2009 brought a number of new Holocaust stories in books and films. One may ask if everything has now been said on this subject. But in my opinion the main mystery hasn’t yet been resolved, or even fully explored. How was this crime (echoes of which continue in different places in the world from Rwanda to Bosnia) possible? Where was Man during this crisis? Where was God? Are these events and actions the exception in human history or do they reveal an inner, dark truth about our nature?
Exploring the many stories from this period uncovers the incredible variety of human destinies and adventures, revealed in the richest texture of plots and dramas, with characters that face difficult moral and human choices, exercising both the best and the worst in human nature.
One of those stories is Leopold Socha and the group of Jews from Lvov’s Ghetto, whom he hides in the city’s sewers. The main character is ambiguous: seemingly a good family man, yet a petty thief and a crook, religious and immoral at the same time, perhaps an ordinary man, living in terrible times. During the story Socha grows in many ways as a human being. There is nothing easy or sentimental in his journey. This is why it’s fascinating; it’s why we can make this journey with him.
The group of Jews he saves is not made of angels. The fear, the terrible conditions, their own selfishness make them complex and difficult, sometimes unbearable human beings. But they are real and alive, and their imperfections give them a stronger claim to their right to life than any idealized version of victims could.
I immediately liked the story, liked the potential of it, the characters, and the script.
The biggest and the most exciting challenge for me as a filmmaker was the darkness. They live in the dark, stink, wet and isolation for over a year. We knew we had to express it, to explore this underground world in a very special, realistic, human and intimate way. We wanted the audience to have the sensual feeling of being there. And to maintain tension as the viewer slowly becomes attached to the story. The dynamic of the film is built on inter-cutting the worlds of the two leads, Socha and Mundek. These two worlds come together to be one, in which they must work together to survive. - Agnieszka Holland
PRODUCTION BACKGROUND A WRITER’S JOURNEY by Screenwriter David F. Shamoon
It took one sentence in a Toronto newspaper to start an eight-year journey that took me to the sewers of Lviv, Ukraine (Lvov, Poland during World War II), a bitterly cold set at the legendary Babelsberg Studio just outside Berlin and a dark editing room in Toronto. It also took me into the darkest recesses of human history.
The article was about The Righteous, Sir Martin Gilbert’s book that cataloged those incredibly courageous individuals who risked not only their own lives, but the lives of their families, by helping Jews escape the clutches of the Nazis during the Holocaust.
The galvanizing sentence went something like this: “A Polish Catholic thief hid a group of Jews in the sewers of Lvov, which he knew well because that was where he hid his loot and actually got a job as a sewer worker.” I immediately wanted to know more about this person because the sentence raised so many questions, chiefly: what makes a criminal, or anyone for that matter, risk his life and his family’s to help complete strangers? I grasped that there must be a profound emotional, psychological and physical journey that this man undertook.
After I contacted him, Sir Martin very graciously directed me to a whole book about this story, In the Sewers of Lvov by Robert Marshall. Published in 1991 and no longer in print, I managed to purchase the last copy from Amazon. As I read it, the story electrified me because it had every aspect of great drama in it: a flawed hero, nerve-shredding suspense, romance, heartrending tragedy, real characters caught up in a desperate situation. It even had dark comedy: Leopold Socha, the thief and sewer worker, had earlier robbed the jewelry store belonging to the uncle of Paulina Chiger, one of the Jews he was protecting! As a screenwriter, the story was irresistible.
But as the son of parents who had to flee Baghdad to escape Iraq’s persecution of Jews, it also spoke to me on a very deep level. So I personally optioned the film rights to the book and spent the next year researching the era and writing the script ‘on spec’. Early on, I made two very critical choices: I would not sugar-coat any of the Jewish characters – they were all deeply flawed, some of them former con men or black marketers. There were class divisions among them which collided, especially between the upper-class Ignacy Chiger and the rough-hewn Yanek Grossman who abandoned his wife and daughter. The second choice was to limit the depiction of the atrocities. There were two reasons for this: audiences are already aware of the extent of the horror and violence, thanks to films like Schindler’s List. The second reason was more mundane: as I did the research, I realized that many of the actual events were too horrifying to even attempt to recreate. In fact, to try would be an act of disrespect.
Actually writing the screenplay presented some other challenges. Not much is known about Leopold Socha the man, so his journey from an opportunist who helped the Jews purely for money to someone who felt compelled to save them at all costs – including the lives of his beloved wife and daughter – had to be dramatized for the audience. Some characters were created while others were eliminated or combined for clarity. Some events were altered or invented. But the main thrust of the story remained intact. As Krystyna Chiger, the only living person who was actually there, said after seeing the film, “You captured it. That’s how it was.”
After I finished the script, a well-known Hollywood director and producer wanted to make it, but I felt strongly that this story should never be ‘Hollywoodized’. A friend in Britain suggested the ideal director: Agnieszka Holland. As a long-term admirer of her work, I knew that he was absolutely right, so I sent her the script through her agent, who never showed it to her (he is no longer her agent!). As it turned out, one of the production companies to which I sent the script was The Film Works, whose principals Eric Jordan and Paul Stephens, had worked with Agnieszka before. I knew that I had found the ideal partners.
But that was just the beginning of what would be another half decade of trying to get the film made. Agnieszka, although very helpful in offering suggestions from the beginning, turned the project down – twice. The key reason was that we – and by now that included the German co-producer Schmidtz Katze Filmkollektiv and the Polish co-producer Zebra Films – insisted that the film be in English. Agnieszka felt equally strongly that the story, which is so rooted in its place and time, should be told in the original languages: Polish, German, Yiddish, Ukrainian, etc. If we wanted her as the director – and we really, really did – the film had to be in those languages. As it turned out, she was absolutely right. Her commitment to authenticity was unwavering: for example, she made sure that the specific dialect of ‘Lvov Polish’ was used.
Working with Agnieszka and the producers, the script went through many drafts. The bane of every screenwriter, especially a relatively inexperienced one, is over-writing. Ms. Holland made sure that didn’t happen. In addition to being a huge privilege, collaborating with her was like getting a PhD in writing for the movies.
The dream of every screenwriter is to see the images that have only resided in his or her imagination appear on the screen. In the case of In Darkness, they actually exploded. Led by Agnieszka, all the other artists, especially the superb cast, poured their hearts and souls into the film, and I think that it shows. Forget about the “glamour of filmmaking”, this was incredibly hard, sometimes backbreaking work. My gratitude to every single person involved is immeasurable.
My main hope is that Leopold Socha’s example will inspire others as much as it has inspired me. Like many of the other Righteous, he was no saint, which is what makes this a universal story. He was just an ordinary man who made some crucial choices that led to extraordinary deeds.
ABOUT THE CINEMATOGRAPHY by Director of Photography Jolanta Dylewska
As the director of photography, the "actors" I use to tell a story are light, color, perspective and motion. I knew from the very beginning that in In Darkness, the light had to be the main protagonist. I set my sight on the following three tasks: • To make the ‘Darkness’ a metaphor of the Jewish lot during the Holocaust. • To create the dramaturgy of lighting by which the spectator will be “touched” by the darkness; he will experience the protagonists' feelings as if he was there with them. • The main hero, Leopold Socha, a Catholic who voluntarily decides to bear responsibility for Jewish lives, had to be lit differently from the rest of characters. As if the light was always with him; even in the ‘Darkness’.
ABOUT THE PRODUCTION DESIGN by Production Designer Erwin Prib
I think the biggest and most spectacular task was to create the underworld of the film, the sewers of Lvov.
The sewer sets for this film are not only a major location with an enormous amount of screen time, but another main character, inheriting all the emotions involved in the story: hope, fear, love. They had to be a shelter and a deadly trap at the same time.
I knew this would be a great challenge not only artistically but also technically. After meeting Agnieszka Holland, I understood even more, that we had to create a really credible world, since Agnieszka wanted the actors to be as close to their characters as possible.
The research process started in real sewers. We got the chance to visit several real sewer systems in Berlin, Leipzig and Lodz. I was fascinated by this underworld. At the same time it seemed rather difficult to shoot the majority of the scenes under such harsh and even dangerous circumstances. I proposed to build the chambers and parts of the sewer tunnels in the studio.
The initial design idea of the studio sewers is the möbius strip. I wanted to create a labyrinth system on a very small space, using different tunnel sections, so that you can wander around in this rather small system for quite a long time without crossing the starting point. We created a 3D Model and tested it. My Art Director Niels Müller attached a walking scheme to every scene in the film, and at the end, the floor plan looked like patterns for sewing. To design the chambers in which the refugees hide was another challenge. These had to be spaces realistic enough to represent overflow chambers or another technical space in the sewers, on the other hand these had to be rooms you can work in with a crew and a dozen actors, rooms the refugees survived in for over a year and lived a “normal” social life.
The core requirement for the set construction was the water resistance. We wanted to simulate different levels of water and current in these tunnels, as it is in the reality depending on the precipitation. The main system was built for a water level of 1m (roughly 3.3 ft) max. Segments of the sewers had to be completely under water, since the story climax takes place with the whole sewers fully flooded. They were built separately in containers. A bunch of talented scenic artists turned the plaster casted walls into real brick with a great patina.
Another technical challenge we faced was the low sensitivity of the RED Camera we used, therefore we needed additional sources of light inside the tunnels. I discussed this issue with Director of Photography Jolanta Dylewska and we came up with an idea of smaller pipes leading to the bigger tunnels, which could be used for additional lighting as well.
Summer Programs
ASPEN FILM SUMMER 2011 PROGRAMS
ASPEN IDEAS FESTIVAL June 27 - July 3
Aspen Film will be co-presenting a selection of documentaries with the Aspen Institute as part of the ASPEN IDEAS FESTIVAL. (Click on the film titles listed below for desctriptions.).
TIX: Please see the ASPEN IDEAS FESTIVAL website for information on attending the festival or visit the Ideas Festival's ATTEND page for information on purchasing public tickets.
NEW VIEWS: Documentaries and Dialogue July 18 - August 8
The Aspen Institute and Aspen Film present the second annual NEW VIEWS: Documentaries and Dialogue, a film series highlighting critically acclaimed documentaries and including post-screening discussions with special guests. The series runs July 18 - August 8 at the Paepcke Auditorium in Aspen. The new documentary is playing an exciting new role in public discourse, bringing a vibrant voice to the arts, politics and society. This selection of important, award-winning films and speakers offers fresh insights designed to intrigue, expand and enrich the creative and global conversations of our time. (Click on the film titles listed below for desctriptions.).
TIX:$17 per show. On sale June 28 at Aspen Show Tickets at the Wheeler, 970.920.5770, online at www.aspenshowtix.com or in person at 320 East Hyman Avenue. If available, tickets will also be sold at the door starting 30 minutes prior to screeningstart time.
ASPEN IDEAS FESTIVAL Co-presentation by ASPEN FILM and THE ASPEN INSTITUTE
The spring and summer of 2009 were a heady time for the youth of Iran. The candidacy of reformist Mir-Hossein Mousavi promised a blossoming of democracy and freedom. Green scarves and banners became the symbol of the opening up of life and activism. When the manipulated outcome gave President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad a landslide victory, the fury of Mousavi's supporters erupted in massive street demonstrations, met by a brutal government crackdown. As the regime silenced conventional media outlets, new ones took their place. A continuous stream of Facebook reports, tweets, cell-phone videos, and blog entries spread like wildfire around the globe, broadcasting live accounts of a youth revolt against a repressive regime. With The Green Wave, filmmaker Ali Samadi Ahadi has created a moving documentary collage, interweaving from-the-street video and photographs with vivid animation to adroitly capture this new-media people's movement, whose lessons for 21st-century revolution are still evolving in the ongoing "Arab Spring" uprisings. 80 min. Written and directed by Ali Samadi Ahadi. Produced by Jan Krueger and Oliver Stoltz.
Surveys the life and times of singer/actor/activist Harry Belafonte. From his rise to fame as a singer, inspired by Paul Robeson, and his experiences touring a segregated country, to his provocative crossover into Hollywood, Belafonte’s groundbreaking career personifies the American civil rights movement and impacted many other social-justice movements. Rostock reveals Belafonte as a tenacious hands-on activist, who worked intimately with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., mobilized celebrities for social justice, participated in the struggle against apartheid in South Africa, and took action to counter gang violence, prisons, and the incarceration of youth. But an indomitable sense of optimism motivates his path even today as he continues to ask, at 84, "What do we do now?" His example may very well inspire you to action.
Guest: Special Guest Gina Belafonte in post-screening conversation.
Filmmaker Morgan Spurlock examines the world of product placement, marketing and advertising by making a film entirely financed by product placement and advertising. These days, it seems like you can't even walk down the street without someone trying to sell you something. It's gotten to the point where practically the entire American experience is brought to us by some corporation.
Guest: Director Morgan Spurlock in post-screening conversation.
The Horse Whisperer may be the stuff of Hollywood legend, but the cowboy who inspired the novel and film is very real. Trainer Buck Brannaman - master horseman, raconteur, and philosopher - travels the country sharing a hard-won wisdom that's often more about human behavior than animals. He possesses seemingly magical abilities as he dramatically transforms horses - and people - with his unorthodox and down-to-earth approach. A Sundance audience-award winner, this wonderfully warm portrait reveals a teacher whose gentle methods evolve out of a fascinating personal story. As Brannaman says, 'Your horse is a mirror to your soul, and sometimes you may not like what you see. Sometimes, you will."
Guest: Director Cindy Meehl in post-screening conversation.
Once a year, the brightest kids from across the Islamic world head to Cairo for the world's oldest and most prestigious Koran-reciting competition. They must not only repeat randomly selected passages down to the last perfect syllable, but also perform to the highest standards of tajweed, ancient rules governing melody and rhythm. This lively film follows three extraordinary 10-year-olds: Nabiollah, from Tajikistan, has never attended school; Senegalese Djamil, an imam’s son, carries the weight of his village's expectations; Rifdha, from the Maldives, is exceedingly bright and one of the few female competitors. Through the eyes of his three young subjects, acclaimed filmmaker Greg Barker (Sergio) provides a compelling and colorful glimpse into the many faces of contemporary Islamic culture.
Guest: Director Greg Barker in post-screening conversation.
From the Oscar-winning team behind Man on Wire comes the story of Nim, the celebrated chimpanzee who in the 1970s became the focus of a landmark experiment that aimed to show that an ape could learn to communicate with language if raised and nurtured like a human child. Following Nim's extraordinary journey through various social and scientific experiments, and the enduring impact he makes on the people he meets along the way, the film is an unflinching and unsentimental biography of an animal we tried to make human. What we learn about his true nature – and indeed our own – is amusing, revealing, and, ultimately, profoundly unsettling.
Guest: Bob Ingersoll, vice president of Mindy's Memory monkey sanctuary, in post-screening conversation.
Weight gain, degenerative diseases and prescription meds are on the rise. Despite the most advanced medical technology, we are sicker than ever. Could there be a simple solution to all of these problems? Forks Over Knives offers compellingly persuasive food for thought. Dr. T. Colin Campbell, a nutritional scientist from Cornell, and Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, a former top surgeon at the Cleveland Clinic, share groundbreaking research on how a whole foods, plant-based menu can control or even reverse heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and some forms of cancer. The camera also follows everyday people beset by chronic conditions as they learn how to change their diets, with remarkable results. Perhaps the most life-changing film you'll see all summer.
Guests: Creator and executive producer Brian Wendel and Dr. T. Colin Campbell in post-screening conversation.
Do you have a love of film? Do you want to work with other people who share your passion? Then come volunteer for Aspen Film. Volunteering is an opportunity to:
- see the world's great films before anyone else
- learn about film from the inside out
- work along industry insiders
- contribute to your community
20th Annual Aspen Film Academy Screenings Needs Volunteers! Sign up today!
To become an Aspen Film Volunteer, please fill out the application form.
Volgistics If you’re a registered Aspen Film Volunteer, you can check your schedule on-line, receive messages from us, sign-up for event shifts and more from any Internet connected computer.
Aspen Film Volunteer Opportunity Directory Learn more about our volunteer opportunities for each event.
If you have problems using any of the tools above, please email us at
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and or call us at 970.925.6882, ext 301.
aspen SHORTSFEST
Recognized as one of the world's "50 Leading Film Festivals" by IndieWIRE, Aspen Shortsfest is one of the world's premier international short film and video showcases for the trend-setting art form: the short. This Oscar-qualifying international competition offers a lively, thought-provoking, and humorous selection of drama, comedy, animation and documentary - all at 40 minutes or less.
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ASPEN SHORTSFEST 2012
The next edition of Aspen Shortsfest will be held April 10 - 15, 2012
SHORT FILMMAKERS:
Aspen Shortsfest 2012 - INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION
NOW ACCEPTING ENTRIES
Please see our CALL FOR ENTRIES page for information on how to enter your short.
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PAST ASPEN SHORTSFEST EDITIONS:
ASPEN SHORTSFEST 2011
The 20th annual Aspen Shortsfest was held April 5 - 10 2011
Aspen Shortsfest 2011 Awards
For the complete list of Aspen Shortsfest 2011 Award-winners, please see our Awards page.
For more about Aspen Shortsfest, visit our Shortsfest Archives for a tour of highlights from our past editions, including programs, award-winners and print sources.
Film Schedule - SUNDAY JANUARY 1
THE KID WITH A BIKE ~ 3:15PM Harris Concert Hall, Aspen Special thanks to The Aspen Times
Winner of the Grand Jury Prize at Cannes, this latest feature from Belgian filmmakers Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne centers on Cyril, a restless 11-year-old boy (played with terrific intensity by newcomer Thomas Doret) placed in a children's home after being abandoned by his father. Unwilling to accept this betrayal, Cyril runs away to his former apartment in search of both dad and his abandoned bicycle. Instead, he meets Samantha (Cécile de France), a kind hairdresser who helps him retrieve his bike and eventually agrees to become his weekend guardian. But Cyril doesn't recognize the love Samantha feels for him, a love he desperately needs to calm his rage and steer him away from dangerous temptation. With suspense and grace, this poetic, universally resonant drama about parents, children, and moral responsibility shows us life in all its messy dimensions. (Belgium, 87 min., Not yet rated, Print courtesy of Sundance Selects)
See the film's Official Website to view trailer and more information on film.
THE ARTIST ~ 5:30PM Harris Concert Hall, Aspen Special thanks to Melony and Adam Lewis
Silent-film matinee idol George Valentin (Jean Dujardin) is a square-jawed, double-breasted Douglas Fairbanks type who stubbornly resists adapting to the modern era of filmmaking. This sublimely funny, visually enthralling homage to early cinema—an audience favorite at Aspen Filmfest 2011—contrasts Valentin's falling star with the meteoric rise of new It Girl, Peppy Miller (Bérénice Bejo), who wholeheartedly embraces film’s new frontiers. John Goodman, James Cromwell, Penelope Ann Miller, Malcolm McDowell, and a charismatic Jack Russell terrier make up the strong supporting cast. In sumptuous black-and-white and with no spoken dialogue, The Artist tips its top hat to the late-1920s Hollywood conventions rendered obsolete by the rise of the talkie. Endlessly inventive, packed with clever sight gags, and rich in stunningly achieved detail, the film is director Michel Hazanavicius's passionate love letter to the silent age. (France, 100 min., PG-13, Print courtesy of The Weinstein Co.)
In his first film since Sideways, writer-director Alexander Payne again proves himself a master of smart, sharp, and surprisingly tender storytelling. Matt King (George Clooney), the heir of a prominent Hawaiian landowning family, seems to lead a charmed life. But when his wife suffers a boating accident, he’s faced with a massive wake-up call. Accustomed to being the "backup parent," King suddenly finds himself center stage in the lives of his two young daughters (excellent newcomers Shailene Woodley and Amara Miller), while also having to decide the fate of a vast plot of unspoiled land his family has owned since the 1860s. Rooted in Clooney's beautifully understated performance, Payne's film is an uncommonly perceptive portrait of marriage, family, and community, suffused with humor and tragedy, and wrapped in a warm human glow. (U.S., 115 min., R, Print courtesy of Fox Searchlight Pictures)
See the film's Official Website to view trailer and more information on film.
Thank you to the filmmakers and distributors who graciously made their films available for Aspen Filmfest.
50/50 Summit Entertainment presents in association with Mandate Pictures
THE ARTIST The Weinstein Company
BEING ELMO: A PUPPETEER’S JOURNEY Submarine Deluxe:
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BUILDING HOPE The Nobelity Project:
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CAROL CHANNING: LARGER THAN LIFE Film Sales Corp:
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CORIOLANUS The Weinstein Company
HERMANO Music Box Films:
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IN DARKNESS (Special Preview) Sony Pictures Classics:
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LIKE CRAZY Paramount Pictures in association with Indian Paintbrush
THE MATCHMAKER Menemsha Films:
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ROMANTICS ANONYMOUS Tribeca Film:
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THE SALT OF LIFE Zeitgeist Films:
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SOMEWHERE BETWEEN Ladylike Films:
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TAKE SHELTER Sony Pictures Classics:
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THESE AMAZING SHADOWS Gravitas Docufilms:
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THE WOMEN ON THE 6TH FLOOR Strand Releasing:
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YOUNG GOETHE IN LOVE Music Box Films:
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UNDEFEATED The Weinstein Company
WILD HORSE, WILD RIDE Fish Creek Films:
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Shortsfest 2011 Print Sources
Animal Beatbox Australia DIR: Damon Gameau PRINT SOURCE: Damon Gameau E:
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Animal Love USA DIR: Mollie Jones PRINT SOURCE: Mollie Jones E:
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Apollo Germany DIR: Felix Gönnert PRINT SOURCE: Felix Gönnert E:
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WEB: www.animaflix.com
AWOL USA DIR: Deb Shoval PRINT SOURCE: Deb Shoval E:
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WEB: http://www.facebook.com/pages/AWOL/170775099609609
Baldguy Norway DIR: Maria Bock PRINT SOURCE: Norwegian Film Institute E:
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WEB: www.nfi.no/english
Bee Sting Australia DIR: Heath Davis PRINT SOURCE: Flickerfest Short Film Bureau E:
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WEB: www.scopered.com
The Birthday Circle United Kingdom DIR: Philip Lepherd PRINT SOURCE: Chop Limited E:
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WEB: http://www.choplimited.co.uk
Boy USA DIR: Topaz Adizes PRINT SOURCE: Topaz Adizes E:
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Brick Novax's Diary USA DIR: Matt Piedmont PRINT SOURCE: c/o Simon Millar Rumble Media E:
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WEB: http://www.funnyordie.com/
Bukowski The Netherlands DIR: Daan Bakker PRINT SOURCE: Lemming Film E:
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WEB: www.lemmingfilm.com
Cataplexy USA DIR: John Salcido PRINT SOURCE: Neil Evans E:
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WEB: http://www.facebook.com/cataplexymovie
Chocolate Cake Australia DIR: Raphael Elisha PRINT SOURCE: Romi Trower E:
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Cooked United Kingdom DIR: Jens Blank PRINT SOURCE: Jens Blank E:
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Crossword Ireland DIR: Vincent Gallagher PRINT SOURCE: Network Ireland Television E:
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WEB: http://www.network-irl-tv.com/
Danny & Annie USA DIR: The Rauch Brothers PRINT SOURCE: StoryCorps E:
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WEB: www.storycorps.org
The Dark Side USA DIR: Mark Teitelman PRINT SOURCE: Maggievision/MRB Productions E:
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WEB: http://www.mrbproductions.com
Das Tub New Zealand DIR: James Cunningham PRINT SOURCE: Media Design School E:
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WEB: http://www.dastub.com
Den Sista Galaxonaut Australia DIR: Alexander George & Tyrone Lindqvist PRINT SOURCE: MONEKELEON E:
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WEB: http://www.monekeleon.com
dik Australia DIR: Christopher Stollery PRINT SOURCE: Sun Productions E:
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Dreams Awake USA DIR: Kevin Gordon and Rebekah Meredith PRINT SOURCE: Kevin Gordon and Rebekah Meredith E:
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WEB: www.kevingordonfilms.com
The Eagleman Stag United Kingdom DIR: Mikey Please PRINT SOURCE: Future Shorts E:
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WEB: mikeyplease.co.uk
Ebony Society New Zealand DIR:Tammy Davis PRINT SOURCE: NZ Film – Lisa Chatfield E:
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Falling UK/Italy DIR: Adriano Cirulli PRINT SOURCE: Adriano Cirulli E:
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WEB: www.fallingfilm.com
The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore USA DIR: William Joyce & Brandon Oldenburg PRINT SOURCE: Moonbot Studios E:
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WEB: http://www.morrislessmore.com
Fatakra USA DIR: Soham Mehta PRINT SOURCE: Soham Mehta E:
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WEB: http://www.sohammehta.com/films/fatakra/
The First Anders Denmark DIR: Kristian Ussing Andersen PRINT SOURCE: Diktator Films E:
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WEB: www.kristianussing.com
Flock Spain DIR: Asier Altuna PRINT SOURCE: KIMUAK E:
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WEB: http://www.kimuak.com
For Today Ethiopia DIR: Zelalem Woldemariam PRINT SOURCE: Zeleman Production E:
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WEB: http://www.zelemanproduction.com
Going Nowhere Denmark DIR:René Frelle Petersen PRINT SOURCE: René Frelle Petersen E:
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Goodbye Mandima Switzerland DIR: Rob-Jan Lacombe PRINT SOURCE: ECAL E:
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Hector Is Gonna Kill Nate USA DIR: Ari Issler PRINT SOURCE: 8 Feet Tall E:
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Heirlooms Australia DIR: Susan Danta & Wendy Chandler PRINT SOURCE: Parasol Productions E:
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WEB: http://www.sbs.com.au/shows/heirlooms
The Holy Chicken of Life and Music Greece DIR: Nomint PRINT SOURCE: Autour de Minuit E:
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WEB: http://blog.autourdeminuit.com/distribution/the-holy-chicken-of-life-and-music-2/
It’s Wonderful in Black and White USA DIR: Emily Fout PRINT SOURCE: Foutography / Superhero Films E:
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John G. Morris 'Eleven Frames' USA DIR: Douglas J. Sloan PRINT SOURCE: Icontent Films E:
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WEB: http://www.icontent.tv
Just Be Frank Australia DIR: Elise Bialylew PRINT SOURCE: Elise Bialylew E:
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WEB: http://www.franksenior.com
The Last Norwegian Troll Norway DIR: Pjotr Sapegin PRINT SOURCE: Norwegian Film Institute E:
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WEB: www.nfi.no/english
The Little Boy and the Beast Germany DIR: Uwe Heidschoetter & Johannes Weiland PRINT SOURCE: ZDF Enterprises E:
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WEB: www.studiosoi.de
Living for 32 USA DIR: Kevin Breslin PRINT SOURCE: Maria Cuomo Cole E:
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WEB: http://www.livingfor32.com
The Lost Thing Australia DIR: Andrew Ruhemann & Shaun Tan PRINT SOURCE: Passion Pictures Australia E:
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WEB: www.passion-pictures.com
Love at First Sight United Kingdom DIR: Michael Davies PRINT SOURCE: Spellbound Films E:
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WEB: www.spellboundfilms.com
Love Birds Czech Republic / Canada DIR: Brian Lye PRINT SOURCE: Brian Lye E:
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WEB: http://www.brianlye.com
The Majestic Plastic Bag USA DIR: Jeremy Konner PRINT SOURCE: Partizan Productions E:
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Minka USA DIR: Davina Pardo PRINT SOURCE: Birdling Films E:
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WEB: www.minkafilm.com
The Mirror Switzerland DIR: Ramon & Pedro PRINT SOURCE: IDIP Films E:
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WEB: www.lemiroir.tv
Miss Devine USA DIR: The Rauch Brothers PRINT SOURCE: StoryCorps E:
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WEB: www.storycorps.org
Missed Connections USA DIR: Mary Robertson PRINT SOURCE: Mary Robertson E:
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WEB: http://www.youmissedme.com
Mobile Germany DIR: Verena Fels PRINT SOURCE: Filmakademie Baden-Württmeberg E:
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WEB; http://www.facebook.com/MOBILE.animation
Modern Spleen France DIR: Yohann Auroux-Bernard, Romain Borrel, Paulin Cointot, Boris Croise, Nicolas Loudot, Benjamin Rabaste, Gaspard Roche, Yoan Sender PRINT SOURCE: Autour de Minuit E:
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WEB: http://blog.autourdeminuit.com/distribution/modern-spleen/
Mr. Happy Man USA DIR: Matt Morris PRINT SOURCE: Matt Morris E:
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WEB: http://www.MattMorrisFilms.com
Music in the Blood ROMANIA DIR: Alexandru Mavrodineanu PRINT SOURCE: Strada Film E:
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WEB: www.stradafilm.ro
New Broken Calculator USA DIR: Brandon Luck McDuffey PRINT SOURCE: Brandon Luck McDuffey E:
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North Atlantic UK/Portugal DIR: Bernardo Nascimento PRINT SOURCE: Monocle Studio E:
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WEB: http://www.northatlanticshortfilm.com/
Projector: The Last Outdoor Cinemas of Colorado USA DIR: Mike Liguori PRINT SOURCE: Thousand Foot Pictures E:
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WEB: http://www.thousandfootpictures.com
Raju Germany DIR: Max Zähle PRINT SOURCE: Hamburg Media School E:
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WEB: www.hamburgmediaschool.com & www.raju-film.com
Red Shirley USA DIR: Lou Reed PRINT SOURCE: Sister Ray Enterprises E:
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WEB: http://www.loureed.com/redshirley/
The Screamers Spain DIR: Roberto Pérez Toledo PRINT SOURCE: Mailuki Films E:
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WEB: http://www.mailukifilms.blogspot.com
sexting USA DIR: Neil LaBute PRINT SOURCE: Contemptible Entertainment E:
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A Shore Thing USA DIR: Jess Manafort PRINT SOURCE: Mirror Cube Films E:
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WEB: www.mirrorcubefilms.com/ashorething
Short Life Morocco DIR: Adil EL FADILI PRINT SOURCE: PRODAPART Adil El Fadili E:
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Sign Language United Kingdom DIR: Oscar Sharp PRINT SOURCE: Oscar Sharp E:
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WEB: http://www.thereforefilms.com
Snow USA DIR: Corrie Francis Parks PRINT SOURCE: Corrie Francis Parks E:
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WEB: http://www.corriefrancis.com
Snowflakes and Carrots Canada DIR: Samantha Leriche-Gionet PRINT SOURCE: Ouat Media E:
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Specky Four-Eyes France DIR: Jean-Claude Rozec PRINT SOURCE: Vivement Lundi E:
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WEB: www.vivement-lundi.co
Stanley Pickle United Kingdom DIR: Vicky Mather PRINT SOURCE: National Film and Television School E:
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WEB: http://www.stanleypick
Steve United Kingdom DIR: Rupert Friend PRINT SOURCE: Beat Pictures E:
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WEB: http://www.stevethefilm.com
Summer Snapshot USA DIR: Ian McCluskey PRINT SOURCE: NW Documentary E:
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WEB: http://www.summersnapshot.com
Swimming Pool Czech Republic DIR: Alexandra Hermerova PRINT SOURCE: Alexandra Hermerova E:
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WEB: www.famu.cz
Tasnim Israel DIR: Elite Zexer PRINT SOURCE: Elite Zexer E:
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This is Fun Spain DIR: Natalia Mateo PRINT SOURCE: Producer: Avalon P.C. E:
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WEB: www.avalonproductions.es
Time Freak USA DIR: Andrew Bowler PRINT SOURCE: Team Toad E:
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Turning United Kingdom DIR: Karni and Saul PRINT SOURCE: Alison Sterling E:
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WEB: http://www.sulkybunny.com
The Unspoken Australia DIR: Jason van Genderen PRINT SOURCE: Jason van Genderen & Tropfest Distribution E:
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WEB: http://www.treehousecreative.com
Wapawekka Canada DIR: Danis Goulet PRINT SOURCE: Vtape E:
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WEB: www.wapawekka.com
Water Lilies in Bloom Norway DIR: Emil Stang Lund PRINT SOURCE: Norwegian Film Institute E:
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WEB: www.nfi.no/english
We're Leaving USA DIR: Zachary Treitz PRINT SOURCE: Antebellum Pictures E:
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WEB: www.antebellumpictures.com
West of the Moon USA DIR: BRENT BONACORSO PRINT SOURCE: COLLABORATION FACTORY E:
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WEB: http://www.westofthemoonthefilm.com/
The Wind Is Blowing on My Street Iran/Us DIR: Saba Riazi PRINT SOURCE: Saba Riazi E:
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WEB: http://sabariazi.com
Worst Enemy USA DIR: Lake Bell PRINT SOURCE: Team G E:
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WEB: www.teamgproductions.com
Yelp (with Apologies to Allen Ginsberg's "HOWL!") USA DIR: Tiffany Shlain PRINT SOURCE: The Moxie Institute E:
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WEB: http://connectedthefilm.com/yelp/
Yuri Lennon’s Landing on Alpha 46 Germany/Switzerland DIR: Anthony Vouardoux PRINT SOURCE: René Römert E:
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WEB: www.port-prince.de
Zebu and the Photo Fish Uganda DIR: Zipporah Nyaruri PRINT SOURCE: Zipporah Nyaruri E:
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Film Guide
Please check back in mid-June for the summerFILMS line-up!
Film Schedule - SATURDAY DECEMBER 31
THE IRON LADY ~ 5:30PM Harris Concert Hall, Aspen Special thanks to Juliet Shield-Taylor
A surprising and intimate portrait of Margaret Thatcher (Meryl Streep), the first and only female prime minister of the United Kingdom. One of the 20th century's most famous and influential women, Thatcher came from nowhere to smash through barriers of gender and class to be heard in a male-dominated world. Also starring Jim Broadbent and Richard E. Grant. (UK, 105 min., PG-13, Not yet rated, Print courtesy of The Weinstein Co.)
*BEST ANIMATION $2,500 SPECKY FOUR-EYES (Jean-Claude Rozec, France) "For its excellent marriage of craft and story, as well as its whimsical and imaginative storytelling through a child's eyes."
*BEST COMEDY $2,500 dik (Christopher Stollery, Australia) "For its hysterical, no holds barred story that suggests, even in marriage, honesty is not always the best policy."
BEST DOCUMENTARY $2,500 GOODBYE MANDIMA (Robert-Jan Lacombe, Switzerland) "For its resourceful telling of a deeply personal tale that challenges the traditional documentary style."
*BEST DRAMA $2,500 WEST OF THE MOON (Brent Bonacorso, USA) "For its wildly inventive and captivating singularity of voice and vision."
BEST STUDENT FILM $1,000 THE WIND IS BLOWING ON MY STREET (Saba Riazi, Iran) "For its courage, subtlety and authenticity."
*BEST SHORT SHORT $1,000 DAS TUB (James Cunningham, New Zealand) "For its creativity, humor, and ability to surprise."
* An Oscar qualifying category
SPECIAL JURY RECOGNITION ANIMAL BEATBOX (Damon Gameau, Australia) "For its unpretentious, enormously fun celebration of the animal kingdom."
THE LOST THING (Andrew Ruhemann and Shaun Tan, Australia) "For its exceptional craft in creating a vibrant world that Salvador Dali would feel comfortable in and for its embrace of all things unusual."
RAJU (Max Zähle, Germany/India) "For its terrific performances, enormous scope, and perfect depiction of the color and chaos of India."
THE SCREAMERS (Roberto Pérez Toledo, Spain) "For capturing a universally recognized human emotion in the perfect screen minute."
YURI LENNON'S LANDING ON ALPHA 46 (Anthony Vouardoux, Germany/Switzerland) "For its gut-wrenching, compelling depiction of an astronaut who becomes the last man in the universe."
AWARDS DETERMINED BY OTHER JURIES
AUDIENCE AWARD $1,000 sponsored by Saab LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT (Michael Davies, United Kingdom)
AUDIENCE RECOGNITION CATAPLEXY (John Salcido, USA) dik (Christopher Stollery, Australia) RAJU (Max Zähle, Germany/India)
THE ELLEN $2,000
"Presented to honor the spirit of Aspen - the spirit of adventure, fun, originality, and understanding of our world."
BRICK NOVAX'S DIARY (Matt Piedmont, USA)
"In addition to being original and heartfelt, this short has a clever script, creative use of location and a wonderful degree of technical proficiency."
THE ELLEN - FILMMAKER TO WATCH $500
LOVE BIRDS (Brian Lye, Czech Republic/Canada)
"This small film, clearly an original, is a sensitive and thought-provoking examination of family values."
YOUTH JURY PRIZE $500 THE UNSPOKEN (Jason van Genderen, Australia) "For a film that moved us to look closer at the way we express appreciation for those we care for. For the value of family and importance of parenting in our lives."
BAFTA LOS ANGELES SHORT FILM PRIZE BALDGUY (Maria Bock, Norway)
BAFTA LOS ANGELES CERTIFICATE OF EXCELLENCE EBONY SOCIETY (Tammy Davis, New Zealand)
BAFTA LOS ANGELES CERTIFICATE OF EXCELLENCE GOING NOWHERE (René Frelle Petersen, Denmark)
Celebrate ASPEN SHORTSFEST's 20th anniversary April 10 – 15, 2012
Attend
ASPEN FILM SUMMER 2010 PROGRAMS
Aspen Film and the Aspen Institute are pleased to announce a new partnership to bring you a selection of world-class film experiences this summer. Join us at the Aspen Ideas Festival when we launch NEW VIEWS: Premiere Documentaries, a new series highlighting critically acclaimed documentaries and filmmaker conversations that will continue through July and August.
Additionally, Aspen Film is proud to collaborate on the Aspen Institute’s other film offerings during the Aspen Ideas Festival.
NEW VIEWS: Premiere Documentaries
A renaissance in documentary filmmaking is underway that is having a major impact on American public discourse on the arts, politics and life. This summer the Aspen Institute in partnership with Aspen Film presents a series of critically acclaimed new documentaries focusing on music, the visual arts, photography and more. Not yet available to the general public, these inspiring, thought-provoking films have won audiences and awards on the international film festival circuit.
Each screening will be followed by a conversation with the director or a special guest related to the film. The series launches during Aspen Ideas Festival on July 8 and continues Monday evenings (July 19, July 26, August 2 and August 9) at 8:00pm in Paepcke Auditorium. NEW VIEWS: Premiere Documentaries is made possible by generous donations from Evelyn & Leonard Lauder and Jane & Michael Eisner.
PROGRAM
· Complete film line-up announced the week of June 7.
· Series opens July 8 with an advanced viewing of Director Joshua Litle's new work-in-progress, The Furious Force of Rhymes with Joshua in attendance.
The Furious Force of Rhymes is the story of Hip-Hop as worldwide protest music, its journey around the globe,where it came from and who created it. The film focuses on six different countries, each revealing a new aspect of the music and a set of social themes: the USA, France, Germany, Israel/Palestine, Senegal and Colombia. This film is a work-in-progress.
· Series continues Mondays, July 19 – August 9 at Paepcke Auditorium, 8:00pm.
TICKETS - $16 per show.
Tickets for NEWS VIEWS go on sale to the public beginning June 28 through Aspen Show Tickets at the Wheeler. If available, tickets will also be sold at the door starting 30 minutes before show time.
FILM PROGRAMS AT THE ASPEN IDEAS FESTIVAL (July 5 – 11)
Aspen Film is also proud to collaborate with the Aspen Institute on its film offerings during Aspen Ideas Festival, July 5-11. A conversation with the Oscar-winning screenwriter of Precious, the captivating Grand Prize documentary from Sundance, and the latest documentary from the director of An Inconvenient Truth are just a few of the film programs you can experience. The complete lineup will be announced the week of June 7.
TICKETS - $20 per show.
Ideas Festival Pass Holders may sign up for screenings. For more information, visit the Aspen Ideas Festival.
A limited number of individual tickets will go on sale to the public beginning June 28 through Aspen Show Tickets at the Wheeler and Aspenshowtickets.com. If available, tickets will also be sold at the door starting 30 minutes before show time.
aspen FILMFEST
ASPEN FILMFEST 2012
Aspen Filmfest's 33rd edition will be held October 1-7
Program will be announced early September - please check back!
_________________________
ABOUT ASPEN FILMFEST
Coinciding with Autumn's changing leaves, Aspen Filmfest offers a feast of film and fall color that satisfies filmmakers and film lovers alike. With an emphasis on independent productions from around the world, Aspen Filmfest champions filmmaking at its finest.
Intimate in scale and celebratory in tone, Filmfest offers new features and documentaries, as well as unique presentations, special events, and family films. Special programs include tributes to distinguished artists. Past honorees include such luminaries as Julie Christie, Harrison Ford, Rob Reiner, Sydney Pollack, Bob Rafelson, Michael Douglas, Anjelica Huston and William H. Macy, and such notable new talents as Jason Reitman, Paula Patton and Anton Yelchen.
_________________________
For more about Aspen Filmfest's past editions please see:
Welcome to Aspen Film's 33rd annual Filmfest! As my one-year anniversary approaches as executive director of Aspen Film, I'd like to thank all of you for making me feel so welcome. Meeting our REEL People members, our audiences, and other film lovers in the community has been my favorite part of the job. I look forward to getting to know even more of you in the coming year.
This year, Aspen Filmfest features 20 incredible films, as well as engaging conversations with filmmakers, parties, and the opportunity to mingle with great talent. Anton Yelchin and Felicity Jones, the stars of our opening night film, Like Crazy, will join us at the screening and later at the Sky Hotel for a party to celebrate Anton's Artist to Watch Award. I hope you will join us to meet these impressive young actors.
Presenting Filmfest is a huge undertaking. We'd like to extend very special thank-yous to our presenting sponsor, Starz Digital Media, our grantor, the City of Aspen, and our collaborating sponsors, the Aspen Times, Aspen Public Radio, the Sky Hotel, and Hotel Jerome. We would also like to recognize the ongoing support of our REEL People members and the event support of our other sponsors. Also invaluable is the hard work of our dedicated Aspen Film staff and volunteers. Because these pages just begin to scratch the surface of this unique event, I encourage you to visit Aspen Film's website, www.aspenfilm.org, and follow us on Twitter and Facebook, where you can learn more about the festival and engage with other movie lovers and the Aspen Film staff.
Thank you for joining us at Aspen Filmfest 2011, and enjoy the movies!
Robyn Myler EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
The first images that will play across Filmfest's screen this September are in These Amazing Shadows, a film joyously celebrating the unique place moving images hold in our lives and an evocative reminder of how movies speak to us personally and as a society. They can hold up a mirror, distill a moment, or light a path. As The Artist so inventively illustrates, movies invite us to embark on an enthralling magic carpet ride that can engage the mind and heart in fresh, unexpected ways.
The transformative power of vision drives the amazing achievements of otherwise "ordinary" people in films like Building Hope; Wild Horse, Wild Ride; and Undefeated, in which the only limitation is one's ability to dream. When exploring the question, "Who am I?" specificity of experience becomes surprisingly universal, whether it's a beguiling French comedy (Women on the 6th Floor and Romantics Anonymous), the deeply affecting stories of four Chinese-born American teens (Somewhere Between), or two differently flavored coming-of-age tales (The Matchmaker and Hermano). Sheer exuberance and pure love of craft fuel the creative arcs of our performing-artist portraits, Carol Channing: Larger Than Life and Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey. Amply flowing through several films, humor also thoughtfully teases out some of life's more sensitive subjects, such as growing old (Salt of Life) and illness (50/50). And a couple of literary lions receive lively reworkings, in the historical drama Young Goethe in Love and in Ralph Fiennes's contemporary interpretation of Shakespeare's Coriolanus.
Positioned at the start of awards season, Filmfest continues to spotlight masterful performances and direction with screenings like Take Shelter, the Special Preview, and our always anticipated Surprise Film. We will also salute the immensely talented young actor Anton Yelchin (Like Crazy) with this year's Artist to Watch Award.
Whether you love comedy or drama, American or global voices, narrative or documentary, Filmfest is ready to show you a wonderful array of amazing and memorable shadows.
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Not long into Rodrigo Garcia's elegant film, you may find yourself wondering just who that husky-voiced Irish character actor is so masterfully playing the title character—a reserved, fastidious hotel butler in 1890s Dublin. The surprising answer is none other than Glenn Close (who also cowrote and coproduced). Recreating her award-winning stage role, Close gives a triumphant, transformative performance as an emotionally scarred woman who has lived in disguise for so long she has nearly forgotten who she really is—until a series of encounters with sympathetic fellow travelers rekindle in Albert the dream of a better life. Featuring exquisite production design by Patrizia Von Brandenstein (Amadeus) and standout supporting performances by Janet McTeer and Mia Wasikowska, Albert Nobbs draws an alternately comic and heartbreaking examination of Victorian gender roles through modern eyes. (US/Ireland, 113 min., R, Print courtesy of Roadside Attractions)
See the film's Official Website to view trailer and more information on film.
MELANCHOLIA ~ 8:15PM Harris Concert Hall, Aspen Special thanks to the Hotel Jerome
The end of the world—and the collapse of the spirit—has never been depicted as beautifully and wrenchingly as in Melancholia, the latest feature from Danish provocateur Lars von Trier (Antichrist). The title refers both to a destructive planet heading toward Earth and the crippling depression of new bride Justine (Kirsten Dunst, who won the Best Actress award at Cannes), the only one who seems to notice a strange celestial object during her disastrous wedding reception. As the world's extinction looms ever larger, Justine is tended to, as always, by her level-headed sister, Claire (an equally magnificent Charlotte Gainsbourg), herself gripped by anxiety over the impending doomsday. Melancholia's premise may be science fiction, but the feelings it plumbs are the most heartfelt human drama. The standout cast includes Kiefer Sutherland, John Hurt, and Charlotte Rampling. (Denmark/Sweden/France/Germany/Italy, 135 min., R, Print courtesy of Magnolia Pictures)
Artist to Watch Award special ticket — includes film and VIP party (limited availability) $30 ($15 movie only & $15 reception)
*For film fans 18 and younger. Present valid school ID or driver’s license/permit at the Wheeler Box Office only to receive discount. No phone or web orders. For student group rates and education information, please call 970 925 6882, x306.
www.pac3carbondale.com 888-71-TICKETS service fee applies for phone and web orders
The Blend Coffee Company 1150 Highway 133, Carbondale Monday-Friday, 6:30 AM – 7 PM; Saturday, 7 AM – 7 PM; Sunday 7 AM – 5 PM cash or check only
All Venues
Tickets also available at the door, subject to availability
FESTIVAL VENUES - Aspen & Carbondale
Wheeler Opera House, 320 East Hyman Avenue, Aspen
Crystal Theatre, 427 Main Street, Carbondale
Pac3, Third Street Center, Carbondale
GENERAL INFORMATION * Doors open to REEL People members 30 minutes prior to each program; doors open to the general public 20 minutes prior to each program. Passholders receive priority access. * Your ticket or pass guarantees your seat up to 10 minutes before show time. * For sold-out shows, the wait list begins outside the theater 30 minutes before show time; unclaimed seats will be released for sale 10 minutes before show time. Programs subject to change without notice. No ticket refunds or exchanges. Please notify the Wheeler Opera House by September 19 of any special needs covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Member Events
Upcoming Member Events information will be updated as available...Please check back!
SummerFILMS
Aspen Film and the Aspen Institute are pleased to announce a new partnership to bring you a selection of world-class film experiences this summer. Join us at the Aspen Ideas Festival when we launch NEW VIEWS: Premiere Documentaries, a new series highlighting critically acclaimed documentaries and filmmaker conversations that will continue through July and August.
Welcome to Aspen Shortsfest 2011
welcome to shortsfest
We are very proud that Aspen Shortsfest has been named one of the world’s top-50 leading film festivals by indieWire. Of course, we think it deserves the recognition, and we hope that after attending this year's festival, you'll agree.
Aspen Shortsfest 2011 includes six days of screenings, parties, and hobnobbing with young filmmakers from around the world. Presenting an event like this is a huge undertaking. We’d like to extend very special thank-yous to our presenting sponsor, Saab, as well as the National Endowment for the Arts, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Colorado Creative Industries, and the Colorado Office of Film, Television, and Media; we treasure their invaluable support. We would also like to recognize the ongoing support of our REEL People members, the event support of our other grantors and sponsors, and the hard work of our dedicated Aspen Film staff and volunteers.
We at Aspen Film love what we do, and we love you, our adventuresome audiences, who approach each program with open minds and a willingness to have your hearts and intellects engaged and challenged. You are one of the lucky film-goers who gets to see what makes Aspen Shortsfest so special. Please take a few moments on your way out the door to complete our survey. We are always looking for ways to improve our offerings, and your feedback and comments are essential to our efforts.
Because these pages just begin to scratch the surface of this unique event, I encourage you to visit our website and follow us on Twitter and Facebook, where you can learn more about the festival.
Thank you for joining us at Aspen Shortsfest 2011. Next year will be our 20th-anniversary celebration, and we will be presenting an extraspecial festival. We look forward to seeing you there, too.
Robyn Myler Executive Director
From an arctic sauna to Capitol Hill to the celestial off-world of Alpha 46, we invite you on an amazing voyage of discovery, one filled with intriguing characters, timely subjects, and wonderful story-telling. A curious mind, a sense of adventure, and an open heart are all you’ll need to navigate the imaginative waters of Shortsfest’s eclectic lineup, which comes from two dozen countries and explores many more.
Shortsfest is our celebration of new filmmakers who approach their craft with spirit, soul, irreverence, and visual flair. With a dedicated volunteer Screening Committee, we previewed more than 2,500 shorts to choose the 83 competition finalists. Singular, accomplished, and wholly original, these shorts (1 - 40 minutes) brought laughter and, in a few cases, tears, as well as moments of escape and chances to reflect. Some boldly brought us to the edge and asked us to look over; others drew us close with their reassuring humanity. All in all, they put our finger on the exciting pulse of contemporary filmmaking.
Each program includes animation, documentary, comedy, and drama, followed by a conversation with directors, writers, and other talent who’ve traveled far to share their artistry and cultural perspectives with audiences in theaters and classrooms valley-wide.
Over the years, Shortsfest has showcased new voices, who then went on to make movies like Up in the Air, Wallace and Gromit, The Constant Gardener, Legally Blonde, Animal Kingdom, Ice Age, and more. We give a special shout-out to recent Oscar winner Luke Matheny, whose God of Love premiered here last spring.
Come experience the films we love. ... Discover for yourself who stands out in the class of 2011.
↑ top of pagebuy tixwheeler opera house 970 920 5770aspenshowtix.com ............................................................................................................................................
international competition awards
ASPEN SHORTSFEST 2011 INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION AWARDS
Aspen Shortsfest 2011 will be held April 5-10, at the Wheeler Opera House in Aspen and the Crystal Theater in Carbondale. More than 2,500 submissions from around the world were considered, and 83 short films, representing two dozen countries and exploring many more, were ultimately selected for this year's International Competition. From the recognizable (Colin Firth, Julia Stiles, Lou Reed) to brand-new talent, the 2011 edition showcases a vibrant array of comedy, drama, animation, and documentary films.
Recently named by indieWIRE as one of the world's top-50 leading film festivals, Aspen Shortsfest is widely recognized as a premier North American showcase for short film and video. The centerpiece, the juried International Competition, offers an eclectic slate of films running 1 to 40 minutes. The 2011 Shortsfest awards will be announced at an Awards Ceremony on Sunday, April 10. They will be posted on line by 6pm Mountain Time.
INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION JURY AWARDS The esteemed 2011 International Competition jury of film professionals are Kristen Konvitz, Ilyse McKimmie, John Polson, and Eric Steelberg (see below for Jury Biographies).
Recognizing creative excellence, they will honor the finalists they consider the most accomplished in their storytelling and distinctive in their cinematic voice. Their awards - including a cash honorarium - include Best Animation, Best Comedy, Best Documentary, Best Drama, Best Student, and Best Short Short, as well as Special Jury Recognition Awards.*
ADDITIONAL AWARDS
Audience Favorite Award Open to all finalists. Everyone can vote.
BAFTA Award for Excellence The Los Angeles chapter of BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) recognizes a finalist with its Award for Excellence.
The Ellen Established to honor Aspen Film Founder, Ellen Hunt, this prize for the most whimsical, original film is funded by a special endowment.
Digital Postcards: Colorado This competition category is open to short films made by current Colorado residents including full-time students and created in and/or about Colorado. Selected finalists will screen as part of the International Competition, competing for the Best Short Short award.
Youth Jury Prize A jury of local students will select the film that takes them furthest from their own experience to open a new window on their understanding of the world.
*Winners of the Best Comedy, Best Drama, and Best Short Short awards may be eligible for Academy Award Oscar® consideration in the Best Live Action Short Film category, and the winner of the Animated Eye Award may be eligible for consideration for the Best Animated Short Film Oscar® if winners meet the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' other qualifications.
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international competition jury
Scott Dwyer
SCOTT DWYER is the Program Director for KQED-TV in San Francisco. His primary duties include acquiring and scheduling programs for six television channels. He has served on many PBS advisory committees (ITVS, POV, Independent Lens and Sesame Street). Scott selects all the feature films seen on the entire PBS system. For the past 11 years he has also produced Imagemakers, a television series featuring award winning short films from around the world. Scott estimates he has watched over 16,000 films in the past 11 years.
Kristen Konvitz
KRISTEN KONVITZ is the New York-based Director of Acquisitions and Production for Wild Bunch, the independent European film distribution and production services company. Her role includes acquiring projects in varying stages and overseeing them through all stages of production. She is also instrumental in building relationships between up and coming talent and the director–driven Wild Bunch, whose home office is in Paris. She began working in acquisitions at The Weinstein Company and made the transition to Wild Bunch to assist in opening its first U.S. office. She has also produced numerous award winning short films and music videos. Kristen holds a B.S. in media studies from New York University and a M.F.A. in film producing from Columbia University.
Ilyse McKimmie
For the past twelve years, ILYSE McKIMMIE has been a key staff member of Sundance Institute's Feature Film Program. As its Associate Director, she oversees the selection of U.S.-based filmmakers for the Screenwriters and Directors Labs, performs outreach to new filmmakers and provides support to alumni, produces the Screenplay Reading Series, and works with the Creative Producing Fellowship. Films developed at the Labs during her tenure include Martha Marcy May Marlene, Pariah, Sin Nombre, Half Nelson, Red Road, and Maria Full of Grace, among many others. She began her career at Sony-based Red Wagon Productions, during which time the company developed and produced Gladiator, Girl, Interrupted, and Spy Game, and at ICM, working in the talent, literary, and story departments. She is a graduate of UCLA.
John Polson
Since founding Tropfest short film festival in 1993 in a Sydney café, JOHN POLSON has nurtured it onto the international stage. These days, the one night Australian event attracts a live audience of over 150,000 people, as well as hundreds of thousands more via a television broadcast. Tropfest screenings and events now also take place in New York (where John is based), Abu Dhabi, London, Berlin, and numerous other cities around the world. Simultaneous to growing Tropfest, John has directed feature films (Siam Sunset, Swimfan, Hide & Seek, Tenderness) and produces and directs TV shows, such as Fringe, The Mentalist, The Good Wife, Lie To Me, Blue Bloods and Flash Forward. He is currently developing a number of feature film and television projects (as both director and producer) in the US and Australia.
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Film Schedule - THURSDAY DECEMBER 29
MONSIEUR LAZHAR ~ 5:30PM Harris Concert Hall, Aspen Special thanks to Pamela Levy and Rick Crandall
In this luminous, tender tale about education, integration, and the greater good, a school day in wintry Montreal starts off like any other, until an isolated tragedy occurs. While the principal and teachers scramble to help students and staff cope, Bachir Lazhar, an Algerian immigrant who sought political refuge in Quebec, arrives at the school as a substitute teacher. Though his old-school pedagogical methods quickly—and comically—prove ineffective, Lazhar manages to gently guide his charges through their grief, developing a close relationship with two students in particular. Meanwhile, he must come to terms with some emotional baggage of his own. Touching, charming, eloquent — and often very funny — this beautifully crafted character study demonstrates that coming to terms with loss, whatever its magnitude, is a journey best shared. Canada's official Oscar submission for Best Foreign Language Film. (Canada, 94 min., Not yet rated. Print courtesy of Music Box Films)
In the much-anticipated encore to his superb first feature, Hunger, British artist Steve McQueen reunites with the extraordinary Michael Fassbender in this daring psychological drama. Brandon (Fassbender), a 30-year-old sex addict, drapes a shroud of regular-guy normalcy over his compulsion, even as he prowls the streets of Manhattan each night looking for quick hookups. By day, he manages to assimilate seamlessly into his dull corporate workplace—letting an intern take the blame for the copious Internet porn on his computer—while avoiding real relationships with women. Brandon's solitary existence is shaken by the unexpected arrival of his sister, Sissy (Carey Mulligan, in a fearless performance), whose insecurities crack open issues of his own. Stylistically brilliant and erotically explicit, McQueen's beautiful, unsettling film provides a highly provocative snapshot of information-age desire and disillusionment. (UK, 99 min., NC-17, Print courtesy of Fox Searchlight Pictures)
See the film's Official Website to view trailer and more information on film.
Welcome to Aspen Film's 33rd annual Filmfest! As my one-year anniversary approaches as executive director of Aspen Film, I'd like to thank all of you for making me feel so welcome. Meeting our REEL People members, our audiences, and other film lovers in the community has been my favorite part of the job. I look forward to getting to know even more of you in the coming year. 
