Saturday, October 24th
Brown Hall Room 112
5:00 p.m.
VIRTUAL JFK
(USA 85 mins)
Directed by Koji Masutani
Virtual JFK investigates one of the most debated 'what if' scenarios in the history of U.S. foreign policy. The film employs what Harvard historian Niall Ferguson calls 'virtual history,' assessing the plausibility of counterfactuals – 'what ifs' – and the outcomes they might have produced. It makes use of an array of resources including recently declassified documents, audio tapes, photographic and archival material, and testimony from a 2005 critical oral history conference including Kennedy and Johnson administration officials. The heart of the film examines presidential decision-making on issues of war and peace; and while Kennedy's Cold War experiences are the substance of the film, the film serves as a case study of a broader issue about presidents and their decisions regarding war.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqEJnVly8Jc
The Special Edition DVD of this film is available at www.virtualjfk.com
6:30 p.m.
MY DAUGHTER SHAMPORO (NOSHINTO SHAMPORO)
(Peru, Spain 48 mins)
Directed by Tita Portela
Elías, leader of the Ashanika tribe (Central Rainforest in Peru), decides to return to his birthplace in search of a medicine woman who will teach his daughter Shamporo all about plants and ceremonial rites. The journey takes them along the Ene river to faraway places as they follow the clues that will lead them to María, the best medicine women that Elías knows. Shamporo discovers the scenary of the river travelling by boat, plane and car and passing through the city. Finally, she arrives at the home of María, who listens to reflects upon Elías request.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?gl=ES&hl=es&v=8_DpcGovU1E
7:30 p.m.
DEADLAND
(USA 107 mins)
Directed by Damon O’Steen
Intertwined within its sci-fi action-thriller roots, DEADLAND is a story of hope set in a post-apocalyptic world. After five years of searching, survivor Sean Kalos stumbles upon proof that his missing wife may still be alive in the new United Provinces. World War III's nuclear strikes on the U.S. set the nation back 200 years, and hope is all but lost when every survivor of the war is infected by a fatal nuclear plague. What was designed to be the new rebirth has become martial law, and the Officers of the Province wield their power with cruelty. When Sean crosses them, he finds himself in the middle of a personal war, and his quest for his wife inspires hope in a land that had forgotten what that word meant. http://www.traileraddict.com/trailer/deadland/trailer
Ball Hall Room 127
5:00 p.m.
Special Guest Speaker – Ted Hatfield of Regal Entertainment Group
THE OSCAR LEGACY.
We’ve all grown up with the biggest and glitziest awards show, the Academy Awards - get a rare look behind the scenes glimpse into the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences presented by a 40 year veteran of the motion picture industry, Ted Hatfield, of Regal Entertainment Group. This entertaining discussion includes the year round activities of the Academy, that most audiences don’t know about: the Margaret Herrick
Library, Film Archives, Exhibitions, Film Series, Tribute Events, Student Film Awards, Festival Grants, the upcoming Academy Museum and more. The presentation will feature a special film narrated by Academy Award winner Anjelica Huston. Hatfield has been involved in show business since starting as an usher, at age 11, at the Paramount
Theatre, Hot Springs, Arkansas, moving up to district manager of ABC-Paramount Theatres. He has held positions of Vice President in Marketing/Distribution with MGM and Sony Studios, prior to joining Regal Entertainment in 1997. He has received honors from the motion picture industry, at SHOWEAST, SHOW SOUTH, and SHOW WEST, is a member of the Academy, and is very involved in community organizations.
SOAPIFF is honored to host Mr. Hatfield.
6:00 p.m.
THE DRUMMER
(Hong Kong-Taiwan-Germany 115 mins) English subtitles
Directed by Kenneth Bi
In the East, the drum is the king of all musical instruments. The intense sound of the drum can penetrate a man's body. The solemn beat of the drum can open a man's heart. The powerful vibration of the drum can awaken a man's soul.
Sid, the rebellious son of Kwan, a controlling and savage triad boss in Hong Kong, has to flee to Taiwan upon enraging his father's adversary, a powerful tycoon and underground business leader. Hiding out in the mountains, Sid encounters a group of Zen drummers whose mesmerizing art, rigorous physical training, and austere way of life pique this hostile urban young man's interest and he requests to join the group. Although Sid despises his father, he is turning out to be a younger version of him: wild and defiant. Immersing in the world of the Zen drummers eventually converts him into a firm and focused young man. Sid's independence from the triad life and his father is profoundly challenged, however, when a twist of fate awaits him back home in Hong Kong and forces him to choose between loyalty to his family and his new found faith in himself. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYJU-KoNZME
8:00 p.m.
Student films
Rogers-Stout 102
5:00 p.m.
GRANNY NICHOLS: LAST OF THE OLD-TIME MID-WIVES
(USA 90 mins)
Directed by Beverly Brooks
Morristown, TN based Granny Nichols was called to be a mid-wife as a young woman. She cared for women, as well as their families, during the birthing process. Over the course of nearly half a century, up until age 92, Granny Nichols assisted in the births of 2,000 children. This remarkable woman’s story is retold by friends, family, and many mothers whose childbirths were made easier by the gentle ways of Granny Nichols
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzOuFYkoMDQ
6:45 p.m.
BONECRUSHER
(USA 69 mins)
Directed by Michael Fountain
This film is an intimate, moving account of the love between a father and son, and the powerful bond they share, a bond that is put to the test. They live in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains where a tight-knit community of coal miners and their families face their harsh life with a toughness and camaraderie as enduring as the earth itself.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMSlWVcmQ4I
8:00 p.m.
ALWAYS BEEN A RAMBLER
(USA 58 mins)
Directed by Yasha Aginsky
ALWAYS BEEN A RAMBLER celebrates fifty years of the New Lost City Ramblers, stars of the 1960's folk revival who have devoted their lives to the pursuit of authentic old-time music of the American South. Backyard and living room music sessions, festival and concert performances, and informal interviews are combined with a wealth of archival footage, photos and music, including more than 50 old-time songs played by more than 50 old-time musicians. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcU0dhw7tJs
Rogers-Stout 118
5:00 p.m.
COAL COUNTRY
(USA, 84 mins)
Directed by Phylis Geller
COAL COUNTRY tells of the dramatic struggle around the use of coal, which provides over half the electricity in America. In Appalachia, miners and residents are locked in conflict: is mining and processing coal essential to providing good jobs, or is it destroying the land, water and air? What does this mean for the rest of America and the world? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZ9n_Fu_ItE
7:00 p.m.
NATIONAL SACRIFICE ZONE
(USA, 20 minute version and 59 minute version)
Directed by Joseph Brown
NATIONAL SACRIFICE ZONE: COLORADO AND THE COST OF ENERGY INDEPENDENCE is a feature length documentary that takes a critical look at the effects of the most current Rocky Mountain energy boom – the oil companies’ efforts to transform shale rock into oil. Including commentary from both energy 'experts' and local individuals affected by energy development, National Sacrifice Zone tells the story of the conflict between consumption and the environmental degradation taking place in our own back yards. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FeF6rmEt7FU