BRATTLEBORO — The Brattleboro Film Festival (BFF) will launch this Friday through Sunday, Nov. 2–4, with what festival organizers describe as “an eclectic mix of films reflecting the unique character of Brattleboro itself.”
All films will be shown at the Latchis Theatre, 50 Main St. Tickets will be sold at the door before the shows; unless otherwise noted, at $8.50 for adults, $6.50 for students and seniors, and $5 for children younger than age 12.
Please see brattleborofilmfestival.org for updates.
Following are descriptions of the films provided by festival volunteers.
Friday, Nov. 2
Opening reception
Opening reception, 5:30 p.m., Latchis 4 Gallery and Latchis Hotel Lobby, takes place during Brattleboro's November Gallery Walk, alongside an exhibition of art by BFF volunteers Marilyn Buhlmann and Bronna Zlochiver, while a loop of previews shows continuously. Refreshments.
Once in a Lullaby
Film, 6:30 p.m.: Once in a Lullaby showcases the importance of encouraging the inner talents of children. Following Anne Hathaway's surprise invitation to perform at the 2011 Oscars, New York Public School 22's teacher Gregg Breinberg, his fifth-grade chorus, and the principal, Melissa Donath, are off and running on a whirlwind adventure. From rehearsals to the trip to Hollywood, we follow the children through the trials and joys of a once-in-a-lifetime experience. More than a film about a magical moment, it is a wonderful portrayal of compassionate teaching and the power teachers have to transform the lives of students from all walks of life. (Directed by Jonathan Kalafer; 2011, 80 mins., USA documentary. Unrated; suitable for ages 8 and older.)
Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry
Film, 8:30 p.m.: Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry. Can an artist change China? The complex interplay of artistic practice and social activism is seen through the life and art of China's preeminent contemporary artist and most outspoken domestic critic, Ai Weiwei. Against a backdrop of strict censorship and an unresponsive legal system, Chinese authorities have shut down his blog, beaten him up, bulldozed his newly built studio, and held him in secret detention. The detailed portrait provides a nuanced exploration of contemporary China and one of its most compelling public figures. Ai Weiwei was freed from house arrest in Beijing in early July but is still unable to travel outside China. (Directed by Alison Klayman; 2012, 91 mins., USA, subtitled documentary, rated R.)
Saturday, Nov. 3
Bones Brigade
Special youth screening (noon) and skateboarding demonstration (2–4 p.m.): Bones Brigade: An Autobiography. Tickets are $6.50 for students. Six talented teenage outcasts unmotivated by fame or popularity came together in the 1980s to form a team, reinventing the disrespected art of skateboarding - and themselves, too. This misfit crew headed by a 1970s ex-skateboard champion blasted the industry with a mixture of art and raw talent, becoming the most popular skateboarding team in history. Chock-full of footage of their daring airborne feats, the film presents Tony Hawk, Rodney Mullen, Lance Mountain, Steve Caballero, Tommy Guerrero, Mike McGill, George Powell, and Stacy Peralta telling their stories. (Directed by Stacy Peralta; 2012, 115 mins., USA, documentary, unrated, suitable for tweens and up, some street language.)
Working with the Boys & Girls Club of Brattleboro and Vermont Skateboards, BFF will host a skateboarding demonstration and give away decks and t-shirts to lucky ticket holders just across the street from the theater at the Boys & Girls Club, 17 Flat St., immediately following the film.
Starlet
Film, 2 p.m.: Starlet. An original and bold independent film that explores the unlikely cross-generational friendship between 21-year-old Jane (Dree Hemingway) and the elderly Sadie (Besedka Johnson) after Jane discovers $10,000 inside an object at Sadie's yard sale. The film challenges our prejudices and preconceived notions, but it does so with a heart. The breakthrough and beautifully understated sensitive performances by Dree Hemingway (Ernest Hemingway's great-granddaughter) and 85-year-old Besedka Johnson, in her first-ever acting role, are well worth seeing. (Directed by Sean Baker; 103 mins., USA, drama, rated NC-17. Not suitable for children; explicit sexual scene.)
Chasing Ice
Film and discussion, 4 p.m.: Chasing Ice. In the spring of 2005, National Geographic photographer James Balog headed to the Arctic on a tricky assignment: to capture images to help tell the story of the Earth's changing climate. Even with a scientific upbringing, Balog had been a skeptic about climate change, but that first trip north opened his eyes to the biggest story in human history and sparked a challenge that would put his career and his very well-being at risk. His hauntingly beautiful videos compress years into seconds and capture ancient mountains of ice in motion as they disappear at a breathtaking rate. (Directed by Jeff Orlowski; 2012, 76 mins., USA, documentary, unrated.)
Chasing Ice has garnered numerous awards at the best festivals this year. Robert Redford calls it “a powerful and indisputable” film.
A question-and-answer session with Paul Cameron, executive director of Brattleboro Climate Protection, will follow.
Any Day Now
Film, 6:30 p.m.: Any Day Now. Set in 1970s Los Angeles, this intimate and absorbing film is about an unusual family: a drag crooner (Alan Cumming), a closeted prosecuting attorney (Garret Dillahunt), and a teenage boy with Down Syndrome who has been abandoned by his drug-addicted mother. As the teen discovers the strong bonds of family, disapproving authorities step in to tear the boy from the only stable environment he has ever known. The gay men wage an unlikely battle against a system stacked against them. Superb performances defy the easy stereotypes. (Directed by Travis Fine; 2012, 101 mins., USA, drama, unrated, adult content.)
Chico and Rita
Film, 8:30 p.m.: Chico and Rita. In 1948 Cuba, Chico is a young piano player with big dreams. Rita is a beautiful singer with an extraordinary voice. Music and romantic desire unite them, but their journey – in the tradition of the Latin ballad, the bolero – brings heartache and torment from Havana to New York, Paris, Hollywood, and Las Vegas in this unique and lushly colorful, hand-drawn treat. Music is the third “character” in this film, with a remarkable assortment of the Cuban sound brought to life as well as classics from Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, and Thelonius Monk. (Directed by Tono Errando, Javier Mariscal, and Fernando Trueba; 2010, 94 mins., Spain, subtitled, animated drama, rated R, sexual content.)
Sunday, Nov. 4
Mia and the Migoo
Family screening, noon: In Mia and the Migoo, a breathtakingly animated, visually rich, magical ecological fable, a brave yet calm heroine who is able to feel many things that others ignore must overcome her fears on a quest to find her father and save the world from destruction. Along the way, she meets a variety of weird and wonderful people, the Migoo (voice of Whoopi Goldberg), and a group of forest “spirits” tasked with guarding a tree at the heart of the world. (Directed by Jacques-Rémy Girerd; 2008, 91 mins., animated drama; unrated, family pick of the festival.)
The film won the European Film Award for Best Animated Feature.
One Nation Under Dog
Film and discussion, 2 p.m.: One Nation Under Dog: We're a nation of dog lovers, but there are not enough of us to go around. While most folks pamper their pooches, there are unpleasant truths about dog ownership, care, and commerce. This heartfelt documentary explores America's passionate and complex relationship with dogs. An eye-opening three-part portrait (“Fear,” “Loss,” “Betrayal”) by three filmmakers inspires us to rethink how we treat our furry friends. Directed by Ellen Gooseberg Kent, Amanda Micheli, Jenny Carchman; 2012, 73 mins., USA, documentary, unrated. Film contains a short disturbing scene.)
A question-and-answer session and presentation with Windham County Humane Society representatives (both canine and human) will follow the screening.
The Atomic States of America
Film, author discussion, and reception, 4 p.m.: The Atomic States of America takes the viewer on a journey to reactor communities around the country. This film exposes the truths and myths of nuclear power and poses the question of whether humankind can responsibly split the atom. Located at the intersection of U.S. nuclear amnesia and the 2011 meltdown of the Fukushima plant in Japan, The Atomic States of America takes a fairly objective approach to an emotionally volatile topic, offering a reasoned examination of nuclear power that could convince its supporters to think otherwise. (Directed by Sheena M. Joyce; 2012, 95 mins., USA, documentary, unrated.)
The screening will be followed by a discussion with Kelly McMasters, a key character in the film, which was inspired by her book Welcome to Shirley: A Memoir from an Atomic Town. The New England Coalition on Nuclear Pollution, a Brattleboro-based organization that spearheads awareness and action on enforcement of federal safety laws at nuclear reactors in New England, will host a wine-and-cheese reception for McMasters at Brattleboro Cheese Shop and Café, 30 Main St., from 6 to 7 p.m.
Cloudburst
Film, 6:30 p.m.: Cloudburst, a romantic road romp, stars Oscar-winning actresses Olympia Dukakis and Brenda Fricker as Stella and Dot, an aging couple who escape from a nursing home in Maine and drive to Nova Scotia on a quest to be legally married. Along the way, they pick up a hitchhiker, Prentice, a small-town boy turned modern dancer. With humor and grace, the film explores the important themes of life, death, and love through the eyes of this oddball trio. (Directed by Thom Fitzgerald; 2011, 93 mins., Canada/USA, drama rated R, salty language and sexual content.)
A Simple Life
Film, 8:30 p.m.: A Simple Life. A tender, true-to-life film about the unfolding of a relationship between a family servant, A Tao, and her “young master,” Roger, whom she has treated as her own son. Deannie Yip gives an award-winning performance as A Tao, who suffers a stroke and must go through profound lifestyle changes, from one who looks after others to the one being looked after. The film - China's entry to the 2012 Academy Awards - has won much critical acclaim. (Directed by Ann Hui; 2012, 118 mins., China, subtitled drama.)
Thursday, Nov. 8
Best in Fest and feedback
Festival feedback gathering (6 p.m.) and Best in Fest screening (6:30 p.m.): The public is invited to a screening of the 2012 audience-chosen Best in Fest film preceded by a public festival-feedback gathering. The event will include information on how to get involved with the 2013 Brattleboro Film Festival.