West Virginia International Spring Film Festival
Apr. 30 through May 3
at the WVSU Capitol Center Theater
More information is available at http://www.wviff.org or e-mailing the festival at wviff@yahoo.com
Founded in 1985, The West Virginia International Film Festival (WVIFF} is the official international film festival of WV. For over two decades WVIFF has featured critically acclaimed and culturally diverse domestic and foreign language feature films most of which are unlikely to be exhibited in West Virginia commercial theaters. The WVIFF also holds an annual contest for WV student filmmakers, with a winners’ announcement ceremony as a part of the citywide FestivALL Charleston in June. WVIFF will celebrate its 25th Anniversary Fall Film Festival this year in November 2009. More information about these events will be available at a later date.
ADMISSION
Admission $8 per EVENING feature (single admission)
$6 per MATINEE feature (single admission before 6 pm)
$35 SEVEN PACK: (7 single admissions for anyone for any feature)
$4 per feature for Children and Students through college
WVSU Students FREE with current WVSU ID
Special screening of "God’s Cartoonist" $ 0.10
Pre-screening event before "The Wrestler": $4
Box Office 304-342-6522
PARKING
There is plenty of available streetside parking on Summers, Capitol Laidley, and Quarrier Streets.The City of Charleston parking garage is adjacent to the theatre on Summers Street, but hours and cost may vary. The Town Center Mall parking garage is within walking distance and open all night.Lot parking is available adjacent to Laidley Street and Capitol Street.Jeffco Parking lot (at Quarrier & Laidley) is open 24 hours and free most evenings. Spyro's parking (Capitol Street) is open 24 hours at a minimal cost.Kanawha County Rapid Transit Authority depot is also within walking distance to the theatre on Laidley Street.
GENERAL CONTACT INFORMATION
Theater Box Office Telephone: 304-342-6522
Festival Email: wviff@yahoo.com
Festival website: www.wviff.org
Festival Mailing Address: P.O. Box 2165, Charleston, WV 25328
DIRECTIONS
Coming from the North on I-77 S & I-79 S – Exit at the Civic Center Exit (58C). This puts you on Pennsylvania Ave. Turn left onto Lee Street. Turn right onto Summers Street. The theater is just beyond the intersection of Summers and Quarrier Streets.Coming from the South and East on I-77 N & I-64 W – Exit at the Leon Sullivan Way Exit (100). Turn right onto Washington Street. Turn left onto Summers Street. The theater is just beyond the intersection of Summers and Quarrier Streets.Coming from the West on I-64 E – Exit at the Virginia Street Exit (58B). Merge right onto Virginia Street at the end of the exit ramp. Turn left onto Summers Street. The theater is just before the intersection of Summers and Quarrier Streets.
ACCESSIBILITY ACCOMMODATIONS
Wheelchair seating, restroom and drinking fountain on first level of theatre.
Upon four (4) days advance notice, the WVIFF can make the following additional accommodations:
1) Alternative formatted program 2) Audio description
For more information on accommodations, please call (304) 342-6522.
TTY users, please use WV Relay, (711) 342-6522
WATCH THE TRAILER
SCHEDULE
Thursday April 30
7:00 PM
Goodnight Grover's Corners (DVD)
Free Screening!
(Drama) 2009 USA 80 minutes
Directed by: Greg Harpold (Filmmaker will be present)
Starring: Matt Link, Madaline Ranson, Evan Wilson, Sarah Dixon, Ben Thomas, and Laura Glassburn\
The horror of war hits close to home in this contemporary drama. Based on Dan Kehde’s controversial 2004 play, "Goodnight Grover’s Corners" begins as six youths converge on a graveyard to remember a fallen friend. As anxieties over life, death, war, and peace give way to anger, fear, frustration, and confusion, the band of friends are forced to confront their own mortality. Shot on location in and around Charleston by WV Filmmaker Greg Harpold, "Goodnight Grover’s Corners" raises new and troubling questions about the fragility of life, the fruitlessness of war, and the fight inside us all.
(Screening sponsored By WV Patriots For Peace)
8:55 PM
Rachel Getting Married
(Drama) 2008 USA 114 minutes
Rated R for language and brief sexuality
Directed by Johnathan Demme
Written by Jenny Lumet
Starring: Anne Hathaway, Debra Winger, Rosemarry Dewitt, Bill Irwin, Fab Five Freddy
www.sonyclassics.com/rachelgettingmarried/
Anne Hathaway shines in this heart-wrenching drama. As a family prepares for the marriage of their oldest daughter ( DeWitt) to a successful musician, the return of the youngest daughter, the narcissistic recovering addict Kym (Hathaway) throws family harmony and wedding plans into disarray. As the family scrambles to deal with Kym’s presence and recovery, dark and painful memories are forced to the surface. Veteran filmmaker Demme ("Silence Of The Lambs", "Philadelphia") directs this touching, intimate, and surprising drama of forgiveness, recovery, and the tribe of family.
Best Actress Oscar and Golden Globe Nominations for Hathaway.
Friday May 1
6:00 PM
Ringside Double Bill
$4 admission in addition to a ticket for "The Wrestler".
Learn about life in the ring from West Virginia professional wrestlers. Some of the
biggest stars of the local wrestling scene will be on hand for this event.
6:00 PM
The Wrestler
(Drama) 2008 USA 109 minutes
Rated R for violence, sexuality/nudity, language and some drug use
Directed By: Darren Aronofsky
Written By: Robert Segal
Starring: Mickey Rourke, Marissa Tomei, Evan Rachel Wood
www.foxsearchlight.com/thewrestler
Witness the resurrection of Mickey Rourke in this penetrating film from filmmaker Darren Aronofsky ("Pi", "Requiem For A Dream"). Rourke plays Randy, an aging wrestler down on his luck. Pro wrestling isn't as lucrative as it was for Randy in the 1980s, but he stays at it while working menial jobs because it's the only thing that, at 50, he knows how to crave. While courting his one true friend, a stripper named Cassidy (Tomei), Randy does his best to restart a relationship with the angrydaughter he abandoned. Rourke imbues the image of Randy, ready to pounce from the ropes, almost as unreal as the box art on action figure packaging, with an expression of pain, desperation, and joy.
Golden Globe Win and Oscar Nomination for Best Actor, Mickey RourkeGolden Globe and Oscar Nominations for Best Supporting Actress, Marissa Tomei
9:00 PM
LET THE RIGHT ONE IN
(Drama) 2008 Sweden 115 minutes; Swedish w. subtitles
Rated R for some bloody violence including disturbing images,
brief nudity and language
Directed by Tomas Alfredson
Written by John Ajvide Lindqvist
Starring: Kåre Hedebrant, Lina Leandersson, Per Ragnar, Henrik Dahl, Karin Bergquist
www.lettherightoneinmovie.com
Based on the 2004 novel by Lindqvist, "Let the Right One" In tells the story obullied youth Oskar, who befriends a 12-year-old girl named Eli. Oskar falls for Eli and finds her to be a source of strength in overcoming his self-doubt. Unfortunately, Eli is a
vampire and spends her evenings murdering and consuming the blood of hapless victims in order to survive. Once Oskar discovers the grim, true nature of Eli he realizes that a decision must be made about their future. "Let the Right One" In mixes subtle character interactions and beautiful cinematography with copious graphic violence to create a refreshing, genre-defying, and above all intelligent mixture of drama and horror. This certainly isn’t "Twilight".
Voted 2008 Best Foreign Film by the Boston, Chicago, San Francisco, Toronto and Florida Film Critics Associations, among others
Saturday May 2
1:00 PM
God's Cartoonist:
The Comic Crusade Of Jack Chick (DVD)
Special 10 Cent screening! Admission is only a dime!
(Documentary) 2009 USA 77 minutes
Directed by Kurt Kuersteiner
www.jackchickmovie.com
Jack T. Chick is the most published underground comic artist of the 20th century. His ubiquitous religious cartoon tracts have become a staple of Christian evangelism. Filmmaker Kuersteiner delves deep into the world of Chick Industries to profile the man whose controversial comics have drawn ire from The Masonic Order, The Catholic Church, and even the Christian Booksellers of America. Interviews with Chick’s critics, peers, and fans provide insight into his caustic, perversely humorous and often baffling works.
2:30 PM
2009 Academy Award
Nominated Animated Shorts (DVD)
www.shortsinternational.com/oscar
Ever wonder about those Oscars for Short films that fly by on Oscar Night, but hardly ever in our theaters? The WVIFF is proud to screen all 5 of the animated shorts nominated for the 2009 Academy Awards. They are accompanied by 5 additional 2009 Oscar contenders, making a full 94 minutes of diverse animated films.
LA MAISON EN PETITS CUBES
(HOUSE OF SMALL CUBES)
- Oscar Winner
Japan/12 mins/2008 Japanese w. subtitles, Writer/Director: Kunio Kato
An old man battles to save his house in an attempt to beat the rising tide.
LAVATORY LOVESTORY
- Oscar Nominee
Russia/10 mins/2007 Russian w. subtitles, Writer/Director: Konstantin Bronzit
A lonely toilet attendant attempts to uncover the identity of her secret admirer.
OKTAPODI
- Oscar Nominee
France/3 mins/2007 French w. subtitles, Directors: Julien Bocabeille,
Francois-Xavier Chanioux, Olivier Delabarre, Thierry Marchand, Quentin Marmier,
Emud Mokhberi
Two Octopi fight for their lives in a comical escape through the streets of a small Greek village.
PRESTO
- Oscar Nominee
USA/5 mins/2008, Writer/Director: Doug Sweetland
Dignity. Poise. Mystery. We expect nothing less from the great,
turn-of-the-century magician, Presto. But, when Presto forgets
to feed his rabbit, the conjurer gets more than he bargained for!
THIS WAY UP
- Oscar Nominee
UK/9 mins/2008, Directors:Alan Smith & Adam Foulkes
Laying the dead to rest has never been so much trouble.
VARMINTS
- UK/24mins/2008, Director: Marc Craste
A creature struggles to preserve a world in danger of being destroyed
through recklessness and indifference.
JOHN AND KAREN
- UK/5mins/2007, Director: Matthew Walker
Two animals attempt to resolve their relationship issues.
GOPHER BROKE
- USA/4mins/2008, Producer: BLUR Studio
There is no such thing as a free lunch.
SKHIZEIN
- France/14mins/2008 French w. subtitles, Director: Jeremy Clapin
Poor Henry has been struck by a meteorite and yet, miraculously, he’s still here.
Well, not exactly ‘here’, just a few centimetres further along than the rest of us.
91 centimetres to be precise!
HOT DOG
- USA/6mins/2008, Director: Bill Plympton
An intrepid dog goes to work for the fire department.
4:30 PM
CHOKE
(Comedy) 2008 USA 92 minutes
Rated R for strong sexual content, nudity and language.
Directed by Clark Gregg
Written by Clark Gregg/Chuck Palahniuk
www.foxsearchlight.com/choke/
Starring: Sam Rockwell, Anjelica Huston, Kelly Macdonald, Brad William Henke, Gillian Jacobs
Victor Mancini (Rockwell) isn’t your normal guy. He has a job as a reenactor at a colonial theme park, attends sexual addiction recovery workshops, and pretends to choke in upscale restaurants to gain money that he uses to pay his mother’s hospital bills. This is just the beginning of Clark Gregg’s adaptation of the 2001 Chuck Palahniuk (Fight Club) novel "Choke", retaining much of what made the book a satisfying, darkly comic and twisted look at identity, sexuality, and culture.
Won Dramatic Ensemble Cast Special Jury Prize, 2008 Sundance Film Festival
6:30 PM
Rachel Getting Married
(Drama) 2008 USA 114 minutes
Rated R for language and brief sexuality
Directed by Johnathan Demme
Written by Jenny Lumet
Starring: Anne Hathaway, Debra Winger, Rosemarry Dewitt, Bill Irwin, Fab Five Freddy
www.sonyclassics.com/rachelgettingmarried/
Anne Hathaway shines in this heart-wrenching drama. As a family prepares for the marriage of their oldest daughter ( DeWitt) to a successful musician, the return of the youngest daughter, the narcissistic recovering addict Kym (Hathaway) throws family harmony and wedding plans into disarray. As the family scrambles to deal with Kym’s presence and recovery, dark and painful memories are forced to the surface. Veteran filmmaker Demme ("Silence Of The Lambs", "Philadelphia") directs this touching, intimate, and surprising drama of forgiveness, recovery, and the tribe of family.
Best Actress Oscar and Golden Globe Nominations for Hathaway.
9:00 PM
LET THE RIGHT ONE IN
(Drama) 2008 Sweden 115 minutes; Swedish w. subtitles
Rated R for some bloody violence including disturbing images,
brief nudity and language
Directed by Tomas Alfredson
Written by John Ajvide Lindqvist
Starring: Kåre Hedebrant, Lina Leandersson, Per Ragnar, Henrik Dahl, Karin Bergquist
www.lettherightoneinmovie.com
Based on the 2004 novel by Lindqvist, "Let the Right One" In tells the story obullied youth Oskar, who befriends a 12-year-old girl named Eli. Oskar falls for Eli and finds her to be a source of strength in overcoming his self-doubt. Unfortunately, Eli is a
vampire and spends her evenings murdering and consuming the blood of hapless victims in order to survive. Once Oskar discovers the grim, true nature of Eli he realizes that a decision must be made about their future. "Let the Right One" In mixes subtle character interactions and beautiful cinematography with copious graphic violence to create a refreshing, genre-defying, and above all intelligent mixture of drama and horror. This certainly isn’t "Twilight".
Voted 2008 Best Foreign Film by the Boston, Chicago, San Francisco, Toronto and Florida Film Critics Associations, among others.
Sunday May 3
1:30 PM
Rachel Getting Married
(Drama) 2008 USA 114 minutes
Rated R for language and brief sexuality
Directed by Johnathan Demme
Written by Jenny Lumet
Starring: Anne Hathaway, Debra Winger, Rosemarry Dewitt, Bill Irwin, Fab Five Freddy
www.sonyclassics.com/rachelgettingmarried/
Anne Hathaway shines in this heart-wrenching drama. As a family prepares for the marriage of their oldest daughter ( DeWitt) to a successful musician, the return of the youngest daughter, the narcissistic recovering addict Kym (Hathaway) throws family harmony and wedding plans into disarray. As the family scrambles to deal with Kym’s presence and recovery, dark and painful memories are forced to the surface. Veteran filmmaker Demme ("Silence Of The Lambs", "Philadelphia") directs this touching, intimate, and surprising drama of forgiveness, recovery, and the tribe of family.
Best Actress Oscar and Golden Globe Nominations for Hathaway
4:00 PM
JUST ANOTHER LOVE STORY
(Drama) 2009 Denmark 100 minutes; Danish w. subtitles
Not Rated
Directed by Ole Bornedal
Written by Ole Bornedal
Starring: Anders W. Berthelsen, Nicolaj Lie Kaas, Charlotte Fich, Dejan Cukic, Rebecka Hemse
This fractured slice of film noir comes all the way from Denmark courtesy of Ole Bornedal. In Just Another Love Story, seemingly happily married crime photographer Jonas is involved in a multiple car accident that leaves a stranger, Julia, unconscious in the hospital. While in the hospital Jonas visits the woman and is mistaken for Julia’s boyfriend by her family. Once Julia reawakens, she is afflicted with amnesia, providing Jonas the perfect opportunity to take on this new persona. Memories don’t stay lost forever though! Bornedal’sdirectorial prowess takes genre convention and bends this film into a distinctly entertaining affair.
Dramatic World Cinema Grand Jury Prize, 2008 Sundance Film Festival.
6:00 PM
2009 Academy Award
Nominated Animated Shorts (DVD)
www.shortsinternational.com/oscar
Ever wonder about those Oscars for Short films that fly by on Oscar Night, but hardly ever in our theaters? The WVIFF is proud to screen all 5 of the animated shorts nominated for the 2009 Academy Awards. They are accompanied by 5 additional 2009 Oscar contenders, making a full 94 minutes of diverse animated films.
LA MAISON EN PETITS CUBES
(HOUSE OF SMALL CUBES)
- Oscar Winner
Japan/12 mins/2008 Japanese w. subtitles, Writer/Director: Kunio Kato
An old man battles to save his house in an attempt to beat the rising tide.
LAVATORY LOVESTORY
- Oscar Nominee
Russia/10 mins/2007 Russian w. subtitles, Writer/Director: Konstantin Bronzit
A lonely toilet attendant attempts to uncover the identity of her secret admirer.
OKTAPODI
- Oscar Nominee
France/3 mins/2007 French w. subtitles, Directors: Julien Bocabeille,
Francois-Xavier Chanioux, Olivier Delabarre, Thierry Marchand, Quentin Marmier,
Emud Mokhberi
Two Octopi fight for their lives in a comical escape through the streets of a small Greek village.
PRESTO
- Oscar Nominee
USA/5 mins/2008, Writer/Director: Doug Sweetland
Dignity. Poise. Mystery. We expect nothing less from the great,
turn-of-the-century magician, Presto. But, when Presto forgets
to feed his rabbit, the conjurer gets more than he bargained for!
THIS WAY UP
- Oscar Nominee
UK/9 mins/2008, Directors:Alan Smith & Adam Foulkes
Laying the dead to rest has never been so much trouble.
VARMINTS
- UK/24mins/2008, Director: Marc Craste
A creature struggles to preserve a world in danger of being destroyed
through recklessness and indifference.
JOHN AND KAREN
- UK/5mins/2007, Director: Matthew Walker
Two animals attempt to resolve their relationship issues.
GOPHER BROKE
USA/4mins/2008, Producer: BLUR Studio
There is no such thing as a free lunch.
SKHIZEIN
France/14mins/2008 French w. subtitles, Director: Jeremy Clapin
Poor Henry has been struck by a meteorite and yet, miraculously, he’s still here.
Well, not exactly ‘here’, just a few centimetres further along than the rest of us.
91 centimetres to be precise!
HOT DOG
USA/6mins/2008, Director: Bill Plympton
An intrepid dog goes to work for the fire department.
7:45 PM
BEAUFORT
(Drama) 2008 Israel 131 minutes; Hebrew w. subtitlies
Not Rated
Directed by Joseph Cedar
Written by Joseph Cedar/Ron Leshem
Starring: Oshri Cohen, Itay Tiran, Eli Eltonyo, Itay Turgeman
www.beaufort-lefilm.com
Beaufort is the 400 year old fort being defended by 22-year-old Liraz Liberti (Cohen) and his battalion during the Israeli pull out of Lebanon in 2000. Liraz must cope with the deteriorating emotional and physical state of himself and his soldiers as they endure Hezbollah mortar attacks, desperately trying to complete a mission that is becoming increasingly obscured with a sense of nothingness. Director Joseph Cedar and co-screenwriter Ron Leshem have passionately constructed an apolitical tale of war that succeeds because it never loses its humanistic touch.
Nominated for Best Foreign Language Film, 2008 Academy Awards. Won Best Director Silver Bear, 2008 Berlin Film Festival.
