46th USA Film Festival Schedule of Events full

Transcription

46th USA Film Festival Schedule of Events full
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 5, 2016
USA Film Festival
214-821-6300
[email protected]
The USA Film Festival announces
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
46th Annual USA Film Festival
April 20 - 24, 2016
6116 N. CENTRAL EXPWY.
SUITE 105
DALLAS, TEXAS 75206
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WWW.USAFILMFESTIVAL.COM
USAFILMFESTIVAL @ AOL.COM
DALLAS – The USA Film Festival announces the schedule of events for the 46th Annual
USA Film Festival, April 20 - 24, 2016. All programs will be held at the Angelika Film
Center, 5321 E. Mockingbird Lane, Dallas, Texas. Advance tickets are available exclusively
through Ticketmaster beginning April 8, 2016.
This year’s program highlights (in-person guests) include:
- Salute to actor Alfred Molina with screening of Ira Sachs’ new film Little Men (The feature film will
be preceded by a film clip compilation saluting Alfred Molina)
- Salute to writer/director Ira Sachs with screening of his new film Little Men
- Salute to the legendary photojournalist Harry Benson with screening of the new documentary film
Harry Benson: Shoot First; The program will be hosted by actor (and USAFF Advisory Board
member) Peri Gilpin; Harry Benson and filmmakers Matthew Miele and Justin Bare in
attendance
- Salute to writer/director Whit Stillman with screening of his new film Love & Friendship
- Salute to country music superstar Charley Pride with screening of the new documentary film
Country: Portraits of an American Sound; Charley Pride and writer/director Steven Kochones in
attendance
- Salute to actor Bruce Davison with screenings of the new short film Extra School and new feature
film Displacement (The feature film will be preceded by a film clip compilation saluting Bruce
Davison)
- Dallas-born actor Courtney Hope (the Divergent series) returns to her hometown with a screening of
the new feature thriller in which she stars, Displacement, (also with Bruce Davison); writer/director
Kenneth Mader also in attendance
- Special repertory screening of The Diary of Anne Frank with star Millie Perkins in attendance
- Screening of the fascinating new documentary The Witness (a re-examination of the murder of
Kitty Genovese) with writer/director James Solomon and writer Bill Genovese in attendance
- Screening debut of the Dallas-based documentary film Taking Back Oak Lawn with director
Steven Pomerantz and other guests in attendance
- Actor Linda Gray (starring in the short film Wally’s Will) will host a program of new short films with
filmmakers in attendance including Bruce Davison (Extra School) and Kelly Lynch (Madame
Psychosis Holds a Séance, written, directed and art-designed by Dallas-born artist/painter
Rosson Crow, also in attendance)
- Awards program for the 38th Annual International Short Film Competition; The 2016 National Jury
includes writer/director John Putch, actor/writer/director Christina Beck, actor/writer/producer
Paul Marcarelli, actor/writer/director/producer Karen Young, and writer/director/producer/animator
Jorge Gutierrez
- Several programs of short films and filmmakers will be presented during the program (Narrative,
Nonfiction, Student, Animation) as Free-admission events
- Opening Night dinner at Salum Restaurant hosted by Abraham Salum with visiting
Chef Vivian Howard from PBS’s A Chef’s Life and Master Sommelier Michael Flynn;
Broadcasting legend (NBC5) and long-time USAFF friend Bobbie Wygant will serve as Honorary
Chairman for the fundraiser and will be in attendance.
[A full schedule of films is listed in the attached program flyer. Another 60+ filmmaker guests will be
in attendance.)
The USA Film Festival announces SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
46th Annual USA Film Festival, April 20–24, 2016
April 5, 2016
Page 2 of 3
Guest moderators for this year’s program include:
- Actor (and USAFF Advisory Board Member) Linda Gray will host the SHOWCASE SHORTS
program on Saturday, April 23rd
- Actor Peri Gilpin will host the Salute to Harry Benson on Saturday April 23rd
- Professor of cinema/film writer Foster Hirsch will host the screening of The Diary of Anne Frank
with special guest actor Millie Perkins
This year’s program is dedicated to long-time friends and filmmakers Tom Bywaters,
Philip Wuntch, Richard Glatzer and Bud Yorkin.
TICKET & SCHEDULE INFORMATION
Tickets for most programs are $10.
There are also several FREE-admission programs noted in the schedule.
Advance tickets will be available via TICKETMASTER beginning April 8th
Tickets by telephone – 214-631-2787
Tickets online – www.ticketmaster.com
A complete schedule of all Festival events may be obtained by calling the Festival office at
214-821-FILM or may be viewed online at ww.usafilmfestival.com
Printed schedules are also available for pick up at the Angelika Film Center Dallas.
OFFICIAL SPONSORS
Sponsors of the 46th Annual USA Film Festival include Dave Perry-Miller Real Estate, Gaedeke Group,
Whole Foods Market, Carol and Alan J. Bernon Family Charitable Trust, Headington Company,
Suddenlink Communications, Dallas Film Commission, B2B Wireless, Sidley Austin LLP,
Jackson Walker LLP, Texas Film Commission, Texas Association of Motion Media Professionals,
B2B Wireless, DISH Network, SAG-AFTRA, Alford Media Services, MPS Studios, Angelika Film
Center and Ticketmaster. The USA Film Festival is supported in part by the City of Dallas Office of
Cultural Affairs. This program is supported in part by a grant from the Texas Commission on the Arts.
ABOUT THE USA FILM FESTIVAL
A year-round film festival featuring 50 days of programs
The USA Film Festival is a 46-year-old Dallas-based 501c3 non-profit organization dedicated to the
recognition and promotion of excellence in the film and video arts. Year-round events include the
annual KidFilm®Festival, a 38-year-old International Short Film Competition; monthly screenings;
special programs and premieres; and the USA Film Festival, held each Spring. Throughout the year, the
Festival presents a variety of membership, exhibition, educational, and cultural programs designed to
bring together audiences and filmmakers for a “live cinema” experience.
The USA Film Festival announces SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
46th Annual USA Film Festival, April 20–24, 2016
April 5, 2016
Page 3 of 3
EDITORS’ CONTACT INFO / ARTWORK REQUESTS
LOVE & FRIENDSHIP
Carole Smith
GaylerSmith Company
[email protected]
972-978-4892
LITTLE MEN
(Film & Ira Sachs only; Interview requests for Mr. Molina should be sent to Carole Smith)
SUNSET SONG
HARRY BENSON: SHOOT FIRST
(Film & filmmakers only; Interview requests for Mr. Benson should be sent to Carole Smith)
Christine Finnegan
Finnegan Public Relations
[email protected]
972-678-0592
THE MAN WHO KNEW INFINITY
Josh Reeder
[email protected]
972-957-3153
Interviews, artwork, etc. for all other films, please request through:
Carole Smith
GaylerSmith Company
[email protected]
972-978-4892
USA Film Festival
214-821-6300
[email protected]
-end-
Photo credits: Bruce Davison – Michael Hiller; Ira Sachs – Jeong Park; Harry Benson – Gigi Benson; Harry Benson: Shoot First – Harry Benson; The Man Who Knew Infinity – IFC Films; Peri Gilpin – Theo & Juliet Photography; Whit Stillman – Roadside Attractions; Sunset Song – Magnolia Pictures; Kelly Lynch – Jeff Vespa/Contour by GettyImages; Courtney Hope – Bjoern Kommerell; Love & Friendship – Roadside Attractions; Picturing War – Benjamin Hiller; Vivian Howard -- Rex Miller; Steven Kochones -- Emma Cohan.
The 46th annual
www.usafilmfestival.com
USA FILM FESTIVAL
April 20 - 24, 2016 - Angelika Film Center Dallas
Bruce Davison
Charley Pride
Ira Sachs
Alfred Molina
Harry Benson
Chef Vivian Howard
Amanda Aday
HARRY BENSON: SHOOT FIRST
John Putch
Terence Davies’ SUNSET SONG
THE MAN WHO KNEW
INFINITY
Kelly Lynch
Peri Gilpin
Rosson Crow
Whit Stillman
Terence Davies’ SUNSET SONG
Linda Gray
Millie Perkins in THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK
Courtney Hope
THE WITNESS
PICTURING WAR
Whit Stillman’s LOVE & FRIENDSHIP
Christina Beck
Paul Marcarelli
Karen Young
Jorge Gutierrez
USA FILM FESTIVAL 2016
W E D N E S D A Y,
A P R I L
2 0
DINNER EVENT AT SALUM -- GUESS WHO’S COMING TO DINNER?
Photo: Rex Miller
Guest Chef Vivian Howard will present a multi-course feast for ticketholders at Salum Restaurant. Chef Abraham Salum hosts the event and will close his eponymous restaurant for the
private dinner which will also feature wine pairings selected and introduced by Master Sommelier Michael Flynn. Actress and USAFF Advisory Board member Linda Gray is our honored
guest for the evening and NBC 5 broadcasting legend and long time USAFF friend Bobbie Wygant is our Honorary Chairman for the fundraising event. Our Co-Chairs for the event are Board
President and Board Members Kristin Schor, Laura Fox Williamson and Susan Haddad. Proceeds benefit the year-round outreach programs of the USA Film Festival.
Abraham Salum, Vivian Howard, Michael Flynn, Linda Gray, Bobbie Wygant, Kristin Schor, Laura Fox Williamson, Susan Haddad
TICKETS for this event only -- Seating is limited to 100 guests. Tickets to the film/wine/dinner are $150 per person and may be purchased from the USA Film Festival.
(100% of your ticket contribution to the 501c3 nonprofit organization may be considered tax-deductible.)
To attend the dinner event: Contact the Festival office at 214-821-6300 to purchase your tickets. (Note: These tickets are NOT available via Ticketmaster.)
Your ticket includes the five-course chef’s dinner with wine pairings at Salum restaurant with our guests.
About Chef Vivian – Born in Deep Run, NC, to tobacco and hog farming parents, Vivian Howard learned early on to appreciate the ebb and flow of eating with the seasons. Still, it
took 23 years and a start in the advertising business to convince her a career in food was feasible. After college, Vivian moved to New York for work, but found the City’s food and
restaurant scene far more intriguing. A server position at Greenwich Village’s, Voyage, made it possible for her to begin trailing under the restaurant’s Chef, Scott Barton. She went
on to learn from creative, cutting edge Chef’s Wylie Dufresne and Sam Mason at WD­50 and later, was a member of the opening team at Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s Spice Market.
In 2005, Vivian, and her now husband, Ben Knight, decided to return to Vivian’s roots to open a farm to fork restaurant in the small town of Kinston, NC. They opened Chef & the
Farmer in the summer of 2006 serving local, seasonal, creative cuisine. Nine years in, Vivian and her restaurant have won numerous accolades, including her selection as a 2012,
2013, 2014 and 2015 James Beard semifinalist. She has also opened a second restaurant right across the street from Chef & the Farmer, called The Boiler Room. In 2012, Vivian
approached her childhood neighbor turned filmmaker, Cynthia Hill, about directing a documentary film series about Eastern North Carolina’s food traditions. Three years later, the
two women have produced 3 seasons of “A Chef’s Life,” a PBS series that celebrates family, work and food. In its first two seasons, “A Chef’s Life” won a Peabody Award, a Daytime
Emmy and was nominated for 4 James Beard Awards (more than any other television series). Season 3 began in September 2015. Vivian is currently at work on the first of two cookbooks to be published by Little, Brown in October of 2016 as well as the 4th Season of “A Chef’s Life.” Vivian’s book “Deep Run Roots” will be published by Little Brown in Fall 2016.
Special Thanks to our wonderful Sponsors for this event:
Photo: Theo & Juliet Photography
OUR FRIENDS & MODERATORS
HOSTING PROGRAMS THIS YEAR
Peri Gilpin is best-known to television audiences as radio producer ‘Roz Doyle’ in NBC’s Emmy-winning comedy series FRASIER. She can currently be seen on CBS’s second
season of SCORPION. Prior to her role on SCORPION, Peri starred alongside Craig Robinson and Amandla Stenberg in MR. ROBINSON. Peri recently starred in the heart-warming short ELECTION NIGHT and Lifetime’s television movie THE CHOKING GAME. Among many of Peri’s television credits are roles in MEN AT WORK, MAKE IT OR BREAK IT,
MODERN FAMILY, LAW AND ORDER, HOT IN CLEVELAND, and DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES. Peri has appeared in the films “How to Kill Your Neighbor’s Dog,” with Kenneth
Branagh and Robin Wright Penn, and “Spring Forward,” with Liev Schreiber. Peri’s theatre credits include three summers with the Williamstown Theatre in Massachusetts. She
starred as ‘Alexa Vere de Vere’ in “As Bees in Honey Drown” in the off-Broadway Lucille Lortell Theatre and at the Pasadena Playhouse. She also enjoyed a successful run in
“Matthew Modine Saves the Alpacas” at the Geffen Theatre in Los Angeles. As a child, Peri enrolled in the Dallas Theater Center, and went on to study drama at the University of
Texas in Austin and the British-American Academy in London. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and twin daughters.
Linda Gray is an award winning actress, an accomplished director, a former United Nations Goodwill Ambassador and one of the world’s most recognized and admired stars. Her
award winning portrayal of ‘Sue Ellen’, in the original TV series “Dallas”, brought her international fame and critical acclaim earning her an Emmy nomination for Best Actress and
numerous international awards. (She also directed numerous episodes.) Linda’s memoir “The Road to Happiness is Always Under Construction” was published in September. She
has appeared on the London stage in the original stage production of “Terms of Endearment,” and also starred in the West End production of “The Graduate” and replaced Kathleen
Turner on Broadway for a limited engagement. Her other stage work includes “The Vagina Monologues”, “Agnes of God” and “Love Letters.” Linda recently guest starred in the
new CW Network TV sit-com “Significant Mother” and Hallmark’s TV movie “Perfect Match”, and is in discussion about a tour of “Love Letters” with Patrick Duffy. She stars in the
hilarious short film “Wally’s Will” which will screen at this year’s USAFF.
Foster Hirsch is Professor of Film at Brooklyn College of the City University of New York and the author of sixteen books on film and theatre, including The Dark Side of the
Screen: Film Noir, Otto Preminger: The Man Who Would Be King, and A Method to their Madness: The History of the Actors Studio. He is a frequent host/moderator at
many venues including the Players Club, the Harvard Club, the Film Forum, the American Cinematheque, and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. He has lectured
on film in India, China, Dubai, Israel, France, Germany, England and New Zealand.
Alonso Duralde is Film Reviews Editor for TheWrap and Senior Programmer at Outfest. He has previously written about film for Movieline, Salon and MSNBC.com, among many
other outlets. He also co-hosts the Linoleum Knife podcast and regularly appears on What the Flick?! (The Young Turks Network). Duralde is a pre-screener for the Sundance Film
Festival, as well as a consultant for the USA Film Festival/Dallas, where he spent five years as artistic director. A former arts and entertainment editor at The Advocate, he was a
regular contributor to “The Rotten Tomatoes Show” on Current. He is the author of two books — “Have Yourself a Movie Little Christmas” (Limelight Editions) and “101 Must-See
Movies for Gay Men” (Advocate Books) — and an adjunct faculty member at Chapman University.
PREMIERES AND PROGRAMS
T H U R S D A Y,
A P R I L
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Little Men
Sunset Song
Taking Back Oak Lawn
Photo Courtesy of Magnolia Pictures
Photo Courtesy of Magnolia Pictures
LITTLE MEN
Salute to ALFRED MOLINA
TAKING BACK OAK LAWN
SUNSET SONG
During the Autumn of 2015, Dallas’ vibrant Oak Lawn neighborhood was rocked by a series of 17 attacks (to date) against gay
men. Filmmaker Steven Pomerantz set out to create a short
film documenting the crimes and the formation of the Survivors
Offering Support group. The story continued to develop as he
recorded it, and his project soon morphed into his first featurelength documentary -- one that records the efforts of survivors,
activists, and advocates as they take their community back by
putting pressure on local businesses, police, and politicians.
Though the film was born from terrible crimes, “Taking Back Oak
Lawn” stands as an inspiring look at perseverance, the pursuit of
justice and the power of the media arts. 95mins. Director/producer Steven Pomerantz and other guests of the film will be
in attendance.
Based on the 1932 novel by Lewis Grassic Gibbon, this epic by
director Terence Davies (“The House of Mirth,” “The Deep Blue
Sea”) examines hope, tragedy, and love during the terrible dawn
of World War I. A young Scottish woman named Chris (Agyness
Deyn), the daughter of a hard-hearted farmer (Peter Mullan),
falls for Ewan (Kevin Guthrie) in their village in the unforgiving
Highlands. The First World War reaches out from afar, bringing the
modern world to bear on the community in the harshest possible
way. Yet in a final moment of grace, Chris endures, now a woman
of remarkable strength who is able to draw from the ancient land
in looking to the future. “Sunset Song” is at once epic in emotional
scale and deeply romantic at its core, given power by Davies’
unflinching poetic realism. The film will be released by Magnolia
Pictures on May 13th. 135mins.
Thursday, April 21 6:30pm
Thursday, April 21 7:00pm
SHORT
FILM
JURORS
2016
Thursday, April 21 7:00pm
A film clip compilation Tribute saluting Alfred Molina will precede
the feature film presentation.
Jake (Theo Taplitz) is a quiet, sensitive middle schooler with
dreams of being an artist. He meets the affably brash Tony
(Michael Barbieri) at his grandfather’s funeral, and the unlikely
pair soon hit it off. The budding friendship is jeopardized, however,
when a rent dispute between Jake’s father, struggling actor Brian
(Greg Kinnear), and Tony’s mother, struggling seamstress Leonor
(Paulina Garcia), threatens to become contentious. “Little Men” is
a critical yet empathetic look at the hard realities and human costs
of gentrification. Ira Sachs’ (“Love Is Strange” and “Forty Shades
of Blue”) new work draws a vibrant portrait of real people as well as
conveys the charm and changing face of Brooklyn neighborhoods
through characters that are so compelling that one can’t help thinking about them long after leaving the theater. Young actors Taplitz
and Barbieri have a natural connection and rapport, while Kinnear
and Garcia brilliantly convey the disappointment and impossible
choices of adulthood in their roles as the at-odds parents in this
profoundly human film. Jennifer Ehle, Talia Balsam, and Alfred
Molina round out the distinguished cast. 85mins. In attendance:
Alfred Molina and writer/producer/director Ira Sachs.
Award winning director, writer, actress, Christina Beck began her career as a teenager acting in such cult films as “Suburbia,” “Boys Next Door” and “Dudes” all directed by Penelope Spheeris. She studied at Playwright’s Horizons in NYC forming her own theatre
co. POW productions and wrote, produced and starred in “From the Heart” premiering at the Samuel Beckett Theatre along with several other off Broadway plays, as well as writing, directing and acting in numerous Los Angeles theatre productions. Christina wrote
and starred in her first short film, “Disco Man” followed by the noir comedy, “Blow Me,” which screened in the New York, Chicago and Seattle underground film festivals. One of the few women accepted into Fox Searchlight’s new director’s program, she directed,
wrote and starred in the short film version of her feature film script, “Slice,” which screened in Cannes. Her other short film works include “So Hot For You” which played in the Focus on Females directors in Los Angeles, “The Ophelia Project” which can be seen
on Youtube and “Lone.” “Slice” the feature screenplay later titled, “Perfection” was one of five contenders for the IFP Best Screenplay Award. The project was a part of the IFP market, selected for the IFP rough cut labs in New York, winner of The Adrienne Shelly
female directing grant and chosen to be IFP’s “Spotlight Screening” of the year sponsored by Time Warner and SAG indie. “Perfection” ran the festival circuit where Christina won Best Actor and Best Narrative feature at The Oxford Film Festival and screened in the
San Francisco International Women’s Film Festival, the USA Film Festival, as well as play dates in London, New York and Santa Monica, CA. Christina’s upcoming project, “Expecting Grace” -- a dark romantic comedy set in Marseilles, France -- was short listed
for the Sundance labs. She is also in development for her macabre half-hour sex comedy pilot, “Swing Your Partner.” Christina teaches feature screenwriting and directing along with ongoing filmmaking seminars at The New York Film Academy. Christina has sat
on the juries for The Feminist Film Festival, London, The USA Film Festival, Dallas and The South Eastern European Film Festival. She is co-founder of The Female Filmmaking Collective, a member of Film Fatales and Women in Moving Pictures in Los Angeles.
Jorge Gutierrez was born in Mexico City and raised in Tijuana, Mexico. In 1997, Jorge received his Bachelor’s of Fine Arts from CalArts and later went on to receive his Master’s of Fine Arts in Experimental Animation, graduating in 2000. His CalArts thesis, “Carmelo”, won the Student Emmy and was shown at the student showcase at the Cannes Film Festival in 2001. That same year, Jorge created his first web series, “El Macho”, for Sony Pictures In 2005, Jorge co-created (with wife Sandra Equihua) “El Tigre, The Adventures of Manny Rivera” for Nickelodeon, which won seven Emmys and an Annie for best show with just 24 episodes made. In 2014, he released “The Book of Life” for ReelFX and 20th Century Fox
-- which he directed, co-wrote and character designed. This film, produced by Guillermo del Toro, was nominated for 5 Annie awards, the Critic’s Choice Award, Producers Guild Awards and the Golden Globes for best animated feature. Jorge has been
nominated for seven Annie Individual Achievement Awards (winning two) in character design for TV and film, writing (TV) and directing (Film). He is currently at ReelFX in Dallas developing a new animated feature exploring the US and Mexican border.
Paul Marcarelli is most recognizable from his nearly twenty years as an actor in commercials. From 2001-2014, he appeared in hundreds of commercials for Verizon Wireless, portraying the ubiquitous “Can You Hear Me Now Guy.” He is Executive Producer of Jenni Olson’s
2015 Sundance hit “The Royal Road,” which Variety called “…a beguiling meditation, serenely accomplished,” and is Co-Producer of 2014’s “I Am Divine.” The feature film “Clutter,” which Marcarelli wrote and produced, starring Carol Kane and Natasha Lyonne, premiered
in competition at 2013’s Seattle International Film Festival, and theatrically in May 2014. The film was nominated for the New American Cinema Award, The Women Film Critics Circle Award, won best feature at Harlem International Film Festival, and was honored with a
special screening at USA Film Festival as part of its tribute to Carol Kane. The 2011 film “The Green,” which he wrote and produced, had its first screening at USAFF premiered at Outfest, and went on to win several best feature awards and dozens of honors for the screenplay
and cast. His theater work won Excellence Awards in 2001, 2005, and 2007 from The New York International Fringe Festival. Marcarelli has been a guest lecturer at Atlantic Theater Company’s Acting School, Fairfield University, Choate Rosemary Hall, Cheshire Academy,
and Yale University. He has served as a National Juror at the USA Film Festival some five times, Fairhope International Film Festival, and the 48 Hour Film Festival New Haven. He lives in Brooklyn and northwestern Connecticut with his husband and two rescue dogs.
The son of the late actress Jean Stapleton and the late producer/director William H. Putch, John Putch is often referred to as an independent film maverick. One of his first indie efforts, “Valerie Flake,” landed him at the ‘99 Sundance Film Festival and was nominated for
an Independent Spirit Award. He followed that hit up with a string of indie movies, including “Pursuit Of Happiness,” “Bachelorman,” the award-winning “Mojave Phone Booth” and the “Route 30” trilogy of films which were shot in South Central Pennsylvania, and his latest
drama “The Father and the Bear.” On the studio front, John has directed big-budget comedies for Universal, including “American Pie Presents: The Book Of Love” and “Beethoven’s Christmas Adventure.” “Atlas Shrugged, Part 2.” For TV, he has directed episodes of “Blackish”, “Rush Hour”, “Cougar Town”, “Body of Proof,” “Ugly Betty,” “Scrubs,” “My Name is Earl” and “The Middle”; multiple TV movies for Hallmark Entertainment; and NBC’s epic mini-series, “The Poseidon Adventure.” When John isn’t working for the studios, he enjoys making
micro budget movies with a select group of cast and crew that he has collected on his travels. Prior to becoming a filmmaker, John was an accomplished actor who started in the theater, then enjoyed a successful TV and film career before making the switch to directing.
Bud Yorkin
Photo: Chasen PR
Philip Wuntch
Photo: The Dallas Morning News
Richard Glatzer
Photo courtesy of BK PR
Tom Bywaters
Photo courtesy of Randy Stewart
Karen Young has appeared in dozens of films, most notably DAYLIGHT, TORCH SONG TRILOGY, JOE THE KING, CRIMINAL LAW, THE WIFE, HOFFA, THE GREEN, CONVICTION, HEAT, opposite Burt Reynolds, and HEADING SOUTH, opposite Charlotte Rampling. On stage she was in the original production of “A Lie of the Mind,” written and directed by Sam Shepard, and appeared in the most recent revival directed by Ethan Hawke. Television audiences are most familiar with her role as FBI Agent Robyn Sanseverino on
THE SOPRANOS. A lover of the short film form, she has written, directed and produced two shorts, A BLINK OF PARADISE starring Martha Plimpton, and THE PESKY SUITOR, starring Claire Danes. She is delighted to be returning to USAFF, having juried last in 2012.
DEDICATION -- We dedicate this year’s program to the friends and filmmakers we lost this past year.
Great friend and USAFF Board member, teacher, Emmy- and Peabody-winning producer Tom Bywaters.
Writer/director Richard Glatzer visited USAFF in 2006 with Quinceanera, which he co-wrote and co-directed with his collaborator and husband Wash Westmoreland. His untimely passing after a four year
battle with ALS was a great loss for the film community.
Dallas Morning News critic and film writer Philip Wuntch was a part of the USAFF from the beginning. Modest, knowledgeable, funny and kind, he loved films and filmmakers, and readers loved him.
The great television writer and producer Bud Yorkin (“Sanford and Son,” “All in the Family,” “Maude,” “The Jeffersons” with partner Norman Lear) honored us with a visit (and a seat on our National Advisory
Committee) following our presentation of the feature film he directed, Love Hurts. What a brilliant, talented, funny guy he was.
USA FILM FESTIVAL 2016
F R I D A Y,
Where We Begin
A P R I L
2 2
Walden Pink
Squeeze
Porcupine
The Witness
THE WITNESS
Friday, April 22 7:00pm
Right Person for
the Job
The Schoolboy
SHORTS NARRATIVE I
Friday, April 22 6:45pm
This delicious collection of dark-hearted, dramatic and comedic
narrative shorts includes a former teacher haunted by her past in
Paloma Lommel’s THE SCHOOLBOY, a series of events set in
motion by the mishandling of a gun in Jamie Kirkpatrick’s frightening SQUEEZE, a jealous father in Chieh Yang’s CRONOS, a
middle-aged man passing through confrontations in Peter Bolte’s
WALDEN PINK, a country star’s encounter with a mysterious
woman in Sabrina Doyle’s PORCUPINE, a woman who reflects
on her youth in Mitsuyo Miyazaki’s WHERE WE BEGIN, and a 55year old man waiting to be interviewed in Wilfried Méance’s RIGHT
PERSON FOR THE JOB. 99mins. Filmmakers in attendance.
FREE admission program.
Fifty years ago, the name “Kitty Genovese” became synonymous
with urban apathy after news that she was stabbed to death on a
New York City street while 38 witnesses did nothing. “For more
than half an hour,” The New York Times report began, “38 respectable, law-abiding citizens... watched a killer stalk and stab a
woman in three separate attacks... Not one person called the
police.” Forty years later, her brother Bill decides to find the truth
buried beneath the story. In the process, he uncovers a lie that
transformed his life, condemned a city, and defined an era. More
than a decade in the making, “The Witness” brings healing to the
family who lost so much that cold March day and asks us all: what
do we owe each other? 89mins. In attendance: writer/producer/
director James Solomon and writer Bill Genovese.
COUNTRY: PORTRAITS OF
AN AMERICAN SOUND
Salute to Charley Pride
Friday, April 22 7:15pm
People
PEOPLE
Friday, April 22 9:15pm
Loosely based on the works of Jean-Paul Sartre and Ambrose
Bierce, this pitch-black comedy from writer-director Shane McGoey
features six wicked vignettes and an ensemble of characters grappling with each other in a vain attempt to gain control of their lives:
an unhappily married psychiatrist and his destructive patient; a
lovelorn gay man and his indifferent one-night stand; a quartet of
embittered friends; an unhappy couple; and a struggling, idealistic
screenwriter and his pompous agent. Their frustrated and impassioned lives intersect in surprising ways, ultimately colliding in an
unexpected climax. 84mins. Filmmakers in attendance.
ELEMENT
Friday, April 22 9:30pm
Written by Brett Bentman and filmed in Oklahoma by Dallasbased filmmaker Jon Keeyes, this edgy psychological thriller
stars Paul Stuart as North Maxfield, a financial advisor whose life
spirals downward after he is shot and his wife Ginny (AngelineRose Troy) is murdered. Unable to remember the details of the
crime, North turns to Dr. Sarah Carlson (Mollie Milligan, who also
serves as executive producer), hoping her deep-trance hypnosis
technique will provide a means to gain some answers. He reconnects with his wife in an alternate reality and finds clues through
a mysterious woman named Anna (Susanna Gibb) and a figure
called The Messenger (Velinda Godfrey) while being pressured by
his boss (Steven Michael Quezada) and his shady new associate
(Michael Ironside). With his physical being fading the longer he
stays in the trance world and with time running out, the secrets he
uncovers deep inside his mind seem more likely to destroy him
rather than save him. 90mins. Filmmakers in attendance.
Photo credits: Merle Haggard - Les Leverett; Dolly Parton - Henry Horenstein; Lyle Lovett - Michael Wilson;
Kacey Musgraves -David McClister; Charley Pride - Walden S. Fabry
Madtown
MADTOWN
Friday, April 22 9:00pm
Socially withdrawn Denny Briggs (Milo Ventimiglia), an aspiring
stand-up comedian, confesses to a murder before a stunned
audience during an open-mic night, the result of a deadly triangle
involving himself, his older sister Sarah (Amanda Aday in a chilling performance) -- recently released from prison after serving
20 years for the murder of their parents -- and the supportive
work family (John Billingsley and Bonita Friedericy) who have
befriended him. Denny faces a difficult choice: the dysfunctional
blood ties with his sister, or his new friends and family. Caught in
the middle is Sarah (Rachel Melvin), a young single mother with
whom he shares a budding romance. Dark, long-buried secrets
soon rise to the surface in this unforgettable drama from writerdirector Charles Moore. 120mins. In attendance Amanda Aday
and producers Stephen Campanella and Corey Frost.
Director Steven Kochones explores 80 years of country music
-- its iconic sound, history, pioneers, and imagery -- from the
unique perspectives of its performers as well as those of the
photographers, videographers, and documentarians who recorded
it all. Commissioned by the Annenberg Space for Photography
Films, Kochones’ in-depth documentary features interviews with
Charley Pride, Rosanne Cash, Lyle Lovett, Merle Haggard, Kenny
Rogers, LeAnn Rimes, Keith Urban, and others, combined with
imagery and commentary from Grand Ole Opry photographer Les
Leverett, the late celebrity portraitist Leigh Wiener, documentarian
Henry Horenstein, and music photographers David McClister,
Michael Wilson, Henry Diltz, and Raenne Rubenstein. Rare historical footage and more than 25 country hits round out a dynamic
and in-depth look at a distinctly American musical style. 88mins.
In attendance: Charley Pride and Steven Kochones.
Charley Pride long ago secured himself
a seat in the pantheon of all-time great
Country musicians. One of eleven children born to sharecroppers in Sledge,
Mississippi, he has an everyman appeal
that is revered by his peers and millions of
fans alike. It could be said that his musical
career began by accident, as Charley originally pursued a career as a baseball player
with the Negro League’s Memphis Red Sox
team in the 1950s, often singing and playing guitar (self-taught at
age 14) on the team’s bus between road games. (The team manager also paid him extra to sing before each game, which boosted
attendance.) After an unsuccessful tryout with the New York
Mets, Pride made a side trip to Nashville that resulted in fateful
encounters with Chet Atkins and Jack D. Johnson and the launch
of an iconic career. In 1967, he became the first African-American
performer to perform at the Grand Ole Opry in 26 years. Between
1969 and 1971, Charley had eight single records reach #1 on the
US Country Hit Parade, and also charted on the Billboard Hot 100.
In 1969, his compilation album The Best of Charley Pride sold over
one million copies, and the only artist who sold more records for
RCA was Elvis Presley. In total, he has landed thirty-nine #1 hits
on the Billboard country music charts. Charley still maintains his
love of baseball. He has an annual tradition of joining the Texas
Rangers for workouts during Spring Training, and is often seen at
their games.
USA FILM FESTIVAL 2016
S A T U R D A Y,
A P R I L
2 3
Students from Garland High School
HIGH SCHOOL SHORT FILMS
Drone
The Bench
SHORT FILMS STUDENT
Saturday, April 23 4:30pm
Join us for a non-thematic showcase of local and international student works including: Richard Rogers’ relatable COTTONMOUTH;
Tong Zhou’s riveting FISH EYE; Yunsi Ouyang’s charming A PAIR
OF SHOES; Justin S. Lee’s gut-wrenching DRONE; Kelsey Pope’s
cautionary CATACLYSMIC IRIDESCENCE; Cameron Burnett’s
beguiling THE BENCH; Alex Yonks’ moving A TAYLOR STORY;
Siyang Zhang’s wise TRUTH IN LIFE; and Xiaotang Shao’s inventive HAN FAMILY. 111mins. FREE admission program.
Saturday, April 23 3:30pm
Once again we present a collection of class projects short films
from Garland High School International Baccalaureate (IB) film
students in the Reel Owl Cinema program, which teaches students
the art of filmmaking with an emphasis on narrative storytelling.
FREE admission program.
Cary Anderson
Bruce Davison
Extra School
Linda Gray
Wally’s Will
Displacement
DISPLACEMENT
TRIBUTE TO BRUCE DAVISON
Rosson Crow
Madame Psychosis Holds a Seance
Knob
Borrowed Time
SHORT FILMS ANIMATION
Saturday, April 23 4:30pm
A fuzzy bachelor endures his wacky morning routine in
Meghann Artes’ SLEEPY STEVE, a young Italian man dreams of
adventure in JC Little’s PAPA PASQUALE, a germaphobe attempts
to quickly escape a filthy bathroom in Hans Tsai’s KNOB, a young
man endures a series of bizarre events in Micah Gallagher’s INTO
THE SAND, meet the last man alive (Doug Jones) and his undernourished Olive tree in Aaron Martinez’s OLIVE, a weathered sheriff comes to terms with a past accident in Andrew Coats and Lou
Hamou-Lhadj’s BORROWED TIME, a scared bat forms an unlikely
friendship with a tired frog in Greg Perkins’ SCAREDY BAT, a wellmannered mouse visits a house in Marc Porter and Ru Kuwahata’s
PERFECT HOUSEGUEST, a boy realizes the importance of living
to the fullest in Yoomi Kim’s END & ETERNITY, and long forgotten
objects try to move on in Robert Kondo and Daisuke Tsutsumi’s
MOOM. 73mins. FREE admission program.
Kelly Lynch
Saturday, April 23 7:00pm
A film clip compilation Tribute saluting Bruce Davison will precede the
feature film presentation.
The consequences of turning back the clock and attempting to
alter history are explored in depth in this mind-bending thriller by
writer/director Kenneth Mader. Grieving over the loss of her mother, Carol (Susan Blakely), young physics student Cassie Sinclair
(Courtney Hope, the “Divergent” series) attempts to solve the murder of her boyfriend, Brian (“Christopher Backus”), while battling
the effects of memory loss and time shifts caused by a quantum
entanglement event -- the result of an experiment that Cassie
may have had an indirect hand in creating. The clues she obtains
from her estranged father, Charles (Lou Richards), former mentor, Prof. Deckard (Bruce Davison), and the mysterious Dr. Miles
(Sarah Douglas) may hinder her as much as help. Needless to
say, little is as it seems -- and when it is, it doesn’t stay that way for
long as time twists and turns along with the plot in this entertaining
time- and mind-bender. 122mins. In attendance: Bruce Davison,
Courtney Hope, and writer/producer/director Kenneth Mader.
Justin Malone
Jonathan Dee
The Bus Stop
Harry Benson: Shoot First
How You Look at It
Wendy Seyb
A Mighty Nice Man
SHOWCASE SHORT FILMS
Hosted by Linda Gray
Saturday, April 23 7:30pm
Actress Linda Gray hosts this showcase of short films featuring a
trio of wildly over-the-top performances including Matteo Mosterts’
loopy WALLY’S WILL starring Linda Gray, Rosson Crow’s
crazy mad MADAME PSYCHOSIS HOLDS A SÉANCE starring Kelly Lynch, and Cary Anderson’s EXTRA SCHOOL
skews actors and coaches starring Bruce Davison. Rounding
out the program are Jonathan Dee’s atmospheric A MIGHTY
NICE MAN (who isn’t), Justin Malone’s funny and touching THE BUS STOP, and Wendy Seyb’s dance valentine
HOW YOU LOOK AT IT featuring a stand-out performance
by Peter Scolari. 80mins. All filmmakers in attendance
including honorees Bruce Davison and Kelly Lynch.
Willard
HARRY BENSON: SHOOT FIRST
Saturday, April 23 7:15pm
Hosted by Peri Gilpin
Meet the man you already know -- from his iconic images.
“Harry Benson: Shoot First” charts the illustrious career of the
renowned photographer and photo journalist who initially rose to
fame alongside The Beatles, having been assigned to cover their
inaugural trip to the United States in 1964. With unprecedented
“behind the scenes” access, Benson captured some of the most
vibrant and intimate portraits ever taken of the most popular band
in history and went on to photograph some of the most influential
and famous people of our time, as well as document conflict and
historic moments around the world. The film features some of
Benson’s extensive portfolio including iconic images of eleven
presidents, Winston Churchill, Bobby Fischer, Muhammad Ali,
Greta Garbo, Michael Jackson, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and
the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy. His work has appeared
in publications including Life, Vanity Fair and The New Yorker.
And happily, at 86 years old, Benson has no intention of stopping.
90mins. In attendance Harry Benson and co-writers/directors
Justin Bare and Matthew Miele. Peri Gilpin will moderate.
WILLARD (1971)
Saturday, April 23 9:15pm
Daniel Mann’s influential “rats and revenge” thriller viewed today
is a lot of fun and may be a bit more touching than you remember.
Willard (Bruce Davison in a star-making turn) is a plucky social
misfit who lives in a large Victorian home with his bedridden,
sharp-tongued, widowed mother (Elsa Lancaster). Willard works
as a lowly stock boy for the evil Mr. Martin (Ernest Borgnine) who
cheated Willard’s father out of the family business that Willard had
counted on inheriting. When Willard’s mother dies and leaves the
family home mortgaged to the hilt, Mr. Martin plans to force foreclosure, tear the home down and make a killing in real estate. As
Willard’s world begins to unravel, he turns to the rats which reside
in the old home -- whom he has befriended -- at first to unleash
a little harmless mayhem, and later with more deadly results for
his worst tormentor. But as Willard loses his grip on reality, he
loses control over his rat army which has multiplied at an alarming
rate… 95mins. Bruce Davison in attendance to introduce the
program. FREE admission program.
A Sunday Kind of Love
A SUNDAY KIND OF LOVE
Video
Mother
Saturday, April 23 9:30pm
In perhaps the most off-center romantic comedy you will see this
year, a man falls in love with death - literally - in writer-director
Geordie Sabbagh’s “A Sunday Kind of Love.” Adam (Dylan Taylor)
is a struggling writer on the verge of collapse. His books have all
tanked, he is broke, and his girlfriend Tracy (Meghan Heffern) has
decided to move on. As he struggles to finish what could be his
last novel, he falls for a smart, beautiful woman named Emma
(Melanie Scrofano) -- who also goes by the name of Death. Emma
offers him everlasting fame, but it comes with a catch: he has
one night to decide if his life’s dream is worth dying for and if the
woman he truly loves is in this world or the next. 70mins.
Cavern
The Name You Carry
SHORT FILMS NARRATIVE II
Saturday, April 23 9:30pm
Things don’t go as planned in the films featured in this showcase of
fiction works including: Hervé Demers’ THE NAME YOU CARRY;
Marc Hardman’s MOTHER; Dave Sims’ CAVERN; Anna Akana’s
LOOSE ENDS; Banchi Hanuse’s UULX: THE SCRATCHER;
Randy Yang’s VIDEO; and Joseph Alexandre’s THE EARLY
INAUGURATION. 105mins. FREE admission program.
USA FILM FESTIVAL 2016
S U N D A Y,
A P R I L
Pech River Boys
2 4
Picturing War
Photo by Benjamin Hiller
DOUBLE FEATURE
Sunday, April 24 4:30pm
The Diary of Anne Frank
THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK (1959)
Sunday, April 24 4:00pm
“Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl” is one of the most compelling and tragic stories to come out of World War II. George
Stevens’ engrossing cinematic realization follows the journey of a
young German Jewish girl (a luminous Millie Perkins in her screen
debut) in the early 1940s during the Nazi occupation of Amsterdam.
Viewed from her perspective, the film depicts the events in Anne
Frank’s life after she escapes the Nazi roundup of the Jews and
goes into hiding with her family in the secret annex behind her
father’s business from 1942-1944. The film masterfully illustrates
the unbearable pressures -- food shortages, monotony, lack of
privacy, break-ins, and the constant fear of being discovered -- as
well as the joys Anne encounters during this two year timespan.
The film garnered three Academy Awards from eight nominations,
but more importantly, it became an important media document of
a diary that is not only a personal story, but also a historical tribute to the unbreakable human spirit. The film also stars Joseph
Schildkraut, Shelley Winters, Richard Beymer, and Diane Baker
(also in her first screen role). 175mins. Millie Perkins in attendance schedule permitting. The film will be introduced by film
historian Foster Hirsch. FREE admission program.
Alzheimer’s: A Love Story
PECH RIVER BOYS: TALES FROM
AFGHANISTAN
In May of 2010, three platoons from the legendary 101st Airborne
Division were deployed to COP Michigan in the Pech River Valley.
Located at the mouth of the Korengal Valley in Afghanistan, it was
often referred to as the most dangerous place on earth. “Pech
River Boys: Tales from Afghanistan” provides a raw and real look
into Operation Enduring Freedom through interviews and archival
footage. These are the accounts from the men of Bravo Company/
3rd Platoon/1-327IN. 69mins. FREE admission program.
PICTURING WAR
Which pictures do we get to see? In a world of modern mass communication and a never-ending stream of pictures, this question is
more important than ever. Which conflict is worth reporting? Which
war might interest the consumers of media outlets? And how do
pictures travel from around the globe, from zones of conflict to the
worldwide public? These questions are the central message of
“Picturing War.“ From Syria and Iraq to Rwanda, the film follows a
young man who has chosen to become a war photographer, and
answers the question of how he finds the pictures we might see one
day -- or not -- on the cover of a big newspaper. 60 mins.
FREE admission program.
Cotton Country
A Passion of Gold and Fire
SHORT FILMS NONFICTION
Sunday, April 24 5:00pm
This year’s program of fascinating portraits includes
Gabe Schimmel’s and Monica Petruzzelli’s ALZHEIMER’S: A
LOVE STORY, which follows one couple’s journey as one partner endures the later stages of Alzheimer’s; Sébastien Pins’ A
PASSION OF GOLD AND FIRE, which examines one beekeeper’s
worries of his apiary school’s jeopardized future; Kirsi Jansa’s
SUSTAINABILITY PIONEERS: FROM PARIS TO NEW YORK
which examines the steps different cities are taking to address the
climate crisis; Emily Harrold’s COTTON COUNTRY, where a cotton farmer discusses the beauty and legacy of cotton farming; and
Sean McGing’s and Mary Anne Rothberg’s TRASHING HISTORY,
which follows the efforts of one summer intern as they attempt to
preserve history. 60mins. FREE admission program.
2016 National Jurors
Christina Beck, Paul Marcarelli, John Putch, Jorge Gutierrez,
Karen Young
Love & Friendship
The Man Who Knew Infinity
SHORT FILM AWARDS PROGRAM
38th Annual International
Short Film Competition
Sunday, April 24 7:00pm
Join our National Jurors for announcements and screening presentations of this year’s winning films. Awards are given to the top picks in
Fiction, Animation and Non-Fiction categories as well as
awards for student achievement and more.
USAFF prize winners who were recognized early in their careers
include Alexander Payne, Todd Haynes, Wes Anderson, Bill Plympton, Michael Almereyda, John Lasseter, and many more.
FREE admission program.
Love & Friendship
LOVE & FRIENDSHIP
Salute to Whit Stillman
Sunday, April 24 7:00pm
A film clip compilation Tribute saluting Whit Stillman will precede the
feature film presentation.
Beautiful young widow Lady Susan Vernon (Kate Beckinsale)
visits the estate of her in-laws to wait out the colorful rumors about
her dalliances circulating through polite society in Whit Stillman’s
wicked adaptation of Jane Austen’s novella “Lady Susan.” Whilst
ensconced there, she decides to secure a husband for herself and
a future for her eligible but reluctant daughter, Frederica (Morfydd
Clark). In doing so she attracts the simultaneous attentions of
the young, handsome Reginald DeCourcy (Xavier Samuel), the
rich and silly Sir James Martin (Tom Bennett) and the divinely
handsome, but married, Lord Manwaring (Jenn Murray), complicating matters severely. The film also stars Chloë Sevigny, Emma
Greenwell, Justin Edwards, Jemma Redgrave, James Fleet, and
Stephen Fry. 92mins. Whit Stillman will be in attendance.
The Man Who Knew Infinity
THE MAN WHO KNEW INFINITY
Sunday, April 24 7:45pm
Written and directed by Matthew Brown, “The Man Who Knew
Infinity” is the true story of friendship that forever changed mathematics. In 1913, Ramanujan (Dev Patel), a self-taught Indian
mathematics genius traveled to Trinity College, Cambridge,
where he forged a bond with his mentor, the eccentric professor
GH Hardy (Jeremy Irons), and fought against prejudice to reveal his
mathematic genius to the world. The film also stars Devika Bhise,
Stephen Fry and Toby Jones. 114mins. The IFC Films release
opens in area theaters on April 29th.
TRIBUTES
U S A
ALFRED MOLINA
HARRY BENSON
BRUCE DAVISON
F I L M
F E S T I V A L
A film clip compilation Tribute to Alfred Molina will precede the feature film screening of LITTLE MEN on Thursday, April 21st, 7:00pm
“Being an actor is the result of some kind of genetic flaw,” Alfred Molina once told an interviewer. “It’s not that we have an extra talent gene; it’s that we’re lacking a logic gene.”
In Molina’s case, that “flaw” is more akin to a mutant superpower. As one of this generation’s most formidable actors, he’s demonstrated an impressive ability to disappear into
characters -- heroic, villainous, and all the shades in between -- across a vast array of both genres and ethnicities. This British actor of Spanish-Italian descent rivals the legendary
Anthony Quinn in his ability to step into the shoes of characters from just about anywhere on the planet; the New York Times once called him “a multinational consortium, all in
one actor.” Trained at the prestigious Royal Shakespeare Company, where he drew acclaim and awards for his interpretations of classical and contemporary works alike, Molina
immediately caught the eye of filmgoers around the world in the iconic opening sequence of “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” in which he convinced Indiana Jones to give him the idol
before reneging on throwing back the whip. A few years after that auspicious debut, he memorably shared the screen with Gary Oldman (USAFF honoree 2001) in Stephen Frears’
“Prick Up Your Ears,” in which Molina brought a tragic depth to Kenneth Halliwell, the lover -- and, eventually, the murderer -- of famed playwright Joe Orton. Over the last 30
years, Molina has continued to entrance audiences on stage, in film and on television. Whether you’ve seen him as the conflicted Mark Rothko in the Tony-nominated “Red,” the
charming and self-interested politicians of “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot” and “Show Me a Hero,” the paterfamilias of “Nothing Like the Holidays” or “An Education” or even the tragically
wicked Doctor Octopus of “Spider-Man 2” -- “Playing villains,” he observed, “managed to pay for two kids’ very expensive college educations.” -- you know that Molina consumes
a role but never chews the scenery. In the tradition of the great character actors before him, he disappears into a part while still making it uniquely his own. With a dizzying roster
of roles to his credit, and in a career that shows absolutely no signs of slowing down, we look forward to seeing even more Molina -- on stage, television and the big screen.
Harry Benson will be honored with a screening of HARRY BENSON: SHOOT FIRST on Saturday, April 23rd, 7:15pm
Award winning Scottish photojournalist Harry Benson CBE began his career on a weekly newspaper in Glasgow before working for the London Daily Express on London’s
Fleet Street. He came to America with the Beatles in 1964 and never looked back. Under contract to LIFE Magazine for over 30 years, Harry has photographed for countless
magazines including Time, Vanity Fair, W, Newsweek, French Vogue, Quest, Paris Match, Forbes, Town & Country, Architectural Digest, Paris Match, People, and The London
Sunday Times Magazine. In 2009, Harry was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II for service to photography. Harry
was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Letters by both St. Andrews University and by Glasgow University and the Glasgow School of Art, Scotland, and is an Honorary Fellow
of London’s Royal Photographic Society. He has twice been named NPPA Magazine Photographer of the Year and has received a World Press Photo award for his coverage of Tiananmen Square. Harry has photographed every US president from Eisenhower to Obama and Royals including Princess Grace, Prince Rainier, Princess Caroline,
Prince Albert, the Royal Family of Spain, The British Royal Family including a private sitting with Queen Elizabeth II in Buckingham Palace in 2014. He photographed Senator Robert F. Kennedy on the campaign trail and was next to the senator when he was assassinated. Harry marched with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., during the Civil Rights
Movement, was embedded in the Gulf War, and has photographed countless luminaries, from Sir Winston Churchill and President Charles de Gaulle to Michael Jackson, The
Rolling Stones, The Who, Willie Nelson, Elizabeth Taylor, Frank Sinatra, Jack Nicholson, Greta Garbo, Brad Pitt and Kate Moss. There have been over 40 gallery/museum
solo exhibitions of Harry’s photographs, and sixteen books of his photographs have been published. His photographs are in the permanent collection of the National Portrait
Gallery in Washington, DC, the Tucson Museum of Art, The Scottish National Portrait Gallery, Kelvingrove Museum of Art in Glasgow, and The Hood Museum of Art at Dartmouth College, among others. Harry’s wife, Gigi, works with him on his books and exhibitions. Their two daughters, Wendy and Tessa, live in Los Angeles with their families.
A film clip compilation Tribute to Bruce Davison will precede the feature film screening of DISPLACEMENT on Saturday, April 23rd, 7:00pm
The consummate everyman - and sometimes every-villain - describes Bruce Davison’s five decades as a professional actor with a unique body of work. Talented, versatile, and ubiquitous, Bruce’s prolific filmography includes countless unforgettable performances in both lead and supporting roles. His career began with a moment of inspiration when he accompanied
a friend to an audition while an art student at Penn State. Within a couple of years, he made his Broadway debut in “Tiger at the Gates”, starred as John Merrick in “The Elephant Man”,
and appeared opposite Jessica Tandy in “The Glass Menagerie”. A successful leap to movies occurred not long after, when he appeared with Barbara Hershey and Richard Thomas in
the poignant and unsettling coming of age drama “Last Summer,” which earned him starring roles opposite Kim Darby in “The Strawberry Statement” and a herd of rats in the cult horror
classic “Willard”. His performance in the groundbreaking 1989 AIDS drama “Longtime Companion” boosted his profile further, earning him an Academy Award nomination along with
Golden Globe, Independent Spirit, New York Film Critics and National Society of Film Critics awards. His screen credits since then have been as broad as they are memorable and
include the indie classic “Six Degrees of Separation,” a performance as serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer’s father in the controversial “Dahmer,” Robert Altman’s ensemble drama “Short
Cuts,” the first two “X-Men” movies, and “Hate Crime,” filmed in Dallas. His TV credits are as wide-ranging as “Harry and the Hendersons” (for which he also directed three episodes)
and recurring roles on “Seinfeld,” “The L Word,” and “The Practice.” In “Displacement,” he re-unites with his fellow Golden Globe winner and “Hate Crime” co-star, Susan Blakely.
Kelly Lynch will be honored with a screening of SHOWCASE SHORTS (“Madame Psychosis Holds a Seance”) on Saturday, April 23rd, 7:30pm
Born to a modern dancer and a restaurateur in suburban Minnesota, Kelly Lynch originally worked as model for the Elite modeling agency before studying under instructor Sanford
Meisner and pursuing acting in the 1980s. Hers was the rare achievement of gaining notoriety both as a bombshell in mainstream movies and as an indie film mainstay. After a few
small roles she made her breakthrough opposite Tom Cruise in the ‘80s cult classic “Cocktail”; soon after that she received critical acclaim opposite Patrick Swayze in “Road House”
and an Independent Spirit Award for her performance as Matt Dillon’s strung-out girlfriend in Gus Van Sant’s “Drugstore Cowboy”. Since then she has had lead and co-starring roles
in indie and Hollywood films such as the crime drama “Desperate Hours” with Anthony Hopkins and Mickey Rourke, the coming-of-age period “Imaginary Crimes” with Harvey Keitel,
the science-fiction thriller “Virtuousity” (opposite Russell Crowe and Denzel Washington), the New Orleans crime noir “Heaven’s Prisoners” with Alec Baldwin, a villainess in the action
comedy “Charlie’s Angels”, and a role in Gregg Araki’s “Kaboom”. Her television roles include memorable appearances on “Miami Vice”, “Ally McBeal”, “The Cleaner”, and an unforgettable turn as a courtly drag king in “The L Word”. Kelly continues to split her time between film and television, often collaborating with her husband, writer and director Mitch Glazer.
KELLY LYNCH
A film clip compilation Tribute to Whit Stillman will precede the feature film screening of LOVE & FRIENDSHIP on Sunday, April 24th, 7:00pm
Even an era without etiquette needs its comedies of manners, and no contemporary filmmaker has an eye and ear so attuned to the foibles of the human heart as Whit Stillman.
“Love & Friendship” sees the writer-director tackling his first screen adaptation, bringing to the screen a short story by Jane Austen, but Austen’s influence can be found throughout Stillman’s body of work, and not just in the discussions of “Mansfield Park” in Stillman’s Oscar-nominated debut “Metropolitan.” The hopeful romantics of “Metropolitan” and
his subsequent triumphs “Barcelona,” “The Last Days of Disco” and “Damsels in Distress” all suffer a disconnect between the head and the heart, and between their desires
and their perceptions of social mores, with which the heroines of “Pride and Prejudice” and “Sense and Sensibility” could completely empathize. A journalist, agent and publisher as well as an internationally acclaimed filmmaker, Whit Stillman brings a cosmopolitan sensibility and a love of language and human frailty to his singularly brilliant work.
Note to Stillman fans -- Our friends at the Criterion Collection will release “A Whit Stillman Trilogy: Metropolitan, Barcelona, The Last Days of Disco” blu-ray box set on April 19th.
WHIT STILLMAN
Ira Sachs will be honored with a screening of LITTLE MEN on Thursday, April 21st, 7:00pm
One of independent cinema’s most acclaimed -- and least predictable -- filmmakers, Ira Sachs explores the human experience at its best and its worst with clear-eyed empathy and unsentimental frankness. Winner of the Sundance Grand Jury Prize in 2005 for “Forty Shades of Blue,” Sachs’ impressive filmography includes the Independent
Spirit Award nominees “Love Is Strange” and “Keep the Lights On” as well as critical favorites “The Delta” and “Married Life.” A native of Memphis, Tenn., Sachs is a recipient of the Guggenheim Fellowship, and his work has been included in the permanent collections of the Whitney Museum of American Art and New York’s Museum of Modern
Art. He is the founder of the non-profit arts organization Queer/Art and lives in New York City with his husband, painter Boris Torres, and their two children, Viva and Felix.
IRA SACHS
ANGELIKA FILM CENTER
WEDNESDAY
APRIL 20
THURSDAY
APRIL 21
FRIDAY
APRIL 22
FREE SHORTS!
Thanks to underwriting from friends of the USAFF,
individual members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts
& Sciences and past Winning Filmmakers, several of our
Short Film Programs are made available at
NO ADMISSION COST!
Some film titles are slightly abbreviated in the grid in order to
exactly match the Ticketmaster space limitations. Use the titles as
represented here when searching for your film selection.
Guess Who’s
Coming to
Dinner? Event
(See ticket info below)
6:30pm
Taking Back
Oak Lawn
7:00pm
6:45pm
Shorts Narrative I
FREE SHORTS!
7:00pm
Sunset Song
The Witness
7:00pm
7:15pm
SATURDAY
APRIL 23
SUNDAY
APRIL 24
3:30pm
4:00pm
High School Shorts
FREE SHORTS!
4:30pm
Short Films Student
FREE SHORTS!
4:30pm
Short Films Animation
FREE SHORTS!
7:00pm
Displacement
Salute to
Bruce Davison
7:15pm
Harry Benson: Shoot
First
Salute to Harry
Benson
Country: Portraits of
Little Men
Salute to Alfred Molina an American Sound
7:30pm
Salute to
Salute to Ira Sachs
Showcase Short Films
Charley Pride
Meet the Filmmakers
NOTE: Tickets for the FREE admission
programs are available on day of show
only, at the theater, beginning one hour
before showtime. (Free tickets are not
available via Ticketmaster)
9:00pm
Madtown
9:15pm
FREE ADMISSION
4:30pm
Pech River Boys
& Picturing War
FREE ADMISSION
5:00pm
Short Films Nonfiction
FREE SHORTS!
7:00pm
Love & Friendship
Salute to Whit Sillman
7:00pm
Short Film Awards
FREE SHORTS!
7:45pm
Man Who Knew
Infinity
9:15pm
Willard
FREE ADMISSION
9:30pm
People
Sunday Kind of Love
9:30pm
9:30pm
Element
Diary of Anne Frank
Short Films Narrative 2
FREE SHORTS!
U SA F I L M F E ST I VA L
SCHEDULE & TICKET INFO.
Wednesday, April 20th 6:30pm at Salum Restaurant
To inquire regarding ticket availability, please contact the Festival at [email protected] or
214-821-6300. This event will sell-out before April 20th. (When tickets are sold out, a message
will be posted on our website homepage at www.usafilmfestival.com)
Tickets are $150 per person. Thanks to our generous Sponsors, 100% of your ticket donation
may be considered tax-deductible.
OFFICIAL SPONSORS
Help us out – Order your tickets in advance -- It makes
everything easier on show day, for you and for us.
• TICKETS AT THE BOX OFFICE
(Day of show only; Cash sales only)
Tickets will be available at the Angelika Film Center upstairs sales desk, for day
of show only, beginning at 3:00pm on Saturday and Sunday, and 6:00pm
all other days.
• ADVANCE TICKETS (only until April 18th!)
Available exclusively through Ticketmaster – On sale April 8th!
TICKETS ONLINE (additional service fees apply)
Log on to www.ticketmaster.com and search USA Film Festival event name.
Tickets sold by individual program or show title (as listed at left in grid).
TICKETS BY TELEPHONE (Hours M-Sat 9am-6pm; Sun Noon-6pm)
Call the TM Fine Arts Line at 214-631-ARTS (2787) or 800-982-2787.
Say “buy tickets” and respond “USA Film Festival” to the prompt; then say
"operator." You will be transferred to a live operator who will take your order.
NOTE: You need to speak with a LIVE Operator to order multiple event tickets.
(Telephone order fees = $4.00 flat fee per call; no individual ticket fees)
SELL-OUTS -- Tickets do sell-out but not via Ticketmaster. If the
Ticketmaster Operator uses this language, it is a mistake (It just means that
tickets are “off sale” for that day’s shows. Tickets may still be available at the
Festival box office day of show.
Advance tickets for all shows are available exclusively through Ticketmaster.
Advance tickets are available until April 18th. After April 18th,
all tickets will be available at the theater box office, day of
show only.
ADVANCE TICKETS will be picked up at the upstairs theater lobby "Will Call"
daily. (Tickets will NOT be sent out via mail.)
Note: Please be patient when ordering tickets by telephone from our friends at
Ticketmaster. The 5-day, multi-ticket festival is an unusual event for them to
handle and the messages the operators see on their screen look radically different
from the information in your flyer.
Trouble-shooting – The information in the flyer is correct. If your operator
is not able to locate a show, etc. listed in the flyer, simply obtain the operator’s
name and kindly request that you speak with a Ticketmaster Supervisor who
will cheerfully assist.
Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner? Ticket Info.
Chef Vivian Howard
Ticket Info - On Sale April 8th!
Chef Abraham Salum
Please check with the Festival's UPSTAIRS SALES DESK, day of show,
after the appropriate time, to inquire about ticket availability. PLEASE INQUIRE
IN PERSON. DO NOT CALL THE THEATER to request this information -- The
person answering the theater telephone is located in a different area and cannot
tell you how many Festival tickets may be available for any particular program.
TICKET PRICES
ALL PROGRAMS
$10.00 per ticket (Cash only; ATM in lobby)
Some programs are FREE admission; See film listings.
Tickets for the DINNER on Wednesday, April 20th are only
available through the Festival office by calling 214-821-6300 (limited seating).
Carol and Alan J. Bernon
Family Charitable Trust
T H E AT E R L O C AT I O N
Angelika Film Center / Dallas
5321 E. Mockingbird Lane at Central Expressway (NE Corner)
Parking is available in the garage located in the North end of the complex,
adjacent to the theater
F E S T I VA L I N F O R M AT I O N
• Schedule is subject to change.
(It’s a Festival!) Guests and titles listed are
confirmed at press time. Additional guests and changes anticipated.
• Program times listed are for actual film running times and do not include
discussions with Festival guests in attendance.
• Seating for all screenings is general admission to the public.
Membership has its privileges:
• Sponsor level Members of the Festival may reserve seats (AFTER purchasing tickets via Ticketmaster) for most shows by calling the Festival office.
•
Patron Members can call and reserve their FREE show tickets and
reserved seats through the Festival office at 214-821-6300.
U S A F I L M F E S T I VA L
214-821-FILM
www.usafilmfestival.com