Eclipse Film Festival 2002

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"5-Minutes"
(USA) Short Drama
Filmmaker: Robert Noll
Director of Photography: Jim Orr
35mm / 16 min 35 sec
Which 5 minutes do you remember most?

This is thought provoking story featuring a reporter who interviews a man on death row but turns out to have motives beyond just getting the story.

All Ages

"Ablution"
(USA) Short Film / Experimental
Filmmaker: Eric Patrick
35mm / 12 min 27 sec
A film ritual in three acts, Ablution traces a character’s dissociative journey through an archetypal cleansing.

All Ages

"Abracadabra"
(USA) Short Film
Director: Rob Rugan
Hi-def / 12 min
An unsuccessful street magician happens upon an ancient book that boasts the road to becoming a Great Magician in ten steps. Each step requires a progressively darker deed until the magician finds himself in a situation that is beyond his control.
Contains Some Violence

"Blueberry"
(Canada) Short Film
Director: Brett Bell
35 mm / 13 min
A woman drinks alone in a dingy bar while holding the photograph of a little boy. After pounding back several shots, she leaves and screams out of the city in her jet black ’66 Charger. Her destination: a desolate blueberry patch. From there, she will wander the prairie, baking pies and searching for one man – or boy – to bring home a message with a hint of lemon peel.

A dark comedy-drama with a pinch of absurdism, Blueberry is the story of a woman and the effect one man has had on her life, set in an out-of-time world.

All Ages

"Bravo, Giorgio"
(USA) Short Film
Filmmaker: John Plausse
35mm / 9 min 04 sec
A rite of passage story set in Brooklyn on November 25, 1963 – the day of President Kennedy’s funeral. An Italian American grandfather attempts to entice his unwilling three-year-old grandson, Giorgio, into receiving his first barbershop haircut. Thirty-seven years later, Giorgio reflects back on those events as he stands at his grandfather’s coffin holding a lock of hair saved from that unforgettable day.

All Ages

"Fear Of"
(USA) Short Film
Filmmaker: Shaun Labrecque & James Beacham
VHS / 9 min 30 sec
This is a short tale about a man and his fear.

"Fear Of" was produced as part of the Eclipse Film Festival’s annual Guerrilla Competition. It is an impressive show of creativity and skill as contestants had only seven hours to make a film from start to finish.

All Ages

"Fulfilled: A Halloween Story"
(USA) Short Film
Filmmaker: Stacy W. Arnold
Super16mm / 16 min
Introverted misfit, Wayne Fitzsimmons, wishes that every day were Halloween. He spends Halloween night working alone in his creature shop, and discovers that his scarecrow creation has come to life… to fulfill his dark Halloween wish.

All Ages

"Go Back Home"
(USA) Short Film
Filmmaker: Gabriel Foley
16mm / 3 min 20 sec
A Chaplin like comedy about a gullable character and his date that never materializes

All Ages

"L'Entretien" (The Interview)
(France/USA) Short Film
Filmmaker: Prof. Kathleen Man
16mm / 20 min 20 sec
The avenue de la Grande Armee connects Napoleon Bonaparte’s Arc de Triomphe and Mitterand’s La Grande Arche, and imposing, post-modern structure, which presides over the international business district of La Defense, located on the western edge of Paris. This trajectory also marks the passage of Alain Avantil, the protagonist of L’Entretien, who journeys from the center of Paris to its outer reaches in search of a job. Like a magnet, the Grande Arche lures him into a Kafkaesque world of mistaken identity and mysterious encounters. L’Entretien describes on man’s journey into oblivion, the tragedy of conformity, and the crisis of identity in a post-modern world. (Shot on-location in Paris, France. In French, with English subtitles.)

All Ages

"Love thy Neighbor"
(USA) Short Film
Filmmaker: Katy Sine
16mm / 11 min 42 sec
In "Love they Neighbor" five strangers, who fit perfectly into the social stereotypes we would have them wear, happen to be at the same convenience store at the same time and two people end up dead. Are people really as they seem, or is all just a clever lie?
Contains Some Violence

"Peace"
(USA) Short Film
Filmmaker: Prajesh Patel
16mm / 1 min 27 min
The point I intended to make with this very short film is that every life in this world is precious, sacred and is walking toward the same destination, why then all the violence in the world.

All Ages

"Pennyman"
(USA) Short Film
Filmmaker: Robert Welkner
35mm / 8 min 05 sec
A young man with pennies attached to his skin travels to an Indian Reservation in hopes of marrying the fair Moonglow, the Chief's daughter. The only thing standing in his way is a group of suitors and his feisty ex-girlfriend who is hell-bent on stopping the proceedings.

Click here to watch the Pennyman trailer

All Ages

"Playback"
(USA) Short Film
Filmmaker: Travis Blue
16mm / 9 min 48 sec
Jeff needed a change. He needed to get away from his strange friends, failed relationships, and dead end job. He met Ali and love entered the picture making all things seem possible, even crime. He follows Ali’s plan to rob a bank and convinces his friends to go along. It all goes wrong and the guys are on the run. As Jeff waits for Ali and plays it back in his mind, we find out what he was willing to do for love.
Warning: Contains Language

"Rain"
(Australia) Short Film
Filmmaker: Melanie Brunt
16mm / 2 min
If only Amy could take a rain check and escape from her life. "Rain" is a short psychological film exploring the busy and disturbed mind of a new young mother.

All Ages

"Respect Is Due"
(USA) Short Film
Filmmaker: Prajesh Patel
16mm / 4 min 4 sec
This comedy film is about two bizarre guys who get punished for harassing a nun.

"Roots & Wings"
(USA) Short Film
Filmmaker: Christian Vuissa
Beta SP / 27 min 20 sec
"Roots & Wings" tells the story of a Mexican family in the United States struggling to regain its balance. Ruben Diaz, a faithful husband and father, must deal with his wife’s conversion to another religion. While his wife Antonia feels she is obeying God by being baptized, Ruben feels betrayed by her disloyalty to their Catholic vows and cultural values. This conflict threatens to tear their family apart. (In Spanish, with English subtitles.)

All Ages

"S.E.T.I." (The Search For Extraterrestrial Intelligence)
(USA) Short Film
Filmmaker: Jennifer Santucci
Beta SP / 13 min 06 sec
Inspired by a true event . . .
In 1995 NASA lost contact with its Pioneer 11 observer when it reached the outer limits of our solar system. Present Day: The spacecraft crashes onto a distant earth-like planet and is discovered by one of its inhabitants. Fearing possible contamination, the man is held in quarantine until the source of the wreckage is identified. Chaos ensues as paranoia and curiosity pull people apart.

All Ages

"Simplicity"
(USA) Short Drama
Director: Chet Thomas
Producers: Darrin Fletcher, Brain Hennessy, Chet Thomas, Rob Verdery
35mm / 17 min 16 sec
Danny Trejo as a small Colombian town barber must differentiate between revenge and honor when forced to face his town's oppressor, a ruthless general, who comes into his shop for a cut and a straight razor shave.

Contains Some Violence

"Soledad"
(USA) Short Drama
Director/Writer: Shlomo Buchler
Producers: Sann-Kirstin Jensen, Steven P Wilt, Shlomo Buchler
Director of Photography: Jim Orr
35 mm / 22 min
Soledad is set in the post-abolitionist United States, against a backdrop of oppression and brutality, and chronicles the life of a former slave coming to terms with his tenuous freedom. The film also portrays the struggle of an exploited flamenco dancer from Spain. The film's two main characters form a union that strengthens and empowers them.

All Ages

" Stash"
(USA) Short Suspense
Director: Kirsten Elms
Producer: Mickey Harrison
Director of Photography: Jim Orr
35mm / 16 min
A typical night in a vast storage facility. The night watchman rummages through an abandoned locker, and finds an eerie hand shaped candle. He lights it. The doors lock. The lights go out.

He races through the maze of blackened halls doing everything in his power to escape the evil he has unleashed.
Contains Some Violence

"Taste It All"
(USA) Short Film
Filmmaker: Richard J. Liukis
35mm / 27 min
When a sleazy gallery owner manipulates an artist to paint something that she doesn’t want to, it takes extraordinary effort for her to uncover why and get back at the gallery owner.
Warning: Contains Adult Content

"The Greatest Snow on Earth: Utah's Skiing Story"
(USA) Documentary
Filmmaker: Shawn Emery
Beta SP / 56 min
Skiing in Utah is traced back to the 1800’s when miners and mail carriers traveled through the rugged Wasatch mountains on skis. Within a span of a century, legends would be created, a half billion dollard industry would bloom, and Utah plays host to the 2002 Olympic Winter Games. Through rarely-seen archival footage and interviews of Stein Eriksen, Alf Engen, Dolores LaCapelle, Dick Bass, Suzy Harris Rytting and others, the compelling history of ski jumping, resort development, avalanche science, inventions, powder skiing, and the Olympics is reveled. Hank Kashiwa, television commentator and 1972 U.S. Olympic ski racer, narrates this latest release by award-winning filmmaker Shawn Emery.

All Ages

"The Summer House"
(USA) Short Film
Filmmaker: Joel Sadilek
35mm / 11 min 29 sec
A novelist wishing to escape the distractions of the city rents a rural home for the summer, until a former tenant disturbs his solitude.

All Ages

"Vacation"
(USA) Short Film
Filmmaker: Barbara Stepansky
35 mm / 12 min 10 sec
He wanted to see the world. She wanted him to see her.

A young couple’s relationship breaks down on their dream vacation together.

All Ages

"Vengeance"
(USA) Short Film
Filmmaker: Brian Belefant
35mm / 3 min 30 sec
A man has an ulterior motive for enduring the pain and discomfort of acpuncture - he wants to exact revenge on a Voodoo doll.

All Ages

"Bug-Beat"
(USA) Short Animation
Filmmaker: Tim Hynes
Beta SP / 2 min 14 sec
Animator and director Tim Hynes brings a clever household insect to life in this "offbeat" (no pun intended) animated short. Within the walls of his domestic dwelling and utilizing his ingenuity and resourcefulness, the bug builds a makeshift drum set from household trash he’s collected. Oh, if only humans could capture such sound effects from an old spice jar and Dixie cup! The bug’s confidence as a drummer begins slowly, but then quickly escalates into a jam session of no return.

All Ages

"Flower Valley"
(USA) Short Animation
Filmmaker: Joel Fox
Beta SP / 3 min 15 sec
Scenes from morning to sundown and evening; a land of color and motion. Plants and animals go about their grown and activities. Visitors arrive in the night.

All Ages

"Intelligent Life"
(USA) Short Animation
Filmmaker: Jeff Spoonhower
Beta SP, DV / 6 min 20 sec
Does intelligent life exist? A comedian robot, a ship full of aliens, and a few clams have the answer! Laugh out loud at this computer animated short.

"Signal Strength"
(USA) Short Animation
Filmmaker: Rob Allen
DV / 2 min 30 sec
In a world of pervasive media, pandemonium erupts in a "closed family" home as they battle the intrusion of outside influences.

All Ages

Premier Feature Q&A
"CLUBHOUSE DETECTIVES: In Search of a Lost Princess "
(USA) Feature
Filmmaker: Eric Hendershot
Hi-Definition / 83min
Dave (JONATHAN CRONIN), leader of the CLUBHOUSE DETECTIVES, overhears a mysterious woman (SUSAN DUERDEN) tell his principal that she’s been hunting for Princess Annabelle, the long-lost heir to the throne of the far-off country of Hofsburg, and her search has brought her to their St. George school. Fearing for the Princess’ safety, Dave and the rest of the Detectives (BRITTANY ARMSTRONG, CAMERON MANWARING, MICHAEL GLAUSER) take up the challenge and vow to help the mysterious woman find her before a suspicious scar-faced character does. Little do they suspect that the princess might just be closer than they think!.

All Ages

"Bug-Off" Feature Q&A
(USA) Feature
Filmmaker: T.C. Christensen
35mm / 83min
Based on the popular children’s book, “Bug Off!” is the tale of two feuding siblings, 10 year-old Krista and her pesky 7 year-old brother Tyler, a master manipulator who is constantly getting Krista into hot water. When Krista angrily wishes Tyler would just turn into a bug and leave her alone, she gets her wish, courtesy of an alien babysitter. The kids (actually, one kid and one bug) learn to pull together and foil a kidnaping plan. In the process, they also learn that it really is possible for a brother and sister to love each other.

All Ages

"Moosh" (WINNER 2001 - Best Picture, Best Director)
(Israel) Short Drama
Filmmaker: Erez Tadmor
16mm / 28 min
A 32-year-old policeman named Moosh has a crumbling marriage with his wife. One night he finds an abandoned baby in an alleyway and must take the child home until Social Services opens. Taking care of the infant brings about a touching reconciliation between husband and wife.
All Ages

"The $5 Movie" (WINNER 2001 - Best Screenplay)
(USA) Short Comedy
Filmmaker: Devin Scott
35mm / 16 min
Perseverance and passion shadow a young director's humorous odyssey as he tries to answer the eternal question, "Is it art", by directing the same scene five times over twenty years. The actors and the sets change... but does he in his search for the perfect moment.
Warning: Contains Language

"Do Tempo Que Eu Comia Pipoca" (WINNER 2001 - Best Cinematography)
(The Time I've Eaten Popcorn)
(Brazil) Short Drama
Filmmakers: Catherine Agniez and Heloisa Passos
35mm / 18 min
The Time I’ve Eaten Popcorn wants to talk about pleasures and absences that memories evoke in everybody. Clara comes back to the town where she was born, seeking places, smells and feelings. Leo has no memories regarding the place where he lives. It is a poetic essay where the characters' complicity reveals itself to one another through fragility and emotions.

"The Cufflink" (WINNER 2001 - Best Actor)
(USA) Short Drama
Filmmaker: Stephen Williams
16mm / 9 min
JoAnn, a woman in her mid-sixties, is at home getting ready to attend the birthday of her grandson. She sits at her dressing table, putting on her make-up. She finds a cufflink belonging to her ex-husband. This brings a flood of past voices and memories to her mind. The ex-husband and his new wife are to be present at the birthday party, and she dreads seeing them. The voices grow louder and louder and more strident, causing her to breakdown. To spare herself the pain, she calls her daughter to inform her that she will not be attending the party. The daughter successfully uses emotional blackmail to coerce JoAnn into going.
All Ages

"Shattered" (WINNER 2001 - Best Editing)
(USA) Short / Experimental
Filmmaker: Krisi Church
16mm / 4 min
A cinematic poem about a young woman imprisoned by inhibitions. A pane of glass separates her from the inner-peace she seeks. Surrounded in a collage of pictures from her past she begins to piece together who she is and where she came from. After her struggling search she awakens to a realization of her unnecessary self-inflicted bondage. She breaks free from her glass prison. Now reconciled, she can finally look herself in the eye.
All Ages

"The Nook" (WINNER 2001 - Audience Choice)
(ireland) documentary short
Filmmaker: Denis McArdle
16mm / 30 min
A sensitive portrayal of Martin Lysaght who forgoes a life at sea to run a corner shop for 35 years in Dublin's coastal village of Booterstown. This documentary pays homage to a man who weaves his philosophic, eccentric and loving nature into the hearts of a local community. The Nook is in essence a wonderful study of the free spirit and its place on the earth.
All Ages

"Bird Bonkers" (Best Of Fest 2001)
(USA) Animation
Filmmaker: Nathan Smith
35 mm / 3 min
Based on the art of Jim Christensen, Bird Bonkers is a wonderfully crafted animated short. With it's use of stop motion animation, this film tells the story of a man who instead of using conventional bird hunting methods, goes by other means to carry out his deed.
All Ages

"Harry Knuckles and the Treasure of the Aztec Mummy" (Best Of Fest 2001)
(Canada) Short
Comedy/Horror/Adventure/Kung fu
Filmmaker: Lee Demarbre
16mm / 25 min
Anyone who is a fan of 60's, 70's, & 80's cheesy Kung fu / Action / Comedy / Horror flicks, will love this film. It tells the story of Harry Knuckles a special agent known also as "Spanish fly." Bristling with testosterone and barely suppressed rage and armed with little more than a backpack full of moxy. Harry is on a mission to recover the treasure of the Aztec Mummy, but not before defending himself against a barrage of evil secrets agents, robots, and the undead.
Harry Knuckles and the Treasure of the Aztec Mummy has won over seven international film awards including the "Spirit of Slamdance Award" at the Slamdance Film Festival. Harry Knuckles has also premiered at the Cannes Film Festival.
Warning: Contains Graphic Violence, and Language

"Reaper, Sheeper, Treasure Seeker" (Best Of Fest 2001)
(USA) Claymation
Filmmaker: Dave Lieber
16mm / 15 min
Reaper, Sheeper, Treasure Seeker is a story about Death, a Sheep, and Four Pirates, and how their lives coexist and intersect in a coincidental and cosmic fashion. Death hates his job, the Sheep is betters suited for Death's job, and the Pirates are just doing their own job. Three parallel story lines develop independently, and in coming together, solve each other's conflicts.
All Ages

"Space Monkeys" (Best Of Fest 2001)
(USA) Short Animation
Filmmaker: Michael Terrell
Beta SP / 14 min
Zak is a typical boy with a penchant for comic books, an insatiable curiosity, and an intergalactic satellite dish. He soon discovers that things aren't always like their advertisements in this hilarious animated short.
Warning: Contains Violence

"The Garden of Hesperides" (Best Of Fest 2001)
(USA) Experimental
Filmmaker: Brandon Dayton
8mm / 6 min
"Cadet Jenkins volunteers to be the next participant in a series of disastrously failed moon exploration missions. He has theories about why previous missions have failed, and is eager to test his hypotheses. On the moon, he makes a startling discovery that leaves him petrified.
All Ages

"The Man without Eyes" (Best Of Fest 2001)
(Quebec) Short Children's / sci-fi
Filmmaker: Martti Ekstrand
35mm / 15 min
It's an autumn evening and it's time to go home from daycare but Tobias' mother doesn't show up. The staff leaves for the night and, soon, Tobias is left all alone, locked in the spooky center. But things get really creepy at midnight when Tobias is forced to confront the evils lurking in the darkness of daycare. 2001 Grand Prix- Best Short presented by: Montreal International Children's Film Festival
All Ages