nwFilmCenter

33rd Northwest Film and Video Festival

Fri, Nov 10, 2006 at 7 PM Tue, Nov 14, 2006 at 7 PM	WHAT I WANT DIRECTOR: JESSE BLANCHARD PORTLAND, OR Blanchard uses flip charts, water coolers and multiple personalities to tell a compelling and purposefully vague story in his hip, danceable frolic. ( 3 min ) ^ Top
Fri, Nov 10, 2006 at 7 PM Tue, Nov 14, 2006 at 7 PM	TTY DIRECTOR: J. BRAD WILKE SEATTLE, WA A hilarious and slightly depraved game of cross communication unfolds when an unsuspecting couple, aided by modern technology, enters a three-way conversation. ( 6 min ) ^ Top
Fri, Nov 10, 2006 at 7 PM Tue, Nov 14, 2006 at 7 PM	TRAIN TOWER DIRECTOR: DAVID CROMPTON, ANDREW HERFST VANCOUVER, BC A mesmerizing collection of tracking shots crawling up towers in Vancouver take the camera to new heights. ( 3 min ) ^ Top
Fri, Nov 10, 2006 at 7 PM Tue, Nov 14, 2006 at 7 PM	PATTERNS DIRECTOR: JAMIE TRAVIS VANCOUVER, BC Part I of the Patterns trilogy, this surreal and hyper-stylish psychodrama creates Eames-seat-edge suspense in an otherwise subdued setting ( 9 min ) ^ Top
Fri, Nov 10, 2006 at 7 PM Tue, Nov 14, 2006 at 7 PM	SCAREDYCAT DIRECTOR: ANDREW BLUBAUGH PORTLAND, OR JUDGE'S AWARD, BEST AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL SHORT "All that modernist clap-trap about artists being different from us is true, luckily. You wouldn't want to trade places. Blubaugh is one such artist, a walkin' talkin' phobic, hung up on order and compulsive about it, maybe even obsessive. Then one day he gets mugged. Insightful, self-deprecating, and hugely funny, Scaredycat is Blubaugh's plaintive analysis of his compulsive plight. And, yes, artists are different from us, luckily."–SS. ( 13 min ) ^ Top
Fri, Nov 10, 2006 at 7 PM Tue, Nov 14, 2006 at 7 PM	PANCREAS DIRECTOR: JIM BLASHFIELD PORTLAND, OR "What could be funnier than Weird Al taking on the Beach Boys and their song 'My Favorite Vegetables'? Easy: Blashfield working the food groups and found footage. With real flair, he keeps the vegetables fresh and the body parts where they belong, boisterous and bouncing along. It's the next best thing to a visceral experience."–SS. ( 4 min ) ^ Top
Fri, Nov 10, 2006 at 7 PM Tue, Nov 14, 2006 at 7 PM	A PAINFUL GLIMPSE INTO MY WRITING PROCESS (IN LESS THAN 60 SECONDS) DIRECTOR: CHEL WHITE PORTLAND, OR "After seeing White's noir-like praise to a prose writer's problems you'll wish you had the proverbial 'block.' It's where the thrill lies in this exhilarating collage about cloggage."–SS. ( 1 min ) ^ Top
Fri, Nov 10, 2006 at 7 PM Tue, Nov 14, 2006 at 7 PM	REGARDING SARAH DIRECTOR: MICHELLE PORTER VANCOUVER, BC JUDGE'S AWARD, MOST MEMORABLE "This is a smartly exquisite film about memory loss, of the kind that comes creeping in with age. Sarah, our forgetful heroine, opts for the video medium as a visual prosthetic, a substitute for flagging recall, recording every moment as life becomes indistinguishable from its NTSC counterpart. Not a praise of Alzheimer's but more a heroic acceptance, Porter's bright and innovative examination is memorable in every way."–SS. ( 14 min ) ^ Top
Fri, Nov 10, 2006 at 7 PM Tue, Nov 14, 2006 at 7 PM	ALICE & BASTARD DIRECTOR: ANA VALINE VANCOUVER, BC "Trailer trash, a TV repairman, strip joints, and a four year-old girl who sees beyond the grime with an innocence that is at once blissfully free and devilishly pert."–SS. ( 18 min ) ^ Top
Fri, Nov 10, 2006 at 7 PM Tue, Nov 14, 2006 at 7 PM	PILEDRIVER DIRECTOR: CALVIN LEE REEDER SEATTLE, WA JUDGE'S AWARD, NARRATIVE SHORT "It's hard to recall a more startling story...PILEDRIVER, says that love is a bit of the unexpected and so is its end." –SS. ( 14 min ) ^ Top
Fri, Nov 10, 2006 at 9 PM	Opening Night Party Join us after the screenings to toast this year's Festival films and filmmakers. Our friends at Sierra Nevada Brewing and TAZO will provide the libations. Opening party only $5 Admission free with screening ticket stub ^ Top
Sat, Nov 11, 2006 at 12 PM	PANEL: NORTHWEST CONFESSIONALS The Northwest is home to an astounding community of talented filmmakers-accomplished artists, and as accomplished at finding the energy and resources to build and sustain their careers. What does it take to be successful on your own terms? What do people who make a successful life in film have in common and how do they capitalize on their unique vision? We've invited four celebrated Northwest filmmakers share how they have made filmmaking work for them. Come hear their tales of creativity, perseverance, success and failure along the road of realizing their dreams. Great stories, enlightening information and the opportunity to ask the questions that haunt your days...what do inquiring minds need to know? ( 60 min ) FREE ADMISSION ^ Top
Sat, Nov 11, 2006 at 2 PM	PANEL: WHAT'S WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE? HOSTED BY WARREN ETHEREDGE So worked your ass off and bled a little but your film isn't exactly burning up the festival circuit. Is it you? Is it them? Is it something that might be easily fixed? You may have had plenty of unsolicited advice to go along with the rejection letters, but how about some straightforward advice from a pro? Today, we've invited Seattle film guru Warren Etheredge back to the Festival to take a look at the first five minutes or so of brave filmmakers' films and offer his (brutally honest) insight, delivered, with his trademark wit and good will. If you are interested in baring your cinematic soul, sign up by contacting lena@nwfilm.org. First come, first served as time allows. FREE ADMISSION ( 60 min ) In addition to curating, organizing and hosting all events for The Warren Report, Warren Etheredge is the President and Head of Development for LOCKSPRING PICTURES, served as the Curator for the 1 Reel Film Festival at Seattle's Bumbershoot and is one of the founding faculty of TheFilmSchool in Seattle. ^ Top
Sat, Nov 11, 2006 at 4 PM	CLEAR CUT: THE STORY OF PHILOMATH, OREGON DIRECTOR: PETER RICHARDSON CORVALLIS, OR One of the great Oregon success stories, Rex Clemens built a lumber empire in the small town of Philomath, the setting for a drama that provides a clear-cut view of the fault lines in the larger culture wars. For decades, Clemens' philanthropy helped the town in a myriad of ways and his foundation famously offered to pay the college tuition of every high school graduate, and act that has provided opportunity for thousands of students. But with the decline of the lumber industry and the influx of new residents without sentimental ties to the business and values of past, the current generation of Clemons Foundation Board members delivered an ultimatum to the school board: fire the Chicago-native superintendent who's "politically correct" ideals compromise the traditionalist values of the Board, or they would cease the tuition grant program. Richardson, a Philomath native, draws out all sides of the bruising conflict with an even hand, via remarkably trusting and candid interviews. This gripping, real-life drama confirms, if nothing else, that social change is both difficult to manage, and even more difficult to accept. ( 72 min ) ^ Top
Sat, Nov 11, 2006 at 6 PM Fri, Nov 17, 2006 at 8:45 PM	I AM (NOT) VAN GOGH DIRECTOR: DAVID RUSSO SEATTLE, WA "You save the hyperbole for films like this. Dazzling. Virtuosic. Zippy. Stunning. Oh, I was referring to Van Gogh."–SS. ( 5 min ) ^ Top
Sat, Nov 11, 2006 at 6 PM Fri, Nov 17, 2006 at 8:45 PM	EUROPA DIRECTOR: RICK PHILLIPS MISSOULA, MT An impressionistic treatment of colonialism, World War and the rape of Europe. ( 1 min ) ^ Top
Sat, Nov 11, 2006 at 6 PM Fri, Nov 17, 2006 at 8:45 PM	MISSIONARY DIRECTOR: MIKE A. SMITH PORTLAND, OR "In this quixotically eccentric animated short, a forceful fellow arrives in town bringing with him an odd icon. Is this the beginnings of a new religion or just another system of authority? A great parable for an age of clashing belief systems."–SS ( 5 min ) ^ Top
Sat, Nov 11, 2006 at 6 PM Fri, Nov 17, 2006 at 8:45 PM	CATFISH MAN DIRECTOR: JOEL BENNETT JUNEAU, AK "A great, unvarnished view of anglers loony enough to hand fish for flatheads. Muddy water, soggy stumps, 50 pound catfish, and your arm as bait: America is definitely worth fighting for."–SS. ( 7 min ) ^ Top
Sat, Nov 11, 2006 at 6 PM Fri, Nov 17, 2006 at 8:45 PM	PALWEISER LABEL DIRECTOR: J. BRAD WILKE SEATTLE, WA When Sam, a young Chinese-American director, loses his big break in commercials he finds a hilarious way to get revenge in this funny and cynical story about making the most out of disenchantment. ( 10 min ) ^ Top
Sat, Nov 11, 2006 at 6 PM Fri, Nov 17, 2006 at 8:45 PM	THE BIG ASS WORLD OF SCIENCE DIRECTOR: MIKE WELLINS PORTLAND, OR "In this wild spoof about science, Wellins searches the universe for the gene for humor. Happily, it's a dominant one so the laughs defy their own gravity and are 'bigger than a large grid in space.'"–SS. ( 5 min ) ^ Top
Sat, Nov 11, 2006 at 6 PM Fri, Nov 17, 2006 at 8:45 PM	STATIC DIRECTOR: GRACE CARTER PORTLAND, OR Comfort drops from the sky quieting the real and imagined anxieties of two uptight souls. ( 13 min ) ^ Top
Sat, Nov 11, 2006 at 6 PM Fri, Nov 17, 2006 at 8:45 PM	BRENDA DIVES DIRECTOR: J. PACCASSI PORTLAND, OR Meet Brenda: confident, smart, flip, and brought to her knees by her simple little fear of diving headfirst. ( 24 min ) ^ Top
Sat, Nov 11, 2006 at 6 PM Fri, Nov 17, 2006 at 8:45 PM	FIFTY YEARS LATER DIRECTOR: MATT MCCORMICK PORTLAND, OR "Composed of footage shot by myself and my grandfather, FIFTY YEARS LATER is a cinematic road-trip in search of family memories. -MM (2 mins.) ( 1 min ) ^ Top
Sat, Nov 11, 2006 at 6 PM Fri, Nov 17, 2006 at 8:45 PM	HIRO DIRECTOR: MATTHEW SWANSON SEATTLE, WA "We don't need another hero, so we get Hiro instead, a bashful and inept amateur entomologist who finds himself coming to the aid of a lady, not a ladybug. The model for this tongue in cheek thriller is more John Woo than Microcosmos."–SS. ( 20 min ) ^ Top
Sat, Nov 11, 2006 at 8 PM	WALKING TO WERNER DIRECTOR: LINAS PHILLIPS SEATTLE, WA In 1974, German director Werner Herzog walked from Munich to Paris in a legendary pilgrimage to visit a dying friend. Inspired by Herzog's determination and unflagging outlandishness Phillips embarks on his own pilgrimage—a 1,200- mile trek from Seattle to Los Angeles—hoping to meet his hero, Herzog himself. Almost as intriguing as Linas' dogged persistence down the highway are the roadside attractions he meets along the way that become the unwitting cast of memorable characters in his filmed record of the journey. A born-again Christian, a man bent on death but finding hope on the road, an ex chainsaw murderer—all offer different, road-tested parables on life. "The filmmaker's mad feat corresponds with the famously mad cinematic feats accomplished by his subject...[it] works because the quest is described with equal amounts of seriousness and silliness."—Charles Mudede, THE STRANGER. ( 93 min ) ^ Top
Sun, Nov 12, 2006 at 9:30 AM	WORKSHOP: SHAKING THE MONEY TREE INSTRUCTOR: MORRIE WARSHAWSKI Securing funding while maintaining a career as an independent mediamaker can be a competitive, elusive and often overwhelming proposition, especially in this era of reduced government and grant support for noncommercial and or independently produced projects. Back by popular demand, this workshop combines a holistic and practical approach, sharing street-tested advice and presenting real life case studies of success. The goal is to help filmmakers attractively position their project, identify and address their strengths and weaknesses as fundraisers and draw upon appropriate fundraising tools effectively. TUITION $85. Call (503) 241-4852 to register. ^ Top
Sun, Nov 12, 2006 at 4 PM	IRAQ IN FRAGMENTS DIRECTOR: JAMES LONGLEY SEATTLE, WA A stunning, electric collage of hypnotic sights, evocative sounds, and arresting voices, IRAQ IN FRAGMENTS listens to diverse points of view in three Iraqi enclaves. In old Baghdad, buildings burn, U.S. tanks patrol, and 11-year-old mechanic scurries amid the rubble to please his intimidating boss. His vulnerable narration betrays relentless fear about safety and heartbreaking efforts to support his family, while the men around him angrily indict the Americans. Then, guided by a young leader in Moqtada Sadr's Shiite revolutionary movement, we proceed south, where young Shiite men hit the streets to enforce religious laws and stage an anti-U.S. uprising. In the northern Kurdish countryside, a farmer, grateful to America for eradicating Saddam, ruminates on the future of his family and people. These indelible, intimate portraits humanize characters and illuminate the textures and tensions of a country wrenched by occupation and pulled in disparate directions by religion and ethnicity. "... a one-man production of startling audacity and aesthetic provocation. ... if Longley's astonishing feat of poetic agitation has a precedent in the entire history of documentary, I'm not aware of it."—Rob Nelson, THE VILLAGE VOICE. ( 92 min ) ^ Top
Sun, Nov 12, 2006 at 6 PM	BOMBHUNTERS DIRECTOR: SKYE FITZGERALD PORTLAND, OR Between 1968 and 1973 over 20 million bombs, cluster munitions and landmines (UXO) were dropped on Cambodia. Over 30 years later the Country's economy is weaker than ever and bombs still litter the countryside. Enter: The Bombhunters. Part of a global economy, these individuals clear UXO from their land in order to both protect their families from harm and to make enough money to survive. As Cambodians start to move back into former "areas of conflict" children and adults alike become fatalities in this precarious business. BOMBHUNTERS examines the social, cultural, and historical context and experiences of rural villagers who seek out and dismantle UXO to sell the scrap metal for profit. Fitzgerald's documentary tells the story of a people affected daily by a war that many in the US consider history. The film also draws connections to other post-conflict nations around the world as their citizens continue to grapple with residual, persistent effects of war, and the complex realities of achieving "peace." ( 76 min ) ^ Top
Sun, Nov 12, 2006 at 8 PM Sat, Nov 18, 2006 at 5 PM	MAGIC HOSTESS, THE ELECTRIC CAN OPENER DIRECTOR: ROB TYLER PORTLAND, OR "This eye-opening film is about old school analog appliances, not PDAs. And if you don't like domestic appliances, then you probably wouldn't like the featured product either, Mr. T's super hot chili!"–SS. ( 3 min ) ^ Top
Sun, Nov 12, 2006 at 8 PM Sat, Nov 18, 2006 at 5 PM	FALLEN DIRECTOR: RYAN JEFFERY PORTLAND, OR A dreamy fantastical meeting of human and machine in an overcast landscape that only suggestively speculates on the consequences of their interaction. ( 7 min ) ^ Top
Sun, Nov 12, 2006 at 8 PM Sat, Nov 18, 2006 at 5 PM	THE MOMENT DIRECTOR: MELINDA HRANCHUK,KATIE CHIPPERFIELD,GARY WOODWARD GALIANO ISLAND,BC One man's journey to make peace with a life-altering experience reveals the Zen path out of nihilism. ( 10 min ) ^ Top
Sun, Nov 12, 2006 at 8 PM Sat, Nov 18, 2006 at 5 PM	STYROFOAM INTERIOR DIRECTOR: JAMES HORN PORTLAND, OR Created as a music video for an Austrian fuzzy box recording artist Horn toys with urban images to find correlations. ( 3 min ) ^ Top
Sun, Nov 12, 2006 at 8 PM Sat, Nov 18, 2006 at 5 PM	WALK FOR WALK DIRECTOR: AMY LOCKHART VANCOUVER, BC A parade of weird and wacky creatures walk themselves straight into trouble but always find a way out of their animated landscape. Lockhart created over 1000 hand-painted paper cut-outs and puppets, and hand drawn and painted backgrounds. ( 10 min ) ^ Top
Sun, Nov 12, 2006 at 8 PM Sat, Nov 18, 2006 at 5 PM	24 SECONDS DIRECTOR: LINDA KLIEWER PORTLAND, OR "With an atmospheric indifference, 24 SECONDS, illustrates how social injustice permeates the very architecture of the everyday."–SS. ( 7 min ) ^ Top
Sun, Nov 12, 2006 at 8 PM Sat, Nov 18, 2006 at 5 PM	FLIGHT DIRECTOR: ANDREW ALLEN PORTLAND, OR Evoking both soaring wonder and disquieting fear, Flight offers a short history of aviation. ( 2 min ) ^ Top
Sun, Nov 12, 2006 at 8 PM Sat, Nov 18, 2006 at 5 PM	AN APPETITE FOR BERNARD BRADY DIRECTOR: CHRIS MANGANO BOZEMAN, MT "A strangely gruesome paean to that old saw 'you are what you eat,' Mangano's film about an ordinary guy with very exotic appetites is as tasteless as it is well-seasoned and served."–SS. ( 15 min ) ^ Top
Sun, Nov 12, 2006 at 8 PM Sat, Nov 18, 2006 at 5 PM	CLOCKS DIRECTOR: MARK HEWES BOISE, ID "Hewes doesn't make a wrong move in this crisp clockwork collage—he doesn't have time to." ( 11 min ) ^ Top
Sun, Nov 12, 2006 at 8 PM Sat, Nov 18, 2006 at 5 PM	CHEST WOUND DIRECTOR: PAULA WENTWORTH PORTLAND, OR A father and daughter reconnect after his major heart surgery in this stark and personal portrait of love, frustration, and family isolation. ( 6 min ) ^ Top
Sun, Nov 12, 2006 at 8 PM Sat, Nov 18, 2006 at 5 PM	DISCONNECTED DIRECTOR: KARL LIND PORTLAND, OR In this stylized story of devotion and tragedy, a woman waits by a phone while a million tiny hearts break. ( 5 min ) ^ Top
Sun, Nov 12, 2006 at 8 PM Sat, Nov 18, 2006 at 5 PM	PUSH FOR SIGNAL DIRECTOR: ANDREW ALLEN PORTLAND, OR Dynamic animation splashes adrenalin into this short take of a man dodging the urban stampede to rescue his buddy in peril. ( 1 min ) ^ Top
Sun, Nov 12, 2006 at 8 PM Sat, Nov 18, 2006 at 5 PM	THE NEXT BREATH DOWN DIRECTOR: SAMANTHA SIMMONDS VANCOUVER, BC Ted and Naomi explore the tedious highs and lows of being 17 and the wisdom of making lovers of friends. ( 13 min ) ^ Top
Mon, Nov 13, 2006 at 6 PM	WORKSHOP: JUMPSTART YOUR CAREER IN FILM & VIDEO INSTRUCTOR: MORRIE WARSHAWSKI Just as corporations, small businesses and community organizations must establish and periodically revise mission statements and business strategies to grow and be successful, so must the independent mediamaker. The Film Center is pleased to host a repeat of his workshop which encourages filmvideo makers, whether entry level or mid-career, to look beyond defining themselves in terms of individual projects and develop tools and approaches that support long range career planning. Topics include: creating a personal mission statement; assessing one's financial, artistic and personal goals; marketing oneself with confidence and integrity; promotion tools that work; and how to identify and work with "circles of influence" that will help shape your career. TUITION: $75. ENROLL IN BOTH SHAKING THE MONEY TREE AND JUMPSTART YOUR CAREER FOR $145. To register, call (503) 241-4852. ^ Top
Mon, Nov 13, 2006 at 7 PM	READING BETWEEN THE LINES DIRECTOR: JEFFERSON HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS PORTLAND, OR The Northwest Film Center's Young Filmmakers Program's national model collaboration with Oregon Partnership, Inc. stands out as a dynamic example of how the media arts can make a difference in the lives of individual youth, and help them facilitate public involvement in their local communities. Last year, with support from the US office of Substance Abuse Prevention, more than 30 Jefferson High School teens had the opportunity to work with independent filmmaker Sue Arbuthnot in creating an original film about the public's misconceptions about their struggling inner-city campus. Tonight, with many of the young filmmakers in attendance, we celebrate their achievements as student scriptwriters, videographers and interviewers, and acknolwedge the important contributions they are making to the community development field in Portland and beyond. FREE ADMISSION ( 45 min ) ^ Top
Mon, Nov 13, 2006 at 8 PM	KILLINGSWORTH DIRECTOR: TOM OLSEN PORTLAND, OR Anthony Branch Jr. was described as a smart, likeable, talkative kid with a mile-wide grin and a halo of soft curls; also known as "lil' smurf" he was responsible for more gang rumblings in the 1990's in Portland than anyone else. Killingsworth recounts the story of "lil' smurf" in an attempt to understand factors that led to a life of gang violence, drugs, theft and death at the age of 20. Interviews with old school teachers, councilors, family, gang friends, and policemen are compiled to investigate the life of this notorious gangster. What went wrong? Who is to blame? Where does the system fail and what does it tell us about how our society deals with those whose best options are crime and violence? Olsen's detailed chronicle paints a portrait that played out in Portland and continues to across the country. ( 100 min ) ^ Top
Tue, Nov 14, 2006 at 8:45 PM	THE HEART OF THE GAME DIRECTOR: WARD SERRILL SEATTLE, WA Filmed over the course of six years, this emotional rollercoaster of a story will get your heart pumping and your mind reeling at the power and inspiration a mentor can have on focusing young lives. When college tax-law professor Bill Resler became the coach of Seattle's Roosevelt High School's Girl's Basketball Team, no one had any idea what would lie in store. Resler's unorthodox style of celebrating each girl's individual style and unique spirit, coupled with his unique ability to bond with his charges, make them champions on and off the court. HEART OF THE GAME is a dramatic story of how one man's lessons of self-esteem, confidence and compassion play out in the game of life. "Intimate, funny, moving and incredibly rousing—even if you're allergic to sports movies."—THE OREGONIAN. "If you or any kid over the age of 10 has even a half-interest in the definition of the word "teamwork," as well as the words "real-life suspense," this is the movie."—CHICAGO TRIBUNE. ( 102 min ) ^ Top
Wed, Nov 15, 2006 at 6:30 PM	APART FROM THAT DIRECTOR: RANDY WALKER, JENNIFER SHAININ MT. VERNON, WA "After receiving rave reviews at a number of American festivals—South by Southwest, Seattle, CineVegas—this assured debut feature is on its way to becoming a cult classic. Set in the Pacific Northwest, it's a quietly compelling look at the mysteries of ordinary suburban lives, distinguished by its unusually inclusive view of American society as a multi-racial milieu. It begins at a party, at which five different characters are introduced—some eccentric, all fascinating—and the film follows each of them through the subsequent 24 hours, leading up to Halloween. Comparisons have been drawn to Miranda July's ME AND YOU AND EVERYONE WE KNOW, as well as to the works of American pioneers like John Cassavetes and Jim Jarmusch. But ultimately, this subtle, poetic and utterly assured first feature is like nothing else around. Catch it now."—EDINBURGH INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL ( 120 min ) ^ Top
Wed, Nov 15, 2006 at 8:45 PM	WHO IS BOZO TEXINO? DIRECTOR: BILL DANIELS PORTLAND, OR Daniel's gritty film, shot little by little on a 16-year, 14-state journey, is as kinetic and raggedly beautiful as the trains he hopped to make it. Daniel uncovers a century-old tradition of hobo and rail worker graffiti and includes interviews with some of the railroad's greatest graffiti legends: Colossus of Roads, The Rambler, Herby (RIP) and the granddaddy of them all, Bozo Texino, whose ubiquitous simple sketch of a blank-staring character with an infinity-shaped hat has been seen on railcars for over 80 years. Daniel rode freight trains across the West carrying a Super-8 sound camera and a 16mm Bolex, interviewing tramps and brakemen. During his quest he discovered the roots of a folkloric tradition that has gone mostly unnoticed for a century. Taking inspiration from Beat artists Robert Frank and Jack Kerouac, the film functions both as a sub-cultural documentary and a stylized fable on wanderlust, outsider identity, and escape. "I was drawn to the subject by the graffiti impulse and the classic, corny, universal notion of freight train blues escape."—BD. ( 55 min ) ^ Top
Thu, Nov 16, 2006 at 7 PM	YELLOW DIRECTOR: NICK PETERSON PORTLAND, OR Portland filmmaker Nick Peterson has received critical acclaim and attention for his nearly silent shorts, including ONE, TWO, and THREE. In this, his first feature length film, not only do his characters speak, they sing. Shot and edited on 16 mm, the film is a free form narrative that follows Natalie (Nora Ryan) as she attempts to sort out her ideas of love, sex and communication within her relationships with her boyfriend Matt (Eric Schopmeyer, of local documentary group Archipelago fame) and her best friend Christian (Nico Izambard). Inspired by the saucy musical comedies of Ernst Lubitsch made in the early years of sound cinema, the music springs up in the course of life. YELLOW features original music and lyrics written by Schopmeyer and recorded live on set with an ensemble of local-area musicians. ( 93 min ) ^ Top
Thu, Nov 16, 2006 at 8:45 PM	THE SCORE DIRECTOR: KIM COLLIER VANCOUVER, BC Looking at humanity through DNA is like looking at the notes of a musical score—one note can change the entire piece. Dr. Lynn Magnusson is the head scientist at an under funded lab for genetic research. Professionally, she is in a race to isolate a cancer-causing gene before a rival lab in Paris. Emotionally, she is worried about her own DNA that potentially carries the Huntington's gene that killed her mother. In the space above her is a musical composer who's score reflects Dr. Magnusson's life, playing the minor and major chords as appropriate. Told with humor, music, and dance, THE SCORE transforms the scientific ideas explored in the world of the laboratory into universal themes of human identity, freedom and creation. "Adapted for the screen from the Electric Company Theatre's Jessie Award winning stage-play, the film combines whimsical entertainment with scientific theory . . . that you'll leave the theatre contemplating difficult questions while still humming fun-loving tunes like 'Ladder of Love' and 'Collaboration' make it a uniquely entertaining treat."—VANCOUVER INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL. ( 84 min ) ^ Top
Fri, Nov 17, 2006 at 7 PM	QUEENS OF HEART: COMMUNITY THERAPISTS IN DRAG DIRECTOR: JAN HAAKEN, WENDY KOHN PORTLAND, OR Welcome to Darcell XV, the oldest drag club in the United States and a rite-of-passage pilgrimage for bachelorettes from all over the Northwest. Darcelle (Walter Cole), the owner and the main attraction, has performed there for over 30 years and is a Portland institution. But Darcelle and her other performers are more than just entertainers. For many, her club is a way for people to enter a world where they leave society's rules and genders restrictions at the door, where for a few hours they can act as they never would in their day-to-day life. Haaken, a Professor of Psychology at Portland State University with interests in feminist and psychoanalytic cultural studies, insightfully explores audiences' reactions to the club and what that says about our society. From the girl's gone wild to guys that nervously squirm as they laugh, the Darcelle experience provokes telling responses that obviously hit chords not otherwise played. ( 84 min ) ^ Top
Sat, Nov 18, 2006 at 3 PM	DARK WATER RISING: THE TRUTH ABOUT HURRICANE KATRINA ANIMAL RESCUES DIRECTOR: MIKE SHILEY PORTLAND, OR In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina we've heard about the hardships facing the people, the infrastructure, the repair and blame, but it is sometimes the problems that you don't hear about that are the most tragic. Shiley investigates one of these tragedies: the over 50,000 pets that were left behind to face the Hurricane as citizens evacuated New Orleans. Many dogs and cats were left chained to trees or stuck in houses for over a month, in many cases with no food or water. However, not everyone forgot about the animals. Courageous men and women came from all over the country—veterinarians, Humane Society staff and renegade rescuers alike—to risk their lives in toxic search and rescue. Told with an unflinching eye DARK WATER RISING is "a way we can testify that the lives of our animals are entwined with our own-and that those lives matter."—Debra Woods, THE OREGONIAN. ( 75 min ) ^ Top
Sat, Nov 18, 2006 at 8 PM	THE BURDEN DIRECTOR: ANDREW BLUBAUGH PORTLAND, OR In 2001 Blubaugh's dad sent him the camera that his mother had used to take their family pictures, with a roll of film left inside. In a series of speculative vignettes, the filmmaker presents three possible outcomes to this situation, exploring our obligation to memorialize the dead. ( 7 min ) ^ Top
Sat, Nov 18, 2006 at 8 PM	HELLO, THANKS DIRECTOR: ANDREW BLUBAUGH PORTLAND, OR Weaving interviews and off the cuff commentary with reenactments and text, the film tells the story of Blubaugh's year in the personal ads, looking for romance but having his true love affair with the words themselves. ( 8 min ) ^ Top
Sat, Nov 18, 2006 at 8 PM	TWO DIRECTOR: NICK PETERSON PORTLAND, OR Peterson's chronology of a stagnant relationship; one member becomes disillusioned and withdraws socially. ( 11 min ) ^ Top
Sat, Nov 18, 2006 at 8 PM	MUSICAL OFFERING DIRECTOR: NICK PETERSON PORTLAND, OR ( 7 min ) ^ Top
Sat, Nov 18, 2006 at 8 PM	HORSE DIRECTOR: ZAK MARGOLIS PORTLAND, OR In this final episode of Margolis' "moustache" series, we find the man and his "son" have moved away from the sea, far from their troubles. However, the man continues to harbor the dark secret about the boy's true identity and in the end, the two are cast into a lifetime of suffering. ^ Top
Sat, Nov 18, 2006 at 8 PM	MOONBABIES DIRECTOR: ZAK MARGOLIS PORTLAND, OR Margolis' MOONBABIES explores the lives and family history of twins who are violently separated at birth. Their adventures and longing teach us something about ourselves and our relationship to the natural world. ^ Top
Sat, Nov 18, 2006 at 8 PM	SCAREDYCAT DIRECTOR: ANDREW BLUBAUGH PORTLAND, OR From Blubaugh's obsessive manipulation of objects to larger questions of race and justice, SCAREDYCAT examines the role that fear plays in the lives of the most safe and secure human beings to have ever lived. ( 15 min ) ^ Top
Sat, Nov 18, 2006 at 8 PM	GLASSHALFEMPTY SHORTS: BEARD, FOOD, & INTERNET DIRECTOR: ANDREW BLUBAUGH PORTLAND, OR Three charmingly neurotic dispatches from Andy Blubaugh's new website, liftwithyourback.com, with live accompaniment from Babydollars. ^ Top