Opportunities for Filmmakers

Dec 31, 2012

The Deadlines section of sf360.org is a large but selective list of festival calls for entry, upcoming seminars, artist residencies, grant and award deadlines and other opportunities for filmmakers. Are we missing an important deadline? Please write us at sgerhard[at]sffs.org.

Welcome to SF360

Nov 15, 2011

SF360.org represents a nearly six-year experiment in philanthropically funded film journalism, covering films and filmmaking in the Bay Area and beyond. Published by the San Francisco Film Society, the website debuted February 27, 2006 and was created in a unique collaboration between SFFS and Indiewire, with Susan Gerhard as editor. While SF360.org is no longer publishing feature stories, the SF360 Archive remains the most comprehensive collection of articles about the Bay Area film community, with more than 1,000 feature stories and reviews as well as Indie Toolkit's informative columns about the basics of creating a film and delivering it to audiences. Articles by some of the Bay Area’s most notable voices will remain at your fingertips for the foreseeable future.

Welcome to SF360

Nov 15, 2011

SF360.org represents a nearly six-year experiment in philanthropically funded film journalism, covering films and filmmaking in the Bay Area and beyond. Published by the San Francisco Film Society, the website debuted February 27, 2006 and was created in a unique collaboration between SFFS and Indiewire, with Susan Gerhard as editor. While SF360.org is no longer publishing feature stories, the SF360 Archive remains the most comprehensive collection of articles about the Bay Area film community, with more than 1,000 feature stories and reviews as well as Indie Toolkit's informative columns about the basics of creating a film and delivering it to audiences. Articles by some of the Bay Area’s most notable voices will remain at your fingertips for the foreseeable future.

Essential SF: Nov. 6

Nov 6, 2011

Essential SF shines a light on the Bay Area’s legendary, idiosyncratic and multifaceted contributions to the filmmaking world at SF Film Society | New People Cinema, 7:00 pm. An outgrowth of SF360.org’s Essential SF column, the event this year also pays tribute to the half-decade-plus SF360.org project.

Essential SF: Nov. 6

Nov 6, 2011

Essential SF shines a light on the Bay Area’s legendary, idiosyncratic and multifaceted contributions to the filmmaking world at SF Film Society | New People Cinema, 7:00 pm. An outgrowth of SF360.org’s Essential SF column, the event this year also pays tribute to the half-decade-plus SF360.org project.

Essential SF: Nov. 6

Nov 6, 2011

Essential SF shines a light on the Bay Area’s legendary, idiosyncratic and multifaceted contributions to the filmmaking world at SF Film Society | New People Cinema, 7:00 pm. An outgrowth of SF360.org’s Essential SF column, the event this year also pays tribute to the half-decade-plus SF360.org project.

San Francisco Chronicle: 'Online publication sf360.org closing down"

Oct 19, 2011

"The launch of SF360.org, an online publication devoted to covering the entire Bay Area film community, was one of San Francisco Film Society Executive Director Graham Leggat's first initiatives when he took over the organization," writes Pam Grady. "...in November, a victim of financial realities and organizational changes in the wake of Leggat's recent death, SF360.org will cease publication." More at SFGate.

Arab Film Festival

Oct 13, 2011

The Arab Film Festival, now entering its 15th year, screens more than 40 films in two weeks, beginning Thursday at SF's Castro Theatre and making stops in Berkeley and San Jose before closing in Los Angeles on the 23rd. AFF Exec Director Michel Shehadeh spoke with SF360 earlier this week. More info and ticketing at arabfilmfestival.org.

Arab Film Festival

Oct 13, 2011

The Arab Film Festival, now entering its 15th year, screens more than 40 films in two weeks, beginning Thursday at SF's Castro Theatre and making stops in Berkeley and San Jose before closing in Los Angeles on the 23rd. AFF Exec Director Michel Shehadeh spoke with SF360 earlier this week. More info and ticketing at arabfilmfestival.org.

Mill Valley Film Festival

Oct 6, 2011

The 34th Mill Valley Film Festival continues at a number of locations, with a number of notable guests, including directors Gaston Kaboré and Luc Besson. See Dennis Harvey's extended preview on SF360 for the full story. More info and film schedule at mvff.com.

Mill Valley Film Festival

Oct 6, 2011

The 34th Mill Valley Film Festival continues at a number of locations, with a number of notable guests, including directors Gaston Kaboré and Luc Besson. See Dennis Harvey's extended preview on SF360 for the full story. More info and film schedule at mvff.com.

'Film Socialisme'

Sep 2, 2011

San Francisco Film Society | New People Cinema sets sail with Jean-Luc Godard's 2010 provocation, 'Film Socialisme.' As Robert Avila writes in SF360.org later this week, the "playful, somber meditation on where history has brought us is brimming with ideas and aesthetic pleasures." Screenings begin September 2. More info on the new SFFS venue at Post Street (between Webster and Buchanan) in sffs.org.

Graham Leggat, 1960-2011

Susan Gerhard
Aug 25, 2011

Graham Leggat (b. March 12, 1960), executive director of the San Francisco Film Society, died at his San Francisco home on August 25, 2011, after an 18-month battle with cancer. He was 51.

Graham Leggat, 1960-2011

Susan Gerhard
Aug 25, 2011

Graham Leggat (b. March 12, 1960), executive director of the San Francisco Film Society, died at his San Francisco home on August 25, 2011, after an 18-month battle with cancer. He was 51.

Graham Leggat, 1960-2011

Susan Gerhard
Aug 25, 2011

Graham Leggat (b. March 12, 1960), executive director of the San Francisco Film Society, died at his San Francisco home on August 25, 2011, after an 18-month battle with cancer. He was 51.

'Vigilante, Vigilante' Opens Can of Worms

Michael Fox
Aug 18, 2011

Filmmakers find themselves outside the 'buffer' zone as film about graffiti-abaters hits local screens, and streets. Editor's note: Vigilante, Vigilante: The Battle for Expression, a Bay Area-made film on graffiti "abatement," opened with a clamor last weekend at the Roxie, as San Francisco's Department of Public Works made an issue of cleaning up the film's street-art advertising campaign. The filmmakers responded that they've asked that their materials not be posted illegally, but that hasn't stopped DPW requesting them to cease and desist attracting audiences via wheatpaste. What follows is sf360.org's interview...

'Vigilante, Vigilante' Opens Can of Worms

Michael Fox
Aug 18, 2011

Filmmakers find themselves outside the 'buffer' zone as film about graffiti-abaters hits local screens, and streets. Editor's note: Vigilante, Vigilante: The Battle for Expression, a Bay Area-made film on graffiti "abatement," opened with a clamor last weekend at the Roxie, as San Francisco's Department of Public Works made an issue of cleaning up the film's street-art advertising campaign. The filmmakers responded that they've asked that their materials not be posted illegally, but that hasn't stopped DPW requesting them to cease and desist attracting audiences via wheatpaste. What follows is sf360.org's interview...

'Between Two Worlds'

Aug 10, 2011

Film buffs that missed SFJFF entry 'Between Two Worlds' at this year's festival have another opportunity to see the doc this week at the Roxie. A loose series of events beginning with the festival's own highly controversial screening of 'Rachel' in 2009, 'Between Two Worlds' is moored by a sublime ambient soundtrack by guitarist Fred Firth. For analysis, check out Ruby Rich's in-depth feature here on SF360. Filmmakers Alan Snitow and Deborah Kaufman will be present for Q&A for 7:00 pm screenings Friday, Saturday and Sunday. More info at roxie.com.

'Crime After Crime'

Aug 8, 2011

San Francisco International Film Festival audience-award winner and Sundance standout 'Crime After Crime' opens Friday at the Roxie. This week in SF360, Judy Stone profiles Yoav Potash, the director of the doc, which covers five years of the life and trials of Deborah Peagler, a woman serving 25-years-to-life for her involvement in the murder of her abuser. Potash will appear with guests for Q&A following some screenings. More info at roxie.com.

Marius Watz: Automatic Writing

Jul 22, 2011

SFFS presents the work of pioneering software artist Marius Watz, who uses digital processes and authored algorithms to “automatically” produce numerous types of media including video, still imagery and sculpture through semi-autonomous software systems, as part of its KinoTek series. Look for sci-fi writer/theorist Bruce Sterling's essay on Watz in Thursday's SF360.org. Events: An exhibition in Super Frog Gallery at New People opens July 22; Artist Talk, July 26; Master Class, July 27. More at sffs.org.

Hands Up! Essential Skolimowski

Jul 22, 2011

PFA opens Hands Up! with a double-bill of Polish New Wave legend Jerzy Skolimowski's early European works, 'Deep End' and 'The Shout,' both featuring bleak comedy, dynamic camera work and soundtrack contributions by then-avant touchstones (Can and Genesis, respectively). The series runs through August 25, see Dennis Harvey's in-depth coverage here. More info bampfa.berkeley.edu.

Roko Belic Charts Path to ‘Happy’

Susan Gerhard
Jul 6, 2011

A former Bay Area filmmaker travels the world in search of the secrets of contentment.

Roko Belic Charts Path to ‘Happy’

Susan Gerhard
Jul 6, 2011

A former Bay Area filmmaker travels the world in search of the secrets of contentment.

Roko Belic Charts Path to ‘Happy’

Susan Gerhard
Jul 6, 2011

A former Bay Area filmmaker travels the world in search of the secrets of contentment.

New Approaches Embolden Doc Genre

Karen Everett
May 17, 2011

Nonfiction filmmakers are re-engaging audiences with an entrepreneurial spirit and a focus on creative narrative strategy.

New Approaches Embolden Doc Genre

Karen Everett
May 17, 2011

Nonfiction filmmakers are re-engaging audiences with an entrepreneurial spirit and a focus on creative narrative strategy.

New Approaches Embolden Doc Genre

Karen Everett
May 17, 2011

Nonfiction filmmakers are re-engaging audiences with an entrepreneurial spirit and a focus on creative narrative strategy.

Production Values: Debbie Brubaker

Adrianne Anderson
Apr 19, 2011

A veteran producer talks about the art, craft and industry behind her work.

Production Values: Debbie Brubaker

Adrianne Anderson
Apr 19, 2011

A veteran producer talks about the art, craft and industry behind her work.

Production Values: Debbie Brubaker

Adrianne Anderson
Apr 19, 2011

A veteran producer talks about the art, craft and industry behind her work.

LA Times: "Oscars: 'Inside Job' Wins for Documentary Feature"

Feb 27, 2011

LA Times Blogs: "Inside Job” won the Oscar for documentary feature at the 83rd Academy Awards on Sunday night. “Inside Job” is an exploration of the causes and corollaries of the 2008 financial crisis. The award goes to Charles Ferguson and Audrey Marrs." More at latimesblogs.latimes.com. And from SF360.org: Bay Area-based Ferguson's speech began with a statement of fact, "After financial fraud not a single financial executive has gone to jail," before thanking his colleagues.

Noise Pop Film Series

Feb 22, 2011

A festival whose curation was called "stupefyingly good" by Dennis Harvey in SF360.org last week, the Noise Pop Film Series complements the live music it's meant to accompany as the likes of Feist, Devendra Banhart and Tom Ze cross the screen. More at 2011.noisepop.com/film.

Film 2010: Top Tens

Susan Gerhard
Dec 23, 2010

Film fans and makers agree to disagree on the best films of 2010 in SF360.org's annual Year in Film poll.

Film 2010: Top Tens

Susan Gerhard
Dec 23, 2010

Film fans and makers agree to disagree on the best films of 2010 in SF360.org's annual Year in Film poll.

Film 2010: Top Tens

Susan Gerhard
Dec 23, 2010

Film fans and makers agree to disagree on the best films of 2010 in SF360.org's annual Year in Film poll.

Film 2010: Top Tens

Susan Gerhard
Dec 23, 2010

Film fans and makers agree to disagree on the best films of 2010 in SF360.org's annual Year in Film poll.

Film 2010: YouTube, WeTube

Susan Gerhard
Dec 22, 2010

Is this what we talk about when we talk about YouTube?

Film 2010: YouTube, WeTube

Susan Gerhard
Dec 22, 2010

Is this what we talk about when we talk about YouTube?

Film 2010: YouTube, WeTube

Susan Gerhard
Dec 22, 2010

Is this what we talk about when we talk about YouTube?

Film 2010: YouTube, WeTube

Susan Gerhard
Dec 22, 2010

Is this what we talk about when we talk about YouTube?

Film 2010: The Year in Quotes

Michael Fox
Dec 17, 2010

Outspoken and rarely understated, Bay Area filmmakers took center stage in 2010.

Film 2010: The Year in Quotes

Michael Fox
Dec 17, 2010

Outspoken and rarely understated, Bay Area filmmakers took center stage in 2010.

Film 2010: The Year in Quotes

Michael Fox
Dec 17, 2010

Outspoken and rarely understated, Bay Area filmmakers took center stage in 2010.

Film 2010: The Year in Quotes

Michael Fox
Dec 17, 2010

Outspoken and rarely understated, Bay Area filmmakers took center stage in 2010.

Essential SF: Marlon Riggs

Dennis Harvey
Nov 15, 2010

From 'Tongues Untied' to 'Black Is.....Black Ain't,' Marlon Riggs' art was a series of radical acts that were both overdue and ahead of their time. Two decades ago, in post-Reagan America, the arts were under fire—one lit by a very particular religious right match. Feeling the heat was the National Endowment for the Arts, a then 25-year-old institution already pretty pitifully funded by comparison with most other developed nations’ governmental arts support. But the small portion of NEA grants that helped avant-garde or otherwise edgy art—as opposed to, say, the local Gilbert & Sullivan society or annual craft fair—provided plenty of opportunities...

Essential SF: Marlon Riggs

Dennis Harvey
Nov 15, 2010

From 'Tongues Untied' to 'Black Is.....Black Ain't,' Marlon Riggs' art was a series of radical acts that were both overdue and ahead of their time. Two decades ago, in post-Reagan America, the arts were under fire—one lit by a very particular religious right match. Feeling the heat was the National Endowment for the Arts, a then 25-year-old institution already pretty pitifully funded by comparison with most other developed nations’ governmental arts support. But the small portion of NEA grants that helped avant-garde or otherwise edgy art—as opposed to, say, the local Gilbert & Sullivan society or annual craft fair—provided plenty of opportunities...

Afterimage: Filmmakers and Critics in Conversation: Kelly Reichardt with B. Ruby Rich

Nov 11, 2010

This event marks the debut of an exciting new filmmaker-in-person series presented by BAM/PFA. Regarded as one of the most significant voices in contemporary American indie cinema, director Kelly Reichardt presents and discusses her work with professor, author (and SF360.org contributor) B. Ruby Rich at the Pacific Film Archive. Feature films include ‘Ode,’ ‘Old Joy,’ ‘River of Grass’ and ‘Wendy and Lucy,’ as well as two shorts, ‘Then a Year,’ and ‘Travis.’ More at bampfa.berkeley.edu.

Essential SF

Susan Gerhard, Editor
Nov 5, 2010

SF360.org profiles the 2011 roster of Essential SF, an ongoing compendium of the film community’s vital figures and institutions.

Cinema by the Bay/Essential SF

Nov 5, 2010

Now in its second year, SFFS's Cinema by the Bay brings Bay Area films and filmmakers to Mission venues the Roxie Theater, the Lab and Southern Exposure. As part of the festivities, SF360 Presents Essential SF November 8, featuring a hard-core handful of the Bay Area's vital filmmakers and institutions. Look for more on the shows at sffs.org.

Cinemalit: 'Love Affair'

Sep 17, 2010

The CinemaLit Film Series, curated by film critic and SF360.org contributor Michael Fox, presents Leo McCarey's 'Love Affair' at the Mechanics' Institute.

'Them Greeks' Tests Independent Digital Production Model

Jessica Sapick
Sep 7, 2010

An animator collaborates over the ether to bring 'Them Greeks....!' to life.

'Them Greeks' Tests Independent Digital Production Model

Jessica Sapick
Sep 7, 2010

An animator collaborates over the ether to bring 'Them Greeks....!' to life.

'Them Greeks' Tests Independent Digital Production Model

Jessica Sapick
Sep 7, 2010

An animator collaborates over the ether to bring 'Them Greeks....!' to life.

Going McCarey's Way

Dennis Harvey
Sep 2, 2010

A Mechanics' Institute series appreciates Leo McCarey's genius with comedy.

Going McCarey's Way

Dennis Harvey
Sep 2, 2010

A Mechanics' Institute series appreciates Leo McCarey's genius with comedy.

Going McCarey's Way

Dennis Harvey
Sep 2, 2010

A Mechanics' Institute series appreciates Leo McCarey's genius with comedy.

Eat, Pray, Love, Direct

Jessica Sapick
Aug 23, 2010

Ruba Nadda speaks of sultry actors and tenacious directors in the making of 'Cairo Time.'

Eat, Pray, Love, Direct

Jessica Sapick
Aug 23, 2010

Ruba Nadda speaks of sultry actors and tenacious directors in the making of 'Cairo Time.'

Eat, Pray, Love, Direct

Jessica Sapick
Aug 23, 2010

Ruba Nadda speaks of sultry actors and tenacious directors in the making of 'Cairo Time.'

Maoz Speaks of the Limits of Language in 'Lebanon'

Jessica Sapick
Aug 16, 2010

The Lebanon War of 1982 informs Samuel Maoz's 'Lebanon.'

Maoz Speaks of the Limits of Language in 'Lebanon'

Jessica Sapick
Aug 16, 2010

The Lebanon War of 1982 informs Samuel Maoz's 'Lebanon.'

Maoz Speaks of the Limits of Language in 'Lebanon'

Jessica Sapick
Aug 16, 2010

The Lebanon War of 1982 informs Samuel Maoz's 'Lebanon.'

Media Pulse: The Closed Net Threat

Sara Dosa
Aug 4, 2010

The looming prospect of a two-tiered internet may compromise the ability of independent filmmakers to fund, exhibit and distribute their films.

Media Pulse: The Closed Net Threat

Sara Dosa
Aug 4, 2010

The looming prospect of a two-tiered internet may compromise the ability of independent filmmakers to fund, exhibit and distribute their films.

Media Pulse: The Closed Net Threat

Sara Dosa
Aug 4, 2010

The looming prospect of a two-tiered internet may compromise the ability of independent filmmakers to fund, exhibit and distribute their films.

Media Pulse: A Crude Interpretation of the Law

Jennifer Preissel
Jul 1, 2010

Jennifer Preissel examines the film and the court case that could redefine a journalist’s protection under First Amendment rights.

Media Pulse: A Crude Interpretation of the Law

Jennifer Preissel
Jul 1, 2010

Jennifer Preissel examines the film and the court case that could redefine a journalist’s protection under First Amendment rights.

Field's Anti-Apartheid Series Returns to Bay Area

Michael Fox
Jun 4, 2010

By any measure, the long-awaited release of Have You Heard from Johannesburg? shapes up to be one of the major documentary events of 2010.

'It Came from Kuchar,' 'La Mission' in Theatres

sf360
Apr 16, 2010

Bay Area-made and Mission-inspired, Peter Bratt's La Mission joins Jennifer Kroot's wild and woolly It Came from Kuchar in Bay Area theaters this week.

'Lesh Sabreen?' On Red Vic Screen

Robert Avila
Mar 15, 2010

Muayad Alayan, a 24-year-old filmmaker from the only remaining Arab neighborhood in West Jerusalem, was not even aware there was such a thing as Palestinian cinema until, as a teenager, he came to the Bay Area to visit his brother and sister.

Bay Area's Strong Presence at 82nd Oscars

Susan Gerhard
Feb 3, 2010

Films with Bay Area connections featured prominently in the 82nd Academy Award nominations announced yesterday.

3D Reloaded: Where Does 3D Go From Here?

Sean Uyehara
Dec 27, 2009

The release of Avatar puts a fitting capstone on a frenzied campaign by studios to reintroduce stereoscopic 3-D to audiences in 2009.

Bay Area Narrative Filmmakers Thriving in Doc Capital

Michael Fox
Dec 23, 2009

Michael Fox shows independent filmmakers who are thriving in the Bay Area.

Shelley Diekman Reflects on Well-Spent life

Hilary Hart
Jul 27, 2009

Newly-retired Pacific Film Archive publicist Shelley Diekman discusses her cinephile tastes, her past and her future.

SFIFF52: Movie-Scribe Meltdown

David Winks Gray
May 2, 2009

SF360.org interviews film critics about the changing landscape of film criticism. A panel discussion and screening of For the Love of Movies: The Story of American Film Criticism will take place on Sunday, May 3, at 6 p.m.

"Fans, Friends & Followers"—an excerpt

Scott Kirsner
Apr 8, 2009

Fans, Friends & Followers, focuses on strategies artists can use to support their careers in the digital age.

Ten Commandments Before Diving into Digital Delivery

Larry Daressa
Feb 24, 2009

First-Person: Larry Daressa provides helpful hints on distribution strategy.

'Just Another Love Story' Offers Shock Treatment

Dennis Harvey
Feb 17, 2009

A title like this is its own disclaimer, hinting there will be nothing "normal," or very loving, about this story.

SF Cinematheque: New Year, New Direction

Susan Gerhard
Feb 2, 2009

SF360.org joined in on a conversation about Cinematheque's past and present when Steven Jenkins lunched with Jonathan Marlow at Caffe Centro.

César Charlone Directs 'The Pope's Toilet'

Miguel Pendás
Jan 27, 2009

Oscar-nominated cinematographer César Charlone recently codirected his first theatrical feature film, a darkly comic farce about Pope John Paul II.

The Year in Film, 2008: Top Unreleased Films

Susan Gerhard
Dec 30, 2008

Bay Area filmmakers, critics and industry pros list their favorite unreleased films of 2008.

Jack Stevenson on 'The Superstars Next Door'

Matt Sussman
Oct 6, 2008

Freelance curator and film fanatic Jack Stevenson brings grainy reels documenting live, nude girls to the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts.

Exhuming History with "The Judge and the General"

Susan Gerhard
Aug 11, 2008

SF360.org asked Bay Area filmmaker Elizabeth Farnsworth about her film, which follows Judge Juan Guzmán as he investigates General Pinochet's crimes.

What's Fair is not Foul

Hannah Eaves
Jul 24, 2008

The Sixth Screen: The first installment of a new, monthly column by filmmaker and journalist Hannah Eaves looks at just how "fair use" is being utilized.

Beard world and Swenson's Salton Sea

Michael Fox
Jul 22, 2008

The first of SF360.org's In Production columns looks at two works-in-progress: Laura Lukitsch's film about beards and Lise Swenson's Salton Sea pic.

SFFS Screen's 'Hank and Mike'

Pam Grady
Jul 3, 2008

Thomas Michael remembers well the birth of Hank and Mike, the titular blue-collar Easter bunnies in director Matthiew Klinck's absurdist workplace comedy.

Alex Gibney on Going 'Gonzo'

Cathleen Rountree
Jun 30, 2008

SF360.org sits down with director Alex Gibney, whose film, Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson played at the 51st SFIFF.

Critic's Notebook: Hole Head, Week One

Dennis Harvey
Jun 17, 2008

Dennis Harvey covers the first week of low-budget geeks, weirdos and gore on display at the Another Hole in the Head Festival.

Strand's Marcus Hu and Frameline's Michael Lumpkin

Marcus Hu
Jun 16, 2008

Strand Releasing President Marcus Hu speaks with Frameline Artistic Director Lumpkin about Frameline, queer cinema and the future of this niche festival.]

SFFS Screen at Sundance Kabuki

Robert Avila
Jun 12, 2008

The SF Film Society is optimistic that its year-round screen at the Sundance Kabuki will contribute to the spectrum of films in Bay Area theaters.

Contemporary Jewish Museum's DAWN

Miriam Wolf
May 30, 2008

Looking for something meaningful to do Sunday at 2 a.m.? Try the all-night Dawn festival.

The Doctor and the Documentarian Behind "The English Surgeon"

Jennifer Preissel
May 19, 2008

When The English Surgeon had its U.S. premiere at the SFIFF this month, Geoffrey Smith and Henry Marsh received a standing ovation.

"Standard Operating Procedure" and the Stories We Tell

Staff
May 9, 2008

Joan Didion famously said, "We tell ourselves stories in order to live." We've internalized the American narrative of Abu Ghraib and accepted its implications.

In Other Words: States of Cinema, Music and Mind

Eve O'Neill
May 8, 2008

"There are no movies without music," Kevin Kelly asserted last Saturday in his State of Cinema address.

SF International's Golden Gate Awards: Alive and Cooking

Susan Gerhard
May 8, 2008

Food scents and film sensibilities mingled in a pungent party atmosphere at the California Culinary Academy.

Gibney Going "Gonzo," Part Two

Cathleen Rountree
May 7, 2008

The second installment of Alex Gibney's interview about Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson, which closes the San Francisco International Film Festival.

Nights on the Towne: Film Society Awards Night

Susan Gerhard
May 4, 2008

You know a festival is working its way into your brain when, in a landscape of intersecting ideas, you begin to witness the collisions.

Capelle and Composers: Day One

Staff
Apr 30, 2008

Glass: A Portrait of Philip in Twelve Parts is a very close-quartered and loving documentary, a year in the life of the composer.

SFIFF51: Barry Jenkins' San Francisco Story

Michael Fox
Apr 26, 2008

Medicine for Melancholy is a graceful and poignant film about fleeting urban connections, black identity and invisibility, cultural adventures and this gentrified city's lost soul.

SFIFF51: Eddie Muller's Muses

Jennifer Preissel
Apr 26, 2008

A self-described "cultural archeologist," the noir expert's debut short, The Grand Inquisitor, pays homage to the Dashiell Hammett-style detective story.

SFIFF51: Dawn Logsdon, on new hope in an old neighborhood, "Faubourg TremŽ"

Susan Gerhard
Apr 15, 2008

Dawn Logsdon and Lolis Eric Elie dig through the rubble of Hurricane Katrina to tell the story of Faubourg TremŽ, which was home to African Americans and fertile ground for political activism, music and literary life.

SF Int'l announces its 51st program and year-round screen

Susan Gerhard
Apr 1, 2008

The SFIFF announced its 2008 program and the June 13 launch of its year-round programming on one screen at the Sundance Kabuki

Jeff Nichols on "Shotgun Stories"

Eve O'Neill
Mar 31, 2008

First-time writer/director Jeff Nichols discusses the inspiration behind Shotgun Stories, the initial hurdles in making the film, and the noble nature of his characters.

SFIAAFF's Taro Goto, Moving On

Sean Uyehara
Mar 19, 2008

Outgoing SFIAAFF's Associate Director reflects on what made him happy during his last year of work.

Ten SFIAAFF Picks From Judy Stone

Susan Gerhard
Mar 13, 2008

Longtime San Francisco Chronicle film critic Judy Stone offers her top ten picks from the 2008 San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival.

Emiko Omori and Wendy Slick's "Passion & Power"

Susan Gerhard
Feb 18, 2008

“Passion & Power, the Technology of Orgasm” gives Rachel Maines’ entertaining academic book on the subject a new life onscreen.

Cristian Mungiu's 24 Hours of "4 Months, 3 Weeks"

Howard Feinstein/indieWIRE
Feb 4, 2008

The Romanian film takes place over 24 hours in a provincial town in 1987 before Ceaucescu was deposed.

Amanda Micheli Going for La Corona

Sean Uyehara
Jan 23, 2008

A reprinting of an interview with Amanda Micheli because her film, now playing Sundance, has just made the final cut for an Academy Award.

Peter Galison, "Secrecy," and Sundance

indieWIRE
Jan 22, 2008

Galison, whose film is competing at Sundance '08, answers questions about the world of hidden national security policy.

"Teeth" Actor Has a Sundance Flashback

Jason Guerrasio
Jan 21, 2008

Mitchell Lichtenstein's directorial debut has made Jess Weixler the newest "it girl" on the indie scene.

Gail Silva's Sundance Primer

Susan Gerhard
Jan 14, 2008

As filmmakers, fans, and skiers get zipped up to head off to Parka City for the annual Sundance Festival this week, SF360.org checked in with Gail Silva.

The Best Undistributed Films of 2007

Chris Wisniewski
Jan 2, 2008

If they don't get the chance to beguile the world in theaters, maybe, at the very least, they'll find their way to audiences via digital download.

Bollyhood, a Concept, a Cafe

Laura Irvine
Dec 19, 2007

Ivan Jaigirdar's joint offers a screen filled with Bollywood eye candy, plates filled with South Asian food, and drinks to warm both.

"Starting Out in the Evening" With Andrew Wagner

indieWIRE
Dec 17, 2007

The Sundance feature follows a 70-year-old novelist trying to complete the book he's been working on for the last 10 years.

Jessica Yu, "Protagonist"

indieWIRE
Dec 10, 2007

Yu's latest doc centers on four rather damaged individuals, applying the dramatic structure of Greek playwright Euripedes to contemporary life.

Q&A with "Holly" Filmmakers

Jennifer Young
Dec 5, 2007

"I suddenly found myself surrounded by a group of 15 little [Cambodian] girls aggressively soliciting me for prostitution," Guy Jacobson told a MVFF audience.

Herzog, Docs, and Truth at AFI Fest

Eugene Hernandez/indieWIRE
Nov 12, 2007

Herzog's remarks challenged the audience to reconsider its views on non-fiction film at AFI Fest.

Your Al Gore, and More

Susan Gerhard
Oct 12, 2007

The List: SF360.org has compiled a short list of environmental filmmakers we hope will one day find a Peace Prize coming their way, too.

Anywhere Road's Robert Ogden Barnum

Susan Gerhard
Oct 1, 2007

SF360.org spoke with Robert Ogden Barnum on guiding four future pop stars onto the big screen in Antonia and his new distribution company.

Ariella Ben-Dov, Madcat Mastermind

Susan Gerhard
Sep 24, 2007

As the Madcat Women's International Film Festival heads into its final stretch this coming week in San Francisco, SF360.org felt it was important to catch up with its chief curator, Ariella Ben-Dov.

Lucy Gray's Telluride

Lucy Gray's
Sep 12, 2007

Lucy Gray reports from the 35th Telluride Film Festival.

Laurent Tirard on "Moliere"

Erica Abeel/indieWIRE
Aug 3, 2007

Tirard takes an ingenious tack in conjuring the creative evolution of France's master of satiric comedy.

Marc Huestis on the Runway

Michael Guillen
Jul 30, 2007

SF360.org talks to Marc Huestis, who exhibits a playful flair to his showmanship, putting the "imp" back in impresario.

Shonali Bose on "Amu"

indieWIRE
Jul 23, 2007

The '05 feature imagines a 21-year-old Indian American returning to India to visit her family and discover where she was born.

A Frozen Film Festival five

Claire Faggioli
Jul 13, 2007

The List: Frozen Film Festival is a small festival that hopes to capitalize on the fact that San Franciscans like to stay indoors in the summer.

Stacey Wisnia, talking silent pictures

Sean Uyehara
Jul 9, 2007

Stacey Wisnia has been a vibrant fixture in the San Francisco film scene for years and has became the Executive Director of the San Francisco Silent Film Festival,

Rodents we love

Claire Faggioli
Jul 6, 2007

List: Most of us talk to our pets, but very few of us talk our Camrys or toasters. That's where animation fills our need to fantasize about our interactions with animals.

International Stories Find Audiences at L.A. Film Fest

Eugene Hernandez/indieWIRE
Jul 3, 2007

"People in this town are coming to realize that Los Angeles needs a world-class film festival," proclaimed Rich Raddon, who's led LAFF since 1999.

Laura Albert, The Real J.T. Leroy, Charged With Fraud

Eugene Hernandez/indieWIRE
Jun 26, 2007

The story of literary sensation and media darling J.T. Leroy, a persona created by Laura Albert, took another dramatic turn Friday in New York.

Michael Winterbottom's "A Mighty Heart"

SF360.org
Jun 18, 2007

The prolific British director, known for a large and eclectic body of work, has done something very unusual in the past half decade.

Dennis Nyback and "Bad Bugs Bunny"

Michael Guillen
Jun 6, 2007

"SF Indiefest: Gets Animated," piggybacking on the 4th Annual Another Hole in the Head Film Festival, co-presents an animation program with the popular archivist.

Reviews: "La Vie en Rose;" "Crazy Love"

Steve Ramos
Jun 5, 2007

Despite the best efforts of method actors, methodical directors, and talented costume designers, biopics can usually be relied upon to disappoint.

Liane Yasumoto and Superfest International Disability Film Festival

Susan Gerhard
May 27, 2007

A week before the 27th festival, SF360.org spoke with the executive director on what Superfest gets about disability that the rest of the filmmaking world doesn't.

Meet the Jury/A Palme d'Or 20

Eugene Hernandez/indieWIRE
May 18, 2007

No sooner does the Festival de Cannes open than attendees start buzzing about the potential award-winners.

Golden Gate Award to "The Key of G"

Brian Brooks/indieWIRE
May 10, 2007

Mexican director Francisco Vargas Quevedo’s "The Violin" (El violin) won the San Francisco International Film Festival’s Skyy Prize, while Israeli duo Shahar Cohen and Halil Efrat’s "Souvenirs" took best documentary feature (West Coast premiere), capping the Golden Gate Awards ceremony Wednesday evening for the festival’s landmark 50th edition.

Hal Hartley, Not So Simple: Part II

Robert Avila
May 7, 2007

The Unbelievable Truth helped jumpstart the independent film movement in the U.S. in 1989, followed by eight more Hartley features in the next decade.

A Rob Nilsson 10

Staff
Apr 27, 2007

The List: An Amerindie helmer well before the term was invented, Nilsson names 10 films which deeply affected him.

A Festival, a Half Century

B. Ruby Rich
Apr 24, 2007

Is there anyone who doesn't know that the San Francisco International Film Festival is turning 50 this month?

Jon Else On Acts of Creation

Michael Fox
Apr 23, 2007

Wonders Are Many: The Making of Doctor Atomic blends World War II history with composer John Adams and director Peter Sellars’ staging of a new opera on the subject.

Uyehara Hits High Notes on Music of SFIFF50

Sean Uyehara
Apr 20, 2007

Thinking about the upcoming SFIFF, music may not be the first thing that pops into your head. It may not even be the second.

Remembering Jim Lyons: 1960 - 2007

Staff
Apr 18, 2007

The editor and actor, known for his frequent work with Todd Haynes, died in New York. His friends share their thoughts.

SFIFF50-philes

Susan Gerhard
Apr 11, 2007



Just a week out of the SFIFF50 press conference at the Westin St. Francis, and the buzz has already had a chance to build. SF360.org checked in with a few friends in the San Francisco filmmaking scene to see what they’re looking forward to in the 50th edition of the SF International Film Festival. Big winners: Guy Maddin’s “Brand Upon the Brain!” and, of course, the live and in-person tribute to Spike Lee, who — as Strand Releasing’s Marcus Hu reminds us — returns to the Bay Area to receive his Film Society Directing Award in spite of the fact the projector broke during the premiere of “She’s Gotta Have It” at the SFIFF more than 20 years ago.



I’m eager to see Camila Guzman Urzula’s documentary “The Sugar Curtain” for perspectives on life in Cuba from those in their twenties and thirties. I’m curious about how a savvy film critic like Wesley Morris will interview Spike Lee. It will be a welcome occurrence to see two Black men talking on a US festival stage about film.
Cornelius Moore
California Newsreel



“Audience of One:” I know this year the festival is honoring Lucas and Coppola and those guys as local heroes, but really. Hollywood North? What happened? Now here is a group of makers, Pentacostals no less, working on a gargantuan bible epic right down on Ocean Avenue in the old El Rey Theatre. Now that’s hot!
Christian Bruno
Strand, A Natural History of Cinema



Although I’ve already seen it, I look forward to attending the one-off screening of Guy Maddin’s “Brand Upon the Brain!” since each live performance, by design, differs somewhat from the last. No self-respecting (or, for that matter, self-deprecating) cineaste should miss it. Beyond that, I’m particularly interested in Alain Resnais’ latest, “Coeurs” (i.e., “Private Fears in Public Places,” which, due to timing conflicts, I missed in Toronto), reuniting the director with the exceptional playwright Alan Ayckbourn. I remain quite fond of his recent films even if most folks in this country seem to disregard his work after “Mon oncle d’Amerique,” released over a quarter-century ago.
Jonathan Marlow
GreenCine



I love that SFIFF is honoring Spike Lee, I saw “She’s Gotta Have It” when it had its world premiere at SFIFF and remembered what an amazing experience that was when the projector broke!
Marcus Hu
Strand Releasing



I first started attending SFIFF in 1964 while still in high school. I saw the independent “The Luck of Ginger Coffey,” directed by Irvin Kershner and starring Robert Shaw, a fascinating documentary look at a country

Amanda Micheli's Wonder Women

Sean Uyehara
Apr 2, 2007

When Bay Area filmmaker Amanda Micheli approaches, you can see that she is an athlete. She's sure of herself.

Favorite Artists at the SFIAAFF

Jennifer Young
Mar 21, 2007

SF360.org checked in with actors and filmmakers roaming this year's festival to give props to their favorite Asian American artist, past or present.

Signs of the Zodiac

Susan Gerhard
Feb 28, 2007

As this week's blanket coverage of David Fincher's Zodiac shows, it's axiomatic that nothing intrigues San Franciscans more than San Francisco. And why not?

Food, Funding

Susan Gerhard
Feb 7, 2007

"Not eating your friends after they have died is a relatively new invention."

Cheryl Eddy, Behind the New "SF360 Movie Scene"

Susan Gerhard
Feb 5, 2007

The latest launch under the SF Film Society's SF360 banner premieres this week on ComcastSF, Channel 11.

A Superdance and a Superbowl

Susan Gerhard
Jan 31, 2007

Wrapping up Sundance Ô07, with the NFL's big game as the best metaphor to describe the annual festival.

Key Events of 50th SFIFF Announced at Sundance

Susan Gerhard
Jan 23, 2007

Highlights of the upcoming festival were presented by the San Francisco Film Society Executive Director.

Lynn Hershman Leeson and "Strange Culture"

Susan Gerhard
Jan 22, 2007

Inteview with the artist and filmmaker on her work and her latest movie, presented at Sundance.

"Samoan Wedding"; "Romantico"

Robert Avila
Jan 16, 2007

A delightfully funny movie on boy-men redeeming themselves from New Zealand, and Mark Becker's absorbing documentary on a musician in the Mission. 

A Chilean Top Four

Miljenko Skoknic
Jan 12, 2007

Miljenko Skoknic's list of favorites in Chilean Cinema.

"Absolute Wilson"; "Army of Shadows"

Robert Avila
Jan 9, 2007

A documentary provides an in-depth description of Robert Wilson's life and art. Melville's spy story on a Resistance cell in Nazi-occupied French challenges our idea of heroism.

2006, The Remix

Susan Gerhard
Dec 27, 2006

SF360.org ended the year the way we started it--asking enormous favors from some of our favorite filmmakers: Caveh Zahedi, Sam Green, and Danny Plotnick.

Cheryl Eddy's Badder Santas

Susan Gerhard
Dec 1, 2006

You can't imagine a critic like Cheryl Eddy,with her dazzlingly caustic skepticism, ever believed in Santa Claus.

Opening "Red Doors" in Asian American Family

Susan Gerhard
Sep 19, 2006

Filmmaker Georgia Lee discusses her narrative feature with family member Frances Chang.

Academy Grant Jump Starts SF International's 50th

Susan Gerhard
Aug 23, 2006

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' Academy Foundation bestowed a surprise grant of $150,000 over three years.

SFMOMA Curator on Matthew Barney

Thomas Logoreci
Jul 17, 2006

Benjamin Weil took time out from preparations for the upcoming Barney show to answer questions about the artist's "Drawing Restraint" series.

Larry Clark's New Kids on the Block

Glen Helfand
Jul 3, 2006

SF360 spoke with Clark about Impaled, in which his exploration of adolescent mores reaches in discomfiting, yet fascinating new directions.

Unleash the Blogs

Susan Gerhard
Apr 23, 2006

The S.F. International Film Festival opened the gates this year to an accredited citizen press corps of bloggers and vloggers.

Graham Leggat, SFIFF Executive Director, Indexed

Susan Gerhard
Apr 21, 2006

"I got a call out of the blue," Graham Leggat says, explaining how he left the Film Society of Lincoln Center for the left coast.

Future Stars of SFIAAFF

Jennifer Young
Mar 17, 2006

The List: Taro Goto posits who will go on to superstardom from the 2006 San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival.

The Roxie, Resurrected

Susan Gerhard
Mar 10, 2006

The List: In the aftermath of the Roxie resurrection, the five top-grossing films that screened there over the past two decades.