SummerFILMS series presented by ASPEN FILM and ASPEN MUSIC FESTIVAL AND SCHOOL kicks off with EVERY LITTLE STEP, July 5th!
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JUNE 14, 2009 ASPEN, CO. Heating up the Aspen summer arts and cultural scene, Aspen Film and the Aspen Music Festival and School will present the eleventh annual SummerFILMS series, featuring highly anticipated documentaries, foreign films and new releases screening weekly from July 5th through August 16 at the Paepcke Auditorium.
SummerFILMS is your passport to award winning films from around the globe. From Japan to France, Mexico to Afghanistan and straight to the heart of the New York art world, SummerFILMS offers audiences an eclectic mix of new critically-acclaimed features and documentaries that will light up the screen at the Paepcke Auditorium in Aspen. Kicking off the series on July 5th and taking center stage this summer is the much anticipated Broadway documentary of A Chorus Line - Every Little Step. In the weeks that follow, the line-up features two documentaries film lovers are buzzing about - Afghan Star, winner of multiple awards at the Sundance Film Festival, and Herb & Dorothy, a charming love story which redefines collecting art in New York. SummerFILMS narrative feature presentations include Departures, winner of the 2009 Oscar for Best Foreign Film; Rudo Y Cursi, Mexico's box office hit starring Diego Luna and Gael Garcia Bernal; and the acclaimed French import Summer Hours with a stirring performance from Juliette Binoche.
All films screen at Paepcke Auditorium at 8:00 p.m. with doors opening at 7:30 pm. All tickets for the series are $12 and will go on sale through Aspen Show Tickets at the Wheeler Opera House starting Monday, June 22nd - call 970.920.5770 or visit www.aspenshowtickets.com. Single tickets are available at the door nightly, cash or checks only.
For more information on SummerFILMS 2009 or Aspen Film, visit www.AspenFilm.orgor call 970-925-6882.
SummerFILMS Series Lineup
SUN + MON, JULY 5 + 6
EVERY LITTLE STEP
One of the longest running shows in Broadway history, A Chorus Line closed after 15 years, winning every award in the industry and earning more than $300 million in North America, as well as the hearts of millions of fans worldwide. Flash forward to 2006 when the revival touched off a firestorm of intrigue once again. Directors James D. Stern and Adam Del Deo delve into the lives of dancers and singers auditioning for that one elusive chance at Broadway fame. "Capturing both the cruelty and the marvelousness of life in the theater," (NY Times) Every Little Step highlights a riveting behind-the-scenes drama as the revival cast is whittled down from thousands, hundreds, and dozens to the final 30 "Singular Sensations." (USA, 95 min. PG-13)
"A thrilling combination of documentary and musical dazzler." - Rolling Stone
SUN + MON, JULY 12 + 13
RUDO Y CURSI
Oscar®-nominated screenwriter Carlos Cuarón (Y tu mamá también) debuts as a director with this entertaining rags-to-riches fable about family, soccer and fame. Already one of Mexico's all-time box-office hits, Cuarón's comic showpiece reunites two of that country's hottest young talents, Diego Luna and Gael García Bernal (Y tu mamá también) as rival brothers with out-sized dreams. Plucked from dusty banana plantation poverty and rocketed to unlikely fame on Mexico City's pro soccer fields, Luna and Bernal's characters embrace with gusto their new-found tabloid-lifestyle success, careening with engaging charm through the temptations and tribulations of their dreamed-for new life. (Mexico, 103 min. R)
"The high level buddy movie that every national cinema needs." - Roger Ebert
SUN, JULY 19
AFGHAN STAR
Earning Directing and Audience Awards for International Documentary at Sundance Film Festival, Afghan Star literally unveils the face of hope amidst war and struggle. The first of its kind in a part of the world where even small freedoms are taboo, this American Idol-like television phenomenon gives a voice to those unheard. To trade guns for microphones and burkas for high notes is to believe in the power of music as a political and cultural truce-maker. Director Havana Marking immerses us in the seldom-seen vibrancy of a place known only for the opposite. Through music, conversations, and laughter, cultural barriers come down as the pop star rises. (Afghanistan/UK, 88 min. Unrated)
"An informed and entertaining dispatch about the collision of culture, ideology and history." - Screen Daily
SUN + MON, AUGUST 2 + 3
DEPARTURES
This sophisticated and elegant drama, with touches of heartwarming humor, travels through the majestic landscapes of Japan and into the heart of Daigo, a newly unemployed cellist, as he finds the silver lining in an unusual career change. Initially reluctant to accept his new job as an encoffineer, his wife begins to embrace the idea as she witnesses her husband's personal transformation. Having recently lost his father, Daigo struggles with his new tasks as they hit close to home, but fulfillment replaces grief as he sees the beauty of performing this new art. Departures has captivated audiences across the globe, winning multiple awards including the Oscar® for Best Foreign Language Film. A lush score accents the depth of emotion as the characters experience a journey of collective self-discovery. (Japan, 131 min. PG-13)
"A delightful surprise, at once an engaging dramedy and an eloquent social statement." - Bob Mondello, NPR
SUN + MON, AUGUST 9 + 10
SUMMER HOURS
The much-acclaimed, effortlessly elegiac new film from veteran French director Olivier Assayas (Irma Vep) begins with a pleasant family gathering celebrating the 75th birthday of matriarch Hélène at her lovingly-preserved country estate outside Paris. The utterly French joie de vivre of a sublime summer afternoon infuses the rest of the film, when, months later, Hélène's far-flung children gather to decide the fate of their family home, its heirloom contents and equally-treasured memories. As Adrienne (Juliette Binoche), and her brothers puzzle over how they relate to their family's past and the things they have inherited, they re-invent their relationships with each other. With understated stylishness, intelligent dialog, and fluent performances, Assayas has crafted a warm, wise drama of family life in our ever-changing "globalized" age. (France, 102 min. Unrated)
"A sharp, effervescent movie, rich and careful as an expert novella." - NPR
SUN, AUGUST 16
HERB & DORTHY
The Vogels are an endearing couple, who redefine what it means to be an art collector. Swimming upstream in an art world saturated with wealth and fame, over forty years Herb and Dorothy built their impressive collection on the modest salaries of a postal clerk and a librarian. Staying true to themselves and to their eye, they chose each piece for one simple reason: they liked the way it looked. With a keen, early instinct for an artist's potential, their collection of over 4,000 pieces is now valued in the millions - and it all fit in their one-bedroom apartment. This improbable and delightful portrait is interlaced with anecdotes from Chuck Close, the Christos, James Siena, and other now-famous art-world luminaries. Documentarian Megumi Sasaki casts new light on what it means to be truly rich. (USA, 87 min. Unrated)
"Megumi Sasaki's warmhearted celebration of these adorable do-gooders cements their significance to the art world and introduces them to the rest of us." - Village Voice
About Aspen Film
Established in 1979, Aspen Film is one of Colorado's oldest and most active film arts organizations, presenting more than 200 programs, hosting more than 75 film artists, and reaching more than 30,000 people annually via its signature events: Filmfest, Shortsfest, Academy Screenings, and SummerFILMS. Its extensive educational opportunities (preK-Senior), serving schools, libraries, and families from Aspen to Rifle, have reach more than 5,000 youth this year.
About Aspen Music Festival and School
The Aspen Music Festival and School is the United States' premier classical music festival, presenting more than 400 musical events during its nine-week summer season in Aspen. The Festival's 60th season runs June 25 to August 23. Tickets and passes may be purchased at www.aspenmusicfestival.com and 970.925.9042.
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