The compelling and amusing story behind one of San Francisco's most visually arresting signposts and the design change that tarnishes a legacy.
Part Of Shorts Program 6
2019
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The 13 residents of the DocuNation program are bold entries into a long line of incredible experiences. Ranging from fascinating animated fare, powerful stories built around found footage, and experimentation within the very nature of what constitutes evidence, each film stands as a powerful record of moments in time. Films that examine the meaning of our roadside symbology run alongside those that examine how we craft our artistic practices.
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Our darkest, strangest, most confounding thoughts often come to us in the middle of the night, some of them are a part of this Mindbenders program. Taking elements of suspicious fantasy, science fiction, horror, and thrillers, and mixing them up with avant-garde experimentation, or simply a filmmaker's most devilish fever dreams. Films cover areas such as radical futurism, journeys into the unknown, and confrontation of demons, both literal and potentially figurative. Every moment in Mindbenders asks a question, and then leaves us alone in the dark to figure out the answers.
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Fifteen super short films, fifteen different constructed realities playing out across the screen. These brilliant animations take advantage of many different techniques, from sand animation to oil painting, CGI to ball-and-joint stop motion, to bring out emotional stories that will delight, frighten, and affect.
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13 science fiction, fantasy, and horror films form this program that examines worlds we don't come across every day. Thrilling stories of scientists, astronauts, and time travellers, awe-inducing sights of remarkable men and women in mysterious circumstances, and you will be left wondering where the nearest place of safety lies. These films from around the world tell their stories through live-action and animated means, making use of flickering images to draw worlds previously unimaginable.
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We are all a part of a family, whether it is forced upon us or chosen. The films shown here are startling examples of the beauty, pain, and humor of what it means to be a part of a family... even if it is against your own will. There are stories of families bringing new members on-board, of issues of identity and addiction, of the difficulties of navigating the modern world while still managing to maintain familial responsibilities. Family, For Better or Worse takes on the ideas of the love, life, and laughter that is attached to those ties we cannot cut.
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Cinequest has always presented films that might make you sit up in your seat, and this year we are pleased to present these ten films that take unflinching looks at moments of inflection. Whether it is the notion of being trapped in a bathroom stall, or living as a revolutionary on the run, or even walking serenely towards your own mortality, these stories do not let up on the grasp they exert on the characters, or the audience along for the ride. Topics ranging from racially motivated violence, to suicide, to the fallout of unseen tragedies, all play out in these intense visions.
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Rising above the forces of limitation. Besnik, a shepherd and a devout Muslim, lives in a remote village high in the mountains, caring for his aging father on his deathbed. When Besnik uncovers the remains of Christian iconography behind the walls of their mosque, it sparks religious conflict in the local community, for which he is held accountable. His multi-faith siblings turn up to fight over their father's estate, and in turn Besnik's destiny.
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An Epic Chinese tale, filled with action and suspense Pei, a kingdom in China, is ruled by a young, unpredictable, dangerous king. His military commander is Dang. Dang faces threats and perils, both inside, and outside the palace walls. But he has a secret weapon: a "shadow", his look-alike who can deceive the King himself, and the enemies who threaten his life. To claim victory over their rival kingdom, and control the walled city of Jing, Deng forms an elaborate plan involving the shadow, his wife, and the two kings, using unconventional methods, and traditional weapons.
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The title says it all or...does it! Senior Escort Service is too irreverent toward its subject to be classified in a genre--it dares, it dances, it plays with its subject and our emotions. Yes, grief is very sad, and here it is also very, very funny. Shaina Feinberg and company deliver performances so natural that they blur the lines between reality and fiction. Our experience feels improvised yet never misses a beat, melding perfectly in the end as a hilarious unmockumentary from a brilliant artist.
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Time-travelling Killers What if you could go back in time and prevent catastrophes that destroyed mankind? What would you change? Who would you choose to remove? James is a time travelling assassin who kills bad people assigned to him, before they wreak havoc on future generations. Reality TV innovator, pollution enabling lawyer, no one walks free. Almost. When Lily gets away with James' heart, he has to make a tough choice.