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Feature presentation

THE COLLECTOR

(dir. Olympia Stone, 62 mins, 2007)

Tues May 1 9pm - buy tix
Sun May 6 5:30pm - buy tix

The Art of Obsession

A portrait of Allan Stone, the storied gallery owner and art collector

"The man's taste in art was breathtakingly eclectic, from African fetish pieces and cigar store Indians to works by Andy Warhol, Willem de Kooning, Franz Kline, Wayne Thiebaud and John Chamberlain . . . [the film is] fascinating for its nonstop parade of significant 20th-century art."
- Matt Zoller Seitz, NEW YORK TIMES

"A loving portrait, leaving no doubt that for Stone, who knew where every last object was in his jungle, art was above all personal. Watching it, you're glad THE COLLECTOR got made, beyond the obvious importance of insuring that Stone's portrait is included in the chronicle of postwar American art. It's a rich evocation, enhanced by Jason Graves' flavorful jazz score."
- Jay Carr, AM NY

In THE COLLECTOR, director and producer Olympia Stone explores the 46-year career of her father, Allan Stone, a famed New York City gallery owner and art collector.  The film examines Allan Stone's compulsive collecting genius while telling the parallel story of his journey through the art world from the 1950's up to the present.  The Collector will take viewers on an extraordinary journey of one man's obsessive submersion in art and its effect on the artists, dealers, and family members with whom he worked and lived.

Tuesdays@7

IT DON'T PAY TO BE AN HONEST CITIZEN

(dir. Jacob Burckhardt, 78 mins, 1984)

Tues May 1 7pm - buy tix

This is a Tuesdays@7 program. Every Tuesday at 7pm features special guests presenting their film, and is followed by a beer and pizza reception for ticket holders.

NA KAMALEI:

The Men of Hula

(dir. Lisette Kaualena Flanary, 58 mins, 2006)

Weds May 2 7pm - buy tix
Fri May 11 7pm - buy tix

Starring Robert Uluwehi Cazimero and Halau Na Kamalei

An engaging documentary created with grace, heart and a healthy dose of history, "NA KAMALEI: The Men of Hula" follows the journey of Hawaii's only all male hula group to the prestigious Merrie Monarch Hula Festival in 2005. Their journey gains additional significance as it marks the 30th anniversary of the group's existence. Exploring major cultural and gender stereotypes faced by the original members, the film also illuminates the historical factors that shaped these stereotypes. Having led the hula school since its inception in 1975 and widely known for his prolific career in Hawaiian music, Robert Cazimero played a major role in the 70's resurgence of Hawaiian cultural pride, one that also kick-started the reclamation of lost masculinity. Cazimero's outspoken personality, along with the sincere passion demonstrated by the group's "hula brothers" makes this film a pleasure to watch. Other highlights include extensive footage of Halau Na Kamalei practicing and their powerful performance at the Merrie Monarch Hula Festival - often called "The Superbowl of Hula." Offering a fascinating insight into the historical significance of one of Hawaii's most well-known yet misunderstood traditions, the film takes a look beyond 'grass-skirt girls' to reveal the revival of men dancing the hula.

FEATURE PRESENTATION

MISSING
VICTOR
PELLERIN

(dir. Sophie Deraspe, Canada, 102 mins, 2006)

Weds May 2 9pm - buy tix
Thurs May 3 4pm - buy tix
Fri May 4 9pm - buy tix
Sat May 5 9pm - buy tix
Sun May 6 9pm - buy tix
Mon May 7 9pm - buy tix
Tues May 8 9pm - buy tix

View Trailer (mov)

French language, subtitled in English.
An Atopia Distribution Release.

"MISSING VICTOR PELLERIN is an unusually captivating and crafty first film. . . An auspicious debut by a talented new writer/director who throws history into question."
- Laurence Kardish, Senior Curator, Department of Film, The Museum of Modern Art

"Astonishing. . . a mind game of museum-worthy proportions."
- John Griffin, MONTREAL GAZETTE

"FOUR STARS! A first-rate mindfuck. . . A peculiarly brilliant work that I need to see again."
- John Harkness, NOW MAGAZINE

In 1990, Victor Pellerin, a young painter and darling of the Montréal art scene, burns his work and disappears without a trace. Fifteen years later, documentary filmmaker Sophie Deraspe revisits the events that led to his disappearance, meeting the people who were part of his inner circle and who succumbed to his troubled personality...

Special Jury Prize, 2006 Montreal Festival of New Cinema and New Media

Pratt Animation Show 2007

May 4 7pm
May 5 7pm

Free and open to the public

Something strange is going on in Brooklyn.

A giant bread creature is poised to attack the city, aliens are living next door, a bear turns up missing, felt critters are walking & talking, and old people start hooking up on the internets. Maybe there's something funny in the water.

The Pratt Institute's Media Arts Department proudly presents the Traditional Animation thesis films of the graduating class of 2007, as well as selected shorts. Students will be in attendance for a Q&A to talk about their stop motion, 2-D computer animation, and hand-drawn films.

ROCK THE BELLS

(dir. Casey Suchan and Denis Henry Hennelly, 103 mins, 200)

Sat May 5 11pm - buy tix
Sat May 19 11pm - buy tix
View the trailer

One Man's Quest to Re-Unite the Wu-Tang Clan

"Thrilling . . . electrifying, occasionally terrifying. . . [belongs in] the pantheon of classic concert docs. . . this nerve-racking knockout of a film pays testament to the passion of the Tang."
- Nathan Lee, VILLAGE VOICE

"An edge-of-your-seat cliffhanger!"
- Jay Carr, AM NY

"A paean to indie ingenuity . . . appealing to devotees and the uninitiated alike."
- VARIETY

"Wait-to-pee entertaining."
- Cinematical

"A GIMME SHELTER-like conclusion that keeps you on the edge of your seat."
- FILMMAKER Magazine

A definitive document of contemporary Hip Hop culture, Rock The Bells is the story of the 2004 Rock The Bells festival in San Bernardino, California, which featured the last ever performance of all founding members of the Wu Tang Clan.

Personifying the fierce independence and Do-It-Yourself spirit of the Hip Hop generation, entrepreneur Chang Weisberg puts everything (his reputation, his sanity, his family, his mortgage) on the line for his impossible dream of reuniting genre superstars and notorious no-shows The Wu-Tang Clan.

Furiously paced and rich with multiple narratives, Rock The Bells follows Weisberg and his guerilla production team as they fight for the arrival of all nine Wu-Tang members, battle broken equipment and overwhelmed security, attempt to control the riotous crowd in the over-heated, overcrowded venue and deliver the history-making show they have promised.

The film also features performances by Redman, Dilated Peoples, MC Supernatural, Sage Francis, Eyedea + Abilities, Chali 2na and DJ NuMark. ROCK THE BELLS is directed and produced by Casey Suchan and Denis Henry Hennelly, the team behind Hip Hop documentary hits Beef, Beef 2, Thug Angel, and The Freshest Kids.

AIR GUITAR NATION

(dir. Alexandra Lipsitz, 81 mins, 2006)

Fri May 4 11pm - buy tix
Thurs May 10 7pm - buy tix
Fri May 11 11pm - buy tix
Fri May 18 11pm - buy tix
Sun May 20 7pm - buy tix
Fri May 25 11pm - buy tix

"[a] slick, hilarious, and at times even suspenseful ode to competitive mock-rock and/or the further decline of Western civ."
- Rob Nelson, VILLAGE VOICE

"A gift to horror fans."
- CHUD.com

"It reinvents the genre with style, substance, and scares."
- Tony Timpone, FANGORIA

A battle of naked ambition played out on the national and, ultimately, world stage, AIR GUITAR NATION chronicles the birth of the U.S. Air Guitar Championships as legions of aspiring rock stars live out their dreams on a quest to become the world champion in a strange world where musical ability plays second fiddle to virtual virtuosity. As the film un-reels, two aspiring rock legends strum and strut their way towards glory and the coveted national title. C. Diddy (David Jung), a samurai warrior clad in a "Hello Kitty'' breast plate and red kimono, emerges as an early favorite. But his arch nemesis from the Lower East Side, Bjorn Toroque (Dan Crane), is not far behind. While C. Diddy threatens to unleash his self-professed "Asian Fury" on his competitors, Bjorn vows to take Diddy down. As the film reaches its climax, the future of Air hangs in the balance; will Bjorn's technical prowess, stage presence, and airness1 be enough to take him to the top, or will C. Diddy conquer all to become America's first supreme being of Air Guitar?

Full of triumph and disappointment, patriotic spirit and political tension - and, of course, invisible guitars - AIR GUITAR NATION and filmmaker Alexandra Lipsitz take audiences on an inspiring, exhilarating, and ultimately hilarious journey that delves deep to find out what it truly takes to become the best in the world and find the inner meaning of the chant, "Make Air, Not War."

Chicago City Limits First Sundays Comedy Films

First Sundays

Sun May 6 7pm - buy tix

filmmakers & special guests will attend!

This is a Sunday Shorts program. Early evenings on many Sundays, the Pioneer presents programs of short films.

Part stand-up comedy act, part film festival, part party, First Sundays is a monthly festival featuring the best in short comedy films from around the world. Each screening features new films, audience and judges awards, and an after party sponsored by Stella Artois.

Hosted by the illustrious Jay Stern and Victor Varnado.

Visit the First Sundays website

Monster Monday!
Fangoria presents

KNOCK KNOCK

(dir. Joe Ariola, 92 mins, 2007)

Mon May 7 6:30pm - buy tix

Showing from professional quality video.

Answering The Door Will Never Be The SAME!

Antonio Mastrantonio, Kim Taggart, Sal Sirchia, Joli Julianna, Lou Saverese, Erika J & Stephanie "Trinity" Finochio (WWE)

KNOCK KNOCK is a horror film that combines fear with revenge, hate with justice and responsibility with sacrifice. The bible says "an eye for an eye." Rico was just a big fun loving son of a hard working neighborhood business man. The problem is his dad is an undertaker. Some popular high school students thought he was weird because of it. Rico kept to himself and helped his dad around their funeral home after school. One night after a high school pep rally, some of those students wanted to have a little fun. The town would never be the same. Local cops have never seen anything like it. The beautiful detective thought she knew it all. Is the drunken old detective right?

Why was it happening? Who will be next?

Answering the door will never be the SAME!!  

Tuesdays@7

REVEREND JEN
MOVIE
NIGHT

Tues May 8 7pm - buy tix

This is a Tuesdays@7 program. Every Tuesday at 7pm features special guests presenting their film, and is followed by a beer and pizza reception for ticket holders.

Rev. Jen Goes to the Movies!

an evening with the Patron Saint of the Uncool

Leotards! [sic] Pizza! Action!

Short movies and other audiovisual ephemera, including "Rev Jen's Really Cool Neighborhood," a brand new episode of "Electra Elf" (starring Rev Jen and her chihuahua, Rev Jen, Jr.), and enormous doses of satire and hilarity.

"Her whole life is a work of art." (VILLAGE VOICE)

"Though on the surface she is seemingly filled with rainbows and unicorns, she's equal parts bitter, misanthropic, alcoholic, and art-damaged dorky sex symbol." (NY PRESS)

Read Rev Jen's blog!

ALTERED
BY ELVIS

(dir. Tiffany and Jayce Bartok, 54 mins, 2006)

Weds May 9 7pm - buy tix

Join us as we follow a few of the people whose lives have been imprinted, fathered, fulfilled and destroyed by the 20th century's greatest icon.

ALTERED BY ELVIS is a documentary exploration of lives deeply and permanently affected by Elvis Presley. As a society we know everything there is to know about Elvis, but what about those he left behind? ALTERED BY ELVIS follows those who have been imprinted, fathered, fufilled and even destroyed by The King. The love for Elvis is contagious and everyone knows someone that claims to be "Elvis' Number 1 fan." However, what if we dig much deeper to find the untold stories of the people he left behind the raveges of pop culture. We will follow these individuals home and show the viewer their own lives, how they literally walk with Elvis; in his shadow, with his ghost and in his light still to this day.

Feature presentation

ALLEGRO

(dir. Christoffer Boe, 88 mins, 2005)

Weds May 9 9pm - buy tix
Thurs May 10 9pm - buy tix
Fri May 11 9pm - buy tix
Sat May 12 9pm - buy tix
Sun May 13 9pm - buy tix
Mon May 14 9pm - buy tix
Tues May 15 9pm - buy tix
Weds May 16 7pm - buy tix

An International Film Circuit release

View Trailer (mov)

Danish language, subtitled in English.

"***** An existential masterpiece.  Merges the stylistic direction of Jean-Pierre Jeunet with the existential sensibilities of Charlie Kaufman, creating one of the most memorable films ever made."
- FILM THREAT

"As if Andrei Tarkovsky had decided to make a Michel Gondry film."
- Bilge Ebiri, NERVE

"As in RECONSTRUCTION, Boe offers us a vision of love as a beautiful thing that leaves destruction and pain in its wake. This time he insists that we're not complete without the pain that follows the pleasure."
- Sean Axmaker, GREENCINE

Starring supermodel HELENA CHRISTENSEN
and ULRICH THOMSEN and HENNING MORITZEN (THE CELEBRATION)
from the director of RECONSTRUCTION

Christoffer Boe, the director of the Cannes Camera d'Or-winner RECONSTRUCTION, returns with the critically acclaimed ALLEGRO, an existential love story with a science fiction twist. A famous Danish pianist named Zetterstrom (Ulrich Thomsen, THE CELEBRATION) returns after many years to Copenhagen to perform at a gala concert, only to find that the memory of a tragic love affair with a beautiful woman (model and actress Helena Christensen) has come back to haunt him - and Copenhagen itself, where the neighborhood he had formerly lived and loved in is now cut off from the outside world by an invisible wall. ALLEGRO is the story of Zetterstrom's quest to enter the forbidden "Zone" and unlock the mystery of his memories, his love, and his life. A fascinating visual tribute to love in a rapturously photographed Denmark, ALLEGRO is filled with haunting dialogue, lyrical visual effects, and an evocative score by Thomas Knak.

THE EVIL DEAD

(dir. Sam Raimi, 85 mins, 1981)

Sat May 12 11pm - buy tix

It's back!!

Director Sam Raimi's first film has achieved legendary status since its 1982 release, and for good reason. Though perhaps not as widely seen as its two sequels, EVIL DEAD 2 and ARMY OF DARKNESS, THE EVIL DEAD is arguably the best of the three. It is the story of five college-age friends who travel to a cabin in rural Tennessee where the stumble upon the Book of the Dead, an ancient tome bound in human flesh and inked in blood. After unwittingly awakening the unspeakable terror told of in the book, each of the friends is transformed into the evil dead, one by one, except for Ash (Bruce Campbell). So, Ash is left with no other way to survive than to dismember the living corpses of his sister, girlfriend, and two of his friends. Shot on a shoestring budget, the film boasts some impressive camera work and extremely over the top gore effects as well as a sense of humor much more subtle than the tongue-in-cheek aesthetic of the two sequels.

The Reeler Presents

Hal Hartley
Double Bill!

HENRY FOOL

(dir. Hal Hartley, 137 mins, 1997)

+
FAY GRIM

(dir. Hal Hartley, 118 mins, 2006)

Sun May 13 3:30pm - buy tix

Join us for this one-time only double bill
bringing together for the first time in New York

HENRY FOOL (1997) and its sequel FAY GRIM (2006)
two major works from acclaimed filmmaker Hal Hartley

special guests include:

Hal Hartley, Thomas Jay Ryan, Richard Sylvarnes,
S.T. VanAirsdale (editor of The Reeler),
and others to be announced

HENRY FOOL
Simon (James Urbaniak), a shy garbage man, lives with his sister (Parker Posey of PARTY GIRL and WAITING FOR GUFFMAN, among dozens of other movies) and mother, who both treat him with minimal respect. Into Simon's life comes Henry Fool (Thomas Jay Ryan), a heavy-drinking self-proclaimed great writer who goads Simon into writing an enormous poem. The poem becomes the source of great controversy, proclaimed by some as a great work of art, denounced by others as perverse trash. As Simon's star rises, he tries to draw attention to Henry's work as well, to little avail. Though the premise seems simple, Henry Fool takes on something of an epic sweep as it follows the effects of fame on Simon's and Henry's lives. This rumination on art and inspiration was hailed by some critics as the best film yet by writer-director Hal Hartley (TRUST, SIMPLE MEN, AMATEUR), while others felt it brought out his worst self-indulgences. All movies written and directed by Hartley defy easy interpretation, and HENRY FOOL is no exception. Still, it's a rare film that even tries to tackle such subjects, let alone does so with a combination of intelligence and humor (ranging from verbal quirkiness to scatological embarrassment).
[synopsis adapted from Amazon.com]

FAY GRIM
Fay Grim, a single Mom from Woodside, Queens, is afraid her 14 year old son, Ned, will grow up to be like his father, Henry, who has been missing for seven years. Fay's brother Simon is serving ten years in prison for aiding in Henry's escape from the law. In the quiet of his cell, Simon has had time to think about the tumultuous years of Henry's presence among them--chronicled in Hartley's earlier film HENRY FOOL(1998). He has come to suspect that Henry was not the man he appeared to be. His suspicions are validated when the CIA asks Fay to travel to Paris to retrieve Henry's property. Her mission turns into a sprawling con-game, pitching Fay deep into a world of international espionage.
[synopsis from Magnolia Pictures]

Special thanks to Tom Prassis at Sony Pictures Classics, and Jeff Reichert from Magnolia Pictures.

BAD
REPUTATION

(dir. Jim Hemphill, 90 mins, 2006)

Mon May 14 7pm - buy tix

This is a "Bizarro Monday" program. Every Monday, the Pioneer presents the finest (and trashiest) in horror, sci-fi, freakshow, exploitation, martial arts, genre, b-movies, z-movies, and just plain weird stuff.

"CARRIE meets I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE in first-time feature director Jim Hemphill's homage to the notorious rape/revenge films of the mid 70s . . . not a bad entry into the horror/slasher genre."
- Elaine Lamkin, BLOODY-DISGUSTING

BAD REPUTATION is a high school horror/revenge movie that tells the story of Michelle Rosen, a pretty but plain high school student who is treated as an outcast at her suburban school.  She doesn't wear the right clothes, doesn't have expensive brand-name accessories, etc., and doesn't have much luck with boys even though she's actually quite attractive.  Michelle is delighted, therefore, when Aaron, a handsome, popular jock, invites her to a party at his house.  Michelle splurges and buys a new dress for the party and looks great when she arrives there; a number of boys notice her and she also attracts the unwanted attention of Debbie, Aaron's popular girlfriend who (along with her friends) is a little miffed that the guys all seem to be drooling over Michelle.

But oh how they would express their jealousy. And oh, how she would have her revenge.

Tuesdays @7

GAFLA
(SCAM)

co-presented by Alwan and Third I

(dir. Sameer Hanchate, 125 mins, India, 2006)

Tues May 15 6:30pm - buy tix

This is a Tuesdays@7 program. Every Tuesday at 7pm features special guests presenting their film, and is followed by a beer and pizza reception for ticket holders.

Monthly program of Arab or South-Asian cinema,
presented on the third Tuesday of the month,
co-presented by Alwan and Third I

Gripping and incisive, Sameer Hanchate's Gafla is inspired by the much publicised boom and bust scams on the Mumbai stock market. It examines the ethics and morality of this Machiavellian world defined by its winners and losers. Subodh is a bright young player with a dream of making it big. Early wins fuel his ambition and he is faced with a choice of following a secondary career dominated by big players or becoming one himself. Through a series of fast moves and supported by a crack team and ordinary investors he becomes the most dazzling player of all. However, old money, with its political and institutional backing, is on his heels determined to punish him for the audacity of his dreams. Hanchate draws compelling performances from a largely unknown cast in this daring debut feature. - Cary Rajinder Sawhney, London Film Festival

WORLD PREMIERE
FEATURE PRESENTATION

THE CHANGELING

(dir. Jay Stern, 82 mins, 2007)

Weds May 16 9pm - buy tix
Thurs May 17 9pm - buy tix
followed by a reading of a death scene from
A Shoemaker, A Gentleman, by William Rowley

Fri May 18 7pm - buy tix
Fri May 18 9pm - buy tix
Sat May 19 7pm - buy tix
Sat May 19 9pm - buy tix
Sun May 20 5pm - buy tix
followed by a reading of a death scene from
The White Devil, by John Webster

Sun May 20 9pm - buy tix
Mon May 21 9pm - buy tix
Tues May 22 9pm - buy tix
followed by a reading of a death scene from
Henry VI, Part 3, by William Shakespeare

Weds May 23 9pm - buy tix
Thurs May 24 9pm - buy tix
followed by a presentation by Jay Stern:
"How to make a movie for $25,000,"
with clips and discussion by the director

Sat May 26 7pm - buy tix
Sun May 27 7pm - buy tix

View Trailer (mov)

Vengeance begins.
Murder is followed by more sins.

from visionary filmmaker Jay Stern
producer of First Sundays

a gutsy, no punches pulled, no excuses offered adaptation
of the notorious Jacobean Tragedy

THE CHANGELING is an adaptation of the 1622 play by Thomas Middleton and William Rowley - a harrowing story of desire, deceit and murder.

Beatrice-Johanna is a young woman engaged to Alonzo, a man she does not love. When she meets Alsemero, Beatrice is frantic to break her engagement. Enter De Flores, her father's servant, a man she detests, and who loves Beatrice desperately enough to do anything to win her good graces. In the intrigue that follows, Beatrice and De Flores fulfill their deepest desires in a love story that runs with blood.

Select screenings of the film will be followed by readings of death scenes in other notorious Jacobean dramas, and by a presentation from filmmaker Jay Stern.

Lights! Camera! Jews!
A Jewish Film Series

presented by
the 14th Street Y

Oydentity

Short Films Exploring Jewish Perspectives on Selfhood and Community

Thurs May 17 7pm - buy tix

Special screening followed by a beer and pizza reception for ticket holders.

Featuring:
THE TRIBE (dir. Tiffany Shlain, 2006, USA, 15 min) is an unorthodox, unauthorized history of the Jewish people and the Barbie doll.

OUTSIDE THE BOX (dir. Lacy Schwartz, 2006, USA, 8 min) traces Schwartz's upbringing in a white Jewish family, her discovery at eighteen that her biological father is Black and her ensuing journey throughout America to understand her newfound mixed identity by uncovering the roots, heritage and experiences of American Black Jews.

excerpts from UNSETTLED (dir. Adam Hootnick, 2007, USA; excerpts approximately 15 mins)
During the Gaza withdrawal, three young Israelis will be forced from their homes, two soldiers will be sent to evict them, and one activist will try to help her country avoid a war.

MY NOSE (dir. Gayle Kirschenbaum, 2007, USA, 15 min) What do you do when you think you look good and your mother is convinced what you need more than anything else is a nose job?

BROKEN MIRRORS (dir. John Henry Davis, 2007, USA, 10 min) tells the story of the filmmaker's lost identity, a Jewish heritage that had been suppressed for generations and his family's rediscovery of their Jewish roots.

Curated by Jesse Epstein.

THE CREEK

(dir. Erik Soulliard, 85 mins, 2007)

Mon Apr 30 7pm - buy tix
May 21 7pm - buy tix

This is a "Bizarro Monday" program. Every Monday, the Pioneer presents the finest (and trashiest) in horror, sci-fi, freakshow, exploitation, martial arts, genre, b-movies, z-movies, and just plain weird stuff.

Most times the dead move on…Sometimes they want revenge!

Listen to audio trailer

On the fifth anniversary of the death of their friend Billy, six friends are forced back together by his ghost. Billy's death was officially considered an accident but old suspicions and conflicts return. When people start dying they all must ask themselves if it's his ghost, one of them, or because they returned to THE CREEK?

After the loss of their close friend Billy, six friends go their separate ways only to be brought back together five years later by his ghost.  In order to set things right, they decide to go to the cabin where he died to put his spirit to rest.  Old rivalries and long festering grudges quickly rise to the surface until one of them mysteriously dies and they all realize they're trapped together in the woods.  Without any means of escape and no clue as to who or what is after them, they all must try to stick together in order to escape The Creek.

Cinewomen NY
presents

Four poetic interpretations of how love and longing animates our relationships.

Tues May 22 7pm - buy tix

Cinewomen NY website

This is a Tuesdays@7 program. Every Tuesday at 7pm features special guests presenting their film, and is followed by a beer and pizza reception for ticket holders.

THE LOVERS
Director: Myra Sito Velasquez (30 mins)
Taking on the still highly controversial and, at times, dangerous subject of Japan's wartime aggressions, THE LOVERS is the tale  of a Chinese American woman and Japanese man whose passion for each other forces them to confront the legacies of their families in Nanking at the time of the Japanese invasion in 1937.  THE LOVERS had its world premiere at AMPAS recognized 13th Annual Palm Springs Intl Festival of Short Films & Film Market.

KEY CHAIN
Director: Pei-Lin Kuo (5 mins)
A story about the Electra complex. A fiction film that explores the conflict between subconscious and conscious.

CONTEMPLATING EMILY (15 mins)
Directors: Sarah Shively and Lisa Rothe
An exploration of the heart of a poet. 22-year-old Lulu arrives in New York City from Taipei and meets her English teacher, Elizabeth, who is a lover of the works of Emily Dickinson. Elizabeth spots in Lulu the mark of a true poet, while Lulu spots in Elizabeth a kindred spirit.

I AM AN APARTMENT BUILDING
Director: Lara Azzopardi (13 mins)
A reality television show plays in the background of five different apartment units while the realities of life and love play out in the forefront. Five apartments, five different relationships, connected by one TV show and one building.

THE FILMMAKERS:
 
MYRA SITO VELASQUEZ (The Lovers) is of Chinese, German and Mexican heritage, and was born and raised in Tokyo.
A graduate of Sarah Lawrence College, Myra's debut film MOTHER'S BLOOD is the recipient of the Lawrence Kasdan Best Narrative Film Award, Grand Prize and Best Actress Award, Chicks With Flicks NYC and has screened at numerous festivals around the country and abroad. Her feature screenplay DIANA is the BlueCat Screemplay Competition Award winning Finalist 2006.  Myra's latest film THE LOVERS had its world premiere at The 13th Annual Palm Springs Intl Festival of Short Films and most recently at the 13th Sedona Intl Film Festival. Along with developing DIANA with a Manhattan- based production company, Myra is in pre-production with her first action comedy short. 
 
PEI-LIN KUO (Key Chain) is a filmmaker now settled in New York, born and raised in Taiwan. After graduating with a drama degree in her native land, she worked for a production company in Taipei which made music videos, commercials, and television programs. After four years of doing this, Pei-Lin recalls, "I wanted something new and I wanted more than one culture." She relocated to New York in 2002 and started to pursue her career as a filmmaker. Pei-Lin's first short film 'Everyday' won the 'Someone to Watch 2005' from the CineWomen NY and broadcast by PBS 'Reel New York' in 2007. Her second short film 'A.K.A.08494####' was awarded the 'First runner up' and the 'Most original' from '72 hours film shootout' competition presented by MTV World, ACV and AAFL. Her third short film 'Key Chain' was selected into 'Big Apple Film Festival 2006' and 'Washington DC Independent Film Festival 2007'. Her music video 'true story' was screened at '2006 Sundance Film Festival'.

SARAH E SHIVELY (Contemplating Emily) holds an MFA from the Professional Actor Training Program at The University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill and is a member of SAG and AEA. Inspired by the knowledge that two actresses cum screenwriters had created the script for the award winning cult classic film, Kissing Jessica Stein, Shively began writing her first feature script, Contemplating Emily. The story was an outgrowth of her work teaching ESOL (English as a Second or Other Language) where she has met many extraordinary people over the past seven years. Currently she is a teacher of English as a Second Language for the International English Language Institute at Hunter College. She is the recipient of a 2005 Filmmakers' Fellowship from the MacDowell Colony.

LISA ROTHE (Contemplating Emily) enjoys a multi-faceted career as an educator, actor, voice-over artist, and director. Her recent directing credits include shows for the Summer Play Festival 2005 (Split Wide Open by Christina Gorman) and SPF 2004 (Anatomy 1968 by Karen Hartman); Milwaukee Shakespeare Company (As You Like It); Tony Randall's National Actors Theatre (associate director for The Persians); 59 E 59th Street and Blue Heron Arts Center (premiere of Ellen McLaughlin's Mermaid); Yale School of Drama (Balm in Gilead); NYU's MFA acting program (Gum and Top Girls and the world premiere of Amy Kohn's radio-opera, One Plum Square for WNYC. Future Projects include Kara Corthron's Downward Sparkle with Voice & Vision, Ah, Wilderness! and Stop Kiss for NYU's Graduate Acting Program. Other directing credits include: Agnes of God, The Maids, Dream of a Common Language, Fen, Escape From Happiness, Between Daylight and Boonville, and Bus Stop.

LARA AZZOPARDI acts as director, writer and executive producer on her directorial debut, I am an Apartment Building. The project began six years ago, shortly after Lara finished high school. It was truly a labor of love for Lara and her producing partner Julia Cohen, who together with their shingle Building Productions made this film happen from day one, under the mentorship of one of Canada's premier producers Frank Siracusa. Because of the success of I am an Apartment Building Lara signed with Fever Films as a commercial director. New Day, a public service announcement Lara directed for the Bereaved Families of Ontario, came in second at the Big Night Out commercial competition. She is also in pre-production for her next short, Rewind, starring Gemini Award winners Martha Burns and Tom McCamus. Since graduating with Honors in English Literature and Drama from The University of Toronto, she has received numerous prestigious awards and nominations including The George Metcalf Apprenticeship grant, during which she worked with DVxT theatre for a year as an Artistic Associate. She has assistant directed under Daniel Brooks, Vikki Anderson, Ross Manson, Lazslo Marton and many others.

Program Curator: Maria Pusateri

CINEWOMEN NY SCREENS
CineWomen NY is a volunteer-run organization. Our screening team committee is made up of volunteers who solicit, screen, and select films made by female filmmakers from all over the world for exhibition in our monthly series at the Two Boots Pioneer Theater in Manhattan. Whenever possible, the filmmakers are present for discussion and socializing after the films. Our commitment is to provide a slate of films, by emerging female artists at all levels, celebrating the work of women in film, video, and digital media. Aside from general quality, to be included in the series films must be directed or co-directed, written, edited or shot by women.  CineWomen NY Screens is held the fourth Tuesday of every month except for December and August. 
 
CineWomen NY Screens Committee
Programming Director: Maria Pusateri * Curators/Programming:  Maria Pusateri *  Vicki Vasilopoulos * Myra Sito Velasquez Guest Curators:  Jessica Burstein *  Kelly Shindler *  Louise Fleming * Alison McMahan screenings@cinewomenny.org *  www.cinewomenny.org

ORANGE
WINTER

(dir. Andrei Zagdansky, 72 mins, 2007)

Opening just days before
the new elections scheduled for May 27.

Weds May 23 7pm - buy tix
Thurs May 24 7pm - buy tix
Fri May 25 7pm - buy tix
Fri May 25 9pm - buy tix
Sat May 26 5pm - buy tix
Sat May 26 9pm - buy tix
Sun May 27 5pm - buy tix
Sun May 27 9pm - buy tix
Mon May 28 5pm - buy tix
Mon May 28 9pm - buy tix
Tues May 29 5pm - buy tix
Tues May 29 9pm - buy tix
Weds May 30 7pm - buy tix
Sat June 2 5pm - buy tix
Sun June 3 5pm - buy tix

ORANGE WINTER's website

One rigged election, two classic operas, one silent classic.
Orange Winter.

They poisoned the opposition candidate. But he survived.
They exerted full control over the media. But one journalist rebelled.
They stole the election. And the streets erupted.
This is the Orange Revolution, in Kiev, Ukraine.

On November 21, 2004 the people of Ukraine were supposed to elect a new president. They had the choice of two candidates: Viktor Yanukovich, prime minister in the government of the very unpopular outgoing president Leonid Kuchma, and Viktor Yushchenko, a former prime minister and popular opposition leader.

Viktor Yushchenko was perceived as a pro-Western, European Union-leaning candidate; Viktor Yanukovich as a pro-Russian, post-Soviet politician with a questionable past.

The outgoing President, Leonid Kuchma, had an important personal stake in this election. For years the opposition had blamed him for various crimes - from corruption to involvement in the murder of an opposition journalist. A hand-picked 'heir' was his best chance to secure post-presidential immunity.

The day after the election, the state controlled media 'projected' Viktor Yanukovich a winner in what was widely believed a fraud-ridden election.

The outraged populace of Kiev took to the streets staging the biggest mass protest in post-Soviet history. ORANGE WINTER chronicles what happened in Kiev in the two weeks that followed the election and reflects upon Ukraine's fate.

RADIANT
CITY

(dir. Jim Brown and Gary Burns, 86 mins, 2006)

Weds May 30 9pm - buy tix
Thurs May 31 9pm - buy tix
Fri June 1 9pm - buy tix
Sat June 2 9pm - buy tix
Sun June 3 9pm - buy tix
Mon June 4 9pm - buy tix
Tues June 5 9pm - buy tix
Sun June 10 5pm - buy tix

A National Film Board of Canada release.

"Enlightening and disturbingly funny . . . forceful . . . satirical."
- Aaron Hillis, VILLAGE VOICE


"An urgent dispatch . . .a compelling look at the world we're constructing for ourselves."
- Grady Hendrix, NEW YORK SUN

"Sly . . . surprisingly amusing . . . four stars!"
- Raven Snook, TIME OUT NY

"At once a documentary on the meaning and impact of suburban life, a portrait of a newly suburbanized family, and a kind of visual space proof of another planet, RADIANT CITY is also funny in a shuddery kind of way."
- Geoff Pevere, TORONTO STAR

There's a desperate housewife in the parking lot, a musical chorus line mowing the lawn - and a loaded gun in the upstairs closet.

Welcome to RADIANT CITY.

Gary Burns, Canada's king of surreal comedy, joins forces with journalist Jim Brown to craft a vivid account of The Late Suburban Age.

Sprawl is eating the planet. Politicians call it growth. Developers call it business. The Moss family call it home.

While Evan Moss zones out in commuter traffic, Ann boils over in her dream kitchen and the kids play sinister games amid the fresh foundations of monster houses.

Turning the documentary genre inside out, Burns (waydowntown) and Brown rummage through a toybox of cultural references - from Jane Jacobs to The Sopranos - to consider what happens when cities get sick and mutate.

James Howard Kuntsler (THE GEOGRAPHY OF NOWHERE) and other architectural and urban philosopers contextualize. Cinematographer Patrick McLaughlin evokes an eerie dystopian monoculture while the soundtrack features songs from Joey Santiago of The Pixies.

RADIANT CITY. Welcome to the neighborhood.

DEEP THROAT

(dir. Gerard Damiano, 61 mins, 1972)

Sat May 26 11pm - buy tix

18 AND OVER MUST BRING PHOTO I.D.

The movie that changed the film industry (probably for the worse).

How far does a girl have to go to untangle her tingle?

Linda, frustrated that her hugely energetic sex life leaves her unsatisfied, seeks medical help. The doctor informs her that the reason for her problem is that her clitoris is mistakenly located at the back of her throat - but there is a very simple remedy, which the doctor, and various other men, proceed to demonstrate. . .

FACES OF DEATH IV

(dir. John Alan Schwartz, Susumu Saegusa, 90 mins, 1990)

Mon May 28 7pm - buy tix

More macabre moments of death caught on film, including a person ripped to pieces and a wedding massacre. This is shocking, actual footage and should not be viewed by those who are easily upset.

STOCKS, BONDS,
AND NOTES

(dir. P.J. Bracco, 32 mins, 2005)

+

GOIN DOWN

(dir. P.J. Bracco, 87 mins, 1997)

Thurs May 31 6:30pm - buy tix

STOCKS, BONDS, AND NOTES
A group of businessmen - all associates and long time friends, through the world of Wall Street - come together every couple months to hang out, away from work. Aside from the everyday grind and the quick quotes, they all share a common love and passion: music. With all the stresses, the ups, the downs and the constant and evolving changes racing along in their careers, they needed an outlet to burn it all away. As they journey through their jam sessions, they find what was once meant for fun, laughs and a little music, has turned into something a bit more serious. Do they have what it takes for the big leagues or are their strings going to break?

GOIN DOWN
GOIN DOWN is an urban drama coming from the streets of Red Hook, Brooklyn. It's a tale of four wise guys, fifty thousand, and a whole bunch of trouble.

Joey, a fatherless neighborhood boy, is taken into a group of friends through his cousin Paul, a wise guy with drug problem. Discovering a side of Paul he never knew, Joey finds himself in the middle of a real mess. Now, roped in to Paul's problems, Joey needs to figure out a way to make things right. Can he fix it, or is he just goin down with his cousin Paul?