SIFF 2020 23 Annual Sonoma International Film Festival by SMIDigital Operations

! T N E V E L A U T R I AV

JULY 30 - AUG 2

2.0

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Welcome to SIFF 2.0!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Short Takes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

How to Best Fest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Jurors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

SIFF Sponsors & Donors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

The SIFF 2.0 Cast. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Film Awards. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Showcase Films. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Destination Viewing Films. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 All Access Films. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Documentary Films. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Feature Films . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Short Film Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 LUNAFEST® Short Films. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Kevin W. McNeely and Ginny Krieger

After months of planning during these unprecedented times, we’re proud to present the 23rd Annual Sonoma International Film Festival as a first-ever, fully virtual experience offering the year’s best in independent cinema from around the world as SIFF2.0! Engage with the diverse points of view created by talented filmmakers from more than 20 countries in the 100+ features, documentary, world and short films screening over four days, all from the comfort and safety of your home. We pride ourselves in finding submissions that resonate with our discerning audience, and many of the films in this year’s festival are World, US, North American or Northern California premieres. And we’re proud that our commitment to the 50/50 by 2020 gender parity pledge is showcased during our virtual festival with films focused on women protagonists, and/or directed and produced by women. Take your virtual film festival exploration to another level with our enhanced viewing platform, which offers more than 30 feature and documentary films, and more than 60 short films set for our All Access screenings—the films you want, when you want, whenever you want—during our four day online festival. Please be aware some films have short films that follow the end credits of the feature presentation. I encourage you to watch these unique shorts. For a more festival-like experience, our nightly showcases highlight films for destination screenings. Starting at 6 PM each night, you’ll have your choice of our top four selections from SIFF 2.0. Other destination screenings are highlighted in the following pages, so be sure to pre-order your films in advance to assure how to best fest SIFF 2.0.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

JULY 30-AUGUST 2, 2020

sonomafilmfestival |

TABLE OF CONTENTS

WELCOME TO SIFF 2.0!

The Sonoma International Film Festival, is a 501(c)(3) corporation dedicated to promoting independent film and filmmakers from around the world, inspiring film lovers, and introducing the power of film to student filmmakers. SIFF’s signature initiative—the Media Arts Program started at Sonoma Valley High School in 2002—introduces students to the process of storytelling and provides the resources for them to create films, many of which are shown annually at The Student Showcase.

All of these choices give you more opportunities to view many more films than during a live festival and combine to make SIFF 2.0 a truly unique and robust experience. Please know we did every thing humanly possible to put on a live festival at the same time as the virtual festival. However, with the virus spiking and wanting to assure the health and safety of all of you, we canceled the drive-ins and lawn screenings. Hopefully, in the Fall/Winter we will all be able to be together once again enjoying film, food and wine!

100+

Whether live or online, the Sonoma International Film Festival would not be possible without your generous support as our valued donors, passholders, festivalgoers, sponsors, board members, staff, filmmakers, and our more than 200 volunteers. You exemplify the spirit that thrives in Sonoma Valley and keeps #sonomastrong.

20+

On behalf of my Co-Director, the impeccable Ginny Krieger, without whom SIFF would be nothing, please enjoy #SIFF2020 and SONOMAWOOD to its fullest! Warmly,

2.0 Kevin W. McNeely Executive Director

@sonomafilmfest | sonomafilmfest.org | #SIFF2020

23rd Annual Sonoma International Film Festival

HOW TO BEST FEST SIFF 2.0 Virtual Film Festival is available to all current SIFF passholders with access online July 30-August 2, 2020. The SIFF 2.0 Virtual pass is also available to purchase for $75 at SIFF 2.0 Virtual Film Festival Pass. Many films featured in SIFF 2.0 are also available for single screening views starting as low at $10 per film.

President

Stephen Childs Creative Director

Mary Garnish Bauman Production Director

Mark Flaviani ADVERTISING/MARKETING Chief Revenue Officer

Karleen Arnink-Pate Chief Digital Revenue Officer

Jennifer Powers realtor®, crs

José C. del Castillo Sponsorship & Events Director

SHOWCASE FILMS AND DESTINATION VIEWING FILMS

Ginger Hopkins Specialty Content Manager

Ken Jaggie

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Advertising Sales Managers And Directors

Joanne Herrfeldt Robert Lee Dennis Sheely Audience Development Director

Jaime Foster Marketing Consultants Sotheby’s International Realty and the Sotheby’s International Realty logo are registered (or unregistered) service marks used with permission. Operated by Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc. Real estate agents affiliated with Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc. are independent contractor sales associates and are not employees of Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc. SIR DRE: 899496

Micaelyn Compton Kevin Connell Megan Godsil Melissa Hosking Julia Joslyn Robert Manley

Sandy Morales Allie Murillo Steve Schneiderman Max Shelly Eric Singer Kerry Thedorf

Account Managers

Olivia Basso Birgitte Kvendset Melissa Madrid Kymell Mitchell

Laura Nunes LeeAnn Paul Candice Velasquez

Sonoma Media Investments, LLC Managing Member

Board of Advisors

Darius Anderson

Darius Anderson, Chairman Bill Jasper Gary Nelson Norma Person Jean Schulz Les Vadasz Sandy Weill

Chief Executive Officer

Steve Falk Chief Operating Officer

Bill Hooper

The DeMartini Family

Chief Financial Officer

Stephen Daniels

To get you prepared to enjoy the best of SIFF 2.0—more than 100 films from 20 countries over four film-packed days—we wanted to share these highlights and tips so you can get the most out of our first virtual film festival.

For a more festival-like experience, SIFF 2.0 has scheduled times for specific films each night, including many World, US, North American and Northern California premieres. As part of our commitment to the 50/50 by 2020 pledge, many of these films are created by or about women. Check out our Showcase and Destination Viewing films starting on page 12.

ALL ACCESS FILMS For your convenience, and from the comfort of your home, you can view most of the SIFF 2.0 festival catalog ANYTIME between Thursday, July 30 at 12 AM through Sunday, August 2 at 11:45 PM. Feature, Documentary, Shorts and Student programming delivers a robust variety of stories and perspectives for your enjoyment, all on demand during our four-day online festival. See page 20 for All Access film descriptions. Please note some online screenings have limited availability so we encourage you to peruse our catalog of films and reserve your space early. Your passholder account provides access when you visit https://sonoma2020. eventive.org/welcome and log on using your passholder email address. If you are a new passholder, you will be asked to create an account when selecting your first film.

Chief Operations Officer

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SIFF 2.0 INFO

Executive Assistant

Stacy Tucker

Purchase Passes and Tickets: Online @ sonomafilmfest.org Main/mailing Address

427 Mendocino Avenue, Santa Rosa, CA 95401 Sonoma Address

117 W. Napa Street, Sonoma, CA 95476 Main phone

707-546-2020 Please recycle this magazine.

 SIFF 2.0 Virtual Film Festival is available to all current SIFF passholders with access online July 30-August 2, 2020.  Please note some online screenings may have limited access by a set destination viewing time, number of views allowed, or geographic region restriction, so please reserve your screenings ahead of time.  You may opt to receive email reminders on your selections and use our convenient calendar function as well, so be sure to check those options when preordering your films.  Your pass provides one view per film screening with timed access to view (usually 24 hours).

SOME HELPFUL TIPS  Log onto your SIFF passholder email account to gain access to the SIFF 2.0 Virtual Film Festival catalog.  If you are a new passholder, you will be asked to create an account when you select your first film.  Watch SIFF 2.0 from the comfort and safety of your home either on your computer or your smart TV. If you need help accessing either, check out our online help center at https://watch.eventive.org/help.  Should you want additional, local help in getting your smart TV ready for SIFF 2.0, call Derich Marsh with Digital Living at 877-415-4158 or visit https:// digitalliving.com/.

 Live chat is available to help you during SIFF 2.0 by clicking here and clicking the Launch Live Chat Support button found at the bottom of each Help Question.

Karleen Arnink-Pate

Family owned and operated since 1989

FESTIVAL NOTES

 Be sure your computer system supports SIFF 2.0 screenings here.

Chief Revenue Officer

Troy Niday

2.0 JULY 30 - AUG 2, 2020

HOW TO BEST FEST

In gratitude to Peter Hansen, head of the Sonoma Valley High School media arts program, for his dedication to our students… Thank You!

Festival Program Guide: Available online @ sonomafilmfest.org Follow Us:

@sonomafilmfestival

@sonomafilmfest

LIVE CHAT SUPPORT is available daily during the festival from 8 AM-9 PM PDT.

Terms & Conditions: By acceptance and use of a festival pass or ticket, the holder agrees to the use of their image, voice or likeness (and that of any accompanying minor) incidental to any audio or video display, transmission, photography or recording of any festival events. Please see sonomafilmfest.org/termsandconditions for more information.

23rd Annual Sonoma International Film Festival

FILM SPONSORS

Thank you for your continued generosity to our organization, with our gratitude. Stephanie Pugash Anderson Amar Archbold Robert & Siri Berg Selma Blanusa Suzanne Brangham Frank & Adele Braun Peter & Incy Brooks Steven Brown & Leah Anderson Diana Bugg Geraldine C/Emory M Ford Foundation Leslie Carlson

Keith Casale Jon & Christine Curry Tim Darrin Gail & John Diserens Lynn & Ford Goodman Bobby Hartzell Nora & Michael Hurley Kimberly Hughes & Steve Moazed Ted Judson Carla Kappel Carrie & Bobby Kelley Vicki & John Kryzanowski

Steve & Holly Kyle Steve Ledson Jim & Marcia Levy Lenny Lieberman Joan & Rich Little Fred & June MacMurray Foundation Susan MacMillan Manitou Foundation Goutie McNeely H.G. McNeely Jr. Kevin & Rosemary McNeely Purdom Family Fund

Tom & Michelle Rouse Diane Sanson Anber Saleem Julie Schindler Elaine & Graham Smith Andrea & Claude Stern Dana Simpson-Stokes & Ken Stokes Bruce & Julie Tenebaum Robin Tost Cathy & Chuck Williamson Jim Witous Cynthia & Ken Wornick

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23rd Annual Sonoma International Film Festival

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FILM AWARDS

SIFF 2.0 FILM AWARDS PRESENTED BY PETS LIFELINE

YOUR VOTE COUNTS! Please take a moment to vote after your online screenings for all award-eligible films as noted on our platform. The top audience votes for Best Documentary Film and Best Feature Film will be available to screen for a limited time on the last day of our festival, along with our top choices as selected by our Jury. SIFF 2.0 Audience Award: Best Documentary Film at 1 PM PDT

The best documentary film TBD as voted by the SIFF virtual audience.

SIFF 2.0 Audience Award: Best Feature Film at 3 PM PDT The best feature film TBD as voted by the SIFF virtual audience.

SIFF 2.0 Jury Award: Best Documentary Film at 5 PM PDT The best documentary film TBD as voted by the SIFF Jurors.

SIFF 2.0 Jury Award: Best Feature Film at 7 PM PDT The best feature film TBD as voted by the SIFF Jurors.

VOTE

FILM AWARDS Cast Your Vote After Each Screening Winners Announced on Sunday, August 2

sonomafilmfestival |

@sonomafilmfest | sonomafilmfest.org | #SIFF2020

SIFF 2.0 SHOWCASE FILMS

Each night, the best in new independent films are highlighted for screening at specific times. This includes the SIFF 2.0 Film Awards, screening Sunday, which highlight the Best Documentary and Best Feature films as selected by our Jury, as well as Audience Choice voting.

THURSDAY, JULY 30: OPENING NIGHT SHOWCASE

AT 8:30 PM PDT

THE CONDUCTOR

PRESENTED BY LANDMARK VINEYARDS AT 6 PM PDT

ELEPHANT REFUGEES

World Premiere Documentary 82 minutes | US/Botswana/South Africa Director: Louise Hogarth Presented By Susan Atherton

A crisis of elephantine proportions is playing out in Botswana. A determined family of caring people is caught in the middle of the drama. Life changed forever for the family, and the elephants, when climate change intensified the frequent droughts. Followed by THE GUARDIAN ELEPHANT WARRIORS OF RETETI: Reteti Elephant Sanctuary is the first-ever community owned and run elephant sanctuary in Africa. This powerful story--as much about humans as about elephants--looks at the changing relationship between people and the animals they are protecting. AT 6:30 PM PDT

LOVE SARAH

Northern California Premiere Feature 98 minutes | UK Director: Rajita Shah Presented By Oscar | Kopelman Team

Determined to fulfill her mother’s dream, Charissa enlists the help of her mother’s best friend and her eccentric grandmother on a journey to open a bakery to honor the memory of their beloved Sarah. AT 8 PM PDT

I AM WOMAN

Northern California Premiere Feature 116 minutes | Australia Director: Unjoo Moon Presented By Bar None’s Canyon Old Vine Zinfandel

The inspiring story of singer Helen Reddy, who wrote and sang “I Am Woman,” the song that became the anthem for the women’s rights movement in the 1970s. AT 8:30 PM PDT

AT 8 PM PDT

sonomafilmfestival |

Feature 139 minutes | Netherlands Director: Maria Peters English Subtitles Presented By Stone Barn Farm

In 1926, Antonia Brico dreams of becoming a conductor, but the circuitous route to become the first woman to conduct a symphony orchestra takes its toll as both personal and professional pressures threaten to overwhelm her.

FRIDAY, JULY 31: FRIDAY NIGHT SHOWCASE PRESENTED BY DOLBY AT 6 PM PDT

SUZI Q

US Premiere Documentary 98 minutes | US Director: Liam Firmager Presented By Music Nomad

The definitive, unexpurgated story of American rock singer-songwriter-bass player-author-actor Suzi Quatro, who helped redefine the role of women in rock ‘n’ roll when she broke into the mainstream 1973. The film includes testimony from a host of rock luminaries including: Alice Cooper, Joan Jett, Deborah Harry, Cherie Currie, KT Tunstall, Tina Weymouth and Suzi’s musical family. Followed by MAESTRO: Deep in a forest, a gathering of wild animals start a nocturnal opera, conducted by a squirrel. AT 6:30 PM PDT

DAYS OF RAGE, THE ROLLING STONES’ ROAD TO ALTAMONT: Documentary 104 minutes | UK Director: Tom O’Dell Presented By Sonoma Magazine

As the dream of peace and love was shattered in the late 1960s, the Rolling Stones became the voice of this turbulent new era and their concert at Altamont would bring the decade to a shocking end.

@sonomafilmfest | sonomafilmfest.org | #SIFF2020

AT 8 PM PDT

THE CUBAN:

THE ARTIST’S WIFE

West Coast Premiere Feature 109 minutes | Canada Director: Sergio Navarretta Presented By CarePartners Initiative

Feature 95 minutes | US Director: Tom Dolby Presented By Anber Saleem

Faced with the devastating onset of dementia in her famous artist husband, Claire—a once promising painter herself—attempts to repair his fractured relationship with his estranged daughter and grandson while chartering her own path for the future.

When Mina, a young Afghan immigrant, gets her first job in a nursing home, an unexpected friendship with Luis, a resident with dementia, reignites her love of music and forever changes her life. AT 8:30 PM PDT

BORN A KING:

AT 8:30 PM PDT

BANKSY & THE RISE OF OUTLAW ART

North American Premiere Feature 103 minutes | UK/Spain Director: Agusti Villaronga Presented By Landers Curry, Inc. & Christine Curry Design

World Premiere Documentary 128 minutes | UK Director: Elio Espana Presented By Spritz

The extraordinary, real life story of Faisal, the 14-year-old Arab prince, dispatched by his father on a high stakes diplomatic mission to London to secure the formation of his country.

The untold story of the world’s most famous living artist covers his roots in a criminal subculture to his rise as the leader of an art revolution. Followed by JAEBORN BY NUMBERS: What is art? How much is it worth? An intriguing look into the world of contemporary art at a Christie’s auction house where three pieces of art by famed contemporary artist Matt Jaeborn sell for $14 million.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 1: SATURDAY NIGHT SHOWCASE PRESENTED BY CROSS COUNTRY MORTGAGE & DEMARTINI ELECTRIC AT 6 PM PDT

I LOVE MY MUM

West Coast Premiere Feature 92 minutes | UK Director: Alberto Sciamma Presented By Meghan Bo Designs

SUNDAY, AUGUST 2: CLOSING NIGHT SHOWCASE PRESENTED BY FILM MARE ISLAND & FILM SHASTA

A European comedy about accidental immigration. Following a car crash, Olga and her son are inadvertently shipped in a container from London to Morocco. Without money, documents, and still in their pajamas, their adventure takes them through Spain and France. AT 6:30 PM PDT

SHE’S IN PORTLAND

Northern California Premiere Feature 100 minutes | US Director: Marc Carlini Presented By Silveira Chevrolet

Two 30-something friends from college admire each other’s lives and feel trapped in their own. As they travel up the California Coast in search of the “one that got away,” the journey examines life choices, acceptance and commitment.

23rd Annual Sonoma International Film Festival

AT 6 PM PDT

ON BROADWAY

West Coast Premiere Documentary 85 minutes | US Director: Oren Jacoby Presented By Breathless Sparkling Wine

An all-star cast tells the inside story of Broadway theater coming back from the brink thanks to innovative work, inclusion and an uneasy balance between art and commerce. AT 6:30 PM PDT

MARTIN EDEN

Feature 129 minutes | Italy Director: Pietro Marcello English Subtitles Presented By DeMartini Electric, Inc.

Adapted from a Jack London novel, and operating in the tradition of the great Italian classics, a dashing young proletariat hopes his dreams of becoming a writer will help him rise above his station to marry a bourgeois university student.

SIFF 2.0 SHOWCASE FILMS

Sunday, August 2 continued AT 8 PM PDT

THE DEVIL HAS A NAME

Northern California Premiere Feature 97 minutes | US Director: Edward James Olmos Presented By Scott Nichols Gallery

A psychotic oil matriarch leaves the whole industry exposed when she attempts to outfight a bullish farmer whose water has been poisoned. AT 8:30 PM PDT

THE BIRDCATCHER’S SON Northern California Premiere Feature 108 minutes | Sweden/Faroe Islands Director: Richard Hobart Presented By The McNeely Family

Esmar’s lease will expire within a year if he has no son. As his wife has given birth only to daughters, a friend suggests that their best chance to have a son is for another man to impregnate Johanna.

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SIFF 2.0 DESTINATION FEATURE FILMS FILMS

SIFF 2.0 DESTINATION VIEWING SIFF 2.0 DESTINATION FILMS

AT 6:30 PM PDT

While many films have All Access availability during our virtual film festival, the following films are scheduled for one screening and/or can only be viewed within a specific geographic region. THE CONDUCTOR

Feature 139 minutes | Netherlands Director: Maria Peters English Subtitles Presented By Stone Barn Farm

AT 6 PM PDT

ELEPHANT REFUGEES

World Premiere Documentary 82 minutes | US/Botswana/South Africa Director: Louise Hogarth Presented By Susan Atherton

A crisis of elephantine proportions is playing out in Botswana. A determined family of caring people is caught in the middle of the drama. Life changed forever for the family, and the elephants, when climate change intensified the frequent droughts. Followed by THE GUARDIAN ELEPHANT WARRIORS OF RETETI: Reteti Elephant Sanctuary is the first-ever community owned and run elephant sanctuary in Africa. This powerful story—as much about humans as about elephants—looks at the changing relationship between people and the animals they are protecting. AT 6:30 PM PDT

As the dream of peace and love was shattered in the late 1960s, the Rolling Stones became the voice of this turbulent new era and their concert at Altamont would bring the decade to a shocking end.

AT 8 PM PDT

THE CUBAN:

West Coast Premiere Feature 109 minutes | Canada Director: Sergio Navarretta Presented By CarePartners Initiative

FRIDAY, JULY 31

When Mina, a young Afghan immigrant, gets her first job in a nursing home, an unexpected friendship with Luis, a resident with dementia, reignites her love of music and forever changes her life.

AT 2 PM PDT

Documentary 94 minutes | US Directors: Paul Haggis & Dan Krauss

AT 8:30 PM PDT

The inspirational story of everyday heroes, nurses and caregivers who took extraordinary action to comfort, protect and care for the patients of the first AIDS ward unit in the United States.

BORN A KING:

North American Premiere Feature 103 minutes | UK/Spain Director: Agusti Villaronga Presented By Landers Curry, Inc. & Christine Curry Design

AT 4 PM PDT (AVAILABLE 48 HOURS | CALIFORNIA ONLY)

The extraordinary, real life story of Faisal, the 14-year-old Arab prince, dispatched by his father on a high stakes diplomatic mission to London to secure the formation of his country.

A GIRL FROM MOGADISHU

LOVE SARAH

Northern California Premiere Feature 98 minutes | UK Director: Eliza Schroeder Presented By Oscar | Kopelman Team Real Estate

AT 8 PM PDT

I AM WOMAN

Northern California Premiere Feature 116 minutes | Australia Director: Unjoo Moon Presented By Bar None’s Canyon Winery Old Vine Zinfandel

The inspiring story of singer Helen Reddy, who wrote and sang “I Am Woman”, the song that became the anthem for the women’s rights movement in the 1970s.

Feature 112 minutes | Ireland/Belgium/Somalia Director: Mary McGuckian English Subtitles

A powerful and riveting narrative based on the true story of Ifrah Ahmed who, having escaped war-torn Somalia, emerged as one of the world’s foremost international activists against gender-based violence.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 1 SIFF 2.0 SHORT TAKES Presented By Sonoma Valley Visitor’s Bureau

AT 6PM PDT

SUZI Q

US Premiere Documentary 98 minutes | US | Documentary Director: Liam Firmager Presented By Music Nomad

sonomafilmfestival |

Documentary 104 minutes | UK Director: Tom O’Dell Presented By Sonoma Magazine

AT 8:30 PM PDT

THURSDAY, JULY 30: OPENING NIGHT

Determined to fulfill her late mother’s dream, Clarissa enlists the help of her mother’s best friend and her eccentric grandmother on a journey to open a bakery to honor the memory of their beloved Sarah.

DAYS OF RAGE, THE ROLLING STONES’ ROAD TO ALTAMONT:

@sonomafilmfest | sonomafilmfest.org | #SIFF2020

9AM-12 PM PDT A compilation of feature and documentary shorts, shorts before feature and documentary films, short shorts and those in between. See page 30 for film details.

BUTTERFLIES | Foreign Short NEFTA FOOTBALL CLUB | Foreign Short

23rd Annual Sonoma International Film Festival

AT 1 PM PDT

CHASING PERFECT

Documentary 93 minutes | UK Director: Helena Coan Presented By Bevan & Associates

A singular, charming portrait of Frank Stephenson, one of the most influential car designers in the world, whose designs range from high-concept hypercars such as the McLaren P1 to everyday city vehicles like the iconic new Mini. AT 3 PM PDT

BEFORE THE PLATE

Documentary 94 minutes | Canada Director: Sagi Kahane-Rapport Presented By Julie Leitzell

Follow John Horne, one of Canada’s most renowned chefs, as he traces each ingredient from a single plate of food all the way back to the farms they came from. AT 4 PM PDT

LE CHOCOLAT DE H

Documentary 80 minutes | Japan, Ecuador, France Director: Takashi Watanabe English subtitles Presented By Anber Saleem

Follow world-renowned chocolatier Hironobu Tsujiguchi on his journey as he takes a fresh look at food in areas of outstanding natural beauty in Ecuador and his native hometown on the Noto Peninsula in Japan. AT 4 PM PDT

THE LION

North American Premiere Feature 95 minutes | France Director: Ludovic Colbeau-Justin English Subtitles Presented By Haute Living

A straight-laced shrink breaks out his most dangerous psych ward patient to help save his kidnapped girlfriend... and ends up in more trouble than he can possibly imagine. AT 6 PM PDT

I LOVE MY MUM

West Coast Premiere Feature 92 minutes | UK Director: Alberto Sciamma Presented By Meghan Bo Designs

SIFF 2.0 DESTINATION FEATURE FILMS FILMS

SUNDAY, AUGUST 2

AT 6:30 PM PDT

SHE’S IN PORTLAND

Northern California Premiere Feature 100 minutes | US Director: Marc Carlini Presented By Silveira Chevrolet

Two thirty-something friends from college admire each other’s lives and feel trapped in their own. As they travel up the California Coast in search of the “one that got away,” the journey examines life choices, acceptance and commitment. AT 8 PM PDT

THE ARTIST’S WIFE

Feature 95 minutes | US | Director: Tom Dolby Presented By Eyeball Engineering & Krieger Brothers LLC

QUEEN OF HEARTS: AUDREY FLACK

West Coast Premiere Documentary 75 minutes | US Director: Deborah Shaffer Presented By Sonoma Valley Museum of Art

Octogenarian artist Audrey Flack has always been a trailblazer. Now, she returns to her canvas for the first time in decades, revealing her longtime struggles as an artist and mother to find her rightful place in the art world. AT 11AM PDT

THE AMBER LIGHT

Documentary 94 minutes | Scotland | Director: Adam Park Presented By Benjamin Chapman Small-Batch Whiskey

Faced with the devastating onset of dementia in her famous artist husband, Claire — a once promising painter herself — attempts to repair his fractured relationship with his estranged daughter and grandson while charting her own path for the future.

In this journey through lesser-known parts of Scottish whisky culture, we follow spirits writer Dave Broom on his quest to gain a deeper understanding of his national drink.

AT 8:30 PM PDT

AT 1PM PDT

BANKSY & THE RISE OF OUTLAW ART World Premiere Documentary 128 minutes | UK Director: Elio Espana Presented By Spritz

Audience Choice Voting 18

AT 11 AM PDT

YOU SAY YOU WANT A REVOLUTION

Documentary 80 minutes | UK | Documentary Director: Emily Harris Presented By Better Homes & Gardens Wine Country Group

Can we revisit the ‘60s yet again, not in a futile attempt to recapture that blissful, perfect (nostalgia) trip, but as an incubator for the kind of volcanic change needed at this fraught moment in the human experiment? The veddy British curators guide us through the upheavals of the second half of the decade, from the fashion freedom of Carnaby Street to the murderous clampdown at Kent State, with a special appreciation for the Bay Area. Idealists and futurists Stewart Brand and Lee Friedlander and cultural avatars Peter Coyote and Country Joe McDonald, bring their experiences to bear on the present moment.

AT 8 PM PDT

THE DEVIL HAS A NAME

SIFF 2.0 FILM AWARDS

Northern California Premiere Feature 97 minutes | US Director: Edward James Olmos Presented By Scott Nichols Gallery

Presented By Pets Lifeline

SIFF 2.0 Audience Award: Best Documentary Film at 1 PM PDT

A psychotic oil matriarch leaves the whole industry exposed when she attempts to outfight a bullish farmer whose water has been poisoned.

The best documentary film TBD as voted by the SIFF virtual audience.

SIFF 2.0 Audience Award: Best Feature Film at 3 PM PDT

The best feature film TBD as voted by the SIFF virtual audience.

SIFF 2.0 Jury Award: Best Documentary Film at 5 PM PDT The best documentary film TBD as voted by the SIFF Jurors.

SIFF 2.0 Jury Award: Best Feature Film at 7 PM PDT

MONDAY, AUGUST 3 AT 6 PM AND 8 PM PDT

SIFF 2.0 COMMAND PERFORMANCE Presented by Sonoma Magazine

As a thank you for your continued support and enjoying our SIFF 2.0 Virtual Film Festival experience, two featurelength selections from SIFF Executive Director Kevin W. McNeely and Steve Shor, Program Director, will be added on Monday, August 3.

The best feature film TBD as voted by the SIFF Jurors. The best documentary film TBD as voted by the SIFF Jurors.

AT 6 PM PDT

ON BROADWAY

West Coast Premiere Documentary 85 minutes | US Director: Oren Jacoby Presented By Breathless Sparkling Wine

An all-star cast tells the inside story of Broadway theater coming back from the brink thanks to innovative work, inclusion, and an uneasy balance between art and commerce. A hurly-burly ride down the main street of American show business. AT 6:30 PM PDT

MARTIN EDEN

Feature 129 minutes | Italy Director: Pietro Marcello English Subtitles Presented By DeMartini Electric, Inc.

Please take a moment to vote after your online screenings for Best Documentary Film and Best Feature Film. Your votes determine the cash award winners!

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23rd Annual Sonoma International Film Festival

DOCUMENTARY FILMS

ALL ACCESS FILMS

SIFF 2.0 ALL ACCESS The following Documentary, Feature and Short Film Programs are available throughout our virtual film festival from Friday, July 30-Sunday, August 2, 2020.

THE NATURE MAKERS

Northern California Premiere 85 minutes | US Director: April Wright Presented By Sebastiani Theatre

Featuring film historian Leonard Maltin, celebrate the splendor and grandeur of the great cinemas of the US when movies were the acme of entertainment and the stories were larger than life, as were the venues designed to show them.

STAGE: THE CULINARY INTERNSHIP

78 minutes | Canada Director: Abby Ainsworth English Subtitles Presented By Marguerita Castanera | Century 21 Wine Country

In the kitchen of Spain’s legendary Mugaritz restaurant, a group of young fresh-faced interns, or stagiaires, spend nine grueling months learning their craft, finding their voices and keeping from cracking under the pressure.

THE GREAT AMERICAN LIE Northern California Premiere 87 minutes | US Director: Jennifer Siebel Newsom Presented By Sonoma Valley Sun

Cultural critics, academics and other notables explore the gendered nature of core American values with “masculine” traits like individualism, power, and money prioritized over “feminine” attributes such as collaboration, care, and empathy. This imbalance makes the American Dream a difficult goal.

BAGHDAD IN MY SHADOW

108 minutes | Switzerland/UK/Germany Director: Samir English Subtitles Presented By 7x7

Iraqi expats Amal, Taufiq and Muhanad love meeting up at a little cafe in London, but they find their lives upended when Amal’s husband, a former informant of Saddam’s regime, suddenly shows up.

DOCUMENTARY FILMS PRESENTED BY SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE GOING ATTRACTIONS: THE DEFINITIVE STORY OF THE MOVIE PALACE

FEATURE FILMS PRESENTED BY FARM FRESH TO YOU

70 minutes | US Director: Scott Saunders Presented By Sonoma Valley Mentoring Alliance

COLEWELL

Northern California Premiere 79 minutes | US Director: Tom Quinn Presented By Cross Country Mortgage

In a world increasingly dominated by humans, three teams of wildlife conservationists go to extraordinary and seemingly unnatural lengths to try to save threatened species and habitats in the American heartland.

For 35 years, Nora has been the postmaster of Colewell, Pennsylvania. When the USPS decides to close her office, she must choose whether to relocate for a new position or face retirement in Colewell..

THE PATH OF THE ANACONDA

THE DUCKPOND

The Anaconda Trail is the crossing of Wade Davis, the famous Canadian writer of the book El Rio, who returns to Colombia in the company of the anthropologist Martín Von Hildebrand. They cross the Colombian Amazon jungle along with the indigenous communities of the Apaporis River.

Fredrik’s peaceful life is upended when his childhood friend is released from prison. Alongside the third member of their old trio, they get lost in a spiral of chaos involving a vindictive policeman, some weed and a gang of robbers.

93 minutes | Colombia Director: Gloria Luz Arenas Presented By Sonoma Valley Authors Festival

UNITED STATES OF DISTRACTION: FIGHTING THE FAKE NEWS INVASION 64 minutes | US Directors: Nolan Higdon/Mickey Huff Presented By Media Freedom Foundation

Media literacy experts and media makers weigh in on understanding the current rise of fake news. Their analysis reminds us that this is not a new development, but a form of propaganda, while offering solutions to mitigate its influence on America’s democratic institutions.

West Coast Premiere 96 minutes | Sweden Director: Robert Andersson English Subtitles Presented By Where Traveler

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Northern California Premiere 105 minutes | Bolivia/US Director: Rodrigo Bellott English Subtitles Presented By San Francisco Bay Times

Following his son Gabriel’s death, Jorge travels from conservative Bolivia to New York City to confront Gabriel’s boyfriend Sebastian.

U-235

US Premiere 110 minutes | Belgium Director: Sven Huybrechts English Subtitles Presented By Sonoma Valley Inn

A team of Belgian resistance fighters kidnaps a German submarine during WWII to obtain uranium, needed for the Manhattan Project, from the Belgian Congo to New York.

WOMEN ON THE RUN US Premiere 93 minutes | Czech Republic Director: Martin Horsky English Subtitles Presented By Unali Events

Vera is determined to fulfill her dying husband’s last wish—run a marathon! The spirited mother of three daughters doesn’t think this will be a problem and drafts them to help her run the race as a family relay team.

THE LENIN FACTOR

West Coast Premiere 113 minutes | Russia Director: Vladimir Khotinenko English Subtitles Presented By Franklin University

Having dedicated his life to the preparation of the revolution in the Russian Empire, Vladimir Lenin, living in exile in Switzerland, desperately seeks a way back to Russia in order to take control..

THE QUILT (LIHAAF)

US Premiere 84 minutes | India/France Director: Rahat Kazmi English Subtitles Presented By San Francisco Bay Times

Based on Ismat Chugtai’s celebrated short story of the same name, this interwoven plot follows the same sex relationship between Begum and her masseuse, as well as the obscenity trial Chugtai withstood after publishing the story.

Audience Choice Voting 20

TU ME MANQUES

Please take a moment to vote after your online screenings for Best Documentary Film and Best Feature Film. Your votes determine the cash award winners! 23rd Annual Sonoma International Film Festival

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SHORT FILM PROGRAMS

ALL ACCESS FILMS

SHORT FILMS PROGRAM Available Thursday, July 30-Sunday, August 2, 2020.

ANIMATED SHORTS PRESENTED BY CHRISTINE BENSON HOMES BRISTLED

COLD STORAGE

After countless blind dates, Bernard swears that his next date will be the one. But could her flaw be too much for him to overcome? This comedic short film deals with the way we perceive others as well as ourselves.

In a dance film that pays homage to the virtuosic physical performances and melancholy comedy of the classic silent screen, a lonely fisherman discovers his prehistoric counterpart frozen in the ice, and thaws him out as his newfound soul brother.

5 minutes | US Director: Scott Farrell

8 minutes | Finland Director: Thomas Freundlich

COASTER

8 minutes | US/Switzerland Director: Amos Sussigan

A coming-of-age story that follows a recent graduate experiencing the literal ups and downs of adulthood after moving into his first home which happens to be built atop a roller coaster in sync with his emotions.

LE MANS 1955

15 minutes | France Director: Quentin Baillieux

At Le Mans 1955, Pierre Levegh’s car ploughs into the spectator stands, scattering the crowd with his car engine’s hot debris and costing more than 80 lives. At Mercedes, friend and co-pilot John Fitch is ready to take the relay.

PREHEATED

6 minutes | US Directors: Sarah Heinz/Luke Snedecor

A boy’s plan to bake a birthday cake becomes disastrous when his scientist father’s latest experiment gets added to the mix.

THE OSTRICH POLITIC Ostriches carry on their daily activities burying their heads, believing it’s an instinctive behavior. However, one day a research by phylogeneticist Dr. Kays proves otherwise.

THE PROCESSION

11 minutes | Canada Director: Pascal Blanchet | Rodolphe Saint-Gelais

After her death, Gabrielle writes a poignant posthumous love letter to her grieving husband, Philippe, who is enduring the family ritual of the funeral alone.

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DEBBIE AND DOUG DROP ACID IN THE DESERT 21 minutes | US Director: Scott Brown

A couple is desperate to re-ignite the fire of their once passionate marriage. About to hit rock bottom, they enlist an alternative therapist whose treatment helps transport them into a hallucinatory world filled with bizarre and hilarious characters.

FLICKER FREE

8 minutes | US Director: Ricky Lewis Jr.

A silent film star falls from the screen for a bite of hamburger and the heart of the girl in the screen next door.

PEGGY

13 minutes | US Director: Justin Miller

Everything seems to work out perfectly for Peggy, but her social graces are put to the test when she is surrounded by admiring and covetous parents at a birthday party for her eight-year-old son.

THICK AS THIEVES

6 minutes | Director: Mohamad Houhou

COMEDY SHORTS PRESENTED BY THE RED GRAPE

12 minutes | US Director: Sam Fichtner

When Gary brings his girlfriend, Rose, to a dinner party, he must face an unexpected truth: that she is a thief, and he must do all he can to keep up appearances before a secret of his own is revealed.

TRIBES

THAT’S MY JAZZ 14 minutes | US Director: Ben Proudfoot

10 minutes | Director: Nino Aldi

Milt Abel II, world-renowned pastry chef and son of Kansas City jazz legend, Milt Abel Sr., reflects on his relationship with his deceased father as his culinary career flourished while his father’s storied career was coming to an end.

In this dark satire, the themes of identity and discrimination unfold during a train ride as an African American, an Arab-American and a white man try to rob the train, but do not want to rob their own race.

TWO DUM MICKS 4 minutes | US Director: D.B. Sweeney

A pair of unlucky guys meet in jail and immediately hatch a scheme involving DUI attorneys and fois gras.

DOCUMENTARY SHORTS PRESENTED BY SHEPPARD MULLIN

WHITE GUYS SOLVE SEXISM 6 minutes | US Director: Christopher Guerrero

Because of Harvey Weinstein, two men realize all of their favorite movies are sexist, leading them down a dark path.

CULINARY SHORTS PRESENTED BY SAUL GROPMAN

A SIMPLE LIFE

17 minutes | Greece Director: Myrto Papadogeorgou | Robert Harding Pittman

Gioula is fighting to preserve her simple way of life on her organic olive farm on the Peloponnese Peninsula in Greece. The arid region is threatened by plans to build a large golf resort destined for foreign wealthy sunseekers.

ALL THE POSSIBILITIES 16 minutes | US Directors: Louis Cherry | Marsha Gordon

ALCHEMY

10 minutes | US Director: Remington Long

Bonnie Ohara, a mother, artist, author and founder of a one-woman cottage micro bakery offering handcrafted sourdough bread in the old-world tradition, has built a very special community around her Alchemy Bread Co., located in downtown Modesto, California.

ALMOST FAMOUS: THE KING OF FISH AND CHIPS 10 minutes | UK Director: Ben Proudfoot

In the late 1960s, Haddon Salt built a fast-food empire. Then Kentucky Fried Chicken came knocking.

CRYSTAL FROG 15 minutes | France Director: Slony Sow

Benjamin visits Tokyo to see Miko. At her place, a photo catches his attention, taken at the winery 40 years ago. In it are Benjamin, his deceased wife and Miko’s parents. Miko starts to tell a story behind it.

THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS 4 minutes | US Director: Lisa Gold

A meditation on artist Vernon Pratt’s more than 1,400 square foot systematic abstraction painting, which was completed in 1982 but only recently exhibited posthumously for the first time.

BENDING GLASS 18 minutes | Ireland Director: Suzie Keegan

Neon Glass Bender Paddy Dignam looks at his life illuminating Ireland one icon art piece at a time.

BLUE POLES: JACKSON POLLACK 18 minutes | Director: Alison Chernick

The extraordinary price tag of Jackson Pollock’s Blue Poles — now considered the most expensive painting in the world — which almost brought down the Australian government.

LOLA

8 minutes | US Directors: Mariah Hoffman | Julie Cohen

With no prior design experience, Mariah Hoffman taught herself how to build a tiny house from the ground up, giving her a sense of home that she never had before.

To do today: Eat breakfast, go to work/school, get shot. Yawn.

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23rd Annual Sonoma International Film Festival

SHORT FILM PROGRAMS

ALL ACCESS FILMS REWILDING HONEYBEES 9 minutes | US Director: Cameron Nielsen

Rewilding Honeybees calls for a radical shift in beekeeping towards the preservation and protection of honeybees through introducing them back into the wild. This could be a solution to saving the bees.

WHITE MALE SHOOTER

6 minutes | US Directors: Andrew Norbeck | Jared Callahan

A father processes his beliefs on gun ownership by creating an unorthodox sculpture.

DRAMATIC SHORTS PRESENTED BY MEAD CLARK ALINA

25 minutes | US Director: Rami Kodeih

As Nazis separate children from their parents in the Warsaw Ghetto, a gang of women risks everything to smuggle their friend’s three-monthold baby to safety. Inspired by true events.

BABY KATE

12 minutes | US Director: Jennifer Lafluer

Rebecca and David meet to finalize their divorce but are unable to avoid the minefield of grief that hangs between them.

COFFEE AND A DONUT 11 minutes | US Director: Cary Patrick Martin

FOREIGN SHORTS PRESENTED BY CHATEAU ST. JEAN AUTOMATIC

9 minutes | Greece Director: Emma Doxiadi English Subtitles

Two girls think they are under threat after they accidentally photograph something they’re not supposed to.

CHAMPION

17 minutes | Spain Director: Oscar Rodriguez Gorriz English Subtitles

As a young runner prepares for the big race, the strain from his parents’ push for excellence puts his love of the sport to the test.

CHUMBAK

18 minutes | India Directors: Tobias Worrall/Isabelle van Hoorn English Subtitles

After losing her mother, a young heartbroken girl is displaced from her home in the jungle to the big city where she must find a way to help her father make ends meet.

DUNYA’S DAY

13 minutes | Saudia Arabia Director: Raed Alsemari

Dunya’s perfectly planned graduation party is headed for disaster when she is abandoned by all of her household help.

FALAFEL CART

14 minutes | Kuwait Director: Abdullah Al-Wazzan English Subtitles

A story of a young immigrant who knows no English, and his trials in.... ordering breakfast at the local diner.

During a stormy night and in the middle of nowhere, a lonely immigrant falafel vendor stumbles upon a mysterious flower that whirls him into the memories of his past.

PAT

THE PORTRAITISTE

Set in 1978, Pat tells the story of a lonely music lover who keeps in touch with her son in New York through the only phone box in the village.

The story of a friendship between two lost souls.

13 minutes | Ireland Director: Emma Wall

15 minutes | Luxembourg Director: Cyrus Neshvad English Subtitles

Be the first to know where to eat and drink! Audience Choice Voting 26

Please take a moment to vote after your online screenings for Best Documentary Film and Best Feature Film. Your votes determine the cash award winners!

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LUNAFEST

SHORT FILM PROGRAMS

ALL ACCESS FILMS LUNAFEST® PRESENTED BY COPLAN VINEYARDS BALLET AFTER DARK 16 minutes | US Filmmaker: B. Monét

A young woman finds strength after an attack by creating an organization to help survivors of sexual abuse and domestic violence through dance therapy.

GAME

15:00 minutes | US Filmmaker: Jeannie Donohoe

A new kid in town shows up at the high school boys’ basketball tryouts and instantly makes an impression. Will talent and drive be enough to make the team?

HOW TO SWIM

15 minutes | Israel Filmmaker: Noa Gusakov

In the last days of her pregnancy, a terrified mother-to-be kidnaps a maternal stranger for an afternoon of hijinks.

LADY PARTS

10 minutes | US Filmmakers: Erin Rye | Jessica Sherif

A struggling actor finally gets her big break, only to realize the glass ceiling can also be a camera lens.

Love Wine Country? Call me for a Home Tour

PURL

9 minutes | US Filmmakers: Kristen Lester | Gillian Libbert-Duncan

An earnest ball of yarn gets a job at a fast-paced, high-energy, bro-tastic start-up.

THERE YOU ARE

16 minutes | US Filmmaker: Lisa Donato

A trans woman must dress like a man to say goodbye to her dying grandmother.

XMAS CAKE—THIS AMERICAN SHELF-LIFE

10 minutes | US Filmmakers: Petra Hanson | May Yam

From the editors of Sonoma Magazine, the bi-weekly newsletter for travelers to Sonoma Wine Country (and the locals who live here).

This coming-of-middle-age story follows a pop singer’s journey from hot to not, and what ensues across cultures from New York to Tokyo.

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SIFF 2.0 SHORT TAKES

LIVING COLOR

10 minutes | US Director: Jillian Buckley Following YOU SAY YOU WANT A REVOLUTION

Saturday, August 1, 9AM-12PM PDT AS ONE

14 minutes | US Director: David Spaltro Following WOMEN ON THE RUN

Jill and Mike are confronted with the unimaginable and must give each other the strength to keep on moving. As they put one foot in front of the other, they discover that through connection every mile has a story.

ATTORNEYS AT LOVE

DUODROM

8 minutes | Switzerland Director: Basil Vogt

If even the tiniest scare splits someone into a thick skin on the one hand and an overconfident skeleton on the other, that person has a lot of work ahead to bring their characteristics back into harmony.

FIRE ON THE MOUNTAIN

27 minutes | US Director: Chris Bentchetler/Tyler Hamlet

10 minutes | US Director: Daniel Findlay Following SHE’S IN PORTLAND

When two young lovers meet, they are given a glimpse of their future relationship and must decide whether they want to go through life together or continue as if they had never met.

BUTTERFLIES

Improvisation is the silver thread that weaves together this film featuring a cast of some of the world’s best athletes on an improvisational journey of skiing, snowboarding, surfing, and music, complete with a soundtrack comprised of only Grateful Dead music.

FRANZONI BOTTICINO

8 minutes | Israel/France Director: Yona Rozenkier English subtitles

Another Sunday in April. A Kibbutz in the North of Israel. A natural phenomenon. A family on an impromptu ride, maybe the last one.

CLEAR WATERS: SUSTAINABILITY, TRANSPARENCY AND COMMUNITY

11 minutes | US Director: Ryan Shake Following THE NATURE MAKERS

Clear Waters addresses sustainable fishing and how connecting the community to local fisherman can change our relationship to seafood.

CRUEL SHOES

3 Minutes | US Director: Kevan Peterson

From the mind of Steve Martin, a woman goes into a shoe store to try on – the cruel shoes.

DARLING, DARLING WENDY 13 minutes | US Director: Elise Robertson

Fifteen years after her trip to Neverland, Wendy Darling is determined to go back, but Peter Pan has other ideas.

8 minutes | Italy Director: Matteo Bertoli

A self-described polyglot, India Mahdavi finds the perfect balance between humor and sophistication. With an eye like a camera, she designs vivid interiors, furniture and objects that fascinate and delight.

NEFTA FOOTBALL CLUB Oscar Nominee 17 minutes | Tunisia Director: Yves Piat English subtitles

In a Tunisian village, Abdallah and Mohammed come across a donkey with headphones on his ears and bags full of a white powder on his back. The two young brothers decide to bring those bags back to their village.

A personal story of grief, those we look up to, and how the interactions we may deem insignificant can play a huge part in how we live our lives.

ONE HUNDRED AND ONE

JAEBORN BY NUMBERS

“You die if you jerk off 100 times”. This threat rings through the ears of our main character. One day he has to choose between imminent hell and the impetuousness of adolescence.

What is art? How much is it worth? An intriguing look into the world of contemporary art at a Christie’s auction house where three pieces of art by famed contemporary artist Matt Jaeborn sell for $14 million.

REIMAGINING SAVANNAH

43 minutes | Canada Director: Ed Zych English subtitles Presented By Jennifer Powers Real Estate Advisor

11 minutes | Italy Director: Sebastián Alfie Following MARTEN EDEN

19 minutes | US Director: Jillian Buckley Following CHASING PERFECT

As a young schoolteacher, Paula Wallace believed in the power of creativity. She never believed that she would go on to found SCAD, one of the most important art and design schools in the country.

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This short, animated film shows unwelcome changes in an uncertain future.

THE CHEF

20 minutes | Germany Director: Hao Zheng Presented By Chappellet

12 minutes | US Director: Nick Hartanto & Sam Roden English subtitles

When a chef at a fine restaurant in New York City asks a Mexican dishwasher to find good tortillas, Nicolas jumps at the opportunity to prove himself, embarking on a quest that ultimately tests the very limits of his ambition.

THE GUARDIAN ELEPHANT WARRIORS OF RETETI 4 minutes | Kenya Director: Ami Vitale Following ELEPHANT REFUGEES

Reteti Elephant Sanctuary is the first-ever community owned and run elephant sanctuary in Africa. This powerful story — as much about humans as about elephants — looks at the changing relationship between people and the animals they are protecting.

THE PORTRAITISTE 15 minutes | Luxembourg Director: Cyrus Neshvad English subtitles

The story of the relationship between two lost souls.

Inspiring story of a woman-owned and operated NGO in Morocco transforming plastic bags into elegant handbags.

Audience Choice Voting 30

2 minutes | US Director: Scott Wenner

THE DISHWASHER

A former rock musician turned olive oil expert is on a quest for exceptional extra virgin olive oils that will change your life.

4 minutes | Morocco Director: Kayla Sweet-Newhouse

SEE ANIMALS

In 2014, Mekon had to flee Nigeria after his parents were murdered.

13 minutes | Germany Director: Jonathan Schörnig Preceding THE FORGOTTEN

GRAB MY HAND: LETTERS TO MY DAD

LET’S TALK TRASH WITH FAIZA HAJII

Can a stubborn Swedish climate activist transform the fashion industry with his extreme pine tree clothing and unusual marketing strategy?

NEVER GIVE UP

OBSESSED WITH OLIVE OIL

22 minutes | Director: Roger Gariepy Following BANKSY & THE RISE OF OUTLAW ART

14 minutes | Sweden Director: Mikael Forsberg Following THE DUCKPOND

In a time when work is done by robots, a Chinese chef is forced to train a Caucasian humanoid to cook Chinese food. As protests against Artificial Intelligence intensify, the chef faces a dilemma between AI and the human race.

Claudio Franzoni, owner at Azienda Vinicola Emilio Franzoni, talks about the history of his winery located in Botticino, one of the smallest D.O.C.’s in Italy.

5 minutes | US Director: Camrus Johnson

SALON DES REFUSES

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Please take a moment to vote after your online screenings for Best Documentary Film and Best Feature Film. Your votes determine the cash award winners! 23rd Annual Sonoma International Film Festival

13 minutes | US Director: Michael Cawood

Martin the Mushroom was born on the wrong rock. The mushrooms on his rock look like him, but don’t share his enthusiasm. When he notices another rock across the sea, Martin goes there, beginning his epic journey to find his place in life.

THEY’RE JUST FISH

17 minutes | Algeria Director: Paula Iglesias & Ana Serna English subtitles

Teslem, Dehba and Jadija work in a fish farm in the Saharawi refugee camps. Where? In Algeria, in the middle of the desert, far away from their land. They no longer have the sea, but they have the fish.

SVHS MEDIA ARTS STUDENT SHOWCASE PRESENTED BY SONOMA VALLEY EDUCATION FOUNDATION SIFF’s signature initiative — the Media Arts Program started at Sonoma Valley High School in 2002 — introduces students to the process of storytelling and provides the resources for them to create films. SIFF has granted more than $600,000 to the program since its inception. This year’s student filmmaker showcase includes: OUTRO, 24 HOURS, NOTICED, SKATER BOY BLUES, SPREAD THE WORD, PASSIONS, WHO WE ARE, SURF TRAP and INCONVENIENT.

John Bailey’s 50-plus year career in motion pictures includes his cinematography of mainstream Hollywood films such as ORDINARY PEOPLE, THE BIG CHILL, SILVERADO, THE ACCIDENTAL TOURIST, GROUNDHOG DAY, IN THE LINE OF FIRE, AS GOOD AS IT GETS, SISTERHOOD OF THE TRAVELING PANTS, THE WAY WAY BACK and A WALK IN THE WOODS, as well as offbeat fare like TOUGH GUYS DON’T DANCE, THAT CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON, SWIMMING TO CAMBODIA, A BRIEF HISTORY OF TIME and THE KID STAYS IN THE PICTURE. Bailey was president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences from August 2017 to August 2019 and has served as governor of the cinematographers’ branch for 15 years. He is on the Board of Governors of the American Society of Cinematographers as well as on the Library of Congress’s National Film Preservation Board.

Elisabeth Costa deBeauregard

Elisabeth Costa deBeauregard founded the production, finance and global sales company, Storyboard Media, with partner Philip Kim in 2017. Out of the gate, Storyboard Media helped produce FREAKS, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2018. Additionally, the company has been involved in films such as 20th Century Fox’s German horror film, HEILSTATTEN, THE COMEBACK TRAIL and ARKANSAS, which is set to premiere at SXSW 2020. As President of Global Sales and Distribution, she is focused on acquisitions, production and strategic licensing of independent films in the foreign and US markets. She was previously at AMBI where she helped advance sales of numerous movies, as well as sales of the 400-title Exclusive library comprising the Icon, New Market and Sparta libraries.

Nigel Daly

Nigel Daly O.B.E is the former Chairman of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts—Los Angeles. He is the current President of industry trade magazine Screen International and Director of The Laboratory Arts Collective. Daly works with independent filmmakers and studios, and has produced, directed and acted in a number of films. Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II honored him for his contributions to the British Film and Television industry with the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2014.

Joe Della Rosa

Joe Della Rosa is an agent in the Media Finance department at leading entertainment and sports agency Creative Artists Agency (CAA). Based in Los Angeles, Della Rosa specializes in packaging, sourcing financing for, and selling the distribution rights to independently financed film, television, and digital content. In addition, Della Rosa represents animation studios around the world. Della Rosa has steered the packaging and sales of the animated film NEXT GEN to Netflix and SEARCHING to Sony Pictures, among many others. Building on CAA’s nearly 14-year presence in China, Media Finance serves as a bridge to and within the Chinese film market and, to date, has directed more than $750 million in Chinese capital into English-language content. Della Rosa works in collaboration with colleagues in CAA China’s Beijing office to facilitate the financing and sales of projects to Chinese financiers and distributors on films including Rian Johnson’s KNIVES OUT and Sean Penn’s upcoming FLAG DAY.

Britta Erickson

With more than two decades of arts, culture and film industry experience, Britta Erickson serves as the Festival Director and Interim Executive Director for Denver Film overseeing all aspects of the Denver Film Festival, Film on the Rocks and the Filmmaker Focus program.

In addition to having served on numerous film festival juries and film panels around the country, Erickson serves as a trustee of SeriesFest, the Overlook Film Festival and Regis University’s Creative Writing MFA program. She is also an independent producer whose credits include: SILENT ROSE (2019, available on Topic); HELP WANTED (2017); ACTOR MARTINEZ (2016, available on iTunes), ROLLING PAPERS (2015, available on Netflix) and CONVENTION (2009, IFC). She is a partner in Listen Productions which is presently developing several projects including a documentary on the oil and gas industry “flaring” practice.

Gabrielle Kelly

JURORS

SHORT FILM PROGRAMS

John Bailey

THE WRONG ROCK

Born in Ireland, educated in England with a BA in American Studies from the University of Sussex and an extensive filmmaking career in the USA, Gabrielle Kelly is a screenwriter and producer of diverse content for the global marketplace who also teaches in international labs and film programs. She is the recipient of two Fulbright Awards: one in screenwriting at TNUA, Taiwan and the second as writer/mentor in the screenwriting /producing Lab for the ASEAN Independent Cinema Project in the Philippines.

Hunt Lowry

Hunt Lowry, who has produced over 30 films, is the CEO/President of Roserock Films located on the Warner Bros. lot. Previously the CEO & President of Gaylord Films/Pandora that co-financed films with Warner Bros., he facilitated a strategic partnership between Warner Bros. and Abu Dhabi for the establishment of a Warner Bros. theme park, hotel, and theaters in Abu Dhabi along with a film fund and interactive games fund. Lowry’s numerous film credits include such blockbusters as WHAT A GIRL WANTS, A WALK TO REMEMBER, THE DIVINE SECRETS OF THE YAYA SISTERHOOD, DONNIE DARKO, A TIME TO KILL and THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. Lowry’s television executive producer credits include HBO’s BAJA OKLAHOMA and RASCALS AND ROBBERS: THE SECRET ADVENTURES OF TOM SAWYER AND HUCK FINN for CBS. He also produced DREAM WEST, a CBS mini-series. His telefilms include HIS MISTRESS, WILD HORSES and SURVIVING for ABC Theatre.

Scott Orlin

Scott Orlin is the Hollywood correspondent for Cinema Magazine, the largest film publication in Germany. He is also a member of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, where among his responsibilities are talent relations for the Golden Globes. A native of Atlanta, he graduated with honors from the Commercial Music Department at Georgia State University; seguing to working for composer David Shire on the Broadway musical BABY. After as stint with ASCAP, he relocated to Los Angeles where he worked as an assistant to producer Jack Schwartzman before joining Cinema. During the intervening years, he produced several composer and lyricists retrospectives and was acknowledged by the Publicist Guild with their International Journalist of the Year Award in 1995.

Yumi Yokoo

Yumi Yokoo is CEO/President of Ponycanyon Music Publishing Inc. and Global Sales General Manager of Ponycanyon Inc., which is one of the leading companies of Fuji Media Holdings, Inc., a Japanese media conglomerate based in Tokyo, Japan. She has over 20 years of experience in the Japanese film, music and animation industries. She has contributed to the huge success in distribution of many American films in Japan such as SMOKE, THE LORD OF THE RINGS, THE HEAT LOCKER, AND LA LA LAND. She has also developed a lot of connections with talented producers and music writers in Japan and has been passionate in leading their works including live action, animation and music to great success both domestically and globally such as RESTAURANT FROM THE SKY and ATTACK ON TITAN, and its soundtracks.

23rd Annual Sonoma International Film Festival

THETHE SIFFSIFF 2.0 CAST

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

STAFF

Jon Curry President

KevinW.McNeely Kevin McNeely Executive Director Ginny Krieger Krieger Ginny Co-Director Co-Director

Amar Archbold Amar Archbold Bob Berg Bob Berg Chris Chris Cahill Cahill Keith Casale Gail Diserens Lynn Lynn Goodman Goodman Kimberly Hughes Kimberly Hughes Ted Judson Ted Judson Carla Kappel Carla Jon Kappel Leeb Jon Saleem Leeb Anber

Jody Purdom Shor SponsorshipSteve | Development Director Program Director Chay Woerz Operations | Jody Food Purdom & Beverage Director Sponsorship | Development Director Chay Woerz Donnell Corelle Operations | Food & Beverage Director Filmmaker Services Director Jill Golden Amy Flores Grant Writer Communications Director Jill Golden Donnell Corelle Communications Filmmaker ServicesDirector Director Steve Shor Blair Hunt Program Director Filmmaker Services Manager Kimberly Enzensperger Volunteer Director FESTIVAL VENUES MANAGEMENT Amy Flores Grant Writer Patricia Frates United MileagePlus® Cards from Chase* @ Sebastiani Theatre Tim Taylor Technical Allison Miller | DanaDirector Grantham Taylor Andrews Hall @Chris Sonoma Community Center Murphy Print &Traffic Manager Alan Marisa Miller Farm Fresh To You @ Burlingame Hall Leslie Blankenship | Rob Stickley Murphy’s Irish Bar & Restaurant Marketing Agency | Snug Dana Bates | StaceySpritz BatesMarketing | Tiffany Knef SF | Millicent Meade Sonoma Fit @Beth Dolby Hall, Veterans Hall 1 Schnitzer Bob & Lorraine Reuther | Alice Melillo Raghu Shivaram SF Chronicle House of Docs Simard & Shorts @ Veterans Hall 2 Pauline Dennis Grimes | Valerie Trump Vintage House Marsha Horowitz | Joyce Moldovan | Tom Sheahan VOLUNTEERS Sonoma Valley Museum of Art

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Anber Saleem Cynthia Wornick Cynthia Wornick

FESTIVAL SERVICES Kimberly Enzensperger Volunteer Director Anne Petersen Host Family Director Tim Taylor Technical Director Alisa Alberigi-Speicher SIFF Backlot Tent Manager Rachel Oelhafen Backlot Tent Assistant Manager Chip Allen Wine Manager Mary Catherine Cutcliffe Venues Operations Manager Kathy Kimpel SIFF Box Office Manager Chris Murphy Print Traffic Manager Linda Murphy Food & Beverage Manager Mary Serafini Special Events Manager Samantha Chapin Special Events Assistant Jen Howlett & Mikey Morano Operations Assistants Andrena Felger Backlot Tent Designer

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VOLUNTEERS

The Sonoma International Film Festival is committed to reducing its waste footprint throughout our five-day event, as well as relying on clean energy alternatives. Some of the generators used in the SIFF Backlot Tent are powered by hydrogen fuel cells, courtesy of Stone Edge Farm Microgrid, and SIFF has reduced plastic and paper usage festival wide. Please join us in our efforts to better Sonoma and the world at large. sonomafilmfestival |

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SIFF2020 would not be possible without the dedicated support of our more than 200 volunteers. The Board of Directors and staff Marketing Agency Press & Talent Services thank all of our volunteers who have so graciously and generously Kean & Kolar Communications Spritz SF given theirMarketing time and talents. Beth Schnitzer Raghu Shivaram

SUSTAINABILITY MESSAGE

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Where you shop Where you shop Where you shop Where you shop Where you shop makes a difference. makes a difference. makes a difference. makes a difference makes a difference.

LOCAL MATTERS LOCAL MATTERS Now more than ever. LOCAL MATTERSLOCAL MATTERS Now more than ever. Now LOCAL MATTERSmore than ever.

SIFF2020 would not be possible without the dedicated support of our more than 200 volunteers. The Board of Directors and staff thank all of our volunteers who have so graciously and generously given their time and talents. Now more than ever.

Now more than ever.

Source: American Independent Business Alliance

Where you shop Source: American Independent Business Alliance Source: American Independent Business Alliance Source: American Independent Business Alliance

*United Credit Cards are issued by JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A.

@sonomafilmfest | sonomafilmfest.org | #SIFF2020

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Source: American Independent Business Alliance