FILMS

ABRAHAM OBAMA
Bombing For Obama
Kevin Chapados, USA, 2009, 55 minutes, Documentary

Ron English’s work of art, in which the faces of Barack Obama and Abraham Lincoln are combined, is world famous. ...more This film documents the national tour which English, together with an entourage of visual artists and musicians, executed to create the iconic status that the work of art has today – and, of course, to have Barack Obama elected president of the United States. In a Hunter S. Thompson-fashion, the artists hang huge editions of the work of art on every empty façade they can find and discuss their quest with other artists, including Shepard Fairy, Morgan Spurlock and David Chloe. Abraham Obama gives the viewer a unique look into the life and work of America’s most eccentric, urban artists and emphasizes the importance of ‘underground art’. The special attention that the documentary gives to public urban art creates a unique perspective of the city.
Shown before this will be :

WATTS AND VOLTS
Malik Booth, USA, 2009, 11 minutes
English
Marvelous and Ofelia are two young lovers who bide their time hanging around the local playground in a black urban setting. During the short, we encounter Marvelous’ philosophies, Ofelia’s down to earth honesty and the way the two remind themselves of their parents. The relational hardships that are met on the way are conquered by the couple’s merciless love.

FURTHER WE SEARCH
You can't run away from yourself
Darius Devas, AUS, 2009, 73 minutes, Feature

Letting go of iconic Australian themes and imagery, this film takes a look at the ambiguity of a contemporary generation and how that is an identity in itself. ...more
The story follows a young adult who is new to city life and is hence desperately trying to fit in with others. His shyness drives him to grab every opportunity of interaction with both hands. He makes friends with a man who hangs up poster and eventually, via an undefined contact, ends up with a group of musicians and artists who open their hearts to him. He must now decide whether the safety of an apparently new turf is what he needs at this point in his life

THE ETERNAL CITY
Love wasn't built in a day
Jason Goodman & Arianna Di Giorgi, IT/USA, 2008, 93 mins, Feature

Writer-directors Arianna De Giorgi and Jason Goodman bring their personal experiences in Rome to this luminous romantic comedy, which explores the delicate situations of three people in their twenties, who find themselves in the eternal city. ...moreJonny is an American who comes to Rome in search of a woman he fell in love with in Paris. Dismissed by her as just another fool, he is taken in by the heartbreaker's upstairs neighbour, Angela. Out of compassion, she and her boyfriend Jesse, an aspiring pianist and filmmaker, decide to let him stay awhile, only to be surprised when a love triangle develops. Suffused with the gentle spirit of postwar Italian cinema, the film was shot in color and processed in black and white, creating a vividly retro aura for a film that explores the accidental intimacies that evolve in the unfamiliar settings of Rome.

DutchMix Shorts
Competition

As always, IAFF 2009 will offer a selection of the most creatively inspiring and thought provoking shorts from the Netherlands. Focusing on the perception of the city and the concept of perception itself, the Dutchmix shorts is an experience not to be missed. ...moreThe programme will this year consist of the following:

3000 METER BOVEN DE WOLKEN
Jeroen van Velzen, NL, 2008, 20 minutes approx.
Dutch with English subtitles
Jeroen van Velzen’s personal account of his brother who suffers from a light form of autism and thus experiences the world from a completely original point of view.

DERTIG METER
Willem Wits, NL, 2009, 27 minutes approx.
Dutch with English subtitles
Revealing egodocument concerning a man who chooses to lock himself up in a space of 30 square meters, whilst drawing thousands of small penises on a roll of paper.

ROOM 303
Kristjan Knigge, NL, 2007, 6 minutes approx.

Silent
A man is lead to the mysterious room 303 in an unknown hotel by the images on a digital photo camera. Urban life within through a glamorous handheld lense à la Michael Mann.

SENSE 393…
Guido Hendrikx, NL, 2009, 8 minutes approx.
Silent
An account of night life in quiet city in the Netherlands. Solitary churches, passing trains, clicking zebra-crossings and other solitary phenomena create a society of their own.

HOLLOW LAND
Yane Calovski, NL, 2009, 8 minutes approx.
Dutch with English subtitles
In a place without history, what do we remember? This film - a video essay - investigates the durational element in narration and the notion of an expressionless identity of “new” place. The film brings into question the contextualization and adaptation of the known when faced with the prospect of the future.

REIZIGER
Wouter Venema, NL, 2008, 10 minutes approx.
Dutch with English subtitles
A man travels night and day in search of this biological father. He left after having received a letter containing the results of a DNA research. Meanwhile, another man is searching for a natural history museum where an exhibition is being held about the first human being. He travels all day, occaisonly looking at the invitation he has received.

INTERGRATED CIRCUIT
Paula Alberquerque, NL, 2009, 25 minutes approx.
Dutch with English subtitles
Hybrid film that uses cinematographic language to highlight a metaphor.

SUBMISSIVE BY NATURE
Avi Krispin and Johann Arens, NL, 2009, 11 minutes approx.
Dutch with English subtitles
The film follows a photographer’s emotional journey / conscience transformation in a world where everything is tinged with an unexplained sickness referring to a heated climate and touching on the perverse world of bondage.
The main character is confronted by his submissive and passive nature and is taunted by the voices of women, leading him to a new, adapted approach in dealing with his reality.

Sollbruchstelle
Eva Stotz, GER, 2008, 61 minutes, Documentary

Sollbruchstelle follows an array of people in their various desperate attempts in finding fulfilment. Franz is suing the company that has made him redundant after 40 years, holding out in an empty office for 9 months with nothing to do. ...moreStephan sits on a chair for eight days and nights as part of a giant billboard – selling yourself is sometimes the quickest way to pay your debts. Saskia, the high school graduate, is learning how to put together the perfect application and Gunnar is being taught that perceiving your own body as a trademark is the key to success. This documentary portrays the human will as it is pushed to its limits.

International Shorts
Compilation

The international shorts programme of the International Amsterdam Film Festival has always stood for innovation. This year, with the theme of ‘Re-imagining The City’ in mind, innovation is displayed on a level of perceiving reality. Within a programme that spans the globe, this concept is illustrated in detail. ...more
WATTS AND VOLTS
Malik Booth, USA, 2009, 11 minutes
English
Marvelous and Ofelia are two young lovers who bide their time hanging around the local playground in a black urban setting. During the short, we encounter Marvelous’ philosophies, Ofelia’s down to earth honesty and the way the two remind themselves of their parents. The relational hardships that are met on the way are conquered by the couple’s merciless love.

CANTO 6409
Dino Viani, IT, 2009, 23 minutes
Silent
In the aftermath of the L’Aquila earthquake, a couple tries and their two young children try to cope with the loss of their home. Created nearly solely through long shots with little movement, this deeply personal films attempts to reflect the sense of internal helplessness and frustration concerning the earthquake and the destruction it caused.

KOLUSZKI BLUES
Bartosz Warwas, PL, 2009, 19 minutes
Polish with English subtitles
Far, far away, in a small town beyond distant mountains and an enormous forest, Warkocz is trapped by himself. With grand visions of who he is and what is supposed to do, he is convinced that only great love can release him. While waiting patiently for It to come, Warkocz is combing his long beard which houses all his powers.

THE SOLITARY LIFE OF CRANES
Eva Weber, UK, 2008, 27 minutes
English
Part city symphony part visual poem, The Solitary Life of Cranes explores the invisible life of a city, its patterns and hidden secrets, seen through the eyes of crane drivers working high above its streets. Within the loose structure of a day, starting with the drivers climbing up at dawn and ending with them coming down after a nightshift, the film observes the city as it awakens with a bustle of activity, through the lull of midday and the manic rush in the evening, until it calms down again deep into the night.

EXIT
Jochen Kuhn, D, 2008, 36 minutes
Silent
A good and pious man gets notice to quit, has to leave his home and walks through a crazy, constantly changing world, looking for a new place to stay. The intense and dynamic character that the animation entails reflects the turmoil within the man. A film-opera without words.

ONEDOTZERO: CITYSTATES 09
Compilation

Mankind’s fascination with city living continues at a startling pace, accelerating towards nations of supercities. This programme – which consist of 19 short films – acts as a survey of our feelings, fears and hopes of urban dwelling now and in the future. From personal stories to community collectives, it’s time to investigate how cities are changing and in turn how we are changing our cities....more

ENDLESS CITIES – REDUX (D-Fuse, UK, 2008, 4 minutes approx.)
THIS IS JAPAN! (Eric Testroete, CAN, 2008, 8 minutes approx.)
HONG KONG LABYRINTHS (EXCERPT) (Soki So, UK, 2009, 6 minutes approx.)
FACE TO FACE – BALLOON GIRL (Yibi Hu AKA Eb, UK, 2009, 6 minutes approx.)
THE LOST TRIBES OF NEW YORK CITY (Carolyn London, USA, 2009, 3 minutes approx.)
RECKONER/RADIOHEAD (Clement Picon, FR, 2008, 5 minutes approx.)
THE ECO COMMUNE (Richard Hardy, UK, 2009, 3 minutes approx.)
DESTINATION/DIRECTION (Nirmal Singh Dhiman, UK, 2008, 1 minutes approx.)
BIG BROTHER BRITAIN (Bertan Cakgoz, UK, 2008, 3 minutes approx.)
AKSHAY (Shobna Gulati, UK, 2008, 1 minutes approx.)
RERUN (Asif Mian, USA, 2009, 3 minutes approx.)
TOKYO/JITENSHA (Steven Day, USA & JP, 2009, 1 minutes approx.)
MARI GRAS (Keith Loutit, AUS, 2009, 3 minutes approx.)
VIRUS/HERBALISER (Robert Proch, PL, 2009, 4 minutes approx.)
SUBPRIME (Mike Winklemann AKA Beeple, USA, 2009, 2 minutes approx.)
CRAZY/U2 (David O’Reilly, IR, 2009, 4 minutes approx.)
MORGENROT/HAUSCHKA (Jeff Desom, GER, 2009, 3 minutes approx.)
GOODBYE LONDON/LUKE JACKSON (Murray John, UK, 2009, 4 minutes approx.)
SOUNDSCAPES (Ace Norton, USA, 2009, 3 minutes approx.)

Skatopia : 88 ACRES OF ANARCHY
Laurie House & Colin Powers, USA, 2009,
117 minutes, Documentary

Skatopia is a portrait of the skating ground which bears the same name. Set up by a man simply known as Brewce, the ground covers 88 acres of fun and anarchy which is executed through balls to the wall skating, the burning of cars and insane parties. ...moreThe film shows us some of world’s most daring skaters and their created world in which they feel most at home. Apart from the daily proceedings, we also get to peel back the layers of testosterone to reveal what happens behind the scenes: we geet to the brains behind Skatopia and learn about their dreams and goals. Furthermore, the film emphasizes the diversity of the skating community: The mosh-pit maniac is a librarian and professor, the punk drummer designs software programs for NASA. The guy in the wheelchair hit 80 mph bombing a mountain in Colorado and is shooting for 120 mph in a chair he's designing. There's a locksmith watching the stripping contest, a punk refugee from the suburbs skating the cradle, and a homeless anarchist cowboy digging a mud wrestling pit. Skatopia is, to put it short, the ultimate cinematic ode to the world of skating.

12
Gyz La Rivière, NL, 2009, 50 minutes, Documentary

Juvenile malice! Inventiveness on the skateboard! Preambles of many trends in current skate culture! These are the qualifications that founded the reputation of a tight group of twelve friends that called themselves the Fret Click ...more – a name which origins are still covered in smoke. Hardcore members Woei, Skelter, Dannes, Silhouet, Rerun, Vrekje, Geoff, Paul, Merijn, Spike, Cois and Phin spent their weekends at self-acclaimed skateboard spots like the RAI in Amsterdam and the Weena in Rotterdam. They falsified train tickets, slept in the streets, and arrived fashionably late on skateboard competitions. Their legendary status has perpetuated through the Nike SB Zoom Air FC that was dedicated to the Fret Click, an honour that is usually limited to sports heroes like Michael Jordan and skateboard heroes like Mike Carroll (who had his own Vans shoe), and also through this documentary film. In a fast, humorous and also moving way, debuting director Gyz La Rivière documented the Frets in their prime and current activities. Although persistent in staying young, adult life gets a hold on almost all of them. But heck, growing up is not a crime.

Escape
Darko Lungolov, 2004, 50 minutes, Documentary

In 1999, during US led NATO bombing in former Yugoslavia, Ljilja and her two sons escape Belgrade to ironically seek refuge in the US. ...more Over the course of the next four years, the filmmaker follows this single mother, whose bitterness toward US foreign policy is still palpable, and her two sons as they make a new home in America. Wisely, Lungulov focuses largely on Ljilja's sons, Vlada (11) and Dusan (8) as they navigate the complicated waters of “becoming American”. Then, in an unimaginable fate, on September 11, 2001 Ljilja finds herself working on the 80th floor of one of the Twin Towers while her sons wait anxiously from the sidelines to learn of her near escape. Less than two years later, Vlada, now a young man, tries to make sense of the world around him as the War in Iraq unfolds and memories of bombings back in Belgrade are triggered. We follow him through his complex quest for personal and national identity. Escape delves deep into global issues, and yet remains an intensely personal story.