Man in the Can (U.S.A., U.S.A., 38 min.) Director: Noessa Higa *Director in attendance for Q & A after screening
Man in the Can chronicles the personal journey of a minor league rodeo clown trying to make it to the major leagues before he gets too old or taken out by a bull. Rodeo clowning isn't just Ronald's job, it's his calling. Ronald is the first person in his family to leave Mississippi, and travels the rodeo circuit in Texas and the South with his dog and pet skunk. The film provides an inside look at the tight knit rodeo community in small-town America, but it's also a universal story about following your dream, second chances, and the sacrifices that come along with pursuing your passion.
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Riding My Way Back (U.S.A., 28 min.) Directors: Robin Fryday, Peter Rosenbaum
“Riding My Way Back” is a feature documentary that chronicles one soldier’s journey back from the brink of suicide. In 2010, Staff Sergeant Aaron Helicker returned from deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), in addition to third-degree burns and nerve damage from a roadside bomb. At his most desperate and isolated, on 42 medications and suicidal, Aaron is introduced to the unlikeliest of saviors: a horse named Fred. Through caring for Fred and building mutual trust, Aaron begins the difficult process of reconnecting to the world around him and healing the terrible, invisible wounds of war that had nearly defeated him.
TrailerThe House is Innocent (U.S.A., 12 min.) Director: Nicholas Coles
Meet Tom and Barbara, the proud new owners of a serial killer’s house-- the most infamous residence in Sacramento, California. The middle-age couple soon realizes it's going to take more than a fresh coat of paint to whitewash their home's macabre history.
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