Films

(With Third Coast's Julie Shapiro) In 2006, the Third Coast International Audio Festival conducted this audio experiment that invited people to produce short audio works, following specific rules. We'll play some of the highlights before selected T/F features.

(Q&A with director Alexandra Lipsitz) Every year, faux-fretting fanatics gather to compete in the world Air Guitar Championships. Air Guitar Nation follows several hopefuls as they prepare to strut their stuff for the cutthroat competition.

(Q&A with co-directors Tamas Bojtor and Sybil Dessau, producer Katie Mustard, and star Jonathan Sawyer) SPECIAL HOMETOWN SNEAK PREVIEW The made-in-Columbia story of an unlikely new sport — "aisling" — and those who put their grocery carts to the test to become its champion. At once funny and touching, Shopper is that rare hybrid that offers the best of both fiction and documentary. Plays with short America. Prior to the film, join us for The Closing Night reception prepared by Addison's at 6:30 pm in the Missouri Theatre lobby.

(Q&A with director Fergus O'Brien) SNEAK PREVIEW A real-life Office, this BBC series-turned-film tracks the daft husband and wife owners of U-Fit, a double glazing company in Coventry. Things don't go according to plan, especially with the arrival of Basil Meanie, a Zimbabwean motivational guru.

(Q&A with director Marco Williams) Banished delves into a hidden chapter in US history — the forcible expulsion of African Americans from various cities around the country. Traveling from town to town (including Pierce City, Missouri), director Williams brings his sly curiosity and unflinching eye to bear on the legacy of these evacuations.

(Q&A with director Mark Verkerk) In the Golden Triangle region of Thailand, peasant children thrive under the tutelage of an unconventional kickboxer-turned-monk who offers them a challenging regimen of horsemanship and martial arts.

(Q&A with co-directors Ricki Stern and Annie Sundberg) Armed with only a camera, former Marine captain Brian Steidle found himself a helpless observer to the genocide in Darfur. True/False alums Annie Sundberg and Ricki Stern (The Trials of Daryl Hunt) document his personal transformation from witness to activist.

(Q&A with co-director Eva Mulvad) A stunning debut film, Enemies follows activist and political candidate Malalai Joya as she attempts to become the first female member of the new Afghani parliament. Cinematic in both look and feel, this is an inspiring and provocative film. Plays with Sari's Mother, the "missing" chapter of the Oscar-nominated Iraq in Fragments.

(Q&A with director Henry Singer and photographer Richard Drew) One of the most unforgettable images from 9/11 was a photograph of a falling man, frozen in mid air against the Twin Towers. Falling Man is a philosophical detective story which seeks to discover the identity of the man and to give memorial to the unknown victims of the tragedy.

(Q&A with director Cynthia Wade) While police lieutenant Laurel Hester's battled cancer, she didn't bargain for another titanic struggle: to leave her pension to her domestic partner. Freeheld's nail-biting personal drama plunges us into the middle of a hot political issue. Waiting Room: Launderette is a visually rich and surprisingly emotional portrait of the varied characters doing their wash.

(Q&A with director Asger Leth) Sure to be one of the most talked-about docs of 2007, Ghosts introduces two brothers, 2pac and Billy, who live in one of the worst slums of Haiti. Ambulances won't enter their neighborhood, but director Leth follows an intrepid French aid worker in and reveals the politics and realities of life in Cite Soleil.

(Q&A with director Mark Aitken [Until When You Die]) Experience and heredity etch a permanent record on our bodies and souls. In these four films from around the world, we meet people who struggle, overcome and come to terms with their personal topographies.

(Q&A with director David Sington) OPENING NIGHT FILM Never-before-seen footage highlights this intimate epic about the only men who've walked on the moon. The astronauts recollections inject an earthy humor to this film, and we are taken back to a more idealistic era, when anything seemed possible. Prior to the screening, passholders are invited to Reality Bites at 6 pm. It's a culinary world tour led by some of Columbia's best chefs, plus champagne, wine, and beer.

(Q&A with director Ashley Sabin and co-director David Redmon) SNEAK PREVIEW Ms. Pearl, a flamboyant New Orleans resident, transforms her backyard into a tent city for fourteen Katrina victims. Plays with short Attention Getting Style.

(Q&A with director Aaron Woolf and producer/star Curt Ellis) SNEAK PREVIEW King Corn tells the story of two young city slickers who move to Iowa to grow an acre of the nation's most powerful crop, and follow their harvest to its final consumption as corn-fed meat, corn syrup sodas, and processed food. Presented at the Reel Gone Roundup.

(Q&A with star Steve Wiebe) Volatility? Obsession? Outsized egos? Hardcore button-mashers clash for the World Donkey Kong title in this captivating film, soon to be remade as a feature.

(Q&A with director AJ Schnack) This bold, experimental character study (by a former Columbian) draws upon 25 hours of never-before-heard interviews with Kurt Cobain to reveal unknown truths about this oft-misunderstood legend.

(Q&A with director Jason Kohn) Frog farms, cosmetic surgery, Robin Hood-style kidnappers, helicopter traffic jams, high-level corruption. Welcome to Brazil, 2007. Kohn is an Errol Morris disciple with the old master's flair for widescreen cinematography and connect-the-dots intellectual gusto. Plays with Motodrom, a gorgeous look at hell-riders at an old-style fairground.

(Q&A with cinematographer Peter Mettler) Internationally acclaimed for his large-scale photographs of quarries, recycling yards, factories, mines and dams — Edward Burtynsky creates stunningly beautiful art from civilization's degradation. The film follows him through China, as he tracks the most shocking industrial revolution of all time.

(Q&A with co-directors Molly Bingham and Steve Connors and producer Daniel Chalfen) WORK-IN-PROGRESS SCREENING Photojournalists/directors Connors and Bingham get unprecedented access to "the insurgency" in Baghdad, coming away with a story that has never been told in the mainstream US press.

(Q&A with director Billy Luther) A "pageant" like no other, the Miss Navajo Nation competition challenges young women to immerse themselves in Navajo culture, mastering the language, the history and even the art of butchering a sheep. Plays with short Cross Your Eyes, Keep Them Wide.

(Q&A with director Pernille Rose Grønkjær) An unlikely love story between an aging Danish eccentric and a no-nonsense Russian Orthodox nun as they attempt to transform his ramshackle castle into a monastery. Plays with Portrait #2: Trojan (with director Vanessa Renwick), a tone poem about a nuclear power plant.

(with live original soundtrack by Gutbucket) New York avant-jazz vikings Gutbucket breathe new life into this classic documentary about the British mail train. Shows with a small collection of other great shorts.

(Q&A with director Brett Morgen) SNEAK PREVIEW Off the map in the far-off Upper Peninsula of Michigan, a small town lives and dies with its basketball team, the Nimrods.

(Q&A with co-directors Jeremy & Randy Stulberg) In the rural Southwest, an oddball array of citizens, ranging from Gulf War veterans to radical runaways, form an unlikely community. Plays with Buscando Victoria, about a mysterious revolutionary who fought for Puerto Rican independence.

(Q&A with director Richard Robbins) Utilizing a creative array of collage, animation, and found footage, the journals, essays, and fiction of returning American veterans are brought to life.

(Q&A with director Leslie Iwerks) These nominated films, all intense, range from portraits of intensely difficult life to ones of inspiration.

(Q&A with co-directors Gary Burns and Jim Brown) SNEAK PREVIEW Not your typical anti-sprawl movie, Radiant City packs a powerful visual punch and a surprising twist.

(Q&A with director Eric Zala and producer Chris Strompolos) SPECIAL PRESENTATION When the average boy falls in love with a film, there's a good chance that he'll buy a copy, memorize a few lines and move on. When 12-year-olds Eric Zala and Chris Strompolos fell in love with Raiders of the Lost Ark, they took a radically different route, creating a shot-by-shot remake that has become a national sensation.

(Q&A with director Luke Wolbach) In the fall of 2001, two middle-aged men set out to win "the world's toughest race" — three thousand miles across the Atlantic Ocean in a rowboat. Is it a noble quest or an ill-fated nightmare?

(Q&A with director John Maringouin) Tales of dysfunctional families abound, but none reach the Southern gothic heights of this disturbing and fascinating spiral into oblivion. As captivating as a car wreck, with the visual palette of a true auteur.

(Q&A with feature director and director Shannon O'Rourke) In our ongoing efforts to bring you, the T/F faithful, the freshest and the best films, we're going super-stealth in '07. You can't read about this film online, but you do have our word that it's worth your while. Plays with 7 Minutes, an insider's look at the oldest profession.

(Q&A and mini-concert with stars and co-director) In our ongoing efforts to bring you, the T/F faithful, the freshest and the best films, we're going super-stealth in '07. You can't read about this film online, but you do have our word that it's worth your while.

(Q&A with director) In our ongoing efforts to bring you, the T/F faithful, the freshest and the best films, we're going super-stealth in '07. You can't read about this film online, but you do have our word that it's worth your while.

(Q&A with co-director Shahar Cohen) Like a father-son Hope/Crosby duo, filmmaker Shahar Cohen and his 82-year-old father take a road trip through the Dutch countryside to locate potential half siblings, "souvenirs" of his father's days in WWII. Plays with A Short History of Sweet Potato Pie. Also shows 3pm Saturday, Mar. 3 at the Forrest Theater.

(Q&A with director Arturo Perez Torres) Five real-life masked Lucha Libre wrestlers are bursting with political indignation, ideas and the strength to change the world, or at least Mexico City. Is it too good to be true? Plays with Blue Karma Tiger, an animated documentary about three Swedish graffiti girls.

(Q&A with director Vanessa Roth) A true slice of American politics, this intimate film follows 12-year-old as they vie to lead their student councils, all the way from making posters to the final dramatic speeches.

(Q&A with director and producer) SNEAK PREVIEW A brand new True/False initiative, the True Life Fund is our attempt to give something back to those who appear in front of the camera. When we saw this film, we knew we'd found the perfect first recipients. With help from the audience, we'll be giving money to a fund set up to help the children in this film. What film? Well, it's a secret. But take our word for it, it's an extraordinary story and one you'll be glad you got to see. (One screening only!)

(Q&A with director Brett Morgen) Director Brett Morgen has, over the course of just three features, announced his mission to change the face of documentary film. Wielding whatever techniques necessary to tell his story, Morgen has laid new groundwork and lived up to the hype. Join us as Brett presents clips from his new documentary series Nimrod Nation (as well as older works The Kid Stays in the Picture and On the Ropes) and discusses the future of the form.

(Q&A with co-directors Sean Fine and Andrea Nix Fine) The joyous story of three teens from war-torn Uganda who overcome a world of pain to triumph in the National Song and Dance Competition in Kampala.

(Q&A with director Bruno Ulmer) The urgent, improbable story of several young Kurdish, Moroccan, and Romanian immigrants who come to Europe looking for work and a better life.

(Q&A with director Yoni Brook and producer Musa Syeed [A Son's Sacrifice], director Kees van der Geest [Shit and Chicks], and director Xanthe Hamilton [Family Vilakati]) For some, labor is an enjoyable and fulfilling endeavor, for others a difficult and unpleasant necessity. These filmmakers have crafted beautiful portraits of their subjects, whether it's the work they do day in and day out or the reasons behind it.

(Q&A with director Robinson Devor and screenwriter Charles Mudede) Zoo is that rare film that takes the most sensational of subjects and transforms it into art. A Seattle area man dies after having intercourse with a horse. But that tabloid-worthy seed grows into a film of rare beauty, thoughtfulness and expression. Plays with Joe No Love, a simple yet striking segment from the new This American Life TV show about a 14-year-old who doesn't believe in love. Also shows 5:30pm Sunday, Mar. 4 at Ragtag.