Zellner Bros. Appear at Moving Image Screening of KUMIKO, THE TREASURE HUNTER Tonight

Two of the most distinct and idiosyncratic voices in American independent cinema, the Austin-based filmmakers David and Nathan Zellner, will be the subjects of a retrospective at Museum of the Moving Image, Kumiko and the Zellner Bros., from February 28 through March 5, 2015. The brothers will appear in person tonight, March 5, at 7:00 p.m., with a preview screening of their latest film, the Sundance favorite, Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter. The retrospective will also include their early features Frontier, Goliath, and Kid-Thing, and a compilation of their short films in the program Zellernoids! Short Film Cavalcade.

"Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter should be a breakthrough film for the Zellners, who now have established a distinctive voice in American independent cinema for their truly offbeat and inventive explorations of the lives of assorted misfits and loners," said David Schwartz, the Museum's Chief Curator.

Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter, starring Rinko Kikuchi, premiered in the U.S. Dramatic Competition at Sundance in 2014. In a story inspired by the urban legend of Takako Konishi, a young Japanese woman found dead in Minnesota in 2001, Kumiko finds a VHS of the Coen Brothers' Fargo, which she believes to be a map leading to a buried treasure. "For the better part of two hours, the Zellners here strike and maintain a tone pitched halfway between whimsy and madness, as Kumiko doggedly pursues her idée fixe, trying, in effect, to enter the world of the moving image.... And who among us cannot relate to that?," wrote Scott Foundas in Variety.

David and Nathan Zellner have written, produced, directed and appeared in numerous award-winning shorts and feature films over the past decade. The Zellners have been a force on the festival circuit dating back to the 2005 short film Flotsam/Jetsam, their first film to premiere at Sundance. Other notable shorts by the Zellners-all of which have played at Sundance-include the acclaimed Aftermath on Meadowlark Lane and Sasquatch Birth Journal 2. Their first feature film, Goliath, premiered at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival. Starring David Zellner as an aimless thirty-something whose life begins to unravel after his cat goes missing, Goliath was distributed theatrically by IFC Films. Kid-Thing, a fable-like drama starring Sydney Aguirre and Susan Tyrell, premiered at Sundance in 2012 followed by an extensive festival run, including an international premiere at the 62nd Berlinale and a retrospective of the Zellner Brothers' work at the 2012 Buenos Aires Film Festival. Kid-Thing, which received a 2012 Gotham Award nomination, was distributed theatrically around the world and domestically in the U.S. by Factory 25.

About Museum of the Moving Image - Museum of the Moving Image (movingimage.us) advances the understanding, enjoyment, and appreciation of the art, history, technique, and technology of film, television, and digital media. In its stunning facilities-acclaimed for both its accessibility and bold design-the Museum presents exhibitions; screenings of significant works; discussion programs featuring actors, directors, craftspeople, and business leaders; and education programs which serve more than 50,000 students each year. The Museum also houses a significant collection of moving-image artifacts.

SCHEDULE FOR 'KUMIKO AND THE ZELLNER BROS.,' FEBRUARY 28-MARCH 5, 2015

Screenings will take place in the Sumner M. Redstone Theater of the Celeste and Armand Bartos Screening Room at Museum of the Moving Image, 36-01 35 Avenue in Astoria.

Tickets for the preview screening of Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter are $15 ($9 for Museum members at the Film Lover, Dual, and Family levels / free for Silver Screen members and above). Tickets for all other screenings are $12 (free for Museum members) and available at the Museum on the day of the screening. For information about Museum membership and to join, visit http://movingimage.us/support/membership.

This schedule is also posted online here.

Frontier
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2:30 P.M.
Dir. David Zellner. 2002, 82 mins. Digital. With Wiley Wiggins, David Zellner, Nathan Zellner. "Based on" the fictitious surrealist novel Froktog by Mulnar Typsthat, Frontier is the only Bulbovian-language film ever made. This absurdist political satire tells the story of two soldiers on a quest to civilize uncharted land in the aftermath of the Klornsthog Revolution.

Goliath
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 5:00 P.M.
Dir. David Zellner. 2008, 82 mins. Digital. With David Zellner, Nathan Zellner, Caroline O'Connor. An attempt to find the amusing in the mundane, this film follows a recently divorced man obsessed with his missing cat, Goliath. It established the Zellner Brothers as unique American storytellers.

Zellernoids! Short Film Cavalcade
SUNDAY, MARCH 1, 2:30 P.M.
Dir. David Zellner. 2002-2010. 92 mins. Digital. A collection of the Zellner Brothers' best short films, featuring: Rummy, The Virile Man, Fiddlestixx Ep. 1, Quasar Hernandez, Who Is On First?, Foxy and the Weight of the World, Pardon My Downfall, Fiddlestixx Ep. 2, Redemptitude, Flotsam/Jetsam, Aftermath on Meadowlark Lane, Fiddlestixx Ep. 3, Sasquatch Birth Journal 2.

Kid-Thing
SUNDAY, MARCH 1, 5:00 P.M.
Dir. David Zellner. 2012, 84 mins. With Sydney Aguirre, Nathan Zellner, David Wingo. In the Zellners' second feature, a young girl encounters an older woman trapped at the bottom of an abandoned well in the woods and must then choose the best course of action. "Working with minimal means and devoted to longish takes in which incidents slowly build to often droll, semi-absurdist payoffs, writer-director David Zellner and his producer-cinematographer Nathan focus here on the narrow, entirely unsupervised life of a tough little critter..."-Todd McCarthy, The Hollywood Reporter.

PREVIEW SCREENING
Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter
With filmmakers David and Nathan Zellner in person
THURSDAY, MARCH 5, 7:00 P.M.
Dir. David Zellner. 2014, 105 mins. DCP courtesy Amplify. With Rinko Kikuchi, Nobuyuki Katsube, Shirley Venard. In their acclaimed new film inspired by the urban legend of Takako Konishi, a young Japanese woman found dead in Minnesota in 2001, Kumiko finds a VHS of the Coen Brothers' Fargo, which she believes to be a map leading to a buried treasure. "For the better part of two hours, the Zellners here strike and maintain a tone pitched halfway between whimsy and madness, as Kumiko doggedly pursues her idée fixe, trying, in effect, to enter the world of the moving image.... And who among us cannot relate to that?"-Scott Foundas, Variety.
Tickets: $15 ($9 for Museum members at the Film Lover, Dual, and Family levels / free for Silver Screen members and above). Order tickets online at movingimage.us

MUSEUM INFORMATION:

Hours: Wednesday-Thursday, 10:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Friday, 10:30 to 8:00 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, 11:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Film Screenings: Friday evenings, Saturdays and Sundays, and as scheduled. As of March 1, tickets for screenings (unless otherwise noted, $12 adults / $9 students and seniors / free for Museum members) will be available for advance purchase online at movingimage.us. Screening tickets include same-day admission to the Museum's galleries.
Museum Admission: $12.00 for adults; $9.00 for persons over 65 and for students with ID; $6.00 for children ages 3-12. Children under 3 and Museum members are admitted free. Admission to the galleries is free on Fridays, 4:00 to 8:00 p.m.
Location: 36-01 35 Avenue (at 37 Street) in Astoria.
Subway: M (weekdays only) or R to Steinway Street. Q (weekdays only) or N to 36 Avenue.
Program Information: Telephone: 718 777 6888; Website: movingimage.us
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The Museum is housed in a building owned by the City of New York and located on the campus of Kaufman Astoria Studios. Its operations are made possible in part by public funds provided through the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, the New York City Economic Development Corporation, the New York State Council on the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and the Natural Heritage Trust (administered by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation). The Museum also receives generous support from numerous corporations, foundations, and individuals.

Pictured: The Zellner Bros., photo by Chris Ohlson.