Moondance - Film Synopses

Retrospective Films: The Best of Moondance

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2007 BEST OF MOONDANCE RETROSPECTIVE FILMS

10 MORE MINUTES short film comedy, 6 minutes (USA) This short action film was shot in a single 8-hour day, in beautiful Boulder, Colorado. It’s about a man who can change the future of America, if he can have just 10 more minutes to do so, and if he can remember to take “zee keys”! Patrick Dumont, director

BOUNDARIES (USA); 17 min. short film. This film depicts a love-hate relationship involving a woman, a mute man and a trombone. Freely adapted from a short story by Argentine writer, Fernando Sorrentino, this darkly comedic film examines the theme of complacency and the human capacity to accept the most absurd personal violations in exchange for a perceived sense of security, predictability and comfort. Greg Durbin & Susan Baily, Consor Pictures. In English & Spanish, with subtitles.

BURNING MAN: NOTHING WITHOUT YOU; (USA); 54 min. feature documentary. Naked in the desert; no water, no food or supplies, a lone man throws himself at the mercy of the people at Burning Man. An extraordinary experiment in community and insight into the culture of dropping out. Ted Mattison & Paul Kelleher, co-directors & co-producers.

CAT'S CRADLE (New Zealand); Short film, 12 minutes, dark comedy-drama. In this Dogme-style film, Dad is dead on the dining room table. His family cannot afford to bury him, so they set out with his corpse on their shoulders to find a final resting-place for him. Shot in grainy black & white, with no dialog & only ambient sounds, this surreal, incredibly poignant film has won awards all over the world for its quiet, harrowing, yet ultimately comedic portrait of desperation and love. Liz Hughes, director. Moondance 2000 winner of Best Foreign short film award.

CRIES FROM RAMAH. Shrt film, drama, 15 minutes, US. Starring Anoush Nevart (The House of Sand and Fog, Nip Tuck) and Mark Ivanir (The Terminal, Schindler's List). Cries from Ramah is a story about two mothers, Israeli and Palestinian, who lose their sons in a suicide bombing and meet in a police station. When a bomb goes off in Tel Aviv, Rachel, an Israeli woman, is thrown into confusion and her only son, Jacob, a soldier, is killed. While she waits at the police station, Saher, a Palestinian woman and bystander, is brought in for questioning. What Saher does not know is that her son, Hani, was also killed and is a suspect in the bombing. While the two women wait, Joseph, an Israeli police officer, tries to uncover what happened. When the two women meet, an unusual connection takes hold. Loren E. Chadima, director.

ELDRA, (Wales) Feature film, 50 minutes, drama. This marvelously evocative film is a real treasure with its visually captivating scenes of the Welsh countryside, stunningly sincere performances by all of the talented actors, and a strong, emotionally-charged story. This beautiful Romeo and Juliet tale among two very diverse families in a small country village in Wales – the girl is a traditional Romany (gypsy) and the boy is a Welsh coal-miner’s son – takes you into their innocent young hearts and dreams. “Eldra” is an entrancing, mystical cinematic venture into unknown realms of fantasy paired with the realities of daily life in an ancient and distant land. Written by Bethan Eames, directed byTim Lyn & produced by Manon Eames; dialog in Welsh, with English subtitles. Winner, Best Feature film, Moondance 2003.

FINE DINING (USA) Short film, 10 minutes, comedy. Using a fantastic combination of stark realism and a surreal ambiance, this delightful avant-garde film parodies our seemingly simplistic lives, as a homeless waif finds and loses love, with a little help from some exceedingly strange and silent “friends,” in this comical & thought-provoking Chaplin/Fellini-esque adventure. Written, directed & produced by Dean Mermell and Dana Castro. StoryFarm Productions.

FIREPUSSY (USA) Short Film. A volatile, sensual and electrically-charged journey into the mind of a Latina poet-pyromaniac, from the dark, dirty corners of the urban ghost-field, to the lush, mysterious and erotically dangerous jungles of the Yucatan. (rated "R" for sexual scenes.) Written & directed by Laurel Almerinda.

FLIP FLOTSAM; (UK) 26 min. short documentary. Have you ever wondered what happens to your footwear after you finish with it? This uplifting film takes an ingenious look at the life cycle of the ubiquitous filp-flop, the S.U.V. of throw-away footwear. Lucy Bateman, & Etienne Oliff, co-directors & co-producers.

GHOBI AND GOD (US) Short film, 26 minutes, drama. A story from the new American neighborhood. A fairy tale-like portrait of a multi-cultural, inner city Los Angeles neighborhood, seen through the friendship between a nine-year old African-American boy and his new Indian neighbor. A marvelous cameo performance by a mystical Buddhist monk with a symbolic bowl of oranges only adds to the visually fantastic cinematography. Director, Vangelis Maderakis

HEARING THINGS Short film drama, 14 minutes, UK. Mari-Ann spends her days 'talking' to herself to make working on a tedious Irish countryside production line bearable. However, when student Maddy is assigned to work with her for the summer, Maddy discovers that Mari-Ann’s refusal to talk to anyone hides a terrible secret: the only voices Mari-Ann’s can hear are those in her head. Mari-Ann struggles with the idea of letting anyone else into her world, in this beautifully filmed, poignant story of redemption and joy. Claire Ingham, director.

LIGHTS AND DARKS (USA) . Short film , 6 min, no dialogue. In this inspiring short film, using a laundromat as a metaphor for racism, and depicting an interracial relationship and the societal views inherent in the world, the director of Lights and Darks illustrates how one single act of kindness can break through a lifetime of bitterness, isolation and prejudice. Eric Kallevig, director & co-producer; Amitah Klemm, co-producer

MY MOTHER RECEIVED A WOUND (USA) Short Film , comedy, 5 minutes. This tongue-in-cheek, poignant little drama addresses one’s relationship with good ol’ Mom. A young man willingly capitulates to Mom’s crazy wishes in an extremely odd way. Based on a weird-but-true Colorado story. Eric Bosse, writer/director, produced by One-eyed Films

NATIVE NEW YORKER (US) Short film drama, 13 min. Filmed with a old 1924 hand-cranked Cine-Kodak camera, Shaman Trail Scout 'Coyote' takes a journey which transcends time; from a New York City's Central Park (where the island was traded for beads & booze), down a native trail (now 'Broadway'), into lower Manhattan (sacred burial ground, now including the newest natives of this island empire), and witnesses the devastation of September 11, 2001 Director: Steven Bilich

ONE NIGHT THE MOON, (Australia) Feature film, 55 minutes, drama, based on a true story. In 1932, a belovéd child goes missing in the Australian Outback. A young girl steps out of her bedroom window one night, entranced by the full moon, and follows it off into the bush. This passionate story is about the search for the child and the bias against a Black tracker, which ultimately causes the world to darken for the family on the isolated outback sheep ranch. Rachel Perkins, director; Aanya Whitehead, producer. Moondance 2001 feature film winner

ONE: THE GARRY DAVIS STORY Short documentary, 4 minutes, US. Garry Davis was a rising Broadway star until WWII interrupted, but the horror of dropping bombs on civilians, the loss of his brother, and the devastation of Hiroshima compelled him to make the world his stage. With Albert Camus, Garry demanded a democratically elected world government capable of outlawing war. 20,000 supporters rallied with them. The next day the UN passed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Garry gave up his US citizenship and declared a government of, by, and for the people of Earth. Garry, now 85, continues his pioneering work. Richard Crawford, director, Arthur Kanegis, producer, Arthur Kanegis & Richard Crawford, co-writers, Melanie N. Bennett, cinematographer/DP, Adam Cohen, composer. www.worldgovernment.org

PUNK LOVE (US) Feature film, 75 minutes, drama. Punk Love is the story of two forlorn lovers, searching for that elusive Hollywood Ending to the story of their dreams. Falling in love, Sarah and Spike go on a crime spree of small-time con jobs, both to support themselves and their drug habit. Punk Love is a modern-day fairy tale about two fallen angels searching for meaning in a world without pity. As Spike, Chad Lindberg gives an outstanding performance as a man-child whose love knows no bounds. Talented young Emma Bing, as Sarah, is achingly vulnerable as a teenager desperate to keep a glimmer of hope alive of the better life she dreams of. Written and directed by Nick Lyon.

QUEEN OF CACTUS COVE, Short film, family drama-comedy, 22 minutes, US. In a truly original look at the chess world, Queen Of Cactus Cove stars Alia Shawkat ((Maeby, on Fox’s Emmy award-winning Arrested Development) as Billie Scott, an ambitious teenage chess champ preparing to win a Regional Chess Championship. But when her best friend, Achak (Alex Frost, Gus Van Sant’s Elephant), a cool-as-a-cucumber recreational chess player, beats Billie in a practice game in the bottom of an empty swimming pool, Billie’s confidence takes a hit. With no reassurance, an uneasy Billie leaves her tiny desert town for the tournament. With genuine humor and charming honesty, Queen Of Cactus Cove tells a bittersweet tale about winning, losing and growing up - all at the same time, in this heartfelt coming-of-age story, with an original film score by Chris Westlake (Desperate Housewives). Anna Christopher, director.

RAINS (Iran) Short film, 10 minutes, drama. Two children, a shy young boy and a handicapped little girl secretly communicate understanding and love through beautiful colored-chalk pictures drawn on a wall in their tiny desert village. Each completes a part of the scene, hoping the infrequent rains won't wash away their furtive messages to each other, though they don't ever meet in person, at first. It is strictly forbidden for boys and girls to meet in this traditional culture. Directed by Mohammad Ashjaee. Produced by Iranian Young Cinema Society

SHANGRI-LA CAFÉ, (USA) Short film, 22 minutes, drama. This touching drama weaves an allegorical tale of a Japanese-American family who conceals their ethnicity and reluctantly adopts discriminatory practices in order to operate a popular Chinese restaurant during the hostile post-WWII climate of Las Vegas in the late 1950s. The ultimate decision Emiko must make, and the effect it has on her young daughter, will profoundly change their lives. Written & directed by Lily Mariye. Nice Girls Films & AFI. Best Short Film Winner Moondance 2001.

STABAT (ITALY) Animation, 5 minutes, drama. Director: Luciano De Fraia. Film Score "Mourning" by Austrian composer, Christoff Unterberger. The haunting film score will keep you entranced as you experience a fantasy world of lovely gossamer angels amidst the ruins of a mystical Egyptian shrine. Winner, Best Short Animation 2005.

TELLYVISION, (New Zealand) Short film, 10 minutes, dark comedy. In this surrealistically-filmed story, a pair of bored, lonely, TV-starved lovers in a minimalist, barren world embark upon an absurd journey in search of fulfillment. How will they unite with the one thing that binds them, and manage to fit it into their world, and thus satisfy their fondest dreams? . Liz Hughes, director; produced by Rhinoceros Pictures.

THE EGG (USA) Animation, 1 minute, comedy. A one-minute animation film that answers that age-old chicken/egg question. Linda Kudzmas, director/animator, produced by Fried Egg Films.

WILDERNESS WITHIN (Greece) Short film, drama, 18 minutes. On a small Greek island in the early 1900's, a wild orphan boy falls in love with the village mayor's daughter, despite the differences in their social status. He kidnaps her one night and makes her his wife in a moonlit poppy field by the sea. This is their love story. Dialog in Greek, with English subtitles . Director: Vangelis Maderakis, screenplay by Elizabeth English.