Miss movies? Move on

The 14th annual San Luis Obispo International Film Festival is over.

Peter Fonda strode off stage Saturday night. The final credits of the final film flickered on Sunday afternoon. Executive director Wendy Eidson packed up the festival office earlier this week.

Only 363 days until the next film festival? What's a movielover to do?

For those who crave thoughtful cinema, there's HopeDance FiLMs, an ongoing, enlightening series of movies and events.

The journey starts tonight with "The Real Dirt on Farmer John," a look at farmer/actor/activist John Peterson.

That film will be screened at 7 p.m. at the San Luis Obispo City Library, 995 Palm St. in San Luis Obispo. A $5 donation is encouraged.

On Thursday, HopeDance FiLMs will screen "Sicko," Michael Moore's controversial documentary about the American health care system, as a fundraiser for Health Care for All.

Learn more at a question-and-answer series featuring representatives of Health Care for All. That free screening is 7 p.m. Thursday at the library; donations are encouraged.

Also playing this month:


"Subdivided: Isolation in Suburbia"
7 p.m., March 24
SLO Library

Filmmaker Dean Terry examines how suburban sprawl is changing the face of American neighborhoods, featuring commentary from "Bowling Alone" author Robert Putnam and James Howard Kunstler, who wrote "The Geography of Nowhere: The Rise and Decline of America's Man-Made Landscape." A discussion will follow the screening, for which a $5donation is suggested.


"Bill Hicks"
7 p.m. March 25
Honeymoon Cafe, 999 Price St., Pismo Beach

Celebrate the legacy of comedian Bill Hicks, who mixed outrageous humor with a passion for social justice. This documentary interviews his parents, David Letterman and other cohorts, while offering footage of Hicks' stand-up routines. A $10 donation includes finger foods, which will be served at 6:30 p.m.


"One Giant Leap"
7 p.m. March 26
2975 Vineyard Dr., Templeton

It's a new kind of music documentary. Learn about global music with Baaba Maal, Brian Eno and Michael Stipes, chat about philosophy with Anita Roddick and Tom Robbins, dance, listen and expand your mind. A donation of $5 is suggested.


The Reflecting Pool
6:30 p.m. March 27
Palm Theatre, 817 Palm St., San Luis Obispo

This new "investigative drama" challenges the official version of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Meet the film's producers, director and some of the stars at this special screening, which requires a $10 donation.

The film will be screened again at 7 p.m., March 31, at the library. A $5 donation is requested for that screening.

For more information on the above films, visit the HopeDance Web site.

-- Sarah L.

Movies that teach

This month, it’s time to learn a little.
Through HopeDance Magazine’s ongoing film series, moviegoers will follow locally grown food from the fields to the dinner table, learn about water rights, and explore the Mayan calendar.
The series kicks off Thursday with a screening of “Tableland,” a documentary about local growers, chefs, oyster farmers and bakers who treasure their Central Coast resources.
The event starts at 6 p.m. with dinner from Naked Food Live Cuisine, a raw food delivery service in San Luis Obispo, followed by the film at 7 p.m.
Afterward, there’s a talk by employees of HoneyMoon Café in Pismo Beach.
Tickets are $8 for dinner, or $25 for two people or $15 for one person for dinner and the movie.

December also features the following:

“Escape From Suburbia,” Dec. 10
Environmentally and socially savvy folks seek alternatives to the rampant materialism and waste plaguing today’s world.
The film is followed by a discussion with Cal Poly physics professors Peter Schwartz and Dave Hafemeister, plus Adam Hill, running for the county Board of Supervisors.
A $10 donation is suggested.

“A Drop of Life” and “Water: A Clear Solution,” Dec. 20
The first short film looks at how India and indigenous peoples deal with water, compared to the modern West. The second tackles water scarcity issues.
The event will feature a speaker from SLO Green Build discussing water conservation and sustainability practices.
Organizers suggest a $5 donation.

“In Between 2 Worlds,” Dec. 27
Ever wonder about the differences between the ancient Mayan calendar and the Gregorian calendar we use today?
Filmmaker José Jaramillo examines how measuring time can affect our psyche and our direction in the world. The Mayan scholar will speak at the screening.
A $10 donation is suggested.

All films will be screened at 7 p.m. at the San Luis Obispo City-County Library, 995 Palm St. in San Luis Obispo.
For more information, visit www.hopedance.org.

-- Sarah L.