Red Rock Film Festival 2008

Percy, a middle-aged Jehovah's Witness, is invited into the house of a single mother (the Mother) and her eight year old daughter Ruth to provide protection and be a witness to any potential confrontation between the Mother and Frank, her supposed ex partner who has called round unexpectedly. Over a cup of tea, Percy witnesses some tense exchanges between the Mother and Frank. Frank tries to get some reassurance from the Mother that any new man in her life won’t get in the way of father-daughter visitation rights. The Mother is adamant that Ruth doesn’t want to see her Father, hinting at some past damage he has done. Percy tries to step in and reconcile the couple by preaching God’s wisdom and the power of forgiveness. As Frank decides to leave, threatening to come back unless the matter is resolved, the Mother has a change of heart and asks him to stay to talk more, without the need for Percy’s presence. Percy takes his cue to leave, knowing that God’s work has been done. But as he delays his final exit from the house, he suddenly discovers the unexpected and shocking truth of the family’s disharmony.

Whilst working as an optician during the 1970's George Chance develops an obsession: something that occupies every moment of his spare time for a whole decade. Through skills passed down from his father, George becomes the most accomplished photographer of the New Zealand falcon. He dreams of capturing his beloved falcons as moving images but, restricted by the cost of film equipment, he reluctantly gives up. Now some thirty years later the time has come to reawaken George's dream.At the age of 88 and going blind, George is being called upon one more time. In the winter of 2003 a filmmaker from Scotland, looking to make a film on the New Zealand falcon, approaches George looking for advice; they quickly strike a deal. In return for George's help, filmmaker Sandy Crichton will attempt to add movement to George's photographs.Set in commercial pine plantations the film follows a remarkable wild population of falcons that have adapted to take advantage of this man-made habitat. Featuring completely new falcon behaviour, and filmed over three breeding seasons, the filmmaker gets ever closer to the falcons as he attempts to deliver his side of the bargain.

Growing up in Barstow, CA, a town of about 9,000 homes in the Mojave Desert, high school senior Andrew Dayton hopes for a bigger world. Andrew lives with his somewhat irresponsible single mother, Sandra, a waitress. Despite being college material -- a quality noted by his science teacher, Mr. Johns -- Andrew seems to be slipping into the inertia of Barstow. Mr. Johns aggressively challenges Andrew‚'s decision to delay college, painting a bleak picture of Andrew‚'s future if he doesn‚'t leave Barstow. This angers Andrew because he feels trapped, but deep down he knows Mr. Johns is right.In the midst of confusion, Andrew meets newcomer Jenny and begins his first real sexual experience. Discovering the relationship, Sandra becomes increasingly possessive while at the same time throwing herself into her current fling with a much younger man, Cody. Andrew‚'s main ally is his best friend Carlos who shares Andrew‚'s dreams of college and encourages him. Carlos surprises Andrew with the news that Andrew has been accepted to college, but when Andrew goes to tell Sandra, he finds her drowning in misery. Cody has stolen their few valuables and run off. Desperately relying on Andrew more than ever, Sandra‚'s need and self-absorption overshadow Andrew‚'s news as she grabs and clings to him. While Sandra sleeps, Andrew contemplates, weighing those who need him against the possibilities of life in the larger world. Ultimately, Andrew realizes he must make a choice between himself and those he loves.

Katherine returns to Orange County after spending a year living and studying in Cannes, France. Coming home proves more difficult then expected, as she struggles to readjust to American culture and reconnect with friends. Unfortunately, the more she tries to integrate back into southern California culture, the more estranged she feels. She finds her head and her heart caught between two countries. As things grow worse at home, she retreats farther and farther into her memories of her time spent abroad. Will Katherine ever be able to create harmony between her two worlds?

Alvaro Nuñez has crossed the border many times, but this time is different: his son Omar is coming with him to live and work in the U.S. For Danny Jackson the Arizona borderland is home, although since his mother left he has been struggling to adjust to life there with his father Luke. The Line follows these fathers and sons as they attempt to rebuild their relationships under new circumstances, an endeavor made even more important by the high stakes of life at the border. When their paths cross, each person, and each family, is changed forever.

Maine Story is a film that portrays a portrait of a town as much as it does its characters. Sometimes we can get stymied in our life's path and may not even be aware of it. A person who desperately needed to make a proactive decision to move forward and put her past to rest. I wanted to show how gently and naturally you can be supported by the people around you. And how a town can step in to fill in the blanks when it comes to looking after its own.

Shane Gulliver and Mark 'Treacle' Tate are two ordinary 18 year-olds serving with the British Army in Iraq. Admidst constant insurgent attacks the platoon struggles to maintain the uneasy peace and to subdue a barrage of hostilities. When the popular company captian is killed on patrol by a roadside bomb, morale in the platoon his rock bottom. Acting on orders they round up several suspects from house-to-house serches. That night feelings at the camp are running high and as the chain of command is weakened events spiral out of control. The Mark of Cain pulls you deep inside the Iraq conflict and shows you the true fear, horror and uncertainty of war. It strips away the catch phrases of the media, exposing the crimes as those from an unstable generation who live in a world of internet-porn, digital gadgets and male loyality.

A surreal quest by a man who is to meet more than he has bargained for: three stages of his life.

In the suburban setting of a quiet tree-lined street in Granada Hills, California we see a 61 year old woman pushing a grocery cart to her front door. We watch her climb through a window covered in ivy and cob webs into her house, stepping on top of stacks of newspapers, piles of debris, rotting material, clothing, and toys; a living mass of waste that has literally pushed her out of the house and into her garden.My Mother’s Garden is the story of Eugenia Lester whose hoarding disorder has entered a dangerous and life threatening stage. Directed by her daughter Cynthia, it documents how one family comes together to cope with their mother’s disorder and rebuild a lost sense of family. My Mother’s Garden was an official selection of the 2006 New York IFP Market and was a finalist for the IFP Socially Conscious Documentary Award. The film has also received support from the 2007 New York State Council For the Arts and the 2007 Pacific Pioneer Fund.Director’s statement:My personal journey through this documentary was necessary to heal the wounds of abandonment, isolation, and dependency that are often present when raised by a parent with a persistent mental illness. Though my brothers and I are now adults, we all feel a deep need for a stabilizing center for our family, a permanent place to call home. This longing for stability has caused disorder in our lives, both socially and emotionally. Through this documentary, I am applying my experience in social work, art therapy, and filmmaking to my own family. I hope that the film can be therapeutic as well as a creative work of art that will help bring awareness to the issue of mental illness and also reach others who are sympathetic to this subject matter.