2010 Official Selections

2010 Official Selections

	Concerto AM (Short, 15 Minutes, USA) After losing an important homicide case, detective Ray Lorenz returns home to discover his wife sleeping with Phillip, her violin teacher. When Ray impulsively kidnaps Phillip, the two go on a journey full of surprising revelations and ultimately, redemption.
	Danzak (Short, 20 Minutes, Peru) The life of a 10-year old girl, Nina, changes dramatically when her father and Master Dancer asks her to fulfill his last wish.
	Soul Walking (Short, 10 Minutes, Italy) A man who's about sixty is walking along one of his native town's streets. Youth memories are being called back to his mind by the late afternoon's heat and summer light. When he was young he used to see a girl he fell in love with. This physical and mental walk ends up in a church's sacristy: he has become a priest to get over the grief for the loss of his beloved, who met with a fatal accident at an early age.
	Sebastian's Voodoo (Animation, 4 Minutes, USA) A voodoo doll must find the courage to save his friends from being pinned to death. A 3D animated film created at the UCLA Animation Workshop by award-winning filmmaker Joaquin Baldwin.
	Without Arms (Animation, 3 Minutes, USA) This 3D animation follows one of art history's masterpieces as she comes to life. The Venus de Milo is a symbol of beauty in a museum showcasing perfection. In 'Without Arms,' the Venus becomes aware of her physical imperfections, namely her arms. While attempting to resolve her handicap, she has an accident, loses her head but finds a new body.
	The Snow Princess (Animation, 7 Minutes, USA) Snow Princess Gwyneira has spent an eternity dreaming of the World of Spring locked in her bedroom tower with only her mother for company. Against her mother's wishes, she continues longing for this other world. One day, she finds her escape and tumbles to what starts off as a grand adventure, but may end as a tragedy.
	Leonardo (Animation, 10 Minutes, USA) Follow Leonardo as he concocts his flying machine, gets ready for flight and finally...well you just have to see where the maestro's creativity takes him. Leonardo is about the journey of the creative spirit, through much failure, pain, perseverance, success and ruin. A journey that often does not end where the artist thought it would.
	The Hybrid Union (Animation, 4 Minutes, USA) Two abstract characters - Plus and Minus - are racing each other in the imaginary world. They operate using different sources of energy. Minus gets his energy from the Sun (light) and Plus from petroleum (oil). At some point they come across a third character that is different from both of them. It's smaller, more compact and moves much faster. Plus and Minus try to unite to form a 'Hybrid Union' to double their energy to win the race against the newcomer - will they succeed or will they have to make way for a new solution?
	Sea Change (Documentary, 83 Minutes, Norway, USA) Shortly after learning about ocean acidification, Sven Huseby set out to learn more about this threat to the world’s oceans. This journey takes Sven back to his roots in fishing communities from Seattle to Alaska and finally to Norway as he learns first-hand about this devastating phenomenon and what can be done to stop it. Through Sven's travels we uncover the scientific, cultural, political and economic implications of ocean acidification. Upon returning to the United States to visit his grandson Elias, Sven seeks out the individuals and organizations who are pursuing a range of solutions to acidification as he tries to determine where hope may lie in this epic struggle for the future of the oceans.
	Damien Making a Difference, God Making a Saint (Hawaii Films, 46 Minutes, USA) At the age of 33, Fr. Damien de Veuster was sent to Molokai to serve the people suffering from Hansen's Disease (leprosy). When he arrived, the people living in the leper colony lacked all basic necessities and lived in fear---immorality and lawlessness being the norm. Fr. Damien came to live among them, becoming a voice to the outside world, ministering to the people, providing food, shelter, love, hope and faith. This story is told through Damien's own words taken from his writings in letters and journals. Members of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, of which Damien was a member, provide refection, showing how the touch of God was evident throughout Damien's life from the very beginning.
	Fiberglass and Megapixels (Hawaii Films, 48 Minutes, USA) Fiberglass and Megapixels sheds light on Hawaii's North Shore winter surfing scene and finds the true beauty within the over crowded image gathering free for all. The surfing industry relies on these inspiring pictures from Hawaii to sell the surfing lifestyle and Fiberglass and Megapixels goes deep as top surfers, photographers and cinematographers share their perspective on what it takes and what it means to get the shot and live the surfing dream.
	The Chef's Letter (Short, 14 Minutes, United Kingdom) Rob is married with a little girl he adores. A successful chef, he lives his life as he runs his kitchen, but his familiar regime of order and control is shaken when he falls in love with a young male trainee. At the last moment, he decides to make his feelings known, and so writes the letter that could promise his release but could also destroy his ordered life.
	Steel Homes (Short, 10 Minutes, United Kingdom) Self-storage units are windows into human histories: the silent cells with their discarded objects and dust-covered furniture are inscribed with past dreams, secret hopes and lives we cannot let go off. Moving from steel cage to steel cage, we encounter tales of heartbreak, loneliness and despair; and stories of liberation, adventure and leaving the past behind. One recurring motive is of people in a kind of temporary or permanent limbo - people who have lost their homes, either literally or metaphorically. STEEL HOMES explores the fragmented nature of memories, set in the starkly beautiful aesthetic of our modern industrial world.
	Unreserved: The Work of Louie Gong (Short, 14 Minutes, USA) “UNRESERVED” is an intimate profile of Pacific Northwest artist and activist Louie Gong (Nooksack, Squamish, Chinese, French, Scottish). In March 2009, he began merging Coast Salish art with pop culture icon Vans Shoes, to create custom skate shoes representing the complexities of multi-racial cultural identity -- something he refers to as “walking in two worlds”. While many are drawn to his shoes because they represent the meeting of multiple worlds, others simply appreciate their freshness and originality. In addition to Vans, Gong is beginning to explore new mediums for his art including yellow cedar skate decks, canvas, and clothing.
	Crossing Midnight (Short, 29 Minutes, USA) Set on the border of Thailand and Eastern Burma, CROSSING MIDNIGHT tells the story of a remarkable community of refugees from Burma working against incredible odds to help their own. During the violent crackdown of the 1988 student uprising, Dr. Cynthia Maung and a group of fellow students fled to the border of Thailand. There, with virtually nothing in hand, they created the Mae Tao Clinic in a one-room barn. Over twenty years later, in the midst of an unparalleled healthcare crisis, the clinic has grown into a community of over 500 healthcare workers, a school for refugee children and a dedicated group of cross-border backpack medics who travel at great risk through the jungles of Eastern Burma to treat those living on the run. CROSSING MIDNIGHT presents a unique portrait of resilience, courage and hope.
	Lose Yourself in Me (Music Video, 6 Minutes, USA) Three couples explore their sensuality alone and together.
	The Outside (Feature, 90 Minutes, USA) Under the warm embrace of the Southern California beach lifestyle, 'Ned Blakey' aspires to ride the waves of professional surfing. In an instant he becomes the center of the pro surf circuit. Ned wades into the troubled waters of fame and fortune. Tempted by power, excess and girls, Ned must evolve or devolve. Based on true events this is a surf film that is a must ride.
	A History of Aviation (Short, 17 Minutes, France, Hungary) Normandy, 1905. The picnic is over; the upper middle class party prepare to go home. They are waiting for just one last photograph, but someone is still missing from the group...
	Pidgin: The Voice of Hawaii (Hawaii Films, 60 Minutes, USA) According to Michelle Obama, “You can’t really understand Barack until you understand Hawai‘i.” But you can’t really understand Hawai‘i, until you understand Pidgin, the language of Hawai‘i’s heart and soul. Born on sugar plantations, spoken by more than half of Hawai‘i’s population, part English, part Hawaiian, with Chinese, Japanese, and Tagalog mixed in, Pidgin captures the essence of multi-ethnic Hawai‘i. “Pidgin: The Voice of Hawai‘i”, a one hour documentary, profiles this language of Hawai‘i’s working people from plantation jargon to a source of island identity and pride.
	Carpet Racers (Documentary, 82 Minutes, USA) Carpet Racers explores a yearlong journey into the subculture of grown men and women that make a living, or try to, racing radio control cars… Professionally. Whether at their local tracks, or on the biggest of stages, these competitors are almost exactly like those celebrated individuals that race NASCAR or FORMULA ONE. Almost… Aside from two huge differences: the cars are the size of a shoebox, and no one has a clue who these people are.   Carpet Racers documents the ultimate victories and crushing defeats of five of the top racers in the world in their quest to be the best. The film delves into the struggles they have to endure at home, and the sacrifices they make to race for a living. Life on the road racing toy cars takes a tremendous toll.
	Take Me Back to Hanalei (Music Video, 4 Minutes, USA) Catchy tune, beautiful Hawaiian scenery, Take Me Back to Hanalei is a music video for all ages. It captures the experience of being in Hawaii and the longing for more. Anyone who has visited the islands, 1.5 million a year, will enjoy this video.