AMERICAN COUSINS
Director: Don Coutts
UK / 2002 / 93 minutes
U.S. Premiere
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Synopsis:
Two American Mafiosi, Gino (Danny Nucci) and
Settimo (Dan Hedaya), take refuge in the Glasgow café owned by their
Scots/Italian cousin. But cousin Roberto (Gerald Lepkowski) isn't the tough
guy they'd expected. His strengths are fish frying and stamp collecting, and
he thinks Magnum 45’s are a type of ice cream.
Gino and Settimo try to repay Roberto's
hospitality by chasing off a debt collector who wants his property, but their
strong-arm tactics alarm him, and he realizes they aren't the PR consultants
they claimed to be.
British TV vet Donald Coutts has captured
some Bill Forsyth magic in "American Cousins," a sly and self-assured dramatic
comedy about two New Jersey gangsters who hide out with a law-abiding cousin in
Glasgow. Laffer compares favorably with such quirky regional gems as Forsyth's
"Local Hero" and "Comfort and Joy," as well as "Waking Ned Devine." (Eddie
Cockrell, Variety)
Courtesy: Icon Entertainment
International
Visit the
website
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Bio:
Don Coutts and Sergio Casci first got
together eight years ago, when the BBC approached Don - one of Scotland’s most
renowned documentary filmmakers - to direct the film “Pesce e Patate”.
Sergio, then a journalist with BBC Scotland, went along as assistant producer.
They collaborated on a short film entitled “Dead Sea Reels”, which won the
Vendome Film Festival award for Best European Short Film, and Chicago Silver
Images Film Festival’s “Best of Fest” award. Their next two films, “St.
Anthony’s Day Off”, a comedy, and “Rose”, a supernatural drama set in Glasgow,
were extremely well received by critics and public alike. “American Cousins”
is the first feature film from the director and writer team of Don Coutts and
Sergio Casci.
Main Credits:
Director: Donald Coutts
Screenwriter: Sergio Casci
Producer: Margaret Matheson
Executive Producers: Robert Beyan, Keith Hayley, Charlie Savill
Cinematographer: Jerry Kelly
Production Designer: Andy Harris
Editor: Lindy Cameron
Composer: Donald Shaw
Principal Cast: Danny Nucci, Shirley Henderson, Gerald Lepkowski, Dan
Hedaya, Vincent Pastore, Russell Hunter
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ASSISTED LIVING
Director: Elliot Greenebaum
U.S.A / 2003 / 76 minutes
*IN COMPETITION
co-presented by
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Synopsis:
“Assisted Living” chronicles a day in the
life of Todd (Michael Bonsignore) a janitor in an assisted living facility who
spends his days smoking pot and interacting with the residents for his own
entertainment. Todd's detachment from his surroundings is compromised only by
his unlikely friendship with Mrs. Pearlman, a resident who begins to confuse
him with her son. On this particular day, Todd must choose whether or not to
play the part.
“Assisted Living” was shot and staged in a
real nursing home and gains much of its unique effect and style from the
participation of actual residents and staff members. During much of the film,
it is impossible to distinguish between what is real and what is fiction.
"[Assisted Living] will connect with audiences tired of Hollywood's
sentimental portrayals of growing old. . . will also draw inevitable
comparison to 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest'." Variety
Visit the
website
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Bio:
Elliot Greenebaum grew up in Louisville,
Kentucky. After his first year at New York University's graduate school for
filmmaking, he began work on his first feature film. “Assisted Living”
premiered at Slamdance, 2003. Elliot is twenty-five years old and lives in New
York.
Main Credits:
Writer/Director: Elliot Greenebaum
Producers: Alan
Oxman, Archie Borders, Elliot Greenebaum, Alex Laskey
Director of
Photography: Marcel Cabrera
Editors: Paul
Frank, Adriana Pacheco
Music: Hub
Moore
Principal Cast:
Michael Bonsignore, Maggie Riley, Nancy Jo Boone, Malerie Boone, Clint Vaught,
Gail Benedict, Jose Albovias, The Staff & Residents of Masonic Homes of
Kentucky Assisted Living
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LES INVASIONS BARBARES,
Le Declin Continue
(Barbarian
Invasions
Director: Denys
Arcand
Canada
& France
/ 2003 / 112
minutes
Winner--Best Actress,
Marie-Josée Croze,
Cannes
Film Festival (2003)
Winner--Best Screenplay,
Denys Arcand,
Cannes
Film Festival (2003)
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Synopsis:
A divorced man
in his early fifties, Remy, is hospitalized with a tumor. His ex-wife, Louise,
asks their son, Sébastien, to come home. But their relationship is strained.
Sebastian and his father haven’t had much to say to one another for years. He
overcomes his hesitation, and flies to Montreal to help his mother and to
support his father.
After his
arrival, Sébastien moves heaven and earth, and disrupts the system in every
way possible; to ease the ordeal that awaits his father. He reunites the merry
band that was a part of Rémy’s past: relatives, friends and former mistresses.
What have they become in this age of “barbarian invasions”? Is irreverence,
friendship and truculence still the order of the day? Do humor, hedonism and
desire still inhabit their dreams? In the age of the barbarian invasions, the
decline of the American empire continues?
Featuring Rémy
Girard, Stéphane Rousseau, Dorothée Berryman, Louise Portal, Dominique Michel,
Yves Jacques, Pierre Curzi, Marie-Josée Croze, Marina Hands, Toni Cecchinato,
Mitsou Gélinas, Sophie Lorain, Johanne-Marie Tremblay, Denis Bouchard, and
Micheline Lanctôt.
Courtesy:
Miramax Films
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Bio:
Quebec native
Denys Arcand is one of Canada’s most successful filmmakers. Over the
past forty-two years, he has worked as a director, writer, actor, editor, and
cinematographer. He is renowned for his witty dialogue, and his cynical and
pointed look at the state of our society.
He discovered
his passion for film at the University of Montréal where he produced his first
short “Seul ou avec d’autres” (Alone or with Others) in 1962. After
graduation, Arcand worked for the National Film Board of Canada where, he made
documentaries.
In 1970, he
directed the feature-length documentary “On Est Au Coton” (Cotton Mill,
Treadmill) about abuses in the textile industry.
In 1972, Arcand
directed the thriller “Une Maudite Galette.” He followed up in 1973 with
“Rejeanne Padovani” (1973), and with “Gina” in 1975.
His next film,
the documentary “Comfort and Indifference” tackled politics, promises and the
populace, following Quebec’s referendum for secession from Canada.
In 1984 Arcand
returned to features with “Le Crime D’ovide Plouffe” then with his
breakthrough film, “The Decline of the American Empire,” in 1986. The film,
which focuses on a group of artists and intellectuals facing the issues of
society and aging, was an international success.
In 1988, Arcand
followed with the tragicomedy “Jesus of Montreal.” In 1991 he was one of six
directors for “Montreal Sextet,” six stories about Montreal. The dark comedy,
“Love and Human Remains” (1993) based on Brad Fraser’s play “Unidentified
Human Remains and the True Nature of Love,” followed, then “Joyeux Calvaire”
(1996) and “Stardom” (2000) about a young small-town girl thrust into the
glamorous world of high fashion. “Barbarian Invasion” marks a return to the
themes explored in “Decline of the American Empire.”
Arcand has won
numerous awards and has been invited to Cannes six times.
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BOOK OF DANNY
Director: Adam Yaffe
USA / 2003 / 53 minutes
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Tinker Street 9/21, 4:30pm
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Synopsis:
“Book of Danny,” is the comic and often
poignant story of teen stoner, Danny Dubnow, and his desperate attempts at
forging a relationship with his deadbeat dad, Harry, who is otherwise
preoccupied with entrepreneurial dreams of grandeur on the form of a leather
manufacturing business. Set in Washington D.C, the film reveals a side of life
in the nation’s capital which exists outside the familiar marble corridors of
political power – a world on which divorce, catering, lower middle class Jews,
Congressman, and imported leather all make uneasy bedfellows.
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Bio:
Mr. Yaffe graduated from Columbia University's Graduate Film Division,
where he wrote and directed the award-winning shorts, "Lester Shot From The
Cannon," and "Every Good Boy". Additional screenwriting credits include
"Furious," a contemporary adaptation of the Greek tragedy "Medea," and "Love
Sick," the story of infamous sex-therapist, Dr. Wilhelm Reich. In 1997 RAI
Television commissioned Mr. Yaffe to write "Via America," a series of eight
original hour-long films depicting Italian-American life. He is also the author
of the full-length play, "Cripple," which is currently being adapted for the
screen. Adam resides in New York City.
Main Credits:
Screenwriter, director: Adam Yaffe
Producer: Lalou Dammond, and Michael Young
Cinematography: Pater Agliata
Composer: John Kimbrough
Editor: Ben Slatkin
Cast Daniel Randell (a Woodstock resident), Larry Block, Marcia Jean Kurtz,
elaina Erika Davis, Madison Arnold, Maria Tucci, Adam Busch |
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THE BURIAL SOCIETY
Director: Nicholas Racz
Canada / 2003 / 100 minutes
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Synopsis:
Sheldon Kasner, a man of quiet desperation
who works as a loan manager at the Hebrew National Bank is overworked and
under-appreciated. He struggles to surpass the limitations of his mundane
life. Sheldon, the most unlikely of criminals, is drawn into the underworld of
money laundering in a desperate attempt to overcome his mediocre existence.
Unfortunately for Sheldon, events don’t
unfold as he expects and the missing two million dollars has him begging for
his life. Forced to reconsider his strategy, Sheldon concocts an elaborate
plan involving the Chevrah Kadisha or Burial Society – devout Jewish men who
prepare dead bodies for burial.
“The Burial Society” is a gripping,
plot-twisting tale of murder and intrigue – a non-stop suspense thriller that
will have audiences doubting themselves at every turn.
Courtesy: Regent Entertainment
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Bio:
Dropping out of an esteemed medical school three days into his first year,
Nicholas went on to write the award-winning documentary Ozone & The Politics
of Medicine, which was selected "One Of The Best Documentaries Of 1994" by the
Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences. An award winning commercial
director, "The Burial Society" is Racz's first feature film. Racz directed and
wrote The Real Thing (Comedy Network), and The Hungarian Revelation (The Big
Little Picture Company) which won the Telefilm Canada/Directors’ Guild of
Canada KickStart Short Film Award. Nicholas directed the award-winning
commercial campaign for the PETA in the
United States, which premiered on "The Toniught Show with Jay Leno," and has
aired around the world.
Visit the
website |
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CASA DE LOS BABYS
Director: John Sayles
U.S.A / 2003 / 95 minutes
Opening Night in Rhinebeck
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Synopsis:
Maggie Gyllenhaal, Daryl Hannah, Marcia Gay
Harden, Susan Lynch, Mary Steenburgen, and Lili Taylor star in an intense and
provocative ensemble drama that captures six American women at one of the most
emotionally charged moments of their lives, each one on the verge of adopting
a baby. Trapped together in an exotic South American motel run by the
colorful Senora Munoz (Rita Moreno), they anxiously wait for the local
bureaucracy to process their adoption of newborns from the nearby orphanage.
Over the weeks, they share the hope and desperation surrounding their
overwhelming desires to have a child. The film is a poignant, sharp,
insightful look at clashing cultures, modern maternity and the mystery of
fate.
Like so many of John Sayles’ best films,
“Casa de Los Babys” explores a topic with complex personal, emotional and
political ramifications – adoption. In the film, adoption – specifically
foreign adoption by American families -- is seen through the subjective eyes
of everyone involved including the prospective mothers, birth mothers,
lawyers, officials and the children themselves. Explaining his interest
in the topic, Sayles says “The debate over ‘nature vs. nurture’ is central to
many of our most vital scientific, social and literary movements.
Nowhere does it get a more personal airing than in the phenomenon of adoption
between cultures. Though the statistical genetic possibilities inherent
in ‘normal’ childbirth and child-rearing are staggering, out belief systems
still react to the ‘otherness’ of children adopted into non-birth families and
cultures. The mix I tried for in “Casa de Los Babys” was to have a range
of personal histories and attitudes among the adoptive mothers, a range of
reactions to the fact of ‘foreign’ adoption among the people we meet in the
local host culture, and some of the hard practical tragedy of what kids who
remain unclaimed and uncared for face.”
Courtesy: IFC Films
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Bio:
John Sayles’ fourteenth feature film, “Casa
De Los Babys,” follows the acclaimed “Sunshine State,” and “Limbo”.
Other recent Sayles’ films include “Men With Guns,” which was nominated for a
Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film; “Lone Star” which was nominated
for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay; “Lianna,” the story of a
woman coming to terms with her lesbianism, “Baby It’s You,” a romantic
comedy-drama; and the satirical “Brother From Another Planet.”
“Matewan” and “Eight Men Out” are two Sayles’
movies that were considered commercially risky and were difficult to fund. “Matewan,”
the story of a 1920 miners’ strike in West Virginia, went before the camera in
1986, and a year later was part of the Director’s Fortnight at the Cannes Film
Festival. “Eight Men Out,” based on a book about the 1919 baseball World
Series scandal, came to be among Sayles’ most popular efforts. Sayles’
urban epic, “City of Hope,” won the Grand Prix at the Tokyo Film Festival.
“Passion Fish,” a film about the healing relationship between a nurse and her
patient (starring Mary McDonnell and Alfre Woodard), earned Sayles an Academy
Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay (and McDonnell an Academy Award
nomination for Best Actress). Other credits include “The Secret of Roan
Inish,” and “Girlfight,” for which Sayles was the executive producer. Sayles’
first film was the 1978 Los Angeles Film Critics Award winner for Best
Screenplay: the counterculture classic “Return Of The Secaucus Seven.”
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CONEY ISLAND BABY
Director: Amy Hobby
U.S.A / 2002 / 93 minutes
New York Premiere
*IN COMPETITION
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Synopsis:
Happy-go-lucky charmer Billy (Karl Geary)
returns home to Coney Island, Ireland. With plans to change his life, he buys
a ramshackle potato chip truck and engages in the ludicrous courtship of his
ex-girlfriend Bridget (Laura Fraser). But Billy can’t help
becoming entwined in the life he left behind--selling toilet accessories with
his gruff dad (Tom Hickey), hanging out with local lowlifes and becoming
persona non grata in his own hometown. Realizing his best chance
is to escape back to the States with Bridget, Billy’s tempted by a wondrously
dodgy deal.
preceded by “Good Boy”
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Visit the website |
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CRUDE
Director: Paxton Winters
U.S.A-Turkey / 2003 / 90 minutes
East Coast Premiere
*IN COMPETITION
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Synopsis:
Two young Americans travel to Turkey.
They find themselves on a road trip with a wealthy Turk in search of a bit of
trouble, a bit of fun. They discover a country rich in beauty, but are
soon distracted by the prospects of a bigger plan. Shot entirely on
location, the protagonist’s journey from Western Europe to Asia all within the
borders the country, take us through the varied cultures and sub-cultures that
constitute the contradictions and ironies of Turkey. Following two
Americans as they weave their way from Istanbul to the Iranian/Syrian borders
of Eastern Turkey, “Crude” takes a satirical look at patriotism, globalism,
and media sensationalism in the contemporary world.
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Bio:
Working on various
projects in the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Latin America, Paxton Winters
settled in Istanbul, where he quickly learned to speak Turkish. Paxton’s
experiences in Turkey lead to his first documentary, “The Last Caravan on the
Silk Road.” From China to Turkey the director and 3 Turkish
photographers form the core of an intrepid team that trace the Silk Road by
camel caravan through 6 countries (China, Krgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan,
Iran and Turkey). They were the first able to travel the entire 11,000
km/ 7,000 mile route following the disintegration of the Soviet Union.
The documentary takes a poignant and often ironic look at the rapid social,
political, religious and economic changes effecting Central Asia.
Mr. Winters next acclaimed
project, “Damming The Euphrates,” explores the effects of a multi-million
dollar dam project on the lives of people living by, or forced from, the
flooded banks of the Euphrates River. This documentary, set in southeast
Turkey, continues to travel the film festival circuit worldwide.
Both “Damming The
Euphrates and “The Last Caravan On The Silk Road” have received worldwide
distribution.
“Crude,” the latest
project and first feature from Paxton Winters, expands on the experimental and
cinematic techniques developed during his previous documentary ventures.
Shot on location in Istanbul, Southeastern and Eastern Turkey, the Aegean
Coast and New York City, “Crude” is a timely look at West meets (and exploits)
East.
Paxton was in Baghdad, Iraq this past May shooting a documentary about the
Global Nomads Group (www.gng.org). His next project will take him
to Tanzania for 5 weeks to shoot a documentary for FilmAid International
(www.filmaidinternationl.org). After 7 years in Turkey, Paxton continues
to use Istanbul as a base for developing his future projects.
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EVENHAND
Director: Joseph Pierson
U.S.A / 2003 / 93 minutes
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Synopsis:
Set in a dirt-poor neighborhood in the
fictional city of San Lovisa, Texas, “EvenHand” tells the story of two very
different cops, working together for the first time. Rob Francis, recently
divorced, finds the adjustment from his previous assignment in “Sleepytown,”
difficult. With his new partner, the volatile Ted Morning, he spends his days
breaking up domestic disputes and attempting to make sense of a parade of
lowlifes, firebugs and junkies. Morning is the original Texas cowboy, all
muscle and bravado: arrest 'em first, ask questions later.
The characters and events in “EvenHand”
subtly intertwine until Francis and Morning must both face the consequences of
their very different approaches to the job.
Filmed on location in San Antonio, Texas,
“EvenHand” is a police story, but it's not about car chases or shoot-outs.
It's about two cops struggling to survive in a world where, without warning,
numbing routine can give way to primal fear. Featuring Bill Sage, and Bill
Dawes.
Visit the website |
Bio:
“EvenHand” marks Joseph Pierson's first solo directorial outing. Prior
to directing “EvenHand,” his most recent producing and directing credit
(shared with Mr. Glascoe) is Cherry, a romantic comedy starring Shalom Harlow,
Jake Weber, Heather Matarazzo and David McCallum. In 1997, Mr. Pierson
and Mr. Glascoe produced Julian Po, a Cypress Films production of a Fine Line
film starring Christian Slater, Robin Tunney, Michael Parks and Cherry Jones.
Before
joining
Cypress, Joseph worked as a freelance location
manager in
New York, managing several films, including
Five Corners (Jodie Foster, Tim Robbins, John Turturro), Broken Vows (Tommy
Lee Jones) and Choices (George C. Scott, Jacqueline Bisset).
Joseph's
first job in film was working as a production assistant for Woody Allen on A
Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy. He then worked as a production assistant on Mr.
Allen's next three films, “Zelig,” “Broadway Danny Rose,” and “The Purple Rose
of Cairo”. Other AD credits include “Splash” (NY shoot), “The Flamingo Kid”
(NY shoot), “Moscow on the
Hudson” (NY
shoot) and “The Last Dragon”.
Main Credits:
Cinematography by Tim Orr
Produced by Fernando S. Cano II & Joseph Pierson
Executive Produced by Jon Glascoe
Edited by Alex Albanese
Music by Joel Goodman
Songs by Mike Doughty
Screenplay by Mike Jones
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THE
EVENT
Director: Thom Fitzgerald
USA / 2003 / 112 minutes
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Tinker Street Cinema 9/18, 2:30pm
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Synopsis:
Set in Manhattan’s fashionable Chelsea district, amidst the neighborhood’s
large and varied gay population, “The Event” is an intricately structured
inquiry into one man’s death that becomes a celebration of his life. Parker
Posey stars as a District Attorney investigating the suspicious suicide of a
young man, who must conduct a series of interviews with his loved ones. The
ensuing flashbacks reconstruct the man’s life and his various relationships with
friends and family. When the true (and surprising) circumstances of his death
are revealed, they prove to be far less important than how he lived, how he
loved, and how he was loved.
Selected to make its World Premiere at the 2003 Sundance
Film Festival, “The Event” is a bittersweet drama of love, loss, and the amazing
capacity we have to prevail in the face of tragedy. Directed by Thom
Fitzgerald, who earned worldwide acclaim for his haunting debut feature, “The
Hanging Garden,” “The Event” confirms his status as a filmmaker of rare
sensitivity, elegance, and heart. At once utterly contemporary yet completely
timeless in its concerns, the film boasts a large ensemble cast of award-winning
actors, all of whom contribute enormously to the film’s towering emotional
power.
Courtesy:
THINKFilm |
Bio:
Thom Fitzgerald’s 1997 debut feature “The Hanging Garden” won over twenty
international and Canadian prizes, including four Genie Awards including Best
Screenplay, Supporting Actor (Peter MacNeill) and Supporting Actress (Seana
McKenna). The film also won the FIPRESCI European International Critics Prize
and The People’s Choice Award for Best Film at the Toronto International Film
Festival, had its world premiere.
Fitzgerald’s docu-comedy homage to 1950s physique
magazines, “Beefcake,” featuring Jack LaLanne and Joe Dallesandro, premiered at
the 1999 Sundance Film Festival and enjoyed a U.S. art house run that year.
Along with several Genie nominations, “Beefcake” garnered an ACTRA award for
supporting actor Jonathan Torrens.
Fitzgerald directed the television freak show “Wolfgirl,”
featuring Tim Curry, Grace Jones and Lesley Ann Warren, which premiered on USA
network in 2001, followed by a specialty NC-17 rated video/DVD release. While
filming that project in Romania, hew found the inspiration for his next film
“The Wild Dogs,” a digitally-shot, semi-improvised drama surrounding the cull of
200,000 stray dogs wandering the streets of Bucharest, Romania. The vivid
ensemble cast features Rachel Blanchard (“Road Trip”), David Hayman (“Sid and
Nancy”), and Alberta Watson (“Spanking the Monkey”).
Following the completion of “The Event,” Fitzgerald filmed
the epic drama “Three Needles,” starring Chloe Sevengy and Olympia Dukakis. The
film, which deals with the global AIDS crisis, will be released in 2004.
Main Credits
Director: Thom Fitzgerald
Screenwriter(s): Tim Marback, Steven Hillyer,
Thom Fitzgerald
Producer(s): Bryan Hofbauer, Thom Fitzgerald
Executive Producers: Robert Flutie, Vicki
Mccarty, Jeff Sackman, Chris Zimmer
Editor: Christopher Cooper
Music composer: Christophe Beck
Cast: Parker Posey, Olympia Dukakis, Jane
Leeves, Don McKellar, Sarah Polley, Brent Carver
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JULIE AND HERMAN
Director: Kate
Brown
Netherlands /
2002 / 51 minutes
East Coast Premiere
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Mountain View 9/21, 1:30pm
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Synopsis:
Julie is a young
girl who’s far more interested in the big wide world outside of her classroom,
and in particular, the possibility of sex. She’s uninterested in her studies,
and particularly dislikes history and her teacher Herman, a strict, cold and
cynical middle-aged man who thinks that she is a waste of space.
Their
relationship becomes entangled in a series of events that explore the human
psyche, sexuality, and ethics.
Screening with Amos
Kolleks "Music"
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Bio:
Kate Brown
worked her way around France and Spain working odd jobs from translating to
fire juggling. In France, she developed a passion for film, which took her to
the National Film & Television School in England where she graduated in 1997.
She resides in
Amsterdam.
Main credits:
Director/Screenwriter: Kate Brown
Producer:
Riba Filmproductions BV
Arry Voorsmit
Co-Producers: VPRO television
Director of Photography: Hans Bouma
Editors: Job ter Burg
Cast: Lore
Dijkman, Jack Wouterse Yoka Verbeek,
Achmed Elghazaoui
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IN A LONELY PLACE
Director: Nicholas Ray
U.S.A / 1950 / 94 minutes / B&W
Presented by Cineric and Sony Pictures
Entertainment
to honor film restoration and preservation
Opening Night in Hunter
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A reception will follow at the Catskill Mountain Foundation Center
across the street from the theater |
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Synopsis:
When a screenwriter (Humphrey Bogart)
finds himself accused of murder and is hounded by the police, his friends and
girlfriend (Gloria Grahame) begin to question his innocence when they discover
his violent past.
A terrific film noir, the story of “In a
lonely place,” is enhanced by the striking black and white photography of
Burnett Guffey.
The restoration of the film involved
digitally recreating over a dozen sections because of deterioration and
damage to the orignal negative. The restored version has been exhibited
most recently at the London Film Festival and the Museum of Modern Art.
“The film's subject is the attractiveness of
instability, and [Nichokas] Ray's self-examination is both narcissistic and
sharply critical, in fascinating combination. It's a breathtaking work, and a
key citation in the case for confession as suitable material for art. (Dave
Kerr, Chicago Reader)
Courtesy: Sony Picture Entertainment
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Restorer's Bio:
Grover Crisp currently
manages all facets of the restoration and preservation program for the
Columbia Pictures and TriStar Pictures feature film and television libraries
for Sony Pictures Entertainment. He has worked in the motion picture and
television industry for almost 25 years, and since 1984 for the Columbia/Sony
Pictures studios.
The scope of his work ranges from conversion
of hundreds of nitrate-based titles on to safety film, to restoration of
1950’s stereo soundtracks, to the application of new digital technologies for
film restoration. He has been a proponent of involving the filmmaker in
the restoration process, having worked with cinematographers such as Conrad
Hall, Laszlo Kovacs and Vilmos Zsigmond, and directors such as Peter
Bogdanovich, Martin Scorsese and Dennis Hopper. Some films recently
restored include “Easy Rider,” “Funny Girl,” “In Cold Blood,” “Five Easy
Pieces,” “Oliver!,” “The Last Picture Show,” “Anatomy of a Murder,” “Suddenly,
Last Summer,” “On the Waterfront,” “From Here to Eternity,” “In A Lonely
Place.” and “Shampoo”. Concurrent with this work is the asset management of
all new film and tape assets for current feature films and television programs
produced by the studio.
Crisp has presented or coordinated technical
seminars and symposia about film preservation and restoration at educational
institutions and film conferences in the United States and Europe.
Additionally, he coordinates and directs the activities of the Sony Pictures
Film Preservation Committee, a committee concentrating on common issues of
film restoration and preservation, and whose members include the UCLA Film and
Television Archive, Museum of Modern Art, George Eastman House, Library of
Congress, and the Academy Film Archive of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts
and Sciences. Over the last ten years, Crisp has worked with these five
major film archives to jointly supervise the restoration of many Columbia
Pictures films, from the silent Frank Capra film, “The Matinee Idol,” to films
such as “Born Yesterday,” “Taxi Driver,” “All the King’s Men,” “The Lion In
Winter,” and “On the Waterfront”.
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IN MY
SKIN
Director: Marina de Van
France / 2002 / 93 minutes
Special screening
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Synopsis:
“In My Skin” is a haunting and riveting exploration of the human body as a
boundary and battleground between the individual and the often-unreachable
world outside. After suffering deep gashes to her leg from an accidental
fall, Esther (Marina de Van), a young research analyst, becomes preoccupied
with her body and skin, especially her wounds. At first she merely caresses
her arms, pinches her excess skin, or traces the cuts on her legs, but it
isn't long before she is carving wounds directly and aggressively into her own
body. Her boyfriend (Laurent Lucas) becomes understandably concerned and
angry, but his inability to understand forces Esther into reclusion to explore
her newfound practice. With increased urgency, she turns an unapologetic knife
or razor upon her own skin. Marina de Van, who not only stars but also
directed and wrote “In My Skin,” has long collaborated with Francois Ozon,
acting in “See The Sea” and “Sitcom,” and co-writing “Under the Sand,” and
“Eight Women”. With “In My Skin,” De Van joins a group of directors
including David Cronenberg, Georges Franju and Roman Polanski who brilliantly
imagine the physical manifestations of their character's innermost torments.
Courtesy: Wellspring |
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LOVE
OBJECT
Director: Robert Parigi
U.S.A / 2003 / 95 minutes
*IN COMPETITION |
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Synopsis:
Think of the
last time you spent a lot of money on a new toy. Are you the kind of person
who ripped off the packaging the second you got it in the door? Did you
immediately play and poke and prod and fiddle? Or did you sit and carefully
read the instructions, hoping to experience every ounce of pleasure your new
toy had to offer?
“Love Object” is
the twisted tale of Kenneth, socially insecure technical writer who forms an
obsessive relationship with “Nikki,” an anatomically accurate silicone sex
doll he orders over the Internet.
Because of his
experience with his new toy, “Nikki,” Kenneth’s life takes a turn for the
better when his newfound romantic skills attract the attention of Lisa, a
co-worker at his office. But when the doll’s jealous personality invades
his consciousness, Kenneth becomes trapped in a perverse triangle, torn
between the dominating, silicone Nikki and the flesh-and-blood Lisa.
“Love Object” is
a sexually charged thriller that is also a cautionary tale for our high-tech
times. Featuring Desmond Harrington, Melissa Sagemiller, Udo Kier, Rip Torn.
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Main Credits:
Director, screenwriter: Robert Parigi
Producers:
Kathleen Haase, Lawrence Levy
Cinematographer: Sydney Sidell
Principal Cast:
Desmond Harrington, Melissa Sagemiller, Rip Torn, Bryan Crump, Ellen Greene,
Lyle Kanouse, Udo Kier
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MENDY
Director: Adam Vardy
U.S.A / 2003/ 93 minutes
World Premiere |
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Synopsis:
Mendy is a young Brooklyn Hasid, a devout
member of an ultra orthodox Jewish sect. His entire life has been spent
following the strict rules of his protective, insular and repressive
community. Mendy’s budding sexual urges confuse his solid idea of the
world. Shame, guilt and moral turmoil push him to flee the community,
leaving behind his friends, family and old world-view in search of a new
identity.
The story is told through Mendy’s
relationship with two people, Yankel and Bianca. Yankel is a childhood friend
who left the community to lead a hedonistic life. Bianca is a black Brazlian
woman who bartends at a strip joint to put herself though school
Ultimately, as we watch Mendy struggle to
make the choices he thinks are right for him, the film is about the humanity
of its characters.
preceded by “Yo
Mamaloshn”
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Visit the website |
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MILK AND HONEY
Director: Joe Maggio
U.S.A / 2003 / 90 minutes
*IN COMPETITION |
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Synopsis:
Manhattan takes on a life of its own in
Maggio's clever, love-lost story. Insecure stockbroker Rick re-proposes to his
wife of ten years, only to be rebuked. The ensuing argument spills into
the street and they set off into the darkness on separate paths.
By the time the sun rises on the city that
never sleeps, they will have their wills tested, make unlikely connections,
and rethink their whole lives. Starring Clint Jordan, Kirsten Russell, Dudley
Findlay, Jr., Anthony Howard, Greg Amici, Eleanor Hutchins.
Preceded by “The
Spirit of Gravity”
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Bio:
Joe Maggio's debut feature film Virgil Bliss premiered at the 2001 Slamdance
Film Festival and was acquired by First Run Features and The Sundance Channel.
Virgil Bliss was also awarded the Grand Jury Prize for Best Narrative Feature
at the 2001 Atlanta Film Festival and was nominated for two IFP Independent
Spirit Awards--Best Debut Performance (Clint Jordan) and the John Cassavetes
Award. Milk and Honey is Maggio's second film. He lives and works in New York
City.
Main Credits:
Director, screenwriter: Joe Maggio
Executive Producer: Cedric Jeanson, John Quested
Producer: Matthew Myers, Thierry Cagianut
Cinematographer: Gordon Chou
Editor: Seth E. Anderson
Production Designer: Bryce Paul Mama
Composer: Hal Hartley
Principal Cast: Clint Jordan, Kirsten Russell, Dudley Findlay, Jr., Anthony
Howard, Greg Amici, Eleanor Hutchins
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MILWAUKEE, MINNESOTA
Director: Alan Mindel
U.S.A / 2003 / 95 minutes
New York Premiere
*IN COMPETITION
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Synopsis:
The past meets the present when Milwaukee’s
best fisherman, Albert Burroughs, a young man perceived to be mentally
disabled, finds himself the target of two separate con artists out to steal
his money. When his one and only friend attempts to intervene, Albert’s
compelling history is unveiled, and we learn that nothing is quite what it
seems in this Midwestern tale of love and deceit. Starring Troy Garity, Bruce
Dern, and Randy Quaid.
“Milwaukee Minnesota,” which was co-produced
by Woodstock's very own Michael Brody swept up the Jeune critique feature
award at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival.
Upon his return to Woodstock, Brody had this
to say about his experience in Cannes, “I'm thrilled about it all, but I
always knew something good would happen. There where a lot of tragic
twists and turns along the way, with everything that could go wrong going
wrong, but this is a people business and if you’re working with the right
people anything is possible.”
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Bio:
“Milwaukee, Minnesota”
is Allan Mindel's first feature film as a director. Mindel debuted on the
production side when he executive produced Gus Van Sant's “My Own Private
Idaho,” starring Keanu Reeves and the late River Phoenix. Mindel's other
production credits include Alan Wade's “Julian Po,” Bryan Gordon's “Pie In The
Sky,” Michael Goldenberg's “Bed Of Roses,” and Michael Steinberg's “Bodies,
Rest And Motion”. Mindel is also the co-founder of Framework Entertainment, a
talent management company whose clients include John C. Reilly, Lucy Liu and
Marcia Gay Harden. Mindel began show business in the 80s when he co-founded
the modeling agency Click and the talent agency Flick. As an agent, his
clients included Uma Thurman, Viggo Mortensen, David Duchovny, Lorraine Bracco,
Isabella Rossellini and Kelly Lynch.
Director: Allan
Mindel
Producer(s):
Micheal Brody, Jeff Kirshbaum
Screenwriter:
R.D Murphy
Director of
Photography: Bernd Heinl
Editor: David
Rawlins
Composer: Micahel Convertino
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THE
MUDGE BOY
Director: Michael Burke
U.S.A / 2002 / 90 Minutes
*IN COMPETITION |
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Synopsis:
“The Mudge Boy” is a powerfully honest and
wonderfully subtle story about loss and longing. Duncan Mudge is a
soulful kid growing up in a small, rural American town, coming to terms with
his mother's death and his father's stoicism, while developing a fragile and
volatile bond with one of the town's local boys. Featuring Emile Hirsch,
Richard Jenkins, and Thomas Guiry.
Courtesy: Showtime
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Bio:
Michael Burke's first feature, The Mudge Boy, was selected for the Sundance
Institute Screenwriters Lab in 2000. It also received first prize for the 2001
Richard Vague Production Grant and won the 2000 Sundance/NHK International
Filmmakers Award. Burke's short film, Fishbelly White, won the 1999 NYU
Wasserman Award. He received a Master of Fine Arts degree from the Tisch
School of the Arts at New York University and now works as a special-education
teacher.
Main Credits:
Director: Michael Burke
Screenwriter: Michael Burke
Executive Producer: Stanley
Tucci
Producers: Elizabeth W. Alexander, Alison Benson,
Randy Ostrow
Cinematographer: Vanja Cernjul
Cast: Emile Hirsch, Richard Jenkins, Thomas Guiry
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MY DINNER WITH JIMI
Director: Bill Fishman
U.S.A / 2002 / 90 minutes
New York Premiere
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Synopsis:
A humorous memoir from former Turtles lead
singer Howard Kaylan recalling the bands rapid rise to fame and the 1967 tour
that brought them to the hippest city in the world--London.
At the legendary nightclub, The Speakesy,
Howard is introduced to The Beatles, Brian Jones, Donovan, Graham Nash, and
Jimi Hendrix. Over the course of dinner, they exchanges life stories, and
insights into the uppers and downers of fame. Featuring Royale Watkins, Jason
Boggs, John Corbett, George Wendt, and Justin Henry.
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NOSEY PARKER
Director: John O'Brien
U.S.A / 2003 / 105 minutes
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Synopsis:
Sick of suburbia, Natalie and Richard Newman
move to rural Vermont where they expect the unspoiled setting and the
indigenous values to rejuvenate their marriage. Natalie wants to start a
family. Richard, who has grown children from a first marriage, does not. As a
compromise they build a trophy house. The construction of the dreamhouse
inevitably leads to a visit from the local tax assessor. This confrontation
introduces the Newmans to George Lyford, a lister, farmer, and somewhat
xenophobic native. Over the course of two inspections, Natalie and George
develop a flirtation, which results in George becoming Natalie's handyman.
A love story
about a friendship. A psychiatrist and his young second wife move from
Connecticut to Vermont. They build their dream house. They are miserable.
Natalie, the wife, finds a local lister (tax assessor) to be a better listener
than her husband. George, the old Vermonter, mixing humor and humility,
guides Natalie through a course that could be called "Introduction to
Community 101." Nosey Parker is an exploration of professional and
non-professional a! cting (Natalie and Richard are SAG actors, George is a
Vermont farmer), a complex portrait of the changing American landscape (just
as applicable to Ulster and Duchess counties as it is to Vermont), and an
elegy to old-timers.
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Bio:
John O'Brien grew up in Tunbridge, Vermont,
the town chronicled in his "Tunbridge Trilogy." "Nosey Parker" is the final
installment in this triptych. O'Brien graduated from Harvard College in 1985.
In addition to making movies, O'Brien runs a sheep farm, coaches debate at
his old high school, and is a justice of the peace.
Main Credits:
Director: John O'Brien
Screenwriter: John O'Brien (story); Cast improvisation (screenplay)
Producers: John O'Brien
Cinematographer: David Parry
Editor: John O'Brien
Music: Band improvisation
Cast: George Lyford, Natalie Picoe, Richard Snee
Visit the
website |
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PARTICLES OF TRUTH
Director: Jennifer Elster
U.S.A / 2003 / 101 minutes
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Synopsis:
Lilli Black is cursed with bad luck and a
head full of painful memories that keep coming to the surface as she contends
with her drug-addict father's slow march toward death. Morrison Wiley is a
neurotic recluse who spends much of his time in his car writing. The two form
a bond that falls somewhere between affection and co-dependence in this
stylistic parable about life, love, and the fear of falling. Featuring
Jennifer Elster, Gale Harold, Susan Floyd, Larry Pine, Leslie Lyles, Mark
Margolis.
“N.Y. indie airily pulls off what Hollywood
mightily strives for -- a believable romantic comedy.” -Variety
Vist the
website
Preceded by “Dear
Sweet, Emma”
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Bio:
Jennifer Elster was raised in New York City and received her Bachelor of Arts
at NYU in psychology and writing. She has written, cast, produced, and
directed two short films, dirty and ill will, which premiered at the 2001 Los
Angeles Film Festival and screened at the 2002 Women in the Director's Chair
Festival. Throughout her education and filmmaking career, she has been
involved in the conceptualizing, casting, and styling of music videos and
photo shoots for artists who include David Bowie, Garbage, Fiona Apple, Nine
Inch Nails, Method Man, Moby, Gwyneth Paltrow, Isabella Rosselini, Liv Tyler,
Kate Winslet, and Chloë Sevigny. Her work has received several awards and
appeared in the magazines The Face, Big, Rolling Stone, and Time, to name a
few. Elster marks her feature film debut with Particles of Truth, which she
wrote, produced, directed, and in which she stars.
Main Credits:
Director,
Producer, Screenwriter: Jennifer
Elster
Co-Producer: Lewis
Helfer, Terry Leonard
Cinematographer: Toshiro
Yamaguchi
Editor: Ron
Len
Production
Designer: Cherish
Magennis
Principal
Cast: Jennifer
Elster, Gale Harold, Susan Floyd, Larry Pine, Leslie Lyles, Mark Margolis
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PIECES OF APRIL
Director: Peter Hedges
U.S.A / 2003 / 80 minutes
East Coast Premiere OPENING NIGHT IN
WOODSTOCK |
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Synopsis:
Twenty-one-year-old April Burns (Katie
Holmes) lives with her boyfriend Bobby (Derek Luke) in a dilapidated tenement
on New York City’s Lower East Side. Though April has never been on good terms
with her mother, Joy (Patricia Clarkson), Bobby convinces her to host her
family for Thanksgiving.
If preparing a holiday feast isn’t enough
pressure, April discovers that her oven is broken. With Bobby out on a
mysterious errand, April is left to search the building for an apartment with
a working oven.
April must appeal to an array of neighbors,
who until now have only been strangers in the hallway. Eugene and Evette
(Isaiah Whitlock and Lillias White), an African-American couple, have their
own meal to make, but they let April use their oven for an hour. Now April has
to find another oven to finish the job. The Chinese family downstairs might
save the day, if only they spoke English. April thinks the answer to her
problem might be Wayne (Sean Hayes), the proud owner of a brand new,
self-cleaning convection oven. Meanwhile, Bobby’s meeting with an associate,
Latrell (SisQo), unexpectedly goes awry.
While April struggles to get her bird cooked
and Bobby tries to complete his errand, the Burns family heads down the
highway recounting April’s failures. April's father, Jim (Oliver Platt), is
determined to create an experience that will become a nice memory, but Joy
persists in undermining his plans. Perfect-daughter Beth (Alison Pill) reminds
everyone of her sister’s shortcomings, Grandma Dottie (Alice Drummond) can
barely remember anyone’s name, and the youngest child, Timmy (John Gallagher,
Jr.), manages to dodge emotional bullets by photographing every awkward
moment.
Poignant and funny, “Pieces of April” is an
up-close look at an extraordinary day in the life of the not-so-ordinary Burns
family.
Courtesy: United Artists
Preceded by “The
Long and the Short of It”
See also
Making a Low Budget Indie Film: "Pieces of April," a case study
& book signing
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Bio:
Writer/Director Peter Hedges’
first novel, “What's Eating Gilbert Grape,” was published in 1991 by Poseidon
Press (Simon & Schuster). Selected by the Book of the Month Club and
translated into twelve languages, it became the basis for the acclaimed 1993
film of the same name, which Peter also wrote, starring Johnny Depp and
Leonardo DiCaprio. His second novel, “An Ocean in Iowa,” was published in 1998
by Hyperion Press.
Peter has also written for
the stage, and his plays “Baby Anger” (Playwrights Horizons), “Good as New”
(Manhattan Class Company), and “Imagining Brad” (Circle Repertory Theater)
have all been published by Dramatists Play Service. He has been commissioned
by the Roundabout Theater/Nederlander Organization to write a new play.
His screenplay adaptation
of Jane Hamilton's “A Map of the World” starred Sigourney Weaver and Julianne
Moore. Other adaptations include Nick Hornby's “About a Boy” for Universal
Pictures, starring Hugh Grant and Toni Collete, and Harry Kondoleon's “Diary
of a Lost Boy” for Fox Searchlight. “Pieces of April” marks his directorial
debut.
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PIGGIE
Director: Alison Bagnal
U.S.A / 2003 / 98 minutes
East Coast Premiere
*IN COMPETITION
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Synopsis:
Savannah Haske vaults into the “One to Watch”
category with her fearless performance in writer-director Alison Bagnall's
feature debut about a troubled young woman living with her father on the
family farm. Scarred by her mother's abandonment, the child-like Fannie lives
inwardly, caring for her pigs and looking after an elderly woman, while
channeling her bottled up sexuality into lilting, evocative country songs.
Until, that is, she fixates on a slick city stranger who steals into town
(Dean Wareham of Luna and Galaxie 500 fame). In a film by turns bittersweet
and nakedly raw, Bagnall, who co-wrote “Buffalo '66” with Vincent Gallo,
captures the fever logic of two obsessive worlds colliding.
Preceded by "Furry's
Blues"
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Main Credits:
Director: Alison Bagnall
Screenwriter:
Alison Bagnall, Savannah Haske
Producer: Alison Dickey
Cinematographer: Rufus Standefer
Editor: Cushla Dillon
Music: Dusty Trails,
Dean Wareham
Cast: Savannah Haske, Dean
Wareham,
Robert John Burke, John C. Reilly
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PURGATORY HOUSE
Director: Cindy Baer
U.S.A / 2003 / 96 minutes
World Premiere
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Synopsis:
"Purgatory House" heralds the arrival of a
fresh new voice in American narrative. Celeste Davis was 14 years old
when she completed writing the screenplay, and 15 when she starred in this
semi-autobiographical digital feature. As a result, "Purgatory House" is
a living, breathing snapshot of how it truly feels to be a teen in today’s
world, undiluted by adult sensibility.
Told darkly with quirky, fantastical elements, "Purgatory
House" is about the choices teens must make and the consequences they face in an
all-too-real existence where the presence of drugs, suicide, and guns in school
are a part of everyday life. And death. At once a confused fantasy
of self-discovery and a startlingly aware portrait of lost innocence, "Purgatory
House" begins where most stories end, as it chronicles the after-life journey of
Silver Strand: a lonely teenage girl who has abandoned her life of turmoil and
drug addiction in search of unconditional love. Located somewhere between
Heaven and Hell, the Purgatory House is a shelter for dead, wayward teens --a
haunting parallel to the world she was trying to leave behind. As Silver
watches the people she used to know, in voyeuristic moments glimpsed over a
giant television set, she begins to realize that there are some things from
which you cannot run away. She must choose whether she will accept her
drab existence, or discover within herself the power to change. Her guides
along the road to self-enlightenment include God herself (played by Jim Hanks),
a wry Saint (also played by Jim Hanks), and a motley group of fellow teenage
souls condemned to the Purgatory House.
Director Cindy Baer has taken great care in preserving
the unpolished naiveté and raw innocence of adolescence while delivering a
stylish, compelling narrative. The ambitious visual effects of "Purgatory
House," which include extensive blue and green screen compositing and computer
animation, sets a new standard for what can be accomplished in the miniDV
format. Told in non-linear fashion and peppered with moments of visionary
wonder, this groundbreaking digital feature dances delicately between childhood
and adulthood, between worlds both real and dreamed.
Visit the
website
preceded by “Come,
Lovely”
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Bio:
Director Cindy Baer
began her career as an actress performing in 19 full-stage by the age of 21.
The following year Cindy moved from Boston to Los Angeles, where she created a
successful children's entertainment company which she operated for 7 years
before selling it in 2001. Highlights of her L.A. stage credits include
playing Essie in the critically acclaimed production of “You Can't Take It
With You,” and Jill in the 30th anniversary production of “Butterflies
are Free” at the Matrix Theatre. Her favorite film and TV credits include lead
roles in "Eclipse," and "Liberating Dorothy," , guest-starring roles on
“Unsolved Mysteries” and “America’s Most Wanted", and of course, a cameo in
"Purgatory House". In 2000 Cindy co-founded the non-profit Mosaic Theatre
Company, whose mission is to get kids excited about creating art, music and
theatre as an alternative to negative outlets. She then directed their
first production “Troy Story” for the 2001 NoHo Arts Festival. Cindy
joined the Big Sisters of Los Angeles program in 1997, and was matched with
her then-11-year-old “little sister” and screenwriter-to-be, Celeste Davis.
Four years later, Cindy makes her feature-directing debut with "Purgatory
House"
Celeste Davis began writing
"Purgatory House" as an outlet for her troubles at the age of 13. She had lost
interest in school, and was struggling with all of the relationships in her
life. Drug use was all around, and seemed a tempting escape. With
alcoholism in her family, she tried to avoid drinking and drugs, as she ached to
connect with something. She began to write a story which mirrored her own
life in certain ways, portraying her real-life struggles to fit in, to process
peer pressure, to find meaning in her life, and to create a relationship with
herself and with God. It was an honest and uncensored look into the mind
of today’s teenage girl, bluntly portraying what it means to feel powerful, to
be wanted, and to be afraid of making the wrong choices. Never having
acted before stepping on to the set of "Purgatory House," Celeste makes her
acting debut as the lead character, Silver Strand.
Director, Producer: Cindy Baer
Screenwriter: Celeste Marie Davis (14-years-old)
Associate Producers: Traci Glodery and Matthew Irving
Exec. Producer: Free Dream Pictures LLC
Cinematographer: Christopher S. Nibley
Editor: K.J. Gruca
Poduction Designer: James W. Thompson Jr.
Music Composer: John Swihart
Cast: Celeste Marie Davis, Jim Hanks, Devin Witt, Johnny Pacar, Rhiannon Main,
Howard Lockie, Scott Clark
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SHATTERED GLASS
Director: Billy Ray
U.S.A / 2003 /
East Coast Premiere |
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Synopsis:
"Shattered Glass" stars Hayden Christensen as Stephen Glass, a staff writer
for the respected current events and policy magazine The New Republic and a
freelance feature writer for publications such as Rolling Stone, Harper¹s
and George. By the mid-90s, Glass' articles had turned him into one of the
most sought-after young journalists in Washington, but a bizarre chain of events
chronicled in Buzz Bissinger's September, 1998 Vanity Fair article upon which
"Shattered Glass" is based suddenly stopped his career in its tracks.
"Shattered
Glass" is a study of a very talented and at the same time very flawed character.
It is also a look inside our culture's noblest profession, one that protects our
most precious freedoms by revealing the truth, and what happens when our trust
in that profession is called into question. And with the recent revelations at
The New York Times, one of this country's most respected newspapers, the issue
seems to be pandemic.
"Shattered Glass" is jointly produced by Cruise / Wagner Productions and
Baumgarten Merims in association with Forest Park Pictures. The film's executive
producers are Tom Cruise and Paula Wagner of Cruise / Wagner as well as Lions
Gate executives Michael Paseornek, Marc Butan and Tom Ortenberg. "Shattered
Glass" is being produced by Craig Baumgarten, Adam Merims, Gaye Hirsch and Tove
Christensen. A Lions Gate production, "Shattered Glass" will be distributed
worldwide by the company in 2003.
Courtesy:
Lions Gate
Films
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Bio:
Billy Ray co-wrote the screenplay for last year's "Hart's War" starring Bruce
Willis and Colin Farrel. Earlier credits include co-writing the script for the
feature "Volcano," starring Tommy Lee Jones and Anne Heche. His television work
includes the screenplay for TNT's Legalese. Next year will see the release of
Paramount's "Suspect Zero," starring Ben Kingsley, Aaron Eckhart, and
Carrie-Anne Moss, which Ray also co-wrote.
He's currently writing a screenplay for Cruise/#Wagner productions entitled "Sarkin-Untitled,"
and is also working on the screenplay "Imagine" for director Rob Reiner at
Castle Rock.
Adam L.
Penenberg is a well-known investigative journalist who has written for The New
York Times, Forbes, Wired, Inside, Playboy and Mother Jones. He garnered
national attention in 1998 for exposing a fabricated New Republic story on
hacker crime by Stephen Glass, as portrayed in a movie, "“Shattered Glass”
(Lion’s Gate/Tom Cruise Production Co.). His Dec. 1999 cover story for
Forbes, “The End of Privacy,” in which he had a detective investigate him, was
a top newsstand seller and read into the Congressional Record during hearings
on privacy, while his cover story for Inside magazine on “Ginger” that outed
millionaire inventor Dean Kamen’s secret invention led to him appearing on the
Today Show with Katie Couric. He was also interviewed on MSNBC, CNBC, CBC, and
CNN (“Moneyline” and “Headline News”) and the story
was covered on more than 150 news shows across the U.S. and Canada and in a
slew of print publications, including The Boston Globe, Toronto Star and USA
Today.
A chapter of his first book, Spooked: Espionage in Corporate America (Perseus
Books) was excerpted in The New York Times Sunday Magazine in Dec. 2000, and
received a starred review in Publisher's Weekly. His second book: Tragic
Indifference: One Man’s Battle With the Auto Industry Over the Dangers of SUVs
(HarperCollins, pub. Fall 2003) was optioned by Warner Bros.
as a starring vehicle for Michael Douglas.
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SHOOT GEORGE
Director: Adam Nadler
U.S.A / 2003 / 96 minutes
World Premiere |
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Synopsis:
“Shoot George” is a screwball comedy about
George Baxter, a pacifistic young screenwriter who dreams of writing movies
with a message of peace and nonviolence. When George mysteriously discovers a
9mm handgun on his doorstep, however, he is seduced by the weapon’s power,
accidentally shoots a jealous rival, and ends up on New York’s Most-Wanted
List.
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Bio:
Adam Nadler
is a New York-based independent filmmaker. His short film The Magic Violin;
or, How do you get to Carnegie Hall? (distributed by Tapestry) has been
broadcast on The Movie Channel and overseas, and was presented at Lincoln
Center at the premier of the “Movies for Kids” series. Adam is proud to have
written, directed, and edited his first feature film, "Shoot George," which
recently won the Best Narrative Feature award at the Arlene’s Grocery Picture
Show in New York City. He just completed work on a new horror/comedy
screenplay, entitled TUNNELMAN!.
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SONG FOR A RAGGY BOY
Director: Aisling Walsh
Ireland / 2002 / 93 minutes
Aidan Quinn will be part of the Q&A
following the Upstate screening
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Synopsis:
For the boys who end up at a Catholic
reformatory school in 1939 Ireland, attending classes is an exercise in abuse
and fear. But new lay teacher William (Aidan Quinn), whose own past has
elements of the fascist terror the boys must endure, becomes the boys’
protector after standing up to the school’s prefect. Quinn turns in a quietly
courageous performance in this chilling tale of institutionalized abuse that
went unquestioned for far too long. Featuring Aidain Quinn, Iain Glen, Marc
Warren, Alan Devlin, John Travers, and Chris Newman.
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Bio:
Irish director Aisling Walsh has a list of well-known film and television
credits. The recent Sinners won five awards, including one for best director,
at the Shanghai TV Festival. Her other film credits include Beyond Justice and
the acclaimed Joyriders. Her television credits include Trial and Retribution
2 and 5 and the BAFTA award-winning Doctor Finlay. Aisling's short film,
Hostage, won the Gold Plaque Award at the Chicago Film Festival and the
Special Jury Prize at the Tours Film Festival.
Main Credits:
Director: Aisling Walsh
Producers: Tristan Orpen Lynch, Dominic Wright, John McDonnell, Kevin
Byron-Murphy
Screenwriter: Patrick Galvin
Editor: Bryan Oates
Cast: Aidan Quinn, Iain Glen, Marc Warren, Dudley Sutton, Alan Devlin
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WILBUR WANTS TO KILL HIMSELF
Director: Lone Scherfig
Den/UK/Swe/Fr (in English)
2002 / 106 minutes
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Synopsis:
In present-day Glasgow, a tragic-comic love
triangle unfolds between the suicidal title character (Jamie Sives), his
brother Harbour (Adrian Rawlins) and single mother Alice (Shirley Henderson).
Wilbur, in between suicide attempts, teaches nursery school children. Harbour
runs the family firm, a dilapidated second-hand bookshop where Alice is a
regular customer, making ends meet by selling the abandoned books she finds
during her job as a hospital cleaner. Attracted to both brothers, she marries
Harbour – only to find he’s secretly suffering from a life-threatening
ailment…
“With her profoundly moving follow up to
“Italian For Beginners”… Scherfig moves into a more traditional mode of
cinema – complete with lush cinematography, rich lighting and a moving musical
score.” (Erin Free, FilmInk Magazine)
Courtesy: THINKFilm
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Tinker Street, Upstate Films and the
Catskill Mountain Foundation Theater are 35mm facilities.
Upstate and CMFT will also screen beta sp
and digibeta films.
Bearsville, Mountain View, WCC are are
beta sp & digibeta
Home
Copyright, 2000-2004 - Woodstock Film
Festival, Inc.
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