Film 2009

Join us at the 2009 HHM Film/Music Festival for all of these great films!

FEATURE FILMS AND DOCUMENTARIES

	FILM SYNOPSIS
	Timer 99 min Narrative Feature Thursday, State Theatre, 8:30pm Saturday, State Theatre, 3:30pm Director: Jac Schaeffer Producer: Jac Schaeffer, Rikki Jarrett, Jennifer Glynn Starring: Emma Caulfield (Buffy, the Vampire Slayer), Michelle Borth (Tell Me You Love Me), John Patrick Amedori (Gossip Girl), Desmond Harrington (Dexter), JoBeth Williams (Poltergeist) What if a clock could count down to the moment you meet your soul mate? A revolutionary device called the TiMER fulfills this fantasy, counting down the days, hours and minutes until the wearer's date with destiny. For Oona O'Leary (Emma Caulfield, "Buffy, The Vampire Slayer") whose timer hasn't started counting down yet, "the one" seems like he's never going to get his timer implanted. Everyone around her is counting down to their soulmates. Frustrated, Oona dives headfirst into a one night stand with a young grocery clerk/rocker from Kalamazoo, MI. Will the same device that supposed to point ther way to true love end up messing the whole thing up? Official selection- Tribeca Film Festival, Connecticut Film Festival. Producers Jennifer Glynn and Rikki Jarrett are scheduled to attend.
	Hysterical Psycho 73 min Narrative Feature Saturday, State Theatre, 8:30pm Sunday, Masonic Temple, 1pm Director: Dan Fogler Producer: Thomas Sullivan Starring: Randy Baruh, Noah Bean, Kelly Hutchison, Thomas Sullivan, Ariel Shafir, Kate Gersten The directorial debut for actor Dan Fogler (Fanboys, Balls of Fury), is a hilarious lampoon chock-full of all the best clichés from the horror genre. A New York theater troupe travels to the snowy woods of Moon Lake, a hotbed of crazy, to "find themselves." One by one, each member meets their bloody demise. But who is the killer among them? Official selection- Tribeca Film Festival. Director Dan Fogler and actors Thomas Sullivan (and Producer), Noah Bean and Randall Baruh scheduled to attend.
	Fairview St. 111 min Narrative Feature Saturday, Delta College, 6pm Director: Michael McCallum Producer: Marrianne Bacon, Michael McCallum Starring: Michael McCallum, Elizabeth Moore, Jeff Bone, Jerrod Root, Justin Muschong, Shane Hagedorn, William McCallum Paroled after serving four years in prison for armed robbery, James Winton is coming home, uncertain of his future. When a murder occurs, he becomes the prime suspect, pursued by two detectives, determined to make him pay. Shot entirely in Michigan.
	Official Rejection 108 min Documentary Friday, State Theatre, 6pm Sunday, Delta College, 3pm Director: Paul Osborne Starring: Scott Storm, Paul Osborne, Brian Singer, Kevin Smith, Tracy Lords Interested in the film festival circuit? Want to submit your film? Beware. This documentary exhibits the painful (and otherwise hilarious) process of giving a film life after the cameras stop shooting. Fun for filmmakers and filmlovers with guest appearances from Kevin Smith, Bryan Singer, Tracy Lords and many others. Official selection- Waterfront Film Festival. Scott Storm scheduled to attend.
	The Lionshare 65 min Narrative Feature Friday, Masonic Temple, 9pm Saturday, State Theatre, 6pm Director: Josh Bernhard Producer: Bracey Smith Starring: Michael Pantozzi, Bracey Smith, Jessi Kneeland, Jonathan Hansen, Nell Becker As if dating weren't hard enough, this film complicates the equation by exploring the stops and starts of new technology to new romance. This thoughtful drama showcases the young and the lonely in the virtual age. Official selection- Bronx International Film Festival.
	Beyond the Call 82 min Documentary Sunday, State Theatre, 6pm Director: Adrian Belic This riveting film follows the exploits of three middle-aged men who’ve made a mission of traveling to the most dangerous parts of the world and bringing relief to those who need it most. This real-life story of conviction and courage is guaranteed to inspire. Official selection- Tribeca Film Festival
	Entre Nos 81 min Narrative Feature Friday, Delta College, 6pm Sunday, Delta College, 1pm Director: Paola Mendoza, Gloria LaMorte Producer: Joseph LaMorte, Michael Skolnik Starring: Paola Mendoza, Sebastian Villada Lopez and Laura Montana Cortez Abandoned by her husband shortly after bringing her two children from Colombia to New York City, Mariana is left penniless on the streets of Queens, struggling to keep the rest of her family together. With the help of her resourceful 10-year-old son, her resilient daughter, and a network of new-found allies, Mariana must learn navigate the daily challenges of life in an unknown city. Based on a true story. In Spanish with English subtitles. Official selection- Tribeca Film Festival
	Stuck Like Chuck 99 min Narrative Feature Saturday, Masonic Temple, 11am Director: Jerry Cavallaro Poducer: Jerry Cavallaro Starring: Joe Moran, Patrick Mcolley, Jocelyn DeBoer A low budget romantic comedy about friendship, love, college and the awkward situations that bring them all together. SINY Film Festival
	Deconstructing Dad: The Music, Machines, and Mystery of Raymond Scott 99 min Documentary Saturday, Delta College, 11am Sunday, State Theatre, 3pm Director: Stan Warnow An exploration of the life and work of composer, inventor, bandleader, and electronic music pioneer Raymond Scott. Filled with Scott’s utterly original music, the film interweaves home movies, film and television excerpts (1950’s Hit Parade), cartoon excerpts (Bugs Bunny and company), and musical performances. Including interviews with film composer John Williams, Mark Mothersbaugh of Devo, Moog synthesizer co-inventor Herb Deutsch and others.
	Friends (with benefits) 94 min Narrative Feature Friday, State Theatre, 9pm Saturday, Masonic Temple, 3:30pm Director: Gorman Bechard Producer/Writers: Gorman Bechard, Ashley McGarry Starring: Margaret Laney, Alex Brown, Ann Petersen, Jake Alexander, Lynn Mancinelli, Brendan Bradley Can friends have sex without spoiling the friendship? Two lifelong pals decide to put it to the test, and before long all their friends are pairing up in this sexy ensemble comedy. Official selection- Sacramento Film Festival, New Jersey Film Festival. Director Gorman Bechard and cast members Alex Brown and Lynn Mancinelli are scheduled to attend.
	Synthnation 50 min Documentary Friday, Masonic Temple, 11pm Saturday, Masonic Temple, 1pm Director: Danny Luci This documentary explores the ostracized world of those so-called “weirdos dressed in black” and their underground world of industrial music. It also investigates the inner-workings of rare musical giants such as Front 242 and VNV Nation among others. Synthnation proves itself to be the industrial daddy of documentary. This film is show with the short film “I’m Gonna Do it ‘Til the Day I Die”.
	Registered Sex Offender 80 min Narrative Feature Saturday, State Theatre, 11pm Sunday, Masonic Temple, 3pm Director: Bob Byington Producer: Peggy Chen Starring: Gabriel McIver, Kevin Corrigan This irreverent comedy follows an unrepentant sex offender recently released from prison as he struggles against the efforts of others to rehabilitate him. Byington follows the RSO (Gabriel McIver) as he offends neighbors during his mandatory visits, gets fired from his job for vulgarity, and mocks his timid group counselor (Kevin Corrigan). A SXSW favorite, exclaimed as "relentlessly entertaining" by the Austin Chronicle. Official selection- SXSW, Traverse City Film Festival

SHORT FILMS AND SHORT DOCUMENTARIES

SHORT FILM PROGRAMS	FILM SYNOPSIS
Body Language	Music, hockey, death, drama and dating. What an interesting combination in this group of short films. We hope you agree. Some of the films in this group contain mature situations and language.
Body Language	Calorie Committee Director: Joshua Pardon Homemade props, a mysterious plot and synth music make this quirky little short film a few minutes of fun. 4 min
Body Language	City of Noise Director: Mitch Barry The Summerlads 'City of Noise' music video takes you through a maze of rooms and crosses portals that bridge space and time. Very reminicent of 1980s Peter Gabriel music videos, and equally as enjoyable. 4 min
Body Language	Death in Charge Director: Devi Snively An impatient single mom carelessly mistakes the Grim Reaper for her tardy babysitter and leaves Death to care for her precocious young daughter. In this dark comedy, told from Death's point of view, its hard to tell who has the darker heart, Death or a 9 year old brat. 15 min
Body Language	The Devil's Matchmaker Director: Jonathan L. Bowen Alexander is a matchmaker who occasionally likes to set up dates whose last names make hilarious combinations. He hopes with every such date that one day the couple will marry, providing the world with some humor and Alexander with his trophy, making him the Devil’s Matchmaker. 9 min
Body Language	Donkey Punch Director: Kenneth Hughes A short film about a scandalous first date, brought to you by three key players from critically acclaimed television program The Shield, and Emmy-Award winner Anthony Russo (Arrested Development). Starring Jay Karnes (The Shield) and Ann Russo. Directed by HHM alum Kenneth Hughes, scheduled to be in attendance. 15 min
Body Language	Junkyard Director: Michael Skvarla A young boy must stand up to a tyrannical junkyard owner who abuses a young girl. 7 min
Body Language	The Year Without Hockey Director: Ashleigh Rajala When the infamous NHL lockout effectively ends the 2004/2005 season - three Canadian men realize that their entire friendship consisted of nothing more than daily water cooler discussions of hockey. They realize that they have nothing better to do than get to know each other, with interesting results. 25 min
Body Language	Tucker Director: Zia Marashi When an irresponsible girl and her younger brother are left alone for the weekend the temptation to throw a party is too much to resist. This party will be one to remember as the girl suddently becomes a mom to her rapidly-aging boy. But, which one will grow up first? 10 min
Shown with Closing Night documentary Beyond the Call	True Beauty This Night Director: Peter Besson Last night, Rhett Somers met the love of his life. Now all he has to do is convince her that she's the one. Not an easy feat considering how they met. 10 min
Shown with Opening Night feature Timer	Skylight Director: David Baas An animated mock documentary about the ecological plight of penguins in the Antarctic. This is the directorial debut David Baas, Animation Department Head at Starz animation in charge of all animation resources, including the upcoming Tim Burton produced feature “9". 5 min
Prodigies #1	Dramatic. Serious. Moving. Three words that describe this first group of amazing short films submitted from Dodge College at Chapman University. Some of the films in this group contain mature situations and language.
Prodigies #1	Bean Director: Giovanna Federico As Bean says goodbye to her surrogate father her mother is already entertaining a new boyfriend. Bean wants her mother to stop cycling through men and start being a mother. When her mom is unreceptive, Bean takes action to gain her mother’s attention. 19 min
Prodigies #1	Beholden Director: David Jibladze An immigrant mother is forced to choose between providing for her son and saving the life her son's father. 24 min
Prodigies #1	Suppressant Director: Derek Woods Set in a world ravaged by a plague that has forced humanity to live in fear behind the veil of gas masks, Suppressant, tells the story of Paul, an “immune." While Paul tries to ignore society’s problems, he is forced to confront the dark reality of what people will do in order to regain their humanity. 22 min
Prodigies #1	The Show Must Go On Director: Sean Patrick O'Brien Rolly is a depressed clown whose need to please a jaded and desensitized society drives him to play Russian roulette on stage. As Rolly makes his comeback, the audience that left him years ago gets one last chance to embrace his entertainment. 20 min
Prodigies #2	We loved the films from Dodge College at Chapman University so much that we just had to add a second group! These films have great range, phenomenal acting and are just plain enjoyable. We hope you agree.
Prodigies #2	Free Lunch Director: Rick Curnutt Walter is done with handouts, he’s done with his privileged past, and he’s done with having to answer to people. Realizing the value of hard work, Walter sets off on the road to the American dream...in a lunch truck. Will the struggle prove to be too much? 35 min
Prodigies #2	Le Retour Director: Rachel Earnest After studying abroad in France, Katherine returns home to southern California and struggles to readjust. 20 min
Prodigies #2	The Last Page Director: Kevin Acevedo A tortured author struggles to overcome writer's block and is propelled into a bizarre series of events. 21 min
Prodigies #2	The Vaudevillian Director: Bryan Nest A ventriloquist's relationship with his dummy is strained after they lose their job with a traveling vaudeville act. The ventriloquist realizes he is able to scam farmers for money, much to the dummy's dismay, and loses his conscience so that he can continue. 16 min
The Big Picture	This group of short films is a great mix of narrative films and short documentaries….great for a general audience!
The Big Picture	First and Last Director: Damien Patrik A cash strapped landlord in Sedona, Arizona needs to rent out his house fast, but first he must deal with an endless parade of Sedona eccentrics, who all want to be the tenant. 10 min
The Big Picture	Let Yourself Go: The Lives of Fred Hirsch Director: Katja Duregger Filmmaker Katja Duregger follows modern jazz pianist Fred Hersch producing a very intimate and moving portrait of this exceptional musician. 29 min
The Big Picture	Observation of the Desk of the Dead Director: Hayoung Jeon Dana happens to recall her memories and guiltiness about her friend, Marc, who committed suicide three years ago when she spills sugar for her coffee on the table. 11 min
The Big Picture	Ritmo do Marumbi Director: Zara Ahmed, Collin Martin, Gabrielle Bashist, Joshua Kun, Rhianon Gutierrez, Tyler Zelinsky, Tyson Hauff Children from the favelas of Sao Paulo, Brazil, see hope for a better future at Meninos do Morumbi, through singing, dancing, capoeira, drumming, and other activities. 21 min
The Big Picture	Snallygaster Tale Director: John Baldino During the Great Depression, a young boy befriends a white hen on his father's chicken farm, only to discover that his affection for the animal may be at odds with his own survival. 17 min
Shown with the documentary Synthnation	I'm Gonna Do It 'Til the Day I Die Director: Dale Peterson, Coleman Weinberg In 1997, three rock musicians from Detroit carried their mission to save rock and roll across the USA with he typical rock-tour pitfalls. Undaunted, they soldiered on--then curiously vanished when a bizarre catastrophe silenced them forever. This fun mockumentary is a fun road romp with everything from rock and roll, alien abductions and John Tesh. 29 min
Shown with the feature The Lionshare	Civilians Director: Chris Strollo Paul needs $1500 bail. Reese hasn't worked in months. Dean is a schemer looking for kicks. And Tim wants nothing to do with any of them. Friendships are tested in this comedy about a group of goons who think to rob a bingo hall after all else fails. 15 min