Editor

The 24th edition of the Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF)presents its film line-up for 2009, featuring over 200 films including 21 World Premieres, 29 U.S. Premieres and a rich selection of films representing 41 countries. The Festival takes place over 11 days beginning Thursday, January 22, through Sunday, February 1, 2009.
“For the past 24 years the film festival’s goal has been to bring the best of world cinema to light in Santa Barbara,” commented SBIFF Director, Roger Durling, “and in these trying economic and political times – this role of being able to unite filmmakers’ visions from all over the world in one place is a prerogative and an immediate directive that we have proudly fulfilled.”
Continuing the annual tradition of highlighting a Guest Director by presenting a retrospective of their work, SBIFF is thrilled to announce David Fincher as the 2009 Guest Director. On Friday, January 30, SBIFF will present “A Celebration of David Fincher,” where he will be joined by special friends. The evening is sponsored by Macys. One of cinema’s most dazzling visual stylists, Fincher established himself in the world of commercials and music videos before becoming one of Hollywood’s most respected talents. He made his mark with the unforgettable thriller “Se7en” and has since gone on to create such critically-acclaimed films as “Fight Club,” “The Game,” “Panic Room,” and “Zodiac” before venturing on to the challenge of “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.” He’s a unique and refreshingly honest filmmaker worthy of considerable praise.

The Festival will show a retrospective of Fincher’s films.
SBIFF 2008 will kick off at the historic Arlington Theatre with the critically acclaimed thriller “Nothing But The Truth” directed by Rod Lurie and featuring tremendous performances by Kate Beckinsale, Vera Farmiga, Alan Alda, Angela Bassett, David Schwimmer, Matt Dillon and Noah Wyle. “’Nothing But The Truth’ is one of the most powerful films we’ve ever had for Opening night, and we gave it that slot because it deserves to be seen,” commented Durling. The film features Beckinsale as Washington, DC political journalist Rachel Armstrong, who writes an explosive story about a government scandal in which she reveals the name of a covert CIA agent (Farmiga). When a special government prosecutor demands she divulge her source, she refuses and finds herself behind bars struggling to defend the principles she has based her career upon.

Following the Opening Night screening the festivities will continue with a party at Paseo Nuevo in downtown Santa Barbara. Closing Night will feature the World Premiere of “Lightbulb,” directed by Jeff Balsmeyer and stars Dallas Roberts (from “3:10 to Yuma”), Jeremy Renner (who received an Independent Spirit Award nod for his role in “The Hurt Locker”) and Ayelet Zurer (who stars opposite Tom Hanks in “Angels & Demons”), all of whom will attend. “Lightbulb” is a true and timely rags-to-riches story of two friends - a small-time inventor and a sharky salesman - who hit rock bottom before coming up with a gizmo that becomes a worldwide phenomenon. Closing Night festivities are sponsored by Qantas, Soho and the SB Independent.

SBIFF has become an important showcase for Academy-Award hopefuls, many of whom have gone on to win an Oscar. Continuing the tradition, SBIFF will feature special Tribute presentations, created by long-time fest tribute producer Paul Fagen of P. Fagen Productions, as well as Dana Morrow of RoadShow Media. This year’s complete list of honorees (in date order) are:

Kate Winslet will receive The Montecito Award, moderated by long-time friend of the fest, Leonard Maltin on Friday, January 23 at the Arlington Theatre.
Penelope Cruz will receive the Chopin Outstanding Performer of the Year Award, presented by Chopin Potato Vodka and moderated by SBIFF Director Roger Durling on Saturday, January 24 at the Arlington Theatre.
Kristin Scott Thomas will receive the Cinema Vanguard Award, sponsored by Qantas, on Tuesday, January 27 at the Lobero Theatre.
Virtuosos 2009 Award to Viola Davis (Doubt), Rosemarie DeWitt (Rachel Getting Married), Sally Hawkins (Happy-Go-Lucky…pending availability), Richard Jenkins (The Visitor), Melissa Leo (Frozen River) and Michael Shannon (Revolutionary Road), in recognition of this year’s emerging film artists. The evening will be moderated by Roger Durling on Wednesday, January 28 at the Lobero Theatre
Clint Eastwood will receive the esteemed Lucky Brand Modern Master Award, moderated by Leonard Maltin on Thursday, January 29 at the Arlington Theatre.
A Celebration of David Fincher will take place Friday, January 30, at the Arlington Theatre, where he will be joined by special friends. Sponsored by Macy’s.
Mickey Rourke will receive the American Riviera Award, sponsored by Foundation for Santa Barbara City College School of Media Arts and moderated by Pete Hammond, on Saturday, January 31 at the Arlington Theatre.
“Our Festival motto this year is ‘Discover by Day – Dazzle by Night’.” Durling also states, “Whereas I can assure our films are full of discoveries, there’s no doubt you will be dazzled by our line-up of honorees this year.”

THE PANELS
The SBIFF has become renowned for creating smart, insightful and informative panels that feature a veritable who’s who in the world of filmmaking, including many Oscar contenders.
The series kicks off at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, January 24, “Directors on Directing” moderated by producer and co-host of AMC’s “Sunday Morning Shootout” Peter Bart. The panel takes place at the Lobero Theater and is sponsored by Variety Magazine.
That afternoon at 2:00 p.m., also at the Lobero Theatre, is the ever-popular “It Starts With the Script,” screenwriters panel moderated by Variety columnist Anne Thompson. The panel takes place at the Lobero Theatre and is sponsored by Pacifica Graduate Institute.
The insights continue during the Fest’s second weekend starting off with the “Movers & Shakers” panel on Saturday, January 31 at 11 a.m., bringing together top producers to discuss their craft, moderated by Los Angeles Times columnist Patrick Goldstein.
And at 2:00 pm, the next panel is composed of some of the most creative women working in film today entitled “Creative Forces: Women in the Biz,” moderated by Madelyn Hammond, Chief Marketing Officer, Variety. The panel takes place at the Lobero Theatre and is sponsored by Sandy Stahl.
Panelists will be announced shortly.

LOCAL OFFERINGS
The SBIFF takes its commitment to the young people of our community to heart and with enthusiasm. Artful cinema can educate as well as entertain. Following are just a few of the programs the Festival will offer:
10-10-10 Student Screenwriting Competition and Sotheby’s International Realty 10-10-10 Student Filmmaking Competition – The Screenwriting Competition, sponsored by Business First Bank, Lucky Brand, Final Draft and The Towbes Foundation, is comprised of 10 students who were selected out of 23 submissions from Santa Barbara area high school and college students who submitted a 10-page sample of their best fiction writing - screenplay, stage play, or short story - to their school’s representative. The five best script samples were chosen from the high school level and five from the college level. The finalists are then assigned a storyline and an industry professional to mentor them during the writing of their screenplay. Finalists will meet with their mentor throughout the process, submitting their final draft in January 2009. On Tuesday, January 20, 2pm at the Montecito Country Club will be the 10-10-10 Press Conference where Screenplays will be assigned to selected filmmakers.
The 10 student screenplays are matched with a category-appropriate Filmmaking finalist from the Sotheby’s International Realty 10-10-10 Student Filmmaking Competition, which consists of 10 students selected from 19 submissions. They will then produce a 10-minute film during the 10 days of the 24th Santa Barbara International Film Festival. On Sunday, February 1 at 1 pm at the Lobero Theatre, all ten completed films will be screened and the winners will be announced. The winning films will then be screened prior to the Closing Night film.
APPLEBOX – A FREE Family Festival for Children – The SBIFF will produce AppleBox, a family film section for children during the mornings of the two weekends that bookend the festival – Saturday, January 24 and Sunday, January 25 and on Saturday, January 31 and Sunday, February 1. Children’s films include shorts programs and is headlined by Richard Gabai’s “Call of the Wild 3D” at the Arlington Theatre on January 24 at 11 a.m. Starring Santa Barbara’s own Christopher Lloyd (Back to the Future, Taxi) and fellow local Timothy Bottoms (That’s My Bush, The Paper Chase) star in this three dimensional film that is inspired by the Jack London novel of the same name. The film will be preceded by entertainment and an actual red carpet where kids of all ages can walk down and experience what it’s like to be a star of the Fest. Co-presented with the Santa Barbara Children’s Museum and Sponsored by Nordstrom, Citrix, SBParent.com and Cold Stone Creamery, screenings will enable children to see wonderful movies that are not easily accessible, in a festive, entertaining and supportive environment-which shows that SBIFF is not only about the glitz and the glam, but it’s also about the fam!
Field Trip to the Movies– SBIFF provides a fascinating and thought-provoking film, study guides, and transportation to “Field Trip to the Movies” as part of our Reel Nature series for over 2,000 5th and 6th graders in Santa Barbara County. This educational program, which is scheduled for January 26 and 27, includes an opportunity for students to explore intriguing facts and new research about the natural world as they view a film, engage in discussion, and participate in an interactive film-creating experience with industry professionals and is hosted by acclaimed nature filmmaker Mike DeGruy. This year, we’re focusing on the multiple award winning documentary Smalltalk Diaries, a short film about the world as seen by….minibeasts. By using a secret invention called the Translation Lens, the myriad of creatures that live all around us are suddenly able to tell us about their world. From cockroach to caterpillar, each has a distinct voice and is eager to explain all about its life, from “whizpopping to metamorphosis!” The purpose of “Field Trip to the Movies” is to inspire and excite children’s curiosity with nature and the world around them, while at the same time introducing them to the possibilities of them being a filmmaker and naturalist. “Field Trip to the Movies: is sponsored by Wells Fargo Bank and Cox Communications.
3RD Weekend --The SBIFF will continue their tradition of presenting the “3RD Weekend,” which will feature the highlights of the 24th Festival for Santa Barbara residents. The winning films will be screened throughout the weekend of February 6-8 at the Riviera Theatre, sponsored in part by Horny Toad and Central Coast Wine Classic. Screenings are free and tickets are available on a first come, first serve basis at the Riviera Theatre. Screening times will be posted on the SBIFF website at www.sbiff.org in the days following Closing Night.
FILM CATEGORIES AND SIDEBARS The SBIFF continues its commitment to exciting, culturally enlightening, and entertaining programming and sidebars. In addition to presenting Independent Features, International Features, Documentary Features and Special Presentation films, programmed by Candace Schermerhorn, the SBIFF will also offer films from the following sidebars:
EASTERN BLOC featuring films from Eastern Europe;
REEL NATURE, the nature films series programmed by renowned nature cinematographer and Santa Barbara resident Mike DeGruy, sponsored by City of Lompoc.
EAST X WEST, a collection of the best cinema from Asia, programmed by Emmynominated actor and director Tim Matheson TO THE MAXXX, sponsored by Horny Toad and Firestone Walker Fine Ales & Red Nectar, is programmed by Santa Barbara filmmaker Russ Spencer and features extreme sports films and documentaries including the U.S. Premiere of Joel Conroy’s “Waveriders,” the story of Ireland’s connection to surfing from its reinvention in Hawaii in the early 1900s to the rapid growth of big wave surfing in Ireland today and includes appearances by such surfing icons as Chris, Keith and Dan Malloy, Kelly Slater and Rabbit Kekai, to name just a few.
LATINO CINEMEDIA, sponsored by Tinta Latina Magazine and Univision, offers a collection of films from Spain and Latin America, continuing SBIFF’s commitment to Spanish and Latin American films, programmed by UCSB professor Cristina Venegas; SANTA BARBARA FILMMAKERS, sponsored by CASA Magazine, programmed by Russ Spencer and which includes 7 World Premiere feature films.
Attached is a preliminary list of films scheduled to screen at the 24th Annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival; a complete list will follow soon.
SBIFF is proud to welcome the esteemed 2008 Jury: Dave Stein, Jury Chair; actor/comedian Gary Anthony Williams, (Director of the new L.A. Comedy Shorts Film Festival); Academy Awardnominated actor James Cromwell (“W.”); Academy Award-nominated director Gil Kenan (“Monster House”); actor Hassan Sleiman (“The Visitor”); producer Lauren Moews (“Cabin Fever”); actor Anthony Zerbe (“The Matrix”); writer and producer Leslie Caveny (“Penelope” and “Everybody Loves Raymond”); Eddie Schmidt (President, International Documentary Assoc.); actor Efren Ramirez (“Napoleon Dynamite”); actor Rodrigo Santoro (“Che,” “Love Actually”).
Select films will vie for the following awards:
THE AWARDS
The Panavision Spirit Award for Independent Cinema – for the Best Independent film Juried by industry professionals Award: camera package worth $60,000
The Best Foreign Film Award – for the best Foreign Feature Juried by industry professionals
Nueva Vision Award – for the best Spanish-language feature Juried by industry professionals
Best Eastern Bloc Cinema Award – for best Eastern Bloc feature Juried by industry professionals
Best Documentary Film Award – for the best documentary film Juried by industry professionals Award: Tunnel Post Production package valued at $100k.
IDA one year membership.
The Fund for Santa Barbara Social Justice Award Sponsored by The Fund for Santa Barbara –
for documentary film that addresses social justice issues Juried by a committee selected by The Fund for Santa Barbara Award: $2,500 cash
Bruce Corwin Award for Best Live Action Short Film Under 30 Minutes
Juried by industry professionals
Bruce Corwin Award for Best Animation Short Film
Juried by industry professionals
Sotheby’s International Realty Student Filmmaking Competition – – for Best of the 10-10-10 Student Filmmaking Competitor Juried by industry professionals.
Award: Lucky Brand will build the award recipient into their ad campaign and play their film on their website.
Participation consideration: All participants receive a copy of Final Draft Software.
The winning films will be screened at the Closing Night Event.
10-10-10 Student Screenwriting Competition, Sponsored by Business First Bank, Lucky Brand, Final Draft and supported by Towbes Foundation for best screenplay.
Juried by industry professionals Participation consideration: All participants will receive a copy of Final Draft software.
Audience Choice Award, sponsored by The Santa Barbara Independent The Santa Barbara International Film Festival, set to run January 22 through February 1, 2009, is a non-profit organization dedicated to enriching local culture and raising consciousness of film as an art form. SBIFF presents quality American and world independent films, Latin American and Asian sidebars as well as documentary cinema within the beautiful setting of downtown Santa Barbara, a premier tourist destination. The SBIFF is also committed to education through its 10- 10-10 Student Filmmaking and Screenwriting Competitions, Field Trip to the Movies, and educational seminars. With a projected audience of over 70,000 viewing more than 200 films over its eleven-day run, the SBIFF attracts an affluent local and national consumer base, while maintaining strong ties with the entertainment industry in nearby Los Angeles. For more information, please visit www.sbfilmfestival.org.
Tickets for events are still available. In order to meet overwhelming demand and growing popularity, SBIFF is not only offering new passes, but additional screening times as well, starting at 8 am. In addition to the Platinum Pass, which provides admission and priority seating to all Festival screenings and events, SBIFF now offers a 1st Weekend Platinum (Thurs-Sun) and a 2nd Weekend Platinum (Thurs-Sun) for those who cannot be there for the entire festival. Other new Passes include the State Street Pass, which allows admission to all “Off-Peak” screenings, including the new 8:00 am screenings and late-night screenings, and excluding the 4:00 and 7:00 pm screenings; The Tribute Package, which provides entry to all the Tributes, Opening and Closing Night and one 12-film MiniPak; and The Film Geek Package, which offers tickets to Opening and Closing Nights, a 12-film MiniPak and access to all Panel events to film students of all ages. The Cinema Pass (admission to all films and Opening and Closing night) and Introductory Package are also available. Prices and details are available at the Lobero Theatre box office: www.lobero.com or call 805-963-0761.
For festival information, log onto www.sbiff.org.
# # #
All press must request credentials by logging onto www.sbiff.org and click on PRESS.
PUBLICITY TEAM:
Carol Marshall, Director of Publicity
Phil Jun – Publicist
Stephenie Hope – Publicist
Beth Binker – SBIFF Publicity Assistant
24th SANTA BARBARA INTERNATIONAL
FILM FESTIVAL FILM LINE-UP
OPENING NIGHT
Nothing But The Truth, USA
Director: Rod Lurie
Cast: Kate Beckinsale, Vera Farmiga, Alan Alda, David Schwimmer, Noah Wylie
Kate Beckinsale stars as Washington, DC political journalist Rachel Armstrong, who writes an
explosive story about a government scandal in which she reveals the name of a covert CIA agent
(Farmiga). When a special government prosecutor demands she divulge her source, she refuses and
finds herself behind bars struggling to defend the principles she has based her career upon.
CLOSING NIGHT
Lightbulb, USA – WORLD PREMIERE
Director: Jeff Balsmeyer
Cast: Dallas Roberts, Jeremy Renner, Ayelet Zurer
A true and timely rags-to-riches story of two friends - a small-time inventor and a sharky
salesman - who hit rock bottom before coming up with a gizmo that becomes a worldwide
phenomenon
WORLD PREMIERES
(Descriptions below in main list)
After The Last Round, USA
Amar a morir, Mexico/Colombia
Automorphosis¸USA/UK
Blessed Is The Match: The Life and Death of Hannah Senesh, USA
Follow The Prophet, USA
Going Home, USA
Ink, USA
Inventing LA: The Chandlers and Their Times, USA
Megamall, USA
Ocean (Okean), Russia
On The Pipe Five, USA
One Track Mind, USA
Rescuing Emmanuel, USA
Skateboard Stories, USA
Suspect X, Japan
The Invocation, USA
The Music Lesson, USA
The Oasis, Australia
The Women and the Waves, USA
Time Warp, US
War Against the Weak, USA
U.S. PREMIERES
(Descriptions below in main list)
20th Century Boys (20-seiki shônen), Japan
4BIA, Thailand
A Woman in Berlin, Germany/Poland
Evangelion 1.0: You Are (Not) Alone, Japan
Havana Surf, Spain
K-20: The Legend of the Mask (K-20: Kaijin niju menso den), Japan
Kabuli Kid, France/Afghanistan
Landscape No. 2, Slovenia
Lost Islands, Israel
Mapuche Nation (Nación Mapuce, La), Argentina/Italy/Switzerland
Nobody To Watch Over Me (Dare mo mamotte kurenai), Japan
Oso Blanco, USA
Poppy Shakespeare, UK
Tandoori Love, Switzerland
Tears for Sale (Carlston za Ognjeka), Serbia
The Demons of Eden (Los Demonios del Eden), Mexico
The Divine Weapon, South Korea
The Ghost (Domovoy), Russia
The Inheritors (Los Herederos), Mexico
The Land of the Devil (El pais del Diablo), Argentina
The Man Who Loved Yngve (Mannen som elsket Yngve), Norway
The Racketeer (�� �� �� �� �� �� �� ), Kazakhstan
The Watercolorist (El Acuarelista), Peru
Tiramisu, Netherlands
Treeless Mountain, USA/South Korea
Vacation (Kyûka), Japan
Waveriders, Ireland/UK
Yes Madam, Sir, Australia
Zift, Bulgaria
FEATURE-LENGTH FILMS
(Please note list is subject to change.)
Independent Features Competition:
Apron Strings, New Zealand
Director: Sima Urale
Cast: Peter Elliott, Jennifer Ludlam, Laila Rouass
Food and love are intertwined in this tale of two mothers who must find the courage to confront
the secrets and misunderstandings of the past, in order to set their sons free.
Dim Sum Funeral, Canada
Director: Anna Chi
Cast: Steph Song, Kelly Hu, Bai Ling, Talia Shire
The estranged siblings of a westernized Chinese-American family discover the challenges of trying
to fulfill their mother's last wish.
Follow The Prophet, USA – WORLD PREMIERE
Director: Drew Ann Rosenberg
Cast: Tom Noonan, Diane Venora, Robert Chimento, David Conrad, R.D Call, John Diehl, Annie
Burgstede
A young girl escaping from a Polygamist cult is aided by an Army Colonel and a renegade female
Sheriff who join forces to expose the truth that lies hidden in a town in Utah.
Ink, USA – WORLD PREMIERE
Director: Jamin Winans
Cast: Chris Kelly, Jessica Duffy
John and Emma, father and daughter, are thrust into a fantastical dream-world battle between
forces of good and evil in this allegorical tale of love, loss and the search for redemption.
Poppy Shakespeare, UK – U.S. PREMIERE
Director: Benjamin Ross
Cast: Naomie Harris, Anna Maxwell Martin
'Catch 22' meets 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest' as two patients strike up an unlikely, moving,
funny and tragic friendship in a psychiatric hospital
Skin, South Africa/UK
Director: Anthony Fabian
Cast: Sophie Okonedo, Sam Neill, Alice Krige
Based on the true story of a black girl who was born to two white Afrikaner parents in South
Africa during the apartheid era.
Sweet Thing, USA
Director: Joe Lia
Cast: Jennipher Foster, Beth Ison, Jacob Teixeira, Michael McFadden
Nineteen-year-old free spirit Liz is on a mission to find love in between her shifts at an espresso
drive-thru. Across town, Jody seeks answers in drugs while shuffling papers at her father's office.
The two become friends and embark on a summer of avoiding responsibility. As they grow closer,
their lives become more complicated as issues of love, sex, and meaning bubble to the surface.
International Features Competition
A Woman in Berlin, Germany/Poland – U.S. PREMIERE
Director: Max Färberböck
Cast: Nina Hoss, Tevgeni Sidikhin
A woman tries to survive the invasion of Berlin by the Soviet troops during the last days of World
War II.
Kabuli Kid, France/Afghanistan – U.S. PREMIERE
Director: Barmak Akram
Cast: Hadji Gul, Valery Schatz
A taxi driver in Kabul finds a baby in the back seat of his taxi. The driver searches the city for the
mother and reveals truths about their lives in the process.
Landscape No. 2, Slovenia – U.S. PREMIERE
Director: Vinko Moderndorfer
Cast: Barbara Cerar, Slavko Cerjak
While stealing a priceless painting, common thief Sergej’s greed gets the best of him when he
mistakenly takes a mysterious document that refers to some shady dealings near the end of World
War II.
Lost Islands, Israel – U.S. PREMIERE
Director: Reshef Levy
Cast: Oshri Cohen, Michael Moshonov, Shmil Ben Ari
A young boy's value that loyalty to family comes first is challenged by his father's extramarital
affair in this drama from Israel.
Tandoori Love, Switzerland – U.S. PREMIERE
Director: Oliver Paulus
Cast: Lavinia Wilson, Vijay Raaz
Members of an Indian film crew producing the latest Bollywood extravaganza experience a clash
of cultures and culinary tastes when they encounter the unassuming and peculiar folks populating
the surrounding mountainous region in the Swiss Alps.
Tears for Sale (Carlston za Ognjeka), Serbia – U.S. PREMIERE
Director: Uros Stojanovic
Cast: Katarina Radivojevic, Sonja Kolacaric
Two Serbian girls living in a village with no men leave their town and go to the city to kidnap men
and return life to their home town.
The Country Teacher (Venkovský ucitel), Czech Republic
Director: Bohdan Slama
Cast: Pavel Liska, Zuzana Bydzovska
Bohdan Sláma's exquisite film follows the tender ties that form between a young, gay teacher, a
lonely widow and her teenaged son in a small Czech town riddled with homophobia.
The Ghost (Domovoy), Russia – U.S. PREMIERE
Director: Karen Oganesyan
Cast: Konstantin Khabensky, Vladimir Mashkov, Chulpan Khamatova
Pulp detective novel writer Anton Prachenko is suffering from writer’s block. He is helped
overcome this in an extremely unusual manner by a hired assassin who goes by the nickname The
Ghost.
The Man Who Loved Yngve (Mannen som elsket Yngve), Norway – U.S. PREMIERE
Director: Stian Kristiansen
Cast: Ole Christoffer Ertvåg, Rolf Kristian Larsen
A teenage boy loses his footing when he finds himself drawn to the new boy in class.
The Racketeer (�� �� �� �� �� �� �� ), Kazakhstan – U.S. PREMIERE
Director: Akhan Satayev
Cast: Sayat Isembayev
After knocking out his opponent with one swift blow at a boxing match in Almaty, 1993, Sayan
attracts the attention of Ruslan, an up-and-coming racketeer. Faced with few alternatives in a
bleak post-Soviet environment, Sayan drops out of the institute he worked so hard to gain
entrance to, and joins Ruslan's criminal entourage.
Tiramisu, Netherlands – U.S. PREMIERE
Director: Paula Van Der Oest
Cast: Jacob Derwig
A straight-laced bookkeeper and a devil-may-care actress past her prime teach each other lessons
about responsibility and life.
Treeless Mountain, USA/South Korea – U.S. PREMIERE
Director: So Yong Kim
Cast: Hee-yeon Kim, Mi-hyang Kim, Song-hee Kim
Set in South Korea, this uncommonly intimate film follows two sisters as they find themselves
abandoned by their mother and placed in the care of their indifferent drunkard of an aunt.
Zift, Bulgaria – U.S. PREMIERE
Director: Javor Gardev
Cast: Zahary Baharov, Tanya Ilieva, Vladamie Peney
Moth is freed on parole after spending time in prison on wrongful conviction of murder. Jailed
shortly before the Bulgarian communist coup of 1944, he now finds himself in a new and alien
world - the totalitarian Sofia of the 60s.
Latino CineMedia Competition
Amar a morir, Mexico/Colombia – WORLD PREMIERE
Director: Fernando Lebrija
Cast: José María de Tavira, Martina García, Alberto Estrella, Raúl Méndez
The young heir to a vast Mexico City banking empire runs away from the cold, corrupt, racist,
money-driven, super-elite, super-rich world into which he was born, takes a wrong turn down a
wrong road, and finds himself stranded in a remote beach paradise where he experiences love at
first sight with an exotic, darker-skinned local girl—one that will place him—and her—in grave
danger at the hands of a ruthless drug lord.
Before Tomorrow (Le jour avant le lendemain), Canada
Directors: Marie-Hélène Cousineau, Madeline Ivalu
Cast: Peter-Henry Arnatsiaq, Madeline Ivalu
An Inuit woman and her grandson go to an island to dry their fish and return to their camp where
they discover that their family has been wiped out by infection carried by white travellers.
Returning to the island, they confront what it means to be the last human beings on earth.
Empty Nest (Nido vacío, El), Argentina/Spain/France/Italy
Director; Daniel Burman
Cast: Carlos Bermejo, Eugenia Capizzano, Inés Efron, Arturo Goetz, Cecilia Roth
Suddenly alone after raising their family, Leonardo and Martha are left to realize their unexplored
desires.
Insignificant Things (Cosas Insignificantes), Mexico
Director: Andrea Martínez
Cast: Paulina Gaitan, Carmelo Gomez
Esmeralda works as a waitress in Mexico City and collects the little things people leave behind.
Mapuche Nation (Nación Mapuce, La), Argentina/Italy/Switzerland – U.S. PREMIERE
Director: Fausta Quattrini
Displaced from their own land by landowners and exploiters of natural resources, the Mapuche
folk of Patagonia fight to make the Argentinean State respect the rights of the indigenous peoples
guaranteed, in principle, in its constitution since 1994.
Oso Blanco, USA – U.S. PREMIERE
Director: Christian Suau
A documentary highlighting the Oso Blanco prison.
Our Disappeared, USA
Director: Juan Mandelbaum
A personal journey of memory and careful exploration of Argentina's generation of "disappeared."
Purgatorio, Mexico
Director: Roberto Rochín
Cast: Pedro Armendáriz Jr., Fidel Cerda
A beautiful black and white tapestry of errant characters in 1940s Mexico.
Tear This Heart Out (Arrancame la vida), Mexico
Director: Roberto Sneider
Cast: Ana Claudia Talancon, Daniel Gimenez Cacho, Jose Maria de Tavira
Andrés — a ruthlessly domineering general with designs on Mexico's presidency — takes beautiful,
naive 15-year-old Catalina, as his bride. This sweeping epic traces Catalina's growth as a woman
through 15 tumultuous years of passion, politics, power, corruption, infidelity and murder.
Mexico’s Official Academy submission.
The Dead Girl’s Feast (A Festa da Menina Morta), Brazil
Director: Matheus Nachtergaele
Cast: Jackson Antunes, Juliano Cazarré,
The living saint of a small Brazilian town reveals the underlying pain of the people around him.
The Demons of Eden (Los Demonios del Eden), Mexico – U.S. PREMIERE
Director: Alejandra Islas
A documentary about the persecution of Mexican journalist, Lydia Cacho, for her exposé of a
child prostitution ring, linking politics and big business as partners in crime.
The Inheritors (Los Herederos), Mexico – U.S. PREMIERE
Director: Eugenio Polgovsky
An unflinching look at the various forms of child labor in poverty stricken areas of Mexico.
The Land of the Devil (El pais del Diablo), Argentina – U.S. PREMIERE
Director: Andrés Di Tella
El Pais del Diablo by Andrés di Tella examines an historical episode that happened in the decade
of 1870 when Adolfo Ensina, the former Minister of Defense, proposed a megalomaniac project: to
dig a gulf with a 600 kilometers extension between the Atlantic Ocean and the Andes in order to
sustain the “indigenous threat.
The Path (El Camino), Costa Rica
Director: Ishtar Yasin Gutierrez
Cast: Sherlin Paola Velásquez , Juan Borda, Morena Guadalupe Espinoza
Saslaya and her mute brother, Dario, leave Nicaragua in search of their mother in Costa Rica.
The Sky, The Earth and the Rain (El cielo, la tierra, y la lluvia), Chile
Director: José Luis Torres Leiva
Cast: Ignacio Agüero, Maité Fernández, Julieta Figueroa
Ana is a young woman struggling with loneliness and family responsibilities on a small Chilean
island.
The Watercolorist (El Acuarelista), Peru – U.S. PREMIERE
Director: Daniel Rodríguez
Cast: Miguel Iza, Sol Alba
T, a clerk, wishes to fulfill his grand dream of painting a watercolor, but is thwarted by his
neighbors, for whom T's dream seems sublimely trifle, something impractical, even immoral, and
who of course have a much better idea of how T must spend his time.
Titon, de la Habana a Guantanamera, Spain
Director: Mirta Ibarra
A look at the life and work of Cuban filmmaker Tomas Gutierrez Alea.
Documentary Features Competition:
Art & Copy, USA
Director: Doug Pray
Cast: George Lois, Mary Wells Lawrence, David Kennedy, Hal Riney, Jeff Goodby, Rich
Silverstein, Jim Durfee, Phyllis K Robinson, Lee Clow, Dan Wieden,