2009 Seminars and Special Events
Seminars
Japanese Cinema: A Closer Look
10:00 AM - 11:30 AM , Thursday, November 12
Upstairs Screening Room, Movies at Midway
Admission: FREE [Advance registration is not required]
Each year the Country Spotlight sidebar features the films of a specific country, which this year is Japan. In addition to Japanese films, we also try to highlight different aspects of the Japanese culture. If you check the “Live in the Lounge” section, you’ll learn about the Sake tasting, Japanese tea ceremony, and other events.
Another component of the Country Spotlight sidebar is a seminar that focuses on the film industry in the featured country. This year we take a look at the Land of the Rising Sun, Japan. Made up of 6,852 islands and the world’s 10th largest population of approximately 128 million people, Japan is the world’s second largest economy by GNP. While the major industries include banking, insurance, real estate, retailing, transportation, telecommunications and construction, the film industry has been a consistent force in the country as well as around the world.
Japanese films do not always receive the public attention they may deserve, but the critics often praise the films for their storytelling and creativity. Themes tend to stay close to the Japanese people and culture including a strong emphasis on the family. Japan’s pride is also evident in the films they produce.
So join us in learning more about this amazing country through its films. Subjects may include: The historical context of Japanese Cinema; How Japanese Cinema differs from other Asian countries; Are Japanese films made for consumption domestically or internationally; and How does that affect the production, distribution and marketing of the films; What role does censorship play in the industry; and Is there a New Japanese Cinema movement and how it differs from the old style?
This year we are very excited to welcome 3 renowned guests. Yoichi Komatsuzawa is a Professor at the Graduate School Sendai School, Tohoku University of Art and Design and also a curator for many worldwide film festivals. Kyoko Hirano, is an independent film scholar and author living and working in New York City and Tokyo. In addition we have, Tom Vick, author and Film Curator for the Smithsonian’s Freer and Sackler Galleries of the Smithsonian Museum. His specialty lies in Asian Cinema.
Discover Your Path to Making Your Own Films
10:00 AM – 12:30 PM Saturday, November 14
Upstairs Screening Room
Free admission, no registration required
(Sponsored by the The Delaware Independent Filmmakers)
The Delaware Independent Filmmakers (DIF) invites
anyone who shares the dream of launching a career
in film to a networking and information session.
Learn about this dedicated organization of working
filmmakers and how members can help you get started
making your own film, no matter what your budget is.
Attendees will meet the Board of Directors, network and learn about the difference DIF is making in the Delaware film community. You will also have the opportunity to see a few recent prize- winning films. Bill Page, co-writer and co-producer of the award winning film, “All Along”, will present a brief discussion about the process he went through from finding actors to entering the film festival circuit.
DIF meets on a monthly basis, screening short films and trailers from local filmmakers. Workshops on acting, cameras, editing and lighting are organized throughout the year. For more information on DIF, visit the website at www.whatsthedif.net.
Growing Up Gay in Small Town, USA
7:00 PM Friday, November 13
Upstairs Screening Room
$5.00 admission includes both the screening and discussion
Out in the Silence film screening 7:00 PM (See Page 75)
Discussion immediately following screening
After the screening of the wonderful film Out in the Silence join Directors Joe Wilson and Dean Hamer and Camp Rehoboth Youth Coordinator Gail Jackson as they discuss being gay in rural America and especially the added difficulties of growing up in this environment. Being a gay youth has enough hardships and difficulties and often these are made more difficult by one’s physical surroundings. Whether you are or were a gay child growing up outside of a metropolitan area, or just feel that a better understanding of the struggles may provide more empathy, this film screening and discussion are for you.
Art Collecting 101: Herb, Dorothy and You?
10:00 AM – 11:30 AM , Sunday, November 15
Upstairs Screening Room, Movies at Midway
Admission: Free (Advance registration is not required)
Join Dick and Elisa Poole, from Aerie Gallery in downtown Rehoboth, for a fun and informative program on starting your own art collection. Whether you’re buying one piece you love or looking to become a collector, people of all ages and income levels can knowledgeably buy art.
In the film Herb & Dorothy, (see schedule below) we follow the Vogels (Herb and Dorothy) as they amass one of the largest collections of modern art in the world. Their purchases are guided by two rules: the piece had to be affordable and small enough to fit in their one-bedroom Manhattan apartment. While this arrangement worked for them, it is not the required method for building your own art collection.
How does one learn to purchase art? What are the important factors to consider; investment potential, original work vs. prints vs., Giclees, or the fact that you love it? Are there foolproof methods in evaluating purchases? How do you get deals on art? These are just some of the questions that will be answered, as well as plenty of time to get answers to some of your own questions that will put you on your way to becoming the next Herb or Dorothy Vogles.
In order to get the most out of this seminar, don’t miss a Herb and Dorothy screening:
Thursday |
November 12 |
@ 12:30pm |
Friday |
November 13 |
@ 8:25pm |
Saturday |
November 14 |
@ 12:05pm |
[See page 55 in the Film Schedule for film description]
Live in the Lounge
Dogfish Head Beer Tasting
Friday (Nov 13), 8:00 PM
Location: Big Tent
(Sponsored by Dogfish Head Craft Brewery)
After seeing the Dogfish Head Craft Brewery on the screen (see page 74 for Beer Wars screening) meet Dogfish
Head reps in the Big Tent. Enjoy a sampling of a few of Dogfish Head Craft Brewery’s innovative beers known
for their non-traditional ingredients.
As part of the Country Spotlight, we are pleased to bring Japan to the Rehoboth Beach Independent Film Festival by showcasing traditional rituals of the Japanese culture.
Japanese Tea Ceremony
Saturday (Nov 14), 5:00 PM
Location: Big Tent
(Presented by Mrs. Miiko Hunt)
The Japanese tea ceremony is a very special event in Japanese culture. As the host engages in the ceremonial preparation and presentation of the powdered green tea known as matcha, the observer is enthralled by the beauty of her artistic performance. The ceremony is highly ritualized and the manner in which it is performed or the art of its performance is known as sado. The apanese recognize that every human encounter is a singular occasion that will never recur in exactly the same way, and so every aspect of the tea ceremony is savored.
Enjoy this unique opportunity to see a live performance of a beautiful Japanese tradition
Sake Tasting
Saturday (Nov 14), 6:00 PM
Location: Big Tent
(Sponsored by the members of the Miyagi Prefecture
Sake Brewers Association)
Sake is a tasty, Japanese alcoholic beverage made from rice through a brewing process. Learn how sake is made, how it became a world beverage, and the current status of the sake industry in Japan. During this presentation, you’ll be able to sample a few variations of sake.
Suzume Odori
(Sparrow Dance)
Saturday (Nov 14), 9:00 PM
Location: Big Tent
(Performed by the Iroha Suzume Odori Dance Team)
Enjoy this high-level, dynamic performance! The construction of the Sendai Castle in Miyagi Prefecture was completed in 1603 and to celebrate, stone masons performed a dance for Date Masamune, the most revered feudal lord in Northeastern Japan. The movements of the stone masons resembled sparrows and because Date Masamune’s family crest featured sparrows as well, the dance became known as Suzume Odori or Sparrow Dance. This particular dance was revived in 1985 and became the main feature of the Sendai-Aoba Festival held in Miyagi’s capital city, Sendai. Suzume Odori is now arranged with vibrant, dynamic present-day movements, accompanied by Japanese taiko drums, flutes and bells.
The Iroha Suzume Odori Dance Team, led by Ms. Mayumi Tsuji, is made up of members who have received the highest award in the Sendai-Aoba Festival contest several times. Formed in 2001, the group performed Suzume Odori at the 2002 World Cup games held in Miyagi Prefecture.
Sparrow Dance Workshop
Sunday (Nov 15), 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM
Location: Big Tent
(Hosted by the Iroha Suzume Odori Dance Team)
The workshop will start by designing your own hand fan (provided without charge). Then learn basic steps of the sparrow dance before joining the Suzume Odori group. Get up early to enjoy this unique opportunity to experience a Japanese tradition.
Closing Night Celebration!
Sunday, November 15, 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Big Tent, Film Festival Box Office
Join the casual, closing of the Rehoboth Beach Independent Film Festival’s twelfth year. Audience winners for Best Feature, Best Debut Feature, Best Documentary, and Best Short will be announced. The winning ticket for the 50/50 will also be selected.
No ticket is needed for this gathering. Beverages and food can be purchased from on-site vendors. So relax, reflect, and rejoice at the completion of another great Festival.
Art Auction
The original artwork “Reel Treasures”, created by
Batenga Kajumba Obuseh, was the inspiration for the
theme of this year’s Festival artwork. This painting
will be available for purchase via a silent auction to be
conducted throughout the Festival. Bids may be placed
at the Information Booth in the Big Tent until 5:00 PM,
Sunday, November 15, 2009. The winning bid will be
announced during the Closing Celebration.
50/50 Drawing
As part of the Film Society’s fundraising efforts, a 50/50 drawing will be held during the Film Festival. The winning
ticket will be picked and announced at the Closing Night Celebration. Tickets are tax deductible and help support
Festival production expenses. Cost: $1.00 per ticket
Tickets will be available at the Information Booth. D rawing: At Closing Night Celebration, Sunday, Nov 15.
Children's Cinema Corner
Saturday, November 14
Upstairs Screening Room
1:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Admission: Free
Kids – We didn’t forget you! Children’s Cinema Corner is just for you. You’ll have an afternoon of fun activities including age-appropriate films, the reading corner, face painting, craft stations, play dough, a puppet theater, and delicious popcorn!
The first few films demonstrate lessons dealing
with family and change. In Knuffle Bunny Too, Trixie
loses her beloved stuffed bunny and in the process
of retrieving it, gains something even better. Losing
your favorite blanket can be terrifying, but a young
boy realizes that giving up something doesn’t mean
it’s gone forever in Owen.
Tapping into one’s creativity by reading, writing, and drawing are great lessons to learn. In Wild about Books, see what unordinary circumstances result after a librarian introduces books to animals. Is a picture really worth a thousand words? Find out in the film Art. With a little encouragement from his sister, Ramon discovers that creativity is about a lot more than getting things just “right” in Ish.
In How Do Dinosaurs Say Good Night? discover the importance of proper manners at bedtime. In Crazy Hair Day, see the chain of events that follow after a boy mistakenly wears crazy hair to school on Class Picture Day.
Special Thanks
Thank you to Movies at Midway for providing popcorn for Children’s Cinema Corner, and to Sussex County Reading Council, an affiliate of Diamond State Reading Association, for providing supplies and volunteers for Children’s Cinema Corner. A special thanks to Weston Woods for providing the films for Children’s Cinema Corner. Weston Woods is a division of Scholastic Corporation, the world’s largest publisher and distributor of children’s books and a leader in educational technology. For more information, please call 1-800-243-5020 or visit www.scholastic.com/westonwoods or www.scholastic.com.
Please Note: Parent(s)/guardian(s) must sign in any child attending Children’s Cinema Corner. Parents are encouraged to stay and enjoy the films and activities with their child(ren). If a parent/guardian chooses to leave a child at this event, contact information must be provided and the child must be picked up by 3:00 pm.
