Arivaca Film Exposition

The “Arivaca Independent Filmmakers Exposition” is scheduled for April 29^th at the Arivaca Community Center. These films - some of which were photographed in Arivaca - will feature Arizona directors and producers. This event is a great opportunity to see creative productions outside of Hollywood and the corporate controlled media. The afternoon films (12-noon to 5 p.m.), will showcase independently created documentaries of area interest. You can choose and attend any of the afternoon films that you find of interest. The evening program (6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.) will exhibit short films in various categories.

Unless otherwise indicated, these films are suitable for general audiences. Please check each movie description. Some documentaries are ‘hot-button’ social-political-environmental issues, and may not be material for children. In general, if you are under 16 years of age, parental escort is advised. However; film shorts during the first half of the evening program, will be more suited for young adults.

Doors open at 6:00 pm for the evening schedule with a 20-minute intermission around 8:30 p.m. Filmmakers in attendance may provide a brief introduction to their film and answer questions. Admission is free for all movies, but a donation box for contributions will help defray the expenses in making this event possible. If you would like to volunteer to help out, contact me (Bart Santello) at 480-620-5386, or email at bart@deserthomestead.com Volunteers are also needed to contribute baked goods for the intermission. Film schedules will be posted and available in Arivaca during April. Also visit www.arivaca.net for info. The Arivaca Community Center is located off of Universal Ranch Road, just past the fire station.

12:00 PM COCKFIGHT (Documentary, 45-Min) by Tiller Russell & Loren Mendell, Angry Young Ranch Productions (2002). www.angryyoungranch.com

Cockfight explores this controversial activity by presenting people whose daily lives are defined by cockfighting. The film seeks to demonstrate how people can draw meaning and perspective on this controversial sporting activity. Clara Godfrey of Arivaca is featured in this documentary film. Viewer discretion advised.

1:00 PM BORDER CROSSINGS (Documentary, 20-Min) by Heather Lares. Pan Left Productions (2005)

US-Mexico activists struggle for dignity and human rights along the border; this documentary examines the issues faced - abuses by US immigration agents, infringements on the sovereignty of Native Americans nations - as a result of militarization of the region."

1:30 PM OASIS UNDER SIEGE: A JOURNEY THROUGH A DYING RIVER (Documentary, 24-Min) by Sonya Angelica Diehn. Pan Left Productions (2003). www.panleft.org

With over 95% of the Southwest's riparian areas already disappeared, this film weaves together personal narrative, interviews with experts and the story of a couple living on the Canada del Oro, northwest of Tucson, who bring first-hand accounts of the disappearing riparian areas in the Tucson area and the outdated water laws that drive development and hasten the depletion of water resources.

"Life List" is a thoughtful and humorous documentary that examines the philosophy,motivation and field behaviors of two different birders, one a young college student in Minnesota and the other a retired social worker in Arizona. The film compares and contrasts the the birding experiences of these individuals, focusing on the social and competitive aspects of the sport of birding and the value of keeping records of all the birds observed. From the southwest deserts to the frozen shores of Lake Superior, "Life List" uncovers the intrigue behind one of the fastest growing activies in the U.S.

Pan Left Productions (2006) On The Edge is a documentary that seeks to uncover reasons behind the brutal murders of over 400 poor young women in the border town of Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. The film sets out to explain the social, cultural, and economic factors that have created this situation where the killings can continue, and continue to go unpunished. In addition, the film explores the wider geo-political and economic trends, showing the audience that this is not just an isolated phenomenon in one far-off city, but a glimpse at a nightmarish future for much of the world. Web Site: http://political.detritus.net/juarez/

3:30 PM OUR OIL AND OTHER TALES (Documentary, 85-Min) Yeast Films (2005). www.ouroil.org
This documentary delves deep into Venezuela's oil and coal industry and examines sovereignty and self-determination issues and told through the life experiences of communities, oil workers and indigenous people. In Spanish with English Subtitles.

ABSOLUTELY ARIVACA (Comedy, 21-Min) by Wow!Creative Productions. A fun television pilot that visited people & places in Arivaca.

87 TOPAZ (Documentary, 8-Min) by Bill Kersey. Raintown Pictures (2004) www.raintownpictures.com

The filmmaker remembers his grandfather's life, including his love for cars and the loss he experienced in his final years. Using personal writings, old photographs and home movies, the film gracefully weaves together these personal memories.

GARPENFARGLE (Comedy, 4-Min) by Bill Kersey and Edward Kim. Raintown Pictures (2004) A dog left alone in an apartment, gets into mischief - An enjoyable film that is consistently a crowd pleaser. www.raintownpictures.com

THE JED (Experimental, 7-min) by Robert Richards of Arivaca, AZ.
1988. While humans watch Earth's television broadcasts all over the
world, the signal is also inadvertently sent out from our planet where
it continues forever toward infinity. This video imagines that in the
future some culture in a distant galaxy finds the microwave signals
from an old Beverly Hillbillies (Jed Clampet) TV show along with parts
of a Star Wars broadcast (Jedi Masters) and judges them both to be bits
of some ancient mythology.

JULIA (Romantic Comedy, 12-Min) by Andre Claussin, Realeye Productions (2003) www.realeyefilms.com

'Julia' is a short romance between two people, Andre and Julia, who meet for the first time at a downtown party. They soon leave and end up spending the night together. The following morning Julia discovers things about Andre that make her unsure and she exits his apartment for the first and last time. Months later Andre hasn't changed much. He's still dating other girls and trying to play it cool but during a revealing conversation with his friend Steve we find out that he hasn't forgotten about Julia and she weighs frequently on his mind. Down and out on the streets of New York after a bout of solo drinking Andre appears to have reached an emotional nadir. As luck would have it he unexpectedly runs into Julia the following morning and this time he's not going to let her get away.

TRUST THE CHICKEN (Experimental, 5-Min) by Anna & Scott Griessel. Wow!Creative Productions (2003)

Trust the Chicken was created in response to a call for directors’ work for filmmakers already showing films in the 2004 Los Angeles International Film Festival, the challenge was to create a short film under strict time guidelines and have it ready for the festival. It was written in ten minutes (just twice the running time of the film), shot in about four hours and edited in a day and a half. Since its initial showing, Trust the Chicken has screened dozens of times in film festivals and showcases around the country. Enjoy the show. You’ll never look at poultry the same way again.

CHICKEN SCRATCH (Experimental, 2-Min) by Barton Santello. Psychotropic Films (2003) An indentured chicken makes post-modern art and tries to escape using a television as a portal to freedom. www.psychotropicfilms.com

LOUIE THE GIANT (Experimental – 8mm, 2-Min) by Lou Binik and Robbie Maslen (1968). A human giant likes to play with cars; in this case with a person in it!

LOUIE THE GIANT - REMAKE (Experimental, 2-min) by Barton Santello. Psychotropic Films 2006. Taking "Louie The Giant" into the digital age, filmmaker Barton Santello, recreates the 1966 version of "Louie The Giant", using additional archival 8mm film footage provided by
Binik/Maslen, and overlayed a soundtrack to create a 'micro' "B-movie"
suspense thriller. www.psychotropicfilms.com

THE MAJOR OF GHOST TOWN (Horror, 8-Min) by Brian Baltosiewich. Wow!Creative Productions (2003). A wayward traveler stumbles into a ghost town and experiences the unexpected.

STRANGE ATTRACTOR (Experimental, 12-Min) by Barton Santello. Psychotropic Films (2005). www.psychotropicfilms.com

In this original film, the director portrays a couple’s attraction to a peculiar ritual involving the cooking of an onion. At the same time, both characters are distracted by real or imagined chaotic events occurring around them.

DAY RESIDUE (Experimental, 12-Min) by Barton Santello. Psychotropic Films (2006). www.psychotropicfilms.com

A newly completed film that celebrates life in Arivaca as told by the filmmaker through memory fragments of people, places and events along with mirroring 'digital art', where computer graphics were orchestrated to create a visual tapestry paralleling a compelling psycho-active musical soundscape.

OUTSKIRTS OF INFINITY (Experimental, 20-Min) by Barton Santello. Psychotropic Films (2006) www.psychotropicfilms.com

Filmed in Ruby, Arizona, this work expresses the filmmaker’s artistic visual perception of opportunities present in Ruby, Arizona. Haunting images of the ghost town; rare archival footage; the secret life of the sole caretaker and the flight of migratory bats, are inexplicably woven into a mysterious tapestry of storied images unbounded by a sense of time (Selected for screening at the April 2006 Arizona International Film Festival – Tucson).