March 21-26 Atthe Michigan Theater
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MARCH 21-26 ATTHE MICHIGAN THEATER With a full range of advanced financial capabilities, from commercial real estate to international banking and treasury management, LaSalle Commercial Banking is committed to helping businesses succeed. Personal Banking . Commercial Banking . Wealth Management Making more possible LaSalle Bank ABN AMRO ~ www.lasallebank.com l..:J Wealth Management is a division of laSalle BanlqliA mrn (12005 laSalle BankNA Member FDIC. Equal Opportunity Lender. CONTENTS 3 LETTER FROM THE MAYOR 4 LEnERS FROM THE AAFF PRESIDENT AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 5 FESTIVAL CONTRIBUTORS AND IN-KIND DONORS 6 FESTIVAL STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS 7 AWARDS JURY 8 THE AWARDS 9 OVERVIEW MAIN THEATER 10 OVERVIEW SCREENING ROOM 11 PROGRAM OF FILMS 23 PRINT SOURCES 24 SPECIAL EVENTS AND AFTER PARTIES 25 MEMBERSHIP FORM 2 LETTER FROM THE MAYOR s the mayor of Ann Arbor, I warmly part of the reward is that every year, Awelcome you to the 44th Ann Arbor artists and filmmakers come for one Film Festival. A great cultural tradition in week in March to share their images, the grand Michigan Theater, the Festival ideas and thoughts with both young is known far and wide as one of the and old, in a stimulating environment finest American venues for innovative that is our home. filmmaking and storytelling. As the oldest festival of its kind, the Ann Arbor is a city that takes great Ann Arbor Film Festival remains pride in the arts and in fostering a vibrant cultural tradition in our civic dialogue that stimulates the city, highlighting this community's growth of the community and dedication to creative dialogue individual alike. Through the years, and the art of the moving image. the Ann Arbor Film Festival has been a key thread in the cultural For 44 years, the Festival has fabric of our city. supported and promoted diverse film artists whom have played Thank you for joining us for the 44th pivotal roles in the field, including festival, and enjoy the show! Yoko Ono, Andy Warhol and Gus Van Santo Sincerely, Equally impressive is the steadfast commitment of Ann Arbor's own artists JOHN HIEFTJE andvolunteers,whoeachyearcontribute MAYOR OF ANN ARBOR their work, art and time to present this marvelous community event. A great 3 LETTER FROM JAY NELSON LETTER FROM CHRISTEN MCARDLE AAFF PRESIDENT EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Dear Festival-goers, Hello Ann Arbor, To paraphrase Mark Twain, the reports of the I'd like to welcome you to the 44th Ann Arbor demise of the Ann Arbor Film Festival have Film Festival. and thank you for welcoming been greatly exaggerated. You may have me to your community. It has been a heard rumors or read in some newspapers pleasure to get to know this fine city for the that the AAFF was going out of business or was last six months. abandoning its mission but, fortunately, neither is true. If there is one aspect of the AAFF experience that I have consistently recognized and appreciated, it is the undying love that Ann In fact. just this past summer, the Festival's Board Arbor has for the arts, and for ANYTHING that of Directors agreed unanimously to reaffirm pushes the envelope, whether it is artistic, our mission of supporting and promoting political or even theoretical. Ann Arbor is a experimental and independent film. If anything, community that likes to think, be challenged our goals are to expand on that mission and and celebrate life. Your awareness for do more to support filmmakers beyond having the unconventional is keen, and your a six-day festival every spring. And, while some appreciation for countercultures is valiant; may question the decision we made three years and it has affected me in a profound way. ago to open up the Festival to video and digital media in addition to 16mm film, we felt that it Being originally from the Midwest, I am was entirely in keeping with the spirit of the AAFF thankful for Ann Arbor's influence, and I am - in 1963 when the Festival was founded, 16mm film was the preferred format for relieved that such a diverse place exists in the Midwest. We live in transitional times, filmmakers on a budget, but today, few can afford it and have opted to work on and are faced with adjustments and adaptations that force us to evaluate our video and digital media instead. values and priorities at all hours of the day. We are bombarded with multi-media, extreme politics, corporate saturation and pop culture. I will openly admit that I With far more films to choose from, the decision greatly enhanced our on-screen worry about the future of our Americana - our culture and folklore, and our role offerings. But it was good for our finances as well - submissions and submission fees and influence in the world - and I know I'm not the only one ... Ann Arbor is a place have nearly quintupled in the last three years. where everyone fearlessly fights for what they believe in, and perpetually finds ways to express their beliefs. Not every place in the world has such imperative liberties available. As a result of that and other strategies, the Festival is healthier financially than it's been in quite some time. But. like virtually every small non-profit arts organization in So this week, I hope you will join us in a celebration of everything that lives and Michigan, we've faced cutbacks in government and foundation grants - becoming thrives outside of the box. There is so much to be grateful for in regards to the Ann a member of the AAFF is now more important than ever - that continue to Arbor Film Festival. Never have I seen an institution that allows so much creative challenge us as we work to ensure that the Festival will continue to grow and thrive freedom, or a community that embraces creativity so intensely. Look around and in the years to come. commend yourselves, because you exemplity the strongest element of the human spirit - free-wheeling and thoughtful artistic expression. A key part of that effort is the team we now have in place to oversee it. Our Festival Director, Christen McArdle, and Director of Operations, Nate Heilman, are smart. This festival was created to ensure that there was a forum that was an alternative talented and hard-working people who have great plans and ideas for the AAFF to mainstream media. We strive to support the artists, and we celebrate film as an and we as a board feel lucky to have them. art, not just as entertainment. As we tip our hats to the many talented filmmakers this week and party together 'til the wee hours of the morning (uh-oh), I hope you Finally, I'd like to thank all of our friends, volunteers and supporters - we literally could remember that this festival is a celebration of differences and of diversity. At the not function without them. Thanks especially to our friends at the Michigan Theater AAFF. we can witness and support the lives of others in hidden corners of the world, who've been so generous with their advice, time and support. We really are in this and we can observe and appreciate artistic expression that has no boundaries. together. That kind of open-mindedness is rare, and I am grateful to know how passionate All of us on the board hope that you'll enjoy this year's Ann Arbor Film Festival. you are about all of it. This festival is yours Ann Arbor, and I thank you for helping this important celebration thrive. Thanks for coming. Cheers to you, JAY NELSON CHRISTEN MCARDLE PRESIDENT EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 4 FESTIVAL CONTRIBUTORS AND IN-KIND DONORS SPONSORSHIP Frames Unlimited /aut/ bar Heidi Kumao PRIZE DONORS Heavenly Metal Great Harvest Bread Company Holly Hughes Avid Technology Kilwin's Chocolate Shoppe NYPD Homer Rose S3,OOO Beaner's Gourmet Coffee Krazy Jim's Blimpy Burgers People's Food Co-op Janet Lockwood Ken Burns/Florentine Films Kodak Mainstreet Ventures Pizzolato Jay Nelson Thad & Pam Johnson/Streetlamp Studios Michigan Television Michigan Theater Zingerman's Deli Jeff Kass SEE - Selective Eyewear Elements Mr. Spot's Jenn McKee S1.7OO State Street Area Association Nicola's Books PROGRAM BOOK ADVERTISERS John HieftJe Avid Technology Streetlamp Studios Orchid Lane Josh Williams Whole Foods Peaceable Kingdom Ann Arbor Fireplace & Barbeque Katherine Welder Sl,500 Performance Network Arbor Brewing Company Kay Seaser The 630 Club' GRANTING AGENCIES Prickly Pear Southwest Cafe Avid Technology Keith Jefferies The Detroit Film Center Seva Restaurant Bank of Ann Arbor Keith Orr Film Craft Lab/Kodak City of Ann Arbor Sixteen Hands Beaners Gourmet Coffee Ken Bawcom Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural SweetU Bank of Ann Arbor Laura Barnes Sl,200 Affairs Target Detroit Film Center Lee Berry Palmer Morrel-Samuels/EMPA National Endowment for the Arts Three Chairs Company DigitalOps Lady Dreyer Trader Joe's Downtown Development Authority Louis Kerman Sl,OOO OUT NIGHT DONATION UMS-Universlty Musical Society Future Brands Lindsey Bernard The DeVarti Family Washtenaw Dairy Great Harvest Bread Company Liz Cole Lawrence & Mary Ellen Kasdan Aut Bar Hollywood Can Suck It I Lynn Steadman Judy Kazis/The Tom Berman Award, Inc, Arts at Michigan's Course Connections AFTERHOURS SALONS Hudson & Muma Mark Brown Michael Moore Avincis Corp Improv Inferno Martin Bandyke Gus Van So nt/Wendy Foundation AV Consulting Bobs Underground LaSalle Bank Martin Contreras Bob Snyder Davy & Peter Rothbart Lost Film Festival Mary Cronin S500 Chuck Korson Firefiy Club People's Food Coop Meghann Powell Between The Lines Common Language Bookstore Improv Inferno Relaxation Station Michael Welch Griot Editorial Greg Johnson Realtor Pepperz Saturn of Ann Arbor Mom & Dad Michigan Vue Magazine HARC