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2006 SOAPIFF FESTIVAL FILMS
Alice in America – This film is a children’s musical loosely based on the characters of Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. It’s Alice’s first visit to America, and the evil garden witch casts a spell on her jump rope. Suddenly, all the animals sing and dance through Alice’s adventure. Produced by Bonnie Comley, one of the producers of the Tony Award winning Thoroughly Modern Millie, and written and composed by playwright Jaz Dorsey, (Nellie, Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, and Café Escargot) places many unexpected twists on the Lewis Carroll classic.
A-Pack-O-Nuns Now, Kicking the Habit – Booze, and Summer Camp - Three short films from the infamous Trixie Trash, this South Carolina native’s films have the same humor and irreverent qualities of early John Waters’ works. In A-Pack-O-Nuns Now, the film follows a group of sisters as they sneak through Columbia, SC in search of the perfect place to light some “incense”. Kicking the Habit – Booze contends with the resourcefulness of a nun in securing alcohol. In Summer Camp we meet Mabeline Shadow and Visene Clear, two women who volunteer to work at a summer camp in order to meet men. There is just one problem; everyone is disappearing. Who could it be behind that hockey mask?
Beverly Kills - An aging drag queen Beverly Jackson is unable to land a role in a local gay play, and she is determined to seek revenge against those who rejected her. She starts a cult by gathering together a dimwitted gang of Hollywood newbies to help her, despite the lack of any actual plan for carrying out her scheme. This uproariously funny gay-themed film expertly blends a classic boy-meets-boy love story with a screwball revenge plot by a spurned drag queen. Director Damion Dietz concocts a tale of insane campiness mixed with the charmingly earnest naivety of Legally Blonde.
Broad Daylight – An Amazing and timeless collection of “pretty peelers” brought to the masses by super 8 cinematographers, Victoria Renard and the Memphis Movie Messiah JMM. This documentary is set against the backdrop of “sock dropping” rock and roll with beautifully bizarre screen-warped colorization. Featuring the timeless toasts of modern burlesque scene recorded in the most primitive conditions, these Memphis filmmakers create a distorted since of time and place.
Creature from the Black Lagoon* – We would be remiss not to show this Horror Classic. After finding a claw-like hand, scientists make a return trip to a lagoon off of the Amazon to search for relics. The major discovery is a 'gill' man with an eye for the female form. Julie Adams is most certainly an eye opener. Very interesting underwater and location shots by Clifford Poland, our guest speaker Oct 27th at 4pm at the Charles on 308 E. Main Street, Johnson City.
Evelyn Williams - With humor, eloquence, and at times anger, Evelyn tells her story. This film is a portrait of a woman who is many things: a coal miner's daughter and wife; a domestic worker and mother of nine; a college student in her 50s and community organizer; an Appalachian African American. Above all, she is a woman whose awareness of class and race oppression has led her to a lifetime of activism. Now in her 80s, she is battling to save her land in eastern Kentucky from destruction by a large oil and gas firm.
Fast Food Women - Fast Food Women takes an inside look at the lives of the women who fry chicken, make pizzas, and flip burgers at four different fast food restaurants in eastern Kentucky. These women, mostly middle-aged and raising children, are often the sole income source for their families. Scenes of women at work round out this incisive, sometimes troubling look at life on the other side of the counter.
Fat Monroe - In this narrative film, Ned Beatty plays the title role of Fat Monroe, a gruff, unshaven mountain man with the gift of gab and a merciless sense of humor. He offers a ride in his pick-up truck to nine-year-old Wilgus Collier (played by William Johnson in his film debut). Most of the film is a battle of wits between the overwhelming Monroe, who seems to twist everything the boy says, and the steadfast Wilgus, who stands up to Monroe's devilment. By the end of his ride, Wilgus's notion of truth and trust in the adult world is changed forever.
Five Across the Eyes – Five girls face the ultimate experience of terror on the way back from a football game. Finding themselves lost, they stop at a desolate store to find directions, but unfortunately instead are involved in a hit and run leaving the driver of an SUV one headlight short. Inexperienced and frightened the girls flee the accident and speed away down the dark and unfamiliar roads. Shortly they are joined on their blind journey by the pursuit of the one lone headlight, an event that will scar them for life; one mistake made may cost them their innocence and possibly their lives. Directed by Johnson City resident Ryan Thiessen and produced by Trauma One Entertainment, Five Across the Eyes is a horror film that was filmed in and around the Tri-Cities.
Flypaper - After Raygan Henley earned local acclaim at the Nashville Film Festival as producer and director of A Beautiful World in 2001, he broke though nationally with festival favorite, Flypaper (Hollywood Film Awards nomination, 2004; Best Editing Award, Action On Film Festival, 2005).
The Gospel According To Marquee - Growing up without a television did not stop Drew Talbert from becoming a filmmaker. If anything, the absence of visual media at home insured his fascination with the medium. By the time he made his first amateur films using a grandmother-endowed video camera, he was hooked. Attending the intimate confines of Lipscomb University in Nashville, TN, provided a captive audience as he cut his teeth on various freshmen orientation videos and short films. The Gospel According To Marquee a tribute to Drew’s roots in the Bible belt South.
His Eye Is On the Sparrow - Ethel Caffie-Austin, a daughter of the coalfields, is West Virginia’s “First Lady of Gospel Music.” This program features Ethel performing a range of spirituals, hymns and contemporary gospel numbers that represent the rich cultural heritage of African American song and worship. Ethel’s enthusiasm and belief in the redemptive power of faith are apparent, as she is seen teaching gospel to a youth group, ministering to inmates at a state prison, and leading the choir at the Black Sacred Music Festival in Institute, WV. Oral history, archival material, and interviews are combined with performance footage to tell a powerful story of personal freedom and triumph through faith, wisdom, and the support of a caring community.
Lenders Morgan – This film is a family endeavor Directed by Jon Russell Cring, Written By Jonathan Richard Cring (Jon’s Father) with Cinematography by Tracy Cring (Jon’s wife) and Starring Jasson Brother Cring (Jon’s Brother). Lenders Morgan is the story of colliding forces of repression and sexual curiosity in a small Southern Ohio town, which foster the disappearance of a young girl. Swept away on a whirlwind of mania, she is thrust back home, where everything has changed yet still the same. This is a film with strong sexual content and Adult language.
Lost in the Pershing Point Hotel – An autobiographical film from Emmy Award winning Chattanooga native, Leslie Jordan, this film details Leslie’s life growing up and then moving to Atlanta. A very realistic look at homosexuality in the 70s, it captures the dilemma of being gay not only in the world but in the very judgmental south. It contains one of the last film roles of John Ritter. Other stars include Michelle Phillips, Marilu Henner, Kathy Kinney, Mark Pelegrino, and Erin Chandler as Miss Make-Do.
Love Life - Love Life is an erotic drama about Mary (Stephanie Kirchen), a lesbian, and Joe, a gay man (Stephen D. Gill) married to each other, but not happily. As this frustrated pair navigates their paths to happiness—Joe cruises for sex in the park, and seduces a hot landscaper (Keith A. Bearden) he hires, while Mary reunites with her college crush. They soon realize what love is. Economically told, and very well acted by the four sexy leads, Love Life is a sensitive and moving film that gay men and lesbians alike should applaud.
Mabel Parker Hardison Smith - Mabel Parker Hardison Smith is a black Appalachian who taught school for over 35 years in the coalfields of eastern Kentucky. Beloved by students from several generations, she is also well known for her musical abilities as organist for her church and a local gospel group. Full of humor and vitality, Mabel Smith speaks eloquently about her family’s history in the Deep South, their migration to the mountains, and life in the segregated coal camps.
May All Your Days Be… - This is a tribute to the American circus, and to the individuals responsible for perpetuating its legacy. The film explores the unique world of the circus, with an eye to understanding its fascination for those who regard it as their careers, those who sit in the bleachers, and those who study it as a phenomenon. The voices of dozens of interviewees’ results in a rich kaleidoscope of perspectives. They range from six year old performer, Aaron Cavallini, to venerable circus model builder, Bill Watson, who explains he’s “just an overgrown kid of ninety-two.
Neverland - A black Wendy? A juvenile delinquent Michael? A community college drop-out John? Obviously this isn't your grandparent's Peter Pan. These and many other stylish changes can be found in Damion Dietz's update of the J.M. Barrie classic, while sticking closely to the plot points of the original. Setting the story in a theme park is an inspiration, as it allows for all the various fanciful "characters" which lend the novel its charm--pirates, mermaids, indians, etc.--to move about freely, without dragging the film too far from the reality it is grounded by. In the end, however, this updated version is pretty desolate and joyless, so don't expect to be humming "you can fly" when you're done watching it.
Our Road to Kosovo – Six young Americans travel the road to chronicle the struggle of an ethnic Albanian family during the 1999-2000 Kosovar conflict. The crisis hits home as these students follow the Kelmendi family from the refugee camps to their home in Mitrivica, in northern Kosovo. The young Americans discover how the Kosovar Albanians have become foreigners in their own land.
Plastic Leis – A young Hula girl who has moved to work in Waikiki. After being consumed by hard work and profits she has forgotten why she moved there in the first place. She then struggles to balance her culture in this modern society. Filmed on location, Plastic Lies is a prime example of indigenous Hawaiian storytelling.
The Ralph Stanley Story - Most have never heard of Ralph Stanley until they saw Brother Where Art Thou. People familiar with bluegrass festivals have known him forever as the king of the banjo and the guy with the voice that could serve at the encyclopedia example of how a mountain music voice should sound. This movie is a great bio and full of new information for just about anyone. It is also beautiful to watch.
Shelter - Shelter traces this remarkable evolution and gives voice to five women seeking protection in a rural West Virginia shelter. Working with advice and guidance from the shelter’s counselors and staff, the women struggle to find safety, freedom, and justice for themselves and their children. Rather than examining why violence occurs, Shelter explores the lives of women affected by violence and follows them through the long process of navigating through the system towards lives of safety and dignity.
Sludge - Sludge is a documentary that investigates a recent Kentucky coal waste disaster and examines the role of federal regulatory agencies in the coalfields. Shortly after midnight on October 11, 2000, a coal sludge pond in Martin County, Kentucky, broke through an underground mine below, propelling 306 million gallons of sludge down two tributaries of the Tug Fork River. The spill was 30 times larger than the Exxon Valdez. Filmed over four years, the documentary chronicles the aftermath of the spill, the “whistleblower” case of Jack Spadaro, and the looming threat of coal sludge ponds throughout the Appalachian Mountains.
The Stan Woodard Private Collection - Southern Routes: Volumes 1 - 5 – Legendary filmmaker Stan Woodard premiers his private collection of shorts; the subjects are located from Virginia to Georgia and give a glance into Southern culture, both past and present. This Private collection is making its world premier at SOAPIFF. There are special offers for all who attend this showing. These videos are available at a special purchase price of $25 each when this festival is mentioned with an order from woodwardstudios@charter.net or www.standwoodward.com.
Stranger With A Camera - Filmmaker Elizabeth Barret, a native of Appalachia, uses O'Connor's death as a lens to explore the complex relationship between those who make films to promote social change and the people whose lives are represented in such media productions. Through first-person accounts of the killing and the perspective of three decades of reflection, Stranger With A Camera leads viewers on a quest for understanding - a quest that ultimately leads Barret to examine her own role as both a maker of media and a member of the Appalachian community she portrays.
Strangers and Kin - Using funny, often poignant examples, Strangers and Kin shows the development and effect of stereotypes as technological change collides with tradition in the Southern mountains. The film traces the evolution of the "hillbilly" image through Hollywood films, network news and entertainment shows, dramatic renderings of popular literature, and interviews with contemporary Appalachians to demonstrate how stereotypes are created, reinforced, and often used to rationalize exploitation. Strangers and Kin suggest how a people can embrace modernity without becoming "strangers to their kin."
Thong Girl 1 & 2 - From Glen Weiss, an independent filmmaker and freelance photographer, who produces two local cable access TV shows: "Stubby's Place" a sketch comedy show similar to SNL and MAD TV featuring irreverent skits and parodies and "2 Guys Who Don't Know Crap About Movies" is a film review/interview show that can be seen on Nashville cable access channel 19. Glen is also directing his first feature-length film "Thong Girl 3: Revenge Of The Dark Widow" based on a comic book character he created. Thong Girl has become quite notorious, stirring up political feathers in Nashville. This film has been the subject of conversation around the water-coolers of America, Glen has appeared on NBC’s Today, CNN, and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.
Urine – A film by local psychiatrist Dr. Mark Laty tells the story of how a grocer, located next to a bar, finds inventive ways to keep bar patrons from urinating on his store.
Watermarks – Three short films tell of the despair and hope in New Orleans after the worst man-made, and natural disaster in U.S. history. Floating - A man and a woman are together on a New Orleans rooftop after the levees have failed and the city has flooded. Crescent City Connection – Sam and Antoinette have been displaced to Houston. Feeling less than welcomed by their new neighbors, Sam yearns to return to New Orleans and his brother, King. How will Sam make the difficult decision between his wife in a new unwelcoming city and his brother in a forever-changed landscape? Nola – Kate, a young woman who returns home after the hurricane to her flooded-out house, pitches a tent in the yard. She is the only inhabitant of an empty neighborhood. Struggling with the isolation and frustration of living in a post-Katrina New Orleans, she finds new ways to survive as she rides her bicycle past burned out houses. Eventually, she discovers a unique feeling of community and an emerging sense of hope.
What’s Love Doing in the Mountains? (Ne Gezer Ask Darlards?) Hasan, a young farmer who lives in a small village in western Turkey, asks permission to marry his lover. Her father, the landlord of the village, decides to test Hasan’s courage and manhood by sending him to the mountains in search of the “Yellow Beauty.” Over the course of the journey, Hasan learns to listen to his heart.
Whipping the Devil – Premiering at SOAPIFF from the folks at Appalshop – In 1925, Guy Roberts was an impressionable 15-year-old working in the pool halls of Pound, Virginia, racking games and selling moonshine whiskey. During the 1930s he took to hauling moonshine over the mountain to Kentucky. After taking part in a robbery he was forced to flee across America on the lam. The video weaves together Guy's descriptions of his journey, family photographs, and the banjo music of Dock Boggs, including the song "Prodigal Son." Like the young man in the parable, Guy returned home, faced his punishment, and "lived a good life."
The Wolves Alphabet – A young hitchhiker named Dante is dropped off in a small village, lost in the middle of the desert. As he waits for another ride, the villagers gather and decide to walk the path of their ancestors by pushing the new arrival to his limits in order to make his mind grow stronger.
* Films that are part of ETSU’s curriculum
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