UNTANGLING
Frances Barry & Hester Heeler-Frood | United Kingdom
A short documentary film about the art and craft of puppetry.
Untangling the insights of a charismatic community of professionals, in the making, manipulation, magic and mysteries of the ancient and very contemporary art form of Puppetry.
We enter the hidden spaces of workshops and backstage puppet theatres, and discover a wonderful world of traditional and experimental puppetry, where materials and imagination intertwine, discovering how early fascinations evolved into lifelong artistic devotion.
A joyful reflection on puppetry’s craftsmanship, mystery, and magic, this ancient art form’s future remains as enchanting as its past tradition.
Q&A with producer, director and puppet maker Frances Barry following the screenings.
Red Flag of the Future
Pandora Machine LLC | USA
Mixed media artist Gaylia Wagner created a cast of 20 puppets to enact the dream scenes in a filmed version of a new opera. The puppets are made of found and repurposed objects and trash — food containers, soap bottles, tape, paint, and more. The film presents an original opera setting and a new translation of Masse Mensch, a seven-scene play by antifascist playwright Ernst Toller, written over 100 years ago while he was a political prisoner.
Q&A with producer and librettist Laura Schlachtmeyer, director Andrew Bellware, puppet designer Gaylia Wagner and puppeteers Ben Stansbery and Irene Skricki following the Sunday, August 15th Screening.
Famous Lake Park (Pilot: “We Have a Tiger!”)
Directed by José Ignacio Vivero, Susannah Dalton
and Susan Lambert Hatem
Written by Susannah Dalton and Braden Greenwalt.
Produced by PinProductions and 134 West | USA
A comedic, half-hour, puppet-filled jaunt through the agonizing death of the American Dream.
Famous Lake Park, like most things named famous, is not. A cherished local amusement park and winner of the 1952 Park of the Year Award, it was once a place where children flocked to experience wild, thrilling, and often hazardous attractions. Today, the rides are broken, the lake has dried up due to global warming, the eccentric owner owes money to everyone from the mafia to the Girl Scouts, and employee morale is at an all-time low. Into this chaos steps Josh, a young employee beginning his first summer job—or, technically, unpaid internship.
*Family friendly
Q&A with screenwriter, director and producer Susannah Dalton, director, producer and puppet master José Ignacio Vivero, screenwriter and producer Braden Greenawalt and director and producer Susan Lambert.
Títeres en el Caribe Hispano
Dr. Manuel Morán & Kristian Otero Puerto Rico, Cuba, Dominican Republic
A chronological journey through the history of puppet theater in Puerto Rico, Cuba, and the Dominican Republic.
Q&A with director and writer Dr. Manuel Morán following the screenings on Thursday, August 13th and Friday, August 14th.
Handmade Puppet Dreams
Heather Henson & Alex U. Griffin
A traveling film series that promotes independent artists exploring their handmade craft specifically for the screen. These films all focus on real-time puppetry, and allow artists to build their vision, and then breathe life into their dreams.
FILM SELECTIONS
- Amaterasu | Dir. Christine Papalexis
- Our Mine | Dir. Shayna Strype
- Marianne’s Onion | From Alex & Olmsted
- Above All | Dir. Sifiso Mabena
- Being and Becoming | Dir. Charlotte Lily Gaspard
- Goodnight Shadow | Dir. Myra Su
- Playing Opossum | Dir. Julie Elkins
- Technical Difficulties | Dir. Robin Davis
- Hope | Dir. Jamie Donmoyer
- The Adventures of Liverwurst Girl | From Little Shadow Productions
- Cone of Shame | Dir. Stacey Weingarten & Randall S. Overland
Q&A with Alex Griffin following the screening on Saturday, August 15th.
Retablo de Sol y Luna
Dir. Isabel Cristina & Jorge Ricardo | Cuba
A documentary celebrating 30 years of Teatro de las Estaciones.
Q&A with Teatro de las Estaciones’ Artistic Director Rubén Darío Salazar following the screening.
