Around the Bend
director/writer Jordan Roberts producers Elliot Lewitt, Julie Kirkham camera Michael Grady editor Francoise Bonnet cast Christopher Walken, Josh Lucas, Michael Caine, Glenne Headly, Jonah Bobo print courtesy of Warner Independent Pictures

Jason Lair (Josh Lucas) already has his hands full, juggling his bank job, single parenting six-year old Zach, and caretaking his ailing grandfather, the 85-year old Lair patriarch Henry (Michael Caine). When Jason's long-lost father, Turner (Christopher Walken) suddenly shows up on their doorstep, Henry presses them to honor an unusual last wish. Far from eager to leave home and spend time with his father, Jason reluctantly escorts Turner and Zach on a trip across the desert Southwest and through layers of memory, toward an uncertain geographic and emotional destination. This directorial debut by screenwriter Jordan Roberts (The Road to Perdition) blends irony, humor and potent emotion, combining a movingly personal story with strong interpretations by an accomplished cast. Veterans Caine and Walken deliver the subtly powerful performances characteristic of their best work; Lucas (Sweet Home Alabama) as Jason and the young Jonah Bobo as Zach lend engaging authenticity to this family road movie recast as a bittersweet journey of discovery and reconciliation. Director Jordan Roberts expected.

The Best of Youth
director Marco Tullio Giordana producer Angelo Barbagallo writers Sandro Petraglia, Stefano Rulli camera Roberto Forza editor Roberto Missiroli cast Luigi Lo Cascio, Alessio Boni, Adriana Asti, Sonia Bergamasco, Fabrizio Gifuni print courtesy of Miramax Films

A six-hour film brings with it certain immersive pleasures not afforded by the two-hour feature convention. It may seem daunting, especially in the context of a festival; but those who do choose it will be richly rewarded by this extraordinary production, a film that many consider to be the finest Italian production in years. Spanning forty years, The Best of Youth weaves a seamless tapestry of personal stories (marriages, love affairs, child rearing, loss) and evocative national events (the Florence floods of 1966, the 1982 World Cup, the mafia trials) as it chronicles the lives of the Caratis, a middle-class Roman family. Blending the familial intensity of The Godfather with the vibrant historical sense of Dr. Zhivago, this emotionally involving epic centers on two brothers, Nicola and Matteo. Thrust apart by a college escapade gone awry, they travel divergent paths. Sensitive Nicola becomes a child psychiatrist and falls in love with the beautiful, politically committed Giulia, while introverted, idealistic Matteo seeks to right society's wrongs as a policeman. While the film's first half follows their youthful participation in the cultural and political upheavals of the 60s and 70s, the second half focuses on their efforts as adults to come to terms with life choices made in their impassioned and impulsive youth. Blessed with a cast of some of Italy's most talented young actors, director Marco Tullio Giordana has a knack for merging together the immediacy of his characters' desires with history's slower rhythms. The result is an eloquent and emotional achievement, both epic in scope and touchingly personal in scale.

The Best of Youth, Part I
director Marco Tullio Giordana producer Angelo Barbagallo writers Sandro Petraglia, Stefano Rulli camera Roberto Forza editor Roberto Missiroli cast Luigi Lo Cascio, Alessio Boni, Adriana Asti, Sonia Bergamasco, Fabrizio Gifuni print courtesy of Miramax Films

A six-hour film brings with it certain immersive pleasures not afforded by the two-hour feature convention. It may seem daunting, especially in the context of a festival; but those who do choose it will be richly rewarded by this extraordinary production, a film that many consider to be the finest Italian production in years. Spanning forty years, The Best of Youth weaves a seamless tapestry of personal stories (marriages, love affairs, child rearing, loss) and evocative national events (the Florence floods of 1966, the 1982 World Cup, the mafia trials) as it chronicles the lives of the Caratis, a middle-class Roman family. Blending the familial intensity of The Godfather with the vibrant historical sense of Dr. Zhivago, this emotionally involving epic centers on two brothers, Nicola and Matteo. Thrust apart by a college escapade gone awry, they travel divergent paths. Sensitive Nicola becomes a child psychiatrist and falls in love with the beautiful, politically committed Giulia, while introverted, idealistic Matteo seeks to right society's wrongs as a policeman. While the film's first half follows their youthful participation in the cultural and political upheavals of the 60s and 70s, the second half focuses on their efforts as adults to come to terms with life choices made in their impassioned and impulsive youth. Blessed with a cast of some of Italy's most talented young actors, director Marco Tullio Giordana has a knack for merging together the immediacy of his characters' desires with history's slower rhythms. The result is an eloquent and emotional achievement, both epic in scope and touchingly personal in scale.

The Best of Youth, Part II
director Marco Tullio Giordana producer Angelo Barbagallo writers Sandro Petraglia, Stefano Rulli camera Roberto Forza editor Roberto Missiroli cast Luigi Lo Cascio, Alessio Boni, Adriana Asti, Sonia Bergamasco, Fabrizio Gifuni print courtesy of Miramax Films

Born into Brothels
directors/producers/camera Zana Briski, Ross Kauffman editors Nancy Baker, Kauffman print courtesy of THINKFilm

Two years ago the Woody Creek Gallery hosted the Calcutta Kids project featuring museum-quality photographs by children with an unusual perspective to share. We're delighted to welcome back photographer Zana Briski who, along with co-director Ross Kauffman, has created the very moving film portrait, Born into Brothels. The most stigmatized people in Sonagachi, Calcutta's red light district, are not the prostitutes, but their children. Faced with abject poverty, abuse, and despair, these kids have little possibility of escaping their parent's fate. Born into Brothels tenderly chronicles the lives of eight of these children and photographer/filmmaker Briski's determination to teach them photography. What develops is much more than pictures. Heartaches, friendships, self-discovery, and encouragement ignite into hopes and dreams…and a possible way out of their bleak destiny. Winner of numerous accolades including Sundance's Audience Award for Best Documentary, this generous portrait of humanity demonstrates the significant impact a small art project can make. In conjunction with this screening, the David Floria Gallery (312 S. Mill; 544-5705) will present an exhibit of new photographs. The opening will directly follow the screening from 7 - 9pm. Photographer/Co-Director Zana Briski expected.

The China Syndrome
director James Bridges producers Michael Douglas, Bruce Gilbert writers Mike Gray, T. S. Cook, Bridges camera James Crabe editor David Rawlins cast Jane Fonda, Jack Lemmon, Scott Brady, James Hampton, Douglas print courtesy of Sony Pictures Entertainment

Following the success of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest in 1975, Michael Douglas returned to producing three years later with the timely The China Syndrome in which he also stars. A modern nightmare nearly becomes reality in this political thriller about an "incident" at a nuclear power plant. While on a feature assignment, an ambitious TV news reporter (Jane Fonda) and her cameraman (Michael Douglas) surreptitiously film a control room crisis being managed by the supervising engineer (Jack Lemmon). When the television station refuses to air it, the footage becomes a political hot potato and an ethical conundrum for the principals involved. A hit upon its release, The China Syndrome received several Oscar nominations. More importantly, it was a groundbreaking film in its smart treatment of sensitive and important issues regarding both the nuclear industry and hierarchy of television news. In a bit of eerie synchronicity, Three Mile Island - America's most significant nuclear disaster - happened just 11 days after The China Syndrome's release.

Dear Frankie
director/camera Shona Auerbach producer Caroline Wood writer Andrea Gibb editor Oral Nottie Ottey cast Emily Mortimer, Jake McElhone, Gerard Butler, Mary Riggans, Sharon Small print courtesy of Miramax Films

Shona Auerbach's assured first feature is a delicately observed story about the lies people tell in order to protect their loved ones. Nine-year old Frankie and his single mum, Lizzie (Emily Mortimer) have been on the move since he can remember and are now settling into a new place in Glasgow. To satisfy her son's curiosity about his absent father, Lizzie tells him that he's aboard the HMS Accra and every couple weeks produces a letter recounting his exotic adventures in far-off lands. As Frankie tracks the ship's progress around the globe, he excitedly discovers that it is headed to his hometown. But with this news, Lizzie is suddenly confronted with a dilemma: to tell the truth or go to more elaborate ends to shield Frankie from it. What follows is an unexpected surprise for everyone. Beautifully filmed and written with sensitivity and honesty, this audience favorite on the international festival circuit is filled with marvelous performances and a wonderful story about families and love in unexpected places.

Falling Down
director Joel Schumacher producers Arnold Kopelson, Herschel Weingrod, Timothy Harris writer Ebbe Roe Smith camera Andrzej Bartkowiak editor Paul Hirsch cast Michael Douglas, Robert Duvall, Barbara Hershey, Rachel Ticotin, Tuesday Weld print courtesy of Warner Bros. Studios

In 1988 Michael Douglas produced Joel Schumacher's Flatliners. Five years later they reunited when Schumacher directed Falling Down starring Douglas in one of his most unusual and powerful performances as William (D-FENS), the man who just wants to get home. Caught in a morning traffic snarl, he literally abandons his car and heads off on foot across central L.A., not exactly a safe zone for a crew cut white guy wearing horn rims and a tie. Along the way he encounters a series of urban "injustices" - a grocer who won't give change, two gang bangers who try to mug him, a fast food joint that won't serve breakfast because it's too late - that only serve to fuel his pent-up anger. Douglas delivers an intense portrayal of a clockwork citizen-turned-ticking bomb. Roger Ebert called his performance "one of considerable subtlety." Playing a man losing his moral balance, Douglas speaks his final lines ("Am I the bad guy?") with a searing poignancy that illuminates uncomfortable truths without excusing the character. Darkly humorous in parts, Falling Down puts a human face on solid citizens run amok.

I (Heart) Huckabees
director David O. Russell producers Russell, Gregory Goodman, Scott Rudin writers Russell, Jeff Baena camera Peter Deming editor Robert K. Lambert cast Dustin Hoffman, Isabelle Huppert, Jude Law, Jason Schwartzman, Lily Tomlin, Mark Walberg, Naomi Watts print courtesy of Fox Searchlight Pictures

If you've ever asked yourself "What's the meaning of my life?" or wondered what it would be like to transcend space and time, then this intriguing new comedy from esteemed director David O. Russell is definitely for you. Featuring a stellar ensemble cast and a great visual palette, I (heart) Huckabees is a story of a wacky husband-and-wife detective team (Dustin Hoffman and Lily Tomlin) who solve existential crises - the kind that keep people up at night wondering what it all means. Their latest case: Albert, a miserable, anti-sprawl activist and poet (Jason Schwartzman) who has been experiencing an alarming series of coincidences. The sleuthing duo devote themselves to investigating the minutiae of Albert's life, searching for the meaning of his existence. But he doesn't want them meddling in his job which currently involves an ambitious corporate type (Jude Law) and his picture-perfect girlfriend (Naomi Watts). Along the therapeutic way, Albert pairs up with rebel firefighter and anti-petroleum fanatic Tommy Corn (Mark Wahlberg) and a French radical (Isabelle Huppert) in this hilarious ride that teeters between genius and madness.

Monumental: David Brower's Fight for Wild America
director/producer Kelly Duane camera Martin Litton, David Brower, Duane editors Nathaniel Dorsky, Anne Flatté, Tony Saxe print courtesy of Loteria Films

One can only imagine what America would be like today without David Brower's tenacious dedication to preserve this nation's wild lands. An accomplished mountaineer, filmmaker, artist, and publisher, Brower is a true legend whose extraordinary crusade to protect our most treasured national parks, seashores, and natural monuments helped galvanize the modern environmental movement, which he spearheaded as the Sierra Club's first Executive Director. Using Brower's own 16mm footage and voice from early recordings supplemented by the recollections of other key figures, Monumental recounts a dramatic and lyrical chapter in history. At the film's center are the very themes that absorbed Brower throughout his life: the threatened beauty of the earth, the spiritual connection between humans and the great outdoors, and the moral obligation to preserve what is left of the world's natural wonders. From his earliest rock climbs - done in sneakers, with hemp ropes - to his training with the 10th Mountain Division to his unrelenting battles to save American wilderness, Brower emerges as an inspiring national hero. Brower's oldest son, environmentalist Ken Brower expected.

Les Choristes (The Choir)
director Christopher Barratier producers Jacque Perrin, Arthur Cohn, Nicolas Mauvernay writers Philippe Lopes-Curval, Barratier camera Carlo Vaini, Dominique Gentil editor Yves Deschamls cast Gerard Jugnot, Francois Berleand, Kad Merad, Marie Benal with Les Petits Chanteurs de Saint-Marc Choir print courtesy of Miramax Films

Managed by a tyrannical headmaster who rules with fear and doles out harsh punishments for even the most minor childish prank, Fond de l'Etang - literally "rock bottom" - is a forbidding place. Part orphanage, part reformatory, this post-WWII French school for boys seems straight out of Dickens. Into this world comes Clement Mathieu (the marvelous Gerard Jugnot), a mild-mannered unemployed musician who seems to have drawn fortune's short straw with his new teaching post. His charges are an unruly lot - prepubescent thieves, inveterate liars, unapologetic rebels, and lost souls beyond reach. Or are they? Determined to reach his students without resorting to corporal measures, Mathieu has an idea. It is this far-fetched dream that transforms their lives. Shot in a castle in the French countryside that lends a rich fairy-tale atmosphere, Les Choristes (The Choir) marks the directorial debut of Christophe Barratier, a classical musician turned filmmaker. A smash runaway hit in France, this emotional, music-filled film features a splendid cast and a glorious score that leave you wishing you too were one of Mathieu's choristes. Join us for this uplifting finale to Aspen Filmfest's 26th edition.

The Life and Death of Peter Sellers
director Stephen Hopkins producer Simon Bosanquet executive producers Freddy DeMann, George Faber, Charles Pattinson, David M. Thompson writers Christopher Markus, Stephen Mc Feely camera Peter Levy editor John Smith cast Geoffrey Rush, Charlize Theron, Emily Watson, John Lithgow, Miriam Margolyes, Stephen Fry, Stanley Tucci print courtesy of HBO Films

This revealing portrait traces the career of brilliant comic and full-fledged eccentric Peter Sellers (Geoffrey Rush) from his 1950s radio beginnings through a fascinating career as creator of such memorable characters as bumbling Inspector Clouseau, chilling Dr. Strangelove, and inscrutable Chauncey Gardiner. Not content with a conventional "bio-pic," screenwriters Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely have crafted an inventive narrative that gradually unmasks their subject, revealing a troubled talent whose private life could not mirror his public success. Seller's infatuation with Sophia Loren, prickly relationships with directors Blake Edwards (John Lithgow) and Stanley Kubrick (Stanley Tucci), marriage to Britt Ekland (Charlize Theron) - director Stephen Hopkins brilliantly captures the man and his times through a series of vignettes and increasingly surreal fantasy sequences as Sellers' personal life dissolves from happily married father to distressed, obsessed star with a hankering for pretty girls and fancy cars. It's daunting to recreate such a well-known pop icon. Rush not only superbly captures Sellers' personas and mannerisms (that sidelong, wispy smile and chin-jutting stride), but also delves into the darker spirit of this chameleon-like genius.

The Motorcycle Diaries
director Walter Salles executive producer Robert Redford producers Michael Nozik, Edgard Tenembaum, Karen Tenkhoff writer José Rivera camera Eric Gautier editor Daniel Rezende cast Gael Garcia Bernal, Rodrigo de la Serna, Mia Maestro print courtesy of Focus Features

The humanization of a myth is both the task and triumph of The Motorcycle Diaries, a film brilliantly adapted from the journals of Ernesto "El Che" Guevara and his traveling companion, Dr. Alberto Granado. This latest from director Walter Salles (Central Station, Filmfest 1998) recounts the odyssey undertaken by young Guevara and his friend Granado in 1952 when they were a 23-year old medical student and 29-year old biochemist, respectively. What begins as a spirited lark becomes a profound journey of discovery as they travel over eight months and 8,000 miles through South America on the back of a rather unreliable Norton 500cc bike. For those unfamiliar with the story, this is not the anecdotal history of a famous revolutionary's radicalization. Instead, The Motorcycle Diaries is a chronicle of young men leaving the sheltered nest of their native Buenos Aires and experiencing, indeed awakening to, the world around them. The performances of Gael Garcia Bernal and Rodrigo de la Serna are extraordinary in a film that is ultimately about transformation: of its characters, its continent, and history.

Stage Beauty
director Richard Eyre producers Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal, Hardy Justice writer Jeffrey Hatcher camera Andrew Dunn editor Tariq Anwar cast Billy Crudup, Claire Danes, Rupert Everett, Tom Wilkinson print courtesy of Lions Gate Entertainment

A spirited plunge into the juicy backstage world of Restoration England, Stage Beauty tells the tale of actor Edward "Ned" Kynaston. In an era when women were banned from the stage, Ned (Billy Crudup in a tour-de-force performance) is acclaimed as London's foremost stage beauty - especially for his show-stopping death scene as Othello's Desdemona. The sex symbol of his day, Ned is swooned over by men and women, courtiers and commoners. All this is threatened when theater-loving Charles II (Rupert Everett) decrees women may tread the boards and Ned's formerly humble assistant Jenny (Claire Danes) usurps his spotlight. Director Richard Eyre (Iris, Filmfest 2001) and writer Jeffrey Hatcher (who adapted his own original stage play) vividly capture the flavor of the 17th century theatrical world, concocting a bubbling mix of unrequited passions, thwarted ambitions, gender confusions, and reversals of fortune - climaxing in a thrilling final scene. Stage Beauty's true jewels are its ensemble of delightfully drawn characters, brought to compelling life by Crudup, Danes, Everett, Tom Wilkinson, and more.

Tarnation
director/writer/camera/editor Jonathan Caouette executive producers John Cameron Mitchell, Gus Van Sant producer Steven Winter print courtesy of Wellspring

Created on iMovie on a miniscule budget and executive produced by Gus Van Sant and John Cameron Mitchell (Hedwig and the Angry Inch), this intensely personal self-portrait by first-time filmmaker Jonathan Caouette eschews traditional documentary techniques to confront and expose an extremely troubled family past. In 2003, the New York-based actor learned his schizophrenic mother had overdosed on lithium. Caouette's trip home to Texas to get her catapults us into a complicated life where insanity, abuse, and drug addiction are just the tip of the domestic iceberg. Delving into a rich cache of personal and pop artifacts - home movies, old photographs phone messages, short films, video diaries, B horror movies, 80s TV clips - Caouette has created a powerfully original and ultimately cathartic personal exploration of madness, dysfunction, and the profound love between a son and mother. This stunning artistic blend of psychedelic fever dream and searing autobiography is bound to provoke many reactions. We do promise this - it will not leave you unaffected.

Travelers and Magicians
director/writer Khyentse Norbu producer Malcolm Watson camera Alan Kozlowski editors John Scott, Lisa-Anne Morris cast Tshewang Dendup, Sonam Kinga, Deki Yangzom print courtesy of Zeitgeist Films

Many directors believe they're gods, but only one, Bhutanese filmmaker Khyentse Norbu, is actually recognized by his countrymen as the reincarnation of a 19th century Tibetan saint. Travelers and Magician is the latest from the director of The Cup (Filmfest 99), beautifully shot in the mountains of Bhutan and played with panache by nonprofessional actors. Norbu's enchanting storytelling follows the modern and mythical paths of two young men who yearn to see the world beyond their own borders. Dondup (Tshewang Dendup), an educated university graduate, decides that he will be better off picking apples in the U.S. than working as a government officer in a remote rural village. As Dondup sets off to fulfill his dream, he meets up with a perceptive yet somewhat irritating monk who warns him about the dangers of dreamlands and tells him the fanciful tale of Tashi. It is a mystical fable of lust, jealousy, and murder that holds up a mirror to the restless Dondup and leaves him wondering: Is the grass truly greener on the other side? Actor Tshewang Dendup expected.

The Wool Cap
director Steven Schachter producers William H. Macy, Irene Litinsky, David A. Rosemont writer Macy, Schachter camera Guy Dufaux editor Paul Dixon cast Macy, Don Rickles, Ned Beatty, Catherine O'Hara, Keke Palmer print courtesy of Turner Network Television

The Emmy-winning collaboration behind the critically acclaimed Door to Door (Filmfest 2001) re-teams for The Wool Cap, in which William H. Macy stars and Steven Schachter directs. Based on the pair's rewrite of an original Jackie Gleason story, previously filmed in 1962 as Gigot, The Wool Cap tells the story of two "self-sufficient" people who unexpectedly find themselves caring more than they thought. Gigot (Macy) is a mute building superintendent who's basically given up on human interaction, limiting it to conversations with his pet monkey, a prostitute girlfriend (Catherine O'Hara, A Mighty Wind) and an elderly tenant (Don Rickles). Busted pipes and broken locks are all part of a day's work until Lou, a precocious nine-year-old girl abandoned by one of his tenants, shows up in Gigot's basement digs. When their troubled lives collide, each is tested to overcome their demons. What begins as a resented inconvenience for both transforms into a poignant drama of love, friendship, and the ties that bind. Ned Beatty also stars in this TNT Original Production.