2011 CMJ Film Festival Programming
CMJ Cine-Mini Short Film Block 1
Clearview Chelsea Cinema
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
3:00 – 5:40 PM
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Captivus
Director: Casey Patrick Tebo, USA, 14 min (World Premiere)
Rabidus and Vaccus have been friends for six years. All of these years, though, they’ve been cramped aboard a tiny rescue ship, The Captivus, while they search deep space for a missing transport freighter. With their equipment failing, and tensions peaking, the men get a transmission from base that Rabidus is leaving the mission and going home. After this news hits the ship, things go horribly wrong. Q&A with director Casey Tebo following screening.
Blackstone
Director: George Tunis, USA, 16 min (New York Premiere)
Blackstone is a gripping psychological thriller that follows one man’s relentless investigation into a world of deceit, murder and the occult. As two young women begin to reveal their terrifying stories of a night that changed their lives forever, the man soon realizes the case may be more elaborate than he ever thought possible. Cast: JK Simmons, Sasha Grey, Emily Graham-Handley, Vic Stagliano, Marissa Tait, Gabe Fremuth, Meeghan Holaway, Brian Oblak and Cami Raich.
The Double
Director: Justin Foia, USA, 28 min (CMJ Premiere)
Glenn Logan is an average, blue collar worker who comes across a man that appears to be his identical double – only his doppelganger is wealthy, successful, and in a seemingly passionate relationship with a beautiful young woman. Drawn by an obsession to know why fate has given his mirror twin such good fortune, Glenn’s cat-and-mouse game eventually challenges his sanity, pulling him ever closer towards dangerous circumstances. Q&A with Justin Foia following screening.
Tempo
Director: Chris Heffernan, Canada, 12 min (US Premiere)
Torn from comfort. Forced to face dark and personal fears. Only instinct can survive.
Quirk Of Fate
Director: Marco J. Reidl, Germany, 45 min (New York Premiere)
A quirk of fate leads Luke Hallow to violate his parole and risk losing his newly won freedom. He has to save the life of his nine-year-old daughter, Noel, who urgently needs a donor heart. Only a miracle can keep him from losing everything…forever.
The Wedding Ring (Snubni Prsten)
Director: Bryan Felber, Czech, 7 Min (World Premiere)
It’s a beautiful day in the city of Prague. Romance is brewing and spirits are high. All seems perfect for Fredo, who plans to propose to his girlfriend, if not for a simple twist of fate: he accidentally drops his wedding ring into the hands of a homeless man! To make matters worse, the homeless man swallows the ring and Fredo, knowing that his marriage now depends on the bowels of this dirty beggar, is forced to have him as a third wheel on the most important date of his life. Q&A with Bryan Felber, Štěpánka Minárová, Ronnie Rios, Ted Maroney and Christian Mortensen following screening.
Cartoons
Director: Ken Kwek, Singapore, 8 min (World Premiere)
When a kindergarten principal finds a series of morbid cartoons drawn by her star pupil, she summons the child’s mother to investigate the source of the boy’s troubles. Q&A with Eu Yen Tay following screening.
CMJ Opening Night Film
Clearview Chelsea Cinema
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
8:30 PM
Pearl Jam Twenty
Director: Cameron Crowe, USA, 119 min (CMJ Opening Night Film)
Carved from over 1,200 hours of rare and never-before-seen footage, plus 24 hours of recently shot interview and live footage, Pearl Jam Twenty is the definitive portrait of Pearl Jam as told by award-winning director and music journalist, Cameron Crowe. The film premieres nationwide on the “American Masters” series Friday, October 21 at 9 pm EST on PBS (check local listings) as part of the first PBS Arts Fall Festival. Released in conjunction with the film, the Pearl Jam Twenty soundtrack includes 29 unreleased tracks on two CDs, hand-picked by Crowe with his original liners and photos in a hardbound, 36-page book.
CMJ Cine-Mini Short Film Block 2
Clearview Chelsea Cinema
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Noon – 2:30 PM
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Bag Tax
Director: J.W. Crump, USA, 5 min (World Premiere)
Bag Tax is a black-and-white silent film about one woman’s journey to avoid paying the new D.C. bag tax. As she slowly collects “free” pennies from various friends and strangers, her resolve to avoid taxation results in increasingly manic behavior – until the startling and hilarious conclusion. Led by award-winning actress Tonya Beckman Ross, the film features a cast and crew comprised entirely of D.C. talent, including an original score by Sam Cooper. This film is the directorial debut of writer/filmmaker J. W. Crump. Q&A with J.W. Crump following screening.
Holy Moly
Director: Christopher Good, USA, 12 min (World Premiere)
After suffering a devastating breakup, Sammy accepts the services of a life-enhancement coach named Tabitha. Tabitha instructs Sammy in the skills every real man should have: shooting a gun, driving a fast car, and being strong and decisive. Sammy attempts to use his new skills to woo back his ex through a series of voicemails, while Tabitha harbors other intentions for her protege. Q&A with Christopher Good and Megan Mantia following screening.
Down & Across
Directors: Brandon Boudreaux & Erick Dozier, USA, 32 min (US Premiere)
Robert Cunningham, a middle-aged mail room clerk and crossword aficionado, overhears a terrorist conspiracy in midtown Manhattan one afternoon. His desire to be a good citizen drives him to obsession, as he follows the suspected terrorist throughout the city. Meanwhile, a police detective attempts to discover who the mysterious person is that keeps calling the NYC safeline leaving vague messages about snipers and plans to shoot people. Did Robert really hear what he thought he did? And if so, can he stop it when no one will believe him? Q&A with directors following screening.
Election Day
Director: Zach Wechter, USA, 11 min (World Premiere)
A political thriller set in the student government of a high school. After being blackmailed the day of the class election, Michael Fabrizio is forced to decide between pursuing his dream of winning the senior class presidency, or saving his pregnant girlfriend’s reputation…unless he can get to the bottom of the corruption and stop it before the bell rings.
L.A. Love Story Part 1
Director: Sergio Myers, USA, 24 min (New York Premiere)
L.A. Love Story Part 1 is a short drama based on true events of people learning to cope with relationships, while chasing the Hollywood dream. The story follows Otis (Ryan Caldwell), a reality television show creator, and an aspiring actress named Cynthia (Jeannine Kaspar). Each find themselves faced with temptations of infidelity and drugs, while trying to maintain their relationship and fulfill their dreams of fame and fortune. Q&A with Sergio Myers following screening.
Bruce’s Garden
Director: Ryan O’Leary, USA, 8 min (NYC Premiere)
In the 1970s, Jack Reynolds and his son Bruce gathered up the local teenagers of Inwood, New York, and turned a lifeless, dirty lot into a beautiful garden. Q&A with Ryan O’Leary and Alexa DiCambio following screening.
How NOT To Borrow A Car
Director: Annika Kurnick, USA, 11 min (World Premiere)
When Derya’s date shows up with a date of his own, she decides to teach him a lesson about dating etiquette he won’t soon forget! Q&A with Annika Kurnick, Julie Katz, Mathyou Scheiner and Derya Derman following screening.
Run & Return: Matisyahu Short Doc
Director: Michael Thelin, USA, 14 min (East Coast Premiere)
This film goes beyond the performances and fluff of most music documentaries. The reason to be a musician and how things come together are all covered. If you’re a fan of real music, you’ll love Run & Return. Q&A with Michael Thelin, Jason Rogoff and Jose Luis Rios following the screening.
Pepper
Director: Kim Noonan, USA, 12 min (New York Premiere)
Nate (Chuck Church) hits a dog with his car and must decide whether or not to tell its lonely owner (Dana Powell) about the accident. Q&A with Chuck Church following screening.
Clearview Chelsea Cinema
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
3:00 PM
Broke*
Director: Will Gray, USA, 78 min (NYC Premiere)
Following on-the-verge artist Will Gray through the recording and release of his debut album (featuring production by the Grammy-winning T Bone Burnett), Broke* chronicles the stories of artists and executives searching for ways to thrive in today’s music industry. The film digs beneath the clichés to reveal an industry struggling to find a new identity, and an artist who’s simply trying to establish one. With appearances from John Legend, Kelly Clarkson, Isaac Slade of The Fray, Seth Godin and Buddy Miller. Q&A with Will Gray and Dan Beck following screening.
Clearview Chelsea Cinema
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
7:00 PM
Killing Bono
Director: Nick Hamm, Ireland, 114 min (East Coast Premiere)
Based on real events, Killing Bono tells the story of young Irish rocker Neil McCormick and his younger brother Ivan, who attempt to become rock stars, but can only look on as their school friends form U2…and become the biggest band in the world. The film is based on Neil McCormick’s memoir, Killing Bono: I Am Bono’s Doppelganger. Cast: Ben Barnes, Robert Sheehan, Kysten Ritter, Peter Serafinowicz, Stanley Townsend, Martin McCann and Pete Postlethwaite. Q&A with director Nick Hamm following screening. Moderated by Kevin Polowy, Executive Editor of MTV’s NextMovie.com
Clearview Chelsea Cinema
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
9:30 PM
FIX: The MINISTRY Movie
Director: Douglas Freel, USA, 97 min (New York Premiere)
FIX: The Ministry Movie shoves your ass way, way backstage with the scariest band EVER. “F@$k The Mainstream” might as well have been written by Al Jourgensen, founder of MINISTRY. Love him or hate him, Al changed all the rules. Al, and all the guys he played with, paid the price and took no prisoners along the way. But they MATTERED. No MINISTRY = No NIN, no Korn, no Jane’s Addiction. Don’t believe it? Hear it directly from Trent Reznor, Jonathan Davis, Dave Navarro and many more. Q&A with director Doug Freel and MINISTRY’s Paul Barker following screening.
CMJ Cine-Mini Short Film Block 3
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Noon – 2:30 PM
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The Rooster
Director: Eli Gonda, USA, 20 min (CMJ Premiere)
The end of a relationship sucks. Inevitably, one person is left feeling bereft, suddenly transformed into a mopey, fun-sucking blob. They’ve lost their “better half.” They’ve lost their confidence; they’ve lost hope. And they’ve lost…their rooster. From the producer of American Teen and the writer of Recount comes a story about what we actually lose when a relationship ends, and how far one man will go to get his cock, err, rooster back. Q&A with Jonathon Rubenstein, Mike Lavoie and Gina Duncan following screening.
License To Reproduce
Director: Alano Massi, USA, 22 min (CMJ Premiere)
Present day. For the past several years, the Federal Bureau of Investigation has been working a newly established division in an effort to improve the quality of the United States: the Department of Reproduction. Federal Agents assigned to this department actively pursue individuals who have or intend to conceive a child without possessing a LICENSE To REPRODUCE. We follow two such agents as they take us through their day, unveiling social issues they face on the job, with each other and themselves. Cast: Edward Furlong, Bokeem Woodbine, Kym Jackson and Rene Moran.
Good News, Oklahoma!
Director: Doug Hannah, USA, 18 min (New York Premiere)
A satire about a well-intentioned liberal who gets fed up with salacious local media and creates her own show. Dedicated to good news, she inadvertently paves a path of destruction that undermines everything she stands for. Q&A with Doug Hannah and Channing Powell following screening.
A Reuben By Any Other Name
Director: Jeremy Dylan Lanni, USA, 4 min (NYC Premiere)
A Reuben By Any Other Name takes a hilarious look at the differences between the New York and L.A. versions of the reuben sandwich. Great performances are provided by an ensemble cast of familiar faces from film and television: Jasmine Anthony (Stephen King’s 1408, Commander in Chief), Anita Barone (The War at Home, Daddio), Paul Ben-Victor (In Plain Sight, Entourage), Larry Cedar (The Crazies, Deadwood), Pamela Cedar, Alanna Ubach (Hung, Legally Blonde) and Matt Winston (John from Cincinnati, Little Miss Sunshine). Q&A with Robert Novak following screening.
Nevo
Director: William Djuric, USA, 26 min (World Premiere)
By day, Chris works the busy kitchen of a trendy New York City restaurant. While the city sleeps, Chris assumes his alternate identity: Nevo, one of New York’s most prolific graffiti artists. On what was supposed to be the start of a relaxing weekend from the stress of work, Chris’s world is turned upside down when he discovers all his graffiti defiled by a new and mysterious rival. Q&A with William Djuric and Alexander Levit following screening.
My First Time
Director: Eytan Rockaway, USA, 16 min (NYC Premiere)
My First Time is a dramatic short about a mysterious girl named Jasmine (Nicole Trunfio) on a first date with Alex (Victoria Haynes). Jasmine has always had the curiosity, but never the courage, to pursue her inner desires. Until now. When she meets Alex, an experienced suitor, Jasmine immediately falls for her charm. But once they are alone together, Jasmine’s instincts come into play, and their life is forever changed. Q&A with Eytan Rockaway following screening.
Sleep Forever: Portugal. The Man
Director: Michael Ragen, USA, 13 min (US Premiere)
This long-form music video combines two tracks from Portugal. The Man’s forthcoming album In the Mountain in the Cloud, while sending frontman John Gourley on a dangerous dog sledding expedition through the wilderness of the band’s native Alaska. (Portugal. The Man are also performing at CMJ.) Q&A with members of Portugal. The Man and director Michael Ragen following screening.
Run
Director: TJ Thyne, USA, 1 min (CMJ Premiere)
That exhilarating moment of complete and utter freedom where one feels unstoppable, only to be jarringly yanked out of fantasy land and quickly and forced back into the immediacy of reality.
Clearview Chelsea Cinema
Thursday, October 20, 2011
3:00 PM
We Are The Hartmans
Director: Laura Newman, USA, 83 min (New York Premiere)
We Are The Hartmans is a comedy parable for our gentrified age. Set in a small town plagued by fast food chains and Big-Box-Mart, Hartmans rock club is the only local hangout left. When the owner (Richard Chamberlain) falls ill, his estranged family comes to town to sell the building and collect the money. What they don’t expect is a full-scale neighborhood uprising by the eccentric musicians, drunks and drag queens that frequent the club. Features original music by Black Taxi (also performing at CMJ). Q&A with Blayne Ross, Laura Newman, Ben Curtis, Jennifer Restivo and Black Taxi following screening. Moderated by Arin Crumley, Four Eyed Monsters, DIY Filmmaker.
Clearview Chelsea Cinema
Thursday, October 20, 2011
7:00 PM
Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels Of A Tribe Called Quest
Director: Michael Rapaport, USA, 98 min (CMJ Premiere)
An insightful music doc about one of the most innovative and influential hip-hop bands of all time. The film takes viewers behind-the-scenes, chronicling the group’s rise to fame while revealing the story behind the tension, which would erupt in the years to come. Q&A with director Michael Rapaport following screening.
Clearview Chelsea Cinema
Thursday, October 20, 2011
9:30 PM
Janie Jones
Director: David M. Rosenthal, USA, 107 min (CMJ Premiere)
Ethan (Alessandro Nivola), a musician content with his rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle, has his life turned upside down with the arrival of a 13-year-old daughter he never knew he had. Left to raise Janie Jones (Abigail Breslin), Ethan and Janie embark on a road trip of music and father-daughter bonding. Q&A with Director David M. Rosenthal following screening.
Soho House Screening Room
Friday, October 21, 2011
7:00 PM…must RSVP
Freaks In Love
Directors: David Koslowski and Skizz Cyzyk, USA, 98 min (NYC Premiere)
Freaks In Love documents the 25-year career of the seminal psychedelic punk band Alice Donut: from humble beginnings to playing at CBGB, from signing to Alternative Tentacles to performing at Reading Festival and, ultimately, touring with Blind Melon. Throughout their ups and downs, the band has remained friends and created some of the underground’s most compelling music. This is the story of many bands from the late ’80s/ early ’90s, when getting in a van and touring the country was all one could ask for; when free beer and pizza were a luxury. And then it all blew out of proportion with one band – Nirvana. (Alice Donut also performing at CMJ.) Q&A with Skizz Cyzyk, David Koslowski and members of Alice Donut following screening.
Soho House Screening Room
Saturday, October 22, 2011
9:15 PM…must RSVP!
Gainsbourg: A Heroic Life
Director: Joann Sfar, France, 122 min (CMJ Premiere)
Renowned comic book artist Joann Sfar’s Gainsbourg: A Heroic Life is a completely original take on one of France’s greatest mavericks — the illustrious and infamous singer-songwriter, Serge Gainsbourg (Eric Elmosnino). Born Lucien Ginsburg to Russian-Jewish parents, Gainsbourg evolves from a precocious child in Nazi-occupied Paris, to a small-time jazz musician, and finally, an international pop superstar. Along the way, he romances many of the era’s most beautiful women, including Juliette Greco (Anna Mouglalis), Brigitte Bardot (Laetitia Casta) and Jane Birkin (Lucy Gordon). With a witty surrealistic style and a soundtrack showcasing many of Gainsbourg’s greatest hits, the film is a sensual delight and a quintessential time capsule of the eras he enjoyed.