He’s worked with Ike Turner, Berry Gordy and Stevie Wonder. He frequent- ly tours America and other parts of the world and his songs have appeared in films that went on to become huge international successes. So why is it that, at 72 years old, Andre Williams is still struggling to pay for the budget hotel room in which he lives between tours? A fascinating insight into one of music’s forgotten legends, the film fol- lows Andre over the course of sixteen months as he rehearses, records and plays shows around the globe. He’s no stranger to poverty, homeless- ness and addiction, and as his past begins to catch up with him, his health begins to deteriorate. Andre is faced with a simple choice – to change his lifestyle, or risk dying as a result. Featuring contributions from the likes of John Sinclair and Jon Spencer, Agile, Mobile, Hostile: A Year with Andre Williams tells the distressing story AGILE, MOBILE, HOSTILE… ANDRE WILLIAMS of many recording artists from the 1960s who were screwed over by their SUNDAY 5 OCTOBER AT 9PM record labels and left without a penny, but also provides a glimmer of hope Country USA Running Time 88 mins Format HD-Cam SCREENING SPONSORS in that despite all of the bad times, and against all of the odds, Andre has Directors/Producers Tricia Todd, Eric Matthies DoP Eric Matthies Featuring Andre Williams, John Sinclair, Jon Spencer managed to continue doing what he loves for all these years. It’s informa- Print Source Project Lab Email [email protected] tive, occasionally amusing, but above all, inspiring. CP Website www.agilemobilehostile.com
After-Crass follows Penny Rimbaud and Gee Vaucher, formerly of the DIY art and music collective Crass, as they embark on a tour of West Coast America. Through a series of fascinating interviews, both artists provide insight into their way of living outside of what might be seen as the system. Instead, for forty years they have chosen to live only by their own rules via, as Gee describes, ‘leading your life the way you really want to do it, but not at the cost of anybody or the Earth that you live in’. This ethos is channeled through visual art and performance, both of which are wonderfully docu- mented here. The filmmaker allows the work to speak for itself, as Penny delivers a powerful spoken word piece with saxophone accompaniment, and Gee invites us to a personal tour of her exhibition. JM
Japanther in (3-D) Dino Deth Dans captures a performance staged in AFTER-CRASS + JAPANTHER IN (3-D) DINO… November 07. For seven years Brooklyn’s Japanther has baffled unsus- SATURDAY 11 OCTOBER AT 6PM pecting audiences and steadily grown its cult following. They’ve lived out Country USA Running Time 38 mins Format Mini DV Director/DoP Marian Wallace of the van all over Europe, Australia, Canada and the US. Synchronized Producer RE/Search Publications Featuring Gee Vaucher, Penny Rimbaud, V Vale Print Source Marian Wallace c/o RE/Search Publications Email [email protected] swimmer, marionettes and giant puppets have all been used with no end in
Country USA R/T 40 mins Ft Mini DV Dirs Nick Chatfield Taylor, Ian Vanek Prod Performa sight. This film signals a departure of sorts and a home coming of others. Foundation Featuring Penny Rimbaud, Dan Graham, Japanther Website www.japanther.com Japanther takes flight with Penny Rimbaud on 2 epic poems. Japanther
It was George Harrison who first suggested combining classic songs by the Beatles with the breath-taking acrobatics of the Cirque De Soleil. Sadly, Harrison did not live to see his dream reach fruition but Cirque founder Guy Laliberté was determined to make the idea a reality. With the assistance of Beatles producer George Martin, Laliberté and an incredibly talented team of Cirque performers created a show entitled Love. This was a multi-million dollar Vegas extravaganza which took char- acters from the Beatles’ lyrics and brought them to life using a mixture of dance, stunts and special effects. Adrian Wills’ highly enjoyable documentary follows the production through its lengthy preparation and arduous rehearsal period right through to the stunning end result. This is not just the story of a creative process but also of a nervous collaboration between lucrative businesses, Cirque ALL TOGETHER NOW de Soleil and Apple Corps, both of whom had commercial and artistic THURSDAY 9 OCTOBER AT 9:15PM interests at stake. Country UK Running Time 84 mins Format HD Director SCREENING SPONSOR At times, Laliberté found himself troubled by the legacy of his musical Adrian Wills Producer Martin Bolduc, Jonathan Clyde DoP Alain Julfayan Featuring Sir Paul McCartney, George Martin, material with Yoko Ono and Olivia Harrison being especially vocal as to Ringo Starr, Neil Aspinall Print Source Apple Corps how their late husbands’ music should be interpreted. Laliberté had been Email [email protected] handed what George Martin calls ‘the Holy Grail of music’. AD
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He played on the records of Roy Orbison, Patsy Cline and even Elvis Presley – but not many people will have heard of Hank Garland, portrayed here by Waylon Payne. Crazy tells the story of one of Nashville’s finest session musicians who began making a name for himself in the 1950s by effortlessly mastering a variety of musical styles. Hastily falling in love and marrying the beautiful Evelyn (played by Heroes’ Ali Larter) it seems Hank is on the path to success and fortune. But it’s not long before she craves the love and attention he gives to his music, and struggles to cope with being the weaker link in their unusual love triangle. While partially fictional, the film also depicts the way the music indus- try was run by the men in suits who got rich on the back of the artists they exploited. Colourfully shot by debut filmmaker Rick Bieber, it boasts a CRAZY cameo from Steve Vai (who also acts as the film’s executive producer) as FRIDAY 3 OCTOBER AT 6PM Hank Williams amongst a number of music legends portrayed throughout Country USA Running Time 105 mins Format 35mm SCREENING SPONSORS the film. Stick around for a special treat as the final credits roll to catch Director/Producer Rick Bieber Screenplay Rick Bieber, Jason Ehlers, Brent Boyd DoP Craig Haagensen Cast Waylon a classic performance from the man himself, reminding you just how it’s Payne, Ali Larter, Lane Garrison Print Source Favored Nations done. CP Film Email [email protected] P/S www.crazy-themovie.com
An incredibly funny and original spoof of the American jam band scene made popular in the ’70s by The Grateful Dead and later in the ’90s by bands like Phish and Bela Fleck and the Flecktones. This fresh take on the rock-mock-doc style of This Is Spinal Tap is very much centred on the band, Electric Apricot, and chronicles their haphazard quest to the Mecca of all jam festivals, Festeroo, where they hope to establish themselves within the jam band scene. The members of the band are a very unusual bunch of characters who go by assumed names including Steve ‘Aiwass’ Hampton Trouzdale on bass and vocals, Steve ‘Gordo’ Gordon on guitar and vocals and Lapland ‘Lapdog’ Miclovik on drums and vocals (played by Claypool). The group do not always see eye to eye but they all share the same goal in making Electric Apricot the biggest thing since sliced organic bread. The characters are brilliantly portrayed and their complex relationships ELECTRIC APRICOT feel very natural. This is a funny, feel-good film led by a very believable cast FRIDAY 10 OCTOBER AT7:15PM of odd but talented musicians with enough passion to sink a sailboat on Country USA RT 90 mins Format DV Director/Screenplay SCREENING SPONSOR the Seas of Cheese. Electric Apricot: Quest for Festeroo marks the direc- Les Claypool Producers David Lefkowitz, Jason McHugh, Matthew J Powers DoP Matthew J Powers Cast Les Claypool, torial debut of renowned Primus front man, Les Claypool. JV Seth Green, Bob Weir Print Source National Lampoon E [email protected] W www.electricapricot.com Director Les Claypool will be present for a Q&A after the screening.
SIXTEENTH RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL 45 At a Faust gig a few years back a friend turned to me and said ‘the only way this could be any more extreme would be an onstage human sacrifice’, such was the energy conjured up by the band’s erratic stage performance that instilled a deep sensation of mayhem. Faust were at the forefront of a German musical movement characterised by progressive, textured layers of sound fused in live concert, with the manipulation of chainsaws, cement mixers, solder irons and other industrial equipment. Julien Perrin’s doc follows Jean-Hervé Peron and Zappi Diermaier (with newcomer Amaury Cambuzat), as they travel to their small rural origins of Wümme, exploring the band’s construction and their legacy. While a sig- nificant portion of the film exhibits their irrational and mesmerising stage antics, equally as interesting is the way in which Perrin’s observations humanise these characters, revealing them to be non-pretentious, intel- IST FAUST SCHÖN? ligent men who never had ambitions to become the next huge rock act. FRIDAY 10 OCTOBER AT 8:15PM A particular highlight shows an intimate interview with Diermaier, whose Country France Running Time 82 mins Format Mini DV SCREENING SPONSOR forceful appearance is misleading as his anecdotes uncover a gentle musi- Director/DoP Julien Perrin Producers Julien Suratteau, Julien Perrin Featuring Jean-Hervé Péron, Zappi Diermaier cian whose passion for Frank Zappa led to his peculiar nickname. JM Print Source NKS Films Email [email protected] Jean-Hervé Peron and Zappi Diermaier will be present for a Q&A.
Forty-five years after the release of their debut single, The Rolling Stones still sell out stadiums the world over – even playing to 1.5 million people in Rio de Janeiro in 2006. Twenty-two albums and numerous scandals later, they’re still one of the greatest bands on the planet and recently undertook the highest grossing tour of all time. The film follows a group of die-hard fans as they travel around Europe to see their heroes and particularly focuses on Max, a man obsessed with the Stones guitarist Keith Richards, and whose lifelong goal is to meet him. We see them as they queue 24 hours before the band strike their first chord, waiting by the stage door hoping to get something signed, and even taking a pilgrimage to the grave of Brian Jones while on their travels. While fan obsession can sometimes be scary, this provides an insight into a group of people you might think were otherwise offbeat. If you’ve IT’S ONLY ROCK & ROLL (BUT I LIKE KEITH) ever followed a particular band to their extremes, you’ll be familiar with THURSDAY 2 OCTOBER AT 5PM their discussions about set-lists and sound-checks. Throw in some previ- Country Italy RT 68 mins Ft DV-Cam Director/Producer SCREENING SPONSORS ously unseen footage of the band from the late 1960s, and you’ve got a Piergiorgio Gay DoP Marco Sgorbati Featuring Massimo Della Pietra Print Source Piergiorgio Gay E [email protected] terrific documentary that charters the very people that have kept the band
Playing with The Outlaw Emmett Deemus 8 mins on top of the world: their fans. It may only be rock’n’roll, but for them it’s the very reason they keep on living. CP
From his improvised studio in his flat on Holloway Road – where he used his bathroom as his echo chamber – Joe Meek became Britain’s first inde- pendent record producer, recording many of the greatest hit-makers of the day. Long before psychedelia, he wrote and recorded a space concept album called I Hear a New World, and the whimsical Telstar which would become Britain’s first no. 1 hit in the US and sold more than 10 million copies. He was obsessed with both the occult and Buddy Holly and after Holly’s death, he believed he could communicate with him in the afterlife. He was also gay at a time when homosexuality was a criminal act in Britain, and died in a gruesome murder-suicide, the details of which remain mysterious even forty years later. A Life in the Death of Joe Meek takes us from Meek’s childhood, through his start as a sound engineer rebelling against the conformity of A LIFE IN THE DEATH OF JOE MEEK British popular music and swinging London when the ‘gay mafia’ ran much SATURDAY 4 OCTOBER AT 5PM of the English rock scene. We see interviews with the people who knew Country USA Running Time 121 mins Format DV-Cam SCREENING SPONSOR Meek as a child, the bands and producers he worked with, inter-cut with Directors/Producers/DoPs Susan Stahman, Howard S Berger Featuring Alex Kapranos, Keith Strickland, Steve Howe voice-over and home movies of Meek himself, and fabulous archival foot- E [email protected] www.myspace.com/meekmovie age of ’50s and early ’60s London. TB
46 SIXTEENTH RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL In a remote cul-de-sac in suburban Australia Richard awakes to discover a girl, Sam hiding in his closet. She is shaken and injured. He tends to her then insists she leaves. As he escorts her to the door, a pick-up truck pulls up, terrifying Sam, and Richard brings her back indoors. The pick-up contains three men intent on ‘speaking’ to Sam. Richard calls an old family friend, an ex-cop to help get rid them. The confrontation turns bloody and Richard now must find another way to save the girl and himself. This Australian horror-thriller is a great example of how to create ten- sion and terror without resorting to genre clichés. The director, Sam Barrett paces the whole ride well and gives the audience the chance to piece the preceding events together with fleeting glances at the inciting incident. The characters are well realised and the performances very strong so that things happen to people rather than hastily drawn stereotypes. The NO THROUGH ROAD mix of dark humour, personal revelation and out and out remorseless vio- SATURDAY 5 OCTOBER AT 9:15PM & MONDAY 6 OCTOBER AT 2:30PM lence give an uneasy but compelling ride, like the ones at the fairground Country Australia Running Time 85 mins Format HDV Director/Producer Sam Barrett that take you to the edge of throwing up but make you want to get back Screenplay David Karsten DoP Ivan Davidov Cast James Helm Print Source Sauce Films Email [email protected] on it again. It is like an Aussie style Straw Dogs or one of those great High
Playing with Hourglass 8 mins Noon style westerns that pit a man against his own weakness and a hun- gry pack of psychotic man-dogs or, in this case, dingos. CT
Arguably punk rock’s poet laureate, Patti Smith occupies a curious position within the rock world. Having influenced generations, from The Smiths and REM to PJ Harvey, she retains something wholly unique within modern rock. This is exemplified by the hypnotic beat-style spoken word fused with three chord riffs of her early albums through to her brave and unconven- tional cover versions of the likes of Nirvana and Prince in her later works. Steven Sebring’s documentary, narrated by Smith herself, was shot over a period of ten years on a mixture of colour and black and white 16mm stock, capturing the artist perfectly in an archive-like manner. Each frame resembles a meticulously planned still photograph, even in it’s ver- ité moments. One of Smith’s powers as an artist is to draw you into her thoughts and views, to the extent where you hang onto every word commu- nicated through her iconic and hypnotic voice. Sebring uses this to his own PATTI SMITH DREAM OF LIFE advantage, compiling clips and still images that reinforce the enigmatic FRIDAY 3 OCTOBER AT 9:30PM presence shown in her music. That’s not to say however that his portrayal Country USA Running Time 109 mins Format 16mm SCREENING SPONSOR is fantastical; at one point Smith is shown struggling in good humour with Director Steven Sebring Producers Steven Sebring, Margaret Smilow, Scott Vogel DoP Phillip Hunt, Steven Sebring simple guitar rhythms, coming across as comfortingly human. JM Featuring Patti Smith, Tom Verlaine, Michael Stipe P/S Verve Pictures E [email protected] W www.vervepics.com
Artist/musician JD Wilkes’ debut doc takes studies a whole variety of cul- tural staples of the American South, scaling from the origins of country music to the freaky circus sideshows, and taking in some of the more unusual faiths along the way. The link between them is their dying art in a time where the rest of the world is taken over by ‘the Man’ – yet much of the south remains untouched by corporate hands. Made by someone who understands his subjects, with all their quirkiness and irreverence. CP
Sixties author Carlos Casteneda was the figurehead of a generation of hippies, the ‘godfather of the new age’. Books such as The Teachings of Don Juan took drug experimentation to new levels and blurred the line between fact and fiction. In Anatomy Of Failure, we learn of five women who were followers of the charismatic writer, and examine the hold he SEVEN SIGNS + ANATOMY OF FAILURE had over them. Later, we discover that after his death, Casteneda’s harem SATURDAY 11 OCTOBER AT 2:45PM have disappeared off the face of the earth. When bones from one of the USA RT 53 mins Ft Mini DV Dir JD Wilkes Prods JD Wilkes, SCREENING SPONSORS women are discovered at the edge of Death Valley – questions needed to Todd Tue, Blake Judd, Jacob Ennis P/S Milk Products Media E [email protected] W www.jdwilkes.com/films.html be asked. Iranian-Austrian filmmaker Minou Norouzi, journeys to California
UK/USA RT 53 mins Ft DV-Cam Dir/Prod Minou Norouzi to explore the mythology surrounding Castenada and, in turn, begins to E [email protected] W www.anatomyoffailure.com examine aspects of her own life. GB
SIXTEENTH RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL 47 Adapted from the novel by Joseph Suglia, Watch Out chronicles the life of Jonathan Barrows, a young, intelligent, prospective professor who, completely repulsed by both sexes, falls in love with himself. Not limited to standard narcissism, Barrows’ love runs far deeper, manifesting itself through fanatical sexual acts that centre on him alone, such as masturbat- ing over Polaroids of his own penis and taping a printout of his own face onto a male blowup doll. We follow Barrows, aided by his hilariously arro- gant voiceover, as he fights off proposals from men and women, in his hunt for a job worthy of his unparalleled intelligence and perfection. Steve Balderson follows up his acclaimed Firecracker with this shock- ing social satire that is definitely not for the faint hearted. Particularly bizarre highlights include an early scene showing an eighteen-year-old Jonathan being forced into sexual intercourse with a voluptuous prostitute, WATCH OUT as his manic parents watch excitedly with popcorn and video-cameras. SATURDAY 4 OCTOBER AT 9PM MySpace sensation Matt Riddlehoover (To A Tee) injects a curious charm Country USA Running Time 90 mins Format HD Director/Screenplay/Producer/DoP into Barrows, who is essentially a despicable character, and as the film Steve Balderson Cast Matt Riddlehoover, Peter Stickles, Jillian Lauren Print Source Dikenga Films Email [email protected] www.watchoutfilm.com progresses draws us to appreciate his unconventional trains of thought. Watch Out presents a daring take on guerilla filmmaking; the film was shot without permits, though this is hardly its severest offence. JM
‘Wetlands wasn’t just another insulting New York club,’ announced the Village Voice sometime around the legendary club’s demise, ‘it was a secret society, a temporary adventurous zone, a late-night slacker’s sanctuary’. So begins the story of Wetlands, the first (and perhaps only) activist nightclub. Founded by Larry and Laura Bloch in a former Chinese restau- rant on the edge of what was then the industrial wasteland of Tribeca in lower Manhattan, the club lasted until just a few days after 9/11. Conceived as a hippie haven – the Blues Travelers were the house band, and Larry Bloch screened cleaning products to make sure they were environmen- tally acceptable – Wetlands hosted everything from early ’90s Ska revival to skinhead hardcore to hip-hop, and was the launching pad for acts as diverse as Napalm Death, Phish, Dave Matthews, Ani DeFranco, and Cypress Hills. Even GG Allin and the Murder Junkies played one night. WETLANDS PRESERVED Narrated through a series of interviews with Larry Bloch himself, direc- SUNDAY 5 OCTOBER AT 2:15PM tor Dean Budnick takes us through Wetlands’ evolution and tribulations as Country USA Running Time 96 mins Format Mini DV SCREENING SPONSOR Tribeca gentrifies and the club comes under attack from Mayor Rudolph Director Dean Budnick Producers Dean Budnick, Peter Shapiro, Bob Difazio DoP Jonathan Healey Featuring Dave Guiliani. We see interviews from figures as diverse as Joan Osbourne, Matthews, Bob Weir, Blues Travelers Print Source Mindspring Dave Matthews, and the very un-hippy Vinnie Stigma (Agnostic Front), E [email protected] W www.wetlandspreserved.com along with former staff talking about the club, the bands, the rats. TB
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48 SIXTEENTH RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL
When a man awakens from a two-month coma suffering from total amne- sia he sets out to unravel his past and in the process uncovers secrets about a dark and troubled history. Director Dejan Zecevic is renowned in his native Serbia as a prolific artist who had made 5 feature films by the time he turned 35 in addition to directing several television series. Echoing the tone of films such as The Bourne Identity but with a much darker vision this a raw and visceral portrait of one man’s determination to come to terms with his own criminal past as he sets out to discover the true identity of the 4th man. Superbly scripted and featuring one of Serbia’s leading actors, Nikola Kojo, The 4th Man is Zecevic’s most suc- cessful project to date, and he has garnered over 20 awards in addition to special mention for direction of the film at the Sarajevo Film Festival where it competed for the top prize. THE 4TH MAN [CETVRTI COVEK] Through exploring the themes of the Balkan War, the atrocities by both SUNDAY 5 OCTOBER AT 5PM the government and the protagonist, The Fourth Man inter-cuts flash Country Serbia Running Time 104 mins Director Dejan Zecevic Screenplay Dejan Zecevic, backs, and though increasingly explicit, these never reveal the identity Boban Jevtic Producer Marko Jocic DoP Goran Volarevic Cast Nikola Kojo, Marija Karan, Dragan Petrovic Pele Print Source Viktorija Film Email [email protected] of the recovering patient by containing only limited information at a time. Ultimately the twists are captivating, shocking and very entertaining. AK
It’s 1987 and Norman Forrester (Corey Feldman) is about to meet his girl- friend’s parents for the first time at her father’s birthday party. As he drifts through the hotel where the party is happening he runs into a number of strange people and odd happenings. In a kind of Lynchian skew-eyed view of society someone has cancer. We’d think this is a human drama until Norman runs into strange goings-on in the hotel cellars. Defying genre, The Birthday’s primary conceit is that we view the story unfolding purely from Norman’s perspective, and (with a couple of nar- ratively necessary exceptions) in real time. Incidents that will have great relevance later in the film occur over Norman’s shoulder, or in his peripher- al vision; we focus only on what is important to him at that point. This leads ultimately to a truly astonishing visual and audio climax, with the ultimate designs of the mysterious cult behind this whole set-up happening out-of- THE BIRTHDAY focus in the background as we concentrate on Norman’s struggle to come SATURDAY 11 OCTOBER AT 9:45PM to terms with what is really occurring. Country Spain Running Time 117 mins Format 35mm Director Eugenio Mira Screenplay If David Lynch were to make a movie based on HP Lovecraft, it might Mikel Alvarigno, Eugenio Mira Producers Ibon Cormanzana, Corey Feldman DoP Unax Mendia Cast Corey Feldman, Erica Prior, Jack Taylor Print Source Scott Carlson Entertainment Inc look something like this. RO’D Email [email protected] Corey Feldman and Eugenio Mira will be present for a Q&A.
After being caught up in a savage car accident the three survivors become intimate while recovering in hospital. After they leave, Nadia continues to see Massimo, a middle-aged professor obsessed with brutal images from the Balkans war, and Paula, the most vulnerable of the three, as they discuss their accident and their difficulties returning to their regular lives. After seeing one of Massimo’s mutilation videos, they become obsessed with transformation through pain, and in particular the pain exhibitionist subculture, and talk of having an exhibition of their own. More disturbing and visceral than Crash, this delves into the raw edge of pain, manipulation, and desire as the three characters cut and scar them- selves to live through the pain they didn’t experience in their accident. Nadia, a former stripper, who, despite her beauty, bears the most obvious physical scars, delves into a predatory and casual sexuality. ‘Men won’t TAGLIARE LE PARTI IN GRIGIO desire me anymore’ she tells Massimo, ‘so I will rape them’. She dreams of SATURDAY 4 OCTOBER AT 4:30PM erasing her beauty completely and all three believe that through mutilation, Country Italy Running Time 93 mins Format 35mm SCREENING SPONSOR they can regain control of their bodies – yet as Nadia binds them closer, Director/Screenplay/Producer Vittoria Rifranti Print Source Filmitalia Email [email protected] their lives begin to unravel. Massimo loses his wife, and even Nadia seems to become more and more unbalanced and obsessed. Yet when Massimo and Paula try to pull away, Nadia pulls them in even closer. TB
50 SIXTEENTH RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL