FGC Gathering Films

Here's what we're showing at the 2009 FGC Summer Gathering in Blacksburg, Virginia, including links to film websites, previews and reviews.

The Visitor, Sunday 9:15

Widowed professor Walter Vale discovers an immigrant couple, Tarek and Zainab, squatting in his Manhattan flat and becomes wrapped up in their lives when Tarek is thrown into a detention center. 103 minutes. Rated PG-13 for brief strong language. Reviews.



Stop the Reroute: Taking a Stand on Sacred Land, Monday 1:30

This documentary shows people putting their bodies on the line to preserve one of the last burr oak savannahs along the Mississippi and a 10,000-year-old sacred water source: Coldwater Spring. Q&A to follow film with director Ann Follett
and Quaker Alex Holzinger, who participated in the protests. NOT RATED. Appropriate for all ages. DIRECTOR PRESENT. Trailer

Gracie, Monday 9:15

After her brother dies, 15-year-old Gracie channels her grief into trying to get onto the varsity soccer team. Set in 1978, this film is inspired by a true story of Elisabeth Shue, who plays Gracie’s mother. 95 minutes. Rated PG-13 for brief sexual content, fistfights and strong language.



Shorts Program, Tuesday 3:15

See short films about insects learning important lessons, a couple dealing with Alzheimer’s, a man meeting the perfect mate, dancing prairie chickens, and a family facing cultural clashes and racism. NOT RATED. Appropriate for all ages.

The Grocer’s Son, Tuesday 9:15

When his father suffers a stroke, Antoine reluctantly returns home from the big city to his small French mountain village to help out with the family business, a grocery that makes daily rounds to the town’s elderly inhabitants. 96 minutes. NOT RATED. Reviews.



Wednesday 3:15 REST No film. Take a nap instead.

Jihad for Love, Wednesday 9:15

Documenting the quandary of GLBT Muslims via the perspective of subjects from countries such as India, Iran and Turkey, director Parvez Sharma chronicles their struggles to square their sexual orientation with their faith. 81 minutes.
NOT RATED. Reviews.



The Prep School Negro, Thursday 1:30

This film is a cinematic exploration of identity and how it is affected by and defined for black students at elite white institutions. It tells the story of the director Andre Robert Lee, who graduated from Germantown Friends School, and follows
three students from William Penn Charter. Q&A with director to follow. 53 minutes. NOT RATED. DIRECTOR PRESENT.



Waltz With Bashir, Thursday 9:15

Utilizing vivid black-and-white animation, director Ari Folman documents his quest to explore the memory gaps in his life during his service for the Israeli army in the Lebanese war of the early 1980s. 90 minutes. Rated R for some disturbing images of atricities and strong violence. Reviews.




Once, Friday 3:15

In this charming contemporary musical, a street musician in Dublin, Ireland strikes up a friendship with a migrant street hawker and the duo ends up composing and recording a series of songs over the course of a week. 85 minutes. Rated R for swearing, but otherwise very innocent. Reviews.



Frozen River, Friday 9:15

On a Mohawk reservation on the Canadian border, Ray teams with widowed tribe member Lila to smuggle illegal immigrants into the United States. Although the work provides the women with much-needed money, each trip puts them in danger. 97 minutes. Rated R for strong language, mature themes. Reviews.

At 41 Hours and Counting

Monday, MSPIFF finally posted their full schedule and program, just three days before opening night. So I haven't had much time to read every tiny little detail. But here's the schedule I've come up with as of today.

Lots of things could change. Like if I hear buzz about something (like I did tonight), I may change my mind (like I did tonight) at the last minute. Or, more likely, MSPIFF won't get a film or a print won't have subtitles, or it'll be scheduled in a theater that doesn't play a specific format.

No matter what, if you're planning to join me for any of these films, call me. That button on the right side of my blog actually works. Click it, type in your number, and you can call me FOR FREE and completely privately from whatever phone you choose. Just confirm with me that I'll be at the theater and saving a seat for you!

All films, except for opening night on April 16th (which will be at Block E, downtown), are at St. Anthony Main. Free parking for cars AND bikes.

Here goes, the "final" schedule!

April 16

7:00 500 Days of Summer

April 17

6:45 The Karamozovs
9:55 Three in Love

April 18

12:00 The Necessities of Life
2:30 Liberation Day
5:30 Wrong Rosary
6:45 Rumba
8:30 Lion's Den

April 19

1:00 Littlest Shorts
2:50 Trust Us, This is All Made Up (the page has a wrong date on it--should be the 19th, not the 29th)
5:30 William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe
7:00 American Violet
10:00 Song for the Southern Seas

April 20

5:00 I Am From Titov Veles
9:30 The Photograph

April 21

5:00 Minnesota Shorts: Documentary
6:50 Apron Strings
8:45 The Fighter

April 22 (Earth Day! I will be computer-free and I will bike and/or bus it)

5:10 What Remains of Us
7:00 Minnesota Shorts (this ALWAYS sells out--get your tickets now)
9:45 Horn of Plenty

April 23

5:10 Forgotten Transports: To Estonia
7:15 A Walk to Beautiful
9:45 The Mermaid

April 24

5:10 Letters to the President
7:00 Bang-Bang Wedding
9:15 White Man's World

April 25

12:15 Taarka
2:35 Wounded Knee
4:45 Breaking Upwards
8:30 Getting Home

April 26

1:00 The Red Jacket
3:00 All Ages Animation
5:15 Fados
7:15 Kisses
10:15 Blind Loves

April 27

5:15 Sleepwalking Land
6:30 Rough Aunties

April 28

5:45 Stars on Earth
9:30 Mothers and Daughters

April 29

5:00 Salt of This Sea
6:45 TBA? (an empty spot on my schedule--I may want to see whatever MSPIFF decides to put in this slot)
9:45 Mutum (I may have seen this last year, and I'm confused--maybe it was supposed to come last year but never made it through customs?)

April 30

5:15 How About You?
7:30 Dunya & Desie
9:00 Apron Strings

Some More Reviews

Every Little Step

Pros: Great music, a storyline that roughly follows A Chorus Line, and compelling characters you want to root for.
Cons: I can't think of one.

I don't like musicals, but LOVED this film.

My rating: Worth $10 and the price of a babysitter.


Up

Pros: It's Pixar's next film. Up is a date movie as much as it's an adventure film.
Cons: It's a little long. The strong female character in the beginning isn't throughout the film, and there are no other females.

My rating: Worth a matinee. You have to see this one on the big screen to appreciate the animation--especially textures and light.


Moon

Pros: The science and technology doesn't get in the way of the story or the main character's humanity, and is mostly good. The moon scenes are fantastic. GREAT acting by Sam Rockwell.
Cons: If you're a sci fi geek, you might find the plot twist a bit transparent.

My rating: See this at the ONLY showing at MSPIFF, Monday, April 27th at 7 pm. What else do you have to do on a Monday night? The view of downtown from St. Anthony Main is fabulous, the parking is free, and there's lots of great food and drink to to be had.

And get your tickets now--this Sundance 2009 film might be sold out by the 27th.

First MSPIFF Reviews

Wolf

Pros: high production values, stunning cinematography, interesting culture clash premise.
Cons: cultural references accessible only to Swedes, thin plot, and a narrative that should have been made into a short film

My rating: You could do better at MSPIFF unless you like slow, beautifully shot films.

The Girl from Monaco

Pros: interesting premise, believable acting, non-Hollywood plot twists and ending.
Cons: the film seems to be about how stupid men can be when they follow their libido.

My rating: Worth checking out if you like beautiful women and beautiful locations and French film.


Food, Inc.

Pros: the film makes a strong case for changing our food buying and eating behavior without guilt or gore, ends on a positive note about what's being done and what you can do.
Cons: the film makes a strong case for changing our food buying behavior. (This is only a con if you're strongly attached to your Frito Lays or your Cheerios). The film doesn't do a good job at addressing the economic inequalities it exposes.

My rating: If you only see one film at MSPIFF, this is the one.

MSPIFF Preview!

One rom-com, one drama, and one documentary, each 95 minutes.

I really do need to build a home theater.

The Girl From Monaco (France)
Wolf (Sweden)
Food, Inc. (USA)

Just a List of Films So Far, No Dates/Times

As usual, the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Film Festival is taking its time putting together its film program, just a short two and a half weeks away. However, they've put up some films and descriptions on their very clunky website.

Still not posted by MSPIFF: American Independent and Childish films. Here's a list of what I hope to see:

World Cinema

Dunya and Desie
Helen
How About You
Salt of the Sea
Stars on Earth
Song of the Sparrows
Heaven on Earth
Jerusalema
Lemon Tree
The Mermaid
Mothers and Daughters
My Marlon and Brando
One Man Village
Qadir-An Afghan Ulysses
The Girl From Monaco
Secrets of the Grain
Taarka
Fighter
The Necessities of Life
Lion's Den
Shall We Kiss?
Eldorado
Days and Clouds
Teddy Bear
Country Teacher
Wolf
King of Ping Pong
Ciao Bella
Bang-Bang Wedding (Director will introduce the film)
Rumba
Two Lives Plus One
The Kautokeino Rebellion
Moon
Liberation Day (Munyurangabo)
Rudo y Cursi
The Window
The Tour

Documentary

Trust Us, This is All Made Up
Wounded Knee
Corner Shop
School Play
In a Dream
Recipes for Disaster
Oblivion
Rough Aunties
Forgotten Transports: To Estonia
Food, Inc.
Blind Love
A Walk to Beautiful
What Remains of Us
Letters to the President

Minnesota Made

White Man's World
Pride of Lions
The Red Tail

Global Lens

Sleepwalking Land
Possible Lives
The Photograph
I Am From Totov Veles
Mutum

More March Madness...and a little February Film

Well, it turns out there are not two but THREE film fests in March. The third one, though, is teeny compared to the others.

Spirit in the House is a theater fringe fest of sorts, having to do with all things spiritual. This year they added a film festival component. Here are my choices, all happening at Hennepin United Methodist, at 511 Groveland in downtown Minneapolis:

Friday, February 27th

The Jesus Guy, 7:00 pm
Shorts Program 1, 8:30 pm

Saturday, February 28th

Shorts Program 2, 7:00 pm

Sunday, March 1st

Baptists at Our Barbecue, 7:00 pm

And I'm also going to this non-movie piece:

Monday, March 2nd

Saving Pagan Babies: Catholic Culture Clashes, 7:00 pm

Upcoming Film Fests

I can't quite believe that the Twin Cities film fest season is upon us. Even MSPIFF has announced its dates (though don't expect films to be announced until a few days before it's scheduled to begin in mid-April).

Here is my March wish list for the Twin Cities Jewish Film Fest and Women with Vision festival. Care to join me?

3 Women, Wed Mar 11, 7:30 pm, WALKER
Bridge Over the Wadi (link is to just the description, not the film fest), Thur Mar 12, 7:00 pm, SABES JCC
Queer Films at TCJFF: A Trip to Prague (short), Berated Women (short) and The Secrets (full-length), Sat Mar 14, 8:30 pm, HOPKINS MANN THEATER
Noodle, Sun Mar 15, 1:00 pm, WALKER (shown in conjunction with TCJFF)
7 Blind Filmmakers, Wed Mar 18, 7:30 pm, WALKER
Katia's Sister, Fri Mar 20, 7:30 pm, WALKER Directed by Mijke deJong, who directed one of my favorite films of the 2006 MSPIFF, Bluebird.
Stop the Re-Route, Sat Mar 21, 2:00 pm, WALKER
Snow, Sat Mar 21, 7:30 pm, WALKER