Alternating Currents announces new film lineup

Alternating Currents (Aug. 15-18, 2024) will host the Quad Cities’ largest annual film festival in a new venue this year.

This year, 24 official film selections will be shown at The Last Picture House, 325 E. 2^nd St., Davenport, co-owned by filmmakers (and Bettendorf natives) Scott Beck and Bryan Woods. The venue boasts two indoor theaters and a rooftop theater for outdoor viewing. The new space offers an exciting opportunity for filmmakers to screen in a state-of-the-art venue for an intimate viewing experience for attendees, according to an event release Tuesday.

Alternating Currents Film Festival has attracted filmmakers locally, nationally and internationally, including submissions from Paris, Los Angeles, Hamburg, London, New York City, Chicago, Iowa City, Des Moines and the Quad Cities.

Since its inception in 2017, the festival has received over 300 submissions and put a spotlight on local filmmakers, including hosting a special event with Beck and Woods (whose films include “A Quiet Place,” “The Boogeyman,” and “65”).

Among the 2024 film screenings to be held at AC are:

• “Adieu Gaston,” Director: Victor Guilbaud (France)

Emile is a contract killer who travels by bicycle and who kills in exchange for a few tickets left in a small mailbox lost in the middle of the fields. This time, the man to be slaughtered is named Gaston Pouget and lives at 7 rue des Peupliers, which is a shed on the edge of a highway. Arriving on the scene, Emile is surprised by a birthday in honor of Gaston who should arrive soon. Emile was not invited.

• “Broken Flight,” Directors: Erika Valenciana, Mitchell Wenkus (Chicago)

Migration season is when Annette Prince and the other Chicago Collision Bird Monitors are the busiest as Mother Nature literally slams into the urban environment. In this documentary, Annette assembles volunteers as they arrive downtown before sunrise, looking for birds that have flown into skyscrapers—before heading to their day jobs. The birds that survive are sent away for a stay at the Willowbrook Wildlife Rehabilitation Center. “Broken Flight” introduces us to the volunteers, scientists and veterinarians who rescue, study and catalog these amazing avian species.

• “Essential Essence,” Director: Patrick Boberg (Des Moines)

This film was created in 48 hours for the 48 Hour Film Project. The idea to make a puppet film popped up on Christmas Day 2022, via a random text conversation. From there the makers set out to make 6 puppets, but that number eventually grew into making more than a dozen. They had no idea what story they were going to tell, but had a wonderful set of original props.

• “Meet Me at the End of It All,” Director: Brandon Gale (Rock Island)

In a world on the brink of annihilation by an impending meteor strike, this story follows the unlikely encounter between Kim and Ian, two souls grappling with their impending end. As they navigate the desolate streets in search of refuge, Kim stumbles upon Ian atop a deserted parking garage, resigned to witness the world’s demise in solitude. Despite their initial differences, they form an unexpected bond as they share their stories of love lost and the personal struggles that led them to this pivotal moment.

Through heartfelt conversations and moments of vulnerability, they confront their pasts, confronting the regrets and heartaches that have left them alone in their final hours. Against the backdrop of impending doom, “Meet Me at the End of It All” is a poignant exploration of love, loss and the transformative power of human connection in the face of adversity. As the world teeters on the brink of oblivion, Kim and Ian’s journey serves as a reminder that even in the darkest of times, the light of love can still shine through.

• “Parallel Lines,” Director: Hannah Rosalie Wright (Des Moines)

This is the music video for “Parallel Lines,” written and performed by Holding Hour, an indie rock/shoegaze/dreampop duo from Iowa. A couple lives separate lives under the same roof.

• “Cultural Abduction,” Director: Abdur M. Howard (Davenport)

“Cultural Abduction” is a film that shines a light on the remembrance and love of oneself and one’s culture. Director Abdur Howard said, “It is often that people ask me what inspired ‘Cultural Abduction.’ While the true meaning behind the film would far exceed a short summary, I can say that Cultural Abduction is an ode to the people who hide from their own greatness. Please use this film as a reminder to never trade authenticity for approval and always remember individuality’s power. No matter who you are, where you are, or who you are with, remember where you came from. You can only connect the dots by looking backward.”

• “Voice Fugue,” Director:  Kimberly Buikema (Brooklyn, NY – originally from Morrison, IL)

“Voice Fugue” experiments with dual meanings of the word fugue, using fugal composition techniques to edit both spoken text and imagery to tell a brief story of unexpected wandering, disassociation and loss of identity. Along with being a musical form, fugue also refers to a disassociated, amnesiac state in which a person loses all sense of self, identity and memory. “Voice Fugue” experiments with both of these meanings, using fugal composition techniques to edit both spoken text and imagery to tell a brief story of unexpected wandering, disassociation and loss of identity.

For more information, visit the festival website HERE.

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