9TH LDS FILM FESTIVAL 2010
JANUARY 20-23, 2010 | SCERA CENTER, OREM

FRIDAY, JANUARY 22

Tickets for all events are available beginning Monday, January 11, at 801-225-ARTS, online at scera.org or at the door. Click here for admissions information.

All events are open to the public and take place at the SCERA Center for the Arts in Orem (745 South State Street).

11:00 am | Presentation:
Dennis Agle
Scera Room B1

Dennis is the co-director of the popular Liken films, a series of children’s movies based on scripture stories as seen through the imagination of a child. Liken films are live-action musicals, along the lines of Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. The newest Liken production, Jonah & the Great Fish, will be produced as a stage musical first, and simultaneously filmed and edited for DVD distribution. Dennis will talk about this new process of making films for children, and also share his insights into how to best distribute a film for a wider audience.

Time:
Friday, January 22, 11:00 am, Scera Room B1

11:30 am | Special Screening
Scera Xango Grand Theatre

A Short Goodbye
Drama, 20 m
Director: Spanky Ward
A grieving doctor meets a little girl who claims to be an angel who gives comfort to the dying. Q&A with the filmmakers after the screening.

Getting Ahead
Inspirational Dramedy, 26 minutes, color, 2009
Director: Rob Diamond
Insurance employee James Burnett is promoted into a Claims Rep. position, which promises to make him very wealthy. Thrown into his new job, James is pressured by his boss to deny a claim for someone who is clearly disabled and needs the money, yet is also pressured to approve a claim for a wealthy friend of an executive at the insurance company. When James discovers that his own lack of resolve is affecting his daughter's moral choices, he finds the resolve to do the right thing in a clever and moving story. Q&A with the filmmakers after the screening.

The Beautiful Wind
Drama, 14 minutes, color, 2005
Director: Sohrab Mirmontazeri
A journey through the world's forgotten beauties brings hope to a man after the loss of a loved one enables him to experience life in the most vibrant ways.

12:00 pm | Presentation:
Kels Goodman
Scera Room B1

Kels directed and produced Handcart, released in 2002 as one of the first theatrically released LDS films. He is also the creator and producer of the Will It Blend video series, one of the most successful ad campaigns on the internet with over 200 million views. Recently, he is finishing up his newest film The Last Eagle Scout, due out in theaters September 2010. Kels will talk about the production of his newest film and his approach to marketing and distributing films.

Time:
Friday, January 22, 12:00 pm, Scera Room B1

12:00 pm | Special Screening
Scera Showhouse II

Jack'd Up
Documentary, 9 minutes, color, 2009
Director: Christian Serge Nelson
Two athletes from two vastly physically different worlds, coming together and trading pain for fame. One athlete, Aaron Fotheringham, is permanently disabled and confined to a wheelchair. The other is a fully able bodied freestyle motocross legend with too many medals to count. They come together to trade skills. Aaron is the first wheelchair bound athlete to be recognized by the Guinness Book of Worlds Records as the first to throw a back flip while riding in his wheelchair. Freestyle Motocross Legend “Cowboy” Kenny Bartram then straps himself in a chair to see what happens. Does Kenny automatically eat it, or do they join forces and create one of the coolest action sport sequences ever shot on film? Q&A with the filmmakers after the screening.

Rise
Documentary, 52 minutes, color, 2009
Director: Tyler Bastian, Trevor Hill
Rise is about a handicapped man in Honduras who spent 50 years building a helicopter, his dream to fly, determination to rise, and ability to change the lives of the missionaries who came to teach him. Q&A with the filmmakers after the screening.

1:00 pm | Presentation:
Joshua Ligairi, Andrew James
Scera Room B1

Joshua and Andrew are the directors of Cleanflix, a documentary film that premiered last September at the Toronto International Film Festival. Cleanflix raises questions about artistic vision, consumer rights, film ownership, and self-censorship as it follows the sanitized movie industry from inception to collapse. The two documentary filmmakers will talk about the long process of making a feature-length documentary and the art of being fair and balanced in looking at a controversial issue.

Time:
Friday, January 22, 1:00 pm, Scera Room B1

2:00 pm | Presentation:
Dave Boyle
Scera Room B1

Dave is the writer and director of White on Rice and Big Dreams Little Tokyo. Both films are playing at this year's LDS Film Festival. With two feature films under his belt, the 27-year old is one of the most promising LDS filmmakers working in the industry today. Dave, who served his LDS mission in Japan, will talk about his process of writing and directing independent films and his plans for the future. He will also discuss his unique grassroots distribution approach.

Time:
Friday, January 22, 2:00 pm, Scera Room B1

2:00 pm | Special Screening
Scera Xango Grand Theatre

Latter-day Strangers
Documentary, 16 minutes, color, 2006
Director: Nicole Emanuele, Dylan Correll
Directed by two non-church members, this documentary takes a look at four LDS missionaries partway through their missions. In a world struggling more than ever with religious identity, these young adults reflect on what it is to leave their lives behind and immerse themselves in a new community through volunteer work and dedication to the church and their faith.

Supersonic Saints: Thrilling Stories From LDS Pilots
Documentary, 45 minutes, color, 2009
Director: Scott M. Freebairn
Supersonic Saints: Thrilling Stories From LDS Pilots is directed by Scott Freebairn and hosted by John Bytheway. Based on John's books by the same name, airplane fans loved the gripping stories found in the books. Now, some of the most memorable stories are shared firsthand by the very pilots who lived them. Filmed on location at Hill Air Force Base's Aerospace Museum in Utah. Q&A with the filmmakers after the screening.

The Mormons
Documentary, 28 minutes, black, 2009
Director: Mark Hedengren
Photographs and interviews from around the world with Mormons about the LDS faith and lifestyle. Q&A with the filmmakers after the screening.

2:30 pm | Special Screening
Scera Showhouse II

Janice Kapp Perry: A Life of Service and Song
Documentary, 59 minutes, color, 2009
Director: D. Clinton Baxter
Janice Kapp Perry: A Life of Service and Song examines the life, music and accomplishments of acclaimed Latter-Day Saint songwriter, Janice Kapp Perry. Q&A with the filmmakers after the screening.

Jimmie Jones: Red Rock Painter
Documentary, 30 minutes, color, 2009
Director: Jon M. Smith, James M. Aton
Some say he has a magical touch. He is compared to renowned artist Maynard Dixon, and his paintings are the standard that all landscape painters hope to attain. In a nearly fifty year career supporting himself solely as an artist, Cedar City native Jim Jones established a reputation as one of the very best ever to paint Zion and the Grand Canyon. Jones attracts collectors of his art from all over the United States as well as from Europe. His large canvasses sell for tens of thousands of dollars. Jimmie Jones: Red Rock Painter, was shot on location in southern Utah and northern Arizona and at the artist’s spectacular home in Rockville, Utah. It includes enlightening quotes from Jones as well as important perspectives from Jones’ family and several art experts. Jimmie Jones died a month after the completion of the documentary.Q&A with the filmmakers after the screening.

3:00 pm | Presentation:
Jeff Parkin, Jared Cardon
Scera Room B1

Jeff and Jared are the filmmakers behind the web series The Book of Jer3miah, a "spiritual thriller" created by BYU students in 2009. The twenty episodes of the first season follow Jeremiah, a BYU freshman, as he begins to learn of his unknown heritage and becomes embroiled in a conspiracy that will threaten his life. The New York Times called the series "tight and suspenseful" and NewTeeVee rated it as one of the Top 10 web series of 2009. Jeff and Jared will offer insights into the collaborative process of making a web series with students from BYU.

Time:
Friday, January 22, 3:00 pm, Scera Room B1

4:00 pm | Presentation:
Dagen Merrill, Chris Wyatt
Scera Room B1

Dagen is the director and Chris the producer of Broken Hill, the first film released from the Audience Alliance Motion Picture Studios. The film has played at numerous festivals and has garnered praise and awards throughout the world. Chris is also one of the producers of Napoleon Dynamite and has now worked with several LDS directors on their first feature film projects. They will talk about the special development process of Broken Hill and the adventure of making a film "down under."

Time:
Friday, January 22, 4:00 pm, Scera Room B1

4:30 pm | Feature Film:
Melted Hearts El Otro Lado del Corazon
Scera Xango Grand Theatre

Comedy, 90 minutes, color, 2009
Facebook: Melted Hearts
Director: Jorge Ramirez Rivera; Writer: Jorge Ramirez Rivera, Rafael de la Lanza; Producer: Felipe Perez Arroyo; Executive Producer: Felipe Perez Arroyo; Director of Photography: Rafa Sanchez; Production Designer: Moises Perez Belmont; Original Score: Adrian Gutierrez, Carlos Madrigal, Shaun Barrowes; Editor: Jorge Ramirez Rivera, Rodrigo Barajas.
Cast: Monique Lomeau-Derr, David Medel, Salvador Zerboni, Kristen Jensen, Ruben Zamora, Edgar Vivar.

Synopsis:
Elder Pedro Rodriguez is a missionary from Mexico City with a bad attitude against Americans, ever since Ariel, his girlfriend sent him a Dear John letter letting him know that she would marry someone else. Elder Brian Lauper, his companion, feels he’s gone from A.P. to babysitter, until Pedro falls sick and Brian saves his life. A few months after their mission, Brian visits Pedro and asks him if he could show him and his family the city. Pedro meets Wendy, Brian’s sister, and falls for her. Pedro struggles with his feelings for her and his feelings towards Americans in general. In the meantime Mauricio, Pedro’s former brother-in-law, follows Wendy everywhere she goes. Wendy returns home, and Pedro follows her hitchhiking from Mexico City to Utah. When he finally makes it there, he is courting Wendy aided by Hannah, Wendy’s best friend. Unfortunately, Pedro finds out that Ariel didn’t get married and Mauricio is in town attending BYU and spending time with Wendy.

Q&A with the filmmakers after the screening.

Screenings:
Friday, January 22, 4:30 pm, Scera Xango Grand Theatre

5:00 pm | Short Film Competition
Scera Showhouse II

A compilation of short films by LDS filmmakers:

2gether, Drama
Air, Comedy
America, Inspirational
Clean Break, Documentary
Dinner with Barbara, Drama/Comedy
Man of the Cloth, Drama
Puppy's Super Delicious Valentine's Day Biscuits, Animation
The Bake Shop Ghost, Comedy
The Tragic Self-Improvement of Ross Lawson, Drama
Veronique, Comedy

Click here for short film synopses.

7:00 pm | Feature Film:
Broken Hill
Scera Xango Grand Theatre

Drama, 104 minutes, color, 2009
Rating: PG
Fan Site: Broken Hill
Writer, Director: Dagen Merrill; Producer: Chris Wyatt, Julie Ryan; Executive Producer: Peter Rancie, Kieth Merrill, Sean Covel; Director of Photography: Nick Matthews; Production Designer: Robert Webb; Original Score: Chris Brady; Editor: Mike Saenz.
Cast: Luke Arnold, Alexa Vega, Rhys Wakefield and Timothy Hutton.

Synopsis:
In the tradition of Save The Last Dance, Billy Elliott and August Rush comes the musical drama Broken Hill. Tommy was born and raised on a rocky, drought-ridden sheep station in the middle of the Australian Outback. He works at the station and does all he can to appease his demanding father but in his heart wants to be a great musician. That all changes when Tommy meets his new class-mate Kat, a bold and brash beauty, who at first doesn’t notice him at all. As Tommy tries desperately to get her attention, his antics cause him to fall into hot water with the local police. He luckily escapes jail and chooses to do community service at the nearby prison to stay out of trouble. Soon the stakes for Tommy are raised when his music teacher and mentor lands him an audition for the elite music conservatorium.

Q&A with the filmmakers after the screening.

Screenings:
Friday, January 22, 7:00 pm, Scera Xango Grand Theatre

7:30 pm | Feature Film:
Big Dreams Little Tokyo
Scera Showhouse II

Comedy, 86 minutes, color, 2006
Official Website: Big Dreams Little Tokyo
Director: Dave Boyle; Writer: Dave Boyle; Producer: Duane Andersen, Meg Boyle; Executive Producer: Howard Hayes; Director of Photography: Bill Otto; Production Designer: Erica Elmer; Original Score: Mark Schulz; Editor: Duane Andersen, Scott M. Hurst.
Cast: Dave Boyle, Jayson Watabe, Rachel Morihiro, Drew Knight, Pepe Serna, Michael Yama, James Kyson Lee.

Synopsis:
This charming comedy was written and directed by Dave Boyle as a cinematic metaphor for his Japanese-speaking LDS mission.  The Japan-obsessed character of "Boyd Wilson" will be familiar to anyone who's met (or been) a returned missionary who just can't seem to move on! Boyd Wilson (Boyle), a young self-proclaimed businessman who speaks fluent Japanese, and his roommate Jerome (Jayson Watabe), a sluggish but affable Japanese-American sumo wrestler, have big dreams for themselves.  Together, the two travel door-to-door by tandem bike, giving flyers and sales pitches to anyone who listens...but Boyd's Japanese clients aren't buying his "Translation Services," and no one will give Jerome--a paltry 200 pounds--a chance in the ring.  When they meet Mai (Rachel Morihiro), who is unfazed by their oddities and offers a hand, Boyd and Jerome discover that in a world where cultural identity is seldom what it seems, there's a place for everyone.  Home Media Magazine hails "Big Dreams" as "brazenly original and intelligent!" The short film Spit will play as a pre-film to Big Dreams Little Tokyo.

Q&A with the filmmakers after the screening.

Screenings:
Friday, January 22, 7:30 pm, Scera Showhouse II

7:30 pm | Special Screening
Scera Showhouse II

Spit
Drama/Comedy, 21 minutes, color, 2009
Director: Michael Van Orden
A young girl comes to realize that through friendship, strength, and a card game called "Spit" she can overcome her past and move on into her future. The film will play as the pre-film for Big Dreams Little Tokyo.

9:30 pm | Feature Film:
Humble Pie (American Fork)
Scera Xango Grand Theatre

Comedy/Drama, 84 minutes, color, 2009
Rating: PG-13
Official Website: Humble Pie
Director: Chris Bowman; Writer: Hubbel Palmer (from a story by Hubbel Palmer and Nathan Scoll); Producers: Shannon B. Gardner, Derek Beumer, Jeremy Coon, Maya Browne; Executive Producer: Derek Ferguson; Director of Photography: Doug Chamberlain; Production Designer: Anne K. Black; Composer: Bobby Johnston; Editor: Cary Gries.
Cast: Hubbel Palmer, William Baldwin, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Kathleen Quinlan, Bruce McGill.

Synopsis:
At nearly 400 pounds, Tracy Orbison (Hubbel Palmer) is a wide target. When he sets out to pursue his dream of acting, the grocery clerk finds an assortment of people waiting to dash his hopes: a drama coach (William Baldwin) with designs on Tracy's sister, Peggy (24's Mary Lynn Rajskub); a pack of juvenile delinquents; and his God-fearing, self-loathing mother (Academy Award nominee Kathleen Quinlan).  Through it all, Tracy remains irrepressibly upbeat, convinced he's destined for something big.

Q&A with the filmmakers after the screening.

Screenings:
Friday, January 22, 9:30 pm, Scera Xango Grand Theatre

9:45 pm | Feature Film:
Fire Creek
Scera Showhouse II

Drama, 85 minutes, color, 2009
Rating: PG
Official Website: Fire Creek
Director: Jed Wells; Writer: Nathan Keonaona Chai; Producer: Charles Cranney, Dennis Packard, Seth Packard, Raymond Robinson ; Director of Photography: Jed Wells; Production Designer: Matt Mangum; Original Score: Jay Packard.
Cast: Seth Packard, Kim Abunuwara, John Cannon, Dayne Rockwood, Melinda Lockwood, Adam Daveline.

Synopsis:
Fire Creek tells the story of a young soldier's search for an answer to the age-old question "why do bad things happen to good people?" Jason is serving as a soldier in Afghanistan when divine intervention saves him from a sniper attack. However, his closest friend, a devoted husband and father, is shot and killed just inches away. Critically wounded but alive, Jason returns home wondering why his life was spared. The rest of the film follows his search for answers.

Q&A with the filmmakers after the screening.

Screenings:
Friday, January 22, 9:45 pm, Scera Showhouse II