The All Roads Film Project proudly presents its annual centerpiece, the All Roads Film Festival at the American Cinematheque. We take you from a gripping rite of passage in the ancient Maori forest to a young romance tragically cut short by oppression in Kurdish Turkey to an offbeat journey from the Seminole culture to urban Tulsa. This year’s All Roads Film Project showcases another remarkable selection of stories from indigenous and underrepresented minority cultures around the world. The 4^th Annual All Roads Film Festival is a continuation of what was started in 2004 – a celebration of diverse cultural perspectives through international film screenings as well as a photography exhibition, a music concert, and ample opportunities for networking and cultural exchange. An asterisk * signifies an All Roads Seed Grantee. For more details go to www.nationalgeographic.com/allroads

September 27 – 30

The All Roads Photography Program presents its 2007 awardees who offer compelling stories and great insights into their cultures: A Yin, Mongolia – Highland Mongolian Life; Akintunde Akinleye, Nigeria – The Troubles of a Blessed Country; Oded Balilty, Israel – Along the Lines; Altaf Qadri, Kashmir/India – Kashmir: Paradise in Pain.

Thursday, September 27 - 7:30 PM

Opening Night – US Premiere:

SONAM…THE FORTUNATE ONE, 2006, India, 120 min. Dir. Ahsan Muzid. Follow Himalayan Monpa yak herders from a remote region in India in this tale of love, lust, and repentance. Ahsan Muzid started his career as a theater activist for Indian People’s Theatre Association. He has produced and directed numerous documentaries and telefilms for Doordarshan, India, since 1984. SONAM is his feature debut. In Monpa/Arunachalee dialect with English subtitles.

SUPER AMIGOS, 2007, Mexico, 82 min. Dir. Arturo Perez Torres. In Mexico City, five ordinary men, dressed as lucha libre wrestlers, become modern-day superheroes to fight for social justice and human rights. Arturo Perez Torres was born and raised in Mexico City. His first film, WETBACK - THE UNDOCUMENTED DOCUMENTARY, received many international awards. SUPER AMIGOS is his second film. In Spanish with English subtitles.

Friday, September 28 - 9:30 PM

A West Coast Premiere Performance!

LIVE CONCERT - Balkan Beat Box - "This is the dance party of the new millenium," says Paste Magazine and Entertainment Weekly notes "This cross-cultural crew of musicians cranks out Eastern Bloc-inspired techno grooves seemingly inspired by Manischewitz and a big dose of punk'tude." Balkan Beat Box’s explosive sound brings a whirlwind of tradition — a musical nomadism drawing from Punk, Reggae, Rock, Arabic, Jewish, Balkan, Syrian, European, Moroccan and American music. Join us for a fun-filled evening and a crazy good time. If you like World Music you might also be interested in this concert!

SHORT TRIP AROUND THE WORLD

U.S. Premiere: "Tavake" (2006, Tonga/United States, 14 min.) Dir. Paul Stoll. In the Kingdom of Tonga, a young man bristles against the old-fashioned values of his traditional father. Paul Stoll is of Tongan and German-American descent. A graduate of the Zaki Gordon Institute, he is co-founder of Aboriginal Lens Ltd., an independent multimedia production company based in Flagstaff, Arizona. In Tongan with English subtitles. U.S. Premiere: "*Taua" (2007, New Zealand, 15 min.) Dir. Tearepa Kahi. Take a sensory-rich journey through the ancient Maori forest, where an act of compassion speaks to the true value of leadership. Tearepa Kahi was born and raised in Christchurch, New Zealand, and has received numerous accolades for his documentaries and short films about Maori life. "Taua" is the follow-up to his much praised 2006 debut film, "The Speaker." In Maori with English subtitles. U.S. Premiere: "Land and Airwaves" (2006, Canada, 12 min.) Dirs. Patrick Boivin and Alland Flamand. Like the tribal drums of the past, a community radio station serves as a unifying instrument for the Attikameks people and their language. Patrick Boivin and Alland Flamand are both originally from Wemotaci, an Atikamekw community in Quebec. They were introduced to filmmaking by Wapikoni mobile, a traveling production and distribution studio for young people in Aboriginal communities. In French/ Attikameks with English subtitles. "Menged" (2006, Ethiopia, 21 min.) Dir. Daniel Taye Workou. A lot can happen in the Ethiopian countryside on the long way to the market. A father and his son follow everybody’s good advice…and come back to their senses. Daniel Taye Workou is a filmmaker of Ethiopian descent, born in Berlin. He is the co-founder of BiraBiro Films, Ethiopia. "Menged," his first fiction short, was shot in and around his grandfather’s village in Ethiopia. In Amharic with English subtitles. U.S. Premiere: "133 Skyway" (2006, Canada, 22 min.) Dir. Randy Redroad. Hartley, a homeless man trying to get his guitar out of hock, relies on a troubled friend and the kindness of a lonely pawnshop employee. Randy Redroad’s feature film debut, THE DOE BOY, premiered at the 2001 Sundance Film Festival (also played at American Cinematheque’s Alt Screen) and garnered more than a dozen festival awards. His Canadian television series "Flats," currently in its third season, is the first all-Native-produced series in North American history. In English. U.S. Premiere: "My Brother Vinnie" (2006, Australia, 24 min.) Dir. Steven McGregor. Here is an intimate look at the relationship between Aaron, a successful actor, and his disabled brother, Vinnie, who after years under Aaron’s care is finally on the road to independence. Steven McGregor is an indigenous writer and director who lived for many years in Alice Springs, Australia. His films include the 50-minute drama "Cold Turkey," for which he received an AFI nomination for Best Screenplay for a short fiction film. In English. U.S. Premiere: "Nana" (2007, Australia, 5 min.) Dir. Warwick Thornton. This short film is a heartwarming, humorous story about a granddaughter’s love for her ‘nana’ (grandma). Warwick Thornton’s short films include "Mimi" and "Payback" as well as "Green Bush," which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and won the Best Short Film Award (Panorama) at the Berlin Film Festival. In English.

UNDER THE SAME SUN

Double Feature:

*FOUR SHEETS TO THE WIND, 2007, United States, 85 min. Dir. Sterlin Harjo. Cufe Smallhill, a Seminole, fulfills his father’s unorthodox burial wishes and sets off on a journey of mourning, self-discovery, and cultural identity. Sterlin Harjo is a member of the Seminole and Creek Nations and is a native Oklahoman. This is his feature film debut and was developed through the prestigious Sundance Institute’s Filmmaker Labs. In English/Muscogee with English subtitles.

*MISS NAVAJO, 2007, United States, 60 min. Dir. Billy Luther. Filmmaker Billy Luther – whose mother was crowned Miss Navajo in 1966 – follows a determined tomboy through her own quest for the unique title. Billy Luther belongs to the Navajo, Hopi, and Laguna Pueblo nations. He was selected for the Sundance Ford Fellowship with MISS NAVAJO, which was also recently honored with a Roy W. Dean documentary award. In English/Navajo with English subtitles.

Saturday, September 29 – 8:30 PM

Los Angeles Premiere:

DOL, 2006, Turkey, 90 min. Dir. Hiner Saleem. Love struggles to survive amid violence and oppression in the Kurdish regions of Turkey, Iran, and Iraq. Hiner Saleem was born in Iraqi Kurdistan. At age 17, he escaped via Syria to Italy. Today he lives in Paris as a celebrated author, painter, filmmaker, and recipient of the prestigious Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres Award. In Kurdish with English subtitles.

ANCESTORS, ELDERS & LAND

U.S. Premiere: "Hush" (2007, Australia, 5 min.) Dir. Dena Curtis. One evening, a young woman goes looking for her mother…and discovers her mother’s secret life. Editor and filmmaker Dena Curtis works at CAAMA Productions in Alice Springs, central Australia. Her latest work, a documentary she directed called CHEEKY DOG, recently premiered at the Sydney Film Festival.

In English. U.S. Premiere: "DAF" (2004, Kurdista/Iran, 45 min.) Dir. Bahman Ghobadi. A large, impoverished family survives in the rugged terrain of Kurdistan by skillfully making and playing the traditional Iranian tambourine called daf. Bahman Ghobadi's short film "Life in Fog" is one of the best known and most applauded documentaries in Iranian history. In 1999 he directed Iran's first Kurdish full-length feature film, A TIME FOR DRUNKEN HORSES. In Kurdish with English subtitles. World Premiere: "*A Shout Into the Wind" (2007, Finland, 57 min.) Dir. Katja Gauriloff. The fate of an entire culture lies in the hands of a few determined individuals. Watch them struggle against the threats of modern-day life to keep alive the traditions and memories of the Skolt Sámi people. Katja Gauriloff was born in Inari, Finland, and is the granddaughter of a famous Skolt Sámi traditional storyteller. This is her first documentary film. In Finnish/Skolt Sámi with English subtitles. U.S. Premiere: "*Crocodile Dreaming" (2007, Australia, 27 min.) Dir. Darlene Johnson. This is a modern-day, dreamtime legend about two estranged brothers who are brought together through the spirit of their mother. Darlene Johnson is from the Dunghutti tribe of the east coast of New South Wales, Australia. Her award-winning dramas and documentaries include "Two-Bob Mermaid," "Stolen Generations," and "One Red Blood." In English/Yolngu with English subtitles.

Sunday, September 30 - 6:30 PM

WOMEN HOLD UP HALF THE SKY

US Premiere: WABAN-AKI: PEOPLE FROM WHERE THE SUN RISES, 2006, Canada, 104 min. Dir. Alanis Obomsawin. In what may be her most personal film, famed director Alanis Obomsawin crafts a vivid portrait of the Abenaki people, such as a young artist determined to continue the tradition of birch-bark canoes to the damning legacy of the Indian Act. Alanis Obomsawin has dedicated nearly four decades to chronicling the lives of Canada’s First Nations, in acclaimed films such as "History of Manowan." In English/French with English subtitles.

Preceded by the short: "Gene Boy Came Home" (2007, Canada, 25 min.) Dir. Alanis Obomsawin. Eugene Benedict left the Odanak reserve in Canada at the age of 15 to find work in the United States, served time as a marine on the front lines in Vietnam, and at long last found his way home to Odanak. In English.