Great Park Hosts Independent & Inspired Film Series October 4 to November 15

IRVINE, Calif., Sept. 26, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The Orange County Great Park in collaboration with the Irvine International Film Festival will host a series of screenings of award-winning short films at the Palm Court Arts Complex beginning October 4. The Independent & Inspired Film Series features 18 films that will be screened over five evenings on select Thursdays through November 15.

Each screening will be followed by a special question and answer session with some of the directors, actors, producers, writers and cinematographers involved in the film.  The series is recommended for high school students or older.  Seating for each screening is limited – seat passes will be distributed at 6:30 p.m. Short films begin at 7:00 p.m. 

The Independent & Inspired Film Series launches Thursday, October 4 at 7:00 p.m. (arrive at 6:30 p.m. for seat passes) with three short films Deep Blue Breath, Good Men and 6 Gun, in the Artist Studios Project Room at the Palm Court Arts Complex. 

"The Great Park is excited to present this independent film series in collaboration with the Irvine International Film Festival," said Beth Krom, Chair, Orange County Great Park Corporation.  "This is not just an opportunity to view a wide variety of films; it is also a chance to learn how films are made and to interact with the creative people who make them."

Opening Screening Thursday, October 4

The series begins October 4 with Deep Blue Breath, winner of Best Short Film at the 2011 New York Independent International Film and Video Festival. Directed by Patricia Cardoso, the film tells the story of a boy named Clay who travels deep inside his body to an animated dream world where he engages in battle against the Evil Lord Vater and his army of Kuk-nuks. Meanwhile, in the waking world, a medical team struggles to save Clay's life.

Also featured is the film, Good Men, directed by Brian Connors. The film focuses on  two elderly men, played by Ed Asner and Mark Rydell, who get into a serious argument over the circumstances surrounding the 9/11 attacks on The World Trade Center.

The final film on October 4 will be 6 Gun, directed by Hebron Simckes-Joffe.  The film follows Silas, who years after the kidnapping of his child and the murder of his wife, locates and identifies the culprit – a former friend, and current gubernatorial candidate. Silas then sets out to exact revenge. Six bullets will fire...but from which gun?

After the screenings on October 4, join in the conversation with directors Patricia Cardoso, Brian Connors, and Hebron Simckes-Joffe, who will be on hand for a special question and answer session.

Admission and parking is free. The program is subject to change.

For more information, visit, please visit www.ocgp.org or call 866-829-3829.

The remaining schedule for Independent & Inspired Film Series screenings includes:

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18

• To Rest in Peace, Directed by Fawaz Al-Matrouk
  To Rest in Peace is inspired by the true story of Malek, a Kuwaiti man, who passes two unburied bodies during the Iraqi Invasion in 1990.  Malek wants to find out why they were not buried, but everyone is afraid to interfere. Caught between fear of death and respect for human dignity, Malek decides to bury the bodies himself.  8 minutes, USA

• Mossadegh, Directed by Roozbeh Dadvand
  Iran. 1959. Six years after the CIA orchestrated a coup that overthrew democratic Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh from power; he is now living under house arrest and suffering from a life-threatening condition. Mossadegh must decide whether or not to trust a brilliant American physician sent to treat him.  24 minutes, USA

• Love at First Sight, Directed by Michael Davies
  Do you believe in love at first sight? When Arthur, played by John Hurt, spots Ruth, played by Phyllida Law, he knows her heart is true.  13 minutes, UK

• The Potential Wives of Norman Mao, Directed by Derek Nguyen
  Norman Mao is an overweight and socially awkward junior businessman from Hong Kong, who at the age of 33 is still unwed.  Desperate to get him married, Norman's parents take him on an international junket to find a worthy Chinese wife.  8 minutes, USA

Following the screening, directors Fawaz Al-Matrouk and Roozbeh Dadvand will be on hand for a special question and answer session.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 25

• The Maker, Directed by Christopher Kezelos
  A strange creature races against time and wins. 5 minutes, Australia, UK, USA

• The Burying Beetle, Directed by Dave Rock
  A boy coping with his father's impending death befriends a pastor at a local church who convinces him that his father must be baptized to save his soul.  His father, a scientist and avowed atheist, doesn't quite see it that way.  27 minutes, USA

• Nanuq, Directed by Jill Jones
  A young girl is plagued by illness in a cold, unforgiving land.  A steadfast protector helps illuminate her way. 18 minutes, USA

Following the screening, directors Christopher Kezelos and Dave Rock will be on hand for a special question and answer session.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 1

• The Desperate, Directed by Ben Hur Sepehr
  On a rainy night in a concentration camp, a Nazi general is forced to plead with a condemned Jewish doctor to save his only son who is dying.  33 minutes, USA

• Walter, Directed by Jonathan Browning
  Walter, a lonely widower, reaches out to his family and friends, only to be told that they don't have time for him.  This gives him the idea that the elderly aren't the only ones marginalized in today's society and he finds friends in an unlikely place.  4 minutes, USA

• The Carrier, Directed by Scott Schaeffer
  A grieving mother is dealing with the loss of her philandering son.  She discovers a secret that will profoundly influence the lives around her, as she comes to a new understanding of her son's behavior.  18 minutes, USA

Following the screening directors Ben Hur Sepehr, Jonathan Browning, and Scott Schaeffer will be on hand for a special question and answer session.  

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 8

• Love, At Last, Directed by Alexander Jeffery
  A celebrity couple in the late 1950s reflect on their past before facing their mortality.  5 minutes, USA

• Lost Player, Directed by Nicolas Alvarez, Canyon View Elementary – Irvine
  A young boy loses his cleats and goes on an adventure to find them.  Along the way, he bumps into strangers that get him closer to what he thinks is important. In the end, he realizes material things will pass, but friendships will last a lifetime. 5 minutes, USA

• Test Subject B, Directed by D.B. Hansen
  Take one 10-year-old boy genius, add a little extra free time, and mix with the frustration of yet another family move.  The result?  Nicholas has determined once and for all to plan his own destiny by building a time machine.  But when the initial tests go awry, particularly the one involving his little sister Bethany, Nicholas must go back in time to set things straight before his mother finds out.  20 minutes, USA

• Shanghai Love Market, Directed by Craig Rosenthal
  Every weekend in Shanghai's famous Peoples' Park, parents seek matches for their unwed children.  When true love is at stake, the best-laid plans have a funny way of coming undone. 9 minutes, China, Singapore

Following the screening, directors Alexander Jeffery and Nicolas Alvarez will be on hand for a special question and answer session.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15

• Everyday Sunshine: The Story of Fishbone, Directed by Lev Anderson and Chris Metzler
  From the shifting fault lines of Hollywood fantasies and the economic and racial tensions of Ronald Reagan's America, Fishbone rose and became one of the most original bands of the last 25 years.  Everyday Sunshine is about music, history, and artistic courage.  It includes interviews with Flea, Gwen Stefani, Ice-T, Branford Marsalis, and more.  107 minutes, USA

Following the screening, directors Lev Anderson and Chris Metzler will be on hand for a special question and answer session.

About the Orange County Great Park
Hundreds of thousands of visitors from all over Southern California enjoy the Orange County Great Park's array of recreational and educational opportunities, including panoramic views from the iconic Great Park Balloon that rises 400 feet in the air.  Other Great Park features include the Carousel, Farm + Food Lab, Kids Rock Playground, Walkable Historical Timeline, Palm Court Arts Complex, North Lawn recreation area and historic Hangar 244.  In addition to free sports clinics, gardening workshops, weekly Farmers Market and other community events, the Great Park hosts an annual series of special events that provide unique experiences for the entire family, including the Growing the Park: Anniversary Celebration, Great Park Pumpkin Harvest, Great Night! Family New Year's Eve and the Flights & Sounds Summer Festival. With its approximate 1,300-acre master plan, the Great Park is the centerpiece of the redevelopment of the publicly-owned portion of the 4,700-acre former Marine Corps Air Station El Toro. For more information, please visit www.ocgp.org.

SOURCE Orange County Great Park