(Pittsburgh, PA) – The following are descriptions of Pittsburgh Indie Filmmakers Film Exhibition program for July 2017. The films are screened at Harris Theater, 809 Liberty Avenue (Downtown), the Melwood Screening Room, 477 Melwood Avenue (in North Oakland) and the Regent Square Theater, 1035 S. Braddock Avenue (in Edgewood). For admission prices and current showtimes call 412-682-4111. All titles and dates are subject to change, due to film availability.
Thru July 2 at The Harris, then moves to Regent Square (7/3 – 7/9): Anvil! The Story of Anvil
"A hymn to the human spirit, played loud in power chords." -- Cinematical
This documentary is about a 30-year-old Canadian metal band led by two lifelong friends in their 50s. Another director would have focused on the potential mockery inherent in this true tale. Yes, there's a visit to Stonehenge. This hilarious and heartwarming film shows – in precise detail – the tiny but crucial difference between obscurity and complete obscurity. The Story of Anvil isn't about metal; it's about hope. (Sacha Gervasi; USA; 2009; 90 min)
July 6 - 9: Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Since we're showing great American comedies all summer at Regent Square, we wanted to give a nod to one of the funniest British comedies ever made. In Monty Python's irreverent spoof, King Arthur (Graham Chapman) clip-clops along on his invisible steed and gathers his brave knights (or Eric Idle's Sir Robin, not so brave) to search far and wide for the sacred object. They encounter such wonders as the imperturbably limbless Black Knight (John Cleese), the bunny version of the Trojan Horse, and insufferable Frenchmen. Your cheeks will hurt from laughing. (Terry Gilliam & Terry Jones; UK; 1975; 91 min)
July 10 - 16: O'Horten
"Wonderful luminous and deliciously funny." – LA Times
After 40 long hardworking years, O'Horten retires from his strict, comfortable routine as a train engineer. With a new-found freedom and lack of structure the eccentric O'Horten (the 'O' stands for the commonly used Norwegian first name Odd'') finds it difficult to adapt to his unruly routine as a pensioner. Little does he know that his uneventful existence is about to take an invigoratingly quirky turn, as he discovers life has much more in store for him. Gently crafted by director Bent Hamer (Kitchen Stories) this deadpan comedy is both sincere and absurd. Yet the universal story of a man remaking his life – one stop at a time – is a rare, gratifying cinema experience. With subtitles. (Bent Hamer; Norway; 2009; 90 min)
July 19 – 23: Objectified
The buzz has already started. It's the new film from director Gary Hustwit, whose Helvetica became a cult favorite. This is the equally fascinating and unlikely story behind the objects that contribute delight or frustration to our lives everyday. It's about industrial design. The film show us the creative processes of some of the world's most influential designers, and shows us who we are – and want to be – from the stuff we surround ourselves with. Do you find yourself oohing and aahing over curvy office chairs, sleek teapots, or vintage typewriters? Do you appreciate the aerodynamics of badminton shuttlecocks as well as potato peelers? Then this film is for you. (Gary Hustwit; USA; 2009; 75 min)
Opens July 24: Silent Light
Finally in distribution, Silent Light has been on a dozen Top Ten critics' lists, and in 2007 it tied with Persepolis as Best Film at Cannes. Set in a Mennonite community in northern Mexico, this drama (using untrained actors) tells the story of a man whose faith in God is put to the test when he falls for another woman. From the opening time-lapse sunrise, each sequence is carefully constructed with breathtaking beauty. Whether it's the movement of a harvester plowing through a field, or the lingering shot of a flower after a lyrical sequence of kids in a pond, it's a rare cinematic experience. In Plautdietsch (the language of Prussian Mennonites) with subtitles. (Carlos Reygadas; Mexico/France/Netherlands; 2007; 136 min)
July 3 – 9: Anvil! The Story of Anvil
"A hymn to the human spirit, played loud in power chords." -- Cinematical
July 10 - 23: Moon
"If there's still an audience for old-school, ideas-driven allegorical science fiction, it will undoubtedly find much to cheer for here." – Box Office Magazine
Set in the near future on a lunar base, Moon is an intimate character study couched in a Twilight Zone mystery. It stars Sam Rockwell in a tour de force performance as astronaut Sam Bell, living on the far side of the moon where he mines helium. It's a lonely job, made harder by a broken satellite that allows no live communication. The closest thing to inter-action is with Gerty the mono-toned computer (played by Kevin Spacey). His contract is almost up and he'll soon reunite with his wife and young daughter on Earth. But suddenly, Sam begins to have migraines that lead him to crash his lunar rover. When recovering, he meets a younger, angrier version of himself who claims to be fulfilling the same three-year contract. (Duncan Jones; UK; 2009; 97 min)
July 24 - 30: Amarcord – new print!
This beautiful restoration of Fellini's most rambunctious, accessible film is full of vibrant colors, bawdy humor and bittersweet nostalgia. The Oscar winner is a loose collection of Fellini's boyhood memories framed by the seasons. Set in the small coastal village of Rimini during fascism, Amarcord – the maestro's most personal film – satirizes his youth and turns daily life into a circus of adolescent shenanigans, family rituals, male fantasies, and political subterfuge. Also features a Nina Rota score you'll be humming for days. With subtitles. (Federico Fellini; Italy; 1973; 123 min)
Opens July 31: Seraphine
A breath-taking film – and winner of 7 Cesars – Seraphine boasts a mesmerizing performance by Yolande Moreau in the title role. The designation of 'outsider' artists includes (among other things) untrained masters who remained unknown while alive, or those whose mental illness existed alongside a significant artistic career. In this astonishing new film about French painter Seraphine Louis, we visit another outsider. In 1914, she's working as a maid and cook by day, and painting with expressionistic fury by night. Her oracular, phantasmagoric work is ignored until discovered by a respected art collector and dealer of primitivists. Just as Seraphine's paintings are hailed as exceptional, her precarious mental state (like Munch and Van Gogh) begins to slip. With subtitles. (Martin Provost; France; 2009; 122 min)
The staff at PF/PCA agreed what we all need is a summer of fun – real laugh-out loud comedies. After much discussion of favorites, the list was narrowed to all-American comedies made between 1934 and 1999. Each Sunday night these knee-slappers will be introduced by the employee who lobbied hardest for their favorite.
July 5: Waiting for Guffman (Christopher Guest; 1996; 94 min) Hilarious take on community theater group from This is Spinal Tap creators; intro by Kathy Staresinic, stained glass artist and finance assistant.
July 12: It's a Gift (Norman Z. McLeod; 1934; 73 min) One of W.C. Fields' most brilliant comedies about trying to escape his nagging family; intro by Eric Mattimore, film projectionist/Regent Sq Theater mgr.
July 19: A Shot in the Dark (Blake Edwards; 1964; 101 min) In the second of the Clouseau (Peter Sellers) series we meet Dreyfus and Cato; intro by Loretta Stanish, arts advocate and director of development.
July 26: The Great Race (Blake Edwards; 1965; 160 min) This epic slapstick comedy about competitors stars Jack Lemon and Tony Curtis; intro by John Cantine, filmmaker and associate professor.
Melwood Screening Room – 477 Melwood Ave.
July 14: Film Kitchen
This monthly series highlights regional independent film and video work. Featured this month are shorts by Justin Crimone, Nils Hanczar and Marina Pfenning. Presented on the 2nd Tuesday of every month, it's co-sponsored by City Paper, WYEP-FM, Tandoor Grill, DH Creative, and Rock Light.
July 17 – 19: Three Monkeys
Director Nuri Bilge Ceylan's extraordinarily film, Three Monkeys, is further evidence that he's one of the finest filmmakers working today. (He won Best Director at Cannes last year.) It's the story of a politician who's involved in a car accident and then asks his driver to take the rap and a short jail sentence, in return for a tempting financial reward. It's just the first of many lies; inevitably, the driver's wife and son are also affected, and soon all four are trapped in a tangled web of fear, desire, doubt and guilt. Almost Dostoyevskian, this astute film has a dark sense of moral, psychological and dramatic irony. With subtitles. (Nuri Bilge Ceylan; Turkey; 2008; 109 min)
July 24 – 26: Big Man Japan
Recalling classic Japanese monster movies populated with lots of baddies and heroes, and reveling in juvenile humor, Big Man Japan is an outrageously wacky summer film. Mr. Daisato, employee at the Department of Baddie Prevention saves the land from the stink clouds of Smelly Baddie and the dangerous projectile eyeball of Mean Look Baddie (created with wonderful computer fx). However, locals blame him for destroying property and getting fat. So when a truly vicious bad guy hits Japan, it's anyone's guess whether or not Daisato will be up for the job. Director Matsumoto, a superstar comedian in his native land, showers Big Man Japan with color and verve, satirizing talking head-style documentaries, sponsor placements, and the ephemeral nature of popular culture. (Hitoshi Matsumoto; Japan; 2007; 113 min)