Event Schedule //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// F R I D A Y September 21, 2007 6:30PM Mingle with the Makers Rub elbows with filmmakers featured in the Max Allan Collins Film Expo before and after the screenings. Also enjoy cocktails, hors d'oeuvres and live music by Bob Washut. 7:30PM An Inconsequential Matter Max Allan Collins (Muscatine, IA) 8 minutes, 2006 Directed by Collins, this mostly black & white film noir short was shot in three hours during a workshop presented by the Iowa Motion Picture Association and the Iowa Scriptwriters Alliance. Cedar Valley premiere. End of the Sawdust Trail Andy Brodie (Iowa City, IA) 9 minutes, 2006 This offbeat charmer, a modern silent about a clown’s retirement, becomes a poetic exploration of aging, identity and transformation. Shot on black and white Super 8, the film features an original score by Seattle cult musician Jason Webley. World premiere. Blackbird Rising Joe Boyle (Davenport, IA) 3 minutes, 2007 The timeless battle of good versus evil plays out on screen in this taught and fast-paced short. World premiere. Willow Garden Jim Haverkamp & Don Henderson Baker (Durham, NC) 44 minutes, 2006 Set in 1740’s Northern Ireland and based on one of America’s strangest murder ballads, this film centers around a young man who must decide whether to listen to his heart or to take his father’s dark and twisted advice. Cedar Valley premiere. S A T U R D A Y September 22, 2007 1:00PM Nomi’s Rainbow Family Kent Shankle (Waterloo, IA) 16 minutes, 2007 This animated children’s story is based on the real-life experiences of Nomi and her family, addressing issues of identity, divorce, alternative lifestyles and step-parenting in a light-hearted yet honest way. World premiere. Milton’s Lemonade Stand Anson Poe (Cedar Falls, IA) 2 minutes, 2007 A rather curious vendor hawks a strangely sweet and sour beverage in this short comedy spoof. World premiere. Spurs Ian Klink (Bettendorf, IA) 24 minutes, 2007 Four criminals meet up in an Old West ghost town saloon to split up their loot. A parable with dark overtones in the western genre. Cedar Valley premiere. Notes: A Noteworthy Story of Music Jerry Johnson (Storm Lake, IA) 105 minutes, 2007 This documentary follows the students and instructors of Storm Lake High School as they prepare for concerts, contests and a national competition. Cedar Valley premiere. 3:45PM The Safe Ben Lepley (West Des Moines, IA) 9 minutes, 2007 A con man suffering from OCD and a short-tempered thug impersonate a priest as part of a convoluted scheme to steal a safe. Iowa premiere. Inheritance Sara Peak Convery (Chicago, IL) 3 minutes, 2000 Composed primarily of still black and white photographic images juxtaposed against wide views of farm fields, this short film is an evocative rumination on land and family. Midwest premiere. Protest: Take Back the Streets Steve Mager (Waterloo, IA) 30 minutes, 2000 This documentary chronicles the events of a public protest of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank which took place in Berekley, CA in 2000. World premiere. Journey: A Journey to the Heart of the Journey Ben Lepley & Aaron Chrenen (West Des Moines, IA) 28 minutes, 2007 A young man learns to trust again as he undergoes an 80-mile walking journey with a relative stranger in this off-the-wall musical comedy. Counter Play Justin Marxen, Joe McKinney & Jeff Voss (Davenport, IA) 5 minutes, 2007 A bomb, an office building, a hostage and a ticking clock. Something is going to blow… Cedar Valley premiere. A Little Salsa on the Prairie Kent Newman & Jody Swilky (Des Moines, IA) 55 minutes, 2007 This documentary examines the changing complexion of Perry, Iowa as a wave of Latino workers relocate in this small and predominantly white community. Cedar Valley premiere. 7:00PM Morning Diminuet Alex Skitolsky (Decorah, IA) 11 minutes, 2007 This experimental piece ruminates on a shut-in’s dance with isolation and diminishment on a Midwest winter morning. Midwest premiere. Somos Las Bolas Andrew Edmark (Bettendorf, IA) 24 minutes, 2007 The interpersonal dynamics within a circle of friends are altered when one of them acquires a ping-pong table. Cedar Valley premiere. Keeping Ease Lucas Baumann (Cedar Falls, IA) 3 minutes, 2007 This short piece captures a chance encounter between two creatures. World premiere. There’s Something Lucas Baumann (Cedar Falls, IA) 5 minutes, 2007 The filmmaker attempts to document the pure beauty to be found in the ordinary and everyday. World premiere. Everyday Cycles Lucas Baumann (Cedar Falls, IA) 5 minutes, 2007 An experimental film documenting a performance art piece. World premiere. Everybody Promenade LeAnn Erickson (Glenside, PA) 27 minutes, 2007 The Nemaha Farmall Promenade, an eight-member troupe of square dancers, is the subject of this endearing documentary film. But there is an interesting twist: these male “female” couples perform while driving antique tractors. Cedar Valley premiere. Snipe Hunt Terry Daily (Mitchellville, IA) 16 minutes, 2007 A practical joke turns into a nightmare for three boys on a camping trip in the woods. Cedar Valley premiere. Indelible Rick Amundson (West Des Moines, IA) 104 minutes, 2007 A man recently released from prison finds that his past follows him as closely as his jailhouse tattoos. Cedar Valley premiere. Through the Night Insane Mike Saunders (Ottumwa, IA) 85 minutes, 2007 Reunions are often a time of friendship and remembrance but, unfortunately, for six people attending a party in the middle of nowhere, its also a time of insanity and murder. Cedar Valley premiere.