Against the Grain: A Filmmaker's Lament 5 Min US
At first glance this short documentary, Against the Grain, may appear to be a narrative short film, though this is Patrick Shanahan speaking from his own real life experiences. Cinematographer Beau Vorous and director Patrick Shanahan wanted to create a film with poetic, short film aesthetics and at the same time, tell a true story of one struggling film maker’s opinion on filmstock and the encroachment of digital media.
In 2001 Bill Nichols derived that there are six forms of documentary film making. Against the Grain is hybrid in that it crosses paths of three of the modes Nichols described. This film is Poetic in its structure and form. Reflexive in that the director is calling attention to the fact they are making a film by literally showing the camera and lights being set up, as well as allowing the viewer to see microphones and other set pieces. The third mode that can describe Against the Grain is Performative.
Performative Documentaries stress subjective experience and emotional response to the world. They are strongly personal, unconventional, perhaps poetic and/or experimental. They might include hypothetical enactments of events designed to make us experience what it might be like for us to possess a certain specific perspective on the world that is not our own. This subgenre might also lend itself to film makers to 'speak about themselves.' Often, a variety of techniques, many borrowed from fiction or avant-garde films, are used. Performative documentaries often link up personal accounts or experiences with larger political or historical realities.
This Hybrid-Performative documentary engages Shanahan to the story, but constructs subjective truths that are significant to the filmmaker himself. This is non-fiction. Paying tribute to the past and tipping hats to the future, this documentary was shot on both digital media and 16mm film.
The Match 15 min Canada
The Match follows two performers in a struggling independent wrestling promotion, the Prairie Wrestling Alliance. It explores the impact that their vocation has on their personal lives, and the psychology behind why audiences are drawn to this pseudo-blood sport.
The characters are iconic, yet real: Nizar Watfa aka. Sheikh Abdul Shibaz, is a Muslim immigrant that wants to integrate. He's from the small town of Lamont, Alberta , famous for its Ukrainian heritage. And then there's Dustin Meyer, aka. Hollywood Dustin Adonis. He's a rural redneck from Eston, Saskatchewan, that wants to cut loose. And they are going to fight for the championship belt.
However, Nizar’s father must overcome his distaste for what he sees as an embarrassing and racist portrayal of his culture.
Will Nizar's dad finally attend a match? Will he disown his son? Will the beloved Hollywood beat The Evil Sheikh?
Find out in The Match.
Metropolis II: Highway to Heaven 13 Min US
A young boy learns that death is not always the end of the road...
Voyage 5 Min Canada
A family relaxes along a secluded beach. All but their youngest son, who has been secretly planning a raft in order to sail off in search of adventure. But when his family shows little interest in his plans, he begins building the raft himself... but this proves to be much harder than he initially thought.
Adoration: A Natural History 22 min
ADORATION, a wildlife docudrama by lifelong naturalist Ian Woodward, FZS, is a portrait of the countryside seen through the seasons, its fauna and flora, and through the eyes of Nature Woman. It is accompanied by beautiful, inspiring music and the filmmaker’s screenplay-in-verse. Nature Woman, played by London-based actress Kim May, is the physical embodiment of the film’s imagery and sentiments. (FZS = Fellow of the Zoological Society of London.)
10am Fly by Ermitis Blanco/Yolanda Durán (Animated short - 12 mins) Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Aj5bWauiQwFly is a girl who lives in an unreal world. Wants to fly but space has become smaller.
10:15amTengo Talento 'El Niño Jesus' by Eli Jacobs Fantauzzi (Documentary - 13 mins) Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAz2EyAbIpcJulito Padrón is an excellent Cuban musician; a trumpet player teaches us trough Jesus Anduz, a 14 year old boy that Cuban musical richness, as heritage is kept by the new generations.
10:30amDudamel by Alberto Arvelo (Documentary - 84 mins) http://www.dudamel.net/Children's and youth orchestras are emerging in many countries of the world, inspired by the Venezuelan musical and educational program "El Sistema", which immerses children in the world of music, art, team work, discipline, cooperation, fun, learning, creativity, and high values. Gustavo Dudamel, the amazingly gifted Venezuelan conductor, entirely educated in "El Sistema", leads this journey through the stories of some of the young people who are experiencing the joy of music in the most diverse and contrasting corners of the world. These children are bringing a simple message to all of us: art is a universal right. Filmed in seven different countries, "DUDAMEL: Let the Children Play" is an opportunity to glimpse the world of orchestras, conducting, and the importance of art as a hopeful path to face the educational crisis worldwide. "DUDAMEL: Let the Children Play" is a story of hope for the future unfolding right now.
12noonYoung Explorers Caribbean: Point Fortin by Lorraine O'Connor (Documentary - 18 mins)
'Young Explorers of the Caribbean' is a television series in which a group of young people makes a great discovery in Trinidad and Tobago to learn about the culture, beauty and the characteristics of each community they visit through theeyes of children in the area. The programs appeal to young and not so young as they are full of fun, educational brushstrokes and beautiful landscapes. The children are accompanied in his adventures from 2 animated characters; SuniCaracol and Fredo Frog. Point Fortin is one of the oldest cities in the country. Is located on the southwest coast of Trinidad. On the way to Point Fortin, passed by the famous Pitch Lake in La Brea, the largest of the three natural asphalt lakes inthe world. In Point Fortin, the Young Explorers meet some very talented children and learn to play the steelpan, sing in a choir and visit the city.
12:20pmAtiba Williams, Pan Prodigy by Christopher Laird/Bruce Paddington (Documentary - 7 mins)
Trailer: http://caribbeantales-worldwide.com/catalogue/documentaries/atiba-williams/Nine-year-old Atiba Williams is the youngest person to arrange for a steelband during the Panorama competition. This film looks at a day in his life, from home, to school, to rehearsal to performance. - See more at: http://caribbeantales-worldwide.com/catalogue/documentaries/atiba-williams/#sthash.hVpAV6E3.dpuf
12:30pmEyerí, Un Músico Con Magia by Frank Elías (Documentary – 12 mins)
It is the history of a 4-year-old boy with a great talent for the music. The documentary contrasts the boy's innocence with the mother's concerns about a future in the music industry for him.
12:45pmHerby, Jazz and Haitian Music by Arnold Antonin (88 mins)
Through the story of Herby Widmaier who recorded musicians and orchestras for nearly 40 years in Haiti and who played with many national and international groups, we discover the popular urban dance music of Haiti and its relationship with Latin music and jazz. All the major figures and all the controversies that agitated them appear in this fascinating film that will leave no one indifferent.
2:15pmThe Creole Kings of Champeta by Lucas Silva/Sergio Arria (Documentary - 30 mins)
Trailer: http://palenquerecords.blogspot.com/2012/02/la-huit-production-palenque-records.htmlThis documentary tells the story of the CHAMPETA or CREOLE TERAPIA, one of the most innovative, ignored and marginalized musical kinds of Colombia and perhaps of Latin America. This musical movement, which mixes African rhythms like Soukouss from Congo (ex-Zaire), Mbaqanga from South Africa and Highlife from Ghana-Nigeria, with rhythms of the French and English Speaking West Indies (Haïtian "Compass ", Socca, Calypso, and Reggae), runs as a Master on dancers 'feet all along the Colombian Atlantic Coast, from Turbo to Riohacha. Born in the black districts from Carthagena at the end of the Seventies, and in villages like Palenque de San Basilio, this Afro-Colombian rhythm, made popular by some fish salesmen, shoeshiners and self-educated musicians of popular origin, is going to extent and to conquer all the country thanks to its West-Indian and Colombian rhythms. The documentary is a portrait of CHAMPETA's most famous artists and discjockeys, as well as the story of the birth of this music, which looks like the one of Reggae and Rap in Jamaica and in the United States. One of its goals is to make known the talent of these artists, humble people who built alone and without any help all the necessary structure for the production and the distribution of this music: independent labels, recording studios, disc stores... and a public which shows its support at every new production. African rhythms of the whole world, mixed with the rhythms of our Colombian Caraibes, meet in Carthagena to mix with the new vacile efectivo of Creole Terapia.
6th TCFS in CAYMAN : Dedicated to Music of the Caribbean
The 6th TCFS features more than 25 films, many of which will be screened during CayFilm (June 19th & 20th). All of the films will then travel through Cayman Islands' districts (June 22nd-27th 2015). Click here to download the full 6th TCFS programme (a complete listing of films and venues for the districts will be available on www.artscayman.org/tcfs as of May 15th).
ABOUT TCFS
The Travelling Caribbean Film Showcase (TCFS) is an annual film festival representing filmmakers from the Caribbean, Latin America, Africa and its diasporas. The Cayman National Cultural Foundation (CNCF) is proud to be the Organising Committee for the Cayman Islands. TCFS is produced by the Travelling Caribbean Film Showcase Office, a division of the Cuban Film Institute (ICAIC) located in Havana, Cuba. CNCF is the Organising Committee for the Cayman Islands.
The films cover a wide variety of subjects; TCFS offers short, feature length and animated films for people of all ages. The Showcase is a creative and effective way to share films not readily available online, in theatres or in stores. Organisations, businesses and schools are welcome to attend the Festival as well as browse the film synopses from the various Showcases and rent TCFS films. All films are subtitled when not in English.
TCFS is supported by ICAIC, UNICEF, UNESCO and MINCULT, and seeks to encourage film and audiovisual co-productions among Member States as well as promote the exchange of films and audiovisuals to be disseminated through the national broadcasting TV stations of the Member States. The TCFS office http://www.caribefilm.cult.cu/en/contact also organizes annual film conferences in the Caribbean which are open to filmmakers, film authorities, exhibitors, cultural promoters and representatives of academic institutions in the wider Caribbean. Join the forums to discuss the most sensitive issues of the cinematographic and audiovisual realities in our countries, build bridges of cooperation and conclude initiatives that contribute to the consolidation, development and visibility of Caribbean filmmakers' work in the region and in other venues in the world. Click here cayfest@candw.ky for more.
Where traditional education sometimes leaves gaps, TCFS movies often fills them in. And just when you think you have a grasp on the history of the region, a film appears that inspires the viewer to dig deeper. TCFS films from previous showcases have also aired on Cayman 27. Selections included the Cuban masterpiece 20 Years by Bárbaro Joel Ortiz, Jennifer Galvin’s poignant documentary Free Swim, set in the Bahamas, and the wonderful children’s film, The Baobab Tree by Claire Ince, which was also a selection for the Chicago International Children’s Festival.
Once you’ve been to a TCFS screening, you return to your daily activities more aware of the Caribbean’s myriad stories. Stephanie and Steve James, Lester Hamlet, Gerardo Chijona, Maria Govan, Catherine Murphy, Frankie Flowers, Rigoberto López, Francis Anne Solomon, Ernesto Padrón....these are just a few of the names to keep in mind when it comes to film in the Caribbean....and the list goes on. Get in touch with CNCF to learn more about this unique festival: cayfest@candw.ky.
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A Selection of Films from Rob Whitworth
3 time lapse movis of different cities.
This story tells of a pregnant Princess Danya who misunderstood by her people as a monster and banished to a small island named Hainan Island. On this island, she used the boat for housing(Boat-Shape House), farming, raising her child. After her boy grows up, one day he heard a beautiful song. He followed the song and found a girl, and then they fell in love. Suddenly a monster who transformed from the wall forbids them to be together. It beat that girl (left tattoo on girl's face) and chased them to their living place. Danya draws a face pattern as the girl’s face tattoo and confused the monster. Finally, Danya used the bamboo to eliminate the monster. The monster cracked and his parts transformed to plants, animals, mountains, rivers (totem forms of Li minority). This place is said to be the cradle of Li nation, which still performs a special dance called Bamboo dance today at festivals.
Weeping Willow 5 minYoung Image Makers Competition 2015
What do zombies on the Brac, a Post It obsession, the life of a plastic bag, a crazy substitute teacher and a little boy and the sea have in common? Y-I-M! The Young Image Makers (YIM) Short Film Competition is back, and students across the Cayman Islands are invited to submit their funniest, scariest and most thought-provoking short films and music videos for a chance to work with local film professionals and win a trip to the Big Apple! If you’re working on a brilliant idea for a short film or perhaps have already started working on your masterpiece, you've come to the right place.
The Head Teacher of a boarding school is going to teach a young girl that when you blame such an imaginary friend for your mistakes the punishment must fit the crime.
Bright Spot- The Documentary 22 Min
Filmmaker Rob Tyler and Holistic Nutritionist Tamer Soliman are inspired by “Bright Spots,” Jerry Sternin's idea that when we re-embrace successful, traditional practices that have fallen by the wayside, our communities and lives can change for the better.
The Bright Spot of the Cayman Islands is Coconut Oil, a food that modern research claims is one of the healthiest on the planet. Join Rob and Tamer as they interview experts and the people of the Cayman Islands to discover why coconut oil has lost its place in many Island homes, and how a modern population can be inspired to overcome the hurdles of the past and return this healthy, traditional oil to its kitchens.
Influenced 22 Min
Remy, a popular Caymanian party girl, secretly struggles to overcome alcohol and drug addiction to get back the love of her life; Cynthia, a secret child she had at college who now lives with her ex-boyfriend and his rude mother in New York City.
When her ex-boyfriend goes to jail and his mother succumbs to heart failure leaving the child all alone in a dingy NYC apartment, Remy, who has hidden Cynthia for 5 years from her family and friends on island will have to conquer her demons, shape up and convince visiting officials from the USA that she is fit to be Cynthia's primary caretaker.
But Remy is sinking faster and faster into alcoholism and drug abuse. Will she loose her daughter to the American foster care system forever? Find out this Fall.
A Ride to Paradise 3 Min
One local's view of Grand Cayman
Island Girl 7min
In 1941 in the Cayman Islands, a poor, young, fisherman that falls in love with a wealthy girl named Peggy. Due to huge differences in social status, class & race, Anthony is warned to keep his distance. However, throughout the video we see that these obstacles prove to be unimportant in the grand scheme of things & in the end we are left with a story that reminds us that nothing is as strong as true love.
The wild journey starts in Bulgaria, where Millitsa and Anni meet two Finnish boys – Timo and Ilkka. Beer is flowing, the temperatures are getting high, so as the passions. After getting intoxicated and recklessly breaking the law, the feelings of the main characters evolve and culminate in a shameless love confession on the dance floor. Finland, Timo and Millitsa are already married. When alone they are the perfect match, but in public the joyful and noisy Millitsa gives Timo a hard time. Soon the stereotypical views cause their love language to fall apart. They start speaking their native tongues and their mind. Clichés and the bias that Eastern and Western Europeans have against each other burst out in a hilarious argument. Will there be a solution in this never-ending conflict? And who, for God’s sake, is Janne!?
Lashes 20 min UKHyena´s Blood 29 min Spain
We are in 1973. A corrupt cop helps the new born DEA to burn down the poppy fields in Mexico.
Pardon The Intrusion 19 min UK
Accepted by Palm Springs and Fort Myer International Film festivals 2015, Pardon the Intrusion is a film exploring age, personal courage and interconnection.
Housebound Betty Wallis receives her basic needs through carers, who visit briefly each morning and night. Soon however, Betty finds she is not alone, as an intruder inhabits her home.
Betty, unable to speak due to a stroke, finds herself stuck in a frightening situation when a mysterious figure begins living in her home. After sleepless nights, she is finally confronted. A teenage runaway, Grace, has become brazen enough to move in permanently, avoiding the carers detection. Unable to explain the intrusion, Betty launches her offensive as best she can.
Grace discovers the fight in this elderly woman may just be the role model she has been searching for, and Grace, the company Betty so desperately desires. Their relationship grows to one of mutual respect and finally into friendship.
Quality Time 4 min US
Max and Harper would love to spend a bit of quality together, but technology keeps getting in the way. Max capitalizes on the situation.
In August 2011, James Adair and Ben Stenning hit the news when they became the first ever pair to row across the Indian Ocean without a support boat. But a few miles from the finish line in Mauritius, their boat capsized - and they had to swim for their lives.
Far from being extreme athletes, neither had actually ever rowed before in their lives. But four months earlier, determined to prove their doubters wrong, they got their secondhand boat to the start line on the west coast of Australia, and set off.
Some adventures are so well planned that nothing is left to chance. But as they lost sight of land, James and Ben took a step into the unknown. Rowing in shifts, around the clock, they learned to cope with solitude, pain and fear on a stuttering voyage of 3,500 miles, until - agonisingly close to land - disaster struck.
In the midst of a vast Eucalyptus forest that lies deep in the heart of the great southern region of Western Australia, sits a cottage filled with test tubes, material samples, drafts, notes, indexed color samples and canvasses reflecting their surroundings: the trees.
Simply calling Tony Windberg a Landscape Artist falls short of the true essence of his work. Charcoals of burnt trees, the bark and resin of various Eucalyptus trees and the soil in which they grow and die are all transformed into materials for his works of art in long, well documented procesess of experimentation.
In addition to natural materials, Windberg utilises vinyl flooring, its varnish mimicking wood, onto which he applies a unique method of engraving complex patterns of lines to represent the impact of the timber industry on old growth forrests and the trail left behind by logging.
Windberg‘s artwork, just as the materials that his art is made of and with, swings between untouched nature and human altered landscapes. At the center of his work is the tree, which is depicted in a way that represents the unease of the altered Australian landscape yet is delivered in a highly aesthetic manner that seduces the beholder at first glance with all of nature’s beauty.
Windberg’s vast application of styles and multi-award winning artwork is displayed widely across numerous corporate, public and private collections within Australia. He lives and works in Northcliffe, Western Australia
Life is so much better when you have something that is close to your heart to strive for. And along the way you might just answer the ultimate question. In all infinity and space, is this really how we should spend our single shot at life?
Spectacular footage of Grand Cayman includes crystal clear turquoise waters at Stingray City, Rum Point and Seven Mile beach. Director Ernest Jacob Olde is seen in the water holding a Stingray whilst his voice is heard in voice over explaining that the island was not always this idyllic. “It’s through the arts that we can explore the story of Cayman.”
The history of early art in Cayman is introduced through the story of the islands seafaring heritage. Interviews with artists are accompanied by footage of works of art from each decade from the 1960s through the millennium. Jacob’s voice over narration introduces the key shifts in artistic trends as we move through the islands development. B-roll footage and still images include relevant island locations, flora, fauna and pertinent happenings including the building of the new National Gallery on Grand Cayman and the devastation caused by hurricane Ivan in 2004.
We see the national gallery as so much more than just a gallery. We see footage of children in both the gallery and the education centre. Interview footage includes the gallery director and the government minister for culture. The closing montage of comments from artists reinforces the importance of the gallery and its permanent collection. Jacob concludes on how Caymanian art “provides us with confidence as a people, and a springboard on which to launch our future.”
A final screen explains the delicate balance of government and private funding sources and provides contact details for the gallery.
Tom in America 17min
For 50 years, Michael and Betty have been united by one guiding principle: no secrets. But when a provocative Tom of Finland doll triggers Michael's long-buried desires, Betty discovers that secrets have been part of their life all along. With long-held mysteries thrust into the open, the foundation of their marriage and the path of their golden years is suddenly rocked. Now, they must redefine their future, and decide if it is one their love can survive.
Terms & Conditions 4 min Australia
What happens when good customer service meets Terms & Conditions.
Cold Choices 15 min US
Major John Polanco, a black ops command officer, is ordered to send in a group of Marines behind enemy lines without proper preparation and limited intel. The mission is a success but it comes at a cost. Now John must pick up the pieces and carry on.
Unauthorized Tears 4 min Australia
Set in present day. A returned war veteran attempts to reconnect with reality.
Slick Timing 7 Min Australia
Ever wondered who hides your keys so you don't leave the house at the wrong time? Meet the Timing Adjusters. Unless they can come to a compromise, they won't be able to keep saving our lives and keep paying
Lady Luck 19 min UK
A young boy attempts to win back his mother's love. Based on a short story by DH Lawrence 'The Rocking Horse Winner'.
Corto 10 min France
Corto 35 years maybe 40 years wanders driving his car from city to city, neighborhood to neighborhood, from residence to residence in order to "clean up" as he says. Always alone, eager to silence, he's sent by his boss and partner Daniel to meet specific demands...
Stop 9min US
A young man's livelihood is put to the test when he gets profiled and stopped by the police on his way home from practice.