The Barbarian Invasions
director/writer Denys Arcand producers Daniel Louis, Denise Robert camera Guy Dufaux editor Isabelle Dedieu cast Rémy Girard, Stéphane Rousseau, Dorothée Berryman, Louise Portal, Dominique Michel, Marie-Josée Croze print courtesy of Miramax Films
In this entertainingly smart and touching film, Canadian writer-director Denys Arcand (Jesus of Montreal, FF89) once again exhibits his unique blend of biting social satire and affectionate insight into our all-too-human nature. Re-uniting the characters (and original cast) from his popular film, The Decline of the American Empire, Arcand revisits Remy Girard and his circle of friends and lovers 17 years later. Though now dealing with aging and illness, they remain as irreverent as they were in their 30’s. At the center is history professor Remy, forced to confront matters of life and death. He carries on with brio, squabbling with his former wife and estranged son, drawing his unruly circle about him, still energetically clutching at life’s bittersweet pleasures and prickly problems with a grip that’s part fond embrace and part wrestling hold. With its wryly engaging group portrait and telling observations of modern life, Arcand’s refreshingly intelligent film rewards those who haven’t seen his prior work as richly as those who have. Winner of Best Screenplay and Best Actress, Cannes Film Festival.

Be Good, Smile Pretty
director/writer Tracy Droz Tragos producers Tracy Droz Tragos, Chris Tragos, Kat Tragos camera Kat Tragos editor Jenna McFeely print courtesy of Tracy Droz Tragos
A couple years ago, Tracy Droz Tragos typed her father’s name into a web search engine; what she found was a first-hand account of his death in Vietnam in the spring of 1969. This discovery launched a daughter’s search to learn about the man she never knew. Moving beyond the politics of a war that still troubles this nation, this affecting personal documentary follows Tragos’ quest as she travels across the country to talk with family and her father’s Navy comrades (including Senator John Kerry). Through the memories of others, she meets a man who, more than thirty years later, continues to deeply affect those who shared his life. Reconstructing her father’s personal legacy through compelling interviews, home movies, family photographs, and news footage, Tragos restores a pivotal chapter in her family’s history. The process proves poignantly illuminating for more than Lt. Droz’s family and friends. Rather than burying the past, Be Good, Smile Pretty eloquently reminds us just how reaffirming remembering a life can be. Best Documentary, IFP L.A. Film Festival. Tracy Droz Tragos expected.

Breakfast with Hunter
director/producer/writer/camera/editor Wayne Ewing with Hunter S. Thompson, Johnny Depp, John Cusack, Benicio Del Toro, PJ O’Rourke print courtesy of Wayne Ewing Films, Inc.
Eighteen years in the making, Breakfast with Hunter offers an undiluted 200 proof portrait of that elder statesman of nonconformity, Hunter S. Thompson. Following several story lines in Thompson’s trials (literally) and triumphs, Wayne Ewing’s rollicking verité road movie captures the character and bristling spirit of a cultural iconoclast who invented a new genre – Gonzo journalism. Running for sheriff of Aspen, covering George McGovern’s failed 1968 presidential campaign, writing for The Nation and Rolling Stone, his 1995 legal battle over an eventually dismissed DUI, the filming of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas – it’s all here. As are colleagues like P.J. O’Rourke and George Plimpton, artist Ralph Steadman, and admirers like Johnny Depp, John Cusack, and Benicio Del Toro. Hunter Thompson may be known for his high-octane party-hardy antics, but why he deserves to be revered is his moral clarity, and the caustic wit and diamond-sharp prose with which he’s raged against hypocrisy. Breakfast with Hunter profiles one of America’s most astute and important observers with fierce affection and respect.

Casa de los Babys
director/writer/editor John Sayles producers Lemore Syvan, Alejandro Springall camera Mauricio Rubinstein cast Daryl Hannah, Marcia Gay Harden, Mary Steenburgen, Rita Moreno, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Lili Taylor print courtesy of IFC Films
John Sayles has steadfastly retained his stature as a guiding light of engaged independent filmmaking by his willingness to engage in complicated and controversial subjects and the marvelous on-screen chemistry he creates with ensemble casts. His latest is no exception. Casa de los Babys finds six American women somewhere in Latin America, restlessly roosting in a seaside hotel run by Senora Munoz (Rita Moreno) and hoping to adopt a child. It’s a decidedly mixed group. There’s a born-again Christian (Mary Steenburgen), a physiotherapist with a troubled past (Daryl Hannah), and a proverbial "ugly American" (Marcia Gay Harden) among them. As we come to learn, each has her own achingly compelling personal reasons to adopt. Ironically, it is this maternal myopia that makes them willfully impervious to the political and moral implications of their desire. Their interactions with the locals are very limited and are all the more poignant as they reveal a cultural gap that is more than linguistic. Through the steady accumulation of episodes, Casa de los Babys offers a penetrating look at contemporary parenthood and an issue with many arguments.

The Company
director Robert Altman producers Neve Campbell, Altman, Christine Vachon Pamela Koffler et al. writers Campbell, Barbara Turner camera Andrew Dunn cast Campbell, James Franco, Malcolm McDowell, Joffrey Ballet of Chicago print courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics
1979 – 2003. 25 years later, Aspen Filmfest is still kicking. We’re more than alive – we’re a thriving year-round organization known globally and loved locally. And we’re ready to celebrate! Come blow out the silver candles and launch the valley’s favorite film party.

Don’t miss Filmfest’s anniversary celebration with a peek at Robert Altman’s newest film (which won’t be in theaters until the end of the year) followed by a community party hosted by Sojourner Magazine. After the film, join us for a dessert buffet, a festive libation by Bombay Sapphire (created especially for this occasion), refreshments from Heineken, and other surprises. Here’s to the next 25!

With The Company esteemed director Robert Altman (Gosford Park) teams up with the Joffrey Ballet of Chicago and actors Neve Campbell and Malcolm McDowell to create an airy, colorful and penetrating behind-the-scenes look at a ballet company. From the sweat of the rehearsal studio to artistic politicking to the actual performances, this intimate pas de deux between Altman’s fluid, expressive camera and the cast captures the life force of ballet. Based on her own experiences studying with the National Ballet of Canada, Neve Campbell worked with screenwriter Barbara Turner (Pollack) to develop the story of a young woman poised to become a principal dancer. With exceptional insight, Malcolm McDowell plays the company’s autocratic artistic director, nurturing with one hand while demanding with the other. The Company is a collaborative expression embracing a multitude of characters, with their own desires and ambitions, choreographed by Altman’s encompassing vision. As joyous and alive as the dances themselves, The Company will captivate film lovers and ballet aficionados alike.

Elina
In Swedish with English subtitles and live translation
director Klaus Härö producers Anders Landström & Charlotta Denward writer Kjell Sundstedt camera Jarkko T. Laine editor Riitta Poikselkä print courtesy of The Swedish Film Institute
Nine-year-old Elina lives with her younger siblings and mother in northern Sweden, near the Finnish border. In the 1950’s rural school she attends, she and other members of the Finnish-speaking minority are expected to give up their native language. When strong-willed Elina comes to the defense of a classmate, she and her new teacher, the strict Miss Holm, are immediately off to a bad start. What follows is a battle of wills that travels from exciting climax to triumphant, joyous conclusion. Elina is a ravishingly beautiful and moving film about a strong young person who has the courage to fight for justice and stand up for what she believes in. Winner of eight Best Feature and Young Jury Awards at international children’s film festivals.

I'm Not Scared
director Gabriele Salvatores executive producers Maurizio Totti writers Niccolo Ammaniti, Francesca Marciano camera Italo Petriccione editor Massimo Fiocchi cast Giuseppe Cristiano, Aitana Sánchez Gijón, Dino Abbrescia, Giorgio Careccia print courtesy of Miramax Films
Endless summer days. Boundless sun-drenched hills and fields. The stunning natural beauty surrounding his Italian village and the freedom to investigate it make ten-year-old Michele’s life seem idyllic. Then a horrifying discovery made in the course of one afternoon shatters his world, closing the door on playful mischief and plunging him into a gripping cat-and-mouse game where the stakes become impossibly high. Though only a child, Michele must summon all his strength and cleverness if he’s not to be destroyed by a new knowledge of evil. Haunting and suspenseful with remarkable performances, this wide-screen drama is a masterful kind of To Kill A Mockingbird, fusing painful social realities with a coming-of-age story. Oscar-winning director Gabriele Salvatores and cinematographer Italo Petriccione (Mediterraneo) collaborate again to create a visually stunning film that probes the human heart through images that are as keenly intelligent as they are striking. Juxtaposed against the natural world, this richly complex tale of innocence confronting evil is deeply involving, a little hair-raising, and immensely satisfying.

My Life Without Me
director/writer Isabel Coixet producers Esther Garcia, Gordon McLennan executive producers Pedro Almodovar, Agustin Almodovar, Ogden Gavanski camera Jean-Claude Larrieu editor Lisa Jane Robison cast Sarah Polley, Mark Ruffalo, Deborah Harry, Amanda Plummer, Scott Speedman print courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics
As intimate as the trailer she calls home, My Life Without Me is the story of 23-year-old Ann (Sarah Polley). While other women her age are out partying, Ann is a hard-working mom, seemingly satisfied with life but not really living it. All that changes the day she receives some shocking news. Determined to shield her family from the truth, she tells no one but instead draws up and executes a "wish list" of things she wants to accomplish in the remaining months of her life. Ann discovers some of the things that make life worth living – sex, food, beauty, laughter, dancing, music, and good coffee. In an equally pragmatic but incredibly moving way, she secretly prepares her family for life without her. Suddenly, Ann’s life opens up, leading to unexpected places and giving her precious remaining time new meaning. With uniformly solid performances, especially Polley’s luminous turn, Isabelle Coixet’s deftly directed film (executive produced by Pedro Almodovar) eschews predictable sentimentality, mining instead the story’s rich emotional texture and honesty.

Paper Moon
director/producer Peter Bogdanovich writer Alvin Sargent based on the novel by Joe David Brown production design Polly Platt camera Laszlo Kovacs editor Verna Fields cast Ryan O’Neal, Tatum O’Neal, Madeline Kahn, Randy Quaid print courtesy of Paramount Pictures
Paper Moon is a funny-sweet story about hard times and desperate people. Its protagonist is the tough-talking, cigarette-smoking nine-year old Addie, played by Tatum O’Neal with such power and subtlety that she won an Oscar. Ryan O’Neal plays Moses, an itinerant con man, roaming the dusty back roads of Kansas and Missouri. He meets his match in Addie, an orphan who may or may not be his daughter. Based on Joe David Brown’s popular novel, Paper Moon has a meandering, easygoing quality that showcases the brilliant and absolutely convincing rapport that develops between this unlikely father-daughter grifter team. Polly Platt’s superb art direction and Laszlo Kovacs’ masterful cinematography capture the Depression with a realism that brings the viewer closer to the era. With this as the backdrop, Paper Moon tells a rich story of humans at their best as societal conditions approach their worst. Following the screening of a beautiful new print, Polly Platt and Laszlo Kovacs will answer questions.

Pipe Dreams
director Enzo Mileti producers Mileti, James Fields, Jason Reid, Adam Hull camera Sam Taybi editor Chris Gay print courtesy of High West Pictures
For Ricky Bower of the U.S. National Snowboard Team and Joe Pack of the U.S. National Aerial Team, the 2002 Olympic Games were more than a chance to compete against the world’s elite. It was the dream of a lifetime – going for the gold in their hometown, Park City, Utah. Providing an insider’s glimpse into the daily lives of two remarkable athletes, Pipe Dreams follows Bower and Pack during an eight-month whirlwind of constant travel and rigorous qualifying competitions leading up to the Olympics. Along the way, both athletes come face-to-face with crash landings, heartbreaking injuries, and the pressure of nailing the perfect run. Happily, the film also captures those exquisite physical highs that make it all worthwhile. With candid interviews and exhilarating footage, Pipe Dreams offers a thrilling portrait of two young talents whose athletic gift and fearless determination make dreams reality. Filmmaker expected.

SALUTE TO THE 70s
director William Friedkin producer Philip D’Antoni writer Ernest Tidyman camera Owen Roizman editor Jerry Greenberg cast Gene Hackman, Fernando Rey, Roy Scheider, Tony LoBianco, Marcel Bozzuffi print courtesy of 20th Century Fox Film Corp.
With its hard-boiled storytelling and pulse-pounding car chase through the icy winter streets of New York, William Friedkin’s 1971 cop thriller will forever stand as a watermark in film history. The French Connection shattered the good versus evil mold that had become commonplace in action movies. Popeye Doyle (Gene Hackman), the deeply flawed protagonist, is an obnoxious, cruel detective on the trail of the far more elegant "Frog One" (Fernando Rey) and one of the largest narcotics busts in city history. Using documentary style camerawork, Friedkin and cinematographer Owen Roizman give the film an authentic look, capturing the grime and brutality of urban decay that by 1970 was firmly entrenched in America’s cities. Complemented by Jerry Greenberg’s rapid-fire editing, the film still leaves audiences on edge, as Doyle’s pursuit builds to a disturbing conclusion. This winner of five Oscars (including Best Picture and Best Director) is presented here in a magnificent 35mm print, free from the afternoon television pan-and-scan editing that has sullied the visual impact of this American masterpiece.

The Same River Twice
director/producer/camera Robb Moss editor Karen Schmeer print courtesy of Next Life Films
Twenty-five years ago, Robb Moss and his fellow whitewater river guides took one last long trip down the Colorado River. At the time, the group was attempting to create a small, utopian enclave while living a communal outdoor life, usually naked. Moss captured the experience in a film called Riverdogs. In his wonderfully evocative new work, guide-turned-Harvard-professor Moss undertakes a very personal and different journey to examine the lives of those rafters that he chronicled almost a quarter century ago. He revisits his close friends, creating a "temporal mosaic" of their lives. Intertwined with footage from the original film, The Same River Twice profiles five people who took their idealistic youth seriously, and then grew up. As they discuss the river trip, their nakedness, and where their lives have taken them, we learn how they have evolved their values rather than compromised them. So much more than a generational snapshot, Moss offers a compelling and contemplative examination of where the river called life can lead.

Shampoo
director Hal Ashby producer Warren Beatty, writer Robert Towne, Beatty camera Laszlo Kovacs editor Robert C. Jones cast Beatty, Julie Christie, Goldie Hawn, Lee Grant, Jack Warden, Carrie Fisher print courtesy of Sony Pictures
In the throngs of romantic comedies released in recent years there is one thing sorely lacking: sex. Released almost thirty years ago, in 1975, Shampoo reminds audiences of a time when filmmakers boldly rode such subjects to critical and commercial success. Set in the Hollywood Hills, this farcical sex comedy is told from the viewpoint of George (Warren Beatty), a nymphomaniac hairdresser whose only goals are pleasure and securing a loan for his own shop. Taking place on the eve of the 1968 presidential election, the film presents a refreshing look at sexual and political hypocrisy, a subject that, amongst the circus-like frivolity of California politics, seems as relevant today as ever. The camerawork of Laszlo Kovacs gives the picture a realistic aura that contributes significantly to its success as a farce. Directed by Hal Ashby and written by Beatty and Robert Towne (Chinatown), the film deftly captures the spirit of a sexual revolution co-opted by the very culture that could never publicly embrace it. Following the screening, Laszlo Kovacs will be on hand to answer questions.

Some Secrets
director/writer Alice Nellis producer Pavel Solc camera Ramunas Greicius editor Josef Valusiak, Adam Dvorak cast Iva Janzurova, Theodora Remundova, Igor Bares, Nada Kotrsova, Sabina Remundova print courtesy of FILMIA
If you’ve ever driven with relatives across the country, or even across the mall parking lot, you’ll connect with this wry and knowing portrait of a family on a road trip through the former Czechoslovakia. Keen to visit the countryside of her youth but keeping that desire secret (the first of many), Grandmother initiates a family outing to scatter the ashes of her deceased son. Cramming themselves into two small cars are grandma, her daughter, two granddaughters, one husband, and a great grandson. Washed-out roads and suspicious customs agents impede their progress but the biggest road bumps are the family secrets that begin to unravel. The hot, dull road trip turns into a gently comic, heartfelt journey as the travelers re-establish connections and arrive at some important emotional truths. In a skillful turn at the helm, and pen, Alice Nellis works with an outstanding ensemble cast to bring authenticity to the quirks and irritations that make this family so unique and yet so richly familiar. A favorite on the international festival circuit, the award-winning Some Secrets is to be discovered and cherished.

Stander
director Bronwen Hughes producers Martin F. Katz, Chris Roland, Julia Verdin writers Bima Stagg, Hughes camera Jess Hall editor Robert Ivison cast Thomas Jane, Dexter Fletcher, David Patrick O’Hara, Deborah Kara Unger, Marius Weyers print courtesy of Seven Arts Pictures
Stander is a gripping crime story as fast-paced, suspenseful and full of audaciously intricate jobs and improbable escapes as any big-budget caper movie – except for one thing – it’s all true, taken from the life of South African policeman André Stander. At his story’s beginning in 1976, Captain Stander, clever, charismatic and cocksure, seems destined for a brilliant career, following in his Police General father’s footsteps. When the brutal reality of riot police duty in Soweto’s black townships rips away Stander’s flippant, street-wise facade, he is plunged into a deep personal crisis. Floundering in confusion and despair, Stander lashes out. An unlikely lunch-break impulse sends him careening down an adrenalin-filled path from private rebellion to folk-hero notoriety. While director Bronwen Hughes and her crew and cast (particularly Thomas Jane as Stander) take obvious delight in the high-energy pace of Stander’s spree, the filmmakers have deftly and sensitively rooted this unbelievable-but-true story in its historical realities, capturing the anguish of lives struggling in Apartheid’s grasp. Bronwen Hughes expected.

The Station Agent
director/writer Tom McCarthy producers Mary Jane Skalski, Robert May, Kathryn Tucker camera Oliver Bokelberg editor Tom McArdle cast Peter Dinklage, Patricia Clarkson, Bobby Cannavale special thanks to Miramax Films
Since the beginning, Filmfest has championed new voices. As we celebrate 25 years, we are honored to recognize Peter Dinklage with our first Emerging Artist Award. While The Station Agent is not his first screen appearance, Dinklage’s remarkable breakout performance hails an actor to watch. Peter Dinklage and Tom McCarthy expected.

A man of few words, Finbar McBride (Peter Dinklage) is obsessed with two things: trains and solitude. Events soon conspire to present him with the opportunity to immerse himself in both – a new home in an abandoned rural train depot. But the seclusion Fin longs for proves elusive as he’s reluctantly drawn into the lives of two other chronic loners, Olivia (Patricia Clarkson), a forty-year-old artist struggling with her failed marriage, and Joe (Bobby Cannavale), a garrulous hot dog vendor. Somehow, this oddball trio forges an unlikely bond, despite the fact that each struggles mightily against the urge to connect. In this impressive feature debut, director-writer Tom McCarthy and a truly marvelous cast, notably Dinklage, weave a gently beguiling spell that is charming, humorous, dramatic, and infused with a sweet humanity. A highlight of the Sundance Film Festival where it received numerous accolades including Audience Award and Best Screenplay, this moving character study reveals that even isolation is better when shared.

The Triplets of Belleville
director/writer/animation director Sylvain Chomet producers Didier Brunner, Viviane Vanfleteren art director Evgeni Tomov editor Chantal Colibert Brunner print courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics
The spirits of Chuck Jones, Tex Avery, and other animation anarchists are alive and kicking in this slyly humorous visual feast which swings to a nostalgic and decidedly quirky beat. Champion has trained all his life to be a cyclist; his sights are set on winning the Tour de France. Enter some dastardly and very Gallic archvillains. To the rescue, in a whimsical series of cliff-hanging adventures, come his enterprising grandma, her canine sidekick, and the Triplets of Belleville, an aging 30s music hall act (imagine Andrew Sisters meet Stomp) still gleefully performing on an eccentric range of instruments. From the cyclist’s pulsating muscles to a cultural penchant for frog legs to Fred Astaire, this playfully bizarre universe teems with droll visual caricatures and homages. And all are meticulously rendered in a hand-drawn style reminiscent of classic French comics. Celebrating image, sound, and music to marvelous effect, Sylvain Chomet’s virtually wordless debut offers a wonderfully uncanny adventure for adults. No wonder it created a sensation at the Cannes Film Festival this spring.

Valentin
director/writer Alejandro Agresti producers Laurens Geels, Thierry Forte camera Jose Luis Cajarville editor Alejandro Brodersohn cast Carmen Maura, Rodrigo Noya, Julieta Cardinali, Jean-Pierre Noher print courtesy of Miramax Films
Among the most memorable films of the past few decades have been those that address the passage between adolescence and the first faint stirrings of adulthood – that magical time when everything seems possible and yet simultaneously elusive. Alejandro Agresti’s sublime Valentin ranks among the best of these nostalgic remembrances of all things past. Set in Buenos Aires in the ‘60s, as rock music and mod styles make evident the ways in which old traditions are being swept aside by a new generation, a young boy lives with his eccentric grandmother (Carmen Maura) after the bitter separation of his parents. Valentin longs for two things: to be an astronaut and the opportunity to see his mother again. His world undergoes an unexpected change when his father brings a new woman to meet him – the latest in a long line of potential stepmothers. As the young boy opens up to this free-spirited beauty, his life transforms in sweetly unanticipated ways. A deliciously precarious balance of absurd humor and rich emotional drama combine to make this award winning film a classic coming-of-age story.