THE 11th Annual GEN ART FILM FESTIVAL presented by Acura
GEN ART FILM FESTIVAL 2006 SLATE
Opening Night: Dreamland
Wednesday, April 5th (Opening Night) @ Clearview's Ziegfeld Theater
FEATURE: "Dreamland" directed by Jason Matzner
STARRING: John Corbett ("Sex & The City"), Agnes Bruckner ("Murder by Numbers"), Kelli Garner ("The Aviator"), Justin Long ("Dodgeball") & Gina Gershon ("Bound")
SHORT: "Wet" directed by Hannah Beth King
PARTY: The Park - 118 10th Ave
“Dreamland,” which world premiered earlier this year at the Sundance Film Festival, tells the story of a beautiful eighteen-year-old girl (Bruckner) living in an eccentric community in the New Mexican desert, who dreams of escaping to college. However, she finds herself bound to her emotionally damaged, reclusive father (Corbett) and her sexy best friend (Garner) who dreams of becoming the next Miss America despite being terminally ill. When a handsome young man (Long) moves in next door, she struggles with a difficult choice: the needs of her friends and family, or her heart and ambitions.
Wristcutters: A Love Story
Thursday, April 6th @ Clearview Chelsea West, co-hosted by Paste Magazine
FEATURE: "Wristcutters: A Love Story" directed by Goran Dukic
STARRING: Shannyn Sossamon ("A Knight's Tale"), Patrick Fugit ("Almost Famous"), Shea Whigham ("All the Real Girls), Will Arnett ("Arrested
Development") & singer Tom Waits
SHORT: "She She She She's a Bombshell" directed by Ben Levin
PARTY: B.E.D. - 530 West 27th Street
What happens when you die? Wristcutters, a dark comedic film, imagines the afterlife as it might be seen through the eyes of a young suicide. In a world where everyone still bares the scars of their death and reality is a twisted mirror image of the mortal world, this witty and engaging story follows lost souls on a journey across the afterlife in search of love, courage, and their dreams. Wristcutters was a 2006 Sundance Film Festival favorite.
F*CK
Friday, April 7th @ Clearview Chelsea West, co-hosted by Paste Magazine
FEATURE: "F*CK" directed by Steve Anderson (documentary)
INTERVIEWS: Bill Maher, Kevin Smith, Alanis Morisette, Drew Carey, Ice T, Janeane Garofalo, Ron Jeremy, Sam Donaldson and Pat Boone
SHORT: "This Morning" directed by Lucy Molloy
PARTY: Happy Valley - 14 East 27th Street
This challenging and provocative documentary takes a look at the infamous F-word. Taboo, obscene and notorious, these famous four letters permeate every aspect of our culture; from Hollywood to the playground, even to the Senate floor in Washington D.C. Using archival footage, interviews with scholars, performers and the public, the history of ”f*ck” is thoroughly examined in this provocative, comedic and insightful documentary. F*ck features original animation by Oscar nominee Bill Plympton.
Behind the Mask
Saturday, April 8th @ Clearview Chelsea West co-hosted by The L Magazine,
FEATURE: "Behind the Mask" directed by Scott Glosserman
STARRING: Nathan Baesel, Angela Goethals, Scott Wilson, Zelda Rubinstein ("Poltergeist") & Robert Englund ("Freddy")
SHORT: "At the Beach" directed Andrew Lloyd
PARTY: SOL - 609 West 29th Street
Ever wonder what goes on in the mind of a psycho killer? Do they eat? Do they care? Well, Leslie Vernon is going to tell you. A crazed madman, Vernon is preparing for a reign of terror over his sleepy little town just like his idols Freddy, Jason and Michael Myers. To ensure his actions would never be misconstrued, he allows a film crew exclusive access to his life (and the end of many others). Subsequently, it doesn’t take long for the crew to realize that Vernon has given them more access than they ever dreamed of, or wanted.
Shut Up and Sing
Sunday, April 9th @ Clearview Chelsea West,
FEATURE: "Shut Up and Sing" directed by Bruce Leddy (winner audience award at HBO COMEDY ARTS FESTIVAL)
STARRING: Molly Shannon ("Saturday Night Live"), Mark Feuerstein ("What Women Want"), David Harbour (Tony nominee), Elizabeth Reaser ("The Family Stone"), David Alan Basche & Reg Rogers (Tony nominee)
SHORT: "Intervention" directed by Jay Duplass
PARTY: Home - 532 West 27th Street
They were strapping collegiate men who sang in an cappella group. Now they’re in their mid-thirties struggling to keep their idealism without losing their hair. These are the men of Shut up and Sing and they have pitch perfect comic timing. On a weekend romp to a Hampton’s estate for a wedding, these friends arrive with not only their wives, but with TONS of baggage too. Written and directed by Mad TV alum Bruce Leddy, this ensemble comedy brings out the adolescent in the man, the man in the chorus boy, and a variety of wild women who ruin, tempt and dominate their lives.
Neverwas
Monday, April 10th * U.S. PREMIERE * co-hosted by Coldstone Creamery @ Clearview Chelsea West,
FEATURE: "Neverwas" directed by Joshua Michael Stern
STARRING: Aaron Eckhart, Brittany Murphy, Nick Nolte, William Hurt, Jessica Lange, Ian McKellan, Bill Bellamy & Alan Cumming
SHORT: "The Passage of Mrs. Calabash" directed by Scott Tuft
PARTY: Embassy - 28 West 20th Street
In this poignant drama, psychiatrist Zach Riley (Eckhart) has lived the majority of his otherwise successful life lost in the shadow of a fantasy world created by his father in the massively popular children’s book, Neverwas. Desiring to understand both the book and the man, Zach abandons his practice to work in the psychiatric hospital where his father lived out his final years. Upon meeting a delusional patient (McKellan) who passionately believes in his father’s fictionalized world, Zach begins to wonder, what if Neverwas really exists?
Live Free or Die
Tuesday, April 11th @ Clearview Chelsea West,
FEATURE: "Live Free or Die" directed by Gregg Kavet and Andy Robin
STARRING: Aaron Stanford ("X Men II & III"), Zooey Deschanel ("Winter Passing"), Michael Rapaport, Paul Schneider ("The Family Stone"), Judah Friedlander ("Along Came Polly") & Kim Director ("Blair Witch II")
SHORT: "The Shirt" directed by Drake Doremus
PARTY: Pacha - 618 West 46th Street
"Live Free or Die", @ Clearview Chelsea West, narrative Jury Award winner at SXSW Festival, tells the story of John Rudgate (Standford) who is looking to make a name for himself as the baddest dude in New Hampshire. When Rudgate discovers that his less-than-savvy former high school buddy (Schneider) has inherited the family business (being run by Deschanel), he does all he can to get a slice of the pie... but it isn’t long before things begin to spiral out of control. With the cops (including Rappaport) on his tale and several scores to settle, Rudgate has his work cut out for him if he wants to earn a place in the criminal hall of fame.
Last year, The Gen Art Film Festival celebrated its tenth-year anniversary and was by all accounts the most successful festival in its history. That was until the 11th Annual Film Festival . . . which is gearing up to be the biggest yet!
Thank you to our screening committees and programming committee for all their hard work the past few months.
