Considered to be the first of the legendary filmmaker’s international successes, Fellini culled from his own memories in Rimini to exquisitely portray the lives of five directionless young men in small town Italy. As the film unfolds, the five characters all take wildly divergent paths from which Fellini intimately details strange occurrences, including a womanizer getting married, a poetry reading to an aging actor that turns into a proposition, and a seaside beauty pageant plagued by a storm. Featuring a classic score by frequent collaborator Nino Rota (The Godfather) and stellar performances by Alberto Sordi and Leopoldo Trieste (both later starred in his The White Sheik), I Vitelloni’s style and story inspired such movie milestones as American Graffiti, Mean Streets, Diner, and even the director’s own Oscar-winning Amarcord. Winner of the Silver Lion at the Venice Film Festival and nominated for an Academy Award for Best Screenplay I Vitelloni is presented here in a beautiful new print (with new translations and subtitles) that captures the rich black and white style of post war Italian cinema. Back to top.

THE PHILADELPHIA STORY USA, 1940, 112 min directed by George Cukor FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

Tuesday, March 9 7:00 PM, at Central Park, Downtown Winter Park

Popcorn Flick in the Park
The Philadelphia Story

In tribute to the life and work of one of America’s greatest actresses, Katharine Hepburn, Florida Film Festival is proud to screen her classic romantic comedy, The Philadelphia Story, under the stars as a special "Popcorn Flick." Originally a Broadway play starring Hepburn, the film follows a young heiress, Tracy Lord, and her divorce from the alcoholic playboy, Dexter Haven (humorously played by Cary Grant). What follows is a brilliant and elegant war of words in which Dexter and tabloid reporter, Macaulay Connor (James Stewart), attempt to destroy the young socialite’s new marriage. As she dodges Dexter’s slings and arrows, Tracy begins to doubt her new husband and discovers the meaning of true love through Macaulay. Nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actress (Hepburn), and Best Director (Cukor), and winner of two for Best Actor (Stewart) and Best Screenplay, The Philadelphia Story is a timeless film that bubbles with charm and wit. Back to top.

EMMYLOU HARRIS: FROM A DEEPER WELL UK, 2003, 59 min directed by Paul Bernays North American Premiere

Tuesday, March 9 9:00 PM, at Regal

Sunday, March 14 1:30 PM, at Regal

Music Sidebar
Emmylou Harris: From a Deeper Well

Emmylou Harris has been crowned as the queen of country music with her stunning looks and beautiful, crystalline voice. Having released over twenty albums and performed with musicians such as Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, and Dave Matthews over the past three decades, she shows no sign of slowing down. Following the tragic early death of her mentor, cult legend Gram Parsons, in 1973, Emmylou brought his unique vision of country with rock’n’roll attitude to the mainstream. From a Deeper Well skillfully traces her development as an artist, and director Paul Bernays (Richard Thompson: Solitary Life, FFF 2003) blends interviews with the likes of Elvis Costello, Steve Earle, Rodney Crowell, Linda Ronstadt, Beth Orton, and Keith Richards, with stunning archival footage. The clip of Gram and Emmylou performing “Love Hurts” is so beautiful it will make your knees buckle and is worth the price of admission alone. This is a superb hour of history that illustrates why Emmylou Harris has made such a profound impact on contemporary music.

Playing with

BLUEGRASS JOURNEY USA, 2003, 86 min directed by Ruth Oxenberg and Rob Schumer Southeast Premiere

Bluegrass Journey

In recent years, bluegrass has had a profound revival due to the extraordinary success of the O, Brother Where Art Thou? soundtrack. Depicting the fervent scene that is modern bluegrass, this impressive documentary captures high intensity performances from some of America’s greatest contemporary acts such as Nickel Creek, the Del McCoury band, Jerry Douglas, Peter Rowan, Tony Rice, and Tim O’Brien. Entirely shot on location at two of the biggest bluegrass festivals in America, filmmakers Ruth Oxenberg and Rob Schumer brilliantly combine backstage footage, interviews, and several extended performances to make a lovingly detailed portrait of the music and those at the forefront making it. Sure to appeal to all lovers of quality acoustic and Americana music, Bluegrass Journey intimately reveals the breathtaking musical virtuosity, the obsessive audience dedication, and the rich spirit of one of America’s great musical genres. Back to top.

FESTIVAL EXPRESS Canada, 2003, 90 min directed by Bob Smeaton

Saturday, March 6 9:45 PM, at Enzian

Wednesday, March 10 10:00 PM, at Regal

Festival Express

Set in 1970—and consisting largely of footage that has been locked away for more than three decades—Festival Express documents the eponymous "happening" that was conceived as Canada’s answer to Woodstock. The Grateful Dead, The Band, Janis Joplin, Buddy Guy, Delaney & Bonnie, New Riders Of The Purple Sage, The Flying Burrito Bros., and others lived, slept, rehearsed, and did countless unmentionable things aboard a customized train that traveled from Canada’s heartland, each stop culminating in a mega-concert. The festival was the brainchild of two brash young promoters, Ken Walker and Thor Eaton, who decided traveling by CN railcar would make for “good times and good music.” The entire experience, both off-stage and on, was gloriously filmed by Oscar-winner Peter Biziou with extensive footage that has never been seen and performances that will have you reaching for your lighter. Director Bob Smeaton (The Beatles Anthology) has created a thrilling documentary of something that would—and could—never be duplicated. Back to top.

Biography Sidebar
Bukowski: Born Into This

“Some people never go crazy. What truly horrible lives they must lead.” Author Charles Bukowski (1920-1994) was one of those rare writers whose work succeeded in creating a myth of epic proportions around its creator. Over the years, his name has become synonymous with screwing, drinking, and fighting; seedy bars and hotel rooms; foul-mouthed prostitutes; and low-paying jobs. For readers, Bukowski personified the lower depths of human existence--in a direct and powerful style, he wrote about an unthinkable but very real degradation, one based on his own life experiences. Best known for Notes of a Dirty Old Man, Love is a Dog From Hell, and the screenplay (and real-life model) for Barfly, he achieved international celebrity as a poet, novelist, and underground icon who is now considered one of the most influential authors of his generation. Bukowski: Born Into This is the first comprehensive documentary of this extraordinary man. Utilizing an amazing array of interviews with the author and the people who knew him best, including relatives, neighbors, girlfriends, fellow poets, and friends such as Bono, Sean Penn, Harry Dean Stanton, and Barbet Schroeder, the film brilliantly peels off the hardened mask of the beast to reveal the man—and the artist—underneath. Back to top.

HER MAJESTY New Zealand, 2002, 100 min, Rated PG directed by Mark J. Gordon Southeast Premiere

Saturday, March 13 2:30 PM, at Regal

Sunday, March 14 4:30 PM, at Regal

Family Feature:
Her Majesty

In 1953, the citizens of the quiet town of Middleton would never dream of receiving a state visit from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. But twelve-year-old Elizabeth (Sally Andrews) thinks of nothing else. When the Queen makes Middleton one of the stops on her New Zealand tour, everyone is excited except for Hira Mata (Vicky Haughton, Whale Rider), the old Maori outcast the children believe is a witch. As the town cleans up for the occasion, Hira’s dilapidated house sticks out like a sore thumb, but she refuses to sell her property. Elizabeth, intrigued by the old recluse, lends her a helping hand and comes face to face with the town’s prejudice. Beautifully shot, this is a touching, ambitious period piece about tolerance and sticking to one’s principles, with generous doses of humor, mystery, and suspense. Winner of many international awards, Her Majesty is a terrific coming-of-age tale that entertains at it inspires. Back to top.

Family Shorts
Total Running Time 94 Min
Saturday, March 6
12:30 PM, at Enzian

CREATURE COMFORTS: CATS OR DOGS? Southeast Premiere

Creature Comforts:
Cats or Dogs?
UK, 2003, 10 min
directed by Richard Goleszowski

The two most popular pets go head to head in this long-awaited sequel to the 1991 Academy Award winner from England’s brilliant Aardman Animation studio (Chicken Run, Wallace and Gromit).

SEVEN'S ELEVEN World Premiere

Seven's Eleven
USA, 2003, 13 min
directed by Amy Iorio

A sweet and ingenious spoof of Ocean’s 11 for the pre-teen set, Seven’s Eleven follows sixth-grader Frankie Lake as he pulls together the gang and crafts a clever plan to knock off the neighborhood candy store.

TIM TOM East Coast Premiere

Tim Tom
France, 2002, 4 min
directed by Christel Pougeoise and Romain Segaud

Set to a classic tune by Django Rheinhardt, two characters named Tim and Tom try to get together in this ingenious black and white mix of live action and animation.

PENGUINS BEHIND BARS Southeast Premiere

Penguins Behind Bars
Canada, 2003, 23 min
directed by Janet Perlman

In this comic animated spoof of women’s prison movies--featuring the voice of Lili Taylor as Doris Fairfeather--poor Doris gets swept off her flippers by Charlie Abaloney, who hoodwinks her into helping him with a bank heist and then leaves her to take the fall.

I WANT A DOG

I Want a Dog
Canada, 2003, 10 min
directed by Sheldon Cohen

Based on the book and artwork of celebrated children’s author Dayal Kaur Khalsa, and featuring songs by Neko Case, I Want a Dog is a charming animated musical about a young girl’s hopes and dreams.

SHOWA SHINZAN Southeast Premiere

Showa Shinzan
Canada, 2003, 13 min
directed by Alison Reiko Loader

Set during the Second World War and based on actual events, this computer-animated story evokes the look and feel of the Japanese art of Bunraku puppetry. When young Yasuko goes to live with her grandparents in Northern Japan, a nearby volcano erupts and she witnesses both nature’s destructive beauty and the birth of a new mountain.

INSIDE AN UNCLE East Coast Premiere 2nd US Showing

Inside an Uncle
Scotland, 2003,9 min
directed by David Cairns

From the director of Cry For Bobo (FFF 2002) comes this freewheeling comedy where we learn literally what we already know metaphorically—that inside every adult there is a small child working the controls.

COLORFORMS

Colorforms
USA, 2003, 8 min
directed by Eva Saks

Colorforms is a cute and funny, multiple award-winning short film about a rebellious and very messy little girl, starring Kristin Di Pietra (TV’s Blues Clues and Dora the Explorer) and Keith Charles (The Royal Tennenbaums).

LORENZO World Premiere

Lorenzo
USA, 2004, 5 min
directed by Mike Gabriel

In this brand new, hilarious, and colorful addition to the vast library of great animated Disney shorts, a dance-loving fat cat must deal with its own possessed tail.

Florida Shorts
Total Running Time 78 Min
Sunday, March 7, 12:00 PM, at Enzian
Sunday, March 13, 4:30 PM, at Enzian

3AM

3AM
USA, 2003, 22 min
directed by Stewart Hopewell

On a damp and dreary night, Myron, a late shift worker at a rundown crematory, makes the mistake of a lifetime after one little “slip” of his lingering hand awakens the spirit of a dead woman.

CHESS World Premiere

Chess
USA, 2003, 3 min
directed by Garcia Freundt

A madman tries to rid himself of his inner demons by playing a terrifying game of chess.

PSYCHOBABBLE 2nd US Showing

Psychobabble
USA, 2003, 11 min
directed by Mara Farina

A young woman’s inner monologue is put on display as her neuroses get her into a conflict with everyone she meets.

MY JOSEPHINE

My Josephine
USA, 2003, 8 min
directed by Barry Jenkins

At a laundromat that specializes in washing American flags, a Middle-Eastern immigrant romantically yearns for the attention of his co-worker.

TECH FALL Southeast Premiere 2nd US Showing

Tech Fall
USA, 2003, 12 min
directed by Bradley Presslar

After he loses his first match, a high-school star wrestler must prove his worth to his overbearing father on the same place that he lost…the wrestling mat.

STUCK World Premiere

Stuck
USA, 2003, 22 min
directed by Clark Harris

On a hot summer day, five people from disparate backgrounds get stuck in an elevator and are forced to interact under the most uncomfortable circumstances. Starring Wendie Malick (Just Shoot Me) and Ken Howard (The White Shadow). Back to top.