Sarah Houbolt
2021Schlitzie: One of Us
Steven Belgard
Naomi Grossman, Rose Siggins
The rise and fall...and rise of Schlitzie, the lovable man-child performer from Tod Browning's cult film "Freaks." He lived to perform, until he was put in an institution and left to die. His persona earned him a place in Punk history when the Ramones recorded "Pinhead," dolls and jewelry were created in his image, and "American Horror Story: Freakshow" paid homage to him. According to sideshow lore, Schlitzie was one of the most beloved performers.
Schlitzie: One of Us
Three Thousand Years of Longing
George Miller
Sarah Houbolt, John Puckeridge-Webb
A solitary scholar discovers an ancient bottle while on a trip to Istanbul and unleashes a djinn who offers her three wishes. Filled with reluctance, she is unable to come up with one, so the djinn tries to inspire her with his stories.
Three Thousand Years of Longing
Romeo and Juliet: A Love Song
Tim van Dammen, Alastair Carruthers
Derya Parlak, Dan Veint
Shakespeare’s tale of teen love reimagined as a rock opera set in a beachside caravan park. A triumphant blast of style and 21st-century Kiwi trailer trash pop. Classic tragedy probably shouldn’t be quite this much fun.
Romeo and Juliet: A Love Song
Reflections in the Dust
Luke Sullivan
Sarah Houbolt, Robin Queree
“I don’t believe in love because I’ve never seen it,” responds a young woman to an unseen interviewer in the first few minutes of the movie. This bleak portrait of loneliness and social exclusion is set on the edge of a desolate swamp where an aging clown and his daughter are struggling to survive. The location could be the end of the world, a place where hope has vanished along with a belief in the afterlife and the existence of God. The two unfortunates live together without the likelihood of change, as fear, aggression, and anger take hold of them – but they also experience sudden moments of tenderness.
Reflections in the Dust
