DAUGHTERS
P. 20
NICK FOR AMERICA
P. 14
NICK MAG
FA L L 2 0 1 6
COLUMBIA JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL
P. 11
ISSUE 006
Letter from the
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
years ago, Julie Dash’s Daughters of the Dust became the first film by an African American woman to receive national distribution. Filmed in South Carolina, the powerful tale of several generations of Gullah women was an important step in bringing new voices into our movie theaters. As movements like #OscarsSoWhite have made apparent, however, filmmakers of color continue to face significant barriers to participation and success in the film industry. In order to both mark this anniversary but also draw attention to some of the most interesting women working in the field right now, the Nick will host Daughters this November. Eight emerging female ABOVE: Still from Daughters of the Dust, 1991
What is this we’re going
constant: the Nick serving
election-themed films.
through? It doesn’t feel
as an essential gathering
Partnering with Columbia’s
good. All summer my social
place for community
Free Times we will host a
media feeds were a dis-
conversations. Though
short series this October
tressing string of shootings,
we may be struggling to
entitled Nick for America
political snipings, senseless
make our way through this
where we will explore this
attacks and mindless rants.
tough time as a nation, we
year’s presidential election
Too often, I find myself
remain firm believers in the
through some films and
feeling helpless as systems
power of sharing ideas and
conversations. The series
of injustice seem to be
experiences. That’s why I’m
will explore both the most
strengthening while pillars
so proud of our upcoming
idealistic and the most
of compassion, respect and
lineup.
cynical aspects of our
empathy appear to crumble. I know I’m not alone.
01
political system, featuring Though you may think
talkbacks with local
that the last thing you
political journalists.
As much as things have
need is more talk about
changed at the Nick over
the election, we couldn’t
We are following that series
the last several years,
resist the opportunity to
up with a celebration in
one thing has remained
revisit some of our favorite
November. Twenty-five
l e t t e r f r o m t h e e x e c u tive director
filmmakers of color will travel to Columbia for a weekend full of films and conversations thanks in large part to the support of the African American Studies program at USC. We will get through all of this, hopefully smarter and stronger than before. In the meantime, know that you can count on the Nick family if you need a sympathetic ear or a new perspective on the world around you.
S TA F F
Jessa Gaitor
Andy Smith
Anna Weller
Executive Director
Asst. Theater Manager
Seth Gadsden
Quereshi Breaux
Managing Director
Theater Staff
Kristin Morris
Steffi Brinkmann
Marketing Manager
Theater Staff
Carrie Grebenc
Bree Burchfield
Development Manager
Theater Staff
Kaitlin McKnight
Laura Godenick
Operations Manager
Theater Staff
Pedro LopezDeVictoria
Adam Hoffbauer
Programming Coord.
Theater Staff
Savannah Taylor
Charlotte Johnston
Designer/Interactive Coord.
Theater Staff
Amada Torruella
Torres Perkins
Development Asst./ Programming Coord.
Theater Staff
Mahkia Greene
Theater Staff
Education Instructor
Tobey Wilson
Deborah Adedokun
Theater Staff
Sean Shoppell
Asst. Theater Manager
INTERNS Pauline Arroyo Laura Smith Anna Weller
V O LU N T E E R S
B OA R D O F D I R E CTO R S Lynn Stokes-Murray
President Vice-President Chris Controne
Treasurer
Veronica Addison
Lemuel Watson
Barb Burton Maris Burton Zach Cardwell Sandi Castillo Jim Colwell Heidi Colwell Cederick Gibbs Toure Greene Gayle Hazzard Lee Heckle Joe Kyle Tim Liszewski Justin Price Debria Robinson Kara Shavo
07
Indie Grits: Visiones
08
Final Girl: Halloween Double Feature
09
Happenings
11
Columbia Jewish Film Festival
14
Nick for America
17
Special Screenings & Events
20
Daughters
25
Foreign Focus
27
Glitches & Ghosts
29
First Friday Lowbrow Cinema Explosion
John P. Boyd
Adrian Addison Maddie Bennett
CONTENTS
Asst. Theater Manager
Secretary Judy Battiste Amos Disasa Nikky Finney Sam Johnson Tracy Jones Bob Mason Duncan McIntosh Scott Middleton Wendi Nance Anne Postic Elizabeth Reardon Walton Selig James E. Smith Jr. Scottie Smith
Chanel Skinner Maria Walrath Bart Walrath Emily Wilkerson Debbie Yerkes
Nick Mag Designer:
Savannah Taylor Nick Mag Editor:
Kristin Morris
The Nickelodeon Theatre The Nick serves Columbia, SC, as a focal point for critical dialogue anchored by films that showcase the diversity, challenges, joy and aspirations of its community. A center for enjoyment, enrichment, and education, the Nick provides its community the tools to make, interpret, appreciate, and teach the moving image in all its variety.
1607 Main Street, Columbia, SC 29201 www.nickelodeon.org Office Phone Number: (803) 254-8234 Movieline: (803) 254-3433 contents
02
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THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS
Indie Grits
VISIONES For the first time ever,
As a proud Salvadoreña,
Esto se debe a nuestro
Indie Grits will transcend
I cannot overstate how
concepto del 2017 llamado
Southeastern borders
thrilled I am to welcome
Visiones.
and open submissions to
independent filmmakers
an international stage.
from all over Latin America
Visiones ilustra nuestro gran
Latino leaders in various
to Columbia, SC.
deseo de juntos poder crear
creative disciplines will
un mejor futuro, busca
come together to share
Join us in April 2017 for a
elevar las voces latinas y
their "visions" for a more
jam-packed schedule of
celebrar la gran influencia
inclusive and bright future.
happenings blending live
de nuestra cultura en el
music, cutting-edge film,
sureste de Estados Unidos.
Visiones, our 2017 theme,
food, puppet slams, original
Como curadora, con gran
will not only amplify Latino
video gaming events and
orgullo salvadoreño, quiero
and Latin American voices
thought-provoking art
ofrecer un espacio donde
but it will also celebrate the
created by Latinxs.
latinxs puedan forjar víncu-
great influence our cultures
visiones
los y desafiar estereotipos.
have in the Southeast--an
Cada año en el mes de
influence as multi-faceted
abril, Indie Grits celebra la
!
07
By Amada Torruella, Visiones Co-Curator
as it is significant. Afterall,
vida cultural del sureste
nosotros y a participar en
South Carolina has the
de Estados Unidos y por
este festival que estará
second fastest growing
primera vez vamos a lanzar
lleno de música en vivo,
Latino population in the U.S!
una convocatoria para
eventos artísticos y lo mejor
cineastas latinoamericanos.
del cine!
Los invito a celebrar con
FINAL GIRL
MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR INDIE GRITS April 20-23, 2017
Halloween Double Feature
The horror film trope of
badasses, and Norwegian
the "final girl" refers to the
slasher Fritt Vilt (Cold Prey)
last woman alive to face
(2006), both take big steps
THE DESCENT
a killer. The stereotypical
in the right direction -- away
"final girl" is young and
from the American cis-male
Neil Marshall 2005. USA. 99 min. R.
virginal while her friends
depiction of horror’s final
are immoral, promiscuous
girl of yore.
Thur Oct 27, 8:00 PM
drug-users that deserve to The National Association of Latino Arts and Cultures, the Surdna Foundation, and The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts have all awarded grants to next year's Indie Grits.
die. The problematic rules
These two movies make
of the trope were fashioned
dynamic revisions to that
back in the 1970s, and while
dated dichotomy. Fritt Vilt
we’re all really happy that
plays with slasher cast roles
Laurie Strode got away from
and turns them on their
Michael Myers, it’s great to
heads, while The Descent
see how some contemporary
is uncompromising in its
horror films are now
feminist power in the face of
consciously disrupting this
absolute terror.
formula. Spoiler, she survives at This October, I’ll be pre-
the end in a magnificent
senting two films that are
display of fortitude, critical
shining examples of how
thinking, and strength. Slay,
the slasher film has evolved.
girl, slay.
British thriller The Descent (2005), with an all-female cast of total adventure
Kaitlin McKnight, Operations Manager
FRITT VILT (COLD PREY) Roar Uthaug 2006. Norway. 97 min. NR. In Norwegian with English subtitles.
Thur Oct 27, 10:00 PM
final girl
08
Happenings
ANNUAL MEMBER MEETING
BIS GLEICH, 2015 WINNER
Tues September 27, 5:30 PM Calling all Nickelodeon members! You’re invited to our annual member meeting on Tuesday, September 27th at 5:30pm. We’ll unveil our annual report, announce new board members, and discuss upcoming programming and events.
MANHATTAN SHORT FESTIVAL 2016 Wed September 28, 6:00 PM Manhattan Short is not a touring festival; rather, it is an instantaneous
TIME BANDITS SCREENING FOR ART HOUSE THEATER DAY Sat September 24
celebration that occurs simultaneously across the globe, bringing great films to great venues and
Come see us on the inaugural Art House Theatre Day!
allowing the audiences to
Think about it like record store day - but with your local
select their favorites.
art house theater. Join us September 28 when This year we invite you to celebrate independent film with
over 100,000 film lovers
us when we screen a special 2K restoration of Terry Gilliam’s
in over 250 cities gather
family-friendly fantasy-adventure, Time Bandits at noon. We’ll
in cinemas, museums and
also have an exclusive poster sale featuring over 250 lobby
universities for one purpose
case film posters! More details at nickelodeon.org
-- to view and vote on the finalist's films in the 19th annual Manhattan Short Film Festival. Each finalist selected will qualify for the Academy Awards. More info at nickelodeon.org and manhattanshort.com
09
happenings
LOOKING BACK AT:
SUMMER CAMP This summer we hosted two summer camps for middle and high school students. You can see their work online at nickelodeon.org/education.
THUNDER ROAD
2016 SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL SHORT FILM TOUR Wed September 07, 6:30 PM Showcasing a wide variety of story and style, the 2016 Sundance Film Festival Short Film Tour is a 95-minute theatrical program of eight short films selected from this year’s festival. Over the course of its more than 30-year history Sundance has been widely considered the premier showcase for short films and the launchpad for many now-prominent independent filmmakers. Including fiction, documentary and animation from around the world, the distinct 2016 program traverses vibrant styles from wild comedy to reflective poetry. Included in the program is Thunder Road, which screened at our 2016 Indie Grits festival.
AFFECTIONS
High School Horror Film campers learning the basics of filmmaking
EDMOND
High School Horror Film campers with instructor, Jordan Young
nickel o d e o n . o r g
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2 0 1 6 C O LU M B I A
JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL
aimed to find films that appeal to a wide demographic both within the Jewish community and beyond. Festival-goers will encounter a variety of films at this year’s festival, ranging
O ct o b e r 3 0 - N ove m b e r 1 5
from rousing dramas and thoughtful documentaries, to romantic comedies. On Sunday, October 30, we will open the festival with two highly acclaimed documentary films, Breakfast at Ina’s and Sabena Hijacking: My Version, which is the riveting reenactment of the Palestinian group, Black September’s takeover of Sabena Flight 971. Many of this year’s films feature stories that pivot around the relationship between Jewish and non-Jewish communities. In Moos, a Dutch romantic comedy, a young woman strives to follow her dreams of being in the theatre after a surprise Hanukkah visit from an old friend. The docudrama My Italian Secret: The Forgotten Heroes, narrated by Isabella Rossellini, recounts the heroic story of notable Italians and high ranking officials of the Catholic Church who fought to save Jewish lives during the Holocaust. Apples from the
SHARE THE EXPERIENCE By Ruth Rast and Patty Tucker, Festival Organizers
11
c o l u m b i a j e w i s h f i l m festival
The Columbia Jewish Film Festival is
Desert follows the journey of a rebel-
part of the ever-growing landscape
lious teenager and her ultra-Orthodox
of Jewish Film Festivals organized in
Jewish parents into the secular world.
the U.S. and abroad. In its 16th year,
The path reverses in A Borrowed Identity,
the Columbia festival is dedicated to
in which a Palestinian-Israeli teenager
bringing new, sometimes controver-
wins a scholarship to attend an elite
sial, always thought-provoking films
Jerusalem boarding school.
with Jewish and related themes to a diverse audience. A film festival is
Other films share stories of resilience
like a book club: not everyone is going
and remembrance as we look back
to like every film to the same degree,
on the Holocaust. The drama Once
but a shared experience has a huge
in a Lifetime illustrates the enduring
impact. Films for the 2016 festival
impact of Holocaust education as an
were chosen with the assistance of an
unlikely classroom of teens strives
advance screening committee which
to encounter the Holocaust not as
FROM LEFT TO RIGHT:
A Borrowed Identity, 2014 My Italian Secret: The Forgotten Heroes, 2014 Moos, 2016 Sabena Hijaking: My Version, 2015
historians or students, but as children.
prize awards for the three best films,
Remember, starring Christopher
they will be screened on Sunday,
Plummer and Martin Landau, is a con-
November 6 with two short films,
temporary story of a holocaust survivor
The Making of a Mensch and What's in a
who discovers that the Nazi guard who
Name?
murdered his family 70 years ago is living in America under an alias.
For more information on the festival or the student competition, please email
Identity, both religious or cultural,
cjfilmfestival@gmail.com.
is a prominent theme throughout the 2016 festival. Our committee has chosen to explore this topic further in the 2nd Annual Student Short Film Competition (open to all SC high school students). In addition to cash nickel o d e o n . o r g
12
REMEMBER Atom Egoyan 2015. Canada, Germany. 94 min. R. English, German with English subtitles.
Tue November 01, 8:00 PM
APPLES FROM THE DESERT Matti Harari, Arik Lubetzky 2014. Israel. 96 min. NR. Hebrew with English Subtitles.
Thu November 03, 6:00 PM
ONCE IN A LIFETIME Marie-Castille Mention-Schaar
SCHEDULE
2014. France. 105 min. NR. French with English subtitles.
Sun November 06, 5:00 PM
FÉLIX & MEIRA: Foreign
STUDENT SHORT FILM COMPETITION SCREENING Sun November 06 3:00 PM
BREAKFAST AT INA’S Sun October 30, 12:00 PM
Along with the winners of the student film competition, we will screen two other short films
SABENA HIJACKING: MY VERSION
WHAT’S IN A NAME?
Mercedes Kane 2015. USA. 51 min. NR. English.
Rani Sa’ar
addressing this year’s theme.
Daniel Robin
2015. Israel. 104 min. NR. English, Hebrew, Arabic, and French with English subtitles.
2015. USA. 15 min. NR. English.
Sun October 30, 1:30 PM
THE MAKING OF A MENSCH
MOOS Job Gosschalk. 2016. Netherlands. 90 min. NR. Dutch with English subtitles.
Tue November 01, 6:00 PM
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2016 Theme: Identity
c o l u m b i a j e w i s h f i l m festival
Tiffany Shlain 2015. USA. 11 min. NR. English.
This event is free and open to the public.
Focus Partnership with the Nick Maxime Giroux 2014. Canada. 105 min. R. French, Yiddish, English, Spanish, Hebrew, Italian with English subtitles.
Wed November 09, 6:30 PM
MY ITALIAN SECRET: THE FORGOTTEN HEROES Oren Jacoby 2014. Italy, France, Israel, USA. 92 min. NR. English, Italian with English subtitles.
Tue November 15, 5:30 PM
A BORROWED IDENTITY Eran Riklis 2014. Israel, Germany, France. 104 min. NR. Arabic, Hebrew, English, German with English subtitles.
Tue November 15, 8:00 PM
FROM TOP TO BOTTOM:
My Italian Secret: The Forgotten Heroes, 2014 Apples from the Desert, 2014
Nick AMERICA For
SPONSORED BY GOVERNOR AND MRS. JAMES H. HODGES IN PARTNERSHIP WITH FREE TIMES
October 03 - 24 nick fo r a m e r i c a
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Politics BY ANDY SHAIN
is all about drama, tension and storytelling, just like the movies.
And no one has created a more com-
Then the Republican challenger with a
pelling script in the 2016 presidential
backstory as a billionaire real estate
race than Donald Trump.
developer and a reality TV show host walked on stage to a rock anthem.
Consider the scene inside an Aiken col-
Trump delivered a speech punctuated
lege basketball arena last December.
with simple, yet stinging language meant to elicit frequent cheers and
A boisterous crowd of 4,000 colorfully
boos.
dressed supporters (including one
15
nick for america
dressed like Abraham Lincoln and
He’s a complicated character who
another wearing a sombrero) waved
is seen by supporters for having the
homemade signs and talked loudly
bravado to eschew political correct-
over an eclectic musical soundtrack
ness and by opponents for having the
while waiting for the entrance of the
arrogance to think he’s qualified for
larger-than-life leading candidate.
the White House.
Protesters interrupted Trump’s speech several times. An overalls-clad Trump booster punched a taqiyah-wearing protester. The crowd jeered loudly at the protester as police escorted him out of the arena. And I was sitting there watching all this from a press table in back. I just needed a large tub of buttered popcorn. At least, Hollywood can condense a months-long political race to two hours. As the presidential race reaches the homestretch, the Nickelodeon Theatre presents Nick for America, a series of political-themed films in October. The lineup includes a pair of docs -- the story of South Carolina’s most notorious political adviser, Boogie Man: The Lee Atwater Story, and the peek behind Bill Clinton’s presidential
A FACE IN THE CROWD 1957. USA. 126 min. NR.
BOOGIE MAN: THE LEE ATWATER STORY
Mon Oct 3, 6:00 PM
2008. USA. 86 min. NR.
Elia Kazan
Post-film discussion with Jack Kuenzie from WIS Television
Schedule
Stefan Forbes
Mon Oct 10, 6:00 PM Post-film discussion with Meg Kinnard from Associated Press
EACH POST-FILM DISCUSSION WILL BE MODERATED BY FREE TIMES EDITOR ANDY SHAIN.
campaign, The War Room. But for movie fans wanting a little less reality in their politics, they can catch the classics Mr. Smith Goes To Washington and A Face In The Crowd. I will moderate post-film Q&As with South Carolina political reporters who have covered the 2016 race. Finally, I have an excuse to combine politics and popcorn. Andy Shain is editor of Free Times and Palmetto Politics editor at The Post and Courier in Charleston.
THE WAR ROOM 1993. USA. 96 min. PG.
MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON
Mon Oct 17, 6:00 PM
1939. USA. 129 min. NR.
Chris Hegedus, D.A. Pennebaker
Post-film discussion with Maya Prabhu from The Post and Courier LEFT:
Boogie Man: The Lee Atwater Story, 2008
Frank Capra
Sun Oct 23, 3:00 PM Mon Oct 24, 6:00 PM Post-film discussion on Oct 24 with Chris Trainor from Free Times
nickel o d e o n . o r g
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MASTER OF THE FLYING GUILLOTINE
ART HOUSE THEATER DAY
First Friday Lowbrow September 02
P. 09
SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL SHORT FILM TOUR
September 24
TIME BANDITS A part of Art House Theater Day September 24 P. 09
September 07 P. 10
DHEEPAN Foreign Focus September 14 P. 25
OCT
SEPT
Special Screenings and Events
A FACE IN THE CROWD Nick for America October 03 P. 14
NEON BULL Foreign Focus October 05 P. 25
CHILDREN'S FILM FESTIVAL SEATTLE
ANNUAL MEMBER MEETING
August 27 & September 03
P. 09
September 27
MANHATTAN SHORT FESTIVAL September 28 P. 09
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s p e c i a l s c r e e n i n g s a n d events
DANGEROUS MEN First Friday Lowbrow October 07 P. 29
BOOGIE MAN: THE LEE ATWATER STORY Nick for America October 10 P. 14
MAESTRO! Foreign Focus October 12 P. 25
MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON Nick for America October 23 & 24 P. 14
GLITCHES & GHOSTS An Evening with Evan Meaney October 25
HOME MOVIE DAY WITH MIRC October 15
THE WAR ROOM
P. 27
FINAL GIRL: HALLOWEEN DOUBLE FEATURE
Nick for America October 17
The Descent, Fritt Vilt October 27
P. 14
P. 08
NOV
BLOOD RAGE
COLUMBIA JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL October 30 November 15 P. 11
First Friday Lowbrow November 04 P. 29
FÉLIX & MEIRA Foreign Focus November 09 P. 25
DAUGHTERS: CELEBRATING EMERGING FEMALE FILMMAKERS November 11-13 P. 20
THE SEVENTH FIRE
SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT 2
A part of The Annual Native American Indian Film & Video Festival of the Southeast November 17
First Friday Lowbrow December 02 P. 29
nickel o d e o n . o r g
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THE NICKELODEON Presents
This festival is made possible by support from Nikky Finney and the African American Studies Program in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of South Carolina.
Festival Co-Curator and Film maker
BY RONI NICOLE HENDERSON
of place that transcended our tumultuous time in America as an enslaved people or my own grief upon
My life revolved around discovery, quickly identifying who I wanted to be in the world so that I could help to
skipping down a bendy path of white sand.
refuge and found that the rigorous coursework offered
as her ways of being in the film reminded me of my own grandmother. However, when I revisited the film at 22, I was transfixed. Toni Morrison’s work had given me a vocabulary with which to digest Daughters of the Dust
place within a continuum of black thinkers, magic folk, rebels, lovers, fools, mothers, daughters, humans. If Charles Chesnutt and Claude McKay were the spark to my spirit of revolt, Toni Morrison’s universe of
daughters
teenager and had an affinity for the matriarch, Nana,
the opportunity to question, and therefore, define my
and the magic came alive for me.
I had seen Julie Dash’s film Daughters of the Dust as a
death. There, embedded in my formal education, was
me much more than a distraction from my mother’s
me: a young girl with plaits and a bright blue ribbon,
I dove into my studies at Clark Atlanta University as a
of self, I remember an image that kept coming to
losing my mother. Fully ablaze, with a newfound sense
that point was viewed with new eyes and I felt a sense
English major, a new wife and an even newer mother.
shape my growing daughter’s life.
archetypes set me on fire. Everything I knew up to
In 1999, my mother died. I was 20, a second year
20
IMAGES:
Stills from Daughters of the Dust, 1991
Julie Dash, in offering this trans-generational narrative, amplifies the magic of memory and matriarchal lineage. In spite of the horrors of the Transatlantic slave trade, the memory and therefore, the magic, of Africa survived. That image of a beautiful little black girl, a blue ribbon and plaits bouncing, was the Peazant family’s future, but she was also my own. Years later, after a stint of teaching English to ninth graders, I again returned to the 1991 cinematic treasure that is Daughters of the Dust. This time, I was a first year graduate student at the Savannah College of Art and Design, pursuing an MFA in Film and Television. My own visions of my mother’s life had led me to learn the language of cinema as a means of healing my family’s deep wounds. I came back to Daughters with the desire to understand why the film struck me so deeply and continued to unfold in me. The colors, the textures, the sea, the faces.
21
daughters
Dash’s choices in the film astounded me. I knew it
A good piece of literature grows in us as we grow. As
was a tremendous contribution to the tradition of
our wisdom and experience expand and alter our steps
storytelling, but now, I came to know it as a living,
in this life, stories that were planted in us while we
breathing string of conscientious choices that elicited
watched them unaware of their profundity, will indeed
my feelings about the film. Nana, in her deep purple,
blossom. For me, Daughters of the Dust has blossomed
even deeper Gullah accent and with ever-mending/
many times. At first, it was simply a delight to see
making hands. The ideals of so-called progress and the
families like my own on screen. A strong matriarch
stronghold of Christianity held tightly in the person
who knew the old ways and loved her family with
of Viola. The light of Ibo’s Landing and the strength of
fervor was a kindred to my own grandmother with her
the Gullah people, gleaming through the eyes of the
stories and remedies. As I dove into an understanding
film’s narrator, an unborn child. I fell in love with the
of story structure, point of view and voice, Daughters
cinematography of Arthur Jafa, who lit black faces
offered alternatives to the Western story structure and
with care and celebration of the depth of skin tone and
authenticated the dialect of our people post-slavery in
an appreciation for the spectrum that is blackness.
America. As I studied the spirituality and rich mores
I became a student of the art of Kerry Marshall, the
of West Africa and the retention of those values in
film’s production designer. This nonlinear tale, chock
America in spite of slavery, the film once again offered
full of symbols and subtlety, is a master class unto
a transcendent view of the power of the African spirit.
itself, but also broke boundaries in the studio system, placing it in towns across the nation in front of young
Now, with camera in hand, I find myself again, as a
black girls like myself.
daughter on the continuum of matriarchal storytellers, the keepers of our ancestral memory, with a duty to tell our stories and commemorate our survival.
nickel o d e o n . o r g
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Daughters
Eight filmmaker November 11 - 1 sion with audien makers are:
NEW ORLEANS, LA
NEW YORK, NY
About
T H E F E S T I VA L These nine women are defining the cutting edge of independent filmmaking. In the same way that Dash’s Daughters of the Dust continues to influence culture decades into the future, these filmmakers are building on that legacy and pushing it forward in incredible and diverse ways.
Join us
COLUMBIA, SC
ATLANTA, GA
NOVEMBER 11-13 Festival schedule, passes, and tickets available at: nickelodeon.org/festivals/daughters Additional support by: Fortitude Foundation and the Richland County Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. South Carolina Humanities
23
daughters
OAKLAND, CA
NEWARK, NJ
Festival
rs will travel to Columbia the weekend of 13 to screen their work and hold discusnces about their films. The visiting film-
NEW YORK, NY
Friday
Saturday
2:30 PM S H O RTS B LO C K I
2:30 PM IN THE MORNING
Followed by a talkback with filmmakers Nijla Mumin, Tchaiko Omawale, Iyabo Kwayana and Roni
Preceeded by a short film and concluded with a talkback with
Nicole Henderson
120 min
filmmaker Nefertite Nguvu
130 min
5:30 PM COVER ME Preceeded by a short film and concluded with a talkback with filmmaker Garrett Bradley
100 min
CHICAGO, IL
3:00 PM S H O RTS B LO C K I I Followed by a talk back with filmmakers House of June, Janicza Bravo and Ja'Tovia Gary
120 min
8:00 PM S H O RTS B LO C K I I
5:15 PM S H O RTS B LO C K I
Followed by a talkback with filmmakers House of June, Janicza Bravo and Ja'Tovia Gary
Followed by a talkback with filmmakers Nijla Mumin, Tchaiko Omawale, Iyabo Kwayana and Roni
120 min
Nicole Henderson
130 min
Sunday
3:00pm DAUGHTERS OF THE DUST Followed by a talkback
8:00 PM DAUGHTERS OF THE DUST Followed by a talkback with all visiting filmmakers and moderated by festival co-curator Roni Nicole Henderson
180 min
moderated by poet Nikky Finney
LOS ANGELES, CA
180 min
nickel o d e o n . o r g
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BY A M A DA T O R R U E L L A , S E R I E S C U R AT O R
As a place for cultural enrichment, we understand how essential it is to expose our audiences to different realities and perspectives. The Foreign Focus fall line-up will push our audiences to go beyond their comfort zones as the series explores stories of resilience, surrealistic images, many of life’s sorrows, and more. We will start off with Dheepan, a story filled with layers and complexities, which proves how resourceful immigrants are expected to be in today’s globalized landscape. Director Jacques Audiard’s storytelling is measured and composed as he frames the experience of three Sri Lankans who’ve escaped their home in search of stability, safety and happiness in Paris, France. We learn to care for these characters as they struggle to hold on to their own traditions and beliefs. Dheepan shows us that the clash of religion, race and identity exists deep within any country, no matter how socially advanced. October brings two exciting features: Neon Bull and Maestro. Neon Bull introduces us to the bizarre world of Brazilian rodeo. Iremar stands out in a world infused with toxic masculinity as he dreams of creating his own fashion line. The fluorescent lights take on a life of their own, transforming the most mundane spaces into dreamlike scenes. Director Gabriel Mascaro sheds light on androgynous characters that completely defy the viewer’s gender expectations. 25
foreign focus
The film serves as a raw and powerful reminder that sexual desires are what make us human. On Wednesday, October 12 we are partnering with the Consulate-General of Japan in Atlanta to host a screening of Maestro! Classical music takes the stage with the story of a prestigious orchestra led by Kosaka, a brilliant concert master. As the ensemble deals with economic recession, director Shotaro Kobayashi presents the many frustrations faced by the orchestra members as they work hard to surmount the pressure and transcend the impossible. Morihiko Nakahara, conductor for the South Carolina Philharmonic will provide a special introduction. This show is free and open to the public thanks to support from the Japanese Consulate. Finally, we will celebrate the Columbia Jewish Film Festival with a screening of Félix & Meira. The film depicts the tender, unusual romance of Meira, a Hasidic Jew, and Félix, an areligious loner. The couple finds solace in one another even though they come from conflicting backgrounds. As they learn to see the world through each other’s eyes, it’s impossible for viewers not to be mesmerized by their love story.
09.14
AT 6 : 3 0 P M
D H E E PA N JACQUES AUDIARD 2015. FRANCE. 115 MIN. R. I N TA M I L A N D F R E N C H W I T H ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
10.05
AT 6 : 3 0 P M
NEON BULL GABRIEL MASCARO 2 0 1 5 . B R A Z I L / U R U G U A Y. 1 0 1 MIN. NR. IN PORTUGUESE WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
10.12
AT 6 : 3 0 P M
M A E S T RO !
Sponsored by the Consulate-General of Japan in Atlanta S H O TA R O KO B AYA S H I 2 0 1 5 . J A PA N . 1 2 9 M I N . N R . I N J A PA N E S E W I T H E N G L I S H SUBTITLES.
11.09
AT 6 : 3 0 P M
FÉLIX & MEIRA A part of the Columbia Jewish Film Festival
MAXIME GIROUX 2014. CANADA. 105 MIN. R. IN FRENCH AND YIDDISH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
F O R E I G N F O C U S I S S P O N S O R E D B Y: DR. GAIL MORRISON AARON AND ANDREA WEST PA U L A N D J E A N D E N M A N DAV I D W H I T E M A N A N D L E E JA N E K AU F M A N
R I G H T: N E O N B U L L , 2 0 1 5
L E F T: S T I L L F R O M NEON BULL, 2015
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bringing us our characters
to accept its own limited
and plots and climaxes and
lifespan. I don’t chisel in
closing credits—and then
marble or erect buildings
they are just as quickly
thinking they--and by
taken away. Afterward,
extension I--will live forever.
the audience is together
I make movies and games
in a dark theater, having
because they end.
collectively lost something
An Evening with Evan Meaney
GLITCHES & GHOSTS Cinema is a dying art-form. Not "dying" in a casket and eulogy sense, but "dying" because film and video offer us something important and then hide it from sight. As others have said, movies are a medium of giving and taking. Light arrives on the screen,
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glitches & ghosts
they once had. Cinema is
The Nickelodeon, in their
an art-form that dies every
profound kindness, will
time we look at it, right
screen a selection of these
before our eyes.
film and video works—all connected by a thread of
I make work, mostly movies
self-aware-media-mortality.
and video games, that tries
Glitches and ghosts are the
" WHEN ASKED TO DESCRIBE MYSELF, I SAY I AM A VIDEO GAME ENTHUSIAST, RAISED BY EXPERIMENTAL FILMMAKERS, WHO TRIED TO BE A SCIENTIST AND MISSED, ENDING UP AS AN ART PROFESSOR. "
main characters, archival decay is the setting, and broken software is our narrator. When asked to describe myself, I say I am a video game enthusiast, raised by experimental filmmakers, who tried to be a scientist and missed, ending up as an art professor. My artworks have been shown at film festivals, art museums, schools, and science centers all over the world:
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 25 AT 6:30PM The evening will consist of screening several of Meaney’s films with conversations in between with Nickelodeon Executive Director, Andy Smith, and a Q&A at the end with the audience. There will also be video installations and portraits in the lobby on several screens.
Cairo to Amsterdam to Sydney to Chicago and back here at home in Columbia. It is probably a hard sell these days, asking nice people to sit in a dark room with strangers while temporary art-light shows on the wall. It is certainly troubling to know that we, like the projection, will eventually fade. At least, in the theater, we do not have to fade alone. Evan Meaney, Associate Professor of Media Arts at the University of South Carolina IMAGES: Stills from Evan Meaney's short film, Big_SleepTM, 2015
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First Friday Lowbrow Cinema
Explosion BY CHRIS BICKEL, SERIES CURATOR AND HOST
October brings us Dangerous Men. I'm nearly at a loss for words to describe what Dangerous Men is. It certainly exists in the same sphere of completely un-self-aware outsider cinema as Wiseau's The Room. In a way, it's the perfect embodiment of the Lowbrow Explosion aesthetic: a film that may have failings on several technical levels, but is ultimately wonderfully unique and completely entertaining. Producer/writer/director/composer/set-designer Jahangir Salehi Yeganehrad--a.k.a. John S. Rad--emigrated to America from Iran in 1979 to escape the regime change and to pursue his dream of becoming a filmmaker. Over two decades he created Dangerous Men, an incomprehensibly epic revenge-action film. Actors visibly age and fashions dramatically change during the course of the film. The music sounds like the "demo" setting on a Casio keyboard and it repeats incessantly. Action scenes are comical. The plot is unclear and changes abruptly in the middle of the film. New characters are introduced just a few minutes before the film's end and the climax centers around those newly added characters. The whole thing's a mess, but absolutely one of the most entertaining messes you will ever see. The film was released in 2005, when Rad paid out-of-pocket for a week-long run in five Los Angeles theaters. This limited release reportedly earned $70. One writer saw the film during those screenings, fell in love with it, and became its champion,eventually getting the film a few midnight showings in L.A. and building a small cult following. John S. Rad died shortly thereafter and the film became "lost" due to the fact that Rad had convinced his family that Dangerous Men was a masterpiece and should not be sold unless 29
first friday lowbrow
millions of dollars were on
December continues
the table. After ten years,
the Lowbrow Explosion
the savvy distributors from
tradition of bringing you
Drafthouse films were
Christmas-themed films. In
finally able to convince
the past we've brought you
the family of John S. Rad
Black Christmas, Silent Night,
that the film was not worth
Deadly Night, and Christmas
"millions," but there was
Evil. In 2016 we're bringing
definitely an audience for it.
you Silent Night, Deadly
When I first got an advance
Night 2, which launched
screener of Dangerous Men, I
the famous Internet meme
watched it and then imme-
"Garbage Day!". Don't worry
diately watched it again
if you haven't seen the
it a second time because I
first one... there's enough
couldn't believe what I had
flashbacks to let you know
seen. It's that special. I've
what's going on (indeed half
been chomping at the bit to
the film is flashbacks to
bring this one to Lowbrow.
the first installment in the
DO NOT MISS THIS ONE.
series). The sequel picks up with Ricky Caldwell, the
November brings
18-year-old brother of the
Thanksgiving, so Lowbrow
first film's killer, escaping
brings one of the few
a mental hospital and
Thanksgiving-themed
going on a comically bad
horror films in existence:
killing-spree. Silent Night,
1987's slasher masterpiece,
Deadly Night 2 definitely
Blood Rage. Todd and Terry
falls into the "so bad it's
are twins, but one of them
good" category. You'll want
is a psychopathic murderer.
to have plenty of heavi-
The line "It’s not cranberry
ly-brandied eggnog before
sauce," is used a couple
tackling this one.
of times to remind us that the string of gruesome murders is taking place at Thanksgiving. Louise Lasser
Dangerous Men
gives a completely nutzoid
Jahangir Salehi 2005. USA. 91 min. NR.
over-the-top scenery-chew-
Fri Oct 07, 11:00 PM
ing performance as the twins' mom and the extreme gore effects are exceptional
Blood Rage
for the time period. As a
John Grissmer 1987. USA. 82 min. NR.
film, it's not necessarily
Fri Nov 04, 11:00 PM
a masterpiece, but it's an often-overlooked entry in the slasher genre and certainly bonkers enough to be required viewing for fans of splatter.
silent night, deadly night 2 Lee Harry 1987. USA. 88 min. R.
Fri Dec 02, 11:00 PM nickel o d e o n . o r g
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