Forty-four independent feature films are set to screen as part of the November 2005 American Film Market’s (AFM) Public Previews screening program. Presenting a wide-array of films, most of which are making their world or U.S. debut, the Public Previews screening program of the AFM offers free badges to all individuals working in the entertainment industry, as well as Santa Monica residents, giving them the extraordinary opportunity to see upcoming films before their general release.
The AFM Public Previews run from November 2 – 8 at the AMC Santa Monica 7, 1310 Third Street Promenade (at Arizona). Industry executives and Santa Monica residents wanting to take advantage of this unique opportunity must register online for a badge, which will grant them access to all 44 films, as well as the AFM shuttle buses. Registrants can pick up their badges beginning Monday, November 1 on-site at the AFM at the Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel, 1700 Ocean Ave. Registration applications and a complete schedule of the Public Previews’ films, including screening information, film trailers and synopses are available at the AFM website.
Films are as follows:
All About Love-Life After 8:30
(Cantonese) – Romance Drama; Dir: Daniel Yu; Cast: Andy Lau, Charlie Young, Charlene Choi; (100 min); Company: Focus Films Limited
‘All About Love’ is an intriguing tale of love lost and the memories that bind us. The film sets to wow audiences while making us reflect on the complexities of relationships in contemporary times.
All for Love
(Korean) – Romantic Comedy; Dir. Kyu-dong Min; Cast: Jung-hwa Uhm, Soo-ro Kim, Chang-jeong Yim, Jung-min Hwang; (120 min); Company: CJ Entertainment
Four different stories tie together in an interesting way at the end.
Animal
(English) – Psycho-Drama; Dir. Roselyne Bosch; Cast: Andreas Wilson, Emma Griffiths-Malin, Diago Infante; (95 min); Company: StudioCanal
A genetic scientist, Samarcande, has decided to genetically modify a killer. He wants to create a saint out of a monster. But as the killer moves towards good, Samarconde gives in to his own demons, modifying himself to satisfy his violent ambitions.
Apartment 6
(English) – Horror; Dir. John Petros; Cast: Sarah Sunday, Joseph Orlando, Gio , Charmaine Lak (115 min); Company: Neptune 13 Pictures
A young woman’s apartment is invaded by a dangerous entity.
Beat the Drum
(English/Zulu) – Drama; Dir. David Hickson; Cast: Owen Sejake, Mary Twala, Clive Scott, Noluthando Maleka;; (114 min); Company: Kimmel International
A story of a young boy in Africa who leaves his village for the big city and discovers that HIV/AIDS is not the devil, but a real disease and returns to share his new found knowledge with his elders.
Birthday (The)
(French) – Comedy; Dir. Diane Kurys; Cast: Lambert Wilson, Michele Laroque, Jean-Hugues Anglade, Pierre Palmade; (100 min); Company: StudioCanal
Raphael has become a dazzlingly successful TV producer. He reads a manuscript that tells his life story that pulls no punches, written by a member of his old gang. He invites them all to celebrate his 40th birthday, and they will rediscover friendships.
Black Cloud
(English) – Action/Adventure; Dir. Rick Schroder; Cast: Eddie Spears, Rick Schroder, Russell Means, Tim McGraw; (97 min); Company: Creative Light Entertainment
A young Native American boxer overcomes obstacles to win a place on the U.S. Olympic boxing team.
Chasing Ghosts
(English) – Action/Suspense; Dir. Kyle Dean Jackson; Cast: Michael Madsen, Corey Large, Shannyn Sossamon, Michael Rooker; (95 min); Company: American World Pictures
A serial killer keeps taunting the police with clues and photos left behind at the scene of the crime. A veteran cop takes on a rookie cop, hoping to crack one last case before retiring.
Conversations With Other Women
(English) – Drama; Dir. Hans Canosa; Cast: Helena Bonham Carter, Aaron Eckhart; (83 min); Company: Fabrication Films
A man and a woman flirt with each other at a wedding reception, the sexual tension seems spontaneous. As the conversation deepens, their past life together is revealed. They go from the party to a hotel room, the night filled with passion and remorse…
Screenings: Wednesday 11/2 3:00 PM & Monday 11/7 1:00 PM
Day of Wrath
(English) – Action/Suspense; Dir. Adrian Rudomin; Cast: Christopher Lambert, Blanca Marsillach, Brian Blessed, James Faulkner; (95 min); Company: American World Pictures
‘Day of Wrath’ tells the story of Mendoza, a 16th century Spanish sheriff who stumbles upon brutal murders of high ranking nobles, and a conspiracy that threatens to tear apart the fabric of society during the darkest years of the Spanish Inquisition.
Disaster!
(English) – Animated; Dir. Roy Wood; Cast: Motley Crue; (85 min); Company: Bleiberg Entertainment Inc.
A clay animation spoof of big-budget action films, where a rag-tag group of misfits have three days to save the world from a killer asteroid.
El Cortez
(English) – Thriller; Dir. Stephen Purvis;Cast: Lou Diamond Phillips, Bruce Weitz, James McDaniel, Tracy Middendorf; (90 min); Company: BPix
Manny, an autistic ex-con, is seeking a new life after 5 years in psychiatric prison. He gets a job at Reno’s Hotel El Cortez where he gets along fine until a vengeful cop emerges from his past. He soon becomes trapped in a maze of deceit and betrayal.
Empire of the Wolves (The)
(French) – Action/Suspense; Dir. Chris Nahon; Cast: Jean Reno, Jocelyn Quivrin, Arly Jover; (128 min); Company: Gaumont
Anna, the wife of a senior government official is having bouts of amnesia and terrifying hallucinations. Meanwhile, 3 women are sadistically murdered. The link between Anna and the victims becomes ever more clear as Anna’s horrible past is revealed …
From Other Worlds
(English) – Science Fiction; Dir. Barry Strugatz; Cast: Cara Buono, Issach De Bankole, David Lansbury, Quinn Shephard; (88 min); Company: Shoreline Entertainment
A Brooklyn mom is abducted by aliens and returned to her home. A series of coincidences leads her to join forces with another supposed abductee who believes her story. As the plot thickens, a quirky comedy unfolds about misfits trying to save the world.
Gabrielle
(French) – Drama; Dir. Patrice Chereau; Cast: Isabelle Huppert, Pascal Greggory; (90 min); Company: StudioCanal
Paris, early 1900s. Provoking a cataclysmic crisis in her conventional, bourgeois marriage, Mme Hervey and her husband each take on the supposed virtues of the opposite sex.
Hating Alison Ashley
(English) – Comedy; Dir. Geoff Bennett; Cast: Dela Goodrem; (98 min); Company: Arclight Films
An angst ridden teen outcast, and a beautiful new arrival are surprised to discover they could be friends…if only they didn’t hate each other so much.
Headspace
(English) – Horror; Dir. Andrew van den Houten; Cast: Olivia Hussy, William Atherton, Larry Fessenden, Christopher Denham; (97 min); Company: Curb Entertainment International Corp.
25 year-old Alex must stop the demons of his nightmares from invading his world and killing everyone he knows.
Hellbent
(English) – Horror; Dir. Paul Etheredge-Ouzts; Cast: Dylan Fergus, Bryan Kirkwood, Hank Harris, Andrew Levitas; (85 min); Company: here! Films
The first ever Gay Slasher film! There is a serial killer loose at the famed West Hollywood Halloween Carnival. 4 gay friends will fight for their lives to make it through a night where costumes, beautiful people, drugs, music and sex are everywhere.
Hoboken Hollow
(English) – Horror; Dir. Glen Stephens; Cast: C. Thomas Howell, Dennis Hopper, Michael Madsen, Robert Carradine; (90 min); Company: American World Pictures
Based on a true story of a slave ranch in Texas. Several drifters find themselves confronted with the evil of Hoboken Hollow — a farm that many visit but few ever leave.
Jack-Fruit Thorn Kiss
(Vietnamese) – Drama; Dir. Nghiem Dang Tuan Nguyen; Cast: Tran Hoi Anh Nguyen, Yen Ngoc Duong, Khanh Trinh Ho; (115 min); Company: Vietnam Media Corp
‘Jack-Fruit Thorn Kiss’ is an enchanting romantic comedy, based in present day Vietnam, about two young travelers who are in love but don’t know it yet.
Joni’s Promise
(Indonesian) – Comedy/Adventure; Dir. Joko Anwar; Cast: Nicholas Saputra, Mariana Renata, Surya Saputra, Rachel Maryam; (86 min); Company: Focus Films Limited
Joni is a reel courier for a cinema chain. When Joni is on duty, a reel will be delivered on time. That is his promise. One day, it seems the whole town is conspiring against him, just when something big is at stake: a promise to the girl of his dreams.
La Visa Loca
(Filipino) – Comedy; Dir. Mark Meily; Cast: Robin Padilla, Rufa Mae Quinto, Johnny Delgado; (107 min); Company: Unitel Pictures International
A satirical comedy about one man’s obsession with obtaining an American visa. Story takes place during Holy Week in the Philippines. Script won 1st Prize-Palanca Awards (Pulitzer equivalent).
Last Drop (The)
(English) – Action/Adventure; Dir. Colin Teague; Cast: Billy Zane, Karel Roden, Sean Pertwee, Michael Madsen; (92 min); Company: Carnaby International
‘Kelly’s Heroes’ meets ‘Ocean’s Eleven’ – ‘The Last Drop’ is a daring heist that takes place during a war – it doesn’t get more dangerous than that!
Le Petit Lieutenant
(French) – Psychological Thriller; Dir.Xavier Beauvois; Cast: Nathalie Baye, Jalil Lespert, Roschdy Zem; (115 min); Company: StudioCanal
Antoine moves to the big city with dreams of fighting crime. Captain Veaudieu, a recovering alcoholic, takes him under her wing. He fits easily into her team, until tragedy strikes and Veaudieu has to fight the memories she used to drown in drink.
Mama Jack
(English) – Comedy; Dir. Gray Hofmeyr; Cast: Leon Schuster, Mary-Anne Barlow, Alfred Ntombela, Lionel Newton; (104 min); Company: Distant Horizon Ltd
On the run from the law and a vengeful movie director, Jack goes into hiding. He turns to his makeup artist friend and emerges disguised as a black woman, Mama Jack.
Murder, Take One
(Korean) – Mystery; Dir. Jin Jang; Cast: Seong-won Cha, Ha-kyun Shin; (115 min);
A TV station airs a real-time show of an actual murder case investigation of a famous female copywriter. The detective in charge closes in on the suspect until the unthinkable happens.
Once Upon a Time in the Oued
(French) – Comedy; Dir. Djamel Bensalah; Cast: Julien Courbet, Karina Testa, David Saracino, Marilou Berry; (93 min); Company: Gaumont
1988: While everyone dreamed of making it big in the States, Johnny Leclerc, a boy from the suburbs of Paris, dreamed of making it as just a simple grocer in Algeria. Here is his success story. A comedy narrating this exotic, comic yet touching journey.
Only the Night
(French) – Psychological Thriller; Dir. Xavier Giannoli; Cast: Ludivine Sagnier, Nicolas Duvauchelle, Bruno Todeschini; (105 min); Company: StudioCanal
Coming home late one night from work, Julien encounters a young, beautiful disturbing woman in front of his building. Julien becomes obsessed by the mystery surrounding her and risks everything, including his girlfriend’s love, hoping to save her.
Papa
(French) – Drama; Dir. Maurice Barthelemy; Cast: Alain Chabat, Martin Combes, Yael Abecassis; (77 min.); Company: Gaumont
A father drives through France with his youngest son, age 6. A strange and painful journey where father becomes son and son becomes father, father becomes father and son becomes son. A daddy, a boy, and upon arrival … a family?
Princess Aurora
(Korean) – Thriller; Dir. Eun-jin Bang; Cast: Jung-hwa Uhm; (110 min); Company: CJ Entertainment
A sticker of a cartoon character is found on a dead body at a department store. Soon more bodies turn up with that same sticker.
Reeker
(English) – Horror; Dir. Dave Payne; Cast: Devon Gummersall, Derek Richardson, Arielle Kebbel, Michael Ironside; (92 min); Company: Cinema Management Group
Young strangers trapped at an eerie travel oasis in the desert must unravel the mystery behind their visions of dying people while a decaying creature preys upon them.
Rules of Dating
(Korean) – Romantic Comedy; Dir. Jae-rim Han; Cast: Mae-il Park, Hae-jung Kang; (120 min); Company: CJ Entertainment
An English teacher and his assistant are involved in a rollercoaster romance after he makes sudden advances to her from day one.
Shoe Fairy (The)
(Mandarin) – Fantasy; Dir. Robin Lee; Cast: Vivian Hsu, Duncan Lai; (89 min); Company: Focus Films Limited
A lighthearted love story with a charming dose of fairy tale. Vivian Hsu plays a girl who is completely enamored with shoes. One day, she meets her “smiling dentist” Prince Charming and they seem destined for a happily ever after journey…but are they?
Standing Still
(English) – Comedy; Dir. Matthew Cole Weiss; Cast: Mena Suvari, James Van Der Beek, Colin Hanks, Adam Garcia; (90 min); Company: Voltage Pictures
A group of college graduates reunite for the wedding of one of their best friends.
Thing About My Folks (The)
(English) – Comedy; Dir. Raymond De Felitta; Cast: Peter Falk, Paul Reiser, Olympia Dukakis, Elizabeth Perkins; (96 min); Company: New Films International
‘The Thing About My Folks’ follows a father and son who set out on an impromptu road trip in the wake of mom’s unexpected defection.
Trespassers
(English) – Horror; Dir. Ian McCrudden; Cast: Michelle Borth, Alex Feldman, Johnny Hedrick, Kaiwi Lyman-Mersereau; (83 min); Company: Ocule Films
Five friends on an exotic surf journey trespass onto a cursed land.
Tsotsi
(Tsotsi-Taal) – Drama; Dir. Gavin Hood; Cast: Presley Chweneyagae, Terry Pheto, Kenneth Nkosi, Zola; (96 min); Company: The Little Film Company
Based on Athol Fugard’s book, this film traces 6 days in the life of a ruthless young gangster who shoots a woman and steals her car, unaware that her baby is in the back seat. Pumped with Zola’s “Kwaito” music, this is a gritty portrait of ghetto life.
Typhoon (Trailer)
(Korean) – Action/Adventure; Dir. Kwak Kyong-taek; Cast: Jang Dong-kun, Lee Jung-jae, Lee Mi-yeon; (25 min); Company: CJ Entertainment
A South Korean naval officer hunts down a pirate that has been banned from both North and South Korea. He takes his revenge out on the two Koreas with vengeance.
Vegas Baby
(English) – Comedy; Dir. Eric Bernt; Cast: Kal Penn, Jonathan Bennett, Donald Faison, Charlie Talbert; (90 min); Company: Voltage Pictures
Five friends go on a road trip to Vegas for the bachelor party of their lives. But nothing goes according to plan.
Virgil
(French) – Comedy; Dir. Marbrouk El Mechri; Cast; Jalil Lespert, Jean Pierre Cassel, Lea Drucker; (90 min); Company: Gaumont
Every week Virgil comes to visit his father in prison and fuels the old man’s dreams with tales of his boxing feats while crossing paths with Margot in the visiting room. The only hitch is that Virgil hasn’t boxed in years and his father is being released.
Voice
(Korean) – Horror; Dir. Equan Choe; Cast: Ok-bin Kim, Ji-hye Seo, Ye-ryun Cha; (104 min); Company: CJ Entertainment
A girl is killed by a mysterious voice and one day her best friend starts to hear her voice. As more and more people start to hear voices of the dead, the plot thickens.
Wig (The)
(Korean) – Horror; Dir. Shin-yun Won; Cast: Min-seo Chae, Sun Yu; (104 min); Company: CJ Entertainment
Two sisters lives are turned upside down as one loses her voice from an accident and the other her hair while undergoing chemotherapy. The sister is given a wig, and the memories of the life and death of a woman the hair once belonged to overtakes her.
You Are My Sunshine
(Korean) – Drama; Dir. Jin-pyo Park; Cast: Do-yeon Jeon, Jung-min Hwang; (122 min); Company: CJ Entertainment
A country man falls in love with a beautiful waitress at a coffee shop. He later finds out that she is also a prostitute at night but stays with her even after finding out that she has contracted the AIDS virus.
