LA Femme International Film Festival
2014 Documentary Features and Shorts
A DIFFERNT KIND OF FARM
OCT 16, 4-6 PM
VENUE 2
DIRECTOR, PRODUCER
CAROLINE HARDING
RT: 64MIN
CAST: Carol Cozzi-Schmarr, Craig Schmarr
SYNOPSIS: In 1998, aquaculturists Carol and Craig Schmarr decided to save the seahorse. Seahorses were disappearing from the world’s oceans at an alarming rate and so they quit their jobs, packed their bags, and moved to Hawaii where they used their life savings to build the world’s first seahorse farm.
ALGORITHMS
OCT 16, 12-2 PM
VENUE 2
DIRECTOR
IAN MCDONALD
PRODUCER
GEETHA J.
RT: 96MIN
SYNOPSIS: A group of boys dream of becoming Chess Masters, driven by a man with a vision. But this is no ordinary chess and these are no ordinary players. Algorithms is a documentary on the thriving, but little known world of Blind Chess in India.
AUK NR 8
OCT 18, 10 AM-12 PM
VENUE 2
DIRECTOR
MARIANNA KAAT
PRODUCER
MARIANNA KAAT, OLENA FETISOVA
RT: 94MIN
SYNOPSIS: In the heart of a once thriving Ukrainian coal-mining region the town’s desperate residents decided to start mining illegally; they excavate everywhere: under the basements of demolished buildings, in the leisure parks, as well as in their own vegetable gardens.
COTTON ROAD
OCT 16, 6-8 PM
VENUE 2
DIRECTOR
LAURA KISSEL
PRODUCER
LAURA KISSEL, LI ZHEN Li
RT: 73MIN
SYNOPSIS: Americans consume nearly 20 billion new items of clothing each year. Cotton Road follows the commodity of cotton from South Carolina farms to Chinese factories to illuminate the work and industrial processes in a global supply chain.
CREATE OPTION C: MY JOURNEY WITH CANCER
OCT 19, 12-2 PM
SCREENING ROOM 13
DIRECTOR
CHRIS LA VOY
LOURDES COLON
PRODUCER
LOURDES COLON, CHRIS LA VOY, ESAI MORALES, YENIFFER BEHRENS, DEWAYNE COX, DANILE ROJO
RT: 85MIN
SYNOPSIS: After she was diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma, actress Lourdes Colon decided she would record and share her journey via Youtube.
DESPITE THE GODS
OCT 18, 4-6 PM
VENUE 2
DIRECTOR
PENNY VOZNIAK
PRODUCER
KARINA ASTRUP
RT: 85MIN
CAST: Mallika Sherawat, Jennifer Lynch, Sydney Lynch, Govind Menon
SYNOPSIS: Jennifer Lynch, is well known for making bold, if not ill-fated, choices in her filmmaking career. But nothing could prepare her for the unmapped territory of Bollywood-Hollywood movie making. Lynch travels to India to direct Hisss, a tale about the vengeful snake Goddess, Nagin. With uncensored candor, Lynch shares the heartbreaking and at times hilarious experience of being a director at the helm of a sinking ship.
DOCTORA MARIANA AND THE LOST WORLD OF THE MBY’A-GUARANI
OCT 17, 2-4 PM
VENUE 2
DIRECTOR
CHARLOTTE EICHHORN
PRODUCER
CHARLOTTE EICHHORN
RT: 82MIN
SYNOPSIS: Doctora Mariana, an Argentinean medical doctor with Swiss roots, is responsible for the health care of several tribal communities in Misiones, Argentina, she also provides them with social assistance and fights for the Mby′a Guarani against corruption.
DR. SARMAST’S MUSIC SCHOOL
OCT 16, 2-4 PM
VENUE 2
DIRECTOR
POLLY WATKINS
PRODUCER
BETH FREY
RT: 97MIN
CAST: Ahmad Sarmast
SYNOPSIS: Determined to help revitalise his country’s devastated music culture, musicologist, Dr Ahmad Sarmast, son of famous Afghan musician Ustad Salim Sarmast, returns to Kabul after 15 years to reopen the music school, closed down by Islamic extremists in 1992 and give Kabul’s street kids and orphans the chance to go to the music school, believing that the healing power of music will transform their lives.
ENTERING THE SECOND HALF
OCT 17, 10 AM-12 PM
VENUE 2
DIRECTOR
HEYJIN JUN
PRODUCER
HEYJIN JUN
KANG-MI JUNG
HANJIN PARK
WRITER
HEYJIN JUN
RT: 11MIN
CAST: Gil-Yong Lee (Voice), Kwang-Hyun Choi (Voice), Gyong-Suk Han, Jong-Guk Choi, Young-Ja Jeong, Young-Ja Jeong
SYNOPSIS: The last generation of the victims of leprosy in Korea begins their new journey to find hope.
FIRST TO FALL
OCT 19, 2-4 PM
VENUE 2
DIRECTOR
RACHEL BETH ANDERSON
PRODUCER
TONY GERBER
RT: 83MIN
SYNOPSIS: An intimate tale of friendship and revolution, this coming of age story documents the journey of two young friends, Hamid (26) and Tarek (21), who abandon their peaceful lives as students in Canada to join an unconventional war in their homeland of Libya.
GEGO GERTRUD LOUISE GOLDSCHMIDT
OCT 16, 10 AM-12 PM
VENUE 2
DIRECTOR
NATHALIE DAVID
PRODUCER
PITCHOUN PRODUCTION
WRITER
NATHALIE DAVID
RT: 55MIN
SYNOPSIS: GEGO, Gertrud Louise Goldschmidt (b. 1912 in Hamburg, d. 1994 in Caracas) was one of the leading artists of her generation in Latin America, known above all for her large-scale spatial installations. She regarded her works not as sculptures, but as structures or drawings in space. Nathalie David combines present day footage from Caracas and archive footage of Gego’s work and life with Gego’s texts, “Sabiduras and Testimonies”, and statements from curators, art historians and family members.
GOING DARK
OCT 16, 12-2 PM
VENUE 2
DIRECTOR
PAULINE SCHNEIDER
PRODUCER
PAULINE SCHNEIDER
RT: 30MIN
CAST: Pauline Schneider, Dr. Guy R. McPherson
SYNOPSIS: Pauline Schneider, environmental activist, relates her attempts to pursue sustainability after decades of being environmentally conscious. But when she meets famed ecologist Dr. Guy R. McPherson she learns that human extinction is around the corner and realizes that doing what you love now is the most important thing to do.
HAPPY HANDS
OCT 18, 2-4 PM
VENUE 2
DIRECTOR
HONEY LAUREN
PRODUCER
LEOR BAUM
RT: 20MIN
CAST: Tippi Hedren, Hong Lei, Tam T. Nguyen, Patricia Campbell, Mylynn Thach, Martha Schad
SYNOPSIS: How one Hollywood starlet helped so many… and changed the face of an industry.
HOT FLASH HAVOC: A FILM OF MENOPAUSAL PROPORTIONS
OCT 18, 12-2 PM
VENUE 2
DIRECTOR
MARC BENNETT
PRODUCER
GARY JAFFE
HEIDI HOUSTON
RT: 88MIN
CAST: Alan Altman (Voice)
SYNOPSIS: This is a provocative revealing film about the US government not releasing information on women’s health that will change their lives as they age. If you have a vagina or know someone with a vagina, you need to see this film.
JESSE AND THE FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH
OCT 16, 6-7 PM
VENUE 1
DIRECTOR
TRACEY ANARELLA
PRODUCER
TRACEY ANARELLA
WRITER
TRACEY ANARELLA
RT: 12MIN
CAST: Jesse Cohen
SYNOPSIS: Jesse Cohen, a subway performer negotiates the line between busking and advancing his career as an above ground performer; a dilemma as old as busking itself.
LOVE THY NATURE
OCT 19, 10 AM-12 PM
VENUE 2
DIRECTOR
SYLVIE ROKAB
PRODUCER
SYLVIE ROKAB, DAVID GARFIELD ROLAND, ELAINE SOUDA, TAMRA RAVEN
RT: 76MIN
CAST: Liam Neeson (Voice)
SYNOPSIS: Love Thy Nature is a documentary film that takes viewers on an awe-inspiring cinematic journey into the beauty and intimacy of our relationship with the natural world
MBETI: ROAD TO KISESINI
OCT 16, 2-4 PM
VENUE 2
DIRECTOR
ANN BROMBERG
PRODUCER
LANA IVES, ANN BROMBERG
WRITER
ANN BROMBERG
RT: 17MIN
CAST: Mbeti Wambua
SYNOPSIS: In Kenya and other African countries many newborns die within the first week of life, usually from infection or other preventable causes. Mbeti: The Road to Kisesini is about one women’s journey to save her village, by saving the mothers and their children from dying of malnutrition caused by unsafe water supply and the lack of access to medical facilities in the community.
MEN OF THE CLOTH
OCT 19, 12-2 PM
VENUE 2
DIRECTOR
VICKI VASILOPOULOS
PRODUCER
VICKI VASILOPOULOS
RT: 96MIN
CAST: N/A
SYNOPSIS: An inspiring portrait of three Italian master tailors who confront the decline of the apprentice system as they navigate their challenging roles in the twilight of their career.
PENNY & RED: THE LIFE OF SECRETARIAT’S OWNER
OCT 17, 6-8:30 PM
VENUE 2
DIRECTOR
JOHN TWEEDY
PRODUCERS
JOHN TWEEDY, BERET STRONG, PENNY CHENERY
RT: 60MIN
CAST: Diane Lane (Voice)
SYNOPSIS: Based on a series of intimate conversations with award-winning filmmaker John Tweedy, ‘Penny & Red’ reveals ‘First Lady of Racing,’ Penny Chenery’s story as never before.
PIE LADY OF PIE TOWN
OCT 16, 4-6 PM
VENUE 2
DIRECTOR
JANE ROSEMONT
PRODUCER
JANE ROSEMONT
RT: 33MIN
CAST: Wes Studi (Voice)
SYNOPSIS: Why did a successful Dallas business woman leave her charmed life to bake pie to a remote dusty town with no gas station, no motel and no grocery store? For Kathy Knapp, pie equals love. She serves peace with each piece to curious tourists and local characters alike
SPILLED WATER
OCT 16, 10 AM-12 PM
VENUE 2
DIRECTOR
MAY MAY TCHAO
PRODUCER
MAY MAY TCHAO, XAN ARANDA
RT: 54MIN
CAST: May May Tchao (Voice)
SYNOPSIS: Wanting to connect with her ‘distant sisters’, decades after emigrating to the United States, May May returns to China and explores the very different lives of four women: a rural farmer, a successful lawyer, a divorced factory, and an ethnic minority singer. Their intimate stories show us why gender equality in China is so rare, hard-earned, and worth the struggle.
THE CUT
OCT 16, 6-7 PM
VENUE 1
DIRECTOR
BERYL MAGOKO
PRODUCER
ANDREAS FROWEIN
WRITER
BERYL MAGOKO
RT: 43MIN
SYNOPSIS: A circumcised girl is like a stone… The Kuria in Kenya and Tanzania are still practicing Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) as a ritual. It is painful and even dangerous. The older generation and peer pressure want to uphold the legacy of the ancestors… but the effect of generational practice has created a mixed feeling in the young generation in the 21st century. So what can human right activists do?
THE OASIS AFFAIR
OCT 17, 10 AM- 12 PM
VENUE 2
DIRECTOR
HEIDI LASI
PRODUCERS
HEIDI LASI, LISA NAULT
RT: 15MIN
SYNOPSIS: Soap and juice collide at the crossroads of justice and social media in this David and Goliath story of a small business owner taking on a major corporate in a bid to protect her company’s rights.
TIKOTIN
OCT 17, 12-2 PM
VENUE 2
DIRECTOR
SANTJE KRAMER
MARGA BOSCH
PRODUCER
ERICA REIJMERINK, JARON BORENSZTAJN
RT: 77MIN
CAST:
SYNOPSIS: His passion for Japanese art brings a famous German Jewish art dealer all over the world. Two World Wars and a series of personal adversities later, the Tikotin Museum of Japanese Art shines on Mount Carmel in Haifa. The art dealer travels on, indefatigable.
TRIPLES / TRILLIZOS
OCT 17, 10 AM – 12 PM
VENUE 2
DIRECTOR
ITZEL MARTĺNEZ DEL CAÑIZO
PRODUCER
haudenschild Garage
WRITER
ITZEL MARTĺNEZ DEL CAÑIZO
RT: 16MIN
SYNOPSIS: Portrait that explores the world of through the lens of a set of talented painter triplets that have shared everything since birth in the context of their precarious living conditions.
WOMEN AT WAR
OCT 17, 10 AM-12 PM
VENUE 2
DIRECTOR
CHRISTIE DAVIS
PRODUCER
CHRISTIE DAVIS
DENNIS DAVIS
RT: 77MIN
CAST: Carol Williams, Brenda Gomez, Denise Nichols, Julia Dyckman, Rose Evans, Vanessa Jackson, Venus Hammack
SYNOPSIS: An intimate look at women soldiers’ wartime experiences on the toxic battlefields of 1991’s Operation Desert Storm and their heartbreaking battles with Gulf War Illnesses since they’re returned home.
YEMENIETTES
OCT 17, 6-8:30 PM
VENUE 2
DIRECTOR
SHAWN THOMPSON
PRODUCER
LEON SHAHABIAN, DENISE JABBOUR
RT: 60MIN
CAST: Wafaa Al-Raimi, Reem Abdullah Rachid, Maha Mubarak Al-Absi
SYNOPSIS: Yemeniettes follows three Yemeni teenage girls and their start-up business in a country scarred by widespread youth unemployment and underemployment, a broken educational system and a threatening Al-Qaeda presence.
YOU BELONG TO ME
OCT 17, 4-6 PM
VENUE 2
DIRECTOR
JOHN CORK
PRODUCER
HILARY SALTZMAN, JUDITH HAGIN
RT: 88MIN
SYNOPSIS: The 1952 story of Ruby McCollum, an African American woman who killed a prominent white doctor in Live Oak, Florida and the remarkable secrets and terrible truths revealed during her trial and incarceration.
YOU FOLLOW: A SEARCH FOR ONE’S PAST
OCT 18, 2-4 PM
VENUE 2
DIRECTOR
SHARMILA RAY
PRODUCER
BRAD LAVERY, NISHA GRAYSON
RT: 91MIN
SYNOPSIS: Join Nisha Grayson; an Indian born, American-adoptee, navigating an emotional journey to India in pursuit of her birth mother. Her experiences juxtapose two very different worlds. That which she’s known for 30 years, and of her origin.