7 Days in Tehran
director Reza Khatibi producers Jean-Marie Boulet, Khatibi writers Arielle Halfon, Anahita Maafi, Esfandiar Esfandi, Khatibi camera Boris Breckoff editors Anne Boissel, Valerie Roy cast Khatibi, Goldmund Seiller, Esfandiar Esfandi, Jocelyn Muller, Sabrina Delarue special thanks to Couleur Films
In his wonderful debut feature, Reza Khatibi reinvents the movie about movie-making formula by lending it fascinating layers of cultural revelation and lyrical resonance. Returning to his native Iran for the first time in 16 years (having fled the Iran-Iraq war), Khatibi plays a filmmaker with a French TV crew in tow. His objective – to spend a week documenting the lives of contemporary Tehranian youth. Clashing with his colleagues looking for a grittier, more political piece, Khatibi’s character seeks to capture a positive image of Iran. What transpires is something altogether different as themes of personal identity, family, friendship, spontaneous interactions on the street and life’s daily rhythms take hold. We go "behind the scenes" as it were, venturing into a family home for a meal, smoky cafes for music and romance, and a sandlot for an impromptu soccer match between film crew and locals. Khatibi offers us a personal, often humorous, and ultimately poignant glimpse into the lives of ordinary people whose hopes and fears are more familiar than you might imagine.

Cuckoo
Alexander Rogozhkin camera Andrei Zhegalov editor Yulia Rumyatseva castspecial thanks to Sony Pictures Classics
Poetic and witty, this utterly original tale begins late in 1944, as the high tide of Hitler’s Third Reich ebbs from Russia’s vast northern wasteland. Three of the war’s cast-offs – a peace-loving Finnish soldier, a bitter Russian officer, and a love-starved Lapp war-widow – find themselves jumbled together in an isolated hideaway. The film opens with Veiko, the Finnish private, resourcefully struggling to free himself from the trap his retreating German overlords have set. He observes a peasant woman rescue an injured Russian soldier and later tracks her to her refuge. She takes him in too and, as the three hunker down to wait out the war, they bumblingly strive to overcome the cultural and language barriers separating them. All three actors give richly memorable performances. Cinematographer Andrei Zhegalov artfully suffuses the film’s setting of sea and mountains with an awe-inspiring and surprisingly sensuous beauty, while writer-director Alexander Rogozhkin skillfully wrings suspense, ironic comedy, and even spiritual mystery from his three characters’ unlikely plight.

Frida
director Julie Taymor writers Rodrigo Garcia, Edward Norton,based on the book by Hayden Herrera producers Sarah Green, Salma Hayek cast Salma Hayek, Alfred Molina, Ashley Judd, Geoffrey Rush, Antonio Banderas special thanks to Miramax Films
Director Julie Taymor applies the visual flair demonstrated in her stage (Lion King) and screen (Titus) work to the perfect subject: the larger-than-life, stranger-than-Surrealism story of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo. At its beginning, the film catches Frida already in full flight as a vivacious, strikingly beautiful young student in 1922 Mexico City. Her carefree life is forever altered by a spine- (but not spirit) crushing accident. Immobilized for months by pain and a full-body jacket of bandages, Frida pours her trauma into painting, distilling her raw emotions into a uniquely personal imagery that captivates Diego Rivera. Though physically mismatched, the two prove united in their fiery gusto for life, art and politics. Richly and entertainingly surrounded by the bustle of their bohemian world (peopled with remarkable cameos by Geoffrey Rush, Ashley Judd, Antonio Banderas, and Edward Norton), the film centers on the enduring love and remarkable artistic visions of Diego and Frida, as brought to impassioned life by Alfred Molina and especially by co-producer and star Salma Hayek.

Just a Kiss
director Fisher Stevens producer Matthew Rowland writer Patrick Breen camera Terry Stacey editor Gary Levy, cast Ron Eldard, Kyra Sedgwick, Patrick Breen, Marisa Tomei, Marley Shelton, Taye Diggs, Sarita Choudhury special thanks to Paramount Classics
Actor Fisher Stevens (director of Call of the Wylie, SF 1995) takes a hilariously mordant look at the potentially dire consequences of romantic entanglements in his first feature about a group of young Manhattanites for whom the course of true love seems to run anything but smoothly. Our initial cast of characters is comprised of the oh-so-cool commercial director Dag (Ron Eldard), his hip girlfriend Halley (Kyra Sedgwick), the earnest Peter (Patrick Breen) whose claim to fame is playing a bird in a peanut butter commercial, and the ethereally beautiful dancer Rebecca (Marley Shelton). But then add to the mix the vampy arch manipulator Paula (an outstanding Marisa Tomei) and a series of romantic complications, and jaw–dropping disasters ensue. The performances by this excellent ensemble cast and the witty script are enhanced with the lightest touch of animation, adding a breezy, farcical commentary on some of the more bizarrely exaggerated happenings in this darkly witty comedy.

Minoes
Director Vincent Bal producers Burny Bos, Jan Roelfs writers Bal, Bos, Tamara Bos, based on the novel by Annie M.G. Schmidt camera Walther Vanden Ende editor Peter Alderliesten cast Carice van Houten, Theo Maassen, Sarah Bannier, Pierre Bokma special thanks to Bos Bros.
Based on the novel by Annie M.G. Schmidt, a famous Dutch writer of children’s stories, Minoes is a fancy feast of a fairy tale, supersaturated with color and charm. This highly amusing first feature from Vincent Bal (The Bloody Olive, SF 96), is guaranteed to appeal to film, and cat, lovers of all ages! Shy Tibbe is a newspaper reporter about to be fired. That is, until he meets the extraordinary Miss Minoes, a smart and attractive young lady who claims to be a cat. With Miss Minoes’ connections to the "cat news service," Tibbe gets all sorts of juicy headline tidbits. When Minoes insists that he blow the whistle on the town’s most powerful citizen though, Tibbe’s back in the dog house. Find out how Miss Minoes and her cadre of cats save the day in this deliciously funny adventure film that’s purring its way to the top of the international children’s film festival circuit.

Moonlight Mile
director/writer Brad Silberling producers Silberling, Mark Johnson camera Phedon Papamichael editor Lisa Zeno Churgin cast Dustin Hoffman, Susan Sarandon, Jake Gyllenhaal, Ellen Pompeo, Holly Hunter special thanks to Buena Vista Pictures Distribution
From Brad Silberling (City of Angels) comes a provocative yet touching look at the way grief and best intentions can be countered by the unexpected workings of love. Set in the early 70s and based on a chapter from the director’s life, this family drama of healing and the power of truth glows with well-timed humor and direct, subtle performances from its all-star cast that includes Academy Award-winners Dustin Hoffman, Susan Sarandon, and Holly Hunter. Living with his almost in-laws Ben (Hoffman) and Jojo (Sarandon), Joe Nast (played by the very up-and-coming Jake Gyllenhaal) finds himself at an unexpected crossroads. When his marriage plans change due to a tragic unexpected loss, he does his best to meet everyone’s expectations, struggling with the confusing weight of being both a bereaved husband-to-be and an awkward pretender to the role of future son-in-law. But when another woman (Ellen Pompeo) suddenly enters his life, he’s quickly torn between fulfilling his new role and following his desires. Blending heart and realism, Moonlight Mile explores very substantive issues related to love, grief, and letting go.

My Voyage to Italy
director Martin Scorsese producers Barbara De Fina, Giuliana Del Punta Bruno Restuccia writers Suso Cecchi d’Amico, Kent Jones, Scorsese, Raffaele Donato camera Phil Abraham editor Thelma Schoonmaker special thanks to Miramax Films
If Martin Scorsese never made another movie (heaven forbid...), he could unquestionably sustain a career as one of the greatest-ever teachers of film. This is an epic master class in how to watch films, how to interpret a director’s intentions, how to enjoy cinema (there is one marvelous digression in which Scorsese freezes the action to reveal the fleeting subtlety of an actor’s comic timing). But this is more than a brilliantly entertaining tutorial. A follow-up to the director’s Personal Journey Through American Movies, My Voyage to Italy takes Scorsese – and us – back to Italy, to his Sicilian roots ("My grandparents were Sicilian emigrants who were barely literate in Italian. So it was through Italian films that I actually began to discover my family."), where we are treated to an impassioned, analytical tour of modern Italian cinema, from the neorealist revolution wrought by Visconti and Rossellini, through de Sica and Antonioni, up to Fellini’s 8 1/2. With generous film extracts, it’s a moving and enthralling exercise, touched with genius – and, at four hours six minutes, the best value you’ll ever get from a trip to the cinema.

Never Too Young to Dream
director Gustavo Loza producer Fernando Sariñana cast Lumi Cavazos, Plutarco Haza, Héctor Su·rez special thanks to Venevision International
Meet San Pancho’s first soccer team in years, a Bad News Bears group of loveable urchins who are determined to revive the reputation of their formerly famous soccer town. Starting out with no field, no coach, no uniforms, no support, and only a cow for a mascot, this team of feisty footballers will eventually have to face off against the best team in the league, a group of rich kids with everything, including attitude. With some fancy footwork, a little bit of love, and lots of luck, they just might have a chance. If you like soccer, and feel-good family movies, you don’t want to miss this magical, against-all-odds fairy tale that’s sure to have you cheering along with the crowd! Starring Lumi Cavazos (Like Water for Chocolate) , Héctor Suárez (Ciudad Oscuras, La Cosa, They Will Die in the Middle of the River), and Mexican TV star Plutarco Haza (Amores Querer con Alevosia).

OT: our town
director/producer/co-editor/camera Scott Hamilton Kennedy editor Chris Figler, Kennedy with Catherine Borek, Karen Greene, Ebony Starr Norwood-Brown, Archie Posada, Armia Robinson, Jackie Oliver, Christopher Patterson, Jose Perez special thanks to OT Films/Stressbox, Inc.
This inspiring film presents the true-life story of two extraordinary teachers and 24 students who set out to produce Dominguez High School’s first play in over 20 years. It’s no small feat for the denizens of Compton, California, a town known for producing little more than "gang bangers," "hoochie mamas," and professional basketball players. With no money, no stage, and no school support, the group struggles against seemingly insurmountable odds to breathe new life into Thornton Wilder’s classic, Our Town. Following the six weeks of rehearsal leading up to opening night, this award-winning documentary is as punchy and compelling as its unflinchingly honest subjects, interweaving the timeless themes of the play with the ups and downs of the production, and the unsettling context of the students’ personal lives. Much more than just a film about a play, OT: our town is an inspiring story about a compelling mix of youths and a stunning illustration of the power of art education to transform a community.

Personal Velocity
director/writer Rebecca Miller, based on Miller’s short stories producers Gary Winick, Lemore Syvan, Alexis Alexanian camera Ellen Kuras editor Sabine Hoffman cast Kyra Sedgwick, Parker Posey, Fairuza Balk special thanks to MGM/UA
Totally original, honest and fresh, Personal Velocity tells the stories of three very different women, each approaching that exhilarating moment of clarity at which a completely new life suddenly seems possible. Delia (Kyra Sedgwick) is a tough girl living in a trailer in the Catskills with three kids and an abusive husband – but how did she end up there and how can she possibly get away? Greta (Parker Posey) is a Manhattan cook-book editor, with a confidence-bruising father (Ron Liebman) and the quintessential ‘nice guy’ as a husband, whose life is turned upside-down when she hooks up with the hot young novelist of the moment. Goth punk Paula (Fairuza Balk) is damaged goods, a young runaway in the middle of yet another getaway who is stopped in her tracks when she picks up a teenage hitchhiker along the rural high road. Featuring incredibly powerful central performances from its three stars, Personal Velocity (which won this year’s Grand Jury and Best Cinematography prizes at the Sundance Film Festival), is a brilliant triptych of compelling portraits that will stay with you long after you leave the theater.

Rabbit Proof Fence
director Phillip Noyce roducers Noyce, Christine Olsen, John Winter writer Olsen, based on the book by Doris Pilkington camera Christopher Doyle editors John Scott, Veronika Jenet cast Everlyn Sampi, Tianna Sansbury, Laura Monaghan, Kenneth Branagh special thanks to Miramax Films
Accomplished Hollywood director Philip Noyce (The Bone Collector, Patriot Games) returns to his native Australia for this compelling tale of courage and indomitable spirit. In this incredible but true Depression-era story, 14-year old Molly Craig is forcibly taken from her Aboriginal family and relocated as part of a decades-long Australian government program of social and racial "improvement." Stubbornly refusing to submit to her fate, Molly leads her younger sister and cousin in an escape. Wily and daring, they elude the government’s best tracker and the provincial police, and in an epic trek, cover 1,500 miles of life-threatening outback in a quest to return home. Director Noyce masterfully combines Hong-Kong-based cinematographer Christopher Doyle’s stunning images and Peter Gabriel’s score with perfect casting. Kenneth Branagh infuses his portrayal of the girl’s nemesis, Aboriginal Affairs head A.O. Neville ("Mr. Devil" to his charges) with a deftly nuanced mix, at turns a blandly insincere father figure, a penny-pinching bureaucrat, and an earnestly charming salesman of a now-outmoded racist policy. He meets his match in the three children, all first-time actors (Everlyn Sampi, Tiana Sansbury and Laura Monahan), whose heroic heart-wrenching performances make this a truly unforgettable film.

Real Women Have Curves
director Patricia Cardoso producers George LaVoo, Effie T. Brown writers Josefina Lopez, LaVoo, based on the play by Lopez camera Jim Denault editor Sloane Klevin cast America Ferrera, Lupe Ontiveros, Ingrid Oliu, George Lopez, Brian Sites special thanks to New Market Films
Curves on a blossoming young woman can be sexy – but not if you’ve got too many of them. That’s the message recent high-school graduate Ana is getting from her loving but overbearing mother Carmen in this captivatingly big-hearted coming of age comedy (a highlight of this year’s Sundance Film Festival where it won the Audience Award, as well as the Special Jury award for acting). Carmen is also determined that Ana should work in her sister Estela’s dress factory rather than go off to college, and when a crisis arises, Ana would seem to have no choice but to put her plans for independence on hold. This buoyant and spirited film heralds the arrival of two very promising talents – Patricia Cardoso, the Colombian-born L.A. director and 17-year-old America Ferrara who plays Ana, a bright, strong-willed Mexican-American girl who lives in East L.A. but goes to school in Beverly Hills. Superbly sensitive performances by all the cast give a fresh voice to Josephina Lopez and George LaVoo’s warm and funny script which treats the yearnings of Chicana women – and the curves that life throws at them – with a terrifically light and lively touch.

Secret Lives: Hidden Children and Their Rescuers During WWII
director Aviva Slesin producers Slesin, Toby Appleton Perl writer Perl editor Ken Eluto special thanks to Aviva Films
We’re delighted to welcome back Academy Award-winner Aviva Slesin who charmed Filmfest audiences in 1987 with The Ten-Year Lunch. She returns with an remarkable new documentary recounting the complex and emotional story of a small number of Jewish children who were saved from the Nazis by non-Jews who, at great personal risk, took them into their homes as an extraordinary act of human decency. Whether hidden for months or years, the experience affected both the children and their rescuers profoundly. A former hidden child, Slesin only focussed on this early chapter of her own life relatively recently and was prompted to make the film after seeking out her rescue mother in Lithuania fifty years later. This moving documentary featuring extensive interviews with amazing people explores the small pockets of goodness that flourished even in the midst of the Holocaust. It is a tribute to Slesin’s own rescuers and others like them who transcended fear, politics, and religious intolerance to save lives.

Showboy
directors Christian Taylor, Lindy Heymann producers Jason Buchtel, Blair Farrington Taylor, Heymann, Buchtel camera Joaquin Baca-Asay Kant Pan cast Taylor, Heymann, Buchtel, Adrian Armas, Erich Miller special thanks to Squeak Pictures
Unexpectedly fired from a big-time gig on Allan Ball’s Six Feet Under, Christian Taylor, a screenwriter by trade, makes a radical career move – he decides to become a Las Vegas chorus dancer. This, despite that fact that he’s in his 30s and lacks any dance training whatsoever. Whether he likes it or not, his efforts are destined to be documented by a British TV crew; they’ve been following this promising writer and suddenly find their film veering in a very different direction. Under the guise of researching a new script, Christian throws himself into the dance lessons, tanning sessions, glittery shirts, and auditions that pave the way to his new career. At this point, the filmmakers definitely have more than they’d originally bargained for, but the sight of the hapless aspiring dancer struggling through his routines proves too irresistible for them to stop shooting. With Christian’s painfully hilarious efforts to follow his dream, cameos by the likes of Whoopi Goldberg and Siegfried & Roy, and the funny yet sympathetic look at showbiz life on the strip, Showboy gets top billing as a most surprising comedy.

Spellbound
director/camera Jeff Blitz producers Blitz, Sean Welch editor Yana Gorskaya with Harry Altman, Angela Arenivar, Ted Brigham, April DeGideo, Neil Kadakia, Nupar Lala, Emily Stagg, Ashley White special thanks to Blitz/Welch
The National Spelling Bee, televised annually from Washington D.C., may not be an Olympic event, but the 250 children who compete each year, and their parents, are as dedicated, intensely focused, and driven as if they were fighting for the gold. Director Jeff Blitz engrossingly blends the stories of a diverse crew of contenders from widely disparate ethnic, social, and economic backgrounds including Ashley, an inner-city black girl raised by a single mom, Neil, a first-generation Indian immigrant whose entrepreneur dad holds him to a grueling "scientific" training schedule, and Angela, daughter of a Mexican-born ranch worker. This gripping award-winning documentary (a favorite with audiences on the festival circuit) offers a fascinating survey of eight bright and engaging kids and their nerve-addled parents as they grapple with words like "logorrhea" and "hypsometer" in hopes of claiming the title of America’s most gifted young speller. Spell along. Root for your favorite contestant. And celebrate as they push through their fears and work towards a distinctly American dream!

Steamboat Bill, Jr.
director Buster Keaton, Charles F. Reisner producer Keaton writer Keaton, Carl Harbaugh camera J. Devereux ‘Dev’ Jennings, Bert Haines editor Sherman Kell cast Keaton, Ernest Torrence, Marion Byron, Tom Lewis, Tom McGuire
We’re delighted to welcome back the inspired and eclectic Asylum Street Spankers (Goldrush, FF 00) for an encore evening with what The Memphis Flyer calls "one of the best live acts you are likely to see anywhere." Hailing from Austin, Texas, this 7-piece ensemble, boasting an array of instruments including saw and washboard, has a style described by the Washington Post as "a giddily acoustic blend of cool blues, hot jazz, wacky folk and vaudeville pop." Thanks to them, you’ll have the chance to experience the magic that made Buster Keaton a Hollywood legend. Never have balletic grace, the pratfall gag, and technical ingenuity found such perfect symmetry as in the performances of Keaton. And Steamboat Bill, Jr. is one of his finest. This classic comedy introduces our hero as a foppish, city-educated boy who returns home to reluctantly join his burly steamboat captain father engaged in fighting off a wealthy rival. With the conflict comes a star-crossed romance. This film features some of the most carefully planned and dangerous stunts ever seen in early Hollywood – and Keaton did them all himself.

Tattoo, a love story
director Richard W. Bean producers Stephen Davies, Mike Vukas writers Bean, Gregg Sacon camera David Klein editor Brian Murphy music Pete Droge cast Megan Edwards, Virgil Mignanelli, Benjamin J. Burdick special thanks to Tattoo Productions, LLC.
Attraction is more than skin deep in this fresh and beguiling romantic comedy about Sara (Megan Edwards), an uptight elementary school teacher who one day finds her perfect life falling apart. First, one of her third graders brings in Virgil (Virgil Mignanelli), a huge Harley–riding "skin artist" for show-and-tell. Then she gets home and discovers that her commitment-phobic boyfriend is moving out. Seeking comfort from a friend, she is advised to get out of her rut – but how far will controlling Sara let herself go in her search for happiness? Director Richard Bean intersperses his whimsical tale of mismatched attraction with funny vignettes on the quirky life circumstances that lead one out of every ten Americans to get a tattoo. He brings together a strong ensemble cast, a snappy script, and Pete Droge’s original score to create a winning, offbeat comedy that confounds stereotypes. It just might have you thinking again about getting that winged horse to fly across your back!

Tribute
directors/producers Rich Fox, Kris Curry executive producer Steven Soderbergh camera Fox, Curry, editors Stephen Mirrione, Fox with Larger Than Life: A Tribute to Kiss, Sheer Heart: A Tribute to Queen, Bloodstone: A Tribute to Judas Priest, and more special thanks to Tribute Films
Can struggling, middle-aged rock musicians find happiness cloning classic acts? Does mimicking Kiss’s maniacal Gene Simmons doom you to madness? Can the world’s biggest Queen fan survive the death of singer Freddie Mercury and the breakup of a local Queen tribute band? The answers to these burning questions – and a host of others – can be found in this heated, hilarious and highly entertaining documentary by Rich Fox and Kris Curry who spent years following the weekend careers of would-be Monkees, Beatles and sundry other rock groups. From Albany to Modesto, you’ll follow the fortunes of several tribute acts as they valiantly attempt to live out their rock and roll fantasies. It may sound like a Spinal Tap-fueled setup, predestined for nothing more than easy laughs, but as Tribute shows us, these people are dreamers like the rest of us, craving a sliver of satisfaction from their everyday worlds. Tribute is an unforgettable paean to American pop culture at its most delightfully absurd – and the music is excellent.

The Way Home
director/writer Lee Jeong–hyang producers Whang Woo-hyun, Whang Jae-woo camera Yoon Hong–shik editors Kim Sang–beom, Kim Jae–beom cast Kim Eul–boon, Yu Seung–ho special thanks to Paramount Pictures Classics
An intimate and subtle work of rich emotion, The Way Home’s box office success is a testimony to the enduring power of fine writing, natural performances by a largely non-professional cast, and authentic feeling. This second feature tells the story of a bratty, citified, seven-year-old boy’s summer with his mute grandmother at her humble country home. Young Sang-woo (Yu Seung-ho) tries to take refuge in his video games, but neither his batteries nor his resentment can outlast the determination of his grandmother (Kim Eul-boon) to win him over. Many of the film’s events seem simple – Sang-woo loses his way on the road back from the village; his grandmother slaves over a chicken dish to replace the boy’s beloved Kentucky Fried Chicken – but writer-director Lee Jeong-hyang shows a deft talent for raising the stakes of these everyday moments without resorting to overblown melodrama. With a meticulous depiction of rural life, and charming portrayals of both central and secondary characters, Lee evokes an entire universe where this odd couple are the unlikely king and queen. The beauty and refinement of The Way Home confirm her as a director to watch.