06/30/2006
2006 Traverse City Film Festival: The List
2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY
Stanley Kubrick's ground-breaking 1968 masterpiece is presented here in all its original wide screen glory. Told at the advent of the computer age, it is the quintessential tale of man vs. machine. This was the only one of Kubrick's feature films to garner an Oscar. Part of the Festival's tribute to Kubrick. 1968/UK-USA/Rated G/141 min.
AIR GUITAR NATION
After first competing for the national title, the American air guitar champs travel to Finland, where they face international competition and global political tension. Winner of the Audience Award at the South by Southwest Film Festival. Director Alexandra Lipsitz and air guitar stars C Diddy and Bjorn Turoque will appear on stage. 2006/Finland/Not Rated/81 min.
A/K/A TOMMY CHONG
In 2003, Tommy Chong, one half of the famed comedy duo Cheech and Chong, was arrested and sent to federal prison for selling bongs. What at first looked like just another case of a stoner being nabbed by the narcs turned out to be a carefully orchestrated plot to go after Tommy Chong and make an example out of him. Winner of the Best Documentary Award at the U.S. Comedy Arts Festival. Director Josh Gilbert will appear on stage. 2005/USA/Not Rated/78 min.
AMADEUS
As celebrations of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's 250th birthday take place around the world, the Traverse City Film Festival will join in with a screening of this Oscar-winning film (Best Actor, Best Screenplay, Best Picture). The Traverse Symphony Orchestra will perform Mozart's music live before the screening. Directed by Milos Forman and starring F. Murray Abraham as Salieri. 1984/USA/Rated PG/160 min.
BARRY LYNDON
An 18th-century Irish scoundrel sneaks into high society, only to fall from grace. "Barry Lyndon" was nominated for seven Academy Awards. Ryan O'Neal and Marisa Berensen star. Part of the Festival's tribute to Director Stanley Kubrick. 1975/UK/Rated PG/184 min.
THE BEAUTY ACADEMY OF KABUL
After the initial defeat of the Taliban by American forces in November 2001, a group of U.S. beauticians travel to Kabul, Afghanistan to set up the country's first beauty school. Directed by Liz Mermin, this was an official selection for the Documentary Competition at the Tribeca Film Festival. 2004/USA/Not Rated/74 min.
BORAT
British comedian and satirist Sacha Baron Cohen (star of HBO's "Da Ali G Show") poses as Borat Sagdiyev, "the most famous man in Kazakhstan." He travels the U.S. on a quest to make Pamela Anderson his wife. Borat, scheduled for fall release, is a fictional character filmed in completely real documentary settings. Director Larry Charles ("Seinfeld," "Curb Your Enthusiasm") will appear on stage. 2006/USA/Rated R (strong and crude sexual language and nudity)
BORN ON THE FOURTH OF JULY
In a role that earned him a Best Actor Oscar nomination, Tom Cruise stars as paralyzed Vietnam War veteran Ron Kovic. Oliver Stone won an Oscar for directing the film, which is part of a Festival salute to Tom Cruise. 1989/USA/Rated R (violence, language, nudity)/145 min.
CACHE (HIDDEN)
Winner of Best Director (Michael Haneke) at last year's Cannes Film Festival and multiple Best Foreign Film awards here in the U.S., this French psychological mystery is a sharp and relentless allegory about fear, trust and war. Anne and Georges (Juliette Binoche and Daniel Auteuil) literally watch as their tranquil marriage is thrown into disarray by a series of mysterious videotapes anonymously delivered on their doorstep. 2005/France-Austria-Germany-Italy/Rated R (brief strong violence)/117 min.
THE CANARY EFFECT
Native American directors Robin Davey and Yellow Thunder Woman explore the history of the devastating effects of U.S. policy on the indigenous people of America. A hit at this year's Tribeca Film Festival, "The Canary Effect" is the Film Festival's first annual Native American matinee. It will be shown along with a short Native Canadian film called "Smudge," directed by Gail Maurice. The directors will be on hand. 2006/USA/Not Rated/60 min.
A CLOCKWORK ORANGE
Garnering Stanley Kubrick an Academy Award for Best Director, "A Clockwork Orange" is Kubrick's brilliant, dystopian vision of England in the not-so-distant future. It follows young Alex (Malcolm McDowell) and his blissfully violent gang as they rage and rampage their way through the British countryside. But the good times soon end and Alex submits to the authority's attempt to "rehabilitate" him into a functional member of society. Once X-rated in America, the film was so incendiary — and the reaction to it so vociferous — that Kubrick pulled it from British theaters for nearly 30 years. McDowell will be in attendance. Part of the Festival's tribute to Kubrick. 1971/UK/Rated R (nudity, sex, violence)/136 min.
DR. STRANGELOVE
Stanley Kubrick's sardonic send-up of the Cold War features Peter Sellers in three separate roles, for which he received a Best Actor Oscar nomination; George C. Scott in his most audacious role; and James Earl Jones in his film debut. An insane general unilaterally dispatches a B-52 bomber on a mission to nuke the Commies and blow Russia to smithereens. The President uproariously convenes his war room and pleads with the drunken Soviet leadership for a little understanding, while a mad Nazi scientist explains the cold logic of mutually assured destruction. Will they stop the bomb in time? Will the Russians fire back? 1964/UK/Rated PG/93 min.
THE DYING GAUL
"The Dying Gaul" stars Campbell Scott, Patricia Clarkson and Peter Sarsgaard in a tale of sex, lies and Hollywood. A struggling screenwriter sells his script to a Hollywood studio but there's a catch: key elements of the story will have to be changed. The screenwriter is quickly seduced by the smooth-talking studio executive, and when the executive's wife finds out, she sets out to destroy them both. Directed by Craig Lucas and nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival. 2005/USA/Rated R (strong sexual content and language)/105 min.
EYES WIDE SHUT
Director Stanley Kubrick's final film starring Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman is a searing psychological drama examining the human condition in a marriage gone terribly awry. Part of the Festival's tribute to Kubrick and salute to Cruise. 1999/USA-UK/Rated R (strong sexual content, nudity, language)/159 min.
FAR AND AWAY
Ron Howard directs Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman as young Irish lovers who escape their homeland and flee together to find a brighter future for themselves in America. Their new lives in Boston are far from the fairy tale they imagined. This picturesque romance set in 1892 is an exploration of the search for the American dream and the class division that Cruise and Kidman must eventually solve. Part of the Festival's salute to Tom Cruise. 1992/USA/Rated PG-13 (some violence and sensuality)/140 min.
FLIRTING WITH DISASTER
Mel Coplin (Ben Stiller) is a new father who suddenly and fanatically decides that he must find his biological parents. Coplin takes his wife, Nancy (Patricia Arquette), their new baby and their adoption representative (Tea Leoni) on a rollicking, zig-zag journey across America, from San Diego to Detroit to the New Mexico desert. George Segal, Mary Tyler Moore, Alan Alda and Lilly Tomlin also star. Part of the Traverse City Film Festival's Tribute to Director David O. Russell, who will appear on stage. 1996/UK/Rated R (language, sexuality, and a comic drug scene)/92 min.
FRESH
The story of a 12-year-old boy who becomes a runner and seller of drugs. With dismal realities laid bare, this independent American film is anything but easy viewing. Directed by Boaz Yakin, winner of the Filmmakers Trophy at the Sundance Film Festival, it is produced by Lawrence Bender, who will appear in person as part of the Festival's tribute to the producer. 1994/France-USA/Rated R (intense violence, drug content, foul language, some sexuality)/114 min.
FULL METAL JACKET
Stanley Kubrick's take on Vietnam leads the viewer on a treacherous walk through boot camp and then on to war. Matthew Modine stars, and will appear in person at the screening. Part of the Festival's tribute to Kubrick. 1987/USA/Rated R (violence, sexuality)/116 min.
HOTEL RWANDA
Nominated for three Academy Awards including Best Actor and Best Supporting Actress, Hotel Rwanda tells the story of a hotel manager who turns his business into a sanctuary in the midst of the 1994 Rwandan genocide. Fearless performances by Don Cheadle, Sophie Okonedo and Nick Nolte drive this austere nail-biter. Directed by Terry George, who will be on hand to introduce the film. 2004/USA-UK-Italy-South Africa/Rated PG-13 (violence, disturbing images, language)/121 min.
I WANT SOMEONE TO EAT CHEESE WITH
Jeff Garlin (producer and co-star, "Curb Your Enthusiasm") brings his directorial debut, which was a big hit at the Tribeca and Los Angeles film festivals, to Traverse City. In this quirky romantic comedy, Garlin plays James, a late-blooming Chicago bachelor who faces the prospect of a life spent alone. Also starring are Bonnie Hunt, Sarah Silverman and Amy Sedaris. Garlin will introduce the film. 2006/USA/Not Rated/80 min.
AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH
"I've been trying to tell this story for a long time, and I feel as if I've failed." That is how Al Gore begins his documentary on global warming. Already the fifth-largest grossing documentary of all time, it has single-handedly put the issue of the melting ice caps near the top of the political agenda. Directed by David Guggenheim. Producer Lawrence Bender will be present as part of the Festival's tribute to him. 2006/USA/Rated PG (mild thematic elements)/100 min.
INNOCENT VOICES
Luis Mandoki's award-winning film searches for love and hope in the midst of El Salvador's civil war. As 11-year-old Chava is pushed inexorably toward a choice between mandatory state military service and the guerilla life of the rebels, a young child's innocence is put on trial. Lawrence Bender, the producer, will introduce the film as part of a Festival tribute to him. 2004/Mexico/Rated R (violence, language)/120 min.
IRAQ IN FRAGMENTS
The Iraq war as viewed solely through the eyes of Iraqis. A Shiite boy, a group of Sunnis and the people of a Kurdish village each take viewers through what life is like for them in their war-torn homeland, offering a rare glimpse inside a war that is nothing like what we see on the evening news. Directed by James Longley. Winner of three awards at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival and awarded the Jury Prize at this year's Full Frame Documentary Film Festival in North Carolina. 2006/USA-Iraq/Not Rated/94 min.
IRON ISLAND
A huge abandoned oil tanker sits a few miles off the coast of Iran. Captain Nemat, played by Ali Nasirian, establishes his own society on the ship and others soon join him as they create a floating city. With their own money, power, clothing factory and jobs, they are self-sufficient, but Nemat rules with an iron fist, his absolute power tested when two young lovers, under increasing pressure from outside influences, defy his authority. Directed by Mohammad Rasoulof, it's part of a Festival salute to Iranian cinema. 2005/Iran/Not Rated/90 min.
JESUS CAMP
The "Kids On Fire" camp in North Dakota has a mission: to train children as young as 5 years old to be soldiers in God's Army. Pentecostal Pastor Becky Fisher, who runs the camp, admits an admiration for the way militant Islamists raise children so devoted that they will risk their lives for their faith — and her campers do her proud. This documentary directed by the acclaimed duo of Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady received the Special Jury Award at the 2006 Tribeca Film Festival. Ewing will be at the Festival to introduce the film. 2006/USA/Not Rated/85 min.
JOHN AND JANE TOLL FREE
Whether you're booking a hotel reservation or buying that special something you saw on an infomercial late at night, when you dial that 1-800 number, more than likely you're talking to someone in India. But just who are these individuals? You will meet them in Ashim Ahluwalia's acclaimed documentary about call center workers in India. 2005/India/Not Rated/86 min.
JOYEAUX NOEL
Nominated for Best Foreign Film at this year's Oscars, "Joyeaux Noël" is an emotional, riveting film based on a true incident in World War I. It's Christmas Eve 1914. The Germans are dug in their trenches on one side of a field, and the French and Scots are dug in on the other side. Someone starts singing "Silent Night," and across the field, the enemy joins in. Soon everyone puts down their guns. Directed by Christian Carion. 2005/France-Germany-UK-Romania/Rated PG-13 (war, violence, brief sexuality)
/116 min.
JURASSIC PARK
Dinosaurs of the size God intended them to be are unleashed on the new, bigger 65-foot screen at the Open Space park on the Traverse City waterfront. Directed by Steven Spielberg. 1993/USA/Rated PG-13 (intense science terror)/127 min.
THE KILLING
Director Stanley Kubrick's first full feature-length film, presented by the Traverse City Film Festival on the occasion of the film's 50th anniversary. A heist movie of supreme order, this noir classic stars Sterling Hayden. Nominated for Best Film by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts. Part of the Festival's tribute to Kubrick. 1956/USA/Not Rated/85 min.
KISS KISS BANG BANG
Robert Downey Jr. is a petty thief who skates through life on a shaky cocktail of dog-eared charm and cockeyed optimism. His bad luck takes a turn for the better when he inadvertently stumbles into an audition for a Hollywood detective movie and gets paired with a tough guy private eye (Val Kilmer) to prepare for a screen test. As a thief trying to be an actor impersonating a detective, he encounters an aspiring actress (Michelle Monaghan) who needs his help and, with Kilmer, becomes embroiled in a real-life murder mystery. Directed by screenwriter Shane Black. 2005/USA/Rated R (violence, sexuality and nudity)/102 min.
LA MOUSTACHE
Is it possible to be married to someone for 15 years and never notice they have a moustache? And how can the shaving of one's moustache be the cause of a psychological and marital meltdown? French director Emmanuel Carrere tells us how, in this clever, award-winning look into the small cracks that lurk in the "best" marriages and professional relationships. 2005/France/Not Rated/86 min.
L'AMERICA
Gianni Amelio's story of the dislocation and chaos of post-Communist Albania won accolades upon its release in 1994. It's the story of two Italian racketeers who decide to take advantage of the chaos in Albania by using government money earmarked for economic relief to set up a fake shoe factory. Thing is, they need an Albanian to be in charge. They find an old man — a former political prisoner — to serve as their sham CEO. But then he takes off. It won Best Picture at the European Film Awards. 1994/Italy/Not Rated/115 min.
LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE
When a suicidal uncle (Steve Carell), a failed inspirational speaker (Greg Kinnear), his wife (Toni Collette), their son who has refused to speak in six months (Paul Dano), and a cantankerous grandfather (Alan Arkin) hop into a dilapidated VW bus to get young Olive (Abigail Breslin) to the finals of a children's beauty pageant, you get "Little Miss Sunshine." This dark and funny adult satire won the top prize at this year's Sundance Film Festival. Its Traverse City Film Festival screening comes prior to its national release. Directed by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris. 2006/USA/Rated R (language, sex, drugs)/101 min.
LOLITA
Stanley Kubrick directs this dark satire of a middle-aged writer who falls for 14-year-old Lolita and rents a room in her mother's house. Made in 1962, it set off shock waves that reverberate to this day. Brilliant acting turns are taken by James Mason as the obsessed writer and narrator, Shelley Winters as the girl's mother and Sue Lyon as Lolita. Part of the Festival's tribute to Kubrick. 1962/USA-UK/Not Rated/152 min.
THE LOST SKELETON OF CADAVRA
A spoof of the old 1950s science fiction films where aliens come to earth, up to no good. The film is an affectionate, meticulous recreation of those notoriously cheesy clunkers, drawing on a gaggle of beloved stereotypes to pursue "that rarest of all radioactive elements — atmosphereum." Writer/director Larry Blamire heads the cast. 2001/USA/Rated PG (brief mild language)/96 min.
MEN AT WORK
Four men from Tehran are on their way to a ski trip. As they round a curve, they encounter a boulder that sits on the edge of a cliff. Together they decide that the boulder must be pushed off that cliff. And, for the next 80 minutes, that's what they try to do in this funny, poignant allegory by acclaimed Iranian director Mani Haghighi, who is coming from Tehran and will speak after the film. Part of the Festival's salute to Iranian cinema. 2006/Iran/Not Rated/75 min.
MIKE'S SURPRISE
Festival founder Michael Moore shows up with ... a sneak preview of a big Hollywood movie? A treasure that the public hasn't seen in years? Some of his home movies? Nobody knows until 10 p.m. on the last night of the festival.
MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL
The 1975 British comedy that managed to work its way into today's pop psyche initially had such a small budget that they couldn't afford horses. This film is considered one of the best British comedies of all time. King Arthur's quest for the Holy Grail brings him in contact with, among others, an anarcho-syndicalist peasant, killer bunnies and eight-score teenage girls aching to be spanked." Directed by Terry Gilliam and Terry Jones. 1975/UK/Rated PG/91 min.
NAPOLEON DYNAMITE
The husband/wife team of Jared Hess (writer and director) and Jerusha Hess (writer) give us a quirky, piercing, semi-autobiographical glimpse into teenage turmoil, as Napoleon Dynamite endures the tyranny of the popular crowd, a quirky family life and the cultural stagnation of a small Midwestern town. Winner of both Best Movie and Best Musical Performance (for the election dance) at the MTV Movie Awards. 2004/USA/Rated PG (thematic elements, language)/82 min.
NINE LIVES
A moving exploration of the individual experiences of nine women. Writer/director Rodrigo Garcia depicts nine different characters at emotional crossroads, with an ensemble that includes Sissy Spacek, Kathy Baker, Amy Brenneman, Glenn Close, Holly Hunter, Robin Wright Penn, Lisa Gay Hamilton, Amanda Seyfried and Elpidia Carrillo. 2005/USA/Rated R (brief sexual content, some disturbing images)/112 min.
O LUCKY MALCOLM
Traverse City will host the world premiere of Jan Harlan's intimate portrait of the acclaimed actor Malcolm McDowell. This documentary will be released later this year by Warner Brothers, and both Harlan and McDowell will appear on stage at the Traverse City screening. 2006/Not Rated
PARADISE NOW
The first Palestinian film to be nominated for an Academy Award (in this year's Best Foreign Film category), "Paradise Now" is the story of two young Palestinian men in the West Bank. Friends since childhood, they find themselves recruited for a suicide bombing strike in Tel Aviv. It is the moment they have been waiting for all of their lives. But a Palestinian woman discovers their plan for shared martyrdom and pleads with them to reconsider. Directed by Hany Abu-Assad. 2005/France-Germany-Netherlands-Israel/Rated PG-13 (mature thematic material, brief strong language)/90 min.
PATHS OF GLORY
Kirk Douglas stars in Stanley Kubrick's 1957 World War I epic about a commander in the French army who sees part of his battle-worn unit refuse to continue when they realize they are facing certain death in an impossible attack. To make an example out of them, three soldiers are put on trial for cowardice, and Douglas plays the military attorney who defends the soldiers in a sham trial. Part of the Festival's tribute to Kubrick. 1957/USA/Not Rated/87 min.
PEE-WEE'S BIG ADVENTURE
The now-famous combo of Paul Reubens (actor, writer), director Tim Burton (his first film), and writers Phil Hartman and Michael Varhol offer up a quirky comedy featuring a 98-pound man-child's search for his stolen bicycle. 1985/USA/Rated PG/90 min.
PITTSBURGH
Part documentary and all comedy, "Pittsburgh" follows actor Jeff Goldblum as he decides to leave behind a $4 million offer for a big-budget Hollywood movie and go to Pittsburgh to be in a regional theater production of "The Music Man." His girlfriend was about to be deported to Canada — unless she found work in America. In an effort to get her hired for the Pittsburgh show, he agrees to join the cast. Playing themselves are Ileana Douglas, Ed Begley Jr., Craig Kilborn, Moby, Alanis Morissette and Conan O'Brien. Directed by Chris Bradley and Kyle LaBrache, "Pittsburgh" is the opening night movie of the Festival. 2006/USA/Not Rated/83 min.
PRESIDENT MIR QANBAR
A poor 74-year-old man by the name of Mir Qanbar decides that anyone can grow up to be president of Iran. So he declares his candidacy and sets off on the campaign trail with his mule and loyal friend, Seifollah, to the many remote, poverty-stricken villages of his district. Director Mohammed Shirvani captures the quiet dignity and determination of Mir Qanbar in this documentary about a man to whom democracy is not just a word or a promise. 2005/Iran/Not Rated/70 min.
THE PRIZE WINNER OF DEFIANCE, OHIO
Based on a true story, "The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio" stars Oscar nominees Julianne Moore, Woody Harrelson and Laura Dern in a 1950s tale of a mother of 10 who earns a livelihood by entering — and winning — jingle contests. Directed by Jane Anderson. 2005/USA/Rated PG-13 (thematic elements, disturbing images, language)/99 min.
THE PROMISE
Following in the footsteps of "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," this Chinese love story with lots of action features the spirited Princess Qingcheng, who falls in love with a heroic general she believes saved her life. But, in fact, her savior is actually the general's servant who was wearing the general's armor and mask when he rescued her from death. Directed by Chen Kaige ("Farewell My Concubine," "The Emperor and the Assassin"), it was a Golden Globe nominee for Best Foreign Film. 2005/China/Rated PG-13 (stylized violence and martial arts, some sexual content)/128 min.
THE ROAD TO GUANTANAMO
In the weeks after 9/11, three British boys are on their way from London to a wedding in Pakistan — and make the fateful mistake of deciding to take a side trip into neighboring Afghanistan. It is there that they are swooped up into the arms of the invading U.S. military, shackled and put on a plane to the American military base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where they spend the next two years without ever being charged for a crime. A drama that uses documentary elements, it won the top directing prize at the 2006 Berlin International Film Festival. Co-directed by the British director Michael Winterbottom. 2006/UK/Rated R (language, disturbing content)/95 min.
SCOOP
Woody Allen directs and stars in this new romantic comedy with Scarlett Johansson and Hugh Jackman. Johansson is an American journalism student in London who gets a scoop on a big story and begins an affair with an aristocrat (Jackman). Also starring Ian McShane ("Deadwood"). Its showing as the special closing night feature of the 2006 Traverse City Film Festival comes in advance of its national release. 2006/USA/Rated PG-13 (some sexual content)
THE SHINING
Jack Nicholson stars in Steven King's terror tale of a man named Jack Torrance who gets hired as a "housesitter" at a hotel in the Colorado mountains that closes in the winter. He and his family are the hotel's only residents and, when Jack's telepathic son realizes the hotel is haunted with spirits, dad begins to go crazy. Also starring Shelley Duval. Part of the Festival's tribute to Stanley Kubrick. 1980/USA-UK/Rated R (violence, language)/119 min.
SOLDIERS PAY
Never released after it was made in 2004 due to its controversial nature, the showing of "Soldiers Pay" during the Traverse City Film Festival marks one of the few times anyone has been able to see it in a theater. A documentary co-directed by David O. Russell, it offers interviews with soldiers, psychologists, politicians and journalists about the wars the U.S. has fought in Iraq. Part of the Festival's tribute to Russell, who will attend. A short film, it will be paired with "Three Kings." 2004/USA/Not Rated/35 min.
SOME MOTHER'S SON
Written and directed by Oscar-nominee Terry George ("In the Name of the Father," "Hotel Rwanda") and based on a true story, "Some Mother's Son" circles around IRA prisoners on a hunger strike against the policies of Margaret Thatcher and the British government. George focuses on two of the inmates' mothers — one supportive of the strike, the other horrified by it. He will appear at the festival as guest director. 1996/Ireland/Rated R (language, violence, political suffering)/112 min.
SON OF MAN
The surprise hit of this year's Sundance Film Festival. "Son of Man" is director Mark Dornford-May's collaboration with the South African theater company Dimpho Di Kopane to tell the story of Jesus — set in modern-day southern Africa. The director will travel from South Africa to attend the screening. 2006/South Africa/Not Rated/86 min.
SPARTACUS
Two thousand years before the American Civil War, there was Spartacus. Kirk Douglas stars as the slave who cannot take it anymore and leads a revolt against the mightiest empire on earth. Part of the Festival's tribute to Kubrick. 1960/USA/PG-13/184 min.
THE SQUID AND THE WHALE
Oscar-nominee Laura Linney and Michigan's own Jeff Daniels star in Noah Baumbach's semi-autobiographical Sundance Film Festival award-winner and Oscar nominee. We meet the Berkman family in 1986. Dad is a self-absorbed academic and failed author and mom is restless with her dead-end marriage and a career that may turn out to be bigger than her husband's. Caught in the middle are their sons. 2005/USA/Rated R (strong sexual content, graphic dialogue)/88 min.
STANLEY KUBRICK: A LIFE IN PICTURES
Jan Harlan, brother-in-law of the director and executive producer of all of Stanley Kubrick's films, produced this documentary on Kubrick's career. Part of the 2006 Traverse City Film Festival's tribute to Kubrick and salute to Tom Cruise, who narrates.
STREET THIEF
Chicago documentary filmmakers Malik Bader and Miles Harrison convince a professional burglar to let them go along as he commits his crimes, and to film him in the act. But, by being there at the scene of the crime, and knowing in advance about the burglaries, are not the filmmakers themselves complicit in the act? The filmmakers will be present at the festival. 2006/USA/Not Rated/89 min.
THIS FILM NOT YET RATED
A documentary from Academy Award-nominated director Kirby Dick about the MPAA film ratings system and its effect on American culture. The film sets out on its own investigation to discover the secret names of the people who sit on the ratings board and then demands to know why it is that they get to decide the ratings fate of movies today. Filmmakers who speak candidly about their run-ins with the MPAA include John Waters ("A Dirty Shame"), Kevin Smith ("Clerks"), Kimberly Peirce ("Boys Don't Cry"), Mary Harron ("American Psycho"), actress Maria Bello and distributor Bingham Ray. Because of some of the clips used in this documentary, it becomes the first Traverse City Film Festival offering to carry a rating of NC-17. 2006/USA/NC-17/(pending appeal, graphic sexual content)/100 min.
THE THREE BURIALS OF MELQUIADES ESTRADA
The directorial debut of Oscar-winning actor Tommy Lee Jones, who also stars as a local ranch foreman on the tense border between Texas and Mexico. Illegal immigrants cross over and work in the area, and Jones befriends one of them, only to find him shot dead one day by a border patrolman under questionable circumstances. Jones kidnaps the cop and forces him to dig up the body of his friend. They then undertake a dangerous and quixotic journey into Mexico to return the body to its rightful resting place. Also featuring Dwight Yoakam, it was nominated for the Golden Palm at the Cannes Film Festival. 2005/USA-France/Rated R (language, violence, sexuality)/121 min.
THREE KINGS
Director David O. Russell directs George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg and Ice Cube in an action thriller that is set inside the first Iraq War. Russell will appear in person as part of a tribute to his work. 1999/USA/Rated R (graphic war violence, language, some sexuality)/114 min.
TSOTSI
Winner of this year's Academy Award for Best Foreign Film, this powerful movie is set amidst the sprawling ghettos of Johannesburg, South Africa — where survival is the primary objective. Tsotsi traces six days in the life of a ruthless young gang leader who ends up caring for a baby accidentally kidnapped during a car-jacking. Widely hailed by critics and richly awarded at film festivals around the globe, "Tsotsi" vividly portrays the brutality of violent crime and its harsh consequences. This film is not suitable for children to watch. From South African director Gavin Hood. 2005/UK-South Africa/Rated R (language, strong violent content)/94 min.
THE TV SET
In a satire on the world of network television, director Jake Kasdan tells the tale of a television sitcom writer on the verge of his big break. David Duchovny stars as the downtrodden writer who has written an intelligent script, only to have the network refuse to do the pilot unless he makes a "few changes." Justine Bateman plays his wife and Sigourney Weaver is his swaggering, profane network boss. Kasdan will be attending the Festival. 2006/USA/Rated R (language)/87 min.
VIVA ZAPATERO!
Italian actress and satirist Sabina Guzzanti turns director for her first documentary. Given a talk show on television, she lasts exactly one night before cronies of Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi order its removal. Her offense? Making fun of the prime minister. And so begins her journey to find out how such a thing could happen in an open democracy. Guzzanti will be here to introduce the film. 2005/Italy/Not Rated/80 min.
THE WAR TAPES
In March 2004, just as the insurgent movement in Iraq strengthened, several members of one National Guard unit from New Hampshire were given small digital video cameras to record their year in Iraq. Shot entirely by these soldiers, the tapes represent an uncensored view of the war. Director Deborah Scranton and her editor, the award-winning filmmaker Steve James ("Hoop Dreams"), put together this harrowing, poignant look at war. "The War Tapes" won the Best Documentary award at this year's Tribeca Film Festival. The director and the soldiers will be present at the festival. 2006/USA/Not Rated/94 min.
WHO KILLED THE ELECTRIC CAR?
Director Chris Paine takes General Motors to task in "Who Killed the Electric Car?" Filmed as a cheeky murder mystery, Paine follows the birth and death of GM's EV1, a viable electric car developed in response to California's Zero Emission Vehicle mandate. The film shows how both EV1 and ZEV were smashed (in the former case, quite literally), and contains many scenes filmed in Michigan with various Michiganders. 2006/USA/Rated PG (brief mild language)/90 min.
WINTER PASSING
Ed Harris stars in a story of a troubled young actress (Zooey Deschanel), who is offered a lot of money to sell the love letters her father (Harris), a reclusive novelist living in the woods of northern Michigan, wrote to her recently deceased mother. She goes home to retrieve them and finds her father living in the garage, while one of his former students (Amelia Warner) and a wannabe musician (Will Ferrell) occupy the house and look out for him. There's even a reference to Traverse City. Directed by Adam Rapp. 2005/USA/Rated R (drug use, language, some sexuality)/98 min.
THE WIZARD OF OZ
This 1939 classic stars Judy Garland as Dorothy Gale, a girl who lives on a farm in Kansas until a tornado transports her and her little dog Toto to the Land of Oz. Presented as the Friday night free film at the Open Space. 1939/USA/Rated G/101 min.
WORDPLAY
This sweet and funny documentary goes deep inside the world of crossword puzzles and similar mental gymnastics with the New York Times puzzle editor and NPR puzzle-master Will Shortz. Along the way, we meet other notable puzzleheads such as Jon Stewart, former President Bill Clinton, former Sen. Bob Dole, Ken Burns, the Yankees' Mike Mussina and the Indigo Girls. Directed by Patrick Creadon and nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival. 2006/USA/Rated PG (language)/94 min.
ZATHURA
There's nonstop action with two young brothers who find that their board game leaves no room for imagination when they are thrust into a real space adventure. Directed by Jon Favreau. 2005/USA/Rated PG (for fantasy, action, and peril)/113 min.
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