3rd Annual Fresno Film Festival
Friday, Saturday, Sunday
April 13-15 2007

Sweet Land
Sponsored by Il Giardino Organico
Friday, April 13, 2007
7pm
The Tower Theatre
815 E. Olive Avenue, Fresno (map)

Tickets:
General Admission – $15
(includes admission to Opening Night Reception following the film)

“Sweet Land celebrates a gutsy, old-fashioned sort of love, which Mr. Selim lovingly presents in scene after scene of glorious 35-millimeter images.”
— Jeannette Catsoulis, The New York Times 

“A visually indelible movie that's a grand dream of the American past. Sweet Land is a movie of extraordinary tenderness.”
— Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly 

“A gorgeously realized romance.”
— Rob Nelson, Village Voice 

Watch the Trailer

(cable or DSL connection recommended)

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Synopsis

Inge arrives in Minnesota in 1920 to marry a young Norwegian farmer named Olaf. Her German heritage and lack of official immigration papers make her an object of suspicion in the small town, and she and Olaf are forbidden to marry. Based on Will Weaver’s short story “A Gravestone Made of Wheat” and shot on location in Southern Minnesota, Sweet Land is that rare independent feature that uses painterly images and understated performances to tell a universal story of love and discovery. David Tumblety's glorious magic-hour cinematography recalls classic American art cinema like Days of Heaven, transforming the Southern Minnesota’s farm country into an elegiac metaphor for memory, family, and history. Featuring supporting performances by veteran performers Ned Beatty, Paul Sand, and Lois Smith, Sweet Land is the story of immigrant America, made by the son of first-generation immigrants themselves.

Directed by Ali Salem
USA, 2006; PG, 110 min., 35mm

Short Film

Maestro Maestro sits in front of a dressing room mirror, and carefully prepares for his grand show. Oscar nominee for Best Animated Short. Directed by Geza M. Toth Hungary, 2006; 5 min., video

Advance tickets may be purchased at the following locations:
• WineStyles in Fig Garden Village Shopping Center
• The Movies, located at 1435 N. Van Ness
• The Tower Theatre Box Office
• all TicketMaster outlets, www.ticketmaster.com or at 485-TIXS

BACK TO THE 2007 FESTIVAL PAGE