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December 2005
Sundance Lineup

SUNDANCE 2006 LINEUP, continued
November 29, 2005

Source: Indiewire

World Cinema Competition: Documentary

"5 Days," directed by Yoav Shamir (Israel)
On August 15, 2005, Israel began to evacuate 8,000 Jewish settlers from the Gaza Strip. In a unilateral move by the Israeli government, they were removed from their homes to make way for 250,000 Palestinians. With exclusive access to the Israeli Defense Forces and the General in charge, seven film crews simultaneously follow key characters during this historic five-day event. [North American Premiere]

"Angry Monk - Reflections on Tibet," directed by Luc Schaedler(Switzerland)
A portrait of the rebellious Tibetan monk Gendun Choephel, this film reveals a face of old and present-day Tibet that runs against popular cliches. [North American Premiere]

"Black Gold," directed by Marc Francis and Nick Francis
A cinematic journey that uncovers the world of coffee and trade from the struggling Ethiopian bean grower to your coffee cup. [World Premiere]

"By the Ways, A Journey with William Eggleston," directed by Cedric Laty and Vincent Gerard (France)
A journey through the southern United States home of William Eggleston considered "the father of color photography." Eggleston's persistent silence defies each truth revealed about his character. [North American Premiere]

"Dear Pyongyang," directed by Yang Yonghi (Japan)
A Korean-Japanese daughter explores her father's fierce political loyalty to North Korea - costly to the point of breaking up his family. [North American Premiere]

"The Giant Buddhas," directed by Christian Frei (Switzerland)
A film about the destruction of the famous Buddha statues in Afghanistan. An essay on fanaticism and faith, terror and tolerance, ignorance and identity. [U.S. Premiere]

"Glastonbury," directed by Julian Temple (U.K.)
A staggering range of music presented at England's annual Glastonbury Festival, captures the spirit of important social changes over the last 30 years. [World Premiere]

"I Is For India," directed by Sandhya Suri (England, Germany, Italy)
A tale of migration and belonging, told primarily through Super 8 films and audio letters sent between India and England over a period of 40 years. [World Premiere]

"In the Pit," directed by Juan Carlos Rulfo (Mexico)
According to Mexican legend, whenever a bridge is built the devil asks for one soul, in exchange for keeping the bridge standing. This film chronicles the daily lives of the workers building a second deck to Mexico City's Periferico freeway - their hopes, dreams and struggle for survival. [World Premiere]

"Into the Great Silence," directed by Philip Groening (Germany)
The first film ever to examine life inside the Grande Chartreuse, the mother house of legendary Carthusian Order. An austere, next to silent meditation on monastic life in a very pure form. [U.S. Premiere]

"KZ," directed by Rex Bloomstein (U.K.)
A look at the way thee town of Mauthausen, formerly the site of a German concentration camp, faces the ultimate demons of its dark past. [North American Premiere]

"No One," directed by Tin Dirdamal (Mexico)
The story of Maria, a Central American immigrant forced to leave her family in search of a better life. On her way to the United States, she crosses Mexico where she encounters a nightmare. [U.S. Premiere]

"The Short Life of Jose Antonio Gutierrez," directed by Heidi Specogna (Germany)
Behind the heroic tale of the first U.S. soldier to die in the war in Iraq, there unfolds the story of a Guatemalan street child drawn into war by the promise of a green card in a foreign country. [World Premiere]

"Songbirds," directed by Brian Hill (U.K.)
Downview Prison in England is host to 250 women who have committed crimes ranging from drug trafficking to manslaughter, but these women are also mothers and caretakers. In a musical set in the prison, the women sing about their lives and the crimes that led to their imprisonment. [North American Premiere]

"Unfolding Florence: The Many Lives of Florence Broadhurst," directed by Gillian Armstrong (Australia)
Flamboyant design pioneer Florence Broadhust lived a colorful life, but it is only now that her time has truly come, with her bold, exotic wallpaper prints in huge demand internationally. [World Premiere]

"Viva Zapatero," directed by Sabina Guzzanti (Italy)
A critical and playful look at censorship in Italy under Berlusconi contrasted with other European nations. [North American Premiere]

World Cinema Competition: Dramatic

"13 Tzameti," directed and written by Gela Babluani" (France) Sebastien has decided to follow instructions intended for someone else. When he reaches his destination, he falls into a degenerate, clandestine world of mental chaos. [North American Premiere] CAST: Georges Babluani, Augustin Legrand, Aurelien Recoing

"Allegro," directed by Christoffer Boe; written by Christoffer Boe and Mikael Wulff (Denmark)
After a long absence, a famous amnesiac pianist returns to his native Copenhagen where he is contacted by a mysterious messenger who leads him back into his forgotten past. [North American Premiere]
CAST: Ulrich Thomsen, Helena Christensen, Henning Moritzen

"The Aura," directed by Fabian Bielinsky (Argentina)
Epinoza is an introverted taxidermist who secretly dreams of executing the perfect robbery. On his first-ever hunting trip, in the calm of the Patagonian forest, his dreams are unexpectedly made reality with one squeeze of the trigger. [North American Premiere]
CAST: Ricardo Darin, Dolores Fonzi, Alejandro Awada, Pablo Lester

"The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros," directed by Auraeus Solito, written by Michiko Yamamoto (Philippines)
Young Maxi's unquestioned devotion to his family of small-time criminals in a Manila slum is undermined when he is befriended by a principled young policeman. [U.S. Premiere]

"Eve & the Fire Horse," directed and written by Julia Kwan (Canada)
Eve is a precocious nine-year-old growing up in a Vancouver Chinese immigrant family where Confucian doctrines, superstitious obsessions and divine visions abound. When Buddhism and Catholicism are thrown into the mix, life for Eve and prim authoritative sister, Karena, escalates into a fantasia of catastrophe, sainthood and cultural confusion. [U.S. Premiere]
CAST: Vivian Wu, Phoebe Jojo Kut, Hollie Lo, Chan Chit Man Lester

"Grbavica," directed and written by Jasmila Zbanic (Bosnia-Herzegovina)
A chilling story of a woman and her daughter as they fight to survive in the painful aftermath of the recent Balkan war. [World Premiere]
CAST: Mirjana Karanovic, Leon Lucev, Luna Mijovic, Dejan Acimovic, Bogdan Diklic, Semka Sokolovic, Jasna Zalaica

"The House of Sand," directed by Andrucha Waddington, written by Elena Soarez (Brazil)
The story of a woman across three generations. In the remote dunes of Brazil, Maria spends her life while an entire century passes by her, her house and sand. [U.S. Premiere]
CAST: Fernanda Montenegro, Fernanda Torres

"Kiss Me Not on the Eyes," directed and written by Jocelyne Saab [Lebanon]

An educated young Egyptian woman defends her artistic integrity as a dancer and her social independence in the midst of modern Cairo's culture wars. [U.S. Premiere]
CAST: Mohamed Mounir, Hanane Turk, Fathi Abelwahab, Aida Ryad, Sawsan Badr, Walid Aooni

"Little Red Flowers," directed by Zhang Yuan, written by  Ning Dai and Zhang Yuan (China)
A parable about the nature and complexities of being compelled to "fit in" to a regimented society set in a post-revolutionary Chinese orphanage. [World Premiere]
CAST: Dong Bowen, Ning Yuanyuan, Chen Manyuan, Zhao Rui, Li Xiaofeng

"Madeinusa," directed and written by Claudia Llosa (Peru)
Madeinusa is a sweet girl who lives in an isolated religiously zealous village in mountainous Peru. Everything changes when a geologist from Lima arrives and unknowingly reshapes Madeinusa's destiny. [World Premiere]
CAST: - not provided -

"No. 2," directed and written by Toa Fraser (New Zealand)
Nanna Maria's family has forgotten how to party. She's going to change all that, make them come alive with the heat and passion of the South Pacific. [World Premiere]
CAST: Ruby Dee, Tuva Novotny, Mia Blake, Taungaroa Emile

"One Last Dance," directed and written by Max Makowski (Singapore) An assassin is hired to kill the men responsible for kidnapping an important man's son. With every death, the killer gets closer to the last kidnapper's name... his own. [World Premiere]
CAST: Francis Ng, Vivian Hsu, Ti Lung, Harvey Keitel, Joseph Quek

"The Peter Pan Formula," directed and written by Cho Chang-Ho (South Korea)
An adolescent boy confronts premature independence as his mother lies in a coma and he experiences the first tugs of sexual desires with an older woman. [North American Premiere]
CAST: On Ju-Wan, Kim Ho-Jeong, Ok Ji-Yeong

"Princesas," directed and written by Fernando Leon de Aranoa (Spain)
The story of two women who form an unbreakable friendship despite their differences as they fight to make ends meet in the big city. [U.S. Premiere]
CAST: Candela Pena, Michaela Nevarez, Mariana Cordero, Luis Callejo Llum Barrera

"Solo Dios Sabe," directed by Carlos Bolado, written by  Carlos Bolado and Diane Weipert (Brazil/Mexico)
On a lark in Tijuana, a young Brazilian art student crosses paths with a roguish Mexican journalist, sparking a cascade of events across both Mexico and Brazil. [World Premiere]
CAST: Diego Luna, Alice Braga, Cecilia Suarez, Jose Maria Yazpik, Renata Ahaneta, Damian Alcazar, Jesus Ochoa, Maria Dealves, Dagoberto Gilb

"Son of Man," directed by Mark Dornford-May, written by Mark Dornford-May, Andiswa Kedama and Pauline Malefane (South Africa)
A gripping journey of love, deception and betrayal, "Son of Man" translates Jesus' life to modern-day South Africa, where a new politics of compassion incites revolution during a military dictatorship. The next collaboration from Dimpho di Kopane, a South African lyric theatre ensemble whose "U-Carmen" garnered last year's Berlin Golden Bear. [World Premiere]

Spectrum

"A Matter of Degrees," directed by Davis Guggenheim (U.S.A.)
Al Gore has recently been traveling the world delivering a mesmerizing, bracing and visually exciting presentation on global climate change, proving that humankind must confront global warming now or face devastating consequences. "Matter of Degrees" both captures that presentation and explores Gore's journey as a worldwide environmental champion. [World Premiere]

"Adam's Apples," directed and written by Anders Thomas Jensen (Denmark)
A dark comedy featuring a neo-Nazi sentenced to community service at a church who clashes with the blindly devotional priest. [U.S. Premiere]

"All Aboard! Rosie's Family Cruise," directed by Shari Cookson (U.S.A.)
In this documentary film, Rosie and Kellie O'Donnell create a floating utopia for 500 gay and lesbian families. [World Premiere]

"Battle in Heaven," directed and written by Carlos Reygadas (Mexico, France, Germany, Belgium)
Marcos and his wife kidnap a baby for ransom money, but it goes tragically wrong when the infant dies. [U.S. Premiere]
CAST: Jr. Valentin, Soliman Cruz, Neil Ryan, Ping Medina, Bodjie Pascua, Nathan Lopez

"Beyond Beats and Rhymes: A Hip-Hop Head Weighs In On Manhood in Hip-Hop Culture," directed Byron Hurt (U.S.A.)
In this documentary film, a former college quarterback and hip-hop head tackles issues of masculinity, sexism, violence and homophobia in hip-hop culture. [World Premiere]

"Clear Cut: The Story of Philomath, Oregon," directed by Peter Richardson (U.S.A.)
A documentary about a rural Oregon timber town that is torn apart when a rift between conservative and liberal values in the school district threatens a college scholarship that has paid the tuition of every local graduate for the last 40 years. [World Premiere]

"Dreamland," directed by Jason Matzner and written by Tom Willett (U.S.A.)
A young woman living in a trailer park in the desert struggles with the question of caring for her hapless father and ill friend or fulfilling her own destiny. [World Premiere]
CAST: Agnes Bruckner, John Corbett, Kelli Garner, Gina Gershon, Justin Long, Brian Klugman

"EV Confidential: Who Killed the Electric Car," directed and written by Chris Paine (U.S.A.)
A documentary that investigates the death and resurrection of the electric car, as well as the role of renewable energy and sustainable living in our country's future. [World Premiere]

"Everyone Stares: The Police Inside Out," directed and written by  Stewart Copeland (U.S.A.)
A rare documentary compiled from the drummer's personal Super 8 footage gives an intimate, inside look at what it was like to be a member of the '80s rock band The Police, from CBGBs to Shea Stadium. [World Premiere]

"Factotum," directed by Bent Hamer and written by Jim Stark (U.S.A.) Based on the novel by cult author Charles Bukowski, "Factotum" is the story of a man living on the edge; of a writer willing to risk everything to make sure his life is poetry. [U.S. Premiere]
CAST: Matt Dillon, Lily Taylor, Fisher Stevens, Marisa Tomei

"Forgiving the Franklins," directed and written by Jay Floyd (U.S.A.)
A repressed God fearing Southern family is spiritually changed by an auto accident and their transformation puts them at odds with the conservative values of their community. [World Premiere]
CAST: Robertson Dean, Teresa Willis, Aviva, Vince Pavia, Mark Blackwell

"Jewboy," directed and written by Tony Krawitz (Australia)
"Jewboy" is a film about a young orthodox man searching for his place in the world, his family and his faith. [North American Premiere]
CAST: Ewen Leslie, Naomi Wilson, Saskia Burmeister, Leah Vandenberg, Nicholas Eadle, Chris Haywood, Nathan Besser, Alice McConnell

"Journey from the Fall," directed and written by Ham Tran (Thailand, U.S.A.)
Set during the thirteenth anniversary of the Vietnam War, "Journey from the Fall" tells the epic story of a family who is painfully torn apart by the war, forced to emigrate across a dangerous sea, reunified and struggling to survive in America. [North American Premiere]
CAST: Kieu Chinh, Long Nguyen, Diem Lien, Nguyen Thai Nguyen, Khanh Doan, Cat Ly

"La Tragedia de Macario," directed and written by Pablo Veliz (U.S.A.)
A drama inspired by the tragic, true events of immigrants struggling to cross the Mexican-American border. [World Premiere]
CAST: Rogelio Ramos, Milicent Figueroa, Tina Rodriguez, Victor Agustin, Juanito Castro, Allan Horwath

"Leonard Cohen I'm Your Man," directed by Lian Lunson (U.S.A.)
An ubiquitous influence even as he remains elusively elsewhere, ladies and gentlemen, this documentary shows Leonard Cohen is back. [U.S. Premiere]

"Man Push Cart," directed and written by Ramin Bahrani (Iran/U.S.A.) The story of a former Pakistani rock star who now sells coffee and donuts from his push cart on the streets of Manhattan. [North American Premiere]
CAST: Ahmad Razvi, Leticia Dolera, Charles Daniel Sandoval.

"Off the Black," directed and written by James Ponsoldt (U.S.A.)
An unusual friendship develops between an aging high school baseball umpire and a teenage pitcher after the young player vandalizes the older man's house. [World Premiere]
CAST: Nick Nolte, Trevor Morgan, Rosemarie DeWitt, Sally Kirkland, Timothy Hutton

"Open Window," directed and written by Mia Goldman (U.S.A.)
A struggling young photographer and an assistant professor are newly engaged and madly in love when their lives are shattered by a random act of violence. [World Premiere]
CAST: Robin Tunney, Joel Edgerton, Cybil Shepherd, Matt Keeslar, Scott Wilson, Shirley Knight, Elliott Gould

"The Proposition," directed by John Hillcoat, written by  Nick Cave (Australia)
Set at the end of the bushranger era, this atmospheric Australian epic tale concern family, loyalty and betrayal. [U.S. Premiere]

"Punching at the Sun," directed and written by Tanuj Chopra (U.S.A.)
In the aftermath of 9/11 and his older brother's murder, a fiery South Asian teen struggles to find a path between rage and redemption on the streets of Elmhurst, Queens. [World Premiere]
CAST: Misu Khan, Nino Edmonds, Ferdusy Dia, Mohammed Mirza, Kazi Rehman, Taran Singh, Hassan El-Gendi

"Special," directed and written by Jeremy Passmore and Hal Haberman (U.S.A.)
Les Franken leads a painfully unremarkable life as a meter maid until he enrolls in a drug study for an experimental anti-depressant. [World Premiere]
CAST: Michael Rapaport, Alexandra Holden, Josh Peck, Robert Baker, Paul Blackthrone, Jack Kehler, Ian Bohen

"What Remains," directed by Steven Cantor (U.S.A.)
An investigation into the creative process and life of controversial and celebrated American photographer Sally Mann. [World Premiere]

"Who Needs Sleep?" directed by Haskell Wexler (U.S.A.)
Unsettled by the preventable death of a co-worker, filmmaker Haskell Wexler shows in this documentary that sleep deprivation and long work hours are a deadly combination. [World Premiere]

"Wrestling with Angels: Playwright Tony Kushner," directed by  Freida Lee Mock (U.S.A.) This documentary is a rich tapestry of the personal and political life of Tony Kushner, the award-winning playwright and activist whose provocative and truthful work has contributed to a national dialogue on the most pressing issues of our times. [World Premiere]


Frontier

"A Darkness Swallowed," directed and written by Betzy Bromberg (U.S.A.)
A personal investigation of cellular memory, a bio-meta-physical musical, "A Darkness Swallowed" is a meditation of the evanescent traces of memory and loss.

"Cinnamon," directed and written by Kevin Everson (U.S.A.)
This experimental feature film provides a glimpse into the world of African American drag racing with the story that contrasts the consistent routine of a bank teller and mechanic as they prepare for the sport. [World Premiere]

"Old Joy," directed by Kelly Reichardt and written by  Jonathan Raymond and Kelly Reichardt (U.S.A.)
The story of two old friends who reunite for a weekend camping trip in Oregon's Cascade mountain range. As the two seekers move through the beautiful landscapes, they move through confusion, sudden insight, and spiritual battles. [World Premiere]

"Pine Flat," directed and written by Sharon Lockhart (U.S.A.)
An intimate portrait of a town's children set in the stunning landscape of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Both an anthropological look at youth and a meditation on solitude, nature, socialization and the line between fact and fiction. [World Premiere]

"Wild Tigers I Have Known," directed and written by Cam Archer (U.S.A.) A lyrical coming of age story about a 13-year-old boy who learns to cope with his newfound sexuality and his unrequited love for the cool kid in school. [World Premiere]
CAST: Malcolm Stumpf, Patrick White, Max Paradise, Hailey Anne Nelson, Fairuza Balk, Kim Dickens, Lydia Lunch


Frontier Live:


"Our Second Date," artists: Jennifer McCoy and Kevin McCoy (U.S.A.)
The McCoy's latest installation is a miniature movie set gearred for live robotic cinema that puts the production, post-production, and exhibition of a film all in one room.


Park City at Midnight


"American Hardcore," directed by Paul Rachman and written by  Steven Blush (U.S.A.)
Inspired by Steven Bush's book, "American Hardcore: A Tribal History," Paul Rachman's feature documentary debut is a chronicle of the underground hardcore punk years from 1979 to 1986. [World Premiere]

"Awesome, I Fuckin' Shot That!" directed by Nathanial Hornblower (U.S.A.)
On October 9, 2004 the Beastie Boys handded out 50 HI 8 cameras to audience members at their sold-out performance in New York's Madison Square Garden. This film is the result. [World Premiere]

"The Descent," directed and written by Neil Marshall (U.S.A.)
An all-female caving expedition goes horribly wrong as the explorers become trapped and ultimately pursued by a strange breed of predators. [North American Premiere]
CAST: MyAnna Buring, Craig Conway, Natalie Jackson Mendoza, Molly Kayll, Shauna Macdonald, Oliver Milbum, Saskia Mulder, Nora Kane Noone, Alex Reid

"Destricted," directors and screenwriters: Matthew Barney, Larry Clark, Gaspar Noe, Marco Brambilla, Sam Taylor Wood (U.S.A.)
Art meets sexuality in this unprecedented compilation of erotic art films made by the leading visual artists and filmmakers working today. [World Premiere]

"The Foot Fist Way," directed and written by Jody Hill (U.S.A.)
A Tae Kwon Do instructor who is king of his small kingdom, tries to keep it together after his wife cheats on him, taking his anger out on everyone around him in the funniest way ever. [World Premiere]
CAST: Danny McBride, Mary jane Bostwick, Spencer Moreno, Carlos Lopez, Ben Best, Jody Hill

"Moonshine," directed by Roger Ingraham, written by Roger Ingraham and Lori Isbell Salvage (U.S.A.)
In the rural Midwest, a young convenience store clerk burdened with new love and family troubles, mysteriously begins to turn into a vampire. [World Premiere]
CAST: Brian Greer, Sarah Ingraham, Gareth Duvall, Ginny Fitzpatrick, Carol Neiman, Eric Almassy, Raymond Turturro, Thea McCarlan, Theodore Bouloukos, Jay Maynard, Zachary Sandler, Kim Houston

"Salvage," directed and written by Josh Crook and Jeff Crook (U.S.A.)
World College student Claire is stalked and murdered by serial killer Duke Desmond. Claire assumes it was a nightmare and wakes up to relive the day of her death over and over until she uncovers the terrifying mystery that guides her fate. [World Premiere]
CAST: Chris Ferry

"Subject Two," directed and written by Philip Chidel (U.S.A.)
A troubled medical student volunteers for resurrection experiments - and is killed over and over again by a reclusive doctor intent on reinventing life. [World Premiere]
CAST: Christian Oliver, Dean Stapleton, Courtney Mace, Jurgen Jones

 

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