Maui film fest feature many Oscar contenders
By Wayne Harada
Advertiser Entertainment Writer
 |
| Laura Linney and Liam Neeson star in "Kinsey," a biopic of controversial sex researcher Alfred C. Kinsey, which plays Dec 21.
20th Century Fox |
 |
| Jude Law and Cate Blanchett are among the stars in "The Aviator," about aviation pioneer and Hollywood producer Howard Hughes.
Miramax Films |
FirstLight Film Festival Wednesday through Jan. 2. Castle Theater, Maui Arts & Cultural Center $10 general per film; $5 for kids under 12 for G-, PG- and PG-13-rated films; $40 4-Film VIP FastPass. (808) 572-3456, mauifilmfestival.com |
Not Santa, silly, but Barry Rivers, director of the popular winter film festival on Maui.
"It's still too early to know who'll be here," Rivers said earlier this week.
Like its companion Maui Film Festival that attracts the Hollywood element and creates an industry buzz, FirstLight lures people partly because of its venue. Most VIPs stay at Wailea resorts, and the sunny Maui clime is prime time to escape the chill of a Mainland winter.
Over 15 days, nearly 50 films will be exhibited in the festival's sixth marathon, with both matinee and evening performances. With the exception of Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Dec. 29, and New Year's Eve, potential Academy Award nominees will be screened to enable the Hollywood element a chance to see Oscar prospects while vacationing in Hawai'i. The festival runs through Jan. 2.
The highly anticipated "The Aviator," with Leonardo DiCaprio portraying Howard Hughes, will be shown before its first public opening, Dec. 17. It's also possible that some features will be screening just as their nominations for the Golden Globes and the New York and Los Angeles Film Critic Association are unveiled.
Certified members of the film industry crafts — the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Directors Guild of America, Writers Guild of America, Screen Actors Guild and other unions — are admitted free with proof of affiliation.
The screenings are also open to residents and other visitors, with a FastPass available for discounts and privileges.
COMPLETE SCHEDULE:
Dec.15
2 p.m. "The Notebook"
Ryan Gosling, Rachel McAdams, James Garner, Gena Rowlands, Joan Allen, Sam Shepard and James Marsden star in a romance spanning more than 50 years. PG-13. 124 min. (New Line)
5 p.m. "De-Lovely"
Kevin Kline and Ashley Judd star in this biography of legendary composer Cole Porter. PG-13 125 min. (MGM)
7:30 p.m. "The Aviator"
Leonardo DiCaprio is the aviation pioneer, Hollywood producer and compulsive ladies man Howard Hughes; Cate Blanchett is Katherine Hepburn; Kate Beckinsale plays Ava Gardner; Gwen Stephani makes her big-screen debut as Jean Harlow. PG-13. 170 min. (Miramax)
Dec. 16
2 p.m. "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind"
Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet are former lovers who try to erase each other from their memories. R. 108 min. (Focus Features)
5 p.m. "Born Into Brothels"
The inspirational 2004 Sundance Film Festival Documentary Audience Award winner recounts the growth and joy of children of the prostitutes of Calcutta's red-light district as they explore their world through photography. Unrated. 83 min. (THINKFilm)
7:30 p.m. "P.S."
Academy Award nominee Laura Linney plays a university admissions officer and Topher Grace plays a confident New York art-school applicant in this smart romantic dramedy about second chances at love. R. 97 min. (Newmarket)
Dec. 17
2 p.m. "Before Sunset"
Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy star in this romantic story set in contemporary Paris. R. 84 min. (Warner Ind.)
5 p.m. "Finding Neverland"
Johnny Depp is J.M. Barrie, the author of "Peter Pan," in this film about a widow whose family provides the inspiration for the famous children's play. PG. 101 min. (Miramax)
7:30 p.m. "A Love Song for Bobby Long"
John Travolta, Scarlett Johannson and Gabriel Macht are a trio that forms its own therapeutic community. Not yet rated. 119 min. (Lions Gate)
9:30 p.m. "Manchurian Candidate"
Denzel Washington, Meryl Streep, and Liev Schreiber star in the remake directed by Jonathan Demme. R. 130 min. (Paramount)
Dec. 18
2 p.m. "The Incredibles"
A family of former crime-fighting super heroes is called back into action. PG. 115 min. (Disney/Pixar)
5 p.m. "Polar Express"
The classic children's story comes to life in this computer-generated animated tale. G. 97 min. (Warner Bros.)
7:30 p.m. "A Very Long Engagement"
Audrey Tautou, the star, and Jean-Pierre Jeunet, the director, of the international triumph "AmÚlie," return in the story of a young woman's search for her fiancÚ. In French with English subtitles. R. 133 min. (Warner Ind.)
Dec. 19
2 p.m. "Vanity Fair"
Mira Nair ("Monsoon Wedding") directs Reese Witherspoon, Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, Gabriel Byrne, Jim Broadbent, Bob Hoskins and Rhys Ifans in this film version of the classic novel by William Makepeace Thackery. PG-13. 114 min. (Focus Features)
5 p.m. "Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events"
Jim Carrey stars in a re-telling of the children's book about three orphans in the clutches of an evil count. PG. Running time N/A. (Paramount)
7:30 p.m. "Ray"
Film biography of Ray Charles stars Jamie Foxx. PG-13. 152 min. (Universal)
Dec. 20
2 p.m. "Fahrenheit 9/11"
Michael Moore's exploration the Bush family and the war in Iraq. R. 112 min. (Lions Gate)
5 p.m. "Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason"
Renée Zellweger again incarnates the plucky heroine. R. 101 min. (Universal)
7:30 p.m. "The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou"
Bill Murray, Owen Wilson, Anjelica Huston, Cate Blanchett and Willem Dafoe star in a tale about a once-famous maker of underwater adventure documentaries. R. 118 min. (Touchstone)
Dec. 21
2 p.m. "Birth"
A 10-year-old boy claims to be the reincarnated husband of a young widow (Nicole Kidman). R. 100 min. (New Line Cinema)
5 p.m. "Enduring Love"
A hot-air balloon accident triggers a strange relationship in this thriller about obsession and misplaced blame. R. 100 min. (Paramount Classics)
7:30 p.m. "Kinsey"
Liam Neeson stars as the controversial sex research pioneer Alfred. C. Kinsey. R. 118 min. (Fox Searchlight)
Dec. 22
2 p.m. "The Story of the Weeping Camel"
A tale about a family of camel herders in Mongolia's Gobi Desert. Unrated. 90 min. (THINKFilm)
5 p.m. "Hotel Rwanda"
Don Cheadle portrays a real-life hotel manager who helped more than a thousand Tutsi refugees during the Hutu attacks that created a wave of genocide in Rwanda. PG-13. 121 min. (United Artists)
7:30 p.m. "Sideways"
Two old friends take a wine-tasting road trip. R. 124 min. (Fox Searchlight)
Dec. 23
2 p.m. "Garden State"
Writer/director Zach Braff stars with Natalie Portman, Peter Sarsgaard and Ian Holm in this dramatic comedy about a man who returns home for the funeral of his mother. R. 119 min. (Fox Searchlight)
5 p.m. "The Machinist"
Jennifer Jason Leigh and Christian Bale star in the tale of an insomniac's physical and mental deterioration. R. 98 min. (Paramount Classics)
7:30 p.m. "The Sea Inside"
Javier Bardem portrays the paralyzed poet Ram÷n Sampedro, who fights for the right to die. In Spanish with English subtitles. PG-13. 125 min. (Fine Line)
Dec. 24-25; no films
Dec. 26
2 p.m. "Alexander"
Director Oliver Stone's version of the life of Alexander the Great (Colin Farrell). R. 165 min. (Warner Bros.)
5 p.m. "Spanglish"
Adam Sandler, Tea Leoni and Paz Vega star in a dramedy that explores a forbidden romance. Not yet rated. Running time N/A. (Sony)
7:30 p.m. "The Motorcycle Diaries"
A road movie following the journey of a young ChÚ Guevara and his sidekick. In Spanish with English subtitles. R. 127 min. (Focus Features)
Dec. 27
2 p.m. "I [Heart] Huckabees"
Jason Schwartzman, Dustin Hoffman, Isabelle Huppert, Jude Law, Lily Tomlin, Mark Wahlberg and Naomi Watts make up the ensemble cast in a tale about a man's attempt to make sense of his life. R. 100 min. (Fox Searchlight)
5 p.m. "We Don't Live Here Anymore"
Mark Ruffalo, Laura Dern, Peter Krause and Naomi Watts star as two couples who must sift through imperfect passion and self-deception. R. 101 min. (Warner Independent)
7:30 p.m. "Beyond the Sea"
Kevin Spacey does all his own singing and dancing in this film on the life of the singer Bobby Darin. PG-13. 118 min. (Lions Gate)
9:30 p.m. "Closer"
Natalie Portman, Jude Law, Clive Owen and Julia Roberts are a foursome of lovers and liars. R. 98 min. (Sony)
Dec. 28
2 p.m. "Kontroll"
Thriller focuses on the characters who inhabit Budapest's subways. In Hungarian with English subtitles. R. 106 min. (THINKFilm)
5 p.m. "Vera Drake"
A portrait of a selfless woman (Imelda Staunton) who is completely devoted to her working-class family, but who also has a secret life. R. 125 min. (Fine Line)
7:30 p.m. "Million Dollar Baby"
Clint Eastwood directs, co-stars with Hilary Swank and Morgan Freeman in tale of retired prizefighter who reluctantly agrees to coach a female boxer. Not yet rated. 137 min. (Warner Bros.)
Dec. 29 — no films
Dec. 30
2 p.m. "Maria Full of Grace"
A lwoman embarks on a life-threatening drug smuggling odyssey. In Spanish with English subtitles. R. 101 min. (Fine Line)
5 p.m. "The Chorus (Les Choristes)"
A new teacher brings hope to a gang of juvenile delinquents after World War II by introducing the glories of classical music. In French with English subtitles. PG. 96 min. (Miramax)
7:30 p.m. "In Good Company"
A 50-something ad salesman's wife becomes pregnant, and his 20-something daughter falls in love with his new twentysomething boss. Starring Dennis Quaid, Topher Grace, Scarlett Johannson and Marg Helengberger. PG-13. 106 min. (Universal)
9:30 p.m. "The Woodsman"
Kevin Bacon stars as a pedophile trying to re-enter society. R. 87 min. (Newmarket)
Dec. 31 — no films
Jan. 1
2 p.m. "P.S."
See description in Dec. 16 listing.
5 p.m. "Stage Beauty"
Dramedy set in 1660s England, when women are forbidden from acting and female roles were routinely played by men. R. 105 min. (Lions Gate)
7:30 p.m. "Andrew Lloyd Webber's 'Phantom of the Opera'"
A big-budget adaptation of the Broadway sensation. PG-13. 145 min. (Warner Bros.)
Jan. 2
2 p.m. "Born Into Brothels"
See description in Dec. 16 listing.
5 p.m. "Tell Them Who You Are"
Julia Roberts, Michael Douglas, Jane Fonda, Paul Newman, Sidney Poitier and others chime in on this documentary. Unrated. 95 min. (THINKFilm)
7:30 p.m. "The Assassination of Richard Nixon"
Sean Penn, Naomi Watts and Don Cheadle star in an exploration of the dark side of the American Dream set against the backdrop of the Watergate scandal. R. 95 min. (THINKFilm)
