Found Theatre Presents Premier of New Zealand Documentary "THE TOPP TWINS: UNTOUCHABLE GIRLS"

The Found couldn't be more pleased to screen this brilliant and wacky film about New Zealand's most beloved cultural icons: The Topp Twins. Winner of the Cadillac People's Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival, and too many other awards to list here, "The Topp Twins: Untouchable Girls," tells the story of the world's only comedic, singing, yodeling lesbian twin sisters, Lynda and Jools Topp, whose political activism and unique brand of entertainment have helped change New Zealand's social landscape.

As well as rarely seen archive footage and home movies, the film features candid chats with some of the Topps' infamous comedy alter-egos, including the two Kens, Camp Mother and Camp Leader, the Bowling Ladies and the Posh Socialite sisters, Prue and Dilly. "The Topp Twins" follows the girls from their happy childhood on a dairy farm, where they grew up singing to the cows, to the Territorial Army, as well as the heady days performing on the streets of Auckland during the political protest marches of the early '80s. By 1998, Lynda Topp, as Camp Mother, very nearly won the mayoral election in Auckland, and the Topps became firmly entrenched in Kiwi culture with their own prime time TV series "Do Not Adjust Your Twinset." This is the story not only of two unique sisters, but of half a century of cultural changes in New Zealand and the foundation of a national identity. Part concert film, part biopic, part historical record, and a big part comedy, it shares the twins' journey from "coming out" to Jools' recent brush with breast cancer with a great deal of laughter, honesty and wisdom. Directed by award-winning former BBC documentary filmmaker Leanne Pooley.

Dates & Times: Friday & Saturday, July 22 & 23, 8 p.m.; Sunday, July 24, 3 p.m.

Tickets- $8.00

Venue: The Found Theatre, 599 Long Beach Blvd., Long Beach, CA 90802

For additional information and to purchase tickets please contact The Found Theatre at  562/433-3363 or foundtheatre.org.

Found Theatre Presents Long Beach Premiere Of New Documentary Film "QUEEN OF THE SUN"

As part of its new monthly movie series, The Found Theatre is proud to present the Long Beach/Orange County premiere of "Queen of the Sun: What are the Bees Telling Us?" From Taggart Siegel, director of "The Real Dirt on Farmer John," comes this multiple-award-winning documentary about the global bee crisis, featuring stunning cinematography and visual artistry. Taking us on a journey through the catastrophic disappearance of bees and the mysterious world of the beehive, this engaging and ultimately uplifting film weaves an unusual and dramatic story of the struggles of beekeepers, scientists and philosophers from around the world, including Michael Pollan, Gunther Hauk and Vandana Shiva. Together, they reveal both the problems and the solutions in renewing a culture in balance with nature. Movie refreshments and beer and wine available. To view the trailer, visit www.queenofthesun.com.

Dates & Times: Friday & Saturday, June 17 &18, 8 p.m.; Sunday, June 19, 3 p.m.

Tickets: $8

Venue: The Found Theatre, 599 Long Beach Blvd., Long Beach, CA 90802

Information: 562/433-3363 or foundtheatre.org.

Bill Johnson at Film Festival

The 2nd annual Hope and Freedom Film Festival at the Art Theatre is featuring "Bill Johnson: The Downhill Story" at 7:00 PM this Saturday, May 21st. Be sure to check it out! Click here to see more listings.

Bill Johnson: The Downhill Story is the riveting story of an Olympic champion. In this film, the term “Downhill” not only refers to the sport of downhill skiing, but also to the “downhill” trajectory of Bill Johnson’s life. As America’s greatest skiing rebel and cult-hero, Johnson made an Ali-like claim at the '84 Winter Olympics by stating, "everyone else is racing for second place." Johnson became the first American man to win a gold medal in ski racing for the United States and he won a record four races in 1984. The Downhill Story depicts this journey and tells a personal tale of a fallen hero, hoping to win back his family and his life.

Guerriller@s at Film Festival

The 2nd annual Hope and Freedom Film Festival at the Art Theatre is featuring "GUERRILLER@S" at 11:30AM this Saturday, May 21st. Be sure to check it out! Click here to see more listings.

TRAILER: GUERRILLER@S (English subtitles), by Montse Pujantell from PROMOFEST on Vimeo.

Although the trailer is in Spanish, the film is in Spanish with English subtitles.... Guerriller@s is a documentary that puts forth a reflection about sexual identity. The film explores gender development and popular strategies with the intent of controlling and conditioning gendered norms. The film provides access to the lives of transgendered individuals in Spain, and the movement working toward increasing public awareness and achieving equal rights for the transsexual and transgendered community. The film inspires us to understand the universally shared characteristics afflicting transsexual and transgendered people throughout the world. Guerriller@s encourages openness and appreciation for our bodies as a means of challenging and defeating stereotypes.

Raging Grannies at Film Festival

The 2nd annual Hope and Freedom Film Festival at the Art Theatre is featuring "Raging Grannies: The Action League" at 12:30PM this Saturday, May 21st. Be sure to check it out! Click here to see more listings.

In ostrich feathers, crazy hats, and boas these women protest all over the Bay Area with a sense of outrage, a sense of humor, and a commitment to non-violence. They are women over 50, some as old as 90, who are enraged by the conditions under which some people are forced to live. These conditions include threats to our environment, war, and criminal injustice in our legal system and throughout the world. The Action League Grannies have been spied on by the California National Guard, written about in Time magazine, appeared on several major news networks and are continuing to play an integral part in raising awareness to a variety of issues effecting their communities.

"Real Danger" at Film Festival

The 2nd annual Hope and Freedom Film Festival at the Art Theatre is featuring "Real Danger: Restraints and Our Children" at 1:15PM this Saturday, May 21st. Be sure to check it out! Click here to see more listings.

Real Danger: Restraints and Our Children illuminates the controversial practice of using physical and chemical restraints on America’s children, which has been largely overlooked by many practitioners. Visionary intellectuals, former consumers, treatment staff, and administrators join parents of children killed or injured in restraint to discuss experiences and offer evidence-based alternatives to restraining children physically and pharmaceutically. First person accounts assert that restraints can be abolished as the culture moves from problem solving via force to creating trauma-sensitive environments. This film includes information about three Government Accountability Office (GAO) reports which reveal tragic findings for our nation. An original score, lively animation, archival footage, (Walter Cronkite) intimate interviews, home movies, and live action shots taken inside popular children educational, justice, and psychiatric facilities deliver an unexpectedly uplifting portrayal of enormous personal strength in the midst of despair.

Finding Kind at Film Festival

This Saturday, May 21st the 2nd annual Hope and Freedom Film Festival will be hosted at the Long Beach Art Theatre at 2025 E. 4th Street, Long Beach, CA. There's a lineup of really great films.

At 2:00 PM you can catch Finding Kind:

Finding Kind documents a cross country journey which reveals some common truths about growing up as girls in America—issues including girl on girl bullying, intimidation, and attacks on self-esteem. Filmmakers Lauren Parsekian and Molly Stroud set out on the journey with the hope of initiating an educational program that inspires girls to be kind to one another. In interviewing women and girls along the way about their experiences as a female, Parsekian and Stroud find, among all of the unique personal stories, some shared truths that have been silenced for centuries. The filmmakers’ quest is to encourage girls that they are not alone and that only by sharing their stories is it possible to find kindness. Finding Kind includes interviews with respected experts and authors in the fields of psychology, education, and girl culture.