Artivist Film Festival

"LA MISSION"

Director Peter Bratt
Tuesday, December 1, 2009 8pm
BEST FEATURE FILM - HUMAN RIGHTS

Set in the colorful, seedy streets of the San Francisco district that bears its name, "La Mission" is a story of redemption imbued with the curative power of Aztec tradition. Respected -- and feared -- as the baddest Latino on the block, Che (Benjamin Bratt), a former criminal and recovering alcoholic, resorts to violence and intimidation to get what he wants. A bus driver by day, Che lives for his beloved son, Jesse (Jeremy Ray Valdez), his lifelong friends and his passion for lowrider cars. But Che's macho world is crushed when he discovers that Jesse is gay. Che then reacts in the only way he knows, violence. Enter Lena, Che's attractive neighbor and a force to be reckoned with. As a mutual attraction develops, Lena challenges Che to reconcile with his son. From acclaimed director Peter Bratt, "La Mission" is a haunting story of one man's struggle to overcome homophobia and break the cycle of violence that has haunted his life -- and to heal and transform himself and his family in the process.

"ICE BEARS OF BEAUFORT"

Director Arthur C. Smith III
Wednesday, December 2, 2009 7:30pm
BEST FEATURE FILM - ANIMAL ADVOCACY





Stunning, unrushed cinematography and editing, natural sound without narration and a sparse music score by Patrick O'Hearn transform Arthur C. Smith's documentary into a meditative plea to save one of the earth's most powerful -- and comically playful -- animals. This documentary is witness to Alaska's Beaufort Sea coast as a critical polar bear habitat, endangered by efforts to drill for oil. Five years in the making by a single resident of an Inupiat Eskimo village, the film is a color-intense, cinematic portrait of Alaskan polar bears never before captured. The body of the documentary chronicles polar bear activity and year-round use of the coastal and offshore areas of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and the adjacent Beaufort Sea.

"CHILDREN OF WAR"

Director Bryan Single
Wednesday, December 2, 2009 9pm
BEST FEATURE FILM - CHILDREN'S ADVOCACY





Set in the east African country of Uganda, Children of War, directed by Bryan Single, is a film that chronicles the daily struggle towards rehabilitation and reconciliation by a group of recently escaped child soldiers of the Lord’s Resistance Army, one of the world’s longest running and most brutal militias. To add perspective to the stories of these children, the film also follows the chief priest of the Lord’s Resistance Army, as well as recipients of the Army’s professed miracles and victims of its atrocities. Together these individuals will illuminate the pitfalls, challenges and triumphs of a war-sick society desperately attempting to transition from violence to peace.

"AN OMAR BROADWAY FILM"

Director Omar Broadway and Douglas Tirola
Thursday, December 3, 2009 7:15pm

An inmate in Newark, New Jersey's notorious Northern State Prison allows viewers to experience the tension of living in the prison's maximum security gang unit in this collaborative documentary from filmmaker Douglas Tirola and inmate Omar Broadway. Back when he was a free man, Broadway spend the majority of his time hanging out on the corner of 15th and William, a part of the city that most residents would drive out of their way to avoid. In 1999 Broadway was incarcerated in the maximum-security gang unit of Northern State Prison. After secretly obtaining a video camera, Broadway and his bunkmate Buddy Randolph began documenting life on the inside. The result is a discomforting look into a deeply claustrophobic world, a place where even the most insignificant objects seems to take on the utmost importance. Somehow, despite filming from such a limited vantage point, Broadway is able to offer a detailed expose of the corruption that goes on behind these reinforced steel doors. Meanwhile, as Broadway's expose sets off an unanticipated chain of events, his collaborator Tirola offers a look at the prisoner's old neighborhood while discussing the recent developments concerning the camera to his loving and opinionated mother.

"INTELLIGENT LIFE: Change Your Mind, Change Your World"

Director Brian Malone
Thursday, December 3, 2009 9:30pm
BEST FEATURE FILM - ARTIVIST SPIRIT

The time has come for us to take responsibility for the choices that we make in our everyday lives and the effect those choices have on us and on the planet. But how? Intelligent Life is a stark and unfiltered examination of the unintended consequences of modern American lives. Behind the scenes, our own convenience and comfort are often the greatest causes of suffering and destruction. Shot in high-definition and in a photo-essay style, Intelligent Life is a visually stunning portrait of modern American life. The glorious soundtrack that accompanies the film features a number of Grammy Award-nominated recording artists. Directed by Brian Malone, the film is a winner of the Green Seal from the Environmental Media Association.

"BELONGING" Narrated by Dustin Hoffman.

Director Gerard Ungerman
Friday, December 4, 2009 7:00pm
BEST FEATURE FILM - ENVIRONMENTAL ADVOCACY





Narrated by Dustin Hoffman, the Inuit-inflected "Belonging" leavens its informational load and scarifying message with dazzling shots of the Canadian Arctic and, ultimately, a very hopeful message. Not just science, but religion too, can be brought to bear to open our eyes and strengthen our resolve. The more natural resources are consumed, the more the human population explodes, increasing the need for more resources. This Catch-22 has resulted in massive numbers of species extinctions and dead zones in the ocean that are increasing in size and number every year. The dazzling "Belonging" serves as a primer on both how we got into this mess and what we can do about getting out of it.

"DIA DE LUZ - DAY OF LIGHT"

Director Matt Katsolis
Friday, December 4, 2009 9:00pm




On March 6, 2008 a flood of people, music, and kites invaded the city landfill in Managua, Nicaragua, where nearly 1,500 people live, work, and make their homes. The trash dump is called La Chureca, which means the Scavenging Place and can be described as a post-apocalyptic war zone, as people search through the piles of burning trash, looking for things to eat, fix, and recycle. Director Matt Katsolis walks alongside musician Braddigan from sunrise to sunset as he is joined by hundreds of students, artists, athletes, and musicians as they break down emotional, physical, and cultural barriers, while reawakening the dreams, imagination, and hope of the people who live there. "Dia de Luz" highlights the use of music and the arts to rebuild, restore, and bring healing to communities ravaged by extreme poverty.

"VICKTORY TO THE UNDERDOG"

Director Brandon Bond
Saturday, December 5, 2009 1:00pm



'Vicktory To The Underdog' takes an in depth look at world renowned tattoo artist 'Brandon Bond' and his inspiring dog rescue efforts - including rescuing the infamous Michael Vick pitbulls that were used in dog fightings. The movie sheds light on solutions leading to 'Vicktory' for all the underdogs in the movie.