Hardacre Film Festival 2010:

Independent Film Returns to Iowa's Longest-Running Festival

TIPTON, Iowa?Stuck elevators, foul balls and the world's largest lava lamp are among the filmed subjects of this year's Hardacre Film Festival. Iowa's longest-running film festival, celebrating its 13th year, will be held Friday and Saturday, August 6 and 7, at the historic Hardacre Theater in Tipton.

"We're really excited about this year's lineup?a terrific variety of subjects and filmmakers to present them," said Will Valet, festival director. "Many of our films have shown at the world's most prestigious film festivals, while others are premiering at the Hardacre. It's a world-class festival that gives movie lovers in our region a great opportunity to experience them and meet the people who made them."

T he 2010 festival will feature dozens of feature-length and short films from all over the world, including two feature-length narrative films, six documentaries, seven animated films and more than a dozen short live-action films.

Among this year's highlights:

Features:

• American Grindhouse?This documentary (from Iowa-raised director Elijah Drenner) covers the history of the American exploitation film. The movie examines this often-overlooked category of U.S. "shock" cinema in an informative and amusing way.

• Ballhawks?This documentary tells the story of Cubs fans who chase baseballs?and dreams?outside the ivy-covered walls of Wrigley Field. Filmed in 2004, when Wrigley announced plans to expand the bleachers and change "ballhawking" forever.

• Between Floors?This funny, claustrophobic and arresting film examines the human condition through five stuck elevators and the people trapped inside them. Each elevator forces its occupants to confront their isolation, themselves and each other in varied and unexpected ways.

• Cleanflix?This documentary explores the companies that make R-rated films "clean" for families and religious groups and the unhappy film directors whose work is going under the knife.

• My Vietnam, Your Iraq?This heartbreaking and inspiring documentary tells the stories of Vietnam veterans and their children who have served in each generation's war. This looks at the pride, challenges, fears, prejudices and emotions they have gone through during and after deployment.

• World's Largest?Shot partially in Iowa, this documentary captures the changing landscape of small-town America. Desperate for tourism, hundreds of small towns claim the "world's largest" objects, from 15-foot fiberglass strawberries to 40-foot concrete pheasants. This film visits 58 such sites and profiles one Washington town's four-year struggle to build the world's largest lava lamp.

Shorts:

• The Cow Who Wanted to Be a Hamburger?In this animated film from animation legend Bill Plympton, a bovine is mesmerized by a marketing billboard and chases the goal of being the best hamburger he can be.

• Heartland Transport?This short documentary, shot partially in Iowa City, concerns 17 gay and lesbian couples who define marriage equality as they take a chartered bus from St. Louis to Iowa City to be legally married.

• Mind the Gap?In this hilarious short from Canada, a beautiful young woman sits next to a sweet elderly man on a train. The ride is anything but boring in this sweet comedy about first and last im pressions.

• Patient?In this short, a man and a woman meet at a coffee shop for the first time. As if on an awkward date, they exchange timid pleasantries. But as their conversation unfolds, the horrifying truth behind their meeting is revealed.

• Plastic Bag?This timely short film by hot indie filmmaker Ramin Bahrani (Man Push Cart, Goodbye Solo) traces the existential journey of a plastic bag (voiced by legendary filmmaker Werner Herzog) searching for its lost maker, the woman who took it home from the store and eventually discarded it.

• Trophy Wife?This short film (from Marion, Iowa) concerns a husband who struggles with failu re and rejection in his hobby and in his marriage. When everything finally falls apart, Frank finds a way to resolve his taxidermy hobby and come to terms with his wife.

The complete list of films and a schedule for the 2010 festival will be released online at www.hardacrefilmfestival.com in early July.

Filmmakers are regularly in attendance, present their films, and take questions from audience members following screenings. The festival takes place during Tipton's Ridiculous Days sidewalk sale event.

The Hardacre will give out awards including Best Feature Film, Best Documentary, Best Short Film, Best St udent Film, Best Animated Film, Best Experimental Film and the Audience Award, which is voted on by audience members during the festival. Award winners will be announced in July.

SIDEBAR

Hardacre Film Festival

Friday-Saturday, Aug. 6 and 7

Hardacre Theater

112 E 5th St.

Tipton, Iowa

Admission to any of the Hardacre's three programs?Opening Night, Saturday Day or Closing Night?is $8 each. An all-festival pass can be purchased for $20. Films on Friday beg in at 6 p.m. On Saturday, screenings will run all day; from 9 a.m. through 11 p.m.

For a full schedule or more information about the Hardacre Film Festival, go to www.hardacrefilmfestival.com.

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Amana - Direct from Branson, Missouri, Doug Gabriel seven-time winner of Male Vocalist of the Year, is returning to The Old Creamery Theatre Company for performances July 7 through 11.

Come hear music from Elvis, Jim Reeves, plus many others and see Doug play his famous Muftar, a guitar made out of a 1969 Thunderbird muffler! All this, plus hilarious comedy and Doug's talented family adds up to an afternoon of truly great entertainment.

Doug is from Cedar Rapids and graduated from Linn Mar. His wife graduated from Cedar Rapids Washington and she performs with him and the kids.

Shows are at 3 p.m. each day, July 7 through 11. Tickets are $31.50 for adults and $22.50 for students. Call The Old Creamery Theatre box office, or visit the website 800-35-AMANA or www.oldcreamery.com. This special event is not part of The Old Creamery Theatre's season ticket or discount ticket offerings.

Davenport Parks & Recreation Presents:

Cinema in the Park - Movie location changed due to inclement weather prediction

Friday, June 18th, 2010

Davenport, IA, June 14th, 2010: Cinema in the Park event (Monsters vs. Aliens) will be relocated to The River's Edge (formerly known as the Quad City Sports Center - next to Modern Woodmen Park) due to inclement weather predictions.

Davenport Parks and Recreation's Mobile Playground will have family activities from 7:00pm-8:00pm.

The movie will being at 8:00pm.

Concessions will be available.

People can bring chairs and blankets at sit on turf-but NO outside food or beverage is to be brought into the facility.

Date:  Friday, June 18th, 2010

Time: 7:00pm

Location: The River's Edge (700 W. River Drive)

For questions regarding event, please contact 563-326-7812 or www.cityofdavenportiowa.com/parks

Just five weeks after winning the Quad-City round of the Iowa Blues Challenge, the Steady Rollin' Blues Band emerged victorious from the final round of the Challenge in Des Moines on May 22. The prize package includes studio recording time and a slot on the IH Mississippi Valley Blues Fest for July 3 as well as money to help support the band's trip to Memphis next January, where they will represent Iowa in the International Blues Challenge.

Steady Rollin' is made up of seasoned pros that have been part of the Quad-Cities music scene for over 15 years. Their music is good to dance to and features different styles of blues from jazz to funk and R & B, Memphis to Chicago, with covers of artists like Tyrone Davis, Bobby Bland, and Marvin Sease. Craig Bentley is on guitar, Perry Hultgren on keyboards, Jimmy VanHyfte on drums, Tom Norman on bass, and Jimmie Lee Adams on vocals.

The Steady Rollin' Blues Band plays every Thursday night at Rascals in Moline, and they will open the IH Mississippi Valley BluesFest activities on the Bandshell on Saturday July 3 at 1:00pm.

Five bands from across the state competed in the final round of the Iowa Blues Challenge. Trouble No More, the Bob Pace Band featuring Steve E. George, Bella Soul Blues Revolution featuring Tina Haase Findlay, and Stoney Ground were the other performers that gave the Steady Rollin' Blues Band a run for their money. Steady Rollin' follows in a tradition that has seen the Quad-Cities entrants in the Iowa Blues Challenge walk away with the top prize, including the Avey Brothers Band in 2008 and 2009.

The Iowa Blues Challenge is produced by the Central Iowa Blues Society, with support from the Lizard Creek Blues Society and the Mississippi Valley Blues Society.