Artsfest 2008!
May 23 - 26, 2008
Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts
Harrisburg, PA
www.artsfestfilmfest.com
FRIDAY, MAY 23rd
7:00 PM – An Evening with John Waters
Philosopher of filth and reigning king of bad taste, John Waters comes to the Artsfest Film
Festival to present an outstanding live one-man show that celebrates his origins of trash with his
signature brand of irreverent humor. Mr. Waters' devilishly delectable monologue focuses on his
early introductions to the grotesque that influenced the groundbreaking filmmaker and author,
continually magnifying his twisted contributions of creativity.
www.whitakercenter.org or Call 717-214-ARTS.
SATURDAY, MAY 24th
11:00 AM - Empowered Women and the Femme Fatale
Mr. Gary on the Feedback Show
by Lise Swenson, San Francisco, CA (13 min.)
East Coast Premiere
An elderly shut-in conquers an absurd and malevolent media universe when she calls in to her
favorite radio show.
Testing the Undertow
By Jennifer Proctor, Grand Rapids, MI (13 min.)
A personal examination of class, pride, and identity as it has played out on the landscape of
Marin County, California from the 1980s to the present.
Forced Perspective: Odessa
by Deanna Morse, Grand Rapids, MI (6 min.)
World Premiere
When I visited the real steps at Odessa, I found my visit profoundly affected by my memories of
The Odessa Steps sequence from Battleship Potemkin (Eisenstein, 1925). Media images have
power. They shape our real live experiences.
99 to 1: Ovarian Cancer and Me
by Phoebe Brown, (19 min.)
In the summer of 2005 the doctors said they were 99% sure filmmaker Phoebe Brown did not
have ovarian cancer. She turned out to be the 1%. This is her story.
Hold On
by Jackie Julio, Los Angeles, CA (20 min.)
A quirky comedy about Rose, a spirited, quadriplegic, physicist who goes to extreme measures in
her quest for romance. This engaging, short film is sprinkled with absurdity and symbolism,
adding a little spice for the consummate film lover. Starring Doug Olear (The Wire, Something the
Lord Made) and Dominic West (300, Chicago), and featuring music by Bruce Springsteen.
Phil and Jenny
by Cameron Dixon, Alberta, Canada (16 min.)
Phil is a socially awkward office worker who thinks he is Zorro. Suddenly, Jenny comes into his
life and turns his fantasy world into reality.
Alicja Wonderland
by Martin Gauvreau, UK/Poland, (20 min.)
A young couple is looking at a new house, only to have an engagement ring stolen by a young
boy. A strange series of events lead to a seductive neighbor in a fairy tale twist. Starring
Agnieszka Pekala.
1:00 PM - Experiments in Film
Charlie Rose by Samuel Beckett
by Andrew Filippone, Jr., Forest Hills, NY (3 min.)
Something has happened to PBS favorite Charlie Rose. The erudite conversations and sober
intellectualism have been replaced by an absurd world where illogic, inane dialogues, and open
hostility rule. The one-on-one interview between Charlie and his guest begins as usual but quickly
goes awry, so much so that Charlie is warned that, somewhere, a man named 'Steve' is 'not
happy.' Though this seemingly random statement might confuse us, Charlie understands it for
what it is – a threat. But who is 'Steve' and why is he angry? And why does the mere mention of
his name stop Charlie cold? Using appropriated footage from a single episode of Charlie Rose,
filmmaker Andrew Filippone Jr. creates something both disturbing and farcical
A Song for the Everyday
by Wesley Wetherington, Valrico, FL (3 min.)
World Premiere
A short experimental piece by emerging video artist Wesley Wetherington.
Action Film
by Jennifer Hardacker, Portland, OR (5 min.)
World Premiere
A manipulation of a well-known Hollywood action film. This video makes abstract the image, while
maintaining a sense of the original film's action and suspense.
5 Cents a Peek
by Vanessa Woods, San Francisco, CA (7 min.)
A filmic interpretation of a poem by Sharon Olds wherein the circus becomes a metaphor for a
woman’s performance in, and for, the world. The film incorporates animation, archival circus
footage and distortions of the female form to explore ideas of performance, spectatorship and the
male gaze.
Chicago Landscape No. 3
by Elizabeth Hoffman, Chicago, IL (6 min.)
World Premiere
A short film regarding the politics of public transportation, hysteria and watercolors. Shot on
standard 8mm film and painted by hand.
Autumnal
by Scott Nyerges, Brooklyn, NY (6 min.)
World Premiere
A world in autumn; a requiem for lands not yet departed. This video was produced with hand-
painted 35mm filmstrips, acrylic inks, paint, and solvents.
A Diamond Forms Under Pressure
by Paul O’Donaghue, Dublin, Ireland (6 min.)
An anomaly existing somewhere between experimental film and music video, computer
animation/ programming, science and art. The improvised electronic soundtrack drives
proprietary software, which analyses the audio and generates a cogent synchronous image in
real-time. Frequencies push and pull against each other stabilizing or agitating the central image.
Energie!
by Thorsten Fleisch, Germany (5 min.)
From a mere technical point of view, the TV/video screen comes alive by a controlled beam of
electrons in the cathode ray tube. For Energie! an uncontrolled high voltage discharge of 30.000
volts exposes photographic paper which is then arranged in time to create new visual systems of
electron organization.
2:00 PM – Secret Worlds
Just Look in the Silo
by Tom Richards, Harrisburg, PA (3 min.)
World Premiere
Another in the series of music videos for the local noise-metal band Hog Caller. This time, your
favorite mascots and Uncle Sam will make you have nightmares!
Sandstorm
by Yeon Choi, Lafayette, LA (2 min.)
In an imaginary land that lacks of water and flesh, two skeleton figures find a pair of eyes in the
sand. Their selfish minds start a fight over the eyes, and the fight leads a bitter end.
Aliens
by Ryan Woodward, Mapleton, UT (2 min.)
World Premiere
When children are captured in the moment of some of their most creative moments, aliens, dogs
and robots come to life. A four year old girl, embodied as the alien, tells us how it is to be an alien
in a world where dogs try chew up their legs and robots protect them.
Notes from the Acrid Plain
by Jonathon Ashley, Brooklyn, NY (15 min.)
World Premiere
Naturalist Burton Hoary hosts a survey of the toxic landscape known as the 'Acrid Plain,' peopled
by the masked descendants of the human race. This chapter focuses on the Harvesters, their
obscure practices and the perils they face.
The Distance to the Sun
by Andrea Dojmi, Rome, Italy (28 min.)
We visit one of the most secret places ever, the Groom Lake S4 zone, for a unique deep
experience. The film takes us back to a remote corner of our imagination, located in our lost
memories.
3:00 PM - Filmmakers on the Edge
It’s Showtime
by B.E.F. Oakess, New York, NY (2 min.)
An animated music video for the rock group Electric Six. Angry sausage-like cartoon characters
walk through the streets of Manhattan.
Mydeath.com
by Collette Copeland, Media, PA (2 min.)
Mydeath.com (a.k.a. how to plan a funeral in 90 seconds or less) humorously asserts the Internet
as the ultimate commodified marketplace. Re-contextualizing images downloaded from various
‘death’ websites, the work celebrates the bombardment of visual information questioning the point
at which we reach saturation and how we decipher what information is accurate.
Warrior
by Daniel Zox, Evanston, IL (1 min.)
In the heat of summer a young man scores a soccer goal and is congratulated by a fellow peer.
Tree Hugger
by David Burns, Los Angeles, CA (4 min.)
A young man’s erotic relationship to nature, set against a popular anthem from the 1960’s. As the
awkward relationship between the man and the tree is introduced, the natural soundscape fades
away and is replaced with the song “Good Morning Starshine”. In this case the man's clothes are
cast off, in parallel to the stripping away of the politics of American culture, leaving only the
radical erotics of nature and man. The film was recently screened at the J. Paul Getty Museum.
Sexy Clown Bitch
by Laura Newman, Brooklyn, NY (4 min.)
An unhappy clown falls in love with a drug addict during a chance elevator encounter. He calls
her “Sexy Clown Bitch,” inspiring not just a nickname, but a phenomenon.
Fishing with Elvis
by Tom Richards, Harrisburg, PA (4 min.)
World Premiere
Another installment in the crazy adventures of local noise-metal band Hog Caller. Set along the
cooling towers of TMI, Elvis gets what he deserves!
It Gets Worse
by Clifton Childree, Miami, FL (33 min.)
Another twisted tale of strange body parts and supernatural antics in a nautical pre-industrial age.
Very stylized and soon to be cult classic film, Childree delivers again!
4:00 PM - John Waters’ Cult Classic: Desperate Living
See the film and meet the cast!
Don’t miss this truly unique opportunity to see a classic film by the legendary John Waters, and
meet the stars of the film. Screened in 16mm.
Desperate Living
by John Waters, Baltimore, MD (90 min., 1977)
A rich housewife murders her husband with the help of her overweight maid, and the two go on
the run, ending up in Mortville, a town providing refuge for criminals. They shack up with a lesbian
ex-wrestler and her murderess lover, before running into the tyrannical Queen Carlotta, ruler of
Mortville.
9:00 PM – Pyschedelic Flashback: Head
A bizarre, surreal, romp starring The Monkees
Head
by Jack Nicholson and Bob Rafelson, (86 min., 1968)
In this 1968 film, the Monkees valiantly attempted to deflate their own myth. The plot is,
essentially, about demystification. Mickey Dolenz, Davy Jones, Peter Tork, and Mike Nesmith -
with the aid of writer Jack Nicholson (the only credited author due to legalities)- tackle such topics
as filmmaking, the media treatment and madness of the Vietnam War, Davy Jones' "way with the
ladies," and, most importantly, commercialization. Each group member is presented in a unique
light - in every case shattering the image that had been produced by the media machine.
Shown with:
Untitled
by Jason Dietrick, Harrisburg, PA (2 min.)
Experimental animation on a clear film leader.
The Electric Charge Inside Me
by Tara Chickey, Harrisburg, PA (1 min.)
Hand-painted animation.
Sea of Breath - Cloud of Ground
by Michael Robinson, Harrisburg, PA (5 min.)
Four different animated vignettes/movements combine to relate an abstract narrative.
My Biodegradable Heart
by Dana Adam Shapiro, Edited by Todd Bieber, Lewisburg, PA (4 min.)
Voice Over Talent: Todd Bieber and Juliana Brafa
An Animation featuring a small boy who wants to get closer to his future girlfriend and will ask
anything to see how long it will take until she is all his. Recently screened at Sundance, SXSW,
and Tribeca Film Festival.
SUNDAY, MAY 25th
11:00 AM – THE LIVE EARTH FILM PROJECT
Award-winning filmmakers have created these short films, commissioned by Live Earth, to
showcase the diversity and creativity of the international response to the climate crisis. The Live
Earth Film Project premiered at the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival and is sponsored by Absolut.
Devil's Rulebook
by Roman Coppola & Bucky Fukumoto (2 min.)
A playful collage-animation of the many ways evil forces are at work. Roman Coppola’s first
feature film, “C.Q.” premiered at Cannes Film Festival. Most recently, Roman has lent his talents
to 2nd Unit Direction on “Lost In Translation,” “Marie Antoinette,” and Wes Anderson's “The Life
Aquatic,” and is a producer and co-writer of “The Darjeeling Limited.” Bucky Fukumoto directs
music videos and helmed a full-length concert film for Morrissey.
Think (What Does It Take To Change A Habit?)
by Rupert Jones (4 min.)
An elderly customer's plastic bag habits are transformed by simply questioning whether she really
needs one. Starring Roshan Seth ("Monsoon Wedding") and Prunella Scales ("Fawlty Towers").
Rupert Jones is a BAFTA-nominated and prolific director of music promos, commercials,
television and short films.
Generation G
by Karena Albers (5 min.)
Documentary highlighting how schools can become greener, aiding both the planet and our
children’s health, and providing them with an environment conducive to learning. Green Schools,
an initiative founded in 2004 by parent-environmentalists who were shocked by how un-
environmental their kids’ schools were and mobilized to improve the environmental health and
ecological sustainability of schools in the U.S.
Don't Let It All Unravel
by Sarah Cox (2 min.)
A simple and striking animated film depicting the world as knitting, which slowly unravels over 90
seconds to nothing.
Lorran E Ge
by Casey Affleck (8 min.)
An uplifting look a group of children living in the slums who create a cleaner, more beautiful world
to play in with their imaginations. Casey Affleck recently starred in "Gone Baby Gone" and was
Oscar nominated for his role in "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford."
Wind
by Chel White (4 min.)
Montage of motion controlled time-lapse photography of the earth and weather. Set to a poem by
Antonio Machado and read by actor Alec Baldwin ("30 Rock").
Alice In Not So Wonderland
by The Brothers Quay (3 min.)
From legendary stop-motion animators the Brothers Quay comes a dark and surreal variation on
"Alice in Wonderland," in which our puppet heroine suddenly finds herself on the other side of the
looking glass, witnessing nightmarish scenes.
Polarized
by Amy Berg (9 min.)
A documentary about Shishmaref, Alaska. A village at the eastern tip of Alaska, 150 air miles
from Nome, is sinking as a result of the melting permafrost. Amy Berg is the director of the Oscar
nominated "Deliver Us from Evil."
Light Bulb
by Joe Cole (3 min.)
A parody of a ‘how to’ instructional film demonstrating how to replace old light bulbs for new
energy efficient ones.
Polarbearman
by Big TV (5 min.)
A man struggles to survive as his house becomes taken over by water against the backdrop of a
wildlife documentary commentary about polar bears.
12:00 NOON – A Cinematic Gem from a Rising New Star
The Guatemalan Handshake
by Todd Rohal, Filmed in Carlisle, PA (96 min.)
In the confusion following a massive power outage, an awkward demolition derby driver vanishes,
setting in motion a series of events affecting his pregnant girlfriend, his helplessly car-less father,
a pack of wild boy scouts, a lactose intolerant roller rink employee, an elderly woman in search of
her lost dog, and his best friend – a ten-year-old girl named Turkeylegs.
Pieces of the mystery begin to come together as Turkeylegs sets out to find her missing friend.
Cars drive circles in the dirt, a woman attends her own funeral, the sun rises sideways and an
orange vehicle trades hands again and again. Everything eventually culminates in a massive
demolition derby that throws all of the characters into different directions.
2:00 PM – Festival Favorite Filmmakers
Turtle Derby
by Juliana Brafa, Lewisburg, PA (4 min.)
A trailer for the upcoming documentary "Turtle Derby, about kids who find turtles for an annual
traditional race, while their community tries to understand why the turtle population is shrinking
dramatically.
Corner Delancey
by Neil Ira Needleman, Katonah, NY (8 min.)
An illustrator tells us about his relationship with his son over the years. As he narrates, we see
the sketches he's made of these life events, including childhood, marriage, separation, and
reunion. Unexpectedly, Alzheimer’s enters their lives and brings them closer even as it pulls them
apart. Memories of the past mingle with present-day realities in this simply told and heart-felt
story based on several real people and their situations.
Intimidad
By David Redmon, Ashley Sabin, (72 min.)
An in-depth portrait of Cecy and Camilo Ramirez, ages 21, whose dream is to buy land and build
a house in Reynosa, Mexico so their 2 year-old daughter, Loida can live with them. Loida lives
with Cecy's mother in Santa Maria, Puebla. Intimidad slowly unravels, showing how the everyday
politics of living on minimum wage without a functioning infrastructure strains their relationship
and sacrifices their own intimacy. One year later they return to Puebla during Christmas vacation
to reunite with their daughter. What seems like a satisfying reunion and temporary relief from the
harsh environment of Reynosa turns into a confusing dilemma between Cecy and Camilo. The
conflict threatens to transform the course of their lives and suspend efforts to improve their living
conditions, thereby further straining the family's ability to live together. Intimidad challenges
viewers to understand Cecy and Camilo as people first and interpret their complex lives through a
simple story. Intimidad was filmed over the course of 4 years and mixes digital verite with Super 8
and 16mm film stock.
4:00 PM – Meet Actor/Director Frank Whaley in Person
Plus! Premiere screening of his latest film, New York City Serenade
Meet the festival’s special guest, actor/director Frank Whaley. He has starred in more than 50
films including Pulp Fiction, The Doors, Swimming with Sharks, and World Trade Center. His
directing credits include Joe the King, The Jimmy Show, and the recently-completed New York
City Serenade, starring Freddie Prinze Jr., Chris Klein, and Wallace Shawn.
Join us as Frank Whaley shares his experiences and answers questions from the audience.
New York City Serenade
by Frank Whaley, New York, NY (103 min.)
Two down on their luck childhood friends struggle to figure out their lives. Ray, a drummer in a
rock and roll band, and Owen, an aspiring filmmaker spend most of their time working menial jobs
and drinking. When Owen's fiancée Lynn breaks off their engagement he finds himself spiraling,
and allows Ray to come along with him to a two-bit film festival he has been invited to in Kansas.
There Owen makes several attempts to patch up his relationship, while Ray scams them into a
deluxe suite at the local Four Seasons hotel by posing as Wally Shawn's son (who happens to be
receiving a lifetime achievement award) and generally causes a major ruckus. By the end, Owen
decides to make some changes in his relationship and in his life.
8:00 PM – Meet and Greet Reception and Festival Awards
All are welcome to attend the festival reception and awards ceremony, where the judges will
announce the winning films in the categories of Best Documentary, Best Animation, Best
Experimental, Best Narrative, and Best of Festival. Light refreshments provided. Then, stick
around for more fun to follow.
9:00 PM – Are You a Mod or a Rocker? Special Screening of The Who’s Quadrophenia
Quadrophenia
by Frank Rodam, (117 min., 1979)
London, 1965: Like many other youths, Jimmy hates the philistine life, especially his parents and
his job in a company's mailing division. Only when he's together with his friends, a 'Mod' clique,
cruises London on his motor-scooter and hears music such as that of The Who and The High
Numbers, he feels free and accepted. However, it's a flight into an illusionary world.
MONDAY, MAY 26TH
11:00 AM – Animation Hour
Dear Fatty
by Hsin-I Tseng, Los Angeles, CA (7 min.)
A little girl is writing a letter to her pet hamster 'Fatty' and wondering about its trip as it runs away
from home.
String and Girl
by David Bazelon, Los Angeles, CA (6 min.)
World Premiere
Optical illusions illustrate this whimsical tale of a string sharing her memories with a little girl.
Feast
by JiHyun Ahn and Adel Kerpely, South Korea (3 min.)
Who is allowed to eat the creatures in this universe? Who shall eat and who shall be eaten?
This short 2D animation brings up the subject that has been no wonder among the human beings.
Bob and Julia
by Jee Hyun Yoo, Valencia, CA (3 min.)
This is a love story. It is a story about how 'energy' affects and magnetizes people and everything
around them. Magnetism is a key methodology to bring different worlds together. It shows how
two parallel worlds interact with each other and collide at the same time. There is a couple Bob
and Julia on a blind date in a room, and a monkey out somewhere in a forest. The monkey is
affected by the couple's actions, and similarly, the couple is affected by the monkey.
Sophie’s Secret
by Yen-Jung Chang, Australia (5 min.)
World Premiere
Sophie came across a worm on a street, and the worm penetrated her chest into her body. The
worm in her body became her secret. At first she tried to get rid of it, but she amazingly discovers
that her parents have worms inside them, too. Finally she realizes the best way to deal with her
secret.
L'amie De Zoe
by Danny Robashkin, Minneapolis, MN (2 min.)
World Premiere
When a red family lands on little Zoe's ordinary green planet, a new friend shows her just how
unique her green world is and inspires her to explore the colorful galaxy.
Permutation
by Viktoriya Gruzdyn and Katerina Friday, Pontiac, MI (3 min.)
World Premiere
Everything moves in the base sequence of the environment, until an unexpected character and its
bizarre behavior enters the scene, causing the alteration of its own physical structure.
The Cave
by Michael Ramsey, Broomfield, CO (3 min.)
An excerpt from Plato's Republic, the film is a classic commentary on the human condition,
adapted and brought it to life by shooting over 4,000 still photographs of John Grigsby's
wonderful claymation. The visual look was achieved by the use of candlelight in a real fire that
burned at the back of the set.
The Turtle and the Shark
by Ryan Woodward, Mapleton, UT (4 min.)
After defying King Malietoafaiga of Samoa, and deceiving their families, Fonuea and her husband
flee to the island of Tutuila. However, in order to not bring dishonor on their loved ones, they gave
up their lives. Based on the Samoan legend, The Turtle and The Shark.
Swimming Moon
by Nahomi Maki, Los Angeles, CA (4 min.)
A being is driven to madness by the full moon, discovering a sensitive, beautiful and deep dream
world.
Raccoon and Crawfish
by Terrance Frederick, Oneida, NY (8 min.)
A hungry raccoon searches for food and finds a crawfish on a quest for glory. Their battle will
decide the fate between an ego full of pride or a belly full of food. Based on an Oneida Indian
legend.
1:00 PM - Local Filmmaker Spotlight: Part 1
Last Man Standing
by Jason Dietrick, Johnathon Feldman, Benjamin Brucker, Harrisburg, PA (2 min.)
The toilet seat war escalates.
Playmate
by Christa Barkley, Harrisburg, PA (5 min.)
An older couple, still deeply in love, look for a companion, in an odd location. Will they find what
they are looking for?
Life at Scale
by Erin Kelley, Carlisle, PA (13 min.)
A short film created in central Pennsylvania by a number of former Temple University students. It
is the story of a stop-motion animator whose obsession with work causes him to lose his grip on
reality.
The Egg
by Mark Freed, Harrisburg, PA (19 min.)
At his father's funeral, Grover, Jr. desperately wants his father to be remembered as a noble
man, but he soon realizes that it was his father's shortcomings that made him great.
Starring: Joseph R. Gannascoli (The Sopranos, Submission, Basquiat, Ed Wood), Rob Armstrong
(Guiding Light, All My Children, Nickelodeon's Blue's Room), David Pearce Roberts (Dr. Quinn
Medicine Woman, Backlash)
The Blue Eyed Six
by Brian Kreider, Lebanon, PA (55 min.)
A locally produced documentary about the legendary Lebanon County murderers.
3:00 PM: Local Filmmaker Spotlight: Part 2
Second Lazarus: Funding Hope & Healing in South Central PA's HIV/AIDS Community
by Mark Freed, produced by Frank Pizzoli, Harrisburg, PA (10 min.)
Second Lazarus in the film's title represents the second chance life-saving medicines give people
with HIV and AIDS. People from the region who live meaningful lives in spite of HIV and AIDS
share their compelling stories.
Unraveling Michelle
by Dan Shaffer, Harrisburg, PA (84 min.)
World Premiere
This courageous documentary presents a year and a half in the life of a well-respected East Coast filmmaker - formerly known as Joe O' Ferrell - as he begins to make the transition into the woman he has always wanted to become - Michelle Ann Farrell. The astonishing, long-kept secret is first revealed on-camera to his filmmaking associates. Then with everything in his life at stake, Joe/Michelle audaciously takes his camera crew along for the ride as he undergoes two facial feminization surgeries and begins living and working full time as a woman.