VISITING ARTIST—“How bad could it be?” Inspired by a flippant remark about the treatment of prisoners at Guantanamo Bay, British Columbian filmmaker A.J. Bond (HIRSUTE) made a bet with close friend and longtime collaborator actor David Amito to see which of them could withstand a week of psychological torture at the hands of the other. Shot in an avant-garde “torture chamber” in an isolated warehouse under the supervision of associate producer Marguerite Moreau, what begins as a bizarre and darkly humorous reality TV scenario gradually spirals out of control, testing the limits of their friendship and exposing an unsettling connection between filmmaking and torture. (79 mins.) 

Director A.J. Bond and producer Amy Belling will be in attendance for a post-film Q&A.

VISITING ARTISTS—Sean and Christof Whiteman are brothers who have been making smart and irreverent short and feature–length comedies for over ten years. Tonight we welcome them for screenings of their work, including THE DISGUSTING LITTLE SHIVER (2007), a comedy about a man with an affliction he can’t seem to shake, and a preview of their forthcoming CHILDHOOD MACHINE (2013), the story of a young inventor intent on creating a device that will produce childhood for him. They’ll also show selections from their Leap Year series: 29 FILMS IN 29 DAYS—in which they completed a film a day in February 2008 and February 2012—as well as several of their short films including SINCERELY, DUNCAN (2006), in which a young man puts forth his feelings in the most romantic of correspondence options, and ALL OPOSSUMS GO TO HELL (2010), in which a recently deceased opossum uses his one phone call. (90 mins.)

Directors Sean and Christof Whiteman will introduce their films.

VISITING ARTIST—In the past century in Haida Gwaii (British Columbia’s Queen Charlotte Islands), commercial logging, over-fishing, and invasive species have compromised the availability of traditionally harvested foods and threatened the long-term viability of these practices. Compounding this ecological damage is the imminent extinction of the Haida language and loss of traditional knowledge. Naanii Mary Swanson, a last speaker, frames this portrait of age-old traditions at risk. Against the spectacular Pacific coastline, her ancient words set the tone for detailed views of modern life, in which the labor of survival—cutting seaweed fronds, pulling salmon from nets, plucking young spruce tips—speaks to timeless rhythms, sacred ritual, and the power of food and nature to sustain a culture. (70 mins.)

Director Benjamin Greené will be in attendance for a post-film Q&A.

VISITING ARTIST—Eugene filmmaker Henry Weintraub’s (THE DARKEST CORNER OF PARADISE) new feature follows fame-obsessed Aaron Schwartz, who has finally figured out the surefire way to notoriety—becoming an infamous serial killer. The only problem is that he lacks the killer instinct—he couldn’t hurt a flea. As the years roll by, he drifts into the malaise of responsible adulthood, and his dark desires become more and more faint until a real serial killer comes to town and Aaron seizes the opportunity to learn a few tips from an expert. “Fiercely independent, with a dark sense of humor... [Weintraub’s] end goal isn’t fame and fortune but the satisfaction of making the movie he wants to.”—Eugene Weekly. (73 mins.)

Director Henry Weintraub will be in attendance for a post-film Q&A.

Students, friends, prospective Northwest Film Center School of Film attendees, and film lovers at large are invited to this special screening of short films created by students in last Winter and Spring Terms’ classes. Ranging from first films to more ambitious productions by intermediate and advanced students, they share in common the mentoring and collaboration received at the School—and the willingness of their makers (all students are invited to screen) to have their work shown on the big screen and presented to a live audience. Join in congratulating them on this important step in their continuing journey toward self-expression. It’s a wonderful moment in the learning process and perhaps an inkling of what you might be able to accomplish at the School if media making is your calling. (90 mins.)

Free admission.

VISITING ARTIST—Independent feature filmmaking in Seattle is flourishing, led by filmmakers like Megan Griffiths (THE OFF HOURS) who are finding national audiences. In her new film, an electrifying thriller inspired by true events, Jamie Chung (THE HANGOVER, THE MAN WITH THE IRON FISTS) stars as Hyun Jae, a young Korean-American girl abducted and forced into prostitution by a human and drug trafficking ring. Renamed “Eden” by her kidnappers, she soon learns the only way to survive is to earn the trust of those in charge: Bob Gault, a corrupt US Marshal (Beau Bridges), and his assistant Vaughan (Matt O’Leary), a disturbed young man battling demons of his own. But as Eden’s influence within the operation grows, she must decide just how much of herself she’s willing to lose to survive. (98 mins.)

Director Megan Griffiths will be available by Skype for a post-film Q&A.

VISITING ARTIST—Co-owner of Keen Motion Pictures in Portland, Sage Eaton is dedicated to telling stories about the people who live here. In FACTORY OF ONE, we meet John, an engineer by trade who has been amassing a small factory full of tools for one purpose: to build the most amazing structure Burning Man has ever seen. Starting in January with the planning and leading all the way up until the night before he leaves Portland for the desert, John spends almost all of his free time working on his huge steel project named Emerald City. As the measuring, cutting, welding, and drilling commence, John faces challenges, setbacks, and hurdles that threaten his journey. But he will ultimately make the trip to Black Rock City on his terms and present his monument to the world. (58 mins.)

Director Sage Eaton will be in attendance for a post-film Q&A.

VISITING ARTISTS—While the celebrated University of Oregon men’s track and field team dominated the spotlight, the women’s track program in Eugene strove to break new ground just as Title IX was presenting new challenges and opportunities for universities across the country. Weaving personal interviews, never-before-seen event footage, and a historical view of the women athletes at Oregon, WE GREW WINGS is a story of camaraderie, teamwork, struggles, and triumphs as it showcases the evolution between generations. Featuring such athletes as Leann Warren, Quenna Beasley, Claudette Groenendaal, and Grace Bakari, a compelling story emerges of women who faced it all to be champions. (81 mins.)

Directors Sarah Henderson and Erich Lyttle and producer Ellen Schmidt-Devlin will be in attendance for a post-film Q&A.

VISITING ARTIST—Over the course of six years, Jackie Weissman brought her camera into the lives of three indie rockers who also happen to be mothers: Kristin Hersh of Throwing Muses, Zia McCabe of The Dandy Warhols, and hiphop artist Ms. Su’ad. The film takes us into their daily lives as they wrestle with economic instability, the rigors of touring with children, and “normalizing” home life, all interwoven with the blood, sweat, and personal fulfillment they find in performing. In the course of the film, Hersh loses her tour bus and her savings; McCabe wants a second child but realizes she doesn’t have the childcare to support that choice; and Su’ad, a single mom, tries to make ends meet during the day while performing at night. “It is a mixture that is not the glamorous life we imagine when we think of rock musicians—it’s the reality.”—South by Southwest Festival. (60 mins.)

Director Jackie Weissman will be in attendance for a post-film Q&A.