Mill Valley Film Festival

Transcription

Mill Valley Film Festival
1001 Lootens Place, Suite 220
San Rafael, CA 94901
TICKETS
877.874.MVFF (6833)
mvff.com
Become a CFI member today!
Take advantage of exciting membership rewards:
Over 3,000 California Film Institute
QIQFIVWWLEVIETEWWMSRJSVKVIEX½PQXLEX
inspires and challenges them to see the
world from a new perspective.
• Reduced regular admission ticket price of $5.50 at the
Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center – any time, any day!
• Member screenings, often featuring Q&A sessions
[MXL[IPPORS[R½PQQEOIVWERHEGXSVW
• Exclusive access to special events
• Privilege to purchase Mill Valley Film Festival tickets four days
before the general public, starting September 20
• Discounted Festival tickets
'*-GIPIFVEXIWERHTVSQSXIW½PQEWEVX
and education by presenting the annual
1MPP:EPPI]*MPQ*IWXMZEPI\LMFMXMRK½PQ
year-round at the Christopher B. Smith
Rafael Film Center and building the next
KIRIVEXMSRSJ½PQQEOIVWERHEYHMIRGIW
through CFI Education.
For a full list of membership rewards
ZMWMXYWSRPMRIEXGE½PQSVK
Join us today!
3RPMRIEXGE½PQSVKSVEXEPP
Mill Valley Film Festival ticket outlets
MEMBERSHIP
SPONSOR
1001 Lootens Place, Suite 220
San Rafael, CA 94901
TICKETS
877.874.MVFF (6833)
mvff.com
Become a CFI member today!
Take advantage of exciting membership rewards:
Over 3,000 California Film Institute
QIQFIVWWLEVIETEWWMSRJSVKVIEX½PQXLEX
inspires and challenges them to see the
world from a new perspective.
• Reduced regular admission ticket price of $5.50 at the
Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center – any time, any day!
• Member screenings, often featuring Q&A sessions
[MXL[IPPORS[R½PQQEOIVWERHEGXSVW
• Exclusive access to special events
• Privilege to purchase Mill Valley Film Festival tickets four days
before the general public, starting September 20
• Discounted Festival tickets
'*-GIPIFVEXIWERHTVSQSXIW½PQEWEVX
and education by presenting the annual
1MPP:EPPI]*MPQ*IWXMZEPI\LMFMXMRK½PQ
year-round at the Christopher B. Smith
Rafael Film Center and building the next
KIRIVEXMSRSJ½PQQEOIVWERHEYHMIRGIW
through CFI Education.
For a full list of membership rewards
ZMWMXYWSRPMRIEXGE½PQSVK
Join us today!
3RPMRIEXGE½PQSVKSVEXEPP
Mill Valley Film Festival ticket outlets
MEMBERSHIP
SPONSOR
S P O N SO R S
The California Film Institute is Proud to Acknowledge our 2009 Sponsors and Supporters
MAJOR SPONSORS
MAJOR FOUNDATIONS AND INDIVIDUALS
GOVERNMENT SUPPORT
1
j_Ya[ji.--$.-*$,.))
S P O N SO R S
SILVER CIRCLE SPONSORS
FESTIVAL CIRCLE SPONSORS
MAJOR MEDIA SPONSORS
SPECIAL SUPPORT
2
cl\\$Yec
S P O N SO R S
FESTIVAL EVENTS SPONSORS
Exclusive Coffee & Tea of MVFF
Exclusive Cheese of MVFF
PRODUCTS AND SERVICES SPONSORS
HOTEL SPONSORS
PROMOTIONAL PARTNERS SPONSORS
SCREEN
ACTORS
GUILD
IN-KIND DONORS
Allegria Biscotti
Angelica Limousine
Balboa Cafe Mill Valley
Barefoot Wine & Bubbly
Brigette Wines
California Bank & Trust
Cameron Hughes Wine
Champagne Bakery
Courtesan Wines
Crystal Geyser
Custom Chefs Catering
Delicious! Catering
Dream Dynamic
j_Ya[ji.--$.-*$,.))
essn sparkling fruit juices
ETC Catering
Fiske Video Productions
Fort Docs
Golden Star Tea
Hall Wines
Hint Beverage Company
Il Davide Cucina Italiana
Jamba Juice
John Tyler Wines
Judy’s Breadsticks
Kenwood Vineyards
Korbel Brandy
Lagunitas Brewing Company
Maker’s Mark Distillery
Mill Valley Flowers
Nico Martin Presents
North Bay Bohemia
NT Audio
OOBA Hibiscus Sparkling Beverage
ProjectWizards
Revenge Is…
River Vy Wines
Rough House
Sabor of Spain
Scrumptious Occasions Catering
SF Station
Shiftboard
Sparkology
Spy Post
Star Route Farms
Steve Bissinger/Sine Language
“Take A Dip” Fondue Fountains
TAP Plastics
The Organic Wine Company
Thrifty Car Rental
Townley Wines
3
Video Equipment Rentals
Whipper Snapper Restaurant
make your own picture...
apparel
shoes
jewelry
accessories
photo by Ross Pelton
CMBOD
Mon-Sat: 11-6 • Sun: 11-5
514 San Anselmo Avenue • San Anselmo • 415.485.0104
C F I M I L E S TO N E C A M PA I G N
For more than three decades, the California Film Institute has enriched
the cultural lives of Marin County and Bay Area residents.
s "RING "AY !REA AUDIENCES INTO CONTACT WITH THE WORLDS MOST
celebrated and visionary filmmakers.
As we celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Christopher B. Smith
Rafael Film Center, and the 32nd edition of the Mill Valley Film Festival,
we continue to work to secure the legacy of this exceptional cultural
organization by making it financially sustainable. In taking these steps
now, we ensure that future generations—and future audiences—will be
able to enjoy the rich and varied offerings of the California Film
Institute’s three core programs: the Smith Rafael Film Center, the Mill
Valley Film Festival and CFI Education.
s %XPAND #&) %DUCATION TO OFFER MORE MEDIALITERACY AND HANDSON
filmmaking programs to Bay Area students and bring more
filmmakers into local schools.
s )NCREASE OUR CREATIVE AND FINANCIAL SUPPORT OF FILMMAKERS BOTH
through film exhibition and through a new model for nonprofit film
distribution.
Through the generous support of our Milestone Campaign donors, we
are able to:
s #ONTINUE THE HIGH QUALITY INNOVATIVE PROGRAMMING THAT HAS EARNED
CFI its international reputation.
For more information about how you can support the
Milestone Campaign, please visit cafilm.org/support
or email us at [email protected].
CFI WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE FOLLOWING INDIVIDUALS AND FOUNDATIONS
FOR THEIR GENEROUS SUPPORT OF THE MILESTONE CAMPAIGN.
LEADERSHIP CIRCLE
Christopher B. and Jeannie Meg Smith
INVESTOR CIRCLE
Jennifer Coslett MacCready
Gruber Family Foundation
PLATINUM CIRCLE
Richard Barker
Nancy and Rich Robbins
Henry Timnick
Christine Zecca Foundation
GOLD CIRCLE
Jackie and Ken Broad
William Hudson and Nora Gibson
Katz Family Foundation
Michael Klein
K.C. and Steve Lauck
Monahan Parker, Inc.
Terese and Robert Payne
Robin Wright Penn and Sean Penn
Lente Louw and Eric Schwartz
Susan and Michael Schwartz
Lois and Mel Tukman
SILVER CIRCLE
Anonymous (2)
Jennifer Barker
Kamala Geroux-Berry and David Berry
Alice Corning
Leonard Eber
Dennis P. Fisco and Pamela Polite Fisco
Margaret E. Haas
Susan and Richard Idell
Andrée Poirier Jansheski
Fred M. Levin and Nancy Livingston,
The Shenson Foundation
Bobbie Meyer
Kristin Otis and James Boyce
Gordon Radley
Heidi Richardson and Michael Dyett
Ruth and Alan Scott
Saul Zaentz
Marlies and Zach Zeisler
BRONZE CIRCLE
Sheryle Bolton and Steve Shane
Marie and Brian Collins
Gail and Douglas Dolton
Kathleen O’Hara and Larry Eilenberg
Catherine and Peter Flaxman
Lisa Graeber
Ellen Kutten
Dixon Long
Cindy & John McCauley
Rosemary and Kevin McNeely
James Mochizuki
Susan and Joel Sklar
Ruthellen Toole
The Whitney Family
MAJOR FOUNDATION SUPPORT
Bernard Osher Foundation
Marin Community Foundation
Academy of Motion Picture Arts
and Sciences
The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation
The Koret Foundation
San Francisco Foundation
GOVERNMENT SUPPORT
County of Marin
National Endowment for the Arts
j_Ya[ji.--$.-*$,.))
5
O PE N I N G N I G HT
Our 32nd Festival opens[MXLX[S½PQWXLEXFSPHP]GIPIFVEXIXLITS[IVSJXLI
LYQERWTMVMX¯Precious: Based on the Novel “Push” by SapphireXLIHIITP]MRWTMVMRKWXSV]
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REXYVIERHThe Boys Are BackETSMKRERXPSSOEXWMRKPITEVIRXLSSHMREPPSJMXWJVIRIXMG
RIEVQMWWIWERHXVMYQTLW%JXIVIMXLIV3TIRMRK2MKLX½PQNSMRMRZMXIHKYIWXW'PMZI
3[IR7GSXX,MGOW+EFSYVI]7MHMFI4EYPE4EXXSRERH0II(ERMIPWEXXLI1MPP:EPPI]
'SQQYRMX]'IRXIVJSVHIPMGMSYWWEZSVMIWERHW[IIXW[MRIERHGSGOXEMPWERHHE^^PMRK
PMZIQYWMG)RNS]4M^^E%RXMGE´WWEYXqIHGEPEQEVMLERKEVWXIEOFVYWGLIXXE&08WEPEH
ERHQSVI[MXLEHHMXMSREPFMXIWERHWMTWF];LSPI*SSHW1EVMR*VIRGL'LIIWI'SQTER]
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P R E C I O U S:
BASED ON THE NOVEL “PUSH”
BY SAPPHIRE
US 2009 109 MINS
Thursday, October 8, 7:00 pm
Film and Gala $125 PREC08P
Film Only $30 PREC08R
Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center
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OPENING NIGHT GALA
OPENING NIGHT
SPONSORED BY
TH E B OYS A R E B A C K
Australia/UK 2009 104 MINS
Thursday, October 8, 7:00 pm and 7:15 pm
7:00 pm Film and Gala $125 BOYA08P
7:00 pm Film Only $30 BOYA08S
7:15 pm Film and Gala $125 BOYB08P
7:15 pm Film Only $30 BOYB08S
CinéArts@Sequoia
7TSVXW[VMXIV.SI;EVVEWXIPPEV'PMZI3[IRXEOIWSRWMRKPITEVIRX
LSSHEJXIVLMW[MJI´WYRXMQIP]HIEXLMRXLMWI\LMPEVEXMRKHIITP]QSZMRK
ERHYR¾MRGLMRKP]LYQSVSYWWXSV]EFSYXXLI[SRHIVWERHTMXJEPPWSJ
JEXLIVLSSHGLERKIERHKVS[MRKYT
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*3003;7)-8,)634)2-2+2-+,87'6))2-2+
Thursday, October 8, 9:30 pm–12:00 am
Mill Valley Community Center
j_Ya[ji.--$.-*$,.))
7
S P OTLI G HT
T H E I N T E R N AT I O N A L
S P OTLI G HT O N C LI V E O W E N
CH I LDR E N OF M E N
SPOTLIGHT ON CLIVE OWEN
Friday, October 9, 7:00 pm
Spotlight and Reception $75 SPOT09P
Please note there are no Spotlight Only tickets
available for this event
Since gliding casually and strikingly onto cinema’s international stage as Mike Hodges’ cooleyed but restive Croupier (1998), Clive Owen has reveled in risk, taking chances as an actor
most “punters” (to use the film’s Britishism for gamblers) would balk at. Now a legit
Hollywood leading man, opposite the likes of Julia Roberts and Cate Blanchett, Owen retains
a restless charm behind his half-stoic, half-mischievous good looks. His specialty, across an
impressive spectrum of roles, isn’t loners so much as outside-insiders: men with entrée into
a private or underground world, but whose connection churns with an almost offhanded,
ultimately profound ambivalence. Before his croupier, he was Bent’s Weimar-era bon vivant,
Max, a spirited scion slumming it among the limit-pushing cabaret world, suddenly cast into
the nightmare of Nazi persecution as a homosexual; later, Children of Men’s disillusioned
revolutionary, pressured into one last fantastic mission on behalf of humanity; and even Walter
Raleigh, charismatic pirate and darling of England’s rising imperial court under its captivating
½KYVILIEHMRElizabeth: The Golden Age. That vitality and individuality are on display again in
Scott Hicks’s The Boys Are Back, where Owen delivers a magnetic performance as a widower
father trading growing pains with two boys. The happy loner making unexpected contact,
reaching for some undeniable connection, Clive Owen is at once an irresistible puzzle and
our ready ally on the big screen. –Robert Avila
Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center
Reception to follow at Tiburon Grill
Please join us for the Spotlight Tribute program
of clips and conversation with Clive Owen,
followed by a screening of Croupier and the
presentation of the MVFF award. Directly
after the program is the not-to-be-missed
reception at Tiburon’s hottest new restaurant,
Tiburon Grill, featuring wine, cocktails and
delicious contemporary cuisine.
Clive Owen will be presented with the MVFF award,
designed by celebrated artist Alice Corning.
CR OU PI E R
UK/GERMANY 1998
91 MINS
Clive Owen plays down-and-out
writer-turned–casino croupier
Jack Manfred in a rare screening
of this potent neo-noir thriller.
When the usually straight-edged
Jack is charmed by a gambler
and her casino heist plans, luck
may (or may not) be a lady.
SPOTLIGHT CO-SPONSORED BY
8
RECEPTION SPONSORED BY
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TR I B U TE
KI LL B I LL
TR I B UTE TO U M A TH U R M A N
G AT TA C A
TRIBUTE TO UMA THURMAN
From urbane gangster’s moll in Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction to sizzling airborne Venus in
Terry Gilliam’s deliriously kooky fantasia The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, Uma Thurman
has distinguished herself as an actress of enviable versatility—capable of memorably
MRLEFMXMRK E HM^^]MRK EVVE] SJ VSPIW XLEX IRGSQTEWW ERH GSPPIGXMZIP] HI½RI XLI GMRIQEXMG
pop consciousness of the past two decades. Comparing her to other beautiful leading ladies
WLSVXP]EJXIV½RMWLMRKKill Bill, Tarantino gushed, “Thurman is a different species. She’s up there
with Garbo and Dietrich in goddess territory,” and of course, he was far from the only
RSXEFPI REQI XVERW½\IH -R E GEVIIV HSXXIH [MXL LMKLTVS½PI GSPPEFSVEXMSRW [MXL 7XITLIR
Frears (Dangerous Liaisons), Gus Van Sant (Even Cowgirls Get the Blues) and Richard Linklater
(Tape), her ability to defy categorization remains an impressive constant.The Festival’s tribute
to this daringly inventive actress features a winning performance in her latest, Motherhood, as
ELEVVMIHFYXJEVJVSQHIJIEXIHQSXLIVSJX[S[LSVIJYWIWXSGSQTVSQMWILIVHVIEQWJSV
the sake of traditional domesticity. –Ilya Tovbis
Saturday, October 10, 6:00 pm
Tribute and Reception $100 TRIB10P
Tribute Only $30 TRIB10R
Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center
Reception to follow at Frantoio Ristorante
& Olive Oil Co.
Join us for the Tribute program of clips and
conversation with Uma Thurman, screening
of Motherhood and presentation of the MVFF
award. Afterward, the evening continues with
a lovely dinner at Frantoio Ristorante & Olive
Oil Co., one of our favorite places to have a
party. Wines provided by Cameron Hughes
Wine and Wine 2.0.
M OTH E R H OOD
US 2009
90 MINS
Ever had one of those days,
only to realize they’ve actu
ally stacked up into years?
Welcome to Motherhood, em
bodied with frazzled grace by
a luminous Uma Thurman as a
SRGITVSQMWMRK[VMXIVHIWTIV
ately trying to conquer it all
and then some.
7II TEKI JSV GSQTPIXI ½PQ
information.
Uma Thurman will be presented with the MVFF
award, designed by celebrated artist Alice Corning.
TRIBUTE CO-SPONSORED BY
9
j_Ya[ji.--$.-*$,.))
S P OTLI G HT
THAN K YO U FO R S M O K I N G
S P OTLI G HT O N J A S O N R E ITM A N
JUNO
SPOTLIGHT ON JASON REITMAN
Wednesday, October 14, 6:30 pm
Spotlight and Reception $75 SPOT14P
Possessing a rare knack for combining tomfoolery, crackling wit and a penchant for intelligent
humor, 31-year-old Jason Reitman has already established himself as one of Hollywood’s most
original—and sought after—talents. His preternatural abilities can be partially traced to growing
up around movies. He arrived on the set of Animal House 11 days out of the womb, and by
age 13 had landed a production assistant job on father Ivan Reitman’s Kindergarten Cop. Too
much of a movie maverick to follow cleanly in his dad’s footsteps, Reitman chose to eschew
the studio system and pursue a ruggedly independent cinematic vision. Immediately making a
splash with his uproarious and cheeky comedy of manners, Thank You For Smoking, the
politically dead-wrong director took on the tobacco industry while skewering the ninny
liberals who oppose it, too. His follow-up effort, Juno, earned him a Best Director Oscar®
nomination, and tread similarly sacrosanct ground in treating pregnancy and abortion with a
refreshingly honest, playful and irreverent approach. Cementing his reputation as shrewdly
insightful entertainer, Reitman teams up with George Clooney in his latest, Up in the Air, to
examine a corporate axman’s paradoxical search for human connection in an increasingly
transient world. –Ilya Tovbis
Spotlight Only $30 SPOT14R
Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center
U P I N TH E AI R
Reception to follow at Piatti Ristorante & Bar
US 2009
104 MINUTES
Join us for the Spotlight Tribute program, including
an interview with Jason Reitman, screening of Up
in the Air and presentation of the MVFF award.
*SPPS[MRKXLI½PQNSMRYWJSVEYRMUYIVIGITXMSR
experience with regional Italian cuisine, houseQEHITEWXEW[SSH½VIHTM^^EWERHQIWUYMXI
grilled meats at Piatti Ristorante & Bar. Wines
provided by Thumbprint Cellars.
From Jason Reitman, the
Oscar ® nominated director of
Juno, comes a dramatic comedy
called Up in the Air starring
Oscar ® winner George Clooney
as Ryan Bingham, a corporate
downsizing expert whose
cherished life on the road is
threatened just as he is on the
cusp of reaching ten million
JVIUYIRX ¾]IV QMPIW ERH EJXIV
he’s met the frequent-traveler
woman of his dreams.
Jason Reitman will be presented with the MVFF
award, designed by celebrated artist Alice Corning.
7II TEKI JSV GSQTPIXI ½PQ
information.
10
RECEPTION SPONSORED BY
SPOTLIGHT SPONSORED BY
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TR I B U TE
T H E P E O P L E V S . L A R R Y F LY N T
TR I B UTE TO W O O DY H A R R E LS O N
WH ITE M E N CAN’T J U M P
A basketballer who can’t jump but can sure shoot (White Men Can’t Jump); a free-speechobsessed pornographer magnate (The People vs. Larry Flynt); and a gleaming cowboy assassin
(No Country for Old Men) are a testament to the ambitious range of the larger-than-life
roles Woody Harrelson has brought to the big screen. Capable of oozing playful bravado
one moment and tapping his reserve of deep humanism the next, this American icon has
endeared himself to a public hungry for Harrelson’s brand of toothsome antics blended with
a generosity of spirit. His skill for endowing the big-hearted buffoon with realistic dimensions
is rooted in early years spent in the theater, and a long-standing gig as Woody Boyd on
the sitcom Cheers. In his latest, the Oren Moverman–helmed romantic wartime drama The
Messenger,EVVIPWSRVIIRKEKIWEJEWGMREXMSR[MXLXLIIXLMGWSJ[EVXLEXLI½VWXTSMKRERXP]
explored with another breakout performance in The Thin Red Line. –Ilya Tovbis
TRIBUTE TO WOODY HARRELSON
Thursday, October 15, 7:00 pm
TH E M E S S E N G E R
US 2009
112 MINS
Tribute and Reception $75 TRIB15P
Please note there are no Tribute Only tickets
available for this event
Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center
Reception to follow at Tiburon Grill
Woody Harrelson is a by-thebook soldier assigned to the US
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the complexity of grief, pain
and loss as gently as a kiss, with
a message like a punch in the
gut.
Woody Harrelson will participate in an onstage
conversation about his career and will be
presented the MVFF award. Following the
screening of The Messenger, Harrelson will be
joined by invited guests, co-star Ben Foster
and director/co-writer Oren Moverman for a
Q&A with the audience. Directly following the
program don’t miss the reception at Tiburon’s
hottest new restaurant, Tiburon Grill, featuring
wine, cocktails and a delicious array of fresh,
contemporary cuisine.
7IITEKIJSVGSQTPIXI½PQ
information.
Woody Harrelson will be presented with the MVFF
award, designed by celebrated artist Alice Corning.
WITH SUPPORT FROM
j_Ya[ji.--$.-*$,.))
RECEPTION SPONSORED BY
11
TR I B U TE
L E P E T I T S O L D AT
TR I B UTE TO A N N A K A R I N A
VIVRE SA VIE
TRIBUTE TO ANNA KARINA
Anna Karina, the Danish-born, Paris-based actress, writer, singer and director has been hailed
as the muse of La Nouvelle Vague—French New Wave cinema. Her iconic image has etched
its beauty, grace, talent and inimitable style upon three generations of cinéphiles the world
over. Mill Valley Film Festival is proud to present a special tribute to Mme Karina and host
XLI2SVXL%QIVMGERTVIQMIVISJLIVRI[½PQVictoria-RLIV½VWXHMVIGXSVMEPIJJSVXMRSZIV
30 years, Karina channels the joyful, youthful and celebratory spirit of the French New Wave.
Victoria is a modern musical mystery and road movie set against the stunning landscapes of
the Québec countryside, featuring songs by the popular gender-bending French composer
Philippe Katerine, and starring a duo of love-struck young male cabaret artistes who go by
the name of Les Lolitas. With Karina in the role of la femme du mystère, Victoria is a tender and
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of the art of La Nouvelle Vague. –Karen Davis
Friday, October 16, 6:30 pm
Tribute and Reception $75 TRIB16P
Tribute Only $30 TRIB16R
Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center
Reception to follow at Sabor of Spain
Please join us for the Tribute program of clips
and conversation with Anna Karina, followed by
a screening of Victoria and the presentation of
the MVFF award. Following the program join us
for a vinoteca-style reception at Sabor of Spain,
featuring modern Spanish cuisine and tapas,
amazing wines and great ambience.
Anna Karina will be presented with the MVFF
award, designed by celebrated artist Alice Corning.
VI CTOR IA
CANADA/ FRANCE 2008
95 MINS
Part Some Like It Hot, part
Breathless and yet thoroughly
fresh and new, Anna Karina’s
½VWXHMVIGXSVMEPIJJSVXMRQSVI
than 30 years echoes the
youthful zest of the worldshaking French New Wave
while brimming with a life
entirely its own.
7IITEKIJSVGSQTPIXI½PQ
information.
WITH SUPPORT FROM
12
RECEPTION SPONSORED BY
cl\\$Yec
C LOS I N G N I G HT
The 32nd Mill Valley Film Festival comes to a dramatic close[MXLX[SMRGVIHMFPI½PQW¯
Looking for Eric and The Young Victoria%JXIVXLI½PQWWEMPE[E][MXLYWSRXLI'EPMJSVRME,SVRFPS[IVMR
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KSYVQIXGYMWMRILERHGVEJXIHZMRSJVSQ,EPP;MRIWERHLMT(.FIEXWF]*IIX*MVWX)RXIVXEMRQIRXEPP
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LO O K I N G F O R E R I C
TH E YO U N G V I CTO R I A
UK 2009 116 MINS
Sunday, October 18, 5:15 pm
Film and Party $75 LOOK18P
Film Only $30 LOOK18S
UK/US 2009 100 MINS
Sunday, October 18, 5:15 pm
Film and Party $75 YOUN18P
Film Only $30 YOUN18R
CinéArts@Sequoia
Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center
/IR0SEGLMWMRXSTJSVQ[MXLXLMWWSGMEPP]E[EVIVSQERXMGGSQIH]
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*VMIRH
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C LO S I N G N I G H T PA RT Y
Sunday, October 18
Boarding 8:00 pm, Sailing 9:00 pm
California Hornblower Cruises
Sausalito Ferry Dock
1 Anchor Street, Sausalito
SPONSORED BY
13
Special Thanks to Hall Wines
j_Ya[ji.--$.-*$,.))
A WORD ON OUR
GREEN
INITIATIVE
California Film InstituteXVHVWKHSRZHURIÀOP
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at events
“We’re proud to help bring the Mill Valley Film
Festival to our customers in Marin and the Bay
Area through PG&E’s sponsorship. Supporting
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commitment to enhancing the quality of
life in our communities—a commitment that
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Tapped
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HomeGrown
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The Most Dangerous Man in
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Pentagon Papers
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Mustang – Journey of
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T H E M I L L V A L L E Y F I L M F E S T I V A L , L A W R E N C E R . G O L D FA R B A N D S T E E P P R O D U C T I O N S , I N C . P R E S E N T
C O N C E RT F O R A R E V O L U T I O N
Saturday, October 10,
9:30 pm
$65 MUSC10T
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evening features the legendary, mulXMTPI +VEQQ][MRRMRK 8LI &PMRH
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others, this gripping documentary relates
the history of the Civil Rights Movement to
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SPONSORED BY
TH E B LI N D B OYS O F ALABAMA
TH E M I LL VALLEY F I LM F ESTIVAL P R ES E NTS
JA ZZ ICONS AMONG US: "%2.!2$ s 7!33%2-!. s &!..).'
Sunday, October 11, 8:00 pm
$20 MUSC11T
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R O B WAS S E R MAN
D A L E FA N N I N G
I N A S S O C I AT I O N W I T H T H E M I L L V A L L E Y F I L M F E S T I V A L , 1 4 2 T H R O C K M O R T O N T H E AT R E P R E S E N T S
TU E S D AY N I G HT C O M E DY W I T H M A R K P I T TA & F R I E N D S
Tuesday October 13, 8:00 pm
For ticket information, visit
www.142throckmortontheatre.org
or call 415-383-9600
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headliners and up-and-coming comics to work on
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an improv group, a comedy video or a
scene from a new play in progress—
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LI V E E V E NT S AT 142 TH ROC K M O RTO N
TH E M I LL VALLEY F I LM F ESTIVAL P R ES E NTS
I N S I G HT: TH E C A S S E L TO U C H
C H A R A CT E R A CTI N G F R O M CA S S AV E TE S TO N O W
S E Y M O U R C A S S E L I N C O N V E R S AT I O N W I TH R O B N I LS S O N
Wednesday, October 14, 8:00 pm
$15 CASS14T 142 Throckmorton Theatre
Enjoy an intimate conversation between acclaimed character actor
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Seymour Cassel’s early career was tied to American master of
independent cinema John Cassavetes, with whom Cassel made his
½PQHIFYXMRShadows. Cassel starred in more Cassavetes classics,
including Minnie and Moskowitz and Faces, for which he received
an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Cassel
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in Steve Buscemi’s Trees Lounge, Alexandre Rockwell’s In the Soup,
Adrian Lyne’s Indecent Proposal, Warren Beatty’s Dick Tracy and a
trio of Wes Anderson favorites: Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums
and The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. His latest, Reach For Me,
screens at this year’s MVFF (see page 44). ImbuedXLIRI[½PQ
from MVFF favorite Nilsson, also screens this year (see page 36).
SEYMOU R CASSE L
T H E M I L L V A L L E Y F I L M F E S T I V A L A N D T H E B I L L G R A H A M M E M O R I A L F O U N D AT I O N P R E S E N T
TR O U P E R S: 5 0 YE A R S O F T H E S A N F R A N C I S C O M I M E T R O U P E
Friday, October 16, 7:30 pm
$20 TROU16T
Following a screening of Glenn Silber and
Claudia Vianello’s inspiring 1985 documentary,
Troupers (see page 53), comes what promises to
be an engaging Q&A with Mime Troupe alum—
including playwright emeritus Joan Holden, a
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and television actor, director and author Peter
Coyote;Wilma Bonet, founder of Latina Theatre
Lab and prominent Bay Area actress, playwright
and director (most recently of SFMT’s 50th
Anniversary show, Too Big to Fail); and others.
Then, Troupers past and present treat us to
a sampling of their unique brand of physical
musical comedy, with longtime composerlyricist Bruce Barthol (original bassist, Country
Joe & The Fish) heading up the band.
S T E E LT O W N
TH E M I LL VALLEY F I LM F ESTIVAL P R ES E NTS
A SWEETER MUSIC: A LIVE CONCERT BY SARAH CAHILL WITH VIDEO BY JOHN SANBORN
Sunday, October 18, 3:30 pm
$20 SWEE18T
In what promises to be an unforgettable live
concert, celebrated pianist, writer and radio
host Sarah Cahill performs new works for
solo piano she commissioned from a group
of leading composers. Each a meditation on
peace and war, the pieces will be set against
stunning visual poems by video artist and
MVFF favorite John Sanborn. The concert
includes a West Coast premiere excerpt from
a resetting of “Steppe Music” by Meredith
Monk (see Meredith Monk – Inner Voice ½PQ
note, page 38), Preben Antonsen’s
“Dar al-Harb,” Jerome Kitzke’s
“There Is a Field,” The Residents’
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War),” Kyle Gann’s “War Is Just
a Racket,” Phil Kline’s “The Long
Winter,” Mamoru Fujieda’s “The
Olive Branch Speaks” and Terry
Riley’s “Be Kind to One Another
(Rag).”
17
S A R A H C A H I L L , P I A N I S T, V I D E O B Y J O H N S A N B O R N
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Are You Experienced ?
LOVESTICKS
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Taste
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Taste the
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www.lovesticks.com
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N E W M OV I E S L A B
THE MILL VALLEY FILM FESTIVAL PRESENTS;36/7,347328,)%688)',2303+=%2(&97-2)773**-011%/-2+
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HOW TO GET IT DONE A SEMINAR FOR YOUNG FILMMAKERS
Saturday, October 10, 2:00 pm
FREE STUDENT EVENT
Marin Youth Center, 1115 Third St., San Rafael
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GIRL GEEKS
Sunday, October 11, 1:00 pm, $15 SEM11R
Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center
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C I N E M A S P O RTS
Saturday, October 17, 9:00 am
Intro Meeting, Old Mill Park, Mill Valley
FREE TO PARTICIPATE
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H E N RY S E LI C K
A N D TH E A RT O F
C O R A LI N E
Sunday, October 11, 3:15
pm, $15 SEL11R
Christopher B. Smith Rafael
Film Center
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SPONSORED BY
TH E CA S S E L
TO U C H
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WIITEKI
Saturday, October 17, screening 7:30 pm, $10
CINE17T 142 Throckmorton Theatre
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DISTRIBUTION OF SPECIALTY FILM WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD?
Saturday, October 17, 12:30 pm, $15 SEM17T
142 Throckmorton Theatre
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Ryan Werner-*'*MPQW
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A CTI V E C I N E M A STR ATE G I E S F O R C H A N G E
Sunday, October 18, 12:30 pm, $15 SEM18T
142 Throckmorton Theatre
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Michael LumpkinI\IGYXMZIHMVIGXSV
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19
Danae Ringelmann 1SHIVEXSV
All panelists subject to change, updates at mvff.com
j_Ya[ji.--$.-*$,.))
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& &&&#
$ && &" && $ &&&%&"!
Celebrating our 3 Year Anniversary
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Free Delivery For Moving Boxes & Supplies
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415-454-1983
OPEN DAILY...and late at night after the film!
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415.924.2081
415.924.1500
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1585 CASA BUENA DRIVE
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Thank You Marin For Your Vote!
www.bellamstorage.com
C H I LD R E N ’ S F I L M F E S T
Ever wonder what the rest
of the world watches for
family entertainment? The
Mill Valley Film Festival’s
Children’s FilmFest provides
the answer. With a focus this
year on Northern Europe, the
15th Children’s FilmFest
brings some cold noses but
warm hearts to the Bay Area.
Yo u n g f e m a l e h e r o i n e s
abound, with Stella and the
Star of the Orient leaping
through time, and a crew of
feisty girls (and a black cat)
defying ghosts in The Ten
Lives of Titanic the Cat.
Short films feature a girl who
finds a unique way to T H E F A E R I E S
combat her parents’ infatuation with a pet cat (Love Child), a mother
passing on her imaginary friends to her
daughter (The Faeries of Farthingale) and a
sly young woman who sneaks off to the
woods to practice some benign witchcraft
(Dragonflies, the Baby Cries). Boys hold
O F FA R T H I N G A L E
their own when Ricky Rapper finds time to
romance a fellow 10-year-old neighbor and
also do battle with an evil aunt. And an
aspiring young knight is thrust into the
limelight when he has to deliver The Letter for
the King.
CHILDREN’S
FILMFEST
P RO G R A M S
STELLA AND
THE STAR OF THE ORIENT,
WITH THE FAERIES OF
FARTHINGALE
THE TEN LIVES
OF TITANIC THE CAT,
WITH DRAGONFLIES,
THE BABY CRIES
RICKY RAPPER,
WITH LOVE CHILD
THE LETTER
FOR THE KING
j_Ya[ji.--$.-*$,.))
ABOUT SUBTITLES
To enhance our very young
viewers’ appreciation of
foreign-language movies, we
provide the unique service of
having actors read subtitles
aloud. When we can, we play
the readings through
in di vidual headphones, to
allow those who do not
require the service to have an
equally plea surable film
experience. We have a limited
number of headsets, so we
offer them on a first-come,
first-served basis to young
people only.
Indicates
subtitles with headphones
indicates subtitles read
aloud.
AGE RECOMMENDATIONS
R ICKY RAPPE R
CHILDREN’S FILMFEST OPENING PARTY EXTRAVAGANZA
Sunday, October 11, 12:30 pm 142 Throckmorton Theatre.
$5 PARTY11
Join us after our opening weekend film in Mill Valley for a Children’s
FilmFest Extravaganza party including some of the BEST face
painting in the entire world! Balloon twisting! Music! A finger food
lunch by Whole Foods! And even some short films! Adults must be
accompanied by children.
SPONSORED BY
Please bear in mind that the
age range following each
ch i l d r e n ’ s f i l m p r o g r a m
description is a suggestion
only. It may only refer back to
a program’s length or to its
subject matter, while it cannot
adequately address everyone’s
sense of appropriate or
inappropriate content. Each
child is different, and each
parent has different standards.
SUPPORTED IN PART
BY A GRANT FROM
21
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“Oh, the Whiter Shade of Pale…good lord, so good!”
!Ash, San Francisco
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TONY
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Congratulations to the
32nd Mill Valley Film Festival
Vive le Cinema!
Let’s not think about Real Estate for a few days...
instead, let’s sit back and get lost in the movies.
RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL
415.383.0667
M I L L VA L L E Y
www.mwgc.com
Thank you MVFF for bringing us 32 years
of excitement and magic!
'
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CALIFORNIA FILM INSTITUTE EDUCATION
B U I L D I N G T H E N E X T G E N E R AT I O N O F F I L M M A K E R S A N D A U D I E N C E S
Film engages and inspires
like no other medium. For two
decades the Mill Valley Film
Festival and CFI Education
have pioneered creative film
programs for Bay Area young
people, providing year-round
screenings, interactive sessions with film professionals
and hands-on activities to introduce students to the power
of film as a vibrant tool of communication. Our programs also
work with underserved communities and at-risk youth.
MY PLACE STORYTELLERS IN OAKLAND
WE’RE NOT JUST AT THE FESTIVAL
In addition to our activities at the Festival, CFI Education presents
programs at the Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center in Marin,
the Little Theater at Berkeley High School, the Ninth Street Independent Film Center in San Francisco and other Bay Area theaters.
We also come directly to schools with our interdisciplinary, intercultural film-study programs designed to supplement the fields of
literature, history, science and social studies. We create companion
study guides for films, which add depth to the viewing experience
and conform to California educational standards.
Here are some of our current programs:
IN-SCHOOL FILMMAKER PROGRAM
DURING THE MILL VALLEY FILM FESTIVAL
We bring filmmakers and their films from the Festival into all Bay Area
schools. In September we match up filmmakers with schools for
exciting classroom exchanges with students.
SELECTED SCREENINGS FOR SCHOOLS
Throughout the year we provide schools with free monthly
screenings of important films and other film curricula as well
as six to eight feature films from the Festival.
YOUNG CRITICS JURY
Held every July, the Young Critics Jury is a three-day intensive
workshop for youth ages 13–18 to learn media literacy skills
directly from filmmakers and film historians. Directors,
screenwriters, location scouts, actors, animators, critics,
documentary filmmakers, cinematographers and others make
this event an exceptional educational experience.
A PLACE IN THE WORLD
In this six-film/seven-month curriculum screening at the Rafael,
100 students from all over the Bay Area commit to viewing and
LEF Foundation
Marin Charitable Association
examining the content of a selection of international films focusing
on defining moments in young people’s lives.
MY PLACE
Our My Place program combines hands-on filmmaking with strong
storytelling skills. Local filmmakers, CFI staff and the Center for
Digital Storytelling in Berkeley help students learn to see where
they live through different eyes. Programs have been held in San
Francisco, San Rafael and Marin City and new this year, the city
of Oakland.
TEACHER WORKSHOPS AND SEMINARS
In March 2008 we inaugurated teacher workshops, designed
by local teachers, on using film in the classroom. We use
innovative techniques to widen the uses teachers can make
of the film medium.
This year we have also become a presenter of the Community
Cinema program through ITVS and Independent Lens.
Other programs underway include media literacy workshops
and screenings, and a summer 2010 “young critics” program—all
directed to students in grades 2 through 5—as well as a new set of
adult courses and programs.
CFI Education serves more than 5,000 students in the Bay Area
every year. Join us and help us grow!
Call, email or visit us online:
phone: 415.383.5256 x113
email: [email protected]
online: cafilm.org
BLOG WITH US at
http://cafilm.wordpress.com
Nancy and Rich Robbins
Fred M. Levin and Nancy Livingston, the Shenson Foundation
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thermography detox/wellness
spa boutique gift cards
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MVFF 2009
O F F I C I A L P R E M I E R E S E LE CT I O N
WORLD PREMIERES
NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERES
US PREMIERES
Imbued
Passengers
Project Happiness
Race to Nowhere
The Red Machine
Tenderloin
The Bass Player : A Song For Dad
Breath Made Visible
Hellsinki
Linoleum
This Is the Husband I Want!
Victoria
White Wedding
Hipsters
Jermal
The Letter for the King
Looking For Eric
One Crazy Ride
Ricky
Shameless
Shylock
Storm
Surrogate
A Year Ago in Winter
WORLD CINEMA
F I LM CAT E G O R I E S
;SVPH'MRIQE½PQWXIPPWXSVMIWXLEXVIZIEP
elements of the universal while changing
our ways of seeing and understanding our
global neighbors.
VALLEY OF THE DOCS
Reality spins some of the most fascinating
yarns of all. Valley of the Docs presents
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SPONSORED BY
SPONSORED BY
5@5 AND MVFF SHORTS
US CINEMA
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talent for independent storytelling.
Our 5@5 matinee series always takes its
program titles from the songs of a musical performer. This year’s selected artist
is Morrissey. Our shorts programs are an
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artists and established masters.
CHILDREN’S FILMFEST
The Children’s FilmFest gives young
people a taste of cultures and adventures
they won’t get anywhere else.
SPONSORED BY
SPONSORED BY
SPONSORED BY
2009 FOCUS
FOCUS: ARCHITECTS OF THE AVANT-GARDE
Programs celebrating some of the greatest 20th century artist-innovators:
Breath Made Visible (Ruedi Gerber), Meredith Monk – Inner Voice (Babeth
M. VanLoo), A Sweeter Music: a Live Performance by Sarah Cahill with John
Sanborn, Troupers (Glenn Silber and Claudia Vianello) and TRIMPIN: the
sound of invention (Peter Esmonde).
FOCUS: AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND
Apron Strings (Sima Urale), The Boys Are Back (Scott Hicks), Four of a Kind
(Fiona Cochrane), Passengers (Michael Bond) and The Strength of Water
(Armagan Ballantyne).
j_Ya[ji.--$.-*$,.))
FOCUS: FRANCE
The Girl on the Train (André Téchiné), Pierrot le fou (Jean-Luc Godard),
Ricky (François Ozon).
FOCUS: NEW RUSSIAN CINEMA
Hipsters (Valery Todorovsky), Room and a Half
(Andrey Khrzhanovsky), Stalin Thought of You (Kevin McNeer).
FOCUS: UNITED KINGDOM
The Bass Player: A Song for Dad (Niall McKay),
Bomber (Paul Cotter), The Eclipse (Conor McPherson),
An Education0SRI7GLIV½KFish Tank (Andrea Arnold)
and Looking for Eric (Ken Loach).
25
5@5: AMERICA IS NOT THE
WORLD
5 @ 5
This series of international shorts explores
themes of immigration, displacement, revolution and violence, leaving us to ponder our place
in the world and the meaning of “home.” A young
man returns to his family in Cuba after 13 years
in the US to find himself caught between maternal love and fraternal resentment in Topaz Adizes’
Trece Años (Cuba/US 8 mins). In Maria Breaux’s
Lucha (El Salvador/US 15 mins), a couple fantasize about an idyllic future against the backdrop
of war-torn El Salvador. In the Punjab region of
India, a young girl copes with her community’s
displacement and an act of betrayal as she strikes
up an unlikely friendship with an upper caste girl
in Terrie Samundra’s Kunjo (India/US 25 mins).
The tension quietly mounts in Ilan Amit’s Broken Time (Israel 25 mins) when an explosion in
the city leaves Daniel anxiously wondering if his
mother will ever come home.
—Holly Roach
TOTAL PROGRAM 73 MINS
Monday, October 12, 5:00 pm
5AT512S, Sequoia
Wednesday, October 14, 5:00 pm
5AT514R, Rafael
5@5: THE EDGES ARE NO LONGER
PARALLEL
5 @ 5
Crafting the perfect documentary short is among
the most difficult of filmmaking challenges. But
when all the elements come together, it’s a magic
moment. So we’ve gathered the best in new
American documentary shorts, including three
from Bay Area filmmakers. Jeremy Kaller’s The
Legend of Toilet-Seat Charlie (US 12 mins) profiles Mill Valley’s Charlie Deal, inventor of the toilet-seat guitar. Jessica Yu’s delightful The Kinda
Sutra (US 8 mins) explores the eternal question:
How are babies made? Matt Faust’s Home (US 5
mins), a stunning animated portrait, captures the
feeling of loss when “home” becomes a memory,
while Close to Home (US 6 mins) by Theo Rigby
portrays a father who has yet to face his son’s
death. The Last Dragon Kingdom (US 7 mins)
from Aine Carey and David Emery meditates on
the nature of change and the Buddhist precept of
impermanence, and Lucie Schwartz’s Arresting
Ana (France/US 25 mins) gives us an eye-opening, innovative look at the global underground of
anorexia.
—Kelly Clement
5@5: THE MORE YOU IGNORE ME,
THE CLOSER I GET
5 @ 5
Family dynamics are at the forefront of this collection of shorts exploring the generational divide.
In these relationships between parents and their
offspring, we’re often left to wonder, who’s raising
whom? Absence is palpable in Ryan O’Toole’s
lyrical Keep the Home Fires Burning (US 8 mins)
as a family reconstructs the memory of their patriarch. In Michelle Savill’s Betty Banned Sweets
(New Zealand 15 mins), an artist stifled by his
codependent mother indulges his wanderlust by
creating quirky shoebox dioramas. A reluctant
teenager tries to survive her exuberant mother’s
plans for prom night in Coley Sohn’s ’80s flashback, Boutonniere (US 10 mins), while Christmas Day is almost a dirty little secret in Hope
Dickson Leach’s Morning Echo (UK 15 mins).
In Andreas Tibblin’s Good Advice (Sweden 15
mins), Rasmus decides to run away from home
but not before imparting his wisdom to an unborn
sibling, which proves enlightening for his parents
as well.
—Holly Roach
TOTAL PROGRAM 63 MINS
TOTAL PROGRAM 61 MINS
Friday, October 16, 5:00 pm
5AT516R, Rafael
Saturday, October 17, 5:30 pm
5AT517T, 142 Throckmorton
Tuesday, October 13, 5:00 pm
5AT513S, Sequoia
Thursday, October 15, 5:00 pm
5AT515R, Rafael
26
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F I L M S 5@5 - A
5@5: OSCILLATE WILDLY
5@5: SISTER I’M A POET
ACHING HEARTS
(KÆRESTESORGER)
5 @ 5
5 @ 5
Whether in 2D, 3D or stop-motion, these animated shorts oscillate wildly between adventure,
whimsy and the purely bizarre. Bill Plympton’s
Horn Dog (US 5 mins) starts the ball rolling with
canine desperation, Julia McLean toys with a
loved one in The Finger Trap (Scotland 4 mins),
Adnan Hussain’s Gul (flower) ( US 10 mins)
evokes innocence in a painterly wasteland and
John Fink highlights singing body parts in Glottal
Opera (Australia 4 mins). Ozone holes lead to
roasted chicken in David Baas’s Skylight (US 5
mins), while Robert Robinson’s Styx (Scotland
7 mins) crosses over to the other side. Three
fabulous fibs come to light in Jonas Odell’s Lies
(Sweden 13 mins), a girl tries to escape her
bulbous mother in Dorte Bengtson’s The Sylpphid (Denmark 8 mins) and an exploratory mission goes awry in Jan Rahbek’s Space Monkeys
(Denmark 8 mins). For dessert: a delicious meal
of odd objects in PES’s Western Spaghetti (US
4 mins).
—Amanda Todd
Whether it’s face-to-face, screen-to-screen or
a good old-fashioned love letter, these shorts
explore the various ways we communicate (and
miscommunicate) through words and language.
A couple becomes comically confounded with
unfamiliar words and icons as they attempt to use
their new computer in Constantin Popescu’s The
Yellow Smiley Face (Romania 15 mins). Moises’s
world is a dizzying swirl of letters as he struggles
against the language barrier in Richard Levien’s
Immersion (US 15 mins). The title character in
Bragi Schut Jr.’s Charlie Thistle (US 15 mins) is an
unlikely agent for change as Secretary of Adjustments and Modifications, bringing a little color
to the everyday lexicon. A deaf couple noiselessly engages in an argument amid the din of a
crowded restaurant in Barry Dignam’s (enough)
(Ireland 3 mins). And Tomer Gendler depicts a
silent exchange of a different kind as a couple
trade sweet nothings on their unmentionables in
Underwear (US 15 mins).
—Holly Roach
TOTAL PROGRAM 67 MINS
TOTAL PROGRAM 62 MINS
Monday, October 12, 5:00 pm
5AT512R, Rafael
Wednesday, October 14, 5:00 pm
5AT514S, Sequoia
Tuesday, October 13, 5:00 pm
5AT513R, Rafael
Thursday, October 15, 5:00 pm
5AT515S, Sequoia
WO R LD C I N E MA
First love is a universal rite of passage, as are the
trials and tribulations of high school. In Denmark
circa 1961, three young men face the confusion
of romance and adulthood. Jonas can’t figure
out what he wants or from whom he wants it. As
sweet, smart and adoring Agnete stands before
him, he wonders, “Do I love her?” Meanwhile,
Birger, Jonas’s friend and foil, thinks he’s got it
all figured out. His future appears set, but fate
has other plans for him. And Toke, the elusive
loner, embraces his individuality with a passion
that bears the legacy of his father. As love and
adulthood take hold of all three, twists and turns
abound: Friends become enemies, parents suddenly appear in all their flaws and nothing is
simple anymore. Strong performances elevate a
delicately crafted drama that unfolds gracefully
and unforgettably, leaving no heart, whether soft
or stone-like, unturned.
—Kristine Kolton
Director Nils Malmros Producer Thomas Heinesen
Screenwriters Nils Malmros, John Mogensen
Cinematographer Jan Weincke Editor Birger Møller
Jensen Cast Thomas Ernst, Simone Tang, Søren
Pilmark, Ida Dwinger, Kristian Halken, Andrea Vagn
Jensen Print Source Danish Film Institute
DENMARK 2009 125 MINS
Friday, October 9, 6:00 pm
ACH09R, Rafael
Saturday, October 10, 3:45 pm
ACH10R, Rafael
P R ES EN T ED I N AS SOC I AT I O N W I T H T H E
ROYA L DA N I S H C O N S U L AT E .
27
j_Ya[ji.--$.-*$,.))
APRON STRINGS
WO R LD C I N E MA
FOCUS: AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND •
Like real life, the heart of Apron Strings beats and
bubbles in the kitchen, as everyone is chopping,
stirring, serving and, occasionally, eating. This
humorous, deliciously filmed cakes-and-curry
family drama dishes up the clashing ethnicities
and generational divides of New Zealand’s South
Auckland suburbs. In parallel stories, two mothers seek to protect their fatherless sons from
familial secrets and dysfunction. Yet the surface
contrasts—the bland, milk-white, sugar-sweet
Anglo Kiwis versus the spicy brown Indian and
Asian immigrants—only highlight their commonalities. While glamorous Anita, a TV celebrity chef,
feels threatened by son Michael’s search for his
Indian-ness, dowdy Lorna clings to her old-fashioned bakery and makes unwanted dinners for
35-year-old layabout son Barry, who tosses them
down the sink. Eventually, both women recognize
the damage they’re doing in the name of love and
decide to change. The resulting dish is a soothing multicultural mélange as piquant and creamy
as hot chai.
—Jeff Campbell
Director Sima Urale Producer Rachel Gardner
Screenwriters Shuchi Kothari, Dianne Taylor
Cinematographer Rewa Harre Editor Eric De Beus
Print Source New Zealand Film
NEW ZEALAND 2008 89 MINS
Thursday, October 15, 6:45 pm
APR15S, Sequoia
Sunday, October 18, 2:30 pm
APR18R, Rafael
S P O N SO R ED BY P I Z Z A A N T I CA .
AWAKENING FROM SORROW:
BUENOS AIRES 1997
VALLE Y OF TH E D OC S
Between 1976 and 1983, thousands of Argentines opposed to the militar y regime were
arrested and disappeared without a trace. Some
were drugged and thrown alive from airplanes
over the Atlantic; others were imprisoned and
tortured before they were killed. This vanished
generation, the Desaparecidos, left behind children, some only a few days old. Two decades
later, those hijos themselves became activists,
demanding to know what happened to their parents, demanding justice. Using interviews, poignant drawings by the hijos and original music,
John Knoop and Karina Epperlein’s Awakening
from Sorrow: Buenos Aires 1997 paints a “tapestry of remembrance” filled with loss, longing
and resolve.
—Margarita Landazuri
Directors/Producers John Knoop, Karina Epperlein
Cinematographer Andrew Black Print Source
Karinafilms
US 2009 40 MINS
PRECEDED BY
INSIDE STORY
This film documents San Quentin inmates writing,
editing and publishing the first newspaper in a California prison in 20 years. With the support of the
warden, they find purpose and meaning in their lives
as they tackle issues like prison overcrowding.
Director Jacob Simas
US 2009 27 MINS
TOTAL PROGRAM 67 MINS
Saturday, October 10, 4:30 pm
AWAK10S, Sequoia
Saturday, October 17, 4:45 pm
AWAK17R, Rafael
BARKING WATER
US C I N E MA
With an eye for the scenic and the unforeseen,
writer-director Sterlin Harjo (Four Sheets to the
Wind, MVFF 2007) unites two classic American
film genres—the redemptive road journey and a
timeless love story—into something uniquely his
own. After liberating her former lover Frankie
from the hospital, Irene pledges to take him home
before he dies. The road to Barking Water offers
an intimate glimpse into a people and place
rarely seen on the screen: the Native American
culture and landscape of Oklahoma. In ways
spare and unsentimental, Frankie and Irene reaffirm a love that’s both mature and forgiving. The
poetry of this film is in the quiet spaces between
words—a glance, a memory or an eagle feather
dangling from the rear view mirror of the car. Lyrically beautiful and emotionally resonant, Barking
Water reflects the psychologically rich territories
of family and home.
—Melissa Howden
Director/Screenwriter Sterlin Harjo Producer
Chad Burris Cinematographer Frederick Schroeder
Editor David Michael Maurer Cast Richard Ray
Whitman, Casey Camp-Horinek, John Proudstar,
Laura Spensor Print Source Indion Entertainment
Group
US 2008 81 MINS
Monday, October 12, 6:00 pm
BARK12S, Sequoia
Thursday, October 15, 9:15 pm
BARK15R, Rafael
P R ES EN T ED I N AS SOC I AT I O N W I T H M A R I N
A M ER I CA N I N D I A N A L L I A N C E .
P R ES EN T ED I N AS SOC I AT I O N W I T H M A R I N
I N T ER FA I T H TAS K F O RC E O N T H E A M ER I CAS .
28
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FILMS A-B
THE BASS PLAYER:
A SONG FOR DAD
VALLE Y OF TH E D OC S
[BLANK.]
YOUTH PROD U C E D
In this eloquent, witty homage to his father, filmmaker Niall McKay wrestles with his family’s
unsettling past to overcome his fear of commitment. As Niall helps his elderly father Jim, a jazz
bass player, return home to Ireland, father and
son revisit Niall’s tumultuous childhood with an
abusive, unpredictable mother and a musician
father who was often on the road. It’s a parallel journey into Niall’s admiration for his father
and his innermost doubts about love, and their
conversations take on a confessional quality as
they reveal their darkest moments. But the film
lyrically (and sometimes limerickly) takes us full
circle, capturing joyous moments of healing and
celebration. Shot in Switzerland, France, Ireland
and the US, geography and the idea of home
play prominent roles. Scored with Irish jazz and,
particularly, Jim’s bass, the music is much more
than a soundtrack, and the film is not unlike the
tunes Jim strums as it explores and captures the
nuances, tones and oscillations of life and relationships. Striking many poignant chords, the
filmmaker’s evolving notions of family and commitment will charm and amuse. North American
Premiere
—Carrie Lozano
The Young Critics Jury is an educational program
of the California Film Institute. It is an intensive
course in how to watch, critique and understand
techniques of moviemaking for youth (ages 13–
18) interested in learning about the craft of filmmaking from professionals. A select group
become the peer jury for youth films submitted to
the Mill Valley Film Festival for inclusion in the
youth reel. The Young Critics Jury has chosen 19
films for the 2009 youth reel from more than 75
national and international films submitted. The
films, representing filmmakers from coast to
coast, encompass varied styles and genres such
as silent film (The Life and Times of Buster Chaplin and What’d ya want, a happy ending?), comedy (You Turn and Dumb Luck), romance (Ladies,
Please), drama (Transatlantique, Care and Broken) and human rights (Untouchable). Three
works are personal stories as told by young filmmakers who participated in the 2009 California
Film Institute Education’s My Place workshop,
April’s Story: Nana’s House, Ramona’s Story:
What About Us? and Alex’s Story.
—Melanie Nichols
Director/Screenwriter Niall McKay Producer
Seamus Duggan Cinematographers Niall McKay,
Marissa Aroy Editors Tony Cranstoun, Carlo Kamin
Print Source The Media Factory
Saturday, October 17, 11:00 am
BLAN17R, Rafael
IRELAND/US 2009 62 MINS
Friday, October 9, 9:00 pm
BASS09S, Sequoia
Sunday, October 11, 7:30 pm
BASS11R, Rafael
TOTAL PROGRAM 96 MINS
BOMBER
WO R LD C I N E MA
FOCUS: UNITED KINGDOM • The family road
trip, that precarious activity of forced intimacy,
usually produces its share of inconvenience and
dark comedy—awkward charms only amplified
when the children have grown up. With wife Valerie by his side and son Ross roped into driving,
Alistair, a Royal Air Force bomber pilot during
WWII, leads the family on a vacation to Germany
with a mysterious purpose behind it, prompting
a bumpy ride for the three travelers and their
familial baggage. Along the way, director Paul
Cotter’s debut feature manages the unusual feat
of reenergizing the genre of the road film. The
acting is as funny and alluring as the landscapes
are expressive and beautiful. And the first feature-length film score by Stephen Coates, front
man and founder of British cult favorite The
Real Tuesday Weld, is a driving force of its own.
Unlike other family road trips you may have experienced, you won’t want this one to end.
—Sean Uyehara
Director/Screenwriter Paul Cotter Producers Paul
Cotter, Maureen Ryan Cinematographer Rick Siegel
Editor Matt Maddox Cast Shane Taylor, Benjamin
Whitrow, Eileen Nicholas Print Source Boris Films
US/UK 2009 84 MINS
Friday, October 9, 6:30 pm
BOMB09R, Rafael
Sunday, October 18, 7:45 pm
BOMB18R, Rafael
S P O N SO R ED BY BA N K O F M A R I N .
P R ES EN T ED I N AS SOC I AT I O N W I T H T H E
GO E T H E I N ST I T U T SA N F R A N C I SC O.
P R ES EN T ED I N AS SO C I AT I O N W I T H S FJA Z Z &
SA N F R A N C I SC O I R I S H F I L M F EST I VA L .
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THE BOYS ARE BACK
WO R LD C I N E MA
OPENING NIGHT • FOCUS: AUSTRALIA AND
NEW ZEALAND • Based on a true story, The
Boys Are Back is a deeply moving, wryly confessional tale of fatherhood that intimately evokes
both the fragility and wonders of family life. It
follows a witty, wisecracking, action-oriented
sportswriter (Academy Award ® nominee and
Golden Globe winner Clive Owen) who, in the
wake of his wife’s tragic death, finds himself in
a sudden, stultifying state of single parenthood.
Raising two boys with an unabashed lack of
rules, life is exuberant, instinctual, reckless... and
on the constant verge of disaster. United by
unspoken love, conflicted by fierce feelings and
in search of a road forward, father and sons alike
must each find their own way, however tenuous,
to grow up. Their story is not just about the transforming power of a family crisis—but the unavoidable grace of everyday life and love that gets
them through. This wonderful ride is masterfully
helmed by Scott Hicks (Shine, MVFF 1996).
Director Scott Hicks Producers Greg Brenman, Tim
White Screenwriter Allan Cubitt, memoir by Simon
Carr Cinematographer Greig Fraser Editor Scott
Grey Cast Clive Owen, Emma Booth, Laura Fraser,
George Mackay, Nicholas McAnulty Print Source
Miramax Films
BREATH MADE VISIBLE
VALLE Y OF TH E D OC S
FOCUS: ARCHITECTS OF THE AVANT-GARDE
• Since she was a small child, Anna Halprin has
danced. Now at 89, she still possesses the grace
and romanticism of her youth. This illuminating
documentary, a lovingly rendered portrait of the
Marin-based avant-garde dance pioneer, traces
her groundbreaking career as a dancer and choreographer as well as her devoted marriage to
famed landscape architect Lawrence Halprin.
In an intimate encounter with the artist, we meet
her rehearsing on her verdant backyard deck and
performing at New York’s Joyce Theater, teaching movement to seniors and dancing with Merce
Cunningham, battling cancer and combating racism through movement in the wake of the Watts
riots. Halprin has spent her life spreading a gospel of healing and wholeness through self-expression—an extraordinary story that unfolds, with the
help of fascinating interviews and archival performance footage, as a moving and beautiful tribute
to one of Northern California’s most beloved and
inspirational artists. North American Premiere
—Nora Isaacs
Director/Producer Ruedi Gerber Cinematographers
Adam Teichman, Ruedi Gerber Editors Francoise
Dumoulin, C. Peters Cast Anna Halprin, Larry
Halprin, Merce Cunningham, John Graham Print
Source Argot Pictures
AUSTRALIA/UK 2009 104 MINS
Thursday, October 8, 7:00 pm
BOYA08S, Sequoia $30
Thursday, October 8, 7:15 pm
BOYB08S, Sequoia $30
SWITZERLAND/US 2009 80 MINS
Saturday, October 10, 2:00 pm
BREA10S, Sequoia
Monday, October 12, 6:45 pm
BREA12R, Rafael
DARK AND STORMY NIGHT
US C I N E MA
Who is murdering the houseguests of the Cavinder Estate? What secrets lie hidden in the passageways of the dark old house? Did someone
lose a gorilla? Mysteries abound in this hilarious
homage to 1930s “dark house” horror flicks.
Written and directed by cult movie maestro Larry
Blamire (The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra, MVFF
2001; The Lost Skeleton Returns Again, MVFF
2008), the film follows the overnight exploits of
a group of oddballs attempting to stay alive after
a reading of the cursed Cavinder Will. Characters include a pair of fast-talking reporters, a
whacked-out psychic, the loyal butler (“Jeens”),
an antsy ingénue and one poorly cloaked phantom. Recalling the screwball comedies of Howard Hawks and the frantic antics of the Marx
Brothers, this giddy love letter to the movies of
yesteryear—captured in gorgeous black-and-white—
will leave you grinning well past the witching
hour.
—Brendan Peterson
Director/Screenwriter Larry Blamire Producer
Trish Geiger Cinematographer AJ Rickert-Epstein
Editor Bill Bryn Russell Cast Jennifer Blaire, Daniel
Roebuck, Dan Conroy, Brian Howe Print Source
Bantam Street
US 2009 93 MINS
Saturday, October 10, 9:15 pm
DARK10R, Rafael
Saturday, October 17, 3:45 pm
DARK17S, Sequoia
S P O N SO R ED BY W E L L S FA RGO.
S P O N SO R ED BY OVAT I O N T V.
For Opening Night Gala information, see page 7.
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FILMS B -E
EAT THE SUN
VALLE Y OF TH E D OC S
Hira Ratan Manek (aka HRM ) has not eaten
solid food for 411 days. Impossible, you say? But
HRM takes nourishment through an alternate
source: by staring directly at the sun for 44 minutes every day. Isn’t that damaging to the eyes?
After two days with HRM, Mason Dwinell is ready
to dismiss such minor concerns to explore “the
possibility of a new truth” through sungazing.
On a spiritual journey to achieve the 44-minute
goal (you work up to it gradually), Mason also
embarks on a physical voyage around the country (perhaps unsurprisingly, in a VW van) to meet
other sungazers and better understand this solarpowered lifestyle. But confusion, identity crises
and eye exams interfere with Mason’s progress,
and many troubling questions arise. Throughout
its subtle quirkiness and parched humor, Eat the
Sun maintains a steady compassion for Mason’s
luminous quest, and gives new meaning to “light”
food.
—Joanne Parsont
Director/Producer Peter Sorcher Cinematographers
John Baker, Keith Brauneis, Peter Sorcher Editors
Peter Sorcher, Jed Stuber Print Source Sorcher
Films
US 2009 90 MINS
Friday, October 9, 8:30 pm
EAT09R, Rafael
Saturday, October 17, 12:00 pm
EAT17S, Sequoia
THE ECLIPSE
WOR LD C I N E MA
Acclaimed Irish dramatist Conor McPherson’s
second feature film as writer-director is a characteristically penetrating exploration of grief and
mortality folded into an eerie, psychologically
sophisticated and shockingly unpredictable
ghost story. Set during an Irish literary festival
in the picturesque city of Cobh, woodworking
teacher (and closet writer) Michael Farr (Ciarán
Hinds) is raising two kids after his wife’s death
when he volunteers as a driver for the event,
intrigued by the proximity and colorful behavior
of its participants. Assigned to Lena (Iben Hjejle), an attractive author of a book about ghosts,
Michael becomes increasingly intrigued. But also
interested in Lena is pompous, frequently inebriated bestselling author Nicholas Holden (Aidan
Quinn). As Lena and Michael draw closer, the shy
widower confesses to being haunted, physically,
by his wife. If The Eclipse is ultimately more existential drama than ghoulish tale, the enveloping
narrative includes brilliantly jolting cinematic surprises. Indeed, McPherson’s well-acted, thoughtful tale is a genre-bending mood piece.
—Rod Armstrong
Director Conor McPherson Producer Robert
Walpole Screenwriters Conor McPherson, Billy
Roche Cinematographer Ivan McCollough Editor
Emer Reynolds Cast Ciarán Hinds, Aidan Quinn,
Iben Hjejle, Jim Norton, Eanna Hardwicke, Hannah
Lynch Print Source Magnolia Pictures
IRELAND 2008 88 MINS
Sunday, October 11, 8:15 pm
ECL11R, Rafael
Wednesday, October 14, 9:15 pm
ECL14R, Rafael
AN EDUCATION
WO R LD C I N E MA
FOCUS: UNITED KINGDOM • London, 1961:
An intellectually precocious 16-year-old named
Jenny is on the cusp of adulthood, and the world
is on the cusp of dramatic changes of its own,
in this inspired coming-of-age tale from director Lone Scherfig (Italian for Beginners) and
writer Nick Hornby. In a beguiling, star-making
performance from Carey Mulligan, Jenny’s impatience with adolescent routine and eagerness to
embrace life come flavored with dreams of Paris
and the songs of Juliette Gréco, but tempered by
commitments to her Oxford-bound studies and
stodgy parents (Emma Thompson and Alfred
Molina). Then David (Peter Sarsgaard) enters the
picture. A devilishly handsome, urbane charmer
in his 30s, David woos Jenny from her studies—
even winning over her parents—offering a life
education in a glittering world of high culture and
swanky nightclubs with attractive friends Danny
and Helen. Dangling a trip to Paris before her,
a path very different from Oxford opens before
Jenny. Will it be her making or undoing?
Director Lone Scherfig Producers Finola Dwyer,
Amanda Posey Screenwriter Nick Hornby, memoir
by Lynn Barber Cinematographer John de Borman
Editor Barney Pilling Cast Carey Mulligan, Emma
Thompson, Peter Sarsgaard, Alfred Molina Print
Source Sony Pictures Classics
UK 2009 100 MINS
Friday, October 9, 6:30 pm
EDUC09S, Sequoia
S P O N SO R ED BY P OST ST R EE T S U RG ERY
C EN T ER .
S P O N SO R ED BY DO L BY L A BO R ATO R I ES .
P R ES EN T ED I N AS SOC I AT I O N W I T H
SA N F R A N C I SC O I R I S H F I L M F EST I VA L .
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ELEVATOR
WO R LD C I N E MA
Precocious and attractive with hormones raging,
a teenage boy and girl want some time alone—
why not slip away to the abandoned factory on
the outskirts of town? To their shock, they get
stuck in an elevator. As time passes and help
doesn’t arrive, the too-cool-for-school twosome
gradually becomes more humane, loving, modest
and even a bit more philosophical with each
other. Adapted by Gabriel Pinitilei from his own
play, this truly independent Romanian drama was
made with a handheld camera on a budget of
$500, with a sparsely realistic set and masterful
editing. Director-cinematographer George Dorobantu has obviously studied his Polanski, regarding the ar t of staging slow-burn emotional
moments. Ultimately, this award-winning Romanian drama is less about going crazy than establishing a connection in extreme circumstances.
Hell, it seems, isn’t other people; your fellow man
may actually be your salvation.
—David Fear
Director/Cinematographer/Editor George
Dorobantu Producer Alexandra M. Paun
Screenwriter Gabriel Pintilei Cast Cristi Petrescu,
Iulia Verdes Print Source Keep Movieng
ROMANIA 2008 85 MINS
Sunday, October 11, 5:30 pm
ELEV11R, Rafael
Wednesday, October 14, 8:45 pm
ELEV14S, Sequoia
FISH TANK
WOR LD C I N E MA
FOCUS: UNITED KINGDOM • Andrea Arnold is
one of Britain’s strongest cinematic voices. Her
debut, Red Road, won the Jury Prize at the 2006
Cannes Film Festival; this year, her second feature, Fish Tank, won the same prize. It’s a compelling, unflinching look at the gritty world of 15-yearold Mia, a wannabe dancer living in a housing
project in England’s Essex with her young single
mother, little sister and dog. Mom’s new boyfriend, Connor (played by the handsome Michael
Fassbender), at first looks to be the positive father
figure who will pull the bickering family together,
but his undeniable sexual chemistry with Mia
soon moves their relationship into explosive territory. Arnold’s honest, taut storytelling and beautifully composed sense of landscape—both external and internal—make engaging cinema. But it’s
the performances Arnold inspires, particularly
from incredible newcomer Katie Jarvis as Mia,
that make this mesmerizing reflection on teenage
sexuality, betrayal and revenge so riveting.
—Lily Buchanan
Director/Screenwriter Andrea Arnold Producers
Kees Kasander, Nick Laws Cinematographer
Robbie Ryan Editor Nicolas Chaudeurge Cast
Katie Jarvis, Michael Fassbender, Kierston Wareing,
Rebecca Griffiths Print Source IFC First Take
FOUR OF A KIND
WO R LD C I N E MA
FOCUS: AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND •
In this expertly crafted “tough chick” flick, four
women confront hard truths in the face of
betrayal in four intimate and interlocking stories
of love and murder. The linchpin in this quartet is
Melbourne homicide detective Gina Sturrock
(Leverne McDonnell), whose rigorous interrogation of smug suspect Anne Carson ( Louise
Siversen) leads Sturrock to explore with her
therapist, Glenda Hartley (Gail Watson), a toxic
friendship from her own past. Glenda is also in
crisis, meanwhile, confessing suspicions to best
friend Susan (Nina Landis) that her young lover
is having an affair. The dramatic thread—embellished by bluesman Joe Camilleri’s choice, chapter-defining songs—leads back once more to
Gina and her latest investigation. Director Fiona
Cochrane adopts a riveting minimalist approach
in adapting Helen Collins’s play, Disclosure, into
this intelligent and unpredictable who-done-it
that keeps you alternately on your toes and on
the edge of your seat.
—Pam Grady
Director/Producer Fiona Cochrane Screenwriter
Helen Collins Cinematographer/Editor Zbigniew
Friedrich Cast Leverne McDonnell, Gail Watson,
Nina Landis, Louise Siversen Print Source f-reel
pty. ltd.
UK 2009 124 MINS
Saturday, October 10, 8:30 pm
FISH10S, Sequoia
Tuesday, October 13, 9:00 pm
FISH13S, Sequoia
AUSTRALIA 2008 115 MINS
Saturday, October 10, 3:30 pm
FOUR10R, Rafael
Monday, October 12, 8:00 pm
FOUR12S, Sequoia
32
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FILMS E-H
THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN
(LA FILLE DU RER )
WO R LD C I N E MA
FOCUS: FRANCE • Venerated post–New Wave
filmmaker André Téchiné’s latest multi-character drama is an extremely shrewd, supple tale
of modern French society grounded in a young
woman’s disturbingly naive bid for attention and
connection. Jeanne (Émilie Dequenne), a beautiful suburban 20-something, moves inattentively
through life, rollerblading by with headphones on.
Her first live-in relationship with aspiring wrestler
Franck (Nicolas Duvauchelle) and her desultory
search for employment mark her out as somehow detached, even helpless, despite her charm.
Téchiné explores her psyche with a subtlety that
unfolds mesmerizingly, as a defining incident
shifts the trajectory of her story. Based on a reallife event in 2004—and boasting an outstanding
ensemble cast that includes Catherine Deneuve,
Ronit Elkabetz and Michel Blanc—the film eschews
easy sensationalism for an astute dissection of
intergenerational and interpersonal psychology
that tentatively and provocatively maps the overlapping terrain of politics, anti-Semitism and
media in contemporary France.
—Rod Armstrong
Director André Téchiné Producer Saïd Ben Saïd
Screenwriters André Téchiné, Odile Barski, JeanMarie Besset Cinematographer Julien Hirsch Editor
Martine Giordano Cast Emilie Dequenne, Catherine
Deneuve, Michel Blanc, Ronit Elkabetz, Mathieu
Demy, Nicolas Duvauchelle Print Source Strand
Releasing
FRANCE 2009 105 MINS
Thursday, October 15, 4:00 pm
GIRL15R, Rafael
Saturday, October 17, 1:45 pm
GIRL17R, Rafael
GUY AND MADELINE ON
A PARK BENCH
US C I N E M A
Everyone has that moment: the one signaling
the beginning of a romance, or its demise. It’s
the moment rewound and played over and over
again, whether in hope or resignation. Guy, a jazz
trumpeter who doesn’t yet realize what he wants,
and Madeline, the thoughtful girl who loves him,
somehow lose their way together. Standing
apart, the world goes on around them. They find
themselves in both familiar and unexpected circumstances, and can’t help reminiscing. Interspersed with musical numbers that highlight
their confusion with a knowing wink, their journey
unfolds in an unsentimental swoon, at once fanciful and melancholy. Shot beautifully in blackand-white, the streets of Boston simultaneously
radiate with warmth and shudder with stark reality in the aftermath of love. Guy and Madeline on
a Park Bench explores the little regrets, replays
the small choices and celebrates the glimmers of
hope that lie within every love affair.
—Kristine Kolton
Director/Screenwriter/Cinematographer/Editor
Damien Chazelle Producer Jasmine McGlade Print
Source Damien Chazelle
US 2008 82 MINS
Saturday, October 10, 9:30 pm
GUY10S, Sequoia
Sunday, October 11, 3:30 pm
GUY11R, Rafael
P R ES EN T ED I N AS SOC I AT I O N W I T H S FJA Z Z .
HAPPY TEARS
US C I N E MA
Dad may have Alzheimer’s, but he’s not the only
one whose mind and life seem to be slipping
out of reach. Sisterly opposites Jayne (Parker
Posey) and Laura (Demi Moore) return to their
childhood home in Pittsburgh to somehow and
reluctantly manage their widowed, increasingly
weird and terminally ill father. Mitchell Lichtenstein’s second feature (follow-up to 2007’s horror spoof Teeth) explores after its own fashion,
but with equal frankness, themes broached in
Tamara Jenkins’ The Savages (MVFF 2007): Just
what do we owe the imperfect ones to whom we
are family? Musing all the while, with raucously
sardonic but ultimately affirming humor, on the
legacies of fathers living and gone, Happy Tears
takes supreme advantage of a powerhouse
cast—not least the excellent Rip Torn, who as the
sisters’ deteriorating dad mingles wry raunch
with a gently stirring frailty; and Ellen Barkin in a
brave, not to say bizarre turn as a frighteningly
feral, slyly endearing crack-head gold-digger.
—Robert Avila
Director/Screenwriter Mitchell Lichtenstein
Producers Mitchell Lichtenstein, Joyce Pierpoline
Cinematographer Jamie Anderson Editor Joe
Landauer Cast Parker Posey, Demi Moore, Rip Torn,
Ellen Barkin Print Source Roadside Attractions
US 2009 95 MINS
Friday, October 16, 9:15 pm
HAPP16S, Sequoia
S P O N SO R ED BY ST R AW B ER RY V I L L AG E .
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HELLSINKI
HERE AND THERE
(RÖÖPERI)
(TAMO I OVDE )
WO R LD C I N E MA
Elegantly produced and featuring exceptional performances by Finland’s top film talent, Hellsinki
tracks the rise and fall of three enterprising young
criminals in Helsinki’s vice-laden Rööperi neighborhood of the 1960s and ’70s. Tom, an ambitious thug from the neighborhood, figures there’s
no future in rolling drunks and selling illegal booze
on the street. Convincing his pals, wily Krisu and
oafish Kari, to join him, Tom launches his hostile
takeover of the city’s black market alcohol trade.
Now successful, each faces greater threats from
within: the painful legacy of absent fathers, the
children they themselves have abandoned and a
yearning for normal domestic life. As a younger,
more ruthless generation of criminals appears
on the scene, and with all the old-school honor
codes broken, what remains of “the life”? With a
healthy dose of black Nordic humor, Hellsinki is
a must-see for fans of stylish and psychologically
rich gangster films. North American Premiere
—Aaron Lazenby
Director Aleksi Mäkelä Producer Markus Selin
Screenwriter Marko Leino Cinematographer
Pini Hellstedt Editor Kimmo Taavila Cast Samuli
Edelmann, Peter Franzen, Pihla Viitala, Kari Histalahti,
Juha Veijonen Print Source Solar Films Inc.
FINLAND 2009 133 MINS
Wednesday, October 14, 9:00 pm
HELL14S, Sequoia
Saturday, October 17, 2:00 pm
HELL17R, Rafael
P R ES EN T ED I N AS SO C I AT I O N W I T H T H E
C O N S U L AT E G EN ER A L O F F I N L A N D I N LOS
A N G E L ES .
WOR LD C I N E MA
As a down-and-out musician barely surviving in
New York City, Robert has lost his mojo. But an
unexpected trip to Serbia offers a fresh angle in
this sweetly funny cross-cultural story about the
redemptive power of love. One step away from
homelessness, Robert jumps at a chance from
acquaintance Branko to make some cash by traveling to Belgrade, marrying Branko’s girlfriend
and bringing her back. Once there, he stays with
Branko’s mother, learning about the local culture
as life takes a startling turn. Darko Lungulov’s
wonderful fish-out-of-water tale comes anchored
by a brilliantly offbeat performance from David
Thornton, communicating more with a mumble
than many actors do with a monologue. Set
against the colorful, sometimes harsh streets of
Belgrade and New York—and featuring a cameo
by Cyndi Lauper—Here and There perfectly captures the everyday details and intense interactions among a set of vivid characters searching
for meaning in a sea of humanity.
—Brendan Peterson
Director/Screenwriter Darko Lungulov Producers
Darko Lungulov, George Lekovic, David Nemer,
Vladan Nikolic, Branislav Trifunovic
Cinematographer Mathias Schöningh Editor Dejan
Urosevic Cast David Thornton, Mirjana Karanovic,
Cyndi Lauper, Branislav Trifunovic Print Source
Films Boutique
HI DE HO SHOW
US C I N E MA
Where does rock ’n’ roll come from? John Goddard, grand vizier of legendary Village Music,
brings his singular savvy and canny commentary
to an exploration of this year’s Hi De Ho Show
theme: the Fathers (and Mothers) of Rock ’n’
Roll. An MVFF audience favorite, Goddard again
hosts a live veejayed clip show, delving deep into
the visionary talents whose licks and riffs parented a whole lotta shakin’ in the world of music
and spawned a brand new culture peopled with
teenagers, 45s, top tens—things the world hadn’t
seen before. In tracing rock’s lineage, Goddard
takes us from rural America to Liverpool and London, following the beat generated by the likes of
Muddy Waters and Patsy Cline and passed to
the Beatles and the Stones. From the heart of the
country to the soul of the city, this family tree is
covered over with legends and oddballs—as well
as some unsung heroines and eccentric uncles.
—Zoë Elton
80 MINS
Saturday, October 17, 9:15 pm
HIDE17S, Sequoia
SERBIA/US/GERMANY 2009 90 MINS
Saturday, October 10, 6:00 pm
HERE10S, Sequoia
Monday, October 12, 9:15 pm
HERE12R, Rafael
S P O N SO R ED BY P EE T ’ S C O F F EE & T E A .
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FILMS H-H
HIPSTERS
HOMEGROWN
THE HORSE BOY
(STILYAGI)
WO R LD C I N E MA
FOCUS: NEW RUSSIAN CINEMA • While the
Cold War heats up on the world stage, rebellious
youth in 1955 Moscow wage a cultural battle
against dismal Soviet conformity, donning brightly
colored black-market clothing, adopting American nicknames and reveling in forbidden jazz.
Straight-laced 20-year-old Communist Mels
(Anton Shagin) finds these brazen “hipsters”
shocking until he falls under the spell of one,
namely Polly (Oksana Akinshina), and joins the
new revolution. Soon he’s a peacock, cavorting
in the latest flashy fashions, sporting an enormous
pompadour and wailing on the saxophone—all in
an exuberant musical that delves into a chapter of
Russian history little known to outsiders. The
winner of four Nika Awards ( Russia’s Oscar)
including Best Film, this vivid confection from
Valery Todorovsky (Love, MVFF 1992) offers an
irresistible blend of romance, comedy, drama,
music, dance and politics in a story specific to
the Soviet experience but universal in its celebration of self-expression and spirited opposition to
mandated conformity. US Premiere
—Pam Grady
Director Valery Todorovsky Producers Leonid
Lebedev, Leonid Yarmolnik, Valery Todorovsky,
Screenwriter Yuri Korotkov Cinematographer
Roman Vasyanov Editor Alexey Bobrov Cast Anton
Shagin, Oksana Akinshina, Evgeniya Brik, Maxim
Matveev Print Source Krasnaya Strela-Red Arrow
RUSSIA 2009 125 MINS
Thursday, October 15, 9:00 pm
HIPS15R, Rafael
Saturday, October 17, 9:15 pm
HIPS17R, Rafael
S P O N SO R ED BY T H U M B P R I N T C E L L A RS .
VALLE Y OF TH E D OC S
The little house on the prairie gets a 21st-century
makeover in this absorbing documentary about
life on an urban farm in Pasadena. The Dervaes
family creates an organic Eden right next to a
freeway, but that’s not all. In a search for true
independence and sustainability, they live off the
grid, creating bio-fuel and using solar energy to
power their computers. This is as much a romantic back-to-the-land success story as it is a meditation on the delicate fabric of one close-knit
family contending with unpredictable weather,
the drama of generational divides and the meaning of freedom.
—Deborah Kaufman
Director/Producer/Editor Robert McFalls
Cinematographer Arthur Yee Print Source Good
River LLC
US 2008 52 MINS
PRECEDED BY
HIDDEN BOUNTY OF MARIN: FARM
FAMILIES IN TRANSITION
Beyond the image of Marin County’s pretty pastures
and rolling grasslands is a revolution in the making.
Over 200 small family farms and ranches are pioneering sustainable and organic farming practices
that are having a radical impact on the way we eat.
From heirloom apples to grass-fed beef, succulent
oysters to creamy artisan cheese, this is a timely
and mouth-watering overview of a vital local movement. Narrated by Peter Coyote.
Directors Steve Quirt, Ellie Rilla
US 2008 27 MINS
TOTAL PROGRAM 79 MINS
Sunday, October 11, 1:00 pm
HOME11S, Sequoia
Tuesday, October 13, 6:45 pm
HOME13R, Rafael
S P O N SO R ED BY W H O L E F OO DS M A R K E T
A N D SA N DO M EN I C O SC H OO L .
j_Ya[ji.--$.-*$,.))
VALLE Y OF TH E D OC S
When the parents of an autistic child search for a
miracle, an improbable, life-changing adventure
ensues. Discovering a deep emotional connection between their son Rowan and a neighbor’s
horse, journalist and producer Rupert Isaacson
and his wife Kristin Neff take a profound leap
of faith to heal their child. Spent from the fourhour tantrums, myriad Western treatments and
overall emotional toll of Rowan’s autism, they
head to Mongolia’s majestic foothills and mountains where they journey on horseback in search
of shamans and the storied highland reindeer
people. But things don’t go entirely as planned,
and a series of unexpected breakthroughs and
the promise of ancient healers must carry them
through an often grueling experience—one that
proves transformative for all. With its graceful
storytelling and stunning cinematography, The
Horse Boy inspires and surprises. Its honesty,
unfettered emotion and hopefulness aptly reflect
Mongolia’s landscape: at once lush, desolate,
dramatic and overwhelmingly beautiful.
—Carrie Lozano
Director/Cinematographer Michel O.Scott
Producer Rupert Isaacson Editor Rita K. Sanders
Print Source Zeitgeist Films
US 2008 93 MINS
Tuesday, October 13, 6:30 pm
HORS13S, Sequoia
Wednesday, October 14, 4:30 pm
HORS14R, Rafael
S P O N SO R ED BY H O R N B LOW ER C R U I S ES
& E V EN TS .
P R ES EN T ED I N AS SOC I AT I O N W I T H AU T I S M
S P E A KS A N D OA K H I L L SC H OO L .
35
ICONS AMONG US: JAZZ IN THE
PRESENT TENSE
VALLE Y OF TH E D OC S
Can jazz be saved? Icons Among Us explores
the mercurial creative force behind an adventurous but largely unprofitable and misunderstood
art form mired in disputes among fans who can’t
agree on its definition. Pondering the future of
jazz, the film combines insightful interviews with
veterans like Wynton Marsalis, Herbie Hancock
and Wayne Shorter and electrifying concert
footage spotlighting today’s exceptional talent.
Together they reinforce a sense of what trumpeter Terence Blanchard calls a “quiet revolution,” a moment in jazz history when inventive
young players are shunning commercial success
and redefining the genre through such up-andcoming acts as Jason Moran, the Bad Plus, Will
Bernard, the daK AH Hip Hop Orchestra and
Esperanza Spalding, among others. Daring Norwegian keyboardist and electronic musician
Bugge Wesseltoft’s transformation of a grand
piano into a percussive juggernaut is a wildly
persuasive statement unto itself, and alone worth
the price of admission. Meet the new icons.
—Greg Cahill
Directors Michael Rivoira, Lars Larson, Peter J.
Vogt Producer John W. Comerford Screenwriters
Michael Rivoira, Kristian Hill, Peter J. Vogt
Cinematographer Lars Larson Editor Kristian Hill
Print Source Paradigm Studio
IMBUED
US C I N E M A
Donatello is a complex man who bets money he
does not possess on horses, sports teams and
just about anything else he cannot attain. In a
finely crafted performance from veteran actor
Stacy Keach, what Donatello isn’t betting on is
the strange and sudden appearance of Lydia (Liz
Sklar), a beautiful woman with an expensive
problem Don is convinced he can solve. Through
one long night together, emotions are laid bare,
settling and unsettling in the shadowy corners of
the San Francisco skyline. An elegant and evocative dialogue-driven battle of wits and the sexes,
the latest from writer-director Rob Nilsson (Frank
Dead Souls, MVFF 2008; Presque Isle, MVFF
2007) leads a slow, sensuous dance of desire in
a stripped-down narrative that winds its way
through the San Francisco underworld, where
the stakes are always too high, and finding and
securing your humanity may be the only sure bet.
World Premiere
—Karen Davis
Director Rob Nilsson Producers David and Carol
Richards Screenwriters Denny Dey, Rob Nilsson
Cinematographer Mickey Freeman Editors Aaron
Brown, Sam Arbizo Cast Stacy Keach, Liz Sklar,
Michelle Anton Allen, Nancy Bower Print Source
Citizen Cinema
US 2009 83 MINS
US 2009 97 MINS
Sunday, October 11, 4:00 pm
ICON11S, Sequoia
Thursday, October 15, 6:30 pm
ICON15R, Rafael
Saturday, October 10, 9:00 pm
IMBU10R, Rafael
Sunday, October 11, 9:00 pm
IMBU11R, Rafael
JERMAL
WO R LD C I N E MA
With no one to turn to and nowhere to go after
his mother’s death, 12-year-old Jaya sails out to a
deep-sea fishing depot (known as a jermal) to
find his long-lost father. Dad has his hands full
managing the isolated way station and a crew of
ragamuffin workers; bonding with a child he
abandoned years earlier is the last thing on his
mind. But the older man harbors a dark secret
that keeps him from returning his stowaway. Jaya
must adapt to alpha-dog life aboard his new
home, and his guardian must finally reconcile
with the past. Filled with lyrical, near-wordless
passages of laboring lost boys, this Indonesian
drama wrings plenty of hardscrabble pathos from
its poetic-realist mojo. It’s the familial relationship
at the center of the film, however, that sticks with
you: two lonely souls, slowly realizing that the
bonds of blood are indeed thicker than seawater.
US Premiere
—David Fear
Director Ravi Bharwani Producer Orlow Seunke
Screenwriter Rayya Makarim Cinematographer
Claire Pijman Editor Orlow Seunke Cast Iqbal S.
Manurung, Didi Petet Print Source Ecco Films
Indonesia
INDONESIA 2008 88 MINS
Monday, October 12, 7:15 pm
JERM12R, Rafael
Friday, October 16, 8:15 pm
JERM16R, Rafael
P R ES EN T ED I N AS SOC I AT I O N W I T H T H E
C EN T ER F O R AS I A N A M ER I CA N C I N E M A .
S P O N SO R ED BY I N T I C K E T I N G .
P R ES EN T ED I N AS SO C I AT I O N W I T H S FJA Z Z .
For live concert information, see page 16.
36
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FILMS I-L
JIM THORPE, THE WORLD’S
GREATEST ATHLETE
VALLE Y O F TH E D OC S
He may not have been as fast as a speeding bullet or able to leap tall buildings, but Jim Thorpe
came real close. Considered the finest athlete of
the 20th century, he was a US Olympic multiple
gold medal winner as well as a star of professional football and baseball. But Jim Thorpe was
also an American Indian. At the peak of his fame,
Jim was still legally considered a “ward of the
state” and not a citizen. Tom Weidlinger’s superb
documentary—using old recordings, re-enactments, newsreels and animated photos—brings
Thorpe’s career alive with a warmth for its subject
that shines as bright as Jim’s crooked smile. In
this life story, too, is a tale of American racism
and how one man overcame prejudice through
sheer strength of personality. Weidlinger’s film
reacquaints us with Jim Thorpe, and lets us fall in
love with the story and the man.
—John Morrison
Director/Cinematographer/Editor Tom Weidlinger
Producers/Screenwriters Tom Weidlinger, Joseph
Bruchac Print Source Moira Productions
US 2009 86 MINS
Sunday, October 11, 1:15 pm
JIMT11S, Sequoia
Thursday, October 15, 5:15 pm
JIMT15S, Sequoia
THE LETTER FOR THE KING
LINOLEUM
(DE BRIEF VOOR DE KONING)
C H I LD R E N ’ S F I LM F E S T
In Dutch with English subtitles. One of the most
popular young-adult books in Dutch history
comes vividly to life in this riveting knights-onhorseback adventure set in a fictional medieval
world. Sixteen-year-old Tiuri has only one test to
complete before becoming a full-fledged knight:
Spend the night in the chapel, silent and steadfast, allowing no one through the door. But someone arrives, howling for help, and Tiuri falters. The
injured man convinces him that the safety of the
entire kingdom rests on delivering the letter he
thrusts into his hands. Suddenly Tiuri finds himself on a true knight’s errand, even before he’s
granted his shield and sword. Will he meet the
challenge? Determined to follow in the footsteps
of his namesake father, Tiuri the Brave, the young
man faces a dangerous journey marked by strange
encounters, sword-clanging battles and unexpected help from a beautiful princess, discovering courage he didn’t know he had. US Premiere
—Deanna Quinones
Director Pieter Verhoeff Producers Hans De Weers,
Reinout Oerlemans Screenwriters Maarten Lebens,
Pieter Verhoeff Cinematographer Jules van den
Steenhoven Editor Bart van den Broek Cast Yannick
van de Velde, Quinten Schram, Hanna Schwamborn,
Victor Reinier, Daan Schuurmans, Ronald Top Print
Source Eyeworks Egmond
WO R LD C I N E MA
This spellbinding tale of disconnected brothers
and the complicated women they love is fueled
by a captivating ensemble performance, vivid
family dynamics and candid conversations about
love and death. When married couple Menno
and Louise arrive from Italy to Menno’s boyhood
Netherlands home, they get bad news from Menno’s brother Tom: Their father has died. Along
with Tom’s girlfriend, Alice, the two couples settle into the gorgeous country home for funeral
planning and serious soul searching. Soon, lifelong tensions and personal demons permeate
the serene setting. In an illuminatingly focused
cinematic approach, filmmaker Marcel Visbeen’s
camera quietly captures the nuances of intense,
awkward family encounters filled with uncovered
secrets and unspoken words. The understated
style imbues the simplest of actions, even waiting in line for the bathroom, with unforgettable
emotional significance. An intelligent, reflective
character study centered on real people in real
situations, Linoleum is a passionate, profound
drama for grownups. North American Premiere
—Brendan Peterson
Director/Producer/Editor Marcel Visbeen
Screenwriters Anke Boerstra, Marcel Visbeen
Cinematographer Mick van Rossum Cast Anke
Engels, Ricky Koole, Romijn Conen, Martijn Nieuwerf
Print Source Selwyn Film
NETHERLANDS 2008 108 MINS
S P O N SO R ED BY B E L L A M S E L F -STO R AG E
& BOXES .
P R ES EN T ED I N AS SO C I AT I O N W I T H M A R I N
A M ER I CA N I N D I A N A L L I A N C E .
Sunday, October 11, 12:30 pm
LETT11R, Rafael
Saturday, October 17, 10:30 am
LETT17S, Sequoia
NETHERLANDS 2008 75 MINS
Monday, October 12, 7:00 pm
LIN12R, Rafael
Wednesday, October 14, 7:15 pm
LIN14R, Rafael
37
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LOOKING FOR ERIC
THE MAID
MEREDITH MONK – INNER VOICE
(LA NANA)
WO R LD C I N E MA
CLOSING NIGHT • FOCUS: UNITED KINGDOM • Acclaimed director Ken Loach (Land and
Freedom, MVFF 1995) and screenwriter/longtime collaborator Paul Laverty are in top form
with this socially aware romantic comedy, a pulsating, life-affirming nod to the possibility of second chances. Postman Eric Bishop has hit a true
low: His two lazy stepsons ignore him, his second marriage is in ruins, a car accident lands him
in the hospital—and that’s just the start of his
troubles. The lovelorn Eric, meanwhile, pines for
former wife Lily but lacks the confidence to
reconnect. While his mates contrive to help him
out, often to hilarious effect, the person who
finally comes through for him is another Eric:
soccer icon Eric Cantona, who appears rather
unexpectedly in Bishop’s bedroom, offering sage
advice on life and love. Great teamwork from
an excellent ensemble cast helps turn the whimsy,
drama and even violence in this astutely malecentered tale into a world-class win. US Premiere
—Lily Buchanan
Director Ken Loach Producer Rebecca O’Brien
Screenwriter Paul Laverty Cinematographer Barry
Ackroyd Editor Jonathan Morris Cast Steve Evets,
Stephanie Bishop, Gerard Kearns, John Henshaw
Print Source IFC First Take
WOR LD C I N E MA
In the 23 years Raquel has been the maid for Pilar
and her upper-class Chilean family, she’s developed some odd habits and even odder attachments. Fiercely territorial, she resents the introduction of new help and, even when exhausted
from overwork, still finds a way to lock the new
maid out of the house. A class comedy, a chamber play and a story of personal growth, this wonderful grand jury prize–winner at Sundance is as
wry as it is surprising. A look at the Upstairs,
Downstairs dynamic, the soft jabs at liberal guilt
and conservative disinterest are a hoot, but funnier still are the childish antics Raquel employs to
get her way. When a free-spirited girl from the
country comes to help Raquel after a fall, her creative problem-solving and open-heartedness
change Raquel’s attitude and make it clear: She’s
given so much to the family and kept so little for
herself.
—Sara Schieron
Director Sebastian Silva Producer Gregorio
González Screenwriters Sebastian Silva, Pedro
Peirano Cinematographer Sergio Armstrong Editor
Danielle Fillios Cast Catalina Saavedra, Claudia
Celedón, Alejandro Goic, Andrea García-Huidobro
Print Source Elephant Eye Films
VALLE Y OF TH E D OC S
FOCUS: ARCHITECTS OF THE AVANT-GARDE
• One of the most original and important artists of
her generation, Meredith Monk has spent her life
creating and innovating—as singer, composer,
director, filmmaker, choreographer. In intimate
conversations and through archival footage,
director Babeth VanLoo braids together the
threads of Monk’s life exquisitely: her creative
process; her Buddhism; the untimely death of
her life partner; her connection with friends, collaborators and her mother (Audrey Marsh, a
radio vocalist and pop singer). Each thread
informs Monk’s journey, and the connections
between creativity and spiritual practice resonate throughout. Excerpts from her four-decade
career—including Dolmen Music, her opera Atlas
and her film Ellis Island—remind us of the pioneer
she has always been: Her vocal works and choreography stretch the possibilities of the voice
and body, discover and play with timbre and
nuance and create unusual, compelling solo,
ensemble and theater works. VanLoo’s film gives
intriguing insight into a rare being.
—Zoë Elton
Director/Producer Babeth M. VanLoo
Cinematographer Brigit Hillenius Editor Chris
Teerink Print Source BOS
CHILE/MEXICO 2009 95 MINS
UK 2009 116 MINS
Sunday, October 18, 5:15 pm
LOOK18S, Sequoia $30
For Closing Night Party information, see page 13.
Sunday, October 11, 8:15 pm
MAID11S, Sequoia
Tuesday, October 13, 9:15 pm
MAID13R, Rafael
P R ES EN T ED I N AS SOC I AT I O N W I T H CA N A L
ALLIANCE.
NETHERLANDS/US 2009 82 MINS
Thursday, October 15, 6:45 pm
MERE15R, Rafael
Sunday, October 18, 1:00 pm
MERE18S, Sequoia
P R ES EN T ED I N AS SOC I AT I O N W I T H T H E
I N T ER N AT I O N A L B U D D H I ST F I L M F EST I VA L .
For information on the live event with Sarah Cahill
and John Sanborn, featuring a new work by Meredith
Monk, see page 19.
38
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F I L M S L- M
THE MESSENGER
US C I N E M A
At the US military’s Casualty Notification Office,
there is “no such thing as a satisfied customer.”
With that piece of glib advice—and one other:
“Never touch the next of kin”—Capt. Tony Stone
(played to high-strung perfection by Woody Harrelson) welcomes young co-worker Sgt. Will
Montgomery (Ben Foster, with echoes of a young
Robert Duvall) into the sad folds of American
history. Their mission: Deliver the death report,
along with a souvenir memorial flag, to the next of
kin of those killed in the course of duty. Stone is
bitter and possessed by demons from his past,
while still greater forces pull his gentler partner
toward a young war widow (a brilliantly subtle
Samantha Morton). Examining the complexity of
grief, pain and loss without manipulating the emotions, Oren Moverman’s The Messenger (winner
of the Silver Bear for Best Screenplay at the Berlin Film Festival) delivers its missive as gently as a
kiss, with a message like a punch in the gut.
—Karen Davis
Director Oren Moverman Producers Mark Gordon,
Lawrence Inglee, Zach Miller, Ben Goldhirsh
Screenwriters Oren Moverman, Alessandro Camon
Cinematographer Bobby Bukowski Editor Alex Hall
Cast Ben Foster, Woody Harrelson, Samantha
Morton, Jena Malone, Eamonn Walker Print Source
Oscilloscope Laboratories
US 2009 112 MINS
Thursday, October 15, 7:00 pm
TRIB15P, Rafael $75
W I T H S U P P O R T F RO M G R U B ER FA M I LY
F O U N DAT I O N .
For Tribute to Woody Harrelson information, see
page 11.
MINE
VALLE Y OF TH E D OC S
MIRACLE IN A BOX:
A PIANO REBORN
VALLE Y OF TH E D OC S
Forced to evacuate as Hurricane Katrina bore
down on New Orleans, many poorer residents
were faced with an agonizing dilemma: What to
do with their pets? The Super Dome wouldn’t
allow them; nor would motels. Reluctantly, pet
owners like Malvin and Jessie and Gloria were
obliged to leave their beloved Bandit and JJ (Jessie Junior) and Murphy Brown behind. When
owners were unable to return home, hundreds
of volunteers swooped in to save the tens of
thousands of trapped animals. The volunteers’
courage and self-sacrifice were honorable. But
how were they to reunite thousands of displaced
owners and their pets when so many were scattered across the country? And what if the pets’
adoptive owners proved unwilling to return them
to their original owners? At once heartbreaking
and hopeful, Mine explores this thorny and highly
emotional issue, evoking the persistent struggle
of Katrina victims and their still-shattered city for
resolution.
—Joanne Parsont
The restoration of a Steinway becomes a lyrical
meditation on following the heart’s true passion
in this beautifully crafted documentary, the latest
from Academy Award–winning filmmaker John
Korty (Who Are the DeBolts? And Where Did
They Get Nineteen Kids?). A wonderful Bay Area
tale, the film traces the path of a 1927 grand piano
owned by a music teacher who bequeathed her
treasure to her alma mater, UC Berkeley, with the
stipulation that the university ultimately reward it
to “a worthy student of piano.” Before it can be
given away, however, it must be restored, and
here the essence of the story unfolds, as Korty
follows the piano’s rebirth under the masterful
care of Oakland’s venerable Callahan Piano Service. From the wire-wrangling technicians to the
winning student pianist, each contributor to the
instrument’s journey offers joyful inspiration.
—Deanna Quinones
Director Geralyn Pezanoski Producers Geralyn
Pezanoski, Erin Essenmacher Cinematographers
Jason Rhein, Arlo Rosner Editor Jen Bradwell Print
Source Smush Media
US 2009 57 MINS
US 2009 80 MINS
Saturday, October 17, 5:00 pm
MINE17S, Sequoia
Sunday, October 18, 12:30 pm
MINE18R, Rafael
S P O N SO R ED BY KGO N E WSTA L K 810.
P R ES EN T ED I N AS SOC I AT I O N W I T H T H E M I LO
F O U N DAT I O N A N D M A R I N H U M A N E SOC I E T Y.
Filmmaker John Korty Editor Jim Oliver Print
Source Korty Films
PRECEDED BY
SHADOW & LIGHT: THE LIFE AND ART
OF ELAINE BADGLEY ARNOUX
Filmmaker William Farley paints a vivid portrait of
the acclaimed San Francisco artist and teacher as
she discovers her youth in old age.
Director William Farley
US 2009 28 MINS
TOTAL PROGRAM 85 MINS
Saturday, October 10, 3:00 pm
MIRA10R, Rafael
Saturday, October 17, 2:30 pm
MIRA17S, Sequoia
39
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THE MISSING PERSON
US C I N E M A
THE MOST DANGEROUS MAN
IN AMERICA: DANIEL ELLSBERG
AND THE PENTAGON PAPERS
VALLE Y OF TH E D OC S
MOTHERHOOD
US C I N E MA
Hard-drinking private investigator John Rosow
goes searching for “the place beyond right and
wrong” in this moody, post-9/11 indie film noir.
Rosow’s adventure starts conventionally enough:
a client’s beautiful secretary is the early-morning envoy for a well-funded, no-questions-asked
surveillance job. But as the PI hits the road for
noir capital Los Angeles, he predictably begins
to suspect something strange about the assignment. After navigating a seedy collection of genre
characters (kidnappers, Mexican drug lords, dirty
cops, duplicitous molls), Rosow finds the 2001
terrorist attack on the World Trade Center—and
a tragedy of his own—at the heart of the mystery.
Director Noah Buschel favors deep shadows
and static camerawork, but is confident enough
to inject the occasional Technicolor dream
sequence that soaks the film with a gritty eeriness. The uncanny tone and twisty plot ensures
that, regardless of who is found and what is
discovered to have been lost, one question will
remain: who exactly is the missing person?
—Aaron Lazenby
If it weren’t true, Daniel Ellsberg’s journey from
US Marine to upper-echelon Defense Department and Rand Corporation analyst to Vietnam
War whistleblower would be the stuff of heroic
fiction. His defining act—leaking the government’s
classified history of the conflict in Southeast
Asia, popularly known as the Pentagon Papers,
to the press—remains a landmark in the annals of
personal conscience, national security and press
freedom. Masterfully weaving new interviews
with Ellsberg and other key figures with fascinating, sometimes shocking archival material,
veteran documentarians Judith Ehrlich and Rick
Goldsmith craft a political thriller on a par with All
the President’s Men, while implicitly contrasting
the principled stand taken by Ellsberg and newspapers in 1971 with the media’s shameful performance in the run-up to 2003’s Iraq invasion.
Reclaiming Ellsberg’s story for our own day, this
inspiring film reminds us how democracy relies
on our potentially “dangerous” men and women
both in and out of government.
—Michael Fox
Director/Screenwriter Noah Buschel Producers
Jesse Scolaro, Allen Bain Cinematographer
Ryan Samul Editor Mollie Goldstein Cast Michael
Shannon, Frank Wood, Amy Ryan, Linda Emond,
John Ventimiglia, Margaret Colin Print Source
Strand Releasing
Directors/Producers Judith Ehrlich, Rick Goldsmith
Cinematographers/Screenwriters Judith Ehrlich,
Rick Goldsmith, Lawrence Lerew, Vicente Franco
Editor Michael Chandler Print Source Kovno
Communications
Director/Screenwriter Katherine Dieckmann
Producers Jana Edelbaum, Rachel Cohen, Pamela
Kuffler, Christine Vachon Cinematographer Nancy
Schreiber Editor Michael R. Miller Cast Uma
Thurman, Anthony Edwards, Minnie Driver Print
Source iDeal Partners Film Fund
US 2009 94 MINS
US 2009 90 MINS
Saturday, October 17, 6:45 pm
MOST17R, Rafael
Sunday, October 18, 3:15 pm
MOST18S, Sequoia
Saturday, October 10, 6:00 pm
TRIB10R, Rafael $30
Sunday, October 11, 6:30 pm
MOTH11S, Sequoia
US 2008 95 MINS
Thursday, October 15, 7:30 pm
MISS15S, Sequoia
Saturday, October 17, 5:30 pm
MISS17R, Rafael
S P O N SO R ED BY T H E N E W YO R K T I M ES .
S P O N SO R ED BY M A R I N M AG A ZI N E .
P R ES EN T ED I N AS SOC I AT I O N W I T H T H E
C EN T ER F O R I N V EST I G AT I V E R EP O R T I N G .
Ever had one of those days, only to realize they’ve
actually stacked up into years? Well . . . welcome
to Motherhood, where protagonist-mom and
one-time promising writer Eliza Welch (Uma
Thurman) is desperately trying to keep it together
over the course of a fateful “day in the life”—and
the devil, along with the knowing laughs, is in
the details. Astride a haywire conveyor belt of
domestic chores and hassles, Eliza must carry off
her six-year-old’s Manhattan birthday party and
somehow also meet a major writing deadline—all
while setting a new career course, herding the
toddler and–why not?–flirting with a handsome
young messenger. Backed by fine supporting
work from Minnie Driver and Anthony Edwards,
an ever-luminous Thurman infuses Eliza with a
frazzled grace, beautifully channeling all the harried energy, pointed wit and pervasive real-world
charm in writer-director Katherine Dieckmann’s
hysterically spot-on vision of thoroughly modern
motherhood.
—Kristine Kolton
S P O N SO R ED BY C H R I STO P H ER B . A N D
J E A N N I E M EG S M I T H , A N D F R A N TO I O
R I STO R A N T E A N D O L I V E O I L C O.
For Tribute to Uma Thurman information,
see page 9.
40
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FILMS M-O
OH MY GOD
VALLE Y OF TH E D OC S
Frustrated watching religions battle each other
in the my-god-is-greater-than-your-god competition, award-winning filmmaker Peter Rodger
decided to go out into the world and ask a simple
question: What is God? The quest to discover
what this word means to individuals from every
walk of life became a three-year journey of epic
proportions across 23 countries. Talking to children, religious leaders, true believers, confirmed
skeptics and a smattering of celebrities from
Ringo Starr to Baz Luhrman, the answers Rodger
receives are often surprising. To highly rhythmic
editing and a musically diverse soundtrack, we
follow him around the world, absorbing beautiful
images of tribal rituals among Australian Aborigines, the warrior dances of the Masai, the young
monks of Ladakh and spiritual leaders of the Holy
Land. Oh My God is a film that begs to be seen on
the big screen for total immersion, ultimately producing an uplifting, thought-provoking, discussion-generating emotional experience.
—Kelly Clement
Director/Producer/Screenwriter/ Cinematographer
Peter Rodger Editor John Hoyt Print Source
Mitropoulos Films
ONE CRAZY RIDE
WOR LD C I N E MA
Motorcycle enthusiast and ebullient one-man film
crew Guarav Jani (Riding Solo to the Top of the
World, MVFF 2007) returns with his second onthe-road documentary. With a posse of daredevil
friends in tow and only a vague idea of the
uncharted terrain that lies ahead, Jani sets out—
atop his sturdy 50-year-old Royal Enfield 350cc—
across Arunachal Pradesh, India’s isolated, gorgeously wild Eastern region. In the shadow of
the Himalayas, it’s a borderland served by iffy
unpaved roads (hard on the group’s cycles,
which prove prone to breakdowns) and populated by tribes unused to outsiders (particularly
hog-riding ones). “The goal is to chart a route
which, according to most people, does not exist,”
Jani explains at the start, and this ambitious
enthusiasm colors One Crazy Ride’s free-form,
low-budget exploration of off-the-grid travel,
where the day’s adventures could include peering down at mountainside clouds or spontaneously attending a village wedding feast. US
Premiere
—Cheryl Eddy
Director/Producer/Cinematographer Jani Guarav
Print Source Dirt Track Productions
US 2009 98 MINS
INDIA 2009 87 MINS
Saturday, October 17, 3:00 pm
OHMY17R, Rafael
Sunday, October 18, 2:30 pm
OHMY18S, Sequoia
Friday, October 16, 8:45 pm
ONE16S, Sequoia
Sunday, October 18, 3:00 pm
ONE18R, Rafael
ORIGINAL
WO R LD C I N E MA
If there’s one thing Henry has learned, it’s that
reality is overrated. When his father dies bizarrely
in a moose-hunting accident, Henry’s mother
checks out of the real world for good. Ever a dutiful son, Henry indulges his mother’s fantasies by
spinning vibrant yarns about his successful life.
Jobless, loveless and plum out of luck, he joins
his culinarily-challenged buddy Jon on an adventure from Sweden to Spain, where they plan to
open a restaurant. But unexpected hurdles
abound. Mistaken identity, kidnapping, a chance
at true love and a hilarious romp through an IKEA
store are just of a few of the fanciful stops along
the way. Suffused with charm, magical realism
and whimsy, Original injects vivid color into
everyday black-and-white. Life is what you believe
it to be: We can go through the motions like
everyone else, but wouldn’t it be more fun to be
. . . original?
—Kristine Kolton
Directors/Screenwriters Antonio Tublén,
Alexander Brøndsted Producer Carsten Holst
Cinematographer Linus Eklund Editor Bodil
Kjærhauge Cast Jesper Christensen, Tuva Novotny,
Ghita Nørby, Dejan Cukic Print Source Danish Film
Institute
DENMARK 2008 100 MINS
Friday, October 9, 8:45 pm
ORIG09R, Rafael
Saturday, October 10, 6:15 pm
ORIG10R, Rafael
S P O N SO R ED BY SC H E Y ER S F.
P R ES EN T ED I N AS SOC I AT I O N W I T H T H E
ROYA L DA N I S H C O N S U L AT E .
41
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PASSENGERS
US C I N E M A
FOCUS: AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND •
What lurks beneath the surface of a seemingly
happy relationship? That’s the searing question
posed by this intimate, nuanced drama in which
Tom and Melony, a married couple living in Santa
Monica, set out for a dinner party in Hollywood.
No ordinary drive, a series of obstacles prevents
them from arriving on time as they embark on a
life-changing conversation, peeling back the layers of life together to reveal the resentment, jealousy, tension and sadness behind the veneer of
contentment. The unfolding story grips us with
the realization that this ride may just be the end
of the road for the couple. With complex and
winning performances from leads Cameron
Daddo and Angie Milliken, and Bruce Davison as
Tom’s writing partner Roger, Passengers is a
strikingly realistic look at the bonds, sometimes
tenuous and other times strong, that connect us
to those we love. World Premiere
—Nora Isaacs
Director/Screenwriter Michael Bond Producer
Cameron Daddo Cinematographer László Baranyai
Editor Drew Thompson Cast Cameron Daddo,
Angie Milliken, Bruce Davison, Patty Yu Print Source
Bondfilm
US/AUSTRALIA 2008 86 MINS
Saturday, October 10, 6:30 pm
PASS10R, Rafael
Tuesday, October 13, 9:15 pm
PASS13S, Sequoia
PIERROT LE FOU
WOR LD C I N E MA
FOCUS: FRANCE • “On your feet, dead man!”
calls Marianne Renoir (the stunning Anna Karina)
sweetly to her sacked-out lover: fleeing bourgeois family man Ferdinand Griffon (Jean-Paul
Belmondo), aka Pierrot. His nickname for her?
“Virginia,” his unexplored territory, his New World.
But so many names are in play in Jean-Luc
Godard’s highly playful, formally brilliant and still
startling 1965 masterpiece. Real-life superstar
Belmondo becomes his character’s own last
name, the hero as hunter or lapdog. Marianne’s
surname, meanwhile, marries painting and cinema together in a film that reinvents painting as
cinema, cinema as painting. Add fireworks in a
night sky turning cinematic cliché into Impressionist brushstrokes, then into antiaircraft fire
(underscored with bursting storm clouds), and
you get a tiny fraction of the eye-popping tricolor
landscape, the aurally and verbally dense terrain,
the explosive political ground, the ecstatic aesthetic frontier into which these inexorable rebellovers escape and evaporate. More serious fun is
rarely had with or at the cinema.
—Robert Avila
Director Jean-Luc Godard Producer Georges de
Beauregard Screenwriter Jean-Luc Godard, novel
by Lionel White Cinematographer Raoul Coutard
Editor Françoise Collin Cast Jean-Paul Belmondo,
Anna Karina, Graziella Galvani Print Source Janus
Films
PRECIOUS: BASED ON THE NOVEL
“PUSH” BY SAPPHIRE
US C I N E MA
OPENING NIGHT • Meet Claireece “Precious”
Jones (Gabourey Sidibe). An illiterate high school
student, pregnant by her father for the second
time and subject to relentless abuse at home,
she’s always “looking up…for a piano to fall.”
Only the beauty of her resilience tempers the
unsettling nature of her harsh existence as her
fantasies and aspirations come alive in whimsical
vignettes. But life at school is chaos: Threatened
with expulsion, she transfers to an alternative
school where, under the tutelage of Ms. Rain
(beautifully rendered by Paula Patton), she finds
the strength within herself to determine her own
destiny and “tell her story.” Director Lee Daniels
proves himself a bold voice in contemporary cinema, tackling tough material with uplifting consciousness and insight. And with its riveting
cast—newcomer Sidibe’s extraordinary performance complemented with passionate commitment by Patton, Mo’Nique as her mother and a
glammed-down Mariah Carey—Precious promises to be one of this year’s defining films.
—Holly Roach
Director Lee Daniels Producers Lee Daniels, Sarah
Siegel-Magness, Gary Magness Screenwriter
Geoffrey Fletcher Cinematographer Andrew Dunn
Editor Joe Klotz Cast Mo’Nique, Paula Patton,
Mariah Carey, Sherri Shepherd, Lenny Kravitz,
Gabourey ‘Gabby’ Sidibe Print Source Lionsgate
US 2008 109 MINS
FRANCE/ITALY 110 MINS
Tuesday, October 13, 6:00 pm
PIER13R, Rafael
Thursday, October 8, 7:00 pm
PREC08R, Rafael $30
S P O N SO R ED BY W E L L S FA RGO.
For Opening Night Gala information, see page 7.
42
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F I L M S P- R
THE PRIVATE LIVES OF PIPPA LEE
US C I N E M A
In an Oscar-caliber performance, Robin Wright
Penn is a woman in her late 40s struggling to suppress her rocky past amid a newly tranquil present in this thoughtful fourth feature from Rebecca
Miller (The Ballad of Jack and Rose ). Newly
transplanted to a Connecticut retirement community with her aged husband (a deeply amusing Alan Arkin), Pippa looks ready to fade into the
wallpaper. An adaptable enigma, as one dinner
guest describes her, one wonders what lingers
under that tranquil surface. Turns out a hell of a
lot. Snowballing coincidences and an arousing
newcomer (Keanu Reeves) bring the past back
with a vengeance, including her unstable pill-popping mother (Maria Bello), the sex- and drug-laden
years she can barely recall and the feeling that,
deep down, she’s just a fuck-up. Among a truly
stellar cast, Wright Penn’s gritty and nuanced
turn as the ever-shifting Pippa is unforgettable,
while Blake Lively’s teenage Pippa confirms she’s
one of Hollywood’s rising stars.
—Alexis Whitham
Director/Screenwriter Rebecca Miller Producers
Lemore Syvan, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner
Cinematographer Declan Quinn Editor Sabine
Hoffman Cast Robin Wright Penn, Mike Binder, Alan
Arkin, Winona Ryder, Maria Bello, Keanu Reeves,
Blake Lively, Julianne Moore Print Source Screen
Media Films
US 2009 93 MINS
Sunday, October 11, 5:45 pm
PRIV11R, Rafael
Monday, October 12, 7:00 pm
PRIV12S, Sequoia
S P O N SO R ED BY M A RO E V I C H , O’S H E A &
C OG H L A N .
PROJECT HAPPINESS
VALLE Y OF TH E D OC S
What is happiness? Searching for the answer to
this simple but profound question unites Mount
Madonna School seniors in California with their
counterparts in Jos, Nigeria, and Dharamsala,
India, in an extraordinary initiative called Project Happiness. A group of innovative teachers
develop a curriculum on the nature of lasting happiness, and their bright and promising students
do the rest. Their core text, the Dalai Lama’s Ethics for the New Millennium, introduces notions
of happiness—inducing service, compassion and
empathy, especially towards our enemies. On
their fascinatingly ambitious quest, the students
question filmmaker George Lucas, neurobiologist Richard Davidson and actor Richard Gere in
the run-up to their final project, a private interview
with the Dalai Lama himself. John Sorensen’s
moving, transformative film revels in the courage
and authenticity these young people manifest in
facing their own challenges and loss. Struggling
with the responsibility of choosing to be happy,
they find their own answers—and help us find
ours. World Premiere
—Carol Harada
Director/Producer John Sorensen
Cinematographers David Goulding, John Sorensen
Editor Andrew Fetchko Print Source Project
Happiness
RACE TO NOWHERE
VALLE Y OF TH E D OC S
Director Vicki Abeles makes the personal political—and starts a crucial national conversation—in
this groundbreaking exposé of the pressure to
succeed exerted on American schoolchildren.
Disturbed by the difficulties her own three bright,
engaged and eloquent children are having with
school, Abeles investigates, camera in hand. She
discovers each (including her youngest, a fourth
grader) “works harder . . . and is certainly more
stressed than I was in law school.” What starts as
a private matter widens into a cogent examination
of systemic pressures faced by youth amid dropping test scores, a shrinking global economy and
increasingly unrealistic expectations set by parents, universities, school districts and society at
large. The demands have crushing, widespread
consequences: Cheating has become commonplace, stress-related illness is rampant and teenage suicide has grown significantly for the first
time in decades. Through incisive, heartbreaking
interviews with schoolchildren, teachers, parents and sociologists, Abeles points to the silent
epidemic running rampant in our schools as well
as a cure. World Premiere
—Ilya Tovbis
Director/Producer Vicki Abeles Screenwriters
Maimone Attia, Jessica Congdon Cinematographer
Maimone Attia Editor Jessica Congdon Print Source
Reel Link Films
US 2009 87 MINS
Saturday, October 17, 3:00 pm
PROJ17T, 142 Throckmorton
Sunday, October 18, 5:00 pm
PROJ18R, Rafael
S P O N SO R E D BY LU C AS F I L M LT D. A N D
SA N DO M EN I C O SC H OO L .
US 2009 83 MINS
Saturday, October 10, 3:30 pm
RACE10S, Sequoia
Sunday, October 18, 5:45 pm
RACE18R, Rafael
S P O N SO R ED BY M A R I N I N D EP EN D EN T
JOURNAL.
43
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REACH FOR ME
RED CLIFF
THE RED MACHINE
(CHI BI: JUEZHAN TIANXIA)
US C I N E M A
WOR LD C I N E MA
Dying is hell, at least for Alvin, a terminally ill widower confined to his hospice bed with nothing to
chew on but bitter memories. The wonderfully irascible Alvin, unforgettably portrayed by the great
Seymour Cassel, correspondingly makes life hell
for everyone else around him, as renowned actorturned-director LeVar Burton explores the ageold quandary of how we greet our final days—and
who will be there with us at the end. A stirring,
life-affirming drama, the excellent ensemble cast
includes Alfre Woodard (MVFF 2008 Tributee),
Adrienne Barbeau, Johnny Whitworth and Lacey
Chabert in beautifully crafted performances
refreshingly free of false sentimentality. The world
observed from his hospice bed provides the final
proving ground where Alvin learns to make the
most of the time he has, and discover the love he
never knew was so close at hand.
—Jeff Campbell
Acclaimed action director John Woo delivers a
jaw-dropping epic based upon a legendary historical battle at the end of the Han Dynasty. In his
quest to control all China, ruthless Prime Minister
Cao Cao declares war on two neighboring kingdoms, whose only hope for survival lies in their
ability to ally as a single force. Cao Cao pursues
these renegade leaders and their cadre of loyal
men to a showdown at Red Cliff, stronghold of the
tranquil Southlands. The severely out-numbered
allies must rely upon deft strategic planning to
survive, employing ingenious battle tactics that
make the Trojan horse look like child’s play. Full of
arresting combat sequences and Woo’s famously
fluid fight choreography, as well as penetrating
performances by mega-watt stars Tony Leung,
Chiu Wai and Takeshi Kaneshiro, Red Cliff is an
unforgettable big screen experience.
—Laurie Koh
Director LeVar Burton Producers Charlene BlaineSchulenburg, Susan R. Rodgers, Mark Wolfe
Screenwriter Michael B. Adams Cinematographer
Kris Krosskove Editor Avril Beukes Cast Seymour
Cassel, Johnny Whitworth, Lacey Chabert, Adrienne
Barbeau, Larry Hankin, Alfre Woodard Print Source
AMediaVision Productions
Director John Woo Producers John Woo, Terence
Chang Screenwriters John Woo, Khan Chan, Kuo
Cheng, Sheng Heyu Cinematographers Lu Yue,
Zhang Li Editors Daniel Wu, Angie Lam, Yang
Hongyu Cast Lin Chi-Ling, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Tony
Leung, Zhang Fengyi, Chang Chen, Vicki Zhao, Hu
Jun Print Source Magnolia Pictures
US 2009 90 MINS
HONG KONG 2009 148 MINS
Thursday, October 15, 4:30 pm
REAC15R, Rafael
Saturday, October 17, 7:15 pm
REAC17S, Sequoia
Friday, October 16, 9:30 pm
REDC16R, Rafael
S P O N SO R E D BY J O I E D E V I V R E
H O S P I TA L I T Y.
P R ES EN T ED I N AS SOC I AT I O N W I T H T H E
C EN T ER F O R AS I A N A M ER I CA N M ED I A .
US C I N E MA
Washington, DC, 1935: At the height of the
Great Depression, hotheaded Eddie Doyle
(Donal Thoms-Cappello), an ace safecracker, is
just doing what he does best: stealing. Now facing prison, Eddie finds he’s got an option after all.
Enter Lt. F. Ellis Coburn (Lee Perkins), a coolas-ice Navy man with a problem only Eddie can
solve. The Japanese Foreign Office has changed
its encryption codes, and the government isn’t
too happy. A prominent Japanese diplomat holds
the key to his country’s secrets in the form of a
mysterious red machine. As Eddie and Coburn
work together to pull off the heist of a lifetime,
they find more to the job than they bargained for
as things get personal. Full of crackling dialogue,
eye-catching visuals and unpredictable twists,
director Stephanie Argy’s (Gandhi at the Bat,
MVFF 2006) The Red Machine is a charming
throwback to the great espionage capers of the
1930s. World Premiere
—Kristine Kolton
Directors/Screenwriters Stephanie Argy, Alec
Boehm Producers Stephanie Argy, Alec Boehm,
Ken Cortland Cinematographer Alec Boehm Editor
Pansy Heritage Cast Lee Perkins, Donal TomsCappello, Meg Brogan, Maureen Byrnes, Eddie Lee,
Madoka Kasahara Print Source Mental Slapstick
LLC
US 2009 84 MINS
Sunday, October 11, 3:45 pm
REDM11R, Rafael
Monday, October 12, 4:30 pm
REDM12R, Rafael
For information on Insight: The Cassel Touch, Seymour Cassel in conversation with Rob Nilsson, see
page 19.
44
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F I L M S R- R
RICKY
WO R LD C I N E MA
FOCUS: FRANCE • Inspired by a Rose Tremain
story, audacious French filmmaker François Ozon
(Swimming Pool) blends gritty realism with outright fantasy in a surprising tale that suggests a
surreal merger of Dardenne and Disney. Single
mother Katie (Alexandra Lamy) lives in a French
housing project with seven-year-old daughter
Lisa (Mélusine Mayance) and works at a dreary
factory job. Things change when she meets coworker Paco (Sergi López); they embark on a
hungry, passionate affair and produce a love
child. Things also change for Lisa, with Paco and
little Ricky (Arthur Peyret) moving in and the adorable infant getting all the attention. When Katie
notices bruises on her baby’s back, she fears
the worst—until she realizes Ricky is sprouting
wings. Its flights of whimsy tempered by incisive
social observation and dark humor make Ricky a
balancing act well served by its cast, especially
Mayance as the solemn moppet, mature beyond
her years. US Premiere
—Richard Peterson
Director François Ozon Producers Claudie Ossard,
Chris Bolzli Screenwriter Clémentine Schaeffer
Cinematographer Jeanne Lapoirie Editor Muriel
Breton Cast Alexandra Lamy, Sergi Lopez, Mélusine
Mayance, Arthur Peyret Print Source IFC First Take
RICKY RAPPER
ROOM AND A HALF
(RISTO RÄPPÄÄJÄ)
(POLTORY KOMNATY)
C H I LD R E N ’ S F I LM F E S T
In Finnish with English subtitles. For 10-year-old
Ricky, drumming is the most important thing
in the world; for Aunt Serena, it’s Lennart, the
downstairs tenant. He makes her heart thump like
a drum solo. But when she asks Ricky to deliver
an anonymous love letter to Lennart, it accidentally reaches the hands of new 10-year-old neighbor, Nelly, instead, turning Ricky’s life upsidedown. Based on the popular Finnish children’s
books by Sinikka and Tiina Nopola (who also
penned the screenplay), Ricky Rapper pulses
with all the stumblings, misunderstandings,
embarrassment and dramatic crushes of the best
preteen romances. Shot through with crayon colors and cartoon-like scenarios in the spirit of the
great children’s films of the ‘50s and ‘60s, this
family treat builds charmingly to a grand finale,
as Ricky asserts his right to his own music in a
dance-floor rap duel—in Finnish!
—John Morrison
Director Mari Rantasila Producers Lasse Saarinen,
Risto Salomaa Screenwriters Sinikka Nopola, Tiina
Nopola Cinematographer Timo Heinänen Editor
Tuuli Kuittinen Cast Niilo Sipilä, Mimmi Lounela,
Annu Valonen, Ulla Tapaninen, Martti Suosalo,
Ullariikka Koskela Print Source Kinotar
FINLAND 2008 78 MINS
FRANCE 2008 90 MINS
PRECEDED BY
Friday, October 9, 9:15 pm
RICY09S, Sequoia
Sunday, October 11, 3:30 pm
RICY11S, Sequoia
LOVE CHILD (KÄRLEKSBARN)
The addition of a cat to a household would presumably make any little girl happy, but when her parents
treat the cat like their own child, the situation calls
for some drastic action.
Director Daniel Wirtberg
SWEDEN 2009 7 MINS
TOTAL PROGRAM 85 MINS
Saturday, October 10, 1:30 pm
RICR10S, Sequoia
Saturday, October 17, 1:00 pm
RICR17R, Rafael
j_Ya[ji.--$.-*$,.))
WO R LD C I N E MA
FOCUS: NEW RUSSIAN CINEMA • The memoirs of anyone living in the USSR from the 1940s
to the 1970s would make for fascinating viewing,
but when the reminiscences are Joseph Brodsky’s, the result takes on a trenchant lyricism,
careening from the jubilantly triumphant to the
profoundly melancholic. Using the Nobel Prizewinning poet’s biography as starting point, famed
Russian animator Andrey Khrzhanovsky offers a
richly imagined blend of fiction and fact, dazzlingly assembled from an array of animated,
archival and dramatic images. Reveling equally in
Brodsky’s poetry and life, the story winds from
recounting a charmed youth despite material
challenges—like comically cramped quarters
shared with doting parents—to imagining Brodsky’s proposed anonymous return from exile in
1972. Khrzhanovsky’s surrealistic overlaying of
Brodsky’s trial transcript with images of anthropomorphized animals, an airborne marching
orchestra and Russian soldiers gleefully destroying Culture is defiantly fitting: Brodsky was
always as much icon as man, and the tenderhearted egoist would have wanted nothing less.
—Ilya Tovbis
Director Andrey Khrzhanovsky Producers Andrey
Khrzhanovsky, Artem Vassiliev Screenwriters Yuri
Arabov, Andrey Khrzhanovsky Cinematographer
Vladimir Brylyakov Editors Igor Malachov, Vladimir
Grigorenko Cast Alisa Freindlich, Sergei Yurskiy,
Grigoriy Dityatkovskiy Print Source Seagull Films
RUSSIA 2008 130 MINS
Sunday, October 11, 6:00 pm
ROOM11R, Rafael
Monday, October 12, 4:00 pm
ROOM12R, Rafael
P R ES EN T ED I N AS SOC I AT I O N W I T H T H E
K R I T ZER / ROS S É M I G R É P ROG R A M O F T H E
J C C S F.
45
SAINT MISBEHAVIN’:
THE WAVY GRAVY MOVIE
VALLE Y O F TH E D OC S
If you thought Wavy Gravy was just a flavor of
ice cream, you’re in for an even bigger treat.
Michelle Esrick’s lively, loving portrait connects
many a culture-defining dot, opening onto whole
vistas around this gentle trickster and his times.
Known as Hugh Romney during days as a North
Beach beatnik and poet, one-time roomie of Bob
Dylan and far-out stand-up comedian-contemporary of Lenny Bruce, Wavy Gravy became more
than a nickname. As activist hippie, sublimely
good-natured master of ceremonies at Woodstock and determined antiwar protester—hobbled by repeated police beatings—Wavy came to
embody the enlightened fool, sacred clown and
deeply spiritual and social being in everything he
does. Esrick mixes interviews with the down-toearth Berkeley-based icon, and those nearest
and dearest, notably Jahanara Romney as well
as Bonnie Raitt and Larry Brilliant, with a treasure trove of vintage footage. No mere (albeit
delicious) nostalgia ride, Saint Misbehavin’
brings a much needed dose of the fool into the
present—in a life wholly committed to life, laughter and compassion for all earthlings.
—Robert Avila
Director Michelle Esrick Producers Michelle Esrick,
David Becker Cinematographer Daniel B. Gold
Editor Karen K.H. Sim Print Source Ripple Effect
Films
US 2008 81 MINS
Friday, October 9, 6:45 pm
SAIN09S, Sequoia
Tuesday, October 13, 7:00 pm
SAIN13R, Rafael
S P O N SO R ED BY K AT Z FA M I LY
F O U N DAT I O N .
P R ES EN T ED I N AS SO C I AT I O N W I T H T H E S E VA
F O U N DAT I O N .
46
SHAMELESS
SHYLOCK
(NESTYDA)
WOR LD C I N E MA
WO R LD C I N E MA
A devoted father, beloved husband and popular television weatherman, Oskar appears to be
enjoying the prime of his life. Then comes a bad
case of the seven-year itch, in this contemporary comedy by accomplished Czech director
Jan Hrebejk (Teddy Bear, MVFF 2008). Before
long, Oskar’s wife finds he’s having an affair with
their lusty au pair. But the young woman’s student life wears thin on Oskar, who soon waxes
nostalgic for the folk songs, and the much older
folk singer, that 20 years earlier helped usher in
the Velvet Revolution, Czechoslovakia’s peaceful bid to extricate itself from the yoke of Sovietled Communism. Not unlike that seminal historic
moment, Oskar seeks and achieves an unsettling
change in the colorful atmosphere of a muchchanged Prague, where timeless architecture
and archetypes nevertheless remain the same.
US Premiere
—Janis Plotkin
Stepping in and out of character, while trolling
around an elegant Dutch theater augmented by
life-sized video projections of a modern production of The Merchant of Venice, actor Cahit Ölmez
is decidedly “not just talking about plays and acting.” Addressing us, his audience, Ölmez excavates Tubal, a minor but freighted Shakespearean
creation, only his second Jewish character, and
the only friend of Merchant’s notorious Semitic
villain, Shylock. Tubal grants Ölmez fresh access
to Shylock, and the scars of the Elizabethan era’s
rampant anti-Semitism. And though Shakespeare
may never have known a Jew, Shylock’s tragic
dimension has given rise to an unsettling ambiguity that winds through centuries of theatrical history to this moment: a simmeringly astute, visually
provocative meta-theatrical enterprise seeking
nothing less than the chance to set Shylock free.
US Premiere
—Robert Avila
Director Jan Hrebejk Producers Rudolf Bierman,
Tomas Huffman Screenwriters Jan Hrebejk, Jiri
Machacek, Michal Viewegh Cast Jiri Machacek,
Pavel Liska, Simona Babcakova, Nina Diviskova
Print Source Menemsha Films
Director Michal Shabtay Producers René Goossens,
Annemiek van Gorp Screenwriters Gareth Armstrong,
Michal Shabtay Cinematographer/Editor Tarek
Kaszim Print Source Holland Film Promotion
NETHERLANDS 2008 68 MINS
CZECH REPUBLIC 2008 88 MINS
PRECEDED BY
Tuesday, October 13, 8:45 pm
SHAM13R, Rafael
Friday, October 16, 5:00 pm
SHAM16S, Sequoia
INGELORE
“My name is Ingelore Hertz Honigstein. I’m not angry
any more.” On the eve of Kristallnacht, a young deaf
German Jewish girl missed the bus before the 8:00
pm curfew, changing her life forever. Raised in uncaring foster homes, spit upon by peers and attacked by
Nazi soldiers, Ingelore’s unforgettable personal story
subtly, delicately guides us from the depths of indignity along the path to forgiveness.
Director Frank Stiefel
US 2009 40 MINS
TOTAL PROGRAM 108 MINS
Sunday, October 11, 1:15 pm
SHYL11R, Rafael
Friday, October 16, 4:00 pm
SHYL16S, Sequoia
P R ES EN T ED I N AS SOC I AT I O N W I T H T H E SA N
F R A N C I SC O J E W I S H F I L M F EST I VA L .
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FILMS S -S
SKIN
WO R LD C I N E M A
If Anthony Fabian’s gripping and extraordinary
feature debut were fiction, nobody would believe
it. But it really happened to Sandra Laing, a
dark-skinned girl born to white Afrikaner parents
in South Africa during the apartheid era. With the
fragile support of her family and a “white” birth
certificate, Sandra faces a strictly segregated
racist society that sees her as black—expelling her
from her all-white school and glaring at her when
she ignores the “whites only” signs. A Supreme
Court expert explains, to the gasps of spectators,
that “polygenic inheritance,” or “throwback,” is
plausible since most Afrikaners have black blood
in them. But this still leaves her trapped between
her increasingly conflicted and disturbed father
(Sam Neill) and the official color barrier, as Sandra—in an intense, deeply moving performance
by Sophie Okonedo (Hotel Rwanda; The Secret
Life of Bees, MVFF 2008)—literally experiences
the double consciousness of a tragically divided
nation.
—Frako Loden
Director Anthony Fabian Producers Anthony
Fabian, Margaret Matheson, Genevieve Hofmeyr
Screenwriters Helen Crawley, Jessie Keyt, Helena
Kriel Cinematographers Dewald Aukema, Jonathan
Partridge Editor St.John O’Rorke Cast Sophie
Okonedo, Sam Neill, Alice Krige Print Source Jour
de Fete Films
UK/SOUTH AFRICA 2008 107 MINS
Tuesday, October 13, 6:45 pm
SKIN13S, Sequoia
Sunday, October 18, 7:30 pm
SKIN18R, Rafael
S P O N SO R ED BY C B S 5 T V.
SORRY, THANKS
US C I N E M A
First rule to becoming a better person: Admit that
you are someone of highly compromised ideals.
Max (played to wry comedic perfection by Dazed
and Confused’s Wiley Wiggins) would like to
believe he’s a good guy, even when his actions,
or lack thereof, dictate otherwise. Kira, lost in a
sea of self-doubt after a bad breakup, would like
to believe in her inner idealist, too. After a onenight stand and a game of shadow puppets, Max
finds himself drawn to Kira, despite already being
in a long-term relationship. Kira hesitantly keeps
the flirtation alive, while juggling both a new
career and a burgeoning relationship with someone else. Setting the action in San Francisco’s
own vibrant Mission District, director Dia Sokol
(producer of indie faves Mutual Appreciation
and Nights and Weekends) and co-writer–producer Lauren Veloski offer up a terrifically smart,
hilariously dry and emotionally honest portrayal
of young lives in flux.
—Joshua Moore
Director Dia Sokol Producer Lauren Veloski
Screenwriters Dia Sokol, Lauren Veloski
Cinematographer Matthias Grunsky Editor
Jennifer Lilly Cast Wiley Wiggins, Kenya Miles,
Andrew Bujalski, Ia Hernandez, Donovan Baddley
Print Source Visit Films
US 2009 93 MINS
Sunday, October 11, 9:00 pm
SORR11S, Sequoia
Monday, October 12, 9:30 pm
SORR12R, Rafael
SOUNDTRACK FOR A
REVOLUTION
VALLE Y OF TH E D OC S
“You can cage the singer,” Harry Belafonte said,
“but not the song.” From the darkest days of
police brutality and assassination toward the
Promised Land the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King
spoke of, a litany of soul-stirring anthems sustained the Civil Rights Movement. Drawn from
the blues, gospel and folk traditions, beloved
songs like “Wade in the Water”,”We Shall Not
Be Moved” and “We Shall Overcome” consoled
and mobilized African Americans and their supporters. Backed by impassioned new studio performances by Wyclef Jean, Mary Mary, Richie
Havens, Angie Stone and others, this gripping
documentary relates the history of the movement
to a new generation. It’s an inspiring saga, brimming with courage and sacrifice, told with an
eye for the striking archival image and an ear for
the heart-lifting harmony. Consider, again, what
an extraordinary feat it was to carry a tune—and
the crusade for equal rights—from Montgomery
to Nashville, Selma to Birmingham, and finally to
Washington, DC.
—Michael Fox
Directors/Screenwriters Bill Guttentag, Dan
Sturman Producers Joslyn Barnes, Jim Czarnecki,
Bill Guttentag, Dylan Nelson, Dan Sturman
Cinematographers Buddy Squires, Jonathan Else,
Stephen Kazmierski Editor Jeffrey Doe Print Source
42 West
US 2009 82 MINS
Saturday, October 10, 7:00 pm
SOUN10S, Sequoia
Sunday, October 18, 2:45 pm
SOUN18R, Rafael
S P O N SO R ED BY L RG CA P I TA L G RO U P.
For live concert information, see page 16.
47
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SPARROW
STALIN THOUGHT OF YOU
STELLA AND THE STAR OF THE ORIENT
(MAN JEUK)
(STALIN VSPOMNIL O VAS)
(STELLA UND DER STERN DES ORIENTS)
WO R LD C I N E MA
Most people know Hong Kong’s last-auteurstanding, Johnnie To, as the man responsible for
Asia’s coolest tough-guy thrillers of the past 10
years. The last thing you’d expect from the director of Triad Election is a breezy ode to French
cinema and American musicals, but that’s exactly
what the master has delivered: A woozy, lovelorn
tale of professional pickpockets (led by To regular Simon Yam) who get collectively suckered by
a comely con artist ( Kelly Lin). Then the gang
finds out she’s in Dutch with a local mobster, and
their honor-among-thieves code kicks into high
gear. There may not be the usual bullets flying
and bodies dropping, but several did-he-justdo-that sequences—from a chase scene staged
in a crowded elevator (!) to the greatest screen
pickpocket-athon ever—rank as some of the most
hyperkinetic work this action-film figurehead has
concocted. You could picture Vincente Minnelli
and Jean-Pierre Melville high-fiving each other
over this while drinking glasses of Pernod.
—David Fear
Director/Producer Johnnie To Screenwriters Kin
Chung Chan, Chi Keung Fung Cinematographer
Cheng Siu-Keung Editor David Richardson Cast
Simon Yam, Kelly Lin, Lam Ka-tung, Lo Hoi-pang, Law
Wing-cheong, Kenneth Cheung Print Source Tai
Seng Entertainment
HONG KONG 2008 87 MINS
Monday, October 12, 9:30 pm
SPAR12S, Sequoia
P R ES EN T ED I N AS SO C I AT I O N W I T H T H E
C EN T ER F O R AS I A N A M ER I CA N M ED I A .
VALLE Y OF TH E D OC S
FOCUS: NEW RUSSIAN CINEMA • As a spry
centenarian, Russian cartoonist Boris Efimov
(who died last year at 109) had lived under, and
in sometimes frightening proximity to, three consecutive nexuses of power as his country wound
through Czarist, Soviet and federal rule. His
reluctant connection with the state-sponsored
media that employed him to lampoon political
targets, including dubiously nominated “enemies
of the people,” took its cruelest turn after Stalin ordered the execution of his beloved brother
Mikhail Koltsov, inspiration for Karkov in Hemingway’s For Whom the Bell Tolls. Effectively blacklisted afterward as the relative of a dissident,
Efimov was nonetheless spared the Gulags and
eventually—through complicated machinations
also likely guided by Stalin, who was a great fan of
his work—reinstated as Pravda’s top cartoonist.
Kevin McNeer’s utterly absorbing peek behind
the Red Curtain investigates this complex relationship between Russia’s greatest political cartoonist and the dreaded dictator who earned his
tremulous but abiding respect.
—Ilya Tovbis
Director/Screenwriter/Editor Kevin McNeer
Producer Bart Kuyper Cinematographers Sergei
Polikov, Alisher Khamidkhodzheav Print Source
Oblomov Films
RUSSIA/NETHERLANDS/US 2009 100 MINS
Saturday, October 10, 1:15 pm
STAL10R, Rafael
Friday, October 16, 6:00 pm
STAL16R, Rafael
P R ES EN T ED I N AS SOC I AT I O N W I T H T H E
K R I T ZER / ROS S É M I G R É P ROG R A M O F T H E
J C C S F.
C H I LD R E N ’ S F I LM F E S T
In German with English subtitles. Smart, cool
10-year-old Stella—descended from a line of
independent, successful women like great-grandmother Clementine—plans to be an astronaut. A
mysterious moment in the family attic, however,
charts her a new course when she finds herself
transported through time, exactly 100 years in
the past and right into the bedroom of another
spirited 10-year-old: Clementine herself! The
girls team up, along with Clementine’s brother,
Gustav, to find a hidden treasure and save the
family from financial ruin. A thrilling adventure
that unfolds in a dazzlingly snowy German forest,
this is both a heart-racing escapade and a heartwarming embrace of friendship and family’s
priceless value. Winner of the Chicago International Children’s Film Festival’s Best of the Fest
Award.
Director Erna Schmidt Producer Ingelore König
Screenwriter Martin Dolejs Cinematographer
Andreas Höfer Editor Karola Mittelstädt Cast Laura
Berschuk, Hanna Schwamborn, Julius Römer, Uwe
Kokisch, Edda Leesch Print Source Kinderfilm GmbH
GERMANY 2007 87 MINS
PRECEDED BY
DRAGONFLIES, THE BABY CRIES
Mystery swirls in the thick of the forest when a
big sister, left in charge of the baby, sneaks off
to brew up some mischief.
—Deanna Quinones
Director/Screenwriter/Editor Jane Gillooly
Producer Ken Winokur Cinematographer Vilma
Gregoropoulos Print Source Jane Gillooly
US 2005 10 MINS
TOTAL PROGRAM 97 MINS
Sunday, October 11, 10:30 am
STEL11S, Sequoia
Sunday, October 18, 12:00 pm
STEL18R, Rafael
48
S P O N SO R ED BY B E L L A M S E L F -STO R AG E
& BOXES .
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FILMS S -S
STORM
WO R LD C I N E MA
Accomplished, confident and distinctly feminine Hannah Maynard, played by a commanding Kerry Fox (Friends, MVFF 1993; Fanny and
Elvis, MVFF 1999), is a prosecuting attorney on
a mission for the truth, but the road to justice is
full of detours in this smart, fast-paced political
thriller. Assigned a high-profile case at the International Criminal Court, Hannah confronts the
former commander of the Yugoslavian National
Army accused of war crimes against Bosnian
Muslim civilians. Her colleagues in The Hague
believe they’ve got their man. But as the apparatchiks maneuver towards a victory of their own liking, Hannah finds it’s her own social conscience
that’s tried in a system where the guilty can still
call the shots. A strong international cast featuring Stephen Dillane (John Adams), Rolf Lassgard (After the Wedding) and Anamaria Marinca
(4 Months 3 Weeks and 2 Days) propels this
nail-biting drama. US Premiere
—Janis Plotkin
Director Hans-Christian Schmid Producers Britta
Knoeller, Hans-Christian Schmid Screenwriters
Bernd Lange, Hans-Christian Schmid
Cinematographer Bogumil Godfrejow Editor
Hansjoerg Weissbrich Cast Kerry Fox, Anamaria
Marinca, Stephen Dillane, Rolf Lassgard, Alexander
Fehling Print Source Film Movement
GERMANY/DENMARK/NETHERLANDS 2009
102 MINS
Monday, October 12, 6:45 pm
STOR12C, Cinema
Thursday, October 15, 7:00 pm
STOR15T, 142 Throckmorton
S P O N SO R ED BY W E L L S FA RGO.
THE STRENGTH OF WATER
WOR LD C I N E MA
FOCUS: AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND •
In a remote Maori community on the weatherbeaten north coast of New Zealand, 10-year-old
twins Kimi and Melody form an inseparable duo.
They help with the family chicken business and
keep tabs on the comings and goings of their
neighbors. When a tragic accident befalls one of
the twins, involving a well-meaning young man
who’s just moved to the area, a number of tenuous connections strain to the limit. Kimi escapes
from sadness and guilt into the solace of his
imagination, veering ever further out of control.
His search for a place in the world—a child’s perspective poignantly captured here—mirrors that
of the restless teenagers frustrated by lack of
opportunity and dreaming of the big city. This
gritty, engrossing saga marks the stirring feature
debut of t wo up-and-coming New Zealand
women and important new talents: award-winning playwright-turned-screenwriter Briar GraceSmith and acclaimed short-film director Armagan
Ballantyne.
—Michael Fox
Director Armagan Ballantyne Producer Fiona
Copland Screenwriter Briar Grace-Smith
Cinematographer Bogumil Godfrejow Editor
Elizabeth King Print Source New Zealand Film
Commission
NEW ZEALAND 2009 86 MINS
Saturday, October 17, 4:15 pm
STRE17R, Rafael
Sunday, October 18, 5:45 pm
STRE18S, Sequoia
SUPERSTAR
WO R LD C I N E MA
Handsome movie superstar Kourosh seemingly has it made. He’s making a movie and is
besieged by women—his voicemail plays a chorus of pleading, threatening and cooing female
voices. But despite all their love, his fame and
wealth have made him a narcissistic egomaniac
with numerous addictions. One day a freshfaced girl with a camera distracts him on the
set. He pursues her first in the routine way, then
his fascination deepens as her motives become
more mysterious. Iranian director Tahmineh Milani’s films have always focused on the lives and
mores of contemporary women, but here she
tackles the timeless theme of the truly good life
through the cell phone calls, posh condos and
restless SUVs of fast-lane Tehran. Superstar is
a free rendering of Hermann Hesse’s fairy tale
“Augustus,” in which a mother gets one wish for
her infant son that will seal his peace of mind in a
crazy world of image-making and excess.
—Frako Loden
Director/Screenwriter Tahmineh Milani Producer
Mohammad Nikbin Cinematographer Alireza
Zarrindast Editor Mastaneh Mohajer Cast Shahab
Hosseini, Fataneh Malek-Mohammadi Print Source
Farabi Cinema Foundation
IRAN 2009 106 MINS
Saturday, October 10, 8:30 pm
SUPE10R, Rafael
Tuesday, October 13, 9:00 pm
SUPE13R, Rafael
S P O N SO R ED BY Q A N TAS A I RWAYS .
P R ES EN T ED I N AS SO C I AT I O N W I T H T H E
GO E T H E I N ST I T U T SA N F R A N C I SC O.
Friends of the Festival screening on October 12 is
free to members presenting a ticket from the box
office.
49
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SURROGATE
WO R LD C I N E MA
In this sensually filmed and courageous first
feature, director Tali Shalom Ezer explores the
blurred line between tender sex and real love.
When 32-year-old Eli develops intimacy and trust
with Hagar, a sexual surrogate assigned by his
therapist, the question of whether he is really
loved comes up not only in session, but also in his
emotional relationships with his mother, his sister and his beloved eight-year-old nephew, whom
Eli protects from all possible damages his family
did not protect him against. Winner of Best Film
at the Israeli International Women’s Film Festival, Surrogate exposes the frailty and strength of
human connection. US Premiere
—Sandy Handsher
Director/ Screenwriter Tali Shalom Ezer Producer
Elad Gavish Cinematographer Radek Ladczuk
Editor Aya Somech Cast Amir Wolf, Lana Ettinger,
Rosina Kambus, Liat Glick, Yonatan Swirski Print
Source Marker Productions
ISRAEL 2008 56 MINS
PRECEDED BY
THE MARINA EXPERIMENT
In a powerful but disturbing examination of her
father’s obsession with taking home movies, 10,000
photographs and audio recordings for 16 years of
his daughter’s life, Marina Lutz presents the audience
with documentary evidence of the difference between
love and child abuse. Lutz intercuts her father’s movie
of a bullfight next to his photos of his child’s most
private moments, creating a metaphor she means as
an inevitable yet socially acceptable killing.
Director Marina Lutz
US 2009 18 MINS
TOTAL PROGRAM 74 MINS
Wednesday, October 14, 7:00 pm
SURR14S, Sequoia
Saturday, October 17, 7:45 pm
SURR17R, Rafael
50
A SWEETER MUSIC: A LIVE
CONCERT BY SARAH CAHILL
WITH VIDEO BY JOHN SANBORN
US C I N E M A
FOCUS: ARCHITECTS OF THE AVANT-GARDE •
Celebrated pianist, writer and radio host Sarah
Cahill actively investigates life through her music.
Exploring the meaning of Dr. King’s words—“We
must see that peace represents a sweeter music,
a cosmic melody that is far superior to the discords of war”—and inspired by a recent arrangement of antiwar hymn “Down By the Riverside,”
Cahill commissioned leading contemporary
composers to create new works for solo piano. In
what promises to be an unforgettable event—set
against stunning visual poems by seminal video
artist and longtime MVFF favorite John Sanborn—
each piece in this live concert represents a composer’s vision of peace or reaction to war. The
program will include, among much else, a West
Coast premiere excerpt from a resetting of Steppe
Music by Meredith Monk, The Residents’ drum
no fife (Why We Need War) and Terry Riley’s Be
Kind to One Another (Rag).
—Ashley Nee
120 MINS
Sunday, October 18, 3:30 pm
SWEE18T, 142 Throckmorton $20
THE SWIMSUIT ISSUE
(ALLT FLYTER)
WO R LD C I N E MA
Fredrik’s competitive nature may have made him
a burgeoning (almost) champion floorball player,
but it likely also cost him his job and his marriage.
Now it threatens his relationship with Sara, his
ebullient teenage daughter, temporarily foisted
upon her dad as his reluctant roommate, while
Fredrik’s ex-wife starts a new job in London.
When an immature prank with his 40-something
floorball buddies shows unexpected potential,
Fredrik aims for a new goal: transforming his
mates into Sweden’s first all-male synchronized
swimming team, with his single-minded sights
on the world championship in Berlin. With Sara’s
help, the somewhat motley crew—with questionable aquatic capacities—try to stay afloat while
battling hostile coaches, strict Olympic rules,
sexism, homophobia and some nasty, calloused
feet. The Swimsuit Issue plunges into the world
of water ballet and masculine pedicures in
this charming coming-of-middle-age comedy
celebrating the spirit of perseverance and the
importance of holding your breath.
—Joanne Parsont
Director Mans Herngren Producer Rebecka
Hamberger Screenwriters Jane Magnusson, Mans
Herngren Cinematographer Henrik Stenberg Editor
Frederick Morheden Print Source Nordisk Film
SWEDEN 2008 102 MINS
Wednesday, October 14, 4:15 pm
SWIM14S, Sequoia
Saturday, October 17, 6:45 pm
SWIM17R, Rafael
S P O N SO R ED BY A PA R T Y C EN T ER .
P R ES EN T ED I N AS SOC I AT I O N W I T H
T H E C O N S U L AT E G EN ER A L O F SW ED EN
SA N F R A N C I SC O.
P R ES EN T ED I N AS SOC I AT I O N
W I T H T H E I S R A E L C EN T ER O F T H E
J E W I S H C O M M U N I T Y F ED ER AT I O N .
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F I L M S S -T
TAPPED
VALLE Y O F TH E D OC S
Water. Next to the air we breathe, it is the most
fundamental resource for human survival. Yet that
clear liquid that falls so readily from the sky, babbles pleasantly in streams and flows freely from
our taps has become a commodity for a massive,
multibillion dollar bottled water industry—an
industry almost entirely self-regulated, which we
support with every deceptively “pure” and refreshing bottle we drink in our blissfully ignorant efforts
to stay hydrated and healthy. This incisive investigative documentary offers a blistering look
beneath the bottle caps at the major economic,
environmental and health impacts of the flood of
bottled water manufactured and consumed in the
United States. Filmmaker Stephanie Soechtig
probes every angle of the story, from corporate
control of water to the petrochemicals in plastic
bottles, from plastic recycling to the sources and
safety of bottled water. This film will change the
way you think and drink.
—Joanne Parsont
Director Stephanie Soechtig Producers
Stephanie Soechtig, Sarah Gibson Screenwriters
Stephanie Soechtig, Jason Lindsey, Josh David
Cinematographer Michael Millikan Editor Jason
Lindsey Print Source Atlas Films
THE TEN LIVES OF TITANIC
THE CAT (TITANICS TI LIV)
C H I LD R E N ’ S F I LM F E S T
In Norwegian with English subtitles. Liv gets her
fondest wish for her 12th birthday: a family cruise
on the maiden voyage of Danaworld. But Liv
starts seeing things others don’t, a confusion of
images that includes water, strange people, old
photographs and a big black cat. She senses
something’s in the basement, enlisting her friend
Thomas to search it with her. But another vision
sends Liv to the hospital with an asthma attack,
threatening her chances of taking the cruise. Liv
doesn’t believe asthma is what’s wrong with her,
no matter what the adults say, and she and
Thomas begin piecing together clues to a looming mystery from the past that has the cat, Titanic,
at the center of it all. Arresting imagery, a moody
score, distinctive and believable characters and
a gripping climax all go into making The Ten
Lives of Titanic the Cat a genuinely spooky yet
touching adventure.
—Roberta McNair
Director Grethe Bøe Producer Cornelia Boysen
Screenwriter Axel Hellstenius Cinematographer
Calle Borresen Editor Wibecke Ronseth Cast Tiril
Eeg-Henriksen, Martine Mbugua, Christian Skolmen,
Anne Ryg, Sossen Krohg Print Source Nordisk Film
NORWAY 2007 74 MINS
US 2009 76 MINS
PRECEDED BY
Sunday, October 11, 6:00 pm
TAPP11S, Sequoia
Wednesday, October 14, 9:00 pm
TAPP14R, Rafael
THE FAERIES OF FARTHINGALE
A loving mother gives her lonely daughter her most
treasured legacy: her wondrous and magical childhood friends.
P R ES EN T ED I N AS SO C I AT I O N W I T H F OO D
A N D WAT ER WATC H .
TENDERLOIN
US C I N E MA
Anyone who has walked the streets of San Francisco’s Tenderloin District has seen the seedy
side of the city. It’s a place that isn’t on a first
name basis with hope. When Ben takes a job
as manager of a residential hotel there, he can’t
deny he’s hit bottom. An Iraqi war veteran trying to
keep his repressed anger under control, Ben just
wants to hide. The last thing he expects to find is
a home. But before he knows it, he’s drawn into
the lives of those around him, finding friendship in
the faces of strangers. As he moves forward and
tries to reconnect with his estranged young son,
Ben learns that, wherever you live, choices are
hard. Trying is one thing, believing another. Gritty
and authentic, Marin director Michael Anderson’s
Tenderloin brims with eccentric characters that
give a heartfelt and familiar face to a lonely and
desperate world. World Premiere
—Kristine Kolton
Director/Cinematographer/Editor Michael
Anderson Producer Sam Rider Screenwriter Ned
Miller Cast Kurt Yaeger, Jack Indiana, Tina Huang,
Stephan Smith Collins, Liz Rolfe, Celia Aurora de
Blas Print Source Michael Anderson
US 2009 79 MINS
Friday, October 16, 6:45 pm
TEND16S, Sequoia
Saturday, October 17, 9:00 pm
TEND17R, Rafael
Director Melinda Darlington-Bach
US 2009 11 MINS
TOTAL PROGRAM 85 MINS
Saturday, October 10, 1:00 pm
TENL10R, Rafael
Sunday, October 18, 12:30 pm
TENL18S, Sequoia
51
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THIS IS THE HUSBAND I WANT!
(GHO MALA ASALA HAWA)
WO R LD C I N E MA
Farmer’s daughter Savitra rebels when her father
consents to her marriage to foolish millworker
Bopya. She wants the freedom to choose her
own husband and has her heart set on fisherman Madhu, but she has no desire to cause a
scandal or dishonor her family. Determined to
be rid of her ridiculous would-be husband, the
crafty girl seeks a way to change her fate as she
manipulates superstitions and the traditions that
would make her a man’s property. A modern-day
riff on a tale from The Mahabharata—presented
as a play within the film—in which the sagacious
Princess Savitra searches for her ideal mate,
this Indian indie confection weaves its romantic
spell with humor and charm, its languid pace
and cheerful musical numbers disguising a more
serious purpose. Beneath the comedy’s buoyant façade lurks sharp social commentary aimed
at exposing the outmoded customs that deny
women the right to determine their own futures.
North American Premiere
—Pam Grady
Director Sumitra Bhave, Sunil Sukthankar Producer
Mr. Khinvsara, Mr. Bharde, Mr. Chavan Screenwriter
Sumitra Bhave Cinematographer Sanjay Memane
Editor Mohit Takalkar Cast Radhika Apte, Omkar
Govardhan, Ravindra Mankani, Nikhil Ratnaparakhi,
Neena Kulkarni, Reema Print Source Vichitra Nirmiti
A THOUSAND SUNS/MUSTANG –
JOURNEY OF TRANSFORMATION
VALLE Y OF TH E D OC S
For most of us, there is a distinct separation
between humans and nature. In the fertile African Rift Valley in the Gamo Highlands of Ethiopia, their interconnectedness is the essence of
spirituality. But outside forces are threatening
this delicate balance, from Christian evangelists
to Western aid agencies importing agricultural
technologies and pesticides.
—Joanne Parsont
Director Stephen Marshall Producers Emmanuel
Vaughan-Lee, Gayatri Roshan Print Source The
Global Oneness Project
ETHIOPIA/US/KENYA 2009 28 MINS
MUSTANG - JOURNEY OF TRANSFORMATION
On a high Himalayan plateau, the Forbidden Kingdom of Mustang is a virtual time capsule of ancient
Tibetan Buddhist culture. But it’s on the verge of
extinction. Mill Valley’s Will Parrinello tells a remarkable story of transformation as Mustang and its rich
history are brought back to life through painstaking
restoration of sacred sites, spectacular murals and
the lives of its people. Narrated by Peter Coyote,
with an appearance by the Dalai Lama.
Thursday, October 15, 9:00 pm
THIS15S, Sequoia
Sunday, October 18, 12:00 pm
THIS18R, Rafael
VALLE Y OF TH E D OC S
FOCUS: ARCHITECTS OF THE AVANT-GARDE
• Director Peter Esmonde takes us into the mind
of a musical iconoclast, Trimpin, the sole name
of a German composer-engineer lured to the
United States by the “high junk” he found in its
junkyards. From that refuse, this consummate tinkerer constructs gigantic instruments—artworks
in their own right—that recalibrate our ears with
unanticipated syncopations and ethereal sound
environments sometimes based on streams of
seismic data. In an often hilarious collaboration,
members of the musically omnivorous Kronos
Quartet worry their traditional instruments may
not survive his marvelous machines. But perhaps
that’s the point. The strangeness of Trimpin and
the beauty of his music are among those rare
pleasures that can’t be analyzed, historicized or
reduced to our normal categories. Beautifully
shot and edited, Esmonde’s film is enchantment
for eyes and ears.
—Alan Snitow
Director/Producer/ Cinematographer Peter
Esmonde Editor Rick Tejada-Flores Print Source
Participant Observer, LLC
Director Will Parrinello
US/NEPAL 2009 29 MINS
PRECEDED BY
INDIA 2008 120 MINS
TRIMPIN: THE SOUND OF
INVENTION
TRADING BOWS AND ARROWS FOR LAPTOPS
In order to preserve their culture and endangered
rainforest home, the Surui tribe of the Amazon turns
to Google Earth to, literally, put themselves on the
map.
US 2008 79 MINS
Wednesday, October 14, 6:30 pm
TRIM14S, Sequoia
Friday, October 16, 9:00 pm
TRIM16R, Rafael
S P O N SO R ED BY Z A EN T Z M ED I A C EN T ER ,
A WA R EH A M D E V E LO P M EN T.
Director Denise Zmekhol
US 2008 7 MINS
TOTAL PROGRAM 64 MINS
Friday, October 16, 7:00 pm
THOU16S, Sequoia
Saturday, October 17, 12:00 pm
THOU17R, Rafael
52
S P O N SO R ED BY Z A EN T Z M ED I A C EN T ER ,
A WA R EH A M D E V E LO P M EN T.
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F I L M S T-V
TROUPERS
VALLE Y OF TH E D OC S
FOCUS: ARCHITECTS OF THE AVANT-GARDE
• The San Francisco Mime Troupe celebrates its
50th anniversary this year, a milestone that may
not have seemed attainable—or necessary—in
its formative days. Inspired by the Beats on one
hand, and the Free Speech Movement and organized labor on the other, the Mime Troupe quickly
established itself as a fount of political theater,
musical comedy and fun-in-the-sun agitprop.
Glenn Silber and Claudia Vianello’s intimate
1985 documentary seamlessly segues from rare
‘60s performance clips and priceless insight
from the likes of Peter Coyote and Bill Graham, to
an on-the-road record of the “Steeltown” tour of
the Midwest. The plight of soon-to-be-downsized
Inland Steel workers in East Chicago, Indiana,
echoes across the years to today’s autoworkers.
As fresh and timely as the day it was released,
this inspiring, song-filled portrait of a quintessentially Bay Area institution—if that word can apply
to artists committed to revolution—rocks with joy
and purpose.
—Michael Fox
Directors/Producers Glenn Silber, Claudia Vianello
Cinematographer Michael Anderson Editor Mary
Bauer Cast Peter Coyote, Bill Graham, The San
Francisco Mime Troupe Print Source Catalyst Media
Productions, LLC
US 1985 85 MINS
Friday, October 16, 7:30 pm
TROU16T, 142 Throckmorton $20
Shown as part of a live celebration of the SF Mime
Troupe’s 50 th Anniversary.
UP IN THE AIR
US C I N E M A
From Jason Reitman, the Oscar® nominated
director of Juno, comes a dramatic comedy
called Up in the Air starring Oscar-® winner
George Clooney as Ryan Bingham, a corporate downsizing expert whose cherished life on
the road is threatened just as he is on the cusp
of reaching ten million frequent flyer miles and
after he’s met the frequent-traveler woman of his
dreams. US Premiere
Director Jason Reitman Producers Daniel Dubiecki,
Jeffrey Clifford, Ivan Reitman, Jason Reitman
Screenwriter Jason Reitman, novel by Walter Kirn
Cinematographer Eric Steelberg Editor Dana
Glauberman Cast George Clooney, Vera Farmiga,
Anna Kendrick, Jason Bateman Print Source
Paramount Pictures
US 2009 104 MINS
Wednesday, October 14, 6:30 pm
SPOT14R, Rafael $30
S P O N SO R ED BY J EN N I F ER C OS L E T T
M AC C R E A DY.
For Spotlight on Jason Reitman information, see
page 10.
VICTORIA
WO R LD C I N E MA
Mesdames et Messieurs, Ladies and Gentlemen,
meet Les Lolitas! Not one but two stars are born,
as Stan and Jimmy, a duo of talented and delightfully inept young musicians, in sequined drag and
not-quite-fitted platinum blonde wigs, hit the road
on a tour through Québec, lured by the thrill of a
mystery and the promise of a free meal. But their
journey leads them further than they ever dreamed
to love, loss and inevitable self-discovery. With
musical contributions from French songwriting
sensation Philippe Katerine, Victoria is Anna Karina’s first directorial effort in more than 30 years.
One part Some Like It Hot, one part Breathless
and yet thoroughly fresh and new, Victoria echoes
the youthful zest of the world-shaking French
New Wave, while brimming with a life entirely its
own. North American Premiere
—Karen Davis
Director/Screenwriter Anna Karina Producer Héjer
Charf Cinematographer Philippe Lavalette Editor
Mathieu Arsenault Musical Composer Philippe
Katerine Cast Anna Karina, Jean-François Moran,
Woodson Louis Print Source Nadja Productions Inc.
CANADA 2008 95 MINS
Friday, October 16, 6:30 pm
TRIB16R, Rafael $30
W I T H S U P P O R T F RO M U N I F R A N C E , T H E
C O N S U L AT E G EN ER A L O F F R A N C E I N
SA N F R A N C I SC O A N D T H E Q U ÉB EC
GOV ER N M EN T O F F I C E I N LOS A N G E L ES .
For Tribute to Anna Karina information, see page 12.
For full event information, see page 17.
53
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WHITE WEDDING
WINNEBAGO MAN
(MARIAGE BLANC)
WO R LD C I N E MA
Elvis and Ayanda are about to get married. Elvis
just needs to get from Johannesburg to Cape
Town for the event. Ayanda just needs to fend off
her mother’s efforts to turn her small, white wedding into a traditional village celebration—and the
advances of a suave ex-boyfriend. After a rocky
start involving a missed bus, a jealous girlfriend
and a vandalized car, Elvis and best man Tumi
finally hit the road and make their way south. En
route, they share the ride with a young English
woman. But while Elvis is eagerly rushing towards
his impending marriage, Rose is running fast from
hers. Can Elvis’s belief in the power of love thaw
Rose’s cold cynicism? Can Rose’s candor and
generosity change Tumi’s polyamorous ways?
Can Ayanda really wait for them to arrive? Take
a sweet South African road trip through the hills
and valleys of love, friendship and post-apartheid
culture clashes. North American Premiere
—Joanne Parsont
Director Jann Turner Producers/Screenwriters
Kenneth Nkosi, Rapulana Seiphemo, Jann Turner
Cast Kenneth Nkosi, Rapulana Seiphemo, Jodie
Whittaker, Zandile Msutwana, Marcel Van Heerden
Print Source Stepping Stone Pictures
SOUTH AFRICA 2009 93 MINS
Wednesday, October 14, 7:00 pm
WHIT14R, Rafael
Saturday, October 17, 1:30 pm
WHIT17S, Sequoia
S P O N SO R ED BY M A R I N F R EN C H C H EES E
C O M PA N Y.
A YEAR AGO IN WINTER
(IM WINTER EIN JAHR)
VALLE Y OF TH E D OC S
To millions of YouTube viewers, Winnebago Man
needs no introduction. He’s Jack Rebney, “Angriest Man in the World,” whose epic frustrations
filming a 1989 industrial RV commercial were
mashed-up into a hilarious symphony of enraged
profanity. Originally a VHS-era blooper-reel staple,
“Winnebago Man” became the internet’s original
viral video. Filmmaker Ben Steinbauer wondered
whatever happened to Rebney. How did becoming the unwitting butt of cyber-age ridicule and
office-cubicle catharsis affect him? When Steinbauer finally tracks down Rebney—still a cantankerous, freely cursing old man—hiding hermit-like
on a California mountaintop, an examination of
shame, self-respect and YouTube infamy turns
into its own compelling drama of redemption. At
one point, someone asks Rebney the question in
all our guilty, complicit hearts: “Do you hate us?”
His response captures the knotted intersection
of comedy and tragedy, humiliation and fellowship. Rebney is us, after all, and he is very much
loved.
—Jeff Campbell
WO R LD C I N E MA
The latest from Germany’s Caroline Link—director
of Festival hit Beyond Silence (MVFF 1996) and
Oscar-winning Nowhere in Africa (2002)—is a
subtle, powerful drama about loss and reckoning.
A Bavarian family struggles to pick up the pieces
in the aftermath of a favored son’s death but, emotionally numb to the impact it has had, they proceed by keeping up appearances. The mother
commissions a portrait of her two children, which,
however, acts as a catalyst for delving into
the psychic drama beneath frozen surfaces. As
daughter Lilli, a dancer (in a subtle and deeply
resonant performance by the striking Karoline
Herfurth), sits for painter Max (Josef Bierbichler),
she’s haunted by questions raised in the wake of
her beloved younger brother’s demise. She
careens along, increasingly late for dance classes,
impervious to the interventions staged by her parents, until she and Max strike up a surprisingly
rich friendship that speaks eloquently to the deepest ties between art and life. US Premiere
—Michael Read
Director Ben Steinbauer Producers Joel Heller,
James Payne, Malcolm Pullinger, Ben Steinbauer
Screenwriters Malcolm Pullinger, Ben Steinbauer
Cinematographers Bradley Beesley, Berndt Mader
Editor Malcolm Pullinger Print Source The Bear
Media
Director Caroline Link Producers Robert W. Cort,
Scarlett Lacey, Martin Moszkowicz, Oliver Nommsen,
Uschi Reich Screenwriters Scott Campbell, Caroline
Link Cinematographer Bella Halben Editor Patricia
Rommel Cast Karoline Herfurth, Josef Bierbichler,
Corinna Harfouch, Hanns Zischler, Cyril Sjostrom
Print Source IFC Films
US 2009 87 MINS
GERMANY 2008 128 MINS
Thursday, October 15, 9:30 pm
WINN15S, Sequoia
Saturday, October 17, 9:45 pm
WINN17S, Sequoia
Monday, October 12, 9:00 pm
YEAR12R, Rafael
Saturday, October 17, 6:15 pm
YEAR17S, Sequoia
S P O N SO R ED BY B EST B E V ER AG E
CAT ER I N G .
S P O N SO R ED BY GO R DO N R A D L E Y.
P R ES EN T ED I N AS SOC I AT I O N W I T H T H E
GO E T H E I N ST I T U T SA N F R A N C I SC O.
54
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F I L M S W-Z
THE YOUNG VICTORIA
WO R LD C I N E MA
CLOSING NIGHT • FOCUS: UNITED KINGDOM • Light years from the aged, widowed
Queen Victoria of popular imagination, Emily
Blunt is radiant, vivacious and enchanting as the
sheltered princess who ascended the British
throne in 1837 at age 18. This captivating, sumptuously mounted production, beautifully performed and graced with an elegant, witty screenplay that adheres largely to the historical record,
traces the earliest years of Victoria’s long reign:
her struggle for autonomy from her mother, the
Duchess of Kent (Miranda Richardson), as she
takes the crown; hard knocks and political fallout
from a checkered alliance with Prime Minister
Lord Melbourne (Paul Bettany); and her gentle,
cautious, finally fervent courtship with first cousin
Prince Albert (Rupert Friend). Depicting a formidable yet vulnerable court in the midst of tumultuous social upheaval, The Young Victoria takes
this legendary royal romance as its heart, tracing
the evolution of two young people who would
become the 19 th centur y’s ultimate power
couple.
—Richard Peterson
Director Jean-Marc Vallée Producers Graham King,
Martin Scorsese, Tim Headington, Sarah Ferguson
Screenwriter Julian Fellowes Cinematographer
Hagen Bogdanski Editors Jill Bilcock, Matt Garner
Cast Emily Blunt, Rupert Friend, Paul Bettany,
Miranda Richardson, Jim Broadbent, Mark Strong
Print Source Apparition
YOUTH IN REVOLT
US C I N E M A
He’s not mentally ill. He’s just a teenager. In the
tradition of Superbad, and starring that film’s own
Michael Cera (also of the Oscar ® winning film,
Juno), Youth in Revolt is a teen sex comedy that
puts an entirely fresh and outrageous new stamp
on adolescent obsession and rebellion. Based
on the acclaimed novel by C.D. Payne, Youth
in Revolt tells the riotous story of Nick Twisp, a
sex-obsessed teen who falls hopelessly in love
with Sheeni Saunders while on a family vacation.
Sheeni is a beautiful, free spirited girl, but family, geography and jealous ex-lovers conspire to
keep these two apart. Inspired by Sheeni’s free
spirit, Nick abandons his dull, predictable life
and develops a rebellious alter ego, Francois.
Francois will stop at nothing to be with Sheeni
and leads Nick on a path of destruction and
on the run from local law enforcement that has
uproarious and unpredictable consequences.
Director Miguel Arteta Producer David Permut
Screenwriter Gustin Nash Cinematographer Chuy
Chávez Editors Pamela Martin, Andy Keir Cast
Michael Cera, Ray Liotta, Justin Long, Jean Smart,
Steve Buscemi, Portia Doubleday Print Source The
Weinstein Company
US 2009 90 MINS
Tuesday, October 13, 7:00 pm
YOUT13C, Cinema
S P O N SO R ED BY W H O L E F OO DS M A R K E T.
ZOMBIE GIRL: THE MOVIE
VALLE Y OF TH E D OC S
You have never, ever seen more adorable Grand
Guignol! Twelve-year-old Emily Hagins has been
editing a script for an original feature-length zombie movie for two years (yes, since she was 10).
Blessed with her fantastically supportive parents
and the equally stalwart Austin film community
(including Harry Knowles of aintitcool.com and
film critic C. Robert Cargill), Emily is shooting
that script. Light in tone and tempo, Zombie Girl:
The Movie chronicles the two-year production of
Emily’s film (entitled Pathogen) in all its fits, starts,
failures and triumphs. In the process, documentary filmmakers Justin Johnson, Erik Mauck and
Aaron Marshall let us watch Emily grow up—from
tween to teen and from dreamer to filmmaker.
The story of a diligent kid and her mother’s tireless dedication, Zombie Girl delights as much as
it promises to inspire any child or parent with a
creative streak—whether or not that creativity
requires raw liver to realize.
—Sara Schieron
Directors/Producers Aaron Marshall, Justin
Johnson, Erik Mauck Cinematographers Justin
Johnson, Erik Mauck Editor Aaron Marshall Print
Source Greenberg Traurig, LLC
US 2009 91 MINS
Saturday, October 10, 1:00 pm
ZOMB10T, 142 Throckmorton
Friday, October 16, 7:00 pm
ZOMB16R, Rafael
UK/US 2009 100 MINS
Sunday, October 18, 5:15 pm
YOUN18R, Rafael $30
For Closing Night Party information, see page 13.
S P O N SO R ED BY PAC I F I C G AS A N D
E L EC T R I C C O M PA N Y.
55
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F I L M C A L E N DA R
6 PM
7 PM
8 PM
9 PM
10 PM
11 PM
12 AM
6 PM
Precious: Based on
the Novel “Push” by
Sapphire
7:00PM PREC08R
109 MINS
RAFAEL
F R I DAY O C TO BER 9
T H U R S DAY O C TO BER 8
The Boys Are Back
7:00PM
BOYA08S
104 MINS
SEQUOIA
RAFAEL
Ricky
9:15PM
RICY09S
90 MINS
Saint Misbehavin’:
The Wavy Gravy
Movie
6:45PM SAIN09S
81 MINS
The Bass Player:
A Song for Dad
9:00PM
BASS09S
62 MINS
THROCK
12 PM
RAFAEL
RAFAEL
SAT UR DAY O CTO B ER 10
11 PM
Original
8:45PM
ORIG09R
100 MINS
An Education
6:30PM
EDUC09S
100 MINS
SEQUOIA
THROCK
11 AM
10 PM
Eat the Sun
8:30PM
EAT09R
90 MINS
Aching Hearts
6:00PM
ACH09R
125 MINS
SEQUOIA
The Boys Are Back
7:15PM
BOYB08S
104 MINS
SEQUOIA
9 PM
Bomber
6:30PM
BOMB09R
84 MINS
RAFAEL
RAFAEL
8 PM
Spotlight on Clive Owen:
Croupier
7:00PM
SPOT09P
139 MINS
RAFAEL
RAFAEL
7 PM
1 PM
2 PM
The Ten Lives of
Titanic the Cat
1:00PM
TENL10R
85 MINS
Stalin Thought of
You
1:15PM
STAL10R
100 MINS
3 PM
4 PM
SEQUOIA
THROCK
j_Ya[ji.--$.-*$,.))
6 PM
Miracle in A Box: A
Piano Reborn
3:00PM
MIRA10R
85 MINS
Aching Hearts
3:45PM
ACH10R
125 MINS
Ricky Rapper
1:30PM
RICR10S
85 MINS
Race to Nowhere
3:30PM
RACE10S
83 MINS
Breath Made Visible
2:00PM
BREA10S
80 MINS
Zombie Girl: The
Movie
1:00PM
ZOMB10T
91 MINS
7 PM
8 PM
Tribute to Uma Thurman:
Motherhood
6:00PM
TRIB10R
130 MINS
Four of a Kind
3:30PM
FOUR10R
115 MINS
RAFAEL
SEQUOIA
5 PM
Awakening from
Sorrow
4:30PM
AWAK10S
67 MINS
Passengers
6:30PM
PASS10R
86 MINS
9 PM
10 PM
12 AM
Imbued
9:00PM
IMBU10R
83 MINS
Dark and Stormy
Night
9:15PM
DARK10R
93 MINS
Original
6:15PM
ORIG10R
100 MINS
Superstar
8:30PM
SUPE10R
106 MINS
Here and There
6:00PM
HERE10S
90 MINS
Fish Tank
8:30PM
FISH10S
124 MINS
Soundtrack for a
Revolution
7:00PM
SOUN10S
82 MINS
11 PM
Guy and Madeline
on a Park Bench
9:30PM
GUY10S
82 MINS
Concert for a
Revolution
9:30PM
MUSC10T
120 MINS
57
10 AM
11 AM
12 PM
1 PM
Stella and the Star
of the Orient
10:30AM
STEL11S
97 MINS
SEQUOIA
4 PM
SEQUOIA
MO NDAY OC TO BE R 1 2
Guy and Madeline
on a Park Bench
3:30PM
GUY11R
82 MINS
HomeGrown
1:00PM
HOME11S
79 MINS
Ricky
3:30PM
RICY11S
90 MINS
8 PM
The Private Lives of
Pippa Lee
5:45PM
PRIV11R
93 MINS
The Red Machine
3:45PM
REDM11R
84 MINS
New Movies Lab:
Girl Geeks
1:00PM
SEM11R
120 MINS
7 PM
5 PM
6 PM
Room and a Half
4:00PM
ROOM12R
130 MINS
7 PM
8 PM
Room and a Half
6:00PM
ROOM11R
130 MINS
The Red Machine
4:30PM
REDM12R
84 MINS
5@5: Oscillate Wildly
5:00PM
5AT512R
67 MINS
The Bass Player:
A Song for Dad
7:30PM
BASS11R
62 MINS
Tapped
6:00PM
TAPP11S
76 MINS
5@5: America
is Not...
5:00PM
5AT512S
73 MINS
10 PM
Breath Made
Visible
6:45PM
BREA12R
80 MINS
The Maid
8:15PM
MAID11S
95 MINS
Motherhood
6:30PM
MOTH11S
90 MINS
5 PM
Here and
There
9:15PM
HERE12R
90 MINS
Sparrow
9:30PM
SPAR12S
87 MINS
Four of a Kind
8:00PM
FOUR12S
115 MINS
Storm
6:45PM
STOR12C
102 MINS
–MEMBER SCREENING–
6 PM
Sorry, Thanks
9:00PM
SORR11S
93 MINS
5@5: Sister
RAFAEL I’m a Poet
5:00PM
5AT513R
62 MINS
5@5: The
SEQUOIA More You...
5:00PM
5AT513S
63 MINS
TBA
CINEMA
8 PM
Pierrot le fou
6:00PM
PIER13R
110 MINS
RAFAEL
SEQUOIA
7 PM
Saint Misbehavin’:
The Wavy Gravy
Movie
7:00PM SAIN13R
81 MINS
RAFAEL
Sorry, Thanks
9:30PM
SORR12R
93 MINS
The Private Lives of
Pippa Lee
7:00PM
PRIV12S
93 MINS
Barking Water
6:00PM
BARK12S
81 MINS
11 PM
A Year Ago in Winter
9:00PM
YEAR12R
128 MINS
Jermal
7:15PM
JERM12R
88 MINS
11 PM
Imbued
9:00PM
IMBU11R
83 MINS
Elevator
5:30PM
ELEV11R
85 MINS
Icons Among Us:
jazz in the present
tense
4:00PM ICON11S
97 MINS
10 PM
Live Show: Jazz
Icons Among Us
8:00PM
MUSC11T
90 MINS
9 PM
Linoleum
7:00PM
LIN12R
75 MINS
9 PM
The Eclipse
8:15PM
ECL11R
88 MINS
Children’s FilmFest
Party
12:30PM
PARTY11
120 MINS
THROCK
SEQUOIA
6 PM
Insight: Henry Selick
& the Art of Coraline
3:15PM
SEL11R
90 MINS
Jim Thorpe, The
World’s Greatest
Athlete
1:15PM JIMT11S
86 MINS
SEQUOIA
5 PM
T UE S DAY O CTO BER 13
S UN DAY O C TO B E R 1 1
RAFAEL
RAFAEL
4 PM
Shylock
1:15PM
SHYL11R
108 MINS
RAFAEL
RAFAEL
3 PM
The Letter for the King
12:30PM
LETT11R
108 MINS
RAFAEL
RAFAEL
2 PM
HomeGrown
6:45PM
HOME13R
79 MINS
Skin
6:45PM
SKIN13S
107 MINS
The Horse Boy
6:30PM
HORS13S
93 MINS
Youth in
Revolt
7:00PM
YOUT13C
90 MINS
9 PM
10 PM
11 PM
The Maid
9:15PM
MAID13R
95 MINS
Shameless
8:45PM
SHAM13R
88 MINS
Superstar
9:00PM
SUPE13R
106 MINS
Passengers
9:15PM
PASS13S
86 MINS
Fish Tank
9:00PM
FISH13S
124 MINS
TBA
cl\\$Yec
F I L M C A L E N DA R
5 PM
6 PM
W E DN E S DAY O C TO BER 14
RAFAEL
SEQUOIA
SEQUOIA
8 PM
9 PM
10 PM
11 PM
4 PM
Spotlight on Jason
Reitman: Up in the Air
6:30PM
SPOT14R
144 MINS
RAFAEL
RAFAEL
7 PM
The Horse Boy
4:30PM
HORS14R
93 MINS
Linoleum
7:15PM
LIN14R
75 MINS
5@5: Oscillate Wildly
5:00PM
5AT514S
67 MINS
The Swimsuit
Issue
4:15PM
SWIM14S
102 MINS
Surrogate
7:00PM
SURR14S
74 MINS
THROCK
The Eclipse
9:15PM
ECL14R
88 MINS
RAFAEL
Tapped
9:00PM
TAPP14R
76 MINS
Elevator
8:45PM
ELEV14S
85 MINS
Insight: The
Cassel Touch
8:00PM
CASS14T
70 MINS
MVFF HOSPITALITY LOUNGE
Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center
For our VIP guests, the Hospitality Lounge is the
place to meet, mingle and relax before and after
screenings and other Festival events. Decorated by
Ruby LivingDesign, the Lounge offers complimentary newspapers from The New York Times, free
Internet access, premium wine courtesy of Townley
Wines and Courtesan Wines and delicious fare
from Whole Foods Market. The Lounge is open
daily to Filmmakers, Sponsors and other Festival
badge-holders, as well as our Fast Pass, Cinema
Benefactor and Premier Patron members.
This Is the Husband
I Want!
9:00PM
THIS15S
120 MINS
The Missing
Person
7:30PM
MISS15S
95 MINS
Winnebago Man
9:30PM
WINN15S
87 MINS
Storm
7:00PM
STOR15T
102 MINS
6 PM
7 PM
8 PM
9 PM
Tribute to Anna
Karina: Victoria
6:30PM
TRIB16R
135 MINS
RAFAEL Sweet Rush
4:00PM
SWRU16R
85 MINS
10 PM
11 PM
12 AM
Red Cliff
9:30PM
REDC16R
148 MINS
SEE MVFF.COM
Stalin Thought
of You
6:00PM
STAL16R
100 MINS
RAFAEL
FR IDAY O C TOB ER 16
October 9: 4:00–8:00 pm
October 10: 12:00–8:00 pm
October 11: 12:00–8:00 pm
Hipsters
9:00PM
HIPS15R
125 MINS
Apron Strings
6:45PM
APR15S
89 MINS
Jim Thorpe, The
World’s Greatest
Athlete
5:15PM JIMT15S
86 MINS
LATE ADDITION
From October 9–11, join us at the Outdoor Art Club
(OAC) at 1 West Blithedale Avenue in downtown
Mill Valley, just across the street from CinéArts@
Sequoia theater. It’s the hub of Festival activity,
with daily happy hours, live music and Jamba Juice
serving a menu of fresh smoothies, salads, wraps
and sandwiches. Wine will be available courtesy
of Balboa Café Mill Valley, with beer provided by
Lagunitas Brewing Company.
CAFÉ SCHEDULE
5 PM
11 PM
Barking Water
9:15PM
BARK15R
81 MINS
THROCK
4 PM
10 PM
Icons Among Us:
jazz in the present
tense
6:30PM ICON15R
97 MINS
5@5: Sister
I’m a Poet
5:00PM
5AT515S
62 MINS
SEQUOIA
9 PM
Meredith Monk
- Inner Voice
6:45PM
MERE15R
82 MINS
5@5: The
More...
5:00PM
5AT515R
63 MINS
RAFAEL
8 PM
Tribute to Woody
Harrelson: The
Messenger
7:00PM TRIB15P
152 MINS
Reach for Me
4:30PM
REAC15R
90 MINS
SEQUOIA
OUTDOOR ART CLUB
j_Ya[ji.--$.-*$,.))
7 PM
4:00PM
GIRL15R
105 MINS
Hellsinki
9:00PM
HELL14S
133 MINS
TRIMPIN:
the sound of
invention
6:30PM TRIM14S
79 MINS
6 PM
The Girl on the
White Wedding
7:00PM
WHIT14R
93 MINS
5@5: America
is Not...
5:00PM
5AT514R
73 MINS
5 PM
RAFAEL Train
T H U R S DAY O C TO BER 15
4 PM
5@5: The
Edges...
5:00PM
5AT516R
61 MINS
RAFAEL
Shylock
SHYL16S
108 MINS
THROCK
Zombie Girl:
The Movie
7:00PM
ZOMB16R
91 MINS
Tenderloin
6:45PM
TEND16S
79 MINS
SEQUOIA 4:00PM
SEQUOIA
Jermal
8:15PM
JERM16R
88 MINS
Shameless
5:00PM
SHAM16S
88 MINS
A Thousand
Suns/Mustang
7:00PM
THOU16S
64 MINS
TRIMPIN: the
sound of invention
9:00PM
TRIM16R
79 MINS
One Crazy Ride
8:45PM
ONE16S
87 MINS
Happy Tears
9:15PM
HAPP16S
95 MINS
Troupers: 50 Years of
the San Francisco
Mime Troupe
7:30PM
TROU16T
150 MINS
59
F I L M C A L E N DA R
10 AM
RAFAEL
11 AM
12 PM
1 PM
[BLANK.]
11:00AM
BLAN17R
96 MINS
Ricky Rapper
1:00PM
RICR17R
85 MINS
S AT U R DAY OCTOBER 17
A Thousand
Suns/Mustang
12:00PM
THOU17R
64 MINS
RAFAEL
The Letter for the King
10:30AM
LETT17S
108 MINS
RAFAEL
S U NDAY O CTO BER 18
RAFAEL
RAFAEL
SEQUOIA
SEQUOIA
THROCK
12 PM
5 PM
Oh My God
3:00PM
OHMY17R
98 MINS
2 PM
MINE
12:30PM
MINE18R
80 MINS
Stella and the
Star of the Orient
12:00PM
STEL18R
97 MINS
This Is the Husband
I Want!
12:00PM
THIS18R
120 MINS
The Ten Lives of
Titanic the Cat
12:30PM
TENL18S
85 MINS
Meredith Monk
- Inner Voice
1:00PM
MERE18S
82 MINS
New Movies Lab:
Active Cinema
12:30PM
SEM18T
120 MINS
7 PM
The Missing
Person
5:30PM
MISS17R
95 MINS
Dark and Stormy Night
3:45PM
DARK17S
93 MINS
4 PM
Soundtrack for
a Revolution
2:45PM
SOUN18R
82 MINS
Apron Strings
2:30PM
APR18R
89 MINS
7 PM
8 PM
Winnebago Man
9:45PM
WINN17S
87 MINS
9 PM
10 PM
11 PM
TBA
Skin
7:30PM
SKIN18R
107 MINS
Race to Nowhere
5:45PM
RACE18R
83 MINS
Looking for Eric
5:15PM
LOOK18S
116 MINS
The Most Dangerous
Man in America: Daniel
Ellsberg
3:15PM
MOST18S
94 MINS
Hi De Ho Show
9:15PM
HIDE17S
80 MINS
Cinemasports
7:30PM
CINE17T
120 MINS
Project Happiness
5:00PM
PROJ18R
87 MINS
Oh My God
2:30PM
OHMY18S
98 MINS
TBA
Reach for Me
7:15PM
REAC17S
90 MINS
The Young
Victoria
5:15PM
YOUN18R
100 MINS
One Crazy Ride
3:00PM
ONE18R
87 MINS
11 PM
Hipsters
9:15PM
HIPS17R
125 MINS
A Year Ago in Winter
6:15PM
YEAR17S
128 MINS
6 PM
10 PM
Tenderloin
9:00PM
TEND17R
79 MINS
The Swimsuit
Issue
6:45PM
SWIM17R
102 MINS
5@5: The
Edges...
5:30PM
5AT517T
61 MINS
5 PM
9 PM
Surrogate
7:45PM
SURR17R
74 MINS
MINE
5:00PM
MINE17S
80 MINS
Project Happiness
3:00PM
PROJ17T
87 MINS
3 PM
8 PM
The Most Dangerous
Man in America: Daniel
Ellsberg
6:45PM
MOST17R
94 MINS
Awakening from
Sorrow
4:45PM
AWAK17R
67 MINS
Miracle in a Box: A
Piano Reborn
2:30PM
MIRA17S
85 MINS
1 PM
6 PM
The Strength of
Water
4:15PM
STRE17R
86 MINS
White Wedding
1:30PM
WHIT17S
93 MINS
New Movies Labs:
Distribution
12:30PM
SEM17T
120 MINS
THROCK
11 AM
4 PM
Hellsinki
2:00PM
HELL17R
133 MINS
Eat the Sun
12:00PM
EAT17S
90 MINS
SEQUOIA
10 AM
3 PM
The Girl on the Train
1:45PM
GIRL17R
105 MINS
RAFAEL
SEQUOIA
2 PM
The Strength of Water
5:45PM
STRE18S
86 MINS
Bomber
7:45PM
BOMB18R
84 MINS
TBA
TBA
A Sweeter Music: A
Live Concert - Sarah
Cahill, John Sanborn
3:30PM SWEE18T
120 MINS
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TEL 415-986-2400 FAX 415-392-9259
EMAIL [email protected]
WEB www.idellseitel.com
TI C K E T S / I N F O R M ATI O N
HOW TO BUY TICKETS
ONLINE :
Mill Valley Ticket Outlet
mvff.com
24 hours daily, beginning:
September 20 at 2:00 pm for Members
September 24 at 9:00 am for the
General Public
Mill Valley Chamber of Commerce
85 Throckmorton Ave.
General Public:
(Pre-Festival): October 6–7, 2:00–7:00 pm
(During the Festival): October 8–18
Weekdays 2:00–10:00 pm
Weekends 10:00 am–10:00 pm
PHONE :
Toll-free 1.877.874.MVFF (6833)
Members Only:
September 20, 2:00–7:00 pm
September 21–23, 9:00 am–5:00 pm
General Public:
September 24–October 18,
9:00 am–5:00 pm
G E T T H E L AT E S T
I N F O R M AT I O N F I R S T !
Follow MVFF/CFI on Facebook and Twitter.
See mvff.com for details.
THE FINE PRINT
TICKET PRICES*
$12.50 General Admission
$11 Seniors (65+)
$10 Children’s FilmFest (kids and adults)
$10 Members
$5 5@5 Programs
*unless otherwise indicated
BUY IN PERSON :
TICKET OUTLETS
S O L D O U T ? T RY T H E R U S H L I N E
San Rafael Ticket Outlet
Rush tickets are often available even when
advance tickets have sold out. A rush line will
form outside each venue up to one hour before
showtime. Approximately 10 minutes prior to
the screening, available rush tickets will be
sold on a first-come, first-served basis.
No discounts. Cash only.
Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center
1118 Fourth St.
Members Only
(Pre-Festival): September 20–23,
2:00–7:00 pm
General Public
(Pre-Festival): September 24–October 7,
2:00–7:00 pm
(During the Festival): October 8–18
Weekdays 2:00–10:00 pm
Weekends 10:00 am–10:00 pm
All orders are final. No refunds, exchanges,
substitutions or replacements. MVFF is not
responsible for lost, stolen, forgotten or damaged
tickets, or tickets misdirected by the Post Office. To
pick up your tickets at Will Call, you must bring a
valid photo ID that corresponds to the name on the
credit card used to purchase the tickets. Processing
fees are nonrefundable. The processing fee for
online and in-person sales is $1.50 per ticket, up to
a maximum fee of $6.00 per order. The processing
fee for phone sales is a flat $7.50 per order. Ticket
holders who do not arrive 15 minutes prior to
showtime cannot be guaranteed a seat.
VO L U N T E E R
It’s not too late to volunteer for the
Mill Valley Film Festival. Contact
Jennie-Marie Adler, volunteer
coordinator, at 415.526.5869 or
[email protected]
F E S TIVAL V E N U E S
Mill Valley Community Center 180 Camino Alto, Mill Valley
CinéArts@Sequoia (SEQ) 25 Throckmorton Ave., Mill Valley
Tiburon Grill 1651 Tiburon Blvd., Tiburon
Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center (RAF)
1118 Fourth St., San Rafael
Frantoio Ristorante & Olive Oil Co. 152 Shoreline Hwy., Mill Valley
142 Throckmorton Theatre (THR)
142 Throckmorton Ave., Mill Valley
Piatti Ristorante & Bar 625 Redwood Hwy., Mill Valley
Sabor of Spain 1301 Fourth St., San Rafael
Marin Youth Center 1115 Third St., San Rafael
Century Cinema (CIN) 41 Tamal Vista, Corte Madera
California Hornblower Cruises
Sausalito Ferry Dock, 1 Anchor St., Sausalito
Outdoor Art Club (OAC) 1 W. Blithedale Ave., Mill Valley
62
P
A Street
P
B Street
Third Street
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Tickets
P
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Miller Avenue
P
P
Second Street
US 101
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Fourth Street
US 101
RAF
Lootens
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OAC
Sunnyside
Blithedale Avenue
Fifth Street
P Miller Avenue
THR
CHRISTOPHER B. SMITH RAFAEL FILM CENTER
CINÉARTS@SEQUOIA AND 142 THROCKMORTON THEATRE
From US 101, take the Central San Rafael exit.
Go west to 1118 Fourth St.
From US 101, take the Tiburon/East Blithedale exit and proceed west
on Blithedale toward downtown Mill Valley.
Turn left onto Throckmorton Ave.
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F I L M TITL E I N D E X
5@5: America Is Not The World . . . . . . . .26
5@5: The Edges Are No
Longer Parallel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26
5@5: The More You Ignore Me,
the Closer I Get . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26
5@5: Oscillate Wildly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
5@5: Sister I’m a Poet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Aching Hearts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Alex’s Story . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29
April’s Story . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29
Apron Strings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28
Arresting Ana . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26
Art? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29
Awakening from Sorrow:
Buenos Aires 1997 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28
Barking Water . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28
The Bass Player: A Song for Dad . . . . . . .29
Betty Banned Sweets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26
[BLANK.] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29
Bomber . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29
Boutonniere . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26
The Boys Are Back . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30
Breath Made Visible . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30
Broken . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29
Broken Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26
Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29
Charlie Thistle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Close to Home . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26
Dark and Stormy Night . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30
Don’t Waste Water . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29
Dragonflies, the Baby Cries . . . . . . . . . . . .48
Dumb Luck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29
Eat the Sun . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
The Eclipse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
An Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Elevator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32
(enough) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
The Faeries of Farthingale . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
The Finger Trap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Fish Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32
Four of a Kind. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32
The Girl on the Train . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33
Glottal Opera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Good Advice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26
Gul (flower) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench . . . . .33
Happy Tears . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33
Harrison Bergeron . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29
Hellsinki . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34
Here and There . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34
Hi De Ho Show . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34
Hidden Bounty of Marin: Farm Families
in Transition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35
Hipsters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35
Home . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26
HomeGrown . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35
Horn Dog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
The Horse Boy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35
I’m Not My Tights. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29
j_Ya[ji.--$.-*$,.))
Icons Among Us: jazz in the
present tense . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36
Imbued . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36
Immersion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Ingelore. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46
Inside Story . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28
Jermal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36
Jim Thorpe, The World’s
Greatest Athlete . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Keep the Home Fires Burning . . . . . . . . . .26
The Kinda Sutra . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26
Kunjo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26
Ladies, Please . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29
The Last Dragon Kingdom . . . . . . . . . . . . .26
The Legend of Toilet-seat Charlie . . . . . . .26
The Letter for the King . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Lies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
The Life and Times of Buster Chaplin . . . .29
Linoleum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Looking for Eric . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38
Love Child . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45
Lucha . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26
The Maid. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38
Marin School of the Arts Public
Service Announcement . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29
The Marina Experiment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50
Meredith Monk — Inner Voice . . . . . . . . . . .38
The Messenger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39
MINE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39
Miracle in a Box: A Piano Reborn . . . . . . .39
The Missing Person. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40
Morning Echo. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26
The Most Dangerous Man in America:
Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon
Papers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40
Motherhood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40
Mustang — Journey of Transformation . . . .52
The Natural World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29
Oh My God . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
One Crazy Ride . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Original . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Passengers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Pierrot le fou. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Precious: Based on the Novel “Push”
by Sapphire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
The Private Lives of Pippa Lee . . . . . . . . . .43
Project Happiness. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43
Race to Nowhere . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43
Ramona’s Story . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29
Reach for Me . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44
Red Cliff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44
The Red Machine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44
Ricky . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45
Ricky Rapper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45
Room and a Half . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45
Saint Misbehavin’: The Wavy
Gravy Movie. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46
Shadow & Light: The Life and Art
of Elaine Badgley Arnoux . . . . . . . . . . . . .39
Shameless . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46
Shooting Craps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29
Shylock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46
Skin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Skylight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Sorry, Thanks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Soundtrack for a Revolution . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Space Monkeys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Sparrow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48
Stalin Thought of You . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48
Stella and the Star of the Orient . . . . . . . .48
Storm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49
The Strength of Water . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49
Styx . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Superstar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49
Surrogate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50
Sweet Rush . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .see mvff.com
A Sweeter Music . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50
The Swimsuit Issue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50
The Sylpphid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Tapped . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
The Ten Lives of Titanic the Cat. . . . . . . . . 51
Tenderloin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
This Is the Husband I Want! . . . . . . . . . . . .52
A Thousand Suns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52
Trading Bows and Arrows for Laptops . . .52
Transatlantique . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29
Trece Años . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26
TRIMPIN: the sound of invention . . . . . . . .52
Troupers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53
Underwear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Untouchable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29
Up in the Air . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53
Victoria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53
Western Spaghetti . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
What’d ya want, a happy ending? . . . . . . .29
White Wedding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54
Winnebago Man . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54
A Year Ago in Winter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54
The Yellow Smiley Face . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
You Turn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29
The Young Victoria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55
Youth in Revolt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55
Zombie Girl: The Movie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55
63
For Film Title Index, see page 63.
DINING
M I LL VALLEY
BUNGALOW 44
Contemporary American grill featuring
fresh, local ingredients, signature
cocktails and select wines.
7 days a week,
Sun 5–9:30 pm, Mon–Wed 5–10 pm,
Thur 5–10:30 pm, Fri–Sat 5–11 pm
%AST "LITHEDALE !VE s 415.381.2500
LA GINESTRA
Southern Italian cuisine, family owned
and operated since 1964.
Tues–Sun 4–10 pm
4HROCKMORTON !VE s 415.388.0224
PEARL’S PHAT BURGER
Juicy, fat phat burgers, organic
buffalo burgers, crispy fries, fresh salads
and real milkshakes known as the best in
Marin. 7 days a week,
Mon–Sat 11 am–9 pm
Sun 11 am–8 pm
%AST "LITHEDALE !VE s 415.381.6010
SMALL SHED FLATBREADS
Hang with the locals. Delicious
wood-fired pizzas, great organic salads,
wine, beer and more. 7 days a week,
Sun–Thurs 11 am–9 pm
Fri–Sat 11 am–10 pm
-ADRONA 3T s 415.383.4200
64
STEFANO’S PIZZA
The only solar-powered pizzeria in
Marin—maybe in California!
7 days a week, 10 am–10 pm
% "LITHEDALE !VE s 415.383.9666
TOAST
Come enjoy delectable American comfort
food in a casual setting.
7 days a week,
Mon–Sat 7 am–3 pm, 5–9:30 pm
Sunday 7:30 am–3 pm, 5–9:30 pm
3UNNYSIDE !VE s 415.388.2500
TONY TUTTO’S PIZZA
Creative artisan-style pizza using the
best imported, regional and local organic
ingredients. Soup, salad, lasagne, specialty
beers and nice wines.
Wed–Sun 11:30 am–9 pm
Mon 5:30–9 pm
(Closed Tuesday)
%AST "LITHEDALE !VE s 415.383.8646
TSUKIJI
Variety of fresh sushi and fun, creative
dishes. Selection of high quality sake and
excellent wines. 7 days a week,
Lunch Mon–Fri 11:30 am–2:30 pm
Dinner Mon–Sun 5–10 pm
3UNNYSIDE !VE s 415.383.1382
VASCO
Casual dining, excellent food, great atmosphere
and casual prices, all in downtown Mill Valley!
7 nights a week, 5–11 pm
4HROCKMORTON !VE s 415.381.3443
S A N R A FA E L
AMICI’S EAST COAST PIZZERIA
Thin, crisp-crust, East Coast style
pizzas, baked in traditional brick ovens.
Mon–Thurs 11am–10pm
Fri 11 am–11 pm
Sat 11:30 am–11:30 pm
Sun 11:30 am–10 pm
&OURTH 3T s 415.455.9777
AROMA CAFE
Espresso drinks, beer and wine,
smoothies, organic juices, salads,
paninis, falafels, couscous and more!
7 days a week,
Mon–Thurs 7 am–11 pm
Fri–Sat 7 am–11:30 pm
Sun 7:30 am–11 pm
&OURTH 3T s 415.459.4340
CREPEVINE
Savory and sweet crepes, omelettes,
French toast, sandwiches, salads and
pasta. 7 days a week,
Sun–Thurs 7:30am–10pm
Fri–Sat 7:30 am–11pm
&OURTH 3T s 415.257.8822
EXTREME PIZZA
Signature pizzas, fresh salads and
monster subs. Great prices, too!
&OURTH 3T s 415.454.6111
www.extremepizza.com
SABOR OF SPAIN
Tapas, vinos, wine tastings, paella nights, live
music and flamenco shows, catering, banquets
and take-out.
Happy Hour Tue–Fri 4:30–6:00 pm
Tue–Wed 5–9:30 pm; Thur 5–10 pm
Fri–Sat 5–11 pm; Sun 5–9 pm
&OURTH 3T s 415.457.8466
SAN RAFAEL JOE’S
Extensive and varied selection of family
favorites! 7 days a week,
Sun–Mon 11 am–10 pm,
Tues–Thurs 11 am–11 pm
Fri–Sat 11 am–midnight
&OURTH 3T s 415.456.2425
WHIPPER SNAPPER
RESTAURANT & SANGRIA BAR
Cal-Caribe Cuisine in a vibrant, fun space
Open Tues–Sun
Lunch 11:30–3
Dinner Tues–Thurs 5–9:30 pm
Fri– Sat 5–10:30, Sun 5–9
&OURTH 3T BETW h&v h'v s 415-256-1818
www.whipsnap.biz
YET WAH
Classic Chinese cuisine, featuring Hong Kong
appetizers, crab puffs, noodle bowls and more!
7 days a week,
Mon 11 am–10 pm
Tues–Sun 11 am–midnight
&OURTH 3T s 415.460.9883
VIN ANTICO - URBAN TRATTORIA
Authentic Italian, one block from the court plaza!
Lunch Tue–Fri 11:30 am–3 pm
Dinner Tue–Thur 5:30–10 pm, Fri–Sat 5:30–11pm, Sun 5–9 pm
&OURTH 3T s 415.454.4492
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SCREENING THE FUTURE
Support the Next Decade at the Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center.
• The Digital Future: state-of-the-art sound
and projection in all three theaters.
• The Sustainable Future: green business
practices, rooftop solar panels, LED
marquee and healthy organic concessions.
• Education and Exhibition: Rafael renovation
and upgrade of event space for year-round
&),(GXFDWLRQSURJUDPDQGÀOPUHODWHG
exhibitions.
Your support sustains the Rafael as one of
WKHQDWLRQ·VSUHPLHUQRQSURÀWFLQHPDV
Please make a gift to
Screening the Future
today!
Envelopes are available in the lobby, or make a contribution by visiting:
KWWSFDÀOPRUJVXSSRUWVFUHHQLQJWKHIXWXUHKWPO
SCREENING THE FUTURE
Support the Next Decade at the Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center.
• The Digital Future: state-of-the-art sound
and projection in all three theaters.
• The Sustainable Future: green business
practices, rooftop solar panels, LED
marquee and healthy organic concessions.
• Education and Exhibition: Rafael renovation
and upgrade of event space for year-round
&),(GXFDWLRQSURJUDPDQGÀOPUHODWHG
exhibitions.
Your support sustains the Rafael as one of
WKHQDWLRQ·VSUHPLHUQRQSURÀWFLQHPDV
Please make a gift to
Screening the Future
today!
Envelopes are available in the lobby, or make a contribution by visiting:
KWWSFDÀOPRUJVXSSRUWVFUHHQLQJWKHIXWXUHKWPO