NARRATIVE FEATURES - AMERICAN INDEPENDENT COMPETITION - SPONSORED BY

Saturday, March 24, 4:30 PM at Regal - Purchase tickets
Wednesday, March 28, 9:45 PM at Enzian - Purchase tickets

THE STRAND
USA, 2007, 105 MIN
DIRECTED BY DANIEL MYRICK
World Premiere

From director Daniel Myrick, one of the creators of The Blair Witch Project, comes a multilayered story set in Venice, CA. Stylistically similar to both Crash and Magnolia, The Strand investigates the intersecting lives of a multitude of struggling characters, each related to each other in some way or another--charting the amazing speed with which relationships form and crumble. From the homeless to the juvenile and from the rich to the poor, a phenomenal range of individuals are represented in this odd, slightly surreal environment. Amongst Venice's denizens is a retired actress (Katherine Helmond, Brazil) who lives almost entirely in the past while dealing with a very current bank threatening foreclosure on her home. Meanwhile, a street vendor makes his way as both a hustler and a magician, while a recently widowed cop (James Morrison, 24) struggles with his grief and fatherhood. Originally created as a series of "webisodes" to be downloaded like chapters in a book, this feature film version boasts an array of strong performances complemented by a raw, organic style of filmmaking that gives The Strand an unscripted quality rarely captured in narrative film.