Cleveland International Film Festival – Part 2

Posted on April 3, 2011 by MaryLee

35th Annual Cleveland International Film Festival Trailer

By all accounts, the 35th Annual Cleveland International Film Festival (CIFF) has been a major success! Every single day has been a record breaker with attendance. Also, every year CIFF has their major fundraising effort during the festival. This is their one and only fundraising event of the year (they don’t even call you during the holidays for donations). Each seat at the festival costs approximately $33 and each ticket is only $10 or $12 – you do that math! This year, their fundraising goal was $35,000 – which was reached on Friday! Not only reached, but by-passed with over $37,000 raised as of Friday night! Congrats CIFF! Can’t wait to hear the total raised at the end of the festival. I would also like to correct one thing from my last post. I spoke about getting wanded for electronics and recording devices going into the movie. Turns out that was just for Insidious since it’s a major studio film and it was a sneak preview. So far, that is the only movie that has had such security. Although I suspect that Soul Surfer this evening will also have that security as well.

Ok…now for the movies!

Movie #3 – We Were Here

We Were Here

I really almost have no words for how this movie touched my heart and soul. I feel it’s an important historical movie for everyone to see – Especially those under about 40 years old who may not remember themselves. We Were Here is a movie documenting the AIDS epidemic at the very beginning of the epidemic’s explosion in San Fransisco in the late 70′s and early 80′s. During that time, I was just a child in a small farming community in Central Illinois. I didn’t hear much about AIDS until the late 80′s. To me, this movie was an eye opening experience. I knew that 1,000′s had died from AIDS, but that is just such an abstract idea that you have trouble wrapping your mind around – unless you experience it. This movie helps you do so. It puts faces and personal lives to the statistics. Thousands and thousands of faces and lives. Ravaged by this horrible disease. Director David Weissman personalizes the “statistics” brilliantly and draws you in from the opening scenes. In the end, this isn’t just another historical piece about AIDS. It’s really a love letter to San Fransisco and a depiction of how the community rose to the occasion and took care of one another during the crisis. The interviews with people that were there are gripping and even haunting. For example, Ed joked about how he was not good at flirting or anonymous sex. However, I’m sure it saved his life. The movie also discusses different early drug trials. The drugs were often more devastating than the disease itself as nearly all the subjects in the trials did not make it…due to the harsh chemicals. Keep in mind, there were less regulations for drug trials at the time. Incredible movie. But don’t take my word for it – check out the trailer here. Keep up on news and screenings on Facebook and Twitter.

Movie #4 – Holy Wars

Holy Wars

Holy Wars is a movie that follows a fundamentalist Christian, Aaron Taylor (above left), and a fundamentalist Muslim, Khalid Kelly (above right), for three years. They do have a moment (pictured above) where they speak about their differences. No matter what your religion or opinions, this movie will spark strong feelings and discussion. Keep in mind that both Taylor and Kelly are at the extreme fundamentalist ends of their respective religions…so most people will think both of them reflect badly upon their religions. In fact, one thing that really struck me is how Kelly was struggling to find his place in the world. He is Irish and converted to Islam. He is really in between two worlds. The west – a world where he is not wanted and the middle east – a world where he is not needed. I asked director, Stephen Marshall, how he came to pick Taylor and Kelly for his subjects and he replied:

Aaron was literally the only Christian missionary in the US who would agree to allow us to film him in the field doing his missionary work. We had originally pitched the film with a “danger-seeking” missionary as a main character and then, after we raised the $$, got turned down by every missionary org in the country. So he was a gift in many ways… Khalid was harder in a sense. After Bakri was exiled, there was a lot of UK media focus on the kids of al Muhajiroun. Khalid was profiled in a CSM article and my producer tried to get him for months, but he felt the authorities were too close to them and he didn’t want to get nailed for anything. So when I was in Israel shooting, and waiting for my iranian visa, I got stuck for a few days and just called him. he agreed to a 4 hour interview in a park in London and I flew over to see him. It was a non-stop barrage… but probably the most articulate I had heard from an English-speaking, white person… which I felt Americans would need to really be able to connect with the POV.”

You can keep up with future screenings of Holy Wars on Facebook. Also, for more information check out this Huffington Post article.

 

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Cleveland International Film Festival – Day 1 (For me anyways!)

Posted on March 27, 2011 by MaryLee

Spring is in the air…well…wait…this is Cleveland! It’s nearly April and it’s 20 degrees out and I’m just getting teased by the Cleveland weather machine by giving me a 48 degree day with sun followed by a 20 degree day with snow. But I digress…I “dream” of spring in the air! Which means it’s time for the Cleveland International Film Festival (CIFF)!!! So today was actually day three of the festival, but because of previous commitments and my work schedule, I was unable to attend until today. I was originally going to attend last night, but a family thing came up and I was unable. BIG thank you to the staff at CIFF – they gave me a voucher to replace last night’s movie, that I was unable to attend, with another movie next weekend! VERY appreciated!!! I do have a bit of wonderful news from days one and two – both broke attendance records! Opening night broke a record with 1,400 in attendance and Friday broke the first Friday record with 6,055 in attendance…at this rate they should be on track to break last year’s festival attendance record of 71,554…no pressure though!

CIFF 35

As for the festival itself, few changes from last year’s set up. I still find it easiest to buy tickets in advance and was able to do so this year in plenty of time to get the movies I wanted (which mostly revolved around ones with film forums). You are guaranteed a seat as long as you are there on time. So much easier than taking a chance on Stand By! The reward of planning ahead! Tickets are all handled at the box office windows this year, which is a good change. Parking is still free at Tower City, however, with the increases in attendance - parking is scarce! Luckily, parking in the overflow lot was still free and has a shuttle. So tomorrow I plan on going a bit early to ensure I have enough time to park. One last change….security! They were wanding everyone at the door to the theatre to make sure we weren’t packing….turned on cell phones that is! Yep…that’s right…ensuring all cell phones were physically turned off (not just on silent or airplane mode) as we went into the theatre. It’s not only the sounds from the phone, but the light emitted as well. Ditto for iPad’s or other tablets. So make sure your phone/tablet is turned off when you get to the theatre, because you’ll just hold up the line as we wait for it to power off!

So what movies did I see and what did I think?

Movie #1 – Insidious

Insidious

First of all…I just saw an ad for this movie on TV as I’m getting ready to write this review…coincidence? I did not pick this movie because of any knowledge of it, I picked it solely because I recognized and liked the stars (Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, Barbara Hershey and Lin Shaye) and read that it was directed by James Wan and written by Leigh Whannell – the team behind the Saw movies and Paranormal Activity. Now, I am not a huge fan of senseless gore, but I do love a scary suspenseful movie and Insidious was advertised as a “spine-tingling thriller of a film” with “just the right amount of horror-class humor”…ok…sold!

Did it live up to the hype? Did I like it? Well…yes and no. I have very mixed feelings about this film. I have no major issues with the acting, although I did have some trouble connecting with Patrick Wilson‘s character, Josh. Although I’m not sure that could be blamed on Wilson. I had more issues with the writing in general. Just some unexplainable plot points…like why is Josh suddenly staying late at work? Why is Josh’s wife, Renai (Rose Byrne), not bringing up the STUNNINGLY obvious in a heart to heart with her husband about the strange happenings in their house (sorry…being vague to avoid spoilers). The problems with the plot were distracting enough that I just couldn’t get into it enough to appreciate the suspense once it came. I say once it came because the movie does take a while to get moving! What do I like about the movie? It did give me a few jumps, but nothing totally unexpected. I like that I didn’t completely figure out the ending until it was happening. I liked how the very beginning of the film was so “campy horror” that a girl behind me actually giggled after the intro….I totally love the campy homage to horror! And I absolutely ADORED the comedy duo of Leigh Whannell (yes…also the writer) and Angus Sampson as Specs and Tucker – in my humble opinion they completely stole the show. I found myself looking forward to the bumbling techno geeks every appearance! Bottom line – not a horrible film and if you like horror, you will probably enjoy it. That being said, not a horror classic in the making. Just too many plot holes. Did I learn anything from this movie? Yep – pay attention to your children’s drawings! (only hint you’ll get!) You can catch it April 1st at a theatre near you!

Movie #2 – 2030-Revolt of the Young (2030 – Aufstand der Jungen)

2030 - Revolt of the Young

Now this movie truly wowed me! It’s in German, and has subtitles, however, I barely noticed! The movie is a docu-thriller about what life is like in 2030 and the gulf that exists, at that time, between the employed and unemployed, the insured and uninsured – the haves and have-nots. Unlike some other recent “preachy” feeling movies (cough…Avatar…cough), I think that you will get drawn into this movie no matter what your political leanings are. You grow to care about the main characters very easily and Lavinia Wilson is simply brilliant as Sophie! The attention to detail was near perfect in the making of this movie. The makeup and wardrobe was spot on – not too futuristic, but different enough to believe that it was 2030. The same with the technology – it was futuristic, but remained realistic. I loved the small touches, like a stroller in the background with a cool look to it. And Sophie’s car just rocked! The film also brought up some interesting possibilities for the future. In this version of the future, the government becomes more “big brother” than ever. And it seems to have merged with the health insurance companies (state health care). People have their medical information embedded under their skin on microchips. Handy for medical professionals, but also a way to stigmatize a person if they have a bad medical condition. Also interesting, not everyone may surf the internet. You are given a “key” that you plug into the device you are using to surf the web and it records your every click. The government uses it to track you and what you are doing. I must say, it’s obvious where the film makers stand on political policy (At the end they say that if we make the right decisions now, the future need not look like this), but what I like is that they were not preachy about it at all. It all integrates into their story seamlessly. And what a gripping and thrilling story it is! I was drawn in from the first frame and was kept guessing until the very last few minutes of the movie – well done! Absolute proof that a well crafted story will win out every time over any perceived obstacles. If you get a chance, check this movie out – one more showing on Monday (3/28)!

 

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Am I really a “Runner”???

Posted on October 3, 2010 by MaryLee

So this spring I decided to kick up the “fitness” level in my life (ok…I admit it…ADD a fitness level…hehe) and start running. I set a modest goal of running the Northeast Ohio Susan G. Komen Race For the Cure 5K on September 11th. As it was May, I figured that was plenty of time to train right?

At first it was VERY slow going! Run for a few minutes…walk for a few minutes…run again for a few minutes…walk again… But as time went on, I found I was running more than I was walking! Being the competitive sort, I wanted to do well on my time too! But we can’t have everything…so I’ll keep working on that! (I’m definitely related to the tortoise, not the hare!)

Originally, the Race For The Cure was going to be my very first 5k, but a few weeks before, on my trip “home” to Illinois, I found out that my hometown was having a 5k. I might have passed it up any way except the proceeds from the 5k were going to benefit a saftey complex my hometown (Fairbury, IL) is building that is going to be named after my late cousin, Brian J. Munz, who tragically passed away at the age of 24 fighting a house fire as a volunteer fire fighter. How could I pass that opportunity up? So I did it and completed my very first 5k on August 20st at the Fairbury Fair with a time of 44:45!

Crossing the line at the Fairbury Fair 5K

Crossing the line at the Fairbury Fair 5K

It was run/walk, but I did finish! So now to improve before the Race for the Cure. A special note to make is that my brother was going to come join me for the race, which was incredibly special! He runs half marathons and wants to run a marathon, so to be able to share this with him was pretty awesome. So September 11th comes around and I’m ready! My brother ran, I ran and he came back and finished with me once he had finished his part of the race (in 24 min…wow!). And finish strong I did! In fact, for the first time I jogged the entire thing and didn’t walk! Awesome! My official time was 43:59, which beat my Fairbury 5K time – improvement is good!

Cleveland Race For The Cure 2010

My brother and I at the Cleveland Race For The Cure 2010

Now, I would be remiss as a Social Media person if I didn’t give a shout out to Runkeeper.  I honestly don’t know where I would be in my training without it! It’s a great mobile app that I run on my Droid that tracks my running routes, races, elevation, speed, distance…it tracks it all! Since I have a Droid, I am also able to run Pandora with it at the same time and run to the Weezer channel. Believe it or not, slacker 90′s music is a perfect running companion!

At any rate, Runkeeper is an amazing tool and I don’t know what I’d do without it (tracks bike rides and many other activities besides running as well) in my training. Now, to top it off, last week they announced a partnership with Foursquare that is the first time you can get Foursquare badges not by checking into venues, but by actually doing something active! So knowing that they probably had a 5k badge, I set out the next morning to earn it.

Runkeeper FourSquare 5K Badge

Boo yah! 5K badge!!!

Just what a geek like me needs to keep motivated! I just love that companies like Foursquare and Runkeeper are encouraging geeky peeps like me to get out from behind the computer and be active – both with fitness and in the community in general. So what’s next? Salsa dancing badge? Rowing badge? LOVE IT!!!

UPDATE:  My brother talked me into running an 8K Turkey Trot with him at Thanksgiving. Oy Vey!!!

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Dan Reed @ The Winchester

Posted on July 24, 2010 by MaryLee

First, let me talk a little bit about The Winchester. Nice place to see a band/artist! It has a little bar in the front and then a room in the back where the show takes place.  There is hardly a bad seat in the house. If you get there early enough, you can grab a table along the side. I say “early enough” because the back tables are probably the only seats that aren’t that great – although still not horrible. I’m just picky enough about going to shows that I wouldn’t want to sit that far away. I like to be able to see everything – and see it well. There are also plenty of chairs without tables up next to the stage area too and they all provide a great view as well! Something I doubt a lot of people know about are the old records that The Winchester has on sale in the bar area. Yes…I said record…as in vinyl baby! Unfortunately as I flipped through them my mind kept thinking about how the album covers would look hanging on the wall…and it was kinda depressing, so I didn’t get any this time. Vinyl should be played right? NOT purchased for interior decorating! But I digress…

So this past evening it was Dan Reed that brought me to The Winchester…

Dan Reed

Dan Reed @ The Winchester

Mr. Dan Reed and I have a bit of history that I should explain! See, way back in 1988 (I think!), my very first rock concert was The Dan Reed Network. They headlined a concert in the park in Normal, IL, on the Fourth of July. It was sponsored by WBNQ, who at the time had some of The Dan Reed Network’s songs on high rotation (Ritual, Get To You, Rainbow Child) and I still actually have the t-shirt! If you don’t remember them, don’t worry! Evidently the rest of the country didn’t have them on as heavy a rotation as Central Illinois did. Although they did open up on tours for Bon Jovi, David Bowie, Run DMC, UB40 and The Rolling Stones’ 1991 European Tour, it was rare that they headlined a larger show themselves – I was just lucky enough to see one of the rare ones!  So when I heard Dan would be playing at The Winchester, I just HAD to go check it out…and I wasn’t disappointed!

Of course the massive amount of 80′s hair is gone, along with the pop synth…but frankly, I love what he’s done with the older songs! Totally deconstructed them and brought them into an acoustic light that just showcases the writing in a brilliant way. It also effectively brings the songs out of the 80′s and presents them in a new, and more importantly timeless, vein.  Well done Mr. Reed! Along with the older Dan Reed Network hits, songs from his newly released album, Coming Up For Air, were also prominently featured on the set list for the evening – including Pray For Rain, Coming Up For Air and my favorite from the new album Losing My Fear. Losing My Fear is all about opening up your heart enough to share your life with another person – hello! Love it. Take a listen. I love the evolution Dan’s writing and his music has gone through over the years (influenced by his time in India) and his ability to effectively re-make his old hits to mesh well with the new ones – satisfying both new and long time fans of his music. His set last night was an acoustic one, which fits his songs brilliantly. He hopes to be back on tour next year with a full band. As much as I love the acoustic version of his songs, it will be be great to hear him with a full band backing him! Bravo!

Dan Reed and Myself

Dan Reed and Myself @ The Winchester, July 2010

Follow Dan Reed on Twitter and Facebook.

Follow The Winchester on Twitter and Facebook.

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Cleveland GiveCamp

Posted on July 21, 2010 by MaryLee
Stand Up Meeting

Stand Up Meeting

Once upon a time, on a boat on Lake Erie – over 100 volunteers consisting of software developers, graphic designers and business analysts gathered to launch Cleveland’s first GiveCamp. GiveCamp exists to help non-profits break the expensive technology barrier and allow them to have cutting edge web sites and/or applications developed. This past weekend (July 16-18, 2010), 20 non-profits in Northeast Ohio were able to do just that (all web sites except for one new iPhone app)! GiveCamp was hosted by LeanDog Software and Burke Lakefront Airport.

I participated in this incredible event as the Business Analyst for the team assisting the Suicide Prevention Education Alliance of Northeast Ohio in the re-design of their web site and Facebook Page. We had an incredible team that included Tom Donner, Mike Crute, David Abt, Doreen Skonier, Ben Fitzpatrick and Scott Zimmer. Fortunately, Scott was on the job well before the weekend started and we had a web site design in hand prior to the start of the weekend. And what an incredible design it was! Scott did an amazing job with it.  Check out the before and after shots below:

SPEA Site Before CLEGiveCamp

SPEA Site Before CLEGiveCamp

SPEA Site After CLEGiveCamp

SPEA Site After CLEGiveCamp

Incredible difference right?  In fact, this past weekend motivated me to FINALLY get my own blog off the ground and running. I mean…if we could do it in one weekend for a full web site, why has it taken me so long to get my little corner of the blogging world off the ground??? What am I waiting for after all? The perfect Theme? Topic? Cleveland to win a championship? Cubs to win the World Series? Planets to align? I mean really! As the great poets, Van Halen, wrote – what’s wrong with “Right Now“!?!? Well nothing! So here it is…post #1 of my Blog. Live it. Love it. Blog it.

Now, I would be remiss in writing about Cleveland’s first give camp (the largest first give camp of any city btw!) without mentioning the weekend’s mascot’s, Otis and Iggy. Those two are just amazing pups!

The Definition of Hope

The Definition of Hope (Otis)

Otis and Iggy

Otis and Iggy "Time to go home yet?"

So if you missed Cleveland’s first GiveCamp, never fear! Next year’s GiveCamp is already being planned! Follow @CLEGiveCamp on Twitter and also follow the Cleveland GiveCamp Fan Page on Facebook for more updates.

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