THE
MEMSAHIB
USA/INDIA, 2005, 35mm, 101 min. (West
Coast Premiere, DWF 2006)
Writer/Dir/Prod:
Kruti Majmudar
Cast: Emily Hamilton, Parvin Dabas, Glenn Fitzgerald, Swetta Keswani
India
1851: Strong-willed British schoolteacher Grace Roberts, a Memsahib, marries
philanthropist king Raja Jai Rathod. Fiercely devoted to their work and
to each other, they embark on a journey to unite their people and ideals.
She teaches local girls at the town well while Jai is suspected of being
overly sympathetic to the growing British presence in India, the very
presence Grace mistrusts. But no amount of love can prevent culture, politics
and fate from tragically separating the memsahib and her husband.... Until
Asha Randall, a jaded divorcee, happens upon that same palace in 2005.
Here now, in its ghostly walls, lie the keys to the mysteries of the past
and shocking lessons for Asha about the resiliency of love, destiny and
her very own future.
MAKING
ARRANGEMENTS
USA, 2002, 16mm, 97 min. (West Coast Premiere, DWF 2002)
Writer/Dir: Melissa Scaramucci, Prods: Melissa Scaramucci and Peter Austin
Hermes
Cast: Rebecca McCauley, Randy Colton, W. Jerome Stevenson, Stacy Farley,
Linda McDonald, Dave Shuler
The frenetic, unexplored world of a high-end flower shop, set over four
days. The film documents six floral designers and their clients as they
learn, laugh and struggle together to create perfect events. Screaming
mothers, difficult clients, a sudden death, and a holy union, tests the
imagination and emotions of the florists in this adrenalized comedy. Featuring
new talent and original music, MAKING ARRANGEMENTS spotlights what happens
when ordinary people Go Floral.
MAKING
MAYA
USA, 2003, Digital, 100 min. (Southwest
Premiere, DWF 2004)
Writer/Dir: Rolla Selbak • Prods: Rolla Selbak, Allison Pappas
Cast: Amy Minderhout, Desmond Faison, Sara Taylor, Sam Gros
A young girl, Maya, has dreams of becoming a basketball star against the
odds. She lives with her alcoholic mom in low-income conditions; street
basketball is all she knows. From failures to successes to sexual confusion,
we follow her journey along with her basketball partner, Mars, and her
two best friends in this realistic depiction of how a girl's life can
be.
MARY/MARY
USA, 2002, 35mm, 93 min. (Southwest Premiere,
DWF 2002)
Writer/Dir: Joseph H. Biancaniello, Prods: Eric J. Naughton, Joseph H.
Biancaniello
Cast: Jon Bernthal, Amy Drown, Sean Carrigan, Susan McMahon, Melissa Pamperin,
Ken Arnold, Joe Gaines
Stemming from diverse views on the importance and sacredness of sex in
contemporary society, "Mary/Mary" follows the path of a young
man's neurosis as it spreads from lover to lover and from friend to friend.
MOJAVE
PHONE BOOTH
USA, 2006, HD/DIGITAL, 88min. (WORLD Premiere,
DWF 2006)
Dir:
John Putch • Prods: John Putch, Jerry Jacobs, Jerry Rapp •
Writers: Jerry Rapp, John Putch
Cast: Annabeth Gish, Christine Elise McCarthy, Robert Romanus, Steve Guttenberg,
Tinarie Van Wyk Loots, Joy Gohring, David Deluise, Jacleen Haber, Missi
Pyle, Kevin Rahm
In
the middle of the Mojave desert, rests an abandoned phone booth, riddled
with bullet holes, graffiti, its -windows broken, but otherwise functioning.
Its identity was born on the Internet, and for years travelers would make
the trek down a lonely dirt road and camp next to the booth, in the hopes
that it might suddenly ring, and they could connect with a stranger (often
from another country) on the other end of the line. This is the story
of four disparate people whose lives intersect with this mystical outpost.
With themes of love, death, the mystery of the universe, and the phenomenon
of inter-connectivity, Mojave Phone Booth pitches us deep into the lives
and psyches of these working class people in Las Vegas.
THE
MONTH OF AUGUST
USA, 2001, 35mm, 93 min. (West Coast Premiere, DWF 2002)
Dir: Rex Piano, Writer: Scott Benefiel, Prod: Mark Maine
Cast: MacKenzie Astin, Ali Hillis, Randall Batinkoff, Candy Clark
This lighthearted romantic comedy follows Nick through a chain of humiliating
dates and failed romances. At the point of giving up, Nick meets August.
Finally, he has hope for a relationship that he can trust and believe
in. Or does he?
MOVING
ALAN
USA, 2002, 35mm, 84 min. (DWF 2003)
Dir: Christopher Shelton, Writers: Jerry Rapp, John Perry, Prods: Andrew
Berman, Ray Donahue
Cast: Marley Shelton, Mark Pellegrino, Misha Collins, Leslie Jordan, Samantha
Shelton, Kirk Ward, Heidi Swedberg, Robert Thompson, Alexandra Holden
A dark and hilarious comedy about two estranged sisters who reunite under
the most unusual of circumstances. The two depart on a desert road trip
to try and dispose of one their supposedly dead husbands body. Along the
way, they come across an assortment of strange and bizarre characters.
In the end, the girls are in for the surprise of their lives!!!!
MY
BAD DAD
USA, 2006, DIGITAL, 87min. (WORLD Premiere,
DWF 2006)
Writer/Dir:
Mack Polhemus • Prods: Ann Boehlke Polhemus, Mack Polhemus, Joe
Polhemus, Michael Trent
Cast: Joe Polhemus, Ann Boehlke Polhemus, Emma Polhemus, Mary Polhemus,
Josiah Polhemus, Camilla Ford Polhemus, Elizabeth Polhemus Vezzani, Arnold
Vezzani, Clive Miller, Darren Kelly, Melanie Jane Sanchez, Adam Paul,
Ogie Zulueta, Joshua Hutchinson, Doug Williams
You'd
have to be absolutely crazy to let a low-life, boozing, ex-con likeJoe
Barring take care of your kids. But when Joe's ex-girlfriend dies,Joe
is entrusted with the lives of three young children (ages 1, 3, and5).
Can a down-and-out loser like Joe Barring who still lives with hisparents
rise to the demands of fatherhood? Well...no. Under Joe's 'care', the
kids play with a feral dog, ride on the back of motorcycleand drink out
of beer cans. Sounds like the makings of a tragedy? Yep.And you'll be
crying tears of laughter as these three adorable children salvage Joe
from the wreckage of his own life and reform him from one bad man to one
baaaaad dad.
NAKED
WITH LOONS
USA, 1996, 16mm, 101 mins. (WORLD Premiere,
DWF 2000)
Writer/Dir.: Bryan Snyder, Producers: Bryan Snyder, Roger Mende
Cast: Jane Clark, Maurice Golchin, Michael Licata, Talia Botone, Annette
Marquez, Bryan Snyder, Kristina Gronseth, Curtis Hannum, Paul Hannum,
Laura Meshel
Single city-dweller Kevin, still reeling from the breakup of his last
relationship, is dragged on a five day camping trip by “his friends”:
the two married couples that he blames for the breakup. As the trip goes
on, we get to know these five people and their relationships intimately.
Through flashbacks we discover why Kevin blames them, what secrets the
campers hold and why none of their relationships will ever be the same.
Kevin discovers that (to paraphrase the log line of another film set in
the woods) there is something more terrifying than the unknown...your
friends!
NEVERLAND
USA, 2003, Digital, 83 min. (WORLD Premiere,
DWF 2003)
Writer/Dir: Damion Dietz, Prods: Stephanie Orff, Damion Dietz
Cast: Rick Sparks, Kari Wahlgren, Melany Bell, Wil Wheaton, Marcus Reynaga,
Ray Garcia, Gary Kelley, Stephanie Orff, Kevin Christy
A daring, bold, and startling original retelling of the classic children’s
novel PETER PAN, NEVERLAND unfolds against an ultra-modern, hyper-realistic
backdrop. When Peter takes Wendy to Neverland - a burnt-out suburban amusement
park filled with self-styled fairies, lost punks, and ambiguously beautiful
performers - the ultimate fantasy/adventure story becomes a fascinating
nightmare at the hands of Captain Hook, who is hell-bent on destroying
the youth and beauty he so desperately envies.
THE
NIGHT SWIM
USA, 2006, DIGITAL, 110 min. (WORLD Premiere,
DWF 2006)
Writers/Dirs:
James Gabriel, Dan Casserole • Prods: West Anthony, James Gabriel
and Dan Casserole
Cast: Jeremy Asher, Alessandra Assaf, Daria Balling, Oto Brezina, Michael
Crofts, Diego DeVargas,
Jim Donald Ellis, Cherish Hamutoff, Michael Laurie, Karen Levine, Robert
E. Macklin, Alec P. McNayr,
David Ross Paterson, D. Grigsby Poland, Jeff Scott, Chelsea Varano
Arthur
Spencer has just lost his wife of 47 years. Now his family has gathered
for one full day to 'support' him. His daughters, Alice and Sophia, at
long last reunite to air out all the family baggage. Arthur's brother-in-law,
Donald, with his two daughters, the simpering Charlotte and the simmering
Lee, in tow, strives to help maintain a basic dignity to the proceedings
while friends, family, spouses and strangers close in on the family home
for personal, professional and gluttonous reasons. "The Night Swim"
is the tale of a shallow family living in the deep end.
97
BROOKS: A TALE OF DEATH AND DESIRE
USA, 2001, Digital, 81 min. (Southwest
Premiere, DWF 2002)
Writer/Dir: Mikon A. Haaksman, Prods: Mikon Haaksman, Misty Green
Cast: Robert Beckwith, Colleen Wainwright, Jason Sales
A comic tragedy involving a love triangle between two cops and a serial
killer. Police officers Dorothy Kramer and Peter Smith investigate a series
of murders in their quiet hometown. But they soon learn they are in over
their heads as they struggle with the case, a handsome new stranger, and
each other.
NO
EXIT
USA, 1996, 35mm, 110 mins. (WORLD Premiere,
DWF 1998)
Writers/Dirs.: Michael Dicerto, David Dicerto, Producers: Russell Maggio,
Michael Dicerto, David Dicerto
Cast: Nicholas Sandow, Michael Aparo, Yelba Osario, Anthony Rubistello,
Vincent Pastore, Lou Lagalante
Avenue minute...the time between the “fuck” and the “you.”
For Vinny (Michael Aparo) Pleasant Avenue in East Harlem is a world unto
its own. His life-long friend Benny (Nicholas Sandow) returns into this
world from a stint in Rikers still haunted by the death of his brother
Luca three years earlier. Unable to free himself from the guilt he feels
for Luca’s death, Benny’s self-destructive ways heighten as
Vinny finds himself facing very tough choices as he is drawn into his
friend’s abyss. NO EXIT is a study of life long friends, the forces
that rip them apart and the futility of violence in a world where gunshots
and laughter often echo together. A place where life and death are decided
in Avenue minutes.
NO
RETURN
USA, 2002, Digital, 86 min. (WORLD Premiere,
DWF 2003)
Writer/Dir: Tom Sylla, Prod: Rebecca Nelson Sylla
Cast: Stephanie Colet, Wendell Willat, Tim Palcic, Corie Henninger, Frances
Lee McCain
Is death the end? Alice Darrow isn't so sure. Recently widowed, still
grieving, she becomes involved with another man, but begins to fear her
dead husband is trying to contact her from beyond the grave - and his
message seems deadly. Is she losing her mind? Or is someone toying with
her, trying to destroy her one shot at happiness? Her life turns upside
down as the thin line between friends and enemies begins to blur, trapping
her in a game of deception and revenge that culminates into her one last
chance to end nightmare - or become part of it forever.
NOT
AFRAID TO SAY
USA, 1998, 35mm, 89 min. (WORLD Premiere,
DWF 1999 - BEST SCREENPLAY)
Writer/Dir: Adam Vetri, Producers: Michael Reichman, Glen Trotiner, Adam
Vetri
Cast: Jason Beck, Justin Henry, Jim Gaffigan, Chelsea Lagos, Monica Trombetta,
Royden Mills, Adam Vetri
A witty, sophisticated romantic comedy about best friends finding true
love... and losing it. Several conversations in the film are guaranteed
to make audiences simultaneously roar with laughter and cringe with a
prickly sort of embarrassment. A Dances With Films world premiere by New
York director Adam Vetri, with delicious Blake Edwards/Rob Reiner-esque
comic sensibility, this film begs to be called a “romp.”
NO
TURNING BACK
USA, 2001, 35mm, 99 min. (DWF 2002)
Writers/Dirs: Jesus Nebot, Julia Montejo, Prod: Jesus Nebot
Cast: Jesus Nebot, Chelsea Rendon, Lindsay Price
DRAMA BASED ON ACTUAL EVENTS After losing his wife and house to Hurricane
Mitch in Honduras, Pablo illegally immigrated to the United States in
an attempt to offer a better future for his five-year-old daughter, Cristina.
But a tragic accident forced them to dodge a frantic police pursuit as
the only way to preserve their American Dream. An intrepid journalist
joined them in their escape to film their heart-wrenching struggle.
OCEAN
PARK
USA, 2002, Digital, 101 min. (West Coast
Premiere, DWF 2002)
Writer/Dir: David Warfield, Prods: Eric Liekefet, David Warfield
Cast: Kenneth Hughes, Alexandra Wilson, Jonathan Aube, Marcus Dean Fuller,
Michael Des Barres
Sex, murder and videotape in Dogtown. When a down-on-his luck actor is
drawn into a blackmail scheme, things go very wrong. Moral codes are bent
and finally broken, with unexpected and tragic consequences.
OPIE
GETS LAID
USA, 2006, Super16, 80 min. (DWF 2006)
Writer/Dir:
James Ricardo • Prod: Heidemarie Fuentes
Cast: April Wade, Ute Werner, Jesselynn Desmond, James Ricardo, Samantha
Turk, Gina Devettori, Mark Wood, Heidemarie Fuentes, Hutchi Hancock, Ellen
Hughes, Peder Fedde, Michael L. Connelly, Chris Mitchell, Rob Lanza
A
dark comedy about the world’s biggest loser and he ends up dating
and mating three very different women at once.
OR
FOREVER HOLD YOUR PEACE
USA, 2000, 16mm, 92 min. (West Coast Premiere,
DWF 2001)
Writer/Dir: Kenneth August, Prods: Dave Greenberg, Ty Treadway, Ken August
Cast: Ty Treadway, Keith Coogan, Pepper Carlson, Chris Coyne, Sean Mitchell,
Michael Kagan
Four friends reunite for their best friend’s wedding, only to discover
that he is marrying a religious zealot. Believing their old friend has
been brainwashed, they kidnap him and attempt to de-program him before
his wedding.
OUTCASTS
USA, 2002, Digital, 90 min. (WORLD Premiere,
DWF 2002)
Writer/Dir: Johnny Asuncion, Prods: Johnny Asuncion, Rob Naples
Cast: Rob Naples, Daniel Rhyder, Johnny Asuncion, Annett Culp, Jaime Robledo
A virgin ex-con, a sexually confused painter, and an Asian cowboy...There
goes the neighborhood.
OUT
OF THE BLACK
USA, 2001, 35mm, 106 min. (WORLD Premiere,
DWF 2001)
Dir: Karl Kozak, Writers: Joel Eisenberg, Karl Kozak, Mary Plummer, Prods:
Victor Lou, Michael Gonzales
Cast: Tyler Christopher, Sally Kirkland, Jack Conley, Dee Wallace Stone,
Jacqueline Aries, Jason Widener, John Capodice, Miles O'Keeffe, Sally
Struthers, Tom Atkins, Michael J. Pollard
A suspenseful family drama which tells the story of two boys’ quest
to uncover the truth surrounding their father’s death in a Pennsylvania
coal mine explosion.
PALE
BLUE MOON
USA, 2002, 35mm, 86 min. (WORLD Premiere,
DWF 2003)
Writer/Dir: Mark Hosack, Prods:Ray and Mark Hosack
Cast: Ice Mrozek, Johnny Sneed, Eleni Stevens, Frank Ford, Brittany Parvin,
Thurman Moss
From the dark side of the moon, they came for him. Simon Applewhite believes
these aliens, Mor-gons or Moonies, are staging an invasion to take over
the human race. Simon is arrested in Giddings, Texas, while tampering
with a radio tower in an effort to block alien communication to the moon.
No one believes Simon, least of all John Lefsburg, the detective in charge
of taking Simon to the mental ward. When John discovers Simon is plotting
to kill the man he believes to be the ambassador of these aliens, the
detective is faced with the decision to either stop Simon or believe in
him.
PANICKED
USA, 2003, Digital, 66 min. (WORLD Premiere,
DWF 2004)
Writer/Dir: Michelle McChesney • Prod: Charles Wittman, Michelle
McChesney
Cast: Michelle McChesney, Charles Wittman, Donna Cherry, Shauna Slade,
Rob Cairns Jr., John Klemantasky, Frank Payne, Bruce Cronander, Sandy
V. Durko
This is a dark satirical tale of two women who are struggling to find
themselves in a world where they feel oppressed and misunderstood. One
is an outspoken, panic attack-ridden woman named Briana; the other is
her prescriptive drug-addicted therapist, Catherine. Briana feels helpless
and overwhelmed by the sad state of affairs the world is in, where injustice
prevails and the underdog remains the victim of inequality and exploitation.
She has to stop driving because she knocks off people’s side-view
mirrors during her panic attacks. Catherine is lost in a perpetual state
of disillusionment as her husband has become her oppressor, controlling
her through quiet manipulation. Her spirit defeated, she self-medicates
to cope with her state of internal turmoil. Therapy sessions hit a wall
because of Catherine’s inability to stay sober and coherent. Covering
multiple social issues, this seemingly disheartening story is darkly comical
in its realistic depictions of human folly and personal triumph.
PEAK
EXPERIENCE
USA, 2003, HD24, 89 min. (WORLD Premiere,
DWF 2003)
Dir: Anthony Leigh Adams, Writers: Christina Adams, Anthony Leigh Adams,
Prod: Christina Adams
Cast: Angel Boris, Mark Collie, Neil Dickson, Michael McLafferty, Frayne
Rosanoff, Daisy McCrackin
Irresistibly drawn to a help wanted ad, KAT, an exotically beautiful poet
and adventure junkie, takes a job at a remote ski lodge in the High Sierras.
After meeting her strange new companions, she becomes haunted by visions
as their lives intertwine with passion, humor and mystery. When an avalanche
traps them in the isolated lodge, the results are transcendent... Did
they die in the disaster or enter an alternate reality? Join their extraordinary
ride on the steepest slopes of the body, mind and soul.
PEDESTRIAN
USA, 1999, 16mm, 96 mins. (WORLD Premiere,
DWF 2000)
Dir: Jason Kartalian, Writers: Jason Kartalian, Producer: Dave Werner
Cast: Jeffrey Stubblefield, Melissa Lewis, Joe Seely, Krikor Satamian,
Jerry Corley
A comic tale of a writer trapped in the story he creates, Pedestrian explores
the subconscious of a struggling artist. A frustrated young screenwriter
attempts to deal with intense pressure from his demented employers, and
immerses himself in his screenplay as an escape. When his characters begin
stepping off the page and into his real life, he has clearly gotten more
than he bargained for. While having an affair with one character, a beautiful
yet poorly drawn young vixen, she convinces him that his fears are well
founded, and that he must strike out against his corrupt employers before
they strike at him. Soon he will find himself confused and running for
his life...
THE
PIG FARM
USA, 2000, 35mm, 77 mins. (WORLD Premiere,
DWF 2000)
Dir: Michael Lee Barlin, Writer: Michael Lee Barlin, Producer: Michael
Lee Barlin
Cast: Richard Alan Johnston, Jason Hildebrandt, Aaron Waiton, Karen Oberlin,
Peter Linari
A fresh, exciting twist on the mob genre, this modern day Gangster-Western-Noir
set in a small town, is a sordid tale about the unlikely pairing of a
back-woods zero named Rusty Showers and an entrepreneurial mobster named
Joey Manlioni. Teaming up initially in an illegal rubbish removal scam,
this bizarre duo soon engage themselves in more macabre activities after
Joey discovers that Rusty owns four pigs that have a very expansive appetite…Think
THE SOPRANOS meets FARGO meets HANNIBAL in this dark romp about a hick,
a hitman, and the other, OTHER, white meat.
PLEDGE
OF ALLEGIANCE
USA, 2003, 35mm, 94 min. (WORLD Premiere,
DWF 2003)
Writer/Dir: Lee Madsen, Prods:Robert Taleghany, Rick Spalla
Cast: Freddy Rodriguez, Jason Loughridge
Set in Carson City, Nevada - four high school friends led by Mac, the
star quarterback, ar wannabe gangsters that drink, gamble, fight and fix
school sports games. The lure of easy money eventually forces Mac to choose
his allegiance to his friends against his personal interests. When the
law catches up, Mac faces the consequences and redeems himself.
PURE
KILLJOY
USA, 1998, 35mm, 82 min. (WORLD Premiere,
DWF 1998 - GRAND JURY AWARD)
Writer/Dir: Aaron Downing, Producers: Scott P. Downing, Lane Soelberg,
Dale P. Downing, Jr.
Cast: Gregg Rubin, Cristina Gulino, Mark Phillips, Brian Frank Carter,
Melanie Hall, Rainer Judd, Victoria Anderson, Jeffery Sumner, Ellis Moore,
Melinda Scherwinski, Vanessa Hugo Glaser, Ben Glesler
Stylized in the surreal tradition of the Avante-garde and experimental
cinema, “pURe kiLLjoy” invites the viewer to join its main
character on an odyssey of psycho-sexuality. For three desperate days,
Fred Derf painfully tries to rationalize his twisted desires only to confront
his greatest fear: Love. Through the marriage of shockingly beautiful
visuals and intense sound design, Aaron Downing’s darkly comic debut
feature dares the audience to find the truth in a world without answers.
PURGATORY
HOUSE
USA, 2003, Digital, 96 min. (West Coast
Premiere, DWF 2004 - AUDIENCE AWARD - HONORABLE MENTION)
Dir: Cindy Baer • Writer: Celeste Marie Davis • Prod: Cindy
Baer • Assoc. Prods: Matthew Irving & Traci Glodery •
Cast: Celeste Marie Davis, Jim Hanks, Devin Witt, Johnny Pacar, Rhiannon
Main
Written by and starring 14-year-old Celeste Davis, Purgatory House is
a living, breathing snapshot of how it feels to be a teen in today’s
world, undiluted by adult sensibility. Told darkly with quirky, fantastical
elements, Purgatory House begins where most stories end as it chronicles
the after-life journey of Silver Strand: a lonely teen who has abandoned
her life of turmoil and drug addiction in search of unconditional love.
Located someplace between Heaven and Hell, the Purgatory House is a shelter
for dead, wayward teens. Silver must choose whether she will accept her
drab existence, or discover within herself the power to change. "A
charming, touching, clever and all-around brilliantly crafted film"
-FILM THREAT