to do it all with a crew of only two: herself and her husband. Kim wrote, directed, produced, co-edited, co-filmed, narrated, and even created the musical score for ‘What‘s Up?’ It is her intention that the film will encourage viewers to open their eyes and their minds, and to take action to make a positive di�erence in the world around us. This is the first documentary produced by EnLighthouse Entertainment. Kim Sheridan founded EnLighthouse with the goal of spotlighting important and often obscure issues that a�ect us and our world but are often overlooked or altogether unknown. What‘s Up? tackles one of the more controversial (and virtually unheard of) issues in today’s world, and it does so not by preaching or making demands but by asking questions and suggesting actions. The goal is to inspire viewers to learn more, pay attention, take responsibility, and get involved. It’s just a small film, but the information it presents has the potential to make a big di�erence.
Driftwood Director -Michelle Ste�es 19 Minutes • Short Narrative • Family
Fri 2:45pm
Blaire Farrow (Melinda Page Hamilton) has grown tired of her job as a client liaison for a wish granting foundation. She and her coworker Jimmy (Nate Torrence) bicker every day, and she hasn’t had a date in what feels like centuries. When Blaire decides to take in a handsome amnesiac (Adam Van Conant), she thinks she’s found everything she’s ever wanted. But there may be strings attached. While Jimmy meets with a blind client and Blaire with the bitter mother of a dying child, the amnesiac tries to put together clues that have come to him through vivid dreams. When he comes close to discovering his identity, Blaire realizes that she has to make a choice between her own happiness and another‘s. AFI’s Directing Workshop for Women presents a new take on an old tale about the search for love, the pain of longing, and the surprising power of a wish.
Awards Audience Choice Wards - Rhode Island International Film Festival Best Director - Savannah Film Festival
Which Shall it Be Director - Jonathan Albert Murphy 7 minutes • Short Narrative Family
Fri - 8:10PM
Impoverished but loving parents of seven children are offered a way out of their poverty. In return for a house and some land they must choose a child to give away - Which Shall It Be? They embark on an emotional tour of their house to select one of the sleeping o�spring. Shot on location in Brazil this short film is based on a poem by Ethel Lynn Beers (1827 1879), it‘s subject as valid today as when it was penned over a hundred years ago.
Gig Harbor Film Festival 2011 • 19
2011 FILMS
The Butterfly Circus Director - Joshua Weigel 23 Minutes • Short Feature • Family
Queens of Cactus Cove
The Old Immigrants Dance
Director - Anna Christopher
Director - Charlene Music
22 minutes • Short Comedy • Family
Sun 4:10pm
Teenage chess champ Billie faces the prospect of defeat for the first time when she faces her best friend at the biggest chess tournament of her career.
A Son‘s War
Fri 12:30pm
Through moments of sacrifice and also of joy, elderly Latinos find the courage to forge a new life in the United States. An elderly woman reads a poem from her newfound love. A little boy caresses his grandmother‘s tired face. Octogenarians study for their citizenship test. And a 98-year-old widow dances and prays for two more years of life.
Kings
Director - Steven Edell 27 Minutes • Short • Mature
19 Minutes • Documentary • Family
Sat 3:00pm
Prague, 1939: The heart wrenching true story of a young Czech Jew, Jan Wiener, struggling to survive at the outset of Nazi occupation during World War II. As the German army tightens its grip on the city and danger grows ever closer, Jan is ultimately forced to choose between his freedom and his mother‘s honor.
Awards Best Student Film & Best Cinematography California Independent Film Festival Best Student Film - USA Film Festival Honorable Mention Production Excellence Angelus Student Film Festival Special Jury Prize - Winton Train Contest Alexis Award for Best Emerging Student Filmmaker Palm Springs International Shortfest The Charles & Lucille King Family Foundation Finishing Award The Caucus for Television Producers, Writers & Directors Finishing Award FotoKem Answer Print Grant Panavision New Filmmaker Grant Gold Circle Award - The Caucus Foundation for Television Producers, Writers & Directors
20 • Gig Harbor Film Festival 2011
At the height of the Great Depression, the showman (Eduardo Verastegui) of a renowned circus leads his troupe through the devastated American landscape, lifting the spirits of audiences along the way. During their travels they discover Will (Nick Vujicic), a man without limbs at a carnival sideshow, but after an intriguing encounter with the showman he becomes driven to hope against everything he has ever believed.
Awards Best Short - Audience Favorite - Heartland Film Festival Audience Favorite - Ashland Film Festival Audience Favorite - Palm Springs Short Fest Best Short - Cincinnati Film Festival Audience Award - Maui International Film Festival Best Short - Best Actor - Method Fest Best Short - Temecula Valley International Film Festival Best Short Feel Good Film Festival Grand Prize - Doorpost Film Project
Director Barbara Mones 7 min • Animated • Family
Sat 12:45pm
Best of Fest - Grand Rapids Film Festival Fri 10:05am
An old man traveling alone in an upper class train car has his game of solitaire interrupted as another old man sits across from him and starts performing disruptive card tricks. Tensions rise and an escalating conflict breaks out between the two fueled by their mutual annoyance. This conflict culminates in a battle fought through the card game War. As the game becomes more and more heated the men start to rip and tear their cards, taking out the blood-lust they have for each other on their decks. The battlefield is full of desperation from the cards’ perspective, as they have no choice but to be dominated. Both armies are vulnerable as the troops are smashed, ripped, and burned to destruction. The game comes to an explosive end, and as the ashen card debris rains down, the men are absorbed in uncontrollable fits of laughter from their apparent enjoyment of the mayhem. There is a moment of respite after the debris settles, but it is broken as the ashes are wiped from the table, two fresh new card decks are drawn, and War begins again.
Gray Eagles Director - Christopher Woods 30 minutes • Short Documentary • Family Sun 12:30pm
Unlike traditional historical films, “Gray Eagles” is told from a unique perspective. It tells the story, from the viewpoint of Brooks’ grandchildren, giving it a youthful, contemporary voice. The survival of history depends on the sharing of first-hand accounts. It is this human connection across generations that makes the film’s message so deeply emotional and poignant. As a boy, filmmaker Chris Woods had a neighbor named Jim Brooks. A soft-spoken man, Brooks’ unassuming facade was hiding a daring past as a Mustang pilot during World War II. On rare occasions, Brooks would tell young Woods stories of that time and place, firing the young boy’s imagination with images of aerial battles and death-defying engagements. Brooks couldn’t know at the time, but by recounting his stories, he was guaranteeing that at least one more generation would hold these memories for safe keeping...
kidsfest FILMS
SHORT STACK
breakfast and movies FREE ADMISSION FOR KIDS when accompanied by an adult { $6.00 } SUNDAY 11:00 AM TO 3 PM Free pancakes 11:00am - 12:15 at The Greenhouse Restaurant (across from Galaxy Theatres) Adult ticket price, $6 with accompanying parent ticket which includes admission into Kid Film Festival and a short stack of pancakes for the kids, courtesy of our Kids Fest Sponsor, The Greenhouse Restaurant, Uptown, 11:00 am - 12:15pm.
WITH ENTERTAINMENT BY JIM VALLEY First ďŹ lm begins at 12:30pm with entertainment by Jim Valley during the Kids Festival. ONCE UPON A TIDE THOM CAT THE WISHING WELL
10 Minutes 7 Minutes 12 minutes
OUT ON A LIMB
5 minutes
THE MANTIS PARABLE
8 minutes
BUTTERFLIES
16 Minutes
GALLERY GIRL
6 minutes
DORME
7 minutes
A WESTERN HORSESHOW
8 Minutes
72
R U
O H FILM
COMPETITION As any self-respecting film festival, Gig Harbor hosted its second annual 72 Film Competition, bringing in filmmakers from around the area, amateur and professional alike. Our aim: to bring light to the lesser-known filmmakers in the area and give them a chance to prove their creative ability in a relatively short amount of time. What is the 72 Hour Film Competition? Developed to challenge the creativity and technological skills of the filmmaker, competitors have 72 hours to create a movie of up to five minutes. All script writing, shooting, light design, sound recording and editing must take place during the allotted time. As if that isn’t challenging enough, each film must include several common elements, such as a prop, a line of dialogue and an action, which must be used within the script. Why participate? Other than bragging rights of completing such a feat, there is the winning of $5000 Filmmaker Scholarship sponsored by State Farm Insurance. The first place winners within two age groups, Youth and Adult, will receive $2500 to participate in certificate and degree programs at Seattle Film Institute. Although this is only our second year for hosting this event, we have seen some amazing talent and unfortunately we can only choose one winner from each age group... Come support the youth and adult talented Gig Harbor Filmmakers.... be part of the awards ceremony Sunday evening....October 16, 2011.
SPONOSORED BY
22 • Gig Harbor Film Festival 2011
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Gig Harbor Film Festival 2011 • 23
BOARD OF DIRECTORS *BETTY FELKER Board President HOLLAND COHEN Secretary EVA BENNISON Treasurer *ANGIE PICCHI Asst Treasurer BRIAN MCLEAN Board Member SCOTT SCHOENEN Board Member PAT SCHMIDT Board Member PATTY JACKSON Board Member *MARILYN OWEL Board Emeritus *MARTY THACKER Board Member/ED *Indicates Founding Board Members
MARILYN OWEL AND MARTY THACKER Gig Harbor Film Festival Co-Founders ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS John Hogan, Managing Partner, UPTOWN Gig Harbor David DePatie, Producer, Pink Panther animated series Evie Lynn, Managing Partner, EJH Investments AJ Witherspoon, Regional Manager, Galaxy Theatre Uptown Gene Lynn, Owner, Careage Development Steve Lynn, Owner, Morso Wine Bar Vickie Reynolds, Community Leader 24 • Gig Harbor Film Festival 2011
meet
the
Pane SATURDAY, OCT. 15, 1:10P.M. Are you an avid filmgoer? Have you ever dreamed of making a movie? We invite you to take a FREE peak behind the scenes into the art and business of moviemaking. Meet our distinguished panel — four amazing filmmakers who have found success in a competitive and ever-changing media market. Discover surprising innovations coming soon to your theater, home box o�ce, or hand-held device. Learn how social networking is changing the business of filmmaking. Short films are driving the digital environment. Learn how this change is a�ecting audiences and filmmakers. Do you have a great idea for a movie? “Pitch” your idea in the time it takes to ride an elevator-60 seconds. Money and Creativity make strange bedfellows. Panelists will explain how these ideas can work together.
elists GENO ANDREWS
Everyone seems to have an idea for a movie. But when pressed to “Pitch” their idea they’ll often realize that pitching their idea quickly and succinctly is often more challenging than even writing the entire script. Geno Andrews is an independent filmmaker in Los Angeles who enjoys inspiring other writers and filmmakers almost as much as he enjoys making films. In this workshop, Geno will teach you a simple formula to help you organize your idea into what’s known in Hollywood as “The Elevator Pitch”. Many times, just learning this formula can actually help you understand why your idea works (or why it doesn’t work) and will serve as a guideline to creating the perfect elevator pitch for your next Hollywood screenplay.
STEVE EDMISTON Steve is an attorney with the Invicta Law Group in Seattle, with over 25 years of expertise in business, commercial litigation, and entertainment law. He is a frequent speaker on entertainment issues and has presented to the Institute for International Film Finance, Northwest Screenwriters Guild, Northwest Film Forum, Celluloid Bainbridge Film
Festival, Seattle Film Institute, and Seattle Central Community College. Steve is also a screenwriter and producer. His short films include The Day My Parents Became Cool (writer, producer, director), which played festivals around the country, was named “Best Short Comedy” at the 2009 L.A. International Family Film Festival, and was selected by IndieFlix for the new Film Festival in a Box program.
BECKY SMITH Becky Smith is an Emmy-nominated film and television director based in Los Angeles. Smith recently wrote and directed the romantic comedy 16 To Life, which has won six “Best Feature” Awards at international festivals as well as Best Actress (Hallee Hirsh) and Best Supporting Actress for (Theresa Russell). Smith received her Emmy Nomination for directing Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, which won a Series Emmy the same year. Space needed below. She has directed numerous series and pilots for networks including
MTV, MTV2, NBC, Fox, Disney Channel, PBS, Fuse and ABC Family. Smith directed the TV series How To Look Good Naked, for LIFETIME television. She received her Masters degree in film from Stanford University and also has a background in theatre directing.
AUDREY MARRS Audrey Marrs helped to produce Inside Job, a documentary about the financial crisis of 2007-2010, which was screened at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2010. Inside Job was released by Sony Pictures Classics in October 2010 and subsequently won the Academy Award for Best Documentary is a film producer and the Chief Operating O�cer of Representational Pictures, Inc., and producer of No End in Sight, which is her first film. It won a Special Jury Prize for documentaries at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival. She and Charles H. Ferguson were also nominated for an Academy Award in the Best Documentary Feature film category for the film.[1]
Gig Harbor Film Festival 2011 • 25
FRIDAY THEATRE 8 10AM
11AM
:00
Intrusion
13 min.
:15
A Musing
10 min.
:25
FAMILY OF THE WA’A
81 min.
:00 :30
12PM
1PM 2PM
:00
Family of the WA’a Q&A • 12:00 - 12:30pm
:30
Intermission
15 min.
:45
Prayers for Peace
8 min.
:50
SONS OF WAR
53 min.
:00 :45
Sons of War Q&A • 1:50 - 2:15 pm
:15
Intermission
:30
PAINT
21 min.
:55
OUT OF THE ASHES 9/11
100 min.
3PM 4PM 5PM
:00 :35
Out of the Ashes Q&A • 4:35 - 5 pm
:00
Intermission
:30
HOT FLASH HAVOC
:10
Hot Flash Havoc Q & A • 7:10-7:40 pm
:40
Intermission
:10
Which Shall it Be?
:20
OVER EXPOSED
33 min.
DANCING ON THE EDGE
92 min.
100 min.
6PM 7PM 8PM 9PM
:00
10PM
:15
11PM
:00
12AM
:00 :45
26 • Gig Harbor Film Festival 2011
Dancing on the Edge Q&A • 12:45 - 1:15 am
OCT 14 THEATRE 10 10AM
:00
Desperate Crossing
5 min.
:05
Kings
7 min.
:15
Hello Lonesome
93 min.
:30 11AM
:30 :45
12PM
:15
Intermission
:30
The Old Immigrant Dance
20 min.
:50
12 Stones
22 min.
:15
THE BAG
25 min.
:40
The Bag Q & A • 1:45 - 2:15 pm
:15
Intermission
:45
Driftwood
20 min.
3PM
:05
COLD PLAY
88 min.
4PM
:00
1PM 2PM
5PM
:30
Cold Play Q & A • 4:30 - 5:00 pm
:00
Intermission
:30
Three Actresses Walk into a Bathroom
11 min.
:45
A RELATIVE THING
102 min.
6PM
:00
7PM
:30
A RelativeThing Q & A • 7:30 - 8:00 pm
8PM
:00
Intermission
:30
THE VISITS
15 min.
:45
OXYMORONS
110 min.
9PM
:15 :30
10PM
:35
Oxymorons Q & A • 10:35 - 11:05 pm
Feature film with Filmmaker attenting and Question and Answer session following Feature film with Filmmaker attenting (no Q&A)
Gig Harbor Film Festival 2011 • 27
SATURDAY THEATRE 8 10AM 11AM
:00
Mr. Radio
28 min.
:30
GOD’S COUNTRY
92 min.
:00 :30
12PM
1PM
:05
God’s Country Q&A •12:05 - 12:30 pm
:30
Intermission
15 min.
:45
Butterfly Circus
23 min.
:10
Panel Discussion
60 min.
:30 2PM 3PM 4PM
:00 :30
Intermission
:00
WAITING FOR A TRAIN
20 min.
:20
MORE TO LIVE FOR
83 min.
:00 :30
5PM
:45
More to Live For Q&A • 4:45 - 5:15 pm
:15
Intermission
:45
FANTASTIC CONFABULATION
6PM
:10
7PM
:00
113 min.
:30 8PM
9PM
:45
Fantastic Q&A • 7:45 - 8:15 pm
:15
Intermission
:30
Believing Bigfoot
10 min.
:40
A PERFECT LIFE
87 min.
:30 :40
11PM
:00 :30
A Perfect Life Q&A • 10:10 - 10:40 pm
Feature film with Filmmaker attenting and Question and Answer session following Feature film with Filmmaker attenting (no Q&A)
28 • Gig Harbor Film Festival 2011
OCT 15 THEATRE 10 10AM
:00am
Plight of the Earth Fairy
10 min.
:10am
A BUDDY STORY
85 min.
:30am 11AM 12PM
1PM
:00am :35am
Q&A A Buddy Story
:00pm
Intermission
:30pm
IMPULSE
10 min.
:40pm
MARATHON
90 min.
:00pm :30pm
2PM 3PM 4PM
:15pm
Marathon Q&A • 2:15 - 2:45 pm
:45pm
Intermission
:00pm
A Son’s War
27 min.
:30pm
FOR ONCE IN MY LIFE
83 min.
:00pm :30pm
5PM 6PM
:00pm
For Once in my Life Q&A • 5:00 - 5:30 pm
:30pm
Intermission
:00pm :30pm
7PM
:00pm
JULIE ANDREWS SHOW
:30pm 8PM
:00pm
VICTOR/VICTORIA
:30pm 9PM
:00pm :30pm
10PM
:00pm :30pm
Feature film with Filmmaker attenting and Question and Answer session following Feature film with Filmmaker attenting (no Q&A)
Gig Harbor Film Festival 2011 • 29
SUNDAY THEATRE 8 10AM
:00am
HOMECOMING
90 min.
:15am :30am 11AM 12PM 1PM
2PM 3PM
:00am :30am
Homecoming Q&A • 11:30 - 12:00 pm
:00pm
Intermission
:30PM
Gray Eagles
25 min.
:00pm
Challenging Impossibility
28 min.
:30pm
A GLITCH IN THE SYSTEM
14 min.
:30pm
A Glitch Q&A • 1:45 - 2:00 pm
:00pm
Intermission
:30pm
AWARDS SHOW
:00pm :30pm
4PM 5PM
:00pm
Intermission
:30pm
72 hour film fest
:00pm :30pm
6PM
:00pm :15pm
Feature film with Filmmaker attenting and Question and Answer session following Feature film with Filmmaker attenting (no Q&A)
TICKETS ON SALE NOW www.gigharborfilmfestivalorg
30 • Gig Harbor Film Festival 2011
OCT 16 THEATRE 10 10AM
:00am
THIS NARROW PLACE
97
:30am :45am 11AM 12PM
1PM
:00am :40am
Q&A The Narrows Place 11:40AM - 12:10PM
:10pm
Intermission
:30pm
KID FEST 6-10 YEARS OLD
:10pm
Dorme
7
Once Upon a Tide
10
Out on a Limb
6
The Mantel Parable
8
Galley Girl
6
Jim Valley Entertainment
30
KIDS FEST ALL AGES :40pm
Thom Cat
7
A Western Horseshow
8
The Wishing Well
12
Butterflies
16 30
2PM
:25pm
Jim Valley Entertainment
3PM
:00pm
Intermission
:25pm
Missing Elizabeth
8
:35pm
What’s Up?
10
:45pm
True Vision
10
:10pm
Queen of Cactus Grove
22
:40pm
Intermission
4PM
Feature film with Filmmaker attenting and Question and Answer session following Feature film with Filmmaker attenting (no Q&A)
Gig Harbor Film Festival 2011 • 31
Peninsula Subaru & Triumph Motorcycles Suzuki and Peninsula Auto Outlet
Are proud supporters of the Fourth Annual b i i you independent, bringing i d d t foreign ďŹ lms and documentaries.
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John & Melinda Dionas
32 • Gig Harbor Film Festival 2011