Whether shot on Super 8, a Sony Handicam, or on multiple Canon digital cameras, truth and fiction remain as elusive as ever in a realm where real and false can co-exist as one: cinema. Documentaries capture reality, while “scripted” movies tell us lies, or so the belief goes; in actuality, the documentary is just as capable of lying to you, just as a fiction film is able to reveal (intentionally or not) layers of unimpeachable reality. The women of WILDWOOD, NJ take advantage of their youth and summertime setting, journeying across the storied New Jersey boardwalk in search of momentary escape or that chance romantic encounter, fleeting or lifelong. The boys of PROJECT X take advantage of their privileged Pasadena backgrounds by staging a massive house party that, like the boardwalks of NJ, becomes a gathering ground for scores of young people in search of the perfect party or getaway. The camera is turned to each subject, over each film, probing its onscreen subjects for glimmers of youth amongst the prickly branches of nostalgia, giving way from painful remembrance to bittersweet reverie, reality and non-reality co-mingling forever. This double will also be bookended by two surprise films (one in the pre-show, one as a bonus after Project X), and in addition to this plethora of screenings, Ruth Leitman (one of the filmmakers behind WILDWOOD, NJ) will join us on stage for a spirited Q&A! Summer may be ending, but this wild night of screenings will help cap off one of the most exciting and melancholy of seasons.

7:00pm - WILDWOOD, NJ (Dir. Carol Weaks Cassidy & Ruth Leitman, 1994, 60 min, DCP)
8:30pm - PROJECT X (Dir. Nima Nourizadeh, 2012, 88 min, DCP)