The Films 2007

By film name: [A-E]   [F-H]   [I-M]   [N-T]   [U-Z] or by date.

Film Categories

• C — Competition Films: The George Sidney Independent Film Competition official selections. Awards will be presented to outstanding films in a variety of categories on Saturday, March 10. These films are also eligible for Audience Awards.

• SP — Special Presentation Films: Movies on a variety of topics from past to present with introductions by special guest speakers.
• CL - Classic films: Older films in a different genre almost every evening of the Festival.
• WP — Wendy’s Picks: Sneak previews of brand-new, cutting-edge films, these are also eligible for Audience Awards.
• RC — Red Carpet Event films.

Absolute Zero (2006) Australia/New Zealand SPONSORED BY PCF AVIATION This documentary investigates a great urban myth in Australia that a man died by freezing to death after accidentally being locked in a refrigerated train car in the 30’s — the catch in the story is that the refrigeration wasn’t working, so how did the man die of hypothermia? Temperature in the wagon never fell below 68°F — yet the man dutifully recorded the stages of his slow death on the walls of the train car. Urban myth or true story? This doc makes the case for the latter using a combination of archival and imagined material to speculate on the man’s final hours. Documentary. C The Palm Theatre Tuesday, March 6 6:00pm 27 min.

A League of Their Own — Documentary (1987) USA SPONSORED BY SLO BLUES BASEBALL The documentary that inspired the Hollywood version, A League of Their Own is based on a 1987 reunion with some of the original female baseball teams in the All American Pro Girls League. Lompoc player Helen Callahan (played by Geena Davis in the 1992 film) was Kelly and Casey Candaele’s mother. Casey went on to a career as a professional baseball player and now coaches at SLO High. Kelly produced the documentary, wrote the story for the 1992 directed by Penny Marshall, and is a filmmaker, writer and university lecturer. Several of the original All American Girl’s Professional Baseball League players will be joining Kelly and Casey for the screening of this fascinating film that documents their adventures and struggles as athletic women in a totally male-dominated sport in the 1940’s and ‘50’s. Documentary. Q & A with (players TBA), Kelly and Casey Candaele. SP The Palm Theatre Friday, March 9 5:30pm 27 min.

A Matter of Trust: Billy Joel in the USSR (1987) Soviet Union SPONSORED BY SAN LUIS TRUST BANK Rick London had been Billy Joel’s business manager for 10 years when Billy Joel announced he wanted to tour the USSR. Rick wasn’t convinced this was a good idea but eventually he engineered the musical adventure that was to become the first time an American rock musician toured the Soviet Union. The year was 1987, U.S. political relations with the Soviet Union were strained at best and the cost of the tour was outrageous. But after five separate trips to set it up, Rick was responsible for organizing the amazingly successful tour that was filmed and later broadcast on ABC. A Matter of Trust still resonates today, as it chronicles the cross-culture connections that were shared by Billy Joel, his entourage and the Russian people who were charmed and moved by his extroverted style and ever-popular music. Rick London is now the CFO of the United Way in San Luis Obispo County and the YMCA, and will attend the screening to share stories and answer questions. Documentary. SP The Palm Theatre Wednesday, March 7 7:00pm 83 min.

Anomaly (2006) SPONSORED BY VAS ENTERTAINMENT TGR’s newest ski and snowboard release showcases the freakish and abnormal abilities of today’s top athletes as they push the boundary of what is humanly possible. Join these athletes as they forge into a brave new world of skiing and riding in locations around the globe. The anomaly unfolds as Jeremy Jones continues to touch the void in Alaska, Erik Roner completes his disturbing two-year vision, Jamie Pierre survives a world record 25-story free fall, legends Seth Morrison and Jeremy Nobis trade lines on a boat trip in Canada and Candide takes his unique style to AK. Documentary. WP The Palm Theatre Saturday, March 3 9:00pm 60 min.

A.W.O.L. (2006) USA World Premiere SPONSORED BY STUART MASON HELMINTOLLER After an ambush on his platoon in Vietnam, special forces army major Cliff Marquette (David Morse, The Green Mile) is captured, and he begins to suffer merciless torture from the enemy. Suddenly, in a flash, he finds himself home in America in 2005, living an idyllic life with a loving, attentive wife and son. Disoriented, his torture resumes again at midnight, and he soon realizes he has become trapped in an unending cycle of pain and pleasure. Either he must find a way to endure the abrupt changes…or he must find a way to cheat fate. Fantasy/Drama. Warning: Contains violence and coarse language. C The Palm Theatre Friday, March 9 9:15pm 22 min.

Babe (1995) USA SPONSORED BY ROB AND LAURIE ROSSI FAMILY SLO International Film Festival Honoree, James Cromwell received an Academy Award nomination for his performance is this beloved allegory. Farmer Hoggett wins a runt piglet at a local fair and young Babe, as the piglet decides to call himself, befriends and learns about all the other creatures on the farm. He becomes special friends with one of the sheepdogs, Fly. With Fly’s help and Farmer Hoggett’s intuition, Babe embarks on a career in sheepherding with some surprising and spectacular results. “That’ll do pig!” Family/comedy. CL The Palm Theatre Friday, March 9 4:00pm 89 min.

Beyond the Call (2006) USA/Afghanistan/Middle East SPONSORED BY CENTRAL COAST WINE CLASSIC Ed Artis, James Laws and Walt Ratterman are three middle-aged men whose idea of adventure is taking desperately needed food and medicine into the world’s most forbidding yet beautiful places on Earth: the front lines of war. In 1995, they formed Knightsbridge International, a unique humanitarian aid organization, whose motto is “High Adventure and Service to Humanity.” Artis, Laws and Ratterman as a team are a fusion of Mother Teresa and Indiana Jones, and the film Beyond the Call inspires as much as it entertains. Documentary. Q & A with Ed Artis and Knightsbridge International guests. C The Palm Theatre Friday, March 9 1:00pm 80 min. View Trailer.

Brod Ludaka (Ship of Fools) (2006) Belgium/Bosnia/Herzegovina World Premiere SPONSORED BY FIRST BANK OF SAN LUIS OBISPO Sarajevo 1992: Vedran, a once-famous cellist, tries to shelter his family from the madness of war by hiding them in his house and going out of his way to give them a normal day-to-day life. But when his daughter gets pregnant, he insists on giving her a proper wedding in the old town hall, and he does whatever he can to make that happen, even in the middle of war-torn Bosnia. Drama. C The Palm Theatre Monday, March 5 4:00pm 17 min.

Caffeine (2006) USA SPONSORED BY PAUL METCHIK, ATTORNEY AT LAW There’s always something strange brewing at the Black Cat Café, but when several couples reveal embarrassing secrets about their sex lives over coffee, their worlds are turned upside-down. A neurotic young commitment-phobe bumps into his ex-girlfriend while he’s whacked out on killer dope; a high-strung control freak finds out that her husband-to-be is a transvestite; a hyper-possessive boyfriend discovers that his girlfriend is an ex-porn actress; and the coffee shop manager’s boyfriend reveals that he had a ménage-a-trois, which he says is pardonable because the girls were identical twins. Caffeine is an eccentric comedy about these characters’ hapless attempts to repair their fractured relationships after the secrets are revealed. Comedy. Warning: contains coarse language and sexual references. C The Palm Theatre Wednesday, March 7 9:15pm View Trailer

Chasing Dora (2006) SPONSORED BY SLO CITY NEWS AND MISSION GRILL The enigmatic psychosis of Mickey Dora fuels a wild goose chase to J-Bay, South Africa, by three Americans to fulfill a madcap idea. Surfing’s first revolutionary was outspoken and disliked. He chided that if you want to compete, you need to keep it simple and pure. No leash. No wetsuit. No stickers. No sponsors. No prize. Robert Weaver, Marc Andreini and Mickey Muñoz do just that. Dora, who lived in J-Bay, believed commercialism killed surfing as a spiritual vocation. Documentary directed by Wes Brown and T.J. Barrack, who will be on hand to introduce the film and share some stories. RC The Fremont Theatre Thursday, March 8 7:00pm 55 min.

Chasing the Dream (2007) USA/Australia SPONSORED BY QUALITY SUITES & GOOD CLEAN FUN SURF AND SPORT Thousands of young surfers dream of a professional surfing career, but only a handful make it. Follow the hopes and dreams of 8 hopeful teens from Huntington Beach High School who travel to Australia to find out what it really takes to make it as a pro. With insights from surf pro Kelly Slater and other surf greats, these boys learn the ups and downs of competing in one of the most misunderstood and romanticized sports on earth. Associate produced by local surfer/filmmaker David Malcolm. Documentary. Q & A session with Director Angelo Mei, Exec. Producer Josh Williams, Assoc. Producer David Malcom and featured surfers from Huntington Beach. C The Palm Theatre Saturday, March 10 2:30pm 105 min. and The Palm Theatre Sunday, March 11 2:00pm 105 min. View Trailer

Dante’s Inferno (2006) USA SPONSORED BY SAN LUIS JET CENTER Dante’s Inferno has been kicking around the cultural playground for over 700 years. But it has never before been interpreted with exquisitely hand-drawn paper puppets, brought to life using purely hand-made special effects. Until now. Rediscover this literary classic, retold in a kind of apocalyptic graphic novel meets Victoria-era toy theater. Set against an all-too-familiar urban backdrop of used car lots, gated communities, strip malls, and the U.S. Capitol, and populated with a contemporary cast of reprobates, including famous — and infamous — politicians, presidents, popes, pimps. And SLOIFF’s King Vidor recipient, James Cromwell is the voice of Virgil. Animation. Q & A with director, Sean Meredith, cast & crew. Warning: Contains coarse language and sexual references. C The Palm Theatre Friday, March 9 9:15pm 77 min. View Trailer

Dark Water Rising (2006) USA SPONSORED BY HOPEDANCE In late August 2005, over 50,000 dogs and cats were left behind in New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. These pets (mostly dogs) that survived the flood were locked in houses and chained to fences without food and water for up to six weeks. A small group of brave rescuers from around the world risked their lives to sledgehammer down doors, brave toxic floodwaters, and dodge corrupt cops in a race against time to rescue up to 10,000 trapped and starving animals. This film tells uplifting stories of hope and survival as pets are reunited with their owners while other lucky pets find loving new homes. Join award winning filmmaker, Mike Shiley (winner of SLOIFF’s 2006 Best Feature Documentary award for Inside Iraq) for a behind-the-scenes look at the grim reality of the life and death struggles on the toxic streets of New Orleans. Documentary. Warning: Contains some disturbing images. C The Palm Theatre Tuesday, March 6 6:00pm 80 min. View Trailer

Desert Dreamers (2006) USA - World Premiere SPONSORED BY TRACY TAYLOR STUDIOS The Mojave covers a terrain from Los Angeles to Las Vegas, and in the south it reaches to the more humid Mexican Sonora Desert and past Death Valley to the Sierra Nevada in the north. Beautiful to visit, but why would anyone want to live there? With spectacular vistas, cool music, and fascinating interviews, this documentary portrays the eccentric artists, the UFO seekers, and the religious healers who live there to attempt an answer to this question and explain why the desert gives their lives a greater meaning. Documentary. Q & A with filmmakers Frank Suffert & Lillemor Malau. C The Palm Theatre Thursday, March 8 2:30pm 54 min.

Ed I Hide (2006) USA SPONSORED BY LA CUESTA INN After Eddie has an argument with his girlfriend, he leaves on a road trip to camp in the woods with his mysterious and light-hearted buddy, Ward. As they settle into camp, the peace of the wilderness escape is interrupted by a wandering hiker, whose unsolicited advice spurs Eddie to become more and more agitated. A gun is drawn, and soon he is forced to confront his true feelings about his girl and about his friend Ward, who is not who or what he appears to be. Drama/thriller. Q & A with producer/cinematorapher Pierre Rouger & writer/director Suzanna Laine. C The Palm Theatre Tuesday, March 6 8:30pm 29 min. View Trailer

Escape (2006) USA SPONSORED BY KNIGHT BROADCASTING AND CLAUTIERE VINEYARDS The life of British film star Aaron Price is slowly crumbling until one night, when he finds himself in a rundown service station in the middle of nowhere. There, amidst the filth and grime of the public restroom, he has a harsh self-realization: he has spent his entire life escaping reality. He finds himself re-evaluating his life and comes to an interesting conclusion: he must return to his mother’s womb. His whole survival depends on it, so the only question is how. Drama. < B>C The Palm Theatre Wednesday, March 7 9:15pm 16 min.

Esperando (Waiting/Hoping) (2006) Mexico/USA SPONSORED BY UNIVISION AND AMTRAK An expectant mother illegally crosses the US-Mexico border, only to find that life on the other side isn’t what she had hoped for. This award-winning short film tells the compelling tale of Ana (Melissa Hernandez), a young Mexican woman who — having illegally crossed the US-Mexico border while pregnant — is faced with the challenge of having to survive life in the US. Drama. Q & A with director Michael Flores. C The Palm Theatre Friday, March 9 1:00pm 7 min.

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