Text size:
The 14th annual Rochester International Film Festival will be held May 1-7 at Wehrenberg Galaxy 14 Cine, organizers have announced. More information will be available later this month about films that will be screened and show times. Official information is kept at the Rochester International Film Group's Web site.
For the most up-to-date information on the schedule for Monday through Thursday (May 8) at the Rochester International Film Festival, go to the Rochester International Film Group's Web site. Information on the films can be found at the Web site for the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Film Festival.
Here's a look at the weekend schedule for the 2008 Rochester International Film Festival, which will be held at the Wehrenberg Galaxy 14 Cine at the new Shoppes on Maine development off U.S. 63 in south Rochester. More details on these films, including possible titles for the festival's last four days, will be available in the Post-Bulletin Thursday.
Watch the Rochester International Film Group's Web site for possible weekend schedule changes and details on next week's schedule, which could be set on Friday or Saturday.
Friday
7:15 p.m. “The Counterfeiters” (2007) Oscar-winning film is based on the true story of Solomon Sorowitsch, a Jewish counterfeiter taken prisoner by the Nazis during World War II. In German, Russian, and Hebrew with English subtitles. 98 minutes.
9:15 p.m. “Happy Family” (2006) An aging man gets a shot at romance. Comedy. In Dutch with English subtitles. 90 minutes.
Saturday
12:30 p.m. “Winky’s Horse” (2005) A children’s film about a Chinese girl living in the Netherlands who wants a horse. Recommended for ages seven and up. Family/drama. In Dutch with English subtitles. 90 minutes.
2:30 p.m. “The Postman in Shangri-La” (2007) A mailman in rural China sets out to make a special delivery. Drama. In Chinese with English subtitles. 93 minutes.
4:30 p.m. “Katyn” (2007) An Oscar-nominated film that tells the story of a mass killing of Polish officers during World War II. Drama. In Polish, Russian and German with English subtitles. 118 minutes.
7 p.m. “The Band’s Visit” (2007) An Egyptian police band takes the wrong bus to a concert in Israel. Comedy/drama. In English, as well as Arabic and Hebrew with English subtitles. 87 minutes.
9 p.m. “Full Scope” A young man is torn between two women when he returns to his native village. Comedy/drama. In Russian with English subtitles. 108 minutes.
Sunday
1 p.m. “The Planet” (2006) A documentary that covers ground similar to Al Gore’s “An Inconvenient Truth,” including video footage from around the world and interviews with scientific experts. Documentary. In English. 84 minutes.
2:50 p.m. “The Betrayal” (2008) The 20-plus year story of a Laotian family who fled their homeland to make a new life in America. Directing debut of the cinematographer from “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.” In Lao with English subtitles. Documentary. 87 minutes.
4:40 p.m. “Wind Man” (2007) A winged man lands in a village, triggering a series of events. Fantasy/comedy/drama. In Russian with English subtitles. 108 minutes.
7 p.m. "I Was a Swiss Banker" (2007) A fable about a crooked banker who dives into Lake Constance to escape customs officers and finds himself in an enchanted underwater world. Fantasy/comedy. In German with English subtitles. 75 minutes.
9:20 p.m. “Full Metal Village” (2006) Cultures collide when a massive heavy-metal music festival comes to a quiet rural hamlet in Germany. Documentary. Some English, and German with English subtitles. 90 minutes.
The Rochester International Film Festival is changing locations this year, moving from Chateau Theatres to Wehrenberg Galaxy 14 Cine in the new Shoppes on Maine development in south Rochester.
The festival will run May 2-8.
The final lineup of films hasn't been announced, but possibilities floated so far include “Happy Family,” a Dutch comedy; “The Planet,” a documentary shot at locations around the world; “A Man’s Job,” a Finnish drama; “Under the Stars” (pictured below), a Spanish drama; “Autumn Ball,” an Estonian dramedy; “International,” a Turkish comedy; “We Shall Overcome,” a Danish drama; “Dying in Athens,” a Greek musical; and “Colorado Avenue,” a Finnish drama.
Complete information will be available in the Post-Bulletin on May 1. Most likely, this blog will not be as complete as last year. The Rochester International Film Group's Web site will be your best source for up-to-date festival information. 
A quick piece of background on this post: During the film festival the past week, it was announced that Cinemagic Theatres is looking into the possibility of starting an "art house" screen at the Hollywood 12 theater in Rochester. I just had an interview with Steve Laninga, Cinemagic's vice president of sales and marketing, and he had these things to tell me about it:
--No final decision has been made on this screen yet-it's something that Cinemagic is still discussing. He added that he was surprised an announcement was made at the film festival this weekend.
--He did say, however, that it's possible the screen could start by late summer. He said that's because Cinemagic would want to get past the summer blockbuster season and also because the new screen would take some special planning to prepare for.
--Laninga wants the screen to show foreign, independent, and art house movies week in and week out. He said there's been talk about having flexibility for the screen to show more mainstream fare from time to time, but he wants to keep its focus consistent.
--He also made this point--there's often a small number of prints for them that go to larger markets. So he said that part of the challenge is convincing distributors about the unique aspects of Rochester's population, even though it's a smaller population than other metropolitan areas. "The question isn't whether we can secure a screen," he said. "It's whether we can secure decent product." He added that people will need to realize that Rochester won't be getting the newest films being buzzed about in the Village Voice, but it will get films that have already been tested in other markets, so the possibility that duds will come here will be minimized.
--He said that he also wants Cinemagic to get a liquor license so it can sell quality beers and wines for people going to the art house screen.
--Lastly, he said that at this point, e-mails are making a difference in Cinemagic's thinking. So the more e-mails they get supporting the art house screen, the better the chances of this going through. Click here for contact information for Cinemagic.
As I mentioned in my opening weekend post, Cinemagic's Hollywood 12 theater in Rochester is thinking about starting an "art house" screen where it would show foreign and independent films year-round. I just heard this afternoon from Cinemagic that they're getting "surprisingly few" messages from people supporting the idea of having an art house screen in Rochester.
This is important if you're one of those people who complains about the dearth of good movies in Rochester: Now is the time to take a minute and send Cinemagic an e-mail to let them know you want to have more foreign and independent films here. Click here for contact information.
I'm trying to get some more information on Cinemagic's decision-making process on this, but it seems like they're watching the feedback they get as they figure out whether to make a committment to bringing foreign and independent movies to Rochester year-round.
Here's a look at the Monday through Thursday schedule for the Rochester
International Film Festival that was announced Sunday on the Rochester International Film Group's Web site. All films will be shown at Chateau Theatres in Rochester.
Final audience ratings in: Of the 12 films that screened this weekend, "Away From Her" was the highest-rated by festival audiences. For a look at how other films were rated, skip to the bottom of this post.
Thursday update: I just added some more audience comments to the bottom of this post. It looks like this blog will be taken down tomorrow as the festival ends tonight. Thanks to everyone who visited it during the festival!
Monday
1 p.m. "Warchild"
3 p.m. "Rhythm is It!"
5 p.m. "Loach is a Fish Too"
7 p.m. "The Lives of Others"
9:30 p.m. "Me and My Sister"
Tuesday
1 p.m. "Loach is a Fish Too"
3 p.m. "The Lives of Others"
5:30 p.m. "Rhythm Is It!"
7 p.m. "Me and My Sister"
9:15 p.m. "Warchild"
Wednesday
1 p.m. "Warchild"
3 p.m. "Rhythm is It!"
5 p.m. "Loach is a Fish Too"
7 p.m. "The Lives of Others"
9:30 p.m. "Me and My Sister"
Thursday
1 p.m. "Loach is a Fish Too"
3 p.m. "The Lives of Others"
5:30 p.m. "Rhythm is It!"
7 p.m. "Warchild"
9 p.m. "The Lives of Others"
Audience ratings
Here's a look at audience ratings from the Rochester International Film Festival's opening weekend. Note that 6 was the top score a movie could get.
1. "Away From Her" 5.79
2. "Warchild" 5.73
3. "The Lives of Others" 5.7
4. "Rhythm Is It!" 5.59
5. "Seagull Diner" 5.48
6. "Me and My Sister" 5.18
7. "Vanaja" 5.12
8. "The Road" 5.06
9. "Schnitzel Paradise" 4.72
10. "Chariton's Choir" 4.71
11. "Loach is a Fish Too" 3.91
12. "The World According to Shorts" 2.88
Here's some audience comments that Rochester International Film Group volunteer Pat Walsh passed along to me today:
Away from Her (US/Canada) 5.79
Some comments from caretakers said that the movie was fairly accurate, but didn't follow the progress of the disease completely. The scenes that people enjoyed the most were the skiing, looking at the flowers in the park, the final scene, the description of Alzheimer's with the cottage lights going out, dancing, scenes with the nurse Kristi, ....
The Lives of Others (Germany) 5.68
Hope that something like the Stasi never comes here, great human ending
Good plot line, but a bit too slow & long. Good actors.
Great - a little long, but awesome
I really enjoyed all of the actors & also really like the main character. I was a bit confused about the plow - whether it took place in East or West Germany.
Very interesting look at GDR. Hope it was truly realistic. Some bits seemed cliched,
Every high school student should have a chance to see this film. An in depth demonstration of life in a totalitarian system.
Rhythm is It (Germany) 5.59
Wonderful. I work at a school & cried with this movie.
Well done. Great concept. Fun & inspiring
Loved music, thought it was well done; gives hope; captivating
Never lost my interest; Music, orchestra, dancers -fascinating stories. I loved this film.
What an effort in presenting the primal aspects of Stravinsky's gift to us.
A most compelling documentary on the arts. It gave a new appreciation to music & dance I did not particularly like in the beginning.
Music & photography was marvelous. Message even better.
Please find more films like this for future festivals
The most emotional of the Festival films I have seen
Seagull Diner (Finland/Japanese) 5.239
Fun, great interplay of 2 cultures. Contrasts, but similar needs of all people
It was fun to watch interactions, kind of rowdy
Charming, poignant, heart warming, intelligent, loving, light, good
humor, quirky
Very refreshing. Where are the rice balls
Beautiful story & character development
Wonderfully upbeat. I loved it
Really a fun movie
Loved the repetition of events in the diner to set a mood. I like the strong
colors. It's always a sunny day in Finland
Absolutely delightful
I have lived in Japan for 6 years & they nailed the culture perfectly.
Awesome - made the week.
Warchild (Bosnia) 5.575
Best film so far
Very moving, powerful
Outstanding on many levels - the plot, the challenges. Also love to
see geography from other countries. This was a great film about the
aftermath of war without . Bravo
Very touching story of the collateral damage of war.
Poignant drama & very well done. Good acting.
Excellent portrayal without being over maudlin
Having traveled thru Bosnia area, I was interested in after effects
was had on people's lives.
Vanaja, (India) 5.12
Beautiful; what sad truths; realistic, entertaining
Beautiful script, acting. Much better than the violence seen in
American movies.
Excellent movie - well done, colorful soap opera. Kind of jerky
editing
Fabulous! I loved every minute of it. Beautifully done.
The music & dancing were great; the story of a girl to a
woman timeless in all cultures
Superb! Great insights into society in India
Fascinating look at rural India. Wonderful acting, even for
amateurs
Starts funny but develops into drama. Stark depiction of corruption and
caste privilege
Well acted, especially Vanaja herself. Good cinematography
Much darker that expected
)
Didn't like the ending
Always interesting to hear about culture in another country. Nice
dancing. Not well acted, sad in many ways.
Chariton's Choir (Greece) 4.71
Lousy script/not fit for children. Acting & emotion showed were
excellent
Subtitles: hard to read against light background; subtitles were
wrong color
Good comedy; enjoyable, excellent
What zest for life
You had to be Greek to really appreciate it
Some humorous moments
Charming, clichéd
A love story with comedy & a message
Didn't like swearing. Liked emotions & way people acted
Quite funny. A little long. They certainly have more of a zest for life
than we Americans do. Loved the BMW
The most fun of the fest. What a delight
Liked it, but not the foul language
This was pretty unusual
Loach Is a Fish Too (China) 3.92
Confusing story line - unpleasant
Too frantic; disjointed, chaotic, too fast
Life won't look difficult after this
Reminded me of a series of Doonesbury cartoons
Too long, too choppy, irritating loud editing w/chaotic scenes
Seeing their hard lives an eye opener
Depressing; frenetic life of China ; Good acting but still depressing
It was an affecting story with some enigmatic moments. I would
recommend this movie to other people. Survival sometimes makes you
do desperate things. This was a good example of how the human
condition can be shown under difficult circumstances.
Not what I was expecting. Good but very different
I really enjoy seeing a slice of life. Excellent
Here's the opening weekend schedule for the Rochester International Film Festival, which starts Friday and runs through May 10 at Chateau Theatres.
I encourage you to comment on and rate the films on this blog after you see them (I suggest letter grades, though that's completely optional--just click on the links below and add comments to the individual posts that the links take you to). Commenting serves a few different functions: First, for some of these films you will be among a small number of people in the U.S. who have seen them, so you get
a chance to be among the first in the country to give an opinion on them. Second, some of these films will return to Chateau next week as the festival continues, so you can let other people know if they're worth checking out. Third, you get a chance to join a relaxed online conversation about this exciting group of films.
I'll keep this post here throughout the weekend and will likely comment on a few films myself. I'll also add information on next week's schedule at it becomes available.
Monday-Thursday schedule to be announced Sunday: Check the Rochester International Film Group's Web site starting Sunday afternoon for details on the official schedule for the final four days of the festival. I'll also have information on this blog later tonight or tomorrow morning. At this point, it looks like films that are returning include "Me and My Sister," "The Lives of Others," "Rhythm is It," (which I consider the must-see of the festival so far, although "Away From Her" is probably one you'll want to catch today, as well) and "Loach is a Fish Too."
News from Friday: It looks like a deal is in the works to set aside an "art house" screen at the Hollywood 12 theater in Rochester. Before the first film Friday, both Rochester International Film Group volunteer Alan Hoffman and Mitch Stevenson of Chateau Theatres told the audience about the possibility. From the way it sounds, that screen would have one movie at a time running on it. Both Stevenson and Hoffman encouraged audience members to contact Twin Cities-based Cinemagic to let the company know there's support in Rochester for bringing in more foreign and independent films on a regular basis. So if you're one of those people who has been clamoring for something like this, now is the time to do something about it--Stevenson suggested going to Cinemagic's Web site. There's a contact link there that will give you phone and e-mail contact information.
Friday
7:15 p.m. "Me and My Sister" In French with English subtitles. Drama/comedy. 93 minutes. For more information about this film or to rate it, click here.
9:15 p.m. "Schnitzel Paradise" In Dutch and Arabic with English subtitles. Comedy/romance. 82 minutes. For more information about this film or to rate it, click here.
Saturday
1 p.m. "The World According to Shorts." Six short films from around the world are featured. In original languages with English subtitles. 95 minutes. For more information about this film or to rate it, click here.
3 p.m. "Warchild" In German and Serbo-Croatian with English subtitles. Drama. 103 minutes. For more information about this film or to rate it, click here.
5 p.m. "Seagull Diner" In Japanese with English subtitles. Drama/comedy. 102 minutes. For more information about this film or to rate it, click here.
7 p.m. "The Road" In Mandarin with English subtitles. Drama. 114 minutes. For more information about this film or to rate it, click here.
9:15 p.m. "The Lives of Others" In German with English subtitles. Drama. Academy Award winner for best foreign-language film. For more information about this film or to rate it, click here.
Sunday
1 p.m. "Vanaja" In Telagu with English subtitles. Drama. 111 minutes. For more information about this film or to rate it, click here.
3 p.m. "Rhythm is It!" In German with English subtitles. Documentary. For more information about this film or to rate it, click here.
5 p.m. "Chariton's Choir" In Greek with English subtitles. Comedy. 116 minutes. For more information about this film or to rate it, click here.
7:15 p.m ."Away From Her" In English. Drama. For more information about this film or to rate it, click here.
9:15 p.m. "Loach is a Fish, Too" In Mandarin with English subtitles. 98 minutes. Drama. For more information about this film or to rate it, click here.
Times and titles are subject to change, so go to the Rochester International Film Group's Web site or check with Chateau Theatres (3450 E. Circle Dr. N.E., 536-7469) for possible last-minute changes.
"Loach is a Fish, Too," a Chinese drama, is scheduled for 5 p.m. Monday, 1 p.m. Tuesday, 5 p.m. Wednesday, and 1 p.m. Thursday at Chateau Theatres.
The film follows a mother and her children as they leave the Chinese countryside to start a new life in Beijing. I had a chance to watch this movie and am still trying to figure out exactly what to think about it. More than telling a story, it puts the mother through calamitous situation after calamitous situation, each one testing her ability to maintain her dignity. At the same time, it's difficult to watch because of a strange combination of being confusing in parts while still remaining emotionally involving. You never get comfortable as a viewer, but the film stays with you afterward.
Here's a writeup on "Loach" from the 2007 Victoria Film Festival that 
notes the film's use of migrant workers as extras. (The write-up, by the way, notes that a loach is "a fish that lives in the mud and feeds whenever there is opportunity," which may not be the most accurate description. Loach is the name of the mother character as well as a scoundrel she develops a relationship with, so it's helpful to have an idea of what a loach is before watching the film.)
More information on the film is also available from the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Film Festival.
The official Rochester Film Festival schedule is available at the Rochester International Film Group's Web site.
After some drama yesterday over whether it would join the Rochester International Film Festival,
here's some information about "Away From Her," the highly touted Alzheimer's drama that's scheduled for 7:15 p.m. Sunday at Chateau Theatres.
It looks like there was good reason to keep the film part of the festival, starting with a first-rate cast that includes film legend and Oscar winner Julie Christie ("Doctor Zhivago," "Shampoo," "Finding Neverland"), award-winning Canadian TV and film actor Gordon Pinsent, and Oscar-winner Olympia Dukakis.
The film has also drawn attention for being the feature-film directing debut of noted Canadian actress Sarah Polley, who told the Associated Press that she wanted to film a story about an 
older couple because movies too often depict such relationships as lacking chemistry.
"Away From Her" has drawn praise from critics including Peter Travers of Rolling Stone, who gushes that Polley makes a "miraculous" debut as director and screenwriter with the film. Here's a link to metacritic.com, which lists several reviews for the film. National Public Radio also featured the film on "Weekend Edition" last weekend with an interview with Dukakis.
The official schedule for the Rochester International Film Festival is available at the Rochester International Film Group's Web site.
