IMPORTANT INDEPENDENT FILMS UNSPOOL IN THE MIDWEST

For Immediate Release: May 1, 2003

Contact: Annetta Marion or Bernadette Gillota, Co-Artistic and
Executive Directors, (216) 651-7315

Cleveland, Ohio-In keeping with Independent Pictures' tradition
of presenting extraordinary films one wouldn't ordinarily see,
Independent Pictures and Madstone collaborate for FILM FORWARD!
Think of it as your own private Sundance screening room right here on
Coventry in Cleveland, Ohio. Now you can see independent films
stripped of their hype, PR and niche marketing campaigns. It's
cinema for cinema's sake with films straight from the world's most
prestigious festivals. These days, young filmmakers face not only
the problem of getting a film made, but also the problem of getting
it shown and seen. Film Forward offers a new avenue to film
exhibition. For six weeks starting May 1, Madstone Centrum Theatre
presents six independent films worth your time.

BUNNY-A truly original feature debut, Bunny is the story of two
lovers, Nik (Edward Dratver) and Luda (Petra Tikalova), who flee a
war torn, eastern European country and land in Los Angeles.
Desperate to find work, they accept jobs with an experimental public
works program. Dressed as pink bunnies, they squat speechless on
street corners. Offering solace to the city's downtrodden, they are
humped by dogs, hugged by humans, and clung to by suicidal
businessmen. But cracks develop in their relationship as Nik finds
the job depressing and Luda finds it oddly empowering. Bunny is an
offbeat social critique and a surreal look at America through the
eyes of foreigners. With heartbreakingly real performances, Bunny is
an irreverent and intelligent film about isolation and hope.
Showing: MAY 1 through MAY 14, **Director Mia Trachinger will be on
hand after the 7:00 pm showing on Thursday, May 1st for a Q & A
discussion.

SOFT FOR DIGGING-Soft for Digging trails an old man searching for his
cat in the remote Maryland woods where he encounters a mysterious
little girl, a horrible act of violence and a menacing priest. With
only three lines of dialogue, it's an experimental trip for those who
prefer eerie to gory. "With no dialogue," muses Petty, "you have no
idea what's going on - that's when you feel like a kid with monsters
under your bed. "Breathing life into the tired terror genre, Soft
for Digging is a murder mystery with none of the expected clichés
and a horror film where evil is a whisper instead of a scream.
Showing: MAY 1 through MAY 14.

TE AMO (Made in Chile)-Working with first-time actors, including son
Adrian, filmmaker Sergio Castilla creates a powerful, romantic film
about global youth and alienation. Four Chilean teenagers escape
domestic isolation and abuse by retreating to an abandoned house in
the woods. Here they spend the summer getting high, playing music
and making movies while exploring intimacy and emotion. "Nobody has
ever made a film about what it was like for me and my friends growing
up," says Castilla, a Chilean-born New Yorker, "the other side of
Chile, not just a land of poverty." With vivid cinematography and
colorful realism, Te Amo (Made in Chile) is a vibrant experience that
captures and releases the emotional pace of rebellious youth.
Showing: MAY 15 through MAY 28.

TATTOO, A LOVE STORY-Finally, a romantic comedy about a mismatched
couple that won't make you cringe. Tattoo, A Love Story is the tale
of Sara, Idaho's "Teacher of the Year" whose perfectly ordered life
is shaken up when a giant tattoo artist is brought into class for
show-and-tell. "There are so many romantic comedies about beautiful
people falling in love in New York or LA," says filmmaker Richard W.
Bean. "That's honestly not what most couples go through-we wanted to
show that it is not that easy." As intrigue turns to attraction, the
question remains: can Sara find happiness with this good-hearted
rebel and his off-kilter pals? Or, does she stay in the seemingly
perfect, albeit unsatisfying relationship with her fiancée? A
savvy, charming film that doubles as a discourse on skin ink - those
who love it, hate it, and those who wish they had the guts to try it.
Showing: MAY 15 through MAY 27.

SIDE STREETS-Dreams, frustrations and desires unfold and connect
throughout the diverse New York City boroughs in Side
Streets. "Everyone in Side Streets is on a journey," says filmmaker
Tony Gerber, "striving for something they think is desperately
missing from their lives." An aspiring fashion designer struggles to
make it in SOHO. A Romanian butcher's apprentice tries to get rich
quick in Queens. An Indian movie star burdens his brother's humble
home on Staten Island. A Brooklyn wife holds the key to her
husband's new Cadillac. A Bronx teen dreams of a loyal boyfriend and
a beauty pageant crown. Side Streets is a funny, poignant essay on
relationships, the commonality of human dreams, and the unexpected
places they can lead us. Showing: MAY 29 through JUNE 11, **Director
Tony Gerber will be on hand after the 9:00 pm show on
Thursday, May 29 for a Q & A discussion.

SEVEN AND A MATCH-Seven and a Match takes a sly and unnerving spin on
the reunion genre, cutting straight to the stuff that makes and
breaks relationships. Facing the loss of a summer home she inherited
from her deceased parents, Ellie (Tina Holmes) invites six of her
friends for a reunion weekend on the rural, Maine property. But is
there a more ominous reason she has invited them there? Old
passions, new loves, financial problems, and jealousies take over as
the seven friends reconnect, relate and reevaluate the paths of their
own lives. With a soundtrack as eclectic as its characters, Seven
and a Match is a provocative exploration of friendship, infidelity,
and choices. Showing: MAY 29 through JUNE 11.

For more information, check out www.madstonetheaters.com/filmforward

INDEPENDENT PICTURES' SPONSORS: The George Gund Foundation, The
Cleveland Foundation, Ohio Arts Council, Association of Independent
Video & Filmmakers, Media Design Imaging, Cleveland Public Theatre,
www.WritersScriptNetwork.com
___________________________________________________________________

Independent Pictures
1392 West 65th Street
Cleveland, Ohio 44102 USA
(216) 651-7315
(216) 651-7317 Fax
OhioIndieFilmFest@...
www.ohiofilms.com