Sunday, November 2

From art-house classics to documentary films, from innovative and experimental visions to next-level Bollywood: 3rd I is committed to promoting diverse images of South Asians through independent film, representing filmmakers from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Tibet, Bhutan, The Maldives and the global South Asian Diaspora. 3rd I showcases films once a month in San Francisco and this is our premiere Film Festival. Please visit www.thirdi.org. For further information about us, or call (415) 835-4781.

200pm: My Mother India
My Mother India is a powerful, personal and engaging documentary. Safina Uberoi, the narrator, tells the story of her mother, an Australian who married an Indian PhD student and moved to India, her father, a Sikh turned liberal atheist turned Sikh again, and his parents, a guru and a feisty skeptic. But what starts off as a quirky lighthearted family story about personal identity and movement between cultures touches on darker issues of group identity, with the family on the edge of the communal violence sparked by the 1984 attack on the Sikh temple at Amritsar and the assassination of Indira Gandhi. My Mother India touches on complex issues with sensitivity and balance. Director: Safina Uberio Country: Australia (2001) Running Time: 52 mins; 35mm. Color. In English.

4pm: DAM/Age
A Film by Aradhana Seth with Arundhati Roy DAM/Age traces writer and activist Arundhati Roy's bold and controversial campaign against the Narmada dam project in India which displaces up to a million people. The author of ‘The God of Small Things’, which won the prestigious Booker Prize in 1998, Roy has also published ’The Cost of Living’, a book of two essays critical of India's massive dam and irrigation projects, as well as India's successful detonation of a nuclear bomb. As the film traces the events that led up to her imprisonment, Roy meditates on her own personal negotiation with her fame, the responsibility it places on her as a writer, a political thinker and a citizen. The film shows how Roy chose to use her fame to stand up to powerful interests supported by multinational corporations and the Indian government. For her, the story of the Narmada Valley is not just the story of modern India, but of what is happening in the world today, "Who counts, who doesn't, what matters, what doesn't, what counts as a cost, what doesn't, what counts as collateral damage, what doesn't." In a clear and accessible manner, the film weaves together a number of issues that lie at the heart of international politics today: from the consequences of development and globalization to the urgent need for state accountability and the freedom of speech. Director: Aradhana Seth Country: India/USA (2002) Running Time: 50 mins, 35mm. Color. In Hindi and English with English subtitles.

6pm: Road to Ladakh
Road to Ladakh is a surreal journey into a new kind of cinema playing up the juxtapositions and contradictions that are an inherent part of modern day India. Road To Ladakh is a sensual suspenseful love story revolving around an encounter between two strangers thrown together by chance into the magnificent wilderness of Ladakh or the Land of the Purple Moon.Both are outsiders in this mountainous resort in India, both are lonely, both crave the human contact that their roles in society deny them. Tentatively they search each other out in a film that is exquisitely poised on a knife-edge between elusiveness and engagement, suspicion and tenderness. According to director Ashvin Kumar, " There is a new wave of filmmakers who are changing the entire approach to Indian cinema. They are not churning out tired old stereotypes but are portraying contemporary people in current settings. They are addressing a diverse range of issues and are voicing modern-day concerns. Director: Ashvin Kumar Country: UK (2003) Running Time: 55 mins, 35mm Color. In English.

8pm: A Nation Without Women
A Nation Without Women is one of the most startling debut features to emerge from India in recent memory. It is astonishing not only for its courageous treatment of an incendiary issue - female infanticide - but for its remarkable technical prowess. After centuries of female infanticide, abortion and dowry deaths, India's women have slowly but methodically been almost wiped out. Writer/director Manish Jha asks, then what? What's the worst that could happen? "I wanted to make an effort to look at our status quo and see what would happen if India continued the way it's now going." Matrubhoomi took the top prize of the International Federation of Film Critics award at the recent Venice Film Festival.US Premiere Director: Manish Jha Country: France/India (2003) Running Time: 93 mins; Color. In Hindi with English subtitles.

Monday, Nov. 3th - Thursday, Nov. 6
Nightly at 7:00 and 9:00. Additional Sat, Sun and Wed matinees at 2:00 & 4:30

Rivers and Tides
Andy Goldsworthy Working With Time

"That rare film about an artist that is, in itself, a work of art, Rivers and Tides Andy Goldsworthy Working With Time is an extraordinary journey into the world and mind of Scottish sculptor Andy Goldsworthy. A land-artist who uses materials from nature to make site-specific works, Goldsworthy allows the elements to have the last say in his beautiful creations, as his ingenious patterns of wood, leaves, stone and ice move and erode over time. German filmmaker Thomas Riedelsheimer followed the artist for over a year in several outdoor locations, intimately documenting his improvisational process and capturing the serene spectacle of his works and their delicate changes. Although Goldsworthy's private and often ephemeral pieces have been documented extensively in still photographs, this remarkable movie uses the artist's own voice to guide usthrough his process and help us "…see something you never saw before, that was always there but you were blind to it." Winner of the Golden Gate Award at the recent San Francisco International Film Festival, Rivers and Tides is a sensual and poetic masterpiece." - Richard Peterson. Director, Cinematographer, Editor: Thomas Riedelsheimer. Music: Fred Frith. In Color. 35 mm. 90 minutes. 1.66 :1. Not Rated. Dolby SR. 2001. Germany Showtimes: Nightly at 7:00 and 9:00. Additional Sat, Sun and Wed matinees at 2:00 & 4:30

"Fascinating" -- Edward Guthmann, SF Chronicle
"The hottest ticket in town. The movie is breathtaking!"
-- Jon Carroll, SF Chronicle"
"Truly Great". -- Kenneth Baker, SF Chronicle
"Hypnotically dazzling!" -- David Fear, SF Bay Guardian
"A beautiful, meditative piece." -- Jeffrey M. Anderson, SF Examiner
"A Sculpture of Sea and Prairie, of Water, Fire and Stone"
-- Ann Wilson Lloyd, New York Times Arts & Leisure
"" -- Bruce Newman, San Jose Mercury
"Finding the flow of Goldsworthy's art" -- Kenneth Baker, SF Chronicle
"Creations draw on natural realm " -- Jack Fischer, San Jose Mercury

In the United States, Andy Goldsworthy is represented by
the Haines Gallery and Gallerie Lelong

Rivers and Tides is NOW SHOWING in these Theaters.

Friday, Nov. 7th - Thursday, Nov. 20 (except Sat, Nov 15)

............Double Bill!!..........

Hidden In Plain Sight
with
Plan Colombia: Cashing-In On The Drug War Failure
Entire Program: Nightly at7 & 9:30pm with Wed/Sat/Sun Matinees at (2:00) & 4:30

HIDDEN
in plain sight

Winner of the 2003 Award of Merit in Film at the Latin American Studies Association Film Festival in Dallas, "Hidden in Plain Sight" focuses on the curriculum of the U.S. Army's School of the Americas, located at Fort Benning in Georgia. This school (which changed its name two years ago to the "Western Hemisphere Institute of Security Cooperation") has trained tens of thousands of Latin American army officers and police officers in what is officially described as "counterinsurgency tactics." Among the school's more infamous alumni are Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega and El Salvador's dictator Roberto D'Aubuisson. Each year, massive demonstrations are held outside of Fort Benning demanding that it cease operations. Yet despite a brutal record of massive human rights abuses engineered and executed by its students, the school remains operational and fully-financed. Narrated by Martin Sheen, the documentary features interviews with political thinkers (Noam Chomsky, Christopher Hitchens, Eduardo Galeano), Congresspersons (Barbara Lee, Mac Collins), Army officers (Maj. Gen. John LeMoyne),victims and social activists (Sister Dianna Ortiz) who tackle the issues of U.S. economic and military policies in Latin America, the war on drugs, and terrorism. For more info, log onto hiddeninplainsight USA, 2002. In English. 71mins., DV, COLOR This is the first film on the double bill. See showtimes above.

"A sober, focused piece that asks Americans to take another look at what is going on in their own backyard." - Dave Kehr, N.Y.Times
"This is nuts-and-bolts, left-wing documentary video-making, and they fulfill their mission expertly." -- G. Allen Johnson, S.F. Chronicle

............ALSO SHOWING..........

With the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) now branded a terrorist organization by the US, and Colombian President Pastrana unilaterally withdrawing from the peace process in February 2002, this is a very timely analysis of the 20-year war on drugs in Colombia and the realities of what is known as "Plan Colombia." A counterpoint structure and a wide range of interviews with, among others, Noam Chomsky, the late Senator Paul Wellstone, Green presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt (later kidnapped by FARC), US State Department officials, US Congress members, and Colombian farmers, rebels, social activists and military, help build an insightful analysis of the purposes behind the drug war that, in the last decade, has resulted in a twofold increase in cocaine imports to the US. Captivating, quickly paced and dense with information, this investigation opens multiple insights into a half-century of civil strife. Drawing parallels to the wars in Vietnam and Afghanistan, and, more generally, US support of South American regimes friendly to US economic interests, Gerard Ungerman and Audrey Brohy (Hidden Wars of Desert Storm, VIFF 00) offer important observations on the grave human rights abuses and environmental destruction wrought by the plan. They also point to the role of Plan Colombia in subsidizing the US military industrial complex through aid to the Colombian military, and take on the central place of oil and corporate globalization in the current violence. For more info, blow into PlanColombia.org. Directed by by Gerard Ungerman and Audrey Brohey. USA, 2003, 58 min, Color, DVCam. In English, Spanish with English subtitles. This is the 2nd show on the double bill. See showtimes above.

The Roxie Cinema, Tower Records, and EMI Music are proud to present 'COLDPLAY LIVE 2003' for one week only. Recorded in Sydney in July 2003, this concert film answers fans' cries for more material from the band that won two Grammys for their sophomore album. The movie follows Brit-pop rock band Coldplay live in concert during their Rush of Blood to the Head tour. Recorded in July of 2003, the 90-minute film is compiled from Super 16 mm footage shot by acclaimed production company Done & Dusted during their shows at the Horden Pavilion. The spectacular footage includes all the hits plus a new track 'Moses' and the lost classic 'See You Soon', only previously available on Coldplay's very first Parlophone release, 'The Blue Room EP'. In English. DVD. 90 minutes. 9:30 ONLY. SEPERATE ADMISSION. No show Sat., Nov 15.

Saturday, Nov. 15 ONLY

Tranny Fest

Tranny Fest is a four day extravaganza of performances, panels and parties climaxing in a marathon film festival showcasing over thirty films and videos on the sweet complexity, diversity, and sex appeal of lives lived on the gender continuum. The heart of Tranny Fest and a mega-gender extravaganza – an all-day transgender film and video festival. Six groundbreaking programs, beginning with a Youth and Family Show at 1pm. Shows at 1pm, 2pm, 4pm, 6pm, 8pm, and 10pm. You saw it here first - 26 film and vidThe heart of Tranny Fest and a mega-gender extravaganza - an all-day transgender film and video festival. Six groundbreaking programs, beginning with a Youth and Family Show at 1pm. Shows at 1pm, 2pm, 4pm, 6pm, 8pm, and 10pm. You saw it here first - 26 film and video premieres! For a detailed schedule, log onto: TrannyFest. Stretch your dollar and buy a Tranny Fest pass - valid for admission to all 6 programs. Tickets: $5 for 1pm Trans Youth and Family Show, Rated PG Tickets: $8 for 2pm, 4pm, 6pm, 8pm, & 10pm shows Purchase tickets and passes at Roxie Cinema Box Office only Saturday Nov 15: The After Party with Fairy Butch Doors 8pm Show 9:30pm, Club Galia, 2565 Mission @ 22nd Tickets: $10-15 sliding scale The Official Tranny Fest After Party! Bring your Tranny Fest film ticket stub and get 1/2 price at the door. Host Fairy Butch offers up tranny strippers, matchmaking, giveaways, and more!

Friday, Nov, 21 - Thursday, Nov. 27

............Double Feature!!..........

Spellbound :Nightly at 7:00 only with Wed/Sat/Sun Matinees at (2:50)
and
Bus 174 :Nightly at 8:40 only with Wed/Sat/Sun Matinees at 4:50

Spellbound

Spellbound" follows eight kids of wildly disparate ethnic, class and regional backgrounds from their respective hometowns to Washington D.C. for the finals of the National Spelling Bee. Docu dispassionately examines this strange phenomenon of anachronistic Americana, created as a newspaper promotion in 1925, pursued obsessively by a bunch of children who pour thousands of hours of study into it, and covered as a sporting event by ESPN. Filmmakers heighten the tension by following the built-in drama of the bee through certain competitors whom the audience gets to know and to root for. Running time: 97 minutes. Show Times: Nightly at 7:00, additional Wed Sat & Sun matinees at (2:50)

............ALSO SHOWING..........

Bus 174

BUS 174 is a careful investigation of the hijack of a bus in Rio, based on an extensive research of stock footage, interviews and official documents. The hijack took place in June 12, 2000 (Valentines day in Brazil) and was broadcast live for 4 and a half hours. The whole country stopped to watch the drama on TV. The film tells 2 parallel stories. Not only does it explain the dramatic events that unfolded as the police tried, and failed, to handle the hijack situation; but it also tells the amazing life story of the hijacker, revealing how a typical Rio de Janeiro street kid was transformed into a violent criminal because society systematically denied him any kind of social existence. Both stories are interwoven in a such a way that they end up explaining why Brazil, and other countries with similar social and economic problems, are so violent. Running time; 122 mins. Show Times: Nightly at 8:45, additional Wed Sat & Sun matinees at 4:40.

Friday, Nov, 28 - Thursday, Dec 4

Lost Boys of Sudan

"Now it's clear there is no heaven on earth," says one of the thousands of the "lost boys" of Sudan after a year in the U.S. These men, a group of Sudanese orphans brought from U.N. refugee camps in 2001, could not have come from more difficult circumstances. In a country with more than two million casualties of the 47-year civil war, thousands of orphaned young boys suffered innumerable hardships and often death trying to make their way to safety. Filmmakers Megan Mylan and Jon Shenk chronicle a small group of these lost boys in their resettlement in the U.S. These young men hold high hopes of gaining enough education to cultivate a life that will someday lead them back to their own country. Peter, for instance, seeks out an education in the only way he can afford: public high school in Kansas. In this moving and often disturbing documentary, Peter's loneliness and difficulty with assimilation is palpable, as we watch him not only try to recover from his traumatic past, but survive in this new foreign land. Lost Boys of Sudan is an extraordinary account that challenges issues of immigration and foreign aid, and will leave you questioning your own beliefs about race and cultural identity. Directed by Jon Shenk, Megan Mylan THEATRICAL PREMIERE. 90mins. English, Dinka, Arabic, and Swahili with English subtitles. Digital Video. Show times: Nightly at 6:00, 8:00 & 10:00. Additional Wed, Sat, & Sun matinees at 2:00 & 4:00.

"From the standpoint of drama, LOST BOYS OF SUDAN is gripping...their stroies - aching with sadness and death, yet filled with promise, too - are spellbinding" - Jonathan Curiel, SF Chronicle