2010 Atlanta Film Festival: Day Seven

Only one of the films really stood out, but thankfully there were no misfires either. This is shaping up to be one of the best year's in festival history.

CUTUD: The Crossing (Scott Wurth) ***

Here is another festival documentary with a religious theme. It follows a group in the Philippines who re-enact the crucifixion of Christ. And it's not a magic show with a bunch of fancy tricks. These people actually get nailed to the cross. Wurth's intense and shocking film explores the individuals involved in these ceremonies, the commercialization of the event and the natural controversies that ensue.

The movie explores the history of the event and how the local government has had changing opinions about it. They discuss some of the rivalries, particularly over who gets to be on center cross. Some of the best parts involve the reasons certain individuals participate. For example, Ruben is a man who survived a fall from the third floor of a building and now feels he owes it to God for saving him. Another man is recovered from a drug habit and wants to prove to God that he is truly reformed.

The film builds to the climactic moments where we see the participants nailed to the cross. It is as disturbing and shocking as you'd expect it to be, but also a revealing testament to what people will do if they strongly believe in something. If there's a problem here, the film is too short. At only 42 minutes, the film doesn't have enough time to explore the many subplots and controversies it brings up. It certainly held my interest, but left me wanting more.

Handsome Harry (Bette Gordon) ***

Another Pink Peach selection, Handsome Harry is a surprisingly laid back film considering the nature of the plot. It's about a Vietnam vet named Harry (Jamey Sheridan) who gets a call from dying former war buddy Tom Kelly (Steve Buscemi). Tom wants to make amends for something they both did to a fellow soldier (Campbell Scott). It quickly becomes clear (especially since we know it's a Pink Peach film) that they beat this person up because he was gay.

The film follows the structure of a road trip movie as Harry travels to meet the other members of the unit that were involved in the beating, finding that they have all gone in wildly different direction and have varying opinions about the actions they took. The structure is just a little too neat. The story goes from A to B to C in a rather ordinary fashion and I wish they had dispensed with some ill-advised subplots, like Harry's dalliance with the wife of one of his former buddies.

The best thing about the film is the nuanced acting by both Jamey Sheridan and Campbell Scott. This movie doesn't to the grand melodrama that the backstory would seem to suggest. There are only a handful of scenes between the two characters, but they are all a fine example of exquisite acting. It's nice to see both a director and actors have enough confidence in the material that they don't need to overplay everything. They bring the film to a wonderfully bittersweet ending.

The Eyes of Me (Keith Maitland) ***

The Eyes of Me is a documentary that follows a year in the life of four high school students. that's certainly nothing new for a documentary, but the difference here is that all four students are blind and they are attending the Texas School for the Blind. Keith Maitland's film is an interesting exploration of how different people cope with this problem.

Certanly the student that will get the most attention is Chas, a Senior who lives in his own apartment and struggles both with schoolwork and paying his bills. He has a dream of being a rapper and is so dedicated that he will run a really long cord outside his apartment to steal electricity for his computer. He's a compelling figure that definitely has ups and downs during his senior year.

The two female students, Meghan and Denise, are also very interesting, providing a strong emotional arc to the film. The one student who doesn't come across well is Isaac, who is not very likeable as portrayed in the film. Whenever he was on screen, I was looking forward to the film switching back to one of the other kids. It's not a perfect documentary, but Maitland does a number of things right (including some incredibly well done animated interludes) that make this a winning documentary.

8: The Mormon Proposition (Reed Cowan) ***1/2

 

 

 

Last year's opening night film was a politically themed documentary based on the writings of Howard Zinn. Zinn narrated the film and had an ill-advised blunt opening sequence about modern politics that probably lost alot of the audience wasn't already on his side. Well, I'm glad to report that 8: The Mormon Proposition is a politically themed documentary that avoids this mistake by focusing on a more emotional appeal.

Reed Cowan's film is about the battle over Proposition 8 in the 2008 California election, where the state was voting on whether to ban same sex marriage. Going in, I expected the film to take a direct harsh attack on the Mormon church for its policies and there is certainly some of that, but what makes this film so good is the decision to focus on one gay couple and their emotional appeal to be accepted and allowed to marry.

By doing this, Cowan makes an argument that will be more successful in reaching out to those on the fence. The film opens with their marriage and shows just how important that is to them. It's hard for even the most cold hearted person to not be somewhat touched by their enthusiasm and love for one another. Their are several attacks against the Mormon church of course, some of them more successful than others, but this film finds its true power in the simple story of two memorable people in love fighting a society that says they shouldn't be.

The Square (Nash Edgerton) ***

Nash Edgerton's The Square is preceded by one of his earlier short films called Spider (which will also be the case in the theatrical release). which does a great job of getting the audience ready for his dark sense of humor. This is one of the chief pleasures of The Square, a film noir with some fairly standard elements that is elevated by Edgerton's artistry.

Raymond Yale (David Roberts) is a married man having an affair with Carla (Claire van der Boom), who is also married. Carla notices her husband has some money stashed in the attic and hatches a plan with Raymond to steal the money and have the house burned down so her husband will think the cash was lost in the fire. It doesn't go as smoothly as hoped and they must now deal with the consequences as their lives begin to spin out of control.

One of the pleasures of flms like this is watching the perfect plan foiled piece by piece. But Edgerton adds some really twisted humor in this film, especially during a scene where a dog is swimming to meet another dog. This makes it more interesting than your standard film noir. The only complaint here is that Edgerton lets come scene run too long and includes scenes that should have been excised altogether. The pacing is problematic at times, especially during the middle section. Still, it's a stylish, darkly funny movie that is a strong start for a filmmaker that seems to have a bright future.

2010 Atlanta Film Festival: Day Six

The festival had a slow start, but the past few days have been really strong and for the most part today continued that trend...

The Battle of Pussy Willow Creek (Wendy Jo Cohen) ***

The Battle of Pussy Willow Creek is one of the lost stories of the civil war. Six hundred union soldiers defended against a Confederate army of over three thousand. They were successful at preventing a planned invasion of Washington D.C. Unfortunately, this story was hushed up by both sides because they didn’t want it getting out that the union army was led by a gay colonel, an elderly Chinese immigrant, a one-armed prostitute, and a nerdy escaped slave.  Wendy Jo Cohen’s movie finally sheds light on this incredibly important battle.

Of course, this is all made up. It’s actually a mockumentary and it’s certainly a fun one at that. The story is played out like a Ken Burns documentary and the funniest part of the movie is that the director really nails the Ken Burns style. She uses a self serious narrator to take us through the events, supported by interview segments with various talking heads (historians, scholars, relatives) and utilizes voiceovers to read the letters written by the participants. When sticking to this general concept, the movie contains some really funny deadpan humor.

Unfortunately, the director felt the need to amp up the humor and the film gets increasingly silly in the second half. Some of the actors playing the historians start to act out instead of playing it straight. One of the interview segments is on a street corner with some prostitutes. And yet another interview segment shows a naked man in the background. The event itself is already silly and treating it seriously was what made it funny.  Adding silliness on top of that makes the film lose its balance. It’s still funny enough for me to consider it a good film, but it could have been so much more if the director had more confidence to see her vision through to the end.

The Things We Carry (Ian McCrudden) **1/2

The Things We Carry is such a well-intentioned film and feels so personal for the filmmakers that it pains me to say it is just not very good. It follows the story of a young woman who is returning home after her mother’s death. This forces her to reconnect with her estranged sister, who stayed in their hometown to look after their mother. The two work out their differences as they try to track down an item left for them by their mother’s junkie friend.

When focusing on the relationship between the two sisters, the movie does have some merit. The film was developed by two sisters (Alyssa Lobit is the writer and star, Athena Lobit is the producer) and they seem to understand how to authentically portray a sibling relationship. The acting between the two leads (Catherine Kresge plays the other sister) is good enough. It’s when focusing on other aspects of the story that the film falls apart.

The drug subplot is a real problem here. One of the junkie friends (played by Johnny Whitworth) seems to have importance at the beginning of the film, but gets almost completely cut out of the third act for seemingly no reason. The constant flashbacks to memories of their mother are also not handled well, trying to find a balance between how sweet she could be and how her drug addiction caused pain, but mostly just straining credibility. The plot device of having them bond while trying to find this mysterious box is a bit too transparent and creates an unnecessary “big moment” at the end, which seems completely out of place for this film. Less plot devices and more scenes of the two sisters trying to reconnect in a natural setting would have gone a long way toward making this a good movie.

American Jihadist (Mark Claywell) ***

Interesting documentary about Isa Abdullah Ali, an African-American Muslim who is strongly committed to his cause and not afraid of letting anyone know it. This film brings to mind last year’s festival selection American Fugitive: The Truth About Hassan. The major difference here is Ali is walking free, despite a history of taking up arms in defense of his religion.  American Jihadist talks about his life and the decisions that led him to where he is today.

Ali isn’t your typical Muslim extremist. He feels as if he is fighting for the downtrodden and will go to many places around the world to carry on that fight. The most interesting is when he moves to Bosnia because the government has taken action against Muslims. Claywell is able to get footage of Ali and his family in Bosnia, where they appear to be very happy and fit in perfectly. He gets candid with Ali and his family, no one seemingly worried about how their frank comments could get them in trouble.  

The drawback to the film is that it skips over some important aspects of the story. There’s footage of an interview with the US Secretary of Defense, who says that Ali will be arrested if found. Yet the movie mentions that Ali turns himself in at one point and is immediately released. There’s very little explanation for either why Ali decided to turn himself in or why the US let him go. But this is still an interesting look at the life of a man who passionately believes in something and is surprisingly content with his life.  

Documentary Shorts 2

 

Born Sweet (Cynthia Wade) ***1/2

This 28 minute short (pictured above) tells us about a poor Cambodian village where in the past aid groups dug wells for the citizens, not knowing that they were tapping into arsenic deposits. The result is a town fraught with arsenic poisoning. The film focuses on a specific person, 15 year old Vinh Voeurn, who dreams of being a karaoke star. In the midst of an extremely sad situation, this wonderful film finds hope with a winning conclusion.

No Excuses (Whitney Trower, Michele Richardson) ***

Kyle Maynard is a congenital amputee who owns a gym called No Excuses Athletics. This documentary is only three minutes long and seems mostly designed to shock the audience by showing Maynard’s private workout routine, including an amazing shot of him doing pull ups. He’s an inspirational person, but we barely learn anything about him. He’s certainly interesting enough to deserve more time devoted to him than this.

Pax (Sarah Harvey) ***1/2

This is such a sweet story that it almost feels too good to be true. Sgt. Bill Campbell is an Iraq war veteran on disability due to traumatic brain injury. Through a program called Puppies Behind Bars, he is given a trained dog (named Pax) to help him recover from the trauma. The film documents Bill’s visit to the prison where he meets Laurie, the woman who trained Pax. This is an incredibly moving film that would probably get too sappy if it was any longer, but is just right at 22 minutes.  

Woman Rebel (Kiran Deol) ***1/2

At 37 minutes this is one of the longer shorts at the festival and it tells a pretty remarkable story. Silu is a female soldier fighting as part of the revolutionary army in Nepal, a struggle which went on for more than 10 years. The movie shows what happens when the revolutionaries and the government come to the peace table. Silu ends up running for office and is elected to parliament. It’s a powerful testament to what can happen when people put guns down and seek peaceful solutions.

Cold Weather (Aaron Katz) ****

The day closes with one of the best films of this year's festival. Earlier I wrote about Kentucker Audley’s Open Five and how it fit into the mumblecore genre. Well, Aaron Katz has done something very interesting here by taking the style of mumblecore and infusing it with a mystery premise. The result is a startlingly original movie with a surprising amount of depth and is an outstanding example of independent filmmaking.

Doug (Cris Lankenau) recently dropped out of a forensic science program at college and moved back home to live with his sister Gail (Trieste Kelly Dunn). He gets a blue collar job where he makes friends with Carlos (Raul Castillo) over their shared enjoyment of Sherlock Holmes novels. When Doug’s ex-girlfriend Rachel (Robyn Rikoon) fails to show up for a date with Carlos, they begin to get worried and start to investigate her disappearance.

Director Aaron Katz creates some fantastic moments precisely because of what he chooses not to do. There is a sequence that revolves around the need to steal a briefcase in a diner, but Katz only shows us the perspective from outside as we see the getaway car waiting. But this is no ordinary suspense film. The mystery is just a backdrop to explore the relationships between the four leads and the wonderfully natural performances from the cast go a long way toward making this work. Katz has made a wonderful film filled with low-key humor, suspenseful moments, and complex relationships.

2010 Atlanta Film Festival: Day 5

The festival awards ceremony was held the night before. Films that were in competition were eligible for awards in different categories such as Narrative Feature, Documentary Feature, and various awards for shorts voted on by jury members specifically picked for those categories. Here are this year's winners...

Feature Length

Narrative Feature: Putty Hill (Matt Porterfield)
Documentary Feature: Family Affair (Chico Colvard)
Pink Peach Feature: 8: The Mormon Proposition (Reed Cowan)

Shorts

Narrative Short: Firstborn (Etienne Kallos)
Narrative Short Hon Mention: Ana's Playground (Eric D. Howell)
Documentary Short: Born Sweet (Cynthia Wade)
Documentary Short Hon Mention: Woman Rebel (Kiran Deol)
Animated Short: The Machine (Rob Shaw)
Animated Short Hon Mention: Prayers for Peace (Dustin Grella)
Pink Peach Short: Curious Thing (Alain Hain)

There will also be an audience award announced at the end of the festival. I'll also be handing out my awards when I write my festival wrap up. Now on to today's reviews...

Putty Hill (Matt Porterfield) ***1/2

The first film I see after the awards announcement happens to be the jury winner for Best Narrative Feature. It's easy to see what the jury liked about this movie. There is some really good filmmaking going on here. Putty Hill dissects the hopes and fears of people in a Baltimore neighborhood as they prepare for the funeral of a young man named Corey that was well known in the community. Director Matt Porterfield does a great job of creating a community of people and making the town they live in so recognizable that it feels like an extra character in the film.

Porterfield uses an interesting structure to the film. It's shot like a documentary and there is an off camera voice asking questions to the various characters and capturing various events. But you never get the sense that someone is actually filming a documentary. Even when uncomfortable questions are being asked, none of the characters seem to think they can just stop answering. This helps explain how he can capture certain private moments, like a discussion between Corey's sister and grandmother. It also makes it feel like the viewer is there, like you've traveled to Baltimore to attend the funeral of someone you knew.

Also working in the film's favor is the improvisational style employed. The movie was cast with untrained actors and they improvised most of the dialogue. It creates a real feeling of authenticity as you don't see anyone playing it up for the cameras or suddenly spouting some brilliant dialogue that feels written. The most wonderful moment is the memorial service itself, which takes place at a karaoke bar and the very real heartfelt performances given are quite moving. Putty Hill is a unique, memorable film and is among this year's best festival screenings.

Dear Lemon Lima (Suzi Yoonessi) ****

Adapted from a short film that played at the Atlanta Film Festival three years earlier comes this story of a 13 year old half-Eskimo girl named Vanessa who is recovering from summer heartbreak as she enters a private school. She immediately finds herself at the bottom of the social food chain and her efforts to win back the love of her life are seemingly hopeless. However, she gets a chance to prove herself when she is named captain during the school's Snowstorm Survivor competition, where she picks all the school's cast offs (known as FUBAR's) to be on her team.

This is a fantastic movie that finds a perfect balance of tone. Not one moment is too quirky, nor does it ever get too serious. And the chief reason for that is the wonderful performance of Savanah Wiltfong in the lead role. Knowing that her character already has quirky elements and there's already a sense of silliness to the proceedings, she does something rather remarkable for an actress of her age and actually underplays the character. There's very little showing off on her part. None of her line deliveries are obnoxiously offbeat. She never once makes bizarre facial expressions. Instead, she creates a winning lead character with a low key, nuanced performance.

The film has a wonderful visual style. The sets and costumes are populated with solid bright colors, creating a cheery, positive atmosphere. Writer-director Yoonessi also does a remarkable job creating fully fleshed out supporting characters, including a neighbor boy whose mom is very strict, a popular girl who has more heart than we initially suspect, and especially Vanessa's ex Philip who is certainly played as a stuck up jerk, but a realistic three dimensional jerk. All of this helps creating a wonderful world for her memorable lead character to inhabit. This is a charming, witty, tremendously entertaining film.

Open Five (Kentucker Audley) ***

The term mumblecore has received some controversy, mainly because many of those directors credited with making films in that genre despise the word. But whatever word you use, it is clear the style of mumblecore is here to stay as you can see it populating the film festival ciruit. And there's nothing wrong with that. It's a movement towards more low key, intimate filmmaking and away from the self-conscious overly cynical films that used to dominate the indie scene. As someone who prefers the former to the latter, I find films like Open Five rather refreshing.

The simple plot is befitting of the genre. Two girls from New York come down to Memphis to visit two guys, one of whom is a musician and the other a low budget filmmaker. They visit dive bars, BBQ restaurants, Graceland, energetic churches. They talk about their relationships and how they'll continue once the trip is over. For the most part, this is really solid stuff. The people involved are interesting, and the improvisational dialogue style really works.

The only major issue I had with the film was the awkward shooting angles used in many scenes. Many of them are shot with us looking at the back of a character's head. This awkward blocking is really distracting. Now I know the essence of mumblecore is to film on extremely small budgets and the improvisational style makes it hard to get coverage, but there had to be a better way to shoot these scenes. Otherwise it's a nice, relaxing film and a good example of the mumblecore genre.

Yellowbrickroad (Jesse Holland, Andy Mitton) ***1/2

Yellowbrickroad has a very interesting mystery premise. In 1940 the entire town of Friar, NH walked north on a trail into the woods. They never returned. Teddy Barnes (Michael Laurino) is someone who has always been obsessed with this story, and finally (after being stonewalled for years) has been given the information he needs to find the trail. He gathers a crew, including his wife, a psychiatrist, a local resident, a couple friends and they head north to find answers.

This is a really good example of the horror/suspense genre, and will certainly be enjooyed by fans of Lost and The Twilight Zone. Directors Jesse Holland and Andy Mitton make some really good choices throughout the film. Most notably, they use a minimalist sound design to create some really strong atmosphere. There is no score to speak of and that creates a sense of loneliness for the characters. Also, when sound is used it provides a strong contrast to the rest of the film and is actually quite frightening.

A problem that suspense films of this nature usually run into is that the premise is so intriguing that there is no way the eventual explanation can live up to that. But Yellowbrickroad avoids that problem by setting up the story where the answers are not the driving force, but moreso what certain characters are willing to do to get those answers. There is one particularly impressive shot where the filmmakers create a genuine scare with some smart editing techniques and their understanding that you don't need to linger on every big moment. Moments like this are what makes Yellowbrickroad a winning horror/suspense film.

Winter's Bone (Debra Granik) ***1/2

One of the most impressive things I've noticed at this year's festival is that several films have done a terrific job of creating a real sense of place and community. Films like Exit 117, Putty Hill, and The Mountain Thief have all been successful at accomplishing this. Sundance favorite Winter's Bone manages to do the same with a deeply observed portrait of people living in the Ozarks.

Ree Dolly (Jennifer Lawrence) is a 17 year old girl who is raising her two younger siblings all by herself. Her mother is mentally ill and never speaks. Her father is a criminal who is out on bail and has put up the house as collateral. When he fails to show for his court date, Ree must go out and find him (or his body) or risk losing the only thing her family has left. Her journey takes us through many different parts of this community and gives us a sense of the sad, desperate lives that they lead.

This is a film filled with wonderfully rich characterizations. Most notable is John Hawkes performance as Ree's uncle Teardrop. What first appears to simply be nothing more than a dangerous villain turns out to be a fascinatingly complex individual. Hawkes is an actor I've noticed before (on Deadwood and in previous ATLFF closing night film Me and You and Everyone We Know), but this performance is his crowning achievement. Debra Granik's story does go in some unexpected directions and takes us on a dark, suspenseful journey through the Ozarks.

2010 Atlanta Film Festival: Day Four

A wildly uneven day with one of the best movies I've ever seen at the festival, and also one of the worst...

Exit 117 (Kevin James McMullin) ***1/2

Here's a nice little slice of life about a group of friends just graduated from high school that are trying to figure out what to do with their lives. Now that description sounds pretty generic. It's certainly a common premise for independent films and I was disappointed in last year's similarly themed The New Twenty. However, Exit 117's winning characters help make this one of the better examples of this genre.

It's quite an achievement for writer-director Kevin James McMullin that he's able to create characters that are so sharply drawn and multi-dimensional when he's dealing with so many of them. There are at least 7 central characters and many other supporting that are also well drawn. The decision to hire actors with no experience pays off because they give very natural performances that help create a sense of authenticity.

Also remarkable is that the film was made for only $850, yet McMullin was able to craft it so well that there were no technical issues hampering enjoyment of the film. In fact, there are several impressive shots throughout and the director is really able to create a nice sense of place in this seemingly dead end New Jersey town. The plot description mentions that it is meant to be an antidote to MTV's Jersey Shore and they've certainly accomplished that. This is a positive, uncynical look at real people with real hopes and fears.





 

The Myth of Time (Jaguar X) 1/2*

  

A surrealist film from director Jaguar X (whatever) based on the Mayan creation myth. This is one dreadful film and I pretty much hated every single second of it. It is overly pretentious filmmaking at its worst and possibly the worst film I have ever seen in 11 years of attending the Atlanta Film Festival.

I had to read the guide to get the plot because I barely understood anything that happened. Apparently, it's about "The Dark Eyed One ... and his experiences as a child solider,  first love, and ultimately The Revelation". That's great, but I shouldn't have to read the press kit to figure out what I just saw. Example: There's a tribal scene where a white man keeps repeatedly talking about what his "Negro mother" is going to do to the hero. I'm sure Mr. Jaguar X knows what that means, but I'm honestly not interested.

The film is also extremely unpleasant. It's filled with ugly violence (at one point, there's a series of shots showing kids being murdered) and disturbing sexual situations. I've seen worse in other movies, but without a narrative that makes sense it is just unpleasant and difficult to watch. As things got worse and worse, I started to pass the time by counting how many people walked out of the screening. My final number came to 18.

The Mountain Thief (Gerry Balasta) ****

There's perhaps no bigger contrast between two movies than The Mountain Thief and The Myth of Time. There's also perhaps no better way to illustrate my taste in film than the different approaches made by these two filmmakers. The Mountain Thief is a genuinely heartfelt story that is the very antithesis of pretentious filmmaking.

Director Gerry Balasta tells us a story about a poor family that lives in a Philippines garbage town, where trash has been dumped so often that it has actually created a mountain of garbage. The people in this community make their living by collecting trash and there seems to be very little hope of finding a way out, especially since it makes more financial sense for the family to have children helping than sending them to school. Julio and his blind child Ingo are barely getting by when tragedy strikes and threatens not only their place in the community, but more importantly their rights to collect garbage.

Instead of hiring professional actors, Balasta picked his cast from people that lived in the garbage town and conducted an acting workshop with them. The result is (much like Exit 117) natural acting that manages to be quite affecting. The film also looks beautiful, with many grand shots of the mountain, suggesting that despite the misery that these people live in, the mountain takes on an almost mythic quality and is seemingly revered by the characters. After all, it's all they've got. The end credits contain information on the real people involved, and what Balasta has helped do for them since the movie was made. If you don't find this moving, then you must have made a deal with the devil.

Who Saw Him? (Claudia Rorarius) **

From the Pink Peach program (films about LGBT issues) comes this strange German film from director Claudia Rorarius. It follows a gay man in his thirties as he attempts to find the father that he last saw 25 years earlier. This journey takes him to Italy where he tries to get on a family reunion show hosted by a transvestite.

The most odd thing about this movie is the bleak and flat tone. This is a very dry story that lacks any kind of emotional power, which is a serious detriment for a story that feels very personal. After all, the lead actor is playing himself and the story is based on events in his own life. Thus, it seems like a bizarre choice for the director to hold back so much in almost every single scene.

Gianni Meurer does a solid job playing himself in the lead role. There is one long monologue halfway through where the film seems to pick up some emotional momentum. But the director quickly puts a halt to that. It's also a rather unpleasant film to look at as the filmmaker overemphasizes darkness to set the mood. With little emotion and an awful visual scheme, the is an unpleasant film to watch.

Animation Extravaganza

This is always one of my favorite programs at the festival and I was actually disappointed that they reverted back to one program instead of the two they showed last year. (Note: some of these were pre-screened and the reviews are repeated here)...


The Adventures of Ledo and Ix (Emily Carmichael) ***

Animated short that follows two video game characters from an old fashioned Final Fantasy-style adventure game (see picture above) as they ponder their existence and wander into that black space past the edge of the map. It's a clever premise with funny and solid execution


The Anchorite (Matthew Maloney) ***

This one uses a haunting visual style to tell the story of a homeless artist struggling to complete a mural and to find a place for himself. Interesting story that is wonderful to look at.


The Fence Underneath Us (Steven Bednar) **1/2

A fox narrates about his life on a fox farm, discovering that there is a fence underneath preventing him from tunneling out. This one is only 3 minutes and too short to be memorable.


Goodbye Mr. Pink (Helen Piercy) ***1/2

A mixture of live action and stop motion animation is used tell this story about a rabbit that has just died and two kids discussing what the rabbit's afterlife will be like. They are unaware that their words have a direct effect on the rabbit's afterlife. This is a charming story with many hilarious moments.


Happy and Strictly in 'Fuzzy Business' (Robert Paraguassu, Layne Braunstein) ***

Two animated characters (kinda shaped like the ghosts in Pac Man) that appear to be street cleaners pass the time by dreaming about being so rich they can start their own Bearline (get it?). Amusing enough and impressive animation considering this was made in 48 hours.


Horn Dog (Bill Plympton) **1/2

The fourth in Bill Plympton's animated shorts series about an oddly shaped dog (kinda looks like a really fat bat) and his comic misadventures. Last year I enjoyed previous entry in the series Fire Dog. In this one, he takes a liking to an exquisite female show dog, but her owner isn't happy about it. This one has a couple funny moments, but the twist isn't very funny and the hero not quite as likeable this time around.


Ledo and Ix Go to Town (Emily Carmichael) ***1/2

Remember those old school RPG's when you finally found a new town but were constantly frustrated at all the NPC townsfolk that were absolutely useless? That's where our heroes Ledo and Ix find themselves in this hilarious sequel than surpasses its predecessor. Other hilarious bits involve Ix's obsessions with upgrading and equipping weapons and Ledo's struggle to take a chicken out of town.


The Lighthouse (Yelislava Gospodinova) ***1/2

A lighthouse keeper is horrified by the death of birds that are attracted to his lighthouse and keep crashing through the windows to their deaths. He comes up with a solution, but it could have tragic consequences. Eerie story that feels like an animated Twilight Zone episode. Black and white animation style adds alot to the atmosphere.


The Machine (Rob Shaw) ***

Second time seeing this one and I liked it alot more this time around. A machine powered by gears (and nickels) tells a story about a man that creates a robot and watches the robot destroy everything and everyone. Has an interesting animation style and haunting score, but the ending is still a bit predictable.


Prayers For Peace (Dustin Grella) ****

Incredibly moving story about a man dealing with the loss of his brother who was a soldier that died in Iraq. This was drawn using pastels on a chalkboard and we see each scene drawn from scratch. This helps create an intimate, emotional vibe. There's a shocking audio cue at the end that shows just how personal the film is for director Dustin Grella.



Spaceman on Earth (Shant Hamassian) ***

Another animated outing that combines animation and live action. This is a funny science fiction story set in the 50s about an astronaut hero who keeps accidentally annoying his alien neighbor to no end and eventually finds himself on the run as a suspected communist.


The Story of Scrivener and His Aislyn (Evan Curtis) ***

One of the more disappointing entries in this program. The idea is solid: a young boy finds a film canister in the ocean and falls in love with the power of movies. He goes about filming things with his old camera. I love the use of old film footage inserted into the animation, creating a nice constrast to get across the point of how powerful the cinema can be. The film just feels like it needed to be fleshed out a bit more to create the kind of magic it is looking for.