Albuquerque Film Festival 2009

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OFFICIAL GUIDE OF THE ALBUQUERQUE FILM FESTIVAL

Festival gives filmmakers their close-up Both the famous and the up-and-coming will bring their work directly to the fans

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PRESENTING SPONSORS City of Albuquerque Martin J. Chávez, Mayor ClearChannel Outdoor Comcast Citadel Broadcasting Corporation McCune Charitable Foundation ABQ Ride Film for Change SUPPORTING SPONSORS Reel Solutions Hyatt Regency Albuquerque Hotel Albuquerque Country Inn and Suites Aha Toro PATRON SPONSORS Grubb & Ellis NM 100 Gold Banque Lofts Green Bar Cafe Great Face and Body Rogue Taurus Productions ShadowPlay Pictures Imitsu Media 1/2 Native Productions

he first Albuquerque Film Festival will bring some of Hollywood’s bestknown stars and up-andcoming directors to show some of their groundbreaking films. From Dennis Hopper, who will show “Easy Rider,” and actor Giancarlo Esposito, who will show his new film, “Gospel Hill,” to newcomer Paul Solet, who will show “Grace,” which earned rave reviews at Sundance this year, the festival promises five days of films, panels and workshops beginning Wednesday, Aug. 5. The festival will kick off with a showing of the Best of the 48 Hour Film Project on Wednesday, Aug. 5. The project, which hosts events in cities across the globe, including Albuquerque, challenges small teams to make short films in just two days. Hopper, who wrote and directed “Easy Rider,” still calls it his best work. It introduced a generation to music, motorcycles and Jack Nicholson. Hopper will screen his film at the KiMo Theatre at 6  p.m. Saturday, Aug. 8, and talk about the 1969 movie that inspired a generation of filmmakers. The festival will host an

Albuquerque premiere of Esposito’s film “Gospel Hill” just weeks before it goes into limited release at theaters across the country. Esposito, who’s known for his acting work in “Law & Order” and “The Usual Suspects,” went behind the camera for the first time to direct “Gosepl Hill,” a film about gentrification and politics in the South. “I didn’t want to direct a film that championed violence or sex, and I wanted to do something with good characters,” he said. Esposito, who learned the craft of acting in the theater, also will host an acting workshop at the festival with tips for actors who are just starting in the business and refresher tips for those who have already stepped in front of a camera. Though the star power of people like Hopper and Esposito is hard to ignore, several up-and-coming directors are bringing films to the festival that have earned critical acclaim at other film festivals. “American Meth,” which is narrated by Val Kilmer, is a documentary made by Justin Hunt of Farmington. In “American Meth,” Hunt visited several communities in the western United States

Dennis Hopper will be a special guest at the Albuquerque Film Festival, where several of his films from “Night Tide” and “Blue Velvet” to “Easy Rider” will be shown. and shows the havoc that the drug methamphetamine has wrought on major cities like Portland, Ore., and small towns in Wyoming and Utah. Hunt also chronicles the daily lives of two meth addicts whom he lived with and filmed for two months. “You’re emotionally drained after you watch it,” Hunt told the Journal. “When you watch a 2-yearold eat out of the trash, it messes with you.” There are some lighthearted films, as well, like “Jackson,” about two down-and-out men who find solace in singing opera arias together, or the campy animated musical “Sita Sings the Blues,” which tells the story of one of India’s greatest epochs. Several films — like the

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came to New Mexico in 2007 to produce a feature film. New Mexico surpassed my expectations, and I stuck around to teach screenwriting and film production at the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe. As I became more and more involved in the local film scene in New Mexico, I noticed the need for a film festival in Albuquerque to complement the city’s vibrant Downtown and arts scene. I opened shop on June 5, and the festival kicks off Aug. 5 thanks to the support I’ve had from people around the community and our generous sponsors, including Mayor Martin J. Chávez. It is with sincere gratitude that we would like to thank our sponsors for their willingness to share in our vision and to support our goals with a tremendous generosity of spirit. Together, through the arts and the Albuquerque Film Festival, we will create a campus for creativity and the nexus for new ideas in the heart of New Mexico — Downtown Albuquerque. — Rich Henrich, founder and director, Albuquerque Film Festival

CONTRIBUTING SPONSORS CinnaFilm Production Central ABQ Bird of Paradise Movie Waste Management Newport Furnishings Lobo Theater The Cell Theatre Downtown Action Team Studio Hill Design TL PRODUCTIONS Dotte AFFILIATE SPONSOR Albuquerque Studios

documentary “Made in Pakistan” by Ayesha Khan, who now lives in Santa Fe, or the luscious “Baraka” — show the world in unexpected ways. The festival also is bringing some classics to life, like Vivian Vance, who played Ethel Mertz on “I Love Lucy.” Vance, who would have turned 100 this year, became Lucille Ball’s best-known sidekick. Vance got her start in show business in Albuquerque, and the film festival will present the special Vivian Vance 100th Birthday Celebration on Saturday, Aug. 8, at the KiMo Theatre. The festival, though, is as much about making films as it is showing them. Celebrity panelists like Todd Jefferson, the director of games for Marvel Comics, and Ziad Serafi, who created much of the computer graphics for the films “The Golden Compass” and “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End,” will share their secrets at panels throughout the weekend. Parties every night will bring the festival community together at some of Downtown’s hottest spots, from Sauce and Proof to the Blackbird Buvette, where film fans can gather and, with a little bit of luck, meet some of the filmmakers who’ve brought their films to the first Albuquerque Film Festival.

Albuquerque Film Festival director and founder Rich Henrich with AFF intern Adam N. Bille.

Please note: Film festival events may be subject to change.

OFFICIAL GUIDE OF THE ALBUQUERQUE FILM FESTIVAL

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Actor skips lead but takes director’s chair

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n Sunday night, the Albuquerque Film Festival will present “Gospel Hill,” the directorial debut by famed actor Giancarlo Esposito. He was originally offered the lead acting role in the film, but it just didn’t suit him. Instead, he chose to play a lesser character, who had more depth. “The film came to me as an actor, and they asked me why I chose Palmer. They asked, ‘Why don’t you play the lead?’ ” Esposito said. “It’s not me. It needs a seasonedlooking actor, like Danny Glover.” Then, after making several more suggestions, the producers had enough and simply offered him the director’s chair. He was well prepared. After appearing in several major films from “The Usual Suspects” to “Do the Right Thing” and several TV shows such as “NYPD Blue” and “CSI: Miami,” he had the experience in front of the camera. The film tells the story of

Giancarlo Esposito will screen his new film, “Gospel Hill,” which deals with love and gentrification in the South.

two men in the South and their intersecting lives. One is the son of a slain civil-rights worker (played by Samuel L. Jackson) and the other a terminally ill small-town sheriff. It’s all set against the backdrop of a love story and the

gentrification of a small Southern town. It was filmed in Fort Mill, S.C., because, Esposito said, it had the feeling and the look of a fictional town of the old South trapped in the modern world. “There were no jobs and a

lot of gentrification,” he said. “My film was about losing jobs to other countries and addressing gentrification.” His character in “Gospel Hill,” Dr. Palmer, buys properties in a historic neighborhood to turn it into a golf course, much to the chagrin of the locals. “For me, the gentrification will homogenize. It doesn’t relate to color, it relates to money. Palmer buys other African-American homes and property to get ahead,” he said. Esposito cast an all-star group in the film, from Angela Bassett to Glover and Jackson. Not long after Sunday’s Albuquerque premiere of the film, it will see a limited theatrical release, he said. Esposito also will moderate a workshop on acting at 2  p.m. Saturday, Aug. 8, for the Albuquerque Film Festival at The Cell theater. “I do workshops all over. I like to talk about acting style and I like to talk about the theater, and that’s the steppingstone for all of it

“Hello. I’m Mayor Martin J. Chávez and I would like to invite you to attend the 2009 Albuquerque Film Festival. Full festival schedule and more details can be found at:

www.albuquerquefilmfestival.com.” Mayor Martin J. Chávez

City of Albuquerque Film Office www.FilmABQ.com

and that’s how you grow your work and understand the third wall and your character,” Esposito said. “Not every character on paper is complete, and we have to, as actors, bring that character to life and give them life.” Those were lessons he tried to convey to the actors in “Gospel Hill,” he said. “Some people don’t want to talk about the details. Danny Glover asked me a thousand questions,” he said. But “Gosepl Hill,” Esposito said, is more about making a film he could be proud to take his family to, especially his two children. “I took them to ‘Ratatouille’ and ‘The Golden Compass’ and ‘Bridge to Terabithia’ and I decided that whatever I make has to have a message,” he said. “I have to see ‘Up’ now. I’ve heard such good things.” Esposito’s next project is the feature “Rabbit Hole,” with Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhart, which is expected to be released next year.

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ALBUQUERQUE FILM FESTIVAL SCHEDULE

18 * Indicates a New Mexico made or produced project.

WED AUG. 5

National Hispanic Cultural Center, 1701 Fourth SW 7 p.m. The Best of the 48 Hour Film Project * The 48 Hour Film Project challenges small teams to make a short film in 48 hours. TBD Best of 48 Hour 2009 After Party

THURS AUG. 8

The Lobo Theater 2 p.m. “The Standard Man” with “El Taxista” Set at Christmas, it’s an exploration of love and loss set against the backdrop of a nuclear scientist’s definition of the standard man. KiMo 2 p.m. IAIA Presents the Disney ABC Summer Workshop Films American Indian filmmakers from the summer filmmaking program will present films. KiMo Theatre 4 p.m. “Sita Sings the Blues” (family film) “Sita Sings the Blues” is a musical, animated interpretation of the Indian epic the “Ramayana.” The film follows Sita and her quest to understand why her husband, Rama, rejected her. Set to the 1920s jazz vocals of Annette Hanshaw, “Sita Sings the Blues” earns being called “The Greatest Break-Up Story Ever Told.” Lobo 4 p.m. Local Shorts, including “The Spider Experiment,” “Mickey,” “The Legend of Aerreus Kane” and “Hunters Moon.” * The Cell 5 p.m. “Tangled Up in Bob” * Searching for Bob Dylan, best-selling author and Taos resident Natalie Goldberg travels to his hometown and finds his songs in the dirt, the swamps, the mines and bars. She discovers the seeds of his creativity in his ordinary childhood, from a high school friend and his English teacher and learns the secret of coming home. KiMo 5:30 p.m. The Best of the Duke City Shootout

KiMo

Jordan Ladd as Madeline Matheson in “Grace,” which will have a New Mexico premiere at the AFF.

9 p.m. “Grace” with “Sweetie” (for mature audiences) Madeline Matheson is eight months pregnant and determined to deliver her unborn child, Grace, naturally. When an accident leaves Grace dead inside her, Madeline insists on carrying the baby’s corpse to term. Weeks later, when Madeline delivers, the baby miraculously returns to life ... with an appetite. Filmmaker Paul Solet will speak.

Over the last nine years, teams of filmmakers have put together short films made in one week through Albuquerque’s Duke City Shootout. The program will show the winning films from the annual festival. Lobo 6 p.m. “Night Tide” Young Johnny Drake (Dennis Hopper) meets a mysterious young woman who plays a mermaid in seaside tourist carnival. Several strange things happen that make Johnny wonder if she’s a real mermaid and what other secrets she may harbor. KiMo 7 p.m. “Baraka” * A pastiche of images and scenes from across the world, from volcanoes and waterfalls to monks singing, “Baraka” takes viewers on a journey across the globe. It’s essentially plotless, but the message of destruction, via images of strip-mining and urban life, show what the Earth is becoming. Filmmaker Alton Walpole will speak. Lobo 8 p.m. “The Map Reader” The story of a 16-year-old who finds solitude in maps, but through some new friends he’s roused from isolation in New Zealand. Banque Loft 9 p.m. VIP Sponsorship Event Atomic Cantina 9 p.m. AFF Festival Opening Night Party

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KiMo 3 p.m. “The Last Waltz” In 1978 Martin Scorsese released “The Last Waltz,” one of the greatest concert films ever made. The film features greats of the 1960s and 1970s rock scene, from Bob Dylan to Van Morrison, Joni Mitchell, Ringo Starr, Eric Clapton and Neil Young, as they say goodbye to The Band. The Cell 3 p.m. “Baghdad Diary” In 2003, a Norwegian journalist smuggled a small video camera into Baghdad and Iraqi Fadil Kadom filmed everything he saw around him. Meanwhile, Craig White, an NBC cameraman, filmed what he saw while embedded with troops. “Baghdad Diary” weaves these two stories together. Lobo 3 p.m. “Blue Velvet” (for mature audiences) with “LO-JO” Jeffrey Beaumont makes a horrible discovery, but he soon finds out it’s just the lobe of a much larger conspiracy in this 1986 David Lynch classic. With Dennis Hopper, Kyle MacLachlan and Isabella Rossellini. KiMo 5 p.m. “Jackson” with “Idiot Box” Two down-and-out characters, fueled by bottles of Thunderbird wine, end up on a great adventure full of humor,

KiMo

KiMo 11 a.m. Shorts Program: Narrative * “Assassin Emeritus,” “Old Dogs,” “Missing Pieces,” “Potage de Ma Mere,” “In The Tradition of My Family,” “Red Flag,” “Right Foot, Left Foot” and “Akaroa” The Cell 11 a.m. “Laffghanistan” with “Hello Junkie”

Dennis Hopper’s classic adventure film about two motorcyclists, hungry for adventure, on their way to New Orleans. Hopper will talk about his film at this special screening.

The Cell 5 p.m. “American Waitress” * with “American Dream” Service with a smile, New Mexico style. This feature-length documentary shows the lives of four women in the service industry, from work to play. KiMo 7 p.m. “The Back 9” Upon turning 40, an above-average golfer accepts the challenge to chase his dream of playing professional golf. With his passion for the sport, the right team, training schedule and commitment, will he have his chance? Sauce and Proof, 405 Central NW 7 p.m. Brother Filmmaking Teams Panel and Happy Hour Brothers Mason and Markus Canter will join brothers Jacob and Arnold Pander for a discussion on what it’s like to make films with your brother, sibling rivalry, creative differences and the creative process. The Flying Canter Brothers have a documentary, “Chasing the Horizon,” in the AFF and the Pander Brothers will be screening “Selfless” and participating on the Games, Comics, and Movies with Todd Jefferson, Marvel Comics director of games.

SAT AUG. 8

KiMo 10 a.m. Vivian Vance 100th Birthday Celebration (family event) A party to celebrate the star Vivian Vance, who played Ethel Mertz in “I Love Lucy” and reprised the role several times over the years. Vance got her start acting in Albuquerque and would have turned 100 this year. Production Central ABQ 11 a.m. Movies, Games and Comics Panel Todd Jefferson, director of games for Marvel Comics, will lead a discussion on film, games and comics.

8 p.m. “Easy Rider”

AUG. 7

VENUES

Comedian Graham Elwood tours Afghanistan’s war zones to entertain U.S. troops. Lobo 11 a.m. “Off the Map” * Arlene (Joan Allen) and Charley (Sam Elliott) star in this drama about a family who live off the map, with no modern conveniences. Charley, however, is clinically depressed and his daughter is ready to break free of her eccentric home life. KiMo 1 p.m. Shorts Program: Art Films * and Animation “Permutation,” “Mega City,” “Of Wood and Clay,” “Clicker Clatter,” “Portrait of an Artist,” “A Hair Piece,” “Android Love” and “Housle.” The Cell 1 p.m. “Neshoba” This documentary follows the quest of several people in Neshoba County, Miss., who brought Klansmen to justice for slaying three young civil-rights workers 40 years after their murder. The film “Mississippi Burning” chronicled the murders. Lobo 1 p.m. “Chasing the Horizon” with “Res-Q” (family film) This documentary follows three unlikely teammates in their quest to conquer the world’s toughest off-road car race, the Tecate SCORE Baja 1000.

philosophy and danger, all while expressing themselves through some of world’s greatest opera arias.

KiMo Noon Staff Films Screening The staff of the Albuquerque Film Festival’s favorite short films.

Dennis Hopper will talk about his 1969 film “Easy Rider” and screen the classic on Saturday at the Albuquerque Film Festival.

Production Central ABQ 12:30 p.m. Locations Panel To inform filmmakers of the production value available to them in utilizing locations, the advantages

of budgeting for a location manager, and best practices for filming and preserving New Mexico locations. Moderated by Holly Roach, location manager, IATSE Local 480. KiMo 2 p.m. “A Powerful Noise” * with “Underway” Hanh is an HIV-positive widow in Vietnam, Nada is a survivor of the Bosnian war, and Jacqueline works the slums of Bamako, Mali. These three women come from different worlds, but they share something. Each is overcoming gender barriers to rise up and claim a voice in their societies. Through their empowerment and ability to empower others, Hanh, Nada and Jacqueline are sparking remarkable changes.

architectural photography. The Cell 11 a.m. “Sacred Sites of the Dalai Lama” with “Kathmandu’s Sacred River” This documentary takes you to the mystical sites of the Himalayas and Tibet where early Buddhist monks meditated. Production Central ABQ Noon “Social Change and Cinema: Gonzo Documentaries Panel” A selection of short documentaries with a panel of filmmakers who, against all odds, completed their films.

New Mexico Post-Production Panel

KiMo 1 p.m. “Made in Pakistan” * Newsweek magazine called Pakistan “The Most Dangerous Country in the World” in 2007. This documentary follows the lives of four Pakistanis who defy this prevailing stereotype of the country. They are working professionals: two women entrepreneurs, a politician and a lawyer. These four represent a multifaceted Pakistan, a country where politics, fashion, religion, debate and tradition intermingle, and where one definition of an Islamic state no longer holds true. The first documentary to ever be released in Pakistan. Director Ayesha Kahn will speak.

KiMo 4 p.m. “Etienne!” with “Dear Fatty” (family film) Richard loves his little companion, Etienne, a dwarf hamster. But, once Etienne is diagnosed with terminal cancer, instead of just letting go, the pair go on a bicycle trip through California and discover a world that’s more beautiful and full of adventure than the pair could have imagined.

The Cell 1 p.m. “American Meth” * with “On the Bus” (for mature audiences) Narrated by Val Kilmer, “American Meth” is a cross-country journey that focuses on several facets of the methamphetamine epidemic. From the oil fields of Wyoming and New Mexico to the homeless in Portland, Ore., and the teens of Montana, the film shows the horrors of the drug.

KiMo 6 p.m. Dennis Hopper Honorarium and AFF Awards Ceremony Hosted by Emmy winner Bryan Cranston, the AFF Awards Ceremony will feature Dennis Hopper, a Taos resident, who will receive a lifetime achievement award for his work on films such as “Easy Rider.”

Gold Lofts, 100 Gold Ave. NW 1 p.m. Visual Literacy Event Experience the ability of film to be a powerful tool for adult literacy. Presented by tutors from the New Mexico Coalition for Literacy, this fascinating use of film is destined to play an important role in reducing New Mexico’s literacy problem. The New Mexico Coalition for Literacy encourages and supports communitybased literacy programs and is the local affiliate and coordinator for the national ProLiteracy America program.

The Cell 2 p.m. Acting Workshop with Giancarlo Esposito Esposito is an award-winning actor best known for his role as FBI agent Jack Baer in “The Usual Suspects.” He’s also been in hundreds of TV shows and will have a recurring role on Albuquerque’s “Breaking Bad” this fall. In his workshop he will go over techniques for becoming a character and give tips on the audition process. Production Central ABQ 3 p.m.

El Rey 9 p.m. Festival Party

SUN AUG. 9

KiMo 11 a.m. “Visual Acoustics” A documentary on Julius Shulman’s

Production Central ABQ 1 p.m. Green Filmmaking Panel Explore and share green practices for filming in New Mexico with producers, location managers and state of New Mexico representatives.

Giancarlo Esposito in his directorial debut, “Gospel Hill.”

KiMo 6 p.m. “Gospel Hill” Directed by Giancarlo Esposito, the film will see its Albuquerque premiere at the festival. Starring Angela Bassett, Danny Glover, Julia Stiles with Esposito and RZA of the Wu-Tang Clan, “Gospel Hill” follows the investigation into the death of a civil rights leader, and a smalltown sheriff dealing with his own past signs. Esposito will talk at the screening about the film. KiMo 2:30 p.m. “Selfless” with “Spanish Boots” (for mature audiences) “Selfless” is the story of an identity thief, and shows that it can be the most devastating of nonviolent crimes. The Cell 3 p.m. “War Against the Weak” with “The Ghost in the Machine” and “Night Terrors and Waking Dreams” * The documentary “War Against the Weak” exposes America’s role in the pseudoscience of eugenics and how some in the early days of the Nazi regime supported Germany’s projects that eventually turned into the Holocaust. Production Central ABQ 3 p.m. Panel: “The Art of the Film Business” This panel will discuss the art of producing and distributing a film. Entertainment attorney Chad Mathis will join line producer Brent Morris (“The Devil’s Rejects,” “Monster”), director Paul Solet (“Grace”), Emmy-nominated producer Anthony Mark (“The Hurt Locker,” “Once Upon a Time in Mexico”) and actor, director and producer Giancarlo Esposito, who will share their insight about films. Moderator will be festival director Rich Henrich. KiMo 4 p.m. The National Institute of Flamenco will present a dance performance. Blackbird Buvette, 509 Central SW 9 p.m. Festival Closing Night Party

Tickets & passes The Albuquerque Film Festival Pass is $99 and is good for admission to all film screenings, panels, workshops and parties. The pass is available at the Albuquerque Film Festival Office at 102 Gold SW. Awards Celebration tickets, at the Historic El Rey Theater, 620 Central SW, are $20. Individual tickets for KiMo Theatre events are $10 at the KiMo box office, 423 Central NW, or at www.ticketmaster. com. Call 768-3522. Tickets for events at The Cell, 700 First NW, and Lobo Theater, 3013 Central NE, are $5 at the venue box offices. Tickets to the Opening Night VIP party, at the Banque Lofts, northeast corner of Central Avenue and Third Street, are $20. RSVP to the festival, at 508-0712

Lobo Theater

KiMo Theatre

The Cell

Banque Loft

Atomic Cantina

Sauce Nightclub & Proof

Production Central ABQ

El Rey Theater

3013 Central NE

423 Central NW

700 First NW

217 Central NW

315 Gold SW

405 Central NW

519 Central NW

624 Central SW

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OFFICIAL GUIDE OF THE ALBUQUERQUE FILM FESTIVAL

Superheroes must answer to Marvel guy

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odd Jefferson may be the most powerful man in comics. Jefferson is in charge of all development for Marvel Comics’ games, movies, and anything else that carries the Marvel stamp of approval. It’s a tough job that takes a devoted comic book nerd and movie buff to handle. “All these projects come across my desk,” Jefferson said. “We guide the projects from concept to code release and make sure the expression of the characters is consistent with our standards for that character, the rules, the boundaries. If someone wants to put Spider-Man in Gotham, that’s a problem.” From Iron Man and X-Men to Spidey, Captain America, the Marvel Ultimate Alliance and more, Jefferson is in charge. If there’s a goof-up, the fanboys would have his

Todd Jefferson, who is in charge of all of Marvel Comics’ intellectual property, works to make sure films like the “Spider-Man” movies stay true to the characters.

head. But, with 5,000 characters to keep track of, he said, it’s nearly impossible to know everything about each one.

“If I were to break them into major families, there are at least five or six families, Spider-Man, X-Men, Iron Man, Punisher,

Fantastic Four, Daredevil and Elektra, Ghost Rider and Hulk.” All of the movies, games, books and dolls from those

films and books must have Jefferson’s approval before they’re produced. At 11  a.m. Saturday, Aug. 8, Jefferson will host a panel at the Albuquerque Film Festival on games, movies and comics at Production Central ABQ. “I come from a gaming background. I started in the industry 12 years ago as a tester at Activision and learned everything I could and rose up the ranks,” Jefferson said. From there he went to Pixar, and now to Marvel. Marvel, he said, is the best fit. “I’ve been collecting comics and collecting since I was a kid,” he said. Marvel, he said, is working on a new animated series, “Super Hero Squad,” a kid-friendly show with Wolverine, Captain America and others, that could premiere as soon as this fall on television.

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OFFICIAL GUIDE OF THE ALBUQUERQUE FILM FESTIVAL

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Director makes bold debut with ‘Grace’

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First-time director Paul Solet, left, will premiere his film “Grace” at the Albuquerque Film Festival on Friday, Aug. 8, at the KiMo Theatre.

hen two people passed out this year at the premiere of “Grace” at the Sundance Film Festival, director Paul Solet didn’t know how to take it. “I was concerned when that happened,” Solet said. Is it a good sign when people pass out at your movie’s premiere? “It was one of the midnight films and had that ‘Blair Witch’ slot, and they really took care of us,” Solet said. “At that first screening (this year) we had two men pass out from the intensity of the film. I think people have passed out before. I think someone passed out at ‘Reservoir Dogs,’ but never two.” “Grace” is an intense film, to be sure, but “I was concerned that it would give the wrong idea,” Solet said. The film, after all, isn’t like “Saw” or “Rosemary’s Baby,” but it does have its moments. “Grace” will have its New Mexico premiere on Friday, Aug. 8, at the Albuquerque Film Festival at 9 p.m. at the

KiMo Theatre, just one week before it goes into a limited theatrical release. After losing her unborn child, Madeline Matheson (Jordan Ladd) insists on carrying the corpse to term. Following the delivery, the child miraculously returns to life — with an appetite — and Matheson is faced with an ultimate decision. The problem is, Matheson is a vegan who wouldn’t hurt a fly. She’s the sort of woman who gets grossed out by cooking meat for her husband. “It’s not a political film. I’m interested in entertaining you and getting under your skin and making you think a little bit. I really believe that a great part of my responsibility as a director is to create a world that’s complete enough that you can’t get out.” Solet wrote the script when he moved from his hometown of Boston to follow his filmmaker dreams in Los Angeles. “When I got here, well, a good script sells itself,” he said. “But it’s harder

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Living and working in the state of New Mexico. We are pleased to be a part of the New Mexico film community.

to convince them to let me direct it.” To convince financiers that he had the chops to direct the film, he made a six-minute short based on the script for “Grace.” That got the attention of producer Adam Green, who gave Solet the chance. “It’s a film that had to overcome a lot of financial constraints and budgetary hurdles,” Solet said. “We shot this film in 17 nine-and-ahalf hour days. Typically, a film like this would shoot in 30 days. We knew we could do it if we were prepared.” The secret to the film’s intensity, though, is its subject matter and its pacing, Solet said. “It’s a carefully woven tapestry that’s unsettling and hypnotic. I want to create a world that envelops you and doesn’t let you out,” he said. “Part of that is finding out what world did my characters come from and what did their life look like. She’s a woman who won’t kill a fly. Won’t eat meat. That’s more interesting than your average Joe.”

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OFFICIAL GUIDE OF THE ALBUQUERQUE FILM FESTIVAL

Ziad Seirafi’s digital compositing work can be seen in “The Golden Compass,” which earned two Academy Awards.

Compositor makes the fantasy believable

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ome of the incredible new images leaking out about Tim Burton’s new film “Alice in Wonderland” are coming from right here in Albuquerque, from Sony Imageworks’ studio in Mesa del Sol. One of the major graphics compositors on the film is Ziad Seirafi, who has worked on some of the biggest blockbusters of the last few years, from “The Golden Compass” and “Pirates of the SEIRAFI: Caribbean: At Started his World’s End” career in to “Sin City” television and “Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow.” “As a compositor you get the shots from different departments and you’re responsible for putting them together ... in one space, all together, so that you believe the fantasy,” Seirafi said. He will sit on a panel with other movie graphics and games professionals at the AFF. “I’ve been doing this since 1992, and I started in post production on a TV show called ‘Tales from the Crypt.’ It was a great show,” he said. “I had an opportunity to start getting into effects there.” But, in the early 1990s, computer-generated effects were expensive, complicated and simply took too much time for a weekly TV show. “It was becoming more accessible,” he said. Seirafi poured himself into

the business, learning all he could. He and his wife, Sarah Seirafi, have started Desert Sirens, a production company in Santa Fe for their projects in development. He went to work for some major firms doing specialized graphics, then went on his own. But to do the really exciting stuff, he said, you need to work with a large company like Sony that can afford to hire 600 programmers and can afford the computers necessary to make a huge film happen. His biggest success so far, he said, has been “The Golden Compass,” which earned two Oscars for Best Achievement in Visual Effects and Best Achievement in Art Direction. “It was a nice experience. I was part of a very large team. I was compositor on that. I would say there was probably 600 people working on that,” he said.

The Film Apprenticeship Programs Inc. is proud to congratulate the Albuquerque Film Festival on its debut. FAPI offers quality on-the-job training & career development for the New Mexico Film industry.

Visit FAPI at: www.filmapprentice.org