Talking Pictures Festival

Vist www.talkingpicturesfestival.org for more information about the Talking Pictures Festival.

Friday, May 1, 6 pm
1000 Journals
(Andrea Kreuzhage, 2007, U.S., 88 minutes, video)
San Francisco artist Someguy became a 21st century version of Johnny Appleseed when he released 1000 blank journals into the world with an invitation for others to fill them. Andrea Kreuzhage’s fascinating 1000 Journals traces the journey of several of these journals as they pass from hand to hand around the globe and return to the artist filled with personal musings, art, and stories.

Friday, May 1, 8 pm
Treeless Mountain
(SoYoung Kim, 2008, Korea, 89 minutes, 35mm)
Set in South Korea, Treeless Mountain is a dreamlike tale of a six-year-old girl and her younger sister whose mother abandons them with an uncaring aunt. Working wonders with her child actors, director So Yong Kim tells a touching, humanistic story through the eyes of these remarkable children, creating “a quiet, poignant drama of abandonment and resilience” (New York Times).

Saturday, May 2, 1 pm
Animation & Shorts Showcase
(Various directors and countries, approximately 90 minutes, video)
Among the Chicago entries in this engaging shorts program are Paula Froehle’s wistful The Collector and Jodie Mack’s animated gem Yard Work is Hard Work, which is set to original songs and follows a pair of newlyweds as they learn the perils of homeownership. Other titles include the hilarious animated Token Hunchback by Tim Reckart and Neil Ira Needleman’s bittersweet Corner Delancey.

Saturday, May 2, 3 pm
Pray the Devil Back to Hell
(Abigail E. Disney and Gini Reticker, 2008, U.S., 72 minutes, video)
A small band of Liberian women came together in the midst of a bloody civil war, took on the violent warlords and corrupt Charles Taylor regime, and won a long-awaited peace for their shattered country. An inspiring testament to the power of ordinary people! Co-presented with Amnesty International Group 50 Rogers Park/Evanston and the North Suburban Peace Initiative. Screening sponsored by Comix Revolution.

Saturday, May 2, 6 pm
Off Off Broadway
(Jeff Huston, 2008, U.S., 81 minutes, video)
In a witty excursion into Christopher Guest territory, this “mockumentary” follows hapless filmmaker Art Ferguson as he tries to make a film about a New York avant-garde theater production entitled “All the Wild Stallions.” The film nails the self-involved, power-tripping traits of its theatrical personas with comedic deftness.

Saturday, May 2, 8 pm
Academy Award Nominees 2009: Live Action Shorts
(Various directors, 2008, 94 minutes)
Have you ever wondered where you can see the shorts that are nominated for the Oscars? Here's your chance. In Auf der Strecke, from Germany, a department store security guard's jealousy keeps him from helping his rival in love. In Grisen (The Pig), from Denmark, a fight between hospital patients erupts over a whimsical painting of a pig. France's Manon on the Asphalt asks the question: what really flashes before your eyes at the end? The New Boy is about a young African immigrant's first day at an Irish school. The German film Toyland is set in 1942 Germany, where a young mother convinces her son that their Jewish neighbors are going to Toyland.

Sun, May 3, 1 pm
Sita Sings the Blues
(Nina Paley, 2008, U.S., 82 minutes, video)
This animated re-interpretation of the Indian epic Ramayana tells of marital woes through the ages as it switches between ancient tragedy and modern comedy: there is the goddess Sita, who is separated from her beloved husband Rama, and then there is Nina, the animator, who carries her share of heartache. In the words of Roger Ebert: “I am enchanted. I am swept away. I am smiling from one end of the film to the other. It is astonishingly original.” Screening sponsored by Mt. Everest Restaurant.

Sun, May 3, 3 pm
Bilal
(Sourav Sarangi, 2008, India, 92 minutes, video)
Slumdog Millionaire gave us the fictionalized story of children in the slums of Mumbai. Bilal is the real deal. Bilal is three years old, his parents are blind and he is the one who helps his family face the challenges of life in the slums of Kolkata. Sarangi’s affectionate, yet unflinching camera observes the family’s day-to-day life: a poignant mix of love, fun, and cruel disappointment. No million dollar rescues, but they persevere through their wits and reliance on each other. Screening sponsored by Mt. Everest Restaurant.