desertfilmsociety 

 
 
  

member screenings 
  
2006
2005 - 2004 - 2003

Coachella Valley Premiere


January 21, 2006
January 21, 2006 - 9:00 A.M. - Camelot Theatres - PURE

Set in the downtrodden area of East-End London, PURE is a story about innocence and one family’s struggle to survive.  Ten-year-old Paul (Harry Eden) becomes the caretaker of his family – mother Mel (Molly Parker) and youngest brother Lee (Vinni Hunter) - following the death of his father.  The movie follows his desperate attempts to protect the loving bond of mother and son and save Mel from her drug addiction to heroin.  Worn out by constant abuse from his mother and the continued threat of the local drug dealer, Paul seeks out the affection of Louise (Keira Knightley), a young pregnant waitress.  This is a love story about the unyielding devotion of a young boy who against the odds believes he can save his mother but comes to understand that only Mel can do this for herself. 

“Two Thumbs Up” – Roger Ebert

Directed by Gillies MacKinnon - Written by Alison Hume.
Starring:  Molly Parker, David Wenha. Gary Lewis, Keira Knightley and Harry Eden.
Best Debut Performance – Harry Eden, Berlin Film Festival
Best Actress – Keira Knightley – Hollywood Film Festival
Best Feature – Emden Film Festival
Film Festival by the Sea – Honorable Mention
Festivals:  Iceland Film Festival, Toronto Film Festival, Karlovy Vary Film Festival, Melbourne Film Festival, Bangkok Film Festival
RUNNING TIME: 96 Minutes     LANGUAGE:  English    
RATING:  NR  GENRE:  Drama

One-Time Screening


February 4, 2006
February 4, 2006 - 9:00 A.M. - Camelot Theatres - TAKE MY EYES

This screening is prior to the film's opening in NY & LA
Distributed by New Yorker Films


Spanish Director Iciar Bollain tackles the harsh reality of domestic violence in Spain in this gritty drama, focusing on a woman’s personal battle between love and fear, as well as raising interesting questions about the wider cultural picture of a patriarchal society.  Scooping seven Goya awards (Spain's equivalent of the Oscars), Bollain's dramatic portrayal of Pilar, played brilliantly by Laia Marull, as a woman trapped in a relationship with an insecure and aggressive husband, Antonio, (Luis Tosar), owes more than a nod to the films of Ken Loach, in particular Nil By Mouth.  Interestingly, Bollain has actually written a book about the famous British director and is married to his friend and collaborator, Paul Laverty. 

RUNNING TIME:  115 Minutes      LANGUAGE:  Spanish w/ English subtitles            GENRE:  Drama

Encore Presentation

 
February 9, 2006
February 9, 2006 - 7:30 P.M. - Regal Stadium 16 - THE STREETSWEEPER

Q&A following the screening, with Director-Writer-Producer James Hill

Set in San Diego, The StreetSweeper is a snapshot of a few days in the life of a street sweeper operator named Enzo, who is played to perfection by veteran song-and-dance man, Paul Michael. Enzo is an elderly gentleman approaching retirement who is loved by all for his simple approach to life, coupled with a seemingly inexhaustible commitment to helping those around him reach inside themselves to become all they can be.  An opera singer in his youth, Enzo still loves to sing and does so in an engaging, robust style from the time he's shaving in the morning until lying on his bed at night.  Even during work hours, Enzo is known for traversing his downtown San Diego sweeper route in a battered Elgin Eagle with a horn speaker attached to the roof of the cab blaring -- what else...  invigorating opera tunes at upwards of 100dBA!  Although clearly down in his fortunes, Enzo lives a simple, exuberant life, reminiscent of Chauncey the gardener in the classic movie gem, Being There.  He has been pouring his life's savings into the dream of his lifetime, covering the Harvard schooling costs of his son, Joey, played with conviction by Michael Cavalieri. 

Plot twists concerning the return of Joey and his girlfriend bring audiences through a range of emotions, from disdain to empathy and to tears.  This is a movie which warms the heart, portrays brightness of spirit, and conveys a clear message of goodness and vitality, if ultimately tempered by the grim realities for those caught in the backwaters of twenty-first century life.

RUNNING TIME:  109 Minutes    LANGUAGE:  English       GENRE:  Drama, Unrated

Coachella Valley Premiere

  February 11, 2006
February 11, 2006 - 9:00 A.M. - Camelot Theatres - HAWAII, OSLO

Hawaii, Oslo is the story of a handful of desperate people whose paths cross on the hottest day of the year in Oslo.  A Norwegian CRASH minus the racial strife and with the slightest touch of magical realism.  Frode and Milla have their first child, but learn he will not live long without an expensive operation they cannot afford.  Bobbie-Pop is a faded singer who tries to commit suicide.  Leon is an institutionalized mental patient, who hopes to keep a 10-year-old date on his birthday with his teenage sweetheart.  Leon`s brother, Trygve, gets a weekend leave from prison to be with Leon on his birthday, but plans on using the furlough to escape.  Overseeing Leon and protecting him is his guardian angel Vidar, Leon`s best buddy at the institution, who sees things no one else can see, and who may be able to save everyone - except himself…. and the wondrously well-plotted story goes on and on.  It's a grand achievement, with lots of familiar faces (Jan Gunnar Røise and Petronella Barker among them) for devotees of Scandinavian cinema.

Directed by Erik Poppe
Written by Harald Rosenløw Eeg 
Amanda Awards (Norwegian Oscars), Norway 2005
Won:  Best Film
Won;  Best Screenplay
Nominated:  Best Actor, Stig Henrnik Hoff
Nominated:  Best Director, Erik Poppe
Rotterdam International Film Festival 2005
Nominated, Tiger Award, Erik Poppe
Norway's Official Selection, 2004 Academy Awards, Best Foreign Language Film
Official Selection: Filmfest DC, Salerno, Seattle, and Alba Regia 2005 film festivals

RUNNING TIME:  126 Minutes         LANGUAGE:  Norwegian with English Sub-Titles      GENRE:  Drama

Coachella Valley Premiere

 
March 4, 2006
March 4, 2006 - 9:00 A.M. - Camelot Theatres - IN MEMORY OF MY FATHER

Special Guests in attendance for Q&A Session following the screening
Christopher Jaymes, Producer/Director/Writer/Editor
Eric Michael Cole, Co-Producer/Co-Editor
Pat Healy, Actor


In Memory of My Father is comedy depicting the-death of three brothers' father, a retired film producer, once legendary, now decrepit.  As the siblings host their father's wake (which quickly evolves into a traditionally self-obsessed Hollywood party) their struggles, and failings, to be different from their selfish father are exposed.  A brutally honest film, spotlighting a generation of children lacking the tools necessary to carry out emotionally-based actions in an adult-like manner.  Dad, (a Robert Evans type), has been living out his final days in his Hollywood Hills mansion.  Lost in his self-obsession, he has come to believe that his death will have historical importance, and warrants documentation. He bribes his son to assemble a crew and chronicle his death.

Awards:  Long Beach AOF International Film Festival – BEST PICTURE,- July 2005, Cine Vagas Opening Weekend Film – GRAND JURY AWARD – June 2005.

RUNNING TIME:  96 Minutes        LANGUAGE:  English         GENRE:  Comedy/Drama

Advance Press Screening


March 11, 2006
Mar 11, 2006 - 9:00 A.M. - Camelot Theatres - STOLEN SPIRITS

Press Screening for "Palm Springs Native American Film Festival"


Kevin McMahon's fascinating and multi-award winning documentary begins with a highly mysterious event:  A loan Chicago museum curator recounts hearing the voices of children coming directly from the artifacts in one of her Native American art collections in the middle of the night.
While McMahon¹s emotional new documentary is a ghost story of sorts, it emerges as a rather soaring, triumphant meditation on the awakening of two collective but very different historical consciousnesses: the Haida people
and their grasp on their own culture and contemporary Western museum personnel and the importance of repatriation.  McMahon¹s film alternates effortlessly between the journey of the Haida people to reclaim their culture by bringing the skeletal remains of their ancestors home and the self-liberating act of a sensitive group of Chicago based museum workers who realize that the historical artifacts in their collections must be returned to their rightful owners.
McMahon¹s impressive document of this unique collaboration is ultimately a breathtaking study in reconciliation where respect for an ancient culture brings a final peace to a Native heartland and to the consciousness of its people.
 
Plus Short:
GOODNIGHT IRENE - Three Seminole patients share some laughs and poignant truths as they wait for treatment at the local Indian hospital.

Coachella Valley Premiere

 
April 1, 2006
April 1, 2006 - 9:00 A.M. - Camelot Theatres - ELECTRIC SHADOWS

Opens in present-day Beijing with a disastrous encounter between delivery boy Dabing (Xia Yu, who won the Best Actor prize in Venice for In the Heat of the Sun) and Ling Ling (Qi Zhongyang). Dabing is the one with a bump on his head, but Ling Ling's the one who ends up in hospital, receiving overdue treatment for a life that has left her dazed, confused and hurt. He visits her home to keep her fish fed and starts reading her diary. It tells a story that shocks him in ways he could never have expected, but it also reminds him of his own childhood passion for the movies. Those were the days before television, when movies were the only real mass medium and when audiences breathed and dreamed as one.

“A lovely, elegant paean to the joy and liberty that films offer… ELECTRIC SHADOWS is sweet and accomplished and Xiao Jiang is a terrific new find.” - The Hollywood Reporter

Festivals/Awards
2004 Marrakech International Film Festival - Winner, Special Jury Award
2004 Toronto International Film Festival
2004 Pusan International Film Festival
2005 Bangkok International Film Festival
2005 Rotterdam International Film Festival
2005 Deauville Asian Film Festival - Winner, Lotus Premiere Award 

RUNNING TIME:  99 Minutes     LANGUAGE:  Mandarin with English Sub-Titles     GENRE:   Drama

Coachella Valley Premiere

 
April 22, 2006
April 22, 2006 - 9:00 A.M. - Camelot Theatres - DAUGHTER OF KELTOUM

Rallia, a young woman raised in Switzerland, returns to her birthplace in the mountainous region of Algeria, hoping to find her biological mother, Keltoum.  Her short hair and westernized demeanor mark her as a stranger from the moment she steps off the bus.  Rallia finds her way to her ancestral home and her grandfather, who tells her that her mother works far away in a luxury resort but returns on weekends.  Waiting in vain each week for her mother's visit, Ralli immerses herself in village life, adopting traditional dress, helping her half-mad aunt with family chores, and struggling with her dual cultural heritage in a strictly patriarchal society.  Eventually, Rallia and her aunt embark on a journey to the city to find Keltoum.  With stunning desert landscapes and a rich musical soundtrack, this road movie is inflected both with the rhythms of North African life and the emotions of western melodrama. 

"Cylia Malki gives an uncanny performance in the moving central role."
—Piers Handling,  Toronto Film Festival.

2005 African Studies Association Film Festival
2001 Toronto Film Festival
Kodak Award, 2002 Mons Festival of Love Films
SIGNIS Jury Award, 2003 Milan African Film Festival
RUNNING TIME:  106 Minutes    LANGUAGE:  French/Arabic w/ English Subtitles     GENRE  Drama

One-Time Screenings


May 13, 2006 - All Soul's Day


May 13, 2006 - Celamy


May 13, 2006 - Duck, Duck, Goose







May 13, 2006 - Spin


May 13, 2006 - Tsipa and Volf



May 13, 2006 - Ward 13






May 13, 2006 - Window

May 13, 2006 - 9:00 A.M. - Camelot Theatres - MORNING OF SHORTS

Filmmaker Guest, Daniel Gamburg, in attendance for Q&A following the films.

1) ALL SOUL'S DAY  (13:00) - Abstract/Drama - Written & Directed by Laura Storm
There is no duty we so much underrate as the duty of being happy. By being happy we sow anonymous benefits upon the world.  All Soul's Day begins on Alice's sixth birthday, the first since her death.  Her mother is so devastated by grief and guilt that Alice's spirit has lingered to comfort her.  When her mother drives away, Alice is free for a time to explore on her own.  She finds a cellar in her backyard and meets a clown, sent to guide her while her soul is still in an in-between stage.  While her mother drives aimlessly through the countryside, Alice has a wonderful time playing with the clown.  Still, her mother's grief pulls her back through a super 8 projector that invades the magical world that the clown creates for her. 
2) CELAMY  (18:45) - Drama - Directed by Julie Anne Meerschwam
The story is the rise and fall of a friendship between a little girl and her imaginary friend.  Lengthy Festival & Awards List
3) DUCK, DUCK, GOOSE  (21:00) - Comedy/Romance - Directed by D.C. Douglas 
"As if speed dating wasn’t wild and wacky enough, and a little weird too, "Duck, Duck, Goose!" creates a manic, over-the-top illustration of what can happen when you’ve decided to utilize this fast food dating process.  And "Duck, Duck, Goose"” doesn't skimp on the laughs, either. From moment one, you understand that you’re watching the work of a comedically talented cast and crew. The jokes are rapid fire and always hit their mark, a lot of that success having to do with the cast seemingly having so much fun with the material. Having a little trouble with your love life? I prescribe a little "Duck, Duck, Goose!" to help pick you up out of the gutter”  … Eric Campos
4) MOTEL   (8:00) - Humor - by Thor Freudenthal. 
"There’s Always Room for One More..."  Thor's short premiered at Sundance and won best short at the Aspen Comedy Festival.  Thor recently closed a deal with Alcon Entertainment with Sid Gannis producing THE CEO written by Thor and his writing partner Deborah Pearl.  Think POLTERGEIST set in the office workplace.  Thor’s theatrical debut will be DEAD EVER AFTER written by Thor and Deborah for Europacorp with Luc Besson producing.  Sometimes the strangest stories are the most affecting.  In Thor Freudenthal's MOTEL, a guy happens upon an abandoned motel with every amenity--but there's a catch.  Has he found a roadside oasis? 
5) SPIN   (8:00) - Comedy/Fantasy - by Jamin Winans
A mysterious DJ is sent to a busy street corner to fix a chain reaction of bad events.  Can the power of music overcome fate?  Put the needle on the record and find out!  Director:  Jamin Winans - Producer:  Joe Sekiya - Writer:  Jamin Winans  Complete Cast:  Cesar Bejarano, Mike Saleeb, Jeffrey Richardson, Kerry Knuppe, Jamey Geston, Pooch, Troy Garner, Alan Shackelford, Gale Grove, Brandon Carrillo, Hayz II, Raymond Andrew Bailey, Megan Heffernan and Brian Taylor.
6) TSIPA AND VOLF  (20:00) – Documentary by Daniel Gamburg - Filmmaker Guest 
Mr.Gamburg’s first feature, I.P.O., was released in 2003 TSIPA AND VOLF is a short film about how love cannot be erased by illness and time. Through its subjects, the film emphasizes how the past exists in the present.  It captures the tragicomic nature of a 50-year relationship based on survival and commitment.  Two elderly Jewish emigres from Latvia, now living in San Francisco, reminisce about a rich community lost to the horrors of World War II.  Tsipa's and Volf's candid interviews with their grandson explore the fragile nature of memory, the strength of their commitment and devotion to one another.  When Volf is diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, Tsipa's love becomes unshakable.  She repeats throughout the film––love is conscience and commitment.  Director's Statement: My aim is to express life's ineffable moments, to capture the connective tissue of the human condition––preserving one's identity and its relationship to other people and places in history.
7) WARD 13  (14:30) - Animation, Horror, Action, Comedy - Directed by Peter Cornwell.
What price would you put on your health?  Ben is about to find out... WARD 13's newest admission faces medical attention of an unwanted kind — and no apples will keep these doctors away.  After a car accident, Ben wakes up in hospital. Not knowing where he is or what is going on, he starts exploring the corridors...only to find that the staff doesn't have his health in mind!  The hapless patient must pull himself together and do everything he can to escape.  It's an action/horror/comedy — ending with the wheelchair chase from hell.  Peter's short was on the Oscar shortlist this past year.  The short got him a deal with Sam Raimi; now he's currently developing his first feature with Sam
8) WINDOW  (16:00) - Drama, Directed by Varda Hardy.   
Academy Award Winner Louis Gossett Jr. and Robert Peters give moving performances as two ailing veterans.  Once a commanding officer, Ralph Stanley (Gossett) desperate and angry, will do anything to get the bed by the window.  WINDOW is an official selection of The Los Angeles International Film Festival, Santa Barbara International Film Festival, Malibu International Film Festival, The Method Fest, Temecula International Film Festival, Reel Women Film Festival, Harlem Film Festival, Park City Music in Film Festival, Dam Short Film Festival, San Francisco Women's Film Festival, Women in Film International Film Festival, Film Independent Cinelounge, Pacific Palisades Film Festival, and SAG INDIE special screening Short Mondays Film Festival.

Coachella Valley Premiere


May 20, 2006
May 20, 2006 - 9:00 A.M. - Camelot Theatres - LOVE AND SUICIDE
Filmmaker Guests: Lisa France, Director/Writer and Luis Moro, Actor/Writer
First American feature film made in Cuba since Fidel Castro’s revolution.  While mourning the love he left behind, Tomas (Kamar De Los Reyes), a successful young Manhattanite, is driven to contemplate suicide amid hallucinatory sleepless nights.  Meanwhile, on the other end of the spectrum, Alberto (Luis Moro) is so at peace with himself that he basks in his simple existence.  The common denominator between them is Cuba, where a young girl (Daisy McCrackin) links these two disparate souls.

RUNNING TIME:  90 Minutes   Language:  English     Genre:  Drama/Romance

One-Time Screening


June 10, 2006
June 10, 2006 - 9:00 A.M. - Camelot Theatres - STOLEN LIFE (Sheng Si Jie)

Li Shaohong’s film tells a harrowing story of love and betrayal - the story of a young Chinese woman whose new life in the big city turns sour rather quickly.  This film has been lauded by critics and audiences all over the world, and even received the Founder’s Award for Best Narrative Feature at last year’s Tribeca Film Festival.  Gathering ‘Audience Favorite’ awards, it is no surprise that the film has attracted the notice of the international film community, but more recently it has been capturing the attention of young people around the United States as part of the Global Film Initiative and Global Lens 2006 Education Program.

RUNNING TIME:  90 Minutes         Language:  Mandarin w/English Subtitles            GENRE:  Drama

West Coast Premiere

 
June 17, 2006
June 17, 2006 - 9:00 A.M. - Camelot Theatres - RUNAWAY

RUNAWAY is an intelligent Hitchcockian, psychological  thriller which follows the story of two brothers as they run from a tortured past toward a self-created future.  If you were abused by your father as a child, how would you prevent your younger brother from becoming his next victim?  That's the bewildering dilemma that befalls 21-year-old Michael Adler (Aaron Stanford seen in the films THE HILLS HAVE EYES and X-MEN 3), the protagonist of RUNAWAY.  Fleeing his home with his young brother Dylan (Zack Savage) in tow, Michael holes up in a trailer park-like motel in the middle of nowhere. He supports them both by working as a gas station/convenience store worker and plants the seeds of a future life by befriending his boss, Mo (Peter Gerety), and his flirtatious coworker, Carly (Robin Tunney seen in T.V. series PRISON BREAK).  But this second chance comes at a heartbreaking price. The duo's tortured existence takes a suspenseful turn when Michael continues to call the one remaining link to his past: his therapist (Terry Kinney).

Winner:  Best Narrative Feature Austin Film Festival 2005
Official Selections:  Toronto International Film Festival-2005, TriBeCa Film Festival-2005, Woodstock Film Festival-2005, Vail Film Festival-2006, Florida Film Festival-2006, Eliat Film Festival-2006 and Festival de Cinema des 3 Ameriques-2006.
Directed by Tim McCann,  Written by Bill True,  Distributor:  Filbert Steps
RUNNING TIME:  80 Minutes  Language:  English  Genre:  Thriller/Drama

West Coast Premiere

Rain Image
July 8, 2006

July 8, 2006 - 9:00 AM - Camelot Theatres - RAIN
Special Guest:  Andrew Neiderman, screenwriter (The Devil's Advocate)
A musical prodigy comes to grips with her true past and real identity.  Raised by an African American family, she learns that she is actually the daughter of a white socialite who had paid her step-family to raise her as their own.  Starring Brooklyn Sudano, (ABC'S My Wife and Kids) the actress/singer daughter of Donna Summer, Faye Dunaway, Robert Loggia (Academy Award nominee), Khandi Alexander (CSI Miami) and Giancarlo Esposito (The Usual Suspects).  

DFS will be a test market audience.  Everyone will be asked to please complete a questionnaire following the presentation.  The book RAIN by V.C. Andrews was the first of a four-book series known as The Hudson Series.  V.C. Andrews is the world's most successful living original paperback author having more than 105 million books in 95 countries, translated into 22 languages.

English – Drama, PG-13  Run Time:  93  minutes

Coachella Valley Premiere


July 15, 2006


Southern California Premiere

July 15, 2006
July 15, 2006 - 9:00 A.M. - Camelot Theatres - DOUBLE FEATURE

THE POSTWOMAN
A lonely mail carrier falls for a man (Moshe Ivgi) who has moved into the neighborhood on her route. Intercepting a letter for him from a potential blind date, she decides to begin corresponding with him, under an alias. But how will she reveal herself to him and what will he do when he finds out who she is? A tender love story.

Major Cast:
Orly Zilberschatz-Banai, Moshe Ivgi, Jeramine Unikowski, Orly Tobaly

Run Time: 50 mins  | In Hebrew w/English Subtitles

MY DAD IS 100 YEARS OLD
“Five years ago, Guy Maddin stole the [Toronto] festival with his six-minute THE HEART OF THE WORLD; this year, the Winnipeg Wonder did it again with the 16-minute MY DAD IS 100 YEARS OLD: Isabella Rossellini’s tenderly eccentric and shrewdly childlike tribute to the founding figure of Italian neorealism.” - J. Hoberman, THE VILLAGE VOICE

Run Time: 16 mins  |  B&W, In English

Coachella Valley Premiere




July 22, 2006
July 22, 2006 - 9:00 A.M. - Camelot Theatres - JOHNNY MONTANA

Special Guest:  John Daniel Gavin – lead actor, producer, screenwriter, director
 
Johnny Montana’s frustrated and trapped in blue-collar Brooklyn with his aging parents, unemployed brother … and no get-out plan.  The one bright star in his sky is Laura, a girl who believes in him but whose disapproving brother keeps them apart .  Johnny wants to be "A somebody", even appropriating the name of his hero, Joe Montana.  Luck lands Johnny a break and he gets an upscale job as a doorman in a fancy Manhattan apartment building.  Soon he is selling his soul to the world where money trumps all.  Johnny stands at a crossroads.  "Love....or Money?"  He must choose.

“An irresistible guerilla-style low-budget film about life.” – San Francisco Chronicle

Winner:  Best Feature Film – Moondance Film Festival, Los Angeles, June 2006
Official Selections:  Indiefest – San Francisco, February 2006 … Newport Beach Intl Film Festival – April 2006 … Palm Beach Intl Film Festival – Florida, April 2006 … Opening Film at Moondance Film Festival – L.A., June 2006.
Directed & Written by John Daniel Gavin
Genre:  Drama
Runtime:   92 minutes
Language:  English
Distributor:  3B Studios
Official website w/trailer:  JohnnyMontanaTheMovie.com




Advance Screening - Invite


July 27, 2006
July 27, 2006 - 7:00PM - Regal Palm Springs - THE NIGHT LISTENER

Palm Springs International Film Society invites the first 100 DFS Members
DFS Members must RSVP by phone, by calling 760.322.2930


Directed by Patrick Stettner (“The Business of Strangers”), THE NIGHT LISTENER is a psychological thriller based on the international bestselling novel by Armistead Maupin. The story revolves around a celebrated writer and popular late-night radio show host, Gabriel Noone (Robin Williams), who develops an intense phone relationship with a young listener named Pete (Rory Culkin) and his adopted mother (Toni Collette) just as his own domestic life is undergoing drastic changes. When troubling questions arise regarding the boy's identity, it causes Gabriel's ordered existence to spin wildly out of control as he sets out on a harrowing journey to find the truth.
The film also stars Sandra Oh (“Sideways” and “Grey’s Anatomy”) and Bobby Cannavale (“The Station Agent” and “Will & Grace”), and is produced by Robert Kessel, Jeffrey Sharp, John Hart and Jill Footlick.

One-Time Screening


August 5, 2006
August 5, 2006 - 9:00 A.M. - Camelot Theatres - BORDER CAFE

In a village near Iran’s border with Turkey, a young woman with two children faces a difficult choice when her husband dies.  Instead of agreeing to marry her brother-in-law, as required by traditional law, she chooses to support her family by re-opening her late husband’s restaurant. 

Distributed by Global Film Initiative 2006.  Filmed in Iran. 
Distributor:  The Global Film Initiative - Kambozia Partovi
Runtime: 105 Minutes
Language:  Greek, Persian, Turkish With English Sub-Titles  Genre:   Drama

Coachella Valley Premiere


August 19, 2006

August 19, 2006 - 9:00 A.M. - Camelot Theatres - TIME TO LEAVE

A handsome, successful fashion photographer (Melvil Poupaud) learns that he has a malignant brain tumor that will soon kill him.  Hiding his diagnosis, he alienates his family and his young boyfriend, but during a short stay with his grandmother (Jeanne Moreau), his vulnerability is met with a big heart and sound advice.  A chance encounter with a roadside café waitress (Valéria Bruni-Tedeschi) results in an unusual bargain that provides a happy, playful dimension to the proceedings.  Director François Ozon (Swimming Pool, 8 Women, 5 X 2) has made a film that is at once ironically funny and emotionally gripping.  This is Ozon's second installment of his trilogy about loss and mourning which he began with "Under The Sand."

Warning:  Sexual Content and Nudity

2005 Official Selection, Cannes Film Festival and Toronto Film Festival
In French w/English subtitles  Run Time:   85 minutes

Coachella Valley Premiere


September 9, 2006
September 9, 2006 - 9:00 A.M. - Camelot Theatres - DEFINITION OF INSANITY

This is a film about big dreams and everyday rituals, humiliating defeats and little triumphs, and the inexplicable optimism – some might call it delusion – that keeps us going.

"Robert Margolis --who writes, directs and stars-- takes a stingingly critical look at the self-delusions of a struggling New York thespian, playing the character himself and using his own name.  The low budget indie mockumentary follows him through a heartrending series of failed auditions, tantalizing hopes, and humiliating, botched opportunities.  Margolis is desperate for the break that will catapult him into stardom - and he may actually have the talent to deserve it.  The film's bitterly funny dialogue, plus Margolis' naivete, bullheaded determination, and total lack of responsibility, all add up to a package reminiscent of Robert De Niro's psychotic stand up from “The King of Comedy."   ... The Onion, New York, USA

“…Margolis wears his heart on his frayed sleeve in his unwavering belief that he was born to act.  Brilliant, audacious indie, a collaboration between Margolis and Swiss director Frank Matter, has snagged awards wherever it has played and deserves a theatrical shot.”    … Variety, Los Angeles

Awards:
  • Best Director -- Chicago Independent Film Festival
  • Best Actor -- Chicago Independent Film Festival
  • Best Actor – Brooklyn International Film Festival
  • Best Feature Film – Newport Beach International Film Festival
  • Special Jury Award – Minneapolis-St. Paul International Film Festival 2005
  • Special Jury Prize: Best Feature Film - Virginia Film Festival
  • Audience Award: Best Feature Film - Virginia Film Festival
  • Rosa Camuna di Bronzo Audience Award – Bergamo Film Meeting 2005, Italy
  • Audience Award for Best Feature Film - Swiss-American Film Festival, NY,
  • Best Feature Film - 35 mm - L.I. International Film Expo, NY
  • Fulbright Fellowship,   Cultural Studies

 21 Film Festivals throughout  the world.

Cameos: Peter Bogdanovich, Jonas Mekas, David Maquiling
Genre:  Drama / Fiction
Runtime:  85 minutes
Language:  English

Official Website w/trailer

Coachella Valley Premiere


 September 16, 2006
September 16, 2006 - 9:00 A.M. - Camelot Theatres - THREE DAYS OF RAIN

Special Guests:  Writer and Director, MICHAEL MEREDITH

Actor and Writer, KIRK HARRIS (Founder of Rogue Arts)


THREE DAYS OF RAIN is based on the short stories of celebrated Russian writer, Anton Chekov with a great cast that includes Peter Falk, Blythe Danner, Don Meredith, Erick Avari and Lyle Lovett.   Michael Meredith has woven together a half-dozen portraits of contemporary lives-on-the-edge during a three day rainstorm in Cleveland, Ohio.  The soundtrack features the smooth jazz of Bob Belden.  The film had a festival run which included stops at Berlin, Tribecca, Method Fest, Montreal and Moscow Film Festivals.

“"Three Days of Rain" belongs to the now-familiar genre of overlapping tales of urban desperation staked out by Robert Altman in "Short Cuts" and seen most recently in Paul Haggis's "Crash"...Above all an actor's movie....Falk, revisiting Cassavetes territory, is a charmer with exactly the right amount of vulnerbility below the bluster....Written and directed with great delicacy by young Mr. Meredith....A thoughtful film about isolation and seperation"
- Jeannette Catsoulis, New York Times

Genre:  Drama
Runtime:  98 minutes
Language:  English
Distributor:  Rogue Arts
Official Website w/trailer

West Coast Premiere


October 7, 2006
October 7, 2006 - 9:00 A.M. - Camelot Theatres - WHO’S CAMUS ANYWAY?

The story is set on the campus of a university in Tokyo.  Students from the literature department’s “film workshop” are about to start shooting their movie “The Bored Murderer”, part of their course curriculum.  Everyone is in a rush to prepare for the shoot, but the lead actor drops out suddenly, and the team is forced to search for a replacement at the last minute.  Matsukawa, the director, and Hisada, the first assistant, and other members of the team have their own personal problems with life and love, and the story unfolds “just like in the movies”.  Matsukawa’s shallow attitude to his girlfriend, Yukari, and the behavior of the mysterious Ikeda, who is to play the lead role of the schoolboy murderer, add to the confusion of the whole situation.  As for the one-time director, now lecturer, professor Nakajo, he is also harboring desires for the female student Rei, whilst hiding behind his calm, supportive exterior.  Rei, in turn, has a completely different agenda. Everything comes to a head in an unexpected and tumultuous climax.

ACCLAIM:
OFFICIAL SELECTION - Cannes Film Festival (Director’s Fortnight)
OFFICIAL SELECTION – New York Film Festival
WINNER - Tokyo International Film Festival - Best Picture (Japanese Eyes Sidebar)

“Ferociously witty and hypnotically alert” 
FilmCritic.com  -  “Meticulously choreographed”  The IFC Blog

Writer/Director:  Mitsuo Yanagimachi
Drama / Comedy
In Japanese w/English subtitles
Run Time:  115 min.
Note:  Strong, implied violence
Official Site in Japanese

Coachella Valley Premiere


October 21, 2006


























Southern California Premiere


October 21, 2006
October 21, 2006 - 9:00 A.M. - Camelot Theatres - DOUBLE FEATURE

Special Guest:  Danielle Lurie from In The Morning


IN THE MORNING
(Short Film)
In this daring short drama which is based on a true story, a young woman is brutally attacked, and the responsibility of restoring her family's lost honor is left in the hands of her younger brother: a 13 year-old boy.  Lurie’s film is a revelation: highlighting a disturbing phenomenon that is increasingly common, frequently unreported and rarely punished.  Poetic, haunting and beautifully crafted, IN THE MORNING captures the dramatic confluence of events, social, cultural and political.  Lurie’s dramatic, poignant and compelling piece brings much needed attention to what has become an urgent and global human rights issue.

"COMPELLING” Abigail Sims, Los Angeles Commission on Assaults against Women; “Recommended” Educational Media Reviews Online
AWARDS:  Nashville Film Festival - Best Short Narrative, Beverly Hills Film Festival - Best Short, Jackson Hole Film Festival - Best Short, Cleveland International Film Festival - Humanitarian Award

FESTIVALS,:  Sundance Film Festival, Premiere, St. Louis International Film Festival, Rocky Mountain Women’s Film Festival, Stockholm Film Festival, Tribeca Film Festival, Boston International Film Festival, Malibu Film Festival, Kansas City Filmmakers Jubilee, Human Rights Nights, Bologna, Arizona Film Festival, Haifa Film Festival, Cambridge International Film Festival, Cinema Joven Film Festival, Crested Butte Film Festival, Festroia Film Festival ,Sonoma Film Festival, Stanford Alumni Film Festival, Urban World Film Festival, Waterfront Film Festival, Bend Film Festival, Florida Film Festival, Belgrade Human Rights Film Festival, Melbourne International Film Festival, Asian American International Film Festival, World Wide Shorts Film Festival, San Diego International Film Festival, RiverRun International Film Festival

Writer/Director Danielle Lurie
Produced by:  Katie Mustard
Short Film/Drama:  Turkish w/English Subtitles
Run time: 10 min

DAY BREAK (Feature Film)
In Iran, capital punishment is carried out according to Islamic law, which gives the family of the victim ownership of the offender’s life.  Day Break - based on a compilation of true stories and shot inside Tehran's century-old prison - revolves around the imminent execution of Mansour, a man found guilty of murder.  When the family of the victim repeatedly fails to show up on the appointed day, Mansour’s execution is postponed again and again.  Stuck inside the purgatory of his own mind, he waits as time passes on without him, caught between life and death, retribution and forgiveness.

“Works like a ticking time bomb” - Variety.com
"A hard hitting, thought provoking drama"  – International Herald Tribune
"Deeply affecting" - The L Magazine

Acclaim
"Best of the Middle East", Indianapolis International Film Festival, USA, 2006
Nominated for the “Northern European Critics’ Award” – Best First Film, National Film Festival, 2006
Special Jury Award, Festival of African, Asian and Latin American Cinema of Milan, Italy, 2006
The Jury Award, Annonay Int’l Festival of First Films, France, 2006
Special Award, Fajr Film Festival, Iran, 2006

Upcoming Screening:  Hamburg Film Fest, Film Fra Sor
Previous Screenings: World Premiere: Toronto International Film Festival; Reykjavik International Film Festival, Iceland; Festival du Nouveau Cinema, Canada; Flanders International Film Festival, Belgium; International Film Festival of Kerala, India; Fajr Film Festival, Iran; Bangkok International Film Festival, Thailand; Cinema Novo, Belgium; Natfilm Festival, Denmark; Tribeca Film Festival; Facets Film Center; Kimo Theater and James A. Liitle Theater, NM

Drama:  Farsi w/ English subtitles
Director/Producer:  Hamid Rahmanian
Run time:  85 min
Official Website w/trailer

Coachella Valley Premiere


November 4, 2006
November 4, 2006 - 9:00 A.M. - Camelot Theatres - CHALK

In the ‘doc’ style of "The Office" and "Best in Show", CHALK pulls you into the frenetic and awkwardly painful journey of three novice teachers as they navigate one memorable school year.  Director Mike Akal provides a rare and realistic teacher's perspective into the absurd, provocative and occasionally volatile world of public education.  In a country where 50% of teachers quit within the first three years, CHALK delivers an enormous dose of heart, hilarity, and hope for America's most important institution.  
 

 
Genre:  Comedy / Drama
Run time:  85 min
In English
Official website w/trailer

Coachella Valley Premiere


November 11, 2006
November 11, 2006 - 9:00 A.M. - Camelot Theatres - LOVING ANNABELLE

Special Guest:  Katherine Brooks

Simone Bradley (Diane Gaidry), is Saint Theresa's prized young poetry teacher who finds peace and security within the boarding school's walls.  Surrounded by a lush atmosphere with little conflict, Simone has settled into a life of comfort and purpose educating her young female students.  Annabelle (Erin Kelly), is a charismatic and enchanting new student who quickly draws attention for her rebellious behavior.  Fearing Annabelle will influence the other students, rigid Headmistress (Ilene Graff), instructs Simone to keep an eye on Annabelle and get her under control.  Simone, however, quickly learns that the real challenge is not Annabelle's behavior but the attraction budding between the two.  As Annabelle pursues her teacher, she unleashes the passion that has been locked deep inside Simone, who must decide whether or not to enter into an affair that could cost her everything.  Inspired by the 1931 German classic, MAEDCHEN IN UNIFORM, director Katharine Brooks's “Loving Annabelle” gives a modern telling of the “forbidden love” story that continues to be controversial to this day.

Festivals 2006:  Pikes Peak Lavender Film Festival, Philadelphia International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival, CT (Connecticut) Gay & Lesbian Film Festival, Vancouver Queer Film & Video Festival, Gay Orlando Film Festival, Cinequest-San Jose Film Festival

Writer/Director: Katherine Brooks
Starring: Diane Gaidry, Erin Kelly, Ilene Graff, Kevin McCarthy, Michelle Horn
and Marla Maples

Drama
English
Run Time:  78 min.
Rating:  NR
Official Website w/trailer

November 18, 2006 November 18, 2006 - AFI Festival Comes to Palm Springs Weekend

Coachella Valley Premiere


December 2, 2006
December 2, 2006 - 9:00 A.M. - Camelot Theatres - MONSIEUR BATIGNOLE

In the summer of 1942, Paris butcher and caterer Edmond Batignole (Gérard Jugnot) works hard and lives with his henpecking wife Micheline (Alexia Portal), daughter Marguerite (Michele Garcia) and her fiancé Pierre-Jean Lamour (Jean-Paul Rouve), who admires the Germans. Batignole inadvertently and unknowingly is partly responsible for the deportation of his Jewish neighbor’s family, but when their young son Simon (Jules Sitruk) escapes and appears at his doorstep, he feels compelled to hide him and help him escape.  This heart-warming and bittersweet story set in war-torn Paris tells the tale of a butcher who becomes an unlikely hero.  Jugnot plays Batignole as an everyman type -- never exactly hateful, never exactly admirable -- a man who is busy keeping his head down until forced to do otherwise.

Festivals:
New Jersey Jewish Film Festival
San Francisco Jewish Film Festival
San Diego Jewish Film Festival
Cleveland International Film Festival
French Film Festival

Awards:
César Awards France – Most Promising Actor:  Jean-Paul Rouve

“Moving, at times funny, at times sad, this film comes highly recommended.”  Hoopla.nu
“Hero's tale, superbly told.”  Jam!Movies


Writer/Director/Producer/Star:  Gérard Jugnot
Comedy/Drama
France
German/French with English subtitles
Run Time:  100 min.
Rating:  NR

Official Website with Trailer

Coachella Valley Premiere



December 16, 2006









Coachella Valley Premiere



December 16, 2006
December 16, 2006 - 9:00 A.M. - Camelot Theatres - CARAVAN 841 & MOTHER V

CARAVAN 841

Moshe, an 11 year-old Ethiopian boy, lives in dwindling “Atidim” caravan site in the Western Galilee and is awaiting the arrival of his mother from Ethiopia.  She will not arrive and he is torn between Aharon, a 60-year-old repentant Jew who teaches him Torah, and Walter – an impulsive African American saxophone player who has a jazz club at the edge of the site.  Aharon gives Moshe a magic box and promises him that it will bring his mother to Israel.  Walter gives Moshe the strength to believe only in himself.

Prizes:
Best Script Award – The Jerusalem International Film Festival; Honorable Mention – The San Francisco International Film Festival

Festivals:
Schenectady, NY; Vancouver, Canada ; Harrisburg, PA; Hartford, CT; Houston, TX; Stamford, CA; San Francisco, CA; Louisville, KY; Tucson, AZ; Sonoma County Jewish Film Series, CA; San Diego, CA; New York Sephardic Film Festival

Written by: Zion Rubin, Dorit Hakim
Directed by: Zion Rubin
Distributor:  Ruth Diskin Films
Drama
Hebrew with English subtitles
Run Time:  52 min.


MOTHER V
Hana Vazana, a religious woman in her 60s, leaves a southern small town to visit her son Menahem who is locked up in solitary confinement by the Mediterranean, charged with revealing state secrets.  She sets out, despite family opposition, to bring her son to apologize to his father who is lying in intensive care.  Along the way, fraught with obstacles, she joins up with a young Bedouin who helps her learn the truth about her son, about herself, and to achieve independence for the first time in her life.

Prizes:  Competition Nominee of the BANFF International Film Festival; Best TV Drama - Jerusalem International Film Festival; Best Production - Jerusalem International Film Festival; Best Actress - Jerusalem International Film Festival; Special Commendation - Cinema Tout Ecran, Geneva, Switzerland

Festivals:
Cincinnati Israeli Film Festival; New Jersey Film Festival, Seattle Jewish Film Festival; Atlanta Jewish Film Festival; The Goethe Institute, Washington, D.C.; Banff Film Festival, Canada; Venice, Italy International TV Festival; Monte Carlo International TV Film Festival, Monaco; The Israeli Film Festival – L.A., New York, Chicago, Miami; Bonn Cinematique, Germany; Adelaide International Film Festival, Australia; San Francisco Film Festival; New York Film Festival; Montreal Jewish Film Festival, Canada; Vancouver Jewish Film Festival, Canada

Written by: Avida Livny, Shahar Rozen
Directed by: Shahar Rozen
Distributor:  Ruth Diskin Films
Drama
Hebrew/English  with English subtitles
Run Time:  52 min.
Rating:  NR