Scottsdale International Film Festival 2008

“No water, no sex.” Whereas the women in Aristophanes’ classic Greek comedy Lysistrata withheld sex from their men to end a war, the women in the village of Absurdistan concoct a similar plan out of necessity in order to get their community’s water pipe fixed. However, unlike the women of Lysistrata, the results of their decision don’t end a war but rather begin one of epic proportions between the sexes complete with the usual devices of espionage, sabotage and tested loyalties. For ABSURDISTAN, director Veit Helmer’s allegorically absurdist, unusual comedy employs cinematic techniques utilized in Jeunet’s Amelie and Gorris’ Antonia’s Line. Along the way, Helmer balances the broad comedy of the piece with a sweet tale of youthful love among Aya and Temelko, who, born on the same day, have been destined for one another’s arms their entire lives. But will their village’s feud end soon enough for them to finally come together? For the answer, we’ll have to look—not to the stars—but to the water. ~ Jen Johans AWARDS: Bavarian Film Awards – Special Award, German Film Awards – Best Production Design

Alexandra (played to perfection by veteran Bolshoi Theater soprano Galina Vishnevskaya) is a no-nonsense Russian matriarch in her seventies who travels by train to visit her beloved grandson, the captain of a military base in the Chechen Republic. The lone woman in this middle-of-nowhere landscape populated entirely by young, bare-chested soldiers waiting in limbo for orders to attack an unseen enemy, Alexandra is a most unlikely yet welcome apparition, embodying long-lost comforts of home for boys who lose their innocence in the (off-screen) horrors of battle. Unfazed by constant threats of danger, Alexandra wanders off the base to the local market and befriends an elderly Chechen with whom she shares a cup of tea and family histories against a surreal backdrop of bombed-out buildings—women and architecture similarly devastated by wartime destruction. Later, she lets her hair down during a murmured conversation with her grandson. Sokurov depicts these intimate scenes in a camouflage color scheme, matched in mood by Andrei Sigle’s gorgeous classical score. The great director once again confronts his country’s past and present, locating universal truths in his poetic vision of life as both dream and nightmare. Guided by his camera, ALEXANDRA is a survivor of history and of cinema itself. ~ San Francisco International Film Festival Fred Linch will moderate a 30-35 minute post-film discussion with the audience.

In chaotic New Delhi, an aged and irascible man, seemingly homeless, cheats everyone he meets. When Amal, an auto-rickshaw wallah, generously allows him to dodge his fare, both are affected in a way that has far-reaching consequences. This vividly textured portrait of contemporary India is an extraordinarily ambitious and heartfelt debut from first-time director Richie Mehta. Showing us an unvarnished India rich in flavor, AMAL is a powerful and touching story of one man’s decency. The life-affirming story evokes lingering vestiges of the caste system and examines a family in which wealth creates nothing but the hunger for more. ~ Toronto International Film Festival AWARDS: San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival – Best Narrative Award, Whistler Film Festival – Best Actor

Ben is different. Mildly autistic, his life is full of strange rituals. He lives in his own world, which is located, half the time, online, in the galaxy of computer games. In the real, tangible of technical school, life for Ben is a daily hell, with two bullies who make his a thoroughly miserable existence. Fuelled by his signature video game and inspired by Scarlite, his mystery girl on the web, Ben devises a cunning plan to change his life and that of his tormentors. Nic Balthazar's debut feature has had an unusual gestation. The project began as a novel that Balthazar wrote in a bid to increase literacy among Belgian kids. The novel, a bestseller, spawned a hit play. Now the play has given birth to a film: "They asked me to write a book for young people who didn't read. I said it was a brilliant idea because I was a writer who didn't write!" ~ Montreal Film Festival AWARDS: Montréal World Film Festival – Grand Prix des Amériques / Most Popular Film / Prize of the Ecumenical Jury. Sedona International Film Festival – Audience Award Best Foreign Feature Film / Director's Choice Award Best Foreign Feature Film

“The music business can be hazardous to your health.” So warns Hank Garland in the opening of this superb biopic chronicling the 1950’s Nashville guitarist's life -- from his humble debut at the Grand Ole Opry to becoming one of the most sought after studio session players in the business. Garland contributed to country and rockabilly classics by Roy Orbison, Elvis Presley, Patsy Cline and countless others. The film depicts both Garland’s tremendous range across many musical genres as well as his passion for the music -- passions that often led to fights, disagreements, and reckless encounters with domineering musical executives and other performers. As temperamental as Garland was, when it came to the music, his pure joy and skill were unparalleled. However, such joy did not necessarily transcend to his personal life. He falls into a love that quickly turns into an obsession. The object of his obsession, played by Heroes Ali Larter, is the beautiful Evelyn, a quick-thinking blonde impervious to his “groupie tactics.” Nevertheless, after marrying Garland, Evelyn learns that she’s no match for the lure of the road or the promise of a new song. Such temptations continually test Garland, mightily portrayed by Waylon Payne (who played Jerry Lee Lewis in Walk the Line), and his ability to remain uncorrupted in a corrupt industry. ~ Jen Johans Waylon Payne (Hank Garland) will be in attendance to present the film and participate in a 30-35 minute post-film conversation with the audience. Afterwards, Waylon will perform his songs under the stars at the circular stage on Stetson Drive. The stage is located in front of DIGESTIF Restaurant and adjacent to FOODBAR Restaurant. Admission is free and everyone is welcome.

The sky is indeed the limit for brainy cosmology student Liu Xing (Liu Ye) who leaves his Beijing home to work alongside his scientific idol, Dr. Jacob Reiser (Aidan Quinn) at an American university. However, co-mingling superstring theory with the indefinable, immeasurable topic of “dark matter” becomes an obsession and proves to be both Liu Xing’s greatest academic challenge -- as well as the ultimate metaphor for the darkness lingering just below his own surface. When a former academic rival arrives seeming far more at ease in embracing Western culture, he threatens Liu’s position as Professor Reiser’s pet. Liu realizes that his dream to find a definitive proof for his theory, win a Nobel Prize, and marry a quintessential blonde-haired, blue-eyed American wife is jeopardized by university politics and academic egos. Based on a 1991 incident at the University of Iowa, the structurally operatic film is divided into headings of the five elements and marks the feature filmmaking debut of internationally renowned theatrical director Chen Shi-Zheng. In addition, it features a wonderful performance from Meryl Streep as a supportive university benefactress whose own love of Chinese culture makes her the natural choice to take the department’s international students-- especially Liu-- under her wing. ~ Jen Johans Francie Noyes will moderate a 30-35 minute post-film discussion with the audience. AWARDS: Sundance Film Festival – Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Prize

Silvio Soldini’s latest film has the feel of a play by Arthur Miller at his best. Elsa learns that her husband Michele is out of work and has been forced from the business he founded. This comes when it ought to be a time for rejoicing: Elsa, no spring chicken, has just been awarded a hard-earned degree in art history. She is the verge of proving conclusively that the badly neglected fresco she took on as her thesis project is the work of a master. That’s when her life comes crashing down. The family is in debt—really in debt—living from day to day on scraps. No wonder their alienated daughter would rather live with her boyfriend. Elsa must give up the restoration project to take whatever job she can get. When she finally gets a good job, her boss hits on her. What should she do? Michele is a sullen loser, full of pride and self-pity, the typical Italian male of the last century unwilling to cope with the new world order. DAYS AND CLOUDS is so realistic in its presentation of Italy today that it’s surprising that Silvio Berlusconi hasn’t censored it. ~ Nick Salerno AWARDS: David Di Donatello Award – Best Actress / Best Supporting Actress

Divided into three hypnotically photographed, thematically linked vignettes, award-winning filmmaker Zero Chou offers audiences an unconventional look at gender and sexual orientation in Taiwan with her third feature film, DRIFTING FLOWERS. Although it opens with a fascinatingly heartfelt tale of two sisters struggling to stay together in a society with prejudices regarding disability and homosexuality, the film’s real discovery is in the terrifically naturalistic performance by university student turned actress Chao Yi-Lan as Chalkie, the good-hearted, tomboy accordion player who appears in two of the film’s segments. Using a constantly moving train as a symbol for journey and femininity throughout, writer/director Zero Chou transports us as her heroines drift along like tough but delicate flowers blooming in their own time while navigating through self-discovery, familial duty, and friendly loyalty with the ultimate destination of love in all of its incarnations. ~ Jen Johans Francie Noyes will moderate a 30-35 minute post-film discussion with the audience.

Let’s put it out there, simply and clearly from the start: THE EDGE OF HEAVEN is a superb film, a fascinating story that puts into clear focus one of the central problems of our times: the difficulties people have in connecting in a period in history where all has gone awry, where all coherence is gone. It plays out on a canvas that stretches from Germany to Turkey. The narrative is that of a hyperlink film, where numerous threads cross and re-cross, in which only the audience knows what’s really going while the characters struggle to find themselves and one another. Nejat, the son of a dissolute father, travels to Turkey to find Ayten, the daughter of the now-dead prostitute who lived with his father. Ayten, a political activist, has been imprisoned in Turkey. Susanne, a friend’s mother also has reason to find Ayten. How can their combined forces get Ayten out of prison and save her when they are unaware they are looking for the same girl. Back and forth, in and out, the threads of the tapestry criss-cross until there is a dénouement of sorts, that is, one in which the characters never do understand what has really happened. A simple message posted on a bulletin board could change everything. THE EDGE OF HEAVEN builds oh so carefully. It is an enthralling, thrilling, eminently satisfying film—perhaps the best film so far in the first eight years of this century. ~ Nick Salerno AWARDS: Cannes Film Festival – Best Screenplay, European Film Awards – Best Screenplay

Water is the essence of life, sustaining every being on this planet. Without water, there would simply be no plants, no animals, and no people. But the global water supply isn't just at risk, it's already in crisis. FLOW: For Love Of Water, a new film by Irena Salina, highlights the local intimacies of an emerging global catastrophe: African plumbers reconnect shantytown water pipes under cover of darkness to ensure a community's survival; a California scientist forces awareness of shockingly toxic public water sources; a ‘Big Water’ CEO argues privatization is the wave of the future; a “Water Guru” in India sparks new community water initiatives in hundreds of villages; a Canadian author uncovers the corporate profiteering that drives global water business. With an unflinching focus on politics, pollution and human rights, FLOW: For Love of Water ensures that the precarious relationship between humanity and water can no longer be ignored. While specifics of locality and issue may differ, the message is the same; water, and our future as a species, is quickly drying up. Armed with a thirst for survival, people around the world are fighting for their birthright; unless we instigate change, we face a world in which only those that can pay for their water will survive. FLOW: For Love of Water, is a catalyst for people everywhere: the time has come to turn the tide and we can't wait any longer. AWARDS: Vail Film Festival – Best Documentary

Clip this coupon: Art-house lovers should be sure to add THE GROCER’S SON to their festival ticket shopping list. The film was inspired by director Eric Guirado’s love of road movies such as the Wim Wenders classic Paris, Texas; as well as his own work as a television documentarian crafting cinematic portraits of traveling grocers. Set during an idyllic summer, THE GROCER’S SON is a warm celebration of the French countryside in the tradition of Eric Rohmer’s Autumn Tale. Thirty-year old Antoine sacrifices personal ambition for family duty when he reluctantly agrees to return to his home in Provence upon learning that his father has fallen ill. With his free-spirited, academically ambitious friend and crush Claire in tow, Antoine takes over his father’s work driving the family grocery delivery truck throughout the sleepy, sparsely populated and eccentric community. While journeying throughout the hamlets, Antoine is surprised to realize that he has a lot to learn, not only about the business which he finds fills an important human need throughout Provence, but his own life as well, while rediscovering the important things in life—namely, love, friendship and family. ~ Jen Johans

More than anything else, the endlessly optimistic yet eternally unlucky Yukie Moirta wants to be happy… if only for a little bit. Unfulfilled in her daily work serving customers as a waitress in a noodle-bar where she’s the oblivious target of her boss’ misguided romantic attention, Yukie’s home life is further complicated by the unpredictable moods of her brawny live-in lover Isao Hayama. Hayama who spends his days gambling away the money he steals from his girlfriend’s wages is nonetheless adored by the faithful and loyal Yukie. Unfailingly calling him her “darling,” Yukie fondly recalls the way her lover had saved her from fellow members of his old Tokyo Yakuza street gang. Convinced that he’s a changed man and their love will set him straight, Yukie ignores the naysayers and fights the odds to earn her own slice of happiness in director Yukihiko Tsusumi’s adaptation of Japan’s wildly popular heartbreaking comic strip “Jigyaku no Uta,” from creator Yoshiie Goda. ~ Jen Johans

Mike Leigh defies all expectation with this sparkling film about the relentlessly cheerful Poppy, a London teacher whose boundless optimism protects her from the darker things in life. Overly effervescent at first, Poppy's spritely, joking, bounding way becomes increasingly endearing as she prevails through a series of uproarious encounters with her bigoted, uptight driving instructor parties with her housemate and best friend Zoe and plots the rescue of a troubled little boy. Sally Hawkins positively shimmers in a performance that occupies every frame and won her Best Actress at the Berlin Film Festival. While Leigh continues to root things in a palpable and at times troubling reality, HAPPY-GO-LUCKY exhibits a new kind of playfulness, the director firmly in cahoots with the sunny lead character in his determination to do things, like the hilarious tango class sequence, just for laughs. ~ Sydney Film Festival Director Mike Leigh and star Sally Hawkins will be in attendance to present the film and participate in a post-film conversation with the audience. Awards: Berlin International Film Festival – Silver Bear Best Actress

Even at their best, those who run retirement homes need infinite patience and kindness. What happens, then, if four of your residents are so crotchety and unmanageable that they have driven away all the other residents? In HOW ABOUT YOU, the solution is to go on Christmas break and leave the home in the hands of your younger, inexperienced sister. “The hardcore four” are played by Vanessa Redgrave, Brenda Fricker, Imelda Staunton, and Joss Ackland. The glorious cast of great British film performers handles the acting chores with aplomb and brio. Oscar winners Fricker and Redgrave are brilliant, but no more so than Staunton (Vera Drake) and Ackland. It’s a dream cast able to walk a fine line between bathos and pathos. But HOW ABOUT YOU, based on a short story by Maeve Binchy, does not compromise the material. Yes, some wacky things happen, but screenwriter Jean Pasley never lets you forget that ageing is often horrific. The result is laughter through your tears. ~ Nick Salerno

At the edge of the continent and on the margins of society is a region of California known to some as "The Lost Coast." It is there, in HUMBOLDT COUNTY, that Peter Hadley (Jeremy Strong) – a promising yet disillusioned medical student failed by his professor (Peter Bogdanovich) – stumbles upon a remote community of counterculture marijuana farmers and a warmly embracing, yet eccentric family played by Frances Conroy, Fairuza Balk, Chris Messina, Brad Dourif, and newcomer Madison Davenport. From directors Darren Grodsky and Danny Jacobs, who also co-wrote the screenplay, HUMBOLDT COUNTY is a story of the human soul in search of happiness, and the unexpected places we can sometimes call home.

This is a special free screening for law students, the Arizona Justice Project and VIP Pass holders only. Please note that the screening is held at the Harkins Valley Art Theatre in Tempe. Director Jesse Quackenbush will attend the screening and participate in a 30-35 minute post-film discussion with the audience. The inevitable story of failure every American has anticipated but hoped would never have to be told. This documentary takes the 'Innocent Man on Texas Death Row' tale to a dark corner feared by all - - proving that an innocent man has been executed by the State. A clash between good and evil strikes up on the High Plains of Texas when Johnny Frank Garrett, a 17 year old retarded boy is arrested, convicted and ultimately executed for the Halloween night rape, mutilation and murder of Sister Tadea Benz. The 76 year old nun was attacked while she slept in her room at the St. Francis Convent in Amarillo, Texas. Garrett claimed his innocence from the time of his arrest until his dying breath. Sixteen years after Garrett's execution new evidence rose up from the cold case grave of the Amarillo Police Department proving they executed the wrong man! In Garrett's final statement he professed his innocence one last time but did so in a voice driven by hate and vengeance. In his chilling conclusion Garrett promised those responsible for his murder that someday he would have the last word and they would pay for what they had done. For or against the death penalty, THE LAST WORD compels viewers to feel not only the collective pain our societal conscience suffers for executing the innocent but also the individual fear of not knowing what margins of error our judges, jurors and executioners will find acceptable tomorrow.

Nine-year-old Pedro has a problem. His father Charly. Since Charly is an out-of-work screw-up, to whom should Pedro look to for a role model? His grandfather Mario, of course. But, surprise, surprise, Mario is gay—not simply gay, but GAY, an out-of-the-closet flaming queen, and the homophobic Charly—long alienated from his father--doesn’t know about Mario’s other life. Much to Charly’s dismay, the only job he can get is that of server in a gay bar whose owner hires only gays. Charly must now pass for gay, and must look to Mario for help in playing the role. That’s the family situation to be faced by young Pedro in this bright comedy from Chile. Can Charly pass for gay? Will Charly and Mario reconcile? Will Pedro save the day? You know all the answers, of course, but that won’t prevent you from laughing out loud during LOKAS even if the film is politically incorrect. ~ Nick Salerno

Jamie Bell is Hallam Foe, a troubled young man whose knack for voyeurism paradoxically reveals his darkest fears, and his most peculiar desires. Driven to expose the true cause of his mother’s death, he instead finds himself searching the rooftops of the city of Edinburgh for love. Featuring a lively soundtrack with Franz Ferdinand, Sons and Daughters and Orange Juice among others, MISTER FOE is a darkly twisted, entertaining work of magical realism from one of the leading lights of the new Scottish cinema. AWARDS: BAFTA Awards, Scotland – Best Actress, Berlin International Film Festival – Prize of the Guild of German Art House Cinemas / Best Film Music, Copenhagen International Film Festival – Golden Swan/Best Cinematographer, Dinard British Film Festival – Golden Hitchcock / Kodak Award for Best Cinematography, Motovun Film Festival – FIPRESCI Prize, Verona Love Screens Film Festival – Critics Award

Produced by Constant Gardner director Fernando Meirelles, this impressively audacious debut feature film from Brazilian writer/director Philippe Barcinski follows in the thematic and cinematically stylistic footsteps of Altman’s Short Cuts, Iñárritu’s Amores Perros and Haggis’ Crash. We first meet Enio, a middle-aged Sao Paulo traffic controller who is thrown into a tailspin after he discovers there are things beyond his control. As the story unfolds we next meet Pedro, who, similar to Enio has a passion for structure in the geometric design of his pool tables. Polished, breathtaking and expertly photographed NOT BY CHANCE is alternately tragic, romantic and always unpredictable. It's one of those films that will get audiences talking about the existential matters of free will vs. destiny. ~ Jen Johans AWARDS: Chicago International Film Festival – New Director, Huelva Latin American Film Festival – Best Actor, Recife Cine PE Audiovisual Festival – Best Actor / Best Cinematography / Best Editing / Best Supporting Actress

Devotees of Lewis Carroll’s beloved children’s classic “Alice in Wonderland” series will be sure to seek out tickets to writer/director Daniel Barnz’s cinematically dazzling tea party which draws numerous parallels to Carroll’s work. At a crossroads between acceptable childhood innocent curiosity and imaginative exploration mixed with peculiar Alice-like behavior, we follow the tale of the sensitive nine year old Phoebe (Elle Fanning), as her tendency to live in her creative mind is beginning to baffle her classmates, teachers, and parents (Bill Pullman and Felicity Huffman). When she’s given the lead role in the school’s theatrical production of “Alice in Wonderland” by her unorthodox new drama teacher Ms. Dodger (Patricia Clarkson) who likens herself to the Mad Hatter, Phoebe becomes increasingly drawn in by the play, which is coincidentally the same topic of her mother’s scholarly dissertation turned nonfiction work. Mistaking her daughter’s erratic mannerisms as a cry for motherly attention, Hilary tries to intervene when Phoebe runs into trouble with her strict principal (Campbell Scott). However when it becomes apparent that Phoebe is going through something more than just a fleeting fascination with Alice’s “looking glass,” those around her realize they need to stop listening to themselves and start listening to Phoebe. Tenderly drawn, heartfelt, and filled with gripping portrayals from its ensemble cast, Barnz’s Wonderland was screened in a highly successful premiere at the Sundance Film Festival before it was singled out by several critics as one of the festival’s hidden gems. ~ Jen Johans

Upon hearing rumors that Brazilian tourists will be flooding their tiny Uruguayan village for the 1988 visit of “The Traveling Pope,” the locals of Melo eagerly sell their land or take out enormous bank loans. With the proceeds they erect food stands in the hopes that God will provide them with fortune. While his neighbors opt for mouth watering recipes, long-time smuggler Beto — weary from the lengthy treks he makes to bring in goods to sell while dodging a crooked customs officer — puts on his notorious thinking cap. When the expenses begin mounting on his unusual plan Beto finds himself struggling to make ends meet. Alternately funny and melancholic, with an obvious homage towards classic Italian neorealist films such as The Bicycle Thief, this deceptively simple and quirky offering became Uruguay’s official entry to the Academy Awards.~ Jen Johans AWARDS: Gramado Film Festival – Audience Award /Best Actress /Best Screenplay, Huelva Latin American Film Festival – Best Screenplay, Lleida Latin-American Film Festival – Best First Work / TVE Award, San Sebastián International Film Festival – Horizons Award, São Paulo International Film Festival – International Jury Award

The discovery of a true romance seldom goes according to plan. Imagine how much tougher courtship becomes in the Sundance hit STRANGERS when a man and woman find they're becoming increasingly drawn to one another - and are Israeli and Palestinian respectively. Beginning with a typical “meet cute,” classic romantic set-up, World Cup tourists Eyal and Rana first catch each other’s eye sitting opposite one another aboard a Berlin train. After mistakenly leaving with their opposite yet identical rucksacks a phone call is made and a swap is arranged. The two strangers suddenly also find themselves stranded together in the overly-crowded city and join forces to find shelter. Despite a few tense moments and awkward jokes they manage to form a bond and soon slide naturally from friendship to romance amidst the celebrations. After a night of passion and unforeseen complications, the two must come to terms with how their experiences, familial duties and ethnicity will impact on any chance of a future. Hopefully optimistic, surprisingly touching and exuberantly photographed with earnest portrayals by its young leads, the fast-paced film admirably avoids the predictable. ~ Jen Johans Fred Linch will moderate a 30-35 minute post-film discussion with the audience. AWARDS: Jerusalem Film Festival – Most Promising Actress

TEDDY BEAR is the Czech Republic version of "thirtysomething," but better—much, much better. Three men—each of them loveable in his own way—are forced to grow up. Their wives and their relationships with one another have until now all been secondary to their own narcissism. Secrets abound. Children, both born and not-yet-even conceived, result in scenes which are both touching and comic. When a number of crises converge, the immature men are forced to reconsider their lives. One of them—Roman—goes to his parents for advice, and what happens when his parents discuss their own marriage, becomes a master class in subtle under acting: you’ll laugh till it hurts. Director Jan Hrebejk doesn’t entirely avoid the clichés in going directly for the heart. Don’t be misled by the warm-and-fuzzy connotations of the film’s English title: while the film has not a few laughs, it is ultimately devastating and provocative. The cast is uniformly top-notch. Ana Geislerova (Roman’s wife Anna) is widely considered one of the best performers in the new Eastern European cinema. ~ Nick Salerno

Aniela (Danuta Szaflarska) lives alone in a rambling wooden mansion full of the delicate ornamentation that speaks to a pre-war halcyon past, never to be recovered. The house has seen better days, and its overgrown garden and rusting iron gate offend the eyes of her neighbor, the owner of a modern concrete bungalow. He wants to buy Aniela’s house so he can tear it down. Aniela has a married son who occasionally drops by, but she suspects that he is part of the plot to take away her house. Between these visits, Aniela occupies herself by carrying on affectionate chats with her beloved dog, Fila, her companion, protector and friend. And, when she grows bored, she spies on the neighbors to discover what they might be up to. A gentle portrait of elderly paranoia mixes with remembered moments from a past that encompasses both the happy memories of evenings spent waltzing to Strauss and the harsher realities of a Communist regime. All of this acts as background for the stunning visual universe created by Kędzierzawska and her cinematographer Arthur Reinhart. They are indeed true magicians of the eye, unafraid to let the camera paint pictures in front of us. This is the special and particular terrain of this film: the thoughtful depiction of the inner life of an elderly person. Kędzierzawska and Reinhart’s series of stunning images and the unforgettable dignity of Aniela combine to make TIME TO DIE a unique film. ~ Toronto International Film Festival AWARDS: Polish Film Festival – Audience Award / Best Actress / Best Sound / Critics Award

This is a special free screening for GLBT student organizations and VIP Pass holders only. Please note that the screening is held at the Harkins Valley Art Theatre in Tempe. Please contact the Dave Connell directly at ScottsdaleFilmFest@gmail.com for more information on obtaining group tickets subject to availability. Director David Oliveras, star Tye Olson and Echo Magazine’s Patrick Roland will attend the screening and participate in a 30-35 minute post-film discussion with the audience. When a gifted, young artist arrives at the opening of his first New York exhibition his erotic paintings trigger memories of his first love, a troubled athlete whose depression and self-denial led to suicide. Through a series of flashbacks we see Danny and Carter struggle with their mutual attraction. With the encouragement of three strong and very different women, Mrs. Martin, a free-spirited art teacher, his best friend, Andy, a young girl with a severe physical impairment, and Miriam, a recovering alcoholic and devoutly religious mother, Danny learns to use his creativity to transcend his grief. Fifteen years later, Danny is faced with the possibility of losing Allan, his current lover; unless he keeps his promise to never paint the boy again. AWARDS: Outfest Film Festival – Outstanding First Dramatic Feature / Best Actor

WHAT JUST HAPPENED? is a winningly sharp comedy about two nail-biting, back-stabbing, roller-coaster weeks in the world of a middle-aged Hollywood producer -- as he tries to juggle an actual life with an outrageous series of crises in his day job. Academy Award® winning director Barry Levinson reunites with Academy Award® winning actor Robert De Niro and leading producer Art Linson, who wrote the screenplay based on his bestselling memoir. They all join with an all-star cast in this rollicking, shrewd tale of a man besieged by people who want him to be all sorts of things -- a money maker, an ego buster, a bad news breaker, an artistic champion, a loyal husband, an all-knowing father, not to mention sexy, youthful and tuned-in – everything except for the one thing he and all the preposterously behaved people he’s surrounded by really are: bumbling human beings just trying to survive by any means necessary.