Woods Hole Film Festival 2008

A personal exploration by filmmaker Todd Kwait into the roots and growth of jug band music in the US beginning with Gus Cannon in the 1920s and its dynamic influence on the popular folk music movement of the 60's and 70's. The film features interviews and performances by John Sebastian, Geoff Muldaur, Jim Kweskin, Bob Weir, Sam Charters and a special tribute to the late legendary jug and washtub player Fritz Richmond. Chasin' Gus' Ghost includes over 80 minutes of music and several concerts which were exclusively produced for the film. It is a fascinating and surprising first look at the music that spawned so much of what we enjoy today.

A successful chef who runs his kitchen with precision unexpectedly falls in love with a worker in his kitchen and decides to declare his passion in a letter, but will suspicions of intimacy between the easy-going kitchen staff undermine the future he has imagined?

Colin, Devon, and Maya have a pact. They will only attend the prestigious circus school, L’Ecole Nationale de Cirque, if they are all accepted. As L’Ecole’s annual audition approaches the three lifelong friends prepare their routines in the hope that they will be three of the 10 teens admitted to the school. Circus is Life follows these three teens in their final days of preparation for the audition, including both the grueling training and intimate camaraderie. The film captures the simultaneous anticipation and tension that comes with this moment of change. More than just preparation and performance, Circus is Life is the story of the close ties of teenage friendship, about growing up, and a yearning that some things will never change.

Inspired by the life of Hank Garland, CRAZY is the story of a legendary guitar player who emerged from Nashville in the 1950’s. Blessed with incomparable, natural talent, Hank quickly established his reputation as the finest session player in Nashville. Artists such as Roy Orbison, Patsy Cline, The Everly Brothers and Elvis all sought Hank for their recordings. Moving effortlessly from country, to rock-a-billy, to jazz, Hank was also recognized by the likes of Dave Bruebeck, Gary Burton, Joe Morello and Joe Benjamin. The 50's Nashville scene was unique – dominated by a group of executives and musicians who controlled the industry. Hank, in his pursuit of musical excellence, often came into conflict with the business, which he found restrictive and frustrating. But it was his relationship with his wife, Evelyn, which may have led to his demise. Beautiful, Evelyn was unlike any woman Hank had ever encountered when meeting her during a show in Chicago. She excited and fascinated him, and turned a whirlwind romancae into an almost instant marriage. But Evelyn was not all she appeared to be, and when confronted with the reality of Hank’s obsessive dedication to his music, began to demonstrate a desperate need to make him love only her. But 43 years after Hank disappeared from music, his guitar lives on in a number of hit records, and one, amazing solo jazz effort.

A short film about a girl dealing with the trials and tribulations of being a teenager.

After being tucked into bed, a little girl is left alone in her dark bedroom. Too afraid to go to sleep, the little girl finally discovers what is really hiding in the dark.

DAUGHTERS OF WISDOM is an intimate portrait of the nuns of Kala Rongo, a rare and exceptional Buddhist Monastery exclusively for women in remote northeastern Tibet. Here, these women are receiving unprecedented educational and religious training, and preserving their rich cultural heritage even as they slowly reshape it. Some shy, some outspoken, all committed to the often difficult life they have chosen, the nuns graciously allow the camera allowed our camera a never-before-seen glimpse into their vibrant spiritual community and insight into their extraordinary lives.

Where desire ends and addiction begins. A film about the amount of food in a society which has lost its proportions, about the work of people who don't know anymore what their calling is.