2012 Raindance Film Festival

Founder Elliot Grove Producer Julian Chapelle Head of Programming Suzanne Ballantyne Programme Co-ordinator Marion Perrin Editor James Burbidge Design Dominic and Belle Thackray Festival Image Gee Vaucher Senior Programmers Jamie Greco Andreja Kmetovic Additional Programming Kiyomi Nakazaki David Flores Gerando Saludo Romeno Festival Consultant Amy Gustin Technical Christian Bell Print Traffic Oliver Wright Public Relations Lucy Middleton Volunteer Co-ordinator Martyna Szmytkowska Courses Rory O’Donnell Festival Assistants Orestes Kouzof Mirjam Genetay Manuela Velasco Julia Wiese Shinaide Cameron Sami El-Hadi Additional Feature Reviews Katie Baldock Dean Bowman Lorna Elliot Michelle Goode Krystyna Kosciuszko Jean Lynch Stephen Morgan Mark Moynihan Marlies Prinzl Claire Oakley Owain Pasciuszko Abigail Smith Akihiro Suzuki

Welcome to the 2012 edition of the Raindance Film Festival.

Our shorts programme is always something we’ve been incredibly proud of and this year we’re pleased to announce that one lucky filmmaker will become shortlisted for an Academy Award For Best Short Film by winning our Film of the Festival prize.

New to the programme this year is the Mexican strand – bringing to Europe some of the brightest new cinema from Latin America. We’re also celebrating this hotbed of talent on our opening night with the Mexican horror Here Comes the Devil.

Fourteen years ago we opened with a film called Pusher, the debut feature by Nicolas Winding Refn. You’ve probably heard of his latest film, the insta-cult Drive. Three years ago Down Terrace

by Ben Wheatley made its festival debut at Raindance. Since then Ben has been critically acclaimed for both Kill List and his latest film Sightseers, and is hailed as the new British indie auteur.

Of the nearly 250 films, half by debut filmmakers, all world or British premieres, which one is going to be the next Pusher? Who is going to be the next Ben Wheatley?

You decide. That’s what Raindance is all about.

Discover. Be Discovered.

Elliot Grove / Founder www.raindance.org

OUR THANKS TO Daniel Goodwin, Dan Drake, Jemma Ballantyne, Denne Dempsey, David Allain, Jessica Gormley, Sofia Bak, Maude Laflamme, Marie Morin, Laurent Gagliardi, José Dubeau, Mei Rider, Astrid Bulmer, Agathe Bonitzer, Karel Och, Philip Bloom, Oli Harbottle, Virginie Sélavy, William C. Martell, Nicolangelo Gelormini, Sarah Radclyffe, Gaia Meucci, Karel Spesny, Kate Tancred, Nic Baisely, Ashlin Ritchie, Elliot Scott, David Reynolds, Fuad Omar, Manuel Diaz, Lupita Ayala, Eduardo Gomez, David Martinez, Mariela Velasco, Sean Chavarria, Junko Takekawa, Helena Culliney, Diederik Smet, Claire Maher, Chris France, Jessica Leung, Kate Bradford, Jacques Henry-Bezy, Adam Woodward, Denise Parkinson, Natasha Bishop, Andrew Birnie Lukas G-G, Ruby the Rebel, Janine Gerhardt, Jiri Gerhardt Greco, David Theobald, Steve Mitchell, Robert Lenkiewicz, the ladies from Cinemacity, Novi Sad, Una at Film Centre Serbia, Serbian City Club London, Micha from ORF, Zekic at Divx, Marcus Agar at WildRooster, Soulfood Films, TeleFilm Croatia, Emotion Film/Vertigo Slovenia, Artikulacija Montenegro, Arsmedia, Super-films Belgrade, Manuela at IntraMovies and Latido Films, Tiska Wiederman, Jaimy Warner, Elli Raynai, Facundo Campos, Sabrina Kunert, Marvin Shepherd, Eloisa Suarez, Daniel Kresmery, Reka Kresmery, Maxime Feyers, Francois-Xavier Alet, Philip Gambrill, Michael Barker, Keith Greenhalgh, Dean Goldberg, Patrick Tucker, Col Spector, Jurgen Wolff, Martin Gooch, Simon Hunter, Chris Thomas, Tony Morris, Dave Reynolds, Zara Ballantyne Grove, Jezz Vernon, Ken Loach, Christopher Nolan, Neil Sen, George Crivelli, Neil McCartney, Carl Schoenfeld, James Fair, Frederica Byron, Giorgio Francesconi, Nick Hinton, Clive Bradley, Elia Rulli, Alex Stone, Tanya Webb, Peter Robertson, John O’Brien, Dan Martin, Roland Heap, Derek Christopher, Dov Simens, Johanna Von Fischer, Tessa Collinson, all at Upbeat, Emma Woodwark, Smita Dey, Pei-Sze Chow, Galen Rosenthal, Jasmina Sijercic, Anne-France Argos, Martin Brady, Matteo Lovadina, Reel Suspects, Martin Myers, Jack Bowyer, Junko Takekawa and all at the Japan Foundation, Gee Vaucher, Kiyomi Nakazaki, Wide Management, Marion Klotz, MFI, Jezz Vernon at Metrodome, Maëlle Guenegue, Désirée Ballantyne and Matthew Paluch

SUPPORTING PARTNERS

CULTURAL PARTNERS

MEDIA PARTNERS

CONTENTS

RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL 10 Craven St London WC2N 5PE Tel +44(0)20 7287 3833 RAINDANCE PATRONS Nick Broomfield Jonathan Caouette Henrik Danstrup Mike Figgis Terry Gilliam Ken Loach Dave McKean Martin Myers Alan Parker Jonathan Pryce Marky Ramone Vanessa Redgrave

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VENUES AND MAP

8

SCHEDULE

15

JURY

19

SPECIAL EVENTS

50

CHRIS MARKER RETROSPECTIVE

58

TRENT HARRIS RETROSPECTIVE

65

DOCUMENTARY

73

HOMEGROWN

89

RAINDANCE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

97

DAYS IN EUROPA

125

MEXICAN FILM

133

THE REEL QUÉBEC

139

WAY OUT EAST

147

NORTH AMERICAN INDIES

167

WORLD CINEMA

173

SHORTS PROGRAMMES

191

FILMMAKER CONTACTS

194

INDEX

Opinions expressed in this programme are the sole province of the writer concerned and therefore do not necessarily reflect those of Raindance

The Independent Film Trust acts to advance the cause of independent film-making The IFT is proud to be the sponsor of: – The Raindance Film Festival Award for ‘Film of the Festival’ and the Raindance Film Festival trailer – The Raindance Training Scholarships And to be partnering with Raindance and Staffordshire University in running the new online and offline masters programmes that lead to qualifications of MA or MSc in Film by Negotiated Learning Plus we are delighted to keep running our Film School in a Box (FSIB) film-making courses for disadvantaged people who would not otherwise get the chance Find out more at www.independentfilmtrust.org For further information contact Chairman Neil McCartney on neil@independentfilmtrust.org And for regular updates please find our group on facebook

Patrons Alan Parker / Michael Caton-Jones / Mike Leigh Bill Forsyth / Tim Roth / Nick Broomfield Samantha Morton / Faye Dunaway / John Irvin

VENUES & MAP APOLLO CINEMA PICCADILLY CIRCUS 19 Lower Regent Steet London SW1Y 4LR

Events Pass £60 Access to all events at the festival (except for Opening and Closing Night Galas)

Box Office 0871 224 0242 Closest tube is Piccadilly Circus Info and bookings at www.raindance.org

Industry Lounge At Apartment 58 Industry guests are invited to meet at Apartment 58

Ticket Prices Weekday matinees (before 5pm) £5 Weekdays (after 5pm) / Weekends (all day) £10 Screening Pass £60 Access to all film screenings at the festival (except for Opening and Closing Night Galas)

All screenings take place at the Apollo Cinema unless otherwise specified 20TH RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL

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FESTIVAL SCHEDULE WEDNESDAY 26 SEPTEMBER 6.00pm Opening Night Gala: Here Comes the Devil 97 mins p20

THURSDAY 27 SEPTEMBER 1.00pm Shorts: Best International 115 mins p176 3.00pm Center of Gravity 70 mins p168 3.15pm Level 5 105 mins p56 3.30pm Ivan’s Dream 101 mins p108 3.45pm Sunset Strip 93 mins p96 4.00pm My Universe in Lower Case 90 mins p132 5.30pm Familiar Ground 98 mins p134 6.00pm International Film Finance Panel 150 mins p34 6.00pm The Lottery of Birth 77 mins p82 6.15pm Shorts 13: The Chronicles 89 mins p178 6.30pm Vice Presents: The British Wrestler + Caribbean Fashion Week 75 mins p46 8.00pm Vice Presents: The Fourth Dimension 106 mins p47 8.30pm Vinyl 85 mins p88 8.45pm Sunless 99 mins p57 9.00pm How Do You Write a Joe Schermann Song? p154 9.00pm This Ain’t California 90 mins p121

FRIDAY 28 SEPTEMBER 12.30pm In Search of Blind Joe Death 58 mins p93 12.45pm Raindance Masters Degree Screening 80 mins p43 1.00pm Shorts: Best UK 94 mins p177 1.15pm Winter Passed 73 mins p138 1.30pm Zero Killed 80 mins p123 3.00pm Janapar 84 mins p80 3.15pm Familiar Ground 98 mins p134 3.30pm The State of Shock 96 mins p120 3.45pm Sunless 99 mins p57 4.00pm Glorious Deserter 80 mins p104 5.30pm Music Videos 70 mins p39 5.45pm Loveless Zoritsa 80 mins p111 6.00pm Laurentie 120 mins p135

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6.15pm Shorts 5: Gone Astray 94 mins p180 6.30pm Orania 94 mins p113 8.00pm Wild in the Streets 84 mins p164 8.15pm Free Improvisation 109 mins p91 8.30pm Strings 85 mins p86 8.45pm Level 5 105 mins p56 9.00pm Sado Tempest 94 mins p145

SATURDAY 29 SEPTEMBER 12.30pm The Internet Filmmaker 100 mins p35 12.45pm Laurentie 120 mins p135 1.00pm Vegetarian Cannibal 84 mins p122 1.15pm The Lottery of Birth 77 mins p77 1.30pm Center of Gravity 75 mins p168 3.00pm Die Standing Up 74 mins p128 3.15pm Noise Matters 123 mins p159 3.30pm Shorts: Best UK 94 mins p177 3.45pm Banaz: A Love Story 70 mins p74 4.00pm Bill Martell: Secrets of Action Screenwriting 90 mins p28 5.30pm Shorts 6: Animated Display 77 mins p174 5.45pm Be Seeing You 49 mins p55 6.00pm Confine 91 mins p78 6.15pm Jason Becker: Not Dead Yet 95 mins p36 6.30pm The Salesman 107 mins p137 8.00pm Indebted 94 mins p107 8.15pm In Search of Blind Joe Death 58 mins p93 8.30pm Dark Hearts 96 mins p151 8.45pm Nyman with a Movie Camera 67 mins p40 9.00pm Trashed 97 mins p87

SUNDAY 30 SEPTEMBER 12.30pm The Salesman 107 mins p137 12.45pm Production Design Workshop 100 mins p42 1.00pm Heavy Girls 101 mins p106 1.15pm Zero Killed 86 mins p123 1.30pm A Road Stained Crimson 110 mins p144 3.00pm Anatomy of a Reel: The Underwater Realm 120 mins p22 3.15pm Flower in the Slime 100 mins p130 20TH RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL

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3.30pm Don’t Dare to Stop Love 54 mins p142 3.45pm Shorts 1: Vexations in Transit 87 mins p189 4.00pm Ivan’s Dream 108 mins p108 5.30pm Shorts 2: Sculptured in Time 87 mins p184 5.45pm The State of Shock 93 mins p120 6.00pm Me @ The Zoo 92 mins p156 6.15pm Over My Dead Body 80 mins p136 6.30pm Percival’s Big Night 94 mins p161 8.00pm Without a Net 60 mins p165 8.15pm The Second Execution of Romell Broom 97 mins p118 8.30pm Black Smoke Rising 103 mins p76 8.45pm The Ascent 94 mins p98 9.00pm Missed Connections 81 mins p157

MONDAY 1 OCTOBER 12.30pm Bill Martell: Writing Horror 90 mins p28 12.45pm The Lottery of Birth 77 mins p82 1.00pm Shorts 1: Vexations in Transit 87 mins p189 1.00pm How Do You Write A Joe Schermann Song 104 mins p154 1.30pm Me @ The Zoo 100 mins p156 3.00pm Vinyl 85 mins p88 3.15pm Loveless Zoritsa 80 mins p111 3.30pm Sado Tempest 94 mins p145 3.45pm Confine 91 mins p78 4.00pm Banaz: A Love Story 70 mins p74 5.30pm Winter Passed 73 mins p138 5.45pm Prime Cuts 90 mins p41 6.00pm Ballroom Dancer 80 mins p100 6.15pm Shorts 3: Semiotext(e) Fiction 76 mins p185 6.30pm Frank 93 mins p79 8.00pm Corrode 92 mins p169 8.15pm Shorts 12: The Grafters 118 mins p181 8.30pm Culture Shock 85 mins p150 8.45pm Sunset Strip 100 mins p96 9.00pm Locked in a Garage Band 86 mins p155

TUESDAY 2 OCTOBER 12.30pm Bill Martell: Take ’em in Ten 90 mins p28 12.45 Orania 94 mins p113 1.00pm Shorts 2: Sculptured in Time 87 mins p184 1.15pm A Road Stained Crimson 110 mins p144 10

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1.30pm Wild in the Streets 84 mins p164 3.00pm Trashed 97 mins p87 3.15pm Indebted 94 mins p107 3.30pm Strings 85 mins p86 3.45pm Missed Connections 77 mins p157 4.00pm Dark Hearts 96 mins p151 5.30pm About the Pink Sky 113 mins p140 5.30pm Consuming Spirits 130 mins p149 6.00pm Glorious Deserter 87 mins p104 6.15pm Shorts 4: Octane City 100 mins p183 6.30pm Despite the Gods 85 mins p170 8.00pm Shanghai Gypsy 124 mins p119 8.15pm Black Biscuit 127 mins p75 8.30pm Live!Ammunition! 120 mins p38 8.45pm Mon Ami 102 mins p158 9.00pm My Universe in Lower Case 90 mins p132

WEDNESDAY 3 OCTOBER 12.30pm Bill Martell: Your Idea Machine 90 mins p28 12.45pm Over My Dead Body 80 mins p136 1.00pm Shorts 3: Semiotext(e) Fiction 76 mins p185 1.30pm About the Pink Sky 113 mins p140 3.00pm Ballroom Dancer 80 mins p100 3.15pm The Ascent 90 mins p98 3.30pm Black Smoke Rising 103 mins p76 3.45pm Locked in a Garage Band 86 mins p155 4.00pm Percival’s Big Night 87 mins p161 5.30pm Kill Me 90 mins p109 5.45pm Olo, The Boy From Tibet 108 mins p143 6.00pm My Father and the Man in Black 89 mins p94 6.15pm Shorts 7: Nova Express 89 mins p182 6.30pm StringCaesar 88 mins p85 8.00pm Soundbreaker 86 mins p95 8.15pm A Night Too Young 67 mins p112 8.30pm Shiver 91 mins p163 8.45pm The Reel: Content Is King 100 mins p45 9.00pm Luna Mesa 60 mins p62

THURSDAY 4 OCTOBER 12.30pm Bill Martell: Found & Contained 90 mins p29 12.45pm A Night Too Young 60 mins p112 20TH RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL

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1.00pm Shorts 4: Octane City 100 mins p183 1.15pm Good Night Missy 96 mins p105 1.30pm The Hidden Hand 80 mins p153 3.00pm Corrode 92 mins p169 3.15pm The Grief Tourist 83 mins p152 3.30pm Culture Shock 85 mins p150 3.45pm Mon Ami 93 mins p158 4.00pm Frank 93 mins p79 5.30pm OK, Good 87 mins p160 5.45pm A Philosophy of Closed Eyes 72 mins p115 6.00pm Can 105 mins p102 6.15pm Shorts 8: Citizen Expedients 93 mins p179 6.30pm Collabor8te 48-Hour Film Challenge p31 8.00pm In Search of Blind Joe Death 58 mins p93 8.15pm Rubin and Ed 83 mins p63 8.30pm Love Tomorrow 80 mins p83 8.45pm Live East Die Young 93 mins p81 9.00pm Donkeys 93 mins p129

FRIDAY 5 OCTOBER 12.30pm Bill Martell: Do It Yourself 90 mins p29 12.45pm Soundbreaker 86 mins p95 1.00pm Shorts 5: Gone Astray 94 mins p180 1.15pm After School Midnighters 94 mins p141 1.30pm The Phantom Father 90 mins p114 3.00pm Despite the Gods 85 mins p170 3.15pm Kill Me 90 mins p109 3.30pm Cinema Six 79 mins p148 3.45pm Normal: Real Stories from the Sex Industry 65 mins p84 4.00pm My Father and the Man in Black 89 mins p94 5.30pm Barbarous Mexico 2010 80 mins p126 5.45pm Andrew Bird: Fever Year 81 mins p90 6.00pm From Tuesday to Tuesday 97 mins p171 6.15pm Shorts 9: Warpath Dilemmas 118 mins p190 6.30pm Death by Camera 120 mins p32 8.00pm The Beaver Trilogy 85 mins p61 8.15pm Global Home 96 mins p103 8.30pm City Slacker 87 mins p77 8.45pm Give Me the Banjo 84 mins p92 9.00pm Bad Hair Friday 103 mins p99

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SATURDAY 6 OCTOBER 12.30pm Love Tomorrow 80 mins p83 12.45pm Luna Mesa 60 mins p62 1.00pm StringCaesar 88 mins p85 1.15pm Pursuit of Loneliness 95 mins p162 1.30pm Don’t Dare Stop To Love 54 mins p142 3.00pm Shorts 10: Street Life 107 mins p186 3.15pm Brilliant Soil 93 mins p127 3.30pm Can 105 mins p102 3.45pm The Grief Tourist 83 mins p152 4.00pm Bill Martell: Experiments in Terror p29 5.30pm Normal: Real Stories from the Sex Industry 65 mins p84 5.45pm Shorts 11: The Survivalists 99 mins p187 6.00pm Awards Ceremony 90 mins p25 6.15pm Practical Guide to Belgrade with Singing and Crying 87 mins p117 6.30pm At Night I Fly 88 mins p24 8.00pm Bar25: Days Out of Time 103 mins p27 8.15pm Angel 41 mins p23 8.30pm Good Night Missy 101 mins p105 8.45pm Portrait of a Zombie 91 mins p116 9.00pm Vegetarian Cannibal 91 mins p122

SUNDAY 7 OCTOBER 12.00pm Bad Hair Friday 100 mins p99 12.15pm Give Me the Banjo 84 mins p92 12.15pm From Tuesday to Tuesday 90 mins p171 12.30pm City Slacker 87 mins p77 12.45pm OK, Good 79 mins p160 2.15pm Love Addict 82 mins p110 2.30pm Maverick Screenwriting with Josh Golding 100 mins p37 2.30pm After School Midnighters 103 mins p141 3.00pm Shorts: Best International 115 mins p176 3.00pm Heavy Girls 93 mins p106 4.45pm The Hidden Hand 92 mins p153 4.45pm The Phantom Father 97 mins p114 5.00pm Shorts 14: The Thrillers 102 mins p188 5.15pm Body Complete 93 mins p101 5.30pm Cinema Six 79 mins p148 7.30pm Closing Night Gala: Salt 116 mins p21

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Film. Photography.

And everything in between

A new quarterly magazine for the iPad.

www.fade-black.com

THE FESTIVAL JURY Nic Baisley, owner of FilmSnobbery, is an advocate and passionate speaker for indie film, a film reviewer, and the host of the web broadcast series FilmSnobbery Live! Nic also offers his services as an independent film consultant whose passion is giving a voice to independent content creators.

Philip Bloom is an industry veteran of 23 years of which he spent a large portion working in broadcast news and documentaries. For the past few years he’s become a leading figure in the low budget digital filmmaking world with his pioneering work using DSLRs and affordable large sensor camcorders. He splits his time between shooting projects and teaching. Recent projects have included Lucas Films’ Red Tails and Raindance winning doc How to Start a Revolution.

Daughter of French directors Pascal Bonitzer and Sophie Fillieres, actress Agathe Bonitzer started out aged 13 in Les Sentiments by Noémie Lvovsky. She has worked with many filmmakers since, such as Jacques Doillon, Christophe Honoré, Guillaume Nicloux and of course her parents, while keeping up her studies at La Sorbonne – she is doing a Masters in Modern Literature.

Nicolangelo Gelormini was born in Naples. He graduated in directing from the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia (National Film School) and got his degree in Architecture at the Università Federico II. His first feature film Napoli24, co-directed by Paolo Sorrentino and other Italian filmmakers, was released in May 2012.

A former Raindance Festival producer, Oli Harbottle has been at documentary distributors Dogwoof since 2006. He is responsible for all aspects of distribution at Dogwoof, from acquisition through to release. He has overseen the highly successful campaigns for titles such as The Age of Stupid, Restrepo, Countdown To Zero and Bobby Fischer Against The World.

William C Martell has written 19 films that were carelessly slapped onto celluloid, and sold many other screenplays to producers and studios which managed not to get made. He has two screenplays set to film this winter – a big action thriller in Europe and a contained thriller for TV. 20TH RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL

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Originally from Italy, Gaia Meucci has worked in the film industry in the UK and France in different capacities, including animation production, distribution and as Short Film Programmer for the Edinburgh International Film Festival. In 2011 she managed the international sales and distribution of Autour de Minuit’s short film catalogue. She has recently become the Short Film Programmer of the Encounters Short Film and Animation Festival in Bristol.

Karel Och has worked for the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival as programmer and member of the selection committee since 2001. He has programmed KVIFF’s documentary competition and curated tributes and retrospectives to Sam Peckinpah, John Huston and Samuel Fuller, among others. In 2010 Och was appointed artistic director of the Karlovy Vary IFF. Sarah Radclyffe co-founded Working Title in 1984 with Tim Bevan and whilst there produced several films including My Beautiful Laundrette, Wish You Were Here and A World Apart.

Following the acquisition of Working Title by Polygram in 1993, Sarah left to pursue a more independent career. Since then, she has produced or executive produced, amongst others, Les Miserables, The Edge of Love and Rafina. Sarah has served on the board of Channel 4, the BFI and the UK Film Council.

Virginie Sélavy is the founder and editor of Electric Sheep, the online magazine for offbeat, left-field and transgressive cinema. She has edited the collection of essays The End: An Electric Sheep Anthology and has contributed to World Directory Cinema: Eastern Europe. Her work has appeared in a variety of publications, including The Guardian, Sight & Sound, Cineaste and Frieze.

Karel Spesny is the co-founder and Program Director of the Prague Short Film Festival, which was established in 2005 by Karlovy Vary IFF in Czech Republic’s capital. For 6 years he was the editor in chief of the independent film magazine Cinepur and prepared the concept for the European House Cinema in Prague.

Passionate about content and the changing landscape of today’s media Kate Tancred became Managing Director of The Smalls – a network of talented, independent short film and content creators. The Smalls attempts to revolutionise the industry by bridging the gap between emerging talent and distributors/commissioners of content.

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Talks / Screenings Documentary / Q&As Politics / Photography Debate / Journalism / News Multimedia / Training Club / Restaurant Workshops / Events

frontlineclub.com 13 Norfolk Place London W2 1QJ

The Frontline Club Charitable Trust Registered Charity No. 1111 898

OPENING NIGHT GALA: HERE COMES THE DEVIL WEDNESDAY 26 SEPTEMBER AT 6PM

A young couple are on holiday in Tijuana, Mexico. They reluctantly let their children explore a set of caves but panic sets in when they don’t return on time. Discovered the next morning they are quiet and subdued. As time passes it becomes increasingly apparent that the children are more withdrawn, their behaviour decidedly different. It becomes clear that something happened to them down in that cave, but what? Were they abused by a local man, or did something more sinister occur?

Young horror director Adrian Garcia Bogliano cites Picnic at Hanging Rock and Don’t Look Now as influences on this film, and it is clear why. This is a horror film, but a subtler, more beguiling one than you might be used to.

Please see the full review on p131.

Followed by an After-Party at Café de Paris with live music from The Real Tuesday Weld, film composer Stephen Coates’ cult ‘antique-beat’ band who have been said to ‘giddily recall Gainsbourg, Pulp, Cole Porter, early Disney soundtracks and seedy postwar revue bars’ (The Sunday Times).

The screening will take place at Cineworld Haymarket 63–65 Haymarket, London SW1Y 4RL Gala tickets are available at www.raindance.org

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SCREENING SPONSORS

CLOSING NIGHT GALA: SALT SUNDAY 7 OCTOBER AT 7.30PM

Obsessed with making his own Western, filmmaker Sergio flies out to the Atacama desert in search of inspiration. Arriving in a small village things immediately take a turn for the bizarre when he receives a warm and familiar welcome from the residents, who seem to know him as ‘Diego.’ Things become more sinister however, when he learns that the vicious local bandit Victor has a score to settle with this Diego. Trapped in the desert, hunted by a bandit – Sergio appears to be starring in his own Western.

But though the lines between fiction and reality may be blurring, bullets still kill.

As loving an homage to the Western as you are ever going to find, Sergio’s status as a screenwriter raises Salt to the level of a meta-Western. Filled with the tropes and set-pieces of classic Spaghetti films, this is also a film about filmmaking, storytelling, dreaming big and finding yourself. All the things a good film should be about then.

Please see the full review on p172.

The screening will take place at the Apollo Piccadilly Circus 19 Lower Regent Street, London SW1Y 4LR Followed by an After-Party at Jewel Piccadilly.

Gala Tickets are available at www.raindance.org

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ANATOMY OF A REEL: THE UNDERWATER REALM SUNDAY 30 SEPTEMBER AT 3PM

Thousands of years ago, the world’s most advanced civilisation sank beneath the waves, its people forever doomed to wander the ocean floor. The Underwater Realm is the story of the five times those on the surface have caught a glimpse below: freediving off the coast of modern Hawaii, a downed pilot at the height of World War II, amidst the smoke and fire of the Spanish Armada, a suicidal girl in medieval England, and finally, at the height of Roman power in 149 BC. Go behind the scenes at The Underwater Realm, arguably the most ambitious independent film project ever attempted.

Discover how the fully volunteer team learned to dive, light and film underwater; to recreate five different time periods, building their own full scale Spitfire and Spanish Galleon; worked with Executive Producers Raindance to raise $100,000 from over a thousand fans worldwide. Finally, catch a world premiere of the first of the films, and sneak peek at what else is to come.

Realm Pictures was founded in 2005 by director David M Reynolds, director of photography Eve Hazelton, and production designer Shahriah Abdullah. Realm was founded on the belief that independent film should not have to compromise itself in terms of ambition or scale. Realm’s first feature film Zomblies, a £10,000 action b-movie, won Best Science Fiction / Fantasy at the 2011 London Independent Film Festival, and recently passed three million views on YouTube.

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ANGEL SATURDAY 6 OCTOBER AT 8.15PM

A painting-like image of a young girl’s face occupies the screen for a full 40 minutes, moving almost imperceptibly. Occasionally she looks away, or closes her eyes, always returning her gaze to meet yours. Her face changes and morphs so subtly, you can never be entirely sure if your eyes are playing tricks on your brain. A sublime exercise in visual perception, Angel is a captivating work of unsettling beauty by artist Gee Vaucher.

Accompanied by a haunting, mysterious soundtrack – spatially mapped and building to quiet crescendos – its subtle audio, combined with the girl’s changeable expressions, builds a loose impression of narrative that is mesmerising, compelling, meditative and open to interpretation. Not one for those seeking comfortable, story-led cinema, this is a work that would be equally at home in a gallery or a cinema: a boldly experimental video painting, owing something to Abbas Kiarostami’s Shirin, as well as to the hyperrealist art movement.

Gee Vaucher has kept a surrealist/situationist edge to her recent work, moving away from outward attempts to incite social change towards more personal explorations of her anarchopacifist and feminist ideals. Drawing on a series of large-scale paintings of children that have ‘seen too much, too soon’, Angel finds Vaucher exploring notions of youth and innocence. SM Country UK Runtime 41 mins Original Format Min-DV Director/Writer/ Producer/DoP Gee Vaucher

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AT NIGHT I FLY SATURDAY 6 OCTOBER AT 6.30PM

This award-winning documentary follows director Michel Wenzer’s short film Three poems by Spoon Jackson (2003) which showcased the creative writing of a poet serving life without parole. At Night I Fly is an intimate and thoughtprovoking film in which the director steps back and allows his isolated and articulate subjects to share their thoughts on their surroundings at their own pace.

The absurdity of prison culture, with its routine violence and racial politics, is identified by many of the inmates interviewed.

The arts (poetry readings, gospel choirs, blues guitar) provide humanity within such an environment, where they have defied the unwritten rules just by participating in the now defunct Arts in Correction programme, another tragic loss to funding cuts.

Folsom means for most not danger, but isolation, ‘closure of both the mind and the heart. And the spirit.’

Through self-expression comes understanding and a form of freedom, and it’s apparent that this is the most that can be desired by those facing a lifetime of physical confinement. ‘It’s a place where everything that is fucked up gets deposited,’ states inmate Marty, ‘and that’s why I’m here.’ KB Preceded by a live performance from Penny Rimbaud.

Country Sweden, Denmark Runtime 88 mins Original Format 16mm, HDV Director/Writer Michel Wenzer Producer Tobias Janson DoP Eric Börjesson, Albin Biblom Cast Rick Misener, Spoon Jackson, Marty

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At Night I Fly will be preceded by a live performance by poet, philosopher and provocateur, Penny Rimbaud, of his epic poem Oh America, featuring Louise Elliott on tenor sax. This is in continuation of Rimbaud’s established collaborations with MIchel Wenzer, notable amongst these being Threnody for the Victims of Dominion, a seven part song cycle performed earlier this year in Gothenburg, Sweden.

AWARDS CEREMONY SATURDAY 6 OCTOBER AT 6PM

To recognise the outstanding achievements of the filmmakers showcased at the 20th Raindance Film Festival in 2012, a number of jury prizes will be awarded. The winners will be announced at the Apollo Cinema on Saturday 6 October at 6.00pm. The nominees are: BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE From Tuesday to Tuesday Dark Hearts Laurentie A Road Stained Crimson Salt Vegetarian Cannibal

BEST UK SHORT Bird For Elsie Mapmaker The Pub Sister A Thousand Empty Glasses

BEST UK FEATURE City Slacker Confine Live East Die Young Love Tomorrow StringCaesar

BEST INTERNATIONAL SHORT Bolero Buzkashi Boys The End The Foreigner Interview Date The Old Woman

BEST DEBUT FEATURE After School Midnighters The Ascent Bad Hair Friday Indebted A Night Too Young Strings BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE Ballroom Dancer Despite the Gods The Lottery of Birth Orania Over My Dead Body Trashed

FILM OF THE FESTIVAL [SHORT] The winner will qualify for consideration in the Short Films category of the Academy Awards without the requirement of the standard theatrical run. They will also be offered the chance to film next year’s Raindance Film Festival trailer, with the support of the Independent Film Trust.

FILM OF THE FESTIVAL [FEATURE] Awarded to the fiction or documentary feature film that best embodies the spirit of Raindance.

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BAR25: DAYS OUT OF TIME PARTY FRIDAY 5 OCTOBER FROM 8PM TO 4AM / SCREENING SATURDAY 6 OCTOBER AT 8PM

Bar25 means endless dancing, swings that fly up into the sky, mud wars and confetti baths with pirates, cowboys and Indians.

It is a place to live, to drink, to dance, to create, a nightlife venue and daytime workspace, a wellness oasis and gourmet mecca.

Worlds away from society’s conventions and norms, it became the melting pot from which a true Berlin culture emerged.

This film follows the creators of Berlin’s Bar25, four young individuals who turn social conventions upside down to form a counterculture in the 21st century. Their freewheeling way of life, music, individuality and never ending energy transforms a riverside wasteland into a fantasyland by the river Spree. A wonderland-night-and-day-club in Berlin, Bar25 is an enchanted adventure playground where adults become children again.

Lotta, Danny, Christoph and Juval live as a community on the grounds of the bar, sharing a trailer and a toilet, despite the fact that the bar makes close to 2 million Euros per year. The film investigates the ambivalence of the community, of these so-called ‘business hippies’, who question whether their form of living is valuable and authentic or if their hedonistic neverending parties are a mere form of escapism. With the growing success and pressure, the ideals of the group begin to crack.

THE DAYTRIPPERS Country Ireland Runtime 6 mins Original Format Digibeta Director Pat Comer Writer/Producer Keith Bogue DoP Ger Conway Cast Tom Newman, Dick Tobin, Barbara Seery There’s nothing nicer than a sedate Sunday drive in the countryside, now that you have reached your golden years. Yeah, sure.

Country Germany Runtime 96 mins Format HD Director/Writer Britta Mischer, Nana Yuriko Producer Arden Film: Andro Steinborn, Ben Schneider / 25films: Peppa Meissner, Britta Mischer, Alexander Schmalz, Nana Yuriko DoP Peppa Meissner, Alexander Schmalz Cast Danny Faber, Quentin Tarantino, Britta Arnold

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BILL MARTELL WRITING WORKSHOPS 7 WORKSHOPS AT VARIOUS TIMES

SECRETS OF ACTION SCREENWRITING SATURDAY 29 SEPTEMBER AT 4PM

Write an effective plot twist, create unbearable suspense, design exciting action, create a high concept villain’s plan, use diversion and anticipation to make your script unpredictable, and create great heroes and villains. Why an action scene is a character scene and a story scene – or it’s rubbish. How to write a page-turner. Dozens of techniques that can be used in any genre.

WRITING HORROR MONDAY 1 OCTOBER AT 12.30PM

From Martys to Orphan, horror is hot. You’ll learn everything you need to know to write in this genre, from creating dread, loss of free will, fear of the unknown, classic horror (like The Others) vs stalk & slash and modern horror. How to create a monster. What do Rosemary’s Baby, Night of the Living Dead, The Exorcist, Bride of Frankensein and The Others have in common? This class will tell you. All of the critical elements necessary to write a script that scares audience.

TAKE ‘EM IN TEN TUESDAY 2 OCTOBER AT 12.30PM

By page ten you have either hooked your reader and made them want to read more, or lost them and they set your script aside. You don’t get a second chance to make a good first impression.

This class will teach you techniques that will make your first page exciting and engaging to readers, and methods to hook readers by page ten so that they must find out how your story ends.

YOUR IDEA MACHINE WEDNESDAY 3 OCTOBER 12.30PM

How to find and develop ideas that Hollywood is looking for and you are passionate about. A 28

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great script with a dull idea is a dull script. Learn tools like magnification, flipping, cousins, word association, why high concept is your concept, finding your personal themes in high concept ideas.

FOUND & CONTAINED THURSDAY 4 OCTOBER AT 12.30PM

Two of the hottest types of stories right now are found footage films like Chronicle and Project X and the paranormal activity movies, and contained films like Buried and Phone Booth. But how do you come up with ideas like this and how do you write them?

DO IT YOURSELF FRIDAY 5 OCTOBER AT 12.30PM

Making your own film? Writing for a niche market? Writing a web series? This class covers everything you need to know from central locations to confined cameos to Robert Rodriguez’s school bus. Using examples from Moon, The Cooler, Station Agent and films produced by the instructor for pocket change, this class is packed with information. How indie films challenge the audience (while mainstream films reassure the audience). Writing for a budget, writing for nonactors, getting the most production value out of your budget.

EXPERIMENTS IN TERROR SATURDAY 6 OCTOBER AT 4PM

Radical story experiments from the films of Alfred Hitchcock. From false flashbacks to multiple stories (like Pulp Fiction) to single shot films to parallel stories to fixed point of view to villain protagonists to symbolism to dream sequences (from Dali!) – Hitchcock’s stories often used experimental storytelling techniques that are seen as unusual and cutting edge today. Discover how you can use these techniques in your screenplays.

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BOOZIN & SCHMOOZIN MONDAY 1 OCTOBER AT 6.30PM ENVY POST, 46–48 FOLEY STREET W1

‘It’s not about what you know but who you know’ has always seemed like an insult to talent. And we abhor the word networking. Nevertheless, being friends (or at least friendly) with other people in the industry can only be a good thing, for your social and your professional life. Come to Boozin & Schmoozin and we can’t promise you a a life-long partner (either business or romantic) but we do promise there’ll be someone with whom you can discuss Trent Harris, and someone who wants to make film and needs another set of hands.

Free to Raindance members and pass-holders, £5 on the door for everyone else.

Doors open at 6.30 and the cash bar is open till 11pm; however, we can’t let anyone in after 8.30, so come early!

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COLLABOR8TE & RAINDANCE 48-HOUR FILM CHALLENGE THURSDAY 4 OCTOBER AT 6.30PM

Get your films made. Get your films seen. Collabor8te and Raindance are challenging London’s filmmakers to make the best 5-minute film in 48 hours.

Ten short-listed films will be premiered at the Raindance Film Festival 2012 ahead of the winner being announced. Judges will include acclaimed photographer and filmmaker Rankin, and prizes will include Raindance courses.

The challenge begins at 7pm on Friday 28 September.

Filmmaking teams will be briefed at the Apollo Cinema, Lower Regent Street, London SW1Y 4LR .

Completed films must be returned to the Apollo Cinema by 7pm on Sunday 30 September. Short-listed films will be screened and the winning film announced on Thursday 4 October at 6.30pm Short-listed filmmakers will be given 4 complimentary tickets.

Additional tickets available for purchase from the Raindance box office. Spaces are limited. Enter today by dropping an email to info@collabor8te.com with your name, team name, address, contact number.

Good luck from everyone at Collabor8te and Raindance.

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DEATH BY CAMERA FRIDAY 5 OCTOBER AT 6.30PM

What does it take to get a movie made? Writer/director Martin Gooch should be able to answer. He’s made over thirty shorts and is presently working on his second feature In Search Of Simon, whilst his debut feature, Death, screened to sell out crowds at the Hollywood Film Festival last month.

Join Martin with the cast and crew of Death for a reconstruction of a key scene, followed by a screening of the feature with a live commentary from the director.

Death is a mysterious comedy sci-fi drama about two brothers and two sisters who need to own up to some basic facts following the death of their last remaining relative. Part family drama, part farce, part steampunk and part ghost story, Death has something for just about everyone. This uniquely British and wholly independent production has a cast of familiar actors; it stars Leslie Philips, the British veteran of over one hundred films, Linal Haft (Moulin Rouge), Paul Freeman (Hot Fuzz, Raiders of the Lost Ark) with a musical score composed by Roger Taylor, drummer of Queen.

Country UK Director/Writer Martin Gooch Producers Martin Gooch, Jade Alexander, Malcolm Walker DoP Martin Gooch, Stuart Biddlecombe, Mark Hammond, Chris Preston Cast Dave Acton, Elizabeth Austin, Emily Booth

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ERRORS OF THE HUMAN BODY with amBX THURSDAY 27 SEPTEMBER AT 3PM MOVING PICTURE COMPANY SCREENING ROOM, 127 WARDOUR ST, W1

Seeking a new laboratory to pursue his controversial genetic research, Dr Geoff Burton takes up a position at the worldrenowned Institute for Molecular Cell Biology & Genetics in wintry Dresden, Germany. His contribution to their most topsecret project – a human regeneration gene – has the potential to make something miraculous out of a personal tragedy that has haunted him for years. Driven by the loss of his son to a rare genetic disorder Burton sets out to find the cure, but when he uncovers a conspiracy amongst his colleagues he finds instead something quite different: a lethal new virus, with potentially devastating consequences for humanity – and for Burton, who is not only its first victim, but its unwitting source.

The film will be followed by a discussion with amBX and Producers with Darryn Welch (Instinctive Film), Neil McDonald (amBX) and Patrick Pinnock (O P Film and Media Ltd).

Country Germany/Australia Running Time 101 mins Format HD Arri Alexa Director Eron Sheean Writers Eron Sheean, Shane Danielsen Producers Darryn Welch, Mike Dehgan, Cole Payne DoP Anna Howard Cast Michael Eklund, Karoline Herfurth, Tomas Lemarquis, Rik Mayall

amBX – Changing the Cinema Experience with Light and Colour amBX is is doing with light and colour what Dolby is doing with surround sound in the world of filmed entertainment.

RGB LED ambient lighting installed in the auditorium, triggered dynamically by the action, colours and sound from the screen will bring the director’s vision and the lighting cameraman’s technical wizardry into the auditorium and literally wrap it around the viewer. amBX will in the future control not just lighting but other appliances such as fans, hydraulics, heating and cooling systems to stimulate all the senses and give a completely unique cinema experience. This special screening of Errors of the Human Body will an amBX world premiere.

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INTERNATIONAL FILM FINANCING PANEL THURSDAY 27 SEPTEMBER AT 6.30PM

The London chapter of the Institute for International Film Financing (IIFF) continues its popular monthly gatherings at the junction of film and finance with a special Film Financing Townhall within the Raindance Film Festival at the Apollo Cinema in Piccadilly.

This high level film finance gathering is designed to foster and inform productive relationships between attendees. It provides insight and education about the business of film and film financing in particular.

The event features a powerful roster of speakers from the filmmaking and financial industries. We are delighted to welcome real-world financiers among our guests! The evening’s ten presentations plus panel discussion address key issues relevant to filmmakers, financiers and anyone interested in the economics, business mechanics, and financial dynamics of motion pictures. They are followed by Q&A time. Attendees also have the opportunity to network with our featured experts and amongst themselves.

SPEAKERS AND TITLES OF TALKS

SCREENING SPONSOR

Defining and Creating a Market for Your Film Projects James Simpson (Producer, Director)

Introducing the Hexagon Film Fund I LP – A £50 Million Offshore Fund Patrick Pinnock (Media Entrepreneur) The Structure and Features of the Hexagon Film Fund I LP Amedeo Claris (Lawyer & Fund Advisor) Sales & Distribution Strategies for Movies for a Global Market Place Simon Crowe (Founder, SC Films).

Delivering Value to Media Funds and Listed Film Companies Iain Brown (Founder, Brown Films) The Importance of Well Packaged Film Projects for Your Production Paul Usher (Head, Instinctive Film) Defining & Protecting Intellectual Property Rights in Film and Media Tony Morris (Partner, Marriott Harrison) Creating Value through Tax and Financial Strategies for Indie Film Dave Morrison (Nyman Libson Paul)

Delivering Movies on Time and within Budget – Key Lessons Roy Benson (Producer, Editor, Director)

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THE INTERNET FILMMAKER SATURDAY 29 SEPTEMBER AT 12.30PM

Hollywood fears the internet and pretends it doesn’t really exist.

While certain of the movie moguls are slowly waking up to the potential of the internet, few within the film industry really have. Movies and moviemaking for the internet are a golden opportunity for independents.

Entrepreneurial filmmakers realise that the web offers a series of opportunities, both commercially and creatively, that make the advent of ‘the talkies’ seem ordinary. But which way should you go? Which content works? What platforms should you use? And most importantly, how can you monetise your work effectively?

These and other questions will be discussed and debated.

Come and join a panel discussion with media pioneers specialising in a range of internet skills from web series, gaming, app building and digital distribution. Learn first hand from filmmakers in the throes of developing their audience building skills, their storytelling, and most importantly, their finances.

Our expert panel will be discussing the very latest developments, showing clips and hosting a spirited Q&A. Bring your notebooks, save up your questions and don’t forget your business cards.

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JASON BECKER: NOT DEAD YET – CASE STUDY OF A DOC SATURDAY 29 SEPTEMBER AT 6.15PM

People loved Jason Becker. ‘If only he’d lived’, they say. Except that Jason Becker is not dead yet.

Considered by many to be a guitar prodigy and a virtuoso, by 19 Jason was about to embark on a tour with David Lee Roth (the holy grail of gigs for a guitarist) when he was struck down

by Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Otherwise known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, ALS is a degenerative motor neuron condition that leads to complete paralysis. Most who contract it are dead within five years. 22 years on, not only is Jason alive but he is still composing music, using only eye movement on a computer system created by his father.

It’s this level of devotion from his parents and friends that most shines through. Like a small business, their support not only keeps Jason alive but also allows him a meaningful life. From attending live performances of his own work, to communicating advice to young guitarists, his talent continues to flourish and influence people.

Moving but never maudlin, the film is an inspiring triumph of the human spirit and a testament to the power of love. JL Followed by a discussion between filmmaker Jesse Vile and documentary distributor Oli Harbottle Country UK/USA Runtime 87 mins Original Format HD 1080p Director/ Producer Jesse Vile DoP Carl Burke Cast Jason Becker, Gary Becker, Pat Becker

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AMERICAN LUTHIER Country USA Runtime 8 mins Original Format HDV Director/ Writer/Producer/DoP David Aldrich Cast Randy Parsons Documentary short about a guitarmaker whose client list includes some of the greatest guitar players in the world.

MAVERICK SCREENWRITING WITH JOSH GOLDING SUNDAY 7 OCTOBER AT 2.30PM

In this workshop, Josh Golding, author of Maverick Screenwriting (Bloomsbury, 2012) will challenge you to think outside the box. Do you want to get your film noticed, to create a stir at festivals? Josh will introduce you to the some of the narrative and stylistic strategies that can help your story stand out from the crowd, and reflect your own unique way of looking at the world.

Every film and television executive says they’re looking for original stories, but what does that mean? The techniques of Maverick Screenwriting will help you play with time, reality and point of view in the service of stories that change the way we look at the world. Discover the techniques that get daring new filmmakers talked about, and give big-budget films like The Matrix, The Truman Show and Avatar an original twist.

Josh Golding has worked as a script consultant, producer and screenwriting teacher in Hollywood and Europe for over twenty years. He began his career working for the Samuel Goldwyn Company in Los Angeles, before working for MGM/ Pathe, BBC Films and PBS. He is currently Associate Lecturer in Screenwriting at Central St Martin’s College, at the University of Arts in London.

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LIVE!AMMUNITION! PITCHING EVENT TUESDAY 2 OCTOBER AT 8.30PM

Have you got a great idea for a movie? This is it. Your chance to pitch your movie idea directly to a panel of film executives.

These are the people who matter. They are the people who buy scripts – they are the people who decide what will be made and what won’t.

To pitch, just drop a fiver in the hat, and the floor is yours. You have two minutes to convince the panelists your script is great, and maybe to read it. They can and will gong you off if you are boring.

Improve your pitching skills and get instant feedback. Some previous Live!Ammunition! pitches have gone into production, these include Meet The Parents (1994), 51st State (1995), Siamese Cop (1996) and White Bhaji (2001).

Book your seat quickly in order to ensure entry, last the Live!Ammo! was completely packed, more than 150 people showed up.

Panelists will be announced on raindance.org

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MUSIC VIDEOS FRIDAY 28 SEPTEMBER AT 5.30PM VIOLINS Artist Elia & The Low Tears Country UK Format HD Dir/ Writer Tom Shankland Producer Ikonic DoP Alev Erdogan

EASY WAY OUT Artist Gotye Country Australia Director/Producer Darcy Prendergast DoP Andrew Goldsmith, Jeremy Blode

MADLY IN LOVE Artists Yfke van Berckelaer, Lucas Cantor, Femke Weidema Country USA/Netherlands Dirs/Writer Yfke van Berckelaer Prods Y van Berckelaer, Darren Herczeg DoP M Pastreich

EVERY MINUTE ALONE Artist WhoMadeWho Country Denmark Director William Stahl Writer/Producer Michael Vogt DoP Thomas A

SLUGABED’S TURBO JUICER 4000 Artist Slugabed Country UK Format HD Director/Writer/ Produer/DoP Chris Ullens FIZZY LETTUCE Artist WooWoos Country USA Original Format HD Director/Writer/DoP Alex Raskin Producer primehd.com SEEKER Artist Bohemian Thought Country New Zealand Dir/Writer Rollo Wenlock Producer Gemma Freeman DoP Aline Tran GENTLEMEN IN SQUALOR Artist Top Shelf Jazz Country UK Original Format S16mm film Director/Producer Alex Sufit DoP Gabi Norland MOUNTAIN KING Artist The Kolin Country Hungary Dir Danila Kostil Writer Mark Linczenyi Prods Miklos Kazmer, D Kostil DoP G Gabor BABY’S ON FIRE Artist Die Antwoord Country South Africa Format HD Directors Ninja, Terence Neale Writer Ninja, Yo-landi Producers Julia Schnurr, Kezia Eales DoP Alexis Zabe

GET BY Artist Delta Heavy Country UK Dir/Writer Ian Robertson JERSEY Artist Naive New Beaters Country France Director Remy Cayuela Writer Remy Cayuela, Esteban & Vinciguerra Producer Elsa Rakotoson DoP Martial Schmeltz I CAN MAKE YOU LOVE ME Artist British India Country Australia Dir Darcy Prendergast.

Seamus Spilsbury Pro Nicky Pastore DoP Darcy Prendergast IN YOUR ARMS Artist Kina Grannis Country USA Director/Writer/DoP Greg Jardin Producer Daphne Raves INSANE OFFICE ESCAPE Artist Biting Elbows Country Russia Director/Writer/ Producer Ilya Naishuller DoP Sergei Valyaev INTERSTELLAR INTERCOURSE: A SPACE-SEX ODYSSEY Artist SpaceSex69 Country USA Dir Michael Lukk Litwak Writers Michael Lukk Litwak, Stefan Weiner, Phoebe Ryan Pro Taylor Shung DoP Oliver Anderson

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NYMAN WITH A MOVIE CAMERA SATURDAY 29 SEPTEMBER AT 8.45PM

Fans of Michael Nyman will be particularly interested in this digital record since it not only boasts a score by the composer, but comprises footage taken during various tours, often showing images from his concerts, press junkets and shots of posters featuring his name in many different languages. Intercut are more commonplace images: street scenes, trains, buses, trams, buildings, people, postcards, photographs, hotel rooms and other subjects that one would expect to see when travelling.

Nyman has structured the film as a mirror of Dziga Vertov’s Man With a Movie Camera, using footage from the film as well as its famous style of varied, seemingly random, images of modern life cut together. Certain shots become motifs, repeating themselves through the film, and there is an emphasis on modern industry and transport.

As well as using some original footage, Nyman also retains the opening plates that detail, in Russian, the intention of the work as an experiment in cinematic communication as defined by its total separation from the language of theatre and literature in that it doesn’t use sets, actors or a script and therefore is pure cinema, laid open for the audience to interpret as they may. CO This screening is followed by a Q&A with Michael Nyman.

Country UK Runtime 67’ Director/Writer/DoP Michael Nyman Producer Michael Nyman Productions

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PRIME CUTS MONDAY 1 OCTOBER AT 5.45PM

This screening celebrates the award-winning films from the 2012 Prime Cuts Festival which supports and screens graduate talent. We are showing a wide range of work from dramas, comedies, animations, videos and documentaries. Prime Cuts is extremely proud to be part of the Raindance festival, bringing top UK graduate talent to the screen alongside world leading independent cinema.

Prime cuts is a unique graduate motion arts festival that not only supports films but also the craft skills that go into creating – films, videos, animations, TV, advertising – anything in the motions arts. We support costume designers, production designers, animators, filmmakers, editors, you name your skill and we’ll support you. Our annual festival is held at The Old Truman Brewery in July as part of Free Range graduation show.

Go to primecuts.org.uk for further details.

SCREENING PARTNER

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PRODUCTION DESIGN WORKSHOP SUNDAY 30 SEPTEMBER AT 12.45PM

Elliot Scott’s background in production design stems from two generations of his family working as designers in the British and American film industries. He has been working for the past 8 years in the industry after gaining a first in Multimedia and Design from Nottingham Trent University.

From running his own motion arts festival, he understands what it means to pass on valuable assistance, advice and real experiences to aid in teaching and inspiring new creative talent in the UK. A lot of design courses fall short from what is expected from industry, and he knows he will pass on the correct contemporary practices to attendees. This is an introductory talk and workshop on production design 1. The Backgrounds Background. Examples of early set design on screen, the importance of production design and set decoration, including examples from top film designers, and from where their styles have derived.

2. Design for the Shot. The process of low budget film design.

3. From Concept to Screen. An introduction into concept art and the importance of proper research, leading through to where to find great research.

4. First Cut. From model to full size. Workshop on model making for sets and how important both CG models and foamcore models are on arriving at your final scene.

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RAINDANCE MASTERS DEGREE SCREENING FRIDAY 28 SEPTEMBER AT 12.45PM Raindance is proud to present five short films from students of the Raindance Postgraduate Degree course. The films are

by Chris Hembury, Kate Herron, Stuart Elms, Helier BissellThomas and Kelly Ferguson.

SUMMER SOLSTICE Country UK Running Time 33 mins Director/Writer/ Producer Chris Hembury DoP Chris Hembury, Richard Cadd Cast Chris Hembury, Ricardo Provernzano, Joanne Dawn Two colleagues’ bitter feud reaches boiling point. Locked in a room with a knife, there will be questions, no lies and one will die.

KILL LIST: THE MUSICAL Country UK Running Time 2 mins Director Kate Herron Writers Kate Herron, Andrew Pugsley Producer Katy Barnett DoP Karl Clarke Cast Andrew Pugsley, Justin Brett and Gus Brown As Jay goes to kill the librarian he suddenly realises how wonderful hammers are and bursts into a grand, camp and slightly awkward musical number.

THE JUDICIAL Country UK Running Time 10 mins Director/Writer Helier Bissell-Thomas Producers Helier Bissell-Thomas, Daniel Griffiths, Ahmed Ali DoP Genki McClure, Helier BissellThomas Cast Mark Friedmann, Marcus Dee Farrell, Tor Andreas Fagerland The tables turn when a hitman comes home, after many years away, to confront his mentor and settle an old score.

THE OFFSHOOT Country UK Running Time 15 mins Director/Writer Helier Bissell-Thomas Producers Helier Bissell-Thomas, Daniel Griffiths, Ahmed Ali DoP Genki McClure, Helier BissellThomas Cast Patrick Flynn, Rhiannon Oliver, Elizabeth Nestor A man frustrated by the banality of his everyday life calls on his inner demon for aid, with fatal consequences for those closest to him.

THE SILENT KILLER Country UK Running Time 5 mins Director Kelly Ferguson Writer Stuart Elms Producer Kelly Ferguson DoP Jamie M. Maxwell Cast Alex Nowak, Vilma Jackson, Vian Boudraa The boy follows the girl, but is he following or is she leading?

After he tries to kill her, will they be able to date?

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THE REAL MACGUFFINS WEDNESDAY 26 SEPTEMBER AT 6PM + SUNDAY 7 OCTOBER AT 7.30PM

The Real MacGuffins are comedy trio Dan March, Jim Millard and Matt Sheahan. Directed by Cal McCrystal (The Mighty Boosh, Sacha Baron Cohen) they have performed sketch comedy across the UK including multi-5 star sell out runs at the Edinburgh, Leicester, Brighton and Bath Comedy Festivals and have supported comedians including Stewart Lee, Dave Gorman, Tim Vine, Phil Nichol and Andrew Maxwell.

Now Jim, Dan and Matt bring their unique brand of fast paced sketch comedy to the Raindance Film Festival for its 20th anniversary with specially written film-based comedy. They will be appearing on Opening and Closing Nights, and making appearances throughout the festival.

They have numerous TV and film credits – this year they appeared in the BBC2 series The Bleak Old Shop of Stuff (which also starred Stephen Fry and Blake Harrison from The Inbetweeners), and The Royal Bodyguard (BBC1) with Sir David Jason and they have just completed filming on Lee Nelson’s Well Funny People (BBC3) and BAFTA award-winning Spy (SKY1), both to be broadcast later this year.

They are developing a radio series for BBC Radio 4 and are currently working with two TV production companies and this Summer have produced a series of sketches inspired by the Olympics – please see therealmacguffins.com for more information.

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THE REEL: CONTENT IS KING PANEL WEDNESDAY 3 OCTOBER AT 8.45PM

Over the past couple of years, more and more brands have used their marketing money to fund short films, music videos and other moving-image creative endeavours that step outside of the 30-second-spot advertising model. Join The Reel – www. thereel.net – in celebrating the very best examples of this ‘branded content’, screening flicks that’ll tickle your funny bone, dampen your tear-ducts and boggle your brainbox.

What’s more, The Reel’s editor Jamie Madge will be joined by a panel of industry experts to highlight the pitfalls and potentials of ad-money going towards engaging filmic activities. Through light-hearted conversation, personal experiences and opinions, they hope to address the opportunities created by this potential future of advertising.

Seriously, this is one ad-break you won’t want to fast forward.

Panelists Dan Southern – Consultant at Contagious James Cunningham – Head of Content at Academy Films Jamie Madge – Editor of The Reel Johnny Kelly – Director at Nexus Productions Stephen Whelan – Executive Producer at White Lodge

ABOUT THE REEL The Reel is a constantly updated online compendium of outstanding commercials, virals, branded content, short films, music videos and experimental pieces. Monitoring the creative landscape for nearly 30 years, the company comprises of the main site – thereel.net, The Reel Scout (a sister site promoting unsigned directorial talent) and The Reel Presents (a monthly screening night in East London encompassing shorts, promos, content, Q&As and guest speakers). www.thereel.net scout.thereel.net presents.thereel.net

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VICE: THE BRITISH WRESTLER + CARIBBEAN FASHION WEEK THURSDAY 27 SEPTEMBER AT 6.30PM

The British Wrestler takes a look at Britain’s raucous underground wrestling scene, from the machismo to the fetishistic, via the comic and downright depressing.

In Caribbean Fashion Week Charlet Duboc goes to Kingston to discover Caribbean couture, dancehall’s impact on fashion globally, skin bleaching and why girls are swallowing agricultural chicken feed for cosmetic purposes.

The British Wrestler UK Running Time 40 mins Format HD Director/ Producer Rhys James DoP Grant Armour Cast Grado, Dan The Prettyboy Walsh, The Bucky Boys Caribbean Fashion Week Jamaica Running Time 24 mins Format HD Director William Fairman Producers William Fairman, Andy Capper DoP William Fairman Cast Charlet Duboc

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SCREENING PARTNER

VICE PRESENTS: THE FOURTH DIMENSION THURSDAY 27 SEPTEMBER AT 8PM

Made under the auspices of Grolsch Film Works and Vice Films, The Fourth Dimension is a tripartite omnibus of shorts.

All snapshots of potentially larger stories, each offers an individualistic interpretation of the titular fourth dimension First up is Harmony Korine’s The Lotus Community Workshop.

Val Kilmer stars as Val Kilmer the motivational speaker who shares ‘awesome secrets‘ with his local community.

These sessions are intercut with scenes of Val and a female companion cruising the streets of LA on bicycles.

Segment number two, Chronoeye, comes from Alexey Fedorchenko of Russia, who has an asocial scientist testing out a machine that allows him to observe other moments and places in time. Although the researcher has apparently found the door to the fourth dimension, glimpses into past and future are frustrating as he only sees events through the eyes of an irrelevant observer.

Finally there is Fawns, Jan Kwiecinski’s debut, in which an apocalyptic flood has emptied out a Polish town, leaving three guys and one girl roaming the streets and abandoned houses.

They seem to be friends but the atmosphere carries a strange tension, amplified by the impending threat of the water. MP

SCREENING PARTNER

Country UK, USA, Russia, Poland Runtime 106 mins Dirs Jan Kwiecinski, Alexey Fedorchenko, Harmony Korine Writers Harmony Korine, Alexey Fedorchenko, Jan Kwiecinski, Oleg Loevsky, Yaroslava Pulinovich Producers Priya Swaminathan, Matt Elek, Michael Derkits, Charles-Marie Anthonioz, Michal Kwiecinski

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connected by

More Opportunities.

More Films.

Collabor8te returns, championing talent from the UK and Ireland for a second year. Working alongside Nokia Lumia, Collabor8te will provide more opportunities for filmmakers to get their scripts developed and their films financed.

Call for script submissions: 1st October - 30th November 2012 For more information and submissions visit: www.collabor8te.com

Get It Funded. Get it Made.

Get it Seen.

RANKIN FILM PRODUCTIONS

CHRIS MARKER, LEFT BANK DIRECTOR, DOCUMENTARIAN AND FILM ESSAYIST IS PERHAPS BEST KNOWN FOR HIS SEMINAL FILM LA JETÉE. PEI-SZE CHOW TAKES A LOOK BACK OVER HIS ESTEEMED CAREER AND THE FILMS FEATURED IN OUR RETROSPECTIVE. CHRIS MARKER DIED ON 29 JULY THIS YEAR

The Original Multi-Hyphenate Artist

I

N AN OFT-QUOTED SHORT PIECE that Marker wrote to celebrate the centenary of cinema, he recounted one of his first experiences with a Pathéorama optical toy as a boy and an inspired attempt to create his own film strip. His product was a series of drawings of a few poses of his cat with captions in between. Proudly, he presented his piece to a friend from school who retorted: ‘Movies are supposed to move, stupid.

Nobody can do a movie with still images.’

Thirty years later, La Jetée was released.

Chris Marker is no longer with us. But, as a commentator remarked soon after Marker’s passing: was he ever really with us in the first place? The elusive filmmaker rarely gave interviews or had a photograph of himself taken. Instead, an avatar of sorts was always offered – a cat or an owl, his two favourite animals that appear repeatedly in his works. Even his nom de plume compounds the enigma: ‘I chose a pseudonym, Chris Marker, pronounceable in most languages, because I was very intent on traveling. No need to delve further.’

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Above and opposite Sunless

Very little is known about his origins besides his full name, Christian François BoucheVilleneuve, and place of birth: narrowed down to either Paris or Ulan Bator, depending on which story you believe. Even less is known about his early work prior to 1962, known as the ‘lost period’ of his oeuvre. Fortunately, most of those works are still available in French archives, where they have sat mostly unviewed due to Marker’s own self-censorship: he considered them to be ‘stages in an apprenticeship’ and therefore unfit for public screening.

‘I’ve always said that films should be seen first in theatres, and that television and video are only there to refresh your memory,’ wrote Marker in 2003. Yet, even as of 2012, many of us have only ever seen his work on video or DVD. In fact, few outside of the cinephile community know of his range of work – La Jetée (perhaps due to its association with Terry Gilliam’s 12 Monkeys) remains the only film that most people know him by.

Now is as good a moment to remedy this. Four of the late auteur’s films will be showing in the UK at the 20th Raindance Film Festival, some premieres, some having not been screened in years. This retrospective of his work will look back at the various forms and media that Marker experimented with from different periods of his life.

THE MULTI-HYPHENATE ARTIST From short film to documentary, to essay film and a hybrid piece, the intention is to offer a glimpse into Marker’s prolific artistic output. Contemporary critics in France had already proclaimed Marker as a major force in French filmmaking as early as 1962, and this was of course the watershed year that his post-nuclear masterpiece La Jetée was released. Some call him a transmedia artist, others call him a film auteur. In today’s parlance, probably the best term would be ‘multihyphenate,’ since he worked not only with film, but also video, installation, various digital media, photography, literature, and journalism. In any case, Chris Marker was simply an innovator.

As a Left Bank director under the Nouvelle Vague movement, he never settled for any defined style or aesthetic in his oeuvre. Instead, he continually experimented with various forms and media, 52

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and is particularly celebrated for bringing into being the essay film, a powerful cross between documentary and personal perspective that has since been adopted by the likes of Jean-Luc Godard, Wim Wenders, Michael Moore, and Werner Herzog. Sans Soleil (Sunless, 1982) is one such defining example of an essay film that examines an historical event through the fusion of documentary techniques and epistolary form.

Even when the Internet was still in its infancy, Marker had already established himself as an early adopter of new technologies and new media. He was an owner of an Apple II GS home computer, and created digital images that would make their way into many of his later films. Virtual chat platforms such as Second Life were anticipated earlier in Level Five (1996), and he even created a series of short clips (termed ‘web cinema’) using the medium. Immemory (1997) is a CD-ROM containing an archive of Marker’s memory, as it were, sketched out through images, video clips, and interactive screens. His penchant for new and emerging media tells of a playfulness and wholehearted love for technology, completely without what Catherine Lupton calls the ‘hand wringing or pronouncements of doom with which others attached to filmmaking frequently greeted the burgeoning electronic media and communications revolution.’

It must be said, though, that not all media were equal in Marker’s eyes. He harbored these thoughts on television in an interview: ‘The exponential growth of stupidity and vulgarity is something that everyone has noticed, but it’s not just a vague sense of disgust – it’s a concrete quantifiable fact… and a crime against humanity.’

Commercials too did not escape his scorn, as he insisted that advertising was an industry of lies: ‘There is a small consolation in the industry’s own terminology: they stop short of calling themselves “creators”, so they call themselves “creatives.”’

‘Movies are supposed to move, stupid. Nobody can do a movie with still images’

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Above Level 5

TRUTH AND MEMORY Perhaps his disdain is understandable in the light of his primary fascination: truth and memory.

Marker’s films have always interrogated the nature and representation of truth – how it is forged, presented, represented, and perceived by various communities of viewers. Hence, ‘retrospective’ is indeed a choice term in Marker’s case: as he looked forward to embrace new technologies and media, his work always focused on the act of looking back at past images, particularly with the view to understanding the present and future.

History and cultural memory are therefore at the heart of most of his work, where he has examined multiple perspectives to events such as Okinawa during the Second World War, Fidel Castro and Cuba, the strikes of factory workers in 1960s France, and the list continues.

In 1967, he helped to establish a filmmaking collective named SLON (Société Pour le Lancement des Oeuvres Nouvelles; Society for Launching New Works) that was dedicated to promoting and producing works that encouraged social and political consciousness. The impact of SLON was immense. It not only empowered filmmakers to examine social issues with a critical eye, it also encouraged the use of film as a collaborative tool for people to articulate their voices.

The Medvedkin group sprang from the work of SLON – factory workers from various industrial towns began to make their own films, forming an extraordinary legacy of French militant cinema.

REMEMBERING CHRIS The films screening at Raindance this year are only a taster of his impressive catalogue of work, most of them unavailable in the UK. So powerful are Marker’s images that, to date, people are still performing interactive pieces and installations based on La Jetée, which sees its 50th anniversary in 2012. As we watch images of Tokyo, Okinawa, Guinea-Bissau, Besançon, and ubiquitous computer screens, we are also watching his past, and performing the act of remembering Chris.

He died on his 91st birthday, in his studio in the 20th arrondisement of Paris.

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BE SEEING YOU SATURDAY 29 SEPTEMBER AT 5.45PM

‘To try to give the power of speech to people who don’t have it, and, when it’s possible, to help them find their own means of expression.’ This is the legacy that Chris Marker left after he founded SLON and inspired ordinary factory workers to become filmmakers.

The film marks the beginning of a collaborative endeavour to capture the struggles of the workers in Christmas 1967 at the Rhodiaceta factory in Besançon. Marker worked with Mario Marret to produce this documentary that gave voice to the disgruntled factory workers. Interviews, photographic montage, and Marker’s voice-over produces a tapestry of militant action and solidarity. PC The screening will be followed by a Q&A with Ian Christie.

Country France Runtime 39 mins Original Format 16mm Directors Chris Marker, Mario Marret Producer SLON DoP Pierre Lhomme

2084 Country France Runtime 10 mins Format 35mm Director/DoP Chris Marker Producer La Lanterne Three young film-makers labour away in the not-so-distant future.

Commissioned to commemorate the centenary of the French trade union movement, this short film celebrates the role of technology in fostering social change.

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LEVEL 5 THURSDAY 27 SEPTEMBER AT 3.15PM + FRIDAY 28 SEPTEMBER AT 8.45PM

A woman named Laura (Catherine Belkhodja) speaks to the camera, addressing her dead lover. She tries to complete her lover’s last project – designing a computer game based on the Battle of Okinawa during the Second World War. Laura researches Okinawa’s history, and as she delves into the testimonials and footage, she becomes overwhelmed by Okinawa’s horrific past.

Shot on video and then transferred to 35mm film, Level 5 was proclaimed by Marker to be his last theatrical feature film, and that he would only work with computers from then on. Critics heralded the film as a new kind of cinema release that interrogated the connections between computer imagery and cultural memory. This obscured version of Okinawa’s history is brought into existence by Marker’s hybrid film, where the computer and its virtual networks are presented as an indispensable conduit through which truth is examined. PC Country France Runtime 105 mins Director Chris Marker Producer Argos Films Cast Catherine Belkodja

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SUNLESS THURSDAY 27 SEPTEMBER AT 8.45PM + FRIDAY 28 SEPTEMBER AT 3.45PM

Sarah Cooper, a scholar of Marker writes: ‘Sans Soleil expands the notion of what it means to “film:” it becomes the spreading of a fine enveloping and impressionable membrane over the surfaces of whatever and whomever the camera encounters.’

Sunless, (or Sans Soleil) is Chris Marker’s gift to documentary cinema. It is what many writers and fellow filmmakers call the perfect example of an ‘essay film’. Marker describes it as a ‘fictive memory’ – it is an essay and also a travelogue where the cameraman returns to Japan. The cameraman revisits places he has seen before, and recounts the different memories that each places holds for him and for the Japanese. Meanwhile, the narration is that of a woman who reads parts of his letters to her. Her comments and reflections flow alongside the images of modern-day Japan and its people. A harrowing testimony from a survivor from the war forms part of the film’s core.

It is a film about cinema, and about the extraordinary capacity of film to capture and represent memory. A line from the commentary stands out in particular: ‘I wonder how people remember things who don’t film, don’t photograph, don’t tape.

How has mankind managed to remember?’ PC The screening on 27 September 27 will be followed by a Q&A with Martin Brady.

Country France Runtime 99 mins Director Chris Marker Producer Argos Films

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TRENT HARRIS IS A RENOWNED CULT FILMMAKER WHO BRINGS HIS LATEST OPUS, LUNA MESA, TO RAINDANCE THIS YEAR. GALEN ROSENTHAL TAKES A LOOK AT WHAT MAKES HIM TICK, AND WHY THE MAINSTREAM HAVE SUCH A HARD TIME FIGURING HIM OUT

Speaking in Tongues

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HEN TRENT HARRIS’ FEATURE FILM debut (and only studio film), Rubin and Ed, was released in May 1992 it was the week of the LA riots.

The city was in a bad mood, and the last thing anyone wanted to see was a film about two Republicans wandering around the Utah desert trying to bury a frozen cat. The critics were even more hostile, one critic pronounced it ‘the worst film of the decade’, while the Boston Globe stated ‘the person who made this should have his driver’s license revoked.’ Hollywood was done with Harris and he with them. He packed up his car and returned to his hometown of Salt Lake City, Utah disappearing into obscurity.

You would think that this is where this Hollywood tale of woe would end, but obscurity is exactly where filmmaker Trent Harris has flourished. Over the last 20 years he has single-handedly built a filmography of one-of-the-kind films that defy categorisation, and all dealing with characters on the fringes of society. Harris has an uncanny knack of finding eccentric characters to focus his camera on, because he is one of them, their champion. It is through these misfits that he explores the central theme that runs through all of his films – to be understood by the rest of the world.

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Above Luna Mesa

And that’s Harris’ biggest problem because no one, it seems, can understand him. Hollywood thought he was a blithering idiot and the film intelligentsia thought he was a moron for thinking that there was more cinematic truth in one frame of an Ed Wood film, than in all of Jean-Luc Godard’s work. It’s not that Harris’ films don’t make sense: they all follow the classic story structure. The difference is that each film is telling the same story, his story. In each retelling, the use of story structure becomes less and what comes into focus is the process of creation.

This is exemplified by the second feature shown here at Raindance – The Beaver Trilogy – a film AO Scott of the New York times called a ‘rivetingly strange, multilayered inquiry into celebrity, obsession, and serendipity’. Comprising three vignettes, the first is a doc about the exploits of Groovy Gary, a performer and impersonator Harris chanced upon in a parking lot. Harris filmed Gary, doing impersonations in the lot and performing his evening drag act as Olivia Newton-Don. Part 2 has Sean Penn playing Gary in a dramatic remake of the doc, and in part 3 Crispin Glover reprises the role, in a film with much higher production values. Shot in 1979, ’81 and ’85 this story, and the process of telling and retelling it clearly fascinated Harris.

That’s the key to understanding Harris, he has no interest in the critiques, audience approval, or a final product, the process is everything. And with his newest film Luna Mesa he has created his penultimate masterpiece, a cinematic diary, a film that will never end, which he is constantly adding to and re-editing. A literal living piece of cinema.

The rest of the world doesn’t understand Trent Harris, because he is constantly in the process of understanding himself. Join the process.

‘The key to understanding Harris is that he has no interest in the critiques, audience approval, or a final product’

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THE BEAVER TRILOGY FRIDAY 5 OCTOBER AT 8PM

The original Beaver Kid was a young guy that then cameraman Trent Harris ran into in a parking lot outside a TV station in Beaver, Utah. It turned out that this was one very special kid – an eccentric, a gangly outsider and someone with a story to tell, just like Harris himself.

He filmed this encounter on video and the story unravels at the same time to the viewer as it did to Harris that day. Soon the kid volunteers that he’ll be performing at a talent show that night in his high school auditorium and invites Harris along to the undertaker’s where he’s getting his make-up done – he goes on to mention that later he’ll be dragging up as Olivia Newton-John.

Needless to say, Harris records the whole thing.

Later, Harris set out to re-work the piece, using an actor – a young and unknown Sean Penn. This time shot in grainy black and white – it appears like another edition in a series of prints.

There’s a different hue and feel but it’s still an engrossing tale.

Some years later, Harris does another restaging – now with Crispin Glover in the title role and shot in saturated colour. In all its guises, the story retains its quirky brilliance and it becomes hard to imagine the trio watched in isolation of each other. This is Trent Harris at his best. SB Country USA Runtime 85 mins Original Format Beta SP Director/Writer Trent Harris Producers Trent Harris, Walter Hart, Beth Greycloud DoP Trent Harris, Claes Thulin Cast Groovin’ Gary, Sean Penn, Crispin Glover

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LUNA MESA WEDNESDAY 3 OCTOBER AT 9PM + SATURDAY 6 OCTOBER AT 12.45PM

Luna is a young woman in the midst of an affair with an older man when she suddenly discovers that he’s died in a hotel room in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Alongside his body she finds a diary overflowing with cryptic messages and symbols. Determined to uncover the cause of his death she embarks on a journey with his diary as her guide, little knowing it will take her around the world. She travels to Sierra Leone, Mexico and Rwanda before eventually landing at a dustbowl of a rundown café, coincidentally called Luna Mesa and run by a goat farming mystic.

Harris’ latest film and his fifth, reveals him as a filmmaker invigorated. The film’s brilliant hues, and the casting of an actress who wouldn’t seem out of place in a mainstream movie, suggest a director in full flow. Where his previous films have had a spur of the moment, DIY aesthetic – Luna, with its enhanced production values and themes of sex, death and destruction seems more contemplative and mature.

The fact that he also narrates in places gives the film a very personal air, almost as if it might be the director’s own story.

Fearless of the critics and boldly individual, it’s no wonder that Harris retains his reputation as one of America’s original and most fiercely independent filmmakers. SB Country USA Runtime 60 mins Original Format HDV Director/Writer/ Producer/DoP Trent Harris Cast Liberty Valentine, Richard Dutcher

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RUBIN AND ED THURSDAY 4 OCTOBER AT 8.15PM

Rubin Farr (Crispin Glover) is an eccentric man-child who lives at his mother’s hotel. Fed up with her son’s eccentricities she demands that he gets out there and makes at least one friend today. After putting up a bit of a struggle he agrees and soon stumbles across an unlikely ally – Ed: divorced, middle-aged and hooked up with a weird get rich quick organization called PPR – Positive Power Through Real Estate. They make a deal. Ed (Howard Hesseman) will have dinner with Rubin and his mother if Rubin agrees to accompany him to a seminar at PPR. The burgeoning friendship nearly hits the wall when Ed discovers Rubin’s cat dead in the freezer. But soon Ed finds himself accompanying Rubin on a road trip through the Utah desert in search of a perfect spot to bury the cat. Along the way, the unlikely duo develop a strange friendship.

Michael Greene stars alongside Glover and Hesseman as Mr Busta, head of PPR, with a sparkly cameo by Karen Black as Ed Tuttle’s shrewish ex.

Harris exposes a naively ever-positive America, well before the latest meltdown, a time when anyone who was willing to do the work, attend the seminars believed they had a crack at the big time. A brilliantly wacky look at the American Dream, Rubin and Ed shows Harris at his most weirdly imaginative. SB Country USA RT 83 mins Format 35mm Director/Writer Trent Harris Producer Paul Webster DoP Bryan Duggan Cast Crispin Glover, Howard Hesseman

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DOCUMENTARIES NOT ONLY CAPTURE THE WORLD, THEY HOLD IN THEM THE POWER TO CHANGE IT. BUT AS THE FORM HAS CHANGED OVER THE YEARS, SO TOO HAVE THE TYPES OF SUBJECT COVERED. SMITA DEY REFLECTS ON THIS YEAR’S SELECTION AT RAINDANCE

‘In feature films the director is God; in documentary films God is the director’ Alfred Hitchcock

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EMEMBER GOING TO SEE YOUR first documentary on the big screen? For me it was back in 2004 with Michael Moore’s Fahrenheit 9/11. The thought of spending part of my meagre wage to see an informative film with a serious message rather than my usual fix of fictional escapism made me feel slightly uneasy. It wasn’t really my thing, popcorn and pic ’n’ mix didn’t seem quite right. But peer pressure and critical acclaim of Brobdingnagian proportions gravitated me towards the cinema to see what all the palaver was about. Stepping out after, I couldn’t help feeling a little more enlightened than when I went in. It had been worth the pennies.

That initial hesitation was perhaps caused by a reluctance in considering the genre as a serious art form. There was a time when the documentary was the sole preserve of television.

Technological advances saw the introduction of cinéma vérité in the 1960s when the use of portable 16mm cameras together with the ability to capture synchronous sound allowed an intimate relationship between the filmmaker and the subject. During the ’90s, they became a valuable component of the art-house cinema circuit and until only a few years ago, it was a rarity to find one showing at your local picturehouse. They seemed to attract a specific audience interested in issues with gravitas. But since the success of films such as Morgan Spurlock’s Super Size Me and Kevin Macdonald’s Touching the Void, documentaries have been scaling up mount popular and nowadays are sitting comfortably alongside the latest over-funded CGI-manipulated box-office smash hit.

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Above Zero Killed Opposite Soundbreaker Previous Crazy Love (Raindance 2007)

It’s surprising that this hunger for ‘reality’ arises in an era when we appear to be well equipped – even over-catered – for access to news and information. Perhaps at a time when the world seems a complex and sometimes frightening place, there is an increasing desire to seek a context to the facts and the kind of perspective that time, research, thoughtful analysis and intelligent storytelling can bring. ‘Reality changes. In order to represent it, modes of representation must change’ said Bertolt Brecht.

And what compels people to make documentaries? Well, they’re relatively low budget, yes, but only a few make it as big money-earners. Of the documentarians I’ve encountered, their infinite drive and enthusiasm to tell their story and impart a message make them a peculiar, obsessive bunch – passionate to show you something raw and real that will make a difference in some way, be that on a global, national or individual level. A medium where journalism meets art.

Some of the best documentaries undermine your expectations with their unusual subject matter or their unusual way of treating the obvious. Such a film is Orania, Tobias Lindner’s study of an Afrikaaners-only town in post-apartheid South Africa. The town has, unsurprisingly, got a lot of bad press – but Lindner isn’t interested in demonising the residents as bigots and racists.

The rapport he has built with the community is such that the interviews he gets are with open and honest subjects, people who see their way of life threatened by the global embrace of multiculturalism. Content to sit back, as it were, and let us draw our own conclusions, Lindner has built an all the more successful film for his even-handed approach.

If you like your documentaries thought-provoking, look no further than Martinez and van Praag’s The Lottery of Birth. It tackles the staple political themes of freedom, power and control from a refreshing prospective, drawing together challenging and inspiring ideas from some of the world’s leading intellectuals, journalists and activists. It’s style is simple and succinct: the narrative and interview footage with the likes of Noam Chomsky, Steven Pinker, Howard Zinn among others do most of the work. You might not agree with all that is conveyed but for certain, as the end titles roll, you will be left questioning the foundations of our modern democratic society as we know it.

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Of course, not all documentaries have to be polemic. Today they are a more sophisticated art form no longer dominated purely by social issues. The success of films such as Man on a Wire and Senna suggest a zeitgeist for great creative storytelling. In-depth observations on the lives of the quirky and eccentric are a weakness of mine: Dan Klores’ award-winning Crazy Love (Raindance 2007) has left an indelible stain in my memory. It’s the bizarre love story of Burt Pugach and Linda Riss. In 1959, when their affair ends, Pugach becomes so obsessed with getting her back, he hires a thug to throw acid in her face. Despite his lack of remorse, Riss takes him back when he finishes his term in prison. Watching Pugach and Riss telling their tale is stranger than fiction. It’s glimpse into the twisted darker side of passion, love and human nature is a treasure of a guilty pleasure.

Quirky at this year’s Raindance includes Kimmo Koskela’s Soundbreaker: a portrait of Kimmo Pohjonen, an iconoclastic musician who accepts no boundaries to where his music takes him. In the dramatic opening sequence we see a barren landscape, a crisp white-linen sheet of icy expanse. Your gaze follows an almost naked man carrying an accordion. He jumps, without hesitation, into an opening in the ice and the heart-pounding symphony begins. Sounds odd doesn’t it, but as the film unravels you can’t help but acknowledge the talent Pohjonen possesses in taking inspiration from nature and his organic surroundings and translating it into his music. Speckled with beautiful landscapes, the film’s artistic cinematography compliments Pohjonen’s own creativity, and the music’s pretty good too, arousing and haunting.

So if like me back in 2004, you’re dallying with the idea of seeing a work of non-fiction, now’s a better time than any to take a bold step into the real world. And where better than this year’s Raindance, with nearly 30 documentaries screening you’ll have a choice from a pic ’n’ mix of the funny, serious or bizarre (see Zero Killed). Just don’t forget your popcorn.

‘Their infinite drive to tell their story and impart a message make them a peculiar, obsessive bunch’

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ANDREW BIRD: FEVER YEAR Tracing a year in the life of eclectic US indiefolk rocker Andrew Bird, Aranda’s film paints the portrait of a boldly original performer.

Playing in Raindance Symphony Orchestra

DESPITE THE GODS Jennifer Lynch braves Indian movie making, where chaos is the process and filmmaking doubles as a crash course in acceptance and self-realization. Playing in World Cinema

BALLROOM DANCER Celebrated Russian dancer Slavik Kryklyvyy returns to the circuit after a nearly careerstopping injury. Playing in Days in Europa

DIE STANDING UP Die Standing Up is a powerful film about the struggle against disease, identity crises, social injustices and discrimination fought by one Irina Layevska. Playing in Mexican Film

BANAZ: A LOVE STORY Banaz was murdered by her family in 2006 in an honour killing. This film tells Banaz’s story and the story of the police team that brought her killers to justice. Playing in Homegrown BARBAROUS MEXICO 2010 In 1910 John K Turner published Barbarous Mexico, exposing slave trading that had been abolished 100 years prior. 2010 and the slavery networks still exist. Playing in Mexican Film BRILLIANT SOIL Herlinda is one of the few in her community who uses lead-free glazes. She devotes herself to a community that is risking lives by not following suit. Playing in Mexican Film 70

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FREE IMPROVISATION A portrait of Jean Claude Jones, a double bass player from Jerusalem who has dedicated his life to music and been diagnosed with MS. Playing in Raindance Symphony Orchestra GIVE ME THE BANJO The quintessential American instrument, shown from its African roots to the present. Narrated

by Steve Martin, Playing in Raindance Symphony Orchestra THE HIDDEN HAND This controversial film explores the possibility of an extraterrestrial presence here on Earth.

Playing in North American Indies

IN SEARCH OF BLIND JOE DEATH: THE SAGA OF JOHN FAHEY Innovative feature about composer, guitarist, author and provocateur John Fahey. Playing in Raindance Symphony Orchestra

ME @ THE ZOO An examination of Internet celebrity focussing on Chris Crocker, known for his infamous ‘Leave Britney Alone’ YouTube declaration.

Playing in North American Indies

JANAPAR The film follows Tom Allen’s solo bicycle journey into the Sahara Desert and his unexpected romantic encounter.

Playing in Homegrown

MY FATHER AND THE MAN IN BLACK Jonathan Holiff unravels the personal and professional mysteries of his father Saul, was agent and manager for Johnny Cash. Playing in Raindance Symphony Orchestra

JASON BECKER: NOT DEAD YET Documentary about a rock guitarist struck by a degenerative condition just as he was poised for superstardom. Playing in Special Events

GLOBAL HOME A documentary about a thrilling new way of travelling and an unexpected benefit of globalisation. Playing in Days in Europa

THE LOTTERY OF BIRTH Powerful film about the cultural, educational and commercial forces that shape who we are and what we do. Playing in Homegrown

ORANIA Stunning film about a remote village in South Africa where only white Afrikaans people live – a culturally homogenous place in a multicultural society. Playing in Days in Europa

LOVE ADDICT Documenting with raw honesty the stories of people addicted to love. Intimate, uncomfortable and thought-provoking all at the same time. Playing in Days in Europa

A PHILOSOPHY OF CLOSED EYES What happens to a body after death in contemporary Britain, France and Holland? The answers include eco coffins and natural burial grounds. Playing in Days in Europa 20TH RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL

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THE SECOND EXECUTION OF ROMELL BROOM On 15 September 2009 the State of Ohio tried to execute Romell Broom and failed.

Ohio claims it has a right to try again despite mounting doubts over the justice of the initial verdict. Playing in North American Indies SOUNDBREAKER Growing up stifled by the conventions of traditional accordion music Kimmo Pohjonen revolutionized the instrument and pushed its sound into startling and visceral new directions.

Playing in Raindance Symphony Orchestra SUNSET STRIP Sunset Strip has become the world’s centre of gravity for music, glamour, fashion, sex, and decadence. Featuring interviews with Johnny Depp, Slash, Sofia Coppola and more. Playing in Raindance Symphony Orchestra THIS AIN’T CALIFORNIA Part tribute to the life story of an individual, part recollection of Germany’s divided East/West past through the lens of the skateboarding subculture. Playing in Days in Europa

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TRASHED Starring Jeremy Irons, Trashed looks at the risks to the food chain and the environment through pollution of our air, land and sea by waste. Visually and emotionally the film is both horrific and beautiful. Playing in Homegrown WITHOUT A NET In the favelas of Rio de Janeiro four young people are given the opportunity to trade the hazards of street life for the excitement of the circus. Playing in North American Indies WILD IN THE STREETS Every year thousands of locals from rival sides of an English town brutally compete in an ancient sports game that is the lifeblood of the community, and the the origin of rugby and football. Playing in North American Indies ZERO KILLED Have you ever fantasized about murder?

Whether offing a boss, an ex or a relative, this documentary invites its participants to act out their murder fantasies, either as killer or victim.

Playing in Days in Europa

BANAZ: A LOVE STORY SATURDAY 29 SEPTEMBER AT 3.45PM + MONDAY 1 OCTOBER AT 4PM

In the UK, it is estimated there are over 12 honour killings a year, although the true number may never be known. Banaz: A Love Story follows the horrifying events in the killing of Banaz Mahmod, murdered in January 2006 by her own family in retaliation for leaving her abusive husband and falling in love with another man.

Banaz’s family fled Saddam’s Iraq in 1998, but like many Kurdish immigrants their strict traditions were only reinforced by the identity crisis they faced living in a foreign culture. Growing up, Banaz and her sisters faced domestic violence and female genital mutilation in the name of the family keeping face in their community. Even sadder, Banaz was let down by the police too; after going to them following a murder attempt by her father, she was sent back to live in the family home.

But the film doesn’t fail to warm, as well as disgust. It is an outpouring of love from Bekhal, Banaz’s sister, who bravely testifies against her own family despite the danger to her life, and it is a testament to the love felt by Detective Chief Inspector Caroline Goode, who lead the search for the body and the killers. A completely absorbing, upsetting, enraging, heart-felt and must-watch film. OK Country UK/Norway Runtime 70 mins Director Deeyah Writer Darin Prindle Producers Deeyah, Darin Prindle, Andrew Smith Executive Producer David Henshaw DoP Jeremiah Chapman Cast Caroline Goode, Diana Nammi, Nazir Afzal

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BLACK BISCUIT TUESDAY 2 OCTOBER AT 8.15PM

An experimental film from Derby by a first time filmmaker, Black Biscuit loosely follows the adventures of Matt, a young man embarking on a search for a first job, and a life.

With few companies willing to hire someone with no references and no experience it proves a nearly impossible task until Matt decides to explore a more unconventional route.

He makes ends meet by doing everything from modelling for a community college life drawing class for seniors to branching out into the lower echelons of the sex industry.

He goes on to meet an eccentric Italian who attempts to show him the ropes, an over the top gigolo who offers up advice on making women feel good about themselves while providing tips on how to spot negative post-coital body language. He also visits a dominatrix’s lair when he acts as a subject for a new recruit. After hours there’s a lot of time spent in pubs, in one scene playing ping pong to a soundtrack of a Noel Gallagher interview about the emotional benefits of throwing TV’s out of hotel windows.

Shot on what looks like a variety of degraded lo-fi formats Black Biscuit is a promising start for a new filmmaker intent on experimentation. SB Country UK Runtime 127 mins Director/Writer/Producer/DoP Fabrizio Federico Cast Fabrizio Federico, Victoria Howard, Daniel Angelus

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BLACK SMOKE RISING SUNDAY 30 SEPTEMBER AT 8.30PM + WEDNESDAY 3 OCTOBER AT 3.30PM

Embittered Jonah struggles to write, and read, the eulogy for his domineering older brother’s funeral. Spiralling into a self destructive mess of alcoholism and self-pity he is surprised to learn that Rafe, his brother, has left ‘something precious’ to him, something that can only be discovered by following a trail of clues. Reluctantly he sets out on this treasure hunt, only to find that apparently Rafe’s spirit will be along for the journey.

Both the English countryside and the capital’s industrial sites are beautifully, if monochromatically, captured by cinematographer Warrillow; shot in high-contrast black and white, and with a kickarse bluesy rock’n’roll soundtrack, this film has style to spare.

Director Drew Cullingham returns to Raindance after winning ‘Best Micro-Budget’ at last year’s festival with Monk3ys.

Returning with him are actors James Fisher, Jonnie Hurn and Aj Williams and such a close-knit team allows this film to veer off to the experimental. With Jonah’s one-sided conversations at the heart of the script, trust between Cullingham and Fisher must have been paramount. Together the Monk3ys Ink team have created an intimate and raw portrait of a man on the edge, struggling for something to keep him from toppling over. JB Country UK Runtime 103 mins Original Format HD Director/Writer Drew Cullingham Producers Drew Cullingham, James Fisher, Jonnie Hurn DoP Glen Warrillow Cast James Fisher, Wil Johnson, Jill Greenacre

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CITY SLACKER FRIDAY 5 OCTOBER AT 8.30PM + SUNDAY 7 OCTOBER AT 12.30PM

She works 70 hours a week and she’s another year older. Her best eggs have been fried in a fire at the fertility clinic and she has just lost the only potential sperm she could have got her hands on. It’s not the best of birthdays for Amanda. As if this wasn’t enough her gambling father turns up on her door step when he has lost everything and has nowhere else to stay.

High flying executive Amanda is past her prime, biologically speaking, and now she finds out that if she wants to have any children she will have to do it the traditional way, and fast! As her father gets familiar with the modern inventions in Amanda’s home, Amanda herself gets to work on her new project: finding an intelligent, fit, young, handsome and gentle man who’s excellent with children and happy to be a house husband. Easy.

City Slacker feels fresh and honest. While its characters are to an extent (funny and loveable) caricatures and the film is poking fun at the greedy city culture, it also deals with the ever growing confusion that gender roles present us with in modern times. The writing is thoughtful and witty, the acting is touching and the comedic timing is spot on. The added depth makes it a breath of fresh air amongst rom-coms. MG Country UK Runtime 87 mins Original Format HD Director James Larkin Writer Michael Mueller Producers Michael Mueller, Fiona Gillies Executive Producers Jane Walde, Raj Sharma DoP Edward Ames Cast Fiona Gillies, Geoffrey Streatfield, Tom Conti

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CONFINE SATURDAY 29 SEPTEMBER AT 6PM + MONDAY 1 OCTOBER AT 3.45PM

Director and screenwriter Tobias Tobbell has created a tense, claustrophobic thriller with a talented and stylish young cast. We find anxious former model Pippa (Daisy Lowe) pottering around in her spacious London flat in four-inch heels, supported by a walking stick. It is clear that she has been through a lot, but she is about to go through a whole lot more.

Having been facially disfigured, Pippa lives a sheltered life alone in her home which, though attractive, is unmistakably representative of her isolation and solitude. Routine however, soon gives way to uncertain chaos with the arrival of confident crook Kayleigh. (Eliza Bennett). As Kayleigh casually roams the flat we are left to speculate who is at the other end of her phone, and whether this sweet-voiced intruder is willing to make use of the gun that she carries in order to get what she wants.

Confine is shot entirely inside the victim’s flat with a small principal cast (which also includes Alfie Allen). Two volatile central characters brings a level of insecurity and suspense throughout and the film finds an unpredictable rhythm of calm and frenzy. This is a slick, innovative take on the hostage thriller and serves as an unforgettable reminder to take your burglar alarm more seriously. KB Country UK Runtime 91 mins Original Format HD Director/Writer Tobias Tobbell Producer Emily Corcoran DoP Eben Bolter Cast Daisy Lowe, Alfie Allen, Eliza Bennett

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FRANK MONDAY 1 OCTOBER AT 6.30PM + THURSDAY 4 OCTOBER AT 4PM

Frank is something of a social misfit. His flat contains the chaotic hoardings of a lifetime, and yet out in public his life is guided by a set of obsessive compulsions: not walking on cracks, righting and lining up disorderly rubbish bins and so on. A senile mother and an unpleasant landlady don’t make the best of companions for Frank, but that is about to change.

The first, Sasha, a fellow lodger who seems to have some insight or understanding into Franks state of mind, is surely benign. The second, a larger than life character called Fidel who Frank meets on the beach might not be. Frank invites Fidel back to stay, but he proves not to be the most gracious of houseguests.

Director Richard Heslop’s background is in making music videos for many big names, including The Cure, The Smiths, Paul McCartney and Sinéad O’Connor. It is perhaps no surprise then that the film’s delicate score transports us into Frank’s own, strange world where the real and unreal often intersect. Through Heslop’s lense the industrial towns and windswept headlands of the North East take on a magisterial, almost poetic beauty and for this reason alone the film is worth your time. The bravura performances and bold script are added bonuses. MGP Country UK Runtime 93 mins Original Format HDCam SR Director/Writer Richard Heslop Producers Philip Shotton, Ciska Faulkner DoP Kyle Heslop Cast Con O’Neill, Kellie Shirley, Darren Beaumont

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JANAPAR FRIDAY 28 SEPTEMBER AT 3PM

When 23-year-old Tom Allen departed England on a bike, he left behind his stable 9 to 5 office job and his map. This is the ultimate quest for the freedom and self-actualisation of which many of us fantasise: riding off into the sunset without any commitments or obligations to weigh us down.

For the next 12,000 miles Tom cycled, camped and filmed himself – the results of which form this fascinating, honest selfdocumentary. But, as in any story, things don’t always go to plan.

Enter Tenny, an Iranian-Armenian woman who Tom encounters on his travels and immediately falls in love with. Having bought her a bike he persuades Tenny to join his journey and they travel to Iran together with the intention of gaining her parents’ approval of their relationship.

Janapar (meaning ‘journey’ in Armenian) is a remarkable accomplishment. The director’s love for the project is obvious: the intricacy and the time that must have gone into the editing process is overwhelming. Towards the beginning of the film, Tom states his belief that everyone should throw caution to the wind and live their dream. Here he has lived his own, and documented it in a way that will only inspire others. KB Country UK Runtime 79 mins Original Format DV-Cam Director/Writer/ Producer James Newton DoP Tom Allen Cast Tom Allen

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EVERYTHING IS ALL RIGHT Country Canada Runtime 6 mins Format HD Director/Writer/ Producer Robin Aubert DoP Steeve Desrosiers Cast Alphéa Bélanger A tale takes form through a little girl’s eyes.

LIVE EAST DIE YOUNG THURSDAY 4 OCTOBER AT 8.45PM

Set in the hipster world of East London, this is a grittier look than you might expect at the party/work lifestyle of the noughties generation. Model Emma faints on the catwalk, not surprising given the amount of drugs she’s just taken on board.

Her life is a becoming a jaded mix of parties, narcotics and brief sexual encounters with men and women.

Perhaps because of Emma’s erratic behaviour her boyfriend’s eye is starting to wander. Max, a hairdresser by day and a crossdressing party host by night, is Emma’s only confidante, and it is to him she turns with problems such as the journalist who wants to write a sensationalist biography about her life. But Max is sleeping with said journalist, and keen to turn their fling into something more serious.

This tangled web of deception, sex, lies, drugs and parties exposes the darker side of the East London lifestyle. Shot on a shoestring budget and featuring a distinctive soundtrack from the indie underground wave (featuring Bo Ningen, Feral and Bridgitte Aphrodite), Live East Die Young has a rawness about it that only highlights the story it is telling. SC Country UK Runtime 92 mins Original Format HD Director/Writer/Producer Laura Hypponen DoP Bronwen Parker-Rhodes Cast Zoe Grisedale, James Jeannette Main, Lewis Grolle

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THE LOTTERY OF BIRTH THURSDAY 27 SEPTEMBER AT 6PM + SATURDAY 29 SEPTEMBER AT 1.15PM + MONDAY 1 OCTOBER AT 12.45PM

So, you think you’re free. And your values, beliefs and choice of film are all down to you, right? You might go so far as to assert that you are your own person. This documentary is going to make you think again. Drawing on the best minds in philosophy, history, physics and economics, it employs decades of evidence to deftly interrogate who we are.

Soon after we’re born, we discover the virtue of doing what we’re told – it’s the only way to get along in society. But this film brings into devastating clarity what happens when we switch off and obey: the defence of ‘just following orders’ sounds as hollow now in the mouths of bankers and tabloid journalists as it has at any other point in history.

In a world rocked by scandals across our banks, media and government, what we really need is a hero or two – and this documentary delivers heroes in spades. Physicist Vandana Shiva, journalist George Monbiot and the late, great historian Howard Zinn all dazzle with their ability to see things differently and their invectives against apathy. Whether you’re into ethics, economics or simply being a better person than you were born to be, you can’t afford to miss this film. AS Country UK Runtime 77 mins Original Format HD Director/Producer Raoul Martinez, Joshua van Praag Writer Raoul Martinez DoP Joshua van Praag Cast Howard Zinn, George Monbiot, Steven Pinker

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LOVE TOMORROW THURSDAY 4 OCTOBER AT 8.30PM + SATURDAY 6 OCTOBER AT 12.30PM

A certain 20th century film concerning doors that slid may not have been the deepest of narratives, yet it managed to communicate an interesting take on time and the subsequent power it has. Love Tomorrow is a London based drama that uses the same time concept (and ensuing fallout) as its central axis by following a serendipitous meeting. A lingering glance on a Camden Town escalator sees a man and woman enter into conversation, which, over a 24 hr period develops into a (dependent) emotional relationship, solidified by their mutual profession – dance.

Dance films have had somewhat of a resurgence over the past few years, but have tended to lean towards the sensational i.e. psychopathic ballerinas! Though the art-form requires an almost inhumane level of commitment, it still manages to attract balanced people who have a life outside the theatre, which sometimes has to take precedence. Such is the case for Love Tomorrow’s female protagonist Eva, who, after life-altering news takes solace in a stranger’s kindness. The identity of dancers is an interesting subject to cover considering their professional silence – and Love Tomorrow offers an unusual circumstance where their voices can actually be heard. MP Country UK Runtime 80 mins Original Format Red Director/Writer Christopher Payne Producer Stephanie Moon DoP Paul Teverini Cast Cindy Jourdain, Arionel Vargas, Max Brown

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NORMAL: REAL STORIES FROM THE SEX INDUSTRY FRIDAY 5 OCTOBER AT 3.45PM + SATURDAY 6 OCTOBER AT 5.30PM

Normal is an insightful documentary examining the position of migrant sex workers that seeks to problemitise the discourse around sex trafficking by demonstrating the complex and contradictory circumstances of those involved. This is achieved through candid interviews with a number of people, who each give a very different definition of normality, which they aspire to embody. For instance two women are lured to the UK by deceit, but whereas one remains quite naive, and demonstrates a kind of Stockholm syndrome affection to the man who abducted her, the other insists that sex workers must cast themselves as victims in order to avoid their own culpability, so that they can simply get through the day.

These voices are punctuated by an interview with a far less sympathetic individual who is involved in trafficking and, with chilling casualness, describes how he manipulates the women into entering that life. Filmed from a low angle and on a low grade stock, these segments seem to be from a hidden camera.

For him this grim reality is ‘normal,’ it is literally his career.

Ultimately, these multiple, very real and often contrasting voices build a far more complex, challenging and human picture of the sex industry than that depicted in the mainstream media. DB Country UK Runtime 65 mins Original Format DV SD Director Nicola Mai Producer Charlotte Worthington DoP Daniel Keane, Russell Galloway, James Layton Cast Selami Brehaj, Matthew Crowley, Annie Labura

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STRINGCAESAR WEDNESDAY 3 OCTOBER AT 6.30PM + SATURDAY 6 OCTOBER AT 1PM

Julius Caesar was considered a waster, a degenerate and laughing stock until he was 33 but went on to become one of the greatest leaders the world has ever known. Writer/director Paul Schoolman took his cameras into three of the world’s most notorious prisons – in Cardiff, Canada & South Africa engaging inmates as cast and crew, to tell the dog-eat-dog tale of the youth who would be emperor, delivering a Shakespearean inspired script peppered with ultra-modern references, all in the violent setting of a South African prison ‘run by gangs.’

Schoolman’s Caesar is a young guy ‘full of piss and vinegar’ – he’s like the actors; in a cutthroat world, all he has to do is survive and he’s got it made. String theory proposes that there are many universes, jostling alongside one another and sometimes they intermingle. Prison is one universe; Rome is another, so is violence and so is love; some prisoners are violent and some are victims – ‘but it’s all Rome.’

With respected thespians such as Derek Jacobi also working alongside the inmates, the film itself is a vibrant meeting of many universes, a convincing, thought-provoking and visceral collision of man’s instinct to survive. JL Country UK/South-Africa/Canada Runtime 88 mins Original Format HD Director/Writer/DoP Paul Schoolman Producers Alice Krige, Paul Schoolman Cast Derek Jacobi, Warren Adler

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STRINGS FRIDAY 28 SEPTEMBER AT 8.30PM + TUEDSAY 2 OCTOBER AT 3.30PM

Just making a feature is an achievement; doing it for £3000 is particularly impressive. Doing it as a writer-directorphotographer and turning 18 on the first day of the shoot is surely the sign of a fantastic filmmaker announcing his presence. Rob Savage’s Strings is refreshingly honest and painfully raw account of teenage romance.

The story follows four young people and their romantic endeavours in that blissful summer before they leave home to go to university. Grace is a visiting German student, soon to return home. She falls for the quiet, distant Jon (played by an excellent Oliver Malam), whilst her best friend Scout becomes entangled in an increasingly violent relationship with her longterm boyfriend Chris.

The four lead actors rise to the challenge of portraying the confusion of teenage romance without falling prey to the many clichés that are often found in such films. Credit to Savage for reigning in their performances to create a muted, nuanced piece. Everything from the sparse use of sound, the interspersed smatterings of German, and the simply beautiful lighting create an almost haunting effect, drawing you in and immersing you in the story. Surely a talent for the future. KK Country UK Runtime 85 mins Original Format HD Director/Writer/DoP Rob Savage Producers Nathan Craig, Rob Savage Cast Philine Lembeck, Oliver Malam, Hannah Wilder, Sid Akbar Ali

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TRASHED SATURDAY 29 SEPTEMBER AT 9PM + TUESDAY 2 OCTOBER AT 3PM

Do you know what really happens to your rubbish once you’ve thrown it in the bin? If you’re like most people, then not really.

There are 7 billion people on the planet today and we are creating more garbage than ever. What’s more, the garbage that we produce today is nowhere near as eco friendly as it was 100 years ago. How long can we keep throwing things away without taking responsibility for the consequences?

Jeremy Irons takes us on a journey around the world to find out what happens to our rubbish. From the slums of Indonesia and the 40 meter high mountain of rubbish in Lebanon, to San Francisco, USA, where it is a legal requirement for every single citizen, even visitors, to recycle and sort their rubbish.

Britain, who sports the most landfill sites in Europe, isn’t forgotten either. We get the cold hard facts, the numbers and the consequences to health and livelihood people are already suffering. It’s a sobering experience.

Set to epic music by Vangelis, the opening scenes of Trashed are apocalyptic. It’s shocking, it’s informative and it’s, beyond all, a call to action. With her film, Candida Brady shows us that change is now urgent and, more importantly, also very much possible. MG Country UK Runtime 97 mins Original Format HD-Cam Director/Writer Candida Brady Producer Candida Brady, Titus Ogilvy DoP Sean Bobbitt Cast Jeremy Irons

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VINYL THURSDAY 27 SEPTEMBER AT 8.30PM + MONDAY 1 OCTOBER AT 3PM

In our contemporary world, which seems only to value beauty and youth, how does an aged punk band return to the limelight?

When a twist of fate leaves Weapons of Happiness with a new hit single, the only thing standing in the way of chart success are the prejudices of the music industry.

Told by a record exec that the thought of signing anyone over the age of 30 would be ‘like watching your parents having sex,’ frontman Johnny Jones comes up with a ploy to ensure their song is heard. Recruiting four fresh faced, but musically inept, youngsters to front the band’s song succeeds in getting it noticed but as their success grows, the secrets of Johnny’s rocker past are revealed and we see the challenges that family ties and loyalties pose. Tensions build and it’s anyone’s guess as to whether the characters will possess the strength to overcome the obstacles that come with hoaxing an entire industry.

Actress turned director Sara Sugarman delivers this lighthearted feature with true soul and sharp humour. Phil Daniels and Keith Allen offer compelling performances alongside the up-and-coming Jamie Blackley. Based on a true story, Vinyl, is an upbeat and fun revenge-comedy taking some sly shots at today’s youth obsessed music industry. JW Country UK Runtime 85 mins Original Format HD Director Sara Sugarman Writers Sara Sugarman, Jim Cooper Producers John H Williams, Preston Clay Reed, Sara Sugarman DoP Benji Bakshi Cast Phil Daniels, Jamie Blackley, Keith Allen

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ANDREW BIRD: FEVER YEAR FRIDAY 5 OCTOBER AT 5.45PM

Tracing a year in the life of eclectic US indie-folk rocker Andrew Bird, Xan Aranda’s documentary shuffles between live performances, interviews and behind the scenes footage to weave an intimate portrait of a boldly original performer.

Centred upon Bird’s intimately textural, densely layered sounds, recorded live over two nights in October 2009, this warmly shot film details a hectic year of touring that sees Bird (and his band) struggle through 200 shows as he waged a constant battle against encroaching fever. Bandmates describe him as ‘always freezing, always shivering’, but Bird’s own brand of poetic optimism prefers to see it as developing a ‘different kind of metabolism’ to cope with the rigours of touring.

Filled to the brim with Bird’s complex, wistful songs, Fever Year is destined to satisfy die-hard fans and Bird-novices alike. His intriguing live process is represented by full concert performances of tracks from each of his albums, alongside more intimate performances of new tunes, including an incredibly haunting studio version of Sifters and a hotel room run-through of Lusitania with touring buddy St Vincent. SM Country USA Runtime 81 mins Original Format HD Director/Producer Xan Aranda DoP Peter Gilbert Cast Andrew Bird, Annie Clark, Martin Dosh

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FREE IMPROVISATION FRIDAY 28 SEPTEMBER AT 8.15PM

Free Improvisation documents the life of Jean Claude, a professional jazz musician learning to live with the challenges of Multiple Sclerosis. When asked how life is with the chronic disease he answers simply: ‘it sucks’. His light-hearted response is quickly challenged with poignant scenes of him exercising at hospital and intimate interviews with his wife. Soon we are introduced to 11 year old Ariel, Jean Claude’s exceptionally bright student. Sharing a unique chemistry, musically they feed off one another’s energy to produce an exceptional sound which results in an invitation to perform in Italy. With Jean Claudes’ health diminishing, will he even be able to go? If so, can he support Ariel in the way he wishes?

If one word was chosen to describe Djerassis’ documentary, ‘inspiring’ would come to mind. Inspiration received from Jean’s optimism, Ariel’s intelligence and director Dijerassis’ engaging execution of his story. It would have been simple for this documentary to highlight the difficulties and pain of living with MS but Dijerassis took a higher, and in many ways, harder route and was able to highlight these points without letting them overpower the main themes; perseverance and the power of relationships. JW Country Israel Runtime 50 mins Original Format DV Director Doron Djerassi Producer Adin Weiner DoP Doron Djerassi Cast Claude Jones, Ariel Lanyi

URBAN OUTLAW Country Canada/USA Runtime 30 mins Dir/Writer/DoP Tamir Moscovici A lonely God-fearing spinster is woken by the mating calls of foxes in her garden and decides to join them.

ROSE APPLE TREE ISLAND Country USA Runtime 30 mins Director Alex Cunningham Producer Allison Usavage A poetic doc about the River Ganga.

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GIVE ME THE BANJO FRIDAY 5 OCTOBER AT 8.45PM + SUNDAY 7 OCTOBER AT 12.15PM

Comedian, actor and banjo aficionado Steve Martin leads this documentary examining the evolution of the banjo and its complicated place in American history. America’s only native musical instrument, the banjo developed on Southern slave plantations and was quickly adopted by the highly popular minstrel performers of the late 19th century, making the transition from black folk instrument to white-led musical forms such as country, bluegrass and revivalist folk.

Illustrated with old photos and documents, archival film, vintage sound recordings and live performances, this documentary traces two centuries of rediscovery and reinvention and gives voice to banjo makers, devotees, collectors, experts, ethnomusicologists, historians and, of course, musicians. It covers key moments in the history of the banjo, from Joel Walker Sweeney’s popularisation in the mid 19th century, through to the rapid evolution of musical styles in the 20th via the blues inflections of Gus Cannon, the country/ bluegrass innovations of Charlie Poole, the democratising influence of Pete Seeger and the subsequent rediscovery by urbanite folk revivalists. SM Country USA Runtime 84 mins Original Format HD Director/Writer/ Producer Marc Fields DoP Bruce Petschek Cast Steve Martin, Earl Scruggs, Pete Seeger

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IN SEARCH OF BLIND JOE DEATH: THE SAGA OF JOHN FAHEY FRIDAY 28 SEPTEMBER AT 12.30PM + SATURDAY 29 SEPTEMBER AT 8.15PM + THURSDAY 4 OCTOBER AT 8PM

John Fahey was born in 1939, he bought his first guitar when he was 13 years old and taught himself to play by listening to records of finger picking blues artists from the 20s and 30s.

Over a 50 year career Fahey became a hugely influential figure in the classic American music scene and created a highly individual sound known as ‘American Primitive’ – a term Fahey himself laughed at.

Fahey inspired generations of musicians; his fans include Beck and Thurston Moore who both cite Fahey as a formative presence. The film also features interviews with the likes of Pete Townshend from The Who and Chris Funk from The Decemberists. Fahey himself was a beguiling presence: he passed away in 2001 but crops up across this documentary in various interview clips, showcasing a dry, self-effacing sense of humour. Recollections from friends and former partners however, cast a light on his darker sides and more erratic traits.

There is something strangely deferential about Fahey – he states at one point that nobody is really an entertainer by choice, and suggests that his creative impulses are as in control of him as he is of them. This perhaps contributes to the distinctive sound of his music: a hypnotic mix of beauty and sadness. OP Country Canada Runtime 58 mins Director/Writer James Cullingham Producers James Cullingham, Monica Szentszky, Tina Witham DoP Igal Hech

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MY FATHER AND THE MAN IN BLACK WEDNESDAY 3 OCTOBER AT 6PM + FRIDAY 5 OCTOBER AT 4PM

Although his story was omitted from Walk the Line – the Hollywood retelling of Johnny Cash’s mid-career strife and redemption – agent and manager Saul Holiff played a crucial role in Cash’s career throughout the ’60s and ’70s. Thirty years later, using voiceover narration, archive footage, audio diaries and heavily stylised recreations, former Hollywood publicist Jonathan Holiff unravels the personal and professional mysteries of a cold, seemingly unloving father.

More than just another Cash documentary, this antidote to the neat, glossy ‘hardship’ of Walk the Line, provides a warts and all account of Johnny’s troubles, as seen from Saul’s perspective. As well as emphasising the importance of Saul in Johnny’s career, we are afforded a glimpse into his own troubled private life, his battle with drink and drugs and the dysfunctional relationship with his two sons which provides the narrative impulse for this journey of discovery.

Saul’s own audio recordings – including deeply personal diaries and telephone conversations with Cash – drive much of the narrative, and by mining his father’s personal archive, Jonathan realises that the cold, mean-spirited father he knew was a far more complicated beast. SM Country Canada Runtime 89 mins Original Format HD Director/Writer/ Producer Jonathan Holiff DoP Rene Ohashi Cast Johnny Cash, Saul Holiff, Jonathan Holiff

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SOUNDBREAKER WEDNESDAY 3 OCTOBER AT 8PM + FRIDAY 5 OCTOBER AT 12.45PM

This beautifully photographed documentary scratches the surface – appropriate considering its icy opening – of Finnish accordion player Kimmo Pohjonen. Pohjohnen transformed the expectations of accordion music, bending and breaking the rules that stifled him as a young man. Mixing old photographs, Pohjohnen’s recollections of his rural upbringing, concert footage and more elaborate interpretive visual ideas, director Kimmo Koskela keeps things visually alive, giving the film an occasionally wry, sometimes David Lynchian, feel.

We are given a tantalising overview of Pohjohnen’s career, from his initial frustrations with the instrument that has come to define him, a formative trip to Tanzania, being nurtured and pushed creatively by the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, towards his own efforts to keep challenging himself and mixing performance art and theatricality into his live shows.

Pohjohnen drives this documentary, it’s like stepping into his mind, and Koskela does a fantastic job of visualising his sound, be it a striking opening underwater sequence, a surreal pingpong match or a bizarre balletic sequence. A unique take on one man’s efforts to challenge the preconceived notions of what an instrument can really do. OP Country Finland Runtime 86 Original Format HD Director/DoP Kimmo Koskela Writer Kimmo Koskela with contributions by Ann Guedes, Sami Laitinen, Kimmo Pohjonen, Arne Eklund, Gernot Steinweg, Phillip Page Producers Kimmo Koskela, Klaus Heydemann Cast Kimmo Pohjonen

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SUNSET STRIP THURSDAY 27 SEPTEMBER AT 3.45PM + MONDAY 1 OCTOBER AT 8.45PM

Sunset Strip. The name alone conjures up images of decadence and excess, of drinking, partying, gambling, drug taking and illicit sex. Immortalised on both screen and vinyl, Slash ran away at six years old to The Strip; Bugsy Siegel, John Wayne, Elizabeth Taylor, and Hugh Hefner all lived there, while Kelly Osbourne lost her virginity and John Belushi and River Phoenix their lives there. It was the street of sins. And people loved it.

From humble beginnings as a dusty little road, capitalized on by a Frenchman who knew that prohibition was about to be repealed the strip climbed to the heady glory days of the ’40s and ’50s, dripping with movie stars, gangsters and hustlers. From there it turned to the sex and drugs and rock ’n’ roll lifestyles of the myriad of musicians, like The Doors, Jimi Hendrix, and Led Zeppelin, who exploded into town in the 1960s.

Here a host of famous names – including Johnny Depp, Mickey Rourke, Keanu Reeves, Ozzy & Sharon Osbourne – lineup to revere and extol the magic, nostalgia and mythology of the one and a half neon-lit mile that links Hollywood to Beverly Hills.

This is a vibrant, quick moving and eclectic piece of art, oozing with stories and to be enjoyed as a sumptuous, sensory guilty pleasure. Just like The Strip itself. JL Country USA Runtime 93 mins Original Format HD Director Hans Fjellestad Writers Hans Fjellestad, Gabriella Gross, Joe Mundo Producers Joe Mundo, Tommy Alastra, Donovan Leitch Executive Producer Matt Sorum DoP Arlene Nelson Cast Johnny Depp, Slash, Mickey Rourke, Ozzy Osbourne

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ABLUTION Country UK Runtime 8 mins Format HDCam SR Director Vicky Lawton Writer Freddy White Producers David Allain, Jess Gormley DoP Gabi Norland Cast Augustus Prew, Chantal Brown Ablution peers through the glory hole of a scummy London toilet as two people meet, but never face to face.

THE ASCENT / BALLROOM DANCER / BAD HAIR FRIDAY / BODY COMPLETE / CAN / GLORIOUS DESERTER / GOOD NIGHT MISSY / HEAVY GIRLS / INDEBTED / IVAN’S DREAM / KILL ME / LOVE ADDICT /LOVELESS ZORITSA / MY GLOBAL HOME / A NIGHT TOO YOUNG / ORANIA / THE PHANTOM FATHER / A PHILOSOPHY OF CLOSED EYES / PORTRAIT OF A ZOMBIE / PRACTICAL GUIDE TO BELGRADE WITH SINGING AND CRYING / THE SECOND EXECUTION OF ROMMEL BROOM / SHANGHAI GYPSY / STATE OF SHOCK / THIS AIN’T CALIFORNIA / VEGETARIAN CANNIBAL / ZERO KILLED

THE ASCENT SUNDAY 30 SEPTEMBER AT 8.45PM + WEDNESDAY 3 OCTOBER AT 3.15PM

What is it with writers? Haven’t they seen Misery? Jovan wants solitude in which to finish his novel so, at friend’s suggestion, he is sent to the remote countryside. He stays with a family of farmers, headed by an authoritative father, the brutish Zeko (a standout performance from Vlado Jovanovski), who are all unused to civilization. Hostile at first, they warm to Jovan when he saves Vesna’s life, and he chooses to stay a little longer, introducing them to reading, moving them with the beauty of the words. What he should have remembered is that a little knowledge is a bad thing.

Divided into days, the pace of this unsettling thriller is mellow but the underlying menace and sense of the strange build deftly throughout, accompanied by an atmospheric score that echoes the remote wilderness in which Jovan finds himself. As two worlds collide, each comes to respect the other, the family revering Jovan for his seemingly miraculous healing skills and the knowledge he imparts. However, his unwitting evangelism questions whether the impulse to educate is the right one or if nature should be left alone. This leads to devastating consequences that are all the more horrific for their wellmeaning intent. JL Country Montenegro/Slovenia Runtime 90 mins Original Format 35mm Director Nemanja Becanovic Writers Alekandar Becanovic, Nemanja Becanovic Producers Ivan Djurovic, Sehad Cekic DoP Jere Verovsek Cast Vlado Jovanovski, Amar Selimovic, Inti Sraj

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TABOULEH Country Spain Runtime 4 mins Original Format HDV Director/ Writer/Producer Richard Garcia DoP Jesus Ubera Cast Jorge Calvo, Jose Martret A story about secret codes

BAD HAIR FRIDAY FRIDAY 5 OCTOBER AT 9OM + SUNDAY 7 OCTOBER AT 3PM

This Estonian film involves the interweaving stories of eight vastly different groups over the course of about twenty-four hours. The wide range of characters includes the Nietzsche quoting henchman and spoiled, misogynistic son of a wealthy and powerful criminal. Drug addicts are losing touch with reality while a trio of ordinary men tries to simply have a fun Friday night out at the club. Sex and extreme violence are rampant as the characters make terrible decisions that snowball into a darkly comedic and dramatic chain of events.

For most of the film, we’re laughing at the hilarious antics of these bizarre characters and the film never ceases to recognize the spectacle that it represents, inserting comedy into the darkest of moments. However, the third act contains powerful visuals and a disturbing scene reminiscent of A Clockwork Orange that takes the film into darker territory.

Out of the chaotic, surreal, and bloody mess we see the horrible repercussions of the characters’ actions and the filmmakers’ skill is used to bring an odd sense of satisfaction to the whole endeavour. Eagle-eyed viewers will spot Estonia’s Eurovision singer Ott Lepland amongst the cast. SC

TWISTED Country Germany Runtime 3 mins Original Format Arri Alexa Director/ Writer Norbert Keil Producer Judith Westermann DoP Kaspar Kaven Cast Philipp Moschitz, Lilly Forgách A twisted short film about two lovers in for a big surprise.

Country Estonia Runtime 100 mins Directors Andres Kõpper, Arun Tamm Writers Andres Poom, Liisi Rohumäe, Birk Rohelend, Martin Algus Producer Andres Poom DoP Martin Randalu Cast Mart Müürisepp, Hasan Steinberg, Ivo Uukkivi

20TH RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL

99

BALLROOM DANCER MONDAY 1 OCTOBER AT 6PM + WEDNESDAY 3 OCTOBER AT 3PM

Sports are considered some of the hardest activities a human being can undertake. But where is dance placed within this spectrum of boundary-breaking performance? Ballroom Dancer is a stylish documentary following the celebrated Russian artiste Slavik Kryklyvyy on a journey to reinstate his former position of glory. Kryklyvyy retired from the professional ballroom circuit some years back due to injury, but the film captures him gambling on a return with a new, yet already long-suffering partner Anna Melnikova, The ballroom calendar seems similar to that of pro tennis i.e. relentless travel and training, interspersed with regular competitions. The high octane environment soon takes its toll on the couple and suggests that business and pleasure are best kept as separate as possible. The footage shows what really goes into the upkeep of dancers performing at such a level, and how different kinds of people can be attracted to the art form. Both dancers are innately gifted, but choose to approach their craft in opposing ways – hence the volatile, and at times destructive relationship. An intimate film that communicates the real tribulations of an artist’s existence, as opposed to the usual adoration and sequins combo. MP Country Denmark Runtime 80 mins Original Format HD Directors/Writers/ DoP Christian Bonke, Andreas Koefoed Producers Jakob Jønck, Sigrid Dyekjær Cast Slavik Kryklyvyy, Anna Melnikova

100 20TH RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL

BODY COMPLETE SUNDAY 7 OCTOBER AT 5.15PM

When Edina Julic, a young woman from Vienna, disappears during a trip to her dead father’s village in what was once Bosnia-Herzegovina and is now Serbia, Nicole, a journalist, senses that a tragic story is repeating itself and journeys to Morovci to investigate. What she finds is that although the war on the Balkans may long be over, the aftereffects of the ethnic conflict certainly are not. Her questions about Edina are met with stony, hostile silences from villagers or outright denial from the both megalomanic and creepily threatening major who claims that no family by the name of Julic was ever registered in the town and that they therefore do not exist. Although she is clearly not wanted there, Nicole digs deeper to find out the truth.

Lukas Sturm’s political thriller with an international cast (including German actress Asli Bayram in the lead role) involved three years of intensive research into the recent history of the region and delivers a frightening reminder that the signing of peace agreements does not equal the end of a conflict and that many wounds remain fresh. Indeed, it was during the making of Body Complete that Ratko Mladic, one of the generals responsible for the mass murder of at least 6000 Bosnian civilians, was finally caught. MP

JOYRIDE Country Norway Runtime 8 mins Original Format Red One Director/ Writer Shaun Higton Producer Andrew Higton, Espen Zubi, Chris Seegel DoP Hans Kristian Riise, Petter Holmern Halvorsen Cast Gunnar Brøntveit, Kristina Knaben Hennestad A desperate robber on the run must decide whether it is easier to fight his girlfriend or the cops.

Country Austria Runtime 85 mins Original Format HDC Director/Writer Lukas Sturm Producer Robert Hofferer DoP Sahin Sisic Cast Asli Bayram, Senad Basic, Adnan Haskovic

20TH RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL 101

CAN THURSDAY 4 OCTOBER AT 6PM + SATURDAY 6 OCTOBER AT 3.30PM

It is an adoption that should have never happened: unable to father children, Cemal feels his manhood threatened and, stuffing pillows down her shirt, persuades his wife Ayse to fake a pregnancy. Several months later they produce Can, a newborn purchased from another family, and present the perfect family to the outside world. Behind the masquerade however the couple has become increasingly distant. While Cemal adores the little boy, Ayse, too deeply troubled by the game of pretense, is unable to love him. Things get even worse when Cemal disappears without a word one day, leaving Ayse without money, friends or family to care for a child she never wanted.

After the multiple award winner Three Apples Fell from the Sky (2008), Can is the second feature-length film offering from playwright and director of several shorts Rasit Celikezer. Can was the first Turkish film to screen in the World Dramatic competition at Sundance and won the World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Prize for Artistic vision. Honouring the tradition of Yesilcam – the golden age of Turkish cinema – it is a deeply felt drama which lays bare the suffering and sorrows of a few individuals caught up in an unfortunate but essentially inescapable situation. MP Country Turkey Runtime 105 mins Original Format 35mm Director/Writer/ Producer Rasit Çelikezer DoP Ali Özel Cast Selen Uçer, Serdar Orcin, Berkan Demirbag, Erkan Avci

102 20TH RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL

GLOBAL HOME FRIDAY 5 OCTOBER AT 8.15PM

Berlin film graduate Eva Stoltz wanted to travel the world, gain a first hand understanding of international politics and make new friends. She found all that and more through an internet phenomenon that has emerged over the last few years – couch surfing. This low budget method of travel is often billed as a way to see not just the world but its inhabitants in action Eva packed up her camera and traded in the virtual world for the real one by heading out into the homes of complete strangers. Her adventures begin in Mali where she shares with a musical Touareg. She also spends time with an ecologist in the Palestinian West Bank, stays in Turkey with a dance fanatic and downtown Tokyo with a wildlife enthusiast and her dogs, before ending up in San Francisco at the office of Casey Fenton, founder of couchsurfing.org, having spent five weeks in each location.

The great thing about he best travel documentaries is that the viewer feels they’re experiencing these places firsthand.

We’re exposed to everything from the sweeping shots of the Left Bank to the lush landscapes of Mali, in addition to meeting the generous people she stays with along the way. It’s a vibrant, personalized way to see our global home. SB

15 METRES Country Mexico Runtime 4 mins Original Format HDV Director/ Writer/Producer Alan Romero Zavala DoP Tito Rodriguez 15 metres and an abyss. In Haiti, there are only 15 metres between wealth and poverty. Between abundance and need.

There are only 15 metres between two worlds.

Country Germany Runtime 92 mins Original Format HD Director/Writer/DoP Eva Stotz Producers Annedore von Donop, Karsten Aurich Cast Casey Fenton, Alice Gray, Mamatal Ag Dahmane

20TH RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL 103

GLORIOUS DESERTER FRIDAY 28 SEPTEMBER AT 4PM + TUESDAY 2 OCTOBER AT 6PM

Taking a look behind the stereotype of the blond-haired, blueeyed Nazi soldier, Glorious Deserter studies a collection of brave young Austrians, men who chose to champion their own beliefs rather taking orders from the Third Reich’s war machine.

Linked once by their acts of desertion and now by circumstance, the men try to forge normal lives in post-war Austria but find their paths strewn with disillusionment, guilt, estrangement and painful recollection. Some of them have their wives, others have religion to support and help them move on but for many things can never be quite the same again.

In an unconventional twist, Glorious Deserter is written almost entirely in direct address to the audience, and shot like a contemporary documentary; each of the characters have their part of the film, and although their narrative is fluid you can’t help but feel as if there’s someone just behind the camera, asking questions. If there were, that ‘someone’ would be Gabriele Neudecker: producer, writer, director and editor of Glorious Deserter, a veteran of three short films taking her first step into the world of features – and finding she can stand. OK Country Austria Runtime 80 mins Original Format HD Director/Writer Gabriele Neudecker Producers Gabriele Neudecker, Stefan Neudecker DoP Stefan Aglassinger, Gabriele Neudecker Cast Alexander Kortoletzky, Markus Klampfer, Peter Neudecker jr

104 20TH RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL

A HOUSE, A HOME Country USA Runtime 7 mins Original Format ProRes Director Daniel Fickle Writers Daniel Fickle, Mark Smith, Adam Shearer, Adam Selzer Producers Mark Smith, Courtney Eck, James Strayer DoP Reijean Heringlake Cast Meredith Adelaide, Calvin Morie McCarthy A love, a death and another death, are reconciled in a subterranean world.

GOOD NIGHT MISSY THURSDAY 4 OCTOBER AT 1.15PM + SATURDAY 6 OCTOBER AT 8.30PM

Every once in a while, there comes along a film so heartwarmingly beautiful that you just don’t want the credits to roll.

Good Night Missy, a Slovenian/Croatian feature written and directed by Metod Pevec, is just such a film.

Hana is an interior designer living with her architect husband Samo and daughter Anja – the definitive successful middleclass family for whom everything seems to be going ‘to plan.’

Her world begins to fall apart, however, when she discovers her husband’s affair. She strives to find some kind of happiness while trying to protect her daughter from the messy, confusing process of divorce.

Metod Pevec writes an extraordinarily touching film of heartbreak, keeping brave and the little things that bring a smile to your face. Punctuated by some intriguingly poignant clips of animation to compliment Anja’s bed-time stories, the film is a masterpiece of character work and storytelling. The talented Polona Juh gives an exceptional performance as Hana, backedup by two more great displays from Jernej Sugman as Samo and Mila Furst as Anja, who all together create the most completely believable and utterly devastating image of a family in the throes of disaster. Do not miss this. OK

THE FOX Country UK Runtime 4 mins Dir/ Writer Tony Burke Producers Tony Burke, Daniella Steadman DoP Richard Lonsdale Cast Lin Clifton A lonely God-fearing spinster is woken by the mating calls of foxes in her garden and decides to join them.

Country Slovenia Runtime 96 mins Original Format 35mm Director/Writer Metod Pevec Producers Danijel Hocevar, Anita Juka DoP Sven Pepeonik Cast Polona Juh, Jernej Sugman, Mila Furst

20TH RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL 105

HEAVY GIRLS SUNDAY 30 SEPTEMBER AT 1PM + SUNDAY 7 OCTOBER AT 3PM

When a film opens with a man and woman sharing a bed and these turn out to be grown-up child and elderly parent, you know you have something atypical on your hands. Sven is perhaps forty, dances – beer-bellied and butt-naked – to classical music and still lives with his mum. Edeltraut is white-haired and wrinkly and also likes dancing, but more of the traditional kind. As she suffers from dementia, Daniel, her carer, comes around every day. Sven likes Daniel, but Daniel is happily married. Or so it seems until Edeltraut runs off one day and the two men venture out to find her – and each other.

It’s a sort of mid-life crisis with various twists and turns that might make you love or hate the highly flawed but ultimately very real characters. Whichever it is, it can’t be denied that Heavy Girls embodies pure indie spirit. Dialogue improvisation instead of a fixed script and the handheld camera generate the story’s refreshing realism. With a budget of 517.32 euros, the film had literally no crew and starred the director’s own grandmother in her superb first film role, all a testament to the fact that the films we are passionate about will get made. MP Country Germany Runtime 76 mins Original Format Mini-DV Director/DoP Axel Ranisch Writers Peter Trabner, Axel Ranisch, Heiko Pinkowski Producers Anne Baeker, Dennis Pauls, Axel Ranisch, Heiko Pinkowski Cast Ruth Bickelhaupt, Peter Trabner, Heiko Pinkowski

106 20TH RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL

ONCE AND FOR ALL Country UK Runtime 8 mins Format Arri Alexa Director/Writer Ben Strebel Producer Alice Lusher DoP Benjamin Kracun Cast Dudley Sutton, Ann Queensberry, Catherine Steadman Inspired by the song Once And For All by hotly tipped new British act, Clock Opera, this short film evokes a sense of personal change and challenge – an individual’s moment of inspiration to pluck up the courage to do something potentially life-changing. We explore the dynamic between an elderly couple whose attempts to court each other are ultimately met with tragedy.

INDEBTED SATURDAY 29 SEPTEMBER AT 8PM + TUESDAY 2 OCTOBER AT 3.15PM

A tale of the lengths people will go for money, not out of greed, but out of fear. Indebted is the bleak tale of Elli (Heidi Linden), a biology student with mounting bills, currently working two jobs but still struggling to make ends meet. When a one night stand misunderstands the nature of their encounter and leaves her 300 euros she succumbs to the idea of prostitution.

Meanwhile, Iris (Kristina Puukko) is part of a team of brutal debt collectors. With a deadline looming to collect on a long list of debtors, she finds herself drawn to her colleague Andrei after a near fatal encounter. By coincidence, Andrei meets Elli and the two hit it off, starting to plan a future away from the world of spiralling debt that consumes them.

In his debut feature Marton Jelinko turns the screws, with the inevitable collision of the two women and their two worlds propelling the film towards its conclusion. A grimy mix of sex and violence, Indebted is also a meditation on the debts we pay both literal and emotional. It is an unflinching and topical picture that takes our worst, financial fears to their darkest of extremes.

Headed by two compelling and raw performances from the leads, this thriller takes some unexpected twists on its course towards its grim, explosive denouement. OP Country Finland Runtime 94 mins Original Format HDV Director/Producer Márton Jelinkó Writers Eira Virekoski, Márton Jelinkó DoP Heini Mäntylä Cast Kristiina Puukko, Heidi Lindén, Juha-Tapio Arola

20TH RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL 107

IVAN’S DREAM THURSDAY 27 SEPTEMBER AT 3.30PM + SUNDAY 30 SEPTEMBER AT 4PM

Ten-year-old Ivan is crazy about Paula, the most beautiful girl in his class. The only thing he loves more than Paula is football, and when a global kids-vs-pros charity match is organised to raise money for a natural disaster, he tries out to represent his native Spain against the best players on the planet.

Impressing the roguish coach Torres with his mature attitude and team ethos, Ivan gets the call and flies to Mexico to train for the game of his life. However the volatile Torres becomes increasingly erratic as he struggles to get over his ex-wife and with the class bully and love rival Morrenilla also picked, Ivan must fight for Paula’s affections.

This is a light and comedic family film which pitches a sweet story of blossoming young love against an event of epic proportions. The story is uplifting and unashamedly optimistic but some real magic is saved for the finale as the big match arrives. The filmmakers displaying an impressive technical proficiency to envisage the grand scale of the event, conjuring a stadium of thousands with seamless CGI as young Ivan takes the stage to realise his dream. SE Country Spain/Mexico/Colombia Runtime 101 mins Original Format HD Director Roberto Santiago Writers Roberto Santiago, Pablo Fernandez Producers Gerardo Herrero, Mariela Besuievsky DoP Joan Benet Cast Oscar Casas, Demian Bichir, Ana Claudia Talancon

108 20TH RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL

PRETTY THINGS Country UK Runtime 7 mins Original Format HD Director/Writer/ Producer Carlo Ortu DoP Andrew Fleming Cast Bill Thomas, Chris Bearne, Alicia Gray A lonely man goes to extreme lengths to get a hug from his granddaughter.

KILL ME WEDNESDAY 3 OCTOBER AT 5.30PM + FRIDAY 5 OCTOBER AT 3.15PM

When suicidal teen Adele meets escaped murderer Timo she blackmails him into doing what she has been too scared to do alone: end her life. As they flee her parents’ farm and journey through the French/German forest together they bond; releasing aggression and discovering hidden truths about each other. Timo begins to find comfort in Adele’s presence, but at the cost of jeopardising his plans.

This is the third feature film by Franco-Iranian writer-director Emily Atef, who has been supported by a Cannes Cinéfondation scholarship. A compelling and engaging story of loss and companionship, Kill Me has a simple yet effective plot with a tight, emotive structure. As the story unfolds it challenges preconceived perceptions of innocent victims and guilty perpetrators in its bold treatment of a hostage situation.

Dragus’ performance as head-strong Adele is tense as her powerful personality dominates Timo, who emits and evokes more wildly swinging emotions. Complementing the pair’s acting are the magnificent forests and landscapes they move through, captured beautifully by Kuthy’s lens. Tense, moody and uneasy Kill Me hooks the audience in. And of course the question hangs over the film – will Timo keep his end of the bargain? MG

82 Country UK Runtime 6 mins Format HD Director Calum Macdiarmid Writer Alexei Slater Producers Alexei Slater, Jessica Turner DoP Andrew Boulter Cast Nick Moran A postman lets us into his dark world in quiet suburbia.

Country Germany, France, Switzerland Runtime 90 mins Original Format 35mm Directors Emily Atef, Esther Bernstorff Writer Emily Atef Producers Niko Film, Wüste Film West, Ciné-Sud Promotio, Vandertastic, Hugo Film DoP Stéphane Kuthy Cast Maria Victoria Dragus, Roeland Wiesnekker, Wolfram Koch

20TH RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL 109

LOVE ADDICT SUNDAY 7 OCTOBER AT 2.15PM

Grønkjær’s documentary offers a glimpse into the lives of people obsessed with love, probing into the minds and souls of several addicts. There are, among others, Eliza, a textbook stalker that considers herself simply a ‘documenter;’ Christian (41, two sons), who has just begun a long distance relationship with a woman he met once or twice; Tracy (38, three kids), who has broken up with the emotionally abusive McKell (23, unemployed) multiple times in a year; and Adelaide (an actress), who became suicidal after her boyfriend disappeared on her one day. Some of them are in denial, others are keenly aware of their self-destructive behaviour and know that they are using a person to fill a void in their lives. Most, however, are stuck somewhere in between in a seemingly inescapable cycle of love addiction.

Don’t expect answers from Love Addict: it provides none.

The film is a raw and honest portrait that never glosses over the ugly details or pretends that easy solutions exist. It presents its subjects as they are, letting the addicts do the talking themselves. Mixing real-life interviews, the re-enacted story of one love addict and a symbolic perfect prince/princess tale that threads through the documentary, Love Addict is always intimate and sometimes intensely uncomfortable. MP Country Denmark Runtime 82 mins Original Format HD-Cam Director/ Writer/DoP Pernille Rose Grønkjær Producer Sigrid Dyekjær

110

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LOVELESS ZORITSA FRIDAY 28 SEPTEMBER AT 5.45PM + MONDAY 1 OCTOBER AT 3.15PM

Ever since Zoritsa was born moustacheless into her family of moustached females there has been a curse on her. Any man that is unlucky enough to fall in love with her (and there are many, as the beautiful woman attracts men like honey does flies) is doomed to suffer a terrible fate. Those that don’t end up dead lie in a permanent coma with zero hope for recovery. But it’s not an easy life for Zoritsa either: hunted by the shotguncarrying villagers whose sons she has taken to the underworld, she has to live in hiding.

Fed up with her loveless life on the run, Zoritsa sets about lifting the curse, returning to the village on the Day of the Dead, twenty years after her first victim’s demise.

Set in a rural Balkan village where superstition still rules life and the impossible still happens every day, Christina Hadjicharalambous and Radoslav Pavkovic present their first full-length feature film in the form of a black fairytale with plenty of comedy moments. Released in Serbia in March 2012, the film is a co-production between the country as well as Poland, Cyprus and Greece and having its international premiere at Raindance. MP Country Serbia/Poland/Cyprus/Greece Runtime 80 mins Original Format Red Directors Radoslav Pavkovic, Christina Hadjicharalambous Writers Goran Mojsin, Christina Hadjicharalambous Producers Radoslav Pavkovic, Marta Laryssa Plucinska, Pawel Plucinski, Panos Karabinis, Panagiotis Kalakos DoP Vladan Jankovic Cast Branislav Trifunovic, Ljuma Penov, Mirijana Karanovic

20TH RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL

111

A NIGHT TOO YOUNG WEDNESDAY 3 OCTOBER AT 8.15PM + THURSDAY 4 OCTOBER AT 12.45PM

Two unnamed young boys are approached by their teacher, Katerina and her two male friends and cajoled into buying a bottle of vodka for a New Year’s party at Katerina’s house. When they arrive with the goods, they get invited in and an awkward, tense atmosphere begins to build as both adults and children indulge in vodka and cigarettes. The adults get more and more unpleasant and sexual with each other, their bleak and disloyal relationships unraveling before the children’s eyes as they watch quietly from corners of the room. How long can they stay there?

What will they witness? And where will it lead them?

Olmo Omerzu, up-and-coming director and co-writer of this featurette, manages to find a great tension ‘biting-point’ throughout the film, keeping us on edge with the constant fear that something awful is going to transpire. Some fantastically mature child acting from Voltech Machuta and Jan Vasi helps this bleak, foreboding feeling along, as do sporadic – but deceptively realistic – dream sequences which hold us just offbalance enough to endow the film with a dream-like quality. We can’t help but feel that we experience the film as our underage heroes experience their hazy, sometimes fun, sometimes threatening night – an intriguing feat of storytelling OK Country Czech Republic / Slovenia Runtime 65 mins Original Format Super 16mm Director Olmo Omerzu Writers Bruno Hájek, Jakub Felcman, Olmo Omerzu Producer Jirí Konecný DoP Lukáš Milota Cast Martin Pechlát, Jirí Cerný, Natálie Rehorová

112

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HOME Country New Zealand Runtime 11 mins Original Format HD Director Thomas Gleeson Producers Thomas Gleeson, Pip Walls DoP Max Bellamy We often think of houses as solid, strong, permanent things. In fact they can be weak, fragile and as this film shows, mobile. What is that makes a house a home? What gives it its strength?

ORANIA FRIDAY 28 SEPTEMBER AT 6.30PM + TUESDAY 2 OCTOBER AT 12.45PM

It’s easy to come to Orania with a whole heap of preconceptions.

A documentary about the eponymous town founded in 1991 only for Afrikaners – white South Africans descended from the original Dutch settlers – it’s unsurprising that the place has garnered such a negative image within the postApartheid nation. It would be easy to play on the town’s obvious eccentricities and portray it as a kind of South African Royston Vasey, but rather than ridicule his subjects Tobias Lindner’s frankly stunning documentary sets out to get to know them better. Taking a Verite approach Lindner’s camera quietly observes a broad selection of the town’s inhabitants as they go about their business, and so intimate is our access to this unusual community that we almost feel a part of it by the end.

The film ultimately reveals not so much a community of bigots (even the most traditional and right wing of inhabitants are shown to have a human side), but a people merely trying to keep their culture alive. It’s refreshing to see a documentary that doesn’t have an axe to grind, but even more so it’s good to leave the cinema feeling as though your prejudices have been challenged in a very unexpected way. Surely that is the best result a documentary can hope for? DB Country Germany Runtime 94 mins Original Format HD Director/Writer/DoP Tobias Lindner Producers Tobias Lindner, Sacha Supastrapong

20TH RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL

113

THE PHANTOM FATHER FRIDAY 5 OCTOBER AT 1.30PM + SUNDAY 7 OCTOBER AT 4.45PM

Robert Traum is a descendant of immigrants to Czechoslovakia and Professor at a stuffy university. In a controversial decision, he leaves his life behind in favour of the ‘old country’ – Romania – a place he’s never been but to which he feels a deep connection. It is there he meets the intriguing Tanya, and the attraction between them fizzles with tension as they both journey in search of Sami – Robert’s father’s childhood friend and the only person who can tell the history behind the Traum family name. Things are not as simple as they seem, however, and a local gang run by the Mayor have their own reasons why these people should be kept apart.

Lucian Georgescu’s film-directing debut is a stimulating story of belonging, expectations and dodgy local politicians.

The Phantom Father boasts a great script, a funky soundtrack and some impressive cinematography and editing; the director commenting on the aspiration to modernisation as beautiful shots of the Romanian landscape give way to ones of abandoned ’70s era industrial buildings. Georgescu keeps things fresh with amusing dream sequences and direct references to the audience, ensuring an attention-grabbing and highly entertaining, as well as thoroughly intelligent, film. OK Country Romania Runtime 90 mins Director Lucian Georgescu Writers Lucian Georgescu, Barry Gifford Producers Lucian Georgescu, Joachim Von Vietinghoff DoP Liviu Marghidan Cast Marcel Iures, Mihaela Sirbu, Valer Dellakeza

114

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TUMBLEWEED! Country USA Runtime 7 mins Original Format Red Director/ Writer Jared Varava Producers Matt Goldberg, Sebastian Bauer, The Varava Brothers DoP Damian Acedevo The true and historically accurate tale of one tumbleweed that did not tumble.

A PHILOSOPHY OF CLOSED EYES THURSDAY 4 OCTOBER AT 5.45PM

Sacha Kullberg’s appropriately titled film tackles a subject matter that is usually kept behind closed doors: what happens to the body after death. It is, as she explains, a large subject that highlights contemporary themes such as ecological responsibility, the artisan and worries about overpopulation.

Kullberg investigates her theme in the three countries she lives between: Great Britain, France and The Netherlands, following different people in their professions. We meet the curator of an exhibition about death, coffin makers, a family living on a natural burial site, as well as various gravediggers and cremators. Without directly interviewing her subjects, Kullberg lets them gradually reveal their roles in the funerary process and divulge their thoughts on it.

There are interludes within the film where Kullberg tells us of her favourite quotations from her research. These are often spoken over a series of sometimes plain and seemingly unrelated images but the pauses themselves let one absorb the subject and bring a poetic edge to the film.

This documentary is notable in that it offers discourse on a subject that often goes without any, and not only raises questions that many may not have thought about before, but also offers some answers. CO

LEGACY Country Germany Runtime 4 mins Original Format HD Director/Writer Bryn Chainey Producer Paul Ohmert DoP Anselm Belser, Cate Smierciak Cast Lea & Aline Kolditz Legacy chronicles the loss of a beloved pet mouse and a young girl’s fascination for death and eclectic funerals. Set against the lush, horn infused melodies of the four minute (and some spare change) track, the video explores cultural ceremonies ranging from a customary Japanese funeral to a space burial.

Country Belgium Runtime 68 mins Original Format HD Director/Writer Sacha Kullberg Producer Rosa Spaliviero DoP Frédéric Noirhomme

20TH RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL

115

PORTRAIT OF A ZOMBIE SATURDAY 6 OCTOBER AT 8.45PM

Portrait of a Zombie is a dark and hilarious mockumentary following the Murphy family, who face social isolation having made the decision to care for their undead son Billy, keeping him ‘safe’ inside a bedroom in a straightjacket and muzzle. This is the second feature from director Bing Bailey, co-written and produced by wife Laura Morand-Bailey.

The Irish community reveal their fears and hostilities to camera in a number of interviews filmed by the bickering crew (who are led by a pompous, opportunistic director). As an Irish Vegetarian Society member says, ‘People are always making fun of vegetarians. You’re all for eating meat, except when you’re the meat. It’s not so fucking funny then, is it?’ Meanwhile, Billy’s pregnant girlfriend still hopes the Catholic Church will allow her to marry the father of her unborn child.

Despite the humour this is not one for the faint-hearted: there are a couple of scenes designed to please the genre fans.

Portrait of Zombie however, is no bargain-bucket genre flick, it is a smart, well-crafted film, the effectiveness of which relies as much on social commentary and believable dialogue as it does on blood and gore. KB Country Ireland Runtime 87 mins Original Format Red 4k Director Bing Bailey Writers/Producers Bing Bailey, Laura Morand Bailey DoP Clayton Haskell Cast Patrick Murphy, Geraldine McAlinden, Rory Mullen

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CHOMP! Country UK Runtime 4 mins Original Format Digital Director/Writer Adam & Joe Horton Producer Russell Noon DoP Sara Deane Cast Marc Pickering, Georgina Strawson, James Dean An unusual courtship that explores the fine line between love and zombie cannibalism.

PRACTICAL GUIDE TO BELGRADE WITH SINGING AND CRYING SATURDAY 6 OCTOBER AT 6.15PM

Director/co-writer Bolan Vuletic clearly has something to say about Belgrade, Serbia. His comments are not, however, on the architecture, atmosphere or even particularly the history of the city, but rather on the relationships between people that seem to him to typify Serbia’s capital.

The film is split into four stand-alone segments, each following a different dysfunctional relationship as a series of characters collide, resulting in passionate, angry and oftentimes humorous affairs. From the manic diva with a heavy secret to the submissive American chef pretending to be a diplomat, this film’s characters give it the scope to explore broken promises, disillusionment, emotional and physical control and the eternal stand-off between the sexes in an intriguing, light-hearted way which also tells us something about the violence inherent in fixing broken things.

Practical Guide To Belgrade With Singing And Crying features some fantastic performances from Julie Gayet and Marko Janketic, as well as smart cinematography by Stankovic and an entertaining musical score from Rastko Colic. A comic and emotionally charged romp with a distinctive 4 part structure, this is Balkan cinema as you probably don’t expect it. OK Country Serbia, Germany, France Runtime 87 mins Original Format HDCam Director Bojan Vuletic Writers Bojan Vuletic, Stefan Arsenijevic Producers Miroslav Mogorovic, Oliver Roepke, Jean des Forets DoP Jelena Stankovic Cast Jean Marc Barr, Julie Gayet, Baki Davrak

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117

THE SECOND EXECUTION OF ROMELL BROOM SUNDAY 30 SEPTEMBER AT 8.15PM

Convicted in 1985 for the murder and rape of a 14-year-old girl, Romell Broom remained accused – though the DNA evidence many years later was inconclusive. In 2009, his attempted execution via injected poison lasted nearly two hours with no success. With the event labelled as a ‘cruel and unusual punishment’ and with doubts arising in the light of postconvictive evidence, the debacle has sparked a major debate about the morality of execution and its conviction process.

This fascinating documentary interviews those involved in Romell Broom’s case, from victims’ family members to his own and the many officials who have worked on his case for almost thirty years. Directed by Verhoeven and co-written with Luise Lindermair, the film structures its content to gradually reveal the events before and after the shocking execution attempt.

A balanced view is maintained throughout, painting a picture of a potentially innocent Romell.

Heartfelt accounts will shock and – surprisingly – inspire you, as you take in the mother of another murdered girl’s story of courage and forgiveness. Will Broom be subjected to a second execution attempt, or will Ohio’s lethal injection procedure be prohibited? Only time will tell. MG Country Germany Runtime 90 mins Original Format DVCProHD Director Michael Verhoeven Writers Luise Lindermair, Michael Verhoeven Producers Michael Verhoeven, Sentana Filmproduktion GmbH DoP Wayne Sells, Joseph McCarthy, Thomas Merker Cast Adele Shank, Yvonne Pointer, Kreig Brusnahan

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FIVE FRAGMENTS OF THE EXTINCT EMPATHY Country Finland Runtime 7 mins Format 16mm Director/Writer Anna Nykyri Producer Joonas Berghäll DoP Heikki Färm Cast Maija Nurmio In recent years, human rights organisations have repeatedly criticized the Nordic countries, Finland in particular, for their unwieldy response to violence against women. A film about the lack of empathy for and violence against women in Finland.

SHANGHAI GYPSY TUESDAY 2 OCTOBER AT 8PM

A gorgeous feast of a film, Shanghai Gypsy spans four generations of the Mirga family in a big, sweeping drama reminiscent of The Godfather no less. Belmondo becomes the self-styled King of the Gypsies when he establishes a new village, which he calls Shanghai. With the help of the local jovial policeman, he rules firmly but fairly, creating a happy place for both his family and the villagers. He supplements his income by smuggling the odd innocuous item across the border but when Yugoslavian President Tito dies and the threat of civil war looms, the stakes are raised as the illegal arms trade promises far greater rewards – and much higher risks.

Family and happiness are what matter as each successive son pursues his own path, but will they lose sight of that?

Based on the novel ‘The Untouchables’ by Slovenian writer Feri Lanscek, with a charismatic performance from Visar Vishka as Belmondo, the conflict between appreciating idyllic, simple pleasures and the pursuit of greater, ill-gotten wealth and power is compelling. Coupled with sumptuous cinematography and a soundtrack featuring flamboyant live performances by Balkan gypsies within the narrative of the film, Shanghai Gypsy sets the pulses racing and ignites a passion for life. JL Country Slovenia Runtime 124 mins Original Format Cinemascope Director/ Writer Marko Naberšnik Producer Franci Zajc Cast Visar Vishka, Asli Bayram

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THE STATE OF SHOCK FRIDAY 28 SEPTEMBER AT 3.30PM + SUNDAY 30 SEPTEMBER AT 5.45PM

Starting off in a propaganda-like workers’ utopia, we meet Peter and Marica, a husband and wife striving for the simple pleasures of life in communist Yugoslavia. On national Labourers’ Day, Peter wins the Worker of the Year award, which gives him a new flat as well as prestige within his community. Overcome with joy, he goes into a deep catatonic state of shock, coming back to life 10 years later to find a world radically different from before – Marica has left him for his best friend Jovo, Slovenia has split form Yugoslavia and capitalism rules supreme over the repressed workers. Can Peter navigate his way through this new and convoluted world, or is he doomed to life in an institution?

Writer Andrej Kosak brings us a wonderful script, using Peter’s supposedly backwards, communist ideals to shine a thoughtful light on our modern society and economy. The variety of choice available to mindless consumers bewilders Peter, while banks keeping his money seems to him absurd – as he says, ‘If there’s anything that’s crazy around here, it’s society, not me!’.

Martin Marion gives a terrifically charismatic, child-like, funny and sometimes heartbreaking performance as Peter, with Urska Hlebec also giving a great performance as Marica, his stoic, unfortunate wife. OK Country Slovenia Runtime 96 mins Original Format 35mm Director/Writer Andrej Kosak Producer Danijel Hocevar DoP Slobodan Trninic Cast Martin Marion, Urska Hlebec, Nikola Kojo

120 20TH RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL

THIS AIN’T CALIFORNIA THURSDAY 27 SEPTEMBER AT 9PM

You won’t look at skateboarding or Germany quite the same way again after This Ain’t California. Part tribute to the life story of an individual, part recollection of the country’s divided East/ West past through the lens of the skateboarding subculture, the documentary starts with the childhood days of Denis ‘Panik’ Panicek. Denis escapes his father’s authoritarian swim training by jumping out of a window located on the 6th floor – or so the legend goes. He befriends Dirk and Nico, who are whizzing about on homemade skateboards, and joins in. Three decades later, Denis is dead, killed while serving in Afghanistan. In between lie years of rebellion, self-realisation and liberation as This Ain’t California relates a deeply personal story that simultaneously reveals a very different side of the German Democratic Republic.

Marten Persiel combines original film material from the ’80s (obtained from the skaters themselves), animated sequences in black and white and present day recordings of the protagonists.

Masterly cinematography and music evocative of another era hint at the director’s diverse pedigree, encompassing everything from feature films to music clips to commercials. A fresh, intimate and dazzling doc to watch more than once. MP Country Germany Runtime 90 mins Director Marten Persiel Writers Marten Persiel, Ira Wedel Producers Michael Schöbel, Ronald Vietz DoP Felix Leiberg

20TH RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL 121

VEGETARIAN CANNIBAL SATURDAY 29 SEPTEMBER AT 1PM + SATURDAY 6 OCTOBER AT 9PM

The paradox in the film’s title isn’t there for nothing. Danko Babic, a gynaecologist at a top Croatian fertility clinic, may not eat animals but consumes humans. Not literally of course: it is just that Babic is so ruthlessly ambitious that he will let nothing stand in his way. He performs illegal abortions on prostitutes to afford himself a comfortable lifestyle, publicly humiliates female colleagues who reject his advances and is happy to falsify test results to get the department’s head doctor out of the way for his own promotion – even if that nearly costs the life of a patient. There are many casualties along the way as the morally monstrous Babic seems to balk at nothing.

Vegetarian Cannibal is a study of a reprehensible character, but also a dissection of a society which joins in on the game: the adulterous friend that has his mistress undergo a forced abortion, Babic’s policeman buddy that covers for his crimes and nurses that open their legs and close their eyes to any aberrations in the doctor’s office. Winning five awards at Croatia’s Pula Film Festival, the jury described Vegetarian Cannibal as ‘a cruel film commentary of our present times cutting into the sick social tissue where there are truly no boundaries between respectable citizens and social scum.’ MP Country Croatia Runtime 84 mins Original Format Arri Alexa Director/Writer Branko Schmidt Producer Stanislav Babic DoP Dragan Ruljancic Cast Rene Bitorajac, Zrinka Cvitešic, Leon Lucev

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EPISODE Country UK Runtime 6 mins Director/Writer/Producer/DoP Gareth Morgan Cast Stephen Brown, Olwen Davies, Edel Nolan ‘These are some damn fine smokes Ramona, not a brand I’m familiar, but they are reasonably priced… then you never were much of a smoker.’

ZERO KILLED FRIDAY 28 SEPTEMBER AT 1.30PM + SUNDAY 30 SEPTEMBER AT 1.15PM

Since 1996 Michal Kosakowski has been asking people, from all walks of life, about their murder fantasies, turning their dark confessions into short films on the condition that his subjects act in them, allowing them to live out their fantasies. This film brings those shorts together with interviews from his ‘murderers’ and ‘victims.’

There’s something for everyone in the grim realisations of their homicidal daydreams, some are darkly comic, some brutal and drab; there’s torture, poisoning, assassination, even a philosophical suicide. Kosakowski has succeeded, often eerily so, in creating depictions of murder that teeter perilously between fantasy and snuff.

Kosakowki interviews his subjects about their fantasies and we hear from a farmer musing about the character required to kill a sheep, something he has to do on a daily basis, to a soldier pondering the justification for their actions, or the seemingly universal desire for murderous revenge if someone harmed your children. A strangely playful film, this is in turns a riveting, wince-inducing succession of nightmare scenarios and at once an arch, wry look at the cruellest fantasies that ordinary people harbour. OP

THE THINGS WE DO Country UK Runtime 5 mins Format Red Epic 5k Director/Writer/ Producer Jason Weidner DoP Ray Tallan Cast John McQuiston, Gerry Hay The things a father will do for his son and what he has to sacrifice to do the right thing.

Country Germany / Austria Runtime 81 mins Original Format HDCam Director/Writer/Producer/DoP Michal Kosakowski Cast Nikolaus Firmkranz, Franziska Wuerzl, Barbara Braun

20TH RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL 123

BARBAROUS MEXICO 2010 FRIDAY 5 OCTOBER AT 5.30PM

Within the framework of the bicentennial celebration of Mexican Independence, filmmaker Luis Rincón demonstrates that, despite its abolition two centuries ago, networks of slavery still remain in Mexico today. The director reveals this shocking modern day phenomenon by exposing us to the atrocious working conditions found in some rural areas of Mexico; conditions which are totally at odds with the promise of human rights in modern society.

Barbarous Mexico 2010 takes its name from the eponymous book published in 1910 by American journalist, John K. Turner.

An active member during the Mexican Revolution, Turner accused the government for its lack of control of working conditions in the countryside. In the footsteps of Turner, Rincón explores various places in Mexico where slavery continues to this day, disguised as ‘Service for Debt’. The film witnesses the migration of workers from Central America into Mexico who inevitably become part of the most exploited workforce.

A remarkable documentary that invites the audience to think about the basic practices of capitalism and the inability of today’s governments to overcome the persistence of such inhumane treatment. DM Country Mexico Runtime 80 mins Director/Writer Luis Rincón Producer Martha Orozco DoP César Aliosha, Arturo R Jiménez

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BRILLIANT SOIL SATURDAY 6 OCTOBER AT 3.15PM

For centuries craft pottery has been one of the main activities of the indigenous Purépechas people from the northwest of Mexico. During colonial times the Spanish introduced the use of lead to the manufacturing process. Despite the knowledge that lead is a highly toxic ingredient, local potters have continued to use it in their glazes and as a result, they and their families have suffered the inevitable and irreparable health consequences.

Brilliant Soil focuses on the touching story of Herlinda Morales, a native potter who has dedicated her life to the prevention of lead poisoning in her community. The documentary exposes her cause and does much to support her in promoting non toxic alternatives to lead. Moreover, it has helped Herlinda gain wider recognition for her local pottery and, to her delight, led to her being reunited with her long-lost brothers for the first time in years since they emigrated to the USA. An honest and moving story, Brilliant Soil captures the imagination and charm of Herlinda and her passion for helping her family and her fellow workers. Interest in her personal story has also created renewed interest in the pottery tradition of Purépechas, one of the largest and most important indigenous groups in Mexico. DM

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Runtime 93 mins Directors José Luis Figueroa Lewis, Sebastián Diaz Aguirre Writers Sebastían Díaz Aguirre, José Luis Figueroa Lewis, Lorena Fuentes Aymes Producers Omar Foglio Almada, Ana Paola Rodríguez España DoP César Aliosha, Arturo R Jiménez Cast Herlinda Morales Jerónimo, Víctor Águila Sánchez

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DIE STANDING UP SATURDAY 29 SEPTEMBER AT 3PM

A powerful and surprising documentary by renowned journalist and sociologist Jacaranda Correa, who uses her research skills to introduce the unique story of Irina Layevska. Through a fragmented narrative, Correa presents two stories, apparently unrelated, before revealing a shocking link between them.

Die Standing Up is the story of Irina, a tireless fighter for personal freedoms and progressive causes, all done from her wheelchair. Brought up by militarily communist parents, Irina’s early confinement to a wheelchair has turned her socialism away from the Cuban Solidarity Movement of her youth to more personal activism. Irina represents an invaluable contribution in the struggle against social injustices and discriminations in Mexico, putting her personal experience to good use.

Using interviews, archival footage and home videos, Correa skilfully intercuts the fragmented stories, building up an intimate portrait of Irina and her partner Nelida’s personal and professional lives. An award-winning documentary, Die Standing Up shows the struggle against disease, identity crises, social injustices and discrimination through an in-depth exploration of its principal character: the irrepressible Irina Layevska. DM Country Mexico Runtime 74 mins Director Jacaranda Correa Writers Jacaranda Correa, Martha Orozco, Rodolfo Santa Ma Troncoso Producer Martha Orozco DoP Dariela Ludlow Cast Irina Layevska, Nélida Reyes

128 20TH RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL

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DONKEYS THURSDAY 4 OCTOBER AT 9PM

The directorial debut of Odín Salazar is an artistic, almost poetic portrayal of the story of Lautaro, a ten-year-old boy on the verge of losing his innocence when his father is murdered. Within a rural setting and using a mix of fantasy and reality, the director shows the breakdown of a family and the determined strength of a child in overcoming the death of his father.

Set in the south of Mexico in the 1940s, Donkeys resembles the ‘magic realism’ worshipped by Mexican author Juan Rulfo in his literary masterpiece Pedro Paramo. Through the memories and fantasies of young Lautaro, a unique environment is created: the distinction between reality and fiction is blurred, as is the distinction between the living and the dead. The viewer becomes immersed in a kind of fantastical reality framed by the customs and traditions of rural Mexican life.

Abimael Orozco, the young actor who plays Lautaro, is an impressive discovery by the director. He brings a purity of narrative to the film, the result of which is an honest and captivating story which also features accomplished cinematography. An emotional, magical-realist ode to rural Mexico from a perspective of a young and troubled child DM

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Country Mexico Runtime 93 mins Director/Writer Odín Salazar Flores Producers Elsa Reyes Garcés DoP Alejandro Cantú Cast Abimael Orozco, Leticia Gutierrez, Alfredo Herrera

20TH RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL 129

FLOWER IN THE SLIME SUNDAY 30 OCTOBER AT 3.15PM

Following the death of her stepmother, fourteen-year-old Marlene is left in the hands of a middle-class couple in Mexico City. Her new father figure is renowned biochemist, Augusto, whose marital life is interrupted by the sudden presence of a fresh and innocent teenage beauty. And with her delicate and subtle charm, it doesn’t take long for Marlene to seduce him.

The story takes a twist when Marlene is in turn seduced by an old friend, then taken to the coast to be prostituted. Desperate to track her down, Augusto decides to abandon his job, his wife and his stable life to find her, in spite of the inevitable and dangerous consequences.

Flower in the Slime addresses the issue of prostitution in Mexico obliquely – by focusing on the psychology of its characters. We see the inner conflict of Marlene as her youth is snatched from her and as she comes to terms with a new life selling her body.

As part of the debut programme at the University Centre of Cinematographic Studies (CUEC) in Mexico, in conjunction with the Mexican Film Institute (IMCINE), Flower in the Slime talks about the values and existential confrontations between its characters as basic human beings. DM Country Mexico Runtime 100 mins Director/Writer Guillermo González Montes Producers Armando Casas, Roberto Fiesco, Hugo Espinosa DoP José Antonio Lendo Cast Odiseo Bichir, Claudia Zepeda, Claudia Ramírez.

130 20TH RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL

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HERE COMES THE DEVIL WEDNSESDAY 26 SEPTEMBER AT 6PM

The latest film from young Spanish horror director Bogliano sees him branching out into the realm of the supernatural thriller with Here Comes The Devil. The film recounts the tale of a young couple and their children who are on vacation in Tijuana, Mexico. While they visit a mountainous area on the outskirts of the city for the day, they hesitantly agree to let their young son and daughter explore a nearby cave on condition they arrive back on time at the meeting point.

They soon find themselves in a panic stricken state however, as the kids fail to show up at the agreed time. When they are finally found the next morning, they seem withdrawn and not quite the same as before. As time goes by, questions continue over their strange behaviour and suspicions begin to surface that they may have been abused by a local man. Inevitably, tension seeps into the couple’s own relationship which seems to unravel in parallel to the unfolding mystery.

Bogliano moves away from his earlier horror outings to reveal a subtler slice of terror. Citing Roeg’s Don’t Look Now as well as Picnic At Hanging Rock as influences, this is a mysterious and stylistically beguiling film which steadily creeps up on the viewer with Bogliano ratcheting up the suspense at every turn. SB

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Country Mexico Runtime 97 mins Director/Writer Adrían García Bogliano Producer Andrea Quiroz Hernández DoP Ernesto Herrera Cast Francisco Barreiro, Laura Caro

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MY UNIVERSE IN LOWER CASE THURSDAY 27 SEPTEMBER AT 4PM + TUESDAY 2 OCTOBER AT 9PM

The acclaimed directional debut of Hatuey Viveros tells the story of Aina, a girl from Spain who arrives in Mexico City in search of her father. However, the only reference she holds is an old childhood picture with a note at the back saying ‘Our house at 37 Juarez Street’. As Aina comes to realise, every district in that vast city has its own Juarez street. Determined to succeed, Aina explores every road bearing that name, immersing herself in one of the biggest and most crowded cities in the world.

My Universe in Lower Case is a film about the ‘search,’ a trend in contemporary Mexican cinema eager to explore the past in order to understand the present. It portrays the curiosity of a young generation with a lack of memory and shows also how that curiosity can be an important feature in anyone’s life: Aina’s search becomes about the process, not just the result.

Following Aina’s footsteps, we explore along with her the different micro-universes integrated inside the big Mexican capital. Through the people she meets we come to understand something of the city, and all its different districts. My Universe in Lower Case is a homage to Mexico City and all the marvellous characters contained within. MP Country Mexico Runtime 90 mins Director Hatuey Viveros Writers Ana Mata, Inti Aldasoro Producer Nicolás Celis DoP Vidblaín Balvás Cast Aida Folch, Diana Bracho, Tara Parra

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FAMILIAR GROUND THURSDAY 27 SEPTEMBER AT 5.30PM + FRIDAY 28 SEPTEMBER AT 3.15PM

Benoit lives at home with his ailing father, unemployed and unambitious. His relationship with his girlfriend is strained by the presence of her troublesome son. Everything he touches seems to go wrong and he is deeply depressed. His sister Maryse is married and employed, but if anything is more unhappy.

Set against the bleakness of a Quebec winter, their mutual depression seems to be inescapable, but when a strange man who claims to be from the future visits one of them with a dire warning, they set out on a trip together each intending to make a drastic change.

Familiar Ground is a masterful exploration of contrasts. It effortlessly mixes the extraordinary with the mundane; time travel is unexplained and dismissed as a minor event, yet an industrial accident in Maryse’s factory takes on a deep significance that resonates through the film. Wonderful cinematography finds both the beautiful and the sinister in the rural and suburban Quebec landscape. And through all the melodrama and depression the film finds a darkly comedic tone tone that is at times laugh out loud funny. And, unlike the abrupt endings of many films that share its style, Familiar Ground has its sights firmly fixed on a big finish, and what a finish it is. MM Country Canada (Quebec) Runtime 98 mins Original Format 35mm Director/ Writer Stéphane Lafleur Producer Luc Déry, Kim McCraw DoP Sara Mishara Cast Francis La Haye, Fanny Mallette, Sylvain Marcel

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LAURENTIE FRIDAY 28 SEPTEMBER AT 6PM + SATURDAY 29 SEPTEMBER AT 12.45PM

Meet Louis. He’s in his late twenties, a morose recluse with few social skills and a sense of being cut off from the people around him. Being in a highly sociable environment – like a party – makes him sweat, especially when that party is hosted by his confident, outgoing and attractive American neighbour.

Things get worse as Louis splits from his girlfriend and begins to lose control, distancing himself from the people around him and making more and more regrettable decisions.

Writer/directors Mathieu Dennis and Simon Lavoie tell Louis’ story from a fly-on the wall perspective, letting the audience in to every intimate and private moment of his life. Clever cinematography from Canniccioni however, still suggests Louis’ feelings of isolation from normality and comfortable, human relationships.

Emmanuel Schwartz’s no-holds-barred performance is central to this film, both searching and disturbing as the struggling Louis. Laurentie shines a light on some of the darkest aspects of human behaviour through three accordingly darkly-named cinematic chapters. A slow burn of a film, spiked with some moments of powerful sexuality, Laurentie is an ode to the ennui of modern existence felt by one man. OK

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Country Canada (Quebec) Runtime 120 mins Original Format DCP Director/ Writer Mathieu Denis, Simon Lavoie Producer Nancy Grant, Sylvain Corbeil, Pascal Bascaron DoP Nicolas Canniccioni Cast Emmanuel Schwartz, Jade Hassouné, Eugénie Beaudry

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OVER MY DEAD BODY SUNDAY 30 SEPTEMBER AT 6.15PM + WEDNESDAY 3 OCTOBER AT 12.45PM

In the dance world when one encounters Dave St-Pierre, the labels ‘provocateur’ and ‘enfant terrible’ spring to mind. His work is famed for its nudity, rawness, and some would say downright barefacedness. Over My Dead Body is a film that enables the audience to make their own judgment concerning this provocative genius who suffers from cystic fibrosis.

The film follows St-Pierre’s journey from joining the transplant list to the possibility of the actual procedure. Along the way one is invited to share in the most intimate of scenes that punctuate St Pierre’s time-dependent existence – from character references given by former lovers and collaborative artists, to heartfelt parental reactions. Though St-Pierre found international fame as a dance-maker, the film does not force his creative catalogue upon the observer, but rather uses it as an additional mode of communication – a truer way in which to contextualise the protagonist’s persona.

Appreciators of St-Pierre’s artistic voice have always viewed his works as conceptual in style but with a truthfulness to back them up. Being able to contemplate his lonely, melancholic existence more than affirms this assumption, along with the cliché that great art is realised through great suffering. MP Country Canada (Quebec) Runtime 80 mins Original Format HD Director/ Writer Brigitte Poupart Producers Virginie Dubois, Stéphanie Morissette, Brigitte Poupart DoP Brigitte Poupart, Dave Saint-Pierre, Jean Ranger, Alexis Landriault, Richard Jutras, Jean-Marc Abela, Adam Thompson

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THE SALESMAN SATURDAY 29 SEPTEMBER AT 6.30PM + SUNDAY 30 SEPTEMBER AT 12.30PM

Selling ice to the Inuit is said to be the ultimate test of a salesman’s skill, but 67-year-old Marcel Lévesque knows that selling cars in the depths of a Quebecoise winter is a task just as arduous. This year is worse than any other; as the paper mill that provides the village’s livelihood threatens to close, buying cars is the last thing on these gentle people’s minds. Marcel is unperturbed, however, still recording his patter on a dictaphone to see where he can improve and frustrating his adult daughter by refusing to retire.

An unhurried portrayal of a community on borrowed time, this film portrays every face and every moment with affection. Yet this is not the sentimental tale it could easily veer toward: the arresting opening sequence of a dead moose being dragged onto a truck instantly signals that something is rotten in this snowswept timewarp.

We become so entranced by these beautiful shots of Canada that the sting in this narrative’s tail seems to hit twice as hard.

Like ageing Marcel and the ailing community, we are left reeling by the unwanted and unexpected. AS

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Country Canada (Quebec) Runtime 107 mins Original Format 35mm Director/ Writer Sébastien Pilote Producers Bernadette Payeur, Marc Daigle DoP Michel La Veaux Cast Gilbert Sicotte, Nathalie Cavezzali, Jeremy Tessier

20TH RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL 137

WINTER PASSED FRIDAY 28 SEPTEMBER AT 1.15PM + MONDAY 1 OCTOBER AT 5.30PM

Simon is a music video producer who has lost his business because of piracy and illegal downloading. He also seems to have lost his father to the fogs of old age and now he can’t find his son. What happened? As we follow Simon on a very personal journey, everything around him seems to fall apart and he is forced to rethink his life.

Set against the backdrop of the Canadian cold winter, the film is about the winter inside Simon, a time of metaphorical death.

Life seems to have evaded him and it’s almost painful to watch his attempts to reach son Marc-Antoine fall on deaf ears. The wall between them seems insurmountable when father meets son in a very emotional scene in the police station. And what is it about Marc-Antoine? Why is it so hard for him to let his father in? The struggle inside him is obvious but the reasons for it remain hidden.

This is a film about human relations and how to find a way back, about life and death and the various cycles of life. The very simple, maybe even monotonous, soundtrack draws you in even closer, and there are some poignant moments that make this film what it is, finely balanced between intensely intimate and yet so distant. MG Country Canada Runtime 73 mins Original Format Super 16mm Director/ Writer/Producer Paul Barbeau DoP Philippe Roy Cast Émile Schneider-Vanier, Benz Antoine, Isabelle O’brien

138 20TH RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL

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ABOUT THE PINK SKY TUESDAY 2 OCTOBER AT 5.30PM + WEDNESDAY 3 OCTOBER AT 1.30PM

Finding a wallet stuffed with cash has to be the classic moral dilemma, and it is such an incident that befalls Izumi, the high school girl protagonist at the beginning of Japanese indie film About the Pink Sky. Her friend Haruko insists that they return the wallet because the owner, a wealthy teenager named Koki, looks cute, but not before Izumi lends a large portion of it to a down on his luck acquaintance.

When Koki discovers the IOU addressed to Izumi in his wallet he press gangs her and the now infatuated Haruko into helping him to create a newspaper filled only with good news to cheer up a friend in hospital. But as with all the characters in the film he is holding back something about himself.

The film is sumptuously shot in crisp black and white with a shallow depth of field that really makes the many close-up shots pop and Keiichi Kobayashi directs with an assured lightness of touch that is astonishing considering this is only his second film.

With its lo-fi aesthetic, shifts in tone from humour to melancholy and focus on the minutiae of human life the film expertly mixes the atmosphere of an American mumblecore movie with the charm and wit of a Japanese indie comedy. DB Country Japan Runtime 113 mins Original Format HDCam Director/Writer/ DoP Keiichi Kobayashi Producer Hiroshi Harada Cast Ai Ikeda, Ena Koshino, Reiko Fujiwara

140 20TH RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL

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AFTER SCHOOL MIDNIGHTERS FRIDAY 5 OCTOBER AT 1.15PM + SUNDAY 7 OCTOBER AT 2.30PM

It’s best to choose one’s opponents wisely – that’s a lesson that Kunstlijk, the anatomy model of the elite St. Claire Elementary School who comes to life after midnight, has yet to learn.

Instead he foolishly decides to take revenge on three girls that dared to beautify him with scribbles, flowers and lipstick during daylight hours.

Mako, an unstoppable blabbermouth, is constantly thrilled; Mi, a little lady of luxuries, constantly bored; and Mu, an intimidatingly silent science geek, constantly intrigued. Together they make a fearless, unbeatable and simply hilarious trio that Kunstlijk and the other fanciful creatures – Goth, the resident school skeleton, three pistol-wielding rabbits in formaldehyde, merman-wannabe Pinia, and more – just cannot keep up with.

Colourful, rambunctious and wild, After School Midnighters is a spectacle for kids, but serves up plenty of jokes for the adults too, including some strategically placed drawings and rather neat, multilingual wordplay with character names. Its plotline may be fairly straightforward, but is self-assured and delightful in its details. Submitted for the Best Animated Feature Film Academy Award. MGP

PASSING THROUGH Country USA Runtime 7 mins Original Format HDV Director/ Producer Rob Sabal Passing Through confronts the tension between the beauty of abstract imagery and the power of representational images gathered on a trip from Tokyo to tsunami-battered Ishinomaki.

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Country Japan Runtime 94 mins Original Format HDCam Director Hitoshi Takekiyo Writer Yoichi Komori Producer Muneyuki Kii Cast Koichi Yamadera, Hiromasa Taguchi

20TH RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL

141

DON’T DARE TO STOP LOVE SUNDAY 30 SEPTEMBER AT 3.30PM + SATURDAY 6 OCTOBER AT 1.30PM

Don’t Dare To Stop Love follows the conflicted and delusional life of a single mother and cancer victim. An abstract exploration of her relationships with both her young lover and teenage daughter, the film shows us the tortures of a self-indulgent mind.

In a plea for affection, she devotes the last months of her life taking care of Pet, her boyfriend. This, however, turns sour when her excessive need for pity becomes too much for him to bear.

Intercut with sketches of her teenage daughter gossiping about her mother’s strange behaviour, we develop a compassion for the lead. Will she succumb to the darkness of her own mind or will she be inspired to overcome her fate?

This film delivers an offbeat experience aimed at an audience with a desire to have the laws of contemporary cinema challenged. Filmed on 8mm, Oguchi abandons many conventional film techniques to pursue a rawness and authenticity of film. His cinematography is fresh and yet meditative, well suited to the close nature of the project.

The intimate leading performance from Kazumi Fujishima is touching, and indeed, inspiring, her journey more affecting than you might expect. JW Country Japan Runtime 54 mins Original Format 8mm Director/Writer/ Producer Yoko Oguchi DoP Eiji Suzuki Cast Kazumi Fujishima, Yoshiro Hatori, Fumiko Abe

142 20TH RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL

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OLO, THE BOY FROM TIBET WEDNESDAY 3 OCTOBER AT 5.45PM

At the age of 6 Olo left his family and fled Tibet on his own.

Currently, he studies as a boarding student at the Tibetan Children’s Village in India operated by the Tibetan-Governmentin-Exile. This is a unique documentary which, by closely following a young boy, shows us the sentiments of a people continuing to live as refugees and the tragedy of Tibet, denied its nationality and culture.

Watching Olo mature having encountered and experienced many things — the arrest of a family friend for filming a movie on Tibetan soil; the arrest of a Tibetan friend attempting to flee the country; a journey to meet an elderly woman, a friend of the director, who lives in a Nepalese refugee camp — we are confronted with the diverse realities of Tibet. What is a country?

What is culture? What is it to live?

Director Iwasa Hisaya is a veteran filmmaker who attracted attention in the ‘60s with his avant-garde documentaries.

His distinctive direction, which skews the boundary between documentary and fiction portrays the sorrow and anguish of the Tibetan people. The meeting of a director and a young boy whose age difference is that of a grandfather and grandchild has resulted in this openly beautiful and warm film. AkS

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Country Japan Runtime 108 mins Original Format HD Director Hisaya Iwasa Producer Haruhiko Daishima DoP Kazuhiko Tsumura Cast Olo, Momo Chenga, Lamo Tsuo

20TH RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL 143

A ROAD STAINED CRIMSON SUNDAY 30 SEPTEMBER AT 1.30PM + TUESDAY 2 OCTOBER AT 1.15PM

An enigmatic, stylish shot to the gut debut that mixes the philosophy of garage rock with the techniques of art cinema.

Ken is an easy-going guy living an uneventful existence as a motorcycle repair man until his past as a professional killer comes knocking in the form of Akira. His psychotic former boss is determined to convince him to return to killing or see Ken take his secrets to his grave. As he finds himself torn between these two lives Ken meets a young boy burning with rage and takes it upon himself to set him upon the path to redemption, the film settles into the format of a road movie..

Taking on aesthetic influences as broad as Wong Kar-wai and Jean Luc Godard via Easy Rider and spaghetti westerns, writer-director Tetsuhiko Nono’s debut feature is a maelstrom of cinephilic references and slow burn, enigmatic intensity. The film bristles with mystery, not least in the cryptic circumstances surrounding Ken’s father’s death or the nature of his relationship with Yoko, the older woman who runs the repair shop with him.

Nono takes delight in emphasising these enigmas through elliptical editing and philosophical digressions, constantly playing with the audience’s expectations as he works towards the film’s triumphantly bombastic conclusion. DB Country Japan Runtime 110 mins Original Format HD Director/Writer Tetsuhiko Nono Producer Shinjiro Nishimura, Koji Chiba DoP Takuro Iwagami Cast Hirofumi Arai, Jun Murakami, Niinobu Ryomei

144 20TH RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL

SCREENING SPONSORS

SADO TEMPEST FRIDAY 28 SEPTEMBER AT 9PM + MONDAY 1 OCTOBER AT 3.30PM

There is something gloriously demented about the idea of retelling Shakespeare’s Tempest as a futuristic Japanese musical, but the focus and conviction of the storytelling of Arashi elevate this film to more than just the sum of its parts.

As an outspoken critic of an oppressive regime, a rock singer is exiled to an island of perpetual winter. His only allies are a kindly guard and the seemingly insane Miranda. Forced to record new songs for a public that believes him to be dead, he slowly comes to the realisation that music may be, not just the key to his freedom, but the instrument for change both on the island and back in the mainland.

Played out against the dramatic natural volcanic backdrop of Sado island, writer/director John Williams seamlessly draws together elements of the Shakespearean source material with contemporary Japanese rock music and Noh theatre.

An imaginative story, with stunning visuals and engaging performances, Sado Tempest has elements of the magical, the supernatural, the futuristic, the musical and the allegorical. But, despite having to manage so many seemingly disparate ideas, Williams never loses focus on the story and never forgets to keep Arashi thoroughly entertaining from beginning to end. MM

SCREENING SPONSORS

Country Japan, UK, Hong Kong Runtime 94 mins Original Format HDcam Director/Writer John Williams Producer Paul Smith, Roger Garcia, Shohei Shiozaki DoP Yoshinobu Hayano Cast Hirotaro Honda, Noriko Eguchi, Yoji Tanak

20TH RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL 145

19TH ENCOUNTERS SHORT FILM AND ANIMATION FESTIVAL 17 – 22 SEPTEMBER 2013

180 FILMS IN COMPETITION FROM 32 COUNTRIES | £12,000 IN CASH PRIZES GATEWAY TO MAJOR SHORT FILM AWARDS: BAFTAS, OSCARS® & EUROPEAN FILM AWARDS

CALL FOR ENTRIES OPEN JANUARY 2013 “A host of talented UK and international short filmmakers mingling with buyers, producers and industry bigwigs.

A great place to make contacts, talk business and spot potential stars of tomorrow.” Screen International

ENCOUNTERS-FESTIVAL.ORG.UK

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@EncountersSFF

CINEMA SIX FRIDAY 5 OCTOBER AT 3.30PM + SUNDAY 7 OCTOBER AT 5.30PM

If you’re looking for some comic relief, look no further than Cinema Six. This delightful film from Mark Potts and Cole Selix showcases independent American filmmaking at its best.

The film centres on three employees of Stanton Family Cinemas, all of whom have worked there for far longer than anyone should. Mason takes long shifts at the cinema, avoiding going home to his wife and newborn child. When his wife announces that she’s pregnant for a second time, Mason has to decide if he will finally swallow his pride and take a job with his obnoxious father in law. Meanwhile Gabe spends his days hiding in the projection booth, too afraid to venture out as far as the concessions stall and Dennis has just broken up with his fiancé, whom he caught cheating.

Though a comedy, the film deals with the theme of fear in a subtle and compelling way; Potts and Selix’s film has a surprising amount of depth hidden under the witty one liners from a strong cast. The chemistry between Merriman, Potts and Rackley is a joy to watch and they obviously had a lot of fun making the film; almost as much as you will watching it. KK Country USA Runtime 79 mins Original Format HD Directors/Writers Mark Potts, Cole Selix Producers Nick Tankersly, Don Swaynos, Kelly Williams DoP John Merriman, Brand Rackley, Mark Potts Cast John Merriman, Brand Rackley, Mark Potts

148 20TH RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL

CONSUMING SPIRITS TUESDAY 2 OCTOBER AT 5.30PM

Victor Blue, Gentian Violet and Earl Gray all live in a forgotten corner somewhere deep in America. Victor and Miss Violet both work at ‘The Suggester,’ the local newspaper and are kind of in a relationship, and kind of not. Earl, meanwhile, has a nightly radio show called ‘Gardener’s Corner’ in which he shares his wisdom on plants and life more generally. Miss Violet listens in when she drives the bus, Victor when he goes around in his stolen truck, and the rest of the town probably tunes in too.

It may not sound like a much of plot, but as these three characters’ lives intersect, in the present and the past, a layered and highly atmospheric gothic tale unfolds. Consuming Spirits is not just a film, it is a masterful, one-of-a-kind animation for adults that has been lovingly crafted to perfection by Chris Sullivan over the course of nearly 15 years. Using an everchanging combination of pencil drawings, paper cut-outs, photographs, newspaper clippings, shadow puppetry and stop-motion models, Consuming Spirits is simply gorgeous, one memorable scene following another and complemented by a score consisting largely of nostalgia-invoking Irish folk songs. If only every film were as creative and original, going to the cinema would be a constant thrill. MP Country USA Runtime 130 mins Original Format 16mm Director/Writer/ Producer/DoP Chris Sullivan

20TH RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL 149

CULTURE SHOCK MONDAY 1 OCTOBER AT 8.30PM + THURSDAY 4 OCTOBER AT 3.30PM

Prolific director Steve Balderson returns to Raindance with an eccentric comedy thriller that will leave your head spinning.

The film opens with the delivery of some exciting news for four young graduates: their parents are sending them over to Europe for the summer. There they will immerse themselves in the culture and learn to stand on their own two feet. ‘You are on your own,’ as one dad firmly states. ‘adults figure things out.’

Needless to say, the rest of the film does not consist of museum excursions and snapshots of landmarks. Hours after landing on British soil, the group are confronted by a terrified woman on a Jack the Ripper tour. After her body is discovered, they get caught up in the investigation and their carefree coming-of-age summer becomes a colourful nightmare. – and this is before they’ve even checked into their bizarre bed and breakfast. One kidnapping, one ‘hot bitch with a gun,’ and a number of tweets later, we’re led frantically down the streets of London where everyone is suspect.

Shot over two weeks, entirely without permits, Culture Shock is an admirable addition to Balderson’s reputation as a truly independent, lo-budget filmmaker. An innovative and tonguein-cheek take on the crime thriller, but as dad warned at the beginning, ‘it will be scary, people will seem strange.’ KB Country USA Runtime 85 mins Original Format HD Director/Producer/DoP Steve Balderson Writer Frankie Krainz Cast Starina Johnson, Holly Hinton, Damien Gerard 150 20TH RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL

DARK HEARTS SATURDAY 29 SEPTEMBER AT 8.30PM + TUESDAY 2 OCTOBER AT 4PM

Colson is an artist struggling to make it in the frenetically paced downtown LA art scene. When his brother Sam lands on his doorstep, Colson finds himself drawn back to the fractured family set-up that he felt lucky to have left behind. Out for a night on the town, the brothers run into sultry singer Fran. They both fall in love but Colson becomes obsessed and a passionate affair ensues.

Prodded by an influential gallery owner to push his work that much further, Colson stumbles across the perfect red and the power of painting in blood. Soon it seems like he’s made a deal with the devil as he immerses himself in an affair with Fran that has deception and betrayal looming in the background.

Sonja Kinski, daughter of Natassja, is stunning as Fran, having inherited not only her mother’s dark beauty but her acting skills too, and she proves a powerfully magnetic muse.

A real bonus is the film’s hip score which features tracks provided by Einstuerzende Neubauten, Shirley Manson from Garbage, Fairuza Balk and Daniel J from Bauhaus and Love and Rockets. A debut feature from South African born director Rudolf Buitendach, this is a stylish odyssey that proves as alluring as LA itself. SB Country USA Runtime 96 mins Original Format Arri Alexa Director Rudolf Buitendach Writer Christian Piers Betley Producers Jack Bowyer, Kees Van Oostrum, Alexis Varouxakis, Christian Piers Betley DoP Kees Van Oostrum Cast Kyle Schmid, Sonja Kinski, Lucas Till

20TH RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL

151

THE GRIEF TOURIST THURSDAY 4 OCTOBER AT 3.15PM + SATURDAY 6 OCTOBER AT 3.45PM

Jim Tahana (Michael Cudlitz) is the Grief Tourist of the title, a socially isolated security guard who spends his holidays visiting the sites of brutal killings. On his most recent excursion, to the home-town of arsonist and mass murderer, he encounters Betsy (Melanie Griffith) an emotionally vulnerable waitress with whom he begins to develop a real human connection. But as he visits the sites of the town’s tragic history he begins to relive elements of his own past and his own dark side begins to bubble to the surface.

It takes real guts to make a film with a story and a central theme so reminiscent of Taxi Driver, but The Grief Tourist easily lives up to its mighty influence. A poignant script and a haunting central performance from Cudlitz ensures that even during his darkest deeds Jim retains our sympathies. Excellent supporting performances, beautiful cinematography, easy pacing and superb direction from Suri Krishnamma, brings together a film with more elegance and subtlety than any story with such a dark subject matter should by any rights have. When the annals of film history are written and a list is compiled of the films evoking thoughts of raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens, The Grief Tourist will appear on a different list entirely. MM Country USA Runtime 83 mins Original Format MiniRed Director Suri Krishnamma Writer Frank John Hughes Producers Zachery Bryan, Adam Targum, Michael Cudlitz, Frank John Hughes, Suzanne DeLaurentiis DoP Ricardo Jaques Gale Cast Michael Cudlitz, Melanie Griffith, Pruitt Taylor Vince

152 20TH RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL

THE HIDDEN HAND THURSDAY 4 OCTOBER AT 1.30PM + SUNDAY 7 OCTOBER AT 4.45PM

Extraterrestrial life forms have purportedly been visiting Earth for thousands of years. If you don’t know the difference between ‘Contactees’ and ‘Abductees’ or can’t tell ‘Greys’ from ‘Blondes,’ this film will be your guide through the world of alien contact.

The Hidden Hand is a comprehensive series of interviews detailing all aspects of contact with intelligent aliens. It examines the history of alien contact through the ages and looks at phenomena such as UFO’s, alien abduction and the advanced technology left behind. We hear testimonials from abductees, former senior government and military officials, and writers and historians of alien encounters.

The presence of intelligent alien life is not a new subject for a documentary but what makes The Hidden Hand stand apart from any others are two things – firstly, its extensive range of testimonials from people who have either had contact with aliens, have worked in positions with access to evidence of aliens, or have spent decades researching evidence. Secondly, rather than shoving a predetermined conclusion down the throats of its audience, it merely presents the evidence of its testimonials and allows the viewer to decide whether or not they want to believe. Debate is sure to follow. MM Country USA Runtime 80 mins Director/Writer/DoP James Carman Producers James Carman, Alan Steinfield, Sabine Schenk Cast Dr Edgar Mitchell, Paul Hellyer

20TH RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL 153

HOW DO YOU WRITE A JOE SCHERMANN SONG? THURSDAY 27 SEPTEMBER AT 9PM + MONDAY 1 OCTOBER AT 1PM

When struggling songwriter Joe gets to write for an offBroadway show, he knows exactly who the leading lady should be and it isn’t his performer girlfriend, Evey (Christina Rose). Joe may want to cast his new muse Summer (Debbie Williams) as the lead but that might just come at a very high price.

Beginning life as a crowdfunded project on Kickstarter, this is a beautiful, modern day musical with witty, narrative driven lyrics and a score that harkens back to the big Broadway shows. The songs are not just a vehicle to move the story but are integral to the characters’ lives, the way in which they express their hopes and fears. The monotony of the everyday becomes magical when they sing, reality blending seamlessly with cinematic stylization. The fact that the real life film’s songwriter Joe Schermann plays the character of the same name adds to this blurring of boundaries.

A sense of hope pervades the film with the idea that it takes just one person to change your life – and then the dream will become reality. All round strong, emotive performances in this deliciously musical love triangle make for a sensory experience you won’t forget. JL Country USA Runtime 104 mins Original Format HD Director/Writer/DoP Gary King Producers Gary King, Sujata King, Christina Rose, Mark DiConzo, Daryl Ray Carliles Cast Joe Schermann, Christina Rose, Mark DiConzo

154 20TH RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL

LOCKED IN A GARAGE BAND MONDAY 1 OCTOBER AT 9PM + WEDNESDAY 3 OCTOBER AT 3.45PM

Featuring a pretty awesome rock soundtrack with appropriately colourful cartoony titles, Locked In A Garage Band is the brilliant new Canadian comedy from Jennifer Westcott.

Richie is desperately trying to hold his band – The Tangenitals – together by drafting in a new singer. Only problem is, the new singer is a sore point between Richie and his ex-friend and band member (now aspiring businessman), Scott. As the title suggests, the fractured band is locked into their garage rehearsal space by Richie’s sister as a result of a fraternal fracas. Things go from bad to worse when building an improvised toilet turns out to be a bad idea; relationships come to a head, feelings get hurt and stupid ideas reign supreme. The answer to their escape is a brilliantly witty one – but will it tie the band together, or tear them apart?

The film boasts an extraordinarily musically talented cast giving great performances, especially Scott Lyster as cheeky, charismatic Richie. Westcott’s debut feature is smartly directed and sincerely funny, a less crazy, more grown-up Scott Pilgrim VS The World where the band has gotten old and no superpowers can save them. This debut certainly makes Westcott one to watch for future comedy. OK Country Canada Runtime 86 mins Original Format HD Red Director/Writer Jennifer Westcott Producer Victoria Westcott DoP Gabriel Medina Cast Scott Lyster, Andrew Jenkins, Brittney Wilson

20TH RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL 155

ME @ THE ZOO SUNDAY 30 SEPTEMBER AT 6PM + MONDAY 1 OCTOBER AT 1.30PM

Chris Crocker, a trans-gendered gay man rocking a platinum blonde bob and eyeliner, first came to international attention after Britney Spears’ very public meltdown in 2007. Super fan Crocker achieved overnight celebrity status when his ‘Leave Britney Alone’ Youtube rants caused an internet sensation.

Crocker grew up poor in Bristol, Tennessee, born to a 14 year old mother but raised and home-schooled by his long-suffering grandparents. Previously an almost complete unknown, his was now a name on everybody’s radar and the secret? – merely to hitch a ride on the celebrity bandwagon. Genius or not, Crocker’s extreme self promotion earned him a place in front of Youtube’s global audience - one that was divided into love it or loathe camps – and he shocked even himself with how quickly he’d become international Marmite.

This frenetically charged experimental documentary from filmmakers Valerie Veatch and Chris Moukarbel (and exec produced by, amongst others, Michael Stipe) employs a multitude of formats to take the viewer on a whirlwind tour of how to get famous fast, as long as you’re sure that’s what you really, really want. SB Country USA Running Time 80 mins Directors Chris Moukarbel, Valerie Veatch Producers Chris Moukarbel, Nucholas Shumaker, Jack Turner, Valerie Veatch DoP Valerie Veatch

156 20TH RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL

MISSED CONNECTIONS SUNDAY 30 SEPTEMBER AT 9PM + TUESDAY 2 OCTOBER AT 3.45PM

Neal just quit his job and found his girlfriend having sex with his best friend. Luckily, like all good rom-com heroes, Neal has a group of buddies who rally around him with an idea for perking him up. Neal answers the missed connections adverts of lonely girls, posing as the person they passed on the train. He sets up a date, and then loiters in the background as they sit there, supposedly stood up. Just when they are about to leave he swoops in as Neal, a charming, kind, stranger who would never do such a thing. The plan works well, until the same woman keeps showing up to his dates.

Missed Connections is a fine romantic comedy that uses its independence to break free of the clichĂŠs tarnishing the genre.

Largely funded through Kickstarter and the good old fashioned technique of calling in favours and goodwill from colleagues, the film has a fresh and friendly feel to it. This is only helped by the ensemble cast and the real-life marriage of the two leads, Dorien Davies and Kenny Stevenson, who also wrote the script. The film is produced by Religulous’ Lisa Rudin and is the directing debut of Eric Kissack, editor of The Dictator. High on the charm, low on the cheese, Missed Connections is everything an indie rom-com should be. JB

DROWNED Country USA Runtime 5 mins Format Red Director/Writer Marcio Miglioris Producers Paola Gazzaneo, Soledad Uriarte DoP Ezequiel Arribas Cast Karyn Richman, Geoffrey Gould, Christi Lynch Ageing Sarah goes to the beach every day waiting to be rescued from her lonely life and discovers that hope is the last thing to go under.

Country USA Runtime 77 mins Original Format HDV Director Eric Kissack Writer Kenny Stevenson Producer Lisa Rudin DoP Cat Deakins

20TH RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL 157

MON AMI TUESDAY 2 OCTOBER AT 8.45PM + THURSDAY 4 OCTOBER AT 3.45PM

Canadian writer/director Rob Grant’s followup to his 2009 cult hit Yesterday is a dark comedy with a very serious bite.

Two hardware store wage slaves, Cal (Scott Wallis) and Teddy (Mike Kovac), decide to take revenge on their boss by kidnapping his blond daughter Crystal (Chelsey Reist) and holding her for ransom.

What follows is a hilarious series of gaffes and romps where every conceivable thing that can go wrong for these two, does – redefining the concept of ‘criminally dumb’. Rob Grant has a lot to say with this flick. He isn’t afraid to challenge viewers and their sense of comedy, pushing a wacky concept to the extreme.

And yet the film always stays just this side of credible, which keeps the climax both entertaining and tense.

Mon Ami’s world premiere at July’s Montreal Fantasia brought it the plaudits that could see this micro budget feature earning cult status. Reminiscent of both Fargo and Very Bad Things, the pitch black darkness of this comedy is sure to win it die-hard fans on this side of the Atlantic too. Watch this movie and you’ll get sucked into an uproarious debacle of a kidnapping film that has as much to say about friendship as it does about idiotic amateur criminals. An ideal night out. EG Country Canada Runtime 93 mins Original Format HD Director/Writer Rob Grant Producer Scott Mainwood DoP Michael Baier Cast Mike Kovac, Scott Wallis, Chelsey Reist

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NO PRISONER Country UK Runtime 10 mins Format HD Director/Writer Dave Fulton Producer Richard Kerrigan DoP Sashi Kissoon Cast Phill Jupitus, Josie Lawrence, John Voce A gasman doing his rounds is mistaken for a thief by the lonely occupant in one of the houses.

NOISE MATTERS SATURDAY 29 SEPTEMBER AT 3.15PM

‘The whole essence of noise is that there are no instruments.

We’re not musicians, we make noise.’ Noise Matters is a two hour lesson in noise and a journey into the minds of some rather eccentric characters. While it is intimately touching it’s also outrageously funny in its satire on music, noise and the arts.

Although it takes the disguise of a simple documentary, it soon becomes clear that this is something out of the ordinary.

In Noise Matters we get to follow the fictional noise making band Shame on You. The band consists of Stan, the traumatised abstract painter; Philip; the sound engineer genius; Ryan, the political activist with an anger management issue and the professional noise maker and self proclaimed band leader Dagobert. The band is managed by their inappropriate and somewhat delusional manager, Captain Monroe, who wants the band to record an album in order to reach the bigger market.

This becomes a question of artistic integrity which splits the band in two camps and threatens to ruin it all.

Matias Masucci’s feature length debut is without a doubt in a class of its own and it’s sure to divide audiences. It’s splendidly bonkers and leaves you wanting just a little bit more. MG Country USA Runtime 123 mins Original Format MiniDV (SD) Director/ Writer/Producer Matias Masucci DoP Sebastien Hameline Cast Matias Masucci, Ugo Bianchi, Bret Roberts, Brian McGuire

20TH RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL 159

OK, GOOD THURSDAY 4 OCTOBER AT 5.30PM + SUNDAY 7 OCTOBER AT 12.45PM

This, the début feature film by childhood friends Daniel Martinico and Hugo Armstrong, is a disturbing and compelling depiction of a struggling actor driven to despair. Our hero (played by co-director Armstrong, who has drawn inspiration from experience) is a dedicated but down on his luck actor driven to depression by his demoralising auditions. Encouraged by a motivational advice CD to act boldly, and to demand to be heard, Paul attempts to be more assertive in the face of disrespect but can’t quite embrace the necessary belligerent attitude. On the verge of a break-down, he begins to vent his anger the only way he knows how.

Martinico and Armstrong use Paul’s humdrum routines – his confinement in his tiny flat, low-profile advert auditions and the high-energy drama workshops he attends – to take us deep into his psyche. Each insight into his life brings with it a different kind of intensity and the close-range documentary-style filming adds a raw quality to the film. Paul’s slow-paced character arc is developed over heart-rending auditions and the painful-towatch, awkwardly disturbing cult-like workshops. A strangely compelling drama with dark comedic undertones, OK, Good offers a bold insight into loneliness and desperation. MG Country USA Runtime 79’ Original Format DVCProHD Director/DoP Daniel Martinico Writers/Producers Hugo Armstrong, Daniel Martinico Cast Hugo Armstrong, Cody Henderson, Jacqueline Wright

160 20TH RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL

THE SLIDE: SERIES 1-4 Country USA Runtime 6 mins Dir/ Writer/Producer/DoP Jarl Olsen When a filmmaker runs out of money to keep making short films, he turns to a box of 35mm slides and tries to assemble stories from random pictures of garbage, cars and buildings.

PERCIVAL’S BIG NIGHT SUNDAY 30 SEPTEMBER AT 6.30PM + WEDNESDAY 3 OCTOBER AT 4PM

If finishing uni and going nowhere fast sounds familiar, fear not: Percival and Salvatore are screwing up worse than you ever could. Sat in their flat, talking about girls and arguing over whose dick is bigger, their evening looks set to follow its usual route of smoking and bickering – until Percy announces a grander plan.

Shaken up by the death of a delivery boy, Percy decides it’s time to snare the only woman who can give his life meaning: Chloe, the best and most beautiful client of Sal’s domestic drugdealing business. After apparently falling head over heels during a five-minute conversation in their kitchen, Percy is adamant she’s the one for him. But how will he get the girl? Will she even turn up like she said she would? And, most importantly, will she mind about his purportedly tiny penis?

As the two friends wait for this girl-shaped Godot to arrive, we see the bromance from all its angles and the actors, script and direction (the film is shot in a seemingly unbroken single take) really start to shine. Ever wondered what happened when the Superbad boys grew up? Well, this is the closest we’re going to get to finding out. Laugh out loud funny, excellently observed and genuinely insightful. AS

NO BALL GAMES Country UK Runtime 7 mins Format 2K Director/Writer Richard Pengelley Producer Georgina Cowley DoP Daniel Holland Cast Adam Thomas Wright A mischievous boy plays football against a forbidden wall. When the ball goes over, he’s lured into a mysterious garden with a hidden secret.

Country USA Runtime 87 mins Director William C Sullivan Writer Jarret Kerr Producer Caitlyn Coady DoP Brandon Roots Cast Tommy Nelms, Jarret Kerr, Sarah Wharton

20TH RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL 161

PURSUIT OF LONELINESS SATURDAY 6 OCTOBER AT 1.15PM

If recent events have shown that even taxes can be surmounted, it has only served to underline the fact that there is now only one thing that none of us can avoid: death. Elegantly shot in stark monochrome, this second feature from writer-director Laurence Thrush stares our collective mortality in the face with a quiet, contemplative and moving portrait of the impermanence of life and the loneliness of death.

When an elderly woman with no discernible next of kin dies in a hospital bed, she sparks an endless trail of procedures and paperwork that lay bare the tiny tragedies of modern life (and death). An elegy to the slow decay of human existence and the inevitable, encroaching loneliness of old age, Thrush’s film is never morbid or morose, but serves as a wistful paean to a disconnected world that thinks little of a woman living in postconsumerist squalor and even less of her once she’s gone.

Content to reject traditional narrative modes, this slice of indie experimenta shuffles along at a deliberate pace, ably assisted by the sparing use of William Basinski’s moody score and wonderfully honest performances from a cast of nonprofessionals. SM Country USA Runtime 95 mins Original Format HD Director/Writer Laurence Thrush Producer Ken Hanada DoP Gary Young Cast Joy Hille, Sandra Escalante, Sharon Munfus

162 20TH RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL

WILLOW Country Ireland Runtime 1 min Original Format HDSLR Director/ Writer/Producer/DoP Brian Benjamin Dwyer Cast James Barbour An Irish folk song tells of a young man’s journey to a place and a decision that nobody ever wants to face.

SHIVER WEDNESDAY 3 OCTOBER AT 8.30PM

If you’ve seen Wolf Creek then you already know how terrifyingly good Australian actor John Jarratt is at playing a psychopathic killer. Now times that by ten. His portrayal of Francis Rood, a weird loner laughed at by women, is one of the most disturbing you are ever likely to see. Rood handles his anger at rejection by creating a police taunting alter ego, The Gryphon, and embarking on a spree of horrific murders, seemingly at random, all young women, home alone. However, one manages to escape, for which she earns his respect – and his love. Danielle Harris turns in a powerful performance as Wendy, the girl who has to toughen up quick if she wants to stay alive.

The tension and gore factor are ramped up right from the word go, and the murders are brutal, relentless and unflinching, never sparing the audience. In Rood, we have a killer as clever and complex as Hannibal Lector and as unstoppable as Michael Myers. His moments of lucidity, the seemingly normal façade, and his warped attempts at engaging Wendy in conversation are chilling as they remind us that such people can and do live among us. The reveal of the full extent of his terrible depravity is an ingenious and truly macabre masterpiece of theatrical grand guignol. JL Country USA Runtime 91 mins Original Format HD Director Julian Richards Writer/Producer Robert Weinbach DoP Zoran Popovic Cast Danielle Harris, John Jarratt, Casper Van Dien

20TH RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL 163

WILD IN THE STREETS FRIDAY 28 SEPTEMBER AT 8PM + TUESDAY 2 OCTOBER AT 1.30PM

The quiet village of Ashbourne in Derbyshire is the location for what is likely to be the oldest sporting fixture in the world, the annual Royal Shrovetide Football game. But this is unlike any other football game you will have ever seen. With upwards of 3000 players, goals spaced 3 miles apart, play time of up to 16 hours spread over 2 days and very little in the way of rules it is a practice that shares more with the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona than the FA Cup Final.

The film examines the history of the mass football game and how the practice has been virtualy eliminated from Britain. It examines the community that keeps the tradition alive and the passion of the players involved in the run up to the game.

The acid test for any sports documentary is ‘Is this a film that people not interested in the sport portrayed will enjoy? It’s a tall order and the films that do achieve that standard are films that tell compelling human stories such as Senna, and Hoop Dreams.

This reviewer is one of the rarest of breeds, a guy with no interest in football at all, and yet Wild in the Streets is an utterly compelling watch from beginning to end. Engaging enough to make even the most ambivalent towards the so called beautiful game covet their own Shrovetide ball. MM Country USA Runtime 84 mins Director Peter Baxter Writers Peter Baxter, Jay Nelson Producers Peter Baxter, James Zalcman DoP Lance Acord

164 20TH RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL

WITHOUT A NET SUNDAY 30 SEPTEMBER AT 8PM

‘When I was little, people looked at me and said; that kid is headed for one of two places: prison or the grave’ states Brazilian Djeferson who has never attended school because of his duty of care to his thirty siblings. Then a big-top circus tent appeared in one of the car parks that Djeferson frequented to wash cars and he was offered a unique opportunity to make something of his life. He chose to train as a trapeze artist.

Others, such as streetwise Barbara opted to train as an acrobat, whereas Rayana developed a passion for contortion.

Director Kelly J Richardson is a performance artist who met those featured in the film while training at a circus running a social project targeting ‘at-risk’ youth from the slums. Their futures are depressingly mapped out in an area where education is limited, poverty is everywhere, and crime is normality. The circus tent represents escapism from a bleak reality and an alternative to becoming predictably involved in the drugs trade.

Without A Net is a heartwarming insight into the lives of four courageous individuals and it is a privilege to hear their stories.

We learn that 5,000 people came to see the show, but the future still remains unclear for these four. We are left with hope that they will be rewarded for their defiant ambition. KB Country USA/Brazil Runtime 60 mins Director/Writer/DoP Kelly J Richardson Producers Kelly J Richardson, John Antonelli Cast Djeferson Mendes da Silva, Bárbara Moura, Rayana Dias da Motta, Platini Queiroz

20TH RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL 165

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CENTER OF GRAVITY THURSDAY 27 SEPTEMBER AT 3PM + SATURDAY 29 SEPTEMBER AT 1.30PM

This moody, slow-burn of a film is a powerful reminder of the spectrum functioning relationships can exist on. Set in a stylish apartment somewhere in Brazil, the principal cast comprises Julio Machado as Renato and Ana Carolina Lima as his girlfriend Renata. Renato’s parents are ill, dying perhaps, together in a bed on the other side of town. Returning to the apartment he finds a pinwheel, incongruous amongst their modern furnishings. When Renata returns she seems a little out of sorts, flustered almost. We, as Renato clearly does, begin to suspect that something might be wrong.

Based on a short story the running time of this film is not going to stretch anyone’s patience – but that doesn’t stop the director from cranking up the tension as the movie unfolds. Contained, collapsed almost, to the world of just this relationship, we follow the power struggles, history and attempts to create a future that Renato and Renata negotiate. The work from these actors is, unsurprisingly, fantastic; more is said in a look than many can get across in a monologue. A powerful score and sound design complement the mood the director and cinematographer bring with their bold, intimate camerawork. A study more than a film, this is a fine piece of work from a team who’s grasp of character and relationships is second to none. JB Country Brazil Runtime 70 mins Original Format HDV Director/Writer/ Producer Steven Richter DoP Andre Schutz Cast Ana Carolina Lima, Julio Machado 168 20TH RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL

LOVERS Country USA Runtime 6 mins Director/Producer/DoP Alan Algee Writer Lezlie Williams Cast Lezlie Williams, Jamilia Lerato A poetic and cinematic account of a short lived, yet passionate, affair between two female lovers.

CORRODE MONDAY 1 OCTOBER AT 8PM + THURSDAY 4 OCTOBER AT 3PM

When young newly wed Chhai discovers a sculpture of the Hindu Goddess of fertility in a mysterious Bombay workshop she is immediately entranced by it and sets her heart on having it for herself. But with her husband Arvind struggling to make ends meet with a miserly and corrupt boss, she is faced with the reality that she cannot have the thing that she covets most. Her desire for the sculpture soon turns to obsession as we discover its tragic personal significance and she is driven to ever more desperate measures to raise the money.

A transcendent score and the frequent use of disarming, disembodied POVs suggest that Chhai is truly being watched over by a benevolent spirit. But what starts off as an uplifting tale of growth and spirituality soon descends into a surreal nightmare as Chhai’s fracturing psyche bleeds into reality.

This a powerful and striking piece of work, depicting the poverty ravaged streets of Bombay in stark black and white and making good use of symbolism to illustrate how Chhai and Arvind are restricted by circumstance and unable to flourish, reinforced by the recurring motif of fertility or, in Chhai’s case, the lack thereof. Corrode is a bold and visually poetic film which diverts expectation at every turn. SE Country India Runtime 92 mins Original Format HD Director/Writer Karan Gour Producer Karan Gour, Shaan Vyas DoP Abhinay Khoparzi Cast Rasika Dugal, Alekh Sangal, Nitika Anand

20TH RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL 169

DESPITE THE GODS TUESDAY 2 OCTOBER AT 6.30PM + FRIDAY 5 OCTOBER AT 3PM

On the production whiteboard behind film director Jennifer Lynch’s desk is a column marked ‘groceries.’ On it are listed the following: coffee-maker, ice-cream maker, script-supervisor.

Jennifer is in Chennai to make her third feature film film, based on Indian myth it is the story of ‘a woman who turns into a snake who turns into a woman again.’ As this documentary of that film progresses we follow the similar metamorphosis of its director.

If shooting in brutal climactic conditions (one extra passes out under the heat of her make-up) in a foreign industry culture (Lynch nearly kisses her AD when she finally receives callsheets) with a producer who thinks he can do the job better than you (and doesn’t hesitate to tell you), and having your 12 year-old daughter in tow doesn’t sound tough, then try doing it with the thought that your first film won a Raspberry hanging over your head. Life is not easy for Jennifer Lynch, and having a famous father doesn’t necessarily make it any easier.

Despite the Gods could be called a behind-the-scenes film, but it is more than that. It is a deeply intimate look into the life of a woman struggling to balance career and family, working a job that is punishing at the best of times in difficult conditions and always, always making the best of it. JB Country Australia Runtime 85 mins Original Format DVC pro HD Director/ Writer/DoP Penny Vozniak Producer Karina Astrup

170 20TH RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL

FROM TUESDAY TO TUESDAY FRIDAY 5 OCTOBER AT 6PM + SUNDAY 7 OCTOBER AT 12.15PM

From Tuesday to Tuesday documents a week in the life of Juan Benitez, a body-builder and factory worker who moon-lights as a bouncer and harbours dreams of opening his own gym. But on his meagre paycheque he can barely support his wife and young daughter, let alone raise the cash necessary to start a business.

For a while we follow Juan in his day-to-day life, the film boasting a striking level of realism, shot in a handheld verite style reminiscent of Darren Aronofsky. When Juan witnesses a horrific crime his mundane routine is disrupted and what started out as a low-key drama diverts into thriller territory as he hatches a scheme to solve his financial woes, seemingly throwing all ethical concerns to the wind.

This is a slick and sophisticated film which starts off slow but delivers a taught and suspenseful narrative. Expertly paced, the shifts in tone are handled well, bolstered by solid performances across the board. Particularly powerful is the portrayal of Juan himself, intense and physically imposing but stoic and quite throughout. This air of mystery plays into the interesting narrative choice to keep the audience one step behind the protagonist right up to a tense finale and perfectly pitched, wholly satisfying dĂŠnouement. SE

REINALDO ARENAS Country USA Runtime 3 mins Format HD Dir/Writer Lucas Leyva Producers Jillian Mayer, Jonathan David Kane DoP Daniel Fernandez Cast Alberto Ibarguen, Epifanio Leyva Told from the point of view of a dying shark, Reinaldo Arenas metaphorically captures the current state of the ageing Cuban-American exile community, many of whom have still not come to terms with the Communist Revolution that changed their lives forever.

Country Argentina Runtime 90 mins Original Format Digital 2k Director/ Writer Gustavo Fernandez Trivino Producer Gabriel Pastore DoP Julian Apezteguia Cast Alejandro Awada, Pablo Pinto, Malena Sanchez

20TH RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL

171

SALT SUNDAY 7 OCTOBER AT 7.30PM

Ever wondered what a Charlie Kaufman Western would look like? Sergio is a struggling screenwriter who’s crazy about Westerns but his magnum opus, a tale of revenge set in the Chilean desert, just isn’t cutting it. Dejected, he decides to fly out to the story’s setting, ‘the driest desert on the planet,’ hoping to find inspiration for a new draft.

But things get weird as soon as he arrives: the village of strangers greet him warmly, calling him ‘Diego.’ What starts off as an innocent case of mistaken identity soon gets much darker when Sergio is kidnapped and beaten. Left on a remote ranch with a mysterious old man he learns that psychotic bandit Victor has a score to settle with his new alter ego. Despite denying any knowledge of ‘Diego,’ he finds himself trapped in a deadly game with the lines between fiction and reality beginning to blur.

Packed with set-pieces and tense stand-offs, elegantly framed shots and a great original score play into the Spaghetti Western archetype. But far more than just a pastiche, Sal is a great modern-day Western in it’s own right, and it’s a hell of a ride as Sergio reluctantly becomes a formidable gunslinger and the hero of his own screenplay. SE Country Chile Runtime 116 mins Original Format 35mm Director/Writer/ Producer Diego Rougier DoP David Bravo Cast Fele Martínez, Gonzalo Valenzuela, Patricio Contreras

172 20TH RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL

ANIMATED DISPLAY [SHORTS 6] SATURDAY 29 SEPTEMBER AT 5.30PM THE STORY OF ANIMATION Country USA Runtime 4 mins Director/Writer David Tart Producer Claus Toksvig An educational film about the process of animation, aimed primarily at potential animation clients.

12 DRAWINGS A DAY Country Denmark Runtime 4 mins Director/Writer Denis Chapon Producer The Animation Workshop For 3 years Denis Chapon has been making 12 drawings of animation every day – altogether, each translates to one second of film.

TEN POUNDS OF SHIT IN A FIVE POUND BAG Country Denmark/USA Runtime 1 mins Original Format DSLR Director/Writer/Producer/DoP Michael Panduro A slightly surreal, hand drawn animated music video for American punk act Retox, describing the distortion and downfall of an iconic figure.

PERIAPSIS Country USA Runtime 3 mins Original Format HD Director/Producer Timothy David Orme Writer Timothy David Orme, Haley Larson A collaborative hand-painted film that examines loss via separation.

174

20TH RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL

BITE OF THE TAIL Country USA/South Korea Runtime 9 mins Director/ Writer/Producer Song E Kim Cast Gudrun Cram-Drach, Benny Zelkowicz, Rob Wolpert A woman is suffering from stomach pain and she firmly believes that she can find a cure from the doctor. However, when the doctor has no idea, the husband goes in search of a snake.

LINES IN THE SAND Country UK Runtime 5 mins Original Format HDCam SR Directors Corrina Eastwood, Gavin Round Writer Corrina Eastwood Producer/DoP Gavin Round Cast Stuart London, Jerome Beresford, Ian McPherson A poignant short animation that explores cycles of abuse and the ambiguity of understanding and judgement when faced with the complexities of the human condition.

BLANK WALLS Country Italy Runtime 8 mins Original Format HD Director/Writer/DoP Davide Tromba Producers Davide Tromba, Valentina Canclini The story of a wall during the last century in Italy: supporting different ideologies it is the mirror of society, until TV takes over.

SEVEN MINUTES IN THE WARSAW GHETTO Country Denmark Runtime 8 mins Original Format HD Director/DoP Johan Oettinger Writer Richard Raskin Producer Ellen Riis The Warsaw Ghetto, 1942. Samek, an eight year old boy, peeks through a hole in the ghetto wall and sees a carrot lying just on the other side. He tries to pull the carrot through the hole with a piece of wire, unaware that two SS men are posted nearby and are following his every move.

LIONFISH DELUSION Country Puerto Rico/USA Runtime 4 mins Director/ Writer/Producer/DoP Quique Rivera Rivera Inspired by the Lionfish plague, this underwater neo-noir tells a story about greed and hierarchy in the Caribbean reefs.

HEAD OVER HEELS Country UK Runtime 10 mins Original Format HD Digital Director/Writer Timothy Reckart Producer Fodhla Cronin O’Reilly DoP Chloë Thomson Cast Nigel Anthony, Rayyah McCaul A husband and wife have grown apart over the years. He lives on the floor, she lives on the ceiling, and their marriage hangs in the balance.

FLORETTE Country UK Runtime 4 mins Format Raw Directors Gus Filgate, Paul Miller Writer Paul Miller Producers Sophie Cowling, Bryony Harrison DoP Gus Filgate A dark and magical stop animation film based in the midnight hour when things, including vegetables, come to life.

CADAVER Country USA Runtime 7 mins Original Format HDCam Director/Writer Jonah D Ansell Producers Amanda Dunham Ely, Mike Raspatello, Tim Hahn Cast Kathy Bates, Christopher Lloyd, Tavi Gevinson A cadaver wakes up to say a last goodbye to his wife but discovers a truth in death he didn’t know in life.

HUM Country UK Runtime 5 mins Original Format HDCam Director/Writer Emily Howells, Anne Wilkins Producers Isabelle Croissant, Sara Mullock It’s another endless, sleepless night. You’re caught in a cycle and weighed down, until something heavy and strange approaches. You need to find a way out.

LUDIC CHASE Country USA Runtime 7 mins Original Format HD Director/Writer/Producer Jason & Aya Brown Gunnar toys with danger as he makes his way home from work and encounters a spirit, Oyami.

20TH RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL

175

BEST INTERNATIONAL THURSDAY 27 SEPTEMBER AT 1PM + SUNDAY 7 OCTOBER AT 3PM BOLERO Country USA Runtime 15 mins Original Format Red Epic Director/Writer Dennis Brucks Producer Tessa Bell DoP Chase Bowman Cast Christian Traeumer, Eva Marie Ford, Philip Marlatt A powerful tale of vengeance that hits a raw nerve and demands attention to the finest detail. A story about the triumph over evil at the cost of innocence. All set to a sublime recording of Ravel’s Bolero.

THE FOREIGNER Country Greece/USA Runtime 17 mins Original Format Red 4k Director/Writer Alethea C Avramis Producer Babis Tsouta DoP Stelios Pissas Cast Manolis Sormainis, Philip Bretherton, Gerasimos Pavlou A remote Greek village must raise its population in order to avoid being cut off from the local government. When a foreigner, Eric, stumbles into town, the village mayor rallies the hostile townspeople to convince Eric to stay.

INTERVIEW DATE Country USA Runtime 12 mins Original Format HD video Director Mike Lemcke Writers Mike Lemcke, Grant Lyon Producer Grant Lyon DoP Rainer Lipski Cast Miaken Kristola, Jordan Boughrum, Liam Toner A blind date gets mixed up with a job interview, leaving everyone at the right place at the right time with the wrong person.

176 20TH RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL

BUZKASHI BOYS Country Afghanistan Runtime 28 mins Original Format HDCam Director Sam French Writers Sam French, Martin Roe Producer Ariel Nasr DoP Duraid Munajim Cast Fawad Mohammadi, Jawanmard Paiz, Wali Talash Filmed on location in Afghanistan, a stirring coming of age drama that offers an intimate look at another side of this wartorn country.

THE OLD WOMAN Country Germany Runtime 30 mins Original Format Red 4k raw Director Ariane Mayer Writer Axel Röthemeyer Producers Tim Ottenstein, Ariane Mayer DoP Tim Ottenstein Cast Mirkus Hahn, Hendrik Arnst, Helga Boettiger In a place where the mere publication of a poem may lead to death, the writer Daniil plans to write a subversive novel.

THE END Country France Runtime 18 mins Original Format 35mm Director Didier Barcelo Writers Didier Barcelo, Benjamin Parent Producer David Frenkel DoP André Chemetoff Cast Charlotte Rampling, Gérard Darmon, Géraldine Nakache Charlotte Rampling is devastated. She just caught a rerun of ‘He Died with His Eyes Open’ on TV, and realized that she has been erased and replaced by another actress, Liz Gareth, who the media are calling ‘the new Charlotte Rampling.’

BEST UK FRIDAY 28 SEPTEMBER AT 1PM + SATURDAY 29 SEPTEMBER AT 3.30PM THE MAPMAKER Country UK Runtime 18 mins Original Format 35mm Director Stephen Johnson Writer Scott James Bassett Producers Scott James Bassett, Stephen Johnson, Nic Roeg, Sarah Radclyffe DoP Sue Gibson Cast Charles Dance, Jenny Agutter, Rachel Hurd-Wood Returning with his wife Isabel to the coastline where they once spent a blissful summer, Rowan must make a sacrifice to preserve their unity forever.

A THOUSAND EMPTY GLASSES Country UK Runtime 15 mins Director Andrew Nolan Writer Mark Finbow Producers Tristan Shepherd, Michael Stevenson DoP Eben Bolter Cast Tristan Shepherd, Michael Steveson, James Wallwork One Night. One Decision. One Life. A drunken evening exposing long held secret lives forces a young man into a life altering decision.

SISTER Country UK Runtime 17 mins Original Format HDV Director/Writer/Producer Clara Kraft Isono DoP Christine Lalla Cast Kosher Praveen, Padma Agmo, Rigzin Jurmet In the remote upper Himalayan region of Ladakh two sisters struggle with the onset of separation.

FOR ELSIE Country UK Runtime 23 mins Dir David Winstone Writer Vincent Klueger Producer Gemma Priggen DoP Joseph Kelly Jones Cast Blake Ritson, Eline Pauwels, Olegar Fedoro A piano teacher has to teach his new, Russian, student ‘Fur Elise’ in 24 hours or her father will break his hands.

BIRD Country UK Runtime 13 mins Original Format HD Director Alasdair Bayne Writers Alasdair Bayne, Rowan Lear Producer Rowan Lear DoP Andrew O’Connor Cast Lauren Grace Wilson, Alexander Cowan Adolescence is the only period in which we learn anything.

THE PUB Country UK Runtime 8 mins Original Format HDCam Director/Writer Joseph Pierce Producer Mark Grimmer DoP Vanessa Whyte Cast Aneta Piotrowska The murky slipstream of a North London pub. Innovative use of rotoscoping conjures up a bleak yet truthful vision of contemporary Britain – people drinking to dull the pain.

20TH RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL 177

THE CHRONICLES [SHORTS 13] THURSDAY 27 SEPTEMBER AT 6.15PM BATTERSEA Country UK/Poland Runtime 11 mins Original Format HD DSLR Director/Writer/Producer Paul Kowalski DoP John Fitzgerald Cast Maria Oldeen, Paul Kowalski, Rosalie Jorda A woman, lost in a surreality brought on by grief, meets an electrician who may offer her a way out of hell and up to light.

ICEBREAKERS Country France/Sweden Runtime 15 mins Original Format HD Director/Producer Maximilien Van Aertryck DoP Vincent Bitaud A ferry makes its way through the ice floating in the wintery Baltic Sea. Yet the ice has long since broken inside the ship thanks to the evening’s entertainment: with their presentation, the artists breathe a moment of magic into a world which already seems rather unreal. The film evokes a journey into the unknown, full of nostalgia and hope.

DYLAN’S ROOM Country UK Runtime 20 mins Original Format HD Director/Writer Layke Anderson Producers Jean-Paul Berthoin, Maggie Russell DoP Jean-Paul Berthoin Cast Joanna Scanlan, Ricky Nixon A lonely mother finds solace in her son’s deserted bedroom, rummaging through drawers, making discoveries and confronting the past.

178 20TH RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL

COME WHAT MAY Country Belgium/France Runtime 16 mins Original Format HD Director Mathieu Bergeron, Maxime Feyers Writer Maxime Feyers Producer François-Xavier Willems, Sébastien Hussenot DoP Philippe Therasse Cast Nicole Duret, François Beukelaers After a call from his wife, Paul is turned upside down.

CHRISTINE Country Belgium Runtime 10 mins Director/Writer Isabelle Schapira Producer IAD Mediadiffusion DoP Alicia Fischmeister Cast Christine Dargenton, Tom Boccara Christine finds her runaway son Damien panhandling in front of a supermarket. After a moment with him, Christine realises that Damien won’t be coming home. She’ll have to make a choice: the choice to let him leave.

THE GREEN DOGS Country France Runtime 11 mins Original Format HD Director/Writer Mathias & Colas Rifkiss Producers Olivier Berlemont, Les Films au Long Cours DoP Nicolas Manson Cast Pascal Demolon, Philippe Duquesne, Anne Benoît Oswaldo and Babass, two fifty year-old workers keen on football, are threatened by the relocation of their factory in Romania. They provoke a match against the young managers of the company for their professional futures and soon they resume training with their mythic crew from the ’80s, ‘The Green Dogs.’ But both men are far from the young champions they used to be.

CITIZEN EXPEDIENTS [SHORTS 8] THURSDAY 4 OCTOBER AT 6.15PM ASAD Country USA/South Africa Runtime 17 mins Original Format Red Epic Director/Writer Bryan Buckley Producers Mino Jarjoura, Bryan Buckley, Rafiq Samsodien DoP Scott Henriksen Cast Harun Mohammed, Ali Mohammed, Ibrahim Moallim Hussein An all Somali refugee cast brings to life this coming of age fable about a Somali boy struggling to survive in his war-torn homeland.

ROUBAMA Country Lebanon/Palestine Runtime 15 mins Original Format Red Director/Writer Rakan Mayas Producers Fahda Bandar, Mahmoud Korek DoP Koussay Hamzeh Cast Karim Kassem, Maysam Bisharat He is a refugee. Who is she? And will they ever meet?

WRITTEN IN INK Country Poland Runtime 12 mins Original Format 35mm Director/Writer Martin Rath Producer Marcin Malatynski DoP Yori Fabian Cast Janusz Czech A documentary about hope. The poignant story of a man trying to regain contact with his sister after 14 years of silence.

But can one change what has already been written in ink?

MAESTRA Country USA/Cuba Runtime 33 mins Original Format MiniDV Director/Producer Catherine Murphy Writers Catherine Murphy, Eve Goldberg DoP Roberto Chile, Ivan NĂĄpoles Cast Norma Guillard, Adria Santana, Deysi Veitia Cuba, 1961. Thousands of teenage girls join the national campaign for literacy and help teach their country to read.

Their lives would never be the same.

LAST REMARKS Country Pakistan Runtime 17 mins Original Format HD Director/Writer Umar Riaz Producers Alexis Gambis, Shruti Ganguly, Heather Jack DoP Pedro Gomez Millan Cast Umar Riaz, Burton Crane, Daniel Hicks In 1947, the British rulers of the Indian subcontinent prepare to depart the region amidst waves of ethnic violence. On the evening of the creation of his new country – Pakistan Arastu Jan, a troubled and isolated native servant to a British master, takes a dose of poison and finds himself with ten minutes to record the confession of his brief lifetime.

20TH RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL 179

GONE ASTRAY [SHORTS 5] FRIDAY 28 SEPTEMBER AT 6.15PM + FRIDAY 5 OCTOBER AT 1PM FIRST CONTACT Country Australia Runtime 21 mins Original Format Red 4.5K raw Director/Writer Matt Richards Producers Brendan Guerin, Matt Richards DoP Matt Wood Cast Olaf Savage, Isabel Macmaster, Ian Harry Living alone in old caravans on the edge of a giant, remote sea lake, a father and daughter eke out a frugal existence in selfimposed exile. Their calm yet monotonous world is shattered when one day they discover the body of a mysterious man.

On the verge of death, the stranger’s arrival throws them into conflict, stirring up fears and forcing them to confront the very things they’ve been hiding from.

NOWHERE IN PARTICULAR Country UK Runtime 20 mins Original Format 35mm Director/Writer Mason Cardiff Producers Edwina Forkin, Julie Willaims DoP Jack Conroy Cast Owen Roe, Jane McGrath, Rob Soohan Sean is a 23-year-old Irish-American. Running away from a broken heart, he decides to go back to his roots and drive around Ireland. He soon finds himself in the middle of nowhere, when he picks up a beautiful young Irish woman; Sarah. Shortly into the journey, Sarah will confess something that is going to transfer him into a world of trouble.

FRIDAY Country UK Runtime 17 mins Original Format 35mm Director Seb Edwards Writer Anna Symon Producer Dominic Thomas DoP Mattias Montero Cast Reece Noi, Cathy Tyson, Richard Driscoll The story of a teenager struggling to come to terms with the death of his mother on the one-year anniversary of the tragic event.

UNMANNED Country USA Runtime 21 mins Original Format HDCam SR Director/Writer Casey Cooper Johnson Producer Casey Fenton DoP Sevdije Kastrati Cast Jonah Wharton, Danielle Doyen, Austin James Rodriguez Rick Clayfield is a young Air Force drone pilot, operating airstrikes in Afghanistan remotely from a base in America and returning each day to his wife and toddler son. Trained on video games and far from harm’s way, Rick treats killing insurgents on his screen like getting a high score, until his team makes a lethal mistake. Now, with growing stress at war and pressures at home, will he be able to continue as a ‘cubicle warrior’ and remain detached from the human cost of remote control warfare?

COMMERCE Country USA Runtime 18 mins Original Format HD Director/Writer Lisa Robertson Producers Lisa Robertson, Denise Pleune, Erica McIntosh, Linda Montanti DoP Michael Negrin Cast Joel Gretsch, Annabeth Gish, Noel Fisher In the grip of a spiralling compulsion, business and family man Ken encounters a young gambler, who could save or destroy him in the City of Commerce.

180 20TH RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL

THE GRAFTERS [SHORTS 12] MONDAY 1 OCTOBER AT 8.15PM UNRAVEL Country India/UK Runtime 17 mins Original Format HD Director Meghna Gupta Producer Gigi Berardi DoP Susanne Willett Reshma works in a textile-recycling factory in small town India. She and other workers imagine the West through the cast-off clothes they handle.

THE BRONZER Country USA Runtime 11 mins Original Format HD Director Peyton Wilson Producers Peyton Wilson, Ralph Laucella, David Shane, Marc Grill DoP Tami Reiker, Dave Giles Cast Stu Larkin The self-proclaimed last traveling salesman in America, Stu Larkin is anything but your average salesman.

HERRIOTT GRACE Country Canada Runtime 27 mins Original Format HD Director John Cullen Producers John Cullen, Paul Proulx DoP Vinit Borrison, John Cullen Cast High Hopes What happens when you have the chance to turn your passion into your second career? We follow Nikole Herriott as she visits her father Lance on his first day of retirement. He has said goodbye to his ship welder past to focus his considerable talents on his lifelong passion: wood.

GOOD KARMA $1 Country USA Runtime 15 mins Director Jason Berger, Amy Laslett Producer Kids at Play DoP Paul de Lumen Cast Alex Bogusky, Dave Schiff A short documentary that explores acclaimed ad-guru Alex Bogusky’s fascination with collecting homeless signs. What starts out as a project to understand the world’s simplest form of communication turns into a lesson of generosity.

YADORIGI: A VILLAGE IN PORTRAITS Country Japan Runtime 29 mins Original Format HDCam Director/Producer/DoP Eiji Iwakawa Cast Noriho Tanaka, Jin Sato, Ikuo Mitsuhashi Interwoven portraits of three bohemian characters in a small Japanese village: a junk collector, an organic farmer, and a circus trainer. A meditation on the important things in life.

REINA Country Mexico Runtime 18 mins Original Format HDTVDV Director/Writer Mélanie Leblond Producer Maria Carrion DoP Tim Knight Cast Reina Romano Vasquez Portrait of a Mexican maid: after 40 years living with her glamorous employer, Gloria Mestre, Reina is thinking of retiring but can’t seem to bring herself to leave quite yet.

20TH RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL

181

NOVA EXPRESS [SHORTS 7] WEDNESDAY 3 OCTOBER AT 6.15PM INTRUSION Country Germany Runtime 11 mins Original Format HD Director/Writer/Producer/DoP Natalie Plaskura Cast Katarina Stricevic, Natalie Kreuter, André Ebert An entirely surreal work of abstraction, revolving minuets veering into the realm of landscapes evocative of Angus McBean’s portraits.

DOKTOR FANG Country Canada Runtime 18 mins Original Format HD Director/Writer/Producer Owen Coughlan DoP Jacques Bernier Cast Brent Skagford, Matt Holland, Gillian Ferrabee Expressionist abstraction full of the psychoanalytical.

I AM THE ARCHITECT Country UK Runtime 14 mins Original Format HD Director/Writer Henry Coombes Producer Ciara Barry DoP David Liddell Cast Angus MacInnes, Marcella McIntosh, Johnny Shaw Clive becomes a victim of his own tyrannical plan to create a modernist utopia where individual expression is repressed in order to adhere to his rules.

MY BIG-ASSED MOTHER Country USA Runtime 12 mins Original Format HD Director/Writer/Producer Tekla Taidelli DoP Frederic Fasano Cast Abel Ferrara, Ilene Kristen, Theodore Bouloukos For the first time as an actor on the big screen Abel Ferrara plays the famous writer Charles Bukowski telling his unmistakable stories to a packed bar.

182 20TH RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL

THE METAMORPHOSIS Country South Korea Runtime 14 mins Format 16mm Director/Writer Ki-nam Yun Producer Seok-ho Yun DoP Ui-kwan Kim Cast Ju-hyun Kim, So-hee Kim, Hyeon-woo Son The family staying by Agnes’ deathbed give cold treatment to Simon, who returns to the family after16 years.

LIFE & FREAKY TIMES OF UNCLE LUKE Country USA Runtime 12 mins Original Format HD Directors Jillian Mayer, Lucas Leyva Writer Lucas Leyva Producers Jillian Mayer, Lucas Leyva, Nick Orsini, Evan Rosenfeld DoP Jonathan David Kane Cast Luther Campbell, Elizabeth Sky, Jennifer Lopez A modern Miami adaptation of the 1962 Chris Marker short film La Jetée, the film recounts Luke’s (Uncle Luke, from 2 Live Crew) rise to fame as he changes the face of hip-hop and fights for first amendment rights and later as he ushers Miami into a golden era of peace and prosperity as Mayor.

PRELUDE Country USA Runtime 7 mins Original Format Super 8 Director Roger Deutsch Roger Deutsch adapts text extracted from TS Eliot’s Preludes with a musical soundtrack by Charles Ives amongst other notable composers. Another fine piece of film essayist style from the Raindance veteran cineaste.

OCTANE CITY [SHORTS 4] TUESDAY 2 OCTOBER AT 6.15PM + THURSDAY 4 OCTOBER AT 1PM NO REST FOR THE WICKED Country USA Runtime 16 mins Director/Writer Ryan Schifrin Producers Theresa Eastman Schifrin, Ryan Schifrin Cast Malcolm McDowell, Ray Park, Zachary Levi Spawning from the hit comic, The Devil’s Handshake, this short horror-adventure romp features Basil, a street tough brawler and Moebius, a dashing cat burglar playboy.

THE BALLAD OF DANKO JONES Country USA Runtime 20 mins Original Format Red One Directors The Diamond Bros Writers Jason Diamond, Josh Diamond, Chris Holmes, Greg Gilpatrick Producers Jim Muscarella, Josh Diamond, Jason Diamond, Joe DeVito DoP Brandon Trost, Amanda Treyz The suspenseful tale of Danko Jones who is trying to save the world from an evil scientist whilst escaping the multiple hit men out to get him. Cameo role by Lemmy the connoisseur.

CUT TO FIT Country Italy Runtime 17 mins Original Format Red 4k Director/Writer Giovanni La Pàrola Producers Davide Giglio, Giovanni La Pàrola DoP Marco Bassano Cast Filippo Pucillo, Giovanni Calcagno, Francesco Foti The bloody revenge of a young tailor during the peasant revolt of Bronte, Sicily

63 COMET Country USA Runtime 17 mins Original Format Digital Director/Writer Jason McKee Producers Mary Russell, Sean Eagon DoP Tomás Guzmán Cast Damon Abdallah, Dan Anderson, Tom Olson Three individuals discuss life, philosophy, and television programmes while they drive along a desert highway.

Featuring a sublime soundtrack by Burl Ives and some nifty drumming by Buddy Rich.

MATRIARCHE Country France Runtime 9 mins Original Format Video Director Guillaume Pierret Writers Guillaume Pierret, Yvan Georges-Dit-Souril Producers Nabil Khouri, Cyril Schulmann, Rémi Leautier DoP Cyril Bron Cast Adrien Bienvenu, Fabrice Delorme, Catherine Badet-Corniou In a prison visitor’s room a mother confronts her son over his part in an epic failed hold-up.

THE LAST ANARCHIST Country USA Runtime 18 mins Original Format DVD Director/Writer/Producer Collin Jay Blair DoP Laurence Stajic Cast Tyler Rice, Matt Chrans, Jennifer Jules Hart A short film about Donny, an eccentric anarchist and his unique way of grieving a family tragedy. Reminiscent of Hopper in The Last Movie.

20TH RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL 183

SCULPTURED IN TIME [SHORTS 2] SUNDAY 30 SEPTEMBER AT 5.30PM + TUESDAY 2 OCTOBER AT 1PM WONDER Country UK Runtime 26 mins Original Format HD Director/Writers Johnny Daukes Producer Julie Clark DoP Oliver Loncraine Cast Henry Goodman, Diana Hardcastle, Susannah Wise An intimate exploration of loss and reconciliation. One evening, four couples and a decision that draws them together, whilst potentially tearing them apart.

MERCY Country Poland Runtime 17 mins Original Format 16mm Director/Writer Eliza Subotowicz Producers Munk Studio, Polish Filmmakers Association, Tofi Productions DoP Monika Lenczewska Cast Maria Czykwin, Łukasz Simlat, Emilia Mikołajczyk Weronika arrives in a small town with her two-year-old daughter. The plan she intends to carry out requires a meeting with someone she has not seen for a long time, Tomasz, the local parish priest. Their meeting after so many years takes an unexpected turn.

ANONYMOUS Country UK Runtime 11 mins Original Format HD Director Matthew Murdoc Writers Langebek, Matthew Murdoch Producer Mark Peters DoP Kate Reid Cast Amanda Drew, Henry Garrett A relationship that shouldn’t mean anything, but in the end of course, it does.

184 20TH RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL

WHITE SQUARE Country Estonia Runtime 17 mins Director/Writer Ivan Pavljutskov Producer Martin Ruus DoP Max Golomidov Cast Ivan Turapin, Anton Melnichuk Zakhar is desperately trying to play hide and seek with the other countryside boys. The situation changes, however, when Zakhar meets the mysterious Sasha.

FANGST Country Denmark Runtime 17 mins Director Malte Burup Writer Adrian Dexter, Malte Burup DoP David Rene Christensen A nomadic hunter writes poems about his power over nature.

His philosophy is challenged when he discovers a woman living alone in the woods.

ROMANCE Country USA Runtime 26 mins Director Andy Mingo Writers Andy Mingo, Chuck Palahniuk Producer Andy Mingo, Fuad Omar DoP Justin Alpern Cast Brian Allard, Amber Arrigotti Adapted from a story by Fight Club author Chuck Palahniuk, Romance rides the edge of the modern love story in a twisted tale of attraction, fear, and ultimately consumption.

SEMIOTEXT(E) FICTION [SHORTS 3] MONDAY 1 OCTOBER AT 6.15PM + WEDNESDAY 3 OCTOBER AT 1PM VOICE OVER Country Spain Runtime 10 mins Original Format Red One Director/Writer/DoP José Martín Rosete Producers Koldo Zuazua, Sebastian Alvarez, Martín Rosete, José Martín Rosete, Manuel Calvo Cast Jonathan D Mellor, Féodor Atkine A tale of existential dilemmas as the protagonist finds himself in life threatening situations.

THE HISTORY OF CHANCE Country UK Runtime 24 mins Original Format HD Director/Writer Max Blustin Producers Max Blustin, Neil Roberts, Ken Petrie DoP Peter Robertson Cast Neil Roberts, Robert Beck, Elizabeth Healey An enigmatic and haunting drama about loss and rebirth.

Following the death of his wife, a man becomes consumed by depression. In his loneliness he makes a strange discovery which may have far-reaching consequences.

ADMISSIONS Country USA Runtime 21 mins Format HD Director Harry Kakatsakis Writer John Viscount Producers Gavin J Behrman, John Viscount, Crispian Belfrage DoP Charles Minsky Cast James Cromwell, Anna Khaja, Oren Dayan Set in the Admissions Room for the afterlife, this short features an Israeli couple and a Palestinian. Its purpose is to start a healing conversation.

DILLI DREAMS Country Germany Runtime 9 mins Director/Writer/ Producer/DoP Etienne Sievers Cast Mohammed Faizal, Ram Bihari An ageing man, working as a mazdoor (laborer) in the crowded bazaars of Old Delhi, remembers his childhood in the countryside and the incidents that changed his life.

TABLE FOR ONE Country USA Runtime 23 mins Original Format Red Epic Director Jesse Coane Writer Alexis C Jolly Producer Nick Read DoP Donavan Sell Cast Ryan Pratton, Lena Hart, Monica Barbaro Phillip is stuck in the menial corporate whirlpool, working for a boss who doesn’t have a clue. Arriving home he discovers his apartment is now doubling as a restaurant and that even in his own joint, he can’t get a table.

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STREET LIFE [SHORTS 10] SATURDAY 6 SEPTEMBER AT 3PM MADDOGGIN’ Country USA Runtime 23 mins Original Format DSLR Director/Writer Terence Heuston Producer Eddie Ruiz DoP Daniel Ainsworth Cast Leonard Davenport, David Castaneda, Justin Huen Two boys in East LA are pressured to join the local gang.

The choices they make over a single day will alter their lives forever.

SKUNK Country Belgium Runtime 18 mins Original Format Arri Alexa Directors/Producers Jan & Raf Roosens Writers Bert Van Dael, Sanne Nuyens DoP Rik Zang Cast Enrique De Roeck, Marthe Schneider, Sara De Bosschere When a skunk’s mortally ill mother throws a birthday party for him, he needs to find friends to invite.

AMERICAN FOOTBALL Country France Runtime 26 mins Original Format HD Director/Writer Morgan Simon Producers Jessica Rosselet, Marc-Benoît Créancier DoP Steeven Petitteville Cast Julien Krug, Lilly-Fleur Pointeaux, Nathan Willcocks Zack is a cool cat, tattooed right to the top of his neck. As proof of his commitment to the band that has just recruited him as lead singer, he must have their logo tattooed on his body. But his tattooist and mentor refuses to do it on credit this time. He’s gonna have to find the cash from somewhere.

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HIGH HOPES Country UK Runtime 13 mins Format 16mm Director Romano Pizzichini Writers Ashden Oke, Romano Pizzichini Producers Michelle Hung, Romano Pizzichini DoP Ryan Harding Cast Joshua T. Campbell, Elijah Baker, Femi Wilhelm London estates story that isn’t just about a cold world. Kassel and Andre are teenagers, but might be growing up too soon.

STATE OF SEPARATION Country USA Runtime 13 mins Director Ryo Rex Writers/ Producers Brandon Gooden, Megan Sousa DoP Tuan Le Cast Megan Sousa, Junesoo Ham, Olivia Delgado A woman at her breaking point, suffering a separation before divorce, goes on a blind date that reveals a secret past.

PAPERSUN Country Canada Runtime 9 mins Original Format 16mm Director/Writer/Producer Lena Stolarska DoP Dany Lurette Cast Mark Masztalerz, Luc Proulx It’s New Years’s Eve and Marek is not turning back. He’s leaving for good, a place that for the longest time now has been nothing but a brokedown hotel run by bleak souls.

THE SURVIVALISTS [SHORTS 11] SATURDAY 6 SEPTEMBER AT 5.45PM KARAMA HAS NO WALLS Country Yemen Runtime 26 mins Original Format HD Director/Writer Sara Ishaq Producers Sara Ishaq, Hot Spot Films DoP Ameen Al-Ghaberi Cast Khaled Rajjeh, Nasr Al-Namer, Saleem Al-Harazi Juma’at El-Karama (Friday of Dignity) marks a turning point in Yemen’s revolution. The tragic events that took place on this day – when pro-government snipers shot dead 53 protesters and injured a thousand more – shook the nation to its core and propelled hundreds of thousands more to flock to the square in solidarity with their fellow citizens.

CARBON FOR WATER Country USA Runtime 22 mins Original Format HD Directors/Writers/Producers/DoP Evan Abramson, Carmen Elsa Lopez Abramson Life is precious, water shouldn’t be. Carbon For Water explores what happens when vulnerable women and girls, dirty water, and climate change collide in Kenya.

DHARAVI DIARY Country USA Runtime 14 mins Original Format HD Director/Writer Nawneet Ranjan Producers Michael McCarthy, Vidu Chandan, Jay Singh, Nawneet Ranjan DoP Jay Singh Cast Guddu, Saif, Fatima Dharavi Diary is the story of a community that thrives by recycling waste from all over the world and selling it for profit.

The story unfolds through the eyes of a teenager named Guddu who lost his job at the recycle workshop where he used to work when it was destroyed by multinational real-estate companies redeveloping Dharavi.

EMPTYS Country USA Runtime 10 mins Original Format HD Director/Writer/Producer/DoP Josh Leake Cast Tim Varner, Joseph Jackson, Ernie Franklin In 1971, the State of Oregon pioneered a bottle return deposit bill. The bill required individuals purchasing beverages to place a deposit in escrow until the container was returned. Today, many people are living off this money. Emptys introduces Tim, Ernie, Joe and Jenna and follows them as they return bottles and cans as their principal source of income. Homeless or not, these are real people struggling to make ends meet. They help the environment every day, but many look down at them.

BLIND ENCOUNTER Country UK Runtime 10 mins Original Format HD Director/Writer/Producer Kevin L Andrews DoP Kevin L Andrews, Shaun Salmon Cast Nikos Leonidas Fever, darkness, fear and acceptance. A blind man’s journey that leads to different ways of seeing the world.

WHEN THE SONG DIES Country UK Runtime 15 mins Format HD Director Jamie Chambers Producer James Barrett DoP John Craine Cast Sheila Stewart, Norman Maclean, Margaret Bennett A poetic documentary that weaves stories, songs and memories from across Scotland, counterpointing their testament to the richly evocative landscape of the Machars in Wigtownshire. Rendered with that Celtic sense of irretrievable loss, full of optimism and lamentation.

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THE THRILLERS [SHORTS 14] SUNDAY 7 OCTOBER AT 5PM AUTODRIVE Country UK Runtime 17 mins Original Format Red Director/Writer Rory O’Donnell Producer Nicola Petrides DoP Ronaldas Buozis Cast Alex Warren, Denise Moreno, Tom Knight When Steve’s new GPS suddenly asks for help, he follows her instructions from sunny suburbia into the depths of an abandoned warehouse to a door.

OUT OF HOURS Country UK Runtime 20 mins Director Clive Ashenden Writers Stuart Wright, Clive Ashenden Producers Stuart Wright, Clive Ashenden, Snakegully Productions DoP Simon Aitken Cast Maria Thomas, Ben Shockley, Henry Everett Alice witnesses a murder at work and finds herself being chased by two gun-toting killers.

12 FUCKING ANGRY MEN Country Canada Runtime 13 mins Original Format HDCam Director/Writer Jean-François Leblanc Producers Jean-François Leblanc, Félix Larivière DoP Renaud DesprésLarose, Félix Larivière Cast Simon Olivier Fecteau, Éric Kamala Boulianne, Samuel St-Pierre A tribute to the Sidney Lumet masterpiece, 12 Fucking Angry Men is a dark comedy about anger, shot with non-pro actors.

BACKLOT Country Canada Runtime 10 mins Original Format DSLR Director/Writer David Marriott Producers David Marriott, Claire Grandy DoP David Ferron Cast Karl Graboshas, Doug Price, Imogen Haworth An editor’s nightly routine parallels the larger-than-life stories of his current documentary film subject.

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EVERY NIGHT I AM FALLING OUT FROM NOWHERE Country UK Runtime 15 mins Director/Writer Mihalis Monemvasiotis Prods Dimitra Gyftopoulou, Chloe Trayner DoP Jessie Brickley Cast Aggy Kuk, J Wilkinson, T Murphy Amy is invited to a friend’s party and ends up outside a hotel room door. Inside things start looking out of place .

DARK HIDING Country UK Runtime 10 mins Director/DoP Tom Bates Writer/Producer Carl Reason Cast Josh Johnson, Tegan Westall, Carl Reason A sci-fi short that explores addiction in a futuristic landscape.

TAKING LIFE Country UK Runtime 7 mins Director Steve Reeves Writer Mike Oughton Producer Tim Marshall DoP Alex Melman Cast Andrea Lowe, Elisa Lowoski When a woman has a horrible day at the office, she comes home and takes it out on her housekeeper.

FELIX Country Germany Runtime 1 min Original Format HD Director/Writer/DoP Anselm Belser Producer Paul Ohmert Cast Felix Müller, Daniela Blaschke, Paul Ohmert Every action has a reaction SWEETHEART Country UK Runtime 9 mins Original Format DSLR Director Victoria Naumova Writer Lisa Gifford Producers Elisar Cabrera, Victoria Naumova DoP Dankuro Shinma Cast Peter Halpin, Lisa Gifford, Joey Lowe Sara is intrigued when her ex-colleague, Matthew, invites her out for a drink. Is it a date? Or something altogether different?

VEXATIONS IN TRANSIT [SHORTS 1] SUNDAY 30 SEPTEMBER AT 3.45PM + MONDAY 1 OCTOBER AT 1PM LOVE STORY Country USA Runtime 17 mins Original Format HD Director/Writer Ása Hjörleifsdóttir Producers Hlín Jóhannesdóttir, Birgitta Björnsdóttir, Andrew Hauser DoP Arnar Orisson Cast Katherine Waterston, Walter Geir Grímsson, Elva Ósk Ólafsdóttir A story of love, madness, and 24-hour daylight. Solange’s boyfriend Baldur mysteriously takes off for Iceland. She follows, but an even deeper mystery awaits her.

GHOSTS Country USA Runtime 13 mins Original Format HD Director/Writer Christopher Makoto Yogi Producers Christopher Makoto Yogi, Kathleen Dahan DoP Eunsoo Cho Cast Aly Ishikuni, Michael Tanji, Samuel Suzuki Living out his last days in the north shore of Hawaii, an old Japanese man is visited by the ghosts of his past.

SUPERHERO Country USA Runtime 20 mins Original Format HD Director/Writer Kristin Wright Producers Kristin Wright, Jeff Shipman DoP Jeff Shipman Cast Alison Hastings, Brittany Felton, Joe Gabler The story of Margot, a young woman coping with the death of her parents by wearing a homemade superhero costume.

A naturally cast, genuinely sweet film about love and death.

YOU KNOW IT’S BAD LUCK Country France Runtime 20 mins Original Format HD Director/Writer Hélène Médigue Producers 28 Productions, Hélène Médigue, Samuel Labarthe DoP Gérard Acourt Cast Vincent Médigue, Hélène Médigue, Béatrice de Staël Simon understands everything but something inside him resists. He is a happy man, incapable of cheating or concealing and has many talents. Simon is different.

LOGS Country Latvia Runtime 15 mins Original Format Red Director Una Rozenbauma Writer Una Rozenbauma Producer Zane Purina DoP Andrejs Rudzats Cast Anete Saulite, Girts Liuziniks, Maija Apine A young man, recovering from the recent nervous breakdown, arrives at manor house to rest for a while. He meets a young, bored women who entertains herself by telling self made legends.

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WARPATH DILEMMAS [SHORTS 9] FRIDAY 5 OCTOBER AT 6.15PM THE PIANO Country Armenia/France Runtime 26 mins Format HD Director/Writer Lévon Minasian Producers Boris Briche, Jennifer Sabbah, Arthur Yezekyan DoP Stephan Massis Cast Yervand Manadyan, Appoline Petrossian, Gérald Papasian Thirteen years after the earthquake in Armenia. A piano is delivered for a talented orphan pianist but the trailer where she lives is too small to hold it.

THE LOBSTER CRY Country Belgium Runtime 30 mins Original Format HDCam Director/Writer Nicolas Guiot Producers Anthony Rey, Nicolas Guiot, Fabrice DoP Jean-François Metz Cast Claire Thoumelou, Anton Kouzemin, Tatiana Gontcharova Recently arrived in France with her parents from their native Russia, Natalia, six year old, has been impatiently awaiting her brother’s return from fighting in Chechnya. D-day has come and so has disillusion for the little girl. Is this man really the brother she used to know?

THE CRAFTSMAN Country UK Runtime 18 mins Format 4kHD Director/ Writer Peter King Producers Rowland Kimber, Richard Canavan DoP Carl Burke Cast David Persiva, Sam Donnelly Normandy, 1944. Untrained in combat, Sgt Wally Harris and his unit of craftsmen have never looked their enemy in the eye, until now.

190 20TH RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL

BREAD Country Germany Runtime 13 mins Original Format S16 Director/Writer/Producer Ahmet Tas DoP Peter Nix Cast Angela Winkler, Bruno Ganz Shortly after World War II an older married couple experiences an unusual night, a night that has yet to reveal how the war has affected the two of them.

WHY ARE YOU HERE? Country Poland Runtime 13 mins Original Format 35mm Director/Writer Laurence Walsh Producer Rafal Buks DoP Tomasz Augustynek Cast Andreas Christ, Eric Bouwer, Benjamin Kramme At the end of WWII, a small group of German soldiers who have been separated from their Wehrmacht battalion come across a strange house in the deep woods of Poland.

OLLAPARO Country Spain Runtime 12 mins Format HD Director/ Writer/Producer/DoP Sonia & Miriam Albert Sobrino Cast Antonio Mourelos, Julio S Barja, Francisco S Ares A Galician elder and his mute son attempt to disrupt the malevolent will of the one-eyed Ollaparo beast through the invocation of age-old rituals and sacrifices.

FILMMAKER CONTACTS ABOUT THE PINK SKY Fumiko Nagata nagata.fumiko@gmail.com www.thepinksky.jp AFTER SCHOOL MIDNIGHTERS Fumiko Nagata nagata.fumiko@gmail.com www.afterschool-midnighters.com ANDREW BIRD: FEVER YEAR Xan Aranda xan@kartemquin.com www.feveryear.com ANGEL Gee Vaucher exitstencilpress@gmail.com www.exitstencilpress.com THE ASCENT Ivan Djurovic ivandjurovic@artikulacija.me www.artikulacija.me AT NIGHT I FLY Timo Joh Maye mayer@lbfilms.de www.atnightifly.com BAD HAIR FRIDAY Tristan Priimagi tristan@efsa.ee BALLROOM DANCER Anne Marie Kürstein, Katrine Sahlstrøm kürstein@dfi.dk katrine@danishdocumentary.com BANAZ: A LOVE STORY Fuuse Films contact@fuuse-media.com www.fuuse-films.com BAR25 — DAYS OUT OF TIME 25films and Arden Film info@25films.de info@ardenfilm.com www.bar25-derfilm.de www.bar25.de

BARBAROUS MEXICO 2010 Iván Gutiérrez Araico difuinte@imcine.gob.mx

CONSUMING SPIRITS Chris Sullivan csullivan@saic.edu

THE BEAVER TRILOGY Trent Harris harristrent@yahoo.com www.echocave.net

CORRODE Shaan Vyas empatheiafilms@gmail.com www.kshay-thefilm.com

BE SEEING YOU ISKRA iskra@iskra.fr www.iskra.fr

CULTURE SHOCK Anthony Pedone info@anthonypedone.com www.dikenga.com

BLACK BISCUIT Fabrizio Federico fabrizio_federico@hotmail.co.uk www.fabriziofederico.moonfruit.com

DARK HEARTS Kees Van Oostrum keesvan@mac.com www.darkheartsthemovie.com

BLACK SMOKE RISING Drew Cullingham drewcullingham@hotmail.com www.blacksmokerising.com

DERAILED SENSE: A FILM ABOUT VIC GODARD & SUBWAY SECT Graham Bendel grahambendel@hotmail.com

BODY COMPLETE Selver Djezic selver.djezic@artdeluxe.at www.bodycomplete-film.com

DESPITE THE GODS Cat & Docs maelle@catndocs.com festival@catndocs.com www.despitethegods.com

BRILLIANT SOIL Iván Gutiérrez Araico difuinte@imcine.gob.mx www.tierrabrillante.org CAN Lauren Hawkins lauren@slefilms.com CENTER OF GRAVITY Steven Richter aicdirector@yahoo.com www.centrodegravidade.tumblr.com CINEMA SIX Kelly Williams kellygwilliams@gmail.com www.cinemasixmovie.com CITY SLACKER www.cityslackerthemovie.com

DIE STANDING UP Iván Gutiérrez Araico difuinte@imcine.gob.mx www.diestandingup.com DON’T DARE TO STOP LOVE Yoko Oguchi rocketkakarityo55@gmail.com DONKEYS Iván Gutiérrez Araico difuinte@imcine.gob.mx FAMILIAR GROUND Josiane Tessier jtessier@entonegroup.com www.enterrainsconnus.com FLOWER IN THE SLIME Iván Gutiérrez Araico difuinte@imcine.gob.mx

CONFINE Emily Corcoran corkfilms@london.com www.confinemovie.com

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THE FOURTH DIMENSION Emma Yuille emma.yuille@vice.com www.grolschfilmworks.com FRANK Philip Shotton, Andrea Pejovski frankthefilm@aol.com FREE IMPROVISATION Hedva Goldschmidt hedva@go2films.com FROM TUESDAY TO TUESDAY Óscar Alonso oalonso@latidofilms.com GIVE ME THE BANJO Marc Fields marcfields@mindspring.com www.thebanjoproject.org GLORIOUS DESERTER Pimp the Pony Productions productions@drehbuchwerkstatt.eu www.drehbuchwerkstatt.eu GOOD NIGHT MISSY Slovenian Film Center info@vertigo.si www.emotionfilm.si THE GRIEF TOURIST Stephen Fromkin sfromkin@visionentertainmentgroup.com www.visionentertainmentgroup.com HEAVY GIRLS Heiko Pinkowski, Anne Baeker post@sehrgutefilme.de www.dickemaedchen.com

IN SEARCH OF BLIND JOE DEATH, THE SAGA OF JOHN FAHEY James Cullingham james.tamarack@rogers.com www.johnfaheyfilm.com INDEBTED Mara Jelinko mara.jelinko@outlinestudios.fi www.outlinestudios.fi/indebted IVAN’S DREAM Óscar Alonso oalonso@latidofilms.com www.elsuenodeivan.com JANAPAR James Newton james@newtonfilms.com www.janapar.com JASON BECKER: NOT DEAD YET Jesse Vile jesse@opuspocusfilms.com www.jasonbeckermovie.com

LOVELESS ZORITSA Radoslav Pavkovic super-films@hotmail.com www.fcs.rs LUNA MESA Trent Harris harristrent@yahoo.com www.lunamesamovie.com MISSED CONNECTIONS Lisa Rudin lisarudin@gmail.com www.missedconnectionsmovie.com MON AMI Rob Grant robgrant@live.ca truehypeproductions.com/mon_ami

KILL ME Thomas Petit t.petit@filmsdulosange.fr www.filmsdulosange.fr

MY FATHER AND THE MAN IN BLACK Jonathan Holiff holifffame@gmail.com www.tiny.cc/Johnny_and_Saul

LAURENTIE Francis Ouellette fouellette@cinemaginaire.com www.metafilms.ca

MY GLOBAL HOME Laure Tinette tinette@dffb.de www.globalhome-themovie.com

LIVE EAST DIE YOUNG Reel Suspects info@reelsuspects.com www.reelsuspects.com

MY UNIVERSE IN LOWER CASE Iván Gutiérrez Araico difuinte@imcine.gob.mx

HERE COMES THE DEVIL MPI Media Group nicola@mpimedia.com

LOCKED IN A GARAGE BAND Victoria Westcott victoria@elginroad.com www.lockedinagarageband.com

THE HIDDEN HAND James Carman james@timetravelerarts.com www.hiddenhandthemovie.com

THE LOTTERY OF BIRTH Raoul Martinez raoul.martinez@phonecoop.coop www.creatingfreedom.info

HOW DO YOU WRITE A JOE SCHERMANN SONG Gary King info@kitchentablefilms.com www.joeschermannsong.com

LOVE ADDICT: STORIES OF DREAMS, OBSESSION AND LONGING Katrine Acheche Sahlstrøm katrine@danishdocumentary.com www.loveaddictmovie.com

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LOVE TOMORROW Stephanie Moon sjmoon1@me.com www.lovetomorrowfilm.com

A NIGHT TOO YOUNG Uta Gildhuis uta@outcome.cz www.prilismladanoc.cz NOISE MATTERS Independent Society is@indso.com www.noisematters.org NORMAL: REAL STORIES FROM THE SEX INDUSTRY Charlotte Worthington cworthington@sky.com

NYMAN WITH A MOVIE CAMERA Myriam Blundell myriam@michaelnyman.com www.michaelnyman.com

A ROAD STAINED CRIMSON Takako Hirayama t-hirayama@nikkatsu.co.jp www.sotb-project.com

SUNSET STRIP Joe Mundo Joe@speakeasyfilmsaz.com www.sunsetstripthemovie.com

OK, GOOD Daniel Martinico okgoodfilm@gmail.com www.ok-good.net

RUBIN AND ED Trent Harris harristrent@yahoo.com www.echocave.net

THIS AIN’T CALIFORNIA Michael Schöbel m.schoebel@wildfremd.com www.thisaintcalifornia.com

OLO, THE BOY FROM TIBET Sukoburukobo Co sukoburukobo@gmail.com www.olo-tibet.com

SADO TEMPEST Paul Smith paul@pipedreampictures.com www.sadotempest.com

TRASHED Blenheim Films info@trashedfilm.com www.trashedfilm.com

ORANIA Tobias Lindner info@orania-film.de www.orania-film.de

SALT Lauren Hawkins lauren@slefilms.com

VEGETARIAN CANNIBAL Stanislas Babic telefilm@telefilm.hr

THE SALESMAN Josiane Tessier jtessier@entonegroup.com www.acpav.ca/films/le-vendeur

VINYL James Pout james@h2omotionpictures.com www.h2omotionpictures.com

THE SECOND EXECUTION OF ROMELL BROOM Barbara Bauermeister sentana@sentana.de

WITHOUT A NET Kelly J Richardson kelly@withoutanetfilm.com www.wildinthestreetsmovie.com

SHANGHAI GYPSY Bostjan info@arsmedia.si www.shanghaigypsy.com

WILD IN THE STREET Village Green LLC villagegreen@slamdance.com www.reprisefilms.com www.apreslaneige.com

OVER MY DEAD BODY Clotilde Vatrinet coordination@f3m.ca www.coopvideo.ca www.f3m.ca PERCIVAL’S BIG NIGHT William C Sullivan will@percivalsbignight.com www.percivalsbignight.com THE PHANTOM FATHER GAV office@gav.ro www.thephantomfather.com A PHILOSOPHY OF CLOSED EYES Sacha Kullberg sacha.k@euphonynet.be aphilosophyofclosedeyes.blogspot.com PORTRAIT OF A ZOMBIE Bing Bailey dbaileyire@gmail.com www.portraitofazombie.com PRACTICAL GUIDE TO BELGRADE WITH SINGING AND CRYING Milos Milosevic milos.milosevic@soulfoodfilms.com practical-guide-to-belgrade-film.com PURSUIT OF LONELINESS Laurence Thrush growthfilms@aol.com www.pursuitofloneliness.com

SHIVER Robert Weinbach robbdw@yahoo.com www.shivermoviesite.com SOUNDBREAKER Marja Pallassalo, Otto Suuronen otto.suuronen@ses.fi www.koskela.tv

WINTER PASSED Paul Barbeau paul@reprisefilms.com www.withoutanetfilm.com ZERO KILLED Michal Kosakowski mail@michalkosakowski.net www.zerokilled.org

THE STATE OF SHOCK Slovenian Film Center info@film-center.si www.emotionfilm.si STRING CAESAR Alice Krige krigealice@gmail.com www.stringcaesarthefilm.com STRINGS Rob Savage Rob@Idlefilms.com www.rob-savage.co.uk

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INDEX

82 109 2084 55 12 Drawings a Day 174 12 Fucking Angry Men 188 15 Metres 103 63 Comet 183 Ablution 96 About the Pink Sky 140 Admissions 185 After School Midnighters 141 American Football 186 American Luthier 36 Anatomy of a Reel: The Underwater Realm 22 Andrew Bird: Fever Year 90 Angel 23 Anonymous 184 Asad 179 The Ascent 98 At Night I Fly 24 Autodrive 188 Awards Ceremony 25 Backlot 188 Bad Hair Friday 99 The Ballad of Danko Jones 183 Ballroom Dancer 100 Banaz: A Love Story 74 Bar25: Days out of Time 27 Barbarous Mexico 2010 126 Battersea 178 Be Seeing You 55 The Beaver Trilogy 61 Bill Martell Screenwriting Workshops 28 Bird 177 Bite of the Tail 174 Black Biscuit 75 Black Smoke Rising 76 Blank Walls 174 Blind Encounter 187 Body Complete 101 Bolero 176 Boozin n Schmoozin 30 Bread 190 Brilliant Soil 70

194 20TH RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL

The British Wrestler 46 The Bronzer 181 Buzkashi Boys 176 Cadaver 175 Can 102 Carbon for Water 187 Caribbean Fashion Week 47 Center of Gravity 168 Chomp! 116 Christine 178 Cinema Six 148 City Slacker 77 Collabor8te & Raindance 48-Hour Film Challenge 31 Come What May 178 Commerce 180 Confine 78 Consuming Spirits 149 Corrode 169 The Craftsman 190 Culture Shock 150 Cut to Fit 183 Dark Hearts 151 Dark Hiding 188 The Daytrippers 27 Death by Camera 32 Despite the Gods 170 Dharavi Diary 187 Die Standing Up 128 Dilli Dreams 185 Doktor Fang 182 Don’t Dare to Stop Love 142 Donkeys 129 Drowned 157 Dylan’s Room 178 Emptys 187 The End 176 Episode 122 Errors of the Human Body 33 Every Night I Am Falling out of Nowhere 188 Everything Is All Right 80 Familiar Ground 134 Fangst 184 Felix 188

First Contact 180 Five Fragments of the Extinct Empathy 118 Florette 175 Flower in the Slime 130 For Elsie 177 The Foreigner 176 The Fourth Dimension 47 The Fox 105 Frank 79 Free Improvisation 91 Friday 180 From Tuesday to Tuesday 171 Ghosts 189 Give Me the Banjo 92 Global Home 103 Glorious Deserter 104 Good Karma $1 181 Good Night Missy 105 The Green Dogs 178 The Grief Tourist 152 Head Over Heels 175 Heavy Girls 106 Here Comes the Devil 20, 131 Herriott Grace 181 The Hidden Hand 153 High Hopes 186 The History of Chance 185 Home 112 A House A Home 104 How Do You Write a Joe Schermann Song 154 Hum 175 I Am the Architect 182 Icebreakers 178 In Search of Blind Joe Death: The Saga of John Fahey 93 Indebted 107 International Film Finance Panel 34 The Internet Filmmaker 35 Interview Date 176 Intrusion 182 Ivan’s Dream 108 Janapar 80 Jason Becker: Not Dead Yet 36

Joyride 101 Karama Has No Wall 187 Kill Me 109 The Last Anarchist 183 Last Remarks 179 Laurentie 135 Legacy 115 Level 5 56 Life and Freaky Times of Uncle Luke 182 Lines in the Sand 174 Lionfish Delusion 175 Live East Die Young 81 Live!Ammunition! 38 The Lobster Cry 190 Locked in a Garage Band 155 Logs 189 The Lottery of Birth 82 Love Addict 110 Love Story 189 Love Tomorrow 83 Loveless Zoritsa 111 Lovers 168 Ludic Chase 175 Luna Mesa 62 Maddoggin’ 186 Maestra 179 The Mapmaker 177 Matriarche 183 Maverick Screenwriting with Josh Golding 37 Me @ the Zoo 156 Mercy 184 The Metamorphosis 182 Missed Connections 157 Mon Ami 158 Music Videos 39 My Big Assed Mother 182 My Father and the Man in Black 94 My Universe in Lower Case 132 A Night Too Young 112 No Ball Games 161 No Prisoner 158 No Rest for the Wicked 183 Noise Matters 159

Normal: Real Stories from the Sex Industry 84 Nowhere in Particular 180 Nyman with a Movie Camera 40 Ok, Good 160 The Old Woman 176 Ollaparo 190 Olo, the Boy from Tibet 143 Once and for All 106 Orania 113 Out of Hours 188 Over My Dead Body 136 Papersun 186 Passing Through 141 Percival’s Big Night 161 Periapsis 174 The Phantom Father 114 A Philosophy of Closed Eyes 115 The Piano 190 Portrait of a Zombie 116 Practical Guide to Belgrade with Singing and Crying 117 Prelude 182 Pretty Things 108 Prime Cuts 41 Production Design Workshop 42 The Pub 177 Pursuit of Loneliness 162 Raindance Masters Degree Screening 43 The Real MacGuffins 44 The Reel – Content Is King Panel 45 Reina 181 Reinaldo Arenas 171 A Road Stained Crimson 144 Romance 184 Rose Apple Tree Island 91 Roubama 179 Rubin and Ed 63 Sado Tempest 145 The Salesman 137 Salt 21, 172 The Second Execution of Romell Broom 118 Seven Minutes in the Warsaw Ghetto 175

Shanghai Gypsy 119 Shiver 163 Sister 177 Skunk 186 The Slide Series 1-4 160 Soundbreaker 95 State of Separation 186 The State of Shock 120 The Story of Animation 174 StringCaesar 85 Strings 86 Sunless 57 Sunset Strip 96 Superhero 189 Sweetheart 188 Table for One 185 Tabouleh 98 Taking Life 188 Ten Pounds of Shit in a Five Pound Bag 174 The Things We Do 123 This Ain’t California 121 A Thousand Empty Glasses 177 Trashed 87 Tumbleweed! 114 Twisted 99 Unmanned 180 Unravel 181 Urban Outlaw 91 Vegetarian Cannibal 122 Vinyl 88 Voice Over 185 When the Song Dies 187 White Square 184 Why Are You Here? 190 Wild in the Streets 164 Willow 162 Winter Passed 193 Without a Net 165 Wonder 184 Written in Ink 179 Yadorigi 181 You Know It’s Bad Luck 189 Zero Killed 123

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