What  is so funny about cancer? It’s heart breaking, it takes lives and even the will to live from so many people. Can a comedic actor (Seth Rogen) who's been in movies about being a 40-year-old virgin, a burn-out pot smoker and making a porno flick have any chance to tackle such a serious subject?  

He does if he is paired with the right cast and writer.  Luckily  Rogen  plays wonderfully off his co-star, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who has experience in dramatic roles such as “Inception” and “The Lookout.” And, he is backed a talented writer, Will Reiser, with “50/50” being his first major film screenplay.   

We are introduced to our cancer patient Adam (played by Levitt), as young, pleasant man who runs, doesn’t smoke, doesn’t drink and recycles. He has a good life with a pretty girlfriend, Rachael (played by Bryce Dallas Howard) and has a  good job. In public radio.  

After experiencing back pain, he goes to the doctor. His doctor bluntly explains to him that he has a tumor on his back. Everything becomes a blur for Adam for the next 30 seconds; I’ve been told this is quite normal for people who hear this sort of news.  

What does a 27-year-old do when he finds that he has a 50/50 chance of survival?  First he breaks the news to his girlfriend who tells him she will support him. Next he breaks the news to his best friend, Kyle (played by Rogen), who tells him that he can beat this thing.  Then it’s on to his over-protective mother, Diane (played by Angelica Huston)  who only wants to smother with constant check-in phone calls.  

To help adjust to his new disease, Adam attends therapy with a young doctor (actually, she is a soon-to-be doctor), Katie (played by Anna Kendrick).  Here Adam slowly starts going through the five stages of grief (starting with denial and ending with acceptance).

With such serious subject matter the movie picks up in the humor department when veteran actor Phillip Baker Hall arrives as a fellow cancer patient. Hall provides plenty of comedic f-bombs to remind us that we can laugh at serious subject matter.

But what else would a 27-year-old do when he finds that he has a 50/50 chance of survival? He resorts to medicinal marijuana.  And lots of it.  He also focuses solely on himself and his problems like any young man would.  As the audience, we move from empathizing with him because he is in a terrible situation to realizing that even though he has cancer, it doesn't make him immune to being a jerk. He focuses so much of his time on what he is going through, he forgets about those around him are also afflicted by this disease.

Should you see this movie?  Yes, with Rogen and Levitt it was a pleasure to see them work off each other like they were old high school buddies facing an adult situation together.  Going from the “let’s get a six pack and chase women around” mentality to the “let’s act like adults and face this together” was great to see.  

The stand out character would have to be Adam’s dad, Richard (played by Serge Houde).  He didn’t say much because his character has Alzheimer's.  But it was a smart idea to place his character in this story to remind Adam and the audience that even though that he is going through tough times there are always people who have it just as bad, if not worse.

A Movie Review By Joseph Hagen

Moneyball follows the true story of underdog Billy Beane, the General Manager of the 2002 Oakland Athletics, as he battles the evil juggernaut of baseball financial overlords (New York Yankees) to change the face to professional baseball forever.

Filled with heart, Moneyball is more than just a good baseball film … it’s really just an overall GOOD film. With a fantastic script by Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin, great casting, strong character development, solid acting, beautiful cinematography and perfect pacing make Moneyball a wonderfully constructed film.

The part of Beane, a good-looking former ballplayer, was tailor made for Brad Pitt. His natural charisma meshes perfectly with the material. Not a usual fan of Pitt’s work, I was taken with this performance and can think of no other role in which he is more likable, funny and interesting.

Jonah Hill brings restraint to his usual shtick through his performance as the green assistant manager Peter Brand. Hill is charming, fun and acts as a much needed foil to Pitt.

Most baseball films, despite their best efforts, portray baseball as a cheesy, dramatic and overly sentimental game. Fortunately, Moneyball does not fall into this well. The film takes it’s time and gives enough depth to its characters that by the time the sporting climax happens, you genuinely care and root for the characters. No cheese. No slow-motion blur. No rock music build-up… it’s just straight-up good storytelling.

It is evident that the actors in this film playing ballplayers have actually picked up a bat and ball at some point in their lives. This is Moneyball’s other strength. There are no awkward Brendan Fraser/Matt LeBlanc swings here. One scene shows longtime All-Star David Justice, played by Stephen Bishop, hitting in a batting cage. Bishop’s swing is smooth and convincing, something typically not taken into consideration when casting a baseball film.

Moneyball is a really fun movie to watch. Heavy on the baseball references, it nonetheless has enough heart to keep both fans and non-fans entertained from beginning to end with the timeless theme of David vs. Goliath. Tons of heart and a top of the line script make Moneyball one of the best films I have seen this year.

Memorable quote:
“It's hard not to be romantic about Baseball.” - Billy Beane

Reviewed by Jason Gregg

Let the discussions begin. Should Disney tamper with their own works of art to deliver them to a newer and younger audience?  Does the older audience really want to see these stories again in 3D?  Does Disney even need to take their timeless masterpieces and convert them to 3D? Does a Camaro need a rear spoiler?  Did Coke need to tamper with their formulas?  Does my ice cream sundae need a cherry on top? When will this madness stop?  

Disney will be releasing their classic 1994 animated tale “The Lion King” in a few weeks on Blu-Ray. In order to kick off the event, the team at Disney also decided that it is a good idea to release the full length feature in theatres in Digital Disney 3D animation.  

Was it a good idea?

The story did not change, thankfully ... If you are new to the story of "The Lion King" it is a tale of a cub, Simba (voiced by Jonathan Taylor Thomas) and his journey into royalty from birth on to adulthood.  

With one of the most moving openings in the animation world, we see several species of wild animals on the African savannah congregate to see the presentation of Simba by his parents and the baboon Rafiki (voiced by Robert Guillaume).  Without a word we see the animals pay their respects to Simba and his family as Rafiki hoists the newborn Simba into the air.  Then, boom, the title screen.  It’s powerful and direct.

We follow the journey of Simba as he learns his surroundings as an adolescent.  We see him find his limit of power through tales from his father, Mufasa (voiced by James Earl Jones).  We learn how there is a circle of life on the African plains and how each animal needs one another to continue this circle.  

Not all the animals agree with their king, though.  One of which is Scar (voiced by Jeremy Irons), Mufasa’s brother. Scar has other palns to take over the throne, the throne in which Simba is next in line to inherit.  In classic Shakespearean manner, Scar devises a plan to eliminate his proud, noble brother and to take the throne for his own self-centered gains.

Scar joins forces with the lowest creature of the animal kingdom, the hyenas. He devises a plan with these creatures to cause a stampede to wipe out his family members. His plan goes accordingly and Simba takes off out of fear thinking that it was his fault that his father was trampled in the stampede.

Simba runs off and befriends a warthog, Pumbaa (vocied by Ernie Sabella) and a meerkat, Timon (voiced by Nathan Lane).  Simba becomes a hippie for quite some time, shrugging off his carnivorous behaviors and eating grubs.  He must have been in his new environment for quite some time because he matures from using the voice of Jonathan Taylor Thomas to Matthew Broderick.  He eventually runs into his old lioness friend, Nala, and is convinced to come back to the pride and take back his throne from Scar in a finale that is as strong as the opening scene.

Should you see this movie? Yes, of course, if you haven’t already. There are some timeless songs here for the entire family (do I even need to mention "Hakuna Matata"?) along with humor provided by Whoppi Goldberg and Cheech Marin as two of the hyenas.    

Should you see this movie in 3D? Maybe.  If you are a die hard fan and want to see some of the action scenes jump off the screen (in particular the stampede and the final fight scenes).  The 3D was so subtle that I almost forgot it was there.  It makes me question if it was worth going through all of the trouble to put it into 3D in the first place.

Short films juxtapose earliest efforts with latest visions

KANSAS CITY, MO – The journey from fledgling filmmaker to accomplished auteur can take many years.

But it will take only a couple of hours to enjoy the First & Last Film Festival, featuring the very first and latest short films by selected local filmmakers at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 22 at the Screenland Crown Center, 2450 Grand Blvd.

The inaugural one-night festival is presented by the Independent Filmmakers Coalition of Kansas City in cooperation with CinemaKC, a not-for-profit organization connecting groups devoted to film in Missouri and Kansas.

“The last few years have seen an explosion of high-quality independent short films and features from the Kansas City area,” said festival creator Timothy Harvey of the IFCKC. “But every filmmaker started somewhere, warts and all.

“The festival is an opportunity to show where we began and how far we’ve come,” Harvey said. “While it’s primarily a showcase, there is also a competition angle to it, with the audience picking the best of the first films, the best of the most recent films and the filmmaker who has come the farthest in storytelling and filmmaking.”

Tickets to the First & Last Film Festival are $8 ($5 for IFCKC members). A free mixer begins at 6:30 p.m. in the theater’s lobby.

Following the screening, filmmakers will answer questions about their work and what they’ve learned in their careers.

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CinemaKC’s Strategic Partners include ArtsKC, Film Commission of Greater Kansas City, Blackberry Castle Productions, Film Society of Greater Kansas City, Independent Filmmaker’s Coalition, Kansas City Film Critics Circle, Kansas City FilmFest, Kansas City Filmmakers Jubilee, Kansas City Fringe Festival, Kansas City Screenwriters, Kansas City Urban Film Festival, Kansas City Women in Film and TV, Kansas Film Commission, Kansas International Film Festival, Missouri Film Commission, Missouri Motion Media Association, Reel Spirit, Tallgrass Film Festival, Thank You Walt Disney, UMKC Film Department, University of Kansas Film and Media Studies, Variety the Children's Charity of Greater Kansas City and Women of the Motion Picture Industry.

CinemaKC’s Business Alliance includes Allied Integrated Marketing, Allied Theatre Craft, American Heartland Theatre, Bazillion Animation, BicMedia, Haywood Marketing Communications, Kansas City Area Development Council, KC Stage Magazine, KC Studio, Prizm Productions, Screenland Armour, Screenland Crossroads, Screenland Crown Center, StagePort KC, Substream Music & Sound Design and T2.

Kansas International Film Festival Marches On With More Films
Handful of Films Will Be Shown Throughout the Year

In 10 years, the Kansas International Film Festival has grown to include films submitted from at least 20 to 30 international countries, plus many documentarians and narrative filmmakers from the United States. Co-founders Ben Meade and Ben and Brian Mossman work diligently to schedule 40 to 50 films during the week-long festival. The festival runs Sept. 30 – Oct. 6 at the Glenwood Arts Theatre.

“We have a really good problem that after 11 years, we have reached the pinnacle and have too many good films. We don’t have time to play them all, especially the longer narratives,” Meade says. “We are going to take the films we can’t show and offer special screening with something like 'The Films That Should Have Played at KIFF.' We only have so many days to show so many great films. With the monthly screenings, we will keep KIFF part of the conversation all year long.”

Brian Mossman agrees that the festival has so many quality narratives and documentaries that scheduling became problematic. He says both screening boards raved over many films. “We had to pull out 10 to 15 films because there simply was not enough time slots. We are hoping to work them in and give these independent films a special screening.”

Mossman watched the narrative films this year. He called out a few films: I Want to be a Soldier, Beautiful Darling, and Vincent Wants to Sea. “The audience we have built up has a higher education and higher income. We don’t normally play the traditional megaplex movies so they expect the thought provoking films. Two others jump at me, We Need to Talk about Kevin and Take Shelter. Like a good restaurant, our menu is movies. We are opening doors that you never knew existed, just like trying a new dish.”

Initially Kansas City’s film enthusiasts supported the Kansas City Filmmakers Jubilee (now the Kansas City FilmFest). “Some of us realized that the Kansas side of the metropolitan area was not being served by the festival. When the Mossmans opened their theater, they knew they wanted to cater to a sophisticated clientele,” Meade says.  “Ben and Brian met me at Le Peep for breakfast. By the fourth year, we were attracting major talent and sponsors. We were showing impactful films and we still follow this,” Meade says.

KIFF attracts local, regional, and national work, recognizing visiting filmmakers and screen personalities, increasing public awareness of independent and classic cinema as a cultural, economic, and educational asset. The festival ends with the the presentation of the Jury Awards for the best Social Justice Documentary and the Best Feature Narrative Film. Audience members also get to vote on their favorite Narrative and Documentary Films.

Meade, who owns Cowtown Media Group, produces, writes and directs his own works. He has made nine feature films and 27 shorts. He also teaches at Avila University.  He spent part of the summer at a film festival in Mexico, promoting Que Viva! San Miquel de Allende. “It’s an experimental film shot on Super 8 and very abstract.” His film, Woke Up This Morning in the Arkansas Delta, looks at the “humor, hardship, music and art that lies along the Mississippi River, largely ignored by the American people.” The latest film holds great sentiment to him as one of his stars, Arkansas Farm Bureau leader Stanley Reed, died in July. “It was somewhat a disaster that the movie did not play last year, but it will play sometime as a film that should be included in the festival to give room to others,” he says.

Meade says film festivals like KIFF owe Robert Redford thanks for showing films that aren't part of the mainstream theater as the Sundance Film Festival. There's the Independent Film Channel. “They give us the time of day. They know how we spend our time and energy.”

Some of the films that Meade is excited to bring include a Hungarian film called Another Planet that looks at child labor and trafficking and A. Hitler. The film was 15 years ago, but director Barry J. Hershey didn’t have creative control, but he got it back, Meade says. The fictional film is a psychological look at Hitler.

“I always believe that the best stories are real. Human beings are truth trackers. If film festivals are done right, they bring people together of all races, creeds, socio-economic levels …  we are not going to lose our film community and our momentum. We will take the paradigm shift that asks us to structure how we show films and rock and roll as usual. This is in our blood.”

Short films juxtapose earliest efforts with latest visions

KANSAS CITY, MO – The journey from fledgling filmmaker to accomplished auteur can take many years.

But it will take only a couple of hours to enjoy the First & Last Film Festival, featuring the very first and latest short films by selected local filmmakers at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 22 at the Screenland Crown Center, 2450 Grand Blvd.

The inaugural one-night festival is presented by the Independent Filmmakers Coalition of Kansas City in cooperation with CinemaKC, a not-for-profit organization connecting groups devoted to film in Missouri and Kansas.

“The last few years have seen an explosion of high-quality independent short films and features from the Kansas City area,” said festival creator Timothy Harvey of the IFCKC. “But every filmmaker started somewhere, warts and all.

“The festival is an opportunity to show where we began and how far we’ve come,” Harvey said. “While it’s primarily a showcase, there is also a competition angle to it, with the audience picking the best of the first films, the best of the most recent films and the filmmaker who has come the farthest in storytelling and filmmaking.”

Tickets to the First & Last Film Festival are $8 ($5 for IFCKC members). A free mixer begins at 6:30 p.m. in the theater’s lobby.

Following the screening, filmmakers will answer questions about their work and what they’ve learned in their careers.

###

CinemaKC’s Strategic Partners include ArtsKC, Film Commission of Greater Kansas City, Blackberry Castle Productions, Film Society of Greater Kansas City, Independent Filmmaker’s Coalition, Kansas City Film Critics Circle, Kansas City FilmFest, Kansas City Filmmakers Jubilee, Kansas City Fringe Festival, Kansas City Screenwriters, Kansas City Urban Film Festival, Kansas City Women in Film and TV, Kansas Film Commission, Kansas International Film Festival, Missouri Film Commission, Missouri Motion Media Association, Reel Spirit, Tallgrass Film Festival, Thank You Walt Disney, UMKC Film Department, University of Kansas Film and Media Studies, Variety the Children's Charity of Greater Kansas City and Women of the Motion Picture Industry.

CinemaKC’s Business Alliance includes Allied Integrated Marketing, Allied Theatre Craft, American Heartland Theatre, Bazillion Animation, BicMedia, Haywood Marketing Communications, Kansas City Area Development Council, KC Stage Magazine, KC Studio, Prizm Productions, Screenland Armour, Screenland Crossroads, Screenland Crown Center, StagePort KC, Substream Music & Sound Design and T2.

FERRARI CAR DISPLAY IN WESTPORT MARKS EXCLUSIVE KC

A critically-acclaimed new film, SENNA, about legendary world champion racer driver John Senna will open exclusively at the Tivoli Cinemas in Westport on Friday, September 16.  That same evening, over twenty five Ferraris owned by the members of the Kansas City Chapter of Ferrari Club of America will be on display in front of the Tivoli on Pennsylvania Avenue. The Ferrari display will be free and open to the public from 5:00pm - 10:00pm this evening only.

ABOUT THE FILM:  SENNA explores the life and work of the triple world champion, his physical and spiritual achievements on the track, his quest for perfection and the mythical status he has since attained.  Far more than a film for Formula One racing fans, SENNA unfolds a remarkable story in a remarkable manner, eschewing many standard documentary techniques in favor of a more cinematic approach that makes full use of astounding footage, much of which is drawn from Formula One archives and previously unseen.  Already revered by critics and audiences across the globe, the film won the prestigious World Cinema Audience documentary award at 2011 Sundance Film Festival.   Spanning his years as a Formula One racing driver from 1984 to his untimely death a decade later, the film has been made with the full cooperation of:  1) the family of Ayrton Senna, who have given permission for this to be the first documentary feature film about his life; 2) Formula One Management, who have provided footage not previously seen theatrically; 3) and the Ayrton Senna Institute, the charitable foundation established after his death which provides educational opportunities to millions of deprived Brazilian children.

ABOUT THE OPENING NIGHT EVENT:    Car fans of all ages will pulse with excitement when a special display of vintage and contemporary Ferraris comes to Westport.  Members of the Kansas City Chapter of Ferrari Club of America will display their cars in front of the Tivoli.  The Kansas City Chapter has over 50 members many of whom will be in attendance at the opening night screenings for this opening night only event.  As this will be the exclusive area run of SENNA, racing enthusiasts as well as independent film fans from across the region are already creating quite a buzz in anticipation of its Kansas City premiere.  

Tickets for SENNA are on sale now and are available online at www.TivoliKC.com and in person at the Tivoli Box Office. Early ticket purchase is strongly recommended.  

KEY LINKS
SENNA at imdb  -->  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1424432/
SENNA on Facebook --> http://www.facebook.com/sennamovie
SENNA Trailer on YouTube  -->  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFzx2PnBhYc
Kansas City Ferrari Club -->  http://www.fcakc.com/

Reviewed by Jason Gregg

Mixed Martial arts is one of the fastest growing sports in the last few years and we were bound to see a movie about it sooner or later.  It makes sense to capitalize on it and try to put a personality to it (other than taking two men and having them beat the hell out of one another for a few rounds).

“Warrior” the new movie by Gavin O’Connor (“Miracle”and “Pride and Glory”) not only looks at the physical toll it has on its fighters but also gives a solid story of what some of these fighters go through to win the ultimate prize, which interestingly enough, isn’t always about the money.

We are given three members of a dysfunctional family.  The father, Paddy Conlon (played by Nick Nolte) who is a recovering alcoholic coming up on his 1,000th day sober.  The older brother,  Brendan Conlon (played by Joel Edgerton), an ex-Ultimate Fighting Championship fighter who is about to lose his home to foreclosure and is now working a job as a high school physics teacher.  And the younger brother, Tom Conlon (played by Tom Hardy) who is running from a mystery that occurred during his time as a Marine in Iraq.

The entire story line has an underlying mystery to it.  Something dark happened between these three men years ago that made Tom and their mother run away and Brendan and Paddy stay behind in Pennsylvania.   We are slowly revealed the pieces of this puzzle throughout the entire story.  It was enough to keep the audience engaged and guessing why two of these men are not willing to admit that they were wrong. (Sounds like a man, right?)

Tom comes back from the Marines to Paddy’s house with enough anger and resentment to fill a coliseum.  Paddy with all of his sober intentions only wants the two of them to make up and start over again.  Tom will have nothing to do with it and goes to the local gym where in a sparring match, he knocks down a fighter that shouldn’t be knocked down by a nobody.

Meanwhile we see a family story develop with Brendan, his wife and children. They are about to lose their home and with all of Brendan’s ego, he refuses to take a step backwards. (Sounds like a man, right?)

This couldn’t be a story about guys being too tough to accept defeat or mending broken relationships. The fight of the century is coming up in Atlantic City. A fight organizer wants to find out who the toughest man on the planet is through a series of "winner takes all" cage matches.

After building the two back stories through a training montage we move into the “Sparta Championship.” While there Brendan and Tommy reunite on a beach. There was a lot of emotion on Brendan’s part and a lot grunting on Tommy's part.  Did you think that they were going to resolve their issues on beach? That’s what cage matches are for.

After several intense fight scenes, the story finally climaxes where Tommy and Brendan have to fight one another to win the $5 million prize. One is fighting to for his family and home. The other is doing it to prove to himself that he can do it. 

Should you see this movie?  Sure, it’s a good movie for fans of this sport.  For the non-fans who are new to this sport, there is enough of a story line to hold their attention. It was a blast to see Tommy's fight scenes where he knocked his opponents out with one or two punches instead of the standard “let’s drag this movie out through highly choreographed fights.”

Sarah's Key reviewed by Heidi Nast

Sarah's Key meshes elements of fiction with historical non-fiction, an oxymoron if you will of truth within a story of coincidences. Sarah's Key is an adaptation from a book titled Elle s'appelait Sarah by Tatiana de Rosnay.  French subtitled with hints of English spoken, directed by Gilles Paquet-Brenner starring Kristin Scott Thomas (Julia) and Mélusine Mayance as 10-year old (Sarah Starzynski) interweaves flashbacks between 1942 and current day Paris.

For me, a history buff at heart; my question throughout the movie was, “Did Vel' d'Hiv Roundup really happen” in Paris during WWII?  My message to you is to know your history before you see Sarah's Key.  Until German occupation of France in 1940, a formal census had not been held in France since 1874. By late September 1940, a German ordinance was enforced that all citizens, with an expressed emphasis on the Jewish population in the occupied zone, register at their local French police station.  This was a joint effort between the German officials and French administrators gathering Jewish files in Paris and in the neighboring suburbs that were categorized and handed over to the Gestapo in charge of the “Jewish problem.”  Yet another step toward the final solution, part of a continent-wide plan to intern and exterminate Europe's Jewish population. 

The first roundup was in May 1941, arresting 4,000 men. The second roundup on July 16-17, 1942 (just after Bastille Day on July 14) code named Opération Vent printanier, “Operation Spring Breeze” arrested 13,152 Jews comprising mostly of women and children that were held at the Vélodrome d'Hiver; a bicycling racetrack-stadium until they were transportated to Auschwitz for extermination. Conditions for the arrested were harsh. Most families were split up and never reunited. There remain an unknown number of people, warned by the French Resistance or hidden by neighbors that escaped being rounded up. During German occupation 76,000 Jews were deported from France with perhaps as few as 2,500 returning after the war.  What is most chilling is that under the orders of the Nazis, it was the French Government  and their own complicit French police who carried out these raids. In 1995 French President Jacques Chirac apologized for the role of French policemen and civil servants served in these raids.

Sarah's Key is an important story to be told — one to remind each of us the horrors that mankind can inflict.  It pulled at my soul, it made my heart ache and my intellect cringe at the thought of human atrocity.  Sarah is a testament of perseverance and yet, suffers her own demons of survivor’s guilt. What would I do?  Would I react the same way Sarah did?  How could I piece my life together with so much torn away?  Would I undoubtedly lose all sense of trust in what the future holds?  The closing line (I'm paraphrasing) suggests that when a story is told it will never be forgotten in an effort to remind future generations of what could have been.  Message received.   

Fox 4 News movie critic Shawn Edwards to host Q&A with local filmmakers

KANSAS CITY, MO – The Best of the Kansas City Urban Film Festival will be at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 25, at the Screenland Crown Center, 2450 Grand Blvd. Tickets are $8. A free mixer begins at 6:30 p.m. in the theater’s lobby bar.

The festival’s line-up of five short films by maverick metropolitan moviemakers was picked by festival organizer and Fox 4 News (WDAF-TV) film critic Shawn Edwards, who will host a Q&A with the filmmakers immediately following the screening.

“This is a good opportunity to see a nice mix of urban films, some of which are produced by people right here in Kansas City” Edwards said of the showcase sponsored by CinemaKC, a not-for-profit organization connecting groups devoted to film in Missouri and Kansas.

“The number-one criterion was to select movies that had an impact on the audience when they were initially screened,” Edwards said. “They were either movies that caught the audience off guard or the ones that created the most spirited debate afterward during the Q&A sessions. They presented something a little different, something that people hadn’t seen before.”

What makes an urban film urban?

“It’s not necessarily a racial definition,” Edwards said. “It’s generally more cosmopolitan with a city feel. These are filmmakers who don’t have large budgets. They sort of scrap it together, stick to it and make it happen. That’s the spirit of the festival.”

The “best of” lineup:

“Hell Week” (21 minutes, 2011): Kansas City filmmaker and University of Kansas grad Patrick Rea reveals a frightful collision between fraternity hazing and sorority revenge.

 “It’s great, edgy filmmaking,” Edwards said. “It was shot here in Kansas City, and features African American actor Tasha Smith who will be participating in the Q&A.”

“Always with You” (10 minutes, 2010): Los Angeles director Troy Warwell goes beyond apology and disgrace in examining a neglectful father whose wife blames him for the accidental death of the couple’s 4-year-old son.

“It’s a beautifully shot, emotionally powerful short film,” Edwards said. “This is a guy (Warwell) you need to keep your eye on. I will make a prediction: This guy will be shooting feature films in the next two to three years. He’s a brilliant talent. There’s more emotion in this 10-minute film than there is in some full-length features.”

“Bad Dream” (36 minutes, 2010): Kansas City director Jason Piggie shows the struggle of a low-level criminal trying to avoid getting bumped off while getting right with his family.

“Jason told me it took him more than three years to get this thing done,” Edwards said. “It’s got a strong narrative. He knows how to get stories across.”

“The Movies We Love: The 10 Most Romantic Black Movies (Ever)” (21 minutes, 2010):  Written and co-produced by Edwards, helmed by Kansas City director Matthew Hensley and featuring commentary from such Hollywood stars as Jamie Fox and Queen Latifah, this documentary is a reedited version of “The Movies We Love: The 25 Most Romantic Black Movies (Ever).”

“A movie that’s on the list that totally fits the category is “The Color Purple,” which is directed by Steven Spielberg,” Edwards said. “But the story obviously deals with the black experience in America.”

“May This Be Love” (5 minutes, 2009): Kansas City director Diallo Javonne French gives no dialogue to his two lead characters as they coalesce to poetic narration and a cool jazz soundtrack in this inventive black-and-white film.

 “This movie is real avant-garde,” Edwards said. “It was shot on 18th and Vine and the actors are all local. It got a big boost because it was part of the BET program, ‘Lens on Talent,” and got a chance to be shown on national television.”

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CinemaKC’s Strategic Partners include ArtsKC, Film Commission of Greater Kansas City, Blackberry Castle Productions, Film Society of Greater Kansas City, Independent Filmmaker’s Coalition, Kansas City Film Critics Circle, Kansas City FilmFest, Kansas City Filmmakers Jubilee, Kansas City Fringe Festival, Kansas City Screenwriters, Kansas City Urban Film Festival, Kansas City Women in Film and TV, Kansas Film Commission, Kansas International Film Festival, Missouri Film Commission, Missouri Motion Media Association, Reel Spirit, Thank You Walt Disney, UMKC Film Department, University of Kansas Film and Media Studies, Variety the Children's Charity of Greater Kansas City and Women of the Motion Picture Industry.

CinemaKC’s Business Alliance includes Allied Integrated Marketing, Allied Theatre Craft, American Heartland Theatre, Haywood Marketing Communications, Kansas City Area Development Council, KC Stage Magazine, KC Studio, Prizm Productions, Screenland Armour, Screenland Crossroads, Screenland Crown Center, StagePort KC, Substream Music & Sound Design and T2.