5th Annual 2014 ITSA Film Festival

5TH ANNUAL

SHORT FILMS • WORKSHOPS • SPECIAL GUESTS • INDUSTRY SPEAKERS

SONORA

CALIFORNIA

SONORA HISTORIC OPERA HALL

FRI 5-10 PM SAT 11-11 SUN 11-4

NOV 7-9

2014

Guest Speakers Jeffrey Weissman—Weissman began making films in ’74 and hasn’t stopped. In Jeffrey’s on camera career, he co-stars with top names in the biz; in classic films (Back to the Future 2 & 3, Pale Rider, Twilight Zone the Movie) and in indies (Corked, Slapdash, American Disciples). He’s a catalyst behind the scenes; writers use his talents for developing stories, characters and resonance of truth for their scripts, directors use him for castings, table readings and trouble shooting on set, producers work with Jeffrey to fill the perfect crew, and find other pieces of the movie making puzzle. He also teaches at Universities, High Schools, vocational institutions, film expos, festivals and privately using his wisdom from four decades of film experience.

James Gallagher—An American Film Director, James worked

on Adam Sandler films under cinematographers, Brandon Trost and Dean Cundey. He also worked as a director’s assistant for Stuart Blumberg on Thanks for Sharing and most recently, Richard LaGravenese on The Last 5 Years. As a cinematographer, Gallagher shot Kristen Stewart’s directorial debut, music video, Take Me to the South and Amanda Demme’s music video for Rain Phoenix and Balthazar Getty’s song Monster. He has directed several plays, short films, and two acclaimed web series, New Partner with Josh Margolin, Quinn Beswick, Nick Searcy, Wayne Knight, Sasha Spielberg and Josh Fadem, and the web series Chloe and Zoe, which recently sold as a pilot to MTV. Gallagher co-wrote, with Jack Henry Robbins, the feature film, Ultimate, Ultimate which was adapted for television and picked up by Comedy Central.

Erin Granat—Erin has received the Gorrell Award for Emerging

Writers and the Honors Research Award used to fund travel through Australia gathering material for a narrative on anti-Americanism, later published on Brave New Traveler. She is well-known for her webisodes; especially the critically acclaimed “Girl Behind the Glass” where Erin spent time in a glass box at the Standard Hotel in Los Angeles. It was a performance art installation in the hotel lobby featuring Erin in a glass box, going about whatever she feels like doing for all the world to see.

Her portfolio includes a novel, feature screenplays, an independently produced pilot, short films, and her blog www.eringranat.com.

Machete Bang Bang—At eighteen, Machete headed to New York City to study musical theater at AMDA and the New School University where she received a BFA in said major. After college she studied with John Strasberg, son of Lee Strasberg, who taught her to ‘revel in the messiness.’ A note she importantly constructs into her work to this day. The list goes like this: landed lead roles in off-Broadway shows (Closer, Saturn Returns), danced in regional theater productions (CATS!, Camelot) and got the itch in film after she landed the lead role in music videos and a handful of short films. Owner of Bang Bang Productions she has created original pieces, but has also collaborated with some of the most talented people you may or may not have heard of.

From short films, music videos, fashion look books, dance videos, pilots, Machete has found a stride in the film making process that doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon.

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Guest Speakers Alexis Nichols – Alexis received her MFA in Acting for Film from the New York Film Academy. She has built a name for herself as not only an actress (stage and screen), but as a voiceover talent and model. She has recorded over 100 numerous voiceover spots, including national and regional commercials for Dick’s Sporting Goods, Disney’s Aulani Resort, QVC, Mercedes Benz Fashion Week, and Sesame Street’s Sesame Place Theme Park. A nationally and internationally published model, she has appeared in Vogue Italia, Maxim.com, and many other publications.

Alexis plans to continue taking on projects in all three veins: acting, modeling, and voiceovers. She looks forward to continuing her journey as an artist and building upon the success she has already enjoyed.

Chris Brown – Director

Chris has directed several award-winning features, documentaries and shorts. He has won numerous awards including an EMMY®. His feature, FANNY, ANNIE & DANNY, won 16 awards internationally.

He edited and associate produced A RIVER CHANGES COURSE, for OSCAR®-winner Kalyanee Mam. It won GRAND JURY AWARD at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival, BEST DOCUMENTARY at the 2013 San Francisco Int’l Film Festival, and 8 other awards since its premiere in January 2013.

2014 Judges Ari Costa – Director/Producer

Ari is a talented writer/director who started his career working for the Emmy Award winning Russo Brothers (“Arrested Development,” “Community,” “Captain America: The Winter Soldier”). He wrote and directed the very funny short film “Leader of The Pack,” starring Steven Weber, Danny Pudi, and Rachel Harris. After doing the festival circuit, “Leader of the Pack” was optioned by UCP and is in development at the studio.

He also sold, scripted and directed the web series “Motherlover” to Justin Lin’s Youtube channel YOMYOMF, starring Jonathan Lipnicki, and garnering over 100,000 views for the first episode.

John Brickley – Director/Filmmaker

John is a filmmaker who has worked with filmmakers such as Academy Award Winner and Plame D’Or recipient Francis Ford Coppola, American Zoetrope, as well as on the 2013 Sundance Film Festivals official selection “99%- The Occupy Wall Street Collaborative Film” nominated for U.S. Grand Jury Prize: Documentary at the 2013 festival. John has worked on various other projects from independent shorts and features, to television shows with networks such as A&E Networks/Lifetime.

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FRIDAY

FILM SCHEDULE

5 pm — 6:30 pm (90 mins) Hoop Nightmares (animation) Never-Ending Love (drama)• Existence (student) If You Love Your Children (drama) Time Signature (student)• Nostalgic (sci-fi) 6:45 pm — 8 pm (75 mins) Crossroads (drama) We Are Friends (drama) To Judge a Thief (student) Cycles (drama)• All In My Mind (music video) Arrival of the Starling (drama)• A Girl with a View (student) Black Hole Apocalypse (animation)

Butterfly Dreams (drama)

8:20 pm — 10 pm (100 mins) *Alegria - A Humanitarian Expedition (documentary) Ark of the Aliens (student)• The Violinist (music video) Tribute (drama) Finding Myself (student)• Color of War (drama) *Man Who Fed His Shadow (drama)

ITSAFilmFestival ITSAFF WEB ITSAFilmFestival.com NOTE: Feel free to bring in food & drinks from outside our venue.

WiFi: Available throughout Sonora.

Thanks to Our Sponsors

bluest

Ho made with REAL

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SATURDAY

11 am — 11:55 (55 mins) The Columbia Steps (student) Smart Cookie (student)• The Long Night (student)• Piece of Mind (drama)• Cardboard (student)• Room 19 (documentary)• GUEST SPEAKER WORKSHOP 12:10 pm — 12:50 pm

ALEXIS NICHOLS

Voiceovers; Actress (stage & screen); model

Mother Lode

Artist & Author

www.kimberlyannfrancis.com 6

1 pm — 2 pm (60 mins) *On My Way (music video) *Two Ghosts (animation) *Kresnik: Lore of Fire (sci-fi) Machete Bang Bang (music video)•

*Nobody’s Laughing (comedy)• * Award nominee in category •Filmmaker is in attendance

SATURDAY

GUEST SPEAKER WORKSHOP 2:20 pm — 3 pm

*Becoming Lucy (drama)• Skate (documentary) Wildman Athletica (documentary)• *Precaution (drama)• 6 pm — 7:30 pm DINNER INTERMISSION

Jeffrey Weissman

Celebrity Actor (Back to the Future; Pale Rider)

Enjoy a beautiful evening during 2nd Saturday Art Night in Historic Downtown Sonora! • Dining • Art • Shopping • Live Music and More!

3 pm — 4:10 pm (70 mins) *Am I Awake (music video) *A Day With Death (drama)• Wind (comedy) Erin Granat (webisode)• *#1205 (student) *The Oven (comedy)• 4:30 pm — 5:35 pm (65 mins) *Our Robocop Remake — Scene 9 (sci-fi)

* Award nominee in category •Filmmaker is in attendance

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SATURDAY NIGHT — Guest Speaker Panel 7:30 pm — 8:15 pm

A special opportunity to ask questions from our guest speakers. Great for filmmakers and fans. Approximately 45 minutes.

Jeffrey Weissman

Machete Bang Bang

Erin Granat

James Gallagher

(actor, and filmmaker)

(writer, director, and filmmaker)

8:15 pm — 9:40 pm (85 mins) MATURE AUDIENCES ONLY

A Noble Quest (sci-fi) Desires (drama)• Devil Skin (music video) *#RIP (comedy) *Franky and the Ant (drama) Mick’d (drama)• *Carry On (drama) * Award nominee in category •Filmmaker is in attendance

TEAM ITSA

David & Christina Wilkinson - Founders Kimberly Francis

- Public Relations Coordinator Stephanie Prier - Film Festival Liaison Matthew Prier - REEL Scary Program Director Bethany Wilkinson - Student Liaison Dave & Dianne Photography

- Event Photographers 8

(director, actress, and filmmaker)

(director and cinematographer

SATURDAY NIGHT REEL SCARY

10 pm — 10:45 pm (45 mins) MATURE AUDIENCES ONLY

Gifts Trespassers Beware American Hell Rabbit People Matchbox Mass• Directors On Directing Steven Pettit Jr. - Community Outreach Sabre Design - Marketing/Graphic Design Volunteers: Jill Richards Marley Silverbrand Steffanie Kaiser Jackie Materne Ronnie Hawkins Glen White Jenia Wilhite

SUNDAY

11 am — 12:05 (65 mins) Share Day (documentary) X (animation) The Gypsy Girl (student) *Garden’s Road (music video) The Root of Evil (student) I’ve Just Had a Dream (drama) 12:10 pm — 1:20 pm (70 mins) High Steaks (student) Spirit of Negation (western) Game Crazy (sci-fi) Zugzwang (comedy) Story of M (drama) *The Dreamer (animation) 1:30 pm — 2:40 pm (70 mins) Leave Me Now (drama) The Washing Machine (sci-fi) *Citizen (sci-fi) Chocolate Vampires (student) *The Residential Home (comedy) Flashbulb (drama) *Plastic Glory (animation) * Award nominee in category •Filmmaker is in attendance

197A Mono Way • Sonora CA 209-536-5800 www.motherlodeinternet.com

GUEST SPEAKER 3 pm — 3:30 pm

Chris Brown - Director “The Other Kids” Documentary (Feature Film — OFFICIAL TRAILER SCREENING)

AWARDS

3:30 pm — 4 pm

Steven Pettit Jr. 209.614.4401 lockedbox1013@yahoo.com

LABOR DAY WEEKEND www.filmfesttwainharte.com 9

Kimberly Teter-Cope, Owner & Designer 209-352-5083 www.CopeDesigns.net Sonora, CA 95370

COLUMBIA CANDY KITCHEN

Kimberly Teter-Cope, Owner & Designer

Tuolumne County Visitors Bureau & Film Commission www.filmtuolumne.com 209-533-4420

• Custom Logos • Illustrations/Art • Posters • Collateral • Advertising • Publications • Much more!

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in Columbia State Historic209-352-5083 Park CopeDesigns@outlook.com

www.CopeDesigns.net Main Street • PO Box 191 Sonora, CA 95370 Columbia, California 95310 (209) 532-7886

INNOVATION EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY

209.965.7924 101 Hospital Rd. Sonora CA 95370 www.myinnovationlab.org

Great Hotels in Sonora SONORA

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