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2023 AIFF Doc Showcase: Sam Now
OPENS APRIL 16

(NR) - 1 hr. 27 min.
This gripping family story consists of home videos, Super 8 films and modern-day HD videos told over a lifetime. Director Reed Harkness captures the story of his half-brother, Sam, who grappled with the disappearance of his mother during the most formative years of his life. As the narrative oscillates between family unity, abandonment, and attempts to reconnect with his mother, Sam Now employs a variety of genres, ranging from coming-of-age, to mystery, to road movie, to family tragedy. Film Director Reed Harkness, based in Portland, will join us on closing night.
Paired with short film- Ebullient (Autie Carlisle) 20 mins

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2023 AIFF Doc Showcase: The Tuba Thieves
OPENS APRIL 16

(NR) - 1 hr. 32 min.
From 2011 to 2013, a string of puzzling burglaries took place in Southern California: tubas went missing from a dozen high schools. Alison O'Daniel's genre-defying debut was sparked by these events. Imagining what a band might sound like stripped of its deepest sound, the visual artist and filmmaker asks what it means to listen. The film winds through storylines blending documentary, narrative, and reenactment—one centered on a Deaf drummer playing a fictionalized version of herself, another following the school communities dealing with the theft—with ingenious interpretations of history-making concerts, from John Cage's 4'33' to the last punk show at San Francisco's Deaf Club, interspersed throughout. A story told through sound and its absence, The Tuba Thieves embraces the possibility of miscomprehension and delay in a meditation on access and loss. Featuring a cinematic experience of Los Angeles rarely seen—or heard—before, and incorporating open captions as a rich narrative space, O'Daniel's work is profound in its prompt for (hearing) audiences to tune in differently. (Museum of Modern Art New Directors/New Films).
Paired with short film- Wave Hands Like Clouds ( Marga Laube) 3 mins

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The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King 20th Anniversary
OPENS APRIL 13

(PG-13) - 4 hr. 20 min.
In the conclusion of J.R.R. Tolkien's epic masterpiece, The Lord of the Rings, as armies mass for a final battle that will decide the fate of the world--and powerful, ancient forces of Light and Dark compete to determine the outcome--one member of the Fellowship of the Ring is revealed as the noble heir to the throne of the Kings of Men. Yet, the sole hope for triumph over evil lies with a brave hobbit, Frodo, who, accompanied only by his loyal friend Sam and the hideous, wretched Gollum, ventures deep into the very dark heart of Mordor on his seemingly impossible quest to destroy the Ring of Power.
Added Value Description: (10 min) An introduction from Elijah Wood (Frodo) discussing the impact of the LOTR trilogy and why fans return again and again to immerse themselves in this story world. With recent footage captured at LA Comic Con of the World Premiere of the brand new LOTR Roleplaying tabletop game, Elijah takes audiences through this limited fan event with a celebrity cast to raise support for Extra Life for Kids, a program of Children's Miracle Network Hospitals.

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