2018 SANTA CRUZ FILM FESTIVAL

16th Santa Cruz Festival, Oct 3–7th,SANTA CRUZ FILM FESTIVAL2018 2018 1 www.santacruzfilmfestival.org for tickets and info HOTEL PARADOX, AUTOGRAPH COLLECTION WELCOME TO THE SANTA CRUZ FILM FESTIVAL

The Santa Cruz Film Festival began 16 years ago, evolving from the Earth Vision film festival with a charter to screen environmental films. Every year we’re proud to bring films that celebrate nature and the environment to Santa Cruz, where we take great pride in our own luxury of natural riches along the Central Coast. Over the years a strong social justice element to the films has emerged in our pro- gramming, reflecting the activist values here in Santa Cruz. And like other places where natural beauty and intellect converge, we have a vibrant arts community in Santa Cruz, and our festival celebrates this in selecting films with a spotlight on the arts. A survey listed Santa Cruz as the best place in the Bay Area to raise a daughter. We’ve brought that to life in our special focus on women filmmakers and films about visionary women. Santa Cruz is often seen as a place for fun, home of the iconic Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. You’ll see this free spirit reflected in films selected for our comedy section.

The Santa Cruz film festival re-located to the new Tannery Arts Center campus 3 years ago to screen independent films in more intimate venues. Independent film screenings allow audiences to interact with filmmakers in our art house style theaters.

We’ve organized this year’s program guide to help you explore the special themes of our films. In our new partnership with Hotel Paradox, we’ve even added some lively parties and special screenings to the mix. We’re proud to be able to celebrate the art of independent film here in Santa Cruz!

There is an inherent synergy between independent film and Autograph Collection Hotels — Indie filmmakers and screenwriters tell stories that inspire, provoke, and connect us; while immersive storytelling is part of our DNA, enabling travelers to connect to their destination in a memorable way.

Autograph Collection is thrilled to support this dynamic and important industry with partners who champion individuality and diversity, and empower storytellers to do the same.

www.hotelparadox.com 611 Ocean Street | Santa Cruz, CA 95060

SANTA CRUZ FILM FESTIVAL 2018 3 The Colligan Theater Radius Art Gallery — Festival Hub Located at 1010 River street, The Colligan Theater has 182 seats with Radius Gallery is a professional art venue and gallery at the Tannery two aisles and more distance between rows for better leg room. With Arts Center showcasing the work of local, regional and international a higher rise from one row to the next there is a better view of action artists. Curated exhibitions are year-round and present all art disci- on the stage. Inside you’ll enjoy the spacious lobby with concessions plines. Radius Gallery is also available to rent for events, receptions, bar, and outside you’ll find a beautifully landscaped patio and garden, workshops, and other creative projects. This year we will be hosting relics of the old Tannery, and also dozens of free adjacent parking educational panels, tech demonstrations, and evening DJ parties spaces exclusively for theater patrons. during the festival. Our Italian themed closing party and awards cere- mony will be in the gallery.

Hotel Paradox Courtyard and Corridor Theaters at Join us for special screenings and parties at Hotel Paradox Ballroom. the Tannery World Dance Centers Hotel Paradox strikes the perfect balance between nature and urban Tannery World Dance & Cultural Center is a studio, performance, design without excessive fuss. A Paradox is meant for discussion and cultural space housed inside the Tannery Arts Center, right on and questioning the obvious. This Autograph Collection Hotel will the main courtyard. We’re calling it our “Courtyard Theater.” This challenge you with bold contradictions. The engaging staff invite you unique hub is surrounded by loft artists, galleries, sculptures, and the to enjoy an experience where the ambiance is contemporary, inviting Dead Cow Cafe. The Black Box theater, we’ve named our “Corridor and a little bit mysterious. Theater” situated in the corridor between the cafe and the art studios is home to professional dance artists from all over the world. We have Hotel Paradox... Expect the Unexpected. code-accessed, clean, public restrooms and ample, free parking!

Bistro One Twelve Located on the center courtyard of the Tannery Arts Center, the café offers a variety of creatively inspired appetizers, salads, flatbread pizzas, sandwiches, and deserts. The bar menu includes a variety of creative cocktails named after artists, as well as wine, champagne, and craft beers. Open daily from 11:00-9:00pm.

SANTA CRUZ FILM FESTIVAL 2018 5 4 SANTA CRUZ FILM FESTIVAL 2018 Contents Special Events 7 SPECIAL EVENTS Premieres 8 EarthVision Environmental and Social Justice 12 Opening Film and Party Visionary Women 18 Dark Money Spotlight on the Arts 22 WED, OCT 3; 6:00 PM (COLLIGAN PLAZA THEATER) Comedy 30 “‘Dark Money,’ with its focus on the personal stories of how individuals are impacted by the flood of campaign money in the system, is an example of World Documentary 34 how ‘storytelling matters when you are trying to raise awareness of the issues,’ Chuck Todd (Meet The Press) said.” —Ted Johnson, Variety World Narrative 39 Index of Films 44 DARK MONEY, a political thriller, examines one of the greatest present threats to American democracy: the influence of untraceable corporate Map 45 money on our elections and elected officials. The film takes viewers to Montana—a frontline in the fight to preserve fair elections nationwide—to follow an intrepid local journalist working to expose the real-life impacts of the US Supreme Court’s Citizens Program Grid 46–47 United decision. Through this gripping story, DARK MONEY uncovers the shocking and vital truth of how American elections are bought and sold. This Sundance award-winning documentary is directed/produced by Kimberly Reed (PRODIGAL SONS) and produced by Katy Chevigny (E-TEAM).

Directed by: Kimberly Reed Country: USA; Language: English; Genre: Documentary Feature; Runtime: 99 mins. Sponsored by Nion McEvoy Ticketing Information Filmmakers expected to attend Individual Film Ticket Sales $10 Opening Party at Hotel Paradox Ballroom following the film Online: at santacruzfilmfestival.org or on brownpapertickets.com by movie title. In Person: cash at the door or credit card sales in Radius Gallery Closing Film and Party The Ark of Disperata Special events: SUN, OCT 7; 7:00 PM (COLLIGAN PLAZA THEATER)

Opening Night (film + party) $55 In a small godforsaken town in southern Italy called Disperata, Filippo, the melancholic mayor, feels terribly inadequate in fulfilling his duties. The Closing Night (film + party) $55 only glimpse of light in the overall gloom is his love for poetry and teach- Purchase online in advance at santacruzfilmfestival.org or in person at the door ing literature to prison inmates. That is where he meets Pati, a low-level criminal; both Pati and his brother Angiolino share the dream of becoming Mafia bosses. Their encounter with art, however, changes everyone, and an unusual friendship among the three, leads them to make courageous deci- sions. The life of shy Filippo has been turned upside-down for good and he dives in head first, at last surrounded by a calm silence and not by fears. This unusual relationship heralds a rebirth of the small community of Disperata.

Directed by: Edoardo Winspeare Country: Italy; Language: Italian; Genre: Narrative Feature; Runtime: 110 mins. Sponsored by the Dante Alighieri Society of Santa Cruz Opening Party at Hotel Paradox Ballroom following the film

SANTA CRUZ FILM FESTIVAL 2018 7 6 SANTA CRUZ FILM FESTIVAL 2018 From the Ripple Tank PREMIERES THU, OCT 4; 4:45 PM (COURTYARD THEATER) World Premiere Synopsis: page 22 Find Me SAT, OCT 6; 2:30 PM (COLLIGAN PLAZA THEATER) World Premiere US Premiere Synopsis: page 30

Original Sin THU, OCT 4; 9:15 PM (COURTYARD THEATER) World Premiere Synopsis: page 32

Fireland Dogs SUN, OCT 7; 2:30 PM (COLLIGAN PLAZA THEATER) US Premiere Synopsis: page 35

Float SAT, OCT 6; 7:00 PM (CORRIDOR THEATER) SUN, OCT 7; 12:00 PM (COLLIGAN PLAZA THEATER) RISE: World Premiere Synopsis: page 36 The Story of Augustines SAT, OCT 6; 9:15 PM (COURTYARD THEATER) World Premiere Synopsis: page 23

SANTA CRUZ FILM FESTIVAL 2018 9 8 SANTA CRUZ FILM FESTIVAL 2018 Calm Before... The Rising Storm Chakham SAT, OCT 6; 9:15 PM (COURTYARD THEATER) SUN, OCT 7; 4:45 PM (CORRIDOR THEATER) US Premiere Synopsis: page 23 US Premiere Synopsis: page 41

She Is The Ocean THU, OCT 4; 7:00 PM (COURTYARD THEATER) FRI, OCT 5; 4:45 PM The Further Adventures (CORRIDOR THEATER) of Walt’s Frozen Head World Premiere THU, OCT 4; 9:15 PM (HOTEL PARADOX BALLROOM) Synopsis: page 20 SAT, OCT 6; 2:30 PM (CORRIDOR THEATER) World Premiere Synopsis: page 31

One Small Step THU, OCT 4; 9:15 PM (HOTEL PARADOX BALLROOM) SAT, OCT 6; 2:30 PM (CORRIDOR THEATER) US Premiere Synopsis: page 31 Poco a Poco The Undecided THU, OCT 4; 7:00 PM (COURTYARD THEATER) SUN, OCT 7; 4:45 PM (CORRIDOR THEATER) FRI, OCT 5; 4:45 PM (CORRIDOR THEATER) US Premiere US Premiere Synopsis: page 40 Synopsis: page 20

SANTA CRUZ FILM FESTIVAL 2018 11 10 SANTA CRUZ FILM FESTIVAL 2018 Dark Money and prevention of modern chronic diseases. For centuries, THU, OCT 4; 12:00 PM (HOTEL PARADOX BALLROOM) the Tarahumara have found a safe place of refuge in the EARTHVISION remote regions of the Copper Canyons and Sierra Madre mountains in Chihuahua, Mexico. GOSHEN takes you on a Environmental & Social Justice journey in the huarache-clad footsteps of these endurance athletes, highlighting the health benefits of safeguarding their way of life.

AMERICAN RELAPSE produced by a group of 19 UCSC student filmmakers, At Directed by: Dana Richardson and Sarah Zentz THU, OCT 4; 7:00 PM (HOTEL PARADOX BALLROOM) Capacity is a timely look at the housing crisis in Santa Cruz. Country: Mexico, USA; Language: English, Spanish; Genre: FRI, OCT 5; 12:00 PM (COLLIGAN THEATER) Documenting the local rent freeze campaign from signature Documentary Feature; Runtime: 85 mins. gathering to city council vote, high end real estate tours, California Premiere Filmmakers expected to attend Santa Cruz’s growing homeless tent encampment, tiny home dwellers, new construction, housing lawyers at work, and Santa Cruz/Monterey Local Work much more, At Capacity weaves together a complex portrait at the issues that affect local housing. DARK MONEY, a political thriller, examines one of the great- est present threats to American democracy: the influence of Directed by: Jazmine Corona; Joshua Cosbey; Andrea untraceable corporate money on our elections and elected Pursuing the Monarchs Diaz; Bianca Galeana; Jiaxun Gao; Carlos Gonzalez; Alexis officials. The film takes viewers to Montana—a frontline in THU, OCT 4; 2:30 PM (COURTYARD THEATER) Guzman; Michelle Hua; Tess Jagger-Wells; Noel Kabe; the fight to preserve fair elections nationwide—to follow World Premiere Enrique Labrada; Kelly Leonardson; Kathy Liang; Juliette an intrepid local journalist working to expose the real-life AMERICAN RELAPSE is a feature documentary about the Perrault; Bojun Qiu; Collette Quach; Tatianna Stapleton; impacts of the US Supreme Court’s Citizens United deci- ripped-from-the-headlines heroin epidemic and the corrupt James Tanjuatco; Hui Zhang sion. Through this gripping story, DARK MONEY uncovers underground rehab industry that has sprung up around it in Country: USA; Language: USA; Genre: EarthVision the shocking and vital truth of how American elections are Southern Florida. This, on-the-ground documentary follows Environmental and Social Justice Film; Runtime: 73 mins. bought and sold. This Sundance award-winning documen- the day-to-day struggle of recovering addicts Allie and tary is directed/produced by Kimberly Reed (PRODIGAL Frankie attempting to place addicts in treatment, but can Santa Cruz Local Work SONS) and produced by Katy Chevigny (E-TEAM). they stay clean themselves? Student Work Directed by: Kimberly Reed Directed by: Pat McGee, Adam Linkenhelt Country: USA; Language: English; Genre: Documentary Country: USA; Genre: Documentary Feature; Runtime: 105 SCREENS WITH: Feature; Runtime: 99 mins. mins. Burning Van

Pursuing the Monarchs examines the social and biological GOSHEN factors causing a rapidly waning monarch butterfly pop- At Capacity THU, OCT 4; 12:00 PM (COLLIGAN THEATER) ulation across North America. This succinct yet poignant THU, OCT 4; 2:30 PM (HOTEL PARADOX BALLROOM) documentary traverses viewers across the American heart- SAT, OCT 6; 12:00 PM (COLLIGAN THEATER) land from the vast plains of Iowa to the jungles of Michoacán. It is an intrepid journey across the front lines of one of Earth’s most chaste and treasured species’ battle for survival against rampant deforestation and the devastating practices of industrialized agriculture.

Rubber Tramp Rendezvous, a festival for the nomadic Directed by: Anna Chahuneau working elderly, provides a stark look into a future where Country: Mexico, USA; Language: English, Spanish; financial instability has rendered the concept of comfortable Genre: EarthVision Environmental and Social Justice Film; retirement a cruel dream. Runtime: 52 mins.

Directed by: alex/casey sammon/friedman GOSHEN is a powerful award winning documentary depict- Santa Cruz County is currently the fourth least afford- Country: USA; Language: English; Genre: Documentary ing the plant based diet and active lifestyle of the indigenous able housing market in the world. Santa Cruz home values Short; Runtime: 15 mins. Tarahumara, a light-footed running tribe, who are striving to have shot up 8.6% in the past year and on track to reach an maintain their ancient culture. The Tarahumara are re- average price of $892,000 by January of 2019. Collectively nowned for their incredible long distance running endurance

SANTA CRUZ FILM FESTIVAL 2018 13 12 SANTA CRUZ FILM FESTIVAL 2018 Saving the Dark STROOP — Beaver, that most industrious, ingenious, bucktoothed engi- Freedom Fighters THU, OCT 4; 2:30 PM (COLLIGAN THEATER) neer, to the watersheds of the American West. A keystone Journey Into The Rhino Horn War species, beaver enrich their ecosystems, creating the com- THU, OCT 4; 4:45 PM (HOTEL PARADOX BALLROOM) plexity and resiliency needed to absorb the impacts of climate FRI, OCT 5; 7:00 PM (COLLIGAN THEATER) change. The Beaver Believers encourage us to embrace a new paradigm of land management, and will inspire you to take a bite out of the challenges we face, one stick at a time.

Directed by: Sarah Koenigsberg Country: Canada, USA; Language: English; Genre: EarthVision Environmental and Social Justice Film; Runtime: 55 mins. Filmmakers expected to attend 80% of the world’s population live under light polluted skies. What do we lose when we lose sight of the stars? Excessive and improper lighting robs us of our night skies, disrupts our sleep patterns and endangers nocturnal habitats. Saving the Dark explores the need to preserve night skies and what we Shorts Program can do to combat light pollution. Claiming Power, Pakistan is routinely ranked as the third most dangerous Two filmmakers stop their lives to make a film about the country in the world for women. Much of the nation is ex- Directed by: Sriram Murali rhino poaching crisis in South Africa. Carving out six months Transforming Culture tremely conservative, religiously and culturally, and women SUN, OCT 7; 2:30 PM (CORRIDOR THEATER) Country: USA; Language: English; Genre: EarthVision for the project, the women quickly find themselves immersed are often subject to violence at the hands of men. “Freedom in a world far larger and more dangerous than they had imag- Environmental and Social Justice Film; Runtime: 56 mins. Program: Freedom Fighters, Inclusion On the Fighters” follows three brave women who are speaking out ined, only emerging from their odyssey four years later. against inequality and pushing for equal rights. The docu- Filmmakers expected to attend Air, Nellie Bly Makes the News, Si-G mentary features verité sequences along with 2D animation Directed by: Susan Scott Claiming Power, Transforming Culture brings together to tell the stories of these powerful women as well as the Country: South Africa,USA; Language: English; Genre: inspiring films about women and girls who have used their victims they have helped in their journey to challenge the SCREENS WITH: EarthVision Environmental and Social Justice Film; status quo. Runtime: 120 mins. creativity, grit, and passion to make a difference. Though you may not yet know their names, their impact on the world will UMUNHUM Directed by: Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy Filmmakers expected to attend stay with you. Country: Pakistan; Language: Urdu; Genre: EarthVision Total Runtime: 81 mins. Environmental and Social Justice Film; Runtime: 33 mins. Filmmakers expected to attend The Beaver Believers THU, OCT 4; 4:45 PM (COLLIGAN THEATER) Inclusion On the Air FRI, OCT 5; 12:00 PM (CORRIDOR THEATER) California Premiere

Umunhum sweeps you off your feet and places you on top of a mountain that was not accessible to the public for over 60 years. The mountain is Mt Umunhum which stands 3,486 feet tall between San Jose, California and the Pacific Ocean. To restore the top of Mt Umunhum and open it to the public, Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District collaborated with This documentary is about the life and work of Emily Perl the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band with an open mind and open Kingsley, a former Sesame Street writer and longtime activist arms. This film will inspire you to think about the land under for children with disabilities and their families. you and how you can contribute to its restoration and healing. Directed by: Eli Canter Directed by: Andy Miller The Beaver Believers is the urgent yet whimsical story of an Country: USA; Language: English; Genre: Documentary Country: USA; Genre: Documentary Short; Runtime: unlikely cadre of activists - five scientists and a hairdresser - Short; Runtime: 9 mins. who share a common vision: restoring the North American 12 mins. Youth Work

SANTA CRUZ FILM FESTIVAL 2018 15 14 SANTA CRUZ FILM FESTIVAL 2018 Making Waves: Holy Week: The Story of the #ICANTKEEPQUIET Shorts Program Rebirth of the Golden Rule 2016 Sacred Peace Walk Directed by: Liam Price Increase the Peace Country: USA; Language: English; Genre: EarthVision SUN, OCT 7; 2:30 PM (COURTYARD THEATER) Environmental and Social Justice Film; Runtime: 4 mins.

Program: Build Ramps Not Walls, Holy Week: The Story of the 2016 Sacred Peace Walk, #ICANTKEEPQUIET, Making Waves: Rebirth of the Golden Rule, Music in May

These short films profile individuals and groups who are reaching out to bring peace and justice to their communities.

Total Runtime: 90 mins. In 1958, four Quaker peace activists set sail for the Marshall Islands-- the US nuclear testing zone--to call attention to the A documentary about the 2016 Sacred Peace Walk, an inter- devastating effects of the bomb on people and the environ- faith walk across Nevada in spiritual protest of the extremes ment. When the crew was arrested and jailed in Hawaii, public of governmental violence. Music in May outcry for their release sparked a movement that led to the Youth Work Be uplifted and inspired signing of the Limited Test Ban Treaty in 1963. Sixty years later, Directed by: James Knight as this work takes you Veterans for Peace has restored this historic wooden boat Country: USA; Language: English; Genre: EarthVision on a journey through and embarked on a global mission to end the arms race. Shot Environmental and Social Justice Film; Runtime: 40 mins. the genesis and heart of on board the Golden Rule during a protest of the Navy’s Air Music in May, a music and Sea show in San Diego Bay, the film features interviews of festival started by veterans whose stories illuminate the true costs of warfare. violinist Rebecca Jackson in her Directed by: James Knight hometown of Santa Cruz. Live music Country: USA; Language: English; Genre: Documentary reaching beyond the Short; Runtime: 25 mins. concert hall, experience music in a refugee camp in Beirut, Lebanon, Santa Cruz Juvenile Build Ramps Not Walls Hall, and a special needs class, all California Premiere demonstrating the incredible power of music to build Shown through the bridges and unite people of all backgrounds. eyes of an 8 year old American-Mexican Directed by: Elizabeth Jackson boy, Build Ramps Country: USA; Language: English; Genre: Documentary Not Walls Short; Runtime: 7 mins. documents a bi-national skate Santa Cruz/Monterey Local Work community in Mexico seeking a positive response to the negative rhetoric between Mexico and the USA after the 2016 presidential elections. Directed by: Brian Adamkiewicz Country: Mexico, USA; Language: English, Spanish; Genre: EarthVision Environmental and Social Justice Film; Runtime: 14 mins. Filmmakers expected to attend

SANTA CRUZ FILM FESTIVAL 2018 17 16 SANTA CRUZ FILM FESTIVAL 2018 I Can Only Be Mary Lane SCREENS WITH: SUN, OCT 7; 4:45 PM (COLLIGAN THEATER) Homo Feminus VISIONARY WOMEN California Premiere World Premiere

Afghan Cycles friends, parents, and therapist. Her journey from despair THU, OCT 4; 7:00 PM (CORRIDOR THEATER) to self-acceptance is illustrated through vivid animation FRI, OCT 5; 4:45 PM (COURTYARD THEATER) based on her haunting artwork and writing. Afghan Cycles is a Directed by: Laura VanZee Taylor feature documentary about a generation of Country: USA; Language: English; Genre: Documentary Afghan women who are Feature; Runtime: 54 mins. pedaling their own Filmmakers expected to attend revolution, aggressively challenging gender and At 82, Mary Lane is one of the last legendary Blues musi- cultural barriers using Delving into issues around gender biases, inclusivity, and the bicycle as a vehicle SCREENS WITH: cians that made the Great Migration from America’s south. women’s representation in popular media, ‘Homo Feminus’ for freedom, Although Mary is widely respected in Chicago, she has never explores the social and cultural aspects that shape the way empowerment and Inner Beauty with Lamura Latae gotten the wider recognition she deserves. I Can Only Be we understand gender, through a series of metaphorical social change. World Premiere Mary Lane follows Mary as she records just her second studio vignettes and intimate stories told from the female perspec- album and first in over 20 years. Her producer thinks it could Directed by: Sarah tive. Carried through the intense poetic narrative that is all Menzies potentially win her a grammy, if only they can get it done. too relevant today, ‘Homo Feminus’ challenges the viewer to peel off the layers of myth and collective memory to find Country: Afghanistan; Directed by: Jesseca Ynez Simmons the elusive truth at the core of female consciousness, and Genre: Documentary Feature; Runtime: 90 mins. Country: USA; Language: English; Genre: Documentary celebrates women of all ages, races, sizes, and types. Filmmakers expected to attend Feature; Runtime: 60 mins. Directed by: Rita Solomko Filmmakers expected to attend Country: USA; Language: English; Genre: Experimental; Runtime: 6 mins. I Am Maris Filmmakers expected to attend SUN, OCT 7; 4:45 PM (COURTYARD THEATER)

A Santa Cruz local who grew up during the Great Depression shares her wisdom about seeing the inner beauty in people and in life.

Directed by: Michelle Ortega Country: USA; Language: English; Genre: Documentary Short; Runtime: 6 mins. Filmmakers expected to attend Santa Cruz/Monterey Local Work

Tormented by mental illness and hospitalized for life-threatening anorexia nervosa, a teenage girl confronts her buried emotions through yoga. Maris’s recovery story is told in her own words and those of her

SANTA CRUZ FILM FESTIVAL 2018 19 18 SANTA CRUZ FILM FESTIVAL 2018 She Is The Ocean Worlds of Ursula K. Le Guin Nellie Bly Makes the News THU, OCT 4; 7:00 PM (COURTYARD THEATER) SAT, OCT 6; 4:45 PM (COLLIGAN THEATER) Shorts Program FRI, OCT 5; 4:45 PM (CORRIDOR THEATER) SUN, OCT 7; 12:00 PM (CORRIDOR THEATER) World Premiere Claiming Power, An in-depth exploration Transforming Culture into the lives of nine SUN, OCT 7; 2:30 PM (CORRIDOR THEATER) astonishing women from all four corners of the Program: Freedom Fighters, Inclusion On the globe. In a unique Air, Nellie Bly Makes the News, Si-G documentary concept, the director has selected Claiming Power, Transforming Culture brings together these women, ranging inspiring films about women and girls who have used their from the ages of twelve to eighty three, in order to creativity, grit, and passion to make a difference. Though you create a portrait of what may not yet know their names, their impact on the world will NELLIE BLY MAKES THE NEWS’ presents the story of Nellie could be a metaphor for stay with you. Bly, a muckraking investigative journalist who changed the one woman’s Ocean life Total Runtime: 81 mins. game for women in reporting before women even had the through all her ages. Worlds of Ursula K. Le Guin is a feature documentary explor- right to vote. Taking the style she established in ‘NUTS!’ a Directed by: Inna ing the remarkable life and legacy of groundbreaking science step further, director Penny Lane creates an entirely animat- Blokhina fiction and fantasy writer Ursula K. Le Guin, who passed away ed documentary. This short film investigates the porous line Country: Germany,Indonesia,USA; Language: English; in 2018 at the age of 88. between reporting facts and telling stories, while creating Genre: Documentary Feature; Runtime: 101 mins. Si-G a dynamic portrait of a woman who refused to accept the Directed by: Arwen Curry status quo. Filmmakers expected to attend US Premiere Country: USA; Language: English; Genre: Documentary Feature; Runtime: 67 mins. Directed by: Penny Lane Country: USA; Language: English; Genre: Documentary SCREENS WITH: Short; Runtime: 23 mins.

Poco a Poco SCREENS WITH: Filmmakers expected to attend Lotte that Silhouette Girl

Cansu is a 13-year-old rapper from Molenbeek, Brussels. Her rap name is Si-G. She dreams of fame but never actually believed she could possibly make it. When rapper Omar -G decides to make a track with her, her dream unexpectedly comes closer. Before Walt Disney, there was a trailblazing woman at the vanguard of animation. Influenced by folktales and legends, Directed by: FREDERIKE MIGOM A look at the World Surfing Reserve of Bahia de Todos Lotte Reiniger was a tour de force of creativity and innovation: Country: Belgium; Language: Dutch; Genre: Documentary Santos in Baja Norte, Mexico, and how the local community she invented the multiplane camera and created the oldest Short; Runtime: 16 mins. is working together against environmental threats. surviving animated feature. This stunning film explores the life and times of a woman who is finally being given her due. Directed by: Kyle Buthman, Perry Gershkow Country: Mexico; Language: Spanish; Genre: Documentary Directed by: Elizabeth Beecherl and Carla Patullo Short; Runtime: 10 mins. Country: USA; Language: English; Genre: Documentary Filmmakers expected to attend Short; Runtime: 10 mins. Santa Cruz/Monterey Local Work Filmmakers expected to attend

SANTA CRUZ FILM FESTIVAL 2018 21 20 SANTA CRUZ FILM FESTIVAL 2018 SCREENS WITH: on a ride through the 1980s underground. This accidentally Homo Feminus creates a new kind of dance music that begins to gain global SPOTLIGHT ON THE ARTS recognition. As the underground label grows in reputation a World Premiere series of unfortunate events cascade through Wax Trax! and its two creators, almost causing the label’s influential history to be lost forever.

Coalesce: A City Composed focuses on how she uses her limited vision, her sketchbook, Directed by: Julia Nash THU, OCT 4; 7:00 PM (COLLIGAN THEATER) and technology to piece together the world around her, one piece at a time. Country: USA; Language: English; Genre: Documentary California Premiere Feature; Runtime: 95 mins. Directed by: Val Magarian Filmmakers expected to attend Country: Canada; Language: English; Genre: Animation; Runtime: 8 mins. Filmmakers expected to attend RISE: The Story of Augustines Delving into issues around gender biases, inclusivity, and SAT, OCT 6; 9:15 PM (COURTYARD THEATER) women’s representation in popular media, ‘Homo Feminus’ From the Ripple Tank explores the social and cultural aspects that shape the way THU, OCT 4; 4:45 PM (COURTYARD THEATER) we understand gender, through a series of metaphorical vignettes and intimate stories told from the female perspec- PHOENIX, ARIZONA, USA - A visual artist and a musician World Premiere In 1863, the oldest tive. Carried through the intense poetic narrative that is all search for beauty and inspiration in the alleyways, intersec- theatre company too relevant today, ‘Homo Feminus’ challenges the viewer tions, power lines, and utility poles of a sprawling desert city. west of the to peel off the layers of myth and collective memory to find An intimate portrait of creation and collaboration as painter Mississippi began a the elusive truth at the core of female consciousness, and Megan Jonas and composer Jordan Ignacio create four new journey to stake celebrates women of all ages, races, sizes, and types. works. Featuring groundbreaking animation that brings paint- their claim ... only to ing and music to life in ways never seen before. lose it 150 years Directed by: Rita Solomko later. University of Country: USA; Language: English; Genre: Experimental; Directed by: Joshua Provost San Francisco’s Runtime: 6 mins. The heartfelt journey of two men, persevering through Country: USA; Language: English; Genre: Documentary plucky College Filmmakers expected to attend tragedy and adversity, to become one of the most critically Feature; Runtime: 70 mins. Players landed on a battleground: the acclaimed indie bands in the world. Filmmakers expected to attend intersection of Directed by: Todd Howe Haight/Ashbury and Jesuitical traditions. Country: USA; Language: English; Genre: Documentary Industrial Accident: Feature; Runtime: 80 mins. SCREENS WITH: 59 alums tell the tale, from investment banker (“It led me to the founding of The Story of Wax Trax! Records Elizabeth Sees Rolling Stone magazine”) to Cardiologist (“Communicating SAT, OCT 6; 7:00 PM (COLLIGAN THEATER) in that little exam room...”), to exploring the state of the SUN, OCT 7; 12:00 PM (COURTYARD THEATER) arts with entertainment professionals, (“We’ll never worry SCREENS WITH: that Sciences won’t have enough microscopes, right?”), revealing how the arts touch souls and infuse careers. Calm Before... The Rising Storm Directed by: Tom Blank California Premiere Country: USA; Language: English; Genre: Documentary Feature; Runtime: 73 mins. Filmmakers expected to attend

This hand drawn animation is a portrait of a true character, a blind woman with only a tiny pinhole of vision. The story Using their independent Chicago retail store and label named Wax Trax! Records, the two founders take a tribe of outsiders In June of 1967, a group of six high school seniors at Phillips

SANTA CRUZ FILM FESTIVAL 2018 23 22 SANTA CRUZ FILM FESTIVAL 2018 Academy Andover, (an all-boys Prep School), went into a SCREENS WITH: goal. The documentary is about hope for the future, and Up to Snuff tiny recording studio in Framingham Massachusetts and brings attention to the enrichments brought by the coexis- Tell Me Something THU, OCT 4; 9:15 PM (COLLIGAN THEATER) recorded an album called ‘calm before...’ that was to become tence of different peoples and cultures within the framework FRI, OCT 5; 2:30 PM (COURTYARD THEATER) a Vinyl collector’s classic in the decades to follow. The album California Premiere of a nation. Northern California Premiere was ‘bootlegged’ in Europe and suddenly the band was un- wittingly thrust back into the spotlight. In this 30 minute doc- Directed by: Emil Agopian umentary, filled with animations, re-creations, and interviews Country: Canada; Genre: Documentary Feature; Runtime: with experts, fans, and band members we piece together the 50 mins. story of the Rising Storm’s unlikely rise to fame.

Directed by: Andrew Brier SCREENS WITH: Country: USA; Language: English; Genre: Documentary Short; Runtime: 30 mins. Seen/UnSeen: Stories into Creativity Santa Cruz/Monterey Local Work

A girl shares a recurring dream she’s been having.

SANTA INOCENCIA Directed by: Olivia Treynor Millions of people have been touched by his music, yet few THU, OCT 4; 2:30 PM (CORRIDOR THEATER) Country: USA; Language: English; Genre: Experimental know the journey, hardships and triumphs of American musi- Short; Runtime: 3 mins. cian and composer W.G. Snuffy Walden. Friends and collabo- Filmmakers expected to attend rators share personal stories, laughs and insights about this generous soul who overcame the excesses of rock and roll Youth Work to become one of the most beloved composers in television history. Featuring Aaron Sorkin, Martin Sheen, Tom Arnold, Timothy Busfield, Lawrence O’Donnell, Steve Lukather, Eric Burdon and Snuffy Walden. The True North Project FRI, OCT 5; 2:30 PM (CORRIDOR THEATER) Directed by: Mark Maxey Country: United Kingdom, USA; Language: English; Genre: Documentary Feature; Runtime: 80 mins. The artists in Seen/UnSeen: Stories into Creativity are Doyle Foreman (sculpture), Edward Ramirez (photography) and Filmmakers expected to attend Santa Inocencia is a journey into the inner self. In the frame Claire Thorson (painting). In Seen/UnSeen you will get to of a small Italian village, eight characters atone themselves hear each artist explore their studio or “in the world” process through the structure of the station drama. The film investi- and how it shapes an artwork coming into being. gates in the spirit of the absurd the neurosis and fears of the everyday life, it’s constant projections into the past or the Directed by: Wallace Boss future and the inability to experience the present. Country: USA; Language: English; Genre: Documentary Short; Runtime: 13 mins. Directed by: Meritxell Campos Olivé Country: Germany, Italy; Language: Italian; Genre: Experimental Feature; Runtime: 66 mins. The True North Project, commissioned by the Calgary Phil- harmonic Orchestra, is a celebration of Canada’s multi-eth- nic society and its ongoing process of reconciliation with the indigenous community. In this celebration of diversity, artists from vastly different backgrounds are brought together to create a collaborative work for orchestra. The documenta- ry focuses on national identity and the idea of “home” in a country where 20 percent of the population is foreign-born. The film offers insights into the creative processes of artists from different cultural backgrounds and from different regions of Canada, as they work together towards a common

SANTA CRUZ FILM FESTIVAL 2018 25 24 SANTA CRUZ FILM FESTIVAL 2018 Stations .Gif: The Film Stim Shorts Program California Premiere World Premiere The BODY: Movement and Media SAT, OCT 6; 2:30 PM (COURTYARD THEATER)

Program: Body of Your Dreams, CUE JANE, Dance on Budapest with BANDALOOP, .Gif: The Film, Paloma, Stations, Stim An homage to a new visual dialect that has become a symbol of the virtual forms of communication and at the same time This Shorts Program features a collection of works that verge - due to its fascination with the fundamentals of the moving on the experimental. The human BODY is examined in A transistor radio serves as a conduit for messages from image - a memento of the birth of cinema. The continuous fragmented detail. It is built up and broken down; it is left out. beyond the grave. A kaleidoscope of recycled memories flow of disperse images works as a glimpse into the uncon- Thoughtful montage begs questions of comparison between ensues. scious of the visual consumer in the age of social media, while the use of film creates a dialogue between the digital figures: consider differences in ability and age. Popular media Stim is a short documentary film featuring Autistic people Directed by: Jane Terry and the analogue that crafts a new texture of the real. shapes our perception of the human body in ways that are telling in their own words what the act of “stimming” (self critical, dishonest, revelatory, and beautiful. Which body is Country: USA; Language: English; Genre: Experimental; Directed by: Jeff Zorrilla stimulatory, repetitive behaviors) means to them. Education privileged? Which body is valued? Runtime: 10 mins. programs often attempt to “extinguish” (limit or erase) stim- Country: Argentina; Language: Spanish; Genre: ming because it looks strange to the neurotypical eye and is Total Runtime: 84 mins. Filmmakers expected to attend Experimental; Runtime: 15 mins. considered a “deficit” or “symptom” of autism. Autistic adults Filmmakers expected to attend offer an alternative perspective: one that celebrates the many functions and joys of stimming, taking up the call of neurodi- Paloma versity instead of deficit. Open Captioned. Body of Your Dreams World Premiere Directed by: Marrok Sedgwick PALOMA tells the story of a woman Dance on Budapest with BANDALOOP Country: USA; Language: English; Genre: Experimental who has lost her creative self. In US Premiere Short; Runtime: 7 mins. present day, she is depressed and alone, combing through the deepest Filmmakers expected to attend and darkest parts of her memory in Student Short search of an answer for her loss. It will take an act of faith to allow Paloma to recognize that she is still the woman, dancer and mother she was always destined to be. CUE JANE Directed by: Sophia Conger California Premiere A short film exploring the ballet “A Body of your Dreams” by Country: USA; Language: Spanish; Myles Thatcher featuring the Joffrey ballet dancers. Using Genre: Narrative Short; Runtime: athletes in a gym setting the film looks at body issues and 16 mins. pop culture in conjunction. Filmmakers expected to attend Based in Oakland, California, BANDALOOP re-imagines dance, activates public spaces, and inspires wonder and Directed by: Quinn Wharton Student Short imagination in audiences around the world. Although it Country: USA; Language: English; Genre: Experimental; appears effortless, it’s a demanding process that requires tre- Runtime: 10 mins. mendous commitment, preparation, vision, and athleticism. Shot in collaboration with GoPro, we present a celebration of the human spirit.

Directed by: Daniel Sherer Country: Hungary, USA; Language: English; Genre: Documentary Short; Runtime: 10 mins. Failed to balance her acting career and taking care of her father who has Alzheimer’s, Jane Lee, a struggling mid- Filmmakers expected to attend dle-aged actress accidentally takes her father’s laxative pills

SANTA CRUZ FILM FESTIVAL 2018 27 26 SANTA CRUZ FILM FESTIVAL 2018 whose effect hits her when she is on the way to an important White Trash IN THE FURY! (If a Peacock Screams) Girasoles audition. US Premiere California Premiere Directed by: Qianzi Gao Country: USA; Language: English; Genre: Narrative Short; Runtime: 16 mins. Filmmakers expected to attend Student Short

Shorts Program On September 22nd, 2017, The US embassy in Havana was Alternative Cinema Cinematic Graffiti. A defacing of the image of normality the subject of a mysterious, untraceable ‘Acoustic Attack.’ The form of the sunflower divides our view of city life, juxta- FRI, OCT 5; 9:15 PM (CORRIDOR THEATER) sold to the public en masse. We manipulate these images to which resulted in permanent brain damage and total hearing posing three moments in time that create a dialogue with one express our visceral reaction as filmmakers and artists to the loss. To this day, the US government refuses to release details, another. Program: Girasoles, Hi-Five the Cactus, inauguration of Donald Trump as President of the United and the attack remains a mystery. Due to its inherent intan- IN THE FURY! (If a Peacock Screams), States, the disastrous yet logical conclusion of a system that gibility, one can only guess at the ultimate capabilities and Directed by: Jeff Zorrilla Mermaids and Rhinos, The Pattern, The Train, is finally imploding before our eyes. limitations of weaponized sound. Manic browser tab surfing, Country: Argentina; Genre: Experimental; Runtime: 6 mins. from fox news pundits to youtube vlogs to grainy sonic con- White Trash Directed by: Jeff Zorrilla spiracies of the past, triangulates an unknowable truth. Attack Filmmakers expected to attend Total Runtime: 57 mins Country: Argentina; Language: English; Genre: is a collage less concerned with reporting than with stalking Experimental; Runtime: 3 mins. the lingering paranoia provoked by sinister sonic invasions. Filmmakers expected to attend Directed by: john fireman Mermaids and Rhinos Country: USA; Language: English; Genre: Experimental; Hi-Five the Cactus Runtime: 13 mins. California Premiere A small desert town The Pattern suffers a devastatingly- disastrous-drought. The Train Their only hope is an old-cactus, for whom this story is about.

His selfless-sacrifice could keep the dusty-town alive. Eight-year-old Tilda’s memories of her family as surrealis- Let me introduce you to a tic visions come into life: the circus member ex-mermaid cactus named Hi-Five! grandmother, the erotically overheated mother and the disappeared father whose broken heart, anger and jealousy Directed by: Christopher Allan Thomas This short film is inspired by the real events pertaining to manifest as a rhino. The acts of present and the past are in the 1988 chemical attack of Halabja, Iraq. The film captures constant metamorphoses and transformation. The charac- Country: USA; Language: English; Genre: Animation; A person riding a flying bicycle in the sky , full of happiness. the last moments of a traditional rug being woven, as the ters overstep their own and the surrounding world’s physical Runtime: 9 mins. During the story we realize that he is running a geared seat rug weaver reflects on her feelings and what she has been borders. Tilda’s life is full of grotesque, bizarre characters which is running a monster factory mechanism. Gradually we through; although in reality not all the patterns in her mind hungry for love. The atmosphere of wistfulness, desire, realize he trapped in slavery’s cycle. have made it to the rug. passion and sorrow frame the story. Directed by: Javad Matouri Directed by: Azad Jannati Directed by: Viktória Traub Country: Islamic Republic of Iran; Genre: Animation; Country: Islamic Republic of Iran; Language: English; Runtime: 3 mins. Country: Hungary; Language: English; Genre: Animation; Genre: Animation; Runtime: 7 mins. Runtime: 16 mins.

SANTA CRUZ FILM FESTIVAL 2018 29 28 SANTA CRUZ FILM FESTIVAL 2018 Filled with memorable characters and top-notch perfor- The Further Adventures mances by Matthew Glave, Emily Bett Rickards and Jana Winternitz, FUNNY STORY teaches us about the destruc- of Walt’s Frozen Head COMEDY THU, OCT 4; 9:15 PM (HOTEL PARADOX BALLROOM) tive power of narcissism, the healing power of forgiveness, and our willingness to do karaoke after drinking enough SAT, OCT 6; 2:30 PM (CORRIDOR THEATER) tequila. A comedy about good people who do bad things. World Premiere A quirky comedy about The Ark of Disperata Find Me Directed by: Michael Gallagher the unlikely friendship SUN, OCT 7; 7:00 PM (COLLIGAN THEATER) SAT, OCT 6; 2:30 PM (COLLIGAN THEATER) between Peter, a low level Country: USA; Language: English; Genre: Narrative theme park employee, World Premiere Feature; Runtime: 85 mins. and the frozen head of Filmmakers expected to attend Walt Disney.

During his yearly thaw to oversee the direction of his SCREENS WITH: company and guard his cre- Juliet ative legacy, Walt demands to be allowed up to see his final California Premiere project, Walt Disney World. When management scoffs, he recruits Peter to kidnap him for a day in the Magic Kingdom. In a small godforsaken town in southern Italy called Disper- ata, Filippo, the melancholic mayor feels terribly inadequate Directed by: Benjamin Lancaster in fulfilling his duties. The only glimpse of light in the overall Country: USA; Language: English; Genre: Narrative gloom is his love for poetry and teaching literature to prison Feature; Runtime: 80 mins. inmates. That is where he meets Pati, a low-level criminal; both Pati and his brother Angiolino share the dream of Filmmakers expected to attend becoming Mafia bosses. Their encounter with art, however, An emotionally wounded accountant decides to break away changes everyone, and an unusual friendship among the from routine and find his missing friend, who has left clues for three, leads them to make courageous decisions. The life of SCREENS WITH: him of her whereabouts in National Parks across the West. shy Filippo has been turned upside-down for good and he One Small Step dives in head first, at last surrounded by a calm silence and Directed by: Tom Huang not by fears. This unusual relationship heralds a rebirth of the Country: USA; Language: English; Genre: Narrative small community of Disperata. Feature; Runtime: 102 mins. Juliet grew up under the strict rules set by her religious and tyrannical father. Locked inside and deprived of a normal life, ​ Directed by: Edoardo Winspeare Filmmakers expected to attend Juliet developed a secret love for the music video dancer Country: Italy; Language: Italian; Genre: Narrative Feature; Simon Jack. Juliet sees her quiet life turned upside down the Runtime: 110 mins. day Simon Jack appears in her room and convinces her to escape. Sponsored by the Dante Alighieri Society of Santa Cruz Funny Story FRI, OCT 5; 9:15 PM (COLLIGAN THEATER) Directed by: Yaelle Amar Country: USA; Language: English; Genre: Narrative Short; Runtime: 11 mins. Luna is a vibrant young Chinese American girl who dreams of becoming an astronaut. From the day she witnesses a rocket Filmmakers expected to attend launching into space on TV, Luna is driven to reach for the Student Short stars. In the big city, Luna lives with her loving father Chu, who supports her with a humble shoe repair business he runs out of his garage. As Luna grows up, she enters college, facing adversity of all kinds in pursuit of her dreams.

Directed by: Andrew Chesworth and Bobby Pontillas After years of being a neglectful father, a womanizing TV Country: China, USA; Language: Chinese, English; Genre: star decides to crash his estranged daughter’s vacation in Big Animation; Runtime: 8 mins. Sur. FUNNY STORY is a tragicomedy you never saw coming. Filmmakers expected to attend

SANTA CRUZ FILM FESTIVAL 2018 31 30 SANTA CRUZ FILM FESTIVAL 2018 Marisa in the Woods Original Sin Snaggletooth Sticks and Straw SAT, OCT 6; 4:45 PM (CORRIDOR THEATER) THU, OCT 4; 9:15 PM (COURTYARD THEATER) World Premiere World Premiere World Premiere All Mary-Alice wants is a puppy. But first needs to get something straight. Directed by: Colin Bishopp Country: USA; Language: English; Genre: Narrative Short; A disgruntled witch attempts to curse an unscrupulous Marisa feels that she is taking a backseat role in her own life. Runtime: 9 mins. broom repair shop owner who tries to swindle her when she brings him her defective broom. With nothing in the pipeline, no job or future, she puts herself Filmmakers expected to attend to one side to focus on supporting her best friend, Mina, Directed by: Gino Vincelli who’s inconsolable after breaking up with her boyfriend, Country: Canada; Language: English; Genre: Animation; Salvador. Marisa is lost in a jungle of other people’s drama An absurdist, Spanish-language rom com about a sexually while postponing hers. She wakens from this lethargy after an Runtime: 3 mins. frustrated woman, her uptight husband, and a freewheeling HILLBILLIES unexpected event completely overturns all her ideas and she artist who form an unlikely love triangle with unpredictable Student Short wanders through the streets of Madrid, until she is forced to results. face what is worrying her. Directed by: Jean Lee Directed by: Antonio Morales Country: Spain, USA; Language: Spanish; Genre: Narrative Night Journey Country: Spain; Language: Spanish; Genre: Narrative Feature; Runtime: 75 mins. Two young men Feature; Runtime: 83 mins. Filmmakers expected to attend discover the true meaning of friendship. SCREENS WITH: Directed by: David Marroquin Joe searches for a mysterious item that was left behind by Gloria Talks Funny Shorts Program Country: USA; an old friend when she recently moved away. She assists him Friday Night Laughs Language: throughout this little journey from the other end of a video FRI, OCT 5; 9:15 PM (COURTYARD THEATER) English; call on his phone. Songs are sung and whimsical adventure is Genre: Narrative Short; Runtime: 15 mins. Program: HILLBILLIES, Night Journey, had in this colorful musical tale!

Snaggletooth, Stand Up Santa Cruz, Sticks Directed by: James Myrick and Straw Country: USA; Language: English; Genre: Narrative Short; Runtime: 23 mins. Comedy with a kick. These films take risks as only indepen- Stand Up Santa Cruz dent film can. Filmmakers expected to attend World Premiere When struggling voice actress, Gloria, discovers her agent Santa Cruz/Monterey Local Work Three days in the life of a group failed to tell her that her claim-to-fame cartoon is being Total Runtime: 97 mins. of Santa Cruz comedians. remade, she sets her sights on reprising her role as the Directed by: Matt Kazee famous BioBoy. Country: USA; Language: English; Directed by: Kendall Goldberg Genre: Narrative Short; Runtime: 47 mins. Country: USA; Language: English; Genre: Narrative Short; Runtime: 18 mins. Santa Cruz/ Student Short Monterey Local Work

SANTA CRUZ FILM FESTIVAL 2018 33 32 SANTA CRUZ FILM FESTIVAL 2018 from winter to spring, the result is ruminative and close SCREENS WITH: to the ground. Pour 585 WORLD DOCUMENTARY Directed by: Kristy Guevara-Flanagan Country: USA; Language: English; Genre: Documentary Short; Runtime: 15 mins. 3100: Run and Become Balian (the Healer) Filmmakers expected to attend THU, OCT 4; 12:00 PM (COURTYARD THEATER) FRI, OCT 5; 4:45 PM (COLLIGAN THEATER) Santa Cruz/Monterey Local Work California Premiere SAT, OCT 6; 12:00 PM (CORRIDOR THEATER) California Premiere A film shot over 20 The Drinking Life years, SAT, OCT 6; 9:15 PM (CORRIDOR THEATER) BALIAN (The A timid character with a wine glass for a head grows larger Healer) than his numbered peers while participating in a prosaic cycle depicts the of pouring. rise and fall of a Directed by: Patrick Smith traditional Country: USA; Genre: Animation; Runtime: 5 mins. Balinese healer after What if running could lead to enlightenment? Follow a being ‘discovered’ by Western tourists. A fable of Finnish paperboy and a female Austrian cellist in their globalization that Alan Berliner calls ‘a magical portrait of a one-of-a-kind Indonesian trickster/healer...It’s funny, too.” attempt to complete the Self-Transcendence 3100 Miler – Fireland Dogs the world’s longest race. Their quests take viewers not only to Directed by: Daniel McGuire SUN, OCT 7; 2:30 PM (COLLIGAN THEATER) the heart of this astonishing event but to the ancient cultures Country: Indonesia; Genre: Documentary Feature; THE DRINKING LIFE focuses on a community of drinkers in US Premiere that have held running sacred for millennia. Runtime: 85 mins. an early-morning bar in Newfoundland. It is the first feature length documentary film from Canadian Screen Awards Directed by: Sanjay Rawal Filmmakers expected to attend nominee, Kenneth J Harvey. Country: USA; Language: English; Genre: Documentary Feature; Runtime: 80 mins. Billy: “I was born in a house of prostitution... Did that grab SCREENS WITH: you?” The End of Weed Naomi: “I met him when I was eleven. He was in jail. He killed SCREENS WITH: my mother. I was only a year old.” Cry of the Loon Mick: “Why do I drink? I told you, to forget things in the past.” In Tierra del Fuego (Fireland) feral dog-packs have been attacking the island’s economic mainstay- sheep-flocks- and World Premiere Gerry: “I had a stroke. The stroke didn’t take a feather out of Set in the lake country of are affecting wildlife and the general ecological balance. The me. It didn’t change me. Unless a stroke can cause cancer.” Northern Minnesota, Cry origin of the problem: urban dwellers abandoning their pets. of the Loon is an elegy to Directed by: Kenneth J Harvey Thus ‘man’s best friend’ becomes a growing menace, now the filmmaker’s threatening man himself- who doesn’t seem to find answers Country: Canada; Language: English; Genre: Documentary grandfather, a lyrical to the serious imbalances he himself has created. mediation on life, death, Feature; Runtime: 72 mins. and the beauty of the Directed by: Juan Dickinson natural world. Country: Argentina; Language: Spanish; Genre: Directed by: Kai Carlson- Documentary Feature; Runtime: 67 mins. Wee Set amidst the rugged mountains of Northern California, Filmmakers expected to attend Country: USA; THE END OF WEED, is a short homage to a passing Cali- Language: English; fornia way of life, that of the independent dope grower. Genre: Experimental; Runtime: 4 mins. Fires, heavy rains, and endless physical toil fill the days of the small grower over the agrarian year in which filmmak- Filmmakers expected to attend er and farmer document his crop. Spanning backwards

SANTA CRUZ FILM FESTIVAL 2018 35 34 SANTA CRUZ FILM FESTIVAL 2018 Float Monger Ritoma marriage back to the barn. But when the farm’s owner, SAT, OCT 6; 7:00 PM (CORRIDOR THEATER) FRI, OCT 5; 12:00 PM (COURTYARD THEATER) FRI, OCT 5; 7:00 PM (COURTYARD THEATER) Brian Johnson, falls ill, he and his family face a heartbreak- ing decision. SUN, OCT 7; 12:00 PM (COLLIGAN THEATER) SAT, OCT 6; 9:15 PM (COLLIGAN THEATER) California Premiere World Premiere Directed by: Clay Haskell Country: USA; Language: English; Genre: Documentary Short; Runtime: 18 mins. Filmmakers expected to attend

Rodents of Unusual Size SAT, OCT 6; 7:00 PM (COURTYARD THEATER) A story about giant An explosive look at the lives of three men who take part swamp rats invading Follows several years-in-the-life of one of the few remaining, in the world of sexual tourism in Buenos Aires that gives an coastal Louisiana and all-volunteer, ‘self-built’ Rose Parade float crews. insight into the motivations and attitudes that fuel the sex the defiant people on trade and the reactionary wave of global misogyny that has the edge of the world, As tradition and modernity collide high on the Tibetan Directed by: Karl Preusser reached a boiling point. who are defending plateau, the nomads of Ritoma have a new passion — bas- Country: USA; Language: English; Genre: Documentary their communities, ketball. Leaving their old way of life behind, they battle to Feature; Runtime: 100 mins. Directed by: Jeff Zorrilla culture, and keep their culture alive while embracing the modern world. Country: Argentina; Language: English, Spanish; Genre: livelihoods from the Filmmakers expected to attend Documentary Feature; Runtime: 72 mins. onslaught of this When they play against former professional players from the curious and US and other Tibetan teams in their region’s first tourna- unexpected invasive ment, will their team win? species SCREENS WITH: Directed by: Quinn Directed by: Ruby Yang Costello, Chris Difference Country: Hong Kong; Language: Tibetan; Genre: Metzler & Jeff US Premiere Documentary Feature; Runtime: 57 mins. Springer A few young men Country: USA; Language: English; Genre: Documentary are in a very weird Filmmakers expected to attend Feature; Runtime: 71 mins. situation with each other, insofar as Filmmakers expected to attend each one does not SCREENS WITH: see the other one and denies his Last Dance at Johnson’s Barn existence. Directed by: Ali Asadollahi Country: Islamic Republic of Iran; Language: Persian; Genre: Narrative Short; Runtime: 14 mins.

Since 1952, generations of North Dakota families have attended dances at Johnson’s Barn. The barn is an icon on the prairie - so integral to the community fabric that scarcely a family in the region can’t trace a courtship or

SANTA CRUZ FILM FESTIVAL 2018 37 36 SANTA CRUZ FILM FESTIVAL 2018 Thy Kingdom Come Shorts Program Portraits of Life on Earth WORLD NARRATIVE SAT, OCT 6; 12:00 PM (COURTYARD THEATER)

Program: Cycle - Kreislauf, Life Here, Following the events happening to them, their lives undergo Thy Kingdom Come Barbara FRI, OCT 5; 7:00 PM (CORRIDOR THEATER) changes. Total Runtime: 95 mins Directed by: SATTAR CHAMANI GOL Thy Kingdom Come is a unique and deeply personal ren- Country: Islamic Republic of Iran; Language: Persian; dering of life in small-town Oklahoma. An unknown priest, Genre: Narrative Feature; Runtime: 95 mins. Life Here whom townspeople seem to be awaiting, suddenly enters their lives. A dying cancer patient confesses that she’s grown World Premiere mad at God, a Ku Klux Klansman that he’s hoping for re- demption, an expectant father that he’s afraid for the future Leaf of Life of his child. THU, OCT 4; 9:15 PM (CORRIDOR THEATER) FRI, OCT 5; 2:30 PM (COLLIGAN PLAZA THEATER) Directed by: Eugene Richards US Premiere Country: USA; Language: English; Genre: Narrative Short; Runtime: 42 mins.

An actress, Brigitte, is preparing to play famous French song- stress, Barbara in a new film. Brigitte works on her character, Cycle - Kreislauf studying Barbara’s voice, her songs, gestures,and the way she here life still floats; World Premiere carried herself. Eventually, the character of Barbara starts to colored and pleasant. take her over. As things progress, Yves, the director, becomes here, despite basic amenities infatuated with her- but does his infatuation lie with Brigitte There is smile, air, life, & a school. the actress, or Barbara? here you can breathe as deep as life itself. you can stare ahead for hours. Directed by: Mathieu Amalric here one can study and fulfill dreams Country: France; Language: French; Genre: Narrative a sacrificing teacher would walk miles to arrive in Feature; Runtime: 98 mins. The story of a documentary filmmaker who wants to make a a small school. film about the dangers facing the growth of Saffron in Iran. a school with four students with the least facilities the teacher with only a few months left to be retired, Directed by: Ebrahim Mokhtari still has a passion to teach Country: Islamic Republic of Iran; Language: Persian; he has realized one of his students has great dreams GOLNESA Genre: Narrative Feature; Runtime: 84 mins. THU, OCT 4; 12:00 PM (CORRIDOR THEATER) So he decides to step forward to help her fulfill that dream An avant gardist visual poem on nature, civilization and decay, set to music by Beethoven and Ravel. Directed by: Hossein Fatemian Country: Islamic Republic of Iran; Language: Persian; Directed by: Alexander Tuschinski Genre: Documentary Short; Runtime: 27 mins. Country: Germany; Genre: Experimental; Runtime: Filmmakers expected to attend 26 mins. Filmmakers expected to attend

Golmammad and Golnesa, a young Afghan couple, are illegal immigrants who are working in a traditional brick making kiln.

SANTA CRUZ FILM FESTIVAL 2018 39 38 SANTA CRUZ FILM FESTIVAL 2018 Three and a Half The Undecided SCREENS WITH: THU, OCT 4; 4:45 PM (CORRIDOR THEATER) US Premiere Chakham Shorts Program US Premiere A Crucial Connection SAT, OCT 6; 4:45 PM (COURTYARD THEATER)

Program: A Snow Day in April, BLiP, Guardian (2018), Man’s Best Friend, Whoever Was Using This Bed Total Runtime: 92 mins.

The story of one house in three different eras. Where 50 years ago it was divided between a school and an apartment, in which a young boy struggles with the pressures of pre-pu- Whoever Was Using This Bed bescent school life, coupled with being compelled to share a tiny room with his paralysed, disconsolate grandfather. Who in turn has devious plans for the child’s 12th birthday Bahuchithawadiya (The Undecided) explores the life of This film is about the Korean social atmosphere and struc- which happens to fall on a leap year. The same building 20 Sasitha (protagonist), 27, who is the only delivery person ture which forces us to be good natured. The film reveals years later becomes home to a brothel, where a young unex- employed by Giftnet, an Internet based business which how I felt in Korea while living and working, sometimes I had ploited concubine is dealing with her self-proclaimed “- accepts gift orders from customers living outside Sri Lanka. to give up to raise my voice and sacrifice myself to pretend to first” client who has a strange inability to fulfil his physical Like most youth living in a peripheral region of global cap- be good people, as many Korean young generation did. We desire unless obligated to the duress of a transaction to do italism Sasitha is faced with economic pressures, irrational were taught to be obedient, follow the rules, which makes us so. Now, 30 years later these same walls surround a sublime sexual relations and a sense of social alienation. Driven by the powerless. I hope my work could get sympathy from Korean home which belongs to a soul-stirring 75 year old couple who dream of achieving a materialistically better life, Sasitha sees young people and also make us them to think about their love, laugh and dance together. They whisper the secrets migrating ‘abroad’ as the only way out. He rides a motorbike feeling and status. of time forgone and seemed to have overcome the undying daily in the city of Colombo delivering packages door to door Directed by: Yoon su Lee need for love and escape which seems to have plagued the and develops relationships with several of the lonely women inhabitants of this house in the past. he happens to meet on the job. Sasitha is fascinated by the Country: Republic of Korea, USA; Language: English; recipients of these gifts – gifts that are sent from spouses or Genre: Experimental; Runtime: 3 mins. A married couple is woken in the dead of night by a mys- The film has been shot in three long takes and a ‘half-take’ at family members living abroad. His spare time is spent on the Student Short terious phone call. Unable to sleep, they are drawn into an the end, which exhibits the house under renovation, symbol- office computer when his boss isn’t looking, in the company unsettling examination of their fears and desires. Based on izing the emergence of new stories and the inevitable nature of females befriended on Facebook and Skype. Seeing each a story by Raymond Carver (Birdman), WHOEVER WAS of change in time. “relationship” as a potential asset in his many schemes to reach greener pastures, Sasitha picks Sri Lankan women living USING THIS BED is a multi-award winning short psycho- abroad as his virtual friends. Among them are several women logical drama starring Jean-Marc Barr (The Big Blue), Radha The story is narrated from the perspective of the walls of who have migrated as domestic workers to the Gulf region. Mitchell (Man on Fire) and Jane Birkin (Blow Up). the house, which are witness to all the struggles and success His efforts though desperate, at times seem halfhearted. which encompass human life. The walls do not blink, they Directed by: Andrew Kotatko When nothing works out, Sasitha struggles to find some are not stirred, and their omnipresence is one of the defining ephemeral solace in exploring virtual sexual life. The sur- Country: Australia; Language: English; Genre: Narrative reasons for the treatment of the long take. rounding socio-political structures seem increasingly bleak. Short; Runtime: 20 mins. Directed by: Dar Gai (Daria Gaikalova) He loses his job and with it his motorcycle. When his real and virtual relationships cross and his plans come crashing down, Country: India; Language: English, Hindi, Marathi; Genre: Narrative Feature; Runtime: 119 mins. Sasitha returns to cyber space and surfs the net in search of new relationships.

Directed by: Malaka Country: Sri Lanka; Genre: Narrative Feature; Runtime: 90 mins.

SANTA CRUZ FILM FESTIVAL 2018 41 40 SANTA CRUZ FILM FESTIVAL 2018 BLiP Man’s Best Friend Sunflower Soup Guardian (2018) World Premiere

A relapsed alcoholic in a post-pandemic world experiences the visions of his late wife and daughter and attempts to pave a lifestyle with whatever seems to be left. Man’s Best Friend is the story of a lonely software engineer Directed by: Marissa A. Martinez named Martin, who lives life through his smartphone. That is, Manuel (Carlos Flores, Jr) is a gay Latino teen who lacks until a rebellious dog walker interrupts his pattern of avoid- Country: USA; Language: English; Genre: Narrative Short; guidance and support. Even though his mother, Anna ance. It poses the question: is “app culture” really making life Runtime: 10 mins. (Virginia Blanco) deeply cares for him, she is only able to convenient or is it making us passive and alone? Filmmakers expected to attend prove and instill her love through video tapes made from afar. Keeping his sexuality and boyfriend (Connery Morano) Georgia spends her days battling her own demons, until she Directed by: Natasha Blass & Alex Mallonee Santa Cruz/Monterey Local Work a secret from his homophobic father (Roy Manzanares), accidentally wakes a discarded cardboard robot whose needs Country: USA; Language: English; Genre: Narrative Short; Manuel must decide the life he wants to live or end. outweigh her own. As she promises to return it home, BLiP Runtime: 11 mins. becomes her guide on a journey she’s reluctant to take, but Directed by: Nicolas Jara one guaranteed to leave her changed. Filmmakers expected to attend Country: USA; Language: English, Spanish; Genre: Directed by: Cheryl Isaacson Narrative Short; Runtime: 15 mins. Country: USA; Language: English; Genre: Narrative Short; Student Short Runtime: 14 mins. A Snow Day in April Filmmakers expected to attend

A biology graduate student confronts anxiety and grief as her father is about to go into dangerous surgery on the opposite coast of the country.

Directed by: Capri Kuliopulos Country: USA; Language: English; Genre: Narrative Short; Runtime: 13 mins. Filmmakers expected to attend Santa Cruz/Monterey Local Work Student Work

SANTA CRUZ FILM FESTIVAL 2018 43 42 SANTA CRUZ FILM FESTIVAL 2018 FELTON ► INDEX ◄ DOWNTOWN RIVER STREET SANTACRUZ PARKING DIGITAL MEDIA & CREATIVE ARTS CENTER See reverse side for Studio Directory COURTYARD .Gif: The Film ...... 26 Homo Feminus ...... 23 Snaggletooth ...... 33 THEATER THEATER 1060 #ICANTKEEPQUIET . . . . . 17 I Am Maris ...... 18 Stand Up Santa Cruz 33 PLAZA RADIUS 3100: Run and Become 34 I Can Only Be Mary Lane 19 Stations 26 GALLERY1050 CORRIDOR THEATER A Snow Day in April ...... 42 IN THE FURY! Sticks and Straw 33 COLLIGAN Afghan Cycles 18 (If a Peacock Screams) 29 Stim 27 THEATER AMERICAN RELAPSE 12 Inclusion On the Air . . . . . 15 STROOP - Journey into AT CAPACITY 12 Industrial Accident: The Story the Rhino Horn War 14 Balian (the Healer) 34 of Wax Trax! Records . . . . 23 Sunflower Soup ...... 43 Barbara ...... 39 Inner Beauty with Lamura Latae 18 Tell Me Something 24 ARTIST HOUSING BLiP 42 Juliet ...... 31 The Ark of Disperata 30 Body of Your Dreams 26 Last Dance at Johnson’s Barn 37 The Beaver Believers 14 Build Ramps Not Walls 16 Leaf of Life ...... 39 The Drinking Life ...... 35 Burning Van 12 Life Here ...... 38 The End of Weed ...... 34 ARTIST HOUSING SAN LORENZO RIVER Calm before... The Rising Storm 23 Lotte that Silhouette Girl 20 The Further Adventures Chakham ...... 41 Making Waves: Rebirth of of Walt’s Frozen Head . . . . 31 Coalesce: A City Composed . . 22 the Golden Rule 16 The Pattern ...... 28 Cry of the Loon ...... 34 Man’s Best Friend ...... 42 The Train ...... 29 SANTACRUZ CUE JANE ...... 27 Marisa in the Woods 32 The True North Project 24 artspace Cycle – Kreislauf 38 Mermaids and Rhinos . . . . . 29 The Undecided ...... 40 Courtyard and Corridor theaters use the 500 feet to Colligan Theater Dance on Budapest Monger ...... 36 Three and a Half 40 East end of campus parking lot and additional parking on the with BANDALOOP . . . . . 27 Music in May ...... 16 Thy Kingdom Come ...... 38 ... ENTRANCE ENTRANCE ENTRANCE west side of the TAC campus [ Dark Money 13 Nellie Bly Makes the News 21 UMUNHUM ...... 14 ___ T T T____ ► 101 Difference 36 Night Journey 33 UP TO SNUFF 25 Corridor Theater I Bistro 128 Elizabeth Sees 22 One Small Step ...... 31 White Trash 28 102 111 One Twelve 112 tit 127 Find Me 30 Original Sin ...... 32 Whoever Was Using This Bed 41 ....,.. L Radius Gallery Fireland Dogs ...... 35 Paloma ...... 26 Worlds of Ursula K. Le Guin . . 20 103 Festival Hub Float ...... 36 Poco a Poco 20 C er:: 124 <( Freedom Fighters ...... 15 Pour 585 35 126 125 104 > w Courtyard Theater I-­ u From the Ripple Tank 22 Pursuing the Monarchs 13 er:: ::::> Funny Story ...... 30 RISE: 105 11 0 ◄ 0 Girasoles ...... 29 The Story of Augustines . . . 23 u 106 Gloria Talks Funny 32 Ritoma ...... 37 GOLNESA ...... 39 Rodents of Unusual Size . . . . 37 109 � 107 108 ,}T-:B GOSHEN 13 SANTA INOCENCIA . . . . . 24 Guardian (2018) 43 Saving the Dark ...... 14 SANTA� Hi-Five the Cactus 28 Seen/UnSeen: Filmmaker ... Lounge CRUJ HILLBILLIES ...... 33 Stories into Creativity . . . . 25 Hotel Paradox Ballroom ENTRANCE FllM� Holy Week: The Story of She is the ocean ...... 20 Opening night party, 10/3 at 8PM FESTIVAL the 2016 Sacred Peace Walk . 17 Si-G 21 Closing night party, 10/4 at 8PM RIVER STREET 611 Ocean St (1 mile south) 44 SANTA CRUZ FILM FESTIVAL 2018 TANNERY ARTS CENTER TANNERY ARTS CENTER Every Thu, Oct 4 Fri, Oct 5 Sat, Oct 6 Sun, Oct 7 Every Day COLLIGAN THEATER COLLIGAN THEATER Day

RADIUS 12:00 Goshen American Relapse 12:00 At Capacity Float RADIUS GALLERY 2:30 2:30 GALLERY BAR Saving the Dark Leaf of Life Find Me Fireland Dogs BAR 4:45 The Beaver Believers Balian (the Healer) 4:45 Worlds of Ursula K. Le Guin I Can Only Be Mary Lane 11:00am 11:00am STROOP - Industrial Accident: to 6:00pm 7:00 Coalesce: A City Composed Journey into the Rhino Horn War 7:00 The Story of Wax Trax! Records The Ark of Disperata to 6:00pm Open for 9:15 Up to Snuff Funny Story 9:15 Monger Open for festival CORRIDOR THEATER CORRIDOR THEATER festival passes/ passes/ 12:00 Golnesa The Beaver Believers 12:00 Balian (the Healer) Worlds of Ursula K. Le Guin tickets/ tickets/ The Further Adventures Shorts Program: info 2:30 Santa Inocencia The True North Project 2:30 of Walt’s Frozen Head Claiming Power, Transforming Culture info 4:45 Three and a Half She is the Ocean 4:45 Marisa in the Woods The Undecided 7:00 Afghan Cycles Barbara 7:00 Float 9:15 Leaf of Life Alternative Cinema 9:15 The Drinking Life COURTYARD THEATER COURTYARD THEATER

Shorts Program: Industrial Accident: 12:00 3100: Run and Become Monger 12:00 Portraits of Life on Earth The Story of Wax Trax! Records Shorts Program: Shorts Program: Wed, 2:30 2:30 Oct 3 Pursuing the Monarchs Up to Snuff The BODY: Movement and Media Increase the Peace Shorts Program: COLLIGAN 4:45 From the Ripple Tank Afghan Cycles 4:45 A Crucial Connection I Am Maris THEATER 7:00 She is the Ocean Ritoma 7:00 Rodents of Unusual Size Shorts Program: 6:00 9:15 Original Sin Friday Night Laughs 9:15 RISE: The Story of Augustines RADIUS GALLERY RADIUS GALLERY

Dark 4:45 Filmmaker Happy Hour Filmmaker Happy Hour 4:45 Filmmaker Happy Hour Dante Society Mixer Money 7:00 SFFilm mixer Local restaurant mixer 7:00 UCSC Arts Mixer

HOTEL HOTEL PARADOX PARADOX 12:00 Dark Money 2:30 At Capacity 8:00 STROOP - 4:45 Journey into the Rhino Horn War HOTEL PARADOX 7:00 American Relapse 8:00 Closing Party Opening Further Adventures Awards Party 9:15 of Walt’s Frozen Head 9:15 Ceremony

Board of Directors Thank you to our sponsors Bella Babot Angela Chesnut James Duisenberg Carolyn Hyatt Catherine Segurson Toby Thierman

Staff Catherine Segurson: Director Logan Walker: Programmer James Duisenberg: Technical Director Melin Obinata: Assistant Programmer Ankor Fanoe: Volunteer Coordinator, Print Traffic Kathleen Post: Marketing Matthew Galvin: Publicity Steven Richmond: Publicity Rebecca Campbell: Hospitality Liaison Capri Kuliopulos: Festival Intern Nikki Ryeo: Festival Intern

Executive Producers Bud and Rebecca Colligan Ed Hamdy George Newell Nion McEvoy

50 SANTA CRUZ FILM FESTIVAL 2018 Making a film?

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SFFILM provides significant financial and creative resources to independent filmmakers from all over the world.

As of 2018, SFFILM grants more than $1 million annually to narrative and documentary feature projects in all stages of production.

Get in on the opportunities at SFFILM.ORG/MAKERS