THE 2009 INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL (BELOW) CONCLUDED ON JULY 22, 2009
Welcome to Finkelstein Memorial Library’s 22nd Independent Film Festival. Independent filmmaking is a catchall phrase for movies made outside the traditional studio structure, with unconventional subjects and stylistic peculiarities -- often on a low budget, very often with exceptional results.
Films will be shown on Wednesdays at 7 p.m. in the theater at the Cultural Arts Center at SUNY Rockland Community College, 145 College Rd. in Suffern. The suggested donation is $3.00 for adults, $1.00 for students and seniors. Brochures will be available the end of May.
Here are this year's films:
THE VISITOR -- JUNE 24 at 7 PM Written & directed by Tom McCarthy 103 min. Rated PG-13 BEST ACTOR – Academy Award Nominee Widower Walter Vale [Richard Jenkins] is sleepwalking through life, aimlessly going through the motions of teaching and writing. When his Connecticut college sends him to Manhattan to attend a conference he discovers a young immigrant couple living in his seldom-used apartment. Walter reluctantly allows the couple, victims of a real estate scam, to stay with him. Their shared humanity reveals itself in awkward, humorous, and dramatic ways. Walter’s eventual entanglement in the immigration nightmare brings to life a passion he thought long lost. “Deeply moving.” Richard Roeper TROUBLE THE WATER -- JULY 1 at 7 PM Produced & directed by Tia Lessin & Carl Deal 93 min. Not Rated BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE – Academy Award Nominee BEST DOCUMENTARY – Gotham Independent Film Awards Kimberly Roberts, an aspiring rap artist and resident of New Orleans’ Lower Ninth Ward, turned her camcorder on family, friends, and her neighborhood when Hurricane Katrina hit, providing a harrowing journey that is by turns heart-stopping, inspiring, and empowering. The film is not only about the tragedies, but also the underlying issues that remained when the floodwaters receded – failing public schools, record high levels of incarceration, poverty, racism and lack of government accountability. “Ineradicably moving.” David Edelstein, New York RACHEL GETTING MARRIED -- JULY 8 at 7 PM Written by Jenny Lumet Directed by Jonathan Demme 114 min. Rated R BEST ACTRESS – Academy Award Nominee BEST SCREENPLAY – New York Film Critics Circle When Kym [Anne Hathaway], a recovering addict, returns home for her sister’s wedding, she brings along a history of personal crises, family conflict and tragedy. As friends and family gather for a joyful weekend, Kym’s biting one-liners and flair for the dramatic force long-simmering tensions to surface in ways both heartbreaking and hilarious. “A masterpiece.” David Edelstein, New York FROZEN RIVER -- JULY 15 at 7 PM Written & directed by Courtney Hunt 97 min. Rated R BEST ACTRESS, BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY – Academy Award Nominee BEST FESTURE – Gotham Independent Film Awards Struggling to make ends meet, two single mothers [Melissa Leo, Missy Upham] team up to transport illegal immigrants across the St. Lawrence River in upstate New York. When events spiral out of control they must make life or death decisions based on their uneasy friendship and their love for their children. “Somber [and] compelling.” Stephen Holden, The New York Times
MARRIED LIFE -- JULY 22 at 7 PM Written & directed by Ira Sachs 90 min. Rated PG-13 OFFICIAL SELECTION – New York Film Festival When Harry Allen [Chris Cooper] falls in love with a younger woman, he decides killing his wife [Patricia Clarkson] would be kinder to her than divorce. Complications ensue when Harry’s womanizing best friend [Pierce Brosnan] decides he wants Harry’s mistress for himself. A wry blend of dark humor, romantic deception, and stylish melodrama circa 1949. Based on Five Roundabouts to Heaven by John Bingham. “Very entertaining.” Rex Reed, The New York Observer
THE 2009 INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL CONCLUDED ON JUNE 9, 2009
oin us at the Cultural Arts Center at SUNY Rockland Community College (click for map) in Suffern for showings and discussions of five wonderful films. Each film will be followed by a discussion led by Dr. Ann Fey*. For more information or to obtain a copy of the festival brochure, please call the library at (845) 352-5700, ext. 231 or 244.
A suggested donation to support this annual program is $3.00 for adults, and $1.00 for students and seniors.
For information call extension the library at 352-5700, 231 or 244.
In Italian with English subtitles, the film tells the story of two brothers during the turbulent 1960s who, while on opposite sides of the political battlefield, find themselves in love with the same woman. As the decade comes to a close they realize that sometimes it’s the things we fight about that bring us closer together.
I Served the King of England [Czech]
A 2006 Czech film, directed by Jiří Menzel and based on the novel of the same name by Bohumil Hrabal. This film is Menzel's sixth adaptation of the works of Hrabal for film. The film was released in the UK and in the US in 2008
An Egyptian band gets stranded in a nowhere Israeli desert town in "The Band's Visit," a warm and delightful take on cross-cultural relations that proves that sometimes a light touch is just what's needed to address serious topics.
Juliette (Kristen Scott Thomas) has been estranged from her family for 15 years. Although life once violently separated them, Léa (Elsa Zylberstein), her younger sister, takes her into her home which she shares with her husband Luc, his father, and their little girls.
Sally Hawkins and Eddie Marsan star in director Mike Leigh's seriocomedy concerning an eternally optimistic teacher living and working in North London. Thirty-year-old teacher Poppy (Hawkins) always has a smile on her face, and does her best to brighten the days of those around her by making small talk and cracking jokes.
* Dr. Ann Fey, professor emeritus of SUNY Rockland, has taught courses in film and literature. She has researched in Fulbright programs in Pakistan and Morocco and has been a presenter in international conferences in these countries and in Turkey.