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Comic-Con International Independent Film Festival 2011 Schedule

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All films and programs are in Marriott Hall 2 at the Marriott Marquis & Marina, next to the Hall A side of the Convention Center.

10:00-11:00 Comic-Con Film School 102: Production—Day 2 of this four-day course on microbudget moviemaking focuses on the specifics of production, from shooting techniques to lighting on the cheap to crew positions you need (and don't need) to costuming, props, and set decorating for as little money as possible. Panelists include Valerie Perez (producer/star, Paula Peril series), Vera Vanguard (writer/producer, Goth Girl), Edward G. Negron (director, Safehouse), Jack Conway (writer/producer, Fear News), and Sean Rourke (writer, Ballistica).

Comics-Oriented Category

11:05-11:40 The Kneaded Hero—Cliff is a pizza deliveryman by day, a guitar shredder of the highest order by night. He knows his band, Isengard, is on the edge of greatness. However, no one else in the world seems to think so. When running into a high school rival on a delivery, he realizes traditional life goals may be more fulfilling than arpeggio sweeps on his beloved guitar, Dr. Shred. When an unforeseeable tragedy occurs, the future of the band and his career as a guitar player are in jeopardy. Participating panelists include Alexis Villa (director), Trent McGee (producer), Taylor Mahony (cinematographer), Natalia Pleshivtseva (editor), and Devon Cromwell (actor).

11:40-12:05 Blue Blazes—The superhero Blue Blazes is facing his biggest challenge to date with his fiercest foes together again for the first time! Panelists include Mike Shields (producer/director), Amber Greenlee (storyboard artist), and Robert Adan (Blue Blazes himself).

12:05-12:30 Secret Identity—When Janet visits her grandmother Faye to ask to use her wedding ring, she discovers a secret that stirs up nostalgia for the romance and heroism of an age long since passed. Filmmakers and actors discussing the film include Lee Meriwether (star, Batman), Tyler MacIntyre (writer/director), John Negropontes (producer), Arndt Peemoeller (editor), and Mark Stablein (co-star).

Humor Category

12:30-1:00 The Dungeon Master—Shane and his friends decide it will be fun to recapture their geeky youth with a night of Dungeons & Dragons. But then someone shows up in a cape, and things turn ugly. The Dungeon Master is a funny and ultimately awkward look at what it means to be a geek in today's world. Participating panelists include actors Adam Busch (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Chris Wylde (The Chris Wylde Show), Alexander Polinsky (Saints and Soldiers), and Rider Strong and Shiloh Strong (writer/directors).

1:00-1:20 Out-Sorcery—A Wizard, Olorin, works as a special effects artist for a major movie studio, until he gets fired. His boss, Brent Stealmoney, tells Olorin that he found a company that generates digital special effects for much cheaper. Olorin, in a fit of rage, heads over to the "AZobe" offices to give them a piece of his mind. Filmmakers and actors discussing the film include Steve Hedrick (actor), Dwight Turner (actor), Richard Sheehan (sound), Richard Duryea (director of photography), and Edward Chamourian (producer).

1:20-1:50 I Knew an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly—A story of gluttony, obsession, and veterinary gastronomy wherein a monstrous series of events inevitably blankets a disquieted seaside village in a strange peace. Director Paul Andrejco (lead character designer at Puppet Heap) talks about his film.

1:50-2:20 Eugene—Eugene, a passive Parking Violations Bureau employee, becomes tired of his daily routine. Eugene's colorful friends help him as he tries to retake control of his life. Participating panelists include Willy Rosner (The Wrestler), Eddie Beasley (puppeteer), Danny Montooth (puppet master, All Puppet Players), Art Vega (puppeteer), and Mark Chaput (writer/director).

2:20-2:50 Voodoo—Some marriages are cursed from the start—a fact Mr. Decker knows all too well. When his wife returns from her travels abroad and provokes yet another fight, the couple turn to an unusual solution. Based on a short story by Fredric Brown and narrated by Colm Feore (Thor). Writer/director Mark Ratzlaff talks about the film with David Nykl (Stargate: Atlantis).

2:50-3:25 Repeat After Me—The story of two unsuspecting twentysomethings who literally invade each other's brains through the intervention of a meteorological act of fate. The worst-case scenarios invariably happen, and as they struggle to lead their daily lives as "brain twins," every word is a potential disaster. Participating panelists include Bryan Bangerter (director), Andrew Gumm (co-writer, actor), Greg Henninger (actor), and Daniel Page (writer, assistant director).

Panel Discussions

3:30–4:15 The Military in Film—The Armed Forces of the United States have
 regularly been featured in film and television over the last century. How does the real 
military support the entertainment industry? U.S. Army Lt. Colonel John
 Clearwater (Avengers, Hawaii Five-O), U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Colonel Jason 
Johnston (Battle: Los Angeles, Avatar), U.S. Navy Lt. Michael Smith
(Battleship, NCIS), U.S. Air Force Lt. Colonel Francisco "Paco" Hamm
 (Transformers, Iron Man 2), and  U.S. Coast Guard Commander Sean Carroll (The
 Adjustment Bureau, Deadliest Catch) offer an in-depth discussion and Q&A
 session, The panel will be moderated by U.S. Air Force veteran Jon Huertas, actor on ABC's Castle and HBO's Generation Kill and chairman for SAG Armed Forces Task Force.

4:15–5:00 Independent Filmmakers Postproduction Panel Discussion—You may know Avid as the company that makes the tools used to create your favorite feature films, TV shows, and music: Media Composer and Pro Tools. In a crazy (yet practical) twist, the folks at Avid have decided to make a movie of their own. The result: Agent MX Z3RO, a 15-minute indie movie that's meant to be a fun throwback to the '70s "shoot-em-up" action spy genre—think Eastwood meets Connery. Why'd they do it? Mainly because it's difficult to secure demo material that they can use—without restriction—to teach filmmakers and postproduction pros the same tools and workflows used across the industry to help them succeed. Meet the director/writer, producer/writer, film editor, and sound supervisor who created the film. Join the discussion about the challenges facing indie filmmakers. and get some information about the tools and tips that can make your project look and sound the best it can be and ultimately more successful.

Humor Category (continued)

5:05–5:35 April—Starting at a new high school can feel like the greatest challenge to a teenage girl. Where popularity is social currency, no secret goes uncovered, and not fitting in can feel like the end of the world. This revealing year-in-the-life account follows the incomparable student experiences of the not-so-ordinary April Poplewski. Lumber in her shoes as she endures all of the peer-pressures, "in-crowd" influences and struggles to make the most of her high school journey. Participating panelists include Mike Piccirillo (director/writer/producer), Crystal Rivers (Rachel McGee), Dave Goryl (David Dipplethorpe), Nate Beals (Bobby Parvati), and Noelle Beaudry (SPFX makeup artist).

5:35-7:05 Tracy—Tracy Knapp was the host of the '70s children's show The Imagination Train Station. Kids loved him, teachers, parents, and his own family hated him, but who shot him? Thirty years after the show's cancellation, an ambitious filmmaker is determined to find out, no matter how damaging, humiliating, or irrelevant the truth may be. Dan Scanlon (Mater and the Ghostlight) talks about his film.

Horror/Suspense Category

7:05–7:35 Clemency—A sadistic killer is convicted of multiple murders and given a death sentence. Days before his execution, the governor grants him clemency. A reporter interviews the killer on the emotionally charged topic and unveils something astounding. Participating panelists include Cris D'Annunzio (American Gangster, Chasing 3000), Doug Thagard (producer), and Joseph Albanese (director).

7:35–8:05 The Interrogation—Accused of harboring terrorists in Afghanistan, Zachariah Al-Khatani is at the whim of interrogator Mr. Dakota. By the end, Dakota's psychological effect on Zachariah seems to take a toll too large to remedy.

8:05-8:35 Recollection—A man awakens in a freshly dug grave with no memories of who he is or how he got there. Lost, injured, and afraid, he finds himself in a fight for survival as he struggles through a macabre lair while trying to escape a man intent on killing him. Filmmakers Federico D'Alessandro (animatics supervisor, The Avengers), Chadd Stoops (Surrogate Valentine), Christopher Yeazel (concept artist, The Lost Tribe), Kevin Gasca (editor, Palo Alto), and Danielle Katzner (production designer) talk about their film.

8:35–8:55 Last Seen on Dolores Street—In a hard-boiled town, a heartbroken woman says good-bye to an old pet and hello to a new nightmare in this stylish noir-inspired genre-bender. Participating panelists include Cynthia Dane (The Apocalypse According to Doris), Devi Snively (writer/director, Death in Charge), and Agustin Fuentes (producer).

8:55-9:20 Write of Passage—A down-and-out writer, struggling with a case of writer's block, must face his greatest nemesis—his own typewriter. Filmmakers include B. C. Jones (writer/director), Nick Plotquin (producer/production designer), Marc Levy (cinematographer), Gray Creasy (actor), and Ryan Martin (art director).

9:20-9:55 Help Wanted—A fresh-faced college graduate is given a tour of a warehouse that he hopes will employ him. However, he begins having second thoughts when he discovers that the inventory consists of dead hookers, the homeless, and immigrants, who are supplied by the drugged-up employees. Writer/director Waylon Bacon and assistant director/producer Noah Nelson are on hand to talk about their film.

9:55-10:45 Antidote for a Murder—One day Detective Teddy Marshall receives a mysterious package that when opened releases a deadly poison. Now, with less than 48 hours to live, he teams up with his partner and ex-lover to solve his toughest case yet: his own murder. Participating panelists include Josh Blake (director), Duncan Ballantine (editor), Evan Pierre (cinematographer), Cristian Rojas (writer), and Emily Kosciuk (producer).