She Likes to Watch

“Blazing Saddles,” documentaries among highlights at film festival

Don't miss Mel Brooks' hilarious Western spoof "Blazing Saddles."

It’s week two, and the San Luis Obispo International Film Festival is in full swing.

The coming week promises a full calendar of films, from hilarious comedies to daring dramas to thought-provoking documentaries. Festival goers will rub shoulders with directors, actors and screenwriters, witness history in the making and see celebrities such as Alan Arkin and James Cromwell grace the stage.

Here are a few films that promise to thrill, chill and entertain even the most jaded film fan.

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“Garbage Dreams” chronicles everyday life at the world’s largest garbage village,  home to 60,000 Zaballeen (Arabic for ‘garbage people’).

This film follows three teenage boys who learn about family, love, loyalty and tradition amidst the mountains of trash outside of Cairo.

When the Zaballeen is suddenly faced with competition from modern trash companies from overseas, each boy is forced to make choices that will impact his future and the survival of his community.

“Garbage Dreams” screens at 4 p.m. today at The Palm Theatre, 817 Palm St. in San Luis Obispo. Tickets are $7 to $9.

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A mother and son struggle with prejudice in post-Sept. 11 America in “Amreeka.”

Written and directed by Cherien Dabis in her feature film debut, “Amreeka” chronicles the adventures of Muna, a single mother who leaves the West Bank with her teenage son Fadi  for the promised land of small town Illinois.

As her son navigates high school hallways, the indomitable Muna finds a job cooking falafel burgers and hamburgers at the local White Castle.

Moving and often humorous, “Amreeka” premiered at last year’s Sundance Film Festival and won the Fipresci Prize at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival, awarded by the International Federation of Film Critics.

“Amreeka” screens at 7 p.m.  at Downtown Centre Cinemas, 888 Marsh St. in San Luis Obispo. Tickets are $7 to $9.

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“The Moon Bird” takes its inspiration from the legendary storytellers known as the Brothers Grimm.

Created by British brothers Greg and Myles McLeod, this animated short film follows Teardrop, an orphan girl who must outwit a terrible sorceress with the help of a magical lunar bird. Luminous white-on-black illustrations illuminate a dark, haunting fairytale.

“The Moon Bird” screens at 7 p.m. at the Pavilion on the Lake, 9315 Pismo Ave. in Atascadero. It’s paired with the rockin’ Irish film “The Commitments.”

Tickets are $7 to $9.

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The funny and touching “Patrik Age 1.5″ deals with complex issues such as gay parenting, marriage and love from a Swedish perspective.

When eager adoptive parents Göran and Sven receive a letter from social services proposing that they take care of “Patrik, Age 1.5,” they excitedly accept the offer and prepare the nursery for the baby’s arrival.

On the day the baby is expected to arrive, however, a lanky teenager rings their doorbell. Göran and Sven soon realize that Patrik is actually a homophobic juvenile delinquent.

“Patrik 1.5″ screens at 7 p.m. at the Palm Theatre. Tickets are $7 to $9.

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Mel Brooks’ “Blazing Saddles” takes dead aim at history, Hollywood and the film industry’s romantic, unrealistic depiction of the American West.

It’s 1874, and the frontier town of Rock Ridge is the only thing standing in the way of a new railroad line.  Seeking to purchase the land for cheap, conniving State Attorney Hedley Lamar (Harvey Korman) engineers a plot guaranteed to drive the townspeople out.

He convinces the dim-witted governor (Brooks) to appoint a black railroad worker named Bart (Cleavon Little) as sheriff.

The quick-witted Bart works hard to win over the townspeople, befriending a drunken gunslinger known as The Waco Kid (Gene Wilder), defeating the mighty Mungo (Alex Karras) and beating sultry singer Lili von Shtupp (Madeline Kahn) at her own game. The film climaxes with a huge battle between the people of Rock Ridge and Lamar’s motley army of thugs.

“Blazing Saddles” screens at 7:30 p.m. at the Fremont movie theater, 1025 Monterey St. in San Luis Obispo. Tickets are $7.50.

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The San Luis Obispo International Film Festival runs today through Sunday, March 21.

Passes to all festival events can be purchased at festival headquarters, 1021 Higuera St. in San Luis Obispo. For more information, call 546-3456 or visit the film festival online.