Moondance International Film Festival 2008

It's 1952 and big-city reporter, Ronald Lu, returns to his small hometown to discover that a McCarthy-ite thug has turned the place into a fascist hornet's nest. The town's Chinese community is experiencing persecution and possibly murder. His old girlfriend fears he will sell out the Chinese to write his big story to win the Pulitzer. Either way, Roland will have to take on his nemesis, Frank Dugan...

Two 12-year-old girls, obsessed with their looks, have a western-style showdown over a coveted Coach bag.

In New Mexico, an ancient Native American petroglyph site with over 10,000 images, lies just 35 miles from the detonation site of the world’s first atomic bomb at White Sands Missile Range. This film explores the opposing forces of the natural world and man-made destruction, in a mystical way, using the animated rock art images as characters in the film.

An Iraq war veteran. A Croatian Refuge. A motivational speech to be delivered. A surreal journey through Los Angeles brings together two distant characters, and two not-so-distant worlds. ‘Vukovar’ is about an American soldier, just back from Iraq, who must come to terms with his troubled past, and make a decision about his future. Davor, a Croatian refugee and an unlikely guide, enlightens Tim, and us, on the universality of grief and trauma. Diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, Tim struggles with the difficulties of returning to civilian life and the fear of being sent back to the war zone. Even though they come from opposite ends of the world, they have something in common: war and its aftermath. Together, the two experience the alienation that can be America, and the power of understanding that will be their, and our, ultimate salvation.

Daniel, a grief-stricken young boy, is suffering the recent loss of his mother. He languishes sadly beside the pool, where he encounters a Mermaid. She lures him into an underwater world of wonder that washes his sorrow away. There is something about the Mermaid that makes him want to remain underwater, something about her and this world he can’t leave behind, afraid he’ll lose it forever. This is the pool in which his mother drowned, and which will become his watery tomb, as well, unless he can let her memory go.

'Heart & Soil' is a family documentary that clips along with the pace of barefoot children and frolicking livestock. The film takes us on a journey into the rich landscape and lives of farmers, and into the bustling energy of farmer's markets. The men & women farmers are an inspiration about cycles of life, and the importance of organic farming as a means toward better personal and planetary health. Pueblo Indians speak about their meaningful connection to the most important resources needed by all living things: clean air, clean water and clean soil. ‘Heart & Soil’ highlights the importance of small-scale farming as a means to cut down on fossil fuel usage, corporate take-over of our vital food supply, and as a means to strengthen communities.

This must-see, delightful and thought-provoking film is a quirky comedy about Rose, a spirited, real-life quadriplegic, and famed physicist, who goes to extreme measures in her fantastic quest for romance and true love. This engaging, short film - part romance, part magic realism - is sprinkled with absurdity and symbolism, adding more than a touch of spice for the consummate film lover. Starring Jackie Julio, Doug Olear (“The Wire”) and Dominic West (“Chicago”), and featuring original music by Bruce Springsteen.

Nine Mile Creek, in western Nebraska, was once a premier trout stream and haven for wildlife. Now it was drying up. Ongoing drought, non-sustainable farming practices and invasive plants threatened the stream. A small group of landowners and a handful of agencies launched a dramatic restoration pilot project which has captured the attention of groups across the country concerned about declining conditions of our waterways. ‘The Hope of Nine Mile’ could be the hope of habitats all over the country.