Festival offers peek at talent in world of independent film
Advertiser Staff
The best thing about independent film festivals?
Cinema Paradise
Maybe the fact that the next Chris Kentis ("Open Water") or Michael Moore ("Fahrenheit 9/11") — an independent director with a vision and ability to captivate an audience and tell a story that eliminates borders — will be making a debut.
"Original Child Bomb" offers a perspective on today's political climate.
More than 15,000 film-goers are expected to tune into more than 100 films Friday through Sept. 23 at the Third Annual Cinema Paradise Film Festival at the Varsity Theater. The selections were made from more than 500 submissions from 35 countries.
The festival also includes a Filmmaker's Lounge in the adjacent Varsity Building, where festival goers, filmmakers and DJs can mingle from 3 p.m. to midnight each day of the festival, featuring open turntables, video projections coordinated by the filmmaker known as (sic), state-of-the-art editing and sound equipment. There will be performances by The Barnstormers, a collective of 25 artists from New York and Japan, a Best of the Honolulu Underground Film Festival at 10 p.m., Sept. 22, and several workshops, parties and celebrations scattered at various locations in town throughout the week.
But the highlights, as always, are the films. The festival casts a light on low-budget filmmakers who often have big-time vision and ability. Fifty of the filmmakers are expected to be on hand to watch their Hawai'i premieres.
Some highlights, supplied by Cinema Paradise officials and its film reviewers:
'Point & Shoot'
Varsity Theater Sept. 17-23 Tickets, $6 advance, $8 at door; $50 all-access passes 550-0496 for information, 877-714-7668 for advance tickets or go to www.cinemaparadise.org
Director Shawn Regruto, along with the cast, will be on hand for Friday's opener. The 90-minute film — called sexy, seductive and funny — takes a voyeuristic look inside the New York's fashion scene through the lens of its top photographers. It's unrated, but for mature audiences only because of nudity and drugs.
Third Annual Cinema Paradise Film Festival
90 minutes, 8 p.m. Friday, 10:15 p.m., Sept. 21.
'The Wooden Camera'
Two young teens play alongside railroad tracks when a dead body is tossed from a passing train. One boy grabs the video camera that was on the dead man's body, the other takes his gun. Suspense follows.
90 minutes, 8 p.m., Friday, 5:15 p.m., Sept. 19.
'Bush's Brain'
A documentary highlight, directed by Joseph Mealey and Michael Paradies Shoob. The film introduces the country to Karl Rove, known as "Bush's Brain," the most powerful political figure America has never heard of, the Wizard of Oz behind the curtain of today's presidential politics.
71 minutes, 3:15 p.m., Saturday.
'Original Child Bomb'
Producer Holy Becker will be present for the film, directed by Carey Schonegevel, that is the centerpiece film of Cinema Paradise and the closing feature of the fest's Next Coast program. The film revisits the bombings at Hiroshima and Nagasaki and puts into perspective the volatile political situations of today. Using declassified footage, still images, archival film, animation, media clips, music and montage, the film is a haunting meditation on the origins of the atomic age.
57 minutes, 7:30 p.m., Sept. 20; 3:15 p.m., Sept. 23.
'The Green Hat'
Winner of the Best Narrative Feature and Best New Filmmaker at the 2004 Tribeca Film Festival. A jilted young lover holds a telephone operator hostage.
120 minutes, 5:30 p.m, Saturday, 7:30 p.m., Sept. 21.
'September Tapes'
Eight tapes found in southern Afghanistan set the tone for the first non-Afghan film shot in Afghanistan. Said to be the first feature film shot in an active war zone.
95 minutes, 7:30 p.m., Sept. 23.
A complete schedule of all movies and show times, is at www.cinemaparadise.org. It will be published in The Advertiser's TGIF section on Friday.
