The 2007 SXSW Film Conference and Festival has unveiled its feature film line-up, including 110 films over the festival’s 9 days, running March 9-17, 2007.
“This year, we received a record number of submissions and thankfully that also means the quality was higher than ever,” said SXSW Film Festival Producer Matt Dentler, citing the festival’s reported 3,100 submissions. “People will probably look for themes in the program, but no theme rings more true than just a great batch of films we’re eager to screen for our audiences. It’s going to be a fun ride.”
On an odd note, look for a double-dip of MTV’s “The State” alums in David Wain’s “The Ten” and Ken Marino’s “Diggers” (two films that also feature Paul Rudd, who may win an award for being in the most films at SXSW this year, including “Knocked Up”).
The big surprise? No listing for “Grindhouse,” which has been very strongly rumored to be playing the festival at some point. Perhaps a later announcement? Read on:
SPOTLIGHT PREMIERES
“638 Ways to Kill Castro”
Directed by Dollan Cannell.
This documentary examines the incredible and controversial story of 638 alleged plots to kill Cuban leader Fidel Castro. From CIA agents to Cuban exiles, exploding cigars to femme fatales, the film also provides a startling glimpse into the evolution of Cuban politics. (North American Premiere)
“All the Boys Love Mandy Lane”
Directed by Jonathan Levine, written by Jacob Forman. Featuring: Amber Heard, Anson Mount.
Popular teenager Mandy Lane seems to have it all, including a deadly killer who will stop at nothing to get to her. (U.S. Premiere)
“Bella”
Directed by Alejandro Monteverde, written by Monteverde, Patrick Million, and Leo Severino. Featuring: Eduardo Verastegui, Tammy Blanchard, Manny Perez, Ali Landry.
A soccer star and a waitress meet, and explore the world that surrounds them and connects them as they spend a day together in New York. (U.S. Premiere)
“Big Rig”
Directed by Doug Pray
A mesmerizing and beautiful look at the relatively unknown experience of the Ameircan “big rig” truck driver, as they struggle to stay relevant in today’s digital age. (World Premiere)
“Doubletime”
Directed by Stephanie Johnes
This documentary reveals the divided world of competitive jump roping. The two top American teams belong to separate leagues that do not compete against one another. After 20 years of separation they finally meet at Apollo Theater in Harlem, to face-off. (World Premiere)
“Election Day”
Directed by Katy Chevigny
A verite examination, following a dozen voters (including an ex-felon, a poll worker, and more) over the course of November 2, 2004 – from dawn until long past midnight. (World Premiere)
“Elvis and Anabelle”
Written and directed by Will Geiger. Featuring: Max Minghella, Blake Lively, Joe Mantegna, Mary Steenburgen, Keith Carradine.
A young mortician and a small-town beauty queen become unlikely romantic partners after the latter makes a mysterious return from the grave. (World Premiere)
“Everything’s Gone Green”
Directed by Paul Fox, written by Douglas Coupland. Featuring: Paulo Costanzo, Steph Song, JR Bourne.
Ryan, twenty-something and not getting any younger, is tempted into a money-laundering scheme but struggles with his ill-gotten gains while trying to find happiness. (U.S. Premiere)
“Exiled”
Directed by Johnny To, written by Kam-Yuen Szeto and Tin-Shing Yip. Featuring: Anthony Wong, Francis Ng, Nick Chueng, Simon Yam.
An exciting and modern gangster tale of brotherhood and betrayal on the streets of Hong Kong, To’s latest also pays homage to the classic American western. (Regional Premiere)
“Does Your Soul Have a Cold?”
Directed by Mike Mills.
An artful documentary look at the issues facing modern Japanese citizens as they battle the reality of depression in a culture that only recently started to embrace it. (World Premiere)
“Eagle Vs. Shark”
Directed by Taika Waititi. Featuring: Jemaine Clement, Loren Horsley.
The tale of two socially awkward misfits and the strange ways they try to find love. (Regional Premiere)
“Hannah Takes the Stairs”
Directed by Joe Swanberg. Written by Swanberg, Greta Gerwig, and Kent Osborne. Starring: Greta Gerwig, Kent Osborne, Andrew Bujalski, Mark Duplass, Ry Russo-Young, Todd Rohal.
A group of Chicago writers are embedded in a tempestuous love triangle when Hannah inadvertently steals the hearts and minds of two close friends. (World Premiere)
“He Was a Quiet Man”
Written and directed by Frank Cappello. Starring: Christian Slater, Elisha Cuthbert, William H. Macy.
An office drone returns from the brink of madness to become an unlikely savior and partner, to a beautiful co-worker, in need of the ultimate favor. (World Premiere)
“Hell on Wheels”
Directed by Bob Ray.
The nonfiction tale of ambitious women who band together, doing their part to resurrect roller derby for the 21st century. (World Premiere)
“Knocked Up”
Written and directed by Judd Apatow. Featuring: Seth Rogen, Katherine Heigl, Paul Rudd, Leslie Mann.
On the heels of 2005’s blockbuster “The 40-Year-Old Virgin,” writer/director Judd Apatow again mines hilarity from the relatably human in a comedy about a one-night stand with unexpected consequences: Knocked Up. Katherine Heigl (“Grey’s Anatomy,” “Roswell”) joins “Virgin” alums Seth Rogen, Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann for a comic look about the best thing that will ever ruin your best-laid plans: parenthood.
“Kurt Cobain About a Son”
Directed by AJ Schnack.
Juxtaposing stunning cinematography of present day Washington state and audio interviews with rock legend Kurt Cobain, this poetic documentary scratches beneath the surface of anything you think you know about this icon. (Regional Premiere)
“The Lookout”
Written and directed by Scott Frank. Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Isla Fisher, Matthew Goode, Jeff Daniels.
This intelligent crime drama is centered around Chris, a once promising high school athlete whose life is turned upside down following a tragic accident. As he tries to maintain a normal life, he takes a job as a janitor at a bank where he ultimately finds himself caught up in a planned heist. (World Premiere, Opening Night Film)
“Manufacturing Dissent”
Directed by: Debbie Melnyk & Rick Caine. Featuring: Noam Chomsky, Janeane Garofalo, Ben Hamper, Christopher Hitchens, Harlan Jacobson, Dave Marsh, Albert Maysles, Michael Moore, Errol Morris, Ralph Nader, John Pierson, Roger Smith.
A documentary that seeks to separate fact, fiction and legend tracks Michael Moore on tour during the release of the explosive Fahrenheit 911, all the while chronicling the politically supercharged climate in America that has fueled Moore’s transition from mere filmmaker to icon of the political left. (World Premiere)
“The Prisoner, or: How I Planned to Kill Tony Blair”
Directed by Michael Tucker & Petra Epperlein.
Using a comic-book motif, this documentary tells the story of an Iraqi journalist who was unjustly held captive at Abu Ghraib for nine months. (World Premiere of final version)
“Running With Arnold”
Directed by Dan Cox. Narrated by Alec Baldwin.
Why did Arnold Schwarzenegger run for governor of California? This documentary seeks to answer that question, as well as reveal some of the behind-the-scenes tactics that created his unexpected political career. (World Premiere)
“Sisters”
Directed by Douglas Buck, written by Buck and John Freitas. Featuring: Chloe Sevigny, Stephen Rea, Lou Doillon, Dallas Roberts.
A pair of conjoined twins are separated, and forced to live under the guidance of a controlling psychiatrist. (U.S. Premiere)
“Smiley Face”
Directed by Gregg Araki, written by Dylan Haggerty. Featuring: Anna Faris,
The hilarious saga of one woman’s journey through an otherwise normal L.A. day, except she is very, very stoned. (Regional Premiere)
“Steal a Pencil for Me”
Directed by Michele Ohayon.
The touching true story of a man and woman forced to keep their love affair secret, while staying alive during the Holocaust. (World Premiere)
“Suffering Man’s Charity”
Directed by Alan C*****g. Written by Thomas Gallagher. Starring: Alan C*****g, David Boreanaz, Henry Thomas, Anne Heche.
Alan C*****g’s latest directorial effort features a stellar cast in this darkly funny portrayal of unrequited love and unfulfilled artistic ambition. (World Premiere)
“The Ten”
Directed by David Wain, written by Wain and Ken Marino. Featuring: Paul Rudd, Winona Ryder, Jessica Alba, Gretchen Mol, Famke Janssen.
In a series of vignettes, an all-star cast offers up new and hilarious interpretations of The Ten Commandments. (Regional Premiere)
“What Would Jesus Buy?”
Directed by Rob Vanalkemade.
From producer Morgan Spurlock comes this entertaining and enlightening documentary look at the commercialization of the Christmas season. The famous Reverend Billy and his Church of Stop Shopping serve as the anchor for a disturbing and humorous portrayal of the way Christmas has evolved over centuries in America. (World Premiere)
DOCUMENTARY FEATURE COMPETITION
“Audience of One”
Directed by Michael Jacobs.
A Pentecostal minister receives a vision from God to create an epic science fiction movie based on the bible story of Joseph, sending he and his followers on a journey of extreme faith. (World Premiere)
“Billy the Kid”
Directed by Jennifer Venditti.
By turns humorous and disturbing, this portrait of a 15-year-old outcast named Billy, transcends diagnostic labeling and challenges the viewer to understand a triumphant teen on his own terms. (World Premiere)
“Campaign”
Directed by Soda Kazuhiro.
Can a candidate with no political experience and no charisma win a Japanese city council election, if he is backed by Prime Minister Koizumi and his Liberal Democratic Party? (North American Premiere)
“Cat Dancers”
Directed by Harris Fishman.
The mysterious and bizarre story of Ron Holiday, an exotic animal trainer and performer who, along with his co-star/wife and their co-star/lover, found big fame until great tragedy struck in 1998. (World Premiere)
“Greensboro: Closer to the Truth”
Directed by Adam Zucker.
Despite extensive television footage of the Greensboro Massacre of 1979, involving the local KKK and Communist Workers Party, no one was ever convicted. The film portrays a number of the participants – five of the survivors and two Klansmen – who reveal their scars when the town decides to re-investigate the case 25 years later. (World Premiere)
“Hard Road Home”
Directed by Macky Alston & Andrea Meller.
A cinema verite documentary that tells the story of the Exodus Transitional Community, an organization that was founded and is run by formerly incarcerated people, whose mission is to help recently released folks find their way back into society and keep them out of prison. (World Premiere)
“Run Granny Run”
Directed by Marlo Poras.
With just four months until the election, 94-year-old Doris “Granny D” Haddock and her motley crew of political aces and amateurs, begin a grassroots campaign for U.S. Senate and defy all expectations. (World Premiere)
“When Adnan Comes Home”
Directed by Andrew Berends.
After a prison fire leaves him horribly burned, 16-year-old Adnan makes a plea for his family’s forgiveness and aid, despite their resistance to assist their troubled son. (North American Premiere)
NARRATIVE FEATURES COMPETITION
“Blackbird”
Written and directed by Adam Rapp.
An unlikely, junk-ballad-of-a-love story that follows a displaced veteran of the first Gulf War, and a 17-year-old Midwestern runaway amid the tough, lovelorn streets of mid-1990s New York City. (World Premiere)
“Flakes”
Directed by Michael Lehmann, written by Karey Kirkpatrick & Chris Poche. Featuring: Aaron Stanford, Zooey Deschanel, Christopher Lloyd.
The slacker manager of a New Orleans cereal bar must face his adulthood when a rival cereal shop threatens to steal his business and his girlfriend. (World Premiere)
“Frownland”
Written and directed by Ronald Bernstein. Featuring: Dore Mann, Mary Wall, Paul Grimstad.
A comedy frayed at the seams, about a door-to-door coupon salesman who eats popcorn & eggs off the folded-out door of his kitchen oven. (World Premiere)
“Itty Bitty Titty Committee”
Directed by Jamie Babbit, written by Tina Mabry, Abigail Shafran. Featuring: Melonie Diaz, Nicole Vicius, Carly Pop, Melanie Mayron, Guinevere Turner.
Dumped by her girlfriend, rejected from her college of choice and wearing an A cup in a C cup world, Anna soon joins a radical punk-feminist group that may end up leading to more disenchantment. (North American Premiere)
“Orphans”
Written and directed by Ry Russo-Young. Featuring: Lily Wheelwright, James Katharine Flynn.
Two estranged, twenty-something sisters reunite five years after the death of their parents, and soon revisit their treacherous history. (World Premiere)
“Pretty in the Face”
Written and directed by Nate Meyer. Featuring: Meagan Moses, David Reynolds, Theresa Dyer, Nathan Amadon.
United through anxiety, 26-year-old Maggie and 14-year-old Daniel help each other recognize the ways in which they sabotage their potential, either through sexual exploration or weight concerns. (World Premiere)
“Skills Like This”
Directed by Monty Miranda, written by Spencer Berger. Featuring: Berger, Gabriel Tigerman, Brian Pheland, Kerry Knuppe.
In this inventive comedy, three friends have their lives turned upside down as soon as one of them realizes that larceny might be his best skill. (World Premiere)
“When a Man Falls in the Forest”
Written and directed by Ryan Eslinger. Featuring: Timothy Hutton, Dylan Baker, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Sharon Stone.
Three former schoolmates reconnect during their mid-life crises, as they seek the road less traveled before life’s cut short. (North American Premiere)
EMERGING VISIONS
“American Zombie”
Directed by Grace Lee, written by Lee and Rebecca Sonnenshine. Featuring: Austin Basis, Suzy Nakamura, Al Vicente.
Two filmmakers team up to shoot a documentary about high-functioning zombies living in Los Angeles and their struggles to gain acceptance in human society. (Regional Premiere)
“Arranged”
Directed by Stefan Schaefer and Diane Crespo, written by Schaefer. Featuring: Zoe Lister-Jones, Francis Benhamou, Daniel London.
Two young women – one an Orthodox Jew, the other Muslim – meet and become friends as first-year teachers at a public school in Brooklyn. Over the course of the year they learn they share much in common, not least of which is that they are both going through arranged marriages. (World Premiere)
“August the First”
Directed by Lanre Olabisi, written by Olabisi and Shawn Alexander. Featuring: Ian Alsup, Dennis Green, Joy Merriweather, Kerisse Hutchinson.
The party to celebrate Tunde Ibirinde’s graduation is the backdrop for a far more momentous occasion: the return of estranged father Dipo, after over a decade of absence. Each family member must face their feelings before they face Dipo. (World Premiere)
“Confessions of a Superhero”
Directed by Matt Ogens.
A documentary on the lives of four mortal men and women, who work as characters on the sidewalks of Hollywood Blvd. This deeply personal view into their daily routine reveals the hardships, and triumphs, that these characters endure in pursuit of becoming famous. (World Premiere)
“Fall from Grace”
Directed by K. Ryan Jones.
The first documentary to explore the hate-filled world of Rev. Fred Phelps and his Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, KS. (World Premiere)
“Fish Kill Flea”
Directed by Brian Cassidy, Aaron Hillis, Jennifer Loeber.
Once thriving, a dead mall in upstate New York is now home to a ragtag flea market, living proof that the American Dream is in perpetual decay, as depicted in this engaging documentary. (World Premiere)
“Great World of Sound”
Directed by Craig Zobel, written by Zobel and George Smith. Featuring: Pat Healy, Kene Holliday, Robert Longstreet.
A young man answers an ad, thinking that he will be joining the music business and discover new talent until he realizes this new job isn’t what he expected. (Regional Premiere)
“Helvetica”
Directed by Gary Hustwit.
A documentary exploration of typography, graphic design and global visual culture that looks at the proliferation of one typeface (which will celebrate its 50th birthday in 2007) as part of a larger conversation about the way type affects our lives. (World Premiere)
“Kamp Katrina”
Directed by David Redmon & Ashley Sabin.
A disturbing documentary portrayal of the makeshift camp constructed in a married couple’s backyard, as a means of creating a safe haven and community in post-Katrina New Orleans. (World Premiere)
“King Corn”
Directed by Aaron Woolf.
Two recent college graduates travel to their ancestral home in rural Iowa, plant a single acre of America’s most powerful crop, and attempt to follow its fate as food in this probing nonfiction account. (World Premiere)
“Lost in Woonsocket”
Directed by John Chester.
A group of filmmakers conducting a humanitarian experiment for a TV series find themselves helping two homeless alcoholics found living in a tent. The question of how deep to go with their help is tested as the series is cancelled but the mission is called on to continue. (World Premiere)
“Monkey Warfare”
Written and directed by Reg Harkema. Featuring: Don McKellar, Tracy Wright, Nadia Litz.
A bohemian couple does its best to make due with their slacker selves and a new revolution, while living in the modern Canadian cityscapes. (Regional Premiere)
“The Price of Sugar”
Directed by Bill Haney.
Breaking a centuries old taboo, a charismatic Spanish priest working in the Dominican Republic, ventures into the sugar plantations and makes a shocking discovery: thousands of dispossessed Haitians tirelessly working the cane fields under backbreaking and inhumane conditions. (World Premiere)
“Quiet City”
Directed by Aaron Katz, written by Katz, Erin Fisher, Cris Lankenau. Featuring: Fisher, Lankenau, Sarah Hellman, Joe Swanberg.
Jamie meets Charlie when she asks him for directions after arriving lost in Brooklyn. Nothing to do and nothing but time leads them to bowls of coleslaw, footraces in the park, art shows, and after-parties. (World Premiere)
“Scrambled Beer”
Directed by Cristobal Valderrama, written by Valderrama and Carlos Labbe. Featuring: Diego Munoz, Nicolas Saaverda, Manuela Martelli.
Vladimir lives a highly chaotic life, while Jorge is very neurotic about order and control. Their two visions of the world collide as Vladimir starts time-traveling, waking up every day on a random date, and getting involved with Jorge’s girlfriend. (World Premiere)
“Trigger Man”
Written and directed by Ti West. Featuring: Reggie Cunningham, Ray Sullivan, Sean Reid.
Inspired by true events: The story of three hunters who mysteriously became the hunted. (World Premiere)
“Twisted: a Balloonamentary”
Directed by Sara Taksler and Naomi Greenfield. Animation narrated by Jon Stewart.
A documentary uncovering the world of balloon-twisting conferences and competitions, while exploring how eight balloon twisters’ lives are dramatically changed by a little piece of latex. (World Premiere)
24 BEATS PER SECOND
“1 More Hit”
Directed by Shauna Garr. Featuring: J Swift, Kelly Zhander, Paul Mooney, Jamie Kennedy, Method Man, Steve-O, Akon.
The filmmaker finds her friend, a once-successful rap producer, homeless and addicted to crack. For two and half years, the two try everything to overcome the musician’s 10-ton habit. (World Premiere)
“Companeras”
Directed by Matthew Buzzell and Elizabeth Massie.
An intimate profile of America’s first all-female mariachi band: Mariachi Reyna de Los Angeles. Taking on a male-dominated culture and musical tradition, this group has been shatters stereotypes while expanding the popularity of mariachi music. (World Premiere)
“Dirty Country”
Directed by Joe Pickett and Nick Prueher.
Meet Larry Pierce: a small-town factory worker and family man who happens to be the raunchiest country music singer in America. (World Premiere)
“The Gits”
Directed by Kerri Kane.
The story of a promising underground Seattle band, fronted by charismatic vocalist Mia Zapata. Poised to explode onto the national music scene, a cold-blooded killer destroys their dreams. (World Premiere)
“James Blunt: Return to Kosovo”
Directed by Steven Cantor.
Platinum-selling musician (and former soldier) James Blunt, returns to the battlefield at which he served, for an emotional journey of reflection. (World Premiere)
“The Last Days of Left Eye”
Directed by Lauren Lazin.
An in-depth look at the sad tale of Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes, from revolutionary pop act, TLC. Weaving video-diary footage of Lopes’ last days before dying in an automobile accident, with the story of her personal and professional roller-coaster ride, this new film is both a memorable music doc and a personal account of the fragilities in fame. (North American Premiere)
“Robyn Hitchcock: Sex, Food, Death, and Insects”
Directed by John Edginton.
British singer/songwriter Hitchcock and band The Venus 3, featuring Peter Buck (R.E.M.), Bill Rieflin (Ministry, REM), and Scott McCaughey (Minus 5, REM, The Young Fresh Fellows), as they spend a week in July of 2006 recording an album of new material at Hitchcock’s house in West London. (World Premiere)
“Scott Walker: 30 Century Man”
Directed by Stephen Kijak.
A journey into the mind and studio of reclusive musician, and modern-rock hero, Scott Walker as he continues to make acclaimed recordings decades into his career. (North American Premiere)
“Silver Jew”
Directed by Michael Tully.
An intimate portrait of reclusive poet/musician David Berman and his band the Silver Jews, in the midst of their first-ever world tour. Berman, his wife Cassie, and the rest of the group traveled to Israel to play two shows and visit Jerusalem. (World Premiere)
“Wetlands Preserved: the Story of an Activist Rock Club”
Directed by Dean Budnick. Featuring: Dave Matthews, Blues Traveler, Warren Hayes, ?uestlove.
The story of a truly original New York rock club, which fused music with activism, earning an army of famous fans in the process. (Regional Premiere)
‘ROUND MIDNIGHT
“Black Sheep”
Written and directed by Jonathan King. Featuring: Nathan Meister, Danielle Mason, Tammy Davis, Peter Feeney, Oliver Driver.
Peter Jackson’s Weta Workshop injects dazzling effects in this New Zealand black comedy about a herd of mutant sheep on the rampage in a quest for human blood. (US Premiere)
“Borderland”
Directed by Zev Berman, written by Berman and Eric Poppen. Featuring: Starring Brian Presley, Jake Muxworthy, Rider Strong, Sean Astin.
A road trip vacation becomes a nightmare, as a trio of young graduates run afoul of an ancient blood cult looking for human sacrifice. (World Premiere)
“The Devil Dared Me To”
Directed by Chris Stapp, written by Stapp and Matt Heath. Featuring: Stapp, Heath, Bonnie Soper, Andrew Beattie.
A stunt-fuelled action-comedy from the Kiwi cult-comedy team Back of the Y, this is the story of daredevil stuntman Randy Cambell, and his quest to follow in his late father’s footsteps and become New Zealand’s greatest daredevil stuntman. (World Premiere)
“Fido”
Directed by Andrew Currie, written by Currie and Robert Chomiak. Featuring: Carrie-Ann Moss, Billy Connolly, Dylan Baker.
Young Timmy Robinson’s best friend in the world, is a rotting pet zombie named Fido. (Regional Premiere)
“Grimm Love”
Directed by Martin Weisz, written by TS Faull. Featuring: Keri Russell, Thomas Huber, Thomas Kretschmann.
An American student living in Germany becomes obsessed with a cannibal killer who advertised on the Internet for a lover willing to be murdered and devoured as the ultimate act of love and self-sacrifice. (North American Premiere)
“Kenny”
Directed by Clayton Jacobson, written by Jacobson and Shane Jacobson. Featuring: Shane Jacobson, Jesse Jacobson, Ronald Jacobson, Eve von Bibra.
We follow Kenny Smyth, as he juggles family tensions, fatherhood, and his sewage business with charm, humor and unflinching dignity. (Regional Premiere)
“Mulberry Street”
Directed by Jim Mickle, written by Mickle and Nick Damici. Featuring: Damici, Kim Blair, Ron Brice, Bo Corre, Larry Fleischman.
Something is changing in this New York neighborhood. A virus is spreading. A rat attacks someone in the subway. Another victim is bit downtown. And slowly the community faces a big problem. (North American Premiere)
“Murder Party”
Written and drected by Jeremy Saulnier. Featuring: Chris Sharp, Macon Blair, Paul Goldblatt.
A random Halloween invitation leads a lonesome man into the hands of a rogue collective intent on murdering him for the sake of their art, sparking a bloodbath of mishap, mayhem and hilarity. (Regional Premiere)
“Severance”
Directed by Christopher Smith, written by Smith and Jason Moran. Featuring: Danny Dyer, Laura Harris, Tim McInnerny, Toby Stephens.
A team-building exercise in the woods becomes a hack-and-slash nightmare when a mysterious presence lays often-hilarious waste to a group of co-workers.
“The Signal”
Directed by David Bruckner, Jacob Gentry, and Dan Bush.
Its New Year’s Eve in the city of Terminus and all forms of communication have been jammed by an enigmatic transmission that preys on fear and desire, driving everyone in the city to murder and madness. (Regional Premiere)
“Them”
Written and directed by David Moreau & Xavier Palud. Featuring: Olivia Bonamy, Michael Cohen.
When darkness falls one unsuspecting night, Clementine and Lucas will come face to face with THEM. They are everywhere, even in their home, and they will stop at nothing. Who are they? What do they want? Based on true events. (U.S. Premiere)
“Undead or Alive: a Zombedy”
Written and directed by Glasgow Phillips. Featuring: James Denton, Chris Kattan, Navi Rawat.
When two misfits rob the corrupt sheriff of an Old West town, they have no idea that a plague of zombies is sweeping the country, or that Geronimo’s sexy niece may be their only hope of survival. (World Premiere)
LONE STAR STATES
“Forfeit”
Directed by Andrew Shea, written by John Rafter Lee. Featuring: Billy Burke, Sherry Stringfield, Gregory Itzin, Wayne Knight.
An ex-con tries to manage his way back into society, reunite with his high school sweetheart, and commit one more crime. (World Premiere)
“Inside the Circle”
Directed by Marcy Garriott.
In this kinetic documentary capturing the raw power of a home-grown Texas hip-hop movement, we follow the journey of talented “B-boys” Josh and Omar (best friends turned rivals), as they struggle to keep dance at the center of their lives. (World Premiere)
“Love and Mary”
Written and directed by Elizabeth Harrison. Featuring: Lauren German, Gabriel Mann.
Struggling businesswoman Mary is forced to find a decoy for her fiance, so that she can return home to Texas and collect what promises to be a valuable gift. (World Premiere)
“Third Ward, Tx”
Directed by Andrew Garrison.
After more than a decade of building a community that is safe, livable and desirable, they’ve attracted forces that may destroy what they made– real estate development and gentrification. Will it survive the blind force of gentrification playing out in Houston and across America?
“The Unforeseen”
Directed by Laura Dunn.
The controversial saga of one community’s struggle to come to terms with business developments on a beloved natural landmark. (Regional Premiere)
“Weaving Worlds”
Directed by Bennie Klain.
Navajo tales of how the west was spun, exploring the personal stories of Navajo weavers and their complex relationship with reservation traders. (World Premiere)
SPECIAL SCREENINGS
“After the Wedding”
Directed by Susanne Bier, written by Anders Thomas Jensen. Featuring: Mads Mikkelsen, Rolf Lassgard, Sidse Babett Knudsen.
A Danish man returns home after 20 years to attend a wedding that becomes a landmark meeting between past and future, putting him in the dilemma of his life. (Regional Premiere)
“August Evening”
Directed by Chris Eska. Featuring: Pedro Castaneda, Veronica Loren.
We follow an aging undocumented worker, Jaime, and his young widowed daughter-in-law, Lupe, as their lives are thrown into upheaval. Lupe is more of a daughter to Jaime than his own children, and the two try to stick together… but change is inevitable. (Sneak Preview)
“Blindsight”
Directed by Lucy Walker.
An emotional account of one visually-impaired man’s journey to climb Mt. Everest, with a collection of visually-impaired children. (Regional Premiere)
“Call of the Hummingbird”
Directed by Alice Klein.
A documentary look at a gathering a thousand earth-lovers who have come together to experiment with a new sense of politics that aims to break out of old-school boundaries by politicizing the spiritual, and spiritualizing the political. (World Premiere)
“Cashback”
Written and directed by Sean Ellis. Featuring: Sean Biggerstaff, Emilia Fox, Shaun Evans.
To pass the long hours of the night while suffering from insomnia, an English art student starts working the late-night shift at the local supermarket. There he meets a colorful cast of characters, all of whom have their own “art” in dealing with the boredom of an eight-hour-shift. (Regional Premiere)
“Cherry Valley”
Directed by Patrick Steward.
Three film students travel to the small town of Cherry Valley to investigate a ghost in their friend’s house. Expecting to find nothing, they arrive to find that the entire town may be haunted. (World Premiere)
“The Devil Came on Horseback”
Directed by Annie Sundberg and Ricki Stern.
A politically-charged documentary look at the conflict in Darfur, through the eyes and camera of one disillusioned American soldier. (Regional Premiere)
“Diggers”
Directed by Katherine Dieckmann, written by Ken Marino. Featuring: Paul Rudd, Lauren Ambrose, Ron Eldard, Josh Hamilton, Sarah Paulson, Ken Marino.
The story of two generations of hard-living clam diggers, trying to maintain their way of life in the midst of the enormous changes swirling around them. (Regional Premiere)
“Electric Apricot: the Quest for Festeroo”
Written and directed by Les Claypool. Featuring: Claypool, Adam Gates, Brian Kehoe, Jonathan Korty, Jason McHugh.
In the spring of 2005, a UCLA graduate student gets more the he bargains for when he sets out to document an aging Northern California Jam band on the cusp of an apparent career break-through. (Regional Premiere)
“Everything’s Cool”
Directed by Judith Helfand and Daniel B. Gold.
A documentary about America finally understanding global warming, in the wake of the most dangerous chasm ever to emerge between scientific understanding and political action. (Regional Premiere)
“Imprint”
Directed by Michael Linn, written by Linn and Keith Davenport. Featuring: Tonantzin Carmelo, Michael Spears, Carla-Rae Holland, Cory Brusseau.
A contemporary Native American dramatic supernatural thriller that tells the story of Shayla Stonefeather, a prominent Native American attorney who has turned away from her people and the dreams of her youth. (World Premiere)
“The King of Kong”
Directed by Seth Gordon.
An entertaining nonfiction glimpse at the rivalry that brew between two men as they battle for the world record in the Donkey Kong video game. (Regional Premiere)
“The Lather Effect”
Directed by Sarah Kelly, written by Kelly and Tim Talbott. Featuring: Connie Britton, Sarah Clarke, Tate Donovan, Peter Facinelli, David Herman.
On the eve of the sale of her parents’ home, thirty-something Valinda throws an 1980’s rager, reuniting high school friends for one last chance to relive their wild youth – and the hangovers that went with it. (Regional Premiere)
“Truth in Terms of Beauty”
Directed by Vince DiPersio.
A documentary journey with acclaimed photographer Herman Leonard, as he guides us on a tour through his adventurous life: the jazz scene in New York, high fashion in Paris, Ibiza the Spanish island, and New Orleans in its full glory. (World Premiere)
“Who Loves the Sun”
Written and directed by Matt Bissonette. Featuring: Lukas Haas, Molly Parker, Adam Scott.
An innocent misunderstanding reveals a family secret, which suggests that the younger generation is much like the older one, and that the human problems don’t get solved. They simply get handed down. (Regional Premiere)
“Zoo”
Directed by Robinson Devor.
An artful and beautiful documentary that weaves stunning cinematography with audio interviews detailing what led to the controversial evening in the Pacific Northwest, when a family man died after engaging in sexual acts with a horse. (Regional Premiere)
