MIDDLETOWN — Coyote Film Festival, Lake County”s own independent film festival, will present two screenings of the award winning film, “Cats of Mirikitani” and provide an audience Q&A with New York director, Linda Hattendorf during her first visit to Lake County.
There is a 1:30 p.m. matinee and 7:30 p.m. screening Saturday at the Calpine Geothermal Visitors Center, located at 15500 Central Park Road in Middletown. Tickets are $10 at the door and $5 for children 16 and younger. Fresh popcorn and concessions will also be available.
Eighty-year-old Jimmy Mirikitani survived the trauma of WWII internment camps, Hiroshima, and homelessness by creating art. But when 9/11 threatens his life on the New York City streets and a local filmmaker brings him to her home, the two embark on a journey to confront Jimmy”s painful past. An intimate exploration of the lingering wounds of war and the healing powers of friendship and art, this documentary won the Audience Award at its premiere in the 2006 Tribeca Film Festival and has continued to receive awards at festivals across the country.
Linda Hattendorf has been working in the New York documentary community for more than a decade. Her editing work has aired on PBS, A&E and The Sundance Channel as well as in theatrical venues and many festivals. She was born in Cincinnati, Ohio and holds degrees in literature, art history and media studies. “Cats of Mirikitani” is her directorial debut.
Coyote Film Festival is a fundraising arm of EcoArts of Lake County, a 501(c)3 non-profit arts organization dedicated to bringing visual art opportunities and ecologic stewardship to the residents and visitors of Lake County. For information, visit www.EcoArtsofLakeCounty.org or www.CoyoteFilmFestival.org.
