Page 21 - the NOISE February 2013

Meet the Fokkens at the Sedona International Film Festival; A Royal Affair at Prescott Film Festival’s series at Yavapai College.
February in Northern Arizona brings the 19th Annual Sedona International Film Festi- val (SIFF), and all of the benefits that come with
a first rate festival. From February 23 to March 3, with more than 145 films, SIFF continues to expand, offering something for everyone.
Screenings take place at the Harkins Six, the Mary D. Fisher Theatre and the Sedona Performing Arts Center. At 9:00AM each morning, the Mary D. Fisher Theatre will host
“conversations” with filmmakers and will offer the public a way into the heady world of inde- pendent cinema.
As always, the festival includes a VIP lounge, dinners, parties, a green room for filmmakers, and an atmosphere of social interaction with engaging artists. Few festivals offer the kind of access to filmmakers that SIFF encourages. The website (SedonaFilmFestival.com) offers a complete schedule of films, film descriptions, ticket packages and events!
Executive Director of SIFF, Patrick Schweiss, helps us navigate the festival website in a Q&A with The Noise.
What do you suggest to the novice festival attendee?
Buy a package of ten films and split it with a friend. Come see five films, but see a docu- mentary film, a foreign film, and something out of your comfort zone.
What are a few of the films you’re looking forward to hearing the response of the audi- ence?
The Hunt will astound people, and a little documentary from the Netherlands called Meet The Fokkens is about two twin sisters in their 60s that are hookers!
What are some of the films Sagan Lewis, your Program Director, suggests?
Sagan has a few favorites; she loves the doc- umentary Bidder 70 and the feature narrative Shun Li and the Poet. Also, Sagan suggests the shorts programs.
What about your collaboration with North- ern Arizona University and their winning films from 2012?
Several short winners from NAU will play before features throughout the fest. (Look for Alex Thomas’ short Retrograde and Amanda Kapp’s beautiful dance solo piece Sequential.)
Who are some of the big names you expect this year?
Joan Collins is coming, and we just found out last night that David Strathairn will attend later in the week. He’s here with the film No
God, No Master. (People may remember David from his Academy Award nomination for his role as Edward R. Murrow in George Clooney’s Good Night and Good Luck, but most indie fans know David from his work in John Sayles films.)
What are some of the daily conversations you’ll be featuring?
Academy Award winning Producer Kathleen Glynn will lead daily conversations and panel discussions. Some of the topics are Screen- writing, Young Filmmakers, Art into Activism, Women in Film, Filmmaker Roundtables, and Sustainability Roundtables. There’s something for everyone.
Anything new to the festival this year?
Our festival just began a partnership with the United Nations. We’ll have a theme track each year that reflects the UN’s mission. This year’s theme track is AIDS. Also, we look for- ward to Marianne Williamson coming on Fri- day March 1 at 5:00PM to sign books and be a part of the showing of the film Awakening World.
The great thing about an intimate film fes- tival like SIFF is that you can talk cinema with filmmakers from around the world. Writer- director Shelagh Carter’s very personal film Passionflower was selected to show at SIFF. It’s a fictional tale of her upbringing with a mother with mental illness. Ms. Carter’s observing eye looks back on her mom’s peculiarities with un- derstanding,forgivenessandredemption. The Noise spoke with Ms. Carter.
What can you share with young directors? Stay true to your vision but look for those
honest and respectful collaborators that un- derstand your story. Get out there and make the film — it will be very liberating.
What do you want the audience to take away from seeing Passionflower?
Compassion for those confronted by men- tal illness — whether an individual, or family members. No more shame or need to hide the condition, get it out in the open, get help and no longer feel alone.
Korinna Sehringer’s Shouting Secrets is a powerful tale filmed in the four corners in Ari- zona. It is about a family coming together at their mother’s deathbed. Archetypal in scope, and told through the eyes of Native Americans, this film rings true because the situations and emotions are raw and real.
The Northern Arizona University Interna- tional Film Series screens in room 120 of the Liberal Arts Building at 7:00PM Wednesdays in February for free! This semester’s theme is
“Asia: Identity and Agency.” Enjoy these award- winning films from or about Asia with introduc- tions from knowledgeable film scholars.
February 6: A Time For Drunken Horses (Di- rected by Bahman Ghobadi, Iran, 2000, 75 minutes.) A heart-breaking drama of a Kurd- ish family living on the Iran-Iraq border and the obstacles the poverty stricken locals must overcome to survive living on the margins of Iranian society. Winner of the Camera D’or (Best First Feature) at the Cannes Film Festival.
February 20: Amadillo (Directed by Janus Metz, Denmark, 2010, 100 minutes.) The film- maker is embedded with a platoon on the front lines in Afghanistan and Camp Amadillo is a stones throw from the Taliban enemy, but the inability to tell apart Afghan citizens from combatants makes the moral certainty of war a hazy proposition. This film is a raw and un- forgettable journey into the minds of soldiers questioning their “humanitarian” efforts. Don’t miss this documentary!
February 27: Circle of Deceit (Directed by Volker Schlondorff, Germany, 1981, 108 min- utes.) Shot on location on the streets of Beirut, with a documentary feel, a natural cast, and a politically charged atmosphere, Circle of Deceit captures the bloody Lebanese war. Dodging Christian and Palestinian bullets, a group of journalists trapped in a Beirut hotel must come to grips with the various circles of deceit in war. This masterful film is both compassionate and haunting in its shocking realism as it probes the ethical minefield of journalism, exploita- tion, and war.
The College of Arts and Letters Film Series
continues it theme of More Families: Not Family Friendly with Tuesday night classic films screen- ing in Cline Library for free at 7:00PM. The“Two Pauls,” Helford and Donnelly, lead an informa- tive discussion after each film and local film enthusiasts introduce each film. Park behind the library!
February5:TokyoStory (DirectedbyYasujiro Ozu, 1953, NR, 136 minutes.) Starring Chishu Ryu and Shochiku Elga, this film is the univer- sal tale of an aging couple who travel to Tokyo to visit children who no longer have time for them. Truly a masterpiece! (In Japanese with English subtitles.)
February 12: Cape Fear (Directed by J. Lee Thompson, 1962, NR, 105 minutes.) Starring Robert Mitchum and Gregory Peck, the origi-
nal film (later re-made by Martin Scorcese with Robert DeNiro) follows an attorney and his family terrorized by a killer he sent to prison. A classic psychological thriller!
February 19: Hud (Directed by Martin Ritt, 1963, NR, 112 minutes.) Starring Patricia Neal and Paul Newman, who was nominated for his role as the callous Hud at odds with his prin- cipled father, in an Academy Award winning performance by Melvyn Douglas.
February 26: Amarcord (Directed by Fed- erico Fellini, 1973, R, 123 minutes.) Starring Pupella Maggio and Armando Brancia, this coming-of-age comedy set in 1930s Fascist Ita- ly is the semi-autobiographical story of Fellini’s beginnings. (In Italian with English subtitles.)
The Prescott Film Festival continues its film series at the Yavapai College Performing Arts Center. February is their month of preparation for their big Oscar night fundraiser (Prescott- FilmFestival.com).
February 1: A Royal Affair (6:00PM) Nomi- nated for Best Foreign Film.
Ted (9:30PM) Features “Tweet Seats,” which allow audience members to tweet comments live on the screen. (For Mature Audiences!)
February 2: TBA (Check website!)
February 8: Skyfall (7:00PM) Shows with the short Pigeon Impossible.
February 23: Oscar nominated short docu- mentaries, short animated films and short live action films. (Times to be announced, check website!)
February 23: Lincoln.
February 24: Live Broadcast of the 85th Academy Awards, free. (6:00PM to 10:00PM.) Dress up or dress down and participate in the Fundraiser for Prescott Film Festival and P.A.C.E. (Performing Arts Charitable Endowment.) Check website for various levels of participa- tion of the backstage party with cocktails and reserved seating!
A final shout out to Beasts of the Southern Wild, the small film that could. Competing for several of the major Academy Awards, against films that cost 50 times more to make, it stands a “reasonable” chance of winning Best script and Best Film . . . because it is!
| Bob Reynolds may at times confuse his popcorn with his milk
duds, but never at the same show- time.. bob699669@hotmail.com
thenoise.us • the NOISE arts & news • FEBRUARY 2013 • 21