(Todd Rohal, US 2006, 96 min., 35mm)

Overbrimming with comic and visual invention in almost every sequence, writer-director Todd Rohal’s feature debut is an endearing portrait of a most peculiar mountain town. The slim narrative revolves around a mysterious power failure that coincides with the disappearance of Donald Turnupseed and how it affects (or doesn’t affect) the lives of the town’s other memorably eccentric characters, including: Ethel Firecracker, a lonely senior citizen looking for her lost dog; Sadie, a demolition derby superstar wannabe; Stool, an anxious roller rink referee with hygiene problems; and a little girl named Turkeylegs. Beautifully shot on widescreen 35mm film in Southeastern Pennsylvania, The Guatemalan Handshake is something truly special to behold. Rohal, who won the Best Director prize at last year’s Torino Film Festival, will introduce his gem and answer questions after the screening.