RiverRun film festival to include Zooey Deschanel romantic comedy
TICKETS AND INFO: Tickets and all-access passes are now on sale at the Stevens Center box office, via www.riverrunfilm.com or over the phone (336-721-1945). For up-to-date information, or for details about volunteering at the Festival, visit www.riverrunfilm.com or call 336-724-1502
STAFF REPORTS
Director Marc Webb, who helmed the Zooey Deschanel romantic comedy, “(500) Nights,” will be in attendance at the opening night screening of his film during this year’s RiverRun International Film Festival, held in Winston-Salem, N.C.
The film is among this year’s festival lineup which includes 37 feature films and 63 shorts from 26 countries The event will take place April 22-29 and screen.
Webb’s film is an offbeat romantic comedy about a woman who doesn’t believe true love exists, and the young man who falls for her, according to the Internet Movie Database.
Guillermo Arriaga’s directorial debut THE BURNING PLAIN, starring Charlize Theron and Kim Bassinger, will screen as the CENTERPIECE PREMIERE, and the festival’s Closing Night will feature a screening of the Harold Lloyd classic 1928 silent comedy SPEEDY accompanied by the Alloy Orchestra. RiverRun will also present its inaugural Emerging Master Award to filmmaker Ramin Bahrani following a screening of his latest film GOODBYE SOLO.
“Over the past few years, RiverRun has developed a loyal following and built a reputation as one of the country’s most prestigious regional film festivals. I think that’s because we place such an emphasis on filmmakers and the power and urgency of new cinematic voices, such as Ramin Bahrani, the recipient of our inaugural Emerging Master Award,” said Andrew Rodgers, RiverRun’s Executive Director.
2009 OFFICIAL SELECTIONS
NARRATIVE COMPETITION: In this year’s Narrative Competition, the heart of our annual festival, RiverRun once again showcases a collection of critically-acclaimed feature films from around the globe, highlighting the wealth of exciting filmmakers who live outside our borders. The eight films in this competition are eligible for a variety of Jury Awards as well as the BB&T Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature.
HEART OF FIRE – Germany/Italy/Austria/France – Director: Luigi Falorni
IL DIVO – Italy & France – Director: Paolo Sorrentino
MOMMY IS AT THE HAIRDRESSER’S – Canada – Director: Léa Pool
RUMBA – France & Belgium – Directors: Dominique Abel, Fiona Gordon and Bruno Romy
THREE MONKEYS – Turkey/France/Italy – Director: Nuri Bilge Ceylan
TREELESS MOUNTAIN – South Korea & USA – Director: So Yong Kim
TULPAN – Germany/Kazakhstan/Poland/Russia/Switzerland – Director: Sergey Dvortsevoy
A WOMAN IN BERLIN – Germany & Poland – Director: Max Färberböck
The 2009 Narrative Competition jury includes Lucasfilm distribution executive Eric Besner; filmmaker Jennifer Chambers Lynch (“Boxing Helena,” “Surveillance”); Salon.com film critic Andrew O’Hehir; Michael Kutza, Founder and Artistic Director of the Chicago International Film Festival; and a film student from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. In 2008, Fatih Akin’s “The Edge of Heaven” won the Best Narrative Feature jury prize and Gareth Lewis’ “The Baker” won the Narrative Audience Award.
DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION: Our 2009 Documentary Competition is filled with universal stories that help paint an indelible portrait of the world as a small place where we can all connect and learn from one another. The eight films selected here are eligible for the BB&T Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature and a range of Jury Awards.
ART & COPY – USA – Director: Doug Pray
FOOD INC. – USA – Director: Robert Kenner
FOOTBALL UNDER COVER – Germany – Directors: Ayat Najafi & David Assmann
GUEST OF CINDY SHERMAN – USA – Directors: Tom Donahue & Paul Hasegawa-Overacker
KALINOVSKI SQUARE – Estonia – Director: Yury Khashchavatski
ROCATERRANIA – USA – Director: Brett Ingram
UNMISTAKEN CHILD – Israel – Director: Nati Baratz
WAVERIDERS – Ireland & UK – Director: Joel Conroy
The 2009 Documentary Competition jury includes Facets Cinematheque Film Program Director Charles Coleman; Christian Gaines, Director of Festivals for imdb.com; Nancy Kalow, Professor at the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University; Hollywood Reporter Deputy Editor Dave Morgan; and a film student from Wake Forest University. In 2008, Yung Chang’s “Up the Yangtze” won the Best Documentary Feature jury prize and Helen Hood Scheer’s “JUMP!” won the Documentary Audience Award.
SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS: From unorthodox love stories to intricate dramas, the 2009 selection of non-competition Special Presentations includes films with excitingly fresh perspectives. Starting with a brilliant new spin on the romantic comedy by a first-time filmmaker on the Festival’s Opening Night and lasting through the closing performance with the Alloy Orchestra alongside a legendary comedian’s last silent work, the films selected here – both new and old – offer an excuse to spend more time at the movies.
(500) DAYS OF SUMMER – USA – Director: Marc Webb (Opening Night)
THE BURNING PLAIN – USA – Director: Guillermo Arriaga (Centerpiece Premiere)
GARRISON KEILLOR: THE MAN ON THE RADIO IN THE RED SHOES – USA – Director: Peter Rosen
GOODBYE SOLO – USA – Director: Ramin Bahrani
THE PRISONER OF SHARK ISLAND – USA – Director: John Ford
SHALL WE KISS? – France – Director: Emmanuel Mouret
SPEEDY – USA – Director: Ted Wilde (Closing Night with Alloy Orchestra)
SURVEILLANCE – USA & Germany – Director: Jennifer Chambers Lynch
WORLD’S GREATEST DAD – USA – Director: Bob Goldthwait
SPOTLIGHT: While RiverRun has always featured non-competition sidebars in the annual Festival, 2009 marks the first year for the Spotlight section. Created to provide a showcase for films of a particular type or style, this year’s Spotlight focuses on American and Canadian documentaries by emerging talents.
‘BAMA GIRL – USA – Director: Rachel Goslins
FOR THE LOVE OF MOVIES: THE STORY OF AMERICAN FILM CRITICISM – USA – Director: Gerald Peary
THE GARDEN – USA – Director: Scott Hamilton Kennedy
HERB AND DOROTHY – USA – Director: Megumi Sasaki
OFFICIAL REJECTION – USA – Director: Paul Osborne
PRESSURE COOKER – USA – Directors: Jennifer Grausman & Mark Becker
SAVING LUNA – Canada – Directors: Suzanne Chisholm & Michael Parfit
WITH THESE HANDS: THE STORY OF AN AMERICAN FURNITURE FACTORY – USA – Director: Matt Barr
Other Non-Competition Features:
IDIOTS AND ANGELS – USA – Director: Bill Plympton – (Animation)
SITA SINGS THE BLUES – USA – Director: Nina Paley – (Animation)
I SELL THE DEAD – USA – Director: Glenn McQuaid – (Late Night)
EYEBORGS – USA – Director: Richard Clabaugh – (Late Night)
SHORTS: Short films are to feature films what short stories are to novels. Filmmakers have more freedom to explore difficult themes and intense character studies, which would be washed out in a feature. This year, RiverRun is particularly proud to present five different shorts programs that showcase 62 different films, including two Oscar-nominees, 26 student films, and shorts from 15 different countries. A majority of the shorts selected for this year’s RiverRun are eligible for a variety of jury awards.
Animated Shorts:
A-Z – UK – Director: Sally Arthur
THE ADVENTURES OF LEDO AND IX – USA – Director: Emily Carmichael
AUTOMOTO – Canada – Directors: Cathy & Neil McInnes
BARE – USA – Director: Andy Lyon
CIRKUS SPEKTACULAR – UK – Directors: Matt Timms, Gillian Reid & Sean McCormack
THE CLOCKTOWER – USA – Director: Cara Antonelli
THE CONTROL MASTER – UK – Director: Run Wrake
THE COYOTE AND THE TORTOISE – USA – Director: Len Simon
EMILY IN THE CLOUDS – USA – Director: Clayton Mitchell
FINDERS KEEPERS – USA – Director: Robb Gibbs
GARY & MILDRED – Israel – Director: Rivka Press
GIRL AND ROBOT – Denmark – Director: Mads Dam Jakobsen
GOTCH YA’ – USA – Director: Kelly Versaggi
GREAT AMBITION – Canada – Director: Malcolm Sutherland
HOT DOG – USA – Director: Bill Plympton
I AM SO PROUD OF YOU – USA – Director: Don Hertzfeldt
IRINKA AND SANDRINKA – France – Director: Sandrine Stoianov
JOHN AND KAREN – UK – Director: Matthew Walker
KEITH REYNOLDS CAN’T MAKE IT TONIGHT –UK – Director: Felix Massie
LAST TIME IN CLERKENWELL – UK – Director: Alex Budovsky
MATAN – Israel – Director: Ofeer Hassan
MONSIEUR COK – France – Director: Franck Dion
ROADKILL – Denmark – Directors: Randy Larsen, Caroline Nielsen, Line Pind, Thomas Sørensen & Mads Johansen
SHEEP ON THE ROOF – France – Director: Rémy Schaepman
STYX AND STONES – USA – Director: Lahela Sharon S. Ino
SYMPHONY – USA – Director: Erick Oh
THIS WAY UP – UK – Directors: Adam Foulkes & Alan Smith
THE VISIONARY – USA – Director: Evan Mayfield
THE WEATHERMAN – UK – Director: William Becher
WESTERN SPAGHETTI – USA – Director: PES
Narrative Shorts:
2) SECRET MACHINE – Germany – Director: Reynold Reynolds
411-Z – Hungary – Director: Daniel Erdelyi
AT THE END – Mexico – Director: Juan Manuel Gonzalez
CASTING SESSION – USA – Director: Austin Jennings
FAMILY THERAPY – Bulgaria – Director: Petar Valtchanov
GAINING GROUND – Germany – Director: Marc Brummund
JERRYCAN – Australia – Director: Julius Avery
LOVE YOU MORE – UK – Director: Sam Taylor-Wood
MOON PALACE – Spain – Director: Ione Hernandez
MULTIPLE CHOICE – USA – Director: Robert Cosnahan
NEXT FLOOR – Canada – Director: Denis Villeneuve
PINCHAS – Israel – Director: Pini Tavger
PREMATURE – USA– Director: Rashaad Ernesto Green
POP ART – UK – Director: Amanda Boyle
PRINCESS MARGARET BLVD. – Canada – Director: Kazik Radwanski
RALPH – UK – Director: Olivier Kaempfer
SAPSUCKER – USA – Director: Christopher Holmes
SWASHBUCKLERS – France – Director: Jean Baptiste Sausel
TEN FOR GRANDPA – Canada/USA – Director: Doug Karr
WASTE – Croatia – Director: Igor Mirković
THE WATCH – Argentina – Director: Marco Berger
YOU, ME AND CAPTAIN LONGBRIDGE – UK – Director: Kenny Doughty
Documentary Shorts:
THE ARCHIVE – USA – Director: Sean Dunne
BODY JOB – USA – Director: Joanne Nerenberg
CALLING HOME – UK/Scotland – Directors: Marcelo Starobinas & Maria Eduarda
HOW TO SAVE A FISH FROM DROWNING – UK/Scotland – Director: Kelly Neal
LESSONS FROM THE NIGHT – Australia – Director: Adrian Francis
MA BAR – UK/Scotland – Director: Finlay Pretsell
NUTKIN’S LAST STAND – USA – Director: Nicholas Berger
SHIKASHIKA – USA – Director: Stephen Hyde
UNATTACHED – USA – Director: JJ Adler
THE WITNESS: FROM THE BALCONY OF ROOM 306 – USA – Director: Adam Pertofsky
The 2009 Shorts Competition jury includes animator Nathanael Fuller, from Out of Our Minds Animation; Elon University Instructor Nichole Triche; Filmmaker Glenda Wharton; and students from Salem College and Winston-Salem State University. In 2008, the shorts jury awarded top prizes to Michaela Kezele‘s “Milan” (Best Narrative Short), Emil Trier’s “Board Control” (Best Documentary Short) and Josh Raskin’s “I Met the Walrus” (Best Animated Short).
