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The Z Hotel is the official hotel of the Astoria/LIC International Film Festival.
2010 Films
China: The Rebirth of an Empire |
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(USA, 1 hr 26 min 16 sec) October 23, 2010, 10:00am Session 1 Directed by: Jesse Veverka Cast: Chalmers Johnson, Freddy Lim, Jeremy Veverka, Rebiya Kadeer, Wei Jingsheng |
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China's unprecedented growth has placed it on the verge of overtaking the United States as the world's preeminent power. Meanwhile, Chalmers Johnson, author of 'Blowback' and 'The Sorrows of Empire', argues that America's preoccupation with militarism has all but sealed its fate as a nation in long-term decline. But if China surpasses the United States, what type of power will it become? In today's interconnected and globalized world, the answer effects each and every one of us. In Pakistan and Afghanistan, China's humanitarian activities and investment in infrastructure have won it the hearts and minds of the people. Yet in Tibet and Xinjiang, China is reviled as an imperialistic abuser of human rights. Despite trumpeting its vision of a ethnic unity at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the Chinese government has gone to great lengths to silence dissenting voices such as Rebiya Kadeer, de facto leader of the Uyghur people. Kadeer has replaced the Dalai Lama as Beijing's number one public adversary. Will China follow in the footsteps of history's other great powers and use its strength to dominate its neighbors, trample ethnic and religious minorities, and become a 21st century empire? Or will a wealthy China's youth lead the country towards democracy, much like Taiwan? The international community shares responsibility in this outcome, but is it too dependent on Chinese trade to care? Whether it's a peaceful rise or potential threat, China's 21st century emergence as a great world power will change the lives of everyone. |
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Taught to Hate |
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(Ecuador & USA, 27 min) October 23, 2010, 10:00am Session 1 Directed by: James Garcia Sotomayor Written by: James Garcia Sotomayor, Richard Caban Cast: Arturo Castro, Brandon Hannan, Helen Proimos, Lorraine Rodriguez, Nick Raio |
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Taught to hate: The story of an Hispanic immigrant trying to find a job in America and an American family who's uncle's racial intolerance has a strong effect on his Nephew. |
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Street Ball |
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(USA, 1 hr 30 mins) October 23, 2010, 12:00pm Session 1 Directed by: Demetrius Wren |
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In Cape Town, there are two realities. Sixteen years after the end of apartheid, South Africa prepares to host the FIFA World Cup and the country is ripe with celebration. New hot spots, airports and stadiums were built to welcome travelers from around the world. However, there remains a generation that lives in extreme poverty, with many youth falling into lives of violence, drugs and abuse. Streetball is a fast paced documentary that tells the stories of South Africa’s 2008 Homeless World Cup team. The Homeless World Cup is an annual soccer tournament that draws teams from over 56 countries - comprised entirely of street people. The SA Squad consists of ex-convicts, former gangsters, orphans and recovering drug addicts that band together to represent their country, proving that no one is beyond redemption. Streetball is a story of hope and of the resilience that dwells within the human spirit. But while these men's dreams are simply to have a home and to be recognized as people who need care, often times the realization of those dreams is accompanied by a sobering reality. |
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Kidnap |
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(USA, 3 min 55 sec) October 23, 2010, 12:00pm Session 1 Directed by: Sijia Luo Written by: Sijia Luo Cast: Cindy Lin (voice) |
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A little chicken is late to school, but her excuse is too wild to believe: getting kidnapped on the way to school. You believe it or not, this chicken is a really good actress and a Kung fu master! After her explanation, you have to believe that her adventure is so true. She was kidnapped by chickens first, then gunmen, then aliens and finally Jesus saved her life and sent her to school. |
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Street Knights |
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(USA, 14 min 8 sec) October 23, 2010, 12:00pm Session 1 Directed by: Matt Baron |
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Friend or Foe? Brilliant or Crazy? Compassionate or Ruthless? 'Street Knights: Money. Chess. Life. explores the unique lives of Chess hustles in New York City's world renowned Washington Square Park. In the 1970's, they could pocket up to $16,000 a day. Now, in light of the financial crisis, they struggle to make ends meet. The film follows a handful of the park's most loyal players, ranging from Harry, the philosopher with drug problems to Nashan, the trash talker who also teaches children. We'll learn the history, strategy, and life of the hustler, and take a look into the rocky future of the players, the park and the game itself. Whether you choose to admire or disdain this group of men, their unique eccentricities are undeniable and sure to entertain. |
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Familiar Voices |
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(Canada & USA, 1 hr 7 min) October 23, 2010, 2:00pm Session 1 Directed by: Danny Mendoza |
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'Familiar Voices' is a self-financed, feature length, not-for-profit documentary covering reactions to the ongoing crisis in Darfur. Its purpose is to empower, not overwhelm, its audiences; to engage those audiences in a respectful dialogue, rather than wagging its finger at them; and to help those audiences clearly understand their relationship to this crisis. Through voices and visuals connected with Nobel Peace Prize winners, soldiers, Darfuri refugees, celebrities, humanitarian aid workers, politicians, university level (and fifth-grade) activists, and others, old messages regarding responsibility and hope are delivered in new ways - ones that are direct, concrete, and accessible. It includes: interviews throughout the U.S. and Canada; protests throughout the U.S.; and footage from South Darfur, Eastern Chad, and the Central African Republic. |
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A Long Haul |
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(USA, 43 min 53 sec) October 23, 2010, 2:00pm Session 1 Directed by: Nathaniel Kramer Cast: Nathaniel Kramer (voice) |
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Buy tickets here: https://www.ovationtix.com/trs/pe/8491655 A LONG HAUL is a documentary depicting the struggles of a charter boat captain whose seasonal summer business has fallen prey to a bad economy, high fuel prices, loss of customers and depleted fish populations He is forced to moonlight as a captain on a broken down commercial fishing trawler to make ends meet. If successful working for the trawler\'s owner, the captain will be able to run the boat during the winter when there is no charter business at all. Desperate to climb out from under a heap of personal debt and under pressure from the owner to get the boat fishing and make money, the captain sets sail for a three day offshore trip to net squid. At the captain\'s side is his loyal first mate, and a 13 year old boy from a wealthy family working for the captain as a summer job..The boat has not been fished in months and is has become saddled with mechanical problems which compound the pressure on the crew to catch squid. Over the next three days, the crew will face sleep deprivation, rough seas, mechanical problems and the difficult task of finding and catching squid. |
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Shadow Puppet |
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(USA, 7 min 22 sec) October 23, 2010, 2:00pm Session 1 Directed by: Michael McCallum, Brennan Wickerham Written by: Michael McCallum Cast: Michael McCallum, Natasha Desenna Fernandes, Zach Parsons |
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A couple is on the run from a killer. Money is missing and only they know where it is. Will they get to it before the hired gun gets to them? |
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The Rubber Room |
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(USA, 1 hr 11 min 26 sec) October 23, 2010, 4:00pm Session 1 Directed by: Jeremy Garrett Written by: Justin Cegnar Cast: Ani Karougian- Videographer |
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What happens when a teacher in New York City is accused of misconduct or incompetence in the classroom? They are sent to the 'Rubber Room' while an investigation is launched. They spend months or even years there getting full pay and doing nothing. |
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Nuberu y Mujer del Sol (The Cloud Master and the Lady of the Sun) |
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(USA, 8 min 22 sec) October 23, 2010, 4:00pm Session 1 Directed by: Joe Paul Written by: Joe Paul Cast: Carl Calo, Jessica Wynne |
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He is Nuberu, the Cloud Master, from Spanish mythology that pre-dates Christianity. And she is the Lady of the Sun, Mujer del Sol. He is the master of storms and devastation, and she is the bringer of light and life. What will happen when these two Deities of Nature collide? |
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Manhattan Measure |
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(USA, 24 min 53 sec) October 23, 2010, 4:00pm Session 1 Directed by: Johnny Gerhart, Philip Armand |
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Then I looked up - and there before me was a man with a measuring line in his hand! I asked, 'Where are you going?' He answered me, To measure Jerusalem, to find out how wide and how long it is.' the prophet Zechariah Inspired by Zechariah's vision, New york artist Gene Schmidt set out with a supply of 30,000 red yardsticks to measure the width and length of Manhattan. The film follows Schmidt's year-long performance/sculpture/pilgrimage. |
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Work it Out |
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(USA, 1 hr 25 min) October 23, 2010, 10:00am Session 2 Directed by: Andrew Fritzgerald Written by: Kevin Porter Young Cast: Alexandra Case, Alix Paige, Andrew Fritzgerald, Ariana Madix, Cheryl Aiello, Christine Marzano, Crystal Bock, Cydney E McQuillan-Grace, Demetrios Kalkanis, Gene Jones, Geri McKeon, Inez Scott, John Bayne, Josh Silverman, Ken Mark, Kevin Porter Young, Matthew Hachett, Megan DeSanty, Naim Omari, Robin Rose Singer, Rose Thomas, Susan Neuffer, Walt Willey |
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Dustin seems to be living the happy life of a swinging NYC bachelor. By day, he works as a personal trainer, by night he hangs out with his boys from the gym, and every spare moment seems more than dedicated to staying in peek physical condition. After a gym member, Becky (the type of woman his wild friends wouldn't give a second look), Dustin begins facing some bitter realities of his life, both past and present. Combining comedy and drama, the film asks the question of whether you can really be honest with anyone unless you're honest with yourself... |
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Poetry Man |
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(USA, 25 min) October 23, 2010, 10:00am Session 2 Directed by: James McSherry Written by: James McSherry Cast: Bill Clark, Diego Lopez, Joe Diaz, John McCormack, Melanie Torres, Paige McSherry, Peter Green, Rene Rogoff, Valerie Smaldone |
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Based on a true story, Jimmy an aspiring writer and his cousin Nicky, a neighborhood miscreant suspected of murder, face each other and the truth on the mean streets of the Bronx in this gritty tale of trust and betrayal. What happens when somebody you love is struck down? Is it fate, bad luck or just bad choices? And what of the fall-out? After Nicky is imprisoned for a crime he claims he didn't commit, his cousin Jimmy copes the only way he knows how, writing to find an answer - while piecing the murder back together on the page. Jimmy soon discovers that when a drug dealer is gunned down in front of his wife and child, Nicky is arrested based on the eyewitness testimony of a rival drug dealer, Facing twenty five years to life, Nicky's only hope is enlisting Jimmy in his cause. He just has to convince his only cousin and best friend that he's innocent. LIes collide with the truth in this morality tale of loyalty, love, and redemption. |
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Cinderello |
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(USA, 2 min 18 sec) October 23, 2010, 10:00am Session 2 Directed by: Chie Mori Written by: Chie Mori Cast: Alex Chonoo, Calvin Robertson, Larissa Simpson, Salvatore Gandolfo |
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A boy searches for a girl in Cinderella. She is found and given a tiara in the end. What happens when a girl searches for a boy? |
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Cinderello |
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(USA, 2 min 18 sec) October 23, 2010, 10:00am Session 2 Directed by: Chie Mori Written by: Chie Mori Cast: Alex Chonoo, Calvin Robertson, Larissa Simpson, Salvatore Gandolfo |
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A boy searches for a girl in Cinderella. She is found and given a tiara in the end. What happens when a girl searches for a boy? |
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Cinderello |
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(USA, 2 min 18 sec) October 23, 2010, 10:00am Session 2 Directed by: Chie Mori Written by: Chie Mori Cast: Alex Chonoo, Calvin Robertson, Larissa Simpson, Salvatore Gandolfo |
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A boy searches for a girl in Cinderella. She is found and given a tiara in the end. What happens when a girl searches for a boy? |
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Qua |
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(Spain, 9 min) October 23, 2010, 12:00pm Session 2 Directed by: Andres Vidal Alarcon Written by: Andres Vidal Alarcon Cast: SofÍa Medel |
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At the beginning of time, our world was a desert illuminated by two suns where the mankind barely could keep alive and the night was unknown. Meanwhile one sun provided life, the other one provided a sure death. Then, the change started... |
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Oh My Love |
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(USA, 16 min 18 sec) October 23, 2010, 12:00pm Session 2 Directed by: Jay Bungay Written by: Evakay Favia Cast: Gil Rogers, Tina Sloan |
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In a world defined by youthful beauty and monetary accomplishments, it is often difficult for some to accept the aging process gracefully. Stu (Gil Rogers) and Beverley Levinson (Tina Sloan), a modest couple from New York City, have spent more than four decades as husband and wife, experiencing life's joys and its challenges together. When time catches up to the pair both physically and mentally, Stu and Beverley find they must come to terms with growing older and accept the hardships that come with age. PB Productions’ Oh My Love, explores the depths of the human psyche and highlights how love and a strong emotional connection can bond two people for eternity. |
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Nigels Cookies |
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(USA, 3 min) October 23, 2010, 2:00pm Session 2 Directed by: Sean MacBride Murray Written by: Sean MacBride Murray Cast: Daniel Smith, Gina Trebiani |
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A case of mistaken confections . . . |
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Atroz |
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(Spain, 9 min 50 sec) October 23, 2010, 2:00pm Session 2 Directed by: Francisco Alvarez Perez Written by: Rual Urbina, Francisco Alvarez Cast: Laura Sanchez (Luna), Awful (Awful), Jose Maria Carton (voice-off), Tato (dog), Mayte Bona (mother's voice), Francisco Negro (father's voice), Violeta Ollauri (mother), Jose Manuel Barba (father). |
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Atroz (Awful) is a singular teddy bear, a worn and curmudgeon one. His owner is Luna, a little girl who has taken him as her best friend. She doesn't leave him alone one minute, and this sickens Atroz. He will tell us in first person all the misfortunes that he will have to live to flee from Luna's ceaseless petting, endearments and games. Awful treats, in a reality and animation mix, about classic issues present in children's tales. |
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