The International Film Festival at Penn State Harrisburg
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! The International Film Festival at Penn State Harrisburg 2011Friday February 18 through Saturday February 26 The Program The Penn State Harrisburg International Film Festival celebrates its 11th consecutive year with a program that includes notable films from around the world. Highlights include two matinee screenings from the New York International Children’s Film Festival, with innovative live-action and animation short films suitable for children, and a reception with the filmmaker Lisa Gossels, who will present her documentary “My So-Called Enemy,” about the experience of Israeli and Palestinian Israeli girls who participated in the women’s leadership program Building Bridges for Peace. 2/18! 7:00 p.m. Friday, White Wedding, South Africa 2009 2/19! 2:00 p.m. Saturday, Kid Flix Mix, International, 2010 ! 7:00 p.m. Saturday, Welcome, France, 2010 2/24! 6:30 p.m. Thursday, My So-Caled Enemy,U.S. with guest filmmaker Lisa Gossels 2/25! 7:00 p.m. Friday, The Secret in Their Eyes, Argentina, 2010 2/26! 2:00 p.m. Saturday, PartyMix, International, 2010! ! 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Not Al Rivers Flow to the Sea, Colombia, 2009 ! 7:00 p.m. Saturday, Alamar, Mexico, 2010 As always, the festival is free and open to the public! All screenings in the Kunkel Auditorium, C-213 Olmsted hbg.psu.edu/filmfestival! 1 Sponsored by the School of Humanities and the Student Activities Fund Friday 2/18 7:00 p.m., White Wedding, South Africa 2009 directed by Jann Turner Set against South Africa’s beautifully varied landscapes, this high-spirited comedy is a feel-good movie about love, commitment, intimacy, friendship and all the maddening obstacles that can get in the way of a happy ending. The film is a forward looking farce set in the new South African cultural mixing pot, as the nation strives to be defined as more than their shared political history. 93 min Not Rated www.whiteweddingmovie.com/ Saturday, 2/19 Matinee ! 2:00 p.m., Kid Flix Mix 2010 New York International Children's Film Festival Recommended for children ages 3-8 66 min Aston's Stones Sweden, 2009, 9 min, animated, Uzi Ge#enblad and Lotta Ge#enblad Aston feels sorry for the lonely, cold stones he finds along the path on his way home, so one by one he picks them up and takes them home to care for them. But when they start to take over their home, Father suggests a practical solution. Bigbox Singsong John Canada, 2009, 1 min, animated, Warren Brown, Adam Goddard His name is John. He’s not a leprechaun. He just happens to think a pipe and a hat are cool. Horsie Finland, 2 min, animated, Sara Wahl A carefree, simply drawn horse trots across a meadow, until she encounters a large, properly drawn horse whose size, sophistication and severity make her feel inadequate. Milk Drinking Contest Finland, 2008, 3 min, live action, Maikki Kantola You do not need to understand Finnish to rock out to this head-banging anthem to milk. Booo Sweden, 2009, 7 min, animated, Alicja Jaworski Bouncy little Booo wants to play with the bigger bunnies and tries his best to keep up, despite their taunts and teases. But when the older bunnies get into trouble with a scary dog, Booo gets to show ! them what he is made of. 2 Mermaid Australia, 2 min, animated, Matt Tomaszewski This beautifully shot film warns of the heartbreaking e#ects of pollution and global warming on the reefs and oceans of the world. Animals Sweden, 2008, 5 min, directed by Kristofer Strom Super cool, color-saturated blob-like creatures whack each other on the head, throb and weave to a techno vibe, against a live-action urban background. Lost and Found England, 2008, 24 min, animated, Philip Hunt A young boy finds a penguin at his doorstep and decides to return him to the South Pole in a handmade rowboat. A sweet and tender tale of love and adventure, based on the award-winning book by Oliver Je#ers. Not Rated Cherry on the Cake England, 2009, 8 min, animated, Hyebin Lee It’s Cherry’s birthday, and she’s excited about spending it with her family. But Mom and Dad and Sister and Brother are all caught up in their own worlds, and the smaller Cherry feels, the smaller she gets. Will she disappear all together? Hedgehug USA, 5 min, animated, Dan Pinto In this charming animation, a lonely hedgehog searches for his valentine. Saturday 2/19 7:00 p.m., Welcome, France, 2010 directed by Philippe Lioret Bilal, (Firat Ayverdi), a 17-year-old Kurdish refugee, has struggled his way through Europe for the last three months, trying to reunite with his girlfriend, who recently emigrated to England. But his journey comes to an abrupt halt when he is stopped in Calais, on the French side of the Channel. Deciding to swim across, Bilal goes to the local swimming pool to train, where he meets Simon, (Vincent Lindon), a middle-aged swimming instructor in turmoil over his imminent divorce. Despite their di#erences, the two men discover that they have much in common, and a strong bond emerges between them. Simon takes Bilal under his wing, realizing that he too must risk everything to reach happiness. 110 min Not Rated ! ! 3 www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi2172584985/ Thursday 2/24 Guest Filmmaker Lisa Gossels will be present 6:30 p.m., My So-Called Enemy, USA 2010 Director Lisa Gossels’ documentary feature "My So- Called Enemy" touches on a brave new front for peace: young women. In 2002, 22 Palestinian and Israeli teen girls visited the U.S. as part of the Building Bridges for Peace program. 'My So-Called Enemy' is a coming of age story about six of the program participants and how their experience of knowing their 'enemies' as human beings meets the realities of their lives back home in the Middle East. ! What unfolds is an emotionally charged film about the human consequences of all conflicts & as seen through the eyes of six young women who are thoughtful, intelligent and articulate beyond their years. (Michael Burke) http://mysocalledenemy.com/ Friday 2/25 7:00 p.m., The Secret in Their Eyes, Argentina 2010 directed by Juan Jose Campanella A retired legal counselor writes a novel hoping to find closure for one of his past unresolved homicide cases and for his unreciprocated love with his superior - both of which still haunt him decades later. Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, 2010 www.sonyclassics.com/thesecretintheireyes/index.php Saturday, 2/26 Matinee 2:00 p.m., Party Mix 2010 New York International Children's Film Festival Recommended for children ages 5-12 74 min Oktapodi France, 2007, 3 min, animated Bocabeille/Chanioux/Delabarre/Marchand/Marmier/ Mokhberi This Oscar-nominated underwater adventure is a highlight of recent French animation. ! 4 Wallace & Gromit: A Matter of Loaf & Death UK, 2009, 30 min, animated, Nick Park Wallace & Gromit have started a new bread baking business, and although business is booming, Gromit is concerned by the news that a dozen local bakers have ‘disappeared’ this year ' but Wallace isn’t worried. He’s too distracted and ‘dough-eyed’ in love with former beauty and bread enthusiast, Piella Bakewell. While they enjoy being the ‘Toast of the Town’, Gromit soon realises his master’s life is in jeopardy, and turns sleuth to solve the escalating murder mystery ' in what quickly becomes A Matter of Loaf and Death! French Roast France, 2008, 8 min, animated, Fabrice O. Joubert In a fancy Parisian Cafe, an uptight businessman is about to pay for the check when he finds out that he's lost his wallet. To save time he decides to order more co#ee. Nominated for an Academy Award. A Film About Poo UK, 2009, 1.5 min, animated, Ann Wilkins A film about poo and the things you should and shouldn't do. Western Spaghetti USA, 2008, 2 min, mix, Pes, Another remarkable and whimsical stop-motion treat from mixed-media artist Pes shows how a meal can be made with everyday objects. The Battle of Nature Canada, 2008, 3 min, animated, Nat Dart In a ruined world where mankind has brought destruction upon themselves, new hope arrives in the form of a seed. Runaway Canada, 2009, 9 min, animated, Cordell Barker In this cartoon metaphor for capitalism run amok, happy passengers are having a great time on a speeding train, oblivious to the unknown fate that awaits them around the bend. The ensuing crisis leads to a class struggle that is as amusing as it is merciless. ! 5 Chicken Cowboy USA, 2008, 6 min, animated, Stephen Neary Shelly the chicken wasn’t looking for a fight, but he found one. Can he face his fears and stand up for himself? Multi-award winning student animation from NYU’s Stephen Neary. Veeti and Beanstalk Finland, 2009, 13 min, animated/Live Action, Susanna Kotilainen Brimming with warmth, this mixed media, stop- motion film uses visual humor to tenderly convey the emotions of loss, love, and hope. Veeti’s mother cries so much that their house becomes flooded and rivers of tears start to flow from the windows. Try as he might, Veeti can’t make her stop. So he decks her out in galoshes and snorkel gear and grows a magical tree to the clouds to escape the deluge. 3:30 p.m., Not All Rivers Flow to the Sea, Colombia, 2009 directed by Santiago Trujillo Recommended for children 12 and older Not All Rivers Flow to the Sea tells how the correspondence between Hassan, a child from the Middle East, and two sisters, who recently arrived in a displaced neighborhood in the outskirts of Bogota, transforms life and the relationship among the small girls.