The Athena Cinema & Athens International Film + Video Festival Present A Visit with Charles Burnett & One Night Only Screening of TO SLEEP WITH ANGER

Watch Trailer Director: Charles Burnett
Writer(s): Charles Burnett
Cast: Danny Glover, Paul Butler, and DeVaughn Nixon

As part of the 43rd Athens International Film + Video Festival, The Athena Cinema is honored to host renowned filmmaker Charles Burnett. Two of his films will be screened during the festival and Burnett will be in attendance to speak with audiences about his work and career.

The life of a middle-class black family in Los Angeles is disrupted by the arrival of an old friend from back South in this layered drama. Initially a charming reminder of their past, the visitor soon comes to seems increasingly sinister as the strained household heads towards an inevitable conflict.

Starring Danny Glover as a Southern trickster who overstays his welcome with family. The National Society of Film Critics honored Burnett for best screenplay for this film, making him the first African American to win this category. The film was a critical success but was not widely distributed. This was Burnett’s second film to be added to the National Film Registry.

Free admission supported by Ohio University’s Film Division, Black Student Cultural Programming Board, Multicultural Center and Programs, and the Athena Cinema. Tickets are free, however there are a limited number of seats available. Patrons are encouraged to secure tickets in advance.

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Running Time: 102 minutes 102 MIN

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Science on Screen: EMBRACE OF THE SERPENT with Arthur Trese

Watch Trailer Director: Ciro Guerra
Writer(s): Ciro Guerra and Theodor Koch-Grunberg (based on the diary by)
Cast: Nilbio Torres, Jan Bijvoet and Antonio Bolivar

As part of the 43rd Athens International Film + Video Festival, The Athena Cinema is proud to present EMBRACE OF THE SERPENT as part of the Science on Screen℠ series

At once blistering and poetic, the ravages of colonialism cast a dark shadow over the South American landscape in EMBRACE OF THE SERPENT, the third feature by Ciro Guerra. Filmed in stunning black-and-white, SERPENT centers on Karamakate, an Amazonian shaman and the last survivor of his people, and the two scientists who, over the course of 40 years, build a friendship with him. The film was inspired by the real-life journals of two explorers (Theodor Koch-Grünberg and Richard Evans Schultes) who traveled through the Colombian Amazon during the last century in search of the sacred and difficult-to-find psychedelic Yakruna plant.

In conjunction with the film there will be a talk with Ohio University Associate Professor of Environmental and Plant Biology, Arthur Trese.

Science on Screen℠ is a project of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and The Coolidge Corner Theater. The Science on Screen program pairs with a short talk with a scientist or technology expert. The free Science on Screen events are fun and engaging and offer dynamic speakers an unexpected jumping point to teach their field of expertise in a way that is accessible to a diverse audience.

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Running Time: 125 minutes125 MIN
Not Rated
This Film is Wheelchair Accessible

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I SAW THE LIGHT: Leaving Thursday, April 21st

Watch Trailer Director: Marc Abraham
Writer(s): Marc Abraham and Colin Escott (book)
Cast: Tom Hiddleston, Elizabeth Olsen, Maddie Hasson and Bradley Whitford

 

 

Tom Hiddleston stars as Hank Williams in this biopic about the legendary country western singer who in his brief life created one of the greatest bodies of work in American music. The film chronicles his meteoric rise to fame and its ultimately tragic effect on his health and personal life.

“Hiddleston’s performance is gutsy and heartfelt, as playful and soulful as the best of Williams’s songs.” -Tom Huddleston, Time Out

*CaptiView® Closed Caption and Audio Description support is available for this film. All showings on Mondays will feature Open Captions.*

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Running Time: 123 minutes123 MIN
R Rated

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Spotlight on Documentary: CAMBODIAN SON

Watch Trailer Director: Masahiro Sugano

CAMBODIAN SON documents the life of deported poet, Kosal Khiev after receiving the most important performance invitation of his career—to represent the Kingdom of Cambodia at the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad. Kosal would travel to London having only taken two flights prior; first, as a 1-year-old refugee child whose family fled Cambodia and, then as a 32-year-old criminal “alien” forcibly returned to Cambodia in 2011. The film follows a volatile yet charming and talented young man who struggles to find his footing amongst a new freedom that was granted only through his deportation. Kosal’s London representation is a triumphant moment for many people in his life, both in America and Cambodia. The film traces the impact and significance of this moment for Kosal, his friends, family, mentors and a growing international fan base. Armed only with memorized verses, he must face the challenges of being a deportee while navigating his new fame as Phnom Penh’s premiere poet. After the performances end and the London stage becomes a faint memory, Kosal is once again left alone to answer the central question in his life: “How do you survive when you belong nowhere?”

There will be a Q&A session with Director Masahiro Sugano following the screening.

Born in Osaka, Japan, Masahiro Sugano, a Sundance Film Festival alumni, is an award-winning filmmaker. Mr. Sugano released a web series on PBS.org titled “VERSES IN EXILE” as a prequel to CAMBODIAN SON. Through his media lab Studio Revolt, Mr. Sugano has introduced Cambodian Neo-Realism to a young generation of eager Khmer filmmakers. He is currently working on several script ideas for his next feature length movie project. He spends his time between the U.S. and the Asia-Pacific region

This screening is part of the Athena’s SPOTLIGHT ON DOCUMENTARY SERIES and is sponsored by the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism, Global Leadership Center, housing and residence life, Film division, International Student Union, and the International Week Committee.

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Running Time: 90 minutes90 MIN
Not Rated
This Film is Wheelchair Accessible

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LABYRINTH: A Tribute to David Bowie

Watch Trailer Director: Jim Henson
Writer(s): Terry Jones, John Varley, Edward C. Hume, Lewis John Carlino, Jim Henson
Cast: David Bowie, Jennifer Connelly

The Athena pays tribute to one of the most unique and talented men ever to set foot on Earth, (as well as a few other planets) with a March 12th showing of the David Bowie/Jim Henson classic, Labyrinth. Laugh, sing along, or watch in silent wonder as the Goblin King takes you to a mysterious & strange world unlike any other…

Fifteen-year-old Sarah resents her baby brother Toby and secretly wishes that he will just disappear. Her wish comes true when goblins kidnap the boy. Feeling responsible and guilty about his abduction, she sets forth to retrieve him, and finds herself on the adventure of a lifetime. To rescue her brother, she must sneak into the castle of the Goblin King, which is in the center of a fantastical labyrinth. But, the task is easier said than done, for the maze is filled with strange creatures and mind-bending puzzles, and nothing is really as it seems.

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Running Time: 101 Minutes101 MIN
PG Rated

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Free Universal Premiere: POPSTAR: NEVER STOP NEVER STOPPING

Watch Trailer Director: Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone
Writer(s): Andy Samberg and Akiva Schaffer
Cast: Andy Samberg, Imogen Poots, and Adam Levine

The comedy goes behind the scenes as singer/rapper Conner4Real faces a crisis of popularity after his sophomore album flops, leaving his fans, sycophants and rivals all wondering what to do when he’s no longer the dopest star of all.

Free preview screening. Tickets are first come, first serve.

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Running Time: TBA MIN
Rating: Unrated
This Film is Wheelchair Accessible

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SON OF SAUL

Watch Trailer Director: László Nemes
Writer(s): László Nemes, Clara Royer
Cast: Géza Röhrig, Levente Molnár, Urs Rechn
Awards: 2016 Oscar WINNER for Best Foreign Language Film
Language: Hungarian

In the horror of 1944 Auschwitz, a prisoner forced to burn the corpses of his own people finds moral survival upon trying to salvage from the flames the body of a boy he takes for his son.

“Good movies summon up worlds. Son of Saul [is] a great movie…” -Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal

“No matter how many Holocaust films you’ve seen, you’ve not seen one like this.” -Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times

This film has English subtitles.

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Running Time: 107 minutes107 MIN
R Rated

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OSCAR-NOMINATED ANIMATED SHORTS: Last Day Thursday, March 3rd

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Sanjay’s Super Team – dir. Sanjay Patel, USA, 7 minutes

Synopsis: In SANJAY’S SUPER TEAM, the new short film from Pixar Animation Studios, accomplished artist Sanjay Patel uses his own experience to tell the story of a young, first-generation Indian-American boy whose love for western pop-culture comes into conflict with his father’s traditions. Sanjay is absorbed in the world of cartoons and comics, while his father tries to draw him into the traditions of his Hindu practice. Tedium and reluctance quickly turn into an awe-inspiring adventure as the boy embarks on a journey he never imagined, returning with a new perspective that they can both embrace.

World of Tomorrow – dir. Don Hertzfeldt, USA, 17 minutes

Synopsis: A little girl named Emily is taken on a fantastical tour of her distant future by a surprising visitor who reveals unnerving secrets about humanity’s fate.

Bear Story – dir. Gabriel Osorio, Chile, 11 minutes

*WINNER for Best Animated Short*

Synopsis: Every day, a melancholy old bear takes a mechanical diorama that he has created out to his street corner. For a coin, passersby can look into the peephole of his invention, which tells the story of a circus bear who longs to escape and return to the family from which he was taken.

We Can’t Live Without Cosmos – dir. Konstantin Bronzit, Russia, 16 minutes

Synopsis: Two best friends have dreamed since childhood of becoming cosmonauts, and together they endure the rigors of training and public scrutiny, and make the sacrifices necessary to achieve their shared goal.

Prologue – dir. Richard Williams, UK, 6 minutes

*This short may not be suitable for children.*

Synopsis: Clocking in at six minutes, PROLOGUE describes an incident in the Spartan-Athenian wars of 2,400 years ago. In it, a small girl bears witness as warriors battle to death. The dialog-free project utilizes natural sounds to complement the intense animation (entirely animated by Richard Williams himself). Williams – who is best known for his work as animation director on “Who Framed Roger Rabbit”, his unfinished feature “The Thief and the Cobbler” and Academy Award-winning “A Christmas Carol “adaptation – has worked on PROLOGUE for many years in between other projects. It was finally completed this year at the Aardman Studios in Bristol, U.K.

ADDITIONAL FILM: If I Was God – dir. Cordell Baker, Canada, 9 minutes

While dissecting a frog in Biology class, a 12-year-old boy who senses the approaching power of adulthood speculates about what he would do if he were God. This darkly whimsical, semi-autobiographical 3D animated short was directed by two-time Oscar®-nominated animator and long-time NFB filmmaker Cordell Barker.

ADDITIONAL FILM: The Short Story of a Fox and a Mouse – France, 7 minutes

Synopsis: A hungry grey fox sets out for a morning hunt, hoping to find a tasty rodent to snack on. But the mouse he finds is no ordinary mouse…

ADDITIONAL FILM: The Loneliest Stoplight – dir. Bill Plympton, USA, 6 minutes

Synopsis: The life and times of a neglected stoplight, voiced by Patton Oswalt.

ADDITIONAL FILM: Catch It – France, 5 minutes

Synopsis: A group of meerkats takes care of its beloved and unique fruit near their burrow, but a vulture intends to disturb their peace of mind. A chase begins in the savannah.

*There are no accessibility devices made available for this film.*

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Running Time: 86 minutes86 MIN

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OSCAR-NOMINATED LIVE ACTION SHORTS

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Ave Maria – dir. Basil Khalil, Palestine/France/Germany, 15 minutes

Synopsis: Five nuns living in the West Bank find their routine disrupted when the car of a family of Israeli settlers breaks down outside the convent. Unable to use the telephone due to Sabbath restrictions, the family needs help from the nuns, but the sisters’ vow of silence requires them to work with their visitors to find an unorthodox solution.

Shok – dir. Jamie Donoughue, Kosovo/UK, 21 minutes

Synopsis: In Kosovo in 1998, two young boys are best friends living normal lives, but as war engulfs their country, their daily existence becomes filled with violence and fear. Soon, the choices they make threaten not only their friendship, but their families and their lives.

Everything Will Be OK – dir. Patrick Vollrath, Germany/Austria, 30 minutes

Synopsis: Michael, a divorced father devoted to his eight-year-old daughter, Lea, picks her up for their usual weekend together. At first it feels like a normal visit, but Lea soon realizes that something is different, and so begins a fateful journey.

Stutterer – dir. Benjamin Cleary, UK/Ireland, 12 minutes

Synopsis: For a lonely typographer, an online relationship has provided a much-needed connection without revealing the speech impediment that has kept him isolated. Now, however, he is faced with the proposition of meeting his online paramour in the flesh, and thereby revealing the truth about himself.

Day One – dir. Henry Hughes, USA, 25 minutes

Synopsis: On the heels of a painful divorce, an Afghan-American woman joins the U.S. military as an interpreter and is sent to Afghanistan. On her first mission, she accompanies troops pursuing a bomb-maker, and must bridge the gender and culture gap to help the man’s pregnant wife when she goes into labor.

*There are no accessibility devices made available for this film.*

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Running Time: 107 minutes107 MIN
R Rated

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THE LADY IN THE VAN: Last Day Thursday, March 17th

Watch Trailer Director: Nicholas Hytner
Writer(s): Alan Bennett
Cast: Maggie Smith, Alex Jennings
Awards: 2016 Golden Globe Nominations: Best Actress

1973- the year Miss Shepard, a transient woman living in her van, takes up residence in playwright Alan Bennet’s driveway in London,where she remains for 15 years. Based on a true story, THE LADY IN THE VAN chronicles a unique friendship in a sleepy London neighborhood.

 

“A delicately written, boisterously performed movie about the difficult people who dare us to care about them.” – Rebecca Keegan, Los Angeles Times

 

“It’s an honest and incisive and peppery examination of one of his life’s strangest but most enduring relationships — and the way that timidity and kindness often work out to being the same thing.” -Alan Scherstuhl, Village Voice

*CaptiView® Closed Caption and Audio Description is available for this film. All showings on Mondays will feature Open Captions.*

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Running Time: 104 minutes104 MIN
PG-13 Rated

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