Screening:
Saturday, April 29, 6:30 PM, Charles 1
Sunday, April 30, 10 AM, Charles 3

Synopsis:
In the spirit of films like Living in Oblivion, This is Spinal Tap, and Showgirls, The Acting Class is a hilarious, behind-the-scenes look at the world of entertainment. But where these films tackled independent filmmaking, rock and roll, and Las Vegas dancers, The Acting Class delves into the world of acting teachers and gurus-in this case, prominent New York acting teacher/guru: Ken La Poubelle. Through a series of interviews with present and former students-including such stars as Regina King, Courtney B. Vance, Tom Gilroy [director of Maryland Film Festival 2000 closing night film Spring Forward], and Benjamin Bratt-we're given a backstage pass into the secret world of techniques used by today's hottest actors. This film dares to expose the bloody entrails of the underbelly of the acting world, with hilarious results. In addition to nice comic performances from Jill and Jacq Hennessy, Will Arnett, Ken Murton, and Paolo Mastropietro, look for cameos by other Law & Order cast members Jerry Orbach, Angie Harmon, and Chris Noth, as well as Alec Baldwin.

Tidbit:
All footage shot in the offices of Legal Disorder, the fictional television program featured in The Acting Class, were actually shot at the Law & Order offices. The casting people in the film are the actual Law & Order casting people. No tibias were found during the filming of this movie.

Bios:
The Acting Class marks Jill Hennessy's debut as co-director, writer and co-producer. The desire to create this film originated seven years ago after realizing that certain painful "acting class incidents" could actually be perceived as therapeutically comedic. Hennessy began her acting career in David Cronenberg's Dead Ringers and studied improv-comedy at Second City with Deb Kimmet. After moving to New York, she landed a three-year stint on NBC's Law & Order. Hennessy has since acted in Mary Herron's I Shot Andy Warhol, Nisha Ganatra's Chutney Popcorn, MGM's Molly with Elizabeth Shue, and Baltimorean Elizabeth Holder's short film Weekend Getaway (1999 Maryland Film Festival). Her latest projects include Nuremberg, with Alec Baldwin, Christopher Plummer and Brian Cox and Autumn in New York, directed by Joan Chen, with Richard Gere and Winona Ryder.

Elizabeth Holder's short film Weekend Getaway is currently making the international film festival circuit. After screening at the 1999 Maryland Film Festival, Weekend Getaway won the Special Jury Prize at The New York/Avignon Film Festival. Holder has previously directed a documentary, The Smith College Class of 1966…25 Years Later. She has also directed off-off-Broadway theatre in New York, including Sidekick, a one-man show starring Frank Whaley (Swimming with Sharks, Joe the King). Holder began her film career as a production assistant on John Waters' Hairspray. She has since worked on The First Wives Club, Searching for Bobby Fischer and Guarding Tess among others. Holder was the First Assistant Director on Spring Forward (Maryland Film Festival 2000's closing night film) and Love and Action in Chicago with Kathleen Turner, Jason Alexander, Courtney B. Vance and Regina King. Holder is currently working on a documentary about Women on Wall Street and just wrapped a short.

Short:
Please Kill Mr. Kinski (dir. David Schmoeller, U.S., 1999, 9 min.) It seems Werner Herzog wasn't the only director who had problems with the notoriously difficult German actor…as David Schmoeller discovered while shooting Crawlspace. Mr. Schmoeller has worked as a feature film and television director for over 20 years-including Puppetmaster, and Tourist Trap. His next feature, Catch the Wind, is a teenage love story set in Cuba.