San Luis Obispo International Film Festival 2009

In 1960, Congress held "payola" hearings to target the deejays guilty of breaking down economic and racial barriers. Program director and radio consultants took control. Rock radio became bland and predictable, until a new wave of deejays set up shop on the FM dial. "Top 40 is dead," declared Tom Donahue in San Francisco. "And its rotting corpse is stinking up the airwaves." Bands like the Grateful Dead and Jefferson Airplane ignited a cultural revolution until FM, too, was silenced by FCC intimidation and corporate greed. "Airplay" pays tribute to those unsung heroes of FM, and the promise of a rebirth on satellite radio, told by the deejays and the artists they made rock stars.

This multi-layered portrait of contemporary India follows a new Dehli auto-rickshaw driver, Amal (Rupinder Nagra) who is content with his small, but vital role in life. But his sense of duty is tested by an eccentric, aging billionaire passenger, who moved by Amal's humility, bequeaths him his entire estate before passing away. With only one month to discover and claim the inheritance, Amal finds himself the target of the old man's upper-caste friends and siblings, all seeking to claim their share of the riches. . Filmed on location in New Delhi, India, Amal serves up a visual feast for audiences. Premiered at the 2007 Toronto Film Festival. In English and Hindi

Amexicano deftly tackles the challenging subjects of illegal immigration and working-class life with charm, sensitivity and beautifully subtle performances by Carmine Famiglietti, Raul Castillo and Jennifer Peña. Good natured Bruno (Famiglietti) needs a job. When he gets a chance to do some landscaping and construction, he becomes acquainted with day laborer, Ignacio (Castillo) and his wife (Peña) who's English is practically non-existent. Wrestling with language barriers, the three form an unlikely friendship, which is tested when deportation issues threaten to deflate or destroy their newly formed bonds. In English and Spanish

Learn a trade. Work hard. Go ask your mother. A father’s wisdom is timeless, if sometimes unclear to a son until he, too, becomes a father. But what is fatherhood? Rick Cree discovers that which defines a father is what he leaves behind in this cinematic personal essay about three different generations of men. With home movies and still photos, Rick reflects upon his own broken, destructive relationship with his father and searches among the pieces for how he can be a positive influence on his own teenage son, Micah. A journey with his son to his father’s depression-era hometown in Eastern Kansas helps Rick finds the peace he needs to help his son face the future.

From the executive producer of An Inconvenient Truth, this is an inspiring story of Marion Cloete, a university-trained therapist who - with her husband and two daughters - fearlessly walked away from a privileged life in a wealthy Johannesburg suburb to establish Botshabelo, an extraordinary village and school that provides shelter, food and education to more than 550 orphaned South African children. The Orphan Bracelet Campaign evolved as a way to DO something, and it employs women affected by HIV/AIDS and helps children orphaned by this staggering epidemic. Director and Ubuntu Orphan Bracelet Campaign founder, Louise Hogarth plans to attend a screening and will be selling bracelets.

Jerry (Jamie Draven) is a Marine reservist, recently returned from the war in Iraq, and embittered by a life besieged by broken promises and unfulfilled desires. He lives on the edge of poverty with his wife and children, who are terrified of his unexplained outbursts of rage. When his wife betrays him, Jerry commits an unspeakable crime against his family, and only through the faith and sacrifice of his young daughter (Grace Caroline Fulton) does he find redemption and peace. A moving and gripping film, SLOIFF is proud to host the World Premiere.

A documentary that focuses on "Bike Night" in downtown SLO - its growth and development and the many local cyclists who support it. This screening is free.

Set in 1987, a young American boy with a large, noticeable birthmark on his neck embarks on his first day of school. He is plagued by the insults of his new classmates, as well as his own ever-present insecurities. He comes to terms with his individuality when, on a magical evening, Mikhail Gorbachev enters his bedroom and shares words of encouragement, inspiration and camaraderie. Features SLO actor, Matthew Evans.

From some of the first sound films to “Casablanca” and beyond, Warner Brothers studios changed the world of cinema, thanks to the unique instincts of a small band of immigrant Russian-Jewish brothers. The practical oldest son Harry Warner; middle-child honest Abe; visionary Sam; and volatile baby brother Jack—these were the original Hollywood independent filmmakers. They broke free of the hold New York had on early filmmaking to create a Southern California studio and star-making machine with one motto: to make profitable films that “educate, entertain, and enlighten” with stories often ripped from news headlines. It is this motto and the gritty realism of their films that helped them build an empire. Director and granddaughter of Harry Warner, Cass Warner, will attend the screening.