The SILVER CITY FILM FESTIVAL

NARRATIVE


THE SPIDER EXPERIMENT  13 mins.

A family-oriented comedy about ten-year-old Ginny, who has a crush on her classmate Sam. To get his attention, she creates a unique science project using a spider and cupful of yellow goo.  It's amazing what some people will believe!

 

SPIRIT RISING  20 mins.

Winner of the “Best Short Film” award at both the Angelus Awards and The Atlantic City Film Festival. SPIRIT RISING, directed by Jonathan Yudis, is about a young boy’s self-discovery and healing.  During a summer at camp, 9 year old Rich Chalsky must find the courage to take responsibility for his life so that he can enjoy it.

 

ECHOS  56 mins.

Paris.  Alise is awakened by a telephone call.  A few hours later she finds herself lost in a maritime nature reserve.  Alone and facing the elements, she spontaneously reinvents the various stages of a rite that will take her to a new state of consciousness.  By filmmaker Perrine Lievois.

 

IN THE WAKE   18 mins.

Noe Hebert is a Hurricane Katrina survivor who is relocated to Albuquerque, New Mexico. He has lost everything…his mother, his home, his culture, and his soul.  Disconnected and isolated in a rugged land, Noe struggles to reconnect to a world that no longer exists.  By Craig Strong.

 

TRUELOVE  1 hr. 10 mins.

New York City, Christmas, the early 1960's. Mike Truelove has escaped from prison and returned to New York to settle some scores. Police detective Tony Dagger and reporter Sally Starr are determined to track him down. Can anyone stop Truelove's twelve days of terror?

 

MADE IN JAPAN 5 mins. (subtitled)

Directed by Ciro Altabas.  “My mother admitted the man I thought was my father was not my father.”

 

THIS AIN'T BEBOP  25 mins.

Made originally for the PBS America Playhouse Series "Imagining America", THIS AIN’T BEBOP is a live-action experimental narrative film based on an original poem.  Starring Harvey Kietel, this films explores the energy of the Beat generation through the rich lens of renowned Director Ralph Bakshi.

 

THE TAO OF STEVE  1 hr. 25 mins.

In his college days Dex (Donal Logue) was a slim, cool, smooth talking ladies’ man.  A decade later he’s an overweight, underachieving kindergarten teacher who has honed his “pick-up” technique into a way of life-a mix of Zen, tough guy cool and college philosophy coined the “Tao of Steve”, a tribute to all the manly “Steve’s” in history including the king of all Steves:  Steve McQueen.

 

48 HOUR FILMS by Vanessa Vartabedian                                     

*Made from start to finish in 2 days

LIFT  New to the building, a man befriends the elevator operator but true colors don't emerge until they test their friendship in the real world.

CHECKING OUT  A hotel guest on business asks his neighbor to borrow a bible and gets more than he bargained for.

THE LUMBER YARD  Guided by orders received from "Andy Warhol", a woman kidnaps a diplomat and uses him to fulfill her wildest fantasy.                     

 

DOS VECES  24 mins. (subtitled)

By Josebo Fuentes.  Laura wants to divorces Mario.  He agrees to give her whatever she asks for on one conditions: she must reenact the details of the first time they met.

 

PORQUE HAY COSAS QUE NUNCA SE OLVIDAN

(BECAUSE THERE ARE THINGS YOU NEVER FORGET)  13 mins.  (subtitled)

Naples, Italy, 1950.  Four friends play soccer in the street when their ball is accidentally kicked into the evil old lady’s yard.  They will never play with the ball again, and for that their revenge is deadly.

 

MR. BOB  11 mins.

Mr. Bob is a nervous and self-conscious bank robber.  In his attempt to rob a local bank he finds he is no match for the charms of a lady.  By Nick Chamberlin.

 

THE ROAD TO PARIS  12 mins.

Looking for love in all the wrong places, Corrine Biggs accidentally discovers her pastor husband’s dirty little sins.  Inspired by Cosmopolitan magazine,  she turns from kitten to cat and sinks her claws in for revenge.  By Constance Hasapopolous.

 

ALWAYS, ALREADY 17 mins.

A prismatic view of a relationship through three lenses.  Stories intertwine to tell a story of lost love, innocence and regret.  By Carl Wilhoyte and Josh Wheeler.

                                                           

DOCUMENTARY


*FESTIVAL FEATURE

THE AMERICAN SOUTHWEST: ARE WE RUNNING DRY?  1 hr 10 mins.

Hosted and narrated by Jane Seymour, this documentary provides an in-depth awareness of the regional water crisis through a discussion of land use planning and the water needs of several Southwest cities.  Director Jim Thebaut examines how relentless drought and record low precipitation have affected precious water sources including Lake Mead and the Rio Grande and Colorado Rivers.  Interviews with key policy makers and water authorities combine with historical data on water divisions to make this an important and compelling film.

 

AGNES MARTIN: WITH MY BACK TO THE WORLD  56 mins.

By Mary Lance. A documentary on the internationally-renowned painter,  designated by ART news Magazine one of the world’s top-ten living artists.  Shot in New Mexico from 1998 to 2002, in Agnes’ 90th year. Interviews are inter-cut with studio shots, photographs, archive footage, and images of her work. Martin speaks about her work and her views on the creative process.

 

*OPENING NIGHT FILM

DIEGO RIVERA: I PAINT WHAT I SEE  58 mins.

This film traces the life of the renowned Mexican painter from childhood through his Cubist period including his leading role in the Mexican mural renaissance, his fame as a muralist in the USA, and his later years. Director Mary Lance explores Rivera’s life and work, including his stormy relationship with Frida Kahlo and the destruction of his famous mural at Rockefeller Center.

 

BIKE TO WORK  6 mins.

This film by Trenton Hoppas was made to encourage people of all ages to slow down and see their environment from a perspective they may not have seen in a while.... their bike!

 

HERO, WINGS ARE NOT NECESSARY TO FLY  25 mins.

Pascal Klieman was born without arms but this did not stop him from creating and continuing with his career as disc jockey of techno music.  Willpower can be stronger than any obstacle, whatever it is.

 

REFUSENIK  1 hr. 28 mins.

A ground breaking documentary, REFUSENIK tells the story of the activists who led the three-decade international struggle to free Soviet Jews. Told through the eyes of activists on both sides of the Iron Curtain, the film is a tapestry of first-person accounts of heroism, sacrifice, and ultimately, liberation.

 

SMALL GREEN DOMICILE  30 mins.

By Silver City’s Paula Geisler, SMALL GREEN DOMICILE interweaves the story of a historic dwelling in Silver City with it's "green" features and the short and tragic career of its pioneer owner John P. Risque. Includes footage of other dwellings in the Historic Downtown Block where the house stands.

 

FROM TIBET TO T or C  21 mins.

Lama Karma Rinchen left Tibet in 1959 when the Chinese invaded and traveled the world for the next 49 years. He now lives and teaches part-time in Truth or Consequences, New Mexico. Dir. By Tobias Katz.


THE PHONEY WAR OF MEMORIES   28 mins. (subtitled)

How does the construction of history take place?  Is there a general truth or only personal truths?  These questions are the subject of Simon Baele’s sociological study around the Battle of the Bulge and siege of Bastogne.

 

A WALK INTO THE SEA: Danny Williams and The Warhol Factory  50 mins.

Filmmaker Esther B. Robinson explores the dark side of Andy Warhol’s Factory scene and the disappearance of Danny Williams.


CURANDERAS:  FOLK HEALERS 26 MINS.

A look at traditional healing practices.  This film focuses on several contemporary Chicana practitioners of Curanderismo working in Southwest communities.


COWBOY MOUNTED SHOOTING  13 MINS.

A short overview of the sport of Cowboy Mounted Shooting that questions why people do it.

 

START TO FINISH HOME  4 MINS.

The start to finish process of building an Energy Star Home with green features.


*FOUR FILMS BY ERIN HUDSON

40 MINUTE PROGRAM Followed by a Q AND A WITH THE DIRECTOR 

AFLOAT (5 mins.): From the intimate vantage point of a senior community swimming pool, water and time suspend body and memory.  This film is a gentle meditation on growing old, staying young, and living life.

ROTATION (3 mins.):    As suburban development encroaches upon the rural hills of the Bay Area, farmers Marianne and Gordon Griffith reflect on the changing landscape they call home. 

UNHITCHED (12 mins.):  Unhitched is a portrait of a community that has transformed travel trailers into permanent homes.  Tucked away in in Northern California, Faerie Ring Campground and RV Park serves as one of the only options for low income housing in the area.  Through the residents’ experiences, this film illustrates the value of having a place to call home while expanding our notions of community.

THE LONG HAUL (22 mins.): Barreling along freeways from behind the wheel of their big rigs, three women truck drivers share their humor, insight and experience of driving 19-wheelers for a living.  This short documentary enriches and challenges every preconceived notion of truck driving, while seeking to understand what is gained and what is lost as a woman, a mother, and a trucker on the open road.

 

THE HEART SPOKE  16 mins.

Directed by Hadrien Don Fayel. 

A biographical portrait of Jean Touzet, founder of the Cannes Film Festival.

 

STRONG LOVE  56 mins.

The story of what happens when world-class weightlifter Jon Shapiro and his childhood sweet heart Molly (both developmentally disabled) decide to marry. The couple’s challenges, triumphs, and their complex and sometimes surprising relationships with friends and each other are the heart of this inspiring film.

 

THE LADIES  13 mins

Before the Hungarian Revolution Vali and Mimi had separate lives.  The elder was a bohemian costume designer, the younger a pragmatic tomboy who drove a taxi.  After nearly perishing in a Russian work camp they escape to the U.S. and begin rebuilding their world as 40 yr. old women in a foreign land.  Nearing the end of their lives, the two are inseparable parts of a collective story and their relationship reflects an era and the importance of finding creativity in a world of constant change.

 

THE GATES   23 mins.

Representative of artist Vicky Haluska’s personal experience of the Christo and Jean Claude art installation of 7500 “Gates” in New York’s Central Park, this film was inspired by the magnitude and visual impact of the work.  It takes advantage of a “once in a lifetime, once upon a time” chance to define and reflect on a winter landscape and the vast number of visitors who have appreciated Central Park over the years.

 

TREES CRY FOR RAIN: A SEPHARDIC JOURNEY  45 mins.

A film by Bonnie Burt.  Rachel Amado Bortnick takes the viewer on a fascinating journey exploring Sephardic roots and recalling the rich, vanishing world of Sephardic culture and the Ladino language.

 

HOME ON THE RANGE: THE JEWISH CHICKEN FARMERS OF PETALUMA  

55 mins.

Jack London, California vigilantes, McCarthyism, the Cold War and agri-business all come to life in the quintessentially American story of how a group of immigrants find their new home, a home on the range.


ANIMATION


*THREE FILMS BY BILL PLYMPTON

HOT DOG   5 mins.  The third Plympton’s DOG series.  In this episode our plucky hero joins the Fire Dept. to save the world from house fires and gain the affection he so richly deserves.  Typically, the results are rarely as planned.

MEXICAN STANDOFF  7 mins.  A music video for the Dutch band Parson Brown.  The story is of a three -sided love affair that goes absolutely wrong and the hearts broken along the way.  Technique is pencil on paper, scanned and digitally composited.

*SNEAK PEAK*  An excerpt from the forthcoming Animated Feature: IDIOTS AND ANGELS   15 mins.  

Angel is a selfish, abusive, morally bankrupt man who hangs out at his local bar berating other patrons.  One day, he wakes with a pair of wings on his back.  The wings make him do good deeds, contrary to his nature.  He tries to rid himself of the wings, only to find himself fighting those who see them as their ticket to fame and fortune.  Featuring music by Tom Waits and Pink Martini.


GOLFER’S BAD DAY  4 mins.

A young golfer decides he wants to play a few holes of golf, but he soon discovers that his day is not going to play out as he would have hoped.    Directed by Derek Chase, a 2008 prizewinner in the Truth or Consequences Film Festival.

 

BREEZE  4 mins.

A 2D film by artist and animator Thomas DesJardins. BREEZE is the story of a retired human cannonball who dreams of leaving his wheelchair behind and taking his place in the sky.

 

LIGHT MY FIRE  4 mins.

Also by DesJardins, a 3D animation of two childish fireworks.


AMY'S DREAM  2 mins.

A brief animation created to portray a Kansas flower transplaned to the desert.  By Eric Cameron.

 

CITY OF ROCKS  

A 3 minute animated film created by Gary Lund from stills taken over time at the City of Rocks in Grant County, New Mexico.   


“UGLY” ANIMATIONS  6 mins.

A series of 3D animations done by first year students at The Creative Media Institute at NMSU.  Each animator has come up with their own take on the Ugly Doll character, from a cowboy motif to a spoof on The Matrix films.

 

TIMOTHY AND THE GREAT ROBOTIC INVADERS FROM OUTER SPACE   

14 mins.

By Albuquerque animator Tamarind King, screenplay by Andre Infante. 

They’re coming!  A terrifying menace from another galaxy!  When Timothy discovers hostile alien signals on a homemade radio, it’s up to him to stop the impending doom.  But who’s going to believe an 8 yr. old kid?  A tribute to 50’s sci-fi featuring New Mexico talent.

 

REPLACEMENT HEROES  8 mins.

When America’s greatest singing superstars are kidnapped and the usual super heroes are no longer active, the nation has but one option... to find new super heroes.  Created by an animation team from New Mexico State University’s Creative Media Institute in Las Cruces.

 

ROSWELL: NOT JUST ALIENS  5 mins.

This charming animated film celebrates the colorful history, nature, and culture of this unique community in Southeast New Mexico. The film was created by 5th and 3rd grade students at El Capitan and Military Heights Elementary Schools in Roswell, under the direction of animator Karen Aqua and composer Ken Field.  *also a Junior Filmmaker entry

 

A WIZARDS TALE  7 mins.

By Junior Filmmaker Mikayla Pena. A Wizard’s Tale recounts and continues the tale of a spirited forest adventure featuring a rabbit, mouse, dog, sassy fairy, sorceress and of course The Wizard himself. Created at The Bakshi School of Animation in Silver City. *also a Junior Filmmaker entry

 

EASY CHAIR

Animator Gary Lund gives us this 8 minute animated film involving a man, a plush chair and a room that is in constant movement, change and expansion. 

 

JUNIOR FILMMAKERS

 

CLOCKWORK  49 mins.

By Junior Filmmaker Devin Wright.  A self-isolated man collects and fixes clocks for a living.  Because of his overwhelming love for the clocks, they come to life.  But, as the clocks learn from the man, although they love him, they outgrow his tendencies and leave, in search of adventure.

 

I AM WHO I AM  6 mins.

Submitted by Junior Filmmaker Gabriel Morales of Cambridge, Massachusetts, this film tells the tale of the role of the church and theatre in a young man’s life. 

 

SECRET AGENT MAN  3 mins.

A music video completed by Nick Hughes and Erik Madsen-Boyd of The Cambridge Rindge and Latin School’s Digital Media Program.

 

THE INCURABLE  6 mins.

In 1947, a mysterious object crashed in Roswell, NM and was immediately recovered by top-secret government officials.  Some say there were strange dead bodies found but files show that one of the beings lived, got away, and died shortly after producing offspring.  The Incurable tells the story of that child.  *completed in NMSU’s Storycasting Camp for Teens

 

THE FIGHT  4 mins.

A young boxer straddles the line between boy and man while trying to provide for his family and come to an understanding with his father.  *completed in NMSU’s Storycasting Camp for Teens


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