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 MORE INFO or TICKET PURCHASE KANSASFILM.COM
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