What Do I Know?

Saturday, December 14, 2013

AIFF 2013: Saturday- Oh Dear Too, Too Many Choices

First, sorry for pointing people toward the Inlet Towers yesterday for the Martini Matinee. It was at the Bear Tooth and well attended, including a number of film makers.

There's a lot on for Saturday that I haven't seen. The links and times and locations are on the schedule below from the Festival site. I'll try to point out films that I've seen and that I've liked:

Family Program
If you have kids: Go to Loussac either at 11 or 1 for the family program. Actually, I'd say it doesn't matter when you get there after 11 because the program repeats at 1.

Lion Ark
Also at Loussac will be Lion Ark which I saw in LA. A good action packed (in a good way) story about rescuing lions from illegal Bolivian circuses. You can see the short video I did in LA with the director Tim Phillips here.

Tales From The Organ Trade
This documentary looks at the world market for human kidneys. See a whole post on this film here. This film shows a lot of sides and raises the ethical dilemmas that make this so tricky.

Jonah and Life are two shorts that made an impression on me in the Global Village Shorts Program at 1:30pm.

Coffee Time, Slomo, and The Words I Love are all the kinds of films you want to see at a film festival. They're in Quirky Shorts (a good descriptor) at 2 pm at Anchorage Community Works - 349 E Ship Creek Ave.

Reel Life and Life are in the Reel/Real Life Short Narrative Fiction program at 3pm at AK Exp. theater. I'm trying to get up some video with Laurence Relton I did today. [It's up here now.] He directed Reel Life which is definitely worth seeing. I haven't seen the rest of this program so I can't comment.

Vino Veritas is a feature of the Virginia Woolf genre - two couple have dinner together and start peeling the layers of their relationships. This one differs from others in this genre in that none of the characters is actually mean. This is a good serious film that couples ought to see. I recorded some video last night of director Sarah Knight.

I'm headed for To Be A Man at 8pm, which I haven't seen yet. I've heard good things. It's a French movie about the relationship between a 20 year old man and a 10 year old boy. The film maker is scheduled to be here at 8pm at the Bear Tooth.

Not sure how much that helps. Lots of good things to see and unless you can clone yourself, it's hard to get it all in. Though you can sneak a look at the Sunday program to see if what you want to see plays Sunday again.

Saturday, December 14th
11:00 AM	Family Film Festival Family Program \| 88 min. screens with... Butterfly Dreams \| Venkat Krishnan 2013 Hasard \| Cyril Eberle 2013 Paradigm \| Stephen Boyer 2013 Poison Apple \| Dane Neves 2013 Santa's Claw \| Mark Thomas-Stubbs 2013 Static \| Leslie Langee 2013 The Toothfairy \| Rachael Sonnenberg 2013 The Trap \| Rio Fitch 2013 Cooking at Iron Dog \| Alana Anselment Fun at Iron Dog \| Kaden Mwarey, Dios Heath Hanging with the Racers \| Sabrina Anselment Iron Dog Volunteers Search for Drinking Water \| Thomas Abraham Masks Carved Into Your Soul \| Bryan Goodwin Sled Building in McGrath, Alaska \| Jett Novak	Wilda Marston Theatre at Z. J. Loussac Public Library
11:00 AM	Death and Dying Docs Documentary Program \| 95 min. screens with... Let Us Begin \| W. Brandon Bray 2013 Tales from the Organ Trade \| Ric Esther Bienstock 2013	Alaska Experience Theater - Large Theater
11:30 AM	War Docs Documentary Program \| 98 min. screens with... Fatigued \| Kyle King 2013 Gold Star Children \| Mitty Griffis Mirrer 2012	Alaska Experience Theater - Small Theater
1:00 PM	Harlem Street Singer Trevor Laurence, Simeon Hutner 2013 \| Documentary \| 77 min.	Alaska Experience Theater - Large Theater
1:00 PM	Gay-La II Gay-La \| 120 min. screens with... Door Prize \| Zsa Zsa Gershick 2009 Lambing Season \| Jeannie Donohoe 2013 Route of Acceptance \| Heather Tobin 2012	Mad Myrna's
1:00 PM	Family Film Festival Family Program \| 88 min. Same as the 11 am showing - see above	Wilda Marston Theatre at Z. J. Loussac Public Library
1:30 PM	Global Village Shorts Shorts Program \| 92 min. screens with... The Fusion \| Ulrich Witt 2012 Gaspé Copper \| Alexis Fortier Gauthier 2013 Jonah \| Kirill Modylevskiy 2013 Life \| Lasse Lorenzen 2012 Maybe Another Time \| Khris Burton 2013 Separation Sonnet \| Andressa Furletti 2012 Suspended \| Damian Walshe-Howling 2013	Alaska Experience Theater - Small Theater
2:00 PM	Quirky Short Docs Documentary Program \| 68 min. screens with... Cardboard Titanics: Smart People Being Stupid \| Sam Frazier; Jr. 2012 Coffee Time \| Maria Fredriksson 2013 Slomo \| Joshua Izenberg 2012 The Words I Love \| Thanachart Siripatrachai 2013	Anchorage Community Works
3:00 PM	Reel/Real Life Shorts Shorts Program \| 98 min. screens with... The Anatomy of Injury \| Danielle Lessovitz Damn Girl \| Kira Richards Hansen 2012 Good Men \| Brian Connors 2011 Great \| Andreas Henn 2013 If We Were Adults \| Michael Fitzgerald 2013 Life \| Lasse Lorenzen 2012 Reel Life \| Laurence Relton 2013 Stalled \| Shannon Kohli 2012	Alaska Experience Theater - Large Theater
3:30 PM	Lion Ark Tim Phillips 2013 \| Documentary \| 97 min. ** Note: Filmmaker attending	Wilda Marston Theatre at Z. J. Loussac Public Library
4:00 PM	The Frozen Ground Scott Walker 2013 \| Feature \| 105 min.	Anchorage Museum at Rasmuson Center
4:00 PM	Vino Veritas Sarah Knight 2012 \| Feature \| 96 min.	Alaska Experience Theater - Small Theater
4:30 PM	Snowdance Docs Documentary Program, Snowdance \| 90 min. screens with... Baking Alaska \| Kari Barber 2013 Mike's Migration \| Adam Kunz 2013 Open Season \| Mary Katzke 2013 Seward Harbor Flipbook Vol. 1 \| Kristopher Peck 2013	Anchorage Community Works
5:30 PM	Delinquent Dancers samit kakkad 2012 \| Feature \| 94 min.	Alaska Experience Theater - Large Theater
6:30 PM	Mountain Climbing Docs Documentary Program \| 96 min. screens with... The Grand Rescue \| Jenny Wilson, Meredith Lavitt, William A. Kerig 2013 High and Hallowed: Everest 1963 \| David Morton, Jake Norton, Jim Aikman 2013	Alaska Experience Theater - Small Theater
7:00 PM	Art House Docs and Film Slam & Jam Shorts Program \| 240 min. screens with... Art Docs	Anchorage Community Works
8:00 PM	Destination Unknown Shorts Shorts Program \| 112 min. screens with... 88 Miles to Moscow \| Karen Glienke 2012 End of the Beginning \| Richard Marshall 2013 Lambing Season \| Jeannie Donohoe 2013 Opportunities for Advancement \| Thomas Carroll 2013 Pyro & Klepto \| Justin Chandra 2012 The River \| Sam Handel	Alaska Experience Theater - Large Theater
8:00 PM	You’ll Be A Man Benoit Cohen 2013 \| Feature \| 87 min. ** Note: Filmmaker attending	Bear Tooth Theatre
10:15 PM	The Great Alaskan Short Film Contest

Friday, December 13, 2013

AIFF 2013: Lion Ark - Film Makers In Anchorage for Sat and Sun Showings

I've been holding up this video til Lion Ark was about to play here in Anchorage. I got to see the film and talk to the directors when we were in LA. They are due in Anchorage for the showings Saturday (3:30pm Loussac) and Sunday (3 pm AK Exp large theater)

This is somewhat like a reality show where you watch the animal rescuers plan their attacks on the illegal circuses that have lions. You hear them discuss how they helped get the Bolivian government to pass the strongest legislation around to prevent little circuses from using animals. While some (most?) have given up their lions, there are a few outlaw circuses left.

None of this is really spoiler material because it's the telling of the story that matters. Most, if not all, of the questions at the Q&A in LA were about the content of the movie, so afterward I focused my questions more on the movie making.

There's a little bit of disturbing video of beating of animals in the film, so the younger kids probably shouldn't see this. (It's PG 13)

There are a lot of Bolivians involved in the rescue and an important part of the film for me was that a number of them were brought with the lions to Colorado at the end, to see the lions' new home.

The program says the film makers will be there Saturday, and probably they'll be at the Sunday showing but I'm not sure.

With Tim Phillips and Jan Creamer in town for Lion Ark, Will Francome for One.For.Ten, and Laurance Relton here for Reel Life, you'd think Captain Cook had made Alaska an English colony. All their films are well worth watching. Will's interviews with people who have been released from death row after their convictions were overturned can be seen at the one.for.ten website.

Laurence's wonderful short film, Reel Life, plays as part of the Reel/Real Life Short Docs program at 3pm Saturday at the AK Exp Theater.

Either Someone Lied Or They Are Totally Incompetent - $22 Million More Needed For Bragaw Road Extension

There may well be a third option - besides lying and incompetence - but I haven't figured it out. This is a road that the local residents opposed in huge numbers. The several public hearings I went to opposition was 80% or more.

But DOT gave the citizens participation contract to an engineering firm - Dowl - a company that can only benefit if the road is built. If they don't benefit directly, many of the companies they regularly work with will. But nobody in the state or city sees a conflict of interest.

Despite the overwhelming public opposition of cutting a road through the greenbelt at the University of Alaska Anchorage, Dowl has come up with plans for a road. Surpirse!

But even then, the funding came only in the closing minutes of the legislature (literally) as it was tacked on to the budget.

All elected politicians representing this area of town opposed it: Elvi Gray-Jackson, Dick Training (the two assembly members representing the U-Med district) and Rep. Andy Josephson and Sen. Berta Gardner.

And now we are told, it will actually cost another $22 million. (I can't find the article where this was announced, but there is a letter to the editor today from Rep. Josephson referencing the amount.)

That's a 100% increase in the cost. That's not a minor miscalculation. That doubles the price.

Given how much these guys want to build this road, my guess is they knew all along they were severely lowballing the costs. They did say they could only build the minimal road for now with what they got. But now that minimal road will cost double what they said.

The point, I think, is to rip apart the forest land no matter what, so that the damage is done and can't be repaired and then they will slowly start adding funds to fix the problem they created. And we'll have a big nasty four lane road, without any of what they call "amenties" but I call necessities like safe and usable pedestrian and bike access and ways for the wildlife that use that area to get across the road.

And if they were really $22 million off in their calculations, then it would be clear they are much too incompetent to be trusted to carry out this project.

I'd also point out they by-passed federal assistance with this road. That lets them skip a lot of the environmental safeguards we normally would expect - especially when building through a wetlands area.

During the Watergate days, the phrase was "follow the money." I'd like to see how this money gets distributed. Which companies get contracts for how much? Which politicians get contributions from those companies? And maybe we should expand that to past projects that Dowl did the public participation process for.

Now, maybe there is a third or even fourth plausible explanation. If there is, please add it to the comments. (I expect we won't see those comments because 3rd and 4th explanations could be even worse than the ones I've identified.)

AIFF 2013: One.For.Ten - DNA, The Instant Replay For The Justice System

The highlight of the film festival for me so far was Thursday night at Loussac Library.

The showing was the most innovative and powerful I've seen.

The film maker, Will Francome (and his colleagues), as he explained it, determined to take a cross country trip in the US to interview people who had been exonerated of capital offenses and been released from death row.

But they jumped onto Facebook and Twitter to include their audience in developing questions for the people they were going to interview. They made their film, edited it quickly, and put it online for their FB and Twitter team to see within 24 hours.

And the 'showing' Thursday included a panel of three local leaders in the fight for justice for innocent people convicted of crime. There were ten short interviews. One or two were shown. Then the audience was invited to ask questions or comment. The panel commented. Then the next couple of films were shown.

WOW! The audience was included in making the films and in the showing. This takes AIFF into new film territory - making the audience participants, not simply passive viewers of the films. I know people will immediately, and legitimately respond that the festival has had Q&A with film makers from the beginning.

But this was more than that. At One.For.Ten the audience was involved from the beginning. Live audience reaction was part of the film experience.

And if all that weren't enough, the topic - innocent people on death row - is as powerful as you can get.

Most of you missed this. I didn't know what I was going to experience before I went. But, you can see the ten films and join into the social media discussions. The films are at the One.For.Ten website.

These stories are so compelling because they challenge the very basis of our justice system. I had so many thoughts jumping through my head.

Clearly DNA can change the court's call, just as instant replay can change a sports call. But saving an innocent man or woman wrongly convicted is far more significant than changing a referee's call. But like instant replay, it's the kind of objective evidence, that breaks through most human error. (And I'm sure there are ways to incorrectly collect, test, and interpret DNA evidence.)

I asked about the reactions of prosecutors, and, unfortunately, the answers suggested they react badly. They deny they were wrong. And, as the blogger at What Do I Know?, I'm fascinated by how people 'know' what they 'know'. And how they simply cannot see 'truths' that conflict with their own well being. I know that prosecutors dismiss the claims of innocence of inmates. Every inmate has found a way to believe he's innocent. (And I believe that many extremely guilty folks believe they're innocent, making it harder for people who really are innocent.) The irony is that while prosecutors can see these people deceive themselves, apparently they can't see it when they themselves fall for the same delusion.

So much to think about. They discussed about ten different reasons/causes for people to be falsely convicted and each of the ten films is supposed to highlight one. (Though most involve several.) Some were;

wrong eyewitnesses
snitch testimony - informants lying for their own benefit
wrong expert witnesses
racism
prosecutorial misconduct
perjury and false testimony
false confession

It seems to me, short of banning the death sentence, anyone convicted without concrete evidence based on things like eyewitness testimony or snitch testimony and probably other conditions, should not be sentenced to anything more than life.

By the way, one for ten refers to stats that there is one exonerated convict for every ten executed.

Did I tell you I liked this session?

AIFF 2013: Choosing From So Many Good Options Friday

This is getting impossible. There are too many options. (Full schedule with links and times below.)

Lunch Discussion at 11:30 at the Bear Tooth:

"Guest speakers include: Tony Sheppard, AIFF founder; Ron Holmstrom, regional Screen Actors Guild Feature representative; Jerry Levine, producer, director and president of Connections Doc Film and Video; and other guests representing various groups who’ve been involved with 'Film in Alaska.'”

This event doesn't conflict with any other event - except maybe your life.

The rest, I can only mention the films I've seen and I leave the rest for you to choose for yourself. The links should help.

Eskimo Star - I saw a short portion of this a couple of years ago, if I remember correctly. And I also knew Ted Mala the son of Ray back when I first got to Alaska in the late 70s. Again, it doesn't conflict with any other events and what I saw before fills lots of Alaska and Hollywood history gaps.

Recommendations:

Some of my favorite shorts will play at the Martini Matinee at 3:30 at the Inlet Towers: Animation Hotline* - one of the few animated films that had both great original visuals AND meaningful content.
Reel Life - a great filmic comment on film reality
The Words I Love - learning language is a great interest of mine and it's told in it own original way (I'd note that the film maker, 'Benz' Thamachart Siripatrachai, is staying with us.)
Mr. Super Juice* - won me over with its irreverence, it pulls no punches (or juices)
Coffee Time - This one is so unexpected. I won't say anything about it, except to say it's delightful. Not for children.

*also playing at 7:30 in the Animation Program. Three others I really liked in that program:

The Rose of Turaida - a beautiful and original animation style tells a Latvian legend.
Lost and Found - visually beautiful adaption of a children's book.based on Oliver Jeffers' award winning children's picture book
Mr Hublot - Magnificent visuals.

The Guide - I also found this short from the Biology Gone Wild Docs Program definitely worth a view - an African young man wants to be a tour guide in Mozambique's Gorongosa National Park. That's already a pretty good story, but it gets additional power by the appearance of an intellectual hero of mine - biologist E. O. Wilson - and his relationship with the young guide. 7pm

There are just too many movies. And too many of them overlapping. I can tell you I really liked the ones mentioned above, but you might not. Just jump in and pick something.

11:30 AM	One Course Discourse Event \| 90 min.	Bear Tooth Theatre
1:20 PM	"Eskimo Star: From the Tundra to Tinseltown the Ray Mala Story" Book Signing with Author Lael Morgan Book Signing \| 80 min.	Bear Tooth Theatre
3:00 PM	Martini Matinee Martini Matinee, Shorts Program \| 100 min. screens with... Mister Super Juice \| Mike Wellins 2013 The Innovator \| Sean McCarthy 2013 Slomo \| Joshua Izenberg 2012 The Words I Love \| Thanachart Siripatrachai 2013 Reel Life \| Laurence Relton 2013 The Anatomy of Injury \| Danielle Lessovitz Coffee Time \| Maria Fredriksson 2013 Animation Hotline \| Dustin Grella Door Prize \| Zsa Zsa Gershick 2009	Bear Tooth Theatre
6:00 PM	Art Docs Documentary Program \| 65 min. screens with... The Models of Bekonscot \| Sophie Le Neveu 2014 The No Name Painting Association \| Joe Griffin 2013 Pottery Wars \| Michelle Naomi Swallow 2013 Stan Herd: Down To Earth \| Bradley Beenders 2012	Alaska Experience Theater - Large Theater
7:00 PM	Snowdance Docs Documentary Program, Snowdance \| 90 min. screens with... Baking Alaska \| Kari Barber 2013 Mike's Migration \| Adam Kunz 2013 Open Season \| Mary Katzke 2013 Seward Harbor Flipbook Vol. 1 \| Kristopher Peck 2013	Wilda Marston Theatre at Z. J. Loussac Public Library
7:00 PM	Biology Gone Wild Docs Documentary Program \| 88 min. screens with... The Guide \| Jessica Yu 2013 Himalayan Gold Rush \| Eric Valli 2012	Alaska Experience Theater - Small Theater
7:30 PM	Animation Animation Program \| 120 min. screens with... Ahco on the Road \| Soyeon Kim 2013 Animation Hotline \| Dustin Grella Blue \| Katelyn Bianchini, Rena Cheng, Asia Lancaster 2013 Caldera \| Evan Viera 2012 A Clean Break \| Richard Cunningham Collectors \| Marcel Hobi 2013 Eye of the Storm \| Christopher Alender 2011 Icarus Falls \| Jesse O'Brien 2013 The Innovator \| Sean McCarthy 2013 Lost and Found \| Karen Star Mirage \| Iker Maidagan, Dana Terrace 2013 Mister Super Juice \| Mike Wellins 2013 Monkey Rag \| Johanna Davidovich Mr Hublot \| Laurent Witz, Alexandre Espigares 2013 Prima \| Vanessa Rossi 2013 The Rose of Turaida \| Ryan Grobins 2013 Yellow Sticky Notes \| Canadian Anijam \| Jeff Chiba Stearns 2013	Anchorage Community Works
7:45 PM	Antarctica: A Year on Ice Anthony Powell 2013 \| Documentary \| 92 min.	Alaska Experience Theater - Large Theater
8:00 PM	Vino Veritas Sarah Knight 2012 \| Feature \| 96 min. ** Note: Filmmaker attending	Bear Tooth Theatre
9:30 PM	Quick Freeze Film Competition Screening Quick Freeze \| 120 min.	Anchorage Community Works
9:45 PM	Mourning Has Broken Jason Butler, Brett Butler 2012 \| Feature \| 77 min.	Alaska Experience Theater - Large Theater
10:15 PM	Contracted Eric England 2013 \| Feature \| 84 min.

Thursday, December 12, 2013

AIFF 2013: Ingrid Veninger On "The Animal Project"

I went to Venice High School in Los Angeles. Our school mascot was Gunther Gondolier. I know, Gunter isn't very Italian, but I assume it was the alliteration that counted. There was a cartoon of Gunther Gondolier, but there was never anyone in a gondolier costume at the football games. Until my class came along. We took the cartoon to a costume design place and they made a giant plastic head and some costume that looked like what somebody thought a gondolier would wear.

I was the student chosen to introduce Gunther Gondolier to the student body. I was a pretty reserved kid. I didn't do outrageous things. But when I put on the Gunther mask and costume, something happened. I became a different person. And as Gunther, I came up behind one of the cheerleaders from behind the curtain and put my arms around her from behind and pulled her back behind the curtains with me. Not something I would have done as Steve. And action that got me called into the Vice Principal's office for a warning.

I thought of this talking to Ingrid Veninger last night about her film The Animal Project. It's about an acting teacher who has his students dress up in animal costumes. Then she said, If you've ever been in a mask you're sort of free and liberated behind the mask. Oh, my, that was true of me in the Gunther Gondolier costume.

She went on to talk about the animal costumes in the acting class in the film. Not only are the actors in the animal costumes liberated, but so are the people encountering them.

I haven't seen this film, but it sounds like it will be interesting and different. And this film played at the Toronto Film Festival and others, and just Tuesday night (yes, two days ago) won the best narrative feature at the Whistler Film Festival.

But listen to it directly from Ingrid:

Here's the trailer for the film:

AIFF 2013: What To Do On Thursday

[UPDATE: Dec. 12, 12:30am: I originally posted this, by mistake, for Wednesday. I fixed the title and now I've edited this to call more attention to The Animal Project playing at 8:30pm at the museum.]

My thoughts on Thursday. Full schedule below.

Juventad (Youth) is, I'm told, the pick for Thursday, 8pm at the Bear Tooth. This is an autobiographical film by a well known Mexican director. Wikipedia says:

Jaime Humberto Hermosillo (born 22 January 1942) is a Mexican film director, often compared to Spain's Pedro Almodóvar. Born in Aguascalientes, Aguascalientes, in center Mexico, Hermosillo's films often explore the hypocrisy of middle-class Mexican values.

He's worked with Gabriel García Marquez, the Nobel Prize winner for literature and author of One Hundred Years of Solitude.

But there are lots of other interesting choices.

I had a chance to talk to Ingrid Veninger about her film The Animal Project which is NOT

Ingrid Veninger saying "Mask"

"An unorthodox acting teacher (Aaron Poole) attempts to push a group of eager young performers out of their comfort zones, while struggling with his own ability to live an authentic and fulfilling life with his teenage son."

The two mountain climbing docs are worth seeing. The first repeats a 1963 climb of Everest and the second recreates a legendary mountain rescue in the Tetons. In both films the original participants are interviewed to give their stories about the original events.

The Iranian film, Everything is Fine Here, is an interesting film, not only because it's from Iran today, but also because of its look and feel. The film was not approved for filming in Iran - it's about a rape and the effect on the woman and those around her. It moves at a slower pace than American movies, so be ready for that. The film makers were there Saturday and are schedule to still be in Anchorage so I'd guess they'll be there for this showing. Anchorage is the US premiere of this film. Here's a post with a video of the directors talking to the Anchorage audience in Farsi.

I'm going to see 7 Cajas on Saturday at 11:30 am. Here's a link to a Huff Post description. It's apparently the biggest Paraguayan movie ever. And you can see this Paraguyan film Saturday.

I'll go see the beginning of One for Ten at Loussac at 7pm

"Since [the death penalty was reinstated in the US in 1976], for every ten people that have been executed, one person has been exonerated and released from death row after spending an average of ten years in isolation."

And then to the Museum to see The Animal Project. I have a hunch about this one. Ingrid is a good salesperson. Again, check the video here.

Antarctica is supposed to be good. I'll try to see it on the weekend.
9 Full Moons is a movie that reminds us how hard it is to pull off a good movie. I saw it over the weekend. There are interesting characters and some good scenes - I liked the interactions with the country western singer a lot - but it is long. The movie has heart. The film maker is scheduled to be there.

\

The Schedule:

Thursday, December 12th
5:30 PM	Everything Is Fine Here pourya azarbayjani 2012 \| Feature \| 75 min.	Alaska Experience Theater - Small Theater
5:45 PM	Mountain Climbing Docs Documentary Program \| 96 min. The Grand Rescue \| Jenny Wilson, Meredith Lavitt, William A. Kerig 2013 High and Hallowed: Everest 1963 \| David Morton, Jake Norton, Jim Aikman 2013	Alaska Experience Theater - Large Theater
6:30 PM	9 Full Moons Tomer Almagor \| Feature \| 103 min. ** Note: Filmmaker attending	Anchorage Museum at Rasmuson Center
7:00 PM	One for Ten Documentary Program \| 120 min.	Wilda Marston Theatre at Z. J. Loussac Public Library
7:45 PM	Antarctica: A Year on Ice Anthony Powell 2013 \| Documentary \| 92 min.	Alaska Experience Theater - Small Theater
8:00 PM	Juventud (Youth) Jaime Humberto Hermosillo 2010 \| Feature \| 115 min.	Alaska Experience Theater - Large Theater
8:00 PM	7 Cajas Juan Carlos Maneglia \| Feature \| 100 min.	Bear Tooth Theatre
8:30 PM	The Animal Project Ingrid Veninger \| Feature \| 77 min.	Anchorage Museum at Rasmuson Center

AIFF 2013: A Short Trip to Iran? See We Are All Fine Here

We don't see many Iranian films in Anchorage. And even more seldom is Anchorage the location of the US premiere of an Iranian film. And just as rarely, do we get the film makers to answer our questions after the film. But all three are the case for Everything Is Fine Here.

Everything is Fine Here, is an interesting film, not only because it's from Iran today, but also because of its look and feel. The film was not approved for filming in Iran - it's about a rape and the effect on the woman and those around her. It moves at a slower pace than American movies, so be ready for that.

I asked the film makers - Pourya Azarbayjani and Mona Sartoveh - if they would say a few words in Farsi about being in Anchorage. Here they are:

sssss

A bit of "life mimics art" -the young woman in the movie gets a scholarship to study a while abroad. And the film maker, lands his film in the Anchorage International Film Festival and gets to go abroad too.

AIFF 2013: What To Do On Thursday -

Jaime Humberto Hermosillo (born 22 January 1942) is a Mexican film director, often compared to Spain's Pedro Almodóvar. Born in Aguascalientes, Aguascalientes, in center Mexico, Hermosillo's films often explore the hypocrisy of middle-class Mexican values.

Ingrid Veninger saying "Mask"

about rescuing animals (see Lion Ark for that over the weekend). This is about an acting instructor, his relationship with his son, and the use of animal costumes to teach acting. I haven't seen this one, but it sounds like Ingrid is doing something unique here. And it's already won awards in other festivals. Ingrid told me this is her fourth feature in five years. I've decided I'm going to this one at 8:30 in the Museum. And she'll be there to talk afterward.

But watch the video of Ingrid Veninger here.

The two mountain climbing docs are worth seeing. The first repeats a 1963 climb of Everest and the second recreates a legendary mountain rescue in the Tetons. In both films the original participants are interviewed to give their stories about the original events.

The Iranian film, Everything is Fine Here, is an interesting film, not only because it's from Iran today, but also because of its look and feel. The film was not approved for filming in Iran - it's about a rape and the effect on the woman and those around her. It moves at a slower pace than American movies, so be ready for that. The film makers were there Saturday and are schedule to still be in Anchorage so I'd guess they'll be there for this showing. Anchorage is the US premiere of this film.

I'm going to see 7 Cajas on Saturday at 11:30 am. Here's a link to a Huff Post description. It's apparently the biggest Paraguayan movie ever. And you can see this Paraguyan film Saturday.

I'll go see the beginning of One for Ten at Loussac at 7pm

"Since [the death penalty was reinstated in the US in 1976], for every ten people that have been executed, one person has been exonerated and released from death row after spending an average of ten years in isolation."

"An unorthodox acting teacher (Aaron Poole) attempts to push a group of eager young performers out of their comfort zones, while struggling with his own ability to live an authentic and fulfilling life with his teenage son."

The Schedule:

Thursday, December 12th
5:30 PM	Everything Is Fine Here pourya azarbayjani 2012 \| Feature \| 75 min.	Alaska Experience Theater - Small Theater
5:45 PM	Mountain Climbing Docs Documentary Program \| 96 min. The Grand Rescue \| Jenny Wilson, Meredith Lavitt, William A. Kerig 2013 High and Hallowed: Everest 1963 \| David Morton, Jake Norton, Jim Aikman 2013	Alaska Experience Theater - Large Theater
6:30 PM	9 Full Moons Tomer Almagor \| Feature \| 103 min. ** Note: Filmmaker attending	Anchorage Museum at Rasmuson Center
7:00 PM	One for Ten Documentary Program \| 120 min.	Wilda Marston Theatre at Z. J. Loussac Public Library
7:45 PM	Antarctica: A Year on Ice Anthony Powell 2013 \| Documentary \| 92 min.	Alaska Experience Theater - Small Theater
8:00 PM	Juventud (Youth) Jaime Humberto Hermosillo 2010 \| Feature \| 115 min.	Alaska Experience Theater - Large Theater
8:00 PM	7 Cajas Juan Carlos Maneglia \| Feature \| 100 min.	Bear Tooth Theatre
8:30 PM	The Animal Project Ingrid Veninger \| Feature \| 77 min.	Anchorage Museum at Rasmuson Center

AIFF 2013: What To Do On Thursday -

Jaime Humberto Hermosillo (born 22 January 1942) is a Mexican film director, often compared to Spain's Pedro Almodóvar. Born in Aguascalientes, Aguascalientes, in center Mexico, Hermosillo's films often explore the hypocrisy of middle-class Mexican values.

Ingrid Veninger saying "Mask"

"Since [the death penalty was reinstated in the US in 1976], for every ten people that have been executed, one person has been exonerated and released from death row after spending an average of ten years in isolation."

"An unorthodox acting teacher (Aaron Poole) attempts to push a group of eager young performers out of their comfort zones, while struggling with his own ability to live an authentic and fulfilling life with his teenage son."

The Schedule:

Thursday, December 12th
5:30 PM	Everything Is Fine Here pourya azarbayjani 2012 \| Feature \| 75 min.	Alaska Experience Theater - Small Theater
5:45 PM	Mountain Climbing Docs Documentary Program \| 96 min. The Grand Rescue \| Jenny Wilson, Meredith Lavitt, William A. Kerig 2013 High and Hallowed: Everest 1963 \| David Morton, Jake Norton, Jim Aikman 2013	Alaska Experience Theater - Large Theater
6:30 PM	9 Full Moons Tomer Almagor \| Feature \| 103 min. ** Note: Filmmaker attending	Anchorage Museum at Rasmuson Center
7:00 PM	One for Ten Documentary Program \| 120 min.	Wilda Marston Theatre at Z. J. Loussac Public Library
7:45 PM	Antarctica: A Year on Ice Anthony Powell 2013 \| Documentary \| 92 min.	Alaska Experience Theater - Small Theater
8:00 PM	Juventud (Youth) Jaime Humberto Hermosillo 2010 \| Feature \| 115 min.	Alaska Experience Theater - Large Theater
8:00 PM	7 Cajas Juan Carlos Maneglia \| Feature \| 100 min.	Bear Tooth Theatre
8:30 PM	The Animal Project Ingrid Veninger \| Feature \| 77 min.	Anchorage Museum at Rasmuson Center

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Saturday, December 14, 2013

AIFF 2013: Saturday- Oh Dear Too, Too Many Choices

Friday, December 13, 2013

AIFF 2013: Lion Ark - Film Makers In Anchorage for Sat and Sun Showings

Either Someone Lied Or They Are Totally Incompetent - $22 Million More Needed For Bragaw Road Extension

AIFF 2013: One.For.Ten - DNA, The Instant Replay For The Justice System

AIFF 2013: Choosing From So Many Good Options Friday

Thursday, December 12, 2013

AIFF 2013: Ingrid Veninger On "The Animal Project"

AIFF 2013: What To Do On Thursday

AIFF 2013: A Short Trip to Iran? See We Are All Fine Here

AIFF 2013: What To Do On Thursday -

AIFF 2013: What To Do On Thursday -

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