A double feature presented by the James River Film Society as part of the James River Film Festival. Free and open to the public!

1:00 pm

SURREALIST SANDWICH

Two films by Surrealist director Luis Bunuel--Un Chien Andalou/ Andalusian Dog (1929), co-written with painter Salvador Dali and considered the ultimate Surrealist manifesto, and Simon of the Desert ('66), one of the best of his Mexican period and rarely screened; loosely based on St. Simeon Stylites, an ascetic pole sitter of the 5th century who is tempted by all manner of Satan's chicanery, ultimately finding himself on the dance floor of a 1960's NY disco. Approx. RT 80 min.

2:30 pm

WOMEN FILMMAKERS

Early feminism of the silent era-- Alice Guy's short Making an American Citizen (1912), on domestic abuse, and Lois Weber's restored Shoes (1916), depicting pay inequality and poverty as the young heroine trades her honor for a new pair of needed shoes. Jump ahead a century for two animated shorts by past film guests, Karen Aqua's Twist of Fate and Martha Colburn's Dolls v. Dictators. Approx. RT 90 min.

The annual James River Film Festival (JRFF) was established by JRFS co-founder Michael Jones, along with other Richmond area university faculty members, media professionals, and volunteers, in April 1994. The purpose of the festival is to celebrate and examine the history and continuing contributions of independently produced film and video. Each April the festival brings nationally and internationally known independent filmmakers to Richmond to screen and discuss their work. In 2011, the festival spun off its annual juried competition for short films (30 minutes or less) into its own festival, James River Shorts (Now the James River Short Film Showcase). We welcome submissions from around the globe! JRFF awards up to $2,000 in cash and prizes — another way the James River Film Society supports and stimulates independent filmmaking.