Friday, April 9, 2010

CIFF will fete Cheyenne native Daniel Junge

From an April 8 press release:

The Cheyenne International Film Festival (CIFF) is pleased to announce the films selected to screen at the Historic Atlas Theatre in downtown Cheyenne May 21–23. The program is subject to change and the latest edition will be what is on the website.

Opening night CIFF honors Academy Award-nominated filmmaker and Cheyenne native Daniel Junge by screening three of his latest films, “No Strings”, “Come Back to Sudan” and Oscar-nominated “The Last Campaign of Governor Booth Gardner”. The screening and “talk-back” with the filmmaker is also a fund-raising event for the Laramie County Library Foundation. Daniel, who now lives in Denver, will be on hand to sell and autograph DVD versions of his movies with the proceeds to benefit the Library Foundation.

The Filmmakers’ Reception on Saturday night will be a unique event. Following the screening of “My Life Without Sex”, the audience will have a chance to visit with the Australian film’s director Sarah Watt live via Skype. Attendees will have a chance to meet and talk movies with film makers and producers. Also screening is the Oscar nominated live action comedic short from Sweden “Instead of Abracadabra”.

Closing night will be a Wyoming Showcase about the Pioneering Spirit from two different historical perspectives. “On the Trail: Jack Kerouac in Cheyenne” features a personal appearance by John Allen Cassady (son of beat idols Neal and Carolyn Cassady); and the award-winning feature “In Pursuit of a Dream” by Candy Moulton of Encampment.

John will be at Phoenix Books in downtown Cheyenne signing copies of his book on Saturday May 22.

Candy is also moderating a panel of women filmmakers Christine Bonn, Sarah Curry and Egija Hartmane–Salem.

There’s something for every taste among the nine programs consisting of 33 films from around the world. CIFF is a platform for communities to tell their stories and relate to one another through the art of motion pictures. The CIFF Call2Action program matches up movies with local non-profit organizations. This year, the Call2Action co-presenting groups include the YMCA youth arts and video program; The Laramie County Library Foundation; Cheyenne area veteran organizations; and the Southeast Wyoming Intertribal Powwow Association.

FMI: Wyoming Community Media at 307-509-0182.