Editor

Opening Night

Valentin
2002 Argentina/The Netherlands 79 min 35mm
Dir Alejandro Agresti
Argentina's Foreign Language Film Academy® submission. After the bitter separation of his parents and living with his eccentric grandmother, the life of a young boy begins to change in sweetly unanticipated ways when he opens up to the last in a long line of potential stepmothers. Director and cast to attend.
Fri 1/30, 7:00pm GRA

Closing Night

Reckoning, The
2003 UK 110 min 35mm
Dir Paul McGuigan
This murder mystery set in the Middle Ages tells the story of a priest who forsakes his oath to God, and joins a transient acting troupe lead by a man who wants to depict morality with new stories. Together, they manage to unearth the secrets and lies behind the killing of a young boy. Starring Willem Dafoe and Paul Bettany.
Sun 2/8, 7:30pm GRA

American Independents


Call Waiting **
2003 USA 94 min Digibeta WORLD PREMIERE
Dir Jodi Binstock
Produced by Don Roos (The Opposite Of Sex), Dan Bucatinsky (All Over The Guy) and Susan Dietz (All Over The Guy). A hilarious and poignant one-woman, tour-de-force film that tells the story of a middle-aged daughter of Holocaust survivors - housebound by chronic cystitis - and the actress who portrays her.
Sun 2/1, 6:30pm VIC / Tue 2/3, 1:00pm MUS

Cuba Libre **
2003 USA 109 min 35mm
Dir Juan Gerard
The year is 1958, in Holguín, Cuba … it's a dangerous, marvelous world where broken dreams sometimes come true …and a young boy's world is about to change forever. Starring Harvey Keitel, Gael Garcia Bernal (Y Tu Mama También, Amores Perros), Iben Hjejle (The Emperor's New Clothes, High Fidelity)
Wed 2/4, 1:15pm Metro / Fri 2/6, 7:15pm Metro

Dogs in the Basement
2003 USA 78 min Beta US PREMIERE
Dir Leslie Shearing
This social satire shows a married couple's attempt to spice up their sex life through the help of a sex therapist, an urologist, and a trio of tantric counselors.
Sat 1/31, 9:30pm VIC / Mon 2/2, 6:30pm VIC

Finding Home **
2003 USA 124 min 35mm
Dir Lawrence D. Foldes
A compelling story of a young career-oriented woman who is forced to reevaluate her life when she unravels the mysteries of her family's turbulent past, starring Louise Fletcher and Genevieve Bujold.
Thu 2/5, 7:30pm Metro / Sat 2/7, 11:00am Metro

Noise
2003 USA 84 min Digibeta WORLD PREMIERE
Dir Tony Spiridakis
A creepy and provocative thriller reminiscent of In The Comfort Of Strangers. A young woman's problems escalate when she confronts her mysterious upstairs neighbor, played with panache by Ally Sheedy.
Sat 1/31, 3:30pm VIC / Mon 2/2, 9:00pm VIC

Particles of Truth
2003 USA 101 min Digibeta
Dir Jennifer Elster
Chronicling the lives of eight New Yorkers over an intensely emotional 48-hour period, as the group individually deals with self-doubt, emotional dishonesty, familial ties, and the potential for love.
Thu 2/5, 1:00pm VIC / Sat 2/7, 3:30pm VIC

Undermind
2003 USA 108 min 35mm
Dir Nevil Dwek
A psychological dramatic thriller about one man on a journey to find himself. Derrick, a corporate lawyer with a large trust fund, and Zane, a criminal, live in opposite social spheres. Although they never meet, their lives are more connected than either one of them could ever imagine.
Sat 1/31, 7:00pm Metro / Mon 2/2, 4:30pm Metro

Unknown Soldier
2003 USA 78 min 35mm
Dir Ferenc Toth
Director Ferenc Toth's first film is astounding, self-assured and fresh. Highly influenced by European cinema, Unknown Soldier reminds one of Truffaut's 400 Blows.
Tue 2/3, 7:45pm Metro / Thu 2/5, 1:45pm Metro

Vote For Me **
2003 USA 78 min Digibeta
Dir Nelson Antonia Denis
Based on his own experiences as a New York State Assemblyman, Nelson Antonio Denis' Vote for Me is an engaging comedy about a 70-year-old Puerto Rican super who runs for Congress in El Barrio, NYC. Think Fellini blended with Saturday Night Live humor.
Wed 2/4, 7:30pm SBCC / Thu 2/5, 4:00pm MUS / Fri 2/6, 7:00pm VIC


Woman Thou Art Loosed
2004 USA 94 min 35mm WORLD PREMIERE
Dir Michael Schultz
From the best-selling novel and stage play comes the film adaptation of Bishop T.D. Jakes' tale of dysfunction, isolation, and inspiration, featuring a star-making performance by Kimberly Elise.
Thu 2/5, 7:45pm Metro / Sat 2/7, 4:30pm Metro


International Competition


Abjad
2003 Iran 100 min 35mm US PREMIERE
Dir Abolfazl Jalili
Director Jalili is one of the masters of Iranian cinema. Outside Tehran, in the town of Saveh, 14-year-old Emkan is torn between his deep, instinctual passion for artistic expression and his parents' conviction that his creativity is an offense against their faith in Islam. Jalili is an impeccable visual storyteller and he infuses the film's luminous images with the exquisite truth of his own memory, his own childhood.
Sat 1/31, 4:00pm Metro/ Mon 2/2, 7:00pm Metro

Bon Voyage
2003 France 114 min 35mm
Dir Jean-Paul Rappeneau
France's submission for Best Foreign Language Film starring Isabelle Adjani and Gerard Depardieu, and directed by Jean Paul Rappeneau (Cyrano De Bergerac). As the Germans invade France in 1940, the daily dramas of people's lives continue to play out, including affairs, plots, and deaths, even as the world around them crumbles.
Sun 2/1, 7:30pm Metro / Tue 2/3, 1:30pm Metro

Green Butchers, The (De Grønne slachtere)
2003 Denmark 100 min 35mm
Dir Anders Thomas Jensen
Svend is a twitchy, petulant geek. Bjarne is an asocial pothead. The two best friends decide to set up their own butcher shop. Grisly and hysterical, The Green Butchers shares elements of Sweeney Todd and Little Shop of Horrors, while pushing things much further.
Mon 2/2, 10:00pm Metro / Wed 2/4, 7:00pm Metro

I'm Not Scared (Io non ho paura)
2002 Italy/Spain/UK 110 min 35mm
Dir Gabriele Salvatores
Italy's Foreign Language Film Oscar® submission and directed by Gabriele Salvatore, Academy Award winner for Mediterraneo. Masterfully blending suspense with enchantment, I'm Not Scared - set in the idyllic landscape of Southern Italy - hooks you in from the first frame and doesn't let go until the explosive conclusion.
Sat 1/31, 4:30pm Metro / Mon 2/2, 7:30pm Metro

James' Journey to Jerusalem (Massa'ot James Be'Eretz Hakodesh)
2003 Israel 90 min 35mm
Dir Ra'anan Alexandrowicz
A charming and picaresque tale of a young African who pilgrimages to the Holy Land and instead learns to deal with modern life in Israel.
Sun 2/1, 1:15pm Metro / Wed 2/4 7:45pm Metro

Love's Brother
2004 Australia/United Kingdom 99 min 35mm WORLD PREMIERE
Dir Jan Sardi
Directed by the Academy® Award nominee of Shine comes this enchanting romantic comedy starring Giovanni Ribisi.
Thu 2/5 10:15pm Metro / Sat 2/7, 7:30pm, Metro

Since Otar Left (Depuis qu'Otar est parti)
2003 France 103 min 35mm
Dir Julie Bertucelli
The 2003 Critics Week Grand Prize winner at Cannes Film Festival. This exquisite film depicts three generations of women as they learn to deal with one another amidst the absence of the most important man in their lives.
Wed 2/4, 7:30pm Metro / Sat 2/7, 1:00pm Metro

Story of the Weeping Camel, The (Die Geschichte vom Weinenden Kamel)
2003 Germany 93 min 35mm
Dirs Byambasuren Davaa & Luigi Falorni
Capturing a family of camel shepherds at the edge of the Gobi Desert in Mongolia, this unusual and poetic film's climax observes a musical ritual involving camels, a spookily beautiful folk song sung by a shepherd's wife, a violinist, and concludes with a mother camel and her estranged calf successfully reunited. Mongolia's Foreign Language Oscar® submission. The Thursday, 2/5, screening follows The Truth of Nonfiction Panel at UCSB, 7:00pm.
Thu 2/5, 9:00pm UCSB, Campbell Hall / Sat 2/7, 7:00pm Metro

Struggle
2003 Austria 74 min 35mm
Dir Ruth Mader
This inspiring tale portrays two people trying to survive - one financially, one emotionally - and when they meet, their desperation carries them to even greater extremes.
Wed 2/4, 9:30pm Metro / Fri 2/6, 7:45pm Metro

Travellers and Magicians (Chang Hup The Gi Tril Nung)**
2003 Australia/Bhutan 108 min 35mm
Dir Khyentse Norbu
In the Buddhist kingdom of Bhutan, nestled deep in the Himalayas, a young Bhutan official seeks to escape his mundane life. On his journey he meets an apple salesman, a talkative monk and a keen tradesman with his daughter in tow. In his arrogance, the official is initially intent on ignoring them all, but he's gradually drawn in by their friendliness and good humor, particularly when the monk begins to tell a story of another man trying to follow his dream. This is Norbu's second feature, following the much loved football themed charmer The Cup.
Thu 2/5, 1:30pm Metro / Sat 2/7, 1:30pm Metro

Wilbur Wants to Kill Himself
2003 Denmark/Scotland 111 min 35mm
Dir Lone Scherfig
A quirky and tender love story. Wilbur's suicidal tendencies find relief when his overly optimistic brother, Harbour, marries hospital cleaner Alice - forming a touching love triangle that threatens to bring out the best in everyone.
Mon 2/2, 4:15pm Metro / Wed 2/4, 7:15pm Metro


Spanish / Latin American Competition


Amarte Duele (Love Hurts)
2002 Mexico 104 min 35mm
Dir Fernando Sariñana
A modern take on the cross-cultural love story, with the pampered daughter of a rich middle-class Causcasian family falling for a native Mexican son from the wrong side of the tracks. Think a Mexican Romeo & Juliet part Baz Luhrmann and part Franco Zeffirelli.
Fri 2/6, 1:30pm, Metro / Sun 2/8, 1:15pm Metro

Cautiva (Captive ) **
2003 Argentina 115 min 35mm
Dir Gastón Biraben
15-year-old Cristina is suddenly escorted from her strict Catholic school in Buenos Aires to discover that she is really Sofía Lombardi, the daughter of two young architects, activists who were disappeared in the 70s. When introduced to her natural grandmother, Cristina flees from this nightmare. The search for her true identity is on.
Thu 2/5, 4:30pm Metro / Sat 2/7, 4:45pm Metro

Cleopatra
2003 Argentina 103 min 35mm
Dir Eduardo Mignogna
Famed Argentine leading lady Norma Aleandro is Cleopatra, a free spirited and retired teacher who, finally tiring of her depressed, alcoholic husband, hits the road with frustrated young TV star Sandra (Natalia Oreiro). This tender, cross-generational, female-powered road movie from director Eduardo Mignogna (La Fuga) is the most recent box office success from Argentina.
Tue 2/3, 7:00pm Metro / Thu 2/5, 1:00pm Metro

Dependencia Sexual (Sexual Dependency)
2003 Bolivia/USA 105 min 35mm
Dir Rodrigo Bellott
Bolivia's official selection for Best Foreign Film for the Oscars®. This first feature from Bolivian director Rodrigo Bellot follows the intertwined paths of 5 teenagers, from Bolivia to the US. Shot in split screen, the film follows each character, as a distinctive act, giving them a chance to be in the spotlight. Awarded 2003 FIPRESCI Prize at Locarno International Film Festival.
Wed 2/4, 10:15pm Metro / Fri 2/6, 7:30pm Metro

El Destino No Tiene Favoritos (Destiny Has No Favorites)
2003 Peru 90 min 35mm
Dir Alvaro Velarde
Borrowing from the Pedro Almodovar paint box for some of his more colorful satiric strokes, Velarde uses the making of a soap opera in the backyard of a bored, rich housewife as a way to poke fun at the genre's class divisions and the unsuppressed desire to play-act. Pic's sharp comic appeal suggests Peru may have a director with breakout potential.
(Wed 2/4, 1:00pm Metro / Fri 2/6, 7:00pm Metro)

El Mysterio del Trinidad (The Mystery of Trinidad )
2003 Mexico 85 min BetaSP
Dir Eduardo Palomo
Family secrets are revealed after a father's death. Written by Academy Award® nominated screenwriter for Y Tu Mama También, Carlos Cuaron.
Fri 2/6, 1:00pm MUS / Sun 2/8 12:00pm MUS

En la ciudad (In the City)
2003 Spain 110 min 35mm
Dir Cesc Gay
En la ciudad is about the hidden desires of a group of 30-somethings in Barcelona, and the confusion they experience in the traditional, socially acceptable lives they have chosen. A handsome, rewarding and engrossing film from the director of the touching Nico And Dani.
Sat 1/31 4:15pm Metro / Mon 2/2 7:15pm Metro

Kamchatka
2002 Argentina/Spain 103 min 35mm
Dir Marcelo Piñeyro
Argentine's 2002 Foreign Language Film Oscar® submission. Proving the adage that all politics is personal, director Piñeyro uses a single family to paint an intimate portrayal of the menacing early days of Argentina's 1976 military coup - a heartfelt and intelligent film with historical depth and universal themes of family, childhood, love, and loss.
Sun 2/1, 7:15pm Metro / Tue 2/3, 9:30pm Metro

O Caminho das Nuvens (The Middle of the World)
2003 Brazil 87 min 35mm
Dir Vincente Amorin
A man and his family travel 3200km (1984 miles) by bicycle, from the State of Paraíba to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in search of a job paying him at least around US$ 300. Lyrical and beautiful. One of Brazil's most popular films this past year.
Sat 2/7, 7:15pm Metro / Sun 2/8, 1:00pm Metro


World Cinema


Alila
2003 France/Israel 122 min 35mm
Dir Amos Gitaï
After three features reflecting on the historical roots of Israeli conflict, Amos Gitaï chooses an especially turbulent time in his country's history to make one of his more sociological, less overtly political films in Alila. An ensemble drama laced with lighter moments that depicts the vitality, resilience, and moral dilemmas of the people of Tel Aviv. Nominated for a Golden Lion.
Thu 2/5, 4:00pm Metro / Sat 2/7, 11:15am Metro

Best of Youth, Part 1 & Part 2 (La Meglio Gioventù)
2003 Italy 366 min 35mm
Dir Marco Tullio Giordana
Director Giordana simultaneously tells the story of a family while recounting the events of the last 40 years of Italian history in this six-hour masterpiece. Un Certain Regard Award winner in this year's Festival de Cannes.
Part I - Sat 1/31, 11:30am - 2:30pm Metro
Part II - Sat 1/31, 3:30pm - 6:30pm Metro
Part I - Mon 2/2, 1:00pm - 4:00pm Metro
Part II - Tue 2/3, 1:00pm - 4:00pm Metro

Blind Shaft (Mang Jing)
2003 China/Germany 100 min 35mm
Dir Li Yang
Banned in China, Li Yang's Blind Shaft rips open the seams of Chinese working-class life to unearth a thriller that's as touching as it is provocative. Awarded a Silver Berlin Bear for Outstanding Artistic Achievement.
Sat 1/31, 1:00pm Metro / Mon 2/2, 7:45pm Metro

Blue Gate Crossing (Lanse Da Men)
2002 Taiwan/France 82 min 35mm
Dir Yee Chin-Yen
Unexpectedly moving, Blue Gate Crossing brilliantly encapsulates the dizziness of a first love, while, even more strikingly, evoking the boundless confusion of growing up.
Sun 2/1, 7:00pm Metro / Tue 2/3, 1:00pm Metro

Boys from County Clare, The
2003 Ireland/UK/ Germany 90 min 35mm
Dir John Irvin
Set in the late 1960s during a traditional Irish music competition, this film interweaves timeless themes of discord: star-crossed lovers, feuding brothers, narrow-minded parents and rebellious children, with the passion all the characters share for the music they play.
Sun 2/1, 11:15am Metro / Sat 2/7, 4:15pm Metro

Bright Young Things
2003 UK 105 min 35mm
Dir Stephen Fry
Set in London in the thirties, the Bright Young Things of Mayfair are caught up in a constant round of parties and escapades. Based on the novel, "Vile Bodies" by Evelyn Waugh, Fry creates a world of paradox, of savvy debutantes and sentimental ne'er-do-wells, quivering emotions encased in thorny cynicism. Cameos galore with Simon Callow, Jim Broadbent, Stockard Channing, Dan Aykroyd. This is Fry's directorial debut.
Thu 2/5, 4:45pm Metro / Sat 2/7, 1:15pm Metro

Dédales
2003 France 100 min 35mm
Dir René Manzor
A gripping thriller about the capture and the psychiatric evolution of a serial killer. This film boasts a powerhouse performance by Sylvie Testud and an ending with an unforgettable twist.
Sun 2/1, 7:45pm Metro/ Tue 2/3, 10:15pm Metro

Headrush
2003 Ireland 85 min 35mm
Dir Shimmy Marcus
Headrush is a crazy caper comedy about two young stoners Charlie and T-bag, orbiting society in a haze of dope and dreams.
Sun 2/1, 2:15pm Metro / Tue 2/3, 4:30pm Metro

Lost Things
2003 Australia 83 min 35mm US PREMIERE
Dir Martin Murphy
In the tradition of The Blair Witch Project, four teenagers find terror on a camping trip to the beach in this unsettling and haunting film.
Wed 2/4, 10:15pm Metro / Fri 2/6, 10:15pm Metro

Love, Sex and Eating the Bones
2003 Canada 100 min 35mm
Dir Sudz Sutherland
A funny, sexy, contemporary urban film set in the world of young, Black Canadians. A "romantic-comedy" that refuses to be pigeonholed by the genre, the movie breaks barriers and crosses lines.
Sat 1/31, 7:30pm Metro / Mon 2/2, 10:30pm Metro

Nói Albinói
2003 Iceland 95 min 35mm
Dir Dagur Kari
Iceland's Foreign Language Oscar® submission. Living with his kind, eccentric grandmother; trying to please his Elvis-loving, alcoholic father; struggling to fit in at school and playing games for porn; Noi's daily routine changes when Iris returns from the city and he sees a way of escaping from this icy, dead-end town.
Sat 1/31, 7:15pm Metro / Mon 2/2, 9:30pm Metro

One Last Chance
2003 UK 93 min 35mm
Dir Stewart Svaasand
Nothing happens in Tullbridge in the far end of the Scottish Highlands. But the discovery of gold by three good friends triggers an increasingly absurd series of events made worse when their foolproof moneymaking scheme reaches Harry, the Chairman of the Curling Club and local Big Man!
Sat 1/31, 9:15pm Metro / Mon 2/2, 4:45pm Metro

Return, The (Vozvraschenie)
2003 Russia 106 min 35mm
Dir Andrei Zvyagintsev
Russia's Foreign Language Film Oscar® submission. Two boys' lives are changed forever when they go on an ill-fated fishing trip in rugged Russian lake country with their father, who abruptly returned to the family after a 12-year absence.
Sun 2/1, 1:00pm Metro / Tue 2/3, 7:15pm Metro

Silence of the Sea (Khamushiye Darya)
2003 Iran 82 min 35mm
Dir Vahid Mousaian
Siavash left Iran illegally years ago to live in Sweden with his wife and two children. Realizing he must go back home, he goes to a free port, which doesn't require a visa. There, Siavash comes face to face with the danger that awaits him if he returns home and he must decide what is most important to him: his future or his past.
Sun 2/1, 4:15pm Metro / Tue 2/3, 4:15pm Metro

Skagerrak
2003 Denmark 104 min 35mm
Dir Søren Kragh-Jacobsen
Danish Mary and her friend, Irish Sophie, penniless and tired of partying around the world they discover a lucrative, though extravagant, way of recovering one's fortune is to become a surrogate mother. Months on, Mary finds herself heavily pregnant and alone and on the run from the future parents. A chain of comic situations and misunderstanding lands the heroine with an unexpectedly happy end.
Sat 1/31, 11:00am Metro / Mon 2/2, 1:15pm Metro

Snow Walker, The
2003 Canada 103 min 35mm
Dir Charles Martin Smith
Inspired by a short from famous Canadian nature writer Farley Mowat, The Snow Walker is the story of a hot-headed pilot who agrees to fly an Inuit family's tubercular daughter to a hospital in Yellowknife. In this epic landscape, the two are pitted against the brutal majesty of Canada's far north.
Sun 1/31, 7:30pm Metro / Mon Feb 2, 4:00pm Metro

Twin Sisters (De Tweeling)
2002 The Netherlands :130 35mm
Dir Ben Sombogaart
An epic love story based on the Dutch bestseller by Tessa the Loo that has been read by more then 3.5 million readers in Holland and Germany. After twin sisters have been separated in their childhood, they drift apart to become implacable enemies through their experiences in World War II.
Sun 2/1, 11:00am Metro / Tue 2/3, 7:30pm Metro

Wolfsburg
2002 Germany 90 min 35mm
Dir Christian Petzold
What if you fell for the hit-and-run driver who killed your son? Philip carries on with his life as though nothing has happened, but a chance encounter with his victim's mother leads to an unexpected relationship and escalating tensions in this exciting story by writer/director Christian Petzold.
Sat 1/31, 1:30pm Metro / Mon 2/2, 1:00pm Metro

Documentary Competition

Agronomist, The **
2003 USA 90 min 35mm
Dir Jonathan Demme
The Agronomist is a celebration of an extraordinary man, journalist, broadcaster, and human rights activist - Jean Dominique - and his tireless fight against injustice and oppression, focusing on his uncompromising crusade for liberty and democracy in the vibrant country of Haiti. This film is nominated for The Fund for Santa Barbara Social Justice Award for Documentary Film. The Center for Chicano Studies and the Center for Black Studies, at UCSB will host a panel following the screening on Monday, 2/2, 7:30pm, UCSB, Campbell Hall.
Sat 1/31, 1:15pm Metro / Mon 2/2, 7:30pm UCSB, Campbell Hall

Boy who Plays on the Buddhas of Bamiyan, The **
2003 UK 96 min Digibeta US PREMIERE
Dir Phil Grabsky
In March 2001, the ruling Taliban destroyed Afghanistan's foremost tourist attraction, the 1,600 year-old Buddhas of Bamiyan. This film follows the story of Mir, an 8-year-old refugee who now lives among the ruins. This film is nominated for The Fund for Santa Barbara Social Justice Award for Documentary Film.
Sat 2/7, 4:00pm MUS / Sun 2/8, 1:30pm VIC

Broadway: The Golden Age **
2003 USA 107 min 35mm
Dir Rick McKay
Filmmaker Rick McKay's search for a bygone era in American theatre. Single-handedly, McKay filmed over 100 Broadway legends, and uses interviews, home movies and found footage to recreate an era that was not documented and would have been lost forever. The largest cast of stars ever assembled for one film includes Angela Lansbury, Shirley MacLaine, Stephen Sondheim, Carol Burnett, John Raitt, Eva Marie Saint, Charles Durning, Carol Channing, Ben Gazzara, Alec Baldwin, Jerry Herman, Kaye Ballard, Jeremy Irons, Elizabeth Ashley, Jerry Herman, Janis Paige and many more!
Fri 2/6, 1:15pm Metro / Sat 2/7, 7:45pm Metro

Condor: Axis of Evil
2003 France 90 min BetaSP
Dir Rodrigo Vazquez
An intelligent and impassioned approach makes this a powerful cautionary tale of our current War Against Terror. Vasquez traces a painful trail of controversial regimes, and U.S. and CIA efforts to silence left-wing dissent in the 1970s and '80s. Especially for the politically savvy! This film is nominated for The Fund for Santa Barbara Social Justice Award for Documentary Film.
Sun 2/1, 12:00pm MUS / Tue 2/3, 7:00pm MUS

Fourth World War, The
2003 USA 76 min Digibeta US PREMIERE
Dir Richard Rowley
Shot on the frontlines of struggles on five continents - where the mainstream media cannot go - The Fourth World War is the untold human story of the terrifying system of global violence in which we are all caught. On the ground and in the streets with political struggles throughout the world, The Fourth World War reveals the universal resistance to the brutal and imperialistic domination of the world's people. Ultimately this film captures and inspires hope for positive change through collective, united action by people across the globe. This film is nominated for The Fund for Santa Barbara Social Justice Award for Documentary Film.
Sun 2/1, 4:00pm VIC / Tue 2/3, 4:00pm VIC

Go Further
2003 USA 90 min 35mm
Dir Ron Mann
Director Ron Mann's documentary, which he has dubbed an "Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test on Tofu," follows actor/activist Woody Harrelson as he pilots a hemp-fueled bus on an eco-consciousness raising Simple Organic Living Tour incursion down the Pacific Coast.
Sun 2/1, 10:45am Metro / Tues 2/3, 4:00pm Metro

Home of the Brave **
2003 USA 75 min Digibeta
Dir Paola di Florio
A shocking examination of the death of Viola Liuzzo, a Detroit teamster's wife, mother of five, and activist during the height of the civil rights crusade of the 1960s. Liuzzo, a white woman campaigning for black voting rights, was murdered near Selma, Alabama, in 1965 by the Ku Klux Klan. Home of the Brave is an unstinting look at the human cost of fomenting social change in the Land of the Free. This film is nominated for the Grand Jury Price at Sundance, 2004, and for The Fund for Santa Barbara Social Justice Award for Documentary Film.
Fri 2/6, 1:00pm VIC / Sat 2/7, 7:00pm MUS

Juvies
2003 USA 66 min Digibeta WORLD PREMIERE
Dir Leslie Neale
Have we sacrificed an entire generation in a misguided attempt to fight crime? This documentary will make you think about the consequences of judging our children as adults. This film is nominated for The Fund for Santa Barbara Social Justice Award for Documentary Film.
Sun 2/1, 1:30pm VIC / Tue 2/3, 1:30pm VIC

Los Zafiros / The Sapphires: Music from the Edge of Time
2003 USA 85 min Digibeta
Dir Lorenzo Destefano
In evoking the Cuban post-revolutionary epoch of the 1960s, this feature-length documentary presents a vivid, moving, and balanced portrait of the remarkable musical success story that was Los Zafiros.
Thu 2/5, 6:30pm VIC / Fri 2/6, 4:00pm VIC

Mayor of the Sunset Strip **
2003 USA 94 min 35mm
Dir George Hickenlooper
This dynamic documentary examines the oddly fascinating life and career of Rodney Bingenheimer, an important music geek who's remained obscure even though he's responsible for the careers of everyone from X, Blondie, and Joan Jett to No Doubt, Oasis, and Coldplay. George Hickenlooper attending. Rodney Bingenheimer invited guest.
Fri 2/6, 9:30pm Metro / Sat 2/7, 2:15pm Metro

Proteus **
2003 USA 60 min 35mm
Dir David Lebrun
A stunning animated documentary exploring the nineteenth century's engagement with the undersea world through science, technology, painting, poetry and myth. Lebrun tells the story of Ernst Haeckel and his role in our evolving epistemology while offering a parable about both the difficulty and possibility of a unified vision.
Sat 1/31, 10:30am Metro / Tue 2/3, 4:45pm Metro

Sunset Junction
2003 USA 101 min 35mm
Dir Peter Jones
Every August, over 100,000 Los Angelenos pile into a closed-off section of Silver Lake for the rockin' bands and stellar people watching found at the Sunset Junction Street Fair. Sunset Junction chronicles the story of the one of the organizers, a Beverly Hills hairdresser who has become a father figure to gang members and illegal immigrants. Co-presented with the Santa Barbara Gay and Lesbian Film Festival.
Sun 2/1, 4:45pm Metro / Tue 2/3, 1:15pm Metro


Shorts Competition

A diverse and exciting slate of short films from around the globe!

Shorts Program I Sun 2/1, 10:30am Metro

Bite (Beet)
2003 The Netherlands 9 min 35 mm
Dir Annemarie van de Mond
Sjoerd hates camping, but is suddenly surprised and more than glad he came.

Crux, The
2003 USA 7 min 35mm
Dir Jeffrey Seckendorf
A man, stopped by a stranger who asks for help, finds himself entangled in relationship of life or death.

E-mail Express
2003 Germany 8 min 35mm
Dir Barbara Marheineke
After seeing E-mail Express, no one can claim not to know how risky communication on the net is.

Green Eyes
2002 Australia 12 min 35mm
Dir Diana Leach
Green Eyes is a dark and beguiling story of sibling rivalry and mystic fish. Carl steals his newborn sister and places her under a tree, but instead of winning back his parent's affection, he finds the lighthouse flooding with his Mother's tears.

Roundabout
2002 Australia 16 min 35mm
Dir Rachel Griffiths
An ordinary man heads for work, but never makes it there.

Terra
2003 USA 7 min 35mm (animation)
Dir Aristomenis Tsirbas
Mala, a curious alien girl, is intrigued by an object in the night sky.

Underground
2003 USA 11 min 35mm
Dir Aimee Lagos and Kristin C. Dehnert
A heart-racing ride through a woman's day on a city subway - with a powerful conclusion.


Shorts Program II Sat 2/7, 10:30am Metro


Erl-King, The (Erlkönig, Der) (animation)
2003 Germany 8 min 35mm
Dir Hannes Rall
An animated film adapted freely from the famous poem 'Der Erlkoenig' by Goethe.

Man in the Cupboard, The (De Man in de Linnenkast)
2003 The Netherlands 10 min 35mm
Dir Tallulah H. Schwab
A lonely man finds comfort when he happens upon a secret garden in his linen cupboard.

Persistence
2003 USA 10 min 35mm
Dir James Cullinane
Seventy five year old Henry is a wheel chair-bound rebel determined to keep a very important date.

Silencio Profundo
2003 Mexico 16 min 35mm
Dir Gustavo Loza
Two children have mysteriously disappeared from la Havana; one of them comes back and decides to remain silent.

Standing Room Only
2002 USA/Australia 12 min 35mm
Dir Deborra-Lee Furness
Deborra-Lee's directorial debut, Standing Room Only is a silent short film which takes a humorous look at waiting in line for tickets to the theater.

Tango Octogenario
2003 USA 7 min 35mm
Dir David Licata
A short narrative dance film about an elderly couple's unique way of reconnecting to each other.

Walkentalk
2003 USA 11 min 35mm
Dir Philip Zlotorynski
When being yourself just isn't any fun.


Shorts Program III Tue 2/3, 9:30pm VIC


Dear, Sweet Emma
2003 USA 5 min BetaSP (animation)
Dir John Cernak
Unbeknownst to all, Emma has an uncontrollable dark side.

Free Radicals
2003 USA 8 min BetaSP (animation)
Dir Mahyar Abousaeedi and Ed Chen
It's the world's first home video filmed by and starring cockroaches.

Or Perish As Fools
2002 USA 15 min DigiBeta
Dir Jay J. Hollenback
A despondent confederate officer discovers the Negro regiment soldier he faces is his former slave.

Solder Man
2003 USA 4 min DigiBeta (animation)
Dir Dave Novak
Solder Man confronts a crisis, which he struggles to solve with his own skills, that challenges his ingenuity.

Tom Hits His Head
2003 USA 10 min DigiBeta
Dir Tom Putnam
Ever since Tom hit his head, he's been getting dizzy spells, indulging in E-bay, and having conversations with the devil.

Water Thieves, The (Les Voleurs D'Eau)
2003 Canada 15 min BetaSP
Dir Sébastien Elias
In a dehydrated Montreal, thirsty citizens panic and start a water war.

White Like Me
2003 USA 16 min BetaSP
Dir Gregory Fitzsimmons
When Gus and Marcus stop at a remote motel for the evening, their ongoing debate about the state of race relations in America takes a turn that neither of them could have anticipated.

Student Shorts

An exciting, non-competitive showcase of films, demonstrating disparate approaches to storytelling from up and coming talent!


Rosebud International Student Shorts Sat 1/31, 10:00am VIC

Economy
2002 USA 4 min Digibeta
Dir Leslie Lyshkov
A destitute woman sells an old book, unaware of its value.

First Grade
2003 South Korea 12 min DigiBeta
Dir Sang-Yup Lee
When Min-Woo hears a rumor about an egg monster, he gets scared of what is happening to his Korean book, because it seems to be related to these rumors.

Maree
2003 Italy/USA 15 min DigiBeta
Dir James Pellerito
An Albanian father and son flee war-torn Macedonia in search of a better future in Italy. Once in Venice, the father makes the most painful decision of his life.

Off Track Betting
2003 USA 24 min DigiBeta
Dir Ran Moncaz
Off Track Betting is a story about an older man at the end of his life holding on to that one last thing that makes him feel alive.

Show, The
2003 USA 9 min BetaSP
Dir Cruz Angeles
The Show is a dramatic commentary that documents the last moments of one man's lif