American East

*** Feature Presentation ***

"AmericanEast" is a timely, poignant drama about Arab-Americans living in post-9/11 Los Angeles. The story examines long-held misunderstandings about Arabic and Islamic culture, and puts a human face on a segment of the U.S. population whom most Americans know nothing about, but who today are of particular interest to them, either from curiosity or suspicion.

The story highlights the pressures under which many Arab-Americans now live by focusing on the points-of-view of three main characters.

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Nomads of Iran

For millennia, our ancestors wondered around the earth in a nomadic lifestyle. It seems unimaginable, but in the 21st century, there still exist nomads wondering around in our planet.

This documentary is a rare glimpse of two major nomadic tribes of Iran, Quashquees and Bakhtiaris. Nomads talk about their lives, traditions, weddings, ways of making decisions for their families and tribes, and occasionally complement the beautiful scenery of their surroundings with singing nomadic songs.

This documentary also explores the changes of lives of nomads who preferred to stay put permanently and built a new way of life in small towns. Nomad-settlers explain how settlement has changed the very fabric of their family, way of thinking, and being in the world.

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Stars

A Boy finds himself in struggle with harsh realities of life where his only escape seems to be nothing but fantasizing about another world that may only exist in dreams.

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Mystic Iran

A modern woman's mystical journey deep into the heart of her native country Iran, in search of spiritual rites and rituals hidden for centuries.

From the women's chamber of the great mosque, opened for the first time to the outside world, to the rituals held in the remote caves.

And to the sacred dance of the Dervishes, performed in secret in the remote mountains of Kurdistan, Aryana takes you on a mesmerizing and healing journey behind closed doors, and far beyond the ordinary world, exploring the mystic powers of this ancient land.

This is a Special Screening followed by Q/A with Director, Aryana Farshad.

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Hidden Generation

Hidden Generation highlights some of the issues that have been the root causes of an increasing number of women’s self-burning within Afghanistan in the last three to four years.

Through interviews of victims, nurses, and pioneer filmmakers and photographers within Afghanistan, the film analyzes the causes from a multitude of angle, with the hope of raising awareness for solving and eradicating the problem.

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Bam 6.6

Bam 6.6 is the story of the human condition. The film weaves together stories of survival, loss, and healing, as we explore the humanity of the Iranian people through the prism of the devastating 2003 earthquake that struck at the heart of Bam, an ancient Iranian village. Our subjects come from different walks of life - A Jewish-American woman, an American businessman, and the Iranian residents of Bam.

Through their experiences, viewers will witness how a natural disaster can overcome religious and political barriers, dispel stereotypes, and unite disparate members of the human family.

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Grenade

A middle-eastern man approaches a house brandishing a knife. Soon he is being interrogated by federal authorities and is subsequently sent to Guantanamo Bay. As the film unravels, the truth about what really happened is revealed and it becomes clear that events may not be as they appear on the surface.

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*** Feature Presentation ***

Set in 1979, a story which centers on Maryam, an Iranian-born 16-year-old high school student who has lived most of her life in New Jersey. She has become thoroughly Americanized, preferring to be called Mary rather than her Iranian name Maryam. Her immigrant family enjoys a pleasant and fully assimilated life in their adopted country, but their serenity is disrupted when her headstrong, fundamentalist cousin Ali arrives from Iran to attend graduate school at an American university.

Global politics, family conflicts, Old World vs. New World values, gender differences and xenophobia are among the conflicts that arise when the vehemently anti-Shah Ali arrives in the suburbs. The tensions felt Maryam's house are mirrored when the American hostages are taken in Teheran and members of the community broad brush all Iranians as enemies. While clearly not involved with the actions in Teheran, Maryam and her family face acute prejudice and hatred from a community which had long welcomed them.

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The Rebirth of Rostam

An epic masterpiece retold in for the first time in 3D animation motion picture. A story of love, betrayal, bravery and sacrifice is brought to life using the latest technologies of computer animation, cinematography, and motion capture for natural and stylized human and horse movements. Over
140 artists, technicians, engineers and computer animators have been involved in making of this film for more than 3 years.

Based on "Rostam and Sohrab" from the "Shahnameh" by Hakim Ferdowsi, The Rebirth of Rostam takes its audience on a journey of culture and history full of adventure, surprises and twists.

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Generation Tehran

Women in burkhas and bearded men in turbans–is this what you think when you hear Iran? Or is it uranium enrichment and dictatorship? What if you traveled there and saw young men and women dressed in the latest fashions carrying the latest technology? What if you heard Iranian rap and saw people dancing in the streets? Would you still perceive Iran in the same way?

Generation Tehran is a documentary short that will change your mind about Iran, its people, and its future. As one of the youngest populations in the world (70% are under 30), Iran's youth are helping to build a new country. The foundations they lay will not only affect the Middle East, but also extend out to the whole world.

Born and raised in the United States, Iranian-American director/producer Sara Bavar wanted to create a platform for Iran's youth to speak their mind and to let the world know the truth about them–to give them a voice. This film is that single, unified voice, crying out, demanding freedoms, and dispelling preconceived notions–all of which, we in the west sometimes take for granted.

Using interviews and observational footage filmed entirely on location in Tehran over the course of three months in Fall/Winter of 2006, the film will surprise, shock and leave the viewer questioning everything they knew, or thought they knew about Iran.

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three people

On their way to buy books, Abbas and his two friends confront youngsters who illegally sell American movies and playing cards.

It is revealed that the three people are handicapped veterans of the Iraq-Iran war when the young bookseller tries to put a deck of playing card in Abbas's German made prosthetic hand.

"three people", a film by Mohammad Nazarizadeh, is like a tightly woven poem, dense and packed with power that is intentionally released gradually.

The story unfolds in nine short minutes like an onion peeled layer by layer, each skin removed carefully , with the intention to bite the viewer's senses. Yet, the end message is not bleak. It is of hope. a green plant handed from a young man from one world to a war-handicapped man from another. A small plant, to be watered and kept alive.

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Nobody's Enemy

*** Please note: This is a rough cut of Nobody's Enemy.***

In the eyes of the west, Iran is a land of Islamist extremists, support for terrorism, and dangerous nuclear ambitions. But as one of the largest and youngest population in the Middle East (nearly 50 million out of 70 million of Iran's population is under the age of 30), there is a cultural phenomenon happening where these children of the revolution are experiencing a social and cultural growth process, that is different than what many people outside of Iran perceive them as. With an enthusiasm for self expression and entertainment, young Iranians look and live a lot like us -- and many outside of Iran don't even know it. Even as we move closer to the possibility of armed conflict, we remain stranded in ignorance about the "enemies" of our future.

In following its mission of fostering global youth dialogue, Chat the Planet has partnered with Iranian filmmaker, Neda Sarmast, to produce Nobody's Enemy. This ground-breaking documentary lifts the veil of secrecy that has shrouded the faces of Iran's young people for the past 26 years. It examines their lives, voices and hopes in a time of great change and international instability. In the lead up to the most historic elections of the past three decades and a possible conflict with America or Israel, Neda, a first time Iranian-American documentary filmmaker, reentered the country of her birth and uncovered stories that young Iranians want to tell us -- stories we need to hear.

Right now Iran is seen as a country of contradictions and tension. Nobody's Enemy provides a necessary and intriguing peak into the heart of Iran's young people who stand at the center of its problems and at the helm of its future. There is nothing more pressing on the international stage than relations between Iran and the west. It is absolutely essential that we begin to understand each other and this film will be a landmark step in the direction of dialogue and tolerance. A small step towards humanizing a culture that is so often dehumanized in the media today.

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The Fighting Cholitas

The Fighting Cholitas is a documentary short about a group of strong and bold female Bolivian wrestlers. These indigenous, Indian women jump into the ring every Sunday in their traditional, vibrant multi-layered skirts and perform the acrobatic maneuvers of Lucha Libre (a blend of Mexican and American professional wrestling). The Fighting Cholitas documents this weekly fight and goes behind the scenes to find out who these women are and what draws them to this unusual sport.

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*** Feature Presentation ***

5 Awards, 21 International Film Festival Official Competition Selections

David & Layla won Audience Award against La Vie en Rose, 2 Days in Paris and Lady Chatterley at World's oldest Amour film fest held during Valentine in Europe.

Shiva Rose (Layla) won "Best Breakthrough Performace Award" at Ft. Lauderdale Internatioal Film Festival

"Love, Sex, Belly Dancing and Religious Differences:The star-crossed romance David & Layla is layered with sharply observed cultural details. The movie works thanks to the charm of its leads and the writer and director Jay Jonroy's observations about Jewish and Muslim family life."
- Matt Zoller Seitz, The New York Times.

"Take the star-crossed romance of Romeo & Juliet, add some graphic sexual humor a la The 40-Year-Old Virgin and toss into the crucible of Middle East politics, and you get David & Layla, a frothy romantic comedy. David & Layla is suffused with the warmth and passion of the filmmaker Jay Jonroy.”
- Anne Hornaday, The Washington Post.

“An earnest, frequently funny comedy. Boasts a brand of chutzpah that highlights ‘the anything possible’ side of America with energy to burn. Shiva Rose (Layla) excels.”
- Lisa Nesselson, Variety

"It's hard not to be infected by the good humor and sheer joie de vivre of David & Layla."
Ella Taylor, LA Weekly

"Could have been another My Big Fat Greek Wedding but its originality and insight set it apart. David and Layla is a superior variation on that film with unexpected insights."
Joe Baltake, Independent Film Critic.

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