For Fred, a health worker in Zambia, the bicycle is a means of reaching twice as many patients. 

For Bharati, a teenager in India, it provides access to education. 

For Mirriam, a disabled Ghanaian woman, working on bicycles is an escape from the stigma attached to disabled people in her community.

For Carlos, a farmer in Guatemala, pedal power is a way to help neighbors reduce their impact on the environment.

For Sharkey, a young man in California, the bicycle is an escape from the gangs that consume so many of his peers.  

With My Own Two Wheels weaves together the experiences of these five individuals into a single story about how the bicycle can change the world—one pedal stroke at a time.

JOBS FOR RENT

Directed by Michelle Paster
Jobs For Rent follows the emotional and financial journeys of three 20-somethings establishing their careers. Ride along with the overachieving lawyer, struggling artist, and wandering Starbucks employee, knowing you are not alone in the process. Do you want to borrow a job?

Admission is $5 to benefit Bikes Not Bombs
www.BikesNotBombs.org


-------------------------------------------------------


PAST EVENTS
Friends Of Film to honor
Jonathan Lynn
May 13, 2011
 

with a Lifetime Achievement Award
at a VIP cocktail party and outdoor screening of the short documentary

WITH MY OWN TWO WHEELS
Directed by Jacob Seigel-Boettner and Isaac Seigel-Boettner

For many Americans, the bicycle is a choice. An expensive toy. An eco-conscious mode of transportation. For countless others across the globe, it is much more.

For Fred, a health worker in Zambia, the bicycle is a means of reaching twice as many patients.

For Bharati, a teenager in India, it provides access to education.

For Mirriam, a disabled Ghanaian woman, working on bicycles is an escape from the stigma attached to disabled people in her community.

For Carlos, a farmer in Guatemala, pedal power is a way to help neighbors reduce their impact on the environment.

For Sharkey, a young man in California, the bicycle is an escape from the gangs that consu
me so many of his peers.  

With My Own Two Wheels weaves together the experiences of these five individuals into a single story about how the bicycle can change the world—one pedal stroke at a time.


Friends Of Film

Foreign Film Oscar(R) Submission Series
Screenings at
Laemmle Theaters, 1332 2nd Street
Santa Monica, CA, 90401

Saturday, Dec 18^th, 11am - LA PETITE CHAMBRE (Switzerland’s submission) - Note: Saturday

Sunday, November 21, 2010 - 11am
ILLEGAL - Belgium's submission


Director:

Sunday,Nov 28th, 2010 - 11:00 am
Austria's submission
LA PIVELLINA


Directed by Tizza Covi, Rainer Frimmel

Dec 5th, 2010, 11am
Finland's submission
STEAM OF LIFE

Note this is a Saturday screening
Romania's submission
IF I WANT TO WHISTLE, I WHISTLE

Director: Florin Serban
Silviu has only two weeks left before his release from a hostile juvenile detention center. But when his mother, who abandoned him long ago, returns to take his younger brother away - a brother Silviu raised like a son – those two weeks become an eternity. While his outcries for help fall on deaf ears, he finds himself mercilessly taunted and harassed by the other inmates. And just as Silviu's frustration evolves into full-throttled aggression, he is introduced to a beautiful social worker that he can only dream of being close to. Faced with a slew of conflicting emotions and wild with desperation, Silviu is driven to a surprising act of defiance as he makes a last grasp for freedom.

Dec 12th, 2010, 11am*
Brazil's submission
LULA, THE SON OF BRAZIL
start time may move back based on running time

Directed by Stephanie Chuat and Veronique Reymond

Directed by Andreas Ohman

"Simple Simon" is the story of 18 year-old Simon, a boy with Asperger’s syndrome whose life is turned upside-down when his brother Sam is dumped by his girlfriend. To make his life work, Simon needs structure. He needs things to follow a certain pattern - with the same schedule, the same meals, the same clothes - week in week out. Sam is the one who’s always taken care of Simon. Making him food in the shape of circles and helping him understand humans.

But with Sam depressed over the breakup with his girlfriend everything changes and Simon’s world turns into chaos. Wanting things to get back to normal, Simon gives himself one mission - to find Sam a new girlfriend. Unfortunately Simon knows nothing about love and doesn’t understand.

"Just in time for THE HOLIDAYS, a heart-warming film that will bring out the full emotional gamut." - Bob Sharka, Friends Of Film



Dec 26th, 2010 - 11:00 am
Norway's submission
THE ANGEL

Screening made possible with partial support of Scandinavian Film Festival 
Of Los Angeles www.scandinavianfilmfestivalla.com  
European Languages and Movies in America, www.ELMA.org
and Norway's Consul General's Office



Directed by Margreth Olin

THE ANGEL is a story about women. About carrying and inheriting Mummy´s traumas. When addiction rules all your decisions.

Lea grows up in a home characterized by lack of protection. From being a cheerful, curious little girl, Lea changes dramatically when her mother Madeleine returns to her ex-boyfriend Ole. The death dance between the two adults harms the child growing up between them.

Dope enables Lea to hold out everyday life with her family. Then Lea gives birth to her daughter Sonja. She wishes to break with her family and start a new life. She wants to take care of her child and give her the protection she herself never got. But Lea soon realizes that she lacks the ability to do so. Consequently, she has to make an impossible decision.

"A hard riveting film that hits like a NFL linebacker...makes plans for an after screening drink, you might need it." - Bob Sharka, Friends Of Film


Jan 2nd, 2011, 11am
THE NETHERLANDS' submission
TIRZA

Directed by Rudolph van den Berg

Jörgen's world is crumbling. Forced into early retirement and harassed by his ex-wife, the only part of his life which makes sense - raising his beloved daughter, Tirza - is shattered when she disappears on holiday in Namibia. After weeks of terrifying uncertainty, Jörgen goes searching for her, but the heat, his drinking and bad memories combine to unhinge him. His only ally is a child prostitute called Kaisa. Together they journey into the wilderness on Tirza's trail to discover her fate.
 
Jan 8th, 2011, 11am
PUERTO RICO's submission
MIENTE
Digital Projection



Directed by Rafi Mercado

Miente follows the story of Henry, an introverted young artist who, seeking to escape the banality and violence of urban life, begins to blur the distinction between fantasy and reality.


Jan 9nd, 2011, 11am
AZERBAIJAN's submission
THE PRECINCT


Directed by Ilgar Safat

The story is set in Baku. A famous photographer has to choose between accepting a valuable job offer in Africa or marrying his fiancee - a young , talented sculptor inspired by images of ritual dances.


RSVP to
to Bob@FriendsOfFilm.com

   Bob Sharka’s *Pick of the Week*

Drop us a note if you'd like to be considered for this - Bob@FriendsOfFilm.com

TROUBADOURS

Feb 4, 2011

Fresh off the hot trail of the 2011 Sundance Film festival comes TROUBADORS, a remarkable doc that journeys into the heart of the late 60’s and early 70’s singer-songwriter scene in Los Angeles with some of the biggest names of the time  - Carole King, James Taylor, Jackson Brown, Elton John, the list goes on and on, one name bigger than the next.

Los Angelinos in particular will probably recognize the film’s title as Doug Weston’s club on Santa Monica Boulevard in West Hollywood that spurned the illustrious careers of so many ….
Hearing these living legends talk about the times brought a smile to my face from ear to ear and tears to my eyes.

Filmmaker Morgan Neville, a very polished music documentarian (among other things), pieces together some incredible archival footage with present day interviews to produce an absolute gem, a not-to-be missed chronicle of this most memorable period…

TROUBADOORS opens this Friday at Laemmle’s Sunset 5 in West Hollywood for a one week run

-     Bob Sharka, Friends Of Film

IF I WANT TO WHISTLE, I WHISTLE
Jan 5, 2011

"Distributor FILM MOVEMENT picks up another foreign gem, this time Romania's Oscar(r) submission for best foreign film...you'll feel the prison conditons in the air." - Bob Sharka, Friends Of Film

TRUE GRIT
Dec 24, 2010


"A sure-fire frontrunner for some Oscar(r) nods, including best cinematography."
- Bob Sharka, Friends Of Film

RABBIT HOLE
Dec 17, 2010

"Best actress category is always one of the toughest to call but NIcole Kidman's top-notch performance makes it one less headache....she nails it."
-Bob Sharka, Friends Of Film

THE FIGHTER
Dec 10, 2010


"Bad hairdoos and a few bad Boston accents aside, THE FIGHTER is, round for round, one of the year's best..... Christian Bale gives a supporting performance guaranteed an Oscar nom."


BARNEY'S VERSION
Dec 3, 2010
"The buzz about Giamatti is well-deserved but Rosamund Pike steals the show up giving Oscar-esque performances in the best actress category.....a true delight and one of this year's films not to be missed."

THE KING'S SPEECH
Nov 26, 2010
"An absolute monster on the festival circuit, this one is chock full of well-deserved Oscar(r) hopefuls."


127 HOURS
Nov 19, 2010
"James Franco as the trapped hiker leaves you squirming in your seat....a strong contender for Best Actor this awards season."


MARWENCOL
Nov 12, 2010

Jeff Malmberg writes, directs, edits (and even drives the team’s bus, it seems) in this multi-award-winning film festival fave making its well-deserved theatrical release  across North America. 

Subject Mark Hogancamp – who was beaten to near death – must pick up the pieces of his life opting to retreat to his backyard to create a 1/6 scale world of the people he had previously known before suffering brain damage.

First time doc director Malmberg – a storyteller to watch - directs with such style and astute eyes, revealing the nuances in Hogancamp’s life very much the same as Hogancamps' very-own miniature creations; with fine detail, one better than the next.

New York has already embraced MARWENCOL, giving it a second week run (at least) at the IFC Center before heading to L.A. on Nov. 12th

JOLENE
11/5/2010

A solid indie film, starring Jessica Chastain, one of the freshest faces to hit the screen this year in her breakout role. ..Some fine perfs from seasoned vets, including  the versatile Frances Fisher (perfectly cast as a prison guard who falls deep for Jolene), Chaz Palminteri, and Dermot Mulroney -make Dan Ireland’s pic a pleasant little surprise, indeed.

WELCOME TO THE RILEYS
10/29/2010



James Gandolfini, stepping out of the gangster role he can do in his sleep, is at his finest  as an ailing father taking on a 17 year old run-a-way  (Kristen Stewart) in this Sundance fave from last year.

HEREAFTER
10/22/2010


Director Clint Eastwood continues to tackle yet another difficult subject, the after-life, bringing his name into best director discussions.

LETTERS TO FATHER JACOB
10/15/2010

10/8/2010

 

Filmmakers Micki Dickoff and Tony Pagano recount a sad period from America’s past that we should all be ashamed of - the murder of three men, two Jews and an African American in Mississippi in ’64 - and its present day search for justice

www.FirstRunFeatures.com




Friends Of Film to head to Iceland for the
Reykjavik Film Festival Sept 23 - Oct 3, 2010
by Deborah DePauk



 Life, indeed, is strange.  We've been to many film festivals around the world but it has taken us until year seven of the RIFF to catch this one.  Certainly one of the more obscure spots on the festival circuit, Reykjavik combines glaciers, fabulous films with the Northern Lights in this hip capital city of 200,000.


THE RIFF has a quite diverse program that is now released.

http://en.riff.is/

Filmmakers Kearns and Hudson return to Pacific Palisades Film Festival with their latest work in progress!

He was born Ezekiel Montanez.

He was a teenager when he recorded his first international hit, “Let's Dance"

The song took him to the top of the charts and, at the height of the Civil Rights struggle, on tour through the Deep South with Sam Cooke, Smokey Robinson and Clyde McPhatter. He’d play a major role in The Beatles story, headlining a UK tour with the group amid the first stirrings of Beatlemania-- and brawling with John Lennon in an incident that became rock ‘n’ roll legend.

This period alone would guarantee Chris Montez a place in musical history, but he had yet to undergo an unprecedented transformation with a new style, new look and new hits with Herb Alpert and A&M Records.  With songs like “Call Me” and “The More I See You,” Chris Montez was reinvented as a smooth innovator of the lounge sound: samba-based, jazz-influenced standards that kept the flavour of his Latin roots and set the stage for his later transition into one of the first international Latin pop stars.

In the years to follow, his hit songs would be covered by artists including Frank Sinatra and The Ramones.  They’d earn a place in movie history in films like Frantic and, most memorably, Animal House, while Chris Montez remained a vital force, bringing his music to longtime fans and new audiences around the world, from Japan to Europe to the American heartland.   Today, he continues to expand his horizons and blaze new trails in other musical genres, including ranchero, jazz and the blues.


PLUS THE SHORT FILM

A .45 AT 50TH
11 minutes
Directed by Joshua Bell and John Cromwell

FILMMAKERS IN ATTENDANCE!

Very Limited Tickets for the festival are $100 - includes two parties/outdoor screenings


Friends Of Film
Foreign Film Series
Saturdays and Sundays Dec 12, 13, 19, 20, 2009
Sunday, January 17, 2010
11:00 am
Laemmle Theaters,
1332 2nd Street
Santa Monica, CA, 90401 
Admission is free with RSVP to Bob@FriendsOfFilm.com



We'll be screening Oscar(R) submissions from different countries during this series

Sunday, Jan 17, 2009 - Austria's Official Entry - 11 am
RSVP to Bob@FriendsOfFilm.com

FOR A MOMENT FREEDOM

Directed by Arash Riahi

Fast-moving and packed with action, "For a Moment Freedom" tells of the odyssey of three Iranians/Kurdish groups of refugees: a married couple with a child, two young men with two children, and two men who are friends despite the differences between them. They have all managed to escape from Iran and Iraq, but now they are stuck in the Turkish capital; although freedom is at last almost within their grasp, first they have to wait in a dubious hotel, hoping each day that their applications for asylum will be approved. This enforced break in their journey towards independence is characterised by both hope and utter uncertainty.

FILMMAKER and special guests in attendance!


Saturday, Dec 19, 2009 - Slovakia's Official Entry - 11 am
RSVP to Bob@FriendsOfFilm.com


BROKEN PROMISE
Directed by Jimi Chlumski

Broken Promise is based on a true story of a Jewish boy, Martin Friedmann, born in 1926 in Western Slovakia, who escaped deportation to a concentration camp thanks to his extraordinary soccer talent and some coincidently favorable circumstances.

Sunday, Dec 20, 2009 - Bulgaria's Official Entry - 11 am
RSVP to Bob@FriendsOfFilm.com

THE WORLD IS BIG AND SALVATION LURKS AROUND THE CORNER
Directed by: Stephan Komandarev



The story about a Bulgarian boy who grows up to be a German man. After a car accident Alex can't even remember his name. In an attempt to cure him from amnesia, his grandfather Bai Dan comes over to Germany and organizes a spiritual journey for his grandson back into his past, to the country where he came from. In changing places, time and transport, crossing half Europe, they play backgammon, the simplest, and yet the most complex of all games. That game leads Alex to the realizations of who he is, and that game is symbolic to the story. Destiny is the dice we hold in our own hands and life is a game on the edge between chance and skill.


Saturday, Dec 12 - POLAND'S OFFICIAL ENTRY - 11 am

REVERSE
Directed by Boris Lankosz



Reverse, a debut feature by 36 year-old director Borys Lankosz won the Golden Lions award at the Polish Film Festival in Gdynia.

Set in the 1950s, it shows the terror of the Stalinist period in a very evocative way, black comedy style. The story centers on a woman in her early thirties, whose mother tries to find a husband for her and whose grandmother rates the prospective candidates. One day she meets a man, whose presence changes the lives of the three women.

Reverse received six other awards, including those for Best Actress (Agata Buzek), Best Cinematography and Best Soundtrack




Sunday, Dec 13 -  THE NETHERLANDS OFFICIAL ENYRY - 11 am

WINTER IN WARTIME
Directed by Martin Koolhoven

Send us a screener/press kit

Bob Sharka
Friends Of Film
1137 Charm Acres Place
Pacific Palisades, CA 90272