Marina Flores, 1990; Norma Aguilar, 1991; Maria del Rosario Gomez, 1993; Olgo Carrillo, 1995; These are the names of young women, many working in the maquiladoras - assembly plants that line the…
2002
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West Coast Premiere Marina Flores, 1990; Norma Aguilar, 1991; Maria del Rosario Gomez, 1993; Olgo Carrillo, 1995; These are the names of young women, many working in the maquiladoras - assembly plants that line the Mexican-American border near Ciudad Juarez. All slender, dark-skinned, and long-haired, they begin to disappear in 1990. Victims of brutal rapes, their bodies, sometimes just skeletons surrounded by remnants of clothing, are discovered months and years later. A young woman who has escaped abduction accuses Sharif Sharif, an Egyptian.
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World Premiere Electrical engineers turned filmmakers, Matt and Dan O'Donnell, transform this multi-character story into a surreal adventure in their 3-D animated feature, Missing Persons - a fascinating journey through the lives of four lost souls who are intertwined by the investigation of a half-drowned man living one foot beneath the surface of the Atlantic Ocean. Grizzled NYPD detective, John Funn, hooks up with the mumbling Officer Snookie, as they traverse a New York filled with street fighting drug vendors who have a bad habit of surviving shotgun blasts.
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Northern California Premiere Missing Allen is a detective story that leads the viewer into the American Heart of Darkness of Waco, Texas; Oklahoma City; UFO-believers; and religious cults. November 1995-filmmaker Allen Ross disappears without a trace. Five years later, his friend and sometimes cameraman, Christian Bauer, decides to make a movie about him. Unwittingly, what begins as homage to a missing friend becomes a riveting mystery rivaling any detective story. Leaving the security of anonymity behind the camera, Bauer becomes director and detective.
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West Coast Premiere When the current manager of the England team suffers a near-fatal heart attack and is forced to retire, no one seems to want the job. In desperation, the football authorities turn to the manager of a minor league club, Mike Bassett. Luckily, England needs to win only one game out of three to qualify for the World Cup finals in Brazil. It should be a breeze, but Bassett hits an immediate and enduring losing streak.
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United States Premiere First time director/writer Zhong Qiang presents an absorbing story of alienation and intrigue in contemporary China. Newly divorced taxi driver, A, lives in a flat opposite Business Man, B, and his young, beautiful wife, C, who often takes A's taxi on mysterious journeys. Meanwhile, D, a young girl who lives in the flat across from A, develops what she hopes will be more than a friendship with A. One day A happens upon a serious car accident involving B. At the scene, A finds a large amount of cash in B's bag and steals it before calling for help.
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Oakland-based director Edward La Borde, Jr. and screenwriter Allen White put the trappings of modern love, lust, and romance to the test in their urban comedy, Me and Mrs. Jones. Starving artist Tracy (Brian White) gets more than he bargains for when he takes a job with San Francisco based online dating service, LoveNet. His boss, Mrs. Jones (Wandachristine), is a Draconian taskmaster who plays to win in both corporate finances and love.
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West Coast Premiere Eric Eason's debut feature portrays an unflinching portrait of a community in transition-one that is rich with passion yet crippled by a cycle of violence. Junior and Manny are brothers growing up in the Washington Heights section of Manhattan, one of the most vibrant Spanish speaking communities in the country. Yet, fifteen years before, this same neighborhood was known as the nation's crack capital, and Junior was one of its victims.
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West Coast Premiere Director Jake Torem reminds us that there's no such thing as perfection in a sharp story centered on Lily (Jade Henham, who also co-wrote), an imperfect person who has imperfect relationships with other imperfect people. Foremost in her life are her "keeper," Gene, an aging (and married) businessman with a Marilyn Monroe fetish, and her grounded roommate, Andrea, who serves as the voice of reason whispering into Lily's ear. As such, Lily is content in her routine, if not happy.
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West Coast Premiere Would you risk taking over someone else's life and past, knowing that you would not be discovered? What if you found the opportunity to start completely over? Lola leads an unfulfilled life in a verbally abusive relationship with her husband, Mike. Things are soon to change, however, as by chance, Lola saves a stranger named Sandra from walking into the path of an oncoming car. Sandra is everything Lola aspires to be - stylish, confident, adventurous, and most especially, mysterious.
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World Premiere Cinequest is proud to present the World Premiere of Rachel Raney and David Murray's Livermore. This offbeat film unearths one suburban town's long forgotten yet often hilarious history. Livermore's 25 year-old time capsule has inexplicably disappeared, and a handful of eccentric locals are the last hope in finding it. Part history, part mystery, but mostly comedy, Livermore introduces a memorable cast of characters, each with a distinct vision of the town -- from romanticized tributes to scathing send-ups of suburban life.