What started as a minor curiosity for actor Caleb Ross quickly grew into a 3-year obsession to save the rarest dog breed in the world.  While travelling in Canada, Ross learned of the Canadian dog breeder Brian Ladoon, who operates a small sanctuary for Canadian Eskimo dogs, known as qimmiq, in the farthest reaches of the Canadian arctic. Living in dangerous conditions that include extreme cold and ever-present polar bears, Ross soon learns of the immense struggle Ladoon faces every day in his noble quest to preserve this now rare breed, once a vital animal for the Inuits.

This is the third feature-length film by director Costa Botes, who’s been directing in the TV and film industry since the late 80’s.  Botes currently teaches film production at Victoria University in New Zealand.

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Sia has returned home to a sleepy mountain town frozen in an emotional twilight carrying a secret that she can’t confront. After the tragic loss of her lover she has descended into a catatonia that doesn’t seem to be dissipating with time.

Screening as part of  A Brief Trip Around the World: International Short Narratives.

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A group of eccentric music enthusiasts attempt to perform the 80-year-old Gothic Symphony, the largest and longest symphony ever written.  The complexity of this two hour long symphony requires a group comprised of two full orchestras, four brass bands, and five choirs, which goes some way to explain why this piece has never been performed in its entirety.  Over the course of five years, The Curse of the Gothic Symphony follows a group of classical music fans, who, if nothing else, are dedicated to their cause, as they try to do the impossible in this light-hearted and funny documentary

The Curse of the Gothic Symphony is the second documentary film by director Randall Wood.  His past documentary shorts have screened at Australia’s IF Awards and the Sydney Film Festival.

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Socialite Elizabeth Hunter (Charlotte Rampling) has always exhibited a cold, passionless dominance over her affairs and relationships, a trait that shows no signs of yielding while she’s on her deathbed. Based on the Nobel Prize-Winning novel by Patrick White, Hunter’s two kids (Geoffrey Rush, Judy Davis) have come home to lay claim to their inheritance, while their mother continues to show them a complete lack of affection. The Eye of the Storm exhibits a sharp, biting humor, while Rampling, Rush and Davis wholly embody the disaffected Hunter family.

This is the 13th film by director Fred Schepisi (who will be in attendance). His debut film The Devil’s Playground won him Best Director and Best film awards with the Australian Film Institute. His 1988 film A Cry In The Dark starring Meryl Streep was nominated for Best Film at the Golden Globes. Most recently he was nominated for an Emmy for his directing work on HBO’s Empire Falls (2005) which featured Ed Harris, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Helen Hunt, Paul Newman, and many others.

His other notable films include Roxanne starring Steve Martin (1982), Iceman starring Timothy Hutton (1984), The Russia House starring Sean Connery (1990), Mr. Baseball starring Tom Selleck (1992), Six Degrees of Separation starring Will Smith and Donald Sutherland (1993), I.Q. starring Tim Robbins and Meg Ryan, Fierce Creatures starring John Cleese and Jamie Lee Curtis (1997), Last Orders starring Michael Caine (2001), It Runs in the Family starring Michael and Kirk Douglas (2003), and many others.

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The ANZAA Annual General Meeting will be held at the Golden Valley VFW Post 7051 at 1pm Sat April 28, and will be followed by the ANZAC Day commemoration.

ANZAA invites members and friends to an observance of ANZAC Day at the Golden Valley VFW Post 7051 on Saturday April 28, 2012. The event will be preceded by the Annual General Meeting of the club, to which all members are cordially invited. We’ll have homemade meat pies and good-sized sausage rolls available for purchase at a modest fee, along with beer and other beverages.
Timetable:
1pm Annual General Meeting
Pies and sausage rolls to follow.
2pm Welcome to VFW members and guests
3pm Reading of the Ode
Socializing to continue.

Australian singer Gotye has been making waves worldwide with his massive hit song Somebody That I Used To Know, a collaboration with New Zealand singer Kimbra. Tickets for their show at Minneapolis club Epic on Wed April 4 have sold out, but you might be able to pick some up online.

The evening at the elegantly laid out venue started with a Reception during which guests caught up with new and old-time members, looked over historical memorabilia and perused the many silent auction items.

Master of Ceremonies, John O’Hehir, called everyone to dinner and introduced current President of ANZAA, Richard McCoy. After a few welcoming words dinner was served and the fabulous food was accompanied by accounts of the past four decades of the organization.

The evening reminiscences were kicked off by Eileen Stack who, together with husband Tom, had been one of the founding members. Eileen gave us teasing stories from the early days and recounted the events leading up the formation in 1972 of what in those days was essentially an Australian group, the Down Under Club. In 1990 the name was changed to ANZAA to include New Zealand and America.

Eileen was followed by Peter Hannan, a past president from the late 70s. Those who have been part of the Club into the 90s will remember Peter’s legendary recitals by heart of some of Australia’s most famous poems and tonight was no exception; with the occasional glance at his wife Nancy to be reassured he was keeping the pace, Peter recited the “The Man from Snowy River” flawlessly.

The Consul-General took the opportunity between speeches to say a few words, with glowing thanks for the invitation and expressed amazement at the resilience of the Association over its 40 years.

It was great to see David McNally back in form before the microphone, as he stood in for Brian Wilson, a past president in the 80s. Brian and his wife Judy currently reside on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula during the Northern Hemisphere summer and retreat to Bribie Island off the Queensland coast for winter – and why not! Brian’s request that David read his speech gave us a double dose of humor. The “yarns” were hysterical in parts and let’s hope the statute of limitations has passed for some of the other parts.

John Gifford stepped in for Pete Norton, a president in the 90s. Pete had received a last minute call to Montana. John reminisced about the Club in the 90s, during which a couple of its regular members became famous, or infamous, depending on how you look at it.

Rounding out the chronological order of the speeches by past presidents, Neal McMahon talked about major highlights during the late 90s and into the 2000s, one being G’Day in a Glass for which ANZAA joined with Wine Australia to host a wine event providing six Australian wine makers with the venue at the Nicollet Island Pavilion; the event was attended by over 400 people sampling over 300 wines.

Capping off the evening’s speeches was the current ANZAA President, Richard McCoy. As the celebration cake was being served, Richard brought us up to date, spoke about AZNAA’s vision for the future and gave a round of thanks to all who had donated to the silent auction, to the organizers of the event, and to Dan McKenzie, official photographer for the evening. Richard called an end to the evening’s program and encouraged everyone to make last bids on the silent auction items.

At the close of the evening many guests retired to Tuggs Tavern, conveniently located across the hallway downstairs, for nightcaps.

Thanks to all who attended to make the night a great success.

A special thanks to our Silent Auction donors

• Benessere, Body in Balance, St. Anthony Main, for Massage and Chiropractic gift certificates.

• The Cedar Cultural Center, Minneapolis for tickets to Katchafire, the New Zealand roots reggae band, Sunday, April 1st.

• The Hennepin Theatre Trust – State Theatre for tickets to Human Nature, Australia’s #1 selling vocal group, presented by Smokey Robinson, Tuesday April 3rd .

• Liz & Neal McMahon

• Brenda & Richard McCoy

• Barb & Dan McKenzie

• Robert Fisher

and to

Barb & Dan McKenzie for sponsoring the cake.

Catch New Zealand roots reggae stars Katchafire, live in concert at The Cedar Cultural Center! Tickets are on sale now.