Professional Motion Picture Production and Distribution NEWS

Woodstock, NY. To commemorate Woodstock Museum's 15th Anniversary there will be non-stop performances of film, dance, music and art this Labor Day Weekend, Sept. 3-5, 2004 at the Woodstock Town Hall. And, it's all FREE! Donations and memberships to support of this non-profit museum are always welcome. Great food and refreshments will be available.

The theme for this year is "RESPECT". Video entries come from faraway places including Africa and Australia. Many of these entertaining entries are shorts. Films run all day throughout the Labor Day Weekend with short breaks in between.

LIVE PERFORMANCES AND FILMS

Fri., Sept. 3, 7 PM Opening Ceremony with Rainbow Weaver, Mohawk, Turtle Clan.
Using Iroquois protocol, this year's film fest will open with a traditional Iroquois Thanksgiving ceremony. Everyone's inside the circle, no one is left out.

Fri., Sept. 3, 8 PM Our first showing will be by local Woodstock filmmaker, Nathan Koenig of White Buffalo Multimedia, Inc. Beware of Mankind (2004) is one man's view on today's world, its environmental degradation and how he feels compelled to feed about 100 large bears in his backyard. Ray Fadden/ Tehanetorens is an Iroquois elder and founder of the Onchiota Museum and keeper of the record belts. His feisty style of talking about corruption in history tells us in no uncertain terms what is important if we are to save this planet. Included in this half hour documentary are scenes from Woodstock Festival, Saugerties 1994 with singer Joanne Shenandoah singing a powerful song at that opening ceremony. This was the song chosen to replace the Star Spangled Banner in a contest held several years ago during the Clinton administration. Filmmaker will take Q & A's.

Beware of Mankind (2004) is a sequel to "They Lied to You in School," where Ray Fadden compares the credits contributions of all races and discusses the Iroquois Great Law of Peace and it's influence on America's founders. WBAI-FM in New York awarded 200 copies to contributors this year while playing the audio track during the fund drive. Beware of Mankind shows Ray on his porch while huge bears roam the background. His biting commentary is accompanied by art and imagery.

Fri., Sept. 3, 9 PM At a time when factory farming is in the headlines for putting the environment and public health at risk, "Peaceable Kingdom" (2004, 74 minutes) takes its audience on an eye-opening journey to the heart of this unfolding national drama. Propelled by the testimony of farmers who have themselves come to question the fundamental assumptions behind their community's way of life, the film delivers a riveting portrait of human and animal lives caught up in an out of control industrial machine. Much more than an expos�, "Peaceable Kingdom" (New Version Release 2004) is about personal redemption, commitment, healing and hope, offering a life-changing vision of a peaceful world that is well within our reach. Kathy Stevens, Dir. Catskill Animal Sanctuary will take Q & A's.

Fri., 11:PM "The Sacred Run," 54-minutes, weaves together the "feather" of ancient Native American wisdom with the "lotus" of Buddhism" and indigenous Japanese traditions showing that all people are one at heart � that we can be united in community while honoring diversity. It is a powerful call for peace and justice. We are each inspired to take our rightful place as a life-supporting species � to help the planet and to live in harmony with each other and with all living beings on Earth which provides for us so bountifully."
Manna Jo Greene
Program Director
Hudson Valley Sustainable Communities Network
Environmental Director
Hudson River Sloop Clearwater

Organized by Native American Indian leader, Dennis Banks, The Sacred Run event, has taken place annually in various countries since 1978. It began as an effort to strengthen Native culture and has grown into an international annual event. Indigenous people from Canada, the United States and Japan, joined by individuals from 13 countries, traveled 4,000 km along the Sea of Japan on a spiritual run. The runners carried the simple message, that All Life is Sacred".

Sat., Sept. 4, 2 PM Yuma's afternoon performance of dance and song is a special treat for children who are invited to take center stage, given their parts and engaged as they become part of the performance. Yuma is a Japanese soul folk singer and painter that has performed all over the world and was nominated for a Grammy award. Honored by Mohammed Ali for her cross-cultural messages, Yuma brings style and art into all her performances through her unique masks and costumes she designs for her shows. Her four octave voice has been the talk of her many news reviews.

Sat., Sept. 4, 3:15 PM "RockFish" (2004) a 9-minute computer animation, is currently short-listed for Academy Award nomination, the second animated short from Blur Studio to earn that distinction. "Aunt Luisa", the studio's first original film, was short-listed by the Academy last year.

"RockFish" is a comic book-influenced, high adventure tale set on a barren planet in a distant corner of the galaxy. Sirius Kirk is a no-nonsense working man tasked with rounding up creatures that "swim" through rocks far below the planet's surface and plague the miners who live and work there. The story starts out as just another day on the job for Kirk but quickly turns into a titanic struggle with the catch of his life.

Both in its scope and artistic ambition, "RockFish" is a most significant undertaking. Presented in 2.35.1 anamorphic wide screen, the film is a sweeping story of spirited action with sharply drawn characters and richly detailed locales. Writer, director Miller spins a plot loaded with danger, heroism and warm character moments. "RockFish" features a beautiful original orchestral score and a vivid sound design track. While "RockFish" more than stands on its own, the film also serves as a calling card for the brand of Animation Blur Studio intends to bring to feature production.

Miller's vision is to produce films that evoke a comic book aesthetic and the spirit of Saturday matinee thrillers. He sees such films as having broad, crossover appeal and filling the yawning gap between animated children's films and niche computer generated (CG) films appealing to a small circle of animation buffs. "The only true way to bring book sensibility to the big screen is through a mixture of CG and realisms," he said, "not completely real, because then it's not a comic book, but not so completely stylized that it becomes a cartoon. I'd like to bring some of the "over the top" action in comics to the big screen and this film is a big step in that direction.

Blur Studio produced "RockFish" entirely in-house. A small team of highly focused animators worked around the clock and was supplemented by many animators working "after hours." The film took a little more than four months to complete. For additional information contact: Linda Rosner, Artisans Public Relations (310) 837-6008 [email protected]
Blur Studio is located at 589 Venice Blvd., Venice, CA 90291 Tel (310) 581-8848

Sat., Sept. 4, 3:30 PM "Easy Rollin". This documentary came in from Vancouver, Canada. An entire town gets creative making unusual and super fast bicycles. Year after year, they hold bigger and bigger events and now nobody drives a car in this town. It's creatively filmed and inspirational. It's 18 minutes packed with true "edutainment." A must for cycling enthusiasts who want to see their compatriots find funky ways to bring together their environmental and artistic ideals to build community and promote green transportation. The film highlights the annual festival celebrating all things pedal-powered as one alternative to the insular ways we live and move within our car-dependent society.

Sat., Sept. 4, 3:55 PM "Going to School" by Richard Cohen is a powerful film that does an excellent job of touching on a number of important social issues that are of concern to activists and educators alike. A mother of a disabled child convinces the school system that her child will learn more and excel if placed with normal children in school. She accompanies her boy everyday for three years, attending class and learning a few things along the way. Needless to say, her son and her demonstrative attitude have changed a few things around. It's an impressively fast 64-minutes that really examines the successes and frustrations of parents and students seeking total inclusion in attending their neighborhood public school, rather than a school for students with special needs. The film focuses on a number of students with a wide variety of ages, backgrounds, and disabilities, offering straightforward information regarding the Individuals with Disabilities, Education Act, and more specifically the development of IEPs (Individualized Education Programs). "Going to School" presents stirring portraits of courageous parents, hard-working disabled students, and the numerous teachers, assistants, and peers that can become involved in the total inclusion process.

Sat., Sept. 4, 5:05PM "A Passion for Dance" (2004) by Sylvia Hamilton Goulden is a 13-minute expose on many styles of dance, dance music and dancers all elaborating on the joys and passion they have for this art form. It's light on your dancing feet and easy to involve you in respecting Sylvia's passion. Her other passion is painting which easily explains why this film is like a well-choreographed canvas.

Sat., Sept. 4, 5:30 PM Linda Diamond & Company is a local and NYC dance troupe that will perform her new work "Rainbow Harmony" which is influenced by Native American music and culture. It will feature authentic Native American dances by Robert Boldeagle, along with an abstract modern dance dedicated to the Woodstock Museum's theme of "Respect". Visual art slides provided by White Buffalo Multimedia will be combined with the performances.

Other works include "Les Saltimbanques"based on Picasso's circus family portraits. Says choreographer Linda Diamond, "I was inspired by the paintings, but this dance takes on a melancholy and existential tone culminating in a Fellini type atmosphere through dance imagery and masks based on Commedia dell'arte from Venice." Georges Bizet and an electronic score by American composer Stuart Diamond honor and respect the performer whose personal life is entwined with the performer's "persona". "Terra Incognita" a trio by Linda Diamond honors nature and the earth through meditative imagery in dance, using the unique music of Kitaro. Linda says, "This work symbolizes the importance of nature in a spiritual uplift evoked through dance." "Amor" by Anna Sokolow, is a love duet that evokes conflict and longing in a relationship, enveloped in the respect of each person in the couple's harmony.

"Hommage to Chagall" by Linda Diamond will include the "Invocation to the Muse" section with music by Steve Reich. It reflects the respect of the artist to the source of their inspiration. Highlighting the celestial magic of Chagall's paintings, this dance section, originally commissioned by the Danse Partout in Quebec City (Canada Council on the Arts). This piece reflects the supernatural of Chagall's imagery through birdlifts of dancers who seem to fly through space while being lifted off their feet in the conclusion of the dance section. Linda Diamond & Company has won awards from the Mary Duke Biddle Foundation, Verizon, Manhattan Community Arts Fund and the Dutchess County Arts Council.

Sat., Sep. 4, 6:40 PM "An Impression: Dischord Records" (2004) is a 13 ? minute work in progress about a local punk rock record label in Washington, DC. In the past 20 plus years, this label has formed a world-renowned reputation. The label sells all the compact discs for under $10, the bands own all the music and they never use contracts. Outside of the business practices being respectful to the artists, the artists themselves are respectful to the community. Many of the bands will play for free to raise money for local organizations. This work in progress shows a brief history of the label with interviews with one of the co-founders, Ian MacKaye. The bands included are Beauty Pill, Black Eyes, Q and Not U, along with archival footage from Dag Nasty, Nation of Ulysses, Fugazi, Minor Threat, just to name a few.

Leena is an Assistant Professor in the School of Communication at American University in Washington, DC. She is head of the Photography Dept where she teaches photography, video, fine arts and theory classes. She has also lectured on radical media internationally. She is currently working on three short video documentaries in collaboration with the Goethe Institute, which will be broadcasted in Germany, and one longer documentary about a second generation Indian-American woman. Her work has been nationally recognized in galleries around the country, including the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, The Washington Project for the Arts/Corcoran Galler of Art and the International Visions Gallery. Her slides are a part of the collection of the Asian American Arts Centre in New York.

Kyle Brannon, Producer, Editor is currently a graphic designer at Hillman and Carr in Washington, DC. He has received his MFA in Film and Electronic Media from American Univ. and two BA's in Integrative Arts and French from Penn State Univ. He has taight at American Univ. and Corcoran School of Art and Design. His work as a graphic designer has won awards including Best Children's Education & Entertainment, CINE 2004, Golden Eagle-CINE 2003, Platinum Best of Show, Aurora Awards 2003 and a Gold Award. He is also the co-founder and artistic director of Mister Mayhem Theater and has co-produced and/or directed five short run amateur theatrical productions. The filmmakers Leena Jayaswal and Kyle Brannon will be here for Q & A's.

Sat., Sept. 4, 7:07 PM "Mama Awethu" is a 53 minute documentary film about women in the townships of South Africa. Filmed by Bethany Yarrow, daughter of folksinger, Peter Yarrow, Ms. Yarrow takes us into the lives of women struggling to get worker's rights. It is a heartwarming venture that is 53 minutes of personal filmmaking with a cause. Bethany Yarrow is a talented singer as well and performs in venues all over the world. It's a powerful film that won an award at the Sundance Film Festival. For more info: Tel 917 309-6243 www.bethanyyarrow.com or Dina Vathis, MKTG Services 917 339-7298

Sat., Sept. 4, 8 PM YUMA'S live evening performance of music and dance includes many costume changes, masks, art, drumming and multimedia video footage. YUMA'S voice reaches four octaves and it is described as a powerful spiritual tremble. She was a Grammy nominee and has recorded records with Bill Laswell (Sony Records) and Laurie Anderson (Warner Bros.). YUMA is both jazzy and pop. Yuma was born and raised in Japan but resides in NYC where she often does her "culture concerts."

Sat., Sept. 4, 9:15PM "Palomos; hijos de la calle" is 28 minutes into the daily lives of street children living in the Caribbean and Latin America. There is an obscure and covert community made up of orphaned, abandoned and neglected children. According to UNICEF more than 40 million consume 20 million gallons of a glue solvent monthly to get "high" and wipe out their hard life. The director, Mercedes Jimenez Ramirez, although Cuban says, "I feel like the Dominican Republic is my second homeland, and I have a sensitivity for the street children who have guided me to discover hard reality. It was very hard to interview the children because many of them were under the influence of the solvents and slurred their words or were incoherent." The filmmaker and director will take Q & A's after the movie.

Sat., Sept. 4, 10:15 PM "21st Century Prohibition" is 40 minutes and comes to us from Nimbin, Australia, Woodstock's Sister Village downunder.. Activist, artist and filmmaker Neil Pike was so fed up with drug busts that he turned the video camera into his weapon of truth. Neil provokes the police as they confiscate marijuana and goes to the police station to educate them with the camera rolling. You will gain respect for the filmmaker who uses his rights when behaving so boldly with the law enforcement

Sun., Sept. 5, 2 PM Studio Stu made a big name around here playing the electrified washboard and jazzing up the crowd with those famous oldies, originals and Brooklyn humor. A favorite is, "I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself an email." Studio Stu has played with some of the best jazz musicians around and they just might hop onto the stage and join him.

Sun., Sept. 5, 3PM "Dope" (2004) by Diane Teramana, local filmmaker is a creative documentation dealing with her son's addiction to heroin and poetry. One did him in, and the other has been captured to make this beautiful and experimental 27-minute retrospect. We come to love this brave young man who suffered from bipolar disease and let's just say being really out there! Ms. Teramana, artist, photographer and filmmaker makes sense of the reality and will be here for Q & A's.

Sun., Sept. 5, 3:55 PM "Tenakee Springs Beautiful Town" is 5 minutes of awesome beauty in an Alaskan Village that tells you in no uncertain terms that it plans to always stay beautiful. Produced with conviction that translates into beautiful photography, this film was sent to us by "Greenpeace."

Sun., Sept. 5, 4:05 PM "Relationship Drama" (2004) is 6 ? minutes of teens telling about what they are really looking for in a relationship. Do you believe in monogamy? Are you an activist? Do you like Republicans? The film by Alexia Anastasio is best viewed without any preconceived ideas.

Sun., Sept. 5, 4:15 PM "Allegedly So" (2004) is an 8 minute short by Matthew Rundell. It is the story of Patrick and his opportunity for revenge. His best friend, Koos has set a plan in motion, creating a chance for Patrick to obtain retribution against a criminal, Vidro. Now that Vidro is out of prison, Patrick has a life or death choice to make.

"Allegedly So" was produced for Alpha 60, a Los Angeles film collective with a restricted budghet of $500. It looks like film though we were surprised to learn the format was 24-P advanced DV, edited on a Mac using Final Cut Pro. It is filled with drama and this award winning filmmaker has been Emmy nominated.

Sun., Sept. 5, 5PM "Taylor's Campaign"is an intensely gripping, surprisingly funny and insightful look at hardworking people down on their luck, forced to live in cardboard lean-tos and dumpster-dive for food in glamorous Santa Monica, California. When local lawmakers threaten to suspend their civil rights in a drive to sweep the streets of "the homeless", this spirited encampment of military vets, drifters and disabled people rally behind the leadership of a destitute ex-trucker named Ron Taylor. Taylor throws down the gauntlet with the powers that be by declaring himself a candidate for the Santa Monica City Council, and turns his campaign into an uncompromising quest for human dignity and justice. It's 75 minutes that Terry Messman, "Street Spirit" calls "The Grapes of Wrath for today." Richard Cohen is a filmmaker living and working in Venice, CA. working on issues that could apply anywhere, anyplace. For more info:
www.richardcohenfilms.com

Sun., Sept. 5, 6:30 PM "Uncle" (2004) is a 3 minute animation produced and directed by Ray Kousarin. With the help of five additional animators, a background and color stylist and sound designer, this short exploits a roving band of Uncle Sams. Satirical commentary, without word questions the United States' shifting approaches to civil liberties and foreign policy. Ray produces and directs animation for film and television, both in the U.S. and internationally. In Europe, he has worked extensively with Svensk Filmindustri/Happy Life Animation, as Supervising Director for the series "The World of Tosh," Supervising Producer for "DA Mob" (Fox/SKY), and Head Director for the Nickelodean/Fox Supervising Director of the hit series "Daria", Director for the series "Beavis and Butt-Head" and "The Head", and Sequence Director for the Paramount feature film "Beavis and Butt-Head Do America." He has also directed animation for prime-time television specials, including the HBO musical "Ira Sleeps Over," winner of the ACE Award for Best Animated Program. For more info: Tel. 718 832-3559 e-mail: [email protected]

Sun., Sept. 5, 6:35 PM "Art by Mal-retrospectively" (2004) is a sexy, (though we give it a "G" rating),10 minute short narrative by Mary Ann Leitch in celebration of her 3-decade journey as an artist. Using 54 works of art and 4 personal photos spanning 1975-2004 Mary Ann focuses on images, words and her journey. This is a woman who respects her art and puts it on film to include us in on her passion. This film is included in "Non Stop Madrid Art Expo" scheduled for late Sept.

Sun., Sept. 5, 6:50 PM "Limosa" (2004) by Brian Evans is an artist/composer who uses mathematical models as the basis for his artwork, manifesting them through sound and image. In 2 minutes and 15 seconds you'll understand why "The Washington Post" said, "�when looking at Evan's work it's hard to resist humming along." "Is there a Platonic truth in mathematics or serendipity, a discovery of a Grand Design (and so perhaps a Grand Designer) or simply a human invention that is coincidentally useful?" says, Brian in his artist statement. The filmmaker freezes musical moments in time and has you listen with your eyes. For more info: Tel 205 348-1899 or e-mail: [email protected]

Sun., Sept. 5, 6:55 PM "I've Met a Wonderful Man" (2004) is a 3 ? minute short done by local filmmaker Joy E. Reed. This film is an irreverent look at one woman's cyclical and unsuccessful quest for self-respect. The piece deftly marries the words of Meryn Cadell with images collected from varied sources, ranging from the filmmaker's personal photographs to pornographic Internet sites. Joy is a digital filmmaker and video artist who expresses her talent through videography, editing, production and direction. She has independently produced a series of shorts, including "Knock, Knock," which screened at the Two Boots Pioneer Theater in NYC. Her video art has been exhibited in Artwalk Poughkeepsie and was incorporated into a multi-media performance at New York's American Museum of Natural History. She is currently producing the documentary "Hot, Nude Yoga: Exposed," which explores the search by gay men for a sense of community and belonging through the practice of yoga while unclothed.

Sun., Sept. 5, 7 PM "The Brothel, the Temple and Art" by Jere Van Syoc is a 20 minute video that takes the viewer on a trip in which the expansive 60's and 70's free art from the confines of the gallery, sexuality from the confines of heterosexuality and education from the confines of the classroom. "Her autobiographical piece gives images to the context in which the filed of women's studies was born at the same moments Van Syoc is born as an artist, feminist and cultural commentator," said Jane R. Dickie, Prof of Women's Studies, Hope College, Holland, Michigan. She goes on to describe the filmmaker as a teacher in one of the earliest women's studies programs showing the imperceptible flow from life to work to art that was typical of women's lives in the early second wave of feminism. The community of which she was a part flourished as time for fun and play was merged with organization and effort in the creation of women's space. Van Syoc calls this developing the art of "high play" and images from old pictures and flickering super 8 film pulls us into the frolicking experience. The video is a personal statement of the importance of myth making and meaning creation. Boundaries are crossed repeatedly as fun and humor is used to connect the human condition to sex and death. Her response to the dangers of urban violence is the creation of "drive by" exhibits to reclaim the mean streets for art.

Sun., Sept 5., 7:30 PM "Father Sun Speaks" is a cosmic Mayan message filmed by Baird Bryant. The message of the Maya, delivered by Mayan Elder, Hunbatz Men (Author of "Secrets of Mayan Science/Religion") celebrates the end of the 520 year Kaltun of "hell time", and marks the beginning of the age of knowledge. Drunvalo Melchizedek, Barbara Hand Clow and 3 Tibetan Lamas join the Mayan Council and 450 pilgrims from around the globe for this historic event. Ceremony at the Spring Equinox reactivates sacred sites at Chichen Itza, Uxmal, and Palenque. The prophecy of Pacal Votan, the high priest of the ancient Maya is illuminated. It's shot as a documentary workshop and we become part of this trip and experience. It's 73 minutes and a chance to be a part of this prophecy. Baird is an ole'time filmmaker with distinct credits. Every New Year's eve for many years, ABC plays "Celebration at Big Sur" and he won one at Cannes, 1956 for his short "The Vipers". He's done an in depth portrait of the Dalai Lama for BBC, "Heart of Tibet". For more info email: www.WoodstockMuseum.org

Contact: Shelli Lipton and Nathan Koenig, Woodstock Museum (845) 246-0600
E-mail: [email protected]