1001 Lootens Place, Suite 220 San Rafael, CA 94901
EXPERIENCE
THE MILL VALLEY FILM FESTIVAL
AS A MEMBER! • Discounted Festival tickets • Purchase of tickets before the general public (active membership is required through October 2011)
• Free “Friends of the Festival” movie screening • Additional year-round benefits, including $5.50 tickets and free pre-release screenings at the Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center
SHOW YOUR SUPPORT OF THE ARTS JOIN AT THE BOX OFFICE or ONLINE
CAFILM.ORG/MEMBERSHIP
MEMBERSHIP SPONSOR
DINING PAGE
M I LL VALLEY BA LBOA C A FE
a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit
PI A Z Z A D’A NGELO
Classic American Bistro cuisine with an emphasis on fresh, seasonal produce. 415.381.7321 balboacafe.com
38 Miller Ave.
Authentic Italian cuisine in the heart of downtown, featuring a wood-burning pizza oven, full-service bar and views of the piazza. 415.388.2000 piazzadangelo.com
22 Miller Ave.
BUC K E Y E ROA DHOUSE
Celebrating and promoting film as art and education 15 Shoreline Hwy.
A Marin County dining mainstay–try the famous Oysters Bingo, housesmoked BBQ baby-back ribs and more! 415.331.2600 buckeyeroadhouse.com
BUNGA LOW 4 4 Contemporary American grill featuring fresh, local ingredients, signature cocktails and select wines. 415.381.2500 bungalow44.com 44 East Blithedale Ave.
FR A NTOIO Contemporary familyowned Italian restaurant with an in-house olive press. All natural, all the time! Buon appetito! 415.289.5777 frantoio.com 152 Shoreline Hwy.
Modern family dining offering the professionalism of a big-city eatery with the warmth of a local neighborhood joint—perfect for your first date or 50th with a couple of kids in tow. 415.383.0600 pizzaantica.com
SM A LL SHED FL ATBRE A DS
Hang with the locals. Delicious wood-fired pizzas, great organic salads, wine, beer and more. 415.383.4200 smallshed.com 17 Madrona St.
TOA S T Come enjoy delectable American comfort food in a casual setting. 415.388.2500
Southern Italian cuisine, familyowned and -operated since 1964. 415.388.0224 laginestrarestaurant.com 127 Throckmorton Ave.
Creative artisan-style pizza using the best imported, regional and local organic ingredients. Soup, salad, lasagna, specialty beers and nice wines. 415.383.8646 tonytuttopizza.com 246 East Blithedale Ave.
T SUK I JI
PE A RL’S PH AT BURGER Juicy, fat phat burgers, organic buffalo burgers, crispy fries, fresh salads and real milkshakes known as the best in Marin. 415.381.6010 pearlsdeluxe.com 8 East Blithedale Ave.
LE Y L A V IL L TH 34 M L S TI VA E F FIL M 6 R 6 -1 E B O OC T
PI AT TI
625 Redwood Hwy.
Warm charm and welcoming atmosphere of a traditional Italian trattoria, featuring rustic yet fl avorful cuisine and family-friendly service. 415.380.2525 piatti.com
amicis.com 1242 Fourth St.
C REPE V INE Voted best brunch and best inexpensive dinner in Marin County. 415.257.8822 crepevine.com 908 Fourth St.
IL DAV IDE
Always delicious, beautifully prepared and served Northern Italian. 415.454.8080 ildavide.net 901 A St.
SA BOR OF SPA IN
Tapas, vinos, wine tastings, paella nights, live music and fl amenco shows, catering, banquets and takeout. 415.457.8466 saborofspain.com 1301 Fourth St.
SA N R A FA EL JOE’S
toastmillvalley.com 31 Sunnyside Ave.
TON Y T UT TO PIZ Z A L A GINE S TR A
Thin, crisp-crust, East Coast–style pizzas, baked in traditional brick ovens. 415.455.9777
800 Redwood Hwy., Suite 705 Strawberry Village
hawksnestmv.com 507 Miller Ave.
A MIC I’S E A S T C OA S T PIZ ZERI A
PIZ Z A A NTIC A
THE H AW K ’S NE S T An American gastro pub. Excellent beers, great wines and wonderful pub food. 415.388.3474
S A N R A FA E L
Variety of fresh sushi and fun, creative dishes. Selection of high-quality sake and excellent wines. 415.383.1382 tsukijisushimv.com 24 Sunnyside Ave.
Extensive and varied selection of family favorites! 415.456.2425 sanrafaeljoes.com 931 Fourth St.
SOL FOOD
Puerto Rican cuisine. The food is incredible, the portions are huge and the atmosphere is a lot of fun. 415.451.4765 solfoodrestaurant.com 901 Lincoln Ave.
V IN A NTIC O
Californian Italian, one block from Court Plaza! 415.454.4492 vinantico.com 881 Fourth St.
Y E T WA H
VA SC O Casual dining, excellent food, great atmosphere and casual prices, all in downtown Mill Valley! 415.381.3343 vascomillvalley.com 106 Throckmorton Ave.
Classic Chinese cuisine, featuring Hong Kong appetizers, crab puffs, noodle bowls and more! 415.460.9883 yetwahsanrafael.com 1238 Fourth St.
SPONSORS THE C ALIFORNIA FILM INSTITUTE IS PROUD TO ACKNOWLEDGE OUR 2011 SPONSORS AND SUPPORTERS MA JOR SPONSORS
ZAENTZ MEDIA CENTER A WAREHAM DEVELOPMENT
M V F F
major foundations and individuals
the bernard osher foundation
GOVERNMENT support
3 4 MA JOR INDUSTRY support
mvff.com
2011FS-Sponsors-PP.indd 1
1
9/7/11 3:01:41 AM
SPONSORS SilvER CiRClE SPONSORS
fEStivAl CiRClE SPONSORS
M V F F
MA JOR MEdiA SPONSORS
3 4
HOtEl SPONSORS
SPECiAl SuPPORt
2
cafilm.org
2011FS-Sponsors-PP.indd 2
9/7/11 3:02:01 AM
SPONSORS fEStivAl EvENtS SPONSORS
Exclusive Coffee & Tea of MVFF Exclusive Cheese of MVFF
PROMOtiONAl PARtNERS
ICG MAGAZINE
M V F F
PROduCtS ANd SERviCES SPONSORS
john sanborn
3 4 iN-KiNd dONORS 123 Bolinas, Artisan Wine, Beer & Food Adam Neville Capitola Media Champagne French Bakery & Cafe Clean Slate Video Clif Family Winery Clos du Bois CMS, Inc. Courtesan Wines Delicious! Catering Event Marketing Works
Fiske Video Productions Galante Vineyards Grgich Hills Estate HelloCello The Hess Collection Judy’s Breadsticks Korbel Brandy Lagunitas Brewing Company Los Osuna, The Spirit of True Agave Matthew Sumner Photography Mazzocco Sonoma
Mill Valley Flowers Noci Organic Gelateria & Café Roots of Peace San Rafael Chamber of Commerce San Rafael Joe’s SKYY Spirits TR Elliott Video Arts Whim Agency Whipper Snapper Restaurant
mvff.com
2011FS-Sponsors-PP.indd 3
3
9/7/11 3:02:44 AM
CFI SUSTAINABILITY Sustaining the Mission: To Celebrate and Promote Film as Art and Education For more than three decades the California Film Institute has enriched the cultural lives of Marin County and Bay Area residents.
Through the generous support of our donors we are able to:
As we celebrate the 12th anniversary of the Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center, the 20th anniversary of CFI Education and the 34th Mill Valley Film Festival, we continue to work to secure the legacy of this exceptional cultural organization by making it financially sustainable. In taking these steps now, we ensure that future generations—and future audiences—will be able to enjoy the rich and varied offerings of CFI’s three core programs: the Smith Rafael Film Center, the Mill Valley Film Festival and CFI Education.
• Bring Bay Area audiences into contact with the world’s most celebrated and visionary filmmakers.
• Continue the high-quality, innovative programming that has earned CFI its international reputation.
• Expand CFI Education to offer Bay Area students more media literacy and hands-on filmmaking programs and bring more filmmakers into local schools. • Increase our creative and financial support of filmmakers through year-round exhibition and distribution. For more information about how you can support CFI, please visit cafilm.org/support or email lbender@cafilm.org.
CFI WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE FOLLOWING INDIVIDUALS AND FOUNDATIONS FOR THEIR GENEROUS SUPPORT OF THE CALIFORNIA FILM INSTITUTE Leadership Circle
Silver Circle
Christopher B. and Jeannie Meg Smith
Anonymous (2)
Jennifer Coslett MacCready
Kamala Geroux-Berry and David Berry Alice Corning
Investor Circle
Dennis P. Fisco and Pamela Polite Fisco
Jackie and Ken Broad
Margaret E. Haas
Gruber Family Foundation
K.C. and Steve Lauck
Kathleen O’Hara and Larry Eilenberg Catherine and Peter Flaxman
Leslie Hansen
Major Foundation Support
Susan and Richard Idell
The Bernard Osher Foundation
Amy Keroes Dixon Long
Marin Community Foundation San Francisco Foundation
Lynne Hale
Henry Timnick
Platinum Circle
Bobbie Meyer
Cindy and John McCauley
Terese and Robert Payne
Rosemary and Kevin McNeely
Gordon Radley
josh and chris McQueen
Christine Zecca Foundation
Gold Circle Anonymous Drusie and Jim Davis Katz Family Foundation
Heidi Richardson and Michael Dyett Alan Scott Sheryle Bolton and Steve Shane Saul Zaentz
Stephen and mary mizroch jann Moorhead Diana Iles Parker Deborah Santana Susan and Joel Sklar
Monahan Parker, Inc.
Bronze Circle
Marjorie Swig
Eric Schwartz
Nancy and Gary Carlston
Peggy Trethewey
Sabrina Chen-Louie
The Whitney Family
Michael and susan Schwartz FUND Lois and Mel Tukman
Jennifer MacCready in memory of Charles McGlashan
M V F F
Lisa Graeber
Fred M. Levin and Nancy Livingston, the Shenson Foundation
Nancy and Rich Robbins
Gifts in Memoriam
Government Support
3 4
County of Marin
Major Industry Support The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
Paul Violich
Marie and Brian Collins mvff.com
2011FS-Sustain-Milestone-PP.indd 5
5
9/7/11 2:36:56 AM
OPENING NIGHT Welcome to the 34th Mill Valley Film Festival! Our 11-day celebration begins with two exceptional Opening Night films and a Gala to remember.
ALBERT NOBBS
Thursday, October 6, 7:00 pm Film and Gala $125 ABRT06P
M V F F
Film Only $40 ABRT06R Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center
Glenn Close is extraordinary as Albert Nobbs, a woman who has spent her life avoiding poverty in mid–19th-century Ireland by dressing and working as a man, in this subtle, funny and heart-wrenching film about the search for love and independence. See page 25 for complete film information.
ED RITGER
Follows either Opening Night screening
ED RITGER
OPENING NIGHT GALA
PENNI GLADSTONE
3 4
I R E L A N D 2 0 1 1 • 1 1 3 MI N S
Thursday, October 6 9:00 pm–12:00 am Mill Valley Community Center After our Opening Night films, join fellow guests at the Mill Valley Community Center for delicious savories and sweets, wine and cocktails and dazzling live music.
6
cafilm.org
2011FS-OpeningNight-PP.indd 6
9/7/11 3:29:26 AM
OPENING NIGHT OPENING NIGHT SPONSOR
JEFF WHO LIVES AT HOME
Thursday, October 6, 7:00 pm and 7:15 pm 7:00 pm Film and Gala $125 JEFA06P 7:00 pm Film Only $40 JEFA06S
U S 2 0 1 1 • 8 4 MI N S
7:15 pm Film and Gala $125 JEFB06P 7:15 pm Film Only $40 JEFB06S CinéArts@Sequoia
Jeff, a 30-year-old unemployed stoner who lives at home, is on a collision course with destiny in the Duplass brothers’ latest, funny, sincere and surprisingly moving exploration of life’s Big Questions. See page 38 for complete film information.
ED RITGER
ED RITGER
3 4
mvff.com
2011FS-OpeningNight-PP.indd 7
M V F F
7
9/7/11 3:29:37 AM
GLENN CLOSE
DANGEROUS LIAISONS
FATAL ATTRACTION
TRIBUTE TO GLENN CLOSE PROGRAMANDRECEPTION Friday, October 7 8:00 pm Tribute and Reception $150 TRBT07P Tribute Only $50 TRBT07R Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center See mvff.com for reception details MVFF welcomes Glenn Close for a Tribute to her stellar career. Enjoy an onstage interview and a review of clips from her films. Then join us for a memorable reception with regional Italian cuisine, house-made pastas, wood-fired pizzas and mesquite-grilled meats at Piatti Ristorante & Bar.
Since her debut in The World According to Garp and her performance the following year in The Big Chill, Glenn Close has demonstrated she can more than hold her own in fast company. She became a lightning rod for feminist politics in Fatal Attraction, but it is her signature combination of steeliness and covert vulnerability that has made her an actor to reckon with in such films as Jagged Edge, The Natural and Reversal of Fortune. Her recent TV creation, ruthless litigator Patty Hewes in the legal drama Damages, adds yet another memorable variation to an impressive line of determined, strong-willed women with minds of their own. In her new film, Close reprises her Obie Award–winning role as Albert Nobbs, a woman who has spent her life avoiding poverty in mid–19th-century Ireland by dressing and working as a man. It’s an extraordinary performance, a milestone in an already exceptional career. —Sura Wood
M V F F 3 4
Note: Albert Nobbs plays as this year’s co-Opening Night film on October 6.
Glenn Close will be presented with the MVFF Award, designed by celebrated artist Alice Corning. ALBERT NOBBS RECEPTION SPONSORED BY
TRIBUTE SPONSORED BY
mvff.com
2011FS-Tribute-GlennClose-PP.indd 9
9
9/7/11 2:56:18 AM
MICHELLE YEOH/THE LADY
THE LADY
MICHELLE YEOH
SPOTLIGHT ON MICHELLE YEOH
3 4
THE L A DY FRANCE / UK 2011 • 145 MINS
This profound and epic love story, set against a backdrop of political upheaval, chronicles the lives of Burmese prodemocracy activist Aung San Suu Kyi (an exquisite performance by Michelle Yeoh, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) and her husband, British academic Michael Aris (David Thewlis, Naked). See page 39 for complete film information.
SPOTLIGHT CO-SPONSORED BY
10
Saturday, October 8 7:30 pm Spotlight and Reception $150 LADY08P Spotlight Only $50 LADY08R SHEPARD FAIREY
M V F F
PROGRAMANDRECEPTION
Michelle Yeoh is in a class all her own. After an early career that saw this dancer-turnedactress as an action and martial arts star in many top Hong Kong films, Yeoh’s breakthrough in the West came with the James Bond movie, Tomorrow Never Dies; and her indelible presence in Ang Lee’s Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon was the stealth weapon that helped take this great film to extraordinary heights. Now comes The Lady, a film about a different kind of fighter: Burmese prodemocracy activist Aung San Suu Kyi. Yeoh marshals her considerable talents to tell a compelling story that raises our awareness and understanding of the struggle of Suu Kyi and her people. Yeoh attends MVFF with Luc Besson, the internationally esteemed director and producer of The Lady.
Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center See mvff.com for reception details Join us for this special Spotlight Award in recognition of great artistry in the service of justice and human rights. The screening of The Lady will be followed by an onstage conversation with Michelle Yeoh, who will be joined by director Luc Besson. After the program, the evening continues with dinner at Frantoio Ristorante and Olive Oil Co., one of Marin County’s premier dining destinations. Michelle Yeoh will be presented with the MVFF Award, designed by celebrated artist Alice Corning.
cafilm.org
2011FS-Spotlight-TheLady-PP.indd 10
9/7/11 2:35:03 AM
GASTON KABORÉ
FRÉDÉRIC MITTERRAND AND GASTON KABORÉ
BURKINA CINEMA, OUAGADOUGOU
TRIBUTE TO GASTON KABORÉ PROGRAMANDRECEPTION Sunday, October 9 4:30 pm Tribute and Reception $50 WEND09P Tribute Only $25 WEND09R
In the three decades since Wend Kuuni’s release, Gaston Kaboré’s films have ignited a love affair with cinema in his tiny nation of Burkina Faso that has since become one of its indelible features. Exploring both the past, through precolonial quasi-mythical allegories, and the present, with his pointedly satirical take on post-independence, Kaboré’s most important contribution to African film may yet be to its future, in the form of the talented young students he trains at his aptly named Imagine film school in Ouagadougou.
Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center
M V F F
WEND KUUNI (GOD’S GIFT)
See mvff.com for reception details
B U R K I N A FA S O 1 9 8 2
Join us for a Tribute program honoring the career of Gaston Kaboré, including an onstage conversation with Kaboré and a showing of Wend Kuuni (God’s Gift).
3 4
70 MINS
A mute boy in precolonial West Africa is found in the bush and adopted by Mossi villagers whose love and kindness help restore his voice in this rarely screened classic that established Gaston Kaboré as a major voice in African cinema.
Afterward, the evening continues with dinner at Acqua Hotel Mill Valley, catered by Delicious! Catering. Gaston Kaboré will be presented with the MVFF Award, designed by celebrated artist Alice Corning.
See page 53 for complete film information. TRIBUTE SPONSORED BY
CINEMA AFRICA SPONSORED BY
RECEPTION SPONSORED BY
mvff.com
2011FS-Tribute-GastonKabore-PP.indd 11
11
9/7/11 2:49:46 AM
CENTERPIECE
SIMON CURTIS
M Y W EE K W IT H M A RI L Y N CenterpiecePROGRAM
Director Simon Curtis is our special guest for MVFF’s Centerpiece screening of My Week with Marilyn.
Tuesday, October 11 6:45 pm
In his memoir, The Prince, the Showgirl and Me, Colin Clark chronicled an epochal moment on the set with the legendary Laurence Olivier and luminous Marilyn Monroe, but gallantly omitted a whirlwind week he spent touring Great Britain with the American actress and icon. Director Simon Curtis lifts the curtain on this idyllic time, when the young Clark provided the star with a welcome reprieve from the limelight. In his charming feature debut, Curtis succeeds in capturing Monroe’s notorious vulnerability along with the incomparably radiant charisma that would soon catapult her to stardom in Some Like It Hot (1956).
Centerpiece Film $30 MYWE11S CinéArts@Sequoia Celebrate the Festival’s midpoint with a screening of My Week with Marilyn and a conversation with director Simon Curtis.
M V F F
M Y W E E K W I T H M A R I LY N UK
3 4
2011 • 100 MINS
Michelle Williams mesmerizes as Marilyn Monroe, Hollywood icon and upstart Method actor, coming headto-head with British theatrical royal Laurence Olivier (Kenneth Branagh), her costar and director on the set of The Prince and the Showgirl, as witnessed by new production assistant Colin Clark (Eddie Redmayne). See page 42 for complete film information. CENTERPIECE SPONSORED BY
mvff.com
2011FS-Centerpiece-PP.indd 13
13
9/7/11 1:51:48 AM
EZRA MILLER
WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN
WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN
SPOTLIGHT ON EZRA MILLER PROGRAMANDRECEPTION Thursday, October 13 7:30 pm Spotlight and Reception $50 KEVN13P Spotlight Only $25 KEVN13R
It is not often that young actors make a truly indelible imprint in their early roles. Those who have often end up the stars of the next generation: Jodie Foster, Leonardo DiCaprio, Anna Paquin. Eighteen-year-old Ezra Miller holds his own comedically and dramatically among Hollywood elite in indie favorites City Island, Every Day and Another Happy Day as well as Showtime’s Californication. But it is his work in We Need to Talk About Kevin—bringing intensity and nuance to the title role in a performance Variety called “chilling”—that will surely make the raven-haired actor a household name.—Alexis Whitham
M V F F
Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center See mvff.com for reception details Our Spotlight program honoring Ezra Miller starts with an onstage interview and a special viewing of We Need to Talk About Kevin. After, join us for a memorable reception just steps away in the Rafael Hospitality Lounge.
Ezra Miller will be presented with the MVFF Award, designed by celebrated artist Alice Corning.
W E N E E D TO TA L K ABOUT KEVIN
3 4
UK 2011 111 MINS
Lynne Ramsay’s artistically bold exploration of the relationship between a mother (Tilda Swinton) and her apparently psychopathic son (Ezra Miller) is a gripping film that offers no easy answers to its troubling questions but will leave many needing to talk about Kevin. See page 52 for complete film information.
mvff.com
2011FS-Spotlight-EzraMiller-PP.indd 15
15
9/7/11 2:27:36 AM
A FEW BEST MEN
DIRECTOR Stephan Elliott
SPECIAL PREMIERE A FEW BEST MEN PROGRAMANDRECEPTION Friday, October 14 8:30 pm
Join director Stephan Elliott (The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert) and surprise guests for this special premiere screening and celebration of A Few Best Men, his hilariously irreverent new film, starring Xavier Samuel (Twilight) as a young British husbandto-be and Olivia Newton John as his Australian future mother-in-law.
M V F F
Premiere Screening and Reception $50 AFEW14P Premiere Screening Only $30 AFEW14R
A F E W B E ST M E N
Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center
Australia 2011 • 91 MINS
See mvff.com for reception details
When David (Samuel) travels to the Australian outback for his wedding, he is aided and (mostly) abetted by his “best men” (not to mention Ramsay, a muchbeloved male sheep) in this outrageous comedy of ill manners.
This Special Premiere evening starts with a screening of A Few Best Men and continues with onstage conversation/Q&A’s with our noted guests. The celebration continues at the Donna Seager Gallery, a short stroll away, where guests will enjoy sumptuous cuisine in an elegant setting.
RECEPTION SPONSORED BY
3 4
See page 34 for complete film information.
SPECIAL PREMIERE SPONSORED BY
mvff.com
2011FS-AFewBestMen-PP.indd 17
17
9/7/11 3:19:08 AM
ELIZABETH OLSEN
MARTHA MARCY MAY MARLENE
SPOTLIGHT ON ELIZABETH OLSEN SPOTLIGHTPROGRAM Saturday, October 15 8:00 pm Spotlight $25 MART15R Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center
Elizabeth Olsen got her start acting alongside older sisters Mary-Kate and Ashley but soon emerged as a promising talent in her own right. Today her burgeoning career, already marked by challenging and complex roles, includes upcoming projects with seasoned professionals like Dakota Fanning, Catherine Keener and Jane Fonda. But her breakout performance came at this year’s Sundance Film Festival with a luminous and layered portrayal of a young woman recently free of an all-consuming cult in Sean Durkin’s Martha Marcy May Marlene. With this sensitive and affecting portrait, Olsen’s rising star reaches the brightest points in the firmament of independent cinema.
M V F F
M A R T H A M A R CY M AY M A RLE N E
Join us for the Spotlight program and conversation with Elizabeth Olsen, followed by a screening of Martha Marcy May Marlene.
US 2011 • 101 MINS
3 4
Martha is a young woman damaged by two years in a Family-styled cult who attempts to readjust to society and reconnect with her sister in this assured directorial debut, a sensitive and atmospheric rendering of a sensational subject. See page 41 for complete film information.
Elizabeth Olsen will be presented with the MVFF Award, designed by celebrated artist Alice Corning.
SPOTLIGHT SPONSORED BY
mvff.com
2011FS-Spotlight-ElizabethOlsen-PP.indd 19
19
9/7/11 2:25:11 AM
CLOSING NIGHT The 34th Mill Valley Film Festival comes to a perfect close with the screening of The Artist. After the film, join us at our new Closing Night space, the San Rafael Community Center. With director Michel Hazanavicius, savor, indulge and unwind with the finest in gourmet cuisine, live music and an always-memorable atmosphere.
THE ARTIST
FRANCE 2011 • 100 MINS
Sunday, October 16, 5:00 pm Film and Gala $75 ARTS16P Film Only $35 ARTS16R Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center
Sunday, October 16, 5:00 pm Film and Gala $75 ARTM16P Film Only $35 ARTM16S CinéArts@Sequoia
Cannes Best Actor Jean Dujardin is a silent-film star resisting the transition to sound in this French production co-starring Bérénice Bejo, set in 1927 Hollywood. Filmmaker Michel Hazanavicius’s sprightly and soulful backstage tale is a new silent classic for the ages.
M V F F
SPONSORED BY
See page 26 for complete film information.
NANCY DYER
MISTI LAYNE
CLOSING NIGHT PARTY
3 4
Follows THE CLOSING Night screening
Sunday, October 16 7:00 pm–10:00 pm Party only, $50 CPTY16P Albert Park/San Rafael Community Center 618 B Street, San Rafael (enter off of A Street)
mvff.com
2011FS-ClosingNight-CORREX-PP.indd 21
21
9/5/11 10:33:09 PM
MVFF 2011 M V F F 2 0 11 P R E M I E R E S WORLD PREMIERES Day of the Flowers Guitar Man
F I L M
C A T E G O R I E S
VA L L E Y O F T H E D O C S The latest in documentary filmmaking, because reality spins some of the most fascinating yarns of all.
Heist: Who Stole the American Dream?
SPONSORED BY
ZAENTZ MEDIA CENTER A WAREHAM DEVELOPMENT
One Through Love The Planets The Real Rocky Smokin’ Fish
5 @ 5 A N D M V F F SH O R T S An assortment of filmic gems, this year’s 5@5 matinee series takes its program titles from the songs of Elton John. SPONSORED BY
Trust Me Voices from the Shadows What Happened Here? William Kurelek’s The Maze
US C INEMA A showcase for new American films by master and emerging filmmakers who share a talent for independent storytelling.
NORTH AMERIC AN PREMIERES
SPONSORED BY
ZAENTZ MEDIA CENTER A WAREHAM DEVELOPMENT
Between 2 Fires Bon Voyage Busong (Palawan Fate) The Butcher’s Wife A Few Best Men Guru: Bhagwan, His Secretary & His Bodyguard Pegasus
WORLD C INEMA Stories that reveal elements of the universal while changing our ways of seeing and understanding our global neighbors.
C HILDREN’S FILMFEST Giving young people a taste of cultures and adventures they won’t find anywhere else.
M V F F
SPONSORED BY
Sarabah The Soul of Flies
US PREMIERES Chill on the Hill
2 0 11 F O C U S
Collaborator
FOC US C INEMA AFRIC A
Coriolanus
Buud Yam (Gaston Kaboré, Burkina Faso) • Da Monzon, The Conquest of Samanyana (Sidy Diabaté, Mali) • The Destiny of Lesser Animals (Deron Albright, Ghana/US) • The Mosque (Daoud Aoulad-Syad, Morocco) • Pegasus (Mohamed Mouftakir, Morocco) • Sarabah (Gloria Bremer, Maria Luisa Gambale, US/Senegal) • Wend Kuuni (God’s Gift) (Gaston Kaboré, Burkina Faso)
Dolphin Boy Eliminate: Archie Cookson Jeff Who Lives at Home The Mosque Play Like a Lion: The Legacy of Maestro Ali Akbar Khan The Story of Film: An Odyssey We Need to Talk About Kevin
F O C U S G R E AT B R I T S Coriolanus (Ralph Fiennes, UK) • Day of the Flowers (John Roberts, UK) • Eliminate: Archie Cookson (Rob Holder, UK) • Lotus Eaters (Alexandra McGuinness, UK/Ireland) • Shame (Steve McQueen, UK) • The Story of Film: An Odyssey (Mark Cousins, UK) • We Need to Talk About Kevin (Lynne Ramsay, UK) • Voices from the Shadows (Josh Biggs, Natalie Boulton, UK)
3 4
FOC US HE ALING Busong (Palawan Fate) (Auraeus Solito, Philippines) • Dolphin Boy (Dani Menkin, Yonatan Nir, Israel) • Girlfriend (Justin Lerner, US) • The Sacred Science (Nick Polizzi, US/Peru) • Voices from the Shadows (Josh Biggs, Natalie Boulton, UK) • The Welcome (Kim Shelton, US)
mvff.com
2011FS-Premieres-PP.indd 23
23
9/5/11 10:40:35 PM
F I L M S
M V F F
5@5: Circle of Life
5@5: Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me
5@5: Hard Times
5@5
5@5
5@5
“It’s the Circle of Life, and it moves us all.” So go the lyrics to a popular tune. And these five short documentaries keep the wheel turning. Discarded pens from around the world take on new life in Paul Meyer’s Penultimate (US 4 mins), while Lori Petcher’s Life Model (US 6 mins) reveals a 75-yearold nude figure model who has learned to love her body in the art she inspires. In Jim Sugar’s impressionistic Swimming in a Dream (US 7 mins) a group of Marin County swimmers explores what it means to achieve “the swimmer’s high,” and Doug Nichol’s Sunshine (US 14 mins) introduces us to an American advertising producer who travels to China to make a TV commercial, offering rare insight into modern-day “Mad Men” and the absurdity of the business. Finally, Pot Country (US 27 mins), by Kate McLean and Mario Furloni, gives us an intimate look at a community’s complex relationship with marijuana, the semilegal crop that powers the local economy in much of rural northern California. —Kelly Clement
Whether reaching out or in, help comes in unexpected ways in these shorts that explore how to deliver a message, soften the blow and simply lend a hand. Set in a rural town during World War II, a sweet and friendly widower is the bearer of bad news in James Khehtie’s The Telegram Man (Australia 14 mins), starring Australian great Jack Thompson. At Care-A-Spondence, an agency that specializes in “Dear John” letters, the best writer is hired to write a suicide note and begins to worry about what the final revisions will bring, in Jason Headley’s To Say Goodbye (US 19 mins). A doctor moonlights as a taxi driver and finds himself in a situation where his day-job skills are needed in Julio O. Ramos’s gripping A Doctor’s Job (Peru 11 mins). A disenchanted cleaning lady breaks from fluffing the pillows to help her elderly employer reconnect with her estranged brother in Lisa Melodia’s Confidante (US 18 mins). —Holly Roach
Whether you encounter a beast, odd shape, robot or human, all characters in this romping mash-up of 2-D, 3-D, stop-motion and live-action animation reflect a timeless and comical struggle through life. Rachel Moore’s Pop (US 3 mins) is an abstract journey through history, while Floyd the Android (US 4 mins) by Jonathan Lyons shows the antics of a not-so-brilliant hunk of metal. Bugs are explored in Zeke Norton’s Zapped! (Canada 2 mins) and further celebrated in the captivating imagery of Hannes Vartiainen and Pekka Veikkolainen’s The Death of an Insect (Finland 7 mins). Christmas Piggy (Denmark 8 mins) by R.S. Söderström is an evasively curly swine tale, while Grant Orchard’s A Morning Stroll (UK 7 mins) shows the pluck of a chicken navigating through time’s door. Being curved in a straight world proves challenging in Mario Adamson’s I Am Round (Sweden 14 mins) and Seven Days in the Woods (Sweden 6 mins) by Peter Larsson is a mesmerizing study of odd woodland scenes. Making a quirky splash, Juan Pablo Zaramella’s Luminaris (Argentina 6 mins) features a bright idea inspired through building bulbs. —Amanda Todd
t o tal program 5 8 m i ns
Tuesday, October 11, 5:00 pm
5X5C11S, Sequoia Friday, October 14, 5:00 pm
3 4
24
5X5C14R, Rafael
t o tal program 6 2 m i ns
Tuesday, October 11, 5:00 pm
5X5D11R, Rafael Thursday, October 13, 5:00 pm
5X5D13S, Sequoia
t o tal program 5 7 m i ns
Monday, October 10, 5:00 pm
5X5H10R, Rafael Friday, October 14, 5:00 pm
5X5H14S, Sequoia
cafilm.org
2011FS-Notes-CORREX-PP.indd 24
9/5/11 10:00:27 PM
5@5: Just Like Strange Rain
5@5: The Last Song
Albert Nobbs
5@5
5@5
world cinem a
When you don’t measure up to expectations, the world can seem like a lonely place. This collection of shorts explores the struggles of outsiders seeking a place to belong. When a young Iranian woman is stranded on the street without her headscarf, a neighbor offers gallant company in Saba Riazi’s subtle and elegant The Wind Is Blowing on My Street (Iran 16 mins). A man must confess to a crime he didn’t commit in order to protect a personal secret in Bethynia Cardenas Iñiguez’s Moonless Night (US/Mexico 13 mins). An African immigrant reinvents himself as a nameless London street-sweeper in an effort to escape the painful memories of his war-torn past, but realizes he cannot hide from himself in Harold Chapman’s Invisible (UK 15 mins). Pencil drawings present a threatening menace to those made of flesh and blood after an eraser factory burns to the ground in Erik Rosenlund’s imaginative Out of Erasers (Sweden/Denmark 15 mins). —Holly Roach
Memories, misunderstandings and tall tales make up the stories of our lives in this collection of shorts that asks, “Is there something you want to tell me?” Julia Stiles stars as a young woman who receives a misdirected text message and lives out the real-life version of accidentally pushing “send,” in famed playwright and filmmaker Neil LaBute’s sexting (US 8 mins). Olivia misinterprets a text to her boyfriend and prepares to face the beginning and end of life as she knows it in Garry Bowden’s Saturn Rising (US 11 mins). When the neighbor boy, Neil Armstrong, walks on the moon, Mrs. Gorski remembers a promise made long ago in Arron Shiver’s nostalgic Good Luck, Mr. Gorski (Ireland/US 16 mins). Giancarlo Iannotta entices his mother into reminiscing over her prized childhood accessory in My Big Red Purse (US 3 mins). A boy experiences a startling rite of passage in Topaz Adizes’s Boy (US 9 mins), while Will Oldham stars as a father passing on the wisdom of centuries in David Lowery’s festival hit, Pioneer (US 15 mins). —Holly Roach
Ireland 2011 • 113 MINS
t o tal program 5 9 m i ns
Monday, October 10, 5:00 pm
5X5J10S, Sequoia Wednesday, October 12, 5:00 pm
5X5J12R, Rafael
t o tal program 6 2 m i ns
Wednesday, October 12, 5:00 pm
5X5L12S, Sequoia Thursday, October 13, 5:00 pm
5X5L13R, Rafael
F I L M S
Director Rodrigo Garcia Producers Bonnie Curtis, Julie Lynn, Alan Moloney Screenwriters Gabriella Prekop, John Banville, Glenn Close Cinematographer Michael McDonough Editor Steven Weisberg Cast Glenn Close, Mia Wasikowska, Aaron Johnson, Janet McTeer, Jonathan Rhys Meyers Print Source Roadside Attractions
Reprising her Obie-winning off-Broadway role, Glenn Close as Albert Nobbs is extraordinary in a performance that’s moving and subtle, funny and heart-wrenching. At a luxurious hotel in mid–19th-century Dublin, all the needs and niceties of its upper-crust guests are meticulously ministered to by the impeccable staff: maids (Mia Wasikowska among them) and cooks and menservants, including one rather shy butler named Albert Nobbs. While others flirt, “walk out” and gossip, Nobbs seems the perennial loner. Befriended by a rather dashing housepainter employed at the hotel, Nobbs is inspired to pursue his dreams of love and independence. But there’s a catch: Nobbs is a woman who has long dressed and lived as a man in order to escape destitution. Nobbs’s brave and awkward foray into the unfamiliar world of love and romance is touchingly rendered by director Rodrigo Garcia (Mother and Son) and his fantastic cast in this pitch-perfect, beautiful film. —Zoë Elton Thursday, October 6, 7:00 pm
M V F F 3 4
ABRT06R, Rafael For Opening Night Gala information, see page 6. For Tribute to Glenn Close information, see page 9.
SPONSORED BY WELL S FARGO
mvff.com
2011FS-Notes-CORREX-PP.indd 25
25
9/5/11 10:00:29 PM
F I L M S
M V F F 3 4
Another Happy Day
The Artist
The Barber, the Brush and the Baton
us cinem a
world cinem a
VALLE Y of the Docs
US 2011 • 119 MINS
France 2011 • 100 MINS
Director/Screenwriter Sam Levinson Producers Ellen Barkin, Johnny Lin, Michael Nardelli, Salli Newman, Celine Rattray, Todd Traina Cinematographer Ivan Strasburg Editor Ray Hubley Cast Ellen Barkin, Demi Moore, Thomas Haden Church, Ezra Miller, Kate Bosworth, Ellen Burstyn Print Source Phase 4 Films
Director/Screenwriter Michel Hazanavicius Producer Thomas Langmann Cinematographer Guillaume Schiffman Editors Anne-Sophie Bion, Michel Hazanavicius Cast Jean Dujardin, Bérénice Bejo, John Goodman, James Cromwell, Penelope Ann Miller, Missi Pyle Print Source The Weinstein Company
In a tour-de-force performance, Ellen Barkin skillfully navigates the emotional minefields of unmet needs in writer-director Sam Levinson’s debut feature about one family desperately seeking reconciliation. We join Lynn (Barkin), a mother of four, on the eve of her son’s wedding. But as Elliot (brilliant newcomer Ezra Miller), the cynical teen brother of the groom, admits, “If we’d come here for a funeral instead of a wedding we might all be getting along.” Lynn hopes they might get along anyway, even though her children are exhibiting a wide range of disturbing behaviors, all while her parents and sisters alternate between denial and ridicule. Sound familiar? Barkin exudes a wonderful fierceness in protecting her brood while attempting catharsis in this dramatic comedy that is refreshingly free of easy sentiment and rounded out by sensitive and sometimes hilarious performances from a remarkable cast, including Ellen Burstyn, Demi Moore, Kate Bosworth and Thomas Haden Church. —Janis Plotkin
Taking Best Actor honors at Cannes this year with a swagger and a smile, French performer Jean Dujardin dazzles as George Valentin, reigning superstar in 1927 Hollywood who resists the imminent transition to sound motion pictures. Bérénice Bejo matches his charm as Peppy Miller, a beautiful girl-extra whose star rises as George’s wanes, in a sprightly and soulful backstage tale with echoes of A Star Is Born and Singin’ in the Rain. Writer-director Michel Hazanavicius reunites the leads of his hit comedy OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies and crafts a picture-perfect black-and-white silent movie with a musical score that is as much loving homage as knowing satire. A new silent classic for the ages, this French production has American ambience to spare and a great supporting cast, including John Goodman, James Cromwell, Penelope Ann Miller and Malcolm McDowell—not to mention the most captivating canine performer in memory! —Richard Peterson
In a world that often feels polarized and intractable, we are proud to present three short documentary films about individuals who have gone the extra mile to promote multiculturalism in their communities. In Robin Fryday and Gail Dolgin’s The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement (US 26 mins), we meet 85-year-old James Armstrong, a colorful and courageous civil rights activist, as he witnesses the culmination of a life-long dream: the election of America’s first black president. A Brush with the Tenderloin (Paige Bierma, US 22 mins) presents the transformation of one of the diciest corners in San Francisco’s notorious Tenderloin District as acclaimed muralist Mona Caron paints a rich visual story featuring the neighborhood’s diverse collection of characters. The unforgettable Geoff “Double G” Gallegos is the subject of Christine Lee’s Hip Hop Maestro (US 41 mins), which chronicles his amazing journey from young classical composer to creator of the larger-than-life daKAH Orchestra, bringing elements of hip-hop, jazz, funk and reggae from the Los Angeles nightclub circuit to the prestigious Walt Disney Concert Hall. —Kelly Clement
Wednesday, October 12, 8:00 pm
ARTS16R, Rafael
AHDY12R, Rafael Thursday, October 13, 9:30 pm
AHDY13S, Sequoia
Sunday, October 16, 5:00 pm
Saturday, October 15, 4:45 pm
BARB15S, Sequoia Sunday, October 16, 1:00 pm
BARB16R, Rafael
Sunday, October 16, 5:00 pm
ARTM16S, Sequoia For Closing Night Party information, see page 21.
SPONSORED BY LRG CAPITAL REAL ESTATE
26
t o tal program 8 9 m i ns
SPONSORED BY SOL FOOD
cafilm.org
2011FS-Notes-CORREX-PP.indd 26
9/5/11 10:00:30 PM
Being Elmo: A Puppeteer’s Journey
c hildren’s filmfe st
Between 2 Fires
F I L M S
Beyond the Road (Por El Camino)
world cinem a
world cinem a
US 2011 • 85 MINS
Sweden/Poland 2010 • 131 MINS
Brazil/Uruguay 2010 • 85 MINS
Director Constance Marks Producers Constance Marks, James Miller, Corinne LaPook Cinematographer James Miller Editor Philip Shane, Justin Weinstein Print Source Submarine Deluxe
Director/Screenwriter Agnieszka Lukasiak Producer Peter Kropenin Cinematographer Hubert Taczanowski Editor Marcin Kot Bastkowski Cast Magdalena Poplawska, Kamila Nowysz, Simon Kassianides, Leila Haji, Fredrik Ohlsson Print Source Swedish Film Institute
Director/Producer/Screenwriter Charly Braun Cinematographers Pablo Ramos, Bruno Alzaga Editors Fernando Coster, Charly Braun Cast Jill Mulleady, Esteban Feune de Colombi, Guilhermina Guinle Print Source Charly Braun
Who is Elmo? Elmo is joyous. Elmo is love. Elmo is Kevin Clash. Long before his furry red friend became an international superstar, Clash discovered his passion in life. At nine he sat inches away from his television set, transfixed by a new show called Sesame Street. Clash spent the next nine years constructing puppets and entertaining the neighborhood kids in suburban Baltimore. His talent and conviction made him unstoppable. Through incredible footage and thoughtful interviews, we follow Kevin on his journey from a small show at the local TV station to Captain Kangaroo, before his inevitable arrival on that street we all know and love. When a frustrated fellow puppeteer tossed him a character named Elmo he just couldn’t figure out, the rest was history. Drawing on the loving support of his family and an undeniable gift, Clash found the voice and essence that infused Elmo with a spirit that enchanted the world. Ages 4+ —Kristine Kolton Saturday, October 8, 11:30 am
BENG08S, Sequoia Saturday, October 15, 12:00 pm
BENG15S, Sequoia
Sunday, October 9, 9:15 pm
In Spanish, French and English with English subtitles. The Uruguayan coastline will no longer be the road less traveled now that this film has captured its majestic essence. On the ferry from Buenos Aires to Montevideo, a slightly glamorous Argentine banker named Santiago meets Juliette, an earthy, whimsical Belgian tourist. The two decide to take a road trip up the Uruguayan coast—falling in love with it and each other along the way. Spending nights in beachfront castles, dancing in discotheques with Euro fashion models (including a cameo by Naomi Campbell) and drinking wine with guitar-playing prophets, their relationship reflects a perfect mixture of the sensational and the organic. The allure of Uruguay, roughly the size of Missouri and with a tiny population of 3.5 million, looms large in director Charly Braun’s panoramic storytelling, in which wide shots of beachscape sunsets blend with Super 8–style memories. Clever cinematography and storytelling build a bridge beyond the material crossroads of Santiago and Juliette’s road trip. —Delfin Vigil
BETW09R, Rafael
Saturday, October 8, 4:15 pm
Tuesday, October 11, 4:45 pm
BYND08S, Sequoia
BETW11S, Sequoia
Tuesday, October 11, 9:30 pm
In Polish and Swedish with English subtitles. An epic story of one woman’s quest to find her place in the world, this spellbinding film focuses on the roller-coaster reality of a rootless—and stateless—immigrant single mom in modern-day Europe. Tormented by an abusive husband, Marta flees her homeland of Belarus with young daughter Anna. The promise of a new life in a Swedish refugee camp is hindered by her vulnerable position in a foreign world and the dark motivations of the people she meets. Magdalena Poplawska as Marta is a wonder to behold. She relies on simple facial expressions and subtle actions to potently convey Marta’s inner life as she strives to make a better life for her child. Filmmaker Agnieszka Lukasiak fuses spellbinding images and situations that are heartbreaking and hopeful at once. Centering on the mother-daughter bond, the film tackles immigrant rights and sexual politics through the profound human story at its core. North American Premiere —Brendan Peterson
M V F F 3 4
BYND11R, Rafael
SPONSORED BY KGO NEWSTALK 810
mvff.com
2011FS-Notes-CORREX-PP.indd 27
27
9/5/11 10:00:32 PM
F I L M S
Bon Voyage
world cinem a
M V F F 3 4
The Butcher’s Wife (Wangliang’s Ideal)
world cinem a
world cinem a
Netherlands 2010 • 83 MINS
Philippines 2011 • 93 MINS
China 2010 • 119 MINS
Director Margien Rogaar Producers Pieter Kuijpers, Sander van Meurs, Iris Otten Screenwriters Tijs van Marle, Margien Rogaar Cinematographer Sal Kroonenberg Editor Elsbeth Kasteel Cast Anneke Blok, Reinout Bussemaker, Mirre Balke, Casper van Rijnberk, Scyler Eijgermans, Hans Croiset Print Source Pupkin Film
Director Auraeus Solito Producers Auraeus Solito, Jong de Castro Screenwriters Kanakan Balintagos, Henry Burgos Cinematographer Louie Quirino Editor Chuck Gutierrez Cast Alessandra de Rossi, Rodrigo Santikan, Clifford Banagale, Dax Alejandro, Bonivie Budao, Walter Arenio Print Source Jong de Castro
Director/Screenwriter Gao Xiongjie Producer Wang Xuemei Cinematographer Guo Jia Editor Li Fang Cast Fang Ye, Tang Huihua Print Source Smiley Film Sales Ltd.
In Dutch with English subtitles. The unsinkable Dutch Verbeek clan prepares for a family holiday to France for that anticipated escape from the ordinary. But their “bon voyage” is abruptly sidetracked by news that Grandpa Bob is gravely ill, leading to an altogether different, more subdued journey from which an unexpectedly rich story emerges. As the family settles into a staycation, sullen teenager Anouk refuses to let the change of plans sidetrack her stealth mission to lose her virginity; son Jochem quickly learns about the tenuous ties of friendship; and the youngest, Jasmijn, soberly accepts what everyone else fears the most, boldly traversing with Grandpa Bob the delicate line between life and death with frankness, heart and a surprising amount of humor. Margien Rogaar’s understated style is an invitation to settle in with the Verbeek family, in this heartfelt film about coming of age, mortality and the ties that bind. North American Premiere —Alexis Whitham
FOCUS: HEALING • In Filipino, Palawanon and Cuyunon with English subtitles. In this captivating meditation on nature, love, spirituality and loss, a woman who finds herself stricken with a strange illness that prevents her from setting foot on the earth takes a journey to find a cure among the indigenous people of Palaui (in the Philippine Islands), who live in sync with the land, water and sky. Woven into her tale is a world of shamanistic rituals that describe the ways prayer, myth and story shape a culture. Throughout comes an emphasis on busong, or karma: When nature or individuals are disrespected, the consequences are clear and swift. Busong (Palawan Fate), which premiered this year at Cannes as the first Palawanon indigenous feature, mingles magical realism with trenchant social commentary about the effect of mining, dynamite fishing and logging upon indigenous peoples, creating a beautiful homage to the idea of myth, creation and rebirth. North American Premiere —Nora Isaacs
Wednesday, October 12, 9:30 pm
BNVG12S, Sequoia
Saturday, October 8, 11:00 am
Thursday, October 13, 4:00 pm
BUSG08S, Sequoia
BNVG13R, Rafael
Monday, October 10, 7:00 pm
SPONSORED BY EX TR ANOMICAL ADVENTURES
28
Busong (Palawan Fate) (Palawan Destin)
In Mandarin with English subtitles. Liang the butcher and his wife Qiao make an attractive couple in a village four hours by bus from the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou. But for six months the marriage has remained unconsummated because Qiao wants to avoid pregnancy in case she passes the college entrance exam (on her fourth try). Liang indulges her “foolish daydream,” trusting in her agreement that she’ll sleep with him if she fails. But her real goal is to leave the stifling village and join others reaping the economic benefits of city life in Hangzhou. As summer begins, Qiao boards the bus for the city, Liang in frantic pursuit. This domestic tragedy asks if a principled man and woman have a right to the life of their choice, or does marriage spell the end of all dreams? In this intensely gripping modern fable, the coming of autumn signals a new chapter that hints at reincarnation and destiny. (Warning: includes explicit scenes of butcher’s work.) North American Premiere —Frako Loden Friday, October 7, 8:30 pm
BUTC07R, Rafael Sunday, October 9, 3:45 pm
BUTC09S, Sequoia
BUSG10R, Rafael
SPONSORED BY Bellam Self Storage & Boxes
cafilm.org
2011FS-Notes-CORREX-PP.indd 28
9/5/11 10:00:33 PM
Buud Yam
world cinem a
California State of Mind: The Legacy of Pat Brown
va lle y of the docs
F I L M S
Chill on the Hill (Frisson des Collines )
world cinem a
Burkina Faso 1997 • 97 MINS
US 2011 • 88 MINS
Canada 2011 • 141 MINS
Director/Producer/Screenwriter Gaston Kaboré Cinematographer Jean-Noël Ferragut Editor Didier Ranz Cast Serge Yanogo, Amssatou Maiga, Sévérine Ouéddouda Print Source Gaston Kaboré
Director Sascha Rice Producers Hilary Armstrong, Julia Mintz, Sascha Rice Cinematographer Anne Etheridge Editors Lauren Giordano, Claire Chandler, Doug Blush Print Source Hilary Armstrong
FOCUS: CINEMA AFRICA • In Moré with English subtitles. Buud Yam is a tale of a young man’s Grail-like quest for a healer to treat his foster sister, Pughneere, stricken with an unknown illness. It’s the early 19th century, and the handsome and charismatic Wend Kuuni (whose early years are chronicled in Kaboré’s earlier film of the same name, also showing at MVFF; see pg. 53 program note and pg. 11 Tribute) sets off on an unpredictable journey that takes him through forests and across deserts. The tension builds throughout with Pughneere’s life hanging in the balance. Beautifully photographed, Kaboré’s tale is a classic hero’s journey that leads Wend Kuuni, ultimately, not just to the cure for his sister but to a sense of identity. The film’s underlying theme of tolerance and understanding adds to this rich fable, which in 1997 received international recognition and confirmed Kaboré’s reputation as a master filmmaker yet is now rarely seen in the US. This year’s MVFF Tribute honoree Kaboré achieves a film of mythic proportion, combining his profound instinct for traditional folktale with his masterful sense of cinema. —Zoë Elton
They just don’t make ‘em like Edmund G. “Pat” Brown anymore. His visionary initiatives as California governor serve as a constant reminder of how investing in the future, from education to infrastructure, is necessary, humane and smart. The squareshouldered San Francisco native with the no-nonsense black-framed glasses chose real-world experience over college en route to a law degree, then applied his drive and ambition to public service. Combining a wide-ranging vision with unmatched political skills, Brown forged California into the Golden State through two astonishingly productive terms as governor. “The godfather of modern California,” as Tom Brokaw calls him, spearheaded the vast, widely affordable public university system, an expanded network of innovative freeways and (to the eternal dismay of some Bay Area denizens) the mammoth water system that carries northern California snowmelt to the agricultural heartland and the populous Southland. Sascha Rice, Pat’s granddaughter and Governor Jerry Brown’s niece, has crafted a valuable, insightful documentary filled with fascinating, forgotten details and priceless archival footage, including clips of gubernatorial challengers Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan. —Michael Fox
Director Richard Roy Producer LouisPhilippe Rochon Screenwriters Richard Roy, Michel Michaud Cinematographer Yves Bélanger Editor Michel Arcand Cast Guillaume Lemay-Thivierge, Antoine Bertrand, Evelyne Brochu, Anick Lemay, Patrice Robitaille Print Source eOne Films International
Tuesday, October 11, 7:00 pm
BUUD11R, Rafael
Tuesday, October 11, 8:00 pm
CAST11R, Rafael
SPONSORED BY Z AENTZ MEDIA CENTER, A WAREHAM DEVELOPMENT
In French with English subtitles. On the verge of summer 1969, in the rural Quebecois town of Sainte-Agasse, 12-year-old Frisson is an energetic wannabe-rocker with a penchant for pranks, a crush on his hot new schoolteacher and an unabashed admiration for Jimi Hendrix. Desperate to make it to Woodstock to see his hero, Frisson has convinced his dad—an amateur guitarist musically stuck in the 1950s with Elvis and Chuck Berry—to make “a little side-trip” en route to the family’s summer vacation at Niagara Falls. But when an unexpected tragedy quashes Frisson’s rock’n’-roll dreams, grief only fuels his determination to get to Yasgur’s farm. To this end, he spends time with dad’s Harley-riding friend, a Dennis Hopper-esque lothario with Woodstock ambitions of his own. But it remains unclear whether Frisson can count on anything or anyone anymore, in this charming and poignant coming-of-age story that captures the heart and soul of the Summer of Love. US Premiere —Joanne Parsont Saturday, October 8, 8:30 pm
3 4
CHNT08S, Sequoia Monday, October 10, 6:45 pm
CHNT10S, Sequoia
SPONSORED BY MAROEVICH O’SHEA & COGHL AN INSUR ANCE SERVICES
mvff.com
2011FS-Notes-CORREX-PP.indd 29
M V F F
29
9/5/11 10:00:34 PM
F I L M S
M V F F 3 4
Circus Columbia
Circus Dreams
Collaborator
world cinem a
c hildren’s filmfe st
us cinem a
Bosnia and Herzegovina 2010 • 113 MINS
US 2011 • 82 MINS
US/Canada 2011 • 87 MINS
Director Danis Tanovic Producers Cedomir Kolar, Amra Baksic Camo, Marc Bachet, Mirsad Purivatra Screenwriters Danis Tanovic, Ivica Dikic Cinematographer Walther Vanden Ende Editor Petar Markovic Cast Miki Manojlovic, Mira Furlan, Boris Ler, Jelena Stupljanin, Milan Strljic, Mario Knezovic Print Source Strand Releasing
Director/Producer Signe Taylor Cinematographer Erin Hudson Editors Peter Rhodes, Virginie Danglades Print Source Signe Taylor
Director/Screenwriter Martin Donovan Producers Julien Favre, Ted Hope, Luca Matrundola, Pascal Vaguelsy Cinematographer Julie Kirkwood Editor Karen Porter Cast Martin Donovan, David Morse, Olivia Williams, Melissa Auf der Maur Print Source eOne Films International
(Cirkus Columbia)
In Bosnian with English subtitles. Director Danis Tanovic’s Oscar-winning 2001 debut, No Man’s Land, literally “mines the territory” of the 1993 Bosnian war. Tanovic’s equally dark and comedic new film is set during the summer of 1991, in that brief interlude following the fall of Communism before war broke out in the former Yugoslavia. “Who’d dare divide Bosnia? We’ve lived together all these years!” scoffs a middle-aged village matron. Enter largerthan-life Divko (Miki Manojlovic, Irina Palm, MVFF 2007; Underground) in his red Mercedes, with a flashy young mistress and a vomiting pet cat in tow. Divko has returned from Germany after 20 years to “clean house” and settle old scores. Ejecting his estranged wife and son from the family home, he flaunts his wealth and status in an effort to rediscover the man he once was—or was meant to be. New alliances are formed, old enmities flare up and a deeply passionate love is rekindled as the war draws ever closer. —Margarita Landazuri
Sunday, October 9, 12:00 pm
CRCD09R, Rafael Sunday, October 16, 2:30 pm
CRCD16S, Sequoia
Longtime Hal Hartley lead and first-time filmmaker Martin Donovan stars in this darkly humorous drama about a famous but fading Broadway playwright named Robert Longfellow (Donovan) who returns to his childhood home in Los Angeles with a vague plan to do something about his aging mother (Katherine Helmond). Instead, quietly despondent, far from his wife and children and surrounded again by his childhood rock posters, he flirts with a midlife crisis—and a possible fling with his old crush, now-famous actress Emma Stiles (Olivia Williams). But neither fame and fortune, a loving wife and family, nor a tempting infidelity compensates the middle-aged artist for the disappearance of his muse. Enter Gus (a nicely complex David Morse), Robert’s boyhood next-door neighbor, now a reckless and lonely ex-con who insists on sharing a few brewskies for old-times’ sake. Unexpected inspiration comes thus to both men across a very dodgy bridge of mutual desperation and tenuous understanding. US Co-Premiere —Robert Avila
Friday, October 14, 7:00 pm
Sunday, October 9, 8:45 pm
CRSC14S, Sequoia
CBRT09S, Sequoia
Sunday, October 16, 3:15 pm
Tuesday, October 11, 6:45 pm
CRSC16R, Rafael
CBRT11R, Rafael
SPONSORED BY ACQUA HOTEL
30
Stuff a clown-sized hankie up your sleeve for this wonderfully heart-squeezing documentary about a traveling youth circus on the brink of closure. Director Signe Taylor crafts a lively, loving portrait of Circus Smirkus, a one-of-a-kind training ground for young performers (including many from Marin County), capturing the thrills, hopes, tensions, creativity and love that marked the camp’s 2006 season, when every performance held the fate of the circus’s future. It’s impossible not to fall immediately for these kids—an elite group of 12- to 18year-old acrobats, jugglers, aerialists and clowns training for an intense 70-show tour—who amaze not only in their physical talents but in their poise, ambition and wide-open emotions. As the performers get a true taste of circus life, with all its highs and lows, we get a rare glimpse behind the big top at the real people who bring a special kind of magic to life. Ages 8+ —Deanna Quinones
SPONSORED BY BELL AM SELF STOR AGE & BOXES
SPONSORED BY KQED
cafilm.org
2011FS-Notes-CORREX-PP.indd 30
9/5/11 10:00:35 PM
The Conquest
Coriolanus
F I L M S
Country Music (Música Campesina)
(la conquête)
world cinem a
world cinem a
world cinem a
France 2011 • 110 MINS
UK 2011 • 122 MINS
Chile/US 2011 • 105 MINS
Director Xavier Durringer Producers Eric Altmayer, Nicolas Altmayer Screenwriters Xavier Durringer, Patrick Rotman Cinematographer Gilles Porte Editor Catherine Schwartz Cast Denis Podalydès, Florence Pernel, Bernard Le Coq, Hippolyte Girardot, Samuel Labarthe, Mathias Mlekuz Print Source Music Box Films
Director Ralph Fiennes Producers Ralph Fiennes, John Logan, Gabrielle Tana, Julia Taylor-Stanley, Colin Vaines Screenwriter John Logan, play by William Shakespeare Cinematographer Barry Ackroyd Editor Nicolas Gaster Cast Ralph Fiennes, Gerard Butler, Vanessa Redgrave, Brian Cox, James Nesbitt, Jessica Chastain Print Source The Weinstein Company
Director/Screenwriter Alberto Fuguet Producer Sarah Childress Cinematographer Ashley Zeiger Editor Sebastián Arriagada Cast Pablo Cerda, James Cathcart, Karin Whitehouse, Ezra Fitz, Todd Hughes, Cole Kinnear Print Source Cinépata
In French with English subtitles. As political satire, The Conquest is that rare specimen produced while the subject is still in power. Denis Podalydès delivers a witty yet commanding portrayal of Nicolas Sarkozy and his rise to the French presidency through the lens of his unraveling marriage to then-wife Cecilia (Florence Pernel). Never one to disguise his ambition, the film’s Sarkozy curries favor with predecessor Jacques Chirac (Bernard Le Coq, muttering “The little bastard wants my job!”) and spars gamely with glib rival Dominique de Villepin (Samuel Labarthe). This lampoon depicts the future president of France as a bold and unashamed virtuoso of political combat, whose inattention to his disintegrating domestic partnership emerges as his chief vulnerability. With leads brilliantly etching sharp characterizations of living politicians, director Xavier Durringer need never veer too far from reality, even while deploying fictional embellishments and a larger-than-life sense of humor that—with Nicola Piovani’s buoyant score—giddily evoke a circus-like atmosphere. —George Minafer
FOCUS: GREAT BRITS • Ralph Fiennes marks his directorial debut with an ambitious, action-packed contemporary setting—in war-torn Bosnia—of Shakespeare’s Coriolanus. Fiennes reprises the juicy titular role he played on the London stage: powerful general Caius Martius, aka Coriolanus, at odds with the City of Rome. Contemptuous of a starved populace that has begun to riot, Martius prefers the battlefield where he meets his old enemy Tullus Aufidius (a very macho Gerard Butler) and returns a hero. Reveling in his triumph, he gains election as a governing consul but is soon opposed by the citizenry. His anger at the public’s disfavor leads to his expulsion, and in desperation he turns to his sworn enemy Tullus, with whom he takes revenge on the city. With Vanessa Redgrave as Coriolanus’s iron-willed mother and Jessica Chastain as his trophy wife, a high-powered cast and chilling modern urban battle scenes propel this timeless work into the 21st century. US Premiere —Janis Plotkin
Wednesday, October 12, 6:30 pm
CRNS07S, Sequoia
CNQT12S, Sequoia
Saturday, October 8, 7:30 pm
Friday, October 7, 9:00 pm
In English and Spanish with English subtitles. This fish-out-of-water tale about a Chilean slacker adrift in Nashville offers a nod to Robert Altman. But Alberto Fuguet’s take on the self-proclaimed “Music City USA” mixes the poignant longing of the immigrant experience with a deadpan humor that’s more akin to mumblecore godfather Jim Jarmusch. Fuguet, a leading light of the New Chilean Narrative literary movement, deploys his novelist ear and filmmaker eye to take in everything that’s both alien and appealing to Alejandro Tazo as he tries to understand his new environment and make himself understood in turn. Shot on a shoestring budget in 10 days, using a student crew assembled while Fuguet was a visiting professor at Vanderbilt University, Country Music boasts an engaging performance by Chilean actor Pablo Cerda and a rock-and-country score by Gustavo Leon in its quirky look at Nashville’s neon hustle and down-home charm. —Margarita Landazuri Saturday, October 15, 2:30 pm
CNTR15R, Rafael Sunday, October 16, 2:45 pm
M V F F 3 4
CNTR16S, Sequoia
CRNS08R, Rafael
SPONSORED BY K ATZ FAMILY FOUNDATION
SPONSORED BY MARIN MAGA ZINE
SPONSORED BY RUBY LIVINGDESIGN
mvff.com
2011FS-Notes-CORREX-PP.indd 31
31
9/5/11 10:00:37 PM
F I L M S
M V F F 3 4
Da Monzon, The Conquest of Samanyana
Day of the Flowers
Deaf Jam
world cinem a
world cinem a
va lle y of the docs
Mali 2010 • 110 MINS
UK 2011 • 100 MINS
US 2011 • 70 MINS
Director Sidy Fassara Diabaté Screenwriters Sidy Fassara Diabaté, Ibrahim Tom Cinematographers M. L. Tani, Abdoulaye Somé Editor Seydou Koné Cast Namory Diabaté, Abdoulaye Diabaté, Kadidia Coulibaly Print Source
Director John Roberts Producer Jonathan Rae Screenwriter Eirene Houston Cinematographer Vernon Layton Editor David Freeman Music Stephen Warbeck Cast Eva Birthistle, Carlos Acosta, Charity Wakefield, Christopher Simpson, Bryan Dick, Manuel de Blas Print Source Rogue Elephant Pictures Limited
Director Judy Lieff Producers Judy Lieff, City Lore Cinematographers Melissa Donovan, Claudia Raschke-Robinson Editor Keiko Deguchi Print Source Made-By-Hand, LLC
(Da Monzon, la conquête de Samanyana)
FOCUS: CINEMA AFRICA • In Bambara with English subtitles. Sidy Diabaté’s stunningly photographed epic tale of intrigue and power is rooted in the history of the Bambara Kingdom of Ségou, in what is now Mali. When the young Da Monzon inherits his father’s throne, his first priority is to muster his followers and conquer the nearby kingdom of Samanyana, a territory rich in gold. Its formidable red-haired ruler, Bassi, meanwhile, thinks it’s a hoot that the young upstart would even try to challenge his supremacy. After all, as the holy men caution, Bassi is possessed of mystical powers. Undaunted, Da Monzon persists, realizing that he needs a secret weapon to take on this far-from-ordinary man. He finds that weapon in Nyala Bamabar, a woman whose own powers make an intriguing match for the master mystic. Diabaté’s gorgeous visuals and fantastic cast give great life to a compelling drama that speaks volumes about human nature. —Zoë Elton Saturday, October 8, 1:45 pm
DMTC08S, Sequoia Monday, October 10, 6:30 pm
DMTC10R, Rafael
FOCUS: GREAT BRITS • In English and Spanish with English subtitles. In this tale of two charmingly idiosyncratic Scottish sisters, a colorful but complicated journey across Cuba reveals the unique dichotomy between the idyll and the idealized. Rosa is a self-righteous lefty liberal activist with a bohemian spirit and a romanticized notion of the Cuban Revolution—and her parents’ participation in it. Her wee sister Allie is a modish girly-girl in high heels and lipstick with a naïveté as big as her overstuffed suitcases. In an attempt to save their father from an ignominious memorial, the duo absconds with his ashes and travels to Cuba, where Rosa believes he rightfully belongs. But her mission of mercy is derailed when the police confiscate the ashes, and the sparring sisters—along with their kilt-clad political anarcho-activist companion Conway—take divergent paths to get him back, making some surprising discoveries along the way about the family ties that hold them together. World Premiere —Joanne Parsont Tuesday, October 11, 6:15 pm
DAYF11R, Cinema The Friends of the Festival screening on October 11 is free to members presenting a ticket from the box office.
In American Sign Language and English with English subtitles. Aneta Brodski is a young deaf girl originally from Israel who longs to move beyond the security of friends and family in Queens and connect with the larger, hearing world. A team of American Sign Language poets and storytellers at the Lexington School for the Deaf challenges Aneta and her fellow students to turn their words into art: to craft original stories with potent visual images and metaphors that come alive in performance. Aneta soon grows more articulate and discovers a previously unknown side of herself as she begins appearing at poetry slams and spoken-word events with hearing audiences. She truly shines, however, after she meets Tahani, a Palestinian slam poet. Together they create a spoken and signed duet, their alternating voices expressing common dreams about a shared homeland. —Carol Harada PRECEDED BY
Mr. Happy Man US 2011 • 11 MINS Director Matt Morris
A loving portrait of Bermuda’s Johnny Barnes, who has dedicated his life to making the world a happier place in his own unique way—one person at a time. t o tal program 8 1 m i ns
Thursday, October 13, 6:45 pm
DEAF13R, Rafael Saturday, October 15, 2:15 pm
DEAF15S, Sequoia SPONSORED BY WELL S FARGO
32
SPONSORED BY PIZZ A ANTICA
cafilm.org
2011FS-Notes-CORREX-PP.indd 32
9/5/11 10:00:38 PM
Dolphin Boy
F I L M S
(Ha’Dolphin)
Eames: The Architect and the Painter
world cinem a
va lle y of the docs
va lle y of the docs
Ghana/US 2011 • 89 MINS
Israel 2011 • 72 MINS
US 2011 • 82 MINS
Director Deron Albright Producers Deron Albright, Yao B. Nunoo, Francis Gbormittah, Dede Maitre Screenwriter Yao B. Nunoo Cinematographer Aaron T. Bowen Editors Jacob Bricca, Lisa Molomot Cast Yao B. Nunoo, Fred Amugi, Abena Takyi, Sandy Arkhurst, Xolasie Mawuenyega Print Source Bright Moon Pictures
Directors Dani Menkin, Yonatan Nir Producers Judith Manassen Ramon, Dani Menkin, Yonatan Nir Cinematographers Yaron Levison, Yoav Kleinman, Yonatan Nir Editors Tali Halter Shenkar, Melanie Margalith Print Source Dragoman Films
Directors/Producers Jason Cohn, Bill Jersey Cinematographers Ed Marritz, Jon Shenk, Tom Hurwitz, Ulrich Bonnekamp, Thad Wadleigh, Brian Wingert, Andrew Dryer, Petr Stepanek Editor Don Bernier Print Source Bread and Butter Films
FOCUS: HEALING • In Hebrew and Arabic with English subtitles. We know there’s a special bond between dolphins and people. But dolphin therapy to heal deeply troubled humans? No Flipper TV fantasy, it actually happened to Morad, an Arab-Israeli teenager who, after a brutal beating, was left in a state of post-traumatic dissociation. Psychiatrist Ilan Kutz tried conventional treatment methods to no avail. With institutionalization looming as a last resort, Kutz persuaded Morad’s parents to send the boy to the town of Eilat to mingle with free dolphins, hoping their nonverbal interaction would bring the teenager out of his psychic exile. The result is an intensely moving and joyful true story of love—animal, parental, therapeutic—that never strays from the shores of reality. US Premiere —Frako Loden
Charles Eames trained as an architect. Ray Eames was a painter. When they married, they wed their talents and aesthetic sensibilities as well, becoming among the most important designers of the 20th century. Their sleek, still-ubiquitous, moldedplywood lounge chair is only one of many designs that revolutionized furniture in the postwar era. But the couple’s work extends further, encompassing their Pacific Palisades home, the IBM Pavilion at the 1964 New York World’s Fair and over 100 short films. Like its subject, this documentary (narrated by James Franco, MVFF Spotlight 2010) is multifaceted, as much about their symbiotic relationship as their extraordinarily creative career. Collaborators, friends, family, art and design critics contribute memories and observations, while archival footage offers a dizzying sense of a phenomenal output and captures the Eameses at work, at home and out in the world they impacted so profoundly. —Pam Grady
The Destiny of Lesser Animals (Sibo ne kra, Dabo ne kra)
FOCUS: CINEMA AFRICA • In Fante, English, Twi, Pidgin and Ga with French and English subtitles. This gripping West African policier marks a striking collaboration between Ghanaian screenwriter and actor Yao B. Nunoo and (in a sharp debut effort) American director Deron Albright. Determined to return to the United States after being deported post-9/11, Ghanaian police inspector Boniface Koomsin (Nunoo) pays big money for a forged passport only to have it snatched away in the streets of Accra. Boniface lies to his police mentor, saying his gun was stolen, to make tracking down the thief a priority. But his personal investigation gets entangled with a series of shootings of white expatriates—shootings that ballistics matches with a police weapon. His suspect turns out to be a man resembling himself in ways that make Boniface profoundly uneasy. Nunoo and director Albright together infuse the policier genre with West African cinematic traditions and a neorealist emphasis on daily life that casts their characters in a larger postcolonial story of Ghanaian independence. —Frako Loden
PRECEDED BY
While You Were Gone (Medan du var borta)
Sweden 2011 • 12 MINS
PRECEDED BY
Director Frida Kempff
American Homes
Facing a life-defining moment, a man ponders his difficult relationship with his father.
US 2011 • 12 MINS
Sunday, October 16, 3:30 pm
t o tal program 8 4 m i ns
DSTN16R, Rafael
Sunday, October 9, 1:00 pm
A fast-paced animation reviewing 1,800 years of residential architecture in 12 minutes!
Friday, October 14, 4:00 pm
DSTN14R, Rafael
DPHN09S, Sequoia Monday, October 10, 9:30 pm
DPHN10R, Rafael
M V F F 3 4
Director Bernard Friedman
t o tal program 94 m i ns
Saturday, October 8, 3:30 pm
EAME08R, Rafael Friday, October 14, 9:30 pm
EAME14S, Sequoia SPONSORED BY WHOLE FOODS MARKET
SPONSORED BY OSK A
mvff.com
2011FS-Notes-CORREX-PP.indd 33
33
9/5/11 10:00:39 PM
F I L M S
M V F F 3 4
Eco-Pirate: The Story of Paul Watson
Eliminate: Archie Cookson
A Few Best Men
va lle y of the docs
world cinem a
world cinem a
Canada 2010 • 110 MINS
UK 2011 • 87 MINS
Australia 2011 • 91 MINS
Director Trish Dolman Producers Trish Dolman, Kevin Eastwood Cinematographers Todd Craddock, Ian Kerr, Kristian Olsen Editors Brendan Woollard, Mike Jackson Print Source Screen Siren Pictures
Director/Screenwriter Rob Holder Producer Ioanna Karavela Cinematographer Stein Stie Editor Valentina Riva Cast Paul Rhys, Claire Skinner, Paul Ritter, Georgia King, Philip Manikum, Nicholas Day Print Source Agent Pictures
Director Stephan Elliott Producers Share Stallings, Laurence Malkin, Gary Hamilton, Antonia Barnard Screenwriter Dean Craig Cinematographer Stephen Windon Editor Sue Blainey Cast Xavier Samuel, Kris Marshall, Kevin Bishop, Laura Brent, Rebel Wilson, Olivia Newton-John Print Source Arclight Films
Is Canadian environmentalist Paul Watson a hero, a madman or something in between? Trish Dolman’s insightful documentary delves into the nature of a man whose allegiance is not to humankind but rather to the marine life he defends. Once a member of Greenpeace’s early leadership, Watson and the group part ways after his bold approach ruffles feathers. He becomes the founder and charismatic leader of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, whose tactics in defense of whales are decidedly more aggressive—including smoke bombs and the occasional ship-ramming. Watson has a knack for media-ready moments, yet his unwavering commitment inspires legions of young activists, many of whom join him on voyages to hunt down illegal whaling vessels. Full of breathtaking Antarctic footage and hair-raising action on the high seas, Eco-Pirate takes viewers on the wild ride that is Watson’s life. —Laurie Koh Friday, October 7, 6:00 pm
ECPR07R, Rafael Sunday, October 9, 12:30 pm
ECPR09R, Rafael
FOCUS: GRE AT BRITS • British agent Archie Cookson is no James Bond. This stubbly, wine-stained, shambling man in Michael Caine eyeglasses has been relegated to a dreary Bristol back office of MI6 where he translates recordings from the Russian. Dismissed by his boss, estranged from his wife, condescended to by his preadolescent son, Archie faces a dim future—and that’s before the higher-ups in MI6 hire one of his best friends to kill him. “Why would they want to kill you? You don’t do anything!” exclaims his exasperated wife. But, slowly, Archie begins to remember what it means to be a man of action. With this handsomely shot first feature, writer-director Rob Holden offers a darkly comic indie homage to the classic British spy movies of the ‘60s. Paul Rhys (Chaplin, Vincent and Theo) heads an expert cast, playing Archie with the kind of melancholy deadpan humor that makes a mildly uttered “Oh, no” speak volumes. US Premiere —Juliet Clark Saturday, October 8, 1:00 pm
EMNT08R, Rafael Tuesday, October 11, 9:30 pm
EMNT11S, Sequoia
In his smash hit, Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, director Stephan Elliot put Terence Stamp, Guy Pearce and Hugo Weaving in an ancient tour bus and flamboyant drag in the middle of the Australian outback. How can you top that? Here’s how: a wedding party in the outback with a fabulous pop icon (Olivia Newton-John, as the Aussie mother-in-law–to-be), a teen-throb star from the Twilight series (Xavier Samuel, as the British groom-to-be) and Ramsey, a muchbeloved male sheep. In this outrageous comedy of ill manners (think Bridesmaids meets Mel Brooks on Planet Apatow), the class roles are topsy-turvy, with the Aussies as arbiters of taste, charm and conservative family values, and the incoming Brits (Samuel and “best men” Kris Marshall and Kevin Bishop) as scud-missiles of scatology and “Superbaaaaad” habits. Without giving anything away, suffice it to say that our young lovers are tested and poor Ramsey literally “gets it in the end.” “Shear” delight! North American Premiere —Karen Davis Friday, October 14, 8:30 pm
AFEW14R, Rafael For special premiere information, see page 17.
SPONSORED BY 7X 7
34
SPONSORED BY STR AWBERRY VILL AGE Shopping Center
cafilm.org
2011FS-Notes-CORREX-PP.indd 34
9/5/11 10:00:40 PM
the Forgiveness of Blood
world c inem a US/Albania/Denmark/Italy 2011 • 109 MINS
Director Joshua Marston Producer Paul Mezey Screenwriters Joshua Marston, Andamion Murataj Cinematographer Rob Hardy Editor Malcolm Jamieson Cast Tristan Halilaj, Sindi Lacej, Refet Abazi, Zana Hasaj Print Source IFC Films
Girlfriend
us c inem a
US 2011 • 90 MINS
Director/Screenwriter Justin Lerner Producers Jerad Anderson, Kristina Lauren Anderson Cinematographer Quyen Tran Editor Jeff Castelluccio Cast Shannon Woodward, Jackson Rathbone, Amanda Plummer, Evan Sneider Print Source Elephant Eye Films
Director Lance Daly Producers Jonathan King, Dan Etheridge, Orlando Bloom Screenwriter John Enbom Cinematographer Yaron Orbach Editor Emer Reynolds Cast Orlando Bloom, Riley Keough, Rob Morrow, Troy Garity, Taraji P. Henson, Michael Pena Print Source Magnolia Pictures
FOCUS: HEALING • All love stories are complicated. But writer-director Justin Lerner has ventured into very prickly territory with extraordinary self-assurance. Evan (graceful newcomer Evan Sneider) is a young man with Down syndrome living with his devoted mother (the ever-elastic Amanda Plummer, MVFF Tribute 1995) in a poor, working-class town. Leading an ordinary life in most respects, Evan’s greatest desire is to have a love affair like those he sees on TV. To that end, he pursues Candy (Shannon Woodward), a single mom he’s had a crush on since high school. But his approach proves problematic: Seeing her on the verge of eviction and stuck in a toxic relationship with her sinister-looking, volatile ex-husband (Twilight’s Jackson Rathbone), Evan gifts Candy with a large amount of money he’s just inherited. Against a deceivingly tranquil rural setting, the need for love and the need for survival come into stark conflict in this poignant and fearless first feature. —Joanne Parsont
Thursday, October 13, 4:00 pm
GRFN09R, Rafael
Saturday, October 15, 12:15 pm
FRGV15S, Sequoia
us c inem a
US 2011 • 94 MINS
In Albanian with English subtitles. In his first feature since the breathtaking Maria Full of Grace, director Joshua Marston again turns his visionary lens on an insular culture, gently immersing the viewer in a dramatic scenario fraught with mounting tension. A horse-drawn cart meanders down an Albanian dirt road, delivering bread to the people of a small town. The men at the local pub separate by clan and gruffly propel the same feuds as their fathers before them. Seemingly a world away, motorbikes screech and teenagers—including lanky 17-year-old Nik—text, flirt and play video games. But when the land-rights argument between Nik’s father and another family fatally escalates, legal justice comes second to the 15th-century Balkan code known as the Kanun, leaving Nik and his younger brother powerless and angst-ridden. Visually breathtaking, with impressively delicate performances by the nonprofessional young leads, The Forgiveness of Blood is a powerful drama that leaves us anxiously awaiting its surprising climax. —Alexis Whitham FRGV13S, Sequoia
F I L M S
The Good Doctor
Sunday, October 9, 6:30 pm Monday, October 10, 5:30 pm
GRFN10T, 142 Throckmorton
First-year doctor Martin Blake (Orlando Bloom) is earnest, diligent, industrious and eager to please. But after becoming obsessed with his patient Diane (Riley Keough), his commitment to the Hippocratic Oath begins a slippery slide into morally and ethically ambiguous territory. Blake is a complex character, obsessed and lonely, unassuming yet hungering for acceptance and respect, especially from the chief (Rob Morrow), a nurse (Taraji P.Henson) and an orderly (Michael Pena). Dr. Blake believes that he is doing the right thing even when reality forcefully contradicts his judgment. All of these elements work to create a film that is both character study and thriller. In his first American production, director Lance Daly refrains from easy moralizing, leaving it to the audience—and Bloom’s complex, wonderfully restrained performance—to create its own commentary on what has increasingly become a purgatory for doctors, patients and the healthcare system in general. —Melissa Howden Saturday, October 8, 6:00 pm
M V F F 3 4
DCTR08S, Sequoia Monday, October 10, 9:30 pm
DCTR10R, Rafael
SPONSORED BY Mill Valley Libr ary Foundation & The Friends
mvff.com
2011FS-Notes-CORREX3-PP.indd 35
35
9/6/11 4:46:29 PM
F I L M S
Granito: How To Nail A Dictator
Guitar Man
Guru: Bhagwan, His Secretary & His Bodyguard
va lle y of the docs
va lle y of the docs
US 2011 • 104 MINS
US 2011 • 90 MINS
Switzerland 2010 • 95 MINS
Director Pamela Yates Producer Paco de Onís Cinematographer Melle van Essen Editor Peter Kinoy Print Source Skylight Pictures
Director/Producer Eric Paul Fournier Cinematographers Eric Paul Fournier, Peter McCandless Editors Rory Keenan, Eric Paul Fournier, Jean Kawahara Print Source Fournier Films
Directors Sabine Gisiger, Beat Häner Producer Philip Delaquis Cinematographer Beat Häner, Matthias Kälin Editor Barbara Weber Print Source Das Kollektiv für audiovisuelle Werke GmbH
Michael Indelicato has a knack for making a killing buying and selling collectible guitars, and in a world where the right axe can fetch $1 million he’s having the time of his life. This savvy wheeler-dealer scours the countryside, cutting deals with all kinds of folks—from widows to rock stars—who are only too happy to share a story about their beloved instrument and perhaps even a song. But if it looks like the “Guitar Man” is living his rock-’n’-roll fantasy with a beachfront house, a Ferrari sports car and a studio filled with his rock idols, think again. Filmmaker Eric Paul Fournier shadows Indelicato, former landlord of the fabled Record Plant recording studio in Sausalito, as he races the clock to finish cutting his own album before the creditors pull the plug. Along the way, his fascinating character study illuminates a little-known side of the music business. World Premiere —Greg Cahill
A shower of rose petals dropped from a helicopter signals the arrival of Bhagwan Rajneesh, via Rolls Royce, to his Oregon compound of 5,000 devotees. This illuminating, multilayered exploration of Bhagwan Rajneesh’s teachings and followers is also a shrewd portrait of the 1970s, when people the world over sought spiritual and sexual freedom and an answer to the age-old question, “Who am I?” Rajneesh’s longtime bodyguard (Hugh Milne) and secretary (Sheela Birnstiel) narrate, as the film interweaves their accounts with extraordinary, sometimes sensational, archival footage. Traveling from India to the US and back, the story chronicles a rise in popularity and power that ends in Oregon amid controversy, banishment, prison sentences and dissolution of spirit. Early on, Rajneesh proclaims, “Surrender to me and I will transform you, that is my promise.” Fascinatingly, even as his followers begin to ask when it all began to go wrong, it’s clear Rajneesh kept his promise in many ways. North American Premiere —Melissa Howden
va lle y of the docs
M V F F 3 4
In Spanish and English with English subtitles. In her 1982 documentary, When the Mountains Tremble, filmmaker Pamela Yates (State of Fear, MVFF 2005) drew the world’s attention to the Guatemalan military’s campaign of genocide against its own indigenous population. The film also propelled Mayan activist Rigoberta Menchú to international prominence and a Nobel Peace Prize. Nearly 25 years later, Yates was asked to join a team of forensic experts, lawyers and Mayan survivors to help bring an international human rights case against Guatemala’s former political and military leadership. Using old footage and outtakes, as well as new interviews with Menchú and other activists, Yates has crafted a gripping work that is partly a detective story and partly a reflection on how sometimes a film doesn’t just document history, but can also be called upon to make history. The powerful, multilayered Granito is a master ful documentary from a deeply engaged filmmaker. —Sara Maria Vizcarrondo
Sunday, October 9, 8:00 pm
GTRM09T, 742 Throckmorton
Friday, October 7, 6:30 pm
Monday, October 10, 8:30 pm
GRAN07R, Rafael
GTRM10T, 742 Throckmorton
Sunday, October 9, 5:45 pm
Saturday, October 15, 2:15 pm
GURU15R, Rafael
GRAN09S, Sequoia
Sunday, October 16, 12:00 pm
GURU16S, Sequoia
SPONSORED BY SAN DOMENICO SCHOOL
36
SPONSORED BY BANK OF MARIN
cafilm.org
2011FS-Notes-CORREX-PP.indd 36
9/5/11 10:00:44 PM
F I L M S
Hello! How Are You?
Heritage
(Buna! Ce Faci?)
(Ksiestwo)
world cinem a
world cinem a
US 2011 • 85 MINS
Romania 2010 • 105 MINS
Poland 2011 • 124 MINS
Directors/Producers Frances Causey, Donald Goldmacher Cinematographer/ Editor Rogelio Garcia Print Source Connecting the Dots Productions
Director Alexandru Maftei Producer Tudor Reu Screenwriter Lia Bugnar Cinematographer Radu Aldea Editor Mihai Codleanu Cast Dana Voicu, Ionel Mihailescu, Paul Diaconescu Print Source m-appeal
Director/Screenwriter Andrzej Baranski Producers Malgorzata Jurczak, Krzysztof Gredzinski Cinematographer Jacek Petrycki Editor Wanda Zeman Cast Rafal Zawierucha, Aldona Jankowska, Jan Wojtynski, Grzegorz Gromek, Edward Kusztal, Michal Aniol Print Source TVP
Heist: Who Stole the American Dream?
va lle y of the docs
“Everything in this country is about money. Everything.” Thus begins this outrage-stirring documentary in the vein of 2010’s Inside Job. There’s no denying the American economy has gone from bad to worse to apocalyptic; Heist digs deep to uncover who and what lit the fuse on the current disaster. Filmmakers Frances Causey and Donald Goldmacher reveal decades of shady dealings between corporations and the US government, from Reagan’s deregulation spree to Clinton’s thumbs-up on the North American Free Trade Agreement. The result, of course, is that a very small group of mega-rich Americans control most of our country’s wealth, as everyone else (including labor-union members, poor families and senior citizens) scrambles to hold onto jobs, homes, pensions and social security— things the current system seemingly cares little about protecting. Fortunately, the film offers strategies for the non-billionaires among us, including voting crook-enabling politicians out of office. Getting mad as hell can’t hurt, either. World Premiere —Cheryl Eddy Thursday, October 13, 7:00 pm
WSTA13S, Sequoia Saturday, October 15, 2:00 pm
WSTA15R, Rafael
In Romanian with English subtitles. Romania’s fertile New Wave has given festivalgoers unforgettable social-realist parables and politically incendiary dramas. Alexandru Maftei’s breezy yet bittersweet tale of awakened desires proves that the Eastern European country can do romantic comedies too, with an equally satisfying bite. Gabriel used to be a concert pianist until an accident killed his career. His wife, Gabriela, works as a dry-cleaner while daydreaming of a more exciting life. One night, Gabriel impulsively decides to enter a computer chat room and connects with another lost, lonely soul who, unbeknownst to him, happens to be his wife. Will their secret cyber-relationship reignite the middleaged couple’s lackluster love life or merely remind them both just how DOA their marriage really is? Throw in a horny adolescent son and you’ve got a heartfelt farce—part teen raunch and part You’ve Got Mail–style love story—about rediscovering your inner romantic. —David Fear Sunday, October 9, 9:00 pm
HHRY09R, Rafael Wednesday, October 12, 4:00 pm
HHRY12S, Sequoia
In Polish with English subtitles. The collective identity crisis of contemporary Poland runs through Andrzej Baranski’s epic, eccentric portrait of a young man’s quest to find himself in a turbulent and unusual world. We meet Zbyszek (Rafal Zawierucha) as a young boy, recipient of his drunken, sad-sack father’s advice about how to succeed in life. Fifteen years later, Zbyszek is a struggling student forced to steal food to live. After several comic and pathetic attempts to take the world by storm, the lost boy wanders home to the village he escaped so many years before. Baranski’s stunning black-and-white cinematography paints an honest picture of an unforgiving world still in transition from its Communist past. The colorful characters around Zbyszek present diverse points of view and embody the impact of 20 years of social and political transformation. Meanwhile, the profound struggles of an entire society emerge from the harsh, sometimes funny personal exploits of one unsettled man. —Brendan Peterson Thursday, October 13, 8:45 pm
HRTG13R, Rafael
M V F F 3 4
Friday, October 14, 8:45 pm
HRTG14R, Rafael
SPONSORED BY CATDV – SQUARE BOX SYSTEMS LTD
mvff.com
2011FS-Notes-CORREX-PP.indd 37
37
9/5/11 10:00:45 PM
F I L M S
M V F F
Hi De Ho Show
Holidays by the Sea
Jeff Who Lives at Home
(Ni à vendre ni à louer)
us cinem a
world cinem a
us cinem a
MVFF’s maestro-in-residence, our curator of curiosities and marvelous musicalities, John Goddard, this year turns his expertise and whimsical sensibilities to one of the greatest genres to evolve out of the American musical psyche: jazz. Delving deep into his personal collection, Goddard will veejay an evening of the early decades of all that’s jazz—from trad to bebop, from Dixieland to swing. Expect a syncopated soiree ranging from the famous to the forgotten, with a few oddities thrown in to keep things swinging. Goddard himself confesses to being a latecomer to the genre, but once he heard Billie Holiday, a door opened into the world of Armstrong and Ellington, Coltrane and Monk, not to mention the vocalists—think Jimmy Scott, Dinah Washington, Peggy Lee. Opinions about the origins of the word “jazz” are as multifarious as its forms, but one thing is certain: Jazz is cool, and jazz is HOT. Be there or be square! —Zoë Elton
France 2011 • 77 MINS
US 2011 • 84 MINS
Director/Screenwriter Pascal Rabaté Producer Xavier Delmas Cinematographer Benoît Chamaillard Editor Jean-François Elie Cast Jacques Gamblin, Maria de Medeiros, François Damiens, François Morel, Dominique Pinon, Arsène Mosca Print Source Films Boutique
Directors/Writers Jay Duplass, Mark Duplass Producers Lianne Halfon, Jason Reitman, Russell Smith Cinematographer Jas Shelton Editor Jay Deuby Cast Jason Segel, Susan Sarandon, Judy Greer, Ed Helms Print Source Paramount Pictures
t o tal program 9 0 m i ns
Friday, October 7, 9:45 pm
HDEH07S, Sequoia
In French with English subtitles. In loving homage to the award-winning 1953 farce M. Hulot’s Holiday, graphic novelist–turned-director Pascal Rabaté (Les petits ruisseaux) takes Tati’s seaside slapstick social commentary and updates it for a new generation to dizzyingly joyful effect. From the hilarious opening sight gag (involving a golf cart and an oversized couple in a tiny car), it’s clear that Rabaté’s emphasis is on the visual and situational. But who needs dialogue with shenanigans like this? From a kinky bedroom tryst gone awry to a scavenger hunt at a nudist colony, Rabaté’s characters—bickering clans, punks, a businessman and his mistress—all find themselves overwhelmed by their own questionable decisions and desires, resulting in a film of pure blissful escape. —Alexis Whitham Sunday, October 9, 6:45 pm
HDAY09S, Sequoia
3 4
Wednesday, October 12, 4:00 pm
HDAY12R, Rafael
For most people, chasing destiny is nothing more than a fool’s errand. But not for unemployed Jeff, who lives at home with his mother. A poet-philosopher disguised as a do-nothing 30-year-old slacker, Jeff knows that he has a place in the universe, and today he’s ready to go out and find it. Filmmakers Jay and Mark Duplass, best known as the pioneers of indie film’s mumblecore movement, continue their winning streak with this funny, sincere and oddly rousing exploration of life’s Big Questions. Their portrait of a family slowly deflating under everyday banalities is anchored by three affecting performances: Susan Sarandon as the emotionally withdrawn, widowed mother; Ed Helms as the posturing older brother; and standout Jason Segel as Jeff, whose open heart and endless faith are both maddening and inspiring. In our achievement-obsessed world, it’s all too easy to dismiss a person like Jeff. But what a pity that would be. —Atissa Manshouri Thursday, October 6, 7:00 pm
JEFA06S, Sequoia Thursday, October 6, 7:15 pm
JEFB06S, Sequoia For Opening Night Gala information, see page 7.
SPONSORED BY KENWOOD VINEYARDS
38
SPONSORED BY WELL S FARGO
cafilm.org
2011FS-Notes-CORREX-PP.indd 38
9/5/11 10:00:46 PM
The Kite
The Lady
(Kawa no Hikari)
(Patang)
world cinem a
F I L M S
Light of the River
world cinem a
c hildren’s filmfe st
US/India 2010 • 104 MINS
France/UK 2011 • 145 MINS
Japan 2009 • 75 MINS
Director/Screenwriter/Editor Prashant Bhargava Producer Jaideep Punjabi Cinematographer Shanker Raman Cast Seema Biswas, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Sugandha Garg, Mukund Shukla, Aakash Maherya, Hamid Shaikh Print Source Elephant Eye Films
Director Luc Besson Producers Luc Besson, Andy Harries, Virginie Silla Screenwriter Rebecca Frayn Cinematographer Thierry Arbogast Editor Julien Rey Cast Michelle Yeoh, David Thewlis, William Hope Print Source Europa Corp.
Director Tetsuo Hirakawa Producers Atsuko Kashiwagi, Atsuya Hirooka, Masayuki Anzai Screenwriters Hisaki Matsuura, Takao Yoshioka Cinematographers Satoshi Komachi, Masanobu Hase, Koji Ikeda, Tsuyoshi Ono Editor Masao Nakagawa Print Source NHK
In Hindi with English subtitles. The sky over Ahmedabad is a riot of swirling color as millions of kites soar above the city during Uttarayan, India’s largest kite festival. Prosperous Delhi businessman Jayesh returns with his adult daughter Priya to his humble childhood home, ostensibly to enjoy the festival, growing nostalgic for the place as he sends his kite aloft. Yet he is flummoxed when his plan to relocate his elderly mother, widowed sister-in-law and grown nephew to a more upscale neighborhood is met with resistance. As Priya dallies with a holiday romance and his nephew runs with local urchins, family unity proves as prickly and fragile as the glass-embedded string holding Jayesh’s kite aloft. Writer-director Prashant Bhargava’s first feature offers a kaleidoscopic view of Ahmedabad—underscored by Shanker Raman’s kinetic cinematography—that mirrors the chaos and confusion in both Jayesh’s outsider view and the eyes of his family, to whom this urban disorderliness is simply home. —Pam Grady Saturday, October 8, 4:15 pm
TKTE08R, Rafael Sunday, October 9, 3:00 pm
TKTE09S, Sequoia
SPONSORED BY MARIN HOTEL S
This profound and epic love stor y, set against a backdrop of political upheaval, chronicles the lives of Burmese pro-democracy activist Aung San Suu Kyi (Michelle Yeoh, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) and her husband, British academic Michael Aris (David Thewlis, Mike Leigh’s Naked and the Harry Potter series). After the bloody military takeover, Suu Kyi entered the political arena, painfully eschewing a peaceful domestic life in London to embody the hopes and ideals of her people. With Suu Kyi placed under house arrest and consequently enduring long periods of separation from Aris and their two sons, the couple remained devoted both to each other and to the necessity of pursuing the greater good. Yeoh’s portrayal of a woman whose commitment to truth and peace place her in the pantheon of great visionary leaders—think Gandhi and Mandela—is an exquisite and beautifully modulated performance, the heartbeat of director Luc Besson’s deeply affecting film. —Zoë Elton Saturday, October 8, 7:30 pm
LADY08R, Rafael
In Japanese with English subtitles. In this warmhearted, amusing, beautifully animated adventure about finding your way in a strange world, a family of river rats is driven from its riverbank home by a human construction project. Needing to find a new place to live, a father and his two young sons, Tarta and Chichi, negotiate the everyday yet unexpected dangers of a city, surviving only with the timely help of a string of unlikely friends: a dog, a cat, a sparrow and a wise sewer rat. Kids will delight in the eager, irrepressible Chichi, who treats their journey as a fun adventure and has a knack for getting into trouble. Throughout, gentle lessons unfold about balancing trust and caution, coping with loss and longing, and discovering one’s strengths and proper home—all set against the backdrop of a disconnected human world unaware of its impact on nature. Ages 4+ —Jeff Campbell Sunday, October 9, 2:30 pm
RVER09T, 142 Throckmorton Sunday, October 16, 2:15 pm
RVER16T, 142 Throckmorton
3 4
For Spotlight on The Lady information, see page 10.
CO-SPONSORED BY FR ANTOIO RISTOR ANTE & OLIVE OIL CO. AND GRUBER FAMILY FOUNDATION
mvff.com
2011FS-Notes-CORREX-PP.indd 39
M V F F
39
9/5/11 10:00:48 PM
F I L M S
M V F F 3 4
Like Crazy
Lost Kisses
Lotus Eaters
(I Baci Mai Dati)
us cinem a
world cinem a
world cinem a
US 2010 • 88 MINS
Italy 2010 • 80 MINS
UK/Ireland 2011 • 78 MINS
Director Drake Doremus Producers Jonathan Schwartz, Andrea Sperling Screenwriters Drake Doremus, Ben York Jones Cinematographer John Guleserian Editor Jonathan Alberts Cast Anton Yelchin, Felicity Jones, Jennifer Lawrence Print Source Paramount Pictures
Director Roberta Torre Producers Amedeo Bacigalupo, Roberta Torre Screenwriters Roberta Torre, Laura Nuccilli Cinematographer Fabio Zamarion Editor Roberto Missiroli Cast Donatella Finocchiaro, Carla Marchese, Pino Micol, Beppe Fiorello, Piera Degli Esposti Print Source Adriana Chiesa Enterprises
Director Alexandra McGuinness Producers Mark Lee, Morgan Bushe, Kyle Blanshard Screenwriters Alexandra McGuinness, Brendan Grant Cinematographer Gareth Munden Editors Herbert Hunger, Emer Reynolds Cast Antonia Campbell-Hughes, Johnny Flynn, Cynthia Fortune Ryan, Benn Northover, Daisy Lewis, Amber Anderson Print Source McGuinnessLee Ltd.
Can love be both a blessing and a burden? In this wonderfully acted romantic drama, a Sundance Grand Jury Prize winner, Felicity Jones (The Tempest) portrays Anna, an English exchange student and burgeoning journalist who falls for Jacob (Anton Yelchin), a young American furniture designer. With Anna’s visa set to expire, both face at least temporary separation. However, when she delays her trip, Anna inadvertently derails their future, setting off a chain of events involving geography, time, trust and their own individual ambitions. Eschewing typical romantic tropes, the film favors spontaneity over spectacle, letting the camera linger lovingly on the pair as if merely capturing moments in time. Jones’s ingenue appeal and impressive performance lend an emotional intelligence to the story, while Alex Kingston and Oliver Muirhead delight as Anna’s gregarious Scotch-loving parents. Refusing easy answers, Like Crazy asks whether first loves are ever truly extinguishable. —Laura Swanbeck Friday, October 7, 7:00 pm
CRZY07S, Sequoia Wednesday, October 12, 6:00 pm
CRZY12R, Rafael
In Italian with English subtitles. In the notso-charming Sicilian suburbs, mini-skirted Vespa-riding teenager Manuela sweeps hair off the floor at the local salon and tries to tolerate her dysfunctional family. In desperate need of attention, she announces the Virgin Mary has spoken to her in a dream, revealing the whereabouts of the missing head of the town’s Madonna statue, knocked off its perch by a wayward soccer kick. When Manuela’s revelation proves accurate, her ever-entrepreneurial mother seizes the opportunity to gain local fame and “tithes,” aggressively exploiting her daughter’s “supernatural powers.” Directed by one of the most original voices in contemporary Italian cinema, Lost Kisses blends dreamy fiction, humor and bittersweet reality in a quirky mix reminiscent of the early work of Fellini and Almodóvar. Milanese by birth and Sicilian by choice, Roberta Torre lovingly depicts the complexity of contemporary Sicily, a place where opposites coexist and religion and superstition are never very far apart. —Laura Costantino Saturday, October 15, 9:30 pm
KSSS15S, Sequoia Sunday, October 16, 1:00 pm
KSSS16R, Rafael
FOCUS: GREAT BRITS • Like their mythological namesakes, the gorgeously addled creatures floating through Alexandra McGuinness’s debut feature are a seductively indolent bunch. Rich, beautiful and aimless, they drift from one excessive London party to another in a swoon-worthy parade of high fashion and affectless, casually ruthless behavior reminiscent of Andy Warhol’s Factory scene. Antonia CampbellHughes is Alice, her wide-eyed beauty recalling ’60s icon Penelope Tree as the waiflike model at the center of the film. But is she a hanger-on or a willing participant in the group’s dangerous games? Heroin addict Charlie (folk singer Johnny Flynn) and world-weary playboys Felix and Marlon compete for her affections and a taste of her innocence, but Alice’s journey down this rabbit hole may not be round-trip. Shot with a decidedly edgy fashion photographer’s sensibility in rich, high-contrast black and white, Lotus Eaters is long on atmosphere, aided in no small part by its of-the-moment soundtrack and Flynn’s intoxicating rendition of “Papa Was a Rodeo.” —Atissa Manshouri Saturday, October 8, 6:15 pm
EATR08R, Rafael Monday, October 10, 9:15 pm
EATR10S, Sequoia
SPONSORED BY LUCA SFILM LTD.
40
SPONSORED BY A PART Y CENTER
SPONSORED BY CRUMPLER
cafilm.org
2011FS-Notes-CORREX-PP.indd 40
9/5/11 10:00:49 PM
Margin Call
Martha Marcy May Marlene
c hildren’s filmfe st
us cinem a
us cinem a
Norway 2009 • 83 MINS
US 2010 • 106 MINS
US 2011 • 101 MINS
Directors Katarina Launing, Roar Uthaug Producers Jørgen Storm Rosenberg, Lasse Greve Alsos Screenwriter Thomas Moldestad, teleplay by Gudney Ingeborg Hagen Cinematographer Gaute Gunnari Editor Videar Rataukan Cast Ane Viola Semb, Johan Tinus Lindgren, Simen Bakken, Jan Gunnar Røise, Sigve Bøe, Finn Schau Print Source KidflixGlobal
Director/Screenwriter J.C. Chandor Producers Zachary Quinto, Michael Benaroya, Robert Ogden Barnum, Neal Dodson, Corey Moosa Cinematographer Frank G. DeMarco Editor Pete Beaudreau Cast Kevin Spacey, Paul Bettany, Jeremy Irons, Zachary Quinto, Penn Badgley, Simon Baker Print Source Roadside Attractions
Director/Screenwriter Sean Durkin Producers Josh Mond, Antonio Campos, Chris Maybach, Patrick Cunningham Cinematographer Jody Lee Lipes Editor Zac Stuart-Pontier Cast Elizabeth Olsen, Christopher Abbott, Brady Corbet, Hugh Dancy, Maria Dizzia, Julia Garner, John Hawkes, Louisa Krause, Sarah Paulson Print Source Fox Searchlight Pictures
Magic Silver (Julenatt i Blåfjell)
Saturday, October 8, 4:15 pm
After New York investment analyst Eric Dale (Stanley Tucci) is summarily dismissed amid sweeping layoffs, he entrusts protégé Peter Sullivan (Zachary Quinto) with his latest work, issuing an ominous warning to be careful. Sullivan soon unravels proof of the imminent financial meltdown and plummeting market value of all their assets. As night wears on, panic escalates among a range of characters in director J.C. Chandor’s winning ensemble cast, from an opportunistic low-level analyst (Penn Badgley) to the calculating and cutthroat CEO (Jeremy Irons). Quinto delivers an understated performance as a man whose startling discovery unwittingly thrusts him into the spotlight, while Kevin Spacey captivates as a morally conflicted executive who has muddied his hands one too many times. Not merely an indictment of Wall Street’s unchecked greed and corruption, this smart, riveting drama questions the entitlement endemic in our own society and asks what has been sacrificed in its name. —Laura Swanbeck
MAGC08T, 142 Throckmorton
Tuesday, October 11, 8:15 pm
Saturday, October 15, 12:30 pm
MARG11S, Sequoia
MAGC15R, Rafael
Thursday, October 13, 4:00 pm
In Norwegian with English subtitles. Who needs the Smurfs? These Blue Gnomes control the sky’s transition from night to day! In this charming fantasy adventure based on a popular Norwegian television series, a community of gnomes discovers the secret power of a shimmering silver liquid that bubbles deep within their mountaintop home. Faithfully performing a daily “magic-hour” ritual with the silver, the gnomes delight in their precious gift and vow to keep it safe from outsiders. But chaos ensues when timid Princess Bluerose, learning her father is dying, leaves the mountain and tangles with both humans and a rival band of Red Gnomes, threatening the Blue Gnome way of life. Our young heroine learns the strength of friendship, however, and conquers her fears as handily as she pilots a runaway sled through a snow-covered forest on her captivating journey to becoming the “bravest queen Blue Mountain has ever seen.” Ages 6+ —Deanna Quinones
MARG13R, Rafael
Martha Marcy May Marlene, the debut feature from director-screenwriter Sean Durkin, signals the arrival of two major cinematic talents. This beautiful, stylized and unsettling film is a most assured and sensitive directorial debut. The film also features a breakthrough performance by Elizabeth Olsen (younger sister of the famed Olsen twins) in the title role. Olsen is luminous and nuanced as a young woman damaged by her two years in a Family-styled cult. After escaping the “family’s” clutch, Martha attempts to re-assimilate into society and reconnect with her sister Lucy (Sarah Paulson) and her brother-in-law (Hugh Dancy). With the revelation of one layer after another, we come to understand the extent of her psychological unraveling at the hands of the sinister sect leader, Patrick (John Hawkes in a dark and restrained performance). The gorgeous cinematography and sparse soundtrack work to create a moody atmosphere, alternating fluidly between past and present, from bucolic farm scenes to the darker corners of Martha’s mind. This film is a tonal poem of carefully observed moments, which will stay with you long after the lights come on. —Melissa Howden
F I L M S
M V F F 3 4
Saturday, October 15, 8:00 pm
MART15R, Rafael For Spotlight on Elizabeth Olsen information, see page 19.
SPONSORED BY POST STREET SURGERY CENTER
SPONSORED BY VIMEO
mvff.com
2011FS-Notes-CORREX-PP.indd 41
41
9/5/11 10:00:51 PM
F I L M S
M V F F 3 4
Miss Bala
The Mosque
My Week with Marilyn
(a Jamaa)
world cinem a
world cinem a
world cinem a
Mexico 2011 • 113 MINS
Morocco 2010 • 80 MINS
UK 2011 • 100 MINS
Director/Editor Gerardo Naranjo Producer Pablo Cruz Screenwriters Gerardo Naranjo, Mauricio Katz Cinematographer Mátyás Erdély Cast Stephanie Sigman, Noe Hernandez Print Source D Squared Films
Director/Screenwriter Daoud Aoulad-Syad Producer Cécile Rubrecht Cinematographer Thierry Lebigre Editors Daoud AouladSyad, Nathalie Perrey Cast Abdelhadi Tohrache, Bouchra Ahriche, Mestafa Tahtahe, Sellam Daballa, Lhaj Nacer, Abdellatif Ettouhfi Print Source Daoud Aoulad-Syad
Director Simon Curtis Producer David Parfitt Screenwriter Adrian Hodges Cinematographer Ben Smithard Editor Adam Recht Cast Michelle Williams, Eddie Redmayne, Kenneth Branagh, Judi Dench, Julia Ormond, Dougray Scott Print Source The Weinstein Company
In Spanish with English subtitles. A winsome girl from a poor Tijuana family dreams of competing in a beauty pageant but is helpless to escape the cruel realities of the illegal drug trade and its pervasive influence on life along the US-Mexico border. In an auspicious feature debut, former model Stephanie Sigman plays Laura, who bears witness to a brutal crime on the eve of the Miss Baja pageant. Her life is spared, but she is drawn forcibly into the world of drug kingpin Lino (Noe Hernandez). Coerced into performing progressively more dangerous tasks on behalf of her captors, Laura faces her ordeal with strength and stoicism. Writer-director Gerardo Naranjo (I’m Gonna Explode) studiously refrains from exploiting his character’s beauty and vulnerability for cheap cinematic thrills, instead employing tension and suspense with masterful skill to create a film that is at once a riveting drama and an incisive social critique. —Michael LoPresti Saturday, October 8, 9:00 pm
MSSB08S, Sequoia Thursday, October 13, 9:15 pm
MSSB13S, Sequoia
FOCUS: CINEMA AFRICA • In Arabic with English subtitles. After completing his acclaimed Waiting for Pasolini, filmmaker Daoud Aoulad-Syad left behind an ersatz mosque on location in a rural Moroccan village. Residents transformed the set into a real house of worship, inspiring The Mosque, Aoulad-Syad’s fictionalized absurdist tale of a controversial fake temple. Moha, on whose land the faux mosque sits, wants it destroyed; its architecture not only flouts Islamic conventions but annexes his family land. To make matters worse, an opportunistic actor (also a Pasolini leftover) has appointed himself its leader. With an exiled imam as his only ally, Moha navigates a rogues’ gallery of petty bureaucrats, smarmy politicians and indifferent religious leaders on a quest for justice and an escape from an unwanted moviemaking legacy. Deftly juggling fact and fiction, The Mosque is both heartfelt and heartbreaking—an expertly crafted love letter to the Moroccan landscape and people, and a resigned meditation on the power of media and religion. US Premiere —Aaron Lazenby Friday, October 7, 9:00 pm
MSQU07R, Rafael Sunday, October 9, 6:45 pm
MSQU09R, Rafael
Michelle Williams’s mesmerizing performance as Marilyn Monroe is a revelation, capturing the wholeness—the fragility and sensuality, the charisma and the tangibility—of someone all too often merely impersonated. In Simon Curtis’s delightful debut feature, Colin Clark (Eddie Redmayne) is newly graduated from Oxford and determined to break into film. When he gets a job as an assistant on The Prince and the Showgirl, he finds himself a player in the legendary standoff between the great English classical actor and director, Laurence Olivier (played with appropriate aplomb and a certain swagger by Kenneth Branagh), and the American icon, celebrity phenomenon and upstart Method actor Monroe, abetted by her ubiquitous drama coach, Paula Strasberg (Zoë Wanamaker). Based on Clark’s memoirs, Simon Curtis’s film is a delight, placing the estimable Williams in a cast of notable contemporary British greats (Judi Dench, Derek Jacobi), among whom she proves her own formidable talents. —Zoë Elton Tuesday, October 11, 6:45 pm
MYWE11S, Sequoia Friday, October 14, 6:30 pm
MYWE14S, Sequoia For Centerpiece information, see page 13.
SPONSORED BY JENNIFER COSLETT MACCREADY
42
cafilm.org
2011FS-Notes-CORREX-PP.indd 42
9/5/11 10:00:52 PM
One Through Love
va lle y of the docs US/Turkey/Iran/UK/France 2011 • 59 MINS
Director/Cinematographer Stephen Olsson Producers Stephen Olsson, Parisa Soultani Editors Parisa Soultani, Denise Zabalaga Print Source CEM Productions
In English, Turkish, Farsi and Arabic with English subtitles. Stephen Olsson (Sound of the Soul, MVFF 2005) continues his heartopening explorations of the mystical core of creativity and oneness in this groundbreaking, multilingual film and web initiative based on the poetry and teachings of 13th-century Persian mystic Jalaluddin Rumi and featuring some of the world’s greatest Rumi lovers and scholars: Coleman Barks, Andrew Harvey, Jai Uttal and Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee. This very special event will premiere an hour of extraordinary film segments from Turkey, Iran and the US, followed by a live, global web dialogue—to be broadcast nationally by Link TV—between Sufi teachers and the Festival audience, along with other groups in Morocco, Iran and Turkey. As the work of Rumi stretches across centuries to touch our hearts, this live film event connects across borders in a palpable expression of the great Sufi’s teachings. Rumi lovers of the world, unite! Hosted by Stephen Olsson and Parisa Soultani, with special guests. World Premiere —Zoë Elton Saturday, October 15, 11:30 am
THRG15R, Rafael
Our New Frontier: Sustainability
va lle y of the docs
It’s easy to feel overwhelmed as the clock ticks away on Earth’s dwindling natural resources. These films demonstrate what individuals as well as whole communities are doing to achieve a sustainable future. Two new films from Mill Valley filmmaker Deborah Koons Garcia (The Future of Food, MVFF 2004) are featured. Portrait of a Winemaker (US 15 mins) is an insightful look at a pioneering winemaker and his unique dryfarming method. Transition Town Totnes (US 14 mins) delves into the origins of the innovative Transition Movement with founder Rob Hopkins. Melinda Levin’s The New Frontier: Sustainable Ranching in the American West (US 28 mins) explores the controversies over ranching and rangeland management with three modern-day cowboys challenging the perceived “frontier hangover” stereotype of ranchers in the American West. The New Environmentalists (US 24 mins), from John Antonelli, Will Parrinello and Tom Dusenbery, is the latest version of the Emmy Award–winning series, narrated by Robert Redford, featuring inspiring portraits of passionate activists from around the world who have won the prestigious Goldman Environmental Prize. —Kelly Clement t o tal program 8 1 m i ns
Saturday, October 8, 7:30 pm
SUST08T, 142 Throckmorton Saturday, October 15, 4:15 pm
SUST15R, Rafael
F I L M S
Pariah
us cinem a US 2011 • 86 MINS
Director/Writer Dee Rees Producer Nekisa Cooper Cinematographer Bradford Young Editor Mako Kamitsuna Print Source Focus Features
By day, 17-year-old Alike is an earnest student with a talent for writing poetry. By night, she’s an aspiring “lothariette,” sneaking into lesbian clubs with her best friend Laura, whose tough-girl swagger is popular with the ladies. But Alike is hiding more than a fake ID from her parents. Heading home, she sheds her do-rag and baggy clothes for the gold earrings and pink top that her domineering mother favors. Desperate for Alike to outgrow her “tomboy thing,” her mother imposes her church friend’s daughter, Bina, hoping that her artsy and bohemian charm rubs off. Reluctant at first, the two grow closer as they bond over music, art and literature. But adolescence can be a confusing time, when no one is sure where they stand. Torn between the expectations of her mother and her own self-discovery, can Alike emerge as a young woman with a clear sense of her own identity? Director Dee Rees draws natural performances that transcend the coming-of-age drama with effortless authenticity, for a portrait of young adulthood at once touching, brutal, humorous and real. —Holly Roach Monday, October 10, 7:00 pm
PARH10R, Rafael
M V F F 3 4
Program includes live global web dialogue with Morocco, Iran and Turkey.
SPONSORED BY BAILL aRGEON CONNECT
SPONSORED BY Z AENTZ MEDIA CENTER, A WAREHAM DEVELOPMENT
mvff.com
2011FS-Notes-CORREX-PP.indd 43
43
9/5/11 10:00:54 PM
F I L M S
M V F F 3 4
Pegasus
Pina
The Planets
world cinem a
va lle y of the docs
us cinem a
Morocco 2010 • 104 MINS
Germany/France 2010 • 100 MINS
US 2011 • 77 MINS
Director Mohamed Mouftakir Producer Fouad Challa Screenwriter Mohamed Mouftakir Cinematographer Xavier Castro Editor Julien Foure Cast Sadia Ladib, Majdouline Drissi, Driss Roukh, Anas El Baz Print Source Dreamaker Productions
Director Wim Wenders Producers Gian-Piero Ringel, Wim Wenders Cinematographer Hélène Louvart Editor Toni Froschhammer Print Source IFC Films
Director/Screenwriter/Cinematographer/ Editor John Sanborn Producers Lloyd Shorter, Michele Kelly, Chris McGlumphy Cast Margaret Cromwell, Joseph Copley Print Source John Sanborn
(Pégase)
FOCUS: CINEMA AFRICA • In Arabic with English subtitles. The striking visual poetry and gorgeous cinematography of Mohamed Mouftakir’s Pegasus, winner of the top prize at Africa’s FESPACO festival this year, herald the advent of a visionary talent in the new wave of Moroccan cinema. In a story that unfolds both literally and symbolically, a young woman with no memory of her past believes herself pregnant by “The Lord of the Horse.” Her stunning visions, harking back to unresolved issues with her father and early trauma, are uncovered by her reluctant analyst as their lives become intertwined in unexpected ways. A poetic exploration of memory and identity, Pegasus is mesmerizing, skillfully walking the line between reality and fantasy. Images of a dark stallion permeate this stunning film both as coda and metaphor. Elements of magical realism and a David Lynch–like sense of atmosphere and rhythm create an unforgettable psychological road trip in this cinematic triumph. North American Premiere —Lily Buchanan Friday, October 7, 6:30 pm
The merging of the artful magic of choreographer Pina Bausch with 3-D technology catapults both dance and film into the stratosphere in Wim Wenders’s innovative, lyrical, sensual and visually stunning journey onto the stage of the legendary Tanztheater Wuppertal Ensemble. Bausch understood that the simplest of movements could have the greatest power; that stories can be told without a single sentence. In doing so, she created a new art: dance theatre. The camera moves offstage, following the dancers into the German industrial city of Wuppertal, the center of Pina Bausch’s creative life for more than 35 years. Performances of Bausch’s seminal works exude a luscious texture as the camera weaves around dancers, combining movement, gesture, speech and music. One of the finest uses of 3-D technology to date, Pina brings to life what Bausch has left to us following her sudden death in 2009. “Dance, dance, otherwise we are lost.” —Janis Plotkin Wednesday, October 12, 7:30 pm
PNRK12L, Larkspur Note: 3-D film tickets are $15.00.
PEGA07S, Sequoia
PNTS12R, Rafael PNTS14R, Rafael
PEGA09R, Rafael
44
Wednesday, October 12, 6:45 pm Friday, October 14, 8:15 pm
Sunday, October 9, 4:00 pm
SPONSORED BY DOLBY L ABOR ATORIES
The Planets is a graphically explosive, audiovisually sensuous journey through our skies. Director John Sanborn (MM1, MVFF 2002) is a dizzyingly inventive digital jeweler who transforms graphics, photography, animation, dance and musical composition into complex designs of finely crafted delight. His video for Kyle Gann’s long-form composition, The Planets, orbits the imageries of science, history and mythology in its vibrant portraits of the 10 extraterrestrial bodies. Quotations from Shakespeare act as counterpoint to the music, while further shaping the personality of each heavenly orb. Gann also employs new-music octet Relâche, which radiates the wistful warmth of a star-lost cantina. Sanborn’s dynamic layering of the movements of dancers Margaret Cromwell and Joseph Copley, meanwhile, give living character to each celestial icon, from the sensuous serenity of Venus to the fiery tumult of the Sun. Sanborn and Gann’s hypnotically immersive cosmos personalizes the awesome and infinite. World Premiere —Tony Reveaux
SPONSORED BY JOHN SANBORN
cafilm.org
2011FS-Notes-CORREX-PP.indd 44
9/5/11 10:00:55 PM
F I L M S
Play Like a Lion: The Legacy of Maestro Ali Akbar Khan
Principles
The Prize
(Yeki az ma do nafar)
(el Premio)
va lle y of the docs
world cinem a
world cinem a
US 2011 • 72 MINS
Iran 2011 • 87 MINS
Director/Cinematographer/Editor Joshua Dylan Mellars Producers Mojib Aimaq, Joshua Dylan Mellars Cast Ali Akbar Khan, Alam Khan, Carlos Santana, Mickey Hart, Zakir Hussain, Swapan Chaudhuri, Derek Trucks, John Handy, G.S. Sachdev, Aashish Khan Print Source Abuela Luna Pictures
Director/Writer Tahmineh Milani Producer Mohammad Nikbin Cinematographer Ali Reza Zarrindast Editors Tahmineh Milani, Siavash Seraj Zahedi Cast Bahram Radan, Danial Ebadi, Anahita Ne’mati, Samaneh Pakdel, Elsa Firuz Azar, Homayoun Ershadi, Sara Khoeniha Print Source Farabi Cinema Foundation
Mexico/Germany/France/Poland 2011 • 103 MINS
When a young Alam Khan asks about his family’s religion, his father, master North Indian musician Ali Akbar Khan, tells him, “Music is our religion.” Play Like a Lion explores the deep musical lineage of the Khan family—a tradition in which the lines between father and teacher are blurred and the intervals between duty, love and music become a devotional song. Alam, a prodigious musician, taught at his father’s feet, is our guide for a rich, soulful journey into the legacy of the late maestro. Entrancing musical virtuosity and moving homage are on display in footage featuring concerts, class time at the famed Ali Akbar School of Music and tribute performances by musical luminaries like Carlos Santana, Ustad Zakir Hussain and Mickey Hart. US Premiere —Melissa Howden PRECEDED BY
GOLD VIOLIN: bow of death US 2011 • 9 MINS Director Mark Pope
Violinist Joseph Gold recounts the tale of Eduard Reményi’s famous “bow of death,” which he owns and plays with passion.
Director/Screenwriter Paula Markovitch Producers Izrael Moreno, Paula Markovitch, Pablo Boneu Cinematographer Wojciech Staron Editor Loli Moriconi Cast Paula Galinelli Hertzog, Sharon Herrera, Laura Agorreca, Viviana Suraniti, Uriel Lasillo Print Source Urban Distribution International
In Farsi with English subtitles. As one of Iran’s most prominent female filmmakers, Tahmineh Milani (Two Women, MVFF 1999) has for more than two decades used film as creative artillery against a maledominated society (and, in 2001, was even imprisoned for it). But while the majority of her work has depicted brave women suffering under oppressive regimes, her latest takes a novel and wholly modern tack. Principles introduces us to a smart, independent woman who can stand alongside, and up to, any man. Sara, an up-andcoming young architectural designer, is hired by a firm run by the attractive but arrogant Babak. There is clearly chemistry between them, but Babak’s manipulative methods of seduction form a clear abuse of power and a potentially dangerous game that Sara is unwilling to play. With her confident heroine, and verbal jousting worthy of a Hepburn-Tracy film, Milani boldly demonstrates the new look of Iranian female empowerment. —Joanne Parsont
In Spanish with English subtitles. Tensions rise and fall like the nearby waves in this autobiographical story about a seven-yearold girl hiding out with her mother in a wintry beach town during Argentina’s oppressive military regime of the 1970s. While the threat of fascism is lurking, free-spirited Ceci Edelstein just can’t seem to sit still or get comfortable for more than a moment as she tries to assimilate all the changes in her life. Blending in isn’t so easy, however, after her teacher notices how far more advanced Ceci is than the other students. Her mother’s paranoia only grows when Ceci gets an assignment to write an essay about the glories of the Argentine army—the very one they are supposed to be hiding from. In this mysterious and beautiful film, writerdirector Markovitch coaxes an emotionally rich performance from Paula Galinelli Hertzog as Ceci. As the drama simmers gently, the relentless seaside winds remind us of the perils of exile. —Delfin Vigil
Tuesday, October 11, 4:45 pm
Wednesday, October 12, 9:00 pm
PRCP11R, Rafael
PRZE12R, Rafael
Friday, October 13, 9:00 pm
Sunday, October 16, 5:45 pm
PRCP13R, Rafael
PRZE16S, Sequoia
M V F F 3 4
t o tal program 8 1 m i ns
Sunday, October 9, 8:00 pm
AKBR09R, Rafael Wednesday, October 12, 9:15 pm
AKBR12S, Sequoia For live concert information, see page 57. SPONSORED BY AL AIN PINEL REALTORS
mvff.com
2011FS-Notes-CORREX-PP.indd 45
45
9/5/11 10:00:57 PM
F I L M S
M V F F 3 4
Raiders of the Lost Ark
The Real Rocky/ RIGHT TO PLAY
Restoration
us cinem a
va lle y of the docs
world cinem a
US 1981 • 115 MINS
US 2011 • 54 MINS
Israel 2011 • 105 MINS
Director Steven Spielberg Producers Howard Kazanjian, George Lucas, Frank Marshall, Robert Watts Screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan, story by George Lucas, Philip Kaufman Cinematographer Douglas Slocombe Editor Michael Kahn Cast Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Paul Freeman, Ronald Lacey, John Rhys-Davies, Denholm Elliott Print Source Lucasfilm Ltd.
Director Jeff Feuerzeig
Director Joseph Madmony Producer Chaim Sharir Screenwriter Erez Kav-El Cinematographer Boaz Yehonatan Yaacov Editor Ayala Bengad Cast Sasson Gabai, Henry David, Sarah Adler, Nevo Kimchi Print Source Menemsha Films
Grab your popcorn and come celebrate the 30th anniversary of Raiders of the Lost Ark—in all its big-screen glory! From the first snap of his bullwhip, you know Indiana Jones isn’t your run-of-the-mill wisecracking archaeologist-cum-adventurer. And minutes later, by the time Jones tumbles out of a booby-trapped cave—one hand on his fedora, the other clutching a golden idol, and a deadly boulder at his heels—you know you’re in for one of the greatest nonstop thrill rides in cinema history. With Raiders, Steven Spielberg reinvented the blockbuster action-adventure, while Harrison Ford cemented his status as the icon of roguish heroism, with a leather jacket so fine it now hangs in the Smithsonian. At this special screening, there’ll be trivia games, prizes, costumes and surprise guests Sure, if Indy knew it was his birthday, he’d grumble something about “years” versus “mileage,” but to us, Indiana Jones never gets old. —Jeff Campbell Monday, October 10, 7:00 pm
RDRA10C, Cinema For Raiders of the Lost Ark 30th anniversary celebration information, see page 60.
Chuck Wepner, a fighter who might have been just a footnote in the biographies of two famous men—Muhammad Ali and Sylvester Stallone—gets another shot at making his own myth in this brisk, pungent portrait by Jeff Feuerzeig (The Devil and Daniel Johnston). A working-class New Jerseyite known as the Bayonne Bleeder, Wepner rose to fame when he challenged Muhammad Ali for the heavyweight title in 1975, a fight that inspired the young Stallone to write Rocky. Light-footed editing cuts between compelling archival footage and new interviews shot in atmospheric black and white, capturing old-timers’ pulpy cadences and the sweat-seasoned flavor of the “sweet science.” World Premiere —Juliet Clark S C R E E N S W IT H
Right to Play US 2011 • 39 MINS
Director Frank Marshall
From the ice of the Winter Olympics to the sun-parched plain of an African refugee camp is the unlikely path of Norwegian speed skater Johann Olav Koss. Director Frank Marshall’s engrossing documentary, part of ESPN’s 30 for 30 series, captures Koss’s drive and idealism as he brings the joy of sport to disadvantaged kids worldwide in the belief that, along with the rights to food and shelter, all children have a right to play.
(Boker Tov Adon Fidelman)
In Hebrew with English subtitles. Irascible antiques restorer Yaakov Fidelman (Sasson Gabai, The Band’s Visit) has relied for years on business partner Max to provide the public face and secure the financial well-being of their operation. When Max dies suddenly, Yaakov must contend jointly with a business that is close to financial ruin and his antagonistic son Noah, whose eye is firmly on the bottom line. The solution to all their problems might be the piano that has been sitting untended in the middle of the shop, but first a valuable part must be manufactured to render the instrument sellable. Throw into the equation Yaakov’s mysterious assistant Anton and Noah’s independent and very pregnant wife, and the result is a complex and richly allusive character-driven drama. Winner of the Grand Prize at the Karlovy Vary Film Festival, Restoration powerfully demonstrates that the father-son bond, once riven by distrust and anger, is a difficult one to repair. —Rod Armstrong Friday, October 14, 9:00 pm
REST14S, Sequoia
t o tal program 9 3 m i ns
Sunday, October 9, 2:15 pm
RCKY09R, Rafael
SPONSORED BY PACIFIC GA S & ELECTRIC COMPANY
46
SPONSORED BY PIATTI RISTOR ANTE
SPONSORED BY GORDON R ADLEY
cafilm.org
2011FS-Notes-CORREX-PP.indd 46
9/5/11 10:00:58 PM
F I L M S
Sacrifice
The Salt of Life
(Zhao shi gu er)
(Gianna e le Donne)
va lle y of the docs
world cinem a
world cinem a
US/Peru 2011 • 76 MINS
China 2010 • 132 MINS
Italy 2011 • 90 MINS
Director Nick Polizzi Producers Nick Polizzi, Daniel Bailey Cinematographers Brock Bertloff, Daniel Bailey Editors Daniel Bailey, Nick Polizzi, Brock Bertloff, Margaret Polizzi Print Source Three Seed Productions
Director/Screenwriter Chen Kaige Producers Chen Hong, Qin Hong, Ren Zhonglun, Long Qiuyun Cinematographer Yang Shu Editor Derek Hui Cast Ge You, Wang Xue Qi, Huang Xiaoming, Fan Bingbing, Hai Qing Print Source Samuel Goldwyn Films
Director Gianni Di Gregorio Producer Angelo Barbagallo Screenwriters Gianni Di Gregorio, Valerio Attanasio Cinematographer Gogò Bianchi Editor Marco Spoletini Cast Gianni Di Gregorio, Valeria De Franciscis, Alfonso Santagata, Elisabetta Piccolomini, Teresa Di Gregorio, Michelangelo Ciminale Print Source Zeitgeist Films
The Sacred Science
FOCUS: HEALING • In English, Spanish and Quechua with English subtitles. Looking for a new prescription for serious illness? Take eight intrepid patients, add a team of indigenous medicine men and shamans, and mix for 30 days in the Peruvian Amazon. Suffering from conditions ranging from Parkinson’s to prostate cancer to diabetes, these patients are motivated by a commitment to heal naturally and sheer desperation to end their suffering. Immersed in nature, silence and solitude, shamanic medicine ceremonies open them to the emotional and psychological issues underlying their disease. The experienced shamans mindfully harvest and prepare specific remedies for their patients, with treatments that include healing songs and spiritual counsel. Entering the heart of healing in the heart of the Amazon, we find that saving the rainforest really does mean saving ourselves. —Carol Harada PRECEDED BY
A Woman’s Descent to the Sacred US 2011 • 22 MINS
In Chinese with English subtitles. This epic tale from Chen Kaige (Farewell My Concubine, MVFF 1993) comes rich in period detail and heavy with overtones of Greek tragedy as the action unspools amid clanging swords, flying arrows and horseback duels. But beyond the arresting visuals— including gravity-defying acrobatics and operatic death scenes—the joy of Sacrifice rests in watching actors Wang Xueqi (star of Chen’s Yellow Earth), a Chinese Tommy Lee Jones, and the deceptively meeklooking Ge You (Best Actor at Cannes for his work in Zhang Yimou’s To Live) deceive each other with half-truths and brinkmanship as only such deft old-hands can. In this way, timeless themes of fatherhood, loyalty and, of course, sacrifice play out against the backdrop of a thrilling, nonstop period spectacle. —Jennifer Preissel Friday, October 14, 5:00 pm
SACR14R, Rafael Saturday, October 15, 3:15 pm
SACR15S, Sequoia
Director Sherry Ruth Anderson
In Italian with English subtitles. Laid-off Roman civil servant–turned–house hubby Gianni (writer-director Gianni Di Gregorio) finds himself sequestered in his small domestic world surrounded by two kinds of women: the unattainable and the demanding. Stuck in the doldrums with a preoccupied professional wife and a post-adolescent daughter, the sexagenarian fears his sex appeal has fled the coop. So between errands for his prima donna of a mama, and walking the neighbor’s dog, he flirts, mostly in vain, with various belli donni who cross his path. Attempting to keep his romantic prospects alive only leads, in a hilariously disastrous episode, to poorly timed Viagra and a drunken come-on to mama’s live-in aide. Mortality may be the root of Gianni’s problem, and the story explores its universal themes with a delicate and delightful touch. A fine follow-up to his debut hit, Mid-August Lunch, Di Gregorio continues to beautifully dramatize the lives of those “of a certain age.” —Rod Armstrong Saturday, October 15, 7:15 pm
Ancient and modern representations of female power combine with music to tell the story of a woman’s spiritual journey into the essence of the feminine.
M V F F 3 4
SATF15S, Sequoia Sunday, October 16, 6:00 pm
SATF16R, Rafael
t o tal program 9 8 m i ns
Wednesday, October 12, 6:30 pm
SCRD12T, 142 Throckmorton Saturday, October 15, 6:30 pm
SCRD15R, Rafael SPONSORED BY WHOLE FOODS MARKET
SPONSORED BY COMCA ST
SPONSORED BY PIA ZZ A D’ANGELO
mvff.com
2011FS-Notes-CORREX-PP.indd 47
47
9/5/11 10:01:00 PM
F I L M S
Sarabah
Shame
va lle y of the docs
M V F F
world cinem a
world cinem a
US/Senegal 2011 • 60 MINS
UK 2011 • 99 MINS
France 2011 • 105 MINS
Directors Maria Luisa Gambale, Gloria Bremer Producer Steven Lawrence Cinematographers Maria Luisa Gambale, Lukas May, Joshua Atesh Litle Editor Gloria Bremer Print Source Women Make Movies
Director Steve McQueen Producers Iain Canning, Emile Sherman Screenwriters Steve McQueen, Abi Morgan Cinematographer Sean Bobbitt Editor Joe Walker Cast Michael Fassbender, Carey Mulligan, James Badge Dale, Nicole Beharie Print Source HanWay Films
Director/Screenwriter Philippe Claudel Producers Yves Marmion, Daniel Goudineau Cinematographer Denis Lenoir Editor Virginie Bruant Cast Stefano Accorsi, Neri Marcore, Clotilde Courau, Anouk Aimée, Lisa Cipriani Print Source TF1 International
FOCUS: CINEMA AFRICA • In English, French, German, Wolof and Diola with English subtitles. In this stirring documentary, hip-hop artist Sister Fa fights to stop the practice of female genital cutting (FGC) in her home country of Senegal. From her early days as an unpolished music phenom through a career-reinvention in Berlin, Sister Fa has continually smashed barriers in the male-dominated hip-hop world. But as this intimate film reveals, her strength of character was forged in a journey of hardship and transformation. Now, with the support of her husband and child, Sister Fa is ready to speak out about her own experience as a survivor of FGC. Sister Fa and her band travel to rural Senegal, where she launches a music-packed education campaign that culminates in an emotional visit to her home village. North American Premiere —Laurie Koh
Miss South Pacific: Beauty and the Sea
FOCUS: GREAT BRITS • Visual artist– turned-filmmaker Steve McQueen reteams with Michael Fassbender (Fish Tank, MVFF 2009) in this highly anticipated follow-up to his harrowing debut, Hunger, which spotlighted the ascetic protests of IRA strikers in the infamous Maze Prison. In Shame, McQueen turns his camera on a figure with a different appetite altogether. With his unapologetically minimalist style and sparse but piercing dialogue, McQueen zeroes in on Brandon (Fassbender), whose banal corporate facade belies his penchant for trawling the streets of Manhattan in an attempt to satisfy his insatiable sex drive. However, when his troubled sister, Sissy (Carey Mulligan, An Education, MVFF 2009), lands on his doorstep, his life is suddenly sent into a tailspin. Shame packs a visceral punch with its subversive subject and the fearlessly honest performances of its two leads in a portrait of the overt rituals and underlying compulsions that dictate our lives. —Laura Swanbeck
Fiji/Papua New Guinea/US 2011 • 39 MINS
Thursday, October 13, 6:30 pm
In French and Italian with English subtitles. In the polyphonic Euro-pudding of modernday Strasbourg, an Italian musicologist struggles to communicate with those dearest to him: his teenaged daughter, Irina, and political refugee–anarchist brother, Luigi. A virtuoso in the language of music, Alessandro (a charming and rumpled Stefano Accorsi) is tongue-tied by Irina’s unexpected leap into puberty and his brother’s infuriating diatribes against Berlusconi’s Italy. Even worse, he’s spent years grieving over the long-ago death of his wife and hiding behind a sweet yet hapless exterior, reluctant to open up to any of the romantic possibilities that surround him. But his love of language (and a dash of fate) brings him fellow wounded soul Florence. Will she be the one finally to unlock his heart? Far from melancholy, this second feature from Philippe Claudel (I’ve Loved You So Long) layers multiple melodies—some sweet, some sad, some comic—to achieve its warm-hearted harmony. And Strasbourg, capital of German-influenced Alsace, has never looked so lovely on film. —Atissa Manshouri
Director Mary Lambert
SHAM13S, Sequoia
Saturday, October 8, 4:15 pm
Saturday, October 15, 7:30 pm
SNCE08R, Rafael
SHAM15R, Rafael
Saturday, October 15, 6:30 pm
PRECEDED BY
3 4
Silence of Love (Tous Les Soleils)
This film celebrates the efforts of 2009–10 Miss South Pacific pageant contestants to address the climate change that threatens their island nations.
SNCE15S, Sequoia
t o tal program 9 9 m i ns
Friday, October 7, 7:00 pm
SARA07T, 142 Throckmorton Saturday, October 8, 1:30 pm
SARA08R, Rafael SPONSORED BY L ARK SPUR HOTEL MILL VALLEY
48
SPONSORED BY UNION BANK
cafilm.org
2011FS-Notes-CORREX-PP.indd 48
9/5/11 10:01:01 PM
F I L M S
Small, Beautifully Moving Parts
Smokin’ Fish
us cinem a
va lle y of the docs
world cinem a
US 2011 • 73 MINS
US 2011 • 80 MINS
Spain 2011 • 80 MINS
Directors/Screenwriters Annie J. Howell, Lisa Robinson Producers Annie J. Howell, Lisa Robinson, Jennifer Dougherty Cinematographer Charles E. Swanson Editor Jennifer Lee Cast Anna Margaret Hollyman, Richard Hoag, André Holland, Mary Beth Peil, Sarah Rafferty, Susan Kelechi Watson Print Source Sacha Pictures
Directors Luke Griswold-Tergis, Cory Mann Producer Luke Griswold-Tergis Cinematographers Luke Griswold-Tergis, Holly Grey, Manolo Turri, Tracy Wares Editor Maureen Gosling Print Source Luke Griswold-Tergis
Director/Producer/Screenwriter/ Cinematographer/Editor Jonathan Cenzual Burley Cast Andrea Calabrese, Javier Sáez, Norberto Gutiérrez Print Source El Mailan Films
Sarah Sparks has a life-long self-proclaimed “soft spot for machinery” and an obsessive curiosity about random strangers’ relationships to technology—and what they might say about her own technophilia. When she becomes pregnant, Sarah’s uncertainties about motherhood inflate along with her belly, as she finds herself more fascinated by the mechanics of the ultrasound than the baby inside her. In a hyperconnected world, why does she feel so disconnected from what’s going on in her own body? Leaving her supportive boyfriend in New York, she flies to California for a baby shower (which does more to horrify than help), then impulsively embarks on a solo road trip to the likely source of her anxiety: her long-estranged mother, now living far off-the-grid. With artful subtlety and spot-on comic timing, directors Annie J. Howell and Lisa Robinson have crafted a coming-of-parenthood tale for the internet age. —Joanne Parsont Saturday, October 8, 4:00 pm
SBMP08S, Sequoia Monday, October 10, 9:00 pm
SBMP10R, Rafael
The Soul of Flies (el alma de las moscas)
In English and Tlingit with English subtitles. Paddling quietly upriver, Cory Mann addresses the camera with a wry smile: “Ah, where am I from? That’s always such a great question.” With self-deprecating charm, Cory answers in the best way he knows how: by smoking fish. In this disarmingly unaffected film (with a kickin’ soundtrack), we follow the well-traveled son of a Tlingit mother and a white father as he goes on his summer pilgrimage to a traditional fish camp in backwoods Alaska. While Cory sets the nets, preps the salmon and the fire, struggles with his retail business and visits his ornery, opinionated, deeply loving family, all the complex, interwoven strands of his story emerge, creating a vivid portrait of the fractured collision of Native Alaskan heritage and contemporary Western culture. Ultimately, cultural loss and personal strength, past and present, are preserved together in a ramshackle smokehouse. It’s a flavorful dish we can almost taste. World Premiere —Jeff Campbell PRECEDED BY
The Walk
In Spanish with English subtitles. This majestic journey through the Spanish countryside follows two long-lost half-brothers—one gregarious, the other a grump—as they find their way and themselves en route to their estranged father’s funeral. When the uptight and unimpressionable Miguel agrees to meet his affectionate and sentimental brother, Nero, at a remote Spanish train station, it’s for one reason: to find closure. But after the two realize the train station is abandoned, their personal lives inconveniently open up and intertwine as they hitchhike, steal a motorbike and argue the entire way to paying final respects to the father they’ve never met. Soon they realize they have more in common than they thought. Writer-director Jonathan Cenzual, who grew up among the grain fields of Salamanca province, where the film is shot, hoped to capture a “magical Spain where dreams, fables and legends are still alive and where comedy is found where you least expect it.” And yes, that includes flies. North American Premiere —Delfin Vigil Friday, October 14, 6:00 pm
SUFS14R, Rafael
US 2011 • 10 MINS
Sunday, October 16, 5:30 pm
Creators William Farley, Hyeyon Moon
SUFS16R, Rafael
M V F F 3 4
A poetic vision of one man’s daily walk— always the same and always different—becomes a celebration of place and the grace that permeates a city park. t o tal program 9 0 m i ns
Saturday, October 8, 1:30 pm
SMKN08S, Sequoia SPONSORED BY MARIN INDEPENDENT JOURNAL
Tuesday, October 11, 9:15 pm
SMKN11R, Rafael
SPONSORED BY CBS 5
mvff.com
2011FS-Notes-CORREX-PP.indd 49
49
9/5/11 10:01:03 PM
F I L M S
M V F F 3 4
Stage Left: A Story of Theater in San Francisco
The Story of Film: An Odyssey
(SumarlandiÐ)
va lle y of the docs
va lle y of the docs
world cinem a
US 2010 • 82 MINS
UK 2011 • 90 MINS
Iceland 2010 • 85 MINS
Director/Cinematographer Austin Forbord Producers Austin Forbord, Paul Festa Editors Austin Forbord, Paul Festa, Jeremy Briggs, Mat Wolfe, Sony Green Print Source Kenneth Rainin Foundation
Director/Cinematographer Mark Cousins Producer John Archer Editor Timo Langer Print Source Hopscotch Films
Director Grímur Hákonarson Producers Baltasar Kormákur, Agnes Johansen Screenwriters Grímur Hákonarson, Ólafur Egilsson Cinematographer Ari Kristinsson Editor Elísabet Ronaldsdóttir Cast Kjartan Gudjónsson, Ólafía Hronn Jónsdóttir, Snorri Engilbertsson, Hallfridur Tryggvadóttir, Nokkvi Helgason, Arnbjörg Hlíf Valsdóttir Print Source Icelandic Film Centre
San Francisco, theater capital of the country? Not long ago it seemed obvious. Leading theater makers and critics from the Bay Area and beyond explain why in this documentary history musing on the unique social environment that produced the politically and aesthetically radical San Francisco Mime Troupe as well as the subtler subversion of the Pickle Family Circus or that of the not-subtle-at-all Cockettes; attracted maverick director Bill Ball and his newly formed American Conservatory Theater; launched Tony Kushner’s Angels in America; sent cops to break up performances of Michael McClure’s The Beard; incubated Sam Shepard’s greatest plays; and much more besides. Narrated by Marga Gomez, Austin Forbord’s brisk, brow-raising tour features a generous complement of archival footage and contemporary interviews, the latter including reflections by Actor’s Workshop founder Herbert Blau, Mime Troupe founder R.G. Davis, actor-theatergoer Robin Williams, and former Eureka Theatre stalwarts Robert Woodruff, Oskar Eustis and Tony Taccone. —Robert Avila Monday, October 10, 7:00 pm
STAG10S, Sequoia Wednesday, October 12, 9:15 pm
STAG12R, Rafael
50
FOCUS: GREAT BRITS • In English, Farsi, Hindi, Russian and Chinese with English subtitles. Mark Cousins’s The Story of Film: An Odyssey unfolds like a great page-turner, impossible to put down. It’s passion and innovation that drive movies, Cousins contends, as we set off to discover the world of film through his eyes. He’s a compelling tour guide in this revealing chapter from his 15-episode series. While the cinematic decade bookended by Easy Rider and Raging Bull has arguably become synonymous with American film, Cousins offers an alternative history of ‘70s cinema, reminding us of the genius of Wenders and Bertolucci, and of brilliant and momentous films from Iran, Senegal, Australia, Bollywood and Hong Kong. But what makes this odyssey irresistible is Cousins’s own passion and vision, as his narrative connects the dots between images and world cultures, noting the cross-pollination of imagery across borders and offering canny insights into filmmakers who have asked the big questions, inspired our imaginations and changed our lives. US Premiere —Zoë Elton
Summerland
STRY12R, Rafael
In Icelandic with English subtitles. Oskar and Lara Oskarsson are not your typical Icelandic couple . . . or are they? Lara is a community-minded psychic holding séances where locals speak to the souls of loved ones, all passed on into eternal “Summerland.” Good-hearted Oskar is a nonbeliever who runs the family’s struggling hauntedhouse business, hoodwinking and hijacking tourists fresh off the bus from Reykjavik. Although the family is close to bankruptcy, romance is oddly in the air: Lara believes Oskar to be “Fernando,” her lover from another lifetime, and daughter Asdis is coming of age faster than you can say “boo” with her crush on a punk-anarchist-journalist out to debunk her mother’s beliefs. When Oskar sells the family’s precious elf stone to forestall foreclosure on their home, things really get strange, forcing him to confront his core beliefs in this colorful, offbeat tale of ghosts, elves and past lives. Is Summerland that far away after all? —Kristine Kolton
Friday, October 14, 7:00 pm
Sunday, October 9, 12:15 pm
STRY14R, Rafael
SUMM09S, Sequoia
Wednesday, October 12, 6:30 pm
Monday, October 10, 4:00 pm
SUMM10R, Rafael
cafilm.org
2011FS-Notes-CORREX-PP.indd 50
9/5/11 10:01:04 PM
F I L M S
Trust Me
Turn Me On, Dammit!
(Puss)
(Få meg på, for faen)
va lle y of the docs
world cinem a
world cinem a
US 2011 • 75 MINS
Sweden 2010 • 113 MINS
Norway 2011 • 75 MINS
Director Bill Couturié Producers Mike Tollin, Gary Cohen, Niki Usbay Cinematographer Gabriel Noble Editor Mark Brewer Print Source Triple Threat Television
Director/Screenwriter Johan Kling Producers Fredrik Heinig, Mathilde Dedye Cinematographer Jakob Ihre Editors Johan Söderberg, Patrik Gyllström Cast Susanne Thorson, Gustaf Skarsgård, Alexander Skarsgård, Philomène Grandin, Michael Segerström Print Source St Paul Film
Director Jannicke Systad Jacobsen Director/Screenwriter Jannicke Systad Jacobsen Producers Brede Hovland, Sigve Endresen Cinematographer Marianne Bakke Editor Zaklina Stojcevska Cast Helene Bergsholm, Matias Myren, Malin Bjorhovde, Beate Stofring, Henriette Steenstrup Print Source New Yorker Films
Thumbs
In the triumphant spirit of films focusing on tournaments you never knew existed— competitive video gaming in The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters, for instance, or the empty-handed rocking captured in Air Guitar Nation—comes this portrait of six teens in their quest for the US National Texting Championship. Armed with two thumbs and a cell phone, the contestants compete in New York City for a $50,000 prize. So who are these teens who spend their lives text messaging, and why do they do it so obsessively? Academy Award® – winner Bill Couturié (producer, Common Threads: Stories from the Quilt) turns his camera on these unique individuals as they ready their thumbs for the main event, defying techie-geek stereotypes by showcasing their ability to excel socially as well as in the classroom—although taking their driver’s tests may be a different story. —Joshua Moore Sunday, October 9, 4:45 pm
THUM09T, 142 Throckmorton A panel discussion follows the screening. See New Movies Lab, page 55.
In Swedish with English subtitles. An overly dedicated theater director, a sleazy landlord, a troupe of barely subsidized thespians and a way overpriced Swedish sideboard make up the dysfunctional community at the center of Johan Kling’s sexy, sophisticated and beguiling ensemble comedy. The story unfolds in the empty sets and cluttered dressing rooms of a small Stockholm theater as director Katja attempts to keep her distracted actors focused on her play, and her narcissistic boyfriend Alex (True Blood’s Alexander Skarsgård) focused on her. Trust Me breathlessly weaves its characters and their backstories into a captivating human tapestry that highlights varying states of emotional and sexual maturity. Jazzy music, lively sets and inventive cinematography contribute to an energetic pace as multiple storylines circle one another with elegant ease. The life of the contemporary theater bubbles from the screen in all its tragicomedy in this funny, insightful, behind-the-scenes snapshot of show business at its most absurdly dramatic. World Premiere —Brendan Peterson Sunday, October 9, 3:30 pm
TRUS09R, Rafael
In Norwegian with English subtitles. In Jannicke Systad Jacobsen’s first feature, 15year-old Alma, sprawled on the kitchen floor, “enjoys herself fully” [sic!] while listening to the erotic murmurings of Stig, a perky, ever-supportive (ahem) staff member of “Wild Wet Dreams” phone-sex service. Not your typical teen fluff. But Alma is a typical teen: She despises her tiny rural town. She hates the sheep. The only thing she doesn’t hate is her friends: sardonic Saralou, frenemy Ingrid and Artur, whom she fantasizes about constantly. When Artur makes his move (albeit a strange one), Alma’s social status switches to pariah in the blink of an eye. Honest to the point of painful embarrassment, Turn Me On, Dammit! is a singularly sexy, poignant and funny tale that examines the tenuous social structure of teenagers and embraces the intricacies of a young woman’s sexuality in a way that no film in memory has. —Alexis Whitham Saturday, October 8, 7:00 pm
TURN08S, Sequoia Monday, October 10, 4:30 pm
M V F F 3 4
TURN10R, Rafael
Monday, October 10, 4:00 pm
TRUS10S, Sequoia
SPONSORED BY YELP
mvff.com
2011FS-Notes-CORREX-PP.indd 51
51
9/5/11 10:01:06 PM
F I L M S
Voices from the Shadows
va lle y of the docs
M V F F 3 4
52
We Need to Talk About Kevin
world cinem a
The Welcome
va lle y of the docs
UK 2011 • 63 MINS
UK 2011 • 111 MINS
US 2011 • 93 MINS
Directors/Producers/Editors Natalie Boulton, Josh Biggs Cinematographer Josh Biggs Print Source Josh Biggs
Director Lynne Ramsay Producers Jennifer Fox, Luc Roeg, Robert Salerno Screenwriters Lynne Ramsay, Rory Stewart Kinnear, novel by Lionel Shriver Cinematographer Seamus McGarvey Editor Joe Bini Cast Tilda Swinton, John C. Reilly, Ezra Miller, Ashley Gerasimovich Print Source Oscilloscope Laboratories
Director Kim Shelton Producers Kim Shelton, Bill McMillan Cinematographers Andy Black, Leigh Kimball Editors Josh Peterson, Eva Ilona Brzeski Print Source Two Shoes Productions
FOCUS: GREAT BRITS / HEALING • This compassionate and moving exposé bears witness to the tragic consequences of psychiatric prejudice and medical ignorance concerning one of the most prevalent illnesses of the 21st century. The film foregrounds the riveting stories of several British families confronting what must be everyone’s worst nightmare: a loved one suffering a life-altering illness that leaves him or her bedridden and in constant pain, with no apparent cure. But what if the medical establishment made the situation worse instead of better? Such are the heartbreaking circumstances of the underreported controversy surrounding ME (myalgic encephalomyelitis), aka chronic fatigue syndrome. Firsthand accounts from patients, caretakers and medical experts paint a shockingly confused state of affairs and underscore the urgency and frustration surrounding this issue. A call to action for anyone who cares about the health and well-being of their community, this powerful film is equally a tribute to those whose voices must be heard. World Premiere —Atissa Manshouri Saturday, October 8, 2:00 pm
VCES08R, Rafael Panel discussion follows screening, with David Tuller, UCB/New York Times; filmmaker Natalie Boulton; Dr. Jose Montoya, Stanford; and others TBA. See New Movies Lab, page 55.
FOCUS: GREAT BRITS • Lynne Ramsay (Morvern Callar, MVFF 2002) again proves herself one of the consummate artists of new British cinema in this artistically bold exploration of the troubled, and troubling, relationship between a mother (Tilda Swinton) and her apparently psychopathic son. From his first breath Kevin seems to have had a knack for needling mom, while only revealing his “good” side to his father (John C. Reilly). Told through flashbacks, the story builds a sense of foreboding while foreshadowing catastrophe to come. It’s driven by phenomenal performances all around: Swinton, who is in virtually every scene, is mesmerizing as a woman torn by her plight; Ezra Miller, as the teenaged Kevin, strikes a balance between manipulativeness and charm that is tempered by a chilling hint of evil. A gripping and powerful film offering no easy answers to its inherent questions, this standout of the Cannes Film Festival will leave many needing to talk about Kevin. US Premiere —Zoë Elton
FOCUS: HEALING • War is an unfortunate part of our daily lives, whether we only read about it in the newspaper or participate directly in it. Whatever our involvement, in the end, war is something we strive to put behind us. But for some, life after war is one constant loop played over and over in the nightmare of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In 2008, 20 veterans and their families gathered at a mountain retreat in Southern Oregon to try a new approach to the healing process. They brought with them memories of Iraq, Afghanistan and Vietnam, and under the compassionate guidance of author-mythologist Michael Meade were able to express their suffering through poetry, song, storytelling and ritual. The Welcome is a rare and daring film that places us in the room with these brave souls to share in their humor, their pain and, ultimately, their journey to hope and renewal. —Kelly Clement Thursday, October 13, 6:15 pm
WLCM13R, Rafael Friday, October 16, 4:00 pm
WLCM16T, 142 Throckmorton
Thursday, October 13, 7:30 pm
KEVN13R, Rafael For Spotlight on Ezra Miller information, see page 15.
cafilm.org
2011FS-Notes-CORREX-PP.indd 52
9/5/11 10:01:07 PM
What Happened Here?
William Kurelek’s The Maze
world cinem a
va lle y of the docs
va lle y of the docs
Burkina Faso 1982 • 70 MINS
US/Ukraine 2011 • 95 MINS
US/Canada 2011 • 60 MINS
Director/Producer/Screenwriter Gaston Kaboré Cinematographer Sekou Ouédraogo Editor Andree Davanture Cast Serge Yanogo, Rosine Yanogo Print Source Atria
Director Rob Nilsson Producers Rob Nilsson, Olga Zhurzhenko Cinematographers Mickey Freeman, Rob Nilsson, Nimrod Zinn Editors Melody Miller, Arthur Vibert Print Source Citizen Cinema
Directors Robert M. Young, David Grubin Producers Nick Young, Zack Young Cinematographers Robert M. Young, Nick Young Editors David Grubin, Zack Young Print Source Nick Young
In English, Ukrainian and Russian with English subtitles. The work of Rob Nilsson (Sand, MVFF 2010; Imbued, MVFF 2009; Frank Dead Souls, MVFF 2008), the powerful and prolific Bay Area filmmaker, is often driven by the pursuit of an idea. The inspiration for Nilsson’s What Happened Here? comes from the autobiography of the vaunted and often vilified Leon Trotsky, co-visionary with Lenin of the Bolshevik Revolution. Nilsson’s determination to find the remains and traces of Trotsky’s hidden ancestral Jewish roots led him to Ukraine, and to the creation of this lyrical and poignant cinematic essay reminiscent of early Godard and Chris Marker. Deftly interweaving incisive World War II footage with Trotsky’s—and Nilsson’s—personal reflections, the film unspools a skein of stories about Stalin’s enforced famines, the Nazi invasion and genocide. For this one-of-a-kind artist, it is “a film about a trip I took to find out what I thought.” World Premiere —Tony Reveaux
Enter the complex mind of Canadian artist William Kurelek in this unsettling documentary from award-winning filmmaker Robert M. Young (Human Error, MVFF 2004; Tribute, MVFF 1983) exploring the connection between inspiration, creativity and sanity. Confessional interviews with Kurelek and his family come juxtaposed with powerful images of his dark art. Young started work on the documentary in 1969 after seeing Kurelek’s “The Maze,” an intense illustration of the artist’s troubled upbringing. Forty years later, lost footage was recovered and the film completed. Haunting from the opening frame, this complicated mix of disturbing and hopeful moments is a potent portrait of an artist on the edge. World Premiere —Brendan Peterson
Wend Kuuni (God’s Gift)
FOCUS: CINEMA AFRICA • In Moré with English subtitles. Wend Kuuni, a landmark film, established Gaston Kaboré as a major voice in African cinema. Rooted in the oral traditions of Mossi culture and set in precolonial times, it is the tale of a mute boy who has lost his memory and is found starving in the bush. The villagers who take him in name him Wend Kuuni, “God’s Gift.” Surrounded by their love and kindness, Wend Kuuni’s memory and speech eventually return. The underlying notion that traditional Mossi values can help heal and provide answers to the problems facing contemporary cultures speaks to us as movingly now as it did almost three decades ago through this exquisitely told fable. Kaboré’s debut rightfully garnered international recognition and awards, including a César for best French-language film, and yet it is now rarely seen in the US. MVFF’s reprise screening of this classic is not to be missed. —Zoë Elton Sunday, October 9, 4:30 pm
WEND09R, Rafael For Tribute to Gaston Kaboré information, see page 11.
Saturday, October 8, 9:00 pm
WHAT08R, Rafael
PRECEDED BY
Library of Dust
F I L M S
M V F F
US 2011 • 16 MINS Directors Ondi Timoner, Robert James
In 2004, thousands of corroded copper urns containing the remains of former psychiatric patients were discovered at the Oregon State Hospital. David Maisel’s photographs of these beautifully unique canisters of forgotten souls revealed secrets, influenced political decisions and reunited families.
3 4
t o tal program 76 m i ns
Wednesday, October 12, 7:15 pm
THEM12S, Sequoia Saturday, October 15, 5:15 pm
THEM15R, Rafael
Sponsored by MARIN FRENCH CHEESE COMPANY
SPONSORED BY PACIFIC SUN
sponsored by Technicolor
mvff.com
2011FS-Notes-CORREX-PP.indd 53
53
9/5/11 10:01:09 PM
F I L M S
Young Goethe in Love (Goethe!)
world cinem a
youth-produc ed
Germany 2010 • 102 MINS
Every year, a peer jury working with the California Film Institute’s Education Department programs the MVFF Youth Reel. Six jurors are chosen from a group of 20 teens who attend the Young Critics Jury threeday workshop in July. They choose films for a 90- to 100-minute program from over 100 youth entries. This year’s jury has included films from Massachusetts to California, as well as Ndapewa, a film made by a youth project in Namibia. Bay Area Video Coalition’s Next Gen program has five films in the program, ranging from eccentric comedy to poetic evocations of childhood. Los Angeles’s Harvard-Westlake School returns this year with three films that include wonderfully creative uses of animation. One favorite, Alone, is in the jury’s words, “one of the scariest films we’ve seen.” This year’s annual selection from CFI Education’s My Place, My Story program is a personal film about a young man’s familial struggle with gang crime and the death of his mother in Guatemala. —John Morrison
Director Philipp Stölzl Producers Christoph Müller, Helge Sasse, Alexander Dydyna Screenwriters Philipp Stölzl, Christoph Müller, Alexander Dydyna Cinematographer Kolja Brandt Editor Sven Budelmann Cast Alexander Fehling, Miriam Stein, Moritz Bleibtreu, Volker Bruch, Burghart Klaussner, Henry Hubchen Print Source Music Box Films
M V F F 3 4
Young Critics’ Picks: The 2011 Youth Reel
In German with English subtitles. German literary icon Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s early exploits get the Dangerous Liaisons treatment in this romantically tempestuous costume drama. Failing miserably at his educational pursuits and disappointing his father at every turn, Goethe struggles to capture his passion on paper and prove himself the artist he secretly hopes to be. Instead, in humiliation, he is shipped off to the countryside to toil as a lowly law clerk— and to find his destiny. Young Goethe in Love features a talented trio of actors as three individuals entangled in amorous intrigue, with dashing Alexander Fehling (Inglourious Basterds) as Goethe pitted against his stuffy but smoldering boss (Moritz Bleibtreu, Run Lola Run) for the affections of country belle Lotte (played with lusty charm by newcomer Miriam Stein). Though Goethe historians might quibble with the poetic license taken, the filmmakers have sumptuously rendered the period and captured the Sturm und Drang of the writer’s inspiration for the novel that established his fame. —Deanna Quinones Saturday, October 15, 5:00 pm
YGTH15R, Rafael
t o tal program 10 5 m i ns
Saturday, October 8, 11:00 am
YNGC08R, Rafael
Thank You, Sc reening C ommittee Members! Jennie-Marie Adler John Antonelli Krissy Bailey Ralph Berets Veronica Bretzer Chris Brown Bethynia Cardenas Frank Chan Teresa Concepcion Anna Cosentine Laura Costantino K aren Criswell Elizabeth Duran Suzanne Engelberg Shih Yu Fan Abigail Farrell Lauren Freyer Justine Gubar Jennifer Hammett Sandy Handsher John Hess Winn K almon Nancy Kelly Kristine Kolton Ellen Lake Donna Lee Michael LoPresti Frako Loden Atissa Manshouri Natalie Martens Christopher Metzler Marilyn Mulford Joanne Parsont Francesca Prada Bill Proctor Barbara Rothman Jenni Rowland Carmen Rozestraten Wendy Slick Dale Sophiea Jesse Spencer Judy Terra Benjamin Thornton Jay Wertzler Doug Wolens Lori Wright Kenji Yamamoto Ben Zweig
Thank You, Venue Sponsors! Ninth Street Independent Film Center Zaentz Media Center Video Arts
54
cafilm.org
2011FS-Notes-CORREX-PP.indd 54
9/5/11 10:01:10 PM
NEW MOVIES LAB The State of the (Independent Film) Industry Saturday, October 15, 12:00 pm, Panel & Reception $20 NWMC15R Rafael It was barely a few years ago that the media was pronouncing the death of film for adults—what we refer to as art house or specialty films—and with good reason. Specialty divisions from the majors as well as independent distributors were closing their doors in record numbers. Fear permeated all levels of the industry. In 2010, the climate seemed to change. The success of The King’s Speech, The Social Network and Black Swan, as well as smaller art-house fare like Winter’s Bone and documentaries like Buck, have served to sustain if not revive this important sector of moviemaking. Even a 3-D indie, Cave of Forgotten Dreams, surpassed expectations at the box office. One might presume it’s back to business as usual in the indie world, but that‘s just on the surface. The digital revolution is not on its way: It is here. Theaters are struggling to convert to digital formats and independent theater operators are wondering how to absorb the costs and keep up to speed with new technology. Release patterns are shrinking, VOD is now available before theater, the merger of computer and television is evident at your local big-box outlet and independent filmmakers are funding and releasing their films via the internet. What is the future for non-franchise theatrical films? Well, it’s cloudy.
Invited Guests: Ed Arentz, distributor, Music Box Films; Tell No One, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (The Millennium Trilogy), Young Goethe in Love, The Conquest Ron Yerxa, producer, Bona Fide Produc tions; Little Miss Sunshine, Little Children, Cold Mountain, He Loves Me Annie Roney, producer, distributor, founder, ro*co films; producer, Born into Brothels Other panelists to be announced. Following the panel, ticket holders are invited to a reception with the panelists, catered by Il Davide restaurant.
MEET THE EXPERTS T HE B U S INE S S O F F IL M Saturday, October 8, 11:00 am $15 NWMA08R Rafael What do you want from the business of film? With a wealth of experience in the US and internationally, consultants Peter Belsito and Sydney Levine offer an informal forum for filmmakers to discuss strategies on topics ranging from financing and co-production to marketing plans; sales and distribution; how to meet, make, find and develop industry contacts; strategies for securing festival screenings worldwide; and the value of markets (like AFM, Ventana Sur, Rotterdam CineMart, Pusan PPP, IDFA Forum). A golden opportunity for filmmakers. Come with your questions! Peter and Sydney will also be available through the weekend for one-on-one or small group chats. Make an appointment following the panel. Peter Belsito, consultant; former executive vice president, Film Finders; founding member, Independent Feature Project (IFP) Sydney Levine, consultant; founder/president, Film Finders; writer, SydneysBuzz, indieWIRE blog
CAN A FILM MAKE THE DIFFERENCE? T HE A C T I V E C INE M A PA NE L Sunday, October 9, 2:00 pm $15 NWMB09R Rafael The power of storytelling meets the potential for change in the projects of these filmmakers. Hear about the innovative ways, means and resources they’ve employed in getting their work seen, heard and acted upon—and, of course, made—as they discuss the passion and experience that drives and inspires them. Luc Besson, director, The Lady, The Fifth Element, La Femme Nikita Michelle Yeoh, actress, The Lady; Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon; Tomorrow Never Dies Pamela Yates, director, When the Mountains Tremble, Granito: How to Nail a Dictator As we go to print, this panel’s participants and time may change. See mvff.com for current information.
JOIN THE DISCUSSION See Voices from the Shadows and Thumbs and stay for great panel discussions following the screenings.
VOICES FROM THE SHADOWS
ALL IN THE THUMBS
Mystery, My th or Madness?
SMARTPHONES AND EDUCATION
Saturday, October 8, 2:00 pm, Rafael VCES08R A discussion of the controversies and myths surrounding ME/CFS, an extreme form of chronic fatigue. As many people go undiagnosed or misdiagnosed, what positive steps can be taken to raise awareness and support the drive towards successful treatments?
Sunday, October 9, 4:45 pm, 142 Throckmorton Theatre THUM09T Smartphones are complex, multiplatform devices, but do they offer a benefit or pose a threat to the educator? How can we use these pocket-sized computers to complement education and not distract from learning?
Invited guests: David Tuller, lecturer, Graduate School of Journalism at UC Berkeley; frequent contributor to the New York Times Natalie Boulton, filmmaker, Voices from the Shadows Dr. Jose Montoya, associate professor, Stanford School of Medicine See page 52 for complete film information.
All panelists subject to change; updates at mvff.com.
Invited Guests: Bill Couturié, Academy Award-winning documentary film director (Common Threads: Stories from the Quilt) Michael Tollin, documentary film and TV series producer, director and writer (Nickelodeon Network, Smallville, Coach Carter) Caroline Knorr, parenting editor at Common Sense Media Ingrid Hu-Dahl, Director of Next Gen programs, Bay Area Video Coalition, lecturer Moderator: John Morrison, CFI director of education
3 4
See page 51 for complete film information.
mvff.com
2011FS-NewMoviesLab-CORREX2-PP.indd 55
M V F F
55
9/7/11 11:41:17 AM
LIVE EVENTS AT 142 THROCKMORTON
PL AY LIKE A LION L I V E A CONCERT HONORING ALI AKBAR KHAN S A T U R D A Y, O C T O B E R 1 5 , 7 : 3 0 P M The Mill Valley Film Festival and Steep Productions, Inc. present another memorable live concert event, this time honoring the great Indian musician and teacher, Ali Akbar Khan. The subject of the new documentary Play Like a Lion: The Legacy of Maestro Ali Akbar Khan, Khan was revered by many, including musicians Mickey Hart, Zakir Hussain, Carlos Santana, John Handy and Derek Trucks— all of whom are featured in the film. This exciting celebration will showcase a diverse set of musicians inspired and influenced by the maestro. They will be celebrating the man, his family and the filmmakers as well as performing with Khan’s son, Alam Khan, and other master musicians from the Ali Akbar College of Music. Great music and surprise guests make up another MVFF live evening of brilliant collaboration! Steep Productions, Inc. Associate Producers: Larry Lautzker and Betsy Zeger. $50 AKBR15T
AL AM KHAN
ALI AKBAR KHAN
142 Throckmorton PRESENTS
142 Throckmorton PRESENTS
TUESDAY, October 11 Tuesday Night Comedy, Mark Pitta & Friends
THURSDAY, October 13 the allacoustic Gonzalo Bergara Quartet
Mark Pitta and Friends has evolved into a premier comedy showcase for up-and-coming comedians and established headliners. Many of the nation’s top comics stop by to work on material when they are in the Bay Area, and SF local Robin Williams has been a frequent guest as well. Past guests include Dana Carvey, Richard Lewis, Mort Sahl, Arj Barker, Hal Sparks and Kevin Nealon. For ticket information: 142throckmortontheatre.com
M V F F 3 4
The Gonzalo Bergara Quartet plays a modern variant of 1930s Django Reinhardt–inspired Gypsy jazz. Composer and lead guitarist Bergara mixes cascades of arpeggios with the sounds of Paris and his native Argentina, supported by an ace clarinetist and a honed rhythm section. Fiery and focused, Bergara and his hard-swinging band take their audience for a thrilling ride. • Best Jazz Band in Los Angeles 2007 - Los Angeles Magazine • Editor’s Pick 2008 - Guitar Player magazine • Two-time Finalists in the John Lennon Songwriting Competition 2010, Latin and World categories • Djangofest Artist of the Year 2010
For ticket information: 142throckmortontheatre.com mvff.com
2011FS-142Throckmorton-PP.indd 57
57
9/7/11 3:12:54 AM
ACTIVE CINEMA EXPLORE ENGAGE TRANSFORM
ACTIVE CINEMA: A CREATIVE SOCIAL ACTION NETWORK
MVFF’s Active Cinema films are united in their commitment to explore the world and its issues, engage audiences, and transform society. After the lights come up and the credits roll, the images ingrained in us can still have an impact: Transforming ideas into deeds is what Active Cinema is all about!
G E T AC TI V E!
Rafael; page 55], addressing the urgent need for engagement around the issues and myths facing those dealing with ME/ CFS, an extreme form of chronic fatigue syndrome.
CAN A FILM MAKE THE DIFFERENCE? THE ACTIVE CINEMA PANEL Join a dynamic group of panelists who share the ways and means they’ve used to successfully initiate change and raise awareness of the pressing issues that are the topics of their film storytelling. Sunday, October 9, 2:00 pm $15 NWMB09R, Rafael For details, see New Movies Lab, page 55.
ACTIVE CINEMA SPECIAL FILM EVENTS Voices from the Shadows: A special panel discussion follows this screening [Saturday, October 8, 2:00 pm $15 VCES08R
The Lady: MVFF honors the work of actress Michelle Yeoh and director Luc Besson for their great artistry and commitment to justice and human rights with their film about Burmese prodemocracy activist Aung San Suu Kyi.
ACTIVE CINEMA CHAMPIONS Watch for our team of Active Cinema volunteers who will be on-site during the Festival to guide you to our presenting partners and the organizations that address the issues in Active Cinema films.
ACTIVE CINEMA ON FACEBOOK Join Active Cinema filmmakers and supporters on Facebook and stay connected year-round.
M V F F
ACTIVE CINEMA CO-PRESENTERS Our co-presenters partner with us in the Active Cinema film series and are actively working to effect change. You’ll find their names on slides following each screening, as well as links to their websites under Active Cinema at mvff.com.
ACTIVE CINEMA SPONSORED BY
SEE FILMS, GET INVOLVED! Discover inspiration in Active Cinema programming by joining us for film screenings and discussions throughout the Festival. Help support our filmmakers and special guests by becoming a catalyst for change. ACTIVE CINEMA FILMS BETWEEN 2 FIRES Agnieszka Lukasiak BUSONG (PALAWAN FATE) Auraeus Solito CALIFORNIA STATE OF MIND: THE LEGACY OF PAT BROWN Sascha Rice GIRLFRIEND Justin Lerner GRANITO: HOW TO NAIL A DICTATOR Pamela Yates
HEIST: WHO STOLE THE AMERICAN DREAM? Donald Goldmacher, Frances Causey THE LADY Luc Besson OUR NEW FRONTIER: SUSTAINABILITY n THE NEW ENVIRONMENTALISTS John Antonelli, Will Parrinello, Tom Dusenbery
n THE
NEW FRONTIER: SUSTAINABLE RANCHING IN THE AMERICAN WEST Melinda Levin, Irene J. Klaver
n PORTRAIT
OF A WINEMAKER: JOHN WILLIAMS OF FROG’S LEAP Deborah Koons Garcia
3 4
PARIAH Dee Rees SARABAH Gloria Bremer, Maria Luisa Gambale VOICES FROM THE SHADOWS Josh Biggs, Natalie Boulton THE WELCOME Kim Shelton
n TRANSITION
TOWN TOTNES Deborah Koons Garcia
mvff.com
2011FS-ActiveCinema-PP.indd 59
59
9/7/11 1:49:50 AM
RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK
HARRISON FORD
M V F F 3 4
30TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK
Grab your popcorn and come celebrate the 30th anniversary of Raiders of the Lost Ark—in all its big-screen glory!
Monday, October 10, 7:00 pm
The evening begins with a screening of Raiders of the Lost Ark. From the first snap of his bullwhip, you know Indiana Jones isn’t your run-of-the-mill, wise-cracking archaeologist-cum-adventurer. And minutes later, by the time Jones tumbles out of a booby-trapped cave—one hand on his fedora, the other clutching a golden idol, and a deadly boulder at his heels—you know you’re in for one of the greatest nonstop thrill rides in cinema history.
Century Cinema in Corte Madera $12.50 RDRA10C
CHILDREN’S FILMFEST FLEX PASS
With Raiders, Steven Spielberg reinvented the blockbuster action-adventure, while Harrison Ford cemented his status as the icon of roguish heroism, with a leather jacket so fine it now hangs in the Smithsonian. The thrills continue with a sensational 30th anniversary celebration, including: • A Raiders trivia contest. • A very special panel of the film’s creators discussing the film and answering your questions. • A costume contest: Dress like your favorite Raiders character and you may be chosen a winner! • Lots of prizes and giveaways! • Fedoras encouraged, for Indy-boys and Indy-girls alike! Sure, if Indy knew it was his birthday, he’d grumble something about “years” versus “mileage,” but to us, Indiana Jones never gets old.
Purchase at mvff.com/cffp Raiders of the Lost Ark is part of the new Children’s FilmFest Flex Pass! Enjoy our special screening of this amazing film along with three Children’s FilmFest films, plus the Children’s FilmFest Opening Party Extravaganza, for one low price.
SPONSORED BY
See page 46 for more information.
60
cafilm.org
2011FS-Raiders-PP.indd 60
9/7/11 2:17:27 AM
CHILDREN’S FILMFEST
Indulge Your Circus Dreams What makes the big-top circus, an art that matured in the 18th centur y, so compelling to every new generation even in the digital age? The clowns, the highwire and trapeze acts, the bareback riders—all stick in our minds like cotton candy. Our Children’s FilmFest brings the circus to you.
Add to that a fantastic behind-the-scenes look at performer Kevin Clash, the human being responsible for the popularity of a certain fuzzy creature named Elmo. Being Elmo describes their rise to international fame, and is a charming love story between Clash, his puppet and their adoring public.
Our theme is from our signature film, Circus Dreams, by Massachusetts-based documentary filmmaker Signe Taylor. The circus she chronicles, Circus Smirkus, is a training ground for young people ages 12 to 18. We’ll be joined on Sunday, October 9 by Bay Area graduates of Circus Smirkus in post-screening Q&A’s and enjoy a circus parade open to all children. We’ll also have a circus-themed children’s party and a clown workshop ($5) for young children.
Rounding out the program is Light of the River, a lovely and lyrical Japanese animation about a family of river rats who must relocate to the city; and Magic Silver, a Norwegian fable of good and evil set in a mountainous land peopled with gnomes. Magic Silver is part of a developing library of international children’s films being collected by KidflixGlobal, the first company in the US to import films specifically for children and families.
THE GRE ATE ST BA RGA IN ON E A RTH! CHILDREN’S FILMFEST FLE X PA SS $25 Save $20! With the Children’s FilmFest Flex Pass, you can enjoy up to four Children’s FilmFest films, our special screening of Raiders of the Lost Ark and the Children’s FilmFest Circus Party Extravaganza, all for one low price. Use the pass any way you like— four admissions to one film, two admissions
•
PURCHA SE AT MVFF.C OM/CFFP
to two films, one admission to four films and the party, etc. Bring the entire family, but be sure to join us! Children’s FilmFest Flex Passes are good for admission to the Children’s FilmFest programs, the Raiders of the Lost Ark special screening and the circus party only and are nontransferable.
M V F F
CHILDREN’S FILMFEST PROGRAMS CIRCUS DREAMS BEING ELMO LIGHT OF THE RIVER MAGIC SILVER INDUSTRY SUPPORT
3 4
CHILDREN’S FILMFEST CIRCUS PARTY EXTRAVAGANZA October 15, 2:00–4:00 pm Throckmorton Theatre $5 CHPY15T Join us on our second weekend of films for a Children’s FilmFest circus party at 142 Throckmorton Theatre in Mill Valley, includ-
ABOUT SUBTITLES To enhance very young viewers’ appreciation of foreign-language movies, we have actors read subtitles aloud. Where we can, we play the readings through individual headphones, to allow those who do not require the service to have an equally pleasurable film experi-
ing balloons, prizes, performers and many other surprises, all served with a fingerfood après-lunch by Whole Foods (with ice cream, of course!). There’ll even be some short films—about the circus, naturally! Adults must be accompanied by children.
ence. Headsets are offered on a first-come, first-served basis to young people only. Films with readers are marked thus: Indicates subtitles with headphones Indicates subtitles read aloud
SPONSORED BY
A G E R E C O M M E N D AT I O N S The age range following each program description is a suggestion only. It cannot adequately address everyone’s sense of appropriate or inappropriate content. Each child is different, and each parent has different standards.
mvff.com
2011FS-ChildrensFilmFest-PP.indd 61
61
9/7/11 3:34:55 AM
CALIFORNIA FILM INSTITUTE GREEN INITIATIVE LED BY PG&E
a mission
•
a goal
•
a reality
We’re committed to making this a better planet. Through the Environmental Youth Forum, year-round screenings of socially conscious films, Active Cinema at the Mill Valley Film Festival, PG&E’s ClimateSmart program at our offices and theaters, on-site recycling and many other efforts, we’re making it happen. A little action goes a long way. Join us.
2011FS-CFI_GreenInitiative-PP.indd 62
9/7/11 1:56:13 AM
CALIFORNIA FILM INSTITUTE EDUCATION CFI Education provides children and young people of diverse backgrounds the oppor tunity to learn about themselves and the world through film. For 34 years the Mill Valley Film Festival and the California Film Institute have pioneered creative film programs for youth, providing year-round screenings, interactive sessions with film profes sional s and hands- on workshops to introduce students to film as a vibrant tool of communication and a rich cultural experience. CFI Education ser ves students as well as families, teachers and adults throughout the Bay Area.
A Place in the World
A six-film, seven-month curriculum for 100 repeating students from diverse schools in Richmond, Oakland, San Francisco and Marin. Students examine international films addressing universal coming-of-age issues.
Environmental Youth Forum
Films, filmmakers, speakers and panels offer current thinking about environmental issues, with films on all three screens of the Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center.
Education Screenings at the Mill Valley Film Festival (MVFF)
CFI Education hosts free screenings of eight to 10 films followed by Q&A sessions featuring guest filmmakers. CFI also invites local and international filmmakers into Bay Area classrooms.
Community Cinema
These multigenerational monthly screenings feature hardhitting, topical documentaries followed by discussions with special guests. Attendees include school groups as well as the community at large. Presented in partnership with ITVS and PBS’s Independent Lens series.
My Place
A five-day intensive workshop for at-risk youth using film as a storytelling technique. Youth are recruited through community social service agency referrals. Each student writes and films his or her own personal story, fostering a positive sense of empowerment. Programs take place in San Rafael, San Francisco and the East Bay.
Q&A after Food stamped screening
Young Critics Jury
An annual three-day intensive workshop held in July for youth ages 13 to 18 to learn critical thinking and film curating skills and an understanding of moviemaking techniques. Film industry professionals, many of them Emmy- and Academy Award®–winning filmmakers, teach seminars. Selected students critique a selection of youth-produced films to be screened during the MVFF.
Teacher Workshops
Twice-yearly workshops designed by a working committee of Bay Area teachers to help incorporate film into the classroom. The annual September workshop highlights the films that will be offered during free education screenings at the MVFF. A latewinter workshop focuses on emerging, relevant themes.
Future Professionals – Behind the Curtain
Bringing the Young Critics Jury model to the students at the Canal Alliance Media Group. Includes lectures, workshops and film-viewing opportunities at the Rafael and during the MVFF for participants and their families. Phone: 415.383.5256 ext 113 Email: education@cafilm.org Online: cafilm.org
M V F F 3 4
C F I E d u ca t i o n P r o g r am s a r e ma d e p o s s ib l e w i t h SU P P ORT f r o m Fred M. Levin and Nancy Livingston, The Shenson Foundation Joseph Donner Fenwick Foundation
Jennifer Coslett MacCready Nancy and Rich Robbins Marin Charitable Association mvff.com
2011FS-CFI_EducationPage-PP.indd 63
63
9/7/11 1:54:46 AM
35.8 US CINEMA 6 pm
rafael
VALLEY OF THE DOCS
WORLD CINEMA 7 pm
8 pm
9 pm
10 pm
Film Calendar CHILDREN’S FILMFEST
11 pm
5 pm
Albert Nobbs 7:00 PM ABRT06R 113 MINS
F R Iday o cto b e r 7
th u rs day o cto b e r 6
Jeff Who Lives at Home 7:00 PM JEFA06S 84 MINS
rafael
throck
rafael
11 am
12 pm
1 pm
Young Critics’ Picks: The 2011 Youth Reel 11:00 AM YNGC08R 105 MINS
satu s atur r day october octo ber 8
sequoia
sequoia
throck
2 pm
3 pm
Voices from the Shadows 2:00 PM VCES08R 63 MINS Eliminate: Archie Cookson 1:00 PM EMNT08R 87 MINS
rafael
rafael
8 pm
The Business of Film 11:00 AM NWMA08R 90 MINS Busong (Palawan Fate) 11:00 AM BUSG08S 93 MINS
Being Elmo: A Puppeteer’s Journey 11:30 AM BENG08S 85 MINS
Sarabah 1:30 PM SARA08R 99 MINS
Da Monzon, Conquest of Samanyana 1:45 PM DMTC08S 110 MINS Smokin’ Fish 1:30 PM SMKN08S 90 MINS
Clown Workshop 2:00 PM CWNW08T 90 MINS
4 pm
Eco-Pirate: The Story of Paul Watson 6:00 PM ECPT07R 110 MINS
throck
Sarabah 7:00 PM SARA07T 99 MINS
6 pm
7 pm
Silence of Love 4:15 PM SNCE08R 105 MINS
Small, Beautifully Moving Parts 4:00 PM SBMP08S 73 MINS Magic Silver 4:15 PM MAGC08T 83 MINS
The Butcher’s Wife 8:30 PM BUTC07R 119 MINS
8 pm
Hi De Ho Show 9:45 PM HDEH07S 90 MINS
9 pm
10 pm
11 pm
Spotlight: The Lady 7:30 PM LADY08R 145 MINS
Lotus Eaters 6:15 PM EATR08R 78 MINS
The Kite 4:15 PM TKTE08R 104 MINS
Beyond the Road 4:15 PM BYND08S 85 MINS
11 pm
Coriolanus 9:00 PM CRNS07S 122 MINS
Like Crazy 7:00 PM CRZY07S 88 MINS
Eames: The Architect and the Painter 3:30 PM EAME08R 94 MINS
10 pm
The Mosque 9:00 PM MSQU07R 80 MINS
Pegasus 6:30 PM PEGA07S 104 MINS
sequoia
5 pm
9 pm
Granito: How to Nail a Dictator 6:30 PM GRAN07R 104 MINS
sequoia
Jeff Who Lives at Home 7:15 PM JEFB06S 84 MINS
sequoia
7 pm
SEMINARS/MUSIC/TBA
Tribute to Glenn Close 8:00 PM TRBT07R 90 MINS
rafael
rafael
10 am
6 pm
TRIBUTES/SPOTLIGHTS
rafael
rafael
sequoia
5@5 & MVFF SHORTS
What Happened Here? 9:00 PM WHAT08R 95 MINS
Coriolanus 7:30 PM CRNS08R 122 MINS
Turn Me On, Dammit! 7:00 PM TURN08S 75 MINS The Good Doctor 6:00 PM DCTR08S 90 MINS
Miss Bala 9:00 PM MSSB08S 113 MINS
Chill on the Hill 8:30 PM CHNT08S 141 MINS
Our New Frontier: Sustainability 7:30 PM SUST08T 81 MINS
mvff.com
2011FS-FilmGrid-PP.indd 65
65
9/7/11 2:04:28 AM
35.7
Film Calendar US CINEMA 10 am
11 am
12 pm
1 pm
2 pm
Circus Dreams 12:00 PM CRCD09R 82 MINS
rafael
3 pm
5 pm
6 pm
7 pm
monday october 1 0
Turn Me On, Dammit! 4:30 PM TURN10R 75 MINS
9 pm
Thumbs 4:45 PM THUM09T 75 MINS
10 pm
Trust Me 4:00 PM TRUS10S 113 MINS
Small, Beautifully Moving Parts 9:00 PM SBMP10R 73 MINS
Busong (Palawan Fate) 7:00 PM BUSG10R 93 MINS
7 pm
8 pm
Dolphin Boy 9:30 PM DPHN10R 84 MINS
9 pm
SEMINARS/MUSIC/TBA 10 pm
11 pm
Play Like a Lion 8:00 PM AKBR09R 81 MINS Between 2 Fires 9:15 PM BETW09R 131 MINS
The Mosque 6:45 PM MSQU09R 80 MINS Holidays by the Sea 6:45 PM HDAY09S 77 MINS Granito: How to Nail a Dictator 5:45 PM GRAN09S 104 MINS
Hello! How Are You? 9:00 PM HHRY09R 105 MINS Collaborator 8:45 PM CBRT09S 87 MINS TBA
Guitar Man 8:00 PM GTRM09T 90 MINS
11 pm
The Good Doctor 9:30 PM DCTR10R 90 MINS
Da Monzon, The Conquest of Samanyana 6:30 PM DMTC10R 110 MINS
5@5: Hard Times 5:00 PM 5X5H10R 57 MINS
sequoia
Now, in addition to great cinema and Festival experiences, your Mill Valley Film Festival ticket brings you great rewards, discounts and special offers throughout the month of October.
Go to mvff.com for a list of participating merchants and look for this logo in the window:
Chill on the Hill 6:45 PM CHNT10S 141 MINS 5@5: Just Like Strange Rain 5:00 PM 5X5J10S 59 MINS
throck
66
8 pm
Pariah 7:00 PM PARH10R 86 MINS
Summerland 4:00 PM SUMM10R 85 MINS
rafael
sequoia
The Butcher’s Wife 3:45 PM BUTC09S 119 MINS
Raiders of the Lost Ark 7:00 PM RDRA10C 115 MINS
cineMA
rafael
Pegasus 4:00 PM PEGA09R 104 MINS
Light of the River 2:30 PM RVER09T 75 MINS
4 pm
6 pm
TRIBUTES/SPOTLIGHTS
Girlfriend 6:30 PM GRFN09R 94 MINS
The Kite 3:00 PM TKTE09S 104 MINS
throck
5@5 & MVFF SHORTS
Tribute to Gaston Kaboré 4:30 PM WEND09R 110 MINS
Active Cinema Panel TBA NWMB09R 90 MINS
Summerland 12:15 PM SUMM09S 85 MINS
sequoia
5 pm
Trust Me 3:30 PM TRUS09R 113 MINS
Dolphin Boy 1:00 PM DPHN09S 84 MINS
sequoia
4 pm
The Real Rocky 2:15 PM RCKY09R 93 MINS
see mvff.com for start time
rafael
rafael
CHILDREN’S FILMFEST
Eco-Pirate: The Story of Paul Watson 12:30 PM ECPR09R 110 MINS
rafael
s u nday o cto b e r 9
VALLEY OF THE DOCS
WORLD CINEMA
Girlfriend 5:30 PM GRFN10T 94 MINS
Stage Left: Theater in San Francisco 7:00 PM STAG10S 82 MINS
Lotus Eaters 9:15 PM EATR10S 78 MINS Guitar Man 8:30 PM GTRM10T 90 MINS
cafilm.org
2011FS-FilmGrid-CORREX2-PP.indd 66
9/7/11 12:19:36 PM
30.9
4 pm
VALLEY OF THE DOCS
WORLD CINEMA
5 pm
6 pm
7 pm
8 pm
TBA
Principles 4:45 PM PRCP11R 87 MINS
rafael
11 pm
sequoia
Between 2 Fires 4:45 PM BETW11S 131 MINS
sequoia
5@5: Circle of Life 5:00 PM 5X5C11S 58 MINS
4 pm
Smokin’ Fish 9:15 PM SMKN11R 90 MINS
Buud Yam 7:00 PM BUUD11R 97 MINS
Beyond the Road 9:30 PM BYND11R 85 MINS Margin Call 8:15 PM Marg11S 106 MINS
Centerpiece: My Week with Marilyn 6:45 PM MYWE11S 100 MINS
Eliminate: Archie Cookson 9:30 PM EMNT11S 87 MINS
rafael
Holidays by the Sea 4:00 PM HDAY12R 77 MINS
rafael
Margin Call 4:00 PM Marg13R 106 MINS
rafael
Bon Voyage 4:00 PM BNVG13R 83 MINS
6 pm
7 pm
Hello! How Are You? 4:00 PM HHRY12S 105 MINS
The Forgiveness of Blood 4:00 PM FRGV13S 109 MINS
sequoia
throck
5@5: Don’t Let the Sun... 5:00 PM 5X5D13S 62 MINS
9 pm
10 pm
rafael
Heritage 8:45 PM HRTG13R 124 MINS
rafael
Deaf Jam 6:45 PM DEAF13R 81 MINS Shame 6:30 PM SHAM13S 99 MINS Heist: Who Stole the American Dream? 7:00 PM WSTA13S 85 MINS
Principles 9:00 PM PRCP13R 87 MINS Miss Bala 9:15 PM MSSB13S 113 MINS Another Happy Day 9:30 PM AHDY13S 119 MINS
Stage Left: Theater in San Francisco 9:15 PM STAG12R 82 MINS
The Conquest 6:30 PM CNQT12S 110 MINS
5 pm
Play Like a Lion 9:15 PM AKBR12S 81 MINS
William Kurelek’s The Maze 7:15 PM THEM12S 76 MINS
6 pm
The Destiny of Lesser Animals 4:00 PM DSTN14R 89 MINS
7 pm
8 pm
TBA
TBA
9 pm
The Soul of Flies 6:00 PM SUFS14R 80 MINS
10 pm
Story of Film: An Odyssey 7:00 PM STRY14R 90 MINS
Heritage 8:45 PM HRTG14R 124 MINS Restoration 9:00 PM REST14S 105 MINS Eames: Architect and Painter 9:30 PM EAME14S 94 MINS
Circus Columbia 7:00 PM CRSC14S 113 MINS Play Like a Lion 7:30 PM AKBR14T 81 MINS
mvff.com
2011FS-FilmGrid-PP.indd 67
11 pm
The Planets 8:15 PM PNTS14R 77 MINS
My Week with Marilyn 6:30 PM MYWE14S 100 MINS 5@5: Hard Times 5:00 PM 5X5H14S 57 MINS
Bon Voyage 9:30 PM BNVG12S 83 MINS
A Few Best Men 8:30 PM AFEW14R 91 MINS
5@5: Circle of Life 5:00 PM 5X5C14R 58 MINS
sequoia
throck
The Planets 6:45 PM PNTS12R 77 MINS
Sacrifice 5:00 PM SACR14R 132 MINS
rafael
sequoia
11 pm
The Prize 9:00 PM PRZE12R 103 MINS
The Sacred Science 6:30 PM SCRD12T 98 MINS
4 pm
11 pm
10 pm
Another Happy Day 8:00 PM AHDY12R 119 MINS
5@5: The Last Song 5:00 PM 5X5L12S 62 MINS
sequoia
Spotlight on Ezra Miller 7:30 PM KEVN13R 111 MINS The Welcome 6:15 PM WLCM13R 93 MINS
5@5: The Last Song 5:00 PM 5X5L13R 62 MINS
rafael
8 pm
9 pm
The Story of Film: An Odyssey 6:30 PM STRY12R 90 MINS
5@5: Just Like Strange Rain 5:00 PM 5X5J12R 59 MINS
rafael
sequoia
8 pm
Like Crazy 6:00 PM CRZY12R 88 MINS
rafael
fr iday october 14
5 pm
7 pm
SEMINARS/MUSIC/TBA
Pina 7:30 PM PNRK12L 100 MINS
throck
4 pm
r sday o ctober 1 13 thu rs day october 3
6 pm
larkspur
throck
sequoia
5 pm
TRIBUTES/SPOTLIGHTS
TBA
Collaborator 6:45 PM CBRT11R 87 MINS
5@5: Don’t Let the Sun Go... 5:00 PM 5X5D11R 62 MINS
rafael
10 pm
California State of Mind: The Legacy of Pat Brown 8:00 PM CAST11R 88 MINS
rafael
tu e s day o cto b e r 1 1
9 pm
Day of the Flowers 6:15 PM DAYF11C 100 MINS
cineMA
5@5 & MVFF SHORTS
CHILDREN’S FILMFEST
we d ne s day o cto b e r 1 2
US CINEMA
Film Calendar
67
9/7/11 2:04:30 AM
35.8
Film Calendar US CINEMA 10 am
11 am
12 pm
1 pm
2 pm
Being Elmo: A Puppeteer’s Journey 12:00 PM BENG15S 85 MINS
sequoia
12 pm
1 pm
2 pm
TBA
Our New Frontier: Sustainability 4:15 PM SUST15R 81 MINS
Sacrifice 3:15 PM SACR15S 132 MINS
4 pm
TBA
SUN SUNday day octob er 1 6
TBA
sequoia
throck
68
Guru: Bhagwan, His Secretary & Bodyguard 12:00 PM GURU16S 95 MINS
5 pm
TBA
Silence of Love 6:30 PM SNCE15S 105 MINS
TBA
The Salt of Life 7:15 PM SATF15S 90 MINS
7 pm
The Artist 5:00 PM ARTS16R 100 MINS
11 pm
Lost Kisses 9:30 PM KSSS15S 80 MINS
The Soul of Flies 5:30 PM SUFS16R 80 MINS
The Artist 5:00 PM ARTM16S 100 MINS
Country Music 2:45 PM CNTR16S 105 MINS
9 pm
10 pm
11 pm
TBA
TBA
TBA
The Prize 5:45 PM PRZE16S 103 MINS
The Welcome 4:00 PM WLCM16T 93 MINS
8 pm TBA
The Salt of Life 6:00 PM SATF16R 90 MINS
The Destiny of Lesser Animals 3:30 PM DSTN16R 89 MINS
Circus Dreams 2:30 PM CRCD16S 82 MINS
Light of the River 2:15 PM RVER16T 75 MINS
10 pm
Shame 7:30 PM SHAM15R 99 MINS
The Sacred Science 6:30 PM SCRD15R 98 MINS
6 pm
Circus Columbia 3:15 PM CRSC16R 113 MINS
The Barber, The Brush and the Baton 1:00 PM BARB16R 89 MINS
rafael
9 pm
Play Like a Lion (Live) 7:30 PM AKBR14T
3 pm
Lost Kisses 1:00 PM KSSS16R 80 MINS
rafael
8 pm
SEMINARS/MUSIC/TBA
Spotlight on Elizabeth Olsen 8:00 PM MART15R 101 MINS
The Barber, The Brush and the Baton 4:45 PM BARB15S 89 MINS
rafael
sequoia
7 pm
Children’s Filmfest Circus Party 2:00 PM CHPY15TE
11 am
TRIBUTES/SPOTLIGHTS
Young Goethe in Love 5:00 PM YGTH15R 102 MINS
Deaf Jam 2:15 PM DEAF15S 81 MINS
throck
10 am
6 pm
William Kurelek’s The Maze 5:15 PM THEM15R 76 MINS
Heist: Who Stole the American Dream? 2:00 PM WSTA15R 85 MINS
The Forgiveness of Blood 12:15 PM FRGV15S 109 MINS
sequoia
5 pm
Country Music 2:30 PM CNTR15R 105 MINS
The State of the Industry 12:00 PM NWMC15R 90 MINS
rafael
4 pm
Guru: Bhagwan, His Secretary & Bodyguard 2:15 PM GURU15R 95 MINS
Magic Silver 12:30 PM MAGC15R 83 MINS
rafael
5@5 & MVFF SHORTS
CHILDREN’S FILMFEST 3 pm
One Through Love 11:30AM THRG15R 120 MINS
rafael
SATUR day o cto b e r 1 5
VALLEY OF THE DOCS
WORLD CINEMA
TBA
TBA
cafilm.org
2011FS-FilmGrid-PP.indd 68
9/7/11 2:04:30 AM
SHUTTLE SERVICE MIL L VA L LE Y FILM FE S T I VA L SHU T T LE G O G R E E N A N D L E AV E YO U R C A R AT H O M E! Use the COMPLIMENTARY MVFF shuttle service for easy direct access to and from Festival venues. Shuttle service runs Saturdays and Sundays from 11:00 am to 11:00 pm with hourly stops.
100% carbon neutral shuttles generously provided by Extranomical Adventures
MILL VALLEY/ SAN RAFAEL LOOP MILL VALLEY
Leaving hourly on the hour: Downtown Mill Valley at the MVFF Mill Valley box office. The MVFF Shuttle also stops at the Larkspur Hotel Mill Valley. S A N R A FA E L
Leaving hourly on the half hour: Directly in front of the Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center and MVFF Rafael Box Office. Shuttle space is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. Allow plenty of time in case you have to wait for the next service. The MVFF Shuttle provides alternative and equal transportation for all individuals. For an ADA accessible shuttle call 415.388.1234 between 11:00 am and 11:00 pm on Oct. 8–9 and Oct. 15–16, or ask a Festival staff member for assistance.
2011FS-Shuttle+dAngelo-PP.indd 69
9/7/11 2:19:30 AM
MAPS
fe s T i va l v enue s
Smith Rafael Film Center
142 THROCKMORTON THEATRE 142 Throckmorton Avenue, Mill Valley CENTURY CINEMA 41 Tamal Vista Boulevard, Corte Madera
Laurel P
Missio
CINEMARK L ARKSPUR L ANDING 500 larkspur landing Circle, larkspur
A St.
4th St.
P
P
ACQUA HOTEL 555 Redwood highway, Mill Valley
3rd St.
S A N R A FA E L
2nd St.
St. Lindaro
DONNA SEAGER GALLERY 851 Fourth Street, San Rafael
500 ft.
FR ANTOIO RISTOR ANTE 152 Shoreline highway, Mill Valley
chrisTopher b. sMiTh rafael filM cenTer From US 101, take the Central San Rafael exit. Go west to 1118 Fourth St.
MILL VALLEY COMMUNIT Y CENTER 180 Camino Alto, Mill Valley PIATTI RISTOR ANTE & BAR 625 Redwood highway, Mill Valley
CINÉARTS@SEQUOIA
ROOTS OF PEACE 990 A Street, Suite 402, San Rafael
Parking is limited and metered near Festival venues. Please note the parking time limits as cars could be towed.
to
n Av e .
P
E.
Bl
ith
ve. ide A
s
y Sunn
TICKETS
P
. Ave
Ride the free MVFF shuttle provided by extranomical Tours. From 11:00 am to 11:00 pm each Saturday and Sunday, on the half hour, the shuttle departs from the Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center; and every hour the shuttle will pick up/drop off at the Mill Valley box office; stopping at the larkspur hotel on the way.
m
or
ed
al e
Av e.
ler Mil
l e av e your c a r . Ta k e T he shu T T le!
r Th
k oc
e. Av ra ade
.
pa rk ing
70
Corte M
g e T T he l aT e s T inforM aT ion fir s T! and Twitter
. ve lA el v Lo
. ve dA ar
rn
Be
SAN R AFAEL HOSPITALIT Y LOUNGE 1118 Fourth Street, San Rafael
Follow MVFF on Facebook See mvff.com for details.
3 4
.
P
ALBERT PARK / SAN R AFAEL COMMUNIT Y CENTER 618 B Street, San Rafael
M V F F
Tama lpais Ave
CINÉARTS@SEQUOIA 25 Throckmorton Avenue, Mill Valley
.
Ave.
P
n Ave
5th Ave.
B St.
CHRISTOPHER B. SMITH R AFAEL FILM CENTER 1118 Fourth Street, San Rafael
C St.
l.
Lincoln
/
Lootens Pl.
VENUES
MILL VALLEY
200 ft.
cinÉarTs@seQuoia & 142 ThrockMorTon TheaTre From US 101, take the Tiburon/east Blithedale exit and proceed west on Blithedale toward downtown Mill Valley. Turn left onto Throckmorton Ave.
cafilm.org
2011FS-Tickets_Info-PP.indd 70
9/7/11 2:41:38 AM
TICKETS
/
INFORMATION
Ticket prices for regular shows:
California Film Institute Members – $11.00 General admission – $13.50 Seniors (65+) & students – $12.00 Children’s FilmFest (all ages) – $10.00 5@5 shorts programs – $5.00 Family Flex Pass – $25.00 (provides admission to four Children’s FilmFest films + Kids’ Party) Tickets go on sale to CFI Members before the general public; on-sale dates are determined by membership level. Sept. 14, 4:00 pm – Director’s Circle, Premier Patrons and Cinema Benefactors Sept. 15, 4:00 pm – Gold Star and above Sept. 17, 4:00 pm – Associate, Film Fan and above Tickets go on sale to the general public on Monday, Sept. 19, 2011, at 10:00 am. Tickets can be purchased in advance of screenings. A limited number of rush tickets will be sold on a first-come, firstserved basis. The rush line forms outside each venue beginning one hour before showtime. Rush tickets will be offered approximately 10 minutes before showtime. Cash only. No discounts.
T h e r e a r e t h r e e way s t o p u r c h a s e t i c k e t s: ONLINE
IN PERSON A T T HE BO X OFFICE PRE- FES T IVAL BOX OFFICE Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center
BY PHONE
877.874.MVFF (6833)
1 2 3 Tickets are available 24/7 at mvff.com. Print-at-home tickets do not incur a service charge. Tickets delivered via mail (USPS) incur a $3.50 convenience fee. Note there are no ticket processing or service charges.
1118 fourth Street, San Rafael
Sept. 14–Oct. 5 4:00–8:00 pm weekdays, 2:00–8:00 pm weekends Opening Night, Oct. 6: 3:00–9:00 pm
FES T IVAL BOX OFFICES: The Mill Valley Film Festival has two box office locations; both open 30 minutes before the first show of the day and close when the last show starts.
San Rafael: Box office is open Oct. 6–16 at the Smith Rafael Film Center, 1118 Fourth Street
Mill Valley: Box office is open Oct. 5–16 at the Mill Valley Chamber of Commerce, 549 Miller Avenue, Suite 303
Tickets can be ordered by telephone from the on-sale times (pre-Festival) and from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm, Sept. 19–Oct. 16. Telephone convenience fee is $10.00 for will-call orders. USPS delivery is an additional $3.50.
M V F F
The Fine Print
Patron Courtesies
Accessibility
All orders are final. No refunds, exchanges, substitutions or replacements. MVFF is not responsible for lost, stolen, forgotten or damaged tickets, or tickets misdirected by the post office. To pick up tickets at will call, you must bring a valid photo ID that corresponds to the name on the credit card used to purchase the tickets. Convenience fees are nonrefundable. The convenience fee for phone sales is a flat $10.00 per order.
• All seats are general admission, and multiple-seat saving is not permitted.
MVFF is committed to accommodating audience members with disabilities, offering early seating as needed. To receive assistance, please make yourself known to the theater manager. All screening venues and their bathrooms are wheelchair accessible. Assisted listening devices are available at the Rafael Film Center and the Sequoia Theater.
Ticket holders must arrive at least 15 minutes prior to showtime to ensure a seat. Please note there are a number of seats reserved for CFI Patrons, Sponsors and special guests at each screening. These seats are clearly marked and may not be released to general admission seating.
• While waiting in line, please be considerate of our neighbors and local businesses. • Please refrain from wearing perfumes and other scented products so that attendees with environmental sensitivities can enjoy the films in comfort. Thank you. • The use of cameras or other recording equipment is strictly prohibited during any screening or program.
mvff.com
2011FS-Tickets_Info-PP.indd 71
3 4
71
9/7/11 2:41:39 AM
FILM TITLE INDEX
M V F F 3 4
72
5@5: Circle of Life. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 5@5: Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me. 24 5@5: Hard Times. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 5@5: Just Like Strange Rain . . . . . . . . . 25 5@5: The Last Song. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 The 36. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 2648 Hours. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Albert Nobbs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Alone. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 American Homes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Another Happy Day. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 The Artist. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement. . . 26 The Barber, the Brush and the Baton. . . 26 Being Elmo: A Puppeteer’s Journey. . . 27 Between 2 Fires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Beyond the Road. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Bon Voyage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Boy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Breaking Point. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 A Brush with the Tenderloin . . . . . . . . . 26 Busong (Palawan Fate). . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 The Butcher’s Wife. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Buud Yam. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 California State of Mind: The Legacy of Pat Brown. . . . . . . . . . 29 Chill on the Hill. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Christmas Piggy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Circus Columbia. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Circus Dreams. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Collaborator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Confidante. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 The Conquest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Coriolanus. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Country Music. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Da Monzon, The Conquest of Samanyana . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Day of the Flowers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Deaf Jam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 The Death of an Insect. . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 The Destiny of Lesser Animals. . . . . . 33 A Doctor’s Job. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Dolphin Boy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Eames: The Architect and the Painter . . 33 Eco-Pirate: The Story of Paul Watson. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Eliminate: Archie Cookson. . . . . . . . . . 34 Exposure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 A Few Best Men. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Floyd the Android . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 The Forgiveness of Blood. . . . . . . . . . . 35 Girlfriend. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 GOLD VIOLIN: bow of death. . . . . . . . . 45 The Good Doctor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Good Luck, Mr. Gorski . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Granito: How to Nail a Dictator. . . . . . 36
Guitar Man. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Guru: Bhagwan, His Secretary & His Bodyguard. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Heist: Who Stole the American Dream? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Hello! How Are You?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Heritage. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Hi De Ho Show. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Hip Hop Maestro. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Holidays by the Sea. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 I Am Round. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Independence in Sight . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Invisible . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Jeff Who Lives at Home. . . . . . . . . . . . 38 The King. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 The Kite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 The Lady. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 The Lemon Tree . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Library of Dust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Life Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Light of the River. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Like Crazy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Los Des Morros!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Lost Kisses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Lotus Eaters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Luminaris. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Magic Silver. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Mallrats. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Margin Call . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Martha Marcy May Marlene. . . . . . . . . . 41 Miss Bala. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Miss South Pacific: Beauty and the Sea . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Momo. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Moonless Night. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 A Morning Stroll . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 The Mosque. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Mr. Happy Man. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 My Big Red Purse. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 My Week with Marilyn. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Ndapewa: I Am Given. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 The New Environmentalists . . . . . . . . 43 The New Frontier: Sustainable Ranching in the American West. . . . 43 One Through Love. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Our New Frontier: Sustainability. . . . . 43 Out of Erasers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Pariah. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Pegasus. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Penultimate. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Pina. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Pioneer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 The Planets. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Play Like a Lion: The Legacy of Maestro Ali Akbar Khan . . . . . . . . 45 Pop. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Portrait of a Winemaker: John Williams of Frog’s Leap. . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Pot Country . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Principles. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 The Prize . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Raiders of the Lost Ark . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 The Real Rocky . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Restoration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Right to Play. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 The Sacred Science . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Sacrifice. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 The Salt of Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Sarabah. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Saturn Rising. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Sebastian’s Adventure. . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Seven Days in the Woods. . . . . . . . . . . 24 sexting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Shame. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Silence of Love . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Small, Beautifully Moving Parts. . . . . . 49 Smokin’ Fish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 The Soul of Flies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Stage Left: A Story of Theater in San Francisco. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 The Story of Film: An Odyssey. . . . . . . 50 Suffocation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Summerland. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Sunshine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Swimming in a Dream . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 The Telegram Man . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Thumbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 To Say Goodbye. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Transition Town Totnes. . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Trust Me. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Turn Me On, Dammit!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Voices from the Shadows. . . . . . . . . . . . 52 The Walk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 We Need to Talk About Kevin. . . . . . . . . 52 The Welcome. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Wend Kuuni (God’s Gift). . . . . . . . . . . . 53 What Happened Here?. . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 What Would You Do?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 While You Were Gone. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 William Kurelek’s The Maze . . . . . . . . 53 The Wind Is Blowing on My Street. . . . . 25 A Woman’s Descent to the Sacred . . . . 47 Young Critics’ Picks: The 2011 Youth Reel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Young Goethe in Love. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Zapped!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Interior contents printed on 40 percent recycled newsprint.
cafilm.org
2011FS-TitleIndex-PP.indd 72
9/7/11 2:46:31 AM
DINING PAGE
M I LL VALLEY BA LBOA C A FE
a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit
PI A Z Z A D’A NGELO
Classic American Bistro cuisine with an emphasis on fresh, seasonal produce. 415.381.7321 balboacafe.com
38 Miller Ave.
Authentic Italian cuisine in the heart of downtown, featuring a wood-burning pizza oven, full-service bar and views of the piazza. 415.388.2000 piazzadangelo.com
22 Miller Ave.
BUC K E Y E ROA DHOUSE
Celebrating and promoting film as art and education 15 Shoreline Hwy.
A Marin County dining mainstay–try the famous Oysters Bingo, housesmoked BBQ baby-back ribs and more! 415.331.2600 buckeyeroadhouse.com
BUNGA LOW 4 4 Contemporary American grill featuring fresh, local ingredients, signature cocktails and select wines. 415.381.2500 bungalow44.com 44 East Blithedale Ave.
FR A NTOIO Contemporary familyowned Italian restaurant with an in-house olive press. All natural, all the time! Buon appetito! 415.289.5777 frantoio.com 152 Shoreline Hwy.
Modern family dining offering the professionalism of a big-city eatery with the warmth of a local neighborhood joint—perfect for your first date or 50th with a couple of kids in tow. 415.383.0600 pizzaantica.com
SM A LL SHED FL ATBRE A DS
Hang with the locals. Delicious wood-fired pizzas, great organic salads, wine, beer and more. 415.383.4200 smallshed.com 17 Madrona St.
TOA S T Come enjoy delectable American comfort food in a casual setting. 415.388.2500
Southern Italian cuisine, familyowned and -operated since 1964. 415.388.0224 laginestrarestaurant.com 127 Throckmorton Ave.
Creative artisan-style pizza using the best imported, regional and local organic ingredients. Soup, salad, lasagna, specialty beers and nice wines. 415.383.8646 tonytuttopizza.com 246 East Blithedale Ave.
T SUK I JI
PE A RL’S PH AT BURGER Juicy, fat phat burgers, organic buffalo burgers, crispy fries, fresh salads and real milkshakes known as the best in Marin. 415.381.6010 pearlsdeluxe.com 8 East Blithedale Ave.
LE Y L A V IL L TH 34 M L S TI VA E F FIL M 6 R 6 -1 E B O OC T
PI AT TI
625 Redwood Hwy.
Warm charm and welcoming atmosphere of a traditional Italian trattoria, featuring rustic yet fl avorful cuisine and family-friendly service. 415.380.2525 piatti.com
amicis.com 1242 Fourth St.
C REPE V INE Voted best brunch and best inexpensive dinner in Marin County. 415.257.8822 crepevine.com 908 Fourth St.
IL DAV IDE
Always delicious, beautifully prepared and served Northern Italian. 415.454.8080 ildavide.net 901 A St.
SA BOR OF SPA IN
Tapas, vinos, wine tastings, paella nights, live music and fl amenco shows, catering, banquets and takeout. 415.457.8466 saborofspain.com 1301 Fourth St.
SA N R A FA EL JOE’S
toastmillvalley.com 31 Sunnyside Ave.
TON Y T UT TO PIZ Z A L A GINE S TR A
Thin, crisp-crust, East Coast–style pizzas, baked in traditional brick ovens. 415.455.9777
800 Redwood Hwy., Suite 705 Strawberry Village
hawksnestmv.com 507 Miller Ave.
A MIC I’S E A S T C OA S T PIZ ZERI A
PIZ Z A A NTIC A
THE H AW K ’S NE S T An American gastro pub. Excellent beers, great wines and wonderful pub food. 415.388.3474
S A N R A FA E L
Variety of fresh sushi and fun, creative dishes. Selection of high-quality sake and excellent wines. 415.383.1382 tsukijisushimv.com 24 Sunnyside Ave.
Extensive and varied selection of family favorites! 415.456.2425 sanrafaeljoes.com 931 Fourth St.
SOL FOOD
Puerto Rican cuisine. The food is incredible, the portions are huge and the atmosphere is a lot of fun. 415.451.4765 solfoodrestaurant.com 901 Lincoln Ave.
V IN A NTIC O
Californian Italian, one block from Court Plaza! 415.454.4492 vinantico.com 881 Fourth St.
Y E T WA H
VA SC O Casual dining, excellent food, great atmosphere and casual prices, all in downtown Mill Valley! 415.381.3343 vascomillvalley.com 106 Throckmorton Ave.
Classic Chinese cuisine, featuring Hong Kong appetizers, crab puffs, noodle bowls and more! 415.460.9883 yetwahsanrafael.com 1238 Fourth St.
1001 Lootens Place, Suite 220 San Rafael, CA 94901
EXPERIENCE
THE MILL VALLEY FILM FESTIVAL
AS A MEMBER! • Discounted Festival tickets • Purchase of tickets before the general public (active membership is required through October 2011)
• Free “Friends of the Festival” movie screening • Additional year-round benefits, including $5.50 tickets and free pre-release screenings at the Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center
SHOW YOUR SUPPORT OF THE ARTS JOIN AT THE BOX OFFICE or ONLINE
CAFILM.ORG/MEMBERSHIP
MEMBERSHIP SPONSOR