BEGIN:VCALENDAR PRODID:-//B-Side Presents: Indianapolis International Film Festival 2009/ /iCal4j 1.0//EN VERSION:2.0 CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091126T031027Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20090715T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20090715T203500 SUMMARY:500 Days of Summer DESCRIPTION:Tom (Joseph Gordon-Levitt)\, greeting-card writer and hopeles s romantic\, is caught completely off-guard when his girlfriend\, Summer (Zooey Deschanel)\, suddenly dumps him. He reflects back on their 500 d ays together to try to figure out where their love affair went sour\, an d in so doing\, Tom rediscovers his true passions in life CATEGORIES:Opening Night LOCATION:IMA / The Toby Theater URL:http://indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009/films/500daysofsummer_indyiff200 9 UID:2481970499-indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091126T031027Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20090716T193000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20090716T213000 SUMMARY:Have Passport Will Travel / Shorts Shot Overseas DESCRIPTION: CATEGORIES:Shorts Programs LOCATION:IMA / DeBoest Lecture Hall URL:http://indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009/films/shortsgroup2_indyiff2009 UID:2481969155-indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091126T031027Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20090716T193000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20090716T211000 SUMMARY:Prince Of Broadway DESCRIPTION:Prince of Broadway is the story of Lucky and Levon\, two men whose lives converge in the underbelly of New York's wholesale fashion d istrict. Lucky\, an illegal immigrant from Ghana\, makes ends meet by s oliciting shoppers on the street with knock-off brand merchandise. Levo n\, an Armenian-Lebanese immigrant\, operates an illegal storefront with a concealed back room where counterfeit goods are showcased to interest ed shoppers. Lucky's world is suddenly turned upside down when a child is thrust into his life by a woman who insists thetoddler is his son. W hile Lucky copes with his new domestic dilemma\, Levon struggles to save a marriage that is falling apart. The seedy side of the wholesale distr ict is revealed through a journey that continually confronts the interpl ay between what is fake and what is real. Set in the shadow of the Flati ron building and soaked in the colorful bustle of Broadway\, the film is as much a brutal drama as it is a tender comedy. Shot in a fast-paced g uerilla style that is akin to the hustler lifestyle\, the film reveals t he lives of immigrants in America seeking ideals of family and love\, wh ile creating their own knock-off of the American Dream. CATEGORIES:American Spectrum Features LOCATION:IMA / The Toby Theater URL:http://indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009/films/princeofbroadway_indyiff20 09 UID:2481970173-indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091126T031027Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20090716T213000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20090716T231800 SUMMARY:Official Rejection DESCRIPTION:Much has been said about the trials and struggles of making a n independent film\, and with good reason: it's incredibly difficult\, a nd not many are able to accomplish this feat. The perception is\, howev er\, that once you have finished your movie\, you can just 'take it to S undance'. Yet the task of finding placement at a major film festival is often more daunting\, and exhausting\, then the making of the movie itse lf. This is the story we intend to tell. OFFICIAL REJECTION follows the filmmakers behind TEN 'TIL NOON\, a well-reviewed\, low-budget independe nt film made without famous actors\, as they attempt to navigate the fil m festival circuit\, beginning with their startling rejection from every major festival. Dusting themselves off and refusing to quit\, they tak e their movie to smaller\, regional festivals\, where all the politics a nd difficulties of the circuit come to light. Along the way they meet o ther filmmakers\, and together they face the costs\, the disappointments \, the embarassments\, the parties\, the pain of premiere status\, and t he strange rules of film festivals together.One festival gives out it's awards to whomever buys them the most beer\, other gives themselves the awards. Two festivals fight over the right to premiere a film\, while a nother abandons its opening night movie altogether. OFFICIAL REJECTION is a lighthearted but realistic examination of life at the fests\, and features insightful interviews with a broad spectrum of experts\, includ ing directors Kevin Smith\, Bryan Singer\, and Troy Duffy\, actors Jenna Fischer\, Andy Dick\, Traci Lords\, Danny Trejo\, and Jennifer Tilly\, and indie film icons Lloyd Kaufman and Chris Gore. Our goal is to demon strate exactly what happens once you finish the movie\, the reality of t oday's film festival landscape\, and the emotional roller-coaster those who dare venture onto it find themselves riding. CATEGORIES:Documentary Features LOCATION:IMA / The Toby Theater URL:http://indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009/films/officialrejection_indyiff2 009 UID:2481971366-indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091126T031027Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20090716T213000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20090716T233000 SUMMARY:Living in Indiana\, Filming in Indiana / Indiana Filmmaker Shorts DESCRIPTION:First They Came For…\nAmerica On Wheels: Model T\nIllusions o f Life\nFree Wall CATEGORIES:Shorts Program LOCATION:IMA / DeBoest Lecture Hall URL:http://indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009/films/shortsgroup12_indyiff2009 UID:2481974715-indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091126T031027Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20090717T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20090717T132100 SUMMARY:Off Off Broadway DESCRIPTION:Open letter to audience: I was recently convinced by a child hood friend (Francis Enwright) to shoot a documentary which chronicled t he making of his most current theatre production. Out of respect for hi m and due to his persistent insistence\, I put other projects aside to u ndertake this objective documentation. "Specific Conceptualism" is not only his contribution to avant garde theatre\, but best sums up the tang led cobweb of circuits\, gears\, and tubes that make up his neural netwo rk. -Art Ferguson (documentrist) CATEGORIES:American Spectrum Features LOCATION:IMA / DeBoest Lecture Hall URL:http://indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009/films/offoffbroadway_indyiff2009 UID:2481969481-indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091126T031027Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20090717T130000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20090717T142800 SUMMARY:Throw It Down DESCRIPTION:Experience the up-close intensity of drum corps by following Canton\, Ohio's\nBluecoats on their challenging 80-day "Connexus" tour a cross America.\nBrilliant widescreen cinematography and carefully master ed audio will\nimmerse you in the Bluecoats' breathtaking journey into h eat\, pain\, fatigue\nand - ultimately - celebration. CATEGORIES:Documentary Features LOCATION:IMA / The Toby Theater URL:http://indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009/films/throwitdown_indyiff2009 UID:2481971610-indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091126T031027Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20090717T133000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20090717T153000 SUMMARY:Life Gives You Lemons…You Know the Rest / Overcoming Adversity Sh orts DESCRIPTION:Act As If\nFurthest the View Reaches\nBatter Up\nLive From Be thlehem CATEGORIES:Shorts Program LOCATION:IMA / DeBoest Lecture Hall URL:http://indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009/films/shortsgroup11_indyiff2009 UID:2481974507-indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091126T031027Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20090717T150000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20090717T163400 SUMMARY:Salud DESCRIPTION:Based on a true story\, 'SALUD' follows Carlos\, a 30-year-ol d Latino man struggling with the consequences of his past.When SALUD ope ns\, Carlos loses his wife due to his infidelities. Hung up on his his d ivorce with his ex-wife Mimi\, it becomes too much to bear. Now Carlos' existence consists of pathetic attempts to win Mimi back and restore th e life he once had with her and his beloved 8-year-old boy\, Junito\, a highly intelligent kid with whom" despite the divorceâ€ù shares a very s pecial bond with Carlos. However\, Mimi has apparently moved on with her life as indicated by her relationship with her new boyfriend\, Geo\, wh o has moved into the apartment Mimi shares with Junito. Giving up on Mim i\, Carlos begins to slip again\, gradually returning to alcohol as reme dy for his pain despite its destructive effect on the one good thing in his life: His relationship with Junito. Just when it seems that Carlos w ill succumb to his addiction he meets 'Jocelyn\,' a beautiful\, intellig ent girl from the neighborhood. A love blossoms and finally it seems th at everything is beginning to fall into place again for Carlos until he begins to realize that Jocelyn may not be all that she seems. Once again Carlos returns to his hopeless dream of reviving the lost life he had w ith Mimi\, renewing his desperate attempts to get her back. When depres sion and disillusionment overtake him\, Carlos slowly descends into a do wnward spiral of booze addiction. Junito's refusal to lose his father b ecomes a powerful struggle which leads both father and son to discover t he true and sometimes painful meaning of unconditional love.In an age of big budget special effects and action adventure plots\, SALUD is a simp le story about people\, about their mistakes and their triumphs. Through one boy's hope\, and one man's struggle\, SALUD takes you into the hear t of alcoholism\, guilt\, redemption\, and love. CATEGORIES:American Spectrum Features LOCATION:IMA / The Toby Theater URL:http://indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009/films/salud_indyiff2009 UID:2481970019-indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091126T031027Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20090717T153000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20090717T171000 SUMMARY:Shoot First And Pray You Live DESCRIPTION:Red Pierre has come up from the mountains of a Mexican Monast ery to avenge his dying father\, who had been fatally wounded by the out law\, Bob McGurk. A man the locals say cannot be beaten to the draw.Bu t before Pierre can meet the invincible gunman\, he's picked up by Jim B oone and his gang\, the Cut-Throats. Despite the protests of the other outlaws\, Boone makes Pierre a member of his gang\, a replacement for hi s dead son. And so Pierre rides with the wild marauders\, all skilled gu nfighters\, including Boone's wild young daughter\, Jack. At last the sc ene is set for the showdown between Pierre and McGurk\, but even when it takes place and a wounded McGurk leaves the range\, the blood feud is n ot been settled. One of them still has to be killed. Presented as a grap hic homage to the classic Spaghetti Westerns\, SHOOT FIRST AND PRAY YOU LIVE is a tale of love and Revenge CATEGORIES:American Spectrum Features LOCATION:IMA / DeBoest Lecture Hall URL:http://indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009/films/shootfirstandprayyoulive_i ndyiff2009 UID:2481969790-indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091126T031027Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20090717T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20090717T220800 SUMMARY:Best Worst Movie / Troll 2 Double Feature DESCRIPTION:Best Worst Movie\n\nStarts at 7pm in the Toby\n\nIn 1989\, un witting Utah actors starred in the undisputed Worst Movie in History: TR OLL 2. Two decades later\, the legendarily inept film's child star (Mich ael Paul Stephenson) unravels the improbable\, heartfelt story of an Ala bama dentist-turned-cult movie icon and an Italian filmmaker who come to terms with this genuine\, internationally revered cinematic failure.\n\ n&\n\nTroll 2\n\nStarts at dusk as part of the the IMA Summer Night Seri es.\n\nTroll 2\, a low budget\, Italian B-horror film originally release d in 1990\, is currently ranked on Internet Movie Database (IMDb) as the #1 worst movie of all time. A film by Claudio Fragasso\, under the fake name of Drake Floyd\, is about a family trip in which a young boy named Joshua is chased by man-eating goblins in a town called Nilbog ("Goblin " spelled backwards\, as Joshua realizes). Vegetarian Goblins of Nilbog attempt to transform Joshua's family into edible plant mush until a dece ased grandfather and a double-decker bologna sandwich saves the day.\n\n NOTE: This film is being shown as a double feature in conjunction with t he IMA's Summer Nights. Please arrive at 6 pm in order to put your blank ets\, chairs\, etc. out on the ampitheater. Click here for a list of wha t you can and can't bring to Summer Nights {http://www.imamuseum.org/sum mer-nights/basics} If there is inclement weather\, Troll 2 will be scree ned in The Toby. CATEGORIES:American Spectrum Features LOCATION:IMA / The Toby Theater URL:http://indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009/films/bestworstmovietroll2double feature_indyiff2009 UID:2481983820-indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091126T031027Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20090717T193000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20090717T221000 SUMMARY:Badland DESCRIPTION:Jerry is a Marine reservist who was a young patriot and ideal ist when he served in the first Gulf War. When he is called up for deplo yment to Afghanistan and Iraq\, Jerry is a father of three\; older and e mbittered by a life besieged by broken promises\, and unfulfilled desire s. He returns a changed man\, transformed by horrors committed that go beyond comprehension and sanity\, pain inflicted that cannot be forgiven . He lives a life verging on the edge of poverty\, his children afraid of his unexplained outbursts of rage\, his wife\, Nora\, unsympathetic t o the nosebleeds and night terrors he suffers. She hides money her sons earn from their paper route in case they need to leave. The crowded tr ailer he shares with his family becomes a prison\; his failure as a man\ , his actions as a soldier\, his punishment. He realizes that the respe ct and dignity he has spent his life achieving will always elude him. W hen he realizes Nora has betrayed him he is driven by anger and despair to commit an act so heinous and irreversible that nothing he has experie nced in combat could have prepared him for.Badland is a gut-wrenching\, poignant look at the aftermath of war on a returning Iraq war veteran an d his family. It is the story of a man who loses his soul and how a dau ghter's love and faith brings redemption to his unspeakable crimes. CATEGORIES:American Spectrum Features LOCATION:IMA / DeBoest Lecture Hall URL:http://indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009/films/badland_indyiff2009 UID:2481969714-indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091126T031027Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20090718T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20090718T125100 SUMMARY:Autistic-Like: Graham's Story DESCRIPTION:AUTISTIC-LIKE: GRAHAM'S STORY is a startling report from the edge of the epidemic. When their son was 17 months old\, Erik and Jennie Linthorst suspected something was not quite right. Experts and therapis ts told them their son was autistic. Sort of. Maybe. Some called him a utistic-like. Others said he was not autistic at all. With his parents s till seeking a clear diagnosis\, Graham was launched into a program of b ehavioral therapy. Speech therapy. Occupational therapy. Soon after the therapy began\, Erik and Jennie noticed something else: the treatment h e was getting didn't seem to be on target. Erik took on the conundrum co nfronting many parents of kids who are "mildly disordered." Handed a fu zzy diagnosis\, what should the treatment be? AUTISTIC-LIKE: GRAHAM'S S TORY is an intimate family portrait showing one dad's determined quest t o find the right therapies\, the right doctors\, and even the right word s to describe his son. As he searched\, Erik began wondering how other f amilies in the same situation fare. What did it really mean\, 'autistic- like'? And how should or could these parents help their kids? What he di scovered was that dozens of families\, in just his area\, were strugglin g with the same issue. Erik began to suspect that many of the children being diagnosed with autism might like Graham -- not really autistic. B ut then if it's not autism\, what is it that ails these kids? Erik find s a possible answer. It's an answer that throws into question the curre nt autism statistics. AUTISTIC LIKE: GRAHAM'S STORY illuminates the me dical\, social and public health issues faced by families whose autistic -like children have no clear diagnosis\, and are offered no specific tre atment. The CDC says one in every 150 children born has autism. Maybe n ot. CATEGORIES:Documentary Features LOCATION:IMA / DeBoest Lecture Hall URL:http://indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009/films/autisticlikegrahamsstory_i ndyiff2009 UID:2481971462-indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091126T031027Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20090718T130000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20090718T145600 SUMMARY:Daytime Drinking DESCRIPTION:Hyuk-Jin has just broken up with his girlfriend and decides t o take a trip to Jeongseon in the province of Gangwon-do. The next day\, his friends are too hung over to get up\, so Hyuk-Jin makes his way to his destination alone. A trip of opportunity takes a cruel and unexpecte d turn as misunderstanding and crossed paths occur over and over again. CATEGORIES:Wolrd Cinema Features LOCATION:IMA / The Toby Theater URL:http://indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009/films/daytimedrinking_indyiff200 9 UID:2481972707-indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091126T031027Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20090718T133000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20090718T153000 SUMMARY:I Was Merely Acting! / Dramatic Shorts DESCRIPTION: CATEGORIES:Shorts Programs LOCATION:IMA / DeBoest Lecture Hall URL:http://indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009/films/shortsgroup6_indyiff2009 UID:2481972960-indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091126T031027Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20090718T150000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20090718T164500 SUMMARY:The Vanished Empire DESCRIPTION:The film's story takes place in Moscow in the 1970s. Its plot unfolds around the love triangle between two young men and a girl who s tudy at the same university. They make up\, and face their first disappo intments and victories. While busy with lives and loves\, they miss fore seeing that the country in which they were born will soon disappear from the map. CATEGORIES:World Cinema Features LOCATION:IMA / The Toby Theater URL:http://indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009/films/thevanishedempire_indyiff2 009 UID:2481972363-indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091126T031027Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20090718T153000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20090718T173000 SUMMARY:One Word Titles…How Suspenseful / Suspense Shorts DESCRIPTION: CATEGORIES:Shorts Programs LOCATION:IMA / DeBoest Lecture Hall URL:http://indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009/films/shortsgroup7_indyiff2009 UID:2481975161-indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091126T031027Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20090718T170000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20090718T182500 SUMMARY:The Way We Get By DESCRIPTION:A look at The Maine Troop Greeters\, an unofficial\, voluntee r group of veterans and other citizens who gather at the Bangor Airport as troops depart or land to welcome them home and thank them for their s ervice. CATEGORIES:Documentary Features LOCATION:IMA / The Toby Theater URL:http://indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009/films/thewaywegetby_indyiff2009 UID:2481970640-indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091126T031027Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20090718T173000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20090718T193000 SUMMARY:Not Your Normal Saturday Morning Cartoons / Animated and Out Ther e Shorts DESCRIPTION: CATEGORIES:Shorts Programs LOCATION:IMA / DeBoest Lecture Hall URL:http://indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009/films/shortsgroup10_indyiff2009 UID:2481979180-indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091126T031027Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20090718T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20090718T202200 SUMMARY:Sita Sings The Blues DESCRIPTION:Sita is a goddess separated from her beloved Lord and husband Rama. Nina is an animator whose husband moves to India\, then dumps her by email. Three hilarious shadow puppets narrate both ancient tragedy a nd modern comedy in this beautifully animated interpretation of the Indi an epic Ramayana. Set to the 1920's jazz vocals of Annette Hanshaw\, Sit a Sings the Blues earns its tagline as 'The Greatest Break-Up Story Ever Told.' CATEGORIES:American Spectrum Features LOCATION:IMA / The Toby Theater URL:http://indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009/films/sitasingstheblues_indyiff2 009 UID:2481969871-indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091126T031027Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20090718T193000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20090718T213000 SUMMARY:All I Have To Say is Mullets and Professional Rock/Paper/Scissors / Comedy Shorts DESCRIPTION: CATEGORIES:Shorts Programs LOCATION:IMA / DeBoest Lecture Hall URL:http://indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009/films/shortsgroup8_indyiff2009 UID:2481976645-indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091126T031027Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20090718T210000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20090718T223200 SUMMARY:Zift DESCRIPTION:Moth is freed on parole after spending time in prison on wron gful conviction of murder. Jailed shortly before the Bulgarian communist coup of 1944\, he now finds himself in a new and alien world - the tota litarian Sofia of the 60s. His first night of freedom draws the map of a diabolical city full of decaying neighborhoods\, gloomy streets and a b izarre parade of characters. CATEGORIES:World Cinema Features LOCATION:IMA / The Toby Theater URL:http://indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009/films/zift_indyiff2009 UID:2481972537-indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091126T031027Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20090718T213000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20090718T233000 SUMMARY:Please Wait 20 Minutes After Eating Before Watching These Shorts / Slightly Off Center Shorts DESCRIPTION: CATEGORIES:Shorts Programs LOCATION:IMA / DeBoest Lecture Hall URL:http://indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009/films/shortsgroup1_indyiff2009 UID:2481965856-indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091126T031027Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20090719T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20090719T133000 SUMMARY:48 Hour Film Project Shorts / Workshop DESCRIPTION: CATEGORIES:Film Project LOCATION:IMA / DeBoest Lecture Hall URL:http://indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009/films/48hourfilmproject_indyiff2 009 UID:2481974131-indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091126T031027Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20090719T130000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20090719T142200 SUMMARY:Sita Sings The Blues DESCRIPTION:Sita is a goddess separated from her beloved Lord and husband Rama. Nina is an animator whose husband moves to India\, then dumps her by email. Three hilarious shadow puppets narrate both ancient tragedy a nd modern comedy in this beautifully animated interpretation of the Indi an epic Ramayana. Set to the 1920's jazz vocals of Annette Hanshaw\, Sit a Sings the Blues earns its tagline as 'The Greatest Break-Up Story Ever Told.' CATEGORIES:American Spectrum Features LOCATION:IMA / The Toby Theater URL:http://indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009/films/sitasingstheblues_indyiff2 009 UID:2481969923-indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091126T031027Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20090719T133000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20090719T144300 SUMMARY:Beyond Our Differences DESCRIPTION:With all of the problems facing the world today including war \, poverty\, weapons\, environmental degradation\, starvation\, overpopu lation and severe desperation among millions\, people are longing for me aning. Many seek answers in spirituality\, but often faith and religion are hijacked by a fundamentalist few who use the name of God to promote their own ends. With this dichotomy in mind\, the documentary film Beyon d Our Differences calls upon key religious leaders\, politicians\, and l uminaries in their respective fields to tackle the most complex issues i n the modern age\, and we ask what inspires them to affect positive chan ge. The hope is that their personal experiences will provide a new pers pective on how non-violent activism and compassion can be effectively us ed in resolving even the most difficult disputes. This tapestry of voice s and viewpoints regarding spirituality is woven with one universal expr ession of hope. By providing such a variety of experiences against the b ackdrop of rich landscapes and religious images\, we hope that individua l viewers will understand this unified message of hope and will become e mpowered through their own expressions of faith to impact positive chang e in their lives and the lives of others. The film also gives hope by ex ploring past and present religious-inspired movements that have resulted in positive change. In addition to documenting the work of great leader s such as Gandhi\, Desmond Tutu and the Dalai Lama we will also follow s everal modern-day visionaries whose faith have afforded them the courage to promote social change.Over seventy interviews have been completed in over ten countries on four continents\, including contributions from Hi s Holiness The Dalai Lama\, Archbishop Desmond Tutu\, Ela Gandhi\, Ambas sador Andrew Young\, Deepak Chopra\, Former President of Iran Mohammad K hatami\, Peter Gabriel\, author Paulo Coelho\, and Prime Minister of Egy pt Ahmed Nazif.Beyond Our Differences is directed by Peter Bisanz and pr oduced by Vladimir Trushchenkov\, Catherine Tatge and Tonko Soljan. CATEGORIES:Documentary Features LOCATION:IMA / DeBoest Lecture Hall URL:http://indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009/films/beyondourdifferences_indyi ff2009 UID:2481971531-indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091126T031027Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20090719T150000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20090719T162500 SUMMARY:The Way We Get By DESCRIPTION:A look at The Maine Troop Greeters\, an unofficial\, voluntee r group of veterans and other citizens who gather at the Bangor Airport as troops depart or land to welcome them home and thank them for their s ervice. CATEGORIES:Documentary Features LOCATION:IMA / The Toby Theater URL:http://indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009/films/thewaywegetby_indyiff2009 UID:2481970694-indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091126T031027Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20090719T153000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20090719T173000 SUMMARY:Please Wait 20 Minutes After Eating Before Watching These Shorts / Slightly Off Center Shorts DESCRIPTION: CATEGORIES:Shorts Programs LOCATION:IMA / DeBoest Lecture Hall URL:http://indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009/films/shortsgroup1_indyiff2009 UID:2481966507-indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091126T031027Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20090719T170000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20090719T190300 SUMMARY:My Dear Enemy DESCRIPTION:Jobless and single in her thirties\, Hee-soo is miserable. On one fine day\, she sets out to find Byoung-woon\, her ex-boyfriend. It is not love that brings them together but $1\,000 Hee-soo had lent to By oung-woon a year ago. Byoung-woon is also penniless but surprisingly hap py for he knows the girls who are willing to give him money. Afraid Byou ng-woon may run off before clearing his debt\, Hee-soo follows him as he visits many girls to borrow money\, so the two ex-love birds set out on a one day journey to collect money\, and memory. CATEGORIES:World Cinema Features LOCATION:IMA / The Toby Theater URL:http://indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009/films/mydearenemy_indyiff2009 UID:2481972826-indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091126T031027Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20090719T173000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20090719T185300 SUMMARY:Garbage Dreams DESCRIPTION:GARBAGE DREAMS is a moving story of young men searching for a ways to eke out a living for their families and facing tough choices as they try to do the right thing for the planet. Mai Iskander guides us i nto a 'garbage village\,' a place so different from our own\, and yet th e choices they face there are so hauntingly familiar. Ultimately\, GARBA GE DREAMS makes a compelling case that modernization does not always equ al progress."\n- AL GORE \n\nFilmed over four years\, GARBAGE DREAMS follows three teenage boys – Adham\, a bright precocious 17 year old\; Osama\, a charming impish 16 year old\; Nabil\, a shy artistic 18 year old\, born into the trash trade and growing up in the world's largest ga rbage village\, a ghetto located on the outskirts of Cairo. It is a worl d folded onto itself\, an impenetrable labyrinth of narrow roadways camo uflaged by trash\; it is the home to 60\,000 Zaballeen (also spelt Zabba leen)\, arabic for "garbage people." For generations\, the residents of Cairo have depended on the Zaballeen to collect their trash\, paying the m only a minimal amount for their garbage collection services. The Zabal leen survive by recycling the city's waste. These entrepreneurial garbag e workers recycle 80% of all the garbage they collect\, creating what is arguably the world's most efficient waste disposal system.When the city they keep clean suddenly decides to replace the Zaballeen with multinat ional garbage disposal companies\, the Zaballeen community finds itself at a crossroads. Face to face with the globalization of their trade\, ea ch of the teenage boys is forced to make choices that will impact his fu ture and the survival of his community. CATEGORIES:Documentary Features LOCATION:IMA / DeBoest Lecture Hall URL:http://indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009/films/garbagedreams_indyiff2009 UID:2481971662-indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091126T031027Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20090719T193000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20090719T210000 SUMMARY:Adam DESCRIPTION:Soon after moving in\, Beth\, a brainy\, beautiful writer dam aged from a past relationship encounters Adam\, the handsome\, but odd\, fellow in the downstairs apartment whose awkwardness is perplexing. Bet h and Adam's ultimate connection leads to a tricky relationship that exe mplifies something universal: truly reaching another person means bravel y stretching into uncomfortable territory and the resulting shake-up can be liberating. CATEGORIES:American Spectrum Features LOCATION:IMA / The Toby Theater URL:http://indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009/films/adam_indyiff2009 UID:2481970277-indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091126T031027Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20090719T193000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20090719T202200 SUMMARY:Homegrown DESCRIPTION:By dawn\, the interchange of the 134 Freeway and Interstate 2 10 is already starting to thrum with traffic. But only a hundred feet a way\, the Dervaes family has been up for hours. Their surprisingly tiny green oasis is a working farm right in the middle of Pasadena. Once se en as a nutty idea\, the family homestead now produces three tons of org anic produce a year.Jules and his adult children\, Justin\, Ana's and Jo rdanne speak candidly about what shaped their family and their need for independence. We learn about Jules' father\, an oil executive with a gr een thumb\, Jules' adventures as a young man homesteading in New Zealand \, and the sorrows and hardships their family has faced over the years\, including divorce\, lawsuits and a stint foraging for recyclable cans. We watch them wrestle with their quest to live a simple lifestyle even as their website\, "Path To Freedom\," demands more attention from follo wers around the world. Originally set up to share farming tips\, it now dangles tantalizing prospects of a financial windfall. But what would it mean to sell ad space on their website instead of getting their hand s dirty? Would it change their way of life if they got used to easy mon ey? And how will Jules' children be able to buy their own homesteads an d carry on in the future?There are no easy answers. But along the way\, the Dervaes have grown stronger and found a tight knit community based on family\, friends\, good food\, hard work\, and the commitment to trea d lightly upon the earth. CATEGORIES:Documentary Features LOCATION:IMA / DeBoest Lecture Hall URL:http://indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009/films/homegrown_indyiff2009 UID:2481971740-indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091126T031027Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20090720T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20090720T131300 SUMMARY:Beyond Our Differences DESCRIPTION:With all of the problems facing the world today including war \, poverty\, weapons\, environmental degradation\, starvation\, overpopu lation and severe desperation among millions\, people are longing for me aning. Many seek answers in spirituality\, but often faith and religion are hijacked by a fundamentalist few who use the name of God to promote their own ends. With this dichotomy in mind\, the documentary film Beyon d Our Differences calls upon key religious leaders\, politicians\, and l uminaries in their respective fields to tackle the most complex issues i n the modern age\, and we ask what inspires them to affect positive chan ge. The hope is that their personal experiences will provide a new pers pective on how non-violent activism and compassion can be effectively us ed in resolving even the most difficult disputes. This tapestry of voice s and viewpoints regarding spirituality is woven with one universal expr ession of hope. By providing such a variety of experiences against the b ackdrop of rich landscapes and religious images\, we hope that individua l viewers will understand this unified message of hope and will become e mpowered through their own expressions of faith to impact positive chang e in their lives and the lives of others. The film also gives hope by ex ploring past and present religious-inspired movements that have resulted in positive change. In addition to documenting the work of great leader s such as Gandhi\, Desmond Tutu and the Dalai Lama we will also follow s everal modern-day visionaries whose faith have afforded them the courage to promote social change.Over seventy interviews have been completed in over ten countries on four continents\, including contributions from Hi s Holiness The Dalai Lama\, Archbishop Desmond Tutu\, Ela Gandhi\, Ambas sador Andrew Young\, Deepak Chopra\, Former President of Iran Mohammad K hatami\, Peter Gabriel\, author Paulo Coelho\, and Prime Minister of Egy pt Ahmed Nazif.Beyond Our Differences is directed by Peter Bisanz and pr oduced by Vladimir Trushchenkov\, Catherine Tatge and Tonko Soljan. CATEGORIES:Documentary Features LOCATION:IMA / DeBoest Lecture Hall URL:http://indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009/films/beyondourdifferences_indyi ff2009 UID:2481971568-indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091126T031027Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20090720T130000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20090720T142100 SUMMARY:Off Off Broadway DESCRIPTION:Open letter to audience: I was recently convinced by a child hood friend (Francis Enwright) to shoot a documentary which chronicled t he making of his most current theatre production. Out of respect for hi m and due to his persistent insistence\, I put other projects aside to u ndertake this objective documentation. "Specific Conceptualism" is not only his contribution to avant garde theatre\, but best sums up the tang led cobweb of circuits\, gears\, and tubes that make up his neural netwo rk. -Art Ferguson (documentrist) CATEGORIES:American Spectrum Features LOCATION:IMA / The Toby Theater URL:http://indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009/films/offoffbroadway_indyiff2009 UID:2481969623-indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091126T031027Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20090720T133000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20090720T153000 SUMMARY:Can't Live With Em\, Can't Live Without Em / Dysfunctional Famil y Shorts DESCRIPTION: CATEGORIES:Shorts Programs LOCATION:IMA / DeBoest Lecture Hall URL:http://indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009/films/shortsgroup4_indyiff2009 UID:2481967930-indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091126T031027Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20090720T150000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20090720T162200 SUMMARY:Lo DESCRIPTION:Love is a tricky little devil. It has the power to command gr eat sacrifice from those it touches. Enter Justin\, a loser who’s most e xciting moment in any given day is the house salad/no dressing he orders on his lunch break from corporate HateMyJob. But when a bizarre and cur iously naive woman named April shows up in his life\, he is forever chan ged. Suddenly the world is bright and full of hope\, and nothing could e ver change that…until April is mysteriously kidnapped by demons. Finding an ancient summoning book amongst her things\, Justin draws a circle on the ground and commands the power of the one demon marked in the book b y a red ribbon. The demon Lo. While Justin tries desperately to keep con trol of the demon he has summond\, Lo has other plans for the tasty huma n who sits just inches away behind his protective circle. From singing d emons\, to talking hands\, dancing bartenders and human sized rats\, Jus tin’s love is put to the ultimate test\, not to mention Lo’s ego. Love i s Hell\, and Hell is funny. CATEGORIES:American Spectrum Features LOCATION:IMA / The Toby Theater URL:http://indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009/films/lo_indyiff2009 UID:2481969286-indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091126T031027Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20090720T153000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20090720T173000 SUMMARY:Man I Wish I Would Have Joined E-Harmony / Relationship Shorts DESCRIPTION: CATEGORIES:Shorts Programs LOCATION:IMA / DeBoest Lecture Hall URL:http://indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009/films/group3_indyiff2009 UID:2481971428-indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091126T031027Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20090720T170000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20090720T182800 SUMMARY:Route 30 DESCRIPTION:Three interconnecting stories from the Lincoln Highway in Sou th Central Pennsylvania. 'Deer Hunters Wives' tells of the frustrations of Civil War tour guide Mandy (NATHALIE BOLTT)\, who obsesses on Jennie Wade\, the only civilian killed at the battle of Gettysburg. While her friend June (CHRISTINE ELISE McCARTHY) struggles with an internet porn scheme to make extra money. 'What I Blieve' focuses on a man (KEVIN RAH M) who seeks the help of a Christian Scientist (WIL LOVE) to heal his ba ck pain and explain the Big Foot that chased him down the mountainside. 'Original Bill' is the story of a writer (DAVID DeLUISE) who buys a farm house in the country hoping to find unique inspiration to write his nove l. He is sidetracked by his Amish neighbor (DANA DELANY)\, who smokes\, drinks\, swears and secretly watches his TV. CATEGORIES:American Spectrum Features LOCATION:IMA / The Toby Theater URL:http://indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009/films/route30_indyiff2009 UID:2481969215-indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091126T031027Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20090720T173000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20090720T193000 SUMMARY:Shorts M. Night Would be Proud of / Shorts with a Twist DESCRIPTION: CATEGORIES:Shorts Programs LOCATION:IMA / DeBoest Lecture Hall URL:http://indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009/films/shortsgroup5_indyiff2009 UID:2481970419-indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091126T031027Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20090720T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20090720T202700 SUMMARY:The Tiger Next Door DESCRIPTION:Experts estimate that there are now more tigers in private ca ptivity in the USA than there are in the wild. 24 of them live in Dennis H.'s backyard\, in Flat Rock\, Indiana. Dennis is an ex-biker\, recov ering meth-addict\, convicted felon and long time keeper and breeder of exotic animals. But now\, after a surprise government inspection\, he’s lost the license that allowed him to keep captive wild animals\, and th e state of Indiana is threatening to shut him down. He has just five da ys to find alternate homes for all but three of his brood and to bring h is facilities up to code - or else lose what he considers to be his life ’s work.\nAs Dennis fights to hold on to his tigers over the days and mo nths that follow\, The Tiger Next Door follows him ( and his neighbors\, supporters and opponents from around Indiana) - exploring his motives\, his past\, and the curious\, ethically-murky world he’s created in his backyard. At the same time\, the film ranges far beyond Dennis’ animal c ompound\, illuminating the connection between breeders like Dennis H\, a nd the near-epidemic of wild animal keeping in the United States. U.S . Premiere CATEGORIES:Documentary Features LOCATION:IMA / The Toby Theater URL:http://indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009/films/thetigernextdoor_indyiff20 09 UID:2481970973-indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091126T031027Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20090720T193000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20090720T213000 SUMMARY:One Word Titles…How Suspenseful / Suspense Shorts DESCRIPTION: CATEGORIES:Shorts Programs LOCATION:IMA / DeBoest Lecture Hall URL:http://indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009/films/shortsgroup7_indyiff2009 UID:2481975217-indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091126T031027Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20090720T210000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20090720T223000 SUMMARY:The Dungeon Masters DESCRIPTION:THE DUNGEON MASTERS is the story of three people who find sel f-expression in Dungeons and Dragons\, the immensely popular role-playin g game in which players called "Dungeon Masters" create elaborate fantas y worlds for their friends to navigate. The film follows the three as t hey struggle to maintain a creative life in the face of dire personal co nsequences\, documenting their efforts to keep their dream worlds alive despite the mundane world's relentless attempts to grind them down.The p layers are:- Scott Corum\, whose lively imagination has not yielded reco gnition or a livable income\, andwho has thrown himself into an effort t o write a fantasy novel that he hopes will changeeverything for him.- Ri chard Meeks\, a city employee and Air Force Reservist. Meeks is a self-d escribed "devious" game master who takes great joy in devising inescapab le traps for his players-- even at the cost of real-world relationships. - Elizabeth Reesman\, from the Katrina-ravaged gulf coast of Mississippi . Elizabeth meets the world dressed in the full body black makeup of the powerful "Drow Elf\," seeking in the role a measure of control over the scarring experiences of her past.THE DUNGEON MASTERS is the story of a game and those who play it\, but it is also a story of class in America\ , of the place where escapism battles against personal responsibility\, and of how making space for the imagination as an adult can be a subvers ive act. Ultimately\, it explores and celebrates the human need to tell\ , and to live\, a story. CATEGORIES:Documentary Features LOCATION:IMA / The Toby Theater URL:http://indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009/films/thedungeonmasters_indyiff2 009 UID:2481971292-indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091126T031027Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20090720T213000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20090720T233000 SUMMARY:Black Expression Shorts DESCRIPTION: CATEGORIES:Shorts Programs LOCATION:IMA / DeBoest Lecture Hall URL:http://indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009/films/shortsgroup9_indyiff2009 UID:2481977193-indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091126T031027Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20090721T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20090721T140000 SUMMARY:Living in Indiana\, Filming in Indiana / Indiana Filmmaker Shorts DESCRIPTION:First They Came For…\nAmerica On Wheels: Model T\nIllusions o f Life\nFree Wall CATEGORIES:Shorts Program LOCATION:IMA / DeBoest Lecture Hall URL:http://indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009/films/shortsgroup12_indyiff2009 UID:2481974789-indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091126T031027Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20090721T130000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20090721T142700 SUMMARY:The Tiger Next Door DESCRIPTION:Experts estimate that there are now more tigers in private ca ptivity in the USA than there are in the wild. 24 of them live in Dennis H.'s backyard\, in Flat Rock\, Indiana. Dennis is an ex-biker\, recov ering meth-addict\, convicted felon and long time keeper and breeder of exotic animals. But now\, after a surprise government inspection\, he’s lost the license that allowed him to keep captive wild animals\, and th e state of Indiana is threatening to shut him down. He has just five da ys to find alternate homes for all but three of his brood and to bring h is facilities up to code - or else lose what he considers to be his life ’s work.\nAs Dennis fights to hold on to his tigers over the days and mo nths that follow\, The Tiger Next Door follows him ( and his neighbors\, supporters and opponents from around Indiana) - exploring his motives\, his past\, and the curious\, ethically-murky world he’s created in his backyard. At the same time\, the film ranges far beyond Dennis’ animal c ompound\, illuminating the connection between breeders like Dennis H\, a nd the near-epidemic of wild animal keeping in the United States. U.S . Premiere CATEGORIES:Documentary Features LOCATION:IMA / The Toby Theater URL:http://indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009/films/thetigernextdoor_indyiff20 09 UID:2481971006-indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091126T031027Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20090721T133000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20090721T145300 SUMMARY:Garbage Dreams DESCRIPTION:GARBAGE DREAMS is a moving story of young men searching for a ways to eke out a living for their families and facing tough choices as they try to do the right thing for the planet. Mai Iskander guides us i nto a 'garbage village\,' a place so different from our own\, and yet th e choices they face there are so hauntingly familiar. Ultimately\, GARBA GE DREAMS makes a compelling case that modernization does not always equ al progress."\n- AL GORE \n\nFilmed over four years\, GARBAGE DREAMS follows three teenage boys – Adham\, a bright precocious 17 year old\; Osama\, a charming impish 16 year old\; Nabil\, a shy artistic 18 year old\, born into the trash trade and growing up in the world's largest ga rbage village\, a ghetto located on the outskirts of Cairo. It is a worl d folded onto itself\, an impenetrable labyrinth of narrow roadways camo uflaged by trash\; it is the home to 60\,000 Zaballeen (also spelt Zabba leen)\, arabic for "garbage people." For generations\, the residents of Cairo have depended on the Zaballeen to collect their trash\, paying the m only a minimal amount for their garbage collection services. The Zabal leen survive by recycling the city's waste. These entrepreneurial garbag e workers recycle 80% of all the garbage they collect\, creating what is arguably the world's most efficient waste disposal system.When the city they keep clean suddenly decides to replace the Zaballeen with multinat ional garbage disposal companies\, the Zaballeen community finds itself at a crossroads. Face to face with the globalization of their trade\, ea ch of the teenage boys is forced to make choices that will impact his fu ture and the survival of his community. CATEGORIES:Documentary Features LOCATION:IMA / DeBoest Lecture Hall URL:http://indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009/films/garbagedreams_indyiff2009 UID:2481971687-indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091126T031027Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20090721T150000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20090721T155200 SUMMARY:Homegrown DESCRIPTION:By dawn\, the interchange of the 134 Freeway and Interstate 2 10 is already starting to thrum with traffic. But only a hundred feet a way\, the Dervaes family has been up for hours. Their surprisingly tiny green oasis is a working farm right in the middle of Pasadena. Once se en as a nutty idea\, the family homestead now produces three tons of org anic produce a year.Jules and his adult children\, Justin\, Ana's and Jo rdanne speak candidly about what shaped their family and their need for independence. We learn about Jules' father\, an oil executive with a gr een thumb\, Jules' adventures as a young man homesteading in New Zealand \, and the sorrows and hardships their family has faced over the years\, including divorce\, lawsuits and a stint foraging for recyclable cans. We watch them wrestle with their quest to live a simple lifestyle even as their website\, "Path To Freedom\," demands more attention from follo wers around the world. Originally set up to share farming tips\, it now dangles tantalizing prospects of a financial windfall. But what would it mean to sell ad space on their website instead of getting their hand s dirty? Would it change their way of life if they got used to easy mon ey? And how will Jules' children be able to buy their own homesteads an d carry on in the future?There are no easy answers. But along the way\, the Dervaes have grown stronger and found a tight knit community based on family\, friends\, good food\, hard work\, and the commitment to trea d lightly upon the earth. CATEGORIES:Documentary Features LOCATION:IMA / The Toby Theater URL:http://indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009/films/homegrown_indyiff2009 UID:2481971814-indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091126T031027Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20090721T153000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20090721T173000 SUMMARY:Shorts M. Night Would be Proud of / Shorts with a Twist DESCRIPTION: CATEGORIES:Shorts Programs LOCATION:IMA / DeBoest Lecture Hall URL:http://indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009/films/shortsgroup5_indyiff2009 UID:2481970443-indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091126T031027Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20090721T170000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20090721T183200 SUMMARY:Best Worst Movie DESCRIPTION:In 1989\, unwitting Utah actors starred in the undisputed Wor st Moviein History: TROLL 2. Two decades later\, the legendarily inept f ilm'schild star (Michael Paul Stephenson) unravels the improbable\, hear tfelt story of an Alabama dentist-turned-cult movie icon and an Italian filmmaker who come toterms with this genuine\, internationally revered c inematic failure. CATEGORIES:Documentary Features LOCATION:IMA / The Toby Theater URL:http://indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009/films/bestworstmovie_indyiff2009 UID:2481970950-indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091126T031027Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20090721T173000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20090721T193000 SUMMARY:I Was Merely Acting! / Dramatic Shorts DESCRIPTION: CATEGORIES:Shorts Programs LOCATION:IMA / DeBoest Lecture Hall URL:http://indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009/films/shortsgroup6_indyiff2009 UID:2481972984-indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091126T031027Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20090721T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20090721T202900 SUMMARY:Tre Lire\, Primo Giorno DESCRIPTION:In an unspecified city of the northern Italy\, a ninety-year- old is admitted in a local hospital. He has no clothes\, no documents\; his hair is long\, white as snow.There are four young guys - who still d id not decide about what to do with their life - working as nurses in th e same hospital.One night\, the old guy awakes. He walks the corridors o f the hospital and he finds the four nurses hidden in a small room\, con centrated over a poker table. The old guy looks like a spirit in the nig ht. He claims his name is Carlo. Speaking in his dialect\, he explains t o the four terrified guys that he has something to propose to them. In a square overlooking the sea\, there is a small box hidden below one of t he tiles. Inside\, there is a letter. On the letter there is stamp: it i s a Tuscan Tre Lire\, dated January 1st 1860. It is the most precious st amp known.But he wants them to leave immediately. Carlo says he has no l ong time left to live. Tomorrow\, he could be again in a coma. If they d on't accept to come with him\, he is going to find someone else. There is no time to lose. It's all or nothing.The small troop of nurses decide s to follow the old guy. For them\, in this summer night full of promise s and uncertainties\, starts an adventure full of obstacles and surprise s\; they are going to discover who they really are and where they are re ally heading for. Carlo is accompanying them. In his fragility\, he has something to teach them: a desperate\, indestructible desire of living. It is a long trip that soon changes from its course: they discovery Ital y off the main roads\, far from the eyes of the tourist. They discover g reat desert places and small villages. In the midst of the summer warm\, these places look as waiting for something. Like the faces they meet: t he faces that tell the silent stories\, stories of victories and defeats \, waiting to be told. In the journey\, there is a mystery of a man. The old Carlo\, who has lived an entire century\, suffered hunger\, lived t he wars and travelled all over the country\, who has known many: he live d his life. Carlo has decided again - maybe for the last time in his lif e - to make it in his own way\, against everybody and everything.For the four protagonists\, Fabrizio and his friends - the journey and all it b rings will change their lives for ever and nothing will be the same as before. CATEGORIES:World Cinema Features LOCATION:IMA / The Toby Theater URL:http://indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009/films/trelireprimogiorno_indyiff 2009 UID:2481972252-indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091126T031027Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20090721T193000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20090721T210200 SUMMARY:Zift DESCRIPTION:Moth is freed on parole after spending time in prison on wron gful conviction of murder. Jailed shortly before the Bulgarian communist coup of 1944\, he now finds himself in a new and alien world - the tota litarian Sofia of the 60s. His first night of freedom draws the map of a diabolical city full of decaying neighborhoods\, gloomy streets and a b izarre parade of characters. CATEGORIES:World Cinema Features LOCATION:IMA / DeBoest Lecture Hall URL:http://indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009/films/zift_indyiff2009 UID:2481972571-indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091126T031027Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20090721T210000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20090721T222700 SUMMARY:Playground DESCRIPTION:PLAYGROUNDWhile traveling to the Philippines in 2001\, filmma ker Libby Spears gained first hand knowledge of the horrific practice of trafficking human beings for the purpose of sexual exploitation. She e xamined a little deeper\, and discovered that most of these victims were young children. Appalled by this modern day slavery\, Libby began a cov ert investigation to document the worldwide child sex trafficking proble m\, and to see how and if it led back to the United States. Facing death threats to be "knocked off" for only $10\, Libby went undercover to inf iltrate brothels in South Korea and Thailand. She held first-hand inter views with victims\, their pimps\, and their abusers. She mapped the tr afficking routes of the sex tourism industry\, and charted the commerce fueled by the purchase and sale of minors--she was disheartened to find that virtually the entire globe was involved and affected by this growin g industry.What she was astonished to find\, however\, was the degree of involvement by the United States. Previously\, she had mistakenly belie ved that sex trafficking was primarily an "international" occurrence in countries like Philippines and Cambodia. But a meeting with Ernie Allen \, President of the National Center of Missing and Exploited Children\, confirmed to Libby what her research was beginning to uncover: that the trafficking of children for commercial sexual exploitation is every bit as real in North America.This is where Playground begins.Most of us kno w about underage brothels in India\, Cambodia and Thailand. We've been m ade aware through news reports\, books and film that the modern-day ensl avement and prostitution of children has universal roots. The feature-le ngth documentaryPLAYGROUND makes the case that the child sex trade has l ocal ones\, too. At the heart of the story is Michelle\, whose first enc ounter with sexual abuse began at five. Having run away from a foster c are system that left Michelle vulnerable and at risk\, the film opens wi th the filmmaker's search for her. Over a five year period\, Spears unr avels the gut-wrenching atrocities suffered by Michelle and other childr en like her\, who are victims of the American sex trafficking industry.B y gracefully weaving in interviews with vice officers and social workers -- and sometimes even the pimps or johns themselves-- Spears constructs an insightful\, resonant\, and nuanced narrative that details just how complex and massive this problem is. Playground examines our legal and s ocial systems\, and their ineffectiveness at dealing with this problem. Neither dogmatic nor sensationalist\, Playground offers no clear-cut ans wers\, but instead\, compels us to begin asking questionsâ€_ the right q uestions: Why do we treat children as victims in cases of sexual abuse\, but as soon as money is exchanged\, these sexually abused children are deemed criminals? Why does our legal system view foreign children who a re trafficked from other countries as "victims\," but treats American ch ildren who trafficked domestically as criminals? Why is there such an ov erwhelming demand for sex with a child? Are we adequately teaching our c hildren sexual respect? What message do we send as a society when we nor malize Justin Timberlake's ripping off a woman's shirt in public\, but demonize Janet Jackson for her exposed breast?Playground employs a hand- crafted animation style that hearkens back to the early days of animatio n as an art form. With original illustrations created by Yoshitomo Nara \, the animation in Playground is used as an emotional relief of the hea vy subject matter. The animation allows Spears to suggest\, rather than literally depict\, some of the horrors of sex trafficking\, and does an effective job at conveying the psychological and emotional climate suff ered by the victims.The problem is monumental: The U.S. Department of Ju stice claims that the commercial sexual exploitation of children is the world's fastest growing form of organized crime. Within the next decade \, the prostitution of children worldwide will net profits greater than those from the sale of illegal drugs. In the United States alone\, chil d sex trafficking is a multi-million dollar industry with an estimated 3 000\,000 children annually at risk.Wherever you can buy drugs in this co untry\, you can buy children\, “American children" for sex. Playground m akes compellingly clear that if we're not seeing the problem\, it's onl y because we're not looking.From filmmaker Libby Spears and Producers Ge orge Clooney\, Grant Heslov\, and Steven Soderbergh\, comes a beautifull y-wrought\, astonishing portrait of our country's most alarming and insi dious secret -- the child sex trafficking in America.Music by: Bjork\, R adiohead\, Chris Martin\, Blonde Redhead\, Cat Power\, Sigur RÃ_s \, Coc oRosie\, Basement Jaxx\, DJ Shadow\, Kazu Makino CATEGORIES:Documentary Features LOCATION:IMA / The Toby Theater URL:http://indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009/films/playground_indyiff2009 UID:2481971967-indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091126T031027Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20090721T213000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20090721T230400 SUMMARY:Salud DESCRIPTION:Based on a true story\, 'SALUD' follows Carlos\, a 30-year-ol d Latino man struggling with the consequences of his past.When SALUD ope ns\, Carlos loses his wife due to his infidelities. Hung up on his his d ivorce with his ex-wife Mimi\, it becomes too much to bear. Now Carlos' existence consists of pathetic attempts to win Mimi back and restore th e life he once had with her and his beloved 8-year-old boy\, Junito\, a highly intelligent kid with whom" despite the divorceâ€ù shares a very s pecial bond with Carlos. However\, Mimi has apparently moved on with her life as indicated by her relationship with her new boyfriend\, Geo\, wh o has moved into the apartment Mimi shares with Junito. Giving up on Mim i\, Carlos begins to slip again\, gradually returning to alcohol as reme dy for his pain despite its destructive effect on the one good thing in his life: His relationship with Junito. Just when it seems that Carlos w ill succumb to his addiction he meets 'Jocelyn\,' a beautiful\, intellig ent girl from the neighborhood. A love blossoms and finally it seems th at everything is beginning to fall into place again for Carlos until he begins to realize that Jocelyn may not be all that she seems. Once again Carlos returns to his hopeless dream of reviving the lost life he had w ith Mimi\, renewing his desperate attempts to get her back. When depres sion and disillusionment overtake him\, Carlos slowly descends into a do wnward spiral of booze addiction. Junito's refusal to lose his father b ecomes a powerful struggle which leads both father and son to discover t he true and sometimes painful meaning of unconditional love.In an age of big budget special effects and action adventure plots\, SALUD is a simp le story about people\, about their mistakes and their triumphs. Through one boy's hope\, and one man's struggle\, SALUD takes you into the hear t of alcoholism\, guilt\, redemption\, and love. CATEGORIES:American Spectrum Features LOCATION:IMA / DeBoest Lecture Hall URL:http://indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009/films/salud_indyiff2009 UID:2481970084-indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091126T031027Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20090722T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20090722T125100 SUMMARY:Autistic-Like: Graham's Story DESCRIPTION:AUTISTIC-LIKE: GRAHAM'S STORY is a startling report from the edge of the epidemic. When their son was 17 months old\, Erik and Jennie Linthorst suspected something was not quite right. Experts and therapis ts told them their son was autistic. Sort of. Maybe. Some called him a utistic-like. Others said he was not autistic at all. With his parents s till seeking a clear diagnosis\, Graham was launched into a program of b ehavioral therapy. Speech therapy. Occupational therapy. Soon after the therapy began\, Erik and Jennie noticed something else: the treatment h e was getting didn't seem to be on target. Erik took on the conundrum co nfronting many parents of kids who are "mildly disordered." Handed a fu zzy diagnosis\, what should the treatment be? AUTISTIC-LIKE: GRAHAM'S S TORY is an intimate family portrait showing one dad's determined quest t o find the right therapies\, the right doctors\, and even the right word s to describe his son. As he searched\, Erik began wondering how other f amilies in the same situation fare. What did it really mean\, 'autistic- like'? And how should or could these parents help their kids? What he di scovered was that dozens of families\, in just his area\, were strugglin g with the same issue. Erik began to suspect that many of the children being diagnosed with autism might like Graham -- not really autistic. B ut then if it's not autism\, what is it that ails these kids? Erik find s a possible answer. It's an answer that throws into question the curre nt autism statistics. AUTISTIC LIKE: GRAHAM'S STORY illuminates the me dical\, social and public health issues faced by families whose autistic -like children have no clear diagnosis\, and are offered no specific tre atment. The CDC says one in every 150 children born has autism. Maybe n ot. CATEGORIES:Documentary Features LOCATION:IMA / DeBoest Lecture Hall URL:http://indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009/films/autisticlikegrahamsstory_i ndyiff2009 UID:2481971465-indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091126T031027Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20090722T130000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20090722T144000 SUMMARY:Prince Of Broadway DESCRIPTION:Prince of Broadway is the story of Lucky and Levon\, two men whose lives converge in the underbelly of New York's wholesale fashion d istrict. Lucky\, an illegal immigrant from Ghana\, makes ends meet by s oliciting shoppers on the street with knock-off brand merchandise. Levo n\, an Armenian-Lebanese immigrant\, operates an illegal storefront with a concealed back room where counterfeit goods are showcased to interest ed shoppers. Lucky's world is suddenly turned upside down when a child is thrust into his life by a woman who insists thetoddler is his son. W hile Lucky copes with his new domestic dilemma\, Levon struggles to save a marriage that is falling apart. The seedy side of the wholesale distr ict is revealed through a journey that continually confronts the interpl ay between what is fake and what is real. Set in the shadow of the Flati ron building and soaked in the colorful bustle of Broadway\, the film is as much a brutal drama as it is a tender comedy. Shot in a fast-paced g uerilla style that is akin to the hustler lifestyle\, the film reveals t he lives of immigrants in America seeking ideals of family and love\, wh ile creating their own knock-off of the American Dream. CATEGORIES:American Spectrum Features LOCATION:IMA / The Toby Theater URL:http://indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009/films/princeofbroadway_indyiff20 09 UID:2481970226-indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091126T031027Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20090722T133000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20090722T153000 SUMMARY:Life Gives You Lemons…You Know the Rest / Overcoming Adversity Sh orts DESCRIPTION:Act As If\nFurthest the View Reaches\nBatter Up\nLive From Be thlehem CATEGORIES:Shorts Program LOCATION:IMA / DeBoest Lecture Hall URL:http://indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009/films/shortsgroup11_indyiff2009 UID:2481974553-indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091126T031027Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20090722T150000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20090722T155500 SUMMARY:A Ripple Of Hope DESCRIPTION:A generation after his death\, the words of Robert Kennedy co ntinue to speak to our political and popular culture. The independent do cumentary A Ripple of Hope\, produced by Covenant Productions\, captures one poignant day in the life of RFK and explores a little known act of personal courage and responsibility. On April 4\, 1968\, the day Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated\, Robert Kennedy was in the midst of a presidential campaign that was attempting to bridge racial and economic divisions. As word of the assassination spread\, riots and fires erupted in cities across the nation. Though urged to cancel a rally before a mi xed crowd in the inner city of Indianapolis\, Robert Kennedy refused. Th e threat of violence was very real. But the few\, simple words he spoke that night are credited with creating a sense of calm that averted viole nce during chaotic days following Dr. King's death. With digitally resto red news footage and original music by Grammy Award winner John Colby\, A Ripple of Hope dramatically narrates the events of that tragic day 40 years ago through the eyes of those who were there. From the inner city of Indianapolis to the Memphis hotel where Dr. King was shot\, A Ripple of Hope explores the passion for justice and the personal courage that l inked these two extraordinary figures in life as well as death.A Ripple of Hope was produced and directed by award-winning filmmaker Donald Bogg s. CATEGORIES:Documentary Features LOCATION:IMA / The Toby Theater URL:http://indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009/films/arippleofhope_indyiff2009 UID:2481970780-indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091126T031027Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20090722T153000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20090722T173000 SUMMARY:Black Expression Shorts DESCRIPTION: CATEGORIES:Shorts Programs LOCATION:IMA / DeBoest Lecture Hall URL:http://indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009/films/shortsgroup9_indyiff2009 UID:2481977243-indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091126T031027Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20090722T170000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20090722T184100 SUMMARY:Poundcake DESCRIPTION:Poundcake is a family comedy with heart. Starring Academy Awa rd-Nominee Kathleen Quinlan and Jay O. Sanders\, the film takes place i n Buffalo\, NY in the late 1980s. The night before Thanksgiving\, Cliff and Carol Morgan gather their three grown children\, Robby\, a late nigh t radio DJ\, his hypochondriac younger brother Charlie\, and their adopt ed sister Brooke at their favorite Chinese restaurant\, The Golden Buddh a for an announcement. After thirty years of marriage\, Cliff and Carol are getting a divorce. Now they must spend what may be their last Thanks giving together as a family\, in as civilized a manner as possible. CATEGORIES:American Spectrum Features LOCATION:IMA / The Toby Theater URL:http://indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009/films/poundcake_indyiff2009 UID:2481969089-indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091126T031027Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20090722T173000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20090722T193000 SUMMARY:Have Passport Will Travel / Shorts Shot Overseas DESCRIPTION: CATEGORIES:Shorts Programs LOCATION:IMA / DeBoest Lecture Hall URL:http://indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009/films/shortsgroup2_indyiff2009 UID:2481969172-indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091126T031027Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20090722T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20090722T210000 SUMMARY:Here And There DESCRIPTION:Robert\, a jaded middle-aged New Yorker\, goes to Serbia to m ake quick cash by \nmarrying someone for U.S. immigration papers\, but t he plan goes awry when \nthe promised cash never arrives. At the same ti me\, a young Serbian \nimmigrant\, Branko\, struggles in a never forgivi ng New York\, desperately \ntrying to bring his girlfriend from Serbia t o USA. CATEGORIES:World Cinema Features LOCATION:IMA / The Toby Theater URL:http://indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009/films/hereandthere_indyiff2009 UID:2481972483-indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091126T031027Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20090722T193000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20090722T213000 SUMMARY:Man I Wish I Would Have Joined E-Harmony / Relationship Shorts DESCRIPTION: CATEGORIES:Shorts Programs LOCATION:IMA / DeBoest Lecture Hall URL:http://indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009/films/group3_indyiff2009 UID:2481971463-indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091126T031027Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20090722T210000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20090722T222000 SUMMARY:Beket DESCRIPTION:In the abandoned mines of Sardinia we discover Freak and Jajà \, a quixotic pair who inhabit a no-man's-land outside of time\, when ma nkind no longer inhabits the planet. When the two arrive at a bus stop f or a bus that never stops\, they start on a journey where they meet a ho st of bizarre characters\, including a mariachi storyteller\, two actors reciting the story of Adam and Eve in the middle of a salty lake\, a ch ild who appears to be the “magic” voice of Godot\, an oracle who lives o n the extractor well of an abandoned mine\, and finally a solitary girl who lives on a beach\, who may or may not be the only person who can hel p the travelers find their destination. Shot in evocative black and whit e and loosely based on Samuel Beckett's masterpiece “Waiting for Godot\, ” Beket is a surreal journey where apocalyptic images\, absurd\, repetit ive dialogues\, and techno beats narrate an unpredictably inventive stor y of the search for the meaning of existence. CATEGORIES:World Cinema Features LOCATION:IMA / The Toby Theater URL:http://indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009/films/beket_indyiff2009 UID:2481972429-indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091126T031027Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20090722T213000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20090722T225200 SUMMARY:Lo DESCRIPTION:Love is a tricky little devil. It has the power to command gr eat sacrifice from those it touches. Enter Justin\, a loser who’s most e xciting moment in any given day is the house salad/no dressing he orders on his lunch break from corporate HateMyJob. But when a bizarre and cur iously naive woman named April shows up in his life\, he is forever chan ged. Suddenly the world is bright and full of hope\, and nothing could e ver change that…until April is mysteriously kidnapped by demons. Finding an ancient summoning book amongst her things\, Justin draws a circle on the ground and commands the power of the one demon marked in the book b y a red ribbon. The demon Lo. While Justin tries desperately to keep con trol of the demon he has summond\, Lo has other plans for the tasty huma n who sits just inches away behind his protective circle. From singing d emons\, to talking hands\, dancing bartenders and human sized rats\, Jus tin’s love is put to the ultimate test\, not to mention Lo’s ego. Love i s Hell\, and Hell is funny. CATEGORIES:American Spectrum Features LOCATION:IMA / DeBoest Lecture Hall URL:http://indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009/films/lo_indyiff2009 UID:2481969359-indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091126T031027Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20090723T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20090723T133000 SUMMARY:Photo Scope Student Film Project DESCRIPTION: CATEGORIES:Film Project LOCATION:IMA / DeBoest Lecture Hall URL:http://indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009/films/photoscopestudentfilmproje ct_indyiff2009 UID:2481974064-indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091126T031027Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20090723T130000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20090723T143000 SUMMARY:The Dungeon Masters DESCRIPTION:THE DUNGEON MASTERS is the story of three people who find sel f-expression in Dungeons and Dragons\, the immensely popular role-playin g game in which players called "Dungeon Masters" create elaborate fantas y worlds for their friends to navigate. The film follows the three as t hey struggle to maintain a creative life in the face of dire personal co nsequences\, documenting their efforts to keep their dream worlds alive despite the mundane world's relentless attempts to grind them down.The p layers are:- Scott Corum\, whose lively imagination has not yielded reco gnition or a livable income\, andwho has thrown himself into an effort t o write a fantasy novel that he hopes will changeeverything for him.- Ri chard Meeks\, a city employee and Air Force Reservist. Meeks is a self-d escribed "devious" game master who takes great joy in devising inescapab le traps for his players-- even at the cost of real-world relationships. - Elizabeth Reesman\, from the Katrina-ravaged gulf coast of Mississippi . Elizabeth meets the world dressed in the full body black makeup of the powerful "Drow Elf\," seeking in the role a measure of control over the scarring experiences of her past.THE DUNGEON MASTERS is the story of a game and those who play it\, but it is also a story of class in America\ , of the place where escapism battles against personal responsibility\, and of how making space for the imagination as an adult can be a subvers ive act. Ultimately\, it explores and celebrates the human need to tell\ , and to live\, a story. CATEGORIES:Documentary Features LOCATION:IMA / The Toby Theater URL:http://indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009/films/thedungeonmasters_indyiff2 009 UID:2481971322-indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091126T031027Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20090723T133000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20090723T145900 SUMMARY:Tre Lire\, Primo Giorno DESCRIPTION:In an unspecified city of the northern Italy\, a ninety-year- old is admitted in a local hospital. He has no clothes\, no documents\; his hair is long\, white as snow.There are four young guys - who still d id not decide about what to do with their life - working as nurses in th e same hospital.One night\, the old guy awakes. He walks the corridors o f the hospital and he finds the four nurses hidden in a small room\, con centrated over a poker table. The old guy looks like a spirit in the nig ht. He claims his name is Carlo. Speaking in his dialect\, he explains t o the four terrified guys that he has something to propose to them. In a square overlooking the sea\, there is a small box hidden below one of t he tiles. Inside\, there is a letter. On the letter there is stamp: it i s a Tuscan Tre Lire\, dated January 1st 1860. It is the most precious st amp known.But he wants them to leave immediately. Carlo says he has no l ong time left to live. Tomorrow\, he could be again in a coma. If they d on't accept to come with him\, he is going to find someone else. There is no time to lose. It's all or nothing.The small troop of nurses decide s to follow the old guy. For them\, in this summer night full of promise s and uncertainties\, starts an adventure full of obstacles and surprise s\; they are going to discover who they really are and where they are re ally heading for. Carlo is accompanying them. In his fragility\, he has something to teach them: a desperate\, indestructible desire of living. It is a long trip that soon changes from its course: they discovery Ital y off the main roads\, far from the eyes of the tourist. They discover g reat desert places and small villages. In the midst of the summer warm\, these places look as waiting for something. Like the faces they meet: t he faces that tell the silent stories\, stories of victories and defeats \, waiting to be told. In the journey\, there is a mystery of a man. The old Carlo\, who has lived an entire century\, suffered hunger\, lived t he wars and travelled all over the country\, who has known many: he live d his life. Carlo has decided again - maybe for the last time in his lif e - to make it in his own way\, against everybody and everything.For the four protagonists\, Fabrizio and his friends - the journey and all it b rings will change their lives for ever and nothing will be the same as before. CATEGORIES:World Cinema Features LOCATION:IMA / DeBoest Lecture Hall URL:http://indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009/films/trelireprimogiorno_indyiff 2009 UID:2481972287-indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091126T031027Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20090723T150000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20090723T162800 SUMMARY:Route 30 DESCRIPTION:Three interconnecting stories from the Lincoln Highway in Sou th Central Pennsylvania. 'Deer Hunters Wives' tells of the frustrations of Civil War tour guide Mandy (NATHALIE BOLTT)\, who obsesses on Jennie Wade\, the only civilian killed at the battle of Gettysburg. While her friend June (CHRISTINE ELISE McCARTHY) struggles with an internet porn scheme to make extra money. 'What I Blieve' focuses on a man (KEVIN RAH M) who seeks the help of a Christian Scientist (WIL LOVE) to heal his ba ck pain and explain the Big Foot that chased him down the mountainside. 'Original Bill' is the story of a writer (DAVID DeLUISE) who buys a farm house in the country hoping to find unique inspiration to write his nove l. He is sidetracked by his Amish neighbor (DANA DELANY)\, who smokes\, drinks\, swears and secretly watches his TV. CATEGORIES:American Spectrum Features LOCATION:IMA / The Toby Theater URL:http://indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009/films/route30_indyiff2009 UID:2481969217-indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091126T031027Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20090723T153000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20090723T173000 SUMMARY:All I Have To Say is Mullets and Professional Rock/Paper/Scissors / Comedy Shorts DESCRIPTION: CATEGORIES:Shorts Programs LOCATION:IMA / DeBoest Lecture Hall URL:http://indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009/films/shortsgroup8_indyiff2009 UID:2481976679-indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091126T031027Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20090723T170000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20090723T175500 SUMMARY:A Ripple Of Hope DESCRIPTION:A generation after his death\, the words of Robert Kennedy co ntinue to speak to our political and popular culture. The independent do cumentary A Ripple of Hope\, produced by Covenant Productions\, captures one poignant day in the life of RFK and explores a little known act of personal courage and responsibility. On April 4\, 1968\, the day Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated\, Robert Kennedy was in the midst of a presidential campaign that was attempting to bridge racial and economic divisions. As word of the assassination spread\, riots and fires erupted in cities across the nation. Though urged to cancel a rally before a mi xed crowd in the inner city of Indianapolis\, Robert Kennedy refused. Th e threat of violence was very real. But the few\, simple words he spoke that night are credited with creating a sense of calm that averted viole nce during chaotic days following Dr. King's death. With digitally resto red news footage and original music by Grammy Award winner John Colby\, A Ripple of Hope dramatically narrates the events of that tragic day 40 years ago through the eyes of those who were there. From the inner city of Indianapolis to the Memphis hotel where Dr. King was shot\, A Ripple of Hope explores the passion for justice and the personal courage that l inked these two extraordinary figures in life as well as death.A Ripple of Hope was produced and directed by award-winning filmmaker Donald Bogg s. CATEGORIES:Documentary Features LOCATION:IMA / The Toby Theater URL:http://indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009/films/arippleofhope_indyiff2009 UID:2481970806-indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091126T031027Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20090723T173000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20090723T193000 SUMMARY:Can't Live With Em\, Can't Live Without Em / Dysfunctional Famil y Shorts DESCRIPTION: CATEGORIES:Shorts Programs LOCATION:IMA / DeBoest Lecture Hall URL:http://indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009/films/shortsgroup4_indyiff2009 UID:2481967933-indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091126T031027Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20090723T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20090723T201600 SUMMARY:The Rock-Afire Explosion DESCRIPTION:"The Rock-afire Explosion" is the story of a small-town car s alesman\, a struggling inventor\, and an animatronic rock band\, that qu ickly becomes an eccentric portrait of childhood memories\, broken dream s\, and the resilience of the human spirit.With the closing of Showbiz P izza Place in the early nineties\, and the subsequent removal of the Roc k-afire Explosion\, a small but determined group of fans persisted with the hopes of reviving their fallen obsession. It wasn't until 2007\, wit h the resurgence of the Rock-afire Explosion on YouTube with songs like "Miss New Booty\," "Hey There Delilah\," and "Love in This Club\," that the animatronic band found its way back into the public consciousness. C hris Thrash\, a car salesman from Phenix City\, Alabama who recently pur chased a Rock-afire Explosion\, has led the charge with his inventive pr ogramming and clever song choice. Aaron Fechter\, creator of the Rock-af ire Explosion and sole employee of Creative Engineering Inc.\, has worke d closely with his fans with the hopes of revitalizing what was once a 3 00 employee\, 20 million dollar per-year industry.Through the stories of Chris Thrash and other Rock-afire fans\, the viewer gets a look into th e minds of individuals living beyond the confines of adulthood. "I reall y never stopped being a kid\," Chris remarks as he lubricates the eyes o f his 300 pound\, animatronic gorilla. "I just kept pushing and pushing until my dream came true." Chris did indeed push and push until he was f ortunate enough to purchase an entire Rock-afire Explosion band from cre ator Aaron Fechter. Aaron\, dubbed by himself as the "head and tail" of Creative Engineering Inc.\, has spent the last 25 years trying to match the success of The Rock-afire Explosion. With shows in over 200 restaura nts across the Southern United States\, Aaron saw unparalleled success a t only 27 years old. "It was like being in rock n' roll\," says Aaron. " We were on top of the world." But like any good rock n' roll story\, the rise and fall of this animatronic empire sustained personal and financi al losses. With the dilapidated and 25 years-static Creative Engineering warehouse as a backdrop\, Aaron tells the story of his rise to success and the subsequent fall that would cost him his closest friends\, and ul timately his dream of bringing the Rock-afire Explosion into the homes o f families across the country.Today\, a little over 300 miles away\, Aar on's dream is at least partially realized in the home of Chris Thrash. " These are my children\," Thrash remarks. "If they're hurt\, I want to ta ke care of them\, if they're not doing right\, I want to make them right ." And perhaps in a way Aaron never imagined\, Chris' love for the Rock- afire Explosion extends beyond mere entertainment and serves as an outle t for the difficulties in his life. "The show\," Chris comments\, "helps with the stress in my life\, with my wife\, who deals with health probl ems\, and with my father who is sick and who I wish would live to see th e band perform one more time." The Rock-afire Explosion\, Chris reveals\ , is much more than a band of robots. It is a living\, breathing entity that inspires the lives of a handful of individuals across the country. "One of the nice things\,â€ù Aaron remarks\, "is that Chris is on my RV route\, so\, whenever I'm headed across country\, I'll be stopping in to visit the show." No matter how one measures success\, the connection be tween this once thriving creation and this simple man is as fulfilling a nd touching as any commercial achievement. CATEGORIES:Documentary Features LOCATION:IMA / The Toby Theater URL:http://indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009/films/therockafireexplosion_indy iff2009 UID:2481972151-indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091126T031027Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20090723T193000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20090723T211100 SUMMARY:The Other Side Of The Lens DESCRIPTION:On the evening of April 23rd\, 2006\, Reed Cowan was the on-c all reporter for Salt Lake City's ABC affiliate. That Sunday night\, he was paged to the scene of a child's death. When he rushed to the stree t where the news crews gathered next to ambulances\, he found the nightm are he was paged to report on\, was his own. Cowan's four year old son was dead of a hanging. As Cowan wailed in grief\, cameras were rolling. It was at this moment he learned what it feels like to be 'on the othe r side of the lens.' This is Reed Cowan's first film. The movie opens up in juxtaposition the most raw and personal feelings of a tv reporter conflicted by the realities of sensationalized tv news and the feelings of a father tortured by his son's brutal death. The film follows Cowan over a two year period of self-exploration\, self-documentation and self -liberation as Cowan and his partner Greogry work to save the lives of c hildren caught up in Kenya's 2008 post-election violence and ethnic clea nsing. The film showcases world-renown child right's activist Craig Kie lburger and Desmond Tutu's teachings of treating the morning news as a p rayer list for the world. The film also features the Kenyan grandmother of US Presidential Candidate Barack Obama\, who speaks of the violece t hat burned its way right in to her small villiage. This film is raw\, ho nest and exploratory\, concluding that healing\, opportunity and hope ar e a measurable commodity. CATEGORIES:Documentary Features LOCATION:IMA / DeBoest Lecture Hall URL:http://indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009/films/theothersideofthelens_indy iff2009 UID:2481971163-indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091126T031027Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20090723T210000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20090723T224100 SUMMARY:Poundcake DESCRIPTION:Poundcake is a family comedy with heart. Starring Academy Awa rd-Nominee Kathleen Quinlan and Jay O. Sanders\, the film takes place i n Buffalo\, NY in the late 1980s. The night before Thanksgiving\, Cliff and Carol Morgan gather their three grown children\, Robby\, a late nigh t radio DJ\, his hypochondriac younger brother Charlie\, and their adopt ed sister Brooke at their favorite Chinese restaurant\, The Golden Buddh a for an announcement. After thirty years of marriage\, Cliff and Carol are getting a divorce. Now they must spend what may be their last Thanks giving together as a family\, in as civilized a manner as possible. CATEGORIES:American Spectrum Features LOCATION:IMA / The Toby Theater URL:http://indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009/films/poundcake_indyiff2009 UID:2481969152-indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091126T031027Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20090723T213000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20090723T233000 SUMMARY:Not Your Normal Saturday Morning Cartoons / Animated and Out Ther e Shorts DESCRIPTION: CATEGORIES:Shorts Programs LOCATION:IMA / DeBoest Lecture Hall URL:http://indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009/films/shortsgroup10_indyiff2009 UID:2481979205-indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091126T031027Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20090724T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20090724T134800 SUMMARY:Official Rejection DESCRIPTION:Much has been said about the trials and struggles of making a n independent film\, and with good reason: it's incredibly difficult\, a nd not many are able to accomplish this feat. The perception is\, howev er\, that once you have finished your movie\, you can just 'take it to S undance'. Yet the task of finding placement at a major film festival is often more daunting\, and exhausting\, then the making of the movie itse lf. This is the story we intend to tell. OFFICIAL REJECTION follows the filmmakers behind TEN 'TIL NOON\, a well-reviewed\, low-budget independe nt film made without famous actors\, as they attempt to navigate the fil m festival circuit\, beginning with their startling rejection from every major festival. Dusting themselves off and refusing to quit\, they tak e their movie to smaller\, regional festivals\, where all the politics a nd difficulties of the circuit come to light. Along the way they meet o ther filmmakers\, and together they face the costs\, the disappointments \, the embarassments\, the parties\, the pain of premiere status\, and t he strange rules of film festivals together.One festival gives out it's awards to whomever buys them the most beer\, other gives themselves the awards. Two festivals fight over the right to premiere a film\, while a nother abandons its opening night movie altogether. OFFICIAL REJECTION is a lighthearted but realistic examination of life at the fests\, and features insightful interviews with a broad spectrum of experts\, includ ing directors Kevin Smith\, Bryan Singer\, and Troy Duffy\, actors Jenna Fischer\, Andy Dick\, Traci Lords\, Danny Trejo\, and Jennifer Tilly\, and indie film icons Lloyd Kaufman and Chris Gore. Our goal is to demon strate exactly what happens once you finish the movie\, the reality of t oday's film festival landscape\, and the emotional roller-coaster those who dare venture onto it find themselves riding. CATEGORIES:Documentary Features LOCATION:IMA / The Toby Theater URL:http://indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009/films/officialrejection_indyiff2 009 UID:2481971416-indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091126T031027Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20090724T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20090724T140000 SUMMARY:Help Wanted…Apply Inside / Shorts DESCRIPTION:Heirs of Empires\nAndheri\nHelp CATEGORIES:Shorts Program LOCATION:IMA / DeBoest Lecture Hall URL:http://indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009/films/shortsgroup13_indyiff2009 UID:2481975033-indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091126T031027Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20090724T140000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20090724T154100 SUMMARY:The Other Side Of The Lens DESCRIPTION:On the evening of April 23rd\, 2006\, Reed Cowan was the on-c all reporter for Salt Lake City's ABC affiliate. That Sunday night\, he was paged to the scene of a child's death. When he rushed to the stree t where the news crews gathered next to ambulances\, he found the nightm are he was paged to report on\, was his own. Cowan's four year old son was dead of a hanging. As Cowan wailed in grief\, cameras were rolling. It was at this moment he learned what it feels like to be 'on the othe r side of the lens.' This is Reed Cowan's first film. The movie opens up in juxtaposition the most raw and personal feelings of a tv reporter conflicted by the realities of sensationalized tv news and the feelings of a father tortured by his son's brutal death. The film follows Cowan over a two year period of self-exploration\, self-documentation and self -liberation as Cowan and his partner Greogry work to save the lives of c hildren caught up in Kenya's 2008 post-election violence and ethnic clea nsing. The film showcases world-renown child right's activist Craig Kie lburger and Desmond Tutu's teachings of treating the morning news as a p rayer list for the world. The film also features the Kenyan grandmother of US Presidential Candidate Barack Obama\, who speaks of the violece t hat burned its way right in to her small villiage. This film is raw\, ho nest and exploratory\, concluding that healing\, opportunity and hope ar e a measurable commodity. CATEGORIES:Documentary Features LOCATION:IMA / DeBoest Lecture Hall URL:http://indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009/films/theothersideofthelens_indy iff2009 UID:2481971184-indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091126T031027Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20090724T140000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20090724T151600 SUMMARY:The Rock-Afire Explosion DESCRIPTION:"The Rock-afire Explosion" is the story of a small-town car s alesman\, a struggling inventor\, and an animatronic rock band\, that qu ickly becomes an eccentric portrait of childhood memories\, broken dream s\, and the resilience of the human spirit.With the closing of Showbiz P izza Place in the early nineties\, and the subsequent removal of the Roc k-afire Explosion\, a small but determined group of fans persisted with the hopes of reviving their fallen obsession. It wasn't until 2007\, wit h the resurgence of the Rock-afire Explosion on YouTube with songs like "Miss New Booty\," "Hey There Delilah\," and "Love in This Club\," that the animatronic band found its way back into the public consciousness. C hris Thrash\, a car salesman from Phenix City\, Alabama who recently pur chased a Rock-afire Explosion\, has led the charge with his inventive pr ogramming and clever song choice. Aaron Fechter\, creator of the Rock-af ire Explosion and sole employee of Creative Engineering Inc.\, has worke d closely with his fans with the hopes of revitalizing what was once a 3 00 employee\, 20 million dollar per-year industry.Through the stories of Chris Thrash and other Rock-afire fans\, the viewer gets a look into th e minds of individuals living beyond the confines of adulthood. "I reall y never stopped being a kid\," Chris remarks as he lubricates the eyes o f his 300 pound\, animatronic gorilla. "I just kept pushing and pushing until my dream came true." Chris did indeed push and push until he was f ortunate enough to purchase an entire Rock-afire Explosion band from cre ator Aaron Fechter. Aaron\, dubbed by himself as the "head and tail" of Creative Engineering Inc.\, has spent the last 25 years trying to match the success of The Rock-afire Explosion. With shows in over 200 restaura nts across the Southern United States\, Aaron saw unparalleled success a t only 27 years old. "It was like being in rock n' roll\," says Aaron. " We were on top of the world." But like any good rock n' roll story\, the rise and fall of this animatronic empire sustained personal and financi al losses. With the dilapidated and 25 years-static Creative Engineering warehouse as a backdrop\, Aaron tells the story of his rise to success and the subsequent fall that would cost him his closest friends\, and ul timately his dream of bringing the Rock-afire Explosion into the homes o f families across the country.Today\, a little over 300 miles away\, Aar on's dream is at least partially realized in the home of Chris Thrash. " These are my children\," Thrash remarks. "If they're hurt\, I want to ta ke care of them\, if they're not doing right\, I want to make them right ." And perhaps in a way Aaron never imagined\, Chris' love for the Rock- afire Explosion extends beyond mere entertainment and serves as an outle t for the difficulties in his life. "The show\," Chris comments\, "helps with the stress in my life\, with my wife\, who deals with health probl ems\, and with my father who is sick and who I wish would live to see th e band perform one more time." The Rock-afire Explosion\, Chris reveals\ , is much more than a band of robots. It is a living\, breathing entity that inspires the lives of a handful of individuals across the country. "One of the nice things\,â€ù Aaron remarks\, "is that Chris is on my RV route\, so\, whenever I'm headed across country\, I'll be stopping in to visit the show." No matter how one measures success\, the connection be tween this once thriving creation and this simple man is as fulfilling a nd touching as any commercial achievement. CATEGORIES:Documentary Features LOCATION:IMA / The Toby Theater URL:http://indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009/films/therockafireexplosion_indy iff2009 UID:2481972207-indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091126T031027Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20090724T160000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20090724T172700 SUMMARY:Playground DESCRIPTION:PLAYGROUNDWhile traveling to the Philippines in 2001\, filmma ker Libby Spears gained first hand knowledge of the horrific practice of trafficking human beings for the purpose of sexual exploitation. She e xamined a little deeper\, and discovered that most of these victims were young children. Appalled by this modern day slavery\, Libby began a cov ert investigation to document the worldwide child sex trafficking proble m\, and to see how and if it led back to the United States. Facing death threats to be "knocked off" for only $10\, Libby went undercover to inf iltrate brothels in South Korea and Thailand. She held first-hand inter views with victims\, their pimps\, and their abusers. She mapped the tr afficking routes of the sex tourism industry\, and charted the commerce fueled by the purchase and sale of minors--she was disheartened to find that virtually the entire globe was involved and affected by this growin g industry.What she was astonished to find\, however\, was the degree of involvement by the United States. Previously\, she had mistakenly belie ved that sex trafficking was primarily an "international" occurrence in countries like Philippines and Cambodia. But a meeting with Ernie Allen \, President of the National Center of Missing and Exploited Children\, confirmed to Libby what her research was beginning to uncover: that the trafficking of children for commercial sexual exploitation is every bit as real in North America.This is where Playground begins.Most of us kno w about underage brothels in India\, Cambodia and Thailand. We've been m ade aware through news reports\, books and film that the modern-day ensl avement and prostitution of children has universal roots. The feature-le ngth documentaryPLAYGROUND makes the case that the child sex trade has l ocal ones\, too. At the heart of the story is Michelle\, whose first enc ounter with sexual abuse began at five. Having run away from a foster c are system that left Michelle vulnerable and at risk\, the film opens wi th the filmmaker's search for her. Over a five year period\, Spears unr avels the gut-wrenching atrocities suffered by Michelle and other childr en like her\, who are victims of the American sex trafficking industry.B y gracefully weaving in interviews with vice officers and social workers -- and sometimes even the pimps or johns themselves-- Spears constructs an insightful\, resonant\, and nuanced narrative that details just how complex and massive this problem is. Playground examines our legal and s ocial systems\, and their ineffectiveness at dealing with this problem. Neither dogmatic nor sensationalist\, Playground offers no clear-cut ans wers\, but instead\, compels us to begin asking questionsâ€_ the right q uestions: Why do we treat children as victims in cases of sexual abuse\, but as soon as money is exchanged\, these sexually abused children are deemed criminals? Why does our legal system view foreign children who a re trafficked from other countries as "victims\," but treats American ch ildren who trafficked domestically as criminals? Why is there such an ov erwhelming demand for sex with a child? Are we adequately teaching our c hildren sexual respect? What message do we send as a society when we nor malize Justin Timberlake's ripping off a woman's shirt in public\, but demonize Janet Jackson for her exposed breast?Playground employs a hand- crafted animation style that hearkens back to the early days of animatio n as an art form. With original illustrations created by Yoshitomo Nara \, the animation in Playground is used as an emotional relief of the hea vy subject matter. The animation allows Spears to suggest\, rather than literally depict\, some of the horrors of sex trafficking\, and does an effective job at conveying the psychological and emotional climate suff ered by the victims.The problem is monumental: The U.S. Department of Ju stice claims that the commercial sexual exploitation of children is the world's fastest growing form of organized crime. Within the next decade \, the prostitution of children worldwide will net profits greater than those from the sale of illegal drugs. In the United States alone\, chil d sex trafficking is a multi-million dollar industry with an estimated 3 000\,000 children annually at risk.Wherever you can buy drugs in this co untry\, you can buy children\, “American children" for sex. Playground m akes compellingly clear that if we're not seeing the problem\, it's onl y because we're not looking.From filmmaker Libby Spears and Producers Ge orge Clooney\, Grant Heslov\, and Steven Soderbergh\, comes a beautifull y-wrought\, astonishing portrait of our country's most alarming and insi dious secret -- the child sex trafficking in America.Music by: Bjork\, R adiohead\, Chris Martin\, Blonde Redhead\, Cat Power\, Sigur RÃ_s \, Coc oRosie\, Basement Jaxx\, DJ Shadow\, Kazu Makino CATEGORIES:Documentary Features LOCATION:IMA / The Toby Theater URL:http://indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009/films/playground_indyiff2009 UID:2481972086-indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091126T031027Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20090724T160000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20090724T175600 SUMMARY:Daytime Drinking DESCRIPTION:Hyuk-Jin has just broken up with his girlfriend and decides t o take a trip to Jeongseon in the province of Gangwon-do. The next day\, his friends are too hung over to get up\, so Hyuk-Jin makes his way to his destination alone. A trip of opportunity takes a cruel and unexpecte d turn as misunderstanding and crossed paths occur over and over again. CATEGORIES:Wolrd Cinema Features LOCATION:IMA / DeBoest Lecture Hall URL:http://indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009/films/daytimedrinking_indyiff200 9 UID:2481972768-indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091126T031027Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20090724T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20090724T203400 SUMMARY:Racing Dreams DESCRIPTION:Academy Award nominated director\, Marshall Curry\, chronicle s these young drivers' livesin intimate detail -- at home\, at school\, and on the track — to tell a universal story aboutadolescence\, family \, and a love of racing.We will witness the sacrifices each family must make to try and make it to the next level of racing and watch as each ra cer must choose between being a kid and becoming a pro. RACING DREAMS wi ll introduce new audiences to the sport of racing\, and for the 75 milli on Americans who already love it\, it will be a familiar celebration of family\, country and speed. CATEGORIES:Closing Night, Documentary Features LOCATION:IMA / The Toby Theater URL:http://indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009/films/racingdreams_indyiff2009 UID:2481970565-indyiff.indyfilmfest.org/2009 END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR