BEGIN:VCALENDAR PRODID:-//Festival Genius Presents: Rhode Island International Film Festi val 2009//iCal4j 1.0//EN VERSION:2.0 CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20120212T031824Z DTSTART:20090803T100000 DTEND:20090803T113400 SUMMARY:Monsters vs. Aliens DESCRIPTION:Starring the voices of Reese Witherspoon\, Seth Rogen\, Paul Rudd\, Hugh Laurie.\nA motley crew of misshapen monsters are enlisted by the Government to help fight\nan alien invasion\, including California girl Susan Murphy\, after being hit by a meteor\nof outer space gunk she miraculously mutates into 49ft 11inches tall ‘Ginormica’.\nAfter her ga rgantuan growth spurt she is captured and held in a Government\ncompound with fellow Monsters Insectosaurus\, Dr. Cockroach Ph. D. and the Missi ng\nLink\, until General W.R Monger calls them up to save the World! CATEGORIES:Animation LOCATION:Providence Place Cinemas 16 URL:http://riff.bside.com/2009/films/monstersvsaliens_riff2009 UID:2484729847-riff.festivalgenius.com/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20120212T031824Z DTSTART:20090803T183000 DTEND:20090803T200000 SUMMARY:La Masseria Dellee Allodole (The Lark Farm) DESCRIPTION:During the First World War\, the Young Turks Party orders the massacre of the\nArmenians. All the males in the Avakian Family are sla ughtered\, while the females\,\nincluding proud\, headstrong Nunik\, are led into the desert\, where they are doomed\nto perish. But Nazim\, a m ember of the Turkish 'Confraternity of Beggars'\, is plotting to\nsave t hem. One night\, an horse-drawn carriage with a false bottom arrives to take\nthem away\, only the Turkish guards grow suspicious. To distract t hem\, Nunik runs out\ninto the centre of the camp an begins singing and Armenian song. As the\ncommander orders that she be killed. her eyes cat ch those of Youssouf\, a Turkish\nsoldier who has fallen in love with he r. He has promised that he will never let her be\ntortured\, and so\, as the rest of her family escapes\, he makes sure that Nunik dies a\nquick \, merciful death. CATEGORIES:Features LOCATION:Columbus Theatre Arts Center URL:http://riff.bside.com/2009/films/lamasseriadelleeallodolethelarkfarm_ riff2009 UID:2484730173-riff.festivalgenius.com/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20120212T031824Z DTSTART:20090804T190000 DTEND:20090804T205600 SUMMARY:Opening Night Short Film Selection DESCRIPTION: CATEGORIES:Shorts LOCATION:Providence Performing Arts Center URL:http://riff.bside.com/2009/films/openingnightshortfilmselection_riff2 009 UID:2484730566-riff.festivalgenius.com/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20120212T031824Z DTSTART:20090805T100000 DTEND:20090805T120000 SUMMARY:KidsEye™ International Film Festival Augst 5th DESCRIPTION:The Awe of Discovery: Kids Shorts CATEGORIES:Shorts LOCATION:Cable Car Cinema URL:http://riff.bside.com/2009/films/kidseyeinternationalfilmfestivalaugu st5th_riff2009 UID:2484732919-riff.festivalgenius.com/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20120212T031824Z DTSTART:20090805T130000 DTEND:20090805T150000 SUMMARY:Everyone Has a Story: an international focus DESCRIPTION: CATEGORIES:Shorts LOCATION:Columbus Theatre Arts Center URL:http://riff.bside.com/2009/films/everyonehasastoryaninternationalfocu s_riff2009 UID:2484735387-riff.festivalgenius.com/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20120212T031824Z DTSTART:20090805T151500 DTEND:20090805T163400 SUMMARY:Tapped DESCRIPTION:"Tapped\," a documentary about how the bottle water industry is reeking havoc on the environment\, examines the role of the bottled w ater industry and its' effects on our health\, climate change\, pollutio n\, and our reliance on oil.Bottled water doesn't just come from your gr ocery store. It comes from small town across America where citizens argu e their way of life and ecosystem have been disrupted as a result of co rporations coming in and claiming ownership of the public's water supply . Tapped takes the audience to the first stage in bottled water manufact uring- the oil refineries that produce the main ingredients for plastic bottles. We see what life is like in a fence-line community next to the number one manufacturer of Paraxylene\, the primary ingredient in PET pl astic. Eighty percent of the paraxylene produced goes into the PET bottl es used by America's big three water giants - Nestle\, Coke and Pepsi. O nly 20% of bottled water containers are recycled in the U.S. Every day A mericans dump 30 million single-serve plastic water bottles into landfil ls. 'Tapped' reveals starling recycling statistics and explains how Nes tle\, Coke and Pepsi fight recycling legislation that has demonstrated a 97% success rate when implemented.Because of America's poor recycling r ate\, much of our plastic ends up in the Pacific ocean. Specifically in an area know as Plastic Stew - an area twice the size of Texas where the ration of plastic to plankton is 46:1.'Tapped' highlights how everyday heroes have taken on the fight for our most precious resource - water. CATEGORIES:Documentaries LOCATION:Columbus Theatre Arts Center URL:http://riff.bside.com/2009/films/tapped_riff2009 UID:2484735744-riff.festivalgenius.com/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20120212T031824Z DTSTART:20090805T172000 DTEND:20090805T184500 SUMMARY:Ten 9 Eight DESCRIPTION:In America\, a kid drops out of high school every 9 seconds\, Imagine if they didn’t.\nThe inspiring story of several inner city teen s defying the statistics. This is the\ncompelling question behind award- winning filmmaker Mary Mazzio’s newest\nproject Ten9Eight\, a thought pr ovoking film which tells the inspirational stories of\nseveral inner cit y teens (of differing race\, religion\, and ethnicity) from Harlem to\nC ompton and all points in between\, as they compete in an annual business plan\ncompetition run by the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFT E).\n\nwith appearances by Arthur Blank (founder\, Home Depot)\; Wyc Gro usbeck\n(owner\, Boston Celtics)\; Ralph Schlosstein (founder\, BlackRoc k)\; Kay Koplovitz\n(founder\, USA Network)\; Tom Scott (founder\, Nantu cket Nectars) CATEGORIES:Documentaries LOCATION:Columbus Theatre Arts Center URL:http://riff.bside.com/2009/films/ten9eight_riff2009 UID:2484736075-riff.festivalgenius.com/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20120212T031824Z DTSTART:20090805T180000 DTEND:20090805T193000 SUMMARY:No.4 Street Of Our Lady DESCRIPTION:If your neighbors were being hunted down and came to your doo r begging for help\, would you risk your life to save theirs? This film tells the remarkable\, yet little-known\, story of Francisca Halamajowa \, a Polish-Catholic woman who hid 16 of her Jewish neighbors during the Holocaust\, while cleverly passing herself off as a Nazi sympathizer.Th is film reflects on the painful moral dilemmas that acts of rescue and s urvival often entail and reveals how traumatic events of the past contin ue to play out years later.On the eve of World War II\, more than 6\,000 Jews lived in Sokal\, a small town in Eastern Poland\, now part of Ukra ine. By the end of the war\, only about 30 had survived\, most of them r escued by Francisca Halamajowa. For close to two years\, Halamajowa hid her Jewish acquaintances in her tiny home and cooked and cared for them\ , right under the noses of German troops camping on her property and hos tile neighbors. Two families were hidden in the hayloft of her pigsty\, and one family in a hole dug under her kitchen floor. In the final mont hs of the war\, she also provided shelter to a German soldier who had de fected - an act that almost cost her her life. The film draws on excerpt s from a diary kept by one of the survivors\, Moshe Maltz\, whose grandd aughter is one of the filmmakers. It also incorporates testimonies from other Jews saved by Halamajowa\, her descendants and formers neighbors\, whose paths converge on a trip back to Sokal. Powerful location shots a dd another rich dimension to the story\, providing the backdrop as the d rama unfolds. CATEGORIES:Documentaries LOCATION:Brown/RISD Hillel URL:http://riff.bside.com/2009/films/no4streetofourlady_riff2009 UID:2484734964-riff.festivalgenius.com/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20120212T031824Z DTSTART:20090805T190000 DTEND:20090805T195900 SUMMARY:Home Across Lands DESCRIPTION:According to the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants\, of the world's nearly 14 million refugees\, more than 7 million have la nguished in refugee camps for ten years or more\, some for generations. Life in a refugee camp is a life of restricted mobility\, enforced idlen ess and dependency-- a human warehouse where lives are on indefinite hol d-- not unlike the punishment of a prison\, though with the added injust ice of never having committed a crime. Although the international commun ity tries to find durable solutions to their plight\, less than 1% are e ver offered a chance of resettlement.HOME ACROSS LANDS is a documentary that explores the journey of resettlement-- it tells the story of a smal l group of Kunama refugees and how they reestablish their sense of commu nity in their new home in America.The Kunama are considered among the or iginal inhabitants of Eritrea and are a marginalized minority populating the remote but fertile regions near the border of Ethiopia. Formerly no madic\, today they are farmers and pastoralists\, living and working in what has been called the "breadbasket of Eritrea."In 1998\, war between Eritrea and Ethiopia broke out in a conflict over the Kunama inhabited b order lands forcing over 4\,000 Kunama to flee across the border into No rthern Ethiopia. In 2000\, the war ended with the Eritrean government re gaining control of the disputed area and declaring that all farmland is now state property. The government now encourages and supports large com mercial farms\, which are mostly owned by members of the majority Tigrin ya ethnic group separating thousands of Kunama from their homeland and w ay of life.Today thousands of Kunama wait in desolation\, 45 km from the contentious Eritrean border\, warehoused in the Shimelba Refugee Camp i n Northern Ethiopia. Life in the camp is difficult and opportunities for a better life are nonexistent but the Kunama remain committed to their strong sense of community and family in spite of their displacement. Unw anted in Ethiopia and unable to return to their homes safely a small num ber of Kunama are given the opportunity for resettlement in the United S tates.HOME ACROSS LANDS chronicles the journey of these newly arrived Ku nama as they strive to become self-reliant\, invested participants in th eir new home. Guiding their transition is the resettlement agency\, Inte rnational Institute of Rhode Island that connects them to the resources they need as they work to establish a new community and a better life fo r their families.Shot over the course of one year\, the film chronicles the extreme changes with an array of striking landscapes\, from the arid Shimelba Refugee Camp in Ethiopia to the Spring House Hotel on Block Is land. The diversity of these images help to illustrate the journey of th e Kunama and the scope of their relationship with International Institut e. By presenting a straightforward visual portrait of this partnership a t work we experience how the Kunama make sense of the basics-- apartment living\, public transportation\, employment and health care\, while gra ppling with the complex-- nurturing their own community and adapting to a larger and very foreign world. CATEGORIES:Documentaries LOCATION:Columbus Theatre Arts Center URL:http://riff.bside.com/2009/films/homeacrosslands_riff2009 UID:2484736956-riff.festivalgenius.com/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20120212T031824Z DTSTART:20090805T191500 DTEND:20090805T210000 SUMMARY:Stand Up DESCRIPTION:In Jilin\, a large industrial city in northern China\, Song X ue-Wen\, a young industrial worker\, becomes the inadvertent victim of a radioactive accident at his company. He undergoes seven major operatio ns in which both legs are amputated at the hip\, and his left hand is am putated at the wrist. He also loses functionality of all five fingers o f his right hand. A subsequent addiction to pain-killing morphine force s him to undergo drug rehabilitation three times. The local company Son g worked for refuses to give him proper compensation for his crippling l osses or to even pay for prosthetic limbs with which he might some day a chieve his dream of standing up. Experiencing the lowest point of his li fe\, he meets a beautiful\, caring young school teacher\, named Yang Gan g. Through their growing and emotionally supportive friendship\, and wi th very meager financial support from his impoverished parents\, he reso lves to bring his case for just compensation to officials at his former company's headquarters in Beijing. Trying to find their way amid the exp ansive growth and frenetic pace of a Beijing looking for its new identit y as a modern oversized metropolis of skyscraping office towers\, multi- lane highways and long\, winding\, handicap-inaccessible pedestrian over passes of metal and concrete\, Song and Yang Gang tenaciously try to fin d out how to bring their case before the company's officials. As they s earch\, the couple encounters various corrupt and needy individuals alon g the way who try to trick them out of whatever small amount of money th ey have to survive in Beijing during their quest for justice.After confr onting local officials from the company\, who try to prevent the couple from presenting their case to higher authorities\, the two flee their te mporary living quarters\, try to earn a living on the streets\, and impr ovise a rest place in half-demolished building remnants of the old Beiji ngIn the face of company resistance\, Song and Yang seek out the service s of a lawyer\, who demands an initial retainer that is far beyond their means. Life in the big city is hard for the young couple\, but through it they find love and happiness\, and what it means to stand up. Song Xue-Wen plays himself in this film\, which is based on the true story o f his life. CATEGORIES:Chinese LOCATION:Cable Car Cinema URL:http://riff.bside.com/2009/films/standup_riff2009 UID:2484733660-riff.festivalgenius.com/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20120212T031824Z DTSTART:20090805T193000 DTEND:20090805T202700 SUMMARY:Out In The Silence DESCRIPTION:The announcement of the filmmaker's\nwedding to another man i n his small hometown newspaper leads to a\nfirestorm of controversy and a plea for help from the mother of a gay\nteen being tormented at school . A gripping and uplifting journey\nthrough love\, hate\, and change in the American heartland.\n \nRather\nthan approaching homophobia with co nflict\, gay filmmakers/husbands\nJoe Wilson and Dean Hamer try somethin g new – listening – and\nopening a conversation with the opposition. The story begins when Joe\nand Dean send their wedding announcement to Joe’ s hometown\nnewspaper in Oil City\, Pennsylvania. The published announce ment\ncatches the eye of Kathy Springer\, whose son C.J. is being taunte d\nfor his sexuality in high school. While C.J. is a sports-loving jock\ ,\nhe’s constantly under threat of bodily harm at school from his\nbigot ed classmates. Kathy reaches out to Joe and Dean who respond by\ngrabbin g their film equipment to see just what’s going on in this\nconservative rust-belt town. They meet Diane Gramley\, local organizer\nfor the Amer ican Family Association\, w\nho incites the town against\nKathy and C.J. to the point where they receive a death threat. They\nalso meet a funda mentalist preacher and his wife and begin a\nlife-changing friendship wi th the conservative couple. And they meet\na lesbian couple whose renova tion of a long-abandoned local theater\ngalvanizes the town towards posi tive change. Most of the town\, even\nthe mayor\, ignores the boycott of the theater called by the town’s\nbigots. Thinking creatively to fight homophobia\, the activist\nfilmmaker couple shed new light on the consta ntly evolving LGBT\ncivil-rights struggle. CATEGORIES:Gay & Lesbian LOCATION:The Bell Street Chapel URL:http://riff.bside.com/2009/films/outinthesilence_riff2009 UID:2484734213-riff.festivalgenius.com/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20120212T031824Z DTSTART:20090805T193000 DTEND:20090805T213000 SUMMARY:Becoming Human: a shorts package DESCRIPTION: CATEGORIES:Shorts LOCATION:Columbus Theatre Arts Center URL:http://riff.bside.com/2009/films/becominghumanashortspackage_riff2009 UID:2484736181-riff.festivalgenius.com/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20120212T031824Z DTSTART:20090805T200000 DTEND:20090805T211300 SUMMARY:Going Home DESCRIPTION:Jason never expected to look back at his complicated and hidd en family history rooted in South Korea. Even though he had been adopted from Korea two decades earlier\, Jason identified with being a true New Yorker. Having grown up in the liberal background of Greenwich Village to Jewish parents\, Jason barely expressed any interest in his Korean he ritage. He was perfectly fulfilled with the American life that had been chosen for him. But as he grew into a young adult\, he inherently became more curious about his roots. In the documentary GOING HOME\, Jason fin ally summons up the courage to initiate contact with his birth mother\, and during the search inadvertently discovers that neither his birth fat her nor older birth sister knows that he exists. Without knowing whether face-to-face meetings are even possible\, Jason takes a risk and sets o ut on an epic journey halfway around the world with his Korean girlfrien d\, MiKyung by his side. Once in Seoul\, Jason excitedly learns that his mother wishes to meet him. But when his mother suddenly falls ill on th e day of their planned meeting\, Jason's short-lived optimism takes a di scouraging turn. Filled with deeply human moments of joy and pain\, GOIN G HOME shares Jason's intimate journey as he starts to realize what life could have been if he had not been adopted. In the face of adversity an d complete upheaval of buried insecurities about his identity\, Jason be gins to discover a profound new meaning of family. CATEGORIES:Documentaries LOCATION:Brown/RISD Hillel URL:http://riff.bside.com/2009/films/goinghome_riff2009 UID:2484735024-riff.festivalgenius.com/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20120212T031824Z DTSTART:20090805T211500 DTEND:20090805T230000 SUMMARY:Bitter/Sweet DESCRIPTION:Acclaimed American coffee expert Brian Chandler has a seeming ly perfect life. At only 31\, he is the lead buyer for Emerald City Cof fee\, a top retailer of premium Arabica coffee. He has a beautiful\, in telligent\, equally-perfect fiancé who\, as an extra-added-bonus\, also happens to have an incredibly wealthy father. He has the respect of col leagues and competitors alike. It's a great life. Who can really fault the "middle-class-raised" Brian for feeling good about himself\, even i f this feeling occasionally borders on snobbery\, especially when it com es to coffee? However\, Brian's perfect world is only one phone call aw ay from changing forever &Brian is in Brazil\, just about to close a dea l to purchase an entire harvest of one of the best Arabica coffee crops in the world when the phone call comes in. On the other end of the line is Calvert Jenkins\, the maverick owner/CEO of Emerald City. Jenkins te lls Brian he needs him to immediately drop what he is doing and head dow n to Thailand. And\, worse yet\, Jenkins goes on to tell Brian he needs him to find the best Robusta beans in Thailand. Now\, telling a coffee snob like Brian that he has to purchase Robusta beans is like telling a wine connoisseur that he has to pick up a dozen bottles of Boone's Farm Strawberry Hill on the way home. Brian hates the idea. Ticha Sungsuwan is all business. This 28-year-old Bangkok-based public relations execu tive is motivated\, focused\, driven\, and obsessed with being perfect i n the business world. She is\, however\, a basket-case when it comes to matters of the heart. In fact\, Ticha has long since given up on the p rospect of ever finding true love. That would just interfere with singi ng the praises of her lingerie\, diet pill\, and cosmetics clients\, not to mention those of international recording superstar Tata Young (known as the "Madonna" of Thailand)\, who's new album Ticha is actively promo ting. Ticha's busy world comes crashing down on her when she receives a n unexpected visit from her father Pong and mother Nee\, and the entire population of her coffee-growing village! They need Ticha's help &and P ong and Nee will not take "no" for an answer.Pong and Nee have found out that Brian Chandler is coming to Thailand to look for coffee. They kno w that Emerald City has deep pockets. And\, they know that a sale to Em erald City could get the village out from under the evil clutches of the cut-throat Mr. Kang\, a coffee purchaser who\, year to year\, continues to lower his prices. That's where Ticha comes in. With her long-since -abandoned coffee farming background and her current take-no-prisoners\, be perfect at any cost\, business acumen\, Pong and Nee feel Ticha is t he perfect person to guide Brian from Bangkok down to the family's villa ge and their coffee. Unfortunately &Ticha doesn't want the gig. Guilt\ , however\, is a powerful motivator in any language. Ticha reluctantly agrees &Now\, armed with her best friend\, the outgoing and daring Mook and Mook's outrageous Austrian ex-pat boyfriend Werner\, Ticha sets out to find Brian and bring him to her old village. Only problem is &when t hey meet &they can't stand each other. Brian sees Ticha as an uptight a nd angry women\; Ticha sees Brian as an arrogant and conceited man. Th ey are "same sides of a different coin". It truly is\, at the beginning \, a match made in Hell &Ticha and Brian bang heads as they travel from Bangkok to the coffee fields of Krabi\, in rural southern Thailand. The y continue to do so as they struggle to find their way through a huge\, multi-village coffee tasting competition and also\, through the increasi ngly odd and cryptic tasks Calvert Jenkins asks Brian to perform in thei r daily phone calls. Ticha and Brian must also deal with the jealousies and petty prides of Ticha's younger sister Mint and her Muay Thai boxer boyfriend Komane. They must also try to defend themselves against the wicked middleman Kang\, who will do everything in his power to defeat th e Emerald City deal and keep the village mired in poverty but firmly in his control. Finally\, Brian and Ticha must combat the conflict caused when two very unexpected arrivals take place - Brian's fiancé Amanda\, a nd CALVERT JENKINS himself. In fact\, it's with the arrival of Calvert Jenkins to the village that Brian and Ticha learn that REAL REASON Calve rt sent Brian to Thailand in the first place. And &it has nothing to do with finding coffee &In addition to being a romantic comedy\, "Bitter/S weet" is also a "fish-out-of-water" tale. Brian must overcome the chall enges of operating in a world he does not know\; one where he is not the "coffee king". And\, Ticha must overcome the disapproval of her parent s when she unexpectedly begins to fall for Brian. There are many cultur al and generational differences to overcome."Bitter/Sweet" is also about reconciliation and reconnecting. Brian must reconcile with the fact th at\, even though he presents a very attractive\, "perfect" package\, dee p down he is neither happy nor satisfied. He must reconnect to the noti on that "what is right" will always beat out "what is perfect". Ticha m ust reconcile with the fact that\, even though she did everything she co uld to put distance between her old life on the farm and her new life in the city\, her village is the only place she's ever truly felt "at home ". She learns that simple fact when she reconnects with her parents\, h er sister\, the villagers\, and the dark red earth underneath her feet. And & "Bitter/Sweet" is about reconnecting with children & those that a re physically ours and those that live deep inside us.Finally\, "Bitter/ Sweet" is a love story\, but not just a love story between two people. It is a declaration of love to the country of Thailand &its people\, its places\, its amazing culture and traditions\, and finally\, to the simp le pleasures of a really good cup of coffee.What's "right" will beat wha t's "perfect" any day & CATEGORIES:All Films LOCATION:Columbus Theatre Arts Center URL:http://riff.bside.com/2009/films/bittersweet_riff2009 UID:2484737150-riff.festivalgenius.com/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20120212T031824Z DTSTART:20090805T213000 DTEND:20090805T232300 SUMMARY:Alone (Issiz Adam) DESCRIPTION:Thirty-something ALPER is a talented chef who runs his own re staurant. He may have achieved success in business\, but the same cannot be said of his personal life. While caught in the triangle of his gastr onomic creations\, one-night stands and escort girls\, he suddenly finds his life take a new turn when he walks into a second-hand bookshop in t he backstreets of Beyoglu to buy and old record he has been looking for. ADA is an attractive\, unassuming and relatively stable woman in her lat e 20s who designs and makes fancy dress costumes for kids. One day\, whi le wandering around Beyoglu in search of a second-hand book\, she walks into the same shop as Alper. A womaniser by nature\, Alper is impressed by Ada's good looks and sets off in pursuit. As a pretext for introducin g himself\, he tracks down the book Ada was looking for\, buys it and th en presents it to her.As it turns out\, this book is the beginning of a passionate affair between the two. But the harder Alper tries to create space for Ada in his existing life\, the more restricted\, the more clau strophobic he starts to feel. Ada\, however\, is blissfully unaware of t he poison in Alper's blood and delights on being in love.Ada and Alper l ive out their romance as far as they are able and in the measure to whic h life allows them. In Mustafa Hakkinda Hersey (All About Mustafa) Cagan Irmak deals with the lies thrown at us by life\; in Babam ve Oglum (My Father and My Son) his standpoint is that of a tight-knit Aegean family\ ; and in Ulak (The Messenger) he tells us of the world we live in by bel ieving in stories. This time\, however\, he sets his story in the metrop olis.ALONE is a film that tells of people isolated and made lonely by mo dern life\; people who need people but are blind to that need in the mae lstrom of the metropolis\; blind\, that is\, until it is too late. It is a story about food\, mothers\, old songs and love\; a story both bitter and full of hope. PRODUCTION NOTESShooting for a period of five weeks\, ALONE used natural locations that were dressed up and redecorated to ma tch the needs of the script.For this film\, too\, Cagan Irmak reassemble d the principal crew he has worked with on many previous successful prod uctions\, with the addition this time of DoP Gokhan Tiryaki\, who was na med Best Cinematographer at the World Film Festival of Bangkok in 2006.T he original score\, which was recorded live by a large string orchestra\ , was composed by ARIA. A number of treasured songs from the 70s were al so used in the film soundtrack.Careful to brief his cast and crew thorou ghly in advance in order to obtain a natural\, spontaneous look for the film\, the director scheduled in extra hours with his actors to ensure t hey slipped easily out of role again. Locations were centred largely on the Beyoglu district of Istanbul\, where shooting sometimes required a h idden camera and sometimes large crowds of extras. A number of scenes we re also photographed in Tarsus\, on the southeast Mediterranean coast. S hot in scope\, the film was based for the laboratory stage at Istanbul's Sinefekt Studios. The production used synch sound throughout photograph y\, bringing in an experienced crew from overseas for the purpose.CASTCE MAL HUNALMELIS BIRKANYILDIZ KULTURSERIF BOZKURTGOZDE KANSUANDGONCAGUL SU NARMUSICARIADIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHYGOKHAN TIRYAKIEXECUTIVE PRODUCERESI G ULCEPRODUCTION COMPANYMOST PRODUCTIONPRODUCERMUSTAFA OGUZWRITTEN & DIREC TED BYCAGAN IRMAK CATEGORIES:All Films LOCATION:Cable Car Cinema URL:http://riff.bside.com/2009/films/alone_riff2009 UID:2484733808-riff.festivalgenius.com/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20120212T031824Z DTSTART:20090805T213000 DTEND:20090805T223900 SUMMARY:Swimming With Lesbians DESCRIPTION:It has been said\, "Gays have a past but no history." Gays an d Lesbians don't grow up immersed in gay history\, it is something they must search for. For those coming of age in the 1950's\, much of signif icant American gay history is their personal history -- the Mattachine S ociety\, Stonewall\, the gay rights movement\, psychiatric redefinition of homosexuality\, Don't Ask Don't Tell\, Romer v. Evens\, AIDS\, civil unions\, marriage -- it's all in the last 50 years. Swimming with Lesbi ans is a film that explores an upstate New York community's efforts to c reate an LGBT historic archive - led by the extraordinary Madeline Davis .As the film opens\, viewers are instantly transported into 68-year old Madeline's life and world as she sets the needle on a well-worn and a bi t warped vinyl recording of the first gay anthem\, "Stonewall Nation" - a song that she wrote and recorded. Soon we are "swimming" with Madelin e though an ocean of memories - some turbulent and gray\, some clear as placid water\, many seminal to the gay rights movement - and all pure Ma deline. Viewers are immediately aware that Madeline has not sat on the sidelines of LGBT history\; she is a person that has been making waves f or decades. In addition to writing and recording "Stonewall Nation\," p roduced by the Mattachine Society\, she was the first openly elected les bian delegate to speak at the Democratic National Convention\, she taugh t the first Lesbianism course ever offered at a major American universit y\, and she co-authored a seminal history of blue collar lesbian life\, Boots of Leather\, Slippers of Gold. This archive is more than just the documentary proof that the raw material of history exists. It is for m any an important acknowledgement of a struggle to be seen\; acknowledged \, known. For Madeline\, it is a story of passion and power -- for with in the individual stories found in the archive\, the past takes shape an d forms the history of gay civil rights. Buffalo\, New York is a conserv ative blue collar city\, and perhaps for some\, an unlikely and surprisi ng home for an archive of this scope. The last half century has not bee n kind to Buffalo. The social change that made gay rights possible was n ot always welcomed in Buffalo. Swimming with Lesbians asks the viewer to consider that much credit is due to people like Madeline and others in the film -- people in places like Buffalo\, New York -- who moved Gay ri ghts out of the Castro and the Village and onto Main Street. Without the m\, today might look much different. Approach:Swimming with Lesbians is shot cinema verite in intimate settings associated with the lives of th e individuals associated with the archive. The film is non-narrative an d told without the use of voice-over\; based on the archive collection f rom which interesting stories and compelling characters emerge. These st ories are interwoven with scenes of Madeline at work\, often frustrating ly so\, to build the archive. Madeline is both guide and subject\; the collector and the keeper. She is the story and the storyteller. .Peggy\ , David\, Camille\, Tangara\, and Vicki are all characters introduced by Madeline. Born David Dietrich in 1927. When Peggy had her surgery in 1 975\, her family declared her dead. There are very few pictures of Peggy \, her family destroyed them - but fortunately\, a vast store of letters contributed to the archive by her friends paint a vivid picture of her life. Although this is Peggy's story\, it is emblematic of the lives of many others. Peggy knew she was a girl from the age of six\, and what' s more\, she knew she was a Lesbian. Her decision to have surgery and ma ke a life in the same small Buffalo suburb where she grew up and raised her family ended tragically. Peggy was incredibly strong and determined\ ; she would not be driven out. Portions of her letters are read by Cami lle\, a transgendered woman who found hope in Peggy's story. "She was a warrior\, a fighter\, trying to live an authentic life." Camille transi tioned in 2001 and has tried ever since to remain in Buffalo at her job in city government. It has not been easy and Camille has come to realize she is not Peggy\, she is not willing to wait for acceptance she is lea ving Buffalo her job\, home and family for the west coast. "I want someo ne to grow old with. I'm 56. I want someone to hold me. I can't find tha t here." Tangara is a 92 year old drag queen and a Buffalo institution. He has left all of his material to the archive. Madeline and Vicki Vogue (a 70 year old drag queen) introduce us to Tangara. "Tangara was the fi rst drag queen we knew of\," Madeline tells us. "He offered Straight Buf falo a glimpse of what gay life had to offer." For Vicki and his two gay brothers\, Tangara was an inspiration. "He wasn't a great dancer but wh o cares\; he's up there in a dress\, who could ask for anything more." H e remembers working for Mae West and traveling the USA in a Gay Boy Revi ew in the 1930's. He hopes some day that we won't have to be afraid any more. Vicki Vogue was married to protect him from ridicule. "I know she would have been happier married to a straight man\," Danny tells us. "If I am honest with myself she was shortchanged\, and I'm the guy that sho rtchanged her."Madeline poignantly summarizes both her personal goal and the film's goal when she says\, "We are ephemeral. We will be gone. Thi s is for the ages." Madeline is determined to see this archive installe d in a library or university in Buffalo\, but will the straight gate kee pers validate her life work? For Madeline\, a life long librarian and ke eper of the past\, much hangs on that decision. CATEGORIES:Gay & Lesbian LOCATION:The Bell Street Chapel URL:http://riff.bside.com/2009/films/swimmingwithlesbians_riff2009 UID:2484734695-riff.festivalgenius.com/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20120212T031824Z DTSTART:20090805T213000 DTEND:20090805T230200 SUMMARY:The Vicious Kind DESCRIPTION:Writer/director Lee Toland Krieger's tense family drama is ri fe with regret\, hostility\, and dark humor. Stars Adam Scott (STEPBROTH ERS)\, J.K. Simmons (“Oz”\, JUNO\, BURN AFTER READING)\, Brittany Snow ( HAIRSPRAY 2007). CATEGORIES:All Films LOCATION:Columbus Theatre Arts Center URL:http://riff.bside.com/2009/films/theviciouskind_riff2009 UID:2484736560-riff.festivalgenius.com/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20120212T031824Z DTSTART:20090806T083000 DTEND:20090806T130000 SUMMARY:RIIFF Technology Forum 2009 DESCRIPTION:The modern\, 21st century filmmaker must be both an auteur an d an entrepreneur\n– hence the rise of the “auteurpreneur\,” a term coin ed to describe the emerging\nrole that a filmmaker must play. Digital di stribution and other dynamic\ntechnologies provide filmmakers with an ar ray of powerful tools to use to promote\nand market their artistic visio n.\nThe technology forum is a day-long series of workshops focused on th e emerging\nmarketing and distribution trends in digital and web-based t echnologies. Each\nworkshop will explore a distinct topic and will be le ad by a panel of professionals\nwith expertise related to that topic. Pa rticipants will have an opportunity to\ninteract with the workshop leade rs and to ask them questions on the subject\nmatter. CATEGORIES:Panel LOCATION:Rhode Island Center For Innovation And Entrepreneurship URL:http://riff.bside.com/2009/films/therifftechnologyforum_riff2009 UID:2484737300-riff.festivalgenius.com/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20120212T031824Z DTSTART:20090806T100000 DTEND:20090806T120000 SUMMARY:KidsEye™ International Film Festival August 6th DESCRIPTION: CATEGORIES:Shorts LOCATION:Cable Car Cinema URL:http://riff.bside.com/2009/films/kidseyeinternationalfilmfestival_rif f2009 UID:2484737527-riff.festivalgenius.com/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20120212T031824Z DTSTART:20090806T130000 DTEND:20090806T143000 SUMMARY:No.4 Street Of Our Lady DESCRIPTION:If your neighbors were being hunted down and came to your doo r begging for help\, would you risk your life to save theirs? This film tells the remarkable\, yet little-known\, story of Francisca Halamajowa \, a Polish-Catholic woman who hid 16 of her Jewish neighbors during the Holocaust\, while cleverly passing herself off as a Nazi sympathizer.Th is film reflects on the painful moral dilemmas that acts of rescue and s urvival often entail and reveals how traumatic events of the past contin ue to play out years later.On the eve of World War II\, more than 6\,000 Jews lived in Sokal\, a small town in Eastern Poland\, now part of Ukra ine. By the end of the war\, only about 30 had survived\, most of them r escued by Francisca Halamajowa. For close to two years\, Halamajowa hid her Jewish acquaintances in her tiny home and cooked and cared for them\ , right under the noses of German troops camping on her property and hos tile neighbors. Two families were hidden in the hayloft of her pigsty\, and one family in a hole dug under her kitchen floor. In the final mont hs of the war\, she also provided shelter to a German soldier who had de fected - an act that almost cost her her life. The film draws on excerpt s from a diary kept by one of the survivors\, Moshe Maltz\, whose grandd aughter is one of the filmmakers. It also incorporates testimonies from other Jews saved by Halamajowa\, her descendants and formers neighbors\, whose paths converge on a trip back to Sokal. Powerful location shots a dd another rich dimension to the story\, providing the backdrop as the d rama unfolds. CATEGORIES:Documentaries LOCATION:Columbus Theatre Arts Center URL:http://riff.bside.com/2009/films/no4streetofourlady_riff2009 UID:2484739345-riff.festivalgenius.com/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20120212T031824Z DTSTART:20090806T131500 DTEND:20090806T142800 SUMMARY:Operation Babylift: The Lost Children of Vietnam DESCRIPTION:In April of 1975\, America closed a chapter in one of its dar kest moments in \nhistory - The Vietnam War. Through the ashes of that t ime rises a story that \nreflects heroism of ordinary people who united against great odds to achieve \na common good for the innocent. Operatio n Babylift was a $2 million \ninitiative that airlifted over 2\,500 Viet namese orphans out of a war-torn \ncountry to save them from the Communi st Regime and bring them to what was \nsupposed to be a better life. Nea rly thirty five years later\, the film \nexplores Babylift history and t he issues of identity\, racism\, and the search \nfor belonging that the se Vietnamese adoptees who are burdened by a \ncontroversial past must f ace. CATEGORIES:Documentaries LOCATION:Providence Public Library URL:http://riff.bside.com/2009/films/operationbabyliftthelostchildrenofvi etnam_riff2009 UID:2484741912-riff.festivalgenius.com/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20120212T031824Z DTSTART:20090806T140000 DTEND:20090806T150100 SUMMARY:P.S. Krøyer - What A Life! DESCRIPTION:P.S. Krøyer is the undisputed centre of the Skagen painters. He is famous\; he is lionized\, and married to the most beautiful woman in Copenhagen. He is ignorant of the fact\, that he has inherited his mo ther's mental illness\, so he rides the pinnacle of success\, until fate catches up with him. This documentary is a tribute to an artistic prodi gy\, who\, in spite of his manic disease\, kept "the great party" going\ , was given room to excel\, and thus brought Danish art to an internatio nal level. Krøyer brings a whole new way of life to Skagen. An artist's colony is created\, and the great party can begin. Everybody wants to go there. Friends\, and the friends of friends\, are all received in festi ve style by the colony and its toastmaster Krøyer. "Hip Hip Hurra" becom es the symbol of the two decades of happiness and unity around the turn of the century\, where P.S.Krøyer is the central figure in the great bre akthrough for a new style of painting at the end of the 1800's. But when his mother's insanity starts to manifest itself in Krøyer\, the famous painter faces desperate times. Once he was singing and feeling almost in vincible\, but now his beautiful life starts to unravel. His wife leaves him\, and with her the whole foundation of his idyllic existence disapp ears. But he has to live on. And maternal Henny Brodersen becomes Krøyer s steady loving support until the very end. CATEGORIES:Documentaries LOCATION:RISD Museum\, Chace Auditorium URL:http://riff.bside.com/2009/films/pskryerwhatalife_riff2009 UID:2484742432-riff.festivalgenius.com/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20120212T031824Z DTSTART:20090806T150000 DTEND:20090806T170000 SUMMARY:Amazing Tales of the Fantastic: Short films DESCRIPTION: CATEGORIES:Shorts LOCATION:Columbus Theatre Arts Center URL:http://riff.bside.com/2009/films/amzingtalesofthefantasticshortfilms_ riff2009 UID:2484740157-riff.festivalgenius.com/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20120212T031824Z DTSTART:20090806T151500 DTEND:20090806T164200 SUMMARY:Jim Thorpe\, The World's Greatest Athlete DESCRIPTION:At the beginning of the 20th century there were just 250\,000 Native Americans remaining in the United States. Most had died of dise ase transmitted by whites or had been annihilated in a series of Indian wars. The great Indian leaders of the 19th century\, who had resisted t he European conquest\, we all dead or in prison. Indians were thought of as a vanishing race and it was believed that within one hundred years they would be gone. A number of tribes scratched out a meager existence in Indian Territory (present day Okalahoma) where they had been forcibl y settled. In 1907\, Hiram Thorpe\, of the Sac and Fox tribe\, sent his son Jim off to the government's Carlisle Indian School\, hoping the exp erience would tame the boy's wild ways. At the time Hiram said to his s on: "I want you to prove to the other races what an Indian can do." H iram died shortly afterwards\, leaving his son an orphan but at school J im embarked on a career in sports that would lead to his becoming the be st known athlete in American history\, amply fulfilling his father's wi sh.Carlisle\, the school where Thorpe was sent\, was founded by Richard Pratt\, an Army man who had been entrusted with famous American Indian p risoners of war. He became convinced that education\, not conflict\, wa s the key to solving "the Indian problem." It was also cheaper than th e cost of military campaigns against the remaining tribes. Pratt's idea was to use military discipline to transform Indians into citizens. At C arlisle students were forbidden to speak their own language. Their hair was cut\, they wore military style uniforms\, and infractions of the ru les prohibiting "Indian" behavior were severely punished. Vocational ski lls were stressed. A basic assumption was that civilizing Indians meant turning them into compliant servants and laborers. For many native youth Carlisle was devastating. More ran away than graduated\; the school's aggressive deracination undermined young peoples' sense of themselves. The unofficial motto of the Carlisle School was: "To save the man you must kill the Indian."Thorpe had a love/hate relationship with Carlisle. He was a poor student but it's also where he first gained recognition as an athlete. Glenn Scobey ("Pop") Warner was his football coach and m entor. Pop discovered Jim\, showed him a way to excel and take pride i n himself and made him a star player. Carlisle's football team\, the Ca rlisle Indians\, had a national reputation. It wasn't long before Jim a nd his teammates were winning games against Harvard and Yale. Jim was a multi-talented athlete. In the summer of 1912 he won two gold medals\, for the pentathlon and decathlon events\, at the Stockholm Olympics. Th e King of Sweden gave him a special award. Overnight he became an Amer ican hero and when he returned from Stockholm he was given a ticker tape parade on Broadway. Of that day he later recalled: "I heard people ye lling me name and I couldn't realize how one fellow could have so many f riends."Jim's Olympic victories held a tremendous significance for Nativ e Americans. When he returned home to Oklahoma he was honored in much the same way that a great warrior would have been honored in earlier tim es\, with blessings and gifts of eagle feathers and tobacco.Indians neve r lost faith in Jim but it was a different story with the media and the sports establishment. Jim\, like many of his teammates at Carlisle\, to ok "summer jobs\," playing semi-pro baseball to earn some money to help support his extended family in Okalahoma. But strict Olympic rules barr ed the participation of non-amateur athletes. When it was discovered th at Jim had played baseball for money a huge scandal resulted and he was stripped of his gold medals. He had had no idea that he had done wrong (the distinction of amateur versus professional makes little sense in an Indian world view) and though he defended himself he was vilified in th e press as a "cheating Indian." Jim himself felt betrayed by the very system that had capitalized on his rise to athletic glory. Though Ji m was stripped of his amateur status and his Olympic gold medals this wa s by no means the end of his sport career. He went on to play professio nal baseball for National League teams in New York\, Cincinnati and Bost on\, through 1919. From 1919 to 1926 he was one of the early stars of American Professional football. He was the first president of the Ameri can Professional Football Association (later know as the NFL). In his la ter life Jim was a tireless advocate of Indian rights and self-sufficien tly\, using his status as a sports hero\, to speak out against the pater nalistic policies of the Bureau of Indian Affairs and to encourage Nativ e Americans to take their destiny in the 20th century into their own han ds. He as strong and gentle man who never lost his sense of who he was and where he came from\, and who is justly revered by Native Americans a nd sports enthusiasts alike. CATEGORIES:Documentaries LOCATION:Columbus Theatre Arts Center URL:http://riff.bside.com/2009/films/jimthorpetheworldsgreatestathlete_ri ff2009 UID:2484739471-riff.festivalgenius.com/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20120212T031824Z DTSTART:20090806T153000 DTEND:20090806T162500 SUMMARY:Red Terror On The Amber Coast DESCRIPTION:Red terror on the Amber Coast documents the extreme measures used by the Soviets to occupy and subdue the Baltic States during and po st WWII. Deportations\, confiscation of land\, homes and businesses\, a nd torture were widespread in this region during this time. In Lithuani a\, a third of the population was deported to the Gulag or into the Sibe rian Wilderness where many died. Inprisonment\, torture\, show trials\, use of psychiatric medical practices to 'cure' resisters was common. Cultural institutions were destroyed and there was a lack of morality in the land. But many young people in Lithuania began to resist by headin g into the forests where they formed military brigades. These young men and women became known as the Forest Brethren and special Soviet forces were trained to stop this resistance movement. The Lithuanian resister s were forced to dig bunkers and were literally forced underground. Alt hough theyt were finally defeated by the Soviets\, they were able to slo w the Soviets down and the became the inspiration for later dissidents o f the 70s and the 80s. Red Terror tells the story of these resisters\, many who are elderly and tell their stories to Western audiences for the first time. Rare archival moving footage and photos from the KGB archi ves as well as from personal collections help illustrate this moving sto ry of survival and eventual political triumph. This is a story about th e human spirit and the will to survive. It is a story not well known in the West. It is a story that needs to be told. CATEGORIES:Documentaries LOCATION:Providence Public Library URL:http://riff.bside.com/2009/films/redterrorontheambercoast_riff2009 UID:2484742038-riff.festivalgenius.com/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20120212T031824Z DTSTART:20090806T170000 DTEND:20090806T182500 SUMMARY:Comrades DESCRIPTION:From the dusty roads of the Soweto township to the manicured lawns of Johannesburg's suburbs\, Comrades follows six ordinary South Af ricans- who represent a cross-section of South African society - as they train for and compete one of the world's toughest marathons - the histo ric 90 kilometre (56 mile) Comrades Marathon\, run annually by more than 13\,000 amateurs between the cities of Durban and Peitermaritzburg. Ove r the course of the film we discover these runners' individual personali ties\, beliefs\, aspirations and stories of hardship and success. But we also gain an insight into South Africa itself - past and present - for Comrades' history (explored through archive footage) is interwoven with that of the country's.Started in the heydey of colonial power\, Comrades was established as a living memorial to the fallen soldiers of WWI. The first starter's gun was fired on Empire Day in 1921 with a field of 34 runners and\, since then\, the race has grown from into South Africa's m ost popular sporting event and the only one that is truly multi-racial. But it was not always so\; during South Africa's political and sporting isolation\, the republican government used the race to bolster its natio nalist message - denying black South African's the chance to run the rac e and even holding the marathon as part of the 'repbulic day' celebratio ns. This political aspect to the race ensure that Comrades was used by t hose who opposed the apartheid regime as a public platform for oppositio n and\, in 1975\, nearly 20 years before Nelson Mandela was freed from i mprisonment\, black South Africans and women were granted the right to c ompete - the result of public pressure and the government's desire to im prove the country's international standing.Today Comrades has emerged as a powerful symbol of unity and is run on 'Youth Day'\, the commemoratio n of Hector Pieterson's death during the Soweto riots of 1976.This compl ex history is explored throughout the film - not only through archive fo otage but also the stories and reflections of the characters we follow w ho\, united in their belief in the race's social importance\, see Comrad es as an important emblem of the 'new' South Africa.CHARACTERS:Father Le cheko seems out of place in Soweto in his florescent running shorts and his small garage room\, bursting with teddy bears. His dream is to work as a wedding planner but he is stuck as a hospital security guard. He's penniless after a fraudster stole his life savings and believes that run ning his 10th Comrades is proof of his strength the face of adversity. T he trip to Durban is also a chance to meet his son who he has not seen i n a year.Johnny Demas was blinded in a gang fight in 1978 but this has n ot stopped him running Comrades 18 times. Running was a way out of the a nger that consumed him in the years after his 'accident'. He is piloted by Moses\, his factory co-worker and a local priest. Though a much faste r runner\, Moses says you can't beat the feeling of crossing the finish line with Johnny."Running is my life" declares Riana van Niekerk a young Afrikaans professional runner from Pretoria. She's coached by her anxio us husband Allie\, 45\, and spends her days training and watching sport on television. Last time she ran Comrades\, Riana overtrained and collap sed at 60k. This year she is going for gold. Peter Lepobo hasn't the sam e time to train\, working long shifts as a miner in Randfontein. A fast runner\, Peter's convinced Comrades is his golden ticket to a new life. But he needs to shave 40 mins off his last running time if he's to make the top ten. Andrew Kehele was the first black man to win Comrades after apartheid - an honour that earned him a telephone call from Nelson Mand ela. Andrew\, a quiet man who works as a police officer in Mafeking\, at tributes his win to his late daughter\, who died that same year. This ye ar he's out to win as he'd like to retire in style and make history as t he first runner to win 10 consecutive gold medals.Nico Pretorius Jnr is only 21 but he's running his second Comrades. He began running to lose w eight and his immaculate room is full of gym equipment and bodybuilding manuals. At Potchesfostroom university\, one of the few remaining bastio ns of Afrikaans culture\, Nico is a popular student. However\, his attac hment to his mother and his Bob the Builder duvet cover has not earned h im much luck with the girls. The entire Pretorius family (in matching ou tfits) will be there on race day to watch Nico run.STRUCTURE: Using a mi xture of observation and interview the first 50 minutes of the film intr oduces our various characters - at work\, at home\, with family and frie nds - interwoven with sequences that explore the race's history. This le ads into race day itself\, where\, for a dramatic (and intermittently co mic) 30 minutes\, each of our runners battles to meet their own expectat ions - with varying degrees of success! After the chaos of race day\, ou r characters return to their normal lives. Does Comrades live up to the status it holds in the South African psyche? Each runner might have chan ged\, but South Africa remains the same. CATEGORIES:Documentaries LOCATION:Columbus Theatre Arts Center URL:http://riff.bside.com/2009/films/comrades_riff2009 UID:2484741342-riff.festivalgenius.com/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20120212T031824Z DTSTART:20090806T172000 DTEND:20090806T183000 SUMMARY:The Good Mother DESCRIPTION:This feature length documentary tells the story of a group of women who leave their crucial roles at home to vie for the title of Mot her of the Year. From a struggling Midwestern farmer's wife with five ch ildren\, to a wealthy East Coast mother with a secret she fears could di squalify her from the competition\, the film delves into the intense li ves of an ambitious group of mothers.The organization American Mothers I nc. began crowning a national "Mother of the Year" in 1935. Over the y ears\, the group has maintained a very traditional determination of what it means to be a good mother and selects women who\, for the most part\ , have decided to stay home with their children. Some of these modern m others are deeply torn about their place in the world and how to measure up to the expectations of the judges. While the film plays to the absu rdity of judging motherhood and the humorous episodes that ensue\, it do es not tread lightly on the real issues these women face and the pressur es they feel to live up to an ideal of motherhood that cannot possibly e xist. Motherhood is clearly undervalued in this culture\, but is this t he way to value it? The film will mix verite footage of the contest with archive\, photographs and in-depth interviews to paint a picture pictur e the undervalued\, over-stressed culture of motherhood in America today and a competition that reflects that perfectly. CATEGORIES:Documentaries LOCATION:Columbus Theatre Arts Center URL:http://riff.bside.com/2009/films/thegoodmother_riff2009 UID:2484739654-riff.festivalgenius.com/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20120212T031824Z DTSTART:20090806T180000 DTEND:20090806T185000 SUMMARY:Brave Father DESCRIPTION:In 2002\, Han Peiyin's son Shengli was accepted in a universi ty\, and arrived to the city of Xi'an from his rural home. To pay for S hengli's living expense and tuition\, the Han sold off all valuable thin gs in his home and came to work in Xi'an to make money. Though a lifetim e peasant\, Han firmly believed knowledge had the power to change20desti nies\, and expected his son to be successful.Job for peasant workers was getting harder to find as more and more peasants came to the city. Han could barely make RMB 400 a month\, yet Shengli needed RMB 9\,000 a year for college. The place Han stayed at cost one RMB a night. At night\, h e used a brick as his pillow. His son Shengli had to ponder about what t o eat right after class. He saw the bottled water his classmate was hold ing and could only think of taking the empty bottle and selling it for m oney.Graduation was near. As a shy young man\, Shengli's job prospect wa s dim. He felt this city was becoming further away from him. Despite his education\, he might end up earning less than his father. For years el der Han carried with him a notebook\, in which he entered records of his borrowings. Most of them were small sums of 10 or 20 RMB. CATEGORIES:All Films LOCATION:Providence Public Library URL:http://riff.bside.com/2009/films/bravefather_riff2009 UID:2484742282-riff.festivalgenius.com/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20120212T031824Z DTSTART:20090806T184500 DTEND:20090806T194500 SUMMARY:On The Lake: Life And Love In A Distant Place DESCRIPTION:ON THE LAKE: Life and Love in a Distant Place tells the true story of the tuberculosis epidemic in America in the 1900s and globally today through the lives of those that were infected and who died -- but also of those who survived. More than scientific facts and figures\, ON THE LAKE touches that rare emotional cord of what life was like for mill ions of people infected with TB\, while providing a glimpse into human n ature when faced with a large-scale epidemic.Through powerful storytelli ng\, ON THE LAKE shines new light on a major period in our collective hi story that has been forgotten -- and a disease that many today think is "dead\," but is in fact the number-two infectious killer globally (after HIV/AIDS).The feature documentary opens with America in the early 1900s -- the free-spirited era of Marconi\, Edison and the Wright Brothers. B ut there is a dark side to the dawn of the American Century: A disease t hat no one understands is the number-one killer of the time. People are suspicious of strangers and even family members. Victims of the White Pl ague\, as TB is known\, are shipped off to remote sanatoriums\, where do ctors hope fresh air\, months or years of bed rest\, and good food will prove curative. Many die -- but many survive\, and even meet and fall in love.ON THE LAKE tells this story with rare footage and stills (some ne ver seen publicly before)\, interviews with TB experts\, and interviews with TB survivors and their relatives. Production began in November 2007 at a state-run hospital on a remote lake in northern Rhode Island -- a hospital that began life in 1905 as a tuberculosis sanatorium. Granted a ccess to the hospital's entire photographic archives and records\, the f ilmmakers began to depict the desperation Americans felt with this disea se that can be spread by a simple cough or sneeze. They captured harsh c onditions endured by patients -- sleeping outdoors year-round (even in s nowy winters)\, for example.From Rhode Island\, production moved to Sara nac Lake\, New York\, the largest treatment center for TB patients east of the Mississippi\; Denver\, Colorado\, the largest center in the West\ ; Massachusetts\; Baltimore\, Maryland\; and North Carolina.The emotiona l heart of the movie is the many accounts of people\, some now in their 80s\, who survived TB and years in what was essentially exile -- miles f rom home\, in a strange environment\, cut off from family and friends ex cept for occasional visits and letters. Many of these stories are told o n camera. Two of the most powerful\, by people now dead\, including the beautiful Barbara Bowie who died young at a sanatorium\, are told throug h still photographs and letters that the filmmakers found -- letters tha t are read by actors and actresses providing voiceovers. The dominant th eme of all of these emotional stories -- some ending happily\, others no t -- is the resilience of the human spirit in the most difficult times. Destined to die\, the 19-year-old Barbara Bowie writes to her sister fro m the sanatorium on May 14\, 1949: Dear Lorraine\,It's beautiful out aga in today. Oh to be well and out of here. I wish they'd tell me something really definite. But I'll have to wait for another Xray\, I guess.Gee\, I haven't had company all week. I'm so lonesome. If I ever know anyone in a place like this when I'm well\, I'll visit them as often as I can. Dad promised he'd be up this week\, but I haven't seen nor heard from hi m. I wish he'd call me and tell me he's not coming. Or write. Everett\, too. I get ready for company every single Thursday\, and I have company alright! Disappointment. That's about all. Good thing we have movies &Lo ts of Love\,Barbs Interwoven with these stories is the medical drama of tuberculosis\, an ancient disease that predates the Egyptians. As the 20 th Century unfolds\, doctors and nurses move beyond the regimen of fresh air\, long bed rest and good food to a number of bizarre (by today's st andards) surgical procedures and treatments. Eventually\, hundreds of sa natoriums across America open -- in virtually every state. And then\, in the 1940s and 1950s\, effective antibiotics are developed. The disease seems to have been conquered.But it is not.Although the incidence in Ame rica today is low\, thanks to the country's high standard of living and advanced system of health care\, globally TB is a pandemic\, with 1.7 mi llion TB deaths and 9.2 million new case in 2006\, according to the U.N. World Health Organization. Most of these are in Africa\, India and Chin a. And even in some parts of America\, TB is on the rise. To help tell t his part of the story\, the filmmakers brought to camera two of the worl d's leading TB experts: Dr. Richard Chaisson\, Johns Hopkins University\ , and Dr. Michael Iseman\, University of Colorado.Even before the film w as completed\, ON THE LAKE was accepted as a member of the Geneva\, Swit zerland-based worldwide Stop TB Partnership (www.stoptb.org)\, whose boa rd is run by an executive committee that includes members of the World H ealth Organization\, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Preventio n\, and the U.S. Agency for International Development.One hour long with an original musical score\, ON THE LAKE is the first title offered by P rovidence\, R.I.-based Eagle Peak Media (EaglePeakMedia.com)\, the produ ction company founded in May 2008 by David Bettencourt and G. Wayne Mill er. Bettencourt is the award-winning director of the 2007 regional hit Y OU MUST BE THIS TALL: The Story of Rocky Point Park. Producer and writer Miller is an award-winning staff writer at The Providence Journal and t he author of seven published books.Eagle Peak Media is a non-profit comp any specializing in film production\, Internet content and distribution\ , and the printed word. Story is our passion© So is social responsibilit y. CATEGORIES:Documentaries LOCATION:Columbus Theatre Arts Center URL:http://riff.bside.com/2009/films/onthelakelifeandloveinadistantplace_ riff2009 UID:2484741417-riff.festivalgenius.com/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20120212T031824Z DTSTART:20090806T190000 DTEND:20090806T202600 SUMMARY:Art & Copy DESCRIPTION:ART & COPY is about advertising and creativity\, and its prof ound effects on modern culture. Like Dorothy pulling the curtain back on the Wizard of Oz himself\, the film intimately reveals the relatively u nknown personalities and stories of the most influential advertising cre atives of our time. Beginning with advertising's "Creative Revolution" o f the mid-1960s (Bill Bernbach)\, LAUNCH features writers and artists su ch as Lee Clow\, who introduced Macintosh computer in "1984"\; Dan Wiede n\, who coined "Just Do It" and changed how our nation views sports\; Ha l Riney\, whose emotional ads for Reagan insured his reelection\; Phylli s K. Robinson who helped invent the "me generation" with a Clairol tagli ne\; George Lois\, who vitalized MTV and introduced Tommy Hilfiger over night\; Jeff Goodby and Rich Silverstein who "Got Milk?"\, and Mary Well s Lawrence\, who repackaged the City of New York via her "I love NY" cam paign. By defying the conventions of traditional advertising\, each of t hese individuals brought a revolutionary spirit to their work. Directed by documentarian Doug Pray ("Surfwise\," "Big Rig\," "Scratch") the film interweaves stunning cinematography of TV satellites being launched\, b illboards being erected\, and some of the greatest ad campaigns of all t ime\, resulting in an inspiring synthesis of art\, commerce and human em otion. If advertising is the "cave painting of our era\," ART & COPY is ultimately about our innate\, human need to communicate and the nature of creativity itself. It explores and defines great advertising as a rar e and rebellious act from an industry more typically associated with med iocrity and manipulation. CATEGORIES:Documentaries LOCATION:Courthouse Center For The Arts URL:http://riff.bside.com/2009/films/artcopy_riff2009 UID:2484741682-riff.festivalgenius.com/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20120212T031824Z DTSTART:20090806T191500 DTEND:20090806T205500 SUMMARY:Prince Of Broadway DESCRIPTION:Prince of Broadway is the story of Lucky and Levon\, two men whose lives converge in the underbelly of New York's wholesale fashion d istrict. Lucky\, an illegal immigrant from Ghana\, makes ends meet by s oliciting shoppers on the street with knock-off brand merchandise. Levo n\, an Armenian-Lebanese immigrant\, operates an illegal storefront with a concealed back room where counterfeit goods are showcased to interest ed shoppers. Lucky's world is suddenly turned upside down when a child is thrust into his life by a woman who insists thetoddler is his son. W hile Lucky copes with his new domestic dilemma\, Levon struggles to save a marriage that is falling apart. The seedy side of the wholesale distr ict is revealed through a journey that continually confronts the interpl ay between what is fake and what is real. Set in the shadow of the Flati ron building and soaked in the colorful bustle of Broadway\, the film is as much a brutal drama as it is a tender comedy. Shot in a fast-paced g uerilla style that is akin to the hustler lifestyle\, the film reveals t he lives of immigrants in America seeking ideals of family and love\, wh ile creating their own knock-off of the American Dream. CATEGORIES:All Films LOCATION:Cable Car Cinema URL:http://riff.bside.com/2009/films/princeofbroadway_riff2009 UID:2484737918-riff.festivalgenius.com/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20120212T031824Z DTSTART:20090806T193000 DTEND:20090806T195900 SUMMARY:Flight To Sinai DESCRIPTION:Flight to Sinai is both a coming of age story\, and a coming out tale. For many youth\, growing up with religion means going to churc h\, and learning how to live a pure life. And for many of these youth\, a curve ball is thrown to them when they realize they are LGBT. In man y conservative Judeo-Christian religions\, this is an 'abomination.' An d the struggle to reconcile faith and sexuality means compromising\; for many the compromise was to leave their church roots\, for others\, the compromise meant drastic measures. The film —like the Bible itself —is l eft open to interpretation. The narrative follows Jack Strong\, a 16 yea r-old gay teenager who moves with his Baptist family from Ohio to San Fr ancisco. While in Ohio\, Jack begins to date a girl named Sophie. They both go to the same church\, and their friendship is relationship is ba sed on the pure fundamentals of a conservative upbringing in the church. Luckily for Jack\, this alleviates any sort of peer pressure to have s ex with his girlfriend. Jack and Sophie are safeguarded by the fact tha t they are saving themselves for marriage.Sophie's family also gets tran sferred to San Francisco\, allowing their relationship to continue.Both Jack and Sophie are somewhat outcasts at their new high school. Being r eligious in Ohio was much more socially acceptable. At their new school \, being religious is social suicide. Jack\, already uncomfortable with being the goodie-two shoes kid\, starts to hide the fact that he is also gay. Even in San Francisco\, a teenage boy may still feel the pressure s to conform to heteronormativity\, and Jack continues to date Sophie wh ile hiding his true feelings.One day in his drama class\, his flamboyant drama teacher loses control of a charades game\, in which a classmates was acting out 'Mae West\,' and everyone assumed he was acting like Jack Strong. Mortified\, when class is dismissed Sophie leaves Jack alone t o ponder the situation. Alone at the piano\, Jack sings an uptempo ball ad about being who you are.During the course of the song\, Jack continue s home where he can take solace in his bedroom. He greets his mother\, who confirms the family's uneasiness in their new city. Mr. Strong\, Ja ck's father\, comes home from work\, and the family dynamics fall into p lace' Heterosexual son\, Masculine Father\, and domesticated Mother.Jac k sits alone in his bedroom\, weighing the pros and cons of coming out f inally to his parents. He figures\, with God on his side\, his days of being untrue to himself are over. Over the dinner table\, Jack plays De vil's Advocate with his father\, and gets him to assure Jack that no mat ter what\, if a person has God in his heart\, they are promised entry in to Heaven. It is that moment that Jack drops the bomb that the Strong f amily's perfect Christian son is gay. Upon hearing this\, Mr. Strong us hers Jack into the living room where he proceeds to quote Scripture abou t the evils of homosexuality. This is commonplace in the Strong househo ld\; when in doubt\, consult the Bible.Frustrated with the outcome of hi s coming out\, Jack runs away. He decides God's house would be open\, a nd decides to crash the night at his church. The following morning\, So phie finds Jack sleeping in the pews. Jack comes out to Sophie\, whose world in thrown into a spin. Jack and Sophie sing a duet about their de cidedly different viewpoints on the past and future of their relationshi p. In the end\, Sophie and Jack break up.Jack sneaks home to pack some items and is confronted by his parents. They assure him they still love Jack\, they would just be more comfortable if Jack spoke to a Pastor ab out this issue. Unfortunately\, the Pastor they find is promoting Fligh t to Sinai Ministries\, an organization which promotes healing from homo sexuality. After their meeting\, it is decided that Jack gets sent to L ove's Path\; a camp designed to 'cure' homosexuality. At the church howe ver\, Jack meets Joseph\, an attractive\, down-to-earth gay Christian te en whose fate is also being decided by the pastor. Jack and Joseph form a fast friendship\, where they can exchange ideas and apprehensions abo ut faith and sexuality. But after Jack decides to cave\, and obey his p arent's desire to attend camp\, Joseph ends their friendship. Like most young people\, Jack stands at the crossroads of making people in his li fe happy\, or being true to who himself. In the end\, Jack is left with ambivalent feelings about his sexuality as he enters Love's Path. CATEGORIES:Gay & Lesbian LOCATION:The Bell Street Chapel URL:http://riff.bside.com/2009/films/flighttosinai_riff2009 UID:2484738939-riff.festivalgenius.com/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20120212T031824Z DTSTART:20090806T203000 DTEND:20090806T212100 SUMMARY:William Shatner's Gonzo Ballet DESCRIPTION:On a cold\, Milwaukee night\, high art meets pop culture as t he music of William\nShatner ('Star Trek\,' 'Boston Legal') and Ben Fold s (Ben Folds Five)\, from their\ncritically acclaimed album\, 'Has Been\ ,' is transformed into 'Common People\,' a\nballet from award winning ch oreographer Margo Sappington ('Oh! Caluctta!).\n'Gonzo Ballet' explores this unique collaboration\, as well as the musical journey\nthat has tak en William Shatner from the trippy covers of 'Lucy in the Sky with\nDiam onds' and 'Mr. Tambourine Man' in the 1960's to his recent original work with\nBen Folds\, and finally\, to the ballet.\nThe willingness of the audience to accept new work\, especially work based upon\na pop album\, is explored\, as is the popularity of ballet in our culture. 'Gonzo Ball et'\ntakes us from Shatner's musical beginnings\, and the critical misfi res\, to his finally\n'getting it right' with Ben Folds\, and to the unl ikely collaboration with Margo\nSappington. What shines through is each artist's dedication to their work\, and to\neach other. CATEGORIES:Documentaries LOCATION:Columbus Theatre Arts Center URL:http://riff.bside.com/2009/films/williamshatnersgonzoballet_riff2009 UID:2487524506-riff.festivalgenius.com/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20120212T031824Z DTSTART:20090806T213000 DTEND:20090806T224700 SUMMARY:Promeny DESCRIPTION:Promeny follows four stories of ordinary people. Their storie s are simple and unexceptional at the first glance\, yet the situations\ , viewed from the characters perspectives\, are life-defining and nothin g short of existential. Jana and Martin are a perfect young couple who h ave everything one could wish for except for a child due to his low sper m count. Lida is a struggling young single mother trying to get by while fending off the advances of oversexed men offering to pay her for favor s. The Coach is a middle-aged man who has focused on his career\, avoidi ng love and family and begins to regret the decision as he gets older. L astly there is the old lady living alone in her large empty farmhouse wi th little contact to the outside world who seems to be simply waiting fo r the end of her life. The intertwining storylines focus on what happens for a person to finally grasp the rules of their life\, as shaped by th eir fate. Can one choose to resist and go ones own way or is their life set by forces outside of their control? CATEGORIES:Features LOCATION:Cable Car Cinema URL:http://riff.bside.com/2009/films/promeny_riff2009 UID:2484738219-riff.festivalgenius.com/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20120212T031824Z DTSTART:20090806T213000 DTEND:20090806T222400 SUMMARY:The Satyr of Springbok Heights DESCRIPTION: Meet the inmates of an architecture that captivates. \n \n\ n A surreal mockumentary about poor whites living on the fringes of the new South Africa\, and the exquisite old apartment building that holds t hem in its thrall. \n \n Cape Town\, South Africa . Springbok Heights i s a tightly-wound knot of studio apartments… An art-deco masterpiece and an anachronism in the new\, democratic South Africa. \n \nLike its all- white inhabitants\, the building hasn't changed much in the last few dec ades\, and tends to weave its residents into its mortar: \n \n ∙ Wouter Malan: Co-op Chairman\, musical tendencies\, greasy facial hair. Wouter was compelled to retire early from his career in physical education. Si nce then\, the money has been tight. \n \n ∙ Hilda Steyn: Six-foot-thre e\, impressively large hands. Hilda’s lived here all her adult life and has had a crush on Wouter since the day he moved in. But since undergoin g elective surgery in the 1970s\, Hilda lacks the one thing Wouter seeks most in a companion. \n \n ∙ Nathan Golding: Affluent\, endearing\, me ntally disabled. The son Wouter never could have... but sweet Nathan is cultivating a relationship with an outsider. \n \nA lesbian couple\, a tragic architect and a not-unattractive specimen of vermin swell the soc ially-claustrophobic ranks of this tiny universe - which Springbok Heigh ts strains to contain. \n \nThe film is the distillation of months of re search and intimate interviews with long-term residents\, revealing fund amental contradictions that betray the fragile perception of common even ts shared by inmates of the building. Expert commentary gives insight in to the terrifyingly-beautiful qualities of a building that holds its inm ates in its thrall. CATEGORIES:Gay & Lesbian LOCATION:The Bell Street Chapel URL:http://riff.bside.com/2009/films/thesatyrofspringbokheights_riff2009 UID:2484739154-riff.festivalgenius.com/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20120212T031824Z DTSTART:20090806T213000 DTEND:20090806T233000 SUMMARY:Nightmares In Red\, White And Blue DESCRIPTION:'Nightmares in Red\, White and Blue: The Evolution of the Ame rican Horror Film' is a feature-length documentary based on the book of the same name by Joseph Maddrey. It examines the idea that horror films reflect the times and places in which they are made - illustrating how c lassic monster movies exploited the anxieties of war-time generations\, and how more savage madern horror films stem from the psychic fallout of America's countercoulture movement and the subsequent rise of increasin gly political forces.At the same time\, the documentary explores the tim eless\, universal appeal of horror movies by examining the pervasive the me of The Outsider. From the silent films of Lon Chaney to the box offic e reign of Hannibal Lector and his peers\, the history of the horror fil m is a story of the individual at odds with any orginization that threat ens his life\, liberty and pursuit of happiness. In depth interviews wit h many of the nation's greatest horror filmmakers reveal that the appeal of the genre is rooted not only in timely fears but in the spirit of re bellion - a spirit that consistently defines American life\, as well as many of its best horror filmmakers.'Nightmares in Red\, White and Blue' is narrated by horror genre icon Lance Henriksen\, and features exclusiv e interviews with legendary auteurs like John Carpenter\, George A. Rome ro\, Joe Dante\, Larry Cohen\, and Roger Corman\, as well as film histor ian John Kenneth Muir\, 'Fangoria' editor Tony Timpone and others. Their observations are illustrated with clips from more than 150 films - rang ing from the classic Universal monster movies to the psychological horro rs of film noir\, from groundbreaking films like 'Night of the Living De ad'\, 'Rosemary's Baby'. 'The Exorcist' and 'Jaws' to contemporary slash er movies\, Torture Porn\, and beyond. In short\, it is the most compreh ensive documentary on America's most durable and prolific genre. CATEGORIES:Horror LOCATION:Columbus Theatre Arts Center URL:http://riff.bside.com/2009/films/nightmaresinredwhiteandblue_riff2009 UID:2484744208-riff.festivalgenius.com/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20120212T031824Z DTSTART:20090807T083000 DTEND:20090807T103000 SUMMARY:THE RHODE ISLAND FILM FORUM: Making Your Film in Rhode Island DESCRIPTION:Join visiting guest filmmakers as they discuss the ins and ou ts of the indie\nmarketplace\, financing and all the things not printed in any book about making\na living and fulfilling your dreams in the fil m industry. Keynote address by Klaus\nBadelt. CATEGORIES:Panel LOCATION:University Of Rhode Island\, Feinstein Providence Campus URL:http://riff.bside.com/2009/films/makingyourfilminrhodeisland_riff2009 UID:2484742596-riff.festivalgenius.com/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20120212T031824Z DTSTART:20090807T100000 DTEND:20090807T120000 SUMMARY:KidsEye™ International Film Festival August 7th DESCRIPTION: CATEGORIES:Program LOCATION:Cable Car Cinema URL:http://riff.bside.com/2009/films/kidseyeinternationalfilmfestival1aug ust7th_riff2009 UID:2484835789-riff.festivalgenius.com/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20120212T031824Z DTSTART:20090807T130000 DTEND:20090807T142700 SUMMARY:Playground DESCRIPTION:While traveling to the Philippines in 2001\, filmmaker Libby Spears gained first hand knowledge of the horrific practice of trafficki ng human beings for the purpose of sexual exploitation. She examined a little deeper\, and discovered that most of these victims were young chi ldren.Appalled by this modern day slavery\, Libby began a covert investi gation to document the worldwide child sex trafficking problem\, and to see how and if it led back to the United States. Facing death threats to be "knocked off" for only $10\, Libby went undercover to infiltrate bro thels in South Korea and Thailand. She held first-hand interviews with victims\, their pimps\, and their abusers. She mapped the trafficking r outes of the sex tourism industry\, and charted the commerce fueled by t he purchase and sale of minors--she was disheartened to find that virtua lly the entire globe was involved and affected by this growing industry. What she was astonished to find\, however\, was the degree of involvemen t by the United States. Previously\, she had mistakenly believed that se x trafficking was primarily an "international" occurrence in countries like Philippines and Cambodia. But a meeting with Ernie Allen\, Presiden t of the National Center of Missing and Exploited Children\, confirmed t o Libby what her research was beginning to uncover: that the traffickin g of children for commercial sexual exploitation is every bit as real in North America.This is where Playground begins.Most of us know about und erage brothels in India\, Cambodia and Thailand. We've been made aware t hrough news reports\, books and film that the modern-day enslavement and prostitution of children has universal roots. The feature-length docume ntaryPLAYGROUND makes the case that the child sex trade has local ones\, too. At the heart of the story is Michelle\, whose first encounter with sexual abuse began at five. Having run away from a foster care system that left Michelle vulnerable and at risk\, the film opens with the film maker's search for her. Over a five year period\, Spears unravels the g ut-wrenching atrocities suffered by Michelle and other children like her \, who are victims of the American sex trafficking industry.By gracefull y weaving in interviews with vice officers and social workers-- and some times even the pimps or johns themselves-- Spears constructs an insight ful\, resonant\, and nuanced narrative that details just how complex and massive this problem is. Playground examines our legal and social syste ms\, and their ineffectiveness at dealing with this problem. Neither dog matic nor sensationalist\, Playground offers no clear-cut answers\, but instead\, compels us to begin asking questions & the right questions: Wh y do we treat children as victims in cases of sexual abuse\, but as soon as money is exchanged\, these sexually abused children are deemed crimi nals? Why does our legal system view foreign children who are trafficke d from other countries as "victims\," but treats American children who t rafficked domestically as criminals? Why is there such an overwhelming d emand for sex with a child? Are we adequately teaching our children sexu al respect? What message do we send as a society when we normalize Justi n Timberlake's ripping off a woman's shirt in public\, but demonize Jan et Jackson for her exposed breast?Playground employs a hand-crafted anim ation style that hearkens back to the early days of animation as an art form. With original illustrations created by Yoshitomo Nara\, the anima tion in Playground is used as an emotional relief of the heavy subject m atter. The animation allows Spears to suggest\, rather than literally d epict\, some of the horrors of sex trafficking\, and does an effective j ob at conveying the psychological and emotional climate suffered by the victims.The problem is monumental: The U.S. Department of Justice claims that the commercial sexual exploitation of children is the world's fast est growing form of organized crime. Within the next decade\, the prost itution of children worldwide will net profits greater than those from t he sale of illegal drugs. In the United States alone\, child sex traffi cking is a multi-million dollar industry with an estimated 3000\,000 chi ldren annually at risk.Wherever you can buy drugs in this country\, you can buy children - American children - for sex. Playground makes compell ingly clear that if we're not seeing the problem\, it's only because we 're not looking.From filmmaker Libby Spears and Producers George Clooney \, Grant Heslov\, and Steven Soderbergh\, comes a beautifully-wrought\, astonishing portrait of our country's most alarming and insidious secret -- the child sex trafficking in America.Music by: Bjork\, Radiohead\, C hris Martin\, Blonde Redhead\, Cat Power\, Sigur Rós \, CocoRosie\, Base ment Jaxx\, DJ Shadow\, Kazu Makino CATEGORIES:Documentaries LOCATION:Columbus Theatre Arts Center URL:http://riff.bside.com/2009/films/playground_riff2009 UID:2484745283-riff.festivalgenius.com/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20120212T031824Z DTSTART:20090807T130000 DTEND:20090807T150000 SUMMARY:The Fantastical World of Imagination DESCRIPTION: CATEGORIES:Shorts LOCATION:Columbus Theatre Arts Center URL:http://riff.bside.com/2009/films/thefantasticalworldofimagination_rif f2009 UID:2484746445-riff.festivalgenius.com/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20120212T031824Z DTSTART:20090807T130000 DTEND:20090807T143400 SUMMARY:So Right So Smart DESCRIPTION:As awareness grows about the consequences of environmental di sregard\, the world is at a pivotal point of change and hope. The sustai nability movement is gathering momentum\, and the institutions with the farthest reach and the highest stakes - corporations - are taking the le ad. Those ahead of the curve already realize that fitting in to natural systems is more advantageous than trying to control them & and that sust ainability is the most expansive profit frontier yet to be explored. One business striving for these ideals has an amazing story of leadership a nd change: Interface Inc. led by Ray Anderson. So Right So Smart is a fe ature documentary that shows the success of businesses that have begun t o take positive steps toward a sustainable future. Those looking to find encouraging news in the midst of our current environmental crisis will be inspired by this story of leadership and hope.So Right So Smart opens a dialogue between some of the world's most reputable environmental exp erts and the country's brightest minds in business in order to explore t he connection between economy and environment.Businesses represented inc lude Wal-Mart\, Barenaked Ladies\, Stonyfield Farm\, Herman Miller\, Sev enth Generation\, New Belgium Brewery and Pagatonia. All of these instit utions are making positive steps toward environmental sustainability wit h the goal of becoming restorative in nature. Environmental authors and activists including Paul Hawken\, David Suzuki\, Janine Benyus\, Jonatha n Lash and Lester Brown bring their ecological experience and insight to the film's discussion.So Right So Smart premiered in January\, 2009 at the Wild & Scenic Environmental Film Festival in Nevada City\, CA\, wher e it won Best of Festival. CATEGORIES:Documentaries LOCATION:Providence Public Library URL:http://riff.bside.com/2009/films/sorightsosmart_riff2009 UID:2484752675-riff.festivalgenius.com/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20120212T031824Z DTSTART:20090807T140000 DTEND:20090807T160000 SUMMARY:Filmmaker Spotlight: Independent Filmmaker\, Jake Mahaffy Program 1 DESCRIPTION: CATEGORIES:Shorts LOCATION:RISD Museum\, Chace Auditorium URL:http://riff.bside.com/2009/films/filmmakerspotlightindepedentfilmmake rjakemahaffyprogram1_riff2009 UID:2484748891-riff.festivalgenius.com/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20120212T031824Z DTSTART:20090807T150000 DTEND:20090807T170000 SUMMARY:Brave New Worlds: A Short Program DESCRIPTION: CATEGORIES:Shorts LOCATION:Columbus Theatre Arts Center URL:http://riff.bside.com/2009/films/bravenewworldsashortprogram_riff2009 UID:2484747388-riff.festivalgenius.com/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20120212T031824Z DTSTART:20090807T151500 DTEND:20090807T164900 SUMMARY:Sweet Crude DESCRIPTION:In the summer of 2008\, militants from the Movement for the E mancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) declared an "oil war" in Nigeria. This was one of the biggest spikes yet on a radar screen dotted with con flict and tragedy. The documentary film Sweet Crude is the story of the Niger Delta - the human and environmental consequences of oil extraction \, the history of non-violent protest\, and the members of a new insurge ncy who\, in the three years since the filmmakers met them as college st udents\, became the young men of the Movement for the Emancipation of th e Niger Delta (MEND). Beginning with filmmaker Sandy Cioffi's initial tr ip to document the building of a library in a remote village\, Sweet Cru de is a journey of multilayered revelation and ever-deepening questions. It's about survival\, corruption\, greed and armed resistance. It's abo ut one place in one moment\, with themes that echo many places throughou t history. Sweet Crude shows the humanity behind the statistics\, events and highly sensationalized media portrayal of the region. Set against a stunning backdrop of Niger Delta footage\, the film gives voice to the region's complex mix of stakeholders and invites the audience to learn t he deeper story.The current crisis is a powder keg. Left unchecked\, it will have worldwide implications - including for the U.S.\, which by 201 5 is expected to get 25% of its oil imports from Nigeria. What happens i n the Niger Delta ripples through African political stability and global economic markets. Yet barely anyone outside the region knows what's rea lly happening. Escalating unrest and kidnappings by militants have shut down as much as 40% of oil production in the region. The Nigerian gover nment continues to make and break a long string of promises to resolve t he crisis. The international community is standing by while impending wa r looms. Meanwhile\, the people of the Delta are suffering as they have for half a century. Billions of dollars of crude oil are pumped out from beneath their feet\, while they live in desperate poverty - without mea ns of livelihood in a decimated environment. Oil spills\, dredging and a cid rain from gas flaring have destroyed habitats\, killed the fish popu lation\, fouled the soil and poisoned the villagers. Their villages lack potable water\, sanitation\, infrastructure\, healthcare and schools. J ob prospects are bleak and people die young.There is a long legacy of no n-violent protest in the Delta. But it has consistently been met by the Nigerian government with violence - not only against individuals who spo ke out\, but against entire communities. By late 2005\, the people had h ad enough. A new armed resistance\, MEND\, emerged. They began kidnappin g oil workers to bring international attention to the crisis and in the years since\, the region has become increasingly unstable. Yet they have repeatedly stated their desire to negotiate. In this moment\, there is an opportunity to tip the scales toward peace. Sweet Crude is about the humanitarian\, environmental and economic devastation in the wake of 50 years of oil extraction - and the opportunity for the international comm unity to do something. The film also raises broader issues of oil politi cs\, mass media agendas and the role of independent journalists in getti ng the truth out. CATEGORIES:Documentaries LOCATION:Columbus Theatre Arts Center URL:http://riff.bside.com/2009/films/sweetcrude_riff2009 UID:2484745486-riff.festivalgenius.com/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20120212T031824Z DTSTART:20090807T151500 DTEND:20090807T162500 SUMMARY:65_redroses DESCRIPTION:65_RedRoses is a high impact Canadian documentary shot on HD. The film takes an unflinching look into the lives of Eva Markvoort and her two online friends who are all battling Cystic Fibrosis (CF) - a fat al genetic disease affecting the lungs and digestive system. Unable to m eet in person because of the spread of infections and super bugs\, the g irls have become each other's lifelines through the internet\, providin g unconditional love\, support and understanding long after visiting hou rs are over. Now at a critical turning point in their lives\, the film w ill travel the distance the friends cannot go themselves\, capturing the compelling and often heartbreaking realities they face\, just trying to take each breath.For 23-year-old Canadian Eva Markvoort (aka 65_RedRose s) the clock is ticking as she waits at the top of the donor list for a double lung transplant. She has been told that she will not live more th an two years if she does not receive new lungs. An aspiring artist and t eacher\, Eva remains unwavering in her belief that her pager will go off and she will get the call letting her know a donor has been found. With no way of knowing when or if the pager will go off\, her life has been put on hold as she does everything in her power to stay healthy. But wit h her condition deteriorating at a rapid pace\, the window of opportunit y is also slowly closing.Finding herself more in the hospital than at ho me\, Eva begins searching for a creative outlet to direct her fears and anxieties. Unable to seek comfort in other CF patients - they aren't per mitted to interact with each other because of their lower immune systems and the susceptibility of spreading infections to their lungs - Eva beg an searching online. Joining a network for CF'ers\, Eva created an onlin e name called 65_RedRoses (as a child she couldn't pronounce Cystic Fibr osis so she learned to say '65 Roses.' Eva then added red because it's h er favorite color\, thus becoming '65_RedRoses'). While for most people the internet is just another way of staying connected\, for Eva and her online community it is the only way for them to form friendships with p eople who truly understand what it means to be living and dying with CF. Out of the thousands of online CF patients\, Eva found two American girl s who she really connected with. Based out of Portland\, Oregon\, 19-yea r-old Meg Moore (online name 'Megmucus') smokes pot\, drinks alcohol and generally screws off' her medication. She lives life to the fullest and sees no point in taking responsibility for her health when she knows sh e only has half the time to enjoy it. Meg has no plans to have a double lung transplant\, believing she does not have the strength to go through the process. Estranged from her family\, Meg looks to Eva for support w hile Eva hopes to inspire Meg to re-think transplant\, which is her only hope for the future. Across the continent in Eerie\, Pennsylvania\, Kin a Boyce (online name 'Spirit_of_Kina') is battling chronic rejection fro m her double lung transplant. Kina's body is rejecting her new lungs\, a nd she worries that she may have to receive annother transplant. Eva wri tes to her regularly\, asking for guidance on how to prepare herself for transplant and how to deal with the problems after. Watching Kina go th rough rejection\, Eva learns that transplant is not a cure for Cystic Fi brosis. It means trading one disease for another\, but for both girls it 's a chance they are willing to take if it means a shot at a longer life .Uncensored\, uninhibited\, and unbreakable\, Eva and her friends aren't just 'sick girls'\, but young women who are falling in love for the fir st time\, discovering their passions and trying to make their mark on th e world. The undeniable strength\, courage\, and shear will power posses sed by individuals battling this disease has the power to move those bey ond the CF community. Eva's future depends on the kindness of strangers\ , who can give her the gift of life by becoming a donor. Following her j ourney from waiting for transplant through to surgery\, Eva ultimately h opes to bring all three friends together following her recovery. After t ransplant\, she will no longer have to worry about spreading bugs betwee n other CF patients because her new lungs will be clear of infection. Wh ile it will be Eva's first time meeting Meg and Kina face to face\, thei r bond has already withstood the tests of both time and distance. CATEGORIES:Documentaries LOCATION:Providence Public Library URL:http://riff.bside.com/2009/films/65_redroses_riff2009 UID:2484752728-riff.festivalgenius.com/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20120212T031824Z DTSTART:20090807T170000 DTEND:20090807T182800 SUMMARY:Cash Crop DESCRIPTION:California is the world's 6th largest economy. Cash Crop is a road movie\; an epic West Coast adventure to the heart of the American dream.UNDERCOVER for a year and a half\, MUSICIAN and AWARD WINNING FILM MAKER\, ADAM ROSS\, follows the historic Spanish Camino Real up the Cal ifornia Coast to the heart of the EMERALD TRIANGLE\, humanizing the voya ge and characters\, giving the viewer unique inside-access to the LARGES T CASH CROP in CALIFORNIA: MARIJUANA. Estimated in December 2006 by the LA Times as a $35 BILLION DOLLAR A YEAR INDUSTRY-MARIJUANA is the U.S.'s largest cash crop-number one in 12 States\, in the top three in 30. GRO WERS\, PATIENTS\, lawmakers and law enforcement wrestle with issues of S USTAINABILITY\, FREEDOM\, SELF GOVERNMENT\, ENTREPRENEURSHIP and GREED i n the GOLDEN STATE GONE GREEN.The feel good movie of the year.The film c rosses the Mexican border up to Eureka through San Diego\, Los Angeles\, Santa Barbara\, Santa Cruz\, San Francisco and lingers in the counties of Sonoma\, Butte\, Lake\, Mendocino\, and Humboldt\, exploring a rich q uintessentially American culture.Ranchers\, vintners\, brewers\, growers and law enforcement provide a rich tapestry of Americans going it alone beyond the last mission outpost carving out a way of life that reinforc es aspects of American culture and values.Cash Crop is filmed in high de finition with an original soundtrack by musician/director Adam Ross.Smal l vs. corporate\, local vs. Federal legal and medical issues\, Californi ans seek sustainability during these difficult economic times. CATEGORIES:Documentaries LOCATION:Columbus Theatre Arts Center URL:http://riff.bside.com/2009/films/cashcrop_riff2009 UID:2484747944-riff.festivalgenius.com/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20120212T031824Z DTSTART:20090807T172000 DTEND:20090807T181400 SUMMARY:Who Killed Chea Vichea? DESCRIPTION:On a sunny morning in 2004\, in Phnom Penh\, Cambodia\, two m en on a\nmotorbike pulled up at a newsstand. One of them stepped off\, w alked\nover to Cambodia's most popular and influential labor leader\, an d\ncalmly shot him in the head and in the heart.\n \nDirector Bradley C ox arrived at the scene of the murder minutes\nlater\, with his camera. For the next five years he filmed every\nimportant development in the ca se. WHO KILLED CHEA VICHEA? takes us\nfrom the dusty streets and slums o f Phnom Penh to remote villages\,\nthrough courtrooms\, brothels\, facto ries and gambling dens.\n \nWorking with producer Rich Garella (a Provi dence native) he has\ncreated an unprecedented film about the inner work ings of one of the\nworld's most corrupt states.\n \nBy 2004\, Cambodia was becoming one of the world's largest garment\nexporters. Foreign-own ed factories employed hundreds of thousands of\ndesperate young women wh o flooded in from the countryside. The\ncountry quickly became dependent on garment exports. Its biggest\ncustomer was\, and is\, the United Sta tes.\n \nVichea\, the president of Cambodia's free trade union\, slept on a mat\nin the union office and didn't collect a salary. Despite beati ngs and\ndeath threats\, he rallied the workers as they fought for wage\ nincreases\, improved working conditions and an end to forced overtime\, \nand often won. He gained an international reputation in the labor\nmov ement\, and Cambodia gained a reputation as a model country for\nworker' s rights.\n \nBut inside Cambodia\, the lesson of the Khmer Rouge regim e\, and of the\nregimes before and after it\, is well known. Ally onesel f with power -\nor face the consequences.\n \nWHO KILLED CHEA VICHEA? i s about the killing of one man and the slow\nsilencing of an entire nati on. It is about how a small elite keeps an\niron grip on power through t he use of its police\, its army\, its\nmanipulation of the courts and it s most effective tool: fear. And it\nis about how hope survives against incredible odds. CATEGORIES:Documentaries LOCATION:Columbus Theatre Arts Center URL:http://riff.bside.com/2009/films/whokilledcheavichea_riff2009 UID:2484745651-riff.festivalgenius.com/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20120212T031824Z DTSTART:20090807T190000 DTEND:20090807T203000 SUMMARY:Like Dandelion Dust DESCRIPTION:Jack and Molly Campbell enjoyed an idyllic life with their ad opted 6-year-old son\, Joey. One phone call shatters their world when th ey learn Joey's biological father has just been released from prison and discovered a loop hole in the adoption papers and now lays claim to his son. He wants to start a new life by taking back his son. When a judge upholds the biological father's claim\, Molly and Jack learn they must g ive Joey over to this brutal man\, so they devise a plan. How far would you go to protect your family? Based on the novel by best-selling auth or Karen Kingsbury. Stars Academy Award Winner Mira Sorvino\, Emmy an d Golden Globe Nominated Barry Pepper and Cole Hauser. CATEGORIES:All Films LOCATION:Cable Car Cinema URL:http://riff.bside.com/2009/films/likedandeliondust_riff2009 UID:2484743876-riff.festivalgenius.com/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20120212T031824Z DTSTART:20090807T190000 DTEND:20090807T210000 SUMMARY:Films\, Music and Drag DESCRIPTION:Please join us for this special event. New York drag persona Carmella Cann will host an evening of films\, filmmaker question and ans wer sessions\, and music. Films will include the short film “It’s Me\, Matthew\,” written and produced by Carmella’s alter ego Michael Ferreira . We will also have a special performance by Lisa Dotolo who will perfo rm her original song from the film. CATEGORIES:Shorts LOCATION:The Bell Street Chapel URL:http://riff.bside.com/2009/films/filmsmusicanddrag_riff2009 UID:2484744530-riff.festivalgenius.com/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20120212T031824Z DTSTART:20090807T190000 DTEND:20090807T210000 SUMMARY:Kid’s Eye Red Carpet Premiere DESCRIPTION:Premiere of new work by recent graduates of the 2009 KidsEye™ Summer\nFilmmaking Class. Open to the general public! CATEGORIES:Special Event LOCATION:University Of Rhode Island\, Feinstein Providence Campus URL:http://riff.bside.com/2009/films/kidseyeredcarpetpremiere_riff2009 UID:2484745087-riff.festivalgenius.com/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20120212T031824Z DTSTART:20090807T190000 DTEND:20090807T203000 SUMMARY:Another Harvest Moon DESCRIPTION:“Another Harvest Moon” is the powerful emotional story of fou r elderly residents in nursing home who become like a family to each oth er\, with all the bickering\, loving and caring that such relationships entail. But three generations of their families are conflicted\, too\, a s their lives and love for each other are torn by the difficult decision s they must face. CATEGORIES:All Films LOCATION:Columbus Theatre Arts Center URL:http://riff.bside.com/2009/films/anotherharvestmoon_riff2009 UID:2484748096-riff.festivalgenius.com/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20120212T031824Z DTSTART:20090807T190000 DTEND:20090807T203200 SUMMARY:The Vicious Kind DESCRIPTION:Writer/director Lee Toland Krieger's tense family drama is ri fe with regret\, hostility\, and dark humor. Stars Adam Scott (STEPBROTH ERS)\, J.K. Simmons (“Oz”\, JUNO\, BURN AFTER READING)\, Brittany Snow ( HAIRSPRAY 2007). CATEGORIES:All Films LOCATION:Courthouse Center For The Arts URL:http://riff.bside.com/2009/films/theviciouskind_riff2009 UID:2484839322-riff.festivalgenius.com/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20120212T031824Z DTSTART:20090807T190000 DTEND:20090807T203000 SUMMARY:Ernest Borgnine Lifetime Achievement Award Presentation DESCRIPTION: CATEGORIES:Awards LOCATION:Columbus Theatre Arts Center URL:http://riff.bside.com/2009/films/ernestborgninelifetimeachievementawa rdpresentation_riff2009 UID:2485793679-riff.festivalgenius.com/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20120212T031824Z DTSTART:20090807T191500 DTEND:20090807T201400 SUMMARY:Up From The Bottoms: The Search For The American Dream DESCRIPTION:The documentary Up From the Bottoms: The Search for the Ameri can Dream tells the story of the massive migration of African Americans from the rural south to the prosperous north during the war years and be yond. The voice of Cicely Tyson guides us through these touching\, thou ghtful and often funny stories as told by fifteen residents of Muskegon\ , Michigan. Civil rights activist\, comedian and author Dick Gregory gi ves a national perspective along with the renowned scholar of Black Amer icana studies\, Dr. Ben Wilson. During the late 1930's through the 1960 's\, factory jobs in the north were abundant while farming jobs in the s outhern states were disappearing. In the 1940's alone\, a million and a half African Americans left the south and spread across this land. The were looking for a better life\, the American dream. This documentary reveals the human side of the migration and the character of the people who chose to make this noble journey. CATEGORIES:Documentaries LOCATION:Columbus Theatre Arts Center URL:http://riff.bside.com/2009/films/upfromthebottomsthesearchfortheameri candream_riff2009 UID:2484745836-riff.festivalgenius.com/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20120212T031824Z DTSTART:20090807T213000 DTEND:20090807T230700 SUMMARY:Love And Savagery DESCRIPTION:Love and Savagery is a story of passion\, fate\, and the cons equences of the two. In 1968\, Newfoundland poet Michael McCarthy trave ls to Ballyvaughan in Ireland to study the visually stunning landscape o f the Burren. There he meets Cathleen\, a beautiful woman who captures h is heart\, but because of the path she has chosen cannot allow him to ca pture hers. Savagery erupts when Michael's persistence collides with the townspeo-ple's hostility toward a foreigner's attempt to intervene with divinity. Cathleen has to choose between a desire that she has recent ly discovered and a desire that she has felt throughout most of her life . Will she choose the love of a man\, or the love of God? Can she love both? Is she strong enough to make the right choice? CATEGORIES:All Films LOCATION:Cable Car Cinema URL:http://riff.bside.com/2009/films/loveandsavagery_riff2009 UID:2484743976-riff.festivalgenius.com/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20120212T031824Z DTSTART:20090807T213000 DTEND:20090807T223000 SUMMARY:Life Is A Banquet DESCRIPTION:Stage and screen legend Rosalind Russell had it all. The star of Auntie Mame\, His Girl Friday\, Gypsy\, and scores of other memorabl e films and Broadway shows\, she was a unique and pioneering talent. Fro m the beginning of her career\, she worked tirelessly to earn acclaim an d transform herself into a star during Hollywood's Golden Era. Rosalind' s climb to the top of her profession paired her with other film luminari es\, including Joan Crawford\, Cary Grant\, and Kirk Douglas. But Rosali nd was devoted to much more than her career. Her duty to country led her to be one of the founding members of the USO during World War II\, and she entertained troops with other show business legends\, including Lore tta Young and Fred Astaire. Rosalind had long been an advocate for those with physical disabilities\, and ironically\, she fell ill with severe rheumatoid arthritis in later life. At the time she was diagnosed\, arth ritis received little attention in the public eye. Although typically qu iet about health matters\, she nonetheless felt obligated to use her cel ebrity to champion the needs of the millions of people suffering from th is debilitating condition.2009 is the 70th anniversary of her breakthrou gh role as Sylvia Fowler in The Women. Whether getting laughs for her so phisticated comedies\, or lauded for her dignity under duress\, the tale nt and humanity of Rosalind Russell left a legacy that is larger than an y screen in Hollywood. CATEGORIES:Documentaries LOCATION:Columbus Theatre Arts Center URL:http://riff.bside.com/2009/films/lifeisabanquet_riff2009 UID:2484745980-riff.festivalgenius.com/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20120212T031824Z DTSTART:20090807T213000 DTEND:20090807T230200 SUMMARY:Not Dead Yet DESCRIPTION:"Not Dead Yet" is a poignant comedy about life\, hot flashes and profound re-awakenings. Three women join forces to revive their acti ng careers\, only to find themselves on a quest for something far more i mportant. Frustrated by the lack of roles for women over 40\, they deci de to create their own film\, starring themselves. As the project spins out of control\, the result of unwittingly hiring a porno director (Dav id Odgen Stiers)\, so does their lives. Jane (Susan Hess Logeais)\, a f ormer TV actress with failed film ambitions\, finds herself under increa sing pressure at home to devote all her time to her family. Cindy (Bett y Moyer)\, whose only child recently left for college\, is overwhelmed w ith loneliness as it becomes increasingly apparent that she and her husb and have little in common. And Michelle (Sherilyn Lawson)\, a happily ma rried mother of two\, must finally confront the source of a lifetime of deep insecurities: her hyper-critical mother. With their dream of a seco nd act on the verge of collapsing\, the three ultimately dare to take a final step so bold it promises to leave audiences cheering. CATEGORIES:All Films LOCATION:Columbus Theatre Arts Center URL:http://riff.bside.com/2009/films/notdeadyet_riff2009 UID:2484748195-riff.festivalgenius.com/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20120212T031824Z DTSTART:20090807T213000 DTEND:20090807T233000 SUMMARY:POST SCREENING PARTY AND FILMMAKER GATHERING: Hollywood Legends DESCRIPTION:Complimentary Appetizers \nSpecial Guests: Ernest Borgnine\, Doris Roberts\, Piper Laurie\, Anne Meara and Jerry Stiller \n$25 for Guests\, Free for filmmakers with pass CATEGORIES:Parties LOCATION:Federal Reserve URL:http://riff.bside.com/2009/films/postscreeningpartyandfilmmakergather ing_riff2009 UID:2484753150-riff.festivalgenius.com/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20120212T031824Z DTSTART:20090807T213000 DTEND:20090807T230500 SUMMARY:Fruit Fly DESCRIPTION:Bethesda\, a Filipina performance artist\, moves into a San F rancisco artist commune in the hopes of moving her one woman show to a b ig city. Along with the numerous friends she makes in the art community\ , she also finds clues to the whereabouts of her biological mother\, les sons in humility\, and the startling realization that she just might be a fag-hag. All told through 14 original musical numbers written by H.P. Mendoza (Colma: The Musical). CATEGORIES:All Films LOCATION:The Bell Street Chapel URL:http://riff.bside.com/2009/films/fruitfly_riff2009 UID:2484928256-riff.festivalgenius.com/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20120212T031824Z DTSTART:20090807T235900 DTEND:20090808T013700 SUMMARY:Nightmares In Red\, White And Blue DESCRIPTION:'Nightmares in Red\, White and Blue: The Evolution of the Ame rican Horror Film' is a feature-length documentary based on the book of the same name by Joseph Maddrey. It examines the idea that horror films reflect the times and places in which they are made - illustrating how c lassic monster movies exploited the anxieties of war-time generations\, and how more savage madern horror films stem from the psychic fallout of America's countercoulture movement and the subsequent rise of increasin gly political forces.At the same time\, the documentary explores the tim eless\, universal appeal of horror movies by examining the pervasive the me of The Outsider. From the silent films of Lon Chaney to the box offic e reign of Hannibal Lector and his peers\, the history of the horror fil m is a story of the individual at odds with any orginization that threat ens his life\, liberty and pursuit of happiness. In depth interviews wit h many of the nation's greatest horror filmmakers reveal that the appeal of the genre is rooted not only in timely fears but in the spirit of re bellion - a spirit that consistently defines American life\, as well as many of its best horror filmmakers.'Nightmares in Red\, White and Blue' is narrated by horror genre icon Lance Henriksen\, and features exclusiv e interviews with legendary auteurs like John Carpenter\, George A. Rome ro\, Joe Dante\, Larry Cohen\, and Roger Corman\, as well as film histor ian John Kenneth Muir\, 'Fangoria' editor Tony Timpone and others. Their observations are illustrated with clips from more than 150 films - rang ing from the classic Universal monster movies to the psychological horro rs of film noir\, from groundbreaking films like 'Night of the Living De ad'\, 'Rosemary's Baby'. 'The Exorcist' and 'Jaws' to contemporary slash er movies\, Torture Porn\, and beyond. In short\, it is the most compreh ensive documentary on America's most durable and prolific genre. CATEGORIES:Horror LOCATION:Cable Car Cinema URL:http://riff.bside.com/2009/films/nightmaresinredwhiteandblue_riff2009 UID:2484839161-riff.festivalgenius.com/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20120212T031824Z DTSTART:20090808T110000 DTEND:20090808T114600 SUMMARY:Uneven Fairways DESCRIPTION:An entertaining and introspective look at the African America n experience in the sport of golf. When people think of breaking the col or barrier in sport\, the names Jackie Robinson\, Jim Brown\, and Joe Lo uis come to mind. These golf pioneers have gone overlooked for too long and deserve their 'place in the sun'. Narrated by Samuel L. Jackson and starring golf greats such as Tiger Woods\, Charlie Sifford\, Jim Dent\, Calvin Peete\, and Arnold Palmer. CATEGORIES:Documentaries LOCATION:Columbus Theatre Arts Center URL:http://riff.bside.com/2009/films/unevenfairways_riff2009 UID:2484826384-riff.festivalgenius.com/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20120212T031824Z DTSTART:20090808T110000 DTEND:20090808T124100 SUMMARY:Feat: 63 Marathons In 63 Days DESCRIPTION:Tim Borland\, a 31-year-old father of two discovers his talen t for endurance running is no longer fulfilled in the competitive realm. He meets 15-year old\, Cathryn Achilles who is diagnosed with the rare terminal disease A-T. Despite the progressive loss of her ability to w alk\, talk\, eat and sing Cathryn's unwavering spirit inspires Borland t o draw attention to the cause. He embarks on the A-T Cure Tour. Borlan d runs 63 consecutive marathons (26.2 miles) spanning more than 14-thous and miles\, 29 States\, 1 Canadian Province and 63 communities where A-T children live. Every step of the journey\, Borland pushes a mobility-j ogging stroller that either carries an A-T child or a banner bearing the name of child who died. Battling excessive heat\, drastic elevation ch anges\, drenching downpours and hurricane strength winds\, one man conne cts families and children whose hope for a cure or life prolonging treat ment is further complicated because so few are impacted. Along our journ ey\, we intimately meet three A-T families whose children are experienci ng three different stages of the disease. Mark and Laura Lesperance of Neenah\, Wisconsin\, have two boys Max and Jake. At three months old\, Jake was the youngest diagnosed case of A-T. Both boys struggle with c ompromised immune systems and showcase the typical first signs of the di sease with a drunken sailor walk. We see them during one of their month ly hospital visits where the boys endure IVIG treatments to boost their ability to fight off illnesses. At home\, the 18 month old and 3 year o ld\, run and play\, they are too young to understand the muscle control and abilities they are mastering now\, will slowly be taken away from th em. John and Marcia Wood of Lemont\, Illinois adopted five Asian childre n. Eleven-year-old Alyssa was three when she joined their family. Look ing back at the video footage they filmed in Vietnam\, they now recogniz e the balance problems that are telltale signs of her terminal disease. The 5th grader has a love of life that draws people to her like a magne t. She exemplifies the typical progression of A-T\, as most kids are in wheelchairs by age 10. Alyssa is now old enough to know she's a lot dif ferent than other kids her age\, and candidly confesses she is often lon ely. Sixteen-year-old Cathryn Achilles has lost her ability to play the harp and piano. She is wheelchair bound and each night a feeding tube p umps vital calories into her stomach. She enjoys picking out fabric for quilting\, picking on her younger brother and participating in her local theatre company. Cathryn inspired Tim's journey.It is the reality of w hat these kids face every day that empowers Tim to complete each day's c ourse. When Borland successfully completes all 63 marathons\, he'll get a break. The kids don't. At it's heart\, Feat exemplifies the limitle ss potential of the human body and spirit when focused on a goal greater than one's self. CATEGORIES:Documentaries LOCATION:Columbus Theatre Arts Center URL:http://riff.bside.com/2009/films/feat63marathonsin63days_riff2009 UID:2484827119-riff.festivalgenius.com/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20120212T031824Z DTSTART:20090808T120000 DTEND:20090808T133300 SUMMARY:War Against The Weak DESCRIPTION:Based on the book by New York Times best selling author and n ine time Pulitzer Prize nominee\, Edwin Black\, War Against the Weak is the untold story of American Eugenics\, a movement that attempted to bre ed a Nordic master race through the elimination of those deemed "unfit'. In the first three decades of the 20th Century\, American corporate phil anthropy\, combined with the efforts of the scientific\, academic and p olitcal elite\, created the pseudoscience eugenics\, and institutionaliz ed race politics as national policy. The goal was to create a superior\, white\, Nordic race and obliterate the virtually everyone else.Eugenici sts went about identifying so-called 'defective' family trees and subjec ted individuals to legislated segregation and sterilization programs\, a nd sometimes even euthanasia. The victims were poor people\, brown-haire d white people\, African Americans\, immigrants\, Native Americans\, Eas tern European Jews\, the infirm and anyone classified outside the superi or genetic lines drawn up by American raceologists. The main funders wer e The Carnegie Institution\, The Rockefeller Foundation\, and The Harrim an Railroad fortune. The main actors included America's most respected scientists\, hailing from such prestigious universities as Harvard\, Ya le\, and Princeton\, and operating out of a complex at Cold Spring Harbo r\, Long Island. The eugenic network worked in tandem with the U.S. Depa rtment of Agriculture\, the State Department and numerous state governme ntal bodies and legislatures throughout the country\, and even the U.S. Supreme Court. They were all dedicated to breeding a eugenically superio r race\, just as agronomists would breed better strains of corn\, and to eliminating the reproductive capability of the weak and inferior.Ameri can eugenic crusades proliferated into a worldwide campaign\, and in the 1920s came to the attention of Adolf Hitler. Under the Nazis\, American eugenic principles were applied without restraint\, culminating in Thir d Reich's infamous genocide. American eugenicists openly supported Germa ny's program. The Rockefeller Foundation financed the Kaiser Wilhelm Ins titute and the work of its central racial scientists. Once WWII began\, Nazi eugenics turned from mass sterilization and euthanasia to genocidal murder. One doctor at the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute was Josef Mengele\, who continued his eugenic research in Auschwitz\, focusing on twins.The Nazi's were eventually tried at the Nuremberg trials\, for their long li st of genocidal activities. One of the Nazis asks a question: What is th e difference between the actions of the Germans and those of the America ns?We say\, 'never forget\,' and yet we have completely forgotten our ow n history. War Against the Weak is a gripping narrative of bad science a t its worst\, and a warning bell for the impending genetic age. CATEGORIES:Documentaries LOCATION:Cable Car Cinema URL:http://riff.bside.com/2009/films/waragainsttheweak_riff2009 UID:2484824828-riff.festivalgenius.com/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20120212T031824Z DTSTART:20090808T130000 DTEND:20090808T142700 SUMMARY:Stage IV - A Journey Into the Unknown DESCRIPTION:When the threat of early death comes knocking\, one woman\, h er husband\, son and sister are launched on a quest for life's meaning. Stage IV\, an 86 min. documentary\, takes us on an intimately honest\, even humorous journey where Anne 47\, who is a gifted educator\, indepen dent wife and attentive mother transforms her imminent dying as an oppor tunity to ask - Why am I alive? It is Anne and her eventual acceptance and profoundly clear understanding of the answer - that differentiates t his story. You actually witness\, indeed experience her transformation f rom resisting her fate to yielding\, and in that process\, revealing a n ew dimension of consciousness. Filmmaker Rudkilde followed Anne\, and th e four additional central characters between 2004 and 2008. Chris - her husband\; Liam - their 9 year old son\; Jill - Anne's faithful sister an d Dr. Sitarik - Anne's oncologist\, are all integral to the unfolding jo urney and have their own views of life's purpose. All key moments of thi s character-driven story are told through intimate verité footage\, buil ding suspense as to Anne's fate and intercut with candid interviews reve aling contradictions\, confessions and revelations. By January 2008\, An ne is no longer responding to medication and she decides to give up chem otherapy. As she shares her experience of physical pain\, she also revis es priorities\, expresses regrets\, and asks for forgiveness. Anne says : "We are all going to die\, and if we are lucky enough to get a warning \, it is a final opportunity for ourselves and for those around us\, to grow\, and find meaning in all that is and was\, a possibility of discov ering the reason for our visit here on earth. Besides invigorating wisdo m\, Stage IV also offers several opportunities for comic relief\; from h ow to fit the much too large Christmas tree through the door to reflecti ons on a sex-life without breasts and Anne wanting to dig her own grave and build her own coffin. Anne's declining health stop the characters in their tracks and introduce their separate set of crisis': Will Jill dar e to go on a year long trip to Panama? In awe we witness the grace with which Dr. Sitarik eventually has to tell Anne she has 2-6 months left to live. 'You feel like you should just throw everything down and spend as much time with your wife as you possibly can." says Chris. But even und er the threat of a short life together\, spousal challenges go on and du ring some difficult moments we wonder if the marriage will last. Their s on Liam is asking challenging questions: "When is Mom going to die?" Lia m gives us an awe-inspiring glimpse into a child's perspective on this s cary world. We witness Anne's heroic fight for time and her yielding to death as she traverses more emotional and enlightening territory than mo st of us pack in a lifetime. Stage IV flows between lightness and sadnes s\, courage and fear\, love and anger in a turbulent yet ultimately sere ne journey of awakening to the present moment. CATEGORIES:Documentaries LOCATION:Columbus Theatre Arts Center URL:http://riff.bside.com/2009/films/stageivajourneyintotheunknown_riff20 09 UID:2484826518-riff.festivalgenius.com/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20120212T031824Z DTSTART:20090808T130000 DTEND:20090808T150000 SUMMARY:It's All in the Mind of the Beholder: short films DESCRIPTION: CATEGORIES:Shorts LOCATION:Columbus Theatre Arts Center URL:http://riff.bside.com/2009/films/itsallinthemindofthebeholdershortfil ms_riff2009 UID:2484827197-riff.festivalgenius.com/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20120212T031824Z DTSTART:20090808T130000 DTEND:20090808T134600 SUMMARY:The Future Makers DESCRIPTION:Concern about global warming has focused attention on the dis ruption of natural systems from the way we use resources and energy. Aus tralia may be one of the world's largest producers and exporters of coal for electricity\, but it also has some of the world's largest renewable energy resources.A number of Australians are world leaders in the field of renewable energy and sustainable solutions. They are serious about c reating clean energy options that will make a big difference. Some draw energy and inspiration from nature in their clean technology designs.Dr Tim Finnigan uses bio-mimicry\, or 'innovation inspired by nature'\, to design his oceanpower systems. Dr Robert Dane modeled the design for his Solar Sailor boat on the insect's wing\, inspired by Janine Benyus' Bio -mimicry concept.Dr David Mills and Professor Graham Morrison's solar th ermal technology has attracted international attention as the clean alte rnative to coal and nuclear power. It is being rolled out now in the US on a very large scale.Deep hot rock\, or geothermal technology\, was dev eloped by Dr Prame Chopra and Dr Doone Wyborn\, in the remote deserts of South Australia. They believe geothermal could provide a large amount of Australia's energy needs for the next 500 years.Dr Zhengrong Shi's so lar cell research was built on work pioneered by Professors Martin Green and Stuart Wenham at the University of NSW. It made him the world's sec ond largest solar panel supplier. Shi's ongoing support at UNSW helps Ph D students\, such as Eureka Prize winner Nicole Kuepper\, to develop sol ar PV for a wider market.ANU's Dr Keith Lovegrove developed a thermochem ical process to store solar energy for use in commercial power stations. Australia has been described as "The Middle East of renewable energy"\, because of its unique natural resources in wave\, solar\, geothermal and wind energy."Its accepted that there's more than 5\,000 times the world 's current power usage in the oceans. That's all forms of energy\, its t idal\, waves\, currents\, temperature and salinity gradients. Just the w aves that break on our coastlines alone is about twice the world's curre nt power usage. To utilise a small fraction of that is going to be very meaningful" - Dr Tom Denniss (Oceanlinx)Australia's solar resource is hu ge."One hour of sunlight could provide power for the world's industrial energy needs for one year &" Professor Martin Green\, (Photovoltaics Dep t\, University of NSW).And there are some unique approaches to harvestin g that energy:"We have more sun per square metre of continent than any o ther continent on the planet. Maybe we can consider the potential of our country to be the place where the solar energy is collected.There's a v ery intriguing possibility with solar thermal systems. We can use our co ncentrators to drive chemical reactions and generate renewable fuels tha t we can export to other countries. We can power Japan from solar energy collected in Australia's arid areas".- Assoc Professor Keith Lovegro ve\, (Australian National University and Wizard Power).Australian innova tors have led the world in solar energy research and applications."The r esearch group here at the University of NSW started in the mid-70's. In five years\, we'd established a reputation because we made solar cells t hat had very high voltage output.Our group shot to international attenti on because we were doing better than anyone else on this one parameter." - Professor Martin GreenThe university's research training helped sol ar mogul\, Dr Zhengrong Shi become the world's second largest solar modu le supplier. He is now one of the richest men in China.One leading techn ology for solar thermal power stations\, (developed by Dr David Mills an d Professor Graham Morrison) is being rolled out on a very large scale i n the USA. It is regarded as the serious alternative to coal and nuclear for large scale power stations."Solar Thermal electricity uses the sun' s heat to actually make steam or make a very hot fluid &to turn a turbin e and create electricity. Our technology just changes the boiler in such a system. Instead of a nuclear boiler\, we use a solar boiler. There ar e far more solar turbines on order throughout the world than there are n uclear turbines. Its just happened all of a sudden. And we also see time lines of plant installation which are between 2 and 4 years from the sha king of the hands. Nuclear's lucky to have 7 or 8 years".- Dr David Mill s\, (AUSRA)"The market for solar thermal electricity around the world is just enormous. We are now concentrating on the Californian area. In the near future\, we'll see developments in Australia. The next big area is likely to be North Africa\, supplying power into Europe. There's alread y electrical cables across the Mediterranean\, where that can be fed int o. The western deserts of China also have the potential to be a major so lar resource."- Emeritus Professor Graham Morrison (UNSW)The Future Make rs explores applications for renewable energy such as the Solar Sailor a nd Australia's first plug-in\, plug-out hybrid car\, that can run on ele ctricity from renewable energy sources."You could supply over 90% of the US transportation sector from solar thermal electric power plants\, sit ting on the grid. So basically the 2 largest single emitters in the larg est emitting country can be taken out by the same technology. It's a ver y powerful result". - Dr David MillsA vision of a renewable energy futur e:"When we bring those elements together\; larger solar thermal plants\, geothermal plants\, complemented with smart metering\, and small scale distributed energy like photovoltaic panels on our rooves &These will pr ovide the sort of framework\, within which we'll see sustainable energy become the dominant form of energy supply to meet the needs of tomorrow' s economy". - Chris Dunstan (UTS)In this documentary directed by Maryell a Hatfield\, produced by Lisa Duff\, edited by Krissoula Syrmis and shot by Justin Brickle - The Future Makers explores the visions of these lea ders and follows them as their projects unfold. CATEGORIES:Documentaries LOCATION:Providence Public Library URL:http://riff.bside.com/2009/films/thefuturemakers_riff2009 UID:2484829332-riff.festivalgenius.com/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20120212T031824Z DTSTART:20090808T133000 DTEND:20090808T153000 SUMMARY:New England Student Film Festival DESCRIPTION:Programming from across the New England region is given a sho wcase. Including work from URI Visualizations\, the Providence College F ilm Festival\, Roger Williams University's "Planet Forward\," and Wheato n College. CATEGORIES:Shorts, Student LOCATION:University Of Rhode Island\, Feinstein Providence Campus URL:http://riff.bside.com/2009/films/newenglandstudentfilmfestival_riff20 09 UID:2484829918-riff.festivalgenius.com/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20120212T031824Z DTSTART:20090808T143000 DTEND:20090808T160000 SUMMARY:Housequake DESCRIPTION:In 2006\, Democrats face a moment of truth. Republicans contr ol all three branches of government and possess more concentrated power than in nearly a century. The daily reality of war\, fear\, and economic unrest is taking its toll on the American psyche. Beneath the clouds of this atmosphere\, and facing the prospect of becoming a permanent minor ity party\, Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi makes a controversial choice. To spearhead the party's effort to take back Congress\, she appoints Ra hm Emanuel -- a colorful\, iconoclastic congressman famous for sending a dead fish to a political enemy.Emanuel recruits political novices who h appen to be fighters - a disabled Iraq war veteran\, an NFL quarterback\ , a small-town sheriff - to take on entrenched incumbents in seats previ ously thought unwinnable. Emanuel assumes an activist role in training a nd organizing these candidates to be professional "start-up organization s\," as he deems them. They must be on-message\, media-savvy and - perha ps most important -- relentless when it comes to fundraising. Each will sing parts from the same chorus as established by the national party. Em anuel makes the bold statement that ideology is irrelevant - winning is what matters. In fact\, many of these citizen candidates take anti-choic e and anti-gun control stances traditionally associated with Republicans .It is the most intense\, unusual strategy ever of its kind\, the type o f "what's there to lose" effort that often is born from desperation. If it works\, it will be groundbreaking\; if it doesn't\, the Democrats wil l reach a new low in power and Emanuel will join the growing list of Dem ocrats who have "stolen defeat from the jaws of victory." Republicans pr epare to play defense.As the race unfolds\, HOUSEQUAKE gets inside seven key contests across the country and follows national players on both si des of the aisle. It captures the emotional drama\, high stakes\, intens e competition\, and historical implications of the race with a rare view of the American political process.HOUSEQUAKE goes behind the scenes wit h candidates and top political players to dramatize the reality behind c ampaigns and party strategy seldom offered by the media. It shows how ca mpaigns are plotted and the intense effort that goes into a game-changin g election. It offers rare access to the biggest personalities in U.S. p olitics and intimate verite footage of candidates' adventures and tribul ations as they dive into politics\, many for the first time.As the campa ign season swells toward the finish line\, each one of our races becomes an unpredictable toss-up. On election night we're at 15 separate locati ons with the candidates and in Washington with party leaders. The result s of our races mirror national trends with cliffhanger wins\, poignant l osses\, and some surprises. In the end\, Democrats gain an astonishing 3 1 seats. Dozens of seasoned politicians are defeated by political newcom ers swept in by a national tide\, forcing a reconsideration of the maxim "all politics is local" by politicians and pundits alike. The election changes the dynamics of power in Washington. Nancy Pelosi becomes the fi rst female Speaker of the House. Rahm Emanuel and his allies became inst rumental in Barack Obama's presidential campaign\, and Obama's first app ointment to his administration is Emanuel as Chief of Staff. HOUSEQUAKE is the only film to document an extraordinary time in U.S. political his tory\, the election that ended the Republican revolution. The film bring s to life the strategy behind the Democrats' dramatic rise to power and the counter-strategy by Republicans. The men and women featured in House Quake are now running the country (or plotting to run it anew). The outc ome of this election invites intriguing questions that stir the passions of party members. The Democrats made room for candidates\, now congress men\, with right-of-center views\, especially on social issues. Is this the beginning of a post-partisan era? Can a party holding such a wide ra nge of views discipline itself and prevent in-fighting and self-destruct ion? Will the Republicans follow suit with a "big tent" strategy of thei r own?The Democrats' takeover of Congress was more than just a "good yea r." This historic campaign for change paved the way for Barack Obama's p residential victory and transformed the way political races are run in A merica. HOUSEQUAKE shows how. CATEGORIES:Documentaries LOCATION:Cable Car Cinema URL:http://riff.bside.com/2009/films/housequake_riff2009 UID:2484824899-riff.festivalgenius.com/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20120212T031824Z DTSTART:20090808T150000 DTEND:20090808T155200 SUMMARY:Homegrown DESCRIPTION:By dawn\, the interchange of the 134 Freeway and Interstate 2 10 is already starting to thrum with traffic. But only a hundred feet a way\, the Dervaes family has been up for hours. Their surprisingly tiny green oasis is a working farm right in the middle of Pasadena. Once se en as a nutty idea\, the family homestead now produces three tons of org anic produce a year.Jules and his adult children\, Justin\, Anaïs and Jo rdanne speak candidly about what shaped their family and their need for independence. We learn about Jules' father\, an oil executive with a gr een thumb\, Jules' adventures as a young man homesteading in New Zealand \, and the sorrows and hardships their family has faced over the years\, including divorce\, lawsuits and a stint foraging for recyclable cans. We watch them wrestle with their quest to live a simple lifestyle even as their website\, "Path To Freedom\," demands more attention from follo wers around the world. Originally set up to share farming tips\, it now dangles tantalizing prospects of a financial windfall. But what would it mean to sell ad space on their website instead of getting their hand s dirty? Would it change their way of life if they got used to easy mon ey? And how will Jules' children be able to buy their own homesteads an d carry on in the future?There are no easy answers. But along the way\, the Dervaes have grown stronger and found a tight knit community based on family\, friends\, good food\, hard work\, and the commitment to trea d lightly upon the earth. CATEGORIES:Documentaries LOCATION:Columbus Theatre Arts Center URL:http://riff.bside.com/2009/films/homegrown_riff2009 UID:2484826613-riff.festivalgenius.com/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20120212T031824Z DTSTART:20090808T150000 DTEND:20090808T155400 SUMMARY:Not Your Mama's Roller Derby DESCRIPTION:Not Your Mama's Roller Derby confronts the stereotypes of old er roller derby\, its infamous wrestler-like women players and its figur e eight banked track and gets at the heart of a newer roller derby\, the Women's Flat Track Derby Association. The documentary traces the incept ion of Providence's Roller Derby League\, one of the earlier leagues for med\, and interviews Sara Doom\, the league's birth mother\, now a Harva rd Ph.D.\, is as one of her former team players characterized her\, a ' cool'' nerd. Doom and other early PRD players discuss what it was like a s a struggling league and describe the skills besides skating that were needed to make the league grow. Amid spectacular cityscape shots\, Prov idence's Mayor David Cicilline's interview where he proclaims roller der by as the pulse of his hip city\, and the daunting gladiator-like music of Marianne Messina's ''Roller Chicks\,' the camera captures the mystic atmosphere of roller derby and its fast-growing and dedicated audience.T he filmmakers turn their lens close-up and the audience listens to Frida Destroyer and Violent Vixxen and other PRD members divulge the secret references to their roller derby personalities and other'secrets'' of r oller derby such as what the game entails and the rigorous training that players endure to become part of the elite league of fast-skating women . The filmmakers\, too\, resist glamorizing players and instead examine what players believe draws women to this sport\, as they dispel many mis conceptions about derby. Burnin' Helen\, a PRD skater\, debunks the myt h that women get hurt playing this sport: she tells viewers that only he r mother thinks that derby is dangerous. In the same breath\, she recoun ts a severe injury that she delivered to a Connecticut derby player who ended up not playing for several months\; Burnin' Helen admits that she now has toned down her moves and doesn't knock out players. PRD's Bunni cula also discusses her recent knee injury\, which has forced her to tak e the bench\, and thus not be able to help her teammates at the fasting- approaching East Coast Derby Extravaganza Competition held in Philadelp hia. Other players such as Whip Tease and Rhode Kill emphasize the skil ls that new players learn in order to eliminate injuries on the track. But as former Brown University Athletic Trainer Gail Connolly states\, t eam and community always outweigh the risks of playing a sport. The film follows the anticipation of the PRD league's national all-star team the Riveters\, as they power up to compete in the WFTDA East Coast Extravag anza held in Philadelphia. There is much excitement about this event as the Riveters have lost the last two games. Coach Buzzy speculates about the upcoming conference and expresses his slight hesitation to compete w ith Dolly Rocket\, the former PRD Riveter's Captain\, who now skates for Baltimore's Charm City Roller Girls. Coach Buzzy\, Mayor Cicillicine\, Lotta Pain and Frida Destroyer examine the probabilities of the Riveters winning and cheer their team on.With veteran players injured\, the Rive ters face the Atlantic Rollergirls as their first opponent in the tourna ment. Viewers watch the Riveters uproot the Rolllergirls in a grueling g ame\; as the announcer declares at the end of the game\,''you' ll never see a game like this again.'' Down by twenty points at the first half o f the bout\, the Riveters dig deep into their quad skates and by the fi nal half\, they're soaring ahead of the Rollergirls. In the aftermath of the bout\, Craisy Dukes declares''we just decided not to suck and after losing and losing and losing \,we really need this.' Next\, we hear fro m Dolly Rocket\, the former Captain of the Riveters\, who must face her former teammates the next day in competition. Viewers get an inside stor y\; Dolly Rocket\, in a philosophical moment\, addresses the dilemma of sport\, a loyalty to her former teammates and her team's goal to win.In the next tournament game\, the Riveters confront Charm City. Unified and powerhouse skaters in their last game\, the Riveters don't have the pow er to stop Charm City. Dolly Rocket skates by her former teammates and t he scoreboard doubles points and leaves the Riveters behind. By half tim e\, it's clearly a victory for Charm City. Burnin' Helen stops for a mi nute and speaks to the camera\; she is positive and upbeat and complimen ts her opponents' skating abilities\;even in defeat the Riveters possess poise.Viewers meet Burin' Helen again and she becomes more philosophica l about her teammates as she begins to describe what roller derby and he r teammates mean to her. Messina's quick guitar picking accentuates the moment and before the audience can blink\, Burin' Helen reveals that he r husband has become paralyzed and her teammates were the ones who kept her alive. With a choking voice\, she bops down off camera\, and viewer s hear''The girls in the league are like my sisters.'' Next\, Jailbird J enna\, an early PRD player skating in her last game with her teammates \, also reminiscences about her teammates and leaves viewers with her th ought-provoking commentary that the PRD girls embody family\, a sisterho od\; the audience is exposed to the deep inner circle of roller derby\; the myriad reasons that women don quad skates and travel six hours to co mpete. As Jailbird Jenna gathers up her sports bag and ambles off camera \, Messina's guitar melody bursts into a hard rock riff and credits rol l. CATEGORIES:Documentaries LOCATION:Columbus Theatre Arts Center URL:http://riff.bside.com/2009/films/notyourmamasrollerderby_riff2009 UID:2484827945-riff.festivalgenius.com/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20120212T031824Z DTSTART:20090808T151500 DTEND:20090808T164100 SUMMARY:The People V. Leo Frank DESCRIPTION:In the pre-dawn hours of April 27\, 1913\, the night watchman at an Atlanta pencil factory made a grisly discovery. The body of a yo ung girl had been beaten\, strangled\, and so covered in soot that it wa s not immediately clear whether she was Negro or Caucasian.The death of 13-year-old Mary Phagan\, a white worker at the factory\, quickly became front-page news. She had apparently been robbed\, and possibly raped. Several arrests were made\, including Jim Conley\, a black janitor who was seen three days later washing red stains out of his work shirt. Als o arrested was Leo Frank\, the factory's superintendent and the last per son to admit seeing Mary alive. Suspicion of Frank soon mounted\, based largely on his 'nervous' behavior upon being notified by police of the murder. A Jew raised in Brooklyn\, Frank quickly became prosecutor Hugh Dorsey's prime suspect. On the fourth try\, Dorsey coaxed Jim Conley to confess that he had helped to hide Mary's body\, but the janitor insist ed that Frank\, his boss\, was the killer. 'POLICE HAVE THE STRANGLER\,' blared a major Atlanta headline the day of Frank's arrest\, effectively convicting him in the public mind.Frank's trial lasted a month. Each d ay spectators packed Judge Leonard Sloan's downtown courtroom\, with hun dreds more outside shouting and jeering through the open courthouse wind ows. The proceedings descended into a free-for-all of racial stereotype s\, hearsay testimony\, questionable scientific evidence and mind-boggli ng contradictions on the stand. Despite Conley's conflicting statements and the lack of any physical evidence linking Frank to the murder\, the all-white jurors accepted the word of the Southern black janitor over t hat of the Northern Jewish factory superintendent. Leo Frank was pronou nced guilty and sentenced to death. Most Atlantans celebrated the verdic t. But with a more distanced perspective\, observers elsewhere grew enr aged at what they considered to be a mockery of justice. Editorials fro m New York to San Francisco decried the verdict and called for a new tri al. But the meddling of outsiders only further steeled Southern stalwar ts and Frank detractors. The most vocal of them was Tom Watson\, a popul ist newspaper editor who inflamed public sentiment with vicious anti-Sem itic articles. In issue after issue of his paper\, The Jeffersonian\, W atson painted Mary Phagan as a 'pure little Gentile victim' defiled by a money-grubbing\, sexually perverted New York Jew.Frank's lawyers appeal ed the conviction\, but were rebuffed at every step\, all the way to the Supreme Court. Their last hope was to petition Georgia's outgoing gove rnor\, John Slaton. Slaton weighed the evidence and concluded\, remarka bly\, that Frank had not in fact received a fair trial. In an astoundin g turn of events and after some personal agonizing\, Slaton commuted Fra nk's sentence from death to life in prison. The governor swiftly transfe rred Frank from his Atlanta jail cell to a state penitentiary 150 miles outside the city to safely serve out his sentence. A mob\, enraged by t he governor's actions and whipped into frenzy by Watson's Jeffersonian\, descended on Slaton's home. Slaton was hung in effigy with sign s labe ling him "King of the Jews." The most extreme vigilantes tried to run J ewish families out of town.Meanwhile\, out of the public eye\, a quiet g roup of influential Georgians - including a former governor and a sittin g judge - made plans to carry out their own sentence on Frank. On a hot August afternoon\, 25 men loaded up seven cars and drove from Marietta\ , Georgia\, to the state prison in Milledgeville where Frank was being h eld. They arrived at ten that evening\, descended on the prison\, and - without firing a shot - abducted the prisoner from his cell. Frank was taken to the oak grove near Mary Phagan's childhood home. A noose was p laced around his neck. The judge read the charges and proclaimed the se ntence. Then\, the small table Leo Frank stood on was kicked out from u nder him. The most famous lynching of a white man in America came to bear two c onflicting legacies. Marked by the largest cross burning in history\, a Southern group that had all but faded out since the final days of Recon struction gathered just outside Atlanta to constitute the modern Ku Klux Klan. Its mission would expand from intimidating blacks in the South t o spreading hate against Jews\, Catholics and others across the country. Meanwhile\, a fledgling organization suddenly found in the Frank case i ts reason for being. The Anti-Defamation League would become a powerful defender of civil rights and social justice in America. Its mission to stop defamation of the Jewish people and secure justice and fair treatm ent for all endures to this day.THE PEOPLE v LEO FRANK weaves together w ell-crafted drama with first-person recollections\, commentary\, and a r ich trove of historical images. Filmed entirely in Georgia during the s ummer of 2008\, the film has attracted significant talent. Will Janowit z (of the Sopranos) stars as Leo Frank opposite Seth Gilliam (of The Wir e) who plays Jim Conley\, the State's star witness against Frank during his trial. All dialogue in is taken directly from the historical record . By examining this dark chapter of a bygone age\, THE PEOPLE v. LEO FRA NK invites viewers to explore broad themes about human behavior that are timeless and universal. CATEGORIES:Jewish LOCATION:Providence Public Library URL:http://riff.bside.com/2009/films/thepeoplevleofrank_riff2009 UID:2484829401-riff.festivalgenius.com/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20120212T031824Z DTSTART:20090808T153000 DTEND:20090808T154500 SUMMARY:Forgotten Children DESCRIPTION:Two foster children become unlikely friends\, battle their pa st skeletons\, and teach each other the true meaning of family. Forgotte n Children is Big Hope Film's first project. Big Hope Films is a non-pr ofit organization that matches local kids \nbattling an illness or disab ility with upcoming filmmakers to create short films based on the imagin ation of the child. CATEGORIES:Shorts LOCATION:University Of Rhode Island\, Feinstein Providence Campus URL:http://riff.bside.com/2009/films/forgottenchildren_riff2009 UID:2484829870-riff.festivalgenius.com/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20120212T031824Z DTSTART:20090808T163000 DTEND:20090808T175600 SUMMARY:Shadow Billionaire DESCRIPTION:DHL Founder and billionaire Larry Hillblom seemed to have van ished into thin air when he failed to return from a routine flight in hi s vintage Seabee. After his disappearance a dark side of Larry emerged. Even before he was officially declared dead\, bar girls throughout Asia came forward claiming to have children by Larry and seeking a piece of his vast fortune. SHADOW BILLIONAIRE unravels the secretive and scandal ous life of this enigmatic and reclusive tycoon. The battle over his es tate took on epic proportions\, pitting impoverished teenage prostitutes against Larry's former business associates and several of the largest l aw firms in the world. In the end it is a David and Goliath story\, as a surprising hero emerges to untangle the web and discover the startling truth. CATEGORIES:Documentaries LOCATION:Cable Car Cinema URL:http://riff.bside.com/2009/films/shadowbillionaire_riff2009 UID:2484825214-riff.festivalgenius.com/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20120212T031824Z DTSTART:20090808T170000 DTEND:20090808T183100 SUMMARY:Momz Hot Rocks DESCRIPTION:Turning the rock genre on its belly\, they are the first chil dren of the rock and roll generation to be louder than their kids.Introd ucing Joy Rose\, mother of four\, lead singer of Housewives on Prozac\, and founder of MAMAPALOOZA\, the Mydols\; Placenta\; Frump\; Black Flami ngo\; CandyBand and more in a cross section of US cities. MOMz captures the 2004 beginning of the continually increasing media attention as thes e bands first meet each other and converge in NYC for Mamapalooza in May of 2005 through 2007 when they have become a voice of a growing social and political movement. The concept and reality are humorous\, fast pac ed and intense. Each of the bands is a completely different entity\, eac h member with unique passions\, duties and agendas and will transform no tions of modern motherhood.Being in a band is likened to being in a marr iage and these groups of women formed during and after family life. The balancing act only intensifies as tasks increase with both family and bl ossoming new musical careers. Simple things like getting kids to school\ , scheduling rehearsals and playing gigs roll into a ball of chaos and l and in a lullaby. One thing that the documentary exposes is how hard wor king and dedicated these women are to playing music embracing motherhood in order to inspire others to express themselves somehow\, all the whil e maintaining enormous daily responsibility. CATEGORIES:Documentaries LOCATION:Columbus Theatre Arts Center URL:http://riff.bside.com/2009/films/momzhotrocks_riff2009 UID:2484826760-riff.festivalgenius.com/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20120212T031824Z DTSTART:20090808T170000 DTEND:20090808T182600 SUMMARY:Transcending The Wat Misaka Story DESCRIPTION:TRANSCENDING: THE WAT MISAKA STORY is a documentary film abou t Wat Misaka\, the first Asian American pro basketball player. A Nissei who was born\, raised and is still living in Salt Lake City Utah\, he w as the very first draft pick of the New York Knicks\, in 1947. Overcomi ng the national political climate during World War II\, Wat was a star p layer for the University of Utah 1944 and 1947 championship teams\, taki ng 2 years off in between to serve in the U.S. Army. His perseverance an d loyalty to his teammates\, other Nissei friends (including those inter ned at Topaz) and his family\, are a testament to the unflappable Japane se American spirit. This film includes in depth interviews with Wat and his family\, teammates from his championship teams (including Arnie Ferr in\, Herb Wilkinson\, Fred Lewis and Glynn Peterson)\, sports authoritie s\, and many who continue to look up to him as both a role model and per sonal hero. The film also has video clips from his 1944 and 1947 college games\, rare footage from a visit to the Topaz Internment Camp\, and co untless photos of his triumphant career. Co-directed by award-winning fi lmmakers Bruce Johnson and Christine Toy Johnson\, this project was awar ded two consecutive grants from the California Civil Liberties Public Ed ucation Program. CATEGORIES:Documentaries LOCATION:Columbus Theatre Arts Center URL:http://riff.bside.com/2009/films/transcendingthewatmisakastory_riff20 09 UID:2484828066-riff.festivalgenius.com/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20120212T031824Z DTSTART:20090808T190000 DTEND:20090808T202100 SUMMARY:The Day After Peace DESCRIPTION:The Day After Peace charts the remarkable 10-year journey tak en by award winning filmmaker Jeremy Gilley to establish a day of Peace on September 21st. During the course of his mission the camera follows G illey as he galvanizes the countries of the world to recognize this as a n official day of ceasefire and non-violence. After the official motion is unanimously adopted in the UN\, Gilley turns \nhis efforts to impleme nting the ideals of Peace Day around the world. Celebrity support from t he likes of Angelina Jolie and Jonny Lee Miller and corporate support fr om Puma\, Coca-Cola\, Ben & Jerry’s and Ecover enhances the \nmomentum. Jeremy’s persistence is rewarded when UNICEF\, the World Health Organisa tion and local affected communities decide to try and use the Day to car ry out a mass vaccination against Polio\, in one of the toughest conflic t areas in the world\, Afghanistan. Jeremy asks Jude Law to accompany hi m to Afghanistan\, to help persuade the government and insurgents to rat ify Peace Day. The task seems impossible\, but pure human spirit in a co untry exhausted with conflict\, may just win through. CATEGORIES:Documentaries LOCATION:Cable Car Cinema URL:http://riff.bside.com/2009/films/thedayafterpeace_riff2009 UID:2484825760-riff.festivalgenius.com/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20120212T031824Z DTSTART:20090808T190000 DTEND:20090808T202000 SUMMARY:Rock Prophecies DESCRIPTION:Imagine seeing bands like Led Zeppelin or the Rolling Stones long before they became \n\nfamous. Legendary Rock photographer Robert K night did just that\, and has the photos \n\nto prove it. ROCK PROPHECIE S explores Robert’s amazing career and follows him on his quest to help the bands of today become the Rock legends of tomorrow\, whether \n\npro moting Panic at the Disco before anybody has heard of them\, or convinci ng Aussie \n\nband Sick Puppies to sell everything and move to the Unite d States. When Robert \n\nstumbles upon Tyler Dow Bryant – a 16‐year ol d guitar phenom from Texas -he’s convinced he may have found the next St evie Ray Vaughan. Robert risks his \n\nreputation and career and takes a chance on Tyler. The two then set off on an \n\nunbelievable journey t o take their own shot at making history. \n \nSee the trailer and get m ore info at www.rockprophecies.com CATEGORIES:Documentaries LOCATION:Columbus Theatre Arts Center URL:http://riff.bside.com/2009/films/rockprophecies_riff2009 UID:2484828156-riff.festivalgenius.com/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20120212T031824Z DTSTART:20090808T190000 DTEND:20090808T210000 SUMMARY:Common Bonds: Films That Move Us DESCRIPTION: CATEGORIES:Shorts LOCATION:Courthouse Center For The Arts URL:http://riff.bside.com/2009/films/commonbondsfilmsthatmoveus_riff2009 UID:2484829114-riff.festivalgenius.com/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20120212T031824Z DTSTART:20090808T191500 DTEND:20090808T211500 SUMMARY:Providence GLBT Film Festival DESCRIPTION: CATEGORIES:Gay & Lesbian, Shorts LOCATION:The Bell Street Chapel URL:http://riff.bside.com/2009/films/providenceglbtfilmfestival1_riff2009 UID:2484824201-riff.festivalgenius.com/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20120212T031824Z DTSTART:20090808T191500 DTEND:20090808T204600 SUMMARY:Faded Glory DESCRIPTION:Every person who ever played "the game" wishes he could play forever. Whether you were a little league slugger\, a high-school hero\ , or the big man on your college campus\, those youthful experiences lea ve a permanent mark. In our twenties\, "we don't know enough to know wh at we don't know." In our forties\, however\, the switch turns. We're m ore honest about the mistakes that we've made\, less ashamed of our past \, and more willing to make changes. Faded Glory is the true story of a group of aging athletes\, friends for over 20 years\, who never ga ve up the dream of playing baseball at a competitive level. Through the lens of their manager\, Rick Cohen\, we travel cross-country to discove r the tribulations of the Network men\, a 38 and-over amateur baseball t eam. It's an in-depth look at how each player was forced to fight again st personal demons. It contains the 7 "I"s: intervention\, incarceration \, infidelity\, incompetence\, injuries\, illnesses and insanity. Throu ghout the film\, one thing becomes apparent: dreams of our glory days fa de faster than we could have ever imagined. Faded Glory has everything a sports movie needs: lovable but misguided underdogs\, a co mplex father-son relationship\, men's broken dreams with some honest\, t ouching revelations and confessions from the "over-the-hill" gang. T he story begins in 1990 when Manager Rick Cohen and two friends\, Jim Da vidson and Chris Bruno\, formed National Network\, the first amateur bas eball team to play out of Manhattan. Sadly\, after a series of internal clashes and cross-country moves\, along with winning two local champion ships\, Network fell apart after only two seasons. In 2007\, Rick Cohen decided it was time to reunite the team &but where did they all go? We re they really excited to lace up their cleats again? Would they even w ant to reunite? During Rick's personal journey\, he quit his job\, d ivorced his wife\, and hit the road to seek out his old teammates. His g oal was to inspire them to find their higher purpose in life. Seventeen cities and eighteen players later\, Network resurfaced in its newest an d most dynamic form. This time Network would compete on a much grander s cale-- the 2007 National Amateur Baseball Association World Series in Ph oenix\, Arizona. What happened next was magical &and Rick's cameras wer e there to catch it all. The Network team is an eclectic bunch: th ree actors\, a rap music mogul\, two top professional poker players\, a tenured university professor\, a Coca-Cola executive\, a newscaster\, a computer technician\, financial broker\, a screenwriter\, e-commerce exe cutive\, recycling specialist\, an insurance salesman\, a mortgage broke r\, a hard-core drummer\, a landscaper\, an apparel entrepreneur\, and e ven a Gulf War veteran. The bond that unites this motley crew is their l ove for baseball and their desire to correct their mistakes from the pas t &and move forward. In their attempt to win a national championship\, t hese men discover who they once were and who they are now. The stories are real\, the messages enlightening\, the results uplifting.Hence\, the Network motto:'Friendship enhances the good in life and diminishes the evil." Faded Glory is a film is about friendship\, about overcoming hard ships\, about resisting Father Time and\, finally\, winning that elusive title. CATEGORIES:Documentaries LOCATION:Columbus Theatre Arts Center URL:http://riff.bside.com/2009/films/fadedglory_riff2009 UID:2484826834-riff.festivalgenius.com/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20120212T031824Z DTSTART:20090808T211500 DTEND:20090808T224000 SUMMARY:The Station DESCRIPTION:WORLD PREMIERE CATEGORIES:Documentaries LOCATION:Columbus Theatre Arts Center URL:http://riff.bside.com/2009/films/thestation_riff2009 UID:2484829017-riff.festivalgenius.com/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20120212T031824Z DTSTART:20090808T213000 DTEND:20090808T233000 SUMMARY:Stubblejumper DESCRIPTION:In the fall of 1975\, Doug Wilson placed the following ad in the University of Saskatchewan students' newspaper: "Anyone interested i n participating in a campus gay organization\, contact Doug Wilson\, Box 203\, College of Education." Four days later\, Doug was suspended from his job supervising student teachers. A committee was formed to defend D oug\, and an investigation was launched through the Saskatchewan Human R ights Commission. Doug was propelled into a kind of stardom\, serving as the poster boy for the gay rights movement not only in Saskatchewan\, b ut all over the country. Though he did not win his case\, the event woul d serve as the catalyst for a fascinating life that would follow\, fille d with activism\, art\, performance\, politics\, and a touching yet trag ic love story. Never letting go of his prairie roots\, Doug remained a f arm boy at heart\, and spent much of his time and energy advancing the b asic human rights of people in Canada and abroad. Inside this man existe d many constant struggles - between fitting in and standing out\; betwee n fame and humility\; between acceptance and rejection. Stubblejumper is a 48 minute docu-drama based on the life and work of Doug Wilson. Produ cer / Writer / Director David Geiss blends archival photographs\, audio\ , text\, and film with contemporary interviews and dramatic portrayals. The unique storytelling style reflects the varying work and personality of the film's subject. This inspiring tale will educate and entertain it s audience\, continuing the legacy of Wilson's work. CATEGORIES:Gay & Lesbian LOCATION:The Bell Street Chapel URL:http://riff.bside.com/2009/films/stubblejumper_riff2009 UID:2484824712-riff.festivalgenius.com/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20120212T031824Z DTSTART:20090808T213000 DTEND:20090808T232700 SUMMARY:Fifty Dead Men Walking DESCRIPTION:In the 1980s when the Irish civil conflict was at its most mu rderous\, a 22-year-old from West Belfast was recruited by the British p olice to infiltrate the IRA and spy on them from the inside. The title r efers to his British handler's promise that\, because of his undercover work\, there would be '50 dead men walking\,' men who would otherwise be dead. Martin McGartland (Jim Sturgess) works his way up the ranks as a volunteer for the IRA\, all the while feeding information to his British handler. One day he is exposed\, captured and tortured to within an inc h of his life. After a dramatic escape\, he leaves his young girlfriend and child behind for their own protection and has remained in hiding unt il this very day. Directed with a firm hand by Kari Skogland (The Stone Angel) and based on McGartland's autobiographical book of the same name\ , the film transports us to a very frightening time and place. This acco mplished film allows us to witness the barbarity of imperialism and the dual meanings of loyalty and treachery. CATEGORIES:All Films LOCATION:Cable Car Cinema URL:http://riff.bside.com/2009/films/fiftydeadmenwalking_riff2009 UID:2484825984-riff.festivalgenius.com/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20120212T031824Z DTSTART:20090808T213000 DTEND:20090808T223300 SUMMARY:Shooting Beauty DESCRIPTION:Already the winner of three Audience Choice awards since its \n festival premiere in April 2009\, SHOOTING BEAUTY tells the \n unforg ettable story of an aspiring fashion photographer named \n Courtney Bent whose career takes a life changing turn when she \n discovers true beau ty in a truly unexpected place: at a center for \n people living with si gnificant disabilities. When she begins \n inventing cameras her new fri ends can use\, a surprising story \n unfolds that initial reviewers are calling “more than a film… a \n masterpiece.” [NewEnglandFilm.com] Many of the photographers are \n non-verbal. Some take pictures using only th eir tongue. But when \n the group sets their sights on creating a museum -worthy exhibit of \n their work\, they must overcome a skeptical public \, relationship \n issues\, and even death in the effort to bring their unique \n perspective to light. As the photographers strive to break dow n \n the barriers that too often keep them hidden from public view\, thi s \n film will make you rethink what it means to live with a \n disabili ty-- and without one. \n \n "There are few times in cinema history tha t one is swept away with \n a wave of emotions and taken on a journey th at is so unique... The \n films that come to mind: “Elephant Man” “Cinem a Paradiso” “Life is \n Beautiful”… and that is exactly what “Shooting B eauty” does with \n one exception – it is not scripted… [Quick Stop Ente rtainment.com]Hollyshorts CATEGORIES:Documentaries LOCATION:Columbus Theatre Arts Center URL:http://riff.bside.com/2009/films/shootingbeauty_riff2009 UID:2484826893-riff.festivalgenius.com/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20120212T031824Z DTSTART:20090808T213000 DTEND:20090808T233000 SUMMARY:POST SCREENING PARTY AND FILMMAKER GATHERING: Stars Under the Sta rs DESCRIPTION:Special Filmmaker Celebration at Waterfire \, showcasing mus ic of Klaus Badelt \nLocation: Brazier Society Tent\, Sovereign Ballr oom \n$50 for Guests\, $25 for filmmakers with pass CATEGORIES:Parties LOCATION:University Of Rhode Island\, Feinstein Providence Campus URL:http://riff.bside.com/2009/films/postscreeningpartyandfilmmakergather ingstarsunderthestars_riff2009 UID:2484830293-riff.festivalgenius.com/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20120212T031824Z DTSTART:20090808T235900 DTEND:20090809T004400 SUMMARY:My Son\, The Pornographer DESCRIPTION:MY SON THE PORGNOGRAPHER is a love story between a father and a son. Art\, a graying\, somewhat old-fashioned Victoria\, British Col umbia filmmaker\, struggles with his conservative moral values regarding sex when he visits Mohawked and tattooed Kole who works as a writer\, c ameraman and\, worse still in Art's eyes\, actor in the pornography busi ness in Prague. Appalled about the sexual abuse Kole experienced as a c hild and believing that Kole's current lifestyle is directly linked to t hat sad past\, Art hopes to get Kole out of an existence that\, in Art's eyes\, is negative and soul-destroying. Against the backdrop of the be autiful city of Prague\, Art and Kole strive to reconcile their relation ship and their perceptions of a difficult past. Thrown into the realm of hard-core pornography\, Art finds a surprising humanity among the deniz ens of this world even as he continues to urge Kole to leave it. The t wo men challenge each other and argue their beliefs. Kole\, who never graduated from high school but has been invited to join Mensa\, is more than a good match for his father's arguments as the two face off. As t he story unfolds\, Art convinces Kole to return to Canada to confront th e past in the hope that Kole will begin healing his troubled life. In Ottawa\, Art hires a private detective to track the abuser. When the de tective picks up leads on the trail of the abuser\, Art discovers how cl ose to violence he himself can come. Meanwhile\, Kole is troubled both by Art's urgings to report the abuse to the police and his own past trou bles with the police. Where does trust lie?Conflict and anger mark thi s sometimes painful and yet surprisingly humourous film. Art goes place s he thought he would never go and ultimately it is Kole who teaches Art a life lesson.Set in Prague\, Czech Republic\, Victoria\, British Colum bia and Ottawa\, Ontario\, MY SON THE PORNOGRAPHER follows the journey o f two men as they reflect on the stresses and strains that tear families apart\, parental responsibility\, moral values\, guilt and life choices . Ultimately it is the story of love between a father and a son. (360 words) CATEGORIES:Documentaries LOCATION:Cable Car Cinema URL:http://riff.bside.com/2009/films/mysonthepornographer_riff2009 UID:2484826053-riff.festivalgenius.com/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20120212T031824Z DTSTART:20090809T100000 DTEND:20090809T104700 SUMMARY:Castle On High: An Undergrad Election Drama DESCRIPTION:'[Morgenstern weaves a] cohesive narrative around these three players\, tracking them to meetings\, interviewing them behind the scen es\, and milking other students for quotes so gem-like they sparkle.'-Iv y Gate BlogZac Townsend knows the Undergraduate Council of Students' con stitution by heart.John Gillis has a hard time thinking of anything he's really done in two years on UCS.And Arthur Kim has never been to a meet ing - he's too busy playing with his band!Watch as the three candidates\ , cheered on by a crazy crew of characters\, fight for the hearts and mi nds of a student body that just doesn't care. Arthur campaigns like a ma dman\, Zac gets aggressive\, Jon wears a t-shirt and joins the parties. And to make things more confusing\, the election is held at the same tim e as Brown's biggest party\, Spring Weekend.Will the partygoers even rem ember to vote? Can they rally their supporters? The film is as much abou t these three characters as it is about anyone who has tried to gain sup port for a cause\, and speaks to universal human themes.In the race to t he top\, anything is fair game! CATEGORIES:Documentaries LOCATION:Columbus Theatre Arts Center URL:http://riff.bside.com/2009/films/castleonhighanundergradelectiondrama _riff2009 UID:2485287033-riff.festivalgenius.com/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20120212T031824Z DTSTART:20090809T113000 DTEND:20090809T115500 SUMMARY:Abandon All Hope DESCRIPTION:Master Films Productions presents to the world Abandon All Ho pe\, a film by\nDino Di Durante\, narrated by Jeff Conaway.\n \nAbandon All Hope is a first glimpse of what Hell is really like\, an\nencounter with mythological beasts\, torture like no human being can stand in\nth e flesh\, and finally a face to face meeting with the devil himself\,\nL ucifer\, the King of Hell. Dante's Inferno\, Abandon All Hope\, is the s tory\nof a man (Dante himself)\, who went through the worst of the after life to\nfinally consummate his love relationship at the gate of Paradis e (sequel).\n \nAbandon All Hope features over 15 artists and scholars from both the United \nStates and Italy. This movie boasts a fine array of international and \nrenowned talents\, such as Diane Salinger\, Vitto rio Matteuci\, Armand \nMastroianni\, Lalo Cibelli\, Jenn Gotzon\, Jsu G arcia\, Vanna Bonta\, Gianmario \nPagano\, among many others. CATEGORIES:All Films LOCATION:Columbus Theatre Arts Center URL:http://riff.bside.com/2009/films/abandonallhope_riff2009 UID:2485287957-riff.festivalgenius.com/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20120212T031824Z DTSTART:20090809T120000 DTEND:20090809T131900 SUMMARY:Garbage Dreams DESCRIPTION:'GARBAGE DREAMS is a moving story of young men searching for a ways to eke out a living for their families and facing tough choices a s they try to do the right thing for the planet. Mai Iskander guides us into a 'garbage village\,' a place so different from our own\, and yet t he choices they face there are so hauntingly familiar.Ultimately\, GARBA GE DREAMS makes a compelling case that modernization does not always equ al progress.' - AL GORE Filmed over four years\, GARBAGE DREAMS follows three teenage boys - Adham\, a bright precocious 17 year old\; Osama\, a charming impish 16 y ear old\; Nabil\, a shy artistic 18 year old - born into the trash trade and growing up in the world's largest garbage village\, a ghetto locate d on the outskirts of Cairo. It is a world folded onto itself\, an impen etrable labyrinth of narrow roadways camouflaged by trash\; it is the ho me to 60\,000 Zaballeen (also spelt Zabbaleen)\, arabic for "garbage peo ple."For generations\, the residents of Cairo have depended on the Zabal leen to collect their trash\, paying them only a minimal amount for thei r garbage collection services. The Zaballeen survive by recycling the ci ty's waste. These entrepreneurial garbage workers recycle 80% of all the garbage they collect\, creating what is arguably the world's most effic ient waste disposal system.When the city they keep clean suddenly decide s to replace the Zaballeen with multinational garbage disposal companies \, the Zaballeen community finds itself at a crossroads. Face to face wi th the globalization of their trade\, each of the teenage boys is forced to make choices that will impact his future and the survival of his com munity.BACKSTORY:With a population of 18 million\, Cairo\, the largest c ity in the Middle East and Africa\, has no sanitation service. For gener ations\, the city's residents have relied on 60\,000 Zaballeen\, or "gar bage people\," to pick up their trash. The Zaballeen collect over 4\,000 tons a day of garbage and bring it back to their "garbage village\," th e world's most effective and successful recycling program.Paid only a mi nimal amount by residents for their garbage collection services\, the Za balleen survive by recycling what they collect. They have transformed Mo kattam\, their garbage neighborhood\, into a busy recycling and trading enclave. Plastic granulators\, cloth-grinders and paper and cardboard co mpacters hum constantly. While Western cities would boast of a 30% recyc ling rate\, the Zaballeen recycle 80% of all the waste they collect. The ir innovative and efficient recycling system cost the city of Cairo noth ing.The Zaballeen\, who mostly belong to Egypt's minority Coptic Christi an community\, were originally poor and illiterate farm laborers. Driven out of the rural south due to a lack of work\, these disadvantaged farm ers saw Cairo's trash as an economic opportunity. They have created a re cycling model that costs the state nothing\, recycles so much waste and employs tens of thousands of Cairo's poorest.The Zaballeen earn little\, but in a country where almost half of the population survives on less t han $2 a day\, it is a livelihood. Or has been.In 2003\, following the i nternational trend to privatize services\, the city of Cairo sold $50 mi llion in annual contracts to three private companies (two from Italy and one from Spain) to pick up Cairo's garbage. Their shimmering giant wast e trucks line the streets\, but they are contractually obligated to recy cle only 20% of what they collect\, leaving the rest to rot in giant lan dfills. As foreign workers come in with waste trucks and begin carting g arbage to nearby landfills\, 60\,000 Zaballeen see their way of life dis appearing.Laila\, the neighborhood's community activist\, sighs with des pair\, "They don't see that we are poor people living off of trash. What are we suppose to do now?" CATEGORIES:Documentaries LOCATION:Cable Car Cinema URL:http://riff.bside.com/2009/films/garbagedreams_riff2009 UID:2484830474-riff.festivalgenius.com/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20120212T031824Z DTSTART:20090809T120000 DTEND:20090809T140000 SUMMARY:RIIFF LOCAL FILMMAKER OPEN CALL DESCRIPTION:Local filmmakers are encouraged to bring in their work to sha re and discuss\; pre-registration is required for this "Open Screen" at RIIFF. The cost is $8 per filmmaker. CATEGORIES:Special Event LOCATION:University Of Rhode Island\, Feinstein Providence Campus URL:http://riff.bside.com/2009/films/riifflocalfilmmakeropencall_riff2009 UID:2484833876-riff.festivalgenius.com/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20120212T031824Z DTSTART:20090809T130000 DTEND:20090809T140800 SUMMARY:Beyond Greenaway: The Legacy DESCRIPTION:What is the legacy of inherited money? Do you deserve it? Are you automatically upper class? A filmmaker returns to explore the wealt h and lifestyle issues first portrayed through the eyes of her elderly p arents in her award-winning Greenaway (1982). This time out\, she compar es her parents’ viewpoints to those of their children and grandchildren over a broad range of topics: wealth\, class\, marriage\, therapy\, poli tics and the downsides of money - including the seldom discussed issues of deserving\, hiding\, envy and fear. Told with warmth and humor from a n insider’s perspective\, this is a rare snapshot of a largely hidden se gment of American culture. CATEGORIES:Documentaries LOCATION:Columbus Theatre Arts Center URL:http://riff.bside.com/2009/films/beyondgreenawaythelegacy_riff2009 UID:2484830981-riff.festivalgenius.com/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20120212T031824Z DTSTART:20090809T130000 DTEND:20090809T142200 SUMMARY:Assume Nothing DESCRIPTION:Many of us assume that there are only two genders and that be ing\nfemale or male follows from the sex of our biological bodies.\nFocu sing on the art\, photography and performances of five\n"alternative" ge nder artists Assume Nothing poses the questions:\n"What if "male" and "f emale" are not the only options? How do other\ngenders express themselve s through art?"\n \nFresh from the Frameline 33 Festival in San Francis co\, Assume Nothing\ntakes its title from the work of renowned New Zeala nd photographer\nRebecca Swan’s book “Assume Nothing” (2004)\, which rev eals an\nextraordinary diversity of gender identity from the Pacific reg ion\nand beyond. Assume Nothing creates “living” portraits of four artis ts\nfeatured in Swan’s work\, woven together by a portrait of Swan herse lf\nas an artist. The featured Maori\, Samoan-Japanese\, and Pakeha-\nEu ropean artists weave tales of growing up in gender identities that\nfall outside conventional Western definitions of masculinity and\nfemininity . And through their paintings\, performances\, photographs\nand weavings they also tell stories of this “alternative” gender as\nit expresses it self now through their art.\n \nThe participants include Jack Byrne - t ransgender-activist and spoken\nword artist\, and Shigeyuki Kihara\, a S amoan/Japanese-born Fa’a fafine\n[1] working in visual and performance a rt disciplines. Assume Nothing\ntravels with Shigeyuki as she mounts her solo exhibition at the\nprestigious Metropolitan Museum of Art in New Y ork. Assume Nothing\nexplores Maori cultural gender understandings with weaver and\nperformer Ema Lyon who identifies as “ia”\, a single Maori w ord\nmeaning “he-she”. The film also explores the significance of creati ng\na positive visual iconography with intersex activist Mani Bruce\nMit chell\, incorporating her extensive archive of family slides with\nSuper -8 animations to create new resonances in the family myth-making\nproces s. In collaborating with these artists to tell their stories\,\nAssume N othing blurs the conventions of documentary\, animation and\ndrama in a compelling and universal celebration of courage and\ncreativity.\n \n[1 ] [1] A fa’a fafine is a Samoan who is born biologically male\,\ngifted with the spirit of a woman (and a man). CATEGORIES:Documentaries, Gay & Lesbian LOCATION:Columbus Theatre Arts Center URL:http://riff.bside.com/2009/films/assumenothing_riff2009 UID:2484831866-riff.festivalgenius.com/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20120212T031824Z DTSTART:20090809T140000 DTEND:20090809T160000 SUMMARY:Filmmaker Spotlight: Independent Filmmaker\, Jake Mahaffy Program 2 DESCRIPTION: CATEGORIES:Shorts LOCATION:RISD Museum\, Chace Auditorium URL:http://riff.bside.com/2009/films/filmmakerspotlightindepedentfilmmake rjakemahaffyprogram2_riff2009 UID:2484832984-riff.festivalgenius.com/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20120212T031824Z DTSTART:20090809T140000 DTEND:20090809T153900 SUMMARY:Our Disappeared / Nuestros Desaparecidos DESCRIPTION:"Our Disappeared"/"Nuestros Desaparecidos" is director Juan M andelbaum's personal search for the souls of friends and loved ones who were caught in the vise of the military and "disappeared" in his native Argentina during the 1976-1983 military dictatorship. The film is a pers onal journey into the past to reflect on the political and personal cont exts that led so many young people to fight for a more just Argentina.Af ter finding out that Patricia\, a long lost girlfriend\, is among the "d esaparecidos" Mandelbaum returns to Argentina to find out what happened to her and others he knew who also disappeared. As he revisits the dream s they shared for a revolution that would transform Argentina he grieves the tragic losses and examines his own choices: not signing up with any of the radical groups at his university and leaving Argentina in 1977 a t the height of the repression\, to escape the pervasive climate of fear . Using extraordinary archival footage\, Mandelbaum brings the energy an d tension of the time and place to life.In this return voyage to Argenti na's past Mandelbaum learns much about his friends' tragic stories\, and about his own. Now we can hear from three generations affected by the state of terror\, and the passage of time allows for deeper reflections. Thirty years after the military coup Mandelbaum explores what happens when brutal regimes attack the fabric of a country with great impunity\, causing enormous suffering that lasts for generations. The pain that s eemed so distant is still very much present. CATEGORIES:Documentaries LOCATION:University Of Rhode Island\, Feinstein Providence Campus URL:http://riff.bside.com/2009/films/ourdisappearednuestrosdesaparecidos_ riff2009 UID:2484833733-riff.festivalgenius.com/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20120212T031824Z DTSTART:20090809T143000 DTEND:20090809T155600 SUMMARY:Art & Copy DESCRIPTION:ART & COPY is about advertising and creativity\, and its prof ound effects on modern culture. Like Dorothy pulling the curtain back on the Wizard of Oz himself\, the film intimately reveals the relatively u nknown personalities and stories of the most influential advertising cre atives of our time. Beginning with advertising's "Creative Revolution" o f the mid-1960s (Bill Bernbach)\, LAUNCH features writers and artists su ch as Lee Clow\, who introduced Macintosh computer in "1984"\; Dan Wiede n\, who coined "Just Do It" and changed how our nation views sports\; Ha l Riney\, whose emotional ads for Reagan insured his reelection\; Phylli s K. Robinson who helped invent the "me generation" with a Clairol tagli ne\; George Lois\, who vitalized MTV and introduced Tommy Hilfiger over night\; Jeff Goodby and Rich Silverstein who "Got Milk?"\, and Mary Well s Lawrence\, who repackaged the City of New York via her "I love NY" cam paign. By defying the conventions of traditional advertising\, each of t hese individuals brought a revolutionary spirit to their work. Directed by documentarian Doug Pray ("Surfwise\," "Big Rig\," "Scratch") the film interweaves stunning cinematography of TV satellites being launched\, b illboards being erected\, and some of the greatest ad campaigns of all t ime\, resulting in an inspiring synthesis of art\, commerce and human em otion. If advertising is the "cave painting of our era\," ART & COPY is ultimately about our innate\, human need to communicate and the nature of creativity itself. It explores and defines great advertising as a rar e and rebellious act from an industry more typically associated with med iocrity and manipulation. CATEGORIES:Documentaries LOCATION:Cable Car Cinema URL:http://riff.bside.com/2009/films/artcopy_riff2009 UID:2486997712-riff.festivalgenius.com/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20120212T031824Z DTSTART:20090809T150000 DTEND:20090809T153400 SUMMARY:Home Is Where You Find It DESCRIPTION:Alcides Soares is a sixteen-year-old AIDS orphan\, one of hal f a million living in Mozambique today. An American television writer ( Neal Baer) and movie director (Chris Zalla) gave Alcides a movie camera and taught him how to shoot. The result is a moving chronicle directed by Alcides himself. His journey to find a family and make a new life in a country that has been ravaged by AIDS\, is a story repeated millions of times everyday throughout Africa. As Alcides's story unfolds\, we me et the orphans of Reencontro\, an organization in Moputo that provides t hese children with bare sustenance. The Reencontro orphans were also ta ught photography by a group of American and Mozambican photographers and provided with still cameras so they could tell their own stories about the impact of AIDS on their lives. Their pictures\, sometimes tragic\, often hopeful and always honest\, appear throughtout 'HOME IS WHERE YOU FIND IT' as a reminder that these children's voices must be heard. In t elling his story\, Alcides finds an elderly woman to live with and\, une xpectedly\, is reunited with his younger brother whom he hasn't seen in ten years. AIDS tears families apart\, but the resilience of children l ike Alcides can make new families out of tragedy. CATEGORIES:Documentaries LOCATION:Columbus Theatre Arts Center URL:http://riff.bside.com/2009/films/homeiswhereyoufindit_riff2009 UID:2484832065-riff.festivalgenius.com/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20120212T031824Z DTSTART:20090809T151500 DTEND:20090809T162900 SUMMARY:Rocaterrania DESCRIPTION:Rocaterrania is a feature length journey into the secret worl d of 76-year-old Renaldo Kuhler\, a scientific illustrator who invented an imaginary country to survive his disaffected youth.In the last four d ecades\, seventy-six-year-old Renaldo Kuhler has created hundreds of pla tes for the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences\, illustrating div erse flora and fauna for obscure scientific journals and reference books . Before the making of this documentary\, no one knew that Kuhler is als o a prolific visionary artist.Renaldo is the only son of Otto Kuhler\, a German immigrant who served under Kaiser Wilhelm in World War I before emigrating to America with seven dollars in his pocket. Renaldo grew up in the immense shadow of his father (who became a famous American indust rial designer and an acclaimed landscape painter) and struggled to find his own identity as an artist. Like many Germans\, Otto Kuhler romantici zed the American West and the freedom it symbolized. When Otto fulfilled a lifelong dream by moving his family from upstate New York to a remote Colorado cattle ranch in 1948\, teenaged Renaldo found the isolation un bearable and escaped to the private fantasy world of his notebooks. What began as the illustrated history of an imaginary country called "Rocate rrania" became Renaldo's lifelong obsession - secretly documenting the s atirically coded story of his own life.Rocaterrania is a tiny nation of eastern European immigrants who purchased a tract of land along the Cana dian border - just north of the Adirondack Mountains in New York - after growing restless with America's notions of "democracy." Over the next s ix decades\, Rocaterrania saw two revolutions and the rise and fall of a succession of czars\, dictators\, and presidents among a cast of charac ters vaguely resembling Russian historical figures. But\, as the film re veals\, each change in government reflects a deeper meaning for Renaldo\ , an outsider who struggled to escape an emotionally abusive family and searched for freedom within a real nation threatened by forces of confor mity.Rocaterrania unveils Kuhler's astounding body of work to the world and reveals the powerful story of his life in the process. Among other t hemes\, the film is about the insidious nature of conformity\, the coura ge to be one's true self\, and the redemptive power of artistic creation . Featuring an eclectic original score by Merge Records recording artist s Shark Quest. CATEGORIES:Documentaries LOCATION:Columbus Theatre Arts Center URL:http://riff.bside.com/2009/films/rocaterrania_riff2009 UID:2484831311-riff.festivalgenius.com/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20120212T031824Z DTSTART:20090809T163000 DTEND:20090809T175100 SUMMARY:Smile 'til It Hurts: The Up With People Story DESCRIPTION:SMILE 'TIL IT HURTS: THE UP WITH PEOPLE STORY explores the cl ean-cut\, smiledrenchedsinging phenomenon Up With People. The group was born in response to thecounter-culture of the '60's\, spun from the cont roversial maneuverings of a religious sectcalled Moral Re-Armament\, bac ked by millions of corporate dollars\, and launched aroundthe globe to e xemplify conservative American values.Embraced by Presidents Nixon\, Rea gan\, and George H.W. Bush\; by corporations likeExxon\, GM\, Coors\, Co ca Cola\, Halliburton and Searle\; and by global leaders such asQueen No or of Jordan\, King Juan Carlos of Spain\, and Pope John Paul II\, Up Wi thPeople was determined to change the world one squeaky clean song at a time -- but itsimpossibly cheery facade concealed a much more complicate d reality for its members.Told by former Uppies whose compelling stories take us on an intimate journey\, the filmreveals what happens when ideo logy\, money\, and groupthink converge to co-optyouthful idealism. A ca utionary tale spanning decades\, SMILE 'TIL IT HURTS: THE UPWITH PEOPLE STORY is an entertaining\, relevant\, and evocative look behind the curt ainof the American dream. CATEGORIES:Documentaries LOCATION:Cable Car Cinema URL:http://riff.bside.com/2009/films/smiletilithurtstheupwithpeoplestory_ riff2009 UID:2484830765-riff.festivalgenius.com/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20120212T031824Z DTSTART:20090809T172000 DTEND:20090809T182800 SUMMARY:Drawing on Fate - Artist: Toshio Kajiyama DESCRIPTION:Prolific artist Toshio Kajiyama has illustrated picture books and picture scrolls\, painted porcelain and glass\, and made woodblock prints. Kajiyama will paint an abstract ink piece covering this canvas a t the zen temple of Erinji in Wadayama\, northern Hyogo Prefecture\, all the while conscious of both heaven and earth. \n \nThis documentary ca ptures on camera the space and time that fused together Japanese culture and Kajiyama's sensibility. Various encounters led to this painting—enc ounters with people\, with the canvas and with his own inner breath. CATEGORIES:Documentaries LOCATION:Columbus Theatre Arts Center URL:http://riff.bside.com/2009/films/drawingonfateartisttoshiokajiyama_ri ff2009 UID:2484831493-riff.festivalgenius.com/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20120212T031824Z DTSTART:20090809T180000 DTEND:20090809T200000 SUMMARY:Hip\, Hot\, and Short: Saluting the Art of the Short Film DESCRIPTION: CATEGORIES:Shorts LOCATION:Columbus Theatre Arts Center URL:http://riff.bside.com/2009/films/hiphotandshortsalutingtheartofthesho rtfilm_riff2009 UID:2484832521-riff.festivalgenius.com/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20120212T031824Z DTSTART:20090809T191500 DTEND:20090809T210800 SUMMARY:Alone (Issiz Adam) DESCRIPTION:Thirty-something ALPER is a talented chef who runs his own re staurant. He may have achieved success in business\, but the same cannot be said of his personal life. While caught in the triangle of his gastr onomic creations\, one-night stands and escort girls\, he suddenly finds his life take a new turn when he walks into a second-hand bookshop in t he backstreets of Beyoglu to buy and old record he has been looking for. ADA is an attractive\, unassuming and relatively stable woman in her lat e 20s who designs and makes fancy dress costumes for kids. One day\, whi le wandering around Beyoglu in search of a second-hand book\, she walks into the same shop as Alper. A womaniser by nature\, Alper is impressed by Ada's good looks and sets off in pursuit. As a pretext for introducin g himself\, he tracks down the book Ada was looking for\, buys it and th en presents it to her.As it turns out\, this book is the beginning of a passionate affair between the two. But the harder Alper tries to create space for Ada in his existing life\, the more restricted\, the more clau strophobic he starts to feel. Ada\, however\, is blissfully unaware of t he poison in Alper's blood and delights on being in love.Ada and Alper l ive out their romance as far as they are able and in the measure to whic h life allows them. In Mustafa Hakkinda Hersey (All About Mustafa) Cagan Irmak deals with the lies thrown at us by life\; in Babam ve Oglum (My Father and My Son) his standpoint is that of a tight-knit Aegean family\ ; and in Ulak (The Messenger) he tells us of the world we live in by bel ieving in stories. This time\, however\, he sets his story in the metrop olis.ALONE is a film that tells of people isolated and made lonely by mo dern life\; people who need people but are blind to that need in the mae lstrom of the metropolis\; blind\, that is\, until it is too late. It is a story about food\, mothers\, old songs and love\; a story both bitter and full of hope. PRODUCTION NOTESShooting for a period of five weeks\, ALONE used natural locations that were dressed up and redecorated to ma tch the needs of the script.For this film\, too\, Cagan Irmak reassemble d the principal crew he has worked with on many previous successful prod uctions\, with the addition this time of DoP Gokhan Tiryaki\, who was na med Best Cinematographer at the World Film Festival of Bangkok in 2006.T he original score\, which was recorded live by a large string orchestra\ , was composed by ARIA. A number of treasured songs from the 70s were al so used in the film soundtrack.Careful to brief his cast and crew thorou ghly in advance in order to obtain a natural\, spontaneous look for the film\, the director scheduled in extra hours with his actors to ensure t hey slipped easily out of role again. Locations were centred largely on the Beyoglu district of Istanbul\, where shooting sometimes required a h idden camera and sometimes large crowds of extras. A number of scenes we re also photographed in Tarsus\, on the southeast Mediterranean coast. S hot in scope\, the film was based for the laboratory stage at Istanbul's Sinefekt Studios. The production used synch sound throughout photograph y\, bringing in an experienced crew from overseas for the purpose.CASTCE MAL HUNALMELIS BIRKANYILDIZ KULTURSERIF BOZKURTGOZDE KANSUANDGONCAGUL SU NARMUSICARIADIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHYGOKHAN TIRYAKIEXECUTIVE PRODUCERESI G ULCEPRODUCTION COMPANYMOST PRODUCTIONPRODUCERMUSTAFA OGUZWRITTEN & DIREC TED BYCAGAN IRMAK CATEGORIES:All Films LOCATION:Cable Car Cinema URL:http://riff.bside.com/2009/films/alone_riff2009 UID:2484830830-riff.festivalgenius.com/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20120212T031824Z DTSTART:20090809T213000 DTEND:20090809T232700 SUMMARY:Fifty Dead Men Walking DESCRIPTION:In the 1980s when the Irish civil conflict was at its most mu rderous\, a 22-year-old from West Belfast was recruited by the British p olice to infiltrate the IRA and spy on them from the inside. The title r efers to his British handler's promise that\, because of his undercover work\, there would be '50 dead men walking\,' men who would otherwise be dead. Martin McGartland (Jim Sturgess) works his way up the ranks as a volunteer for the IRA\, all the while feeding information to his British handler. One day he is exposed\, captured and tortured to within an inc h of his life. After a dramatic escape\, he leaves his young girlfriend and child behind for their own protection and has remained in hiding unt il this very day. Directed with a firm hand by Kari Skogland (The Stone Angel) and based on McGartland's autobiographical book of the same name\ , the film transports us to a very frightening time and place. This acco mplished film allows us to witness the barbarity of imperialism and the dual meanings of loyalty and treachery. CATEGORIES:All Films LOCATION:Cable Car Cinema URL:http://riff.bside.com/2009/films/fiftydeadmenwalking_riff2009 UID:2484830901-riff.festivalgenius.com/2009 END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR