[Reel Pizza] update Oct 1 - 7

E-greetings to all~

Here are the titles, descriptions and times for films playing at Reel Pizza this coming week, Oct 1 - 7.  We have a special Benefit screening on Saturday 10/2 at 2pm for Maine Farmland Trust.  Come learn about and support this organization's efforts to connect young, just starting farmers with older farmers ready to retire.  We hope to see you soon. 

-Lisa

Fri 10/1 - Thurs 10/7   THE AMERICAN  (R)  105min       6:00 and 8:15
Fri 10/1 - Mon 10/4     CAIRO TIME  (PG)  89min         5:30 and 7:45
Tues 10/5 - Thurs 10/7  WELCOME  (NR)  110min  [in FRENCH and KURDISH with subtitles]  5:30 and 8:00


Benefit Film and Discussion.
MEET YOUR FARMER     Sat Oct 2    2pm
Maine Farmland Trust (MFT), a statewide non-profit which works to preserve farmland and keep Maine's farms farming, is hosting a benefit screening of 8 short documentaries by Maine filmmakers Cecily Pingree and Jason Mann, which tell the diverse stories of eight Maine farms: from Aroostook to York, from potatoes to dairy, from large commercial operations to small farms that sell directly to local people.   Don't miss this opportunity to see what has farmers, chefs, food connoisseurs and farmland conservation supporters talking about "an unmistakable momentum in Maine."   Representatives of Maine Farmland Trust and local farmers will be providing additional commentary to the films and discuss the work of this organization.  Admission $10.

Fri Oct 1 - Thurs Oct 7
THE AMERICAN  (R)  105min    6:00 and 8:15
This taut, haunting and stylish thriller stars George Clooney as a hired assassin who is taking a breather, hiding out in a small medieval Italian town after a job in Sweden goes badly.  His new work is to build a custom weapon for another, mysterious client; no killing involved.  He becomes friendly with the local priest who may have an unsavory past, and falls for a sweet, part-time prostitute.  He wants out of his line of work, but will accommodate this one last job, even as he fully believes he is being stalked.  This finely-crafted, restrained, and gorgeously photographed film, a study of loneliness, is the second from Dutch director Anton Corbijn (Control), a music video director and professional photographer, based on the Martin Booth novel A Very Private Gentleman.

Fri Oct 1 - Mon Oct 4
CAIRO TIME  (PG)  89min    5:30 and 7:45
Juliette (Patricia Clarkson, The Station Agent) has arrived in Cairo to enjoy a rare vacation with her UN employed husband.  However, events in Gaza delay him and he asks his long-time security guard Tareq (Alexander Siddig, Syriana), now retired and running a coffee shop, to meet his wife and get her to her hotel where he expects to meet her soon.  Lonely Juliette decides to accept Tareq's offer of a tour of his city, as her husband's delay lengthens.  Their acquaintance becomes a deeper friendship as their attraction grows.  Syrian-Canadian writer-director Ruba Nadda has made a restrained love story and a delightful portrait of both the gritty and picturesque parts of this ancient city.
 
Tues Oct 5 - Thurs Oct 7
WELCOME  (NR)  110min  [in FRENCH and KURDISH with subtitles]   5:30 and 8:00
This prize-winning and multi-César-nominated film from director Philippe Loiret dramatizes a true situation.  Young people, often refugees, from war-torn regions of the world believe their salvation is in England, and they often only get as far as northwest France, where they are abruptly stopped by the authorities, and are unable to cross the English Channel.  Bilal is a Kurdish teen who has spent three months reaching as far as Calais enroute to Britain where his girlfriend's family has emigrated.  He decides to swim across and finds a sympathetic instructor in Simon, once an Olympian, now facing divorce.  These two discover they have much in common, and a strong bond forms between them, but Simon doesn't realize that, like Bilal, he must risk everything for true happiness.

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[Reel Pizza] Schedule Oct 1 - 21

Here is the next schedule for Films and other events happening at Reel Pizza from Fri Oct 1 through Thurs Oct 21.

Colin, Chris and I would like to thank everyone who came out for a film this past weekend, and supported First Light Film Society's inaugural event, year 2 of Maine International Film Festival By-the-Sea.  The films were terrific, the filmmakers were all delightful to listen to, and they all told us how much they appreciated you, our audience.  One director said this was the most fun film festival he had ever attended!  Attending were a good number of people who came in off the street, who just happened to be in town, as well as many of our regular customers.  All in all it was a fabulous weekend of film fun.  We look forward to more exciting film events in the days, weeks, months, and years ahead.

And, in that vein, we have two special events to tell you about that will happen during this next schedule. 

The season's finale of IMPROVISION, our occasional and wacky collaboration with ImprovAcadia, is coming up on Friday Oct 8th at 11pm.  If you haven't been, this is the last time this season to find out what all the excitement is about!  We appreciate and have had a blast with the ImprovAcadia crew this summer.  Come watch them do that thing they do so well...With the sound turned off, this ever-changing group of up-and-coming comedians improvise the dialogue, music tracks and sound effects to a cheesy, grade-B movie, THAT THEY HAVE NEVER SEEN BEFORE!  Their talents make the pictures on the screen way funnier than they were ever anticipated.  It's a totally new show every time.   If you haven't seen it yet, now's definitely the time.  Don't miss out on all the fun.

Benefit Film and Discussion.
MEET YOUR FARMER     Sat Oct 2    2pm
Maine Farmland Trust (MFT), a statewide non-profit which works to preserve farmland and keep Maine's farms farming, is hosting a benefit screening of 8 short documentaries by Maine filmmakers Cecily Pingree and Jason Mann, which tell the diverse stories of eight Maine farms: from Aroostook to York, from potatoes to dairy, from large commercial operations to small farms that sell directly to local people.   Don't miss this opportunity to see what has farmers, chefs, food connoisseurs and farmland conservation supporters talking about "an unmistakable momentum in Maine."   John Piotti, Executive Director of Maine Farmland Trust, will be providing additional commentary to the films and discuss the work of this organization.

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And our regular schedule of films... (no showtimes)

Fri Oct 1 - Mon Oct 4
CAIRO TIME  (PG)  89min
Juliette (Patricia Clarkson, The Station Agent) has arrived in Cairo to enjoy a rare vacation with her UN employed husband.  However, events in Gaza delay him and he asks his long-time security guard Tareq (Alexander Siddig, Syriana), now retired and running a coffee shop, to meet his wife and get her to her hotel where he expects to meet her soon.  Lonely Juliette decides to accept Tareq's offer of a tour of his city, as her husband's delay lengthens.  Their acquaintance becomes a deeper friendship as their attraction grows.  Syrian-Canadian writer-director Ruba Nadda has made a restrained love story and a delightful portrait of both the gritty and picturesque parts of this ancient city.
 
Tues Oct 5 - Thurs Oct 7
WELCOME  (NR)  110min  [in FRENCH and KURDISH with subtitles]
This prize-winning and multi-César-nominated film from director Philippe Loiret dramatizes a true situation.  Young people, often refugees, from war-torn regions of the world believe their salvation is in England, and they often only get as far as northwest France, where they are abruptly stopped by the authorities, and are unable to cross the English Channel.  Bilal is a Kurdish teen who has spent three months reaching as far as Calais enroute to Britain where his girlfriend's family has emigrated.  He decides to swim across and finds a sympathetic instructor in Simon, once an Olympian, now facing divorce.  These two discover they have much in common, and a strong bond forms between them, but Simon doesn't realize that, like Bilal, he must risk everything for true happiness.
 
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Fri Oct 8 - Mon Oct 11
GOING THE DISTANCE  (R)  97min 
Drew Barrymore shines in this first-rate, quite funny, and rather raunchy romantic comedy about a long-distance relationship.  She is grad student Erin, in New York for a summer internship at a newspaper publisher.  At a bar one night she meets Garrett (Justin Long), who works a low-level job at a record label; they hit it off and spend a bliss-filled summer together.  Unfortunately her school is in San Francisco, and he does have a job in New York, so they decide to stay together, over the phone and via texting and Skype, with an occasional visit when they can afford it.  Needless to say, his friends and her sister are not encouraging.  This debut feature from documentarian Nanette Burstein, and first time screenwriter Geoff LaTulippe is daring, natural and convincing.
 
Tues Oct 12 - Thurs Oct 14
THE FATHER OF MY CHILDREN  (NR)  [in FRENCH with subtitles]  110min
Inspired by a true story, this poignant Cannes Special Jury Prize-winning film from director Mia Hansen-Løve explores the complex emotions of people and how they cope with the circumstances that life has laid out.  Grégoire is a charismatic film producer who enjoys constantly juggling the many details of his independent production company.  His employees are like family.  He also is a devoted husband to Sylvia, and father to three beautiful daughters, and spends loving weekends with them at their country home.  However, it becomes apparent that he can no longer keep all the balls in the air, as his family needs him to be more a part of their lives, and the financial situation of his prestigious company is in more dire shape than obstinate Grégoire will admit; everyone pitches in to help, but then calamity strikes. 

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Fri Oct 15 - Mon Oct 18
FLIPPED (PG)  90min
Ever since Bryce moved to town in second grade, his independent schoolmate and neighbor across the street, Juli, has been totally smitten.  For the past six years, Bryce has done everything he can to keep her and her crazy ideas out of his world.  Now they are in eighth grade and he is, maybe, starting to see Juli with a new-found appreciation, while she's totally pre-occupied with saving old trees in her neighborhood, and has perhaps finally lost her earlier enchantment with him.  Showing the story from the polar-opposite perspectives of both teens, as did author Wendelin Van Draanan in her 2003 young adult novel, director Rob Reiner (Stand By Me, When Harry Met Sally) brings an old-fashioned sensibility to this sweet and winning film.
 
Tues Oct 19 - Thurs Oct 21
BEETLE QUEEN CONQUERS TOKYO (NR)  89min   [partly in Japanese with subtitles]
Working backwards through history, this beautifully filmed and fascinating documentary explores the mystery of Japan's rich and enriching love affair with bugs, while other cultures developed an almost universal and profound fear of insects.  Using insects like an anthropologist's toolkit, filmmaker Jessica Oreck, a docent and animal caretaker at the American Museum of Natural History in NY, reveals a web of influences behind this captivation, from modern day where live insects can be bought in vending machines and in specialty shops for enormous sums, back to the first cricket selling businesses in the 1800's, to the stories of the fabled first emperor who named Japan "the island of the dragonflies."  In the quest to discover the basis of this fascination, she explores Japanese philosophies that could shift our Western perspectives on nature, beauty, life, and even the seemingly mundane realities of our day-to-day routines.
 
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Coming Soon on our Second Screen?

THE AMERICAN  (R)  105min
This taut, haunting and stylish thriller stars George Clooney as a hired assassin who is taking a breather, hiding out in a small medieval Italian town after a job in Sweden goes badly.  His new work is to build a custom weapon for another, mysterious client; no killing involved.  He becomes friendly with the local priest who may have an unsavory past, and falls for a sweet, part-time prostitute.  He wants out of his line of work, but will accommodate this one last job, even as he fully believes he is being stalked.  This finely-crafted, restrained, and gorgeously photographed film, a study of loneliness, is the second from Dutch director Anton Corbijn (Control), a music video director and professional photographer, based on the Martin Booth novel A Very Private Gentleman.
 
THE TOWN (R)  123min
Ben Affleck's second outing as director proves his initial success (with Gone Baby Gone) was no fluke.  In this smart, compelling heist drama based on the novel Prince of Thieves by Chuck Hogan, set in Boston of course, he stars as a thug who falls for the sunny bank manager (Rebecca Hall) who was briefly taken hostage while he was robbing her vault with his buddy (Jeremy Renner, The Hurt Locker).  He's kicked alcohol, and, now in love, he wants to beat crime.  But he's being chased by the FBI, and getting out means turning his back on his best friend, and his heritage, as his dad (Chris Cooper) taught him his trade.   And then a local crime kingpin (Pete Postlethwaite) gives them a job they can't refuse. 
 
GET LOW (PG-13)  100min
Robert Duvall, Sissy Spacek, and Bill Murray star in first time feature director (and Short Film Oscar winner) Aaron Schneiders's fictionalized account of a true Southern Gothic story set in Depression-era Tennessee.  Duvall is Felix Bush, an elderly loner who has led the life of a crotchety hermit for 40 years, decides he's going to die soon and wants to throw himself a funeral party, while he's still alive to enjoy it.  He plans to invite the townfolk to tell all the stories he knows have been circulating about him for years.  Bill Murray plays the funeral director who sees his way out of his debts with this job, and Sissy Spacek is a widow who once, long ago, had a fling with Felix and has been trying to forget him ever since.  It's a charming and good-natured film with excellent performances all around.
 
WALL STREET: Money Never Sleeps (PG-13)  136min
Director Oliver Stone (W, Nixon, JFK) returns Gordon Gekko to the screen in this sequel to his 1987 hit film.  Michael Douglas reprises his Oscar-winning role as the now disgraced corporate raider who is just emerging from a lengthy prison term.  He finds himself on the outside of a world he once dominated and is looking to repair his damaged relationship with his daughter Winnie (Carey Mulligan).  Gekko forms an alliance with her fiancé Jacob (Shia LaBeouf), but its unclear if  Jacob and Winnie can really trust the ex-financial titan, whose relentless efforts to redefine himself in a different era have unexpected consequences.
 
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Coming Soon on the Next Schedule?
Never Let Me Go
Around a Small Mountain
Guardians of Ga'Hoole
The Concert
Mao's Last Dancer
Jack Goes Boating
Soul Kithcen
Casino Jack
The Social Network

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[Reel Pizza] update Sept 24 - 30

here are the films playing this coming week at Reel Pizza, Fri Sept 24 - Thurs Sept 30.
Next schedule soon!
-Lisa

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Fri 9/24 - Thurs 9/30   THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE (R)  [in SWEDISH with subtitles] 129 min   6:00 and 8:30
Fri 9/24 - Mon 9/27     NANNY MCPHEE RETURNS (PG)  100min  5:30 and 7:45
Tues 9/28 - Thurs 9/30  AGORA  (NR)  127min   5:30 and 8:00

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Fri Sept 24 - Thurs Sept 30
THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE (R)  [in SWEDISH with subtitles] 129 min   6:00 and 8:30
The second installment of the late Stieg Larsson's Millenium trilogy, now directed by Daniel Alfredson from a screenplay by Jonas Frykberg, again features the damaged punk hacker Lisbeth Salander (Noomi Rapace) and the serious investigative journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Michael Nyqvist).  He is on the verge of exposing a sex-trafficking operation implicating highly-placed Swedish politicians, when two of his reporters are murdered.  The police's main suspect is his friend Lisbeth.  Convinced of her innocence, his attempts to exonerate her reveal her abusive past. It is an intriguing and compelling thriller that advances the story toward the final installment to be released this fall.

Fri Sept 24 - Mon Sept 27
NANNY MCPHEE RETURNS (PG)  100min  5:30 and 7:45
Actress and screenwriter Emma Thompson reprises her role of the endearingly odd and magical nanny in her hilarious and heartwarming sequel to the wonderful first film.  This time round, she appears at the door of a harried young mother of three (Maggie Gyllenhaal) who is trying to run the family farm while her husband is away at war.  When she arrives, Nanny McPhee discovers the children are waging their own war against their two spoiled cousins from the city who have been sent to the farm for the summer.  In her own inimitable way, she dispenses her life lessons, until the time when the children want her but no longer need her, at which point her job is done.

Tues Sept 28 - Thurs Sept 30
AGORA  (NR)  127min   5:30 and 8:00
Alejandro Amenábar (The Sea Inside) explores the disparity between religious intolerance and diversity in this mesmerizing historical drama set in 4th century Alexandria, Egypt.  In the city's famous library, the brilliant female astronomer Hypatia (Rachel Weisz) teaches an elite class of students.  When religious upheaval between the Roman Pagans and the early, militant Christians threatens this repository of the ancient world's wisdom, she and her disciples fight to save it.  Her helpers include two men competing for her heart.  Orestes, a witty and privileged student, serves the Roman's while Davos, Hypatia's slave, is torn between his secret love and the freedom he knows is his if he chooses to join the Christian surge. 

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[Reel Pizza] News Flash!

hey everyone

We just spent a lovely time with the WABI (channel 5) news people,
and tonight you can see Chris, Colin and I speaking with Carolyn
Callahan about this weekend's MIFF by-the-Sea film festival on this
evening's newscasts on channel 5, at 5pm, 6pm, and 11pm, and at 10pm
(on the CW channel). And then maybe it will also be rebroadcast
during tomorrow's morning and noon-time reports! Plus it will be
available to view on the web www.wabi.tv (where I will see it). If
you have TV, we encourage you to tell your friends and check it out !

-Lisa

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[Reel Pizza] Update 9/17 - 23

Hello everyone.

It's almost time for our special MIFF by-the-Sea weekend. Tickets are ON SALE NOW at the box office, or by phone 288-3828 with a credit card; Also, I am here school hours 8:15 - 3pm and would be glad to sell tickets during this time too.  Find me up the stairs using the side door..  Each film is $8; the catered opening celebration is $15.  CC sales incur a 50c convenience fee per ticket.  We have a great slate of films with the bonus of several filmmakers attending.  It should be a lot of fun all around. 

We look forward to seeing you this weekend. 
-Lisa

Here is the festival information in our regular format, in chronological order by day.  * indicates a guest speaker

FRIDAY SEPT 17
4pm     The festival begins with our Opening Night Celebration in the front parking lot under the tent
5:45*   THE AGE OF INNOCENCE  (PG)  139min  with special guest screenwriter Jay Cocks;  sponsored by CAFE BLUEFISH
5:00    VISIONS: AMERICAN SHORTS  97min   sponsored by REEL PIZZA
8:00    BRIDEFLIGHT 130min  [partly in Dutch with subtitles]  sponsored by MORNING GLORY BAKERY
9:00    EARTHWORK 98min  sponsored by CADILLAC MOUNTAIN SPORTS and KOZAK STONEWORK
10:45   HAUSU (HOUSE)  87min  [in JAPANESE with subtitles]  sponsored by OPERA HOUSE INTERNET CAFE
11:00   IMPROVISION  featuring the talented IMPROVACADIA crew!

SATURDAY SEPT 18
2:00    SITA SINGS THE BLUES  82min  sponsored by EDEN RISING and MOUNT DESERT ISLAND ICE CREAM
2:30*   WELCOME TO MY WORLD  48min  with Operation Breaking Stereotypes reps and local student participants; sponsored by CARMEN VERANDAH and OPERA HOUSE INTERNET CAFE
4:00    THE KIDS GROW UP  90min  sponsored by OUR NEW ENGLAND and SIDE STREET CAFE
4:30    QUEEN OF THE SUN  83min  sponsored by A&B MARKET and ACADIA PUBLISHING
6:00*   MAINE SHORT FILMS 88min  with filmmakers Sinda Karklina, and Andrew Jawitz and Alyce Ornella;  sponsored by LOMPOC CAFE
6:15    MEMORIES OF OVERDEVELOPMENT  120min  [partly in SPANISH with subtitles]  sponsored by HAVANA
8:15*   CATTLE CAMP and BUTTER  57min  with producers Jand Knox-Voina and Carol Lord; sponsored by GRINGOS
8:30*   THE DESERT OF FORBIDDEN ART  80min  [partly in RUSSIAN with subtitles]  with filmmaker Amanda Pope; sponsored by ABBE MUSEUM
10:00*  BEHIND THE EYES ARE THE EARS  27min  Special MIFF 2011 Preview  with filmmaker Nancy Andrews
10:30   HAUSU (HOUSE)  87min  [in JAPANESE with subtitles]  sponsored by OPERA HOUSE INTERNET CAFE
11:00*  THE PROCESS REVEALED: Documenting Maine Artists and Musicians  55min  with filmmaker David Camlin

SUNDAY SEPT 19
1:00*   CATTLE CAMP and BUTTER  57min  with producers Jand Knox-Voina and Carol Lord; sponsored by GRINGOS
1:30    FINDING BELGRADE  70min  [partly in SERBIAN with subtitles]  sponsored by SPRUCE & GUSSY
2:45*   MAINE SHORT FILMS 88min  with filmmakers Sinda Karklina, Krisanne Baker and Andrew Jawitz and Alyce Ornella;  sponsored by LOMPOC CAFE
3:15    THE DESERT OF FORBIDDEN ART  80min   [partly in RUSSIAN with subtitles]   sponsored by ABBE MUSEUM
5:00*   BEHIND THE EYES ARE THE EARS  27min  Special MIFF 2011 Preview   with filmmaker Nancy Andrews
5:15    SITA SINGS THE BLUES  82min  sponsored by EDEN RISING and MOUNT DESERT ISLAND ICE CREAM
6:30    BRIDEFLIGHT 130min  [partly in Dutch with subtitles]   sponsored by MORNING GLORY BAKERY
7:00*   WELCOME TO MY WORLD  48min  with Operation Breaking Stereotypes founder Cami Carter and local student participants; sponsored by CARMEN VERANDAH and OPERA HOUSE INTERNET CAFE
8:45    QUEEN OF THE SUN  83min  sponsored by A&B MARKET and ACADIA PUBLISHING
9:00    THE KIDS GROW UP  90min  sponsored by OUR NEW ENGLAND and SIDE STREET CAFE

MONDAY SEPT 20
5:30    EARTHWORK 98min  sponsored by CADILLAC MOUNTAIN SPORTS and KOZAK STONEWORK
6:00    FINDING BELGRADE  70min  [partly in SERBIAN with subtitles]  sponsored by SPRUCE & GUSSY
7:30    MEMORIES OF OVERDEVELOPMENT  120min  [partly in SPANISH with subtitles]  sponsored by HAVANA
8:00    VISIONS: AMERICAN SHORTS  97min   sponsored by REEL PIZZA
10:00   the festival concludes with a Closing Party at LOMPOC CAFE

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And now we return to our regular programming.  Please note that the times for INCEPTION are corrected from what went out on the printed schedule. 

Tues - Thurs Sept 21 - 23
I AM LOVE  (R)  [in ITALIAN with subtitles]  120min  5:45 and 8:15
This poetically lush and opulent film from gifted director Luca Guadagnino compellingly tells the story of the wealthy Recchis, a Milanese family that has made a fortune in textiles, at a time of change.  Tilda Swinton (Michael Clayton, Orlando) is mesmerizing as Emma, the Russian trophy wife of the eldest son, Tancredi, in line to inherit the family business.  But the aging patriarch decides to split the power, also leaving the business to his eldest grandson, beloved Edo who is more interested in opening a restaurant with his handsome and talented friend, Antonio.   When Emma falls quickly and deeply in love with Antonio after eating his cooking, (epic food porn alert!), her existence is upended and their relationship changes her family forever.

and

INCEPTION (PG-13)   142min   5:30 and 8:30  
One of the summer's most popular films, the new sci-fi thriller from Christopher Nolan (Memento, Dark Knight) stars Leonardo DiCaprio as a dream thief whose forte is stealing secrets from deep within the sub-conscious when the mind is most vulnerable.  His success has made him an international fugitive, but one last job could give him his life back.  He must do the reverse, planting an idea into someone�s mind.  But the enemy is seemingly able to predict his every move.  Also stars Ken Watanabe, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard, Ellen Page, Tom Hardy, Cillian Murphy, Tom Berenger, and Michael Caine.

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[Reel Pizza] update FILM FESTIVAL film info

The pdf  with the film descriptions was TOO BIG, so I am pasting the words into the email for you.  I don't know what the deal is with the font size...my test run didn't look like quite like what I sent out...I thought I made it all nice, but something doesn't seem to be cooperating...

The pdf of the schedule at a glance was also TOO BIG, so I am sending you to the reelpizza.com website and you can download it from there.
sorry for all the delay in getting this to you...
-Lisa

MAINE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL by-the-Sea 2010  
films-times-descriptions-guests

The Age of Innocence   (PG)  139min      Friday  5:45pm with screenwriter attending
 Jay Cocks' Oscar-nominated adaptation of Edith Wharton's novel of mid 19th century New York, where "it is not thought proper for men and women to place their own selfish desires above the needs of their class." (Roger Ebert)
 
Behind The Eyes Are The Ears  27min  Sat 10pm and Sun 5pm  filmmaker attending both
This mix of animation, found footage, and live action footage follows the research of Dr. Sheri Myes and her revolutionary attempts to expand our perceptions and consciousness.
 
Bride Flight    130min      Fri  8pm and Sun 6:30pm
Eager to escape the damp and suffocating atmosphere of post-war Holland, three young Dutchwomen, Ada, Esther and Marjorie, look forward to a better life in New Zealand. They meet on the immigration flight to their new country, where they are to join their fiancés and marry.
 
Cattle Camp and Butter  57min   [in Kazakh and Kyrgyz, subtitled]    Sat 8:15pm and Sun 1pm     producers attending both
 Cattle Camp, stunningly shot on locations in the mountain wilderness of Kyrgyzstan, takes us to a place where only wolves, yaks and some very tough people can survive. Butter, from neighboring Kazakhstan, is as different as can be: an almost absurdist comedy that's a throwback to Keaton and Chaplin's cinema.

The Desert of Forbidden Art   80min   [partly in Russian, subtitled]  Sat 8:30pm w/ filmmaker attending; and Sun 3:!5pm
During the Soviet rule, artists who stayed true to their vision were executed, sent to mental hospitals or Gulags. Ypung Igor Savitsky pretends to buy state-approved art but instead daringly rescues 40,000 forbidden fellow artists' works and creates a museum in the desert of Uzbekistan, far from the watchful eyes of the KGB.

earthwork      98min    Fri 9pm and Mon 5:30pm
The story of real-life crop artist Stan Herd, who traveled from Kansas to New York City in 1994 to create a massive environmental artwork on land owned by Donald Trump. The multi-acre piece is made from soil, rock and vegetation near a railway tunnel. Stan recruits a number of homeless individuals living in the tunnel as his crew. 
 
Finding Belgrade          70min    [partly in Serbian, subtitled]   Sun 1:30pm and Mon 6pm
In 2009, Serbian filmmaker Miodrag Kolaric and his crew hit the road to make a film about their capitol city­Belgrade, home to millions of people­and the four other Belgrades in the world, all in the U.S: Maine, Montana, Nebraska and Minnesota.
 
Hausu  (House)     87min  [in Japanese, subtitled]     Fri 10:45pm and Sat 10:30pm
A hallucinatory head trip about a schoolgirl who travels with six classmates to her ailing aunt's creaky country home, only to come face to face with evil spirits, bloodthirsty pianos, and a demonic housecat.
 
The Kids Grow Up    90min   Sat 4pm and Sun 9pm
A funny, moving and deeply personal look at modern-day parenting. Moving seamlessly between past, present, and the fast-approaching future, this is the loving portrait of a girl transitioning into womanhood, and also an incredibly candid look at parenting and what it means to let go.
 
Maine Short Films          88min  Sat 6pm and Sun 2:45pm    several filmmakers attending both screenings

From the story of Maine musician, record producer, and bluegrass pioneer Al Hawkes to a pinball-machine collector and champion to animations inspired by Steinbeck and Bauhaus (these last two created by COA students) ­ an inspired collection of six shorts.

 
Memories of Overdevelopment     120min    [in Spanish, subtitled]     Sat 6:15pm  and Mon 7:30pm
Sergio has left the Cuban revolution and "underdevelopment" behind­only to find himself at odds with the ambiguities of his new life in the "developed" world. A loner with no clear-cut politics or ideology, he struggles with aging, sexual desire, and the impossibility of the individual to belong in ANY society.
 
The Process Revealed:  Documenting Maine Artists and Musicians   55min  Sat 11pm   filmmaker attending
Portland-based COA grad filmmaker David Camlin. One documents the band BATSHELTER, their music and history. The second, MAKESHIFT, follows contemporary artist Anna Hepler as she prepares for a muliti-disciplined exhibit at the Portland Museum of Art.
 
Queen of the Sun     83min     Sat 4:30pm and Sun 8:45pm
From the director of The Real Dirt on Farmer John comes a profound look at the tragic global bee crisis ­ an unusual and dramatic story of the heart-felt struggles of beekeepers, scientists and philosophers from around the world.
 
Sita Sings the Blues    82min    Sat 2pm and Sun 5:15pm     
Three hilarious shadow puppets narrate both ancient tragedy and modern comedy in this beautifully animated interpretation of the Indian epic Ramayana.
 
Visions: American Shorts       97min    Fri 6pm and Mon 8pm
An experimental film about two cats contemplating freedom and mortality, an engaged couple's post-coital discussion, a musical about two mermaids on a giant ferry ­ plus four others.
 

Welcome to My World  48min    Sat 2:30pm and Sun 7pm    Operation Breaking Stereotypes reps and student participants at both
Shot on the coast of Maine and in the streets of New York City, this film follows two groups of American teenagers from disparate walks of life, and what happens when they come together.

[Reel Pizza] update FILM FESTIVAL Schedule

This didn't seem to get through the first time, too big? so I will send it in pieces...here's the text, then I will send the pdfs.
-L

hi everyone

Now that the program booklet is at the printer, I can catch up on all the details I have neglected.

Have you heard that Reel Pizza is hosting a film festival here next weekend?  We are thrilled to be able to present Year Two of MIFF by-the-Sea, a selection of films from this summer's Maine International Film Festival held every July in Waterville. 
I have oodles of information about it, so read carefully!

First of all, I have attached a pdf of the schedule-at-a-glance brochure that was mailed to everyone on our snail-mail list.
Hopefully they have been, or are being, delivered by our friends at the post office. 
It is a two sided, letter-sized sheet, if you want to print it out.

Also, I have attached a one page pdf with the descriptions of all our films, with the times of the screenings and when guest speakers will attend.
You can find  this same information plus expanded descriptions on our website.  Under "Coming Soon" each film has its own listing.

I should mention that this year's edition of MIFF by-the-Sea is the inaugural event for the FIRST LIGHT FILM SOCIETY, a new non-profit group created by Chris, Colin and Lisa which will allow us to bring a wider variety of film events to MDI.  You all know we play a good number of alternative and unknown films, but there are lots more out there which we think our audience will appreciate that require fundraising to be able to present.  Did any of you catch the outdoor screening in the Village Green for the Dark Skies weekend that Chris projected last night?  Outdoor movies are just one of many ideas that we have been wanting to do for years;  hopefully under this umbrella we will be able to do many more fun events.

We are delighted that we will have many filmmakers attending this year's festival; this is a group who are always glad to talk about their work, and we know our patrons will be an appreciative audience.  We are especially excited to be able to honor this year's MIFF Mid-Life Achievement Award recipient, screenwriter Jay Cocks who has graciously offered to introduce his 1993 film THE AGE OF INNOCENCE at a Fri 5:45pm screening, and take questions afterwards.  He is a good friend of both MIFF and Reel Pizza and film in general.  Also presenting over the weekend will be COA faculty Nancy Andrews with a sneak peak of her new film BEHIND THE EYES ARE THE EARS; recent COA graduates Sinda Karklina with her short film PARADE, and Portland resident David Camlin with two of his recent studies in THE PROCESS REVEALED; Cami Carter, the director of Operation Breaking Stereotypes, will bring several of the local students featured in the film WELCOME TO MY WORLD; Bowdoin professor Jane Knox-Voina and interpreter Carol Lord who produced the Kazakh-Kyrgyz double-feature CATTLE CAMP and BUTTER; artist and water rights activist Krisanne Baker with her short film UPSTREAM TO DOWNSTREAM, historian and archivist Andrew Jawitz and Alyce Ornella, of Rockhouse Mountain Productions with their film THE EVENTFUL LIFE OF AL HAWKES, and all the way from sunny California, USC professor Amanda Pope who will discuss the Russian art in THE DESERT OF FORBIDDEN ART.  It is an honor and a pleasure to have so many distinguished guests come to our humble cinema. 

Don't forget there will be a special "film-festival edition" of IMPROVISION on Friday night.  It sure to be a good one!

On Friday afternoon from 4-6pm, we will have an catered opening reception out in the parking lot under the big tent.  Guitarist Bob Bowman will provide musical accompaniment to delectable hors d'oeuvres from Sassafrass Catering, and beverages from Atlantic Brewing Company, Bar Harbor Cellars, and Old Soaker Sodas.  It will be a chance to meet with some of the business folks who have supported the festival, and some of the filmmakers who will be presenting their work over the weekend.  We hope you will be able to join us!

On Monday evening after the end of the last film, around 10pm, the Lompoc Cafe just down the street will host a Closing Party.  Chris and Colin will have a reel of unique and diverse short films for the enjoyment of the assembled. 

Tickets for all these events are available NOW at the Reel Pizza box office.  We accept cash or local check.  Credit cards may also be used, and you can do that also by phone; a small surcharge will apply.  All films screenings are $8; the Opening Night Celebration is $15. 

We have such a great community who support the arts in so many ways.  BIG THANKS go out to to everyone who has helped us get this weekend together!  Especially The First Bank and the Atlantic Brewing Company, our major sponsors, also our great staff at Reel Pizza, Shannon Haines and Ken Eisen at MIFF, Aaron Steiner at Thinman Designs, DeWayne Larsen at the Ellsworth American print shop, Charlie, Joe and Sheila at DownEast Graphics, Chuck Henderson at Tidal Graphics, Jake at Wallace Tent, Tom Mortimer at Atlantic Brewing Co., JR Sandin, Amanda Kendall of Sassafrass Catering, Laurie Schrieber at the Bar Harbor Times, Rob Levin at Mount Desert Islander, the YWCA, Jeff Dobbs, Chris Fogg, Jeff Erickson, Joan Bromage, Bob Bowman, and in alphabetical order our business sponsors, A&B Market, the ABBE Museum, Acadia Publishing, the Bar Harbor Chamber of Commerce, Cafe Bluefish, Cafe This Way, Carmen Verandah, the Dog & Pony, Eden Rising, First Express, Gringos, Havana, ImprovAcadia, Kozak Stonework, Lompoc Cafe, Maine Film Center, Mainely Meat BBQ, Morning Glory Bakery, Mother's Kitchen, Mount Desert Islander, Opera House Internet Cafe, Our New England, Rupununi, Salsbury Organic Farm Center, Sassafrass Catering, Siam Orchid, Side Street Cafe, Spruce and Gussy and Window Panes.  I'm sure there is more; we appreciate and thank you all.

We are looking forward to an exciting weekend full of film events and hope to see you here.

-Lisa, Chirs, and Colin

[Reel Pizza] update Sept 10 - 16

And this week's films!  I know this was included in last week's "schedule" email, but MANY people have signed up for this mailing on the website recently, so they might not have received it.  And sorry if the earlier email was oversized!
-L

Fri Sept 10 - Thurs Sept 16
SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD  (PG-13)  112min  5:30 and 8:00
The director of Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead, Edgar Wright, brings an original, inventive comic book sensibility to his entertaining adaptation of Bryan Lee O�Malley�s manga-inspired graphic novel series.  Michael Cera (Juno, Superbad) stars as Scott, the guitar-playing, slacker wannabe boyfriend of Ramona, the new punk girl in town.  However, she comes with seven former boyfriends who are all dead set on eliminating him for winning her attention; he has to vanquish each (in a videogame setting; as they fall, he gains extra lives and hits the jackpot), while also unraveling his relationship with his number one fan, and ignoring his sister (Anna Kendrick, Up In the Air) and his roommate (Keiran Culkin) who are texting about his every move.  This is a fast-paced and hilarious film that could become a cult-classic.

Fri  Sept 10 - Mon Sept 13
WINTER�S BONE  (R)  100min   6:00 and 8:15
This rich and emotionally complex story, based on Daniel Woodrell�s novel becomes a powerful, tense and naturalistic thriller in the hands of sophomore filmmaker Debra Granik (Down to the Bone).  Her young and excellent new star, Jennifer Lawrence, plays Ree, a teen-age girl taking care of her mentally ill mother and two younger siblings in a backwoods Ozark community where most are on the wrong side of the law.  Her missing crystal-meth cooking daddy put their family farm up as bond collateral and if he doesn't make his court appearance, they are all homeless.  So she sets off to find him, but most of her neighbors and kin are suspicious and reticent, and few, except maybe her scary addict uncle Teardrop (John Hawkes) will help.  This winner of two prizes at Sundance, one of the most critically acclaimed films of the year, is culturally authentic and altogether remarkable. 

Tues Sept 14 - Thurs Sept 16
EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP (R) for some language    87min   6:00 and 8:15
This raucously entertaining survey of guerilla street art turns on its head as initial director (Thierry Guetta) and subject (Banksy) swap places part way through the process.  For years antic French expatriot and LA resident Guetta has been convincing outlaw graffiti artists to let him film them as they go about their clandestine nightwork and has gathered hundreds of hours of tape.  Then he finally meets the renowned, elusive, and reclusive British artist Banksy who encourages Guetta to turn his footage into a film.  What he creates is an unwatchable mess, so Banksy takes over the film, while Guetta becomes the subject.  He reinvents himself as Mr. Brainwash, a pop-artist whose art is also talentless, yet his knack for self-promotion makes his event a rousing success.  Or maybe it is all a hoax, but either way, this film is totally outrageous and subversively funny.  Narration is by Rhys Ifans.

[Reel Pizza] Schedule Sept 10 - 30

August 33rd Greetings!
Here is the info on the upcoming Reel Pizza schedule that runs Sept 10 - 30.
The schedule is completely booked so all films come with time.
I will be sending out the Film Festival schedule separately, that covers the Fri Sept 17- Mon Sept 20 weekend, so be sure to look for that.
There will be a special Festival Edition of IMPROVISION on Fri Sept 17 at 11pm, along with the other late night films we will be screening that weekend. 
We look forward to seeing you whenever you can come by!
-Lisa, Chris and Colin

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Fri Sept 10 - Thurs Sept 16
SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD  (PG-13)  112min  5:30 and 8:00
The director of Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead, Edgar Wright, brings an original, inventive comic book sensibility to his entertaining adaptation of Bryan Lee O'Malley's manga-inspired graphic novel series.  Michael Cera (Juno, Superbad) stars as Scott, the guitar-playing, slacker wannabe boyfriend of Ramona, the new punk girl in town.  However, she comes with seven former boyfriends who are all dead set on eliminating him for winning her attention; he has to vanquish each (in a videogame setting; as they fall, he gains extra lives and hits the jackpot), while also unraveling his relationship with his number one fan, and ignoring his sister (Anna Kendrick, Up In the Air) and his roommate (Keiran Culkin) who are texting about his every move.  This is a fast-paced and hilarious film that could become a cult-classic.

Fri  Sept 10 - Mon Sept 13
WINTER'S BONE  (R)  100min   6:00 and 8:15
This rich and emotionally complex story, based on Daniel Woodrell's novel becomes a powerful, tense and naturalistic thriller in the hands of sophomore filmmaker Debra Granik (Down to the Bone).  Her young and excellent new star, Jennifer Lawrence, plays Ree, a teen-age girl taking care of her mentally ill mother and two younger siblings in a backwoods Ozark community where most are on the wrong side of the law.  Her missing crystal-meth cooking daddy put their family farm up as bond collateral and if he doesn't make his court appearance, they are all homeless.  So she sets off to find him, but most of her neighbors and kin are suspicious and reticent, and few, except maybe her scary addict uncle Teardrop (John Hawkes) will help.  This winner of two prizes at Sundance, one of the most critically acclaimed films of the year, is culturally authentic and altogether remarkable. 

Tues Sept 14 - Thurs Sept 16
EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP (R) for some language    87min   6:00 and 8:15
This raucously entertaining survey of guerilla street art turns on its head as initial director (Thierry Guetta) and subject (Banksy) swap places part way through the process.  For years antic French expatriot and LA resident Guetta has been convincing outlaw graffiti artists to let him film them as they go about their clandestine nightwork and has gathered hundreds of hours of tape.  Then he finally meets the renowned, elusive, and reclusive British artist Banksy who encourages Guetta to turn his footage into a film.  What he creates is an unwatchable mess, so Banksy takes over the film, while Guetta becomes the subject.  He reinvents himself as Mr. Brainwash, a pop-artist whose art is also talentless, yet his knack for self-promotion makes his event a rousing success.  Or maybe it is all a hoax, but either way, this film is totally outrageous and subversively funny.  Narration is by Rhys Ifans.

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Fri Sept 17 - Mon Sept 20
MIFF-BY-THE-SEA  
We are delighted to again bring to Bar Harbor a "best-of-the-fest" selection from this summer's 13th Maine International Film Festival.  Please look at the separately mailed flyer (coming soon!) for the schedule of films that we will show, from early afternoon to late at night.  Things kick off on Friday at 4pm with a catered opening celebration ($15) when we will honor MIFF Mid-Life Honoree Jay Cocks who will present his Oscar-nominated THE AGE OF INNOCENCE.  Over the weekend several filmmakers from across the country have graciously offered to attend to talk about their work.  Film descriptions are available on the website, or if you don't have access, please ask at the theatre and we will have a printed sheet to give out.  Full Program booklets will be available at Reel Pizza soon.  Tickets are now available for $8.00, in advance at the box office or over the phone with a credit card (add 50c service); for the festival, no Big Tickets or Gold Tickets will be honored.  We hope you will join us during this special weekend.

Tues Sept 21 - Thurs Sept 23
INCEPTION (PG-13)  142min   5:30 and 8:30
Last Chance to see it here!  One of the most anticipated films of the summer, this new film from director Christopher Nolan (Memento, The Dark Knight) is cloaked in a veil of secrecy.  However, it is known that this sci-fi thriller stars Leonardo DiCaprio as a dream thief whose forte is stealing secrets from deep within the subconscious when the mind is most vulnerable.  His success has made him an international fugitive, but one last job could give him his life back.  He must do the reverse, plant an idea into someone's mind.  But the enemy is seemingly able to predict his every move.  Also stars Ken Watanabe, Joseph Gordon-Leavitt, Marion Cotillard, Ellen Page, Tom Hardy, Cillian Murphy, Tom Berenger, and Michael Caine.

and

I AM LOVE  (R)  [in ITALIAN with subtitles]  120min  5:45 and 8:15
This poetically lush and opulent film from gifted director Luca Guadagnino compellingly tells the story of the wealthy Recchis, a Milanese family that has made a fortune in textiles, at a time of change.  Tilda Swinton (Michael Clayton, Orlando) is mesmerizing as Emma, the Russian trophy wife of the eldest son, Tancredi, in line to inherit the family business.  But the aging patriarch decides to split the power, also leaving the business to his eldest grandson, beloved Edo who is more interested in opening a restaurant with his handsome and talented friend, Antonio.   When Emma falls quickly and deeply in love with Antonio after eating his cooking, (epic food porn alert!), her existence is upended and their relationship changes her family forever.

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Fri Sept 24 - Thurs Sept 30
THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE (R)  [in SWEDISH with subtitles] 129 min   6:00 and 8:30
The second installment of the late Stieg Larsson's Millenium trilogy, now directed by Daniel Alfredson from a screenplay by Jonas Frykberg, again features the damaged punk hacker Lisbeth Salander (Noomi Rapace) and the serious investigative journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Michael Nyqvist).  He is on the verge of exposing a sex-trafficking operation implicating highly-placed Swedish politicians, when two of his reporters are murdered.  The police's main suspect is his friend Lisbeth.  Convinced of her innocence, his attempts to exonerate her reveal her abusive past. It is an intriguing and compelling thriller that advances the story toward the final installment to be released this fall.

Fri Sept 24 - Mon Sept 27
NANNY MCPHEE RETURNS (PG)  100min  5:30 and 7:45
Actress and screenwriter Emma Thompson reprises her role of the endearingly odd and magical nanny in her hilarious and heartwarming sequel to the wonderful first film.  This time round, she appears at the door of a harried young mother of three (Maggie Gyllenhaal) who is trying to run the family farm while her husband is away at war.  When she arrives, Nanny McPhee discovers the children are waging their own war against their two spoiled cousins from the city who have been sent to the farm for the summer.  In her own inimitable way, she dispenses her life lessons, until the time when the children want her but no longer need her, at which point her job is done.

Tues Sept 28 - Thurs Sept 30
AGORA  (NR)  127min   5:30 and 8:00
Alejandro Amenábar (The Sea Inside) explores the disparity between religious intolerance and diversity in this mesmerizing historical drama set in 4th century Alexandria, Egypt.  In the city's famous library, the brilliant female astronomer Hypatia (Rachel Weisz) teaches an elite class of students.  When religious upheaval between the Roman Pagans and the early, militant Christians threatens this repository of the ancient world's wisdom, she and her disciples fight to save it.  Her helpers include two men competing for her heart.  Orestes, a witty and privileged student, serves the Roman's while Davos, Hypatia's slave, is torn between his secret love and the freedom he knows is his if he chooses to join the Christian surge. 

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COMING NEXT SCHEDULE?
Get Low
Cairo Time
The American
Around a Small Mountain
Guardians of Ga'Hoole
Soul Kitchen
The Concert
Mao's Last Dancer

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