Hollywood Film Festival® News
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For Immediate Release
HOLLYWOOD FILM FESTIVAL UNVEILS LINE-UP:
48 FILMS TO BE PRESENTED AT 7th ANNUAL EVENT
10 World Premieres and 28 U.S. Premieres
THE 2003 HOLLYWOOD FILM FESTIVAL
TO OPEN WITH THE U.S. PREMIERE OF "11:14"
AND CLOSE WITH THE GALA PREMIERE OF
"SHATTERED GLASS"
FESTIVAL WRAPS WITH "THE HUMAN STAIN" --
A SPECIAL EVENT SCREENING
HONORING ANTHONY HOPKINS
Opening Night U.S. Premiere - "11:14" by Greg Marcks
Centerpiece Gala Premieres:
"The Singing Detective" by Keith Gordon
"Khachaturian" by Peter Rosen
"Girl With a Pearl Earring" by Peter Webber
Closing Night Premiere - "Shattered Glass" by Billy Ray
Special Event Screening - "The Human Stain"
by Robert Benton
Hollywood, CA -- October, 6, 2003 -- The Hollywood Film Festival's Board of Advisors has unveiled the line-up for the 2003 Hollywood Discovery Awards competition. The announcement was made today by Carlos de Abreu, Founder and Executive Director of the festival. The finalists were selected from over 1,500 film submissions and include features, documentaries, and shorts. The screenings will take place from October 15 to 19 at Arclight Theatres (6360 Sunset Blvd.).
The festival will have its Opening Night Premiere on October 15 with the U.S. Premiere of the drama "11:14," starring HILARY SWANK, and it will close with the Gala Premiere of the Lions Gate Films' SHATTERED GLASS starring HAYDEN CHRISTENSEN on October 19. The festival will also present three Centerpiece Gala Premieres on October 16 and 17: Paramount Classics' THE SINGING DETECTIVE, starring ROBERT DOWNEY JR., October 16; Lions Gate Films' GIRL WITH A PEARL EARRING, starring SCARLETT JOHANSSON on October 17, and the World Premiere of Peter Rosen's documentary KHACHATURIAN on October 17.
The festival will wrap up with a Special Event Screening Honoring Anthony Hopkins, with the screening of Miramax Films' THE HUMAN STAIN, on Tuesday, October 21.
The Hollywood Film Festival, in alliance with the European Union Commission, has focused on celebrating European Cinema during the festival, with the EUROPEAN FILM SHOWCASE and the "Hollywood European Film Award," which will be bestowed during the prestigious Hollywood Awards Gala Ceremony at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Monday, October 20.
The festival's program includes films from Austria, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Japan, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States. "The films that were selected for the festival are truly outstanding and showcase a wide array of talented filmmakers," commented Mr. de Abreu. "This year's line-up will present an excellent cross section of independent cinema from Europe and around the world," he added.
The Hollywood Film Festival's line-up includes the world premieres of 12 by Lloyd Silverman, EXPOSED by Misti Barnes, HOTEL LOBBY by Jenny Foster, and UNLIKELY HEROES by Richard Trank, as well as premieres of BLACK CADILLAC by John Murlowski, FINDING HOME by Lawrence David Foldes, JERICHO MANSIONS by Alberto Sciamma, POLICE WOMAN by Joaquim Saphino, TOUCH A DREAM by Jyunji Hanadoh, and TWO MEN WENT TO WAR by John Henderson, among others.
"11:14," the festival's Opening Night U.S. Premiere on Wednesday, October 15, was written and directed by Greg Marcks, in his feature film directorial debut. "11:14" tells the seemingly random yet vitally connected story of a set of incidents related to five different characters and storylines that all converge one evening at 11:14 p.m. to tell the story of murder and deceit. The film stars an ensemble cast, including HILARY SWANK, RACHAEL LEIGH COOK, PATRICK SWAYZE, BARBARA HERSHEY, HENRY THOMAS, BEN FOSTER, COLIN HANKS, STARK SANDS, and CLARK GREG. It was produced by Beau Flynn and John Morissey, with Hilary Swank, Mark Damon, Sammy Lee, Stewart Hall, Tripp Vinson, and David Scott Rubin serving as executive producers.
THE SINGING DETECTIVE, the festival's Centerpiece Gala Premiere on Thursday, October 16, was directed by Keith Gordon. Starring ROBERT DOWNEY JR., ROBIN WRIGHT PENN, and MEL GIBSON, "The Singing Detective" is about a hospitalized crime novelist who occupies his time creating a story in his head about a cynical private investigator who doubles as a singer in a dance band. His lead character is slowly drawn into a web of intrigue during the murder investigation of a prostitute in 1950s Los Angeles. From Paramount Classics, the film was produced by Mel Gibson, Steve Haft, and Bruce Davey, from a screenplay by Dennis Potter.
GIRL WITH A PEARL EARRING, from Lions Gate Films, will be the Centerpiece Gala Premiere on Friday, October 17. Starring SCARLETT JOHANSSON, COLIN FIRTH, and TOM WILKINSON, and directed by Peter Webber, the film tells the imagined, intriguing, and seductive story behind one of Vermeer's greatest and most enigmatic paintings. Griet (Scarlett Johansson) becomes a maid for the master painter (Colin Firth). As she is drawn into his life and work, their growing intimacy fuels a scandal that threatens ruin. The screenplay was written by Olivia Hetreed; the film's producers are Andy Paterson and Anand Tucker.
KHACHATURIAN is the festival's Centerpiece World Premiere on Friday, October 17. A documentary by Peter Rosen, "Khachaturian" is about the life of a composer working in the darkness of Stalin's USSR. Like many Soviet citizens, Khachaturian hid a complex private life behind a mask of Communist loyalty. Once respected and honored for his nationalistic compositions, his complex, modern 3rd Symphony brought derision and scorn from the Army Generals and Party Comrades, condemning the musician to live out his days in obscurity and censure. This is Khachaturian's intriguing story of fear, compounded by the high stakes: he held the destiny of hundreds of composers and the future of Soviet music in his hands. The film's writer is Bill Van Horn.
SHATTERED GLASS, the festival's Closing Night Gala Premiere on Sunday, October 19, was written and directed by Billy Ray, in his feature film directorial debut, and stars HAYDEN CHRISTENSEN as Stephen Glass, who had become one of the most sought-after journalists in Washington by the mid-90s, until a bizarre chain of events suddenly stopped his career in its tracks. "Shattered Glass" is a study of a very talent, and at the same time very flawed, character. It is also a look inside our culture's noblest profession, one that protects our most precious freedoms by revealing the truth, and what happens when our trust in that profession is called into question. The film's cast includes PETER SARSGAARD, CHLOE SEVIGNY, MELANIE LYNSKEY and STEVE ZAHN among others. From Lions Gate Films, "Shattered Glass" was jointly produced by Cruise/Wagner Productions and Baumgarten Merims in association with Forest Park Pictures.
THE HUMAN STAIN, the festival's Special Event Screening Honoring Anthony Hopkins on Tuesday, October 21, was directed by Robert Benton. It stars ANTHONY HOPKINS (who is one of this year's Hollywood Film Festival honorees), NICOLE KIDMAN, GARY SINISE, and ED HARRIS. "The Human Stain" is the story of Coleman Silk (Anthony Hopkins), a distinguished professor at a prestigious New England college whose professional life is shattered by allegations of racism and whose personal life is infected with the cancer of a lie he has been living for fifty years. His career and reputation in ruin, Silk begins a dynamic resurrection through two new relationships: one, a friendship with the writer Nathan Zuckerman (Gary Sinise) whom he intrigues with his story, the other a scandalous affair with a young woman (Nicole Kidman). The film is based on a book by Philip Roth, adapted for the screen by Nicholas Meyer. It was produced by Tom Rosenberg, Gary Lucchesi, and Scott Steindorff.
The 2003 Annual Hollywood Film Festival, which will take place from October 15 to 20, incorporates in its activities the Hollywood Film Conference, Hollywood Film Screenings, and Hollywood Awards. The screenings and conference will take place at the Arclight Theatres in Hollywood. The Hollywood Awards Gala Ceremony will take place at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, Monday, October 20.
This year's industry professionals who will be honored for their achievements at the Hollywood Awards Gala Ceremony include Columbia Pictures Chairman Amy Pascal for leadership, Roger L. Mayer for film preservation, Ron Howard for directing, Anthony Hopkins and Goldie Hawn for acting, Sydney Pollack for producing, Ron Bass for screenwriting, John Toll for cinematography, Michael Kahn for editing, Howard Shore for composing, David Foster for songwriting, Andrew Stanton for animation, John Gaeta for visual effects, Ann Roth for costume design, William J. Creber for production design, and Deborah Aquila for casting. The festival will also present its Hollywood Breakthrough Awards for male and female performers to Orlando Bloom and Scarlett Johansson.
FEATURES/DOCUMENTARIES - 2003 HOLLYWOOD FILM FESTIVAL
"12" - United States - World Premiere
On January 26, 1999, Pope John Paul II traveled to St. Louis, Missouri, for a good-will visit that would last only 24 hours. Amidst the pomp and splendor of this historic event, three young drug dealers find themselves on a collision course with one another after a mysterious organized crime boss enlists them into his shady business. Love, religion, and friendship are put to the test as their delicate worlds spiral out of control. "12" is a modern-day tragedy, thick with greed, lust, and ultimately betrayal.
Director/Producer: Lloyd Silverman Writer: J. Scott Hall Cast: Nick Akerberg, Jake Keonig, Merrie Bracken, Adam Longo, Asa Eslocker, Reuben O. Charles II
"Absence, Presence More Intense" - Italy - U.S. Premiere
"Absence, Presence More Intense" is a journey aboard a train of memories that flows through places in the soul, through landscapes, and through atmospheres of the past century, seeking the meaning of three inextricably linked lives: those of the great Italian poet Attilio Bertolucci, and his two sons, directors Bernardo and Guiseppe Bertolucci, for whom the absence of their father, who died in 2000, is still an intense "presence," as the poet himself predicted in 1929.
Director/Writer: Paolo Brunatto Producer: Franco Porcarelli
"Amazing Story" - Japan - U.S. Premiere
Kenji, a man looking for something, has found his way to the rundown town of Hokkaido, Japan. As if guided there by the scent of a woman, Kenji stops in front of a barbershop, owned by Harumi. Harumi lives with her slovenly husband, Ikuo, who quietly spends the barbershop's profits at the pachinko parlor. Having found his muse at last, Kenji formulates a plan while dreaming of his new life together with Harumi. Then, one night, he puts his plan into action: Kenji kidnaps Harumi as she arrives home from work. A strange but happy lifestyle begins. They both know, however, that it cannot last for long.
Director/Writer: Masahiro Kobayashi Producers: Masashiro Kobayashi, Naoki Kaneko, Yukari Hatano Cast: Kazuki Kitamura, Keiko Oginome, Jiro Sato, Yutaka Nakazawa, Yasufumi Hayashi, Naoto Takenaka
"Black Cadillac" - United States - West Coast Premiere
Inspired by the life-changing events of an unforgettable night, "Black Cadillac" is a terrifying race against man, machine, and Mother Nature's most feared elements, the ultimate test of friendship and survival. Only those brave enough to face the truth can know the true nature of their friendships, and sometimes you just can't hide from the truth.
Director: John Murlowski Writer: Will Aldis Producers: John Murlowski, Kenneth Burke, Steven Douglas Smith Cast: Randy Quaid, Shane Johnson, Josh Hammond, Jason Dohring
"Deutschland, Deutschland: A Musical Journey With Siegmund Nissel" - Austria - North America Premiere
A film about turning pain into pleasure, about the meaning of one song and one man's life, "Deutschland, Deutschland" is the story of Jewish violinist Siegmund Nissel's journey to the sources of the present German national anthem. His journey is one that reveals the same piece of music can bring both pleasure and pain.
Director: Frederick Baker Writer: Franz Wagner Producer: ORF/3-Sat
"Dog Gone Love" - United States - West Coast Premiere
Steven, a research-obsessed writer, falls in love with a veterinarian who mistakes him for being gay.
Director: Rob Lundsgaard Writers/Producers: Scott J. Sloan, Rob Lundsgaard Cast: Alexander Chaplin, Lindsay Sloane, Richard Kind, Jordan Ladd
"Exposed" - United States - World Premiere
"Exposed" is a delicious satire about women, competition, and the blurred line between truth and spin; a look at "the story behind the story."
Director/Writer: Misti Barnes Producers: Misti Barnes, Eve Elting Cast: Tate Donovan, Gia Carides, Coolio, Lumi Cavazos, Brenda Strong
"Fearless: Stories From Asian Women -- Breaking the Caste" - Australia - U.S. Premiere
Fathima Burnad is fighting to change a social structure that has existed for 3,000 years. In India, where the caste system has created apartheid-like discrimination, child labor is common and women have few rights. Worst off are the 160 million people in the landless, lowest caste -- the "untouchables" -- who live without access to basic necessities and are often targets of violence. Fathima's aim is to empower these people -- her people -- by encouraging them to take action through grass-roots organizations and by rallying the support of international communities to her cause.
Directors: Mathew Kelley, Peter DuCane Writer: Mathew Kelley Producers: Samantha Kelley, Peter DuCane
"Fearless: Stories From Asian Women -- Explosive Devices" - Australia - U.S. Premiere
Growing up, Doris Nuval had a privileged life in the Philippines. Her father was a friend and advisor to the president, Ferdinand Marcos. But when Doris eventually discovered that the government was deeply corrupt, she became passionately involved in the political underground. At the age of 28, she planted a bomb designed to bring world attention to the dictatorship. Here, Doris reflects on her double life as tourism official and terrorist and describes her transformation from public enemy number one to public broadcaster. Her motivation, however, remains the same: an unyielding commitment to justice and equity for the Philippine people, no matter who is in power.
Directors: Mathew Kelley, Peter DuCane Writer: Mathew Kelley Producers: Samantha Kelley, Peter DuCane
"Fearless: Stories From Asian Women -- The Price of Freedom" - Australia - U.S. Premiere
In 1994, a young poet from rural Bangladesh plunged the country into a wave of general strikes and mass protest. Her crime: to write her thoughts about how religious fundamentalism has consigned women to a secondary role in modern society. For her outspokenness, the nation's religious leaders issued a fatwa against her, putting a price on her head. This is the story of Taslima Nasrin, now living in exile in Sweden, and how she continues to rail against the forces of oppression despite attempts to silence her.
Directors: Mathew Kelley, Peter DuCane Writer: Mathew Kelley Producers: Samantha Kelley, Peter DuCane
"Finding Home" - United States - U.S. Premiere
Since childhood, Amanda has been plagued with clouded memories of her traumatic removal from her grandmother and the place she loved dearly. Now she must confront her family's troubled past and the pain she has long repressed when she is forced to return to her grandmother's enchanting bed-and-breakfast inn on a remote island off the New England coast. Intricately woven with emotion and suspense, "Finding Home" is a powerful story of a young woman's journey to unravel the mysteries of her turbulent past.
Director: Lawrence David Foldes Writers: Lawrence David Foldes, Grafton S. Harper Producer: Victoria Paige Meyerink Cast: Lisa Brenner, Geneviève Bujold, Louise Fletcher, Misha Collins
"Flyfishing" - United Kingdom - West Coast Premiere
Two men become escorts. Their debts diminish, their problems mount, and their lives fall to pieces. "Flyfishing" combines the oldest profession in the world with the time-honored truths of love -- that it hurts, that there is someone for everyone, and true love conquers all -- for 40 an hour or 150 a night.
Director: David Williams Writers: Neil Warhurst, Paul Barnhill, Roger Thomas Producers: David Williams, Helen Baxendale Cast: Kate Ashfield, Adam Croasdell, Helen Baxendale
"Hotel Lobby" - United States - World Premiere
Three guests are stranded in a hotel lobby. Horace and Colt, a fifty-something married couple, are divided -- they have lost the key to their room and to each other. Diana reads a book and is divided from the real world by fiction. On the surface their exchanges are trivial and stilted. Nothing really happens. But as each retreats into their world of fantasy, a much more lively story unfolds -- a story of confrontations that should have happened, of secrets that need to be revealed.
Director: Jenny Foster Writer: Stephen Keep Mills, Jenny Foster, Steve Diskin Producers: Stephen Keep Mills, Daniel Dubiecki Cast: Svetlana Efremova, Jennifer Griffin, Stephen Keep Mills
"Iran, Veiled Appearances" - Belgium - L.A. Premiere
After having asserted their desire for change during the presidential elections, the Iranians are now duped in their slight conquests by the power of the most conservative Islamists. This power has a firm grip on the army and the media and doesn't think twice about resorting to political murder. "Iran, Veiled Appearances" is the portrait of this socially and culturally fractured society. The divided people give rise to a multifaceted and kaleidoscopic film, as diverse as a country in which the religious fervor of some contrasts with the desire for liberty of others.
Director/Writer: Thierry Michel Producer: Les Films de la Passerelle
"Jericho Mansions" - United Kingdom - U.S. Premiere
For Leonard Grey, superintendent of Jericho Mansions, the world beyond the building's front door is a terrifying agoraphobic nightmare into which, for the last thirty years, he has never ventured. But Leonard's sanctuary is beginning to crumble; forces are conspiring to kick him out; stirrings of discontent among the residents, infidelities, accusations and finally a murder ... Could he have done it? Driven to confront and investigate the disintegration of his own sanity, the devastating truth of Leonard's world finally comes to light.
Director: Alberto Sciamma Writers: Alberto Sciamma, Harriet Sand Producers: Jason Piette, Michael Lionello Cowan, Jean-Marc Felio, Claude Leger, Suzanne Lyons, Kate Robbins Cast: James Caan, Geneviève Bujold, Maribel Verdú, Jennifer Tilly
"Khachaturian" - United States - World Premiere
"Khachaturian" is about the life of a composer working in the darkness of Stalin's USSR. Like many Soviet citizens, Khachaturian hid a complex private life behind a mask of Communist loyalty. Once respected and honored for his nationalistic compositions, Khachaturian's complex, modern 3rd Symphony brought derision and scorn from the Army Generals and Party Comrades, condemning the once luminous musician to live out his days in obscurity and censure. This is Khachaturian's intriguing story of fear, compounded by the stakes: he held the destiny of hundreds of composers and the future of Soviet music in his hands.
Director/Producer: Peter Rosen Writer: Bill Van Horn
"Life Goes On" - Germany - U.S. Premiere
Autumn 1944. The Third Reich is near collapse and the first Allied soldiers are on German soil. Just outside Berlin, the cameras start rolling on one of the biggest propaganda films ever planned by the Nazis: Life Goes On. Intended to show how the German people cope and retain their spirit through the destruction and horror of their everyday life, struggling through to the promised victory, the film was set to premiere in June 1945 (two months after the war was lost). The documentary "Life Goes On" tells this extraordinary, tragic, yet often blackly comic story of a film that started out as the biggest propaganda epic of its time and ended up in flames.
Director: Mark Cairns Writers: Mark Cairns, Carl Schmitt Producer: Carl Schmitt
"The Love of Don Robaina -- Scenes From a Cuban Tobacco Plantation" - Denmark - U.S. Premiere
"The Love of Don Robaina" is a powerful, human portrait of the eighty-three-year-old tobacco legend and his life on his tobacco plantation in Cuba. Don Robaina is now facing retirement and will have to pass on his life's work to the next generation. The film follows the process of tobacco -- as a metaphor for life itself -- but more than being a film about tobacco, it is a fascinating, profoundly moving film about handing over to a new generation, close family ties, aging with dignity, and following one's chosen path with passion and devotion.
Director/Writer/Producer: Helle Windelov
"Miffo" - Sweden - U.S. Premiere
Tobias, a young priest in one of Stockholm's poorest suburbs, is firmly convinced that his faith can actually make a difference. He is working in a world that presents a glaring contrast to his middle-class background. Carola is a young woman who lives on welfare payments and shares an apartment with her mother, a habitual drunkard. Tobias and Carola fall in love at first sight, but their differences seem impossible to overcome.
Director/Producer: Daniel Lind Lagerlöf Writer: Malin Lagerlöf Cast: Kajsa Ernst, Ingvar Hirdwall, Jonas Karlsson, Livia Millhagen, Fyr Thorvald Strömberg
"Mods" - France - U.S. Premiere
A campus, a sick student, two soldiers to save him: his brothers. Lost in a world that is alien to them but which will soon take them by surprise through memories, sounds, and songs.
Director: Serge Bozon Writer: Axelle Ropert Producer: Elena Films (David Thion) Cast: Laurent Lacotte, Guillaume Verdier, Serge Bozon, Vladimir Leon, Axelle Ropert
"Moonlight" - The Netherlands - West Coast Premiere
"Moonlight " relates the story of the teenage Claire, who discovers a wounded and bleeding boy her age in her family's garden shed. The boy is a young drug courier from Afghanistan, shot and wounded after serving his purpose as human packing material. Claire decides to keep the boy a secret. He slowly recovers under her care. They fall in love. When things get too difficult for them, they decide to flee. On the run from criminals, they live their lives in the fast lane.
Director: Paula van der Oest Writer: Carel Donck Producers: Emjay Rechsteiner, Jason Piette, Jimmy de Brabaut Cast: Laurien Van den Broeck, Hunter Bussemaker, Andrew Howard, Jemma Redgrave, Johan Leysen
"New Found Land" - Germany - U.S. Premiere
After his wife suddenly dies, Robert moves to the east of Germany to start a new life. There, he becomes attracted to Christiane, who shares an amazing resemblance with his deceased wife. Irritated by the fact that she is a different person, Robert keeps his feelings to himself. Christiane, too, has her own secrets and a close relationship develops between them, but due to their different backgrounds and experiences, they keep running into misunderstandings. Then, in the most inopportune and dangerous moment, Christiane discovers Robert's secret, putting everything on the line for both of them.
Director: Georg Maas Writers: Georg Maas, Christoph Tölle Producer: Dieter Zeppenfeld Cast: Jochen Nickel, Anna Loos, Axel Prahl
"Police Woman" - Portugal - U.S. Premiere
Tania is a young widow living in a village located in northern Portugal. Rato, her nine-year-old son, has been hanging around with bad company. When he gets into trouble, Rato is sent to a correctional facility. In order to stay close to her son, Tania decides to run away with him to Lisbon. But along the way, she will have to face her destiny.
Director/Writer: Joaquim Sapinho Producers: Amandio Coroado, Maria Joao Sigalho Cast: Amelia Coroa, Ludovic Videira, Maria Silva, Miguel Romeira, Norberto Barroca
"Rosa Funzeca" - Italy - U.S. Premiere
This neo-neo-realistic drama shot in voluptuous black and white is about a prostitute in Palermo who proudly tries to escape her old way of life to sort things out with her growing son. Sadly, both members of this unlikely family are heading for a tragic and inevitable fate. "Rosa Funzeca" is a subtle and moving melodrama with simple eloquence.
Director/Writer: Aurelio Grimaldi Producer: Stefania Bifano Cast: Ida Di Benedetto, Primo Reggiani, Ennio Fantastichini, Adriano Pantaleo, Lalla Esposito, Francesco Di Leva
"Sin Libertad" - Spain - U.S. Premiere
Several people speak about their memories and feelings as victims of terrorism. These are testimonies from relatives of those who have been murdered, victims of blackmail, harassed citizens, people who managed to survive a terrorist attack, and people who live exiled for fear of being murdered. These are men and women marked by the violence of an intolerant sector in a country where it is not possible today to speak or live in freedom.
Director/Writer/Producer: Inaki Arteta
"Touch a Dream" - Japan - U.S. Premiere
In Maisaka City, a quiet town near the Pacific Ocean, lives Junichi Kawai, a young, ordinary boy who dreams of being a great swimmer. However, he knows he was born with a hereditary eye disease. Though he loses his eyesight completely at the age of 15, he never loses his passion for swimming. Troubles begin when he leaves the ordinary high school to enroll in a special school for the blind. His days become a living hell. His only way to overcome the situation is to keep swimming and fighting for his dream of becoming a Paralmpian.
Director: Jyunji Hanadoh Writer: Hiroichi Fuse Producers: Takumi Ogawa, Tadahiko Nobe, Setsuko Matsuba, Hiroyuki Sunaga Cast: Tomokazu Miura, Yoshiko Tanaka, Ryo Katsuji, Junichi Kawai
"Two Men Went to War" - England - U.S. Premiere
A comedy drama based on the true story of two British Army dentists who in 1942, eager to see action, go AWOL and invade occupied France on their own.
Director: John Henderson Writers: Richard Everett, Christopher Villiers, Raymond Foxall (book Amateur Commandos) Producers: Ira Trattner, Pat Harding Cast: Kenneth Cranham, Leo Bill, Derek Jacobi, Phyllida Law, James Fleet, Julian Glover, Anthony Valentine
"Unlikely Heroes" - United States - World Premiere
"Unlikely Heroes" chronicles yet untold stories of Jewish resistance and individual heroism throughout the Nazi Holocaust, utilizing rare film and photos discovered in archives across Europe, and enhanced by weeks of newly filmed sequences in the locations where many of these stories actually occurred. These previously unknown stories of extraordinary men and women who exemplified the highest level of courage and human dignity during the most desperate days of the Holocaust will add a new chapter to the story of Jewish resistance.
Director: Richard Trank Writers/Producers: Richard Trank, Rabbi Martin Hier
SHORTS - 2003 HOLLYWOOD FILM FESTIVAL
"Advantage Hart" by Jeff Seibenick (United States - World Premiere) - To win the tournament and get the girl, young and hopeful Shad Hart must come face-to-face with the one thing staring him in the face: himself.
"Ask Curtis" by Rob Lewbel (United States - World Premiere) - Curtis, a 320-pound man, obsessed with his beautiful neighbor across the hall, runs a body-building supplement website. To get the girl, he finally musters the courage to lose 200 pounds, yet when he meets her new boyfriend, Curtis realizes just how little he knew about what catches her fancy.
"Dejavu" by Jesus Garcia (Spain - U.S. Premiere) - Laura and Barbara are utterly alone. They live closed in the same house. They have only each other. They always have. But they don't know this. Between them lies the most powerful of barriers: time -- for they belong to different ages. An old diary opens the first door, a piano teacher shows them the way, a porcelain doll holds the key, and music reveals the hidden truth.
"The Fridge" by George Siougas (Greece - U.S. Premiere) - George, a greedy, selfish student, has become a nightmare to his fellow flatmates. Assigned the task of finding a new fridge to replace the apartment's dysfunctional one, George discovers an old fridge in a deserted alleyway. George pockets his flatmates' money and takes it home. From that day on, strange things start happening to George. The fridge is about to teach him a lesson.
"Just a Story" by Fabian Charles (Belgium - U.S. Premiere) - Two inspectors make inquiries. Four corpses in four days, same method. Gratuitous crime or settlement of accounts?
"A Love Affair" by Jorgen Bergmark (Sweden - U.S. Premiere) - Tonight, Mans and Anna will finally have a night out together. A night of their own to do something that might invigorate their fading love. This is the night when anything could happen. If only the baby-sitter would come.
"Love Tricycle" by Andrew Goode (Australia - U.S. Premiere) - (Animation) Beau is a handsome, eligible bachelor. Bec is the girl of his dreams. Harley is her impetuous ex-boyfriend who can't let her go. One afternoon, these 3 bikes find themselves in a love triangle, and when Beau and Harley clash, sparks fly. Only one of them deserves to take Bec's handlebar.
"The Morning Guy" by Mark W. Gray (United States - West Coast Premiere) - He's a morning person, she isn't. "The Morning Guy" is a comedy about just how long a wife can put up with her husband's unique way of expressing himself.
"One, Two, Three ..." - Miguel Rueda (United States - World Premiere) - What will happen next for Rico and Knox today? After kidnapping the wrong man, they'll face an everlasting turn of events leading to an unexpected phone call that will change their lives forever.
"The Outlands" by Jon Simpson (United States - West Coast Premiere) - In a post-apocalyptic world, the survivors of the last great war are imprisoned in giant dome structures to shield themselves from the radiation in the outside world. Ten years earlier, factory workers staged the first mass escape attempt into the Outlands. The government claimed they died shortly after entering the polluted environment but others believed differently. Rumors of a utopian society in the Outlands began to spread. When Jason, a rebellious teenager, is caught trying to escape to the Outlands, he is forced to lead a military expedition to the world that no one knows for sure even exists.
"Perks" by Ashley Musgrave (United Kingdom - U.S. Premiere) - As merger-fever hits Rilton and Sons, it seems that only the most ruthless will survive in this tightly woven narrative exploring the tensions between the professional and private self.
"Pits" by Gary Hawes (Canada - U.S. Premiere) - Adam Chapin is having one of those days. Already running late for his interview at a prestigious law firm, he discovers two large sweat stains on his dress shirt. Determined to make a strong impression, Adam tries to solve this sweaty situation before going in for the interview. The only problem -- how do you get rid of pit stains?
"Shotgun" by Cord Keller (United States - L.A. Premiere) - "Shotgun" is a dramatic comedy about a pair of bumbling con artists whose criminal aspirations are sidetracked when their love relationship takes an unexpected turn.
"The Stranger" by Brad Furman -(United States - World Premiere) -
After the loss of her husband, a woman resides with her son on an abandoned airfield in an effort to keep his memory alive. Then a mysterious stranger arrives and brings with him a message of hope.
"Vernissage! 1607 Caravaggio" by Stella Leonetti (Italy - U.S. Premiere) - Naples, 1607. The Pio Monte della Misericordia church. Seconds before the unveiling of Caravaggio's Seven Works of Mercy. A powerful and scandalous painting which cost a fortune. Anxious to gain fame and contributions for the poor, the commissioners of the masterpiece are devastated when the impatient, maligned genius threatens to take back the painting, unless... Meanwhile, a poetess, an art critic, a model, a young artist, a collector, an art dealer, many beautiful ladies, aristocrats, and commoners are filling the church for the much anticipated unveiling.
"The War of Jenkins Ear" by David Napier (Australia - U.S. Premiere) - A "brain versus brawn" black comedy about the Machiavellian McGuffy and a schoolyard struggle between two high school bullies over a lucrative playground protection racket.
For more information contact
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Hollywood Film Festival®
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