Month: January 2011
Shorts Block 1
Ah, the shorts blocks. The true pith of any indie film festival. If you want to see the raw kernel of passion that’s supposed to be the whole reason for these festivals in the first place, the shorts blocks are where you want to be. Also, if a movie so happens to really suck a nut, its runtime’s about fifteen minutes, so you can probably sit through it. … read more
The Last Mountain
“The Last Mountain” is a carefully crafted environmental documentary covering the extensive damage that mountaintop coal removal has caused in West Virginia’s Coal River Valley. … read more
We Were Here
In the early ‘80s an epidemic with no name was sweeping through the gay community of San Francisco. Often called the gay cancer, eventually the disease was identified as AIDS and claimed 15,548 San Franciscans—many of them young, sexually active gay males. … read more
Shorts Block 2
Another four-course meal of indie cinema – dig in! … read more
Tyrannosaur
Within the first five minutes of Paddy Considine’s dramatic thriller, it’s blatantly clear the male lead is one of the most soulless characters to reach the screen in ages. Joseph (Peter Mullan) is an alcoholic with a gambling problem whose temper instigates unbelievably callous acts of violence. … read more
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Circumstance
“Circumstance” is a fictional story based on real-life experiences from the director, producer and writer of the film, Maryam Keshavarz. The story chronicles the rebellious behavior of two 16 year-old girls, Atafeh and Shireen, in present-day Iranian society where woman have no voice. … read more
Beats, Rhymes & Life
“Beats, Rhymes & Life” serves as a comprehensive look at one of the most influential hip hop groups to come out of the East Coast. The film traces A Tribe Called Quest from their roots in Queens, through the creation of their five albums and to their eventual and unsuspected breakup in 1998. … read more
Troubadours
Inspired by Carole King and James Taylor’s Troubadour reunion show in 2007, filmmaker Morgan Neville’s “Troubadours” is an informative documentary about a time in musical history that is often swept under the rug. … read more
Terri
The idea of an overweight high school student who’s teased by his peers as he swoons over the most popular girl is nothing new, but Azazel Jacobs attempts to change up the clichéd concept by adding a whacky assistant principal who attempts to win students’ affection with mixed results. … read more
Silver Tongues
Two lovers on the method-acting road trip from hell! – A smart, savage film. … read more
Scrapper
Southern California’s Chocolate Mountains are home to practice ranges open to the military 365, 24/7 and they drop bombs, fire rounds, and blow shit up from above. Tanks, APVs, the ground—all targets of their clusterbombs and high-calibers. What to do with the scrap bomb parts, though… … read more
Drama
When a 90-minute movie feels like 180, when cocaine use gets comical and a lead actress suddenly kills herself for no reason (spoiler alert!), blame Chile. … read more
