Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father
Kurt Kuenne, U.S., 2008, 95 min.
Saturday, Nov. 15, 5:15 p.m., Tivoli 1

On Nov. 5, 2001, Dr. Andrew Bagby was murdered in Pennsylvania by Dr. Shirley Turner, who fled the U.S. for St. John’s, Newfoundland, where she announced that she was pregnant with Andrew’s child. Despite overwhelming evidence against her, Turner was granted bail by the Canadian government while her extradition proceedings drug on endlessly. To protect their grandson, named Zachary, Andrew’s parents, David and Kathleen Bagby, uprooted themselves and moved to St. John’s, where they were forced to form a fraught relationship with their son’s killer. Filmmaker Kuenne, Andrew’s childhood friend, embarked on a cross-continent journey – which included St. Louis – to make this heartbreaking, altogether astonishing documentary as a way for Zachary to learn about his father. With director Kuenne and subjects David and Kathleen Bagby.
Sponsored by Union Avenue Christian Church.

First Impersonator
Chad Friedrichs, U.S., 2006, 89 min.
Saturday, Nov. 22, noon, Frontenac

For some presidential impersonators, the job brings with it money and brief entrance into exclusive circles, but it also can blur their senses of self and put their careers in the hands of changing political winds, sometimes with tragic results. “First Impersonator” focuses on the careers of two of these doppelgangers, shadowing Brent Mendenhall, a former construction worker who capitalizes on his resemblance to George W. Bush, and documenting the life and career of famed JFK impersonator Vaughn Meader, whose “First Family” was once the biggest-selling album of all time. With director Friedrichs.

Shown with
The Spot (Alexandre Philippe, U.S., 2008, 20 min.), an impressionistic, collage-like view of a day at “the spot” at which JFK was assassinated.

Frontrunners
Caroline Suh, U.S., 2008, 80 min.
Sunday, Nov. 23, 1 p.m., Tivoli 3

It’s hard to run for office – even in high school. The campaign for student-body president at New York City’s Stuyvesant, perhaps the most prestigious public high school in the country, is almost as sophisticated as any presidential election. Candidates must choose running mates, navigate primaries, write political platforms, perform in televised debates and win newspaper endorsements. But unlike presidential candidates, they must also do homework, take the SATs and write college applications. The hugely entertaining “Frontrunners” explores how politics works at a nascent level.

Shown with
Kids + Money (Lauren Greenfield, U.S., 2008, 32 min.), in which LA teens from all strata of society discuss their thoughts about money.

Fuel
Josh Tickell, U.S., 2008, 90 min.
Sunday, Nov. 16, 7 p.m., Tivoli 1

In “Fuel,” Josh Tickell, a leading expert on alternative fuels, takes the audience on a revelatory journey to explore America’s addiction to oil, from its historical origins to current alternatives. Sweeping and exhilarating, Tickell’s passionate film stirs consciousness and makes individual action suddenly seem consequential. The Audience Award winner as Best Documentary at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival, the film is co-produced by St. Louis Rams owner Chip Rosenbloom. With director Tickell and producer Rebecca Harrell.
Sponsored by John and Diane Kalishman.

Garrison Keillor: The Man on the Radio in the Red Shoes
Peter Rosen, U.S., 2008, 84 min.
Sunday, Nov. 23, 12:30 p.m., Tivoli 1

Garrison Keillor, America’s foremost humorist and commentator, takes his skits, jokes, music and monologues across the country in his traveling radio show, spinning his stories into American gold. This free-form, intimate look at the private man in the public spotlight travels with Keillor to towns both small and large, going behind the scenes of America’s most popular radio show, “A Prairie Home Companion.” The film follows the enigmatic writer-performer as he mingles fact and fiction to create one of America’s favorite places, Lake Wobegon.

Guest of Cindy Sherman
Tom Donahue & Paul Hasegawa-Overacker, U.S., 2008, 88 min.
Saturday, Nov. 22, 9 p.m., Tivoli 1

In 1993, artist Paul H-O melded his two great loves – the art world and the videocamera – into his public-access show, “GalleryBeat.” One of his biggest fans proved to be reclusive artist Cindy Sherman, and during a series of exclusive interviews, they fell in love and began a relationship. As the film makes abundantly clear, however, Sherman’s superstar status forced Paul to confront difficult issues of ego and identity. With unprecedented access, “Guest of Cindy Sherman” places us in the intimate company of the great artist and offers a funny but pointed critique of the New York art scene and the culture of celebrity. With co-directors Donahue and Hasegawa-Overacker.

Shown with
Veneer (Peter Bolte, U.S., 2008, 8 min.), a narrative short in which insecurity and tension rise as a down-and-out bartender is forced to work in the presence of a world-renowned artist. With director Bolte.

Homegrown
Robert McFalls, U.S., 2008, 52 min.
Sunday, Nov. 16, 5:15 p.m., Tivoli 3

“Homegrown” documents the remarkable Dervaes family – father, son and two daughters – who run a small organic farm in the heart of urban Pasadena, Calif., creating a tiny rural island in a vast sea of city. Living off the grid, they harvest more than 6,000 pounds of produce on less than a quarter-acre of land, make their own biodiesel, power their computers with the help of solar panels, and maintain a Web site that gets 4,000 hits a day. The film offers an intimate portrait of urban pioneers living a “Little House on the Prairie” existence in the 21st century. With director McFalls and a panel on the issues raised by the film.
Sponsored by The Healthy Planet

How It Is With Phooie
Mike Steinberg, U.S., 2008, 89 min.
Tuesday, Nov. 18, 5 p.m., Tivoli 3

The head of the Webster University Film Series offers an intensely personal portrait of his father, Phil “Phooie” Steinberg, a 35-year veteran of the music industry. Forced to close his longtime record store, the Disc Connection, because of a radically altered music business, Phooie faces a cascading series of troubles, including the loss of his home, which houses his beloved home movie theater and collection of 16mm films. Revealing as much about its director as its subject, “How It Is With Phooie” proves wry, wise and poignant, a beautiful look at the difficulties and compensatory joys of family. With subject Steinberg.

Kassim the Dream
Kief Davidson, U.S., 2008, 87 min., Acholi, English & Swahili
Sunday, Nov. 16, 7:15 p.m., Tivoli 3

“Kassim the Dream,” which premiered at Tribeca and won the American Film Market Award at Silverdocs, tells the alternately horrifying and inspiring story of boxer Kassim “The Dream” Ouma, former light middleweight world champion. Born in Uganda, Kassim was kidnapped by the rebel army and trained to be a child soldier at the age of 6. Kassim found his escape through the army’s boxing team, and on a trip to the U.S. with Uganda’s amateur team, he boldly stayed to pursue a professional career, leaving behind family and country. Variety writes that the film “combines serious human rights issues with incredible triumph-over-adversity sports lore” and “illuminates how indomitable people in impossible situations negotiate with their demons.”
Sponsored by the Interfaith Selection Committee

Katrina’s Children
Laura Belsey, U.S., 2008, 85 min.
Sunday, Nov. 16, 2:45 p.m., Tivoli 3

“Katrina’s Children” is a multifaceted portrait of 19 children, ages 5-13, from different neighborhoods of New Orleans. Told entirely from their point of view, the film captures with vivid poignancy the tragic ramifications of the greatest manmade and natural disaster in modern American history. The film shifts between past and present, weaving the children’s thoughts on Katrina with verite-style scenes of their everyday life and bringing the kids’ interior universe to life through animation of their drawings. Aching with sadness yet grounded in hope, “Katrina’s Children” is ultimately a celebration of children’s extraordinary power of resilience and a tribute to New Orleans’ indomitable spirit. With director Belsey.

Shown with
So the Wind Won’t Blow It All Away (Annie P. Waldman, U.S., 2008, 10 min.), which chronicles the difficulties faced by teenagers living alone after Katrina.