2005

 
January 22, 2005 - 9:00 a.m. - Camelot Theatres - THE INHERITANCE
A gripping drama from celebrated Danish director Per Fly, The Inheritance is the story of a man transformed by power. Christoffer, heir to a vast industrial fortune, has abandoned the family business for an idyllic life with wife Maria, a beautiful stage actress.  When his father commits dies, Christoffer must return to Denmark to face the life he left behind.  What he finds is a business on the brink of bankruptcy, a brother-in-law scheming for control, and a domineering mother who insists Christoffer take control of the family business.  His decision will force him to choose between two colliding worlds, between loyalty to his family and the woman he loves.
Winner of six 2004 Danish Academy Awards including Best Picture and Director.  Winner Best Screenplay – San Sebastian Film Festival 2003.  Winner Grand Prix Nordic Days Festival 2003.  Winner Bodil Award Best Actor – Ulrich Thomsen 2004. 
Language:  Danish with English Sub-Titles
RUNNING TIME:  120 Minutes

 
 

February 5, 2005 - 9:00 a.m. - Camelot Theatres -WAY OFF BROADWAY - Palm Springs Premiere - Scheduled for L.A. theatrical release on Friday, March 18, 2005.

Film Guests in attendance:  Director/Writer DAN KAY, Lead Actress MORENA BACCARIN and Actor FORBES MARCH.

Director/Screenwriter Daniel Kay's WAY OFF BROADWAY is the story of five friends who, frustrated by the abrupt juxtaposition of being successful artists on the university level to poor struggling artists in New York City, take a crash course in life, while exploring the dynamics of conflict in friendship involving sex, love, failure and betrayal.
WINNER:  Grand Jury Prize, Best Feature, Westchester Film Festival
WINNER:  Audience Award, Best Feature, Stony Brook Film Festival
WINNER:  Audience Award, Best Feature, Texas Film Festival
WINNER:  Best Actress Award, Morena Baccarin, Wine Country Film Festival
WINNER:  Audience Choice Award, Waterfront Film Festival
RUNNING TIME:  90 MINUTES
 
 

February 19, 2005 - 9:00 a.m. - Camelot Theatres - THE MAKING OF SHOGUN (Documentary), followed by a conversation with Emmy Award-Winning director JERRY LONDON.
 
The MAKING OF SHOGUN is a 90-minute documentary about the award-winning mini-series Jerry London developed with Paramount Pictures.  It includes stills and live action and interviews with Mr. London, Richard Chamberlain, John Rhys Davies, Andy Lazlo the Director of Photography and Producer Eric Bercovici.
RUNNING TIME:  90 Minutes - In English
NOT RATED 

 
March 5, 2005 - 9:00 a.m. - Camelot Theatres - THE COLOUR OF HAPPINESS (A Boldogság Színe)

A magical-realist criss-crosser, set in contempo Budapest and beguilingly shot in vibrant, Almodovarian hues, THE COLOUR OF HAPPINESS takes Hungarian cinema out of its grungy, inward-looking ghetto and into the mainstream of accessible European filmmaking. Lively quilt of various types looking for love or fulfillment firmly establishes 41-year-old writer-director Jozsef Pacskovszky after a decade of promising work. The marriage of Ditta (Ann Gyorgyi), plain-Jane wife of Frenchman Laurent (Erik Desfosses), has hit the sexual shallows; but as Ditta sends him off to work, it starts snowing outside - unheard of in May - and there's a hint of something special in the air. Almost immediately the script starts to introduce and set up connections among a swath of other characters.
LANGUAGE:  Hungarian, with English Sub-Titles.
RUNNING TIME:  87 MINUTES

 
April 2, 2005 - 9:00 a.m. - Camelot Theatres - TRICKY LIFE  (EN LA PUTA VIDA)

Montevideo, Uruguay, this comedic drama tells the story of Elisa, 27, who dreams of opening her own hairdressing salon in one of the rich districts of the Uruguayan capital.  She moves from her mother's house with her two children, breaks up with her boss and lover and, in the space of 24 hours finds herself without a home, a man, a job and without money.  Her best friend finds her a job in a brothel, and Elisa slides into prostitution which takes her to Barcelona where she falls in love, is exploited, becomes involved in transvestite gang wars, and dreams of earning enough money for her little beauty salon back home.
2001 Havana Film Festival - Won Radio Havana Award
2001 Huelva Latin American Film Festival:  Won Golden Colon
2002 Lleida Latin-American Film Festival - Won Audience Award, Won Best Actress, Won Best Film
2002 Bogota Film Festival:  Won Best Director, Nominated Best Film,
2002 Festróia - Tróia International Film Festival:  Nominated Golden Dolphin
2002 Miami Hispanic Film Festival:  Won Special Mention, Nominated Best Film
2002 Vina del Mar Festival:  Nominated Grand Paoa
2003 Political Film Society, USA:  Nominated Award Expose, Nominated Human Rights
LANGUAGE:  Spanish, with English Sub-Titles
RUNNING TIME:  100 MINUTES

 
April 16, 2005 - 9:00 a.m. - Camelot Theatres - PEAS AT 5:30 (ERBSEN AUF HALB 6)

Icelandic actor Hilmir Snær Guðnason plays the leading role in this charming love story from German director Lars Büchel.  Jakob Magnusson (Hilmir Snær) is a respected stage director with a promising career who loses his sight in a car accident.  His first response is denial then bitterness leading to his desire to end his life.  But first, he wants to visit his mother.  Against Jakob's wishes, Lilly (a blind social worker) ends up traveling with him, and the two fall into an uneasy alliance.  They stumble through one mishap after another, even as Lilly's mother and Lilly’s fiancée try to catch up to them.  Throughout Jakob and Lilly's amusing, exasperating misadventures, the screen is filled with gloriously beautiful scenery as well as deeply enveloping shadows and darkness, making for a very memorable journey.  The film has been well received by German critics and has won, among other things, a German film award for its music.
Comedy / Drama / Romance 
LANGUAGE:  German & Russian, with English Sub-Titles
RUNNING TIME:  110 MINUTES

 
May 7, 2005 - 9:00 a.m. - Camelot Theatres - THE RASHEVSKI'S TANGO
Q&A Session following the screening, with Morris R. Beschloss, Sunday column writer for The Desert Sun newspaper.

The Rashevski’s Tango by Sam Garbarski (Le Tango des Rashevski, Belgium/France/Luxembourg, 2003).
Family matriarch Rosa Rashevski believed that a tango was as good as chicken soup and better than organized religion. Her death at age 81 sets off identity crises and soul searchings among three generations of Rashevskis. Like many modern Jewish families, the Rashevskis are a mélange: Shoah survivors; Reform, Orthodox, and nonobservant Jews; a Gentile daughter-in-law; and a grandson who served in the Israeli Defense Force and is in love with a Muslim Arab. A sophisticated, witty, and affectionate exploration of modern European Jewish identity, The Rashevski’s Tango is an impressive feature debut by director Sam Garbarski.
LANGUAGE:  French, with English Sub-Titles
RUNNING TIME:  97 MINUTES

 
May 21, 2005 - 9:00 a.m. - Camelot Theatres - LOST EMBRACE

This is Ariel's world: the small, slightly seedy shopping center in downtown Buenos Aires, where the Italian shopkeepers scream all day, the Koreans sell feng-shui and old Osvaldo sells nothing. Where Ariel's mother runs a lingerie shop and his brother deals in import-export. It's a comfortable little world, in spite of an undercurrent of malaise and uncertainty. Many young people are searching for their immigrant roots to obtain a coveted foreign passport, the key to a world full of promise. Ariel, however, wants more than a passport from Poland, where his grandparents fled to escape the Holocaust. He wants to understand:  why his father left his family shortly after his birth to fight a war in Israel; why he never returned; and why this seems to leave his mother and brother indifferent.  But the truth changes, and when Ariel's father returns he brings with him new truths, a new story and, ultimately, a long-overdue embrace -- one which had been lost for so long. 
Argentina's 2004 entry for Best Foreign Language Film.  Winner. Grand Jury Award, Berlin Film Festival.  Winner, Best Actor Award, Berlin Film Festival.
LANGUAGE:  Spanish, with English Sub-Titles
RUNNING TIME:  99 MINUTES

 
June 11, 2005 -  9:00 a.m. - Camelot Theatres - LE GRAND RÔLE

Laughter and tears vie for top billing in this lovely second feature by French director Steve Suissa.  For years, lasting friends and unknown actors Maurice, Sami, Simon, Elie, and Edouard have been waiting for their big break.  The future looks bright when famous American director Rudolph Grichenberg (Peter Coyote) offers Maurice the part of Shylock in his Yiddish screen adaptation of The Merchant of Venice.  But his fortunes reverse quickly when Maurice learns that his beloved wife, Perla, is seriously ill.  With his friend’s help, Maurice takes on the greatest role of his life to protect her, and, in playing his part, illuminates the meaning of art, love, and truth. Stéphane Freiss as Maurice and the beautiful Bérénice Bejo as Perla give touching, memorable performances
“A crowd-pleasing dramatic comedy about love, friendship, role-playing and Jewish pride …sprightly pace, sunny thesping.” –Variety
LANGUAGE:  French, with English Sub-Titles
RUNNING TIME:  89 MINUTES

 
June 25, 2005 - 9:00 a.m. - Camelot Theatres - DOS TIPOS DUROS (Two Tough Guys)

Directed by Juan Martinez Moreno, this Spanish action comedy stars Antonio Resines as a hitman who takes a young boy under his wing for a few days. 
As in Tarantino’s PULP FICTION, in stark contrast to the humorous situations of the first half, the second half of the film is rather more violent giving the film an unexpected edge, continually upping the ante with plenty of twists and stand-offs, leading up to an appropriately ludicrous and over-the-top but satisfying conclusion.
2003 Malaga Film Festival – Audience Award and Special Mention Best Actress
2004 Cinema Writers Circle Award for Best Supporting Actor
LANGUAGE - Spanish, with English Sub-Titles
RUNNING TIME:  100 MINUTES

 
July 9, 2005 - 9:00 a.m. - Camelot Theatres - INTIMATE STORIES  (Historias Minimas)

Three people set off on separate journeys along the same road; their disparate dreams and stories intertwine amidst a breathtaking deserted route in Patagonia.  This modest gem of Argentine film, set in Patagonia, conveys starkly and unemotionally what it really feels like to live in a wilderness with next to nothing.  For the characters who wouldn't understand the concept of upward mobility, this is simply the way life is. The story interweaves vignettes of travelers from the same rural village bound for the provincial capital 200 miles away. One is an old man (Antonio Bendectis), who takes to the road to find his runaway dog; another is a single mother (Javiera Bravo) who becomes a contestant on a TV game show; the third (Javier Lombardo) is a traveling salesman. The journey promises redemption to one, riches to another and true love to a third.
Argentinean Film Critics Association – won eight 2002 awards including Best Film, Best Director and Best Cinematography
Goya (Spanish Academy Awards) –Best Spanish Language Film
Genre:  Comedy/Drama
LANGUAGE - Spanish with English Sub-Titles
RUNNING TIME:  92 MINUTES

 
July 23, 2005 - 9:00 a.m. - Camelot Theatres - I AM A SEX ADDICT - Adult language, Nudity, Sexual Content.

Special Note:  Caveh Zahedi, Writer/Director and Lead Actor will be in attendance for this Screening.

Directed by and starring Caveh Zahedi, the film details the life of an insecure young man who becomes addicted to prostitutes, and finds himself unable to stop even though it destroys all of his relationships. His solution: he makes a film about his predicament.  And it’s one of the drollest, most original films of the year. – TriBeCa Film Festival
In this utterly sincere and unabashedly funny autobiographical comedy, we bear witness to filmmaker Caveh Zahedi's lifelong struggle with sex addiction. Using re-enactments and documentary footage, Mr. Zahedi delves into his obsession with prostitutes while in the midst of an unhappy marriage.  I AM A SEX ADDICT is a story of addiction and obsession, told through a deconstructive style of filmmaking and storytelling, not for the modest or faint of heart.  Starring Caveh Zahedi, Rebecca Lord, Emily Morse, Amanda Henderson, Olia Natasha, Corinna Chan, and Greg Watkins.
January 2005 – World Premiere – International Film Festival, Rotterdam
May 2005 – U.S. Premiere – TriBeCa Film Festival, New York
Genre:  Comedy
LANGUAGE - English
RUNNING TIME:  98  MINUTES

 
August 3, 2005 - THE EDUKATORS
desertfilmsociety members are invited to attend viewing of THE EDUKATORS as free guests of the Palm Springs Film Society.
“The Edukators” is a gripping psychological thriller directed by Hans Weingartner and starring Daniel Brühl ("Ladies In Lavender", "Good Bye Lenin"), Julia Jentsch, and Stipe Erceg.  Jule (Julia Jentsch) is a waitress that can't make ends meet.  She moves in with her boyfriend Peter and his friend Jan, two young men united by their passion to change the world, but Jule has a secret:  A past auto accident has burdened her with lifetime payments to Hardenberg, a successful businessman.  Peter and Jan also have a secret:  They are the notorious "Edukators," mysterious perpetrators who break into expensive homes of the local rich as an act of political rebellion.  They wreak havoc and leave notes that read, "Your days of plenty are numbered," intending to shake their rich victims out of the complacency that wealth tends to foster. 

 
August 6, 2005 - 9:00 a.m. - Camelot Theatres - SEQUINS

Directed by Éléonore Faucher, making her feature debut, the film opens with Claire (Lola Naymark) working behind a cash register and desperately trying to obscure her pregnancy. Once Claire can no longer hide her pregnancy, she takes a medical leave. This gives her time to continue on her poetic drift until, finally, she conveniently floats into the orbit of Madame Mélikian (Ariane Ascaride), a haute-couture embroiderer whose adult son has recently died in a violent accident.
Genre:  Drama
LANGUAGE - French, with English Sub-Titles
RUNNING TIME:  88 MINUTES

 
August 20, 2005 - 9:00 a.m. - Camelot Theatres - EL FAVOR - Special Guest, Veronique Courtois, Founder and President of Casque D'Or Films, will lead the Q&A Session following the Screening.

Mora and Roberta, an Argentinean lesbian couple, are desperate to have a child.  With no scruples and hesitation they work out a plan; Roberta will seduce and have sex with Felipe, Mora's brother.  Felipe (Javier Lombardo, seen in INTIMATE STORIES) is a hermit who lives in Patagonia earning his living artificially inseminating turkeys.  Sure enough, things won't go smoothly.  Felipe isn’t easily seduced, and when an unexpected visitor turns up – with surprising news -- everyone will get more than he/she has bargained for!  Colorful and wacky, with non-stop demented twists and turns, EL FAVOR  is as giddy and delightful as Almodovar’s omnisexual comedy classics, a la Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown.  Do yourself a favor and join us for this ‘muy’ (very) funny delight.
EL FAVOR FESTIVAL SELECTIONS:  2004:  8th International Latino Film Festival, San Francisco; 3rd Annual LaCinemaFe Film Festival of New York, NY
2005:  Provincetown International Gay Film Festival, MA; Philadelphia International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival, PA; North Carolina Gay & Lesbian Film Festival, Durham, NC; Sarasota International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival, FL; Stonybrook International Film Festival, NY; Austin Gay & Lesbian Film Festival, TX; Out OK Gay & Lesbian Film Festival, OK; Tampa International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival, FL;  Image Out Gay & Lesbian Film Festival, NY; Harrisburg Gay & Lesbian Film Festival, PA;  Reeling Chicago Gay & Lesbian Film Festival, IL; Reel Affirmations Gay & Lesbian Film Festival, DC;  Atlanta International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival, GA; Southwest Gay & Lesbian Film Festival, Santa Fe and Albuquerque, NM
Genre: Comedy
RUNNING TIME:   90 minutes
LANGUAGE - Spanish, with English Sub-Titles
Not Rated

 
September 10, 2005 - 9:00 a.m. - Camelot Theatres - EROSION - with special guests Writer/Director Ann Lu, Producer Peiti Feng and lead actors Emmanuel Xuereb (GABE) and Charis Michelsen (IRENE) - Click here for official website

EROSION is a daring psychological drama about a man who is haunted by a failing relationship.  Gabe (Emmanuel Xuereb) devises a risqué game for escape.  He invites Irene (Charis Michelsen) to dinner at a lavish mansion.  Unhappily married, Irene finds the temptation irresistible when Gabe invites her on a second date.  To her surprise, she meets him at a humble suburban home.  Playfully, Gabe admits that he broke into both houses for their trysts.  A frightened Irene returns to her husband.  Unable to make peace with his past, Gabe escalates his pursuit of Irene, who ultimately surrenders to the thrill of abandoning her life and having sex with Gabe in strangers' homes.  House after house they push the boundaries of pleasure and pain, attempting to defy reality by living stolen lives -- but is there really an escape from life, and how far can they go before their past catches up with them?   Experience EROSION and find out for yourself...  Having been compared to a modern day LAST TANGO IN PARIS, EROSION offers a raw and truthful glimpse into the twisted, dark corners of the human heart and the price it takes to heal our wounds.  EROSION had its world premiere in June, 2005, at the Brooklyn International Film Festival. DFS is honored to be showcasing its second world screening; the first screening on the West Coast. 
Genre:  Drama/Suspense
Not Rated – Adult language and sexual content
RUNNING TIME:   100 MINUTES
LANGUAGE - English

 
September 17, 2005 - 9:00 a.m. - Camelot Theatres - TORREMOLINOS 73

TORREMOLINOS 73 is an erotic comedy set in puritanical 1973 Spain.  Alfredo, a struggling Peter Sellers-like encyclopedia salesman, and his wife, Carmen, change their fortunes overnight when they agree to make their own "educational" Super 8 erotic films to be sold only in Scandinavia.  Carmen wants to have a baby and they badly need the money.  Unbeknownst to either, the decision threatens to turn Alfredo into a legit filmmaker and Carmen into an international sex symbol.  A Danish film crew suddenly flies in to help Alfredo make an Ingmar Bergman-inspired feature called “Torremolinos 73.”  The couple’s career in show business may be interrupted by their eagerness to plan a family; and tension grows between artist and muse. 
Winner!  Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress – Malaga Film Festival
Genre:   Comedy
Not Rated  -  Contains Nudity and Adult Themes
RUNNING TIME:   91 minutes
LANGUAGE - Spanish & Danish, with English Sub-Titles

 
September 29, 2005 - 7:00 p.m. - Camelot Theatres - SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE CASE OF THE SILK STOCKING, starring Rupert Everett.

PLUS a Q&A Session with Rebecca Eaton, Executive Producer - Masterpiece Theatre and "KCET Lumiere Award" following the screening.

Special KCET Preview Screening of this highly-anticipated film - Special Ticket Price of $5.00 per person for DFS Members and their guests.
 

 
October 1, 2005 - 9:00 a.m. - Camelot Theatres - THE RECEPTION - NOTE:  Contains nudity, adult language and gay themes.

THE RECEPTION is a twisted tale of love and deception, set in the snowy New York countryside.  Jeannette, a French woman, and Martin, a black artist, live a serene life together in their relationship of convenience.  She claims to be escaping the men of New York City, while his excuse is that he needs quiet to paint.  Unexpectedly, Jeannette's daughter, Sierra, arrives with new husband Andrew in tow.  Jeannette is surprised, not only by the new son-in-law but also by the appearance of her daughter with whom she has a strained relationship.  So, Jeannette decides to throw the couple a party...  after all, entertaining is what she does best.  As the day of the impromptu wedding reception draws closer, each character begins to divulge dark secrets, hidden flaws and intimate confrontations which twist into a familial web of betrayal, lies and sexual awakenings
Genre:  Drama
RUNNING TIME:  80 MINUTES
LANGUAGE - English
RATED:  Not Rated, BUT contains nudity, adult language and gay themes.

 
October 17, 2005 - 7:30 P.M. - Camelot Theatres - INNOCENT VOICES - with Special Guest Oscar Torres (writer) in attendance for the Q&A Session following the screening.
Co-presented with Amnesty International.  NOTE:  This invitation is not an endorsement by DFS of Amnesty International and/or its mandate.  "Voces inocentes / Innocent Voices" is a powerful film depicting the lives of children, women, and men, during El Salvador's bloody civil war. A young boy (Carlos Padilla) must decide between joining the leftist guerrillas and joining the U.S. sponsored right-wing army; for him, a no-win situation.  “At an age when most children suffer the pangs of puberty on a playground, Chava must agonize over the possibility of being drafted into war. El Salvador in the 1980s was a bloody battlefield and no place for an eleven year old.   Although he works to help his newly single mother and wants desperately to explore new-found love for a pretty classmate, Chava's innocence is threatened most by a corrupt government conscripting children to bolster its failing effort to suppress the FMLN peasant resistance. Despite a forbidden anthem of love and peace that reaches him via a treasured radio, this boy-man cannot run from impossible choices. The remarkable script is based on the true story of writer Oscar Orlando Torres' embattled childhood. With strong performances and a stunningly lush landscape, renowned Mexican director Luis Mandoki (When a Man Loves a Woman) superbly details the plight of child soldiers everywhere.”—E. King
This film was Mexico’s submission to the 2005 Academy Awards
Country of Origin:  Mexico
Language:  Spanish with English Sub-Titles
Running Time:  120 minutes 

 
October 22, 2005 - 9:00 a.m. - Camelot Theatres - CIVILIZATION OF MAXWELL BRIGHT -  WITH 4 Special Guests: David Beaird, Writer/Director; Patrick Warburton, Lead Male Actor; Marie Matiko, Lead Female Actor; Steven Wolfe, Producer.
NOTE:  Contains nudity, profanity and adult themes.

Max Bright (Patrick Warburton of Seinfeld's Puddy, "The Tick" and "Less Than Perfect") is bitter and belligerent, has a mouth like a toilet, and is so filled with rage toward women that the sensitive viewer might want to pin a warning label on him.  Max even decides he needs a servile Asian bride, for whom he pays a marriage broker $100,000.  However, Mai Ling (Marie Matiko) proves beyond price, though not for any of the reasons Max originally imagined.  He wanted a blend of maid and prostitute; he gets a Buddhist Nun who has selflessly taken her sister's place.  Warburton's performance astounds, and strong supporting work from the likes of Eric Roberts, Carol Kane, Simon Callow, John Glover, Jennifer Tilly and Nora Dunn help writer/director David Beaird create a bold and spiritual "Beauty and the Best" which examines how we court heaven or hell on Earth every day."  --- FLORIDA FILM FESTIVAL  The film starts out as a black comedy and evolves into a smart, moving and spiritual drama with a surprisingly heart touching and moving conclusion.
April 2005:  Worldfest (Houston, TX) - Gold Special Jury Award -- Narrative Feature and Hewlett Packard Crystal Vision Award - Dramatic Feature Film
April 2005:  Florida Film Festival (Orlando, FL) - Grand Jury Award - Narrative Feature
July 2005:  Visioinfest (NY, NY) - Outstanding Achievement in Acting (male role) - Patrick Warburton
GENRE:  Drama - with Nudity, Profanity and Adult Themes
LANGUAGE -  English
RUNNING TIME:  112 Minutes

 
November 5, 2005 - 9:00 A.M. - Camelot Theatres - LE GRAND VOYAGE
 
A few weeks before his college entrance exams, Réda, a young man who lives in the south of France, finds himself forced to drive his father to Mecca.  From the start, the journey is difficult.  Réda and his father have nothing in common.  Conversation is reduced to the strict minimum.  Réda wants to experience the trip in his own way but his father demands respect for himself and expects his son to understand the meaning of his pilgrimage.  As they drive through different countries and meet various people, Réda and his father observe each other warily.  How can they create a relationship when communication is impossible?  From the south of France, through Italy, Serbia, Turkey, Syria, Jordan to Saudi Arabia, their journey is 3,000 miles long.
Winner:  Venice Film Festival 2004 "Best First Film"
LANGUAGE:  French/Arabic/English/Italian/Turkish - With English Sub-Titles
RUNNING TIME:  108 Minutes

 
November 12, 2005 - 8:30 A.M. - Camelot Theatres - SWING
 
SPECIAL GUESTS in attendance:  Jacqueline Bisset and writer Mary Keil will lead the Q & A 
Ms. Bisset has delighted audiences in over seventy films and on television including BULLIT, DAY FOR NIGHT, THE DEEP, RICH AND FAMOUS, CASINO ROYALE, MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS, THE DETECTIVE, DANGEROUS BEAUTY, WHO’S KILLING THE GREAT CHEFS OF EUROPE, UNDER THE VOLCANO, THE SLEEPYTIME GAL and most recently in Tony Scott’s DOMINO. 
Also starring Jonathan Winters, Tom Skerritt, the late Nell Carter, Mindy Cohn and Barry Bostwick, SWING, rated PG-13, is set in present day and post World War II San Francisco.   A young musician (Casey) is caught between his desire to pursue music full-time and his security-driven grocer father (Skerritt) and ambitious long-time fiancé.  On his journey to choosing the right life and the right love, he gets help from both in and out of this world.  He learns to dance from a beautiful older woman (Bisset) in a mysterious nightclub who is linked to his loving great uncle (Winters) and a beautiful soul-mate who keeps reappearing in his life.  His outrageous bass-player roommate (Cohn) nudges him to think for himself; the head of his uncle’s nursing home (Nell Carter in her final role) provides a helping hand as well as singing up a storm; and two distinct nightclubs full of fabulous swing dancers keep everyone on his - and her - toes.  The extensive musical score includes classic dance numbers, retro swing, as well as original compositions.  SWING was theatrically released in New York, Los Angeles, Phoenix and San Francisco.  It won Audience Favorite awards at the Latin USA Film Festival and the Park City Film Music Festival, a Best Director award at the Latin USA Film Festival and was in numerous other festivals, including the Austin Film Festival.
SWING was directed by Martin Guigui (“Changing Hearts” and  “My Ex-Girlfriend’s Wedding Reception”) and was written and executive produced by Palm Springs resident Mary Keil (producer “Angel Blue”, producer of the Broadway musical STARMITES and co-author COME RAIN OR COME SHINE: FRIENDSHIPS BETWEEN WOMEN).
LANGUAGE:  English
RUNNING TIME:  98 MINUTES

 
December 3, 2005 - 9:00 A.M. - Camelot Theatres - ALL I'VE GOT - plus the USA Short Film RIVERSIDE EVENING.
NOTE:  Three filmmakers from our short, RIVERSIDE EVENING, will participate in the Q & A  - Director Derek Loughran,  Writer Richard Levine and Musical Composer Rebecca Zapen

A 72-year-old grandmother dies and finds herself on a ferry which will take her across the river to the hereafter.  On the ferryboat she meets her first love, who was killed in a road accident in which they were both involved when they were young.  She is presented with a fateful choice: to start life afresh as a 22-year-old - her age at the time of the accident - and to relinquish all her memories of the life she has lived with her husband and children; or to remain a 72-year-old woman with all her life’s memories intact.  If she chooses the second alternative she will get off the boat when it reaches its destination and will never be truly reunited with her beloved, who has been waiting for her on the ferryboat for fifty long years.   This film brings to mind the spirit of the film “Cocoon” ; it’s all heart.
GENRE:  Drama
LANGUAGE:  Hebrew with English Sub-Titles
RUNNING TIME:  70 Minutes
Short: RIVERSIDE EVENING
USA – 10 minutes
Joining us for the Q & A will be the director, the writer and the musical composer (see above).  Listen to Rebecca now at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/zapen2.  Track 7 is from RIVERSIDE EVENING.
In harmony with our feature, this short film is also about relationships and loss. 

 
December 17, 2005- 9:00 A.M. - Camelot Theatres - GOD'S SANDBOX
Liz, a successful author arrives at a beach in the magical Sinai Desert to retrieve her runaway daughter Rachel.  Liz decides to stay at the beach despite her daughter’s objections and meets with a Bedouin storyteller who intrigues both of them with a true, unusual love story of Leila, a free spirited and beautiful Western tourist, and Najim, the son of a Bedouin Sheik.  This extraordinary love story is revealed in erotic flashbacks set awash in a sea of bright colors and beautiful panoramas.  The story  which took place many years before on the same exotic beach, follows the tragic decision by Najim to bring Leila into his Muslim tribe where Leila is exposed to a traumatic tradition that shatters their love story.  Director Doron Eran piles on a full plate of burning social issues, adding Jewish-Arab relations and female genital mutilation to the pile.  Based on a novel by Dr. D. Zilberman, “GOD’S SANDBOX is a provocative film that gathers strength as it goes along.  The film protests the barbarism of female circumcision, a deeply rooted tradition that persists in parts of Africa and the Mideast”  -- Kevin Thomas, LA Times July 29, 2005
2005 – Best Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay – Manchester Film Festival, USA
2005 – Best Director – Vermont Film Festival
2005 – Special Jury Award – Worldfest, Houston
Film Festivals:  Karlovy. Jerusalem, Kolkata (India), Dubrovnik, Las Vegas, San Diego, Atlanta and Houston.
GENRE:  Drama
LANGUAGE:  Hebrew, Arabic and English
RUNNING TIME:  86 Minutes
MPAA rating:  Unrated
Some sex, nudity, adult themes, strong implied violence.