Thursday, May 5
www.santacruzfilmfestival.com/html/program.html

OPENING NIGHT
Del Mar Theater

3:00 PM - WHAT IN THE WORLD? (Del Mar Theater)
Animation experimental/avant-garde for hardcore film lovers

ROWING - Anna Abrahams Jan Frederik Groot 1 min The Netherlands
A b&w ride down the canals of Holland

THE SECOND MEMORY - Bea De Visser 12 min Czech/German
An extremely intense and abstract look at an old woman’s memories and thoughts on her past.

FRIENDS LIKE THESE - Corey Giann Antonio 4min
Mac hears things. Are these outside voices or his own?

SAMUEL DE MANGO - Everett R. Aponte Charles Sweatt Puerto Rico
20 min
One of the most unique films of this past year. “When you are ready to give up, listen to The Mango.�

FOR A MIRACLE - Jarek Sztandera 18 min Poland
A slice of life from Poland. A train full of seekers travels by train to see the Pope in Roma.

NEPTUNE’S RELEASE - Jacalyn White and Joell Hallowell 16 min
Sound bites and film clips in a non-narrative stream-of-consciousness form make up this classic experimental film.

INTEGRATED PRESENCE - Geer Dubois 2 min
A transition of sorts from real life into the world of animation.

PAST WHISPERS - Brett Rutland 8.5 min
Past Whispers follows the adventures of three siblings who open a portal into a world of magical skies and menacing landscapes.

HANDSHAKE - Patrick Smith 4.5 min
The entanglements of a relationship are visually illustrated as a love affair starts with a simple handshake, but develops as a human taffy machine.

THE ROCK THROWER - George M. Dondero 9:30
An animated short about a thick-headed fool who likes to shatter windows with big rocks. The Rock Thrower is a modern day fable made to entertain us all about the consequences of being mischievous.

UP - Suruchi Pahwat Hardeep K. 8:10min
The road to success is uphill, and achieving it has its pitfalls. Such is the message of this clever, humorous and touching computer animated short.

5:30 PM - A benefit for Sri Lanka (Del Mar Theater)
A portion of this screening proceeds to benefit the International Buddhist Cultural Social Foundation Kandy, S.L.

SULANG KIRILLI (THE WIND BIRD) - Inoka Sathyangani 120 min Sri Lanka
Rathie is a young girl from a remote village, working in a suburban garment factory. She befriends a young soldier and falls in love. One day Rathie realizes she is with child. Grappling with this unexpected new realization, she gets carried away into a world of her own. While she immerses herself quite happily in this elusive world, she jerks herself out of dreams when she finds out her lover is a married man.
Her world then starts drifting between the two extremes of her dreams and reality. A young girl condemned by society: is the dream world her only retreat? While the civil society decries “Illegitimates� and the criminal law prohibits “abortions�, an unmarried woman caught in this dilemma cries the last plea for her unborn child!
A cinematic voyage of two hours between dreams and reality permits the audience to realize the difference between awakening life through dreams and pushing life to sleep within reality.

In ancient history, Sri Lanka was considered “Pearl of the Indian Ocean�, but 20 years of ethnic war has now turned Sri Lanka into the “Tear-drop of the Indian Ocean�.
Winner of Dhaka International Film Festival, International Critics Award (FIPRESI Award), Tamil Nadu International Film Festival, and Zanzibar International Film Festival among a host of other festivals.

“I have been trying to screen this film for 2 years. NOW is the time�. J.S.

Buddhist Monk Incumbent Sri Dhammarama Mawatha writes, “The aftermath and devastation caused by the earthquake and resulting tsunami which pummeled the littoral areas of this country on the 26th of December, 2004, is so immense that a small country like Sri Lanka cannot cope. The death toll has risen to more than 35,800 as recorded by now. (written on Dec 24 ’04) The number of dead bodies recovered from the debris is still increasing. The tsunami’s giant tidal waves decimated the entire coastline from Donora to Point Pedro, destroying almost all the vessels and fishing boats and millions of dwellings, houses, and buildings. The assets earned during a lifetime have been washed away within a few minutes. This catastrophe and calamity rendered millions of people homeless at a time when they were never expecting a disaster of this magnitude. The value of the lost lives and assets, however, cannot be fathomed. The government of Sri Lanka, as well as the social service organization and the international community, have taken steps to attend the millions of affected families by providing first aid and transport to the wounded. We, along with our social service organization, are engaged in emergency activities 24 hours a day. The immediate need is to provide assistance for relief to the affected with food, clothes, medicine, sanitary ware and building materials.�

The donors can assist with financial contributions by submitting money to the account NO (BSAMLKLX) 60002496 at Sampath bank Kandy in the name of International Buddhist Cultural Social Foundation.

Material may be sent to our relief center established at the International Buddhist Cultural Social Foundation Sri Maha Bodhi Maha Viharaya, Sri Dhammarama Mawatha, Bahirawa Kanda, Kandy, Sri Lanka,
www.buddhisttemplesrilanka.org


BLESSING - Suju Vijayan 13 min
BLESSING tells the story of a young woman, Maya, who comes home for her brother Neal's, high school graduation and is forced to deal with their often overwhelming, sometimes embarrassing mother, Asha.
BLESSING takes place in an Indian American home in Southern California, and the characters and events are definitely influenced by Indian American culture, but the film is ultimately about a mother-daughter relationship that could—and does—exist in families of diverse backgrounds all over the world.


The Santa Cruz Film Festival Opening Night Gala - 8:00 PM

8:00 PM OPENING NIGHT - FREAKS LIKE US (Del Mar Theater)
Sponsored by Santa Cruz Community Bank

The Real Dirt on Farmer John - Taggart Siegel
The Real Dirt on Farmer John is a beautiful documentary about John Peterson, a uniquely talented Illinois farmer whose individuality speaks volumes about living “The American Dream� outside of the box. This powerful film captures the rise and fall of the Peterson family farm and its resurrection through John's courageous fight to establish a new form of community. Painted as an outsider, John transcends conventional farming methods and overcomes local prejudice to build an organic farm and a progressive farm community. This modern-day Horatio Alger story pits individual resolve, freedom of expression, and innovative land use against the isolating nature of farming communities and the perils of corporate agriculture.

FREAKS LIKE ME - Director David Holbrooke 18 min
Our fav, David Holbrooke returns with another gem. FLM is a compelling film shot in Barcelona where a forum of world spiritual leaders gathered in the summer of ’04. Interviews with swamis, imams, monks, yogis, rabbis, priests, and other earthly wanderers all express their individual and sometimes collective philosophies.

Directors in attendance and Farmer John Peterson

Director’s dinner sponsored by Gabriella’s Restaurant
910 Cedar
457-1677

9:00 PM - 12:00 PM
Opening Night Party @ Museum of Art + History (MAH)
Pass holders and ticket holders only.

The Jazz A Quartet
The Jazz A Quartet was founded in the spring of 2003, has developed a devoted following of lovers of Mid-Century Songbook. Both the familiar and the relatively rare classics from the golden age of songwriting take on an intimate transparency when performed by this chamber-sized ensemble. When performed by the classic combination of voice, brass and strings, the popular song of the 1940s reveals its most intimate blossom: the limber, plaintive art song within.

The Jazz A Quartet is comprised of vocalist Frank Garcia, cornetist John Stenovich, guitarist Brian Quinn and bassist Nancy Cassel.

Interlude by Suco!!! Brazilian drumming and dancing.