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LA Femme International Film Festival

2014 Documentary Features and Shorts

A DIFFERNT KIND OF FARMA Different Kind of Farm 
OCT 16, 4-6 PM
VENUE 2

DIRECTOR, PRODUCER
CAROLINE HARDING

RT: 64MIN

CAST: Carol Cozzi-Schmarr, Craig Schmarr

SYNOPSIS: In 1998, aquaculturists Carol and Craig Schmarr decided to save the seahorse. Seahorses were disappearing from the world’s oceans at an alarming rate and so they quit their jobs, packed their bags, and moved to Hawaii where they used their life savings to build the world’s first seahorse farm.

ALGORITHMSAlgorithms 2
OCT 16, 12-2 PM
VENUE 2

DIRECTOR
IAN MCDONALD

PRODUCER
GEETHA J.

RT: 96MIN

SYNOPSIS: A group of boys dream of becoming Chess Masters, driven by a man with a vision. But this is no ordinary chess and these are no ordinary players. Algorithms is a documentary on the thriving, but little known world of Blind Chess in India.

AUK NR 8Auk NR 8
OCT 18, 10 AM-12 PM
VENUE 2

DIRECTOR
MARIANNA KAAT

PRODUCER
MARIANNA KAAT, OLENA FETISOVA

RT: 94MIN

SYNOPSIS: In the heart of a once thriving Ukrainian coal-mining region the town’s desperate residents decided to start mining illegally; they excavate everywhere: under the basements of demolished buildings, in the leisure parks, as well as in their own vegetable gardens.

COTTON ROADCotton Road
OCT 16, 6-8 PM
VENUE 2

DIRECTOR
LAURA KISSEL

PRODUCER
LAURA KISSEL, LI ZHEN Li

RT: 73MIN

SYNOPSIS: Americans consume nearly 20 billion new items of clothing each year. Cotton Road follows the commodity of cotton from South Carolina farms to Chinese factories to illuminate the work and industrial processes in a global supply chain.

CREATE OPTION C: MY JOURNEY WITH CANCERCreate-Option-C---stil-SMAL
OCT 19, 12-2 PM
SCREENING ROOM 13

DIRECTOR
CHRIS LA VOY
LOURDES COLON

PRODUCER
LOURDES COLON, CHRIS LA VOY, ESAI MORALES, YENIFFER BEHRENS, DEWAYNE COX, DANILE ROJO

RT: 85MIN

SYNOPSIS: After she was diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma, actress Lourdes Colon decided she would record and share her journey via Youtube.

DESPITE THE GODSDespite the Gods
OCT 18, 4-6 PM
VENUE 2

DIRECTOR
PENNY VOZNIAK

PRODUCER
KARINA ASTRUP

RT: 85MIN

CAST: Mallika Sherawat, Jennifer Lynch, Sydney Lynch, Govind Menon

SYNOPSIS: Jennifer Lynch, is well known for making bold, if not ill-fated, choices in her filmmaking career. But nothing could prepare her for the unmapped territory of Bollywood-Hollywood movie making. Lynch travels to India to direct Hisss, a tale about the vengeful snake Goddess, Nagin. With uncensored candor, Lynch shares the heartbreaking and at times hilarious experience of being a director at the helm of a sinking ship.

DOCTORA MARIANA AND THE LOST WORLD OF THE MBY’A-GUARANI
OCT 17, 2-4 PMMariana Consultation
VENUE 2

DIRECTOR
CHARLOTTE EICHHORN

PRODUCER
CHARLOTTE EICHHORN

RT: 82MIN

SYNOPSIS: Doctora Mariana, an Argentinean medical doctor with Swiss roots, is responsible for the health care of several tribal communities in Misiones, Argentina, she also provides them with social assistance and fights for the Mby′a Guarani against corruption.

DR. SARMAST’S MUSIC SCHOOL
OCT 16, 2-4 PM
VENUE 2

DIRECTOR
POLLY WATKINS

PRODUCER
BETH FREY

RT: 97MIN

CAST: Ahmad Sarmast

SYNOPSIS: Determined to help revitalise his country’s devastated music culture, musicologist, Dr Ahmad Sarmast, son of famous Afghan musician Ustad Salim Sarmast, returns to Kabul after 15 years to reopen the music school, closed down by Islamic extremists in 1992 and give Kabul’s street kids and orphans the chance to go to the music school, believing that the healing power of music will transform their lives.

ENTERING THE SECOND HALFEnteringTheSecondHalf_Still
OCT 17, 10 AM-12 PM
VENUE 2

DIRECTOR
HEYJIN JUN

PRODUCER
HEYJIN JUN
KANG-MI JUNG
HANJIN PARK

WRITER
HEYJIN JUN

RT: 11MIN

CAST: Gil-Yong Lee (Voice), Kwang-Hyun Choi (Voice), Gyong-Suk Han, Jong-Guk Choi, Young-Ja Jeong, Young-Ja Jeong

SYNOPSIS: The last generation of the victims of leprosy in Korea begins their new journey to find hope.

FIRST TO FALLFirst to Fall 1
OCT 19, 2-4 PM
VENUE 2

DIRECTOR
RACHEL BETH ANDERSON

PRODUCER
TONY GERBER

RT: 83MIN

SYNOPSIS: An intimate tale of friendship and revolution, this coming of age story documents the journey of two young friends, Hamid (26) and Tarek (21), who abandon their peaceful lives as students in Canada to join an unconventional war in their homeland of Libya.

GEGO GERTRUD LOUISE GOLDSCHMIDTGEGO
OCT 16, 10 AM-12 PM
VENUE 2

DIRECTOR
NATHALIE DAVID

PRODUCER
PITCHOUN PRODUCTION

WRITER
NATHALIE DAVID

RT: 55MIN

SYNOPSIS: GEGO, Gertrud Louise Goldschmidt (b. 1912 in Hamburg, d. 1994 in Caracas) was one of the leading artists of her generation in Latin America, known above all for her large-scale spatial installations. She regarded her works not as sculptures, but as structures or drawings in space. Nathalie David combines present day footage from Caracas and archive footage of Gego’s work and life with Gego’s texts, “Sabiduras and Testimonies”, and statements from curators, art historians and family members.

GOING DARKGoing Dark
OCT 16, 12-2 PM
VENUE 2

DIRECTOR
PAULINE SCHNEIDER

PRODUCER
PAULINE SCHNEIDER

RT: 30MIN

CAST: Pauline Schneider, Dr. Guy R. McPherson

SYNOPSIS: Pauline Schneider, environmental activist, relates her attempts to pursue sustainability after decades of being environmentally conscious. But when she meets famed ecologist Dr. Guy R. McPherson she learns that human extinction is around the corner and realizes that doing what you love now is the most important thing to do.

HAPPY HANDSHappy Hands
OCT 18, 2-4 PM
VENUE 2

DIRECTOR
HONEY LAUREN

PRODUCER
LEOR BAUM

RT: 20MIN

CAST: Tippi Hedren, Hong Lei, Tam T. Nguyen, Patricia Campbell, Mylynn Thach, Martha Schad

SYNOPSIS: How one Hollywood starlet helped so many… and changed the face of an industry.

HOT FLASH HAVOC: A FILM OF MENOPAUSAL PROPORTIONS
OCT 18, 12-2 PMHot Flash Havoc
VENUE 2

DIRECTOR
MARC BENNETT

PRODUCER
GARY JAFFE
HEIDI HOUSTON

RT: 88MIN

CAST: Alan Altman (Voice)

SYNOPSIS: This is a provocative revealing film about the US government not releasing information on women’s health that will change their lives as they age. If you have a vagina or know someone with a vagina, you need to see this film.

JESSE AND THE FOUNTAIN OF YOUTHJesse and The Fountain of Youth
OCT 16, 6-7 PM
VENUE 1

DIRECTOR
TRACEY ANARELLA

PRODUCER
TRACEY ANARELLA

WRITER
TRACEY ANARELLA

RT: 12MIN

CAST: Jesse Cohen

SYNOPSIS: Jesse Cohen, a subway performer negotiates the line between busking and advancing his career as an above ground performer; a dilemma as old as busking itself.

Love Thy Nature_1920_4_resizedLOVE THY NATURE
OCT 19, 10 AM-12 PM
VENUE 2

DIRECTOR
SYLVIE ROKAB

PRODUCER
SYLVIE ROKAB, DAVID GARFIELD ROLAND, ELAINE SOUDA, TAMRA RAVEN

RT: 76MIN

CAST: Liam Neeson (Voice)

SYNOPSIS: Love Thy Nature is a documentary film that takes viewers on an awe-inspiring cinematic journey into the beauty and intimacy of our relationship with the natural world

MBETI: ROAD TO KISESINIMbeti Official Still
OCT 16, 2-4 PM
VENUE 2

DIRECTOR
ANN BROMBERG

PRODUCER
LANA IVES, ANN BROMBERG

WRITER
ANN BROMBERG

RT: 17MIN

CAST: Mbeti Wambua

SYNOPSIS: In Kenya and other African countries many newborns die within the first week of life, usually from infection or other preventable causes. Mbeti: The Road to Kisesini is about one women’s journey to save her village, by saving the mothers and their children from dying of malnutrition caused by unsafe water supply and the lack of access to medical facilities in the community.

MEN OF THE CLOTHMen of the Cloth
OCT 19, 12-2 PM
VENUE 2

DIRECTOR
VICKI VASILOPOULOS

PRODUCER
VICKI VASILOPOULOS

RT: 96MIN

CAST: N/A

SYNOPSIS: An inspiring portrait of three Italian master tailors who confront the decline of the apprentice system as they navigate their challenging roles in the twilight of their career.

PENNY & RED: THE LIFE OF SECRETARIAT’S OWNER
OCT 17, 6-8:30 PMPenny & Red
VENUE 2

DIRECTOR
JOHN TWEEDY

PRODUCERS
JOHN TWEEDY, BERET STRONG, PENNY CHENERY

RT: 60MIN

CAST: Diane Lane (Voice)

SYNOPSIS: Based on a series of intimate conversations with award-winning filmmaker John Tweedy, ‘Penny & Red’ reveals ‘First Lady of Racing,’ Penny Chenery’s story as never before.

PIE LADY OF PIE TOWNPie Lady Of Pie Town
OCT 16, 4-6 PM
VENUE 2

DIRECTOR
JANE ROSEMONT

PRODUCER
JANE ROSEMONT

RT: 33MIN

CAST: Wes Studi (Voice)

SYNOPSIS: Why did a successful Dallas business woman leave her charmed life to bake pie to a remote dusty town with no gas station, no motel and no grocery store? For Kathy Knapp, pie equals love. She serves peace with each piece to curious tourists and local characters alike

SPILLED WATERSpilled Water
OCT 16, 10 AM-12 PM
VENUE 2

DIRECTOR
MAY MAY TCHAO

PRODUCER
MAY MAY TCHAO, XAN ARANDA

RT: 54MIN

CAST: May May Tchao (Voice)

SYNOPSIS: Wanting to connect with her ‘distant sisters’, decades after emigrating to the United States, May May returns to China and explores the very different lives of four women: a rural farmer, a successful lawyer, a divorced factory, and an ethnic minority singer. Their intimate stories show us why gender equality in China is so rare, hard-earned, and worth the struggle.

THE CUTThe_Cut_
OCT 16, 6-7 PM
VENUE 1

DIRECTOR
BERYL MAGOKO

PRODUCER
ANDREAS FROWEIN

WRITER
BERYL MAGOKO

RT: 43MIN

SYNOPSIS: A circumcised girl is like a stone… The Kuria in Kenya and Tanzania are still practicing Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) as a ritual. It is painful and even dangerous. The older generation and peer pressure want to uphold the legacy of the ancestors… but the effect of generational practice has created a mixed feeling in the young generation in the 21st century. So what can human right activists do?

THE OASIS AFFAIRThe Oasis Affair
OCT 17, 10 AM- 12 PM
VENUE 2

DIRECTOR
HEIDI LASI

PRODUCERS
HEIDI LASI, LISA NAULT

RT: 15MIN

SYNOPSIS: Soap and juice collide at the crossroads of justice and social media in this David and Goliath story of a small business owner taking on a major corporate in a bid to protect her company’s rights.

TIKOTINTIKOTIN
OCT 17, 12-2 PM
VENUE 2

DIRECTOR
SANTJE KRAMER
MARGA BOSCH

PRODUCER
ERICA REIJMERINK, JARON BORENSZTAJN

RT: 77MIN

CAST:

SYNOPSIS: His passion for Japanese art brings a famous German Jewish art dealer all over the world. Two World Wars and a series of personal adversities later, the Tikotin Museum of Japanese Art shines on Mount Carmel in Haifa. The art dealer travels on, indefatigable.

TRIPLES / TRILLIZOSTriples-TRILLIZOS_STILL_1_300DPI
OCT 17, 10 AM – 12 PM
VENUE 2

DIRECTOR
ITZEL MARTĺNEZ DEL CAÑIZO

PRODUCER
haudenschild Garage

WRITER
ITZEL MARTĺNEZ DEL CAÑIZO

RT: 16MIN

SYNOPSIS: Portrait that explores the world of through the lens of a set of talented painter triplets that have shared everything since birth in the context of their precarious living conditions.

WOMEN AT WAREPSON MFP image
OCT 17, 10 AM-12 PM
VENUE 2

DIRECTOR
CHRISTIE DAVIS

PRODUCER
CHRISTIE DAVIS
DENNIS DAVIS

RT: 77MIN

CAST: Carol Williams, Brenda Gomez, Denise Nichols, Julia Dyckman, Rose Evans, Vanessa Jackson, Venus Hammack

SYNOPSIS: An intimate look at women soldiers’ wartime experiences on the toxic battlefields of 1991’s Operation Desert Storm and their heartbreaking battles with Gulf War Illnesses since they’re returned home.

YEMENIETTESYemeniettes
OCT 17, 6-8:30 PM
VENUE 2

DIRECTOR
SHAWN THOMPSON

PRODUCER
LEON SHAHABIAN, DENISE JABBOUR

RT: 60MIN

CAST: Wafaa Al-Raimi, Reem Abdullah Rachid, Maha Mubarak Al-Absi

SYNOPSIS: Yemeniettes follows three Yemeni teenage girls and their start-up business in a country scarred by widespread youth unemployment and underemployment, a broken educational system and a threatening Al-Qaeda presence.

YOU BELONG TO MEYou Belong To Me
OCT 17, 4-6 PM
VENUE 2

DIRECTOR
JOHN CORK

PRODUCER
HILARY SALTZMAN, JUDITH HAGIN

RT: 88MIN

SYNOPSIS: The 1952 story of Ruby McCollum, an African American woman who killed a prominent white doctor in Live Oak, Florida and the remarkable secrets and terrible truths revealed during her trial and incarceration.

YOU FOLLOW: A SEARCH FOR ONE’S PAST
OCT 18, 2-4 PM
VENUE 2

DIRECTOR
SHARMILA RAY

PRODUCER
BRAD LAVERY, NISHA GRAYSON

RT: 91MIN

SYNOPSIS: Join Nisha Grayson; an Indian born, American-adoptee, navigating an emotional journey to India in pursuit of her birth mother. Her experiences juxtapose two very different worlds. That which she’s known for 30 years, and of her origin.