2006 Riverside International Film Festival Films & Filmmakers

Feature Films:

 
 
American Blend
Director: Varun Khanna 
Country: USA

Description: American Blend, revolves around the Chadha family-Californians on the outside and Indians deep within.Raj Chadha (Anupam Kher) has two loves-food and Bollywood. Quite naturally, he runs Bollywood Cafe, his very own restaurant, with great panache, dishing out delicious meals sprinkled with Bollywood masala. Raj has two children-Nikita (Niki) and Brijesh (BJ). After his wife dies, Raj marries Jayme (Dee Wallace Stone), a Caucasian American who has a daughter, Maya. While all three children thrive on the American lifestyle, their moral values are rooted in Indian tradition. Life in the Chadha home sails by smoothly... until lightning strikes without warning, and unearths a secret that has lain buried for years. With its straight-from-the-heart story, foot-tapping music, and rich blend of Indian and American cultures, American Blend gives the viewer a lot to take home.

 
 
Zeppelin!
Director: Gordian Maugg  
Country: Germany

Description: In order to finally bring to an end a story his father has kept hidden in a faded old notebook, Matthias Silcher researches the story of his grandfather Robert, who died in 1937 in Lakehurst as a crew member on the Hindenburg. His investigation leads him to the Zeppelin Museum in Friedrichshafen to one of Robert’s former colleagues, Karl Semmle. But the old man rejects Matthias and first wants to know why he is so curious before he breaks his silence. The bizarre circumstances of Robert’s death and the lives of his surviving family members thereafter does not come to light until 2004 with the help of Karl Semmle, the only witness of the time who really knows what happened and what drove Robert to sacrifice his own life to save the airship industry – a decision that would go on to haunt the lives of three generations.

 
 
Sasquatch Hunters
Director: Marc Messenger 
Country: USA

Description: This mocumentary follows a filmmaker shooting a documentary on several unusual characters who are obsessed with finding Bigfoot.

 
 
Borrowed Bride
Director: Atif Yilmaz  
Country: Turkey/Greece

Description: Borrowed brides were trainers hired to prepare young boys for marriage. The film tells the story of a woman, who gets caught up in her emotions, and defies the borrowed bridesâ code. Emine, while waiting for her lover to be released from prison, is offered the job of preparing the son of an Aegean townâs mayor, Ali, for marriage. She accepts the offer, but as she tutors the young man, they fall in love.

 
 
Imaginum (Cartoon)
Director: Alberto Mar,
Issac Sandoval
 
Country: Mexico

Description: In this, only the second animated feature to come from Mexico in over 40 years, Yxxxxx is a snobbish space parasite confined to a space insane asylum. He forces three other inmates to escape with him to aid in his plans to conquer the universe. Their destination: the third planet of a solar system where they might find the most powerful element in the entire galaxy, IMAGINUM. Their mission: to stop a boy who uses huge amounts of IMAGINUM to transform common objects into incredible machines with which he can confront Yxxxxx. Fun for all ages.

 
 
Santos Peregrinos
Director: Juan Carlos Carrasco  
Country: Mexico

Description: Set in Mexico City, SANTOS PEREGRINOS is a comedic look at how lives can change when a sudden financial upturn occurs. The occupiers of an apartment block make a startling discovery when they find three religious figurines belonging to a deceased resident of the building are carved from solid gold. Chaos breaks out, as greed and tension runs rife throughout the minds of the occupants, who suddenly realize they could have a chance to make a fortune. A remake of Alex De La Iglesia's LA COMUNIDAD, SANTOS PEREGRINOS is lighter in tone than Iglesia's dark comedy, providing plenty of mirthful moments as the story gently winds to its conclusion.

 
 
Ten 'til Noon
Director: Scott Storm  
Country: USA

Description: Between 11:50 and 12:00 noon, a crime is committed. In the same ten minute period, we follow the lives of the ten people, all connected to this crime. As we see each person's point of view, we are propelled closer and closer to the truth of what exactly happened...and why. A jet-lagged Larry Taylor awakens to find two strangers in his bedroom, and over the next ten minutes, will experience the most terrifying and possibly final moments of his life. But who these strangers are, and what they want, can only be determined by events occurring elsewhere and at the same time.

 
 
The Gold Bracelet
Director: Kavi Raj  
Country: USA

Description: Somewhere in the rugged terrains of a foreign land, a man schemed, plotted and carried out a hideous and cowardly act that changed our world forever. Somewhere in the heart of America, a simple man living a righteous, pious life, raising his family with the fear of God in his heart, pays the consequences.

 
 
Vacancy
Director: Steve Hosford