news    judges    schedule    film school Thu, July 20 | Fri, July 21 | Sat, July 22 | Sun, July 23 All films and programs are in Room 26AB, on the south side of the Convention Center, above Hall H. Thursday, July 20 Action/Adventure | Interlude | Animation Comics-Oriented 10:30 to 12:00 Comic-Con Film School 101—Preproduction and Screenwriting, and Production Part 1 For the third year in a row, Comic-Con returns with a four-day, hands-on, nuts and bolts class on how to make a movie for very little money, using available video technology and desktop postproduction software. Whether you're shooting your first Star Wars fan film or that story about the leather-clad girl who hunts vampires, this course will take you from script to DVD so that you too can enter your own movie into the CCI: IFF. The first class covers the specifics of preproduction on the cheap, including screenwriting, casting, scheduling, location scouting, crewing-up, getting equipment for nothing, and so on. Panelists for the class include Tim Cunningham, (writer/director of Xtracurricular,) Valerie Perez (producer and star of Tears of the Dragon, a Lara Croft Fan Film), and Sean Rourke (director of Geek-Week.net). Festival Screenings, Day 1 Action/Adventure 12:00 The Young Master In postapocalyptic China, a boy watches as two martial arts masters duel for the honor of training the emperor’s armies. For the first time in his life, the boy discovers the value of entertainment. Participating panelists include Torrence Davis, writer/director; Paul Fuller, producer; Freddy D Gompf, assistant director; Adrienne Wong, actress; and Alex Huynh, actor (Pirates Of The Carribean 2, Matrix: Path Of Neo). 12:30 Chingaso The Clown A man named Chingaso, whose parents were victims of the ruthless clown boss Bastard The Clown, must now become what he hates most. In order to avenge the death of his parents, and possibly end the brutal war between the mimes and the clowns in the province of Messiah, he must become Chingaso the Clown. Panelists include Elias Matar, director; Jim Kass, producer; Joseph Guzman, producer; Manny Elias, creator of the Chingaso comic book; and Roberta Orlandi, actress. 1:00 Girl With Gun Having come so close to death, Gwen Hunter, aka the Nightingale, must decide whether her double life (that of a superhero and a normal 20-something working woman) is worth it. Participating panelists include Russ Emanuel, award- winning director of Girl With Gun; Tracy O’Connor, Gwen Hunter in Girl With Gun; Michelle Lee, Ninja Girl in Girl With Gun, also in Pirates of the Caribbean 3; Neil Argo, award-winning composer of Girl With Gun and of the Wild America TV series; and Jeff Scott, stunt/wirework coordinator. 1:30 Der Ostwind In despair of finding a worthy opponent, Wolfgang von Kellermann, the German World War I ace known as Der Ostwind, is attacked by a seemingly invulnerable American. As Kellerman becomes increasingly obsessed with seeing his deadly opponent's face, he finds himself in the duel of his life and discovers at what price he will hold to his honor. Participating panelists include writer/director Kohl Glass (The Promethean), director of animation/producer Rob Au (Faux Paw, Noggin, Joseph: Prophet of the Restoration, Sheriff),, producer Kimball Maw, and  grip/aftereffects Todd Hamilton (Below). return to top 1:50 INTERLUDE 1: George Lucas once said, "The sound and music are 50 percent of the entertainment in a movie." Now you can learn how to successfully and legally put and use music in any movie, from a Beatles song to hiring a composer to creating an original score. From no-budget horror to big-name box office, here’s what you need to know about putting music in your movie, all issues legal and creative. Panelists include composer Dennis Dreith (The Punisher, gAg). return to top Animation 2:50 Giocattoli Futuristi This animated film by Claudio Castelli is visually inspired by Depero’s paintings and his “balli plastici,” the “futuristic theatre of marionettes.” It’s a grotesque tale that sparks a sense of loss and amazement in the viewer via a dreamlike vision and tries to awaken the conscience asleep in all of us. 3:00 Gorgonas This lushly animated film from Argentina updates the mythological Gorgons to the pop music world of today, with horrifying results. See how pop music can change the world! Directed by Salvador Sanz. 3:15 Valle Paraiso This animated film by Eduardo Martin Julve tells the emotional story of two twin brothers, Angel and Claudio Ramiro, and the confrontation that arises between them due to the great difference of their characters. Claudio’s incomprehension toward his brother leads to physical and psychological harassment that will make him confront dangerous situations, some even close to death. Angel meets Miguel, a friend that helps him to face up to his brother before it’s too late. 3:30 Gold Digger: Time Raft Part 2 This animated film by Eduardo Martin Julve tells the emotional story of two twin brothers, Angel and Claudio Ramiro, and the confrontation that arises between them due to the great difference of their characters. Claudio’s incomprehension toward his brother leads to physical and psychological harassment that will make him confront dangerous situations, some even close to death. Angel meets Miguel, a friend that helps him to face up to his brother before it’s too late. 4:00 How Do You Call It? An animated short about two children who learn to get along when they realize that semantics-aside, everyone’s sh*t stinks. Participating panelists include Alejandra Leibovich, director/animator/ writer/producer/designer, and RJon Robins, writer and voice over. 4:15 Pen vs. Pencil The evil Pens want to execute the No. 2 Pencil by sharpener, but then the Mechanical Pencil swoops down and saves the day. Participating panelist is Luciano DiGeronimo, writer, director, and animator for Pen vs. Pencil. 4:30 Stinky’s Internet Adventure Stinky, the nasty little office man, gets some great e-mail offers and makes an exciting online pharmacy purchase in this short animated film. Filmmaker Mark Greene will be present to discuss his film. 4:45 Robot Man vs. Ochomonster Two fun-loving tourists find themselves entangled in the rampages of the Gulf of Mexico's infamous Ocho Monster. Robot Man, the world's first construction paper superhero, must come to the rescue in the never-ending quest to keep planet Earth safe from yet another perilous monster. Participating panelist is Tony Kern, director. 5:00 The Tell-tale Heart One of Edgar Allan Poe’s most famous short stories, “The Tell-Tale Heart,” was published in 1843. The story is a psychological portrait of a mad narrator, a murderer who cannot stop hearing his victim’s relentless heartbeat. “The Tell- Tale Heart” is a horror story and psychological thriller told from a first- person perspective. Bela Lugosi (1882-1956) included “The Tell Tale Heart” as a part of his one-man show. The voice recording was considered lost for many years, only to resurface. It has been completely remastered and digitally restored for this film. Alberto Breccia (1919–1993) was the greatest Argentinean comic book artist of the 20th century. He was a tireless innovator, impossible to classify, a great illustrator, and painter. His style inspires the spirit of the film. 5:20 To A Man With A Big Nose A frustrated little man is unable to get rid of his disproportionately big nose, which comes to life and decides to go on a strange journey, dragging the poor little man along. Cecilia Aranovich, director and producer, will present the film. 5:35 Emelia: The 5-Year Old Goth Girl This dark and quirky story of redemption takes us into Emelia’s head, letting us see in wild and fantastic images what Emelia feels and thinks internally as she confronts parents, playgrounds, and all the angst and despair that every little five-year-old goth girl has to deal with. And along the way, in seeing Emelia's insides, we just might see some of what's in our insides, too. Derek Flood, director, and Julia Flood, producer, will be on hand to talk about the film. 5:50 The Toll Beneath a remote toll bridge high in the mountains, a fictional documentary student interviews the resident troll. The troll's comments on work, life, and love range from somewhat inappropriate to outrageously delusional, slowly revealing the hilariously tragic figure of a monster in denial. Participating panelists include Marc Dole, producer of The Toll and president of Hatchling Studios; J. Zachary Pike, creator and director of The Toll; and Jeremy Clough, Hatchling Studios’ creative director and art director of The Toll. 6:15 Trick TRiCK! is the 3D realization of the classic Cheech Wizard cartoon strip written by Vaughn Bodé in 1971. In TRiCK!, Cheech (in the hat) gives his apprentice Benny a lesson in forbearance and the importance of “watchin' yer mouth” on the path to becoming a powerful wizard. Participating panelists include Nigel Hendrickson, producer, director, and animator. 6:30 When I Was Three From decapitated Barbies to ozone depletion and reenactments of olympic gymnastic competitions, When I Was Three tells the story of a 70s childhood in suburban New Jersey. Creator Marianne R. Petit (also creator of 716 (or today no good, tomorrow mebbe worse)) and The Saddest Thing I Own, will be present to discuss the film and answer questions. 6:45 Fantastic Fortune A down-on-his-luck astronaut miner discovers the most valuable asteroid in the galaxy! He examines his shining prize and discovers a small problem with his plan! On hand to answer questions about the animation is animator/creator Mike Fisher, also cartoonist for Starlog magazine and cartoonist of “3-D Pete” in Animation magazine. 7:05 Brighter Than The Sun We are born prisoners. The door to freedom exists, but there is only one way to find it. Brighter Than the Sun is a humorous autobiographical tale of oppression and freedom! Panelists include three-time Emmy-nominated creator Keith Carter, producer of Brighter than the Sun. return to top Comics-Oriented 7:30 Zombie Prom A 1950s horror comic book brought to life as a musical comedy film, Zombie Prom is the Atomic Age tale of Toffee and her "rebel” boyfriend, Jonny. The two fall in love, but their school principal (portrayed by vocalist and international celebrity RuPaul) intervenes, persuading Toffee to break up with him. In despair, Jonny races to the local power plant and flings himself into a nuclear reactor. Toffee mourns the loss of her love until the day when Jonny returns, risen from the dead—as a teenage nuclear zombie! Participating panelists include Vince Marcello, director, writer, producer, production designer; William Lawrence Hess, producer; Tom Mandrake, art director, comic book illustrations; David Manos Morris, visual effects supervisor; and Kenneth LaMere, editor. 8:25 The Futurist After time-traveling into the future and witnessing his own murder, no matter how he tries to kill himself fate conspires to keep Charles Guthrie alive. It is only through the love of his ex-fiancé that he learns to accept his destiny, embrace life, and become The Futurist, a death-defying superhero. Participating panelists include Brad Winderbaum; Scott Spencer Kramer, Chasing Kevin; Jeff McMahon, Sleep in Heavenly Peace; Jon Dinerstein, composer for The Futurist; and Howard Ferguson-Woitzman. 8:55 Hero Tomorrow David, a struggling comic book creator from Cleveland, spends his days cutting grass and his nights smoking it while desperately trying to keep his superhero fantasies alive. When Robyn, his aspiring fashion-designer girlfriend, makes him a Halloween costume of his original character Apama, it doesn’t take David long to hit the streets and begin blundering towards disaster. Can Robyn rescue David and save their relationship before his vigilante dreams become a four-color nightmare? Does the comfort and security of her own desire offer a trap just as deadly to this comic book Don Quixote? Participating panelists include Ted Sikora, director/co-writer/co-producer; Milo Miller, co-writer/co- producer; Perren Hedderson, David; Jocelyn Wrzosek, Robyn. This film is intended for mature audiences due to language and drug references. 10:45 DAY 1 PROGRAM ENDS

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This year Comic-Con is pleased to welcome the Independent Film Channel (IFC) as the exclusive sponsor of the Comic-Con International Independent Film Festival. The Independent Film Channel (IFC) is the first and most widely distributed network dedicated to independent film 24 hours a day, uncut, uncensored and commercial-free. The network is part of IFC Companies—the only brand to operate in every area of independent film to include television, production, financing, distribution, digital, on-demand, and exhibition.