Festival Screenings, Day 2

Comics-Oriented

12:15-12:40Rocketboy—Roger Lange, a depressed, middle-aged accountant, gets a visit from a strange boy who mysteriously crash-landed on the moon in a homemade spacecraft. Roger’s world is turned upside down as Rocketboy attempts to remind him of his forgotten dreams of space adventure. Filmmakers includeJustin Guerrieri, writer and director;Veronica Shamo-Garcia, producer;Arvin Chen, producer; andJoseph Guerrieri, co-writer.

12:40-1:00Goggles—An adolescent girl runs away in search of the truth when she discovers her parents have taken extreme measures to protect her from the real world. This is the prologue to the forthcoming webisode series “Goggles.” Participating panelists include writer/directorCrystal Page plus cast membersKathryn Acton,Ronn Jerard,Marie-Françoise Theodore, andChayne Andrews.

1:00-1:25When We Were Bengs—Two brothers, Heng and Bee, live in a rough neighborhood. One day Bee is kidnapped by a notorious gangster and Heng finds himself caught in a ridiculous "Mexican" standoff. Will Heng be able to free his brother and save himself? Join these fumbling brothers on a hilarious journey of brotherhood and self-sacrifice. Alaric Tay,producer/director/writer and star ofWhen We Were Bengs is unable to attend but wishes everyone a bloody good laugh at his expense.

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Humor/Parody

1:30-1:50Pinkerton—You've never seen a film quite like this one about a violent cop out for revenge who meets an unexpected obstacle. Winner: Most Original Film UCLA Film Festival; Official Selection: Los Angeles Shortsfest LA Showcase. Discussion afterward with writer/directorAleem Hossain, actorJames Black (Six Feet Under, The Closer), actorBrian Silverman(Jericho, Monk, 24), and producersM. Scott Veach andJenn Kao.

1:50-2:10How to Talk Like a Pirate—Presented in the style of a high school film reel, this is an informational video for the less nautically inclined among us. After all, you wouldn't want to look stupid. Participating panelists includeGraham Starkand Paul Saunders (producers forHow to Talk Like a Pirateand creators of LoadingReadyRun)and Morgan vanHumbeck, James Turner ,andMatt Wiggins (members ofLoadingReadyRun).

2:10-2:35The Sparkle Lite Motel—The Sparkle Lite Motel is the story of a newlywed couple played by Richard Kahan (The 4400) and Sarah Edmondson (Scary Movie 4) who check into a questionable motel expecting a night of marital bliss. They soon learn that their honeymoon suite has other plans for them when visions of their hypercritical parents, played by Gwynyth Walsh (Star Trek: TNG) and Dean Paul Gibson (Andromeda), begin to appear and all hell breaks loose. Will the couple’s marriage survive the night? Will they? Director/co-writer/producerCory Kinney and executive producerNicholas Tabarrok (Weirdsville) will be in attendance to speak about the film.

2:35-3:00Raven Gets a Life—Sometimes life just sucks, even when you’re dead. Eternally trapped in the body of a 12-year-old girl, a vampire is diagnosed with manic depression and seeks comfort from prescription pills, Bela Lugosi, and the Grim Reaper. Participating panelists include actorsCircus-Szalewski (ToonDisney'sSquash & Stretch),Kenny Dusek (trippin'), andMolly Emmons (Meat is Murder).

3:00-3:15Pimp My Casket—Join Xhibitionist and the West Coast Casket Crew as they pimp out Mrs. Walker's casket, the animated short parody based on the popular MTV show,Pimp My Ride. Room 26AB

3:45-4:00Wheeled Migration—A look at what shopping carts do at night when no one else is around. Have you ever wondered how a shopping cart makes it to the curb at the edge of the parking lot? He's trying to escape and that's how far he made it the night before. What happens in the complicated social order of this mysterious species?Robert Reeves, director, will be present to talk about his film.

4:00-4:20A Fellowship of Excellence—On his first day as a temp worker, Davey Delisio quickly discovers that his job duties include much more than filing and faxing, in this parody ofLord of the Rings.A great evil threatens the office, and middle management believes he is the one with the power to defeat it. As darkness draws closer, Davey embarks on an assignment that will not only test his positive attitude and people skills but also determine if he really is the chosen one. Participating panelists includeJack Cornett andAdam White, directors;Joey Garcia, actor; andScott Jones, executive producer.

4:25-4:5007—When a mysterious package ends up in the hands of a feared terrorist, only special agent Jack Dour can save the day. Now Jack and his partner, Soulpatch, have just 7 minutes to find a secret warehouse and save the world. Good thing they brought the Jack Sack! Participating panelists includePeter Sullivan, director;Benjamin Sztajnkrycer, writer;Sean Robert Olson, editor;Jason Brandt, composer; and Joe Vandelsem, visual effects.

4:50-5:40Zombie Love—This musical extravaganza tells the story of Dante, a 200-year old zombie, who tries to change his flesh-eating ways in order to gain the love of a mortal girl. Filled with singing, dancing, blood, and gore, it will have you laughing all the way to your grave! Participating panelists includeDarren Herczeg, writer;Seth Stewart, assistant directorand “Grave Robber Harry”; andTaylor Greeson, DP.

5:40-6:15Back Issues—Peter, a wannabe comic book letterer, has just proposed to his girlfriend. Instead of saying yes, she gives him an ultimatum: give up comics and get a real job, or they’re through. The pressure is on and Peter must choose by the end of the workday between his girl or his passion for comic books. Panelists includeTodd Brotze, actor (last seen on the cutting room floor ofScrubs);Stephen Pawley, actor (Faith);Diane Karagienakos, producer;Chris Graybill, creator ofZebraton; andJonathan Parra, director.

6:15-6:50Orion Slave Girls Must Die!!!—Fanboy or Fratboy? There can be only one. Jules and Matt lead lives devoted toStar Trek and devoid of girls. When Matt falls for Stacey, a sorority girl, he hides his love of Trek to pledge to a fraternity. Outraged, Jules takes drastic measures to return his best friend to the Trekkie fold. Panelists includeEric Kallevig, director and producer;Stuart C. Paul, writer;Chris Billig, producer;Nicholas Downs, Jules; andHilary Holmes, Stacey.

6:50-8:20The Adventures of Death—Charlie Bergman, Grim Reaper and UnderWorld outcast, has accidentally killed a few too many people and unbalanced the universe to the brink of self-destruction. Fired from his Reaping Post and sentenced to be incinerated, he must escape the UnderWorld in order to save lives up Topside and rebalance the supernatural energy of the world. FilmmakersChristopher John Fetherolf, writer/actor/director/producer;Matt Godecker, actor/producer/co-creator;Anne Braam,creative consultant;Jeff Bassetti, production assistant; andBeth Burns, actor.

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Documentary Night II

8:30-10:15The Secret World of Superfans—What drives the passion of people who choose to follow or emulate popular culture heroes to a level where it becomes all-consuming? As this film explores the motivations of "fantasy fans" ranging from the uncontrollable collector to the compulsively driven obsessive, it also examines what drives these fantasies—mere memories of childhood or a need for control or escapism? One of the key storylines follows a Superman lookalike who survives off tips from tourists on Hollywood Boulevard. We reveal the fans and their stories to be as diverse as the fantasy heroes themselves. And with input from the celebrity participants, we see how the two worlds coexist with one another and how they can eventually become one in the same. The film features interviews with Gary Oldman, Malcolm McDowell, Margot Kidder, Elvira, Samantha Mathis, Roger Corman, John Carpenter, Forrest J. Ackerman, Bob Burns, and many more. Participating panelists includeSam Okun,director/producer;Constantinos Yiallourides,co-producer;Mark Silverman,psychiatrist and cast member;Christopher Dennis,aka Superman and cast member; andDiane Vincent,aka Lucyand cast member.