2013 San Diego Film Festival Announces its First Wave of Films | October 2-6

September 12, 2013

The San Diego Film Festival has announced its line-up for their 2013 event, held October 2 - 6 at two locations - Reading Theater in Gaslamp and ArcLight Cinemas in Westfield UTC Mall in La Jolla.  Featuring more than 100 screenings throughout five days, the festival includes eight categories of film -  Features, Documentaries, Native American, Music, Sports, Fashion, World Issues, and Film Shorts.  Additionally, the San Diego Film Festival will be honoring esteemed filmmaker Judd Apatow for their annual Tribute Gala on October 3rd.

This year promises another robust slate of Headline Films and World Premieres.  Last year's lineup included premieres of Silver Linings Playbook, The Sapphires and Seven Psychopaths among many others.  Additionally, the San Diego Film Festival is filled with groundbreaking panels. Last year's included a discussion and screening of the documentary Trek Nation, featuring Rod Roddenberry and many others.

The San Diego Film Festival’s 2013 confirmed slate includes several world premieres such as The Republic of Two, starring Brent Bailey (Think Like A Man), Janet Montgomery (Black Swan) and Brandon Fobbs (Pride); Lost on Purpose, starring Jane Kaczmarek (“Malcolm in the Middle”), C. Thomas Howell (“Southland”), James Lafferty (“One Tree Hill”), Aaron Hill (“Greek”), Dale Dickey (“True Blood”), Octavia Spencer (The Help) and Jack Kehler (The Big Lebowski); Brahmin Bulls, starring Sendhil Ramamurthy (“Covert Affairs”/”Heroes”), Roshan Seth (Indiana Jones & The Temple of Doom), Mary Steenburgen (The Help) and Justin Bartha (Hangover); and Grave Secrets, starring Diane Ladd (“Enlightened”) and Jennifer Stone (“Wizards of Waverly Place”).

Documentaries include the world premiere of Of Kites and Borders, a powerful and compelling story of four children who live across the US border in Tijuana.  Also screening is the San Diego premiere of Lion Ark, which chronicles an ambitious and daring animal rescue of lions from illegal circuses in Bolivia; the West Coast premiere of Antarctica, A Year on Ice, a stunningly cinematic film which examines the sometimes isolated life of living in Antarctica; and the West Coast premiere Running From Crazy, which explores Mariel Hemingway’s journey as she strives for a greater understanding of her family history of substance abuse, suicide and mental illness.

Gus Van Sant at the San Diego Film Festival
Other films include the world premiere of Fading West, a surf documentary from popular rock band Switchfoot, and other awe-inspiring surfer documentaries including Ricky Whitlock: L-1, T-12 and Bending Colours. Also playing is Winter in the Blood, a film adaptation of the classic novel by James Welch; and the San Diego premiere of SLOMO, which gives an insider’s look into local slow motion rollerblader Dr. John Kitchin.

Foreign films include Cannes breakouts The German Doctor (Argentina) an intense drama making its West Coast Premiere, and Autumn Blood (Austria) making its North American premiere and starring Sophie Lowe and Peter Stormare.

Jud Apatow
Full of star-studded events, the festival also includes a tribute for American comedy producer/director/screenwriter Judd Apatow, known for his work on films like Bridesmaids, This is 40, Knocked Up, Pineapple Express and The 40-Year-Old Virgin. The San Diego Film Festival will present Apatow their “Visionary Filmmaker Award” on Thursday, October 3rd at the Museum of Contemporary Art in La Jolla, which is open to the participants holding a San Diego Film Festival VIP pass. Last year’s awards recipient was Gus Van Sant, the award-winning director of Good Will Hunting (1997) and Promised Land (2012).  Stars such as Diane Ladd, Anne Heche, Robin Williams, and Ben Affleck paid tribute.    

Mariel Hemingway
Oscar-nominated actress Mariel Hemingway, mental health advocate and granddaughter of Ernest Hemingway, will also be honored with a “Humanitarian Award” by the San Diego Film Festival and Sharp Mesa Vista Hospital for her role in the new documentary feature film, Running From Crazy.  The Humanitarian Award presentation will be held on Saturday, October 5th at 6:30 pm at the Joan Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice at the University of San Diego.

Serving as the Festival Host and Jury President, noted film critic Jeffrey Lyons serves a key role in the festival thanks to his impressive background in television, radio and print spanning more than 40 years.

The San Diego Film Foundation celebrates the art and power of independent film by creating unique, interactive, memorable film-going experiences. The non-profit San Diego Film Foundation produces the annual San Diego Film Festival, showcasing one-of-a-kind film premieres, informative industry panels, and filmmaker and celebrity events.  The organization is devoted to the inspiration and talent behind each film, and turns every screening into a must-see event, complete with after-parties.  For more information, to purchase tickets and for film schedules, visit www.sdfilmfest.com, and check below for the complete line-up of films being shown at the festival.

SAN DIEGO FILM FESTIVAL 2013 COMPLETE LINE-UP

FEATURE
·       Michael Doneger’s This Thing with Sarah

·       James Genn’s Old Stock (North American Premiere)

·       Shaun Kosta’s The Republic of Two (World Premiere)

·       Del Shores’ Southern Baptist Sissies

·       Eshom Nelms’ Lost on Purpose (World Premiere)

·       Martin Papazian’s Least Among Saints

·       Rajeev Dassani’s Watercolor Postcards (West Coast Premiere)

·       Bruce Mason’s Chez Upshaw

·       Mahesh Pailoor’s Brahmin Bulls (World Premiere)

·       Markus Blunder’s Autumn Blood (North American Premiere)

·       Martin Jablonski’s Fallacy (Trugschluss) (World Premiere)

·       Martin Schreier’s Robin Hood (World Premiere)

·       Cao Hamburger’s Xingu (North American Premiere)

·       Artus de Penguern’s The Clinic of Love (LA Clinque De L’AMOUR) (World Premiere)

·       David Hillenbrand’s Grave Secrets (World Premiere)

·       Casey Twenter’s The Jogger

·       Lucia Puenzo’s The German Doctor (West Coast Premiere)

DOCUMENTARIES

·       David Romero’s We the Owners: Employees

·       Yolanda Pividal’s Of Kites and Borders (World Premiere)

·       Barbara Kopple’s Running from Crazy (West Coast Premiere)

·       Anthony Powell’s Antarctica: A Year on Ice (West Coast Premiere)

·       Steve Hoover’s Blood Brother (West Coast Premiere)

·       Mitty Griffis Mirrer’s Gold Star Children (West Coast Premiere)

·       Cindy L. Abel’s Breaking Through (West Coast Premiere)

·       Tim Philips’ Lion Ark

FEATURE – NATIVE AMERICAN

·       Alex and Andrew Smith’s Winter in the Blood

·       Jennifer Jessum’s Holy Man: The USA vs. Douglas

·       Valerie Bischoff’s Derby Kings

·       Brent Ryan Green’s Running Deer (West Coast Premiere)

·       Nick Brokaw’s Four Winds

·       Travis Geiger’s Takers

FEATURE – MUSIC

·       Peter Miller’s AKA Doc Pomus

·       Matt Mangham’s Inspired: Andy Powers (World Premiere)

·       Matt Katsolis’ Fading West (World Premiere)

FEATURE – SPORTS

·       Timothy A. Ryan’s Ricky Whitlock: L-1, T-12 (World Premiere)

·       Kai Neville’s Bending Colours

·       Josh Izenberg’s SLOMO

·       Jeremy Grant’s Where the Trail Ends

FEATURE – FASHION

·       Adrian Lazarus’ Steam 1886

·       Aviv Kosloff’s Mia

·       Damien Krisl’s Urban Hippie

·       Eric Chang’s Lilith

·       Guy Aroch and Jonathan Doe’s Roshambo

·       Julian Acosta’s Moving

·       Jakob Daschek’s The Reinvention

·       Manuel Portillo’s Pasos de Sirena (In Search of Mermaid)

·       Josh Oakhurst’s Chimera

·       Miguel Gauthier and Viktorija Pashuta’s Lover’s Game

FEATURE – WORLD ISSUES

·       Steven Kochones’ No Strangers (World Premiere)

·       Matthew VanDyke’s Not Anymore: A Story of Revolution

·       Antoneta Kastrati’s She Comes in the Spring (US Premiere)

·       Ujkan Hysaj’s Kolona

SHORTS

From the “Stranger in a Strange Land” Shorts Track:
·       Byron’s Theme, Fort Apache, Brightwood, A Tribal L Community, and String
From the “A Different Kind of Love” Shorts Track:
·       The Gift, Exiles (West Coast Premiere), Boop Beep, Mister Forgettable (World Premiere), and Station Master
From the “Push the Limits” Shorts Track:
·       Solidarity, Cold Warrior, Ticket to Hell, Impress, and Motive
From the “Mind Games” Shorts Track:
·       Iris, Imagine, Roaring Camp (World Premiere), Gun, Red Velvet, and Side Effected
From the “For Shorts and Giggles” Shorts Track:
·       America 101, Sumo Roll (West Coast Premiere), Alternative Sides, Estefan, The Sidekick, Hell No (West Coast Premiere), and Honk If You’re Horny
From the “Unexpected Comedy” Shorts Track:
·       Glazed and Confused, Double or Nothing, Dog Bytes, L’Appuntamento (The Appointment), Sour Milk, The Test, and Efimera
From the “Back to the Beginning” Shorts Track:
·       Lambing Season, We Keep On Dancing (West Coast Premiere), The Swimmer, Ojala, Carry on Only, and The Interviewer
From the “Twilight Zone” Shorts Track:
·       Auto Drive, End of the Beginning, Thirteen (West Coast Premiere), The Ritual (West Coast Premiere), and Al Otro Lado