NY Premier on June 11 of ON THE DOLL – a film by Thomas Mignone

Award winning filmmaker and video director Thomas Mignone’s (, Slipknot, System Of A Down, Sepultura, Testament, Mudvayne) new feature film “ON THE DOLL” is having its New York Premiere Event at The Annex on Wednesday June 11. To celebrate, Miss Derringer (with acclaimed Los Angeles artist Liz McGrath on lead vocals), is performing an exclusive set while on their current tour with Blondie. The film’s soundtrack includes an original score by Paul D’Amour (TOOL), and new music by The Crystal Method, Miss Derringer, Otep, Feersum Ennjin (Paul’s new band), and The Black Heart Procession.

“ON THE DOLL” will be screening at the ultra cool and indie fave Village East Cinema starting on Friday the 13th (of course!!!). It is an intense and provocative drama dealing with themes of child abuse and victimization. The title comes from the phrase asked of children to “Show me on the doll where you were touched”.

It has just been invited to screen at the 25th Anniversary of the prestigious Avignon Film Festival in France at the end of this month, and it was introduced as “the darkest film ever screened” at the Austin Film Festival. It stars Brittany Snow in a very unexpected and risque role as a vengeful prostitute. It also stars Candice Accola (“Juno”), Josh Janowicz (“The Chumscrubber”), and Theresa Russell.

Miss Derringer goes on at 10:30pm. The Annex is located at 152 Orchard St. (between Rivington and Stanton St.) in the Lower East Side of NYC.

The Village East Cinema is located at 181 – 189 2nd Ave. also on the Lower East Side.

You can check out some tastefully daring and racy scenes from “ON THE DOLL” at www.onthedoll.com

THE AMERICAN CINEMATHEQUE PRESENTS RECENT SPANISH CINEMA 14, FEATURING 12 FEATURES AND 3 SHORT FILMS OVER 7 NIGHTS, INCLUDING 8 U.S. PREMIERES OF NEW FILMS FROM SPAIN WITH FILMMAKERS IN PERSON

Presented in collaboration with the Instituto de la Cinematografía y de las Artes Audiovisuales (ICAA) of the Spanish Ministry of Culture, EGEDA and the Spanish Institute for Foreign Trade, ICEX and Consulate General of Spain in Los Angeles.

June 12 – 22, 2008

Recent Spanish Cinema XIV

An Egyptian Theatre exclusive!

Presented in collaboration with the Instituto de la Cinematografía y de las Artes Audiovisuales (ICAA) of the Spanish Ministry of Culture, EGEDA and the Spanish Institute for Foreign Trade, ICEX and Consulate General of Spain in Los Angeles.

With the support of ELMA

This year Spanish Cinema received more international recognition with the popular success of Juan Antonio Bayona’s THE ORPHANAGE (EL ORFANATO). But there are even more Spanish films out there to amaze you! We’ll be showing Goya Award winners, Jaime Rosales’ SOLITARY FRAGMENTS (LA SOLEDAD) (Best Picture, Director and New Actor), Emilio Martínez Lázaro’s 13 ROSES (LAS 13 ROSAS) (Best Supporting Actor and Cinematography) and Gracia Querejeta’s SEVEN BILLIARD TABLES (SIETE MESAS DE BILLAR FRANCÉS) (Best Actress and Supporting Actress), plus popular festival hits Icíar Bollaín’s MATAHARIS, Julio Medem’s CHAOTIC ANA (CAÓTICA ANA), Rodrigo Plá’s THE ZONE (LA ZONA) and Ventura Pons’ BARCELONA (A MAP) (BARCELONA (UNA MAPA)) — plus more great, recent Spanish cinema! Special guests from various films’ casts and crews will be announced on our website as they are confirmed.

Thursday, June 12 – 7:30 PM
Opening Night – U.S. Premiere
SOLITARY FRAGMENTS (LA SOLEDAD), 2007, The Match Factory/Fresdeval Films, 128 min. Director Jaime Rosales follows the lives of two women, Adela (Sonia Almarcha), a single mother with an infant son, and widow Antonia (Petra Martínez), the mother of three daughters. Their lives change inalterably in the wake of the Madrid terrorist bombings. Winner of Goya Awards for Best Picture, Best Director and Best New Actor (José Luis Torrijo). “Jaime Rosales beautifully consolidates the achievement of his distinguished debut THE HOURS OF THE DAY, with SOLITARY FRAGMENTS, a leisurely but rewardingly intense dual narrative that delicately unpicks the secret lives of women.” – Jonathan Holland, Variety. Preceded by the short: Hwidar Abdelatif’s “Salvador,” (11 min.)

Friday, June 13 – 7:30 PM
Double Feature:
U.S. Premiere: MATAHARIS, 2007, La Iguana/Sogepaq, 95 min. Dir. Icíar Bollaín. Private investigator Inés (María Vázquez) goes undercover as an employee at a multinational corporation having labor problems. Thanks to her new friendship with colleague and union representative Manuel (Diego Martín), she unearths the workers’ tactics. But her subterfuge presents her with a difficult emotional and ethical decision. Eva (Najwa Nimri), just back from maternity leave, juggles work and family obligations when she discovers that her partner, Iñaki (Tristán Ulloa), is hiding something fundamental to their future. Carmen (Nuria González), the most experienced of the three, watches and videotapes Sergio’s (Antonio de la Torre) marital collapse, something that brings her to the realization that her own marriage is disintegrating. “MATAHARIS deals with themes of distrust, false appearances, career vs. principles, not to mention surveillance as cameras surround us more and more. Bollain does this subtly, mixing three intertwining stories that are ultimately far more powerful and interesting for the way they deal with personal themes. So here is a private eye movie that makes us ponder the morality of that eye.” – Graham Keeley, The Hollywood Reporter.

U.S. Premiere: 13 ROSES (LAS 13 ROSAS), 2007, Enrique Cerezo Productions, 132 min. Winner of four Goya Awards, including Best Supporting Actor (José Manuel Cervino) and Best Cinematography (José Luis Alcaine). Goya-nominated director Emilio Martínez Lázaro focuses on the true story of thirteen innocent young women who were imprisoned, then executed at the end of the Spanish Civil War in 1939, allegedly for leftist ties and sympathy for a rumored plot on General Francisco Franco’s life. Actresses Pilar López de Ayala, Marta Etura and Verónica Sánchez stand out in a distinguished cast. 13 ROSES is preceded by the short: Arturo Ruiz’s “Paseo” (12 min.)

Saturday, June 14 – 7:30 PM
Double Feature:
Los Angeles Premiere: CHAOTIC ANA (CAÓTICA ANA), 2007, Sogepaq, 120 min. Inspired by the life and artwork of his own sister who died tragically in 2000, director Julio Medem (SEX AND LUCIA, THE RED SQUIRREL) composes an enthralling portrait of a youthful, free-spirited woman whose life is in constant flux. Is it because of her uncommon sensitivity? Or is it memories of her past lives from bygone eras rising to the surface, lives that all ended at a calamitous young age? Raised in a cave dwelling on the Spanish isle of Ibiza by her iconoclast father, Ana (Manuela Vellés) is recruited to a Madrid arts commune by patron Justine (Charlotte Rampling). But she soon undergoes successive breakdowns as she becomes entranced by the paintings of artist Said (Nicolas Cazalé). Under hypnosis from an American therapist (Asier Newman), Ana regresses to various lives, and her spirit grows accordingly. As the film progresses, Medem transforms the saga into an elliptical, stream-of-consciousness narrative that mesmerizes the audience, culminating in Ana’s outrageous, strikingly effective confrontation with an American politician (Gerrit Graham) in New York City. “A daring journey of self-exploration becomes a dizzying exploration of the history of womankind.” – Jonathan Holland, Variety.

ME (YO), 2007, Fausto Productions, 100 min. First-time director Rafa Cortés makes an impressive debut with this moody, bewildering mystery about identity. Co-writer Álex Brendemühl stars as Hans, a German handyman who goes to work for a boorish German businessman on the island of Majorca. Hans soon discovers that his employer’s previous hireling was also a German named Hans, a man who was universally reviled in the village. One day he disappeared, leaving all his belongings behind. As the oppressive rainy season on the island gets decidedly gloomier, Hans becomes obsessed with the secret of his predecessor. Was the man murdered? Or perhaps a murderer himself? Are there answers to the puzzle? Or are they only the fevered musings of our vulnerable protagonist, a man who may be coming unglued in a Lynchian universe of interchangeable identities? Winner of the 2007 FIPRESCI Prize at the Rotterdam International Film Festival.

Sunday, June 15 – 7:30 PM
Double Feature:
U.S. Premiere: SEVEN BILLIARD TABLES (SIETE MESAS DE BILLAR FRANCÉS), 2007, 113 min. Nominated for ten Goya Awards and winner of two, Best Actress (Maribel Verdú) and Best Supporting Actress (Amparo Baró), director Gracia Querejeta’s drama observes how characters are shaken by the death of a loved one. Angela (Verdú) returns with her young son to visit her dying father, only to arrive after he has expired. She meets her father’s ex-convict girlfriend, Charo (Blanca Portillo), then almost immediately learns her own husband has gone missing after being accused of fraud. With the two grown men in her life now gone, Angela decides to remain in the village and run her late father’s billiards parlor. Laced with humor, Querejeta’s incisive, anecdotal chronicle is a tapestry of interwoven lives, all unexpectedly intersecting due to the passing of one of their own. “–reinforces Gracia Querejeta’s reputation as a purveyor of finely crafted — character-based dramas,–The real star of the show is Portillo, rapidly consolidating her rep as a fine character actor as she explores every cranny of her complex role. Other perfs are well up to scratch — Verdu in particular has become a guarantor of a pic’s quality, and doesn’t disappoint here.” – Jonathan Holland, Variety.

MÁNCORA, 2008, 100 min. Dir. Ricardo de Montreuil. Self-absorbed Santi (Jason Day) is thrown for a loop when his former pop star father commits suicide. With no ties left in Lima, Peru he decides to head north to the beaches of Máncora. His step-sister Ximena (Elsa Pataky) appears from New York unexpectedly and she invites her wealthy husband Inigo (Enrique Murciano) and herself along, developing an explosive triangle of sexual tension. Road-tripping through beach towns bustling with sex, drugs and booze, emotions run high on all sides. “This film boasts an appealing cast, alluring locations and fluent visual style– A taut, stylish drama brimming with heated sex and illicit desire–” – Justin Lowe, The Hollywood Reporter.

Friday, June 20 – 7:30 PM
U.S. Premiere: THE ZONE (LA ZONA), 2007, The Wild Bunch/Morena Films, 97 min. Dir. Rodrigo Plá. During a storm, power goes out in an ultra-secure enclave of middle-class homes in Mexico City. Three teenagers partying in a neighborhood junkyard use a downed pole to climb over the wall on a lark and loot a random house. But things go wrong when the resident fights back, security guards attack and persons on both sides end up dead. The youngest boy Miguel hides, while the residents led by “decent” Daniel (Daniel Giménez Cacho) and brutal Gerardo (Carlos Bardem), organize residents to dispose of the bodies, resist any police investigation and mercilessly hunt the escaped boy. Daniel’s wife (Maribel Verdú) expresses doubts and their idealistic son Alejandro (Daniel Tovar) grows estranged, then disgusted as he witnesses the inhuman actions of not only the adults but his own friends. An uncompromising thriller that delivers a subtle message about the pathetic willingness in the “civilized world” to sacrifice its humanity for a false sense of absolute security. “Twisted values and fear-driven mob madness form the core of Rodrigo Pla’s hard-hitting — impressive feature debut that sweeps the viewer into the horrors of vigilante justice, doing more than simply pitting the haves against the have-nots. Set within an exclusive gated community surrounded by slums in Mexico City, the pic tackles issues of privilege, responsibility and group mentality in subtler ways than descriptions might convey, finishing it all off with a punch.” – Jay Weissberg, Variety

Saturday, June 21 – 7:30 PM
Double Feature:
U.S. Premiere: BARCELONA (A MAP) (BARCELONA (UN MAPA)), 2007, ELS Films De La Rambla S.A., 90 min. Director Ventura Pons zeroes in on five segments, fascinating dialogues between landlord couple Ramon (José Maria Pou) and Rosa (María Núria) and various tenants in their building whom they have decided to evict. But each conversation touches on many other issues besides residency – life in the city, gender identity and politics, loneliness and crime. Filmmaker Pons has a way of making conversations rivetingly cinematic, and his exceptional cast augment his efforts with sterling, moving performances. At the end of the evening, startling revelations are forthcoming that are entirely appropriate. “–a typically thought-provoking item from — Ventura Pons — the script is brilliantly brought to life by a gathering of fine thesps – its deftness of touch and sheer humanity make it surprisingly accessible fare.” – Jonathan Holland, Variety.

U.S. Premiere: SUNDAY LIGHT (LUZ DE DOMINGO), 2007, Nickel Odeon Dos, 111 min. José Luis Garci directs this stirring period melodrama set in early 20th century Spain. Álex González stars as a civil servant who arrives to work in a small village town hall and almost immediately falls for local landowner Alfredo Landa’s daughter (Paula Echeverría). But the community is far from idyllic, with the town lorded over by the family of the authoritarian mayor (Carlos Larranaga). When Gonzalez tries to remain neutral in village politics as his marriage approaches, the couple are punished by the mayor’s brutal sons. Narrated in flashback by one of the main characters, the tragic events unfold in bittersweet glimpses into an era of romantic chivalry, plagued by feudal, still-repressive impulses struggling to assert themselves in a modern age. Double feature preceded by short: Daniel Sanchez’s “Traumalogia” (22 min.)

Sunday, June 22 – 7:30 PM
Double Feature:
SUSO’S TOWER (LA TORRE DE SUSO), 2007, Mediapro, 100 min. Dir. Tom Fernández. When his old friend Suso dies of an overdose, Cundo (Javier Cámara) returns from Argentina to the Asturian mining village for the funeral. There he encounters his parents as well as many old acquaintances, formerly a bunch of hedonistic revelers. When Cundo gets it into his head that drawings Suso left behind are really messages from beyond the grave, directions for the old friends to build a tower in the late Suso’s front yard, he has a hard time convincing anyone. Little by little, though, his persistence unites them in the common task. “–that rare thing in Spanish cinema — an authentically enjoyable comedy. Propelled by a charming central performance by the reliable Javier Cámara –” – Jonathan Holland, Variety.

U.S. Premiere: PEPE SALES: POOR, POOR MEN, WHO ELSE END UP AT THE BOTTOM (PEPE SALES: POBRES, POBRES QUE ELS DONGUIN PEL CUL), 2007, Alguienvolo, 76 min. Pepe Sales was a courageous, groundbreaking folk rock musician and visual artist who irreverently broke down barriers on every front. During the 1980s and early 1990s, Sales provocatively (and often hilariously) thumbed his nose at the status quo of Spanish pop culture and tradition — from religion to homosexuality to freedom of expression to drug-taking hedonism to the pursuit of absolute artistic integrity. Although plagued by legal problems due to his lifestyle and later failing health after contracting HIV/AIDS, the late Sales continued to create startling works of art and music till the very end, maintaining his dark sense of humor to his dying breath. Sales’ friends Lulú Martorelli and Albert Pla directed this astonishing documentary on the life of the late iconoclast. Sales’ career was documented on video and film from the outset, and Martorelli and Pla draw on a wealth of fascinating archival material.

For more info and tickets please visit:

www.americancinematheque.com

Join the L.A. Indymedia Collective for a community screeening of the powerful film:
BASTARDS OF THE PARTY

“Bastards of the Party” which chronicles the history of gangs in Los Angeles including the notorious Bloods and Crips. This film is an important part of recent and no so recent Los Angeles history told from the point of view of a young survivor of the street wars. At 36 years of age and surprised to find himself alive, Cle “Bone” Sloan begins to ask the question:

“WHY ARE WE KILLING EACH OTHER”?

The search for the anwers lead him to, among other places, the Southern California library and to historian Mike Davis. The history that “Bone” uncovers tells the story of the origin of the “Bones” and the “Crips” in Los Angeles and how the gangs arose from the ashes when the “black Panther Party” was destroyed by COINTELPRO.

THIS CRITICAL HISTORY EXPLORES THE WAY SOCIETY DEALS WITH PEOPLE WHO ARE MADE “IRRELEVANT” BY ECONOMIC AND INDUSTRIAL SHIFTS IN SOCIETY. IT ALSO DISCUSSES THE SYMBIOTIC RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE POLICE AND THE GANGS. MEMBERS OF THE BLACK RIDERS WILL ATTEND FOR AN OPEN DISCUSSION AFTER THE FILM.

WHEN: FRIDAY, MAY 16, @7:30 PM

WHERE: CAFE MARIPOSA: 1547 SUNSET BLVD., LOS ANGELES, CA, 90026
1/2 BLOCK EAST OF ECHO PARK AVE. IN ECHO PARK TEL: 213-481-9917
CONTACT: L.A. INDYMEDIA: anna1baila@yahoo.com

http://www.bastardsoftheparty.net/

Zeitgeist, the Movie is a 2007 web film produced by Peter Joseph that presents a number of conspiracy theories related to Christianity, the attacks of 9/11, and the Federal Reserve Bank. It was released free online via Google Video in June of 2007. A remastered version was presented as a global premiere on November 10, 2007 at the 4th Annual Artivist Film Festival & Artivist Awards.

A defying and pulverizing documentary that will leave you cold. A powerful propaganda film or simply an elaborated prank? You are to be the judge. The fact of the matter is that since it’s release in June 2006 in Google video millions of people, have been hammered on the head with big questions such as christianity, empowerment, goverment hidden agendas, terrorism and war as one of the most lucrative business. Well, that what this film is all about. Zeitgeist is originally a German expression that means “the spirit of the age”, literally translated as “time (Zeit) spirit (Geist)”. It describes the intellectual and cultural climate of an era. In German, the word has more layers of meaning than the English translation, including the fact that Zeitgeist can only be observed for past events.

Zeitgeist, produced by Peter Joseph, as he states on his website “was created as a nonprofit filmiac expression to inspire people to start looking at the world from a more critical perspective and to understand that very often things are not what the population at large think they are. The information in Zeitgeist was established over a year long period of research and the current Source page on this site lists the basic sources used / referenced and the Interactive Transcript includes exact source references and further information.”

The author warns the novice spectator not to take his word for granted and grunt in desbelief by doing their own research throwing the lines “Now, it’s important to point out that there is a tendency to simply disbelieve things that are counter to our understanding, without the necessary research performed.”

“That being said, It is my hope that people will not take what is said in the film as the truth, but find out for themselves, for truth is not told, it is realized” There you go, so go ahead and watch the film, then come to your own conclusions. All in all you’re just another brick in the wall. Coming up is what it’s being called Z Day a worldwide effort to screen the film in March 15, 2008.

http://www.zeitgeistmovie.com/

Witchery, demons, dragons, prophets, oracles, gods, godesses, the eternal battle between good and evil. Light against darkness. First It was J. K. Rowling with her Harry Potter saga, then the Chronicles of Narnia, now comes The Golden Compass, a fictional movie starring Nicole Kidman based on a book written by Phillip Pullman. The catch? well Pullman’s work is considered the most “dangerous” of England, says who? of course, the hordes of christians that describe his books as an “attempt against god”.

This is what precisely this movie is all about and before going any further, read the text below, then go see the movie and get your own conclusions. Since when we cannot have an idea of your own, question “god” existence? debate the information that for centuries has been passed down from generation to generation. Is this movie a threat to cristiniaty?, of course not. Come on people. This is well established business for years to come. Look what happened to “The DaVinci’s Code” Nothing! The movie opens december 7 and obviously raids of good christians will try to boycott the film, but worry not, New Line Cinema will release the DVD soon loaded with bunch of featuretes and behind the scenes footage.

“The Golden Compass” is set to premier on December 7, during the Christmas season, and will probably be heavily advertised. This movie is based on a the first book of a trilogy by atheist Philip Pullman. In the final book a boy and girl kill God so they can do “as they please”. Pullman left little doubt about his intentions when he said in a 2003 interview that “My books are about killing God. He has even stated that he wants to “kill God in the minds of children”.

The movie is a watered down version of the first book and is designed to be very attractive in the hope unsuspecting parents will take their children to see the movie and that the children will want the books for Christmas.

The movie has been described as “atheism for kids” and is based on the first book of a trilogy entitled “His Dark Materials” that was written by Phillip Pullman. Pullman is a militant atheist and secular humanist who despises C. S. Lewis and the “Chronicles of Narnia”. His motivation for writing this trilogy was specifically to counteract Lewis’ symbolisms of Christ that are portrayed in the Narnia series.

“Clearly, Pullman’s main objective is to bash Christianity and promote atheism”. Isn’t religion promoting christianity as well? It has been said of Pullman that he is “the writer the atheists would be praying for, if atheists prayed.” Well atheist of the world thank Pullman for bringing the debate to the table. The battle has just begun. Is your faith good enough?

excerpts obtained from snopes

The DANCEonFILM FESTIVAL is partnering with the Dance Films Association of New York, SDSU School of Music and Dance and the Tijuana Cultural Center.

Friday Nov 2, 2007
7:30pm @ SDSU
Only $10

Visit website for program notes and to watch a trailer:

http://dancefilmfestival.com/

10 EXPERIMENTAL SHORT DANCE FILMS

Friday November 2, 7:30 P.M.
San Diego State University Studio Theatre
Tickets Sold at Door: $10 General Admission, $8 Students

Saturday November 3, 6:00 P.M. & 8:00 P.M.
Tijuana Cultural Center
Admission Free

10 CORTOS DE VIDEODANZA EXPERIMENTAL

Viernes 2 de Noviembre a las 7:30 P.M.
San Diego State University Studio Theatre
Admisión General $10 Dólares, $8 Estudiantes

Sábado 3 de Noviembre 6:00 P.M., 8:00 P.M.
Tijuana Cultural Center
Entrada Libre

http://dancefilmfestival.com/

The September/October seminar slate includes NAVIGATING FILM FESTIVALS (September 23 & 26, 2007) and Creating A More Visually Comprehensive Cinema (October 26 & 28, 2007), bothwith independent film consultant and festival programmer Thomas Ethan Harris. Additional seminars will be announced at a later date.
All seminars are at the Spielberg Theatre at the historic Egyptian (6712 Hollywood Boulevard between Highland and Las Palmas) in Hollywood.

Special Ticket Prices: $20 General Admission; $15 Student/Senior and $12 Cinematheque Members.Guests subject to availability.

Tickets available through www.fandango.com

NAVIGATING FILM FESTIVALS SEMINAR

Sunday, September 23, 2007:

Egyptian (Spielberg) Theatre
The Sunday, September 23rd program is “Navigating Film Festivals,” a 2:30 PM – 5:30 PM Seminar. For most emerging filmmakers, the goal of launching a film on the festival circuit begins with one ultimate dream: SUNDANCE! But what lies beyond Sundance for you and your film? In this interactive forum/discussion/seminar, presented just in time for “festival season,” film festival programmer/film consultant Thomas Ethan Harris offers filmmakers practical skills to navigating the world of film festivals to maximum effect. What are the most significant film festivals and showcases you should be considering right now before that ultimate Sundance dream fades and you are stuck with a very good film andno place to show it? Topics to be discussed will include: A survey of both the world’s and the United States’ most important film festivals. A breakdown and discussion of what particular film festival’s are looking for and what individual festivals respond to as they build their yearly list of selected films. (The genres, tones, filmic styles, running times that most interest individual film festivals.) How to strategize the best festival release for your particular film. The growing importance of community and genre film festivals to your film. The design and importance of your film’s press kit and key art. The where, whens and hows of submitting your film. A list of film festivals to AVOID and why! AND — Secret “insider tips” on submitting your film to help you get selected!

Thomas Ethan Harris has served as the Director Of Programming for numerous organizations and non-profits including the Los Angeles Film Festival, the Palm Springs International Festival of Short Films and the Palm Springs Cultural Center where he currently serves as Artistic Director. The experience of overseeing these selection committees has given Harris a unique insight into the contemporary world of film festivals. Whether you are currently submitting your film to festivals or whether you are in production on your film or even if you are just prepping your first film, EVERYONE is encourage to attend this insightful, stimulating and empowering discussion of film festivals and film festival release strategizing. Tickets: $20 General Admission; $15 Student/Senior and $12 Cinematheque Members.

NAVIGATING FILM FESTIVALS

Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Egyptian (Spielberg) Theatre
The Wednesday, September 26th program is a repeat program of the NAVIGATING FILM FESTIVALS seminar. It will take place 7:30 PM – 10:30 PM Seminar. See above 9/23 for description.

Creating A More Visually Comprehensive Cinema

Thursday, October 25, 2007 | Egyptian (Spielberg) Theatre

The Thursday, October 25th program is Creating A More Visually Comprehensive Cinema, a 7:30 PM – 10:30 PM Seminar. Film festival programmer/film consultant/film producer Thomas Ethan Harris will offers insights into how filmmakers can create a more visually comprehensive cinema in this interactive forum/discussion designed to empower emerging filmmakers with greater artistic knowledge of how to achieve the visual and aural potential of cinema. Harris will discuss how and why it is important to your immediate career to move beyond the most basic forms of cinematic language and into a highly creative arena where all the visual/aural elements involved in the design of cinema (Mise-en-scene, the Close-Up, the long take, color schemes, editing, sound design, production design etc.) are used more completely to create deeper thematic meanings and to build complex character delineation. Film clips and close textual analysis of films will be used to inspire an open dialogue with the audience.

Harris will also address why it is important for new filmmakers to begin to think more carefully and rigorously about their images and the necessity of creating a more intricate, complex and personally realized cinema. It is time to get back in touch with your creative visual instincts!

The experience of watching over 16,000 independent features (and even more shorts!) in the last ten years, has given Harris a unique insight into the contemporary world of independent filmmaking. Harris will also be discussing the current trends (in narrative, character, visualization…) on the Independent film circuit, how to move beyond them and what lies ahead in the immediate future for a new generation film artists.

Creating A More Visually Comprehensive Cinema

Sunday, October 28, 2007 | Egyptian (Spielberg) Theatre

The Sunday, October 28th program is repeat program of the Creating A More Visually Comprehensive Cinema, a 2:30 PM – 5:30 PM Seminar. See above 10/25 for description.

THE PROGRAM IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE.

Updates at www.americancinematheque.com

Thomas Ethan Harris Biography
Thomas Ethan Harris holds a Masters Degree in World Film History/Film Theory and Criticism from the University of Southern California, School of Cinema-Television. From 1996-2002 Thomas served as Director of Programming/Co-Creator of the highly regarded Los Angeles Film Festival (LAFF). Under his guidance, the Los Angeles Film Festival introduced such films as THE CRUISE (Artisan), THE CHATEAU (IFC), DEAD MAN (Miramax), GEORGE WASHINGTON (Cowboy), KAATERSKILL FALLS (IFC), BETTER LIVING THROUGH CIRCUITRY (Palm Pictures), THE LIFESTYLE (Sony Classics) and KISSING

JESSICA STEIN (Fox Searchlight). He is credited with having introduced to the film world such acclaimed contemporary filmmakers as Academy Award nominee Bennett Miller (CAPOTE), New York Film Critics Circle Prize Winner, David Gordan Green (ALL THE REAL GIRLS), Charles Wurmfeld (KISSING JESSICA STEIN) and Thomas Bezucha (THE FAMILY STONE). Also in 1995, Mr. Harris founded (with Margot Gerber) and programmed the American Cinematheque’s critically acclaimed, on-going screening series, THE ALTERNATIVE SCREEN. The Alternative Screen, which celebrated its 10th Anniversary in 2005, focuses on cinema that is more expressive in its narrative dimensions and more formally challenging than most American film work today. Upon leaving LAFF in late 2002, Mr. Harris was selected as one of Variety’s “TOP 10 Industry Professionals to Watch” in the American Independent Film arena. Mr. Harris has served as a jury member to countless film festivals and as the Director Of Programming to both the Palm Springs International Festival of Short Films (2003-4) and the Palm Springs Native American and Indigenous Peoples Film Festival (2005-present). Most recently, Mr. Harris has offered his talents as a curator and a consultant/film festival creator to the International Emerging Talent Film Festival in Monte Carlo, Monaco, which had its film festival debut in May 2007. Currently Mr. Harris serves as the co-creator and Artistic Director of the Palm Springs Cultural Center which focuses on emerging talent in all realms of the arts. Since 2003, Mr. Harris has owned and operated his own successful Los Angeles-based consulting business which works closely with a variety of film artists and producers from all over the United States and the international film community in all aspects of film financing, film production, screenwriting, film direction and visualization. Harris’ company was founded with the principle that we have yet to see the potential of cinema and we must secure a way for a new generation of film artists and for new filmic expressions. Among his many clients are filmmakers from Argentina, China, England, France, Norway, Uruguay, and the United States and such motion pictures as THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT, BIG EDEN, KISSING JESSICA STEIN, ADIOS MOMO, Disney’s 2004 Oscar-nominated Salvador Dali/Walt Disney short DESTINO, TWO SOLDIERS, winner of the 2004 Academy Award for “Best Live Action Short Film” and RYAN, winner of the 2005 Academy Award for “Best Animated Short Film”.

There are approximately 30 million surveillance cameras in the United States capturing covert images of average Americans as much as 200 times a day. As they watch in department stores, gas stations, changing rooms and public bathrooms, seemingly no one, nowhere are free from the vigilance of the hidden camera. The award- winning film LOOK, takes you into this exposed environment through several interlacing storylines that are expanded over the course of a week in a random city — with all action experienced through the dispassionate eyes of security cameras.

Many films have tried to reproduce the freaky, claustrophobic vibe (a la 1984) of a watchful society. LOOK gets it right. Writer/director Adam Rifkin shows uncanny skill at creating a new world inside our dirty little real world. Secret liaisons, scary killers, seductive teens, slacker workers-the root of all conspiracy isn’t who or what lies unseen behind the lens, but what is seen through it.

Rifkin balances intertwined plots with humor and horror, skillfully reining it in when it threatens to go too far. He also benefits from a superb ensemble cast that keeps it “real.” The voyeurism is so overpowering that you may forget there are others in the theater, so watch what you do with your hands.

LOOK is directed by Adam Rifkin (THE DARK BACKWARD, NIGHT AT THE GOLDEN EAGLE) based on his original screenplay. The film is produced by Brad Wyman (producer of MONSTER) and acclaimed internet pioneer Barry Schuler with Richard Bishop and Donald Kushner serving as executive producers. The director of photography is Ron Forsythe and the film is set to a score by electronic music innovator BT, known for his pioneering in the trance genre.

Rating: TBD

Running Time: 93 minutes

English Language/Color
Produced by Capture Films

Jury Prize at CineVegas 2007.
Theatrical Release Dates

DECEMBER 14, 2007 starting in New York, Chicago & Los Angeles, expanding January 2008.

Critical Acclaim:

“Guys imagine if Adam Rifkin made CRASH and you would get LOOK. Simply put — IT’S FUCKING AMAZING — Damn you, Rifkin, for putting those thoughts into my head. I just wanted to rock and roll all night and party everyday again with you. Instead, you made me think and think hard. You amused me and then you sucker punched me. And if anyone tells you this is far fetched, just tell them to glance around at the world we live in. A world where the government is becoming George Orwell’s Big Brother and blaming it all on Al Queda. Rifkin — Your film is a masterpiece. I mean it. And it couldn’t be more timely. I’m sure you’ve got me sneaking into your show on tape — I’d say it’s (yeah, you knew this was coming) more than worth a LOOK. And by the way, guys, what would a movie of YOUR private moments be like? Adam Rifkin knows -”

-Luca. AIN’T IT COOL NEWS

“Winner of the CineVegas grand jury prize, this is the sort of talking-point movie that energizes fests…Unexpectedly amusing and inevitably disturbing, pic portrays a series of dramas and lighter incidents strictly through the view of fixed vidcams…”Look” has devised an ingenious visual encyclopedia of spy cams, from the standard types seen in stores to more exotic varieties lodged in ATMs and on bomb-sniffing robots (latter are used to suspenseful and humorous effect)…Talented cast aside, the star of the show is unquestionably cinematographer Ron Forsythe, who aces his assignment to set and light dozens of high-def video monitors.”

-Robert Koehler. VARIETY

“Look raises important questions at a perfect juncture in the culture: What safeguards do we have against perpetual visual intrusion upon our public and private actions? How do we maintain our privacy in a post-9/11 age when public security seems sacrosanct? Have we already become immune to (and apathetic toward) the prying eye of the surveillance camera? What recourse do we have when our financial data, medical histories, and online viewing and purchasing patterns fall into the hands of government, law enforcement agencies, and big business? Since seeing the film, I’ve been haunted by one recurrent scene: the lone car in the mall parking lot, videotaped day and night by a lone security camera looking down from on high. The message implicit in the image: Despite this round-the-clock vigilance, the ever present camera has failed at its chief task – to alert authorities that a woman is hopelessly trapped in the trunk.”

-David Friend. Reporter for VANITY FAIR

“In LOOK, the medium really is the message. Director Adam Rifkin seizes upon the omnipresence of present-day video surveillance to weave a brilliant narrative fugue whose myriad lines intersect and counterpoint in unexpected ways. What starts out as a comedy of manners evolves into unbearably bleak tragedy, and the metamorphosis is both as sudden and logical as everyday life. The film’s title is ironic, for all its characters are united in their obliviousness. Although shot on video, the complex, layered storyline and visual style of LOOK merit big-screen treatment.”
~David McKee CITY LIFE