As in past years, the screenings will be held at Stoddard and Wright Halls in Smith College, the Calvin and Pleasant St. Theatres in town and in the historic Academy of Music. The Academy will host the opening featured film, "American Wake," which narrates the parallel existences of a firefighter and a talented fiddler. Both face life-defining decisions, and in making them, have to confront the sacrifices and the meaning of their choices.
"Hijacking Catastrophe" is another offering that promises to be thought-provoking against the backdrop of an election year. It scrutinizes how public reactions to 9/11 were manipulated by a radical fringe of the Republican Party as a tool to alter American foreign policy. "Hijacking Catastrophe" is a must-see for anyone with an active interest in the erosion of social freedoms and duties in this country.
In addition, students of mass media ought to be particularly captivated by "Weapons of Mass Deception," a documentary about broadcast journalism during the Iraq War. The various interpretations of similar events by TV networks within and outside America are juxtaposed in an effort to question the nature of truth in the media. A painstaking inspection of the industry by Emmy recipient and executive TV producer Danny Schechter, this film bears the clarity and cinematic touches of an insider.
For indie-lovers familiar with John Sayles, acclaimed for his state-centric portrayals in "Lone Star" and "Sunshine State," "Silver City" is a third work along the same lines but revolves this time around the disparate ends of cultural-economic reality in Colorado. Sayles is described as "one of the essential, iconoclastic voices of American independent cinema" and his film is a critical and funny take on the political scenery disguised as a detective story.
Take particular note, too, of the screening of Woody Allen's 1979 masterpiece "Manhattan" in remastered 35 mm print. It is revisited as part of a special event at the festival to present the brilliant work of cinematographer Gordon Willis. Both New York City natives and cinematography aficionados will surely love the stark colour-drained shots that are at once appealing and memorable. The cares, worries, loves and disappointments of city-dwellers have rarely been so eloquently brought to screen.
A small selection of international films will also be presented, among them "Her Majesty," the story of a young New Zealand girl's friendship with an elderly Maori; "A Journey into Bliss," perhaps best explained as a flight of imagination and lunacy by German auteur Wenzel Storch and the simply-titled "About Baghdad," which traces the fears and hopes of a city through the voices of its denizens.
However, if you have time only for a single event, make it the collection of student films entered into the Five-College Filmmakers Program and picked by a panel of distinguished filmmakers. Starting at 1 p.m. on Sunday, the screenings represent the brightest and most promising filmmakers in our midst.
Prices for Amherst students are fixed at $7 with seats on a first-come basis.