[ WEEKEND ]
COURTESY OF CINEMA PARADISE
"AfroPunk," subtitled "The Rock N Roll Nigger Experience," documents and explores race identity in punk music, with performances and interviews by Bad Brains, Fishbone and D.H. Peligro of the Dead Kennedys. The film will be shown at 10 p.m. Wednesday with "Foo-Foo Dust."
Cinema
film fest
transformsFestival focuses on
‘change’ in all forms
Growing pains may be tough but rewarding. Just ask Sergio Goes, who, with partner Chris Kahunahana, have put together this year's edition of the Cinema Paradise Island Independent Film Festival.
After the success of last year's inaugural festival, Goes -- a Brazilian expatriate, photographer and filmmaker -- could've been talking about his and his wife's newborn (their second) when initially describing the festival that starts today.
"The second time is harder than the first," he said. "The first time was such a spontaneous effort, no expectations, but it ended very successful. This time, we had expectations to follow up a strong festival.
Cinema Paradise 2003
The Island Independent Film FestivalWhere: Wallace Art House at Restaurant Row and The Movie Museum, 3566 Harding Ave.
When: Various times today through Thursday
Admission: $7 ($20 all-day passes and $50 festival passes also available only at the Art House's festival desk)
Information: cinemaparadise.org
"Chris and I pretty much got all of the movies we wanted to get. Since we were able to get bigger features, there's a big lineup of fiction films this year. In fact, our opening night film, 'What Alice Found,' just won the Grand Prix award at the 25th Deauville American Film Festival in France on Sunday.
"It represents the kind of filmmaking we're trying to support -- it's a film shot digitally and independently, and the acting is superb and the writing's incredible -- it's a great film done on a limited budget."
Goes said that the festival will have another strong lineup of documentaries and "films catering to specific subcultures."
"Chris and I are in communication long distance since he's living in my old apartment in New York City. It's like a long distance relationship -- we love each other, yet we don't know what's going on! But when we do communicate, we really connect creatively."
COURTESY OF CINEMA PARADISE
Shannon Yao Yao and Lau Wing Kin (couple in lower right) star in "Drunken Monkey."
THE FESTIVAL theme this year is transformation. "We're using the origami crane to symbolize both transformation and peace. A lot of the films deal with the idea of transformation, whether it's change in lives or in the world as well. We're also asking festival goers to help us fold a thousand origami cranes as an expression of our theme."
The festival still has its economic challenges, but Goes said last year's sponsors are all back on board.
One of them is Dwight Damon of The Movie Museum, who has funded an award for local filmmakers.
"We're inviting all local filmmakers to see and learn through what we're showing. After seeing the local submissions for this year's festival, there's still a big gap in quality, and it shouldn't be that way, no excuses, because the resources are just as available here as elsewhere.
"But there were still some great local films, and from the 10 we're showing out of the 30 submitted, four of them are nominated for the Hale Ki'ioni'oni award. Not only does it loosely translate into 'movie house,' but Dwight wanted to pay homage to 'Mama Hale' (Kupuna Lilia Wahinemaikai Hale), who passed away in June."
A $5,000 award will be given to the local filmmaker as chosen by a jury comprising veteran documentarian Edgy Lee; Hawaii Film Office manager Donne Dawson; and Peter Britos, a USC School of Cinema-Television faculty member recently hired by the University of Hawaii at Manoa's film and new media school.
Some of the 40 special guests attending the festival will conduct workshops through the weekend.
The schedule follows. Screenings are at The Art House at Restaurant Row, unless otherwise noted. (For workshop information, go to cinemaparadise.org or call 550-0496.)
COURTESY OF CINEMA PARADISE
"Bomb the System" stars Mark Webber and Jaclyn DeSantis as the film's young lovers.
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Program Schedule
Today | Friday, September 19
4:15 p.m.: "Pinaytration" and "The Song Bird of Puna -- Auntie Becky Pau"
5:15 p.m.: "Maritess vs. the Superfriends" and the Island Visions Program ("Hau Blossom Tale," "Hawai'i: An Identity Reborn," "Road to the Title" and "Sugar Raid")
6:30 p.m.: Shorts Program 1 ("Dear Sweet Emma," "Downsizing," "Roof Sex," "Sea of Love," "Tom Hits His Head," "Touched" and "XP")
7:30 p.m.: "Kamehameha" and "What Alice Found" -- As mentioned above, the drama took the top prize at the recent Deauville American Film Festival in France, plus it won this year's Grand Jury Prize at Sundance. A small-town grocery cashier attempts to reinvent herself as a marine biologist by taking a road trip from New Hampshire to Florida. She soon realizes, however, that life on the road isn't all that it's cracked up to be.
9 p.m.: "In Search of Grace" and "Pandora"
10 p.m.: Shorts Program 2 ("A Love Supreme," "Bill's Seat," "Deus Ex Machina," "Hereditary Misfortune," "Notes," "Tea Time" and "Una Leccion")
Tomorrow | Saturday, September 20
2 p.m.: Shorts Program 3 ("Dance With Me," "Double Negatives," "Heartstrings," "Saving Worms," "Sunday Paper" and "Time & Again")
3 p.m.: Island Visions Program (see previous listing, plus "Kamehameha")
4:15 p.m.: "Catching Out" and "The Veggie Van Voyage"
5:15 p.m.: "Flag Wars" and "Red Wagon"
6:30 p.m.: "Drunken Monkey" -- The Shaw brothers return to martial arts filmmaking, with veteran actor-director Lau Kar Leung teamed up with Gordon Liu Chia-hui, star of the seminal "The 36th Chamber of Shaolin" (and soon to be seen in Quentin Tarantino's upcoming "Kill Bill"). This new martial arts movie done the old school way, with authentic fight choreography.
7:30 p.m.: "5 Sides of a Coin" and "Parallel Universe" -- "5 Sides" is a Canadian documentary and a good hip-hop primer. It was made in association with Afrika Bambaataa's Universal Zulu Nation.
9 p.m.: "Bomb the System" and "Kung Faux" -- "Bomb the System" is a drama about a young man and his crew immersed in the frenetic, often dangerous world of New York City graffiti artists, pursued by NYPD's Vandal Squad.
10 p.m.: "Butterfly" and "Where's the Party Yaar?"
Sunday, September 21
2 p.m.: Experimental Program ("Dimensionless Woman," "Eternal Sleep," "I-99," "Shudder" and "The Displacement Map: A documentary in four movements") and Animation Program ("Aunt Luisa," "Dear Sweet Emma," "Marrow," "Roof Sex," "Tomato Love" and "Tryst Watch")
3 p.m.: "Hooked: The Legend of Demetrius 'Hook' Mitchell" and "Sonny Listening" -- "Hooked" is a documentary about the greatest street basketball player to never make it to the NBA. It's a poignant look at the diminutive b-baller from the hard streets of Oakland who built his status by leaping over cars and doing slam dunks. He's of the same generation as fellow NBA stars from Oak Town -- lucky and disciplined men like Gary Payton, Antonio Davis and Brian Shaw -- but "Hook" couldn't leave the streets behind, made wrong choices and ended up incarcerated. But this is also a story about second chances in life. Repeats at 10 p.m.
4:15 p.m.: "Direct Order" -- Documentary made to draw attention to the plight of those military personnel who are suffering from the after effects of anthrax vaccinations in the early '90s.
5:15 p.m.: "Cockfighters: The Short Film and the Interviews" and "Road to the Title"
6:30 p.m.: "Dada" and "Edificio Master"
7:30 p.m.: "S.U.V. Luv" and "Speedo"
9 p.m.: "Bus 174"
Monday, September 22
4:15 p.m.: "Shaolin Ulysses: Kung Fu Monks in America"
5:15 p.m.: "Mystic Iran: The Unseen World" and "The Anniversary"
6:30 p.m.: "Kung Phooey"
7:30 p.m.: "Return to Kandahar" and "Shui Hen" -- "Return" follows "Kandahar" star Nelofer Pazira back to her native Afghanistan to find a lost friend, whose story inspired the feature film.
9 p.m.: "Drunken Monkey" and "Kung Faux"
10 p.m.: "Raymundo"
Tuesday, September 23
4:15 p.m.: "Edificio Master" and "On the Fringes of Sao Paulo: Homeless"
5:15 p.m.: "Red Wagon" and "The Far Shore"
6 p.m.: Shorts Program 1 at The Movie Museum
6:30 p.m.: "Bus 174" and "This Desert" -- "Bus 174" documents a street kid's attempted robbery of passengers on a Rio de Janeiro bus. The incident turned into a hostage ordeal broadcast live for hours on Brazilian television.
7:30 p.m.: "A Common Thread" and "NIHI, a biography of Titus Nihi Kinimaka"
8 p.m.: Shorts Program 2 at The Movie Museum
9 p.m.: "In Search of Grace"
10 p.m.: "5 Sides of a Coin" and "Parallel Universe"
Wednesday, September 24
4:15 p.m.: "Shaolin Ulysses: Kung Fu Monks in America"
5:15 p.m.: "FlashTV"
6 p.m.: Shorts Program 3 at The Movie Museum
6:30 p.m.: "Bomb the System" and "Pandora"
7:30 p.m.: "Stoked: The Rise and Fall of Gator" -- Mark "Gator" Rogowski was one of the '80s most celebrated pro skateboarders. As skating styles shifted and his fame waned, Gator tried to reinvent himself with a name change, religious conversion and a split from his longtime girlfriend. No one knew how unbalanced Gator was, however, until he confessed to a murder.
8 p.m.: "Island Visions" program at The Movie Museum
9 p.m.: "Dada" and "Madame Sata" -- Sata was a criminal, homosexual, cabaret star and devoted father of seven adopted children. The latter film presents a portrait of the triumphs and tragedies of this paradoxical personality, as the story unfolds on the streets of Rio de Janeiro. A detailed review will be published on Tuesday's Entertainment page.
10 p.m.: "AfroPunk" and "Foo-Foo Dust" -- Subtitled "The Rock N Roll Nigger Experience," "AfroPunk" documents and explores race identity in punk music, with performances and interviews with the D.C. reggae/hardcore band Bad Brains, Fishbone and D.H. Peligro of the Dead Kennedys.
Thursday, September 25
4:15 p.m.: "A Common Thread" and "NIHI, a biography of Titus Nihi Kinimaka"
5:15 p.m.: "Tom Hits His Head" and "What Alice Found"
6 p.m.: "Roof Sex" and "The Shape of Things" -- Neil LaBute's tale of war between the sexes makes its Hawaii return. Rachel Weisz plays a smart, sexy graduate art student who meets an undergrad English major and part-time museum guard (Paul Rudd) as she is about to deface a statue. Love blooms between the two -- or does it?
7:30 p.m.: "Kung Phooey"
9 p.m.: "Speedo" -- This is an entertaining documentary about the demolition derby career and rocky family life of Ed "Speedo" Jager. It captures his life during one tumultuous year, beginning during the summer racing season in Long Island, New York, and ending at the National Demolition Derby Championship in Florida. Jager, his new girlfriend and filmmaker Jesse Moss will attend.
10 p.m.: "Return to Kandahar" and "The Anniversary"
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‘Cinema Paradise’
fest is under way
"What Alice Found" is the tale of a naive, penniless young woman, trying to get from New Hampshire to Florida to pursue a career as a marine biologist, who is recruited by a friendly couple into becoming part of the seedy underworld of truck-stop prostitution.
Director-screenwriter A. Dean Bell handles this cautionary tale with dexterity. It's shot inexpensively on digital video, but his characterizations are nuanced. Judith Ivey and Bill Raymond play the couple with a vulnerability that makes their exploitative treatment more understandable -- if not, perhaps, even forgivable. Alice (Emily Grace) is not simply an innocent victim ensnared in the machinations of a duplicitous couple, but also a willing accomplice discovering her own sexual power.
"Cinema Paradise 2003"
Films from the Island Independent Film FestivalPlace: The Art House at Restaurant Row
>> "What Alice Found": Screens at 7:30 p.m. today and 5:15 p.m. Thursday
>> "Bomb the System": Screens at 9 p.m. tomorrow and 6:30 p.m. Wednesday
Tickets: $7 ($20 all-day passes and $50 festival passes also available only at the Art House's festival desk)
Info: cinemaparadise.org
There's a refreshing honesty in the film's treatment of the sordid subject matter, and the three actors inhabit their roles with an emotional truth.
This unspectacular drama is buoyed by Ivey and Grace's sensitive performances. Ivey gives a compelling performance as a maternal woman who also just happens to be a hooker and a pimp.
Meanwhile, the film puts its troubled protagonist through the moral wringer as the easily manipulated and unfocused teen finds herself in over her head when she's drawn into prostitution.
Grace's character isn't especially bright or pretty, but the actress brings an awkward charm to the role that draws us in and makes us root for Alice to make the right choices.
Raymond is clearly a background figure but plays a pivotal part in the plot, so it seems unfortunate that his character is underwritten.
The script has some awkward flashback inserts, but what makes "Alice" a success is the performances, which transcend the rudimentary storytelling.
"BOMB THE SYSTEM" follows the rebellious exploits of Blest, a young graffiti artist (Mark Webber) struggling to survive the travails of first love, the New York Police Department's Vandal Squad and the illegal if artistic life of a "bomber."
In Adam Bhala Lough's impressive feature debut, Blest is both haunted and inspired by the memory of his deceased brother, once the best graffiti writer in the city. He, on the other hand, is an artist not completely aware of his talent. Prodded by his mother to apply to a number of art schools, Blest would rather live a similar life to the one that resulted in his brother's demise: consuming drugs at all-night parties, stealing spray paint cans from hardware stores during the day and, in between, bombing the Gotham streets with his best friend, Buk 50 (Gano Grillo), and Buk's 15-year-old brother, Lune (Jade Yorker).
COURTESY OF CINEMA PARADISE
Compelling performances transcend simple storytelling in "What Alice Found," a tale of truck-stop prostitution, which screens today and Thursday at the Art House at Restaurant Row.
The three-man crew butts heads with the NYPD's Vandal Squad, headed by a corrupt cop named Bobby Cox (Al Sapienza). Lune discovers that the Vandal Squad means business when he is busted and goes home with a gash on his face, courtesy of Cox. This is no deterrent to his older brother, who responds by engaging in a "graffiti war" with the police.
Blest shows some small signs that he realizes his crew is fighting a war they can't win, and when he meets a young political activist, Alex (Jaclyn DeSantis), who also uses the city as a canvas for expression, Blest is forced to make life-altering decisions.
Since this film is about outlaw artists, it's natural that Lough would incorporate a stylistically blunt approach. The director roughs up the visual field with jump cuts, dissolves and freeze frames, playing with film speed, focus, stock exposure and post-synched dialogue.
But while Lough possesses a striking visual flair, character and plot contrivances abound in his screenplay. Blest is a decently developed central character, although his obstacles and possible resolutions are fairly obvious (higher education and "getting the girl" providing potential salvation from a life stuck on repeat).
The corrupt Cox is a cartoonlike embodiment of evil, overplayed by Sapienza as a snarling ball of hatred. The film would've benefited from even the slightest shade of gray in the character.
The dialogue is sparse, though some of Alex's mission statement speeches come across as lectures.
"Bomb the System" is a trip into a very real underground world and shows a filmmaker working in a territory of personal passion. Lough brings sensitivity but also an urgent, visceral feel to the drama. His skill and sincerity ultimately shine through.
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