Slamdance Film Festival

[caption id="attachment_3002" align="alignnone" width="550"]Domestic[/caption]

Slamdance announced their Shorts Programs for the 19th Annual Slamdance Film Festival, as well as the launch of Beyond, a brand new section. Beyond showcases bold and daring films from emerging Narrative and Documentary filmmakers, working just beyond their first features.

The film lineup includes the World Premiere of Cullen Hoback’s Terms and Conditions May Apply, featuring Margaret Atwood and Mark Zuckerberg among others. The film is described as “A shocking exposé of the basic civil rights we surrender when we agree to the Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policies connected to every website we visit, phone call we make, or app we use.” The lineup also includes the Romanian film, Domestic, “A bittersweet comedy about people who eat the animals they love and animals that love people unconditionally.”

The 2013 Slamdance Film Festival will take place January 18 – 24, 2013 in Park City, Utah, at the Treasure Mountain Inn: 255 Main Street, Park City, UT 84060.

The film lineup:

BEYOND SLATE:

 

Diamond on Vinyl

Director and Screenwriter: 

J.R. Hughto

(USA) World Premiere

A very singular voyeur finds his engagement in jeopardy after his fiancee discovers his audio recordings of their lovemaking, along with a taped rehearsal of his proposal. Then into both of their lives comes an enigmatic young woman who begins an incredibly strange seduction.

Cast: Brian McGuire, Sonja Kinski, Nina Millin, Jeff Doucette, Jessica Golden, Kiff VandenHeuvel, Katherine Pawlak

 

Domestic

Director and Screenwriter: 

Adrian Sitaru

(Romania) US Premiere

A bittersweet comedy about people who eat the animals they love and animals that love people unconditionally.

Cast: Adrian Titieni, Gheorghe Ifrim, Sergiu Costache, Ioana Flora, Clara Voda, Dan Hurduc, Ariadna Titieni

 

Musgo

Director and Screenwriter: 

Gami Orbegoso

(Spain) World Premiere

In the rural eastern Pyrenees province of Spain, a wealthy older woman manipulates the sexual/emotional entanglements of her deceased husband’s adult daughter; the tension builds to a climax of terror and violence.

Cast: Meritxell Ortega, Merçe Espelleta, German Parreño, Joan Manel Chilet

 

Terms and Conditions May Apply

Director and Screenwriter: 

Cullen Hoback

(USA) World Premiere

A shocking exposé of the basic civil rights we surrender when we agree to the Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policies connected to every website we visit, phone call we make, or app we use.

Cast: Margaret Atwood, Danah Boyd, Orson Scott Card, Ray Kurzweil, Doug Rushkoff, Moby, Sherry Turkle, Mark Zuckerberg

 

 

LIVE ACTION SHORTS PROGRAM:

 

37

Director and Screenwriter:

Puk Grasten

(USA) World Premiere

In March 1964, two bystanders silently watch their neighbor’s murder. They aren’t the only ones. 

Cast: Lynn Cohen, George S. Irving, Heather Lind, Korey Jackson 

 

A Time in A Dark Cloud

Director and Screenwriter:

Rebecca Sgan-Cohen

(USA) World Premiere

A young woman desires intimacy, despite pervasive internal conflict. 

Cast: Emilie Sabath, Alex Thomas, James Levanas, Travis Young, Christopher Gordon, Lauren White, Joseph Pedi, Harold Hyde

 

All You Can Eat

Directors: Samy Burch, Alex Mechanik

Screenwriters: Samy Burch, Alex Mechanik

(USA)

A food television host tours a hamburger joint and wonders how his life got so crappy. 

Cast: Matt Warzel, Donna Stamm, Jamie Warzel, Gray Hawks, Marty Siu

 

Baby Blues

Director and Screenwriter:

Pascal Plante

(Canada) International Premiere

In order to meet the man she loves, Mel leaves her two young children alone in the apartment. 

Cast: Chloé Bourgeois, Jessy Gagnon, Félix Brière, Marc Beaupré, Martin Rouette, Dji Haché

 

Caterwaul

Director and Screenwriter:

Ian Samuels

(USA)

An aging fisherman develops an intimate relationship with a lobster.

Cast: George Murdock

 

Donald Cried

Director and Screenwriter:

Kris Avedisian

(USA)

Returning to his hometown to retrieve his grandmother’s ashes, Peter must rely on his only local contact, estranged buddy Donald.

Cast: Jesse Wakeman, Kris Avedisian, Ron Barron, Nick Riess, Jeremy Furtado, Bridget Grenier

 

Dreemer

Director and Screenwriter:

Laura Dawe

(Canada) International Premiere

A surreal love story about a 19-year-old girl and her oppressively misguided boyfriend.

Cast: Jenessa Grant, Vladimir Cubrt, Patrick Stevenson 

 

Fireworks

Director: Victor Hugo Duran

Screenwriter:Kevin James McMullin

(USA)

During the Fourth of July in South Los Angeles, a teenage boy and his brother scour the neighborhood for fireworks in order to win the admiration of a girl.

Cast: Roger Cruz, Alberto Castañeda, Irene Sorto, Azucena Benitez, Edgar Vanegas, Julio Duran

 

For Dorian

Director and Screenwriter:

Rodrigo Barriuso

Canada (US Premiere)

A father struggles with the maturation and sexual awakening of his son, a teenager living with Down syndrome. 

Cast: Ron Lea, Dylan Harman, Tova Smith, Victor Pereira, Jerald Bezener

 

Gigantic

Director and Screenwriter: 

Georgia Fu

(USA/Taiwan) World Premiere

What happens when two suicidal people meet and fall in love?

Cast: Grace Chen ???, Kris Ko ???

 

Glory Days

Director and Screenwriter:

Benjamin Rutkowski

(USA)

On New Years Eve, Jack, a recovering alcoholic, takes his two children on a road trip to the country.

Cast: Mike Lubik, Joseph Covino, Paige Smith, Cory Nichols, Vanessa Hollingshead, Janette Martinez, Maren Uecker, Joe Lenihan

 

Hearts of Napalm

Director and Screenwriter:

Andy Irvine

(USA) World Premiere

There are 6.8 billion orgasms every night. Ashley is just looking for one.

Cast: Ashley Spillers, Alex Dobrenko

 

Indoor

Directors: Si & AD

Screenwriters: Si & AD

(UK) International Premiere

An 11-year-old boy, unable to fly his kite alone, befriends a peculiar girl who cannot leave her caravan. 

Cast: Alfie Righelato, Katie Miller

 

Josephine and the Roach

Director: Jonathan Langager

Screenwriters: Jonathan Langager, Joe Swanson

(USA)

A violin-playing cockroach falls in love with the woman whose apartment he infests.

Cast: Jenna Augen, Jerry White Jr., Circus Szalewski, Jeremy Gladen, Olivia Choate, Josh Helmuth, Emelie O’Hara, *Roach by Lino Stavole

 

Keep the Fire

Director and Screenwriter: 

Jake Rice

(USA)

A behind-the-album-cover story of Kenny Loggins’ classic Keep The Fire.

Cast: Jake Rice, James Zimmerman, Tiffany Elle, Shaun Paul Gordon, Marco Ragozzino, David Slaughter, Joe Toppe and Bernie Gomez

 

Lu’bba (Game)

Director: Saleh Nass

Screenwriters: Saleh Nass, Laila Al-Beiti

(Bahrain/UAE) US Premiere

A school boy is dropped off for yet another weekend football game and faces a recurring reality of life.

Cast: Omar Mahboob, Mohammed Al-Beiti, Shiva Yogeswaren, Abu Baker Kahtan, Abdullah Shafiq, Haider Islam, Youssof Ahmed, Mahmood

 

MAELSTRØM

Director and Screenwriter: 

Tom Geraedts

(UK/Netherlands) US Premiere

A young woman experiences an out-of-body trip that transcends everything she has thought or done before.

Cast: Sabrina Kaici 

 

Pearl was Here

Director and Screenwriter: 

Kate Marks

(USA)World Premiere

A troublemaking child finds comfort in a sea of stuffed animals.

Cast: Miana Abramson, Sharon Eisman, Cara Danielle Brown, Brady Allen, Sharon King, Mike McGill, Rachael Caselli, Chris Magorian

 

Prometheus

Director and Screenwriter:

Tannaz Hazemi

(USA) World Premiere

A blind man on dialysis plays a drinking game alone.

Cast: Elijah Hobbes, Dr. Amir Shahid

 

Resurrection Slope

Director and Screenwriter:

Tamara Feldman

(USA) World Premiere

An adolescent boy performs a holy ritual to come to terms with his neglectful upbringing.

Cast: Elliot Moore, Tamara Feldman, John Hawkes, David Yow, Paula Casmaer, Vanessa Campbell, Allie Paul, Nikki McCauley, Maurice Harris

 

Rotkop

Directors: Jan Roosens, Raf Roosens

Screenwriters: Bert Van Dael, Sanne Nuyens

(Belgium) US Premiere

When an outcast’s mortally ill mother throws a birthday party for him, he needs to find friends to invite.

Cast: Enrique De Roeck, Marthe Schneider, Sara De Bosschere

 

Seed Story

Director and Screenwriter:

William D. Caballero

(USA)World Premiere

The worst aspects of humanity are evoked as a single dandelion brings big change to a tiny society.

 

Shale

Director and Screenwriter: 

Jed Cowley

(USA) World Premiere

A shale pit owner and his once dutiful wife confront each other after months of separation.

Cast: Walter Dalton, Sandra Seacat, Danforth Comins

 

Spark

Director and Screenwriter: 

Annie Silverstein

(USA)

While a boy waits out his father’s tryst, he is unexpectedly forced to deal with the lady-friend’s daughter.

Cast: Varun Reddy, Elise Gardner, Conrad Gonzales, Amy Esacove

 

Start the Engine and Reverse

Director: Andrey Zagidullin

Screenwriter: Mikhail Arkhipov

(Russia) US Premiere

A young couple faces the consequences of a road accident.

Cast: Lubov Novikova, Egor Kharlamov

 

Summer Suit

Director: Rebecca Peniston-Bird

Screenwriter: Francesca Sciacca

(Australia) International Premiere

10-year-old tomboy Robbie’s discovery of an old suit gives her a new sense of identity, but can it survive the trials of summer? 

Cast: Damian Walshe-Howling, Diana Glenn, Lucy Tyler, Bethany Whitmore, Jesse Creighton, Zac Soderstrom

 

Suspended

Director and Screenwriter: 

Damian Walshe-Howling

(Australia) US Premiere

Mother Nature provides a magical alternative to stark realities for 7-year-old Caleb, leading to impossible fulfillment.

Cast: Finn McLeod Ireland, Ewen Leslie, Leeanna Walsman, Damon Gameau, Clare Bowen

 

Sweetheart

Director and Screenwriter: 

Eva Riley

(UK) US Premiere

Lou’s frustrations with her controlling sister Ashley come to a head when they become rivals in love.

Cast: Jo Eastwood, Nicola Jo Cully, Iain Louden, Anthony Bowers

 

The Devil’s Ballroom

Director and Screenwriter: 

Henrik Martin Dahlsbakken

(Norway)

Along his strenuous journey to the North Pole, a chance encounter forces a fearless explorer to make an impossible decision.

Cast: Svein Harry Schöttker Hauge, Batzorig Chinbayar, Narmandakh Erdenee, Melinda Bokeli, Marte Tangen

 

The Robber

Director and Screenwriter: 

Felix Schaffert

(Switzerland) US Premiere

An 11-year old girl is in turmoil and struggles for words.

Cast: Ella Huesler, Ursina N. Früh, Simon Grossenbacher

 

To the Bone

Director: Erin Li

Screenwriters: Silka Luisa, Erin Li

(USA) World Premiere

A pre-teen migrant farmworker attempts to rebel against the status quo with unintended consequences for herself and her family.

Cast: Naomie Feliu, Jaime Alvarez, Carlos C. Torres, Maria Elena Laas, Eliezer Ortiz

 

Turtle

Director and Screenwriter:

Ian Wittenber

(USA) World Premiere

Sam and Jen have a unique dilemma in their relationship that pulls them closer together even as their time runs out.

Cast: David Crane, Jennifer Marks

 

 

DOCUMENTARY SHORTS PROGRAM:

 

April

Director: Alan Spearman

(USA)World Premiere

Faith, 9, created a haven in a hollow magnolia tree. Inside is a portal to the safety of her imagination.

Cast: Faith Jackson, Hattie Mae Winfield

 

Chicken & Zoe

Director: Yael Bridge

(USA)

Eating chicken takes on new meaning for 4-year old Zoe as she observes her first slaughter.

 

Good Karma $1

Directors:Jason Berger, Amy Laslett

(USA)

Advertising guru Alex Bogusky explores the most fundamental, ever-present form of advertising – cardboard signs created by the homeless.

Cast: Alex Bogusky and Dave Schiff

 

Lollywood

Director: Todd Looby

(Liberia/USA) World Premiere

Edwin G. Kollie, a 15 year old Liberian War Orphan, always wanted to make a Nollywood movie; so, he wrote a script, built an entire African village, cast the 30 characters needed and shot it all the next day.

Cast: Edwin G. Kollie, Mulbah J. Kollie, Jerome C. Cabeen, David Barkollah, Aaron JayJay

 

Rebel, Rebel, Rebel

Director: Kyle Schneider

(USA)International Premiere

Despite peer rejection and total incompetence, DJ Josh Lecash’s fame and fortune expands.

Cast: Josh Lecash, Katy Perry, Bobcat Goldthwait, Jeremy Scott, Jamie Clayton, Daniel Linton, Yung Skeeter, Annette Lamothe-ramos

 

Sandwich Nazi

Director: Lewis Bennett

(Canada)

Deli owner Salam Kahil is an art collector, a former male escort, an amateur piano player, and a sandwich maker to the homeless in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside but his true passion is talking about blowjobs.

 

The Birdman

Director: Jessie Auritt 

(USA)

Despite the bad economy, online music sales, and gentrification, The Birdman rules the roost at his unique cluttered used music store.

 

The Corner Garden

Director: Duygu Eruçman

(USA) World Premiere

Can kale chips replace Cheetos? In this small garden, a group of teenagers learn to think about the food they eat in a different way.

 

The Mercantile

Director: Brian Bolster

(USA) World Premiere

A glimpse into a young couple’s proprietorship and preservation of an unchanged, century old business enterprise in a modern and ever-changing world.

Cast: Flannery Coats, Stuart Reiswig

 

Track by Track

Track by Track

Director: Anna Moot-Levin

(USA) World Premiere

A young sketch artist with autism journeys from the world of his imagination into adulthood.

 

 

ANARCHY PROGRAM:

 

Desert Hopes

Director and Screenwriter: 

Michael Patten

(USA) World Premiere

On New Year’s Eve, an aging man tends to a litter of newborn rabbits.

Cast: Victor Pagan

 

FIX

Director: Benjamin McPherson

Screenwriters: Benjamin McPherson, Justin Taylor

(USA) World Premiere

Deep in the abandoned corridors of a sprawling subway system, a disheveled and broken man struggles to obtain the thing he desires most.

Cast: Phil Ristaino, Butch Escobar, Zofie Alvarez, Arie Bender, Shawna Nygren, Ed Jackson, Janet Robinson

 

SCI-FLY

Director: Joey Shanks

(USA) World Premiere

A journey through time & space tells of the fight for existence using exclusively ‘in-camera’ effects.

 

Shepherds, Have You Seen My Love?

Director and Screenwriter: 

Benji Kast

(USA) World Premiere

A man is transported into the memories of an 18th century aristocrat.

Cast: Ara Shehigian, Roxanne Kapitsa, Don Arrup, Josh Westfal, Keiichi Kondoh

 

The Compositor

Director: John Mattiuzzi

Screenwriter: John Mattiuzzi, Anney Bonney

(USA) World Premiere

Paul Paxton, a New York City film compositor, struggles to decode his mind-body existence.

Cast: John Mattiuzzi, Len Rella, Thomas Hoyt Godfrey, Rashelle Stocker, Linda Leven, Ana Berry, Marusya Panchenko, Bill Cory

 

The War Profiteers 

Director and Screenwriter: 

Benjamin Markus

(USA)World Premiere

An instantaneous act of violence immediately restores peace to a war-torn city. 

Cast: Devin Anderson Wiley, Erik Lehman, Pascal Miller, Alexander Jordonov

 

 

ANIMATION SHORTS:

 

An Elegy for Eden

Director: Jason Guy McLagan

(USA) World Premiere

A pixel’s perspective at the moment of its death.

 

Baboon

Director:Einar Baldvin

(USA) US Premiere

By all accounts, it was a bad day to punch a clown in the head.

 

Ballpit

Director: Kyle Mowat

(Canada)

Lifeforms struggle to assert and organize themselves within a hostile environment. 

 

Bermuda

Director and Screenwriter: 

Calvin Frederick

(USA)US Premiere

A hyper-psychedelic tour of a homemade, four-wall kaleidoscope.

 

Drifters

Director and Screenwriter: 

Ethan Clarke

(USA)

Three strangers acquaint on a train.

Cast: Gina Napolitan, Flaminia Bonfiglio, Ethan Clarke

 

El Delirio Del Pez Leon

Director and Screenwriter: 

Quique Rivera

(Puerto Rico/USA)

Inspired by the Lionfish plague, this underwater neo-noir tells a story about greed and hierarchy in the Caribbean reefs.

 

Gum

Director and Screenwriter: 

Noam Sussman

(Canada)

The consequences of swallowing gum.

 

Home

Director and Screenwriter: 

Luiz Stockler

(UK/Brazil) US Premiere

A look at the idea of belonging and what that may or may not mean to people.

 

I Am Tom Moody

Director and Screenwriter: Ainslie Henderson

(UK)

A trip through the subconscious of a stifled musician as he struggles to sing.

Cast: Mackenzie Crook, Jude Crook

 

Noodle Fish

Director and Screenwriter: 

Kim Jin man

(Republic of Korea)

Dreaming of another life, a small “noodle fish” begins his journey to the world outside the water to discover the secret of his world.

 

Royal Issues

Director and Screenwriter: 

NOMINT

(UK)

To celebrate NOMINT’s brand new office in London, we created a very special Diamond Jubilee gift for Her Majesty Elizabeth the Second.

 

Shelter

Director: Carl Burton

(USA)

A vast secret world is revealed within an attic during a rainstorm.

 

Snail Trail

Director and Screenwriter: 

Philipp Artus

(Germany) US Premiere

A snail invents the wheel and goes through a cultural evolution to get back to its origins.

 

Sugarcoat

Director: Meejin Hong

(USA)US Premiere

As the crayon melts, succumb to temptation.

 

Tap to Retry

Director and Screenwriter: 

Neta Cohen

(Israel) US Premiere

A surreal collection of disparate abstract sketches and an attempt to tackle some aspects of modern life. 

 

The Eater

Director: Wally Chung

(USA)

A man has a strange experience that affects the people around him.

 

The Jennings Account

Director and Screenwriter: 

Sean Buckelew

(USA)

10% of men age 40-60 have an age-related midlife crisis.

 

Triangle

Director and Screenwriter: 

Grace Nayoon Rhee

(USA)US Premiere

If a stranger disrupts your daily routine, the choice is to either accept him as a friend or reject him as an outsider.

 

What is Dead May Never Die

Director: François Grumelin-Sohn

(Netherlands) US

The movie explores and plays with various graphic codes and genres of the past audio-visual world.

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[caption id="attachment_2961" align="alignnone" width="550"]Best Friends Forever[/caption]

The 2013 Slamdance Film Festival which coincides with the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, UT each year, announced their Narrative and Documentary Feature Competition Programs. The Feature Competition Programs present breakthrough films by first-time feature film directors from around the world. The 2013 Slamdance Film Festival will showcase 22 feature-length competition films – 12 Narrative Films and 10 Documentary Films, including 13 World Premieres and 7 US Premieres. 

The 2013 Slamdance Film Festival will take place January 18 – 24, 2013 in Park City, Utah, at the Treasure Mountain Inn: 255 Main Street, Park City, UT 84060. 

The lineup.

NARRATIVE FEATURE COMPETITION:

The Narrative Competition is comprised of American and International productions. All 12 films are feature debuts with budgets of less than $1 million, and were programmed entirely from blind submissions.

Best Friends Forever/ Director: Brea Grant, Screenwriters: Brea Grant, Vera Miao (USA) World Premiere

Harriet and Reba hit the road in this darkly comedic apocalypse tale that explores the boundaries of friendship, the danger of hipsters, and nuclear fallout. Cast: Brea Grant, Vera Miao, Sean Maher, Glen Powell, Kit Williamson, Alex Berg, Alex Fernie, Stacey Storey

Big Words/Director and Screenwriter: Neil Drumming (USA) World Premiere

A lively drama that captures members of a once-promising hip-hop group, now in their late 30’s, as they struggle with regret, disappointment, and change on Election Night 2008. Cast: Darien Sills-Evans, Dorian Missick, Gbenga Akinnagbe, Yaya Alafia, Zachary Booth, Amir Arison, Jean Grae

The Court of Shards/ Director and Screenwriter: Jan Eilhardt (Germany) World Premiere

In this experimental narrative, two disabled women fight in their own way to maintain their independent loves and lives against an overpoweringly caring family. Cast: Caroline Fricke, Silvia Giehle, Natalia Bondar, Frank Hoffmann, Doris Egbring-Kahn

The Dirties/ Director: Matt Johnson, Screenwriters: Matt Johnson, Evan Morgan, Josh Boles (Canada) World Premiere

Two best friends think it would be funny to make a movie about getting revenge on the bullies at their school. One of them isn’t joking. Cast: Matt Johnson, Owen Williams, Krista Madison, David Matheson, Brandon Wickens, Josh Boles, Alen Delaine, Jay McCarrol

Fynbos/ Director: Harry Patramanis, Screenwriters: Harry Patramanis, Jonathan Glatzer (South Africa) US Premiere

On a lavish and remote property, within the walls of a glass house, six lives intersect and lay bare their secrets and psyches in this twisting drama. Cast: Jessica Haines, Warrick Grier, Cara Roberts, Chad Philips, Susan Danford, Sthandiwe Kgoroge, John Herbert

Billy Chen Presents: Ghost Team One/ Directors: Ben Peyser, Scott Rutherford, Screenwriters: Andrew Knauer, Arthur Pielli, Scott Rutherford, Ben Peyser (USA) World Premiere

A subversive, comedic take on the found footage genre, where two roommates deathly afraid of ghosts both fall in love with a girl who believes their home is haunted. Cast: Carlos Santos, Fernanda Romero, J.R. Villarreal, Meghan Folcone, Tony Cavalero, James Babson, Scott MacArthur, Craig Stott

Hank and Asha/ Director: James E. Duff, Screenwriters: James E. Duff, Julia Morrison (USA) World Premiere

In this voyeuristic love story, an Indian student in Prague and a lonely New Yorker correspond online through video letters – two strangers aching for human connection in a hyper-connected world. Cast: Andrew Pastides, Mahira Kakkar

He’s Way More Famous Than You/ Director: Michael Urie, Screenwriters: Halley Feiffer, Ryan Spahn (USA) World Premiere

A struggling actress will stop at nothing to get her movie made in this sharp comedy, bolstered by absurdist touches and a bravura lead performance. Cast: Halley Feiffer, Ryan Spahn, Tracee Chimo, Jesse Eisenberg, Mammie Gummer, Michael Urie, Ralph Macchio , Natasha Lyonne, Ben Stiller

Joy De V./ Director and Screenwriter: Nadia Szold (USA) World Premiere

An expressionistic, gritty look at the intersection of madness and love that follows a young con-artist who wakes up to discover his pregnant wife is missing. Cast: Evan Louison, Claudia Cardinale, Josephine de La Baume, Iva Gocheva, Victoria Imperioli

Kohlhaas/ Director and Screenwriter: Aron Lehmann (Germany) US Premiere

An obsessed director and his cast seek to adapt the true story of a 16th-century revolutionary when their actions behind the scenes begin to mimic the book’s subject. Cast: Robert Gwisdek, Jan Messutat, Thorsten Merten, Rosalie Thomass, Michael Fuith, Heiko Pinkowski

Visitors/ Director: Constanze Knoche, Screenwriters: Leis Bagdach, Constanze Knoche (Germany) US Premiere

Three adult siblings are surprised by their parents’ announcement that they are cutting off finances in this commanding and evocative look at the oppressive results of stasis. Cast: Uwe Kockisch, Corinna Kirchhoff, Irina Potapenko, Jakob Diehl, Anne Muller, Anjorka Strechel, Bernhard Schütz, Andreas Leupold, Janusz Kocaj, Mehdi Nebbou

What Isn’t There/ Director: Marie Jamora, Screenwriters: Marie Jamora, Ramon De Veyra (Philippines) US Premiere

In this lyrical exploration of love, music and expression, a self-imposed mute returns home for Christmas and the anniversary of his twin brother’s accidental death. Cast: Dominic Roco, Annicka Dolonius, Boboy Garrovillo, Dawn Zulueta, Felix Roco, Alchris Galura, Mercedes Cabral, Marc Abaya

 

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE COMPETITION:

The Documentary Competition is comprised of American and International productions. All 10 films are directorial debuts with budgets of less than $1 million, and were programmed entirely from blind submissions.

Battery Man/ Directors and Screenwriters: Dusan Saponja, Dusan Cavic (Serbia) US Premiere

Thanks to the powers he discovered by accident, Biba Struja has spent his entire life experimenting with electricity and proving to himself and others that it cannot harm him. Cast: Slavisa Pajkic

Bible Quiz/ Director: Nicole Teeny (USA) World Premiere

Seventeen-year-old Mikayla memorizes books of the Bible on her quest to win the National Bible Quiz Championship and the heart of JP, her quiz team captain. The film explores coming of age in the face of faith, doubt, fierce competition and teen love. Cast: Mikayla Irle, JP O’Connor, Christopher Teeny, Brandon Duffy, Rich Nelson, Rachel Dawson, Rachel Holley, Gary Irle

The Bitter Buddha/ Director: Steven Feinartz (USA)

Cult-Comic Eddie Pepitone’s life is on display in this unhinged portrait of creativity, enlightenment and rage. Cast: Eddie Pepitone, Zach Galifianakis, Sarah Silverman, Patton Oswalt, Sean Conroy, Paul Provenza, Dana Gould, Marc Maron

The Brotherhood of the Traveling Rants/ Directors: Gavin McInnes, Steve Durand, Bryan Gaynor (USA/Canada) World Premiere

‘Godfather of hipsterdom’ Gavin McInnes goes on a stand-up comedy tour with his best friend from high school and things go from bad to worse to downright catastrophic. Cast: Gavin McInnes, Steve Durand, Bryan Gaynor

The Institute/ Director: Spencer McCall, Screenwriters: Uriah Findley, Spencer McCall (USA)

Is it a cult? Is it a game? Or is it a life-changing adventure? Cast: Daniel Shoup, Arye Michael Bender, Carolee Gilligan Wheeler, Garland Glessner, Michael Wertz, Kiyomi Tanouye, Geordie Aiken, Jeff Hull

The Last Shepherd/ Director and Screenwriter: Marco Bonfanti (Italy) US Premiere

Renato, the last traveling shepherd left in Milan, has a dream – get to the inaccessible center of the city to meet the children who have never seen a flock of sheep. Cast: Renato Zucchelli, Piero Lombardi, Lucia Zucchelli, Patrizia Frisoli, Hedy Krissane, Barbara Sorrentini (voice)

My Name is Faith/ Directors: Jason Banker, Jorge Torres-Torres, Tiffany Sudela-Junker (USA) US Premiere

Faith, a 13-year-old girl who suffers from Reactive Attachment Disorder, attempts to heal from the trauma inflicted by her birthmother’s lifestyle.

Running Wild: The Life of Dayton O. Hyde/ Director: Suzanne Mitchell (USA) World Premiere

The inspiring journey of a remarkable cowboy who triumphs in his quest to protect wild horses and the American West. Cast: Dayton O. Hyde

Where I Am/ Director and Screenwriter: Pamela Drynan (Ireland) World Premiere

The courageous story of Gay American writer Robert Drake and his struggle to recover and return to the scene of a crime in Ireland, where, he was left for dead more than 10 years ago. Cast: Robert Drake

Without Shepherds/ Director: Cary McClelland (Pakistan/USA) World Premiere

Six bold individuals struggle to find their role in the turbulent waters of Pakistan and build a better tomorrow. Cast: Vaneeza Ahmad, Arieb Azhar, Abdullah Khan, Imran Khan, Ibrahim Waheed, Laiba Yousafzai

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[caption id="attachment_2316" align="alignnone"]GETTING UP by Caskey Ebeling[/caption]

The 18th Annual Slamdance Film Festival announced the feature film and short film recipients of this year’s awards in the Audience, Grand Jury, and Sponsored Award categories. The award winners were announced at the annual Closing Night Awards Ceremony at the Treasure Mountain Inn.

AUDIENCE AWARDS

Audience Award for Feature Documentary: GETTING UP by Caskey Ebeling

[caption id="attachment_2317" align="alignnone"]BINDLESTIFFS by Andrew Edison[/caption]

Audience Award for Feature Narrative: BINDLESTIFFS by Andrew Edison

GRAND JURY AWARDS – NARRATIVE

[caption id="attachment_2318" align="alignnone"]WELCOME TO PINE HILL by Keith Miller[/caption]

Grand Jury Sparky Award for Feature Narrative: WELCOME TO PINE HILL by Keith Miller, “for its poetic and emotionally honest depiction of one man’s final journey in life, crafted from a true spirit of humanity and community.”

Special Jury Award for Bold Originality: HEAVY GIRLS by Axel Ranisch, “for its joie de vivre, an incredibly life-affirming film that is presented with a unique vision and an amazing cast.”

GRAND JURY AWARDS – DOCUMENTARY

[caption id="attachment_2319" align="alignnone"]NO ASHES, NO PHOENIX by Jens Pfeifer[/caption]

Grand Jury Sparky Award for Feature Documentary: NO ASHES, NO PHOENIX by Jens Pfeifer, “for its adeptly piercing and cinematic look at a basketball team’s impassioned struggle not for glory, but to just avoid losing.”

Grand Jury Sparky Award for Short Documentary: THE PROFESSIONAL by Skylar Neilsen, for “an honest and natural portrayal of work-as-life, and the slowly disappearing craft of an American working man.”

GRAND JURY AWARDS – SHORT FILMS

Grand Jury Sparky Award for Animation: VENUS by Tor Fruergaard, “for its creative use of claymation characters to explore sexual adventure and its lighthearted, touching and memorable story.”

Grand Jury Sparky Award for Short Film: I AM JOHN WAYNE by Christina Choe, “for its unique storytelling, cinematography and performances, including the brilliant use of a real horse in an urban environment.”

Special Jury Prize for Experimental Short: SOLIPSIST by Andrew Huang, “for its unique blend of live action footage of the human body, puppetry and computer animation that creates a colorful and insightful fantasy world.”

Honorable Mention for Best Ensemble: I’M COMING OVER by Sam Handel, “for its extraordinary ensemble which creates a world that extends beyond the film’s 25 minute length.”

SPECIAL & SPONSORED AWARDS

Spirit of Slamdance Sparky Award: HEAVY GIRLS (Dicke Mädchen) – Axel Ranisch, Heiko Pinkowski, Anne Baeker.

The Kodak Vision Award for Best Cinematography: FAITH, LOVE AND WHISKEY by Kristina Nikolova, “for shooting every single frame of this picture in a way that is not only pleasing to the eye, but also strongly supportive to the story being told.”

Panasonic AF100 Award for ‘The Five Flavors of Filmmaking’ Competition: JOSH GIBSON, director of the short film Kudzu Vine. Five filmmaking teams created one-minute films during the 2012 Slamdance Film Festival. The winning team exemplifies excellence in visual storytelling and receives a Panasonic AF100 Camera Package.

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The 2012 Slamdance Film Festival taking place January 20 – 26, 2011 in Park City, Utah, announced the lineup for the Special Screenings and Short Programs for the 18th edition.

The Special Screenings Programs present a variety of acclaimed and visionary films by a diverse group of global filmmakers – from Hollywood iconoclasts to highly anticipated emerging directors.

The 2012 Shorts Program features 75 shorts, and include Special Screenings, Live Action Competition, Documentary Competition, Animation, $99 Special, Anarchy Shorts, and the world premiere of a special program of new Iranian shorts never seen outside the country, Made In Iran: 7 Short Premieres.

This year’s Slamdance short film competition slate features 32 live action shorts and 13 documentary shorts programmed both in blocks and in front of features, and 10 animated films programmed in a signature animation block.

A jury will present awards to short films in competition in the following categories: Narrative, Animation, and Documentary. Competition shorts are also eligible for the Spirit of Slamdance Award.

Out of competition shorts and programs include: $99 Special Short Harold’s Bad Day, a winner of the 2011 Slamdance Short Screenplay Competition, directed by Slamdance alum Jordan Brady. The $99 Special Program presentation is the culmination of an annual tradition in which filmmakers are challenged to make a short film in 99 days with a budget of $99 dollars.

Made In Iran: 7 Short Premieres, an out of competition shorts program, is a world premiere collection of recent Iranian shorts never seen outside the country, curated by Iranian-American filmmaker Ehsan Ghoreishi, featuring the work of emerging talents from across Iran.

Anarchy Shorts is a curated, non-competitive spotlight on unique and provocative filmmakers who have made visionary, experimental, cult, and underground films.

See the full lineup 

SPECIAL SCREENINGS – NARRATIVE:

Holiday Road – Directors/Screenwriters: Todd Berger, Bill Palmer, Bobby Miller, Daron Nefcy, Benny Grinnell, Ian Eastin, Marcy McIlwain, Aaron Arendt, Michael Suter, Dee Robertson, Doug Manley, Helena Wei, Andrew Putschoegl. (USA) World Premiere
A feature length comedic anthology celebrating the hilarious, poignant, and absurd aspects of America’s twelve most recognized holidays.
Cast: Wendi McLendon-Covey, Jerry Trainor, Thomas Lenk, Blaise Miller, James Carpinello, Jeff Grace, Kent Osborne, Christing Ulloa

Old Dog – Director/Screenwriter: Pema Tseden. (China) US Premiere
On the high Tibetan plains, an old shepherd will do anything to prevent his Tibetan Mastiff from being sold to an urban Chinese dealer.
Cast: Yanbum Gyal, Drolma Kyab, Lochey, Tamdrin Tso

Unconditional – Director: Bryn Higgins, Screenwriter: Jo Fisher. (UK) World Premiere
The psycho-love story of two teenage twins who fall under the spell of a charismatic man offering love on one condition: the boy becomes his own sister.
Cast: Christian Cooke, Melanie Hill, Harry McEntire, Madleine Clark

SPECIAL SCREENINGS – DOCUMENTARY:

Neil Young Journeys – Director: Jonathan Demme. (USA) US Premiere
A personal, retrospective look into the heart and soul of iconoclast Neil Young – as told through intimate performances from Young’s 2011 summer solo shows in Toronto’s iconic Massey Hall, and insightful, wistful stories from his life while driving from his idyllic Canadian hometown.

No Room for Rockstars – Director: Parris Patton. (USA) World Premiere
Through the experiences of four musicians on The Vans Warped Tour, No Room For Rockstars takes you on an emotional journey of hope and determination, and documents the extreme highs and lows that occur in the pursuit of success in today’s era of rock and roll.

Terra Blight – Director: Isaac Brown. (USA) World Premiere
A global examination of the unseen life cycle of computer consumption, from manufacturing to disposal, that has created one of the largest, most common toxic wastes on our planet.

Wild in the Streets – Director: Peter Baxter, Screenwriters: Peter Baxter, Jay Nelson.
(UK/USA) World Premiere
Every year, thousands of locals from rival sides of a rugged English town brutally compete in an ancient sports game that is the lifeblood of the community – and the origin of soccer, rugby, and football.
Narrator: Sean Bean

With Great Power: The Stan Lee Story – Directors: Will Hess, Nikki Frakes, Terry Dougas,
Screenwriters: Will Hess, Nikki Frakes. (USA)
The story of maverick pop culture icon Stan Lee – one man’s journey of perseverance, and how by sticking to what he loved, he became an internationally influential and successful artist.
Cast: Stan Lee, Nicolas Cage, Michael Chiklis, Roger Corman, Kirsten Dunst, Danny Elfman,
James Franco, Samuel Jackson, Tobey Maguire, Eva Mendes, Frank Miller, Seth Rogen, Bryan
Singer, Kevin Smith, Ringo Starr

SPECIAL SCREENINGS – SHORTS:

Ed Wood’s Lost Film Final Curtain – Director/Screenwriter: Edward D. Wood, Jr. (USA) World Premiere
In a never before seen Ed Wood television pilot, a weary actor prowling a darkened theater at night searches anxiously for meaning which leads him to a surprising end.
Cast: James “Duke” Moore, Dudley Manlove, Jenny Stevens

Franchi is Back – Director/Screenwriter: Alexandre Franchi. (Canada) World Premiere
A Filmmaker talks about his bout with cancer in a self-promo film in order to avoid repeating his damn story 1000 times to people because it’s a pain in the ass.
Cast: Alexandre Franchi

SPECIAL SCREENING – $99 SPECIAL:
Filmmakers are challenged to make a short film in 99 days with $99

Harold’s Bad Day – Director: Jordan Brady, Screenwriter: R.J. Buckley. (USA) World Premiere
A wry, dark comedy about a well-intentioned teacher with a gambling debt.
Cast: Doug Benson, Nicholas Sadler, Zack Pearlman, Curtiss Frisle

SPECIAL SCREENING – MADE IN IRAN: 7 SHORT PREMIERES:

Dances With The Armchair – Director/Writer: Dariush Nehdaran. (Iran) US Premiere
As an armchair burns down to the ground, all the faces and memories embedded inside it dance away from its body through the flames.

Far From Him, Towards Him – Director/Screenwriter: Javad Rezaei Monfared. (Iran) World Premiere
An atheist with a terminal disease goes on a journey to find and reconnect with his father whom he believes is a servant in a holy shrine.

Room No. 8 – Director/Screenwriter: Zohreh Keshavarz Motlagh Shirazi. (Iran) World Premiere
A story about a group of people trapped in various social and psychological confines who yearn to break free.

Pondering – Director/Screenwriter: Mohammad Hossein Keshavarz Motlagh Shirazi (Iran) World Premiere
On a crisp night, under the blue moonlight, a man explores his inner child as he strangely interacts with the streetlights hovering above him.

A Pore As Big As a Knuckle – Director/Screenwriter: Ali Ahmadi. (Iran) World Premiere
A story about a family that has to face the consequences of a painfully unusual rape incident committed by one of their own.

The Tree – Director/Screenwriter: Hamed Siami. (Iran) World Premiere
A studio photographer loses the ability to associate people with their pictures.

When The Kid Was a Kid – Director/Screenwriter: Anahita Ghazvinizadeh. (Iran) World Premiere
A ten-year-old girl strives to understand her divorced mother’s world, while preparing for a play in which children imitate their parents.

SPECIAL SCREENING – ANARCHY SHORTS PROGRAM:

At The Formal – Director/Screenwriter: Andrew Kavanagh. (Australia). US Premiere
Modern and ancient rituals collide in this macabre depiction of a high school formal.

The Dude – Director: Jeff Feuerzeig. (USA) Documentary
As the inspiration for the beloved central character in the Coen Brothers’ cult-favorite film The Big Lebowski, Jeff Dowd has become a popular figure at Lebowski Fests around the country.

The Fritzl Effect – Director/Screenwriter: Stefanos Sitaras. (Greece)
A musician keeps a young woman in his basement for inspiration. As she tries to escape, she only falls deeper into his trap.

I Saw Your Sister Yesterday – Director: Mina Park. (USA)
Experimental animation about a woman’s inner pain due to societal restrictions.

The Magic Man – Director/Screenwriter: DC Kasundra. (USA)
Hoping to secure fame and fortune, a struggling vaudeville magician turns to the dark arts, but the power unleashed could cost him the one thing he truly loves.

Mahahula The Giant Rodent of Happiness – Director/Screenwriter: Nomint Motion Design.
(Greece)
An animated short film about happiness.

The Severe Psychosis of a Musicless Man – Director: Ian McClerin, Screenwriter: Matt Gomez. (USA) World Premiere.
A cartoonish journey into the mundane life of Preston: a middle-aged family man who begins hearing music in his head, fusing with his eccentric family, that plummets him into insanity.

Stihl – Directors/Screenwriters: James Benning, James Raymond (USA) World Premiere
Experimental filmmaker James Benning and video artist James Raymond collaborate to create a world founded on modern day fears: darker images of chainsaws, teddy bears, porno and masked men that question whether we are the monsters we envision and perhaps want to be.

Stokje – Director/Screenwriter: Léonie de Boer. (Netherlands)
A tale of two boys at the playground, and their descent from child’s play to immorality.

We’ll Become Oil – Director/Screenwriter: Mihai Grecu. (Romania/Hungary) World Premiere
The story of oil taking over history.

LIVE ACTION COMPETITION SHORTS:

33 Teeth – Director/Screenwriter: Evan Roberts. (USA)
A 14 year-old boy has a heightened fascination with the comb of his attractive neighbor, Chad.

The Agony and Sweat of the Human Spirit – Directors/Screenwriters: D. Jesse Damazo, Joe Bookman (USA)
Two cowboys on a hunt. What are they hunting? Triumph.

Angelito – Director: Paula Lima, Screenwriter: Vitor Coral. (USA/Brazil)
Luisa the nanny tries to find peace taking care of a defiant young boy.

Another Bullet Dodged – Director: Landon Zakheim, Screenwriters: Landon Zakheim, Todd Luoto. (USA)
A wolf in sheep’s clothing who thinks he is a sheep.

The Centrifuge Brain Project – Director/Screenwriter: Till Nowak. (Germany)
Portrait of a group of American scientists who in the 1970s conducted bizarre experiments involving amusement park rides.

Codes of Honor – Director/Screenwriter: Jon Rafman. (Canada)
A pro arcade gamer relives his triumphs, defeats and fading legacy.

Cold Blood – Director/Screenwriters: Martin Thibaudeau. (Canada)
An exhausted mother brings her terrified son to the hospital.

Crown – Director/Screenwriter: AG Rojas. (USA) World Premiere
A middle-aged junkie experiences a surreal high.

DeafBlind – Director/Screenwriter: Ewan Bailey. (UK) World Premiere
A deaf and blind woman and a young man share a spiritual and disturbing connection.

Eat – Director/Screenwriter: Janicza Bravo. (USA)
After locking herself out of her apartment, a young woman finds herself in the company of a reluctant neighbor.

Eileen Pratt – Director/Screenwriter: Michael Kratochvil. (Austrailia) World Premiere
A socially awkward bus driver seeks to return to the only place she feels she belongs.

February – Director/Screenwriter: Nick Singer. (USA) World Premiere
A young plumber has a series of abbreviated encounters.

The Good Person – Director: Yukihiro Katô. (Japan) US Premiere
A housewife with a missing husband has a bizarre encounter with mysterious visitors.

Hope. You Like Crap. – Director/Screenwriter: Shaun Parker. (USA) World Premiere
Me, looking back and painfully deconstructing my stupid, insipid student film 20 years later.

I Am John Wayne – Director/Screenwriter: Christina Choe. (USA) World Premiere
A young black cowboy struggles with the death of his best friend.

I’m Coming Over – Director/Screenwriter: Sam Handel. (USA)
In an eccentric mountain town, a borderline neo-luddite struggles to maintain and share a fragile state of enlightenment.
Cast: Lauren Ambrose

The Kook – Directors/Screenwriters: Nat Livingston Johnson, Gregory Mitnick. (USA)
A gentle and unassuming member of an eccentric religious sect in the Catskill Mountains experiences a crisis in faith.

Lin – Director/Screenwriter: Piers Thompson. (UK/Bulgaria/Turkey)
A woman appears to be running away from her past.

Little Horses – Director/Screenwriter: Levi Abrino. (USA)
A divorced small town postal worker tries to use a pony to win his family back.

Memory by Design – Director/Screenwriter: Nathan Punwar. (USA)
The objects that three young women use to mark their past take on memories of their own.

New Skin – Director/Screenwriter: Vladimir de Fontenay. (USA)
Helen spends New Year’s Eve working at a gas station, where she meets an intriguing young man just before midnight.

Park – Director/Screenwriter: Liz Cambron. (USA)
An unnamed girl living in a trailer park, drifting through life, beginning sexual explorations, and stealing her dad’s Vicodin.

People Parade – Director: John Wilson, Screenwriters: John Wilson, Chris Maggio. (USA) World Premiere
After the star of a long-running variety show passes away, his son is obligated to reunite a weathered cast of television performers and host the final episode.

Reinaldo Arenas – Director/Screenwriter: Lucas Leyva. (USA)
Told from the point of view of a dying shark, the film captures the last moments in the life of an unintentional immigrant in downtown Miami.

Rose and Sophia – Director/Screenwriter: Natalie Neal. (USA) World Premiere
A childhood interest in spying is rekindled among two teenage girls stuck between adolescence and adulthood.

A Scene at the Sea – Director/Screenwriter: Jaehee Lee. (South Korea)
A father and son, roles now reversed as one becomes the caretaker of the other, execute a delicate dance at the edge of the sea.

A Short Film About Ice Fishing – Director/Screenwriter: Jason Shahinfar. (USA)
In rural South Dakota, two friends go out for an explosive day of ice fishing.

Silent River – Director/Screenwriter: Anca Miruna Lazarescu. (Germany) US Premiere
Gregor and Vali want to get away from Romania and the Ceausescu regime in 1986.

Solipsist – Director/Screenwriter: Andrew Huang. (USA) World Premiere
A three part psychedelic fantasy film about otherworldly beings whose minds and bodies converge into one entity.

Soy Tan Feliz – Director/Screenwriter: Vladimir Duran. (Argentina/Colombia) US Premiere
Fragments of a Saturday winter day with the Vittenzein brothers, who find themselves in a strange intimacy on a stop during a drive to their mother’s house.

TMI – Director: Jeff Tomsic, Screenwriters: Jordan Klepper, Laura Grey. (USA) World Premiere
Obnoxiousness begins at conception.

When Rabbits Fly – Director: Helgi Jóhannsson, Screenwriters: Helgi Jóhannsson, Halldor Ragnar Halldorsson. (Iceland) North American Premiere
A family of three living with a rabbit in a cardboard box seeks six strangers to get their old life back.

ANIMATED COMPETITION SHORTS:

Birdboy – Directors/Screenwriters: Alberto Vázquez, Pedro Rivero. (Spain)
A terrible industrial accident changes little Dinky’s life forever.

Follow the Sun! – Director/Screenwriter: MK12. (USA)
An homage and/or affront to a Great American Tradition: the drive-in intermission snack reel.

Hietsuki Bushi – Director/Screenwriter: Ryo Hirano. (Japan)
A seamless mixture of traditional Japanese song, blip music, universe, and agriculture.

Hollow – Director/Screenwriter: Oliver Anderson. (USA)
Two young brothers stumble across a disturbing secret in the fleeting light of a Midwestern summer.

The House – Director/Screenwriter: David Buob. (Germany)
A family story in a revolving house.

The Observer – Director/Screenwriter: Abbey Luck. (USA) World Premiere
A disenchanted citizen learns how to free his village from a tyrant king by observing patterns in nature.

Peekaboo – Director/Screenwriter: Cecilia Fletcher. (USA)
A woman must decide between reporting a crime and going on vacation.

Soil – Director/Screenwriter: Meejin Hong. (USA)
As imagery transforms between figures and abstraction, the life cycle of an organism and dualities within human nature are explored.

Thumb Snatchers from the Moon Cocoon – Director/Screenwriter: Bradley Schaffer. (USA)
A short tempered Texas sheriff uses his cowboy logic to recklessly defeat a race of condescending, cocoon dwelling critters.

Venus – Director: Tor Fruergaard, Screenwriter: Sissel D. Thomsen. (Denmark)
An erotic comedy in claymation.

DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION SHORTS:

Ben Franklin Blowing Bubbles at a Sword: The Journeys of a Mental Athlete – Director: Jonathan Napolitano. (USA) World Premiere
Three mental athletes stretch the limits of their minds as they train for and compete in the 2011 USA Memory Championship.

The Devotion Project: More Than Ever – Director: Antony Osso. (USA)
The inspiring true story of two men who forged a 54-year love story despite the odds.

I’m Never Afraid! – Director: Willem Baptist. (The Netherlands)
Eight-year-old Mack ‘the motor midget’ should be dead but nothing is stopping him.

Kiss the Paper – Director: Fiona Otway. (USA)
A poetic documentary contemplating the revival of the nearly obsolete, centuries-old craft of letterpress printing.

Kudzu Vine – Director: Josh Gibson. (USA)
This ode to the climbing, trailing, and coiling species Pueraria lobata evokes the agricultural history and mythic textures of the American South.

The Lookout – Director: Brian Bolster. (USA) World Premiere
Watching over some of the most fire-prone landscape in North America, a Fire Lookout reflects upon his work.

Murder Mouth – Director: Madeleine Parry. (Australia)
Could you kill what you had for dinner? Maddie, a 21 year-old meat eater, decides to take the question into her own hands.

No Relation – Director: Kieran Dick. (Canada)
What is real and how do you capture it?

No Wine Left Behind – Director: Kevin Gordon. (USA)
An Iraq War hero leads a ragtag group of veterans as they try to conquer the wine industry.

On Tender Hooks – Director: Kate Shenton. (UK)
Freak show magician Damien Lloyd-Davies pierces his flesh with meat hooks and performs a “suicide suspension.”

The Professional- Director: Skylar Nielsen. (USA)
Metal-fabricator Neil Youngberg never planned on taking over his grandfather’s business and is now faced with passing on his legacy.

We Win or We Die – Director: Matthew Millan. (Libya, USA) World Premiere
The inspiring story of one man’s heroic sacrifice that liberated a city from the yoke of oppression.

You Can’t Win – Director: Jorge Torres-Torres (Puerto Rico/USA) World Premiere
A typical night at the cockfights in the island of Puerto Rico.

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The 2012 Slamdance Film Festival that runs concurrently with the 2012 Sundance Film Festival from January 20 to 26, in Park City, Utah, announced its lineup. The festival oft billed as “by filmmakers, for filmmakers” lineup includes 18 feature-length competition films, ten narratives and eight documentaries, most of them World Premieres.

The complete Slamdance Feature Film Competition lineup:

NARRATIVE FEATURE COMPETITION PROGRAM, PRESENTED BY KODAK:
BINDLESTIFFS – Director: Andrew Edison, Screenwriters: Andrew Edison, Luke Loftin. (USA) World Premiere
Three smart-mouthed high school virgins, suspended from school on a graffiti charge, flee to the inner city to live out the plot of The Catcher in the Rye.
Cast: Andrew Edison, Luke Loftin, John Karna

Comforting Skin – Director: Derek Franson, Screenwriter: Derek Franson. (Canada) US Premiere
A lonely young woman’s desperate need for emotional and physical companionship draws her into a surreal and ultimately destructive relationship with a shifting and whispering tattoo she has willed to life on her skin.
Cast: Jane Sowerby, Tygh Runyan, Victoria Bidewell

Doppelgänger Paul (or A Film About How Much I Hate Myself) – Director: Dylan Akio Smith, Kris Elgstrand, Screenwriter: Kris Elgstrand. (Canada) US Premiere
The unlikely relationship of two lonely men whose connection sets off a chain of events resulting in the loss of a thumb, the theft of a manuscript, and two appearances on a popular morning talk show.
Cast: Brad Dryborough, Tygh Runyan

Faith, Love and Whiskey – Director: Kristina Nikolova, Screenwriters: Kristina Nikolova, Paul Dalio. (Bulgaria) World Premiere
A young Bulgarian woman, engaged to a well-off American, panics and runs back home, reuniting with her drifter friends and the wild life of her past and falling in love with her passionate but alcoholic best friend.
Cast: Ana Stojanovska, Valeri Yordanov, John Keabler, Lidia Indjova, Yavor Baharov

Heavy Girls – Director: Axel Ranisch, Screenwriters: Axel Ranisch, Heiko Pinkowski, Peter Trabner. (Germany) US Premiere
Sven lives with his elderly mother; Daniel is her caregiver. When she wanders off, their misadventure to find her leads them to discover their confusing affection for each other.
Cast: Heiko Pinkowski, Peter Trabner, Ruth Bickelhaupt

OK, Good – Director: Daniel Martinico, Screenwriters: Hugo Armstrong, Daniel Martinico. (USA) World Premiere
A series of demoralizing auditions and a cultish movement workshop push a struggling actor over the edge.
Cast: Hugo Armstrong

Roller Town – Director: Andrew Bush, Screenwriters: Andrew Bush, Mark Little, Scott Vrooman. (Canada) US Premiere
At the peak of disco-mania, three friends try and stop a local crime syndicate from turning their beloved roller rink into a video arcade.
Cast: Kayla Lorette, Mark Little, Scott Vrooman

The Sound of Small Things – Director/Screenwriter: Peter McLarnan. (USA) World Premiere
Sam and Cara’s attempt to navigate their young marriage is complicated by miscommunication, suspicion and her deafness.
Cast: Cara Krippner, Sam Hoolihan

Sundowning – Director/Screenwriter: Frank Rinaldi. (Singapore/USA) World Premiere
A story about the relationship between a young woman who has lost her memory and her mysterious caregiver.
Cast: Shannon Fitzpatrick, Susan Chau

Welcome to Pine Hill – Director/Screenwriter: Keith Miller. (USA) World Premiere
A reformed drug dealer, now a claims adjuster by day and bouncer by night, receives earthshattering news that compels him to return to his past and seek transcendence beyond the Brooklyn concrete.
Cast: Shannon Harper, Mary Meyers, David Williams

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE COMPETITION PROGRAM:
Buffalo Girls – Director: Todd Kellstein. (Thailand/USA) World Premiere
Two eight year old girls fight in rural Thailand’s underground child boxing economy to earn money to support their families.

Danland – Director: Alexandra Berger, Screenwriters: Ann Husaini, Alexandra Berger. (USA) World Premiere
Amateur porn producer Dan Leal, aka ‘Porno Dan,’ searches for intimacy despite his industry and in spite of himself.

The First Season – Director: Rudd Simmons. (USA) World Premiere
To achieve their version of the American dream, the Van Amburg family struggle as they fight against relentless toil, financial ruin and the harsh reality of dairy farming.

Getting Up – Director: Caskey Ebeling, Screenwriter: Tempt. (USA) World Premiere
After being diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s disease and rendered almost completely paralyzed, Tony “Tempt” Quan, a legendary L.A. graffiti artist, regains his voice through technology that reads the movement of his eyes and enables him to create art and write once again.

I Want My Name Back – Director: Roger Paradiso. (USA) Utah Premiere
Thirty years after the historic recording of the iconic mega-hit “Rapper’s Delight,” Master Gee & Wonder Mike come back to reclaim their identities and rightful place in Hip Hop history.

Kelly – Director: James Stenson. (USA) World Premiere
Having fled a provincial past, a young, transgender prostitute searches for love and acceptance in a landscape of broken Hollywood Dreams.

No Ashes, No Phoenix – Director/Screenwriter: Jens Pfeifer. (Germany) World Premiere
A locker room expose about young basketball players in Hagen, Germany who face their fears of losing and challenge enormous odds to succeed.

We Are Legion: The Story of the Hacktivists – Director/Screenwriter: Brian Knappenberger. (USA) World Premiere
An intimate look inside the world of Anonymous, the radical “hacktivist” collective that has redefined civil disobedience for the digital age.

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Slamdance today announced the 2011 Feature Competition slate for the 17th Annual Slamdance Film Festival taking place January 21-27, 2011 in Park City, Utah.  Slamdance will debut ten narrative and eight documentary feature films, 14 of which are World Premieres. With a record number of over 5,000 submissions, Slamdance has selected an exciting and eclectic slate of films, made by today’s up and coming independent filmmakers. The selected films have all been made on a small budget and head to Park City without distribution – all full of immense promise.

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