Oregon Shakespeare Festival's Daedalus Film Fest Fundraiser to Run 8/15-17

The Daedalus Project, the Oregon Shakespeare Festival's annual fundraiser to end the spread of HIV/AIDS, has announced the Daedalus Film Fest will be held August 15-17. All screenings will take place at the Varsity Theatre on Main Street in Ashland.

The Daedalus Film Fest, produced in partnership with the Ashland Independent Film Festival and Coming Attractions Theatres, includes a slate of six bold, original, award-winning narrative and documentary films about the ongoing global HIV/AIDS crisis. Tickets are $10 for each screening and are available through OSF's box office by phone at 800-219-8161 or online at www.osfashland.org/DaedalusFilmFest. One hundred percent of profits benefit The Daedalus Project, raising money to help fight the spread of HIV/AIDS in the Rogue Valley and across the globe.

"The Oregon Shakespeare Festival is proud to be affiliated with the Ashland Independent Film Festival and Coming Attraction Theatres as we continue our collaboration through the Daedalus Project and opening up more avenues of response to the HIV/AIDS crisis," said OSF Associate Artistic Director Christopher Acebo.

Festival selections include two free screenings of the new HBO Film The Normal Heart; a 25th anniversary screening of Academy Award-winning documentary Common Threads: Stories from the Quilt and Q&A with director Jeffrey Friedman; and the Northwest premiere of Broken Heart Land with film subjects in attendance.

2014 Daedalus Film Fest Selections

THE BATTLE OF AMFAR
2013, 40 min., USA, Documentary
Directors: Rob Epstein & Jeffrey Friedman
Plays with THE LAST FAREWELL

The story of two powerful women-Hollywood movie star, Elizabeth Taylor, and Swiss research scientist, Dr. Matilde Krim, who joined forces to create America's first AIDS research organization. Their unrelenting drive, compassion and courage forever changed the course of AIDS history-and gave hope to all people living with HIV.

With Director Jeffrey Friedman in attendance for Q&A following the film.

Saturday, August 16 at 1 p.m.
Sunday, August 17 at 4 p.m.

BROKEN HEART LAND
2014, 81 min., USA, Documentary
Directors: Jeremy Stulberg, Randy Stulberg

Against the backdrop of a bible-belt town bitterly divided on the issue of homosexuality, gay teen Zack Harrington killed himself with a gunshot to the head. Zack's grief-stricken parents, conservative Republicans and military veterans, are forced to reconcile their own social and political beliefs with their son's death, moving from private denial to a climactic and very public acceptance of their son's legacy.

With Nancy and Van Harrington (Zack's parents) in attendance for the Q&A following the film.

Sunday, August 17 at 7 p.m.

Special 25th Anniversary screening:
COMMON THREADS: STORIES FROM THE QUILT
1989, 80 min., USA, Documentary
Directors: ?Rob Epstein & Jeffrey Friedman
Narrated by Dustin Hoffman?
Academy Award, Best Feature Documentary (1989)
Emmy Award, ?Best Original Score - Bobby McFerrin

Common Threads tells the powerful story of the first decade of the AIDS epidemic in the U.S. An Olympic athlete, a gay activist, a boy with hemophilia, a recovering heroin addict, a closeted Navy commander: five very diverse lives that shared a common fate. Their lives-along with thousands of others-are woven together in a giant memorial patchwork quilt that is solemnly unfolded in the US capitol to protest the government's refusal to respond to the growing AIDS epidemic.

With Director Jeffrey Friedman in attendance for Q&A following the film.

Saturday, August 16 at 7 p.m.
Sunday, August 17 at 1 p.m.

HOW TO SURVIVE A PLAGUE
2012, 110 min., USA, Documentary
Director: David France
Academy Award Nomination for Best Documentary

The story of young activists who created some of the most powerful social movements of our time, saving their own lives and millions more. Their activism and innovation turned AIDS from a death sentence into a manageable condition.

Saturday, August 16 at 7:30 p.m.

A LAST FAREWELL
2013, 13 min., Sweden, Short
Director: Casper Andreas
Plays with THE BATTLE OF AMFAR

A moving portrait of an aging author's sorrow over the death of his long-term partner. Haunted by visions of his late husband, he must tackle the impossible task of moving on and finding peace in the wake of a devastating loss.

Saturday, August 16 at 1 p.m.
Sunday, August 17 at 4 p.m.

Free Screening
THE NORMAL HEART
2014, 132 mins, USA, Narrative Feature
Director: Ryan Murphy?
Screenplay: Larry Kramer
Featuring: Mark Ruffalo, Matt Bomer, Taylor Kitsch, Jim Parsons and Julia Roberts

Adapting his groundbreaking Tony Award-winning play of the same name, Larry Kramer tells the story of the onset of the HIV-AIDS crisis in New York City in the early '80s. An unflinching look at the nation's sexual politics as gay activists and their allies in the medical community fight to expose the truth about the burgeoning epidemic to a city and nation in denial. Screening courtesy of HBO

Friday, August 15 at 70 p.m.
Saturday, August 16 at 4 p.m.

"We are thrilled with the 2014 line-up of films and the special guests in attendance for Q&A's following the screenings," saif Joanne Feinberg, Director of Programming at the Ashland Independent Film Festival. "The Daedalus Film Fest presents us with a unique opportunity to share these works with Southern Oregon, with most films making their first big-screen appearance in the Rogue Valley."

Q&A discussions will follow all screenings

For tickets and information, visit www.osfashland.org/DaedalusFilmFest. Tickets may also be purchased through OSF's box office by phone at 800-219-8161 or in person. All profits benefit The Daedalus Project, which has been raising money to help fight the spread of HIV/AIDS in the Rogue Valley and across the globe for 27 years. Donate now via the project's Indigogo campaign.

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