Summer film preview: Local, statewide and Hollywood

For those employed by or in some way supported by the ski resorts of Summit County, May is a time for escape. Long winters lead us to want to abandon our homes for the musical, film, art and theatrical offerings of the summer.

This week, find film festivals and Hollywood’s lineup with a sneak preview into Breckenridge’s own film festival the first weekend of June.

In the May 16 edition of the Summit Scene, preview the schedule of local art fairs and activities. Then on May 23, find out what they’re staging at the Backstage and Lake Dillon Theatre companies through August. Find the Summit Daily Summer Guide on racks in late May with the full summer schedule of events.

Sneak peak into the Breckenridge Festival of Film

The Breckenridge Festival of Film is June 5-8. Visit www.breckfilmfest.com for the playing times and full lineup of films so far. Following are reviews of a few of the selected festival films.

“Leaving Barstow,” Drama. 89 min.
On the precipice of adulthood, high school senior Andrew faces the decisions of an 18-year-old — choosing a college, finding love, leaving his family — with a sometimes stable, sometimes not, support system.
Andrew, the main character, plays opposite his mother, Sandra — a once young mother now in a sad rut.
When the film begins, it shows a need to escape, and follows a period of loneliness experienced in different ways by most of the people in Andrew’s life.
Andrew is able to keep his head above water and, in that way, keeps the story from getting too down also.
This is an indie movie to the height of perfection, which nudged me to ponder — what is the difference between mainstream and independent films?
I suppose it comes down to the fact that sponsors affect a film, and indie movies steer clear of that. Watching “Leaving Barstow,” there was a real story, not just manipulated situations. It was viewing art.

“Mira,” Spiritual. 13 min.
The short film, “Mira,” tells the story of the manifestations of kindness.
As a woman makes her way home on a wearisome trip, she encounters strangers, who become friends. The specialness of this brief encounter is found in the way it includes truth and detail in its telling.

‘Little Teresa,” Documentary. 19 min.
“Little Teresa” shows how one woman was able to look at the unfairness she was being treated with and stand up to it.
AIDS has a strong stigma in India, where Meenakshi lives and was widowed. In the film, she speaks of the media describing AIDS as only coming into “sinful relationships.”
Meenakshi was faithful to her husband and lived without fear. Her husband, however, brought the illness into their lives through extra-marital affairs.
Meenakshi finds her voice and some amount of justice through speaking out about her circumstances.

“Tru Loved,” 99 min. GLBT
There’s a scene in “Tru Loved” where everyone is dancing together. Tru, the female lead with her boyfriend; Lo — the male lead with his boyfriend, along with Tru’s two lesbian moms and two gay dads, a few teachers from their school and Lo’s macho best friend from the football team.
The scene speaks to the entirety of the film, which sees life in high school from the viewpoint of sexual identity. Cool kid Lo befriends Tru, who is new to the suburbs and comes straight from the open-mindedness of San Francisco. Lo hides his true identity with the help of Tru, but the situation soon becomes too entangled for him to continue.
Interestingly in “Tru Loved,” Tru is a “breeder” — or not gay — yet her central role in the film makes sense right away when you meet her cosmically rare two sets of happy and gay parents.
Tru (short for Gertrude, as in Stein) starts out as sort of a badass, but later seems just mushy. The whole film does follows that same trend, albeit to a fulfilling conclusion.

Summer film festivals

The 5Point Film Festival, Carbondale, this weekend
The 5Point Film Festival will debut in Carbondale May 8-10. It is adventure event with special guests, filmmakers, and film viewers, along with film screenings, panel discussions, film awards, and a reception.
Guest roster includes Yvon Chouinard, Erik Weihenmayer, Aaron Ralston, Tommy Caldwell and more. Films screenings are located at the Carbondale Recreation Center, Thunder River Theatre, and other local venues. Tickets are available at the Carbondale Recreation Center and Sounds Easy. Festival Founder, Julie Kennedy, says, “We’ve worked hard to make this festival intimate, soulful, and inspirational, and I’m so thrilled at all the positive response we’ve had so far!”
Named for the fifth-class grading system used by climbers, the new festival is built on five guiding principles: respect, commitment, humility, purpose and balance. These same principles also form a foundation for individuals who lead lives of adventure and connect those with an elemental passion to explore.
The 5Point Film Festival will host two panel discussions: “Living Passionately Through Adversity” and “Inspiring Passion and Lifestyle in your Children.”

Breck Festival of Film, June 5-8
With just over a month left until show time, the Breckenridge Festival of Film has announced its first two premieres scheduled to debut at this year’s event, taking place June 5–8, 2008. Guests to the 28th annual Breck Film Fest will be the first in the U.S. and among the first in the world to see the films “Finding Amanda” and “Kung Fu Panda.”
These films, the first to be announced by the festival’s jury committee, will accompany up to eight additional premieres and more than 50 independent films, including works showcasing gay and lesbian topics, a range of spiritual areas, and Latin films and filmmakers.
The Breckenridge Festival of Film is hosted by WNBC-TV Film Critic and “Reel Talk” co-host Jeffrey Lyons, along with his son Ben Lyons, the E! Network Daily Top 10’s film critic. More than 80 Hollywood luminaries have appeared in Breckenridge over the past 27 years, including Donald Sutherland, Jon Voight, Michael York, Connie Nielsen, Eva Marie Saint, Alan Arkin, Lou Diamond Phillips, Jon Favreau and the late Rod Steiger.
In addition to showings and premiere events, the Breck film fest features the University of Colorado (CU) Film Studies program, free forums — including topics such as children in films — and presentations by a host of notable industry experts, as well as a High School Films Program presented by participants from Summit High School and Denver School of the Arts.
Find ticket information along with the lineup of films at www.breckfilmfest.com.

The Gaia Film Festival, Boulder, June 20-22
The Gaia Film Festival, a festival dedicated to showcasing inspiring films that encourage to pursue positive change in our lives and the world will now call Boulder its home. The festival is a fusion of the Inspiration Film Festival of Santa Monica, Calif., and the Spiritual Cinema Festival-at-Sea.
The Gaia Film Festival will screen films in three categories: feature, documentary and shorts.
The Gaia Award is accompanied with a cash prize of $15,000 for best narrative feature, $7,000 for best documentary, and $3,000 for best short.
The festival is produced in concert with the 12th Annual LOHAS Forum, www.lohas.com, and Conscious Media Institute, www.naropa.edu/consciousmedia. The new Conscious Media Institute, a joint venture of Naropa University and Conscious Wave, Inc., is focusing on inspiring filmmakers to create conscious films that seek to enlighten, inspire and entertain.
Screenings will be held at the historic downtown art-deco Boulder Theater and the Boulder Public Library Auditorium. For more information and to submit films, visit www.gaiafilmfest.com.

Telluride Film Festival, Aug. 29 through Sept. 1
Each Labor Day weekend, the tiny mountain village of Telluride, Colorado triples in size. The program is not announced until the day the festival begins, so attendants arrive on faith in the festival.
Along with film, the Telluride Film Festival offers tributes to luminaries and discussions among filmmakers and audiences.
Find more information at www.telluridefilmfestival.com.

Free movies at Copper Mountain
Starting July 4, enjoy a free movie under the stars at the Burning Stones Outdoor Theater. Bring family, friends and a cozy blanket; movies begin at approximately 8:30 p.m., weather permitting.
July 4, “ Water Horse” (PG); July 11, “Talladega Nights” (PG-13); July 18, “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” (PG-13); July 25, “Breaking Away” (not rated); Aug. 1, “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban” (PG); Aug. 8, “School of Rock” (PG-13); Aug. 15, “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (PG); Aug. 22, “Bee Movie” (PG); Aug. 29, “August Rush” (PG).


Independence Film Festival of Colorado, Sept. 3-7
Although not technically taking place in the summer, the Independence Film Festival is worth noting, if only to mention that it was named the best undiscovered film festival by Westword magazine this year.
Taking place in the high country of Lake and Chaffee counties, the Independence Film Festival of Colorado includes diverse and eclectic programming along with film premieres, parties and juried competitions.
This year the Independence Film Fest of Colorado will salute Elvis’ body of work as a motion picture icon with screenings, surprise guests and a posthumous award. With an acting career spanning 13 years and 31 films, the IFFC will pay special tribute to Elvis for the impact he had on the motion picture industry and movie audiences worldwide.
The festival will also feature a film critics forum, the best of the Student Academy Award-winning films, the cinema train, films of the Colorado Rockies along with workshops and seminars. Visit www.IndependenceFilmFest.com for more information.

From Hollywood

LOS ANGELES — Along with the major blockbusters, Hollywood offers loads of other films this summer. A look at the highlights:
May:
“The Fall” — A bedridden man in early Hollywood spins wild fantasies to encourage a young girl at the same hospital.

“How the Garcia Girls Spent Their Summer” — America Ferrera and Elizabeth Pena star in a comedy about three generations of Mexican-American women.

“Made of Honor” — Patrick Dempsey covertly romances his best pal (Michelle Monaghan) after she asks him to be “maid of honor” at her wedding.

“Meet Bill” — A lingerie saleswoman (Jessica Alba) helps turn life around for a loser (Aaron Eckhart).

“Noise” — Tim Robbins stars as a man who turns vigilante to combat the constant racket of Manhattan.

“Redbelt” — David Mamet directs Chiwetel Ejiofor as a man of honor in a corrupt world of mixed martial arts fighting.

“Son of Rambow” — A British charmer follows two wildly different boys who team up to make their own “Rambo” action flick.

“The Strangers” — A couple (Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman) face terror as masked intruders invade their home.

“War, Inc.” — A hit man (John Cusack) poses as a corporate flunky to pull off an assassination in a war-torn country. The dark satire co-stars Hilary Duff.

“What Happens in Vegas” — Cameron Diaz and Ashton Kutcher are scheming strangers who wed on a whim then battle over a Vegas fortune they’ve won.

June:
“The Happening” — M. Night Shyamalan’s latest features Mark Wahlberg and Zooey Deschanel in a tale of a couple running from an apocalyptic terror.

“Kit Kittredge: An American Girl” — Abigail Breslin stars as a plucky Depression-era girl in an adaptation from the American Girl book series.

“The Love Guru” — Mike Myers is a self-help weirdo trying to patch things up between a hockey star and his wife. With Jessica Alba and Justin Timberlake.

“The Promotion” — John C. Reilly and Seann William Scott are supermarket workers duking it out for a management job.

“Wanted” — Angelina Jolie’s an operative for a secret agency who helps train a dormant prodigy (James McAvoy) to use his super abilities. With Morgan Freeman.

July:
“American Teen” — It’s the “Breakfast Club” in real life with this teen documentary about a jock, a nerd, a stud, a popular girl and an artsy one.

“Brideshead Revisited” — Hayley Atwell, Ben Whishaw and Emma Thompson star in an update of Evelyn Waugh’s 1930s-era classic.

“Gonzo” — Director Alex Gibney’s documentary examines the outrageous life of boozing, drug-abusing writer Hunter S. Thompson.

“Hellboy II: The Golden Army” — Ron Perlman and director Guillermo del Toro reunite for another adventure about the superhero from way down under.

“The Longshots” — An ex-high school jock (Ice Cube) coaches his niece (Keke Palmer), the first girl to play Pop Warner football.

“Mamma Mia!” — Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan and the music of ABBA highlight this musical about a woman sorting out which of three old flames is the dad to walk her daughter down the aisle at her wedding.

“Religulous” — Bill Maher goes globe-trotting to talk with people about God and religion.

“Space Chimps” — Stanley Tucci and Cheryl Hines provide voices for an animated tale of lower primates in space.

“Step Brothers” — Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly are adult slackers who become family when one’s mom marries the other’s dad.

“The Wackness” — Ben Kingsley’s a frustrated shrink who forms a bond with an equally frustrated teen. With Mary-Kate Olsen and Famke Janssen.

August:
“The Accidental Husband” — Uma Thurman’s wedding plans are knocked for a loop when she learns a prank left her married to a man she’s never met.

“Babylon A.D.” — Vin Diesel’s a courier in a post-apocalyptic world whose package turns out to be a mystery woman.

“Bangkok Dangerous” — Nicolas Cage is an assassin whose loner life is altered as he connects with a shop girl and a street punk in Thailand.

“Crossing Over” — An ensemble including Harrison Ford, Sean Penn and Ashley Judd are featured in a Los Angeles immigrant drama.

“Fly Me to the Moon” — A 3-D animated adventure centers on three young flies that tag along on the Apollo 11 moon landing.

“Hamlet 2” — Steve Coogan and Catherine Keener star in a comedy about a teacher staging an irreverent musical sequel to “Hamlet.”

“Hell Ride” — A Western on two-wheels features bikers avenging a murder by a rival gang. With Michael Madsen and David Carradine.

“Henry Poole Is Here” — Luke Wilson’s a shut-in whose nosy neighbors teach him he can’t live in isolation.

“The House Bunny” — An exiled Playboy bunny (Anna Faris) offers lessons on living to the social misfits of a college sorority.

“The International” — Interpol agent Clive Owen and prosecutor Naomi Watts take on a global bank that finances terrorism.

“Mirrors” — Kiefer Sutherland’s a night watchman at a department store whose mirrors hold a horrible secret.

“Pineapple Express” — A pothead (Seth Rogen) who witnesses a murder ends up on the run with his dealer (James Franco).

“The Rocker” — Rainn Wilson and Christina Applegate star in the tale of an ’80s rock drummer who stages a comeback 20 years after he’s booted from his band.

“Star Wars: The Clone Wars” — George Lucas presents an animated adventure featuring Jedis Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi as prelude to a TV cartoon series.

“Swing Vote” — A critical election comes down to the vote of one apathetic, beer-chugging nobody (Kevin Costner).

“Towelhead” — An Arab-American teen deals with her sexual awakening amid the Gulf War.

“Traitor” — Don Cheadle’s an ex-American operative suspected in a terrorism conspiracy. With Guy Pearce.

“Vicky Cristina Barcelona” — Woody Allen’s latest features Scarlett Johansson, Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem in a romantic drama in Spain.

“Wild Child” — A teen brat (Emma Roberts) is packed off to a strict British boarding school. With Aidan Quinn and Natasha Richardson.