PDF Guide

August 1-2, 2015
Janet Leigh Theatre
University of the Pacific
Stockton, California
Program Guide
SJIFF.com
Festival Board
Shane Williamson
Chair
Emily Ballus
Arlene Galindo
Jeffrey F. Gamboni
Jory Kusy
Janet Leigh Theatre
Tom Conner
Schedule
Welcome to the 8th San Joaquin International Film Festival.
Through the years, our festival has been an exclusive opportunity
for the San Joaquin Valley community to discover some of the best
of recent independent films from around the world, empowering
multi-cultural appreciation, awareness, and dialogue. Since the first
festival in 2008, over 400 motion pictures, produced in 50+ nations
- from master, emerging, and new filmmakers - have been presented
at our adventurous, cinematic programs.
Saturday, August 1, 2015
This year’s festival structure is a two-day marathon, with screenings
day and night. The 22 motion pictures, produced in 17 countries,
empower our theme, Taking Chances, with stories of bravery,
perseverance, wisdom, and wit, to overcome the obstacles of life.
Pantelis Voulgaris’s familial drama, Little England, tells of two sisters
on a Greek island, their love for one man, and their future stifled
by secrets and tradition. In Claudio Marcone's feature debut, In the
Grayscale, a Chilean man, who is married with a wife and child, faces
the challenging acknowledgment of his sexual identity. In Mark
Nikolas’s Nefertiti’s Daughters, we gain insight into the lives of street
artists who are fighting for women’s rights and freedom in Egypt
today. In the animated wonder, Kahlil Gibran's The Prophet - the
passion project of Salma Hayek, directed by Roger Allers, and based
on the famed and beloved book by the great Lebanese-American
poet - we experience the power, the perseverance, and the struggles
of the human expression.
Special thanks to all our sponsors and partners for your generous
support, which we truly need. Thank you to the Festival Board,
collaborators, and volunteers for your dedication, your advocacy,
and sharing your skills and talents. Thank you to all the filmmakers,
production companies, and distribution agencies for sharing your
brilliant films with us. We are grateful to all of you for your steadfast
support, which has been instrumental in bringing this magic of
world cinema to the San Joaquin Valley. It is with excitement and
great joy that we welcome you to this cinematic experience in the
heart of Stockton, California - my beloved hometown.
Respectfully,
Sophoan Sorn
2
3
4-14
9
14
15
16
Welcome to the Festival
Schedule / Tickets / Getting Here / Courtesy / Policies / Social Media
The Films
Midnight Party
Closing Night Party
Our Partners & Sponsors / Thank You / Special Offers
Festival Memories
The festival is open to the public. Any film not in English will have English subtitles.
10:30 AM
1:00 PM
3:00 PM
6:00 PM
9:30 PM
11:30 PM
Shorts Program 2015 p.5
Unlikely Heroes p.6
Human Capital p.7
Little England p.8
In the Grayscale p.9
Midnight Party p.9
Sunday, August 2, 2015
11:00 AM Nefertiti’s Daughters p.10
1:00 PM Don’t Think I’ve Forgotten:
3:30 PM
5:30 PM
8:00 PM
9:45 PM
Cambodia’s Lost Rock and Roll p.11
Kahlil Gibran’s The Prophet p.12
Janey Makes a Play p.13
On the Road, Somewhere p.14
Closing Night Party p.14
Visit SJIFF.com for movie trailers, updated
show times and any revision.
Ticket Prices
Janet Leigh Theatre
At University of the Pacific
3601 Pacific Avenue
Stockton, CA 95211
Parking and Directions
Enter the University of the Pacific campus
on the Pacific Avenue side. Drive past
Burns Tower. The road turns left as you
approach Morris Chapel. Follow the road.
When you come to the stop sign at the
corner of Chapel Lane and Atchley Way,
the theatre is at that corner. Parking is free
across the campus and on the streets
surrounding the University on weekends.
Age Policies
Film Pass - All 10 Shows + Priority Entry
$100.00 General Public
• No children under 6 years old will be
admitted to the festival.
• No babes in arms.
• At appropriate screenings or events, children between the ages of 6 and 12 years
of age must be accompanied by a parent
or legal guardian.
• Must be at least 13 years of age in order
to be issued, or use, a ticket or pass.
• Most films are not rated by the MPAA.
Visit sjiff.com/family.html for suggestions on
films appropriate for young people.
Ticket Policies
Connect #SJIFF
• Buying Tickets in Advance Online:
Visit sjiff.com/tickets to purchase advance
tickets online. Processing fees will apply.
• Buying Tickets at the Festival:
Tickets will go on sale 30 minutes prior to
each screening. Cash only please.
• No refunds, exchanges or resales.
Official Website: SJIFF.com
Email: [email protected]
Per Film Program
$11.00 General Public
$10.00 Seniors 65+, Students, & Ages 6-18
Closing Night Party
$20.00 Party Only General Public 21+
$25.00 Film + Party General Public 21+
Courtesy
• Please refrain from use of cell phones
(texting/talking) during film presentations.
• Recording of motion pictures is illegal and
will be prosecuted.
Cover Image: “Little England” © Mikra Agglia S.A.
Sophoan Sorn
Director, Founder,
Curator
Welcome to the Festival
• Facebook.com/SJIFF
• Twitter.com/SJIFF
• Instagram @SJFilmFest
• Youtube.com/SJIFF
• Subscribe to News: sjiff.com/enews
• Volunteer: sjiff.com/volunteers
• Sponsor the Festival: sjiff.com/sponsors
3
© --------
In addition to Shorts Program 2015, a special
roster of short films will precede select featurelength films in this year’s festival. All short films
at SJIFF8 are eligible for the juried Short
Films Competition.
In the LGBTQ Spotlight program, three short
films precede “In the Grayscale” (Aug. 1, 9:30 PM).
ABAN + KHORSHID
Director: Darwin Serink
15 mins. (USA; 2014) NorCal Premiere
Cast: Mojean Aria, Bobby Naderi
"Two forbidden lovers, glimpsing into the
world in which they met, moments before
their execution." Winner of the Short Film
Special Jury Award at the 2014 Seattle
International Film Festival.
BARRIO BOY
Director: Dennis Shinners
8 mins. (USA; 2014) Valley Premiere
Cast: Andrew Flores, Dennis Garcia,
Dan Leonard
"A secretly gay barber falls in love with a
stranger over the course of a haircut during a
hot afternoon in a macho Brooklyn hood."
CHARLOTTE
Director: Angel Kristi Williams
11 mins. (USA; 2015) NorCal Premiere
Cast: Zayden Bates, Brianna Cormier,
Denise Boutte
"Alex, excited to have befriended the popular
girl at school, will do anything to stay in her
good graces." Winner of Pink Peach Award
(Short) at the 2015 Atlanta Film Festival.
4
Special Shorts
Face to Face
Before “Nefertiti’s Daughters” (Aug. 2, 11:00 AM)
LISTEN
Directors: Hamy Ramezan & Rungano Nyoni
13 mins. (Denmark, Finland; 2014)
Valley Premiere
Cast: Amira Helene Larsen,Yusuf Kamal El-Ali,
Zeinab Rahal
"Copenhagen. A police station. A foreign
woman, wearing a burqa, is there with her
young son to file a complaint.Yet, it seems the
translator is not willing to report what she is
telling." Winner of Best Narrative Short at
the 2015 Tribeca Film Festival.
THE ANSWERS
Director: Michael Goode
8 mins. (USA; 2015) Valley Premiere
Cast: Daniel Lissing, Rose McIver
"A man wakes up in the afterlife with the
answers to all the questions he’s ever had."
Winner of Best Live Action Short at 2015
Santa Barbara International Film Festival.
Before “Don’t Think I’ve Forgotten” (Aug. 2, 1:00 PM)
CAMBODIA 2099
Director: Davy Chou
21 mins. (France, Cambodia; 2014)
Valley Premiere
Cast: Kavich Neang, Sotha Kun, Sothea Vann
"Phnom Penh, Cambodia. On Diamond Island,
the country's pinnacle of modernity, two
friends tell each other about the dreams they
had the night before."
Davy Chou’s Golden Slumbers screened at
SJIFF 2013 as a Centerpiece film.
Before “On the Road, Somewhere” (Aug. 2, 8:00 PM)
SHARE
Director: Pippa Bianco
11 mins. (USA; 2015) NorCal Premiere
Cast: Taissa Farmiga, Andre Royo,
Madisen Beaty, Keir Gilchrist
"A 15-year-old girl returns to school after
someone shares an explicit video of her."
Winner of the 1st Prize Cinéfondation at the
2015 Festival de Cannes.
BEAR STORY (Historia de un oso)
Director: Gabriel Osorio
10 mins. (Chile; 2014) Valley Premiere
"Through a tin marionette theater of his own
making, a bear tells his life story." Winner of
the IndieJunior Award at IndieLisboa.
THE HYPERGLOT
Director: Michael Urie
25 mins. (USA; 2013) NorCal Premiere
Cast: Michael Levi Harris, Tovah Feldshuh,
Kaley Ronayne, Ryan Spahn
"Despite his extreme talent for quickly learning
and speaking different languages, a New Yorker
struggles to make a romantic connection with
the right woman."
IN THE CLOUDS (En las nubes)
Director: Marcelo Mitnik
21 mins. (Argentina; 2014) Valley Premiere
Cast: Valeria Blanc, Jeremy Glazer, Martín
Piroyansky, Veronica Hassan, Javier Drolas,
María Canale
"An exploration of cultural disagreements
about intimacy, love, and marriage proposals in
the age of YouTube." Winner of the Clover
and Maggie Award at the 2015 Cleveland
International Film Festival.
Shorts Program is 108 minutes in total.
Shorts Program 2015
Sat., Aug. 1, 2015 - 10:30 AM
Janet Leigh Theatre
STAY AWAKE
Director: Jamie Sisley
14 mins. (USA; 2015) West Coast Premiere
Cast: Owen Campbell, David Rysdahl,
Rebecca Harris
"Brothers, a mother, songs from the seventies,
Xanax, and a woman named Vicki." Winner of
Grand Jury Prize for Best Narrative Short at
the 2015 Slamdance Film Festival.
WE CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT COSMOS
Director: Konstantin Bronzit
15 mins. (Russian Federation; 2014) Valley Premiere
"Two cosmonaut friends try to do their best
while training to make their shared dream
come true. But this story isn't just about their
dream." Winner of the Cristal for a Short Film
at the 2015 Annecy International Animation
Festival.
YES WE LOVE (Ja vi elsker)
Director: Hallvar Witzø
15 mins. (Norway; 2014) Valley Premiere
Cast: Johan Fredrik Bergflødt-Johannessen,
Edvard Hægstad, Terje Ranes
"Four generations, each with a crisis, set in four
different parts of Norway on the Norwegian
Independence Day." Winner of the Short Film
Special Distinction Award at the 2014 Festival
de Cannes.
Konstantin Bronzit’s Lavatory Lovestory
screened at SJIFF 2009 and Hallvar Witzø’s
Tuba Atlantic screened at SJIFF 2012.
5
© Rai Cinema
© Spotlight Media Productions AG
Unlikely Heroes
Human Capital
Sat., Aug. 1, 2015 - 1:00 PM
Janet Leigh Theatre
Central Valley Premiere
Audience Award Winner at the 67th Locarno International
Film Festival in Switzerland and Official Selection of the
19th Berlin & Beyond Film Festival in San Francisco.
94 mins. (Switzerland; 2014)
in Swiss German and
German with English
subtitles
Sabine is slightly down on her luck. Her kids are on vacation,
her husband has left her, and things aren‘t going very well
at work. Over Christmas, she decides to volunteer at a
refugee camp, preparing a play production of William Tell
(the folk hero of Switzerland) with the residents in time for
New Year. While Sabine concentrates on directing the
group, the asylum seekers have other problems to deal
with: staying in the country, love, family, and, of course, the
German language. Will they be ready for curtain call?
Italy's Official Entry to the 2015 Academy Awards for Best
Foreign Language Film nomination consideration.Winner
of 7 David di Donatello Awards, including Best Film, and
the Italian Golden Globe for Best Film.
Schweizer Helden
Director: Peter Luisi
Cast: Esther Gemsch, Karim
Rahoma, Komi Mizrajim Togbonou,
Newroz Baz, Elvis Clausen,
Klaus Wildbolz, Uygar Tamer
Screenwriters: Jürgen Ladenburger,
Peter Luisi
Producers: Aminta Iseppi,
Peter Luisi
Cinematographer:
Nicolò Settegrana
Editors: Bigna Tomschin,
Patrick Zähringer
Music: Michael Duss,
Christian Schlumpf, Martin Skalsky
U.S. Distributor: Olive Films
Peter Luisi’s The Sandman was the Opening Night Film of
the 5th San Joaquin International Film Festival in 2012.
Special remarks by Martin Schwartz of the Consulate General
of Switzerland in San Francisco.
Il capitale umano
Based on Stephen Amidon's acclaimed novel, director Paolo
Virzì’s Human Capital presents a riveting and stylish modern
day morality tale of class, greed and desire. With a lavish
home and beautiful wife, hedge-fund manager Giovanni
Bernaschi seemingly has it all. Meanwhile, real estate agent
Dino Ossala struggles to maintain his family's middle-class
existence and faces even worse financial straits when his
wife announces that she is pregnant with twins. Leveraging
his daughter's relationship with Giovanni's son, Dino deceives
the bank and manipulates his way into the Bernaschi hedge
fund. As the destinies of both families become fur ther
entwined, a fateful hit and run accident sets in motion a
chain of events, triggering dangerous consequences that will
change their lives forever.
Sat., Aug. 1, 2015 - 3:00 PM
Janet Leigh Theatre
Special Screening
110 mins. (Italy; 2014)
in Italian with English subtitles
Director: Paolo Virzì
Cast: Valeria Bruni Tedeschi,
Fabrizio Bentivoglio, Valeria Golino,
Fabrizio Gifuni
Screenwriters: Paolo Virzì,
Francesco Bruni, Francesco Piccolo
Producers: Fabrizio Donvito,
Marco Cohen, Benedetto Habib
Cinematographer: Jérôme Alméras
Editor: Cecilia Zanuso
Music: Carlo Virzì
U.S. Distributor: Film Movement
Paolo Virzì’s The First Beautiful Thing was the Opening Night
Film of the 4th San Joaquin International Film Festival in
2011.
Sponsored by:
• Consulate General of
• Switzerland in
• San Francisco
6
7
Little England
In the Grayscale
Greece's Official Entry to the 2015 Academy Awards for
Best Foreign Language Film nomination consideration.
Winner of 6 Hellenic Film Academy Awards, including
Best Film, in 2014.
Winner of the Ibero-American Opera Prima Award at its
World Premiere at the 2015 Miami International Film
Festival and Best First Feature at the 2015 Frameline San
Francisco International LGBTQ Film Festival.
From acclaimed veteran filmmaker Pantelis Voulgaris, director
of the Martin Scorsese-produced blockbuster Brides (2004).
Written by Ioanna Karystiani and based on an adaptation
of her much-praised novel, “The Jasmine Isle," which was
published in 1997.
When architect Bruno (Chilean TV star Francisco Celhay)
finds himself passionately drawn to a Santiago tour guide,
Fernando (Emilio Edwards), he faces challenging decisions
about his identity — and his relationship with his wife and
young son. Hired to design a civic landmark for the Chilean
capitol city, Bruno struggles with the commission. His
uncertainty about how to proceed professionally is paralleled
by his personal grappling. Offering no easy answers, this
tenderly told tale of sexual discovery has earned comparisons
to Andrew Haigh’s Weekend for its beautifully realized
portrayal of two men in love.
Mikra Anglia
Sat., Aug. 1, 2015 - 6:00 PM
Janet Leigh Theatre
Central Valley Premiere
132 mins. (Greece; 2013)
in Greek with English
subtitles
Director: Pantelis Voulgaris
Cast: Penelope Tsilika, Sofia Kokkali,
Anneza Papadopoulou,
Andreas Konstantinou,
Maximos Moumouris
Screenwriter: Ioanna Karystiani
Producers: Yiannis Iakovidis,
Katerina Helioti, Mikra Agglia
Cinematographer: Simos Sarketzis
Editor: Takis Yiannopoulos
Music: Katerina Polemi
U.S. Distributor: Corinth Films
Sponsored by:
• Emily Ballus
© Tantan Films
© Mikra Agglia S.A.
Opening Night
1930, Andros, a Greek island. 20-year-old Orsa is passionately
in love with sailor Spyros Maltabes. Orsa won’t reveal her
secret to anyone, not even to her sister Moscha. A free
spirit, Moscha wants to escape the dictates of local tradition:
women marrying sailors and spending their lives in loneliness. The girls’ mother, Mina, the shrewd wife of captain
Savvas, is at the helm of the family. Her priority is to marry
off her daughters to wealthy husbands. She turns down Spyros’
marriage proposal for Orsa, as he comes from a humble
background; Orsa marries Nikos Vatokouzis, a captain and
ship owner. After several years, Spyros returns to the island
as an accomplished captain and marries Moscha. In the
wake of World War II, suppressed feelings are rekindled
and cruel games of fate reveal secrets, leading to devastation.
En la gama de los grises
This special LGBTQ Spotlight presentation will open with
three short films:
• Aban + Khorshid (Dir. Darwin Serink - 15 mins.)
• Barrio Boy (Dir. Dennis Shinners - 8 mins.)
• Charlotte (Dir. Angel Kristi Williams - 11 mins.)
Midnight Party
LGBTQ Spotlight
Sat., Aug. 1, 2015 - 9:30 PM
Janet Leigh Theatre
Central Valley Premiere
101 mins. (Chile; 2015)
in Spanish with English subtitles
Director: Claudio Marcone
Cast: Francisco Celhay, Emilio
Edwards, Sergio Hernánde,
Daniela Ramirez, Matias Torres
Screenwriter:
Rodrigo Antonio Norero
Producer: Luis Cifuentes
Cinematographer:
Andrés Jordán
Editor: Felipe Gálvez Haberle
U.S. Distributor: Wolfe Releasing
Sponsored by:
• The Office of Jeffrey F.
• Gamboni Landscape
• Architect
• Mile Wine Company
August 1, 2015 - 11:30 PM at Mile Wine Company
2113 Pacific Avenue, Stockton
Following the film, join us on the Miracle Mile for this
celebratory event, featuring complimentary appetizers,
no-host bar, and hot beats. Open to all ticketholders,
passholders, and invited guests.
8
Age restrictions: 18+ for film, 21+ for Midnight Party
9
Documentary Film
40 mins. (USA, Egypt; 2015)
in English
Director: Mark Nickolas
With: Bahia Shehab, Mira Shihadeh,
Salma Samy, Shahira Amin,
Christiane Gruber, Ammar Abo
Bakr, Nazeer
Producers: Ramy Francis,
Jean Ferreri, Mark Nickolas
Cinematographers: Oscar Frasser,
Mark Nickolas
Editor: Mark Nickolas
Music: David Murillo R.
U.S. Contact:
[email protected]
Courtesy of Argot Pictures
© Mark Nickolas
Sun., Aug. 2, 2015 - 11:00 AM
Janet Leigh Theatre
California Premiere
Nefertiti’s Daughters
Don’t Think I’ve Forgotten:
Winner of the Short Documentary First Prize at the 2015
Athens International Film + Video Festival in Ohio.
During the 60’s and early 70’s, as the war in Vietnam
threatened its borders, a new music scene emerged in
Cambodia that took Western rock and roll and stood it on
its head – creating a sound like no other : Cambodian
musicians crafted this sound from the various rock music
styles sweeping America, England, and France, adding the
unique melodies and hypnotic rhythms of their traditional
music.
Nefertiti’s Daughters is a story of women, art and revolution.
Told by prominent Egyptian ar tists, this documentar y
witnesses the critical role revolutionary street art played
during the Egyptian uprisings. Focused on the role of
women artists in the struggle for social and political change,
Nefertiti's Daughters spotlights how the iconic graffiti of
Queen Nefertiti places her on the front lines in the ongoing
fight for women’s rights and freedoms in Egypt today.
Preceded by Listen
(Dirs. Hamy Ramezan & Rungano Nyoni - 13 mins.)
Cambodia’s Lost Rock and Roll
But as Cambodian society - young creative musicians in
particular - embraced western culture and flourished under
its influence, the rest of the country was rapidly moving to
war. After taking over the country on April 17, 1975, the
Khmer Rouge began wiping out all traces of modernity and
Western influence. Intellectuals, artists and musicians were
specifically and systematically targeted and eliminated. Thus
began one of the most brutal genocides in history, killing an
estimated two million people – a quarter of the Cambodian
population.
Don’t Think I’ve Forgotten: Cambodia’s Lost Rock and Roll
tracks the twists and turns of Cambodian music as it
morphs into rock and roll, blossoms, and is nearly destroyed
along with the rest of the country. This documentary film
provides a new perspective on a country usually associated
with only war and genocide.
Sun., Aug. 2, 2015 - 1:00 PM
Janet Leigh Theatre
Central Valley Premiere
Documentary Film
107 mins. (Cambodia, USA,
France; 2014)
in English, French, and Khmer
with English subtitles.
Director: John Pirozzi
With: Sieng Vanthy, Norodom
Sirivudth, Sieng Di, Mol Kamach,
Dy Saveth, Thong Sem,
Mol Kagnol
Featuring: Sinn Sisamouth,
Ros Serey Sothea, Bayon Band,
Baksey Cham Krong, Liv Tek,
Drakkar, Pen Ran, Huoy Meas,
Yol Aularong, Pou Vannary
Screenwriter: John Pirozzi
Producers: John Pirozzi,
Andre Pope
Cinematographer: John Pirozzi
Editors: Daniel Littlewood,
Gregory Wright, Matthew Prinzing
Music: Scot Blackwell Stafford
U.S. Distributor: Argot Pictures
Preceded by Cambodia 2099 (Dir. Davy Chou - 21 mins.)
Sponsored by:
• Visit Stockton
10
11
Sun., Aug. 2, 2015 - 3:30 PM
Janet Leigh Theatre
California Premiere
85 mins. (Canada, France,
Lebanon, Qatar, USA; 2014)
in English. Rated PG
Director: Roger Allers
Voice Cast: Liam Neeson,
Salma Hayek, Quvenzhané Wallis,
John Krasinski, Alfred Molina,
Frank Langella
Vignettes’ Directors:
Gaëtan Brizzi, Paul Brizzi, Joan
Gratz, Mohammed Saeed Harib,
Tomm Moore, Nina Paley,
Bill Plympton, Joann Sfar,
Michal Socha
Screenwriter: Roger Allers
Producers: Salma Hayek-Pinault,
Clark Peterson, José Tamez,
Ron Senkowski
Editor: Jennifer Dolce
Music: Gabriel Yared
U.S. Distributor: GKids
Sponsored by:
• Library & Literacy
• Foundation for
• San Joaquin County
12
Courtesy of Jared Callahan
Courtesy of GKIDS
Centerpiece
Kahlil Gibran’s The Prophet
Janey Makes a Play
“The Prophet,” by celebrated Lebanese-American author
Kahlil Gibran, is among the most popular volumes of poetry
ever written, selling over 100 million copies in 40 languages
since its publication in 1923.
In Person: Janey Callahan-Chin and other special guests
from the film.
Gibran’s timeless verses have been given enchanting new
form in this painterly cinematic adventure about freedom
and the power of human expression.
This breathtaking animated feature, produced and spearheaded by Salma Hayek, was an official selection at Cannes
and made its North American premiere at Toronto International Film Festival. Written and directed by Roger Allers
(The Lion King), the film intersperses Gibran’s elegant poetry
within stunning animated sequences by filmmakers Tomm
Moore (SJIFF 2010 opener The Secret of Kells, Song of the
Sea), Nina Paley (Sita Sings the Blues, SJIFF 2009), Bill Plympton
(SJIFF 2009 El Dorado Award honoree), and a host of
award-winning animators from around the world.
Set in a Mediterranean sea-side village, Kamila (Salma
Hayek) cleans house for exiled artist and poet Mustafa
(Liam Neeson), but the more difficult job is keeping her
free-spirited young daughter, Almitra, (Quvenzhané Wallis,
Beasts of the Southern Wild) out of trouble. The three
embark on a journey meant to end with Mustafa’s return
home – but first they must evade the authorities who fear
that the truth in his words will incite rebellion. Featuring
music from Damien Rice, Glen Hansard, Yo-Yo Ma, and
French-Lebanese composer Gabriel Yared.
Festival’s minimum age to attend is 6 years old.
The Festival proudly welcomes this documentary work
of Jared Callahan, alumnus of Lodi’s Tokay High School.
Official selections of the Atlanta Film Festival and the
Newport Beach Film Festival.
Janey Makes a Play is a documentary film that follows a
captivating ninety-year-old woman as she rallies her small
town to create a theatre production about the Great
Depression amidst the real erosion of the town's local
economy. Janey has spent her life in the theatre, committing
the past decade to writing and directing original plays for
Rio Vista, California, a picturesque small town on the
Sacramento River Delta. Her community non-profit troupe,
called No Small Thing Productions, has produced seventeen
of Janey's original handwritten plays. Janey continually battles
inconsistent rehearsal attendance, people moving away or
quitting, actors memorizing their lines last-minute, and sets
that are not completely assembled. If they don't sell tickets
for their performance,the troupe will not have enough
money to continue to exist. Interspersed with the production
of the play are interviews and stories of the residents and
local business owners who reveal the damage that the
recent recession has inflicted upon their way of life. While
the production unfolds, the town of Rio Vista becomes an
important character itself, as we see a small town's existence
become fragile when it relies on the fading industries of
farming and local commerce. All the storylines collide on
opening night as the town rallies together to tell their own
story on stage.
Sun., Aug. 2, 2015 - 5:30 PM
Janet Leigh Theatre
Central Valley Premiere
Documentary Film
80 mins. (USA; 2015)
in English
Director: Jared Callahan
With: Janey Callahan-Chin,
Jeff Shewmaker, Roxanne StilesDonnelly, Tom Thompson, Janie
Thompson, Lorren Montgomery,
Sean Mackenzie, Kianna Machado,
Dick Swensson
Producer: Brent Ryan Green
Cinematographer:
Bryan Bangerter
Editor: Brad Kester
Music: Joel P. West
U.S. Contact:
[email protected]
Sponsored by:
• University Plaza
• Waterfront Hotel
Outreach Partner:
• Stockmarket
13
2015 Film Festival
Sponsors
Lead Partners
© Viewfinder
Principal Venue
Official Hotel and Closing Night
Supporting Sponsors & Partners
Closing Night
On the Road, Somewhere
Sun., Aug. 2, 2015 - 8:00 PM
Janet Leigh Theatre
Northern California Premiere
Official Selection at the Miami International Film Festival
(World Premiere), and the Chicago Latino Film Festival.
Opening Night
Algún lugar
LGBTQ Spotlight
71 mins.
(Dominican Republic; 2015)
in Spanish with English
subtitles
Director: Guillermo Zouain
Cast: Victor Alfonso, Javier Grullón,
Arnold Martínez
Screenwriters: Wendy Muñiz,
Guillermo Zouain
Producers: Guillermo Zouain,
Wendy Muñiz, Fabiola De La Rosa
Cinematographer:
Sebastian Cabrera Chelin
Editors: Israel Cárdenas,
Juanjo Cid
Contact: [email protected]
Sponsored by:
• University Plaza
• Waterfront Hotel
In Santiago, best friends Oliver, Moises and Hemingway are
preparing for a ritual known to middle-class teenagers
around the world—one last carefree summer road trip, just
before college, when the first steps into adulthood will
begin and everything they know will change.The boys map
a route from Montecristi in the north to points east, with
an eventual destination of Pedernales in the south, where
Oliver’s high school girlfriend Veronica is staying with her
grandmother, until she leaves to study in New York in the
fall. Along the way, the car breaks down frequently, leaving
the three boys stranded with nearly every character under
the Dominican sun. As their hilarious conversations, arguments
and riffs on popular culture, national identity and politics
build momentum, an emblematic snapshot of both the joys
and insecurities of contemporary Dominican society emerges.
– Jaie Laplante, Miami International Film Festival
Preceded by Share (Dir. Pippa Bianco - 11 mins.)
Closing Night Party
August 2, 2015 - 9:45 PM
at University Plaza Waterfront Hotel
110 West Fremont Street, Stockton
Celebrate the completion of another sensational festival,
with festival guests and fellow film lovers! Admission includes
one drink ticket and complimentary appetizers.
Ages 21+. No-host bar. Cocktail attire requested.
$25.00 Film + Party package / $20.00 Party only
14
Centerpiece
Midnight Party
Official Photography
Technology
Instagram Partners:
@VisitStockton
@StocktonCA
@StocktonEvents
Thank You
• 97.7 & 98.3 KWIN • Alex Kopecky • Amanda King • Angie Guzman • Bill Engelhardt • Carrie Sass
• Chance Huskey • Cory Crossley • Dave Jesteadt • Emily Ballus • FOX40 • Frameline • Guillermo Zouain
• Jared Callahan • Jeffrey F. Gamboni • Jeffrey Winter • Jim Browne • John Lessard • Joel Reyna, Jr.
• John Poole Jr. • Julienne Ryan • Katrina Ordanza • Lesley Fontanilla • Lucas KWIN • Marilyn Gallup
• Mark Nickolas • Martin Schwartz • Mary Ann & Steve Schermerhorn • Maxwell Wolkin • Megan Peterson
• Miguel Guillén • Paul & Cindi Marsh • Rita Seeman • Rhona Miles • Sabine Erlenwein • San Joaquin
Lifestyles Magazine • San Joaquin Magazine • Scott McColl • Shane & Lisa Williamson • Shannon Sorn
• Sofia Sorn • Sophat & Sovanna Sorn • Steve Morales • Stockmarket • Tim Ulmer • Tom Conner
• Tony Zoccoli • Wes Rhea
Special Offers
University Plaza Waterfront Hotel
$99.00 Special Festival Rate per Night:
To book, call (209) 944-1140. Special Rate is
available by phone only, and applicable for
stays during July 31-August 3, 2015.
universityplazawaterfronthotel.com
Mile Wine Company
20% off any food purchase by showing
festival tickets during August 1-8, 2015.
Discount not applicable for drinks. Tax and
gratuity will apply.
milewinecompany.com
15
San Joaquin International
Film Festival through the
years - photo memories and
highlights! Special thanks to
our official photographer,
Tim Ulmer, who captured
most of these treasured
moments.