Boston Cinema Census

Boston Cinema Census 7

The Seventh Annual Boston Cinema Census was held Friday, March 14, 2008, at 9:30pm., at the Brattle Theatre in Cambridge, MA.

BCC7 Program Notes:

Mysterieuse, 3 Minutes 15 Seconds, Animation

Dir: Samantha Olschan, Easton, CT

When a local girl is seduced by the arrival of an enigmatic leopard she is left with more than the memory. Mysterieuse is a computer-generated animation deeply influenced by traditional myth, as well as collage and printmaking techniques.

Full Stop Hilltop, 11 Minutes 6 Seconds, Experimental

Dir: David Baeumler, Jamaica Plain, MA

When the water mysteriously stops, a man is forced out of his daily routine to examine his life. He revisits his past to consider the places and moments that shaped him. But in a constantly shifting world, these memories have lost the meaning they once had. Have the places changed or has he? What can these places tell him now, and do they always say the same thing?

Pearlswig, 10 Minutes, Documentary

Dir: Jesse Kreitzer, Brighton, MA

Meet Jarome Pearlswig, Boston's #1 celebrity autograph hound and amateur paparazzi. This thoughtful doc chronicles 40 years of Jarome Pearlswig capturing the world's most beloved celebrities - whether they like it or not!

Where is Estel, 3 Minutes, Narrative

Dir: Jared Katsiane, Boston, MA

Yesterday Estel joined the JROTC youth military progam. Today she is just hanging out with her friends. Could this be just a normal day in the life of this group of friends, or has Estel's decision made subtle but significant changes to this schoolyard group?

The Front Runner, 8 Minutes, Animation

Dir: John MacDonnell, Bedford, NH

After an unlikely turn of events turns fatal during a rural drag race, a young Texan's mentor's car ends up unjustly in the wrong hands. Our young Texan takes control of the situation with what might be his first solo victory or his last run.

Scatterbrain, 22 Minutes, Experimental Narrative

Dir: Jean-Paul DiSciscio, Lynn, MA

Scatterbrain tells the tale of a man whose brain begins to sing one day, so he has to cut it out of his head (to be replaced by a heavy-duty lithium battery of course). This unique tale plays out like a silent musical in the slapstick vein of Buster Keaton and featuring the music of Daniel Johnston as the singing brain!

Hanna's Ride, 13 Minutes 20 Seconds, Narrative

Dir: Anne Loyer, Boston, MA

A coming of age film about a girl caught between two worlds - the open landscape of a horse farm where she confronts physical danger regularly, and the confining suburban environment where she struggles with the external expectations of beauty and propriety.

The Beautiful, 3 Minutes, Experimental Documentary

Dir: Peter Pizzi, Boston, MA

Inspired by the Michelle Tea poem of the same name, The Beautiful tells the story of one young woman's disillusionment with her family and on a greater level the disappointment she feels for her country. Sassy and bratty Beauty rips into her parents, comically they will either respond or not . . . come on America!

The Cambridge Companion, 20 Minutes, Docudramedy

Dir: Ethan Goldhammer, Cambridge, MA

The Cambridge Companion casually follows the campaign of the legendary orator Lloyd Smith as he and his son ArtMan set their sights on one of the highly coveted 9 seats on the Cambridge City Council. Their mis-managed actions make this original work in turns funny, touching, and perplexing in a very engaging way.