2014 KANSAS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2014
5:20pm
LOVE AND TERROR IN THE HOWLING PLAINS OF NOWHERE
Described as ‘for fans of In Cold Blood and Midnight in the Garden of Good
and Evil,’ Poe Ballantine’s book Love and Terror in the Howling Plains of
Nowhere is now a film directed by Dave Jannetta in which ‘Beat author’ Poe
Ballentine searches for clues relating to the murder of an aloof mathematics
professor from a college in an isolated Nebraska town. Conjecture, hysteria, psychics,
ghost hunters and eccentric townspeople exhaust themselves in this high-plains
mystery destined to become legend. USA, Documentary, 95 min. Filmmaker Q&A
after the film.
5:25pm ROSA
Directed by Gwan-pyo Maeng ROSA, an 18 year-old ballerina from
Uzbekistan, dreamed of attending the Bolshoi National Ballet School before
the scholarship program fell apart due to the Soviet Union’s debacle. An
agent from Korea gives Rosa a job in Korea promising her that she’ll earn
her tuition. However, life in Korea falls into misery as the agent forces her
to work as a showgirl and never shares the profit. South Korea, Narrative, 86 min.
5:30pm WASHED
Directed by David Hefner, WASHED is the story of Eric’s long time search
for his missing girlfriend, Beth. Returning home, he is approached by a
mysterious girl named Ashley who takes him to see her friends and,
together, they try to convince Eric that his past actions were delusional and
that Ashley IS the missing girlfriend. Eric is forced to decide what to
believe, his own diminished memory or these strangers. USA, Narrative, 85 min.
7:40pm TIME LAPSE
Directed by Bradley King and written by Bradley King and B.P. Cooper,
TIME LAPSE is a modern thriller with a sci-fi element about three friends
who discover a machine that takes pictures 24 hours into the future. They
conspire to use it for personal gain, until disturbing and dangerous images
begin to develop. Winner: Best Picture, Big Island Film Festival, Audience
Award, Fantaspoa Film Festival, Festival Prize, London Independent Film Festival.
USA, Narrative, 103 min. KIFF JURY AWARD NOMINEE. Filmmaker Q&A after the
film.
7:45pm WHIPLASH
Directed by Damien Chazelle, WHIPLASH finds 19 year-old jazz drummer
Andrew Neyman’s dream to achieve greatness haunted by his father’s
failure at his dream to become a writer. As Andrew attempts to rise to the
top of the country’s major music conservatory, his work is seen by a
virtuoso teacher who, while a recognized genius, is equally known for his
psychological brinksmanship. The process of Andrew’s determination to succeed
begins to derail his life, and the journey – Andrew’s ascent to greatness or descent into
madness, comes to a crescendo on the unforgiving stage at Carnegie Hall. Australia,
Narrative,105 min.
7:50pm JINGLE BELL ROCKS !
Written and directed by Mitchell Kezin, JINGLE BELL ROCKS! is a trippy,
cinematic sleigh-ride through the subculture of alternative Christmas music. Equal
parts social history, pop culture pilgrimage and revealing character study, Mitchell
unearths an underground of irreverent musicians - from The Flaming Lips to The
Free Design - critics, producers and radio hosts who all share an obsession with the
rarest, weirdest & most poignant Christmas songs you’ve never heard. Canada, Documentary,
93 min. Filmmaker Q&A after the film.
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2014
12:25pm THE ALGERIAN
Directed by Giovanni Zelko; story by Giovanni Zelko and Ben Youcef, THE
ALGERIAN takes us from Algeria to America (Los Angeles, Las Vegas,
New York) as Ali (Youcef), part of a Muslim terrorist sleeper cell,
masquerades as a Los Angeles university student. Political intrigues and
world cultures collide as Ali becomes involved with the very people he was sent to
destroy. USA, Narrative, 99 min.
12:30pm
A TRIP TO THE ISLAND
Produced, written and directed by Hrant Alianak, A TRIP TO THE ISLAND
finds a writer whose bad past decisions drive him to leave a foundering
marriage. He runs away to Toronto Island where, with a long-time lover, he
reconstructs his past from real events and just wishes - a blur of life and
regret. Stars include Hrant Alianak and Valerie Buhagiar. Canada, Narrative, 85 min.
KIFF JURY AWARD NOMINEE. Filmmaker Q&A after the film.
1:00PM LITTLE WHITE LIE
Directed by Lacey Schwartz and Mehret Mandefro and co-written by
Schwartz and James Adolphus, LITTLE WHITE LIE is a personal
documentary about race – and family secrets. Believing that she is the
child of two white Jewish parents, Lacey Schwartz discovers that her
father, her mother’s secret affair of some eighteen years earlier, is a Black man. The
discovery initiates a journey in which Lacey will come to terms with who she is.
USA,Documentary, 65 min.
2:40pm WILD
Directed by Jean-Marc Vallee (Dallas Buyer Club), written by Nick Hornby
based upon the memoir by Cheryl Strayed – WILD stars Reese
Witherspoon as Cheryl Strayed, a Heroin addict with a failing marriage,
who, without hiking experience, takes off on a thousand mile trek along the
Pacific Crest Trail through the Mojave Desert, Oregon and Washington. Her late
mother is played by Laura Dern, USA, Narrative, 118 min.
2:50pm
THE UMBRELLA MAN
Directed by Michael Grasso, THE UMBRELLA MAN follows Peter Brennan,
a father, into the world of conspiracy theory subculture, after his son’s killer
is acquitted of the murder. As an emotional refuge, Brennan obsesses on
“the umbrella man,” a conspiracy suspect in the assassination of President
John F. Kennedy. It is Peter Brennan and his wife Annie’s story of love,
loss, and the 'against all odds' survival of their relationship. USA, Narrative,117 min.
KIFF JURY AWARD NOMINEE. Filmmaker Q&A after the film.
3:00pm
THE HUMAN EXPERIMENT
Executive produced and narrated by Oscar- winner Sean Penn, written by
Dana Nachman and co-directed by Nachman and Don Hardy Jr., THE
HUMAN EXPERIMENT follows a band of unlikely activists to document the
dangerous effects of chemicals in our everyday household products which,
in low doses, can accumulate to harm virtually every person on the planet.
The opposition comes from the powerful chemical industry, pulling unseen strings to
muddy the logic with skepticism and confusion. USA, Documentary, 91 min. KIFF JURY
AWARD NOMINEE, SOCIAL JUSTICE DOCUMENTARY.
5:10pm
BLACKBIRD
Directed by Jamie Chambers, BLACKBIRD features Scotland folk music
heroes Norman Maclean and Sheila Stewart. In this captivating tale, a
young ballad singer, Ruadhan, despairs upon seeing the fabric of his
beloved Scottish hometown eroding. With no fish in the sea, no jobs and a
steady exodus to the city, life as he loves it, is slipping away. When Alec,
the town bard (and Ruadhan's idol) is found sequestered in a retirement home, his longtime best pal, Calum and returning childhood friend, Amy, join Ruadhan to solve the
disappearance and bring life back to their town. As his quest spirals out of control,
Ruadhan finds himself the one who needs saving. USA, Narrative, 90 min. KIFF JURY
AWARD NOMINEE, Filmmaker Q&A after the film.
5:15pm 120 DAYS
Written and directed by Ted Roach and selected by the Atlanta and Austin
Film Festivals, 120 DAYS is am intimate look at one family of
undocumented immigrants. After twelve years of living and working in the
U.S. illegally, Miguel Cortes, is stopped by the police, without cause and
sentenced to leave the country by a North Carolina Immigration Court.
Cortes will have to abandon his wife and two daughters and disobedience would cause
him to forfeit his right to apply for legal admittance should the laws change at some
future time. He has 120 days to get his affairs in order – or just vanish into the crowd.
USA, Documentary, 79 min. KIFF JURY AWARD NOMINEE, SOCIAL JUSTICE
DOCUMENTARY. Filmmaker Q&A after the film.
5:30pm JAKE SHIMABUKURO: LIFE ON FOUR STRINGS
Written and directed by Tadashi Nakamura, JAKE SHIMABUKURO: LIFE
ON FOUR STRINGS is a portrait of an inspiring and inventive musician
whose virtuoso skills on the ukulele have transformed all previous notions
of the instrument’s potential. Through intimate conversations with
Shimabukuro, LIFE ON FOUR STRINGS reveals the cultural and personal
influences that have shaped the man and the musician. On the road from Los Angeles
to New York to Japan, the film captures a solitary life on tour: the exhilaration of
performance, the wonder of newfound fame, the loneliness of separation from family
and home. Japan, Documentary, 54 min.
7:30pm
QUEERS IN THE KINGDOM: LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE
Written and directed by Markie Hancock, QUEERS IN THE KINGDOM: LET
YOUR LIGHT SHINE explores the deep historical roots of evangelical
Christianity in the United States and documents LGBTQ Bible-based
homophobia on Christian college campuses, including Wheaton College,
the Alma Mater of evangelical preacher Billy Graham. Executive Producer
Kathryn Gregorio; also appearing Anthea Butler, Darren Dochuk, Kathryn Lofton,
Randall Balmer. USA, Documentary, 74 min. KIFF JURY AWARD NOMINEE., SOCIAL
JUSTICE DOCUMENTARY. Filmmaker Q&A after the film.
7:35pm
MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN
Directed by Jason Reitman, co-written by Reitman and Erin Cressida
Wilson, based upon the novel by Chad Kultgen, MEN, WOMEN AND
CHILDREN stars Adam Sandler, Judy Greer, Emma Thompson and
Jennifer Garner, MEN WOMEN AND CHILDREN follows the story of a
group of high school teenagers and their parents as they attempt to
navigate the many ways the internet has changed their relationships, their
communication, their self-image, and their love lives. The film attempts to stare down
social issues such as video game culture, anorexia, infidelity, fame hunting, and the
proliferation of illicit material on the internet. USA, Narrative, 116 min.
7:45pm
CONFESSIONS OF A WOMANIZER
Written and directed by Miguel Ali, CONFESSIONS OF A WOMANIZER,
stars Gary Busey, C. Thomas Howell, Andrew Lawrence, Jillian rose Reed,
Kelly Mantle and The Bella Twins. Ritchie (Busey) is a man whose
psychological issues clearly stand in the way of commitment in his
relationships with women. This, until Ritchie’s new best friend, a
transgendered prostitute named Ginger, comes to the rescue. USA,
Narrative, 90 min.
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2014
12:10pm
GETTING TO THE NUTCRACKER
Every Christmas season, The Nutcracker Ballet is performed in cities all
over the world. What does it really take to stage this classic ballet each
year? Written and Directed by Serene Meshel-Dillman, GETTING TO THE
NUTCRACKER takes us to former Kirov star Marat Daukayev’s School and
the joy of landing a principal role, the pain of losing one, and the dancers
(boys and girls ages 3-18) - passionate people who, with their families, make incredible
sacrifices of time and money just so that they may dance. USA, Documentary, 98 Min.
Filmmaker Q&A after the film.
12:15 THE SYNDROME
THE SYNDROME tells the story of a group of doctors who say that Shaken
Baby Syndrome, the basis of hundreds of criminal cases every year, is not
scientifically valid. The film focuses on three key doctors: A Georgetown
University neurosurgeon, a former Minnesota state medical examiner, and
the head of Stanford University's Pediatric Neuroradiology Department. These doctors
are part of a growing scientific movement coming to the defense of the some thousand
people in prison for Shaken Baby Syndrome. In an unprecedented criminal justice crisis,
promoters of Shaken Baby Syndrome are not backing down. USA, Documentary, 91
min. JURY NOMINEE, SOCIAL JUSTICE DOCUMENTARY Filmmaker Q&A after the
film.
12:20pm
THROUGH THESE GATES
Directed by Ryan Tweedy, THROUGH THESE GATES is a glimpse into
the world of the Nebraska Cornhuskers, the self-proclaimed “greatest fans
in college football.” It is an exploration of a state, town, relationships,
students, the power of a strong leader and the love of countless athletes
and their fans. The stories are personal and truly inspiring; those of the
film’s director who wonders why he is a Cornhusker though he never played football;
another, an astronaut who looks for and sees a packed stadium on game day – from
outer space! USA, Documentary, 86 min. Filmmaker Q&A after the film.
2:30pm THE IMITATION GAME
Starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Keira Knightley, Matthew Goode and Roy
Kinnear, THE IMITATION GAME is directed by Morten Tyldum and the
screenplay written by Graham Moore. Based on the real life story of
legendary cryptanalyst Alan Turing, the film portrays the nail-biting race
against time by Turing and his brilliant team of code-breakers at Britain's
top-secret Government Code and Cypher School at Bletchley Park, during the darkest
days of World War II. USA, Narrative, 113 min.
2:35pm
EVERYTHING IS FOREVER
Filmed over the last fifteen years by talented director and editor Victor
Zimet EVERYTHING IS FOREVER premiered at the 2014 47th Annual
Worldfest-Houston International Film Festival. The Film is the cinematic
journey of Croatian rocker/composer, activist Nenad Bach (described as
the Croatian John Lennon). Bach provides an unflinching examination of
the universal creative process through rock and roll, war and peace. USA,
Documentary, 87 min. Filmmaker Q&A after the film.
2:40pm GROUNDSWELL RISING, PROTECTING OUR CHILDREN’S
AIR AND WATER
Produced and directed by Matt Cohen and Renard Cohen (Primal Grill with
Steven Raichlen, Lidia’s Italy with Lidia Bastianich) GROUNDSWELL
RISING: PROTECTING OUR CHILDREN’S AIR AND WATER documents
the passion of people engaged in the David and Goliath confrontation over
oil and gas industry fracking. It is a confrontation between profit and health, runs the
political gamut, and presents the new groundswell - of reason and sensitivity. USA,
Documentary, 80 min.
4:45pm
A WILL FOR THE WOODS
Co-directed by Amy Browne, Tony Hale, Jeremy Kaplan and Brian Wilson –
A WILL FOR THE WOODS defers to a burgeoning movement that uses
burial to conserve and restore natural areas forgoing contemporary funeral
practices that operate at the ecosystem’s expense. Musician, psychiatrist
and folk dancer Clark Wang, while battling lymphoma, boldly faces his
mortality and, supported by his partner Jane, enjoins a compassionate local cemeterian
to use green burial instead of clear cutting the North Carolina woods. USA,
Documentary, 93 min.
4:50pm THE HOMESTRETCH
Co-directed by Anne de Mare and Kirsten Kelly THE HOMESTRETCH
begins in 2010, following Kasey and Anthony, two homeless kids, later
joined by a third, Roque – who performs Shakespeare and plans to attend
college. Gaining unprecedented access to Chicago’s Public Schools, The
Night Ministry’s “Crib” Emergency Shelter and Teen Living Programs THE
HOMESTRETCH sees the three moving through the milestones of high school as they
look for a place to sleep, a quiet place to study and the privacy to shower. THE
HOMESTRETCH delivers a powerful perspective on what it means to be young,
homeless and trying to build a future in today’s America. USA, Documentary, 87 min.
JURY NOMINEE, SOCIAL JUSTICE DOCUMENTARY. Filmmaker Q&A after the film.
5:10pm
COLD
Inspired by John Steinbeck’s East of Eden, and written and directed by
Eoin C. Macken – COLD is the story of two estranged English brothers
drawn back together by the unexpected and mysterious death of their
father. They find a girl dumped in the moors and what follows in their
search for resolutions in their dark family history is bizarre, dangerous,
surreal – even beautiful. Starring Tom Hopper (Merlin, Black Sails), Jack Reynor
(Transformers 4), Eoin Macken (The Nightshift), Melia Kreiling (Guardians of the
Galaxy), Liam Carney (Gangs of New York). USA, Narrative, 88 min. KIFF JURY
AWARD NOMINEE. Filmmaker Q&A after the film.
7:00pm
THE NAVIGATOR
Directed by Eddie Arya. THE NAVIGATOR finds a family relying upon their
GPS navigational system for a shortcut to their holiday destination.
Suddenly, they are lost in the woods, with no fuel, and apparently far from
the outside world! Will they survive? Will they be heard from again?
Australia, Narrative, 98 min.
7:05pm
AGNUS DEI
From writer-director Agim Sopi, AGNUS DEI is based upon a true story, an
Oedipal tragedy, set in the Serbian-Albanian War. Peter is a child of
forbidden love (“I was born from the ones that I should not”), is forced by
his mother into the War (“I lived with those that I must not”), and, in an act
of revenge, he unknowingly kills the man who turns out to be his father (“I
killed the one that I should not”). AGNUS DEI was voted Best Feature at
Cannes van d’Or. Kosovo, Narrative, 105 min.
7:20pm
THE CABINING
Written and directed by Steve Kopera, THE CABINING finds Todd and
Bruce, two hapless screenwriters, guaranteed funding for their film by
Todd’s wealthy uncle Sarge, if and only if they can come up with a screen
worthy horror story. They retreat to a Shangri-La artist’s retreat but find
themselves living the terror they came to write about when Shangri-La’s
other artists are killed off, one by one! USA, Narrative, 82 min. Filmmaker Q&A after
the film.
MONDAY, OCTOBER 13. 2014
5:15PM
FALL TO RISE
Directed by Jayce Bartok FALL TO RISE is an engaging, richly textured
drama following a renowned principal dancer whose injury forces her out of
her company and into (for her) the uncomfortable role of motherhood. She
realizes that her identity depends upon dance and struggles to return with
the help of another former company dancer. Starring Martha Graham Principal Dancer
Katherine Crockett (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button) and the acclaimed actress
Daphne Rubin-Vega, this is a timeless tale with a distinctly New York flavor, revealing
the conflict between art and life, between marriage and independence. Best Narrative
Feature on Location, Memphis International Film Festival. USA, narrative, 91 min
5:20pm – KIFF LOCAL SHOW #1 – 2 films
ONE Written and directed Sue Vicory, ONE explores our individual
impact and significance within the sphere of global humanity. Five basic
questions are asked of twenty-five interviewees about their humanism. ONE
has an original musical score and includes its theme song ONE at the end of the piece.
USA, Documentary, 55 min. Filmmaker Q&A after the film.
GLOW Directed by Cara Myers and produced by Kansas City
Women in Film and Television, GLOW (Girls Leading Our World, Inc.), tells
the story of two women who used their savings and skills to launch a
transformative program for girls at risk in Kansas City. Many of the aged 1824 girls that the nonprofit serves are adversely affected by economic
hardship, domestic and drug abuse and food scarcity. GLOW helps build
upon what is right with each girl, emphasizing strong leadership, family
cohesiveness and safety. USA, Documentary, 11 min.
5:30pm ADIRA
Co-directed by Irene Delmonte and Bradley J. Lincoln, ADIRA is the
touching story of a young Jewish girl who struggles to survive in the
wilderness during WWII. Only 11% of the 1.6 million Jewish children living
in Europe at the start of WWII survived. During the holocaust, Adira, a
young Jewish girl flees from the grasp of the Gestapo and finds herself stranded on an
abandoned farm. She has to learn to survive relying upon faith and her basic instincts.
USA, Narrative, 79 min.
7:30pm
AMERICAN WINTER
Co-directed by Harry Gantz and Joe Gantz, AMERICAN WINTER was
filmed over the course of one winter in one American city, highlighting the
personal stories of families struggling against the worst economic crisis
since the Great Depression. We bear witness to a disappearing middle
class and, for many, the destruction of the American Dream. USA,
Documentary, 90 min. Sponsored by Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas.
7:35pm
SUFFERING CASSANDRA
Directed by Roberto Carmona, SUFFERING CASSANDRA, is a dark
comedy involving the complexities, jealousies and mysteries of the love
relationships of four people trapped in a house during a bad storm.
Cassandra, becomes suspicious of her boyfriend Eddie’s intentions toward
Helen, whom he describes as his “best friend.” More mistrust develops when Eddie
encourages the suspicious Cassandra to spend time with his visiting, interloping, sexcrazed “other best friend,” Fernando! USA, Narrative, 83 min. Filmmaker Q&A after
the film.
7:40pm
JOURNEY TO THE 100 MAN FIGHT: THE JUDD REID STORY
Directed by Anton Cavka, JOURNEY TO THE 100 MAN FIGHT… is the
story of Judd Reid, a real life karate kid. Reid had trained for 1000 days
under Kyokushin Karate founder Masutatsu Oyama as a teenager. Twenty
years later won the WKO world heavyweight championship and then, in the
twilight of his career, received an invitation to take on what is considered
the ultimate challenge of the spirit – the 100 man Kumite. Australia, Documentary, 57
min
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2014
5:15pm HEALING MAGDALENE
HEALING MAGDALENE is about female genital mutilation (FGM), a
practice affecting 130 million girls and women predominantly in Eastern,
Central and Western Africa but also extending to the Arabian Penninsula,
Iraq, some occupied Palestinian territories, and certain immigrant
communities in Europe, Australia, Canada and the United States. Magdalene, the
Houston Hospice provider to writer-director Donna L. Valverde’s dying father alerted
Valverde to the many currently living with the consequences of FGM. HEALING
MAGDALENE emphasizes the gender equality that comes with global awareness and
elimination of the practice. The Valvision Foundation, Houston, TX, USA, Documentary,
96 min. Filmmaker Q&A after the film.
5:20PM NEON SKY
Directed by and screenplay written by Jennifer Juelich, NEON SKY is the
story of a band of misfits and drifters running a small traveling carnival. The
family of nomadic carnies - told by one town after another that their show is
being replaced by more family-friendly entertainment, struggles to keep
their way of life alive – to avoid ‘the end of the road.’ USA, Narrative, 81
min.
5:30pm HAMARKIV HASODI / THE SECRET INGREDIENT
Directed by Dror Shostak, HAMARKIV HASODI / THE SECRET
INGREDIENT documents the journey of Uri and Neta, owners of an Indian
restaurant in Tel Aviv, to India, in search of the “secret ingredient” in Indian
cooking. After encounters with legendary Indian spiritual leaders, their
journey becomes a life adventure involving repressed memories, old betrayals,
marriage, madness, and death. USA, Documentary, 65 min.
7:30pm
KIFF ANIMATION SHORTS
Synopsis: The Kansas International Film Festival is proud to present
another outstanding collection of animated films from around the world.
Seventeen original works explore various themes and animation styles in this
highly entertaining showcase of creativity. Q&A with visiting animators after
the screening. Buy Individual Tickets; Rating NR, 85 min. The 2014
Animation Shorts program will be presented in the following order:
TENGRI by Alisi Telengut (Canada); JIMMY LOVES JUICE by David Yee (U.S.A.); CAPITAL
DESTINY by Joe Nunnink (U.S.A.); A LIFE WITH ASPERGER’S by Jaime Ekkens (U.S.A.);
LIGHT MAN, THE NEW YORK CITY SAVIOUR by Marek Light (U.K.) TALL EVIL by Wally
Chung (U.S.A.); TODAY’S HEADLINE by Arem Kim (U.S.A.); THE PATH OF WATER by ChiaHorng Lin (Taiwan); ZEKE AND THE ALL-INCLUSIVE CAT HOUSE by Susan Shay Brugger
(U.S.A.); LIFE AFTER DUSK by Natalie Krause (U.S.A.); DIFFERENT NOT LESS by Rachel
Lamping (U.S.A.); HAPPY BOY EPISODE 1 by Trent Coffin (U.S.A.); STAN by Meirav Haber
(U.S.A.); KAFA by Karoy Sevindi (Turkey); PHANTASMAGORIA by Molly Garrett, Hannah Carr
and Emily Kenyon (U.S.A.); HOW TO AVOID ANNOYING PEOPLE by Ariel Nasser
(U.S.A./Brazil); FEED by Kanjana Sodsee (Thailand).
7:35pm
DUDE
MOVING FROM EMPTINESS: THE LIFE AND ART OF A ZEN
Where does creativity come from? According to Zen calligraphic painter
Alok Hsu Kwang-han, it arises from emptiness – the silent space that houses
intelligence prior to thought. Written by Shaeri Richards and co-directed by
Jerry Hartleben and Shaeri Richards, MOVING FROM EMPTINESS …documents Zen
painter Alok, as he opens the door to a world of teachings and magical brush strokes
through which we follow the journey of transformation. USA, Documentary, 69 min.
Filmmaker Q&A after the film.
7:40pm -
THREE DAYS OF HAPPINESS
Written and directed by Dimitris Athanitis, and nominated in the Best
Director, Cinematographer and Actress categories at New York’s Maverick
Movie Awards, THREE DAYS OF HAPPINESS is the story of three women
trying to escape elements of their lives: Anna (Alexandra Nidini) banishing
the ghosts of her family, Vera (Katerina Fotiadi) outrunning secrets, and Irina (Nikol
Drizi) quitting forced prostitution. How far can they go, each fighting for her happiness?
Greece, Narrative, 78 min.
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2014
5:15pm – KIFF JURY AWARD WINNER – DOCUMENTARY
5:30pm
DOSTOEVSKY BEHIND BARS
Directed by Marc Kornblatt and William Roach and written by Marc Kornblatt,
DOSTOEVSKY BEHIND BARS, documents university graduate students
and prison inmates who meet weekly to discuss world literature and share
personal essays and stories. A homage to the power of the humanities and
the art of teaching, these sessions redefine the stereotypes of brutish convicts, callous
prison staff and out of touch scholars. USA, Documentary, 56 min.
5:40pm
ART OF DARKNESS
Written and directed by David B. Parker, ART OF DARKNESS intimately
profiles controversial painter and performance artist Bryan Lewis Saunders.
Saunders, best known for his commitment to producing a self-portrait every
day and his famed ‘drug series’ of self-portraits on the worldwide Internet, is
a complex individual with admitted psychopathic tendencies. With over 10,000 selfportraits to date, he narrates a dark, complex process in which he uses art to help tame
his inner demons. Canada, Documentary, 85 min.
7:15pm
THE ONE WHO LOVES YOU
Directed by Katharyn Grant, THE ONE WHO LOVES YOU finds failed singer
Gloria Bethune returning to her small hometown where she meets and falls
for a grifter claiming to be the manager of a famous Country singer. Through
this flawed man’s faith in her, Gloria rekindles her passion for singing. USA,
Narrative, 95 min.
7:20pm
COTTON ROAD Directed by Laura Kissel, COTTON ROAD follows the commodity of cotton
from South Carolina farms to Chinese factories to illuminate the work and
industrial processes in a global supply chain. Americans alone, consume
nearly 20 billion new items of clothing each year, yet few of us know how our
clothes are made, much less who produces them. USA, Documentary, 72 min.
7:30pm
ART & CRAFT
Directed by Sam Cullman, Jennifer Grausman and co-directed by Mark
Becker, ART AND CRAFT is about not-for-profit art forgery! After three
decades, posing variously as a philanthropic donor, a grieving executor of a
family Will – even a Jesuit Priest, art forger Mark Landis gives away hundreds of what
appear to be works of the masters, Picasso, Matisse and others, to museums across
the country. This, until Mark Leininger, an observant art registrar in Cincinnati,
recognizes Landis and uncovers his decades-long ruse. Leininger’s pursuit begins as a
cat-and-mouse art caper, but soon becomes an intimate story involving extreme talent,
a need for acceptance and mental illness. USA, Documentary, 89 min.
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2014
5:10pm KIFF JURY AWARD WINNER – NARRATIVE
5:15pm KIFF LOCAL SHOW #2 – 3 films & 1 performance
BLOOD OF ME
Directed by Tim Depaepe and co-written by Tim Depaepe and Thomas
Horton, comes this tale of dark obsession and twisted passion. Inspired by the
writings of Edgar Allan Poe, Bram Stoker and Francois Villon, BLOOD OF ME
finds R. M. Renfield completing 25 years of service and preparing for his final reward in
the form of a blood ritual. Renfield’s world is shattered, his loyalty tested, and his sanity
is pushed to the edge – as an even greater, more insidious plan unfolds. USA,
narrative, 20 min.
THE STORY OF MARION ELLET Directed by Thomas Nelson, THE STORY OF MARION ELLET tells of prairie
born, ivy league educated Concordia Blade Empire columnist Marion Ellet –
one of the many Kansas writers who held their own among journalists of
national stature from significantly larger states. Marion Ellet was a writer with Kansas in
her soul. Deeply influenced by her prairie roots, Ellet’s popular daily column “Mugwump
Musings,” touched upon politics and cultural events of the day, was read by everybody
who was anybody here, and created a unique voice in Kansas for the greater part of the
twentieth century. USA, documentary, 18 min.
OUTWRITE
Directed by Lisa Marie Evans, OUTWRITE profiles three, local writers —
Philip Blue Owl Hooser, Mark Manning and David Wayne Reed — whose life
stories and creative work are a vital part of both Kansas City's gay history and
its current dynamic arts scene. Lisa Marie Evans will attend. ** There will be a live
performance by Phillip Blue Owl Hooser before the film OUTWRITE. USA,
documentary, 20 min.
5:30pm ORO MACHT FREI / GOLD WILL SET YOU FREE
Directed by Jeffrey Bonna, ORO MACHT FREI / GOLD WILL SET YOU FREE
takes place after Italy's Armistice with the Allied Armies (Sept 8, 1943),
leaving Rome and its ancient Jewish population still under German control.
Like the words on the gates of Auschwitz, 'Arbeit Macht Frei’ / Work Will Set
You Free (appearing to promise prisoners that they were in a work camp and not
destined for execution) ORO MACHT FREI / GOLD WILL SET YOU FREE promised
Roman Jews that the4 would not be deported if they paid 50 kilos of gold within 36
hours. Through the testimony of nine Roman Jews, archival footage, family photos and
renowned scholarship, ORO MACHT FREI also examines historically the plight of
Roman Jews in as they relate to the controversial diplomatic position of Pope Pius XII
during those years. U.S. Outlying Islands, Documentary, 71 min.
7:15pm NOCTURNE
Cindy Leeds is a young woman who has spent the majority of her life
miserable, isolated, medicated, and under the thumb of her legal guardian
Aunt. One night at work Cindy is confronted by a sleepwalker! Slowly and
improbably, the quiet and shy Cindy discovers that she is more comfortable around the
sleepwalker than anybody else. The sleepwalker is pursued then by a young woman
who, albeit free for the first time, now gets no sleep! Canada, Narrative, 117 min.
Filmmaker Q&A after the film.
7:25pm GOOD PEOPLE
Directed by Henrik Ruben Genz and Starring James Franco, Kate Hudson,
Omar Sy and Tom Wilkinson; a Chicago couple, GOOD PEOPLE in their
30s, who got into severe debt for all the right reasons, learns that the tenant
in their downstairs apartment has passed away leaving $400,000 in cash. All
they have to do is take the money and their financial problems will be solved. When
they do, bad things start to happen. USA, Narrative, 90 min
7:35pm
ONCE MY MOTHER
Produced by Rod Freedman and Directed by Sophia Turkiewicz, ONCE MY
MOTHER is a quest by Australian Sophia Turkiewicz to learn why, as a child,
her Polish mother abandoned her to an Adelaide orphanage. She discovers
a historic betrayal involving the Allies and Stalin, and her mother’s
miraculous escape from a Siberian gulag, but now, while there is time, Sophia must also
confront her own demons. Australia, Documentary, 75 min.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
Brian Mossman
President, Kansas International Film Festival
VP, Fine Arts Theatres
913-642-4404 or 4410
FESTIVAL PASSES
Before Sept. 25th- 50.00 / Regular - 60.00
Film League Members -40.00
INDIVIDUAL TICKETS
Matinee -6.50 / Twilight - 6.75
Evening Tickets / Adults 8.50 / Seniors 7:00
Film League Members - $1 off
FESTIVAL PASS TICKET HOLDERS SEATED FIRST
INDIVIDUAL TICKETS SEATED
15 minutes prior to showtime.
GLENWOOD ARTS
95th & Metcalf
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