Coming Soon

In the course of seven incredible Tuesdays over seven tumultuous years, eleven New Yorkers are transformed by love, desire, art, ambition, fury, grief, faith, fear, hope and, ultimately, connection with each other in the rousing indie-rock musical-drama, CLEAR BLUE TUESDAY. Up-and-coming, new director Elizabeth Lucas and a cast of actor-singer-songwriters drawn from the worlds of rock, comedy clubs and the off-Broadway stage have created a wholly unique musical motion picture experience about the persistence of love in the face of catastrophe and the resilient heart of a city. Bursting with pop melodies, sly humor and stirring emotions, CLEAR BLUE TUESDAY is a fresh, impassioned testament to everyday transcendence.

It begins on Tuesday, September 11, 2001 – but it’s about what comes after. In the wake of their own personal encounters with disaster, a group of interconnected New Yorkers begins to grapple with -- and rediscover -- the dreams that first brought them to the city. As the camera and the music penetrate these eleven diverse but inter-woven worlds on seven different September Tuesdays, the audience witnesses as each one discovers how to breathe the clear, blue air all over again.

CLEAR BLUE TUESDAY was created via an inventive creative process combining instinctual character creation, improv performances and deeply personal songwriting. (Running time 1:45)

SPECIAL TREAT: Director Elizabeth Lucas and cast members will be present for brief Q & A sessions after the following shows:

Friday, September 3 - 5:15pm & 7:25pm
Saturday, September 4 - 7:25pm
Sunday, September 5 - 1:00pm
Monday, September 6 - 5:15pm & 7:25pm
Wednesday, September 8 - 5:15pm & 7:25pm
Thursday, September 9, 2010 - 5:15pm & 7:25pm
Friday, September 10, 2010 - 5:15pm & 7:25pm
Saturday, September 11 - 7:25pm
Sunday, September 12 - 1:00pm
Monday, September 13 - 7:25pm
Tuesday, September 14 - 5:15pm & 7:25pm
Thursday, September 16 - 5:15pm & 7:25pm

After fighting the communists in Finland, Max Manus returns to Norway, currently occupied by the Nazis. He joins with the Norwegian resistance movement in their fight against the Germans but is arrested. He manages to escape to Scotland where he receives training before being sent back to Norway to carry out various sabotage missions against the occupational force.

In Lithuanian and Norwegian with English subtitles

In a desolate stretch of farm country, a young couple attempts to leave their complicated past behind in hopes of starting a new life. Andrew and Claire find themselves far from their roots. They move into an old schoolhouse that sits on the edge of a farm inhabited by an elderly widow and her blind niece, Maria. While the local media report on an approaching solar eclipse, the arrival of Andrew and Claire sets off a chain of events that will alter the lives of everyone around them. As their relationship deteriorates under the pressure of their isolation, Claire withdraws and develops an unsettling interest in Maria. And when painful memories return to haunt her, her only refuge becomes a sympathetic bid for solace she places in someone from her past. As tension builds across the countryside, a late-summer thunderstorm and the arrival of the eclipse become a catalyst for the characters to confront their darkest truths. It is not until a pale afterlight descends upon the farm in the wake of the eclipse that our characters find themselves—and their lives—changed forever. (Running time 1:27)

In 1948, a small, struggling, semi-professional orchestra in Louisville, Kentucky began a novel project to commission new works from contemporary composers around the world. The Commissioning Project grew far beyond anyone's expectations. In 1953, the orchestra received an unprecedented $400,000 grant from the Rockefeller Foundation to commission 52 compositions a year for three years. The new works were to be performed in weekly concerts and recorded for sale by subscription. The architect of this ambitious artistic venture was Louisville Mayor Charles Farnsley who had a deep love of cultural expressions of all kinds as well as boundless enthusiasm and an inexhaustible bank of new ideas. Farnsley professed to be guided by the philosophical principles of the Chinese sage Confucius. Farnsley found a willing partner for his plans in Robert Whitney, the young conductor who had arrived in Louisville in 1937 to lead the fledgling orchestra. Over the years, nearly every living composer of note would be commissioned and recorded by the Louisville Orchestra. (Running time 1:43)

Dr. Rutledge and his team take an in-depth look into a disease that has killed more people than any other: Malaria. Collecting testimonies from African, Indian and US Governments, charitable organizations, scientists, politicians, doctors, clinics, victims and survivors, the film exposes the politics behind domestic and international policies leading to the much-publicized 1972 ban of DDT (Dichloro-Diphenyl-Trichloroethane), believed at the time to be one of the most 'dirty' chemicals ever created by man. Despite DDT's effectiveness in eradicating malaria from the US, its ban was considered a hallmark victory by the early Environmental Movement. The banning decision, however, was fraught with lies and controversies. DDT has since been proven to be - and always has been - one of the safest, most environmentally-sound and most effective chemicals for fighting malaria, able to save millions of lives in the developing nations. When the EPA, Greenpeace, WWF and the Sierra Club refuse interviews, Dr. Rutledge realizes he is at the epicenter of a little-known force behind the environmental policy-makers, whose political agenda and ideology come with a human cost. Pop star Debbie Gibson composed the original score and original title track "Rise". With vector born diseases (Malaria, Dengue Fever and West Nile Virus) and bed bugs on the rise, is it time to bring back DDT? (Running time 1:42)

Narrated by Academy Award winning actress Kate Winslet, A Mother's Courage follows the personal journey of Margrét Ericsdóttir as she does everything in her power to help her son, Keli, a severely autistic eleven year-old. Margrét's quest begins in her native Iceland, but quickly expands to Europe and the United States. Along the way, Margrét meets with scientists in the field of autism and the parents of autistic children who share her passion to break down the wall separating their children from the surrounding world.

Featuring leading authorities on autism, including Cambridge's Simon Baron-Cohen; Geraldine Dawson, founder of the University of Washington's Center for Autism and now chief science officer for the group Autism Speaks; Soma Mukhopadhyay, mother of an award-winning autistic writer and the founder of the Halo center in Austin; and Temple Grandin, a highly functioning autistic and professor of animal science at Colorado State University - who says she wouldn't lose her autism if she could. (Running time 1:43)

Bright, effervescent and witty, Fruit Fly gives a musically gay twist to this “Tales of the City”-esque drama with sparkling results. H.P. Mendoza's (Colma:The Musical) critically-acclaimed directorial debut follows Bethesda (L.A. Renigen), a young performance artist in search of her career and birth mother in San Francisco. Moving into the city's vibrant queer neighborhood, and surrounding herself with a loving gay family, she becomes the “fruit fly” of choice for her circle of gay male buddies, while uncovering long-hidden family secrets. Full of quirky, melodic and uplifting musical/dance performances, Fruit Fly is a glittering mash-up that will have you humming for days. (Running time 1:32)

A routine trick at a man's apartment propels a cynical hustler into a series of strange and life-changing encounters in this stunningly photographed drama from San Francisco-based Joseph Graham. Tall and lanky with a mop of unruly dark hair, the young man makes for an attractive prostitute – handsome in body, amiable in personality and efficient in sex. He's just out to make a buck, one guy at a time. But this coldly efficient rent boy begins to look at himself in a different way one stormy night when he finds himself lost in a maze-like apartment building. The evening begins with a tryst with a beefy but timid man unused to gay sex. Their "session" becomes surprisingly tender for both. But time is money, and he's off – that is, he'd be off if he could find the exit. His unexpected odyssey leads him to a series of encounters: there is one with a "straight" guy with issues; a cocaine-fueled queen who thinks he knows him; an older man, hidden away in a leaky attic apartment who assists him on his journey; and a lonely young man who thinks he's finally found a connection with someone. Sex is the commonality, but out of that commodity comes raw, unguarded emotions for all, even for the hustler. Sad, funny, sexy and touching, Strapped is an unforgettable look into one young man’s moving journey to understanding. (Running Time 1:35)

The transformation of five soldiers from different generations of American wars as they sign up, go into battle, and eventually change their minds about what it means to be a good soldier. (Film is nominated for an Emmy and veterans in the film will attend evening screenings.) From the opening footage spanning decades of combat action, it is apparent no audience will be spared the pain experienced by the subjects of Lexy Lovell and Michael Uys’s documentary: this disturbing, deeply affecting look at war through the eyes of American veterans provides extraordinary perspective for civilian viewers. Five men who fought variously in World War II, Vietnam, and the Middle East talk about combat in a down-to-earth, matter-of-fact way that gives horrifying new meaning to the term “brutal realities.” These are not masters of atrocity – they are good men who went to war to serve their country. There, they were taught to kill – it was their job; only later, sometimes much later, did it come back to haunt them, filling them with anger and regret. Which is not to say the veterans speak with one voice; from the tightly uniformed, professional soldier to the Marine who does penance by carrying a sign in public confessing to acts of murder in Iraq, their outlooks and coping methods vary. But each man brings his own authentic insight to the story, helping to create a tableau that is as hard to turn away from as it is to watch. Surprisingly free of self-pity and blame, they soldier on in the path of awareness – just as the film itself eschews melodrama as a matter of respect for the searing honesty of its subjects. (Running time 1:19)

Following the searing urban drama, the Bristol, England- based creative team have returned with Release, an equally intense and powerful love story set in a hellish men's prison. Jack Gillie (Daniel Brocklebank), a young priest convicted of a serious crime, is incarcerated. Angry that his church has abandoned him, he suffers from a lapse of his faith. Yet he attempts to help and befriend his vulnerable cellmate Rook (Wayne Virgo, the lead in Shank). But no amount of comfort can protect Rook (and eventually the priest) from the threatened violence from one particular sadistic inmate. It's a volatile atmosphere; the guards either complacent or on the side of the thugs, the female warden is more concerned about power and sex than in maintaining control and the restless inmates Amidst all of this, Jack's only beam of hope comes in the form of prison guard Martin (Garry Summers) with whom he begins a passionate but clandestine affair. When tensions rise and violence explodes within the walls, both men's dreams of escaping together are threatened. Not your usually light weight gay indie, Release makes for a visceral, gut-wrenching affair touching on the subjects of justice, retribution, repression, religion and love. (Running time 1:27)

One of the funniest and sweetest gay romantic comedies in years, Is It Just Me? delivers a refreshingly witty take on one gay boy's search for Mr. Right. Cute, but unaware of his adorableness, Blaine (Nicholas Downs), a newspaper columnist can't seem to meet guys, let alone form a relationship. His beefy go-go boy roommate Cameron— who has no shortage of willing partners —can't understand why he doesn't pounce and enjoy some one-nighters. Instead, Blaine hides in his room and searches Internet chat rooms for a kindred spirit. He may have found one in the form of Zander, a shy recently relocated Texan. But when the time comes to exchange photos, Blaine accidentally sends an image of his hunky roomie, and things go from romantically promising to just confusing. This case of mistaken identity escalates when Blaine begs his roommate to go out with the charming, sandy-haired Zander. When it seems they hit it off, our lonely hero feels love has passed him by again... or did it? Think Cyrano de Bergerac by way of Eating Out, writer/director J.C. Calciano's first feature film is a hilarious, captivating winner. And the guys aren't bad either!

Five New Yorkers — of different ages, races, backgrounds — hunger for sensual, emotional and spiritual fulfillment. Their intersecting and colliding paths reflect the zeitgeist of our times, in which the desperation of the West smacks up against the religious teachings of the East. (Running time 1:45 )

Winner of the Audience Award at the San Francisco International Film Festival, Special Jury Prize at the Tribeca Film Festival, Budrus follows a Palestinian leader who unites Fatah, Hamas and Israelis in an unarmed movement to save his village from destruction. Success eludes them until his 15 year old daughter jumps into the fray. Struggling side by side, father and daughter unleash an inspiring, yet little known, movement in the Occupied Palestinian Territories that is still gaining ground today. (Running Time 1:21)

In Hebrew and Arabic with English subtitles.

Being steadily crushed under the weight of debt, unemployment, and increasing isolation, Jim reaches a breaking point. Over a game of solitary Russian roulette he contemplates an unspeakable act of violence as a way of leaving his mark. He is stopped short by a vision of his deceased wife who convinces him that he should instead focus his remaining resources into an act of creation. Armed with his wife's frozen eggs and a new resolve, Jim secures the services of a large biotech firm to help him create an heir who will be engineered to overcome the obstacles of common men. Meanwhile in the distant future Niskaa, the leader of a group of genetically modified beings, controls a race of worker clones in a super-industrialized, posthuman Earth. As he tries to restore his decrepit empire he comes face to face with a young clone that shows an unprecedented capacity for reason and empathy. Somehow connected to Jim via dreams, the clone manifests secrets of Nature that Niskaa has not accounted for… (Running time 1:41)

Documentary film director and journalist Joe Lovett has glaucoma, a disease that robs 4.5 million people of their vision world wide. Over the years, Joe has lost a significant amount of vision and in his concern about how to deal with more vision loss, he has started to talk with people who have already lost theirs; people who have lost their sight through blinding diseases like diabetic retinopathy and macular degeneration, others through infection and accidents. Some of the people he meets on the street, stopping to ask if they have time to talk. Each one has a fascinating story about dealing with the loss we fear most, the loss of sight. Going Blind interweaves Joe’s story, his mission to do what he can to slow down the course of his disease through medication and surgeries, with the stories of others whom he looks to for guidance in a darkening world. (Running time 1:22)

Carmo is a firecracker of a woman struggling to find her place in the world. While her moods range from playful and sexy to self destructive, she always shows underlying heart and a determined soul. Barely dodging the minefield of sleazy thugs who are after her, she is rescued by Marco, an unlikely and unwilling knight in shining armor. She tries to thank him and is immediately intrigued by his disinterest in her. Unaccustomed to men shunning her advances, she does her best to charm him, but Marco is not easily distracted from his mission. Despite his stubbornness and attempts to leave her behind, the two are drawn to one another as they begin an ill-fated road trip. Marco acts as if he can’t wait to get rid of Carmo, but he can’t let her go. Full of gangsters, chases, adventure, and a little love, the story pulls you in and holds on until the end. Comical and scandalous motley crews of characters mix with an array of live-wire cinematic gestures as Murilo Pasta's dazzling filmmaking refuels the classic road-trip genre. His fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants thrill ride through jagged paradise pairs two strangers who find their match and continue to fight destiny tooth and nail. (Running time 1:40)

In Portuguese and Spanish with English Subtitles

First time in America. A synopsis of each film and showtimes to follow.

Award Winning short film "Adelaide". (Running time: 0:12) will be presented before the feature film "Punching the clown". Adelaide is looking for love in all the wrong places. Seeking attention by faking illnesses, she runs into Brad at the pharmacy counter, changing her strategy -and their lives- upside down.

Winner of the Audience Award at the Slamdance Film Festival and Best Music at Gen Art, this uproarious and sharp new comedy tells the story of Henry Phillips, a hapless modern day troubadour who grinds his way through the heartland, living out of his car and singing his twisted satirical songs to anyone who will listen. After a booking mishap involving a Christian fundraiser, he decides he's hit rock bottom. Seeking to shake things up, he moves to L.A. where his luck changes overnight. Thanks less to his inept manager than to a wild case of mistaken identity, he falls backwards into a string of packed gigs, a record deal and even the promise of love. But he who lives by the whimsy of show business dies by it, and reality hits him like a fist in the face: an innocent miscommunication over a bagel brands him a neo-Nazi in the world of tabloid journalism. Luckily, somewhere between rock bottom and nowhere lies the perfect terrain for his dark and hilarious songs. Hailed by comedy icon Sarah Silverman as "the best movie about comedy I've seen so far," this hilarious and evocative film is "totally primed for a fervent cult following." -- A.V. Club (Running time: 1:31)

Of Special Note: Award Winning short film "Adelaide" will be presented before the feature film. (Running time 0:12) For more information on "Adelaide" please visit www.lilygs.com

In this quirky romantic comedy from director Douglas Langway (Raising Heroes) and co-writer Lawrence Ferber, viewers are given an insider pass to a burly, tight-knit group of New York City friends who are trying to make it through life’s twisted paths and love’s absurdities without getting lost. When twinkie newbie and closet bear chaser Tyler (Joe Conti) joins the gang, he has no idea the impact his new friends will have on his life. Invited to move in with the group's very own “Yogi and Boo Boo,” Fred (Brian Keane) and Brent (Stephen Guarino), Tyler becomes a fast staple. As in any good romantic comedy, our hot young lead needs a love interest; insert Roger (Gerald McCullouch) the hot Casanova of muscle bears. The film oozes with sexual tension. It spills over with comic relief added by full-of-heart, “Mama-Bear” Michael (Gregory Gunter), BearCity is a prime cut of movie-beef. From society’s pressure to fit into a mold, to the trials and tribulations of a long-term relationship, rediscover the importance of true friendship in your life. A great story, a sexy cast, and a feel good ending will have you WOOFing with excitement!

When Hilde Back sponsored a young, impoverished Kenyan student, she thought nothing of it. She paid roughly $15 dollars per term to keep him in primary school. She certainly never expected to hear from him, but many years later, she does. Chris Mburu has been thinking of his 'angel' Hilde since he was a boy. The small contribution she made paid off - Chris went all the way to Harvard. Now, he's a respected UN human rights lawyer, dedicating his life to battling genocide and crimes against humanity. Chris decides to replicate Hilde's generosity by starting his own scholarship fund, which will educate bright kids in his village so they can also succeed and give back. But he's stunned when Kenya's public schools start failing, and only two new students qualify for sponsorship. Simultaneously, Kenya falls into ethnic-based electoral violence. After working on conflicts in neighboring countries, Chris knows that ignorance fuels ethnic hatred. Education has never been more important. Chris must decide what to do. (Running time 1:28)

English, Gikuyu, Swahili, Swedish with English Subtitles

This film portrays the contributions of Jewish major league baseball players and how they influenced so many American Jews. More than a film about sports, this is a story of immigration, assimilation, bigotry, heroism, the passing on of traditions, and the shattering of stereotypes. The story is brought to life through Dustin Hoffman's narration, and interviews with dozens of passionate and articulate fans, writers, executives, and especially players including Al Rosen, Kevin Youkilis, Shawn Green, Bob Feller, Yogi Berra, and a rare interview with the Hall of Fame pitcher Sandy Koufax. Fans including Ron Howard and Larry King connect the stories of baseball to their own lives, and to the turbulent history of the last century. Their stories are inter-cut with dramatic and never-before-seen film clips and photos of great Jewish players, unforgettable games, and the broad sweep of American history. (Running time 1:31)

Tells the story of Mart Crowley's groundbreaking play "The Boys in the Band" - from overnight sensation on Broadway, to Hollywood's first gay movie, to cultural landmark and worldwide phenomenon - all the while having a complicated and sometimes controversial relationship with the gay community. No one could have guessed the impact that a small Off-Broadway production would have on the social climate of the 1960s... not to mention how important and monumental it was to gay people at the time, many of whom were still in the closet. (Running time: 1:33)

A decorated Marine officer unexpectedly returns home from the war and is quickly recruited to help a troubled teen prepare for boot camp, but when the true reasons for her return become known it threatens the future for both of them. (Running time 1:38)

The presence of an attractive single woman adds to the tension between several unhappily married couples in this independent drama. Alex (Lee Turgesen) and Alice (Melanie Lynskey) are a newly married couple in their mid-thirties who have invited some friends to a cottage in upstate New York to celebrate New Year's Eve. Alex isn't feeling especially celebratory, as his career as a writer has hit a skid and he's feeling uneasy about his relationship with Alice, and his misgivings grow as he spends time with Don (Dominic Fumusa) and Lynn (Jessica Hecht). Don and Lynn are also married, and Lynn makes no secret of her low regard for Don, whose sprit seems to have been crushed by her incessant demands. A third couple attending the party, Eve (Dagmara Dominczyk) and Steven (Corey Stoll), are also experiencing some trouble; Eve is expecting a baby, but also has reason to believe Steven is cheating on her. Eve and Steven have brought a friend along for the party, Helena (Gillian Jacobs), an attractive model younger than the rest of the guests. Nick (Paul Fitzgerald), the only single man in attendance, is clearly attracted to Helena, but Alex, who met her several months before, is also infatuated with her, adding to the discord between himself and Alice.

Jonathan Winters, 80-year old comic genius, is a gifted painter. He dreams of having his paintings hang in the Museum of Modern Art. When Jonathan’s art exhibitions in Beverly Hills and Las Vegas fail, a discouraged Jonathan is ready to abandon his dream. The filmmakers decide to help by hunting down a famous critic and show him Jonathan’s paintings. He believes Jonathan is “the missing link between Miro and Dali” and convinces the Museum of Modern Art to give Jonathan a show—but only if he paints three new paintings. Jonathan launches into a painting frenzy but disaster strikes when his favorite painting is stolen, causing him to lose his sense of humor (He claims that a witch doctor trapped him in a bathroom and sucked the humor from his body.) Without his sense of humor Jonathan cannot paint. About to lose his big show Jonathan tries everything to get back his humor. With the help of a shrink, a new age healer, a séance with the Arquettes, Robin Williams, Sarah Silverman, Howie Mandel, Nora Dunn, Ryan Stiles, Gary Owens and others, Jonathan sets out on a quest to get his mojo back. (Running time 1:20)

Prompted by their own experiences as aging artists facing tough choices about the future, co-writers Todd Giglio (who also directs) and Christopher Springer star as lifelong friends, Jay and Matt, two 40 year-old musicians attempting to jump start their stalled career. As Matt’s middle-age anxiety sets in, Jay struggles to find a balance between his music and family as he negotiates the minefields of friendship and marriage when the two worlds don’t fit together.(Running time 1:27)