The tenth annual Boston International Film Festival will run from April 13-22, 2012 with all screenings at the AMC Boston Common theater on Tremont St. Over 100 films and shorts from 35 countries will be featured this year, including several premieres.
All Screening passes to the festival are $75 and include all screenings; the $250 All Access passes also get you in to the parties and seminars. Tickets and passes are now on sale; go to http://www.bifilmfestival.com/Ticketsinformation.html for more information, or call 1-800-326-3264.
Here is a rundown of the feature-length films that will be screening at this year’s festival (descriptions provided by BIFF website):
THE A PLATE Running time: 90 min
An unscrupulous young car salesman thinks he’s found a
way to take over his philandering boss’ dealership and
close the deal with the boss’ beautiful daughter, but there
is a price to pay when lies overtake love.
Director and Writer: Terre Weisman
Producers: Terre Weisman, Mitch Weisman, Judy Fox,
Erich Mettler, and David Rogers
Cast: Julie Emery, Zele Avradopoulos, Todd Susman,
Stephen Kyle, Shane Jacobsen, Sam McMurray, Priscilla
Barnes, May Edwards, Maria Hostage, Linnea Sage, Kelly
Alexrade, Joe Stapleton, Jessica Baade, Glenn Wein, Erika
Smith, Duke Valenti, Cheryl McMahon, Bobby DiVito,
Angelo Nargi, and Abbey Greslick.
Country: United States
ALLE TIJD / TIME TO SPARE Running time: 93 min
When the 21 year younger sister of Maarten, Molly, leaves the
house, she leaves Maarten with a so called “empty nest”
syndrome. But there are also new opportunities, like his love for
Arthur – a closeted gay. Molly and Maarten are wrestling with their
relationships and their relationship together, until fate strikes
brother and sister.
Director and Writer: Job Gosschalk
Producers: Alain Delavita and Job Gosschalk
Cast: Karina Smulders, Paul de Leeuw, Alwin Pulinckx, Lineke
Rijxman, and Teun Luijkx
Country: Netherlands
BEL BORBA AQUI /
BEL BORBA IS HERE Running time: 93 min
Tattooed onto the skin of Salvador, Brazil, are ubiquitous
public artworks created by the artist Bel. Salvador is a 500
year old city with a rich cultural heritage. The
documentary film reflects the intimate relationship
between this historically unique city and her beloved
native son. This lyrical journey shares his joy and
madness: creating large-scale outdoor art at lightning
speed and then working alone in deep introspection. His
exuberant personality shines as he draws inspiration from
his surroundings, especially in impoverished
neighborhoods. Working as a voice of the people, Bel
breathes new life into the city he loves through his art.
See his renaissance through constant acts of creation.
Director and Writer: Burt Sun and Andre Costantini
Country: Brazil
BELOW ZERO Running time: 95 min
Inspired by true events, BELOW ZERO is the story of
‘Jack the Hack’, a once successful screenwriter who
now faces writer’s block. Desperate to meet a
career-saving deadline and escape the distractions of
his troubled life, Jack arranges to be locked inside a
meat cooler, with only vegetarian meals and his
imagination to inspire him. As the temperature drops,
the lines between reality and fiction blur, and Jack’s
script comes dangerously to life. Will he make the most
important deadline of his career? Or is Jack ‘just a
hack’? While writing the script, the actual screenwriter
and producer of BELOW ZERO, Signe Olynyk,
arranged to have herself physically locked in the meat
freezer of an abandoned, remote slaughterhouse.
That’s partly how this story developed.
Director: Justin Thomas Ostensen
Writer: Signe Olynyk
Producers: Bob Schultz, Judy Fox, Signe Olynyk, and
Laura Pursley
Cast: Edward Furlong, Kristin Booth, Michael Berryman,
Sadie Madu, Michael Eisner, and Delores ‘Dee’ Hanna
Country: Canada
BEYOND CONTROL Running time: 93 min
A decade of conspiracies, frauds, and murders unfolds after
Victoria Crown reveals that her husband, Jose Farias, is
involved in drug trafficking. As an immigrant from Brazil, Jose
is a chef at a five star restaurant and very connected to his
family. Detective John Gore investigates the case to put an
end to the alleged illegal business. Beyond Control takes us
on a journey that warns us how trust can affect us forever.
Director and Writer: Patrick Jerome
Producers: Perla Barbosa, Laura Corda, Susan Shields
Darian, Jean Desire, Stephen Gaun, and Patrick Jerome
Cast: Angela Featherstone, Rodrigo Rangel, Mike Starr,
Vinny Vella, Fred Williamson, Tanya Wright, Jimmy Scanlon,
Trudi Goodman, Ana Vaz, Lucas Constante James Bocock,
Michelle Romano, Odis Felder, Elika Portnoy, Arthur
Wahlberg, Patrick Jerome, and Scott Neufville
Country: United States
THE BLACK TULIP Running time: 120 min
After the Taliban is routed from Afghanistan in early 2001,
the Mansouri family seizes the new window of freedom by
opening a restaurant called ‘The Poet’s Corner,’ with an
open microphone and an inviting platform for all to read
poetry and tell their stories. This newfound hope proves to
be fleeting as they struggle to maintain their lifestyle when
encountering very real threats from lingering factions of
the Taliban. ‘Black Tulip’ is a modern portrait of
Afghanistan that captures the current plight and resilience
of its people. Cole decided to make the film in hopes of
giving voice to the voiceless people of her home country
by telling a story through the eyes of an everyday Afghan
family who remains hopeful despite constant struggle and
tragedy.
Director Sonia Cole
Writers: Sonia Cole and David Michael O’Neill
Producers: Sonia Cole and Chris Cole
Cast: Sonia Cole
Country: Afghanistan
BULLIED TO SILENCE Running time: 87 min
Bullied to Silence is a must see that provides hope and
a path for change to anyone who has never witnessed
or experienced being bullied or bully. More than a
feature documentary, this 2012 film empowers you to Be
the Change to stop verbal bullying. Bullied to Silence
focus exclusively on hateful and hurtful words and cyber
bullying. It gives a voice to the bullied and allows dozens
of youth from all walks of life, ethnicities, physical
challenges, sexual orientations, communities, and ages
to tell their stories.
Director:Tami Pivnick
Writers: Susan Broude and Tami Pivnick
Producer: Susan Broude
Cast: Adam Smith, Allie Whitney, Barak Obama, Blake
Gaylord, Brett Loewenstern, Bridget Pettis, Caleb
Laieski, Casey Heyneis, Conor Duffey, Dalton Letorney,
David Horowitz, Gerard Maguire, Hayley Reardon, Jared
Polis, Jason Lalli, Jennifer Ehrentraut Segro, John
Conway, Katherine Veayo, Kevin Epling, Kristen Veayo,
Lynda-Rose Vecchiarello, Merik Castro, Michelle Borba,
Michelle Obama, Nikki Kontz, Veronica Winters-Everly,
and William Lagenbach.
Country: United States
COST OF THE LIVING: A ZOM ROM COM
Running time: 105 min
It is a live action film that is set in a world where the
undead have risen and can be tamed to live peacefully
with humans. People have been split between those
who support undead rights and those who do not.
Andrew and Emily, from either camp, meet and start to
fall in love, while Brian just struggles to fit in. It is
social/political, story of struggle and a romantic love
story all wrapped into one.
Cast: Sarah Nicklin, Brandon Luis Aponte, Cat Miller,
Erin M. Olson, Gio Castellano, Ken Breese, Kevin
Killavey, Mary Paolino, Samantha Acampora, Sarah
McLean, Spencer Emanuel.
Writer, Directors: Daniel Lee White
Country: United States
DAEMONIAC Running time: 96 min
A heart transplant that was supposed to be life saving
turns out to be life threatening when a girl begins to
suspect her donor may have been a victim of demonic
possession. She sets out on a mission to try to
discover the truth before it’s too late.
Director and Writer: Desta Tedros
Producers: Antoinette George and Desta Tedros
Cast: Desta Tedros, Jamie King, and Keith Herron
Country: United States
DAMBIS Running time: 112 min
Dambis is a film that tries to show the other and harsh side
of globalization. In India people use to live in a joint family
system, but nowadays major educated youngsters are
migrating towards the metropolis in search of a brighter
future. Yet, when they find themselves in a rat race of
becoming wealthy and progressive, they unknowingly or
knowingly miss living, what we would call life. Dambis
shows that one slice of what they are missing.
Director: Makrand Anaspure and Prajyot Kadu
Writer: Arvind Jagtap
Cast: Lokesh Gupte, Makrand Anaspure, Pradhnya
Shastri, Shubhankar Atre
Country: India
DEAD INSIDE Running time: 83 min
Sarah, a mentally disturbed teen, has a jarring premonition
of her friends’ impending their deaths during a sleepover.
As her house guests begin to turn murderously against
each other, Sarah must determine whether her visions
represent the preventable, the inevitable… or something
entirely more sinister.
Writer Director and Producer: Jennifer Zhang
Country: United States
EMMA Running time: 93 min
Emma is a film about a young girl who discovers parts of
life during her holidays.
Directors: Alain Tasma and Thomas Anargyros
Writer: Alain Tasma
Producer: Edouard De Vésinne
Country: France
FAITH IN THE BIG HOUSE Running time: 77 min
The power of the growing prison ministry movement is put
to the test as six Louisianan inmates struggle to break the
cycle of incarceration. The late Orlando based Bishop
Frank Constantino, a former mobster, serves up his prison
to pulpit story as well. Faith in the Big House takes us
inside the workings of an evangelical Christian prison
retreat, a new fixture in America’s lock-ups. Will a rock
guitarist, a gang-banger from the notorious Ninth Ward, a
self-styled prison theologian, a pedophile choir director,
and a Muslim ex-football star encounter the possibility for
long term redemption? Will they stay out once they get out,
or face prompt re-incarceration?
Director: Jonathan Schwartz
Writers: Frank Kosa and Jonathan Schwartz
Producers: Jonathan Schwartz and Ted Poitras
Country: United States
FOR THE LOVE OF MUSIC:
THE CLUB 47 FOLK REVIVAL
Running time: 105 min
For The Love of the Music : The Club 47 Folk
Revival, explores the history of Club 47 in
Cambridge, Massachusetts, with emphasis on the
years 1959-1968.
Directors and Producers: Todd Kwait and Rob
Stegman
Writers: John Delancy with Todd Kwait and Rob
Stegman
Cast: Joan Baez, Tom Rush, Geoff Muldaur,
Hayley Reardon, Jack Landron, Jim Kweskin,
Jonathan Taplin, Joyce Chopra, Judy Collins,
Maria Muldaur, Peter Rowan and Peter Coyote
Country: United States
THE 14TH VICTIM Running time: 90 min
In the 1960’s, filmmaker Myles Jewell’s grandfather, Phil
DiNatale, worked relentlessly as an investigator on the case
of the Boston Strangler. But despite Phil’s meticulous
investigative efforts, the case got caught in Boston’s political
cross hairs and was never officially solved. Now, fifty years
later, Myles plunges headfirst into his grandfather’s immense
homemade detective archive to reveal never-before-seen
details about the strangler investigation. Part historical film,
part personal documentary, and part whodunit, The 14th
Victim tells the story of a beat cop turned famed detective,
Phil DiNatale, and the long-lasting effect his investigative
legacy had on his family for generations.
Director: Myles Jewell
Producers: Myles Jewell and Cheryl Furjanic
Country: United States
FRENCH IMMERSION Running time: 98 min
FRENCH IMMERSION is a bilingual comedy about five Anglos
from different parts of Canada –actually four Anglos and one
New Yorker– who come to a remote town in Northern Quebec
in order to learn French. The language school is run with an
iron fist and one rule: NO ENGLISH. Think of it as summer
camp for Adults. A very strict summer camp. Students who
sneak off to a bar to speak a little English quickly find out that
everyone in town is a spy. By the time the two weeks is up,
neither they nor the town will ever be the same.
Director: Kevin Tierney
Writers: Jefferson Lewis and Kevin Tierney
Producers: Claude Bonin and Kevin Tierney
Cast: Fred Ewanuick, Gavin Crawford, Karine Vanasse,
Martha Burns, Olunike Adeliyi, Pascale Bussieres, and
Robert Charlebois
Country: Canada
GOLCHEHREH Running time: 98 min
Ashraf Khan is the owner of a defunct movie
house in Kabul. Determined to restore it and
reopen it after the fall of the communist Najibullah
government and the victory of the Mujahidin in
Afghanistan, he must first face a civil war which
threatens the new Mujahidin government. The
war is spreading from Kabul to the rest of the
country, and neither Ashraf’s theater nor the
National Film House of Afghanistan, is immune to
the its devastation.
Director and Producer: Vahid Mousaian
Writer: Vahid Mousaian
Cast: Ladan Mostoufi, Masoud Rayegan, Afshin
Hashemi, Hedayat Hashemi, and Hossein Moheb
Ahari
Country: Iran
HELLO HERMAN Running time: 85 min
Set in the not so distant future, in Any town USA, sixteen
year old Herman Howards makes a fateful decision. He
enters his suburban school and kills thirty nine students,
two teachers, and a police officer. Just before his arrest,
he emails his idol, journalist Lax Morales, sending him clips
of the shootings captured with Herman’s own digital
camera. In the clips Herman tells Lax, ‘I want to tell my
story on your show.’ Lax Morales, haunted by his own past
and what he did to acquire fame, is now face to face with
Herman and the ghosts of his past. Hello, Herman… is the
story of how these two lives intersect and the life lessons
both troubled souls learn from each other.
Director: Michelle Danner
Writer: John Buffalo Mailer
Producers Alexandra Guarnieri, Brian Drillinger, Ed Cha
and Michelle Danner
Cast: Garrett Backstrom, Martha Higareda, Norman
Reedus, Andy Smit McPhee and Rob Estes
Country: United States
IRA FINKELSTEIN’S CHRISTMAS
Running time: 90 min
Ira J. Finkelstein is obsessed with Christmas. He’s seen
every Christmas movie ever made and his dreams are
filled with reindeer, sleigh rides and SNOW. The problem?
Ira’s Jewish – and at 11 years old, Christmas is passing him
by. When Ira’s hopes for a holiday vacation in Aspen are
dashed, he hatches a plan to finally get the Christmas of
his dreams. Flying unaccompanied to visit his
grandparents in Florida, he swaps tickets with Mikey,
another 11-year-old on his way to Christmastown, WA. Ira
gets more than he bargained for when he experiences his
first ‘White Christmas’.
Director: Sue Corcoran
Writers: Angie Louise, Douglas Horn, and Sue Corcoran
Producers: Jane Charles, Susan LaSalle, and Sue
Corcoran
Cast: Cynthia Geary, David DeLuise, Elijah Nelson, and
Elliott Gould
Country: United States
MELTING AWAY Running time: 86 min
Melting Away is a story about a family. A teenager
from Tel Aviv has been kicked out of his family’s
house because his homophobic father cannot
handle the embarrassment and shock when they
discover their son’s penchant for cross-dressing.
Director: Doron Eran
Writer: Billi Ben Moshe
Cast: Hen Yanni
Country: Israel
MISSED CONNECTIONS Running time: 77 min
MISSED CONNECTIONS is a romantic comedy about a man
named Neal. Neal has been trying to get over his ex-girlfriend, so,
he’s doing what anyone would do… Tricking women on the
internet. Everything is going amazingly well, until he meets Jane,
who just may be as devious as he is.
Director: Eric Kissack
Writer: Kenny Stevenson
Producer Lisa Rudin
Cast: Dorien Davies, Kenny Stevenson, Stephanie Escajeda,
Shane Elliiot, Scott Beehner, Sami Klein, Julie Mitchell, Avi
Rothman, Alex Enriquez, and Abraham Smith
Country: United States
THE MUSE Running time: 80 min
A one hit wonder musician battles writers block and a
strange inspirational force at a secluded lake house.
Director and Producer: Ruffus Chaffee
Country: United States
MY DECISION Running time: 78 min
My Decisions is a feature documentary film directed
by the Academy Award winning filmmakers Fisher
Stevens and Mark Monroe (The Cove, 2010). It is a
global film that spans five continents and follows a
series of people making decisions that affect
themselves, their communities, and the world. The
film also features experts on the cutting edge of
neurological and social science, including Harvard
psychology professor, Joshua Greene, bestselling
author of “How we Decide”, Jonah Lehrer, Duke
professor of economics, Dan Ariely, and author of
“The Art of Choosing”, Sheena Iyengar. Our
experts argue that even our smallest choices end
up defining us, and that our insignificant decisions
have the power to determine our fate and the world
around us.
Directors: Fisher Stevens and Mark Monroe
Producers: Fisher Stevens and Rebecca Chaiklin
Country: United States
OPEN VACANCY Running time: 85 min
Jason Jones is scheming, psychotic and malicious. He
escapes from a mental institution where he was held for
being criminally insane. Jason comes across an
isolated motel on a lonely road in the area. He is
ruthless to keep his identity unknown. Motel guests will
confront Jason’s nature and experience his insanity.
Director and Writer: Patrick Jerome
Producers: Stephen Gaun, Karm-Syndia, Donna
Lawson, and Cathlyn Taylor
Cast: Larry Holden, Kenneth Siddons, William Ayers,
Tom White, Corina Bucur, Odis Felder, Karm-Syndia,
Donna Lawson, Danielle Mayer, Leigh Cimorelli, Diane
Guerrero, Jennifer Lazea, Roderick Wilmore, and
Mansur
Country: United States
PATRIOCRACY (Opening Gala Film) Running time: 86 min
Americans are polarized and angry. The loudest
voices drown out reason and facts with fear and
anxiety. Patriocracy explores the anger and frustration
in America that are crippling the country from tackling
its most serious problems. An all-star list of Senators,
Congressmen/women, top Washington journalists,
pundits and academia give their rare and
comprehensive insights into the factors behind
extreme polarization and possible solutions to move
beyond the situation. Former Senator Alan Simpson,
Ken Rudin (NPR), Bob Schieffer (CBS News), Pat
Buchanan (MSNBC), Senator Kent Conrad are just a
few of the high level Washington personalities who
offer their valuable perspectives in their own words.
Patriocracy drills down to dramatically illustrate the
real forces that are driving a wedge into the middle
ground of America.
Director: Brian Malone
Producers: Brian Malone and Cindy Malone
Cast: Alan Simpson, Bob Schieffer, Eleanor Clift,
Gene Policinski, Jason Chaffetz, Kent Collins, Kent
Conrad, Kiki McLean, Pat Buchanan, Rep. Jared
Polis, Rep. Jason Altmire, Rep. Robert Andrew, Rep.
William Cassidy, Sen. Mark Udall, Sen. Mark Warne,
Sheila Jackson Lee, Stephen Wayne, William Galston,
Rep. Todd Young, Rep. Henry Cuella, Jim Cooper
Country: United States
SAVAGE MEMORY Running time: 77 min
Savage Memory uses the controversies surrounding the legacy of
the founding father of British Anthropology to explore powerful
questions surrounding history and the ways in which it is created as
well as memory and it’s fluidity. It also explores the imprints of the
spirits of the dead. Told through the lens of Bronislaw Malinowski’s
great grandson, the film weaves familial and historical perspectives
with rich verite moments in the site of Malinowski’s field work – the
Trobriand Islands, an archipelago off the coast of Papua New
Guinea.
Director and Producer: Kelly Thomson and Zachary Stuart
Country: Australia, Papua New Guinea, Poland and United Kingdom
SAMUL-EUI BIMIL / SECRET OBJECTS
(사물의 비밀) Running time: 112 min
Her and his secrets seen through the eyes of objects.
Director: Young-Mi Lee
Writer: Dong-hoon Lee
Producer: Won-bum Kim
Cast: Seo-hee Jang, Suk won Jeong, Da-kyung Yoon,
I-young Shim (voice), and Pil-mo Lee (voice)
Country: South Korea
SLUMBER PARTY SLAUGHTER Running time: 93 min
Academy award actor and movie star Tom Kingsford hires a
group of sexy strippers from a bizarre strip club owned by a
sadistic voyeur, William O’Toole. Later on, Tom pays the girls
to leave the club and accompany him to a party. A psychotic
club patron, Dave, follows Tom’s limo through a haunted
cemetery, placing the group in the middle of a crime scene.
Panic and fear escalates and tragedy befalls when Tom is
accidentally murdered and buried in a haunted grave. The
girls make a pact of silence and begin their new lives. One
year later, the girls reunite at a slumber party. While being
secretly observed by William, Death commences a slaughter
as vengeance screams for justice.
Director and Writer: Rebekah Chaney
Producer: Rebekah Chaney
Cast: Robert Carradine, Ryan O’Neal, and Tom Sizemore
Country: United States
SOFIA Running time: 89 min
Having suffered a devastating loss as a victim
of terrorism, Vicki Denev is irreversibly
damaged. Vague and disturbing memories
drive her desire for revenge, making her a
prime candidate to be recruited by the
government as an assassin of terrorists.
Manipulated by mind control, her personality is
altered, rendering her a ruthless killer. All goes
according to plan, until a new fantasy
personality emerges, causing a glitch that not
only threatens the mission, but her life.
Director: Isaac Florentine
Writer: Nancy Babine
Cast: Christian Slater, Donald Sutherland,
Elika Portnoy and Timothy Spall
Country: Bulgaria / USA
SUMMER SONG Running time: 79 min
One idyllic summer on Cape Cod, Ellie, a talented young
musician with the opportunity of a lifetime, is torn between
obligation to her family and the chance to realize her
dream. Saddled with the care of her five siblings as a
result of an alcoholic mother, a breathtakingly
irresponsible father and a terrifyingly misguided preacher
of a brother, Ellie falls in love with an aspiring young writer,
Harper, who dares her to take a chance. As the story
propels, the lines between dreams and reality, freedom
and repression, twist and turn into a shocking result.
Director and Writer Aram Rappaport
Producers: Aaron Becker, Alex Becker, Alexa Vega, and
Baird Kellogg
Cast: Alexa Vega, Caleb Landry Jones, Patrick Mapel,
Allana Ubach, Amy Jo Johnson, and John Savage
Country: United States
TAJ Running time: 96 min
An Indian writer reconnects with a daughter from a broken
mixed marriage. When they find a box full of white Lego
pieces at a garage sale and decide to build the Taj Mahal out
of Lego, life takes on new meaning for them.
Director and Producer: Winston Furlong
Country: Australia
TEACH, Teachers are Talking.
Is the nation listening?
Running time: 94 min
Teachers are Talking, Is the Nation Listening? is a film
that features conversations about the art of teaching
and learning by teachers themselves. TEACH brings an
important perspective to the national education debate
that is currently being dominated by a corporate led
agenda to privatize education and blame teachers for
everything that is wrong with education in this country.
This movie takes on many questions about No Child Left
Behind, high stakes testing, unequal distribution of
education resources, and schools dominated by data
driven curriculum instead of providing an education that
is dynamic, creative, exciting, and joyful.
Cast: Teachers and Public Education Activists
Director: Robert Lamothe
Producers: Robert Lamothe and Marc Gurvitch
Country: United States
TIGER EYES Running time: 92 min
17 year-old Davey Wexler sets out on a journey from
heartbreak and confusion to transformation as she discovers
love and life after tragedy in TIGER EYES. The film marks the
first major motion picture adaptation from the work of iconic
author Judy Blume, renowned chronicler of the most private
and charged emotions of teens, whose books have sold
more than 82 million copies in 41 countries.
Director: Lawrence Blume
Writer: Lawrence Blume and Judy Blume
Producers: Ileen Maisel, Judy Blume, Lawrence Blume,
Lawrence Elman, and Linda Moran
Cast: Willa Holland, Tatanka Means, Russell Means, Eliise
Eberley, Cynthia Stevenson, and Amy Jo Johnson
Country: United States
URSSTÄMPFLL / EMANCIPATION Running time: 110 min
Financially and emotionally bankrupt Dominik, a man who has lost
everything (wife, job, son, house, and even his pride), enters
Berlins first and only Maennerhaus – a shelter for battered men.
After a psychiatric examination by the youth welfare office, he is
required to participate in a Group Therapy Session of the
Maennerhaus in order to get custody of his son Dylan. After some
resistance Dominik accepts. Soon, other members of the
Maennerhaus learn about Dominiks past.
Director and Producer: Philipp Müller-Dorn
Writer: Philipp Müller-Dorn
Cast: Michael Schwager, Anna Goergen, Frances Heller, Roland
Avenard
Country: United States
WAYNE NEWTON: A Native American Legend (Closing Gala Film)
Running Time 93 min
Wayne Newton’s life defines the American
Dream. From humble beginning as a child of
Cherokee and Powhatan heritage to legendary
status as the ultimate showman in the
entertainment capital of the world, Wayne Newton
has earned the title, Mr. Las Vegas.
For more than 50 years the history of the man
and the town have been intertwined that you
can’t have one without the other. This is the
intimate first person story of that history by the
only person on earth who can tell it.
Producer: Phil Tuckette