Love permeates SFFS's francophone film series.
Love permeates SFFS's francophone film series.
Love permeates SFFS's francophone film series.
Without marketing tie-ins, plastic toys or corn-syrup confections, a children’s film festival brings energy to the screen.
Without marketing tie-ins, plastic toys or corn-syrup confections, a children’s film festival brings energy to the screen.
Without marketing tie-ins, plastic toys or corn-syrup confections, a children’s film festival brings energy to the screen.
"Star Wars creator George Lucas is betting millions of his own dollars that moviegoers will be drawn to an action movie about African-American fighter pilots in World War II," reports Christopher John Farley. "Mr. Lucas has self-financed a new film entitled Red Tails inspired by the true story of the first organized group of African-American fighter pilots in the U.S. armed forces." More at wsj.com.
In the illusory world of what we call ‘real life’, our beloved friend Graham pursued his practice of keeping his attention fixed firmly on 'the screen.'
In the illusory world of what we call ‘real life’, our beloved friend Graham pursued his practice of keeping his attention fixed firmly on 'the screen.'
In the illusory world of what we call ‘real life’, our beloved friend Graham pursued his practice of keeping his attention fixed firmly on 'the screen.'
Audience-engaging stories in a variety of genres highlight SFFS's inaugural Hong Kong Cinema weekend.
Audience-engaging stories in a variety of genres highlight SFFS's inaugural Hong Kong Cinema weekend.
Audience-engaging stories in a variety of genres highlight SFFS's inaugural Hong Kong Cinema weekend.
Audience-engaging stories in a variety of genres highlight SFFS's inaugural Hong Kong Cinema weekend.
Audience-engaging stories in a variety of genres highlight SFFS's inaugural Hong Kong Cinema weekend.
Audience-engaging stories in a variety of genres highlight SFFS's inaugural Hong Kong Cinema weekend.
Sex-filled fictions dominate Toronto International Film Festival; eclectic docs inspire action.
Sex-filled fictions dominate Toronto International Film Festival; eclectic docs inspire action.
Sex-filled fictions dominate Toronto International Film Festival; eclectic docs inspire action.
Gavin O'Connor does a remarkable job making his two-and-a-half-hour fight film gritty, involving and as credible as humanly possible.
Gavin O'Connor does a remarkable job making his two-and-a-half-hour fight film gritty, involving and as credible as humanly possible.
Gavin O'Connor does a remarkable job making his two-and-a-half-hour fight film gritty, involving and as credible as humanly possible.
Gavin O'Connor does a remarkable job making his two-and-a-half-hour fight film gritty, involving and as credible as humanly possible.
Priya Giri Desai documents matchmaking efforts for HIV-positives in India.
Priya Giri Desai documents matchmaking efforts for HIV-positives in India.
Priya Giri Desai documents matchmaking efforts for HIV-positives in India.
The first feature to play SFFS | New People Cinema, Godard's ‘Film Socialisme’ is both poetic rumination and urgent intervention.
The first feature to play SFFS | New People Cinema, Godard's ‘Film Socialisme’ is both poetic rumination and urgent intervention.
The first feature to play SFFS | New People Cinema, Godard's ‘Film Socialisme’ is both poetic rumination and urgent intervention.
Castro Theatre sets a whole week aside to celebrate the slick charms of the screen legend. Beginning on Wednesday, the institution will screen 14 of the star's films, from suspenseful actioneers 'North By Northwest' and 'Suspicion' to slap-happy comedies 'His Girl Friday' and 'I Was a Male War Bride'. The centerpiece of the retro is a new print of the beloved 'Bringing Up Baby,' also starring Katherine Hepburn. More info at castrotheatre.com.
The Golden Gate Bridge remains in heavy rotation in sci-fi, action genres.
The Golden Gate Bridge remains in heavy rotation in sci-fi, action genres.
The Golden Gate Bridge remains in heavy rotation in sci-fi, action genres.
The Golden Gate Bridge remains in heavy rotation in sci-fi, action genres.
The Golden Gate Bridge remains in heavy rotation in sci-fi, action genres.
The Golden Gate Bridge remains in heavy rotation in sci-fi, action genres.
Thrill ride 'Point Blank' loses nothing in translation—it's a prime example of cinematic globalization.
Thrill ride 'Point Blank' loses nothing in translation—it's a prime example of cinematic globalization.
Thrill ride 'Point Blank' loses nothing in translation—it's a prime example of cinematic globalization.
Two Bay Area location-based features that speak to the moment are poised to stand the test of time.
Two Bay Area location-based features that speak to the moment are poised to stand the test of time.
Two Bay Area location-based features that speak to the moment are poised to stand the test of time.
Note to screenwriters: Don’t defeat the promise of your story by pulling your punches.
Note to screenwriters: Don’t defeat the promise of your story by pulling your punches.
Note to screenwriters: Don’t defeat the promise of your story by pulling your punches.
Jakob Kornbluth hopes to turn another of brother Josh’s monologues, ‘Love & Taxes,’ into celluloid gold.
Jakob Kornbluth hopes to turn another of brother Josh’s monologues, ‘Love & Taxes,’ into celluloid gold.
Jakob Kornbluth hopes to turn another of brother Josh’s monologues, ‘Love & Taxes,’ into celluloid gold.
One day of Frameline35 finds Witi Ihimaera offering insight into the writing of 'Kawa,' dour Norweigan drag kings processing endlessly and Ma Rainey being well-remembered.
One day of Frameline35 finds Witi Ihimaera offering insight into the writing of 'Kawa,' dour Norweigan drag kings processing endlessly and Ma Rainey being well-remembered.
One day of Frameline35 finds Witi Ihimaera offering insight into the writing of 'Kawa,' dour Norweigan drag kings processing endlessly and Ma Rainey being well-remembered.
Filmmaker Jan Krawitz explores the nature of altruism in a story about a woman seeking to donate an organ to a perfect stranger.
Filmmaker Jan Krawitz explores the nature of altruism in a story about a woman seeking to donate an organ to a perfect stranger.
Filmmaker Jan Krawitz explores the nature of altruism in a story about a woman seeking to donate an organ to a perfect stranger.
Filmmaker Jan Krawitz explores the nature of altruism in a story about a woman seeking to donate an organ to a perfect stranger.
The best advice for creating the perfect Act III? Surprise yourself.
The best advice for creating the perfect Act III? Surprise yourself.
The best advice for creating the perfect Act III? Surprise yourself.
A new crop of filmmakers are building audiences by showing nonfiction doesn’t have to be depressing to reveal hard truths.
A new crop of filmmakers are building audiences by showing nonfiction doesn’t have to be depressing to reveal hard truths.
A new crop of filmmakers are building audiences by showing nonfiction doesn’t have to be depressing to reveal hard truths.
An environmental film festival with exceptional flair enters the San Francisco scene.
An environmental film festival with exceptional flair enters the San Francisco scene.
An environmental film festival with exceptional flair enters the San Francisco scene.
Build an action picture with a poor script? At your own risk.
Build an action picture with a poor script? At your own risk.
Build an action picture with a poor script? At your own risk.
Build an action picture with a poor script? At your own risk.
Build an action picture with a poor script? At your own risk.
Build an action picture with a poor script? At your own risk.
Variety: "Marking another acquisition partnership coming out of the Sundance Film Festival, Roadside Attractions will team with Participant Media," handling U.S. theatrical distribution rights of writer and director Maryam Keshavarz's Iranian drama 'Circumstance.' More at variety.com.
Neither tragedy nor grand romance, 'Come Undone' captures an evocative everyday mess.
Neither tragedy nor grand romance, 'Come Undone' captures an evocative everyday mess.
SF Silent Film Festival's Winter Event offers financial dramas that speak volumes.
SF Silent Film Festival's Winter Event offers financial dramas that speak volumes.
SF Silent Film Festival's Winter Event offers financial dramas that speak volumes.
A Portuguese filmmaker builds a rich visual landscape from French singer Jeanne Balibar's vocal practice.
A Portuguese filmmaker builds a rich visual landscape from French singer Jeanne Balibar's vocal practice.
A Portuguese filmmaker builds a rich visual landscape from French singer Jeanne Balibar's vocal practice.
Rachel Nanstad finds a unique American story in the Reed Sisters' musical act.
Rachel Nanstad finds a unique American story in the Reed Sisters' musical act.
Rachel Nanstad finds a unique American story in the Reed Sisters' musical act.
A Greek film incriminates the viewer.
A Greek film incriminates the viewer.
The Pacific Film Archive's Criminal Minds series offers a liberating mix of asocial outlaws and sordid stories based on the ripped-from-the-headlines exploits of real-life gangsters and killers.
The Pacific Film Archive's Criminal Minds series offers a liberating mix of asocial outlaws and sordid stories based on the ripped-from-the-headlines exploits of real-life gangsters and killers.
Resnais remains elusive and detached, his films beautiful abstracts of intellectual rather than emotional impact.
Resnais remains elusive and detached, his films beautiful abstracts of intellectual rather than emotional impact.
East Bay filmmaker Kristy Guevara-Flanagan muscles her way through her new documentary feature, The History of the Universe as Told by Wonder Woman.
East Bay filmmaker Kristy Guevara-Flanagan muscles her way through her new documentary feature, The History of the Universe as Told by Wonder Woman.
Ondine finds Neil Jordan back on personal terra firma with a story (his own, in conception and screenplay) that sits exactly on the thin line separating reality and fantasy.
From chilling to dangerous to horrendous, local reactions to Judge Lewis A. Kaplan s ruling in favor of Chevron in New York on May 6 ran an unsurprisingly narrow gamut.
Through most of its history, the Festival has featured revivals of restored classics and little-known gems. This year s selections run an unusually wide gamut.
When television first became a dire threat, Hollywood fought the small screen by making the big one really big with vast spectacles worth leaving home for.
The new law reforming the Federal student loan program will save billions and help millions. But it won t make Serge Bakalian s debt expos‚ superfluous.
When a child assumes center stage on film, the potential for both thematic richness and unexpected plot directions increases exponentially.
The culture war is over, and the reactionaries have won. In this climate, Jerome Hiler and Owsley Brown III s Music Makes a City is a revelation,
The spring edition of the Cinematheque calendar is making the rounds, and my copy is dog-eared with wishful thinking. Grab your datebook for a rundown.
Writer-director Andrea Arnold created a stir with her first feature Red Road, but her new film is arguably an even stronger work.
The thing about titles is they re too short to receive copyright protection. For copyright purposes, a title is like a label of a copyrighted work.
Frederick Wiseman documents the frantic routine of choreographers for the Paris Opera Ballet as Frazer Bradshaw gives a more familiar portrayal of workplace satisfaction.
A conversation on Walt Disney's Alice Comedies with a lively raconteur and Professor of Film Studies at UC Berkeley.
First Person: How can people respond in diametric and, at times, vitriolic opposition to the same film? Mine.
East Bay filmmaker Miles Montalbano is in preproduction on dark coming-of-age story The Recondite Heart, his followup to his lauded debut, Revolution Summer.
Seiji Horibuchi, founder and chairman of VIZ Media, speaks about VIZ Cinema, a built-from-scratch venue located in the New People building in Japantown.
Douglas Fairbanks in The Gaucho is one of the many highlights on screen during the three-day San Francisco Silent Film Festival.
David Weissman speaks on his new project, Heartbreak and Heroism, revisiting the early years of the AIDS outbreak in San Francisco.
An interview with Flynn Witmeyer about his debut feature Tweaker With an Axe, and the desire to make genre films—horror or sci-fi or fantasy—that incorporate gay and lesbian characters.
Marc Capelle's ode to Westerns and Buddy films as well as noteworthy festival scores.
Four independent narratives - La Mission, My Suicide, Everything Strange and New and (Untitled) - are adding to the Bay Area's repertoire, historically regarded as a breeding ground for documentary filmmakers.
An engaging documentary sampler of nine leading contemporary theorists, interviewed in settings that one way or another in real world terms illustrate (or contrast with) the concepts they discuss.
Levy offers thoughts on the program she's presenting at Sundance and what's being called the "New Documentary Movement."
Steven Soderbergh's fascinating portrait of legendary revolutionary Ernesto "Che" Guevara is willfully disinterested in the conventions of mainstream movies.
Fear-Free Fundraising: Holly Million advises filmmakers on where to get funding when the going gets tough.
The controversial Cargo 200, a take-down of the Soviet era, makes its U.S. theatrical debut at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts.
Beyond Words: Skillful dialogue on film can achieve a structural dimension that shapes the narrative as surely as plot does.
We sat down with Michel Shehadeh, who joined the festival earlier this year, for a wide-ranging interview on Arab film.
Those inclined toward healthy doses of sleaze, gore, and retro-shlock can rejoice that it's time for the second annual edition of Dead Channels.
Religulous is a desperately awaited and already vehemently decried film by Bill Maher and director Larry Charles.
In 'Crooked Beauty,' mental health is re-imagined and redefined.
SF360.org looks at the making of a documentary about the controversial leak of the Pentagon papers.
SF360.org looks at the making of a documentary about the controversial leak of the Pentagon papers.
Eric Rohmer's latest "moral tale," The Romance of Astrea and Cèladon, filled with evanescent beauty, plays as part of SFFS Screen.
'Love Songs', a truly gay musical utterly devoid of camp, causes critic Dennis Harvey to reassess France's take on the genre.
It may not be easy being Uwe Boll, but it must be fun. He's a boundlessly energetic fanboy-turned-maker who thinks large.
Filipino Director Brillante Mendoza discusses his aesthetic: a basic approach that resists facade and pretense and desires to depict to things as they really are.
Here Donnie Yen wears two hatsÑas an actor in his signature role of a dedicated cop , and as an action choreographer who stages electric fight sequences using Mixed Martial Arts (MMA).
Susan Gerhard reflects on Sundance's program with particular attention to sense of place.
The live-action film division of Viz Media has just marked its second year of bringing a broader range of Japanese film to the growing audience for Japanese pop culture.
Jamie Meltzer talks about his new film on Nigeria, where the digital revolution enables entrepreneurs to churn out movies quickly and inexpensively.
Lynn Hershman Leeson discusses her new project, ÔStrange Culture'.
SF360.org spoke with director Finn Taylor about ÔThe Darwin Awards' and all the films he's directed in a Bay Area that's offered him years of inspiration.
Miles Matthew Montalbano's evocative and empathetic portrait of Bush-era dissatisfaction among the post-collegiate set.
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.
Five recommendations chosen from among the gore, ghouls, ghosts, gags, and animation at Indiefest's Holehead festival.
While the SF International Film Festival has always had celebrity guests, the 50th edition featured a particular concentration of unique one-offs.
The List: An Amerindie helmer well before the term was invented, Nilsson names 10 films which deeply affected him.
Taste a bit of the vintage grindhouse experience at the last of Dead Channels' Month of Sleazy Sundays triple bill of under-the-radar movies.
Teenager Lucie's (Islid Le Besco) encounter with her idol, the pop diva Lauren Waks (Emmanuelle Seigner), turns into a twisted and creepy psychological relationship.
Spies are frequent movie characters, in part because we know so little about them. Nonetheless, The Good Shepherd is an unusual Hollywood project.
For close to a decade now, Miranda July has been exploring and often crossing the traditional boundaries between life and the movies.
By the youth-rhetoric standards of another era, this is the last year we can trust the Mill Valley Film Festival. Next year, it turns 30.
Though it won the Silver Bear at the Berlin Film Festival in 1975, Overlord is one of those movies that mostly slipped through the cracks.
Why do updates of Jerry Lewis flicks get more slack from critics than Zailian's "All the King's Men" and Demme's "The Manchurian Candidate?"
The veteran Israeli filmmaker, in town for the Jewish Film Festival, talks about radical art and Free Zone.
A conversation with Pamela Yates, director of State of Fear, on Peru's 20-year war on terror, which bears an unsettling resemblance to U.S. current events.
A complete list of the winners of the Golden Gate Awards show, which was all about celebrating the city, with filmmakers of all genres saying a kind word or two about it.
This English comedy, the second feature made by the guys behind that genius horror spoof, 'Shaun of the Dead,' satirizes fake cinematic testosterone.
Until the 1960s, Hollywood cast S.F. as a city where everyone was too busy brawling, floozing,and plotting intrigue to exclaim,"Look at that view!"
Paolo Sorrentino takes on the notorious Italian Prime Minister, Giulio Andreotti, in Il Divo.